After a month of secretly reading this forum (and still not finished with it), I've decided to introduce myself. I've been keeping tanks for a little over 2 years. Until 4 months ago I used to use the "Karma method" with the plants in my tanks. Some lived, some died. I was doing nothing for it besides pruning and replacing the decaying plants with new ones. They were just accessories for my fish to provide them with comfortable hiding spots and give the tank a pleasant aspect. Last October I decided to get down to it, the gardening season being over here in Holland. Inspired by a post on a Dutch forum from not to name him Hallen
, I decided to adopt the EI method. So here I am another novice in plant keeping to bear with who came to the source of that article to try and understand more about how she can make her plants thrive in her aquariums.
Here are the info's about installations at home:
1). Tank dimensions
Tank 1: 61 x 31 x 73 cm
Tank 2: 81X36X50
2). Substrate
Tank 1: It is divided into 2 zones: 1 with fine decorative gravel and the other with quartz sand. Both are not enriched.
Tank 2: Fine decorative gravel. It's not enriched besides clay balls by the roots of my echino's.
3). Lighting
Tank 1: Hagen Glo T5 with Dennerle Amazone daylight T5 1x24 W. I removed the second one recently (Dennerle T5 color plus) following the advice here. It's mounted on the aquarium panes.
Tank 2: Original Juwel light unit with 2 Dennerle T5 2x28w Amazone day + special plants
Both tanks are on a timer of 7 hours per day.
4). Filtration
Tank 1: I use 2 filters since a couple of weeks. The original Juwel filter with pomp capacity of 280l/h and an Eheim liberty hang-on filter with a pomp capacity of 200 l/h
Tank 2: I use 2 filters since one week. The original Juwel filter with pomp capacity of 600 l/h and an Eheim Professional 2224 with pomp capacity of 700l/h
I went for 2 filters to improve the water circulation and the diffusion of all that's added into the tanks (again something I've learnt here). I chose filters and not powerheads because for one tank I already had the extra pomp available and for the second I wanted an external pomp for a while and it allowed me to have a spare and also do the job regarding the extra flow.
5). Additional flow via powerheads or such
N.A.
6). Your plans for c02. How to diffuse, models, etc. What size pump to run what size reactor?
Right now I'm using a BIO CO2 set (sugar and gist). In tank 1 I diffuse it with a ceramic diffuser, in tank 2 I use a Dennerle CO2Topper diffuser. I also have a Dennerle Profi-Line CO2 Long-Term Test Correct to get an approximation of the CO2 level in tank 2.
7). Plants - what types and how many?
Tank 1: Hemianthus callitrichoides work in progress field, Eleocharis vivipara(6) spread out at the back of the tank, Vesicularia dubyana on kien wood, Limnophila sessiliflora(1)
Tank 2: Eleocharis acicularis(3) , Ludwigia repens , Echinodorus argentinensis (1), Echinodorus bleheri (2), Hedyotis salzmannii(3) , Heteranthera zosterfolia(2), Gymnocoronis spilanthoides(2), Limnophila sessiliflora(1)
8). Plumbing details - are there plans for an in-line heater or UV?
N.A.
9) Nutrients I use
Easylife profito/easy-carbo/Ferro, KNO3, KH2PO4, clay balls.
Goals:
1). Do you like fiddling/testing the tank? yes
2). Are you pressed for time? no
3). Do you want a fast growing, high tech setup? + 4). Do you want less maintenance, less growth?
I am interested into both. The only thing right now is that I do not have the cash to invest into a pressurized co2 system, so I have to cope with the bio co2. Still, I notice improvements on my Vivipara using this system so if not perfect, it is yet something. Moreover, I am undecisive if this is worth investing in such a system for my current tanks as I have in mind to acquire a much bigger one in the near future.
5). Are you interested in more of the science behind things, or are you more the layperson type? A bit of both, it's a gradual process. Most of the papers linked on this forum are yet overwhelming to me but while reading the threads you slowly pick up things.
About pictures of my tanks, I could post some but I did a radical pruning a week ago so I find them not really presentable as it is.
I am ahead thankful for all comments and critics.
Best regards,
Florence
, I decided to adopt the EI method. So here I am another novice in plant keeping to bear with who came to the source of that article to try and understand more about how she can make her plants thrive in her aquariums.Here are the info's about installations at home:
1). Tank dimensions
Tank 1: 61 x 31 x 73 cm
Tank 2: 81X36X50
2). Substrate
Tank 1: It is divided into 2 zones: 1 with fine decorative gravel and the other with quartz sand. Both are not enriched.
Tank 2: Fine decorative gravel. It's not enriched besides clay balls by the roots of my echino's.
3). Lighting
Tank 1: Hagen Glo T5 with Dennerle Amazone daylight T5 1x24 W. I removed the second one recently (Dennerle T5 color plus) following the advice here. It's mounted on the aquarium panes.
Tank 2: Original Juwel light unit with 2 Dennerle T5 2x28w Amazone day + special plants
Both tanks are on a timer of 7 hours per day.
4). Filtration
Tank 1: I use 2 filters since a couple of weeks. The original Juwel filter with pomp capacity of 280l/h and an Eheim liberty hang-on filter with a pomp capacity of 200 l/h
Tank 2: I use 2 filters since one week. The original Juwel filter with pomp capacity of 600 l/h and an Eheim Professional 2224 with pomp capacity of 700l/h
I went for 2 filters to improve the water circulation and the diffusion of all that's added into the tanks (again something I've learnt here). I chose filters and not powerheads because for one tank I already had the extra pomp available and for the second I wanted an external pomp for a while and it allowed me to have a spare and also do the job regarding the extra flow.
5). Additional flow via powerheads or such
N.A.
6). Your plans for c02. How to diffuse, models, etc. What size pump to run what size reactor?
Right now I'm using a BIO CO2 set (sugar and gist). In tank 1 I diffuse it with a ceramic diffuser, in tank 2 I use a Dennerle CO2Topper diffuser. I also have a Dennerle Profi-Line CO2 Long-Term Test Correct to get an approximation of the CO2 level in tank 2.
7). Plants - what types and how many?
Tank 1: Hemianthus callitrichoides work in progress field, Eleocharis vivipara(6) spread out at the back of the tank, Vesicularia dubyana on kien wood, Limnophila sessiliflora(1)
Tank 2: Eleocharis acicularis(3) , Ludwigia repens , Echinodorus argentinensis (1), Echinodorus bleheri (2), Hedyotis salzmannii(3) , Heteranthera zosterfolia(2), Gymnocoronis spilanthoides(2), Limnophila sessiliflora(1)
8). Plumbing details - are there plans for an in-line heater or UV?
N.A.
9) Nutrients I use
Easylife profito/easy-carbo/Ferro, KNO3, KH2PO4, clay balls.
Goals:
1). Do you like fiddling/testing the tank? yes
2). Are you pressed for time? no
3). Do you want a fast growing, high tech setup? + 4). Do you want less maintenance, less growth?
I am interested into both. The only thing right now is that I do not have the cash to invest into a pressurized co2 system, so I have to cope with the bio co2. Still, I notice improvements on my Vivipara using this system so if not perfect, it is yet something. Moreover, I am undecisive if this is worth investing in such a system for my current tanks as I have in mind to acquire a much bigger one in the near future.
5). Are you interested in more of the science behind things, or are you more the layperson type? A bit of both, it's a gradual process. Most of the papers linked on this forum are yet overwhelming to me but while reading the threads you slowly pick up things.
About pictures of my tanks, I could post some but I did a radical pruning a week ago so I find them not really presentable as it is.
I am ahead thankful for all comments and critics.
Best regards,
Florence