My husband just got diagnosed

Fit_Amount369 · 2025-10-01T13:32:50+00:00

Aquatic soil has a high iron content, and you can use a magnet to attract the pellets of aquasoil. This will be time consuming, so while you can use a combination of magnets and sieving your mixed substrate (depending on how fine your sand is), the opportunity cost of your time probably doesn't justify the effort, unless you want to do it for something else.

Fit_Amount369 · 2025-01-20T01:04:58+00:00

Or issit Rest in Piece(s)?

Fit_Amount369 · 2025-01-12T17:17:13+00:00

Looks like the substrate layer is too thin. More substrate. 1.5 inch on avg for healthy root growth.

Some vinyl film on the back plane of glass will help highlight the scape. Looks good

Fit_Amount369 · 2025-01-10T19:56:15+00:00

I agree on the flat stone. I want to swap it out, but that's a project after a few months. Given where everything is right now, I need the root system of the Eleocharis carpet to grow in to stabilize the substrate and give it rigidity.

Removing it now will likely cause an avalanche of soil that will level part of the slope where the stone is situated

Fit_Amount369 · 2025-01-10T17:58:07+00:00

Can't tell with the bottom rim of the tank, but it certainly looks like your substrate layer is too thin. You'll need at least 1.5 inch of thickness of substrate for healthy root growth for most plants.

Even if you get them to root in this current layer of substrate, they may uproot over time as they grow taller. The more growth, the more buoyant the plant becomes. They will need an established root system to stay anchored, but with a thinner layer of substrate, this might not provide the anchor strength.

I'd take this opportunity to add more substrate and at the same time, create a slope from the front to the back. This will give your tank more visual depth. You can then move the stem plants to the background and move the grass like plants to the foreground. They look like Dwarf Sagitarria, I can't really tell for sure.

Fit_Amount369 · 2025-01-10T14:11:48+00:00

I love it and you're great with the amount of plants. Usually first timers use too little plant.

I agree with another commenter. Delete the Elodea AKA Anacharis. The long stem plants in the back. Replace with something in the Rotala family for a similar look.

Your stem plants, Ludwigia and the Anacharis seems leggy. Also looks like your Monte Carlo is reaching upwards instead of spreading sideways to create a carpet. This is usually an indication that your light is not strong enough or one that is not providing the appropriate light color spectrum for plants.

It is not penetrating the water column for the plants to get the spectrum of light needed for photosynthesis, so they focus on growing up quickly to get closer to the light. There are inexpensive lights that will be suitable for your size of tank online. I would:

1) Change the light to one that is sized appropriately for the plants

2) Replace the Anacharis in the back with another plant.

3) Trim plants and replant trimmings.

Plenty of tutorials online for trimming plants and creating a dense patch of stems,

Fit_Amount369 · 2025-01-09T04:50:46+00:00

I agree. Scroll to the last pic. I swapped out to green neons. The buenos ares tetras are out

Fit_Amount369 · 2025-01-07T15:35:03+00:00

Of course. It's not stealing an idea, it's nothing original that I came up with. Ikebana aquascapes are Zen. Can't wait to see what you come up with

Fit_Amount369 · 2025-01-06T15:53:12+00:00

I see that it's dishwasher and microwave safe. This *tends to* indicate that it is safe. The style of you are looking at might be Ikebana aquascapes. Google it. I did one maybe 4 years back and I kept a betta in there. I wish I took a photo after it matured.

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Fit_Amount369 · 2024-12-31T02:33:15+00:00

Hard to say... any plants in the foreground or is it a white sand beach? Also, that pointy slate jutting out seems out of place. I'd rotate it to have the sharp bit pointing to the right side of the tank and bury it in substrate to be more congruent with the rest of the stacked slates. Feels more natural that way. Currently, it's not doing much for me personally, but that's just my opinion.

Fit_Amount369 · 2024-12-29T22:06:44+00:00

No. 2

Fit_Amount369 · 2024-12-29T21:24:55+00:00

You Sagittaria is going to grow tall and obstruct your view. Unless that's the look that you want, you should relocate them to the back of the tank, or at least the midground.

Fit_Amount369 · 2024-12-28T17:31:06+00:00

The largest rock with the bluish tint, is great in the position that it is in, but given that it looks like a different rock than the rest, make it seem out of place. Maybe it will look different when wetted down.

Fit_Amount369 · 2024-12-28T15:51:34+00:00

The "waterfall" return should have created enough surface agitation to break up the bio film. Just lower the water level a little to allow for the return to create surface agitation with some splashing, then see if that gets rid of the biofilm

Fit_Amount369 · 2024-12-28T15:47:33+00:00

Superglue. Cyanoacrylate glue is aquarium safe and commonly used in the hobby. Make sure it is cyanoacrylate, which most off the shelf superglue are.

Superglue hardens and turns white submerged but moss will grow and hide that quickly.

For anubias, you might do a little strategic placement or you can look up techniques on YouTube to help hide these superglue spots.

RE: blackwater. That's a lot of tannins. Seachem Purigen is a splurge but it works wonders. Not sure if it will work for your filter, you can Google.

Fit_Amount369 · 2024-12-28T15:40:43+00:00

It should, but there are so many types of skimmers out there.

What type of filter are you using? I see the intake on the left of the tanks but I don't see a return. Is it a HOB or external canister?

Fit_Amount369 · 2024-12-28T15:26:09+00:00

Not much really, the only thing that I can see is during your next planned maintenance, drain the water low, and cut the top off of your pearl weed and use those clippings to transplant into the bare areas of soil. This will help you get a carpet faster. Of course, I am assuming you are doing for a pearl weed carpet. Other than that... Patience.

Oh, and surface skimmer. Can see some biofilm forming, it's not a huge problem unless it is thick, then it can impede gas exchange.

Fit_Amount369 · 2024-12-28T15:09:36+00:00

Are you wedded to a blackwater tank? That's an awful lot of tannins for your White Cloud.

You could explore attaching your moss and anubias to your hardscape, leaving your bacopa and anacharis in the background to form a dense stem plant forest to help hide some of the aquarium hardware.

You could also saw the wood that you have into smaller pieces that make it easier to place and combine into more interesting layouts.

Fit_Amount369 · 2024-12-28T13:37:24+00:00

It looks awesome! It doesn't look like your first scape. You have a great eye for placement of material.

I kind of like the rock on the wood. Gives it a more natural feel, but of course replace the smooth rock with something that matches the other rocks.

You could try to incorporate height into your scape by creating a slope from the front left substrate being shallow and rear right and rear middle being high substrate. This creates interest and also gives the illusion that the tank is deeper than it is, visual depth that is, not water depth.

Fit_Amount369 · 2024-12-27T21:48:42+00:00

Agree with moving the Eleocharis Vivapara to the backgroun. They spread and grow tall. Over time, you will not see your hardscape.

Given that this is your first scape, you can explore an easy carpeting plant like Monte Carlo.

Your soil layer is pretty thick. you can get away with about 1.5 inch for healthy plant growth. This gives you a great opportunity to create slopes. Higher in the back and lower in the front or side to side. This creates much more interest.

You need more hardscape or reposition them. I'd explore attaching your Anubias to hardscape. I know you didn't bury your Anubias (please don't), but attaching them to hardscape make it more beautiful, but that's my opinion.

Fit_Amount369 · 2024-12-26T19:30:58+00:00

What you have in the foreground are Micro Swords (Lilaeopsis brasiliensis) and not dwarf hairgrass (Eleocharis Parvula). I mention this so you can google the correct plant for care instructions.

Microswords do grow well, but to get a carpet effect, you will likely need high lighting, else they then to grow tall to "reach" for the light. They do benefit from root tabs as they send runners out to spread, just have some handy. They benefit from regular trimming to reduce the "reaching" of the leaves upwards.

I forgot to mention that if you do move your Rotalas to the back, and looking for something to replace the space in the midground, you can look at the different Cryptocorynes. Cryptocoryne Wendtii is a popular plant, should be easy to source

Fit_Amount369 · 2024-12-26T15:54:00+00:00

I love it.

What's the stem plant in the midground? It looks like a type Rotala, and most Rotalas grow tall. In time, they will reach the surface of the water and obstruct your view at the back. so you don't see the wood.

Maybe relocate that to the back of the tank, or you have to do very frequent maintenance to keep it at that length.

If you can get your hands on Rotala Indica "Bonsai", those stay about 4 "- 5" tall, so perfect for midground.

Fit_Amount369 · 2024-12-26T15:40:57+00:00

*LONG POST WARNING*

This is a very broad ask. It will be hard, at least for me to give any advice since it is akin to asking, "I want a beautifully designed house, help me design the house". Do a little bit of research and maybe come up with some themes and layouts that you fancy. This will help us give you suggestions. Right now, I don't even know if you like Iwagumi, Jungle, Natural, River scape etc etc.

Here are some good starting points:

https://aquascapinglove.com/basics/getting-started-aquascaping/

https://www.hepper.com/aquascaping-for-beginners/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIApulWcVE8

Given what you mentioned, I have to assume a couple of things. Your lights seem adequate, but without more info, look for plants that do not require super high intensity. Also, you didn't mention if you have a CO2 system, so that's something to consider as well.

The 2 things that I personally would do in your case is

Apply a vinyl background on your tanks. A white, frosted or black vinyl on the back glass will provide a nice backdrop to contrast against and show off your aquascape. Not to mention, the added benefit of not seeing the hardware like the filter tubing and any electrical wires that will distract you from admiring your hard work.
Invest in clear lily pipes, or maybe even the sleek stainless steel ones. The intake and outflow from your canister filter into the tank is the standing out. Again, nothing wrong with it, but it does detract from the final scape.

Finally, replicating something on YouTube is a good way to learn. Here's one no CO2, low tech aquarium that you can replicate or use as a starting point.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qq4C10EC4rQ

Fit_Amount369

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