George's Latest Aquascape

[George Farmer]

Here's a couple of shots taken from my Juwel Rio 125, using my new camera. I'll try to get a full-tank shot soon, when I've figured out the camera properly...

The layout consists only of slow growing, low light tolerant plants, as I'm too busy to maintain anything else. No stems.

Filtration is the supplied Juwel internal filter.

Lighting is just 2 x 18w T8 Daylight Plus with Juwel reflectors (1.1 wpg)

CO2 is a pressurized system with 2Kg fire extinguisher and Rhinox 2000 glass diffuser, 1 bubble per second.

Substrate is 1cm layer of Tropica Plant Substrate topped with 5cm plain 1-3mm gravel. Tropica+ capsules inserted around crypts.

Ferts are Tropica Plant Nutrition liquid, 10ml 2x week and DIY NPK 2x week. 50% water change once per week. Basic EI.

Plants are various crypts (balansae, wentii, undulata, parva), Java fern, Anubias nana, Crinum calimistratum. Most plants from Tropica.

Fish are pentazona barbs, from Maidenhead Aquatics in Crowland, Peterborough.

Despite the low light I do see pearling after a couple of hours.

 

[john starkey]

hi george looks very nice the pics are quite good as you say they will improve as you get to know it better good luck with the setup, regards john

 

[nry]

Very nice preview! I had a small degree of pearling with CO2 (Nutrafin/DIY) and 1wpg, though only from my slow growers like anubias and crypts.

How long has the tank been setup? If I ever re-do my 15-gallon I would probably got for Tropica substrate below a dark substrate, it seems to be an excellent product!

 

[DevUK]

I'm envious, but at the same time it makes me think there's hope for my own tank, if I can get my teeth into it Looking nice.

 

[George Farmer]

Thanks.

It's been going for around 6 months now. My 10 year-old daughter was looking after it, but she lost interest. So I took out all the weeds and 'gawdy' fish and went for this low-maint set up. I intend to keep this going for a good while. I am a fan of low-maint set ups these days, with much inspiration taken from some of Jeff Senke's 'scapes.

The fish, 18 pentazona barbs, seem perfectly at home amongst the ferns and crypts. Almost a broad-biotope (SE Asia), but not quite with the anubias and crinum (African).

It's certainly not a high-impact aquascape, with the low-light and dark green plants. But it brings about a deep sense of relaxation, for me anyway. I feel it looks more "real" than many aquascapes I see. It is an aquascape for the patient though.....

For your interest it doesn't have any algae-eating fish or inverts in there. I haven't had any real algae problems except some soft GSA on the ferns that cleared up with better CO2.

I am getting some pest snails that are hard to control, so I may add a group of five or so Botia striata. Lovely fish.

I hope to get some better photos soon.

Thanks again.

 

[Castellop123]

 

[Azaezl]

Looks fantastic!! You really do inspire me George, your little nano made me want to try planted and I'm hoping once I get the funds and start to understand it all better I'll be able to have something half as decent as you setups!

 

[three-fingers]

Great preview! Looks very natural, and as you say relaxing.

With snails in that tank, I'm guessing your pH is above 7? Ever thought about lowering the pH using some discreet and dark looking bogwood, peat in the filter or maybe even Indian almond leaves? If you lower the pH your fish will love you even more and it should take care of the snails .

If the pH is already acidic, I'd be interested to know what species of pest snail you have .

It's also a relief to see your having success with Crinum calimistratum in low light, I impulse bought some a while ago and it's been doing great, but I was afraid that was only because my tank receives direct sunlight for a good part of the day (not as bad as you might think), since if thats the case it wouldn't do too well when I move it into a low light tank that receives no sunlight, and I like that plant (even I my fish do eat it ).
Thanks for the preview!

 

[George Farmer]

Here you go....

Spec -

Tank - Juwel Rio 125 (125 l. / 33 US gal.)
Filter - Juwel Compact H internal (400 lph)
Lighting - 2 x 18w T8 6500K Interpet Daylight Plus for 10 hours (1.1 wpg)
CO2 - Pressurized system, 1 BPS, Rhinox 2000 diffuser
Substrate - Tropica Plant Substrate and 1-3mm gravel, Tropica Capsules
Fertilisation - modified EI, 10ml Tropica Plant Nutrition liquid 2x week, NPK 2x week, 50% weekly water change
Water - (from tap) KH 7, GH 13, NO3 20ppm, PO4 5ppm

Plants - Cryptocoryne balansae, C. wentii (brown and green), C. undulata, C. parva, Microsorium pteropus, Anubias barteria var. nana, Crinum calamistratum

Fish - Barbus/Puntius pentazona

 

[George Farmer]

With snails in that tank, I'm guessing your pH is above 7? Ever thought about lowering the pH using some discreet and dark looking bogwood, peat in the filter or maybe even Indian almond leaves? If you lower the pH your fish will love you even more and it should take care of the snails .

If the pH is already acidic, I'd be interested to know what species of pest snail you have .

Thanks.

My pH is around 6.8. I'm guessing the snails do ok because the KH/GH is high. I've had snails in pH <6 before now.....

 

[Themuleous]

Lovely scape George, not really sure about the central vertical piece of wood though breaks the tank in half to my eyes. Why the EI on such a low light tank?

Is there any point asking if you had/have any algae?

Sam

 

[DevUK]

I really like that. Agreed about the central bit of bog wood though, a little too vertical looking in those shots (may just be the angle of the camera?)

Can you tell me, what is the long slender leaved plant in the left corner? - Edit: Cryptocoryne balansae. Looks really nice

 

[IlliniGuy18]

Looks great! Wish mine looked like it!

 

[George Farmer]

Thanks.

Yes, the wood positioning is very central and vertical. Well done for spotting the "deliberate" mistake! I have some plans for the future regarding more wood and willow moss.

Sam, no real algae issues. Low light is very forgiving. Only a little soft GSA on the fern leaves, as mentioned, but that was cleared up by better CO2. I think you have enough algae problems for the both of us!

Regarding EI, it works too well for me not to use it. Simple as that.

 

[Castellop123]

Like the look! The C.balansae and Crinum calamistratum make for a good effect. Oh, and love the mother fern, George!