Llj's 20g Journal

[lljdma06]

Stay tuned for a jungle over-haul. Warning, tank will look pretty nasty for a while, very dense. I will try and maintain some semblance of an aquascape.

 

[lljdma06]

Well, time for a small update. I did the major overhaul. I removed the wood, the original wood was covered in some really gross moldy algae stuff, really odd. I think the wood was bad. I threw it away and replaced the hardscape with two pieces of wood that I had lying around. That could have been the source of my hazy/green water. I pruned plants and added tons more stem plants, including egeria densa and hygro difformis. The lighting has been reduced to 1.4WPG and it's only on for about 10 hours a day with no break. The CO2 is handled differently as well. I have two DIY canisters with a weaker mix that I change once a week on different days. I dose once a week with Flourish. Finally, I added another filter.

I'm still doing daily water changes, but it's for a different reason. After a quaranteen period, I added a shoal of blue tetras, very nice. But with the stress of the overhaul and wood removal, he he, the day later, my black neons and serpaes develop ICH! So, I raised the temperature to about 80-82 degrees, and am dosing with Rid-ich+. Afterall, I keep fish before I keep plants and I didn't want to loose any. What's great is that the Rid-ich+ isn't harming the plants and in fact, it has destroyed some of the other types of algae that was on the leaves of some of the slow growers. It's a solution of Formaldehyde and Formalin. The directions on the package say to do a waterchange everyday while you treat, which I've been doing. But the water isn't getting hazy the next day, and it used to be when I had greenwater. The fish are improving and I think I can stop dosing in a few days.

I can't say much for the layout, it's a jungle. I really didn't think the red plants would do well with the reduced lighting, but my Alternantera is the biggest it's ever been and very dense. It's almost to the top of the tank! I like the foreground and I really recommend Marsilea quadrifolia, especially if you're running a lower light system that's not so small. I have to prune the egeria, it's annoying me. I also have a lot, and I mean a lot of moss! That stuff grows like a weed in this tank. I can't even see the wood anymore, and this is the replacement wood that's only been in there for about two weeks.





As always, comments are appreciated. Thanks for looking.

llj

 

[Themuleous]

Tank looks mad Llj! The red is absolute quality too. It is a bit of a jungle but thats no bad thing some times Have you thought about having less species of plant? Having just a few but in dense clumps? Might help make it look a bit more ordered? More nature aquarium? Just a thought.

Think you could lose the moneywort in the centre, it dominates to much and removing it might open up the front centre of the tank

Sam

 

[lljdma06]

Tank looks mad Llj! The red is absolute quality too. It is a bit of a jungle but thats no bad thing some times Have you thought about having less species of plant? Having just a few but in dense clumps? Might help make it look a bit more ordered? More nature aquarium? Just a thought.

Think you could lose the moneywort in the centre, it dominates to much and removing it might open up the front centre of the tank

Sam

Thanks for the comment on the reds. I've always had luck with the reds.

I know it's mad! But I haven't seen any algae for quite some time. George was right, I'd say over 75% of the substrate is covered in algae busters is what it takes to have a healthy tank, especially down in Miami. I SHOULD have done that from the beginning, with both tanks, and that WAS my mistake, especially with the nano. The Brazilian Pennywort, along with the egeria, are the plants that I believe are responsible for the reduced algae. I fully admit, definitely the wrong plant for this tank, but I purchased the Pennywort with the 36g bowfront in mind. I already have three separate clumps. It is literally a weed.

It's interesting you mention Nature aquarium. It wasn't the look I was going for. In fact, the more I think about it, I wasn't going for any particular look. I was so concerned with getting the tank healthy and algae-free that scaping totally escaped me and may never really be part of my planted tanks again. I may try a more delicate scape with the 8g, but I'm pretty sure the 20g will always be a mess. I was just happy to share a photo that wasn't hazy and where the plants were growing well. But, as I said in the 8g thread, I could change my mind tomorrow.

Thanks for the comments. I really can't believe that these are the same tanks from earlier, where everything was so structured, ordered, and much prettier IMO. But you, know, those tanks weren't healthy. Give me healthy, algae-free, and less maintenance any day! Especially for nanos.

llj

 

[Themuleous]

Yeh you're right about the mass of fast growers, the only trouble is that they require lots more attention re pruning, etc. And what if you want a low scape with a large area of glosso or HC carpet? Maybe the mass of plants like the CUA guys have is the way forward, guess if that's what it takes to get an algae-free tank than that's what it takes!

Sam

 

[lljdma06]

Yeh you're right about the mass of fast growers, the only trouble is that they require lots more attention re pruning, etc. And what if you want a low scape with a large area of glosso or HC carpet? Maybe the mass of plants like the CUA guys have is the way forward, guess if that's what it takes to get an algae-free tank than that's what it takes!

Sam

Actually to be honest, Sam, I haven't really pruned much in the past month. The occasional leaf, a sprig or two of pennywort. Remember, I only have 1.4 WPG, so growth is much, much slower. I'll actually have to prune a little on Monday, since the Alternantera has finally reached the rim of the tank. I've learned a lot from the conversion of this 20g from high-tech to low-tech, which will come in handy when I setup the 36g after the cruise. That tank will have 1.8WPG. My emphasis has also changed, especially since I now have growing fry. I prefer to sacrifice a little of the aquascape in favor of creating an environment that is easier to maintain and better suited to small fry. Cherry barb fry are super cute! I'm a grandma and I'm only 29!

I also learned that a little formalin can help with some algae issues. Which is wierd.

 

[Themuleous]

Interesting Llj, I have learned lots from switching my main tank to a low-tech planted one. Interesting about the formalin too, its good to have another weapon in the algae arsenal, have you found its affected the filter at all though?

Sam

 

[lljdma06]

I figured time for an update. I have a few pictures before the removal of the Pennywort and after it's removal. I think ultimately it looks better. I lost two serpaes, unfortunately. I found them dead behind my CO2 bubble counter. My guess is that they hid there and later died when I drained most of the water to move the tank and stand a few inches to the left. Everybody else is fine and I still have all my otos! Fancy that!

Before




After




I was wondering, do any of you think I should really try to grow the A. reineckii to cover the whole back? That would be pretty dramatic for this tank. I like the foreground, but I'm not really satisfied with the back, especially the side with the H. difformis and the E. densa. The tank is stable enough now that I could pretty much do anything to it. The tannins are something I want, so ignore the sepia cast to everything. It's not my camera filter, it's the tannic water, which is like light tea now. It really brings out the color of the serpaes and the other tetras in the tank.

Thanks for looking,

llj

 

[Themuleous]

Once again, very nice what about rotala on the left? that and something else, fine leaved to balance the larger leaves on the right? Not sure just a guess. Did you used to have wisteria in the middle too?

I've said it before and I'll say it again, the red is crazy! Almost looks like you painted it, it so vibrant!

Sam

 

[mikster]

My plant knowledge is limited so i will leave that to others but what i will say is thats a lovely tank, i love the jungle type looks, always makes me wonder whats hiding in there.

 

[lljdma06]

Once again, very nice what about rotala on the left? that and something else, fine leaved to balance the larger leaves on the right? Not sure just a guess. Did you used to have wisteria in the middle too?

I've said it before and I'll say it again, the red is crazy! Almost looks like you painted it, it so vibrant!

Sam

And I'm telling you, the camera does not do the Alternantera justice. It's redder in person and that plant has never failed me. I highly recommend it.

I don't have rotala in this tank, Sam, the long stringy things your seeing is Egeria densa. I do have wisteria in front of the anacharis. I'll probably remove the bacopa and creeping jenny on Monday. There isn't enough to make a decent display, and I think it would look better in the 36g. I'm really tempted to extend the Alternantera to cover the whole back. That could look wicked. Balance that with either more anubias or wisteria in the front. I think it's missing something now, but not sure what.

 

[Themuleous]

Oh sorry, no I meant how about rotala on the left to replace/add to the egeria? Think the egeria looks a bit leggy and all over the place at the mo. The idea of Alternantera sounds cool thou

Sam

 

[George Farmer]

Jungle is massive!!

Lush, healthy growth there mate. Your fish will be very happy I'm sure.

That's some of the heathiest looking Alternanthera I've ever seen.

 

[lljdma06]

That's some of the heathiest looking Alternanthera I've ever seen.

That plant, George, was ordered on a whim when I redid my 15g in IL in January. I thought the idea of it was nice, and it supposedly would do well with high light conditions. I think it's done better in the lower light levels this tank. I adore it and the temptation is very strong to grow it across the back of the tank. It may look aweful, but it would be dramatic.

A question for you now. I know my tanks aren't high-tech, since I don't practice EI nor do I have more than 2.00WPG, or implement any fancy substrates. On the other hand, I inject CO2 and stock fish according to normal standards, whereas in the low-tech practices I'm aware of, no CO2 is injected and the tanks are stocked lightly. So are my tanks a sort of hybrid of the two styles, or are they a reflection of an older way of doing things? I don't want to mislabel the tanks as low-tech, when they really might not be. The high-tech way was great in IL, but a disaster in Miami. What I'm doing now works a lot better in Miami and I guess that's all that matters, but I was just curious.

Thanks in advance,
llj

 

[Themuleous]

Guess thats the same for my main, low light, but decent substrate and CO2.

Sam