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rsivanandan
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Joined: Sep 14, 2018
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 Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2018 6:26 pm Post subject: Re: New 4 Feet Planted tank Journey |
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| EI ferts. What works for me is about 50 ml on the day of water change and in between I squirt some iron. That's it. |
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Da_vipin
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Joined: Jan 31, 2008
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Location: Mumbai
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| Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2018 12:29 pm Post subject: Re: New 4 Feet Planted tank Journey |
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Hi,
Till the time you get otos, may be you should consider introducing a small pleco, and later move it out. I have found them to be quite effective.
IME monte carlo is sensitive to ammonia. I see your carpet of monte carlo has reduced significantly, which happens sometimes due to fresh amazonia. It'll take a good 2-3 months before most ammonia from amazonia has leeched out. I suggest you keep more sturdy and fast growing glossostigma till that time. Later you may choose to keep and trim glosso or replace with monte carlo with greater chance of success. Act soon as bare exposed substrate is inviting troubles which can be avoided now.
regards, |
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rsivanandan
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| Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2018 2:24 pm Post subject: Re: New 4 Feet Planted tank Journey |
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Thanks. I was wondering if I should try out hair grass since the area is big instead ? Or should I give one more go with monte carlo in mats just laid on the substrate.
By any chance, anyone know where in Bangalore do they have stock of Otos ?
Cheers, Rajesh T SIvanandan |
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Da_vipin
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Location: Mumbai
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| Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2018 6:45 pm Post subject: Re: New 4 Feet Planted tank Journey |
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Hair grass grows very slowly compared to glossostigma, but easier to maintain in the long run. If you want a quick thick carpet say in 3 - 4 weeks go for glosso. But be also ready for frequent trimming. Personally i'm tired of trimming of glosso and taken a break from it  . Currently i have hair grass / monte carlo and some bits of glosso in my tanks.
Dont try monte carlo again for atleast couple of months, the growth wont be any different if tried again now.
regards, |
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rsivanandan
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Joined: Sep 14, 2018
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| Posted: Mon Nov 12, 2018 3:39 pm Post subject: Re: New 4 Feet Planted tank Journey |
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Can you post your tank pics? would nice to look at.
I had ordered 2 mats of monte carlo and I can't do anything but to plant it. Let's see. Also got 4 Oto's. They're doing great cleaning work.
Cheers, Rajesh T Sivanandan |
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rsivanandan
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Joined: Sep 14, 2018
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| Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2018 6:04 pm Post subject: Re: New 4 Feet Planted tank Journey |
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| It's a jungle out there. Any suggestions on how do I trim the tall reineckii mini ? |
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rsivanandan
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| Posted: Sat Nov 17, 2018 3:43 pm Post subject: Re: New 4 Feet Planted tank Journey |
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| Did a heavy pruning yesterday and the tank looks like this now :-) |
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n70me
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Joined: Jan 09, 2017
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| Posted: Mon Nov 19, 2018 11:21 pm Post subject: Re: New 4 Feet Planted tank Journey |
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Nice tank .
Post some closeups of each plant,especially the cuba they look awesome. Also, it will be great to know for the other hobbyists abt the current dosing micro,macro and Fe levels and the brands you are using. |
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rsivanandan
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| Posted: Wed Nov 21, 2018 10:36 am Post subject: Re: New 4 Feet Planted tank Journey |
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Will post some close shots of plants in a week's time.
It's not cuba - I've put montecarlo mats in hope that they'll pick up and it's melting at the moment, hopefully will come back.
Dosing - nothing magical, some things I make sure are;
1. TDS at about 20-30 (basically using can water for water changes, around 30 % every week).
2. Temp. of at about 25-26 degree.
3. Dosing of EI ferts (bought from Shreejith), around 25 ml of macro every water change + 5 ml of micro.
4th or 5th day, again dose a bit more (now there is really no check at this time).
I do squirt some iron and occasionally potassium (Seachem).
Once in a while (if I see that the diffuser is clogged too much) - add API Carbon booster and it does help. Can tell by the look of pearling. I mean, I can see Reineckii pearling (had seen a pro mention that he had never seen that plant pearling, I can get it to pearling very easy in fact with just the co2 diffusing).
I try to maintain the hardness of water at about 150 after dosing. Now it is nothing scientific I know. But with the lights I have, I believe this is working for me. Had a bloom of Diatoms and its going away (largely thanks to 4 Oto's I have).
Cheers, Rajesh T Sivanandan |
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Hamza
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Joined: May 29, 2007
Posts: 2181
Location: Hyderabad
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| Posted: Thu Nov 22, 2018 1:25 am Post subject: Re: New 4 Feet Planted tank Journey |
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Scape looks promising. Its been a long time since I saw someone using red eye tetra in a planted setup.
I wonder why you added a layer of laterite under it. Anyway, whats done is done, though i see no benefit of using laterite under aquasoil unless maybe when you have heavy feeders like echinodous and nymphaes.
Though the scape looks complete as is in mid-background strata but I feel it will look a lot better with a few adjustments.
Alternanthera though a neat plant isnt a fine contender for NA style scapes. maybe you can reduce the extent it occupies the midground space. instead you can go for plants like rananculus inundatus, some compact varieties of crypts, blyxa japonica, staurogyne repens/porto velho, hygrophila araguaia, etc.
Maybe a few clumps of mosses glued to foreground rocks sparingly will add to the rustic apead of the scape. |
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rsivanandan
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Joined: Sep 14, 2018
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| Posted: Thu Nov 22, 2018 10:27 am Post subject: Re: New 4 Feet Planted tank Journey |
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Hi Hamza, appreciate looking into it man.
Red Eyed Tetra - nice guys, have a thing for them - the folks I have are a bit too shy.
Laterite - actually I added it for continuous iron supply mainly for the bacteria and oxygen absorption. Not sure if you know Dr. Kevin Novak ? Quite a unconventional guy with lots of books and experience. He suggests that we actually shouldn't be dosing nitrogen or phosphorus at all. Once this tank matures, I'd want to risk having algae and see how it works. His theory is that plant actually takes amonia and backs it up with Koi ponds with tests. Lot of videos in Youtube in case you're interested. May be he is right about the commerical angle of vendors ??? Yet to find out. my tank is only 1 month and 3 weeks old as of now.
Reineckii I guess it's a little too much I bought - was after the color :-) Had a bunch of S Repens which I lost to diatom. I will be filling it in again, in due time with that and rananculus inundatus (seems like a nice plant).
I had mosses glued but they got all dust, fuzz and had to pull out. Also, for the stones that I have - when I attached Java moss, it actually looked quite unsightly and unnatural. Do you suggest I try may be willow ?
One question that has been brewing within me is - how do I get the greens to pop-up and eliminate the yellow tint ? Like the Solar RGB without it (can't afford that). I was thinking should I throw away the led strips and plain go with 6500 led bulbs in number ? Your help would be much appreciated man.
Cheers, Rajesh T Sivanandan |
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