Aquascaper 600

[Wills]

Just realised I need to change my signature haha It's not high tech any more!

 

[AquaBarb]

I was able to get away from work early today and with childcare available and my wife occupied with Christmas prep I was able to sneak off to a local store and pick up some new plants. I got 8 bunches of Vallis, 2 pots of Limnophilla Sessiflora and 3 pots of Crypt Wendetii. Took out most of the remaining plants that were so algae ridden, the last time I bottomed the tank it looked ok for a while but I have to admit life has been a bit hectic so I've not done a water change for a few weeks so I'm hoping that if I keep on top of it over the next week and then make sure it keeps clean I can reverse the algae a bit.

I've disconnected the Co2 and closed the valve so thats stored for now and I'm hoping I can get good growth with these plants. Probably the biggest change in the tank is I've taken out a whole bunch of soil, rescaped the rocks at the front to create a block between the sand and the soil and I have to admit I think it looks great, the fish clearly love it and even my wife said how good it looked which I don't think she has ever done lol. Oh I've added some floating plants too which I'm hoping will help too.

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Wills

Thats lovely wills

Will look even better when the crypts and floating plants grow out

 

[Wills]

Few days in and impressed so far with the growth I'm getting the Limnophilla is definitely taller and the valis is filling out too. I got one really big crypt in the pots I got and was hoping it wouldnt melt but it looks like it is but its a bit rhizome so think it should produce some new leaves soon.

I need to get some filter floss under some of the rocks as you can see some of the aquarium soil is leaking through to the sand. I actually think this is my Stiphodon Gobies that have found a way through the rocks and bringing the soil with them lol.

One thing that has really surprised me is just what a difference the scape has made to the fish, previously I never saw the puffers, sometimes the male but just kind of lurking around the front. But now all three are regularly out and swimming all over the tank, I'd say the Amano Shrimp are a bit more reclusive around the planted areas but they are also around the algae areas more, the front left row of crypts are actually from before when it was an algae pit and the leaves are still quite bad but the gobies and shrimp are making short work of it.

I was on the verge of either completely shutting this tank down or rehoming the fish because I wasnt getting much out of it eg minimal fish interaction, no plant growth and and awful algae issues. But much happier with it now think I'm going to try and add a school to the tank I'm thinking some kind of Harlequin Rasbora, I've seen Espi and Copper locally recently that were quite big so they have a chance but need to look them up properly first as I don't know loads about them.

Wills

 

[Wills]

Just ordered one of these

Delivery is really slow but here by the end of January (not sure where its coming from?) I'm going to get a Monstera to put in it and have it close to the surface at the back left. On my jump guard I have a cut out for the front left and right corners, the left is where my filter pipes are and the right was where my Co2 kit went in so I can reorder the pieces and reattach the netting to put it at the back left to accommodate this.

Wills

 

[Wills]

From a few nights ago but wanted to update

 

[vanalisa]

Beautiful

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Very nice!

 

[Wills]

So the day has come and I've moved the tank to the other side of the room, went really well. I took every short cut possible including not taking the tank apart which I always thought I would. I even left most of the fish in the tank. The tank was pretty light to move even with about 8cm of water in and I'd taken out all the loose rocks that could have fallen. We managed to herd most of the fish to the front so I caught some of them out but things like the Gobies and Shrimp there was no chance of catching them. Whole thing took less than two hours but I had taken the filter apart and dropped an airstone in the bottom so could have gone longer.

Not sure I'd recommend the same process to anyone else so maybe this is a bit of do as I say not as I do haha! This is the tank in its new location. It actually looks really great in the room, so it might stay here now, I kind of hope it does

Wills

 

[Wills]

And a wider context of it in the room - its in a much better place in the house its near one of the main walk through areas (not close enough to be an issue) where as before even though it was in the same room it was in a corner, now you walk towards it for quite some way so yeah really like it.

Only thing thats throwing me a bit is, I was going to put an emergent plant in the back left corner but now I actually think it should go back right? What do you think?

Wills

 

[Wills]

So to my shame, first water change since the last update. Things are going pretty good I think, fish seem really happy in this new scape and algae is quite easy to keep on top of. The Valis is doing good in some ways and not others, some of the tips got quite a bit of algae vs the rest of the tank but they have reached the top, I'd say the older leaves are not doing so hot and some have melted, but I've got quite a few new plantlets around the bottom of the tank so I think it will fill in again.

You can see at the front right I've added a Monstera type plant, it was the smallest one I could find of Monsteras or Peace Lillys and on the label was called a Miniature Monstera (rhaphidophora tetrasperma). So I've put it in the holder I got and will see how it goes, long term I want to move it and my filter pipes to the back of the tank but lets see how it gets on for now.

Wills

 

[AquaBarb]

L

So to my shame, first water change since the last update. Things are going pretty good I think, fish seem really happy in this new scape and algae is quite easy to keep on top of. The Valis is doing good in some ways and not others, some of the tips got quite a bit of algae vs the rest of the tank but they have reached the top, I'd say the older leaves are not doing so hot and some have melted, but I've got quite a few new plantlets around the bottom of the tank so I think it will fill in again.

You can see at the front right I've added a Monstera type plant, it was the smallest one I could find of Monsteras or Peace Lillys and on the label was called a Miniature Monstera (rhaphidophora tetrasperma). So I've put it in the holder I got and will see how it goes, long term I want to move it and my filter pipes to the back of the tank but lets see how it gets on for now.

View attachment 152819
View attachment 152820

Wills

Love it Wills

What have you put in the bottom of the holder?

 

[Wills]

Love it Wills

What have you put in the bottom of the holder?

Thanks Theres nothing in the holder just the bare roots which I believe is the right approach? From what I've seen/read the terrestrial roots will die back as aquatic roots grow. The guy in the shop mentioned this to me too so hoping it works. I assume its like potted stem plants that are grown emmersed and then transition in the tank.

Wills

 

[Wills]

I've been leaving the lights on far too much so some algae issues occuring - for about the week I've had it on about 8am-11pm so far far too long lol.

But I think you can also see some decent plant growth in here

Wills

 

[PheonixKingZ]

View attachment 153311

I've been leaving the lights on far too much so some algae issues occuring - for about the week I've had it on about 8am-11pm so far far too long lol.

But I think you can also see some decent plant growth in here

Wills

Been a while since I've seen this, looking great!

 

[Wills]

Wow its been a while! 2 months in fact! Heres the tank this morning, the Monstera has really started growing now and the tank is looking after itself much better than it ever has. Algae in the tank does exist but I'm ok with that and the fish and shrimp like it too.

The sand at the front has had soil leak into it so might need to revisit that at some point. Puffers are all doing great too. Only thing I have noticed in the tank is the right of the tank does better than the left? Could it be the extra shade from the Monstera?