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Post by Crazygar on Feb 2, 2020 14:26:27 GMT -5
Another 1 hour, 15 minute session.
- Trimmed the Blyxa, once again, removed nice Daughter plants and threw them away. If I ever get started on my next project, I already have Blyxa
- Trimmed a bit of the Hairgrass
- Trimmed the HC, I realized it moved from the rock across the substrate, I corrected that today
- Trimmed the Staurogyne repens, removed a massive clump of Java Mess (yes, I did this on purpose) that invaded the group on the right side
- Removed (as in the garbage bag) A.reineckii 'roseafolia'
- Removed many more Snails, many more still remain
- Cleaned my CO2 Diffuser and re-orientated
Big Red finally passed away. This was my remaining large Male Cherry Shrimp. I'm going to be hunting down Crystal Reds as they are a part of the "Big Plan"
My Buce is ready to be propagated. There will be some nice plants that I believe will make available shortly.
Music today was hodgepodge, I have my huge Playlist called "Love is Loved" (1,420 tracks, 4.9 days, 12.82GIG) playing. It's all the songs I really like, for instance, while I am writing this "Feel The Same" by Battle Tapes is playing.
Pictures once things settle.
Gary
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Post by Crazygar on Feb 3, 2020 17:46:14 GMT -5
When I do my "professional shots" with my DSLR for the contest, I am obviously going to be removing the Powerhead and most likely the CO2 diffuser from the tank. Still going to change out the clear white tubing for black on the CO2 input.
The filter does need a good cleaning as I can clearly see diminished flow with the Co2 bubbles.
Tomorrow, 10 more Chili Rasboras and Hygrophila pinnatifida, and an updated picture. According to FedEx, before noon. Good, hopefully during one of my morning meetings.
Then I begin the maturation of Tank. I trimmed down the HC on the rock at front as it was starting creep over the lawn, a little yellow showing as I really removed a lot. The empty space on the right side is for H.pinnatifida. So looking forward to this, it's my version of Christmas.
Going to be trimming the Buce on Saturday, as it's starting to grow "out" rather than "up".
Gary
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Post by Crazygar on Feb 4, 2020 20:41:36 GMT -5
Even with the lights dimming down for the night Office Space II looks nice.
Here is the start of the new look. The empty gap has been filled with the Hygrophila pinnatifida. Now to get it to transition to the tank and have it start growing up the rocks. Which I will need at least 2 more to fill in some gaps, to clean up the effect.
19 Chili Rasboras in the tank, for Fish bioload, I am complete. Still looking for Crystal Red Shrimp (Males and Females) and that is it. Then it's time to get the tank ready for the AGA competition.
Gary
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Post by Crazygar on Feb 5, 2020 21:11:44 GMT -5
I've noticed some new behavior now that the Rasbora group is now large. I fed them some brine shrimp (the new ones gorging themselves) and did my usual half an algae wafer into the tank for my Oto.
A few hours later, I noticed most of the Rasboras pecking away at the algae wafer, much dismay to my Oto whom was finding this, well, annoying.
I've never seen my original group do this and pleased to see some new behaviors. The way they all went at the algae wafer, looks like it's a full one broken into pieces from here on in. I don't think the Oto managed to get much without the Rasboras darting in and out all around him.
Gary
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Post by Crazygar on Feb 8, 2020 20:44:12 GMT -5
I did a pre-trim today.
- Removed a bunch of Blyxa japonica for nocturnalflower
- Cut a nice sized piece of Buce kedagang for the Aquarium Society Auction Tomorrow
- Trimmed some of the H.pinnatifida, just a small amount but enough to get a plant or two started. Not sure if I am going to give it away or just put in the auction. Undecided yet.
I'm going to see how this works on the whole Sunday maintenance. Whether it makes it easier or not we will find out. But the Blyxa has been taken care of. I'm glad that someone is taking it and going to grow it as opposed to me throwing it away all the time.
Mind you, I took quite a bit out so it may be a while before freebies are available again.
The H.pinnatifida is already growing smaller, browner leaves! Yeah! Awesome, soon I'll just start covering my Seiryu stones with it and really flesh out this aquascape, I can't wait to mature this out.
Staurogyne is looking a little thin or maybe I am just tired. Either way, it's grow out time! Let the games begin. Pictures to follow. Need to do some cleaning, top up the water and remove more snails.
The new fish have started to really color up. The days of feeding almost daily are over. Back to the routine. Everyone is doing well. Now about those Red Crystal Shrimp...
Gary
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Post by Crazygar on Feb 9, 2020 14:45:26 GMT -5
Thankfully I did a pre-trim yesterday!
It was still an one hour and fifteen minute session, but I cleaned the filtration and did a really good cleaning inside the tank and some tweaking of plants.
First the plants:
- Trimmed the H.pinnatifida. I cut back some of the larger emersed form leaves. Just a few, will slowly do this over a period of a couple of weeks
- Did more corralling of the HC that just loves to spread anywhere it can root. Cleaned up the front clump
- Staurogyne repens, yes, the leaves are smaller than before. Now that I have been really trimming, I left them alone this week. I will trim if necessary next week, replanting into some of the dead spots that were created by the B.kedagang
- Hairgrass I left alone.
The filter was an epic mess. I do mean epic. The Media I had placed in there was "gunk o rama". It was heavy. I replaced it with fresh media and going to start a 2 month programme of cleaning the filter and replacing the media rather than waiting for the flow to reduce.
I restarted the filter after the cleaning and blew all the fish around the tank, I had to back off on the flow for now. Don't want to overly stress my week old group.
I had a great time at the meeting today, and was great talking to everyone. I'm happy to see more Planted Tank people "filtering" (ha ha) into the Society. I'm hoping to have more cuttings available in a little while. Hold on folks, I plan to share the wealth.
As usual pictures to follow, though the tank has already cleared up dramatically. Wow, that filter was nasty.
Gary
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Post by Crazygar on Feb 9, 2020 21:00:59 GMT -5
Failed to mention today I spent my maintenance session listening to "Olympia" (partially) and "Future Politics" by Austra.
I have been looking at the Blyxa in the back, looks like I might have to do a major replanting, seems a good portion of it has floated up. While it's going to be a bit of a pain, it will be worth it. Looks like Sunday, is adding a bit more substrate to the back of the tank and getting that Blyxa back down into the substrate.
Gary
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Post by Crazygar on Feb 10, 2020 19:15:10 GMT -5
Blyxa needs to be replanted. More sections have floated up.
Sunday's maintenance will be me adding a bit more substrate to the back of the tank, and replanting the large masses of Blyxa that have floated up. I cannot believe the amount of daughter plants it shoots off.
It's a real pain planting the Blyxa, the placement of the Spiderwood in the tank should have been much more forward. But alas, it is what it is. Just coping with it.
The Hygrophila (as you can see in the right of the picture) is producing small brown leaves at a very rapid rate. Tomorrow, I'm most likely going to pinch these off and place them on the rocks. Yes, I still need to get more. But what rocks I have, will be covered in Hygro rather quickly.
Since cleaning the filter, everything seems to pearling better again, I believe flow has a large part to do with this. If you notice in the picture a steady stream of tiny bubbles from the Buce.
Grow, trim, replant, repeat. Next little while.
I am giving up hope of finding Crystal Red Shrimp here in Windsor, the people I need to contact have been MIA and I don't want Cherry Shrimp. Going to see what my contacts in Winnipeg have. I was buying them for $2 a Shrimp.
Gary
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Post by Crazygar on Feb 14, 2020 18:27:29 GMT -5
Once I get my Blyxa back the way it used to be I will be glad. Each time I look in the tank, I get angry but such as life. I needed to add more substrate to the back (seems it collapsed in the back, it's only 2" deep) and then do a replant.
To add my overgoing list of problems, seems my little powerhead and a handful of suicidal/mercenary snails have cancelled each other out. Last night, more like early morning, I could hear this god awful racket throughout the place. Seems a few snails ventured into the intake of the Powerhead and enough of them to break the impeller.
Good news was it was a large group of snails bad news is that my little powerhead is toast.
I put my Emergency HOB back on and it keeps reminding myself how well this thing clears water. Sunday, it's going to be stuffed with Filter moss as after a substrate padding, the tank gets awful cloudy no matter how careful I am.
Going to let the HOB run for the week until next water change. Replacing Filter Moss throughout the week to polish up the water quick.
Gary
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Post by christopher on Feb 15, 2020 14:56:42 GMT -5
Gary. How many hours are yu setting your lights? My Buce has never flowered. I'd like to see if it will if I change lighting hours
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Post by Crazygar on Feb 15, 2020 19:31:54 GMT -5
8 hours. 2 hours ramp up, 4 hours full, 2 hours ramp down. 132PAR. My Buce flowers constantly, I am wondering if it will ever stop?
Gary
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Post by christopher on Feb 16, 2020 14:02:21 GMT -5
Who has a par meter? Maybe it will never stop. Haha
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Post by Crazygar on Feb 16, 2020 14:35:32 GMT -5
Who knows Chris, all I know since it first started flowering, I've never seen it stop since then.
Must be happy. The specs I received with my light gave me a good idea where my levels are. This is why I backed off from 10 hours to 8 with 4 full and 2 hour ramp ups and downs.
...and now for an epic Journal Entry...
Blyxa Bashing - Feb 16th, 2020
As I stated, my goal today was add more substrate to the back of the tank and replant the Blyxa. What I discovered was that giant mass of Blyxa at the back of my tank was one piece. It was a mother plant with untold daughter plants.
As I started to remove it (I had to in order to add more depth at the back) I realized four very important things:
- While wonderful (I loved the look before it fell apart) it was literally hanging on by one root system
- As I removed the daughter plants, I realized I had more than I was going to replant (that was the largest amount of Blyxa I've thrown away )
- I'm going to have to switch into high gear if I want my "look" back for the AGA Contest in September
- Free Blyxa cuttings will not be happening for quite some time
I have noticed, as you will as well, my Buce is literally taken over that piece of Driftwood. freshwater, with time and leaving it alone, this is what you can expect!
MacGyvered my little Powerhead. While the HOB did a wonderful job it also shadowed out the plants. The Powerhead also shadows, but a small small area almost enough to be negligible.
Going to be replacing the Eheim 2211 with most likely a 2217. Which means new Lily Pipes. Yes, I will remove the cardboard this time. I need more water flow on the surface and I have more options with larger diameter Lily Pipes. Trying to reduce equipment used in the tank.
In fact, I won't do anything until Sunday. This way, I am concentrating only on the tank.
While the substrate did cloud out the tank, it is not as bad as you might think. I plan to take a picture. Don't be alarmed, I did replant the best pieces of Blyxa (about 4 large pieces) and now it's time for grow out.
I haven't touched the H.pinniftada as I'm going to let the tank settle for the week. Fish are pretty stressed out. Their Blyxa hideout is no more.
Next Sunday, its Hygro and Hairgrass.
The tank looks alien, almost like another tank, resembles actually what it looked like (somewhat) when I first started the initial last layout grow out. All this in one hour and ten minutes.
I did get a chuckle though, as I was watching the tank after the session and typing this, I noticed a snail clinging onto a Stauro leaf that is blowing around the tank by the flow of the Powerhead. Would this be considered Para-snailing?
Music for today was Dead in Vegas, "Contino Sessions" and Morcheeba, "Who Can You Trust?" (this is an excellent album, really bluesy with electronica thrown in, similar to Soma Sonic, very chill).
Gary
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Post by nocturnalflower on Feb 16, 2020 16:27:16 GMT -5
Ha! Para-snailing! Love that Morcheeba album. Wow... That takes me back. Now I need to pull it out for a listen!
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Post by Crazygar on Feb 16, 2020 18:44:39 GMT -5
Yeah, that by far is one of the best Morcheeba albums. Their new one Blaze Away is pretty darn good as well.
That was an epic amount of Blyxa. Thinking it about it, it was like Tree-o-Blyxa. The one root/stem was the trunk...
Yes, the Blyxa will grow back and I will keep it in check. Good news is the tank is mega-brighter now that mass of plant is gone, sad news, I loved the look of it before it started to fall apart. I plan to return to this state, but as many plants not just one mother plant.
All 4 plants are pretty darn deep into the new substrate.
Gary
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