# Pandora... WP's half-empty 36



## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

Actually most of my tanks remind me of little protected alien worlds. This one is a bit stranger than the others...










This corner bowfront started out as a typical "nature aquarium" setup, and was later changed to a rockscape. 

Recently I had to move this tank. To prevent damage, I removed most of the water, disconnected CO2 and heater, and it stood in a corner for many weeks, just lit by a 15W T8 bulb. Plants didn't grow much, but the tank had an amazing clarity to it.










With the lowered water level some of the plants that grew on rocks turned emersed. Initially, the leaves of Java Ferns and Anubias dried out a bit. Some didn't recover, but others started to look better.

This was when I realized it would be nice to observe how our plants fare outside of their usual element.










So I redirected the outflow of my mighty AC30 to overflow the "main rock". This isn't entirely beautiful, I just haven't found a nicer looking outlet yet. 

From there, I started to throw some aquatic plants into that area. You can see the Ceratopteris fern which I knew would do well in air. New Windelov leaves shooting out everywhere. There is some Marsilea that seems to be a bit angry about the missing nutritious substrate, but otherwise looks not bad.










Anubias does great, you can see the older leaves (spot alga) as well as newer ones. Lindernia, Pearlweed, Pellia, mosses... there is much more... this is actually fun. Let me know what you think.


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## MrJG (Feb 21, 2007)

Very nifty. Is there anything under there holding the mass up or is it just floating? It definitely has turned out very natural looking. 
This fun you speak of... I got some of that too when I started the riparium. Its definitely interesting to move into the unknown and see how things work themselves out. I can't wait until this spring when I can walk into any terrestrial plant retailer and just try things that look cool.


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

It is a lava rock like this one, just much bigger, reaching up to about 2/3 of the tank height.










Over time, it has overgrown with Java Ferns and Anubias. So it's not very visible, especially in FTS's. I'll post more pics in the future where the submersed part becomes better visible.


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## chonhzilla (Apr 22, 2008)

what is that plant right in the center of that lava rock?


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

A sprig of Marsilea got stuck there. Not happy about the lack of a rich substrate, but holding on nevertheless. In front, I planted Lilaeopsis mauritius/mauritiana. Everything in that picture is really much smaller than you think. 










This tank is non-CO2, but gets some macros and micros. It is unheated too. Different.


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## chuukus (Jun 17, 2008)

I like it it looks nice and natural. Is there any fish in this tank?


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## chonhzilla (Apr 22, 2008)

Wasserpest said:


> A sprig of Marsilea got stuck there. Not happy about the lack of a rich substrate, but holding on nevertheless. In front, I planted Lilaeopsis mauritius/mauritiana. Everything in that picture is really much smaller than you think.



roud:


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

Told you it's a weird tank. No fish in it. The only prominent animal can be spotted in the full tank shot (first post)... can you identify it? :fish1:










Just another picture... if you look closely, you can see Pellia "leaves" emerge from where the moss is growing.


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## CmLaracy (Jan 7, 2007)

I spy an upside down amano right at water level


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

Good eyes, that's it. Just this always-full-of-eggs Amano shrimp, contemplating whether to move upstairs or not.

Some pictures of the transitional area --



















Enjoy.


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## seds (Jan 30, 2009)

Well, I had a feeling we weren't in kansas anymore...


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

The newest inhabitant...










The lava rock that holds all that emersed growth. Note the Anubias roots growing downwards.










Another view of the underwater part.


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## Regloh (Jan 17, 2009)

Thats the white cloud baby from your plywood tank, right? Very cute!!
I really like the picture of the anubia roots... looks like some pretty healthy growth there


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

Thanks! 

She's half an inch long, and very hard to photograph. But growing a little every day.


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

I am still having a blast with this tank. Maybe because it is so different than all the aquariums I had before. Maybe because it is so very low maintenance.










Lindernia 'Variegated' doesn't seem to care whether it grows in or out of the water. Of course there isn't a trace of algae on the emersed leaves. Some of the Water Sprite leaves are turning a bit brown. Not sure if it is lack of humidity, or nutrients. New leaves are looking good though, and if you look closely, you can see baby ferns emerging.










Windelov Java Fern is changing its leaf shape to a more filamentous, deeper cut growth.

The WC minnow baby has almost doubled in size since the last update. Tail is turning red, and the iridescent green/blue line is still present.


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## MrJG (Feb 21, 2007)

Excellent! Definitely looks like a fun project. Do you have a cover on it to drive up humidity any or are you just going on whatever ambient moisture might be contained in the open top? 
If you ever get to the point of needing to remove any of that emergent Windelov I'd love to buy a rhizome starter off of you for the riparium. Looks like it would make a really nice centerpiece as it grows.


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

Yep, the tank is pretty much completely covered with glass panels. No open top tanks in my house... I can do without the mold. :smile:










I can send you some Windelov, pm me your address. But if you have some submerged just take that, new leaves will start to change shape.

If your tank is open top, the humidity might be too low though.


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## Regloh (Jan 17, 2009)

WP, I just read in your other jornal, that this is your 36ga corner tank... What happened to the awesome crinum that was the center piece there?
I loved that plant!!!


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

That plant (along with some of its babies) sits now in my 250 gal tank. While it grew nicely in the corner tank, it became very large, and made the rest of the tank look very small, proportionally speaking.

With this tank now being half-empty, there was no way to fit it in.


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

The collection...










Need to take some more pictures, the Anubias has a beautiful flower...


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

Just an update... things continue to grow, slowly, non-CO2, algae free. The tank is unheated, and the temps drop to 68 in the mornings. Soon it will get warmer though.










Anubias is taking over the right side, big mixture towards the left. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.


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## !shadow! (Jan 25, 2010)

l love the shape of Windelov. l ordered a lot of it for my 48g. lt looks amazing when there is a rock background very natural imo. l really like that last picture you took. l have to say windelov is one of the hardiest plants i've ever had. l put it in my 2.5 stashed for about 5 months and forgot it was there half filled with water and then l find it about a week ago and threw it in my 40g and the rhizomes are getting greener every time l look at it. l highly recommend it.


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## sewingalot (Oct 12, 2008)

Nice. I love the stems on the left. How is the minnow doing?


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

I wish I know what those stems are. Found them locally, remind me of Hygro (especially because they grow really fast, both under and over water).

The Minnow is doing great. It's a girl! :bounce: When Summer and higher temps arrive, I will transfer it to the big tank to be with the others. So far it was the only baby. They probably get snapped up by the African Butterflies really fast.


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## comet (Jun 10, 2006)

Beautiful tank. The length of the Anubia flower stalk is impressive.


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## VincentK (Dec 16, 2009)

This tank is really neat, I like how it looks like a little plant island, I also really like the water output thing above the water, have you thought about replacing it with something like a lily outflow thing?


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## problemman (Aug 19, 2005)

this looks great


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

Thanks for your kind words!



comet said:


> Beautiful tank. The length of the Anubia flower stalk is impressive.


The flower just opened. Need to take some more photos. Emersed they last longer and stay cleaner than under water.



VincentK said:


> This tank is really neat, I like how it looks like a little plant island, I also really like the water output thing above the water, have you thought about replacing it with something like a lily outflow thing?


I thought about it, but by now it is completely covered with leaves = invisible. I also noticed that there is hardly any flow in this tank. The thick vegetation around the outflow now prevents any current. Probably wouldn't hurt to add a little powerhead to get some flow going.


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## DeepDownAbove (Nov 16, 2009)

Great tank and photos! I really dig ripariums.. Keep it up!


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## VincentK (Dec 16, 2009)

Haha, make something pressurized like a fountain, just kidding of course, but if you did it right, that would look neat but you would need to top it off a bunch.


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

The tank is pretty much completely covered, so evaporation / top off wouldn't be an issue. It's an interesting idea for sure, thank you! Perhaps it would need a stronger pump, which I want to avoid. Need to play around with it.

I need to cut back some of the growth, and I'd like to add some Bolbitis to the area. Should work nicely too.


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## !shadow! (Jan 25, 2010)

yes yes yes bolbitis all the way


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

Just a quick update without images...

I resolved both the low-flow situation and the ugly strainer thing in an extremely elegant way: I took the strainer off. Now the water shoots out of the hose directly, over the "mountain", and splashes like a waterfall between some fern leaves.

Flow is now just right, and I can see very clearly when the filter sponge starts to clog up. Indicated by the water not going as far out. There is a lot of surface agitation, and air bubbles in the water, but it's a non-CO2 tank, and the minnows enjoy their bubble bath.

Interesting little issue in the emersed part - some white fungus growth. The mass of leaves got too thick, and I didn't notice that some leaves had died underneath. In an aquatic environment, old leaves dissolve quickly due to bacterial activity, and are quickly eaten by fish, snails, little crustaceans and other tiny organisms. This doesn't happen outside of the water, and in a humid/wet environment the leaves just slowly rot. So there was some fungus spreading... just had to take out some dead and affected leaves, and make sure there is a bit of airspace for better air circulation.

Perhaps a little 40mm fan directed towards the front glass would be a good idea.


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## VincentK (Dec 16, 2009)

The fountain sounds very interesting, I want teh pics!!!


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

Here is an somewhat recent full-tank-shot:










The "fountain" isn't really visible, since the water just shoots over the mountain and runs down the fern leaves.

To get this image, I had to do some trickery, also known as "HDR". Since the top half is much brighter than the underwater half, I took an underexposed shot (for the top) and an overexposed one (for the bottom) and combined them afterwards.

I need to remove the Hygros, they don't really fit into this tank and I just stuck them there to see how they would do with cold water and no CO2. They don't.

Over time, Mini Pellia has collected in front. Maybe if I spread it out a bit and somehow weight it down I could do a MP foreground. That'd be cool. I did add some Bolbitis but it hasn't really taken off yet.

Tank is very low maintenance... the shaded submerged plants hardly grow, I change half of the water every 3 weeks. Anubias, Hygros, Lindernias are flowering emersed. The splashing of the waterfall adds some tranquil sound to my office. Ommmm.


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## Hyzer (Mar 9, 2010)

This is a great looking tank. I like the fact that I have never seen anything quite like it.

The low maintenance must be nice.roud:

I am very interested in how plants grow emersed. My buddy and I want to start up a riparium soon. 

You don't do any misting, right?


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

Very cool, WP. Things have really been growing in great, though, the windelov does make things seem a bit untidy, IMO.
I love the white clouds. Keep us updated


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

That looks awesome. The white clouds are perfect in there.

This sort of setup can be so charming and quite low-maintenance. It is remarkable the low levels of light that plants can stay healthy and slowly grow with.

I have done that same camera trick for a lot of my pictures of ripariums.


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

Hehe, look what sprung back to life.



Hyzer said:


> This is a great looking tank. I like the fact that I have never seen anything quite like it.
> 
> The low maintenance must be nice.roud:
> 
> ...


Nope, no misting, but the tank is completely covered with glass panes, so humidity is way up there. Still a bit borderline for the Windelov Java Fern. The tips of older leaves tend to turn black, drying out I assume.

It's kinda funny how I came to this tank. Renovating the house, I was moving it, and for that purpose lowered the water level to about 30% of the tank height. It was standing like this for a month or so in some forgotten corner, disconnected from filter, heater, CO2 etc, and looked every day more beautiful. So...



CL said:


> Very cool, WP. Things have really been growing in great, though, the windelov does make things seem a bit untidy, IMO.
> I love the white clouds. Keep us updated


Yep, you are right about the Windelov. Although its leaf shape has a nice contrast to the dark green Anubias leaves. 

I thought I removed the Hygro, but a little sprig must have survived, and is now taking over the right side. Looking healthy, just a bit on the aggressive side.



hydrophyte said:


> That looks awesome. The white clouds are perfect in there.
> 
> This sort of setup can be so charming and quite low-maintenance. It is remarkable the low levels of light that plants can stay healthy and slowly grow with.
> 
> I have done that same camera trick for a lot of my pictures of ripariums.


Thanks Rip-Master! :wink: The White Clouds love it in there, cooler temps, oxygen, lots of surface agitation and flow due to the fountain going over the rock. The tank is really low, low maintenance due to the low light levels (in the submerged part) and lack of added CO2.

It is very interesting to see the differences of plants growing under and over water. I recently added some Bolbitis, and slowly it is starting to fill in with beautiful leaves, looking, well, like fern leaves! There is also some Wisteria which under low light grows up and up and up and now just continues out of the water as if nothing happened.


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

Do you not have a problem of fog on the glass?


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

Absolutely... every morning there is a lot of condensation on the glass. I don't really mind, everything is still quite visible. And it only takes a quick swipe with a good credit card to clear things up.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

Wasserpest said:


> ...it only takes a quick swipe with a good credit card to clear things up.


What if the card carries a high balance? Does it still work?


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

With a steady hand, even higher balances aren't a problem. Just watch those interest rates.


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

Really not much happening here... After going non-CO2 for a while, and failing (I blame my hard water, not the light intensity), I went back to CO2 and after a few months things looked good again.










The Bolbitis is shading out some of the plants below. It's amazing how little light is needed to keep the Mini Pellia growing.


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## GMYukonon24s (May 3, 2009)

I like the look for the in and out of water plants.


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## Hyzer (Mar 9, 2010)

Is this thing still up or did that Hydrocotyle suffocate everything like Kudzu? :red_mouth


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

Hey Stranger, happy NY to you! :fish: Hope things are good over there! Any plans to visit the central coast?

This tank is still pretty much the same. Just sold a round of Mini Pellia and Hydrocotyle. The Hydro actually grows out of the water, and looks rather famished since it isn't anchored in the substrate. That keeps it from taking over everything!

The mini sword I got from you is still there too, but Mini Pellia has taken off and is on its way to form a solid "lawn". Pretty cool for a mostly ignored tank.


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## Alan79 (Nov 17, 2013)

Great tank. Love the idea even if the tank decided to do it of it's own accord. Nature happens even when we don't plan it. I toyed with converting the outlet of a small filter to a fountain in a bottle which i built to test in a coke bottle. If you get a decent spray happening you can sometimes see the air shimmer with a touch of color. I just used a $14 fountain head kit from a local hardware store. I meant to find a nice container to use to make a riparium with the fountain running but wound up not thinking about the idea again till reading this thread. Just more ideas though. The tank looks great.


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## ua hua (Oct 30, 2009)

I can't believe I have never seen this tank of yours. Very nice. I would like to see some recent pictures of your mini pellia carpet. I tried mini pellia in my tank but didn't have any luck with it as it eventually all died off. I'm not sure what happened with it but next time will try attaching it a different way instead of tying it on.


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## Hyzer (Mar 9, 2010)

Wasserpest said:


> It's amazing how little light is needed to keep the Mini Pellia growing.


Seriously. I had my 8 gal unplugged completely (no light, no heat, no circulation) for a couple months and the Mini Pellia seemed to thrive.


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## mooonmagic (Aug 28, 2016)

This tank is gorgeous. I love the shadows from the emergent plants, very dynamic. I admit I'm intrigued about mini pellia now!


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