Road to the AGA Dutch Style Competition/Ended

[Mmiller2001]

It's on! 

I was 2 bags short on aqua soil. I ordered more and they will be here Friday. Light is up and running and I was pleasantly surprised that it fits a 40 breeder. I don't have to hang it!

I had an immediate ammonia spike 12 hours after the soil was put in. Glad I removed all the livestock. Although, at a 5.7pH, it was probably no problem. It's holding at 2ppm ammonia and I will water change when I wake up. I removed the HOB and I'm just going to use the 2215, hopefully it's enough. Reconfigured the CO2 reactor and will start dialing it in tomorrow.

I dosed 5ppm NO3, 10ppm PO4 and 10ppm K. I will check PO4 shortly and expect to have to dose tons more.

Needs a bit more of a cleaning but overall, the substrate swap went smoothly.

Sadly, I forgot to take a picture of the tank before the teardown.

What a mess under the tank! 😭

 

 

 

Edited March 3, 2022 by Mmiller2001

[Guppysnail]

So do I understand right…you are going to do competition?  How awesome exciting. Looking forward to seeing your progress. You are definitely good enough. 

[Mmiller2001]

Yes, I'm going for it. Hopefully for 2022, but who knows if it will be ready by then. I'm a terrible aquascaper too, so I have a long road ahead of me! 🤣

[Mmiller2001]

So far, the hardest part has been plant selection. I was told to look for slow growing plants and I've also been looking for very dark green plants. This is not easy!

Here's the plant list so far:

 

1. Nympaea Stellata
2. Limnophila Aromatica mini
3. Staurogyne Spatulata
4. Vallisnera Spiralis Leopard
5. Syngonanthus Belem
6. Rotala Wallichii
7. Cyperus Helferi
8. Purple Repens
9. Hygrophila Siamensis 53B

Some how, some way, I have to reduce this list down to 9 species! ***I've done it!

Also, I have no idea which fish to add to the tank. Taking suggestions! Just have to be soft water fish!

 

Edited January 15, 2022 by Mmiller2001
Updated plant list

[Guppysnail]

On 12/2/2021 at 5:14 AM, Mmiller2001 said:

I'm a terrible aquascaper

Stop saying this. I am a terrible aquascaper because I don’t try. You are a fantastic aquascaper because you care and the results show self talk is important. I wish you all the luck 🍀 possible. 
 

Suggestions for fish even though I don’t know what the rules are or types normally used Celestial pearl danio. The blue is a color that does not come in plants yet its not super flashy with their reddish orange fins so won’t take focus from your scape.  Small so eat little and will predate a ton of microfauna from the substrate plants and glass (mine do). Plus they are down right fun to watch. 
 

🍀🍀🍀GOOD LUCK🍀🍀🍀 

Edited December 2, 2021 by Guppysnail
Typo need coffee 🤣

[Mmiller2001]

On 12/2/2021 at 5:41 AM, Guppysnail said:

Stop saying this. I am a terrible aquascaper because I don’t try. You are a fantastic aquascaper because you care and the results show self talk is important. I wish you all the luck 🍀 possible. 
 

Suggestions for fish even though I don’t know what the rules are or types normally used Celestial pearl danio. The blue is a color that does not come in plants yet its not super flashy with their reddish orange fins so won’t take focus from your scape.  Small so eat little and will predate a ton of microfauna from the substrate plants and glass (mine do). Plus they are down right fun to watch. 
 

🍀🍀🍀GOOD LUCK🍀🍀🍀 

Oh, that's an excellent recommendation! Thank you. 

I guess I think I'm a sloppy scaper, and I will have to get very strict per the rules. This is going to be very difficult 😃.

[Minanora]

Awesome! It's good to challenge yourself. I think you'll do great! I also feel that you don't give yourself enough credit as an aquascaper. You're amazing! Plus, you enjoy it, which is the most important thing. Messy or not!

[gjcarew]

On 12/2/2021 at 2:51 AM, Mmiller2001 said:

So far, the hardest part has been plant selection. I was told to look for slow growing plants and I've also been looking for very dark green plants. This is not easy!

Here's the plant list so far:

1. Althernanthera Variegatus
2. Althernanthera Bettzickiana Green
3. Didiplis Diandra
4. Bacopa Australis
5. Cabomba Aquatica
6. Aponogeton Ulvaceus
7. Micranthemum 'Monte Carlo'
8. Rotala Manipurensis
9. Nympaea Stellata
10. Hydrocotyle Tripartita
11. Limnophila Aromatica
12. Acmella Repens
13. Pogostemon Erectus
14. Rotala Bonsai
15. Myrio Guyana
16. Limnophila Vietnam
17. Althernanthera Reineckii Cardinalis/ Ocipus
18. Hygrophila Serphyllum (to be my Dutch wall)
19. and fingers crossed Staurogyne Spatulata

Some how, some way, I have to reduce this list down to 9 species!

Also, I have no idea which fish to add to the tank. Taking suggestions! Just have to be soft water fish!

Is the plan to see what is growing best and then pick from those? What are you planning on using for your street?

Something to consider is that if you use a light green plant on the back wall like hygrophila serpyllum it will be tough to make any green background stem plants stand out against it. In my opinion darker backgrounds also help lend a sense of depth. One of my favorite examples is how Joe Harvey uses dark bucephalandra in the background to let all the other plants stand out. 

That said I have seen tanks with hydrocotyle tripartita backgrounds that look wonderful. So I suppose it all comes down to execution. The one below is an example. I don't know if the hydrocotyle actually helps in the background here, or if it is just a halo effect from the generally excellent plant husbandry.

Edit: wanted to give credit for the above tank and picture to the immensely talented nntnam who started keeping planted tanks like 2 years ago, made some absolutely amazing scapes, then as far as I know quit the hobby. Undoubtedly the quickest rise to mastery I've seen.  

 

Edited December 2, 2021 by gjcarew

[Mmiller2001]

On 12/2/2021 at 12:53 PM, gjcarew said:

Is the plan to see what is growing best and then pick from those? What are you planning on using for your street?

Yes, I have only grown a few species and many of those are faster growers. Per your advice, I'm trying to see how the slower growers function. I was going to try to use Hygrophila Serphyllum as the street. 

My plan is to do no moss wall, and use the darker greens in the corner. But I'm so new that I'm shooting in the dark here.

That second tank is off the chart. I'd imagine that will take me a lifetime to achieve.

[Mmiller2001]

Plants arrived. Unfortunately, they are looking more than rough. 

[Patrick_G]

Double check the rules. I think you can be disqualified for posting pics prior to entering. 

Edit: I looked it up. The AGA prohibits entrants from showing pictures of their entries to AGA judges or board members. 

Edited December 3, 2021 by Patrick_G

[Patrick_G]

On 12/2/2021 at 12:41 PM, Mmiller2001 said:

That second tank is off the chart.

I agree! That tank is fantastic. The Hydrocotyle side walls are like ivy covered walls in an English garden. Amazing. 

[GameCzar]

That's awesome!  I can't wait to hear how it goes!

[gjcarew]

On 12/2/2021 at 12:41 PM, Mmiller2001 said:

That second tank is off the chart. I'd imagine that will take me a lifetime to achieve.

 

On 12/2/2021 at 4:24 PM, Patrick_G said:

I agree! That tank is fantastic. The Hydrocotyle side walls are like ivy covered walls in an English garden. Amazing. 

If you have a spare hour, check out his journal. It's a goldmine of information. My biggest takeaways were daily maintenance (pruning old and dying leaves), and 90% water changes twice a week!

[Mmiller2001]

On 12/2/2021 at 6:08 PM, gjcarew said:

If you have a spare hour, check out his journal. It's a goldmine of information. My biggest takeaways were daily maintenance (pruning old and dying leaves), and 90% water changes twice a week!

I will be doing this! Water changes are everything!

Thank you for his link.

 

Edited December 3, 2021 by Mmiller2001

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

@Mmiller2001when I think of a contest tank the clear rules and existence of so many cool journals for Dutch scapes makes this 1. An awesome project 2. A beautiful tank. Will look forward to enjoying your journal. 

[Mmiller2001]

On 12/2/2021 at 6:08 PM, gjcarew said:

If you have a spare hour, check out his journal. It's a goldmine of information. My biggest takeaways were daily maintenance (pruning old and dying leaves), and 90% water changes twice a week!

Just finished reading. I truly hope he comes back! I was very interested in his use of root tabs and lack of (later on) in his display tank! It definitely reinforced my belief, they can create trouble when you don't want them too.

 

With that said, let's discuss the trouble I knew was going to come. My first mistake is trying new plants. I should have just used what was in the 75! These plants are looking rough and I'm disappointed with them. This will be my last order with this seller. I would rather pay a premium and have plants come in that look amazing and take off within days. Also, I have to learn how they grow and I see this as a set back. But moving forward with the plan is the plan "for now."

Enter the bacterial bloom/ green water bloom. I knew it was going to happen with ammonia around 2ppm, The good news is this mornings test has ammonia around 1ppm. I will do a 70~ water change after the CO2 is off.

I'm also having a hard time getting my degassed pH. I've taken another sample and will test it after 24 hours. A 5.8pH degassed test from the previous sample seems oddly off. That sample was taken about 15 hours from the substrate swap. So,....

I'm installing the Eheim spray bar today as well, and I'm still hoping the Eheim Classic 2215 is enough on this tank. It's just shy of 5xturn over. Probably more like 4xturnover with head pressure. I honestly don't want to put a bigger one on the tank. I'm growing tired of spending cash! But I will if need be. Should I? @gjcarew

Oh, and PO4 was almost 0, so I dosed 10ppm this morning, and will dose 19ppm after the water change tonight. They were not lying when they said new aquasoil slurps up PO4.

These are the low enthusiasm days of this journey. Keep on swimming?

 

 

Edited December 3, 2021 by Mmiller2001

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

@Mmiller2001As usual we just have to ride out the awkward teenage faze of the hobby algae vs pimples I’ll take algae! 
Personally I think the Eheim will handle it without issue. You can always add something on like a hob for a little while to clarify water while it catches up. Power head with a sponge?

Have you decided what you’ll stock in there? CPDs small colony and shrimp feels classic to me from what I’ve seen. 

[Mmiller2001]

On 12/3/2021 at 10:21 AM, Beardedbillygoat1975 said:

@Mmiller2001As usual we just have to ride out the awkward teenage faze of the hobby algae vs pimples I’ll take algae! 
Personally I think the Eheim will handle it without issue. You can always add something on like a hob for a little while to clarify water while it catches up. Power head with a sponge?

Have you decided what you’ll stock in there? CPDs small colony and shrimp feels classic to me from what I’ve seen. 

I do have a HOB I can toss on there. I actually removed it when I changed the substrate. There's real good movement in the tank with just the Eheim and I'm hesitant to add more flow in the tank. 

CPD's are definitely on the table. I was looking at Glowlight Rasbora this morning. The caught my eye! I really want to do Dwarf Neon Rainbows, but I don't think they would work!

I have my eye on a certain shrimp. But they seem to be out of stock all the time. If they come in stock, I'm getting them. Caridina Longirostris

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

Only issue with the Caridina Longirostris would be dosing phosphates, I know with EI you're not dosing a ton but they seem particularly sensitive. They'd be a lot more fun then amanos or neocaridina. What about Caridina Babaulti as a backup if you can't get the longirostris? 

[Patrick_G]

A layout diagram would be cool if you have time to post one. 

[gjcarew]

On 12/3/2021 at 9:13 AM, Mmiller2001 said:

I'm installing the Eheim spray bar today as well, and I'm still hoping the Eheim Classic 2215 is enough on this tank. It's just shy of 5xturn over. Probably more like 4xturnover with head pressure. I honestly don't want to put a bigger one on the tank. I'm growing tired of spending cash! But I will if need be. Should I? @gjcarew

The way I see it the only thing that really matters for filtering a high-tech tank is that you get flow all around the tank to properly disperse CO2. You will have small fish and huge plant biomass so there is really no need to worry about processing fish waste. 

[Mmiller2001]

On 12/3/2021 at 11:51 AM, Beardedbillygoat1975 said:

What about Caridina Babaulti as a backup if you can't get the longirostris?

I'll look into them. 

[Mmiller2001]

Alright, got ammonia down to .5ppm and I need to dose another 10ppm PO4.

I'm beginning to wonder if I will be able to use the Aponogeton Ulvaceus, can this thing be controlled in a 40 breeder?

Also, I was able to get my pH down to 5.1. I still don't know my degassed pH. But I feel I'm close. Maybe!

Edited December 4, 2021 by Mmiller2001

[Streetwise]

Have you considered an Apex system for monitoring and control?