# Journal of my first Aquarium



## cammywf (Jan 9, 2015)

This is my first planted aquarium, and I will try to update every week. Hope every thing is done correctly. Never thought there are so much to learn to have an aquarium.:lol: Based on my google research, it will take about 2 months, so this will be a big test for my patience.

Tank Size: 20 gallon Long
Substrate: Tropica Aquarium Soil
Temperature: 20 degree (room temperature)
Lighting: finnex fugeRay Planted+ 30 inch (12 hours a day with a timer)

Plant: Eleocharis acicularis mini (I want to have a nice hairgrass carpet without lots of trimming)

Routines : open the cling wrap every other day to allow air exchange, spray water every 2 days to keep humidity.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day 1 - Week 0

- Pour the soild in
- Layout the Rocks
- Spray the soil with Dechlorinates Tap Water
- Split the hairgrass into small chunks (This step is so time consuming . took me about 1 hour to split 3 pots)
- Planting with tweezer
- Spray the plants and soil again
- Covered with Cling Wrap










Questions at this moment, hope someone can help me.

- I am wondering if I need to add some liquid fertilizer into the spray water. I have some seachem flourish.
- Not sure if 20 degree is bit low.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Week 1

Ok, it's been a week now. Everything looks very quiet, and I see no difference from Day 1. A little bit brown shown up here and there. I stopped spraying because of the humidity seems enough. So far no signs of algae.


----------



## eternity302 (Apr 22, 2010)

I've done plenty of emmersed growth~ and this is just my 2 cents~
12 hours a day will cause unwanted algae~ With the way your plants are split in areas, and being hairgrass as one of the slowest growers for emmersed growth. The algae will take over before the hairgrass even reaches the open areas.
Hair grass is actually quite a fast grower in a tank, but not when it's emmersed (at least from my experience many times)
Spraying water every other day seem excessive. If you trap the vapor with a glass canopy or plastic wrap, you shouldn't need to moisture twice a day. With the amount of moisture and light, you'll cause algae.
I've grow over 50 different plants emmersed, no I don't consider myself as an expert. But I have tons of trials and errors before. But some plants just don't work as well emmersed.

Again, this is just my personal experience. Lets hope no one flames on me LOL!


----------



## cammywf (Jan 9, 2015)

eternity302 said:


> I've done plenty of emmersed growth~ and this is just my 2 cents~
> 12 hours a day will cause unwanted algae~ With the way your plants are split in areas, and being hairgrass as one of the slowest growers for emmersed growth. The algae will take over before the hairgrass even reaches the open areas.
> Hair grass is actually quite a fast grower in a tank, but not when it's emmersed (at least from my experience many times)
> Spraying water every other day seem excessive. If you trap the vapor with a glass canopy or plastic wrap, you shouldn't need to moisture twice a day. With the amount of moisture and light, you'll cause algae.
> ...


Thank you for the advice about the spray, this makes sense to me. I will spray when it's needed.

As to the growth rate, I always heard growing emmersed is much faster, but since this is my first tank. No experience at all.:lol: I will give it some time until I finally lose my patience to flood it.


----------



## eternity302 (Apr 22, 2010)

If it's your first to planted. And you want a easy carpet plant.
Try emmersed glossostigma elatinoides. They are much faster growth, and they are much easier for you to care for.

One thing when growing emmersed. Just try to put as much moisture as required. Algae blooms when it's too wet, too warm, and too much light. 
Try to mist it when needed. I use to only mist once a week or once every two weeks.

Anyhow, I'm sure others have their input =) and good luck~


----------



## cammywf (Jan 9, 2015)

eternity302 said:


> If it's your first to planted. And you want a easy carpet plant.
> Try emmersed glossostigma elatinoides. They are much faster growth, and they are much easier for you to care for.
> 
> One thing when growing emmersed. Just try to put as much moisture as required. Algae blooms when it's too wet, too warm, and too much light.
> ...


 It's too late to change plants now. I will just let it go. Thank you again.


----------



## eternity302 (Apr 22, 2010)

=) Nothing to frown about!
It's all part of learning!
Besides, I didn't saying you're doing it wrong~ I just said it'll be really really really slow, and algae may take over if you have too much water in it~

If you do see algae, Swap the soil a little. So cover the soil that you see algae with, with the soil that doesn't have algae. Without light, they can't really grow =)
And maybe shorten the hours. Yes, growth will take longer, but you also lower your risk on Algae~ =) I'll post you a pic or two when I get home. Hopefully it helps you out~


----------



## eternity302 (Apr 22, 2010)

Here it is~
Now good luck with everything.

Patience is the key =)


----------



## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

Eternity is right. The shorter plants like Glosso and HC will grow faster emersed while the DHG and S. repens and such have about the same rate as immersed. But in your case, you have all the time in the world so it doesn't matter, since you're willing to be patient. Looking good.


----------



## cammywf (Jan 9, 2015)

Thanks for the advice. Eternity's pic looks awesome.  Hope I will have a carpet like that.


----------



## cammywf (Jan 9, 2015)

*Week 2*

Week 2
-------------------------------------------------------------
I can see some growth now. No algae so far.


----------



## cammywf (Jan 9, 2015)

Week 3 (Day 21)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
In this week, I have experienced some white web fungus on few spots. After stopping spraying the water and leave the wrap open for 2 days, everything was back to normal, and the grass is starting to show some noticeable growth.  eternity302 was right, high humidity will lead to algea, which in my case fungus.


----------



## cammywf (Jan 9, 2015)

*My first Aquarium 20 Gal Long*

oops, wrong reply.


----------



## shaobo (Apr 21, 2010)

Duplicated Thread merged!!


----------



## cammywf (Jan 9, 2015)

Week 4 (Day 28)

Things are doing well this week, and I can see some runners here and there. The annoying white web fungus came back again, I think the humidity is still too high, so I decide to leave the tank 1/3 open to allow more fresh air. Hope I am doing the right thing. Instead of spraying every two days, I now only deeply water once a week. I got this idea from how people water their backyard lawn. They water deeply 2-3 times per week, rather than daily. This will help roots go deep.


----------



## cammywf (Jan 9, 2015)

How do I delete the old one?


----------



## Hammer (Apr 22, 2010)

Very interesting to see it from scratch.


----------



## cammywf (Jan 9, 2015)

Week 5

While I still have the patience, but seems my son cannot wait any longer. I decided to flood the tank this week. Everything looks not bad, not much cloudy happened, and the mini hairgrass looks fine with diy co2 system.


----------



## cammywf (Jan 9, 2015)

Week 6

After bombing the co2 for 7 days, the mini hairgrass are doing very well. 










Runners are everywhere.


----------



## Bobsidd (Dec 28, 2012)

That's really taking off. Great job.


----------



## cammywf (Jan 9, 2015)

Week 7
--------------------------------------------------

The mini dwarf hairgrass is still strong, and the water is tested and seems it's ready for the fish. 3 zebra danios on Monday to try the water, and then 10 neon tetras on Tuesday and Sunday. So far so good. More neons will be added next week, and I am planning to have 15 of them. Also add a new plant, but I only know it's from bacopa family. Hope someone can tell me what is it.










This is the plant I don't know the name.


----------



## UnderseaGal (Mar 4, 2014)

Looking great so far! Love the layout.
You are about one million times more patient than I am. haha


----------



## cammywf (Jan 9, 2015)

UnderseaGal said:


> Looking great so far! Love the layout.
> You are about one million times more patient than I am. haha


:bigsmile:

My patience is not enough, the plan was to dsm for 8 weeks, but I flooded it on Week 5.


----------



## Newt (Jan 28, 2015)

The plant that you were asking about looks like a moneywort.


----------



## cammywf (Jan 9, 2015)

Newt said:


> The plant that you were asking about looks like a moneywort.


Thanks. It does look like moneywort.:lol:


----------



## cammywf (Jan 9, 2015)

Week 8
-----------------------------------------------

5 More Neons and 3 otos were added this week. Algae starts to show up everywhere, and I am planning to get more plants to fight with them.










For some unknown reason, my new plant grow in a very strange angle. Hope someone can give me the answer.  I do have a aquaclear 20 on the top the plant, but it's been adjusted to minimum and I don't see any strong flow because the plant stays still.


----------



## cammywf (Jan 9, 2015)

Week 9
-----------------------------------------------

Add 5 Ember Tetras this week. Beautiful orange color.  The plants are doing very well now, and I have to trim some and replant. The only thing I don't understand is why it looks so different from the day I got them.

Also I got lots of shrimps and lots of floating plants from a super nice guy in Abbotsford. It took me 40 mins to get there, but worth the trip. Thank you Jeff.










The plant is transforming. Was thinking it's moneywort, now I start to doubt it. Hope someone can tell me what it is.


----------



## jagermelifter (Feb 12, 2015)

that looks 2 totally diff plants from begining to now lol


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Bobsidd (Dec 28, 2012)

Looks like rotala nanjenshan. Not an expert, but that's my best guess. 

The difference in the plant from day one is probably because it was grown emersed and is now growing submerged. Where did you get the plant from?


----------



## cammywf (Jan 9, 2015)

Bobsidd said:


> Looks like rotala nanjenshan. Not an expert, but that's my best guess.
> 
> The difference in the plant from day one is probably because it was grown emersed and is now growing submerged. Where did you get the plant from?


I got it from Roger's Aquatic & Pet Supplies, and I went to store again yesterday and found the plant name. It's Bacopa Myciophylloides.


----------



## cammywf (Jan 9, 2015)

Week 10
-------------------------------------------
Not much to say about this week, everything is doing just fine.









Water lettuce flower









One shrimp is carrying some eggs.









I found something very interesting. The Bacopa Myciophylloides shows different styles during day and night. The leaves will fold at night and open up in the morning. Like an umbrella. :lol:


----------



## cammywf (Jan 9, 2015)

Week 11
-------------------------------------------

Everything is stable now. Neons and Embers are getting bigger and fat.  Shrimps are doing better too. They start to come out more often. Plants are thriving and grow like crazy, and I am thinking to do a big trim for a better lawn.


----------



## JTang (Apr 21, 2010)

Wow looks great!


----------



## cammywf (Jan 9, 2015)

Week 12
------------------------------------
Bad news this week. white dots appeared on few of my fishes. Ich is here. As a newbie, I have 0 experience in fish diseases. After lots of google search, I raised the temperature to 27 (this is the max I can get with my 100W heater.) and ordered Ich-Attack. wish myself good luck. 

The cause of this ich might be the Water lettuce I got 2 weeks ago, and lesson learned.


----------



## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

Gorgeous tank, cammywf. How are you doing with the ich?


----------



## cammywf (Jan 9, 2015)

Morainy said:


> Gorgeous tank, cammywf. How are you doing with the ich?


Thanks.

After keeping the temperature to 28 for 3 weeks and with the help of "Kordon Ich-Attack". No more ich now, but I lost 2 neons. 

Few guppies and endlers were added, so many fries now.  I trimmed drawf hairgrass mini for the first time. What a mess!!!


----------



## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

A gorgeous garden.


----------

