Emmas Rio 125l (33us Gallon) Planted Adventure

[ebrcknrdg]

I doubt its the Ph swings that affected them. You're running DIY and letting it go 24 hours so the Ph swing shouldn't be that bad.

I am running CO2 from pressurised as close to yellow as I can get and with the solenoid stopping it when the high lights aren't on plus raising the lily pipe to aerate my Ph will be up and down much much more but no fishy problems.

As to the plants front its looking nice and I wouldn't worry too much about aquascaping at them moment. Just let it grow, prune etc but leave the plants where they are. Let the tank balance out and stabilise and use the time to look at loads of differnt types of scape before moving on to the next stage of swopping out plants.

Is a huge temptation to keep moving things about (of whichI am guilty of) and the constant disturbance of the substrate is often rewarded with huge algae problems.

Keep going. I'll send you some more cuttings once this damn postal strike is over.

Andy

The Ph went from 7 to 6.2 after adding bogwood, then up to 7.4. All in the space of 2 weeks. I dont think aything else could have killed them. Ive kept close checks on my readings of ammonia, nitrites and nitrates and they have been fine-no changes. The only change has been with PH. The only other thing i can think of is the Protozin im using. I have halved the dose for them but maybe its still too much?

I see your point Andy, i wont mess with plants although its really tempting.

Anyone got an easy to care for foreground plant i could maybe use? Everything is growing great at the back but front looks bare

 

[ebrcknrdg]

Any hints, suggetions, comment or even criticisms guys?

Still would like suggestions of a few foreground plants if you know of any?

Cheers
Emma

 

[corey01]

this is proberbly one of the best journals ive seen! and your tank looks absolutely awesome-those moss balls that you had at the start did they stay in balls or did they eventually spread out i saw some the other day and i was tempted to get them..keep up the good work

 

[iihay]

Just spent the last 45 mins reading my way through this post. Love your tank and the chronology of the development of it in this post. It's looking great! I've had a 49l tank for about 3 weeks now so a total newbie but I would love to progress to something like this.

Thanks

Iain

 

[ebrcknrdg]

this is proberbly one of the best journals ive seen! and your tank looks absolutely awesome-those moss balls that you had at the start did they stay in balls or did they eventually spread out i saw some the other day and i was tempted to get them..keep up the good work

Aw thanx! I got 5 of them off ebay for £5.50 including postage. Heres the link. They were a good size when they came and they grow slowly. They are meant to compete for algae in the tank. They do retain their shape.

Just spent the last 45 mins reading my way through this post. Love your tank and the chronology of the development of it in this post. It's looking great! I've had a 49l tank for about 3 weeks now so a total newbie but I would love to progress to something like this.

Thanks

Iain

I know its quite long, expecially when you read from the start! Im glad you took the time though to read it all. I just wanted to create a journal for beginners like myself to show that setting up a tank like this can be done. I hope that it helps people when they are settng up their own tanks. You can really see the development in the tank cant you?


Seriously though, if i can offer one piece of advice it would be to research, research, research and research! Ive learnt so much on these forums and the guys here are so helpful. If i had found it sooner it would have saved alot of time, effort and money!

Good luck with your tank. You ought to set up a journal too so people can help and give their opinions

Emma

 

[ebrcknrdg]

A small update

I have ordered some foreground plants and a few others plants off this site to try and fill out the tank a bit more. I feel that the algae on the sand at the front is because of too much light (it isnt anywhere else) so by putting in more plants where the algea is they will compete for the light and the algea will hopefully die.

Anyway ive ordered

5 x Didiplis Diandra (Java021) = £1.75
5 x Crypt Wendtii (Java011) = £1.50
5 x Crypt Becketii (Java014) = £1.45

1 x 18 inch TROPICAL PLANT COLLECTION (25 stems)
5 x Echinodorus Tennellus
5 x Hygrophilia Polysperma
5 x Red Ludwigia
5 x Ambulia Aquatica
5 x Bacopa Monniera(TROP018) = £3.95

I think these are really reasonably priced for what i will be getting and i cant get these plants at my LFS. Delivery is only £1.95 so for approx £10 i will be getting 40 stems. Off ebay i paid about £7 for 25 stems and some were non aquatics!

Ill post pics when they are in the tank

 

[fry_lover]

just relating to the first few posts, why do you need to keep topping up the ammonia during a fishless cycling?

the idea is to let the ammonia turn into nitrite then nitrate and your done!!!! You'll just make the progress longer by constantly adding ammonia surely?

 

[ebrcknrdg]

just relating to the first few posts, why do you need to keep topping up the ammonia during a fishless cycling?

the idea is to let the ammonia turn into nitrite then nitrate and your done!!!! You'll just make the progress longer by constantly adding ammonia surely?

Have you read the fishless cycling thread in the pinned articles? It explains it all there

 

[fry_lover]

just relating to the first few posts, why do you need to keep topping up the ammonia during a fishless cycling?

the idea is to let the ammonia turn into nitrite then nitrate and your done!!!! You'll just make the progress longer by constantly adding ammonia surely?

Have you read the fishless cycling thread in the pinned articles? It explains it all there

ok thanks, interesting, must take ages it doing that way, i just use prawns and let the ammonia max out and then wait for Nitrite then Nitrate, always works well and i can stock heavily from day 1 once cycle completes, buts thats irrevelant now, i didnt realise this thread was 7 pages long when i read about your cycling at beginning, its a lot of effort though itsnt it all this co2, i have the same good results with plants with out using all that stuff and faffing about, maybe i am just lucky. Good luck with yours

 

[ebrcknrdg]

Well ive finally done it..........i ripped out the Juwel internal filter.

I recieved a batch of plants today from Java-plants (excellent may i say) and so decided ihad enough plants to free up the space where the filter would be. So i took the plunge and ripped it out.

Here are some pics of tank and plants minus the internal filter.

Red lugwigia

Crypts and E. Tennellus

You can see the bad case of green algae on the sand. I think this is due to the unstable co2 (i am getting pressurised as soon as i can afford it) I have reduced lighting to 2 tubes for the time being

 

[Biulu]

Looks great! What I wanted to know is how many cms of substrate and how many of the sand did you put in? Did you get any hints or clues on this somewhere?

 

[ebrcknrdg]

Looks great! What I wanted to know is how many cms of substrate and how many of the sand did you put in? Did you get any hints or clues on this somewhere?

Hi

I just used two pots of tetra complete substrate, that did about 3cm of the tank. Then the sand went on top, ive got about 2-3 inches as i wanted to be able to plant easily. You have to be careful of the gas pockets but if you have fish that dig around or snails then you will be fine.

 

[plaskotki]

They don't breed like crazy, and it is more difficult in a community tank. Gouramis are bubblenest builders and egglayers, so are not like livebearers at all. Yes, you can get 2 males or 2 females (males are much more showy though!), but towards their own kind they are territorial, so make sure you have enough hiding places. Normally it is 1 fish/10 gallons territory (doesn't mean you cannnot add other species in that space).

I did read that having one male and one female would stress the female out, or is this a load of c**p?

Hi Emma,
I used to have one male and one female Golden Gourami and they were not happy... I was advised to buy another female. They seem to be happier.
By the way, I love your tank. I wonder if you transferred the fish to a bigger tank. I did this not long time ago and I had problems with stress related infections. It all seems to be settling down.
Marek.

 

[Biulu]

They don't breed like crazy, and it is more difficult in a community tank. Gouramis are bubblenest builders and egglayers, so are not like livebearers at all. Yes, you can get 2 males or 2 females (males are much more showy though!), but towards their own kind they are territorial, so make sure you have enough hiding places. Normally it is 1 fish/10 gallons territory (doesn't mean you cannnot add other species in that space).

I did read that having one male and one female would stress the female out, or is this a load of c**p?

Hi Emma,
I used to have one male and one female Golden Gourami and they were not happy... I was advised to buy another female. They seem to be happier.
By the way, I love your tank. I wonder if you transferred the fish to a bigger tank. I did this not long time ago and I had problems with stress related infections. It all seems to be settling down.
Marek.

I was not advising on having a male and a female, but on taking either 2 males or 2 females, as yes, the female gets stressed out if she is hassled constantly by the male.


On the air pockets: I love loaches, but don't want to put them in, as I am afraid they will uproot my plants. Have you got any experience with that? What kind of fish are you using to avoid the air pockets?

 

[ebrcknrdg]

They don't breed like crazy, and it is more difficult in a community tank. Gouramis are bubblenest builders and egglayers, so are not like livebearers at all. Yes, you can get 2 males or 2 females (males are much more showy though!), but towards their own kind they are territorial, so make sure you have enough hiding places. Normally it is 1 fish/10 gallons territory (doesn't mean you cannnot add other species in that space).

I did read that having one male and one female would stress the female out, or is this a load of c**p?

Hi Emma,
I used to have one male and one female Golden Gourami and they were not happy... I was advised to buy another female. They seem to be happier.
By the way, I love your tank. I wonder if you transferred the fish to a bigger tank. I did this not long time ago and I had problems with stress related infections. It all seems to be settling down.
Marek.

Ive decided against Gouramis as my LFS only sell the dwarf ones.

The fish seem fine having been transferred. In fact they are loving the extra room. I did have to treat for fin rot on my male Platy though.

They don't breed like crazy, and it is more difficult in a community tank. Gouramis are bubblenest builders and egglayers, so are not like livebearers at all. Yes, you can get 2 males or 2 females (males are much more showy though!), but towards their own kind they are territorial, so make sure you have enough hiding places. Normally it is 1 fish/10 gallons territory (doesn't mean you cannnot add other species in that space).

I did read that having one male and one female would stress the female out, or is this a load of c**p?

Hi Emma,
I used to have one male and one female Golden Gourami and they were not happy... I was advised to buy another female. They seem to be happier.
By the way, I love your tank. I wonder if you transferred the fish to a bigger tank. I did this not long time ago and I had problems with stress related infections. It all seems to be settling down.
Marek.

On the air pockets: I love loaches, but don't want to put them in, as I am afraid they will uproot my plants. Have you got any experience with that? What kind of fish are you using to avoid the air pockets?

I had 5 Zebra loaches but 3 died so i have 2 now. They gently turf around looking for food. Occassionaly a plant will be uprooted but that hasnt happened in a while, i guess because there are only 2 of them now.

I am thinking of getting some Panda Corys as they root for food aswell. I also want a Bristlenose Plec though so ive got to choose between those 2 as im limited with lower tank space. I know alot of peple have Malyasian trumpet snails to dig through the substrate but i cant have those with loaches as they will eat them!