Dave`s Pre Journal Journal

[Dave Spencer]

After two weeks of intensive work, I am now so bored that I thought I would do something new; a pre journal journal. I thought it might be a good idea to show how everything is nailed together. Plus, I am hunting for advice on substrate and fert routines.

The first picture shows my 60 x 36 x 30 opti-white high clarity tank sat on top it`s considerabley cheaper cabinet. Should I spray it ADA grey, or what that be a bit sad, trying to emulate ADA on the cheap?

The next picture is of a couple of pieces of dead wood I found in the neighbouring field. It has long been dead, as opposed to some that I collected after the recent high winds which still contains a lot of sap. To prepare it, I gave it a scrub under a running tap with a nail brush to clean off any dirt and unwelcome critters. Then, I left the best bits sat on various radiators (you might have to ask for your partner`s permission for this) for a period of time to ensure they are dried right through. Next, I placed them in the oven for an hour or two on about 150 degrees C. Here is a picture of two small branches that still need preparing.

I am hoping to put them together to create something like this. What do you think?

Doubtless my plans will change several times between now and adding the water, but what I am going for is a high tech nature aquarium. Current plans are:

Aquascape: Either placing the treelike wood on a hill that slopes from the left rear corner down to the front right corner, using rocks to create a terraced like slope, or placing the tree at the bottom of the slope in the opposite corner giving me two focal points. The bottom of the slope may well be inert sand. Any ideas?

Plants: Possibly a background of Hemianthus Micranthemoides and/or Didipilis Diandra (not sure how tall the DD will grow). Around the tree will be the usual Java Moss, plus some narrow leafed Java Fern.

The terraced slope I am am not sure about. I will want a scattering of Pogostemon Helferi, but I am not sure whether to go for HC or not. Time, research and suggestions from you people will sort things out later.

Substrate: Go for a major improvement on the substrate of Laterite and inert sand I used on my 120l journal. Hence, it shall be ADA Aqua Soil Amazonia Powder.

Fertilisers: I wanted to go the whole ADA hog with this tank, but I just don`t trust myself with all that expensive glassware, so ferts are unlikely to be ADA either. I am happy using EI, but I did want to try something different, although not expensively so. I might give Tropica ferts a go for trace elements.

Things to buy: External filter. I want to keep hardware in the tank to a minimum, so maybe an Eheim with an inbuilt heater. Any recommendations are more than welcome.
Pressurised CO2 with a reactor, almost certainly from a German eBay powerseller.
Lighting will definitely be a luminaire, hopefully a 3 x 24W T5 item off eBay (thanks for the info Sam).

Sorry to rattle on, but could you good people give the following advice:

A good source of rocks. This is what will potentially hold things back the most, because I never seem to find any as good as the ones you see in other people`s tanks
An external filter for 60l with a heater, or is the Hydor 200W inline heater a possibility (I think it may be too overrated for just 60l).
Plant ideas for the foreground.

In conclusion, I am a bit nervous about this project, because it won`t be a densely planted, fast growing stem tank from the outset like my 120l, and I am worried algae will take hold and ruin my attempts at something a bit different. I hope using mature filter media from my current filter will help this.

Cheers, Dave.

 

[afroturf]

A pre journal journal i like the idea great place to keep all your plans to so you don't forget them, ive started a pre journal journal in my head even though i've only just started a tank recently, i'd go for the grey ADA style stand i saw one someone who made a ADA style stand on a forum can't remenber which and it looked really good.

p.s. have you brought co2 system from germany before? can you just use a plug adapter used for a electic shaver to convert from 2 - 3 pin plug?

 

[Dave Spencer]

Of course, in all the planted tank excitement, I forgot to mention the fish!

I will start with a work force of Otos and Amanos, but after that I will go for a light load. Maybe Microrasbora, or can anyone recommend some small Tetras or other shoaling fish.

 

[Themuleous]

Nice idea Dave, should help others see the thought process behind fully planted tanks.

I'll take it one at a time.

The first picture shows my 60 x 36 x 30 opti-white high clarity tank sat on top it`s considerabley cheaper cabinet. Should I spray it ADA grey, or what that be a bit sad, trying to emulate ADA on the cheap?

Tricky one, could look really nice if you can find the right colour. However, you dont want to mess up a great stand if it doesn't work. Totally sitting on the fence there!

Nice looking wood BTW, that's half the battle!

Aquascape: Either placing the treelike wood on a hill that slopes from the left rear corner down to the front right corner, using rocks to create a terraced like slope, or placing the tree at the bottom of the slope in the opposite corner giving me two focal points. The bottom of the slope may well be inert sand. Any ideas?

Could look nice, but given that wood, I would be tempted to by a triangle scape, with the wood on the left with stems around it, graduating downwards to the right with perhaps a nice red lily in the far right over some chain swords or dwarf sagittaria. Just my thoughts. I think you'd need two lots of wood like that to get the 'path' type layout.

Plants: Possibly a background of Hemianthus Micranthemoides and/or Didipilis Diandra (not sure how tall the DD will grow). Around the tree will be the usual Java Moss, plus some narrow leafed Java Fern.

These might be a bit small for the size of tank, but you've got plenty of time to work out what plants to you. See the pic at the end

Substrate: Go for a major improvement on the substrate of Laterite and inert sand I used on my 120l journal. Hence, it shall be ADA Aqua Soil Amazonia Powder.

Sounds like an excellent idea and given that its a new tank, you've got time to get over the initial NH3 and NO2 issues you have with AS. Any reason for getting the powder? I have heard its a pain to work with when you need to move plants, etc. clouds the water very easily.

Fertilisers: I wanted to go the whole ADA hog with this tank, but I just don`t trust myself with all that expensive glassware, so ferts are unlikely to be ADA either. I am happy using EI, but I did want to try something different, although not expensively so. I might give Tropica ferts a go for trace elements.

Tropica trace is a good idea. Tom Barr says you get the best growth with EI and AS, so think you'd be onto a winner.

Things to buy: External filter. I want to keep hardware in the tank to a minimum, so maybe an Eheim with an inbuilt heater. Any recommendations are more than welcome.

All the eheim's are good IMO, I have both a professional and classic. For water movement I really like the classic range, but then I do have it on my nano so that could be the reason. Either way get a big one, you cant really over filter a tank.

A good source of rocks.

AE are getting new types of rocks soon, as well as the ADA rocks, should be a good source of rocks from now on

An external filter for 60l with a heater, or is the Hydor 200W inline heater a possibility (I think it may be too overrated for just 60l).

It might be but given that its 60lt you'd probably be ok, would be good to get the heater out of the tank.

I am a bit nervous about this project, because it won`t be a densely planted, fast growing stem tank from the outset like my 120l, and I am worried algae will take hold and ruin my attempts at something a bit different. I hope using mature filter media from my current filter will help this.

Even with a mature filter I'd want to have fast growers in there, its best to keep the algae out of the tank rather than battling to get rid of it once its there, thats wants happen in my nano!

And dont be worried, you've planned it, that means you're thinking it through, and that'll reduce the likelihood of it going wrong as you'll get it right the first time.

Sam

A layout something like this

 

[Dave Spencer]

Thanks for the feedback Sam,

First off, AE only have the powder in stock at the moment, so that was what I went for. Zero patience.

I have Echinodorus Tennellus in my current tank which is getting out of hand, so I might transfer some of that when I get this tank up and running.

AE currently only have a £50 lump of dragon rock, but having said that, I do live in the Welsh Mountains so I should try popping out my front door some time.

I like the triangular idea, but without any real foreground apart from the right hand corner, a bit like the picture below, but without the hardscape on the right.

I was hoping the HM would give some kind of background, provided it was at the top of the hill behind the wood.

 

[Themuleous]

Sounds like a good idea, go for it!

Sam

 

[Dave Spencer]

Sam,

I have been looking at the Eheim Classic 2215, and was thinking of stuffing it with foam, plus the hose sizes match the 200W Hydor inline.

The price looks right and, of course, it is an Eheim. Still a bit worried about the high capacity heater, though.

You have bought some nice Rasboras recently. Any of the smaller varieties you can recommend?

 

[Themuleous]

Classic 2215 is good and filling it with sponge would be good too. Just wonder if the 2213 might not be better? Yes its good to over filter but think the 2215 might be a little strong on a 60lt? Anyone else got any thoughts?

Re the heater I know what you mean 200w is a lot should the worst happen but heard very good things about the hydro externals. Guess if you dont want to risk it the hydro theo 100w is the smallest I know of for 100w.

I really like all the boraras species and the new/rarer microrasboras species look good too. You're probably aware of the issue I had my dwarf rasboras jumping out of my nano? But I guess this could be due to the whole deodorant toxicity thing I recently discovered. The smaller tetra species would look good, rasboars might look a bit lots in the size tank? Im also a fan of sawbwa resplendens, not a common fish in the trade but small and nice (but not elaborate) markings.

Sam

 

[Dave Spencer]

Cheers Sam,

I meant to write 2213. The 2215 is for 350l, my fish would think they are in a hurricane.

If I was to plant up with slow growers, do you think I should leave a load of Egeria or the like floating top just as an algae buster early on. I have read the journals on the AE forum, but those guys are a lot more experienced than me. I am trying to aspire to something like Oldwhitewood`s (Neil`s) tank.

 

[lljdma06]

Cheers Sam,

I meant to write 2213. The 2215 is for 350l, my fish would think they are in a hurricane.

If I was to plant up with slow growers, do you think I should leave a load of Egeria or the like floating top just as an algae buster early on. I have read the journals on the AE forum, but those guys are a lot more experienced than me. I am trying to aspire to something like Oldwhitewood`s (Neil`s) tank.

Didiplis can grow up to 35cm, HM up to 20cm. HM in front of didiplis would look nice. Oldwhitewood featured Rotala rotundifolia, which has a similar look to Didiplis but gets taller, up to 50cm.

If it were me, I probably wouldn't plant my final layout right away, but invest in ugly weeds first, and then put my preferred plants in once the aquarium stabilizes. I certainly wouldn't fault your aquascaping skills if you opted for something like that in the beginning. No sense having a lovely to look at tank for 2 weeks and then have algae set in and then have to bin HM, HC, or Pogostemon because it becomes clogged. Not saying that algae would set in, but I'm not one to take chances.

llj

 

[Dave Spencer]

Didiplis can grow up to 35cm, HM up to 20cm. HM in front of didiplis would look nice. Oldwhitewood featured Rotala rotundifolia, which has a similar look to Didiplis but gets taller, up to 50cm.

Thanks for that info. The DD behind the HM was a possibility I had in mind. I am a big Rotala fan and have a lot in my 12l tank. Some of this could find its way in to the 60l.

If it were me, I probably wouldn't plant my final layout right away, but invest in ugly weeds first, and then put my preferred plants in once the aquarium stabilizes. I certainly wouldn't fault your aquascaping skills if you opted for something like that in the beginning. No sense having a lovely to look at tank for 2 weeks and then have algae set in and then have to bin HM, HC, or Pogostemon because it becomes clogged. Not saying that algae would set in, but I'm not one to take chances.

I know exactly what you mean. My first tank was planted out 75% fast growing weeds, but it left me with a messy jungle that is so well established now I don`t have the heart to uproot it all. As a result, I am left with a tank that looks nothing like my original plan.

I was trying to avoid this scenario, and I have seen tanks set up with the original plan of less plants and slower growing too. Alas, I think my anti algae skills are not up to this yet, and you are right about filling out with weeds at first. I suppose I should be happy that I have an inexhaustable supply in my 120l.

Cheers, Dave.

 

[Themuleous]

If it were me, I probably wouldn't plant my final layout right away, but invest in ugly weeds first, and then put my preferred plants in once the aquarium stabilizes.

I think this is the problem I had with my nano, I only had HC and riccia in there, and I think I'm going to have to start again, same layout but complete strip with all new plants (wasted 30quid there then! ) and also plant the HC better in the first place, the new stuff I recently added is doing far better than the original HC and I think that's a result of the more careful removal of the mineral wool and better planting. And as you suggest floating some egeria is what I would plan to do when I redo it, so think that could work in your tank. It'll also give me a chance to redo the right rock, which I'm not as happy with, but that's a different matter

Sam

 

[Dave Spencer]

So it is confirmed, another weedfest for me.

I have some Hydrocotyle Leucocephala that has been growing like mad and is now a bit homeless, so this should do a nice job sat on the top. I just hope it can live long enough in a bucket for my new tank. Perhaps if I put it in to the 120l now and again, just to keep it ticking over. It is a fantastic plant IMO, it just needs to be in a large tank where it is not so domineering.

Sam, I just ordered the 2213 this morning from Zooplus for £32. I just hope I get that luminaire you put me on to for a decent price. Looking foreward to your new nano scape.

Cheers, Dave.

 

[lljdma06]

So it is confirmed, another weedfest for me.

I have some Hydrocotyle Leucocephala that has been growing like mad and is now a bit homeless, so this should do a nice job sat on the top. I just hope it can live long enough in a bucket for my new tank. Perhaps if I put it in to the 120l now and again, just to keep it ticking over. It is a fantastic plant IMO, it just needs to be in a large tank where it is not so domineering.

Sam, I just ordered the 2213 this morning from Zooplus for £32. I just hope I get that luminaire you put me on to for a decent price. Looking foreward to your new nano scape.

Cheers, Dave.

Look on the bright side, my 8g started out as a weedfest, but now it's got a nice, structured Dutch layout. My 2.5g is going through the same process. It just takes a bit of patience is all. Hydrocotyle is perfect for algae-busting, I have some in my 36g and it gets overun almost every week. Too bad you don't live in a warm climate, I just chuck my cuttings in tubs outside and it grows in the sunlight.

 

[Themuleous]

Yeh but patience is boring! I guess if you float the plants in the tank rather than planting them, it doesn't ruin the substrate and scape when you have to take them out.

Im not going to do a new scape just redo the one I have, almost exactly the same, just get rid of the algae and add new plants. Really like the current scape, just need to find a way of keeping the algae at bay! But they'll have to wait until march due to funds or lack there of

Sam