This is a new journal from Alvin Koh that first attempt at starting 3 footer planted. This is some detail from Alvin Koh..
Initial list of salvaged equipment from abandoned project:
1) Chiller: Teco TR15 – 1/5HP (replaces Hailea HC-300A due to cabinet restriction)
2) Filtration/Pump: 1260 (modified to 1262 specification) + Eheim Pro2 2028 with impeller + cover removed
3) Filtration Media: Mr Aqua Ceremic Rings (Small) + Bio Home
4) CO2: 5L CO2 Tank + Solenoid Regulator + NA CO2 Reactor
5) Fertilization/Dosing: 3-way Peristaltic Dosing Pump
6) Soil: ADA Amazonia II + Lava rock gravel
7) Decoration: About 20 pieces of Kinokinryu rocks

Rocks – The search for rocks was a long one spanning a month. I had 2 pieces of rather flat-ish Kurokinryu rocks I bought from a hobbyist which was clearly insufficient.
I made a purchase online for about 12 pieces of Kurokinryu rocks, but most pieces were flat and the largest 3 pieces were of totally different color when wet.

Flora: Utricularia graminifolia
Equipment: Aquazonic T5HO (4x39w), 8000K & 6500K Osram T5HO tubes, UP CO2 Inline Atomizer,
Decoration: New feature rock

My final hardscape ended up looking somewhat like a weathered rocky sea shoreline – nothing like what I’d envisioned when I first started. I guess that’s what makes aquascaping unpredictable. There are so many factors leading to the final scape.

My emersed culture nursery currently consists of mostly small plants:
1) UG – Utricularia graminifolia
2) HC – Hemianthus callitrichoides ‘Cuba’
3) Downoi – Pogostemon helferi
4) Staurogyne repens
5) Lilaeopsis brasiliensis
6) Riccia fluitans

There is a serious lack of color contrast. Almost every single plant is mid to light green. I may need to work harder on my plant selection.

My main difficulty I reckon is getting the UG to carpet (considering the limited amount I have). After scouring the internet for UG experiences, I realised it grows like a weed for some and yet dies off for others. The emersed UG I have is showing signs of growth and developing beautiful deep green leaves but not substantial enough – probably 20% growth at this point. The loose submersed UG I have, hardly grew and even turned pale yellow.

End of Week 1

Plant Additions – My updated list of plants in the tank is as follows:

1) Utricularia graminifolia
2) Downoi – Pogostemon helferi
3) Staurogyne repens
4) Anubias barteri v. ‘nana golden’
5) Lilaeopsis brasiliensis
6) HC – Hemianthus callitrichoides ‘Cuba’
7) Cryptocoryne wendtii ‘Tropica’

Week 6 – Photo updates of the progress. The plants in the tank seem very stable now with very unnoticeable browning/melting. I would consider the plants to be in emerged rather than emersed stage now as there is very little water especially on the slopes. I mist/water the plants up to a few times a day and suction the excess water out after each misting. I still cover the tank with the plastic sheet to maintain humidity.

The Flooding – As I have a very fine mist spray head, I filled up the tank without covering the plants with any protective layer. I drained the tank once at the halfway mark to remove excess nutrients and re-filled it again. It took about 1 hour to fill it up the entire tank – midway through I sprayed full blast at a submerged takeaway plastic to avoid any disturbance to the soil.

Week 9 – Utricularia Graminifolia
Upon filling up, the leaves of the UG begin to float/erect upwards and by the end of the week, they look just like miniature grass.

The Cryptocoryne wendtii ‘Tropica’ is growing – quite a lot larger than I expected and about 3 times the original size. Leaves are about 4cm broad and 15cm long.

I have also added 2 schools of fishes.
1) 4 Golden Pristella Tetras – Pristella maxillaris
2) 20+ Ruby Tetras – Axelrodia riesei

The Ruby Tetras is taking on some color (from pale white), but it’s hard to tell if they will take on a deeper shade of colour. Under brighter areas of light, their coloration is barely detectable. The fishes are generally eating well.

This is +2.5ft Iwagumi Shallow Tank by PROX, that explain about this thank…

Tank Specs:
Dimension: 77cm (L) x 35cm (W) x 30cm (H).
Light: 24w T5HO x 4, currently turn on ~5hours daily.
Substrate: ADA Amazonia I + ADA Powersand Special + Small lava rocks + BorneoWild substrate additives (BorneoWild Balance, Boost P, Bacter Crystal and Bacter Energy – 1 bottle for each).
Hardscape: Lava rock.
Filtration: Eheim Ecco Pro 2036 connected to Cal Aqua Lab nano glass lilypipe (in+out).
Co2: Approx 1bps via glass ceramic diffuser.
Additives/Supplement: 1/3 push of Brighty K daily and sprinkle small amount of BorneoWild Bacter Crystal after each water change.
Flora: Glosso
Fauna: None atm but will keep high grade CRS in future.
Maintenance: 70% WC every day.

BorneoWild complete substrate system (similar to ADA subs system)

Dump in used soil/powersand/lava rock from 5ft tank. Hardscape (big lava rock) is recycled from previous 1ft tank.

Perform WIWO before planting.

Glosso is separated into each “node” and planted one by one. Best if you got assistant otherwise be prepared to get backache after planting.

Slowly filling up with water.

It is greener now . . .

Replace 2 x 24W T5HO Original light bulb (Katana) with 2 x 24W T5HO Giesemann Powerchrome Midday.

Yet to be dirty glassware

-Added in 5 baby otos.
-Start to dose liquid fert BorneoWild Growth and ADA Brighty K. Both <1ml daily.
-Continue to dose 2 drops of ADA Phyton Git and dilute small amount of BorneoWild Bacter Crystal after each water change.

Day 15.

Supplement/fert to boost the growth.

Day 18… Fluorescent green Glosso.

The Day 1 – Day 18 pictures really show how the glosso has spread. By the way, thanks for showing the water changing picture. Finally got my hands on the contraption.

Trimming time . . .Only the front portion is trimmed…the rest of the area will be done in stages to avoid algae outbreak.

BorneoWild Wave Cutter.

Floating glosso is scooped out using fine net. I have removed the glass diffuser for cleaning and replace it with clean set.

Tank glass is cleaned with blade scrapper before performing water change. Easier to clean off GDA/GSA compare to magnet type and I dont have to wet my hand.

Result after trimming . . .

New toys..

Cute bubble counter..

To replace my ADA Brighty K

GUSH Bubble (poppy) type glass outlet

Close up shot. I like the wave effect. Co2 diffuser is placed below the output to test the vortex effect. The result is fine co2 bubble got suck into the “bubble” head and circulate inside before being push out again. I am not exactly sure if this will cause co2 loss but further monitoring will be done from tomorrow onwards.

BW Boost A – I added 3 into the soil..will update the progress after 2-3 weeks.

Like pill..

Current maintenance schedule:-
1) Daily 1ml of BW Growth and 2-3ml of BW Essence K
2) 50% water change every 10-14 days
3) Fishes are fed twice daily with BW Staple S and twice weekly with BW Pro Color.

Current tank stats:-
1) Temp: 24-25C
2) Co2: 2 bubbles per 3 secs

Current fauna:

15 Otos
15 Ember tetra
20 Boraras maculatus
20 Boraras brigittae
1 Badis bengalensis
3 Fire Red shrimp

EvolutionZ created 4x2x2ft planted. it should be pretty much of a high tech tank.. running on 4x54watt T5HO and will have co2 tank + EI dosing of fert… EvolutionZ describe about this tank…bought 2 pretty huge driftwood just now and this should be the “backbone” of the scape.. planning to add a few more branches and might have a pretty big slope, some granite rocks to support the wood as well. i guess 4 packs of soil wont be enough.

this tank will be filtered by this

my list of equipments :

tank : 120x60x60
filtration : Hagen Fluval Fx5(2300l/hr) + SunSun 3000l/hr wavemaker.
Lighting : Aquazonic 54×4 T5HO
Substrate : 45L of AquaticStyle Concept soil
Co2 system : 5L tank + Solenoid via Glass diffuser(placed under wavemaker)
Fertilizer : LUSHgro AQUA macro and micro.

Since LUSHgro aqua macro dosn’t contain PO4, bought my own dry form of KH2PO4.

5 packs of 9KG/L each of Concept soil arrived this morning..

some plants i bought from LFS, still lack of quite alot though..

soil in and wood partially tied with taiwan moss.

woah.. super tiring after planting roughly 10 pots of HC and 3 pots of HG.

5 pots green and 5 pots red stem plants.. any ID?

my FTS.. tank is cloudy cause my filter spew out lots of dirt and planting stir some soil as well.. what’s worst i accidentally broke my Fx5 fastener.. hope i can get a spare part for it.. so right now no filtration yet.. got to wait till tomorrow at least..

my mass of stem plants behind my wood, waiting for them to grow tall..

my bunch of eriocaulon ‘sp’..

Heres my FTS, tank is still yellowish due to driftwood leaking tanins…

after 2 weeks of set up, fishes are in, they are :

100 pieces of cardinal tetras
1 pair of german ram
3 juv albino angelfish
5 otos

upcoming livestock :
200 malayan shrimps ( Yes they are my favourite and they are super effective in clearing hair algae which i start seeing some among my moss)
more otos and maybe some scarlet badis..

tank is currently slightly over 2 weeks old. found out that my rotala green is creeping so shifted my stargrass to the back and rotala to the front.

Current plant list is :

Hemianthus callitrichoids (HC)
Utricularia graminifolia (UG)
Eleocharis parvula (HG)
Staurogyne‎ repens
Staurogyne stolonifera
Echinodorus tenellus
Euriocaulon sp.
Microsorum ‘narrow leaf’
Christmas moss
Taiwan moss
Staurogyne stolonifera
Hemianthus micranthemoides (HM)
Rotala ‘green’
Rotala ‘Macrandra’
Ludwigia inclinata
Ludwigia brevipes
Heteranthera zosterifolia (Stargrass)

Apologies for the cloudy tank, just did WC and trimming of moss and lots of dirt are stirred up

The main inhabitants of my 422.. albino discus..