New beeg planted tank , early days..

[Trevor Pleco]

Further to my various previous help posts, regarding the choice of tanks, swapping tanks over, canopy DIY conversion, T5 lights, moonlights and so on, I thought I better finally post a pic of the new babe, although very much in her infancy. Currently it’s a low tech affair and still work in progress, being just two weeks old and with the dreaded green army presumably on the horizon! Several of the plants were were prepotted in a PFP/Flourite mix and grown out in a holding tank.

I'm still working on the substrate and will be adding another couple of bags of Flourite Dark to go with the seven or eight in already, yikes they cost a bomb! I don’t much go for my current flat look with the substrate, so still need to be more creative here…

Tank specs – 1.8m (720lts), Fluval FX5 canister, revamped the Boyu canopy installing an aluminum plate to mount x3 cooling fans and x4 54w T5’s (x2 Sylvania Grolux, & x2 Hagen Life-Glo) and x2 ‘moonlight’ submersible tubes..

Current inmates x35 cardinals, x8 rummy nose, x8 penguin tetras, x2 albino corries and a host of young b/n pelcos of varying ages. Keen to perhaps add a school of corral red pencils and anything smallish or tetraish that will add color ?

Plans – want to introduce pressurized Co2, but need some confidence and tutoring from the boffins. Gradually want to move from the green Amazon type crowded biotype to something cleaner cut – loose the swords, keep the moss and java fern covered feature branches and offset these with a gosso/HC carpet, pluss a few more colourful plants.

Suggestions and advice most welcome…?

77667770

[swordtail]

Cool t
Co'2 would help alot in plant growth. I tend to add a litre of soda water every 2nd week...co'2 system cost to much...create a few dunes with the subtratem this should look interesting

[TomK]

Just love it, Trevor. Your plans sounds interesting too. Fish wise, I would look at 4 biggish Angels to have a focus. 51 Tetras already and they just disappear!

[sopbeen]

swordtail will any sodawater do and how much will i need to ad to a 650 litre tank? how does this affect your water?

[Madam]

I've read that soda water will cause your pH to go way out of balance, and shock the fish...? Never tried it, but what's your experience Swordtail?

[Trevor Pleco]

Seems my new post has been hijacked by Soda Stream stuff !

[shihr]

take a read here:

http://www.aquaplantedtank.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=51&Itemid=43

Trevor Pleco, dude.. thats the nicest low tech tank ive seen around here :) weldone!

[boebie]

Very nice Trevor! Your plants look really healthy and lush. Just shows what can be achieved without co2 and a great inspiration to all the newbies out there looking to plant their tanks.

[Trevor Pleco]

Many thanks for those compliments.. now for a Co2 fix !

[Whipme]

I really like it, nice size and good colours.
Perhaps add some more cories to get a bit of a school going on the bottom of the tank, they'll be quite active in a group of 5 or more.

[Trevor Pleco]

I really like it, nice size and good colours.
Perhaps add some more cories to get a bit of a school going on the bottom of the tank, they'll be quite active in a group of 5 or more.

Many thanks Whipme, good call was thinking on the same lines regarding the corries, but was just waiting for my LFS to get some fresh stock in, as I keep finding the last of the batch.
Question - would different types of corries still shoal together ie albinos, peppered, panda or is it best to keep the same ?
Have you ever seen golden white clouds, thought I might add a shoal of these together with some corral red pencils, dream on... that's if the sponsor dudes can get it right...

[Whipme]

I've kept different types of cories together before and some of them took to each other, but I can't say it's universal. You'd most likely be best off trying to get a few of the same type. I've noticed that some of them grow to different sizes, and then they definitely don't seem to be interested in schooling anymore. You should have enough space for a group of albinos and a group of pandas though, if you can afford the pandas...

[windfire]

really nice dude i like it. the pencil fish would be cool but i agree with Vis that you need a focus fish, angels or gouramis or i suppose even a rampair would work? anyway love the swords it's going to look awesome when its grown in a wee bit

[Trevor Pleco]

I've kept different types of cories together before and some of them took to each other, but I can't say it's universal. You'd most likely be best off trying to get a few of the same type. I've noticed that some of them grow to different sizes, and then they definitely don't seem to be interested in schooling anymore. You should have enough space for a group of albinos and a group of pandas though, if you can afford the pandas...

Thanks bud, done exactly that now = albinos and pandas, quite a size difference between my old and new albinos, can't believe I bought my original albinos at that size. For some crazy reason I often like building a shoal from different LPS batches..to prevent a brother sister shoal, but no doubt I'm off the wall with this one...

[boebie]

Hi Trevor, I've sent you a pm, not sure if you got it.

[Whipme]

Sounds great, when do we see some pics?
And how many of each type have you got in the tank now?

[johan008]

Nicely done Trevor Pleco love how you mixed the moss and java fern :congrats:

[Trevor Pleco]

Thanks will call you, sorry to miss your call, away week-end so Monday or better Tuesday is great

[Trevor Pleco]

QUOTE=johan008;100348]Nicely done Trevor Pleco love how you mixed the moss and java fern :congrats:[/QUOTE]

Thanks Johan, doing a major moss cut back this evening as it has now gone completely out on control with huge light green broccoli looking florets shooting out and pearling beeg time, wish the other plants would start as well, so looking forward to the Co2 being introduced on Monday and moving from low to high tech…hence the need for some colour plants !

[Trevor Pleco]

I introduced press Co2 a week ago, so keen on some assistance as to exactly what mixture of ferts I require ? I have not yet decided if I am going with Prof's drupples or the Seachem range from my LPS, which is close and convenient. Its a beeg tank (720lt) as for as planted tanks go, so I need to make the correct long term decisions.

I usually use a 70/30 mix with my water when filling up. 70% being from my well point - PH 5.5 as it comes out (then stabilises to just over 6), GH 5 to 6, KH 3 (as checked with two different makes of water testers) and 30% from tap - PH 7 to 8 and no GH and KH. Current tank water while injecting Co2 is PH 6.4, GH8, KH 2.

I am for the moment using Excel and the Flourish Comprehensive Supplement.

[Zoom]

Trevor Pleco

Stop using Excel if you using Press CO2. Excel is a liquid carbon additive, not a fert.
Seachem Trace is a good fert, however DSD may be more economical long term.

Your kH is worrying me a little. You need to remember that kH is ultimately the water's ability to buffer pH. The lower the kH, the more your pH can swing... and with a kH of 2, and Press CO2, you could have a pH crash VERY QUICKLY. Marco to confirm this please.
I would really suggest you get in contact with the prof, chat to him about his products for raising your kH, because ultimately I think you want 4dkH , and 4dgH as well. I've also heard of people using sea shells in their filter to raise kH... might be an option... but do some research first.

[Trevor Pleco]

Thanks Ashley, will bug the Prof, it was he who suggested the well point/tap mix originally. Good call on the Excel, seems I perhaps need some potasium...

[Milsky]

Hey Trev, your setup is looking epic, our friendly LFS said you had a leak...is that true ? hope not after all your past challenges

BTW what are the broadleaf plants on the left and right ?

[Milamber]

very pretty!!

[Trevor Pleco]

Hey Milsky, good to see you have surfaced, was beginning to worry, lol.

Yip, don’t mention that word leak, had serious dramas several weeks back when both my two beeg tanks started within a week or two of each other, so was chaotic as you can imagine with having to find temporary housing for volumes of prized plants and the fishies of course, thankfully no casualties !

Currently doing a two week drip test on the new tank, after the import agents rushed over in a squad to reseal it. Check out the previous ''snap'' thread - http://www.tropicalaquarium.co.za/showthread.php?7626-Discus-Tank-Leak!!!!&p=104062#post104062 (http://www.tropicalaquarium.co.za/showthread.php?7626-Discus-Tank-Leak!!!!&p=104062#post104062)

Anyway I was in the process of converting over to high tech, so the forced change was quite well timed I guess. I’ll post new pics as the new scape gets under way, I sadly need too move most those giant Amazons, as they were beginning to dominate the tank with little space for anything else. Going the potted route really helps.

Let me know when you are next at our ''our friendly LFS ''

[Milsky]

Good to hear from you, very impressed by your new tank setup, seems like you have da green fingers. I have to say that I got myself into all sorts of trouble with my 400l Aqua H2o, was far too keen to get plants in without too much focus around sanitising them before planting, net result was a plethora of different algae that returned my tank to a green soup !! That was the beginning of the downward spiral and in spite of blockout and a host of different attempted remedies to finally just losing interest. I broke the tank down and it is sitting in the garage waiting for a buyer or some inspiration to start all over.

The big learning here was, be ruthless with the plants I intro into my tank, any plant coming from a grower or LFS is indiscriminatley harboring host algae, why this has not been made clearer on the forums is strange !!! It is pretty obvious on the other hand though as many growers are not really concerned with their growing area and more concerned with pushing out the largest fastest growing specimens which will obviously include their own colony of algae and the LFS the same. I have now resorted (and will not change) to stripping and washing off all new plants of all gunk then a good soak in water with a relatively high dosage of bleach. So far so good !!! This means I have a level of losses intially but well worth the effort and shrinkage vs having to go through the endless nightmare of battling algae on an ongoing basis....

Do you have any experience with this ? What is your regime of new plant intro, I have been dabbling with the idea of a seperate growout tank with strong lighting but also as somewhat of a quarantine for the algae. Also thinking of keeping this dosed with Crystal that I bought online from one of the sponsors which is supposed to help in getting rid of the green dread !!

Hows the CO2 coming along, I have to say that my Ebay reg and diffusers have operated 100% for over a year and I am very happy, got my first refill and it is running in my Jewel 180 at abt 1bubble per 2 seconds, which is much lower than where I have read elsewhere but has been outstanding. Results are super with huge growth in almost all plants.... the Crypts, vallis, moss, annubias have been out of control ... just the swords have strangely been slow in getting there...dosing with low tech Dirk druppels and added pottassium and iron so all good for now, when Im finished this batch of druppels will go for the high tech option, which I seriously recommend.

Let me know when you are around and we can grab a cuppa..... trade some plants ?

[Sean J]

Trevor Pleco

Stop using Excel if you using Press CO2. Excel is a liquid carbon additive, not a fert.
Seachem Trace is a good fert, however DSD may be more economical long term.


Why would you stop using excell? I know Algae Wizard still uses Excell, even though he runs pressurized Co2.

[shihr]

excel can also be used as a mild algacide too.. but if u only using it as a carbon additive and you already have co2 then just use co2

[wearsbunnyslippers]

your tank is looking awesome!

it is very hard to include swords in a layout and have them look like they belong there without overpowering everything else, you have done a great job with this!

[Trevor Pleco]

your tank is looking awesome!

it is very hard to include swords in a layout and have them look like they belong there without overpowering everything else, you have done a great job with this!

Thanks bud, coming from a planted tank doyen, I’m humbled!

Yea, those A’swords reach massive sizes, which does not really come across in the pic. To give you some idea the two large ones stuck together would cover nearly half the length of the 1.8m tank! In my new forced upon scape I think there will only be space for one and I might include a melon sword which is waiting in the wings and eagerly wanting to make an appearance.

Milsky, I agree it’s no easy game this plant thing and it’s certainly a rapid learning experience. I guess the art comes with finding the correct balance between the plants, volume of light, ferts, water parameters/condition and the fish of course. To give you an example, I have a small 50 litre tank currently holding many of my more prized high light plants. The tank is on the floor in front of a glass sliding door getting direct sun for say three hours a day and then strong non direct light for the remainder. I am also using a small 12w tornado daylight bulb for really dark days. I’m adding a range of the prof’s ferts and Co2, the tank is heated and has a small internal filter for co2 dispersal. The plants are growing big time and many are bursting out of the water surface. The remarkable thing to me is that five weeks down the line there is hardly a spec of algae on the glass or the plants, which surprises me and I am not using Excel either. Presumably some kind of balance has been reached, unintentionally I might add, that keeps the algae army at bay.. .. ?

[Yster]

Very nice tank!

[Trevor Pleco]

Very nice tank!

Thanks bud, now she's empty thanks too the dreaded leak, so starting again with new ideas, but have kept some of the Java and moss mopani sections which have now matured and really grown, so cant see anything of the wood anymore.

[Rockhard]

Sorry to hear about the leak the start looked O so promising.

[Trevor Pleco]

Mega journal of high tech rebirth coming - watch this space....

[Donny]

Side note the plecos are still doing awesome :) have you still got.

[jakkals]

looks wow!!!!

[Chris M]

Incredible tank!

[mydummyname]

i think this tank looks so awesome.. the growth on your plants is phenomenal!