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Why did you kick a bucket of aquarium water accross the living room

A deficiency of nicotine and caffeine combined wit a fit of creative pique

Ingo, yep, no big rocks in the market. Small ones of every shape and size but no decent sized ones.
About that 6 foot pile of driftwood I found out on Saturday that pile of wood is crawling with huge red ants. Everytime I put my hand in to try to take a piece out I got bitten alive - more swearing...in 3 different languages]:|]:|]:|]:|

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Some days you're the pigeon and some days you're the statue.

Remember that age and treachery will always triumph over youth and ability.

Thanks.

At my age I'll "receive" all I can get with undying graditude.

I'll post some pics tonight or tomorrow depending on hangover receovery.

Plants bounced back from the move real quick so after a one week break the pruning scissors have been out. Just need to cut back the Wisteria now.

Made a couple of minor changes based on feedback here.

No sign of algae so all is well.

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Some days you're the pigeon and some days you're the statue.

Remember that age and treachery will always triumph over youth and ability.

How 'bout some more pics of this great scape. At your age it's always more satisfying to give than receive.

HAPPY B'DAY - You the man

My Scapes

Wow, that's 45 fish:%) and some are of pretty good size. I guess another reason for the 50% wc besides the EI.

I definitely see why your not a big fan of plecos. I'm getting the feeling they just don't belong in many planted tank setups. Now all I have to do is catch him.



Last edited by tetratech at 18-Oct-2005 07:55

My Scapes

Tetra,

I'm still a bit overstocked but not as bad as it used to be. While with a heavily planted tank, it is possible to push stocking limits and keep the fish happy, it does raise other issues. A high fish load uses a lot of oxygen and creates a lot of organic matter. Both can set the plants back a little, the high organic content is pushing things a bit more in favor of algae then plants.

So while I know I could "get away" with more fish I now prefer to keep the load lighter. It will be reduced further.

At the moment I have 3 main schools - Rummies, Hengeli Rasboras and Beckford Pencilfish. I'd like to get it down to 2. Unfortunately the Pencilfish are the "odd one's out" but also my favorite. The rummies and Rasbora go well as the take up different parts of the tank , rummies down below and Rasboras up top. The Pencil fish color is very similar to the Rasbora's so they kinda clash and they pop up all over the tank.

Biggest fish is a male Pearl Gourami , about 3 inches.

10 Pencilfish
8 Rasbora
10 Rummies
6 Ottos
3 Pearl Gouramies (2 are very young females only about 1 1/2 "
3 Dwarf Gourami
1 honey Gourami
2 Female Bettas
2 Bolivian Ram

There's a pair of Boesmanii rainbows and a couple of Neon Dwarf Rainbows which will be moved as soon as I find a suitable home.

I really like Gouramies in planted tanks, they have a grace and a way of interacting with their surrounding that really compliments a planted set up.

Not big on bottom feeders, I don't really have enough clear substrate for them anyway. Plecos I can't stand. Angelfish I just found too big and destructive.

Ideal set up would be a couple of big schools (I'd really like a huge school of micro rasboras, they are tiny but buzz all over like wasps very eye catching), Otto's, a trio of gouramies, maybe a couple of Apistos a few shrimp.

I've found in a planted tank less is definately more.

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Some days you're the pigeon and some days you're the statue.

Remember that age and treachery will always triumph over youth and ability.

Bensaf,
Just curious, how many fish in the tank and what's the biggest fish and biggest school?

My Scapes

You only have about 2.1 wpg and the thank is 23" deep.

Err.....I was kind of aware of that, but thank you for reminding me.
Explained this before. the WPG thing was based on NO flourescent tubes and no reflectors in the pre-historic days of planted tank. Times move on, lighting technology is better, PC fixtures with decent reflectors are a completely different thing. But people still read this WPG stuff on the net that was written back in '95 or whatever and think it's gospel (heck some people still think NO3 and PO4 cause algae ). 2 WPG of PC light will grow any darn plant I've ever tried. More then that you are walking a tightrope, more work too. People who slap 4 or 5 wpg of PC lighting over a tank are just nuts IMO. Heck all Amano's tanks are basically 1 wpg with a few hours of extra intensity in the middle of the day.
Good reflectors and maybe a couple of 10000K bulbs solve the depth issue.
Look at the pictures, works doesn't it ?

Also is that Blyxa in the tank left-mid?

Yep the grassy looking one. Looks like a small sword plant dut infact it's actually a stem plant. Great great plant.

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Some days you're the pigeon and some days you're the statue.

Remember that age and treachery will always triumph over youth and ability.

Benaf,

You only have about 2.1 wpg and the thank is 23" deep.
Also is that Blyxa in the tank left-mid?

My Scapes

"Rosettes on the right and stems on the left"

I don't like mixing rossettes in with stems. The rosettes as they age start to spread leaves out which begins to shade and beak up the shape of the stems. Tried it before , hated it. You can get away with one rosette mixed in but that's it.
Actually there is a non stem plant mixed in that side, you just can't see it yet It's a beautiful new species of Java Fern. It's a needle leaf type from the Philipines. Very narrow leaves, differs from the normal narrow leaf fern in that it's a much brighter, almost yellowish, green. It grows out into a big ball shape. Quite rare, I don't think you'll have seen any of this in the US yet. I managed to get a few small cutting from a hobbyists here ( I think I had to promise him my first born ). It's growing quick. Another few weeks and it will make a huge difference to that left side . Also the stems are about 2 trimmings away from there ideal size and shape. I'm banking on the plants doing certain things before the shape I intended is fully realised. I could be wrong

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Some days you're the pigeon and some days you're the statue.

Remember that age and treachery will always triumph over youth and ability.

Looks great bensaf - but it seems that all your stem plants found their home in the left side of the tank. You can almost divide the tank in half if you draw a line straight down from the powerhead in the middle. Rosettes on the right and stems on the left - with a few obvious exceptions. I do like it though, update us when you've "prettied" it up and things have grown in the way you like.

But I'm not one to talk about aquascaping - I may have a green thumb, but I don't have the eye. So I'll leave saying the plants look GREAT.

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

LF,

We posted at the same time, I think you and I are both going to have to put our tanks to sleep for a while and find another hobby (for 4 or 5 days anyway).


My Scapes

I smell a trade, Singapore Moss for Long Island Willow.




My Scapes

tetratech - please scroll to bottom of [link=This Page]http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/Planted%20Aquaria/64425_3.html?200510110914" style="COLOR: #ff6633[/link] to get a closer look at mine.

Which, I take it, had at that point an iron deficiency? By now it is covered in [link=Brown Slime]http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/Planted%20Aquaria/64425_6.html?200510110914" style="COLOR: #ff6633[/link] (third of the algae pictures).

Bensaf - darn Ants

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

It's Singapore Moss. Strange stuff. It changes shape and color on a whim. Sometimes grows straight strands, mostly grows like Christmas Moss.

Now I'm real glad you asked about the "white" plant. That, dear nephew is one of my "test kits". It and the plant to the left of it is fact the same. Mayacca Fluviatis, the perfect FE test kit. The white one was freebie a couple of days ago and has not got enough Iron hence the white color. The bright green one is my own overfed specimen, full of Iron. See the difference. One look at that plant and I know if my FE levels are good or not.

Last edited by bensaf at 11-Oct-2005 09:16

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Some days you're the pigeon and some days you're the statue.

Remember that age and treachery will always triumph over youth and ability.

Two quick question, what kind of moss is that, looks like garden variety java and that plant in the middle back (forget the name) is it really that white or is that the camera.

My Scapes

After 2 years git tired of looking at the old set up. Only one thing to do tear it down and start again Boy that was ten hours of fun....not

Thought I'd try something I've had in my head for a while an Amano type nature aquarium look.

I've a lot to do before I can try to match the master, nonetheless I'm pretty happy with the result. Actually I'm very happy

The stems have a bit of filling out to do but I think this one will be a keeper. Best I've done yet.

Let me know what you think.

bensaf attached this image:

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Some days you're the pigeon and some days you're the statue.

Remember that age and treachery will always triumph over youth and ability.

I recently used the f* word and it was overheard by my 5 year old son. Now guess what he was saying for a while?

! LF That can't be too popular with the wife can it?

VERY nice tank bensaf! I really like it. I hope my 29 gallon at least turns out easy to look at when I finally get started on that

Why did you kick a bucket of aquarium water accross the living room







Last edited by Tetra Fan at 11-Oct-2005 07:47

Bensaf,

Very good explanation of why things are the way they are.

I guess I will have to read more about Amano’s setups as I have not yet heard about this random disorder layout. I cannot believe that it is hard for you to find rocks when you have easy access to 6 feet tall piles of excellent driftwood and any plant that the Aquarist desires.

Yeah, tell me about the wife being at home when having one of these fussing-in-tank-fits . I don’t dare to use the bathtub for anything fish related as I assume the tub would become my sleeping quarter if I did. And the cursing, well – I recently used the f* word and it was overheard by my 5 year old son. Now guess what he was saying for a while? Not a good thing to do.

Keep us posted with pictures after the trimming,

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Ummm tank Specs.

If I remeber it's 40" x 21" x 23" or something like that. Roughly 70 usg.

Light 144 watts of PC lighting with reflectors 6700k- 10000K. 11 hours per day.

Pressurized Co2 used during photoperiod. Bubble rate set to almost a "stream"
Ph 6.6
KH 4.5
GH 8
No3, Fe,K and Po4 err, don't know, I just chuck the stuff in and never test.

Dosing
KNO3 1/2 teaspoon 3 times a week
KH2PO4 1/8 teaspoon 3 times a week
10ml Tropica Master Grow 3 times a week
5ml Chelated Fe 3 times a week

Weekly 50% water change.

Substrate:
A thin layer of foul smelling black gunk from the old tank
about a 1/4" of JBL AquaPro (mainly peat) topped with a 2 1/2" layer of inert silica sand (Monterey Beach sand).
I prefer to use a mainly inert substrate and dose everything in the water column.

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Some days you're the pigeon and some days you're the statue.

Remember that age and treachery will always triumph over youth and ability.

Thank for the comments guys, some good constructive remarks there just what I was looking for

I should point out this pic was taken just 24hrs after set up ! 99% of the plants used were from the original tank, some are 2 years old, so they were in tip top condition and took the move without any real problem.But after then 10 hours of work I literally just planted everything and made no attempt to trim (apart from cutting the bottom off most of the stems) or sculpt, that will come in the nest few days (after the wife calms down , see below )
Also the lights in this pic are 10000K which was good for the old set up but I think are too white and "glarey" for this set up and will be changed to 6700K tonight.

If the tank has a focal point at all, then it is in the middle of it, which (in my opinion) is not the right place

To be honest I tried to avoid any focal points as such. In line with what tetra mentioned about "random disorder" I was trying to create "zones" of interest where wood, rock and plant meet in interesting little areas. Some is not complete yet. For example the biggest bunch of moss is on a long piece of wood sitting diagonally between the substrate and a bigger piece of wood, the created archway is planted with some Anubias petite and stones. The intention is to create a little playground for the fish like the rams, bettas and pencils to play around in while feeling safe and undisturbed by observers. It's just not obvious yet as the moss hasn't been trimmed.
The pic really doesn't do the effect justice as the one thing I've noticed alrweady about this set up is that it's so much more fun to sit and watch. It's more open and has more of these little play areas, as a result the fish are behaving much more interestingly and you end up not seeing the tank as a whole but get drawn into a particular spot waiting for something to pop out or wondering why that gourami has his stuck in the air
Having said all that Ingo is quite right the ratios are a little bit off and a few tweaks may be made. Good eye.

You should close that narrow end all the way to the right where one can see the "hardware"

Wasn't sure what you were referring too as there's no hardware in that section. Then I realised what you actually saw is some glare from a messy silicone job where the side glass meets the back glass] Got to cover that.

- The rocks on the right hand side clash with each other as they are very different types

Correct. The brown rock is in fact fossilised wood, there are 4 other much bigger pieces in the tank being used as "support for Anubias and driftwood and invisible. I'm on the look out for a darker more grainer piece of rock to replace it. Good rock is ridiculously hard to find.

but the filter output right in the middle I would move if I were you. It's staring you right in the face

It's not actually the filter ouput. It's a small pump that's placed there to disperse the Co2 micro bubbles coming from the reactor which is hidden to the left. Yep it's real eyesore, but it's only there because of the lenght of the power cord , an extension cable will allow me to put it depper in the tank, where it should be anyway for maximum dispersion.

One question though: how on earth did you manage to find 10 hours to work on a tank? Is your wife out of town?

No she was in the apartment and it was not the finest hour in our relationship let me tell you. She wasn't happy about losing a Sunday of possible handbag shopping in Senayan, and even more unhappy with the sand and water verywhere and a bathtub full of plants and fish. This was a tricky job and didn't always go smoothly, my occasional foul mouthed temper tantrums did not go down well with her either.Never kick a bucket of tank water across the living room when your wife is there to see it boys
Happy ending though. I woke up next morning and the wife was not in bed. I went out to living room and she was sitting in an armchair with her face about a few inches from the glass staring into the tank. I asked her what she was doing and she just said it was so beautiful she wanted to look at it for while

Last edited by bensaf at 10-Oct-2005 22:59

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Some days you're the pigeon and some days you're the statue.

Remember that age and treachery will always triumph over youth and ability.