Afroturfs 25g Tank

[afroturf]

This s my first major attempt at a planted tank i have had other planted tanks but this is the first one i have made that is 'high tech' first off here are the tanks spec -

Tank - 30"x15"x15" 25 gallons approx

Lighting - EQJ pendant 1x150w bulb 2x24w t5s 8hrs per day

Sustrate - 1.5cm layer of Ferka Aquabase plus a little litrate topped with 3.5cm layer 2-3mm gravel.

CO2 - Hydor Green NRG Exclusive 1bps

Fertiliser - Ferka aquatiliser 10ml every water change + JBL Ferropol 24 1 drop/day, 50% water change every week

Plants - Vallisenria nana, Pogostemon helferi, Hemianthus callitrichoides, Blyxa japonica, weeping and Xmas moss.

Fish - 4 Spotted blueye raindows, 6 Pygmy corys, 5 Cherry shrimps


First i layed the Substrate and tried to work out the rock positioning i only had 3 large dragon stones from aquaessentials, I had alot of trouble with the lay out of the rocks as they seemed to big for the tank i wanted to break up the largest one but was unsure about this as i didn't want to be left with a load of smaller pieces i was unhappy with. this is a photo of the 3 rocks i started with



I decided to break up the largest stone the one on the right wich was very hard work it tuck about three hours with a drill and a chisel no dropping it on the floor a hoping it breaks into a nice few pieces. I then set about setting up the hardscape and this is what i settled on.



Two weeks later after tweeking the rock positioning and adding the plants and a few fish

 

[George Farmer]

Nice layout.

Consider re-sizing your original images using MS Paint or similar. It takes ages for me to see your photos.

Or you could tick the "resize image" box and select 640x480.

Welcome to TFF BTW, I recognise you from APC. Good to see you on here.

 

[Dave Spencer]

That is pretty stunning for a first serious attempt.

I notice one or two small clumps of moss tied to rock. What are your intentions for this?

Do you ever have the full 200W of light on?

The whole set up has a very natural look and will get even better, definitely competition standard. I always prefer it when people give a little critique of my tank when I post pictures, so here are my thoughts:

Having a rock pointing inwards 1/3 from each side of the tank, plus the same plant at the base of each, gives the whole thing a little too much symmetry for my liking.

Nevertheless, this is an excellent set up, you must be really chuffed with it. I am about two months in to my first high tech tank which has been an exercise in growing plants and excluding algae, in the main. My next project will hopefully be along the lines of what you are trying here. I hope you keep updating so that I can learn a few things.

Cheers, Dave.

 

[afroturf]

George, thanks for the tip i resizes tham via image shack hope they load up quicker now. i don't know why i havn't been using this forum more, I joined it neatly a year ago and i've only just started posting on it? Have you had any more ideas about the 6' tank you mentioned on APC?

Dave, the reason for the few areas of moss on rock is for 1 i saw it in a tank that gave some me inspiration think it was one of Oliver Knotts and 2 with there being such a large area of HC I thought it would break it up abit and make it look a little more realistic when more mature. I have the 2 24w tubes on 8 hrs per day from 12-4 and from 7-11 and I have the 150w bulb on for 1 and 1/2hrs i the middle of both 4hr spells. I agree with the symmetry issue its my only problem along with the hair algae that has started to appear oh and HC + trumpet snials = floating HC. Im thinking of adding a few more blyxa plants to the far left side of the tank at the base of the rock, hopefully this will make the tank look less symmetrical.

 

[George Farmer]

Have you had any more ideas about the 6' tank you mentioned on APC?

Loads mate, too many.

 

[Themuleous]

Nice looking layout not so sure about the flat surface of the left rock, where its been cut. Any way of turning it over or round to hide this? Its my main grip about dragon rock, to many cut surfaces!

Other than that, looking forward to seeing it mature

Sam

 

[afroturf]

A little update, I've started to dose with Seachem excel as the hair algae was starting to take off. The amano shrimp and nerite snail have been in there for about 4 days now.

Today the extra Blyxa and the Crypt balansae arrived i'm slightly concerned about the difference in colour, i had to get the new lot from a different supplier,the existing Blyxa is a nice bronze colour and the new lot is bright green. I know that the colour of many plants turn a red/bronze colour under good light but there is a drastic difference in the two. I'll add some new pics soon.

 

[afroturf]

Photo update, just a few images now that i have added the new plants

New blyxa and crypt balansae


Notice the difference in the colour of the new blyxa on the right of the rock and the old blyxa on the right of it. I'm hoping that with time when it all fills out the crypt will come over the top of the vallis, they are both planted near the filter outlet this will hopefull result in a nice flowing effect.

a full tank shot


The downoi and HC have certainly filled in a littleand the vallis have sent out quite a few runners although i havn't got any height with these but all in good time. The hair algae is making the HC look untidy but know i'm using seachem excel hopefully this will change soon.

I also don't what fish to add next i'm thinking of a nice shole of fish, the two main contenders are Ember tetras probably my favourite tetra or rummy nose tetras, i would just go straight for the embers but i think the tank needs a bit of colour which the rummys would add, but they are a little tempreamental i terms of water quality, any opinions or alternatives are much welcome.

 

[Sibelius]

I like this tank, lots of greens and yellows, very natural.

 

[Dave Spencer]

It is really starting to look good. The Pogostemon Helferi looks especially nice.

Are you finding the algae problems controllable with such a small biomass?

PS. To answer your German CO2 question from another thread, if you are referring to the solenoid, you will need a three pin 12V transformer that accepts two pin. Just make sure the solenoid is 12V first.

 

[afroturf]

Cheers Sibelius thats what i'm aiming for a natural looking tank with a nice mix of gren colours.

Dave, I lowered the photo period from 10hrs to 8hrs 3days ago because the algae was not under control, i also have been dosing with seachem excel for the past couple of days and there has deen no increase in the anount of algae, this weekend or early next week i will hopefully be addeing a load more fish, 5 or 6 ottos, and a shole of tetras probably rummy nose or enber tetras but i havn't decided on which yet and a few more amano shrmp, so i should seen the algae disapear soon. I saw some of the co2 systems from germany you mentioned in a thread of yours, i shall definatly be getting on for my next tank there a lot cheaper than any i've seen in the UK.

 

[Dave Spencer]

Do you have any other tanks or aquatics experience? Surelythis isn`t a first attempt.

 

[afroturf]

I've been keeping fish since i was about 15 so around 5 or 6 years but only been into planted tanks for around 1 and a half, i've had a tank with hagen fermenting co2 systems, but this was while i was at uni in liverpool so it very difficult to keep a planted tank going whilst your quite some way from home so they never got any where as i hardly ever came home. Now i've finished uni i can spend more time on my tank. So i'd say this is my first attempt but also i'd say i've got a little experience to.

 

[Dave Spencer]

How is this tank coming along, Afroturf?

Dave.

 

[afroturf]

Time for a Update I've now added the fish.

Complete stock of fish.
4 Pseudomugil gertrudae (plus two babies I think)
2 Corydoras pygmaeus
4 Corydoras habrosus
4 Ottos
11 Ember tetras
5 Scarlet Badis
5 Rasbora Borapetensis
Several Amano and Cherry shrimp
2 Tiger Nerite snails

The Algae problems are persisting after eventually working out what types i had hair and staghorn, i started dosing with excel which partly did the job. The tank is now hair algae free, it also decided to kill quite a few of my shrimps and i got quite alot of melting on the blyxa japonica, but only on the group on the right the left group were fine , although there is still alot of the staghorn algae growing amongst the HC making it very hard to remove munually every time you pick you a large clup it pulls up a load of the HC to. Does anyone know how to rid the tank of Staghorn algae?

I think the two baby fish i have are the Pseudomugil gertrudaes as they have deen in the tank for a few weeks now, there are two male and two females and the males are constantly displaying to the females so my initial thought is that they are theres but they did appear a day or two after the tetras, badis and ottos were added so it could have come with them that would explain the fact there are only two, i'll just have to hope they survive their childhood so i can find out what they are.

I added the Rasboras about 5 days ago they were a impulse buy i'm planning on setting up a new 200L jungle style tank in a month or so when it's my birthday and these are perfect candidates.

Here's a few photos of the new fish, sorry about the quality.

Two scarlet Badis and a female Pseudomugil gertrudae in the background


Badis and Rasbora


Rasbora and Ember tetras


Wouldn't mind a decent camara for my dirthday to, if only money grew on trees.

I haven't posted any photos of the whole tank as there hasn't been to much progress, I'm not happy with the growth of the vallis either although it is a nice plant it hasn't quite turned out how i imagined, looks a little messy. I'm thinking of replacing it with lots of rotala sp 'green' and a couple of subtle pink stemed plants like rotala brevipes, maybe a few wallichii for a dash of colour. By changing th vallis for the stemed plants i think it will neaten up the corners aslong as i keep on top of the the trimming. How does Wallichii take to trimming? it looks a little sensitive to the scissors. I think it will also enclose the tank more around the edges i think it look a little to open with the vallis.

What do you think? I'll add some photos of the whole tank when i've decided what to do.