[octopus44]

It's been a while since Iv'e been on here (mostly due to school) but my tank is starting to look nice and I've got a bit of free time so I'd figured I'd start a new journal.

I started this tank last fall but due to neglect the tank never became much of anything. Here is that journal if you'd like to take a look.

This summer I decided to start over, emptied the tank and grew some HC emersed on the "hill" for a few months. I think that I will always start HC emersed now. So much easier!

I filled her up on October 3rd and here are the results. After battling some hair algae (and winning) the tank is starting to look pretty good. Still working on the BBA and staghorn though .

Well here are some pics (sorry about the 2 mega-pixel camera).
Hope you enjoy!

A few days after planting:

And now (one month after set-up):

Right side:

Middle top view:

Base of Hill:

Inhabitants:

Flora: Vallisneria nana, Rotola Rotundiflora, Rotala sp Macrandra 'green', Needle leaf Java fern, Hemianthus callitrichoides, Utricularia graminifolia, Hydrocotyle verticillata, Bolbitis heudelotii, Cryptocoryne parva, Cryptocoryne wendtii 'Brown', Hygrophila sp. Purple, Ludwigia repens X arcuata, Polygonum kawagoneum, Polygonum praetermissum 'Porto Velho', Bacopa colorata, Limnophila aromatic, Staurogyne sp 'Low Grow' , Fissidens fontanus, flame moss, Elocharis acicularis, Limnophila sp. 'mini', Ceratophyllum submersum, Anubias barteri 'Petite'

Fauna: Black Neon Tetra, Farlowella acus, Octocinclus, Red Flying Fox, Aborichthys elongatus (sand loach), Nothobranchius Rachovii Beira, Neocaridina denticulata sinensis (cherry shrimp), Olive nerite

 

[xiaxia]

sweet looking tank!! ^^
quite a bit of algae huh?

 

[octopus44]

Glad you like the scape.

Yeah, the algae is still a bit of a problem. You should have seen two weeks ago though. You could hardly see any plants because everything was covered in hair algae and clado. I think I've got everything balanced now and the rest of the algae is on the way out. The BBA is all turning red which puts a smile on my face .

 

[octopus44]

Purple Algae!

Purple Algae! roud:

Sprayed the BBA with H2O2 on Sunday and it is looking particularly unhappy today.

 

[octopus44]

I just noticed that my Polygonum praetermissum 'Porto Velho' started putting out flowers!

 

[davocean]

I like this, similar to my layout(except mine hasn't grown out yet) which is nice for me to better visualize my own tanks path(hopefully)

 

[octopus44]

Some pics of my Farlowella acus. One of my favorite fish.

 

[blackandyellow]

Wow it´s very nice, really like it. Love your Farlowella!

 

[octopus44]

Thanks. The farlowella is a really cool fish. During the day it mostly stays very still trying to look like a stick (which it's very good at). It tries so hard to look like a stick that it doesn't swim away when I get close to him while trimming. He even allows me to touch him sometimes :icon_bigg.

It's more active at night and cool to watch with the moonlights on.

 

[davocean]

Lol, you know, the more I look at your tank, the more similarities I see(and purely coincidental)
Pretty sure we have same tank, same light, same sub, same basic layout, same val back.
Mine just isn't as grown out.
It's like lookin into the future man!lol
At least our avatars are different enough, though I do have an octopus tattoo!lol

 

[octopus44]

Yeah, I can see a bit of a similarity with the vals.

You have an octopus tattoo?! I have been saving up to get an octopus on my right shoulder with its tentacles extending down my forearm. Have any pics?

 

[davocean]

Sure do!

 

[ZooTycoonMaster]

Wow this is a very nice tank!

I think the algae looks very nice when it pearls IMO

How are you diffusing your CO2?

 

[octopus44]

Cool tattoo davocean roud:. I can't wait to get mine.

Glad you like the tank zootycoon. I am using one of those cheap boyu diffusers. It works very well and its nice to have the diffuser out of the tank. The only downside is tons of tiny bubbles which cloud the tank.

 

[nismo tetra]

Farlowella's are awesome. Somewhat rare to. Awesome tank man

 

[Hilde]

Lovely tank!!:icon_roll

How is the battle with BBA going? I have a chronic problem with it in my tank. I have found dosing with KNO3 keeps it at bay.