Project 100L

So finally getting started on my planted tank project.

Tank: 100l juwel I had for years (no money for fancy new cube )
Substrate: JBL manado 10L, ADA amazonia 9L
Filtration: Ehheim ecco PRO 300
Hydor external heater 200w
CO2 injection system vith atomizer

Plants:
Alternanthera reinecki
Eleocharis acicularis
Hemianthus callitrichoides ‘Cuba’
Ammania bonsai
Microsorum pteropus "Mini"
Phoenix moss

Stock: TBC

Photo (only allowed 2 links per post ):

should be nice when planted.

just my 5 cents.. rocks does not fit in.. I liked a lot the minimalism without. just that piece of wood..

That's the plan

I will play around a bit with rocks but they will most likely stay as they will act as borders for different plants.

I get where you coming from, originally I planned only one grass type and one higher plant. That would work for minimalism style but then I added few more plants to have variation in tank.

It's my first attempt so let's see how it works out.

It is totally up to you. that's just me beeing picky on composition and patterns in it.

Tank more or less finished. Microsorum pteropus "Mini" still missing in left upper corner, hopefully arrive soon.

In regards to stock I`m planning group of Celestial Pearl Danio, Otto catfish and shrimps.

As never kept shrimps I want some that can be easy kept but not the cherry shrimps. Any suggestion for nice looking shrimps? I`m thinking Yellow Shrimp, Red Crystal Shrimp or Black Bee Shrimp. One specie group would probably look better than mix?

Tom

I wouldnt advise you on starting with crystal red or black, they need more specific water water parameters than red cherries and some species of tigers

anthonyd wrote:

I wouldnt advise you on starting with crystal red or black, they need more specific water water parameters than red cherries and some species of tigers

Thanks Anthony.
What about yellow or red Sakura shrimp? They seems to be easy enough.

Tom

I would personally go with the red sakuras, the red show up more than the yellow in a planted tank
You could have as well some corydoras pygmaeus, lovely little fish

anthonyd wrote:

I would personally go with the red sakuras, the red show up more than the yellow in a planted tank

Good point. I will go for them.

I just saw someone selling oxidator and filter guard, do I need them?

Tom

You dont need an oxydator.
I dont use filter guards, i connect an airdriven sponge filter to the intake pipe of the filter but filter guards are definetly more dicreet

helix8008 wrote:

I just saw someone selling oxidator and filter guard, do I need them?

Tom

As Anthony said you don't need an oxydator and cutting off the end of ladies tights and putting it over the intake holding it in place with an elastic band will do the job if your worried about shrimp going missing

Thanks.

I'm asking cause I have bought glass lily pipes and don't want to riun the look. As they did not arrived yet (as most stuff I have ordered for this tank is stuck or lost in post) I don't know if the holes are big enough to suck in shrimp.

Another question: based on tank size 100l and plants I have how many co2 bubbles per sec would you recommend to start with?

Tom

Time lapse video, enjoy

How did the moss stick to the top of the wood ?

nice. now, once planted, stones on right does not play much of the role

just a tip: better do not add any shrimps until the boarder with sand and substrate will be fully covered with carpet. I ended up with picking out substrate from path in previous project every single week. my own fault

@Justin- I tied it with moss cotton.

@ Lauris- thanks for the tip. What about oto catfish, I'm assuming that will make mess too?

Tom

yep. i think the same as they are very active. I just to spend 1-2 hours at start of that project every 2nd week picking out soil bits from path

I just can't wait to add live stock but it's better to wait a bit longer. I can buy danio group now and shrimps+oto later.

Hey Lauris how do you deal with algae. Have some on the white sand now.

I was told to use EI index and increase co2 but will it work once algae already present?

Tom

1st weapon on algae war is light. Cut the light and it will get away. Another thing is nutrient distribution.

But there is one important factor. Your tank is just recently flooded. I assume you may have some amonia in the tank.
If there is any the basics of how it works :

1. Fallegates (is normal and in every tank) + Nutrients (also normal as you do fertilize your tank)
= Algae spores (also normal in every tank and build up is removed with water changes)

2. Algae spores + Amonia + Light (in many different variations) = Algae in many variations depending
on conditions met

so - for the first I would reduce light period or decrease light intensity, for the second - more often water
changes to remove excess of algae spores. Getting some algae in new setups is normal, as you might
have some source of organic leak (might be soil or substrate) which is turned in amonia.

this is my way dealing with it.. After your setup is more called as cycled and if you still get some algae
issues then it is worth to dig in separate nutrient deficiency.

But EI fertilization approach for me is a big, big no. I have been there for over a 2 years and nothing except
issues in long term. mainly due to very hard controllable nitrate levels (as most of the salts are based on nitrate).
Also trace elements are missing some iron (the right proportions) and it is very hard to get it right. Since I switched
to Tropica and Easy life potassium and Iron my life now is much easier. EI is good but it must be very accurate and
dosing as per manufacturers manuals does not simply work, especially if we are talking high ligt conditions

Thanks Lauris.

I think I have actually opposite problem with light and that is too weak and therefore excess of nutrients? Foolishly I bought LED without checking for proper watt as the unit I got is only 10W. I have bought now 2x 30w unit which are on the way.

Ammonia is at zero as I got the filter cycled on my other tank. I did daily water changes first week, second week every other day and will do same third week.

Day 18, New light unit & stock added: 12x glowlight danio, 10x grilled danio, 5x otocinclus affinis, 5x cherry shrimp, 5x black shrimp

It`s been long since last update, so posting some new photos.
Week 7
Added amano shrimps, black or schoko shrimps (not sure which one have) started having shrimplets so I guess they are happy
Cuba created nice carpet, moss got bushy and reinecki catching red.

Who can spot me