Current setup

Fireplace Aquarium as of 2-Oct-2023

Notes:  replaced Anubias caterina with Riccardia chamedryfolia, replaced pinto with Anubias barteria ‘Mini Coin’, added some chili rasboras! (top left behind the plants)

Previous Residents…

Usually these are ‘previous residents’ because something didn’t work out quite right…

Animals

• Yellow goldenback shrimp

Plants

• Alternanthera reineckii ‘Rot’
• Alternanthera reineckii ‘Rosanervig’
• Anubias barteri nana ‘Pinto’
• Anubias nana ‘Snow White’
• Bucephalandra caterina 
• Cryptocoryne lutea ‘Hobbit’ 
• Cryptocoryne parva
• Cryptocoryne beckettii ‘Petchii pink’ – wasn’t pink!
• Cryptocoryne wendtii ‘Flamingo’
• Echinodorus radicans 
• Hottonia palustris
• Hygrophila polysperma
• Littorella uniflora
• Lobelia cardinalis ‘Dwarf’ 
• Lobelia cardinalis ‘wavy’
• Ludwigia palustris mini ‘Super Red’
• Lysimachia nummularia ‘Aurea’
• Marsilea crenata
• Marsilea hirsuta
• Pogostemon helferi – eaten by shrimp

Accessories

Things that keep things going, or make them nice.

Food for critters

• Various flakes, pellets and wafers

Temperature control

• Heater – HiDom 100 W submerged

Lighting

• Aquarium lighting
  • Kessil A80 ‘tuna sun’
  • Kessil spectral controller

Water movement

• VorTech MP10w ‘quiet drive’
• NEXBERG aquarium mini piezo air pump

Decorations / hardscape

• biOrb Amazonas Root Aquarium Ornament (41cm)

Water quality

• ‘Estimative index‘ fertilizers
• Algaecide aka ‘liquid carbon‘
• Water conditioner

Carbon dioxide (gas) delivery

• Controlling aquarium CO₂
  • regulator, secondary restrictor, needle valve
• Bottled CO₂ tank

• CO₂ diffuser
• Drop checker

Plant substrate

• Aquasoil
• Biohome biogravel
• BiOrb ceramic media

Vendors

Where it all comes from.  No kickbacks, just honest impressions.

• Aquarium Gardens
  • great outfit in St. Ives.  super friendly and helpful people and wonderful in-store scapes for inspiration
• ProShrimp
  • good vendor, often has better pricing than most
• Aqua Essentials
  • good selection and service
• ScapedNature
  • Outfit in Norwich.  Lots of great stuff – shipping can be pricey.
• RIverwood Aquatics
  • seems a small outfit, but I like these guys – very responsive
• Ebay
  • second-hand kit.  you can do well here
• MaidenHead Aquatics
  • the local shop, part of a garden centre
• Charterhouse Aquatics
  • major online shop.  the aquarium came from here
•  Machine Mart
  • affordable supplier of disposable CO₂ cylinders.  600 g cylinder lasts about 4 months
• Welder’s Warehouse
  • going to try out a new CO₂ regulator from them, has a ‘buy 2.5 get 3’ offer on CO₂ cylinders
• AquariumPlantFood
  • I used to get all my ‘dry salts’ fertilizers from here, sadly now out of business

Online Resources

UK Aquatic Plants Society – lots of great information here

Dennerle plant database – very helpful