New fish introduced - Rasbora hengeli

I decided to change some of the fish I kept. I returned the Jordanela floridae (fin nipping fish), and the shoal of Pseudomugil furcatus. Instead I got a shoal of Rasbora hengeli (17). Next week I will add a pair of Microgeophagus ramirezi and 4-5 Red-honey Gouramis.

Photo by Dusko Bojic.

Easy Carbo - Liquid Carbon for plants

I started dosing Liquid Carbon to this tank. Extra C is welcomed by plants and it does act as an algaecide against the BBA. So far no fish/snails are harmed by it. The most important thing with this kind of product is DO NOT OVERDOSE.

Neritina eggs all over the wood...

Neritina sp Zebra started laying eggs all over this tank. It is typical for snails to breed like crazy once they sense there is lots of food/algae around. The tank is almost algae free. They are very effective in algae eating.

Definitely the best algae eater

The first photo shows how the wood looked like, the day I introduced the Neritina sp. Zebra snails, and the second photo is presenting you the result after just one week :-) These snails really are tremendous algae "cleaners"!
Of course, algae eaters aren't the solution in combating algae. Balanced fertilising regime is something one should focus on. Estimative Index fertilising method is one of the best solutions in growing lush and healthy plants = algae free aquarium.
Keeping a few algae eaters of course helps a bit, because all aquariums have algae. Some less other more ;-)

Neritina snails - best algae eaters?

This photo shows how effective this snail is in eating Green Spot algae as well as the Green Beard algae. One can see the part of the driftwood behind the snail, completely cleaned. The whole wood was covered with this carpet looking algae. I must say that they eat algae very fast. Two snails, that where for last 5 days on a huge rock, cleaned it off of this type of algae. I believe they have some sort of sharp and strong teeth, since they are able to scrape off even the hardest algae that infested the back glass.
I introduced 3 more Neritinas today.

87 days old aqua-scape

I planted some extra Cryptocoryne wendtii and Cryptocoryne parva and I am very satisfied with the scape developing. As I stated earlier, I started using the Estimative Index method for fertilising the plants. Dosing 3 times a week half tea spoon of KNO3 + Tropica Master Grow 5ml.
Every week 50% water change. CO2 through the Venturi injector, 2 bubbles per second. There are still some hairy algae present but in small amounts. I hope the last algae will disappear with the next plant trimming. Feeding the plants good + tank hygiene is the key to an algae free aquarium.

I also added 6 Neritina sp. Zebra snails to this set-up today. They sure are beautiful :-)

Photos by Dusko Bojic.

Corydoras julii spp & Pseudogastromyzon punctulatus

For the record;

Today I introduced 5 Corydoras julii spp. and 3 Borneo Suckers to this community. I am not sure the sucker is actually the P. punctulatus?

Photos by Dusko Bojic.

CO2 Venturi injector

I changed my CO2 system a bit. Instead of the CO2 mixer, I connected the EHEIMs Venturi diffuser onto my Juwel pump out-take. The bubbles injected into the water column are very fine/tiny. I believe this is the best diffuser/injector one can use in a planted tank and it doesn't take much place.

More about the Venturi effect

40th day - the maturing tank

I did have some algae combating in the past week + having a nasty green slimy water surface film. I started rinsing the frozen artemia before feeding the fish and the results are better. I also had some BGAlgae developing on Java Moss but that has stopped. At the moment the Green Dust Algae seem to be my only concern.
I planted some Cryptocorine x willisii as a front plant. All the fish are doing great, and in about a week I am thinking of adding a few Corydoras julii since the bottom of the tank seem so empty.

Photos by Dusko Bojic

Pressurized CO2 system

I introduced the pressurised CO2 system instead of the DIY Yeast that isn't very efficient in keeping constant CO2 levels. I decided on getting the Ferplast CO2 mixer and the Aqua Medic 350 g CO2 rechargeable bottle. I am running 1 bubble every 3 sec at the moment.

The live stock is doing great. I feed them exclusively with frozen Artemia. I have some Staghorn algae growing on Java Moss, some Green Beard Algae growing on bog wood and rocks, mall amount of brown algae on shadowed Microsorum leaves. Small amount of Green Dust algae on glass, as well as some Green Spot Algae on the back glass (it is where the water flow is the strongest and where the CO2 comes out). The only real problem is the green water surface film. I remove it with the water change, but it comes back after just two days. I belive it is due the over-fertilisation, since I don't have many fast growing plants in the this tank. All those algae aren't really a problem since this new pressurized CO2 system is going to keep constant CO2 levels. I will run the CO2 system 24/7.

I am starting the EI (Estimative Index) fertilisation method by Tom Barr. I will dose fertilisers KNO3, KH2PO4 and Tropica Master Grow 3 times a week (Monday, Wednesday and Friday after the weekly 30% water change). I am going to dose 5ml of each since I am on Low lights.

Fully stocked ?

I introduced the final fish today. Final?
17 Pseudomugil furcatus and 4 Trichopsis pumilus. The introduced fish is approx. 3cm long (juvenile) except the Pygme Gourami that is approx 2cm.
For that reason and for the reason I added the recommended dose of the beneficial bacteria Bio Bacter 2in1 from Aquatic Nature, half an hour before introducing the live stock, I stocked this fish amount. I also planted some extra Egeria densa that is an effective nitrogen consumer, so ammonia/nitrite/nitrate levels will be controlled. In about two days I will perform 30% water change just in case.

This is the total fauna list;
17 Pseudomugil furcatus
4 Trichopsis pumilus
8 Tateurndina ocellicauda
3 Crossocheilus siamensis
2 Otocinclus vittatus
Malaysian Trumpet snails

Photos by Dusko Bojic

Tateurndina ocellicauda introduced

Two days ago I introduced 8 Peacock Gudgeons - Tateurndina ocellicauda. 3 males and 5 females.
I feed them frozen Artemia once a day just about what they can eat in 40 sec.
I added some Bio Bacter 2in1 form Aquatic Nature, a very effective bacteria culture. I used it before and the results are great. You are able to introduce the fish (6), the same day.

I am injecting DIY CO2 through the power head. I am dosing PMDD and TMG to maintain NO3 at 10-15 ppm. 10ml of each every week, later when the plant mass doubles I will dose a bit more. Water change every week 25%.

I have a very small amount of Blue-Green algae on Crinum calamistratum leaves which I wipe off of it. But it does make me thinking "should I dose more KNO3"?

Java Moss attached to wood has really bad problem taking off because there is lots of this fungus, hairy looking brownish something that my SAEs are hopefully going to clean away.

UPDATE soon.

New look - New story ;-)

I started reaquascaping my oldy 180L at the Feb. 9th
I first placed high quality aqua-soil from Aquatic Nature. I scattered overall a few iron rich balls from Amtra.
I decided using 1,2-2 mm sand, natural reddish color.
I was very pleased when I found those curio-roots in my Zoo Shop. I could stay with just two pieces, and create a more elegant, Amano look, but that wouldn't be me, so I placed the third root and created a real labyrinth.
I decided on using reddish rocks. 17kg.
And after about two hours of replacing the stones I was satisfied with the layout. I added the rest of the sand over the stones so they appear more natural (like they are coming out of the ground).
Since the left side of the tank is facing the room entrance, I tried to make that part "work" good visually as well.

Flora;
Crinum calamistratum, Rotala rotundifolia, Hygrophila polysperma, Alternathera reineckii, Anubias nana, Lileaopsis novaezelandiae, Microsorum pteropus 'Windelow', Anubias petit, Vesicularia dubyana.

After a week, I introduced 2 of my old Otocinclus vittatus and 3 Crossocheilus siamensis (SAE). Even though just about 4cm long, the SAEs are cleaning the newly established algae, fungus and who knows what else (I need a microscope for that) really great :-) SAE is always going to be my No.1 fish

The old Juwel media was in fact old so I added this type of Bio Rings from Aquatic Nature. They are not the ceramic ones (I don't like those) , but more like siporax with lots of small holes, for bacteria to get attached to. Just for the record; my old Juwel pump died so it is replaced with a new one of the same kind, 600 l per hour.