# Jared's Underwater Jungle



## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

its improving, thats what matters.


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## crudnugget (Feb 5, 2008)

I think you are headed in the right direction, tank is improving nicely! I'd try to get some kind of tall plant for the back, or maybe put a piece of black posterboard behind the tank.

I had my HOB on the left side of my 29g to try and minimize the visual impact of it's intake tube like you had on your tank, and I too moved it to the middle. Shame it has to be there to get good flow throughout the tank.


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## frogmanjared (Feb 21, 2008)

crudnugget said:


> I think you are headed in the right direction, tank is improving nicely! I'd try to get some kind of tall plant for the back, or maybe put a piece of black posterboard behind the tank.


I'm planning on painting the back black after I move in July, and once I start trimming the E_geria densa_, that will be my background plant, until I have enough money for other stuff.

I haven't put a lot of money or effort into the tank, so I'm pleased with the results thus far.


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## fshfanatic (Apr 20, 2006)

Good start.

In your first picture, lower right corner, see that little 2 piece tool? Its an algae scraper.


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## frogmanjared (Feb 21, 2008)

I don't like having a see-through back of the tank, so until I paint it, the algae's staying!


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

why paint it? craft stores sell big peices of construction paper (in black and other colors), just get one and cut it too size. its easy and removable if you ever for any reason want to get it off.


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## frogmanjared (Feb 21, 2008)

I want to have something that won't have air bubbles, get wet, and will last a long time. I've seen other tanks done that way and like the look.


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## frogmanjared (Feb 21, 2008)

May:








Present:








In the craziness of the wedding and aftermath, I haven't had time to do much with the tank... my next day off work, I'm heading to petco to get eurythromyacin to kill the cyano which has come back, and also get better lighting (prob have to go online for that though). Once I upgrade the lighting, now 15w 8,000K, I'm going to take out the fake rock w/java and put a smaller rock/driftwood piece. Hopefully by then, my riccia will be ready to move into this tank, would say 30w be able to grow it? I'm having a hard time finding lighting for a 10 gal... any suggestions?


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## bill|408 (Mar 27, 2007)

looks nice .. waiting to see what you do with the riccia :smile: 

anyways .. maybe http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS/ctl3684/cp18369/si1383400/cl0/coralife20aqualightpowercompactstriplight1x28watt


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## frogmanjared (Feb 21, 2008)

*(Update on 8/12/08)*

Last night I went out and got a glass versa-top, and another 15w strip, now a total of 30w, 8,000k, and whatever the stock bulb is. Here it is after the rescape this morning, still a little cloudy. The bare area will eventually have riccia carpet, and the pennywort will trail along the surface with the outflow... only time will tell. I also need to get a bushy stem plant to put behind the sword, replacing the crypt.


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## frogmanjared (Feb 21, 2008)

I found some black construction paper when I was going through boxes from the move (I finally have everything unpacked!) I put some on the backs of both my tanks... Here's the difference:

















I hope the sword doesn't get any larger than it currently is. Any suggestions for plants? I need something tall, yet bushy for behind the sword, and something in the foreground.


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## Chrisinator (Jun 5, 2008)

Wow! That's awesome! Do you have all male Cherry Barbs?


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## frogmanjared (Feb 21, 2008)

No, 2 male and 3 female, I had a male pass away last week... now the other males are losing their red and not displaying anymore, it seems they have lost their urge to worry about territories anymore.


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## Chrisinator (Jun 5, 2008)

Hmm.. are you gonna restock?


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## frogmanjared (Feb 21, 2008)

No, I'm going to wait and add my fish from the 5 gal into this tank and turn the 5 into a shrimp tank. Even though it's sad when a fish dies... that just means I'm one step closer to a shrimp tank:biggrin:


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## cah925 (May 18, 2007)

For behind the sword - How about Didiplis diandra or a Rotala species.


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## frogmanjared (Feb 21, 2008)

Should I get Didiplis diandra or Wisteria? I've read that didiplis doesn't tolerate algae well, and the ottos won't be able to clean it. I'm thinking wisteria because the green will make the ozelot stand out better.


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## ZooTycoonMaster (Jan 2, 2008)

Wisteria and Water Sprite grow REALLY fast...Water Sprite took over my 10 gallon in less than a month:hihi: I'd go with Diandra


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## frogmanjared (Feb 21, 2008)

I've had a lot of algae issues the last month or so with this tank... so I did a huge trim and spent nearly 2 hours scrubbing the salvagable plants, it looks even worse because of a pink light on the left side(really need to get a new one).
The sword only has 4 leaves now... it should survive, right???


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## FrostyNYC (Nov 5, 2007)

You should really clean the glass, especially if you're having algae issues. Cleaning the plants is only half the battle -- get the algae off the glass too. 

The sword should survive.

You should consider getting some faster growing plants in there if you want to outcompete the algae. Maybe some floating plants, or some fast-growing stem plants to suck up nutrients.

Also, I didnt see your lighting, CO2, and fert routine mentioned anywhere. Whats going on with those?


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## sewingalot (Oct 12, 2008)

I love this transformation. The co2 and new bulb really sent away that algae, didn't it?


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## frogmanjared (Feb 21, 2008)

Well, I got frustrated to the point of almost smashing my tank today... The BGA came back during my vacation and OMG it wouldn't go away! Here's a pic before I tore the whole thing down earlier today. 









3 hours of back-breaking work, and no dead fish it looks great!The tank is still a little cloudy since I stirred and rinsed the flourite/sand also. The bleach dip seems to have killed most if not all the algae on the plants, and the ones too sensitive to dip are currently in a 1.5 gal near a southern exposure window to grow out. If the tank is clear enough later tonight I'll update, otherwise sometime tomorrow.

I'm going to start dosing excel and flourish as soon as my order arrives and on thur, I'm finally getting rid of the colormax pink bulb! So there will be more updates to come.


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## frogmanjared (Feb 21, 2008)

LOL I was just looking at the tank and the Cherry Barbs are mating again! This time it's the male who's blind in one eye (from the looks of it he's not very good!), with the same female as before... man she must love the changes in scenery from one tank to the next. I guess this means there's no bleach residue left on the plants or filter!


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## demonbreedr16 (Jan 10, 2008)

WoW! That looks like my 50 gallon pond used to!! About 50$ worth of plants go thrown out(don't tell my mom) and got replaced with natives, and everything looks good!


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## frogmanjared (Feb 21, 2008)

*Much better... almost done!*

The water is clear this morning and I'm very pleased with the results. The D. diandra accidentally got dipped... ooops :icon_redf so it's not going to survive. Now I just have to wait till tomorrow for my other light and for the ferts to come and it should progress nicely.









I've got the more sensitive plants, and some babies, runners in a 1.5 hex that I'm growing out. If the sun doesn't come out soon I'll have to use that pink bulb to light it.


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## frogmanjared (Feb 21, 2008)

*Yes!!!*

This is the look I want, just waiting for it to fill out, and I'll know for sure. Now it's 30w 6500k 10 hr photoperiod. Petco had a buy two, get one free sale, so I got 3 pots of Lilaeopsis brasiliensis for 10$... not too bad.
My flourish and excel also came today, so I'm going to start a dosing regime tomorrow. I'll probably also going to be adding some RCS to help clean around the base of the microsword.

What do you guys think... is this a good layout? Please, any comments are welcome, if I'm moving any plants around, I'd like to do it sooner that later.


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## BENOLUX (Dec 9, 2008)

Hey mate, looks much better, sounds like you have got it all planned out. 
Have you got any hard scape in your tank, like bigger rocks or driftwood.
Looks 110% better, once the microsword fills in will look great.


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## mott (Nov 23, 2006)

Looks 100 times better, Thank God you got rid of those awful lights


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## frogmanjared (Feb 21, 2008)

*New plants!*

Last night I traded 7 RCS for some plants from a neighbor(she works at petco and her apartment is like a zoo, didn't realize we were neighbors until last week!) I still have a little BGA, but it's under control now! Here's the pic from today, can't wait for the H. diffiformis to fill in on the right side!


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## frogmanjared (Feb 21, 2008)

Still having the nagging problem of BGA, H. difformis has grown a bit, but being slowed by the BGA. I've let the water level drop a little so that more aeration will control it until I can get some hornwort in there. I can't seem to take consistent pics with this camera... we might be getting a new one soon!










the L. brasiliensis is filling in very slowly because of the slight BGA infestation yet.









I'm hoping that the problem goes away soon, I have to wait for my hornwort to grow a bit more from another tank and finally my BGA should be gone! After that, I'm planning on removing the crypt from behind left of the sword and planting some Crypt retrospiralis when they start multiplying.


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## frogmanjared (Feb 21, 2008)

Well, the BGA is hanging around, keeping my micro sword from carpeting. The only residents are an otto and cherry shrimp, the rest have moved on to other tanks.

The plants have slowed growth dramatically, I trimmed the wisteria over a month ago, and hasn't but put out 2 suckers and no vertical growth. What is the problem? I just started diy co2 today in hopes that will encourage growth. I might have to break down and buy 'myacin to finish off the bga. Is 30w of cfl enough? Any suggestions are appreciated!


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## talontsiawd (Oct 19, 2008)

The tank is looking better. However, I don't understand your growth problems. I have 10 watt spiral bulbs x2, so 10 less watts than you, no real doesing at all unless I see it needs it, etc. Hopefully the co2 will do the trick, it worked wonders on my 29 gallon even DIY and low light when I started.


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## frogmanjared (Feb 21, 2008)

*Pearling! And some additions*

I've got pearls everywhere! The sword has started a new leaf so signs are encouraging, also seen a slight bit of growth on the wisteria. The BGA is dying off, probably not completely yet, but we'll see.

Today I tore down my 10 gal cheapo project because the tank had a leak. I added some more crypt spiralis, and a L. repens x arcuata (had to bleach dip this, hopefully it will survive?). If I remember i'll update pics with the new stuff (not very noticeable) so there will be a comparison in a few weeks time.


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## frogmanjared (Feb 21, 2008)

Yay for pics!... bubbbles!









Ludwigia repens x arcuata









4 new C. spiralis









Berried RCS









showing her eggs









My favorite racing stripe RCS, kept her just because it's soo cool!









FTS


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## frogmanjared (Feb 21, 2008)

*Oh boy... what did I do!*

I've been going through a rough patch in my life lately and had been neglecting weekly fish tank duties, finally starting to get out of it and figured to get going on my fish tanks again to help my mood. I had to trim all the leaves off the java fern, and trim back most of the wisteria because they were basically skeletonized. I literally ripped out a giant fist-full of subwassertang from my 5 gal hex (didn't make a dent!) and threw it in the corner where the wisteria was. The funny thing is that the sword looks better, and the C. spiralis had sent out 2 runners, but every other plant has seemed to lost it's luster. Tomorrow I'm going to thin out any snails that I see to make sure they didn't cause the damage to my java stick. The RCS, probably about 8-10, hadn't grown (even before the hatchets), so I put new sponge in the filter uptake tube. I'm setting up CO2 as I'm typing, so hopefully in a month or two I'll see drastic changes... here's to hope!


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## frogmanjared (Feb 21, 2008)

I know the CO2 is helping... the damaged plants are bubbling, and there is a light dusting of diatoms. Time to head over to petco this week and hope they have some ottos!


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## frogmanjared (Feb 21, 2008)

*Let's start this thing and keep up with it!*

For those of you that followed my thread about losing all hope of having a decent planted tank... I'm going to be mixing a few things up with this tank within the next couple weeks/months, and these are the before pics.

I'll probably just toss out the java fern, maybe keep a few pieces of rhizome to add to my 1.5 plant grow-out tank. Soon I'll be getting some sort of live-bearer to breed for turtle snacks. I'm going to wait to start up DIY CO2 until I get some fish since the nutrients are the limiting factor in plant growth, not light or carbon at this point in time.

The sword looks great! It sent out a flower stalk, that I've been keeping underwater via suction cups to make sure I get as many plantlets as I can. I haven't been trimming it because I'm not sure if it needs to suck up the nutrients from the dying leaves to produce more plantlets... anyone know about this? 









Close-up of the plantlets... at least I think its 2!









The 1.5 (15w) with L. brasiliensis and E. tenellus, and if it survived somehow a corkscrew val that staightened out... I can't tell a difference in the leaf structure, so I'm sure it had died. Soon to come, possible some java fern.


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## VincentK (Dec 16, 2009)

Haha, that's pretty clever using the suction cups, have you thought about adding some larger pieces of wood or rock?


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## frogmanjared (Feb 21, 2008)

*Rescape done on 7/27*

The cloudiness has gone away, so It's time to see what the damage is! Replanting the crypts was very tedious as I was pulling out sword roots anywhere I pulled some out, put some in.

The BGA didn't try and make a come-back this past week, so the black construction paper along the substrate might be helping.

I would love to put some wood/rock in the tank, but can never find a good size for the tank. I need to find some other background plant, and try to trim the sword so that it puts out smaller leaves like it did a while back so I can also have a plant behind it.


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## frogmanjared (Feb 21, 2008)

I started up CO2 yesterday, also went out and got some red platys. Next month I'll be getting some dry ferts, once I figure out what I'm doing. In the last week+ the BGA has shown no signs of taking over, just a few pea sized patches here and there, so maybe once I get my ferts worked out I'll be able to have somewhat of a foreground!


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## frogmanjared (Feb 21, 2008)

*I talked too soon...*

Well, I opened my yap to early again! It seems that the BGA either 1. hears me say that it's not a problem anymore or 2. makes a come back when I add iron, or 3. comes back a few weeks after I disturb the substrate. It's really not all that bad, but once again its going to stop my L. brasiliensis and subwassertang from filling out. Right now GLA is is out of csm+b, so I have to wait to get my ferts.


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## frogmanjared (Feb 21, 2008)

I got some Egeria densa today, leaving from the in-laws for the weekend. Just put it in the tank 3 hours ago, I think I'm going to stop dosing Excel because I'm worried it will melt. Also added a second HOB to help with flow and remove more detritus from the bottom. Also used just the small tubing part of a gravel-vac to remove the BGA... wish I would have tried that earlier, much easier, and surprisingly fun do! I'll be getting some Rotala rotundifolia at the end of the month from my brother-in-law when he does a major trim/clean before he leaves for college! I'll post pics tomorrow when the water has cleared up.


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## frogmanjared (Feb 21, 2008)

I also fiddled around with the lighting, its now 1.5 inches above the tank so any plants near the surface will get the full effect. I will say that I don't like the light blinding me as I'm looking at it, so now the project is to find something to cover up the gap in front. I put in the second filter yesterday, and now I don't have to worry about my CO2 going straight to the surface! The really tiny bubbles get sucked up by the intake, and the others get blown around by the outlet. I also took some leaves off the sword, so it doesn't look the best at the moment. At the end of the month I'll also be removing the baby swords, so the suction cups can finally go away! Now all I have to do is wait to order some ferts(hopefully later this week), and the new plants at the end of the month!

When, I should say if the E. tenellus takes off after I get the ferts going and the BGA gone, I'll probably get rid of the parent sword to get a more open look to make the tank look better. Probably have a centerpiece consisting of a rock and anubas nana. That is also dependent on if I can get the Egeria and Rotala(coming at the end of the month) to do well.

Should I cut the flower stalk once I take off the plantlets, since there's only 1 growing node, it won't produce any more... or will it?


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## frogmanjared (Feb 21, 2008)

My E. densa is growing like a weed!!! Maybe I'll actually be able to grow some stems with success in this tank! Hopefully either the E. tenellus or E. brasiliensis will carpet when I get my ferts soon(ordering next week!).


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## frogmanjared (Feb 21, 2008)

I woke up this morning, and saw a new flower stalk! So I cut off the old one and temporarily planted them in little pots until later in the month when they're both going to good homes. As you can see, I've had good growth with my E. densa as well. I'm trying to figure out what to do with the new stalk, I really want to see/photograph the flowers, but I want as many plantlets as possible... any advice on whether to keep it submersed, or let it go out of the tank?


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## kingfisherfleshy (Jun 4, 2010)

Dont know buddy...but thats a pretty awesome sword you got there.


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## RipariumGuy (Aug 6, 2009)

This is a great journal! I would suggest adding as many clippings of hornwort, cambomba and other fast growers as possable to out compete the algae for nutrients. Just so you know, DIY CO2 is not a good thing to have if you are using hang on back filters as the outtakes will out gas it all. Also, what Kelvin is your lighting at the moment? How old are the bulbs? 
Again, great journal and tank!
Jake


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## frogmanjared (Feb 21, 2008)

Thanks, both of you! As far as the HOB's, I know they out gas a lot of the CO2, but I've been told its still better than none at all. I've noticed a difference in plant growth, tried experiments with/without CO2, and stuff definitely grows better with it. The bulbs are 6500k, about a year old and will switch them out when I get my dry ferts later on in the month. The reflectors aren't good, just an incandescent hood that more than 10 years old, so I use aluminum foil to help (done experiments with that, and I've noticed improvements). I don't really know what the wattage is since its CFL's, but figured 30 would be low light given the circumstances.

I'm thinking about going outside in some of the lakes/rivers to get some hornwort, just have to remember where I've seen it before. 

As you can probably tell, I have very low budget for the tank, so anything I do to it is spare stuff around the house, so I'm not expecting a spectacular tank (although I was proud of my 5 gal!).


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## kingfisherfleshy (Jun 4, 2010)

Go to www.aquatraders.com...cant beat these prices on lights. Easy way to upgrade your tank. My buddies and I have used these lights for reef and planted applications without any issues what so ever. You cant even buy aquarium lights used for this cheap.


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## frogmanjared (Feb 21, 2008)

Link didn't work. When I meant I don't have a budget for this tank, I really meant it. My dry ferts will probably be my only expense for a year with this tank, as I think I have everything I need to keep it going for a while (except for an occasional plant or two). I'm happy with the lighting, but I know it could be better. The hardest part of a planted tank is the patience... and I don't have much of it, I'm better than I once was. At least now with the E. densa and sword flowering, I notice significant growth each day!


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## chad320 (Mar 7, 2010)

You can train your stalk to grow mostly underwater. Nice lookin tank BTW!!!


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## kingfisherfleshy (Jun 4, 2010)

www.aquatraders.com sorry my cant got stuck in there! Love these lights. And yes +1 for patience...I know my tank doesnt look the greatest, but it has certainly looked worse. Part of it is that my camera work could probably use a boost.


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## frogmanjared (Feb 21, 2008)

New camera... just testing it out! Sorry for the reflection, I'll take a pic at night my next update.


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## chad320 (Mar 7, 2010)

Careful, hatchets are jumpers on an open top fo sho!


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## frogmanjared (Feb 21, 2008)

chad320 said:


> Careful, hatchets are jumpers on an open top fo sho!


I've got glass covering the tank! The only deaths I've had have been from them getting tangled in plants (part of the reason I took out the java fern) :icon_eek:


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## frogmanjared (Feb 21, 2008)

My dry ferts from GLA came today!!! I'm glad I'll be able to get a dose of micro/macro before my water change on Monday. My brother-in-law will be bringing some plants this weekend, so I'll have an update early in the week.


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## frogmanjared (Feb 21, 2008)

*Hopefully my plants aren't cooked!*

Well, yesterday came and went... and I'm not sure if my Rotala rotundifolia will rebound. They kept it in the car while they moved my brother-in-law into his dorm. It was over 90, I can only imagine how hot the car got for 2 hours in the sun! It felt hot when i took it out of the bag, so I put it in cool water in hopes of reviving it, and planted a few hours later. It was droopy and the tip bent down to touch the substrate. I woke up this morning, and they seem to be straight up... hopefully they've come to! Will post a pic tomorrow night after everything has settled from the days water change.


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## frogmanjared (Feb 21, 2008)

Well, I'm getting some new plants later this week, so I just put the Rotala in front of the E. densa. figure I'll see how the red looks in contrast. As you can clearly see, the sword is getting smaller... I've been taking out around 4-5 older leaves every water change (the ones that start degrading at the end, and others to even the plant out), and the new growth seems to be smaller, so I'll continue to prune to see if I can keep the plant small for my new foreground plant. I'm waiting on that until I get a final-ish layout with all the plants. I'm thinking of putting all the microsword in the front center, and the new foreground to expand deeper as it gets closer to the corners of the tank, sort of like 2 triangles.

BGA update... I'm finally winning!!! There are a few random clumps that never get larger than pea size by the time I get to my weekly water change!

A downside... my platy's haven't bred yet... I can get nearly everything else to... just not platys! At least they ate all the algae off the Rotala when it came!


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## frogmanjared (Feb 21, 2008)

So... 3 days after I submersed the flower stalk, it opens up! Still looks pretty cool though!


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## frogmanjared (Feb 21, 2008)

My Starougyne repens 049 Tropica came yesterday!!! I pulled out all the anubias and microsword/ trimmed and replanted. I had to plant ~50 microswords within a 6" x 3" area... never want to do that again! I trimmed back the ozelot sword even further, since its new growth has been staying 4-5 inches.. if it doesn't stay small (see post 36 for the size I'm aiming at, love the color of the leaves when its that small), I'll probably get rid of it and put my anubias on a rock as a centerpiece instead. I'll post pictures tonight when the junk has settled.


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## Hyzer (Mar 9, 2010)

That's pretty cool man. I always found the flowering underwater intriguing. 

I am kicking myself for chopping up my amazon sword stem. I have 7 plants from the original 2 now, but none have produced a stem since.:icon_cry:


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## frogmanjared (Feb 21, 2008)

I've put new bulbs in, put new, and more tinfoil as a reflector, cleaned the outside of the glass, and completely cleaned the glass canopy in hopes of giving my new plants a good headstart.

Hood:









FTS:









Anubias, the roots were 8" when I pulled them up! split them up as the center 2" had no leaves, opposite ends were growing.









Starougyne repens 049 Tropica... hopefully the spacing is right!









L. brasiliensis this was a PITA to plant ~50, 3-5 leaf rhizome in a small space! I had a whole lot more than imagined. It's never gotten over 1" in my tank, hopefully it will fill in.









What do you think of the layout? I'm waiting a month or two to see if the sword will put out smaller leaves, if not I'm probably going to find some rock or wood and have the anubias as the centerpiece.


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## snausage (Mar 8, 2010)

frogmanjared said:


> I've put new bulbs in, put new, and more tinfoil as a reflector, cleaned the outside of the glass, and completely cleaned the glass canopy in hopes of giving my new plants a good headstart.




The layout looks good. I just read through the whole thread and you really piqued my interest when you mentioned that your plants do better when you use foil as a reflector. I've read that foil is actually a light diffuser and will therefore reduce the intensity your lighting.

Once my tanks get going again, hopefully I can RAOK you some small foreground/midground plants. Sucks being on a budget when you're into this hobby!!!


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## F22 (Sep 21, 2008)

that is one of the nicest 10g tanks i have seen in a long time, nice work.


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## frogmanjared (Feb 21, 2008)

snausage said:


> The layout looks good. I just read through the whole thread and you really piqued my interest when you mentioned that your plants do better when you use foil as a reflector. I've read that foil is actually a light diffuser and will therefore reduce the intensity your lighting.


There is a thread that has par readings from different reflective materials... foil is the best cheap way to increase reflectivity.

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/l...ctor-perfecto-ballast-greater-efficiency.html


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## frogmanjared (Feb 21, 2008)

F22 said:


> that is one of the nicest 10g tanks i have seen in a long time, nice work.


Thanks! I can't wait until it fills in and I can get a picture with all the background plants at the same height.


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## frogmanjared (Feb 21, 2008)

*How stupid can I get!?!*

Wow.. I really messed up with my fert regime... though the batch I made up lasted a bit longer than 2 weeks... redid the math, and I'm only putting 1/2 the amount needed!!! At least I caught it before too long. My S. repens 049 tropica looks doesn't look the healthiest, but it is rooting and branching out... I attribute it's lack-luster look to my dosing mistake... we'll see if the new with make a big difference!


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## frogmanjared (Feb 21, 2008)

I have really noticed a difference in just one week now that I've got my ferts right! The anarchis is growing >1in a day, and all the new growth from all the plants looks very healthy. The crypt leaves look curly again, and the sword looks amazing! It looks like a jungle now, but I'll try and get a FTS tonight to show.


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Jun 15, 2008)

Hi frogmanjared,

In your 9/4 post in this thread, are those Anubias with the rhizomes buried in the gravel substrate? Glad to hear your tank is responding to the fert correction.


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## frogmanjared (Feb 21, 2008)

Seattle_Aquarist said:


> Hi frogmanjared,
> 
> In your 9/4 post in this thread, are those Anubias with the rhizomes buried in the gravel substrate? Glad to hear your tank is responding to the fert correction.


Thanks, and the rhizomes aren't buried, they have pretty well developed roots, some over 4 inches, so they anchor them down in the substrate well.


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## frogmanjared (Feb 21, 2008)

I was comparing the picture taken today (sorry, I hadn't cleaned the glass yet, didn't want to make the water cloudy, will post a pic tonight if its cleared up from the waterchange/trim) from when I first got the S. repens 049... and wow! I'm glad I decided to get them and rescape the way I did! I'll have to keep the sword trimmed back to the size it currently is, but I love the look of it. It's starting to send out another flower stalk, so I'll have to get rid of the 3 babies asap (2 have good root systems, 1 just started growing). I think the microsword is even starting to grow a bit :icon_surp ! Now If I can just get the Rotala to grow upright I'll be extremely happy. I've trimmed it back and will continue to trim to form nice bushes in front of the E. densa. Please post comments/suggestions, I'd really like feedback on the current layout!


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## frogmanjared (Feb 21, 2008)

Still getting a hold of the trimming thing... cut a few pieces of anarchis a little shorter than I should have, the left corner!


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## frogmanjared (Feb 21, 2008)

*Worst Day!*

So, I decided to take the sword out and trim the roots... BAD IDEA! I started to slowly pull it up, and notice plants on the edges of the tank moving, the entire gravel bed was moving like a sheet because of the root mass! At that point, it was a lost cause, so I yanked it out. In doing so, I saw one of my fish against the glass UNDER the gravel, so I had to dig it out! All the fish are in my 5 gal for a couple days until I get this tank put back together... and the sword is in the garbage, after I ripped it into many pieces because of what it had done to me! My main concern is the stress on the plants, especially the S. repens 049, microsword, and C. spiralis, as all of them were rebounding from the stress of previous re-plantings. The other is the nutrients I'm going to lose, I already see at least 1/8 of building settling from the murky water (some from flourite I'm sure) maybe this disaster will be good, as it has caused me to disturb the substrate, and mix the sand/flourite together (been over 2 years since I put the flourite on top). Anyone have a major mess up like this... what can I expect in the next few weeks???


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## frogmanjared (Feb 21, 2008)

*Finally back to normal, maybe?*

Well, I finally managed to get everything replanted last night! I just got the fish back in also. I'll post a pic of the new scape tonight after the sun goes down. The only difference is the sword is missing, so the anubias are somewhat of the centerpiece, and the C. spiralis are in the middle back, with E. densa on either side. Hopefully all is good, and I won't have a bacteria/algae bloom, or major loss of nutrients because of the disaster. A few silver linings of the fiasco are, 1: I'll stop complaining to my wife about how annoyed I am that the sword is shading out my foreground plants 2: the substrate is well mixed, so plants will/spread root easier in the sand/flourite mix, instead of just flourite on top 3: I finally got the front-back slope in the substrate that I've been trying to do without a major disturbance... oops!


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Jun 15, 2008)

Hi frogmanjared,

Ah yes, the neverending root mass....been there done that! The good news is you must be doing something really right to have a plant that healthy!


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## frogmanjared (Feb 21, 2008)

Well, I figured to show you all the root mass from the sword... sorry, can't figure out how to crop photos on the wife's mac! I'm 6'3"... it was as long as my torso!









I like the look of it being more open, but it feels like something BIG is missing. Maybe It'll grow on me once it grows in more. Please, any comments on the tank are welcome let me know what you think of the new layout!!!


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Jun 15, 2008)

Dang if that doesn't look like it could be a blonde wig! LOL!


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## frogmanjared (Feb 21, 2008)

The plants seem to be rebounding, especially the S. repens 049 tropica. The platys are uprooting a few of the microsword, but for the most part they look decent, it will take them longer to recuperate I suppose. I took out 2 males, so there is 1 male- 4 females now. One of the "males" is the size/color of a female, but has a gonopodium?!? Maybe it's a hermaphrodite, probably can't reproduce. The wisteria has finally started growing again, but it just looks out of place, maybe I'll put it in the 5.


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## frogmanjared (Feb 21, 2008)

So on Monday, my usual water change/trim day, the wife and I go out to Petco to get a few things for the cat and hamsters... they actually had different, healthy plants! I was hesitant to get any because I had already done the tank work but decided to get some Ludwigia repens x arcuata. My brother had given me some and it did really well until my other tank sprung a leak... not going into that! At least that's what I think it is... can anyone tell me for sure? 

The C. spiralis has really taken off in the 3 weeks since the disaster sword uprooting, and the L. brasiliensis is growing! Starugyne 049 is recovering, but I need to trim, as it did melt some from the stress of being moved twice in a few months time. Sorry about the yellowishness! I swear I'll find out how to take a good FTS sooner or later.









Here's the melting I'm talking about... but there is healthy new growth at the base.









... and here's one that was trimmed earlier in the day. Can I get an ID on the plant behind... I think its Ludwigia repens x arcuata?









Tried to get a shot of the snail trails on the anubias leaf... I need a tripod!


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## Cardinal Tetra (Feb 26, 2006)

It looks much better now that the humongo sword is gone haha. More space for the fish!
The melting looks like it might be a potassium deficiency.


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## frogmanjared (Feb 21, 2008)

Cardinal Tetra said:


> It looks much better now that the humongo sword is gone haha. More space for the fish!
> The melting looks like it might be a potassium deficiency.


I hope that's not it, because I can't buy more ferts anytime soon. I really think its because I got the plants early Sept, and 3 weeks ago I had to take the tank and completely redo it, so they were in a dark closet for a few days, adding to the stress of the move. It looks like they're growing well now though, I guess we'll see when they get a bit larger. It could also be a combination of the two, when I first got my dry ferts I was dosing 1/2 the amount needed... have that corrected now!


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## frogmanjared (Feb 21, 2008)

Wow! I can't believe the growth that's happened in 2 weeks! I thought the tank was going to crash after the sword dilemma, but it turns out that it was a blessing! The microsword is growing well, actually visible when looking at the tank from more than 3 feet away! The tropica is growing nice and lush after trimming the old/melted growth, and the crypt is flowing over the anubias as planned!

The only thing that's bothering me is the placement of the E. densa, and L. repens x arcuata... I might switch them and keep the E. densa shorter... I sense a month long experiment in the making! Probably switch one half/ keep the other the same and if all goes well, make the switch with the other side also.

Any suggestions/feedback are welcome, I'd love to know how you think it looks!


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## frogmanjared (Feb 21, 2008)

Now that the L. repens x arcuata has some nice color to it, I decided to switch its placement with the E. densa, and I'm loving the look! Now I just have to see how the shading works out.


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## frogmanjared (Feb 21, 2008)

My platys had babies! I had no idea they were even preggers, but one of them had about 6. 3 were gigantic babies and the others were very small, probably got eaten. Next time I'll be prepared and put them in the 5 when they're closer to giving birth.


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## frogmanjared (Feb 21, 2008)

*Where did the time go?!?*

Wow, did I love the look of my tank 5 months ago... somewhere between then and now the tank has been forgotten. Maybe it's because I've been working 6 days a week, not including snow removal, the holidays, planning/planting seeds for the patio garden (post pics up in the lounge later) and getting ready for a baby in the fall :icon_lol: ! It's time to buckle down and get this tank looking good again. The anubias have grown 4x their original size, the crypts have multiplied 4x, and the tropica 049 has melted to 1/4 the original pop, but they will be fine in time. Did a huge rescape this morning and I'll post a pic once it clears up.


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## frogmanjared (Feb 21, 2008)

My last post to this thread was a year ago? Well, I can't say I didn't see this coming, expecting our first child. I was contemplating selling my tanks since I knew there wouldn't be time for maintenance, but my wife begged me to keep them (never thought I'd say that). Sean was born on October 17, and needless to say there has been little to no tank time :icon_frow. We were both home yesterday, so I decided to clean and rescape all 3 tanks. The anubias had gotten huge and overshadowed many plants, the S. tropica049 are now gone, and there are only a few, 12, clumps of microsword left. Here are some pics of the mayhem that ensued yesterday...

Yes, all came from my 10 gallon! And there are 2 anubias that I kept, probably around 5" long.




































And here's the tank now... pretty bare, I know. I added what I think was E. tenellus from the 5 gal. I think I did a pretty good job considering the water was too cloudy to tell where I was putting stuff, but I'll fix that later this week.









Hopefully I'll be able to keep up with the tanks since he can play on his own for a while each day now!


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## frogmanjared (Feb 21, 2008)

*Surprise!*

The water is crystal clear today... and I found a surprise hiding from me tucked in behind the crypts... subwassertang!!! I was dissapointed when I didn't find any yesterday, since it was my favorite plant. It was about the size of a large marble, so it broke up into a few pieces that I planted behind the E. tenellus.


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## frogmanjared (Feb 21, 2008)

Boy, did I have some wishful thinking... I didn't have much time to keep up with the tank, but it's been doing ok. It looks like I'll have more large Anubias to sell in the spring! My brother in law sent extra some spiral val yesterday. Here's an updated shot, I'll try to find time to take a night pic so there isn't so much glare.


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## Turtlemaxxx (May 8, 2012)

Looking good man. My daughter was born sept 18th 2011 and there has not been much time for tanks either. It is fun now to see her peering into them and trying to grab the fish though. Happy to see you opted to keep the tanks going.


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## frogmanjared (Feb 21, 2008)

Turtlemaxxx said:


> Looking good man. My daughter was born sept 18th 2011 and there has not been much time for tanks either. It is fun now to see her peering into them and trying to grab the fish though. Happy to see you opted to keep the tanks going.


Did you keep yours going?


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## frogmanjared (Feb 21, 2008)

Got my nano glass diffuser up and running... bubbles!


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## frogmanjared (Feb 21, 2008)

A better FTS.


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## frogmanjared (Feb 21, 2008)

It was this time last year that I did a major rescape and took 3 giant Anubias out... again, the 2 I left in have grown to 12"! Another in the 5 gallon (broke the tank down today) grew pretty large, considering the lack of light for the last few months. I guess there will be an annual Anubias sale going on!


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