Fresh Start

[alex.wardle]

Well after nearly a years worth of growth (and some neglect to trimming all of the moss) it was time to start a fresh.

So after giving the tank a good clean it was time to begin.

(Hopfully the cup wont out grow the tank :rolleyes

I went for the Flora base substrate to give the plants something to really get their routes into

I do apologise for the bad reflections couldnt be helped tho as the sun was trying its best to come out.

I had a good selection of wood some old and some new so I could be picky with what to use.

Again sorry for the bad reflections .

Picked up my 1st lot of plants to go in the tank

Nothing to adventuras but i want a simple tank and uber low maintanance. I will be added some more plants at a later date.

All done. what do you think.

De potted and ready to plant

Time to put the kettle on and get it filled (the tank that is)

http://s1178.photobucket.com/albums/x365/alewardle/?action=view&current=IMG_0800.mp4
I went for a simple showl of ember tetras plus my old shrimp and a few MT snails.
I apollogise for the poor quality had to use the iphone for it all as the out Camera has gone missing

Cyrptocoryne wendtii brown

Microsorum pterpus

Anubias barteri var nana

Got to love the MT's

and last but not least

The Ember Tetras.

Hope its to most people tastes. Should look really good when its grown in a bit

All comments welcome.

 

[KkAaNnEe]

Looks really nice, well done . Would the heater fit the other side? I like the arrangement of plants + wood

 

[alex.wardle]

I tried believe me but there is not enough room as thats were the filter and power head is. I will be getting another pot of 2 of Microsorum pterpus soon, I will be putting one of them in front of the heater so that should all but cover it up.
Cheers for your kind words.

 

[StandbySetting]

That'll look great when it fills in, I spy a fellow Ember Tetra keeper, they're great little fish and suit planted scapes down to a tee!

 

[alex.wardle]

Cheers SBS I have never kept them before, Was looking for something that shoals nicely together and that had a bit of red in it, Soon as i walked past their tank at Shirley aquatics I was in love with them, prop up the numbers to 10 in total , There is 6 of them atm and the do shoal ow so well.

 

[ian]

I really like this, just be aware the columbo substrate will leach ammonia. I did daily water changes for a couple of weeks when i used this substrate. You should be on a winner then.

ya know what would finish this off...some moss on some slate on the left hand corner and in that middle bit.

looks great Alex, well done!

 

[minnnt]

I think i have just found what i am doing with my tank that is the same as yours!!! Love the idea of it all.

And love the placing of the plant labels for reference! Brilliant idea!

I see you started off with the Starbuckus Mugus species, lovely colouring and a nice full roundness to the body. Looks to have a good handle on things too!

Anyway....

 

[alex.wardle]

Cheers Ian, You wouldn't believe how much moss i pulled out of the tank before the scape its all been pressed and prodded in2 the gaps in my big tank dont think i want to put any of it back in here. But saying that we shall she how it gets on foe a week or 2. Going to start dosing with easy-life products 2moro , every day in the morning before work and then a %50 water change every night before bed. I was going to ask Ian that ADA complete furt that you have, Is that literally all you will be adding to you corner tank(apart from the co2)

 

[minnnt]

Are you doing the water changes to compensate for the ammonia release from the substrate or some other reason too? Thanks.

 

[alex.wardle]

I think i have just found what i am doing with my tank that is the same as yours!!! Love the idea of it all.

And love the placing of the plant labels for reference! Brilliant idea!

I see you started off with the Starbuckus Mugus species, lovely colouring and a nice full roundness to the body. Looks to have a good handle on things too!

Anyway....

Ha Ha that really made me chuckle. Unfortunately I had to re home Mr 2 lumps as all the other mugs were picking on him and he received a nasty looking chip, such a shame as he had a lovely milky completion and such a sweet temperament but he is quite strong so he should be fine.

 

[alex.wardle]

Are you doing the water changes to compensate for the ammonia release from the substrate or some other reason too? Thanks.

For a couple of reasons to honest.
Help to stop the crypts melting, keep the ammonia being leached from the flora base in touch and because all I have had in this tank for quite a while now is shrimp so I want to make sure the little filter can keep up with the new bio load.
O yer and to stop new tank algea at bay.

 

[minnnt]

Are you doing the water changes to compensate for the ammonia release from the substrate or some other reason too? Thanks.

For a couple of reasons to honest.
Help to stop the crypts melting, keep the ammonia being leached from the flora base in touch and because all I have had in this tank for quite a while now is shrimp so I want to make sure the little filter can keep up with the new bio load.
O yer and to stop new tank algea at bay.

Thanks for that Alex, always good to know what other people do!

Glad to hear that the Starbuckus Mugus is recovering nicely!

 

[ian]

I forgot you'd used a lot of moss previously. Sometimes you don't want to use the same old plants again.

as for the ADA stuff, yes it is a complete fert, it's along the same lines a TPN+. At the moment i'm just dosing the ADA stuff and Floranaxis. There has been one thing i have noted since using the ADA stuff rather than the Easylife stuff, is that my water clarity is 10 times better. The ADA stuff is expensive though (i had some credit at TGM), however it doesn't work out much more than TPN+.

it's good to see some Tropica plants as well, are they from your LFS?

 

[minnnt]

The plants i used were tropica and from my lfs, excellent quality, will definately be using them again!!

 

[alex.wardle]

I forgot you'd used a lot of moss previously. Sometimes you don't want to use the same old plants again.

as for the ADA stuff, yes it is a complete fert, it's along the same lines a TPN+. At the moment i'm just dosing the ADA stuff and Floranaxis. There has been one thing i have noted since using the ADA stuff rather than the Easylife stuff, is that my water clarity is 10 times better. The ADA stuff is expensive though (i had some credit at TGM), however it doesn't work out much more than TPN+.

it's good to see some Tropica plants as well, are they from your LFS?

Yes they are, I am very lucky because I live in the center of birmingham i have about 10 shops all with in a 20 min drive one of which is Shirley Aquatics I can not give this shop enough praise it has 2 different planted section, the normal run of the mill plants that i think most shops use and then then the second one has a much higher quality of plants (Tropica plants) and because they i go in very regularly I always get something chucked in for free.

I reckon I am going to give it a go you know because i am nearly all out of my easy life products and it would be easier then adding lots of little bits from different bottles. plus I need to get me an new diffuser for my pressurized co2 for my big tank, crappy glass one I have just is not cutting the mustard. could You point me in the right direction of both, Would be a big help. Really like the look of your new one.