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NatureScape - The End

Some great suggestions guys, thanks. @CooKieS I like the idea of S rotala macrandra mini butterfly, and @hogan53 Rotala mexicana "Goias". Both don't grow very tall so keeping them short and compact won't be too difficult, I hope. But everywhere I've looked is sold out :rolleyes:.

Did you swap the Radeon to T5? Any reason? Thanks!
No it's a Twinstar S series. The Radion didn't really provide the even spread of light that I needed to grow the plants I liked, and I had to be clever with the hardscape to ensure that it didn't cast too much shadow.
Shame, I loved the glitter lines, which I miss now. I suppose I could always buy a second Radion to give more even spread, though, but finding one cheap enough proved challenging.
 
the Alternanthera reineckii 'Mini', just isn't working in this scape. The leaves are too big

I have the same issue with mine- 'Big Leaves', so :watching: closely to find my replacement ;) - couldn't really watch this thread more closely than I do already :lol:
 
Rotala mexicana "Goias". Both don't grow very tall so keeping them short and compact won't be too difficult, I hope.

I've grown it a few years back for a while.. A very beautifull, verstatile but also demanding plant in need of a specific user guide per given conditions.
It likes to stay low and creep over the substrate and roots very shallow from the short internodes. I guess in my case it was a light issue, definitivly not CO².. Ive seen pictures of it growing pretty erect in full color in ample light.

If it stays low and starts creeping with the stem laying on the substrate it can be a messy plant to maintain with rooting it up. Its also very brittle stems snap easily. And as said before its a stincker..

Even in my case with the conditions not 100% perfect it's realy a stunner.

And its a rather difficult dry starter, very difficult to grow emersed, that's likely the case its rare in the trade..
 
So, I've been thinking for a while that although it's a stunning plant the Alternanthera reineckii 'Mini', just isn't working in this scape. The leaves are too big and it really needs something with finer leaves that also has colour...Maybe Hygrophila 'Araguaia' would be a better alternative. Thoughts anyone?

46712690284_93ba2fe03c_b.jpg

by Tim Harrison, on Flickr

I quite like it tbh @Tim Harrison, you could snip off a few outer leaves to keep it compact.
 
Nice plant but definitively an bit too large for this tank.:pompus:

Did you find any replacement yet?:thumbup:

Nice to see small batches of BBA on the wood, got the same on my tank and I like to burn it with liquid carbon. :D
 
Did you find any replacement yet?:thumbup:
@hogan53 kindly sent me a few stems of Rotala mexicana "Goias", and a few others, which I'm hoping will take hold and grow well.
Hi Tim another plant to consider is Cryprocorine albida brown.Stunning little fine leaved crypt Regards Konsa
I like that idea, and I have been thinking along those lines as well :)
Nice to see small batches of BBA on the wood
Not sure that it is. It's bright green and quite attractive, and has been present almost from the beginning.
 
Some pretty impressive O2 bubbles on the H. verticillata...

Do like H. verticillata in my tank also, does spread pretty quick but not as fast as Japan, but it is easy to keep under control IME Yours seems a bit more compact than mine (shorter stems) probably due to the more intense light. Alternanthera reineckii 'Mini' looks really healthly with only one leaf being being curly also :thumbup: trim mine back this week due to big leaves also. If only the leaves was smaller :banghead: would of thought with your intese light the leaves would of been smaller :rolleyes:
Tank is looking great Tim all the same :clap:
 
Thanks for the comments guys.

Thanks @Jayefc1 I must admit I'm a bit loath to get rid of it but it's the leaf size that's the problem :(

@three-fingers the image was taken toward the end of the photoperiod, but I had changed about 95% of the water before it started. The base board the tank sits on had blown due to water penetration, drips from where the cat had been drinking from the tank :mad: I had to drain the tank to get it on to a new board. Scruffy is definitely banned from the study now...

@zozo, my wife said something very similar Marcel, and she is very intrigued by the "mushroom type plant". She reckons my scapes have a fantasy element to them :)

Thanks @Zeus. light intensity is at 85% now but it doesn't seem to have any effect on leaf size, so far. I'm going to dial up the intensity to 100% if I can, and then I'll increase the photoperiod from 6 hrs to 8hrs - 15 mins a week.
 
You know how it is...you're looking at your scape thinking, that looks a bit untidy I'd better do a bit of light trimming...o_O
Before you know it 3 hours have passed and you've a bucket full of (Edvet's) Finest Green...:eek:

bucket-of-duckweed-jpg.jpg


I've been gradually increasing the light intensity and the plants are growing like weeds. I've ditched the rest of the A. reineckii 'Mini', and have replaced it with Ludwigia sp. Mini Super Red, some I already had and some kindly given to me by Hoggie (@hogan53 ); hopefully I can keep it small and compact. I've also trimmed the Rotala stems at the back to near substrate level and replanted the tops. They've been trimmed several times before and now they'll be fine for several more.

Just a quick (and shaky) iPhone video...





 
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