any CS'ers into planted aquariums, shrimps, fish or aquatic plants ?

[wongce]

just looking at all that lush hairgrass shows the amount of work you've put in

Glad to know someone appreciate my work...thanks, the foreground plant is Brazilian Microswords,it has slightly broader leaves than Hair grass..similar effect though..

Yes, a bit back-breaking but not hard at all,i recorded "step by step" pictures in my blog(see signature links)...

 

[silencer13]

My Med Tech tank

This is nice, very Amano.
I love Java Ferns on driftwood, makes it look so natural.

I used to keep planted tanks some 10 years ago. Unfortunately, wasn't into photography then, so never took any pictures. Real pity, because they were very nice.

 

[eejal]

Boss...those aren't hairgrass.

just looking at all that lush hairgrass shows the amount of work you've put in

 

[oceanpriest]

have yours produced yet ?

mine are 2nd generation (F2) brothers/sisters currently. I am planning on strengthening the genes in this present line of Sakuras by outcrossing to similar Reds from a different line in a couple of months.

the red ones all are female rite? how to get the male one?

 

[ed9119]

the red ones all are female rite? how to get the male one?

both males and females are red

difference is that females are much larger and you can see egg sacs on their lower half

 

[ManWearPants]

My Med Tech tank

This is very nice. More than 10 years ago, I have 2x 4 feet tank. In one, I have Tanganyika cichlids such as Frontosa, compressiceps, lamprologus. In the other, I have a planted tank with altum angels, discus, corydoras. I was too anal with how the landscapes look like. The cichlids dug holes, shifted sands, re-decorated the tank the way they like it. In the other, the plants with the CO2 grew very lush and quickly that I have to keep trimming them. The riccia will overgrow and float up to the surface. In the end, I realised I am dealing with living things and will never have things my way.

Just last month, I am back into the hobby. This time just a 1.5 feet tank. The below is how it look like from different angles 1 month on. Strange enough, the pH coming out from my tap is very low (<6.3). The smaller the tank, the water parameter is more sensitive. If I do not do partial water change for 1 week, the nitrite will shoot up. Maybe next year, I will upgrade to a 3 feet tank.

 

[ManWearPants]

Just got myself 20 pcs of Red Cherry Shrimps (Sakura reds) after cycling my little 30L pond for 4 weeks

These little guys seem to spend all day just eating and eating

Anyone into shrimps ?

I thought cherry reds and sakura reds are 2 different species. The former male is transparent while female is red. Sakuras are both red. I have some cherry red as they are more hardy and can survive room temperature.

Ed, since you are into bettas. Do you have lobang to get Melano HM male and steel blue HM female? I have tried to import from Thailand a few years ago but they turned out to be STM and have lots of iridescent in the colours.

 

[wongce]

This is very nice. More than 10 years ago, I have 2x 4 feet tank. In one, I have Tanganyika cichlids such as Frontosa, compressiceps, lamprologus. In the other, I have a planted tank with altum angels, discus, corydoras. I was too anal with how the landscapes look like. The cichlids dug holes, shifted sands, re-decorated the tank the way they like it. In the other, the plants with the CO2 grew very lush and quickly that I have to keep trimming them. The riccia will overgrow and float up to the surface. In the end, I realised I am dealing with living things and will never have things my way.

Just last month, I am back into the hobby. This time just a 1.5 feet tank. The below is how it look like from different angles 1 month on. Strange enough, the pH coming out from my tap is very low (<6.3). The smaller the tank, the water parameter is more sensitive. If I do not do partial water change for 1 week, the nitrite will shoot up. Maybe next year, I will upgrade to a 3 feet tank.

Thanks for the encouragement, Planted tank is a bit restrictive as it can't keep some types of fish/cray fish which dig holes/destroy plants...so i only keep some simple small fish n shrimps...

Cichlids itself is a attractive fish to keep... Have to give and take..

From your picture,it seems you are keeping shrimps too?? Fire red/sakura/cherry?? Hehe

Nitrate shoot up? I can pass u some frogbits if you want, great nitrate absorber... Not much but can keep on growing..

Frankly speaking,i seldom do wc, as i am a lazy person...eh,i only wc once a month...(disclamer: i only keep cheapo/hardy shrimps and fish, do not try this if you are keeping expensive lifestocks)

Keep more fast growing plants,your nitrate(no3) will be controlled(keep ard 20-40 still ok for my FR)

 

[wongce]

I thought cherry reds and sakura reds are 2 different species. The former male is transparent while female is red. Sakuras are both red. I have some cherry red as they are more hardy and can survive room temperature.

cherry,sakura,fire,painted are grades of the shrimp:- Yellow/red/orange/chocolate/snow white/blue pearl are colours of the particulate neocaridina genus shrimps; they belongs to the same family but selectively breed to exhibit different colours... original wild ones are either transparent or light brown in colour.

the grading system is differentiated by the solidness of their colour...(yellow,red,orange).. but they are really just "cherry pickings" as breeders normally will pick out solid coloured ones from a bunch of cherries and labelled them as Fire/painted (solid and chilli red, no white spots)/Sakura(some white spots, btw sakura means cherry blossom in japanese so you get the hint?) grade...

male display less vibrate colour than female, thus most fire grade shirmps sold in LFS are mostly female.... once in a while you get a solid male( its like kena lottery for me)

for more information on grading , you can check out the link below
Grading system of Cherry to Fire Red Shrimps?

Dear Mod, please delete link if you find it inappropriate.

 

[ed9119]

I thought cherry reds and sakura reds are 2 different species. The former male is transparent while female is red. Sakuras are both red. I have some cherry red as they are more hardy and can survive room temperature.

Ed, since you are into bettas. Do you have lobang to get Melano HM male and steel blue HM female? I have tried to import from Thailand a few years ago but they turned out to be STM and have lots of iridescent in the colours.

Red Cherry Shrimps and Sakura Reds are basically same species except that Sakuras are bred further to enhance the red color .... these 2 can cross breed no problem .... but outcome will be that Sakuras will revert back to their original cherry red colors

ha ha my betta keeping is on simple level what you are looking for is hard to find but some local breeders have them in stock .... i currently have about 15 pieces of dark metallic blues with black heads F2 2nd gen about 3+ week old fries at about 1cm long ..... once they wean off daphnia and onto dry food i can pass some to you

 

[ed9119]

This is very nice. More than 10 years ago, I have 2x 4 feet tank. In one, I have Tanganyika cichlids such as Frontosa, compressiceps, lamprologus. In the other, I have a planted tank with altum angels, discus, corydoras. I was too anal with how the landscapes look like. The cichlids dug holes, shifted sands, re-decorated the tank the way they like it. In the other, the plants with the CO2 grew very lush and quickly that I have to keep trimming them. The riccia will overgrow and float up to the surface. In the end, I realised I am dealing with living things and will never have things my way.

Just last month, I am back into the hobby. This time just a 1.5 feet tank. The below is how it look like from different angles 1 month on. Strange enough, the pH coming out from my tap is very low (<6.3). The smaller the tank, the water parameter is more sensitive. If I do not do partial water change for 1 week, the nitrite will shoot up. Maybe next year, I will upgrade to a 3 feet tank.

niceee very urban feel

what soil are you using ?

 

[ManWearPants]

Cichlids itself is a attractive fish to keep... Have to give and take..

Nitrate shoot up? I can pass u some frogbits if you want, great nitrate absorber... Not much but can keep on growing..

Frankly speaking,i seldom do wc, as i am a lazy person...eh,i only wc once a month...(disclamer: i only keep cheapo/hardy shrimps and fish, do not try this if you are keeping expensive lifestocks)

what soil are you using ?

Cichlids are amazing. The mating coloration of the male and the way the parents brood the eggs and fries in the mouth is a joy to watch. But they are too territorial and need space. They do better in a species tank.

Your tank is much bigger than mine so can withstand infrequent water changes. Smaller tank requires more maintenance and water parameter can fluctuates very quickly due to the smaller volume of water. I started with a new tank so the conditions has just started to stabilize but partial water change is still necessary.

I am using those Taiwanese made substrates meant for plants bought from C328. Each is a round granule I suspect compose of peat. At first I thought it is only my substrate that is making the pH low. But I tested directly from the tap and the pH is already at <6.3. I find it strange as I do not remember the pH to be this low 10 years ago. Then the introduction of my DIY CO2 further decrease the pH. I have introduce crush corals but while KH and DH have increased, pH still remains too low. I am still trying to adjust the pH in a natural way.

I also found on the Internet that PUB is adding ammonia to chlorine. This form chloramine which is lethal to fish. So also need to treat the water before performing partial water changes. Seems like the addition of newater to our reservoirs may have alter the water chemistry.

"Ammonia is added in the treated water containing free chlorine to form a stable chlorine residual."
source: PUB

A smaller tank definitely requires more monitoring effort.

cherry,sakura,fire,painted are grades of the shrimp:-

Red Cherry Shrimps and Sakura Reds are basically same species except that Sakuras are bred further to enhance the red color .... these 2 can cross breed no problem .... but outcome will be that Sakuras will revert back to their original cherry red colors

once they wean off daphnia and onto dry food i can pass some to you

Thanks for the education on shrimps. I used to have Yamato and crystal reds. The Yamato are effective algae cleaners but do not fit my plan now due to their larger size. The crystal reds keeps dying probably due to the higher temperature in my tank (29C). The initial purpose of the cherries are as food source for my pleco. However, my pleco seems to be not interested in them.

Actually, I am trying to achieve an equilibrium ecosystem. Pleco feed on shrimp and snails, shrimps and snails feed on plant, plant fertilized by animals' wastes. However, the pleco is not feeding on the shrimps and the snail is multiplying too quickly. I am hoping a betta can help to control the population of the snails and also as the show piece for my small tank. Thanks for your offer. However, I am looking for a true melano HM which has eluded me for many years. I used to also rear bettas. I even cultivate microworms for the fries. Imagine how many jars and container I have had then. I have put those days behind me. But a melano HM will get me into it again

 

[wongce]

Hi manwearpants, cichlids are colourful yet aggressive, not community fish..but they look great with some stone caves and rock scapes

My tank is just 2 feet...i am just pure lazy...lol but having a heavily planted tank does help a lot by consuming nitrate/waste.

Crystal red shrimps(CRS) requires 25degres celcius and strict water parameters...not an easy shrimp to keep. I rather keep neocaridina genus shrimps...

For ammonia, you need to cycle your tank properly so it has sufficient beneficial bacteria(bb) to counter/neutralize the ammonia...short cut:- Use seachem prime(direct neutralize) or add BB in the bottle(expensive)...hehe

Most aquascape soil has this PH buffering effect( around Ph 6). I used Ada amazonia New soil which hits PH 5!! But there are several ways to buffer it down slowly using sodium bicarbonate, coral...but they will increase GH which is not good for shrimps if its too high. The easiest way is to do a wc using higher PH water(my tap water is around 7)

For co2,not all plants requires high co2 injection, low tech plants do not need high co2, but weekly dosage of seachem excel is recomended. From your picture, most plants you have do not requires high co2,except for the bunch of foreground plant( i assume its H.cuba? Too small for me to identify).

I think there is a misunderstanding,most shrimps don't eat healty plants unless very hungry(except red nose,ghost shrimps). Betta do not eat snails, to counter pest snails,get assassin snail.

 

[ed9119]

manwearpants, u might need a loach the tank to get the cycle going

 

[ManWearPants]

For ammonia, you need to cycle your tank properly so it has sufficient beneficial bacteria(bb) to counter/neutralize the ammonia...short cut:- Use seachem prime(direct neutralize) or add BB in the bottle(expensive)...hehe

Most aquascape soil has this PH buffering effect( around Ph 6). I used Ada amazonia New soil which hits PH 5!! But there are several ways to buffer it down slowly using sodium bicarbonate, coral...but they will increase GH which is not good for shrimps if its too high. The easiest way is to do a wc using higher PH water(my tap water is around 7)

For co2,not all plants requires high co2 injection, low tech plants do not need high co2, but weekly dosage of seachem excel is recomended. From your picture, most plants you have do not requires high co2,except for the bunch of foreground plant( i assume its H.cuba? Too small for me to identify).

I think there is a misunderstanding,most shrimps don't eat healty plants unless very hungry(except red nose,ghost shrimps). Betta do not eat snails, to counter pest snails,get assassin snail.

I am referring to the ammonia added by PUB into our water with chlorine to form chloramine. I am not a chemist but do a search on chloramine and you will see our tap water is no longer safe for our tank. I treat tap water with Seachem Safe and let it stand overnight before adding to the tank.

Yes, you are right about the pH of substrates. I think it will take a long time to neutralize the pH level in my tank. I should have gone for the brown river sand if not for the desire to have dark gravel.

The foreground plant is a small patch of H. Cuba (Hemianthus callitrichoides, I think). While the plants in my tank can do without CO2, I believe CO2 will make the plants flourish. My aim is to have the H.Cuba produce bubbles of oxygen but now keeping them alive seems to be a problem. My X-mas moss also grow miserably without the CO2. Anyway, I DIY the CO2 and is a low cost setup with recycled bottle, sugar and yeast. The CO2 infusion does make a difference.

Maybe betta will feed on the eggs of snails??? I only want to control the population as my pleco do feed on snails but not enough to stop population growth.

Thanks for sharing and your advices. I setup the tank overnight as I managed to obtain the plecos ahead of time. I am in a better position for my next tank

manwearpants, u might need a loach the tank to get the cycle going

Loach and my plecos don't mix.

 

[wongce]

Hi manwearpants, i am glad to help a fellow hobbyist...no problem at all (as long you guys don't find me long winded and speaking greek) lol

Seachem prime is liquid form of seachem safe(in case you do not know). Don't worry too much, the amount of ammonia is not too strong and if your PH is low,it will exist in ammonium form(non toxic).

I meant if your tank is established and cycled properly, the tap water's low amount of ammonia will be converted to nitrite/nitrate pretty fast by the army of bb in your tank and filter

However,its good practise to prepare anti chlorine/chloramine and age water for few days prior adding into water( as you already did,thus i don't need to eloborate further)

H.C is a high requirement plant and requires both high co2 and high light (3-4wpg)... I do not recommend this plant for newbies and low tech hobbyist. If not mistaken you are trying to create a lawn effect right? You can try out glosso, Hairgrass,microswords but i still recommend high light with pressurised co2 for maximum effect and low creeping effect. Without sufficient co2 and high lights, foreground plants tends to melt and grows tall. However,the lawn effect of HC is really GOOD. Another problem with plants is the way they were grown in farms(emerged). Thus when submerged in water,normal readily available sunlight/co2 from air are all gone. To wit,some will not survive the initial melting. Thats why most aquascapers will pump co2 and use high light setup to mimic the environment.

Moss are generally low requirement;my lucky guess: your tank water temperature is around 30 degrees? It might be too hot for them,my advise is to get a aquarium fan or try to lower down your ambient temperature to at least around 28 degrees celcius.


Co2 is essential for plants, but for low tech plants...you really just need some aeration(for livestocks and minimize protein layer).Fyi,my low tech tank does not have co2 enrichment...i just have a air pump and have some aeration...so far so good. It very much depend on the plants you are keeping. Btw, pressurized co2 is like tonic to plants...hehe enjoy the growth speed.

What i like about aquascaping is...we are like playing god to little creatures. We create landscape,light,air : suitable enviroment for then to live happily.... But if you do not do it properly,its like creating a hell to them.

Btw,loaches grow big...not suitable for small tanks(recomend at least 3 feet tank) or they will jump out.

You like pleco?? Share some pictures of them please... I kept L128 before,but maybe its too young to be kept in my community tank...so it mia already...sigh. Pleco are known to be scape destroyer... But the choice is yours if you do not mind replanting every now and then...

I apalogise for being long winded and if some of you fell asleep while reading the above stuffs...lol...good lullaby for some...haha

 

[ManWearPants]

Not at all. Always good to have someone华山论剑.

I have planted glosso and hairgrass >10 years ago with good success but they did not produce the bubble lawn effect. Furthermore, the leaves are too big for my mini tank now. I am trying for mini leafy foreground. My substrate may be too light and noy dense enough to hold hair grass down. I am using LED lighting. I suspect the light temperature is not suitable for HC. My mini tank is rather shallow so light penetration is not a problem. I will live with it till I get my high tech 3 feet next year . I think I will. It is Aquarama year in 2013. I aerate the water surface so the temp is about 29C. Other conditions the same, I find after infusing CO2, the java moss has finer growth and better spread.

I am keeping L46 now. More than 15 years ago, I bought each for very cheap. They are nocturnal and very shy. So after a few months of not seeing them, I decided to discard them. Then Brazil banned their export due to declining numbers. Imagine my heartache when I see them selling for hundreds in LFS. I guess I am still haunted by those that I have discarded in Sungei Gadong. So I am redeeming myself now. Who knows, maybe that river has a healthy population of L46 and is now the Rio Singu. Jokes aside, I am much older and cherishes each and every life now. So while playing god, I try to create an environment where they can flourish. And will stay committed and keep them for long time to come. They may not bark like a dog or cuddle beside you like a cat. By bringing them home, the fishes are dependent on you for survival.

 

[wongce]

Wah, grandmaster spotted!! Lol... I Better watch what i write from now onwards.

I also feel the same for glosso,but they are good for bigger tanks and a lot easier...i also have some DHG in my tank now as trial...hehe going to rescape soon,so looking for a suitable candidate for foreground plant...

For pearling effect,you need :- a lot of co2 in the water,still water(shut off all equipment except lights) and lastly patience.....after around 2 hours,you will see pearling(at least some on the leaves). Note: this method will stress livestock,do not continue if livestocks are gasping for air,good for plants does not mean good for livestocks.

Riccia will pearl like nobody's business in these condition...you can check out my blog for pictures which i took. Its a small experiment.

IMHO,effects from Led lighting still quite questionable except you are using those expensive type with suitable Colour temperature... I use 4xt5ho and the effects are good...

For moss, the effect of co2 is faster growth...i kept both in low and mid tech condition...mid tech condition growth is significant. However,i did not notice the "finer" leaves though...looks the same to me...lol

L46? Zebras... Expensive stuff....

You sure you want to go high tech?? To compete for iaplc?? Heheh...

Agreed,its sad to see some people just setup/buy pets, and not maintain nor care about their pets...

 

[ManWearPants]

grandmaster? I am not that old and furthermore took a 10 years break from this hobby. The happy part is after all these years, first time went back to C328. I asked the lady boss can remember me? She said yes, watch you grow up from young.

You know much more than me so that makes u great grandmaster.

Yes, I am skeptical of the inexpensive LED lightings. But since bought already make do with it. This is my 2nd patch of HC this month. If this patch cannot survive, I may just fall back to grosso. Riccia can be a pain in axx. They need to be properly secured and grow too fast. So end up have to give them regular haircut or the whole bunch float to the top. I didn't enjoy it the last time. However, I have seen many beautiful setups which I think probably cannot last long due to the above mentioned. I also didn't want it this time as the threads and rigs to hold them down may trap the L46.

L46 is like panda under water. They are gorgeous with their distinct black and white stripes. I think C328 still have a few. QH should also have. I have to set up my tank hastily as someone wanted to offload his at a more affordable price so quickly grabbed. There are a few sellers online occasionally. The last that I heard is that it is still banned from direct export.

I still want to get my 3 x 2 x 2 tank regardless of hi or low tech. Same as L46, my adventure with Altum angels was shortlived as someone said they are bad fengshui due to their pointed shapes. My dad suffered from poor health during that time so off they went as a precaution. So really wanted to have them again. I would need a deeper tank for them so their finnage can exhibit full growth. But will probably require halogen lights for plants at such depth. Also thinking of a full water filtration system under the cabinet. Anyway, still early days, just dreaming about it. Will probably action after seeing Aquarama next year.

 

[wongce]

grandmaster? I am not that old and furthermore took a 10 years break from this hobby. The happy part is after all these years, first time went back to C328. I asked the lady boss can remember me? She said yes, watch you grow up from young.

You know much more than me so that makes u great grandmaster.

Yes, I am skeptical of the inexpensive LED lightings. But since bought already make do with it. This is my 2nd patch of HC this month. If this patch cannot survive, I may just fall back to grosso. Riccia can be a pain in axx. They need to be properly secured and grow too fast. So end up have to give them regular haircut or the whole bunch float to the top. I didn't enjoy it the last time. However, I have seen many beautiful setups which I think probably cannot last long due to the above mentioned. I also didn't want it this time as the threads and rigs to hold them down may trap the L46.

L46 is like panda under water. They are gorgeous with their distinct black and white stripes. I think C328 still have a few. QH should also have. I have to set up my tank hastily as someone wanted to offload his at a more affordable price so quickly grabbed. There are a few sellers online occasionally. The last that I heard is that it is still banned from direct export.

I still want to get my 3 x 2 x 2 tank regardless of hi or low tech. Same as L46, my adventure with Altum angels was shortlived as someone said they are bad fengshui due to their pointed shapes. My dad suffered from poor health during that time so off they went as a precaution. So really wanted to have them again. I would need a deeper tank for them so their finnage can exhibit full growth. But will probably require halogen lights for plants at such depth. Also thinking of a full water filtration system under the cabinet. Anyway, still early days, just dreaming about it. Will probably action after seeing Aquarama next year.

friend, lets drop the formalities... haha

HC are well known to be a difficult plant happy planting...haha

agreed with L46, hard to find nowadays... but i think i saw someone selling in AQ months back...Hmm..

3x2x2 tank ?? wow.. i wait for your masterpiece...hehe but the utility bills will be shocking too...hahaha but No Pain No GAIN!!! haha nothing beats the feeling of relatives coming to you house and say WaaaW...lol... i got neighbour kids standing at door steps looking at my tanks..

I got 1 feet x 1 feet x 1 inch thick of riccia....really headache... sold them off cheaply...no more riccia for me..i got them as an experiment... but they end up everywhere..lol

altum angel causes bad fengshui? altum is amano's favourite fish... i don't think so at all bro, fengshui is not about fish shape.. its about harmony of chi with the environment we are staying in... some FS pratictioner will die2 say to avoid sharp edges, say got sha-chi... sigh.. Some "GOD STICKS" just want to scare you so you will believe them, its their tactics .. don't think too much... however, i do agree feeding life fish to another predatory fish consider as bad karma... btw lets do not OT too much.

aquarama...hmm can go together. and chit chat and see stuff