# My 24g planted tank



## Afroturf (Apr 15, 2004)

This is my first attempt at a decent planted tank i've had a couple of tanks with cheap lighting and diy co2 but they always turned out unsucessfully so this time i have gone for a more expensive set up. Hope fully i'll have more luck.

*Tank Details*

*Dimentions* : 30" x 15" x 15"
Filter : Eheim Ecco 2234
*Lighting* : EQJ Real light 65 1 x 150w hqi bulb and 2 x 24w tubes. eBay.co.uk: Real light Halide lamp 1x150W+ 2x24W T5 blue 65cm 2ft (item 160066577284 end time 31-Dec-06 19:45:00 GMT)
*CO2 *: Hydor Green NRG Exclusive 
*Substrate* : 1.5cm layer of Ferka Aquabase plus a little litrate topped wit 3.5cm layer 2-3mm gravel.
*Fertiliser* : Ferka aquatiliser 10ml every water change + JBL Ferropol 24 2 drop/day
*Plants * : Vallisenria nana, Pogostemon helferi, Hemianthus callitrichoides, Blyxa japonica, weeping and Xmas moss.

Thanks for the help anyone gave me in my http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/aquascaping/35623-rock-postioning.html thread, i decided break up one of the rocks which i won't be doing again it took me about three hours with a drill and a chisel to break it up they're alot harder than they look. Any whey i've now come up with a layout that i think i am happy with.



Any comments are appreciated.


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## Blue_Dolphinvn (Nov 12, 2006)

I like your rock layout, you can use the Hemianthus callitrichoides "Cuba" for your foreground, it's the prettiest carpet that I've seen...


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## Steven_Chong (Mar 17, 2005)

I'd play some more with the lay out. It's a bit unbalanced. Take your time with this.


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## Afroturf (Apr 15, 2004)

Heres a update after weeking the rock poitioning and adding the plants and a few fish, the fish are pygmy corys, spotted blue eyes and a few cherry shrimps.


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## morta_skuld (Sep 20, 2006)

nice rocks! wish i had those rocks!


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## cs_gardener (Apr 28, 2006)

It looks great! I really like the drift of downoi and how you've tucked plants between the rocks. I can't wait to see how it looks with the plants filled in.


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## elliott89 (Jan 21, 2007)

Nice tank..i love the layout!

Ive just noticed you have the same Co2 unit as me!!! do you find the small bottles run out really quickly???...

Also how do you shut yours off at night..i put a solenoid on mine but it didn't work on it lol

Thanks

Elliott


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## nswhite (Aug 25, 2006)

Nice looking tank.


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## Afroturf (Apr 15, 2004)

Just a little up-date i've added some amano shrimps and a nerite snail just to keep on top of the algae, and have some blyxa and crypt balansae on order, i'll put the crypt in the far left hand corner and the blyxa will go at the left hand side of the left hnd rock i'm trying to get the tank to look less symmetrical. I'll add some more photos when they arrive.

Elliot, i haven't noticed how quickly the co2 bottles run yet as the tanks only been running just over 2 1/2 weeks, are there now larger canisters that can be fitted to our system? Every night i use screwdriver to turn the regulating valve round half a turn which stops any more co2 being released and then turn it back before lights come back on. It's too hard to turn by hand but very easy with the screwdriver.


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## elliott89 (Jan 21, 2007)

Ive been looking into getting bigger canisters and it seems co2 bottles for paintball guns may fit out system..they are dirt cheap to so it would be good if they did..if u do any research on it yourself let me know..because the tiny hydor bottles going a 2 bubbles per sec lasts around 20 days!!!

link to paintball gun co2 bottles eBay.co.uk: 4 x 3.1 oz CROSMAN AIR SOURCE CO2 GAS BOTTLES (item 320075389845 end time 04-Feb-07 21:30:00 GMT)

Thanks

Elliott


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## Afroturf (Apr 15, 2004)

A little update, I've started to dose with Seachem excel as the hair algae was starting to take off. The amano shrimp and nerite snail have been in there for about 4 days now.

Today the extra Blyxa and the Crypt balansae arrived i'm slightly concerned about the difference in colour, i had to get the new lot from a different supplier,the existing Blyxa is a nice bronze colour and the new lot is bright green. I know that the colour of many plants turn a red/bronze colour under good light but there is a drastic difference in the two. I'll add some new pics soon.


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## elliott89 (Jan 21, 2007)

Word of advise..stop dosing jbl ferropol 24 it causes algae in tanks with very few stem plants because it contains high levels of iron..that in turn can cause hair algae..the best fert to use daily In my opinion is ADA brightyk as it contains potassium which helps plants build a resistance to algae

I would give the other plants a chance..they'll prolly turn the same colour under your powerful lighting..aslong as they are definatly the same species

Elliott


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## brennewoman (Feb 6, 2007)

Emm...you know...that middle part of your tank looks like a path leading somewhere. It would be nice to have something at the end of that path? A really showy plant or a peice of statuary or a really interesting rock...or even a background peice behind the tank with something nice there?


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## Afroturf (Apr 15, 2004)

Cheers Elliott i've stoped using Ferropol now i have the excel, I plan to start using ADA product when i can afford to i'm pritty skint at the mo, setting up the tank has used up all my money (must start looking for a job). i just abit impatient with regards to the blyxa.

brennewoman i see what you meen about the path but i am planning for what the tank will look like i few months time when the vallis has filled out, i think by adding a focal point at th end of the path will spoil the overall look of the tank. The vallis has sent out quite a few runners already but the leave are quite short which does seen to be a habit of vallis nana, it doesn't put out long leaves until the plant is quit compacted.


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## brennewoman (Feb 6, 2007)

Ahh...good point. I tend to like to go ahead with things like that and remove them when the plants grow out...but then I've got tons of bric a brac that I have to do something with!


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## Afroturf (Apr 15, 2004)

*Ember or Rummy nose?*

Photo update just a few images now that i have added the new plants

New blyxa with Crypt balansae in the background


Notice the difference in the colour of the new blyxa on the right of the rock and the old blyxa on the right of it. I'm hoping that with time when it all fills out the crypt will come over the top of the vallis, they are both planted near the filter outlet this will hopefull result in a nice flowing effect.

Full tank shot


The plants have certainly filled in a bit but the hair algae is making the HC look a bit untidy, hopefully the seachem excel will clear this up soon.

I also don't what fish to add next i'm thinking of an nice shole of fish the two main contenders are Ember tetras probably my favourite tetra or rummy nose tetras, i would just go straight for the embers but i think the tank needs a bit of colour which the rummys would add, but they are a little tempreamental i terms of water quality, any opinions or alternatives are much welcome.


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## elliott89 (Jan 21, 2007)

WOW im loving that..looks really awesome..it has a great sense of depth 

Don't go mad with excel..it can kill HC if overdosed..its a very delicate plant and you,ve done well to get it growing 

For that algae get about 6 Ottos and quite alot of Amano shrimps

Looks great so far..keep up the good work

Elliott


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## Paid (Feb 5, 2007)

Looking V nice. I love the stone, some small critters could really call those 
caves home 

I would be tempted to add a shoal of the more orangy silver tiped tetra, i think they would suit that tank well, not greatly coloured, but I think they would suit..


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## ed seeley (Dec 1, 2006)

I'd go with your favourite tetras and then something different like some pencilfish. I've added a shoal of N.eques and they're always at the surface milling around, whereas I find tetras can spend a lot of time in the bottom half of the tank.

IME, Silver-tips are gorgeous tetras, but I found the males would get a little territorial and stake out their own patch of plants, rather than shoal altogether. It might just have been my ones though!


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## Afroturf (Apr 15, 2004)

Cheers Paid, your right about the rock i love watching the pygmy cory swimming in and out of the holes sometime they disappear for quite some time. 

Ed I've had silver tips i'm i found that they were a little feisty, i like the idea of the pencilfish but i already have some blueyes the tend to hang around the surface, and i don't want to fill the tank with to many types of fish. 

I would also like to and something a little different i saw some Dadis at a local fish store which on reflection i should have brought, i've had some in previous tanks and i think they are relly interesting fish and would love to hide in and around my rocks hopefully they will still have some this weekend.


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## whitetiger61 (Aug 12, 2006)

you might want to try something like a galaxy rasbora










pretty cool fish i have around 20 of them now


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## StaffyBull (Feb 3, 2007)

whitetiger61 said:


> you might want to try something like a galaxy rasbora
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Hey WhiteTiger do they hold there color like that?


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## whitetiger61 (Aug 12, 2006)

once they reach maturity yes they do..mine does anyway..


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## Afroturf (Apr 15, 2004)

Yeah there great looking fish i've seen them at a LFS, they didn't look the best quality specimens and i can't justify spending £4 on them.


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## elliott89 (Jan 21, 2007)

My LFS sells em at £6 each!!! very expensive little fish..they look great though if you find some quality specimens

Howz your hair algae problem

Elliott


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## Afroturf (Apr 15, 2004)

Elliott I think it's started to decrease it certainly isn't increasing any more, thanks to the excel and shorter photo-period, I think I will go for the ember tetras if I can find them i'll give soon of my LFS a ring see if any have got any in, they will be cheaper than the rummys and i'm sure easier to keep.


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## StaffyBull (Feb 3, 2007)

whitetiger61 said:


> once they reach maturity yes they do..mine does anyway..


Good to know I think I might have to get some.

Thanks.


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## ed seeley (Dec 1, 2006)

Haven't seen any Embers locally Steve. Will probably be going to Wharf later, will let you know if they have them.


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## Afroturf (Apr 15, 2004)

Ed, I went to Tall trees today got some ottos and a 6 more Amanos, trimar.co.uk have some ambers for sale so might buy some form the give mail order fish a try they also have some Scarlet Badis, 5 for £10, better than the standard Badis that i saw at Bardils.


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## Paid (Feb 5, 2007)

The ambers are certasinly nice, and the same colour as the more orange silver tips, just without the silver tips, they wil certainly match in well with your tank, colour wise.

You know, i hadent quite noticed how aggresive some of my silver tips were, till you said it lol.

Now I watch 2 of them being very territorial


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## ed seeley (Dec 1, 2006)

Afroturf said:


> Ed, I went to Tall trees today got some ottos and a 6 more Amanos, trimar.co.uk have some ambers for sale so might buy some form the give mail order fish a try they also have some Scarlet Badis, 5 for £10, better than the standard Badis that i saw at Bardils.


I never got to Wharf anyway Steve! TriMar are ace by mail order.


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## Afroturf (Apr 15, 2004)

I'll give trimar a ring the Ember tetras are only 5 for £5! I think i'll get 20 along with the Badis.


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## Afroturf (Apr 15, 2004)

Hi I've finally added some fish to my tank i got some Ottos from my LFS and a few more amanos, i also ordered some 5 Scarlet Badis and 12 (all they had) Ember tetras from tirmar. all seen to have settled in quite well. 

Also to day i noticed three tiny baby fry swimming in the tank. I can only think that these could some babys of the pseudomugil gertrudae which have been int there around three weeks and are constantly displaying to each other, as they can't have come in with the new fish as i emptied them very carefully not transfering any of the water in the bag into the tank, just hope they survive so i can find out what they are.

One of the blyxa plants have also started to look dodgy as it has started to uproot its self and the stem has started to rot, all the other blyxa are growing ok and i have started dosing with ada step 1, what could have coused this and how can i stop it?


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## ed seeley (Dec 1, 2006)

Congrats on the babies! That's how I bred my cardinals, nice surprise isn't it?!

Great choice with the fish, can't wait to see some photos of the badis! Always thought they looked very smart, cichlid-like but different, if you know what I mean?!

Any recent pics of the tank to show?


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## Afroturf (Apr 15, 2004)

I know what you mean it was a big surprise shame there was only three though it was the first time i saw the tank for more than 24hrs so some may have been gobbled up by some other fish.

I've tried to take some more photos there have been no real advances in the growth of the tank apart from the downoi, think i'll soon have to give it a thinning out, they seen to grow more inpressive/large heads when they are more spaced out. My camara isn't very good so it's hard to get any detailed shots, but i'll give it another go tomorrow.


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## Afroturf (Apr 15, 2004)

Heres a few pics of the fish in the tank, Sorry about the quality.

Two Scarlet Badis and a female gertrudaes rainbow in the background.

More Badis and Rasbora borapetensis.

Rasbora borapetensis and ember tetras.


I'll update the pics of the whole tank in a few days I'm thinking of changing the vallis in the two corners of the tank with a few types of stem plants Rotala sp 'Green', Wallichii. What do you think?


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## ed seeley (Dec 1, 2006)

Looking good Steve.

Those Badis look very smart, they remind me of brightly coloured Neolamprologus multifasciatus (My favourite tanganyikan shell dwellers!).

What's wrong with the vallis? Not the right effect? I've got Rotala wallichii and love it, but know you don't want red plants. Not much help with that really!


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