My First Planted Tank - Juwel Rio 125

[LondonDragon]

Hi guys, just thought I would post some photos of my tank. This was setup early last year (as a planted tank, had been a goldfish/tropical, plastic ornament plants tank for 3 years previously) as a planted tank and was looking healthy but then had the place looking like a building site while doing some works in the house and the tank was somewhat neglect. Recently been working on it again with the help of another forum ukaps (if I can't mention just remove the name), and this is whats the tank is looking like at the moment.

Here the tank as it looked when I setup it as a planted tank back in April 2007:


Setup as of today:

Juwel Rio 125, about 30g
Measurements: 81l x 36d x 50h cm
Filtration: Built-in Filter + Eheim 2224
Lighting: 4x24w T5
CO2: 2kg pressurised
Substrate: Just normal pea size gravel

Flora:

Tank shot (taken last week):


Diagram:


1. Rotala sp. ''Nanjenshan'' (Mayaca) ?? not sure about this one
2. Bacopa monnieri
3. Anubias barteri var. nana
4. Limnophila sessiliflora
5. Hemianthus callitrichoides ''Cuba''
6. Ludwigia repens 'Rubin'
7. Blyxa Japonica
8. Vesicularia ferriei (Weeping Moss)
9. Glossostigma elatinoides
10. Cryptocoryne undulata
11. Taxiphyllum sp. (Spiky Moss)
12. Nymphaea lotus (Green version)


These two cannot be seen on photo:
13. Cryptocoryne parva (growing in the middle of the Ludwigia repens)
14. Riccia sp. 'Dwarf' (growing at the top back floating for a test)


Fauna:

2 Bosemani Rainbow
2 Ottos
10 Harlequin Rasbora
1 Clown Pleco
2 Corrydoras seussi
6/7 Guppies/Endler (some fry also)
10 Amano Shrimp
20 Red Cherry Shrimp


Plant fertilization:

Macro: KN03 (2.4 grams 3x week ), KH2P04 (0.6 grams 3x a week) e K2S04 (0.6 grams 3x a week)
Micro: Trace Mix from AE (0.6 grams 3x a week) e MgS04 (4 grams 3x a week)

Both mixes are dosed on alternate days. I also add 5ml of EasyCarbo per day, helps the plants with the extra carbon and also kills off the algea, recommend everyone with a planted tank doses this (or Flourish Excel which is just a little more expensive but as the same effect)


Here some recent photos of the tank, plants and fish.

Tank shot this week (tree branch is there temporarily and added new plant Limnophila aromatica):


Close-up of the glosso:


One of my two corries on the glosso:


Close-up of the Ludwigia:


The Limnophila aromatica on the left hand side of the branch:


Close-up of the tank:


Leaf of Nymphaea lotus:


Amano shrimp:


Rainbow:


Comments and critics always welcomed thanks for looking

[LondonDragon]

Photos on the first post were taken two weeks ago, here is an update with new plants added over the last two weeks:

Plants added:
Staurogyne sp.
Nesaea Pedicellata
Rotala Rotundifolia
Limnophila Heterophylia
Eleocharis Acicularis

Removed last week:
Rotala sp. ''Nanjenshan'' (Mayaca)

Think I will stop adding plants now and move on to the 54l that is cycling, this one just needs to grow now and be enjoyed. I am almost happy with this one, not sure what I will do when it gets to a point that there isn't more I can do with it. Don't really want to re-scape it either, might just try to maintain it the way it is and just move the plants around as they grow.

Full tank shot:


Top of the tank:


Bottom half:


Spiky Moss growing very well and algae free:


Glosso, also algae free:


One of my lovely corries:


One of my Rainbows:


Also I have noticed over the last week that the plants are all pearling like never before, might have been due to the increase on CO2 when I introduced the L. Aromatica.

Comments and critics always welcomed

[andywoolloo]

incredible, simply amazing. Nice job! The rasboras are beautiful, as are all your fish and shrimp.

[LondonDragon]

incredible, simply amazing. Nice job! The rasboras are beautiful, as are all your fish and shrimp.

Thanks andy

[andywoolloo]

your welcome. how do you clean the substrate?

[racoll]

Awesome tank sir.

I'm setting up a "hi-tech" planted tank at the moment, and after a few problems early on, it seems to be turning out okay.

I shall have to get some pics up soon.....

How important do you think the dry fertilisers are?

[LondonDragon]

your welcome. how do you clean the substrate?

Do you need to clean the substrate?? just joking, just place the symphon on top of the glosso and anything in it with the water flow gets dragged out, if there isn't much overfeeding it is not a problem anyway, let nature take its course as long as the filtration is good and flow around the tank.

Awesome tank sir.
I'm setting up a "hi-tech" planted tank at the moment, and after a few problems early on, it seems to be turning out okay.
I shall have to get some pics up soon.....
How important do you think the dry fertilisers are?

Many thanks, dry ferts are just easier for me to dose and also work out much cheaper than any all in one liquid equivalent. Dosing the EasyCarbo also helps combat algea issues.
I have read from a few guys that when they changed from liquid (TPN+) to dry ferts they had much better success and I can vouch for that!

[DutchFry]

very nice tank and beautiful pictures!

[Carp37]

Lovely-looking tank... I usually pretty much ignore planted tank pictures because it's usually impossible to spot the fish in them, but in yours I can see much of the tank stock in the full-tank pictures, so you've got the best of both worlds- fish you can see in an attractive environment.

[LondonDragon]

Thanks guys Carp I do like my fish also not just the plants, so I try a scape that allows the fish to swim in front of it so that they are always visible, the corries love the glosso bed too ;)
I do have a clown pleco in there somewhere, that one is always hard to find no matter how many or little plants I have had in the tank.

[Carp37]

I do have a clown pl*co in there somewhere, that one is always hard to find no matter how many or little plants I have had in the tank.

I've only got plastic plants, bogwood and slate in my cory tank, but I almost never see my 2 clown plecs either! One will poke his nose out from under the bogwood when there's frozen bloodworm about but that's about it...

[LondonDragon]

I've only got plastic plants, bogwood and slate in my cory tank, but I almost never see my 2 clown plecs either! One will poke his nose out from under the bogwood when there's frozen bloodworm about but that's about it...

How long do they live? I have had mine from before the tank was planted, must have it for over 4 years! was the first fish I purchased.
Doesn't grow much either, think it always stayed the same size.

[Carp37]

How long do they live? I have had mine from before the tank was planted, must have it for over 4 years! was the first fish I purchased.
Doesn't grow much either, think it always stayed the same size.

Not sure- I'm guessing at 7-10 years as a small plec. I've only had mine 7-8 months, and posted some time ago as mine weren't growing noticeably (except for getting hugely fatter) compared with bristlenose which grow much more quickly. Mats suggested they grow really slowly so this seems like the norm.

[LondonDragon]

Not sure- I'm guessing at 7-10 years as a small plec. I've only had mine 7-8 months, and posted some time ago as mine weren't growing noticeably (except for getting hugely fatter) compared with bristlenose which grow much more quickly. Mats suggested they grow really slowly so this seems like the norm.

Thanks for that, mine is about half the size of one of my corries, just weird it always stayed around the same size as when I brought it. Its seems to be happy and been in the tank all this time so I guess I don't have to worry about it ;)

[Carp37]

If you've had it about 4 years it's not doing too badly. Whilst I never catch them at it, mine eat huge quantities of bogwood, and are very deep-bodied compared with other plecos.

[slakey]

:O How have you got no algae? My wood pieces are totally covered!!!
Also my plants are aswell

But my one of Anubias Nana's buds has opened and there's like a little type of pollen thing there now :O

[Martin S]

Amazing looking tank - very impressive!
As stated already, it's great that you have mixed the fish and plants so you still get to see the fish!
Martin

[LondonDragon]

:O How have you got no algae? My wood pieces are totally covered!!!
Also my plants are aswell
But my one of Anubias Nana's buds has opened and there's like a little type of pollen thing there now :O

If you using the standard Juwel tank, then you won't be able to keep most of the plants I do, I have upgraded the filter, the lights, the heater, powerhead for circulation, pressurised CO2 and dry ferts ;) basically I just have the original glass lol which makes buying a Juwel for planted tanks pretty useless ;) unless you want a low-tech tank.
If you need some pointers or help just let me know I will be glad to assist. We are all here to learn from one another, even though I am just a noob myself.

Amazing looking tank - very impressive!
As stated already, it's great that you have mixed the fish and plants so you still get to see the fish!
Martin

Many thanks Martin

[MatsP]

Whilst I agree with LondonDragon that it's probably not possible to keep that level of plants in a standard "off-the-peg" tank, it's quite possible to keep a reasonably well-planted, non-CO2, low-tech tank, by some careful choice of plants.

For example, the Limnophila, and Ludwigia will grow quite well in an ordinary tank with decent lighting [and whilst the stock Rio125 lights are not the best ever, there are 2 x 18w flourescent tubes in there, which is pretty OK].

--
Mats

[racoll]

How have you got no algae? My wood pieces are totally covered!!!
Also my plants are aswell

When plants can achieve unlimited growth, they will totally out-compete and retard algal growth. To achieve unlimited growth, you need to remove all the limiting factors to plant growth. These include light, nutrients and most importantly C02 (and require all the upgrades LondonDragon has made).

When C02 is absent, algae has the upper hand. However there are a few tricks you can pull to achieve a balance.

Algae thrive on light and nutrients (in the absence of plants and C02), so reducing light (fewer bulbs, shorter photoperiod of <10h, floating plants, tannin stain), keeping on top of water changes, and adding algae eating fish, you can usually stay in control.

But remember, light, light, light is your problem.........

[LondonDragon]

Thanks racoll for the explanation, I find it easier to maintain an high light/CO2 tank than low light, I am starting a low light setup its cycling at the moment for shrimp breeding, hopefully Red Crystal so will see how I handle that.

[LondonDragon]

Just another quick update, plant wise nothing as changed just moved a couple of things around and gave most of them a good trim. What I have added this week was a couple of rocks and a piece of redmoor wood.
I like the colour of these rocks thats the reason I went for them so will see what you guys tink about it, not 100% sure on position yet but I didn't want to move too many things to get them in for the time being.
Also this week gave the glosso a good trim, its not looking its best after that but I hope it will just fill back in again, trying that first before tanking the step of replanting it all.

Here is the tank last week:


Here is the tank today:


Small rock under the moss:


Close up of smaller rock:


Top of the larger rock:


Large rock:


Comments and critics always welcome

[LondonDragon]

Hi guys just a quick update, things are looking up, things are growing faster and faster in the tank and I see so much pearling now even the mosses are pearling lol, this week added some Monosolenium Tenerum (Pellia) and Fissidens splachnobryoides (which later found out is non-aquatic so will see how this does, the amano shrimp seem to love it).
Decided to trim the glosso again this week, trimmed it just over a week ago to test and it grew back pretty quick and stong so this week gave it another proper trim see how it reacts this time, hopefully by next week it will be looking lush again.
Also decided to try one more stone on the right side of the Blyxa, really like this mini landscape rock

Tank last week:


Here is the tank today:


Spiky moss in the center:


Close up of the glosso, in the middle the two new additions:


Another close up of the glosso:


The hairgrass is growing nicely for the first time in my tank:


Separated and replanted the Staurogyne sp.:


New addition to the tank, was too fast and this is the best shot I could get, will try another soon:


My rainbow:


Comments and critics always welcome, thanks for looking

[loachy_406]

Awsome pics - a stunning tank that many could never achieve!

[LondonDragon]

Awsome pics - a stunning tank that many could never achieve!

Many thanks, with a little determination and patience anyone can get there eventually, its taken me about 12 months ;)

[loachy_406]

I guess, but then some people just can't be bothered. Good perseverence

[LondonDragon]

I guess, but then some people just can't be bothered. Good perseverence

You can only be good at this hobbie if you have a passion for it, keeping fish is too simple, keeping plants is the challenge ;)

[sidguppy]

nice plants and all, it looks a lot like the "Holland planted tanks" that are highly popular over here

but I for one find the sight of a Corydoras sitting on dense undergrowth because there's no way it can rest on the sand (wich isn't there, it's course gravel) a bit sad.......

me being Dutch and being catfishy, I've seen my fill of Dutch ornately plant farms, I'm not overly fond of those "underwater gardens".

they look nice, and if you keep shoaling fishes (like the Rainbow fish here), the occasional Betta and Otocinclus, it's fine.
but most catfish can't move around in a tank like that, and a species that sifts sand for a living (Corydoras, Hoplo's etc) should have much more unplanted space on the floor and sand, not gravel, as a substrate

[andywoolloo]

I bet the betta digs on it!

Interesting point tho re the cories, mine always sift along and snuffle thru the sand.

[LondonDragon]

Thanks for the suggestions and opinions duly noted, I have a 500 liter tank in the project stage, just waiting for some quotes, should have been done by now but taking longer than expected, then the corries will be going into that tank where then will have more tank mates to play with on their sanded beach, till then they have a large patch of fine gravel to play with under the moss on the right hand side, can't see it from the photos but under that large clump of moss there is no other plants and they hang in there most of the time.