very nice! im working on my first tank devoted to plants over fish, and enjoy the new aspect of the hobby. still have tons to learn and have designed my setup to grow (pun intended) with my plant keeping abilities. one question i had was you mentioned the temp of the tank being ok for plants and fish? can water really be too warm for plants to thrive? im planning a very warm tank with discus and gbr, and hadnt considered the plants. i assume ill be ok because growing emersed, i notice the tank was getting into the 90's. only plan on java fern and anubias varieties(bucephalandra if i do well)
HybridHerp's 75 gallon Planted Monster Tank
- Thread starter HybridHerp
- Start date
Plants are often more sensitive to things when growing submerged v. emersed, so I'm not sure if plants doing well into the 90's means they will do the same in water of that temp.
In any event, I'm pretty sure that there are some plants that do not like being in warmer tanks. Java Fern, Anubias, and Buces should be fine, but I mention temp for myself because I know that madagascar lace plants prefer a temperature closer to 76 if not lower.
Search on plant dedicated sites, I believe there are a few lists that exist somewhere that talk about plants that work well with discus and rams.
No pearling in this tank yet. I also have a 10 gallon that is high tech...and I don't have pearling in that tank either. I know if the plants are damaged that they will release a stem of bubbles, but aside form that I don't get much real pearling. Not that I really mind if I do or don't, it'd be nice but I'm happy as long as the plants and fish are doing well
I haven't looked because I know how my tank is, but you dot gravel vac at all, the plants use up the nutrients from the unbeaten food and poop that gets in there.
You just change the water column.
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No new pics yet (I know, boo), I've added some more plants though and am getting things to recover a bit. I forgot to change some bulbs and plant growth halted a bit...but as of yesterday the new bulbs are in and kicking it, and I'm now playing around with my flow (got a second korelia 750) in order to eliminate dead spots in the tank. Also slowly increasing the amount of co2 I inject into this tank....slowly.
I have a bit of algae left over from when I wasn't running co2, I'm going to be taking care of that on sunday in (hopefully) one fell swoop, so that should be nice. I have some detrius as well, that should go away with tank maturity and with the blue eye albino bristlenose I picked up (just have to grow them out a bit first, there are 5 in total). Also, picked up a small delhezi bichir to grow out as well as two more congo tetras. I should also get three more rainbows, as one of them died for unknown reasons, and it would be good to perhaps have a trio of a different species just for more color and all.
Cichlids are all doing fine though, and the retropinis is still being super, super shy. Hopefully the del, when it is big enough to go into this tank, will help the retro perk up and become more adventerous. Might get another rope as well, simply because they are cool and might enjoy another of his kind.
Also, if I ever find a brown ghost knife (the south american one that looks like a black but isn't a black and stays smaller), that is going in here. Because that is a fish I would love to have (I've had the africans, they are nice, but I'm kind of over them).
I have a bit of algae left over from when I wasn't running co2, I'm going to be taking care of that on sunday in (hopefully) one fell swoop, so that should be nice. I have some detrius as well, that should go away with tank maturity and with the blue eye albino bristlenose I picked up (just have to grow them out a bit first, there are 5 in total). Also, picked up a small delhezi bichir to grow out as well as two more congo tetras. I should also get three more rainbows, as one of them died for unknown reasons, and it would be good to perhaps have a trio of a different species just for more color and all.
Cichlids are all doing fine though, and the retropinis is still being super, super shy. Hopefully the del, when it is big enough to go into this tank, will help the retro perk up and become more adventerous. Might get another rope as well, simply because they are cool and might enjoy another of his kind.
Also, if I ever find a brown ghost knife (the south american one that looks like a black but isn't a black and stays smaller), that is going in here. Because that is a fish I would love to have (I've had the africans, they are nice, but I'm kind of over them).
So finally, I make that update. Wasn’t feeling well last night so wasn’t worth typing this all up and uploading the pics and all.
I’ve made some additions to the tank. I was getting a lot of dead spots so I had to fix up my flow. Added another korelia 750 that I got in a trade for some plant clippings from a guy that used to keep it salt water…cleaned it off by just soaking it in a 1:1 thing of vinegar and tap water. Easier than scrubbing that’s for sure. Joraan, whom I recently met, told me how to set up my flow, although I slightly modified his idea with my own simply because I don’t think the flow on an Eheim is really worth its weight. Maybe excessive, probably. Does it work? Yes. So do I care? Nope, as long as it works
I kinda am too lazy to write out what is and what isn’t new…so I’m just going to post up the entire list of plants in this tank again. Also, got new light bulbs finally….my lighting now is 2 6500K Bulbs for 8 hours….and a pink grow bulb and a 5000K for 6 hours (should be 4 but….tbh I kinda don’t mind doing it like this if it helps things color up and all)
Bottom
· Rotala Mexicana var. 'Goias'
o Partial carpet between R. sp. ‘Vietnam’ and S. repens
· Staurogyne repens
o Partial carpet
· Micrantherum umbrosum var. ‘Monte Carlo’
o Partial carpet in front of S. repens
· Hygrophila sp. ‘Araguaia’
o Partial carpet to the right of S. repens
Foreground
· Eichhornia diversifolia
o In front of Wood #1
· Hygrophila pinnatifida
o In front of Wood #1
· Blyxa japonica
o In front of Wood #1 and #2
· Nesaea pedicellata – “Yellow Nesaea”
o In front of N. aquatic
· Cryptocoryne parva
o Edge of crypt ring
· Cryptocoryne nurii
o Crypt ring
· Cryptocoryne sp. ‘Green Gecko’
o Crypt ring
Mid-Ground
· Echinodorus sp. ‘Rose’
o Middle of crypt ring
· Cryptocoryne wendtii ‘Florida Sunset’
o Back of crypt ring
· Limnophia aromatica
o Right next to crypt ring
· Nymphaea micrantha
o Near crypt ring
· Rotala macrandra var. ‘Japan Red’
o In front of Wood #4
· Rotala sp. ‘Vietnam’
o Behind R. macrandra var. ‘Japan Red’
· Nymphoides aquatic – “Banana Plant”
o In front of right side of Wood #4
· Nymphaea stellata – “Dwarf Lilly”
o On top of N. aquatic
· Echinodorus angustifolia ‘Vesuvius’
o In front of N. aquatic
· Hygrophila polysperma var. ‘Sunset’
o In front of H. sp. ‘Brown’
· Echinodorus sp. ‘Aflame’
o In front of R. sp. ‘Sunset’
· Nymphaea zenkeri – “Red Tiger Lotus”
o In front of the gap of Wood #2
· Ludwigia inclinata var. ‘Pantanal’
o In front of L. inclinata var. ‘Tornado’
· Micrantherum umbrosum
o In front of L. senegalensis
· Didiplis diandra
o In front of M. umbrosum
Background
· Hydrocotyle tripartita – “H. ‘Japan’”
o To the right of Wood #6
· Vallisneria sp. ‘Leopard’
o Behind Wood #6
· Alternanthera reineckii var. ‘Rosaefolia’
o Back right corner
· Nesaea praetermissa – “Red Nesaea”
o Between P. stellatus and H. corymbosa
· Cryptocoryne crispatula var. flaccidifolia
o Allow to grow around back of crypt ring
· Cryptocoryne usteriana
o Keep in back of crypt circle
· Cryptocoryne sp. Wendtii Hybrid
o Said to grow tall
· Pogostemon stellatus var. 'Broad Leaf'
o In between N. praetermissa and A. reineckii
· Hygrophila corymbosa – “Giant Temple”
o Bordering back right of Wood #4
· Hygrophila corymbosa – “Kompact”
o Same as other variant
· Rotala sp. ‘Bangladesh’
o In between H. corymbosa and C. furcata
· Cabomba furcata – “Red Cabomba”
o Behind Wood #4, in-between A. madagascariensis and R. sp. ‘Bangladesh’
· Aponogeton ulvaceus
o Behind N. aquatic
· Aponogeton madagascariensis – “Lace Leaf”
o Behind N. aquatic
· Hygrophila sp. ‘Brown’
o Around A. madagascariensis
· Persecaria praetermissa 'Ruby'
o Behind Wood #2
· Myriophyllum tuberculatum – “Red Myrio”
o Behind Wood #2
· Proserpinaca palustris – “Mermaid Weed”
o In the gap of Wood #2
· Crinum calamistratum
o Behind Wood #1 and in front of Wood #3
· Hydrotriche hottoniiflora
o Keep to the right of Ludwigia forest
· Ludwigia sp. ‘Rubin’
o Back right of Ludwigia forest
· Ludwigia glandulosa
o Back left of Ludwigia forest
· Ludwigia sp. ‘Atlantis’
o In front of L. sp. ‘Rubin’ and L. glandulosa
· Ludwigia inclinata var. ‘Cuba’
o In front of L. sp. ‘Atlantis’
· Ludwigia inclinata var. 'Tornado'
o In front of L. inclinata var. ‘Cuba’
Non-Substrate
Hardscape
Wood #1
· Anubias barteri var. ‘Petite’
o Allow to carpet wood
· Anubias barteri var. ‘Micro’
o Allow to carpet wood
Wood #2
· Microsorum pteropus var. ‘Windelov’
o Allow to carpet top of wood
· Fissidens fontanus – Mini Fissidens
o Allow to cover wood
Wood #3
· Microsorum pteropus var. ‘Trident’
o Allow to carpet bottom of wood
· Fissidens fontanus – Mini Fissidens
o Allow to cover wood
Wood #4
· Anubias barteri var. ‘Nana’
o On wood
· Anubias barteri var. ‘Broad-Leaf’
o On wood
· Anubias barteri var. ‘Coffeefolia’
o On wood
· Anubias hastifolia
o On wood
Wood #5
· Bolbitis heudelotii var. ‘Mini’ – “Mini African Fern”
o Allow to cover wood
· Fissidens fontanus – Mini Fissidens
o Allow to cover wood
Wood #6
· Lagenandra meeboldii ‘Pink’
o Let it grow huge
· Vesicularia montagnie – “Xmas Moss”
o Let it grow compact and bushy
Stones
· Lomariopsis sp. ‘Subwassertang’
o Allow to form a nice layer on stones and wood
Yah…that’s a lot of plants lol I still have a few more I want, and of course I need things to grow in. Gotta refill my co2 tomorrow though, thing ran out (sadface but also expectedface)
Joraan grows plants like nobodies business. Shout out to him, this aromatica came straight from him. 15 stems...I might actually thing it a tad because my crypts will need room to grow, as well as the sword, but they are fine like this for now
Found this at my LFS. Red Nessea. Picked it up because why not. Its getting brighter now and I have high hopes that this will do well for me. It seems really pretty. And will look great between the H. corymbosa and the P. stellatus (which is slowly coming around)
H. Japan in the background say what? I saw someone grow this up as a big bush….decided why not since someone gave me some extras. If I don’t like it, I can just let the A. reineckii take its place or the Leopard Val.
The Lagenandra has not looked super happy for me in a long, long time. But it is slowly becoming something, at least I hope so. If I come across this plant for sale again I might just buy a new one since its easier to grow healthy plants than wait for things to recover, but I don’t see it around often so I’ll work with this.
Some green gecko and nurii going on. Growing slowly but surely. I find crypts take a few months to get the ball rolling, but once they get rolling they are unstoppable forces….like Whitney’s Milktank (cool points for anyone who gets the reference)
Found more gold nessea (emersed grown) at my LFS…picked it up because mine seem to be stunted. Really, not realizing about my bulbs needing to be changed did a number on some of my plants…but they should bounce back in time.
Vietnam is doing well, Rotala macrandra is starting to do well (I always get a lot of melt when I first add it...hopefully this batch does well for me and I can propagate it myself. OTV if you are reading this, TELL ME YOUR SECRETS)
I like Madagascar Lace plant, but it does not like this tank, or this heat. I like to keep the tank closer to 76 degrees but with the summer its been higher than that which makes that plant angry. However, this Aponogeton should be better suited, and should look nice with the lace when that eventually comes back (the bulb is still there and healthy with new sprouts…its just being difficult)
Bought more of this too. Will be a good little weed once it gets going.
This was a surprise tbh. Pantanal is doing very well for me. Better than twisted and cuba so far, although I have fresh cuba elsewhere that I will transplant at some point in the next week or two. Got this from Joraan, and am very happy with the purchase.
I cut down all of my ludwiga’s though, because I feel that the best growth will come from the new growth in this tank, as opposed to how things where growing in other tanks that they where in before mine. Its all coming in slowly, the newer lights are helping though that’s for sure.
I still have some diatom issues though, but the added flow, and a little something else I’ll show, will make that a thing of the past soon enough.
Guys, what do you call a fish with no eyes?
FFSSSSHHHHHHHHHHH
I like cichlids. My cichlids like this tank. I am a happy person.
I like these, my mom doesn’t. She thinks they look drab…and compared to something like the EBJD or the Pearls she is right. But I like how the have complexity to their color, you have to look into it, and when you find it it is very nice. Might get 3 more of another variety though, as right now I’m at 4 of these, one of which is the dumpy one that, in terms of looks of the tank, doesn’t quiet count…it swims funny due to its body shape and probably should have been a cull earlier on. It also is having a fin problem so I’ll have to keep an eye on it. I hate to be that guy, but I might give it away to someone that would appreciate a fish with special needs more…but then again I might not, if he can keep up with the rest that’s fine but if not he will be rehomed.
Under rated gourami.
Seriously, these belong in every planted tank 55 gallons and over
I just like this shot. They haven’t been digging much and very few things get up rooted (well, new things get uprooted when they are planted in the corners of edges of the tank, but that’s expected with or without fish)
Dat fin
Hard to take a good picture of these guys…move too much.
Close enough
Baby delhezi Bichir. I got this little guy in china town…growing him out in my 10 gallon. Slowly but surely…he should be to size in a month or two…Got him mainly because my retropinnis is super shy and might like a friend more his species that isn’t as active as the sen. I might grab another ropefish at some point as well….but the single rope is actually doing very well so I might not.
Won these at an auction. 5 of them in fact, two growing out in my 10, three smaller ones growing out in my 5.5. Albino Blue Eye Bristlenose Plecos. These should put a nice dent in that GSA on the front glass and the detritus. They will go into the 75 once they are big enough where I feel the bichirs won’t try and be stupid.
In the 5.5…they will come with me to school as well and should be happy eating my algae in that tank for a few months or so. Then they can graduate to the 10 and then the 75.
His fins are starting to look nice. His color is very nice. Glad I got this guy when I did.
We where just talking about you. How’s it going dude? Good? That’s great.
The rope and Bichir like feeding time. They also have a soft spot for algae wafers….even though they are carnivorous (shrugs) Of course I feed them carnivorous foods as well but this works too.
That’s all for now. I just gotta keep dosing and feeding, and refill the co2. And for the grow outs….feeding and water changes will be my friend. Also, growing out some extra plants in there that are already in the 75…it’s a good strategy cause it helps me get more sideshoots of stems….keep the tops in the 75 to look good, keep the bottoms in the 10 to grow more sideshots that will become new tops. Works.
Other hobbyists from planted tank sites, and even planted tank people I've met in person.
Knowing people is BIG when it comes to plants, it's your source of inspiration and materials, and plants
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