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HelplessNewbie's 20g planted tank journal


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Screenshot_20230923-184613.png.29058bd2a161ec7ae2610b25620d1a72.pngHi everyone, glad to be part of this supportive group! Me and my family are new to the hobby.

Here is an attempt to chronicle our adventures in learning!

Our 20g:

- start date: Jun 25, 2023, actually earlier than this but I redid the substrate because I didn't like the mounds

- fishless cycling with plants (3 weeks dark start, but got impatient and put plants during 3rd week)

- wood cellulose capped wuth coarse sand, fertilizing with diy liquid fertilizer and diy root tabs

- Animals: 15 pygmy cory, 3 endlers (1m blue star:2f black bar), 5 black bar endler fry, 5 amano shrimp, 14 red cherry terra, 2 bolivian ram, 1 otocinclus, 1 black skirt tetra, 1 mystery snail, bladder snails

- Plants: java fern, Anubias (nana, nana petite), guppy grass, dwarf sagittaria, amazon sword, red rubin sword, marble queen sword, red tiger lotus, pennywort, baby tears, susswassertang, rotala h'ra, hygrophila pinnatifida, ammania senegalensis, hornwort, crypt wendtii

- Dead: 1 otocinclus, 3 cherry shrimp, 3 amano shrimp, 6 pygmy cory, 1 endler fry, 1 mystery snail; windelov fern, lemon bacopa, ludwigia, crypts, stargrass, rotala rotundifolia, hygrophilia corymbosa, pogostemon octopus, salvinia cucullata; moved out: amazon swords (trying to propagate in nursery)

- 1 diy mini pump filter with nylon pot scrubbers, output is pointed up toward sponge on opposite end of tank

- 1 nano sponge filter with additional nylon pot scrubber diy filter add-on

- 1 Fluval stick heater with temperature controlled ACO heater

- diseases encountered: none yet

- diy 2 piece tank lid made from greenhouse polycarbonate panel (thanks, Cory!)

- ACO led plant light

- home automated light control, leak detection and mitigation

This is getting expensive with all these "projects" I am starting, but I am enjoying this hobby immensely.

 

Screenshot_20230720-202548.png

Edited by HelplessNewbie
updated living and dead
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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

Screenshot_20230816-141743.png.925dc281b054afb2200ae5ee4c5776f0.png

This 7 week old tank seems to be holding well. Plants are showing signs of growth, and  stems that were grown curved (purchased that way) are starting to straighten out. The ferns are not browning like their batch mates in our 10 gallon.

This water isn't crystal clear, but not bad!

Screenshot_20230816-142834.png.7edc285c8b04a4f82f4be96d7da4940d.png

Maintenance on this 20 gallon long is minimal, so far. It is a lot to ask the family to help me with these aquariums because of my disability/limitations, so I really appreciate that it takes very little to manage this one.

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On 8/16/2023 at 2:29 PM, HelplessNewbie said:

Screenshot_20230816-141743.png.925dc281b054afb2200ae5ee4c5776f0.png

This 7 week old tank seems to be holding well. Plants are showing signs of growth, and  stems that were grown curved (purchased that way) are starting to straighten out. The ferns are not browning like their batch mates in our 10 gallon.

This water isn't crystal clear, but not bad!

Screenshot_20230816-142834.png.7edc285c8b04a4f82f4be96d7da4940d.png

Maintenance on this 20 gallon long is minimal, so far. It is a lot to ask the family to help me with these aquariums because of my disability/limitations, so I really appreciate that it takes very little to manage this one.

I wonder if we should be adding more plant mass. I feel like we should. Is there such thing as having too many plants?

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  • 2 weeks later...

My tank is 9 weeks old. What issues should I expect at this stage? Diatoms? Hair algae? Mold?

I thought this might be considered heavily planted but I think I need to double the amount of plant mass before I can call it that.

Here is the latest pic of my tank.Screenshot_20230907-202524.png.b85e022d749cbe7d3bf7cd982801e391.png

I have hair algae for sure:

Screenshot_20230902-095024.png.4a9e567e36ea9033a86d1251966d7a80.png

Edited by HelplessNewbie
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  • 2 weeks later...

Made my 2nd small batch of diy n-p-k and iron root tabs.

Per @nabokovfan87's request, I am sharing the recipes I use.

============================

diy N-P-K root tabs

Screenshot_20230923-180520.png.253fb2a525fa0ea35f87a5db20462ca2.png

Thoroughly mix 1 tsp epsom salt, 2/3 tsp triple phosphate and 2 T plaster of Paris with enough water to make a thick putty. Before it dries completely, either: spread into a slab on parchment or foil, then make shallow score marks in a grid pattern; or, spread into mini-candy or ice cube moulds. Let dry several hours, then cut the slab into thin squares or remove from moulds. Store in air tight containers and keep out of sunlight.

20230923_121822-COLLAGE.jpg.8d48b4b60126ac2d2be678b5cfe3bbfc.jpg

============================

diy iron root tabs*

Screenshot_20231010-155939.png.c54fa1235714fd1e76baf240bb96c8c3.png

Thoroughly mix 1 tsp epsom salt, 1/4 tsp pyrite/steel wool, 1/6 tsp ferrous sulfate and 2 T plaster of Paris with enough water to make a thick putty. Before it dries completely, either: spread into a slab on parchment or foil, then make shallow score marks in a grid pattern; or, spread into mini-candy or ice cube moulds. Let dry several hours, then cut the slab into thin squares or remove from moulds. The color will change to a dark brown rust color. Store in air tight containers and keep out of sunlight.

20230923_122113-COLLAGE.jpg.be3a80eaa660f04d619685c25780470d.jpg

*Apply iron vs npk root tabs on separate occasions and locations to minimize them cancelling each other out.

Edited by HelplessNewbie
added iron root cube photo
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Tank progression photos...

 

~June 17, 2023:Screenshot_20230923-182216.png.07b7828b7325da6ab26e1f39bc1b9c0d.png

~June 20, 2023:

Screenshot_20230923-182225.png.d3be1a55e72f145b278b1653e39ad8bc.png

June 27, 2023:Screenshot_20230923-182247.png.3c707f919d000a88e5211dfe277e40f2.pngScreenshot_20230923-182259.png.8eebaf30d7b535d21a8875491d6b50c0.pngScreenshot_20230923-182334.png.37b19aaec55c47f30e1c272bf598967b.pngScreenshot_20230923-182356.png.a511d1c1b640949c8a53a9204a4fb9e6.pngScreenshot_20230923-182418.png.e6aff72ce9cd9344c7a0d8ecff7a00f3.pngScreenshot_20230923-182436.png.4e12b21354086144a6f87486df93fc54.png

Week 4:Screenshot_20230923-182453.png.a6a05586e96f7f01cfec5d2a7d91928e.pngScreenshot_20230923-182506.png.235e996252f5138b0920f384dcbe0263.pngScreenshot_20230923-182549.png.cc8dbdb6a072eecadaf6b5e8c1e54e1f.pngScreenshot_20230923-182613.png.e070289c1fe1c6b40ab8c4f05ca68206.pngScreenshot_20230923-182647.png.d2cc8d1297155befab1427b0411e13c7.pngScreenshot_20230923-182707.png.283c9067357c40fb73b09bf225682dd6.pngSep 23, 2023:Screenshot_20230923-184613.png.29058bd2a161ec7ae2610b25620d1a72.png

Oct 6, 2023: cycle crash

Screenshot_20231009-155645.png.b8e20dac3339621a062659f1f099dc5b.png

Nov 14, 2023: still recovering from cycle crash and loss of plants

Screenshot_20231114-122103.png.70bec73467113c36590640d4fe98b2ab.png

Nov 26, 2023

Screenshot_20231126-000903.png.1ae53f12a9284614b69f1103eac4ccc6.png

 

Mar 3, 2024: red tiger lotus is new, and some plants moved around or out; lots of hornwort floated and light intensity reduced to lessen black brush and thread algae growth

Screenshot_20240303-180756.png.f4e05ea267294e23ca5ddcb0c88e00d3.png

 

May 2, 2024

Screenshot_20240503-075950.png.fb9e6e58a8a41d414e18d29fa13f9716.png

 

June 24, 2024

20240624_163954_HDR2.jpg.696d80d1b5e13a8f46292809cc99ab03.jpg

 

Aug 5, 2024Screenshot_20240805-154431.png.553a78c76d41fca5c685bebe89190580.png

Edited by HelplessNewbie
updated with June 24 photo
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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 1 month later...
On 10/9/2023 at 3:53 PM, HelplessNewbie said:

Awful experience with cycle crash due to chlorine flush from the city:

I believe we lost 1 amano, 2 fish and 1 mystery snail in the aftermath.

 

tank, especially plants still recovering...

Screenshot_20231114-122103.png.70bec73467113c36590640d4fe98b2ab.png

new plants in transition: madagascar lace, creeping jenny, red flame swords, pogostemon octopus, taiwan lily (might not make it), hornwort

melting/melted:

java fern, windelov fern, val, dwarf sag, 1 tiny strand suswassertang

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  • 2 weeks later...

If we are successful at raising our unexpected ricefish and pygmy fry, I would like to add them back to this tank. I find these two types of fish fascinating!

We counted 12 today...

Encircled in green are what we think is an example of the white ricefish fry, and encircled in purple, a representative of the pygmy cory fry.

Screenshot_20231204-0130482.png.38579abf0b4a540ef71c70fada866c6f.png

Edited by HelplessNewbie
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  • 3 months later...
On 12/4/2023 at 1:35 AM, HelplessNewbie said:

If we are successful at raising our unexpected ricefish and pygmy fry, I would like to add them back to this tank. I find these two types of fish fascinating!

We counted 12 today...

Encircled in green are what we think is an example of the white ricefish fry, and encircled in purple, a representative of the pygmy cory fry.

Screenshot_20231204-0130482.png.38579abf0b4a540ef71c70fada866c6f.png

Seven fry (turned out to all be ricefish) survived and have been moved in!

Here is one of them:Screenshot_20240228-190403.png.59c7dc3f85c7d03e77e786e8812fd1a8.png

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  • 1 month later...

Moved out all male endlers, since we have a bunch of fry and juveniles. Placed one bully ricefish in quarantine timeout, and an injured ricefish also to separate quarantine for recovery. Two new otocinclus, Bill and Ted.

Red tiger lotus is getting big, so trimmed a few of the taller leaves off. Madagascar lace plant melted back and is so tiny right now. Still fighting bba in a few places, but reducing the lighting time and adding hornwort to shade certain areas appears to be helping, though I understand it will take time in this low tech setup. Banana plant is doing all right. Java ferns are growing back.

Screenshot_20240503-075629.png.a24a6ba6910e90bfa1dcf657e61e2545.png

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