Journal SkaleyAquatics Re-attempted Dutch

[SkaleyAquatics]

That looks great. I'm glad someone got something done. Today was water change day for me, and I didn't get crap done. I really needed to get it done to work on combating my green dust algae.

Thabk you!
Oh if we are being honest all 3 of my farm tanks need work but filling a 180 drained my Reserve barrels.

 

[SkaleyAquatics]

I will check par at somepoint this week and upload my findings

30" From light to substrate here are the readings at 50% and 100%. I am pretty happy with these lights for this tank. I have the light set at 70% after seeing the data and assume I'm getting ~80 in the front and mid60-70 in the back maybe into the 60s this was through plants some so take these with a grain of salt.

 

[BenB]

Thabk you!
Oh if we are being honest all 3 of my farm tanks need work but filling a 180 drained my Reserve barrels.

Sorry, I don't remember all the details of your builds. Do you use RO? I'm lucky here in that my water is very soft and has almost nothing in it. KH < 1 and GH < 1 out of the tap.

 

[SkaleyAquatics]

Sorry, I don't remember all the details of your builds. Do you use RO? I'm lucky here in that my water is very soft and has almost nothing in it. KH < 1 and GH < 1 out of the tap.

No worries about each detail. All of my co2 tanks are on ro water. I have 4-55gal drums so a total of 220gal. I wish i was that lucky but I have liquid rock here. It's 8.2ph gh 18 kh 22.

 

[BenB]

No worries about each detail. All of my co2 tanks are on ro water. I have 4-55gal drums so a total of 220gal. I wish i was that lucky but I have liquid rock here. It's 8.2ph gh 18 kh 22.

Wow... KH of 22. That's incredible. I have had carnivorous plants in the past. I can water them with my tap water. Usually you have to use distilled or rain water.

 

[SkaleyAquatics]

Wow... KH of 22. That's incredible. I have had carnivorous plants in the past. I can water them with my tap water. Usually you have to use distilled or rain water.

Honestly it might not be quite that high but it's high. I haven't tested for it in a very long time and just know it's extremely hard. Luckily i can grow easier plants in it. And my wife has no problems watering her terrestrial plants with our tap water.

 

[SkaleyAquatics]

Has the potential to be a good tank one day. Open spaces are underused in Dutch tanks. We need more of it, but here, we have too much. The left side of the tank is barely planted. When you have a lot of white space and a plant in the center, all eyes will go to it – here, sadly, the Nymphaea in the center appears weak and unhealthy. -Vinny Kutty

I completely agree with what he said and I knew that my left side was going to be the downfall. I am pleased to have enter and have shifted my focus towards this years competition.

 

[SkaleyAquatics]

While not a co2 tank this is something. 5 different crypt. usteriana flowering at the same time. Don't mind the wild swordtails or ameca splendens eyeing for food.
View attachment 1000007426.mp4

 

[BenB]

That's awesome. I hope you are able to bloom others eventually as well.

 

[SkaleyAquatics]

That's awesome. I hope you are able to bloom others eventually as well.

These are the first crypts that have ever bloomed for me. Had buce, anubias and aponogeton before. I know I'll get more to when I grow stuff emmersed but that'll be a bit.

 

[SkaleyAquatics]

Main Tank:

16 plants currently still playing around with layout, have a max of 18 in this size tank. It definitely needs a focal plant or 2. There is rotala mac mini type IV hiding behind the bylxa but I will probably swap that out for another red but what . When I change that I will reshape the difformis. I am worried that the limno wilsonii and hygro 53b is too close in cooler.Unseen is crypt wendtii brown because it is completely flat. I need to check par through the greenhouse panels.

Farm tank 1:


Farm Tank 2:


Wabi Kusa's:

My wife and I did one of these each about a month ago at a workshop provided by CAPS. It was awesome that they put this on annually and provide everything you need besides a container and light.

Saturday I tore down one of my farm tanks it was a disaster and needed a restart. But instead of restarting I am going to divide up the aquasoil into 3 20gal and use those as holding tanks for plants that are ready to be sold.

 

[BenB]

My wife and I did one of these each about a month ago at a workshop provided by CAPS. It was awesome that they put this on annually and provide everything you need besides a container and light.

I did a Wabi Kusa a few years ago at an AGA convention with Bailin aka CAPS. I loved it. Been wanting to do another. Its hard to economically source like 1 crypt, and a grape size bit of moss, and 2 stems of 2 different plants though. I'll get it back going one day.

Yours looks great.