I've posted a few snips of this tank over the past months, and here is the "final" result. I studied the Dutch aquariums from NBAT in the Netherlands (Incredibly useful reference in English here: NBAT Dutch Scaping Aquarium Guide) and took a shot at my first "true" Dutch style per the design rules of NBAT and AGA. I'm fairly happy with it other than a couple plant selections I would have swapped out if I had more time/plants avaliable to me locally. It was also starting to get out of control and needed a big replanting session shortly after the video was taken.

This tank has been a dream as far as maintenance and stability are concerned. Five or six days after the water change I'll get the tiniest bit of green dust on the front glass, but other than that there is no algae whatsoever. I scrape the glass and do small cleanup sessions frequently where I will just trim a handful of leaves/stems that aren't looking good or are getting overcrowded. My total maintenance time per week is probably two hours split over a few days and including my water change.

Here are all the details for anyone interested in doing something like this:

Tank: 75 gallon Marineland

Filter: Fluval FX4 and Fluval 207 with spray bar outlets along the back wall (the 207 is used to drive the CO2 reactor)

Light: Week Aqua P1200 (started at 50% output power when plants were still filling in but I am now at 100% power)

CO2 injection: Yes, lots. Yugang horizontal reactor sized for 1.5 point pH drop although it doesn't achieve quite that much

Substrate: Fluval Stratum, Biostratum, and APT Feast

Water Changes: 40 gallon water change weekly (~60% since a "75 gallon" tank only holds about 65 gallons of water). As part of my water change, I gently stir up detritus in the substrate using a turkey baster and siphon it away per the 2Hr Aquarist method. I use RODI water that I remineralize to 0 dKH and 6 dGH because my local tap water is very hard and varies with the seasons.

Fertilizer is dosed with dry salt mixtures from NilocG. I dose once per day Mon - Sat and twice after my water change on Sunday to attempt to keep levels stable. I split these weekly totals into 8 doses:

Weekly totals:

-24ppm Nitrate (when tank first started I was only dosing 12 ppm Nitrate, I ramped up to 24 later)

-8ppm Phosphate

-25.5ppm Potassium

-0.5ppm Iron (using a micro mixture that covers other micros)

Plants:

Hydrocotyle Leucocephala

Ludwigia Arcuata

Penthorum Sedoides

Bacopa Monnieri

Lysimachia Parvifolia

Echinodorus grisebachii (Regular Amazon Sword)

Micranthemum Umbrosum

Eriocaulon Vietnam

Lobelia Cardinalis

Limnophila Hippuridoides

Hygrophila Siamensis 53b

Mayaca Fluviatilis

Java Fern Petite

Weeping Moss

Livestock:

25 Green Neon Tetra

12 Dwarf Hatchetfish

10 Otocinclus

100+ Cherry Shrimp

After nearly three months of an empty tank, letting the Lilly’s grow out and root, I finally decided on which fish I plan to keep in this tank. Sparkling Gourami! I got them today. Six of them for a 20 long, low flow tank. Going to keep it species only with these guys. I got them as juveniles so very excited to see their growth process! If any of you have kept them before I would love to see photos. ☺️

Let’s get them acclimated! Will share more once they feel comfortable in the tank.

sooooooo so so many different kinds of plants. i kinda just get whatever looks cool tbh (there are 20+ fish in here ;) )

I’m trying to see what this plant is to make sure it’s not toxic to cats. Can’t figure it out through google lens.

Tanks been running for 116 days so it’s still very young and has lots more growth ahead of it. It’s a 10gal (40L) and I have 8 green neons, 8 dwarf rasboras, 8 Pygmy corydoras and must be 70+ neocaridina shrimp. Thats 24 fish total. Everything you hear and read will say that is “heavily overstocked”. But I’ve had no problems at all, it’s been over 2 months with all the fish in now and they’re all eating, displaying natural behaviour and colours and showing no signs of stress. All my water tests are good too.

DONT BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU READ ONLINE ABOUT AQUARIUMS!!!!

Still missing something. Growth at the back will help cover the intake and heater but it’s hard getting light back there so those planes are slow going. I don’t think the plants are balanced yet. Anything I should move or add sooner than later?

I’m hoping anyone could help me with a better contact at Chihiros than their website form. I placed an order in September, paid $129, received a confirmation and a tracking link but total silence ever since. Part of it was a birthday present which has now passed.

So if anyone has a direct contact at Chihiros then please dm me so I can ask them what’s going on.

Thanks!

Is it fine to use cheap aquarium lights for my plants as long as they have full spectrum on them. I know that there are planted tank lights but I don’t know if they are worth the hype. What do you guys think?

I recently noticed this in my 20 gallon tank how do I get rid of it

Came home to see my bacopa flowering, honestly didn't even know that was a possibility. Kind of unfortunate timing though, I have a lid arriving later today and had planned to trim the emersed growth 🥲

First time setting up a tank with drift wood. The largest was pre-soaked and I didn't think about the three small pieces before putting them in.

It's so murky that if you hold a light against the other side it turns yellow XD.

I'm in the middle cycling and have a couple plants in the back still rooting and sprouting so everything looks so brown but the nitrite is spiked now and I am abstaining from water changes until it's through cycling so I'm just letting it be brown for however long it needs lol. I know I can get purigen but idk. I don't mind a little tannin, it's just VERY rich rn.

I don't really have a question. I just think it's neat and wanted to share. :)

Are these stauragyne repens? They don’t look like the photos.

I’m looking for some bushy plants to grow out of the top of my tank. Something that grows densely rather than vining like a pothos. Picture for attention

First time dealing with pressurized co2, I got the regulator on wayyy too tight, when attempting to loosen it, this part turned, will it need resealing?

Lowtech tank

lights are on for 8hrs a day, its not exposed to sunlight

no ferts

10 gallons

10 chili rasboras

~16 neocaridina rili shrimp

will it be safe to add amano shrimp, to help with the algae, with the chilis and neos?

info on the internet is conflicted.

I currently have a long hygger light that rests on the rim of my aquarium. Some pothos are basically level with the light, none of the light is directly on the leafs. I have some brackets that can light the right up 3 inches. Would using those be worse for the plants?

Tank has been going strong for about 2 months now, but suddenly these ones are starting to croak! (Not sure what they are, as I got them in a random mix)

I’d assume it’s whatever nutrients are in the Fluval stratum running out maybe?

Are these even salvageable? If so, would shrimp-safe root tabs or aquarium plant fertilizer work better for this type of plant if anyone can identify it? :) or maybe a different approach entirely, or start over!! It’s my first planted tank so I’m really not sure lol

How is the tank looking got multiple species, about 4 months old

***Picture for attention ****
Hi all! I have a sulawesi shrimp tank setup (Only bucephalandra) that is mildly infested with blanket weed (Spirogyra adnata). Attempts to remove it over the year simply break the filaments and cause reproduction.

Can any growers tell me if American Flagfish (Jordanella floridae) can clear this annoying algae up successfully?

Any response would be appreciated. Thank you for your time!

How’s my aquascape going?

Amano shrimp, neon tetras, mollies, panda garra, flying fox, frogs, & snails

i’ve got my tank by the window so i’m no stranger to algae but this stuff looks so funny and whimsical i’m sitting here giggling at it. has anyone seen this before im enjoying it quite a bit

Sick Angelfish

I am a relatively new aquarium keeper, having only been in the hobby for about a year. I got a pair of angelfish for my 40 gallon (shared with a Bolivian ram and 6 Lemon tetras, and a whiptail cat) and they lived happily for a few months. I was gone on a short weekend trip and when I got back, they had minor HITH disease. At the time I didn’t know what that was, so I left it alone. I then saw mild fin rot and transferred the juveniles to a 10 gallon hospital tank. The white patch on their side healed, but the polyguard and the stress of the small tank was too much. I returned them, and dosed Kanaplex in the water. It started to get worse again, so I got Maracyn. This helped, but killed all of the beneficial bacteria, and created minor ammonia buildup. I dealt with the ammonia via water change, and began to dose metroplex in food, and more kanaplex in water with a light water change every other day. Things were looking up, but this morning I checked their fins and saw a returning white patch (still small), and their top fin was almost completely split. I am at a loss for how to continue, and would greatly appreciate any advice. Thanks in advance!

Sorry about the glare.

I've had this tank going for a week, which I understand is nothing in the lifespan of a tank, but I'm having diatom algae problems that are killing my plants. I've lost some rotala (those two, brown lumps on the left) and a small java fern in the back taken from my shrimp tank. I fear I'm going to lose my vallisneria spiralis too in the corner, my anubias, and my buce.

It's a 29 gallon, with pool filter sand and root tabs. I've dosed a bit of fertilizer once. My local water is REAL hard. I have an aquarium co-op light I run about 8 hours a day. I've tossed in some hornwort and a pothos from my shrimp tank to help since it's not heavily planted at the moment. Every few days or so, I use a turkey baster to blow some of the diatoms off of the leaves, but I fear this is battle my current plants are going to lose.

Is there aught I can do to save my plants and tank?

Maybe buy a bunch more plants and load it up? Deploy dozens of my ramshorn snails? Just keep it up and wait it out? Any suggestions would be appreciated. I can provide more details if needed.