Update of 350L Planted Aquarium with Discus

After long time without giving news about my aquariums it is time to update this layout. 

To be honest, it is not going as I expected but doesn't mean that cannot be worked to get the results... Problems after problems, I can even say "what a hell will gonna to happen next?!" Unfortunately, everything happens to this aquarium, but fortunately I'm solving these issues and keeping calm!  

Last week it happened again... Bad tap water, resulted on the dead of all my fishes, fortunately and because I was fast, I took off all my discos from this tank and using some water from my 120L aquarium I have saved them! It was a nightmare... (same as here: Problem with water) 

All small fishes died quickly, 15 seconds were enough to see them struggling with the water and tumbling... Discus were intoxicated, but once they are adults and healthy, they have more resistance to these problems and they resisted! 

Now it is everything ok, new fishes were added... some trimmings were done and I hope that my bad luck finally stops! It is too much bad luck for just one aquarium...

Here it is a picture of today, after some trimmings and maintenance:

And now... Changes again? Definitely!

An aquarium when doesn't born right, it is just a question of time to something get wrong... One month after setup the problems started to happen, not with the layout but with the Discus.

This layout was made for them and not for real aquascaping, so I tried to give them more space than usual just to avoid being aggressive with each others. Till first month I didn't have a thing to complain, the plants grew and spread very fast, and the Discus were quite happy with the space provided.

Suddenly, my young Discus showed signs of disease... Everybody that have Discus knows that symptoms in Discus can mean a lot of things; they start to loose coloration and get dark, but this sign can be internal or external parasites, costia, bacterial infection, etc... or none of them, just extremely signs of stress. Observing their eyes and behavior, its possible outwit some of those symptoms. With a fast breathing, a little bit bloated and fins melting, I really thought that was a bacterial infection and I started treat him (even had several doubts that it was the cause!). Unfortunately and after 3 days was dead.... What an hell!

Usually when a fish dies I put it immediately on the garbage, but this time and due the suddenly dead, I did a "biopsy" trying to find any clue for what did happen. Using a X-Ato I opened it and once I stuck the x-ato on the stomach a lot of water or urine came from there... I couldn't believe that had obstipation, easily solved with Magnesium sulfate or salt. The young Discus died so quickly that I haven't had a 2nd chance of treat him again! But it is not all!!!

The other Discus that was recovering and was too thin, after the treatment to biological infection started to get weak day after day, and after 1 week died! What an end of year!!! :-(

Here it is a picture taken one month ago.

Both aquariums side by side:

During treatments I had to reduce the CO2 to minimum and algae appeared, but nothing that can be solved on the future... I thought!

First I broke my ELOS REA50 (CO2 reactor) during maintenance and later I get sick for a week with a laryngitis... this aquarium turned into a nightmare. The last month of 2011 was a mess for this aquarium and to be honest I cannot look to it right now...

I'm preparing minor changes on this layout, some plants will be removed and I will adjust some of the wood without cause any problem to Discus and foreground plants. I hope that 2012 bring me luck and that I can transform this layout into a beautiful Planted aquarium with discus.

I hope to bring news very soon!

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.

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!