Nry's Pfk Aquacube Journal

[blue acara]

Tank looks good nry. Shouldnt take long for those vallis to spread and thicken up

Im probably going to be using Trimar soon so it will be good to hear your opinion on them.

p.s i think the lasest pic of your tank is good- but bring on the tripod =p

 

[nry]

Can't fault TriMar, despite juggling new fish and a 2-year old being sick every 45 minutes, the new tank inhabitants are settling in fine. They are so not shy, they don't even flinch when I walk or make a noise near the tank, unlike the pygmy cory who hide quickly. Lovely coloured fish and even smaller than I thought they'd be, 7 teeny teeny fish in a huge huge box!

 

[Castellop123]

I was thinking of giving Tri Mar ago... How far away do you live from Cornwall (I live in the South-east and it takes around 5 - 6 hours to get there!) They have a pair of Cichlids that I really want, so the fact that all of your fish arrived not dead or ill has given me a boost in confidence in actually buying from them...

Cheers...

 

[nry]

I live in Cumbria, about as far from Cornwall as you can get without being in Scotland!

 

[nry]

Swapped the 15w T8 for a 24w PC T5 Interpet Daylight Plus. Much better lighting, pearling almost straight away aswell! The tube is just the right length to fit the width of the tank which is excellent.

Pictures to follow later, have done a bit of a rescape in respect to planting. Moved some of the vallis from the back-right and put in a pot of Tropica rotala nanjenshan. Taken out all but one of the u.g. as it is not doing too well at the moment. Put in 1/2 pot of Tropica h.c. aroiund the front of the tank and in between some of the rocks. Hopefully it will do OK with the 24w tube: no CO2 but I do dose Flourish Excel daily based on weekly amount/7 which seems to work well.

I am debating going reduced EI for fertilising aswell. I may aswell, given that I am using EI on my 15-gallon. Dosage schedule proposed as follows, approx 1/4 of the 15-gallon dosing due to smaller size of tank and use of Flourish Excel instead of CO2:

Monday
0.5 ml Traces
0.67ml Flourish Excel (or near as dammit!)

Tuesday
2.5ml Potassium Nitrate (KNO3)
1.5ml Potassium Phosphate (KH2PO4)
0.67ml Flourish Excel

Wednesday
0.5ml Traces
0.67ml Flourish Excel

Thursday
2.5ml Potassium Nitrate (KNO3)
1.5ml Potassium Phosphate (KH2PO4)
0.67ml Flourish Excel

Friday
0.5ml Traces
0.67ml Flourish Excel

Saturday
Rest day
50% water change
0.67ml Flourish Excel

Sunday
2.5ml Potassium Nitrate (KNO3)
1.5ml Potassium Phosphate (KH2PO4)
0.67ml Flourish Excel

Comments welcome if anyone feels the EI schedule is good/bad etc!

 

[nry]

Picture from today:

I so need a tripod and some additional camera skills!

 

[Themuleous]

Looking good how does it look without the twigs?

Sam

 

[nry]

I have no idea! I assume that is a suggestion to try?

 

[Themuleous]

Only if you want to, just wondered if without the twigs it might look more like a landscape, but I know thats not the look you are going for so no biggie, just a thought

Sam

 

[lljdma06]

Only if you want to, just wondered if without the twigs it might look more like a landscape, but I know thats not the look you are going for so no biggie, just a thought

Sam

I am normally not a fan of mixed decor. I like either all wood or all rocks, so the twigs right now are a bit of a distraction to me. I can see them, however, covered with moss, if that is your eventual goal. That could be cool.

I like the look of the tank, though. Growth looks healthy.

llj

 

[nry]

Picture with tripod used:

 

[lljdma06]

I'm seeing diatoms on the glass and that is a common algae in either new tanks, which this tank isn't, or a tank that has been rescaped recently, which this has. You know, a great way to remove this algae is to use a good toothbrush, one with firm bristles is best. The toothbrush can get to places where a regular sponge cannot. It is best to use a new toothbrush, as you don't know if chemicals from toothpaste can seep into a tank from a used one. My 2.5g has been rescaped as well, and and there has been a lighting upgrade and a change in dosing, so I'm dealing with a minor diatom outbreak and this has really helped me keep things in check.

You know, you've got a real steady hand. I don't notice much difference between the picture with the tripod and the picture without. Good job!

llj

 

[nry]

Cheers! The diatoms are probably there because my nerite snail and my shrimp are out of the tank while I am treating it with Flubenol to get rid of the persistent ramshorn snails. I've tried picking them out regularly and the darn things just keep coming back. Going from a 15w T8 to a 24w PC T5 probably hasn't helped either

Anyhoo....I have been getting a bit lost with this scape. The twigs and planting have never managed to work for me and I am coming round to the idea that the twigs are just too distracting. I have been debating how I can use some Microsorum pteropus 'Windeløv' as the pictures I have seen of this are beautiful. It could not (imho!) work with the current scape so I have been mulling over what I wanted to try. A pop into P@H today for some filter wool meant I could rummage (as usual!) in their collection of mopani and bog wood. Did I find the absolute perfect peice of mopani wood? Oh yes, well worth going in to the shop for, I have been looking for a peice like this for ages, a superb size/scale for the tank, like a tree trunk with some roots spreading out from the base.

So, once I've soaked it for a few weeks, I'll be stripping out the twigs and rocks, and putting in the mopani. I am planning to get some Microsorum pteropus 'Windeløv' and attach it to the mopani, and use my existing vallis, nanjenshan and h.c. and possibly ditching the anubias (not sure on that one!). The windelov will be towards a back corner with the other stuff arranged as I feel works at the time.

I'll post a piccy of the mopani later, I am very happy with the find!

 

[lljdma06]

I'll post a piccy of the mopani later, I am very happy with the find!

Great find, I personally love Mopani.

 

[nry]

Mopani wood:

It's a bit off-scale because it is in front of the tank, and I think it will look better the other way around with the 'trunk' on the right, the whole shape and lie of the wood works better that way.