Dry start: My first attempt on a 11gal nano
- Thread starter jonny_ftm
- Start date
Was bored from P. Helferi in the front and liked a shorter plant, easy to maintain. As my floating riccia that started with 0.5in diameter became a 6in diameter circle shading too much light, I decided to use a riccia carpet
Glosso grew much well, just trimmed it short before the photo. It will be denser in few weeks and I'll post new photos when riccia and glosso grow denser
With low light, things are very slow, but at least, I see no algae even on the anubia after +4months without removing any decaying leave
I realize it lacks some slope in the bottom left part. Maybe one time I remove some of the eleocharis and use rocks to make the slope
PS: my pictures pass through paint shop pro with 2 functions: a crop then a resize to reduce their size. Not any other picture enhancement filter. I use a tripod to take photos with my cheap digital camera. Hopefully I get soon a better camera for better photos.
Glosso grew much well, just trimmed it short before the photo. It will be denser in few weeks and I'll post new photos when riccia and glosso grow denser
With low light, things are very slow, but at least, I see no algae even on the anubia after +4months without removing any decaying leave
I realize it lacks some slope in the bottom left part. Maybe one time I remove some of the eleocharis and use rocks to make the slope
PS: my pictures pass through paint shop pro with 2 functions: a crop then a resize to reduce their size. Not any other picture enhancement filter. I use a tripod to take photos with my cheap digital camera. Hopefully I get soon a better camera for better photos.
Thank you for the nice comments.
Despite the plants health and their density, this tank is a rather low maintenance. Eleocharis, anubia, parvula and java fern were never trimmed in 5 months. Glosso trimmed once since 3 months. The mosses trimmed every 2-3 months. I just started the riccia, but should be trimmed every 1-2 months I think, let's see. P. Helferi needed a retop after 4 months + the 4-5 months of dry start. Wallichii needs monthly trimming, I don't retop it as it responds nicely with side shoots
No decaying leaves, even the P. helferi. Shrimps and a hundred of snails take care of every organic matter. Soil is never syphonned (trumpet snails help). Glass never cleaned in 5 months (light is put along the bottom side of tank to avoid algae on glass)
Canister never cleaned after near 5 months of immersion
Only feeding fish and shrimps daily, 20mn for the 50% weekly WC (just 3.9 gallons of water to use, no syphonning, so not too much work)
Despite the plants health and their density, this tank is a rather low maintenance. Eleocharis, anubia, parvula and java fern were never trimmed in 5 months. Glosso trimmed once since 3 months. The mosses trimmed every 2-3 months. I just started the riccia, but should be trimmed every 1-2 months I think, let's see. P. Helferi needed a retop after 4 months + the 4-5 months of dry start. Wallichii needs monthly trimming, I don't retop it as it responds nicely with side shoots
No decaying leaves, even the P. helferi. Shrimps and a hundred of snails take care of every organic matter. Soil is never syphonned (trumpet snails help). Glass never cleaned in 5 months (light is put along the bottom side of tank to avoid algae on glass)
Canister never cleaned after near 5 months of immersion
Only feeding fish and shrimps daily, 20mn for the 50% weekly WC (just 3.9 gallons of water to use, no syphonning, so not too much work)
Temporary solution to avoid algae growth (BGA and black algae). Aquarium is exposed to intense daylight by 3 front door-windows. Algae tend to grow there over time giving a bad look. Sadely, I don't like to change its place. I didn't find time to put a decorative band I have prepared, but should do it in 2 weeks as I have holidays.
Also, the filter inlet broke and leaked a few days ago and I had to replace it with that ugly green tubing. I will replace the inlet with a new intake soon
Also, the filter inlet broke and leaked a few days ago and I had to replace it with that ugly green tubing. I will replace the inlet with a new intake soon
jonny_ftm;49207 said:
Hmm, pretty much like mine but my tank will get sunlight reflected by floor tiles indirectly and only some part of tank get that reflected light and also just for about half an hour or so at the morning between 07-08am. It that related to my BGA and BBA issues somehow? Interesting...
Aquarium can be exposed to daylight or sun, but you must account for it in the light period:
- turn on the lights during the daylight period
- cover the aquarium during the day period to turn on lights when you like.
- change aquarium position to avoid any daylight
If you don't account for daylight intensity, you'll have same issues as when you have very high light or very long light periods. Also, if you chose option 1, you have to adapt your CO2 and dosing accordingly
As for the substrate algae, I have no solution to this except covering the substrate or putting tank away from light. On the long turm, organic dust forms between substrate and glass ---> BGA and BBA
One solution is to siphone regularely there, but with organic substrate it is not possible
- turn on the lights during the daylight period
- cover the aquarium during the day period to turn on lights when you like.
- change aquarium position to avoid any daylight
If you don't account for daylight intensity, you'll have same issues as when you have very high light or very long light periods. Also, if you chose option 1, you have to adapt your CO2 and dosing accordingly
As for the substrate algae, I have no solution to this except covering the substrate or putting tank away from light. On the long turm, organic dust forms between substrate and glass ---> BGA and BBA
One solution is to siphone regularely there, but with organic substrate it is not possible
Another possible option would be to just turn off the lights during the times when the sunlight is bright or hits the tank. Saves $$$ too since you won't use electricity during that time. Admittedly at 11W or so we're not talking megasavings. Still, it may deal with the algae problem simply enough.
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The problem is in the cumulative light period if you do that. Say I like my tank having light from midday to 8pm at least (8h total period). My daylight is intense since 8am. If I keep tank exposed to daylight + my light period ---> 12h light period (8am to 12pm daylight + 12pm to 8pm PCL), not good for my needs in growth/CO2 use. If I still want my 8h period, I'll have to turn off lights at 4pm to have a total of 8h exposition. However, in summer here, daylight is intense till 8pm, so it won't work for me either.
Add to all this, changing artificial light period won't solve the issue of the exposition of organic substrate to daylight, which will cause algae on the substrate. No functional issues, but ugly to look at such a substaret visible layer. Usually, algae growing there are BBA as low CO2 is in substrate and they don't need much light at all to grow. In organic substrate I also noted BGA issues, which is a bigger problem as they tend to extend in water. Since I covered the substrate no more issues.
On my 60 gal, placed in a dark part, i don't have those issues.
Add to all this, changing artificial light period won't solve the issue of the exposition of organic substrate to daylight, which will cause algae on the substrate. No functional issues, but ugly to look at such a substaret visible layer. Usually, algae growing there are BBA as low CO2 is in substrate and they don't need much light at all to grow. In organic substrate I also noted BGA issues, which is a bigger problem as they tend to extend in water. Since I covered the substrate no more issues.
On my 60 gal, placed in a dark part, i don't have those issues.
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Hi,
Here's how it is going now, 7 months after immersion. High CO2, low light and low maintenance really. WC every week, 50% that takes 15mn total because of volume. No syphoning at all (low fish load, many shrimps an snails to do the work for me). Trimming every 4-6 weeks. Glass was never cleaned in 7 months, crystal clear !!!
Note: I changed my digital camera, so photos quality changed (Only retouching is white balance corrected in raw mode, resize and crop)
Before trimming
After trimming it:
Here's how it is going now, 7 months after immersion. High CO2, low light and low maintenance really. WC every week, 50% that takes 15mn total because of volume. No syphoning at all (low fish load, many shrimps an snails to do the work for me). Trimming every 4-6 weeks. Glass was never cleaned in 7 months, crystal clear !!!
Note: I changed my digital camera, so photos quality changed (Only retouching is white balance corrected in raw mode, resize and crop)
Before trimming
After trimming it:
hairgrass and that christmass moss (or some moss) really take the focus in the tank, super looking tank i want to be a shrimp in that tank
i want to be a shrimp in that tank anshuman;51707 said:hairgrass and that christmass moss (or some moss) really take the focus in the tank, super looking tank
Many thanks for your comments. The moss is Weeping moss. I found it slower growing and better sticking to wood than Christmass in my tank, so removed all the Christmass. Hair grass on the left is riccia carpet, on the right Glosso doing fine in extreme low light. I'll try to post closeups of Anubia leafs. No spots at all after 7 months of immersion. They were never trimmed
Before I move house, on 31 july, I trimmed the Eleocharis
CO2 reduced to 12 bpm from 48 bpm
WC to 10% from 60% /week
No more macro
TPN 1ml /week
After 3 weeks (Riccia was completely rescaped under a net and the growth you see is after 10 days):
Still enough pearling
Some anubia in the dark part you see under the moss (black zone in picture, so dark) melted: too low ligh with low CO2 as Tom suggested
CO2 reduced to 12 bpm from 48 bpm
WC to 10% from 60% /week
No more macro
TPN 1ml /week
After 3 weeks (Riccia was completely rescaped under a net and the growth you see is after 10 days):
Still enough pearling
Some anubia in the dark part you see under the moss (black zone in picture, so dark) melted: too low ligh with low CO2 as Tom suggested
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Yep, no more macro at all
But, I do monitor my NO3 and PO4 with a calibrated kit. Shrimps feeding is supposed to give the needed macro, but soil should provide the most of it in my case
Micro is really dosed in a very very smooth way: 1ml/week TPN only
10% WC also should help
The very low CO2 dosing seems to work greatly for now. Only the Rotala Wallichii didn't do it
The glosso seems to prefer this low CO2 / low macro setup, it is really doing fine. On the front right part, I removed the glosso (too much trimming and I will add some more C. Parvula to make it denser
Here's how it is growing:
But, I do monitor my NO3 and PO4 with a calibrated kit. Shrimps feeding is supposed to give the needed macro, but soil should provide the most of it in my case
Micro is really dosed in a very very smooth way: 1ml/week TPN only
10% WC also should help
The very low CO2 dosing seems to work greatly for now. Only the Rotala Wallichii didn't do it
The glosso seems to prefer this low CO2 / low macro setup, it is really doing fine. On the front right part, I removed the glosso (too much trimming and I will add some more C. Parvula to make it denser
Here's how it is growing: