New set up: Comments and feedback welcome

[alvinchan80]

Wahaha~!!! 2 hands? I can imagine...hahaha~!!!

You mean the Red Tiger Lily?
HC does not like shades, just caution you first

I think i was told that the lily pad plant is a Hydrocotyle... (asked for plant ID in PlantTalk section.. lol)

Hmmm... but the only place I can put tall plants will be at the 'top of the cliff'... hahahahahaha....
Can anyone help me ID the plants i planted at the back of the rock?

Bro Nav, you interested in coming over help me to plant HC? i need all the 'hands' i can get... hahaha..
anyway, i will be tearing my HC into smaller patches and planting in checkered formation... then open up the new pack of un-wooled HC to cover more surface... just hope that the Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate & Temperature will not be an issue... CO2 is blasting away and lights i am very sure is more then enough with 96W for 10hrs... I doubt i need to add fertilizer since I have a superbly 'fertilized' water, right Bro Nav?

[equidorz]

i think i go back home today to take out those big clumps and replant them smaller clamps and in checkered spacing.... (i cant find planting techniques for HC online!)
dont remind me of the forceps.. i experienced that until i plunge my hands into the tank and plant them with 2 hands! one to hold down the HC, another to spread soil around & on top of it....



i really dont know what plant is that... its really nice but i m actually deciding if i want that lily pad kind of plants instead of the one you spotted.. but decided on that.... or maybe i should change to the lily pad plant to provide some shade... *dilemma again*

That why most people start with dry start method? But you too impatient. LOL! but still nice try and hope your hc starts creeping in no time..

[alvinchan80]

That why most people start with dry start method? But you too impatient. LOL! but still nice try and hope your hc starts creeping in no time..

ya... but i cannot stand seeing a tank with no water and its just there with rocks staring at me... hahahaha... i hope so too... thanks bro~

[blue33]

Either way can work, not necessary it has to be dry start method. I myself prefer not to use dry start method.

That why most people start with dry start method? But you too impatient. LOL! but still nice try and hope your hc starts creeping in no time..

[alvinchan80]

I have decided not to break up the HC into smaller patches as they covered certain areas nicely and also includes the slopes, etc... I have concentrated on only the left sides of my tank because the right side might have a fissiden 'tree' 'growing' there... haha.. in the middle, there will be a fissiden 'path'..

tank consider still cycling as the ammonia, nitrite & nitrate is still very high.. currently waiting for slow balance of those 3 perimeters, and getting a chiller to make the water cool...

Updates of photos below...
Please give any feedback or information whether is it alright or not...

Any ID on the plant at the back.. right now they look like a bamboo forest at the back behind the rock...


Sorry for taking a shot of the active carbon which I placed inside the tank during cycle... LOL!!!!






ENJOY!!!!

[Navanod]

Thats a much better coverage with the HC...wish I had done the same when I did mine

How do you plan to make the fissiden path bro? Sounds interesting

[alvinchan80]

Thats a much better coverage with the HC...wish I had done the same when I did mine

How do you plan to make the fissiden path bro? Sounds interesting

make use of the current tank's fissiden mesh to connect from the back to the front lo.. hahahahaha...

the HC better coverage but i dont know if they will grow nicely to spread or not... hope they dont melt on me can already... the only thing i worry about...

[newlife]

make use of the current tank's fissiden mesh to connect from the back to the front lo.. hahahahaha...

the HC better coverage but i dont know if they will grow nicely to spread or not... hope they dont melt on me can already... the only thing i worry about...

Bro...I teach you one method to prevent the HC from melting...

Turn on your chiller to the maximum coldness...den dun melt already...wahaha....just pulling your leg.

Anyway...I feel that once the hc start to spread evenly..It will look nice already. And don't lay any fissiden path and leave the ground covered with HC..will look more neat...leave out your fissiden tree also. Just get some nice and small natural looking driftwood tied with some nice looking moss...example mini Christmas which grow out neatly.

Anyway...just my simple comment...

[alvinchan80]

Bro...I teach you one method to prevent the HC from melting...

Turn on your chiller to the maximum coldness...den dun melt already...wahaha....just pulling your leg.

Anyway...I feel that once the hc start to spread evenly..It will look nice already. And don't lay any fissiden path and leave the ground covered with HC..will look more neat...leave out your fissiden tree also. Just get some nice and small natural looking driftwood tied with some nice looking moss...example mini Christmas which grow out neatly.

Anyway...just my simple comment...

i also did thought of full hc lawn.. then i would need to buy more un-wool HC... i dont want to give up on the fissiden mesh, and tree... sad ley.... hahahahaha...

(Fissiden Tree anyone interested? For Sale!)

[newlife]

Easiliest way to be contented.....don't decom old tank.....keep your fissiden and fissiden tree in old tank lor....

[alvinchan80]

8/11/2010 - Updates...

Recently added a small packet of powder soil to be the top soil for the scape. I dont know if what I did was correct or wrong but just try my luck this time i guess.. HC seems to be growing upwards more then creeping.. There seems to be some slime like stuff attached to the HC, can anyone tell me what is that and should I remove it?











Feel free to give any comments or feedback... Thank you....

[blue33]

New tank syndrome. Beginning of Brown algae coming in. Otto will clear them off.

[Navanod]

Looking good bro.
The HC is still getting used to it, wouldn't be creeping so soon. Took almost a month before mine started creeping.

Looks like the algaes are coming in now. If its just the usual brown diatom and green algae, that fine, hopefully they'll grow and cover everything so the bad algaes got no place to grow. Watch out for fancy algaes though...the brush/beard and funny looking ones.
Blue33's right, Otto are good at clearing the brown so don't worry, let the brown algae take over while the tank stabilize. Think the ottos will die if you put in now (nitrate still high right?). Once the tank's ready, then they can have a feast.

Got a better pic of that slime? Could just be some HC melting and rotting.

[alvinchan80]

New tank syndrome. Beginning of Brown algae coming in. Otto will clear them off.

Thanks shifu...

[alvinchan80]

Looking good bro.
The HC is still getting used to it, wouldn't be creeping so soon. Took almost a month before mine started creeping.

Looks like the algaes are coming in now. If its just the usual brown diatom and green algae, that fine, hopefully they'll grow and cover everything so the bad algaes got no place to grow. Watch out for fancy algaes though...the brush/beard and funny looking ones.
Blue33's right, Otto are good at clearing the brown so don't worry, let the brown algae take over while the tank stabilize. Think the ottos will die if you put in now (nitrate still high right?). Once the tank's ready, then they can have a feast.

Got a better pic of that slime? Could just be some HC melting and rotting.

It's going take a month before HC creeps.. Oh my.. Still have to wait I guess...

I will try to take a better picture of the slime.. Don't think that it's the melting of leaves although I see a couple of leaves melt and rot..

Actually the tank has already 1 oto inside since adding ammonia.. And it's doing very fine... Lone ranger in the new tank...
Current readings for the tank is:
Ammonia 0.5mg/L
Nitrite 10mg/L
Nitrate 100mg/L

Guess my stem plants, hortworts & frogbits are really sucking in all the nitrates..
Wondering if I can start putting in commandos now..

(algaes are coming? Part & parcel of life cycle...) what can I look out for when this slime is starting?

[yongquan86]

hi alvin, i just wanna ask how do you go about making the slope on the left side of the tank. and another thing is that, i read from this thread, that the rocks might not stay in place. any method in particular that you are using to keep them in place? thanks in advance. YQ

[alvinchan80]

hi alvin, i just wanna ask how do you go about making the slope on the left side of the tank. and another thing is that, i read from this thread, that the rocks might not stay in place. any method in particular that you are using to keep them in place? thanks in advance. YQ

what i actually did was to bag/net lava rocks (those that you used for media) as the base for the high slope on the left... after that i use soil to cover until the netting is totally not seen with about 2cm depth of soil for planting..

actually there is not much method to keep the rocks in place because once you fix the position there, i dont think it will fall unless you knock it accidentally. Till now, my rocks wont be moved unless i accidentally touched it... if you are saying about those horizontal protruding rocks which looks like a plateau.. what i actually did was to get another rock to place it below and let it rest on it.. but make sure that the rock can be on it nicely and then use soil to further hold it down... hidden underneath those 'plateau' rocks, there is actually 1 or 2 rocks to hold them in place..

form the whole scape properly before adding water, thats what i learnt from Bro Nav on his thread... when adding water, also use a plastic bag or plate to prevent the water from disturbing the soil... i used a plastic bag and my soil wasn't disturbed and water wasn't really cloudy or dusty at all...

[yongquan86]

what i actually did was to bag/net lava rocks (those that you used for media) as the base for the high slope on the left... after that i use soil to cover until the netting is totally not seen with about 2cm depth of soil for planting..

actually there is not much method to keep the rocks in place because once you fix the position there, i dont think it will fall unless you knock it accidentally. Till now, my rocks wont be moved unless i accidentally touched it... if you are saying about those horizontal protruding rocks which looks like a plateau.. what i actually did was to get another rock to place it below and let it rest on it.. but make sure that the rock can be on it nicely and then use soil to further hold it down... hidden underneath those 'plateau' rocks, there is actually 1 or 2 rocks to hold them in place..

form the whole scape properly before adding water, thats what i learnt from Bro Nav on his thread... when adding water, also use a plastic bag or plate to prevent the water from disturbing the soil... i used a plastic bag and my soil wasn't disturbed and water wasn't really cloudy or dusty at all...

ooo... actually... i don't really get what you mean.. you have any pictures depicting that base? or you just place is anyhow?

Thanks

YQ

[alvinchan80]

ooo... actually... i don't really get what you mean.. you have any pictures depicting that base? or you just place is anyhow?

Thanks

YQ

You can try to read through Bro Navanod's thread http://www.aquaticquotient.com/forum...r-Heights-quot
I actually almost followed what he has done to his tank..

I never did a step by step photo taking for the setting up of the tank... I have a good friend who actually did some photo shooting on day 1 when i got the tank, soil, rocks, etc... Shall see if can ask him to send me the photo or post it for me... hahaha..

[alvinchan80]

my first commando shrimps to test the ready tank....