[xrayguy]

well it's high time I finally show what I got. I've been lurking, asking, and even commenting on here for a while.

I've been into fish since I was a kid. Started with my dad and I, then after college I went on a hiatus til about 10 years ago my wife bought me a betta and a bowl. It died the next day. We decided it was because the house we were living in wasn't heated, and bought some fluval thing for the betta. Pintrest found my wife and she wanted a moss tree....... and aquascaping got into my blood.

So, after going up one tank, I got 2 foot-itis. I found a used 72 gallon bow and the price was right.

So...
equipment
fx4
sunsun 703
hydor inline heater
milwaukee ph controller, and regulator
2 geeni smart power bars
rex grigg reactor
2- 48" fluval plant 3.0 lights
2- kamoer x1 dosing pumps
flourite red and black substrate.

as you can see, I'm not really organized inside my cabinet. My wire work needs major attention. 1 day I will get to it, but it's not on top of my list.

Now to what you all came for. Please feel free to give me suggestions and critisms.

My wife and I love shrimp, so moss and a carpet up front are important to me. The moss tree is overgrown, and not really what it was meant to be anymore. There are more than enought plants for the shrimp to hide if I ever get the copper issues in my house under control. As for the carpet upfront, it's painful. That marislea crenata is several months old.

Left side

Right side. This side I usually have stuff growing out and trying to see if it will live. Like that sad piece of L arromatica.

As you can see I do have a bit of BBA going on the gravel.

Thanx for reading.

 

[xrayguy]

Moss tree got hit with the weed wacker. Looks bad this week, but it will grow back quick enough.

Some new plants this week. Lobelia cardinalis wavy in the picture in the middle with the cory cat. And an anubias nana pinto.

 

[ReeferRusso]

Looks like a nice set up!

When mentioning "copper issues in your house under control" are you referring to copper in your house water?

What are you dosing with the pumps?

 

[Quagulator]

Looks great, I've always liked tank with a natural coloured substrate. I was seriously considering a natural look with my current tank.

What is your current dosing and water change routine like?

 

[xrayguy]

I have copper pipes in the house, which gives me really high copper levels in my tanks. My house is 35 years old. I use a hanna low range copper checker. In my 72 I am use cuprisorb to try and battle the copper, with not much success. My last test was 114 PPB.

As for dosing I am 13 ppm no3, 1.45 po4, 3.29 K, 3 times per week. and 5 grams of csm-b which gives me 1.56 ppm fe.
I just got my kamoer auto dosers, so I'm just learning how to play with my liquid ferts.

I change my water once a week, usually around 40%.

 

[xrayguy]

Been a while since I updated my journal. I found a bucket list plant for me. The pink flamingo. Saw it for sale late on a sunday night and got out of bed to place the order the on my computer. When it got home, it wasn't quite as impressive as my wife expected. Thankfully she doesn't know what I paid for it.

Little more changes to the left side of the tank.

I've also switched a couple of plants in the middle of the tank. Still nursing the red cross, and got a ludwiga cuba. Also a tc of marislea hirsulata. Hopefully that will take hold and carpet. If not, well that's the end of the carpet dream.

Not much changed on the right side.

Lowering my dosage of macros, n 4.5, p1.3, k3.29 3x week. Trying to get nitrates to a safer range in preparation for the re-introduction of shrimp. I'm getting close.

 

[xrayguy]

some crappy cell picks, not sure why the plants look blurry.

My pink flamingos are taking off like wild fire!!!!! I also added some red neon blue eyed rainbows. The survival rate was less than ideal, but I still have 5 total.

FTS, my BBA is amost gone. I think the switch to r/o has had something to do with it. Probably the dosing pump too. Either way I'm quite please with how the tank is looking from an algae perspective. I've been without co2 for about a week and a half as well because of a flow meter issue and plants don't seem to be crying too much. New 1 should be here any day now..

 

[xrayguy]

Long time no update.

Got a gift for a member on this board. It's christmas in september!!!! It caused a decent purge of some plants I've been meaning to get rid of, and thinnning others out for the time being.

Now, it'll take a bit of time for some these plants to grow. Hopefully they will thrive with my light and dosing conditions.

cheers
r

 

[Hendy8888]

Long time no update.

Got a gift for a member on this board. It's christmas in september!!!! It caused a decent purge of some plants I've been meaning to get rid of, and thinnning others out for the time being.
View attachment 1033540 View attachment 1033541 View attachment 1033542 View attachment 1033543


Now, it'll take a bit of time for some these plants to grow. Hopefully they will thrive with my light and dosing conditions.

cheers
r

They look so tiny compared to yours! Glad I could get you a few new species and a few that you already had apparently. Interested to see how they grow for you with those lights too. Also, it's nice to see someone else growing 2ft tall stems of H. Pinnatifida, not so common it seems. Looking forward to more updates!

 

[xrayguy]

The H Pinnatifida is a really healthy hardy stalk. Really easy to hold its own.

They look tiny now, but give them a few weeks, and they will look beautiful like the others!

Thanx again chris.