# The Start of Reck's Journey into Planted Tanks: Aug 2012 - Aug 2014



## Reckon

Or is it more like an addiction?
I picked up my interest in aquariums from my father who kept koi for as long as I remember. 
He could never plant it though because they kept tearing up whatever he put in there. 
So, when he gave me a 20gal 2 years ago I promsied myself to set up a planted tank that I've always wanted.
Unfortunately, the tank stayed pretty bare for a while as I had other things on my plate.









Yes, I know the blue gravel is awful.

2.5 weeks ago I went to the local pet store to buy an algea eater (flying fox). My wife convinced me to buy one that was on his own in a completely bare tank. I thought to myself though that my tank wasn't that much better. I guess it's time to give in to the addiction!

First thing I did: bought some plants (thanks Ben Liem and Kim). But then they won't do so great without a better light. Dang, I gotta buy a light (thanks Charles from Canadian Aquatics). 
1 week later: shoot light is not enough, still some browning. Bought some ferts, started dosing Flourish and Excel.
1.5 weeks later: ok, plants are doing a bit better, fish seem to be happy. I think I want to see if I can decor the tank a bit. Went and found some wood and rocks from a nearby river.










2.5 weeks later: bah, I need to get better substrate (can't stand the blue gravel anyways), time for a full on reno. Picked up a 10gal (thanks gneufeld) so the fish can have a place to stay while I tear up their old home. I've always wanted shrimp anyways. Started my first dose of potassium since a few leaves on long plant in the back left kept yellowing. I also added a root tab underneath it.










Also bought a used Rena Xp2 on the same day as picking up the tank.

Next on my mind is the substrate. I started a thread in the plants/fert/algae section: http://www.bcaquaria.com/forum/plants-algae-ferts-ei-co2-lighting-13/florabase-vs-florite-vs-amazonia-aqua-30923/#post249939
I am seriously considering the DIY route. It is much cheaper and really more than anything else I'm curious on seeing for myself how successful it can be. I just have to keep an eye on the water conditions and fish while they're in there. 
Also there's co2.... argh the addiction.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated! I really like the plant in the back left but I just isn't holding up in the tank.


----------



## jbyoung00008

Id say its more like an addiction. Except most addictions are bad. Fish keeping is pure joy. WELCOME TO THE CLUB!!!! Sounds like you are on track to having a nice fish tank. Just remeber it takes time.

Im not sure what the plant is in the back. If its a Vallisneria some people do have a hard time keeping them. If the leaves are stiff than it might not be a true water plant. Meaning it might not like beeing fuly submerged underwater. I have seen similiar looking plants that were not true water plants. They are more like a grass. Just a thought. I could be wrong.


----------



## Reckon

Got the 10 gal up and running. The substrate is Florabase and playground sand. At first I started to regret putting in the sand instead of gravel, it moved around a lot when I was putting water into the tank and some got sucked up when I did a 50% water change to clear some of the initial murk. It seemed like it was messy, but when the light turned on and the murk cleared I was happy that I have sand in 1 of the 2 tanks. I just wish it was a bit lighter/whiter.










I really didn't like the light from the two 25watt tubular lights. There was lots of wattage but still seemed dim. I switched for 2 Phillips CFL 6500k bulbs instead. I hope its not so much that algae will grow, each bulb uses 9 watts but it says on the box they are rated at 40 watts each.










I wish I had been a bit more creative with how the substrate went in. Ah well, next time.
1 week of cycling then I'll put some fish in. See how they do before putting in the ones from the 20gal.


----------



## vdub

Why did you decide to use playground sand when you already have florabase?


----------



## Reckon

didnt really like the look of the florabase, plus i only had 2/3 of a bag (bought from another bca member) so I had to add something else to make sure the whole bottom is covered


----------



## MEDHBSI

Definitely a pretty serious addiction haha I think there should have a fish keepers anonymous like AA. I started out with a 20g about 4 years ago and it got me so hooked  I really like what you did with that stump on the right.


----------



## Ebonbolt

And so another person falls victim to Multiple Tank Syndrome, not that it's a bad thing of course


----------



## Reckon

So I have a 22gal long set up and I started planting this evening. I'm currently waiting on some plants specifically for this tank, but I thought I'd just practice with the trimmings from my other tank. I was getting a little too impatient since this tank has been sitting in the corner for the last 2 weeks as I gradually accumulated the gear to get it going.

Here's what I have so far for a concept. Only dry planting pics due to a major issue when I started filling the tank with water... Floating wood! I'm gonna have to find some rocks to solve my problem in the next few days.


----------



## rich16

What a great centerpeice that wood makes...can't wait to see the finished product. I know what you mean about the impatient part. I can't stand to have empty tanks around...gotta fill them with something!


----------



## effox

Love to look. Welcome to BCA dude.


----------



## Reckon

*22gal week 2: Just planted*

Moved a bunch of stuff around, found some great rocks to keep the wood down. Tied some taiwan moss to the wood. Bought and planted 3 Aquaflora plants from Canadian Aquatics: 
Eusteralis stellata
Nesaea Crassicaulis
Hemianthus callitrichoides 'Cuba'

Everything looks nice and green now, but I'm hoping to see a lot more pink in the future. Still hoping to find 2-3 more plants. 
The far left looks messy I know; they're really just there until I find a home for them.










Any advice/feedback let me know please 

p.s. the fry that was hanging around (I posted in the breeding section) disappeared


----------



## macframalama

its looking great man... beautiful looking set up


----------



## Reckon

*22gal week 5: growth happening*

Update on 22gal:










Switched the Fluval 204 (to be on sale soon) for an Eheim 2236 to get flow along the whole tank.

pH controller with 10lb co2 tank

Finally got an atomiser and I'm now seeing better co2 at the far left and my drop checker is changing color, not to mention the pH itself is actually swinging downwards now.

Dosing NPK + Micro this way: https://www.sites.google.com/site/aquaticplantfertilizer/home/pps-pro
I might try EI later.

Lots of plant updates, currently:
Eusteralis stellata/ Pogostemon stellatus
Nesaea Crassicaulis
Hemianthus callitrichoides 'Cuba'
Bacopa Caroliniana
Taiwan Moss
Limnophila aromatica
Pogostemon erectus
Pogostemon helferi - Downoi 
Ranunculus inundatas 
Staurogyne repens
Ludwigia inclinata var verticillata "cuba"
Ludwigia inclinata var verticillata "pantanal"
Riccia fluitans
Rotala wallichi 
Rotala macranda 
Ammania gracilis
Hygrophilia Polysperma
Echinodorus tenellus

I was hoping for a Red tank theme but so far I'm not seeing as much red as I hoped for. I know I'll need to nurse these guys for a couple months more to see them color up properly.
Pogostemon stellatus, Nesaea Crassicaulis, Hygrophilia Polysperma are all super healthy and starting to take over my tank. I've never bought aquaflora plants before but I am very happy with their products.
Some of these plants are for sale here: http://www.bcaquaria.com/forum/freshwater-plants-classifieds-26/fs-stem-plants-10-pogostemon-stellatus-nesaea-crassicaulis-hygrophilia-polysperma-32444/

Fauna: 
6 Dwarf Neon Rainbows
6 Gertrudae Rainbows
and a Crosso Reticulatus

I'm hoping to find a FW Gobi and maybe 4 more Dwarf Neon Rainbows for the tank, maybe Celestial Pearl Danios...

Special thanks to CRS Fan, Algae Beater, macframalama (for your encouragement), Blurry, and Pat and Charles from Canadian Aquatics, and Rastapus from IPU to help me get to this point.

My only concerns are that I'm still fighting algae and my HC isn't looking as green as I'd like. Any ideas on how to deal with this?
Also, I think I need more depth... Sheesh, maybe another upgrade is in order...


----------



## Momobobo

Filled in very nicely! Love it


----------



## SeaHorse_Fanatic

Wow, your tank is looking wonderful & healthy. Plants are so vibrant. Great job.


----------



## blurry

Wow your tank is turning out really nice! Where did you find your atomizer?


----------



## sunshine_1965

Would love to see a current pic of your tanks. Sounds like you are really addicted to this great hobby. It can be quite expensive at times but well worth it.


----------



## bcorchidguy

Looking really good, if you need chemicals for fert dosing let me know, I can't give you a lot but I can give you some or I can make you up the bottles if you want to try EI dosing. Bring over 5 empty 500ml bottles that have been cleaned and we can make up some stuff dude, and honest the cops are satisfied the chemicals are really just for aquarium fertilizer.

Douglas


----------



## Reckon

bcorchidguy said:


> Looking really good, if you need chemicals for fert dosing let me know, I can't give you a lot but I can give you some or I can make you up the bottles if you want to try EI dosing. Bring over 5 empty 500ml bottles that have been cleaned and we can make up some stuff dude, and honest the cops are satisfied the chemicals are really just for aquarium fertilizer.
> 
> Douglas


Thanks Douglas, I've got the ferts in dry form. I've been trying PPS-Pro but I don't think the tanks are getting enough macro/micro. I'm going to try upping the amounts and then possibly go to EI to save time/effort/thinking.
I'd like to meet up with you sometime anyways though, I think I've got lots to learn from you.


----------



## Reckon

*10gal @ 6 weeks*



sunshine_1965 said:


> Would love to see a current pic of your tanks. Sounds like you are really addicted to this great hobby. It can be quite expensive at times but well worth it.


As per your request here's the 10gal. I'm not going to do much except possibly to take away more stuff to keep it looking simpler and more like a river bed. I'm really regretting not putting a nylon sheet covering the florabase as it tends to come through the sand while I plant or clean. Or I can hope that the dwarf hairgrass propagates better... Ah well, it is my first "scape."










Current Flora:
Anubia Nana/Barteri
Hygrophila Polysperma
Hygrophilia Difformis - "Water Wisteria"
Cryptocorne parva
Marimo moss ball
Eleocharis Parvula
Dwarf red tiger lotus (in the back growing slowly but healthy)
Taiwan Moss
Christmas Moss
Frogbit

Fauna:
Cherry Shrimp
Rummynose
Assassin Snails

Low tech tank, just some ferting in hopes to keep the hairgrass growing.

The 20 gal is a mess, pretty much a plant nursery while I think of and prep a scape for it. Also, I switched over to an LED which I don't think is getting the tank enough light. I'm going to need something with more "oomph" soon. If someone has a 2 bulb 24" t5ho for sale let me know. I'll put it up pics when I start my scape.


----------



## Reckon

*20gal update*

Over the last 3 weeks I've been learning lots about water column dosing. It has especially been a struggle in the newer 22gal since I posted my last pic. I switched filters and got a diatom bloom so I cut back the lighting which led to the plants melting and a spike in ammonia, nitrates, etc. So I cut the dosing and co2 as well. Which led to even more stunting, and melting. I tried to slowly bring nutrient levels back with dry dosing po4 and no3, but saw deformities in new growth. Tried Ca and didn't see much change. Saw pinholes in my hygro and then realized, ah ha, K deficiency. Anywho. I think everything is back on track. I tweaked the dosing regime and the lights are back on as well as the co2. I'll update the 22gal in a couple weeks when things look a bit better.

In the meantime while the 22gal recovers I cleaned out the plant nursery that was the 20gal and practiced a bit of scaping. Here's the result:










Flora: 
Blyxa japonica 
Staurogyne stolonifera 
Anubia nana
Lobelia ardinalis
Hygrophila angustifolia
Rotala colorata
Ludwigia brevipes
Rotala sp. green
Rotala rotundifolia
Cryptocorne (haven't id the species yet)
Unknown grassy plant

Fauna: 
Bolivian rams
Opaline Gourami
SAE
Crosso

Some plants lost their red color because I tried LED lighting. I'm committed to T5HO for now...

Special thanks to: gouedi, Bien, and Algae Beater for helping me with this tank up to this point.

Let me know what you think.


----------



## Reckon

Also, does anybody know of a moss that isn't christmas or taiwan doesn't go all over the place? I had weeping moss before and it just ends up everywhere.


----------



## covertune

That looks lovely! And kudos on your patience with the 22g.. going through all of that likely would have made me cry, lol.


----------



## Lady_Bobo

And thats how it starts....
:bigsmile:
Your tanks Looks really ~really great! 
also giving me food for though !


----------



## Reckon

Thank you so much. There's so much to learn. And so much to do  Something about planted tanks that really gets me engaged; frustrated on a week-to-week basis since plants sometimes do not respond to ferts/light/co2 the way I read they should but nevertheless I always look forward to seeing my "moving paintings."


----------



## IceBlue

Very nice work Reckon and good photography. The Bolivian Rams look great with your plants. Does the gourami bother the Rams at all?


----------



## Reckon

*22gal week 8: Very frustrating*

The last few weeks with this tank has been very frustrating and since I visited Aquariums West and saw how some of the same plants I have are doing MUCH better there I am really at the end of my rope with how things have progressed thus far.

With exception of some new growth deformities the stem plants, riccia, and moss have done fairly well; I've even been able to nurse 2-3 perfect stems of Ludwigia inclinata var verticillata "cuba" and Limnophila Aromatica from small trimmings. However, foreground plants such as Staurogyne repens, Hydrocotyle verticillata, and Ranunculus inundatas stunt and chunks of HC seem to melt while other chunks do ok. Rotala macrandra staying fairly green. Furthermore, I found that 2-3 stems of Nesaea Crassicaulis seem to turn black and melt away 2/3 down so the top floats and the root is left. Eventually, even the root melts away. I'm now wondering how is my light. But I bought the fixture new about 3 months ago. Should I replace the bulbs anyways?

On the positive side I've tweaked the ferts to draw out some red from the pogostemon stellatus.

Here are the specs of the tank parameters

Filtration: Eheim ECCO 2236
Temp: 78 deg F
Lighting: 36" Odyessea three 39watt T5HO bulbs
Photoperiod: 8 hours total; 7.5 hours with 2 bulbs; 0.5 hour with 1 bulb.
CO2: 2 bubbles per second using atomizer

EI dosing: 3x/week macro/micro
7.0ppm KNO3; 
5ppm KH2PO4; 
3ppm K2SO4; 
0.5ppm MgSO4; 
0.7ppm Plantex CSM+B; 
0.15ppm Fe; 
0.3ppm CaCl
Low on Ca and Mg because I'm using Equilibrium

Ph: 6.2 day; 7.2 night
Kh/Gh: 4/6

Tank as a whole









Leaves not looking great, some deformity









Rotala wallichi stunting, some needles fallen off









Melting Staurogyne repens









Patchy and melting HC









Brown Hydrocotyle verticillata









Pogostemon erectus melt, stunt, now starting to grow









Pogostemon Stellatus turning copperish/red only since the last 3 days









Riccia stone, you can also see the perfect Ludwigia Inclinata "cuba" and a downoi plant that might need trimming?









As much feedback/advice/help as possible will be great. If there's a plant expert who will happen to travel through MR I'd love a visit.

Thanks!


----------



## Smallermouse

how come the plants stunt and melt?


----------



## Reckon

That's what I've been hoping to get help on. I haven't heard much advice so I'm going through the process of increasing each nutrient week by week. So far I know it's not a phosphate or co2 deficiency.


----------



## Reckon

*22gal: Week 18 New Growth*

Here's the 22gal after a trim. Some recovery over the last few months. Moved the wood around so I get more usable surface where I can put plants that will get light. Most of the GSA is gone now.

Reset my dosing. Increased CO2. Modified light period. Plants for the most part have stopped melting though some still stunt, then get back to normal then stunt again, especially the L. Aromatica, R. Wallichi, and P. Erectus. Not sure what's going on there. The R. Macrandra stays small but some new growth is getting bigger.

New Fauna: 
6 Rummynose
4 Otos

Special thanks to for the last few weeks of support from: Bien Lim, April, Jbyoung


----------



## Fish rookie

Are you still using 2 bulbs for over 7 hours a day?

Do you have some powerhead to creat enough circulation?


----------



## Reckon

Good questions. The 2 bulbs is on for 5 hours now, the other 3 hours is only 1 bulb. I tried going back to 1 bulb for the whole 8 hours but I saw that some plants didn't do well with less than 2 watt/gal. I needed to add a burst time of higher light. Since I read from a Tom Barr post somewhere that plants don't respond to photo periods less than 4 hours I decided on 5 hours of higher light for the plants that need it. 

I have an eheim 2236 for the tank. Waaay more filtration and flow than what it needs hence I don't have a power head in the tank.


----------



## Fish rookie

i see. When i was using this light when I used too much light I got something similiar to yours (deformed, melting...etc) so I decided to have a midday burst of 3 tubes but using 1 in the morning and then 2 in the afternoon, which kind of worked like the way light would be in nature. After I did that and changed my flow pattern to increase flow and increase my water change my plants grew much better. Just thought I would share that.


----------



## Reckon

Thanks! I appreciate your input a lot. Yes, I think it was a CO2 issue that caused my plants to deform. My drop checker was running yellow and my fish started to gasp but with 2 bulbs at 7 hours, even with increasing CO2 the plants still stunted. It wasn't until I decreased the lighting that the plants started to do better. I believe the sweet spot for lighting with these rainbows is somewhere between 2.5 to 3 watts/gallon. I notice that Tom keeps his lighting around that area too.
The problem is that with 1 bulb on the 22gal I get less than 2 watts/gal and the R. Macrandra and R. Wallichi really don't like that. Even HC is a bit fussy with at that light intensity. However, at 2 bulbs it is at 3.5 watt/gallon and I can't get the CO2 to keep up without stressing the fish. 
I'm certain there is a lot of flow the Eheim 2236 is rated for 80 gal, so I'm at least doubling the flow. I know people who use the same filter for 50 gal tanks. 
I'm looking forward to upgrading this tank to a 33 or 50 gal so I can get closer to that 2.5watt/gal, either with 2 bulbs or 3 bulbs respectively. Either that or switch to low light plants.


----------



## Fish rookie

I am not sure, have you emailed Tom and ask him?
Perosnally I think the light from this light fixture is more than enough speaking from personal experience but I do admit it is a challenge to seek a balance especially when you have so many different plants (what works for one may be too much or too little for the other...).
When I first started things were always going wrong here or there but once they got into a routine they became more managable. My problem was, and still is, wanting to see great growth overnight. With the new ADA tank that I am working on now I have decided to just give it some time and not try something too drastic (not too much light or too much Co2) and see. Having some discus keeps me away from fussing around the plants too much so I am not always trying to change this or that. I think my plants sometimes appreciate some privacy. I find that water change also really helps. I am not sure but when I was doing more frequent water change than just 50% a week I had less problems with algae or leaves melting and my plants were growing better. At least I think they were.
Anyway, may be you can get a few discus, too. It is a lot of fun and will certainly keep you busy.;D


----------



## CRS Fan

Reckon said:


> I'm certain there is a lot of flow the Eheim 2236 is rated for 80 gal, so I'm at least doubling the flow....


I've got a Eheim 2217 on my 22L. You can NEVER have too much flow. Can you? LOL

Best Regards,

Stuart


----------



## Reckon

Finally seeing the N. Crassicaulis growing some normal leaves instead of the stunted and deformed ones but boy did I have to open the tap for CO2. They're exhibiting a nice transition from light green, orange, and pink colors in their leaves.
As I promised Trout in his journal here are pics of mine:


----------



## Fish rookie

Cool. Good to hear that.
I had this plant in my Co2 tank before and the leaves were not pink and the growth was very moderate. I got a bit annonyed so just put it in my daughter's low tech tank with pool filter sand substrate with 2 dollar store bulbs and now it is growing pinkish leaves. It actually looks much better than before. Very strange isn't it? It makes me wonder may be red plants do not turn red because of high light? Seems to me slower growth rate suits them better, at least in my case it is.


----------



## Reckon

Fish rookie said:


> put it in my daughter's low tech tank with pool filter sand substrate with 2 dollar store bulbs and now it is growing pinkish leaves. It actually looks much better than before. Very strange isn't it? It makes me wonder may be red plants do not turn red because of high light? Seems to me slower growth rate suits them better, at least in my case it is.


Trout seems to notice the same thing. I wonder if its stressed or the opposite, showing red.


----------



## jobber

I heard that dosing a bit of iron will make plants even more red. higher intensity lighting forces the plant to grow faster so if there's not enough iron then it'll lack the redness.btw. 

nice looking plants.


----------



## crimper

Looking good Reckon. Jack up gradually your KNO3 and KH2PO4 to 4:1 ratio and see what happens.

What's your dosing regimen by the way?

I always follow this rule: increase [Light] = increase [C02+Ferts+Trace]


----------



## Reckon

crimper said:


> Looking good Reckon. Jack up gradually your KNO3 and KH2PO4 to 4:1 ratio and see what happens.
> 
> What's your dosing regimen by the way?
> 
> I always follow this rule: increase [Light] = increase [C02+Ferts+Trace]


Thanks Crimper. It is coming along. Originally thought, more light = better; learnt my lesson after seeing the resulting mess and reading lots of Tom Barr's posts about managing light-co2-ferts.

Was originally dosing this:
7.0ppm KNO3; 
5ppm KH2PO4; 
3ppm K2SO4;

Now dosing this:
9.5ppm KNO3;
2ppm KH2PO4
8ppm K2SO4;

I'm not seeing very much nutrient uptake still so I might try to drop the nitrate dosing a bit for the next solution I make.


----------



## crimper

jobber said:


> higher intensity lighting forces the plant to grow faster so if there's not enough iron then it'll lack the redness.btw.
> 
> nice looking plants.


I disagree with that theory, this is what I have found out... when you increase light intensity/photo period plants need more CO2, more Fertz more Trace. If you increase light alone without adjusting the other variables the result is ALGAE and stunted plants.


----------



## Reckon

I think Ming would agree with you, he's simply referring to redness. I know iron = redness, without iron you have less growth (essential for nutrient transporation); I believe then there's less reddness since chlorphyll development will catch up with growth.


----------



## Reckon

*22gal week 26: learning paying off*

After the disaster of having my tank misdosed by my dad and left to get waaay too overgrown during my trip to Mexico, I was able to nurse it to a decent condition. Still some stunting. You can tell by looking at the P. Stellata. Though they were awful when I got back in town.

I've tweaked the dosing again. I was thinking about what I learned from Tim from aquaflora regarding the importance of the NO3 - PO4 ratio. With the types of fish in the tank, I just can't push enough CO2 to keep up with the PO4 demands. I switched from dosing 5:1 to now 9:1. The macrandra, wallichi, and pogostemon erectus are getting bushier so I think I'm on the right track.

Added some new plants:
Alternanthera reineckii ''roseafolia''
Lindernia rotundifolia 'variegated'
Myriophyllum sp. 'red stem'
Hydrophila pinnatifida
Cabomba piauhyensis
Ludwigia Inclinata (wow, will not adapt to less than perfect dosing conditions, within a couple days of adding them to my tank the leaves all turned nice autumn colors, then unfortunately like autumn they are all falling off.)

New fish:
Pseudomugil Signifer

Special thanks to : Airbaggedmazda, Algae Beater, April, Bien Lim, Blurry, Crimper, CRS Fan, and Fantasy Aquatics for your help and support since the last update.



















Yes, I know I have collectoritis.


----------



## Bien Lim

Looking good man


----------



## crimper

Your tank is looking very nice, plants looks very happy. Stick on what works for you.

We should chat one of these days! I'll let you know when I'm free.


----------



## blurry

Im loving your tank more then mine, nice work on it


----------



## Reckon

*22gal retired, 50 gal teaser*

Well. I got tired of always having to trim plants down because they reached the surface. Besides I have a vision for something else. 
I was hoping to wait until the planted tank contest started but I was chomping at the bit to get the emerged Ludiwigia Cuba to well, not be emerged. So, 2 weeks ago I tore down the 22gal and started putting together a 50gal. I'm hoping to put everything I learnt from the 22gal into developing a nice nature scape.

Here's a teaser of the start.

Love the stump I got from IPU









Tank and stand









Filling it just a little before I started the tedious work of planting HC









After initial planting









I HAVE moved all my plants from my old 22gal into this tank and included even more plants. I know there are WAAAY too many species in here. I do have another project in mind for the near future for a dutch layout where I can finally satisfy my collectoritis condition and not have a messy tank. I intend to move most of these plants there once the 50gal is established.

Details:

Filtration: Eheim ECCO 2236 + Eheim ECCO 2234
Temp: 78 deg F Eheim Jager 75watt (yes, will need to upgrade)
Lighting: 36" Odyessea three 39watt T5HO bulbs
Photoperiod: 8 hours total; 8.0 hours with 3 bulbs = approx 2.34watt/gal
CO2 10lb aluminum tank with Milwaukee reg: 2 bubbles per second using atomizer + 1 capful of Excel everyday

Substrate: ADA AS Amazonia on the top, Eco Complete on the bottom
Hardscape: 1 big trunk from IPU

EI dosing: 3x/week macro/micro
9.5ppm KNO3; 
2ppm KH2PO4; 
8ppm K2SO4; 
Plantex CSM+B;

Ph: 5.7 day; 6.0 night (not too much co2 until the fish acclimatize)
Kh/Gh: 2/2

Flora: 
Pogostemon stellatus
Nesaea Crassicaulis
Hemianthus Callitrichoides 'Cuba'
Bacopa Caroliniana
Taiwan Moss
Limnophila Aromatica
Pogostemon Erectus
Pogostemon Helferi - Downoi 
Ranunculus Inundatas 
Staurogyne repens
Ludwigia inclinata
Ludwigia inclinata var verticillata "cuba"
Lindernia Rotundifolia 'variegated'
Ludwigia Glandulosa
Riccia Fluitans
Rotala Wallichi 
Rotala Macranda 
Echinodorus Tenellus 
Hydrocotyle Verticillata
Myriophyllum sp. 'red stem'
Hydrophila Pinnatifida
Cabomba Piauhyensis
Ludwigia repens 'Rubin'
Juncus repens
Azolla filiculoides/caroliniana
Mini pellia.

Fauna:
Pseudomugil Signifer
Dwarf Neon Rainbows
Gertrudae Rainbows, 
Threadfin Rainbows
Affinis and Zebra Otos
Crosso Reticulatus
Rummy Noses
Corydoras Reynoldsi
Dicrossus filamentosus

Yes there is a sparsely riccia covered rock on the stump. It's there to keep it from floating, unfortunately that happened after I spent the initial 3-4 hours planting. It tore up all my hard work and I had to set about doing it all over again. Mental note for next time, wood floats.


----------



## jobber

Very nice teaser. Glad to see another tank journal in the works. Remember the show and tell journal index


----------



## Bien Lim

great looking tank man!!! What kind of light did you end up getting?


----------



## waynet

My wife opened my fish tank cabinet the other day. Her only comment was, I see lots of $$$$ signs.


----------



## crazy72

Very nice journal. I'm glad I made it past the blue gravel. 

Your tank looks fantastic.


----------



## Reckon

Thanks for all your feedback. Details of plant hardware and etc added.

Bien, I'm still with the Odyssea, I'll need to upgrade soon since its not consistent with lighting 2 or 3 bulbs 
I would otherwise be very happy with 3 bulbs.


----------



## dabandit1

Doesnt look like a noobs tank...I think this one a ringer lol
Nice job looks great


----------



## Reckon

dabandit1 said:


> Doesnt look like a noobs tank...I think this one a ringer lol
> Nice job looks great


Not sure if you can say I've graduated to a nonnoob. Still new to this planted tank thing... and to acclimatizing fish to such tanks apparently.


----------



## Reckon

*50gal exactly 2 weeks later*

2 weeks from set up. 
Sorry that graininess is due to co2 from the atomizer.










My favorite plants are starting to look a bit better.










Yet to put the pelia on the wood. Cabomba to the left, was an impulse buy, not sure what to do with it. Amazing color though.


----------



## Reckon

*4th Week*

Lots of growth, in fact it needs a trim. A bit of stunting with R. Macrandra and L. Inclinata Cuba so I gotta push the CO2 a bit more.


----------



## jobber

Some superb growth in the tank. Very healthy and lush.
So that's where all these Corydoras Reynoldsi and Dicrossus filamentosus went.

Hope to see the dicrossus filamentosus attempt some spawning for you.


----------



## Reckon

*I'm loving my cories*

Just wanted to post a couple pics of my bumblebees. I'm starting to get this cory love I read about...










Haha this little guy is such a pig. Just sits on top of the algae wafer.


----------



## dabandit1

Lol cute fish. I'm always amazed how attached I get to some of my fish lol....and stunning tank,nice job


----------



## Reckon

*Upgraded the 20 gallon to a 30 gallon so I can continue with my collectoritis*

I finally get to simply plant a bunch of plants in rows and watch them grow, and not worry about the scape.

Here's the set up 4 weeks ago:

Tank and stand









Bottom a thin layer of Eco Complete to help with cycling, on top ADA Amazonia II









Planted initially and filling with water









This evening, multiple water changes later and moving around plants









Closer









Had some autofraging recently. I can't seem to keep CO2 in the tank even though I'm pushing a bit more than 1 bubble per second. I think I've got too much turbulence at the top? Or should I be going to 2 bubbles per second?

Updated Flora:
Blyxa Japonica 
Staurogyne Stolonifera 
Anubia Nana
Lobelia Cardinalis
Hygrophila Angustifolia
Ludwigia Brevipes
Rotala Colorata
Rotala sp. Green
Rotala Rotundifolia
Rotala Indica
Lilaeopsis Brasiliensis
Cryptocorne ?
Rotala sp. 'Nanjenshan'
Myriophyllum Aquaticum
Echinodorus Tenellus 
Hydrocotyl Tripartia
Ludwigia Repens
Myriophyllum Tuberculatum
Lindernia Rotundifolia 'variegated'
Myriophyllum sp. 'red stem'
Cabomba Piauhyensis
Hygrophila Corymbosa 'siamensis 53b'
Juncus repens
Ludwigia Inclinata

For some of these plants I have as little as one stem.

Fauna:
2 Bolivian Rams, Opaline Gourami, Siamese Algae Eater, Old fat Danio, 3 Otto Affinis


----------



## Reckon

*Finally, 50 gallon rescaped*

Since I had the 30gallon set up I managed to find space to move the jungle of plants that was starting to grow out in my 50 gallon. 
After several hours of moving plants and trimming this is what I have...




























My L. Inclinata Cuba really hates losing their roots, I should've taken a picture 2 nights ago. They stunted pretty badly since then. I went back and made sure all the stems were pushed deeply into the substrate.

Flora:
Hemianthus Callitrichoides 'Cuba'
Pogostemon Erectus
Ranunculus Inundatas 
Staurogyne Repens
Ludwigia Inclinata var Verticillata "Cuba"
Riccia Fluitans
Rotala Wallichi 
Rotala Macranda 
Echinodorus Tenellus 
Hydrocotyle Verticillata
Hydrophila Pinnatifida
Mini Pellia

Fauna:
Dwarf Neon Rainbows
Pseudomugil Gertrudae Rainbows
Threadfin Rainbows
Forktail Rainbows
Affinis and Zebra Otos
Crosso Reticulatus
Rummy Noses
Corydoras Reynoldsi 
Dicrossus filamentosus
Apistogramma bitaeniata sp. tefe

By the way, if anyone has advice for taking good tank pics let me know. Mine always seem sorta flat, lighting, colors and all. I have a Panasonic DMC LX-3.


----------



## crimper

Awesome Reckon! Can't wait to see the plants fully grown and well stablished.


----------



## jbyoung00008

Looks good buddy. I really like the stump and how the right side almost looks like a hill. Should look really good once it fills in. Keep us updated.


----------



## Reckon

jbyoung00008 said:


> Looks good buddy. I really like the stump and how the right side almost looks like a hill. Should look really good once it fills in. Keep us updated.


Thanks for the feedback. I'll drop you a line next time I'm in Langley, we should talk ripariums


----------



## crazy72

Reckon this looks fantastic. Great job!


----------



## Reckon

I woke up this morning to a bunch of bare stems where my Rotala Wallichi had nice fluffy green and pink needles before. I read that some fish find this plant a tasty morsel but I've kept this plant before and have never seen it go bare like this. The last couple days I have seen my Crosso Reticulatus sniffing around but they've left the plant alone before. Guess they're looking for some veggies to go along with last week's meals of brine shrimp, bloodworms, and daphnia?

On a positive note looks like my Apisto Bitaeniata Tefe pair spawned.


----------



## Reckon

*More rescaping, too much? What do you think?*

Added more hardscape thanks to Kevin and Natasha at IPU for helping me with ideas.

What do you all think?
Too much hardscape? Not enough?





































I've got some plants to pull out (the wallichi is coming back a bit but I'll likely just move it to my collectoritis tank and find something that won't get eaten) and some more substrate to add.

I went hiking last Thursday and got to look at a few pools that had eroded the substrate around trees. I got a nice updated visual of what roots should look like and I've still got a few more ideas for where this tank should go. I've got a lot of work left to do.


----------



## Bien Lim

Looks great


----------



## shift

Looks awesome


----------



## Nicole

Good to see my rainbows are doing well


----------



## Reckon

No worries Nicole, I care for them very much. They eat very well and my ocd makes me ensure their water is tip top. Hopefully they'll make babies


----------



## trout

looks great reckon. really dig the branches you recently added. are they manzy?


----------



## Reckon

*Turned of CO2, pics with no bubbles *

More pics of the 50 gal without bubbles this time.


----------



## Reckon

*Update of my 30 gal collectoritis tank*

Plants have largely grown out plus I've added more 
Yes it needs a trim badly. I've been holding out in hopes someone would be interested in buying some.


----------



## Nicole

I like that opaline gourami, gimme  The 50G tank above looks so awesome with the plants taking over, never trim .


----------



## Reckon

Some decent updates (plant-wise) with the tank. Went through some issues with it in May. I'll get into that and also post a better picture and flora lists tomorrow. Here's a quick preview via Iphone from this evening.


----------



## Reckon

In early May the 50gal was really coming along; however, I went out of town for a week and unfortunately, the tank sitter didn't quite understand my dosing instructions. I came back to a tank covered in diatoms and GSA. Looks like he forgot to dose phosphates. Many of the plants melted away. Worse yet my fish seemed quite sick (bloated, shy, gasping) and even with a couple water changes they didn't recover much. ALL my dicrossus were wiped out as well as several threadfins and gertrudaes. It was a very sad week. After about a week I came to understand that they were suffering from Callamanus worms (still not sure where I got them from). According to my gleanings online the medication to treat these worms should not affect plants yet I found that some plants, namely Ludwigia Inclinata Cuba, Ludwigia Lacustris, and HC melted further with the treatment. About 3 weeks later I'm now starting to see some recovery, Ludwigia just started to color up. However, I'm still struggling with the rotala species. They seem somewhat stunted and lack color. If you have any ideas on what parameters they prefer please let me know.

Current Water Parameters
KH/GH: 1/3
NO3: 20-30ppm
PO4: 2-3ppm
pH: Morning 6.5; Evening 5.8

New Hardware:
Added another 1/4 bag of Amazonia
Lighting - x2 Vertex Illumilux LEDs (Dolce Bianco, and Marino Sole) + Hagen Glo 2 bulb fixture (x2 Geisemann Aquaflora bulbs)
Filtration - Eheim Pro II 2028, Eheim ECCO 2236


I appreciate your views and comments, both constructive and positive.


----------



## Reckon

Well, it's just one year into this hobby, I've just spent a bit of the morning staring at my tank and reflecting about my time on this forum.

I've met many good people on this forum who have given me great advice, deals on equipment, fish, and plants, encouraged me in the hobby and also in non related life situations, shared in my enthusiasm participating in trades and group buys, joked around with, and generally had a good time with.

My experience on BCA has been very positive, I hope that whomever I've connected with over the past year has received at least a little back of all the points I made above.

For those getting into this hobby and forum. Don't be afraid to ask questions don't forget to use the search function either. Meet with people, they're even better in person. Remember people are people they have different views and perspectives on our love of aquariums, do your research and figure out what works for you. Be patient, there's LOTS to learn. Reciprocate to those who help you, participate, you will gain more than help on your tanks, you build a community.

This forum enabled all this but it's the people and community that really makes this a great place to be. 
Thank you fellow members, mods, and BCA.

Still learning about planted tanks all the time.

50 gallon full tank shot. Just spent the last week trimming. Here's the current condition. Waiting patiently for Staurogynes Porto Velho and Hygrophila Araguaia to carpet. I had a bit of melt 2 weeks ago when I tried to add a bit of excel to boost growth. No more for me. Excel is only for algae 










New Fauna:
Apistogramma Viejita

30 gallon full tank shot. New Tek T5HO fixture made a bit difference. Just rescaped, I'm still having a hard time deciding what plants to keep. I'm still getting over collectoritis. I know I've got to get rid of at least 2-3 more plants to get the look to come together. Looking to get glosso for the carpet. That random cup in the back holds a Buce I'm trying to keep alive. Proof that I've got lots to learn.










Super happy with Hygro Brown, Hygro Bold, and Staurogynes Bihar. Colors are really coming out.










Special thanks to the following for the last 4 months of support: Jiinx, Sameer, Blurry, Algae Beater, CRS Fan, Kerry @ Fantasy Aquatics, Natasha @ IPU, Frank @ AQLED, DaveJ, Sewerman45, Youmakemesohappy, Gklaw, rwong2k10, TomC, Rybka, Jobber, Immus21.

Hopefully I did not forget anyone.

Thanks to those who supported me by buying plants


----------



## Reckon

4 gal Starphire glass
Lighting: Zetlight
Filtration: Azoo Mini

Plants: Crypts, Pennywort
Fauna: Heterandria Formosa, Amano Shrimp


----------



## Reckon

8 Gal Riparium

22gal Munster tank

Lighting: Rapid LED, 2 warm, 2 neutral, 2 cool CREEs

Filtration: Fluval U1

Emerged plants:
Pilea, Peace Lily, Orange Sedge, Dwarf Cyperus, Echinodorus Marble Queen, Creeping Golden Jenny

Submerged plants:
Hygrophila Pinnatifida, Crypts

Floating plants:
Red Root floaters

Fauna: Otos, Apistos


----------



## aQ.LED

Have you set up the new light yet?


----------



## Reckon

aQ.LED said:


> Have you set up the new light yet?


Coming up!


----------



## CRS Fan

Ah...... I remember the colectoritis days.......


----------



## Luke78

Very interesting journal,quite a few setups there looking very lush and green.Thanks for sharing your progress and photos


----------



## rwong2k10

looking great Lawson!


----------



## AdobeOtoCat

Whoo riparium

Sent from my SGH-I727R using Tapatalk 4


----------



## Reckon

Thought I'd share what I've been trying to accomplish with 2 of my high tech tanks. 
Still some work to do but, I hope you all like it.

30gal green

















50gal morning

















50gal afternoon

















50gal evening

































Both in my living room


----------



## kacairns

Looks like you got plenty of room on the wall for more tanks, looking good =)


----------



## jhj0112

Wow!!! Wow!! all of your tanks are beautiful! you must be a very artistic person.  no wonder how you become plant expert  Very nice!


----------



## randylahey

I saw these pieces of living art in person yesterday. Oh man, these pics just don't do them justice. The depth and colors were amazing. You really need that 3rd dimension to truly appreciate it. I hope that I can get my tank that nice one day. Thanks again for letting me into your home and sharing your plants.

Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## Reckon

Thanks for the feedback and support guys. It's why I continue to post updates.


----------



## shift

Looking good reckon


----------



## jbyoung00008

Whats the point in the TV Lawson? LOL. No need for one when you have 2 nice tanks right beside it 

Good work, they are really coming along. I like how you went to two matching stands now. It looks good.


----------



## Reckon

Algae was starting to come back so I did another H2O2 treatment, pulled up the carpet, vacuumed the substrate, sloped the front of the scape, and replanted all the Staurogyne Porto Velho. I also did a major trim of almost all the plants and moved a few around.

I've only got about 5 plants I've yet to figure out what to do with. It's starting to sink in that I just can't hoard anymore plants while managing a decent scape. In particular, I'd like to find a place for Meeboldi 'Pink' it's just too nice to get rid off but it's certainly a big plant.


































Special thanks to: Randylahey, CRS Fan, Jiinx, Algae Beater, Korya, Kacairns, Island Pets Unlimited, Royal City Fire Supplies for your encouragement since the last update.


----------



## CRS Fan

Always a pleasure to watch and learn from other enthusiasts, Lawson. I'm still trying to set up my dream tank. I'm still working on a few items.

Best regards,

Stuart


----------



## Reckon

*Growing out. Feb 26*

It's grown in quite a bit. I've started to let go of collectoritis and pulled several plants that either didn't suit the scape or aren't growing at their ideal health.

I'm still battling a bit of hair algae but most of it is gone thanks to a decent metricide dose supplement. I'm a bit baffled as Alternanthera Ocipus is still putting out stunted and deformed growth. Ludwigia Pantanal stays tiny. At KH2 GH5 I'm wondering if water hardness plays a role in the retarded growth of certain species.
What's exciting to see is Ludwigia Sphaerocarpa growing strong, My oldest stem is producing a crown that is as large as my palm.

One thing I need to develop is scaping the tank in such a way that each species is distinct and pops. At the moment the FTS is a jumble of leaves and colors.

Here are the updated pics to my Red 50.


----------



## rwong2k10

looks amazing lawson

loved seeing the tank in person

Sent from my SGH-I747M using Tapatalk 2


----------



## CRS Fan

One day I'll see the tank in person. A beauty to behold for sure. I'm still looking for a light for my newest tank build......

Best regards,

Stuart


----------



## greenfin

Just read through your whole journal. I wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed it. I admire your committment to understanding what each of your plants needs to thrive. What a learning curve from just a couple years ago! The two tanks looks stunning. If I'm ever in Maple Ridge...ha ha that's a long drive for me! I think I might have collectoritis too except it's only infrequently I get a chance to "shop". I think I may use your journal and your discoveries about plant-health as a reference for myself! Thanks for writing it all up!


----------



## Reckon

Thanks for the feedback guys.

Greenfin: Lots of reading (not necessarily on from this forum) and asking questions from the plant guys helps. I also learned lots from other fellow members by asking to visit their homes to see their plants. Give me a holler if you are in town and I'd be happy to show you what I do for my tanks. Eventually I learned that what I need to grow plants well and avoid algae boils down to the following:

Adequate light
Adequate CO2
Fert dosing (I use EI)
GH/KH
A little metricide when you need it
Regular weekly water changes
Regular trimming
Remove dead plants/leaves - tank maintenance
Regular filter cleaning to keep the TOC down (I do this once every 2 months)

Pretty much it. The hard part, patience part is just learning to recognize how the plants respond and tweaking the above appropriately. Gotta admit though I haven't mastered the hobby yet. I've got lots more to learn so this journal will keep updating as long as I see that people care I'm posting


----------



## Reckon

Finished my trimming for both the Red50 and Green30, here are the results. Ludwigia Red is hiding behind the stump in the 50, in case anyone is wondering where it went.

Red50









































Green30









































I'm pretty happy with the results of replacing Blyxa Japonica, really thick bush and ridiculous growth with Eriocaulon Goias, slower growth and greener plant, not to mention more challenging.
I haven't made it a habit to post plant species in a while but I'm so excited to get this super rare plant that I need to share about it. Check it out in picture 4, that is the rare hybrid Ludwigia Simpsonii x Repens. It's got a great peachy color that the iphone doesn't pick up. What's better is that its shade tends to be more green than brown, unlike Repens so it generally looks healthier.


----------



## Bien Lim

great looking tank man….love the tonina tank!!


----------



## Reckon

Bien Lim said:


> great looking tank man&#8230;.love the tonina tank!!


Just made my day. I'm glad to see you recognized what I'm try for. Your tanks have been a big inspiration to me in the past.


----------



## opt-e

Reckon said:


> Moved a bunch of stuff around, found some great rocks to keep the wood down. Tied some taiwan moss to the wood. Bought and planted 3 Aquaflora plants from Canadian Aquatics:
> Eusteralis stellata
> Nesaea Crassicaulis
> Hemianthus callitrichoides 'Cuba'
> 
> Everything looks nice and green now, but I'm hoping to see a lot more pink in the future. Still hoping to find 2-3 more plants.
> The far left looks messy I know; they're really just there until I find a home for them.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Any advice/feedback let me know please
> 
> p.s. the fry that was hanging around (I posted in the breeding section) disappeared


Reckon.. I see what you're talking about.. my tank looks just like yours. Funny how we both ended up with the same look.










PS. I'm already looking for a bigger tank


----------



## Reckon

opt-e said:


> Reckon.. I see what you're talking about.. my tank looks just like yours. Funny how we both ended up with the same look.
> 
> PS. I'm already looking for a bigger tank


I really struggled with 12" of height in the 22gal long. I imagine you must be doing a lot of trimming. At least you haven't tried any hygrophilas yet


----------



## opt-e

Yeah the height is way too short. I'm looking for a tank with more height and surface area now  Love your tanks btw.


----------



## Reckon

opt-e said:


> Yeah the height is way too short. I'm looking for a tank with more height and surface area now  Love your tanks btw.


I've got lots to learn. I'm having a hard time keeping buces alive  Pretty expensive lesson. Lately, I am quite enamored by Erios. I find they aren't as hard to grow as what some articles and forums make them out to be.

I say when you get yourself a tank that is at least 18" tall, move your faster growing stem plants there. That way you can have collectoritis in one tank and a nice scape in the other. That's what I originally bought my 30gal for, just collecting plants that didn't fit into my 50gal vision. In the end I have 2 dutchish scapes going because I just can't let go of my plants but at least I can split my 5 or so carpet species into 2 different tanks, and the same goes to the multiple midground and background plants.

For your 12gal, I can envision a nice set scape with Staurogynes Repens, Alternanthera Rosanervig, Blyxa Japonica, Anubias, and Hygrophila Pinnatifida. I think with exception of the Alternanthera the plants will grow slow enough that you will only need to trim 1x per month. You'll also have a nice variety of texture without getting messy and not too many species that each one will pop. At least that's how I would set up a 12gal with dragon stone.


----------



## opt-e

Reckon said:


> I've got lots to learn. I'm having a hard time keeping buces alive  Pretty expensive lesson. Lately, I am quite enamored by Erios. I find they aren't as hard to grow as what some articles and forums make them out to be.
> 
> I say when you get yourself a tank that is at least 18" tall, move your faster growing stem plants there. That way you can have collectoritis in one tank and a nice scape in the other. That's what I originally bought my 30gal for, just collecting plants that didn't fit into my 50gal vision. In the end I have 2 dutchish scapes going because I just can't let go of my plants but at least I can split my 5 or so carpet species into 2 different tanks, and the same goes to the multiple midground and background plants.
> 
> For your 12gal, I can envision a nice set scape with Staurogynes Repens, Alternanthera Rosanervig, Blyxa Japonica, Anubias, and Hygrophila Pinnatifida. I think with exception of the Alternanthera the plants will grow slow enough that you will only need to trim 1x per month. You'll also have a nice variety of texture without getting messy and not too many species that each one will pop. At least that's how I would set up a 12gal with dragon stone.


Thanks for your suggestions I think I'll be following that plan of action. It so happens that just I picked up a 26g (30 x 12 x 18") tank from fellow member Junior-D last night.  Need to gather the rest of the equipment for that tank but I can't wait to get it up and running.


----------



## Reckon

12gal long dutch can be done. Must be a lot of work though:


----------



## rwong2k10

aH very nice video, 
thx for sharing!


----------



## Reckon

A bit of an update on the 50gal. Patience really is everything. I feel that the tank is going down the right path with every trim.
This time I really focused on bunching plants together to get a nice lush vibe.
Hope you all like it:


































Special thanks goes to: Algaebeater, jiinx


----------



## kacairns

I'm seriously going to have to come out and see this in person, you've been to my place enough times time for me to head that direction! Just beautiful

All its missing is a long fin silver tip bnp, or maybe its just hiding in all that lush forest =)


----------



## UnderseaGal

Gorgeous tank! I love those red plants.
Beautiful job.


----------



## Reckon

kacairns said:


> I'm seriously going to have to come out and see this in person, you've been to my place enough times time for me to head that direction! Just beautiful
> 
> All its missing is a long fin silver tip bnp, or maybe its just hiding in all that lush forest =)


Oh yah. They are in the tank somewhere


----------



## kacairns

Reckon said:


> Oh yah. They are in the tank somewhere


See one on the 2nd picture but doesn't look like long fin though!


----------



## Reckon

*8gal Riparium Update*

Took out some plants that weren't doing well. Growing plants out of the tank is surprisingly more challenging than I expected. Perhaps I need more light. Also, I'm finding it pretty tough to keep the sand clean. Just put some new sand in today. Scrubbed the glass. Here's the update. Hope you guys like it.


----------



## randylahey

Yeah great work lawson! Im just amazed every time I see your tanks, you always seem to have something I've never heard of before and I try to know as many species as I can. Thanks again for the new species, that simpsonii repens is gorgeous.
That riparium is fantastic and much larger than the picture suggests.How does caring for the riparium plants differ from the aquatic ones?

Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## Reckon

Thanks for your comments and support Greg. I'm very happy someone else appreciates Simpsonii x repens as much as I do. They really have a fantastic peach color.
I'm new at keeping a riparium but find such plants that grow emmersed grow much faster because CO2 and O2 are in abundance; therefore they have a huge metabolism and utilize fertilizer much faster. 

I was shocked to find out how fast a mere 8 gal can bottom out on NO3. I double dose EI to make sure all the plants get the food they need. So far my otos (only fish in there) seem to do fine with the NO3 and PO4 spikes. 

The peace lily I'm keeping doubles its size in about 3 weeks. I'm always having to cut it down. 

Also, emerging plants grow close to the light they can quickly shade out the plants underneath.


----------



## Reckon

*Red50 Update April 21*

Added a huge Koralia 3 for more water movement - it's a bit too big... Perhaps someone has a Koralia 2 they aren't using I can buy?
Did several water changes in a span of a week, cleaned out my filters, and aggressively dosed Metricide (35mL every 2 days). Made a big difference to the fuzz algae I was fighting. None of my plants melted.

Moved a bunch of plants around to get a better dutch look. Hopefully there's a bit more contrast with textures.

New plant in the middle: Rotala Macrandra Japan Red, hopefully it stays red.

Hope you guys like it.


----------



## opt-e

Reckon, looking amazing as usual. I may have to make the trek out to Maple Ridge some day! I ordered a couple Koralia Nanos for my two tanks but haven't picked them up from Point Roberts yet. Hoping they're they right strength for my tanks. 

I'm also currently having an issue with fuzz algae as well; might have to do the same treatment as you. Where did you get your Metricide from?


----------



## Reckon

I got my metricde from Regency Medical in Burnaby. Definitely be meticulous with cleaning your filters. I slacked off on mine but the difference was very noticeable once I cleaned it. Fuzz algae was down 80% within 2-3 days.
I think I had cleaned it around Christmas time, so 4 months is too long to leave it, even if it's relatively large for the tank.

Which Koralia nanos did you get? the 425?


----------



## pandamom

Can I ask a question about the wood and rocks 'from a nearby river'? I get the rocks, pretty easy to clean and stuff, but how did you deal with the wood and making it safe for your tank? I'm interested because I live near lots of rivers/lakes and have considered using local materials, but am concerned about pests and toxins and such leaching out into my tank. Thanks for the info.


----------



## randylahey

Oh lawson, you should have asked earlier. I have a spare nano 425 kicking around. It seems everyone is going for a "dutchier" look. I just spent the last week moving everything around, clumping everything tighter and making it so there is green between every red. It really helps every species "pop". How did you fit those lagenandras in there? Talk about a fat guy in a little coat!

Anthony, metricide can be purchased at: 
Regency Medical Supplies
4437 Canada Way, Burnaby, BC V5G 1J3
(604) 434-1383
It was about $38 I think for a gallon jug.

Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## Reckon

Hey Greg,
Thanks for asking. I have a Nano 425, it's in my 8gal Riparium  Perhaps a little overkill there too haha. 
I'll probably try a Koralia 2 eventually though. 
Yup. Every trim I clump and move a few plants around. I'm feeling tired of doing tank work now but I think I'll have to move the Ludwigia red to the left of the stump and the ovalis to the right. Ovalis blends too much with P. Sao Paolo and sp. Red too much with Glandulosa.


----------



## Reckon

pandamom said:


> Can I ask a question about the wood and rocks 'from a nearby river'? I get the rocks, pretty easy to clean and stuff, but how did you deal with the wood and making it safe for your tank? I'm interested because I live near lots of rivers/lakes and have considered using local materials, but am concerned about pests and toxins and such leaching out into my tank. Thanks for the info.


Hi Pandamom. I've tried a couple pieces of wood from local lakes (I think technically it's illegal to take home rocks and wood from parks?) but I've had all sorts of weird stuff show up in my tanks shortly after: fresh water limpets, worms, damselfly larvae... I would definitely soak anything you bring home in some bleach or H2O2.


----------



## pandamom

Yeah, it is illegal to take from parks… Interesting about the stuff showing up in your tanks - some of it would be good for the fish, but some of it definitely would be a hassle. So, soak it for 24 hours in a bleach solution, then in freshwater with Prime or something like that in it? Maybe when our warmer weather comes too a sun bleach after as well? Thanks for the input, have wanted to try this for a while but no courage… LOL. I have a creek that runs right through the corner of my yard - stickleback and new this year, coho!! Thanks for the advice.


----------



## opt-e

Reckon said:


> I got my metricde from Regency Medical in Burnaby. Definitely be meticulous with cleaning your filters. I slacked off on mine but the difference was very noticeable once I cleaned it. Fuzz algae was down 80% within 2-3 days.
> I think I had cleaned it around Christmas time, so 4 months is too long to leave it, even if it's relatively large for the tank.
> 
> Which Koralia nanos did you get? the 425?


I got the 225 for my 12g long and 425 for my 26g. Hoping it's just right but I guess we will see. Will probably pick up Thursday or Friday.

What process do you use to clean your filters? I cleaned the Eheim 2213 on the 12g long once after about 2 months but I basically just dunked the filter basket in tank water. I didn't empty the media from the basket which I think I might do next time. My tubes are getting a bit nasty too. Probably need to get one of those tube cleaner gadgets.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk


----------



## Reckon

opt-e said:


> I got the 225 for my 12g long and 425 for my 26g. Hoping it's just right but I guess we will see. Will probably pick up Thursday or Friday.
> 
> What process do you use to clean your filters? I cleaned the Eheim 2213 on the 12g long once after about 2 months but I basically just dunked the filter basket in tank water. I didn't empty the media from the basket which I think I might do next time. My tubes are getting a bit nasty too. Probably need to get one of those tube cleaner gadgets.
> 
> Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk


Yup. Let me know about the 225 for the 12g long, I suspect with a 3' footprint, you may need the 425.

I empty the media into a bucket then run tank water through it (via water change) until the water runs clear. I scrub the sponges under tap water until I get rid of all the gunk.

I find I can't clean the tubes all the way. My gadget is only a couple feet long?


----------



## greenfin

Reckon your texture combo is terrific. Aren't plants amazing with their differences? The red pops among the green and each little area of plantings is something to study. I couldn't figure out how many different species you have in there! Love how all the groupings compliment each other for one nice whole tank look. 

Are you hoping the extra water movement keeps algae at bay? 

I think it's time for me to try a metricide week to keep some wee clumps of BBA from spreading.

Your tanks are a joy!


----------



## Bobsidd

Hi Lawson,

That Rotala macrandra japan red is unbelievable. Hope it stays that vibrant for you. And grows like a weed. 

Is this the tank that houses your ammania bonsai or is it some place else? Thought I saw some to the left of the neon in the fourth picture. But am far from sure that that is what it is. 

Stunning tank mate!
Rob


----------



## Reckon

greenfin said:


> Reckon your texture combo is terrific. Aren't plants amazing with their differences? The red pops among the green and each little area of plantings is something to study. I couldn't figure out how many different species you have in there! Love how all the groupings compliment each other for one nice whole tank look.
> 
> Are you hoping the extra water movement keeps algae at bay?
> 
> I think it's time for me to try a metricide week to keep some wee clumps of BBA from spreading.
> 
> Your tanks are a joy!


Thanks! It takes a while to learn how to get plants to grow while minimizing algae. Then how to get a dutch scape to look nice. It's been a real learning experience but I encourage planted tank enthusiasts to be patient and really keep at it. Next step for me is probably some sort of Iwagumi scape, then afterwards a Nature scape. There is still lots of learning from this 50gal has some ways to go still. Maybe I should be cutting down on species, there are 25 in the 50gal. Probably can come down to 20...



Bobsidd said:


> Hi Lawson,
> 
> That Rotala macrandra japan red is unbelievable. Hope it stays that vibrant for you. And grows like a weed.
> 
> Is this the tank that houses your ammania bonsai or is it some place else? Thought I saw some to the left of the neon in the fourth picture. But am far from sure that that is what it is.
> 
> Stunning tank mate!
> Rob


Yah, I was very surprised by how vibrant it is. Only Ludwigia red compares in color. 
Yup that's Ammania Bonsai in the 4th picture. I took it intentionally so there's no confusion on what it's supposed to look. It is a pretty tough plant to keep though. The bottom of the stems tend to melt. I started with about 3 stems last fall, and I currently only have 6.


----------



## opt-e

Reckon said:


> Yup. Let me know about the 225 for the 12g long, I suspect with a 3' footprint, you may need the 425.
> 
> I empty the media into a bucket then run tank water through it (via water change) until the water runs clear. I scrub the sponges under tap water until I get rid of all the gunk.
> 
> I find I can't clean the tubes all the way. My gadget is only a couple feet long?


I just added the 225 into my 12g long last night. I would say the flow is just right in combination with the output from my Ehaim 2213. I put a 425 into my 26g and it I would say it is perfect there. Would definitely be too much for the 12g.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk


----------



## Reckon

I think for the most part I'm going to retire this thread. Instead I'll be adding updates to new separate journals for my 30 and 50s.

The 30 gal thread is up and can be found here: http://www.bcaquaria.com/forum/tank-journals-16/recks-30gal-high-tech-104001/

The 50 gal thread will be going up shortly.

Still, feel free to add comments regarding the challenges, quirks, passion, and commitments related to getting involved with planted tanks.


----------



## opt-e

Reckon said:


> The 50 gal thread will be going up shortly.


I'm waiting on the edge of my seat for this one!


----------



## Reckon

opt-e said:


> I'm waiting on the edge of my seat for this one!


Since someone showed that he cares 

The 50 gal thread is up and can be found here: http://www.bcaquaria.com/forum/tank-journals-16/recks-50-gal-high-tech-105201/#post761321


----------

