My Ei 15 Gallon - Rescape

[DevUK]

Hi mate. Interested to know about your lighting upgrade and how it was fitted, as I'll be doing something similar in the near future and its an unknown to me! Also, where did you get the reflector from? Is it a cut down arcadia or something?

Tank is looking nice though! Inspirational

 

[Castellop123]

...

 

[nry]

I used to have e.tennelus under 1wpg and no CO2. I'll have a think, I wouldn't use gravel again, but at the moment changing the substrate is not an option.

 

[nry]

Well, two weeks in:

The nanjenshan has grown well, you don't realise how much things grow until you compare photographs side-by-side!

Some more nanjenshan on the way to replace the cabomba to the far right and some more to the back left. Some will also go into my 5-gallon PFK cube.

Going to try some h.c. in this tank and the 5-gallon (which now has 24watts so ~4.5wpg or higher if you use US gallons, pearling nicely even without CO2!). The 5-gallon has EcoComplete so it may fair better in which case I've not wasted much planting or money.

I have some 'Tropica' rotala wallichii from a not-so-good online retailer (not AE who are superb!). Of the 5" stems, only the top 1" of each has any green growth, the rest of the stem has brown dead leaves on. Not good. It is currently in some water on the kitchen window sill to see if I can nurse it back to health.

 

[Themuleous]

Looking excellent mate, much algae?

Sam

 

[nry]

A degree of staghorn on the edges of the crypt leaves, but nothing major. Some diminishing hair algae on the cabomba directly near the filter outlet. But less than before EI and stable CO2

 

[nry]

I really like the scale of the nanjenshan and the p.helferi. Have some more nanjenshan today, some for my 5-gallon and some to replace a bit more of the cabomba. Also got a pot of h.c. which I am going to split between this tank and the 5-gallon. It may not do well in the gravel of this tank but time will tell.

Plan for Monday (water change day):

Take out the crypts from the front left.
Move some of the p.h. from the front right into the space at the front left where the crypts came from, maybe taking out some of the flat pebbles and just leaving the rounder 'boulder-like' ones.
Try some h.c. at the front left, in amongst the p.h.
Replace the cabomba at the front right with some nanjenshan
Trim the rotala back a bit: I would like to replace this with the rotala wallichii if it recovers

I am aiming to create an open front left area, which graduates to the back and front right of the tank. The front middle/left will be open water. I am still unsure if I want to put any plants onto the mopani. My 5-gallon has some anubias nana and nana 'petite' (petite was a manky freebie with some amano shrimp which is now starting to grow nicely!). I have debated putting one of the anubias growing up the left-hand slope of the mopani but if I do I will wait until the tank has really settled into EI and the lighting levels. I like the pattern on the mopani too much to rush into covering it up!

 

[R1ch13]

Looking great

Gonna be excellent tank to look at once fully matured

Richie

 

[nry]

I've just put £50 to one side (which may or may not stay there depending on life!), if I can match it next month then I'm going pressurised, the whole inability to finely control CO2 with yeast-based systems is not ideal (even with two bottles swapped alternately etc) and it would be one less job to do in the mornings alongside EI dosing.

Tempted by the D-D set, I have found it online for £99 + p&p (http/aquaticsfanatics.com/product.php?prod=150). I know there are cheaper options on eBay etc, and it is not refillable, but long term it may be an easier option to fit into life. Kids, work etc, would not want to find myself in the situation where I need a new bottle and for whatever reason can't get to the refill shop. I'll order an additional bottle with the set, and then every time I fit a new bottle (which will be very rarely on a 15-gallon!) I'll order a replacement. That's if I can keep the £50 to one side this month! I'm curious on the height/size of the bottle though, it would be best if it will fit within my Juwel cabinet, I can take the shelf out if need be.

 

[john starkey]

hi nry tanks looking good when and if you go pressurised and you can control co2 levels you will see more improved growth imo cant wait to see it fully mature regards john

 

[Castellop123]

...

 

[nry]

I like nanjenshan aswell, it has tripled in size in the few weeks it has been planted. The new growth (submersed) is much finer and very pretty.

CO2 levels are decent enough now, but they are still not as stable nor controllable as I would prefer. I struggle to keep the permanent checker at green, it easily goes into the yellow even if I reduce the yeast in the cannisters. Plant growth has really picked up in the past few days. I think I recall correctly that max EI doses are reached after 2 weeks (may be really off on that!) so maybe two weeks in, EI is really showing potential.

 

[SuperColey1]

I went the disposable cannister route, purely because after phoning around everywhere I couldn't find anywhere willing to refill cannisters.

I bought the regulator and 2 bottles from WeldUK on the web for £50ish.
Then the solenoid and needle valve from Lunapet on ebay for £30ish.

Gotta get it reset after trying to run it with a second hand cheapo needle valve, which was a mistake a it turned out useless and discharged 2 whole cannisters into the tank. (The first killing all the inhabitants)

Waiting for 2 new cannisters and away we go on the fine adjusting route again, hopefully not killing the inhabitants this time.

Good Luck with your tank. Looks good, and nice lush growth, but keep an eye on the lighting situation, as you may now find that doing the lighting upgrade before sorting your CO2 out could result in huge undesirable algae outbreaks especially on leaves at the top of the tank with direct light. I hope not and keep us updated.

Andy

 

[nry]

Someone just dumped 3 computers on me to fix, methinks that could pay for most or all of the CO2 depending how long it takes to fix

 

[SuperColey1]

Its looking good in that picture matey. Love the Crypt Wendtii (brown) at the front Left.

That wil look great when it fills out, and the colour under lights when they are in good condition is amazing. Almost like oil on water.

Kepp it going and look forward to next pics.

andy