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Sorry, but I just find this hilarious! Perhaps they'll ask scientists if there's a way to turn down the brightness and photoperiod of the sun.

Headline:

"Reflecting Pool woes: Trump administration turns to hydrogen peroxide in latest bid to beat back algae"​

I don't know where I saw it, but I read somewhere that the US imports its CO2. So people were reporting not being able to get it because it is stuck in the Straight of Hormuz. Who knew? Seems weird to me. Anyway, yeah, it's open now, but it might take awhile to get back to normal supply levels. You might want to check with your vendor if you're getting low.

I have good nutrient, CO2 and light levels, why do my plants still grow poorly​

Many hobbyists spend time perfecting tank parameters, nutrient, light and CO2 levels, thinking that this automatically translates into optimal plant growth. While these factors are important, there are many other factors that affect plant growth.



For example above we have two groups of Lysimachia parvifolia growing side by side. Both groups have access to the same parameters, CO2, light, nutrients, substrate. However, the group on the right is growing poorly with darker, melting leaves and the group on the left is growing super vibrant red, with hardly a blemish.

This is not due to some arcane reason such as water flow hitting one group but not the other. The reason here is much simpler - the group on the right has been trimmed back repeatedly and allowed to grow in the same spot for a few months, while the group on the left was uprooted in the last month, divided and replanted. Overcrowding, both above and below the substrate, resulted in poorer quality new leaves being produced for the group of the right. This poor growth happened despite great growth parameters, a ton of CO2 and nutrients in the water column etc.

Different plants have different tolerances for overcrowding and aging. Some plant species regenerate well from repeated trimming cycles, others need replanting more frequently. Having great growth conditions delay deterioration of old growth, but most plants grow more optimally with regular replanting to clear congested rootzones and old growth.

Trimming and replanting cycles​

The exact number of trimming cycles each species can regenerate from, and the time it takes for old growth and root zone congestion to take effect is different for each aquarium environment. Generally, if aquarium conditions are more spacious, and there is more substrate depth and stable growth conditions, plants can grow in one spot longer. Stressful growth conditions, poor nutrient/CO2 levels and even poor microbial balance accelerate deterioration of old growth.

Interestingly, on the opposite end, overcrowding and root zone congestion also happens more quickly in fast growth aquariums. Hobbyists that throw a ton of nutrients and CO2 at their plants run headfirst into the brick wall that is overcrowding. This can be countered somewhat by using a portion of slower growing plants in an aquarium. The slower growing plants can be worked less often, while the fast growers are on a more regular replanting cycle.

Many aquascapers avoid stem plants because they require much more frequent replanting to grow well. Species such as Anubias, Bucephalandra and Cryptocoryne species on the other hand, have extremely long replanting cycles, and can grow for years without needing to be uprooted.



In this stem plant heavy aquascape that is around 7 months old, every single plant cluster has been replanted at least once. A sample of the replanting cycle for each species:

• Rotala blood red SG - every 4 months
• Rotala macrandra mini type 4 - every month
• Lysimachia parvifolia - every 2-3 months
• Xyris difformis - every 5-6 months
• Elatine triandra - every month
• Rotala florida - every 3-4 months
• Staurogyne purple - every 5 months

Uprooting, cleaning, replanting:​

To refresh stem plant bushes, we will replant the fresh tops of the plants, while discarding the older bottom portions.

The first step is to uproot the entire stem plant bush. To control the mess when pulling up the soil, we recommend using a water siphon to vacuum the area when pulling up plants. The siphon should be held very close to the point where the plant is being pulled up to catch the soil debris.

We will try to remove as much of the old root system as possible and also remove any organic debris that has accumulated in the area. While organic debris contributes small amounts of nutrients through decomposition, a build-up of organic debris will interfere with root formation for more delicate plants and will also trigger algae. To stir up the organic debris, we use a turkey baster to spray jets of water onto the substrate while vacuuming with a siphon. The aquasoil should look clean before we start replanting.


The next step is to sort the uprooted stems and select only the healthiest heads for replanting. (A) is a middle portion and already has several branches. It is a poor choice as it will give rise to very uneven growth. (B) is a weak cutting- observe how thin the stem is, and the lack of colour. If replanted, it has a lower chance of success. (C) is ideal. A thick, singular healthy top with healthy new leaves.

Enriching the substrate with new aquasoil​

When plants are uprooted, we can take the chance to enrich the substrate. There are two main ways to replenish depleted aqua soils. The first is to use nitrogen-rich root tabs. The second is to add fresh ammonia-rich aquasoil periodically. A good rate is adding 1% of new ammonia-rich aquasoil per month. For example, if you have 30kg of aquasoil in an aquarium, adding around 300 grams per month will work well. You can add new aquasoil during plant replanting cycles. Simply remove a portion of old aquasoil with a water siphon or spoon, then add and mix in the new aquasoil. This method may be cheaper than using root tabs in the long run



Replanting entire planted aquariums regularly is not feasible for most aquarists. So having an aquascape consisting solely of fast growing stem plants can be a nightmare when overcrowding and age sets in. Aquarists should plant a mix of slower growing species and species that do not need frequent trimming/replanting. Then the fast growing bunches can be replanted on a rotation basis - only one species is replanted during each weekly water change for example.Replanting work requires skill and dexterity. It is often difficult for beginners to manage, until some experience is gained. It becomes much easier with practice and time.

In this aquarium, Rotala florida, Xyris difformis, Syngonanthus species are all plants that can grow for months without replanting.



With consistent maintenance, aqua soils do not need to be replaced. The aqua soil in this aquarium is 1.5 years old APT Feast. Regular enrichment and clearing of detritus allows the substrate to perform like new. By renewing plant growth continually through replanting, and enrichment, planted aquariums also become more algae resistant.

This article is a slightly condensed version as I know folks don't like to be redirected, the full article can be found here:
Good parameters, Good CO2, Good light, Poor plant growth?

I've just spotted these latest Hygger luminaire lights.

All the bumf seems to claim that they only have RGB LEDs (all 5054 type). Very reasonable prices. Is this a complete bargain for a genuine RGB light ? Or is there a catch ?? THis is way off my areas of expertise.

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.

Hi guys!

I'm new here, but not entirely new to planted tanks though I've been out of the hobby for the better part of the last decade between kids and moving a couple of times - but finally in a spot where I can do something again. I'm mostly going to be making things up as I go along, but plan on a lot of automation (I want to integrate everything into home assistant) and a lot of DIY as I love the challenge of building things out myself.

The starting point:

I picked up a 90P rimless, low-iron tank on a great deal.



I have a rough idea in my head for a stand to be built from plywood - just have a couple other house projects to finish off before starting that built.

Wife says I can only have one aquarium, so for this tank, I want to go all out with a sump to allow for auto top off, and auto water changes, auto fertilizer dosing etc. etc. I have half a plan in my mind.

I've also started on the light fixture which I've modeled up in CAD, and plan on making out of an 8020 extrusion, and some 3D printed bits.

I'm using bridgelux gen 3 thrive CW (3000k) and WW (5000k) LED strips which have super high CRI at 98+ along with some specific XPE2 wavelengths that I'll solder onto some starboards. Far Red (730nm), Red (654nm), Cyan (495nm), Blue (455nm), Visible UV (415nm). Each segment of the white channels will be on its own driver so I can adjust left to right brightness in thirds, and each colour channel on its own driver so I can vary each channel on a time-based approach.

These will be run from a custom PCB board with Meanwell N-LDD drivers, and will run ESPHome on an ESP32 so it can link up with my Home Assistant installation.


That's it for now, this will probably be a very slow build so be warned if you follow along!

Hi All,

This is something I've been wanting to do for years, and I think I finally found a sensor that will work. I've always had trouble reading the API tests, and I've always been miffed that the reefers get the cool digital test readers - and wanted to take a crack at building one that could potentially read any freshwater test given a blank/known concentration as a calibration.




A sensor came out from ams (AS7343) in 2022 that unfortunately has been made EOL, but has a replacement (TCS34488M) with a similar package that might work for future versions.


I recently got my hands on a qwic version of the AS7343 sensor from sparkfun, and figured its time to put together something.

Goals:

• As cheap as possible
• Universal as possible
• Fit API glass/plastic vials (not sure yet if the plastic vials will read ok)
• Start with Nitrate/Phosphate and see if I can add more there

I figure I'll need 2 light sources (warm white, and IR for reading the phosphate test), but can use the same sensor array across most tests. I can use a small-form ESP32 as the MCU to give it USB-C power, wifi/bt connectivity if needed, and keep it small. Small/cheap ~1.3" OLED screen for displaying results/selecting tests.

Enclosure will be 3d printed.



First pass at a sketch - I might drop the screen if I can give the device a web interface though, which will make the device even smaller/cheaper, reduces the need for physical buttons on the unit, and a 2nd pcb entirely. Also not sure if it will need a cover for the top of the vial, or how much ambient light will affect the reads. TBD. Will order some XIAO ESP32S3 to play with and see how far I can take it.

I'll log progress here, and am very open to suggestions and ideas. If successful, I'll release the files so it can be easily replicated.

Era of AI slop is truly upon us. Firstly, no one holds the Oxyguard analyzer's probe as it takes 15-20mins to get a reading.
Size of the box is wrong and no shadows below the box, caps missing and a strap that goes nowhere. Aquarium looks fake as well. Real pic below for comparison.

I have always liked Rotala florida as plant due to its strongly colored leaves, but realized that I haven't actually aquascaped much with it - meaning to integrate it as part of a layout and not just growing a bunch of it in farm/collector style tank. Using plants in a layout in tighter bunches, and in competition with surrounding plants/hardscape is much harder than growing it farm style in a single patch - it also means be able to shape/trim the bushes to match the overall curves of the layout.

Back in 2016 or so when I first received Rotala florida samples from north america, I could only grow it in sparser bunches. It looked nice in macro photographs but I could not envision using it an bush that would show off well as part of a layout unless I can grow it much denser. In the recent years, there were two main discoveries that I found in my experimentation, the first is that it grows better in moderate GH (5 dGH+) compared to super soft water (say <3dGH), and that it grew better in certain soil mixes (I experimented with different garden soil mixes when engineering the composition of APT Feast). Eventually I integrated some of the soil data into APT Feast's composition, and paired with the higher power lights readily available today, I find that I could finally grow the plant the way I envisioned as part of overall layout. I could prune it dense, as the base stems were healthy enough to sprout dense side shoots after trimming - and the secondary/tertiary shoot tips were as fully colored and sized similar to a primary shoot tip that hasn't been subjected to topping yet.

As a midground stem, it works very well due to its slower growth rate vs other colored stem plants.

Against the deep purple of Rotala florida, I found that Golden white clouds worked quite well. So now they are the main inhabitants of the tank.

Tank this week (25/6/2025)



Tank started out like this:

A week or 2 after initial planting (5/5/2025). I reused old aquasoil from the previous scape, so I planted all plants up front rather than waiting more time for the tank to stabilize, with the idea that I could out-grow any algae issues. Initially wanted to add H. Chai but it really didn't fit the overall color scheme, and the bushes by the side were too invasive to be compatible with having a chai patch I think.

Since it was going to contain Rotala florida, I thought I might as well throw in other high demand troublesome species such as the Red Eriocaulon quinguangulare, blood vomit. I settled on Rotala tulunadensis for the background as I wanted something dense and shapeable.

Tank specs:
60x36x36cm
Filter: Oase biomaster 250, all sponge media
CO2 injected through inline atomizer
Substrate: APT Feast
Water column: APT Sky to raise GH to 5dGH, 2ml of APTe per day.


Light distance. Interestingly, not crazy high PAR - just around 200-250 umols PAR at the substrate level.



Trimming and shaping: Most bushes were shaped by cutting individual outlier shoots one by one. Only Rotala blood red and the Rotala tulunadensis was straight trimmed across the entire top once.


This is how the Rotala tulunadensis looked like after a straight trim on 29/5/2025. About 3 weeks from when the top picture at top of this page was taken. It took the plant a whole week + to show new shoots. It seems straight trimming slows down the plant quite a bit, but allows for a very dense & neat canopy afterwards.



There are some interesting plants stuffed here and there. Some Eriocaulon caulescens? bolivia? that local hobbyists passed on to me. Carved out a patch for Syngonanthus vichada - slow grower, but the couple of babies that came have doubled in size so I think they should be alright. I think I will move them to a larger tank with more space.









Only discovered the color combination with the Golden white clouds when the tank matured, but its one of my favourite fish-plant combinations now. I think that while some of the species are a bit picky about growth conditions, one thing I really like about this tank is that most things have moderate/slow growth rates, which makes maintenance with regards to removing excess growth less tedious.
Elatine triandra is used as a low growing green filler plant - it does this role well. As it does not root very deeply, I can easily cut and pull off excess growth easily. Its the fasting growing plant in the layout that requires frequent removal of excess growth.

Some more close-ups.








I'm trying to replicate concepts of this layout (slowing growing bushes) into my 4ft tank.

The adventure begins...again. After a substantial absence from the hobby, I dunked my toe back in last fall with a small 60F shrimp tank, a Chihiros WRGB slim, and a Chihiros CO2 (citric/baking soda) system. A lot has changed since I started this hobby in the 90s, and it's been about 20 years since I tore my last tank down. 'Aquascaping' per se wasn't as much a thing back then. I didn't know anyone running CO2, and LED lights didn't really exist. The 60F was fun, and the shrimp seem happy, but I have been itching to get to building something with more elbow room.

I did happen to find a pic of my old 75 gallon bowfront tank a few weeks ago that was taken just before I tore it down prior to a big move. It ran great for 7 years. Was a simple low tech setup, with one hunk of driftwood, no rocks, plain gravel (no soil) a lot of simple plants (the sword plants did great), and some peaceful fish. Algae wasn't an issue, filtration was pretty subpar by current standards, but the tank did well despite that, and algae wasn't really an issue. Aesthetically blah by today's standards, and certainly not my goal for this build, but I remember being proud of how well this tank ran back then, and wasn't too demanding. Important as my life was very hectic back then.



So, the tech plan so far for the new 150U:


I ordered the tank and stand from UNS, and to my amazement, despite the worst mid-January winter storm we had in some years here, it was delivered on time by the freight company. I do not recommend trying to move a 5ft wide 400+lb tank and stand across snow and ice, down a slope, into to basement. Very thankful to have a tractor with forks, but still was a bit stressful getting this into the house. Miraculously we got it in the house in one piece, and I seriously questioned ever getting a tank larger than this in the future!



It did require disassembly outside the basement door to actually get it into the house around a berm of snow, along with some extra muscle from a few friends. (This was originally meant to be a 120P, until I realized the hardscape plan I had wouldn't quite fit. What's a another foot in length? )



Just getting the tank through the snow and ice was enough, and the base cabinet and tank just sort of landed in the room, and stayed there for a few days while devising a strategy for the next step. After recruiting a tall and strong friend, and sourcing some of those giant suction cup handles you use for moving shower glass walls, a few days later the tank was finally hoisted up onto the base.

As there is a dropped ceiling in the basement my plan was to hang the lights directly above the tank from the ceiling, rather than using a light stand. A few tiles were removed to investigate the structure above, and with some 2x4 extra bracing for the anchors, as none of the joists were in quite the right spot, two Chihiros Vivid 3 lights were installed directly above the tank. At this point I discovered that none of the electrical circuits in the basement were GFCI protected, so obviously that was immediately remedied. Too much gear and too much water to mess around with unprotected circuits.




With the ceiling open, I decided to run the lighting cables over the top of the wall to the left of the tank, and down into the mechanicals room there. The advantage being that the power cords are hidden from view after going through the ceiling tiles, and it's two less large power sources cluttering up the cabinet under the tank. Had to add an outlet in that closet, but I like how it turned out.

With the tank in position and leveled, and the lights finally installed, the next big issue is water. The well water here is liquid limestone. That was the initial mistake I made with the shrimp tank. Sure, neocaridina like hard water, but not THAT hard, and I quickly had to shift to remineralized distilled. I knew before even getting serious about planning this tank that the only reasonable option, for any future tanks here, is RO. The well water might be fine for Malawi Cichlids, but that's not my plan for this tank, but it will be great to have flexibility going forward. It's a big glass box, at just over 140 gallons, and it won't be the only one here (I hope), so the water part I want to get right from the start, and to make it easy to do water changes. The basement is a walkout, so draining water during water changes will be easy, and I would like to make filling it just as easy. I sourced two 70 gallon storage tanks for the RO water from Northern Tool, and ordered a Vectra S2 pump which will help with transfering water between tanks, as well as pumping it out through a hose to the aquarium(s) during water changes. Forgot to take a pic when I was done, but the pvc is all glued up now. I will finish installing the RO unit this weekend.



So, aquarium set up, lights in, and RO system with storage in progress. Next up? The exciting part. Hardscape! I have been hoarding Manzanita, Hakkai stone, and substrate for several months, so I'm excited to move on to the next step! Tank so far pictured below (although I have already removed the privacy film on the back in favor of adding the ARC RGB light screen in part due to the stair rail being visible and distracting. First screen was damaged in transit, so waiting on a replacement).