Si's Low Tech Tank Journal

[PDSimon]

Thanks LL, the filtration is a All Pond Solutions 1000 lph filter and a nano powerhead which i think is 950 lph

I'm thinking of doing a rescape..no new plants, but going to remove the sword which should increase the filtration a fair bit as its taking up so much space! will be several days before this gets underway though

 

[JoshuaA]

Some Java moss on offer do I hear Simon?

 

[PDSimon]

Yeah mate do you want me to save you some before I throw it all out?

 

[PDSimon]

Tropica substrate doesn't like being moved around, tank is such a cloudy mess at the moment...the fish seem to quite enjoy it though lol. Got some new pH reagens will sort that out tomorrow though. Hopefully that'll fix the drop checker problem...


Pictures will come tomorrow hopefully if its cleared up.

I also have a java fern (the narrow variety) spare if anyone wants it.

 

[JoshuaA]

Tropica substrate doesn't like being moved around, tank is such a cloudy mess at the moment...the fish seem to quite enjoy it though lol. Got some new pH reagens will sort that out tomorrow though. Hopefully that'll fix the drop checker problem...

I have two tanks going with the tropica substrate, there is a noticeable explosion in growth once the plant roots reach the substrate though.

My main tank has about an inch and a half of fine gravel before the tropica substrate, which was my best attempt at stopping it leech however I think in that I have shafted the chances of my foreground plants growing properly as there roots don't come anywhere near the bottom substrate.

I removed a vallis plantlet once and my tank clouded for a week even after water changes... so annoying. I just dislike the fact when I go to empty my tank in the future if I rejig things then most of my substrate is going to have to be thrown out as it will be absolutely filthy and almost unwashable.

 

[PDSimon]

I think the tropica substrate gives of nutrients into the above layer so it should benefit all the plants. Can't really remember tho

I think mines around an inch and a half too... you can imagine the size of the roots on a huge sword plant though!



I'd probably go for a different substrate next time just for a change. One of the amano ones maybe...

my drop checker still doesn't seem to work. I'm pretty sure its this gooey layer underneath it. I don't know why its there though, it doesn't affect anywhere else in the tank? When i take the drop checker out it turns blue so... not really sure how to solve this problem

 

[SuperColey1]

The tropica gives off nutrient once the tank is established. its nutrient free when you get it (it will have nutrient in it because its organic but they don't add nutrient to it like ADA AS.)

Over time it soaks up nutrient which makes it available to roots etc. Shouldn't matter if the roots reach it because there will be nutrient coming from above and below the gravel/sand

I personally won't use anything else. Yes if you uproot a plant you get a bit of a cloud but it only lasts for a few hours until the filters grabbed it all

AC

 

[PDSimon]

Cheers AC, didn't know that!

I am in desperate need of some assistance...

Currently:

- 8 hours of CO2, 8 hours of 1wpg lighting
- dosing easylife range, 3ml phos and nitro 3 times a week + ferro, K and profito 3 times a week
- 1 30% waterchange every week

Problems...

- algae! which is getting a bit out of hand on some of the plants. I don't know whether the plants are dying and the algae is taking advantage of that or whether the algae is killing the leaves itself.

- something in my drop checker? that gooey stuff.

What should I do

 

[JoshuaA]

I was just looking for your diary to see how it is going.

I've recently suffered and explosion of staghorn algae, a few weeks back my CO2 ran out and the shop was out of stock for days. Finally got it replaced like a week later but some algae had already started to kick in (not staghorn) anyway set up the Co2 and had to move back to my flat, came back 2 weeks later (gf had done water changes for me) staghorn algae everywhere and my Co2 was just not achieving anywhere near where I wanted it. A few massive water changes and some a large overdose of Flourish Excel + small amount of water sprayed directly on the staghorn. Now I found my staghorn has all gone pink, from what I read and allegedly Tom Barr's words, it means the algae is stressed and dying.

I have a similar sort of problem with my drop check but no where near as severe and it only takes me putting my finger in and wiping it off, it doesn't seem to effect the readings though. I had my Co2 drop checker all over my tank before I found the best place for it.

I upgraded my filter from my Fluval 205 to a APS 1400+UV and that has had an interesting effect... I found my water is now crystal clear but because of the spray bar the actual strength of the current has decreased but I am definitely filtering much more water per hour. My powerhead seems to be best positioned facing towards the glass and I found if I turn my powerhead off just for ONE day, I get green spot algae almost instantaneousness on the glass. Put it back on greenspot goes.

Interesting to know about the tropica substrate then, I removed two massive bulb plants no ID on them but they have been in there for about 6 months and were monolithic in size, to the point trimming them would ruin them and leaving them would minimize flow. They have been flowering on and off every week or so for the last 4 months and I saw no signs of new growth or however it's phrased. Coincidentally when I removed the 2 massive parent bulbs within a matter of days suddenly I have found 4/5 tiny plantlets sprouting out of the substrate randomly in my tank, one is in the middle of my hairgrass which is problematic. When they mature you are more than welcome to have a few Simon in a hope to repay you for the wonderful java moss (Which all died in my main tank but has tripled in size in my small tank).

 

[PDSimon]

Yeah, well I know its to do with co2 levels, but when I clean the drop checker out weekly the gooeyness only comes about 5 days after the water change. So unless the valve on the co2 is faulty I don't understand why the co2 would be inconsistent (which I believe is the main reason for the type of algae I have).

Flow is pretty good... easycarbo I think helped but didn't seem to solve anything. I've ran out and have no money at the moment

I need another tank There isn't enough space in this one for all the plants I have..theres always one plant dying! I didn't show a main picture of it because theres loads of plants where they shouldn't be so they grow high enough to put at the back... Shame about the moss in your large tank! It grows so well I quite fancy doing a moss tank like this one: http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/174502-new-tank/page__st__80

Also, not sure whether there is space but would any sort of fish/shrimp help? I have only a few amanos at the moment. They seem to make more mess than they clean up!

 

[JoshuaA]

Yeh what I almost bought a bog standard empty tank from Pets at home the other day around 100litres for £35.

I really want the standard bog wood made to look like tree using moss as "leaves" with a dwarf hair grass grass patch around the entire tank with just shrimp and a small tetra shoal.

I ran out of Excel and have just bought a litre of easycarbo as I read that there is no comparable difference and I get twice as much than the Excel.

I can pretty much work out when I had the Co2 issue, it also coincided with an accidental overdose of TPN+ so I think those issues have formed and made a mess. As well as lazy maintenance with regards to gravel cleaning.

As I sit here and type after feeding time I see my Bolivian Ram chasing at my Bronze Corys whenever they come to his plant.... the day will come that those Bronze Corys are monolithic in size.

 

[SuperColey1]

I personally won't use anything else. Yes if you uproot a plant you get a bit of a cloud but it only lasts for a few hours until the filters grabbed it all

Me and my big mouth, famous last words and all that. lol

I'm gonna be using some of the existing Tropica with some sphagnum peatmoss and osmocote underneath cheapo Akadama.....ooops I mean expensive but well worth it 'Supercoley1's UltimateSoil' in my next scape.

I'll review the 'UlimateSoil' before I start selling it at a vastly overpriced amount

- dosing easylife range, 3ml phos and nitro 3 times a week + ferro, K and profito 3 times a week

^^^^
possibly a problem in there somewhere. Do they tell you what ppms of each it is adding etc? How do you know if you need to add more?

algae! which is getting a bit out of hand on some of the plants. I don't know whether the plants are dying and the algae is taking advantage of that or whether the algae is killing the leaves itself.

This is obviously true. Damage doesn't have to be visible!!! It can be internal

something in my drop checker? that gooey stuff.

Its the same film you get on the top when plants are suffering. that surface film.

Yeah, well I know its to do with co2 levels, but when I clean the drop checker out weekly

You wash your DC out? and weekly to boot? I leave it in for 3 weeks, draw out the reagent/solution with the blunt needle syringe. tap water into it with the blunt needle again, shake and then in with new solution/reagent and pop back in. Sometimes never bother with the water step. Just old stuff out, new stuff in. Sometimes not bother 3 wekly. Just whenever I think...oh i'll change that.

There isn't enough space in this one for all the plants I have.

Like I've said before I had some minor staghorn and BBA problems in my previous scpae (Clestial Glade) Even though they were minor it bugged me. The DC was nearly always close to yellow. Finally bought a Koralia and problem disppeared within a week.

I would guess even though you have decent turnover in there your flow needs fiddling with. Those plants have defficiencies. Whether it is due to CO2 or the ferts I cannot say. If it is the ferts then good CO2 is not going to solve it. Ferts and CO2 should not be thought of seperately. They are both nutrients. So if C is abundant then something else isn't. However CO2 is normally the culprit.

Also, not sure whether there is space but would any sort of fish/shrimp help? I have only a few amanos at the moment. They seem to make more mess than they clean up!

Clean up crew are great but like I always say. Thats not correcting the cause!!!! Amano shrimp are the best algae eaters by far. The shrimp people wil take great pride in stressing this. However I say to them:

'But cherry shrimp breed easily. Amano shrimp don't breed in freshwater and 1000 cherries are better than 10 Amanos. lol. However correct the cause not settle for the shrimp dealing with it.

p.s. You need to learn how to uproot plants my friend. I just removed 12 x 2ft long Crypts that had another 9-10 inches of root each. No clouds, water is crystal still

AC

 

[JoshuaA]

Oh great and supercoley, what is the secret for not making a mud bath out of the fish tank when uprooting the plants? When I uproot mine I tend to find the roots have burrowed so far down into the bottom layer of tropica substrate they've wrapped themselves round it and there is a good portion of that substrate stuck to the roots when the plant is dangling over the bin.

It clears up quickly and the fish don't seem to bothered by it, in fact they seem to love it.

I tried to make my own drop checker solution a while back using Halfords DI water but I got odd results with brown water :\, I just went back and used the final bottle of premaid solution I got with my Co2 kit, to tell the truth that thing has been in there fore like 2 months now since I haven't plucked up the courage to try making another solution from scratch.

As of last night, nearly all my Staghorn had gone from Pink to white and looked well dead, I have quite a bit more flow round my tank now though with some plants removed for space etc.

 

[SuperColey1]

It helps that I have sand on top of the Tropica.

When I pull the plants I gently ease them up an inch and then release them, the sand fills in the hole, then up another inch etc.

Some clay will still be attached to the roots of course but the sand 'backfilling' the hole stops a cloud.

The amount on the roots disappears (dilutes within seconds and is unnoticeable.

Might be a bit different in the next setup without sand however I rarely move plants once they're in position unless they are to come out permanently. I tend to try and get everything where I want it at the start and then leave as is.

AC

 

[PDSimon]

My male ram is the same, he likes to think he is the boss but he isn't! The other fish just tolerate him I think I'll go back to TPN+ its easier to dose and I never had any issues...



Lol AC

Yeah I was the drop checker out weekly. Would it be better not to then?

Regarding the ferts, I follow what Ian doses which is fairly similar to the amounts on the back of the bottle but increased.

and lol i uprooted crypts ok.. it was the amazon sword, it seemed to take a grip of the substrate! Its only temporary as you say...