• You are viewing the forum as a Guest, please login (you can use your Facebook, Twitter, Google or Microsoft account to login) or register using this link: Log in or Sign Up

60-P "Succession"

For what it's worth I think they look just fine, I deffo wouldn't break some off, I don't think it would look right at all...

That long branch will drive him crazy when maintenance, cut it properly just over the water surface level, so it won't be visible when taking the FTS for contests
 
For what it's worth I think they look just fine, I deffo wouldn't break some off, I don't think it would look right at all...

That long branch will drive him crazy when maintenance, cut it properly just over the water surface level, so it won't be visible when taking the FTS for contests
I did break of around 5 cm of the longest branch. Think it looks more balanced now.
 
I just ordered a cabinet for the tank from green aqua! Found that the surface of the book shelf wasn't 100% straight and well, a cabinet will make everything look so much nicer. It will however take 3-4 weeks before I have it since it's made to order, so the plan is a dry start with moss and lilaeopsis until then. Which lily pipes would you guys suggest for a layout with vertical wood branches like this one? Can't decide if I should go for the Cal Aqua F2 or maybe even the small F1 or Aqua Rebell.
 
Lilaeopsis seems to do fine and has started setting new roots. I do have some proplems keeping the moss moist, so we'll see if everything survives. Have gotten some fungal growth, mainly Cladosporium or Penicillium I think. Hope it doesn't get too rampant..
 
View attachment vpRHGHD.jpg
View attachment bZohOKo.jpg
The moss has started growing! I was a bit worried for a while that it was getting too dry between mistings, but most of it seems to do fine now.
I'm still a bit torn between low tech or high tech with maybe 10-15 ppm CO2 and fish from slow-moving/high BOD waters. Don't really know which species would work though..
 
I'm not sure the moss is actually attaching to the wood even though it's growing well. Anyone with spiky and/or weeping moss dsm experience that can share their experience?

View attachment N6FWRzx.jpg
 
KkRCqas.jpg

Got a new phone with a better camera. Cabinet should arrive next week so I'm going to order the remaining plants soon. My plan so far is microsorum, bolbitis, anubias petite, bucephalandra and some crypts. Not sure which background plants to get though so suggestions are welcome. I've decided to keep it low tech so something that can grow in low light and no CO2. I've thought about hygrophila siamensis 53B and vallisneria nana..
 
Vallis is a great choice. I never seem to get any issue with it. Plus i really like it as a background plant. Hygrophila always seems to have damaged leaves, pin holes etc. However, it would be good for you to have something fast growing that will take any excess nutrients out of the water. Id recommend bacopa. I use it as a smaller version of hygrophila, so great in smaller tanks.

The tank looks great by the way! :clap:
 
  • Like
Reactions: JEK
Looking great... I like vallis I don't think it's used nearly enough. Back in the day it was one of the few plants I could actually get my hands on. It grows very well low-energy sometimes too well sending out runners everywhere. it can synthesis carbon from bicarbonates so it does especially well in hard water.
Hygrophila siamensis 53B is a nice plant and grows almost as well low-energy, you'll just need to trim and plant the tops occasionally to keep it looking it's best.
I've also used Cryptocoryne crispatula and Cryptocoryne retorspiralis as a background plant, maybe an alternative to vallis.
 
Just flicked through the rest of your journal...on your concerns regarding Nathan Hill's article Does CO2 injection cause disease?
I don't think you need to worry. Have a read of this https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/does-co2-injection-cause-disease-thoughts.37306/
The guy who started the whole thing, TonyE, gives some background but at the time of publishing there wasn't any evidence to support his hypothesis...

P.S. you could just inject enough CO2 to turn the drop checker green rather than lime green. Any additional CO2 will be appreciated by the plants, even easy to grow ones especially during transition. And at low conc CO2 will definitely have no effect your critters.
 
Last edited:
Thanks for the suggestions Matt and Tim! CO2 and fish health is a complicated topic. Species no doubt differ in tolerance according to their natural habitats, the research on the area is sparse and unfortunately you can't ask a fish if it's bothered by the CO2 levels in your tank. But based on my limited research on the area and applying the precautionary approach I've decided that I'm not going to use CO2 for now. Everything else being equal it's safe to assume that a lower CO2 concentration is less stressful for fish compared to elevated CO2 and right now I'm not bothered by slower growth and having a limited pool of plant species to choose from.

Plantwise I ended up with a pretty extensive list as usual..
Background:
Hygrophila siamensis 53B (we'll see if I can keep it looking fresh, if not I'll switch it out with someting else.)
Vallisneria nana
Crypts: albida 'brown', x willisii, wendtii green
Epiphytes: Anubias nana 'petite', Microsorum 'trident', bolbitis heudlotii, some unidentified water fern from Borneo (couldn't resist the exoticness), Bucephalandra 'wavy green', 'braunrot' and 'Lamandau mini red'.
also ordered a few Limnobium laeviagatum to suck up nutrients in the beginning.

The crypts and vallisneria would probably benefit from not using too soft water, right?
 
That is looking very nice.

What king of moss is that please?

That buce on the right branch is an bit too high IMO.

Can't wait to see it filled
 
That is looking very nice.

What king of moss is that please?

That buce on the right branch is an bit too high IMO.

Can't wait to see it filled
Thank you! I agree about the buce. The moss is spiky moss on more vertical surfaces and weeping moss on horizontal surfaces.
 
Looks stunning.
With your plant choices you could get away with lowering lighting intensity to allow for a leaner co2 injection which will offer slow but steady growth.
Really nice looking layout, even without water or fish.
Cheerio,
Ady.
 
Looks stunning.
With your plant choices you could get away with lowering lighting intensity to allow for a leaner co2 injection which will offer slow but steady growth.
Really nice looking layout, even without water or fish.
Cheerio,
Ady.
Thank you! That's definitely a possibillity. For now I'm going to go full low tech and see how it goes.
 
Back
Top