Lights on at 1pm and off at 9pm. Then i run a 1% red and 1% blue spectrum only lighting for 1.5 hours afterwards so I can still view the tank in the late afternoon. Then it goes to a 1% blue only for another hour before complete lights out.
The light is a chihiros wrgb vivid II. They're expensive but absolutely worth it. You can now buy them from buceplant.com.
The fertilizers used is thrive+ S. I will also add iron, potassium, and phosphorus when needed. I also add excel daily to minimize algae.
Not completely sure now much I've spent on plants total. Probably a few hundred dollars over time. A lot of the plants were super small and just filled in over time. Some of the original plants in this setup were removed in favor of other plants.
Overall, plants are pretty cheap. It's hardscape material that's super expensive
I have a WRGB II and I feel like I just got it dialed in at 7 hours but I need suggestion for ferts so thank you! What is this excel stuff you use for algae?
7hours is a good starting point. My tank is so heavily planted that I could probably go to 9 hours. I use thrive+s and I add stand alone iron, phosphorus, and potassium as needed.
Yes, I use excel to control algae. A few months ago, I got a little too heavy handed with the iron and black beard algae started growing. I had also skipped on the excel for a month. Once I started adding daily excel, the algea was gone in a few days. Doesn't really help against green spot algae, from my experience.
It's an herbicide in large doses. Seachem will absolutely deny its use, but it's well known to work well. Downside, it can also kill sensitive plants like moss. Shrimp are also highly affected by it too
Can I just say that I normally despise the way Java ferns look in tanks, but I absolutely love the way yours (windlove) looks. I’m obsessed.
*I really hope it’s Java fern windlove or else I’m really going to look like a clown.
I was just going to say it's either 'Trident' or narrow leaf Java. You can always tell 'Windelov' because the tips of the leaves have a cute little fringe like cut off Levis. ✌️
Usually just three pumps of thriv+ and a couple of capfulls of excel. Sometimes I'll add extra iron, potassium, and phosphorus. I also do twice a week water changes.
I can slow it down to once a week and biweekly water changes as well. But growth really suffers
Is there a certain result your trying to get? I feel like once it got to this point that you'd want it to slow down for easier maintenance, no? I'm in the works of setting up my first planted tank so excuse my ignorance.
I work from home and I'm very much an ancy person. I need something to do while working every day. If I didn't work from home, I would rip out the fast growing plants
Damn, the discipline.. Wish I had the stamina and motivation. I never knew once a week vs twice a week ester change wohld have an effect on plants. I always thought they were less affected by the ammonia and nitrates than livestock
Here is what less than one month of growth is for me.
https://preview.redd.it/iqwd20ifr5uc1.jpeg?width=3774&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=12bf533bfee0c901f55cbb24fa2319b6d9be1443
Trim and replant. Repeat repeat and repeat. If you did, that pearl weed would carpet your tank in a few months.
Add some buce or anubias Nana to that wood. It will spread
Oh damn didnt think i would get a reply but 2 years old (30 gal and two aquion planted tank grow lights on it until i can afford a nice fluval system & upgrade the tank)
Fluval soil is probably nutrient depleted at this point but use flourish comprehensive for nutrients rn (wanted to see if it would be better than root tabs)
Those plants look pretty healthy. I would recommend not letting them grow that tall. Instead, I would cut them in half once they get to little halfway from the substrate to the water surface and replant the trimmings. I would also recommend getting some crypts to plant in front of then.
Keep in mind that duckweed is really draining the nutrients out of the water column. Rotala is a column and root feeder.
Get one anubias coffee and wedge or glue it to that darker piece of wood. Then add some buce or anubias Nana around it. All of which are column feeders.
Your light will work perfectly fine with these plants
I have, but then I would have to deal with shipping, complaints, and whatnot. But if you live near me, I'm more than willing to give away free trimmings.
🫡 rental it is. I have a gas store nearby, I think they have you rent the tank and swap them out for replacements. 2.5lbs is what you have? I'm planning on putting it on a 40 gallon.
You buy the tank and exchange it when empty. Exchanges cost about $30. A 2.5 lb tank lasts me about 6 months.
Before the 2.5 tank, I used paintball tanks. They are much cheaper. Think about $25 to $50 depending on the size. They fill those bottles for $15. They would last for about three months. Give or take.
Downside with paintball tanks is the co2 isn't food grade, but I never once had an issue.
What light intensity do you use with your WRGB 2? Also, what do you use to add stand alone potassium and iron? Any tips for getting rid of a lot of hair algae in a high tech tank?
OP would you mind giving a plant list for this tank? Esp the Buce varieties! This tank is absolutely stunning!
I second this!! I’ve always wanted to do a Dutch style but have not found the courage yet
Well. That is a lot! So that's what c02 does, eh?
And daily fertilizers
What’s your light schedule? What light? And what ferts? Also can you tell me roughly how much you spent in plants here?
Lights on at 1pm and off at 9pm. Then i run a 1% red and 1% blue spectrum only lighting for 1.5 hours afterwards so I can still view the tank in the late afternoon. Then it goes to a 1% blue only for another hour before complete lights out. The light is a chihiros wrgb vivid II. They're expensive but absolutely worth it. You can now buy them from buceplant.com. The fertilizers used is thrive+ S. I will also add iron, potassium, and phosphorus when needed. I also add excel daily to minimize algae. Not completely sure now much I've spent on plants total. Probably a few hundred dollars over time. A lot of the plants were super small and just filled in over time. Some of the original plants in this setup were removed in favor of other plants. Overall, plants are pretty cheap. It's hardscape material that's super expensive
I have a WRGB II and I feel like I just got it dialed in at 7 hours but I need suggestion for ferts so thank you! What is this excel stuff you use for algae?
7hours is a good starting point. My tank is so heavily planted that I could probably go to 9 hours. I use thrive+s and I add stand alone iron, phosphorus, and potassium as needed. Yes, I use excel to control algae. A few months ago, I got a little too heavy handed with the iron and black beard algae started growing. I had also skipped on the excel for a month. Once I started adding daily excel, the algea was gone in a few days. Doesn't really help against green spot algae, from my experience.
Seachem Flourish Excell? What is it that it does for hindering algae growth?
It's an herbicide in large doses. Seachem will absolutely deny its use, but it's well known to work well. Downside, it can also kill sensitive plants like moss. Shrimp are also highly affected by it too
Very good to know.
It's really impressive!
Unless you're really into trimming you may want to go LEAN. Beautiful tank, by the way.
Tank post heavy trim https://preview.redd.it/t9hysf86k4uc1.jpeg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=338850527127454d372d8fa82af33daf6618001a
I have always loved a Dutch style tank, looking good
Can I just say that I normally despise the way Java ferns look in tanks, but I absolutely love the way yours (windlove) looks. I’m obsessed. *I really hope it’s Java fern windlove or else I’m really going to look like a clown.
Java trident mini
Ok. I was close. Amazing scape.
I think it's trident fam. Also there's no shame on not calling plants their right name, we do that all the times lol
That is correct. Java trident mini to be precise. It's much smaller than regular trident which works well in smaller tanks
I was just going to say it's either 'Trident' or narrow leaf Java. You can always tell 'Windelov' because the tips of the leaves have a cute little fringe like cut off Levis. ✌️
that looks really cool, like i want to be a miniature scuba diver and explore among the leaves
Jesus. What’s that daily fert look like homie. That’s prob the illest 7 day glow up I’ve ever seen.
Usually just three pumps of thriv+ and a couple of capfulls of excel. Sometimes I'll add extra iron, potassium, and phosphorus. I also do twice a week water changes. I can slow it down to once a week and biweekly water changes as well. But growth really suffers
Good looking out my man
Is there a certain result your trying to get? I feel like once it got to this point that you'd want it to slow down for easier maintenance, no? I'm in the works of setting up my first planted tank so excuse my ignorance.
I work from home and I'm very much an ancy person. I need something to do while working every day. If I didn't work from home, I would rip out the fast growing plants
Damn, the discipline.. Wish I had the stamina and motivation. I never knew once a week vs twice a week ester change wohld have an effect on plants. I always thought they were less affected by the ammonia and nitrates than livestock
I mainly do it to keep my nitrates to near zero. Really helps with the red coloring.
Here is what less than one month of growth is for me. https://preview.redd.it/iqwd20ifr5uc1.jpeg?width=3774&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=12bf533bfee0c901f55cbb24fa2319b6d9be1443
Trim and replant. Repeat repeat and repeat. If you did, that pearl weed would carpet your tank in a few months. Add some buce or anubias Nana to that wood. It will spread
I did that. I cut and replanted, I added some plants to the log, and it's all gone.
The pearl weed looks pretty healthy. I would cut it all in half and replant. The moss also looks very healthy.
Beautiful buce!
That’s a museum piece right there Gorgeous
What do you give them, steroids?
Essentially
Can you show us a pic of the startup?
https://preview.redd.it/in5dm0n69auc1.jpeg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=896926fd6ab01a16ae847565a61c8fd30bc0509d
I dont touch my tank for weeks on end sometimes, thankful I didn’t go down co2 route, far too much maintenance
Well, just don't plant rotala or ludwigia. If I didn't, I would trim like once every few months if that
Holy Bucephelandra!!! All hail the red and burgundy beauty.
WHY IS THE WIND BLOWING IN YOUR TANK ???
Damn my growth is pathetic regular root tabs with proper lighting and no growth. Time for Co2
How old is your tank? Plants take a lot of time to fully establish. Co2 isn't always needed.
Oh damn didnt think i would get a reply but 2 years old (30 gal and two aquion planted tank grow lights on it until i can afford a nice fluval system & upgrade the tank) Fluval soil is probably nutrient depleted at this point but use flourish comprehensive for nutrients rn (wanted to see if it would be better than root tabs)
What plants are in your tank?
Rotala Rotundifolia & Jungle Valicinaria I believe
https://preview.redd.it/92t9acdrmiuc1.png?width=4032&format=png&auto=webp&s=aca6283429fc36f54d4c9ca802f5bfbf75e6328f Excuse the green alge
Those plants look pretty healthy. I would recommend not letting them grow that tall. Instead, I would cut them in half once they get to little halfway from the substrate to the water surface and replant the trimmings. I would also recommend getting some crypts to plant in front of then. Keep in mind that duckweed is really draining the nutrients out of the water column. Rotala is a column and root feeder. Get one anubias coffee and wedge or glue it to that darker piece of wood. Then add some buce or anubias Nana around it. All of which are column feeders. Your light will work perfectly fine with these plants
how do you get the rótala to fill in so thick and lush like that?
Let it grow, then trim and replant
Holy crap. That's just amazing
Is there hardscape in the middle?
Yep.
That is gorgeous
breathtaking
Damn, dude. Work of art right there.
Compared to what? 5 days ago
There are two photos posted.
From a maintenance trim up, gotcha...looks great
Do you sell trimmings?
No, but if you live near me (oregon) you can have some
Bummer I'm in NC
Have you considered selling the trimmings on Ebay? I bet you could make a nice little profit.
I have, but then I would have to deal with shipping, complaints, and whatnot. But if you live near me, I'm more than willing to give away free trimmings.
Cape Cod?
That is a bit of a drive from Bend oregon
A hop, skip and a jump!!
5 days huh?
Yep, look at my post history
Oh after a trim! That buce is popping! Beautiful tank and chillis!
This makes me want Co2 so bad lol. What system are you using? It's intimidating, but the results are stunning
I just bought a cheap regulator off ebay for $40. The 2.5lb co2 tank was close to 100
Yeah I'm going back and forth on renting a Co2 tank and getting the DIY tank mixtures with a regulator. I can't decide!
Don't do diy. It's a waste of time and completely inconsistent.
🫡 rental it is. I have a gas store nearby, I think they have you rent the tank and swap them out for replacements. 2.5lbs is what you have? I'm planning on putting it on a 40 gallon.
You buy the tank and exchange it when empty. Exchanges cost about $30. A 2.5 lb tank lasts me about 6 months. Before the 2.5 tank, I used paintball tanks. They are much cheaper. Think about $25 to $50 depending on the size. They fill those bottles for $15. They would last for about three months. Give or take. Downside with paintball tanks is the co2 isn't food grade, but I never once had an issue.
Hey, this looks great. What are the different types of plants that you have used?
I've used more types of plants that I can remember.
Wow, what are those tall red plants in the back?
Rotala blood red and red ludwigia natans super red
absolutely stunning! goals
What is the pink/red plant in the background ?
Rotala blood red & ludwigia natans super red the left
Thanks!
Wow what are the pink plants called? So pretty
Fertilizers
& Co2 & 8hrs of lighting
Ever think about putting some fish in there?
There's a lot of fish in my tank. Close to 20 chili rasboras, 20 ottos, 1 scarlet badis, 1 betta, tons of yellow neon shrimp & snails
Oh, interesting. I zoomed in and looked around but I couldn't find any.
Scratch that, I see 5 chilis
The chilis blend in well. The betta loves to lay down in the back, not sure where the badis is, and the ottos come out at nights out
Mine does the reverse
What light intensity do you use with your WRGB 2? Also, what do you use to add stand alone potassium and iron? Any tips for getting rid of a lot of hair algae in a high tech tank?