Retirement and forum shutdown (17 Jan 2022)
Hi,
John Howell who has managed the forum for years is getting on and wishes to retire from the role of managing it.
Over the years, he has managed the forum through good days and bad days and he has always been fair.
He has managed to bring his passion for fish keeping to the forum and keep it going for so long.
I wish to thank John for his hard work in keeping the forum going.
With John wishing to "retire" from the role of managing the forum and the forum receiving very little traffic, I think we must agree that forum has come to a natural conclusion and it's time to put it to rest.
I am proposing that the forum be made read-only from March 2022 onwards and that no new users or content be created. The website is still registered for several more years, so the content will still be accessible but no new topics or replies will be allowed.
If there is interest from the ITFS or other fish keeping clubs, we may redirect traffic to them or to a Facebook group but will not actively manage it.
I'd like to thank everyone over the years who helped with forum, posted a reply, started a new topic, ask a question and helped a newbie in fish keeping. And thank you to the sponsors who helped us along the away. Hopefully it made the hobby stronger.
I'd especially like to thank John Howell and Valerie Rousseau for all of their contributions, without them the forum would have never been has successful.
Thank you
Darragh Sherwin
my latest set up.
It is set up 2 weeks now and the HC has taking off nicely.
Tank; 60l. 51x36x36 (20\"x14\"x14\")
The substrate is ADA Aquasoil Amazonia.
Fertz; 5ml trace per week and 1.5ml of PMDD per day.
Co2 is about 30ppm
Hard scape is dragon rock from wackers long mile road.
Plants; HC Cuba, Riccia and java moss.
Lighting; 3x24w T5 (4.8wpg)
All the equipment is out side the tank except the return from the filter. The intake is drilled in to the back of the tank and the Co2 is diffused in a reactor before entering the tank via the return.
The intake is connected directly on to this with an added valve to empty the tank.
The HC was verry rough and half dead when i went to plant it and i ended up with hair algae. This should start to clear as the tank starts to balance.
Ii will post more pic's once the riccia has show good growth.
Darren.
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Keep us posted.
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The light unit/tubes are new to me and the way i am introducing the Co2 is also new to me so i am learning as i go along.
Yes i think the ADA aquasoil has a lot to do with the success of this and my last scape.
The first planted tank i tried was all stem plants with Co2, under gravel heating (a waste of time)and Laterite. It failed miserably. I think this was because of the substrate.
On this tank i had hair algae from day 2 so i was draining the tank every 2nd day. After 2 weeks i introduced 3 shrimp that cleared the algae in 2 days. I am now doing a 50%+ water change every 3rd day. I will reduce this as long as the algae stays away.
Speaking of algae i am now getting my expected visit from mr diatom algae. Hopefully this will go in a week or so.
Before i started this tank i re read zig's posts on setting up a planted tank. A bit like a refresher course.
So far the HC has been trimmed twice and the little bit of riccia once.
I decided to slightly change the set up to be viewed from the front. The pic. is a bit messy. I took it just after rearranging so i could see what the scape looked like in a photo. What do you think? Is it better than the first?
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That's very good, I have tried the same but only the blow plants seems to be thrieving:laugh:
That would be a ecumenical matter!!!
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I can see where you are going wrong. You need to send me some plant cuttings for analyses so i can ponder over why only your female plants are thriving and not the males.
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Sean,
I have to agree with Platty here, it's MOST unlikely that only female plants are thriving... Perhaps it's the Majorcan climate, it certainly seems to bring out the best in human females anyway!!!
Like him, I would really need extensive samples to analyse the root (ouch) of the problem as this seems to be of great concern...perhaps it's the substrate or the ferts, are you dosing with CO2 and using substrate heating? - All these issues are of prime importance if you're to manage to redress the balance of male to female plants...no, I'm afraid samples for analysis is the only way!!!
;o)
John
Location:
N. Tipp
We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl - year after year.
ITFS member.
It's a long way to Tipperary.
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Nice tank there Darren, your best yet! makes all those other fish tanks you have look boring:huh:
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