#2

[parotet]

Hi all, as a said in one of the last threads of this forum, I discovered UKAPS last summer and I began to read about planted tanks like a fool. One month later I had in my hands a 24 liters nano cube (#1... no journal yet), a bargain sale I found in a local pet shop. With this tank I learnt how to grow plants and also how to ruin them with algae. Luckily, some advices from all you and a lot of reading helped me to overcome these difficulties... and as a result, just 5 months later of my first contact with planted tanks, I am engaged in a new setup.

This is how it looks for the moment.

The equipment has been bought during the last month trying to keep it in a budget, that means a lot of patience to find second hand items and sales on the internet. Here you have some details:

Tank: optiwhite 60x30x35 made locally
DIY cabinet, lamp stand and suspension kit
Light: Odyssea T5 2x24w, one tube 6,500 and the other one 10,000 K (much too white?)
Filter: Eheim 2215, second hand
Heater: Hydor 300w, second hand
Lily pipes: AquaGro, second hand
CO2 cylinder: 2 kg, second hand
Regulator, solenoid, bubble counter: CO2 Art
Ferts: dry salts from TNC, liquid EI dosing
Substrate: Amazonia and plain river sand

I won't be able to plant until next week (you know, very busy days, days out visiting the family... not the best moment to begin) so I have played a little bit inside the cabinet. It looks like this now.

The idea is to create 2 islands with lots of plants attached to the wood, mainly Bolbitis, Java fern narrow, Java fern and Riccia. Under and around the wood some Cryptocoryne, Staurogyne, Hydrocotyle tripartita and probably some Blyxa. I think I will also add some Riccia stones to delete the strict line between the soil and the sand. The background will be a mixture of Rotala and Limnophila aromatica. The sand will remain without vegetation.

Half of the plants will be bought to local aquarists or will come from my nano cube. No easy to exchange plants here in Spain mates... I feel jealous when I see the enormous quantity and variety of plants sold and exchanged between members in this forum! The other half will be purchased in a pair of good local aquascaping shops.

And that is all for the moment... Last pic of Rotala bunches waiting to be planted in one week.

Cheers,
Jordi

 

[parotet]

Some more exchanged plants waiting to be planted.

And some Riccia stones

In 3-4 days a short trip to the local shop to complete the set... and planting day!

 

[parotet]

Et voilà! The tank was planted 2 days ago... nothing more to add except that I changed in the last moment Java fern "narrow" for Java fern "Trident"... and please delete mentally the 2 big rocks on the redmoor. They decided to float in the last minute (even they were soaked for some days). I hope that in 3 weeks I will be able to get rid of them.

 

[Ian Holdich]

This is gonna be a real winner when it grows in. Well done!

 

[MARKCOUSINS]

Agree with Ian!Really like your set up,great job .How did you attach the plants to the hardscape?What were you planning to use as livestock?Cheers Mark

 

[parotet]

Agree with Ian!Really like your set up,great job .How did you attach the plants to the hardscape?What were you planning to use as livestock?Cheers Mark

Thanks Mark and Ian, plants were attached to the wood with superglue, all what you can see on wood: Anubias, Java fern, Java fern trident, moss, Bolbitis heleudotii. The rest is planted on soil (Staurogyne, Cryptocoryne, Sagittaria, Rotala, Hygrophila aromatica and Hydrocotyle tripartita) and finally Riccia was attached to stones using a net.

 

[parotet]

Hydrocotyle vulgare emerged attached this morning... I collected it near home and tried it submerged in another tank, but becomes too leggy, it looks much better emerged as it can be found usually in nature.

 

[Richard Dowling]

I'm impressed, to get a setup looking a good as that having done a lot of DIY and second hand buying, its inspirational! I guess its so easy to just go and spend a fortune on all new stuff these days.

Well done, will keep an eye on your progress

Sent from my XT890 using Tapatalk

 

[parotet]

Hydrocotyle vulgare seems the best adapted plant for the moment, no real changes as it was, and is, growing emersed. New leaves in 4 days. At the beginning I wanted to attach 2 or 3 stems of Ophiopogon, but Hydrocotyle is so beautiful that I will keep this plant. This species occurs in some wetlands in my region, with very hard water and very eutrophic, although it can be found mostly emerged. Anyway it will be happy with the nutrients released by aquasoil and the ferts!

 

[aliclarke86]

Brilliant. Hope this is still going well

Sent from my GT-I9505G using Tapatalk

 

[parotet]

Brilliant. Hope this is still going well

Yes, for the moment it is going well. I've had very busy and interesting days adjusting the CO2 and learning about my new tank. As a result, the tank has now a spraybar instead of an outflow lily pipe. Just two pictures to show the progress

This one looks a bit strange, isn't it? If you want to follow all the adjustments, here you have the whole version:
ph readings, dropchecker always green and aquasoil... any relationship? | UK Aquatic Plant Society

Plants are growing healthy and no algae for the moment... I will keep the fingers crossed!

 

[darren636]

That's looking great. And will only get better

 

[parotet]

Day 23... everything seems fine. No algae, healthy growth and finally without stones!!! This will improve the water flow and thus the CO2 distribution. Now I can see for the very first time all the plants gently moving, actually it looks a bit empty where the stones were... and I notice now how big they were. I purchased yesterday an atomizer at CO2 Art. I think that will help a bit more.
Some Bolbitis and Java Trident points are slightly damaged but nearly from the very beginning. At least it has not gone worse. Some old leaves of Anubias also damaged (coming like this in a friend's tank). New leaves all these species with no signs of CO2 deficiency.

(quick update, sorry for the pictures' quality...)

 

[parotet]

Forgot to ask for your opinion... I'm not sure what to do with the Java fern on the left under the redmoor. This place looks more suitable to me for Blyxa or something similar in shape. Java fern will grow to much... not the place for broad leaves
Any suggestions to improve the scape?

 

[parotet]

Update: a bit more than a month... and the cleaning crew has arrived

Very helpful with the brown diatoms on redmoor and a few patches of BBA on the old leaves that are still emerged forms. I trimmed the background (Rotala and L. aromatica) and also some leaves of Anubias, Java fern trident and Bolbitis...

I love Bolbitis, it has such fresh green leaves...

I think that during the next weeks I will get rid of some of the Riccia stones, trimming that plant is a PITA (plenty of leaves everywhere! I spent one hour to clean the tank). I will probably let the Staurogyne invade the sand, or maybe plant some Eleocharis parvula to create a transition ... what do you think?

 

[Aquaticz]

I think you tare doing great - keep it up

 

[pariahrob]

That's looking lovely. So impressed with the DIY work, as well as the scape.

 

[jose_j]

Amazing set up Jordi! Very beautiful, will follow its evolution!

 

[parotet]

Two months and quick update (... and bad quality picture. I will use the camera next time, promised)

Few things to report, some thread algae on the old leaves of Anubias and java fern trident that are being trimmed and controlled without too much pain (light fixture is now a bit higher, 40 cm above the tank and pH profile has been improved with more time with CO2 at the end of the light period). But in general good and healthy growth. The background (Limnophila aromatica, Rotala and now some Ludwigia repens added some days ago) was trimmed 10 days ago and growing well.

This afternoon I will re-scape the foreground. Riccia is beautiful but a pain regarding maintenance. Moreover it is hiding the Staurogyne repens planted and doesn't stop the aquasoil from falling on the sand (which was one of the aims). So... Riccia will be kept only in some places and I will plant some Eleocharis acicularis in its place. If Staurogyne and Eleocharis decide to spread and cover the foreground... Well, it's up to them!
I will also add a bunch of Proserpinaca palustris in the mid ground.

Cheers,
Jordi

 

[jose_j]

Hi Jordi, congratulations for your beautiful tank.

After Limnophila, Rotala, Ludwigia and Proserpinaca are grown it will be even more stunning, I like your plant choice.

Regarding Riccia I agree with you, its colour is very nice but its maintenance is highly demanding. I also would try to replace it with Eleocharis, but perhaps I would try a combination of E. acicularis and E sp. mini, planting the former at the rear of the later. To prevent Eleocharis and Staurogyne from spreading I would add a physical barrier hidden in the sand between the aquasoil and the white sand, something like a plastic or net stripe. Doing so in combination with your scissors will prevent it.

Congratulations again and keep us updated!

Cheers,

Jose