Jump to content

The Story of my Edge


Wraithie

Recommended Posts

For Christmas I was given a Fluval Edge Two to live on the kitchen bench.

I decided to have a shot at a low tech aquascape after being inspired by all the amazing tanks on the net, but also scared of getting in over my head with a high tech tank.

It was very frustrating at the time as all the local shops were closed till early January so all I could do was browse the net and dream impatiently.

Deciding what I wanted to do was a little challenging, and determining how to work within the limitations of the tank(ie the very small access through the top and the depth).

Finally I was able to get to the shop, pick up some substrate, hard scape and organise my plant order.

Of course when putting everything into the tank it was 'fun' getting the rocks to actually do what I wanted of them and not topple over!

Dosing regime was begun with easy-carbo liquid carbon daily and liquid ferts weekly. Substrate is fluval shrimp.

This is initial setup after a week with some sacrificial neons:

post-653-139909862688_thumb.jpgpost-3445-139909853446_thumb.jpg

Down the track: Stem plants and algae doing well ;) I was surprised with the crypt after reading about melt and whatnot. Lilaeopsis was very sad!

The rams were happy initially and laid eggs but I don't think they were fertilized.

post-29-139909862692_thumb.jpg

Decided that for what I wanted, extra lighting was needed so i picked up an aqualina to supplement. I gave up on the lilaeopsis and tried some dwarf hair grass and added foxtail in an attempt to out-compete the algae. That stuff is a bloody weed! Grew like crazy and ended up producing a lot of brown waste so it got relegated to my guppy tank. The crypt is starting to take over and there are little tufts of algae growing on the rocks which I quite like.

post-29-139909862695_thumb.jpg

I didn't like the balance so I moved the crypt back and the (sword?) forward. Hair grass not doing so well, so I extended the photo period and succeeded in growing more algae..

At this stage I pretty much gave up on the hair grass, I was given some advice on another forum to cut back the light and use different ferts. I also got some sample plant cuttings

from kind forum people to try and decided that once the hair grass and what little lilaeopsis was left had died off, I would try mini crypts in the foreground.

post-3645-139909853449_thumb.jpg

Of course that meant the grass started showing some promise...doh! I was still not happy with the gaps in the centre back, this is a difficult spot as it needs to be hard stems

so the hob outlet doesn't push them into the foreground. (Darcy loves helping with the tanks, i think he just likes trying to eat the fishfood).

post-3645-139909853454_thumb.jpg

And this is now, looking back it reminds me how far I've come in 6 months, its starting to fill in and the plants seem happy.

post-3645-139909853459_thumb.jpgpost-3645-139909853464_thumb.jpg

I got some Pygmy cories on the weekend, they're still quite shy, but super cute!

Slow but steady, still a work in progress :)

post-3442-1399098617_thumb.jpg

post-3442-139909861702_thumb.jpg

post-3442-139909861704_thumb.jpg

post-3442-139909861706_thumb.jpg

post-3442-139909861708_thumb.jpg

post-3442-139909861711_thumb.jpg

post-3442-139909861713_thumb.jpg

post-3442-139909861716_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nice mate! Plants growing in well.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Looking very cool, you have definitely come a long way, well done! :victorious:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Definitely a great looking tank the edges are so impressive! Great work! I really need to work on my aquascaping - I'm inspired :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Firstly great looking tank!!!!

I have to ask... How difficult is cleaning the tank? Expescially the top glass panel

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have to say hsoje, i did some stalking into your tank photos, it inspires me to try some sort of 'fantasy' designed tank.

Cleaning-wise, i invested in a good quality mini magnetic cleaner which does wonders, it works for the top, sides and the strips along the back (where there isnt rock or plants in the way). The hardest glass to clean is that strip of black up the back but i get my hands in and use the one half of the magnetic cleaner without too much hassle.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ahah if you have the time, patience & imagination why not do a fantasy scape, that reminds me I still haven't put the photos I took for the IAPLC up.

i was trying to figure the easiest method of cleaning the tank and I guess magnetic cleaner would be the easiest..

thanks for letting me know..

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Vertex Duplex is what i have, great quality. I chose it over the two little fishes which i also looked at (was not cheap, though at $30 i dont regret it)

Hsoje I plan on giving it a go! i have some new tanks being built of which 3 are 30cm cubes dedicated purely to my desire to try different aquascapes :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wow 3 cubes this has potential... Maby you should think of doin them as a 3 piece set up were all 3 tanks have similar theme but slightly diffrent layout..

The key I've found is good light, good ferts, plenty of CO2, quality substrate and most importantly a good routine to follow.. That and a bit imagination, time & creativity anyone can aquascape lol

good luck with the scapes

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What are your ferts of choice, and do you use ADA amazonia or something else?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I use DIY macro mix, and then dose flourish trace + iron. I've tried flourish iron and aquavitro iron (both seachem) personally I prefer the aquavitro. I'm goin to try ADA Eca next as I've heared great things about it.

yes I'm using ADA Amazonia new for my substrate with powersand and powders

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 months later...

I wondered why my ram was behaving oddly during a water change..

I caught the chain loach pilfering, so he has gone for a holiday in another tank. This is their first spawn so I think they will need all the luck they can get to manage to hatch and raise any fry in a community tank.

post-3442-139909854737_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well done Girl nice, young Rams on the way fun, could you PM the cost of you Rams (curious) as I stock large pairs.

I have not seen the Edges, I like them and you have done a good job of it

Bob

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's awesome news Wraithie, what happy dance did you do? Fingers crossed that they are successful, thanks for sharing! :encouragement:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was a little excited, im trying to not get my hopes up as the last pair i had were terrible egg-parents, but they were still there thismorning so +1!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was mildly disappointed when I came home this afternoon as the eggs were no longer there, what I didn't notice, and had no idea they might do...is move them!

Zeke spotted them assuming it was a new spawn, but they're wriggling! :)

post-3442-139909854766_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Very very cool Wraithie, I can't wait to see them hatch & grow, let me know if you want some microworms to feed them, I can make a culture up for you whenever you need them! :victorious:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's a wonderful offer Jay! You will have to explain what to do with them. I suspect they have another 3?ish days before free swimming. Has anyone tried biozyme on fry, or too fine?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Too easy, they are very simple to culture & once you have them you'll never need to get them again. I haven't tried Biozyme before but that a good idea, personally I prefer live foods for fry as their natural instinct is to chase something that moves, I've also got brine shrimp eggs for when they get larger as well & don't worry I have plenty! :encouragement:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm glad I have your wisdom to tap into!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Join Our Community!

    Register today, ask questions and share your shrimp and fish tank experiences with us!

  • Must Read SKF Articles

  • Posts

    • beanbag
      Update to say that after a few gravel vacs, front wall scrub, moss / floating plant trim, that the condition seems to have improved.  My current theory is that it is due to waste / debris management, where "stuff" like that brown mulm accumulates in the substrate and behind the HMF filters.  Maybe some tanks can somehow deal with it, but mine can't.  Also another experienced shrimper suggested that maybe those "shell bugs" don't just live on the shrimps but also in this debris.  Maybe this is the reason some tanks fail due to "old tank syndrome" where all they need is a good gravel vac? Also, I am guessing that plant trim helps too because now more of the nutrients and light go into growing algae instead of more plants? Well anyway for this tank I will try weekly water change and monthly gravel vac / plant trim.  For my next tank, I'm thinking of something like an under-gravel system where this mulm can fall down and I vac it out.
    • sdlTBfanUK
      Good to have an update and good to hear you are getting shrimplets, so hopefully your colony will continue and you may not get to the point where you have to cull some to stop over population. These type of shrimp only live 12 - 18 months so the adult deaths may be natural? If you have the time I would do weekly 25% water changes, adding the new water via a drip system and do some vacuuming clean of the substrate each week, even if only a different bit each week! See if that helps in a few months and if it does then stick with that regime? It should help reduce any build-ups that may be occuring!
    • beanbag
      Hello again, much belated update: The tank still has "cycles" of 1-2 month "good streaks" where everybody seems to be doing well, and then a bad streak where the short antenna problem shows up again, and a shrimp dies once every few days.  I am not sure what causes things to go bad, but usually over the course of a few days I will start to see more shrimp quietly standing on the HMF filter, and so I know something is wrong.  Since I am not "doing anything" besides the regular 1-2 week water changes, I just assume that something bad is building up.  Here's a list of things that I've tried that are supposed to be "can't hurt" but didn't prevent the problem either: Dose every other day with Shrimp Fit (very small dose, and the shrimp seem to like it) Sotching Oxydator Seachem Purigen to keep the nitrates lower Keeping the pH below 5.5 with peat Things that I don't do often, so could possibly "reset" the tank back to a good streak, are gravel vac and plant trim, so maybe time to try those again. One other problem I used to have was that sometimes a shrimp would suddenly stop eating with a full or partially full digestive tract that doesn't clear out, and then the shrimp will die within a few days.  I suspected it was one of the foods in my rotation - Shrimp Nature Infection, which contains a bunch of herbal plant things.  I've had this in my food rotation for a few years now and generally didn't seem to cause problems, but I removed it from the rotation anyway.  I don't have a lot of adult Golden Bees at this point so I can't really tell if it worked or not. Overall the tank is not too bad - during the good streaks occasionally a shrimp will get berried and hatch babies with a 33-50% survival rate.  So while there are fewer adults now, there are also a bunch of babies roaming around.  I guess this tank will stagger on, but I really do need to take the time to start up a new tank.  (or figure out the problem)
    • jayc
      If that is the offspring, then the parents are unlikely to be PRL. I tend to agree with you. There are very few PRLs in Australia. And any that claim to be needs to show proof. PRL genes have to start as PRL. CRS that breed true after x generations doesn't turn it into a PRL. Neither can a Taiwan bee shrimp turn into a PRL despite how ever many generations. I've never seen a PRL with that sort of red colour. I have on Red Wines and Red Shadows - Taiwan bee shrimps. So somewhere down the line one of your shrimp might have been mixed with Taiwan bees and is no longer PRL. It just tanks one shrimp to mess up the genes of a whole colony. 
    • sdlTBfanUK
      Sorry, missed this one somehow! The PRL look fantastic and the odd ones look part PRL and part Red wine/Red shadow in the colour. They are still very beautiful but ideally should be seperated to help keep the PRL clean if you can do that.  Nice clear photos!
×
×
  • Create New...