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I'm in a bit of a quandary. I have a 4 yr old low tech 20g tank. Despite being an experienced aquarist of decades it was my first successful planted tank.
It has inert 2mm gravel (with small amounts of aquasoil underneath, injected in boluses, instead of root tabs) and amazingly most plants have done really well for most of its life. It has also housed a variety of shrimp and small fish, who have also generally thrived. It has been a lovely planted mixed display tank.
Here's a pic of it in its past glory
Sadly over the last 6-12 months some of the plants (definatley not all) have got harder and harder to keep going nicely and many of the shrimp have also been getting cloudy and passing away. GH/KH have remained rock solid stable. In fact nothing measureable has really deviated.
A real measure for me has been some Myriophyllum mattogrossense, which has lived in this tank for its entire life, growing superbly like a weed providing a lovely background stem jungle. However, recently even it is struggling, with dull colour, weak, thin stems and slow growth. I also used to have lovely Crypt wendtii, but the last couple now are simply holding on for dear life it seems. Growth is VERY slow.
Here's are recent pics
Its not a disaster. The java fern and buces are doing well but the crypts and Myriophyllum are hanging on (the pics don't really show the colour differences compared to earlier generations). However, the clearest indication for the Myriophyllum for me are the delicate, thin stems, which are definately a new thing.
The only things that have actually changed over the last year or so have been firstly (and possibly obviously) that the tank has aged another year, and secondly that I have converted to a new fertilizing schedule. Literally nothing else has changed.
My thoughts are ..................
1/ Maybe the build up of mulm and detritus in the substrate has become so much that it is increasing toxic dissolved organic compound levels, increasing the growth of nasty suspended bacteria, with negetive results on delicate shrimp (these are mainly softwater Caridina that are suffering. The Neos seem to battle on regardless). Maybe this same detritus build up is also affecting root growth and function in the rooted plants. Note - it certainly seems that my rhizome plants are still growing really well. Does this substrate and tank just need a jolly good clean out ? if I take all the substrate out and rinse it with clean dechlorinated water I should hopefully not completely wipe out the substrate microflora.
THis pic doesn't show the build up in the deeper substrate well but it does show that the substrate surface is really nice and clean. No detritus at all.
2/ Maybe this tank just doesn't get on well with the new fert schedule. This would be very surprising to me, as I use exactly the same chemicals and ratios (scaled up) for my large CO2-injected tank (again similar inert substrate with aquasoil injection) and the plant growth for virtually all in that tank is outstanding.
In this low tech tank I use weekly doses of 1.1g KNO3, 1.1g K2SO4 and 0.22g KHPO4. My micros are provided by a weekly dose of 0.21g of Solufeed Sodium-free TEC, which claims this composition ....
I change around 30% of the water weekly. Water is RO, remineralized to 6 dGH, zero dKH. COnsumer nitrate test kit tested levels in the tank seem fairly stable around 10-15 ppm.
I see no obvious signs of copper toxicity in the shrimp (any variety of movement disorder or spasms).
It will be a royal PITA to wash out the substrate and I don't want to do it unless its necessary.
If anyone had some words of wisdom I would be very grateful. I would love this tank to start thriving again
It has inert 2mm gravel (with small amounts of aquasoil underneath, injected in boluses, instead of root tabs) and amazingly most plants have done really well for most of its life. It has also housed a variety of shrimp and small fish, who have also generally thrived. It has been a lovely planted mixed display tank.
Here's a pic of it in its past glory
Sadly over the last 6-12 months some of the plants (definatley not all) have got harder and harder to keep going nicely and many of the shrimp have also been getting cloudy and passing away. GH/KH have remained rock solid stable. In fact nothing measureable has really deviated.
A real measure for me has been some Myriophyllum mattogrossense, which has lived in this tank for its entire life, growing superbly like a weed providing a lovely background stem jungle. However, recently even it is struggling, with dull colour, weak, thin stems and slow growth. I also used to have lovely Crypt wendtii, but the last couple now are simply holding on for dear life it seems. Growth is VERY slow.
Here's are recent pics
Its not a disaster. The java fern and buces are doing well but the crypts and Myriophyllum are hanging on (the pics don't really show the colour differences compared to earlier generations). However, the clearest indication for the Myriophyllum for me are the delicate, thin stems, which are definately a new thing.
The only things that have actually changed over the last year or so have been firstly (and possibly obviously) that the tank has aged another year, and secondly that I have converted to a new fertilizing schedule. Literally nothing else has changed.
My thoughts are ..................
1/ Maybe the build up of mulm and detritus in the substrate has become so much that it is increasing toxic dissolved organic compound levels, increasing the growth of nasty suspended bacteria, with negetive results on delicate shrimp (these are mainly softwater Caridina that are suffering. The Neos seem to battle on regardless). Maybe this same detritus build up is also affecting root growth and function in the rooted plants. Note - it certainly seems that my rhizome plants are still growing really well. Does this substrate and tank just need a jolly good clean out ? if I take all the substrate out and rinse it with clean dechlorinated water I should hopefully not completely wipe out the substrate microflora.
THis pic doesn't show the build up in the deeper substrate well but it does show that the substrate surface is really nice and clean. No detritus at all.
2/ Maybe this tank just doesn't get on well with the new fert schedule. This would be very surprising to me, as I use exactly the same chemicals and ratios (scaled up) for my large CO2-injected tank (again similar inert substrate with aquasoil injection) and the plant growth for virtually all in that tank is outstanding.
In this low tech tank I use weekly doses of 1.1g KNO3, 1.1g K2SO4 and 0.22g KHPO4. My micros are provided by a weekly dose of 0.21g of Solufeed Sodium-free TEC, which claims this composition ....
| Element | Soluble in water (%) | Chelated by EDTA (% min) | |
| Boron | (as polyborate) | 0.92 | N/a |
| Copper | (as CuNH4EDTA) | 0.23 | 0.23 |
| Iron | (as FeKEDTA) | 8.4 | 8.4 |
| Manganese | (as Mn2KEDTA) | 2.00 | 2.00 |
| Molybdemum | (as molybdate) | 0.15 | N/a |
| Zinc | (as Zn2KEDTA) | 1.16 | 1.16 |
I change around 30% of the water weekly. Water is RO, remineralized to 6 dGH, zero dKH. COnsumer nitrate test kit tested levels in the tank seem fairly stable around 10-15 ppm.
I see no obvious signs of copper toxicity in the shrimp (any variety of movement disorder or spasms).
It will be a royal PITA to wash out the substrate and I don't want to do it unless its necessary.
If anyone had some words of wisdom I would be very grateful. I would love this tank to start thriving again
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1088 views
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:
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).
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32 views
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?
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90 views
Journal Quantum Entanglement
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.
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.
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373 views
Rockstar
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.
This plant is the same plant as the one on the right above.
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.
This plant is the same plant as the one on the right above.
2 Replies
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48 views
Rockstar
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.
299 Replies
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33489 views
Staff member
I Donated 2026
Founding Member
This is the future home for the announcements when someone obtains an achievement badge. Let the games begin!
2050 Replies
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75133 views
Staff member
I Donated 2026
Founding Member
Hello Welcome, Binnhim
Welcome to ScapeCrunch, @Binnhim!
We would love to get to know you. Please tell us about yourself. What tank do you have?
We would love to get to know you. Please tell us about yourself. What tank do you have?
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25 views
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.
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842 views
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.
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
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1209 views
Supporting
I Donated 2026
Rockstar
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.
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998 views