BiscuitSlayer's 29 - Updated 4.1.08 -Welcome to the Jungle - (56K Unfriendly)

[BiscuitSlayer]

Originally Posted by CmLaracy

I haven't read the entire thread but I strongly recommend more frequent water changes, like 30% every other day, or evenly daily. Up your CO2 a bit to about 3 or 4bps, and drop that photoperiod about an hour to 7 hours, or even 6. You've been teetering on disaster for a reason, try these things out for a bit, I bet it will help you control the algae a lot better. Also, keep your ammonia below 1ppm as much as you can. Everything looks great!

Actually, I am at about 3 to 4 bps on the CO2. When I say that I teeter on disaster, I mean that I am on the good side right now. A small tip in the wrong direction will put me on the bad side. So far, after about 4 months I haven't had any problems. My algae issues have been brought into check with a combination of CO2 and phosphates. What algae I have had has stoped growing and has been slowly receding on its own without any manual intervention.

My ammonia is at 0 PPM and holding (actually for years now).

I need to post an update with some pics of the tank. Growth has really taken off and algae is pretty much completely at bay except for the normal GDA on the glass and a few tiny tufts of BBA that I just haven't been bothered with.

As far as the 30% daily water changes go... Um... No thanks! If it comes down to that, I don't think I want to keep the setup. One reason I am not turned on too much with discus tanks.

Thanks for the input CM.

[loachlady5]

Originally Posted by BiscuitSlayer

I need to post an update with some pics of the tank.

Yeah - I want to see how much your generous plant gifts to me stripped your tank! Hopefully it's just a little thinned out.

[BiscuitSlayer]

Originally Posted by loachlady5

Yeah - I want to see how much your generous plant gifts to me stripped your tank! Hopefully it's just a little thinned out.

Actually, I could probably send you more. The little amazon in my earlier pics has probably trippled in size since those pics. It is starting to get a lttle too big for my tank. The glosso is starting to get a bit overgrown too. I would imagine that the wisteria will need to be cut back in about a month or two and the repens need to be trimmed weekly now.

I'll try to get some pics up this week. You'll think that the plants I sent you came from someone else's tank.

[beyondanytherapy]

Wow, what a beautiful tank!

I noticed you're in Acworth! What a small world! My parents and I lived up there for around 5 years before I moved out. They still live up there now, but I'm down below Atlanta. I was just up there yesterday, though. Nice to see there's some fish people in that area. Where do you get your plants and everything from? Do you order online or have you found a secret fish store in the area? I know there's some nice ones in Marietta, but nothing around Acworth better than the Petco/Petsmart.

[BiscuitSlayer]

beyondanytherapy - Hi and thank you! Sorry I didn't see your post until now. For some reason I didn't see it this week. I get my plants from Petland in Kennesaw, Marine Fish (on Johnson's Ferry), and on the swap and shop on this forum.

I need to get new pics up. I did a minor tear down on the tank which lead me to ditch several plants that weren't doing so well. I also thinned a lot of stuff out.

The bottom line is that I just need a bigger tank. This 29 is cramping my style.

[loachlady5]

can't wait to see it

[JoeWhiteFish]

Hey Biscuit, where did you get the barbed fittings for your DIY CO2 reactor? I need to find a couple for my DIY reactor.

Thanks.
JW

[garuf]

I'm certain there where at least 3 buddah statue scapes in the ada comp last year, none scored very high at all.

[BiscuitSlayer]

Originally Posted by JoeWhiteFish

Hey Biscuit, where did you get the barbed fittings for your DIY CO2 reactor? I need to find a couple for my DIY reactor.

Thanks.
JW

JW -

I had to use 5/8" barbs because I am using a Rena XP2 filter. I was able to find 90 degree barbs at Ace Hardware. I know there is one in Woodstock, but if you have problems finding them there you can find them at the store on Highway 92 between Bells Ferry Rd. and Wade Green Rd. I believe that they are white/translucent in color. Ace is the place to find a lot of stuff that you can't find at Lowes or Home Depot.

[BiscuitSlayer]

Well, it has been quite a long time since my last update on this journal, so I thought I would snap a few pics this morning and post them before I tear the tank apart AGAIN.

Since my last update, I think I have torn the tank apart about 5 times. I have to tear it apart to trim plants, rescape a bit, etc. This week will be no exception. As you can see in the following pic, it has turned into quite the jungle:



A while back, I bought some Blyxa Japoncia which appears to be doing very well. I don’t know if you can tell by the plants, but I think they are ready to separate and propagate two times the number of plants I originally bought. Not bad, considering that they are pretty much completely shaded by some hygro I bought at around the same time.




Here is a good shot of some sunset hygro I got through a RAOK on this site. I have to tell you that I am quickly becoming a fan of different types of hygros. Fantastic plants! I think that the Sunset is my favorite, but my rasboras have their favorite too. You can see it in the larger tank shot. It is the plant in the right hand side (middle) that has the long leafy leaves. As soon as the lights turn on to start the photo period, my entire school of harlequins rushes under the cover of that large hygro. There, they chill for long periods of the day. Here is a pic of the Sunset. I have about 5 stems groing in there right now:



As you can see in some of the pictures, my glosso is growing lateral and looking sparse. I let the tank get a bit overgrown with taller plants and it just isn’t getting enough direct light. I have a bit of HC on the other side of the tank that is growing slowly, but it doesn’t seem to need quite as much direct light as the glosso. At some point, I will probably get rid of whatever glosso I have remaining. I just don’t think its for me.

Here is another shot of some harlequins and an esepi hanging out together:



After my next tear down and clean up, I’ll try to post some pics to show the before and after results.

[CobraGuppy]

wow, really nice plants!

Whats that plant on the left hand side in the back?

When you trim the stem plants, do you cut it in the middle and replant it so there is double or do you remove the whole stem, cut it in half, and replace the top part?

[@marko@]

i like it but you need some dark green plants. all the green plants look the same shade in the picture.
they are extremely healthy though.

[BiscuitSlayer]

Originally Posted by CobraGuppy

wow, really nice plants!

Whats that plant on the left hand side in the back?

When you trim the stem plants, do you cut it in the middle and replant it so there is double or do you remove the whole stem, cut it in half, and replace the top part?

CobraGuppy -

The plant on the left hand side in the back is Wisteria. Believe it or not, I thin it out about every 6 weeks and wind up giving a portion away or taking it to my LFS for store credit. I love it. It really is a great plant.

I trim both ways. Depends on how lazy I feel. I also will wrap a weight in the middle of a stem and let it sit right on the bottm. A lot of times, I can get it to grow several new shoots.

Originally Posted by @marko@

i like it but you need some dark green plants. all the green plants look the same shade in the picture.
they are extremely healthy though.

@marko@ -

The picture is actually probably over exposed because of the light. The plants are greener in person then they are in the picture. Someday when I can afford a decent camera, I'll be able to post some pics that are closer to real life.

[CobraGuppy]

really? I cant believe thats wisteria xD

My lfs has water wisteria but its so full of algae and the leaves arent as big. I didnt recognize it either because my lfs's wisteria has roundish leaves.

I love the look, it fills out nicely.

[BiscuitSlayer]

Originally Posted by CobraGuppy

really? I cant believe thats wisteria xD

My lfs has water wisteria but its so full of algae and the leaves arent as big. I didnt recognize it either because my lfs's wisteria has roundish leaves.

I love the look, it fills out nicely.

I think it might grow differently depending on the light driving it. I believe (I may be wrong) that when it is grown with lower light, the leaves are rounder and bigger, but when grown under high light, the leaves are pinate (sp?).