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After a stand failure at the beginning of the year led to me tearing down all my tanks and selling most of my plants and equipment, I've finally gotten back into the aquarium game.
I spent many months scouring threads here, scrolling through Instagram, and inspecting every AGA/IAPLC layout I could find. Ultimately, I decided I really wanted to keep the layout as simple as I could—just a traditional Nature Aquarium layout, where I could focus on my two current obsessions: grassy plants and Nymphaea. I'm not sure if I've quite hit that mark, but I've had so much fun with the tank this last month, and I'm so excited to share the process with you all.
I started by playing around with some lava stones (bought as a mix of Blue faerie and Icelandic Lava) and situated a piece of branch wood I had lying around on top. I tried my best to fill the visual space with hardscape, without taking up too much physical room in the aquarium. I wasn't sure if the layout was balanced enough with the single piece of branch wood, but adding any of the other pieces I had made the layout feel congested, so I just went with the one.
My next few evenings were spent coming home from work and doing small tweaks to the wood and stones. Eventually I found a positioning that I liked and began to add some smaller stones to support the main structure. These smaller stones are a mix of black, brown, and red lava rocks that are sold in a big bag at a hardware store intended for fire-pits/barbecues. I had previously smashed these stone up for use as a drainage layer in my UNS Carnivourous Plant Bog I had set up previously, so I wasn't concerned about them messing with water quality or anything. I loosely tossed them around the structure, conceptually thinking that maybe at one point these were attached to the main stones, and over eons little bits have eroded and fallen off.
Next came the substrate. First, a warm coloured sand was added to the foreground and between the 'islands' in hope that the red/brown lava pebbles would feel a bit more cohesive with the whole layout. I think eventually this will be swapped out for a 'nicer' sand, something with a more varied grain size, but for now this will do just fine. Aquasoil seems to be rarer than gold here in Maritime Canada, so while I've always used Tropica aquasoil in the past, this time I'm trying out Fluval Stratum. First impressions were not the best; Soil felt very crumbly and light compared to other soils I've used, and I've been told anecdotes about its low nutrient content which is not ideal. Will likely supplement with root tabs in the future. Just for fun, a thin sprinkle of SLAQUA Magic Powder, and Millione Bacteria Powder were added under the soil. These products supposedly contain bacteria and yeasts which help develop the microbiota in your substrate, acting as a food source for grazers like shrimps and snails.
Next came the first batch of plants. I've recently been enamored by the the way grass-like plants look in an aquarium. They're a very effective way at filling up the height of a layout and provide an excellent sense of motion as they flow in the current. They often invoke a very powerful image to my eye; they have a sort of untamed chaos to them without being overly dominate in the way brightly coloured stems might be. For this I chose a mix of Cryptocoryne retrospiralis and Eleocharis vivipara. Rather than planting them in strict groupings the two plants were mixed together and planted some what randomly in the back of the aquarium. The hope is to have a dense curtain of grasses dancing in the flow, with the contrast between the thin vivipara and the thicker Cryptocoryne providing some visual intrest. At the rear of the 'valley' some Eleocharis acicularis was planted to keep the grassy theme, but to allow for some negative space between the islands. Some scant stems of Hygrophila polysperma were added in front of the grass curtain, and some Rotala rotundifolia 'blood red', and Ludwigia repens were added for some colour. Lilaeopsis brasilliensis was plugged in between some of the stones, and some rhizomes of Microsorum 'trident' were added onto the wood. The light (16" SBreef Freshwater) was installed over the tank and set on a timer. The filter (eheim 2215) and the inline co2 was also set up at this time.
The tank was quite cloudy for quite a while after the initial set up, but with daily waterchanges It seems to be mostly fixed. The wood was also producing a disgusting amount of slime over this period, something which the pondsnail that snuck into the tank seemed to absolutely love. The fern's bare rhizomes are starting to show new leaves now too.
Two weeks later, and the algae has started to arrive. some faint greening on the glass, and diatoms on the sand; nothing a toothbrush won't fix. The crypts seem to be adapting well, with new growth showing some beautiful brown tiger striping. The vivipara has also started to reach the surface and produce baby plants at the tip of the blades.
And that brings us to the most recent (13/11/2023) shot: Sand is still getting brown algae. Crypts are showing some more melt (but have more new growth too
). Gave the Ludwigia a trim and added some Bucephalandra (sp. apple leaf and sp. wavey green) to the tank. 
Put in a request at the LFS for some Hygro pinnatifida and Taiwan moss to cover the bald wood with, some Myrio tuberculatum for the orangey hues, and the crown jewel of the layout Nymphaea micranthra which will 'finalize' the layout plant wise (or so I tell my self
) which will be here sometime next week.
Thanks for reading my ramble
I spent many months scouring threads here, scrolling through Instagram, and inspecting every AGA/IAPLC layout I could find. Ultimately, I decided I really wanted to keep the layout as simple as I could—just a traditional Nature Aquarium layout, where I could focus on my two current obsessions: grassy plants and Nymphaea. I'm not sure if I've quite hit that mark, but I've had so much fun with the tank this last month, and I'm so excited to share the process with you all.
I started by playing around with some lava stones (bought as a mix of Blue faerie and Icelandic Lava) and situated a piece of branch wood I had lying around on top. I tried my best to fill the visual space with hardscape, without taking up too much physical room in the aquarium. I wasn't sure if the layout was balanced enough with the single piece of branch wood, but adding any of the other pieces I had made the layout feel congested, so I just went with the one.
My next few evenings were spent coming home from work and doing small tweaks to the wood and stones. Eventually I found a positioning that I liked and began to add some smaller stones to support the main structure. These smaller stones are a mix of black, brown, and red lava rocks that are sold in a big bag at a hardware store intended for fire-pits/barbecues. I had previously smashed these stone up for use as a drainage layer in my UNS Carnivourous Plant Bog I had set up previously, so I wasn't concerned about them messing with water quality or anything. I loosely tossed them around the structure, conceptually thinking that maybe at one point these were attached to the main stones, and over eons little bits have eroded and fallen off.
Next came the substrate. First, a warm coloured sand was added to the foreground and between the 'islands' in hope that the red/brown lava pebbles would feel a bit more cohesive with the whole layout. I think eventually this will be swapped out for a 'nicer' sand, something with a more varied grain size, but for now this will do just fine. Aquasoil seems to be rarer than gold here in Maritime Canada, so while I've always used Tropica aquasoil in the past, this time I'm trying out Fluval Stratum. First impressions were not the best; Soil felt very crumbly and light compared to other soils I've used, and I've been told anecdotes about its low nutrient content which is not ideal. Will likely supplement with root tabs in the future. Just for fun, a thin sprinkle of SLAQUA Magic Powder, and Millione Bacteria Powder were added under the soil. These products supposedly contain bacteria and yeasts which help develop the microbiota in your substrate, acting as a food source for grazers like shrimps and snails.
Next came the first batch of plants. I've recently been enamored by the the way grass-like plants look in an aquarium. They're a very effective way at filling up the height of a layout and provide an excellent sense of motion as they flow in the current. They often invoke a very powerful image to my eye; they have a sort of untamed chaos to them without being overly dominate in the way brightly coloured stems might be. For this I chose a mix of Cryptocoryne retrospiralis and Eleocharis vivipara. Rather than planting them in strict groupings the two plants were mixed together and planted some what randomly in the back of the aquarium. The hope is to have a dense curtain of grasses dancing in the flow, with the contrast between the thin vivipara and the thicker Cryptocoryne providing some visual intrest. At the rear of the 'valley' some Eleocharis acicularis was planted to keep the grassy theme, but to allow for some negative space between the islands. Some scant stems of Hygrophila polysperma were added in front of the grass curtain, and some Rotala rotundifolia 'blood red', and Ludwigia repens were added for some colour. Lilaeopsis brasilliensis was plugged in between some of the stones, and some rhizomes of Microsorum 'trident' were added onto the wood. The light (16" SBreef Freshwater) was installed over the tank and set on a timer. The filter (eheim 2215) and the inline co2 was also set up at this time.
The tank was quite cloudy for quite a while after the initial set up, but with daily waterchanges It seems to be mostly fixed. The wood was also producing a disgusting amount of slime over this period, something which the pondsnail that snuck into the tank seemed to absolutely love. The fern's bare rhizomes are starting to show new leaves now too.
Two weeks later, and the algae has started to arrive. some faint greening on the glass, and diatoms on the sand; nothing a toothbrush won't fix. The crypts seem to be adapting well, with new growth showing some beautiful brown tiger striping. The vivipara has also started to reach the surface and produce baby plants at the tip of the blades.
And that brings us to the most recent (13/11/2023) shot: Sand is still getting brown algae. Crypts are showing some more melt (but have more new growth too
). Gave the Ludwigia a trim and added some Bucephalandra (sp. apple leaf and sp. wavey green) to the tank. Put in a request at the LFS for some Hygro pinnatifida and Taiwan moss to cover the bald wood with, some Myrio tuberculatum for the orangey hues, and the crown jewel of the layout Nymphaea micranthra which will 'finalize' the layout plant wise (or so I tell my self
) which will be here sometime next week. Thanks for reading my ramble
9 Replies
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1983 views
As the title suggests, I would appreciate recommendations from you experts for a good all-in-one fertilizer. My plan is to dose daily using a dosing pump (with additions after water changes.)
Preferences:
Can buy in larger quantities, 500 or more.
Can be purchased somewhere local or with free shipping
Reasonable price is always appreciated.
Links are appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Preferences:
Can buy in larger quantities, 500 or more.
Can be purchased somewhere local or with free shipping
Reasonable price is always appreciated.
Links are appreciated. Thanks in advance.
25 Replies
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1469 views
Journal 22 gallon long bookshelf
Time to start a new thread.
I’ll fill in some details later, but I’m working on the hardscape now. Any and all criticism is appreciated. The vision is nothing more, and nothing less, than something appealing to the eye.
90cm x 30cm x 30cm Lifegard Aquatics ultra clear bookshelf tank. Buce and anubias on the hardscape, stems towards the back and center, mid to front carpet with some changes in shade and texture down to a flat grade on the right side of the tank.
Lily pipe inlet and skimmer will be in the back left corner with the outflow in the front left to hopefully achieve circular flow. I’ll be running an in-line diffuser. Light will be the P600 Pro that I regrettably did not upside to 900. Oh well. I’ll mount it high and hopefully it’ll have enough spread.
I have some dragon stone and red lava rock rubble I’ll use at the base to blend into the substrate, as well as some stratum I may or may not cap with.
I’ll fill in some details later, but I’m working on the hardscape now. Any and all criticism is appreciated. The vision is nothing more, and nothing less, than something appealing to the eye.
90cm x 30cm x 30cm Lifegard Aquatics ultra clear bookshelf tank. Buce and anubias on the hardscape, stems towards the back and center, mid to front carpet with some changes in shade and texture down to a flat grade on the right side of the tank.
Lily pipe inlet and skimmer will be in the back left corner with the outflow in the front left to hopefully achieve circular flow. I’ll be running an in-line diffuser. Light will be the P600 Pro that I regrettably did not upside to 900. Oh well. I’ll mount it high and hopefully it’ll have enough spread.
I have some dragon stone and red lava rock rubble I’ll use at the base to blend into the substrate, as well as some stratum I may or may not cap with.
243 Replies
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26737 views
Supporting
I Donated 2026
AquaGirls
Journal UNS 150U - Nature Aquarium
The adventure begins...again. After a substantial absence from the hobby, I dunked my toe back in last fall with a small 60F shrimp tank, a Chihiros WRGB slim, and a Chihiros CO2 (citric/baking soda) system. A lot has changed since I started this hobby in the 90s, and it's been about 20 years since I tore my last tank down. 'Aquascaping' per se wasn't as much a thing back then. I didn't know anyone running CO2, and LED lights didn't really exist. The 60F was fun, and the shrimp seem happy, but I have been itching to get to building something with more elbow room.
I did happen to find a pic of my old 75 gallon bowfront tank a few weeks ago that was taken just before I tore it down prior to a big move. It ran great for 7 years. Was a simple low tech setup, with one hunk of driftwood, no rocks, plain gravel (no soil) a lot of simple plants (the sword plants did great), and some peaceful fish. Algae wasn't an issue, filtration was pretty subpar by current standards, but the tank did well despite that, and algae wasn't really an issue. Aesthetically blah by today's standards, and certainly not my goal for this build, but I remember being proud of how well this tank ran back then, and wasn't too demanding. Important as my life was very hectic back then.
So, the tech plan so far for the new 150U:
I ordered the tank and stand from UNS, and to my amazement, despite the worst mid-January winter storm we had in some years here, it was delivered on time by the freight company. I do not recommend trying to move a 5ft wide 400+lb tank and stand across snow and ice, down a slope, into to basement. Very thankful to have a tractor with forks, but still was a bit stressful getting this into the house. Miraculously we got it in the house in one piece, and I seriously questioned ever getting a tank larger than this in the future!
It did require disassembly outside the basement door to actually get it into the house around a berm of snow, along with some extra muscle from a few friends. (This was originally meant to be a 120P, until I realized the hardscape plan I had wouldn't quite fit. What's a another foot in length?
)
Just getting the tank through the snow and ice was enough, and the base cabinet and tank just sort of landed in the room, and stayed there for a few days while devising a strategy for the next step. After recruiting a tall and strong friend, and sourcing some of those giant suction cup handles you use for moving shower glass walls, a few days later the tank was finally hoisted up onto the base.
As there is a dropped ceiling in the basement my plan was to hang the lights directly above the tank from the ceiling, rather than using a light stand. A few tiles were removed to investigate the structure above, and with some 2x4 extra bracing for the anchors, as none of the joists were in quite the right spot, two Chihiros Vivid 3 lights were installed directly above the tank. At this point I discovered that none of the electrical circuits in the basement were GFCI protected, so obviously that was immediately remedied. Too much gear and too much water to mess around with unprotected circuits.
With the ceiling open, I decided to run the lighting cables over the top of the wall to the left of the tank, and down into the mechanicals room there. The advantage being that the power cords are hidden from view after going through the ceiling tiles, and it's two less large power sources cluttering up the cabinet under the tank. Had to add an outlet in that closet, but I like how it turned out.
With the tank in position and leveled, and the lights finally installed, the next big issue is water. The well water here is liquid limestone. That was the initial mistake I made with the shrimp tank. Sure, neocaridina like hard water, but not THAT hard, and I quickly had to shift to remineralized distilled. I knew before even getting serious about planning this tank that the only reasonable option, for any future tanks here, is RO. The well water might be fine for Malawi Cichlids, but that's not my plan for this tank, but it will be great to have flexibility going forward. It's a big glass box, at just over 140 gallons, and it won't be the only one here (I hope), so the water part I want to get right from the start, and to make it easy to do water changes. The basement is a walkout, so draining water during water changes will be easy, and I would like to make filling it just as easy. I sourced two 70 gallon storage tanks for the RO water from Northern Tool, and ordered a Vectra S2 pump which will help with transfering water between tanks, as well as pumping it out through a hose to the aquarium(s) during water changes. Forgot to take a pic when I was done, but the pvc is all glued up now. I will finish installing the RO unit this weekend.
So, aquarium set up, lights in, and RO system with storage in progress. Next up? The exciting part. Hardscape! I have been hoarding Manzanita, Hakkai stone, and substrate for several months, so I'm excited to move on to the next step! Tank so far pictured below (although I have already removed the privacy film on the back in favor of adding the ARC RGB light screen in part due to the stair rail being visible and distracting. First screen was damaged in transit, so waiting on a replacement).
I did happen to find a pic of my old 75 gallon bowfront tank a few weeks ago that was taken just before I tore it down prior to a big move. It ran great for 7 years. Was a simple low tech setup, with one hunk of driftwood, no rocks, plain gravel (no soil) a lot of simple plants (the sword plants did great), and some peaceful fish. Algae wasn't an issue, filtration was pretty subpar by current standards, but the tank did well despite that, and algae wasn't really an issue. Aesthetically blah by today's standards, and certainly not my goal for this build, but I remember being proud of how well this tank ran back then, and wasn't too demanding. Important as my life was very hectic back then.
So, the tech plan so far for the new 150U:
| UNS 150U Tank & Stand |
| Chihiros Vivid 3 x2 |
| Chihirios Vivid 3 Shades x2 |
| GLA PRO-DS-1 Dual Stage CO2 System (Modular) |
| Chihiros Auto Dosing System (4 doser) |
| Chihiros Dosing Flow Adapter |
| Oase Biomaster 2 Thermo 600 |
| Oase Biomaster 2 Thermo 850 |
| ARC RBG Backlight Screen |
| ARC Stainless Yugang CO2 Reactor (Large) |
I ordered the tank and stand from UNS, and to my amazement, despite the worst mid-January winter storm we had in some years here, it was delivered on time by the freight company. I do not recommend trying to move a 5ft wide 400+lb tank and stand across snow and ice, down a slope, into to basement. Very thankful to have a tractor with forks, but still was a bit stressful getting this into the house. Miraculously we got it in the house in one piece, and I seriously questioned ever getting a tank larger than this in the future!
It did require disassembly outside the basement door to actually get it into the house around a berm of snow, along with some extra muscle from a few friends. (This was originally meant to be a 120P, until I realized the hardscape plan I had wouldn't quite fit. What's a another foot in length?
)Just getting the tank through the snow and ice was enough, and the base cabinet and tank just sort of landed in the room, and stayed there for a few days while devising a strategy for the next step. After recruiting a tall and strong friend, and sourcing some of those giant suction cup handles you use for moving shower glass walls, a few days later the tank was finally hoisted up onto the base.
As there is a dropped ceiling in the basement my plan was to hang the lights directly above the tank from the ceiling, rather than using a light stand. A few tiles were removed to investigate the structure above, and with some 2x4 extra bracing for the anchors, as none of the joists were in quite the right spot, two Chihiros Vivid 3 lights were installed directly above the tank. At this point I discovered that none of the electrical circuits in the basement were GFCI protected, so obviously that was immediately remedied. Too much gear and too much water to mess around with unprotected circuits.
With the ceiling open, I decided to run the lighting cables over the top of the wall to the left of the tank, and down into the mechanicals room there. The advantage being that the power cords are hidden from view after going through the ceiling tiles, and it's two less large power sources cluttering up the cabinet under the tank. Had to add an outlet in that closet, but I like how it turned out.
With the tank in position and leveled, and the lights finally installed, the next big issue is water. The well water here is liquid limestone. That was the initial mistake I made with the shrimp tank. Sure, neocaridina like hard water, but not THAT hard, and I quickly had to shift to remineralized distilled. I knew before even getting serious about planning this tank that the only reasonable option, for any future tanks here, is RO. The well water might be fine for Malawi Cichlids, but that's not my plan for this tank, but it will be great to have flexibility going forward. It's a big glass box, at just over 140 gallons, and it won't be the only one here (I hope), so the water part I want to get right from the start, and to make it easy to do water changes. The basement is a walkout, so draining water during water changes will be easy, and I would like to make filling it just as easy. I sourced two 70 gallon storage tanks for the RO water from Northern Tool, and ordered a Vectra S2 pump which will help with transfering water between tanks, as well as pumping it out through a hose to the aquarium(s) during water changes. Forgot to take a pic when I was done, but the pvc is all glued up now. I will finish installing the RO unit this weekend.
So, aquarium set up, lights in, and RO system with storage in progress. Next up? The exciting part. Hardscape! I have been hoarding Manzanita, Hakkai stone, and substrate for several months, so I'm excited to move on to the next step! Tank so far pictured below (although I have already removed the privacy film on the back in favor of adding the ARC RGB light screen in part due to the stair rail being visible and distracting. First screen was damaged in transit, so waiting on a replacement).
106 Replies
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7753 views
I’m often out and about working in the field and stumble upon breathtaking examples of often overlooked and under appreciated slices of nature that Florida has to offer.
My neck of the woods is filled with marsh/wetlands ripe with both native and invasive wildlife of all flavors; I want to start a thread where I can document and share.
I’ll update this thread whenever I capture something noteworthy. Much of what catches my eye is aquatic flora, but I try and document anything captivating. I hope you find this as beautiful and fascinating as I do.
My neck of the woods is filled with marsh/wetlands ripe with both native and invasive wildlife of all flavors; I want to start a thread where I can document and share.
I’ll update this thread whenever I capture something noteworthy. Much of what catches my eye is aquatic flora, but I try and document anything captivating. I hope you find this as beautiful and fascinating as I do.
120 Replies
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8005 views
Supporting
I Donated 2026
Rockstar
So I was pondering fish food because, as I've mentioned before, I have no life. I see there was a post a few years back about feeding tetras but only a couple replies.
It seems, since we are primarily an aquatic plant enthusiast community, we tend to keep smaller species of fish. That's not to say some of us don't have big Cichlid tanks we don't discuss here much, but in general I think most of us are keeping fish in the sub 4" range. So what foods do you feed your smaller fish, especially the sub 2" species?
My primary go-to for my tetras, rasboras, dwarf gouramis, and platys, is Xtreme Nano pellets, Once a week I give them some frozen baby brine shrimp and/or daphnia. I do have a baby brine shrimp hatchery kit and have used it a few times, but I don't know that the fish really care if its live or frozen because their reaction to it is the same. I also go with Xtreme Community Peewee pellets occasionally but at sub 2", they seem to take the Nano pellets more easily. The shop I bought my first fish, told me they feed their smaller fish the Xtreme Nano so that's why I initially went with it. I've also tried various flakes including Bug Bites, but my fish don't seem to care for it as much and it just pollutes the tank.
Interested to hear what works well for others as I'd like to experiment and see if there's something else the fish might like even more. I imagine the responses for someone keeping the smaller cichlid species might be much different but interested to hear that as well since I might look into some of those species, like rams or even angelfish, on future larger tanks.
It seems, since we are primarily an aquatic plant enthusiast community, we tend to keep smaller species of fish. That's not to say some of us don't have big Cichlid tanks we don't discuss here much, but in general I think most of us are keeping fish in the sub 4" range. So what foods do you feed your smaller fish, especially the sub 2" species?
My primary go-to for my tetras, rasboras, dwarf gouramis, and platys, is Xtreme Nano pellets, Once a week I give them some frozen baby brine shrimp and/or daphnia. I do have a baby brine shrimp hatchery kit and have used it a few times, but I don't know that the fish really care if its live or frozen because their reaction to it is the same. I also go with Xtreme Community Peewee pellets occasionally but at sub 2", they seem to take the Nano pellets more easily. The shop I bought my first fish, told me they feed their smaller fish the Xtreme Nano so that's why I initially went with it. I've also tried various flakes including Bug Bites, but my fish don't seem to care for it as much and it just pollutes the tank.
Interested to hear what works well for others as I'd like to experiment and see if there's something else the fish might like even more. I imagine the responses for someone keeping the smaller cichlid species might be much different but interested to hear that as well since I might look into some of those species, like rams or even angelfish, on future larger tanks.
15 Replies
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180 views
Staff member
I Donated 2026
Founding Member
The theme for this month's contest is: Shades of Green
Please take a picture of shades of green in your aquarium. Be as artistic and creative as you like.
The rules:
A $25 store credit from BurrAqua thanks to @Burr740!
Good Luck!
Please take a picture of shades of green in your aquarium. Be as artistic and creative as you like.
The rules:
- Submissions are allowed between August 16 and August 23.
- Voting will start on August 23 at 12:01 am Eastern time.
- Voting will end on August 30 at 11:30 pm Eastern time.
A $25 store credit from BurrAqua thanks to @Burr740!
Good Luck!
5 Replies
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277 views
I asked this question in a recent thread but it received no traction, so maybe it deserves its own thread. .........
When planting newly received emersed growth stem plants could it not be beneficial to leave the leaves on the stem of the section to be buried ? Yes these leaves will rot but could this not be possibly providing a useful ammonia source for the newly introduced plant and promote root development etc ? What evidence do we actually have of the pros and cons of doing this ? I must admit that do trim as Naturescapes_Rocco has suggested in another thread, by removing all leaves apart from a small top section but every time I do, it always makes me wonder about this factor.
I can see all the benefits of not leaving any excess emersed growth leaves on the exposed part of the stem but on the actual buried part of the stem could it possibly be even beneficial ??
When planting newly received emersed growth stem plants could it not be beneficial to leave the leaves on the stem of the section to be buried ? Yes these leaves will rot but could this not be possibly providing a useful ammonia source for the newly introduced plant and promote root development etc ? What evidence do we actually have of the pros and cons of doing this ? I must admit that do trim as Naturescapes_Rocco has suggested in another thread, by removing all leaves apart from a small top section but every time I do, it always makes me wonder about this factor.
I can see all the benefits of not leaving any excess emersed growth leaves on the exposed part of the stem but on the actual buried part of the stem could it possibly be even beneficial ??
7 Replies
·
148 views
Supporting
I Donated 2026
Rockstar
Edit: Newest tank starts here: Journal - Kwyet’s 125 / now 140G Nature Tank
——
This was one of the first tanks I set back up when we moved into our new house. As such, it was done very quickly so I could get it re-cycled and the fish in ASAP. Surprisingly, even though the filter sponges were just kept damp in plastic bags for 4 days, cycling took less than a week. I was NOT going to try to catch the pictus catfishes again, so I just lowered the water level in their holding tubs and poured them in. These guys are vocal when annoyed, so I assure you that I could hear them cussing at me, lol!
Here’s one of the last pictures of the tank before moving:
And here is what it looked like after the move in August 2024:
It left a lot to be desired, and while the painted blue background looked fine with my blue walls in Florida, it doesn’t look as good here with beige walls. I wasn’t going to move it out and scrape away the paint though, so it is what it is.
At this point I believe it had 1 angelfish (kept because it swims off-kilter), 1 Denison barb (kept because of a small white growth on chin since it was a baby), 2 old bronze Cory cats (because of age), and 3 Spotted Pictus catfish (because they were hard to acquire), 2 Super Red Bristlenose Plecos and 1 Glo-fish Rainbow shark (just because, lol!).
More to come.
——
This was one of the first tanks I set back up when we moved into our new house. As such, it was done very quickly so I could get it re-cycled and the fish in ASAP. Surprisingly, even though the filter sponges were just kept damp in plastic bags for 4 days, cycling took less than a week. I was NOT going to try to catch the pictus catfishes again, so I just lowered the water level in their holding tubs and poured them in. These guys are vocal when annoyed, so I assure you that I could hear them cussing at me, lol!
Here’s one of the last pictures of the tank before moving:
And here is what it looked like after the move in August 2024:
It left a lot to be desired, and while the painted blue background looked fine with my blue walls in Florida, it doesn’t look as good here with beige walls. I wasn’t going to move it out and scrape away the paint though, so it is what it is.
At this point I believe it had 1 angelfish (kept because it swims off-kilter), 1 Denison barb (kept because of a small white growth on chin since it was a baby), 2 old bronze Cory cats (because of age), and 3 Spotted Pictus catfish (because they were hard to acquire), 2 Super Red Bristlenose Plecos and 1 Glo-fish Rainbow shark (just because, lol!).
More to come.
79 Replies
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7481 views
I Donated 2026
Has anyone had much experience with this plant?
A local shop has just received stock of this version of bacopa, and I’m struggling to find many reports of people’s experiences growing it.
schoolofscape.com.au
I’m a bit gun shy when it comes to white variants of plants that seem new to the hobby, and it’s not cheap so hoping to hear from someone whose grown it before I take the plunge!
Does it hold it’s white form? How much more sensitive than regular bacopa is it?
A local shop has just received stock of this version of bacopa, and I’m struggling to find many reports of people’s experiences growing it.
Bacopa Monnieri 'White'
Enhance your aquascape with Bacopa Monnieri ‘White’. A rare and stunning aquatic plant. Delivered anywhere in Australia.
schoolofscape.com.au
Does it hold it’s white form? How much more sensitive than regular bacopa is it?
19 Replies
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943 views
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I Donated 2026
MTS creeps into your home, one 2 tanks at a time. This one is a UNS 45SA. I don't have firm plans for it yet, but I have some ideas. All the bits have finally arrived. Today is a "where will this fit and let's see how it runs next to the sink in case there is an issue" day.
I have some ideas of where I may want to go. Hillstream Loach / Goby with epiphytes is one direction. Submersed Buce growout idea is floating around in my head, too. Once I figure it out, I'll start a journal that will probably be updated a lot at first, then languish until I get Art's automated reminder email to post.
Hardware
UNS 45SA AIO /w Lid and Intake Screen
Hygger Submersible Heater 50 Watt
FZone Solo Series Nano LED
N-Fill Smart ATO
The ATO has a funny story. I'm using the Tunze Osmolater 3 Nano on the 6 and 10-gallon tanks, but the sensor is large, out of scale for this smaller tank. Plus, the green light is obnoxious at night. A BRS video on the N-Fill Smart ATO popped into my feed. For 70 bucks, I'd give it a try. The ATO arrived with 2 power plugs, no pump. Called BRS, who have real live people in their offices in Minnesota that you can speak to, amazing, I know. The agent had a good laugh. Earlier in the day, they had a caller with 2 pumps, no power plug. They said they'd ship another, keep the one I have. A few days later, an email letting me know it was back-ordered arrived. A quick call to the helpful BRS folks informed that it would be about 2 weeks before a new shipment would arrive. In the meantime, I went on the N-Fill site and saw they had them in stock, with free shipping and 10% signup for email discount. Asked BRS for a refund; the money was back in my account before I hung up. Ordered the ATO from N-Fill and wrote with my tale of woo, asking to purchase a pump. They sent a link to the hidden spare parts page and ordered a pump, $20 shipped. Wrote them back and asked that they make it one shipment. Their support wrote me back, apologizing for the missing pump and refunded the pump price. To be clear, I did tell them that BRS let me keep, at no charge, the unit with all the bits, sans pump. They even sent it with 2-day shipping.
The Blank Slate
A cramped AIO section.
I have some ideas of where I may want to go. Hillstream Loach / Goby with epiphytes is one direction. Submersed Buce growout idea is floating around in my head, too. Once I figure it out, I'll start a journal that will probably be updated a lot at first, then languish until I get Art's automated reminder email to post.
Hardware
UNS 45SA AIO /w Lid and Intake Screen
Hygger Submersible Heater 50 Watt
FZone Solo Series Nano LED
N-Fill Smart ATO
The ATO has a funny story. I'm using the Tunze Osmolater 3 Nano on the 6 and 10-gallon tanks, but the sensor is large, out of scale for this smaller tank. Plus, the green light is obnoxious at night. A BRS video on the N-Fill Smart ATO popped into my feed. For 70 bucks, I'd give it a try. The ATO arrived with 2 power plugs, no pump. Called BRS, who have real live people in their offices in Minnesota that you can speak to, amazing, I know. The agent had a good laugh. Earlier in the day, they had a caller with 2 pumps, no power plug. They said they'd ship another, keep the one I have. A few days later, an email letting me know it was back-ordered arrived. A quick call to the helpful BRS folks informed that it would be about 2 weeks before a new shipment would arrive. In the meantime, I went on the N-Fill site and saw they had them in stock, with free shipping and 10% signup for email discount. Asked BRS for a refund; the money was back in my account before I hung up. Ordered the ATO from N-Fill and wrote with my tale of woo, asking to purchase a pump. They sent a link to the hidden spare parts page and ordered a pump, $20 shipped. Wrote them back and asked that they make it one shipment. Their support wrote me back, apologizing for the missing pump and refunded the pump price. To be clear, I did tell them that BRS let me keep, at no charge, the unit with all the bits, sans pump. They even sent it with 2-day shipping.
The Blank Slate
A cramped AIO section.
11 Replies
·
721 views