Sophos9 - Planted Tank Journal

[sophos9]

Just done a 25% water change, not sure but I think that the problems with shrimp and the QA may have been down to the Flourish Excel?

Changed the spray bar direction so there is a current again in the tank, fish seem well active and even the loaches have come out and swimming around?

Time for before and after photos... Prepare to be amazed!

Before

After


Bit of a difference, just shame about the Queen Arabesque

 

[fishstick]

Your tank is beautiful, Sophos9, I like the green on the background as well as your arrangment of the other plants. So sorry about your plec, good job you have such an excellent pic of her.

 

[idlefingers]

WOW! Looks great!

the alge makes the background look better!

Great job sophos9. Sorry to hear about your plec.

 

[Dave Spencer]

That is a lovely looking tank!

You have done an excellent job sticking in there and winning. A lot of people overdose Flourish Excel, but once you step outside of there guidelines you have to be careful.

Well done, Dave.

 

[iroc]

wonderful tank, looks like you cut out a little piece of a tropical river and stuck it in your living room

 

[sophos9]

Your tank is beautiful, Sophos9, I like the green on the background as well as your arrangment of the other plants. So sorry about your plec, good job you have such an excellent pic of her.

WOW! Looks great!

the alge makes the background look better!

Great job sophos9. Sorry to hear about your plec.

That is a lovely looking tank!

You have done an excellent job sticking in there and winning. A lot of people overdose Flourish Excel, but once you step outside of there guidelines you have to be careful.

Well done, Dave.

wonderful tank, looks like you cut out a little piece of a tropical river and stuck it in your living room

Wow, so many great comments! Makes all the hard work (and it has been HARD) well worth it... So thanks all!

Since changing the water its like the tank has come alive, I never see the loaches and now all four are out and playing, tetras are racing around and the otto's are going mental like they did when I first got them. Using Flourish Excel has been an experience of which I have really payed the price of learning, cant help feeling responsible for my Arabesque (feel awful in fact). Tonight I dosed the replacement amount of white-spot treatment that was removed in the 25% change

From now on I'm going to dose Macros and use Flourish (NOT excel) for Micros. I guess that running CO2 at 30ppm then heavily dosing Flourish Excel was a recipe for disaster

Once things stabilise I will add some red plants to break up the green and stock up on some more fish. I'm going to stock quite heavily as the I'm over-filtering and am pretty well planted. The green algae has worked well on the back, breaks up the symmetry of the backing and looks more natural, I think my red tailed shark and American flag fish have this under control!

I'm glad you like the tank, I'm happy with it and thanks to everyone on this forum who helped it happen

 

[R1ch13]

Cannot believe this, got home and my Queen Arabesque has died, totally totally gutted.... She was beautiful!

No marks or anything at all that would explain what happened to her

More here

Ahh that sucks!

I hear plecs do that alot (it is a pleco right?)

Mine done that jus a common one had it for a day and it died nothing up with it at all!

No i didnt have shrimps i havent started my planted tank yet but he was just telling me flourish excel can kill vallis !

Coz i want alot in my tank !

Thanks !

Richie

 

[cleekdaFish]

must say it is looking great , better than my crappy tank . I luv it and u definitely deserve a lovely tank after what u have been thru wid it


yes ,I would give a lil red touch too by adding a red lily to compliment the green

 

[sophos9]

Mine done that jus a common one had it for a day and it died nothing up with it at all!

No i didnt have shrimps i havent started my planted tank yet but he was just telling me flourish excel can kill vallis !

Coz i want alot in my tank !

Hi, yep she was a plec

must say it is looking great , better than my crappy tank . I luv it and u definitely deserve a lovely tank after what u have been thru wid it
yes ,I would give a lil red touch too by adding a red lily to compliment the green

Thanks for the compliment, it was a hard ride!!

 

[R1ch13]

Mine done that jus a common one had it for a day and it died nothing up with it at all!

No i didnt have shrimps i havent started my planted tank yet but he was just telling me flourish excel can kill vallis !

Coz i want alot in my tank !

Hi, yep she was a plec

must say it is looking great , better than my crappy tank . I luv it and u definitely deserve a lovely tank after what u have been thru wid it
yes ,I would give a lil red touch too by adding a red lily to compliment the green

Thanks for the compliment, it was a hard ride!!

Aww mate thats ashame !

Plecs are weird they always seem to die without warning and usually have no symthoms or anything!

It heard it can be caused by a build up of waste under the gravel ... i dont know how much truth is in that but its worth thinkin about !

And yes i agree with Cleekdafish 100% u deserve a real beauty of a tank and a few beers (or watever u drink lol)

Also this journal has helped me alot thanks man!

And i know its not over yet

Richie!




..... Woah i never saw that after pic before !

That is a real beauty of a tank welldone man!

And the fish look real healthy too! Nice and bright !

GREEEEAT !

Richie !

 

[Dave Spencer]

All that is left now is to talk you in to removing that background.......

 

[idlefingers]

nooooo!! Don't remove the background. I think it looks great!

 

[mlawson]

All that is left now is to talk you in to removing that background.......

I have to disagree, I think you should keep the background. I have never been a fan of big structured backgrounds, but I think it has worked well with this tank. It would be a shame to remove it.

 

[sophos9]

All that is left now is to talk you in to removing that background.......

nooooo!! Don't remove the background. I think it looks great!

All that is left now is to talk you in to removing that background.......

I have to disagree, I think you should keep the background. I have never been a fan of big structured backgrounds, but I think it has worked well with this tank. It would be a shame to remove it.

Ha ha, Dave what dotn you like about it? Removing it would give me an extra inch at the back so I could have more plants?

HOWEVER....

I like it and I'm sure the fish prefer it to a magnolia wall At this point, I really need the tank to stabilse before anything further is done

 

[Dave Spencer]

Ha ha, Dave what dotn you like about it? Removing it would give me an extra inch at the back so I could have more plants?

The bottom line is that it is your tank and you keep it if you like it. I am just giving my opinion, even though you didn`t ask for it.

If you wish to improve your tank in one easy step have a look here for inspiration, and notice how complimentary, but inobtrusive the backgrounds are:

http/showcase.aquatic-gardeners.org/2006...e=view-showcase

My structured background was one of the first things picked up on in my 120l journal (by Mr Farmer). I removed it, put on a plain black background and now all my plants have become the focal point of the tank. You can see them so much more easily without a distracting background.

Just me rambling on at the end of the day.

Cheers, Dave