90g tank rescape

[Gowalkitoff]

Hi all

I rescaped my 90g low tech freshwater planted from a meadow looking view to more Amazon riverside.  I just moved things around. I'm happy with how it turned out. The fish seem to like it. It holds about 15 ember tetras, 2 bn plecos, a rainbow goby, a scarlet badis, 2 oto cats, 2 bamboo shrimp, and some amano shrimp.

[charlie]

Well done !
Thanks for sharing.

[Jody]

Looks great!

[CarlP]

I love it!
You should add some tanins! It would look awesome! 🙂

[Gowalkitoff]

I love it!
You should add some tanins! It would look awesome! 🙂

I keep doing that and the tannins keep disappearing! I know the eucalyptus roots won't do it well but I have some mopani pieces in there too. I put botanicals in there every week or every other week. No luck. Advice?

[CarlP]

I keep doing that and the tannins keep disappearing! I know the eucalyptus roots won't do it well but I have some mopani pieces in there too. I put botanicals in there every week or every other week. No luck. Advice?

I can see three things:
-you have purigen in your filter
-you have carbon in your filter
-your aquasoil is baked clay and some of it carbonised and is stripping the tanins off your water.

I'd check those three things and I'm pretty sure you'll be all set!

[Gowalkitoff]

I can see three things:
-you have purigen in your filter
-you have carbon in your filter
-your aquasoil is baked clay and some of it carbonised and is stripping the tanins off your water.

I'd check those three things and I'm pretty sure you'll be all set!

None of the above unfortunately. I keep it easy peasy and fairly natural. The substrate is fluvial stratum. Filter is various sponges and floss, the eheim plastic black tube bits, and the porous rock discs and balls. Are the latter baked clay?

[CarlP]

The small brown/orange balls? Those are baked clay yes.
The Fluval stratum also can strip the tanins off the water, as its volcanic rock and there ash in it. It's inert for compounds but the fact that's baked will definitely remove the tanins off the water.
I capped mine with sand.
In my new rubras' tank, I used organic peat soil from Aquaflora that I capped with crystal river sand.

[Gowalkitoff]

The small brown/orange balls? Those are baked clay yes.
The Fluval stratum also can strip the tanins off the water, as its volcanic rock and there ash in it. It's inert for compounds but the fact that's baked will definitely remove the tanins off the water.
I capped mine with sand.
In my new rubras' tank, I used organic peat soil from Aquaflora that I capped with crystal river sand.

They are white balls. Remind me of pumice.

The stratum must be doing it then. Oh well, not getting changed! I refuse to fuss over it. I did that years ago and it wasn't enjoyable at all.

[CarlP]

They are white balls. Remind me of pumice.

The stratum must be doing it then. Oh well, not getting changed! I refuse to fuss over it. I did that years ago and it wasn't enjoyable at all.

Oh it's either Seachem Matrix, Fluval Biomax (or Fx) or the one coming in Eheim filter.
Definitely the soil! You can still add humic acid once in a while for the benifits.

[Gowalkitoff]

Oh it's either Seachem Matrix, Fluval Biomax (or Fx) or the one coming in Eheim filter.
Definitely the soil! You can still add humic acid once in a while for the benifits.

It's the one that comes in the eheim filter at purchase.

How do I get ahold of humic acid? Your tank is amazing!

[CarlP]

It's the one that comes in the eheim filter at purchase.

How do I get ahold of humic acid? Your tank is amazing!

Thanks! It's for a trio of betta rubra. Low boy 28 gallons. Fantastic form factor.

Humid acid is available at Critter Jungle on Carling.

[Gowalkitoff]

Thanks! It's for a trio of betta rubra. Low boy 28 gallons. Fantastic form factor.

Humid acid is available at Critter Jungle on Carling.

Thanks. Is your substrate only sand? I have tried a few months ago to have sand sections (to limit plant spreading) and it kept going through the stratum, and the stratum kept coming to the top.

[CarlP]

Thanks. Is your substrate only sand? I have tried a few months ago to have sand sections (to limit plant spreading) and it kept going through the stratum, and the stratum kept coming to the top.

Only one of my tanks is only sand (Neolamprologus multifacetus).

Three of my tanks are substrate with sand cap. Two of them are ADA Amazonia 2 with Cristal River sand, about an inch 1/2 thick at max and the new one is Aquaforest aquasoil capped with 1 1/2 inch of the same sand.
Stratum seems to float whatever I tried so I don't use it for that purpose anymore.
It's kind of a sacrificial situation where I know that I'll get some mixing between the soil and the sand but generally, using a very fine sand keeps that to a minimum.
In my main display tank, I separated the soil area from the beach area and oh boy, never again. I'll go full soil or sand capped soil in the future. I have a couple of very large bronze and emerald corydoras and their passion is to vigorously throw as much ADA Amazonia 2 in the beach area as possible. 😂

[Gowalkitoff]

Only one of my tanks is only sand (Neolamprologus multifacetus).

Three of my tanks are substrate with sand cap. Two of them are ADA Amazonia 2 with Cristal River sand, about an inch 1/2 thick at max and the new one is Aquaforest aquasoil capped with 1 1/2 inch of the same sand.
Stratum seems to float whatever I tried so I don't use it for that purpose anymore.
It's kind of a sacrificial situation where I know that I'll get some mixing between the soil and the sand but generally, using a very fine sand keeps that to a minimum.
In my main display tank, I separated the soil area from the beach area and oh boy, never again. I'll go full soil or sand capped soil in the future. I have a couple of very large bronze and emerald corydoras and their passion is to vigorously throw as much ADA Amazonia 2 in the beach area as possible. 😂

Yes this is a concern for me too. I have two bn plecos that are rowdy when they smell food!

Your cories do not cause problems with the sand cap?

[CarlP]

Yes this is a concern for me too. I have two bn plecos that are rowdy when they smell food!

Your cories do not cause problems with the sand cap?

In the main tank I gave up on the front beach as they're super rowdy.
The smaller tank is ok as they're smaller and they don't dig as deep in the substrate.

[Gowalkitoff]

In the main tank I gave up on the front beach as they're super rowdy.
The smaller tank is ok as they're smaller and they don't dig as deep in the substrate.

Ok. Thanks for the chat! (P.s. the terrarium went to a great home)

[CarlP]

Ok. Thanks for the chat! (P.s. the terrarium went to a great home)

Etienne's terrarium? I've been modifying it a lot! Can't wait to show the final product.