Llj's Ada Tank "refugees From Endor"

[lljdma06]

This is great news to me!
I'm planning on starting my first planted tank soon however I won't be adding CO2, hopefully I will be able to get some plants to treat me with epic growth like they have you.

Eh, that I'm not adding CO2 is unusual for this type of setup and I normally would encourage a member with that much lighting to add it. There is around 3WPG of T5 HO lighting, which is typically quite a bit, but I'm conducting an experiment of sorts with my type of lighting and my setup. So far, I'm getting great results, but I don't know if this is a type of cookie-cutter setup that can be copied by anyone.

Liz

 

[SuperColey1]

If I hadn't read the post above I would've asumed that you had slipped into the natural highlight habit of the US scapers. lol Hope it works out for you.

Looking at the pictures on post 87 I prefer the iPhone one. Looks better in terms of colour (even if it isn't the colour you see yourself in reality. I also like to see the lines and definition in the wood. The other one the wood is just a dark silhouette if you know what I mean.

Are you sure that the Sony is bringing out the 'actual' image you see? I would've though with 3WPG T5HO the brighter iPhone one would have been truer. Maybe my eyes. lol

Scape looks nice and coming on well.

AC

 

[lljdma06]

If I hadn't read the post above I would've asumed that you had slipped into the natural highlight habit of the US scapers. lol Hope it works out for you.

Looking at the pictures on post 87 I prefer the iPhone one. Looks better in terms of colour (even if it isn't the colour you see yourself in reality. I also like to see the lines and definition in the wood. The other one the wood is just a dark silhouette if you know what I mean.

Are you sure that the Sony is bringing out the 'actual' image you see? I would've though with 3WPG T5HO the brighter iPhone one would have been truer. Maybe my eyes. lol

Scape looks nice and coming on well.

AC

Oh, Andy, if you don't know me by now... First thing I did in this thread was tell everybody else not to do this.

Right now, this scape is behaving just like my old Dutch from 2008, which is weird because that one was predominantly stems. This one is predominantly crypts, and mosses. I do have sags in the back and other things. I'm pretty impressed that I have to trim already. Honestly, was expecting a complete fail by now. If this scape works pretty well in the long term, would love people to pick their brains with this one. The fish, by the way, love the flow...

I have right now...

2 Aquaclear 50, side by side
2 Rio 50 powerheads.

I've never had a tank with this much water movement.

Somewhere between the iPhone and the Sony is the true image. I've got to work it out. I think I set something wrong in the Sony, as it's different from how I had it. Or someone my family borrowed the camera and then changed stuff.

 

[lljdma06]

Waterchange - 50%
TPN+ - 5ml
Fed fish
Moved Madagascar, but then moved it back.
Trimmed moss
Removed a couple of handfulls of salvinia

Liz

 

[PDSimon]

Love this tank...!

 

[lljdma06]

Love this tank...!

Thanks! Time for an update...

Sorry, you're getting the iPhone 4 update. I'm doing competition shoots and until I select which ones I want, I'll update with an iPhone. While I'm doing ASW, there are other competitions that I'm considering for this tank and they require unpublished photos.

Some YouTube video. The tank from the side. You can really see the crypt and moss growth from this angle. I thought it lovely.

Also... It took purchasing a 6" net, but I managed to net the final "refugees from Endor" - The harlequins and R. gracilis. These fish are fast, my 2" net wasn't cutting it. Can't wait to finish acclimating them and add them in. Will probably do another photo shoot with them and compare.

Thanks for looking. The growing Madagascar will stay where it is, even if it's a scape destroyer. It is a hard thing to grow Madagascar, so I'll let it destroy any scape, anytime! I received my current issue of the AGA journal and there's the International Aquatic Plants Layout Contest. Anybody ever hear of it? Now, I know I'll NEVER, EVER win a competition, but feedback is great, especially since this is a non-CO2 higher light system and off the beaten path. No entry fee and the deadline is May 31. ASW is March 31, so I have some more time to do a couple more shoots, especially with the new fish.

I'll submit "Endor" to ASW pretty soon. Won't win with that scape either, but getting Baliban's and others' opinions on the scape will be great.

 

[Joshwainwright]

It looks like you've had some nice growth since you last updated us. I think I actually forgot how nice the tank looks!

You never know about the competition, this tank has potential and gives you the opportunity to win. Enter in and see what happens, it won't hurt anything if it's free to enter!

Keep is updated!
Great work.

 

[ian]

Looking ver very nice llj, this tank has really surprised me. I honestly thought you'd be rolling around in am algae fest, with the lighting. Experience showing .

Have you not heard of the IAPLC?? Even if this is the best planting contest in the world, it's not that much of a fair planting contest IMO. Andy will clarify, but i think it's only the top 100 that get judged properly, then the rest just get randomly placed. EG you could come 101 and George Farmer/Mark Evans could come 867??!! (not that there scapes are better than your llj!). Also your not allowed to show any pics of your scape on the net. It costs to enter as well, well not to enter, but they charge you a fee for the programme.

My tanks have also been entered now for the ASW and the European scaping contest. Shall we have some healthy competition?? What about a whole British pound on it??

 

[lljdma06]

Is that so? Didn't know that about that competition, but I live under a rock with regard to that sort of thing.

No, my scapes are certainly not better than theirs, you are very kind, though.

We'll see. I always thought just unpublished photos, but unpublished scapes? That I can never do. Showing the nuts & bolts of a scape is an educational tool, IMO.

You'd outrank me in any planted tank comp, Ian, hands down.

Got some video of the new rasboras, well they're not new, just new to the tank.

Liz

 

[lljdma06]

Better video of the Rasboras, in HD...

By the way, tank went a week without a waterchange and dosing. Did great. Just some spot algae on the glass. No biggie.

Liz

 

[PDSimon]

Wheres your competitive nature? Far too modest!

How much TPN+ were you dosing btw? I can't find it on your first page How can you go a week with those lights without any dosing or waterchanges?

 

[ian]

I still can't get over how healthy that Madagascar is!

 

[lljdma06]

Wheres your competitive nature? Far too modest!

How much TPN+ were you dosing btw? I can't find it on your first page

I'm dosing between 3-5ml of TPN+ everyday, but that week, I was very busy with school. I didn't start dosiing until I think maybe the second page.

How can you go a week with those lights without any dosing or waterchanges?

I don't know. Flow, photoperiod, stock, plantmass, and substrate are working well together, I think... A question for the more advanced.

I still can't get over how healthy that Madagascar is!

Neither can I.

 

[PDSimon]

Interesting, thank you

 

[mark4785]

Your aquascape looks very good and I am too surprised at how well the plants are doing bearing in mind the non-addition of c02.

Wish I could get the anubias to flower. That would be the feather in my cap in that scape, the Madagascar too.

Not sure if this is of relevance but Anubias Var Nana was one of the first plants I bought when I started my planted aquarium and I always remember feeling confused as to why their flowers would drop-off when I placed them within my aquarium lol. After reading into the possibility of my aquarium needing some form of c02, I started off using Easylife EasyCarbo and within a month the flowers on the Anubias started to form.

So if you want your Anubias to grow a flower or two I'd say the introduction of some form of c02 would be a good idea.