Journal Of my Tank

**arnold** · 18th Feb 2009, 18:10

After going through a lot of difficult times, my tank is finally very stable. I will be showing pictures of my tank, from the start, when I was a super noob, till now, a noob with a little knowledge.

3rd Dec 07
Just got my first tank. Being someone without any experience at all, I just followed what my friend told me to buy. I didn't even know why, and for what. It's a lousy way, now that I think back.

21st Dec 07
During this period of time, I went through the forum, and admired the planted tanks that bros and sis here have. I decided that I wanted a planted tank too. However, I failed to read up, as I had thought that having a planted tank will be easy. I found the address of NA, and headed down to buy plants.

I asked the boss there, which are the plants which are easy to maintain, and I just got them. No background checks whatsoever. Just buy, go home, and plant.

Somehow, my fishes started dying one by one. I suspect it has something to do with the bio-load. Soon, I was left with only 3 guppies. My plants were not surviving too. Soon, All of them turned yellow, and I had to take all of them out.

12th June 08
After reading up more on planted tanks, I have a little knowledge on which are the easier plants to maintain. I decided that moss was the way to go. I headed down to NA again, and bought a driftwood with moss on it. Along with it, I purchased 2 marimo moss balls.

I got really depressed when even the moss didn't survive! It just went brown, and started to drop off, until the wood was bald. I just left the tank as it is. The fishes survived though. That is until I did something real dumb. I did a 50% water change. That wiped all of my fishes out! I thought that I should stop this hobby, and stop killing livestocks like that.

15th Dec 08
During this period of time, my tank was empty. I carried on reading the forums, and envying others of their tanks. Over this period of time, I knew that I had a major problem with my lights. I decided to give it one last shot. I changed my lights from a ST 15W light, to a PL 36W light, and changed my filter to a mini canister. Subsequently, I went to C328 for my plants. I decided that, if I fail again this time, I will give the hobby up.

I posted this picture up before, and someone pointed to me that one of the plants is not aquatic. I took that out immediately, and replaced it with some other plants.

2nd Jan 09
After changing the plants, the tank seem to remain stable.

During this period of time, I had some problems with the hair algae. I bought some malayan shrimps from NA, and they are working hard at it. However, somehow they didn't survive. I have no idea to why they didn't survive.

**arnold** · 18th Feb 2009, 20:47

1st Feb 09
I headed down to NA and bought another batch of malayn shrimps. After that, I bought a driftwood with christmas moss on it, from C328. Outcome as such:

17 Feb 09
As of today, everything is stable, and no casualties for a period of time. I am glad that I decided to give the tank one last try.

Although the tank is still very much a noob tank, I have seen improvements in myself over the past yr on my knowledge. The tank is still a "trial tank" at this moment of time. Once I am confident that I have enough knowledge on hand, I will decom the tank, and do a proper planted tank, with all the correct stuff.

**fighting fish** · 22nd Feb 2009, 01:27

Nice progress from your first tank to ur current one, keep it up...once you get there you'll realise that its worth it

at least we're on the same journy, Noob here too...

**Verminator** · 22nd Feb 2009, 02:42

Coming along nicely. Real progress in your ability and understanding. Keep it up. I find researching and understanding more complex things within this hobby just as interesting as the practical side of fish keeping itself.

**barmby** · 23rd Feb 2009, 17:19

arnold, keep it up. tank needs time to settle. maybe your shrimps cannot take it because water conditions keep changing.

**sandeepraghuvanshi** · 23rd Feb 2009, 18:19

Hi Friend
Nice of you to have persisited.
Your tank has less plants, planted tanks need to be planted heavily in the begining or else algae will take over. Also a mix of fast & slow growing plants is adviced to keep algae at bay.
In some of you earlier pictures stem plants are planted in clumps, they do better when planted individually near to each other. Also they were high light plants hence they might have died.
The plants in your current setup look to be okay, increase some stem plants more.
Pls give details like, size of tank, substrate, no of fish. Frequency of water change.
Are you injecting any co2 for plants , any fertlilizers.

**arnold** · 26th Feb 2009, 22:51

1st Feb 09
I headed down to NA and bought another batch of malayn shrimps. After that, I bought a driftwood with christmas moss on it, from C328. Outcome as such:

17 Feb 09
As of today, everything is stable, and no casualties for a period of time. I am glad that I decided to give the tank one last try.

Although the tank is still very much a noob tank, I have seen improvements in myself over the past yr on my knowledge. The tank is still a "trial tank" at this moment of time. Once I am confident that I have enough knowledge on hand, I will decom the tank, and do a proper planted tank, with all the correct stuff.

**arnold** · 26th Feb 2009, 22:53

Originally Posted by sandeepraghuvanshi

Hi Friend
Nice of you to have persisited.
Your tank has less plants, planted tanks need to be planted heavily in the begining or else algae will take over. Also a mix of fast & slow growing plants is adviced to keep algae at bay.
In some of you earlier pictures stem plants are planted in clumps, they do better when planted individually near to each other. Also they were high light plants hence they might have died.
The plants in your current setup look to be okay, increase some stem plants more.
Pls give details like, size of tank, substrate, no of fish. Frequency of water change.
Are you injecting any co2 for plants , any fertlilizers.

no co2 so far. been dosing only seachem excel flourish once in abt 3-4 days

**Verminator** · 27th Feb 2009, 07:23

The tank is certainly coming along. Each update its looking more and more attractive. Certainly moss is a great plant to scape with.

Glad you persisted. The hobby certainly has its ways of testing you as a person. I'm in a rut currently, going through a bad phase with my tank. In the last 6 days i've lost 9 rummys, 1 flying fox, 1 rainbow sucker and my 4inch clown loach

The hobby is certainly rewarding though.

I look forward to seeing any updates/improvements you make in the coming days/weeks/months