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Tank of the Month December 2022 Tank of the Month - The Garden by Chaettha Sae-Teaw
Tank Title name : The Garden
Introduction
Hi – my name is Cheattha Sae-Teaw and I go by Anthony Zhang in English. I'm Thai-Chinese, born in Phuket, Thailand.
I worked in China for 25 years. Now, I’m living in my home town, Phuket island, which is the world's finest beach destination. I love to travel around the world and am fascinated with nature, culture, art and music. I have many hobbies such as collecting paintings, art work, gemstones, jade carvings and, of course, my favorite hobby is aquatic plant tanks.
System Profile
- Display tank : Azoo 450 L (150 x 60 x50 cm) (119 US gallons)
- Glass or acrylic : Acrylic
- Stand : Azoo cabinet aquarium stand set
- Sump? None
- Filter : Canister : Crazy Stone CS-1400 1 set (1400 L/Hour) (370 US gal/Hour)
- CO2 : Pressurized CO2 with Chihiros regulator and diffuser
- Water circulation : SUNSUN Aquarium surface skimmer SKU074 (3W) - 300L/hour (80 US gal/hour) and SONIC AP-600 (4W)-350L/hour (92 US gal/hour)
- Lighting : Chihiros WRGB I (120 cm 1 set).
- Dosing :
- Fertilizers : Daily dosing Ferka Balance-N, Ferka Balance-K, Ferka Aquatilizers and TARA Ferric+
- Hormones and Bacterial : Weekly dosing TARA Biostimulants, Biological Growth, Biological Brightening, Biological Magical
- Auto top off : None
- Heating/cooling : Chiller Heilea 90A setting at 25C (77F)
- System control : None
Water circulation and flow summary and objectives
SUNSUN Aquarium surface skimmer SKU074 (3W) - 300L/hour on the middle of right side with left direction same direction with Crazy Stone CS-1400 water Filter, and SONIC AP-600 (4W)-350L/hour on the left side back top corner with forward direction to circulated the water and spread out the CO2 bubbles
Water parameters
- Temp : 25C (77F)
- pH : Not measuring
- NO3 : Not measuring
- PO4 : Not measuring
- Fe : Not measuring
- Tap or RO/RODI : Natural well water
- Do you remineralize? : None
What do you dose your tank and how? Fertilizer objectives
- Daily dosing Ferka Balance-N to put the Nitrogen to perform the superior condition for aquatic plants and prevent the leaves from nitrogen deficiency.
- Daily dosing Ferka Balance-K to put the Potassium to perform the superior condition for aquatic plants and prevent the leaves from withering due to potassium deficiencies.
- Daily dosing Ferka Aquatilizers to put the Magnesium, Sulpher and trace elements to promote aquatic plants to flourish and remain healthy.
and Daily dosing TARA Ferric+ to put the Ferric chelate to support the development of rich and vibrant plants coloration
- Weekly dosing TARA Biostimulants to put the plants Hormones (Auxin, Cytokinin organic potassium, etc.) to speed up the plant’s metabolism, vigorous growth and accelerates the symbiotic between substrate soil microorganism and plants
- Weekly dosing Biological Growth to put the Amino acid polypeptides, vitamins, minerals, active plant Auxin compound and probiotic to decomposed the organic matter, hydrogen sulfide and promote the root growth
- Weekly dosing Biological Brightening to put the Amino acid polypeptides, Trace elements, vitamins, minerals, active plant Auxin compound and probiotic to decomposed the organic matter, promote healthy stem and leaves and promote the plants color
- Weekly dosing Biological Magical to put the live bacteria, pathogenic solitary bacteria, essential photosynthetic bacteria for water environment improvement
- Adding by used the product dispenser pump bottle and measuring and pouring with volume measuring cup
Note : Ferka and TARA is a brand of Best quality aquarium product from Thailand, and Biological is one of most famous aquarium product brand from China
Substrate
Crazy Stone Amazon Soil + Raw Base (The substrate have been used 3+years old )
Note : Crazy Stone is a famous aquarium product brand from China and Raw Base is a popular aquarium product from Thailand
Aquascaping style objective?
For this Tank the aquascaping style I named it 'The Garden' and this tank layout is divided the main garden into 3 areas :
- The First part of garden is 'The formal' which inspired by formal garden in the Palace of Versailles. This part is on the middle-right side of tank and it's the most difficult to maintain, the green lines, shapes and patterns of Pearl Weed (Hermianthus micranthemoides) need to trimmed every 3 days to maintain the shape
- The Second part of garden is 'The Keukenhof' which inspired by the Keukenhof garden in Netherland, this part garden located on the middle-left side of tank that I intended to make the garden look beautiful and colorful both from top view and front view, by the technique of Classic Dutch style I make the street of plants with contrast of colors and textures
- The Third part of garden is 'The Tropical' it's on the left side, right side and whole back tank with tropical garden style that including the different sizes, shapes, colors and textures of aquatic plants to perform the natural look as tropical forest
Lighting summary and objectives
Chihiros WRGB I (120 cm 1 set). lighting 11 hours per day (6.30 - 17.30) with Full mode (100% in all colors), 30 min ramp up and down
Filtration objectives
Water circulation and filtering out some organic waste and decomposed
Maintenance routine and export strategy
1. Daily : clean up the surface skimmer, sieving out the falling and floating leaves, adding fertilizers and feeding fish
2. Weekly : trimming some plants, clean up the tank wall, change the water 30-40% offand adding plants hormones and bacteria
3. Monthly : trimming and replanted some plants, and giving root fertilizer tablets for Cryptocoryne and Nymphaea plants
4. Quarterly : remove and replanted the carpet plants, or re-scaping the layout
Tank inhabitants - fish
1. Phenacogrammus interruptus 'Congo Tetra"
2. Melanotaenia boesemani 'Boeseman's rainbow fish'
3. Trichopodus leerii 'Pearl gourami' short body
4. Hyphessobrycon herbertaxelrodi 'Black neon tetra'
5. Hemigrammus rodwayi 'Gold tetra'
6. Aphyocharax rathbuni 'Green fire tetra'
7. Xiphophorus macalatus 'Golden moon platy'
8. Macrotocinclus affinis 'Drawf sucking fish'
9. Carinotetraodon travancoricus 'Dwarf puffer fish'
Tank inhabitants - inverts
Neocaridina denticulata
Tank inhabitants - plants
1. Bacopa colorata
2. Lobelia cardinalis ‘Drawf’
3. Ludwegia sphaerocarpa ‘pilosa’
4. Cabomba Furcata ‘piauhyensis’
5. Lidwegia sp. Mini super red
6. Pogostemon erectus
7.Rotala macrandra green
8. Eriocaulon Vietnam
9. Rotala colorata
10. Myriophyllum sp. Guyana
11. Cyperus helferi
12. Hermianthus micranthemoides ‘Pearl Weed'
13. Heteranthera zosterifolia ‘Stargrass’
14. Limnophila hippuridoides
15.Alteranthera Reineckii ‘Rosanervig’
16.Cryptocoryne wendtii ‘Flamingo’
17. Cryptocoryne wendtii ‘Mini brown’
18 .Hyptis lorentziana
19. Blyxa japonica
20. Micranthemum tweediei “Monte Carlo”
21. Juncus repens
22. Bucephalandra sp. ‘Metallica’
23. Nymphaea oxypetala
How did you decide what to keep in your tank?
I selected aquatic plants and animals based on their natural compatibility that will survive and be healthy in my tank’s conditions. And design the plant's layout based on their unique characteristics.
Any stocking regrets?
No
What do you love most about this hobby?
Feeling focus and concentrated when I do the tank maintenance, and feeling happy, relaxed and peaceful when watching the tank
What’s your dream tank?
In this Present : Dutch aqauscaping layout with colorful and healthy aquatic plants
In the Future : My own style aquacaping layout that is unique, stands out and is recognizable and styled in 360L Ultraclear glass tank, steel loft cabinet stand with Chihiros WRGB Pro Light
What was your biggest challenge with this tank and how did you get past it?
The big challenge is the formal garden maintenance which requires concentration and skill in trimming so I meditate before trimming
What is the most valuable piece of equipment for this tank?
Light and Chiller equipments
Any future plans for this tank?
January 2023 change new substrate and The Classic Dutch style will be the first layout of this new setup tank for learning the traditional rules of real Dutch style, and the second layout will transform it to Modern Dutch style or colorful Formal garden tank
Any special tips for success or advice you’d like to share with other hobbyists?
-Plant Hormones are my secret items to enrichment the aquatic plants health
-Bacteria are important factors in the existence and balance of biological system in planted aquarium, find the right bacteria product for your tank and used it now
-Fertilizer is a basic factors that needs to be understood to used in right proportions, learn to use it properly
-Observe and learn the possibilities of nature in ecosystem of your tank, it's a key to success
Any closing thoughts or comments?
I hope my tank will give you some useful information
Finally, thank you and wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
23 replies
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6669 views
Has anyone stopped using co2 in their tank?
i have a small 10g that I’ve been using co2 for about a year, somewhere around 25-30ppm.
My plants are nothing exotic; buce, anubias, rotala, some random mosses.
I’ll be in and out this summer, so I decided to shut off my regulator and half my fertilizer amounts. It’s been a week and no influx of algae or other negative effects yet.
I’m thinking I’ll stay co2 free, as none of my plants need it, and my shrimp are probably better off
i have a small 10g that I’ve been using co2 for about a year, somewhere around 25-30ppm.
My plants are nothing exotic; buce, anubias, rotala, some random mosses.
I’ll be in and out this summer, so I decided to shut off my regulator and half my fertilizer amounts. It’s been a week and no influx of algae or other negative effects yet.
I’m thinking I’ll stay co2 free, as none of my plants need it, and my shrimp are probably better off
2 replies
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30 views
Journal 75P - Journey Into High Tech
Inspiration, Goals, & Considerations
I've had an interest in aquariums since a young age and had my own aquarium with fish like Angelfish and Mollies around middle school. Growing up, my dad had a bigger tank with Blood Parrots and Silver Dollars. Over 10 years ago, I had a low maintenance 55 gallon planted tank. I was pretty proud of it, but always envied the high tech tanks I saw on forums/social media and told myself when I broke that tank down that the next time I set up a tank, it would be like what I envied. At the end of 2024, I set up a small low tech 5 gallon planted tank to help scratch my aquarium itch, which really only reaccelerated my desire for setting up a high tech tank. And now, here we are!
The size of the tank was mostly dictated by the space. I originally planned on something around 30 gallons, but my LFS had the UNS 75P in stock and after measuring and discussing with my wife, we agreed it would work for the space. The tank is between the kitchen and living room, which is essentially a play area for my son, so lighting needs to be adjusted to make sure he's not blinded by the light when looking up at the tank.
Generally, I'd like to have a visually pleasing aquarium with lots of fish and plants that's peaceful to enjoy. I'd like to automate / reduce as much friction as possible and I realize there's still plenty I need to learn, so I'll need to have patience when things go wrong. I want to keep away from anything that's hard to get out of the tank once it's in (duckweed, moss, pest snails, etc). I felt like sharing prices below might give value to anyone in the future that's looking to start where I did with a high tech tank.
Specs (prices include sales tax)
Tank:
Lighting:
Filtration:
Co2:
Inflow & Outflow Pipes:
Substrate & Hardscape:
Fertilization:
Other Misc Equipment:
Chihiros CO2 Drop Checker
5 x Oase ShutOff Valve 16/22
Inkbird WiFi ITC-308 - $38
SwitchBot Leak Detectors - $15 each
"Stand"
Because the guts are located in a kitchen cabinet, I didn't want to screw directly into it and damage it. I was also concerned silicone would not be able to dry and outgas properly when sealing the edges. I opted to line the cabinet with contact paper. It's essentially a giant sticker, so I lined the sides, bottoms, and a second layer over the bottom edges/joints. I built a 3 panel "stand" inside of the cabinet so I could house everything and screw into the plywood without any concerns. I used 1 sheet of 3/4" Maple plywood and coated 1 side with a latex primer followed by a layer of latex white paint. This is mostly for water resistance and not necessarily water proof. I placed a silicone cabinet liner under the right side equipment. I made a shelf to place the EcoFlow on so if there's a catastrophic leak it's off the bottom.
One consideration I hadn't thought about was how "cramped" the cabinet would be since I placed the EcoFlow on a shelf with a "wall", which essentially made the work area much tighter.
Cable Management: Raceway and cable clips
Water
Express Water RO5DX - $160
Coming soon
I've had an interest in aquariums since a young age and had my own aquarium with fish like Angelfish and Mollies around middle school. Growing up, my dad had a bigger tank with Blood Parrots and Silver Dollars. Over 10 years ago, I had a low maintenance 55 gallon planted tank. I was pretty proud of it, but always envied the high tech tanks I saw on forums/social media and told myself when I broke that tank down that the next time I set up a tank, it would be like what I envied. At the end of 2024, I set up a small low tech 5 gallon planted tank to help scratch my aquarium itch, which really only reaccelerated my desire for setting up a high tech tank. And now, here we are!
The size of the tank was mostly dictated by the space. I originally planned on something around 30 gallons, but my LFS had the UNS 75P in stock and after measuring and discussing with my wife, we agreed it would work for the space. The tank is between the kitchen and living room, which is essentially a play area for my son, so lighting needs to be adjusted to make sure he's not blinded by the light when looking up at the tank.
Generally, I'd like to have a visually pleasing aquarium with lots of fish and plants that's peaceful to enjoy. I'd like to automate / reduce as much friction as possible and I realize there's still plenty I need to learn, so I'll need to have patience when things go wrong. I want to keep away from anything that's hard to get out of the tank once it's in (duckweed, moss, pest snails, etc). I felt like sharing prices below might give value to anyone in the future that's looking to start where I did with a high tech tank.
Specs (prices include sales tax)
Tank:
UNS 75P (8mm Glass - 29.52" x 17.71" x 17.71") - $519
UNS Atmos Backlight - $274
Lid - Working on getting a custom lid made
Lighting:
Chihiros WRGB II Pro 60 - $263
Chihiros WRGB II Pro Shades- $40
3D Printed Side Shades - Still need to do this
Chihiros Hanging Rope Kit- $37
Chihiros LED Lights Hanging Stand Kit - $64
Chihiros WRGB II Pro Shades- $40
3D Printed Side Shades - Still need to do this
Chihiros Hanging Rope Kit- $37
The mounting screws provided protruded beyond the bracket and would not fit with the backlight. I ended up getting washers and placing them outside the bracket to limit the screw depth.
Really disliked the fact that the stand was branded with Chihiros and visible when looking into the aquarium.
UNS Light Hanging Bar - $105
Filtration:
Oase BioMaster 2 Thermo 850 - $461
Oase tubing - Included with filter
Co2:
Misc. 10lb Cylinder - $118 (includes CO2)
CO2 Art PRO-SE Regulator - $105
Aqua Rocks Colorado Small Yugang Reactor 19mm w/ 90 degree elbows - $150
Inflow & Outflow Pipes:
Aqua Rocks Colorado Stainless Steel Lily Pipes 17mm - $54
Aqua Rocks Colorado Lily Pipe Clipper - $11
Substrate & Hardscape:
UNS Controsoil - Black, 'normal' used as a base and ‘fine’ on top - ~$129
CaribSea Super Naturals- Jungle River Sand (foreground sand) - $42 (only used a small mount of the bag - will user remainder in upcoming tank)
UNS Controsand Santa Fe (used as accent around dragon stone) - $57 (only used a small mount of the bag - will user remainder in upcoming tank)
UNS Controsand Sequoia (used as accent around dragon stone) - $52 (only used a small mount of the bag - will user remainder in upcoming tank)
I was surprised how dirty these rocks were and how much rinsing was required. For the price point, I felt like they should have come pre-washed.
Driftwood & Dragon Stone from Aquarium Co-Op - $111
Fertilization:
Burr Aqua Micros and Macros
Chihiros Magnetic Stirrers - $100
Battery Backup & PowerEcoFlow DELTA 3 Max (2kwh) - $680
Unfortunately prolonged power outages are not uncommon for us. We've been without power for multiple consecutive days, 7 days being the longest. This battery backup gives me some peace of mind knowing the tank can run for some time uninterrupted giving me the flexibility to get the generator out and running at a later time, refill with gas, etc. I believe run time will be around 12 hours.
Other Misc Equipment:
Chihiros CO2 Drop Checker
5 x Oase ShutOff Valve 16/22
Inkbird WiFi ITC-308 - $38
SwitchBot Leak Detectors - $15 each
"Stand"
Because the guts are located in a kitchen cabinet, I didn't want to screw directly into it and damage it. I was also concerned silicone would not be able to dry and outgas properly when sealing the edges. I opted to line the cabinet with contact paper. It's essentially a giant sticker, so I lined the sides, bottoms, and a second layer over the bottom edges/joints. I built a 3 panel "stand" inside of the cabinet so I could house everything and screw into the plywood without any concerns. I used 1 sheet of 3/4" Maple plywood and coated 1 side with a latex primer followed by a layer of latex white paint. This is mostly for water resistance and not necessarily water proof. I placed a silicone cabinet liner under the right side equipment. I made a shelf to place the EcoFlow on so if there's a catastrophic leak it's off the bottom.
One consideration I hadn't thought about was how "cramped" the cabinet would be since I placed the EcoFlow on a shelf with a "wall", which essentially made the work area much tighter.
Cable Management: Raceway and cable clips
Water
Express Water RO5DX - $160
I saw this recommended by @Naturescapes_Rocco, and feel like the value is pretty hard to beat. I waited until it was on sale to purchase, but even at the $190 list price, it's great. Water source is an artesian spring (well). From the tap, TDS measures 56. In my 5g, I've used water straight from the tap, but opted for RO so I can keep things consistent with this setup. TDS after initial filter flushing was 0 (yeah, 0!).
55 Gallon Brute Trash Can, 44 Gallon Brute Trash Can, 32 Gallon Greenmade Trash Can, and 2x dollys.I need to improve this setup because it's a PITA. RO goes into the 55g, then I need to transfer it to the 44g to fill the tank. The 32g was originally what I purchased because that was the biggest Costco had, but it didn't hold enough water to fill the tank, so I had to rethink my plans. Seeing the 55g in person, I wasn't confident I could fit 2 side by side in the space I set up the RO in (which I couldn't). This setup is very clunky and requires a lot of water moving to make it to the tank. I've been using the 32g for waste water so I could water plants with it, but I might get worn down quickly and send it down the drain.
Plants (all UNS TC)- Homalomena Sp Sekadau South (babysitter)
- Hydrocotyle Tripartita (potentially babysitter)
- Alternanthera Reineckii Rosanervig (initially planned as babysitter, but may keep some in long term)
- Hemianthus Callitrichoides 'Cuba'
- Rotala Rotundifolia Blood Red
- Anubias Nana Petite
- Micranthemum 'Monte Carlo'
- Alternanthera Reineckii 'Mini'
- Echinodorus Rose
Coming soon
- 25x Red Neon Blue Eye Rainbow
- 7x C005 Corydoras pantanalensis
- 3x C123 Yellow Cory 'Rio Nanay'
- Aphyosemion bivittatum 'Funge' Pair
- 5x Stiphodon rutilaureus Goby
- 1x True Siamese Algae Eaters
- 1x Bamboo Shrimp
- 8x Amano Shrimp
50 replies
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3092 views
Uh oh! Made the leap and purchased a UNS 60L aquarium today to replace my UNS 5N. It's going to go on the edge of my kitchen island, so keeping equipment minimal and attractive is going to be a priority here.
The aesthetic goal is something resembling an Iwagumi that can be viewed from 270 degrees. Biggest inspiration currently is this scape by @qball_aquatics in Sydney. I'm not a huge Iwagumi person and I normally like substantial hardscape, but something about the plant selection here scales so perfectly in this long shallow tank, so I'm simply going to copy it.
UNS 60L Dimensions: 24" x 8" x 8"
Tentative Equipment List
Filter: Oase Filtosmart 60
Inflow/outflow: ASG 10mm Stainless Steel Inflow/Outflow pipes
Light: Chihiros CII RGB or ONF Flat Nano - intentionally going for a short light for more of a spotlight effect with shadowing on the outer edges
CO2: Paintball setup, potentially mounted horizontally with brackets under the counter
Plants:
Glosso or HC carpet
Eleocharis parvula for height around the stones
Echinodorus 'Aflame" centerpiece plant
Livestock:
Blue dream neocaridina
Maybe chili rasboras
How does this setup sound? Very open to suggestions.
The aesthetic goal is something resembling an Iwagumi that can be viewed from 270 degrees. Biggest inspiration currently is this scape by @qball_aquatics in Sydney. I'm not a huge Iwagumi person and I normally like substantial hardscape, but something about the plant selection here scales so perfectly in this long shallow tank, so I'm simply going to copy it.
UNS 60L Dimensions: 24" x 8" x 8"
Tentative Equipment List
Filter: Oase Filtosmart 60
Inflow/outflow: ASG 10mm Stainless Steel Inflow/Outflow pipes
Light: Chihiros CII RGB or ONF Flat Nano - intentionally going for a short light for more of a spotlight effect with shadowing on the outer edges
CO2: Paintball setup, potentially mounted horizontally with brackets under the counter
Plants:
Glosso or HC carpet
Eleocharis parvula for height around the stones
Echinodorus 'Aflame" centerpiece plant
Livestock:
Blue dream neocaridina
Maybe chili rasboras
How does this setup sound? Very open to suggestions.
1 replies
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100 views
Hello Welcome, chigos85
Welcome to ScapeCrunch, @chigos85!
We would love to get to know you. Please tell us about yourself. What tank do you have?
We would love to get to know you. Please tell us about yourself. What tank do you have?
6 replies
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72 views
Does someone use their stuff to have the tank on it? If yes, which one? I kinda don’t wanna pay 300€ again for a tank support 
9 replies
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152 views
Help Massive Plant Melt
So I've been trying to recover this farm tank after having been neglected for a couple months after my injury. I had lost some plants which I could understand for obvious reasons. However it seems as though since I've resumed maintenance Its had a major negative impact on the tank. Since resuming water changes & Co2 injection I've had a major issue with plant melt: hygophila araguaia which had been decent has been completely wiped out, buces are shedding leaves at an alarming rate, lagenandra meeboldii green which was easily the largest plant in the tank is a shaddow of its former self and continues to decline, I attributed this melt as likely being a combination of factors:
A.) Aquarium had stopped being dosed with fertilizers and plants had become weak
B.) Co2 bottle had run dry and now suddenly Co2 injection had resumed.
C.) Lack of water changes caused the plants to use up or at least deplete available minerals which were not being replaced with each water change.
My theory was these factors combined with resuming maintenance, co2 injection, etc were drastic enough to cause a significant change in water parameters from what the plants had adapated to.
I had ordered some new plants to replace some that were lost, mostly tissue culture which is what I've had pretty great success with. However now many of these new plants are pretty much also instantly melting. Pogostemon helferi specifically, but also some some swords (echinodorus red diamond) being the hardest hit, but ozelot also struggling.
Nutrient dosing targets:
30mL dose provides
Macros
NO3 via KNO3 - 20ppm
P via KH2PO4 - 1.5ppm
K via KNO3+KH2PO4+K2SO4 - 20 ppm
Micros
Fe via CSM+B - 0.5ppm
Ferts are dosed 10mL at at the time 3x/ week on alternating days.
I use RO water and APT Sky+ to remineralize using the calculator on 2 Hr Aquarist website, and according to the calculator my dosages should put me around 7GH and 1.9KH.
I was going to check water hardness last night but my solution is expired so I need to pick up some more today just for verification purposes. While the tank SHOULD be somewhere in the neighborhood provided by the APT SKY+ when I tested KH (not expired) it tested at 4dKH
. Lights are on for 7 hours per day, Co2 Injection begins 1.5 hours before lights on and shuts off 1 hour before lights off. pH is 7.4 and pH drop is approximately 1.2 using an apera pH meter (Tank has no inhabitants other than plants). Drop checker Green. TDS 225. I will add that the tank does start seeing some pretty decent ambient light from the room for several hours before lights on, so I'm not sure if this makes a difference. I'm skeptical because everything had been doing fine until the maintenance fell off during my injury, and the decline really accelerated once the water changes/ Co2 injection resumed. Its not everything in the tank, there are plants that bouncing back, the echinodorus Aflame, blyxa japonica, and crypt lucens all seem to be either doing fine or recovering with new growth. I'm at a complete loss, and by no means an expert, I would love any input, ideas, insights that you all could offer. TIA.
A.) Aquarium had stopped being dosed with fertilizers and plants had become weak
B.) Co2 bottle had run dry and now suddenly Co2 injection had resumed.
C.) Lack of water changes caused the plants to use up or at least deplete available minerals which were not being replaced with each water change.
My theory was these factors combined with resuming maintenance, co2 injection, etc were drastic enough to cause a significant change in water parameters from what the plants had adapated to.
I had ordered some new plants to replace some that were lost, mostly tissue culture which is what I've had pretty great success with. However now many of these new plants are pretty much also instantly melting. Pogostemon helferi specifically, but also some some swords (echinodorus red diamond) being the hardest hit, but ozelot also struggling.
Nutrient dosing targets:
30mL dose provides
Macros
NO3 via KNO3 - 20ppm
P via KH2PO4 - 1.5ppm
K via KNO3+KH2PO4+K2SO4 - 20 ppm
Micros
Fe via CSM+B - 0.5ppm
Ferts are dosed 10mL at at the time 3x/ week on alternating days.
I use RO water and APT Sky+ to remineralize using the calculator on 2 Hr Aquarist website, and according to the calculator my dosages should put me around 7GH and 1.9KH.
I was going to check water hardness last night but my solution is expired so I need to pick up some more today just for verification purposes. While the tank SHOULD be somewhere in the neighborhood provided by the APT SKY+ when I tested KH (not expired) it tested at 4dKH
. Lights are on for 7 hours per day, Co2 Injection begins 1.5 hours before lights on and shuts off 1 hour before lights off. pH is 7.4 and pH drop is approximately 1.2 using an apera pH meter (Tank has no inhabitants other than plants). Drop checker Green. TDS 225. I will add that the tank does start seeing some pretty decent ambient light from the room for several hours before lights on, so I'm not sure if this makes a difference. I'm skeptical because everything had been doing fine until the maintenance fell off during my injury, and the decline really accelerated once the water changes/ Co2 injection resumed. Its not everything in the tank, there are plants that bouncing back, the echinodorus Aflame, blyxa japonica, and crypt lucens all seem to be either doing fine or recovering with new growth. I'm at a complete loss, and by no means an expert, I would love any input, ideas, insights that you all could offer. TIA.
0 replies
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18 views
replies
Legacy View
Since the tanks have been in such a state of disarray, I’ve been focusing on moving everything to emersed until life sorts itself out.
How I transition from submersed to emersed depends on the growth form of the plant.
Plants that are primarily basal form (not stems) go in square nursery pots with one of two substrates. First choice is long fiber sphagnum (dried and then rehydrated) topped with aquasoil, straight aquasoil, or a mix of peat moss/perlite/coco coir/aquasoil. The sphagnum wicks better than aquasoil. Alternatively, I use straight aquasoil, I line the bottom of the pots with a coffee filter to keep the substrate from falling through. Both work equally well. The bin needs to be filled with a little more water than if dried sphagnum is used which is why the first method is preferable.
The nursery pots are kept in a clear plastic container. Sterilite are the typical go-to, but I actually prefer the tall clear shoe boxes from Walmart. They have built in ventilation holes which is handy because I need to drill holes in the sides of any other container near the lid rim. Ventilation is key.
The shoe boxes are cheap too. I fill the bins as much as possible but a little leftover space is okay.
After filling the bins with pots, I fill all the voids with live sphagnum and fill with enough distilled water to saturate the sphagnum. The sphagnum has antimicrobial properties (so I’ve read, and it seems to check out in practice). This keeps the water from developing algae almost entirely. I dress the tops with live sphagnum too if something needs a little help rooting. Depending on the space, I throw rhizome plants right into the sphagnum as well. They develop excellent root systems and are very easily removed and cleaned when needed compared to conventional soil.
I fertilize everything with a foliar spray of Maxsea 16-16-16 diluted to 1 teaspoon per gallon. It’s a kelp based fertilizer with micronutrients. I highly recommend it.
I’ll follow up with emersed stem plant propogation and other methods for the full greenhouse.
How I transition from submersed to emersed depends on the growth form of the plant.
Plants that are primarily basal form (not stems) go in square nursery pots with one of two substrates. First choice is long fiber sphagnum (dried and then rehydrated) topped with aquasoil, straight aquasoil, or a mix of peat moss/perlite/coco coir/aquasoil. The sphagnum wicks better than aquasoil. Alternatively, I use straight aquasoil, I line the bottom of the pots with a coffee filter to keep the substrate from falling through. Both work equally well. The bin needs to be filled with a little more water than if dried sphagnum is used which is why the first method is preferable.
The nursery pots are kept in a clear plastic container. Sterilite are the typical go-to, but I actually prefer the tall clear shoe boxes from Walmart. They have built in ventilation holes which is handy because I need to drill holes in the sides of any other container near the lid rim. Ventilation is key.
The shoe boxes are cheap too. I fill the bins as much as possible but a little leftover space is okay.
After filling the bins with pots, I fill all the voids with live sphagnum and fill with enough distilled water to saturate the sphagnum. The sphagnum has antimicrobial properties (so I’ve read, and it seems to check out in practice). This keeps the water from developing algae almost entirely. I dress the tops with live sphagnum too if something needs a little help rooting. Depending on the space, I throw rhizome plants right into the sphagnum as well. They develop excellent root systems and are very easily removed and cleaned when needed compared to conventional soil.
I fertilize everything with a foliar spray of Maxsea 16-16-16 diluted to 1 teaspoon per gallon. It’s a kelp based fertilizer with micronutrients. I highly recommend it.
I’ll follow up with emersed stem plant propogation and other methods for the full greenhouse.
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This is the future home for the announcements when someone obtains an achievement badge. Let the games begin!
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45473 views
Added 4 red fire cherry shrimps recently and I saw them for few days but now haven’t seen them for more than a week. Should I assume they are dead? Have checked the skimmer and don’t see them.
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I've been consuming tons of information from this amazing forum and decided its time to start my own journal.
One, to get constructive criticism/suggestions on how to improve which would be most welcome and two, just to show other approaches to starting a new tank as everyone thinks a bit differently and to see other peoples perspective.
I only started using pressurised CO2 about 18 months ago so haven't been in the hobby that long.
The first pic below was of said attempt starting with CO2. The other reason for showing that tank is I'm using the same physical tank and also starting off the new setup with plants from that tank.
Speaking of the tank, as you will see in the first pic of the new build it is an old second hand rimmed tank with less than stellar glass. In my list of planned upgrades one of them will be to order a low iron rimless tank so I can actually appreciate what's inside it. I can never get a photo to show a clear shot of the tank. Its not a great tank but it is definitely clearer than what the photos show. I think the camera really highlights how crappy the glass is lol.
No direct inspiration here apart from including a reasonable amount of hardscape and probably having a more nature style tank, so not so formal.
I've had a large piece of driftwood hanging around that I've wanted to use in a scape. I've used it previously in a larger tank but was a fish only tank. I do know after a year submerged (tied down) it still went straight to the top when released/untied so is basically unsinkable. Not sure of the type of wood though.
I also cut it in half depth wise as it was too large for a 4 foot tank.
After trying to glue it to rocks around it etc I filled the tank...and of course all went to hell. The driftwood wanted to get to the surface so bad it broke away from the glue LOL. So I had to start the scape with a large rock sitting on it and the driftwood in a different position from where it started. Temporary at first but now I plan to cover the rock with epiphytes etc so it should be ok eventually, just not so much right now. One of those it is what it is. I'm only playing around here anyways.
I'll also say, as per the heading of this journal, I'm treating this as an experimental tank, not even close to a show tank. I'll purchase a nice tank when I think I'm at a level where I deserve to bring it justice so not yet. Hopefully this tank will bring me a long way towards that point.
I've only previously used organic soil capped with sand (so the classic dirted tank). That provides good growth for around 6 months or so but if a lot of the organics start rising up and leaching into the water column, its not such a great setup for high tech tanks. Ask how I know!
I've never used aqua soil. I would like to try one day but for now decided to skip that and go straight to inert. Encouraged purely by some of you on here that have been using BDBS. That is what I would like to have used but not readily available in Aus so I'm using pool filter sand for this rendition.
Apologies for the rambling, onto the details.
Started around 5th January, did the full changeover from the old setup
Tank size:
Filter
Wave maker / power head
- Aqua One 8000 reef sim (apart from obviously to help circulation - was mainly put in here to help with the CO2 distribution - so is now situated at the opposite end of the tank to the filter outlet/inlet) Flow from 528 G/H to 2113 G/H. Have it on the lowest setting and probably still too strong
CO2
Water
- Tap (GH 7 KH 6), PH is around 7.6-7.8 out of the tank - at the moment
Substrate
- Pool filter sand only
Lighting
Initial plant list (as mentioned just selecting some from previous iteration of this tank)
I've deliberately not used what i call starter plants to kick it off as I find they can take over easily in a high tech tank, then you have to gradually rip them all out. I know a higher risk of more algae without them but lets go!
Ferts
Water change
- Currently around 55% weekly (I will be refining this a bit more too. I have a TDS meter now so will be working out exact water change volume using Rocco's TDS method which will also help with refining the fert dosing)
Current fish list
I plan to gradually increase the rainbow collection a bit too over time. Love the Boseman's
Other miscellaneous stuff
Upgrades planned
Ferts uptake and adjusting over time:
My initial aim is to try and avoid the infamous diatom stage by using a slightly reduced light schedule and ferts to start the tank.
First impressions for me is the driftwood is too large for this tank but it is a different piece so will persevere whilst in this tank.
Anyways the pic of the tank before I pulled it down;
Start of the new scape.
You can really see the crappy condition of the tank here with the scratches, water stains etc. I'm not too bothered though. It will make me more look forward when I eventually get a nice tank.
Just after filling up and initial planting. You can see the big heavy rock on the right. Without it, the driftwood shoots all over the place.
Noting that entire lot of MC melted soon after this, it wasn't in the best condition when it started though. Hoping it will eventually start up again. I'm patient, uhmm kind of!
One, to get constructive criticism/suggestions on how to improve which would be most welcome and two, just to show other approaches to starting a new tank as everyone thinks a bit differently and to see other peoples perspective.
I only started using pressurised CO2 about 18 months ago so haven't been in the hobby that long.
The first pic below was of said attempt starting with CO2. The other reason for showing that tank is I'm using the same physical tank and also starting off the new setup with plants from that tank.
Speaking of the tank, as you will see in the first pic of the new build it is an old second hand rimmed tank with less than stellar glass. In my list of planned upgrades one of them will be to order a low iron rimless tank so I can actually appreciate what's inside it. I can never get a photo to show a clear shot of the tank. Its not a great tank but it is definitely clearer than what the photos show. I think the camera really highlights how crappy the glass is lol.
No direct inspiration here apart from including a reasonable amount of hardscape and probably having a more nature style tank, so not so formal.
I've had a large piece of driftwood hanging around that I've wanted to use in a scape. I've used it previously in a larger tank but was a fish only tank. I do know after a year submerged (tied down) it still went straight to the top when released/untied so is basically unsinkable. Not sure of the type of wood though.
I also cut it in half depth wise as it was too large for a 4 foot tank.
After trying to glue it to rocks around it etc I filled the tank...and of course all went to hell. The driftwood wanted to get to the surface so bad it broke away from the glue LOL. So I had to start the scape with a large rock sitting on it and the driftwood in a different position from where it started. Temporary at first but now I plan to cover the rock with epiphytes etc so it should be ok eventually, just not so much right now. One of those it is what it is. I'm only playing around here anyways.
I'll also say, as per the heading of this journal, I'm treating this as an experimental tank, not even close to a show tank. I'll purchase a nice tank when I think I'm at a level where I deserve to bring it justice so not yet. Hopefully this tank will bring me a long way towards that point.
I've only previously used organic soil capped with sand (so the classic dirted tank). That provides good growth for around 6 months or so but if a lot of the organics start rising up and leaching into the water column, its not such a great setup for high tech tanks. Ask how I know!
I've never used aqua soil. I would like to try one day but for now decided to skip that and go straight to inert. Encouraged purely by some of you on here that have been using BDBS. That is what I would like to have used but not readily available in Aus so I'm using pool filter sand for this rendition.
Apologies for the rambling, onto the details.
Started around 5th January, did the full changeover from the old setup
Tank size:
- 122 cm x 47 cm deep x 45 cm high (uhmm so in imperial 48" x 18.5" x 17.5")
- Litres/gallons - 258 litres / 68 Gallons
Filter
- Just what I have on hand and had been using in the tank (Aqua One Nautilus 1100) so around 290 G/H so of course in reality a lot less than that. Only filled mainly with sponges though, limited the bio media.
- I have a perfectly working FX5 sitting in the shed gathering dust but I think too powerful for this size tank. That connected to a Yugang reactor though and one inch lily pipes could be a good combo. Will have to think about that for the future.
Wave maker / power head
- Aqua One 8000 reef sim (apart from obviously to help circulation - was mainly put in here to help with the CO2 distribution - so is now situated at the opposite end of the tank to the filter outlet/inlet) Flow from 528 G/H to 2113 G/H. Have it on the lowest setting and probably still too strong
CO2
- Aqualabs Pro dual stage regulator (recently added this, replacing a cheap chinese one from ebay - about 6 times the cost!)
- Aqualabs inline diffuser
- Gets to around 45 ppm but I need to do some more refined testing ( I only have the JBL CO2 kit but seems to be working ok)
- CO2 starts 3.5 hours before lights start and 4 hours before lights build up to their set level.
Water
- Tap (GH 7 KH 6), PH is around 7.6-7.8 out of the tank - at the moment
Substrate
- Pool filter sand only
Lighting
- Week Aqua L1200 (using Red preset at R - 64%, G - 71% B - 44% and UV - 90%) TBH not sure the UV light does much but it is what it is.
- So the lights aren't on that high, I started off the tank even lower but crept it up to what it is now.
Initial plant list (as mentioned just selecting some from previous iteration of this tank)
- MC as the front carpet
- Hygrophila corymbosa (restricted this quite a bit as it grows too fast with direct CO2 access) so hidden in the opposite corner to CO2 lol
- One amazon sword - I wanted to keep one in here to prove you don't need rich substrate
- Crypt wendtii brown - similar to above
- Ludwigia repens
- Helanthium bolivianum 'Quadricostatus (I think thats what it is or similar. produces runners like nothing on earth but a nice looking plant. Thats the one in the back right corner in the first photo of the new setup)
- AR Mini
- Hydrocotyle tripartite mini
- Limnophila Aromatica
I've deliberately not used what i call starter plants to kick it off as I find they can take over easily in a high tech tank, then you have to gradually rip them all out. I know a higher risk of more algae without them but lets go!
Ferts
- DIY Macros and micro mix - Rexolin APN (dosed for water tank volume)
- Started 9/2/20 now 10/2.5/20 (yes I know quite low for an inert substrate compared to most and will gradually increase this in time)
- Front load around 50% Macros, then the rest dosed throughout the week - only just started this method to try and limit the swings during the week
- Micros dose evenly throughout the week adding up to 0.45 fe / week
Water change
- Currently around 55% weekly (I will be refining this a bit more too. I have a TDS meter now so will be working out exact water change volume using Rocco's TDS method which will also help with refining the fert dosing)
Current fish list
- Around maybe 15 Rummy nose
- 4 SAE's
- Couple of oto's
- 4 Corys
- 6 Crimson spotted Rainbows ( i received these in a swap, plants for rainbows )
I plan to gradually increase the rainbow collection a bit too over time. Love the Boseman's
Other miscellaneous stuff
- Fluval SK400 surface skimmer (seemed like a little toy when I first set it up but does an ok job actually)
- Aqualabs pro skim lily pipes, and added quick release to the filter hosing to get to these easily. They are glass.
- Inkbird wifi heater control
Upgrades planned
- RO/DI - Just received but need a few more bits and pieces then I'll introduce the RO water over a 4 week period (25/50/75/100). I plan to remineralise to around 5dGH (4:1 for CA:MG), wont be adding any dKH, again following you guys lead here. I think this will be a huge upgrade as my tap water is sourced from a creek and is inconsistent. PH varies between 7 and 8 and KH has risen from 4 to 6 over the last few months.
- CO2 reactor - Looking at the Yugang of course. This will also I think make a big difference compared to inline diffusers. When setting up the tank I put in some work to try and determine the best flow to maximise CO2 distribution but still think I haven't got it right.
- New tank - as mentioned above
- Possible auto fert doser for the next tank
Ferts uptake and adjusting over time:
- The NO3 seems to provide a consistent 10 ppm before each water change which is the same amount I'm dosing now. Coincidence or is it only using what's readily available in the system. I know with slower growing plants and not a huge plant mass the uptake is obviously less.
- PO4 - similar story, test (which I'm not sure how accurate it is) seems to provide a consistent result of 2 ppm, again similar to what I have been dosing.
- I'll gradually increase both and see where I can find the sweet spot but may wait mainly till after the RO/DI is running.
My initial aim is to try and avoid the infamous diatom stage by using a slightly reduced light schedule and ferts to start the tank.
First impressions for me is the driftwood is too large for this tank but it is a different piece so will persevere whilst in this tank.
Anyways the pic of the tank before I pulled it down;
Start of the new scape.
You can really see the crappy condition of the tank here with the scratches, water stains etc. I'm not too bothered though. It will make me more look forward when I eventually get a nice tank.
Just after filling up and initial planting. You can see the big heavy rock on the right. Without it, the driftwood shoots all over the place.
Noting that entire lot of MC melted soon after this, it wasn't in the best condition when it started though. Hoping it will eventually start up again. I'm patient, uhmm kind of!
35 replies
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1908 views