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You have the equivalent of 200w incandescent, not fluorescent. Incandescent is very inefficient, as most of the power used is wasted in heat. The wpg guide assumes good quality fluorescent light (T8, T5) with efficient reflectors. The energy-saving type fluorescents are ok but still not...

Thanks everyone. I've just got a new camera, a Nikon P4. It's a powerful compact with loads of great features ideal for aquarium photography. I originally planned a DSLR but just don't have the spare time to do it justice. I'm in the middle of moving house, but hope to get some photos of my...

I can't believe I missed this, Liam. Very, very well done. Please enter this into the PFK Aquascaping Contest....

Lovely fish. Not too gawdy. They suit the 'scape well.

Nice one. Looking good btw. Consider entering this into the PFK contest won't you?

What size wood is that from AE? Small, medium or large.

Do a 50% water change and dose some trace and NPK, then run half lighting for 6 hour photoperiod on a plug-in-timer. No need to feed the fish for 2 weeks. Shouldn't be too bad whewn you get back.

There's still a couple of months. ;)

Good to see another EI advocate. Keep up the good work. Have you considered entering the PFK Aquascaping Contest?

A good first attempt, well done! What fertilisers are you using? With 4 x 24w T5 and CO2, your plants will soon strip the water of nutrients.

If you have multiple tubes then a small midday burst is ideal i.e. 3 hours half light, 2 hours full light, 3 hours half light. The gradually increase the burst from 2 hours to however many hours you wish, with a max total photoperiod of 10 hours. Keep CO2 at 30ppm, EI and 50% water changes and...

It appears some of you need a reminder of what is expected of posts in this thread. If it seems like a lot of effort then perhaps the "Member's pics" forum is for you. http://www.fishforums.net/Memberand39s-Aqu...ctures-f22.html I ask member's that haven't followed the guideline below to edit...

Most flourescent tubes will gradually decrease in intensity over a period. Their spectrum will also change. Some last longer than others before they completely fail. So your "five years" is true to an extent. If you're growing plants or corals then changing the tubes more frequently is...

Interesting fish selection.

CO2 through the night is generally fine, especially if there is good surface movement to ensure plenty of O2. If you are worried then using an airstone through the night will drive off CO2. With glass/ceramic diffusers it is better to have a good circulation so the microbubbles are distributed...

Sounds good. Yes, dose Tropica and Excel together. Excel provides carbon and anti-algae properties, Tropica provides other nutrients.

Yes, very hard. Only genius-like people can keep them alive. God-like people can grow them well. Those that can aquascape are beyond human understanding.... :lol: No, not hard at all. A bit of reading, common-sense, investment and patience is all you need. Heck, if I can do it.....

Try draining most of the tank then using a paintbrush, "paint" a 50:50 mix of Flourish Excel and water to the infected areas. Another technique is still switch off your filter, then using a syringe target the areas with Excel, using up to 2x regular dose in total. Good, stable levels of CO2...

I like Interpet Daylight Plus. Arcadia Freshwater Lamp (not Original Tropical) is good too. Either of these in combo with Triplus would give you good results. Much better than the Juwel tubes or Aqua-Glo.

A journal would be great, yes. Nightmare on the filters. What a clutz!

Depends on your aquarium. A tank full of crypts and anubias will need little maintenance, but a tank full of fast growing stems..... I consider tweezers and scissors essential for most aquascapes. Tweezers are always useful for initial planting. Sharp scissors are essential, as blunt cuts...

Another explanation - 1. Fill dropper with water that is exactly KH 4 (also available from Aqua Essentials). 2. Add 4 drops or so of pH test kit reagent (bromo blue, or Nutrafin pH low-range etc.) 3. The solution will turn a bright blue 2. Place inside aquarium. 3. Depending on CO2 level the...

The D&D regs from Aqua Essentials are good. Don't forget to say "hi" to Sean Evans for me. Have fun!

It's Riccia fluitans. Not the dwarf variety.

I've not heard of any problems before. A couple of friends have run them for years with no issues.

CO2 is off during the night. It comes on 1 hour before lights so CO2 is good as lights come on. Siestas are generally only effective for those with poor CO2. Better to have good CO2 and a midday burst of light i.e. have 2 tubes on for 10 hours, with all 4 tubes on for the middle 4 or 5 hours.

I wouldn't bother with pH controller personally. CO2 on a solenoid one hour before lights is fine. Save the £££ for quality plants etc.

Two filters gives you better circulation, maintenance is better and if one goes wrong..... Eheim 2028 with 300w Hydor in-line heater is better IMO than 2128 with built-in heater. The 2128 comes with an ugly temp probe that sits in the tank. There's no hardware on display with the Hydor. You...

I'd stick with 2wpg. You can still grow anything and there's less algae risk. An Arcadia overtank unit would be fine. The 150cm model with 4 x 54w HO T5 will set you back about £250. Aqua Essentials also sell the new Tek units that are even better, but more expensive. Substrate sounds...

Just a quick one to let you know I'm away for 2 weeks with no web access. Take care.

You'll need a lot more CO2 with a HOB, trust me. I'd go for an Eheim external personally. Take your pick from e-bay for less ££.

Ha, ha. Not quite, more as favours for colleagues etc. but I do ok out of it, as they do too..... I'd like to do more but there simply aren't enough hours in the day. I drive 120 miles a day just to get to work and back! Then there's the wife, kids, dog, writing, forums, UKAPS..... Glad...

Tropica for me too. I've been using for 6 months+ now and doubt I'll use any other trace. I appear to get better growth than trace powder and other off-the-shelf products, although I haven't carried out any controlled experiments to prove this. FYI I'm setting up a tank for a client and we're...

You seem to have plenty of light, assuming it is suitable. What lamps are you using, reflectors etc? With good CO2 and light you should be seeing plenty of pearling after an hour or two of lighting. What bubble rate are you running for your CO2? I wonder if you have low CO2, as relying on...

I'm lucky as my LFS is one of the UK's top stores, Maidenhead Aquatics in Crowland, Peterborough. They stock a brilliant range of fish suitable for nanos. Thanks. http://www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=160501 I sold the nano a while back as it was too much work. I work 12 hour days...

Thanks. They're Microrasbora nana. Grow to 16-20mm max. Here's a close-up for you...

Thanks guys. Dave - I regard fish choice as very important when aquascaping, and these fitted the bill perfectly. Wait 'til you see my 125 l. scape. My best fish choice yet to suit the planting..... I actually did 50% water changes every other day. I think Matt Clarke (web editor) assumed I...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYcB4cYtjw0

Check it out - Practical Fishkeeping magazine | Blog: Introducing UKAPS You'll need to register but it's free, and a great site. Please feel free to add comments to the blog etc.

Sorry to hear about your diffuser woes. I was under the impression that the Spio diffusers are made from a very hard but brittle plastic - hence your unfortunate experience. They apparently flex by a small degree, something that glass would not do.