Hi guys and girls,I'm finally getting round to doing a quick tank journal of my little 40l... It still needs alot of work, but I'm quite proud of what I've managed so far... Here goes from the earliest pics I've got (before this it was a mess, multicoloured gravel and one creepy slimy mess i.e. 500 snails... no jokes! but thats how I got it from my sis) All of these pics are my initial scape and planting arrangements. Plants so far: Corkscrew Vallis Rotala rotundifolia Fontilis Moss Riccia Java Fern, windelov and normal Bacopa monnieri Finally a fts after about 3-4 weeks growth and the addition of a needle leaf java fern as well as some spiky (taiwan moss) The airstone was for diy co2 No fishes yet
Here is the second group of pictures: a few more shots of the tank, showing closeups of the spiky moss, as well as riccia, and the baby java ferns
More Shots of my not too great bacopa Another full tank shot, then my plants randomly pearling, first and only time that Ive seen that happen. Final pic in this post is the tank with all equipment removed, as well as my fish addition of 14 harlequin rasboras
My final set of pictures for now... These are the most current pics of the tank, got a cannister filter and lily pipes and the tank looks better for it. Also the last two pics, show the damage done to the algae on my large rocks by my baby bristlenose. Just a word on my fish, got 3 khuli loaches, (had 5 lost two to carpet surfing) 14 harlequin rasboras (had 15 lost one to carpet surfing even with the makeshift clingwrap cover) 1 baby bristlenose pleco (currently 2cm). Thats my setup so far... my vallis and bacopa isnt looking too good, and the rotala looks a bit worse for wear. Ive recently started dosing excel, and will see how the vallis reacts... Otherwise everything else seems fine... Oh and lighting is a single t-5 4000k desklamp. I stopped doing the diy co2 since it was too intermittent and generally a pain... altho growth was massive during those two weeks that i had it... Any comments? Suggestions?
Comments: Very nice looking tank. Advice: get a glass cover or perspex (hardware stores can cut it to size for you let those fishes know carpet surfing is against the rules. C02 diffuser its basically just a piece of bent glass at the end of the air-tube .. and cheap enough.
Thanks Juddy, still a work in progress though, at th moment the riccia seems to have a disliking for the rock I've tied it to and will come loose in a week or so, but I digress... Im planning to get perspex cut to size when I get the time to order it... Just a question though, correct me if I'm wrong here, but doesn't DIY co2 lack the pressure needed to user one of the glass diffusers? or does that just apply to the ceramic disk diffusers?
A DIY C02 lacks the pressure for the advance valves and bubble counter/regulator things, The diffusers i have seen in the shop is just a glass maze. After the one lone co2 bubble has made its way out of your pressurized system or diy bottle and into the tank. the glass diffuser sends the little bubble through a maze of glass channels or bends, insuring it has more contact with your tank water before raising to the surface and dissipating into the air. Basically a small glass device that holds and moves the co2 bubble through tank water bewfore letting it go, there is loads of DIY CO2 Diffusers
Here is just a quick before and after of my tank as is today: before: After: Gave the tank a major trimming especially the rotala and I'm eager to see how it grows back. Currently I'm dosing excel daily as well as flourish iron. Otherwise no other carbon source. Can't wait for the HC to fill in properly. Im thinking of removing bacopa and letting the HC form a carpet around. I also think I need to improve the current lighting, since I'm currently running 4000k t-5s and the plant growth looks a bit odd in places, especially with regards to the rotala. When I get a chance I'm going to try and find some 6500k globes. I definitely should have been adding CO2 the entire time though, since the leaves on my java ferns are curling in places... And the growth rate tends to be really slow.
Just a better after pic, without the flash and the blur I also have quite a few bacopa, and rotala stems as well as java, taiwan and flame moss, if anyone wants to come and collect.
The tank looks great. Just a couple of pointers. Dosing Iron daily is a big risk. Dose once or twice weekly as specified. Your 4000k tubes are not so great for plant growth. Defenitely change to 6500k tubes. You'll see plant growth in the first week. Then I suggest dosing the NPK aswell and Comprehensive on that setup. Give it a month with all that and you better start sharpening your scissors.
Your plants want macro nutrients. Also you need more lights and co2 for the HC. Other tgan tgst nice setup and if you can get a full carpet it would look great. The curling plants imo is a nutrient defeciency
Thanks for the advice so far guys! Forgive my ignorance for what I am about to ask... Buuut why is iron dosing a big risk? What would/could happen? I am dosing 1ml daily and have been doing so for the past month or so... should I stop or make it even less? I did read that it was better to spread the dosing of most nutrients into a daily dose to prevent major catastrophes and also with iron to prevent it from bonding with phosphor? If I'm not mistaken? And second question.... What is NPK? Is it a specific product? and lastly... which nutrients would the plants be lacking if the leaves curl? Thanks in advance
