Delapool's 150 gallon tank

[Delapool]

Ok, I’ll go over to shop and check out what they have. A 50litre bag sounds massive as I assume light weight. Think that’s bit over 10gallon?

Mainly more crypts, another aponogeton and hygro stem plants of some sort.

 

[Autumnsky]

My bag notates it is light weight.

 

[Delapool]

Well I can’t find cheaper seachem flourite so still tempted to visit shop. Cleaned up bolbitis- no new shoots but not worse.

 

[Autumnsky]

Maybe the Bolbitis will bounce back in time.

I didn't realize Furan 2 (was it), was so strong to plants, maybe just certain types of plants???

Have you noticed other people's complaints of it being harsh to plants? My knowledge and experiences with meds are limited. It is good to be aware of the possibility it could crash planted tank.

 

[Delapool]

Latest tank photo this morning with the seachem flourite black added and bolbitis fern cleaned back. Added more crypts and stem plants.

I think my lighting is a bit less but will see how the red stem plants go. Bolbitis may have a new shoot - watched very closely!! The H2O2 cleaned off some BBA off anubias - mostly shifted to middle of tank to hide it as didn’t have the heart to throw it out.

 

[Delapool]

Maybe the Bolbitis will bounce back in time.

I didn't realize Furan 2 (was it), was so strong to plants, maybe just certain types of plants???

Have you noticed other people's complaints of it being harsh to plants? My knowledge and experiences with meds are limited. It is good to be aware of the possibility it could crash planted tank.

It may be - it’s rarely used here so little experience with it. It’s a bit surprising but guess that’s the second time now. So maybe something to do with ph, or ?

The bolbitis is quite not suited I find though. Doesn’t seem to like much micro ferts either. I’m tempted to pull it out but they are really expensive in shops (small piece $35) and it looks so nice when doing well.

 

[Delapool]

Also some comments on the seachem flourite black. It will be interesting to see if plant roots can stick to it as it looks quite hard.


I picked up 14kg of seachem flourite black which I think added a centimetre of depth. Never used the black before and it looks very hard stuff (slate?). I guess the expanded clay is cooked to over 1000C and that has still a good surface CEC so give the black flourite a go. It does look nice.

 

[Tacit Blues]

I was thinking about trying to find a bag of it to add to my 40g just to make it a bit more pebbly around my bigger rocks while staying relatively uniformly black, but I decided to go a different way and find some rocks on my own and embrace the colors a little more. How hard is an individual piece of it?

 

[Autumnsky]

You can graduate the depth to the areas you prefer the substrate and leave less in areas without need of it where the it doesn't have plants.

My thoughts are for creating a softer sand pool in an area of the front and more space for the stones toward the back on my new build. That same might work for you as well.

Sand blasting sand is pretty clean /lower dust than construction sand, you might find it for a really reasonable price. Ours is around $17.00 for 50 pounds. Pond filter sand is said to be pretty good but very fine I think. Kids play sand is supposed to be lower dust to avoid silica dust from my understanding.

More options to get the substrate built up economically. Maybe you can find some good ocean sand and sift to the desired particle size.

The tank looks nice, very colorful with plants and fish.

 

[Delapool]

I was thinking about trying to find a bag of it to add to my 40g just to make it a bit more pebbly around my bigger rocks while staying relatively uniformly black, but I decided to go a different way and find some rocks on my own and embrace the colors a little more. How hard is an individual piece of it?

These bags anyways were pretty hard - tbh looked like basalt (pretty crunchy and really only minor dust on washing before into tank rather than pea soup I normally get). Only as it’s seachem else a bit dubious.

I was pretty slack and just tipped in handfuls over tank until all used up. Fingers crossed it spreads a bit.

Previously I think I used flourite dark or red but thought the black would be good to cover the white power sand.

 

[Delapool]

You can graduate the depth to the areas you prefer the substrate and leave less in areas without need of it where the it doesn't have plants.

My thoughts are for creating a softer sand pool in an area of the front and more space for the stones toward the back on my new build. That same might work for you as well.

Sand blasting sand is pretty clean /lower dust than construction sand, you might find it for a really reasonable price. Ours is around $17.00 for 50 pounds. Pond filter sand is said to be pretty good but very fine I think. Kids play sand is supposed to be lower dust to avoid silica dust from my understanding.

More options to get the substrate built up economically. Maybe you can find some good ocean sand and sift to the desired particle size.

The tank looks nice, very colorful with plants and fish.

Actually wish I had done that at start as there is a border of driftwood and think sand could of gone in front of that.

Although spent 5minutes trying to find a space for third crypt and thinking ‘just one more plant bawahaha!’

 

[Autumnsky]

It might have to do with getting your bag processed from the top of the pile or the bottom. I have seen and heard so many complaints from people - with same brand substrate varying wildly in type and quality.

Seems like you got the better.

 

[Delapool]

Looks like a few new shoots on bolbitis fern! Indestructible [emoji2]

 

[Autumnsky]

Encouraging news.

 

[Delapool]

Looks like it’s been a bit since last update!

Bolbitis is slowly growing back. Rest of plants have been a bit neglected and need to clean out old leaves. GSA making a reappearance on old leaves.

As per usual the CO2 bottle went empty on a Sunday when shops shut, so swapped to small spare bottle.

First tank backing came and went into bin. It had a protective film to peel off, then a sticky film over background film of plants. So of course we pulled off the sticky film on one side by accident, then the sticky film stuck where it shouldn’t and we gave up at that point

Ordered again and this one arrived with no air bubbles so we just unrolled it and taped straight on looks a lot better than the wall.

 

[Delapool]

In the small tank the shrimp and baby guppies seem ok. Taped off more lights as was getting some algae. Been pretty slack on that one - only gets a water change every month so far.

 

[Tacit Blues]

Hey, glad to hear from you! I was just thinking that there hadn't been any updates in a while

 

[Delapool]

Yes, it’s just been left to itself a fair bit. Have to get back into dosing regularly again.

 

[Delapool]

My moss covered green rocks turned up in post (impulse buy while looking for retaining wall blocks as you do). Look great, very realistic - soaking in bathroom tub where they are also excellently floating sigh...

 

[Autumnsky]

Floating rocks - need to see pics, lol!