Welcome to ScapeCrunch

We are ScapeCrunch, the place where planted aquarium hobbyists come to build relationships and support each other. When you're tired of doom scrolling, you've found your home here.

Social Feed

Unexpected
Supporting Tank of the Month I Donated 2026 Rockstar
Last reply · posted in Journals
Hello all, my name is Mike and I just found this site by accident. I think @gjcarew told me @GreggZ had moved here but some how I failed to remember; so I'm glad I found this site today. I am a fan, as you can tell, of GreggZ. He taught me just about everything I know (through his journal on that other site) and I was also banned over a 0dKH discussion :oops:. So you know, I kind of feel close to the guy. Joking aside, I was able to go from this. PXL_20201109_153039889~2.jpg
To this within a short period of time just by reading his journal.PXL_20220104_201054866_3 (1).jpg
And as time passed I was able to get this nice scape that made my wife happy.
562848780_PXL_20220912_2003258642.jpg.f7468fedbebd331cba9ae05e4b75347b (2).jpg

Then I had the pleasure to meet @gjcarew over on a different site and I reached out to him with questions and such; through those conversations he motivated me to make an attempt at the 2022 AGA Dutch competition. Unfortunately, I messed the tank up right when I was about to take my photos and I couldn't recover the tank in time. Here's that tank. Obviously, there are tons of problems with it, but I was proud of it regardless. I believe it had a shot at a top 10. Not really.;)IMG_20220905_162231.jpg.0d1fc6544a591f2627bf04b9df3ab985~2.jpg
I messed up the Myrio and started to get algae because I wasn't front loading properly and I didn't realize it. I believe I went too lean and thought the Landen would cover the difference.

I won't lie, I felt completely defeated and I kind of slowed down on all my tanks and didn't put my full attention into them anymore. Also, my wife and I were getting a bit burned out with so many tanks to maintain. This is where my journal begins.

I wanted a solution to reduce our work load, and I definitely wanted a bigger tank to house my livestock from the other tanks. I was also sick of lugging canister filters around the house then plugging them to realize I forgot to connect a tube. Fountains of water on our walls wasn't working out so well! I also wanted absolutely no water outside of the tank. By chance, I found the Innovative Marine SR Pro2 120 and bought it.

Now here's the cool thing that happened. I was using a 20 inch RO housing for my reactor, but the tank is only 16 inches high. Four inches of Cerge's reactor was incredibly ugly. And again, by chance, I found the solution. Enter the Yugang Horizontal reactor. I affectionally call it by his forum name because I couldn't be happier with how amazing this thing is. It's so simple, yet so brilliant. I reached out to Yugang and asked if he got the reactor to work. He replied with "my CO2 spray bar works so well I never tried it". I then asked if anyone else got it to work and he said no one has tried it. So I told him I would and apparently, I really am the first person to run this thing through some trials. I think that's pretty cool honestly! Yugang made some calculations for me and on the second build, we nailed it. I get a 1.5pH drop and the design makes it so no additianal CO2 can be added. It's seemingly impossible to gas my fish as the reactor has safety built into the design length. Amazing! I'm so glad there are so many people smarter than I am. It makes my problems so much easier to manage 😜.

The reactor is nothing more than cheap PVC with a gentle stream of tank water flowing under a pocket of CO2. Add a cheap bypass and a method of injection and you now have a Yugang reactor. This success has energized me enough to have another go at the AGA. I bought new lights (Weak Aqua P600's), jammed as many plants I could into the tank and I'm starting my plant selection now. I have a long ways to go but I'm hoping to achieve my goal. The tank is nothing to look at right now; getting plants here in Albuquerque is quite the challenge so I'm mostly waiting on submerge growth and to get them propagated. I also have way too many species but the selection process has begun. I just need to see which ones will grow in Ace Hardware pool filter sand. So far, all seem like they are coming along fine in the sand.

Oh, here's the reactor.PXL_20230503_150237109.jpg

And here's the really ugly tank in it's current condition.
IMG_20230505_121532~2.jpg

I promise, it will look much better soon. It's been a scramble to pull everything together so quickly.

I hope some of you follow along; I know I will have tons of questions soon enough for all of you!
808 Replies · 81795 views
Naturescapes_Rocco
Supporting I Donated 2026 Rockstar Article Contributor
Last reply · posted in Journals
1751398420680.webp
1751398442101.webp

Main idea/inspiration:​

Since my main 150p aquarium is in our front room and is the first thing we and our guests see, I can't afford to experiment much with it. I also spent like $600 on aquasoil to fill it, so I thought I'd like to try something different.

This tank will be 100% BDBS substrate, no fertilized substrate. No root tabs (yet), no aquasoil. Only water column fertilization, to challenge myself to see whether I can grow plants well without aquasoil or not! Inspired by the @Burr740 BDBS journals and many other amazing inert-substrate aquariums out there. This isn't a dutch style, only a general "garden" style tank.
219 Replies · 19680 views
P
Rockstar
Last reply · posted in Planted Aquarium Discussion
Following @Dennis Wong advise to hold growth variables as steady as possible to avoid transition stress has been my single greatest tool to aquatic plant success.

I am fortunate to have Tap Water that is consistent all season with 6 ppm Ca, 1 ppm Mg day in day out all year. It is consistent because the water utility adds most of the Calcium and Magnesium in it.. the source water is extremely soft. The head of the water department has told me it never gets close to their target. They continually test and adjust the feed to hit target.

It is simple enough for me to just add gypsum and epsom salt to boost it to what I want.

Helping a fellow member here who is starting a 75 gallon tank in an apartment. Ro unit is simply not an option for him in the apartment for now. schlepping bottles of RO for a 75 gallon would also be a hardship. It is a tank just for family enjoyment and not intended to be a competition tank. He will be dosing diy ferts, high light and co2.

His public water supply has an average DGH of 8 with reasonable calcium magnesium balance. But the Seasonal variation is between 4.5 DGH and 11.2 DGH…

In the situation where RO is not currently an option what would peoples responses be?

At 8 DGH, I would probably just go with it. It is a tank just for personal enjoyment and

It would be easy enough to test tap water DGH before doing a water change. It would be easy enough to create a table to alter how much to-adjust gypsum and epsom salts as tap water hardness decreases with seasonal shifts down to 4.5. But the question is for the times it hops upwards to high end of range.

One could schlepp bottles for those weeks and hope those weeks are outliers…

Or one could simply target a higher DGH all of the time in the interest of stability..

So I understand the potential issues, but not enough of what numbers matter…

Am I overthinking? I know @Dennis Wong has said the Carbonate hardness has a bigger impact on plant health than General Hardness,

Is ranging General Hardness less of a concern?

Water report indicates 3.5 DKH with no report regarding seasonal variation..
5 Replies · 57 views
Dennis Wong
I Donated 2026 Expert in Residence MOTM Winner
Last reply · posted in Journals
I came into some Hygrophila polysperma "white" by Tropica recently. Grew it out and it seems to be able to be shaped into good midground bushes so I decided to create a layout to showcase it. Contemplated whether to use it as the only white plant in the tank, but decided to use some Anubias white petite as well so that the white polysperma doesn't stand out awkwardly.

2hrAquaristDSCF1921 hygrophila white.webp
37 Replies · 2168 views
Simba3000
· posted in Equipment Discussions
This is my first time using a reactor. I have a Landen 100p (40x18x18 inches) and just received my Aqua Rocks Colorado Stainless Yugang Reactor. I had a spare Eheim 4+ 350 so it's now hooked to that with just foam filtration. My other filter is an Oase Biomaster Thermo 600 with an 850 head. I'm a little confused on the initial setup. I have my Co2 turning on at 9:30am, lights on 12-8pm. I have the offsets at 50% of the reactor, and the surface area is 4 inches larger than the calculations said I needed.

I know that contact time is the factor so my Eheim is about 50% flow. Do I initially increase the Co2 rate to purge the air out of the reactor, then dial it back so i'm seeing off-gassing every minute once I'm reaching my ppm? I'm using a Co2 Art Elite Pro regulator. My psi sits between 35-40 on a 20lb tank. Co2 is easy for me to get and cheap so I'm not concerned with excess. There's not a lot of information I can find on these so anything helps. Thanks for reading!
0 Replies · 19 views
Naturescapes_Rocco
Supporting I Donated 2026 Rockstar Article Contributor
Last reply · posted in Planted Aquarium Discussion
See this post regarding AR Mini trimming/planting, and this post regarding Cyperus helferi trimming and planting!

I have hardly seen this subject talked about enough, but I think that it's one of the biggest reasons contributing to beginner's algae-filled downfalls! If you're buying plants from big stores like Aquarium Plants Factory (really good btw), Buceplant, etc. 90% of the plants you are receiving are terrestrially-grown.

Here's an important fact about terrestrially-grown aquarium plants

100% of all terrestrial leaves, when submerged under water, for any plant, will eventually get algae and die.
Some can take a while (anubias, java fern, cyperus helferi), while others will either melt (Crypts) or quickly get algae (AR Mini, Staurogyne repens, stem plants, etc)

But what about buying submerged-growth plants? From hobbyists, or BurrAqua, for example?

There is still a chance that your tank's conditions are different enough that many, if not most leaves you plant, will melt/die/attract algae.

How do we fix this? By leaving only enough leaves for the plant to continue to absorb light and put out new growth. Usually the top 4-6 leaves for stem plants.

1786937485251.webp

It's a lot of work up front, but you will MAJORLY reduce the amount of waste, DOC 's, and algae-inducing scenarios if you trim your plants before planting.

I've done this in ALL of my tanks in the last 4 years with great success.

The easiest way to do this is with stainless squeeze scissors over your sink:
1786937752576.webp
Here's the ones I recommend.

Yes, it takes a ton of patience. But if it could make a big difference in preventing the 2-3 month algae bloom in your tank, would you do it?


Here are some specific plant examples:​

For most true stem plants, I like to leave 3-4" of stem, trimming roots if necessary, and leaving only 4-6 of the freshest leaves. More than that, they will eventually be algae magnets. Less than that (like 2 leaves only) they might not survive the shock.

1786937664009.webp
Lysimachia nummularia 'Aurea', only a few top leaves left, 3" of stem.

1786937955613.webp
Hygrophila corymbosa. Note how I left the leaf nodes on the stem? That's where roots will grow from. Almost all stem plants need nodes to grow roots, even if you've removed the leaves from them.


1786938009235.webp
Terrestrially-grown AR 'Mini' from APF. See how I did the same in this thread for my previous tanks.


1786938082744.webp
This Anubias barteri var. coffeefolia was grown terrestrially (often called 'emersed' or emergent) in a greenhouse. I removed all but the newest 3 leaves, and trimmed the roots too. Terrestrial roots are quite different from submerged with certain plants.


1786938248454.webp
Almost ALL Cryptocoryne species are grown terrestrially. These plants grow as a Rosette, where the inner-most leaves on the "stem" are the freshest, and the outer-most are the oldest. I removed a TON of old terrestrial leaves, leaving just enough for the plant to be able to grow new submerged leaves in my tank as quickly as possible, while leaving as few algae-attracting terrestrial leaves as possible. I also trimmed the roots, which were 5" long upon receiving the plant.


1786938372325.webp
Lobelia cardinalis 'mini'
1786938398546.webp
Penthorum sedoides
. Would also look very similar for Staurogyne repens, too.


Did you know that Blyxa japonica is actually a stem plant? It looks like a rosette, but it's actually a squat, wide stem plant. The lowest/outermost leaves are the oldest, and even though this is a true aquatic plant with no terrestrial form in nature, I know that it likes to throw a fit and melt a good portion of it's oldest leaves when transitioning to my tank's conditions. Here's what it looked like when I received it from @Burr740:
1786938548455.webp
1786938557694.webp
Nice and trimmed up. Less problematic at the 1-2 month mark in the tank's development, I know it!

What about delicate/feather plants?
They're super annoying to prep. I still only keep the top 3-4" max.

1786938618138.webp
With Myriophyllum mattogrossense 'Golden', I only keep a few inches and still try to remove some of the lower leaves that would otherwise just rot by being buried in my inert sand.


1786938680672.webp
What about Myriophyllum sp. "Roraima"? F*ck that. Nightmare to trim lower leaves, just trim it to 3" (not pictured) and discard the bottom when planting.

Curious what you guys think! I know I could receive plenty of "I've never done this, my tank has been fine" but I'd recommend trying it first before having a strong opinion of it ;)

By the way, all plants pictured were actually used in my upcoming 120cm Showcase tank:
1786938890186.webp
15 Replies · 309 views
Art
Art
Staff member I Donated 2026 Founding Member
Last reply · posted in Media of the Month Forum
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:
  • 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.
The prize:

A $25 store credit from BurrAqua thanks to @Burr740!

Good Luck!
3 Replies · 149 views
  • Like
Reactions: Kwyet
Mr.Shenanagins
Rockstar
Last reply · posted in Journals
IMG_3320.webp
Well I’m done talking about it, it’s time to get this journal started.

I have been really out of it the last year or so in terms of maintaining my own tank, mainly out of frustration with time constraints and inconsistency with dosing etc. However, I have now acquired a dream tank, rimless and with low iron glass like I’ve always wanted. While I loved having a sump and prided myself on putting it together, I’m past that desire. The AIO allows the same benefits with hiding equipment, and overall easier maintenance without climbing in and out of cabinets. Now onto the details of this build.

Tank: Planet Aquariums Tideline 62 Gallon AIO Lagoon

Filtration: (2) 250gph pumps on either side of the tank with center overflow into socks (I’m going to punch holes in the socks for now and stuff with polyfill, reviews state the socks clog way too quickly and there is no replacement sock as the insert is not the common round style). The baffles will be stuffed with the poret foam I have already from my sump for extra mechanical/biological.

Substrate: The bottom layer will comprise of bagged pond soil/peat/earthworm castings/ STS. This will be a thin layer and will mainly act as filler to raise up the cap of APT Feast. This is similar to a substrate setup I did when I first started back up in 2020, And that tank did very well. While capping with sand and relying on the dirt to feed the stems worked well, it did require a little more effort on my end with dosing. I don’t trust myself to be as diligent as some members on here are with their inert subs, so I’m taking the mulligan and using aquasoil as a cap, hence, “dirty soil.” This will be another island style layout, and the surrounding substrate will be comprised of Caribsea Carolina Creek Sand.

Hardscape: River rock (local hardscape center sourced) and malaysian driftwood. I have recently acquired another large piece of wood and I’m sourcing new stone this week, as what I have just isn’t meshing with my current vision for the tank.

Plants: …. I have not solidified my vision of what this scape will look like just yet as I haven’t been able to setup the hardscape to outline the island. The plan is to use a good amount of colorful stems, epiphytes, and potentially moss.

Lighting: I will be ordering the Week Aqua Z400 this week and am excited to test it out.

That’s all for now, more pictures and details to come. I should hopefully have the hardscape setup by the end of this coming week after acquiring more stone and wood.

CO2: Almost forgot, for Co2 injection I have made a DIY Yugang with a locking food storage container. It will be stored in the cabinet and the hook will feed into the return pump chamber on the right. I initially was bummed that I had to sacrifice storage to fit a 5lb CO2 tank under the stand, which also meant getting rid of of the 20lb tank I’ve only been having to fill twice a year. @GreggZ Will appreciate this, my awesome father in law suggested that I hide the co2 tank in the pantry closet which is directly behind that wall and just drill a hole for the co2 line. Since my father in laws word is pure gold in my wife’s eyes, that suggestion was approved! He’s just as much my dad too so I appreciated him supporting the project 👍🏻IMG_3331.webp
53 Replies · 3321 views
Chimera
Last reply · posted in Aquascaping
Hey all,

I’m a week away from cabinet making, waiting on supplies but managed to find some great driftwood this weekend. This is in my workshop so I’ve just cut a bit of cardboard to start playing with ideas for my new 1200x450x450 rimless tank. You’ll have to look past the background and lighting for now please.

Which design do you think I should progress?
This will be a more nature style scape with limited stem plants and mostly crypts. I’m not keen on trimming all the time and prefer the form of leaves.
I will likely use some aqua soil in mesh bags in the deeper areas which will be capped with an inert blond sand as this is my best available option here.
I will start a journal for my stand build with one of these ideas.

Style 1
94c203ce803ee7f3ed3793afa35cdc79.webp

Style 2

310a9cb9bc9b5a3a36b4ab70c0a508f7.webp

Style 3
7971219abb14d128d707baa1daa3626a.webp

Noting that there will be a little trimming required to sort final placements.

Cheers
C
Which scape idea should I progress for my new tank?
15 votes total
5 Replies · 129 views
HardeeParty
Last reply · posted in Lounge
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.

IMG_1895.webp

IMG_1916.webp

IMG_1941.webp

IMG_1896.webp

IMG_1942.webp
118 Replies · 7686 views
Burr740
Sponsor Expert in Residence Rockstar
· posted in ScapeBid discussions
0 Replies · 65 views
  • Like
Reactions: BenB
Back
Top