Quick update 04.09.07

Did a 30% water change.

Shrimp is walking around with eggs since 5 days

Otos will only accept food when then lights are out. Although It's not a matter of accepting but finding it before the shrimp do.

The Otos accepted food

I’m pleased to say that the Otos decided to accept food from me for the first time.

At first they didn’t accept the Wels-Chips, they didn’t react to flake food either.

So I got a few Pleco-min tablets from the other tank(wich is in my girlfriends house), to see if they’d accept that.

When I threw in half a tablet, there was a reaction, they searched the glass and the plants in the area, but didn’t go to the tablet.
El Gigantea, the largest shrimp took the tablet and ran with it. Defending it from the other shrimp, who were only allowed to eat the crums she dropped.

Later that night I threw in two quarters of the tablet, without an immediate respons. I was immediately dissapointed by my impacience, but then I saw they were searching for it again.

And this time one of them found it, nibbled it, searched the area around it, but then seemed to firgure out it actaully was the tablet.
A good 10 minutes later the other one found it too.

The second quarted went to the large shrimp again.

The day after that I rubbed a Wels-Chip with a bit of Plecomin, and dropped it in the tank.
The Search went on immediately, but it took 30 minutes for one of ‘m to find it. Or accept it. This morning it was gone, I don’t know who ate it, but at least I saw one of them eat from it.

I have prepared the next meal by squishing up a quarter of Plecomin in a few drops of water. And smeared it over a Wels-chip.
I wonder if they will ever start to fancy the Wels-chip. Otherwise this hase been my last try and I will have to see that I get more Plecomin or other Spirulina tablets.

Green Algae

Begin of this week I started to notice these green algae on my window.
The Oto’s are on this side of the glass a lot but they don’t seem to eat it, or are unable to get it of the window.




I’ve tried myself, and it doesn't come of easy. I could only get it of with a circular motion of the sponge/scrubbing-pad. The Scraper doesn’t seem to do anything to the algae.

So I did a waterchange, and closed the curtains to see how it will grow without the sunlight.

After the maintenance I noticed that I’ve failed to remove all of the algae. It’s been two days, and I can say it seems to grow at a very slow rate if at all. At the next waterchange I will remove it again, hopefully completely this time, and keep the sunlight of the tank for another week.

As long as it’s controllable this way I won’t do anything radical like use algizit or take out the nutrient soil.

AquaClean 3in1

Didn’t have an algae magnet, so I went to the store and saw this thing for about the same price. I thought I’d give it a shot.
Looks like a handy thing, and with this I could even scrub the backwall.

Manufacturers description
The SF AquaClean ensures easy aquarium maintenance without getting your hands wet.


The 3 accessories, an algae scraper, a glass cleaning spouge and a gravel rake, make the aquarium maintenance as simple as can be. assemble the handle and accessory holder to the rod and then choose which accessory you want to fit to the holder - these are esaily interchangable.

Bought at: Pet’s Place
Brand: SuperFish
Price €: 4,95

Quick update 28.08.07

Scrubed the algae of the glass. And will not let any sunlight hit the tank for a while.

I also set the Heater on 25 degrees, since this is more in the middle range for the Shrimp and Otos, and therefore alows more fluctuation. At least that's what I think.
The temperature will now pendle between 25 and 25 degrees celcius.

Did a water change, and cut one stem of Rosealfolia, and pennyworth. These stems I brought to my community tank, since I don’t have the space for it.
I’d like to have more roseafolia in the back, but to acchive that I have to move the Pennyworth.
The Rosealfolia might not be Alternanthera reineckii afterall, but Alternanthera Cardinalis. I’d have to investigate if it’s a big difference but I fugre it won’t be.

Perhaps I’ll do some reanging when the wood come in, and the foregroundplants are no longer worth taking care of.

Hemianthus callitrichoides ”Cuba” – a beautiful carpet in AquaCube and in the aquarium

Found on: www.tropica.com

By Troels Andersen

This species of Hemianthus quickly forms a low, dense and brightly green carpet covering the bottom of the aquarium. Oxygen bubbles form on leaves resulting in vivid reflections of the light and in this way, a perfect foreground decoration is formed. Hemianthus callitrichoides may be planted directly into the substrate or attached to pieces of rocks and driftwood and it is suitable for large as well as small aquaria.

Photo by Oliver Knott

Hemianthus callitrichoides (048B) was recovered by Tropica’s founder Holger Windeløv during the dry season in a rocky river not far from Las Pozas about 90 km east of Havana in Cuba. Here, it was rooted in gravel between large rocks about 50 cm above the current water level of the river. The plant appeared as a dense pad shaped population very resistant to the heavy drag forces of the water which would have flooded and submerged the group of plants to about 1 meter depth during the rainy season. According to our information, Hemianthus callitrichoides is only found in Cuba, whereas Hemianthus micranthemoides (048A) is also found elsewhere in North America. Hemianthus callitrichoides belongs to the family of Scrophulariaceae and is thus closely related to Callitriche which has a more northern distribution.

Hemianthus callitrichoides forms low pads (3-6 cm) and thus, it is quite different from Hemianthus micranthemoides by having much shorter internodes but also smaller leaves. Hemianthus callitrichoides forms a unique flower which makes it easy to identify. With only 4 petals (versus 5) and only one central chamber in the fruit (versus 2) Hemianthus callitrichoides is easy to distinguish from Hemianthus micranthemoides. In addition, the leaves of Hemianthus callitrichoides are darker than those of Hemianthus micranthemoides.

Tropica grows Hemianthus callitrichoides in emergent cultures in stone wool and on coir fiber discs for the AquaCube. Hemianthus callitrichoides should be planted in large adjoining groups in the foreground of the aquarium. One pot grown in stone wool is easily divided into 7-8 portions which are then planted with a distance of a few cm. Within 3-4 weeks the plants will cover the bottom forming a beautiful green carpet. Likewise, Hemianthus callitrichoides is very suitable for the AquaCube where the oxygen bubbles contribute to the ornamental effect.

Hemianthus callitrichoides is not particularly light demanding, but the more light we provide, the more compact the growth form. Under limited light, the plant grows a bit longer (up to 20 cm). Hemianthus callitrichoides is fast growing and thus, it requires fertilizer (typically after 3-4 weeks) unless you have many fish in the aquarium. Iron deficiency is common and is recognized by the new leaves being yellowish. However, the deficiency is easily treated by using PLANT NUTRITION liquid in the recommended doses. At intense growth pruning may be necessary and it may be done like pruning grass. Like in most other cases, extra vivid growth is obtained by adding CO₂ but the beautiful oxygen bubbles are often formed also without using CO₂ enrichment. Hemianthus callitrichoides has its optimum temperature around 25 ºC but it thrives well from 20 to 28 ºC.

Hemianthus callitrichoides is perhaps one of the best and easiest foreground plants we have because it quickly forms a low carpet and the ornamental effect is highly improved by the oxygen bubbles which easily form on the leaves. However, many faster growing plants may overgrow Hemianthus callitrichoides and thus, it is necessary to prune neighboring plants every now and then.

Hemianthus callitrichoides is relatively new in our hobby and thus, the information about it is scarce. Hemianthus callitrichoides is botanically described in a Spanish flora (Flora de Cuba) and a few experiences from the aquarium are listed in the literature below.

Literature:
Kramer H G (2003) Hemianthus callitrichoides (flora aquatica). Aquaristik Fachmagazin 169: 74, in German

Limnophila aquatica "Giant Ambulia"

I got these stems of giant ambulia from my favorite fishstore. I have received stems of this plant previously. Those are in the other tank and have made new tops.
These don’t have a proper root system yet, but I’m in good faith that they will make new tops too.

I’m very glad to have received these stems for free twice. They are very hard to come by. I haven’t found a single store that sells them, since the retailer doesn’t have them in their collection. No clue as to why. It’s a very pretty plant.

And it’s actually a local plant for the Indian dwarf puffers.

Family Scrophulariaceae
Continent Asia
Region South-east Asia
Country of origine South-east Asia
Height 25-50 cm
Width 9-15 cm
Light requirements medium-very high
Temperature 20-30 °C
Hardness tolerance very soft-medium
pH tolerance 5-8
Growth fast
Demands medium

An extremely beautiful aquarium plant circled by light-green and finely branched leaves. In the right growing conditions with added CO2 and a nutritious bottom this plant grows fast. In good light it forms horizontal side shoots and becomes attractive and bushy. Most decorative when several stems are planted in a small group. In open aquariums it sometimes sends shoots above the water surface, forming small blue flowers.

Bought at: Het Natuurhuis
Brand: No brand
Price €: 0,00