My First Planted Tank - Juwel Rio 125

[orti]

Hello LondonDragon,
Hello everyone else her, my first post, and not catfish-related....

I have a question regarding your dosing regime in this wonderful tank;: do you really add 3 times a week 0,6g KH2PO4 to a tank with 146 Litres ?
If so, you would add about 8,6 mg/l (=ppm) phosphate whereas most sites (Barr report, UKAPS "The Economics of Dry Powders") recommend far lower levels of

Phosphate (PO4) 3ppm per week(UKAPS) or 2-3 (Tom Barr)

If its no typing mistake and this really works, I would be more than glad to repeat this in my tank, never having gone beyond 2 ppm before...

Best regards form Innsbruck, Austria

Jörg

PS: How do you measure 0,6g? Did you make a stock solution?

[LondonDragon]

Hello LondonDragon,
Hello everyone else her, my first post, and not catfish-related....
I have a question regarding your dosing regime in this wonderful tank;: do you really add 3 times a week 0,6g KH2PO4 to a tank with 146 Litres ?
If so, you would add about 8,6 mg/l (=ppm) phosphate whereas most sites (Barr report, UKAPS "The Economics of Dry Powders") recommend far lower levels of
Phosphate (PO4) 3ppm per week(UKAPS) or 2-3 (Tom Barr)
If its no typing mistake and this really works, I would be more than glad to repeat this in my tank, never having gone beyond 2 ppm before...
Best regards form Innsbruck, Austria
Jörg
PS: How do you measure 0,6g? Did you make a stock solution?

Hi Jorg, I dosed the recommend amount for a while and was getting algae issue on my tank, after asking for help at UKAPS and speaking to a couple of people there I was recommended to increase my dosing which I done so, this was about 2 months ago and all the algae as gone away and my tank is looking ever so healthy, over dosing is never a problem if you keep up with the 50% water changes. Maintenance is the issue.

[LondonDragon]

Just some photos of the tank, the L. Aromatica is growing pretty nicely, I think I am going to move things around and plant it to fill that left hand corner completly. and maybe move the anubias which are behind it to the front and see how it looks.
Also the Blyxa is looking great, the Skipy moss took a huge trim the other day when I sent out to 4 board members now needs to grow back again, still plenty there though. The Lilly is shooting new leaves on a daily basis at the moment.

Over the past 2 weeks I have been running 6x24w T5 on this tank just to see how it reacts to high levels of light, I have increased the CO2 slightly and also the ferts to cope with the extra light. So far I am seeing great results, specially from the L. Aromatica and the Glosso is growing ever more compact afer the trim I gave it a couple of weeks ago.

Some photos:






Critics and comments always welcomed, thanks for looking

[slakey]

Still amazes me how yours looks compared to mine lol.

[LondonDragon]

Still amazes me how yours looks compared to mine lol.

Bit of work and patience and you can get yours looking like this too ;)

[LondonDragon]

Just a quick update, my glosso was way too thick so it started rotting away at the gravel and this morning half of it uprooted, so was time for a major change and replating the glosso.
Moved a few plants about and also the rocks and wood, was a shame as I was starting to like the way the tank was going but oh well gave me the day to do something in the shade its way too hot outdoors at the moment.

First turned it into a Paludarium:


All the plants and hardscape:


After replating it all:


Left Side:


Right Side:


Photos not very clear as I just filled it up, I have since also replanted the glosso, what a nightmare of a job! Took forever to sort it out and to replant it. Can't wait until it fills in again, was a nice learning experience anyway, now I know I have to keep on top of it all the time with the trimming and never let it get too thick.

Now I have to wait a couple of months before it looks decent again

Thanks for looking and as always comments are welcome

[LondonDragon]

Hey guys/gals, just another quick update a week after the rescape. Haven't really done much apart from chopping up the moss wall and sending the mosses to a few users and you can see the glosso planted now. Still trying to get some donnoi to create an effect betwen the carpet and the stem plants, going to the LFS this afternoon so will see what they have in stock.

Here some photos taken this morning:











Comments and critics always welcomed thanks for looking

[LondonDragon]

Planted the 5 pots Pogostemon Helferi that I got yesterday afternoon after a visit to the LFS, here a couple of photos how it looks now:

Before:

After:


From above:


Just have to wait and see how it grows, planted it pretty compact, lets see how it does. First time I am trying this plant.
Also purchased for Apistogrammas, they were too shy yesterday to face the camera, will see if today they come out for some photos.

[LondonDragon]

Managed to get a few shots of the Apistogramma cacatuoides today, they still a little shy but came out of hiding to eat. So I quickly grabbed the camera and took some shots. Not the best but this will have to do for now, I assume the first is a female and the second is male, I have two of each.









Thanks for looking

[Richard B]

Your assumption on sexes is correct - even i could figure that one - have you got breeding aspirations at all?

[LondonDragon]

Your assumption on sexes is correct - even i could figure that one - have you got breeding aspirations at all?

Fish stocks are very low in this tank now, if they breed naturally then it would be great ;)

[arjenk]

Verry nice tank! Your Glosso look's verry nice.

[LondonDragon]

Was cleaning the tank and decided to take some photos of the Moss wall, its made of Weeping moss if you missed earlier posts ;)









Problem with a moss wall is keeping the top of it tidy and clean, after a prune it becomes cluttered with bits of the plants you just prunned, mine as taken life at the top, its growing glosso, HC and some riccia lol here a photo:



Water was still a little cloudy, thanks for looking

[LondonDragon]

Couple more, was just messing about with the camera, trying a few things since its playing up and took these:





Looks pretty cool when the neon is on, and you can see all the pearling in the tank.

[LondonDragon]

Just a quick update, after 4 monhs my CO2 bottle is running out, so it will be time to try a FE for the first time, going to be interesting that ;)

My glosso is filling in nicely, almost covered the front now, I prunned it at the weekend and now have new shoots going everywhere, here a quick photo:



Thanks for looking

[LondonDragon]

Took some more shots today, did a water change yesterday and gave things a good prune. Nothing much has changed, just letting things grow, have reduce the lighting back to 4x24w, think the 6x24w was a bit too much.
Been slacking a little on the EI dosing and water changes, so have noticed some algae, will do another water change mid week to get things on track.

Here some shots of the tank:






Comments and critics always welcomed

[LondonDragon]

Some photos of my fish the plants are just growing for now ;)













And the Betta:


Thanks for looking, comments and critics always welcomed

[LondonDragon]

Just a quick update with some photos, not a lot has changed, just letting things grow now and keeping the glosso trimmed and low, few photos for you to see whats going on so far.









The Staurogyne sp. is doing better now:


So is the P. Helferi:


Close-up of the Fissidens Fontanus:


Hope you liked the photos and tank, critics and comments always welcomed.

Thanks for looking

[pictus_man_77]

Excuse my ignorance, but could someone explain 'Pearling' to me?

[Gulper]

Very nice tank, i struggle to keep Java Fern alive !!!!

[LondonDragon]

Excuse my ignorance, but could someone explain 'Pearling' to me?

Pearling is when your plants are receiving enough light, nutrients and co2 to actually produce lots of oxygen bubbles.

Very nice tank, i struggle to keep Java Fern alive !!!!

Many thanks, Java fern is not the easiest of plants, it as a tendency to melt, just add some ferts like TPN+ and some light and it will grow nicely ;)

[LondonDragon]

Hi guys/gals, just a quick update.

Few things have changed in the tank, lost some of the fish in the tank for no apparent reason, added three new ottos and problems started after that so not sure if they were the cause, anyway I lost the corries, the Aspistogrammas, and some of the ottos including the new ones. So for now I will let things as they are regarding fish, now I have left the 2 rainbows, 10 harlequim rasbora, 2 ottos, 1 betta, 1 clown plec (I think its still there) and some amano and red cherry shrimp.

Also since I couldn't find the dead fish I had to strip the tank to clean it properly and decided to uproot the plants and redo the moss wall, took the oportunity to learn from the moss wall what I did wrong before and make it right this time.

Here the tank after the clean up, with no moss wall:



Here two days later with the new moss wall:









Here is yesterday:


Fissidens Fontanus:


Staurogyne sp.:


Helferi and glosso:


Thanks for looking, comments and critics always welcomed

[Martin S]

Hi
Just a question about the powerhead on the left hand side glass - is this on constantly, or do you have it on a timer? I'm looking at getting one to increase the flow in my new 30x18x18 tank (finally arriving at the end of this month) - am currently running my Rekord 70 with the built in filter/pump and an external Eheim 2224, but once I move to the new tank will only have the Eheim (which is running now so that it is cycled ready for the switch over). I've been offered two of the circulation pumps for £15 and was going to use 1, but just wondering about how best to inplement it. The plan is to hide it behind a piece of wood/rock just to ensure I don't end up with dead spots from the single flow of the Eheim.
I currently have excellent plant growth with a single T8 bulb and daily doses of EasyCarbo (which has kept the black hair algae completely at bay), and am moving up to a twin T5 setup for the new tank, so hope to have continued decent, but not over flowing, plant growth.
Thanks
Martin

[LondonDragon]

Hi Martin, the powerhead is great for moving things around, your need tank will be about the same size of the Rio 125 and let me warn you that the Eihem on its own is not good enough for this size tank, I would go for a turn over of about 10x the tank volume for good plant growth (Tetratec EX1200, Fluval 405 or an Ehiem of the same turnover). I have upgraded my internal filter pump to 1000lph, have a powerhead at the back which is not visible in the photos that does 400lph and the Koralia at the front (just above the CO2 diffusor) which is the one you mentioned that does 900lph. Hope that helps

Regards
Paulo

[Martin S]

Hi Martin, the powerhead is great for moving things around, your need tank will be about the same size of the Rio 125 and let me warn you that the Eihem on its own is not good enough for this size tank, I would go for a turn over of about 10x the tank volume for good plant growth (Tetratec EX1200, Fluval 405 or an Ehiem of the same turnover). I have upgraded my internal filter pump to 1000lph, have a powerhead at the back which is not visible in the photos that does 400lph and the Koralia at the front (just above the CO2 diffusor) which is the one you mentioned that does 900lph. Hope that helps

Regards
Paulo

Hi Paulo
Yes, I was beginning to realise that the Eheim is not going to give enough of a turnover in the new tank - will look at upgrading to a larger one I think and then sell the 2224 (only purchased new about three months ago). So you're suggesting a 1600LPH turnover - none of the standard (Pro/Pro II) Eheims give out that sort of output, but can't help think something that does (i.e. Eheim Pro 3e 2074 - 1500LPH) would be a huge filter for the size tank!
The pumps I have been offered are 2 x Seio 670s, and have a 670GPH turnover - do you have yours on continually? I was intending to use just 1, but I could use both pumps, I suppose?
Thanks
Martin

[LondonDragon]

Hi Paulo
Yes, I was beginning to realise that the Eheim is not going to give enough of a turnover in the new tank - will look at upgrading to a larger one I think and then sell the 2224 (only purchased new about three months ago). So you're suggesting a 1600LPH turnover - none of the standard (Pro/Pro II) Eheims give out that sort of output, but can't help think something that does (i.e. Eheim Pro 3e 2074 - 1500LPH) would be a huge filter for the size tank!
The pumps I have been offered are 2 x Seio 670s, and have a 670GPH turnover - do you have yours on continually? I was intending to use just 1, but I could use both pumps, I suppose?
Thanks
Martin

Hi Martin,
At least a 1200lph turnover would be nice, I know people that place an FX5 on that size tank, depends what you want to do with it really.
The two powerheads would help to start with, but in the long run you will have problems, so best to invest on a good filter to start with, I haven't upgraded my 2224 because I kept the internal otherwise would have done it by now.
The powerhead I have above the CO2 diffusor I only turn it on when the CO2 is on, this gives the fish a break during the night ;)

[Martin S]

OK, thanks.
Looks like a bigger filter then!
Thanks again
Martin

[LondonDragon]

Just a quick update, just letting things grow at the moment, haven't been to LFS so no new stems, just working with I got on the right hand side, still not happy about it. Have removed the Fissidens Fontanus from the redmoor wood and placed it in the shrimp tank as I had an algae issue with it, almost clearned now ;)
Got all the spare parts I ordered to sort out my external, it was leaking, new o-rings sorted everything

Some photos:






Taiwan Moss:


Spiky Moss:


Weeping moss wall:


Thanks for looking

[samc]

hi do you have any plants that you would sell thanks i like your glosso looks great do you have any of that i could buy?
also i like your weeping moss looks great iv got some on bogwood been there for a while and hasent changed any tips

[LondonDragon]

Quick update with some photos

Due to problem with my luminaire, one of the ballasts went about 3 weeks ago, so things in the tank have been suffering.
I have lost almost all my Blyxa, my Donoi is almost all gone too, and the glosso started suffering too, the right hand side is a little bare and the rest of the glosso started growing upwards rather than as a carpet, plenty of trimming to try and keep it low.

I managed to purchase a replacement ballast online (EJQ ignored all my emails regarding the ballast, luminaire was still under warranty) and yesterday attempted a DIY install with success I have now a fully working luminaira again.

Some photos:








Moss wall:


Taiwan moss:


Managed to get this side shot:


Thanks for looking, comments and critics always welcomed by everyone