My first try with a 2ft tank

[Timeless]

Hi guys,

I just started my planted tank journey after getting inspiration from the bros here.
specs as follows:
60x30x45 tank
shrimp soil as base
ada arizona powder as top
planted with HC
using DSM
no co2

hopefully this experiment will work. Here are the pics.
Will update in a few more weeks time! *keeping fingers crossed now that the HC wont dry up.

comments and advises are welcome! Thanks!

[wongce]

Hmm, its easier to keep HC with co2 after you flooded

The rocks are not in same tone? Some look black and some look grey to me... maybe its just the light...haha

[memzsa]

you will need CO2 definitely, HC can't survive, I've tried even with Excel..

[cherabin]

Our fellow forumer, Urban Aquaria, has succeeded with HC using just Excel for carbon supplementation. Do a search on the thread and the information will surely assists you leaps and bounds.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Timeless]

Yup, got the inspiration from Urban Aquaria. His beautiful carpet is hell of a success consider he didn't use CO2.
Hopefully will succeed like his. Im using a spray bottle filled with de-cholorinsed water added with anti-algae and fertilizers.
I spray about 2 times everyday (day and night).
Lights are on from 6am to 9pm. with the tank top wrapped with plastic-sheet.

The above are the things i've keeping up with. Please kindly highlight if anything above is not recommended.

Thanks! =))

[Urban Aquaria]

Try to drain out all the excess water that is pooling at the front of the tank, as over-saturation of the soil substrate and a covered tank (with high humidity and heat trapped in) may lead to mold/fungus growth.

Just lightly mist the soil each time so that its slightly moist is enough, and since you are misting it twice a day, covering the tank isn't necessary (its better to have a constant exchange of fresh air rather than stagnant air trapped in the tank).

Is your tank height 30cm or 45cm? If its 45cm height, then do monitor that your lights are still strong enough to sustain the HC after the tank is flooded. Light intensity drops alot when it has to shine through a taller volume water.

Other than that it looks good, just a few more weeks to get a HC carpet.

[Timeless]

Try to drain out all the excess water that is pooling at the front of the tank, as over-saturation of the soil substrate and a covered tank (with high humidity and heat trapped in) may lead to mold/fungus growth.

Just lightly mist the soil each time so that its slightly moist is enough, and since you are misting it twice a day, covering the tank isn't necessary (its better to have a constant exchange of fresh air rather than stagnant air trapped in the tank).

Is your tank height 30cm or 45cm? If its 45cm height, then do monitor that your lights are still strong enough to sustain the HC after the tank is flooded. Light intensity drops alot when it has to shine through a taller volume water.

Other than that it looks good, just a few more weeks to get a HC carpet.

Thanks for the advise bro!

[Timeless]

Just did what urban aquaria bro suggested. Didn't managed to clear all the ponding.. But i do hope fungi wont grow!

[Timeless]

An update from my tank... DSM doesnt work for me... Haha...

Re-scaped the whole tank... Added co2...

Question: is my co2 placement ok? It is diffused thru small bubbles... The bubbles go up to the surface and "pop"... Doesnt this signifies that the co2 escaped from the surface?

Also... I read somewhere that using a rainbar, i might want to turn the output 45 degree angled down to promote circulation... I turned it 45degree already... But i don't think it is circulating well... And suggestions?



Thanks in advance!ImageUploadedByTapatalk1396448109.236178.jpg

[Urban Aquaria]

Yeah, DSM growth usually starts from 3rd-4th week onwards (before that the plants are still establishing roots), so it'll look like nothing is happening for a while, need more time to complete.

If you are using CO2 injection, then can just grow the plants submerged instead, less boring than just looking at plants growing in an empty tank.

Generally its better to have the Co2 diffuser placed opposite and within the circular flow of the outflow (with the flow path more focused towards the plants), so that the bubbles are pushed downwards into the plants... otherwise they'll just mostly rise to the water surface and off-gas into the air (although a percentage of the Co2 will still dissolve in the water, it'll just be less efficient).

Something like this:



Source: UKAPS

Rainbar systems tend to have reduced overall circulation as the water pressure is spread out amongst many hole outputs... i guess you can try running a filter with higher flow rate to compensate, or maybe switch to a pipe outflow system which creates stronger circular flow across the tank.

[Timeless]

Thanks for the reply bro. So meaning, i just take out the rainbar tube and leave the output as it is?

Suction part and output part must be on the same side as illustrated in your pic? co2 diffuser must be opposite side of these both?

[bennyc]

An update from my tank... DSM doesnt work for me... Haha...

Re-scaped the whole tank... Added co2...

Question: is my co2 placement ok? It is diffused thru small bubbles... The bubbles go up to the surface and "pop"... Doesnt this signifies that the co2 escaped from the surface?

Also... I read somewhere that using a rainbar, i might want to turn the output 45 degree angled down to promote circulation... I turned it 45degree already... But i don't think it is circulating well... And suggestions?



Thanks in advance!ImageUploadedByTapatalk1396448109.236178.jpg

Hi Timeless, the rainbar advice is given by me to another bro, but it is based on limitations in budget, if i did not remember wrongly. However, rainbar has many oulet (tiny holes) compare to say a lily pipe (single outlet) so the driving current or pushing force is totally different. If you want to do things right and is within your constriant. I have learnt (by the hard way) that investing in the right equipment helps , or else the time and money spend later to remedy the adverse effect like poor growth... algae etc will balance out in the long run.

[Timeless]

Hi Benny,

Ive detached the rainbar from the output already. So in short. . .its just left with the output end. . .Just curious. . .so does this suffice for the substitution for lily-pipe?

[Urban Aquaria]

Using the output pipe on its own is possible, the circulation will be more focused and stronger but the flow path will also be relatively narrow due to the smaller mouth (lily pipe has wide mouth which spreads out the flow)... the configuration can still work too, just direct the output pipe towards the majority of the plants to bring nutrients and Co2 to those areas.

The intake pipe and output pipe are positioned on the same side to work with the circular flow pattern, it also helps to encourage some additional circulation directly below the output pipe which tends to be a dead-spot (via water drawing into the intake pipe).

[Timeless]

Thanks for the reply. Ok. I think i will get a lily-pipe this weekend. Thanks for answering to my endless questions! Noob here!

[Timeless]

Just realised that the lily pipe outlet is so expensive!

Anyway.. Just did a minor adjustment to my tank...
1.Took out the large rock at the far right and replaced with 3 more petite nana and 3 small pieces of rock...

2. Readjusted the output pipe as per benny bro recommended.

3. My boraras merahs are no longer gathering at the top and corner of the tank. They are everywhere now, like what i wanted )

4. Planted some more hairgrass

5. Fissidens color like becoming brighter as well

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1396694803.131894.jpgImageUploadedByTapatalk1396694828.700584.jpgImageUploadedByTapatalk1396694856.108286.jpg

[Urban Aquaria]

Just realised that the lily pipe outlet is so expensive!

You are probably looking at the more expensive branded ones... the cheaper brand glass lily pipes can work well too, just shop around for them at various LFS ( order in eBay or Taobao), they are usually around 1/2 to 1/3 the price of the branded ones (ie. $20-$30), just make sure the ones you eventually get are made properly and are as close to the shape and angle as the ADA ones.

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1396694828.700584.jpg

Btw, those are fittonia plants... they are terrestrial, non-aquatic.

[Timeless]

Oh i see... Ok.. Thanks for the inputs...

What!!!??? Those are not aquatic?!?!?!

Bro.... You just spoiled my saturday... Hahaha

In fact those two are my favourite plants in the tank... Lol