# Eh Journal - 90cm AI Glass



## cb1021

Eh gang,

F-it. This tank has me contemplating and I want to share the experience. The last time I had an aquarium was 10 years ago, fast forward to today - the learning curve starts anew. I didn't really have plans to get wet again or to inherent a money pit but the winter blues started to set in. I was desperate for some organics in this concrete jungle and several houseplants did not satisfy the dynamism that comes with aquatic plants.

*Hardware:*
90cm x 45cm x 45cm AI Starfire tank (49 gallons)
Aquaticlife Quad T5HO (2x6500k, 1x10000k, 1xPink)
ADA Aquasoil
Eheim 2217
Eheim Skim350
Pressurized Co2 (VIV 50mm diffuser)

*Water Parameters (10 days into cycle):
*pH: 6
Ammonia: 2.0ppm
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 5.0ppm (false reading I think but it might be from ferts)

*Journal Entry 1*
First of all, welcome. My current goal with the tank is to farm it. I need enough stem plants to do a dutch-scape. Also I want to learn more about how plant grow and how to grow them before I start scaping. Open discussion is welcomed.

_The current grand scheme
_

Most of plants were given to me as tops by forum member _default _(g-bless). During the last several days, all of them have began growing roots. What does this indicate?


The rest of the photos


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## default

Looking good! Everything looks happy in your tank, can't wait to see this grown in.


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## cb1021

Dec 26 Update

*Water Parameters (20 days into cycle):*
pH: 6.4
Ammonia: 1.0ppm
Nitrite: 0.5
Nitrate: 10/20 ppm (could be 10 or 20ppm as the color legend for those two values are identical to my eyes)

Since my first post, I've done two trims - cutting off the tops to replant or cutting off leaves that have spot algae on them. I've also ordered another Eheim 2217 in order to introduce more flow into my tank. When I receive it, I'll add another 9L bag of Aquasoil to the original 2 bags that have been in the tank.

Here's a few photos, see you in another 2 weeks.


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## cb1021

Quick update today: Tank seems to be cycled, will add some algae crew soon. I'm currently waiting for some driftwood to sink. As soon as that occurs, I'll be overhauling the tank to add the hardscape therefore ending the farm-mode and shifting into an attempt for some aquascaping.

I don't have the fert regime down yet, the plants are somewhat bland. There's also diatoms settling in. Back to home from vacation now so routine dosing is possible.

There are the progression photos:

1st week:


2nd week:


3rd week:


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## FlyingHellFish

Cool tank, what stand is that? What your GH and KH?


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## cb1021

Hey - it's the stand from AI, the tank is also from AI.

I can't believe it's only been a week - I've gone out to buy fish 3 times since then. There will be a big update in the next couple of days that includes a complete rescaping (farm mode complete I'd say). 

Photos to come.


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## cb1021

Monday night - Can't get to my next phase of scaping yet.

Preview of what's to come:


Did a mass trim today, pulled several zip lock bags of Bacopa sp. Japan. Need to make room to plant the Rotala trimmings (to be used for scaping).





Things are a bit messy right now.


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## Cichlidrookie

*Beautiful Tank*

Man that is a beautiful tank. Must have cost a lot.

Where did you get that big DRIFTWOOD from?

Thanks


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## cb1021

I got the tank/stand used but $250 so I was quite lucky. Otherwise, I would've still bought an AI setup - just for more money.

Driftwood is from BA Mississauga, it was boxing day so 20% off the total was like $100 after the discount. The photo's showing 3 pieces. I will probably need to trim them a bit to make it fit nicely into the tank.


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## cb1021

Cleaned up the glass today - It's a shame that I had planned to rescape the whole thing. I have a new respect for the maturing process. I like the jungle look a lot but I need to fit more wood in there. The tear-down rescape is a project planned for this weekend but as the current setup is growing in, I'm really liking it. Water is in good condition:

_ph: _6.4
_Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate:_ 0,1,20-30ppm

Otherwise, here are some photos:

Full Tank Shot


Side view (Is it obvious or not?)


Top view:


My biggest plant:


The Others:








A note on the rams: I've had these for about a week or a few days more. The male had been displaying to the female 2-3 days after, which includes chasing away other fish. Now the male is not so confident. Colours are bland (black stripes over pale body). Also I need to hand-feed this guy with a syringe. Even if he has a piece of bloodworm hanging out, a Serpae tetra will come rip it out of this mouth completely. Also he is being chased by the female and he will swim away with clamped fins. If the female's not around, he's well. I will look after him until he hit puberty.

It's the Serpaes I think. I bought them because I like their swiftness and prowess. They're micro-piranhas and I like that a lot. The rams, not so much.


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## cb1021

Finally bit the bullet today and blew everything up.

Full tank shot before tear-down




Draining tank water into this temporary home


Shot of fish while pumps are off. I bought 12 Harlequins and 12 Pseudomugil Furcatus about 2 weeks ago. Today I have 5 left of each. They frequently jump out of my tank. Water parameters are in check so I'm guessing it's the Serpaes, lights, or high current that's scaring them out of the tank. Who knows but I know I won't be getting anymore top level swimmers. 


Pulled the plants - the fish are _pissed_


Bucket load of plants. I put the more fragile stuff such as E. Tenellus and Downoi into the smaller container. Downoi is my slowest growing plant so far...


I'm happy it worked out after an hour. What I had planned on paper (ie. dry-arranged on kitchen counter) failed. The pieces of wood were too big for my tank. I had to start from scratch with the 3 pieces that I have.




Tomorrow will be planting-day. I have no plans and will probably just arrange as I go.


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## FlyingHellFish

That a gorgeous diffuser! How much was that? And do you know what your water parameters are? My tap water is higher in GH than usual...


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## cb1021

It's a VIV diffuser from AI. It was around $40. A nice piece of glass, I REALLY like it. it's covered in algae after a month of use - Ill try to clean it with bleach and give you a better idea in regards to the longevity of its aesthetics. 

I'm not sure what my GH is. An experienced hobbyist told me GTA runs on 5dkh...Do you have sensitive fish that demand specific water parameters?


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## Cichlidrookie

*Amazing*

Yes I am soo glad you put that driftwood in the tank.

Looks amazing cant wait till you start planting.

Good luck


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## qiaable

Amazing tank.....setting.
Also great deal on this size of star fire tank/stand.

Enjoying readjg the post.


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## cb1021

Hey guys - last couple of days have been long days at work and long nights planting. Long story short, I had to scape the tank _4 times_. It wasn't fun, it was work. I'm glad I came out of it strong and a bit more experienced. Here were my mistakes, in chronological order:

First time (The photo I posted in my previous post): Driftwood was waterlogged but had no anchor. A light bump would set substrate eroding. I went out and bought egg crate to build a more solid foundation.

Second time: Used egg crate, placed the driftwood and poured substrate over egg crate base. Still not stable. Egg crate base started lifting towards the surface of substrate.

Third time: I attached slate onto the driftwood, sawed specific angles in the base of the driftwood so the frankenstump would fit in unity. I also wedged the driftwood so that it's being supported by two sides of the tank. Everything is secure, no movement when knocked lightly. Planted it, next morning found stems floating around - realized my substrate is not thick enough.

Fourth time: Drained the tank, pulled all the plants (except foreground which had good thickness), added more substrate.

Without going into further details, below is the result. Ammonia is reading 2ppm (from ADA Aquasoil). Also the plants are not in their best shape after floating for several days without light.


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## cb1021

Okay I would also like to take this time to review Tropica 1-2 Grow. I've bought E. Tenellus and Alternanthera Reineckii Mini in Tropica 1-2 Grow format. Love it.



_*Firstly: *_These plants come in small sizes, yet they are well rooted. It's a benefit for planting densely and in lightweight substrate such as Aquasoil as their small side reduces drag from water current. The bigger the plant, the more susceptible to water flow pulling them out before they root.

_*Secondly:*_ Value. $15 bucks a pop, but what do you get? For the A. Reinckii Mini, I got about 10 bunches with about 5 stems in each bunch. That's 50 stems.

It's an amazing product for those who have the right conditions to grow plants well. I had E. Tenellus growing for a week and it doubled in mass. The Tropica 1-2 Grow look tiny in mass when compared to mature bunches/pots, but it's is easily double or triple the stem count.



Menagerie Pet Shop has at least 10 species of plants in the Tropica 1-2 Grow format. They also have potted Tropica plants which are also in excellent shape.

_*Verdict:*_ Tropica 1-2 Grow offers attractive plant species in a format that is ready to grow. Furthermore, you're getting a lot of stems for your dollar.


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## Professor Monkey

Massive improvement; totally transformed. It's amazing how mounded substrate and driftwood adds so much depth. The colours are gorgeous! Can't wait for more photos in the coming weeks.


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## cb1021

Okay looking at the frequency that I'm updating - I need to leave the wallet at home. What's more, the only reason I'm updating is because the GF is out. She's seen too little of me at home and too much of me bringing home aquarium crap.

That said, I know she's coming back a bit late tonight so I can post the changes that took place during the last several days.

_*First of all: Review on VIV pipes.*_ I have two canisters now, so that means 4 green pipes in the tank which makes the tank look like it's on life support.

I've opted for the 17mm intake and 13mm outflow in a "super-jet" form. The shop (AquaInspiration) didn't have the 13mm outflow Lily in stock - Just for your information. I didn't have much interest in the Lily design because I'm familiar with the stock Eheim jets and I like how they perform. I like that I can position them at different angles to have more control over the specific flow I want to create. Furthermore, I'm not really sure why the form factor (size) of the Lily design is so bulky - as in it extrudes out into the tank with a long goose-neck.

Let's take a look at some photos with Eheim 2217 pipes as reference:






I want to point out that the rim of the connection point of the intake is rounded as opposed to a straight cut therefore it's nice and smooth. In regards to the output, the nozzle is pinched. This creates a more pressurized jet stream that is fast even though net water flow may be less than a Lily design.

Here is what they look like when installed. The inflow comes with one suction cup (clear) and the output comes with none. I've opted to use my Eheim suction cups for stability.


Okay so let's shift gears. I've done some planting also. I've planted Anubias Nana Petite in the same manner as Xmas Moss (Thanks _Greg_) and Phoenix Moss (Thanks _gtgwin_). This way, I can farm them and move them as I please. Plus the 3-piece driftwood arrangement is still fragile, I don't want to risk tipping/shifting it if I were to tie them to the wood right now.




I've tied them to small pieces of stone so that I can wedge them in areas of the driftwood arrangement.

Take a glance at the middle of my tank where I have placed the Anubias and Mosses. 


So....I was actually surprised how well these clear pipes blend into the tank. The removal of the green Eheim pipes opens up a lot of visual real-estate - I'm very pleased. So....what is that last remaining green jet pipe doing there? I highly recommend these pipes but just be careful. There's no flex, you would have no idea if you're stressing them until you hear them crack. It's my fault but also note there's probably 10 other ways these can be snapped so I'm not going to go into detail regarding my specific method.

For the detail-oriented, where has my VIV diffuser gone? It cost about $85 (not including the cost of Epoxy) to remove co2 fizz from the tank. Money well spent considering this thing is effective, efficient, maintenance-free, and hopefully I've constructed it to be bombproof. It's 57cm tall, the co2 tank is a 10 pounder, and the filters are Eheim 2217s for those who want sizes to reference.


*
That said, let me get out of here before the GF comes home. Thanks for reading and please feel free to ask questions.*


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## gtgwin

Looks dope!! That E. Tenellus is gonna spread like crazyyy in a couple weeks lol. I can't wait till I got space for a big tank like this one! Let me know if you wanna make some trades anytime! 
I should probably start a tank journal too...


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## cb1021

Eh for sure, start a journal, stop just lurking around ya?

Yea the E Tenellus is spreading like crazy already. I'm still looking for the micro variety, I've had it before. It's much more dwarf, very thin and it's pink/purple under high light. 

I find that Menagerie has a really good plant selection because most of their stock is Tropica.


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## balutpenoy2oy

your E. TENELLUS is a broad leaf variety mine is a narrow leaf or as you said micro leaf variety. it grows really well before in my unheated tank but its habits changes (very very slow growing, now ) when i converted it to discus planted tank.. This one changes from green to pinkish to reddish when on high light , shorter too about 1.5" only and more grassy look when on medium light, 3". I sell its trimming before because it really grows faster....


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## lovevc

cant wait to see E. Tenellus filling in! very nice tank


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## cb1021

The tank's a week old, not much has changed (except for growth). I trimmed all the stem plants. In regards to my maintenance regime (same routine for first carnation of the tank), I do 50% water changes twice a week, followed immediately by EI dosing. I'm at half dosage right now since the tank is young.

Another note is that the tank looks so much better without microbubbles swirling around.

Onto the pics. I think I will need some meds for my male ram: he's skinny and pooping white. He's been like this since I got him over a month ago but I hoped it would just pass - it hasn't.





Plant list for my own reference:
a) Echinodorus Tenellus Green Tropica
b) Rotala Macrandra
c) Rotala Mini Butterfly
d) Tonina fluviatilis
e) Proserpinaca palustris Cuba
f) Anubias Nana Petite
g) Ludwigia red
h) Pogostemon helferi
i) Alternanthera Reineckii "mini
j) Xmas moss


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## Rmwbrown

I guess your UG didn't take?


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## cb1021

UG wasn't growing well for me. I think it's a nice plant for a nano but for a medium tank like mine, it would be too much maintenance work due to its fine texture.


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## Mr.Light

keep it up


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## cb1021

Ahoy. Very busy past week. Green tint from just dirty glass. Tenellus obviously taking off (I've pulled a few nodes that weren't growing well). Planted some Hygro Pinnatifida that I'm excited about, see how it turns out. Added 12 more Serpae Tetras (Big Als Missisauga- 4 of them for $2, on sale this week) bringing the total to about 25.

Fish List (numbers approximate):
25 Serpae Tetras
6 SAEs
6 Oto cats
3 German rams (2 males, 1 female)

Tank's not really in presentation condition right now. On to the pics, then see you guys in a week.


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## cb1021

Ahoy - There is pleasure in doing maintenance to make the aquarium shine. Had some free time and committed. Maintenance includes scraping glass, trimming plants, changing water, etc. What I like to do is clean the outside of the tank too. I like using white vinegar with water and paper towel as it leaves no water marks and isn't harmful to the tank. Also for rimless tanks, it's important to clean the build up (ie. usually wood particles or dust) on the _inside _rim. That way, there's no line of brown debris obstructing the view.

There's some characters in this tank. Please allow me to introduce:

Pig


A view from ground level


Trying to show several species in one shot: L to R - Rotala mini butterfly, Hygrophila pinnatifida, Ludwigia repens, Proserpinaca palusstris cuba


City lights


Skyscraper never sleeps


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## cb1021

Aquarium is a month old now.

_*Add Sterbai Cories from Finatics Aquarium. I highly recommend this shop as the tanks are very clean and the fish are very healthy. *_


_*Male ram recovering well from sunken stomach. Treated two weeks with Prazi-Pro. He's eating more aggressively and starting to gain weight. *_


_*Full tank shot. Battling Staghorn algae on the driftwood. *_


No near-future plans for this tank right now. I need to let the plants grow in and rid of the algae. Other than this, I'm planning an additionally 20" Iwagumi tank.


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## Professor Monkey

Wow. I love your tank and the growth is definitely coming along nicely.

What is even more impressive is your photography. GREAT shots.


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## cb1021

_*Serpae Tetra growing large*_


_*Pulled the over-running E. Tenellus, Staghorn Algae, and Ludwigia*_


_*Looking forward to additional scape*_


We're a human life after all. Our consciousness is active at every moment. My philosophy is very much like the plants in our aquariums. There's only one light source, it's in the sky and it's our only life source. Life is vitality, happiness, health, colors, beauty, lushness. Not all plants get the same exposure to this life source. Some begin as plantlets while others begin half way towards the sky. There are even variances in the degree of light received within the same species, for example: stem plants that grow densely. Here's the thing - each stem and leaf competes for light. It doesn't matter how close the plant is to the light, as long as there is even a small speck of the ray. Difference in light intensity is also irrelevant as it only gets brighter as the plants grow towards it. One thing I forgot to mention - the leaf of the plant are not free to move without its stem. The stem is what gives the plant direction and the leaves are what absorb energy for photosynthesis. It's important that the leaves are spread open wide whenever there is day light. If it is currently dark, wait 12 hours, it will be day time.

There are ways a plant can fail. One way is that the plant does not understand that the light is the source of its life. In a case like this, the plant won't have any direction or orientation. This is possible when the light source is manipulated or duplicated. Remember there is only one light source and it's at the top but place a mirror or shiny objects in the aquarium, the plant can easily be confused. Another way is when the stem is chopped, all of its leaves can be lost but it's important that the plant stays rooted and recall the power of light for the stem will not split into two, creating more avenues to reach towards the light than ever before. There are more ways that plants can fail, but I won't detail this further.


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## kevinli1021

Very nice tank indeed. 

One thing to point out is that it seems like you have brush algae growing on the hardscape. I would suggest manual removal while slowly siphoning it out of the tank. I also suggest getting some siamese algae eaters as they are very diligent at removing it and keeping it at bay .


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## cb1021

Yep I had some Staghorn algae on my driftwood. Manual removal worked.

Some updates. I put another 36" T5HO fixture over the tank. There's now 6 bulbs, 39 watts each. I run all 6 bulbs for 4 hours a day. I run 2 bulbs for 1 hour before the full blast and for 1 hour after the full blast. Total photo period 6 hours a day for now.

*New lights is not so much for intensity but more for spread. My Proserpinaca Palustris Cuba (favorite plant) is finally pearling. *


_*I saw this in my emersed grow-out container and decided to plant it back. The fact there's a mother stem makes it very easy to plant. Otherwise, planting Ludwigia stems vertically - they often snap into pieces. *_


No changes in terms of fish. I'm pretty sure my Serpaes spawned this morning but I had to leave for work. There were about 4 groups of 3-5 fish swimming around the tank extremely fast but not frantically. They were all shaking (not flashing/sparring) but shaking even while they swim. Also it was the first time I saw my Serpaes chase my Rams away. Came back from work to find no visible eggs.

_*I know this female is ready to breed, but the other ram I have might be a female also.*_


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## cb1021

Eh don't want to bore you guys - new angles.

_*My city - Toronto*_


*Fragility of Nature*


_*Have a good night*_


_*One more*_


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## cb1021

*Adding a few more species (clockwise, starting upper left): Myriophyllum Mattogrossense, Alternanthera Reineckii Rosanervig, Glossos, Hemianthus Micranthemoides, Rotala Bonsai, HC Cuba, Weeping Moss. I bought Weeping Moss few weeks ago from Menagerie, it was light green and I was told that that's the condition they arrive in. Lo and behold, 99% of it died as soon after I put it in water.*


*FTS:*


*Sideview*


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## gtgwin

Lots of different species, looks great! I like the outflow pipe shot haha!


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## cb1021

Things are filling in - haven't had much time lately.

_*First photo*_


_*Last photo
*_

_*Adding one more
*_


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## charlie1

cb1021 said:


> Things are filling in - haven't had much time lately.
> 
> _*First photo*_
> 
> 
> _*Last photo
> *_


Don`t know how I missed this journal before.
Nice work!
One question - Do you sleep ?


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## Poseidon

Gonna be stunning once it's all filled in!


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## cb1021

_*Oiiiii - Removed Mermaid Weed from back right corner. My favorite plant but I need bushy plants there. Replaced it with Ludwigia. 
*_


I don't know why my glossos won't grow close to the substrate. The leaves are about 3-5mm off the substrate, also they grow kinda leggy. Previously when I had glossos in a 10 gallon (4.5wpg), the leaves would kiss the substrate (flourite). Right now the leaves don't want to kiss the substrate, I think they want more light...Oiiiii

_*Random photo
*_


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## tranceaddict

When the glosso grew in the ten gal u had it was probably closer to the light. Maybe the height of your light is a lil to high, or it's not getting direct light because the taller plants might be covering it?


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## cb1021

Yea that can be the case, or co2 distribution is not optimal. I have very little flow near the substrate.


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## Reckon

Trim the glosso regularly - you'll train them to carpet better.


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## cb1021

_*Show you guys the girls*_


_*Feels so much better after cleaning up*_


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## cb1021

Update time, not much action these days. Not sure what happened but Alternanthera reineckii (Rosanervig & Mini) stopped growing, melted, and got covered in algae. Moved out Ludwigia red - it doesn't match the Mini hairgrass and glossos I have there.

Added two Hydor Koralia Nano 425s, removed one out of the two Eheim 2217s since it was really only there for more flow. Really recommend the Hydors, it creates a wide flow as opposed to a jet flow and it's the size of an egg.

_*Rare daytime shot*_


*Aiming for medium maintenance, stable tank - hence replacement of AR with hairgrass, glossos, and some kind of hygro * 


_*Oiii - Just stared into the grow-out tank for about an hour. It's so much more calm than the main tank. Fish in it are Chilli Rasbora (2cm), creating a large sense of scale. Tank is 75 gallon, half shown in photo.*_


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## cb1021

Reckon said:


> Trim the glosso regularly - you'll train them to carpet better.


By the way - this worked.


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## cb1021

Often I like looking at aquariums in detail. I took some photos - it's my grow out tank. My original 50 gallon crashed - lesson learnt. I highly recommend Diana Walstad book as it is not only about a "low-tech", el natural aquarium but it is a reminder that it is an ecosystem after all - an appreciation for balance.

Anyhow here are some photos, it's the holding tank preparing for my next scape.


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## iGeeve

What tank is the next project in? Upgraded?


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## cb1021

The next project will be a 80 gallon tank for my moms place. It's going to medium light and low maintenance (sparsely stocked). That's probably going to being in one month as I need to build the stand. Main fish will be angelfish for her.


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## mlongpre

Tank looks great!

What is your ph now? Still 6.4?

I'm trying to figure out what ph people are running on their high tech tanks. Thanks. 

Looking forward to seeing more!


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