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MrPugface
Last reply · posted in Journals
I recently moved from South Africa to Canada. The process of moving took a year to get the visa, and i had sold everything near the beginning of the process. needless to say It wasn't long before the itch to start up a tank got the better of me.

Luckily i managed to find a second hand Waterbox pinnacle 25 in good nik pretty quickly and got started.

The Hardware:
  • Hygger clip-on 14W Aquarium light (Cheap and has Ramp up/ramp down functionality)
  • 100w heater (not sure of the brand)
  • Fluval Bio-stratum
  • Yeast CO² generator
As you've probably picked up, this will be a budget build (Except for the soil, somethings you can change as you go along. and some things are a pain in the ass)

After running through a couple of ideas in my head i settled on a shoreline looking scape.

WhatsApp Image 2025-09-18 at 08.31.22 (1).webpWhatsApp Image 2025-09-18 at 08.31.22 (2).webp
To stabilize the rocks that could potentially fall, i used cotton and superglue. It doesn't look great but I'm hoping the places that are visible will eventually get covered by plants or algae.

WhatsApp Image 2025-09-18 at 08.31.22 (3).webp
Starting the hobby from scratch has its drawbacks. For example, not having pipes to fill and drain the tank. I'm pretty sure filling this thing by pouring water straight from the bucket gave me a few extra grey hairs. Needless to say i went past the LFS (only one freshwater shop in my city) the next day.

25Gal - 2025-09-15.webp
Options for plants were pretty limited at the LFS but got some things to get started while the rest of the plants get delivered.

Ordered Plant list:
  • Micranthemum 'Monte Carlo'
  • Nymphoides Aquatica (Banana Plant)
  • Echinodorus Ozelot (Green Ozelot Sword)
  • Echinodorus 'Chocolate Marble'
  • Anubias Nana 'Petite'
  • Nymphaea Tiger Lotus Red
  • Vesicularia Ferriei 'Weeping Moss'
  • Bucephalandra sp. Kedagang
I've probably gone a little overboard with the plants but I'll deal with that at a later stage. If i feel the tank is too over crowded I guess I'll have no choice but to start looking for tank number 2

Livestock wise, I'll be gradually adding things as the tank starts to establish itself. The plan may change along the way but my idea is:
  1. Shrimp (likely Red Rili)
  2. Rabbit snails
  3. Otocinclus
  4. Either Threadfin Rainbows or Forktail blue eye rainbow fish
  5. A fancy pleco. I'm leaning towards a blue phantom but I'll see what is available at the time.

And now comes the hardest part...... the wait.

​

18 Replies · 2052 views
A
I Donated 2026
Last reply · posted in Rainbowfish with Gregg Zydeck
Has anyone ever kept Dwarf Neon Rainbows (Melanotaenia praecox) with goldfish?

I have 4 fancy goldfish (either Fantails, Orandas, or some sort of hybrid of the two). They are around 4–5 inches each. I also have a school of 8 Dwarf Neon Rainbows in another tank (2 males, 6 females).

The rainbows are super sensitive to CO₂. The moment I cross around 30 ppm in my planted tank, I can see them struggling, so I’m thinking of shifting them to the goldfish tank, which has no CO₂.

The goldfish tank is 300 litres (4 × 2 × 2 ft / 80 gallons), and the rainbows are around 1.5–1.75 inches.

Usually people say no to goldfish tank mates, mainly because of a mismatch in temperature or temperament. But in this case:

  • The goldies cannot possibly eat the rainbows at their current size.
  • The rainbows don’t fin nip, or at least I’ve never seen them do it.
  • The water parameters in both tanks are quite similar.
  • Goldfish tank: GH 6, KH 2
  • Current rainbow tank: GH 4, KH 0
  • Temperature is pretty much the same in both tanks: 24–25°C (74–77°F).
Has anyone actually tried keeping Dwarf Neon Rainbows with fancy goldfish? Any issues I’m overlooking?
2 Replies · 36 views
D
Last reply · posted in Equipment Discussions
Hello, can anyone running the ARC small acrylic reactor on a 40 breeder tell me what your outlet position is and what ph drop or co2 ppm you are getting?
6 Replies · 91 views
Tim Harrison
Last reply · posted in Journals
My new scape. It’s been a while. I’ve been busy finishing my novel. It’s published now so back to scaping.

It’s a classic triangular scape and I’m calling it Quantum Entanglement. It’s a working title, so I might change that. Sorry mods.

The real star is the light. Off Amazon for around $130. Fully controllable with a remote. Great value. https://amzn.eu/d/0eRX5eCo

I want to plant it with mainly buces and small anubias spp. on the rocks and wood and MC carpet, with some crypt nevellii or C. X Willisii, and stauro in the shady parts and maybe a ludwigia mini super red highlight behind the last rock on the left.
18 Replies · 375 views
BenB
Rockstar
Last reply · posted in Specific Plant Discussions
I mention this plant on occasion, but no one ever comments. So I thought I'd make a post for others and me for future reference.
It is my favorite Erio. It is a darker green, doesn't get too big, and for me it has never sent up any seed stalks.

I find it easy to grow. I have high light but nothing crazy at 124PAR and high CO2, 50+ppm. It gets about max 3-4" and makes side daughter plants when large. I'm not sure my dosing scheme is. Sort of an EI daily dosing kind of thing.

What gets me is every autumn, it starts to melt. I'm not sure how it knows it's autumn with consistent light and a heater, but it must get a little cooler in the tank or something. The plant starts to turn brown and sends up (I'm not sure of the correct term) vegetative stalks with little plantlets on the ends. I've found you can plant these stalks into the substrate with the plantlet on top, and it will grow into a new plant. They've been easy to grow. This is the third year this has happened to me.
Pic of plantlets below. I'll try to get a better one sometime. All I had time for tonight was a crappy phone pic.

This year I divided one of the mother plants in hopes that it wouldn't fully melt and would regrow. That is still in progress.

Anyone else's experiences are welcome.

DSC09694a.webp

This plant is the same plant as the one on the right above.
20261006_182513a.webp
2 Replies · 49 views
HardeeParty
Rockstar
Last reply · posted in Journals
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.

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299 Replies · 33491 views
Art
Art
Staff member I Donated 2026 Founding Member
Last reply · posted in Forum News/Feedback
This is the future home for the announcements when someone obtains an achievement badge. Let the games begin!
2050 Replies · 75135 views
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Art
Art
Staff member I Donated 2026 Founding Member
Last reply · posted in Meet & Greet Forum
Welcome to ScapeCrunch, @Binnhim!
We would love to get to know you. Please tell us about yourself. What tank do you have?
1 Replies · 25 views
C
Last reply · posted in Fertilizing and Aquarium Chemistry
Hi everyone, I'm curious. My pH is 0 and my GH is 7. My pH is 5.5/5.6 all day. I use CO2 24/7. My pH drop is 1.6/1.7. I degas the water with an air pump for two hours, then I check every hour until the pH becomes stable. Why does the drop control always stay green? Isn't the pH drop high for a 0KH? Should it be yellow? Or am I wrong? Thank you very much.
12 Replies · 844 views
artandsoul
Last reply · posted in Journals
I feel i need to do a journal so I have a internet calendar on what's happened or Ill forget lol! This is now 4 months back into the planted tank world and I'm happy to be back yet lost on true aquascapingI I have a current 29g as a farm tank for future builds going. zrdr 4l co2 bought locally full setup for 40.00, 29g free. A 20long I just bought with metal stand, hygger decent new led light.new heater. few foam bubble filters, ar a nice dual air pump. some new stratum about 16lbs , tons of good food, etc etc and 6 live plants crypts, swords, anubis about 30 stems of rotundifolia 12" tall for 85,00 it was a decent deal with what is came with , I thought!
Original plans was a 29 and 20 long. Well 3 weeks forward to 3 days ago picked up a free 36 bow front with stand, foods.heater, some dragon stone, bubbler all working freeby deal of the year for sure! The tanks pretty clean, some light hard water stains lll razor blade off very clean. Did come with about 35lbs stratum and blk rocks mix.

I threw substrate in tank after light rinse. LOL it went to pitch blk even after 2 big filters with filter floss still blk water after 36 hours later its muck now the stratum is crap imo other than deeper substrate to cover up with build. I have no clue on any age of the stratum 2 months or 5 years no info was free on side of road literally. I decided today to dump the stratum its a dam mess! may strain the stratum with my several size buckets to strain out small materials away from the blk gravel and use it with eco!? Just got 2 20lb bags of eco complete for 55 shipped my 2005 go to, easy no breakdown and same cost as bulk gravel from pet stores in the end.
I Would do the blk blasting sand its cheaper but don't want all sand and in end as I still do some gravel clean monthly oops.. The eco complete last imo forever I have 20 year old eco now in tank. Yeah its inert but still whole rocks. I"Ill be posting many pics of the my dry scapes holy hell! And more as it goes. Its been 19 years since I've done a planted tank def not a newbie just don't remember as much as I did and things have changed any help appreciated for sure! Joe burr has been help sure thanks dutchscape god!

Posted few pics of old tanks 19 years ago when I didn't know what an aquascape was lol no co2 just dry ferts, metride 14 and power compacts it worked! algae was very null. Im calling my new tanks the cheap skape 20 and now 36g the freebie. I usually try to go cheapo as I can get Im not rich rather spend 30.00 on steaks at home than 30.00 on stems lol. I'm mr diy I only buy what I cant build usually.
19 Replies · 1209 views
JayP
Supporting I Donated 2026 Rockstar
Last reply · posted in Planted Aquarium Discussion
I hadn't seen it mentioned by others that attended Aquashella, but if you hadn't already heard about it or seen it in Aquashella videos, ADA has come out with Amazonia Pro. It's not a replacement for Version 2, but an addition. It is essentially Version 2 on steroids with higher nutrients and of course the negative side effect of potentially higher initial ammonia leaching and, if your not prepared and skilled, more chance of algae. That's even from the mouth of Homma-san himself. The scaping competitors were using it in the competition and AFA was selling 9l bags at the show. They said it would be available on the website within the next couple weeks.
40 Replies · 1002 views
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