My new 3 ft tank

[patricc]

Hi guys,

This is a picture of my new planted aquarium



Tank Dimensions (LxWxH, specify units): 36 x 18 X 18 inches
Lighting Intensity(No of Watts) : 36w x 2 T5HO (1 Hopar & 1 Arcadia Plant Gro)+ 5x0.55w LED modules

Number and type of Lighting (FL/PL/MH) : T5HO / LED
Age of light bulbs : 05/06/2008
No. of hours your lights are on : 4 hrs light + 2 hrs break + 4 hrs light
CO2 Injection Rate (bps) : ~1 bubble per 5-10s
Type of CO2 : 2L Cylinder
Method of Injection : Internal Reactor
Other fertilisers (Product name. E.g. Root Monster) : Seachem Flourish / Flourish Trace

Substrate: ADA Amazonia 2, Gex Soil, Gex Soil Powder with Denerle FB1 SubstrateStart

Type of Filter : Canister - Eheim 2028

Fan: Mr Aqua Cooling Fan

Age of setup : since 21st May 2008

Water change frequency : Every week plus topup
Amount changed : 3 inches of water

Water surface movement (None/gentle/turbulent) : Gentle to turbulent
Circulation (None/gentle/turbulent) : Gentle

Tank Temperature : 28.3 degree celcius at this moment with fan turn on

Fauna: 20 Galaxys / 20 Neon Tetras / 2 SAEs / 3 Otos (Planned to add another 2 SAE / 3 Otos / 10 Galaxys / 10 Neon / 6 Kuhli Loaches)

Flora: 1 Nana / 1 Nana Petite / 1 Red Rotala / A few Tropical Marble / Crypts / Blyxa Japonica / HC / Glosso

1st week of setup was without any plants.
2nd week added the nanas / HC / Glosso / Rotalas / Tropical Marble
Just added the T5HO after around 2 weeks as I suspect that the LEDs were not enough.Then added the crypts / blyxa (courtesy of brother hii)

Noticed carbon like growth on the leaves and melting throughout the plants. HC and glosso almost melted away.

[jasonc]

I hope that is the camera white balance problem. In the photo, the moss is about dying. The rest of the plants need time to grow better, all should not be any problem.

[patricc]

The moss ends are all brown in colour while the stem is still green. I dunno if it's algae or not. Hope the last min adding of the T5 works.

PH is about 6.5 or so while KH is 0. Is there a way to increase KH while not increasing PH?

[jasonc]

The moss ends are all brown in colour while the stem is still green. I dunno if it's algae or not. Hope the last min adding of the T5 works.

PH is about 6.5 or so while KH is 0. Is there a way to increase KH while not increasing PH?

increase KH is pretty simple, by increasing the CO2 amount. Later pH will drop & KH will raise. Try not allow KH raise too high, may be 2~3 German degree is good enough. And pH is more flexible, within 6.2~6.6 is quite save.

[patricc]

Thanks bro...

Update on the fauna:

20 Galaxys / 20 Neon Tetras / 4 SAEs / 6 Otos / 12 T.Espei

Is the bio load too much for now?

[the_r0ck]

You sure you want the nanas at the right-back of the tank? It is dwarfing the overall scape and make the tank looks a little small.

I like your hardscape and it has a pretty nice layout. Perhaps just one or two more thicker branches on the left that faces to the right-front will help to balance things out.

Will be awaiting for more updates.

[patricc]

The big Nana is on the left near the water output to break up the water flow and the right back is actually crypts to provide cover for my Galaxys and also to hide the intake tube. I prefer to let them have a place to hide at the back. Or should I switch the nana and the crypts as I heard crypts like fast water flows....

Idea is to have a triangular foreground with 2 halfs of a triangle on the left and right back respectively for hiding and watever hankypanky...

[torque6]

Actually, most of us dont hide the inlet as it will cause inflow problems as its blocked. You can check out some nice tanks here, they usually have the inlet pipes at the sides, uncovered.

[patricc]

Actually, it is not to cover up but to break up the image of it at the back. I have shifted the Nana and Tropical Marbles to the intake side while switching the crypts to the outlet side. But my Nana's rhizome seems to be rotting a bit. Maybe it is because I covered it up a bit last time. The leaves are breaking off at the stem and you can see the melting of a piece of leave in the front.

Think overall it looks better now Thanks for the suggestions.

I couldn put the inlet or outlet at the side as my tank comes with braces at the side hence the placement is a bit more inward than I wanted. Then again, the tank, rack and cover is free from my wife's uncle luohan days

Update on the flora, I can see more HC appearing from the brown mess in the foreground while the moss is showing more greenery tips. Temp is maintained at around 27-28 degrees now.

[jasonc]

IMO, need black/dark background at your back when photo shoot, I can see you in the glass reflection, and try lower a bit the shooting angle. Besides of aquascape, photography is important too.

[patricc]

Guys, thanks for the advice...

I got a white wall behind me so no choice cant get a black background.

Been busy.... added some more Galaxys to the tank...

Now the fauna count is-

60-64 Galaxy, 10 Harlequin Rasboras, 15 Neons, 4 SAE and 6 Otos..

2 of my H.Rasbora jumped and dried on the floor after I removed the tank cover and just place my PL and T5s on the top... Sigh..... Now will stop adding any more fishes to the tank...

Been inching to add shrimps to keep the algae a bit lower but worried that they will attack my fish... been paranoid after seeing them eat dead fish in my father's old tank.

Removed the big nana as the rhizome has rotten away... shifted the Blyxa japonica to the right side to let them grow together with the C.Parva?

My HC is growing well but does not crawl well enough as the Otos and SAE always manage to uproot a few when scavenging...

The mos is getting better and better each day... will wait till the day I see it 'waving' more like the banyan tree style

Got also snails appearing... dunno where did they come from also... Seen a mixture of ramhorns and MTS..

Will post a few pictures when free...

[blue33]

I dont know whether your camera shot white balance is out or the plant is yellowish, it dont look good to me! CO2, lights, and dosing of ferts not enough. You have almost everything to get it going, good base fert, soil, etc... but .... Algae may kick in if continue like that.

[patricc]

I am using 2 bubbles per second, 2 x 30w FL, 2 x 39w T5, 2 times of recommended doasge of Seachem Flourish and Trace....

Will try to add more flora now at the back where my Nana used to be....

I got green spot algae on the walls at the moment but not much other algae'at the moment' *cross my fingers*

[patricc]

Pictures are from left to right.... feel free to give any coments

[jacian]

increase KH is pretty simple, by increasing the CO2 amount. Later pH will drop & KH will raise. Try not allow KH raise too high, may be 2~3 German degree is good enough. And pH is more flexible, within 6.2~6.6 is quite save.

This is new to me, may I know where do you get the information that increasing the CO2 will increase the kH?

[torque6]

This is new to me, may I know where do you get the information that increasing the CO2 will increase the kH?

Agree, dont think there is a way to increase co2 resulting in increasing KH. If there was, all our tanks will have the same PH thus eliminating the term acidic or alkaline waters.

Jacian, thanks for picking this up.

[patricc]

Tank Dimensions (LxWxH, specify units): 36 x 18 X 18 inches

Lighting Intensity(No of Watts) : 36w x 2 T5HO (1 Hopar & 1 Arcadia Plant Gro)+ 2x30w (1 Daylight/1 Pink) FL
Number and type of Lighting (FL/PL/MH) : T5HO / FL
Age of light bulbs : June/July 2008
No. of hours your lights are on : 4 hrs light + 2 hrs break + 4 hrs light Now 10 hours

CO2 Injection Rate (bps) : ~1 bubble per 1s
Type of CO2 : 2L Cylinder
Method of Injection : Internal Reactor

Other fertilisers (Product name. E.g. Root Monster) : Seachem Flourish / Flourish Trace

Substrate: ADA Amazonia 2, Gex Soil, Gex Soil Powder with Denerle FB1 SubstrateStart

Type of Filter : Canister - Eheim 2028

Fan: 2 x Mr Aqua Super Tornado Cooling Fan

Age of setup : since 21st May 2008

Water change frequency : Every week plus topup
Amount changed : 3 inches of water

Water surface movement (None/gentle/turbulent) : Gentle to turbulent
Circulation (None/gentle/turbulent) : Gentle

Tank Temperature : 26-27 degree celcius at this moment with fans turn on

GH is 60-120ppm
KH is 40ppm
PH is 6.5
NO2&3 is nil or almost nil.

FFauna: 60 Galaxies, 10 Harlequin Rasboras, 15 Neons, 4 SAE & 6 Otos. Left 5 cherries surviving.

Flora: Blyxa Japonica, Windelov's fern, 2 Petite Nanas, Java Moss, a bit of HC, Ludwigia repens?

[planted86]

why is it so cloudy??

[patricc]

I had just pluck the windelov out of the soil to tie on the wood before putting it back into the tank hence the cloudiness.... water was clear when the cherries died...

[christopher.wtc]

Hi pat,
I posted previously about mosses

Hi to all, some tips to growing mosses. But first, pls check that there are no foul smell coming from the tank, if there is then u may have to throw away the moss.

Mosses have got a tipical smell and they should smell that way when they are healthy even if it's brown. Extreme condition when mosses become transparent or brown to blacken, then it may be the water lacking of a certain nutrient.

Mosses like phosphorus just like ferns. In Singapore, due to hot climate, mosses will still grow but not to optimum. A chiller set at 25 degrees will be perfect for mosses. But dont be discourage if you dont have a chiller coz like I said they will still grow. It does not need CO2 as well but if given, the moss will grow fast.

Please do not turn up your CO2 thinking to attain a higher kH because this will only lower your pH to dangerous level even for plants. And KH will be even lower than before. To put it simple, Kh and pH are just the opposite. kH measuring at 6 dkH is ideal for most plants and your pH will automatically be are 6.4 to 6.8 depending on CO2 saturation in the water. Do check your gH as well. A good level of kH and CO2 with the right amout of light will make your plants go pearling crazy.
Good luck