New tank

[DaleV87]

I could not grow those durn staur repens and bought them numerous times only to watch them be tortured time and time again. I bought a tissue cultured pack and I'm doing something right now on those things....lol
I don't know if it's frogbit or duckweed but man does it multiply and eats up the nitrates.
I have the AQ50 HOB filter. I actually thought about that last night and thought I had some tubular foam to fit the bottom of it but it was too big. I must have bought it for something else.
I'm gonna look into some screen protector or foam for it though.

 

[fishenthusiast]

https://youtu.be/z2yu7q4HvYA

It's been a while since I've seen your tank, but I've got to say, I'm impressed! Lots of color! Keep up the good work.

 

[DaleV87]

Thanks Fish! I learned all from y'all!
I'm shooting from the hip too...lol

 

[Fresh2o]

For screens, check out the stainless steel ones from HanAquatics. Comes in two styles (fine and regular) in a variety of diameters (I think 17 mm for AC50s).
I use Fluval foam (not sure of the model number) for my AC50s in my shrimp tanks. I need to rinse them out every 1-2 weeks because they will clog. Then again, that is a lot of mechanical waste being removed periodically.

 

[DaleV87]

[emoji106] I will check out Hans page. I've been there before but I was looking at plants back then.

 

[DaleV87]

Ordered and received my screen protector for the intake. Picked up a few other things as well.
Shrimp variety pack and a Christmas moss ledge too.
Thanks Fresh for reminding me of Hans page. I also watch the Shrimp page on FB.

This morning I looked at the tank and just didn't like the look of some of the plants as they appeared weak on the longer stems and lost their Fresh strong look.
I have been seeing some BBA spots popping up here and their that I have been spot checking.
So I thought a good water check was in order here and here's what I found:
GH 6. KH 3. PH 6.5. Phosphates 1.0 Ammonia 0. Nitrites 0. and last but not least the shocker of the equation Nitrates 0. Yep 0
Checked it 3 times.
I think I'm gonna have to up my dosing a touch.

I thought maybe a mini-cycle was going on when I checked the Nitrates 2nd so I checked the amm and the nitrites to see.

I think that would be why I am seeing the BBA starting to pop up too. The algae was beating the weak deficient plants.

Am I on the right track with this guys?

 

[DaleV87]

Things are looking good and stabilized again. Here's the right side:


And here's the left side:


Now if I can get my ludwegia white to bounce back, from the high nitrate issue I encountered, I would be much happier.
Hoping to get a few new stems off the old one.

 

[fishenthusiast]

Things are looking good and stabilized again. Here's the right side:
View attachment 301069

And here's the left side:
View attachment 301070

Now if I can get my ludwegia white to bounce back, from the high nitrate issue I encountered, I would be much happier.
Hoping to get a few new stems off the old one.

Looks great. The Crypts have gotten some color! On the right side, is that pink plant Crypt flamingo?

 

[DaleV87]

Yes it is fish. Only had it a couple days so we'll see what happens.
Hoping to do well with it so I can put in the 40B when I set it up.
I also may pick up some red downoi as well for it.

 

[DaleV87]

Long past due update:
The tank was neglected for a bit as far as trimming goes and no light was getting to my lower plants and almost killed them out.
It was time for a rescape that I had been planning.
I pulled everything.
I planted one small plant off of the cryptocoryne back in, a few pieces of staurgyne Repens and blyxa japonica that weren't dead yet, some Christmas moss, and flame moss back in.
It received some cholla wood and is now the home of RCS and algae eating shrimp only.
It was very difficult to see the shrimp with all of the other stems grown out. Looks bare for now but will grow in soon I'm sure.
I'm enjoying seeing the shrimp more though.
I relocated my cardinal tetras to the 40B I threw up in a hurry.