64 Litre "Forest Edge" Tank!

[jackychun]

If i remember correctly, i used around 3L of Seachem Matrix to fill my Eheim Ecco Pro 300 canister filter (i opted not to use any of the original eheim media that came with the package, only used the pre-filter sponge and fine white filter wool pad).

Thanks UA. In that case I assumed each tray can contains about 1L of filter media.

Other than the Tropica Fertilizer that you mentioned, did you use any Iron fertilizer?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Urban Aquaria]

Thanks UA. In that case I assumed each tray can contains about 1L of filter media.

Well, i still had a handful of media leftover after i filled the trays, so its not all 3L used up. The leftovers i used to top up another filter.

I'd estimate its probably around 800-900ml per tray... depends on how you pack it with media though. If you pack it very densely it could be possible to cram all the media in, but that will tend to affect the flow. Better to give abit more space allowance for the media to move around. The key is to assemble the trays and then shake it, you should still be able to hear the media shift around abit (not all stuck permanently on one position).

Other than the Tropica Fertilizer that you mentioned, did you use any Iron fertilizer?

I only dosed the Tropica fertilizer... didn't dose any other ferts.

As the plants grew out, i did however gradually increase the dosages over time. Up to one point i was dosing 3x-4x the recommended dosage (due to the higher nutrient usage rate of increased plant density and mass). Consequently, when i trimmed the plants and harvested them out, i also reduced the fertilizer dosages accordingly to match the reduced plant density.

You'll just have to monitor the plant growth and condition to adjust the fertilizer dosing amounts.

[jackychun]

Thanks UA for your advice and appreciate your prompt response. Can't wait to start my first tank.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Urban Aquaria]

Thanks UA for your advice and appreciate your prompt response. Can't wait to start my first tank.

Happy Aquascaping!

[jackychun]

Hi UA, I notice that you do not using background for your aquarium. I am thinking of the background matter now. People says fishes will feel safer with the dark background. Hope to have your advice. Thanks.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Urban Aquaria]

Hi UA, I notice that you do not using background for your aquarium. I am thinking of the background matter now. People says fishes will feel safer with the dark background. Hope to have your advice. Thanks.

Well, sticking black coloured oyama paper on the back glass of the tank is usually more of an aesthetic choice... some people prefer to look at their fishes against a black background, others want to accentuate the color contrast of certain fishes, while there are also others (like me) who prefer to recreate a transparent "slice of nature" without an artificial background.

Personally i have not found much difference in the behaviour of the fishes that i've kept in tanks with or without a background, so i guess it's just up to your personal preference.

[jackychun]

Thanks for your reply, UA.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Ryan Peh]

Hi UA! Where can I buy the tropica premium fertiliser?

[jackychun]

I think you can buy it from Fishy Business and I also saw FreshNMarine, too.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Ryan Peh]

Hi UA, so I've recently bought the Tropica Premium Fertiliser. Looking at your thread, you mentioned that you increased your dosage after noticing certain nutrient deficiency signs on the leaves of the plants? Can you explain specifically what were you looking for and what were the early nutrient deficiency signs? That would be very helpful for someone that is just starting to understand the nutrient needs in plants! Thanks again UA!

[Urban Aquaria]

Hi UA, so I've recently bought the Tropica Premium Fertiliser. Looking at your thread, you mentioned that you increased your dosage after noticing certain nutrient deficiency signs on the leaves of the plants? Can you explain specifically what were you looking for and what were the early nutrient deficiency signs? That would be very helpful for someone that is just starting to understand the nutrient needs in plants! Thanks again UA!

The usual signs are yellowing or melting leaves, leaves with holes or twisted growth, algae growing on leaves... basically anything that does not look like healthy fresh leaves like what you see in photos of the plants online.

You can check out the various plant nutrient deficiency charts to detect the various signs, here is a link to a useful one: http://infographics.myaquacalc.com/?p=333

Many of those indicative signs are caused by overlapping nutrient deficiencies (not just isolated to only one specific nutrient deficiency). Quite often we see some aquarists only dose specific ferts to treat one deficiency at a time, then more and more deficiencies start to pop up due to the shifts in nutrient take-up rate and ratios... in such cases, it'll be better to simply increase dosages of all nutrients as a whole, so that it can cover all possible shortages.

Also do take note that Premium fertilizer does not contain nitrogen and phosphates, so if you find that that is depleted, you'll need to switch to the Specialized version, or dose those macro ferts separately as add-ons.

[jackychun]

Hi UA,

May I ask if the fertilizer need to be added from day 1?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Urban Aquaria]

Hi UA,

May I ask if the fertilizer need to be added from day 1?

Yes, if your focus is on growing plants quickly, its recommended to dose from day 1 (especially in a high tech setup)... the potassium and micro/trace nutrients tend to get depleted quickly in most densely planted tanks, so having those nutrients available in the tank will help to avoid deficiencies appearing earlier.

Its usually better to maintain abit more nutrients in the water for the plants establish and to grow well, rather than only starting to dose fertilizers when they start to weaken and exhibit deficiencies, as it takes longer for new plants to recover from those situations.

[jackychun]

Thanks for your reply and advice. I will take note of that after planting done.

One more thing about the algae matter, some people dose AlgExit from the start. Is this recommended?

And I saw a pad of carbon filter pad in the package of Eheim Ecco Pro 300: is this OK to use carbon filter at the beginning or only use it when tank has odor?

Thank you.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Urban Aquaria]

One more thing about the algae matter, some people dose AlgExit from the start. Is this recommended?

Well, unless you actually experience difficult algae issues in the tank, its best not to just dose it as a prophylactic practice, as its possible that some sensitive livestock may not do so well with prolonged exposure to it.

Its best to instead quarantine and treat all new plants bought from LFS and plant farms with those anti-algae chemicals (and anti-pest treatments) in a separate tank first, then make sure they are cleaned free of residual chemicals, before introducing them to your main tank. That will ensure that anything introduced into the tank is algae and pest free, and the chemicals don't get into and accumulate in the main tank.

And I saw a pad of carbon filter pad in the package of Eheim Ecco Pro 300: is this OK to use carbon filter at the beginning or only use it when tank has odor?

You could use the carbon pad during tank start up, but its not really necessary. Do take not that it has a limited lifespan, usually around 2-3 weeks. After that it should be removed.

Most planted tank keepers prefer not to use activated carbon as it also adsorbs a portion of fertilizers and nutrients which the plants need, so it can be rather counter-productive. Activated carbon is more commonly used only for specific purposes like removing tannins or chemicals after treatments.

[jackychun]

Thanks UA. I am clear now. Thank you very much!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Ryan Peh]

Just a quick update, this tank has now been running for around 7+ months and the tank conditions are still stable, plants are growing well, the fishes and shrimps are healthy, algae is still minimal so its stayed relatively low maintenance so far.

Due to the dense growth of plants, i found it difficult to feed the fishes and shrimps without food quickly disappearing into the plant mass (especially when feeding algae wafers)... so i recently installed a feeding dish to help contain the food in one convenient spot.

I chose to use an acrylic dish with an attached feeding tube (those commonly used for shrimp tanks), but soon discovered that the curious Otocinclus Cocama like to swim into the tube and get stuck in it, so i removed the tube and just used the dish on its own.

Otocinclus feeding time with a nice buffet spread of zucchini slice and wafer bits...



Alot less messy and makes it much easier to remove uneaten food... i should have installed this months ago!

Hi UA, most of the feeding dishes that I found all doesn't come with the suction thingy. How did you get one with the suction cup?

[Urban Aquaria]

Hi UA, most of the feeding dishes that I found all doesn't come with the suction thingy. How did you get one with the suction cup?

I just used a separate suction cup that was designed with a plug insert (it came from those pipe clip suction cups).

Alternatively you could also get any suction cup and DIY silicone them together.

[Ryan Peh]

Your acrylic dish had the hole to insert the plug for the suction cup?
How did you join the dish to the suction cup?

[Urban Aquaria]

Your acrylic dish had the hole to insert the plug for the suction cup?
How did you join the dish to the suction cup?

Yeah, the acrylic dish i got was the type that came with the feeding tube, so it has the hole and acrylic nut piece. I simply installed the nut, then slot it into the suction cup's plug insert.

Here is another feeding dish at a different viewing angle, you can see how the parts are fixed together: