[alfalfa]

but I'll leave the filter holder piece because I don't know if I'll need it in the future.

I took it off permanently knowing I'd never use that filter on it again. Besides discovering the trick to restarting the filter (do the "maybe this will work" thing for 20 minutes), fish swim up into the open C-shaped part of the filter arm that slides on that mount. They die because they can't turn around. After it happened to us, we decided to deChi it.

The good thing is that since I painted the background with black, that piece is hardly noticeable (That was one of the reasons why I painted it in the first place).

That background looks really great! I have black posterboard on mine at the moment.

 

[Chizpa305]

Update:
* The algae is persistent. I mean it is not expanding any more, but it isn't going away either. I am looking for Nerite snails. If someone is willing and able to sell me a few of those snails LMK please.
* I bought some Ludwigia (don't know which kind). I am planning in redoing the background plant configuration. I think I will plant them in this order from left to right: Ludwigia, D Diandra, and Lysimachia aurea. For now this will be my next step, but I will wait until the plants grow taller.
* One last thing, I've been noticing my neon tetras are attacking each other and acting a little territorial. I don't know if this is natural. I thought that neons were passive schooling fish.

 

[Mablisboa]

View attachment 47451 View attachment 47452
View attachment 47454 View attachment 47453
Update:
* The algae is persistent. I mean it is not expanding any more, but it isn't going away either. I am looking for Nerite snails. If someone is willing and able to sell me a few of those snails LMK please.
* I bought some Ludwigia (don't know which kind). I am planning in redoing the background plant configuration. I think I will plant them in this order from left to right: Ludwigia, D Diandra, and Lysimachia aurea. For now this will be my next step, but I will wait until the plants grow taller.
* One last thing, I've been noticing my neon tetras are attacking each other and acting a little territorial. I don't know if this is natural. I thought that neons were passive schooling fish.

What kind of algae you been having?
My Neon Tetras were doing that too, I did a little research and as long as they are not hurting each other is perfectly normal.

 

[Chizpa305]

Mablisboa: I have Green Dust Algae in my tank. I have had it since almost the beginning and probably came along with the stem plants that I currently have in the tank. But there is also like a light brown dusty algae looking thing on the glass too. It is hard to see from a picture, but it is there and it is extremely hard to remove physically. I took a clean toothbrush and scraped it for several minutes and nothing!!!. I tried using different tools, my hand and whatever came to mind but it is just very very hard to remove. I suppose it is some kind of algae but it could be something else. Another thing that came to my mind is iron rust.. I wonder if it is possible to get iron rust on the glass from dosing iron ferts (I doubt it). The am dosing the suggested amount of Iron fertilizer according to the instructions on the bottle which is 0.5ml in my < 5 gallons of water

 

[Mablisboa]

Ohh so it's a hard one to get rid off... Mine tank had, well still has a little tea color water but is was because of the driftwood... My otos took cake of the diatoms i had... I had a little problem with hair algae too but it was too much light and too much fish food and the food i was using had a lot of phophate on it and that can cause algea problems too (that's what i was reading not sure if is right).

 

[Chizpa305]

Update:

* Hello everyone. As you can see I did the changes I wanted to make to the background plants. I added the Ludwigia with hopes of getting some red color to the left corner, but let's see how it behaves... It'll probably just turn green like the rest. Now I will let them all grow tall and thick.

* I know that the HC needs some trimming. But I was kind of lazy. Maybe this week I'll do it.

* Also I am waiting for some orders I made. Including three Nerite Snails that will hopefully help me fight the algae. ((((Nerites to the rescue!!!:angryfire Vs :bounce:algae))))


Let me know if you like or dislike the new plant configuration or anything else in the tank.
Thank you!!

 

[JMex]

Update:

* Hello everyone. As you can see I did the changes I wanted to make to the background plants. I added the Ludwigia with hopes of getting some red color to the left corner, but let's see how it behaves... It'll probably just turn green like the rest. Now I will let them all grow tall and thick.

* I know that the HC needs some trimming. But I was kind of lazy. Maybe this week I'll do it.

* Also I am waiting for some orders I made. Including three Nerite Snails that will hopefully help me fight the algae. ((((Nerites to the rescue!!!:angryfire Vs :bounce:algae))))


Let me know if you like or dislike the new plant configuration or anything else in the tank.
Thank you!!

I feel like it makes the scape look a bit stagnant with all the stems just lined up on the back like that. Golden ratio and all that jazz. When they grow out try to make some slope to them and/or add more coming towards the front to give it depth I would say. You should tell me how you do with trimming HC/what you use. I am having problems getting mine trimmed good since the tank is taller than it is wide. Also, nerites will decimate the algae. I started to get some GSA on my rocks and within a day they had it all cleaned up.

 

[Chizpa305]

JMex: Yeah I agree with you that it looks very artificial. I think I was a little inspired by dutch style. I am planning in getting more plants in there. in front of the background plants. It's just that it's been difficult to find the one I want. To trim the HC I use a very small scissor, but even tough it is very unconfortable. That is precisely why I've been slacking lately about it.

 

[Chizpa305]

I have had the Nerite Snails now for about 5 days and they have made a very noticeable difference. I'll post some pictures latter of the algae before and after the Nerites so you guys can see for yourselves.

 

[JMex]

I have had the Nerite Snails now for about 5 days and they have made a very noticeable difference. I'll post some pictures latter of the algae before and after the Nerites so you guys can see for yourselves.

Good to hear!

 

[Chizpa305]

Before--------------------------------- After

Here is the comparison. There is still a lot of algae, but the difference is big. Nerite snails eat lots of algae daily. If you are wondering why the two pictures at the right look more red in color, it is because I had to change the bulb. The one I had stopped working after an electrical surge and now I don't know where I can buy the same bulb model since they only sell those in Europe. I'm a little worried that if I put a lower wattage bulb the plants might not look as healthy... And no, the light had anything to do with the algae reduction since all that happened just a few minutes before I took the last two pictures.

I planted a new plant on the left too. Its Pearlgrass. Thanks to tbonedeluxe here in the forum who sold them to me. They still look a little deteriorated because its delicate leaves had to suffer from a long trip, but I'm sure they'll look very green and bushy in a little while.

Jmex, I appreciate all the feedback. I will put more middle plants to help decrease the symmetrical appearance of the background. I am planning to add some Stauragyne repens in one of the front corners and also some small red plant to the right of the cave. I will go little by little so that I can think what to add next and where to add it.

 

[JMex]

Here is the comparison. There is still a lot of algae, but the difference is big. Nerite snails eat lots of algae daily. If you are wondering why the two pictures at the right look more red in color, it is because I had to change the bulb. The one I had stopped working after an electrical surge and now I don't know where I can buy the same bulb model since they only sell those in Europe. I'm a little worried that if I put a lower wattage bulb the plants might not look as healthy... And no, the light had anything to do with the algae reduction since all that happened just a few minutes before I took the last two pictures.

I planted a new plant on the left too. Its Pearlgrass. Thanks to tbonedeluxe here in the forum who sold them to me. They still look a little deteriorated because its delicate leaves had to suffer from a long trip, but I'm sure they'll look very green and bushy in a little while.

Jmex, I appreciate all the feedback. I will put more middle plants to help decrease the symmetrical appearance of the background. I am planning to add some Stauragyne repens in one of the front corners and also some small red plant to the right of the cave. I will go little by little so that I can think what to add next and where to add it.

You have the fluval light fixture right? Amazon sells the bulbs for that for $10 I think. You might be able to fit a lower wattage CFL from home depot too, I tried the 25 watt ones and they don't fit though. The pearlgrass looks really good there! It's already detracting from the symmetrical feel it had.

 

[Chizpa305]

You have the fluval light fixture right?

No, that's not the fluval light. It is the finnex nano refugium. Isn't that the same as the one you have? From the pictures I think it is the same one. I'll pass by home depot tomorrow and see what they have.

 

[JMex]

No, that's not the fluval light. It is the finnex nano refugium. Isn't that the same as the one you have? From the pictures I think it is the same one. I'll pass by home depot tomorrow and see what they have.

Doh, finnex is what i meant :icon_conf Yes, they have the bulbs on amazon. I would try to get the smaller CFLs if you are going the home depot light cause the bigger ones, i think 20+, were too wide to fit in the casing. But even then I'm not entirely sure cause I have just been using the special bulbs for it

 

[Chizpa305]

Wow! you're right. I looked for it everywhere not too long ago and could not find any. I was searching it under "aquatic nature solar lux" which is what the bulb has written on the side, but under that search it doesn't come up in amazon, and in google only some Europeans sites appeared to sell it. I'm happy I can get it again. thanks for that.

 

[Chizpa305]

I thought it was looking sexy today, and I decided to post these pics.

 

[jncme]

Looks good man, do you use any ferts? and how long do you leave the light on?

 

[Chizpa305]

Looks good man, do you use any ferts? and how long do you leave the light on?

I use Excel and Seachem Iron, I leave the light for 12 hrs/day

 

[Chizpa305]

It's been a while since my last update, but the tank is still running. I'm going to make some changes in the coming days since I bought some new living photosynthesizing multicellular eukariotic organisms generally known as plants. XD. I'm going to post some new pics in a few days.

 

[Chizpa305]

Hello guys.

I decided to upgrade the aquarium with a DIY CO2 system. It is the first time I try this, but I think is going well... more or less. I bought one of those Nutrafin CO2 bubble counter/diffuser (one of them ladder types) for about $13 and connected it to the fermentation canister. At first I thought the diffuser was too big for my 5 gal aquarium, but when I installed it, it does not look that bad. Right now I am using the regular baker's yeast that you find at most food stores. I've read that the Champagne yeast is better for this because it lasts longer, but since this is my first try I just wanted to get the yeast quickly to try it. Maybe in the future I'll change to the champagne yeast if the price is low.

I planted some new plants too (Staurogyne repens and Pogostemon helferi) so let's see if the CO2 does really enhance the appearance of the plants.

I'm sorry I don't have any pics to show you. My phone was not waterproof and I took it for a swim and I don't currently have another camera... I know, it's embarrassing. But I'll see what I can do to show you my setup and scape soon.