New Beginnings

[Biulu]

Thanks llj! I was more thinking about pelia... . In the middle part of the wood I have put a large java fern which doesn't have too nice leaves (it has necrose spots) but hope the new leaves will turn out better.

A small update: I installed the filter today. My hands are red from trying to get the hoses far enough over the in- and outlets. Could have used a strong man here... .

I have planted in the way I always teach the farmers how to plant trees; in triangles. Great for optimizing space and getting bushy planting.

I noticed though that with that 'soil bag' underneath, the capping substrate needs to be thicker to ensure that the plants stay in the substrate and don't start floating. I had made a sloping substrate towards the back, but midway I need to put in more to make the crypts stay in.

Of course the wood started floating after having filled the tank halfway. And since the water is very, very cloudy I have no clue how I put it down, which means I don't know whether I squashed plants in my attempt to put it down .

Anyway, I will fill the tank completely, put the filter on and hope to clear it up quickly so I can take pictures!

 

[FishFanatic04]

Can't wait. I think I am about to learn a lot from you.

 

[Biulu]

Well, the water still hasn't cleared. Time for more drastic measures. I will put a HOB on tomorrow filled with filterwool so the filterwool can trap the floating particles. Then after that, I will do a water change or 2.

I also need to vacuum clean as the wood is getting that transparent jelly gunk all over. My espeis and betta are happy though; they have the whole tank for themselves!

 

[FishFanatic04]

Wish we knew what that jelly was. All of my wood has had it. The only good thing is that is goes away. Hope it clears soon. I am planting on Wednesday and adjusting Thursday Can't wait to see what you have done...

 

[Biulu]

How long did it take for yours to get away?

The interesting thing is that my wood is not leaking tannins; I had expected it to do so, but nothing. Hopefully it does lower the pH a bit though!

 

[FishFanatic04]

well...On the biggest piece of wood it's gone, but the other...it's been carrying on awhile. The fish don't seem to mind, so I turn a blind eye. I did notice a ph drop, but it wasn't overnight either. After a few weeks, everything was changing.

 

[Biulu]

Ok, did it go by itself or did you vacuum it up and then it didn't re-appear?

I will be cleaning up tomorrow and then do a re-plant. The crypts were very curly when I got them and they have now straightened out a bit, so it will be easier to plant the right. Plus, as I said before, I need to add some substrate in the midpart as the black soil bag doesn't allow for planting in it.

I also need to get different stones as the ones that are holding the wood down are the ones that fizz and disqualified for the scape....

 

[FishFanatic04]

I vaccumed some of it, and brushed some off with a toothbrush, but it just scattered all over the tank, so I have been leaving it alone. Its all the way gone on my big piece, and mostly gone on the other. It has grown in all my new tanks and it gone in all but the bigger ones.

Have fun planting Can't wait to start mine.

 

[Ps3Steveo]

Looking forward to some pics, the jelly is just bacteria build up in the wood where at some stage it's been soaked, kind of a mould really, my shrimp ate most of mine lol, was gone after a week.

 

[Biulu]

As I was having problems to get the water cleared, I installed a HOB for several days which I stuffed with filterwool and that did miracles.

However, I was afraid things would mess up again when I would put the wood in its original place, so I decided to drain the tank until 1/3. Both the planting and putting the wood scape in place didn't stir up anything though. So the tank is now fully filled, the HOB is still running but will be taken out tomorrow and then my XP2 will take over.

I still have some open spaces though. I decided that the c. balansae would be better suited as a midground plant and that I want to have H. corymbosa in the back on the right hand side. I have not been able to get that plant here yet. Things look a bit gloomy as all the major aquarium shops say it doesn't appear on their ordering list...

Another plant missing is a low growing crypt which has oak coloured leaves. I love it, have seen it here, but don't know the name. When I wanted to get it, they only had it in their showtank but said it comes in on a regular basis. So, patience required here.

Liz was so kind to offer me pellia for this tank and anubias, bolbitis for another tank. However, we came to the conclusion that it is not feasible to send aquatic plants from the US to Canada, even if the plant is not on the NO-NO list. Everybody has had trouble; shipments never arrive or you are on the blacklist forever. . So I will continue my search for that plant too. I think it will look lovely place on the wood.

My espeis are very happy with the new arrangements; they are darting like a cloud around the tank in the upper level. They used to be hiding behind the plants and only swim there, but now they have really come out.

I hope that in a few days I can first move my loaches into there, followed by the angels. Yes, I know; angels are not Asian, but I have 4 that I hope will pair up and once that happens, I will be changing my 20 gallon long for a 29 gallon (same footprint but higher).

Pictures will follow tomorrow when the HOB is removed as the hood doesn't fit properly now and the lights look weird.

 

[FishFanatic04]

Pics! With your preparations, you can't go wrong. Cant wait to see your Rasboras. Thanks for all the help

 

[Jen]

Biulu, are you still looking for Anubias? My boyfriend has some that grows like a weed, and is only letting it grow because no one he knows needs any, and he doesn't want to throw it out. Let me know if you still want, and if he's ok with sending it I'll look into what I need to do to ship it 8 hours east I just asked him now, but he's deep into rebuilding a computer, and I don't think he really understood what I was asking him.

 

[Biulu]

Thanks Jen, that would be great! But have you moved? Ontario is not 8 hrs east from Montreal, right? Or are you talking driving hrs?

 

[Biulu]

Here they are: the official photos from this morning. The water is crystal clear! . You can see the empty spot on the right behind the c. balansae. I wanted to put H. corymbosa there but have not been successful in getting it in Montreal. There is one shop that gets it in on a regular basis but only 'willow leaf' or 'angustifolia'. I feel that that is too much long slender leaf shape in one scape. I am also not too keen on this java fern; I think the leaf size is too dominant. For now I will leave it, at least until the wood has sunken properly. I will see then if I can find another one.

This afternoon I went to look at lighting for another tank and found beautiful A. crispus and L. aquatica. I love the leaf shape of the limnophila, only hope it doesn't make the same mess as the cabomba. I am also not yet sure whether my lighting is good enough for this plant to thrive (it needs bright light), but in the meantime it fills up a gap and doesn't look bad at all.

In the last pictures you can see the XP2 in action; it is a lot of flow and I have not yet put in the koralia! My fish selection prefers slow current and I already see a different behaviour in the rasboras. They are now more in the middle of the tank instead of the top. If it is not to the fishes liking, I will reposition the spraybar and put it in the back. This allows me to add a piece of tube which comes with a valve. I can close it a bit and this will lower the flow. The length of the spraybar is actually the depth of my tank, so I cannot have the spraybar at the side and include the valve.

Btw, the stones are temporary to hold the wood down.

FTS:

Left hand:

Right hand:

Tonight the tank looks like this. FTS: look at the airbubbles! Also take note of the different position of the rasboras in comparison to the first picture.

Right hand side (left hand didn't change)

I am not very happy with the 'sand' substrate in the front. It doesn't look good I find. I wonder whether I should add more substrate but only the bigger particles? When I added substrate on the right hand side where the C. balansae is, that worked very well.

Thanks for looking and comments are welcome!

Edit: for some reason some of the pictures rotated...

 

[FishFanatic04]

I hope you appreciate honesty like I do. I think the substrate isn't the prettiest. BUT {a big, huge BUTT} It is incredibly natural looking. It looks like a riverbed or lake bottom. The black sand in my 46g does NOT look natural, but it is so pretty. I really prefer the natural look. I love the play sand in my other tank because it looks so natural. Your darker color will keep it from looking dirty which is a plus.

hehe I was thinking "what's with the rocks?"

The wood is really softened. The plants behind them are great.

I am using the spray bar on my XP3 with the valve a little closed. My rasboras are flitting across the tank, mid and top, I do see them fighting the forward current, but I think they would avoid it instead of swim in it, if it was too much?