Toad's 200 'plants added'

[toadass]

Hi all,

Just embarking on the new hobby, I've been floating around the forum for a while now trying to gather as much research and info as possible, so you'l have to excuse the mess I shall probably make of this journal and (hopefully not) the tank.
I bought around 2 years ago a Fluval Roma 200. the reason for the purchase of this tank was because origannaly it was going to go in a wall, but was unable to do this where I would liked to have installed it. If I had known back then what I know now I would have made a different choice in my purchase.

The tank as standard came with 2x T8's, so I made a little addition to the lighting by buying a 24w T5 ballast and adding 2x 21w T5's. Being my first planted tank I didn't want to get carried away with things that I wouldn't be able to handle.

Bit of a pain in the butt with W/C's, may invest in a luminaire somewhere down the line.

Tank specs...

Tank - Fluval Roma 200
Lighting - 2x T8 30w & 2x T5 21w
Heating - Hydor ETH 300
Co2 - 2kg FE, Aquamas 1000 reactor, TMC reg
Substrate - ADA Amazonia
Dosing - EI dry powders as in Clive's article
Filters - JBL Cristalprofi e1500 & Eheim 2028 (standard media with addition of purigen)

I have just returned from Aquajardin Gloucester, the store is only half hour away so a bit of a Brucie bonus .
Must say a big thanks to Ed at the store for there great service and assistance. As I contacted them via FB to see if I could turn up with my shocking picture of plants layout for advice on quantity of plants to order and they were only to pleased to help me, not only with this but with other plant suggestions which may be better me and my tank.

Plant list... Background

Pogestemum Erectus
Limnophila Aromatica
Lotus 'Red', (was toying with H P'sperma 'Rosanervig & Ludwigia Glandlusa) opted for the Lotus
Hudrocotyle Leucocephala (was changed when ordered, but not sure what to now )
Mid -
Lobelia Cardinalis
Crypts Wendtii 'brown'
Pogostemum Helferi
Blyxa Japonica
Anubias Barteri 'nana'
Foreground
Staurogyne Repens
E.Tennelus

These are just basically all plants that i like the look of, there wont be no real scape to the tank. I had planned on doing a copy of George and Dan's Nature's Reflection but opted against that until i have basically learned haow to grow plants, and see how i coped first. If i can get something along the lines of John's tankhttp://ukaps.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=49&t=15091 or James C or Clives i will be a very happy man.
I bought a couple of pieces Redmoor Wood whilst down AJ which are now in the bin.... for soaking. I will have play about with the wood over the w'end and try to upload a pic. Here's the tank as it is at the mo with the ADA in it.....


I was given some Flora-Gro nutri capsules from a friend to be placed in the Amazonia, do i need to bother with these or are they no use with the ADA??
I am hoping to collect the plants on Friday so will get few pics of plants and planting.

Many Thanks Toad

 

[ceg4048]

Re: Toad's 200

...I had planned on doing a copy of George and Dan's Nature's Reflection but opted against that until i have basically learned haow to grow plants...

A very wise decision mate. That's properly having the horse before the cart, for sure.

...I was given some Flora-Gro nutri capsules from a friend to be placed in the Amazonia, do i need to bother with these or are they no use with the ADA??

Well they won't hurt anything, but Amazonia is potent stuff by itself. If they're free and if it's no trouble to install them, then I'd say go for it, but I would definitely NOT go out of my way to buy them if I'd already spent megabucks on Amazonia...

Cheers,

 

[toadass]

Re: Toad's 200

If they're free and if it's no trouble to install them, then I'd say go for it,

Ok, Cheers Clive if there's no harm i'l chuck a couple in.

Just had a play about with the wood, this is what i eventually come up with, as i'm not going for any particular scape.

There were a couple of positions with the wood mixed together in the middle of the tank which would have made a great island scape. This is what i decided to go with..... until i get bored again and start to fiddle.

I bought a second hand Aquamas reactor (pictured above), so didn't get no manual with it. At the risk of sounding stupid i know that the little orange tap piece at the top is to release the build up of gas. The tap as it is at the moment is vertical. Anyone know if this is the correct position to have it closed?
I didnt check before installation and don't know which way the tap should be. Just didn't want it leaking Co2 as soon as it goes in.

Many Thanks Toad

 

[RoughIt]

Re: Toad's 200

Hi Toad.
The tap in the photo is in the off position.
I'm also running a second hand Aquamas, which originally leaked from every thread joint and also at the bleed tap.
It might be worth removing it, laying it on its side (inlet and outlet pointing up) and filling it with water.
Hopefully yours is leak free, but it'll be easier to cure before the tank is filled.

Doug

 

[Piece-of-fish]

Re: Toad's 200

Nice start and great looking wood. Good luck.

 

[toadass]

Re: Toad's 200

Cheers Doug, I hadn't even thought of given it a check... doh!!

Nice start and great looking wood. Good luck

Thanks piece of fish. I bought the wood on seperate occasions so wasn't to sure how they'd work, compliment each other quite well though.

Off to get the plants now so hopefully have some pics posted over the w'end

Toad

 

[greenjar]

Re: Toad's 200

Looking forward to some updated pics after the weekend - have a great day shopping, always a good feeling when you can hit the shops with some money in your pocket

 

[toadass]

Re: Toad's 200, Plants added

Hi peeps

Just thought i'd put in a couple of photos now that i have got some plants in a long awaited tank.
Not quite the photography skills of Mr Evans & many others may i add. I literally did just point and shoot as i have no idea what i'm doing with a camera.

After a few conversations and pestering by me to Clive, I would say i decided but the wise man advised me on my Co2 and spraybar placement, which was as i am running two filters to go for a double decker style setup with the spraybar, the full length of the tank with the non Co2 being the one underneath. I decided to put the Eheim through the Aquamas to run the Co2 as i think alot of flow would be wasted if i were to use the e1500

As you can see from the photo they're not quite alligned as perfect but at the mo seem to do the trick.

After a trip down to Aquajardin where not everything had come in from Tropica, so Ed very kindly sorted me out with some P' Erectus from one of the display tanks FOC cheers Ed, and around six hours later i eventually got the plants in somewhere how i'd like them. I cant beleive how much of a messy job it is.... well it was for me, (i'm sure some of you seasoned pros can do it with your eyes shut now) good job the Mrs was out for the duration. Anyways this is what it looked like planted with no water.

Looks like a big jungle mess as it stands The Lobelia Cardinalis seems to be alot bigger in it's immersed form in comparison to submersed. ATM it tends to dominate over the crypts that are there but as newbie i'm not to sure how this works, you can see new growth starting to come out from the base of the stem with what look like smaller brighter leaves forming, i'm guessing this is the new submersed leaves coming through??

Here's a couple of pics with the water added,

There is a Red Lotus hidden behind the wood which doesn't capture in this photo also just to the right of the P'Erectus is some Limnophila Aromatica which you can just capture the top of. The Limnophila was from Aquadip so didn't arrive in the huge form that you receive from Tropica but seems to me to be doing ok the first few days in.
The way things seem to be settling in i will have to give a trim to E.Tennules soon so i'l update a few pics after i have tried my hand at a trim (god help me) :? P.S forgot to add, ignore the rock the wood decided it'l look better with a couple of Anubias and itself floating halfway up the tank so had to weigh it down

Thanks for looking guys Toad

 

[Alastair]

Looks really nice mate. Even better when it starts to grow in properly. Love that wood

 

[vauxhallmark]

Looks great! Keep us updated!

Mark

 

[greenjar]

Agree with all the above. Looks great so far

 

[toadass]

Agree with all the above. Looks great so far

Thanks for the comments guys , thinking of maybe putting a little moss on one of the branches. Going to see how it looks after the plants have grown in a touch first though.... Just got a soft spot for Riccia or maybe some taxiphyllum.
For the time being i got to crack on with those W/C's that everybody loves to do

Many Thanks Toad