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The 2hr Aquarist

@2hraquarist

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The 2Hr Aquarist. Mastery Made Easy.

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Bucephalandra Brownie ghost 2011 during a deep water change. Looking back, I realize that all the BG 2011 I have, including these, all come from 3 original rhizomes I bought in 2016. Through out the years I've given away and sold hundreds of rhizomes, and they feature in many of my tank layouts.

They did glow with a more bluish sheen when I used tinted T5 lights in the past (second pic). In more recent LED lighting they looked darker purple. Well grown specimens have leaf shine that is obvious, while in poorer growth conditions the leaves lose their shine and become more dull colored. So Bucephalandra function an indicators for growth conditions as well even though they are slow growing. by @2hraquarist

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4 days ago

Another good find this year: Bucephalandra sordidula blue. Its not as super deep purple/bluish as some other rare varietals. However, this plant is mass produced by a large commercial aquatic plant farm (Tropica), which makes the plant much more available to the general public. For a large production plant, it has great color even in neutral light, and is relatively easy to grow.

Can be used either planted in the substrate or attached onto hardscape, giving it very flexible usage in the aquarium.

Grown under:
APT Feast aquasoil
APTe

#aquascape #plantedtank #plantedaquarium #aquascaping #aquarium #2hraquarist #APT3 #APTe by @2hraquarist

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7 days ago

Pogostemon stellatus 'Fireworks' is the best new find of the year for us. This varietal of P. stellatus grows smaller, more neatly, and more vertically compared to regular P. stellatus. With tactical trimming it forms bushes easily. Attractive dual-tone foilage and isn't too hard to grow.

Grown here with:
APT Feast aquasoil
APTe

#aquascape #plantedtank #plantedaquarium #aquascaping #aquarium #2hraquarist #APT3 #APTe by @2hraquarist

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11 days ago

Hygrophila triflora has similar growth characteristics as Hygrophila difformis (water wisteria), but its leaves turn reddish under higher light levels starting from the tips. Its an easy to grow plant for folks that want a dual-tone plant or a touch of color. As a larger plant that sprawls through horizontal stems, it is more suitable for larger aquariums (3ft and larger). It is much harder to prune a smaller bush into aesthetic shape.

Althought Hygrophila triflora has been on the market for some time, it still has not gained widespread popularity, so finding sources for this plant can be difficult. Hobbyist trading circles & smaller online dealers have a higher chance of having this plant compared to pet shops.

Grown here with:
APT Feast substrate
APT3

#aquascape #plantedtank #plantedaquarium #aquascaping #aquarium #2hraquarist #APT3 #APTe by @2hraquarist

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12 days ago

While many aquarists avoid stem plants, at 2hr Aquarist we celebrate them ~

Stem plants make up a huge number of species. However, their fast growth (and deterioration) means they require specific maintenance techniques to grow well.

Many stem plant species grow slower naturally and require less maintenance - such as Rotala florida and Hygrophila polysperma white. Others like Rotala rotundifolia and its many variants can be trimmed multiple times and still recover well.

Eventually, all have to be topped and replanted, and the old bottom portions uprooted and discarded. So developing methods for replanting efficiently is important when growing stem plants.

#aquascape #plantedtank #plantedaquarium #aquascaping #aquarium #2hraquarist #APT3 #APTe by @2hraquarist

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14 days ago

Eriocaulon sao benedito - similar but slightly smaller than the more commonly available Eriocaulon setaceum.

Similar to Tonina and many Syngonathus species, this Eriocaulon also prefers very soft water. (Best if KH <2). Its delicate needle thin leaves are also prone to algae in unstable tank environments. Its moderate growth rate makes it a joy to grow, it is easily pruned and shaped into nice bushes as it grows out.

Grown here with:
APT Feast aquasoil substrate
APTe

#aquascape #plantedtank #plantedaquarium #aquascaping #aquarium #2hraquarist #APT3 #APTe by @2hraquarist

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18 days ago

What nutrient levels do we target in the water column?

It depends on the how the tank is set up. For example, if I am using rich aquasoil and growing rooted plants, I can run very lean levels in the water column and the plants can still draw from the substrate. The main reason to run lean levels is to slow growth down, which makes landscaping easier as the trimmed bushes stay in shape for longer. In such tanks my average Nitrate (NO3) values can remain below 5ppm throughout the week.

However, if I grow some species that prefer heavier water column dosing, such as Tonina or Syngonanthus species, then I may for higher values between 10-20ppm NO3 in the water column.

Plants use more nitrogen than other elements - and its availability plays a key role in growth regulation. Higher Nitrogen availability => plants will tune up their growth rates. Lower Nitrogen availability => plants tune down their growth rates. Super lean levels cause plants to produce smaller leaves and take on more compact forms.

It is important to keep nitrogen availability stable to prevent plants from constantly tweaking their growth rates. Unstable nitrogen levels => plant tweak growth rates => algae on old growth and loss of older leaves.

#aquascape #plantedtank #plantedaquarium #aquascaping #aquarium #2hraquarist #APT3 #APTe by @2hraquarist

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19 days ago

Top view of Java fern "Orange narrow". Grows fast rooted in aquasoil; while the shaded areas are more greenish, the leaves exposed to higher light levels take on orange hues easily.

Java ferns make pretty good planted bushes, their shade tolerance allows them to be crowded out by taller plants without much downside and their slower growth rates requires less trimming and maintenance compared to stem plants.

Grown with:
APT Feast aquasoil
APTe

#aquascape #plantedtank #plantedaquarium #aquascaping #aquarium #2hraquarist #APT3 #APTe by @2hraquarist

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20 days ago

My 220cm Nature Aquarium. I just pruned back 50% of the plants, moved things around, removed some hardscape and added some stem plants which should fill the gaps. I'm using the @arkaaquatics ranger of fertilisers and the Feast substrate from @2hraquarist so they should be happy! What do you think? #aquarium #aquascape #aquariumhobby #fishtank #aquariumplants taken in Cambridge, UK by @2hraquarist

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22 days ago

Newer folks tend to be confused why we continue to do large water changes on well-planted, matured tanks. In such aquariums, there is a net nitrogen deficit due to plant uptake, so nitrates never build up. So why large water changes?

We don't just change water from the water column. We hover the siphon over the substrate and kick up detritus with a turkey baster. This removes organic waste which is a major trigger for algae in high light tanks. This allows up to run 200+ umols in our tanks while growing Anubias and Bucephalandra free of algae.

The water siphon is also used to vacuum up the dust cloud while uprooting and replanting is done. For many stem plants, replanting fresh tops and uprooting and discarding aged bottoms is what rejuvenates plant growth. Vigorous plant growth is algae resistant.

Periphyton is also lifted off plant leaves when water levels dip enough to expose the plants to air. Exposing plants to atmospheric air saturates their vacuoles with gaseous oxygen and carbon dioxide. This invigorates plant growth and plants also channel the extra oxygen down to the rhizosphere, which in turn turbo-charges development of the microbial community in the substrate. These invisible interactions have an extremely strong anti-algae impact.

Trimming, replanting, and large water changes are all part of our weekly maintenance regime.

Tank grown with:
APT Feast aquasoil
APTe

#aquascape #plantedtank #plantedaquarium #aquascaping #aquarium #2hraquarist #APT3 #APTe by @2hraquarist

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23 days ago

Showing off some Inpaichthys kerri "yellow". A healthy planted ecosystem gives rise to great looking fish. Unfortunately this species also snack on plants as can be seen in the last picture.

Many species of fish snack on plants, as does batches of Amano shrimp, and that is why we do not keep Amanos in any of our planted aquariums. Not all batches of fish/shrimp bite plants - and most folks don't grow enough variety of plants to see it happen, so claims about herbivore damage varies quite significantly. It can be visually identified, and obvious to folks to have experienced it before.

Plants with thin and delicate leaves are more susceptible to herbivore damage.

#aquascape #plantedtank #plantedaquarium #aquascaping #aquarium #2hraquarist #APT3 #APTe by @2hraquarist

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25 days ago

Unruly stem plants when trimming hasn't been done for a few days. Hygrophila polysperma white at center, with Pogostemon stellatus 'Fireworks', Rotala blood red sg, Ludwigia arcuata, and Rotala florida.

When you grow stem plants, the aquarium changes its look week to week due to the fast growth rates. This is unbearable for many hardscape focused aquascapers that need the plants to match the exact placement of wood/rock. For plant lovers, it gives a chance to tweak and shape the aquarium landscape as the plants mature.

Grown with:
APT Feast aquasoil
APTe

#aquascape #plantedtank #plantedaquarium #aquascaping #aquarium #2hraquarist #APT3 #APTe by @2hraquarist

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a month ago