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60 Gallon 60cm cube

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plantbrain

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2 Aug 2007
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This tank has gone through a few different changes, but has settled in. I'd originally wanted some finer foreground leaf shapes, but the plecos would have none of that, this plant does not uproot and and allows a nice understory place for the plecos to grub around and the RCS to pick and clean anything missed by the plecos. I have 15 caves made into this piece of wood for the plecos(Leopard frog). the brass tetras are about 2 years old, this is as big as they get, very pretty and excellent schooling, lively fish. Maybe 100 RCS in here. Simple display, but low light + easy care, makes it a nice tank.

Good current, flourite sand, wet/dry filter, 1.7 w/gal and about 30 micromols along the bottom.

Recently send a basket ball sized piece of bolbitus off for sale, and about 50 dwarf hygros. 30 RCS are culled about once every month or two from the filter.

Now if I can get some Leopard frog fry or have some tetras' spawn, I'm in good shape.

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Regards,
Tom Barr
 
Really Really nice, Tom. I really like the scape, I normally fall into the twisty branch camp but this is marvelous.
Can you please give more detail on your equipment?
I'm guessing the light is 4x 24w corallife? What LPH turnover is going through the tank? I see you've got a small powerhead in there as well as the filter, I'm guessing you're using a sump with saying it's wet and dry or are we talking on of those Eheims?
Again, really good.
Oh yeah, the other thing I meant to ask on another thread you keep mentioning a Holistic response, what do you mean by this as I've always heard holistic to mean a type of low impact farming?
 
This plant gets denser, not really taller, it'll bush, I just trimmed it, replanted the tops only, so it's pretty thin.
It gets a bit high for the wood really.

But stays put after replanting, responds well to abuse, something different etc.
I'm not happy with the plant from a design aspect. Gloss, or Hairgrass might be better, but the plecos will shred that.

Light is a coralife aquapro, I have never used the HQI though, just the 110W PC lights(2x 55W).
This pics are just what the tank normally looks like operating. No special nothing for the pic, I did not even wipe the glass.

Flow is about 350gph for the wet/dry, 200 gph for the Rio powerhead.

Holistic approaches are centered around the larger big picture, eg, light/CO2 and nutrients, not just micromanagement of a single one say, NO3 etc. Folks tend to do this a lot in the hobby and do not look at the overall approach, dosing methods are only maybe 20% of the total for growing plants. CO2/light are much stronger variables.
Many claim their dosing method is the greatest and all other methods are worst cause of this or that. Dosing is just a small part of this. Many seem to forget this.

I'll post a pic of the tank before the trim.

Regards,
tom Barr
 
in the FTS, what is the piece of equipment hung on the back of the tank?
looks like a HOB fiter but i doubt it is!
 
i dunno i think that it gives it a very natural look and i think its cool how theres small gaps (cool for shrimp to hide under)
 
Thanks for the update Tom, I thought it would have less light than that, especially as the tank doesn't meet the 10x turnover that so many of us aim to hit. I've been aiming for 20x recently and this is starting to reffirm that maybe I've been micromanaging myself.
Unless gallons per hour is different to lph or you're talking actual flow through the tank opposed to pump theoretical throughput?
Either way I think I'm guilty as charged. I just need to get my lights built and I'm sailing.
My new tank arrives tomorrow so I'm reinvigorated with the lust for knowledge. :)
 
Hi Tom ,
Thats a really nice scape :thumbup: and whilst you might not like the hygrophila compact from a design aspect, it does look quite striking.

Is the compact specific to that particular genus (is that the right term) or will other types of hygrophila respond the same way when trimmed as you have ?
 
Tom

Looks great ! I have been considering a 2ft cube for my lounge as i like the proportions!
Nice Plecs by the way!

anything to consider when looking at a cube?

Andyh
 
I think it's in the same genus as the 049 Starougyne.

I'd considered downoi, but........the ruffled leaves catch every single piece of loose moss and it turns into mossville, looks ratty etc in this tank. This plant however, hides such riftraff and muck.

Reason being, Downoi is much easier to sell and get good $ for. Same for Erios', but Erios has a slightly similar issue and would not look that good in here really.

Gloss, UG etc would, but...........

I might try and reseed the tennellus, it looked decent, a tad too tall really.
The other might be hair grass, it's deep enough rooted to make a go, I have regular dwarf hair grass and then the belem, which is even shorter, sort of curves over on itself.

*I can sell the belem also.
Tennelus? Less than the dwarf hygro, few want it.
UG would be good, I just do not think it'll take with the plecos.
No one wants gloss either.

Moss gets tangled in hair grass also.
I think it's easier to clean out though.
I might try that.

Regards,
Tom Barr
 
Love the tank and the plecos. I really want leopard frogs in my 5ft tank. Glad to see they can co-exist with plants. I wasn't going to have the more delicate high maintenance fg plants as the tank is tall and I'm not but are there any other plants that you'd suggest avoiding with them?
 
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