My Journal, The 'winging' It Programme

[Azaezl]

I posted a few days ago about my 5 gal hex that I've just put a load of plants into, well after reading alot about co2, EI, etc I can say I'm totally lost I've read alot of posts on here and half the time I'm sat here thinking 'what?' what does that mean, is that even a word??? LOL

Anyway to the point, seeing as I'll probably never fully understand the science behind it all I'm just going to wing it. Sure my plants will probably die but I've had 2 amazon swords on this 'winging it' programme for well over a month now and they are still going strong and they are growing, slowly. That's without adding anything, just had a betta in with them and regular water changes.

So here's what I'm gonna do, I'm gonna buy a nutrafin co2 diffuser(use the DIY recipe) and I'm also gonna get some sera florena and maybe some API root tabs, see what that does to the plants in the little 5gal and take it from there. Once my birthday comes around and I get a little cash off many relatives(as well as the other half buying me stuff) I'll shall be putting it all into plants / ferts / books on plants etc(oh and another tank for my goldfish) so hopefully then I'll feel more confident about what I'm doing and perhaps start to understand the whole thing a bit better.

Another thing I'm doing is experimenting with moss balls, I bought a massive one from my lfs and stuck it in the hex but then I decided to see where it would grow best, in my fishless hex, my overstocked coldwater tank or my fully stocked 55 gal tank. So I ripped off about a quater of it which when ripped again gave me 3 balls around an inch, 2 went in the 55gal and 1 in the coldwater tank. I've also put a small bit of hygrophila corymbosa in the coldwater tank just to see how that would grow too, seems to be going ok. I might clip a bit off one in the hex an put it in the main tank to see how that fares too.

So far what I've found is that the moss ball in the hex doesn't seem as green as the other 3, the one in the coldwater tank is nice and green but not much of a ball anymore due to the nibbling of the fish and the 2 in the main tank have already spread! I put the 2 balls about 2 inches apart on my 3d background about 6 inches from the top, this morning I noticed at the other end of the tank there is a big line of it stuck to the background! Now at first I thought it was hair algae(I've had a slight problem with it since the previous tank owner let it get over run with it) since I put the balls in the hair algae has started to die (it's gone white and isn't growing as far as I can tell) it's amazing, months of putting anti hair algae treatment in, large water changes etc, I stick 2 little moss balls in and in a matter of days it's all going white!

Maybe I shouldn't do this journal, because I don't feel I should as I'm not a proper plant person, using a proven method or anything, as I said I'm just winging it and hoping for the best. Here's the stats of the 3 tanks incase anyone is interested;

Small hex

5 gallons
No fish
2 x Hygrophila Corymbosa(one of them is siamenis 53a the other is 53b)
2 x Amazon sword
1 x moss ball approx. 4 inches
Lighting is a 6w bulb that's built into the hood(it's a fish r fun hex) the filter is the built in type too.
50% water change once a week
Soon to be adding sera florena and / or API root tabs and nutrafin co2
Nitrite - 0
Ammonia - 0
Nitrate - 5
KH - 6
Gh - 16
PH 7.2
Temp 26 C


Goldfish tank

18 gallons(yes it's over stocked but only until I can get a new tank)
1 black moore
1 choc oranda
1 calico telescope
1 moss ball
1 small cutting of a Hygrophila Corymbosa
lighting - 18w arcadia
Filter - Elite stingray 15
15% water change every other day
Nitrite - 0
Ammonia - 0
Nitrate - 25
KH - 6
Gh - 16
PH 7.2
Temp 21 C

main tank

55 gallons
2 x senegalus bichirs
4 x gouramis
2 x bn plecs
lighting - standard juwel 38 w bulb and a blue bulb that I have no idea about(came with the tank)
Standard juwel filter & an external aqua pro 2
2 moss balls
25% water change every mon / thurs
Nitrite - 0
Ammonia - 0
Nitrate - 15
KH - 6
Gh - 16
PH 7.2
Temp 25 C

I shall take a pic of the new moss growth tomorrow(need to charge the camera) I'm open to criticism(which I'm sure there will be lots of) advice and general comments

Another thing I thought I'd mention about algae is, everyone says natural light is a major cause of algae growth is this always true? It's just I have another tank which is in the kitchen and it gets plenty of natural light and hasn't got any algae whatsoever, I don't have a light on it so maybe that's why it doesn't have algae. It's a 13 gal, slightly over filtered with 8 corydoras in it, no real plants. Just thought it was unusual that out of all my tanks that's the one that has no algae

Thanks for taking the time to read my ramblings

 

[Themuleous]

I think you have every right to post a journal you have plants in your tank and that's all that matters See how it goes with the CO2 in the hex and as you say 'take things from there' and try not to get to overwhelmed by all the lingo, its not as complicated as you might think. And by no means do you have to have all the high tech gadgetry, some people just like spending money (who me? Never... ).

I think the hex looks nice

Sam

 

[Azaezl]

Thanks for the nice words I always think I don't spend much on my fish but my husband informs me it's at least £30 a week usually £50, I'm guessing you spend ALOT more though LOL.

I always begin following the lingo and think oh right that make sense then I read a little further and get totally lost feel like I'm out of my depth, question whether I can really do this then think oh well I'll learn from my mistakes.

I figured the hex would be best to start with because with it having no fish I don't have to worry that if I put to much of something in I'm gonna kill my fish, I wanna be confident that I know partially what I'm doing before really attempting anything on my other tanks.

I'm really pleased with the effect the moss balls have had on my big tank, the hair algae has been driving me mad since I bought the tank in January. I think I might put the ball out of the hex in the big tank because I don't think it's getting enough light in the little hex. I'll wait a few more days if it loses any more colour I'll rip it up some more put a little ball in my cory tank(to see how it grow in that environment) and the rest in the big tank.

Another thing I'm hoping to do with the big tank eventually is get some riccia and weave it onto the background somehow and just let it take over, giving a sort of green carpet / wall effect, because the background is a sort of sponge material I'm guessing the roots would eventually make their way into the tiny holes and then if I had to I could inject fert straight into the background. Sound possible?

 

[Azaezl]

Well I was in my lfs today and decided to pick up any old fert just till I get some sera florena, so I got tetra plant, stuck that in this afternoon. Plants look the same, don't appear to be dying so that's a plus, apart from the moss ball doesn't look as green, few more days and if it doesn't get any better I'll stick it in one of my other tanks. Here's some pics;

Now for the growth in my biggest tank, I know it's not technically a plant but it's still nice to see it spreading, my 2 moss balls have started to take over, on the other side of the tank there is a tiny little clump of it and a line of it, my hair algae is virtually gone, few stringy bits on the fake plants that I'll get rid of tomorrow but it's gone from the background I used to pull as much of it off as poss and within 3 / 4 days I was over run with it again. Anyway here's some more pics of the 2 balls(without flash and then with);

And the new growth(being nibbled by a gourami)

The ball in the goldfish tank is still pretty green, it's been nibbled alot, same as the Hygrophila Corymbosa, which still looks good, no signs of it dying yet Can't wait to see how everything goes over the next few weeks, it's so exciting

 

[Amunet]

That's really cool. I just love mossballs and never thought to do that with them.
I also can't wait to see what it all ends up looking like in the next few weeks!! hehe

 

[ICEEGRL]

What you said sounds so much like me... I have wanted (and still do at times) to ask people if they could put that in english.
It does look very complicated at first. I still stay confused most of the time. Just keep reading and asking questions. You will find that it really isn't that hard once they tell what all of those words and letter and numbers mean.
I am making a notebook so I can find things quicker until I learn it all. It isn't that hard. There is just so much of it!
It looks like you are doing pretty good so far.

 

[Azaezl]

Well the moss in my biggest tank has spread even more, the moss / plant in the coldwater tank seems to be doing fine, a little nibbled but it's still looking healthy. The hex is the problem, the moss ball seems ok, the Hygrophila seems to be doing well but the amazon sword looks like it's not gonna make it. Weird, all this time it's been fine, I add a few more plants and some ferts and it starts to die! I think I'll move it into the bigger tank and see how it does in there.

 

[Azaezl]

Ok so I've given up with the hex, I hate that little tank!! I decided to put all the plants in my juwel 240, hopefully they will grow in there Pics;

With flash;

Without flash;

The moss 'ball' (well flat clump type thing as it's been nibbled so much it's not a ball anymore) in the coldwater tank is doing well, same as the small cutting of hygrophila, even have some new growth!)

I hope the plants grow quite fast as it looks kinda bare comapred to how it used to look;

before;

after;

 

[spankone]

is that anothe fish r fun hex

its hard to make hex tanks look good but you've done it be nice to see how it does,

 

[Azaezl]

Lol no, those last pics are of my 55gal tank, all seems to be going well, lots of new growth(including the moss spreading). The coldwater tank surprised me as that seems to be growing the fastest.

I don't know what to do with that little hex tank now, it's just in the bedroom bare(well it has sand in it), I'm either gonna get some more plants to put in and try and grow them(can't see it happening) or I'll stick with fake plants in that but then there's the question of what fish to put in it. I really wish my husband hadn't bought it for me! It sits there bothering me, because I want to do something with it, I just don't know what!

 

[lljdma06]

A helpful hint to best utilize the lighting in your tank is to fill it so that there are no gaps. The light will then not reflect on the glass and bounce around, but will, for the most part go down, to where the plants are.

Nice start. Welcome to the hobby. You don't really have to spend much money. I for the most part don't. Have a look at the member's tank section and check out some of the links in our signatures. You'll see journals of all kinds, from high-budget to low-budget. Whatever tickles your fancy.

llj

 

[Azaezl]

A helpful hint to best utilize the lighting in your tank is to fill it so that there are no gaps. The light will then not reflect on the glass and bounce around, but will, for the most part go down, to where the plants are

I forgot to mention that, I was doing a water change / changing all the fake plants for the real ones and snapped the pics before I topped the tank back up

Nice start. Welcome to the hobby. You don't really have to spend much money. I for the most part don't. Have a look at the member's tank section and check out some of the links in our signatures. You'll see journals of all kinds, from high-budget to low-budget. Whatever tickles your fancy

I'd love to go high tech but will just have to wait until I can afford it, until then low-tech it must be I've looked at alot of pics / journals and other peoples tanks look so amazing I wonder if I'll ever get to be that good, I hope so!

 

[Azaezl]

Right then, quick update, lots of new growth, surprised how many / how fast new leaves are coming out! I moved the moss around a bit, finally settled with it on the bit of fake wood in the tank. Looks like some guy with a big afro or a weird tree LOL! Some pics;

and of course the lone plant in the goldfish tank, that's still going strong, the moss is almost gone due to the goldfish nibbling it but it's still nice n green, pic;

 

[Themuleous]

like the moss ball stick on the end of the wood, thats ingenious.

Sam

 

[lljdma06]

like the moss ball stick on the end of the wood, thats ingenious.

Sam

It looks like a topiary. I like it, it's cute.