Journal A New Beginning: 90 P High Energy Tank

[TRyan]

Beautiful tank!!!!! Incredible plant choice & layout! this Ludwigia white and Ludwigia inclinata?

Thank you! It's Ludwigia inclinata meta and
Myriophyllum Mato Grossense 'Gold.

 

[Naturescapes_Rocco]

I had a bit of a setback after learning a valuable lesson about the importance of keeping a quarantine tank.

I put some cardinal tetras directly into my display tank after buying them at the fish store. They ended up having fin/tail rot. I dosed the tank with a full round of Kanaplex. Still saw some signs of it, so dosed another full round at a slightly higher dose. That's when I started to notice some issues with my plants. Lost a few groups. Just now nursing some others back to health and seeing some improvement. Bacopa Colorata, 53b, penthorum sedoides all took a serious decline.

The tank is rebounding. I want to make some changes to the layout and plant selection, but it's getting better. Thanks for asking!

View attachment 18006

How do you find the Ludwigia Ovalis pink? Good for midground, or better in the background?

 

[CincyScaper]

Looks awesome! Curious on how long it took for your R.Florida to get that big. What is the green plant in front of the Myrio gold.

 

[TRyan]

How do you find the Ludwigia Ovalis pink? Good for midground, or better in the background?

I got them from Joe at burraqua.

I like to I use them in mid ground. They're pretty hardy and fast growing. Great color and shape. They do like to lean when they get taller, so I always pulled, cut and replanted just the 4-5 inch tops every 2 weeks or so.

I'm torn between pink ovalis and Bacopa Colorata for a splash of pink/salmon color.

 

[JayP]

I got them from Joe at burraqua.

I like to I use them in mid ground. They're pretty hardy and fast growing. Great color and shape. They do like to lean when they get taller, so I always pulled, cut and replanted just the 4-5 inch tops every 2 weeks or so.

I'm torn between pink ovalis and Bacopa Colorata for a splash of pink/salmon color.

This is right in line with my thoughts. I also have both plants from Joe, just got the Colorata. The Colrorata looks great and is easier to keep tame than the Ludwigia. If you want something that can get more in a dense bush though, the Ludwigia is probably the better choice.

 

[TRyan]

Update...

A couple months ago, I added some heavy duty, leveling feet for my aquarium stand. https://a.co/d/02Rh3Csw

I had to remove the substrate. While BDBS substrate was in buckets, I took a hose to it and rinsed all of substrate like this. Not a great idea. I won't be doing that again. I think I pretty much killed the beneficial bacteria it shocked everything so much that I had a two month long battle with GDA and cloudy water bacteria bloom.


I'd clean the trunk and glass, 50% water changes weekly, and 2 days later it would look like pictures above

I kept thinking it would go away on it's own, and perhaps it would've, but I got tired of looking at it. I ended up purchasing a cheapish UV sterilizer. I was doubtful it would eliminate that mess, but after a week my tank looked 10 times better.


There are a few groups that need to fill in yet, but things are looking better.

I thinned the erio Vietnam and they're looking a little rough.

These are 2 days after water change. Before, it was very cloudy after 2 days and glass would be covered in GDA.

I used this UV sterilizer here.

https://a.co/d/04QI6KzC

I now have it running in my smaller tank for a week or so. It has a little GDA. I'll see what happens with it.

 

[JayP]

The substrate and plants you have in the 90 look so similar to what I have in my new 120 setup.

 

[Naturescapes_Rocco]

Update...

A couple months ago, I added some heavy duty, leveling feet for my aquarium stand. https://a.co/d/02Rh3Csw

I had to remove the substrate. While BDBS substrate was in buckets, I took a hose to it and rinsed all of substrate like this. Not a great idea. I won't be doing that again. I think I pretty much killed the beneficial bacteria it shocked everything so much that I had a two month long battle with GDA and cloudy water bacteria bloom.
View attachment 19153
View attachment 19154
I'd clean the trunk and glass, 50% water changes weekly, and 2 days later it would look like pictures above

I kept thinking it would go away on it's own, and perhaps it would've, but I got tired of looking at it. I ended up purchasing a cheapish UV sterilizer. I was doubtful it would eliminate that mess, but after a week my tank looked 10 times better.
View attachment 19155

I just love this tank so much. Colors, plant selection, placement, everything is awesome about it. A huge inspiration for my new 120cm tank. Love how the acmella repens is that blue-green jade color, and the blyxa japonica is bronze while the myrio roraima is distinctly orange. The only thing I think this tank could use is one large broad-leafed plant; Just one echinodorus in the back left corner? Something like that? Or, hygrophila corymbosa, maybe? I don't think it would be required, but it would have checked every box of texture, color, and size

Have you tested your nitrates lately? Curious what your NO3 levels are to get such great color. And are you still dosing 0.45ppm Fe per week micros total, with a 50% WC?

 

[Mr.Shenanagins]

Absolutely stunning. Yeah that bath definitely upset some balance, but you didn’t break a sweat. Gorgeous tank truly.

 

[BenB]

Tank looks great. I'm trying to do better with my aquascape, but all my plants have similar color shades and leaf shapes. I'm going to have to mix it up more if I want it to look better, but I really like my plants. Oh well, there's no rush..... except.....

I used this UV sterilizer here.

https://a.co/d/04QI6KzC

After an upcoming vacation, I might reset my tank. I almost certainly will get green water. I always do. This is sold out though. I need a good one. The one I have sucks.

 

[TRyan]

I just love this tank so much. Colors, plant selection, placement, everything is awesome about it. A huge inspiration for my new 120cm tank. Love how the acmella repens is that blue-green jade color, and the blyxa japonica is bronze while the myrio roraima is distinctly orange. The only thing I think this tank could use is one large broad-leafed plant; Just one echinodorus in the back left corner? Something like that? Or, hygrophila corymbosa, maybe? I don't think it would be required, but it would have checked every box of texture, color, and size

Have you tested your nitrates lately? Curious what your NO3 levels are to get such great color. And are you still dosing 0.45ppm Fe per week micros total, with a 50% WC?

Thank you for the kind words! I appreciate it.
I agree with you 100% about it missing a nice broadleaf plant. I'm just getting my group of hygrophila 53B growing some new leafs. As of now, my plan is to keep those right behind the blyxa and in front of ludwigia Rubin group.

I have a small hygrophila balsamica in the back corner that I will grow out. I was thinking about hygrophila corymbosa in the back left, but I put this in there for now. I'm definitely going to try hygrophila corymbosa soon, though! Thanks for the tip!


I've never had balsamica either, but I like it. Seems hard to find.

I don't test much, but I just ran a Hanna nitrate test, two days after water change with 4 of 5 total doses of macros for the week added as of today. I took the total ( 45.6) and divided by 17, then multiple by 10. I came up with 27 ppm nitrates.

I also ran an API nitrate test. It was definitely still dark orange and appeared to be between 25-30 ppm.

I am still running .45 iron weekly with 50% water changes.

This week I dosed 3 doses at water change of burraqua macros solution and two more throughout the week. Each dose is 2ml per 10 gallons = 4.7/1.2/5.5 NPK. I typically just use 4 doses total per week. Two at water change and two more throughout the week.

RO water
30 ppm calcium
10 ppm magnesium

 

[TRyan]

Absolutely stunning. Yeah that bath definitely upset some balance, but you didn’t break a sweat. Gorgeous tank truly.

Thank you so much!

 

[TRyan]

Here you can kinda see the 53B and balsalmica in the back, @Naturescapes_Rocco