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I really wish I could have seen the pics in this thread :( I'm at work at the mo so I'll have a look next chance I get.

This tank really does sound amazing though! Keep it up :)
 
Hi all, thanks for the comments.

Things are happening, but slowly. I kina thought I would have had somthing of a lawn of hairgrass, but its growing slowly. I guess a month and a bit is asking too much.

There was some die back on the bolbitis and crypts but new leaves are growing now. I mentioned before a few M. Aru II eggs must have been introduced with the plants. There are 11 fry about 1cm long now, growing better than in my breeding tank.

I will update when things have grown a bit more. I have taken some pics, but its hard to tell alot of diffence from a distance.
 
I havent updated in a while mainly because the settling in period has been pretty slow. Found out how long my co2 lasts in this tank today...about 2 months, well one bottle is empty and the other still diffusing.

Hairgrass is being lazy and growing slowly...where is my lush carpet hairgrass?!!!

Algae issues... smallish ones, but i have seen small amounts of BBA and what maybe cladphora, small amount of thread algae. I have 3 drop checkers at different places in the tank and until today they were light green/yellow green.

33% water changes a week seems doable, down from 50% on my last tank, but I think this level is ok with EI...isnt it?

Melanotaenia Aru II rainbow fry growing faster than in my breeding tank, currently around 0.5", another reason I have not added any other fish yet. I intend to travel to Belgium in a few weeks to purchase some good rainbow lines from reputable breeders. lol even Heiko Bleher might be happy with me. Well I say that but he seems to only like biotypes and well mine is not, but the fish will be looked after well. I will also be maintaining a few pure/good lines of these wonderful fish.

Anyway enough rambling... dont expect anything amazing, its all been rather slow.

Week 4 this is what is looked like after die back from some plants (Bolbitus mainly):

Week4_2.jpg


Week4.jpg



Comparing Week 1 with Week 8

Week 1

finishedscape1.jpg


Week 8

Week8.jpg


Sorry about the distraction in the right corner that is a nano at the back of the room holding the 'Eubangee Swamp' strain of P.gertrudae.

I think from a photo point of view being able to see from both sides isnt aestheticaslly wonderfull, but in real life in the position of a room divide it makes more sense. Oh and that stem plant whajamacallit?? erm erm name escapes me eustralis i think, yup needs to behind the java fern maybe. Im just getting things growing though, these plants deteriorated quite badly in the couple of months they were in holding.

I think it will take a good few months yet for this one to mature and as fate would have it I might be moving in the next 12-18 months... :wideyed: I dont like the idea of ripping this down and transporting it.
 
Yeah its a difficult one, I cant raise it because of the root buttresses will stick out looking just as bad and raisng the substrate wont work from a perspective point of view. Its a pretty tough hard wood can barely hack in to it. If i removed it the whole scape will look imbalanced, but maybe that is an option.
 
Looking great sanj. The main trunk is a superb piece but for me the wood on the right could come out.
 
I agree with mark, Its awesome but is there any way of rasing the wood on the right?
 
Awesome. Would give an arm and a leg to see it real in few months. At the first photo with less plants and milky water the right piece looked more in place than now and could definetely be fixed to look good again and it definitely does look good in person. The left one is so great already... as am option i'd be tempted to remove it and extend the right side root system of the main feature :clap: though ;)
Superb creation
 
Sanj, One thing i was wondering was. How come you never bought any of the stumps Rob had, he was getting rid of them very cheap. I know in the end he had to throw alot of things out as they did not sell.
 
Wow lovely tank :)

How much does such a tank cost to buy?

Just the tank ?
 
Really amazing sense of scale. Personally, I really don't see a problem with the right side hardscape.
Regarding the hairgrass? Perhaps adding echinodorus tenelus(sp?) to it would help fill it out more. Would also add to the general look of the 'scape, more in keeping with the natural, jungle look.

Really a great tank. Good stuff.
 
You know if I was the right stump, id be feeling quite bad at the moment... the ugly sibling. lol

I was looking at a phone pic i took when only the hardscape was in and the right tree fitted in pretty well, but it is amazing how things change. In person though the right really does not look particularly out of place.

Ive got to think about it though. I always become more reluctant to move things when plants start to grow in and establish, but some of you guys dont seem to have an issue with that.

Half of me wants to go with you and remove the right, but also part of me wants to see how it develops as over time things can change quite a bit. I think a low laying piece could work also, but it is difficult finding the right kind of wood. When i found these two stumps, there was no choice, it was just these two.

Its good to get opinions, so thank you all for that.
 
jay said:
Really amazing sense of scale. Personally, I really don't see a problem with the right side hardscape.
Regarding the hairgrass? Perhaps adding echinodorus tenelus(sp?) to it would help fill it out more. Would also add to the general look of the 'scape, more in keeping with the natural, jungle look.

Really a great tank. Good stuff.


Hi Jay, funny enough there was a single surviving plantlet of e.tennelus, it is on the left side near the staurogene. It has been sending out runners, but it has grown to 6" leaves and not low. The PAR at that location is 30-40, which i thought would be enough for low growth. I think though for the position of much of the hairgrass PAR is even lower like 23-30 and this is probbaly the bigger reason for the slow growth. It definately is growing just a lot slower than I am used to. I am going to leave the e.tennelus to see what it does, i think like you say will contribute well to a jungle feel.

How much does such a tank cost to buy?

A lot really...definatly between 2 to 3 with three zeros on the end. It is a alot of money, its got to be with me for a life time (he says now), although you never know with this hobby. Meh but here come the excuses.. er I dont spend my money on cigerattes, alcohol and fast cars... lol

I do want to get a decent camera and learn how to photo fish. Ill be seeking advice from some of you guys. :D


Sanj, One thing i was wondering was. How come you never bought any of the stumps Rob had, he was getting rid of them very cheap. I know in the end he had to throw alot of things out as they did not sell.

Robin's stump is Lisa's territory im not going there... ok but im guessing you mean bogwood which isnt really going to have the same impact, otherwise I wasnt aware if he had any amazing pieces.
 
Ok, Ohh have you been to the Tree Surgeon near Browns Lane, He gets Loads of Interesting Stumps and Wood in His Job. Was Talking to him thru work.
 
So folks, Sanjarami/Rainbow Haven/The Denisoni Lounge/Stupid Log on the right... (what ever takes your fancy) is continuing on its evolution.

I have not made any drastic hardscape changes, right tree is still a ?, but then The Green Man did come to me in a dream and made his feelings clear about any intention I had of felling his tree...again.

As you might know, my shoddy camera skills have been in action trying to capture photos of fish, so yes there is some motile inhabitants beyond infuria, snails oh and those nasty leeches which i think are now gone.

centralshot1.jpg


Looking back im quite surprised at the growth, you dont notice is so much when seeing the tank nearly every day.

rightside1.jpg


Thanks for taking the time to look.
 
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