Journal Experiment Tank || 90x50x36cm, 39gal, Horizontal Reactor High-energy Aquascape Journal

[rzn7z7]

Dosing info is pretty much the same as last time. Raising the pH of the tank via NaHCO3 seems to have had a REALLY positive effect on overall plant health. Super interesting!

Why'd you decide to use NaHCO3 to raise pH vs K2CO3 or KHCO3? Is it for the Na?

 

[SkaleyAquatics]

The problem I'm now running into is, what goes in front of the blyxa?

Smaller brown crypt would contrast really well there. Maybe Crypt Wendtii 'Brown'

 

[Naturescapes_Rocco]

Smaller brown crypt would contrast really well there. Maybe Crypt Wendtii 'Brown'

Damn, I just got rid of a bunch of healthy ones !

 

[Naturescapes_Rocco]

Why'd you decide to use NaHCO3 to raise pH vs K2CO3 or KHCO3? Is it for the Na?

I use KHCO3, too, to raise my pH -- but for my target KH/pH, I'd be adding way too much K if I used KHCO3 only, so I "cut" it with NaHCO3.

So I keep my Na levels low, and my K levels appropriate. Best of both worlds!

 

[SkaleyAquatics]

I was just putting a thought in your head. Also think that if you used a smaller lily there and remove the tiger lily altogether due to the size they get.

 

[Naturescapes_Rocco]

Probably one of the last updates on this tank, ever!​

The last few months have been dedicated to buying the new house, fixing up the old, and even building a new 120Lx50Hx60D aquarium stand. The new 120cm tank is sort of my "dream" tank, larger than this 90cm experimental tank, but smaller than the massive 150p tank previously.

The new house only has room for one aquarium, so the 120 will be the new focus of my aquarium life. That and the low-tech bowl will probably be the only tanks I can keep anymore, and I'm pretty excited about it! One dream high tech tank, one simple low-tech round orb of light. Perfect.

Anyway, I have been so busy that I haven't been able to keep up with this tank's needs. Super overgrown, but I've learned a lot about fertilizing and plants and dosing regardless!

Heteranthera zosterifolia (star grass) is a great plant, but too lanky and fast growing for me. Harder to shape into a green bush than, say, rotala green. If I was more on top of trimming maybe I'd like it more, but I think I'll switch to rotala green or even pearlweed for a quick growing, green bushy stem plant.


The Nymphea lotus is massive and totally out of control. I'm super curious what happens if I trim off ALL leaves at the same time -- will it regrow much smaller and more compact like most plants? It's such a hardy and fast growing plant, but I might have to go back to AR Mini for the midground large leaf red plant if the lotus doesn't take well to trimming.



This is also the second time I've successfully carpeted mini dwarf hairgrass in pure inert sand. Who needs aquasoil anymore? (kidding!)

Thanks for reading! Hopefully I'll have more updates in the next few months, but things have been super busy. Excited to show you all my "ultimate" dream tank build -- custom stand, custom tank size, likely inert sand substrate again:


Coming soon!

 

[gjcarew]

What are you doing for feet on that tank?

 

[Naturescapes_Rocco]

What are you doing for feet on that tank?

Nothing adjustable this time, just needed a few feet to act as "risers" for when I inevitably flood the tank or spill water.

I'm gonna have 12-15 of these feet spread out on the bottom to just raise it a half inch with waterproof feet. It'll also be low enough that if the tank it still off-level, I can just shim under the stand with black shims.

 

[JayP]

I can't enlarge the photo to see more detail, but why does it appear your penthorum sedoides doesn't have aerial roots all over it like mine does? I would think with water column dosing only, it would be even more pronounced.

 

[Naturescapes_Rocco]

I can't enlarge the photo to see more detail, but why does it appear your penthorum sedoides doesn't have aerial roots all over it like mine does? I would think with water column dosing only, it would be even more pronounced.

My experience has been the opposite -- lean dosing systems create lots of aerial roots as the plants have to use the rich substrate to grow, so they send more roots to get there. 99% of aquatic plants can absorb nutrients through all parts of their biomass (leaves, stems, roots, even flowers). The penthorum does have some aerial roots, but the way I trim them (45-degree slope) helps to cover what roots are visible!