Miller's Journal

[Mmiller2001]

Ordered the fontanus and an African water fern.

[Jungle Fan]

@anewbie @Mmiller2001 @Odd Duck I keep my tank at 78.6 F and both my Christmas moss Vesicularia montagnei, and my Phoenix moss Fissidens fontanus have no issues and thrive, as do both my Amano, and Blue Dream Shrimp, as well as my Cardinals, Rummynoses, Otocinclus, and Bolivian Rams. I too have read the articles about the lower temperatures, and those that mentioned that mosses don't like light but if you go to my 75 gallon tank journal you will see that my Phoenix moss mound on the highest part of the stump has actually reached the surface and the Christmas moss is located on a branch next to it. I chose those locations because I learnt from a friend whose tank had a similar set up, and because I had used it before in aquascapes. I actually have to trim at least some of my Christmas moss back every 4 -5 weeks, as a matter of fact I have given away so much of it that I now can no longer find takers. I have probably had to discard about 25 times the amount I originally bought so far. When you do trim moss always have the net ready otherwise you'll spend hours tracking back moss to prevent it from growing where you don't want it.

Edited December 6, 2022 by Jungle Fan
typo

[Mmiller2001]

On 12/6/2022 at 12:00 AM, Jungle Fan said:

@anewbie @Mmiller2001 @Odd Duck I keep my tank at 78.6 F and both my Christmas moss Vesicularia montagnei, and my Phoenix moss Fissidens fontanus have no issues and thrive, as do both my Amano, and Blue Dream Shrimp, as well as my Cardinals, Rummynoses, Otocinclus, and Bolivian Rams. I too have read the articles about the lower temperatures, and those that mentioned that mosses don't like light but if you go to my 75 gallon tank journal you will see that my Phoenix moss mound on the highest part of the stump has actually reached the surface and the Christmas moss is located on a branch next to it. I chose those locations because I learnt from a friend whose tank had a similar set up, and because I had used it before in aquascapes. I actually have to trim at least some of my Christmas moss back every 4 -5 weeks, as a matter of fact I have given away so much of it that I now can no longer find takers. I have probably had to discard about 25 times the amount I originally bought so far. When you do trim moss always have the net ready otherwise you'll spend hours tracking back moss to prevent it from growing where you don't want it.

Beautiful. I can't wait. Yeah, my Christmas moss dose really well,.even more so now and is starting to become the plague honestly. I'm almost ready to remove it 😂

[Jungle Fan]

@Mmiller2001 stick with it, it takes more maintenance than the Phoenix moss but the looks are very rewarding. 

[TheSwissAquarist]

Just read the coolest bunch of ‘articles’ in a long time… I’ll come along for any future rides 😎!

[TheSwissAquarist]

Do you breed many fish @Mmiller2001?

[Mmiller2001]

On 12/6/2022 at 9:38 AM, TheSwissAquarist said:

Do you breed many fish @Mmiller2001?

I don't, but randomly have more harlequin rasboras and cherry barbs. And I started with 3 Apistos and now have 5 even after losing my prize male. So I guess I have 2 of his son's.

[TheSwissAquarist]

On 12/6/2022 at 5:53 PM, Mmiller2001 said:

don't, but randomly have more harlequin rasboras

Pretty hard to breed 😳👏!

[Mmiller2001]

In the summertime, my water is warmer, and I top off with RO that can be much cooler than the tank. I will also water change without heating the water. I think that triggered the spawn. 

I think I posted a video of it somewhere in here.

[TheSwissAquarist]

On 12/6/2022 at 6:03 PM, Mmiller2001 said:

RO

Do you use rainwater or a mechanical unit?

My RO water is snow!

[Mmiller2001]

On 12/6/2022 at 10:24 AM, TheSwissAquarist said:

Do you use rainwater or a mechanical unit?

My RO water is snow!

Mechanical, doesn't snow here enough 😁

Or rain.

 

[Odd Duck]

On 12/6/2022 at 1:00 AM, Jungle Fan said:

@anewbie @Mmiller2001 @Odd Duck I keep my tank at 78.6 F and both my Christmas moss Vesicularia montagnei, and my Phoenix moss Fissidens fontanus have no issues and thrive, as do both my Amano, and Blue Dream Shrimp, as well as my Cardinals, Rummynoses, Otocinclus, and Bolivian Rams. I too have read the articles about the lower temperatures, and those that mentioned that mosses don't like light but if you go to my 75 gallon tank journal you will see that my Phoenix moss mound on the highest part of the stump has actually reached the surface and the Christmas moss is located on a branch next to it. I chose those locations because I learnt from a friend whose tank had a similar set up, and because I had used it before in aquascapes. I actually have to trim at least some of my Christmas moss back every 4 -5 weeks, as a matter of fact I have given away so much of it that I now can no longer find takers. I have probably had to discard about 25 times the amount I originally bought so far. When you do trim moss always have the net ready otherwise you'll spend hours tracking back moss to prevent it from growing where you don't want it.

My geppii right at the highest branch is doing the best, too.  Low light I think is helpful in regards to decreasing algae growth, but I agree that the moss likes that light.  It definitely likes flow, too.

[Mmiller2001]

Will a Paradise fish kill cherry barbs or Harlequin Rasboras? 

[Minanora]

I haven't kept the species. Those are beautiful fish though. I read that a school of cherry barbs or larger tiger barbs is okay but you may see some aggression on both sides. Space is key, the paradise fish will claim a pretty large territory and is not happy with sharing food.

I have harlequins, they are fast, but I'm not sure that they'd thrive while being bullied into a small area. I think they would spend a lot of time hiding.

[anewbie]

On 12/8/2022 at 9:08 AM, Minanora said:

I haven't kept the species. Those are beautiful fish though. I read that a school of cherry barbs or larger tiger barbs is okay but you may see some aggression on both sides. Space is key, the paradise fish will claim a pretty large territory and is not happy with sharing food.

I have harlequins, they are fast, but I'm not sure that they'd thrive while being bullied into a small area. I think they would spend a lot of time hiding.

Can you quantify 'large territory' thanks.

[Minanora]

On 12/8/2022 at 8:33 AM, anewbie said:

Can you quantify 'large territory' thanks.

Like 4sqft I guess. Half of a 75g, maybe. At least I think that's a large space.

[Mmiller2001]

I took a second and decided not to get one. They are so awesome, but yeah...too risky.

Thank you both.

[Mmiller2001]

Water change day is about to being. I tested to see where I'm at and NO3 is still at 25 ppm with PO4 around 4.5 to 5 ppm. My targets were 15,4,15. I'm going to move to 10,5,25.8. I will also begin front loading.

Green dust algae is continuing, but no new green spot algae. I reduced light by 10% and hopefully the drop in nitrates will stop the dust algae.

[Mmiller2001]

I'm also raising my CSM+B to .45ppm Fe as proxy.

Edited December 9, 2022 by Mmiller2001

[Mmiller2001]

I'm hoping this is just transition damage. Like I've mentioned, I'm a complete noob with these types of plants. Thoughts? 

I'm thinkin all my bolbitus mini are goners. I've never seen plants turn black and melt.

[Odd Duck]

Oh, Bolbitis, why must you be so fickle?  The black leaves may spawn a bunch of baby plants, so I don’t give up until they dissolve.  That may take weeks to months before the baby plants are worth looking at, so you may want to move them to a holding tank.  All the ferns besides Java fern can be very fickle.

Pretty much all the Java fern variants are much sturdier and more reliable.  They can melt but are far less likely to melt than other ferns.

[nabokovfan87]

On 12/9/2022 at 5:12 PM, Odd Duck said:

All the ferns besides Java fern can be very fickle.

You can say that again.... one of my favorite plants hates me!

[Mmiller2001]

On 12/9/2022 at 6:12 PM, Odd Duck said:

Oh, Bolbitis, why must you be so fickle?  The black leaves may spawn a bunch of baby plants, so I don’t give up until they dissolve.  That may take weeks to months before the baby plants are worth looking at, so you may want to move them to a holding tank.  All the ferns besides Java fern can be very fickle.

Pretty much all the Java fern variants are much sturdier and more reliable.  They can melt but are far less likely to melt than other ferns.

Let's hope so, they are pretty much all black at this point. The Trident is starting to liven up. Not worried there.

[Minanora]

I only have bolbitis in one of my tanks and it's not thriving, but it's growing very slowly, in the chili ruins. It's been there since day 1.

[Mmiller2001]

You know, it's really getting frustrating I have to order everything online. Apparently, no one offers Fuji stone in Albuquerque.