# Jenn's 5G Deep Blue Lagoon



## Jennalyn (Jun 23, 2014)

And so it begins! A journal should be an excellent way to track my progress and help me remember dates.

Tank: Deep Blue 5 gallon
Light: 8w T5 Daylight bulb (included with hood)
Heater: Hydor Theo 25w
Filter: AquaTop PFE-1 (AquaClear media)
Substrate: Seachem Fluorite 
Hardscape: Mopani wood & quartz/slate
Conditioner: Prime
Grow-Plants-Grow: Flourish Comprehensive, Root Tabs, Excel
Testing: API Freshwater Master Test Kit

I plan for the tank to house a betta and probably a Nerite snail as well. I don't have either yet so there's not a rush-rush-rush. My brother's friend's mom is big into freshwater aquariums and she offered to give me some filter media for seeding on Saturday.

The heater, fertilizer, and testing kit will arrive by Thursday along with a few other supplies. I have the rest of the above-mentioned now. The flourite has been rinsed and rinsed and rinsed again. I've boiled the mopani for a few hours two nights running now (first in smaller pot and then fully submerged once I found the stock pot) and I'm okay with whatever leeching remains. Just got the tank, substrate, filter, and hardscape set up tonight with a nice dosing of Prime. I don't have any way to test my beginning water conditions yet, so all of that begins Thursday night.

Plants arrive tomorrow in the mail! This will be my first planted tank as well as my first "properly researched" tank in general.

My basic goals in-order are (1) happy fishy, (2) hardy, living plants, (3) relatively minimal maintenance after set-up, (4) pretty tank. Wish me luck!


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Looks good so far!

Careful with the Quartz. Quartz in and of itself is inert and should not have an effect on your water but often you can find metal veins running on top of the crystal so make sure that there is none because that stuff can harm the fish. You can generally scrub it off with a toothbrush and some elbow grease ;-) you can also use a magnet to test the surface of the stone. Also Quartz is harder than glass so just be careful in the aquarium, it can scratch your glass as well!


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## Jennalyn (Jun 23, 2014)

Thanks for the tip about the quartz! Had no idea that metal veins running over it could be a problem. I gave it a really good scrubbing before I boiled it and I'll give it another once-over inspection this evening.

I'm very excited to say that my plants have arrived! And very frustrated that I have a full day of work to get through before I can go home and play. Oh well! At least they were taken quickly inside so that they didn't have to sit in the muggy Maryland sun.


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Okay! You should be fine then, careful when boiling rocks though; never boil any sort of smooth, river rock because they hold water and explode....not good clearly lol. But rocks hold heat for a very long time so even if it feels cool to you, it might not be on the inside quite yet is all. Just future reference 

Yay for plants!


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## DaytonBetta (Feb 4, 2014)

It sounds like a great project! I look forward to hearing about your betta adventures.


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## Pandanke (Jun 16, 2014)

Good luck!

All of my tanks have had plants since the very start, and I wouldn't do it without~ The fish all seem to just love the plants, every single one perks up when I add something. I also know that if you heavily plant (ie 50% or more is planted if you look from top down) it can drastically help with nitrates.

I have a 5.5g and a 3.25g bowl which both are dirt bottom capped with tons of plants and every week when I test them (after no changes at all...) there is maybe 5ppm of nitrates... needless to say, you'll love the affects they have on water params and so will your fish!

Oh, and if your wood leaches any tannins out - it's okay. Fish actually really seem to like that, too. The guppies growing in my very very tanniny water grow waaaay faster.

Looks awesome  Keep us updated!


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## Jennalyn (Jun 23, 2014)

Thank you guys! I'm really looking forward to this little adventure in aquatic gardening.  The tank's cloudy right now what with all the disruption and addition of a bit more flourite yesterday, but I know it'll clear mostly in a few days. If I was a little fishy, I think I'd get a real kick out of the tank!

Plants went in last night as best I could manage. They're lovely and leafy and I'll be sad to watch them melt initially, but I know that it's normal and some may not make it. My fertilizer and root tabs come today along with a bunch of other stuff (heater!), so hopefully those will help keep them alive and well long enough to survive acclimation.


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## Jennalyn (Jun 23, 2014)

Plants are in! Let's see if I can keep them alive. Hehe. I had a bunch of supplies arrive today, so I wanted to get the picture before I stirred things up again. The heater, root tab, filter media, test kit... a bunch of good stuff.


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## Pandanke (Jun 16, 2014)

That looks great. Java Fern grow like a weed in most conditions, and is that crypt in the back? Usually does quite well also!

I was never able to keep anacharis, but your tank looks great, love your choice of driftwood - some moss or anubias later on might be good choices to attach.

The water will definitely clear up in short time, especially if you run a filter.


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## Jennalyn (Jun 23, 2014)

I'm having the darndest time getting the Java Ferns to stay put on the driftwood. I tried string, and then rubber bands, and now I'm on to oddly placed twist ties. Sigh.

The back-right has some Ludwigia Arcuata x Repens, and the back left sports some really springy Parva Swords that just received their first root tab.


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## Pandanke (Jun 16, 2014)

I... glue my plants to things. I don't know how Java Fern would like that as I have never glued it, only anubias and mosses. Any "cyanoacrilate" ones like LocTite Gel should work and be safe. Might be something to google?

I tried tying my anubias, and that just wasn't happening. Glue works brilliantly.


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## Jennalyn (Jun 23, 2014)

Mad science! Dang but the test kit is cool. xD I tested my parameters for tap water and then for the tank after a solid day-and-a-half-ish of plants. Then I added 0.5ml pure ammonia to hopefully bring it up around 4-5ppm. Will recheck ammonia this evening to see where it's sitting.

Tap Water
pH: 7.2~7.6
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite (NO2): 0
Nitrate (NO3): 0

Tank
pH: 6.6
Ammonia: 0.25
Nitrite (NO2): 0~0.25
Nitrate (NO3): 0


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Looks like you've got a good start!

You can't cycle a planted tank like you would a normal Fish-Less tank though. So you most likely will never even see 4-5 ppm of ammonia ever if your plants do their job!


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## Jennalyn (Jun 23, 2014)

That's good to know! Is there a particular post/reference you'd recommend reading for cycling a planted tank?


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Unfortunately we actually don't have one for some strange reason lol. But you can google Silent Cycle which is what you will be doing. You can actually add a fish right after the plants start growing or immediately if you monitor the levels of your tank well enough but honestly Bettas don't excrete enough waste to really be super concerned about the levels of ammonia. The plants will melt of course as I think I was telling you about which will contribute to the ammonia as well. It's up to you what you want to do.


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## DaytonBetta (Feb 4, 2014)

When I started my tank I had the plants for about two weeks and then added fish. I also used Tetra Safe Start (bacteria) when I added the first set of fish. The plants never melted and I never had an ammonia spike. I just gradually (every two weeks or so) added a few more fish and did water changes every two weeks. The plants will help a lot.


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## Jennalyn (Jun 23, 2014)

I think I'll probably observe things for a little while before adding a fishy - at least a couple weeks? That way I can get a good idea of how the plants are doing and see which ones come through their melt okay. They're all hanging in quite nicely at the moment.

After adding a healthy dose of ammonia yesterday, it's down to 1.0 today. I look forward to seeing if it's all gone tomorrow or if some will linger while the plants adjust!

Tank
pH: 6.4
Ammonia: 1
Nitrite: 0.25
Nitrate: 0


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## Jennalyn (Jun 23, 2014)

I'll be getting head-on shots from this point forward for consistency so that I can actually track progress!

The tank is doing very well. Irys and Nerian (snail) thrive, and I've had my little bag of pantyhose filled with seeded gravel in the tank for just under a week now.










The Ludwigia are definitely my favorite plants so far. I just love how they look, how they're growing, and the little forest they make for Irys to swim through. Which he's doing right now! Such a pretty fishy. He's a gorgeous copper and he glows teal and turquoise most of the time with an oddly pretty mauve glow to his fins. (I'm not normally a mauve fan, but he rocks it.)


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## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

lol, I can't figure out - is he flaring at a rock, or the snail?


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## Jennalyn (Jun 23, 2014)

I think he was actually flaring at his reflection in the glass. xD He's totally calmed down about it at this point, but he spent the first hour in the tank flaring at every wall.


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## Jennalyn (Jun 23, 2014)

Tank update! (Works' been eating me, heh.)

Irys and Nerian both seem to fare well in their aquatic home. The water currently has a faint tannin glow, which is actually quite lovely in the evening, and I'm waiting on the results of the most recent water tests. Tonight I really need to do a partial water swap and pick off some of the 'white slime' that developed on the top of my driftwood. I've read that it's normal, so I'm not alarmed. It's just kinda snot-yellow stained by the tannins and kind of groww. Lol.

I'm noticing brown spots on some of my leaves, especially the Java Fern, which is... a potassium deficiency? Maybe? I'm currently dosing with Flourish Comprehensive and half-dosing with Excel. The plants seem to be growing well, especially the gorgeous Ludwigia! Man I really love that stuff. Two of the stems have reached the top of the water, with others quickly following. It's just such a perfect plant for that back corner behind the rock.

Alright, it should have been long enough on the tests. Let's see where we stand.

Tank
pH: 6.4
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0

I'm... quite pleasantly surprised. That's a firm golden color on the ammonia. Between the plants and the bacteria seeding I got from brother's friend's Mom, that must have been good enough to kick everything into gear. But will the plants have enough to eat?


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## ZentheBetta71614 (Jul 17, 2014)

Jennalyn I love your tank! Inspiration for me! Thanks for sharing I will be checking back for your updates.


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## Jennalyn (Jun 23, 2014)

Thanks very much! I'm enjoying the process of documenting the tank (and I look forward to documenting the space-themed tank at the same time, but updates right now would just be "yep, ammonia's still high" until the cycle gets going).

I had to put off the water change until yesterday due to general house craziness. I'm getting ready to move in less than half a month, so that's always fun! I realized that the 'slime' was a form of brown diatoms, which apparently show up for most tanks beginning their cycle and will go away with time and proper water maintenance, so that's interesting. At least Nerian seems to be doing his job and chowing down on the algae! I've found him in the middle of the slime-cloud on more than one occasion. The cloud's been much-reduced since the water change, but we'll see what's grown back when I get home today.


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## BettaLover1313 (Apr 15, 2013)

You've got a lovely tank doing, I can't wait to see how much more it will progress!


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## Jennalyn (Jun 23, 2014)

I'm looking forward to posting more pics soon.  I'm also looking forward to my package from Drs. Foster & Smith arriving today! I have a few more Seachem ferts coming (Potassium, Iron, Trace) as well as some handy little aquascaping tools that I decided I could really use. Extra-long tweezers will be the handiest things! And scissors! It's time to snip some of the Ludwigia to plant, since that stuff's growing like crazy.

Irys and Nerian continue to do well. That little snail is fighting the good fight against the diatoms on the log. <3


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Oh yes, I absolutely looooove my tweezers! I use them for everything ^_^ even feeding frozen foods lol. I never use my scissors though...for some reason they've started to rust even though they're stainless steel >.> I just pinch off the stems easy enough, besides my scissors were too long for most of my tanks anyway, if they were small scissors I might use them more often lol.

Can't wait to see the pictures!! :-D


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## ZentheBetta71614 (Jul 17, 2014)

Jennalyn said:


> I'm looking forward to posting more pics soon.  I'm also looking forward to my package from Drs. Foster & Smith arriving today! I have a few more Seachem ferts coming (Potassium, Iron, Trace) as well as some handy little aquascaping tools that I decided I could really use. Extra-long tweezers will be the handiest things! And scissors! It's time to snip some of the Ludwigia to plant, since that stuff's growing like crazy.
> 
> Irys and Nerian continue to do well. That little snail is fighting the good fight against the diatoms on the log. <3


Jennalyn,

How much were your tweezers? I need a long pair. I do not want any snails in my tanks so I get them out when I see them but I hate sticking my hands in there. I also need to start doing some blood worms for Zen soon and will need them for feeding those too!


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## Jennalyn (Jun 23, 2014)

I'll have to keep an eye on the scissors to see how they fare. I'm a quilter/crafter, so even if they don't prove useful in the tank, I'm sure I'll be able to find a use for another pair of scissors. 

For tweezers, I got the 10" straight tip pair for $5 found on this page:

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=12038


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## ZentheBetta71614 (Jul 17, 2014)

Jennalyn said:


> I'll have to keep an eye on the scissors to see how they fare. I'm a quilter/crafter, so even if they don't prove useful in the tank, I'm sure I'll be able to find a use for another pair of scissors.
> 
> For tweezers, I got the 10" straight tip pair for $5 found on this page:
> 
> http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=12038


Thanks for sharing the link. I will have to get those next time I have some cash!


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## Jennalyn (Jun 23, 2014)

No problem! I really can't wait for them to get here - there are a couple little things I want to remove from some very awkward places, not to mention plucking off some of the more thick/stubborn algae areas. Tonight is water change night so long as nothing huge explodes at work.


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## Jennalyn (Jun 23, 2014)

Did a water change Monday morning, resulting in some cloudy post-cleaning water. Everything's settled well enough for a few updated pics, though!

Some of the L. Arcuata x Repens was getting a little long, so I trimmed it back and replanted the trimmings. Fingers crossed that they settle in and flourish!

(Irys says hi.)


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## Jennalyn (Jun 23, 2014)

An awesome local guy just gave me a bunch of cuttings from his tanks that he was going to throw out. I'm totally stoked! Finally got my hands on some water wisteria, bacopa, moss, floater that I'm having a heck of a time remembering, and some Myriophyllum mattogrossense that I only had a tiny bit of before and now have a ton. It'll definitely continue to improve as plants grow and settle. I should get a better bulb soon, I think.


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## DaytonBetta (Feb 4, 2014)

Your tank looks beautiful!


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Awesome! That's really fantastic looking! Careful with the M. Mattogrosense, before you know it you'll have a tank full of it! haha. It's a fantastic plant though and I love the texture of it!


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