Aquascaping Contest ' Poland

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Elos Europe Blog: Products included in Xmas Promotion ' Marine Aquariums...: System Mini Marine 1x Prima Line - 01 ALKALI 250ml 1x Prima Line - 02 ELEMENTS 250ml 1x Prima Line - 03 CARBONATES 250 ml 1x Prima Lin...

Elos Europe Blog: Products included in Xmas Promotion ' FreshWater Aquariums...

Elos Europe Blog: Products included in ELOS Xmas Promotion ' FreshWater Aquariums...: System Mini Freshwater 1x Planta1 - Periodic Fertilizer 250ml 1x Planta2 - Water Change Fertilizer 250ml 1x Bottom Mineral - Multimix b...

Update of my 60L Aquarium ' 26 Days after setup

After last trimming plants got volume and grew very fast, but they still don't have volume enough for what I want. This kind of layouts, when we use a lot of stem plants, we need to have patience and trim the plants very often to get the best shape; this is what I will gonna do next days, trim it again but this time with a different method.
Meanwhile, I adjusted the fertilization routine and changed a little bit the quantity of each liquid fertilizer. I have increased the dose of FASE1 and FASE2 plus 0.5ml weekly, instead of 2X0.5ml, I'm using now 1ml + 0.5ml to raise PO4 to 1ppm and provide more chelated iron + micros to balance Lighting system vs CO2 (that is now 1,5bps, instead of 1bps). More CO2 will increase plant's metabolism on high light but we cannot forget to increase also liquid fertilization, otherwise the aquarium will be unbalanced and algae will appear.



Panoramic picture of the Aquarium with 26 days after setup.


Short video of the Aquarium:

Choose 720p for better resolution.

Water analysis after 3 weeks on both Aquariums

After 3 weeks of setup and without any water's change during this period, I did all the tests to both aquariums to know how the water is. I did also the same tests to my TAP water to get a better comparison between both tanks and see if there is any oscillation on water's parameters.

Usually I do an water change per week of 20~40% depending of the stage of each aquarium, but this time I decided to do some tests because I setup the both tanks at same time but in different methods. I waited 3 weeks to see what have changed and if the fertilization's routine is right or need to be changed. Plants are growing very fast, invertebrates and fishes are healthy and till now, no signs of algae... At first appearance, everything seems to be ok!

The 60L Aquarium was setup with new products and with a different soil, the ELOS BlackMedium. I was expecting, even using ELOS AquaUno (provide bacteria and accelerate biological process reducing the nitrogen cycle) the normal water's cycle, high levels of Nitrates and some algae, but the values were optimistic; 10~25ppm of NO3 in this Aquarium.

On 350L, no nitrogen cycle, I didn't used recycled water from previous layout; I only used the recycled filters and AquaUno. I was a little bit concerned with the fact of mixed all the soil (it was reused from previous layout) that could release some ammonia due keeping it for more than 24 months on previous layout; but no signs of it; NO3 is on minimum 1ppm, NH3/4 (Ammonia) 0~0,1 (it is nothing) and Nitrites also Zero!!! WTH!!! For an aquarium with 3 weeks without any water's change and feeding the discus with frozen food, I was not expecting such good results!

Awesome news, both soils don't release Ammonia to water's column! I already knew that ELOS Terra Brown Soil didn't do it, but I would like to see with my own eyes and through tests that BlackMedium Soil from ELOS didn't do it also!!!! Both soils are Ammonia FREE!

Here they are the results of all tests that have done to both Aquariums and a comparison to my TAP water:

During these 3 weeks I'm fertilising with ELOS Expert Line Fertilisers, FASE1, FASE2, K40 and also Extra1.

Dosing of Expertline fertiliser and schedule routine:

On my small aquarium (60L) twice a week with 0,5ml of FASE2 and Fase1 in separated days, exchanging Fase1 with Extra1 and K40 once a week diluted 1/3 of the bottle in 100ml of osmosis water.

On 350L Aquarium, almost the same routine but instead of 0,5ml of each, I'm using 2ml.

Conclusion:

Both Aquariums are healthy, the plants are growing very fast, and I need urgently to do an water's change, specially on 60L to reduce NO3 levels and keep the parameters similar to 350L.

Maybe I need to increase a little bit more the dose of FASE2 on my small aquarium to balance PO4 near of 1ppm... my comfort zone ;-) I guess that 1ml + 0,5ml of FASE 2 per week will be enough, just because all the plants have fast growing, otherwise, It was just fine like it is ;-)

Special note for BlackMedium soil, what a great soil! I never had the water so crystal on my aquarium since the beginning till now... AMAZING!

Ps. All the water's test were done with ELOS WaterTest Analysis.

60L 2 weeks after setup - Trimming lessons

I made this video to show how I trim my plants.Usually I do several different trimmings according to layout's development and plant's needs. This is the first trimming on this layout and not make any sense do some corrections on the plants to enhance the shape of general layout. Plants need to get volume and later when they get enough volume and filled the areas, I pass to adjusted trimming process.



Please accept my apologies, but this layout has not one week as mentioned in the video but 2 weeks. I mess up the setup date with the postprocessing of photos and videos. This layout was setup on 27/October, so it did yesterday (10/November) 2 weeks and not 1 week. Sorry for that!
I already edited the video on youtube to cut the first seconds, where it is mentioned 1week. As soon it will be processed, it will make sense with the title (already changed).

350L Plantado vs Discus V2011

As I announced, this aquarium received a new layout On Friday 28/October 2011 (2 weeks ago). As usual and since my 240L Aquarium, I’m using the same soil since there. It is amazing how we can keep the ELOS Soil for long term without become into mud. Of course that we’ll loose some soil during time pass because when we place the rocks and driftwood, we press them on the soil and this will smash the grains at surface, transforming it in dust and later in mud; but reuse 98~99% of the soil is really amazing.

What I really don’t like is to clean an old layout (on my counts, with more than 24 months) where I passed more than 4h trying to clean all the roots, mostly when we have a lot of Cryptocorynes. The roots become very big and soil very compacted, that need an extra dose of patience to clean everything and I’m not sure that will appear on the layout… my experience tells me that I will have a surprise; Cryptocorynes will appear along the new layout, for sure!!
Other thing is to catch all the shrimps that multiplied on this aquarium… it is insane.



After have everything cleaned, it is time to start placing the wood and rocks (fake rocks, replicas from Unipac, UK)


When I planned this layout it wasn’t my intention to place the rocks and wood like this. I would like to have the wood more straight and use the plants to fill those areas, unfortunately it was impossible because the rocks were bigger than I thought and the wood didn’t have the right size to build that. So, it was time to adapt and improvise something to the new hardscape and adapt all the plants to the new design.


Start planting.
List of plants used on the layout: Echinodorus tenellus, Eleocharis acicularis, Hydrocotyle leucocephala, Glossostigma elantinoides, Ludwigia glandulosa, Saururus cernuus and Ceratopteris siliquosa.






2nd week after setup and with 1st trimming already done.

The discus with problem (it is quite noticeable on the picture) still resists and now starts to eat more than ever. Can this change on the layout save him? Time will tell!

11 Days after setup ' Video

This layout has 11 days after setup and it is visible that some plants grew and have spread very well. Next days, I will trim to some plants for the first time to give more volume and start defining some areas, keeping some plants under control.
When I setup my 350L (one day after this layout), I not used all Eleocharis acicularis (3 pots), so I planted them on the front of this layout to close the empty area visible on the first video.



Please accept my apologies, but this layout has not 4 days as mentioned in the video but 11 days. I mess up the setup date with the postprocessing of photos and videos.
This layout was setup on 27/October, so if we make some counts, it will give us 11 days and not 4! Sorry for that! I already edited the video on youtube to cut the first seconds, where it is mentioned 4days. As soon it will be processed, it will make sense with the title (already changed).

Regards,
FAAO

Elos Europe Blog: Christmas Promo

Elos Europe Blog: Christmas Promo: Elos gives you, on the purchase of a New aquarium, 6 months of products for its maintenance.

Video of my 60L ' New Layout

ELOS BlackMediumSoil

Most of the people knows that I'm a big fan of brown soil (ELOS Terra) and I had been using it during long, long time with excellent results. However, this time and after saw it live in Aqua2011 in Telford UK and used it to setup the paludarium, I surrender! It is absolutely amazing how the water stays crystal from the time when I start to fill the aquarium with water till is totally filled up!
With ELOS Terra brown soil usually I use some newspaper to cover the soil and plants to avoid getting cloudy water after fill the aquarium with water. In this case and to show you how different it is, I filled up the aquarium directly from TAP water without newspaper and any kind of filtration during the process... You must see to believe!!! Take 7min of your time and watch it ;-)