Her Name Is Rio...

[stu40]

Hi

Had a small 40L tank for ages, but hadn't done much with it for last few years..Now i've got more time on my hands i thought i'd give it a go again.New House = bigger tank = renewed interest
New tank that i set up mid January
Rio 180
Usual Juwel Internal filter (minus carbon & nitrate sponge)
Juwel Bioflow 600
2 x 45W T5 lights
2"-4" of Tetra Plant Complete, sloping back to front capped with 1" of Dorset pea gravel.
160 L=42 USGAL
24°C, PH 7.8 .Weekly 25% water change

Couple of bits of wood covered with Anubias Bartei Nana
Amazon swords
Vallis
Red Vallis
Spiral Vallis
Hygrophila Difformis
H polysperma
E.Densa
Crypts
Dwarf swords

11 x Rasboras Hengli
11 x Sivertip Tetra
10 x Rummy Nosed Tetra

Still got to improve my photography skills

Added water

6 weeks on

Latest. Cabomba started well, but then just died off.

I transferred the meagre amount of media from the existing 40L tank, planted loads of stems and started from there with a few silver tips.I've added a small amount of fish every few weeks testing
water parameters with API kit every few days.Did several 50% waterchanges a week in the first month.Scaled back to 25% a week since then.
Ammonia never got past 0.25 (did a waterchange) & Nitrite have never got above 0,Nitrate around 10ppm, same as out of the tap.
Will get some Otos shortly i think and then leave the stock numbers alone till the tank matures a bit.
Little bit of hair Algae starting to form in some parts of the tank, but not too concerned yet as its not getting any worse.Also small,hard,green 'dots' form occasionally on the glass.
Planting is a little bit haphazard ATM, but will change some of the stems (E.Densa & Wisteria) for slower growing plants when i stop adding fish.
Not too sure about a large piece of wood, i've tried in several places.

Stu

 

[KittyKat]

Old school what?

It's a nice looking tank with great stocking, I like seeing people keep fish in schools.

 

[stu40]

Old school what?

Good point.Didn't mean to keep that in.Teach me to have one eye on the wedding when trying to post !

Updated original post

Will try for more fish photos at some point, but all 3 schools move too fast.

 

[Ps3Steveo]

Nice, once all the Vallis at the back grows tall it will look awesome.

Drift wood would look good with some moss or Java Fern on it too.

 

[stu40]

Right,wet & miserable sunday afternoon, done my 25% WC,thought i'd update this journal.
Added some dwarf sag to the front, which is taking...Slowly.

Ditto to the Tennelus (at least i think that's what it is)

Was starting to get some Green dot algae on the glass at the front, so i've added a Koralia nano (900 lph).Juwell powerhead was only rated at 600 lph, so at best my turnover was x3.75,also trying Easycarbo at 2ml per day to see if that helps stop it. Think it might be more of a sunlight problem though.Moved into a new house at the end of last year, and i underestimated how high the sun was going to get in the summer.It now clears the houses at the back of us, at the end of the day, where during Winter it didn't.Occasional hair Algae as well.Mainly on the Anubias

But I can live with it and it's not really getting any worse.
Removed the Egeria Densa.It was only ever going to be short term, while the tank got up and cycled.Now that the temperature has been upped to 25'C time for it to go.Moved one of the Amazon swords from the back to fill the space, it wasn't really doing anything, and was hidden due to the growth in the Vallis, which is growing everwhere.Also trying out an Aponogeton crispus behind the driftwood, but it's very small ATM.
Upside to the Easycarbo, is growth on the Anubias (couple of new leaves) and the crypts are definitely starting to do something.

On the livestock front, added 6 otos, couple of weeks ago.Think i've got all 6, they do seem to go missing for a couple of days.Not easy counting little (but fat) otos with so many blades/leaves.

Got 2 Bolivian Rams last week (one of each),hence the change in temperature.

Think that i might have one to many focal points.Do know,that i can grow Vallis and Algae.Like the first, not to bothered about the second (as long as it doesn't get worse).

 

[Ps3Steveo]

Awesome, I like it better now the wood has been moved and the Vallis has grown. Hope the sag does well.

Oh and if you up the temp a little more you may find those Rams colour up better.

 

[stu40]

i am struggling with low foreground plants.Maybe with my WPG they're always going to be slow growing.I've got the powerhead aimed at them now.Will try putting the temperature up higher.No reason why not to.Might try some floating plants as well.The Bolivians do seem to colour better when the lights are off in the middle of the day,think they might prefer a bit more shade.
Though thinking about it that might be counter productive with the lower plants.

 

[Trod]

Hi, I like the flower pot, I think its sets the scene really well, love the fish too

 

[lljdma06]

Some very good vallis growth there. So you're not dosing anything or adding CO2? Hmmm, sounds like somebody I know.

You got me thinking about Duran Duran...

 

[Ps3Steveo]

And she dances on the sand lol. Yeah I wouldn't add any floating plants yet, up the temp a little but slowly and see how they do, my Rams were happyest at about 28c. Your foreground plants are very slow growers so I wouldn't worry too much yet, providing they're getting light and flow and aren't dying I'd leave them to it.

 

[stu40]

Hi, I like the flower pot, I think its sets the scene really well, love the fish too

Ta.Can't take too much credit,i've 'borrowed' the idea from several tanks i've seen on here.The fish seem to work quite well on all levels of the tank, there's always lots of activity.
I'm particularly enjoying your journal at the moment.

Some very good vallis growth there. So you're not dosing anything or adding CO2? Hmmm, sounds like somebody I know.

Easycarbo ,started with 1.5ml daily couple of weeks ago, now up to 2ml.Don't want to overdose in case it knocks the Valls out.Having hard water helps.

You got me thinking about Duran Duran...

Careful you're showing your age.

There's so many Juwell Rio journals out there, i thought i'd need a hook to get noticed.It's always good to get comments/suggestions.

Yeah I wouldn't add any floating plants yet, up the temp a little but slowly and see how they do, my Rams were happyest at about 28c. Your foreground plants are very slow growers so I wouldn't worry too much yet, providing they're getting light and flow and aren't dying I'd leave them to it.

 

[stu40]

July update. Apologises for no amusing travel log to keep us all entertained.But this months new stuff has either been ordered on line or donated from other tanks.Though driving around the city in an effort to collect undelivered parcels,might soon change from travel log to rant.

Also, most of this was written 3 weeks ago, when i had planned on posting, but my phone lines went down for 2 weeks.So i've started answering my own questions

Ok so time for a bit of a change around.The original plan was to use quick growing stems whilst the new filter got up & running.It's been 6 months or so and the Vallis needs to be thinned out & replaced with slower growing, different looking plants.

It's grown like a weed for me and is starting to dominate the look of the tank.Will leave some at the back and the right hand side.

The twisted vallis which was to the left started to die back, with transparent stems, so was moved to centre right infront of the driftwood, in an unsuccessful attempt to save it.So that has gone.

The gap left will be filled by a piece of wood/java fern combo, with some Bacopa Australia in front of it

Only other new addition is a mystery stem plant, maybe some kind of Hygro that i've aquired. Should fit in and bush out behind driftwood

Not quite sure where to fit the Golden Anubias in.I know it's sloooow growing and the existing Anubias Nana does suffer from algae being out in the open.Will find a shaded position for it.

and here

My Crypts finally seem to be going vertical after growing horizontal for months.

The Wisteria is now showing signs of struggling, leaves going translucent and then being shed from the bottom.Is this due to lack of light (it's underneath any area of Vallis that has covered the surface) or nutrients?

Original plan was for a more low tech setup, but the 2 T5's (2x45W) would seem to driving the need for more co2/ferts. Don't think you get T5's in my length (895mm) with reduced Wattage? Put lighting period down to 5 hours.Can't decide between floating plants & fitting reflectors upside down, in an attempt to cut back lighting.

Moved the power head to the back wall and angled down, in an attempt to stop the sand going a bluey-green colour (not slimey) in small patches.This, plus the reduced lighting period seems to have sorted that out.

Fish wise nothing added, but did lose 1 Oto. All the others seem ok. Bolivains don't look like they're going to pair, the male chases the female off every now & again. Odds were always against pairing as i only put 1 female in. Would have liked to have given him the choice of 4, but that wasn't really viable.

Thinking of adding more T.Hengli or Rummys at some stage. The filter can easily go 2 weeks without a water change with current bioload.

Oh yeah, no longer dosing Easycarbo

 

[ian]

really nice Stu, really nice. It all looks very healthy, and that is Hygro polysperma.

just one thing, if you removed that plant pot, it'd look much more natural. But i understand, it's your tank.

 

[KkAaNnEe]

Looks great, but i would say that lol, love the vallis and if your thinning out, think of meeee haha

Nah seriously looks great mate, Ive got some more vallis ordered and some root tabs for a bit of food... We'll see..

 

[stu40]

really nice Stu, really nice. It all looks very healthy, and that is Hygro polysperma.

just one thing, if you removed that plant pot, it'd look much more natural. But i understand, it's your tank.

Thanks.Point taken.The pot's only in there while the Bolivians acclimatise, gives the female somewhere to hide out

What's this tall one then? Thought that was Polysperma

Looks great, but i would say that lol, love the vallis and if your thinning out, think of meeee haha

Nah seriously looks great mate, Ive got some more vallis ordered and some root tabs for a bit of food... We'll see..

Cheers.Wish i'd known.Got some to get rid of.Might try selling i guess.