# New tank, new design, new scape



## iBetta (Jun 19, 2011)

Hey guys,

Just wanted to share my new scape. I redid my 15g (with a new tank) and it's been running for 2 weeks so far. We'll see how the progress goes !

tank: brand new perfecto 15g from BA
lights: coralife power compact 10 000k
CO2: DIY
substrate: fluval stratum for plants, with some root tabs
ferts: EI dosing
flora: HC cuba, dwarf hair grass
on driftwood: java fern, java fern (philippine), Windelof Java fern, dwarf java fern (indonesian), narrow-leaf java fern (getting it soon!)
fauna: galaxy rasboras, dward chili rasboras, otos, and *rummynose rasboras* (NOT tetras)!!! (have yet to colour up because they are still juvies)
invertebrates: yamatos

the coralife fixture is like 5 years old (got it a long time ago), thinking of changing it into t5 HO once i save enough money 

the HC cuba i dont plan to keep it, so ill probably sell them once they grow a bit more as they were just floating leftovers from my previous carpet. i'm planning to do a pure DHG carpet . the ferns dont look so good right now because they were just bits and pieces of floating/dying/stuck to filter bits that ive rummaged from an lfs and given to me for free 

the driftwood was put together with a centre piece and putting a few malaysian branches together . i was given some other branches for free but there is some mould/fungus on it for now . anyone know how to get rid of it? if they keep on growing more and more i might just switch them with more malyasian branches as they dont grow any mould/fungus

Sorry for the bad pics, they're taken from my phone. i've also included a pic of my previous scape (iwagumi with HC carpet) using the same-sized tank.

Thanks for looking!

ps. i already made a few scratches on my new tank . arrrrrrrgggg, im so careless!! been buffering it (home-made style) a bit sigh...


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## Canadianbettas (Oct 18, 2009)

subscribed keep us updated


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## iBetta (Jun 19, 2011)

Canadianbettas said:


> subscribed keep us updated


thanks man! i can't wait to see your iwagumi scape's progree too!


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## ThaChingster (Feb 25, 2011)

The fungus will die out in the course of a few weeks, everyone has had the same problem, don't worry 
the scape is looking nice!


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## iBetta (Jun 19, 2011)

ThaChingster said:


> The fungus will die out in the course of a few weeks, everyone has had the same problem, don't worry
> the scape is looking nice!


ahhh that reassures me A LOT. thank you! 

can i ask a lightning question? whats the difference between T5 power compact, T5 HO, and metal halide lightning?  im guessing they differ in intensity and energy efficiency?

what about actinic light? whats that? are they mostly for saltwater?

Thanks a lot!


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## ThaChingster (Feb 25, 2011)

iBetta said:


> can i ask a lightning question? whats the difference between T5 power compact, T5 HO, and metal halide lightning?  im guessing they differ in intensity and energy efficiency?
> 
> what about actinic light? whats that? are they mostly for saltwater?
> 
> Thanks a lot!


T5 and power compact are two different things. 
They deal with the technology that connect the bulb to electricity.

Power compact bulbs were popular back in the 80s and 90s, when T12 bulbs were popular, as they had unique shapes perfect for retro-fitting canopies.

T5 bulbs are much more efficient in giving off light in a smaller area compared to T12 lights. 
T12 lights are 12/12 inch in diamater
while T5 lights are 5/8 inch.

T5HO bulbs amplify the electricity even more, to a point that it becomes uncomfortable to look at them directly. They use more electricity than normal T5's.

Actinic lighting is a specific colour temperature (eg. 6500k, 7500k, 8000k, 20,000k). It produces light at a certain wavelength (420nm) It's best not to use it in a planted tank, as it washes out the colour in plants. It does however, bring out fluorescence in fish. 
This is used in reefs because it promotes photosynthesis in corals


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## iBetta (Jun 19, 2011)

thank you man! i knew i could count on you!!  then mine are definitely power compact lol  (the two tubes stuck as one). then do T5 HO look any different than T5s? i always thought T5 HO were a bit more energy efficient than T5s...


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## ThaChingster (Feb 25, 2011)

iBetta said:


> thank you man! i knew i could count on you!!  then mine are definitely power compact lol  (the two tubes stuck as one). then do T5 HO look any different than T5s? i always thought T5 HO were a bit more energy efficient than T5s...


thanks! haha 

T5HO and T5 bulbs are exactly the same, aesthetically. It's the energy usage that changes between the two.
The T5HO bulb uses more electricity to generate more light.

for example a 36inch T5HO uses 39 watts, 
a 36 inch T5NO (normal output) uses 21 watts IIRC


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## iBetta (Jun 19, 2011)

oh i see i see! thanks for all the info man!


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## brapbrapboom (Sep 2, 2009)

I really like the fern attached to the DW! This will look good once its matured.!!

Tagging along! ;D


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## iBetta (Jun 19, 2011)

brapbrapboom said:


> I really like the fern attached to the DW! This will look good once its matured.!!
> 
> Tagging along! ;D


Thank you very much!  I'm just waiting for narrow-leaf fern, should be able to get it by next weekend! 

I just changed my DIY C02 that's been running for 2 months......dear mother of.....it smelled just like aged red wine. it made me almost want to drink it . it smelled SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO good *.*


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## brapbrapboom (Sep 2, 2009)

iBetta said:


> Thank you very much!  I'm just waiting for narrow-leaf fern, should be able to get it by next weekend!
> 
> I just changed my DIY C02 that's been running for 2 months......dear mother of.....it smelled just like aged red wine. it made me almost want to drink it . it smelled SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO good *.*


Haha! Well if ever you really want to go drinking dont forget us here ;D

Oh and im guessing those narrow leaf ferns will be going to the back of d tank? Or on DW as well?


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## iBetta (Jun 19, 2011)

everything will be on the driftwood, either on top or near the bottom. i initially put the normal broad-leaf in the back but thinking about it, since narrow-leaf could grow very tall and my tank is low i decided to take it out as they would soon get covered anyways 

i actually just took all my ferns except my dwarf. i want to make a driftwood with only narrow and dwarf ferns and see how it looks


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## alexxa (Jun 27, 2010)

nice design! the driftwood looks very good. but becareful with those DHG, they grow really fast and send runners everywhere


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## iBetta (Jun 19, 2011)

Hey Alexxa!  Yes that's exactely what I want!  
A full DHG carpet!  im going to sell all my HC soon lol .


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## alexxa (Jun 27, 2010)

DHG is much easier to plant compared to HC, but they grows really fast so u will need a trim every week
If you want them to spread runners, u need to trim them first


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## iBetta (Jun 19, 2011)

alexxa said:


> DHG is much easier to plant compared to HC, but they grows really fast so u will need a trim every week
> If you want them to spread runners, u need to trim them first


oh i totally forgot to trim them! O: thank your for the reminder! will do that today for sure! do you need any more HC yourself? i give can you some . i just need like one spoonful of microworms to start my culture again . i shall pm when im on christmas break about it! yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa


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## alexxa (Jun 27, 2010)

iBetta said:


> oh i totally forgot to trim them! O: thank your for the reminder! will do that today for sure! do you need any more HC yourself? i give can you some . i just need like one spoonful of microworms to start my culture again . i shall pm when im on christmas break about it! yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa


i think i have enough HC for now, thx anyways


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## FlyingHellFish (Mar 7, 2011)

Sick scape man, it's going to look awesome once you get a nice carpet. I like that driftwood with the java fern, defiantly subscribed.

You didn't get any rocks ? I thought your old aquascape with the rocks looked pretty good too!


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## iBetta (Jun 19, 2011)

FlyingHellFish said:


> Sick scape man, it's going to look awesome once you get a nice carpet. I like that driftwood with the java fern, defiantly subscribed.
> 
> You didn't get any rocks ? I thought your old aquascape with the rocks looked pretty good too!


Thanks man!  I kept the rocks but this time I'm going for an Iwagumi style without the use of rocks to define the scape . the focal point will be my driftwood in conjunction of the hairgrass carpet .

so when are you starting your scape? i cant wait to see !

**UPDATE (nov 30th): the narrow leaf fern is not doing well so i might change it into anubias petite. I might also change my HG carpet into a HC carpet provided that my few strands of HC left survive (lol) since it would look better with anubias .


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## FlyingHellFish (Mar 7, 2011)

wish I was as pro as you with this stuff, my tank still cycling and I can't find the plants I want. 

The manzanita driftwood won't sink at all, and school work been my main priority. I want to start aquascaping before finals, but I can't even start aquascaping with this damn floating wood. It refuses to sink! 


How is the DIY Co2 working out for you? You think Pressurize Co2 from a Kit would be worth the price? Your old picture had a really nice lust carpet, I want that for my tank.


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## iBetta (Jun 19, 2011)

*To flyinghellfish*
don't worry man, i see scaping as a hobby and de-stressor. I'm in my 4th year so im doing my grad apps, assignments, seminars etc O:. when i do my water changes, they're like my breaks 

as for your driftwood you can either
1. tie it to a rock (like what i did) until it soaks up enough water (it will take a long time) until it sinks by itself so you can remove the rock
2. i heard some people boil it and it helps soak up water and kill off any bugs, fungus etc

duuuuude, im totally still new at this! i make tons of mistakes but you just need to learn not to make them again 

if you're going for pressurized, i would say get a 5lbs with all those regulators, selenoid, etc. its an expensive initial cost but pays off in the long run compared to buying those mini cartridges from fluval because those run out FAST.

OR since we're both uni student (so assuming we're tight on budget), do DIY like me . its more inconsistent but cheaper and ive had no problems with it so far . of course your plants would look a lot nicer with balanced growth with pressurized C02, but im totally broke , and im content with DIY and my scapes. depends what you really want to do with it right? to be honest, my first scape (with that HC carpet) was more or less a pilot experiment to see whether i could actually pull off iwagumi 

u can definitely scape while taking a full course load and work, its all about time management! . im taking a full course load, 2 jobs and 1 volunteer! it makes looking at your tanks MUCH more enjoyable at the end of a long day! 

ps. what it takes in the aquascaping hobby is patience man, my old tank took my 4 months to grow that carpet from 3 little pots of BA O:!


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## iBetta (Jun 19, 2011)

*Update #1*

first, i removed all the java fern and windelov fern from my driftwood.

I would like to see how nice it would be to just have narrow-leaf (will pick it up soon) and dwarf java fern with my scape 

Here are some pics of my dwarf chili rasboras (their colours have come a long way , i couldnt capture the reddest/(dominant?) ones but here are a few pics of the redder ones  )

the last pic shows one my male rummynose finally colouring up! its kind of hard to see but you already see a red head and the body with a slight tint of purple  so excited!


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## Will (Jul 24, 2008)

iBetta, I like your Chili Resboras  I'm thinking these might look great in a new tank I have setup recently. I donno, them or some other nano fish.

Flyinghellfish, I made this video: HOW TO DIY CO2 For Planted Aquariums if you want to give it a watch.


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## FlyingHellFish (Mar 7, 2011)

Great YouTube Username sir! Very informative video, I didn't quite get what the reactor was? Is it an air pump or something? Did you find that the DIY Co2 randomly affect the oxygen levels?


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## solarz (Aug 31, 2010)

FlyingHellFish said:


> Great YouTube Username sir! Very informative video, I didn't quite get what the reactor was? Is it an air pump or something? Did you find that the DIY Co2 randomly affect the oxygen levels?


You have nothing to worry about with DIY CO2. You will never be able to produce enough CO2 to affect fish with a DIY setup. (Unless you do something crazy like 6 bottles on a 5 gallon tank.)

It's the pressurized that you have to be careful with, as I've read reports of people losing their stock from pressurized CO2 gone awry.


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## iBetta (Jun 19, 2011)

Will said:


> iBetta, I like your Chili Resboras  I'm thinking these might look great in a new tank I have setup recently. I donno, them or some other nano fish.
> 
> Thanks Will! They will only start schooling once you get enough fish. However, i find that they tend to like to stay near the surface, while my galaxies and rummynoses stay in the bottom


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## Will (Jul 24, 2008)

I'd be putting them in a stem plant focussed tank, so somethign that stays above ate the surface would be best. Have you noticed if thay are jumpers?

Solarz, I think diy co2 can indeed produce at levels too high. Especially during the first 72 hours of a bottle.


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## iBetta (Jun 19, 2011)

Will said:


> I'd be putting them in a stem plant focussed tank, so somethign that stays above ate the surface would be best. Have you noticed if thay are jumpers?


nope, they have never jumped out for me, i do have glass covers but they aren't as skittish as my galaxy lol. they're not scared at all when fed or when i approach the tank


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## iBetta (Jun 19, 2011)

*Update #2*

Thanks for everyone who voted! I've decided to try a dwarf Hair Grass carpet since I think a grassier look will go nicely with my ferns and driftwood, plus ive never grown a DHG carpet before . also, i've decided not to sell my remaining HC and instead use it on a new scape 

(http://www.gtaaquaria.com/forum/showthread.php?p=221099#post221099)

finally, I've gotten my narrow-leaf fern! they have some hair and fuzzy algae on them but my population of amanos is quickly taking care of them!  hoping to get some more hairgrass later to quicken the pace of filling in my carpet 

thanks for looking!


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## iBetta (Jun 19, 2011)

*Update #3-lots of changes*

Well, let me first start off by thanking everyone who voted in the poll and who tagged along. 

It's almost been a month and I realized that this scape is a lot harder than i imagined . As I personally believe that our initial scape will always end up differently at the end as the final product, I've made many changes once again! lol

1. I decided to go with HC now, because I finally found some more after selling my entire carpet last time, and the hairgrass wasn't growing that much even when trimmed weekly . Since HC is overall shorter, I decided to give it another shot to see if I can carpet it again .

2. got some nice T5HO 24", dual lamp, 10 000K and 6000K

3. took out the narrow-leaf fern because most of them were burning/melting, i moved them to my 30g with a 65w, 10 000K PC and they seem to be regrowing O:

4. replaced with anubias nana (one of them is a different species "gold" but that one I find really hard to grow as it is melting/dying with fungus  ) on the drifwood. the normal nana is much hardier and growing fast

5. fixed the driftwood a little by adding some more branches outward

6. FINALLY got some hydrocotyle tripartita (very little though) that i've put around the driftwood hoping that one day it will creep lowly around it 

7. lastly, under my "newer" setup, everything is pearling, including the HC !!

now let's hope the HC can carpet and the nanas cover my driftwood in due time


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## alexxa (Jun 27, 2010)

hey ibetta, any updates?
I also set up my first driftwood scape


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## iBetta (Jun 19, 2011)

*update #4-ALGAE ATTACK!!!!O:*

sigh...well im shameful to show my tank to you guys now but oh well...i shouldnt hide it right? a tank/scape will only have its nicest moments after the crappy ones...lol

after i switched into some T5 HOs, the lightning was way too much for the tank to handle. i believe that if i used pressured C02 (i already use Ei and excel) it would prevent my algae explosion but since i still dont have the luxury to afford it, im still using DIY....coupled with my livestock/high nitrates, im having an explosion of blue green algae (i think it is lol....).

fortunately it wasnt hair algae which i find to be harder to take care of.

so here are the changes to fight against it:
-switched back to initial LEDs (custom-made, 3 rows of cells-daylight)
-daily to every 2 days WC (i do them as often as i can but im out a lot since im still on holidays )
-excel (double dosing) treatment, blackouts, lower photoperiod, removed all livestock, increased C02 via second bottle of DIY

-after a couple of days the algae has already receded a lot. however, some HC has melted due to the changing parameters (and they were initially COVERED completely with algae)

its very ironic how i happen to grow a nice HC carpet with my previous scape (signature below) and LEDs without knowing much and just stumbling about. and now that im even trying harder and actually make some effort, it goes the opposite direction lol

but oh well, its all part of the hobby, u cant have all the 'ups' right? u need some challenges to make the final scape even more fullfilling! >: D (maybe i stripped my first scape because i didnt feel fulfilled enough since i didnt really have any obstacles)

so i will bear with it and hope to grow the scape that i want! im not giving up with HC just yet! if it still doesnt work, ill use dhg
i'm still adjusting many things to find the right 'equilibrium' for this tank since its relatively new, so please bear with me guys! 

thanks to all who read this stupidly long "update' lol


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## alexxa (Jun 27, 2010)

if it is blue green algae, try to increase water flow and add an airpump. BGA doesn't like oxygen
http://www.aquariumslife.com/algae-control/blue-green-algae/


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## iBetta (Jun 19, 2011)

yes thats what it is! O: i increased the flow already, but now im gonna add an oxygen pump to try! > 
thanks alexxa!


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## charlie1 (Dec 1, 2011)

A few thoughts , what is your Nitrate @?
If you are doing DIY CO2, is`nt it already an uphill task to try & get a stable consistent co2 level with DIY? if it is would`nt adding an air pump/stone further complicate the co2 saturation?
Regards


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## ubr0ke (Jul 12, 2011)

are you dosing kh2po4?


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## iBetta (Jun 19, 2011)

ubr0ke said:


> are you dosing kh2po4?


yes i have, would increasing the phosphates help? however, i was away for a good week or so, so maybe thats why the explosion started....

my nitrates are close to 0 (no livestock) but now that i came back from my trip ive started dosing nitrates again....hopefully it'll turn for the better....

would O2 really disrupt C02? this i really dont know


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## charlie1 (Dec 1, 2011)

iBetta said:


> my nitrates are close to 0 (no livestock) but now that i came back from my trip ive started dosing nitrates again....hopefully it'll turn for the better....
> 
> would O2 really disrupt C02? this i really dont know


Low or no Nitrates have being known to contribute to BGA out break.
Co2 is a gas that is easily out gassed from solution,hence any disruption/water breaking @ the surface of the tank will further enhance the out gassing of it, with a pressurized you have the luxury of increasing the injection rate to compensate to a point, not so easily done with DIY (sugar & yeast).
Regards


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## charlie1 (Dec 1, 2011)

I would try removing manually the BGA as much as possible - ,large water change - dose Nitrates to about 10PPM - place a power head low in the tank for water movement - stop co2 injection - black out the tank for 3-5 days-unwrap tank- another water change.
plants in poor health might suffer from the black out.
Regards


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## iBetta (Jun 19, 2011)

thank you charlie1 for all the help!
will dosing more Kh2P04 help?

thanks!


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## charlie1 (Dec 1, 2011)

iBetta said:


> thank you charlie1 for all the help!
> will dosing more Kh2P04 help?
> 
> thanks!


In all honesty i have never tried or heard of phosphates & it`s relationship to BGA, so i have no opinion to offer there.
One more thing if you go the route i mention, be sure to give your filter a good cleaning after.
Regards


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## Will (Jul 24, 2008)

After increasing KNO3 dose slightly, my teeny amounts of BGA dissapeared entirely. Supposedly it's a nitrate deficient, light loving, flow hating, bacteria.


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## ubr0ke (Jul 12, 2011)

iBetta said:


> yes i have, would increasing the phosphates help? however, i was away for a good week or so, so maybe thats why the explosion started....
> 
> my nitrates are close to 0 (no livestock) but now that i came back from my trip ive started dosing nitrates again....hopefully it'll turn for the better....
> 
> would O2 really disrupt C02? this i really dont know


dose kh2po4 once a week instead of the 3 times that ei suggests..dose k2s04 twice a week....and keep nitrates the same..3 times a week....
I suggest this since your using diy co2...phosphates will become the limiting factor not co2..dosing the k2s04 will keep your potassium non limiting...

phosphates being the limiting factor will lower demand for co2 intake...


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## iBetta (Jun 19, 2011)

ok thanks everyone for the tips and info! 

i came back home today and saw that my BGA grew less! ....well they still grew and spread but it was a lot less after yesterday's dose of NO3 . so i know at least im doing SOMETHING right! haha 
thanks everyone! will keep you guys updated for anyone who' still interested in this clumsy tank of mine


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## alexxa (Jun 27, 2010)

i just read an aquascaping book and it says black molly will eat BGA, can someone please confirm this?


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## ubr0ke (Jul 12, 2011)

alexxa said:


> i just read an aquascaping book and it says black molly will eat BGA, can someone please confirm this?


I can confirm molly's will eat algae..I dunno about BGA though..never had it..
mollies are dirty fish tho...I threw a couple off the balcony for pooping in my tank.

obviously a joke so whoever neg repped me..show yourself...


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