# Planted 125G African Cichlid Tank (56K!)



## travis (Nov 17, 2004)

I'm new to The Planted Tank and just wanted to say hi and thanks for the great forum. Here are a few pics of my planted ARLC tank.


----------



## Wö£fëñxXx (Dec 2, 2003)

Niiiiiice tank Travis...Looks very inspiring. roud:


----------



## GulfCoastAquarian (Jul 30, 2002)

Wow. Very wow!
So how long has the tank been set up? Do the fish uproot the plants much? Do they eat any plants? I've kept Yellow Labs with plants before, but it looks like you might have some Kenyi and Mbuna in there as well.


----------



## travis (Nov 17, 2004)

Thanks guys. I've had the tank set up for about 4 1/2 months now. I've only been keeping plants in it for three months. All of the Africans I've got are mbuna: Ps. acei, Ps. demasoni, Ps. sp. Elongatus 'Usisya' (wild-caught), L. caeruleus. They hardly touch the plants I've got in there right now, pretty strange considering how many times I was told that you just couldn't keep Africans and plants together. The do love vallisneria and java moss though, not sure why, but if I put any in the tank they eat the vals down to the roots and shred the java moss. I had some trouble with the labs uprooting the Glosso while they were digging for snails, but once it took root and spread a little bit the problem went away. The plants also make great fry cover. I've got several fry in there right now that wouldn't be there if they hadn't been able to hide out in the plants.


----------



## unirdna (Jan 22, 2004)

A lot of love went into this one. Beautifully scaped, Travis. Could you please share your water parameters (pH, KH, GH, CO2, etc.) and tank specs. I think your insight and experience could be very helpful to those who live in regions with hard water.

Ted


----------



## travis (Nov 17, 2004)

Well I'm new to planted tanks - I've only been keeping plants for about three months now. I've kept Africans for years and have just recently become fascinated with planted aquaria.

My tank is a 6' long 125G. I've got 444 watts of PC and NO lighting (192w @ 10000K, 192w @ 6700K, and 60w @ 6500K) set to run on a dawn - day - dusk - night cycle of 12 hours per day. It is filtered by two Rena XP3 canisters. I use an AquaMedic Reactor 1000 on one of the canister outflows for pressurized CO2 injection controlled through a Milwaukee SMS122 pH controller set to 7.2, and have an Aqua UV sterilizer attached to the other filter outflow. I've got Hydor in-line heaters attached to both filter outflows as well, but they rarely turn on.

Water parameters are as follows:

Temp: 77-80 (the lights bring it up during the day)
pH: 7.2-7.3
KH: 14-15
GH: 15-16
CO2: 25-30 ppm
Nitrates: 5-10 ppm (deliberately held low to help bring out the reds)
Phosphates: 1 ppm

I supplement the water column with KNO3, KH2PO4, and a CSM+B/MgSO4/K2SO4 mixture. The substrate is a mixture of 75% Eco-Complete Plant Substrate and 25% Eco-Complete Cichlid Sand. I buffer my fairly soft tap water using sodium bicarbonate along with the additional buffering offered by the Cichlid Sand. I've adapted Tom Barr's Estimative Index fertilization routine to my tank's needs and have found that it makes things a lot simpler and works beautifully.

I know the pH is low for Africans but I've found they adapt to it quite well and show no signs of stress at all. In fact it seems like they are breeding more at 7.2 than they were at 8.2 and their coloration is as bright as ever. As long as I keep the hardness around 14 dKH they seem to be quite happy. Well, the Ps. demasoni never seem happy, but I think that's just their nature :icon_bigg


----------



## Darla (Apr 1, 2004)

I love your tank. I'm trying to plant my own african cichlid tank. Like you, most of the information I've heard was "you can't put cichlids with plants..". It's nice to know some people are successful with it. I think it just takes patience and trial and error. Congratulations on finding a combo that works well and looks great! I only hope I can, too. :icon_bigg


----------



## travis (Nov 17, 2004)

Darla - you'll have to keep us updated on how it goes. I don't know very many people at all who are doing it and would love to hear about your experiences  
I've found that crypts do great in these water conditions and that a lot of the other plants listed as not tolerating medium-hard water conditions don't mind it at all.


----------



## pufferfreak (Oct 19, 2003)

You do know your Africans want water with a pH around 8.2 and such, not 7.2


----------



## pufferfreak (Oct 19, 2003)

oh and one quick question, whats that really red plant in the front on the 3rd pic? thanks Sorry about the earlier post, I just read where you said you knew the pH was low for your africans, well if there breeding and keeping color and eating habits, no signs of stress, looks ok to me! Very nice job, I love the tank dude!


----------



## Ibn (Nov 19, 2003)

Very nice!!! That's gotta be one of the best, if not the best, African planted tanks. 

That purple plant looks like Ludwigia grandulosa (with some very nice coloration  ).


----------



## pufferfreak (Oct 19, 2003)

yes it looks VERY NICE. Thats why I was wondering haha


----------



## Buck (Oct 13, 2002)

That is a Beautiful Tank... !!!
What can I say, I love the aquascape... the plants selections and plant health are great, the fish are happy...what more could you ask for. Obviously your mbuna's are adapted well to the Ph since you have fry and thier colors really accent the aquascape. You sure learned a lot in a short time. Kudo's to you and the efforts that were obviously put into this piece of nature, a tank to be proud of.
I smell an AGA Entry with a couple months growing time and maturity... :wink: 

Welcome to the forum Travis and thanks for sharing some photos ! roud:


----------



## travis (Nov 17, 2004)

Well thanks for the compliments guys! I was wondering if I was doing things right or if it was too brightly colored (i.e. not enough truly green plants). I'm red-green color blind so I can never be sure :icon_redf

pufferfreak - Ibn is right, it's Ludwigia glandulosa 'Peruensis'. It was that color when I received it and, to my surprise, has remained that vibrant. Seems to grow sort of slowly in my water, which is another surprise since it's Ludwigia, but I don't really care, as long as it stays looking that way  Here's a slightly blurry closeup:










When it comes to the AGA, I can already hear Amano going off on me about keeping Africans with plants :icon_lol: 

You're right about needing more growing time Buck. I'm anxious for the Glosso to finish carpeting and I've got several crypts (blassii, nurii, affinis, longicauda) that can't be seen very well right now that I can't wait to start hitting their growth spurts.

As to learning a lot in a short time - I've had great teachers, Steve Hampton on www.TropicalResources.net to name one. Just about everything that I've found to work well for me has come from Steve's advice. That man knows his plants. I'm sort of finding my way in the dark as far as keeping Africans with plants, and feel like I've been pretty lucky so far.

I think I've found the best planted aquarium site on the net here. Great forum guys! roud:


----------



## killa (Oct 6, 2004)

Wow...very nice...I see a December calendar in the works.


----------



## Laith (Jul 7, 2004)

Very nice! And nice to know that it is possible...


----------



## IUnknown (Feb 5, 2003)

Tanks looks great. The color combination of your bulbs looks great. That big mound in the middle, is it more E. tenellus?


----------



## travis (Nov 17, 2004)

IUnknown - that's Lilaeopsis brasiliensis. Over the last couple of months it has gotten a lot darker green. I just trimmed it pretty short to shape it and I'm now letting it grow out so that it will look more natural.


----------



## Hop (Mar 27, 2004)

I really got to tell you that I like this tank. I think that what makes it so interesting is the contrast between the dark hardscape and great coloration with the plants. Congrats!!!! :fish1:


----------



## Clownknife (Feb 11, 2004)

Beautiful tank Travis. The large piece on the left side of the tank I assume is some type of rock (lava)? Where did you pick that up?

I was inspired for just a second to put cichlids in my tank but with my luck I would be re-planting everyday.


----------



## travis (Nov 17, 2004)

Thanks guys  The rock on the left is probably the largest piece of lace rock I've come across. It's somewhere between 60-70 pounds at best guess. I found it at Todd's Tropicals in Denver. They've got the largest selection of lace rock I've found here in town. All of the rock (it's hidden by the plants but there is also a large pile of rocks on the right side of the tank) is lace rock which, IMHO, makes the best African rock because of it's hollow, porous nature (i.e. caves aplenty). I've also read that it may act to buffer the water although I haven't seen any evidence of this as of yet.


----------



## Clownknife (Feb 11, 2004)

I did see the rock pile on the right. I have a bunch of small lace pieces like those. I am setting up a 200g tank and would love to get a hold of a large piece like the one on the left. I might just have to substitute with a large driftwood piece instead. 
I have been visiting local nurseries but haven't seen anything close to the one in your tank. roud:


----------



## Marc (Oct 13, 2004)

Nice tank Travis! Can i ask what the dimensions of that tank are? I have the same size tank and i like how yours has some dept look to it.

Marc


----------



## travis (Nov 17, 2004)

It's either a 120G or a 125G I can't remember. It's 72"L x 18"W x 22"H if I remember correctly. I agree, it does appear to have some depth to it in parts. I think the rise on the left side helps to give it that look. It was really sort of accidental - I was trying to create a deep planter for some heavy rooted plants (which I don't have anymore) so I pushed two rocks together to form a bowl and filled it with Flourite (at the time the rest of my substrate was Cichlid Sand which has a tendency to kill roots because it has so much calcium in it). The Flourite sort of spilled out of the bowl and made a little bit of a path down toward the front of the tank. I decided that it looked good and planted it with Glosso to try to keep it in place. So far it's working


----------



## ninoboy (Jan 26, 2004)

I haven't browsed the photo album for a while and first time read this thread. Wow Travis. Good job. I myself pretty much gave up my planted ARLC tank. It's too much work. I switched it to medium light, no CO2 injection tank. My guess is that my cichlids are too horny and territorial and make it hard for me to plant anything that don't have strong root system. 

PS: whoever think that they need to put more females than male to breed mbuna, please come to my house. I can just drop a single female in that tank and she'll be pregnant in a week.


----------



## travis (Nov 17, 2004)

Thanks ninoboy. You're posts on TR about a year ago are one of the main reasons I decided to give this a shot. I think I've been very lucky in my fish selection. The Ps. demasoni, while having a reputation for aggressiveness, are a great addition if you've got a large tank to keep them in. It really moderates their hostile nature and they have no interest whatsoever in tearing up the plants. My labs like to dig a little but don't seem interested uprooting anything, so I've been lucky there too. I think things might be different if I had any zebras, although I don't plan on finding out. I just added five Labeotropheus fuelleborni to help keep the algae on the rocks grazed and I'm planning on adding some Melanochromis cyaneorhabdos 'Maingano' in a couple of weeks. So far so good


----------



## Ibn (Nov 19, 2003)

That's around a 125G that you have there by those dimensions.

L. fuelleborni are one of my favorites, especially with their unique overbite  (Eretmodus cyanistictus is another species that I've kept).

I'd keep an eye out for the P. demasoni once you've added the Melanochromis. I've had trouble mixing these two species before, although, not in a tank of that size.


----------



## travis (Nov 17, 2004)

Ibn said:


> I'd keep an eye out for the P. demasoni once you've added the Melanochromis. I've had trouble mixing these two species before, although, not in a tank of that size.


That's my only concern right now. I'm not sure if aggression is keyed to color, pattern, body shape, or a combination of all three, but the M. cyaneorhabdos have a very similar coloration, although the stripe pattern is horizontal rather than vertical. I guess I will find out soon


----------



## Ibn (Nov 19, 2003)

Aggression is keyed to all those criteria that you mentioned, and having two species which share very similar ones, it's hard to keep the squabbles down.


----------



## baj (Sep 16, 2004)

travis said:


> Thanks ninoboy. You're posts on TR about a year ago are one of the main reasons I decided to give this a shot. I think I've been very lucky in my fish selection. The Ps. demasoni, while having a reputation for aggressiveness, are a great addition if you've got a large tank to keep them in. It really moderates their hostile nature and they have no interest whatsoever in tearing up the plants. My labs like to dig a little but don't seem interested uprooting anything, so I've been lucky there too. I think things might be different if I had any zebras, although I don't plan on finding out. I just added five Labeotropheus fuelleborni to help keep the algae on the rocks grazed and I'm planning on adding some Melanochromis cyaneorhabdos 'Maingano' in a couple of weeks. So far so good


Those fish probably think they've died and gone to heaven...


----------



## travis (Nov 17, 2004)

Well I've been making some changes and took some pics. I'll start off by saying that any input you might have is greatly appreciated because I'm red-green color-blind and have a hard time telling certain shades apart, so I tend to go for the really bright primary colors to make it easier for me. I've been told that there is too much red on the right side and now that it has been mentioned to me I tend to agree, but I can't really tell :icon_redf 

The mass on the far right side is some newly planted Limnophila aromatica that looks like it was grown emersed, so its red cast may change dramatically when it reverts to submersed foliage - that's my hope anyway.


The whole thing:











Right-side attempt at a Dutch aquascape (some growing-in to do):











Didiplis diandra, Rotala macrandra 'Broad Leaf', Mayaca sellowiana, Pogostemon stellata 'Broad Leaf', Ludwigia glandulosa:











Some Pogostemon stellata 'Fine-leaf' (thanks GMoP!) on the left side of the tank that is doing just great, even in my rock hard water.


----------



## baj (Sep 16, 2004)

Whoa!! looks too cool. Could you post a link to a high res pic of the first one, lot of the details have got blurred out, I wanted to look at the middle of the tank, the valley leading to the e stellata and tuft of grass at the back.



btw, the last pic didnt show.


----------



## travis (Nov 17, 2004)

Here you go baj. Thanks! The Glosso over on the left is almost done filling in (now I'm planting some more in the clearing on the right) and is all one contiguous patch, intended to be a sort of a flowing river/lava effect. I've got some young Cryptocoryne nurii and affinis planted at the base of the stellata to hide the stems. It's probably not even visible in the photo, but I'll get some close-ups tonight when the light is right


----------



## baj (Sep 16, 2004)

Uber cool indeed! The moss/algae growing just on the edges of the hollow stump looks neat.

ps: everyone else, the pic in the above link is 2mb.


----------



## Buck (Oct 13, 2002)

I will agree that the reds are overpowering in there, maybe because they are bunched. I absolutely love the lush green of the left side and the right side seems distracting. I think you have enough color in the fish , I am amazed that the cichlids allowed a foreground to get that nice... LOL

Great update... tank is getting better by the day ! roud:


> ps: everyone else, the pic in the above link is 2mb.


Well worth the wait if you have to !


----------



## Hop (Mar 27, 2004)

Well that side seems a little "heavier" than the other side of the tank. I'm not 100% certain if it actually the amount of red verses the lack of a balancing point of interest on the left. Really doesn't matter though, what a fantastic tank. It's really filling in. Color, depth and tone it's got to be one of my favorite tanks.
Amazing!


----------



## travis (Nov 17, 2004)

Here are couple of shots of the left side of the tank and the Glosso carpet that is starting to fill in. My alpha male L. caeruleus is doing his best to spit sand all over the Glosso to ruin the pic. Looking at the L. brasiliensis lawn you can see how invasive the Glosso is. It literally grows that far in a couple of days if I don't pull it out. The Riccia was just replanted a few days ago, so it's really just stubble right now.


----------



## travis (Nov 17, 2004)

Thanks guys  My intention on the right side is to create a focal point around the small clearing that's there. Once the plants on the far right get some height I should be able to sculpt them into a Dutch triangle to point downward and left to the clearing. In the clearing right now is a very young Nuphar japonicum var Formosa that should eventually grow to the surface of the tank and create about a two to three foot wide canopy of orangish-red translucent leaves over the whole area. Although that might be 6 months to a year in the furture.


----------



## baj (Sep 16, 2004)

travis said:


> Some Pogostemon stellata 'Fine-leaf' (thanks GMoP!) on the left side of the tank that is doing just great, *even in my rock hard water*.


(above emphasis mine)
I am confused now... I thought general water hardness was of no concern when growing plants? Or is the P stellata picky about water hardness? I thought only carbonate hardness was the important "hardness" variable in the equation... just wondering....


----------



## travis (Nov 17, 2004)

baj - I guess KH (carbonate hardness) was what I was referring to. My water is about 14 dKH, which is pretty high for planted tanks. I buffer the water up to 14 dKH and a pH of about 8.0 with sodium bicarb when I do water changes, so that after I inject the CO2 I can keep the pH at about 7.2 for the mbuna. I found that many plants will do just fine in this sort of KH environment, even though you read elsewhere that they require soft water for good growth. Some, however, do not like it at all. I'm watching my R. macrandra melt as I write this. Sad, but the only way to know is to try it. The P. stellata doesn't seem to have any problems with the KH at all.


----------



## baj (Sep 16, 2004)

travis said:


> baj - I guess KH (carbonate hardness) was what I was referring to. My water is about 14 dKH, which is pretty high for planted tanks. I buffer the water up to 14 dKH and a pH of about 8.0 with sodium bicarb when I do water changes, so that after I inject the CO2 I can keep the pH at about 7.2 for the mbuna. I found that many plants will do just fine in this sort of KH environment, even though you read elsewhere that they require soft water for good growth. Some, however, do not like it at all. I'm watching my R. macrandra melt as I write this. Sad, but the only way to know is to try it. The P. stellata doesn't seem to have any problems with the KH at all.


Very interesting! Thanks.


----------



## GDominy (Jul 30, 2002)

damn dude.... this tank blows my mind every time I see it. You've managed to combine some extremely difficult elements to create something simply breathtaking. I love the combination of incredible stem plants with the lush carpetting. 

I still can't believe you've managed to pull it off with the Cichlids either, truly amazing.

I find my loaches to be invasive (they regulary pick up and move small clay pots with plants in them!) but I can't imagine the havok these guys can create...


----------



## travis (Nov 17, 2004)

Shhhhh, you might give them ideas. Actually my Afrcians are still growing and I worry that the L. caeruleus in particular will one day decide that they don't like the color of the carpet and tear it out. I've got an area I call 'the sandbox' behind the driftwood in the center that I've left open to encourage them to dig there, and they have been. The problem is that they don't like to spit the sand out there, but rather enjoy carrying it halfway across the tank and making a pile of it in the middle of my Riccia or Glosso. Sort of like keeping up a house full of hyperactive third-graders who've had too much sugar.

Thanks for the compliments man. Coming from someone with the amazing tanks you've got that means a lot.


----------



## GDominy (Jul 30, 2002)

You know... if you've got really fine sand you can discourage the "piling" behavior by focussing a powerhead on the glosso.. even a light current will prevent the falling sand from settling in a big pile... (I used to have convicts in a sand tank)

Heh.. Don't thank me for compliments.. They are given when they are due.. That tank is really something.


----------



## ZeroChalk (Nov 28, 2003)

Very well done indeed! roud: One of the best tank's I've seen to date.

You've given me some ideas! I'm just starting my aquarium again after postponing the project for the summer. I haven't been really satisfied with the fish choices for FW (I had a reef before).


----------



## screename (Dec 8, 2004)

roud: When I grow up, I want to be like Travis. WOW!


----------



## Buck (Oct 13, 2002)

The problem with cichlids isnt when they are young, its when they hit that breeding maturity...then they dig like crazy. Hey , just keep the fingers crossed is what I would do... that tank is absolutely beautiful ! If I were you I would also keep up on the photos weekly to keep on file just in case they do decide to redecorate for you while you are at work...that tank is just too pretty to say "Remember when" ... LOL

Great photos Travis , I have to say I kinda like how the glosso is blending that edge with its invasiveness , very natural looking :wink:


----------



## travis (Nov 17, 2004)

Thanks Buck, I agree about the Glosso - I'm letting it blend with the Lilaeopsis in a sort of turf war to see which one wins. My money's on the Glosso right now 

And my cichlids are definitely at the breeding stage. I've got fry all over the place and they're surviving a lot longer now that the large males have learned that it just takes too much energy to catch them for the amount of food that they end up getting out of the deal. My Ps. demasoni are the most prolific. I've got five females with an average of two of them carrying at any given time. Only one of my L. caeruleus females seems to be interested in breeding and it looks like she's getting ready to lay her fourth clutch of eggs so far. I just put in a half dozen Labeotropheus fuelleborni and they're already starting to play the mating game, so I'm expecting some more of them in the near future too. Now if I could just get the Ps. elongatus 'Usisya' to breed. They're F0 wild-caught and I would love to get some F1 fry out of them. My guess is that they're all males though.

I just rearranged things following the advice about too much red on the right side. I'll let things grow a while and will post some more pics when things look better. I just traded some clippings with another plantkeeper and have some Blyxa japonica and Hottonia palustris on the way too. Looks like I'll have to figure out what I can move around to fit them in. Nice problem to have though.


----------



## pphx459 (Jun 25, 2004)

Damn, that is an awesome tank!


----------



## travis (Nov 17, 2004)

Thanks man  I took a look at your tank pics and have to say the same about yours. That is one beautiful aquarium. Is that Starphire glass? And T5's! Sweet! That's what I was looking at, but I went the cheaper CF route instead. Very healthy looking plants too.


----------



## pphx459 (Jun 25, 2004)

I have acrylic, didn't find out about Starphire glass until recently (can't afford it anyway.. :icon_bigg )

But man, I got to hand it to you. I must be missing something in my tank.. I can't grow 1/2 the plants you have even with a KH a little bit lower than yours. I don't know how to say this again, but your tank is breathtaking!

P.S. I really apologize about the SAE. I will be happy to send you some of the babies that I have once they get bigger.


----------



## travis (Nov 17, 2004)

Absolutely no need to apologize man, I'm sorry you lost him, SAEs that size are few and far between. And it's good to know that they occassionally like to jump, I will remember to keep my lid sealed 

The jury's still out on whether I'm actually _growing_ some of the plants I've got. My Cyperus helferi, which I just love, seems to be an algae magnet, even when the rest of the tank is doing fine. Don't know what it is about that plant in my tanks :icon_conf


----------



## travis (Nov 17, 2004)

ZeroChalk said:


> You've given me some ideas! I'm just starting my aquarium again after postponing the project for the summer. I haven't been really satisfied with the fish choices for FW (I had a reef before).


I'm not sure what size tank you've got or if you're looking at Africans specifically, but if you are, my experience has been that they always do best in large tanks, 75G and up. They will tolerate smaller environments, but they can be real pains in such tight quarters and their aggression can go through the roof. Give them plenty of room and they're actually a joy to take care of - extrememly interactive fish to keep


----------



## teddo10 (Nov 9, 2004)

He Travis the link in your profile isn't working :icon_conf 
Ed


----------



## travis (Nov 17, 2004)

Thanks teddo. I'm having issues typing the date properly :icon_redf It should work now.


----------



## teddo10 (Nov 9, 2004)

Impressive!
(btw I will update mine in a few days, first enter a contest)
Ed


----------



## ZeroChalk (Nov 28, 2003)

travis said:


> I'm not sure what size tank you've got or if you're looking at Africans specifically, but if you are, my experience has been that they always do best in large tanks, 75G and up. They will tolerate smaller environments, but they can be real pains in such tight quarters and their aggression can go through the roof. Give them plenty of room and they're actually a joy to take care of - extrememly interactive fish to keep


Still iffy on the fish, but I'm 'stalking' your every post on the other forums (and anything cichild/plant related). :icon_eek: :icon_lol: 

I have a 110 gallon aquarium ready to go. Just gotta make up my decision. I want to use hemianthus callitrichoides as my floor. Do you think they'll eat/destroy it?


----------



## travis (Nov 17, 2004)

ZeroChalk said:


> I want to use hemianthus callitrichoides as my floor. Do you think they'll eat/destroy it?


I've never kept HC before so I can't say for sure but, IME, Africans do not eat very many types of plants because they enjoy the taste of the plant (vals excepted) - they eat/shred the plants because they have algae growing on them. If things can be kept relatively algae-free (and the cichlids are kept well-fed) then I've found that you'll have much fewer problems growing plants. Keep in mind that I haven't tried a wide variety of Africans with my planted tank either - mainly dwarf mbuna that have less of a tendency to rearrange things to their liking. I suspect the larger species of mbuna have a rightfully deserved reputation for being plant destroyers. In my mind, smaller is better when stocking Africans with plants - even small cichlids still get fairly large when you consider most of the types of fish commonly kept in planted tanks.

It may take some constant maintenance (i.e. replanting the foreground every day or two until it takes root) to battle the cichlid's desire to uproot things. I ran into this with Glosso and I found that I can beat the little pests in the long run if I just keep replanting things and wait for them to root themselves. It is frustrating at times, but you've just got to be more stubborn than the fish


----------



## Ibn (Nov 19, 2003)

Might be awhile for HC to grow in for you. This is a slow growing plant that's a fraction the size of glosso with a shallower root system. Very easy to uproot...


----------



## travis (Nov 17, 2004)

I just took some new pics tonight and thought I would post a few. Things are starting to grow in a little bit better. Sorry about posting so many :icon_redf 

Here's how the right side of the tank now looks:










A shot of one of my goofy L. fuelleborni OB's hanging out by the Ammania sp. 'Bonsai':










A close-up of a small Riccia bed and some C. wendtii 'Green Gecko' that's starting to kick into its growth spurt on the left side of the tank:










A Ps. demasoni fry hanging out by the top of the tank near the large lace rock outcrop:










A Ps. demasoni and L. caeruleus hovering over the large Riccia bed:










A shot of the middle section of the tank:










A closeup of some newly planted Blyxa japonica with a stem of R. macrandra, Mayaca sellowiana, a Ps. demasoni, and a holding L. caeruleus female in the background:










And finally a full shot of the tank taken a few days ago:


----------



## baj (Sep 16, 2004)

Awesome pictures! If there is anything you need to feel sorry about is not post enough pictures! This tank is a creative masterpiece. Beautiful!


----------



## teddo10 (Nov 9, 2004)

Again: very nice!
Ed


----------



## Marc (Oct 13, 2004)

GAH THATS A GREAT TANK~!


----------



## travis (Nov 17, 2004)

Some updated pics. I think the left half of the tank is where I want it but I'm still working on the plants for the right side. I can't seem to find a 'scape that I like. Here are a few recent pics:


----------



## Buck (Oct 13, 2002)

Beautiful Travis, it looks like you lightened up on the red stems in the right side. roud: The ammania is growing in nicely for you as well... good looking plant there.


----------



## Buck (Oct 13, 2002)

I just realized...What a bummer it is that your helferi has disappeared behind the stellata :icon_frow


----------



## travis (Nov 17, 2004)

Buck said:


> Beautiful Travis, it looks like you lightened up on the red stems in the right side.


Yep. I moved the L. aromatica to the back middle of the tank next to my Echinodorus 'Red Flame' which is actually bright green right now :icon_redf 

Here's a recent pic of the right side which I think I'm going to be adding some Java fern to soon.


----------



## Buck (Oct 13, 2002)

> Yep. I moved the L. aromatica


ooops, looked like stellata... :hihi:


----------



## travis (Nov 17, 2004)

Buck said:


> I just realized...What a bummer it is that your helferi has disappeared behind the stellata :icon_frow


I'm disappointed too. I just can't seem to get that stuff to grow very well. It's an algae magnet for me. Even when the rest of the tank is alage free, it's got fuzz all over it. I wish I could figure out what I'm doing wrong with it.


----------



## travis (Nov 17, 2004)

Buck said:


> ooops, looked like stellata... :hihi:


Nope, you were right, that's stellata  Here's the L. aromatica:












And here's the P. stellata with the C. helferi almost completely hidden behind it:


----------



## Buck (Oct 13, 2002)

Ohhh OK...pheeew, I thought my eyes were going now too. 

The helferi seems to take a while to get going, mine seemed to be stagnant for longer then I thought it should but it is starting to finally grow a bit. The older leaves do seem to attract any type of algae that may be present but hopefully when it gets good and rooted it will take care of itself.

I have to tell ya Travis I think you are doing an awesome job with your tank, that foreground is top notch and the growth of your plants is fantastic...

I gave you a 5 star thread rating this morning to show you just what I think of your efforts ! roud:


----------



## travis (Nov 17, 2004)

Thanks Buck! :icon_redf The foreground has really been one of the easiest parts since I got the Glosso to take root (which was the real trick because my Africans loved to rip out the young plantlets). Now it's more of a chore to keep it trimmed back. I always thought Glosso would be hard to grow, but it's about the easiest thing in the world once it gets started. That stuff is probably the most invasive plant I've got. I keep finding it in the strangest places


----------



## Buck (Oct 13, 2002)

> I think I'm going to be adding some Java fern to soon


 Jeez I wish I had known that... I just brought a whole bucket full to the LFS. I am not sure which variety you are looking to get but I have a few small plants of the 'windelov' variety I could send you if you like. :wink:


----------



## scalare altum (Apr 5, 2004)

I just can't believe you made the combination work. I mean african cichlids in a beautiful planted tank, that is densly planted??? Purely incredable, inspiring, amazing...and i can't think of anymore adjectives right now. BUT WOW!

-Joel


----------



## travis (Nov 17, 2004)

It's too bad that I missed that Buck. I just ordered some yesterday: Windelov, Narrow Leaf, and standard. I've never kept it before (although you would have thought so since I've got Africans) and don't know how it will look, so I decided to get as many varieties as I could find to see which one(s) I liked. Thanks for the offer


----------



## travis (Nov 17, 2004)

scalare altum said:


> I just can't believe you made the combination work. I mean african cichlids in a beautiful planted tank, that is densly planted??? Purely incredable, inspiring, amazing...and i can't think of anymore adjectives right now. BUT WOW!
> 
> -Joel


Wow, thanks Joel  To tell you the truth, it's not as hard as common wisdom may lead you to believe. I just ignored what I'd heard about plants and Africans and went ahead and added plants to my ARLC tank. Then added some more, and some more . . . I think I've been lucky with my fish selection since I don't seem to have a lot of digging going on. The fish were a little resistant to the idea of plants cluttering up their rocks at first, but they seem to have given up fighting it :icon_mrgr


----------



## teddo10 (Nov 9, 2004)

It's a stunner Travis. roud: 
I added some plants to get more variety in colour and structure, just waiting for them to get going.
Ed


----------



## travis (Nov 17, 2004)

I recently added some new plants to the right side of my tank. A fellow hobbyist sent me some beautiful specimens of Isoetes japonica, M. pteropus 'Windelov', and Myriophyllum matogrossense. The P. stellata 'Broad Leaf' that I got from GrandMasterofPool is also really starting to grow in. Now I'm just waiting for the Ludwigia glandulosa sitting in the middle of everything to grow tall enough for it to be seen.


----------



## Overfloater (Jan 12, 2004)

Travis, 

I love your tank. Mixing mbuna and plants is not an undertaking for the faint of heart. I recently bought a 75G that I am going to try to setup as a mbuna planted tank. Until now my interests have been solely in plants. I am looking at P. Acei, and L. Caeruleus for the stocking, probably about 20 in total. These guys seem to be fairly mild-mannered considering. Plants are going to be a couple huge stands of Rotala 'green', A. Nana, B. Japonica, and Java Fern. Among some hefty rockwork. Substrate is black sand. Have you tried any of these plants with mbuna?


----------



## travis (Nov 17, 2004)

Those are two great species. I've some of both in my tank now. I noticed that Ps. acei will eat the new growth tips of H. polysperma and sometimes H. difformis, but that's about the only problems I've had with them. L. caeruleus are very peaceful but have a penchant for digging so it can be a little tricky to get a carpet going. I just kept replanting what they dug up until it took hold and now it's too thick for them to tear out. I think they're frustrated 

I've tried everything you mentioned except for the Rotala. Java fern and Anubias work great of course, but my B. japonica seemed to stunt and slowly shrank down to little stumps. I don't know if I did something or if it was the hard water, but I would give it a shot. I'm going to try it again soon (some is on the way now) but I would love to hear your results with it. In any case, the fish leave it completely alone.


----------



## shalu (Jan 16, 2003)

Hi Travis, how is your r. macrandra doing? I remember you said it was melting. My water now is much harder, kh8, gh17, the macrandra is still doing great.


----------



## travis (Nov 17, 2004)

shalu said:


> Hi Travis, how is your r. macrandra doing? I remember you said it was melting. My water now is much harder, kh8, gh17, the macrandra is still doing great.


That's good to hear. I think the 14 dKH in my ARLC tank got to it so I moved it to my KH 8 grow-out tank and it's doing great. I can't say for sure it was the KH in my ARLC that hurt it (had a bit of a fuzz algae outbreak a couple of months ago) so I may move some of it back in once it gets well grown-out. But, like yours, it doesn't seem to mind a KH of around 8.


----------



## Aulonochromis (Jan 14, 2005)

Man this tank is amazing. I don't see how you can keep all of those plants with mbuna. My Africans ripped up everything I put in except for java fern. I couldn't even hang a philodendron stem in there without it getting nibbled. 

Nice work roud:


----------



## travis (Nov 17, 2004)

Thanks  Here are a couple of recent pics (left side and right side):


----------



## shalu (Jan 16, 2003)

Your glosso lawn still look real nice. Did you have to give it a major overhaul since setup? How do you maintain it? I have a hard time maintaining a good looking glosso lawn in the long run without it getting out of hand.


----------



## ringram (Jan 19, 2005)

Wow that's a nice tank Travis, well done! I especially like how you made several "mounds" which is very fresh and a nice change from the usual flat or upwards sloping types.
Also, what is your method for getting a nice thick glosso lawn like that? Do you propogate new plantlets when they form, or is it best to leave them alone and allow runners to do their job? Just curious as I just started keeping glosso myself. 
Cudos on the tank, once again, its truly amazing!


----------



## travis (Nov 17, 2004)

Thanks guys  I really haven't done much with the Glosso except give it a haircut when it needs it, trying to keep it from growing vertically where it's under shade. I haven't replanted any of it yet and it's been over four months from bare gravel to current. It is fairly invasive and I'm constantly pulling runners out of the Lilaeopsis and other nearby plants. It's still getting thicker and appears to be doing well, but I'm not sure how much longer it will be before I have to replant or thin it out. Hopefully not soon because it was a bear to get started with my Africans constantly digging it up.


----------



## shalu (Jan 16, 2003)

So a regular haircut is all that's needed to keep it neat and tidy? That's good to know. I think my lawn is overdue for a haircut, grabing the scissor ... roud:


----------



## travis (Nov 17, 2004)

Got bored this morning and took some pics:


----------



## Hop (Mar 27, 2004)

travis,

I wish I knew where to start... The whole tank is just such a pleasure to look at and a great insperation. Thanks for keeping us updated!!!!


----------



## Darla (Apr 1, 2004)

Beautiful tank, as always!

How about posting your plant list? *smirk* Is that large-leafed plant on the right a Nuphar species?


----------



## travis (Nov 17, 2004)

I'll try to get the list of plants together today  And you are correct, that plant on the right is a Nuphar japonicum var Formosa. It is outgrowing my limited planting space and I am considering getting rid of it. It has already hit the top of my tank and is starting to shade everything in a large area.


----------



## Bryan13 (Mar 19, 2005)

If you dont mind me asking where do you buy your plants, live rock and driftwood from?


----------



## Blade (Jul 27, 2004)

This is easily one of the best looking tanks I have ever seen and honestly it maybe the best. Truly awesome.

Did you enter in the 2004 AGA? If so what comments did you get?


----------



## travis (Nov 17, 2004)

Thanks man. No, I've never entered any contests before. If you want to see a tank worthy of contests check out GDominy's tanks. My favorites by far. I keep moving things around so much I don't think it's ever going to stabilize enough for a contest entry but I do enjoy the compliments  Right now I'm trying to figure out how to grow the P. stellata that GMoP sent me. The fine-leaf P. stellata seems to want to stunt for no reason I can figure out but the broad-leaf grows like crazy. I'm still learning


----------



## travis (Nov 17, 2004)

My big question for the experts out there, if you're following this thread, is what am doing wrong? I'm not sure if I'm trying for a Dutch style look or an Amano-type Nature aquarium. I can't decide but, to me it looks too much like I can't decide and it's sort of an uncomfortable amalgam of both. Which way should I go, or does it look good the way it is? Any advice - and thanks for the 'ditch the Riccia' advice Ed  - would be truly appreciated. Remember I'm red-green color-blind so don't hold back guys


----------



## Urkevitz (Jan 12, 2004)

Your tank is really unique, the only advice I would give is to lower the number of plant species on the right side of the tank. Maybe a few large bunches plants, or maybe some non stem plants.


----------



## Bryan13 (Mar 19, 2005)

travis said:


> Thanks man. No, I've never entered any contests before. If you want to see a tank worthy of contests check out GDominy's tanks. My favorites by far. I keep moving things around so much I don't think it's ever going to stabilize enough for a contest entry but I do enjoy the compliments  Right now I'm trying to figure out how to grow the P. stellata that GMoP sent me. The fine-leaf P. stellata seems to want to stunt for no reason I can figure out but the broad-leaf grows like crazy. I'm still learning



If you dont mind me asking where do you buy your plants, live rock and driftwood from?


----------



## travis (Nov 17, 2004)

I've traded with hobbyists for a lot of my plants and have gotten the rest at www.aquariumlandscapes.net. I get all of my lace rock and driftwood at a nearby lfs (South Broadway Tropicals in Denver).


----------



## imatrout (Apr 1, 2005)

Travis,

I am starting up a 150 Tanganyikan planted tank. I must be crazy, but in order to get enough CO2 into the tank and maintain a high PH for my fish, I need to buffer it up into the high teens 17-18 in order to get any kind on CO2 in. Is it bad for the Tangs to have the water be that hard? If I do it, will I still be able to grow a variety of plants? Lanke Tanganyika id almost double the alkalinity of Malawi...seems a rough environment for plants eh? Also, how much CO2 aree you injecting? How do your fish feel about the PH swings?

Thanks...


----------



## travis (Nov 17, 2004)

To tell you the truth I've been cheating with mine. I keep the pH at 7.2 and the KH at 12-14. I've done this over time and can't recommend that anyone else try it, but my Malawians don't seem to mind at all. Their color is still brilliant and they're breeding like flies so I have no problems, plus they seem to love the extra cover. In your case, Tangs may require a bit harder water so be careful. Only inject enough CO2 to maintain a proper pH and do it slowly/gradually. Do a little experimenting with lowered pH values, but be very careful. Always remember (and I probably don't have to tell you) the fish are the first priority - always. I keep African cichlids with my plants - not the other way around :wink:


----------



## imatrout (Apr 1, 2005)

Thanks Travis,

I've been going crazy tryting to figure out how to do this while keeping my Tangs happy. Malawi is much softer than Tanganyika so it's probably okay that you've moved them down that far. I'm going to start at Ph 7.8 an KH of 15 and see how they adjust for a few weeks. If okay, I'll move to a KH of 17, then see how that goes, then a PH of mayber 7.7 and so on moving them down the Ph and up the Kh ladder . I'd be satisfied if I could supply the plant 12 ppm of CO2 on a regular basis. Ho high a KH do you think is reasonable for the Tangs?

Your tank is awsome....


----------



## travis (Nov 17, 2004)

I've never kept Tangs but know they're more sensitive than Malawians when it comes to hardness and pH. My advice would be to first make sure the fish are happy and then decide what the plants will tolerate. I would keep the KH as high as you can and determine what plants will tolerate it. You might be surprised what you can grow in high KH/GH water. I've got Rotala macrandra thriving in 13 KH / 18 GH water right now


----------



## Anthony (Jan 11, 2005)

I just wanted to say that seeing this tank on aquahobby.com is the reason I decided to start a planted tank. It is absolutely beautiful, great aquascapes, and beautiful fish in every picture.


----------



## travis (Nov 17, 2004)

Some new pics I'm really proud of. The tank is not in compteition form but I've got some new plants on the right side that are really surpising me for hard water growth (and a pic of R. macrandra growing in 14 dKH water  )


Sort of ugly, but look at that R. macrandra in the backround 











I love the way the H. palustris frames the P. stellatus 'Broad-leaf'











This is Lucky, my first successful L. caeruleus fry in the community tank, looking for snails in the Pogotsemon helferi (Downoi) that I've got growing in 14 dKH water roud:











A recent full-tank shot, weak on the left, but over-abundant on the right. Anyone want any Ranunculus papulentus? (I'm offering). Stuff grows like crazy


----------



## Anthony (Jan 11, 2005)

What kind of rock is that in your tank. It's the best looking rock formations in a tank I've ever seen.


----------



## travis (Nov 17, 2004)

I use only lace rock. It's a volcanic type of rock that, from what I know, only comes from Utah and areas in the Great Salt Desert. We gets lots of it here in Colorado but only when the guys grom Utah bring up a new shipment. It's full of holes and makes great hiding places from fry. I wish I knew more about it, but it's the only rock I use in my tank


----------



## Anthony (Jan 11, 2005)

When I see them in your tank it reminds me of cliffsides.


----------



## travis (Nov 17, 2004)

Here's a cool new piece I got a couple of weeks ago. It looks sort of small in the pic but weighs about twenty pounds and has a nice hole in the top of it.


----------



## travis (Nov 17, 2004)

And this one is for IUnkonwn. I gave you some bad advice on trimming Glosso a while back. IME, rip it all out and give this plant a try:


----------



## travis (Nov 17, 2004)

Here's Ranunculus papulentus. It's the plant across the bottom of the pic. It creeps almost exactly like Hydrocotyle verticellata but gets no taller than about 3". Give it some time and it will make a nice semi-carpet like this, but it's sort of a bitch. Mix it with H. verticellata or H. sibthorpioides and you've got a nice jungle effect. Never seen it before? Then just give me some dame H. zosterifloia for it and we'll call it a deal!!! You won't regret the trade because you've never seen this freaky plant before


----------



## bavarian3 (Feb 22, 2005)

travis said:


> And this one is for IUnkonwn. I gave you some bad advice on trimming Glosso a while back. IME, rip it all out and give this plant a try:
> 
> img]http://dump.fibervault.com/E_triandra_Uphill_120505_x800.jpg[/img]


heh, i just saw his tank this morning and the glosso looked quite nice :icon_bigg 

btw trav i cant get a hold of any female afras as of now but im looking more into it :icon_conf


----------



## shalu (Jan 16, 2003)

travis said:


> And this one is for IUnkonwn. I gave you some bad advice on trimming Glosso a while back. IME, rip it all out and give this plant a try:


You actually meant me, right :tongue: 
That looks like Elatine triandra? It piles up faster than glosso for me.



travis said:


> Then just give me some dame H. zosterifloia for it and we'll call it a deal!!! You won't regret the trade because you've never seen this freaky plant before


yeah, I have seen Ranunculus papulentus on aquabid, new and pretty expensive. I can grow some more stargrass very quickly.

Man, your fish have great color.


----------



## Clownknife (Feb 11, 2004)

Alway inpressed and never disapointed Travis



Duane


----------



## travis (Nov 17, 2004)

Thanks guys 




shalu said:


> You actually meant me, right :tongue:
> That looks like Elatine triandra? It piles up faster than glosso for me.


Sure do :tongue: And you're right that's E. triandra. I think I have to agree with you on it piling up faster than Glosso too. The stuff grows like mad when it starts to take off.


----------



## Pareeeee (May 17, 2005)

I just have to say - that is one fantastic tank. What is the low mossy stuff?


----------



## StUk_In_AfRiKa (Jan 30, 2005)

Wow it's absolutely stunning!


----------



## travis (Nov 17, 2004)

Pareeeee said:


> I just have to say - that is one fantastic tank. What is the low mossy stuff?


I'm not sure which pic you're referring to but you might be looking at the Lilaeopsis brasiliensis (looks sort of like grass) or Riccia fluitans (mossier looking with white bubbles on the tips of it).


----------



## Betowess (Dec 9, 2004)

I love the look of that Ranunculus papulentus. Never seen it. What's hard about it? Does it grow crazy like glosso? ... Also, is that an SAE in there? I suppose they could handle the 12dGH.

Like everyone knows, I'll say it again, your tank totally kicks! bob


----------



## Safado (Jul 10, 2005)

Hey Travis, is this tank still up and running? I'd love to see an update.


----------



## Steven_Chong (Sep 14, 2004)

good job digging up this thread safado-- I'm curious as well.


----------



## travis (Nov 17, 2004)

Safado, thanks for asking  I haven't posted any updates in some time. Yes, the tank is still up and running, going on 1 1/2 years now. Here are a few pics showing the planting iterations it has gone through since I last updated:

The tank with an Elatine triandra foreground. I really liked the look of it but the time required to maintain it was just too much:











The tank a few weeks ago. I am letting the Pogostemon helferi (Downoi) foreground grow in and am really liking it as a low-maintenance, long-lasting foreground plant. The plants still have some filling in to do, but it is coming along nicely:


----------



## Urkevitz (Jan 12, 2004)

The new layout looks impressive, don't think I have ever seen so much downoi in one tank before! The new background is also great.


----------



## Overfloater (Jan 12, 2004)

I am growing a few bunches of Downoi out right now to add to my foreground. Yours looks great. If you ever thin it out let me know, I could use some more


----------



## Steven_Chong (Sep 14, 2004)

I remember 2 years ago when I saw dow noi for the first time I thought, "Wow, what a funky looking plant-- it's very pretty, but I can't see it really looking any good in an aquascape."

Besides Oliver Knott though, now I've seen Travis' tank use it very well!

I see now Dow noi has a lot mor potential than I formerly thought!

(BTW-- my opinions on Tonina and eriocaulon are the same so I wonder who'll prove me wrong there!?)


----------



## co2 (Sep 13, 2004)

That Downoi foreground looks awesome Travis!


----------



## Ðank (Dec 29, 2005)

Geez, I'm speechless. Or textless. Absolutely stunning tank Travis.


----------



## BoxxerBoyDrew (Oct 16, 2005)

Travis,

Like everyone has said here your tank in FRIKIN AWESOME!!!!:drool: 

I LOVE the Downoi Forground! I like the plant anyway, but I have NEVER seen so much! Keep up the great work and keep the pics comming! PLEASE:thumbsup: 


My self I have about had it with the little fish, and I am ready to go back to Cihlids, and you have ivspired me to try a set up like yours! I already have 150+Lbs of lace rock and the LFS has another piece I am wanting that is shaped like a hollow egg. It is 8" in diameter, so I don't know it if will fit with my settup though!

Well like I said, I LOVE your settup!
Drew


----------



## toofazt (Jun 18, 2005)

VERY NICE :thumbsup: I've never seen such a nicely planted Mbuna tank, good job!


----------



## Architect1 (Feb 19, 2006)

Wow I don't know if I posted up on hear but what a tropical paradise I never new They could be in a planted tank and that many of them. wow vary nice.


----------



## A Hill (Jul 25, 2005)

o my.... this is .... stunning!!!!
:drool:  :drool: :drool: :drool: :drool: :drool: :drool:    
--- fish newb ----


----------



## cbennett (Oct 20, 2005)

new photos pleeeeeeeeze!  pretty pretty please?


----------



## Overfloater (Jan 12, 2004)

cbennett said:


> new photos pleeeeeeeeze!  pretty pretty please?



Yes I agree!


----------



## shuks (Jul 10, 2005)

JeeZZ! thats one hell of a nice god damn tank!!! Makes me drool when I look at it.


----------



## travis (Nov 17, 2004)

Latest pic I've taken. Overgrown and hairy. But I kinda like it this way


----------



## killerbee (Jan 4, 2006)

WOW, Awesome :thumbsup: :thumbsup:


----------



## Betowess (Dec 9, 2004)

This has to be the coolest tank on TPT, bar none. What kind of background do you have, or is your wall painted that soft blue? Love the Downoi foreground too. I think that might be my next plant.
Are you still a Mod. at AA? Terrific tank Travis!!


----------



## A Hill (Jul 25, 2005)

.looks great all grown out!

- fish newb -


----------



## mecgeorgeneo (Aug 12, 2005)

omg keep the pics coming, the tank looks amazing. overgrown and hairy is the best!


----------



## hazeen (May 21, 2006)

what to say!!  WOW not enough


----------



## rich9521 (Dec 29, 2003)

Hate to dig up old threads but Travis can you give me a run down of the plants you have in this tank. I have a 55 gallon lab tank I would like to try an emulate this on a smaller level. Thanks Rich


----------



## co2 (Sep 13, 2004)

Yeah, any updates Travis?


----------



## eklikewhoa (Aug 29, 2006)

absolutely amazing looking!!!!!


----------



## Y0uH0 (Dec 19, 2005)

Wow,i love the look of your tank now. Your cichlids are such lucky fishes.


----------



## travis (Nov 17, 2004)

rich9521 said:


> Hate to dig up old threads but Travis can you give me a run down of the plants you have in this tank. I have a 55 gallon lab tank I would like to try an emulate this on a smaller level. Thanks Rich


Wow, I wish I could give you a list but I'm a plantaholic and am constantly changing my selection. If you have any questions about a specific plant in a picture I would be happy to let you know what it is.

As it stands, there are a few plant species I always keep in my tank:

Cryptocoryne wendtii "Green Gecko"
Pogostemon stellata (both Broad-leaf and Fine-leaf)
Anubias barteri v. Nana
Hydrocotyle verticellata and leucocephala
Limnophila sp. "Corkscrew"
Ammania sp. "Bonsai" (actually probably a Rotala species but no one is sure yet)

Like I said, feel free to ask if you have any questions at all 

-Travis


----------



## travis (Nov 17, 2004)

Here are a couple of recent pics. I'll post a new full tank pic soon. Thanks for the interest guys


----------



## jerrytheplater (Apr 11, 2007)

Your tank is beautiful Travis. I enjoyed the progression of pictures over time.

Have you ever had to net any fish in this tank? If so, how do you do it? I imagine it would be impossible.

Jerry Smith


----------



## guitardude9187 (Aug 22, 2006)

update please!!


----------



## vollphann (Jun 3, 2005)

I wish I had that talent. GOOD GRIEF CHARLIE BROWN:eek5: ! Well, i'll just have to stick w/my little fish and little tank:frown: I love my fish and tank, but, man, that's a dream. Thanks for sharing and please post pics as you can. Thanks for sharing. Ben


----------



## travis (Nov 17, 2004)

Here are latest photos of the tank. I've rescaped extensively since my last photo post. It isn't quite fully grown-in yet, probably will be in about a month, but this is how it stands today.

Left Side











Center











Right Side











Full Tank


----------



## Roc (Mar 16, 2007)

that is an amazing tank, I feel retarded now after seeing what your tank looked like after only 4 months.


----------



## unirdna (Jan 22, 2004)

You never disappoint, Travis. I like that you try new spins on your aquascape. The old one was so nice....it's hard to change things when you have a good one locked in.


----------



## esarkipato (Jul 19, 2005)

Can anyone ID the tall grassy plan in the background in the center/right-center? 

Still looks amazing.


----------



## travis (Nov 17, 2004)

That is Blyxa aubertii. One of the few plants that will readily flower submersed. If you look closely you can see several small white flowers on stalks near the surface.


----------



## Jessica (Mar 1, 2007)

Wow...the cool-factor of this being a healthy planted Mbuna tank alone, coupled with the fact that the aquascape and layout in general is just stunning, makes this a downright awesome, genius tank.

You're an inspiration!!


----------



## travis (Nov 17, 2004)

Thanks for the kind words guys


----------



## foamerdave (Apr 27, 2007)

well looks like we are do for an update has been 6 months now 
I have to say your tank is a great help to as I love plants and mubunas. Have heard all the no no you cant do that's But was going to say f*** it I am going to try it anyway and if it doesn't work out o well. 
Seeing your success makes the thought of putting out the coin for a CO2 set up worth it (all ready have 300w of mh lighting sitting around) so thank you and lets see some new pic's


----------



## travis (Nov 17, 2004)

foamerdave said:


> well looks like we are do for an update has been 6 months now


LOL, OK  Here's a picture taken about six weeks ago. It has changed considerably since then so I will try to get some new pics soon. And speaking of metal halides, I am now using 2x250w 10000K MH lamps along with 6x39w Giesemann 6000K Midday T-5HO lamps. The MH lighting does wonders for the color intensity of the plants.


----------



## esarkipato (Jul 19, 2005)

What a wonderful mbuna playground :hihi: Looks amazing as always travis.


----------



## forddna (Sep 12, 2007)

Wow.....just wow. Amazing.


----------



## plantbrain (Dec 15, 2003)

Scaping has improved.
Do you do much topping on the bunch plants? Eg Rotala
If not, you might find that method to achieve those nice rounded shapes you see in the ADA contest or at CAU etc.

It's actually pretty easy.

Same for the Myrio to make a nice dense street gradually building higher.

The right corner might have a few Crinum calamistratum
Hard to tell due to the dark shadow, may look different in person.

Keep playing with the texas plate rock.
It really has some potential in scapes but few have really worked with it for planted tanks. Mostly reef folks building their coral hotels of rock only hotel displays.

One thing that appeals to topping: the roots stay well rooted, the method is easy. The bad: looks scraggy until the new growth fills in, but then it looks great. Another bad issue, the sediment can get sort of built up with mulm and needs uprooted every so often. 

Still, it's well on it's way.

I wish you'd put some nice dramatic Haps in there
A pack of L compressiceps darting out to eat fish would be cool.

But that's my tank idea for Malawi

Keep the tank going, looking good.

Regards, 
Tom Barr


----------



## travis (Nov 17, 2004)

Thanks guys  I'll get some new pics up soon.

Tom, I've been practicing my trimming techniques and have gotten better at it. Today is haircut time for several species so we'll see how I do in a couple of weeks.


----------



## Gatekeeper (Feb 20, 2007)

What fish load to you have in there? I see Labs but are those Acei's???


----------



## travis (Nov 17, 2004)

I've got a group of wild-caught Ps. acei which have been breeding recently. I've also got six or seven adult labs with nearly 30 fry of varying sizes. Also a group of Ps. demasoni and many demasoni fry. The plant cover really improves the survival rate of mbuna fry in a community environment. In fact, I would have to say that it improves it too much, as I have to catch and remove dozens of fish every few months.


----------



## Gatekeeper (Feb 20, 2007)

I am quite shocked that the aceis don't tear up your plants since they are herbivores. Do you have them on a very strict diet regime to keep them from attacking the plants??

Thats awesome that you are having such good success breeding. 

Tank is gorgeous. Very well done.


----------



## travis (Nov 17, 2004)

Surprisingly, I've had more issues with the L. caeruleus, who are omnivores. The lab fry developed a taste for Pogostemon helferi (Downoi) and ate an entire foreground of about 150-200 plants that I had lovingly cultivated.

Other than a few notable species, I haven't had many problems at all with my mbuna eating my plants. I suspect that most cases of mbuna eating plants are related to the fact that the plants have algae growing on them and the mbuna are after the aufwuchs in the algae, not the plants themselves. Damage to the plants is merely collateral.


----------



## tazcrash69 (Sep 27, 2005)

Travis, that is a stunning scape in there. Makes me feel horrible about how my 125 looks. Oh, and I think I would end up in tears loosing 6' of Pogostemon helferi


----------



## ringram (Jan 19, 2005)

Very nice tank. I've been tempted in the past to attempt a similar feat, but I chickened out. Maybe someday.
One question though -- Have you had issues with mbuna digging and uprooting plants? 
In a set up like the one you have, I would imagine that any damage absorbed by the plants would simply be grown out enough to trim off within a week or so...
Still, if I had to replant floating gobs of plants every day I'd probably go insane.


----------



## travis (Nov 17, 2004)

Digging is a problem and replanting is a daily task. It is a matter of being more stubborn than the fish. The only mbuna that I've kept who aren't industrious diggers are my Ps. demasoni. I am often tempted to get rid of all my other species and keep a massive colony of demasoni.


----------



## ringram (Jan 19, 2005)

haha. it must look like a mess if/when you go away for a few days. The Ps. demasoni are nice. Is that a pic of one on your avatar? I actually thought that was an electric blue johani. But, hey, what do I know? I've never owned Africans. Beautiful fish though.


----------



## travis (Nov 17, 2004)

Yes, mbuna are not good about picking up after themselves 

The pic is a Melanochromis cyaneorhabdos 'Maingano', one mbuna that I found out early on does not make a good plant neighbor.


----------



## Tdon1md (Jun 3, 2007)

I've been riveted from start to finish Travis. Just an absolutely amazing tank. Fish, plants and scape all are just awesome. Love the use of color and contrast as well as depth. Ever considered entering it in AGA competition?

Very nice job!!!!!! A total inspiration.
________
AVANDIA LAWSUIT


----------



## travis (Nov 17, 2004)

Thanks Todd. 

Every year I tell myself that I will get my tank into shape to enter the AGA contest but, for three years running, it has been nowhere near good enough to enter by the time the deadline rolls around. Maybe next year . . .


----------



## foamerdave (Apr 27, 2007)

well as Travis being my inspiration to try a planted mubuna tank Ill post my first pick here but will start my own thread for details on what is what and what is in the works


----------



## travis (Nov 17, 2004)

Nice  What type of substrate are you using there?


----------



## styxx (Jul 2, 2003)

All I can say is WOW!


----------



## Tdon1md (Jun 3, 2007)

Very nice Dave. Mind sending me a link to your journal, or maybe if Travis doesn't mind, you could post a link here. Hope that's not considered a hostile take over of your thread Travis.......:redface:
________
Your1xFantasy cam


----------



## foamerdave (Apr 27, 2007)

travis said:


> Nice  What type of substrate are you using there?



it is 3m crushed quartz mixed with a small amount of pool filter sand (the white specks) and a bag of black fluorite sand mix in. Keep on mind that up till this pass Saturday this was a true Mbuna tank for a long time


----------



## foamerdave (Apr 27, 2007)

Tdon1md said:


> Very nice Dave. Mind sending me a link to your journal, or maybe if Travis doesn't mind, you could post a link here. Hope that's not considered a hostile take over of your thread Travis.......:redface:



I have to make one first


----------



## travis (Nov 17, 2004)

foamerdave said:


> it is 3m crushed quartz mixed with a small amount of pool filter sand (the white specks) and a bag of black fluorite sand mix in.


That should work well. I thought at first that it might be Caribsea's Cichlid Sand. About 50% of my substrate is Cichlid Sand, which was the original substrate I used when I first set up my tank. It's great for mbuna but it is terrible for plants because it contains pH and KH buffers which many plants do not tolerate. I've slowly been trying to replace mine with more plant-friendly substrates but I'll have to do a complete tear-down to remove it all


----------



## foamerdave (Apr 27, 2007)

travis said:


> That should work well. I thought at first that it might be Caribsea's Cichlid Sand. About 50% of my substrate is Cichlid Sand, which was the original substrate I used when I first set up my tank. It's great for mbuna but it is terrible for plants because it contains pH and KH buffers which many plants do not tolerate. I've slowly been trying to replace mine with more plant-friendly substrates but I'll have to do a complete tear-down to remove it all


This going to be the the real hard part for me. My tap water is 8.2 ph, One week aged and is as hard as concrete. I know when I add Co2 that I can set the Ph to what I want. But dont have a cule of how to lowwer the hardness with out the use of peat ( don't want a "tea lookiong" tank as a show piece). Any help here would be nice thanks


----------



## travis (Nov 17, 2004)

You can certainly lower the pH with CO2, but the KH will determine how low the pH can go with CO2 supplementation while remaining within safe levels for your fish. The only way to bring down your KH is with RO or distilled water.

What is your KH?


----------



## foamerdave (Apr 27, 2007)

You know I have not tested it in so long at this point that I am not sure if my test kit is still even good. I have keep cichlids and salt tanks for so long with out ever thinking of retesting it. It sure is nice not having to buffer.
Boy i hope I don't have to go the RO/DI route to have a successful planted tank. My RO/DI unit takes 2hrs to make 5gal. I will hunt down the test this weekend And see where things are be for I do a water change.


----------



## Blue Ridge Reef (Feb 10, 2008)

Hey Travis, any updated pictures of this tank? How are the newer cichlids working out?


----------



## Steve Z (Jul 5, 2007)

what kind of subtrate are you using?


----------



## travis (Nov 17, 2004)

I will get some new pictures up soon when my new camera arrives. My old one died a few months ago.

I've settled on Ps. demasoni as my primary fish, mainly because I like their coloration and the way it contrasts with everything else in the tank as well as their aggressive behavior and personalities. I'm also keeping several wild-caught Ps. acei and will be putting in some F1 Ps. sp. 'Gallireya Reef' in a few weeks.

I'm using a real witch's brew of substrates. I started this tank almost four years ago as a lightly-planted African cichlid tank using strictly Eco-Complete Cichlid Sand, an alkaline buffered substrate designed to raise pH to ~8.0 and KH to 10 or more. I soon discovered that most plants did not do well in this stuff because its alkalinity burned their roots and its buffering capacity made the water quite hard, so I added in several bags of Eco-Complete Plant Substrate in an effort to improve growing conditions. This helped somewhat but I was still limited to keeping only plants that would tolerate a fairly alkaline substrate. Over then next few years I diluted the substrate even further using a couple bags of Flourite, about 100 pounds of quartz sand, and even a few pockets of ADA Aquasoil and Powersand here and there to test some Tonina and Eriocaulon. I've learned a lot but I can't recommend this course of action to anyone interested in growing plants without headaches :wink:


----------



## Church (Sep 14, 2004)

I'm not apologizing for bumping this thread, because it deserves it!

Any updates on this tank, travis?


----------



## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

oh WOW, that is a beautiful tank!!


----------



## MedRed (May 20, 2008)

This thread is just all kinds of wrong... lol. I'm a mavrick with plants in my African Cichlid tanka... but this level of planting... it's... it's... it's just wrong!


----------



## mysticalnet (Dec 2, 2007)

What a beautiful tank! Crazy beautiful!!


----------



## MedRed (May 20, 2008)

Don't encourage him! This is a no no... lol


----------



## khoile (Jan 27, 2005)

Wow nice tank, is 700+W too much for a 125? Do you have trouble with algae?


----------



## carlos05 (Aug 8, 2006)

WOW travis...this is an amazing tank. I'm trying to decide whether or not to try a cichlid planted tank since my water is very hard (kh= 20-22; ph= 7.8 but goes down to 7.3 with CO2). Your tank is definitely inspiring me to swing towards the cichlid side. It would be a 75G tank with T5 lighting, pressurized CO2, and dry ferts. I hope you dont mind me asking some questions though: As far as rocks, is it essential to have them in the tank? I already have some manzonia driftwood but I can probably probably add some rocks if I move around/remove some driftwood. If so, what other types of rock would you recommend (live in texas)? Also, what species of cichlids would be good in a planted tank that are also relatively peaceful/calm and easy to care? Any other tips/advice for someone still learning? 

Honestly, your tank is amazing and if I can get even half of what yours looks like, I would be estatic...


----------



## MedRed (May 20, 2008)

Good grief Charlie Brown! This tank is more viral than the Nintendo Wii! My heart cries out to the Mbuna in the tank. They must fill like that little boy who inherits his older sisters pink bedroom! lol


----------



## mizu-chan (May 13, 2008)

GREAT tank!


----------



## travis (Nov 17, 2004)

Sorry for no updates recently, I've been busy at work building a 190G planted discus display and have not had much time to work on my mbuna tank. I'm done with the setup of the display tank at work so I can give my 125G the time it needs. I will post new pics soon, promise :redface: 

@carlos05 - rocks are by no means necessary but they are great for creating caves for the mbuna. Plants offer soft cover, but rocks allow you to more closely approximate the structure of the rocky shorelines where mbuna live. You can't really see a lot of the rock in my tank but I've got well over 100 pounds of lace rock (my favorite rock for African cichlid tanks) in there, most of it just has plants growing on it but there are caves aplenty.

As far as cichlid species that I've found to work well in planted tanks, I have to say Ps. demasoni are my all-time favorite. They are dwarf mbuna and stay relatively small (for Africans, anyway); I have not observed them to be heavy diggers; and they are strikingly colored, their bright blue standing out particularly well against a green planted background. I also like Ps. acei because they are a fairly peaceful, beautifully colored fish, but they can be industrious gravel movers so be prepared to spend some time replanting until the plants develop good root systems. L. caeruleus are another great fish but can also be diggers. I've kept Ps. elongatus of several different types in this tank with good luck as well, although they can become quite large and aggressive and bully other fish. 

If you're not dead-set on mbuna you might also look into Aulonocara species (peacocks). The males are gorgeous, some of the most colorful of all the rift lake cichlids, and they do not dig nearly as much as most of the mbuna. I have not tried Tanganyikans due to their very high pH/hardness requirements, but there are quite a few species that would work well in a planted environment if the conditions were right.

Hope this helps


----------



## carlos05 (Aug 8, 2006)

I appreciate you getting back with me. I am still going to research more since I won't be getting more fish until I am back home (staying at parents house for a few more weeks till school starts). This helps a lot though. I do have one major concern with keeping cichlids: from what I've read, they seem to time consuming and need lots of care, especially with breeding cichlids. Unfortunately, being in vet school does not allow me to have lots of time to take care of the tank so if you think it requires a lot of work I'd rather not neglect the fish due to a lack of time. The breeding aspect also scares me a little but if you think its doable, I hope you don't mind if I ask a couple of more questions. Have you heard of texas holey rock? Since I'm in austin for another couple of weeks I am pretty sure I can find them here for dirt cheap since its everywhere. What I'm concerned is the effect it will have on the water since it is limestone. I would rather look for a rock that isn't soluble but I don't know if you have had experiences with other rock or if you know where they have lace rock in Texas? Also, I have SMS as my substrate and I read some where else that SMS is terrible substrate for cichlids since they dig a lot and they will kick it up like crazy...what's your opinion on this? Finally, are these fish sensitive to bacteria/parasites? The reason I'm asking is because I'm trying to convince myself to buy a turbo twist but am hesitant to spend money at this point.

I will definitely look into the aulonocara species and I hope you dont mind me asking these questions. I'd rather learn from an expert than try it on my own without any kind of knowledge. Thanks again!


----------



## MedRed (May 20, 2008)

Texas holey rock is GREAT! I use it in my tanganyikan tank. My fishies love it. In African Cichlid tanks, it's good to have something buffer the water. African cichlids are quite hardy. The main issue with them is acclimating them and keeping up the water. I used to keep Malawi cichlids in Texas in water straight from the tap with no conditioning other than chlorine removal.


----------



## digthemlows (Dec 17, 2007)

Please post pics of the 190 gallon Discus tank!


----------



## Ashok (Dec 11, 2006)

Is there an update on this? All the images come up as broken links to me.


----------



## travis (Nov 17, 2004)

My server was down for a while but the images should be back up now. The tank has now been up for over five years now and I will post some new pics soon :icon_smil


----------



## Church (Sep 14, 2004)

Good, cuz this is always the tank I link people to when they ask if African cichlid tanks can be planted!


----------



## F22 (Sep 21, 2008)

update?
PLEASE!


----------



## travis (Nov 17, 2004)

*Update*

Here is the latest pic of the tank. I apologize because it was taken with my cell phone camera. I will get a better one soon. I have untold numbers of Ps. demasoni, with fry everywhere. They are the best planted tank African cichlids that I have ever kept: they are non-diggers for the most part, they leave most plants alone except for mosses, they have beautiful, bright coloration that contrasts very well with plants, their behavior is amazingly complex, and they breed prolifically in the heavy cover provided by the plants and rocks.


----------



## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Wow, Travis, the tank has never looked better!

Awesome!


----------



## Jessica (Mar 1, 2007)

Remarkable, Travis!

I hope you're well!!


----------



## non_compliance (Dec 1, 2009)

Wow... that tank is absolutely SICK... nice work.


----------



## F22 (Sep 21, 2008)

wow, soooo ill


----------



## Oreo (May 6, 2008)

The pics don't work for me. I heard good things about this aquarium and sure would like to see it.


----------



## tizzite (Mar 28, 2010)

Oreo said:


> The pics don't work for me. I heard good things about this aquarium and sure would like to see it.


+1, I got here from some other threads, saying this was a memorable tank. I'd love to see it.


----------



## AntiSoberSam (Jun 8, 2013)

tizzite said:


> +1, I got here from some other threads, saying this was a memorable tank. I'd love to see it.


same here. there are no pic on the thread anymore


----------



## Corrie (Jul 21, 2012)

I think these are Travis' pictures....

http://www.malawicichlidhomepage.com/aquainfo/hobbyist_gallery/hobbyist_simonson.html


----------

