Ch4Rlie's New 3 Foot Tank Journal

[Ch4rlie]

Just a small update, I got some vallis plants for the tank, 5 bunches for £10 , tank now looks better, slowly but surely getting there.
 
Also added another small lamp, only a 11w arcadia light that had spare in cupboard, helps to light the whole tank a bit better.
 

 
Sorry for the rubbish picture, taken with my iPhone, but you get the idea

 
Next step is to get the cryptocorynes i would like, as well as japonica, if i can find them, my LFS does not stock them, chap said he could order what I want but would take two weeks. Too long.
 
So going to try and order some online. Just hope not too expensive :x
 
 
 
 

 

[Mamashack]

Shouldn't be too bad on eBay or similar. Got 5 stems of dwarf twisted vallis for £3 from a vendor on there called Seasideaqautics and it was delivered free p&p in a flat box so wasn't damaged in transit - this is the item number if you want to have a gander: 261342254143 

 

[Ch4rlie]

Nice mamashack, thanks for the tip, these do look pretty good, the twisted vallis.
 
Although strictly speaking am not really sure vallis belongs in this biotope but i have been told on good authority that CPD's love swimming in and out of vallis plants and these plants are pretty common the world over so a slight exception was made for these
 
What am really after are these -
 
* Cryptocoryne albida (also known as C. costata)
 
   Cryptocoryne cordata (Var Blassii)
 
* Cryptocoryne crispatula (var. balansae)
 
   Pistia stratiotes (water lettuce)
 
* Blyxa aubertii (bamboo plant?, Roundfruit)
 
  Blyxa echinosperma
 
* Blyxa japonica
 
The ones with the stars are my real preference of these choices.
 
All of these, according to my research are all from Myanmar / Burma / Thailand so they fit in pretty well for the cpd biotope.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

You are correct Ch4... vals are South American.  You can get a similar look with cryptocoryne balansae.
 

Cryptocoryne crispulata var. balansae originates from flowing rivers and streams in southern Thailand, often forming dense colonies with leaves extending across the water's surface.

http/www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/plantfinder/details.php?id=27

 

[Ch4rlie]

You are correct Ch4... vals are South American.  You can get a similar look with cryptocoryne balansae.
 
 
 

Cryptocoryne crispulata var. balansae originates from flowing rivers and streams in southern Thailand, often forming dense colonies with leaves extending across the water's surface.

http/www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/plantfinder/details.php?id=27

 
Absolutely correct, this is one of the cryptocoryne I had earmarked, and have just bought 9 stems from a online site, the sellers and plants are actually from Malaysia with makes its even better

 

[Ninjouzata]

It's definitely coming along! I hope you can get hold of the plants you're wanting

 

[Ch4rlie]

a quick little update - 
 
Fitted black background and planted some japonica plants.
 
Bought those plants online, i ordered 5 plants, the chap gave me 8

Though I broke one the plant roots, doubt that one will survive, never mind, we'll see.
 

 

[Zikofski]

Very nice loving the updates keep them coning also you supposed to trim the roots anyway so breaking one won't matter should still survive

 

[Ch4rlie]

Very nice loving the updates keep them coning also you supposed to trim the roots anyway so breaking one won't matter should still survive

 
True but, i broke the entire root stem :x
 
Thanks though

 

[Mamashack]

Looking good, Charlie!

 

[eaglesaquarium]

You never know... some plants are very resilient.  

 

[Ch4rlie]

Plants seem to be doing fairly well, exepcted some melts on the vallis but nowhere near as bad as expected.
 
So have given tank a trim and removed dead and dying leaves on all the plants, then started the fishless cycle yesterday.
 
Stats to start with yesterday (9th Nov) was -
 
pH - 7.4
Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 40ppm (tap water nitrate varies between 20 - 40ppm usually so this is expected)

And then added 3ppm ammonia to start the cycle

 

[Mamashack]

My vallis melted but grew back and it's looking quite good now.
Good luck with the cycle!

 

[Ch4rlie]

Today (10th Nov) - tested water stat with exception of pH.
 
Ammonia - 1.0 ppm
Nitrite - 0.25 ppm
Nitrate - 40 ppm
 
Going to plan already, am a little surprised already seeing nitrite but good and will watch for the peak to happen soon.
 
Pic shows two tests for two tanks, first three on left is for this tank, the next 3 on right is for a 5 gallon best tank am cycling with mature media from another tank and only doing up to 1ppm ammonia.
 
Light is not brilliant and show the three tests on right as darker than actually is.
 

 
 
For those interested in the Betta tank test, dosed 1ppm ammonia yesterday, today shows ammonia 0.25 ppm , nitrite 0.50 ppm and nitrate as dark side of 40 ppm.
 
Easily explained of further cycling development down to the mature media I added to this tank.
Makes for interesting results of both tanks side by side

 

[Goggy]

sweet doing well so far