Christie_ZXR
Member
Hiya everyone 
I'm still pretty new to this planting business. I've had my first sort of "proper" planted tank up and running for a good few months now. I've really enjoyed doing it, and the fish seem pretty happy with my efforts too (My cpd's were doing the circle dance the other day!! So I'm crossing my fingers and hoping like mad for babies!)
I'm really interested in Diana Walstad's way of doing things (got the book), and in learning about some sort of combination/combinations between her method, and the "hi tech" ways.
I still need to learn a lot of the basics too though! Like algae, what causes it and how to get rid of the bloomin stuff!!
Anyway, here are the two planted tanks I've got going at the moment;
This is the first one I've done. Substrate is soil capped with gravel, 2x "plant tubes" (I've yet to get my head around lighting properly! So I just bought the one's with "for plants" written on the packets!!) DIY co2 made with yeast and sugar, which so far so good seems to be working a treat, although I'm liking the idea of making a kit from a fire extinguisher, so I may swap to that at some point for better control. I do like DIY stuff, it's really satisfying when it finally goes right! Powerhead on the left (which also blows the co2 about) fluval 305 filter, and I'm currently experimenting with popping 2 drops of jbl ferropol 24 in daily to see how that goes.
Fish are guppies, which I love with a passion! And celestial pearl danios who I'm hoping will breed, but I'm probably being far too optomistic there! Nature will likely take it's course and the fry will get chomped, if they even make it to that stage without the eggs being chomped first.
This is my 30L biorb. Taken the filtration out and replaced it with a small internal for the time being. Substrate is soil capped with sand. I've mucked around with the old filter, and have the option of running either co2 through it now, or air if I want to. There's a tube mounted on the shelf above, and the biorb own lighting is gone. The tube's fitting is very DIY, and I'm not sure the flowers would be to everyone's taste!!
The tank gets a bit of daylight, and the only things living in there are a single betta and a nerite snail, so I might be able to go filter-less and do this one the natural way, which would be nice. I'm going to see how the plants do with it as is, and then take it from there. Plus I need to read that book through properly first anyway!
So this is me, hello!
I'm looking forward to chatting to all of you and learning some more about the various different ways of doing things 
Christie x
I'm still pretty new to this planting business. I've had my first sort of "proper" planted tank up and running for a good few months now. I've really enjoyed doing it, and the fish seem pretty happy with my efforts too
(My cpd's were doing the circle dance the other day!! So I'm crossing my fingers and hoping like mad for babies!)I'm really interested in Diana Walstad's way of doing things (got the book), and in learning about some sort of combination/combinations between her method, and the "hi tech" ways.
I still need to learn a lot of the basics too though! Like algae, what causes it and how to get rid of the bloomin stuff!!
Anyway, here are the two planted tanks I've got going at the moment;
This is the first one I've done. Substrate is soil capped with gravel, 2x "plant tubes" (I've yet to get my head around lighting properly! So I just bought the one's with "for plants" written on the packets!!) DIY co2 made with yeast and sugar, which so far so good seems to be working a treat, although I'm liking the idea of making a kit from a fire extinguisher, so I may swap to that at some point for better control. I do like DIY stuff, it's really satisfying when it finally goes right! Powerhead on the left (which also blows the co2 about) fluval 305 filter, and I'm currently experimenting with popping 2 drops of jbl ferropol 24 in daily to see how that goes.
Fish are guppies, which I love with a passion! And celestial pearl danios who I'm hoping will breed, but I'm probably being far too optomistic there! Nature will likely take it's course and the fry will get chomped, if they even make it to that stage without the eggs being chomped first.
This is my 30L biorb. Taken the filtration out and replaced it with a small internal for the time being. Substrate is soil capped with sand. I've mucked around with the old filter, and have the option of running either co2 through it now, or air if I want to. There's a tube mounted on the shelf above, and the biorb own lighting is gone. The tube's fitting is very DIY, and I'm not sure the flowers would be to everyone's taste!!
The tank gets a bit of daylight, and the only things living in there are a single betta and a nerite snail, so I might be able to go filter-less and do this one the natural way, which would be nice. I'm going to see how the plants do with it as is, and then take it from there. Plus I need to read that book through properly first anyway! So this is me, hello!
I'm looking forward to chatting to all of you and learning some more about the various different ways of doing things Christie x
