Jessie

Hi everyone. I disappeared for a while. Basically, my tank was "out of my possession" for a good month and a half because I ran screaming in the opposite direction of my now ex-boyfriend who turned out to be....bad news. I moved out on a whim and the tank stayed. I was actually resigned to the notion that because it was potentially dangerous to go back and get it, then I would just have to cut my losses and kiss it goodbye.

BUT! I hired two guys from my favorite fish store and today, we went back into the house and got my tank back. Thanks to them, my tank was unplanted, drained and on the road in two hours. Disgustingly dirty, but back into my possession.

And now!
The fun stuff. Also known as the dreadful stuff.

Get the tank in the apartment, begin returning my kickass (/sarcasm) mix substrate of fluorite, pea gravel and playground sand. NICE and gunky. Also known as absolutely disgusting. Then, in the very front, I added two bags of AquaSoil Amazonia so that I can eventually grow a nice carpet of HC and downoi.

Also, start arranging my Manzanita wood that I soaked for about 3 weeks. So excited!



Working fast, trying to make every second count while I have the guys here to help me fill and plumb.



A friend comes over to help, and the photo shoot begins.

Since they need to get going, no dry planting. Just fill! Added about 40g of my old water and the rest new. Wait a second, I soaked that wood for 3 weeks, it sunk! But no. That's what happens when you run run run away from your house and leave everything behind, including an evaporating tub of buoyant wood:



It floats. We're sad.


Whatever. Start planting, very overwhelmed, check out my workspace! I am the cardboad box lady.


Looking at this mess was really intimidating:



Trying to unfurl a mess of tropica swords, crypts, anubias and more valls than I knew what to do with:



Kazoo says "my mother is crazy."


KNOCK ON WOOD, not a single death.


Planting, planting, glazing over, planting, planting. And I can't do any aquascaping, because the WOOD FLOATS and I can't see through all the crap!!!!!!!!! :< But... they're in there.


AND we're HAPPY WE HAVE AQUASOIL!



And we're done. Here is how it is now:


But that's ok, because I have my tank again and no one was punched and no confrontations, we're good!

So basically, now that I've been reunited, I can restart my journalling process and do big exciting things

Chuppy

Sorry to hear.

But that's a great comeback though. I couldn't comment much about how your tank looks now as i can't really see anything Cute cat though.

slickwillislim

I would change the water every day or every other day and don't stop until your ammonia and nitrite are non existent. Most people try not to put fish in a tank right after adding aquasoil because of the ammonia spike it causes, from what I can tell only half of your substrate is aquasoil so your spike shouldn't be as bad. I don't want your fish to survive the transition only to suffer during an ammonia spike.

I really like manzanita wood and can wait for it to sink to see what you do with it.

HC and downoi can make beautiful foregrounds. You don't see too many HC foregrounds on tanks your size so I can't wait to see how it will all look.

I am glad you got your tank back. I would be crushed if I had to leave my three tanks that abruptly, so much hard work.

Good luck with the restart.

Steven_Chong

Is it ok if I say that you got to be one of the cutest girls I've met doing aquascaping?

Good luck with the manzanita. I'm sure it'll look great once you can get it to sink.

darkfury18

Good luck with the restart.

Jessie

Thanks so much for the encouragement, guys. I'm blushing Steven, goodness!


slickwillislim -- Thanks for the heads up. That's something I had forgotten about, actually. This also being my first time using AquaSoil. I'm keep a close eye on the levels. I'm hoping that the masses of mulm and established substrate and filters will help stay on top of any spikes. I also use my Roseline barbs as one of my universal gauges of tank-health. They are pretty blatant about their "feelings."

While I'm disappointed that the wood floated because I had it sinking for a few weeks, I'm ok with the fact that it's buoyant right now because A) I have my tank back!! and B) Everything is so disheveled that it doesn't really matter, I need to get my ducks in a row and create a plan.

Since previously, my tank was a hodge-podge of unruly stem plants, I would like to go the lower-maintenance route this time and try to focus on just a couple nice accent stems and lots of Crypts, Anubias and Ferns. I STILL have my heart set on L. aromatica, so that's going to happen

So, once I have a budget in place and things are settled, HC, Downoi, mosses, Crypts and ornamental stems will be on my purchase list.

MyCatsDrool

Try putting the driftwood in the dishwasher...no detergent. Will help it sink.

Let me know when you are ready to put in some new plants. I am local, and can help you out. I am currently overflowing (I happen to know someone who helped with the tank move ).

Jessie

MyCatsDrool -- (my cats drool too)
HEYYY Do I know you?? I see you're a lady so you must not be one of my helpers. Do tell, do tell! And if you chat with one of my helpers any time soon, please tell them thanks so much. They helped in a very special circumstance.

One of my helpers actually recommended I use the dishwasher; I'll see if I can fit some of the smaller pieces in my little washer.

But I'd definitely be interested in buying some plants off you -- whatcha got?

Kelley

Jessie,
I am so glad you have got your tank back again!! Can't wait to see more.

Jessie

Kelley--- Thank you, You're fantastic

Here's the tank how it is now, no 'scaping has been done and you'll notice a mess of Anubias floating around the top.

So far, I've had the Manzanita on roughly 7 (lost count) cycles in the dishwasher. I DO notice a slight difference, but since the dishes are piling up (haha, you know you're a fish person when....) the branches are back in the tank to finish out the rest of their soaking. I've also added some Purigen to my Eheim to get a handle on the tanins that are appearing.

So right now it's just a mess of randomly placed plants -- some of them VERY sad from neglect, but I'm noticing new growth on my Didiplis, Rotala and Alternanthera. Those are really the only stems that were salvageable from the apparent hack-job my ex must have performed in an effort to be helpful. But, the fish are all doing great. I'm starting to notice a lack of a few, must've bit the dust while I was gone. Nothing I can do now!

Some hilarious images of my salad bar:


Soaking wood. Kind of biotope-esque, no?


Java ferns, Tropica swords, some Aponogetons and a very depressed Alternanthera.


Full tank shot. Forgive the quality of the images -- I'm still battling my camera.


While the wood was in the dishwasher.

So, hopefully things will start to pan out over the next few weeks. Like I said, I'm just happy to have it back!

Oh! And MyCatsDrool -- I figured it out! Helper helped me grab some Emperors and Purigen last night at the store and the riddle has been solved! You know a very kind helper

So I may run over to the store this Friday--they said they are getting a plant shipment in and named some species that kindled my interest. Anyone who is in Denver, go to Premier Fish & Reef. They are spectacular super-heroes.