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210L Journal (new pics 12/12/2010

Ben M

Ben M

Member
Joined
1 Sep 2009
Messages
662
hi, well i thought that i'd start a journal for my tank. i have been trying to make it look good for a while on a very limited budget, and i would like some help and guidance please.

Tank size: 120cm x 40cm x 40cm
(Length) x (width) x (Height)

volume: 216l = 57 us gal.

Lighting: 2 x 30w t8's. on for 9.5 hours (7.30 am - 5.00 pm)

Ferts/c02: 5ml TPN+ daily. soon changing to EI. no c02.

Filter: Rena Filstar XP2. Possibly soon getting another external of similar size.

Substrate: left 1/3: 3mm rounded gravel mixed with silver sand.
right 2/3: silver sand.
No substrate fertilization.

Fish/inverts: currently have: 4 kribs, 5 SAEs, 20 copper harlequins, 5 harlequins, 3 serpae tetras, 3 cardinal
tetras, 4 rummynose tetras and 3 ottos.

Final intended stocking: 5SAEs, 20 copper harlequins, 13 ottos, 10+ Corydoras trilineatus or aeneus and lots of cherry shrimp and possibly others (amano's etc.). and possibly another 20+ small shoaling fish.



A few pics:

026.jpg
Full tank shot.


029.jpg
left side of tank.


020.jpg
Middle of tank.

017.jpg
Right side of tank.


012.jpg
From side.


035.jpg
A Siamese algae eater.


any ideas as to what i could do to make it look better, and which plants i should add next? i was thinking maybe some Hygrophila polysperma in place of some of the vallis, and to the right of the java fern, where i am trying to grow the needle java fern on a piece of slate? and i think i should get some more crypts to fill out in front of the java fern. is that a good idea?

constructive criticism very welcome.

cheers
 
Re: My First Journal

any thoughts? i am getting 1 Echinodorus ozelot red and 1 Echinodorus red rubin soon, and i think that i'll put one behind the anubias on the right, and one in front of the java fern on the left.

cheers :D
 
Re: My First Journal

I think the big bit of wood is a bit dominant and near the front, how about moving it back and attaching some moss or java fern to break it up a bit. I would advise easy carbo or flurish excel (as well as your TPN)and adding more stems, hygrophillia is a good idea try adding some at both sides but in asymmetrical bunches. The amazon swords will get quite dominant in the centre and may grow out of the surface but I think that might be cool. Keep us updated.
 
Re: My First Journal

thanks for the help, i think that i'll move the wood back a bit then, i don't really have any moss i can grow on it, as my SAEs eat it all, are there any species that will not be eaten? i do have some java fern, so i'll grow some of that on it. i think i'll move one of the amazon swords to the right hand corner, so there is just one in the middle, and it should hide the filter/heater.
I had thought about some sort of liquid carbon, but they seem too expensive, and my parents think that pressurised is dangerous. :( is there a cheaper version of the liquid carbon? i'll have a look for some Hygrophila polysperma on the weekend, but it's just really annoying that everything grows so slowly.

cheers :D
 
Re: My First Journal

Liquid carbon can be expensive but a big bottle lasts a good while even with a tank your size. However hygro will do fine without CO2, one you have the hygro reduce the floating plants so it gets plenty of light, planting more of one species will help achieve a natural look. Yeah unfourtunatley SAE seem to eat most types of moss..... I would advise sticking with the java fern which is a great plant that looks beautiful once it gets going.
 
Re: My First Journal

thanks, i am going to thin out the floating plant. i thought that maybe i can keep it in certain areas by putting some sort of string, or maybe tubing from my air pump across the surface.

so, i'm thinking of moving the bogwood to the back of the tank, the putting one of the amazon swords in the back right corner, with the vallis to the left (bunched closer together. then attaching some java fern to the bogwood, and adding some bunches of Hygrophila polysperma. do you know of any one who has any spare H. polysperma that i could buy, as they don't have it very often at my lfs?

cheers :D
 
Re: My First Journal

Sorry I only have Rotala which seems really sluggish without CO2, just post on the sales forum. Someone will definitely have excess hygro!
 
Re: My First Journal

hi, i've got some more pics:

047.jpg

full tank shot... seems to be getting more natural looking, i think.


053.jpg

Left side of tank. i've moved some of the vallis and the Amazon sword to the left, with a bit of Hygrophila polysperma between, and to the right of that, some Limnophila sessiliflora and some more Hygrophila polysperma.


049.jpg

I've also superglued some Monoselenium tenerum to a piece of lava rock, and i'm hoping that it will spread into a cushion.


058.jpg

Middle of the tank.


054.jpg

Right hand side of the tank. i've put some Limnophila sessiliflora and some Hygrophila polysperma behind the bogwood, and i hope they will soon appear above it.


057.jpg

Plants behind the bogwood.

do you think it's looking better? and what should i add next? i can't really tell if the new plants are growing, as i've only had them for a couple of days, but they do seem to have straightened up towards the light. i have put the rest of the Monoselenium tenerum in some glass jars on my windowsill in the sun, and i'm hoping that it will grow so i have enough to make a big carpet out of it. it has been pearling loads today, but that might be because i've just put it in the jar.

cheers :D
 
Re: My First Journal

hi, i've got some more pics of how it looks now. well, quite a lot of pics...

003.jpg

Full tank shot.


006.jpg

Hygrophila on the left is growing quite well.


007.jpg

Attaching the Monoselium tenerum to the lava rock failed, as the SAE's pulled it off within a few days.


009.jpg

The Limnophila sessiliflora is really taking off, it's grown about 3" in a week.


011.jpg

The Hygrophila in the middle is also growing well.


012.jpg

the Anubias is growing at a rate of about 1 leaf per week.


014.jpg

The Limnophila sessiliflora is appearing from behind the bogwood.


027.jpg

The amazon sword is getting really big now.


019.jpg

I'm getting a lot of babies on the java fern, so i can take some of the plantlets off soon, and grow them on something else.


026.jpg

My new amazon frogbit is growing well, and growing a new leaf every couple of days.


024.jpg

Are the new leaves on the Hygrophila supposed to look like this? it's just that they look a bit strange.


what do you think? i'm hoping that all of the tall plants will spread to the top at the back and hide the filter pipes. i'm unsure as to whether i should get another stem plant or not. are there any red stems that i could grow to add a bit of colour? i'm still considering getting an Echinodorus ozelot and a carpet of Eleocharis acicularis or parvula. other than that, i'm just waiting for everything to fill out.

cheers :D
 
Re: My First Journal

thanks, i've just looked through the links, and i think that they must look like that normally, as there was nothing to show otherwise. i'm happy with it. what do you think about getting a red stem plant? are there any that will grow with 1.25wpg of t8, 5mls TPN+ daily, and no co2?

cheers :D
 
Re: My First Journal

Not sure if this would work. Was going to try it myself but have no experience with it.
Nesaea pedicellata

Look that up on tropicas site see if it fits the bill. Others may have better suggestions though. Or more experience.

http://www.tropica.com/default.asp
 
Re: My First Journal

thanks, i like the look of that. does any one know for sure if it'll work? if not, any other suggestions?

cheers :D
 
Re: My First Journal

Looking good, balance is much improved! Plants look healthy. The java fern plantlets mean the leaf is healthy but old, this sounds painful but I would advise cutting off the leaves with plantlets, this will result in more new leaves growing from the rhizome.

I still find the wood kind of dominates the scape but that's only my opinion, if you like it, go with it.

More crypts planted nearer the centre would also give a carpet effect. I think with your current light levels and no CO2, you will struggle with hairgrass, glosso, HC etc. Others may think otherwise!

Good work, Tom
 
Re: My First Journal

thanks, i agree that the wood is a bit dominant, but i think if i maybe grow some stems in front of some of it, and with the java fern on it, then it will not look so big. it cost £35, so i don't think my parents would be pleased if i got rid of it. i'll cut off some of the older java fern leaves, but i'll leave them in the tank, and see if the babies grow. i'm being sent some Rotala rotundifolia soon, so i might put some of that in front of the bogwood. i might get some crypts for the front, but i'd also like to try dwarf hairgrass to see if it works.

cheers :D
 
Re: My First Journal

If you want to propagate the fern plantlets I'd suggest leaving them on mother plant until they are big enough to handle and tie into their new positions then gently pull them off the old leaf when you remove it. If they are too small you may struggle to keep them in their new homes.
 
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