Buce and Sword Island Scape

[SupersoNick95]

Hello everyone! I wanted to start a little journal of my high-tech planted tank. (More like medium-tech; these are all mostly easy-to-grow plants) 

Plants are val, dwarf sag, dwarf hairgrass, various types of buce and crypts, java fern and finally amazon swords. 

I used some cheap Mexican beach stones available at home depot/lowes for the island in the center. The wood is called ghostwood, which I believe is just sandblasted manzanita. Substrate is UNS contrasoil capped with some coarse sand. 

My goal is to get the val to fill a lot of the back half of the tank and float over the surface. I know the swords might be too large for a 20 long, but i feel that with adequate pruning i can get them to remain bushy. once they grow in they will hopefully shade the buce and prevent any algae growth on their leaves. The Dward Sag has exploded. the dwarf haorgrass is the newest addition and am hoping to get a decent carpet going. I wouldn't mind a patchy look in the foreground.

I'm dosing nilocg Thrive+ and am running 1.5 bps off a small paintball tank. Took a while to dial in the needle valve as the Aquatek regulator has really bad tolerance. The CO2 diffuser is placed right under the intake of the aquaclear 50. So far, the diffusion has been excellent and I haven't noticed any issues with the impeller. I also swapped an impeller from my AC30 into the 50 to get gentler flow which the rummynose tetras seem to prefer. 

Stocking is an apisto hongsloi, about 20 rummynose, and 9 corys. 

Nitrates are consistently below 30ppm so I feel i can fit in some more fish. I'd like some nano Amazonian top dwellers; Pleas make suggestions! I was thinking of either dwarf hatchetfish or pencil fish. 

 

Edited January 17 by SupersoNick95

[Guppysnail]

What a lovely tank. Handsome Apisto!

[SupersoNick95]

On 1/17/2024 at 5:59 PM, SupersoNick95 said:

Hello everyone! I wanted to start a little journal of my high-tech planted tank. (More like medium-tech; these are all mostly easy-to-grow plants) 

Plants are val, dwarf sag, dwarf hairgrass, various types of buce and crypts, java fern and finally amazon swords. 

I used some cheap Mexican beach stones available at home depot/lowes for the island in the center. The wood is called ghostwood, which I believe is just sandblasted manzanita. Substrate is UNS contrasoil capped with some coarse sand. 

My goal is to get the val to fill a lot of the back half of the tank and float over the surface. I know the swords might be too large for a 20 long, but i feel that with adequate pruning i can get them to remain bushy. once they grow in they will hopefully shade the buce and prevent any algae growth on their leaves. The Dward Sag has exploded. the dwarf haorgrass is the newest addition and am hoping to get a decent carpet going. I wouldn't mind a patchy look in the foreground.

I'm dosing nilocg Thrive+ and am running 1.5 bps off a small paintball tank. Took a while to dial in the needle valve as the Aquatek regulator has really bad tolerance. The CO2 diffuser is placed right under the intake of the aquaclear 50. So far, the diffusion has been excellent and I haven't noticed any issues with the impeller. I also swapped an impeller from my AC30 into the 50 to get gentler flow which the rummynose tetras seem to prefer. 

Stocking is an apisto hongsloi, about 20 rummynose, and 9 corys. 

Nitrates are consistently below 30ppm so I feel i can fit in some more fish. I'd like some nano Amazonian top dwellers; Pleas make suggestions! I was thinking of either dwarf hatchetfish or pencil fish. 

 

UPDATE: Unfortunately had a bout of ich and lost the apisto. No other losses and i have been treating for over two weeks as a precaution with daily water changes.

I have also changed the filter to a canister and removed all the driftwood. It was shading and I suspect that is what was preventing it from growing as best as it could. 

[SupersoNick95]

I am currently running the Delta 60 in this jerry-rigged configuration with the inline Co2 diffuser. Unfortunately, this filter is not quite enough turnover for the 20 long. With the jet outflow, it is too strong but doesn't circulate well, and with the lily pipe, it flows much too slowly.  I could have opted for a flow valve to lower the flow on the jet pipe but I figured I'd just upgrade the filter. I ordered a Sun Sun 302 Canister filter which has about 275gph. I've come to find that algae thrives in low flow, as the organic matter will settle on their leaves. 

I have experience with the Sun Sun 302. I have one running on my 40-gallon African cichlid tank packed with sponge and it is dead silent. Has been running flawlessly for 2 years. I'm going to install one onto this planted tank along with a flow control ball valve. This way I should have more control over the flow, especially with the lily outflow which provides great diffusion compared to the jet flow.

Overall I've been disappointed with the UNS delta 60. Some issues I've run into:

• It rattles no matter how long it is broken in. This is a chief complaint about the Delta 30/60.
• Difficult to prime. Air takes ages to disperse. 
• Leaks infrequently; No matter how diligent in getting a seal, it will randomly decide to leak on occasion. 

It also doesn't have any of the creature comforts I have come to expect of canister filters, especially at its price point.

• No priming pump. The SunSun priming pump makes it so easy to get rid of trapped air.
• No shut-off valve at the pump head for quick disconnects. Almost every filter at this price point has one. Huge mess every time I do tank maintenance.