Dimensions 76 × 66 × 64 cm
Title Diamond Dragon's-head
Volume 340L
Background in-tank plastic canvas planted & curved to mask equipment in back corner
Lighting 302 watts compact flourescent: 96 w of 6500K + 96 w of 10,000 K; 55 w of 6500K and 55 w of
Filtration two 200 gal/hour powerheads; Aquaclear 500 and Aquaclear 200 with sponges, coarse filter and fine filter cloth.
Plants 1) Bacopa carolinia, giant bacopa; 2) Cryptocoryne balansae; 3) Cryptocoryne willissi ‘petchii’; 4) Cryptocoryne wendtii, bronze variant; 5) Zephyranthes candida, dwarf onion plant; 6) Ludwigia repens, red ludwigia; 7) Crinum thaianum, onion plant; 8) Anubias hastatum (small); 9) Vesicularia dubyana, Java moss; 10) Anubias barteri ‘nana’, dwarf; 11) Sagittarius subulata, dwarf sag; 12) Echinodorus bleheri v. robustus ‘compacta’, compact swordplant; 13) Echinodorus amazonicus, Amazon swordplant; 14) Echinodorus hybrid, 'narrow-leaf Rubin' swordplant; 15) Hygrophila difformis, water wisteria; 16) Microsorum pteropus, Java fern; 17) Microsorum pteropus, curly Java moss; 18) Shinnersia rivularis, Mexican oakleaf; 19) Nymphaea stellata, red-leaf water lily; 20) Nomaphila stricta, temple plant (very small); 21) Alternethera reineckii, 'Telanthera', magenta water hedge.
Animals 6 Corydoras aneus, bronze cory catfish
(which have laid eggs on the glass, and one of which is still small, having grown up from a previous egg batch!);
24 Paracheirodon axelrodi, Cardinal tetras;
10 Hemigrammus rodwayi, Gold tetras;
1 Hasemania nana, Silvertip tetra;
1 Tanichthys albonubes, White Cloud Mountain minnow;
1 Crossocheilus siamensis, true Siamese algae eater;
1 Peckoltia vittata, dwarf Clown pleco;
1 Colisa lalia, blue Dwarf Gourami;
5 Botia sidthimunki, Dwarf or Chain Loaches;
1 Pseduomugil furcatus, Forktail Blue-eye rainbowfish; variety of unwanted snails – mostly red ramshorns, some Malayan live-bearing.
Materials two 20lb bags of Flourite; most gravel is Turface Profile MVP; 4 moderate-sized bogwood pieces
Additional Information diamond-shaped corner tank, W x H on front pane only; 30" Length on the diagonal from back corner to front pane.
DIY yeast system with pH meter and powerhead to DIY reactor, also diffusion via airstones & 2 Natural Plant System ladder bubble-counters. Six 2.5-liter and seven 3-liter yeast bottles use sugar + protein drink, 1/3 of the bottles renewed on alternating weeks.
Fertilization:
Liquid: 2 tsp or 10 ml each of Kent Pro-Plant, Kent Freshwater Plant, Seachem Flourish Iron, Tetra Blackwater Tonic added 3 - 4 times a week, Seachem N & K & Comprehensive Supplements weekly;
Solid: two Job’s Plant Sticks for Palms, 1/6 of piece each in substrate for swords, crypts, and stem plants once a month.
An experiment with pressurized CO2 injection left pH swings, increasing beard algae. Currently, on yeast system, buffering pH between 6.8 - 7.0 by adding to filter box ¼ - ½ ounce or 10 - 16 grams powdered garden dolomite & baking soda when pH is too low, doing water changes when pH too high.
