Newbie 1st attempt..

[Cyberkinetic]

Finally got this up and running yesterday.

Took picture of it for remembrance as I'm not sure how they will do later.. haha...

It's a 10gallon tank and everything gotten from C328 over the past 2 weeks.

[chlorophyll]

Nice. What HOF is that? Is it Fluval C2?
Keep us updated.

[Cyberkinetic]

Hi, thanks.. it's a C3...

Hope so too.. Haha.. I'm not known to have green fingers..

[chlorophyll]

How much is the C3? Im thinking of getting a C2 to complement my 2213. What soil and lights are used?

[sateman]

Nice. Good choice of plants for beginner. Not CO2 hungry ones. I'm pretty sure they will do well. But the crypts on the right will outgrow your tank pretty soon.

[wongce]

if not mistaken, the plant on the left and right side are not aquatic plant...

no worries, they can survive in water for months though... just throw them away when they rot...

[Aquanoob]

Wong, you are right (pun intended), the right side plant is not a true aquatic plant. It belongs to the Dracena family, same as what we have during the CNY period, 观音竹. The left side plant is an aquatic plant, it is call water onion plant or Crinum natans.

[Cyberkinetic]

Hi chlorophyll, I can't really remember the price of the C3, I think it's about S$60++. Cos I was getting quite a bit of stuff together, I didn't really take note of the prices. The light is 2tubes of T5, I think the brand is Aquazonic or something close. For the soil, I have Dennerle black quartz sand for the top and the bottom is Sera Floradepot.

Hi sateman, the crypts are you referring to the ones in red stem and green leaves plant in the front? Or was it the green little stubs which is at both sides of the reddish ones? Both these actually came attached to a piece of wood and tied with strings. Put them in front with the hope that they can cover up the floorbed. But I realise today that the red stemmed ones are pointing upwards probably in reaction to the light direction. Not sure what to do with them now. Haha..

Hi wongce, actually I was suspicious of the ones on the right side. But since I saw them submerged totally in the water, I thought of using them as background for the tank. They looked sturdy enough to last for a while. haha

Hi Aquanoob, that's what I thought it was too! Hahaha.. Like those my mum used in the flower vase for her prayers! The water onion plant caught my fancy as it looked really nice "dancing" about in the water with the long tentacles.

[Cyberkinetic]

Today is the third day since setting up on friday. Added some fish food(pellets) in a little mesh packet meant for tea leaves to prevent food debris floating all over. Realized most of the plants seemed to have shifted in their positions. I tried to stack up gravel around each plant's base, but found most have sunken around their base. Also seemed taller, especially those in front, the reddish stem ones are now pointing upwards, should be towards the light source.
Also noticed there's a lot more of either fine particles or tiny air bubbles floating around in the water.. too small for me to see clearly really.. can't be the fish food cos all still in the fine mesh bag...
wife is complaining i'm spending too much time glued to the front of the tank.. haha..

[chlorophyll]

Hey im also using Dennerle black quartz but with JBl aquabasis and dennerle deponitmix.. I guess both of us are old school when it comes to substrate.. ��

[Cyberkinetic]

Hi,

I like the Dennerle black quartz, makes planting very easy it seemed. When I place any plant down and remove the tongs, the gravel just slides in to cover the stem. The substrate doesn't comes up and dirty the water.

Was offered the deponitmix, but it was kind of costly and I took a decision to go with a cheaper alternative. I did struggled quite a bit if I should get that.

Hey im also using Dennerle black quartz but with JBl aquabasis and dennerle deponitmix.. I guess both of us are old school when it comes to substrate.. ��

[chlorophyll]

Hi,

I like the Dennerle black quartz, makes planting very easy it seemed. When I place any plant down and remove the tongs, the gravel just slides in to cover the stem. The substrate doesn't comes up and dirty the water.

Was offered the deponitmix, but it was kind of costly and I took a decision to go with a cheaper alternative. I did struggled quite a bit if I should get that.

Dennerle black quartz is quite fine measuring 1-2mm. Currently im growing hairgrass and glosso easily. The HG and glosso keep crossing into each others "territory" and I have to pull them apart often. It surprises me that it is quite easy to pull them out.

[Cyberkinetic]

An update, most plants doing well, especially the red/green ones in front. Ridiculously well, now every of the stems are pointing vertically upwards. I thought they are supposed to be creeping ones?? Not what i've in mind when planting them there.
The only ones not doing well are the ones which i've planted around the 观音竹. Seems to be turning mushy or is the lingo "melting"?I am thinking of removing them out this weekend. Probably also move those red/green ones to the side and put something which will remain short in front.. looks like trips to C328 again for the next few days to check out plants. Haha

[Cyberkinetic]

I found two tiny snails in my tank today! Small little speck which I initially thought was dead leaf sticking on the tank... Quickly disposed of them .. I suspect I'll be seeing more of them in the days to come. Jialat..

Also noticed a sort of film on my water surface..like very light oil or something.. Anyone encounter this before? Or how do I clear it off? The tank is undergoing fishless cycling with fish food now.. If this film continues to be there when I put in my fishes next time, I wonder if it'll be harmful to them or not..

[Cyberkinetic]

I'm not sure if I've got a snail problem or not.. Have been spotting tiny sesame size snails every other day .. Usually 3-4 each time.

I managed to shoot one in macro and zoom in to see it in detail..will try ID out from internet resources.

The fish food in a mesh sachet attached to the tank is one yucky mess.. covered in white hair like stuff.. Fungus? I've been adding a small heap every 3 days.. But nothing significant on ammonia/nitrite/nitrate levels yet..

Those plants in the foreground have between sprouting new leaves.. And even those on the right side which have the original leaves pretty much melted are growing new ones.. Interesting...

Just hope the snail issue don't grow..

[unpluggedmusic]

The snail issue you are meeting is just getting started bro. At this stage, you can never win this war, but you can add puffer fish. They will be happy to munch the snails.

The oil you can either scoop it up slowly, or add a surface skimmer. Its due to the food. If left to thicken, it will affect the light reaching your plants.

[Cyberkinetic]

That's what I'm afraid of.. no sightings for the past 2 days though.. I've no fishes in the tank yet so theoretically no food other than my plants for them...
Will keep monitoring the situation.. Thanks.

[felix_fx2]

The oil is referred to as protein layer.
You can use a skimmer or use air stone.

Your foreground plants are stem as you mention. Not creeping but propagate via cuttings.

Snails are most likely hijackers from your plants. They don't feast on the plants but more likely to be a eye sore

[Cyberkinetic]

Thanks felix_fx2,

I realise the protein layer goes away after 2-3 days of me not adding the fish food to the mesh bag.

Sounds like a bad idea to keep the stems in front right? The rate that they are growing, I'm thinking to cut them in half and plant it in the same patch to make it denser. Or maybe I should just shift them to the side...

I've no food source for the snails at the moment, since I've not introduce my fishes.. wonder if this could "starve" them to death.. Haha

[chlorophyll]

snails like that protein layer. That could be a source of food for them.