240 Litre Planted Community Journal (new Pics 29/5/07)

[JamieH]

Hi all...

Well, I decided to start a new journal: My Old Journal
My tank looked like this: (but suffered a pretty awful wipeout)



And then i totally revamped it to look like this:




It was a 240 litre Juwel Tank to the following spec -

Lighting: 4 x 38w T8
Filter: Fluval 205
Substrate: Silica Grit
Substrate Ferts: Laterite mixed with compost and JBL Floropol
C02: Homemade Diy C02 with Ehiem pump / reactor

The tank did really, really well - no algae and rampant plant growth.

.... and therein lies the problem.

The plants were growing so well that i felt like is was always having to take the lid off and prune them to make it look good. This might not sound like much of a chore, but when you've crammed 4 lights and reflectors into a juwel hood with the assoicated clips and wires - it becomes a tough call to do it every few days.

Eventually I decided a rethink was in order

I decided that as beautiful as my tank looked, I've always kept fish to see them... and they were the focus of my hobby... not pruning!

So, I've reduced the light in the tank by half, and removed a most of the plants - the tank now has a steadily growing 'wall' of valis along the back, and really healthy groups of crypts in the mid-ground - there's also a large onion plant to the left foregound with a strategically placed 300lph pump wafting it's leaves across the top of the tank. The idea is to make it look like a river... The tank has the same nutrient-rch substrate so the undemanding plants i've left in there are doing really well. There's No C02 since i halved the amount of light.

The decor is now a large piece of bogwood, and a low 'wall' of purple slate pieces running it's way the entire length of the tank.

I've increased the fish stock too:

Tank currently holds:

4 Angelfish (1 common, 2 marble, 1 silver)
3 silver sharks
1 algae eater
5 cherry barbs
1 baby common plec
asst platies - angelfish are not doing a good job of thinning out the young it seems!

Ammonia and Nitrite are Zero
Nitrate a steady 25pmm - lower than my tap water!
PH = 7.6
hardness = can't remember, but 'hard'!


The fluval 205 filter is being replaced with a eheim 2217 this week - as since i've added the silver sharks there water has been slightly cloudy as the sharks spend a large amount of time shifting through the surface of the sand. it's exposed the fact the the fluval is probably a bit too small now the stock is higher.

I've chosen the 'classic' range because they are really cheap on ebay (2217 = £69 delivered), and hence they are a lot of tested quality for the buck. Also, they are the only filter aroung ATM that makes the water pass through the entire canister - i.e. the water enters at the bottom and there's no possible by pass.

New Pics Apologies about the awful quality - camera phone.

Anyway, Hope you're all well!

I'm looking for ideas of what fish to add next... weird as it seems, i've never had a community tank like this before - always kept cichlids in the past.

So, what fish would you add to my set up?


As ever, all comments welcome.

 

[JamieH]

removing this post because it had an ebay link and i've been told off for breaking the rules!!! oops

 

[14gtr14]

I thought you said you'd never go planted again! The tank's looking better than ever! keep it up.

 

[Dave Spencer]

I am thinking of reducing the light on one of my tanks and going for a grassy look, but probably with Eleocharis vivipara. This tank has got a nice feel and look to it. Let`s hope this look lasts for more than a week before the plants are pushing the hood off the tank.

I am using an Eheim classic filter as well. Cheap, simple and some people have examples that have been running for years.

Dave.

 

[JamieH]

I am thinking of reducing the light on one of my tanks and going for a grassy look, but probably with Eleocharis vivipara. This tank has got a nice feel and look to it. Let`s hope this look lasts for more than a week before the plants are pushing the hood off the tank.

I am using an Eheim classic filter as well. Cheap, simple and some people have examples that have been running for years.

Dave.

My dad has an Eheim (2211 - i think) that he's had for nearly 15 years. Not only that but it also pushes water through the long-since-dead canisters of two Atlantis (remember them?) canister filters before returning water to his tank... imagine that... doing the pumping work of three filters and still out lasting pretty much everything else.

Well... the crypts are doing nicely... and the vallis will hopefully calm down now the light is less...

 

[scouse_andy]

I really like the look of your tank. It's interesting that you have chosen to lower your light and go non-CO2 to avoid all that heavy pruning. This is exactly the type of tank that I'm planning. I have the Juwel Rio 240 with the normal light fixture and am looking into my substrate choice (currently just silica sand).

I have a heavy plant biomass with lots of fast growers and am planning on doing a natural planted tank which looks after itself with 3-6 monthly water changes and minimal pruning. I will, in time, take out some of my fast growers and replace with some crypts like you have in the midground there. I think it looks nice. Do you dose any ferts in the tank?

Have you looked into the Walstad approach yourself, it sounds like it might fit your aims quite nicely.

Tank is looking really good.

Andy.

 

[JamieH]

I really like the look of your tank. It's interesting that you have chosen to lower your light and go non-CO2 to avoid all that heavy pruning. This is exactly the type of tank that I'm planning. I have the Juwel Rio 240 with the normal light fixture and am looking into my substrate choice (currently just silica sand).

I have a heavy plant biomass with lots of fast growers and am planning on doing a natural planted tank which looks after itself with 3-6 monthly water changes and minimal pruning. I will, in time, take out some of my fast growers and replace with some crypts like you have in the midground there. I think it looks nice. Do you dose any ferts in the tank?

Have you looked into the Walstad approach yourself, it sounds like it might fit your aims quite nicely.

Tank is looking really good.

Andy.

Yes.... My tank was going to be a more 'el natural' approach, but then i got carried away with the idea of lots of light and c02...!

My substrate is a 50/50 mix of silver sand and silica grit, about 3ins... laid on top of a mix of laterite, JBL floropol and compost.

My crypts took a while to establish but have gone MAD in the last couple of weeks.

I dose no liquid ferts at all... also my nitrates are currently about 25ppm lower than my tap water. I credit this not only to the plants - a 3in layer of substrate should have significant nitrate reduction capabilities given the small mount of water circulating through it via the plant roots.

 

[scouse_andy]

My substrate is a 50/50 mix of silver sand and silica grit, about 3ins... laid on top of a mix of laterite, JBL floropol and compost.

What type of compost are you using on this? I am weighing up the cheap option of the cheapest least interfered with topsoil soaked for a month OR the safe option of tetraplant complete. Whichever one I choose I will top with the couple of inches of silica sand currently in my tank.

Your tank gives me great encouragement that the standard Juwel lighting levels, a nutritious substrate and no added CO2 or ferts can produce a really effective tank.

What kind of frequency of water changes are you performing? That was the thing that put me off high light / EI etc. on the 240litre more than anything else.

 

[JamieH]

My substrate is a 50/50 mix of silver sand and silica grit, about 3ins... laid on top of a mix of laterite, JBL floropol and compost.

What type of compost are you using on this? I am weighing up the cheap option of the cheapest least interfered with topsoil soaked for a month OR the safe option of tetraplant complete. Whichever one I choose I will top with the couple of inches of silica sand currently in my tank.

Your tank gives me great encouragement that the standard Juwel lighting levels, a nutritious substrate and no added CO2 or ferts can produce a really effective tank.

What kind of frequency of water changes are you performing? That was the thing that put me off high light / EI etc. on the 240litre more than anything else.

Ok well... I used a few handfuls of organic potting compost, and mixed that in with the floropol and laterite. Look up the floropol they sell it on aquaessentials i think, it's like a clay powder. tetra complete is about 60% sand anyway...

My water changes are about 25% every couple of weeks, and more when i clean the filter. i don't siphon the substrate at all either... but the sharks are making me regret that by making such a mess.

TBH i don't like the look of 'old' aquarium water... so if it starts to have a yellow cast i do a bigger change.

I never did any real EI either - when the light was higher i dosed with aquatiliser and balance K twice a week. That was all. EI is fine - and seems to work for the people who's tanks are stable enough. But for every person who seems to get it right, i see others on forums with algae ridden tanks and losing hope. only algae in the tank is on the front glass just below the substrate line... a bit unsightly, but nothing major so i leave it.



Journal Entry 29/05/2007

- Did 48 litre water change
- Cleaned front glass
- Tested Water
N03 = 25ppm
N02 = 00ppm
GH = >21degrees
KH = 10
PH = 7.6
- Fish Status... Smaller marble angel has split tail, bigger one seems to be taking exception to it. Everyone else present and correct. Nothing to worry about.
- Ordered New 250wt Newatt heater (REVIEWS) it's the highest rated heater on cichlid-forum.com by a mile.

My second juwel heater in a year only seems to be heating the tank to 23degrees... and turning the knob reveals the heater will only come on at 28 degrees.... well done juwel - boiled my fish ealier in the year, freazing them now.

New heater £14.95 from favourite ebay seller. Aquatics-online price: £21.75 plus postage. Doh.


Time for a few more pics...

Hope you liked them!

 

[scouse_andy]

Great quality close up pictures of the crypts.

I've got to get me some of those for my mid-ground once I've got my substrate sorted and I've got some stable growth in my tank.

What are the names of all the species you of crypts you have?

 

[JamieH]

Great quality close up pictures of the crypts.

I've got to get me some of those for my mid-ground once I've got my substrate sorted and I've got some stable growth in my tank.

What are the names of all the species you of crypts you have?

on the left (i think) crypt wendtii var. tropica, in the middle - no idea! becketii on the left.

I think!!!

 

[lljdma06]

Beautiful tank, JamieH. I like the look of the crypts. They can be divided, you know. Often a potted plant will have many smaller plants that can be divided and replanted. Just something to think about if they ever get unruly. They are not as slow-growing as people think, if they are kept in the right conditions. They are not as rampant as stemplants, but not slow either.
I like the slate arrangements as well. Very nice.

With all these beautiful low-techs around, soon I will feel the need to shake things up and setup an uber high-tech.

llj

 

[JamieH]

Beautiful tank, JamieH. I like the look of the crypts. They can be divided, you know. Often a potted plant will have many smaller plants that can be divided and replanted. Just something to think about if they ever get unruly. They are not as slow-growing as people think, if they are kept in the right conditions. They are not as rampant as stemplants, but not slow either.
I like the slate arrangements as well. Very nice.

With all these beautiful low-techs around, soon I will feel the need to shake things up and setup an uber high-tech.

llj

Thanks very much!

I've noticed that the crypt in the middle seems to be throwing up little plant-lets in the foreground. none of these 'babies' are doing very well though it seems. Not growing much at all.

Weird, as the parents seem to be bigger by the day.

If i have a move around (more like 'when') then i will divide the crypts.

 

[JamieH]

Well my eheim 2217 just arrived. I'm going home to Set it up and take loads of pics / write a full review.

!!!

 

[JamieH]

So, my new filter arrived today

An Eheim 2217 from Leicester Aquatics via Ebay. £69 delivered - a brilliant deal. And Fantastic Service, Thank you. They have a website, too.



I'm really particular about filters.


I deviated from eheim by buying a tetra tec 1200: cheap and BIG, but no finesse and curious ability to see big pieces of waste sucked up the intake and come out of the outlet (confirmed by putting some tetra prima in the inlet and the outlet in a bucket), and fluval: very easy to maintain but appalling at filtering fine particles out the water - and the addition of filter wool not helping - surprisingly the filter wool did not get very dirty while the prefilter foam did. This indicates a significant bypass of water inside the canister, Look closely at your fluval, there are notches around the 'guard' that directs water from the top media basket into the pump. These are there to allow air to escape from the canister, but I believe they allow water to take the path of least resistance. My fluval 205 has also become noisy after only 3 months use.

Meanwhile we have an old eheim classic in the family that's been running for over ten years - and pushes water through the canisters of two other filters it's outlived. And having had two 'modern' filters that suffered from the ability to bypass the media, I decided to stick with the eheim classic - to my knowledge the only canister filters on the market now where water enters the bottom and HAS to pass though the media to get to the pump.

The filter comes with pipes, spray bar, the traditional eheim double taps, and sponge media, fine filter pad, and carbon pad

one slight let down is that the filter no longer comes with the 'shepards crook' pipe to fit the return tube into the tank - just one clip on bend, and one elbow... given the super-high quality of everything else, it's a shame eheim cut that corner.


Fitting the filter took about 15 minutes... i filled the canister with mature alfagrog from the fluval - which filled about 25%! so i doubled that, and used three of the six sponges eheim provided and topped it off with the fine pad.

The filter does not have a priming facility - but i think you'd have to be some kind of dumb-a** to need that anyway - once you've started the siphon, you should never need to do it again - just ensure you open the return pipe before the inlet valve, and the filter will fill every time.

Fully installed in the engine room:

Overall i give this filter 9/10 - better fittings would give it a solid ten. i won't be changing it any time soon...

oh and it's Silent with a capital S...