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Robyn,

I really don't remember exactly what it was that I may remember (and I may be wrong on top of it), but I don't think it had something to do with danger to fish. It was more in the line of constant tanninsbeing released from the sap in Grape (the fruit thing they make wine of ) or that it is not durable in water for a long time and falls apart or something.

And:

You'd think LFS would only sell stuff that was safe though

- Save for who? The fish? Yeah, that is why the LFS sells painted fish, right? Or how about a laser that shines the fish in the eye when they swim by? Or all kinds of plastic ornaments where fish can get stuck in?

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Well, I have googled this grape wood & although I don't know if I have this type (or not) it seems correct that it is not good for aquariums & is best for reptiles. This LFS doesn't sell reptiles - in fact it only sells fish & fish supplies, so if this is grape wood, I will be a little annoyed. I will have to watch it closely. I found a couple of comments similar to this

Grape wood is best suited in medium to low humidity environments only. Under wet or high humidity, grape wood has a tendency to fungus or mold easily

Doesn't sound good. I wonder if I should just undo all my work from the other night - but I would need to find a suitable replacement wood first, so as to have somewhere to place the plants currently tied to it. I'll have to ask LFS if they can tell me what wood it is.

Anyway, I'll start with some pics of this wood that may (or may not) stay in the tank. I tied the windelov too high up the wood & if I decide this wood stays, I will either add more down lower in addition to what's there now - or remove the top half of what is there now & reposition it below.

The pics are somewhat repetitive, in that I have taken several shots from different views. Feel free to nod off anytime

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Cheers
TW

Another full front shot, but angled.

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Cheers
TW

Here's a tall side shot. I haven't got the whole width in there, as due to tank positioning, I couldn't get in properly to take the shot. The crypt at the back has been cut out of this pic

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Cheers
TW

another side view. Oh & look, here are some of my babies.

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Cheers
TW

Pictures start on previous page

Here's a partial view of the crypt that was cut out of an earlier pic. It's popping up behind the rock (the rock is holding the wood down)

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Cheers
TW

Some of the smaller tenellus plants I put in here. The others are further towards the back & haven't shown up in any of the pics so far.

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Cheers
TW

a close up of one of the anubia , oh & I just noticed you can see some of the other tenellus behind it.

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Cheers
TW

Close up of another section of the wood, with some anubia (on a sep small segment of driftwood) and some baby java fern on the suspect wood.

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Cheers
TW

close up of the wendelov. That's it for now.

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Cheers
TW

For comparison, here is a shot taken of the tank around 20 Feb (prior to this makeover, but after I converted it to cannister filter & new light).

I posted this pic 20.02.07 & although I don't remember deleting the post, I guess I must have accidentally, because it is gone. If I'd realised that, I would have started tonight's posting with this pic, cause now it is a little out of sequence.

This is the BEFORE shot. If you're interested, scroll backwards in this thread to see the AFTER shots.

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Cheers
TW

I really like the looks of this tank TW. The shape of the driftwood is really nice the way it twists and turns in the tank. The plants appear to be a lot like ivy growing along a branch in a tree. Very nice.

Jim

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Water, taken in moderation, cannot hurt anybody. -- Mark Twain

Robyn,

Nice pictures

It seems when viewed from the front that all is in order, but when viewed from the side it looks like the wood is almost closer to the front than the back. Is that so?

Also, did you move the light around when you took the pictures? In some shots the front looks very dark and if that would always be the case then it may not support many plants there.

And - the babies are all grown up

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

The plants appear to be a lot like ivy growing along a branch in a tree.

Thanks OldTimer - that's the look I was going for. Thanks for the popping in & for the tank compliment too. So nice to have a new visitor

the wood is almost closer to the front than the back. Is that so?

Hi Ingo

Could be. I might change that, but the reason for the wood's position is that the only plant I didn't remove was some creeping wisteria at the back & I left room for the crypt (planted in a rock) to go back to it's usual spot in the back corner.

did you move the light around when you took the pictures?

Very observant. Towards the end of the photo shoot, I noticed that the light was pushed all the way to the back of the tank (must not have moved it back to the middle after the redo on Saturday night).

The current light gives me 1.7wpg, which is around what I had with the hood/light combo set up (it was 1.5wpg). Although I have a spare regulator & gas bottle laying around, at this stage I don't intend this to be hi-tech. Wanting low maintence here. I've been looking around at lighting options (mainly 'cause this is a dodgy unit with limited tube availability - not sure of K rates available either). But the PCs available all seem they would give me too much light.

If I stick with what I have, 1.7wpg should be fine for these low light plants, wouldn't you say?

Cheers
TW

If I stick with what I have, 1.7wpg should be fine for these low light plants, wouldn't you say?

Sure thing

Overall you should be fine with your plant selection, but you will have to be more careful with shading. Some of your "higher-up" plants could create too much shade below and then it may be too dark there for moderate growth.

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Thanks for the advice LF. My earlier post was written from work, & a look at the wood in the tank reminded me that another reason the wood is too far forward is due to a piece of the wood that reaches backwards towards the rear of the tank. This limits how far I can push the wood back, nade worse by the 2nd piece of upward reaching wood (with the wendolev fern) & the way I have angled & secured it in place with fishing line. To a certain extent I can fix that, but I'll wait a week or two before I do anything with it. Why wait? 1. because if the wood does turn mouldy etc, the wood will be removed permanently & 2. If it doesn't go mouldy, I want to leave it till it is waterlogged, so it is easier to work with in the tank before I reposition it.

Well, that's the plan now - but who knows, if it annoys me too much, I might do it anyway.

Re: the higher plants shading the lower - you're right, plus I think it looks a little odd being up so high at the end of the wood. If & when I do the wood rearranging, I will move all the wendolev down a couple of inches, that way it shouldn't shade anything.

Cheers
TW

Grape wood is best suited in medium to low humidity environments only. Under wet or high humidity, grape wood has a tendency to fungus or mold easily

It has started already - so the grape wood will have to go, once I have the replacement ready to take it's place.

I still stubbornly have in my mind atheme for this tank that will be heavily wooded, with many anubia attached & some wendlov too, as well as java fern. Add a few crypts, tenellus & Ricca rocks & I will be done.

So here is the current contender for replacement wood. It is soaking for now, as it still floats. This angle is the current angle I plan to use, but alternate angles follow.

I know how to attach the anubia to the narrow twiggy parts of the wood - but I don't know who to attach the wendolev to the thick stubby end and If anyone reads this & can give me suggestions on how to do this, I'd really appreciate it.


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Cheers
TW

alternate view

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Cheers
TW

final view

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Cheers
TW

Nice Wood Robyn

- where did you get this one from? I like the final view, and I actually would not attach Windelov in that position. I would plant Nana Petites ( $$$$$$$ ) all around the base and the lower parts of the individual branches and keep the top bare, maybe some neatly trimmed moss on them in one or the other spot may go well too (but think of the maintenance). In addition, good looking rocks around the base and from there dispersing on the substrate could be a great addition as well.

so the grape wood will have to go

- Are you certain it is Grape?

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

where did you get this one from

Well - not from same place as alleged grape wood. Good LFS - huge workshop out the back - these guys will make custom make my 2 new tanks. Good LFS - lousy hours. No late night shoping & not open on Sunday at all. Usually have nice wood - so I rushed there after work today.

I like the final view, and I actually would not attach Windelov in that position

Do you? I'm not sure yet - but agree that view is nice. I tried to post a poll asking people's opinion - wouldn't work, so I've asked mods to delete the thread & will try again later. Anyway, so no windelov. Ok. You think nana petites, instead of nanas? The nanas I have already will have to stay, plus some more from the 20G will come across when it shuts down. But besides that, I placed an internet order today for 3 more nanas & 3 nana petites. Do you think I should change them all to nana petites, if I can. It may look a bit bare at first, as I won't have enough - due to cost, I will have to build it up gradually.

neatly trimmed moss on them in one or the other spot may go well too (but think of the maintenance)

I am done with moss - too messy, especially on larger pieces of hardwood that are hard to remove. I might add riccia on rocks - but no moss. May not work though (no C02,low light). As for rocks - keeping my eye out for some. Haven't found any I like for a while - all very unnatural looking - but eventually I'll find some.

Are you certain it is Grape?

Not 100% - haven't been back to LFS to ask. It looks like the pics I saw when I googled. A lot of info I found said a white slimy film would quickly form on the wood - & it is forming now. The sooner I can put the new wood in (& therefore have somewhere to put all the plants) the happier I will be to get it out of there.

Next time I'm at that LFS, I'll trade it in. They give you 50% credit on hardware & fish returns. Funniest thing about this LFS, is the owner fancys himself as a maker of DVD on fish care. He stars in his own DVD's - one for just about every sort of fish keeping (not planted tanks) & whenever you are in store, you hear him trying to push his DVD sale. Didn't suck me in, but both hubby & son are proud owners of the DVD. Hubby has the marine one & my son has the African Cichlid one.

Thanks for your advice LF

Cheers
TW

Nice hunk of wood Robyn. Since it is a hunk, remember it might be difficult to remove if you need to clean it. Just something to think about when using it in the tank.
I personally like the first position, but I think it would depend on what you planning to do with the scape.

And I second Matty's suggestion of getting a new camera. Your plants look good but the pics don't do them justice.

My Scapes

Hi tetra - thanks for stopping in. I must have been replying to LF at around the same time you were posting here.

Yeah, I know the camera is c##p - but no spare cash at the moment. Whenever I get any spare, I tend to spend it on tanks / wood / plants themselves - but one day, it will definitely move to the top of the shopping list.

Saving all my spare coins for the stocking of the African tank, when I eventually get it started.

Cheers
TW

How many nana petites do you think I would need for the base?

Cheers
TW

Approximately 1 million. I got my petites at about the size of a quarter...you can do the math

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

Approximately 1 million

At 7.95 a pop, I will need to get finance for this project

Anyway, before reading your post I sent an email off requesting my purchase order be changed to no nanas, & 12 nana petites - waiting on response.

Cheers
TW

Seems my heater has broken, or at least the thermostat light no longer lights up. Luckily I had a spare - but also, at this time of the year in Sydney, it doesn't matter. The heater doesn't need to turn on all summer.

The other thing is I finally got around to installing the UV sterilizer I have had sitting around for months.

I'm not sure about the flow rate & if anyone visits here who thinks they might be able to help, I have a this http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/threads/33403.1.htm?0.6286648# thread asking a question.

Cheers
TW

Robyn,

I know very little about UVs and flowrates, but why don't you send a PM to tetratech, he is the expert on this topic. Just point him to that thread for help.

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Thanks LF. Matty & some others visited my UV thread & gave me some tips on measuring the flow.

The new driftwood is in the tank, but all still looks quite bare. Nearly all the anubia I already have has been used just on the base, leaving me none for any of the branches. I'm waiting on a plant order, so more will be added as I get my hands on them.

This is a side view.

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Cheers
TW

Photos start on previous page. The next few shots are trying to catch glimpses of the new residents, a male agassizi & his harem of 3 girls. Someone was closing down their tank and needed a new home for these guys. They moved in on Sunday & are still shy & settling in. They haven't eaten yet (at least that I've seen) but I hope they get some that I don't see. The male seems to remain more in the open & was patrolling the tank more today than previous.

Each female has already staked it's own little territory.

Here's the male & just above his head, that yellow is his wife no 1, in the nook in the wood, she has claimed as her own.



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Cheers
TW

Wife no 2 peeps out from underneath the cave that this small piece of driftwood provides her with. You probably just make her out, even though my shot is very dark.

She is the most reclusive & has hardly come out at all. Just comes part way out, sticks out her little face & looks around for a while, before moving deeper into her home again.

Oh, & some of the krib juviniles didn't want to be left out of the photo either.

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Cheers
TW

This is another shot of wife no. 1, taken looking straight down into the tank. When she wants to, she can disappear deep into the crevice in the wood there, & you can't even see she is there. That is her home.

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Cheers
TW

Couldn't get a shot of wife no 3, but she lives here, in the cave under the slate.

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Cheers
TW

Nothing more to record here in my log, but just because I like my new fish, here is another picture anyway.

So far, all is very peaceful in the tank.

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Cheers
TW

Nice new additions to the tank, TW. It looks like the male will color up nicely once he is settled in.

Jim

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Water, taken in moderation, cannot hurt anybody. -- Mark Twain

Wasn't going to include a full frontal, as the tank is so bare looking, but here it is anyway.

Besides the bareness (which will gradually be corrected) I think the wood might look better if the up wards diagonal wasn't quite so extreme. To lower it (without lowering it all the way) I'll need to get some rock of suitable height for a part of the wood to rest on. Until then, this seems the best I can do for now.

That's it for now.

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Cheers
TW

You may want to give the plants some time to settle in and put on some growth before you start adjustments. I know a tank just doesn't look right until it starts to fill in and for me anyways it's hard to picture it in my mind until it does so.

Jim

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Water, taken in moderation, cannot hurt anybody. -- Mark Twain

That's good advice oldtimer. Especially as I have plants in another tank to move accross. My anubia order hasn't come in yet either, so they will make a difference.

I did play around with the angle, and here is a shot of the wood, with the upward diagonal not so extreme. I think I like it better, but still not sure. It's not really that different. Probably won't be until the extra plants are in there.

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Cheers
TW

Hi,
Personally, I'd do something about that heater.
It looks like its crossing swords with the driftwood
and is extremely distracting.
Frank

-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

Very true Frank - it was previously hidden by stems, which I don't intend including in this scape.

My other tanks have heaters that have black covers - maybe that would help. That bright chrome really hit your eye visually doesn't it.

The position of the power cords mean that I either have to have it vertical, or if I'm going to slope it, it has to be this angle. I'd like one of those external heaters, but they are soooo expensive. Hmmm, I'll see what I can do.

Cheers
TW

The Visi Therm Stealth Heaters are all black and blend in nicely, if you can get them Down Under.

On the other hand, why does the "position of the power cords" dictate that you cannot move the heater horizontal at the bottom in the back? Is the wire too short?

Here is a shot from this weekend of my 20G - and there is a shiny silver heater horizontally in the back left section of the tank. The cable is coming up in the left back corner and in these lights (picture) not even visible.

Ingo

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Where Is The Heater?

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

I still have to work on completely hiding the heater - so just pretend you can't see it. There are more anubia nanas now, but still more are required.

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Cheers
TW

For no reason, other than I like him, here's a shot of the new apisto male, who lives in peace with my 11 juvenile kirbs. He mainly chases his harem, rather than mating. Aggg, another reluctant male in my tank

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Cheers
TW

Aggg, another reluctant male in my tank

- Join the club, Robyn

I like the loads of Anubias, but you created a left and a right tank. The left side is great, the right is so-la-la, with the plants being too grande, you know what I mean?

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Join the club, Robyn

Annoyingly, the private owner I bought these from tells me they laid in his tank - but I don't know what to believe now.

the right is so-la-la

Yes, I know what you mean. I feel everything on the right is just temporary at the moment, just marking time until I bring bring across some stuff from the 20G once it (eventually) shuts down.

The below pic is the 20G & I will definitely bring across the two nanas you see (they're on small pieces of wood that can be placed strategically on the substrate & make nice natural caves for reluctant romeos & their harems). I will also try bringing across the two crypts, although I think it was you who said crypts often get very cranky at being moved & so I suppose they might up & die on me. I also might bring across the larger anubia & if I do, I might attach it the rear & far left of my large feature wood. So in the end, the right hand side should all be a fairly low level affair & when the time comes I'll ask where the crypt should go. My vision at the moment is the eye drawn up wards from left to right by my main feature wood with just low stuff (the anubia on wood) underneath & maybe the crypts don't fit that plan - hate to see them wasted thought. Maybe they could go front left?

It is still my kribs that stop my tank plans going ahead but I don't know what to do with them and while they stay, I can't shut the 20G tank down. They are my babies & I'm finding it hard to think of parting with them - but I will have to as I just do not have room for 11 kribs when they grow to full size. I can probably keep one or two in the planted tank, but can't see 11 adult kribs continuing to live in peace with the apistos.

This tank also always continues to give me problems with algae. I sometimes wonder if setting up C02 would solve this. It would also allow the addition of riccia rocks, as I am convinced that (as seen in my 43G) C02 is more important to riccia than high light.

Do you think C02 would help the algae problem?

Thanks for popping in Ingo

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Cheers
TW

I "can't see it."

Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

yeah, I don't see any algae.

I agree with Ingo on the assessment of the tank. Those nanas could replace the current plants on the right, or you could use that low growing wisteria. I think either would work. Those crypts IMO could fit in well if properly placed on the left.

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

yeah, I don't see any algae.

See it now? Look on the anubia. Anyway, tank is still in it's very unsettled state, although I'm a step closer to shutting down the 20G & bringing it's plants across to this tank. Till then, this tank is looking bare. I had too much riccia from my trim in the 43G, so I've added 2 small riccia covered rocks. The Tenellus has been removed from the front right corner - you can see it floating top left - haven't brought myself around to throwing it out just yet.

I can't get the algae under control in the tank. I will try reducing the lighting by another hour less per day. If that doesn't work, I may have to give in & put in some creeping wisteria - but I don't really want to do that, so will try reduced lighting.

The reluctant romeo apisto & one of his brides have finally spawned. She is guarding, but not as well as the krib mum did. She seems intimidated by dad & if he comes too near to her nest, she runs away and the eggs are unguarded for a short time. She always returns, but she is certainly gone long enough that if there were predators, they would be eaten. I removed the juvenile kribs as soon as I found the eggs, but it is probably from dad there will be a threat, if any. So, grandma is waiting patiently to see if the eggs hatch and if the fry survive. Fingers crossed.

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Cheers
TW

Till then, this tank is looking bare

but I have to say that the tank looks really clean

I assume you have algae issues because you have very little plant mass in there that is actively growing on a measurable scale. What is your fert regime? Can it be that you are imbalanced? Turning off the lights earlier (or on later) may help though.

And Yeah!!! to the eggs, although it certainly makes me jealous. You sure have talent in the breeding department

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Congrats on the eggs! That's great. I agree that the tank needs a few more plants, especially to hold back the algae, but looks real nice otherwise.

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

I reduced the lighting as much as I dared, but still the algae advanced onwards. The pic tells a 1000 words

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Cheers
TW

So I caved in and added some wisteria to the tank in the hopes it will help with the algae. Besides that, I removed the big wood temporarily & painted the non planted areas with excel, in the hopes the algae will die off as a result, without the annubia suffering also.

Fingers crossed for improvements.

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Cheers
TW

Robyn,

That looks like a combined algae attack in the close-up. I seem to identify BBA and hair algae, is that right? The BBA should give way to the Excel, I doubt that the hair algae will though.

Would it be possible (without making a major mess) to remove the wood and give it a good scrub to remove the existing algae?

You know, maybe it is even some leaching of the wood that causes the algae in the first place

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Hi LF, thanks for the visit.

Yep, seems to be green flowing algae & the little black tuffs, which I think is BBA. The wood can be easily removed (that's what I did last night - although I didn't scrub it). I rubbed each leaf until the removable stuff came off, leaving only some leaves with black marks that wouldn't budge & then painted wood with the excel. I'll pull it out again in a day or so and do the scrub, since the excel won't work with the hair algae.

This tank is supposed to be the easy one, but what with regularly having to deal with algae, it's not turning out that way. This is the tank with the expensive UV filter, and whilst I have it for parasites, I thought it was supposed to help with algae too. Grrr.

Even though I didn't want the wisteria in there, I think the apistos may prefer it. The girl apistos should be able to move about with more cover now, so the male mightn't notice & chase them so much.

BTW, the eggs mentioned a few posts earlier disappeared without a trace. Hopefuly, the fact they spawned once might mean they'll try again.

Cheers
TW

Robyn,

I have hair algae confined to the wood in my 125G since maybe at least one year. I don't bother to take action as long is it does not spread. During my make-overs, I remove the wood anyway and give it a good scrub.

I will keep my fingers crossed on the spawning, I am sure it will happen again (as it did in my 40G, but with no positive end result so far).

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

The BBA is going red, so I guess that means it's in the process of dyeing. I'm just about positive the hair algae is doing the same. I'm not going to do a wood scrub at this stage, but at next water change (Wednesday) I'll give the wood another brushing with excel - that is, if it needs it.

For comparison, here is a shot of the wood full of the the black BBA and green hair algae

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Cheers
TW

Algae still there, but I'm sure there's a lot less fuzzy green stuff now.

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Cheers
TW

I'll give the wood another brushing with excel - that is, if it needs it.

If it is not too much trouble to give it a brushing then I would do it anyway, as you may think it is good but there is still some tiny stuff left.

Otherwise, glad to read that it works. If it behaves like mine then after turning red it will get smaller and smaller and then is gone.

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Tank Watcher, Hi just thought I would say hello Just joined FP after reading Little_Fish's , Wings and your logs in the Planted Forum . I am back in the hobby after 30 years and have a lot to catch up on . Love your stuff and I look forward to seeing more of your tanks in the future .
Garry

Hi Countryfish

Welcome to FP

Thanks for your kind words & for stopping in. Hope to see you around the forums /:'

Cheers
TW

Hi TW

Just saw your log. Congrats on the fry! how are they gng now?

have you decided what to do with the male yet?

my two rams had this same type of behaviour.. one minute they were great and the next the male was attacking the female whilst trying to guard the fry. i moved the fry into a breeder net cos it was safer.

keep us updated on how the fry are! they are such cute little creatures!

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Truth doesn't always win friends but it influences them

Hi CD, thanks for the visit.

have you decided what to do with the male yet?

I was too scared to put him back in the main tank, in case he forgot the fry were his & ate them. I kept him for a while in a small tank I had, but I felt sorry for him in there, so I took him to Auburn. Unfortunately, the mum has since died. She started to get a swollen eye (I don't know why, as I am careful to always 50% water change & my water parameters are always good). Luckily the fry were almost juveniles, but I didn't want to medicate the tank with them in there so tried melafix & pimafix - didn't work and she passed on.

keep us updated on how the fry are! they are such cute little creatures!

Yes they are. But I have made a mistake & recently lost 3. Since their mum died an appisto male & 3 females moved in & for a long time, no breeding. Then there were eggs & I worried that the bigger apisto when guarding may pick on the much smaller krib juveniles, so I quickly set up another tank for them. Thought it would be okay, as I used media from my cycled tanks for the filter for this temporary tank, but within 2 weeks, 2 of them died. Tonight, I found another one dead, so I have moved them back into the tank with the apistos (nothing came of their eggs - just disappeared). I don't think they have been as active in the last week, so I hope the move back to their birth tank isn't too late to save the rest. Heartbreaking to have them since last October & then to lose 3 in such quick succession.

I won't be able to keep them all for much longer. When I get my african tank up & running, I have to shut down one of my planted tanks (my other half has put his foot down about the number of tannks I can have) & there won't be room for 8 adult kribs. I will keep one in my planted community tank and unless I can find someone I trust to take them, I will have to give them to Auburn. I'd refer to give them to someone I know, but don't know of anyone - so it will probably be Auburn.

They're one reason why I'm going slow on the African tank (although St George should just about finished making it now - waiting for their call) as I thought I would keep them as long as I can.

Do you still have your krib fry?

Cheers
TW

Hi Tankwatcher , sorry to hear about your loss of the little ones Always difficult when you loose fish but must be even harder when you've breed them . Hope it all works out in the long run
Garry

The excel works a treat on the hair algae. Here's the before shot, taken around 11.05.07



and here's a couple of shots taken tonight



I still have algae problems on the leaves and you might notice the holes on the anubia leaves. Any suggestions to help out with the holes would be appreciated. I had reduced the lighting considerably & I'm gradually increasing. Back up to 6hrs a day now. Ferts are KNO3 1/8th tspn, a pinch each of KH2P04 & K2S04 dosed once weekly. Traces 5ml & iron 2ml dosed once weekly.

Cheers
TW

Robyn,

I of course can't say this for sure, but normally holes are a sign of a lack of Potassium. This is supported further by your routine of

Ferts are KNO3 1/8th tspn, a pinch each of KH2P04 & K2S04 dosed once weekly.

I use in my low tech tanks at least as much potassium as nitrate, even a little more. The fish in the tank (and decaying matter to some degree) produce ammonia and phosphates, as such avoiding a total null value. But potassium, that - I believe - is only added by us. Given that, by EI Standards and my guess, potassium should be on the level of nitrates, you seem to add too little.

Hope this makes sense,

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Thanks for the post LF.

KH2P04 = Mono Potassium Phospate
KNO3 = Potassium Nitrate
K2S04 = ???

I think it's the K2S04 you are saying I need more of???

Cheers
TW

K2S04 = ???

Potassium Sulfate, yes - that is the one where I would add more.

There have been recent discussions on overdosing Potassium, but nothing solid has been formed of it yet. Also, I do it since a year at least with no problem. And the Sulfate is no problem either, it just doesn't do anything (good or bad) in these quantities.

here is my dosing schedule for my 20 / 29:

- Water Changes every other week on both, immediately followed by:
- KH2P04 (I have 2ppm in the tab): pinch / pinch
- KNO3: a little less than 1/4tsp / a good 1/4tsp
- K2S04: 1/4tsp / 1/4tsp
- Excel: 10ml / 15ml
- Micros (on next day, Tropica Plant Nutrient liquid): 5ml / 7ml

And that is only once in these two weeks between water changes.

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Thank Ingo

Just in case Frank ever pops in - see the pic - no more silver heater. I've found a black one now.
Also shows the agassizii They're easier to photograph these days. Always begging for food. If they see me come near - out they come & head straight for the feeding corner (that's where they are now). They must recognise me though, as if I have friends over & they look in the tank, they hide & won't come out at all.

Excuse the glare/refelction on the back & sides of the tank glass. I have a lot of trouble with that reflection lately - in all my tank shots

Cheers
TW

Hi TW,

The tank is beginning to really look nice. I suspect the
fish are "hiding" because it is kinda "stark" and very
bright. Now, by "stark, I mean you may want to consider
something that will encourage the fish to feel safe
swimming out in the open. Perhaps some floating plant, or
some stem plants along the three boundries (back & sides)
that you allow to grow to the surface and across it. That
will give the shade that they may require.

I gather the heater is laying on the bottom in the back?
(grin)

Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

Hi Frank

fish are "hiding" because it is kinda "stark" and very
bright

They don' hide for me (only when other people - not me - stick their faces up to the tank for a closer look. Fish sure hide then. All I have to do is stand in front of the tank, and out they come, one by one until all are waiting patiently in their feeding corner. I don't want stems in this stank for some reason, but do you think floating duckweed (is that what it's called) would make them more comfortable?

Cheers
TW

Robyn,

First of all, don't fix what is not broken

If your fish come out for you, but not guests, then nothing is wrong with the light etc. I have duckweed and water lettuce in my tanks (or had, in some cases) and the fish do the same. No wonder, as most guests have an attitude that is not suitable for our spoiled animals, as in jumping up and down in front of the tanks etc

Tank looks nice, and while I was looking at it for the second time I noticed that it has quite a few similarities to my current vision for the 29G after its next redo, bummer.

How many Nana petites are in there? Seems like 30 at least (if they are petites, maybe they are small Nanas).

About the glare: try to put the focal point of the camera onto the wisteria, the brightest plant in the tank. This may adjust lighing to that level and make it less glary.

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Hi Ingo

Thanks for the visit.

I noticed that it has quite a few similarities to my current vision for the 29G after its next redo, bummer.

Wow, to think you have even some similarities with a tank of mine is quite an honour. Pls don't let any perceived similarities prevent you from your plans. You won't have the same driftwood, so it will be different. Your plants will be arranged differently, so it will be different. I am planning to borrow ideas from you all & hope to incorporate a beach area in my new 70G. A few of us have already done that and others (you I think) are considering it.

Also, if I get my way, this tank will shut down & be replaced with a 3 footer. I commenced negotiations with hubby on this plan tonight If negotiations successful, new tank will have the ability to divide into either 2 or 3 separated areas. Each section will be a scape on it's own. Because of the dividers, my focal driftwood will not fit. Sadly, I don't think I'll have room for it anywhere. I'd love to rehouse it in the new 70G I'm setting up - but I am stuck with my large fern covered log (see 43G log), as hubby bought that for me. I'm learning why it's not a good idea to accept gifts for the tank.

You are probably right with your count of nanas. I don't know if they are petite or just small nanas. I've never seen one here that is labeled petite. These were labeled "miniature nana" , so who knows.

Cheers
TW

Robyn,

A 3 footer with dividers? Intersting

Why?

I guess it must have to do with the breeding of Apistos, right?

I will have to find time to put my 29G into action, and currently I cannot afford another 6 to 10 hour makeover time slot. In a while maybe though.

"I commenced negotiations with hubby on this plan tonight " - I will not ask

Miniature nana sounds like Petite to me, maybe you folks Down Under simply don't like the French and that is why you use another name. Remember the time when the Americans called a certain food product "Freedom Fries" ?

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Remember the time when the Americans called a certain food product "Freedom Fries" ?

No, I didn't hear that before, but it's funny. Don't know why we call it by a different name, here Down Under, but this thread http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/threads/33190.1.htm?99# shows we say lots of things differently.

Why? I guess it must have to do with the breeding of Apistos, right?

Yes, that & because of the fish/tank shuffling I will have to do when I set up the African 4 footer. The trade-off was that the 20G must shut down & the male Nigerian red from that tank is not accepted in any of the other tanks. The other Nigerian Red male in the 43G will not have a bar of him. I experimented & moved him into this tank (23G), but the male agassizii will not tolerate him there either. I could divide the 20G (which is 2ft), but if I go 3ft I can have 3 sections. I then could move the apistos from the 43G into one section - where they could breed. The current agassizii would have their own section (so no mistakes between females from the cac & ags could occur) and I would have a safe haven for my Nigerian red in the final section. I also feel confident (sort of) that I could, if necessary, place fry in with him. Guppy fry have been born in his tank before & he couldn't have cared less. So really, the new 3ft divided tank plans are his fault, as I have nowhere to put him. I don't want to return him to LFS - I really like him. If I was allowed, I'd set him up in a separate tank on his own - but I have more chance of negotiating a shut down of this tank with a replacement tank.

Keep for your toes & fingers crossed for me.

Cheers
TW