Good evening,
I have recently set up 4/5 gallon nano tank to compensate for the delay on PFK's tank.
My 40 gallon community tank was my first attempt at a planted scape [see signature link] and I'm constantly spending money [much to my partner's grief] on updating the lighting [bought a dual light starter plus 2 more individual light units to create 4x25watt of light, equating to roughly 2.1 WPG], filter [recently incvested in a Fluval 305 cannister to help reduce tank clutter], co2 emissions [one nutrafin unit isn't enough to keep 30ppm of co2 in the tank at all times], fertiliser [root tabs, liquid ferts] etc etc.
Anyway, I decided to go with the nano to learn about planted tanks before commiting to such a large tank properly and spending plenty more money, plus in my 6 months experience with plants in the aquarium I had never got round to constant blooms - just plenty of annoying hair algae and the odd leaf cropping up here and there.
So, in the absence of the PFK nano, I set up a spare 5 gallon aquarium I had lying around and bought some ADA aquatic soil from Craynerd [such a good deal!], then placed a Nutrafin Co2 kit, small filter and heater in. I would have documented the setting up part with pictures but I was in such an excited rush to do it [Saturday comes but once a week] I plainly forgot.
The soil was easy to use and only partially clouded the water for a day or so, although if i try and move anything around in the soil now it creates a cloud that takes a few hours to settle - so would strongly advise buying the sand stuff that goes on top of this substrate to anyone else thinking of using it. Although the way it looks in the tank is very natural and it definately creates a sense of wildness about it.
I used a few small vallis plantlets that were spreading slowly but surely in my 40g, which now seem to have taken the form of fluffy algae, especially around the edges of the leaves. I also added a dwarf anubia which has been growing on a small piece of bogwood in the 40g for half a year and seems to grow leaves quite often but after a few weeks they slowly diminish and seem to rot. The root/rizone of the anubia is spreading quickly though and has taken over the whole bit of bogwood. Although as I placed this in the nano before filling with water - once filled the leaves became covered in dirt from the cloud created by the soil, everything seems to get covered and i am concerned this will reduce plant growth. I have since placed the bogwood with anubias back into the 40g to make room for the new arrivals...
I bought a couple of potted plants from aqua essentials; Hemianthus callitrichoides "cuba" - a tiny bush like plant that I intend to spread over the entirety of the substrate to create a lawn effect as it only grows to 2cm, and Juncus repens - which I found rather interesting when searching through plants and discovered it doesn't need too high a light source.
As soon as I had placed them into the tank they started to pearl, which was a shock to me - seeing as in 6 months of expensive aquarium plant keeping I hadn't managed to give a plant stable enough conditions to pearl. Even after 6 hours of planting [received the plants this morning - got home from work and planted straight away] they are still pearling, so hopefully this is a good sign?
I have just added some Elodia from the 40g as well to help big up the plant growth and lessen algae growth.
The only inhabitants of this new tank are trumpet snails, to keep the soil moving and cause some small form of animal waste to be produced. My plan eventually, once everything is sorted and stable with plants flourishing and growing well, is to add a small shoal of neons.
I am sorry but I don't have any pictures at the moment, but will update the thread with some tommorow evening.
The current specs for the first week are:
Co2: 87ppm
Ammonia/nitrite: 0
Nitrate 30/40ppm
Ph: 6.5
Temp: 22-24 C
Lighting: 2x 14watt Aqua Glo & Sun Glo tubes
I am using Nutrafin liquid fert at the moment but hope to use something a little better once I've run out of this stuff.
Any advice with what I could be doing better, what I should be doing more of and ideas to reduce algae growth will be gratefully appreciated.
I realise the Co2 is incredibly high, I am guessing this is because of the soil - as once filled the tank's Co2 level was much higher. Could this be one of the causes of the algae growth?
Thanks for reading, as I said - pictures to follow tommorow.
Regards,
Paul.
I have recently set up 4/5 gallon nano tank to compensate for the delay on PFK's tank.
My 40 gallon community tank was my first attempt at a planted scape [see signature link] and I'm constantly spending money [much to my partner's grief] on updating the lighting [bought a dual light starter plus 2 more individual light units to create 4x25watt of light, equating to roughly 2.1 WPG], filter [recently incvested in a Fluval 305 cannister to help reduce tank clutter], co2 emissions [one nutrafin unit isn't enough to keep 30ppm of co2 in the tank at all times], fertiliser [root tabs, liquid ferts] etc etc.
Anyway, I decided to go with the nano to learn about planted tanks before commiting to such a large tank properly and spending plenty more money, plus in my 6 months experience with plants in the aquarium I had never got round to constant blooms - just plenty of annoying hair algae and the odd leaf cropping up here and there.
So, in the absence of the PFK nano, I set up a spare 5 gallon aquarium I had lying around and bought some ADA aquatic soil from Craynerd [such a good deal!], then placed a Nutrafin Co2 kit, small filter and heater in. I would have documented the setting up part with pictures but I was in such an excited rush to do it [Saturday comes but once a week] I plainly forgot.
The soil was easy to use and only partially clouded the water for a day or so, although if i try and move anything around in the soil now it creates a cloud that takes a few hours to settle - so would strongly advise buying the sand stuff that goes on top of this substrate to anyone else thinking of using it. Although the way it looks in the tank is very natural and it definately creates a sense of wildness about it.
I used a few small vallis plantlets that were spreading slowly but surely in my 40g, which now seem to have taken the form of fluffy algae, especially around the edges of the leaves. I also added a dwarf anubia which has been growing on a small piece of bogwood in the 40g for half a year and seems to grow leaves quite often but after a few weeks they slowly diminish and seem to rot. The root/rizone of the anubia is spreading quickly though and has taken over the whole bit of bogwood. Although as I placed this in the nano before filling with water - once filled the leaves became covered in dirt from the cloud created by the soil, everything seems to get covered and i am concerned this will reduce plant growth. I have since placed the bogwood with anubias back into the 40g to make room for the new arrivals...
I bought a couple of potted plants from aqua essentials; Hemianthus callitrichoides "cuba" - a tiny bush like plant that I intend to spread over the entirety of the substrate to create a lawn effect as it only grows to 2cm, and Juncus repens - which I found rather interesting when searching through plants and discovered it doesn't need too high a light source.
As soon as I had placed them into the tank they started to pearl, which was a shock to me - seeing as in 6 months of expensive aquarium plant keeping I hadn't managed to give a plant stable enough conditions to pearl. Even after 6 hours of planting [received the plants this morning - got home from work and planted straight away] they are still pearling, so hopefully this is a good sign?
I have just added some Elodia from the 40g as well to help big up the plant growth and lessen algae growth.
The only inhabitants of this new tank are trumpet snails, to keep the soil moving and cause some small form of animal waste to be produced. My plan eventually, once everything is sorted and stable with plants flourishing and growing well, is to add a small shoal of neons.
I am sorry but I don't have any pictures at the moment, but will update the thread with some tommorow evening.
The current specs for the first week are:
Co2: 87ppm
Ammonia/nitrite: 0
Nitrate 30/40ppm
Ph: 6.5
Temp: 22-24 C
Lighting: 2x 14watt Aqua Glo & Sun Glo tubes
I am using Nutrafin liquid fert at the moment but hope to use something a little better once I've run out of this stuff.
Any advice with what I could be doing better, what I should be doing more of and ideas to reduce algae growth will be gratefully appreciated.
I realise the Co2 is incredibly high, I am guessing this is because of the soil - as once filled the tank's Co2 level was much higher. Could this be one of the causes of the algae growth?
Thanks for reading, as I said - pictures to follow tommorow.
Regards,
Paul.
Are the trumpet snails ok with that much co2? 
