# Planted Tanks > Aquascaping >  1ft Low Tech Planted Tank

## meepokman

Shifted my 1ft tank to the office last week and finally flooded it yesterday.



Had a tough time keeping the monte carlo rooted.

Cycling the tank now. (The parameters are taken 3 hours after the tank was flooded).

*Date*
*Cl
*mg/l
*NO**3
*mg/l
*NO**2
*mg/l
*GH*
*KH*
*pH*
*NH**3**/NH**4**+
*mg/l
*Fertilizer*

2 Jan
0
25
10
4
3
6.4
1.0
None



Learning to read the parameters.
But I know:
(1) Good that Cl is 0.
(2) Aiming for 0ppm Nitrite (NO2).
(3) Low level of Ammonia (NH3) is good for early stages of cycling.

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## Urban Aquaria

You bought a chlorine test kit?  :Very Happy:

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## meepokman

> You bought a chlorine test kit?


I bought API test strip. 

P.S. I'm aware that test liquids are more accurate. I've weighed the cost-benefits and decided to go for the test strips.

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## Urban Aquaria

> I bought API test strip. 
> 
> P.S. I'm aware that test liquids are more accurate. I've weighed the cost-benefits and decided to go for the test strips.


Yeah, for test strips you just have to factor in possible wider variations in measurements. Most importantly keep them dry in storage to avoid contamination.  :Smile:

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## skyymanz

How do u achieve such low pH?

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## Shadow

that can be achieve easily using soil like ADA Amazonia or other brand active sunstrate

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## tureblue82

wow your office so good can keep personal tank and use their electricity, are you CEO? :Confused: 

and your rain bar set so high , not noisy?


nice rocks!

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## meepokman

> How do u achieve such low pH?


Is it considered low? Frankly, I'm not sure why it's 6.4. It is currently still cycling and I presume it might change a bit.




> wow your office so good can keep personal tank and use their electricity, are you CEO?
> 
> and your rain bar set so high , not noisy?
> 
> nice rocks!


Not CEO la  :Wink: 
It seems that my office is pretty "plant & aquarium" friendly. I only did set this up after observing a number of my colleague have their own planted tanks.
Mine is a small tank, so power consumption is not really high.

Yes, the rain bar is a bit noisy. I'm lucky that my neighbors don't mind. I'm utilizing the water to dissolve air (O2 & CO2) into the water. Would increasing my water level decrease the noise?

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## meepokman

*Date*
*Cl*mg/l
*NO**3*mg/l
*NO**2*mg/l
*GH*dH
*KH*dH
*pH*
*NH**3**/NH**4**+*mg/l
*Temp*
*Fertilizer*

5 Jan
0
25
0
4
3
6.4
1.0
 25
None

2 Jan
0
25
10
4
3
6.4
1.0
-
None

----------


## tureblue82

actually you can position the rain bar just under the water level and point it slightly upwards to break and produce ripples on the water surface.

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## aquariumdude

> actually you can position the rain bar just under the water level and point it slightly upwards to break and produce ripples on the water surface.


Yes I would lower it as well. This will also help keep in whatever minuscule amounts of co2 in the water which your plants need.

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## meepokman

> This will also help keep in whatever minuscule amounts of co2 in the water which your plants need.


Interesting. There was a brief discussion about whether surface agitation would result in CO2 loss in a low tech tank.

This might not be the case for a low tech tank as CO2 is *low* in water and *high* in air. Increased surface agitation *might* result in more CO2 to dissolve from air to water (high concentration to low concentration - similar to principles of Osmosis).

We keep recommending reduction of surface agitation may only apply to situations where CO2 is *higher* in water than in air i.e. high tech tank. In such situations, CO2 will escape from water to air (high concentration to low concentration, neutralizing the CO2 injection.

This is a hypothesis.

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## meepokman

My tank has been cycling for nearly 2 weeks with no water changes.

My NO3 seem to have peaked. Should I carry out a water change?

*Date*
*Cl*mg/l
*NO**3*mg/l
*NO**2*mg/l
*GH*dH
*KH*dH
*pH*
*NH**3**/NH**4**+*mg/l
*Temp*
*Fertilizer*

12 Jan
0
50
0.5
7
3
6.4
0.5
27


9 Jan
0
50
0.5
7
3
6.4
1.0
25


8 Jan
0
50
0.5
7
3
6.4
1.0
26
Fish food added on 7 Jan

5 Jan
0
25
0
4
3
6.4
1.0
 25
None

2 Jan
0
25
0.5
4
3
6.4
1.0
-
None

----------


## ming1388

wow looks vert cool. Cant wait to see how this setup develops.

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## Urban Aquaria

> My tank has been cycling for nearly 2 weeks with no water changes.
> 
> My NO3 seem to have peaked. Should I carry out a water change?
> 
> *Date*
> *Cl*mg/l
> *NO**3*mg/l
> *NO**2*mg/l
> *GH*dH
> ...


You can do a water change to reduce the nitrate levels, though not too much as you still need some of it for the plants to consume and grow.

Later when your tank is fully cycled, then you'll have to do the necessary water changes to bring the nitrates down to safer levels before adding in livestock.

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## meepokman

> wow looks vert cool. Cant wait to see how this setup develops.


Thank you.

I was looking at my tank and I realized that some of the MC were "darker" in colour.
Upon closer inspection, I noticed that there are (possibly) algae! (Which is both good and bad news)



My lighting period is 5 hrs daily.
Any advise what I should do? 
Is it too early to introduce some algae clean up crew? (e.g. 5 shrimps)

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## Urban Aquaria

Yeah, that's the typical algae in newly setup tanks... best crew to handle it are shrimps (manual removal is a big hassle).

If you are not too keen to wait until the tank is fully cycled, you could add in a group of shrimps to handle the algae, maybe 15-20 cheap cherry or malayan shrimps will do, usually referred to as "commando shrimps".  :Grin: 

A percentage of the shrimps will likely die over time due to the fluctuations in parameters, so thats just something to factor in.

Alternatively, you could also use anti-algae treatment (ie. AlgExit), it might help to inhibit and slow down the algae growth until the tank is cycled and then you can safely add in the full range of algae eaters to handle the algae issues.

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## meepokman

Would red rili be just as effective? I'm went LFS window shopping over the weekend and noticed that I couldn't find any red cherries for sale. The cheapest I see are the red rilis ($1 per piece)

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## Urban Aquaria

> Would red rili be just as effective? I'm went LFS window shopping over the weekend and noticed that I couldn't find any red cherries for sale. The cheapest I see are the red rilis ($1 per piece)


Rili shrimps are basically a color/pattern variant of cherry shrimps, they do the same job.

If you don't mind spending that amount on commando shrimps, i guess its alright... but if you want to save cost (since there will usually be higher attrition rate during tank cycling), try to look for those larger bags of cheaper cherry or malayan shrimps, like $8 for 20pcs kind of packages (they usually work out much cheaper when bought in larger quantity).

If you can find the $10 for 50pcs shrimps even better, they are great value. Here is a discussion thread on them: http://www.aquaticquotient.com/forum...lk-bags-at-LFS

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## meepokman

Bought some red rili shrimps as they are the "cheaper" ones available on Thursday.
They were stressed so much so that they "lost" their colour when I left them overnight at home.
Brought them to office and used the drip method to acclimatise them to my tank water.

It was obvious they loved my tank as they were running around the 1st four hours and the colours returned.
My colleague noticed that one of them are berried!  :Smile: 




The limnophila 'mini' is growing very well. (Notice that there is a root growing out from the mid-section of a stem in the left?)
But the Monte Carlo seems to be struggling.

I'm envious as I've seen how well other people's MC grows in high tech tank. Keeping my hands to myself and will not succumb to CO2  :Smile:

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## meepokman

Added 9 Red Rili shrimps to combat the growing algae on Friday.

Returned to office this morning to see
(1) no visible aglae (yeah!),
(2) all shrimps survived the weekend (double yeah!)
(3) they have uprooted some bunches of MC (boohoo!)



*Is my tank cycled?

*Date*
*Cl*mg/l
*NO**3*mg/l
*NO**2*mg/l
*GH*dH
*KH*dH
*pH*
*NH**3**/NH**4**+*mg/l
*Temp*
*Fertilizer*

19 Jan
0
50
0
7
6
6.4
0
27
9 Red Rili Shrimps added on 16 Jan

14 Jan
0
50
0
7
6
6.4
0.25
26.5
40% WC on 13 Jan

12 Jan
0
50
0.5
7
3
6.4
0.5
27
Algae spotted

9 Jan
0
50
0.5
7
3
6.4
1.0
25

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## meepokman



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## Urban Aquaria

Based on your test results, it looks like the tank is cycled... though you'll have to factor in the wider variations in test strip results when interpreting the data.

A stable cycle for most tanks usually takes a few weeks to settle in (especially those with active soil substrates(, so just keep up with tank maintenance and water change to counter any possible spikes in parameters.

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## Dscheng

RCS ? The colour seem to be a bit off?

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## Urban Aquaria

> RCS ? The colour seem to be a bit off?


Those are "Rili" variants, they have a part red/part clear body pattern.

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## meepokman

*Date*
*Cl*mg/l
*NO**3*mg/l
*NO**2*mg/l
*GH*dH
*KH*dH
*pH*
*NH**3**/NH**4**+*mg/l
*Temp*
*Fertilizer*

22 Jan
0
100
0
7
6
6.4
0
26
20% WC after measurements

Marimo Moss ball added on 21 Jan

1 exoskeleton & 1 baby shrimp sighted on 20 Jan.

19 Jan
0
50
0
7
6
6.4
0
27
Began feeding Borneowild Barley

9 Red Rili Shrimps added on 16 Jan

14 Jan
0
50
0
7
6
6.4
0.25
26.5
40% WC on 13 Jan

Brown diatoms forming

12 Jan
0
50
0.5
7
3
6.4
0.5
27
Algae spotted






Note:
(1) Monte Carlo is not growing well. Continues to be uprooted by shrimps in the tank. 
(2) Limnophila 'Mini' is growing ok. Noticed some minor holes in 3-5 leaves.
(3) NO3 seems to have built up. 20% WC for next 2 days.
(4) Trying to combat Brown Diatom w/o adding Octo. Increasing photoperiod (from 5 hrs) to 6.5 hrs daily.

Questions:
(1) I'm tempted to start on Excel to help MC grow better. Recommended?
(2) Based on my KH=6 & Ph=6.4, seems to suggest CO2 is 74ppm (which is apparently dangerous). Should I be concerned?

If anyone is interested why you can't see baby shrimps after it's born (because it is really tiny).

See if you can spot it in the picture below.

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## Urban Aquaria

> (1) I'm tempted to start on Excel to help MC grow better. Recommended?


Excel can help improve the plant growth, but do be careful not to overdose it, especially in a small tank volume like yours.




> (2) Based on my KH=6 & Ph=6.4, seems to suggest CO2 is 74ppm (which is apparently dangerous). Should I be concerned?


You KH test readings of 6 seems rather strange because for most tanks that use active soil substrates, the KH should be very low (ie. 0-1). Not sure if its due to the inaccuracy of your test strips (or perhaps the rocks you are using?) that are generating such unusual readings.

In any case, you cannot use your tank's KH and pH to measure Co2 levels, because both parameters have already been buffered by the soil and altered by other items in the tank. They are no longer usable for the purpose of Co2 level calculation and will result in wildly incorrect measurements, ie. like showing 74ppm Co2 levels when you are not even injecting any Co2 at all.

You'll have to use a drop checker with indicator solution (either those mixed with 4dkH reference solution or a pre-mixed solution) to detect and measure the Co2 levels correctly.

Though since you are not injecting Co2, then actually no point measuring the Co2 levels, the very limited amounts of naturally occurring Co2 in the tank water will never rise to toxic levels on its own anyways.

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## meepokman

> Excel can help improve the plant growth, but do be careful not to overdose it, especially in a small tank volume like yours.
> 
> 
> 
> You KH test readings of 6 seems rather strange because for most tanks that use active soil substrates, the KH should be very low (ie. 0-1). Not sure if its due to the inaccuracy of your test strips (or perhaps the rocks you are using?) that are generating such unusual readings.
> 
> In any case, you cannot use your tank's KH and pH to measure Co2 levels, because both parameters have already been buffered by the soil and altered by other items in the tank. They are no longer usable for the purpose of Co2 level calculation and will result in wildly incorrect measurements, ie. like showing 74ppm Co2 levels when you are not even injecting any Co2 at all.
> 
> You'll have to use a drop checker with indicator solution (either those mixed with 4dkH reference solution or a pre-mixed solution) to detect and measure the Co2 levels correctly.
> ...


Thanks for the insights.

Before I start going in depth into CO2 methods.

I was wondering:
(1) Is it a realistic expectation to have both plants and shrimps do well in the same tank?
(2) Is there any other methods to help my MC grow without going CO2. (It was suppose to be a low tech tank).
(3) MC is not exactly a low light, low CO2 plant. Hence, not surprised that it is not fairing well in my tank. (And my shrimps keep uprooting it to access the decaying leaves at the bottom). If not MC, what would be an alternative carpet plant.

CO2 methods may complicate the regime (dosing of ferts and regulating CO2).

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## Urban Aquaria

Plants and shrimps can do well in the same tank, you just have to pick plants that are able to thrive in the same ideal conditions as shrimps. Usually lower demand hardy plants that can still grow well without additional Co2 or fertilizers, like java fern, anubias, mosses etc.

Once you add plants which have higher requirements, then your focus will shift towards aquascaping and less on keeping shrimps, thats when it becomes alot more challenging to maintain an optimal environment for both plants and shrimps at the same time.

MC can grow without Co2 injection, just thats its growth rate will be much slower... it will take many months (instead of weeks) to see results, so you'll have to be patient. Due to the slower growth rate, its also easier for algae to outcompete and take over, therefore you'll need to put in extra effort to keep the tank conditions in balance until the plants fill in.

Like discussed, liquid carbon (ie. Excel) can help improve plant growth, and its commonly used in low-tech tanks as an alternative to Co2 injection. Just have to dose in moderation.

Other than MC, you could also try glosso, its proven to grow well in low-tech tanks. 

I've posted these following links a few times before but it'll be good for you to refer to them to get an idea of whats possible with glosso in low-tech setups:

By chansl: http://www.aquaticquotient.com/forum...t-Planted-Tank

By Shadow: http://www.aquaticquotient.com/forum...-low-tech-tank

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## meepokman

*Date*
*Cl*mg/l
*NO**3*mg/l
*NO**2*mg/l
*GH*dH
*KH*dH
*pH*
*NH**3**/NH**4**+*mg/l
*Temp*
*Fertilizer*

2 Feb
0
25
0
7
3
6.4
0
27
1 dead on 2 Feb
1 dead on 29 Jan
2 exoskeleton sighted

28 Jan
0
50
0
7
3
6.4
0
26
1 dead on 27 Jan

26 Jan
0
50
0
7
3
6.4
0
27
Added 10 Red Rilis
2 Drops of Seachem Excel

22 Jan
0
100
0
7
6
6.4
0
26
20% WC after measurements

Marimo Moss ball added on 21 Jan

1 exoskeleton & 1 baby shrimp sighted on 20 Jan.

19 Jan
0
50
0
7
6
6.4
0
27
Began feeding Borneowild Barley

9 Red Rili Shrimps added on 16 Jan






Note:
(1) Started dosing Excel (2 drops per day except weekend)
(2) Brown diatoms continue to build up.
(3) Several shrimps molting.

Questions:
(1) I've a few deaths after I added 10 new red rilis. I've also observed several exoskeletons & my single shrimplet is surviving well. Can I say that I shouldn't be concerned with the deaths?



Note the several exoskeleton in the background. They appeared over the weekend.
The white stuff in the foreground are the remainants of Snowflake shrimp food. Quite unsightly.

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## Dscheng

Do consider shrimp feeding basin bowl. At least not so messy, leftover food easily infested with seed shrimp.
Your water parameter look ok. Sometime shrimp die because of old age too, shrimp has a very short lifespan, 1 or 2 year max.
41gVdFpwY5L.jpg

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## meepokman

Is it expensive? I have no issues with other feeds except the the snowflakes. The remaints get washed all over the tank by the water current  :Sad:

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## Urban Aquaria

> Is it expensive? I have no issues with other feeds except the the snowflakes. The remaints get washed all over the tank by the water current


Those acrylic feeding tubes are not really expensive... usually around $10+ for a set, you can just order them from eBay sellers, lots to choose from.

Yeah, the flakey shrimp foods are really messy to feed, i remember putting a few pieces of BorneoWild barley sticks into one of my tanks to try out and end up the whole soil substrate got littered with white bits, super unsightly, it took me ages to remove them.

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## meepokman

*Date*
*Cl*mg/l
*NO**3*mg/l
*NO**2*mg/l
*GH*dH
*KH*dH
*pH*
*NH**3**/NH**4**+*mg/l
*Temp*
*Fertilizer*

6 Feb
0
50
0
7
6
6.4
0
26
40% WC
12 + 1 Shrimp sighted

2 Feb
0
25
0
7
3
6.4
0
27
1 dead on 2 Feb
1 dead on 29 Jan
2 exoskeleton sighted

28 Jan
0
50
0
7
3
6.4
0
26
1 dead on 27 Jan

26 Jan
0
50
0
7
3
6.4
0
27
Added 10 Red Rilis
2 Drops of Seachem Excel







Note:
(1) Tank seems to be doing ok even though MC seems to be still struggling to make a foot hold.
(2) Counted the number of shrimps and realize that 4 shrimps are missing.... hmmm. Could they have died over the weekend and eaten up by the rest?

Questions:
(1) How do you know if you have fed the shrimps enough? My shrimps always seems to be eating even when I'm feeding them every day. I'm trying not to feed too much by feeding alternative days.

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## Mikey Ho

looking good.

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## meepokman

Noticed 2 of my Red Rili's seem to have lost it's transparency. 

They are still active and doesn't seem to be dying.

Read that they could possibly be diseased. Should I be concerned? What should I do with them?

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## Vincentwangzx

Hi Meepokman! I have a tank similar to yours.  :Smile:  I keep RCS in it. If a shrimp turns milky white like what you're showing in the picture, usually there's a bacterial infection. However, there's little one can do for invertebrates and usually medicating would kill them even faster. Sometimes they make it through, sometimes they don't. 
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1424062778.851729.jpg
Here's picture of my tank, and I got some carpet plant yesterday. I can't tell if it's HC or MC, but my shrimps don't uproot them. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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## meepokman

does that mean I jUST have to wait and see?  :Sad:

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## Vincentwangzx

Yes unfortunately, although if you have a quarantine tank you can separate it so that if it should die, the other shrimps won't get to it and risk getting an infection too. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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## meepokman

I noticed some "debri" accumulating on the substrate. I suspexct it's built up from the left over food that the shrimps don't eat. It doesnt seem to disintegrate nor harmful to mu shrimps.

My tank is too small to vacuum the substrate without causing major disturbance.

Any suggestions how to remove them? Loach?

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## Urban Aquaria

> I noticed some "debri" accumulating on the substrate. I suspexct it's built up from the left over food that the shrimps don't eat. It doesnt seem to disintegrate nor harmful to mu shrimps.
> 
> My tank is too small to vacuum the substrate without causing major disturbance.
> 
> Any suggestions how to remove them? Loach?


If the shrimps don't eat those stuff, i doubt any fishes would touch it too. Your best option is to manually remove or vacuum it up with a pipette, just do it as part of regular tank maintenance, helps reduce the buildup of rotting organic matter in the tank.

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## meepokman

Updates on the tank.






(1) Red Rilis seems to be doing fine. Original adult population has dropped to 5 but there are at least 20 baby shrimps (as seen in photos)

(2) Monte Carlo not doing well in the tank. I presume it's due to the larger shrimp substrate preventing it from rooting properly. I also do not have CO2 except for daily Excel dosing.

(3) Added Bacopa "mini" as seen in the foreground. Growing slowly but seem healthy.

(4) p.s. the glass bio rings are added to seed bacteria growth for a new 2ft tank that's under going DSM at home. It happens to be a good playground for the baby shrimps.


*Fertilizing Regime (dosage is approximate):*
(1) 1ml Excel daily
(2) 1ml (each) Flourish Comprehensive, Potassium, Phosphorous & Nitrogen twice weekly


*Few questions:*
(1) When is the best time to dose Excel? 30 mins before lights on? Or the day before once the light goes off? (Lighting period 8am - 5pm).

(2) My Limnophila 'mini' is giving me mixed signals. Some plants are 'suffering' from many brown leaves. Yet some seems to be growing well. What do you think is the problem?

E.g Browning of leaves


Example of other plants

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## ikcti

Hi meepokman,

Can you share what filter do you use?

Thanks

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## meepokman

I'm having an Eden 501 filled with seachem matrix + wool filter + coarse sponge in it. It has been very effective. Water is vey clear.

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## ikcti

Ok thanks! Can it still be found in SG?

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## meepokman

> Ok thanks! Can it still be found in SG?


Not sure. I couldn't find a brand new unit at LFS when I was setting this up last year. This unit was a 2nd hand unit I got from the Buy & Sell forum.

There seem to be similar units from Jebo. 

Otherwise, can consider Shiruba X301 / X303.

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## meepokman

> Updates on the tank.
> 
> *Fertilizing Regime (dosage is approximate):*
> (1) 1ml Excel daily
> (2) 1ml (each) Flourish Comprehensive, Potassium, Phosphorous & Nitrogen twice weekly
> 
> 
> *Few questions:*
> (1) When is the best time to dose Excel? 30 mins before lights on? Or the day before once the light goes off? (Lighting period 8am - 5pm).
> ...


Anyone can help with the plants?

----------


## Urban Aquaria

> Anyone can help with the plants?


Just trim away the brownish/melting parts of the leaves and stems (they will not recover anyways), eventually new healthy growth will replace them,

If you notice the new plant growth are stunted or yellowing with holes, then increase the fertilizer dosing and see if it helps to solve those nutrient deficiency issues.

As for Excel, its best to dose it just before or during the light photoperiod, so that the plants can use it immediately (no point dosing during lights off since the plants are not photosynthesizing).

----------

