New Planted Set-up

Hi Everyone,

Here goes, my first tank journal, if you want to call it that.
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Details for the tank are as follows:
Tank Size: 90cm(L)x45cm(H)x45cm(D)
Substrate: JBL AquaBasis capped with JBL Manado
https://www.aquaempire.co.za/product-page/jbl-proflora-start-set-soil-supplements
https://mcmerwe.co.za/shop/jbl-manado/
Lighting: 3x 6500k, 1100Lumens per light LED lights - DIY setup. Don't criticize lol
Filter: Dophin Triangle Filter
https://www.jungleaquatics.net/onli...J-LEZE0-E6uieVmLNyrZjv3wEIwVAS-MaAkgwEALw_wcB
Fertiliser: JBL Ferropol (after weekly water change, even though I only started with ferts on Sunday)
and JBL Ferropol 24 (Daily fertiliser, also only started on Sunday with this)
https://www.aquaempire.co.za/product-page/jbl-proflora-start-set-soil-supplements
Heater: Dophin 200 watt
mcmerwe.co.za/shop/dophin-thermostat-heater/
Plants: Well I dont know what everything is but what i could identify was the following:
Hygrophila Difformis
Echinodorus Quadricostatus
Java Fern
Lilaeopsis Brasiliensis
Nymphaea Lotus
Hardscape: Mopani Wood, Petrified Wood Stone and Dragon Rock
https://mcmerwe.co.za/shop/mopani-wood/
https://mcmerwe.co.za/shop/petrified-wood-stone/
https://mcmerwe.co.za/shop/dragon-rock/

I am not running CO2 and my lighting period is only 6 hours at the moment.
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This is my second attempt after failing with flying colours on my previous attempt with a sump system lol. I have done a lot of research in the meantime and got some pretty important advise from local guys.




Tank has been up and running since the 2nd of August so its still in the cycling stage.
I did steal some bio-load from my previous tank filter for this tank and added my 7 X-Ray tetras to help with the cycle. At this stage no deaths has yet been reported haha...
The water is still a bit stained from the tannins and hopefully those white spots on the wood will disappear soon.

Please feel free to let me know what you guys think and for any advise. Oh and if someone can identify some of the plants I would greatly appreciate it.

 

Looking great! The white spots on the wood should not be there for too long - I had some last a month or two. Some moss on that piece of wood could look cool?
I like the little 'tree trunks' and the plants should fill in nicely. I'm sure the aquascape veterans can name any species you are unsure of - I'm also still figuring out their names.
Look forward to seeing it develop- well done

 

Thanks, I am in the process of looking to get some java moss or Christmas moss, either would do the job I think.
The Java fern on the stump to the left hand side should also cover that side. It will take some time but I can always add more.
Luckily I have a couple of rhizomes with a bunch of new leaves in the tank where I house my fish while this tank is cycling.

 

Thanks, its some kind of stem plant, it grows slowly but in the past week I have noticed several new leaves sprouting.
I am starting to wonder if this plant wouldn't have been better to use in the mid ground rather than at the back. I will remove one of them tonight and take more pictures.

 

Just an update:

Made minor changes to the tank, I shifted the log backwards on the left hand side and brought the plants forward.
Added some vallis on the left but very small and elodea on the right.

I am planning relocating the water wisteria against the filter and replace
it with Ludwigia repens. I also want to add Anubias nana petite, bonsai or bucephalandra sordidula ( https://www.aquasabi.com/Bucephalandra-sordidula-Melawi-single-plant ) on the dragon rock in the last picture.

The log is taking up the entire left hand corner at the back so I cant plant anything there. I planted the 4 vallis I had almost against the glass just because it was the only available substrate. Perhaps I should attach some African water fern to the wood so it can fill up the left corner. (Please comment if you guys suggest something else for the corner)

I am wondering if I shouldn't add a carpet plant (any suggestions are welcome here)

I am hopefully getting my CO2 system in the next week. Just wondering on which way I'll go. Someone recommended I should go with a fire extinguisher and just get the correct fittings.

Water test results as follows:
KH - 5deg
PH - 7
NH4 - 0.05ppm
NO2 - 0.05ppm
NO3 - 5ppm

Next water change (30%) will be on Saturday again.

Just a quick question. I want the back and sides of the tank black. What can I use ?

 

I think I'll have to look at the different options available. Perhaps I can leave it as it. My walls are being painted grey this weekend so this might even make the tank look different.
Oh and the water is still stained from the log so that will also clear up. Better I wait until all of this is done.

As for the African water fern, I'll have a look where I can find it.

Thank you @A new day

 

Beautiful tanks !!! The tank with the dwarf gourami is amazing !!! You have given me an idea with the vallis now...
Ill have a look once all the painting is done and decide from there. In the meantime I will look for the additional plants.

 

Ok guys,

BIIIGG changes coming with this tank.

I have ordered my new plants to be added with current plants, list as follows:

1. Staurogyne repens https://mcmerwe.co.za/shop/staurogyne-repens-2/
2. Rotala Nanjenshan https://mcmerwe.co.za/shop/ada-rotala-nanjenshan/
3. Ludwigia sp. Rubin https://mcmerwe.co.za/shop/ludwigia-sp-rubin/
4. Hydrocotyle Tripartita https://mcmerwe.co.za/shop/hydrocotyle-tripartita/

And replacing the soil with ADA Amazonia Aquasoil Amazonia II

Will update as soon as tank in done.

 

Hi TASA,

Some updates on the tank.
I still have quite a few things to do and I'm still thinking of what plants I want to get for the back of the tank.

 

Thank you,

What I'm still planning to do is against the back (open area) of the tank I want to add two or three different stem plants.

Regarding your suggestion about the carpet. The stems on the right hand in front is staurogyne repens which is sort of a carpeting plant. https://tropica.com/en/plants/plantdetails/Staurogynerepens(049G)/4481
Those ones are a but long but I'll trim in a week or two, the three bright green plants in front of the dragon rock is Hydrocotyle Tripartit https://tropica.com/en/plants/plantdetails/Hydrocotyletripartita(039B)/4458 , also a sort of carpet plant. Mine wont be a carpet but more a bushy look.
Dwarf hair is something I want to add as soon as I can get the CO2 figured out (I think I'm gonna do the Fire extinguisher way). I need to find a way to get my bottles filled but I'm working on that.
I Still have a lot of Lilaeopsis Brasiliensis that I will play with tonight, Only thing is sometimes you get them to grow very long leaves and sometimes they stay short. https://tropica.com/en/plants/plantdetails/Lilaeopsisbrasiliensis(040)/4459

Behind the dragon rock on the right is Ludwigia Rubin stems, its still very small though https://tropica.com/en/plants/plantdetails/Ludwigiarepens'Rubin'(033D)/4450 . I have also added Rotala Nanjeshan behind the wood to the left and behind the Ludwigia's. The Rotala Nanjeshan has a bright green colour and will look good behind the red ludwigia's, or so I hope. https://www.flowgrow.de/db/aquaticplants/rotala-sp-nanjenshan

I still have 5 x amazon swords, vallies, java ferns, hygrophila difformis and Nymphaea micrantha (Lotus) https://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/plantfinder/details.php?id=109 that I must plant. I don't think I will plant all the swords but I will see how it goes tonight.

Reason for the change of substrate, I wasn't completely happy with the JBL aquabasis capped with manado. I think the Amazonia II has a lot more nutrients and it's a lot easier to use. Manado is made of volcani material and its super light.
If your water pressure is to strong the subsrtate flies everywhere. I also think the hardscape looks better against the black substrate than the previous clay colour clay coloured Manado. But main reason was the nutrients factor.

Ill take a photo from the top tonight and upload to show all the plants.

 

The new setup looks very good, and will fill in nicely once the plants start growing and maturing.
Just remember that ADA Amazonia changes the water parameters, and releases ammonia for quite some time before it is suitable for livestock.

One of the reasons I like Seachem Flourite is that it is quite heavy, and also doesn't alter the water parameters.
I tried Prodibio Aqua soil, and found it too light. Any water added to the tank would cause cratering and a massive rescape every time.

Cobra grass should work well to fill in as a carpet.
It requires high light though to keep it compact.

I'm looking forward to seeing how this tank matures.

 

Thank you Pezulu, I have seen the ammonia thing before I added this substrate. I'll make sure this tank is 100% cycled before adding any fish.
As it is my Buenos Aires tetra's are getting BIGG now and I definitely don't want to loose them now.

 

Very nice Scape, but are those tetras not going enjoy your plants? The ones i had, enjoyed my anubias too much. Just be careful with these guys.

 

@pe

Thank you, good point, though I was wondering about that. They did destroy plants before. Won't it help if I feed them some kind of vegetable?

 

@TetraJacques ,

Firstly, I really like the look of the new scape... well done
As has been said, once nice growth sets in, it will look stunning

As for the fish eating the plants, I found in the past with my clown loaches and flagtails that if I put in a piece of cucumber or zucchini for them, they more or less left the plants alone
Im not sure if this would work/help with the tetras

 

Thank you, I will do some research on this, I'm sure my other tetras will leave the plants alone but I'm not sure of Buenos Aires or the blue Colombian Tetra in fact.
The others I have is Glow lights, cardinals, X-rays, Silver tips, head and tail light, phantom and white albino neon. Some of these are only one or two. I saved them from the petshop, being alone among other species.
I will rather put them in between other tetras than having them live alone among different species of fish.

To include to this list I have pepper corys and a rainbow shark. He gets a bit territorial once he gets his hiding hole, hence the reason for placing the wood in that way to create a cave specially for him. He has been among the tetras for well over a year now. They know to keep away from him lol