Hi guys !! I need some help with my tank as i am new to the aquascaping thing !! and i really want to get my tank looking nice like some of the members on the group ! i started of by buying Langa Soil as it is a bit cheap[er than some other brands. I didn't want to jump straight into the expensive stuff ! I planted Rotallia Green and Dwarve Hairgrass as I like the look of the plant and I have a piece of Spiderwood and I attached some java moss to it. I am dosing my tank every day with Scape Complete. I also using the disposable CO2 cans from Ista and for Lighting I am using a Sobo 800LED I know that when planting plant one needs to be pasient but what signs should i look out for so that I know that i am going in the right direction ? and any tips or recommendations will be very much appreciated !! and I have attached a picture just to show off my tank !!
Remove the airstone, it will off gas the CO2 you are injecting. Maybe put it on a timer so that it kicks in at night after the photo period. Sent from my VKY-L09 using Tapatalk
Photo period - the amount of time that you light is on. Example - light comes on at 15:00 and goes off at 22:00, that gives you a photo period of 7 hours. Sent from my VKY-L09 using Tapatalk
@De Waal are you running your CO2 whilst the lights are off? Do you have your CO2 connected to a solenoid and timer?
I only run it in the morning when i switch on the light ? it a disposable system so i dont have a solenoid for it
your CO2 needs to run say two hours before lights on and then can stop two hours before lights off, running in the dark overnight is a waste and not great for your tank for a couple of reasons..
As @Trev Pleco says you should turn the CO2 on 2 hours or so before the lights go on (benefits of having a times CO2 system). This sort of primes the water with dissolved CO2 so that the plants don't have to expend wasted energy "looking" for CO2 during the photoperiod. This allows them to focus on finding light instead. You can also hook the airstone up to a timer... I have found that having the airstone has many benefits. It also acts as a small safety net in case something goes wrong with the CO2.
These kind of kit are okay for smaller low tech nano tanks, but kinda expensive in the long run buying the aerosol canisters. The passive bell diffusor is unfortunately also not the most efficient means of diffusing CO2 into the planted aquarium, especially not in larger tanks. If you not prepared to pull the trigger on proper CO2 kit yet, then I'd suggest looking into the DIY yeast generated CO2 method, hooked up to an active reactor in tank. It'll cost you far less to make and run in the long run than what you spent on the ISTA disposable kit.
Check your heater. It looks very close to the minimum water mark. It will overheat and blow if the water is not above that level
Hi @De Waal, Welcome to the hobby The best way to start with aquascaping is to choose the type of aquascaping style you like. Heres an article with the different styles. http://www.theaquariumguide.com/articles/7-aquascaping-styles-for-aquariums Once you know what style you like, then think about the plants/rocks/wood you want and the layout. This hobby takes lots patience. For myself the best way was a dry start method, other opinions will differ. When you have your basic hardscape layout sorted, post some photos, ask members for advice and layout points, they've been a great help to me when I started. Only once you're happy with it and made some changes, then start acquiring the types of plants you want for your layout. Once you have all, start planting. If you're going DSM(Dry Start Method), there are lots of articles one can find on how to do it including information on APSA. FYI - This method takes lots and lots of patience as a good time period will be at least a month for plants to grow out and become bushy, especially the Dwarf Hair grass, depending on the coverage area, Dwarf hair grass took about 2 months to get really bushy on my tank. Just another FYI with Dwarf Hairgrass, the runners tend to spread all over the tank, so if you want to have a section of the layout for it, use something to section it off to the bottom of the tank. Perhaps transparent plastic strips or something. Happy Scaping
