My Betta tank.

[Andys temperate tank]

Thanks @Staffylover yeah the sterbai will end up in the 60p. There is plant substrate in there around the wood. And theres plants in it but they need to grow so you can see them.

[Andys temperate tank]

I've had a rough couple of weeks with the new tank. Diatoms, brown dust algae covering the glass every 3 days, the black sludge that lays on everything and cyano bacteria.

Over the last 8 days I've waged war against it all.

Day 1. I cleaned all of the glass then siphoned as much mess and water I could. Then I cleaned out the filter, and set up my new co2 kit while zarra cleaned the glassware and pipes. I moved the glassware to create more flow while it was all off. Filled up, planted the 2 pots of cyperus helferi I had and waited till the next day.

Day 2. No work on the tank and a bit cyano coming back. I gave it another day.

Day 3. The cyperus helferi had gone to mush and the cyano was back good and proper along with everything else although not as bad. Off went the filters and I spot dosed the cyano with ADA phyton git. I also put some under the sand. Left the filters off for an hour then put it back on. The treatment was expensive but horizon said it was a nuke for cyano and said if it wasnt gone in a week I can have my money back.

Day 4. Same as day 3.

Day 5. The cyano bacteria was just about dead when I finished work but I dosed it again just to be sure.

Day 6. Removed all off the dead cyano and what I could of the algae. Cleaned inside of the glass again during a big water change. Still got the algae problems. I nearly forgot. When I plugged the filter back in I noticed both of my co2 pressure gauges were reading 0. Thick head here must have shut the bottle off while I put it in place.

Day 8. I got sick of the algae so had another go at it. Instead of my usual syphon I used some 6mm air tube. This turned out to be a master stroke. I got so much muck per litre out I managed to remove pretty much all of the black stuff. It was on the sand in places too. My hand was in the water for over an hour and its stung like mad, it was so wrinkly when I took it out.

Day 9. Got home today and I'm very happy to see the tank still looks clean. The java moss has taken off and the wood is darkening. Ive added a 1-2 grow pot of blyxa japonica and phyllis fluitans. Yesterday as well.



I need more plants now. And I've still got the dosing pump to add. Not until I know ive won the war though.

[Lee_k]

Forgot you hadnt got this tank stocked yet! - Looking good tho Andy even if its proving hard work for now

[Lee_k]

If you want some limnophila sessiliflora (fast growing stem) to put in it just to get nutrients used up in the interim drop me a PM with your address and when I trim again at the weekend i'll put you some trimmings in a envelope for you

[Staffylover]

See you could have just posted that picture and nobody would be any the wiser! New tanks can be really hard work until they settle especially smaller ones, worth all your hard work though it looks great what is the tall plant at the back, crypt Balansae?

[Andys temperate tank]

Forgot you hadnt got this tank stocked yet! - Looking good tho Andy even if its proving hard work for now

Thanks Lee. Its 5-6 weeks old nos. I'm expecting more trouble but I'll get there.

[Andys temperate tank]

See you could have just posted that picture and nobody would be any the wiser! New tanks can be really hard work until they settle especially smaller ones, worth all your hard work though it looks great what is the tall plant at the back, crypt Balansae?

Cheers Staffy. I could have just posted the pic but I like the hard work. It's all learning for me. The tall plant is cyperus helferi from tropica. It's a medium category plant. Cryp balansae gets too big. It's over 2ft in Angel's delight now.

[Staffylover]

Just looked it up, I was confusing it with Pogostemon helferi, the star like foreground plant - really they should give plants distinctly different names! I like the Tropica website with it's pictures of set ups it does give you a good idea of the plant, it's quite grass like in appearance but suspect it wont take over in quite the same way as grass, I am not brave enough to try medium rated plants very often, even some easy ones will not grow for me but grasses are generally ok

[Andys temperate tank]

Just looked it up, I was confusing it with Pogostemon helferi, the star like foreground plant - really they should give plants distinctly different names! I like the Tropica website with it's pictures of set ups it does give you a good idea of the plant, it's quite grass like in appearance but suspect it wont take over in quite the same way as grass, I am not brave enough to try medium rated plants very often, even some easy ones will not grow for me but grasses are generally ok

Medium plants are worth a go sometimes. I have alternanthera reinekki mini in Angel's delight and it's doing ok. I have co2, a good light and daily ferts but my substrate is inert. It's only the hard plants need "everything" I think.

[Andys temperate tank]

Its been a while. I have to admit the algae in the new tank beat me. No matter what I done I couldn't stop the algae bouncing back. I've put it down to 2 reasons. First was my substrate. I hadn't realised ada power sand needs to be completely capped. Mine wasn't so was probably constantly leeching and 2nd was the tank location. It was in a south facing window and getting far too much direct sunlight.

I ended up moving the tank and re starting it with fresh substrate and some extra plants. 1 pot of alternanthera reinekki mini, 2 pots of blyxa japonica, 1 pot of rotatable H'ra and 2 pots of helanthium bolivianus vesuvius.



The tank is currently getting daily water changes. At the weekend I plan to trim the moss right back to the branches.