Fluval Edge Aquascaping....help Needed.

[MarcoPereira]

Hi everyone. Well, I must admit, this forum has been very good to me as a lowly beginner at all of this aquarium and cycling and aquascaping caper and especially some members have been more than generous with my questions.
I wonder if I may ask you serious aquascapers for some advice on what to do with my Edge? I have it set up and it is doing (maybe?) it's silent cycle at the moment so I won't get ahead of myself, but I wonder if you could critique my current "scape" and perhaps offer some pointers on what to do to make it not only visually appealing but a serene home for my future livestock...
 

 
 
Here is what it looks like at the moment. I know, pretty basic...ha ha ha.
The look I would love to create is more of an Amazon setting- rainforest stream theme, and yes, I have the catapa leaves to add if need be to create the black water effect and I am in two minds re the substrate. Should I get an aqua soil in a dark colour or leave the sand I have at the moment? also, is placement of plants/rocks wrong or even, the wrong choice? I love the rocks, they are basalt, but wonder if you more experienced aquascapers can offer some opinions on how to make it "wow"? we have a very modern decor at home and this would be a living centerpiece so we would like it to look as natural as possible...( in a tank with little space)..
I look forward to your replies and opinions, I am open to starting from scratch if need be, mind you, it will take forever to try and cycle this thing at the rate I have changed my mind on the "scape".
 
Thank you for your time.

 

[gmc1]

Looks fine to me.what are you stocking it with

 

[MarcoPereira]

Looks fine to me.what are you stocking it with

 
Thank you. I was thinking (with some advice from the forum members) to be adding a small shoaling group of boraras or ember tetras, maybe some cherry shrimp for movement amongst the driftwood and perhaps some pygmy corydoras. I would love a dwarf bristle nose pleco but understand that they get to big for my tank and it would be inhumane. Problem I have is whenever I add any blackwater extract as experiment, my Ph drops like crazy with such a small volume of water to work with. Is there and additive that will give the look but not the Ph drop? any other fish recommendations?
Thanks for your reply and compliment.

 

[gmc1]

I have a group of pygmy corys in my 70 litre along with hatchet fish and shrimp.I use Indian almond leaves in my tank which taints the water slightly.

 

[MarcoPereira]

Wow. That sounds amazing!! wish I had a bigger tank.... I would love some hatchet fish, they fascinate me. Would they work in an Edge? What Ph are you maintaining? 

 

[gmc1]

I am around 7.9.I wouldn't personally recommend the hatchet for a fluval edge.I think they are a bit big for it.they are very good jumpers as well.

 

[MarcoPereira]

Well, mine is running at around anywhere between 6 - 6.4 Ph.... and yes, you are right, hatchet fish are a no no....
Added one shredded oak leaf tonight to see how it looks and must say, very happy with the look....now to get this thing cycled and up and running...lol

 

[gmc1]

Good luck.You are off to a good start.

 

[Byron]

I would not change the substrate, for two reasons.  First, if you intend pygmy corys, you absolutely should have sand.  Second, a plant-enriched substrate is not going to benefit here as there are not enough plants to warrant it.  Plus, some of these can be detrimental to corys.  As for darkening the substrate, leaves will do this after they become waterlogged and you can lay them around over the sand.  The other thing I would suggest are floating plants.  These lessen the light (which will benefit all intended fish species) and this has the effect of "darkening" the water and substrate which will help achieve the blackwater appearance.
 
Your pH is ideal, it will likely lower below 6, but also ideal with intended fish.  The leaves are fine, and a good way to tint the water.  I use oak leaves.  It will take a few of them, replaced periodically, or rather add more periodically as they decompose, to make a really obvious blackwater tint.   Even if the tannins from the leaves do not significantly tint the water, they will benefit the intended fish that will appreciate them.
 
Byron.

 

[MarcoPereira]

Thanks Byron. Yes, the Oak leaf I put in (shredded a bit) looks great!  As far as floating plants, I like frogbit but with the Edge design plants seem to get pushed under when they reach the filter overflow into tank.....tried duckweed and that looked awful as it kept being pushed under the water. Any suggestions?
Also, the Vallisneria I have in there seems to be melting...leaves are looking awful after a week...it was given to me by a pond store owner friend and they grow it submerged all the time there. Is this normal? I know to expect a bit of melting but is this plant not suitable perhaps?
I have a cryptocoryne wendtii "tropica" coming and am sure that will melt some, but the Vall?
Cheers and thanks for your help once again.
 
Ps I have boiled up one large Catapa leaf and the water is almost black....should I add that water to tank or will it make Ph go mad in the acid side of things? and is there a rule of how much of the blackwater to add?

 

[Byron]

I have never deliberately tried to darked the water, so not sure how much of this or that.  Perhaps other members who have done this can comment.  I would expect it to lower the pH, which is fine as you have no fish yet.
 
Blackwater habitats in Amazonia are mainly plant-less, though there are some with aquatic plants.  So it is up to you how many plants you decide.
 
The Vallisneria will not grow well in soft water, so this is not surprising.  I would forget this plant.  The crypts will be fine once they settle, but they need stable water so if you are going to mess with the pH do it before any crypts go in; they are not Amazonian, if that matters.  Another good substrate-rooted plant in place of the Vallinseria would be the chain swords.  There are two species, the smaller is Helanthium tenellum, and the larger which is unfortunately less often seen is likely Helanthium bolivianum.  These used to be classified with the other SA swords in the genus Echinodorus, but phylogenetic study by the Finnish botanist Samuli Lehtonen has confirmed they are a distinct genus.  They will grow almost anywhere, sending out runners (like Vallisneria) but you can easily clip off unwanted plants.  If you leave them, within a year or less you will not be able to see the sand for the thick carpet.  I really like these two species, I have had both since the mid 1990's.  They obviously won't be as tall as the Vallisneria; H. tenellum was the plant in the photo of my 29g blackwater habitat I posted in the other thread.
 
Frogbit (if it is the true tropical species, Limnobium laevigatum), will be fine, but it may need more air space; I bought what was labelled "Amazon Frogbit" but turned out to be one of the two temperate species and it is hit and miss likely because of the constant warmth.  Duckweed I agree is not what you want here.  Some floating plants with "substance" will be better, by which I mean dangling root systems and decent leaves.  Frogbit if it works, and Water Sprite (Ceratopteris cornuta, the true floating variety); this is often thought of as an Asian plant, and it does occur there abundantly, but it can also be found in the tropical Americas so if you want to be "authentic" Amazonian, you might be OK.  Water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes) is another nice floating plant; believed to have probably originated in the Tethys region which may be considered what today is East Africa, India, and Indonesia back when these were connected, but today it is pantropical, being found world-wide in tropical and subtropical regions.  Another nice floater is a stem plant, Brazilian Pennywort (Hydrocotyle leucocephala).  Left floating, it will very rapidly grow over the surface.  All else considered, this might be a very good floater in your tank, as it is smaller with respect to the dangling roots and easily controlled by cutting off the cut ends of stems periodically.  It might also be easier to keep out of the filter area, as you can easily thread the stem around something at the surface (heater, filter pipe, etc), or use one of the small suction cups like are on this equipment.  I am very fond of this plant, and have it floating in a couple tanks.
 
Byron.

 

[Far_King]

Thank you. I was thinking (with some advice from the forum members) to be adding a small shoaling group of boraras or ember tetras, maybe some cherry shrimp for movement amongst the driftwood and perhaps some pygmy corydoras. I would love a dwarf bristle nose pleco but understand that they get to big for my tank and it would be inhumane. Problem I have is whenever I add any blackwater extract as experiment, my Ph drops like crazy with such a small volume of water to work with. Is there and additive that will give the look but not the Ph drop? any other fish recommendations?
Thanks for your reply and compliment.
 

 
Embers, cherry shrimp and pygmy cories would look fantastic in that tank.  Personally I like the way it looks as it is.

 

[MarcoPereira]

Thank you again Byron, and of course thank you Far_King for your input. Byron, took out Vall tonight and would you not believe it...that mould stuff on the manzanita is back! right after I scrubbed it clean and sprayed Hydrogen Peroxide on it out of the tank to try and kill it... it is floating all over now and looks like another major water change this weekend after I go plant shopping.....aaaargh.
As far as plants, love you suggestions and am on the lookout for some swords and floaters. Funny, I nearly bought the Hydrocortyle on Ebay last week! did not think it would be a floater as it was stems on sale. Will have a look and re scape (again) this weekend....my partner thinks I am a tad loopy. I will post a stupid question for you in my other thread re cycle as am sure mods would prefer it that way.
Thanks again, you are so very helpful and likewise all that have posted their comment.

 

[gmc1]

The mould will eventually go.I would leave as is.the smaller fish will love it.

 

[Byron]

Try to get some of those small snails; they often arrive on plants.  Pond snails, bladder snails, ramshorn snails and Malaysian Livebearing Snails.  None will harm plants, though some aquarists have suggested ramshorn might.  I collected some branches a couple years ago, and fungus appeared from the nodes even though the wood was thoroughly dry and dead, but the snails took care of it long before fish were introduced.
 
After my experiences with fungus from grapewood I am cautious, but as I said previously, not all fungus is toxic.  But it is impossible without examination to tell.
 
Byron.