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Finally a journal.

I’ll soon be setting up two new tanks, a UNS 90p and a 50c. (Not so!) Patiently awaiting tanks and stands delivery.

They will both be middle energy tanks. I have lengthy periods of busy time and travel that mean the tanks need to survive without human intervention here and there. So plenty of automation is needed, and slow and steady wins over high energy. Or in BBQ smoking terms: low and slow.

Plans:

• Injected CO2, but less than 30ppm
• Inert gravel
• Tidal HOB filter and partial UGF plate.
• Less than EI ferts, but more than PPS pro.
• Tap water (my tap is 50 TDS and only 10ppm Ca) remineralized to 30ppm Ca and 3-4 dKH.
• Lower light levels: Week aqua L on 90p and Chihiros wrgb 2 slim on 50c.
• Easy slow growing plants, and a few fish. Thinking the 50c will be a shrimp tank.
• Some hardscape but nothing crazy

My last tank has had a rough year. Hurricane Helene meant two weeks with no electricity, and much longer without decent water changes.

Then last summer the tank developed a slow leak while I was out of town (ugh!). Had to fly home for a week to triage. Fish and plants have been in temporary tanks. Plants are struggling. Photo is when they had already been in temporary bin for over 6 weeks, I was surprised it didn’t look like an algae infested swamp.





Sooo ready for my new tanks! These are my first really nice tanks, I’ve only owned petco specials before.

For the new tanks I'm planning on over ordering plants since my surviving plants are clearly pretty weak at this point.

Welcome to ScapeCrunch, @faithnomore!
We would love to get to know you. Please tell us about yourself. What tank do you have?

Before taking up this hobby, I had a Creality 3D printer I used on rare occasions. I purchased it used and had problems with it from the start. It was supposed to be user friendly but that definitely wasn't my experience.

Once I put together my first scape and realized I could print some helpful parts and tools, I decided to purchase a new Bambu Labs A1 Mini. It opened my eyes to how easy and fun 3D printing could be. In the time since, I've been printing more and more items, not just for aquarium use, but stuff for projects all around the house. I decided it was time for an upgrade to something with a larger build volume. I was planning to move up to the A1 initially but then began thinking, perhaps having an enclosed printer might be smarter, to future proof my needs and desires going forward. After a lot of back-n-forth debating between the Bambu P2S and X2D, I ended up with the P2S this weekend. I have an expanding list of new aquarium related items I want to print

So what printers do others here use and what are your thoughts?

Welcome to ScapeCrunch, @Neo shredder!
We would love to get to know you. Please tell us about yourself. What tank do you have?

It will be tough to get away, but I have managed to finagle enough coverage for the weekend, so I did it! I have my ticket! I figure why not? It’s actually not that far from me. Daichi Araki from ADA is teaching an aquascaping masterclass on Saturday morning. Also interested in the ADA Shizuku workshop.



Juris Jutjajevs previously announced he will be attending the Jersey show.

I have never been to an Aquashella, so don’t entirely know what to expect, but I presume it is much like any large convention exhibit hall experience. Any ‘Crunchers thinking of attending the Jersey show?

Hello everybody,

I want to vacuum my complete soil and pull out all the plants add some apt root tabs en replant after.
Does anybody have tips or tricks to keep the shrimp safe during this big clean up.
I have a 350 liter tank 120x50x60. So thats quite a big surface.

The reason for the clean up is that my plants need to be replanted since i have not been doing maintenance for a few weeks and had some algae problems.
Since i need to pull out all the plants, a big vacuum would not hurt and will be easy.

Thanks in advance

Started a new tank with the idea of show casing Lagenandra meeboldii which I have not showcased before. Wanted to feature Hygrophila lower Hlaingbwe, but I removed it later as I think it would be too large for this tank.

New substrate, new filter, squeezed filter mulm from the other matured tank, then ran the tank one week day before planting. 100% water change after planting, then 100% water change every other day since then. Dosing 1ml APT3 after water change day, and remineralizing to 5dGH using APT Sky. Trying out the low water column dosing approach for the initial period.

Filter: Oase 250
Lights: Week aqua a430 80%
Substrate: APT Feast

Was going to Journal about startup issues, however, it seems like the tank has already stabilized, skipping diatoms and green dust phase.

Freshly planted for a couple of days:
13/2/2026


Replanted the tops for Myriophyllum roraima, Cut and replanted Rotala blood red to begin building up the bush form. Trimmed old leaves
Foreground seems a bit blocky for now, so I think I'lll move stuff round again. Probably when the BV grows out some more.
Pic on 23/2/2026

Readings at this stage:
Potassium: 2.3ppm
Ammonia: 0.1ppm

reduce water changes to 2 times a week.

Tank: Waterbox 20 AIO
Return pump: AI Axis 40
Lighting: (2) AI Blade Fresh 12”
Dosing pump: Ecotech Marine
CO2 injected

The purpose of this tank is to maintain a healthy planted tank for at least 1 year. There is a stipulation that I must be able to do this using my tap water for water changes.

Welcome to ScapeCrunch, @Jemal!
We would love to get to know you. Please tell us about yourself. What tank do you have?

Welcome to ScapeCrunch, @Patches!
We would love to get to know you. Please tell us about yourself. What tank do you have?