Norbert Sabat

Hi, again

Heh...another journal but i think this will be last this year.. I must say that i love making this journals

This will be my 48lts tank journal. Some pictures are on APC gallery but some aren't (for example contest shot - maybe i enter this year AGA small tank category).

All began from DIY case for two tanks (second tank you can see here)

This tank is custome made 64x30x25cm (for U.S. ..this is 25.2"x11.8"x9.8" ...about 12.7gal)

Lets get start...

Empty tank...use your imagination


PCV fillet to separate gravel and sand


Eheim ehfilav on bottom and Sera Nitrivec (lava was a experiment....bad idea )


Regular gravel mixed with MHK Floran


Regular gravel on background and sand (1.5-2mm) on foreground


Big stone from polish mountain


Taiwan moss od stones


Filled tank (plants: taiwan moss, rotala sp. "green", hemianthus micranthemoides, lilaeopsis brasilensis)


I fill tank RO water with PGP Hydro-mineral, setup CO2 (presurred with AM "wood diffuzor"). I don't add any ferts (except basic K,Ca-X,Mg,Na,S in PGP Hydro-mineral).

At start water parameters was:

KH 3
GH 5
pH 6.7-6.9
NO3 0
NO2 0
PO4 0
temperature: 24*C

Light in this tank are two Philips bulb 18/965

After 2days i had blue algae on rotala so i change 10l water and add more fast grow plans (Myriophyllum tuberculatum). 2days later I blackout tank for 3days....blue algae gone, but now i had hair algae . I add more caridina japonica shrimp, black molly and i use my hand to removed this algae.
My ferts was Planta Gainer PRO line (Micro, Macro, Ferro+, Hydro-mineral).
After 3week my algae battle come to happy end.

My layout was simple (like always) but before plants were small all looked very heavy.

Day 2 (Myriophyllum and HM are only for while because i don't had enough rotala)


Day 18 (not good but plants start grow)


Day 30 (plants on good way )


More coming soon....

fishfry

Beautiful setups. Did you make the light fixture yourself? Do you have any pictures of the light fixture?

Norbert Sabat

Yes, my light fixture is DIY. Nothing special, could be look better (my new project is much better) . I used PCV(5 and 3mm) and electronical balast VS 3/4x 18W (one ballast for two tank: 2bulbs for 48l and one for 44l)

AaronT

Norbert,

I love your tank as usual. Did you try using the lava rock as a base layer of the substrate? Why do you say that was a bad idea?

Norbert Sabat

Thanks

Hmm.. I use lava as substrat for bacteria. I don't know that are some micros/macros in that rock..i just had some of this and i decide to us it. This rock is very porous so when I was traing replace rotala i mixed all substrat and lava came from botton to top . We don't have ADA substrat in Poland (or maybe i could say "shoping in Italy or Germany is not for my wallet" ) so I tray someting instead.

Norbert Sabat

Update: day 53



Everything grew fine but i wasn't satisfy with this big stone (looks too heavy and little unnatural) so i decide replace it and put in few smal rocks.

ranmasatome

this is really nice Norbert!! great work.. i agree with you on the big stone.. i think its not so much because its big that is the problem.. but more because its too bulky..
Perhaps 2-3 smaller rocks that take up the same spave would be nice... just a suggestion..
i like how this tank is progressing..

Bavarian3

Beautiful! Love the way the background gew in which plant is that?

dennis

I have to disagree about the big rock. I think it looks nice and fits perfectly, a very interesting and new use of aquascaping ideas. I think what is missing is actually small, complimenting stones arranged to support the larger one and make it seem balanced. Idealy these rocks should be peaking out of the moss and rotala on the left side, giving the effeect of a rock pile or "mountain chain".

either way I really like this layout Norbert, nice job!

Norbert Sabat

Rotala spec green a.k.a. Rotala rotundifolia green

From the beginning this rock wasn't for this tank. It was one of three stones for iwagumi layout in my 180lts tank but i never made it. Maybe this was a "fresh" idea but don't like it much .



New pictures coming soon.