Where to go from here?

[LuminousAphid]

Sounds interesting, the first thing I thought of is using some kind of high pressure atomizing nozzle like what you get on a smoke machine, but I have no technical knowledge of CO2 whatsoever. Are you trying to get the most out of pressurized CO2, or yeast culture type CO2? I might be interested in this either way... I do eventually want to get into CO2 but can't really afford pressurized right now, and haven't bothered with DIY stuff

 

[Anonymous]

Sounds interesting, the first thing I thought of is using some kind of high pressure atomizing nozzle like what you get on a smoke machine, but I have no technical knowledge of CO2 whatsoever. Are you trying to get the most out of pressurized CO2, or yeast culture type CO2? I might be interested in this either way... I do eventually want to get into CO2 but can't really afford pressurized right now, and haven't bothered with DIY stuff

Pressurized! My current idea is a container where the gas & water can be blended without using propeller type mechanics. In theory its supposed to work by creating a vortex with water pressure. Right now, its still in the idea stages...

 

[LuminousAphid]

Ok, so I took another pic to see if there has been any progress, and even with just 5 days I can see a difference. The Elodea has really taken off without any acclimation period, and the water sprite has as well. Everything else is about the same, except for minor growth.

I need to take some of the water lettuce out of this tank, it's starting to block out too much light, I think. Anyone want some, I will save it for you?

 

[LuminousAphid]

Here's the 20 gallon today, I also updated the first post so the pictures can be seen in order.

I'm still not sure what the plant in the back right is, but it's starting to grow ok, still has a lot of algae on its leaves since it's so close to the light... I also put some root tabs under the amazon swords, so maybe they will start to improve sometime in the near future

 

[Anonymous]

I am not sure what the plant is but wanted to stop in and say that I think you got some good growth going on there. Looking real good! Its an evolution, as the plants get bigger I am sure you will find yourself shifting things around.

 

[LuminousAphid]

Yeah I have tried to resist shifting things around for a while, so that they can get settled... For the first month or so I had this set up, I kept moving things around and putting in/taking out different pieces of wood, and it did the tank no good, so I'm trying to restrain myself and just let things be for a while.

I'm starting to have a bit of a cyanobacteria problem, little bits on plant leaves but mostly in a couple corners it is starting to cover the substrate. I think I will try to remember to only feed this tank every couple days for a while, and see if that solves anything.

I did finally get another job, so I should have some money coming in, which will help with some of the things I would like to do. Like, get a 40 gallon ASAP. Or maybe 55?

 

[Anonymous]

Yeah I have tried to resist shifting things around for a while, so that they can get settled... For the first month or so I had this set up, I kept moving things around and putting in/taking out different pieces of wood, and it did the tank no good, so I'm trying to restrain myself and just let things be for a while.

Hard to resist sometimes but the best idea! Plants usually look a lot different once they become more mature. When they become larger more filled out its easier to set back & think it over a bit where you want what to go where. But like i said ," its an evolution", always changing like moving furniture around every 6 months or so. I just re designed about a 3rd of a 7 foot tank trying to get some semitry i had those same plants in that spot for 10 months...

I'm starting to have a bit of a cyanobacteria problem, little bits on plant leaves but mostly in a couple corners it is starting to cover the substrate. I think I will try to remember to only feed this tank every couple days for a while, and see if that solves anything.

Ut oh, nasty stuff. In my 140 g i was able to get rid of this stuff by more flow (water movement) throughout the tank. In my 29, I had to eventually medicate That with a big O Airstone Im hoping it stays away. Good luck!

I did finally get another job, so I should have some money coming in, which will help with some of the things I would like to do. Like, get a 40 gallon ASAP. Or maybe 55?

:spoton:

 

[LuminousAphid]

So here is the tank today, decided to clean it out a bit and take a picture

Things are looking good, and it seems like the less I mess with it the better things go. I have stopped using flourish excel and I can only see good differences, like the hygro seems to be doing much better without it.

edit: also, does anyone know what this plant is? Still haven't figured it out...

Mystery plant, starting to grow nicely

 

[Anonymous]

I'm all flipping back & forth between this and an earlier picture to see the growth... It's coming along, looking good! Before you know it some of those plants will be near the surface.

I've seen your mystery plant before but for the life of me cannot remember the name. I am sure someone will chime in here shortly and identify it.

 

[pbmax]

Could be moneywort? :scratch: 

 

[CrazedAce]

Could be moneywort? :scratch: 

I have the same plant and was back at Petco last night returning a light when I seen a pack of this stuff on their shelf. I would have to agree that it looks a lot like Moneywort. I got mine from Billy.

Nice looking tank though, LA.

 

[MorganEA]

looks more like bacopa, I had some in my tank but it died.

 

[pbmax]

looks more like bacopa, I had some in my tank but it died.

Yeah, I think you're right - more like bacopa than moneywort.

 

[xicaque]

Luminous,

beautiful tank. Where did you get your light? I need one like it.

 

[Anonymous]

Luminous,

beautiful tank. Where did you get your light? I need one like it.

I believe that's a FENNEX RAY. Only place besides on-line I know where to get them is Aquarium Co-Op in Edmonds. Someone else may chime in with other places to get them.


I was curious what he was hanging from the light fixture with monofilament line in his last picture...?

 

[LuminousAphid]

Oh, it was to try and keep some of the floating plants I have under the light instead of floating around all over the place, but it just ended up being a big mess of plants getting stuck to it, not the greatest idea.

So the tank is doing pretty well still, I have been having some issues with BGA for the last couple weeks so there has been lots of siphoning patches of that out, along with re-arranging the plants for better water flow, because I think that had something to do with the outbreak. That, and I stopped using Excel around the same time, so that is another factor. The funny thing is, unlike a lot of people's stories, the BGA is spreading very slowly in my tank, and hasn't ever had a big sudden outbreak. I have recently added 2 large catappa leaves, and along with making the water nice and noticeably tannin-y, they seem to be further slowing the growth of the BGA. It has been lurking on the glass under the substrate, so I'm hoping that after one more good clean, the antibiotic properties of the tannins might slowly kill the microscopic bits that sure surely left.

edit; I also noticed that BGA was growing on some of the water lettuce leaves, so I have switched over to Amazon Frogbit and the 2 types of salvinia. Also I got duckweed in the tank at some point and now regret it

 

[LuminousAphid]

So, since I am moving the next couple days, I combined two of my tanks into one 20 gallon tank, and I actually like the way it turned out. The bigger piece of wood was in my 10 gallon, but I think it fits a little better in this tank, and goes well with the wood I had in there.

It's also nice to have a few more fish in here, I was always afraid of overstocking so I never put anything else in, but I brought over a lot of guppies from my 10 gallon, and also 2 plecos: a longfin albino bristlenose, and a clown panaque. I also sold a few of the blue tetras, which were the ones who were running out of space, so with only 3 of them left things aren't so crowded. Everyone seems to be adjusting well, and I think the fishes enjoy the extra cover.

 

[LuminousAphid]

Update with pic:

I feel like finally the tank is happy, and I am pretty happy with it. I would like to unclutter it a bit, but that might have to wait until I get another tank going where I can put the extra plants.

 

[Anonymous]

I feel like finally the tank is happy, and I am pretty happy with it. I would like to unclutter it a bit, but that might have to wait until I get another tank going where I can put the extra plants.

Plants look nice & healthy LuminousAphid.

 

[LuminousAphid]

Yeah, if you compare the unidentified plants in the front left of the newest picture to what they looked like when I got them:

Before, back left:

After, front right:

You can tell they are much happier. Also the Abubias on the wood are the same ones between the two pics, and they are looking better too. I would like to get the tank a little less cluttered again, though, but looking back it's a huge improvement.