Review of the Illumagic BLAZE

I recently tried out the new Illumagic BLAZE and i must say this is quite a powerful light. Modern LEDs are becoming more and more competitive and this light is just packed with features. Whether you have a iphone or an android phone the light period and colour of the light produced is configurable to mimic dawn, noon and dusk. Check out the video for the full review.

Bucephalandra under Illumagic LEDs

What a killer plant! This Bucephalandra brownie purple is showing some very nice colouration under the Illumagic COBs. I would love to see how this plant changes colours under programmable LEDs with different spectral outputs. Thank you Jaya! Awesome plant.

I have also acquired Bucephalandra champagne (lower right). The new leaves are a lot paler than the older leaves. Would love to see this one also grow out into a clump. I think it would look very beautiful under blue LEDs.

Stay tuned! 

Watch the unboxing here

Blue Bolt Taiwan Shrimp feeding off Weeping moss

My favourite shrimp and my favourite moss in the same photo. Beautiful!

Bucephalandra Brownie Purple

Hi everyone as many of you are aware of, I am very fond of the Bucephalandra genus of plants. Apart from the Brownie Phantom I posted up earlier, I have recently acquired another 2 colours - the Brownie Purple and the Champagne; both of which look stunning!

I also currently keep the Brownie Blue, Brownie Red and Brownie metallica variants.

Thank you Jaya! Here is a picture of the brownie purple. I will take more in future when it has settled in my tank.

(photo provided by Jaya)

Prevention, Treatment and control of BBA Black Beard Algae

We all have algae woes in our aquariums at some stage or other. BBA also known as Black Beard Algae or Black Brush Algae is one of the most common types of Algae found in many newly set up aquariums. This video discusses what it is and how to eliminate it. Enjoy

Making your own aquarium fertiliser

When i first started planted aquariums. I went through bottles and bottles of Seachem comprehensive and trace. It cost me a lot in time and visits to the store and postage. Then i did some research and have come up with a convenient way to make your own fertiliser at home with simple instructions.

Today I will share this with you guys in a video i made. All you need to do is dose your aquarium with several squirts from the bottle every day.

If you haven't already, please do not forget to support my channel on Youtube. Please also subscribe to the channel as I provide updates very regularly. It has a current following of 80 people and gets approximately 100 views / day.

How to grow and propagate Eriocaulon Shiga

I have been keeping Erios for quite some time and my favourite Erio of all time is the Japanese Eriocaulon Shiga. This is a stunning plant that many people seem to have difficulty keeping alive. For this reason I have decided to share some valuable information on how to keep this plant alive in any aquarium. Hope you guys like the video

Enjoy!

How to sex your shrimp

I have made a quick video on how to sex your shrimp. ie. How to tell if your shrimp is male or female. Click on the video to see the guide

Anubias care and propagation

Anubias is a unique plant in that it spreads by rhizomes not roots. These rhizomes do especially well when not buried in the soil or substrate. Instead they are glued to wood or rocks and can be easily propagated that way. Anubias is a hard plant and is great for beginners. Some favourite species include anubias barteri, anubias pinto, anubias nana and anubias nana petite.

In this video i use anubias nana petite and show the viewer how to divide it properly as well as glue to a piece of wood to make a small tree.

A guide on tying moss to Stainless Steel Mesh

Here is a guide I made tying moss to SS mesh to produce moss pads which are perfect for shrimp and foreground planting in aquariums. Tying moss to SS mesh enables the aquascaper to fully mat out their foreground with a carpet of moss and is perfect for breeding shrimp as it increases foraging surface area. 

My favourite moss is weeping moss but you can use flame moss, peacock moss, willow moss, christmas moss and other mosses to the same effect.

Click the video to watch the guide.

Bucephalandra species

It appears Bucephalandra has become very popular in the aquascape hobby the past few years. Bucephalandra is a rheophyte that is found native to Borneo. It grows next to streams and fast flowing water and can be found attached to rocks. The plant has become very popular in the aquascaping hobby due to its unique properties when submerged underwater. It appears to have properties of Anubias barteri in that it grows via a rhizome. It also gives off very unique colours that change under different lighting conditions. This plant is very easy to grow but also grows extremely slowly.

This is a huge disadvantage as this plant is susceptible to becoming endangered as it cannot grow fast enough to replace those taken from the wild. However its price is coming down which may be a good thing as there is less demand and more plants kept in the hobby. At first I did not like this plant as it looks a little messy however the species has grown on me. Here are a few photos from my aquarium.

Bucephalandra brownie phantom

Favourite Anubias species

I thought i'd share some of my favourite anubias species. As for most of the plants i have kept over the years, I prefer miniature plants as they not only make the scape look a lot larger, they also do not take up much room. 

 This is anubias nana petite (or anubias barteri var nana). It is one of the smallest anubias species I keep and a personal favourite due to its size and colour. It can be glued onto driftwood using Loctite or the rhizomes can be buried. Contradictory to popular belief i have never lost this plant by burying the rhizome.

Next is white anubias. Not many plants are pure white like this one and another interesting perk is that it does not grow very large. This plant forms an amazing contrast to red plants and can be planted adjacent to them.

Next is Anubias pinto. This is larger than the white variant and has more green streaked through its leaves. I find this plant easier to keep compared to anubias white and also looks very beautiful. Currently this plant is rare and therefore quite expensive.

[EHEIM OPAL] Deep Blue Bolt

Hi everyone,

A very long time since my last update. I almost forgot about this blog until i was reminded of it this afternoon. Family commitments have kept me busy but i still have a love for this hobby. Here are a few recent pictures id like to share.

I have been breeding and fine tuning blue bolts for quite a while now. Here is a picture of one of the parents. Absolutely stunning.

They have been breeding for quite well for a while now but it has slowed considerably due to the recent summer heatwaves.

My black cherries have been getting darker and darker due to intense selective breeding as well. I have many happy new owners to share these with. Here are six selected for sale during last years auctions. Notice how their shells are so shiny they look like they have been waxed?