[MamaJu]

Update:

Moss wall: Took the white plastic grid off the left wall because the moss didn't look like it was growing through the mesh. Ugh... I removed it too soon. The moss was attaching to the wall and growing in nicely behind the grid. Plus the moss was growing in evenly. I should have left it on for a little longer. Overall the moss has been attaching to the wall and looking great.

Plants: Removed a plant that was only growing green algae. It was looking ugly so I removed it.

Did some light trimming and replanting. I need to work on learning how to trim the plants so that they look nice. Currently they look like they got a lopsided haircut. Any advice?

 

[MamaJu]

Removed heaters since the weather has gotten warmer.

Removed 5 small platyes.

Rearranged plants and did some light thinning. Trimmed the mother Amazon Sword to the substrate... Not sure if that was a good idea or not.

Phil and friends,

I have a bunch of questions:
1) Do I trim the moss wall?
2) Should I cut the stem plants all the way to the substrate for it to grow in thicker?
3) Do I trim the tiger lotus?
4) Any suggestions on the plant arrangement?
5) Any suggestions on which plant to remove or plant?

Thanks in advance everyone

 

[MamaJu]

One step too far...

Purchased some Rotala Butterfly from a member on this forum (thanks Mot). I had so much that I thought that I needed to rearrange the set up.

This was the tank before the new addition

This was the tank after the addition

I thought Rotala Butterfly's leaves were too similar to the plant that is to the left of it. So I moved this, trimmed that, etc.

I should have stopped there... after adding the Rotala Butterfly

A couple of hours later. This is what my dutch aquarium looks like now... I got carried away with the scissors.

One step forward, 2 steps back...

Now I'm second guessing the moves. I have 15 plants, one over the dutch rule of 1 plant per 10 cm... Ugh. One plant needs to go... maybe I should have left the purple cabomba where is was and just gotten rid of the plant that was to the right of the Rotala Butterfly. Maybe it'll look better when it grows in. :help::help::help:

Hopefully it grows in quickly.

 

[werner_eye]

I don't think anything needs to go. That tank looks awesome and will only get better. I don't thing the algae grower under you name fits as well as it does for me...my anubias are covered with blue green. But, back on subject, that is the kind of success i'm looking for. You should be ecstatic with your progress. Keep it up and keep the pics coming.

 

[MamaJu]

You know you're addicted when...

... you have to wait for your husband to leave the house before you touch the tank because there is no one to control my impulses.

I couldn't help it. I was up all night staring at the pictures of my dutch aquarium. So I woke up this morning and waited for my husband to leave before I started to mess with the aquarium again.

I switched the Cabomba Purple (Red) (Cabomba pulcherrima) and Bacopa monnieri. The reason I prefer the 2nd image before the hack job, is because it looks like the focus is the Lobelia cardinalis street. The path looks like it leads somewhere beyond...

Full View

werner_eye,

Thank you for the encouraging words. It's hard to tell from the pictures but I do have algae. I combat it with oto's, siamese algae eaters, snails, and amano shrimps. Don't feel bad about your anubias, my anubias that are pinned to the wall is turning yellow and growing holes... Not doing well at all. I still have a lot to learn.

Lesson 1: Patiences
I need to let my aquarium grow in... otherwise there will be nothing left since I damage the bottom of the stems every time I move the plants around.

Lesson 2: Learn trimming technique
I'm still working on how to trim the plants without making it look like bad haircut. My plan is to cut the stems an inch from the substrate and replant the tops. I'm hoping that the rooted stem will grow two additional branches and that the tops of the replant will root. Hopefully the short stems will get enough light and not melt away.

 

[MamaJu]

Question about fish for Dutch Aquascape

Now that I am waiting for my plants to grow, I want to focus on my fish selection.

Judging criteria for the planted aquarium
Animals
- Appropriate number of fish to the size of the aquarium
- schooling fish should be at least ten
- Compatibility of fish species and other animals

Current Stock
Animals{
Top Level Swimmers:
3 Marble Hatchet (Carnegiella strigata 2" temp 75-81° F, KH 10-18, pH 5.5-7.5)

Top - Mid Level Swimmers:
7 Boesemani Rainbow (Melanotaenia boesemani 3" temp 72 - 77, KH 9 - 19, pH 7 - 8)
3 Threadfin Rainbow (Iriatherina werneri 2" temp 72 - 77, KH 7 - 10, pH 5.8 - 6.5)
3 Praecox Rainbow (Melanotaenia praecox 3" temp 64 - 72, KH 8 - 12, pH 5.8 - 6.5)
1 Turquoise Rainbow (Melanotaenia lacustris 4" temp 70-77, KH 10-12, pH 7.0-7.5)

Mid Level Swimmers:
6 Von rio flame tetra (Hyphessobrycon flammeus 2" temp 72 - 77, KH 4 - 8, pH 5.5 - 7.5)

Bottom Level Swimmers:
2 German Blue Ram (Papiliochromis ramirezi 3" temp 72-79° F, KH 5-12, pH 5.0-7.0)
1 Apistogramma borellii (4" temp 68 - 79, KH 8 - 18, pH 6 - 8)

Clean-up Crew:
5 Otocinclus Catfish (Otocinclus sp. 2" temp 74-79° F, KH 6-10, pH 6.8-7.5)
2 Siamese Algae Eater (Crossocheilus siamensis 6" temp 75-79° F, KH 5-10, pH 6.5-7.0)
1 Zebra Netrite snail (Neritina natalensis sp. "Zebra" 1" temp 72 - 78, dH 8 - 12, pH 7 - 8.5)
1 Black Mystery snail (2" temp 68 - 85, KH 12 - 18, pH 6.5 - 8)
1 Apple snail (2" temp 68 - 85, KH 12 - 18, pH 6.5 - 8)
}

Thinking about changing the stock to
Animals{
Top Level Swimmers:
10 Marble Hatchet

Top - Mid Level Swimmers:
7 Boesemani Rainbow
7 Praecox Rainbow

Mid Level Swimmers:
10 Rummynose tetra

Bottom Level Swimmers:
2 German Blue Ram
1 Apistogramma borellii

Clean-up Crew:
5 Otocinclus Catfish
2 Siamese Algae Eater
}

Do all the Rainbow fish need to be the same type when considering a minimum of 10 schooling fish?

Should Threadfin Rainbows and Praecox Rainbows be housed together with Boesemani Rainbow and Turquoise Rainbow? The former have pH requirements of 5.8 - 6.5 whereas the latter group has pH requirements of 7 - 8.

 

[MamaJu]

ICK Outbreak

So sad... I have an ick outbreak in my 75 gallon.

Day 1: I added aquarium salt and added heaters into the tank. I set the temp to 80.
Day 2: 30% water change. Turned off CO2. Stopped EI fert.
Day 3: 30% water change. Lost 1 Hatchet.
Day 4: Left tank alone.
Day 5: 30% water change. Moved spray bar over water level to increase O2.
Day 6: Everything seemed like it was looking up but then I woke up this morning, all my fish were covered with spots I'm so sad. My husband installed the inline heater and increased the temp to 85 and added more salt.

My plants seem to stop growing and I have cotton looking stuff growing on my plants... might be hair algae. I don't think I can do much about it at this time as my tank has an ick outbreak. Maybe I should decrease the light duration from 12 hours to 8.

I noticed that salt alone doesn't cure the ick, but it seems to sooth the fish as they moved around better with less flashing. It's only been a day with the temp at 85 so I'm hoping that I don't have any other deaths. Poor fish.

Can I continue with CO2 and EI for the plants while my tank has an ick outbreak? I feel like my SAEs started to flash right away after I dosed EI micro. I'm not sure if it was a coincidence or not.

My dilemma ... do I sacrifice the plants or the fish? Things were so much easier when all I had were cheap little platys in the tank. They were hardy fish and weren't bother by the CO2 or EI ferts. Now that I have spent a little money on fish, I don't want to loose them nor do I want to loose my plants now that I have them where I want them. ARGH! :icon_cry:

 

[burr740]

Wow, sorry to hear that I havent posted but Ive been following your journal

How much salt did you add? In my experience (with fish only tanks) it's best to increase the salt dosage every day or two as well, slowly up to like 3-4 tbsp per 5 gallons, along with a 30% water change every other day. Of course that is geared more toward saving the fish than plants. Ive never treated ich in a heavily planted tank, so take it for what it's worth.

Good luck, keep us posted

 

[MamaJu]

I put in about a cup of aquarium salt the first day. Today I didn't measure it... just grabbed a handful and threw it into the tank out of frustration. The fish swarmed to it as it sank to the bottom of the tank. I should probably check the pH and hardness when I wake up to see if I need to do another water change.

My husband even put Fenbendazole into the tank just in case it might help... figured it couldn't hurt.

 

[MamaJu]

Ick outbreak continues

The fish are looking better. Many still have white spots on them but not quite as much as before.

Sadly I only see 2 thread fin rainbows. I haven't discovered a body yet but that could mean that it was an expensive snack for his tank mates.

Well it makes my decision about populating my tank easier... I think the water param for the thread fin and others are too broad on the spectrum. The thread fin prefer cooler temp with softer water whereas the other rainbows like the opposite. Once the ick is under controlled I might sell the thread fin or put them in another tank.

Fertilizer{
added EI macro, excel, and add iron }

 

[MamaJu]

Lost another hatchet... now there is one. Less spots on fish but female German Blue Ram not looking so well. She has been hanging out near the spray bar and not moving around much.

Did 30% water change and she seemed to perk up a little. She swam out a couple of inches, threw up something white, and then swam back to the spray bar. I'm not sure what to do to help her. If I isolate her I think that it will stress her out even more. ARGH!! :help:

 

[MamaJu]

Another one bites the dust

Lost the last hatchet today. Could have been due to ick, the high temp, or a broken heart since it was the only one left.

Good news is that the german blue ram female survived. She was swimming around more but the male gbr kept chasing her around. She still looks like she has clamped fins. Hopefully she make it through.

There aren't any visible spots on any fish so I lowered the temp from 85 to 80. Hopefully I can resume CO2 and EI dosage again without worrying about losing any more fish.

 

[Little Soprano]

This tank is absolutely beautiful! Maybe one day I'll have to make a go at a Dutch tank

 

[burr740]

Indeed, beautiful tank. Glad to hear the worst is over.

Any idea what caused the outbreak? Usually it's either a drop in temperature or from the addition of new fish that may already be sick.

 

[MamaJu]

Thank you for the kind words.

I can't pinpoint the exact cause of the outbreak as I made so many changes within a few days.

I originally took the heaters out of the tank because I had a Columnaris outbreak. I lost all my bettas and a few tetras. I think it came from the fish I got from PetCo. I can't remember the medication that was used but my tank recovered from it. Then I added a new plant and then a couple of new fish. I probably could have avoided all this if I had set up a quarantine tank.

My husband is begging me to stop adding and moving things around now that the tank is stable. I can't make promises I can't keep. I told him that I have a list of fish I wanted to add and my plants need to be trimmed regularly. :icon_mrgr: I guess that I could wait until my tank has fully grown before adding more live stock.

Right now my plants are suffering. They are stunted from the high temp, lack of CO2, and ferts. Lots of them have been uprooted because of all the flashing from my fish. ARGHHH! :icon_mad:

 

[Phil Edwards]

Looking really good! I'm sorry to hear about the fish, but the plants and scaping are coming along nicely.

 

[MamaJu]

Female German Blue Ram has a bubble eye. I removed her and placed her in an isolated tank. Husband medicated her with antibiotics. Added epson salt the next day. Hopefully she makes it.

To do list:
fertilize - I am debating if I should continue with EI dosing or use up all my seachem ferts first. I might use up all my seachem ferts first as it's taking up a lot of room.

So now I need to research my seachem fertilization schedule.

 

[MamaJu]

1 Flame Tetra died along with some other small platy fry. Noticed that the dead fish were caught in the needle java fern and other debris was getting stuck in it. I was concerned that it was blocking the intake flow so I removed the java fern.

Tested the water.
ph 7.2
gh 5
kh 1

Did a 50% water change.
Dosed EI Micro
Added 5 ml of Seachem Iron.
Turned CO2 back on.

Hopefully my plants will start to look better. Currently my red plants look green. :icon_frow I'm hoping the Rotala macrandra will turn red like the ones in Tom Barr's tank since this plant was originally from Tom.

:help: Does anyone have any suggestions on enhancing the color of the red plants?

The blue hydro's leaves are shredded up like something has eaten the leaves. I'm not sure how to fix it. The plant looks like it's swiveling up instead of growing lush...

I have a couple stems of downoi left. Really sad since I started with 3 packets from Petsmart. I'm not sure if I should keep trying or save my money. Seem like I'm having a difficult time getting the plant to root in the flourite. Anyone have any suggestions?

 

[Little Soprano]

1 Flame Tetra died along with some other small platy fry. Noticed that the dead fish were caught in the needle java fern and other debris was getting stuck in it. I was concerned that it was blocking the intake flow so I removed the java fern.

Tested the water.
ph 7.2
gh 5
kh 1

Did a 50% water change.
Dosed EI Micro
Added 5 ml of Seachem Iron.
Turned CO2 back on.

Hopefully my plants will start to look better. Currently my red plants look green. :icon_frow I'm hoping the Rotala macrandra will turn red like the ones in Tom Barr's tank since this plant was originally from Tom.

:help: Does anyone have any suggestions on enhancing the color of the red plants?

The blue hydro's leaves are shredded up like something has eaten the leaves. I'm not sure how to fix it. The plant looks like it's swiveling up instead of growing lush...

I have a couple stems of downoi left. Really sad since I started with 3 packets from Petsmart. I'm not sure if I should keep trying or save my money. Seem like I'm having a difficult time getting the plant to root in the flourite. Anyone have any suggestions?

View attachment 315058

Since you are already using some liquid ferts, have you considered Seachem's Aquavitro line? They only sell it at LFS from what I've read, not online, but I use the complete line in both of my tanks, and the reds really come through on my plants. The price really isn't bad at all, on two tanks with full dosing, I still have a lot of the bottles left. It's really great stuff, and insanely easy to use. I use Propel (Iron), Synthesis (nitrogen/nitrate), Activate (phosphorus), and Envy, which covers just about everything a plant could want aside from the other three. It's all very concentrated, so you don't use a lot, and it was about 10 bucks for each bottle. The Iron I use the most of and am only about half way through the bottle, dosing two tanks, and have been using it for almost 2.5-3 months now.... Just a thought. The reds on two of my plants (no idea what they are tbh), are very strong, and aside from algae, all of my plants are very healthy and grow like weeds.

http://www.aquavitro.com/products/plant.html

 

[burr740]

Up your lights for redder reds. You already have the ferts and co2 for it.

*edit: By that I mean brighter, not a longer photo-period