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Chapter 1: Assessing the true status of plants/animals is not as easy as it first appears
1) First premise: The overall condition of an organism can be assessed by its external form or by its internal contents.
--- with the content being [with few exceptions] more important than the form, because the specific form is [in most cases] based on the content
--- the content has more predictive value than the form
--- there are exceptions when form may override content: e.g. external mechanical damage [e.g. due to too strong water flow or leaf nibbling by snails/fish] or algae/cyanobacteria infestation of plants [not due to their poor condition, but simply due to uncontrolled algal overgrowth]
2) Second premise: Most aquarists judge the condition of their plants/animals by their external form.
--- typically by growth rate, size, coloration, absence of external deformities or absence of algae (in plants) or by liveliness/vigor, appetite and ability to reproduce (in animals)
3) Result: Most aquarists judge the condition of their plants/animals by secondary (and therefore potentially misleading) measures.
Examples (possible combinations) of external and internal organism conditions that can theoretically occur:
A) good form + good content
B) good form + poor content
C) poor form + good content
D) poor form + poor content
It is important to realize that we do not know the inner content (i.e. the current state of metabolic processes) and we do not have many options to find out. However, if we don't know the second (and more important) part of the equation, we can't be sure of the outcome either!
PS: Many times we do everything we can to achieve the image we want to see in our aquarium, even at the cost of "torturing" its inhabitants. We are not interested in what our plants (or animals) like, but we have elevated our aesthetic preferences to a standard (measure) by which to judge their condition. If a plant fits our aesthetic preferences, then we declare it "perfectly healthy" (i.e. in optimal condition), without acknowledging the possibility that it may be in state B (i.e. good form + poor content).
Chapter 2: So how do we properly assess the condition of our plants/animals to be as close to reality as possible, even if we can't see inside them?
1) Take inspiration from nature (with its laws), use common sense and do not use extreme methods (typically for example unnaturally high nutrient doses)!
A number of scientific studies have presented the evidence that unnaturally high concentrations of certain nutrients (or inappropriate ratios) can be harmful to different plants [under certain circumstances].
--- For example, some studies have suggested that CO2 concentrations above 40 ppm can have a narcotic effect on some plants. Other specialized or scholarly literature recommends 10-20 ppm as the maximum recommended long-term CO2 concentration for aquatic organisms, as higher concentrations can lead to various internal metabolic and physiological disturbances. If it is true that we should not expose aquarium animals to CO2 concentrations above 20 ppm, but we still expose them to such concentrations [long term], then what else can we call it but deliberate torture?
Such high nutrient concentrations [that are used and recommended by some aquarists] are not commonly found anywhere in unpolluted natural waters.
--- While this does not mean anything in itself, it is good to realize that if something is not commonly found in nature (i.e. plants and animals do not normally encounter it), then it is highly likely that they have not developed any mechanisms to cope with such unnatural concentrations (= extremes), or they do have some mechanisms, but they are not built for such extreme situations (i.e. extreme nutrient concentrations). This assumption is logical and central, and is supported by a number of scientific studies.
If we cannot be 100% certain that the concentrations of nutrients (or other agents) we use are truly harmless to our plants/animals, then it is certainly reasonable to stick to such concentrations and mimic conditions that are as close as possible to the natural ones in which the plants/animals in question have thrived for thousands of years (and are thus perfectly evolutionarily adapted to).
While using extremely high doses of nutrients may result in "bigger, faster growing and more colourful" plants, it may also place an unnatural strain on their internal metabolism (in other words, stress them continuously).
--- I have unfortunately met aquarists who cannot admit this possibility. They believe that "good form" is automatically unquestionable proof of overall optimal condition.
2) Continue to evaluate plants/animals by external form, but with the understanding that it is not the only (and obviously not the most important!) measure.
3) If you can afford it, also perform internal content analysis (e.g., dry matter nutrient content can be a relatively useful indicator).
4) Conduct comparative tests.
--- Why use extreme methods when similar results can often be achieved with much more moderate methods that are much gentler on aquarium plants/animals?
--- Take a look at my latest experiment for example, where I only use something like ~11 ppm CO2 (+ very low doses of other nutrients) and think about whether it is really necessary to use that much more.
A few final notes on algae:
Sometimes we use to say that "algae only attack unhealthy plants". But how can we know that a plant infested with algae is unhealthy if we are only able to judge its health by its external form?
Of course, it is possible (even likely) that a fast-growing leaf is a worse surface for algae to attach to than a slow-growing (or stagnant) leaf. Of course, a healthy organism is generally more resistant to disease than an unhealthy one. But does this always and everywhere (in all circumstances) apply? Will a plant that grows in an environment perfectly suited to algae successfully resist it? And will it resist them even if we remove all algae eaters (snails/shrimps) from the aquarium, cancel filtration, stop using the surface skimmer, stop regular maintenance and water changes? I highly doubt it. On the contrary, I am convinced that if you remove all the means that help keep algae at bay from the aquarium, then the healthiest plant will not be able to resist them. In an aquarium with no filtration and no bunch of shrimps, algae will simply appear after a month, even if you crawl on hands and knees over broken glass. And regular maintenance and weekly 50% water changes won't help either. On the other hand, with an army of shrimps I don't have to do anything and the algae will never show up.
I know this topic will probably be a bit controversial for some, but I wanted to bring it up here anyway, so that we can at least think about it. I am not imposing my views here on anyone. Advocates as well as opponents of my views will surely find many other arguments to support their views (which is certainly a good thing).
1) First premise: The overall condition of an organism can be assessed by its external form or by its internal contents.
--- with the content being [with few exceptions] more important than the form, because the specific form is [in most cases] based on the content
--- the content has more predictive value than the form
--- there are exceptions when form may override content: e.g. external mechanical damage [e.g. due to too strong water flow or leaf nibbling by snails/fish] or algae/cyanobacteria infestation of plants [not due to their poor condition, but simply due to uncontrolled algal overgrowth]
2) Second premise: Most aquarists judge the condition of their plants/animals by their external form.
--- typically by growth rate, size, coloration, absence of external deformities or absence of algae (in plants) or by liveliness/vigor, appetite and ability to reproduce (in animals)
3) Result: Most aquarists judge the condition of their plants/animals by secondary (and therefore potentially misleading) measures.
Examples (possible combinations) of external and internal organism conditions that can theoretically occur:
A) good form + good content
1) External form = good
2) Internal content = good
3) Overall condition = optimal
B) good form + poor content
1) External form = good => e.g. disturbed internal metabolism but not reflected in external appearance
2) Internal content = bad
3) Overall condition = suboptimal
- Example (in fish): higher concentration of harmful substances in internal organs, nephrocalcinosis (deposits in kidneys), higher mortality rate of fry, shorter lifespan, overall higher stress levels etc.
- Example (in plants): higher concentration of harmful substances or too high concentration of nutrients in the tissue, "obesity", increased excretion of organic exudates, mild poisoning (narcotic effect), different colouration - richer or paler (paradoxically considered desirable by aquarists and as evidence of optimal condition)
C) poor form + good content
1) External form = bad => e.g. external deformation due to purely external damage (without serious impact on the overall state of internal metabolism)
2) Internal content = good
3) Overall condition = suboptimal
D) poor form + poor content
1) External form = poor => e.g. disturbed internal metabolism which is also reflected in the external appearance
2) Internal content = bad
3) Overall condition = suboptimal
It is important to realize that we do not know the inner content (i.e. the current state of metabolic processes) and we do not have many options to find out. However, if we don't know the second (and more important) part of the equation, we can't be sure of the outcome either!
PS: Many times we do everything we can to achieve the image we want to see in our aquarium, even at the cost of "torturing" its inhabitants. We are not interested in what our plants (or animals) like, but we have elevated our aesthetic preferences to a standard (measure) by which to judge their condition. If a plant fits our aesthetic preferences, then we declare it "perfectly healthy" (i.e. in optimal condition), without acknowledging the possibility that it may be in state B (i.e. good form + poor content).
Chapter 2: So how do we properly assess the condition of our plants/animals to be as close to reality as possible, even if we can't see inside them?
1) Take inspiration from nature (with its laws), use common sense and do not use extreme methods (typically for example unnaturally high nutrient doses)!
A number of scientific studies have presented the evidence that unnaturally high concentrations of certain nutrients (or inappropriate ratios) can be harmful to different plants [under certain circumstances].
--- For example, some studies have suggested that CO2 concentrations above 40 ppm can have a narcotic effect on some plants. Other specialized or scholarly literature recommends 10-20 ppm as the maximum recommended long-term CO2 concentration for aquatic organisms, as higher concentrations can lead to various internal metabolic and physiological disturbances. If it is true that we should not expose aquarium animals to CO2 concentrations above 20 ppm, but we still expose them to such concentrations [long term], then what else can we call it but deliberate torture?
Such high nutrient concentrations [that are used and recommended by some aquarists] are not commonly found anywhere in unpolluted natural waters.
--- While this does not mean anything in itself, it is good to realize that if something is not commonly found in nature (i.e. plants and animals do not normally encounter it), then it is highly likely that they have not developed any mechanisms to cope with such unnatural concentrations (= extremes), or they do have some mechanisms, but they are not built for such extreme situations (i.e. extreme nutrient concentrations). This assumption is logical and central, and is supported by a number of scientific studies.
If we cannot be 100% certain that the concentrations of nutrients (or other agents) we use are truly harmless to our plants/animals, then it is certainly reasonable to stick to such concentrations and mimic conditions that are as close as possible to the natural ones in which the plants/animals in question have thrived for thousands of years (and are thus perfectly evolutionarily adapted to).
While using extremely high doses of nutrients may result in "bigger, faster growing and more colourful" plants, it may also place an unnatural strain on their internal metabolism (in other words, stress them continuously).
--- I have unfortunately met aquarists who cannot admit this possibility. They believe that "good form" is automatically unquestionable proof of overall optimal condition.
2) Continue to evaluate plants/animals by external form, but with the understanding that it is not the only (and obviously not the most important!) measure.
3) If you can afford it, also perform internal content analysis (e.g., dry matter nutrient content can be a relatively useful indicator).
4) Conduct comparative tests.
--- Why use extreme methods when similar results can often be achieved with much more moderate methods that are much gentler on aquarium plants/animals?
--- Take a look at my latest experiment for example, where I only use something like ~11 ppm CO2 (+ very low doses of other nutrients) and think about whether it is really necessary to use that much more.
A few final notes on algae:
Sometimes we use to say that "algae only attack unhealthy plants". But how can we know that a plant infested with algae is unhealthy if we are only able to judge its health by its external form?
Of course, it is possible (even likely) that a fast-growing leaf is a worse surface for algae to attach to than a slow-growing (or stagnant) leaf. Of course, a healthy organism is generally more resistant to disease than an unhealthy one. But does this always and everywhere (in all circumstances) apply? Will a plant that grows in an environment perfectly suited to algae successfully resist it? And will it resist them even if we remove all algae eaters (snails/shrimps) from the aquarium, cancel filtration, stop using the surface skimmer, stop regular maintenance and water changes? I highly doubt it. On the contrary, I am convinced that if you remove all the means that help keep algae at bay from the aquarium, then the healthiest plant will not be able to resist them. In an aquarium with no filtration and no bunch of shrimps, algae will simply appear after a month, even if you crawl on hands and knees over broken glass. And regular maintenance and weekly 50% water changes won't help either. On the other hand, with an army of shrimps I don't have to do anything and the algae will never show up.
I know this topic will probably be a bit controversial for some, but I wanted to bring it up here anyway, so that we can at least think about it. I am not imposing my views here on anyone. Advocates as well as opponents of my views will surely find many other arguments to support their views (which is certainly a good thing).
35 replies
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4323 views
Hey folks, this marks the first time I've had more than one journal at a time, but I'm beginning work on a new 120x60 low-iron, rimless aquascape. I've been inspired by Hendy8888 and @Naturescapes_Rocco to try to make a really high quality stand. I have tried making a stand before, but it was a 2x4 stand with reclaimed wood facing, and it ended up looking pretty amateur. I'm trying to go high-end on this one in part because I want to be able to build cabinets for various projects around the house, and my wife will be less upset if I botch a fish tank stand than if I botch a new kitchen build.
I love seeing these stand builds, but they've always seemed somewhat under-documented to me. So this is starting from the very beginning - the design.
Under the influence of Rocco I did some 3d modeling for the tank. The pictures are a front view, one without the top sheet one, and one without the doors on. I used Shapr3d, which is free for one project. Let me know what you think of the design, and if there is anything I could work on!
I love seeing these stand builds, but they've always seemed somewhat under-documented to me. So this is starting from the very beginning - the design.
Under the influence of Rocco I did some 3d modeling for the tank. The pictures are a front view, one without the top sheet one, and one without the doors on. I used Shapr3d, which is free for one project. Let me know what you think of the design, and if there is anything I could work on!
82 replies
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6576 views
I have good nutrient, CO2 and light levels, why do my plants still grow poorly
Many hobbyists spend time perfecting tank parameters, nutrient, light and CO2 levels, thinking that this automatically translates into optimal plant growth. While these factors are important, there are many other factors that affect plant growth.
For example above we have two groups of Lysimachia parvifolia growing side by side. Both groups have access to the same parameters, CO2, light, nutrients, substrate. However, the group on the right is growing poorly with darker, melting leaves and the group on the left is growing super vibrant red, with hardly a blemish.
This is not due to some arcane reason such as water flow hitting one group but not the other. The reason here is much simpler - the group on the right has been trimmed back repeatedly and allowed to grow in the same spot for a few months, while the group on the left was uprooted in the last month, divided and replanted. Overcrowding, both above and below the substrate, resulted in poorer quality new leaves being produced for the group of the right. This poor growth happened despite great growth parameters, a ton of CO2 and nutrients in the water column etc.
Different plants have different tolerances for overcrowding and aging. Some plant species regenerate well from repeated trimming cycles, others need replanting more frequently. Having great growth conditions delay deterioration of old growth, but most plants grow more optimally with regular replanting to clear congested rootzones and old growth.
Trimming and replanting cycles
The exact number of trimming cycles each species can regenerate from, and the time it takes for old growth and root zone congestion to take effect is different for each aquarium environment. Generally, if aquarium conditions are more spacious, and there is more substrate depth and stable growth conditions, plants can grow in one spot longer. Stressful growth conditions, poor nutrient/CO2 levels and even poor microbial balance accelerate deterioration of old growth.Interestingly, on the opposite end, overcrowding and root zone congestion also happens more quickly in fast growth aquariums. Hobbyists that throw a ton of nutrients and CO2 at their plants run headfirst into the brick wall that is overcrowding. This can be countered somewhat by using a portion of slower growing plants in an aquarium. The slower growing plants can be worked less often, while the fast growers are on a more regular replanting cycle.
Many aquascapers avoid stem plants because they require much more frequent replanting to grow well. Species such as Anubias, Bucephalandra and Cryptocoryne species on the other hand, have extremely long replanting cycles, and can grow for years without needing to be uprooted.
In this stem plant heavy aquascape that is around 7 months old, every single plant cluster has been replanted at least once. A sample of the replanting cycle for each species:
- Rotala blood red SG - every 4 months
- Rotala macrandra mini type 4 - every month
- Lysimachia parvifolia - every 2-3 months
- Xyris difformis - every 5-6 months
- Elatine triandra - every month
- Rotala florida - every 3-4 months
- Staurogyne purple - every 5 months
Uprooting, cleaning, replanting:
To refresh stem plant bushes, we will replant the fresh tops of the plants, while discarding the older bottom portions.
The first step is to uproot the entire stem plant bush. To control the mess when pulling up the soil, we recommend using a water siphon to vacuum the area when pulling up plants. The siphon should be held very close to the point where the plant is being pulled up to catch the soil debris.
We will try to remove as much of the old root system as possible and also remove any organic debris that has accumulated in the area. While organic debris contributes small amounts of nutrients through decomposition, a build-up of organic debris will interfere with root formation for more delicate plants and will also trigger algae. To stir up the organic debris, we use a turkey baster to spray jets of water onto the substrate while vacuuming with a siphon. The aquasoil should look clean before we start replanting.
The next step is to sort the uprooted stems and select only the healthiest heads for replanting. (A) is a middle portion and already has several branches. It is a poor choice as it will give rise to very uneven growth. (B) is a weak cutting- observe how thin the stem is, and the lack of colour. If replanted, it has a lower chance of success. (C) is ideal. A thick, singular healthy top with healthy new leaves.
Enriching the substrate with new aquasoil
When plants are uprooted, we can take the chance to enrich the substrate. There are two main ways to replenish depleted aqua soils. The first is to use nitrogen-rich root tabs. The second is to add fresh ammonia-rich aquasoil periodically. A good rate is adding 1% of new ammonia-rich aquasoil per month. For example, if you have 30kg of aquasoil in an aquarium, adding around 300 grams per month will work well. You can add new aquasoil during plant replanting cycles. Simply remove a portion of old aquasoil with a water siphon or spoon, then add and mix in the new aquasoil. This method may be cheaper than using root tabs in the long run
Replanting entire planted aquariums regularly is not feasible for most aquarists. So having an aquascape consisting solely of fast growing stem plants can be a nightmare when overcrowding and age sets in. Aquarists should plant a mix of slower growing species and species that do not need frequent trimming/replanting. Then the fast growing bunches can be replanted on a rotation basis - only one species is replanted during each weekly water change for example.Replanting work requires skill and dexterity. It is often difficult for beginners to manage, until some experience is gained. It becomes much easier with practice and time.
In this aquarium, Rotala florida, Xyris difformis, Syngonanthus species are all plants that can grow for months without replanting.
With consistent maintenance, aqua soils do not need to be replaced. The aqua soil in this aquarium is 1.5 years old APT Feast. Regular enrichment and clearing of detritus allows the substrate to perform like new. By renewing plant growth continually through replanting, and enrichment, planted aquariums also become more algae resistant.
This article is a slightly condensed version as I know folks don't like to be redirected, the full article can be found here:
Good parameters, Good CO2, Good light, Poor plant growth?
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82 views
Era of AI slop is truly upon us. Firstly, no one holds the Oxyguard analyzer's probe as it takes 15-20mins to get a reading.
Size of the box is wrong and no shadows below the box, caps missing and a strap that goes nowhere. Aquarium looks fake as well. Real pic below for comparison.
6 replies
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133 views
Journal High-Tech 90P Build
Hi guys!
I'm new here, but not entirely new to planted tanks though I've been out of the hobby for the better part of the last decade between kids and moving a couple of times - but finally in a spot where I can do something again. I'm mostly going to be making things up as I go along, but plan on a lot of automation (I want to integrate everything into home assistant) and a lot of DIY as I love the challenge of building things out myself.
The starting point:
I picked up a 90P rimless, low-iron tank on a great deal.
I have a rough idea in my head for a stand to be built from plywood - just have a couple other house projects to finish off before starting that built.
Wife says I can only have one aquarium, so for this tank, I want to go all out with a sump to allow for auto top off, and auto water changes, auto fertilizer dosing etc. etc. I have half a plan in my mind.
I've also started on the light fixture which I've modeled up in CAD, and plan on making out of an 8020 extrusion, and some 3D printed bits.
I'm using bridgelux gen 3 thrive CW (3000k) and WW (5000k) LED strips which have super high CRI at 98+ along with some specific XPE2 wavelengths that I'll solder onto some starboards. Far Red (730nm), Red (654nm), Cyan (495nm), Blue (455nm), Visible UV (415nm). Each segment of the white channels will be on its own driver so I can adjust left to right brightness in thirds, and each colour channel on its own driver so I can vary each channel on a time-based approach.
These will be run from a custom PCB board with Meanwell N-LDD drivers, and will run ESPHome on an ESP32 so it can link up with my Home Assistant installation.
That's it for now, this will probably be a very slow build so be warned if you follow along!
I'm new here, but not entirely new to planted tanks though I've been out of the hobby for the better part of the last decade between kids and moving a couple of times - but finally in a spot where I can do something again. I'm mostly going to be making things up as I go along, but plan on a lot of automation (I want to integrate everything into home assistant) and a lot of DIY as I love the challenge of building things out myself.
The starting point:
I picked up a 90P rimless, low-iron tank on a great deal.
I have a rough idea in my head for a stand to be built from plywood - just have a couple other house projects to finish off before starting that built.
Wife says I can only have one aquarium, so for this tank, I want to go all out with a sump to allow for auto top off, and auto water changes, auto fertilizer dosing etc. etc. I have half a plan in my mind.
I've also started on the light fixture which I've modeled up in CAD, and plan on making out of an 8020 extrusion, and some 3D printed bits.
I'm using bridgelux gen 3 thrive CW (3000k) and WW (5000k) LED strips which have super high CRI at 98+ along with some specific XPE2 wavelengths that I'll solder onto some starboards. Far Red (730nm), Red (654nm), Cyan (495nm), Blue (455nm), Visible UV (415nm). Each segment of the white channels will be on its own driver so I can adjust left to right brightness in thirds, and each colour channel on its own driver so I can vary each channel on a time-based approach.
These will be run from a custom PCB board with Meanwell N-LDD drivers, and will run ESPHome on an ESP32 so it can link up with my Home Assistant installation.
That's it for now, this will probably be a very slow build so be warned if you follow along!
28 replies
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1106 views
I don't know where I saw it, but I read somewhere that the US imports its CO2. So people were reporting not being able to get it because it is stuck in the Straight of Hormuz. Who knew? Seems weird to me. Anyway, yeah, it's open now, but it might take awhile to get back to normal supply levels. You might want to check with your vendor if you're getting low.
10 replies
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73 views
Journal Waterbox 20g AIO Planted Tank
NC AL’s Waterbox 20g AIO Planted Tank
Current view as of 5/26/26
Current view as of 5/26/26
Tank: Waterbox 20 AIO
Return pump: AI Axis 40
Lighting: (2) AI Blade Fresh 12”
Dosing pump: Ecotech Marine
CO2 injected
The purpose of this tank is to maintain a healthy planted tank for at least 1 year. There is a stipulation that I must be able to do this using my tap water for water changes.
29 replies
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942 views
25 replies
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348 views
I've just spotted these latest Hygger luminaire lights.
All the bumf seems to claim that they only have RGB LEDs (all 5054 type). Very reasonable prices. Is this a complete bargain for a genuine RGB light ? Or is there a catch ?? THis is way off my areas of expertise.
www.hygger-online.com
All the bumf seems to claim that they only have RGB LEDs (all 5054 type). Very reasonable prices. Is this a complete bargain for a genuine RGB light ? Or is there a catch ?? THis is way off my areas of expertise.
hygger Aquarium Bluetooth LED Light - hygger
hygger Bluetooth LED light is simple and intuitively controlled by APP, its CRI is up to 95, and 300+ colors to choose from for 12"-55" freshwater tanks.
12 replies
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418 views
Hi All,
This is something I've been wanting to do for years, and I think I finally found a sensor that will work. I've always had trouble reading the API tests, and I've always been miffed that the reefers get the cool digital test readers - and wanted to take a crack at building one that could potentially read any freshwater test given a blank/known concentration as a calibration.
A sensor came out from ams (AS7343) in 2022 that unfortunately has been made EOL, but has a replacement (TCS34488M) with a similar package that might work for future versions.
I recently got my hands on a qwic version of the AS7343 sensor from sparkfun, and figured its time to put together something.
Goals:
I figure I'll need 2 light sources (warm white, and IR for reading the phosphate test), but can use the same sensor array across most tests. I can use a small-form ESP32 as the MCU to give it USB-C power, wifi/bt connectivity if needed, and keep it small. Small/cheap ~1.3" OLED screen for displaying results/selecting tests.
Enclosure will be 3d printed.
First pass at a sketch - I might drop the screen if I can give the device a web interface though, which will make the device even smaller/cheaper, reduces the need for physical buttons on the unit, and a 2nd pcb entirely. Also not sure if it will need a cover for the top of the vial, or how much ambient light will affect the reads. TBD. Will order some XIAO ESP32S3 to play with and see how far I can take it.
I'll log progress here, and am very open to suggestions and ideas. If successful, I'll release the files so it can be easily replicated.
This is something I've been wanting to do for years, and I think I finally found a sensor that will work. I've always had trouble reading the API tests, and I've always been miffed that the reefers get the cool digital test readers - and wanted to take a crack at building one that could potentially read any freshwater test given a blank/known concentration as a calibration.
A sensor came out from ams (AS7343) in 2022 that unfortunately has been made EOL, but has a replacement (TCS34488M) with a similar package that might work for future versions.
I recently got my hands on a qwic version of the AS7343 sensor from sparkfun, and figured its time to put together something.
Goals:
- As cheap as possible
- Universal as possible
- Fit API glass/plastic vials (not sure yet if the plastic vials will read ok)
- Start with Nitrate/Phosphate and see if I can add more there
I figure I'll need 2 light sources (warm white, and IR for reading the phosphate test), but can use the same sensor array across most tests. I can use a small-form ESP32 as the MCU to give it USB-C power, wifi/bt connectivity if needed, and keep it small. Small/cheap ~1.3" OLED screen for displaying results/selecting tests.
Enclosure will be 3d printed.
First pass at a sketch - I might drop the screen if I can give the device a web interface though, which will make the device even smaller/cheaper, reduces the need for physical buttons on the unit, and a 2nd pcb entirely. Also not sure if it will need a cover for the top of the vial, or how much ambient light will affect the reads. TBD. Will order some XIAO ESP32S3 to play with and see how far I can take it.
I'll log progress here, and am very open to suggestions and ideas. If successful, I'll release the files so it can be easily replicated.
11 replies
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182 views
Journal 20 gallon Rotala florida tank
I have always liked Rotala florida as plant due to its strongly colored leaves, but realized that I haven't actually aquascaped much with it - meaning to integrate it as part of a layout and not just growing a bunch of it in farm/collector style tank. Using plants in a layout in tighter bunches, and in competition with surrounding plants/hardscape is much harder than growing it farm style in a single patch - it also means be able to shape/trim the bushes to match the overall curves of the layout.
Back in 2016 or so when I first received Rotala florida samples from north america, I could only grow it in sparser bunches. It looked nice in macro photographs but I could not envision using it an bush that would show off well as part of a layout unless I can grow it much denser. In the recent years, there were two main discoveries that I found in my experimentation, the first is that it grows better in moderate GH (5 dGH+) compared to super soft water (say <3dGH), and that it grew better in certain soil mixes (I experimented with different garden soil mixes when engineering the composition of APT Feast). Eventually I integrated some of the soil data into APT Feast's composition, and paired with the higher power lights readily available today, I find that I could finally grow the plant the way I envisioned as part of overall layout. I could prune it dense, as the base stems were healthy enough to sprout dense side shoots after trimming - and the secondary/tertiary shoot tips were as fully colored and sized similar to a primary shoot tip that hasn't been subjected to topping yet.
As a midground stem, it works very well due to its slower growth rate vs other colored stem plants.
Against the deep purple of Rotala florida, I found that Golden white clouds worked quite well. So now they are the main inhabitants of the tank.
Tank this week (25/6/2025)
Tank started out like this:
A week or 2 after initial planting (5/5/2025). I reused old aquasoil from the previous scape, so I planted all plants up front rather than waiting more time for the tank to stabilize, with the idea that I could out-grow any algae issues. Initially wanted to add H. Chai but it really didn't fit the overall color scheme, and the bushes by the side were too invasive to be compatible with having a chai patch I think.
Since it was going to contain Rotala florida, I thought I might as well throw in other high demand troublesome species such as the Red Eriocaulon quinguangulare, blood vomit. I settled on Rotala tulunadensis for the background as I wanted something dense and shapeable.
Tank specs:
60x36x36cm
Filter: Oase biomaster 250, all sponge media
CO2 injected through inline atomizer
Substrate: APT Feast
Water column: APT Sky to raise GH to 5dGH, 2ml of APTe per day.
Light distance. Interestingly, not crazy high PAR - just around 200-250 umols PAR at the substrate level.
Trimming and shaping: Most bushes were shaped by cutting individual outlier shoots one by one. Only Rotala blood red and the Rotala tulunadensis was straight trimmed across the entire top once.
This is how the Rotala tulunadensis looked like after a straight trim on 29/5/2025. About 3 weeks from when the top picture at top of this page was taken. It took the plant a whole week + to show new shoots. It seems straight trimming slows down the plant quite a bit, but allows for a very dense & neat canopy afterwards.
There are some interesting plants stuffed here and there. Some Eriocaulon caulescens? bolivia? that local hobbyists passed on to me. Carved out a patch for Syngonanthus vichada - slow grower, but the couple of babies that came have doubled in size so I think they should be alright. I think I will move them to a larger tank with more space.
Only discovered the color combination with the Golden white clouds when the tank matured, but its one of my favourite fish-plant combinations now. I think that while some of the species are a bit picky about growth conditions, one thing I really like about this tank is that most things have moderate/slow growth rates, which makes maintenance with regards to removing excess growth less tedious.
Elatine triandra is used as a low growing green filler plant - it does this role well. As it does not root very deeply, I can easily cut and pull off excess growth easily. Its the fasting growing plant in the layout that requires frequent removal of excess growth.
Some more close-ups.
I'm trying to replicate concepts of this layout (slowing growing bushes) into my 4ft tank.
Back in 2016 or so when I first received Rotala florida samples from north america, I could only grow it in sparser bunches. It looked nice in macro photographs but I could not envision using it an bush that would show off well as part of a layout unless I can grow it much denser. In the recent years, there were two main discoveries that I found in my experimentation, the first is that it grows better in moderate GH (5 dGH+) compared to super soft water (say <3dGH), and that it grew better in certain soil mixes (I experimented with different garden soil mixes when engineering the composition of APT Feast). Eventually I integrated some of the soil data into APT Feast's composition, and paired with the higher power lights readily available today, I find that I could finally grow the plant the way I envisioned as part of overall layout. I could prune it dense, as the base stems were healthy enough to sprout dense side shoots after trimming - and the secondary/tertiary shoot tips were as fully colored and sized similar to a primary shoot tip that hasn't been subjected to topping yet.
As a midground stem, it works very well due to its slower growth rate vs other colored stem plants.
Against the deep purple of Rotala florida, I found that Golden white clouds worked quite well. So now they are the main inhabitants of the tank.
Tank this week (25/6/2025)
Tank started out like this:
A week or 2 after initial planting (5/5/2025). I reused old aquasoil from the previous scape, so I planted all plants up front rather than waiting more time for the tank to stabilize, with the idea that I could out-grow any algae issues. Initially wanted to add H. Chai but it really didn't fit the overall color scheme, and the bushes by the side were too invasive to be compatible with having a chai patch I think.
Since it was going to contain Rotala florida, I thought I might as well throw in other high demand troublesome species such as the Red Eriocaulon quinguangulare, blood vomit. I settled on Rotala tulunadensis for the background as I wanted something dense and shapeable.
Tank specs:
60x36x36cm
Filter: Oase biomaster 250, all sponge media
CO2 injected through inline atomizer
Substrate: APT Feast
Water column: APT Sky to raise GH to 5dGH, 2ml of APTe per day.
Light distance. Interestingly, not crazy high PAR - just around 200-250 umols PAR at the substrate level.
Trimming and shaping: Most bushes were shaped by cutting individual outlier shoots one by one. Only Rotala blood red and the Rotala tulunadensis was straight trimmed across the entire top once.
This is how the Rotala tulunadensis looked like after a straight trim on 29/5/2025. About 3 weeks from when the top picture at top of this page was taken. It took the plant a whole week + to show new shoots. It seems straight trimming slows down the plant quite a bit, but allows for a very dense & neat canopy afterwards.
There are some interesting plants stuffed here and there. Some Eriocaulon caulescens? bolivia? that local hobbyists passed on to me. Carved out a patch for Syngonanthus vichada - slow grower, but the couple of babies that came have doubled in size so I think they should be alright. I think I will move them to a larger tank with more space.
Only discovered the color combination with the Golden white clouds when the tank matured, but its one of my favourite fish-plant combinations now. I think that while some of the species are a bit picky about growth conditions, one thing I really like about this tank is that most things have moderate/slow growth rates, which makes maintenance with regards to removing excess growth less tedious.
Elatine triandra is used as a low growing green filler plant - it does this role well. As it does not root very deeply, I can easily cut and pull off excess growth easily. Its the fasting growing plant in the layout that requires frequent removal of excess growth.
Some more close-ups.
I'm trying to replicate concepts of this layout (slowing growing bushes) into my 4ft tank.
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