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    Inside our June Issue!

    Summer is here, and so is our June Issue!

    Our special treat this month is an in-depth interview with professionalaquascaper, George Lo. He shares with us his aquascapingphilosophies, experiences, and some of his favorite aquascapes.

    This summer season perhaps try something a little different. How aboutcreating a little magic outside? This month, Liz Marchio shows usexactly how to create an urban pond, while inspiring us with some

    helpful tips and photographs of what can be accomplished.

    For those who want to focus on creating magic in glass boxes indoors,there are fantastic tutorials inside that will help you along. Most notably,Roy Deki kicks off the tutorials with a discussion on the types ofaquascaping materials available to hobbyists. You can use yournewfound knowledge to develop a hardscape that will capture theattention of any of your houseguests. In a few months, you might havean wonderful scape like our June Aquascape in Focus, Broken StoneGarden, which illustrates a way to use large stones effectively in alayout.

    But thats not all! Get those digital cameras out because once youredone reading this months aquatic photography tutorial youll be takingphotographs like a pro. You dont even need to have an expensivecamera!

    So, whether its inside or outside, have a great time with youraquascaping adventures this month!

    John NguyenEditor in ChiefAquaScaping World Magazine

    Letter from the Editor

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    TABLE OF CONTENTS

    LETTER FROM THE EDITORIntroduction for the fourth issue of AquaScaping World Magazine.By John Nguyen

    AN AESTHETICALY MATCHING AQUARIUM SETUPAn aquascape is only as beautiful as its tools and surrounding environment.By Kristoffer Willersley Jorgensen

    URBAN POND-TUBBIN WATER GARDENSDiscover ways to take your aquascaping skills outside this summer, and tryyour hand at creating an outdoor pond.By Liz Marchio

    DESIGN ATTRACTIVE AQUACAPING LAYOUTS WITH STONE ANDDRIFTWOODThe foundation of any layout lies in the effective use of stone and driftwood.By Roy Deki

    WORLD CLASS AQUASCAPER GEORGE LOA professional aquascaper, ADA specialist, and a friend to our hobby. Get upclose and personal with Mr. George Lo and his world-class aquascapes.

    AQUATIC PHOTOGRAPHY FOR THE AQUASCAPERYou dont need an expensive camera to capture your aquascape at its best.Find out how to use all those fancy camera settings on your DSLRs andPoint and Shoot cameras from a proven professional.

    By Jason Baliban

    AQUASCAPE IN FOCUS: BROKEN STONE GARDENThis month we feature Pedro Pintos Broken Stone Garden. Not only doesthis scape demonstrate a creative use of stone, it emotes a great sense oftranquility and peace.

    ALGAE REPULSION EXPERIMENTAL TANK PART IIA hobbyist continues on his journey of finding the methods to prevent algae.By Aziz Dhanani

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    Having a visuallyappealing rimlessaquarium on a nicestand is just one

    piece of your aquarium setup thatadds to the aesthetic feel of ouraquascapes. A large part of ouraquarium setups consist of

    technical equipment, such asl ight ing f ixtures, f i l t rat ionplumbing, and CO2 equipment.Technical equipment can affectthe overall visual impression ofthe whole aquarium setup if theequipment does not match thedesign of the tank and the stand.Like choosing the right plantspecies that complement eachother in an aquascape, it isimportant to select equipment

    parts that fit the look of yourstand and aquarium.Today various types of inlet/

    outlet glass pipes, CO2 glasswareand smoothly designed lightingpendants can be bought. Thewell-known style of ADA gives anapproach to aquarium designwith well-made glassware tomatch everything but yourpaycheck. Thus, we mustsometimes use knockoff brands

    and other products to imitate theminimalistic style. This giveseveryone a chance to make theirown ADA-style setup and have astunning setup in their own livingroom.

    I have chosen to make astand for my rimless 60x30x36cm tank, similar to the ADA woodstand. You can read more aboutthis in ASWs April 2008 Issue.

    By Kristoffer Willerslev Jrgensen

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    C02 EquipmentThe CO2 system consists of theFerplast pressure reducer fordisposable bottles, set to afixed working pressure of 1 bar.I have used a singlemanometer to view bottlepressure so I can see when its

    time to change the bottle. Thedisposable bottles dont take upmuch space and is easy tochange. I have an electronicvalve turned on and off by atimer to shut of CO2 at night.This saves CO2 and makessure that the CO2 level does notrise to a critical level doingnight.

    There are many types ofCO2 tubing on the market butthe only kind suited for CO

    2is

    PVC or PU tubing since it doesnot let the CO2 pass thoughtthe sides. Regular air tubing insilicone will allow CO2 toescape and waste the CO2. Ihave chosen a knockoff Rhinoxbeetle counter since it gives agood easy reading of the CO2flow and also looks nice withthe glass spiral CO2 diffuser onthe inside.

    For distribution I havechosen a 3cm glass ceramicdiffuser to give me a largesurface area for the CO2 todissolve though. A check valveplaced before the beetlecounter makes sure that thebackpressure doesnt empty thewater into the electric valve.

    Aquarium FiltrationFiltration is done by an

    Eheim Ecco 2232 withEhfimech, a fine and a coursefilter sponge. I have chosen aset of 12mm Flo in/outletsconnected with clear PU hoses,and placed them so that currentflows towards the diffuser anddown. This makes sure that theCO2 is distributed evenly anddoesnt rise to the surface.

    Semi -Automat ic Wate rChanging System

    Just after the outlet of thefilter I have placed a T-pipe andtwo shutoff valves. This willfunction as my semiautomaticwater change system. Whenthe valves are shut to the outlet

    and open to the other pipe it willuse the filters pump to emptythe tank fast. When the filter isstopped and the valve is shutfor the outlet of the filter, anexternal pump can fill the tankwith clean water from areservoir. All I have to do is tomount a hose from my drainand water reservoir and open/shut the valves. This functionmakes water change easy andfast, and does not require me topour water into the tank andpossible disturb the aquascape.

    Automatic Fertilizer DosingSystemAs a last function I have chosenan automatic dosing system,the Aqua Medic SP3000 dosingpump combined with anelectronic timer. This will dose asolution containing both microand macro fertilizer every dayfollowing the estimative dosingindex. All I have to do iscarefully watch plant growthand add supplementaryfertilizers when needed.

    An automatic fertilizerdosing system removes thedaily fertilizing maintenancerequirements for a successfulplanted aquarium. I do not haveto worry if I miss a day ofdosing. This way I can focus onthe overall appearance of theaquascape and not worry aboutthe technical aspects or bedisturbed by any equipmentspoiling the look of the setup.

    DIY ADA Stand

    Glass Diffuser andBubble Counter

    CO2 Tank andRegulator

    Water changer andFertilizer Autodoser

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    Living in an apartment orcondominium certainlycan be advantageous.Im happy just not having

    to maintain a lawn! I do,however, yearn for a little slice ofmy own outdoor area from time totime. With spring fever hittinghard, desire for the outdoorsstarts to peak! So, whats one todo living the city life with nooutdoor world to call your own?You create it! Im going to showyou how to create your own smallwater garden, perfect for patiosor even a sunlit balcony!

    Summer is here!

    Time to Get a

    Tubbin!

    By Liz Marchio

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    The ContainerFirst and foremost, there are

    space and size limitations withevery water garden, whether they

    be in a tub or a full-blown pond.It is necessary to use a containeras large as possible in order tomaintain the plant and animal lifefor the season. As withaquariums, the larger thecontainer, the more stable thetemperature and water chemistry.Tubbin is all about simplicity andhaving oops! room by way ofextra water volume to insure yourendeavor isnt in vain.

    In order to house small fishspecies, twenty gallons or moreis ideal, depending on thespecies of choice of course. Weuse a seventy-gallon Rubbermaidresin tub. Personally, I would notdo any outdoor fish keepingunder fifty-gallons, but that canbe difficult for most people due tothe outdoor space they areworking with. If this is the case,experimentation is the only way

    to figure outexactly whatyour limitationsare.

    There is anoption to gofishless. Keepreading for more information.

    The Fish

    Again, this project is allabout simplicity. The numberand types of fish you can keep inan aquarium will not be able to

    convert to outdoor living. Thereare, of course, modificationsavailable to every project to suitdifferent needs, but simplicity isthe rule! Plecostomas, loachesand other current-loving fish willnot be good choices. The idealfish choices are those fishes thatcan tolerate stagnant conditions.Ideally those fish that thrive inthese conditions are a greatstarter species. Labyrinthfish,

    such as small gourami species,paradisefish, bettas, and somectenapoma species are allfantastic choices. Keep in mindthat tubbin is a whole new worldof fish keeping! You wont belooking in at your fish from theside anymore but peering downinto the waters surface. Youmay not even SEE your fish fordays! So dont buy the mostexpensive color variant or

    species of bettayou can find. Thegreat thing aboutlabyrinthfish isthat they almostall build bubblenests on the

    waters surface! The fish may notbe visible, but their uniquebehaviors will be! Although I ampartial to labyrinths as goodstarter species, there are a few

    more good choices Id like tonote:

    Small, hardy tetra species;splash tetras would be a goodexperimentation!

    Small* Danio species Algae eating shrimp species. D w a r f c i c h l i d s

    P e l v i c a c h r o m i s ,Mikrogeophagus, hardyApistogrammaspecies.

    Livebearers; swordtails, hardyguppy variants, Endlerslivebearers.

    Barbs - I always see tub-raised rosy barbs at fishauctions!

    Killiefish - a great choice. Feeder goldfish- great for

    kids, but need to be winteredindoors in a species specificaquarium (i.e. not a bowl).

    Inappropriate but temptingspecies you may think oftrying: Loaches - need more water

    current. Plecostomas - need more

    water current. Catfish- need more water

    current. Neon or cardinal tetras- not

    hardy enough to taketemperature and water qualityswings.

    Larger danios - they jumpreally well.

    Koi - remember these arecarp and get large. They arealso great jumpers.

    Mollies - need warmer waterand higher pH than otherlivebearers.

    See the fishless idea list belowas well!

    The Plants, with Fish andWithout

    This is, hands down, the bestpart of water gardening. I alwaysfeel a sense of pride seeing asmall starter clipping or seedgrow into a thriving, robust

    First Rule of TubbinThis one is for the FirstKeeper. The Bigger the

    Better!

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    This ceramic tub was completed in 2007, and contains a collection of Phyllanthus fluitans(Red Root Floater) and a collected species of Potamogetonfound locally. Both species of plants required the tub to have the maximum amount of water or else they would dry out.

    specimen. Tubbin is a great wayto experiment with emersedgrowing techniques or to growout some light-loving submergedplants in order to bring them induring the winter months.

    A Few ChoicesF ish less : Somet imes

    maintaining fish in everycontainer you set up just isntfeasible or maintainable. Thereis the option of tubbin with onlyplants. This is much easier andstill very rewarding. Some thingsIve done in the past are:

    Setting up a sealed ceramicpot for a species of marginalplant such as taro or irises.These grow well withappropriate lighting and

    nutrient addition and theircontainers only need betopped-o f fd u e t oevaporation.

    Setting up as e a l e dceramic potand growing submergedplants out as emersed. Thisis a fun experiment withAmazon sword plants, sincethere are so many variants totry. Youll be amazed at whatthese look like out of thewater! Again, top-off only.

    Using a low-rise pot (squat,but with a lot of surface area)to grow dwarf cattails andparrots feather. The contrast

    looks great and when we didthis project, there were

    amazing amountsof natural faunag r o w i n g a n dpopulating the tub!This also needs tobe topped-off.

    My last project was last yearscontainer where I grewPhyllanthus fluitans (RedRoot Floater) and a collectedspecies of Potamogeton,which I found in a roadsideditch near my home. Due tobeing more sensitive plants,this tub could not dry out andneeded to be topped-off moreoften.

    Fish Tub: if youre interested

    Second Rule of TubbinThe smaller and hardier

    the fish species, thebetter!

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    in keeping fish in your tubgarden, first make sure theanimals can be housed in yourc o n t a i n e rappropriately. Ifyou arent sure,use the ASWforums to ask.

    A few of mypast projects ina 70-gallon Rubbermaid resin tubare listed to stimulate someideas. The tub is plumbed with aquick-draining system in order todo water changes quickly, asneeded, and to tear down the tubquickly in the winter. This isconnected to a standpipe thatacts as an overflow in case ofheavy rain. That way the fish

    down wash out! This also servesas a surface skimmer and a lawn-watering device! Doing some

    planning in theseregards havemade my tubbinquite easy! Also,my tub alwaysreceives about 5-6hours of full

    morning sun. Dont forget to planyour tub according to availablelight!

    My Past and Current projects:

    2006: Lotus Nelumbo 'MomoBotan' a day bloomingdwarf lotus was our focalpoint plant. It puts up floating

    leaves and then standingleaves. After the first fewstanding leaves, with enoughsunlight, the flowers begin tocome up. The first few areusually weak, but thefollowing are spectacular.That year we housed Daniofeegradei. As soon as I putthem in, half of them jumpedout! I ended the season with1-2 left out of 10. This year, Ilost some fish, but stillresolved to try again nextyear! (see photo 2 2006 tub))

    2007: Nymphaea zenkeriRed The red tiger lotuswas last years focal pointplant. Ive kept tiger lotus in

    This tub created in 2006, developed nicely, but had problems with fish jumping out.

    Third Rule of TubbinFishless systems are

    easier, but may requiremore maintenance!

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    aquariums for years and haveto say keeping one naturallywas a fantastic experience.The emersed leaves wereamazing ly s turdy andbeautiful and the flowers werespectacular. (see photo 4 redtiger flower) This experienceis the reason why I suggestemersed experimentation!That year I grew out a pair of

    Pelv icachromis humi l is Liberia Red with a swarm ofEndlers livebearers. ThePelvics did well, no spawns,but built pits and valleys inthe mud (very cool!). TheEndlers did well, and I stillhave the group. Other plantsincluded Lotus Nelumbo'Momo Botan' again, andPhyllanthus fluitans (RedRoot Floater). This was a

    successful tubbin year!

    2008: This summer, Imdefinitely trying the Red TigerLotus again. You cant beat acheap water garden plant!Also, looking to grow Salviniaoblongifoliaand Azolla(whichalways seems to find its wayinto our tubs eventuallyanyways!). The fish are thehardest part to decide upon.

    Theres thought to growingout some Melanotaenia parva(Dwarf Flame Rainbowfish) orconditioning/breeding a newwild-type livebearer werecently got, Xenotocamelanosoma. I am also goingto collect some wild plants,Equisetum scirpoides, thedwarf horsetail rush and aPotamogeton species from a

    local waterway. Those will gointo my emersed ceramic pot.

    A few other plants to considerkeeping: Salviniaspecies (any and you

    can do more than one!) Pista stratiotes, water lettuce;

    theres a dwarf variety too. Ludwigia sedioides; mosaic

    plant- this is an awesomelooking floating plant.

    Nymphoides and Nymphaeaspecies- make sure they aretub-appropriate in size! Someget HUGE!

    Water sprite, Ceratopterispteroides.

    Sword plants, Echinodorussp.; can be submersed oremersed.

    Hydrocotyle species; willgrow in and out of water!

    Stem plants in general make

    interesting experiments fortubbin.

    There are many other plants thatwould be worthwhile to tryoutdoors as well. Make sure thatif you try something new and aresuccessful, pass that informationonto others. The wonderful thingabout aquarium/pond keeping isthe opportunity to experiment,

    break new ground, and helpothers achieve success. With thatin mind, always remember thefourth and final rule of tubbin.

    Final Rule of TubbinAlways pass on what

    youve learned and en-joyed to someone else!

    Designed last year, this tub was one of themost successful ever. It contained swarms ofbreeding Endlers Livebearers and a group ofLotuses that bloomed wonderful pink flowers.

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    Get your plants to grow

    the way you want them

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    Have an abundance of wood

    to choose from and dont hesitateto break or cut you branches to fitinto a particular spot. The tips ofthese branches should always bebroken and not cut. Having asmooth 90 degree cut at the endof your branches can take awayfrom the natural appearance youare trying to obtain. Once youhave collected more than enoughwood, you should take the time toprep it before using it in your

    tank.Manzanita branches are verypopular in our hobby, because ofthe cost, density and characterthese branches possess. Beforeusing this type of wood you willneed to soak them until they sinkon their own. This soaking playstwo parts. The first is to leach outas much tannins as possible. Iuse an extra bathtub in my houseto soak this type of wood. I will

    fill the tub up with hottest water

    possible and submerge thebranches by placing rocks on topof them. I will change the waterout every other day, re-filling thetub with hot water. This allowsthe pores of the wood to openand the leaching of tannins willhappen quicker. Typically, I willsoak the wood for about a month,although two weeks should beenough. By this time, most of thetannins are removed and the

    wood will be water logged andsink on their own.Malaysian wood is another

    popular choice among aquarist.The benefit of this wood is that itis so dense that it will sink whencompletely dry. The bad thingabout this type of wood is that itis loaded with tannins. Soakingthem in hot water is a mustbefore using them in your tank.The larger the piece the longer it

    will leach tannins. I have hadlarge pieces leach enoughtannins to make my tank appearas if it was filled with iced tea;only to stop after about 8 monthsof weekly water changes. Buyused pieces of Malaysiandriftwood from other hobbyistsand you can skip the soakingpart.

    ADA Old Black wood is oneof the most desirable types ofwood for some aquascapers.ADA Old Black wood is collectedfrom South America, along thecentral parts of the Rio Negro(black river) deep in the Amazon.It is very dense and will sinknaturally on its own. Unlike theother types of dri ftwooddiscussed, ADA old black wooddoesnt leach any tannins andtherefore no pre-soakingrequired. ADA Old Black woodare some of the most interestingpieces I have every seen. Thecost of this wood ($12 or moreper lb) is cost prohibiting formost of hobbyists but, can be

    well worth the try in a smallertank.

    As I mentioned earlier, try tohave several wood pieces toselect from before beginning youraquascape. I have seen manypeople aquascape with only threeto five pieces, only to befrustrated with the lack ofarrangement possibilities. Youhave very little options when you

    (Top) Malaysian wood with Seiryu-seki stones.(Bottom) Manzanita branches with Seiryu-seki stones.

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    (Top) Manzanita branches with Rip-rap stones from a rock and landscape supply store.(Bottom) Seiryu-seki stones with beautiful texture and rock veins.

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    can be quite significant. Thisprohibits many aquarists frompurchasing and enjoying the

    incredible beauty of these stones.The most commonly used

    are those that are collected inand around various locations. Ihave gone on a couple of rockhunting trips myself. I oncepurchased some very interestinglava rock from another hobbyistonly to have later found the exactrocks here locally in Arizona. Soget out there and hunt for rocks!It will be well worth your time and

    effort. Another source for rockscan be your local rock andlandscape supply store. I haveused a rock from such a retailoutlet called rip-rap. It comes invarious colors and also seem tobuffer my RO water to a kh of 4-5. Thats a huge benefit to mebecause I use 100% RO in all myscapes. No matter where youget your rocks, remember to get

    use too few branches. Giveyourself more options, andbesides the remaining wood willalready be soaked and thetannins removed for a laterproject.

    Rocks and StonesOne of the most important

    things to remember is to use thesame type of rock in youraquascape. I have often seentwo or three types of rocking inone aquascape and it only makesme frown. The lack of continuity

    in the stones is enough for me tooverlook the rest of theaquascape.

    There are far too manydifferent types of rocks that areused in aquascaping to mentionthem all. Some of the mostdesirable are Seiryu-seki stones,Shou stones, Ryuoh stones, andMaten stones. These are allimported from Japan so the cost

    Locally collected lava rock from Arizona.

    plenty. Just like wood, it alwaysbetter to have options whenplacing these rocks in you tank.

    Lastly, dont forget larger rocksare great materials to start withtoo. These rocks can be brokenby a well placed chisel and ahammer, just be sure to wear eyeprotection.

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    George Lo has over 10 years of

    aquascaping experience and produces

    world class aquascapes.

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    One of the premieraquascapers in ourhobby, ASW gets aone-on-one with

    George Lo (far right). He is theco-owner, with his brotherS teven , o f AquaFores tAquarium in San Francisco,

    California. A true hobbyist-oriented entrepreneur and anexpert in the Nature AquariumStyle, George Lo is a regularspeaker on aquascaping andplanted aquarium topics acrossthe world.

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    George, please tell us moreabout yourself.

    A: I was born and raised inTaiwan. My family immigratedto Toronto, Canada when I was13 years old. We lived inCanada for about four yearsand decided to come toAmerica when I was 17 yearsold. I graduated from SanFrancisco State University witha Bachelor of science degree inCell and Molecular Biology. Ihave always been interested innature, especially naturesurrounding water. When everI see a pool of water or a smallstream flowing by, I wouldalways take a closer look andtry to see if there are fish oraquatic plants living in it.

    I have always kept fishsince I was little but I can notremember exactly when Istarted. I remember that I hada small plastic container that Ikept a few feeder gold fish in itwhen I was 10 years old and Iwanted to put some aquaticplants in it because the imageof fish and plants always goestogether for me. However, Icouldn't find any aquatic plantsat that time so I decided topulled out some plants growingin my mom's garden and put itinto my little aquarium. As soonas I put in the plants, I saw tinyoxygen bubbles started comingout of the plants and was totallyamazed by the "phenomenon".Since then I would always try tokeep plants with fish.

    I really got into seriouslyplanted aquarium when I was18 years old when I saw Mr.Amano's book of NatureAquarium World in Boarder'sbookstore. I was shocked bythe beautiful pictures of Natureaquariums created by Mr.

    Amano in the book. Since then,I started and began my journeyin creating Nature aquariumstyle planted aquarium.

    Q: Wow, many people canprobably relate to becominginspired by the NatureAquarium World Books. Howdid you know you wanted tofollow this style which youhave been doing for over tenyears?

    A: The images in AmanosNature Aquarium World sunkdeeply into my mind when I firstsaw them. I have always likedkeeping plants with fish,however, I was never satisfiedby the look of my plantedaquarium and always thoughtthey should look more naturalbut did not know how I couldmake them look more natural.And Mr. Amano's creations ofNature Aquariums gave me theanswers and directions on howI could make my aquariumslook more natural. This is themain reason why I decided tofollow Mr. Amano's NatureAquarium Style.

    Q: Can you remember whenyou first time met TakashiAmano, the man whoinspired you?

    A: I first met Mr. TakashiAmano on my first trip to theADA Nature Aquarium party inyear 2004. I placed 56 when Ienter the contest for the firsttime and received an invitationfrom ADA to the party. When Ifirst met Mr. Amano I did have alittle "star" stuck and was a bit

    World class Aquascapers and businessmen, Steven and George Lo (left to right respectively).

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    nervous, however, it soon went

    away because o f h i sfriendliness, humorous, andstraight forward character.

    Q: What aquascapers do youlook up to or find inspirationfrom?

    A: There are many otheraquascapers that I look up toand find inspirations from. Idont recall many of their

    names, but I have learned a lotfrom a Taiwanese aquascaperChan Shih Hsien, who's workplaced 2nd in the 2007 ADAAquatic Plants Layout Contest.Another Taiwanese aquascaperLin Yu Chen, who's workranked 117 in 2007 ADAaquatic plants layout contestalso gave me a lot ofinspirations. Mr. Lin owns ashop that also specialized in

    Nature Aquarium style and has

    many amazing display tanks inhis shop. Oliver Knott's workalso provided me a lotinspirations in the creativityaspect. His work is top notch interms of plant health andoriginality.

    Q: How hard do you think it isto aquascape? Doesaquascaping skill comenaturally?

    A: In my opinion, aquascapingis not easy. Its not just aboutplacing the stones anddriftwood in positions that willlook good, an aquascaper alsoneed to have a goodunderstanding of differentgrowth patterns and growthconditions that plants require.One of the most importantelements in aquascaping is to

    be able to anticipate what your

    aquascape will look like whenplants grow out.I do not believe that some

    p e o p l e n a t u r a l l y h a v eaquascaping talent. Toaquascape, one needs to havea very good understanding ofthe characteristic growthpattern of plants and also havea good understanding ofmaintaining a planted tank andthese knowledge does not

    come naturally. It needs to belearned and acquired. I believewhat makes an aquascapergood is his/her passion for thehobby.

    Q: What was one yourgreatest challenges in thehobby?

    A: One of the greatestchallenges that I have faced

    90p showcased in the Yerba Buena Center of the Arts Museum in San Francisco

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    often do you do maintenanceon them?

    A: I have 8 tanks at home andwe have around 76 tanks in ours to re . Usua l l y I domaintenance once a week onour show tanks. It consist of

    scraping the glass, waterchange, and sometimes trimingthe plants or cleaning the filter.

    Q: Do you encounter algaeissues?

    A: Yes I do have algaeproblems. There are differentways to combat algae, but Ithink the best way to combatalgae is to prevent it. I like to

    was that we were invited by theYerba Buena Center of the Artsmuseum in San Francisco todisplay one of our planted tanksin our store in the museum fortwo months. It was challengingbecause we had to move our90P (50gallon) show tank to a

    different location. We had tomake sure that the aquascapedid not get moved or destroyedduring the transportation. Also,the museum is open to publicdaily so another challenge thatwe faced was to keep the tankin it's optimum condition at alltimes.

    Q: How many tanks do youhave at your home? How

    combat algae in a more naturalway, instead of us ingchemicals. A few things that Ido is using a lot of algae eatingcreatures such as Amano Algaeeating shrimp, Siamensis AlgaeEating fish, and Otocinclus.

    Also, starting with a lot of

    plant mass in the aquarium withhealthy growing plants seemedto be very effective incontrolling algae.

    Another element that Ithink is important is filtration, Inormally use double therecommended filtration flow thatis stated on the filter packaging.For example, if the filter ismade for 40 gallons, I use it ona 20 gallon tank, and

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    sometimes I use two filters.I th ink the biggest

    challenge to a new aquascaperis algae control. That is acommon problem I found inmost beginners.

    Q: How do you feel about

    Dutch Style Aquariumscompared to the NatureStyle?

    A: Dutch Style Aquariums havea different design concept andStem p lants are usedcommonly in Dutch StyleAquarium. I have neverattempted to create a seriousDutch Aquarium myself,however, that is something I

    would like to try somedaybecause I am a fan of growingstem plants.

    Q: Where do you seeAquascaping going in thenext 10 years?

    A: I see a great potential ofdifferent aquascaping stylegoing in the next 10 years. Newmaterials and technology isbecoming more and moreavailable allowing more newdesigns. For example, naturalmaterials like driftwood or rocksare irregular in shapes andsizes which can be combinedwith more and more newvarieties of plants becoming

    available to the hobbyists eachday. The possibilities andaquascaping potential areinfinite.

    Q: Do you feel todaysaquascapers are becomingrepetitive and unoriginal?

    A: In my opinion, I see a lot ofnew and creative aquascapeseither on online forums or incontests. I think creativity is avery important element inaquascaping. However, as Iremember from one of myscience professors in school,who said In science one needsto be able to think different inorder to make new discoveries.

    Cube Garden 120P 120x45x45cm

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    But before that happens, oneneeds to first learn the basicfundamentals thoroughly andacquire as much basic skills aspossible. So I would suggestbeginner hobbyists to acquirethe basic fundamentals ofaquascaping skills first before

    trying to create a new style.

    Q: What advice can you givea new aquascapers?

    A: The most important elementto having a successfula q u a s c a p e i s b e i n gknowledgeable about thedifferent growing patterns ofaquatic plants and keepingthem growing healthy. I would

    suggest to the asipiringhobbyist to read as muchinformation about growingdifferent plants and learn abouttheir growth patterns. Also, getclose to nature as often aspossible and observe howplants grow or how rocks and

    driftwoods are positioned innatural environment.

    Q: Your brother, Steven, isdeeply involved in plantedtanks too. I have to ask, whois the better aquascaper?

    A: I think I am a betteraquascaper, but my brotherthinks he is the better one, ha!

    Q: George its been apleasure getting to know youbetter. You have a what areyour aquaria aspirations forthe future?

    A: I am always learning andtrying new techniques to

    aquascape or to maintain mytanks, or finding differentcombinations of plants that willlook good in an aquascape. Mycurrent goal is to try and findplants that will look good andrequire as little maintenance aspossible, and combine it withaquascaping techniques so thatthe tank requires as littlemaintenace as possible,trimming in particular!

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    I hope to introduce theplanted aquarium hobby to asmany people as possible,because I personally think it isan amazing and enjoyablehobby. One can learn so muchfrom it about nature and life. Ihope one day the planted

    aquarium hobby in America willbe as popular as they are inAsia or Europe.

    Additional Notes:George and Steven Lo operate AquaForest Aquarium in San Francisco, CAspecializing in ADA products. You can visit their online store atwww.aquaforestaquarium.com.

    Cube Garden 180P 180x60x60cm

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    Cube Garden 60P (60x30x36cm)

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    We spend a lot oftime and effort toget our layouts tolook just the way

    we want them. When that timefinally comes, we want to capturethem in that moment of time witha photograph that conveys ourhard work, creativity, and skills.With a couple key points, we caneasily improve our skills, nomatter the quality of our camera.

    Photography in itself is anart. Many people devote theirlives to it. This obsession issomething that can be combined

    with aquascaping to createstunning results. As with anyhobby or devotion, our layoutscost great amounts of time andmoney. Unfortunately, many of usdo not have much money leftover to buy professional-levelphotography gear or time todevote to learn the art.

    Many of us are left to captureour layouts with amateurcameras, such as Point-and-

    By Jason Baliban

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    Shoot cameras, and minimalknow-how. Below I will covertwo settings that are availableon almost all Point-and-Shootcameras. These settings, onceunderstood, will allow you tocreate pictures that tell truerstories of your layouts.

    White Balance (WB)White balance is simply theadjustment of Red, Green, andBlue to create the correctdepiction of white. Our humane y e w i l l a d j u s t t h i sautomatically. For example,when you are home at nightand have regular lights on,white appears white. However,when we take a photo insidewith regular light (no flash), weend up with that familiar yellowimage...we all know the ones.Film cameras used filters on thelenses to handle these colorcast problems. With the inventof the digital camera, we can dothis with a touch of a button.

    Most digital cameras havean Auto White Balance setting(AWB). This is the mostcommon WB when we use ourcameras in the most commonsetting, AUTO. AWB simplymeans that our cameras willchoose the correct WB for us.Our cameras have littlecomputers in them thatevaluate points in the sceneand make a guess about thewhite balance. Most of ourcameras do a very good job inmost situations. Your cameramay take pictures that looknatural to you when yoursubject is in sunlight or on acloudy day. However, yourcamera may have weak areas.For example, most cameras stillget incandescent (indoor) lightwrong, leaving you with theyellow inside shot. Anotherweak area might be fluorescent.This weakness leaves shotstaken in fluorescent lightl o o k i n g t o o g r e e n .Unfortunately, this exact

    weakness affects us aquarists,as our lighting is oftenfluorescent.

    Our cameras know theywont get it right all the time, sothey allow us to choose frompreset WB settings. These helpwhen our camera doesnt figure

    it out correctly. Some of thesepresets include Cloudy, DayLight, and Fluorescent. Weoften have to resort to thesesettings to get our tanks to lookthe same in pictures as they dowhen we look at them with oureyes.

    White balance is a matterof taste. Back to our yellowinside picture example, while acamera can be set to make apicture taken with normal indoorlight look very accurate withwhites, to many of us it maylook too cold because we areused to the subtle warm yellowthat we have seen in insidepictures throughout our lives.As with bulb choice in ouraquarium lighting, WB is verymuch a matter of taste.

    ExposureExposure is a simple

    concept to understand. Ourcameras create pictures byallowing light to shine on asensor for a moment of time.The sensor then converts thatlight into digital information thatis stored. The longer the lightshines on the sensor, thebrighter the picture. If thesource is bright, the moment oftime can be shorter, still givingthe sensor enough light tomake the picture. If the sourceis dimmer, the moment willhave to be longer to give thesensor enough light.

    The ability to control them o m e n t o f l i g h t i saccomplished by the camerashutter. The shutter can openand close as fast as 1/8000 of asecond in some cameras tohandle very bright situations.

    The shutter can also stay openfor 30 seconds or more in verydim (almost dark) situations.

    O u r c a m e r a s w i l lautomatically pick a shutterspeed for us. Similar to AWB,our camera takes samples ofour scene and guesses the

    best shutter speed to create apicture that is exposedcorrectly. The camerascomputer has many templatesin its memory to determine thesubject of a picture and howb e s t t o e x p o s e i t .Unfortunately, aquariums arenot in these templates, so it willoften guess wrong andoverexpose our pictures(making them too bright).

    Our cameras provide uswith a way to adjust theexposure in an easy way. Thisprocess is called exposurecompensation. It is usuallymeasured in +/-. Somecameras use 1/3 to express thisvariance, or +2/3 for example.While other cameras simply usewhole numbers, -3 for example.

    Application - WBWe will use my Without

    Boundaries layout for oursubject. I will show you howchanging the WB and exposurewill affect the look of ourphotograph. We will start withWB, picking our preference,then move on to exposure.

    I am using a Canon Point-and-Shoot camera. I amomitting directions on how toactually change the WB andexposure settings. All cameras

    are a little different and willrequire you to read your manualto understand how to changethe settings.

    The following are five shotsusing the same exposure(shutter speed) but withdifferent WB.

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    AWB In this case my camera did a pretty good job of picking the right WB. If anything, the color tint is a little green.

    Cloudy Preset You can see that this emphasized the yellow tint. This makes the picture appear warmer. If you can imagine a cloudy day, the colorcast is often blue (or cold). The added yellow will warm up the color. This WB would be good for bulbs above 8000k.

    Daylight Preset This is a nice WB for this tank. I think that many would find this pleasing. It is a little warm for my taste, but I can understand manyfeeling great about this color.

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    Application ExposureAgain, you will need to runthrough your instruction manualto determine how to change theExposure Compensa t ion

    settings.Now that I have chosen my

    WB, I will now select the properexposure compensation. Asyou can see, my cameras Autoexposure made our photo toobright: the darks are too brighta n d t h e b r i g h t s a r eoverexposed (making themappear white and washed out).In this case I know to add

    ( n e g a t i v e ) e x p o s u r ecompensation, but lets runthrough both the +/-, goingthree steps up and six stepsdown. You will see that the

    extremes of both are unusable,but they may help those whohave cameras that pick moree x t r e m e e x p o s u r e sautomatically.

    FluorescentPreset This setting cuts the greens just a bit, as fluorescents have spikes in greens. This is the WB I choose to move forward with.

    Tungsten Preset Also called incandescent, this WB will add a lot of blue. It is designed to be used inside where the lights are very yellow and warm.Remember our inside yellow pictures? Try taking a few shots inside at night with this setting. You will see that the whites are much more balanced.This WB is too blue for my taste.

    Tip: Use a tripod whenever youshoot an aquarium. If you do nothave one, find something steadyto rest your camera on.

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    + 3 (also +1.0 in 1/3 increments): over-exposed If your picture looks like this, apply negative exposure compensation.

    + 2 (also +0.7 in 1/3 increments): over-exposed If your picture looks like this, apply negative exposure compensation.

    + 1 (also +0.3in 1/3 increments): over-exposed If your picture looks like this, apply negative exposure compensation.

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    Auto: over-exposed If your picture looks like this, apply negative exposure compensation.

    Now we will do the negative. This is also a matter of taste, so well pick one later.

    -1 (also -0.3 in 1/3 increments)

    -2 (also -0.7 in 1/3 increments)

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    -3 (also -1.0 in 1/3 increments)

    -4 (also -1.3 in 1/3 increments)

    -5 (also -1.7 in 1/3 increments)

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    -6 (also -2.0 in 1/3 increments)

    Photo Taken with a Canon Powershot SD850 IS. Exceptional quality photos can be captured even with a general use like this $200 camera.

    Photo taken with Nikon D80. This professional quality camera maintains the renders colors better then the cheaper Canon Powershot.

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    As I said, this is a matter oftaste, but I think that -3 (-1 in1/3 increments) is the bestlooking.

    This picture is great, and itcaptures the look of my tank asI saw it. Many of you havePhotoshop, and there are a fewthings you can do to enhancethe picture.

    The top most picture on thenext page shows what the tanklooks like with a little Burningfor the background, and finersharpening. As you can see,this picture is a greatrepresentation of the tank. Ithink many would be surprisedto know that the picture wastaken with a $200 camera.

    To exemplify this further,the bottom photo is the sameshot taken with a Nikon D80, acamera that costs five timesmore. As you can see, therereally isnt much difference.The most noticeable differenceis with the highlighting. Youcan see that the highlights inthe Point-and-Shoot final aremore washed out and white,while the D80 maintains thecolor a bit more. The reasonfor this is the size and quality of

    the sensor. This differenceallows the D80 camera tohandle the dynamics better.

    Now Youre Ready!I hope this article has

    helped you master your camerajust a bit more, allowing you toget closer to capturing yourlayouts in a manner that isconsistent with your vision. Aswith most things, WB andexposure are a matter of taste.The key is to experiment, andfollow your vision and tastes.

    These are just two smalladjustments and bits ofknowledge that go into creatingbeautiful pictures of our layouts.In the future I hope to exploreo t h e r a r e a s s u c h a ssupplemental lighting andaperture.

    Jason Balibans Without Boundaries

    For more articles by Jason Baliban, pleasevisit www.projectaquarium.com

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    An I

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    rview with Pedro Pinto

    Broken Stone Gardenis an aquascape thatis truly rustic in itslayout and roots.

    This rimless planted aquariumshowcases a simple, naturalbeauty from its thriving

    Glossostigma elatinoidesforeground to the beautifulalgae covering the rockgarden. The aquascaperbehind this masterpiece, PedroPinto, provides us a closerlook at his planted aquariumand the inspiration that startedit all.

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    Q: Tell us a about yourself.When/How did you get startedin planted aquariums?

    A: Im Pedro Pinto Im 23 yearsold and currently finishing thedegree in Geology in the Facultyof Sciences of the University ofLisbon. Besides aquariums I alsohave a great passion for

    motorcycles and tennis. I got intothe world of aquariums not longago. I guess it was in February2005 when I bought one of thosesmall betta display tanks but itdidnt keep me satisfied for long.

    My first experience withaquatic plants came with a 60cmaquarium that I found in mygrandmothers garage. At thetime I found it amazing that I

    could actually make the plantsgrow and didnt care much aboutthe layout. A few months after ibegan paying more attention tothe general look of the aquariumas I joined some forums and metsome aquascapers. After someextensive research I set up a130m (March 2006) tank and thatwas my first true planted

    aquarium and also my firstexperience in internationalcontests (ADA 2007). It was asimple Iwagumi layout but ithelped me learning the basics ofaquascaping.

    Q: Lets jump right into yourscape. Tell us more about yourfeature Broken StoneGarden.

    A: This aquarium was set up inthe middle of January 2008 andits still a work in progress. Forthis layout I wanted to give theimpression of a rock worn andbroken by natural processes as ithappens in nature. I positionedthe plants to give the impressionof them adapting to whateverspace there is available for them

    to grow.Starting with the background

    there is a mass of Hemianthusmicranthemoides with somespare Eleocharis vivipara tobreak some of the monotony. Iplanted Rotala rotundifoliajust togive it a little bit of orange. In thefront, I have three species ofplants: Glossostigma elatinoides;Hemianthus micranthemoides;

    Pedro Pinto poses next to his aquascaping piece Broken Stone Garden.

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    Broken Stone Gardenstarted as a few large pieces of rock. The largest rock was broken to accommodate the size of the aquarium and scape.

    This is the result of breaking the largest of the rocks. It now forms the basis of the Broken Stone GardenAquascape.

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    and Eleocharis minima. I like tomix them because theyharmonize each other and give itthe feel that they are actuallycompeting for the control of thesubstrate.

    Surprisingly my biggestchallenge with this layout camefrom the equipment. I have a3x24W T5 HO light (wich for thistank size is pretty good) but for awhile I had problems withGlossostigma growing up andHemianthus micranthemoidesjust not growing dense. I addedan extra 40W PLL light wichquickly took care of it and now itsgoind really well. Its my firstexperience with T5 lights and sofar Im not that pleased. Until nowI had just used PLL lights in myaquariums and it has worked fine

    so I might just go back to usingthem.

    Q: What is something specialthat we should know about theaquascape that is notnecessarily obvious?

    A: Well surely the title BrokenStone Garden has a specialmeaning. Initially this layout was

    meant to be in a triangular shapewith a large rock as a centrepiece. During the planning I foundthat the main rock was just toolarge and tried to reshape itresulting in me breaking it intotwo smaller pieces which actuallyworked far better than the originalone. The title of the aquascapeBroken Stone Garden seem to

    fit nicely.

    Q: How often you do regularmaintenance?

    A: My basic maintenanceconsists of a weekly waterchange of 50%. Ill supplementfertilizers twice a week adding theusual proportions of nutrients(10ppm of NO3, 18ppm of K,2ppm of PO4, plus trace

    elements and iron). For CO2injection, I have it adjusted for 1bubble/second. I dont have aschedule for trimming I just do itwhen I feel the harmony is beinglost.

    Q: Algae can become a bigissue for many hobbyists. Howhave you managed toovercome algae?

    A: I usually dont have anyproblems with algae. Neither inthe initial steps of the aquariumnor on the rest of the layoutsduration. I dont use fertilesubstrate, and dose very littleamounts of nutrients in the firstfew weeks of the layout. Thereason that I dont like to usefertile substrates it that I prefer tohave a tighter control over theamounts of nutrients on thewater. During the initial stages, Ialso keep a shorter light period, 6hours.

    Q: How do you choose yourplant species and fish for aparticular scape?

    A: Both fish and plants must bechosen accordingly to the generalguideline of the aquarium. Afterdeciding what type of layout Iwant to create I spend a lot oftime looking at photos of otherlayouts analysing how this or thatplant suits my idea. After settingup the layout I start thinkingabout the fish for it. Dependingon whether I want give theimpression of a luxurious andvibrant nature or a balanced andquiet landscape I tend to look notonly for colour and shape of thefish but also at their behaviour.

    In one of my past layouts ofdriftwood and ferns I choseHemmigramus hyanuarybecausethey are a quite active fish andsuited very well to the dancingC y p e r u s h e l f e r i i n t h ebackground, although theircoloration is not that intense.

    Definitely my favorite fish is

    the Paracheirodon simulans withits simplicity and grace. A fishthat I also like a lot and use veryoften is the Aplocheilichthysnormani. I used both of them inmy first Iwagumi layout and in mycurrent layout.

    Q: Describe how you come upwith your aquascaping layouts.

    One of Pintos past driftwood layouts.

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    A: All my aquascapes start in apiece of paper. I prefer to sketcha few variations of the same ideawith several plant combinationsto see which one works best.Once I decide how it will be I startby trying a simple arrangement ofthe hardscape with few detailsand let it rest for a few days untilit grows on me (or not). Whenworking with rocks I try to placethem so that it creates theimpression of a larger rock beingweathered and breaking intosmaller ones.

    As for driftwood layouts Iprefer the feel of an old treedecomposing and opening up buttransmitting an impression ofwater flow so I usually placepieces of wood in a radialarrangement with a specificdominant orientation.

    Q: After creating an aquascapethat is so beautiful when doyou decide to take it down?

    A: Most of the times its when Ihave a new idea that I just cantwait to try. As my experiencegrows and my confidencematures I am now trying toexperience layouts for longer

    times where I can sit back andenjoy my work. At the same time,I like to see how long my originalidea holds, and what plantedaquarium develops into.

    Q: Aquascaping is challenging.You clearly have a good graspon the concepts, what advicecan you give to fellowaquascapers?

    A: Usually aquascaping is nothard for me because I spend a lotof time working on my ideas andplanning the layout in my mind.

    I believe that great things areachieved with great effort andsurely it helps very much to havea natural artistic talent but I thinkit comes mainly from a greatpassion for aquascapes, hardwork and last but not least a lot ofhours studying and analysing thework of great aquascapers (Iwould guess much like in artclasses).

    Because it hasnt been thatlong since I began aquascaping, Istill feel very close to beginnerproblems and sometimes I toofeel overwhelmed with the hugenumber of plant species availablewhen it comes do make

    decisions. The main problem Ithink is to know what works andwhat doesnt.

    I find that newcomers tend tostick with very geometricallayouts (a flat area on the frontwith low growing plants and acurtain of stem plants in thebackground) and have a hardtime when they try to harmonizeit. Thats why I think its importantto expose themselves to manyinfluences to start forming theirown ideas and developing acritical opinion so they dont feelmarvelled whenever they look atjust any aquascape.

    The hobby is definitelyspreading as the equipments getmore affordable and more peopletake interest in it. A lot of ideashave been exp lo red toexhaustion but as long as thereare new ones coming in it willsurely be an extremely beautifuland attractive hobby.

    Q: Whats in stored for theaquascaping future of PedroPinto?

    A: I hope I continue to improvemy technique and get involved inmore projects. Currently I alsohave a coldwater tank with a bedof river rocks and nymphaeasand a paludarium. Im planning toset up a nano planted aquariumbut Im still gathering theequipment.

    In the future Id like to trymore U-shape Iwagumis,because so far Ive been doingmostly island shaped scape. Ialso want to explore more on

    those deep jungle driftwoodlayouts with ferns and mosses.For my next layout Id like tocreate something that resemblesa fallen tree being overwhelmedby low growing plants.

    A small school of Aplocheilichthys normaniswim actively in the current.

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    Broken Stone Garden

    Dimensions: 60x30x35cmVolume: 63 litersLight: 3x24W T5 HOPhotoperiod: 10 hoursSubstrate: Akadama Special 30 Liters

    Filtration: Eheim 2213Fertilizer: Step 2, Bright K, ECA, Phyton-Git, Green GainCO2: Pressurized w/ glass diffuser at approx. 2 bubbles per second.

    Plant ListHemianthus callitrichoidesParacheirodon simulansGlossosigma elat inoidesAplocheilichthys normanii

    Eleocharis minimaEleocharis acicularisEleocharis viviparaRotala rotundifoliaHemianthus micranthemoides

    FaunaAplocheilichthys normanii

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    As readers recall in thethe March 2008 Issue(Methods to PreventAlgae), I attempted to

    set up a 10 gallon tank and

    implemented controversial anti-algae measures to determinewhether there was any merit tothese measures. Some ofthese measure included usingmoss balls to soak up nutrients,noon burst lighting, and Eigeradensa as a chemical agent.While the tank held up well andremained relatively algae freefor 6 months, I was rathersurprised and caught off guard

    with the developments thatensued after 6 months. Duringthe 6 months, the fish remainedrelatively healthy, the plantscontinued to do well, the waterremained crystal clear, andwhat algae was mainly confinedto blue green algae, which Ieradicated early on andresidual green spot algae whichremained on a few anubiasleaves and cardamine leaves.

    After 6 months, chaosensued. There were fishdeaths almost weekly and I wasunable to pinpoint the cause ofthem. This was accompaniedby the growth of black brushalgae. I dosed the tank withSeachem Excel and this causethe blackbrush algae to recedeand eventually disappear.However, the fish deaths

    By Aziz Dhanani

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    continued and green spot algaetook the tank by storm. Thewhole glass was pretty muchcovered with green spot algae.I was at a loss to pinpoint whatwas causing this. I was dosingEstimative Index Dosing at thetime, there was a UV sterilizerrunning 24/7 in the tank, thefish were not overfed, I was

    performing 50% weekly waterchanges, and trimming plantsas required. Water parameterswere interesting (see chart).

    Why did Algae Occur?Cause and effect relationshipsare difficult to prove anytimeyou setup a tank withoutanother control tank. Manyconclusions can be drawn fromthe differences in the water

    parameters. I don't know howmuch those differences canreally be attributed to the tank'sdemise.

    The water parameterswould suggest that at the timethe tank began to experienceproblems, PH increased,nitrates significantly increased,GH levels more than doubled,and C02 levels may have been

    considerably lower. It shouldbe noted that GH levelssignificantly increased as I wasdosing calcium sulphate andmagnesium with every 50%water change. The extremelyhigh GH levels would suggestan overdose of calciumsulphate, but again how muchof the increase in GH was

    responsible for the ensuing fishdeaths and decline in plantgrowth is open for debate.What I can tell you is that afterthat reading, I stopped dosingc a l c i u m s u l p h a t e a n dmagnesium and the nextmonthly water parameter testindicated more ideal GH levels.

    One thing that I noticed isthat the development of theblack brush algae and green

    spot algae appeared to coincidewith a major trim of the tank. Ihad performed a major trim ofthe Eigera densa and greatlyreduced the density of floatingplant mass. Later on, Icompletely removed all theEigera densa as I wanted todose the tank with SeachemExcel to eradicate the blackbrush algae and I knew the

    plant was known to be sensitiveto the effects of Excel and melt,I did not want the tank water tobecome littered with dyingEigera densa.

    By April 22 2008, I was leftwith one surviving otocat, andone surviving marble hatchet. Iwas really at a crossroadsabout what to do next. Given

    the regular occurrence of fishdeaths, I was not sure if theotocat and one marble hatchetwould survive. However, I didnot have anywhere to put them.

    I decided to leave the tankrunning, but implemented thefollowing remedial measures inthe hopes of turning thingsaround.1. Changed canopy bulbs from

    2 15 watt 6500 k compact

    fluorescent bulbs to 2 10watt 6500 K compactfluorescent bulbs. Thephoto-period was kept at 8hours total, 4 hours on, 2hours off, and 2 hours on.

    2. Added 5 Amano shrimp tohelp clean up some of thedead plant matter and anydying algae.

    3. Double dose of Excel daily

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    and double dose with every50% water change.

    4. Estimative Index fertilization

    reduced to a 1/4-1/2recommended for 10 gallontank.

    5. Added a floating mass ofrotala indica stem plantsand 2 dwarf tiger lilly bulbsto increase plant density.

    Much to my surprise, the greenspot algae cleared up within aweek of these measures. To

    date the Amano Shrimp appearhealthy and I have not noticedany losses. Sadly though, the

    marble hatchet died after thelast water parameter reading,and the otocat perished a weekafter that. Again, I am at a lossas to what caused their deaths.

    References:Chuck Gladds CO2 Chartwww.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua/

    Aziz Dhanani Personal Sitewww.azdhan.googlepages.comthelostworld2

    These are pictures of the tank as the tank appears on May 23, 2008. My regret is not taking pictures of the tank when it was at its worst. You neverthink of taking pictures of your tank when it looks so bad that you are ready to tear it apart. Such a comparison would have made it easier to see andappreciate the vast improvement.

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