Stephen's 120L tank log

[BigBen]

Do you want to try some floaters Stephen to see if it helps? I'm due a clear out soon of the Silvinia Natans from my Discus tank. I'd happily post you some for your contribution to the forum if you'd like.

[Andys temperate tank]

How are you doing with the black sludge in here Stephen?

Still there, on the wood and plants.

Any plans to try and beat it?

[Stephen]

Do you want to try some floaters Stephen to see if it helps? I'm due a clear out soon of the Silvinia Natans from my Discus tank. I'd happily post you some for your contribution to the forum if you'd like.

That is a kind offer Ben, thank you.
I will try a different powerhead or an external filter, I'm still in two minds which one to go for but more likely an external filter.

[Andys temperate tank]

I will try a different powerhead or an external filter, I'm still in two minds which one to go for but more likely an external filter.

You've been saying this since you got the tank Stephen.

What eheim are you getting?

[BigBen]

Do you want to try some floaters Stephen to see if it helps? I'm due a clear out soon of the Silvinia Natans from my Discus tank. I'd happily post you some for your contribution to the forum if you'd like.

That is a kind offer Ben, thank you.
I will try a different powerhead or an external filter, I'm still in two minds which one to go for but more likely an external filter.

If you want some pm me your address and I'll pop some on the post early next week. Feel free to say no as well!

[Stephen]

@Andys temperate tank

I will try a different powerhead or an external filter, I'm still in two minds which one to go for but more likely an external filter.

You've been saying this since you got the tank Stephen.

What eheim are you getting?

To be totally honest I wish I never bought the Juwel aquarium and I hate the internal filter.
It looks good, nice cabinet, 120L, LED lighting but now I just don't like it.
What I was really looking for was an Aqua One Aquience Cube 550s (165L) which fitted the gap available and matched the big aquarium, unfortunately it is no longer made/available.
It would of been a perfect match (see image below), I even looked for a second-hand one.



External filter?
I would love an Eheim Pro4 350, but new would cost around £160.00 (someone on ebay is selling second-hand for £299 )
I just can't afford or justify paying £160 for an external filter at the moment which is why I haven't bought one yet.

[Stephen]

I'm in the process of water changing and cleaning the aquariums.
This Juwel aquarium still has the black stuff all over the plants, on the bogwood and also on the glass at the back and in the corners.
I used a scraper to move it off the glass and it comes away in sheets (and smaller bits), so a lot of netting and syphoning to remove it.

I still do not understand why I have this horrible black stuff covering the plants, bogwood and glass.
I am using the same plant substrate and sand as in the big 550L aquarium and the water is exactly the same (I do water changes at the same time).
Even the biological filter media is the same in both aquariums (Eheim Substratpro).
The only real difference is this 120L aquarium uses an internal filter whilst the bigger 550L aquarium uses two external filters.

I am puzzled

[KevB]

Could it be related to the positioning of the tanks? Does one get a bit more ambient light from the room? I used to have problems with BBA in my old Juwel Lido 120 which at that time only had plastic plants in. It was in a recessed alcove that got virtually no ambient light at all so I pretty much ruled it out in my case.

[Stephen]

Could it be related to the positioning of the tanks? Does one get a bit more ambient light from the room? I used to have problems with BBA in my old Juwel Lido 120 which at that time only had plastic plants in. It was in a recessed alcove that got virtually no ambient light at all so I pretty much ruled it out in my case.

It's not BBA Kev.

[KevB]

If it's diatoms then I even get that in my big tank with external filters but in my case I think it's down to the hard water. Yours is softer so I wouldnt expect you to have diatoms in either of yours much, it's an odd one. Could you get a scrape sample and get someone to look at it down a microscope, at least you would know if it was diatoms, plant or fungal so you could plan how to tackle it.