62 litre aquascaped/planting

[convict360]

Hi all,

Thought I'd share my first real foray into planted tanks/aquascaping, with my current effort; pics below.

So far the plant list includes:

Staurogyne repens
Eleocharis parvula
Monte Carlo

Pogostemon erectus
Bacopa compact
Bacopa Carolinians
Ludwigia palustris
Java needle fern
Java moss
Amazon sword
Java fern
Salvinia natans

Stock list:

20 x white cloud mountain minnows
1 x red cherry shrimp (they all died, problem solved and more en route)

Lighting is an LED bar, 5W-60W

Filtration: Fluval U2, and small sponge filter

Heater: nano heater, more detail on this later

As it stands, this is really exploratory on my part; I have no idea what plants will do well and what won't, due to the variation in factors including lighting, e.g. not strong lighting, but low tank height can enter into this and hopefully offset.

For carbon dosing, its currently TNC carbon liquid, which I started tonight upon planting the list above. This is in combo with the Fluval 20 co2 small nano cylinder; as well as TNC complete plant food.

I have a dedicated pressurised system on the way, that I hope to have installed in the following week hopefully.

My hope is to just be able to grow the plants and establish them, in conjunction with the help of my invertebrates and fish. I realise that the dosing of plant nutrients may be under recommended, but I far prefer this; over the method (EI) that has you overdosing on nutrients, then performing large water changes every 4-7 days...

Anyway, more updates to come, or if I've missed anything please ask! (And recommend)

Fat Homer

P.S cloudy from planting, that will settle

 

[Kittiee Katt]

Sweet! It should look nice once it's filled in. I like the way the driftwood arches, its a very nice piece. What are the tanks dimensions? And is that just normal gravel you're using as substrate?

 

[xxUnRaTeDxxRkOxx]

Looking good!!! I'd add some ammannia gracilis to the tank, it's a really nice looking red plant!!!!

 

[convict360]

Sweet! It should look nice once it's filled in. I like the way the driftwood arches, its a very nice piece. What are the tanks dimensions? And is that just normal gravel you're using as substrate?

43x11x11 inches. Water level is only up to 8 inches tho.

It's tropical plant substrate (clay and sphagnum moss) covered by a light gravel and sand

 

[convict360]

Looking good!!! I'd add some ammannia gracilis to the tank, it's a really nice looking red plant!!!!

Cheers I'll have a check of it, perhaps try and get an order through soon

 

[Kittiee Katt]

43x11x11 inches. Water level is only up to 8 inches tho.

It's tropical plant substrate (clay and sphagnum moss) covered by a light gravel and sand

Cool, thanks.

 

[Fat Homer]

Looks like you are off to a really great start!!!

My only advice with regards to where to place plants would be to look online and see what there max height is roughly, and plant them in such a way you want the scape to look...

So for example, maybe taller plants directly behind the driftwood arch, with shorter plants on either side of it, to follow the natural curve of the arch...

Hopefully that makes sense, so you kinda get what i mean

 

[convict360]

Looks like you are off to a really great start!!!

My only advice with regards to where to place plants would be to look online and see what there max height is roughly, and plant them in such a way you want the scape to look...

So for example, maybe taller plants directly behind the driftwood arch, with shorter plants on either side of it, to follow the natural curve of the arch...

Hopefully that makes sense, so you kinda get what i mean

Good shout

Bit worrying tonight, found a dead minnow at the top of the tank; though he was the one that looked a bit off recently.

I may have made a schoolboy error adding the carbon, then plant food straight afterwards; pretty sure I've read somewhere not to do that...

 

[convict360]

Btw, also something I need to ask; I was watching the ludwigia palustris earlier, and bearing in mind the thing just got planted a few hours ago, and I dont have pressurised co2, but the plant was actually forming bubbles on its leaves...could this actually be pearling?

Seems a bit too good to be true? Surely can't happen that fast?

 

[Fat Homer]

^ hard to say??? I've seen similar things happens to plants before, maybe somehow trapped gas is being released from the plant after being moved into a new environment, but personally never looked into the science behind it, so cant give you a solid answer...