Journal MrJG - UNS 90L

[MrJG]

Going to get a little break from the heat this week so I spent a few hours this weekend moving things around to make room for a few more crypt sp and a couple of small Anubias finishing touches.

I’d been getting a little cyano buildup on the sand top of the far right so I took out some of the larger stones that may have been folding the flow back into the glass there. It seems that it opened up a better flow all the way around the back of the wood, so hopefully that’s a win. Im still dosing on the lean side but trying to make sure I maintain at least 10ppm nitrates throughout the week.

While I was doing that I decided to siphon out the escaped soil at the front, add a few more small stones/pebbles to hopefully block the path. Then I added some fresh sand trying to build up some of the problem areas.

Once this next batch of plants come in I’m putting it on cruise control for a while. I’ve left a little room to start propagating crypt nurii at the front since I have a mother plant already going. It still looks a little sparse from the front but it is packed with plants behind the wood. Crypt spirialis tiger is finally getting taller again and about to start peeking out.

Still slowly removing the bba explosion but taking it slow so I don’t create more organics from dying algae

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• MrJG
• Aug 16, 2026

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• MrJG
• Aug 16, 2026

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• MrJG
• Aug 16, 2026

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• MrJG
• Aug 16, 2026

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• MrJG
• Aug 16, 2026

 

[MrJG]

Tank flipped to sunset mode as I walked by heading to bed and I thought the long view looked cool.

The tank looked like it could handle a little more load and it didn’t feel quite like a community so I have some dwarf emerald rasbora and a panda garra on the way from dans this week.

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• MrJG
• Tuesday at 9:33 PM

 

[BranchScape]

Love that sunset look.

Panda Garra's are awesome. I would get 4 or 5 and watch them squabble, no damage is ever done.

Curious what is your GH when you test it on your tank and tap curious if your water differs from mine.

 

[MrJG]

I would have liked to get a small group but considering the tank volume it felt safer to just try a solo for now. I need to fashion something to cover the tank edges temporarily while still allowing some air exchange. Hopefully I’ll gain confidence after a bit. Do you keep them in uncovered tanks?

I’m reconstituting distilled water for water changes with ss gh+ to around 4 dGH/100 tds . I use pure distilled for top offs. I try to keep the overall tds in tank below 160 so I may add 1-2 gallons of pure distilled weekly depending on creep.
I’d have to test gh in tank with a strip but it’s usually around 4-6.
Caridina are molting and growing so I think I’ve got that right at least still waiting for first shrimplets. Hopefully the garra doesn’t wipe them out. I little predation is ok but I’d like to have a colony that can sustain itself as shrimp age.

 

[BranchScape]

I would have liked to get a small group but considering the tank volume it felt safer to just try a solo for now. I need to fashion something to cover the tank edges temporarily while still allowing some air exchange. Hopefully I’ll gain confidence after a bit. Do you keep them in uncovered tanks?

I’m reconstituting distilled water for water changes with ss gh+ to around 4 dGH/100 tds. I use pure distilled for top offs. I try to keep the overall tds in tank below 160 so I may add 1-2 gallons of pure distilled weekly depending on creep.
I’d have to test gh in tank with a strip but it’s usually around 4-6.
Caridina are molting and growing so I think I’ve got that right at least still waiting for first shrimplets. Hopefully the garra doesn’t wipe them out. I little predation is ok but I’d like to have a colony that can sustain itself as shrimp age.

I keep mine in uncovered tanks, they don't jump or climb out like Gobies. Never seen mine close to the top of the tank on the side glass. Mostly see mine laying on rocks then zooming around the bottom but some stories say otherwise. I know a bunch of people with rimless tank and rimless shallow tank people who have them. That said I am sure if it wanted to or was stressed by other fish it could climb if it wanted too and have seen some stories of it.

 

[Kwyet]

Mine were climbing out of the specimen container when I acclimated them. I lost one that way before I realized they were such good climbers. They’re all in my rimmed and covered Hillstream tank now, a delightful group of 5.

 

[MrJG]

I’m going to fashion some temp covers for the gaps in the uns “lid”. I have some plastic sheeting that I can cut around the intake and return to close it up decently. Hopefully enough to bonk its nose on and go the other way.