Going For It A 2Nd Time. Will It Work This Time

[Dan-CR4]

My Tropical setup is

[size=18pt]Tank[/size]

Tank : Juwel Vision 180
Volume: approx. 180 Litres
Measurements: 92 x 41 x 55 cm
Lighting : 2x25 watt (1x warm, 1x Day)
Filter : All Pond Solutions 1000EF
Power Head : 1200L/H SP1200 (All Pond Solutions)
Medium Planted
Substrate : JBL Aquabasis Plus, Topped with Argos Play Sand
No Co2

[size=18pt]Fish[/size]

4 x Bolivian Ram (Mikrogeophagus altispinosus)
2 x Cockatoo Apisto (Apistogramma cacatuoides)
2 x Apistogramma borellii (Apistogramma borellii)
10 x Rummynose Tetra (Hemigrammus bleheri)
4 x Keyhole Cichlid (Cleithracara maronii)


[size=18pt]Plants[/size]

Elodea Densa
Green Cabomba
Alternanthera Reineckii
Echinodorus bleheri
taxiphllyum alternans (Taiwan Moss)
+ a few others that I still need to get ID on.


When i first cycled my tank, I decided to rush in and buy plants without even knowing much about tropical aquariums let alone a planted tank, and it went terribly bad. Used b&q play sand the first time, no co2, and all i got was BBA. I decided to bin the lot in september and decided plants were not for me.

I have been reading and asking more questions about plants, substrates, lighting, co2 and feel its time to try again and this time do a journal for people to give me some tips and help along the way. I still have not got no co2 but I just ordered brand new light tubes "1x Juwel Day-Lite T8 25W 742mm & 1 x Juwel Warm-Lite T8 25W 742mm". They should be here when the couriers get back to work, hopefully by the end of the week (snows nearly gone here). I went and purchased some Argos play sand, which I have washed tonight and can say it is much much better than the b&q sand I did have before, I also got some JBL Aqaubasis from MA to go on the bottom then going to top it with the argos play sand.

I also bought 4 plants to start me off and I will up some pictures for id later. want to get some xmas moss as well.

So tomorrow is the big day, Get all fish out and put in my spare tank, remove gravel and rocks and fake plants and got to give my back 3d background a good scrub and remove the rest of the BBA, Then get laying the aquabase and sand.

Wish me luck and any help is appreciated very much.

heres the before pictures.... (need to learn to take better pictures indoors.)

you can see all the algae on the background.

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

50W of T8 sounds like a "low tech" setup to me, the likes of Anubias; Java Fern etc. which will not need carbon supplements and only the smallest amount of fert as a "treat."

Is this your intention?

 

[Biulu]

I also have a 180 litre and only slightly more light (58W) and still having problems with BBA. I am now trying to get rid of it with the addition of liquid carbon and larger water changes.
What were the 4 plants that you bought already?

Good luck with the work, redoing a tank and especially a large one is tiring.

 

[Dan-CR4]

So today, i got up and decided to go back to argos to get another bag of sand, as for the cost of £2.99 i would rather have enough than 2 little to finish today. When I got back filled up my spare tank with water from this tnk and then captured the fish, good laugh that was, all the bolivians behaved the 2 mollies behave the 2 cockatoo behaved them selves, but the keyholes were not have any of it. still managaed to get them without any damage. all fish moved to spare tank.

all i had remaining in the tank was the gravel i will be removing. So time to get on with cleaning this BBA of the 3d background. took me about 45 minutes to do one side. I have attached some pics to see the difference between the both sides.

just had me sunday lunch now got to get on and do the other side. will update later

 

[Biulu]

That definitively made a change. What did you remove it with? A brush?

 

[Dan-CR4]

just used a soft toothbrush, tap water and elbow grease, and it gives you backache

 

[Dan-CR4]

Well finally finished, that took up most of sunday. Not loads of plants in there at the moment as I want to build up slowly and still got to sort me bogwood out as its been outside in the shed so im soaking it at the moment. Anyway heres where im upto.

Heres the tank with the wall with 95% of the BBA off of it.

heres the tank refilled....

you can see one of my keyholes hiding under the rocks on the right

 

[Biulu]

Good job, well done! What is the little tube coming from underneath the background? Is it for aeration?

 

[Dan-CR4]

Good job, well done! What is the little tube coming from underneath the background? Is it for aeration?

They are air stones. Have not used them in ages.

The fish seem to like the plants and sand and removing all that BBA had made the tank really seem a lot lighter, also the argos sand is much better than b&q sand. Its just sand, where as the b&q play sand had a lot of gravel pieces in it. So if any one wants play sand in the uk get the argos one, even if you want it for play sand for the kiddies.

 

[Ryefish]

hey dan nice to see you on here again!
im surprised you managed to get the algae off that back wall, that was a heck of a lot lol.

do you have any ideas of a scape that your aiming for or are you just going to wing it?

 

[Dan-CR4]

It was hard work getting it off the backwall, standing with a toothbrush all day working on it slowly gave me a bad back, but it was worth it. With the scape for now, im just gonna wing it to start with, going to take it more slowly this time . I am still waiting for me new lights and I got some Flourish Excel on its way but all stuck in the mail/parcel system that the snow has caused.

Was gonning do a co2 fire extinguisher setup but getting conflicting ideas as to if I need it or not, so for now going to try without it. I can always add it later.

 

[Dan-CR4]

Got my new lights and Flourish Excel today, I have dosed the tank with the required ammount and put the new lights in, they come on at 2pm, along with the JBL Aqaubasis underneath the sand lets hope im doing everthing correctly this time. any comments or suggestions are really welcomed.

Dan

 

[ian]

Sounds good so far Dan, what are you using regarding flow in the tank? What is the output of the filter you are using?

 

[Dan-CR4]

Hi Ian, thanks for the reply.

I got an external filter from all pond solutions, the model I got is....

Model: '1000EF' All Pond Solutions External Filter
Flow Rate: 1000 Litres per Hour
Hose size: 20mm Outside diameter, 15mm Inside diameter
Water Volume: 8 Litres (Approx)

I wanted to get the 2000litres an hour but the cabinet that comes with the aquarium is not well designed, its got 2 small cupboards and a middle bit, and the measurements of any of the bigger externals would not fit, and where I got the tank theres no room for it to go down the side. the 1000EF i got just fits in. heres a picture of what the cabinet looks like, my filter will only fit in the middle bit once i removed the shelf.

btw thats not my tank.

Do you think I should get another internal filter to work with the my external or would something like a powerhead be ok to move the water around the tank. something like this http/cgi.ebay.co.uk/650L-H-Power-Head-Aquarium-Water-Pump-Fish-Tank-NEW-/310179962548?pt=UK_Pet_Supplies_Fish&hash=item48382a9eb4

thanks

Dan

 

[ian]

they are apparently good filters, it will be my next filter. I have you thought about adding a small powerhead just to help push the nutrient around the tank? Something like a koralia nano will be fine, this will give you 10x turnover, i know you're not using pressurised C02, but IME flow is just important than anything else in my tanks. I haven't seen the powerhead in the link, i use koralias and have never been disappointed with the performance.

If i was you i'd see which plants do well, and think about adding a few more of the ones that do well. Once you know you can grow plants the tank is your oyster (i'll get mi coat)