2F Tank Journal

[minnnt]

Flourish excel is the carbon, but dosing carbon means you will need to be adding trace elements, micros and macros so an all in one would be better. Something like tpn+ or green high from ebay would do. No idea which seachem product is the same, maybe the flourish+? You would have to have a read and double check.

 

[mike455555]

all right thanks minnnt going to order the lights today =D

so hopefully they'll be here Monday =D


anyone got any liquid carbon / micro's advice on what i should buy? like whats the best one out there and will they effect fish in any way? or shrimp

edit: lights ordered =D cant wait till they get here =]

which is considered better co2 or liquid carbon?

 

[minnnt]

Pressurised co2 is better than liquid carbon... But it is initially alot more money. I also like to think that liquid carbon is safer as YOU control the dosing rather than relying on a regulator, diffuser, bubble counter, 4dkh solution etc etc etc. It will also add more pipework to your tank... although lily pipes do look ace.

Why don't you try some Flourish Excel or Easy Carbo first and see if you like it? You will also need the correct fertiliser as i mentioned before though and you will need to be doing a 50% water change every week.

 

[mike455555]

why 50%? and iv been looking into dry ferts

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/376879-ferts/page__p__3154471__fromsearch__1#entry3154471

so i might try them out they seem cheaper than the flourish which is half the price but for like 90% less or something like that.

as for the co2 i might get flourish excel or easycarbo... i wanta stay away from yeast because iv read about algae problems ?

 

[minnnt]

Yeast is a great method for small tanks, but it can lead to algae problems as it is almost impossible to regulate the amount it produces.

The reason for 50% water changes is to keep the nutrient level stable. Your fish also appreciate clean water.

 

[mike455555]

update =]

light unit arrived today. =D unsure if i like the over all look

light off

light on

the tank's got a heater and a filter (picked up from a carboot for £15 ,full 2f set up test kits and all)
filters just to provide water movement


plants in the tank are xmas moss (floating for now.)
and an amamzon sword (behind the filter)

im unsure of how to scape it at the moment ... im thinking riccia + HC + xmas moss


iv also got hairgrass available and a few other plants.

and advice on how to scape it a bit more would help =D


as for ferts im going to buy some dry ferts online and either use co2 injection (not pressurized) or easycarbo

 

[ian]

The best thing i could suggest is to have a good look around at other scapes

and have a read of this

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/328059-basics-in-aquascaping/

Although, for the majority aquascaping is a learned art, i would always suggest that we learn the basics in growing plants first and then move over to the scaping part. I do think you could do with some more hardscape in there and more plants.

is the light the one from All pond solutions?

 

[mike455555]

yer the one you recommended for a high tech one =] thanks =D

i agree it needs more hardscape... i got some little slate type thing's i just stuck in the sand in front of the heater. i might make a mini stone henge there with HC in the middle going into some other plants ;p

i read though that the other day =D very helpfull thanks

 

[mike455555]

small update... lost track of how long its been since i started this...

im back at collage now so scapings slowing down a little.
but i have a bit of dead oak soaking down at the bottom of the garden.

heres the tank

heres the tank in full ( and a bit better picture) added riccia and xmas moss to small bits of slate (hopefully it will grow though)

i want opinions on this im not to sure weather it would look good or not... i was thinking of trying a HC carpet in-between the stones streching to where the other slates are (ones with mesh on) these slates would be replaced with the bit of oak down the garden. (its a fairly straight branch) id attach moss's to it and maybe some other plants

then maybe a cascading effect of stones of moss and riccia (or maybe just moss) stretching from the back of the "hill"



ignore the bowl and the filter/heater wires there not fully wired in yet + i'll probably changing the filter to the larger one in the guppie tank

 

[JenCliBee]

Don't take this personally or the wrong way mate but the stonehenge thingy isn't anything i would even consider even in one of my mess about tanks, never mind a display tank .


I think you need to really sit down and have a look round at other scapes and actually decide on a theme, at the moment it just seems very thrown together and miss matched with no real thought to how you actually want the tank to end up like.


I really apologise if it sounds harsh mate but if you dont get constructive criticism then you will never see what everybody else can see and is thinking

 

[mike455555]

not at all i want the constructive criticism =] thanks i'll ditch the idea then it's still in the early stages and i want a nice scape at the end... i just dont have much to work with atm

any advice on what a good scape would look like? iv been looking though loads

 

[JenCliBee]

not at all i want the constructive criticism =] thanks i'll ditch the idea then it's still in the early stages and i want a nice scape at the end... i just dont have much to work with atm

any advice on what a good scape would look like? iv been looking though loads

It's always best to pick a style before you decide on anything else, even if it's just a jungle scape with mass plants and the odd piece of decor, have a look at minnnts tank for example.. i think he himself admits there is no real layout apart from random plants (placed well) to create a jungle style appearance...his tank looks superb, healthy and full of life.


As to the 'what a good scape looks like'.... this is personal preference mate.... Ianho likes branchy wood nature style, i love iwagumi and dutch... dutch in my opinion though is the hardest to pull off correctly.... some just love a healthy heavily planted tank with no real scape in mind.... soooo many people have soooo many different tastes and perceive different scapes/styles so differently

What do you want it to look like?... any styles you prefer?... whats the long term plan for the tank?... is there a consideration of pressurised Co2?..... there are so many factors to decide on.

 

[mike455555]

i dont like jungle type scapes there to messy for me... i do like the Dutch and iwagumi type scape's as well

there is consideration of pressurised co2 but i was going to does liquid to start with

long term plan for the tank is... umm sit in my room looking nice? and as a water source for the plants in my room (whats better than water change water for house plants)


i did like ianho's tank before he restyled it... i dont like island scapes.

 

[ian]

cheers lol

I would do a Nature aquarium search on google images and you'll pull some great pics. I agree with Jake, and just to add furthermore to what he said, if i was you, i'd concentrate on growing plants for the few times you plant the tank and then head down the aquascaping route. Once you have mastered the growing, then turn you head to aquascaping.


PS, my scape is more Nature aquarium than an island scape lol.

 

[JenCliBee]

i dont like jungle type scapes there to messy for me... i do like the Dutch and iwagumi type scape's as well

there is consideration of pressurised co2 but i was going to does liquid to start with

long term plan for the tank is... umm sit in my room looking nice? and as a water source for the plants in my room (whats better than water change water for house plants)


i did like ianho's tank before he restyled it... i dont like island scapes.

Hard to please then lol.... many will say it isn't but... dosing carbon is no comparison for pressurised Co2... i currently dose carbon in my 60l and it works fine but the plants are chosen to reflects this... if you like iwagumi style and are willing to use pressurised co2 with your new light unit it can be very easily done using a variety of carpeting plants including HC.... the flow will need upgrading and the addition of things like a drop checker etc etc but if this the style that really floats your boat i would consider starting from there.


Growing plants really is the priority here, if you have trouble growing plants then the scape will never appear as it should because of this.... me personally would concentrate on this first while deciding on what look/style/scape to go for... get a few plants (varying in size, species and hardiness) and try and grow them first.... you never know this may even be a starting point to a scape you never actually thought you would like or had imagined


Edited.... lol, Ian beat me to it with the plant growing side first but he has given the best type of advice