ADA Mini-L going dutch

[VNCNT]

Very cool man. As soon as I get rid of my 100 ill be starting one as well. Keep us posted.

thanks rob. still looking for a 40g breeder? as long as things go well, i'll update weekly. i'm already losing some red coloration, so i need to dose more iron...

 

[VNCNT]

good luck with the rotala macrandra, it is a VERY VERY demading plant

i know i'll need it. daily care is the key. what have been your experiences with it?

 

[VNCNT]

Where do you get your plants btw?

i acquired all of these plants from a friend. he had to move to arizona and downsized. i lurk around the various planted tank forums for the hard to find stuff...


sorry for all the posts... i don't know how to address multiple quotes in one post.

 

[jcardona1]

Good start man! And good luck, can't wait to see how it turns out. Dutch tanks are my favorite handsdown. But I threw in the towel. It became too difficult to keep all the plants happy when I had it densely planted. The lower parts of the stems would suffer. From a thread I started on PT, folks suggested this has to do with circulation. When growing plants so close together circulation is a very important factor (as is lighting). The lower parts of my stems were losing leaves and getting algae, while the tops were doing great. Finally got fed up and tossed a bunch of plants. Going for a super simple scape now, just two plants; hygro and blyxa.

Can't wait to see this tank in a month or two

 

[VNCNT]

Good start man! And good luck, can't wait to see how it turns out. Dutch tanks are my favorite handsdown. But I threw in the towel. It became too difficult to keep all the plants happy when I had it densely planted. The lower parts of the stems would suffer. From a thread I started on PT, folks suggested this has to do with circulation. When growing plants so close together circulation is a very important factor (as is lighting). The lower parts of my stems were losing leaves and getting algae, while the tops were doing great. Finally got fed up and tossed a bunch of plants. Going for a super simple scape now, just two plants; hygro and blyxa.

Can't wait to see this tank in a month or two

thanks! it seems that dutch tanks require a lot of grooming. i'm already seeing varying growth rates with the plants, so i'm getting a better idea about where to place each type of stem. as of right now, the circulation from my filter and the strong co2 mist are strong enough to uproot the plants. i had to use lead weights to hold them down. you've got me thinking about adding a small powerhead to help with circulation to the back of the tank... dutch tanks have incredible colors, but i've always loved the simplicity of iwagumi tanks.

 

[Liquidplants]

I'd love to see some update pics!

Excuse my "noobness" but what makes a Dutch tank ... Dutch?
~LiquiD~

 

[jcardona1]

I'd love to see some update pics!

Excuse my "noobness" but what makes a Dutch tank ... Dutch?
~LiquiD~

It's a style of aquascaping that involves neatly pruned, close fitting groups of plants to create a visually striking display

 

[VNCNT]

dutch style tanks arrange groups of plants with contrasting/dissimilar colors and leaf structures next to each other. it makes each group stand out from the rest. its not a very natural look, but stunning nonetheless. think of a floral shop and its assortment of flowers...

i'll have an update coming soon. i have to do my first trim on wednesday and i have more goodies on the way... i decided that this particular tank is too small for the layout i want, so i will be transplanting everything in about a month when i get a larger tank (30"x18"x18") in the mean time, this little tank will act as a grow out tank. hahaha

 

[Liquidplants]

I appreciate it .. it was these dutch styles that recently got me into aquatic plants, I just never knew it.
See that everyday you learn something!
~LiquiD~

 

[limz_777]

dutch style tank is always difficult , looking forward to your scape