# 12" Planted Bowl



## mosspearl (Jan 30, 2013)

My hubby gave me a 12 inch bowl for my birthday from Michael's, so I decommissioned a couple of my gallon jars and set it up tonight. 

Substrate is Miracle Grow Organic Potting Soil capped with Tahitian Moon Sand. 

Hardscape is lace rock taken from my 10g... it has a nice coating of algae that reminds me of a well-trimmed golf course on one end. 



Flora includes moss and an anubias nana petite on the rock; an anubias nana attached to the back of the rock. 

Stems in the back include bacopa caroliniana and pennywort. I may still put in some bacopa australis later... I have some that is outgrowing its current space. 



Full of water now, I've added pygmy chainsword on either side of the rock and a couple moss balls. 





Finally topped it off with some water lettuce and frogbit that needed a new home after I emptied the jars. 

A few snails may have hitched over with the plants... only time will tell. 

Lighting is supplied by the old fixture from my Evolve4 and sunlight from the window.


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## GMYukonon24s (May 3, 2009)

That's a nice bowl. You have a good arrangement of plants in there.


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## mosspearl (Jan 30, 2013)

Thanks!


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## klawran1 (Nov 30, 2012)

I'm looking to do something similar for my window at work, but I can guarantee it will not look that nice. I really like the set-up. I'm new to the world of low/no tech, so I'm worried about water changes, especially if I make a Beta or shrimp setup. How often are you looking at water changes?


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## mosspearl (Jan 30, 2013)

I only do water changes in my jars once a month, if that, but there are no livestock in them (except for a few ramshorn snails that hitched in with plants). With this bowl, I'm thinking it will be similar unless I put extra shrimp in it. If I had animals in it, I'd want to do more frequent partial water changes. Shrimp like stability, so probably once a week or two, depending on the water quality. This is a large bowl, so I could probably get away with it once it established itself. With a betta, I'd want to do partial water changes a couple times a week.

As for layout, it's easier than it looks. Find a central focal point. For me, it was the rock. I had already attached the two anubias to it and had the moss on top. For you it could be a cool rock or maybe a nice piece of driftwood. Go ahead and attach plants or moss to it if you want. 

Oh, and plant it before you have a lot of water in it. It helps if you need to rearrange things.

Then think about how you're going to view it. If it can be viewed from all sides, it has to look good from all sides. With mine, I primarily see it from one side; the other side faces the window. I put my stem plants and pennywort closer to the window, planting them individually, but close together, so they each form their own little grove. Then I clumped up some pygmy chain swords and put a clump on each side of the rock. I figured since I couldn't see both clumps at once (the rock is in the way), it wouldn't matter if they bookended the rock. Then I tossed in a couple moss balls and floaters. I just had to use up the plants that I'd pulled out of the jars I took apart to make room for the bowl.


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## klawran1 (Nov 30, 2012)

mosspearl said:


> I only do water changes in my jars once a month, if that, but there are no livestock in them (except for a few ramshorn snails that hitched in with plants). With this bowl, I'm thinking it will be similar unless I put extra shrimp in it. If I had animals in it, I'd want to do more frequent partial water changes. Shrimp like stability, so probably once a week or two, depending on the water quality. This is a large bowl, so I could probably get away with it once it established itself. With a betta, I'd want to do partial water changes a couple times a week.
> 
> As for layout, it's easier than it looks. Find a central focal point. For me, it was the rock. I had already attached the two anubias to it and had the moss on top. For you it could be a cool rock or maybe a nice piece of driftwood. Go ahead and attach plants or moss to it if you want.
> 
> ...


You make it sound so easy!  I'm going to look into making one... Maybe after my next paycheck.


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## GreenBliss (Mar 7, 2012)

Love the bowl!


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## mosspearl (Jan 30, 2013)

Thanks! The bowl is now home to several of these guys:


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## OVT (Nov 29, 2011)

Really cute.

My biggest "problem" with these bowls is putting my hand in without thinking: <splash> goes the water.

v3


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## mosspearl (Jan 30, 2013)

I can relate, OVT. LOL


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## HSA1255 (Apr 2, 2013)

So pretty. I have been doing bowls of succulents around the house and would love to have a few like this. Sadly, my toddlers would remove all snails to play with them and the plants would be on the floor. I have a hard time keeping their fingers out of the tanks as it is. Maybe up high I could get away with it. Love the lace rock focal piece and the floating and frog bit.


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## mosspearl (Jan 30, 2013)

Thanks, HSA.  I hear you on the toddlers. They get into everything! My youngest is now 6, so I can usually reason with her.


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## pink4miss (Aug 20, 2013)

very pretty


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## mosspearl (Jan 30, 2013)

Thanks, Pink.


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## Saxtonhill (Dec 28, 2012)

That bowl 'scape is lovely


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## mosspearl (Jan 30, 2013)

Thanks, Saxtonhill!  I wish I had more empty surfaces to make more. It was fun to put together and I enjoy watching it develop.


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## petlover997 (Oct 27, 2013)

Nice setup! Im planning on starting one with some fire reds.


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## mosspearl (Jan 30, 2013)

Good luck with yours, petlover!  Mine is still devoid of critters aside from a few snails. The plants are growing like crazy. I need a new receptacle to hold all the extra pennywort.


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