# 65-gallon Riparium: TOTM 12/09



## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

I started this project several months ago, but finally took the time to get some good pictures. I hope that I will remember to update later on.

My general idea is to emulate a South America riverbank habitat. This is a loose interpretation, for example, I have a group of a half-dozen _Punitus_ barbs in there. Some of the plants are pretty representative, such as a couple of different _Echinodorus_. I also have tetras, a bristlenose pleco and _Apistogramma_.

Here is the display. It's in a 65 tall Aqueon tank with top rim removed.










I double-posted this picture over in the DIY forum where I was explaining stand build. 

The emergent plants are all planted in Riparium Supply accessories. The underwater plants are planted in pool filter stand. They get bi-weekly ferts and Excel every day. That Teklight is bright, but the immersed plants do OK without pressurized CO2 because the emergent stuff throws a lot of shade. They need to grow in some more, but I am pretty happy with the emmersed plants. I need to work on the underwater scape some more. I would appreciate any suggestions that you might have.

Regards,

Hydrophyte


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## IntegraJoe (Feb 20, 2009)

tank is looking pretty sweet


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## speedie408 (Jan 15, 2009)

I like it so far. I dont have any tips though. I'd like to see what it becomes.  Very NICE!


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## deleted_user_16 (Jan 20, 2008)

i LOVE it

i think you should add a little color in there though, above, and underwater  

btw, about to PM you some questions


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

thanks. here's another view.












fishman9809 said:


> i LOVE it
> 
> i think you should add a little color in there though, above, and underwater
> 
> s


you are right. the fish add a lot of color. i might have remembered to throw a food wafer in there so that they would swarm around the front. i have a _Phragmepedium_ orchid growing in there, but it's all done flowering. i will try to go find some orchid pictures.


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## Karackle (Dec 11, 2007)

Absolutely gorgeous! 

If you got a close-up of the water part of the tank you might get more feedback on scaping ideas, it's a little hard to see what's going on in there from the pics you've posted since most of the light is reflecting off of the emergent growth


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## yikesjason (Jul 2, 2008)

I love the tank. It is great.
It looks like you painted the sides as well as the back. Do you like it like that?


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## Wingsdlc (Dec 9, 2005)

Looks quite nice! I would love to see some closer shots of the tank


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

yikesjason said:


> I love the tank. It is great.
> It looks like you painted the sides as well as the back. Do you like it like that?


the black background really helps to highlight the plants. i applied it with latex paint, so i can take it off easily enough too.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

i got a decent picture of a bloom on the big _Echinodorus palaefolius_ plant that's over on the left side of the display.


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

Dang! You just keep crankin' 'em out! I love it! The lily is awesome


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

Gorgeous setup. I have never done a biotope but this certainly inspires me to do one. I have a novice question. Are the emerged plants known to grow emerged? If so can you name them please, other than the sword.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

clwatkins10 said:


> Dang! You just keep crankin' 'em out! I love it! The lily is awesome


thanks very much. hey i have an update too for my all crypts riaprium project.

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/tank-journals-photo-album/85881-aquascaping-emersed-cryptocoryne-55-gallon-all.html

i think that that one is more interesting. i don't know why nobody ever opens it(?). :icon_neut


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

malaybiswas said:


> Gorgeous setup. I have never done a biotope but this certainly inspires me to do one. I have a novice question. Are the emerged plants known to grow emerged? If so can you name them please, other than the sword.


here is a quick list:

*emergents*


_Echinodorus palaefolius_
_Echinodorus_ "melon sword"
_Ruellia brittoniana_
_Acorus gramineus_
_Ophiopogon japonicus_
_Bacopa monnieri_
_Colocasia fallax_

*underwater*


_Hygrophila angustifolia_
_Hygrophila polysperma_
_Nympaea stellata_ 
_Sagittaria subulata_

as you can see, this is a biotope loosely interpreted. many of these plants are not of South American origin.


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## mountaindew (Dec 10, 2008)

hydro, That is a way cool display! The stand with the stained wood and metal framing connectors is very well done. Warm looking yet industrial.
Great job
MD


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## Crispino L Ramos (Mar 29, 2008)

It's such a serene sight that convincingly evokes the deep South American tributary river banks.

If you want to add some plants around the rocks, you might consider Lilaeopsis brasiliensis, Marsilea quadrifolia minutae and Cryptocoryne wendtii.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

mountaindew said:


> hydro, That is a way cool display! The stand with the stained wood and metal framing connectors is very well done. Warm looking yet industrial.
> Great job
> MD


thanks! i'm still working on it. i think it will look better when the background plants grow in some more. 



Crispino Ramos said:


> ]
> It's such a serene sight that convincingly evokes the deep South American tributary river banks.
> 
> If you want to add some plants around the rocks, you might consider Lilaeopsis brasiliensis, Marsilea quadrifolia minutae and Cryptocoryne wendtii.


thank you. yes i definitely need to work on the underwater part some more. i think that i need to find some tidy rosettes to put in there. i am using a hands-off approach for the underwater area, so crypts would be a good option. 

can anybody suggest any medium-sized, bright green crypts.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

i was messing around with the tank last night and got some more shots of the _Echinodorus palaefolius_ plant. here is a view down into the tank.










this plant has grown so big. its top sticks way out of the tank. i pulled it out in order to get a full-specimen shot. the chain link provides a sense of scale.










that flower stalk has been growing for more than a month with new blooms every day. you can see it off to the left. i don't have the whole thing in the frame, but it is more than 5 feet long.










here is one of the little plantlets that has developed from the small groups of flower buds.


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

beauty in a glass box!


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

clwatkins10 said:


> beauty in a glass box!


thanks. but what do you think of my _E. palaefolius_? i need to get another shot of it in the tank. it is like an octopus taking over.


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

looks great, but I agree that it looks out of proportion for the tank and the rest of the plants in there.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

that sword actually looked really good until about 2 weeks ago, when it started to grow much bigger leaves. i haven't pulled out a ruler, but i think that the latest ones have leaf blades 9 or so inches long. the planter that it is in has also started to bulge and i wonder if it might crack open. this plant is obviously very happy. it has also sent up another flower spike. i intend to pull this plant out and stick it in the 120 that i have going, but i like it a lot.


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## dewalltheway (Jan 19, 2005)

Your tanks, plants, stand design, etc is just simple beautiful! One of these days when I have a bit more money, I would like to try this design. It is so inspiring and gives a different feel to the aquarium. 2 thumbs up! :thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

dewalltheway said:


> Your tanks, plants, stand design, etc is just simple beautiful! One of these days when I have a bit more money, I would like to try this design. It is so inspiring and gives a different feel to the aquarium. 2 thumbs up! :thumbsup::thumbsup:


thanks very much! you have great work too. 

i have another thread that is more like a real journal because i started logging observations from the beginning. it's right here:

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/tank-journals-photo-album/85881-please-help-me-stocking-list-55-a-3.html

that one is more infromational, but it seems nobody looks at it. i think it is more interesting than this one.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

the other sword in this display started flowering just a few days ago.

here's a picture.










and here's another.










does anybody have any idea what species/variety this might be? somehow this one never got labelled. it is much smaller than that _E. palaefolius_ that is also in this tank and it has rounded, bright green leaves on long petioles. note also the difference in flower shape.

i'd love to try one of those double-flowered swords.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

i moved some stuff around in here today. here is a shot with numbers for all of the plants in hanging planters on the rear pane.










i pulled some of the midground plants forward to offer a better view of the background stuff.

a couple of weeks ago i pulled the really big sword out of there (see this entry). i needed to get more background plants and decided to try to intoroduce a few different new _Echinodorus_ and other things.

the plants there now are as follows:
_Echinodorus_ 'Ozelot'
_Bacopa monnieri_
_Echinodorus_ 'Tropica Marble Queen'
_Colocasia fallax_ 'Silver Dollar'
?? an unknown _Echinodorus_
_Acorus gramineus_ 'Ogon'

actually there are three plants with those _Acorus_.

it's sorta ratty now, but it oughta shape up as these plants grow in.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

i got in there again last night and pulled out almost all of the immersed plants, as well as the _Bacopa_ and _Hemigraphis_ that i had on trellis rafts.










then i replanted the underwater stuff.










it had been a real mess before with leggy stems and i trimmed all of these back before planting. the two specimens on the left in hanging planters are just in there being pampered: they aren't really part of the scape.

i am not so fond of the underwater scape at this point. i think that most of the plants are too fine-leaved and they fail to compete with the emersed growth. the _Hygrophila angusitfolia_ and the lotus do show up pretty well, although the latter of these had become leggy under a lot shade, but the others look almost like algae in this picture. the _Limnophila aromatica_ has been doing well and it might look like something when it grows in again. i am going to see about selecting some plants with larger leaves.


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## cah925 (May 18, 2007)

I'm using Hygrophila corymbosa in my scape. It certainly has some larger leaves that may work for you. Other options that I'm trying are Blyxa japonica and Ranunculus inundatus.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

cah

are you using those in your riparium? i wonder if that will be enough light in there for those(?), although the light _will_ have to shine through less water. 

yeah i understand that that _angustifolia_ is just a variety of _corymosa_. it looks pretty good in there. i need to find some other robust, low-tech plants. i wonder about spatterdock (_Nuphar_ sp.)(?). i would really like to have a few swords in that area, but i tried a couple already and they can't make it with the dim light and no extra CO2. probably i am just going to add a few tall crypts, and pull out the _Sagittaria_.


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## cah925 (May 18, 2007)

hydrophyte said:


> cah
> 
> are you using those in your riparium? i wonder if that will be enough light in there for those(?), although the light _will_ have to shine through less water.


Yes the plants I mentioned are in my riparium. I added a second set of shop lights this past weekend and hung them approx 8" above the tank. The water feature is pretty bright, even under the trellises.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

that will be neat to see. that sounds plenty bright. i have opted for low-tech for the underwater part of all my setups so it will be informative to see what yours does.

hey i'm potting up my _Houttuynia _and _Lysimachia_ right now. i'll put up some pictures later tonight or tomorrow.


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## dr.tran (Oct 8, 2007)

Very nice. I love seeing these things flower. Im gonna try it with some emersed eriocaulons to see if I can get it to flower.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

blooming is one of my major objectives. i have really enjoyed the flowers that i have gotten from my _Echinodorus_ and _Cryptocoryne_. i have gotten some nice ones too from _Ludwigia_ and a few other things.










i have a small project involving culture of orchids in ripariums. so far i have tried a _Phragmepdium_, a _Spiranthes_ and two different _Bletilla_. i have observed mixed results. i mean to get some pictures of these up soon. i don't know when i might ever see them flower.


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## Vladdy (May 6, 2008)

That is a very natural looking tank. Good job on the stand!  I use play sand in my tank.


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## cah925 (May 18, 2007)

hydrophyte said:


> hey i'm potting up my _Houttuynia _and _Lysimachia_ right now. i'll put up some pictures later tonight or tomorrow.


Lucky guy, mine is on the way. Should be here Friday or Saturday. :thumbsup:


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

a nice thing about using pond plants is that the potted material for sale is often several times bigger than aquarium stock, so you can fill out the riparium composition pretty quick.

i would like to take a moment to hijack my own thread to draw attention to the new club that we have here in Southern Wisconsin, _*Madison Area Aquatic Hobbyists*_.

i posted a notice about the club's June 27 meeting and recently-launched Website in the "Other Websites" forum.

*forum post: Madison Area Aquatic Hobbyists*

this club is going to be a lot of fun.


.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

here is a shot with the new plants.










the plants in hanging planters along the rear pane are as follows, from left:


_Echinodorus_ 'Ozelot' (already in there)
_Lysimachia nummularia_ 'Aurea'
_Houttuynia cordata_'Chameleon'
_Lysimachia nummularia_ (wild type)
_Acorus gramineus_ 'Ogon' (already in there)

they already look pretty nice. if their growth rate is even close to what they do outdoors, those _Lysimachia_ ought to cover the trellis rafts and the planters in short order. these are all hardy plants. they didn't wilt at all at transplanting.

this display now has a number of variegated plants and stuff with gold foliage. that 'Aurea' creeping jenny ought to contrast nicely with the purple in that 'Ozelot' sword. i might move the _Houttuynia_ closer to the _Alocasia_ taro that i have in there, which is a darker green.

of course, for the most part the plants do not make a very representative South America biotope anymore. they are more from temperate East Asia as anyplace else.


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## cah925 (May 18, 2007)

I noticed the leaves on the sword are wet. Do you mist the plants? How often?


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

i do not routinely mist these plants. the plants in this aquarium do better with dryer conditions and more air circulation. in fact, the swords would likely convert to underwater form leaves if kept constatnly wet.

i mist them before taking pictures because the water makes the colors richer--consider how the vegetation outside looks after rain falls upon it.


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## cah925 (May 18, 2007)

hydrophyte said:


> consider how the vegetation outside looks after rain falls upon it.


not a problem, it has been raining for a week here (almost non stop) with more in the forecast


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

well at least that awful drought that you had down there has finally broken.

it's been raining a lot here today, but not quite so bad as last summer. we had damaging floods last year.


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

send some our way please. I am in cali and hate the dry summers here


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

this tank has piqued my interest in _Echinodorus_ plants. it has been intriguing to observe them developing their emersed growth and flowers. i acquired my plants through several defferent sources and i had only incomplete species/varietal information for them. a member of another forum, *miremonster*, responded to a few of my questions about swords, including identification possibilities for my pictures of blooms.

i have a very nice medium-sized swordplant in this 65 gallon tank. i posted it a while back, but here again is a shot of one of its blooms.










*miremonster* had a look at this picture and considered my description of the plants growth form. here is a quote (copied with permission) from his PM response.



miremonster said:


> The flowers have overlapping petals and apparently more than 12 stamens. The axis between the whorls of the inflorescence is not winged (only triangular). The groups of E. uruguayensis, E. grandiflorus and E. cordifolius have this character combination.
> If the inflorescence is arching to decumbent (laying down) and the pedicels (flower stalks) are quite long (up to 5 cm or more) , it is surely Echinodorus cordifolius (in the broader sense, incl. E. fluitans, E. ovalis, E. schlueteri, E. "aschersonianus"). E. grandiflorus group has upright inflorescences and coarse, leathery leaves with round petioles. E. uruguayensis group has ascending to upright inflorescences with few (ca. 3-5) whorls without branches, the leaf rosettes are low in emersed conditions.
> Do You have closer photos of the leaves and petioles and the whole plant?
> 
> ...


the other day i got a better picture of the whole plant. from the base of the crown to the top of the inflorescence it is about 24" (60cm) tall.










with more complete description of the whole plant, Miremonster arrived at the following additional conclusions.



miremonster said:


> I'm now pretty sure Your sword 2 is a form of E. cordifolius. There are different forms, Yours seems to be one with rather elongate, not distinctly heart-shaped leaves. May be E. ovalis or E. fluitans (synonyms of E. cordifolius). In the eastern / southeastern US the typical E. cordifolius with cordate leaves occurs in the wild. Most forms of E. cordifolius get large (like E. palaefolius).
> 
> There is a form offered as E. cordifolius 'Mini' by Dennerle (Germany). I realized it is the same stuff like that described as E. schlueteri by Karel Rataj (Sumperk, Czechia). Dr. Jozef Somogyi (Bratislava, Slovakia) found out that Rataj's true E. schlueteri is not the same like the E. "schlueteri" from the trade. Somogyi described the latter as E. maculatus. Both E. maculatus and true E. schlueteri (=E. cordifolius 'Mini') are rather small to medium sized also in emersed condition.


what excellent information! there is a great deal that could be learned about the plants in our hobby with input form experts and research of published references.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

i really need to get back to updating this thread. i have some new observations.

the two orchids that i have in here are doing pretty OK, although i have some important details to note on growing the 'Jason Fischer' _Phragmepedium_ in riparium conditions. i just dug them up for a post in another spot, so i paste a couple of old pictures of that plant here.


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## mountaindew (Dec 10, 2008)

Great detail in the last picture posted! 
I always enjoy good photography!
MD


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## fastfreddie (Sep 10, 2008)

This is such a beautiful display. Very nice work.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

mountaindew and fastfreddie,

thanks very much. like i mentioned i could add a few new updates--some of the new plants are doing really well--however, today i am bed-ridden. it seems i pulled a muscle in my back yesterday pretty bad. i have never hurt my back like this before. i can't stand at all.

and i have so much work to do. i hope that it will start to clear up soon.


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## fastfreddie (Sep 10, 2008)

So sorry about your back. Wish a quick recovery for you.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

thanks. i really hope that i didn't bust a disc or something. i can hardly move at all. and i have so much work that needs to get done. yikes!


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## kid creole (Dec 25, 2008)

If you are laid up in bed, as hard as it is, you need to see a doctor.

I had chronic back problems, and I used to fight through them util I lost, and spent 2 days in bed. I finally went to a doctor, and he taught me some new stretches, and I haven't had back problems since. They can also prescribe muscle relaxants (sp?) that will get you back on your feet much quicker.

Good luck.


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

beautiful photos but sorry to hear about your back problem. Hope you are back to normal soon.

I have an 83 mile commute to my work (thank god only 2 days a week) and suffer back aches every now and then. I found heat patches (wrapped around the waist) to work pretty well. Provides some physical support and the heat relaxes the muscles as well.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

thanks everybody. it might be a little bit better than it was this morning, but it is still very difficult to move. i did try a heat pad and that most definitely helps to alleviate the pain. the pharmacist at the drug store recommended ice for 20 minutes and i will try that next.

ouch, that's a long commute.

this thread has gone off-topic, but _thanks again for the encouragement_.


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## sewingalot (Oct 12, 2008)

I hope you feel better soon as well! The orchids doing OKAY?!? I would say they are doing fantastic! Gorgeous, even.


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## blair (Feb 8, 2009)

Absolutely beautiful work. Your photography matches the craft of your tank... impeccable  I am also impressed with the clarity in which you keep that front glass pane. I can just imagine you going over it with a UV to check for _hidden_ smudges :hihi:


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

sewingalot said:


> I hope you feel better soon as well! The orchids doing OKAY?!? I would say they are doing fantastic! Gorgeous, even.


that _Phragmepidium_ orchid seem OK now and it is growing, but i almost killed it before. i plan to put together a post with some detailed observations on growing that plant and other orchids in ripariums. i don't know when that one might ever bloom for me again.



blair said:


> Absolutely beautiful work. Your photography matches the craft of your tank... impeccable  I am also impressed with the clarity in which you keep that front glass pane. I can just imagine you going over it with a UV to check for _hidden_ smudges :hihi:


i struggle a lot with photography. i have found that if i take many pictures i sometimes end up with one or two that look more or less OK. keeping that front pane of glass clean is really important for maintaing the right appearance for these riparium setups. i use a clean rag soaked with a little vinegar to wipe away water spots and the chalk line that sometimes forms every time that i service

well thanks again. now i have been stuck in bed for two whole days. this morning it was constant pain and it was near impossible to get up for the 12-foot walk to the bathroom. we finally called a massage therapist, who came right here to the house, which was great: i don't know how i would have ever been able to make it out of the house, down the steps and into the car to go to the hospital or a chiropractor. the 20-minute massage of my lower back and right leg worked wonders. i can still only barely walk, but at least i will be able to sleep tonight.



i am in no shape to get up and shoot pictures, but getting back "on-topic" i post a few old ones here that relate to this tank.

here is a shot of that _Acorus_ sweetflag. this is one of my favorites and key here for supporting the "grassy riverbank" feeling (note: this plant is not a grass; it is more closely related to aroids, such as crypts).










i have found that, as is true for _Anubias_ plants, sweetflag should be planted with its rhizome (arrow) resting on top of the substrate, lest it rot.










here is a shot of this tank from back in March. the phrag orchid still had its flower spike then. there are a couple of peace lilies there to the right that i later removed. the light was too bright for them and they became chlorotic.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

i was shooting some more pictures tonight. here is a view down into the top of the display.










i have temporarily let the aquascape in this tank slide because i am suffering a case of _collectoritis_, and i'm using the tank to nurture several new and relatively delicate plants for which i do not have so many backups. the emersed area is thus rather incoherent and untidy. i have also neglected the underwater region and it needs more work too.

i am going to work on this picture some and return with more comments. i plan to number several of the plants and add specific observations. there really are some pretty cool plants in there.


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## SearunSimpson (Jun 5, 2007)

I like it though, how it is, left untamed and groomed. It looks way more natural. It really does look like you cut a chunk out of a stream bed and put it into your house- very cool man.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

thanks very much. well one thing that i would do to give it a more natural appearance would be to remove both of the plants that are way up in the front corners, and replace them with some kind of carpeting foliage on a trellis raft. as they are now you can easily see the planter cups there. i would also opt for a little less variety and selection of some plants that would grow to fuller sizes.

here is that same shot above, with numbers added to identify plants of interest.










the following includes observations on the numbered plants, beginning from left:


*Spiranthes cernua var. odorata* - this is an orchid that i acquired a while back (see blog entry here). it seems to be doing well it is growing steadily and has tripled in size since i repotted it for planting here. note that only the bottom 1/3 of the planter is below the water's surface. this is a wetland plant, but i decided to err on the side of giving the roots a somewhat more aerated environment. i shot the picture below when the plant came with its order.









~

*Lysimachia nummularia 'Aurea*' - i have two of these rooted in Hanging Planters and supported by Trellis rafts. i only potted them up about three weeks ago. so far they are doing well, demonstrating good root development and growth. 
~
*Phragmipedium 'St. Ouen*' - this orchid plant has struggled, but it is growing slowly. the picture below shows root development inside of its planter. most _Phragmipedium_ species grow in wet habitats in nature, such as locations along waterfalls or mountain streams. however, i originally situated this plant with most of its planted below water and the roots began to rot as a consequence. the media inside the planter is still quite wet, but i now have it hung such that only the bottom 1/2 inch of the planter is in the water. this plant came with an extensive root system and i had to cut off the better part of its roots to fit it in its planter, an insult surely also slowed it down. i am glad to see new roots.









~
*Echinodorus 'Ozelot'* - this plant is doing well. it's dark purple/red coloration contrasts very well with the other plants having bright greenish-yellow foliage.
~
*Houttuynia cordata 'Chameleon'* - this plant began to grow right away when i planted it in the riparium. as for the _Lysimachia_, it will be intersting to see if this winter-hardy plant can be grown year-round in an aquarium, or if it might require a cold-season dormancy.
~
*Colocasia fallax 'Silver Dollar'* - a dwarf taro.
~
*Acorus gramineus 'Ogon'* - this plant is growing extremely well, and is creating most of the form for the above-water area of the display. 
~
*Orontium aquaticum* - this is an extremely cool plant that i acquired at the end of the winter. i had to cut away about 75% of its extensive root system to fit it in its planter. the whole plant declined and i thought at first that it would perish. however, it is a hardy plant and it slowly recovered. it has grown several new sets of leaves and many new roots. the leaves have a wonderful velvety texture and the flowers have a strange, exotic look. i hope that it will bloom for me someday in the display. like _Cryptocoryne_ and _Anubias_ plants it is in the aroid family, and it has a similar flower with a cigar-shaped spathe.









~
*Echinodorus palaefolius* - i have a couple of previous thread posts describing this plant. it is a winner.
~
*Echinodorus cordifolius 'Tropica Marble Queen'* - what a gorgeous plant! it has been my experience that swordplants (_Echinodorus_ sp.) usually take some time to adapt to new conditions and begin growth. this one finally began to develop a couple of weeks ago. i understand that in immersed culture the white variegation on the leaves of 'Tropica Marble Queen' is much more subdued. here it is well-defined, even though the plant is only receiving moderate light inside of the display. 









~
*Limnophila aromatica *- this planter cup holds a few stems of this plant, which are growing slowly in the emersed state. the color is more dull (a light gray-green) than the underwater form plants, which had bright magenta-red undersides, that i received in trade from another hobbyists.
~
*Hygrophila angustifolia* - i really need to work on developing the underwater area of this display. this plant is one that is growing well there already. it is large and bright green and looks good from above. 
~

anyway, as i said previously i hope to improve the visual appeal of this display, but for the time-being i am glad to see some of these new intriguing plants growing well.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

seriously, please check out my descriptions of some of these plants. i finally have some of these more odd ones established and growing well and the better part of them have _apparently never really been kept in aquariums before_. i went back and bolded all of the names


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

i still don't really have it photo-ready, but i have working on tidying this tank up some more. here is a quick shot form tonight.










the underwater area is still pretty dingy. i also have some extra plants hanging in there still right in front, but i'm finding another spot for those.

here is the view down inside. this is what i see every time i walk by.


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

Wow, things are looking great! That is an awesome variegated sword!


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## talontsiawd (Oct 19, 2008)

I have looked at your journal accouple of times, I thought I commented. This is so cool. It is something I would love to try but just can't justify it. Everything looks so healthy and I love the uniqueness of the setup, how you actually "plant" it, and the very cool plants and contrast between them.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

thanks again very much. i think that i got a pretty good combination of plants in here now. like i said, i need to work on the underwater area. you can see in this shot that i was able to divide the dwarf lotus--it gave me five new plants. i intend to spread the _Hygrophila angustifolia_ more or less evenly across the width of the tank, then tuck the lotus plants in here and there. those two plants look really nice together because they create such a strong contrast.










yeah i really like that 'Marble Queen' sword. i hope to get some more of them. it is very slow-growing, but that specimen is just starting to grow more and fill out. it's in the rear right-hand corner.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

I have been back at work on this tank some more. I switched out the river stones in favor of manzanita, and I also put together a more coherent planting. 










This ought to look good in a week or so when the underwater plants have grown in a little.

This image is a montage. Pictures of this tank always show a lot of glare in the foliage, so I stitched together two shots with the abovewater and underwater parts at two different shutter speeds.


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## mountaindew (Dec 10, 2008)

Thats a cool photo edit technique to get good exposure on both levels. Great idea.


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## talontsiawd (Oct 19, 2008)

Looks awsome. 

Your tanks inspired me to take all my old clippings and throw them in a pot outside. I don't have nearly as cool of plants but the half submersed, half emersed is soo cool. I love it. Very inspiring.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

mountaindew said:


> Thats a cool photo edit technique to get good exposure on both levels. Great idea.


yeah this works pretty well. somehow my camera captures a lot more glare and shadow than the eye--anybody know how to correct this? maybe a slower ASA?--so the bottom part ends up very dark in pictures. with this correction it is a better representation of how it actually appears.



talontsiawd said:


> Looks awsome.
> 
> Your tanks inspired me to take all my old clippings and throw them in a pot outside. I don't have nearly as cool of plants but the half submersed, half emersed is soo cool. I love it. Very inspiring.


there are a number of aquarium plants that you could grow outside. various _Bacopa_ and _Hygrophila_ adapt pretty well. certain _Echoinodorus_ will also grow like wild like out in the sunshine. 

i really enjoy observing the different responses of plants to immersed and emersed conditions.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

Here is another view. Maybe I like that first shot better.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

y'all,

the Riparium Supply product line has a couple of important new developments. these changes make stuff work better (how do you like that for specificity?). here is the link to the post on the sponsor forum...

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/riparium-supply/91152-new-product-developments.html#post884780

...anybody recognize this material?


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## Karackle (Dec 11, 2007)

i believe that is DUALOCK?


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

yep, it works really nice, much better than Velcro for this application.

it took a lot of hunting to find an adhesive that would bond those two kinds of plastic for long-term hold underwater. the vendor die-cut those pieces for me, which was handy.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

Here is a quick *pre-trim* view from tonight.










Stuff has grown in well since the last rearrangement. I just need to snip a few plants before shooting some more serious pictures. 

This shot post-processed a little bit with a montage to brighten underwater area.

The _Echinodorus cordifolius_ is still growing and blooming like wild. Here is a shot of a bloom sprouting from among a pair of little plantlets on the flower stalk.


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## mizu-chan (May 13, 2008)

This is a superb set up. I really love the style you've created!


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## Craigthor (Sep 9, 2007)

I really love this look. If I can ever bring myself to a bigger tank I want something like this. Maybe I can pick one up cheap at the fall auction.

Craig


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## legomaniac89 (Mar 16, 2008)

That is beautiful! The E. cordifolius is really happy!


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## mountaindew (Dec 10, 2008)

Drift wood looks better and plants have grown in, making this display a real eye catcher!
md


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## lljdma06 (Oct 16, 2006)

I really love this riparium. Very inspiring and the plant choices are great. Makes me want one very badly, especially since half the above water stuff is so easily found in South FL. Great work! 

Question: What tank is about 3 feet long and tall enough for this type of setup? I can go as long as 40 inches. 

My only dilemma with this type of setup is that you have less room for fishies. :icon_frow

llj:icon_lol:


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

lljdma06 said:


> I really love this riparium. Very inspiring and the plant choices are great. Makes me want one very badly, especially since half the above water stuff is so easily found in South FL. Great work!
> 
> Question: What tank is about 3 feet long and tall enough for this type of setup? I can go as long as 40 inches.
> 
> ...


The standard 65 gallon Aqueon tank (and others) is 36 inches long, 18 inches front to back and 25 inches high, great shape for a riparium. That tank would have about 25 gallons of water as a riparium, room for quite a few fish, but obviously not real big ones.


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## Ashok (Dec 11, 2006)

Amazing stuff


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## lljdma06 (Oct 16, 2006)

Hoppy said:


> The standard 65 gallon Aqueon tank (and others) is 36 inches long, 18 inches front to back and 25 inches high, great shape for a riparium. That tank would have about 25 gallons of water as a riparium, room for quite a few fish, but obviously not real big ones.


The way I stock, that would be plenty of room for lots of little fishies, thanks for answering.  I think I'll consider it for the future. A neat display system, that's for sure.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

I agree that the Aqueon 65 is a very good shape for this.

Would anybody out there like to have a couple of _Echinodorus cordifolius_ plantlets? I think that that flower stalk has six little babies on it. I really want to spread that one around because it is a perfect riparium plant, for larger tanks.

Here is another picture with closeup of two very nice plants, _Echinodorus_ 'Tropica Marble Queen' and _Oplismenus_ grass.










I have a lot of white-variegated stuff in here.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

Seriously, would anybody like a plantlet or two from this _Echinodorus cordifolius_? I am putting together two boxes with that RAOK that I had listed and it looks like I have enough for one extra box including also some _cordifolius_.










This is a perfect riparium plant for largish tanks.


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## speedie408 (Jan 15, 2009)

Damn hydro!!! Should I turn my old 39g into a riparium? You make it look so easy man. How fast do most your plants grow? Better yet, how much for a starter package to fit in my 39g?


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

Nick,

I can send you some plants to get started with. Like I say I have them ready to ship right here and this would be the same as my recent RAOK with $6.50 S&H reimbursement.


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## speedie408 (Jan 15, 2009)

First things first... let me consult with my Parole Officer first.


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

speedie408 said:


> First things first... let me consult with my Parole Officer first.


My technique was to copy one of Hydrophytes photos and attach it to an email to my CEO, with the question, "wouldn't this look great here?" That got things off on the right foot.


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## speedie408 (Jan 15, 2009)

Hoppy said:


> My technique was to copy one of Hydrophytes photos and attach it to an email to my CEO, with the question, "wouldn't this look great here?" That got things off on the right foot.


lol That's exactly what I had in mind. Wish me luck!


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## sewingalot (Oct 12, 2008)

hydrophyte said:


> I agree that the Aqueon 65 is a very good shape for this.
> 
> Would anybody out there like to have a couple of _Echinodorus cordifolius_ plantlets? I think that that flower stalk has six little babies on it. I really want to spread that one around because it is a perfect riparium plant, for larger tanks.
> 
> ...


Love the white variegation. It is refreshing to see white in an aquarium for once.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

Like I say this tank ended up with a number white-variegated plants, including those two and also the chameleon plant and _Pilea cardieri._


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## dewalltheway (Jan 19, 2005)

Hydro....you do such an amazing job with these tanks. I am just amazed everytime you post updated pics. The plants are so healthy and the tank just flows together. Awesome job!


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

Thanks so much. I really like your 90G too every time that I see it. I hope to have a better FTS of this one soon. I just need to do that trimming and get the camera out again.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

I just ran into something interesting. Member *Craig* posted some pictures of what looks like _Oplismenus_ grass growing as a turf somewhere in Florida. Here is the link to the post...

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/plants/92308-there-aquatic-plant-like-terrestrial-one.html#post898353


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

The whole riparium concept is just new enough that the possibilities for plants seems endless. I spent some time reading about miniature orchids a couple of days ago, and that is really an interesting possibility. The plants are a bit pricy, considering that the strange conditions might not agree with them, but the rewards would be great too.

This is one of the main reasons I was aching to try ripariums. Trying new things is always interesting, and you just can't hardly set up a riparium without it being a new thing.


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

This is one of my favorite emersed plant tanks of all time that has a large amount of water in it. I love all of the variegated species in it!


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

Hoppy said:


> The whole riparium concept is just new enough that the possibilities for plants seems endless. I spent some time reading about miniature orchids a couple of days ago, and that is really an interesting possibility. The plants are a bit pricy, considering that the strange conditions might not agree with them, but the rewards would be great too.
> 
> This is one of the main reasons I was aching to try ripariums. Trying new things is always interesting, and you just can't hardly set up a riparium without it being a new thing.


Miniature orchids are extremely cool. As long as one can set up a terrarium-like enclosure for them the hardy ones are extremely easy care. I have found that they are like emersed crypts in that they seem to prosper best when neglected, so long as their basic requirements are met. 

I could clip a cutting from my _Epidendrum porpax_, one of the nicest miniatures, and a _Tolumnia_ for the next box that I send your way. You could hang a mounted minature easily enough in that riparium that you are working on with a suction cup or wire hooked over the edge. The plant wouldn't really be part of the whole composition, but it would probably grow well if spritzed every morning and fertilized from time to time.

Exercise caution! Miniature orchids ought to be classified among other psychoactive plants causing profound psychological and physical addiction. Just a mention of _Restrepia_, _Dracula_ or _Pleurothallis_ can cause the afflicted to obsessively reach for their wallet or any other container with cash inside.

Here's a shot of one of my _Bulbophyllum_ (I can't remember the species off hand) that bloomed recently.


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

hydrophyte said:


> Miniature orchids are extremely cool. As long as one can set up a terrarium-like enclosure for them the hardy ones are extremely easy care. I have found that they are like emersed crypts in that they seem to prosper best when neglected, so long as their basic requirements are met.
> 
> I could clip a cutting from my _Epidendrum porpax_, one of the nicest miniatures, and a _Tolumnia_ for the next box that I send your way. You could hang a mounted minature easily enough in that riparium that you are working on with a suction cup or wire hooked over the edge. The plant wouldn't really be part of the whole composition, but it would probably grow well if spritzed every morning and fertilized from time to time.
> 
> Exercise caution! Miniature orchids ought to be classified among other psychoactive plants causing profound psychological and physical addiction. Just a mention of _Restrepia_, _Dracula_ or _Pleurothallis_ can cause the afflicted to obsessively reach for their wallet or any other container with cash inside.


That would be a great idea - I should be ordering some stuff in the next 2-3 weeks. But, can you start an orchid with a cutting? I understood that doing so only works for a few types, and isn't easy to do.

My 65 gallon riparium project is going slower than I envisioned. I'm still working on the stand, and haven't ordered a tank yet. It is certainly an exciting project to plan.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

Here is a real quick picture from tonight. The plants are at their peak right now.










I'll come back with a better-quality image: I'm still trying to figure out the whole RAW file thing.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

I have been eagerly awaiting this tank because it is a perfect shape and size for open-top ripariums. The *Oceanic Illuminata* is now on the market...



>


This enclosure has roughly the same footprint as the Aqueon 65 Tall, but it's a few inches shorter, and of course it's also rimless around the top. It does have a bottom plastic rim, but it is the Oceanic rounded style, so it has a pretty nice appearance. *Hoppy* started a thread about it in the Equipment forum...

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/equipment/92735-oceanic-illuminata-57-gallon.html#post903117


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## bsmith (Jan 8, 2007)

I was ogling that tank at a local reef shop just the other day. How sweet is that, a 58g rimless tank that I believe is 30" tall!


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

Yeah it has a perfect shape. I don't have any more room (or time) for setting up any more new tanks, but I probably ought to get one to have on hand.


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## speedie408 (Jan 15, 2009)

Simply AWESOME Hydro! I love it!


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

Hey well that saltwater tank isn't mine I just linked an image from the Internets.


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

With a rimless, open topped riparium do you still think the black background works better than having the room wall show through the back, both in the tank and above the tank? My imagination isn't sufficient for me to picture in my mind which would look best. In a way, it looks like the plants that extend above the top of the tank would look better without the black backed tank. But, then I look at your photo above and just get confused again. One day I decide to go without the black back and the next day I change my mind. And, I'm getting too close to "R"Day to be confused!


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## sewingalot (Oct 12, 2008)

hydrophyte said:


> Here is a real quick picture from tonight. The plants are at their peak right now.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Very nice! I like this a whole bunch. What is the fish in the front left of the picture? He fits perfectly in your setup.


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## dewalltheway (Jan 19, 2005)

hydrophyte said:


> Here is a real quick picture from tonight. The plants are at their peak right now.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I just love it! It just reminds me of an outdoor water garden with plants hanging from the edge. (If everyone else already knew that....I am slow, ok) I so want to start one of these but my wife would strangle me and feed me to my fish (JK, at least about the feeding to my fish part :icon_smil)

Anyways, I really like the overall look. Great job!


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

sewingalot said:


> Very nice! I like this a whole bunch. What is the fish in the front left of the picture? He fits perfectly in your setup.


Thanks so much. That is an _Apistogramma_, but I don't know which species. That is an excellent fish for planted tanks. The two males flare at each other all day long, but they never fight so their amazing finnage is always perfect.



dewalltheway said:


> I just love it! It just reminds me of an outdoor water garden with plants hanging from the edge. (If everyone else already knew that....I am slow, ok) I so want to start one of these but my wife would strangle me and feed me to my fish (JK, at least about the feeding to my fish part :icon_smil)
> 
> Anyways, I really like the overall look. Great job!


Thank you. Yep ripariums are like a combination of garden ponds and planted tanks. I have several good pond plant sin there, including the _Colocasia_, _Houttuynia _ and _Acorus_.

I hope to come back tonight with a better picture.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

Well I have just a couple of snapshots that I wanted to post quick to show the _Colocasia fallax_ dwarf taro that I have in here--I just love this plant. Here's a view down the length of the tank...










This picture was taken with flash. The _C. fallax_ has a beautiful velvety sheen, which shows up better in pictures with flash.

And here's another picture...










This plant is at its peak right now. I suspect that it will pretty soon stop growth and start flowering. After blooming for a while the leaves will then start to yellow and die. Last winter I kept these taros in a cool and moist spot for several months. By March they started to grow again.

Is there anybody who would like a little offset from this plant? It has runners going all over the tank.

I have a few FTS too, but I want to take some more time with those.


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## mountaindew (Dec 10, 2008)

Monster plants. Looks very healthy and like they are about to grow out and down the sides.

md


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## cah925 (May 18, 2007)

Man, those plants look fantastic.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

I really like this plant a lot. I actually have two different _C. fallax_, the species, which I acquired a couple of years ago, and 'Silver Dollar', which I only got last spring.

The one in this tank is 'Silver Dollar'. I think that its leaves are bigger than the species, but I don't see many other differences.

It makes a great centerpiece in this tank. I hope to came back later with a FTS.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

Here is a full tank shot...










I might have another go at it. The color still isn't quite right.

This image post-processed with a montage to correct for glare on foliage.


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

Beautiful! Everything is filled in great.


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## talontsiawd (Oct 19, 2008)

Looks absolutely gorgous. Nice work, it just keeps getting better.


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

hydrophyte said:


> Here is a full tank shot...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


This tank has convinced me that a riparium with a black back glass looks the best, even with leaves extending out of the tank. I will plan on painting mine before I set it up. Looking at my nursery tank last night almost had me convinced anyway, because it reinforced for me the need to de-emphasize the black screens and planter cups.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

Yes the dark background is important for hiding the planters. I also painted both side panels of this tank because I have planters wrapped part-way around each side.


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

hydrophyte said:


> Yes the dark background is important for hiding the planters. I also painted both side panels of this tank because I have planters wrapped part-way around each side.


I think I will try just painting the end glasses up just above the water line. I want to be able to look at the tank through the ends too. Does that seem over complicated? One advantage of doing that is that it will help hide the powerhead I plan to use to drive the RFUG filter. And, that powerhead will have a sponge over its inlet, also needing to be hidden.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

I think that that ought to look OK so long as the top painted edge is nice and tidy. It might actually make a pretty neat perspective because it will provide just a peak at the foliage when viewed from the side. 

I found it easiest to use flat black latex rollered on. Latex is a good choice because its cheap and easy to remove. It did require two or three coats to cover.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

I've been seeing lots of neat plant events in this tank. Here is one that I have been waiting on for a long time. Last week the blooms on the ladies' tress orchid (_Spiranthes cernua_ var. _odorata_) began to open. The spike had been developing for more than two months. Here is a shot of the whole flowerhead...










...and here is another picture a little closer...










Pretty cool. I have a few more files to edit including macros of individual blooms and a picture of the whole plant. 

I have tried out a few different orchids in those hanging planters. So far this one has had the best performance. The _Phragmipedium_ that I planted in this tank last spring did not grow at all and I eventually removed it to plant again in a regular pot with bark orchid mix. I have a few different _Bletilla_ too, which are right now starting to go dormant. I might see better growth from them in the spring.


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## Ashok (Dec 11, 2006)

Stunning tank!


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

hydrophyte said:


> Here is a full tank shot...
> 
> I might have another go at it. The color still isn't quite right.
> 
> This image post-processed with a montage to correct for glare on foliage.


One thing you can try... take two (or more) shots with exposure bracketing, where one is exposed "correctly" (albeit showing overexposure/glare in leaves), and another one is underexposed by say 2 or 3 stops.

Then you can paste the correctly exposed one over the underexposed copy, and using a soft-edged history brush or eraser or whatever tool your image editor has, remove the glare and expose the underlying, darker layer.

Of course there are many ways to get to the same result, this is a very easy one.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

...hmm, that's an interesting idea. It really is just the top surfaces of the large leaves at the top of the tank, so it shouldn't be too hard to knock those out and try a fix like that.

I was getting pretty good results correcting glare and shadow by adjusting exposure and a couple other slides with the RAW image, but I always end up with a weird green or orange wash over everything when I do that. The white balance of the jpeg right out of the camera gives me the best color, but I have those issues with too much glare and shadow.


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

Hehe, RAW gives me headaches :smile: I could never get the RAW adjustments to look as good as the jpg, plus all that added work and space requirements... not worth it for me.

Whole image adjustments just don't work that well if you have a few overexposed patches. If you try to correct them it will turn everything else into muddiness or tint as you have seen.

The method I described works also well for image like your orchid flower, where the flower itself tends to be blown out, OR the rest of the image turns into a big shadow. Camera sensors just don't have the dynamic range of human eyes.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

Well I'm glad someone here can relate. I might stop keeping RAW files for everything, because they are really starting to take up a lot of space. 

Really I am less concerned about these orchid pictures than I am about the full-tank shots. Really I think I do OK with pictures of white flowers just with jpegs shot with low exposure. This spider lily picture got pretty good depth in the white parts...










Oh now the thread is on another new page. Here's that orchid flower again...


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

Wow! Awesome flowers! Those are really pretty


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

Yes they look real nice in the display. The plant itself has very thin foliage, but everything else is grown up so much that it looks plenty full. 

_Spiranthes cernua_ is a real wetland plant and a North America native.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

Here is a shot from today...










This image is a montage made with photos at three different exposures to correct for the glare and shadow that my camera sees much more of than I do. This edited picture gives a good idea of what the tank really looks like.

This next one is an unedited picture showing all of that glare and shadow that the camera fills the image with...










Aside form my camera exposure issues, this tank really does need a haircut because the emersed foliage is throwing quite a bit of shade and darkening the underwater area. Would anybody out there like some of my extra plants?


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

I could enjoy playing with a cutting of the aluminum plant. I vaguely recall my mother growing that one as a houseplant, or at least one that looked like it. (I think that is what the white mottled round leaf plant at the back is.)


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

Oh that's an excellent plant. I have had such disappointing results with most common aquarium stem plants, but that plant grows really well and with a stiffer stem that doesn't flop over. It develops nice and slow too so it's easy care. It needs to have water circulation around its roots. I found it best to plant it in the hanging planter with Hydroton pellets and a cap of finer gravel. It could also do alright planted on a Nano Trellis Raft with the foam notched out to accept its fatter stems. I have extra here too I have to remember to include some in your next box.


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## speedie408 (Jan 15, 2009)

Tank is looking GREAT hydro! That over exposed leaf at the top of your pics... you can use layering to get rid of it in photoshop. I read up on layering a while back but forgot exactly how its done. Sorry I'm no help.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

Thanks very much. Well I did fix it pretty well using three layers taken from three different shots at three different exposures. One for the underwater area, one for the emersed area behind the glass and one for the area above and outside of the tank.










You can see that those big swrodplants and taro are throwing a lot of shade. The light is only getting into the underwater area right in the front behind the glass.


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## mountaindew (Dec 10, 2008)

Excellent!
I want to start a large custom tank with one end grown out very much like this! 
Great pics and inspiration hydro!
md


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

Hey well be sure to hit me up if you start looking for plants. I have extras of a lot of stuff right now. That _Echinodorus cordifolius_ sword and dwarf taro are especially nice and they grow perfectly in this kind of setup.


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## demonbreedr16 (Jan 10, 2008)

It looks really good and those flowers are beautiful! I'm still veeerrryyyy tempted to do a native riparium outside in the outside 29gal....hmmm....


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

I'm way up here in Wisconsin, but I have some cool native Florida plants and extras of these too.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

...did you see the pictures of my stargrass, _Dichromena latifolia_? This one is a Southeast US native. It has these really great white flowers...










I have wondered if this one will start going winter-dormant. I don't see any signs of it dying back yet, although it did stop blooming. This one grows really really well under fluorescents.


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## sewingalot (Oct 12, 2008)

If I could just get rid of these bugs!!!! I am looking forward to doing this, but where it has been so rainy this summer, insects are everywhere and I refuse to make them a haven. It looks beautiful! I love the overgrown look. Looks like nature!


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

Yeah that's one drawback of these riparium tanks. You don't have to worry about algae on the emersed foliage, but they can get bugs. However, I have figured out how to manage for them. The ones that I get reappearing the most are spider mites, but they are also very easy to control. Spider mites can't reproduce in humid conditions, so I just start misting with RO every time that I observe them and that knocks them down again. It is especially effective to use the spray mist to carefully remove any visible mites. The water pressure knocks them right off the leaf surface. The most important thing is to be careful with new plants to avoid introducing any bugs into the setup.

I like the looks of this one now too, but it will look good when I can thin stuff out. I am going to pull out that big taro and sword and think of some other large subjects to put in there.


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## demonbreedr16 (Jan 10, 2008)

Wow that stargrass looks really cool. I think though my Rip. would be more native only using fish/plants that are in the river...almost a biotope! And...it would be outside with the sun giving it light...hello algae city! LOL


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

sewingalot said:


> If I could just get rid of these bugs!!!! I am looking forward to doing this, but where it has been so rainy this summer, insects are everywhere and I refuse to make them a haven. It looks beautiful! I love the overgrown look. Looks like nature!


Sara do you have bugs on your houseplants? I recently found a product that works really well, Azamax. It works systemically, so it gets into the vascular system of the plant and kills/repels spider mites, aphids, scale and other sucking pests. I had pretty bad spider mites on my caudiciform trees, but I treated a few times with Azamax and now I don't see any. I understand that it is made from an extract of neem oil, a natural product, but it is still a pretty powerful poison so I used gloves and applied it outside. It's pretty expensive at 20 bucks for a 4 oz. bottle, but you can make a number of quart bottles of spray solution with that.


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## sewingalot (Oct 12, 2008)

Thanks for the link! I didn't have an issue until I bought a plant on 'sale.' Do not do that and bring it in the house without at least repotting. I found out too late it was covered in fungus gnats. I have them everywhere!!!


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## demonbreedr16 (Jan 10, 2008)

I've long given up house plants...My cats destroy them in leave the remains in my bed as a warning to future house plants. LOL I now have a terrestial garden that grows faster then my cats can kill.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

I have really been getting into houseplants. There's something about plants in pots that I really like. I think it might be because a potted plant is its own discrete thing, sort of like the layout in an aquarium.

A little while back I ran into a cool blog all about houseplants, Plants are the Strangest People. Also really great is the information and contacts at the International Aroid Society.


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## Tex Gal (Mar 28, 2008)

How beautiful!!! I'd love to see it in person. Pxs. just can't do something like this justice!


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

Thanks very much. I really like the view from above...










It feels "personal" looking right through the open top at the foliage. The emersed foliage even looks pretty good after the lights are out. I love that taro plant.


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## Tex Gal (Mar 28, 2008)

WOW! The taro plant has to be the white veined, buleish green one! I was in love with a similar leafed tropical this summer. I couldn't get it for my garden because it was a shade plant. I'm still trying to get shade...


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

That taro is a _Colocasia fallax_ and it's a new cultivar called 'Silver Dollar'. I bet it would grow well for you as a garden plant so long as you give it some shade and consistently moist soil. The tubers go winter-dormant for five months or so during which time they need cool and moist, but not wet, conditions. It looks as though I have some extra little plantlets here would you like a few? It's a great little plant.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

I got a couple more pictures of the orchid, _Spiranthes cernua_ var. _odorata_. The flowers shrivel and fall just a few days after opening, so the spike won't last much longer.










A close up...


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## demonbreedr16 (Jan 10, 2008)

What've you got over this tank? T5's? It's bursting with blooms and beautiful foliage!

BTW, I setup my outdoor 29 today tearing down my 10...Soon to drain it a bit and plant it up with the few natives I've got around here in those pots. I need to do a journal as it will be very interesting doing a native tank journal!


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

This tank is lit with two 39-watt HO T5 lamps with polished individual reflectors. This is just a little more than 1-watt/gallon of tank volume. The high-quality reflectors make a big difference.

That setup of yours sounds cool. Will you post some pictures?


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

demonbreedr16 said:


> What've you got over this tank? T5's? It's bursting with blooms and beautiful foliage!
> 
> BTW, I setup my outdoor 29 today tearing down my 10...Soon to drain it a bit and plant it up with the few natives I've got around here in those pots. I need to do a journal as it will be very interesting doing a native tank journal!


Living in Florida you should be able to set up a very nice native plant/fish riparium, but I hope you plan to keep it in the shade! On my trips to that state, the intensity of the sun was very memorable. You will have double the pleasure - the riparium and the collecting of suitable occupants for it.


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

demonbreedr16 said:


> What've you got over this tank? T5's? It's bursting with blooms and beautiful foliage!
> 
> BTW, I setup my outdoor 29 today tearing down my 10...Soon to drain it a bit and plant it up with the few natives I've got around here in those pots. I need to do a journal as it will be very interesting doing a native tank journal!


Living in Florida you should be able to set up a very nice native plant/fish riparium, but I hope you plan to keep it in the shade! On my trips to that state, the intensity of the sun was very memorable. You will have double the pleasure - the riparium and the collecting of suitable occupants for it.


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

I have been away for a while so it is fun to come back and hunt down the progress of some of my favorite setups. This one and the riparium Hoppy is working on certainly makes me thinking that I should start one soon.


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

malaybiswas said:


> I have been away for a while so it is fun to come back and hunt down the progress of some of my favorite setups. This one and the riparium Hoppy is working on certainly makes me thinking that I should start one soon.


You should! It is a whole new experience having both terrestrial and aquatic plants in the same tank. The possibilities are endless. And, a standard Aqueon 65 gallon tank is a perfect size and shape for a riparium, too.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

malaybiswas said:


> I have been away for a while so it is fun to come back and hunt down the progress of some of my favorite setups. This one and the riparium Hoppy is working on certainly makes me thinking that I should start one soon.


Hey well if you like the looks of the plants in this setup I have lots of extra divisions on hand--the tank has gotten to be overgrown. I might just replant the whole thing and shoot for a new combination of plants.

Hey my orchid pictures got knocked back by this new thread page. Here it is again, _Spiranthes cernua_ var. _odorata_.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

I'm getting ready to start yanking stuff out of here. I intend to replant with an almost completely new mix of species.

You can see here that it is quite overgrown. The taro and big sword on the right are blocking all the light...










There are a few extra divisions and plantlets in there. I am going to post some offerings in Swap and Shop.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

Shortly after posting that last picture I yanked almost all of the emersed plants out of the tank...










There are just a few plants left and I will pull those out two as I make room in my shop. I'm inclined to leave it like this for a week or two to see if I can get some better growth from the underwater foliage.

Like I mentioned I plan to replant with almost all new plants. This is one of them that I am going to include, the sweetflag _Acorus gramineus_ 'Omogo'...










This is a handsome plant. It looks a lot like 'Ogon', but with dark green leaves.


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

hey the lower mass of plants are looking cool too. 

I might have to relocate to Chicagoland for my job (not right now but in a few months). May be we can catch up. Would love to see your setup in person.

One thing I'll miss though is the direct access to AF.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

Hey well you're welcome to stop by any time you like. Madison is just 2 1/2 hours or so form Chicago and there are some fun attractions up in this area.

The underwater plants are a real jumbled mess right now. I do want to let them grow for a week or so in the brighter light that I will have some extra material for replanting.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

I took a few extra pictures of the 'Silver Dollar' taro when I yanked it out.










It has such attractive leaves. You can see to the left of the leaf a couple of spathes.

This image slightly retouched, for looks.


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

Where do overgrown riparium plants go to live out their remaining lives? Philosophical question, I guess. Take that taro plant, for example, what will you do with it? Or is it one that goes dormant for the winter season?


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

That plant is going to go dormant pretty soon. I can tell because it has begun to flower and because the older leaves are starting to brown around the edges. The rest of the leaves will start to yellow and die too. Last winter I kept these _C. fallax_ plants in a cool spot down in the basement. It is important to keep the gravel in the planter moist (but not wet) because otherwise the tuber will just dry up and die.

They stay dormant for four or five months. Last winter I started seeing new leaves growing from the tubers in March and April.


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

I need to figure out how to handle any dormant plants I get. I have a garage that gets cold, but not as cold as outdoors. Perhaps a container filled with sphagnum moss, with the planters down in that?


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

If you have it on hand that long-fibre spagnum moss is real nice for wintering dormant plants because it has strong anti-rot properties and it holds just the right amount of moisture around the plant.

I just put together your box with those _Hymenocallis_ and _Zephyranthes_ bulbs. I hope you have some windowsill space or room on your deck because they are still quite green and it might be a while before they shut down.


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

hydrophyte said:


> If you have it on hand that long-fibre spagnum moss is real nice for wintering dormant plants because it has strong anti-rot properties and it holds just the right amount of moisture around the plant.
> 
> I just put together your box with those _Hymenocallis_ and _Zephyranthes_ bulbs. I hope you have some windowsill space or room on your deck because they are still quite green and it might be a while before they shut down.


I can always set up my 10 gallon tank again as a nursery for these. Right now my 15H riparium is down in my office room, on its stand, but there is still that corner of my desk available for the 10 gallon tank. Next time I am in the hardware store or HD I will look for the sphagnum moss. It looks like the garage is going to have to become a homeless shelter for dormant plants:smile:


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

I don't think I mentioned yet I have posted many of the plants from this old scape in Swap n Shop, so reader check out my recent thread there if you might want any of these specimens.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

I was just organizing some image files and found a couple of funny ones from this tank from about a month ago. These were both taken with flash.










The foliage looks real different with the flash picture.

This next one shows most of the fish in this tank. 










I really like these fish and they all get along well. They make a nice display.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

I put together a post explaining the use of mineralized topsoil in the riparium planter cups. It is over in the Substrates sub-forum...

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/substrate/95412-mts-riparium-planters.html










This _Ludwigia_ plant ended up in the 65-gallon after I potted it up.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

Well it was a little bit sad but the other night I took some time to take this setup apart. I have a good plan for another idea in its place, the _Synodontis petricola_ setup  that is going into a rimless 50-gallon tank. Here is a shot of the 65 halfway through teardown. 










I am still juggling fish. There were in particular a lot of tetras in there.


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

Thant is indeed sad. This was my 2nd favorite riparium.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

I will miss having that one here in the living room, but the new setup should be good too. I hope to keep it setup as a low maintenance tank for at least a couple of years.

I'm gonna use the 65 just as a growout tank for now.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

Hey this tank was featured as "December 2009 Tank of the Month" on AquascapingWorld.com


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*


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

Congrats man, she was a beauty.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

Hey thanks. I miss having that setup a lot, but htis new one I have in its place is coming together nicely--it is more of a fish-centered display and entertaining to watch.

Hey be sure to check out the TOTM article link. The article came together pretty well and I liked it.


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

It is sad to see that beautiful riparium go, since it was one of the tanks that made me decide I wanted to try this too. The tank of the month article is very interesting. Congratulations, both for the award, and for nudging aquascape competition out of the Amano inspired box.


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## Karackle (Dec 11, 2007)

Congratulations! I believe it's well deserved! Can't wait to see the new one (i'm in this hobby for the fish as much as (if not more than) for the plants so I'm really excited to see the new incarnation! 

The link to the article didn't work for me by the way, i plan to google it, but I thought you should know


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## FSM (Jan 13, 2009)

Are the planter cups perforated in any way? Or only open at the top?


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## RipariumGuy (Aug 6, 2009)

That is great! I am glad that ripariums are starting to get some attention! It is a bummer that you had to break it down.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

Thanks again!


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

FSM said:


> Are the planter cups perforated in any way? Or only open at the top?


Yes the planter cups do have holes in them, which is important so that the aquarium water can diffuse through the planter media and so that the plant roots can escape out into the open water. The Small Hanging Planter has fewer holes, just two in the bottom along with the suction cup keyholes in the back. The Large Hanging Planter has many holes along the front surface.

The small planter is handy for use with root tabs and also small amounts of mineralized topsoil, which are less likely to wash out because the container is more closed. 










The large planter is useful for plants that prefer more water diffusion and O2 around their roots, such as _Anubias_, _Cyperus_ and _Colocasia_.


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