Verminator89
Jack Dempsey Enthusiast
Hopefully this goes well 
4 Hours of scaping and posting complete 
Due to the delivery of my new 280L, i've had to move my 180L to where my 70L is, and thus the 70L had to be moved. That gave me the opertunity to start this previous "test" planted tank up for good. Right thats the confusing bit done with. So having had this tank as a tester before i went through mixed phases of success followed by failure. Now i've stumbled upon my own little formulae for reasonable success (without it being a disaster. So i'm setting this tank up to be a 'final project', i hope.
So it started with the decomission of the tank how it was, and i set about placing the hardscape in. I used some of the slate i bought for my Jack Dempsey Journal as a basic attempt at a rock formation. After having a little play around i couldnt really get the 'striking' and 'prominent' peak i was hoping for. However, i settled on the best i could manage and this is what i left it as. One thing to note would be that i know i have a thick gravel bed, this is deliberate. I wasnt so keen on having as much open water above, and didnt want to reduce the water line, so a thick substrate it was.
Seeing as this tank was already set up and i achieved moderate success with the plants and balance (toward the end) i am keeping everything the same. Some adjustments will be made along the way, one being CO2 system, and the ferts i use to dose.
Lighting
x2 24W T5HO [Lights on 12pm till 7pm] <-- Going by US gallons i work that out at 2.6WPG (correct?)
CO2
I'm currently running a TMC AquaGro CO2 starter kit + 2ml EasyLife EasyCarbo daily. I'm upgrading to a DIY CO2 Fire Extinguisher which i'm currently just awaiting my regulator + solenoid and i'm good to go on that front.
Ferts
2ml Easylife Profito x3 weekly (Wednesday, Friday, Sunday after WC) I'll be changing to another brand that doses Macro + Micro as i've just realised Profito doesnt dose N or P
Plants
Lots of HC Cuba
1 Plantlet of Cryptocornye Parva
x3 (approx) Echindorus Tenellus (Assumption, i bought it unlabelled, anyone ID confirm for me?)
x2 Pogostemon Helferi (Downoi)
x2 Rotala Nanjenshan
x2 Micranthemum Umbrosum (i think, lost the Tropica label)
All the plants are from the tank previously and i salvaged what i could. I didnt re-use all the HC because it still had small under-nurished leaves which had algae growing on. I'd since adjusted and new growth was lush and green and spreading fast. This is what i mean by i stumbled on a formulae which is working for me currently. After separating what was good growth i began the painstaking task of planting HC bit by bit in tiny portions. The HC i'm hoping won't take too long to fill out, as the growth before i took it all out was promising and was spreading nicely.
Next i planted all the other plants. Rotala and Micranthemum in the rear behind the rock. With the Downoi and Tenellus in front of the formation in clusters spread around. I focussed the Tenellus toward the front left corner and the Downoi mainly in the centre corner of the rocks. I'm hoping this will grow in well.
So thats planting done. With a few adjustments i should have my routine set up nicely in the next week or two, hopefully before any algae sets in. So heres a final shot of the hardscape, and a FTS. Apologies for the cloudisness as i disturbed the filter somewhat before turning it on, made the mistake of shaking it too soon and it threw out loads of dirt. Also the residents will be back in later this week, maybe next week. I'm going to give the tank time to settle down as i well and truely stirred up the substrate when redoing all this.
Residents
Japonica Shrimp & Cherry Shrimp
13 Sunset Platy fry [temporary untill they grow]
Comments and critiques welcome. Suggestions wouldnt go a miss either
Cheers;
James
4 Hours of scaping and posting complete Due to the delivery of my new 280L, i've had to move my 180L to where my 70L is, and thus the 70L had to be moved. That gave me the opertunity to start this previous "test" planted tank up for good. Right thats the confusing bit done with. So having had this tank as a tester before i went through mixed phases of success followed by failure. Now i've stumbled upon my own little formulae for reasonable success (without it being a disaster. So i'm setting this tank up to be a 'final project', i hope.
So it started with the decomission of the tank how it was, and i set about placing the hardscape in. I used some of the slate i bought for my Jack Dempsey Journal as a basic attempt at a rock formation. After having a little play around i couldnt really get the 'striking' and 'prominent' peak i was hoping for. However, i settled on the best i could manage and this is what i left it as. One thing to note would be that i know i have a thick gravel bed, this is deliberate. I wasnt so keen on having as much open water above, and didnt want to reduce the water line, so a thick substrate it was.
Seeing as this tank was already set up and i achieved moderate success with the plants and balance (toward the end) i am keeping everything the same. Some adjustments will be made along the way, one being CO2 system, and the ferts i use to dose.
Lighting
x2 24W T5HO [Lights on 12pm till 7pm] <-- Going by US gallons i work that out at 2.6WPG (correct?)
CO2
I'm currently running a TMC AquaGro CO2 starter kit + 2ml EasyLife EasyCarbo daily. I'm upgrading to a DIY CO2 Fire Extinguisher which i'm currently just awaiting my regulator + solenoid and i'm good to go on that front.
Ferts
2ml Easylife Profito x3 weekly (Wednesday, Friday, Sunday after WC) I'll be changing to another brand that doses Macro + Micro as i've just realised Profito doesnt dose N or P
Plants
Lots of HC Cuba
1 Plantlet of Cryptocornye Parva
x3 (approx) Echindorus Tenellus (Assumption, i bought it unlabelled, anyone ID confirm for me?)
x2 Pogostemon Helferi (Downoi)
x2 Rotala Nanjenshan
x2 Micranthemum Umbrosum (i think, lost the Tropica label)
All the plants are from the tank previously and i salvaged what i could. I didnt re-use all the HC because it still had small under-nurished leaves which had algae growing on. I'd since adjusted and new growth was lush and green and spreading fast. This is what i mean by i stumbled on a formulae which is working for me currently. After separating what was good growth i began the painstaking task of planting HC bit by bit in tiny portions. The HC i'm hoping won't take too long to fill out, as the growth before i took it all out was promising and was spreading nicely.
Next i planted all the other plants. Rotala and Micranthemum in the rear behind the rock. With the Downoi and Tenellus in front of the formation in clusters spread around. I focussed the Tenellus toward the front left corner and the Downoi mainly in the centre corner of the rocks. I'm hoping this will grow in well.
So thats planting done. With a few adjustments i should have my routine set up nicely in the next week or two, hopefully before any algae sets in. So heres a final shot of the hardscape, and a FTS. Apologies for the cloudisness as i disturbed the filter somewhat before turning it on, made the mistake of shaking it too soon and it threw out loads of dirt. Also the residents will be back in later this week, maybe next week. I'm going to give the tank time to settle down as i well and truely stirred up the substrate when redoing all this.
Residents
Japonica Shrimp & Cherry Shrimp
13 Sunset Platy fry [temporary untill they grow]
Comments and critiques welcome. Suggestions wouldnt go a miss either
Cheers;
James
