# Crazydaz's Square 200G RIPARIUM Stikes back-The End Teaser shots of new set up 7-24



## SpecGrrl

Yay!

Great hard scape!


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## zzrguy

Looking like a fine start.


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## mweng0385

Subscribed! It'll turn out great!


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## KFryman

Wow, I would hate to even think about tearing that beauty down. This tank is going to look awesome! Subbed!


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## orchidman

awesome


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## DogFish

Life is about moving forward, I predict this new tank will take Don's hobby to a new level.

Subscribed


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## jamntoast

the side view is super dramatic. very nice hardscape


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## h4n

Can't wait to see it all done!!!

-Sent from my Samsung Note, a "Phablet"


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## speedie408

Sub'd


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## BeachBum2012

Looking forward to seeing this take shape.


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## crazydaz

Thank you all for the nice comments and for subscribing to the thread! It's a little overwhelming! I hope that it doesn't disappoint!

No pressure or anything, Frank! 

So, we left off here yesterday......the rough set up with the position of the rock peninsulas:









and this:









The time-frame is still the same day of the physical move of the tank and stand, in the afternoon.

The rest of the stone went in, following the "lines" in the above picture. At least, the rest of the rock that I had at the time. Following that, I added about 75lbs of pre-washed pool sand as the cap. It was still a bit too light for my liking, but I suspect that it will dull out over the coming weeks and months. Started filling the tank, slowly, as I refuse to wash sand or substrate. It's a waste of time....you're going to get some cloudiness regardless. Added CLODS of anubia species...Tlyons01 can speak to that. I gave her at least a third of my anubias, and still probably had at least a few hundreds dollars worth that I used in this set up. Started dividing and adding my crypts, bucephelandra, java fern species, and a few slow growing stems.

Not my favorite photo, but it does show the light height above the tank. It is about 28" from the bulb to the surface of the water.









Filling up.....took about an hour to fill slowly:









Left side....you can see the XP5 filter under the cabinet churning away. You cannot see it "well," though!  What do you expect? I have a mini-Sun over my tank, so it makes it a little difficult to capture items in the shade:









Front:









Finally, the water level was full.....and in went a massive amount of MTS (Malaysian Trumpet Snails).....

Right Oblique:









Left Oblique:









Close up of the front trying to capture the three rock peninsulas:









Close up of the front right side of the tank....if you click on the pic, you get a better idea of the amount plants in there. I was able to keep a stem of the Alternanthera sp. "variegated":









Close up of the front left side of the tank....again, if you click on the pic, you can see a crazy amount of crypts and bucephelandra through the haze.









So ended the first day in the new home! More pictures tomorrow, starting Day 2. There's plenty to show....

Remember, a Journal is about the process, or the creation of an aquascape. This is certainly NOT even remotely close to being "finished", and it will be several months before the plants can begin to fill in the holes and spaces. It takes foresight to see a final "product," so don't judge based solely on these initial photos. i'm not an "instant Aquascaper."


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## @[email protected]

im looking forward to seeing the tank when it clears up, and even more so when it grows in.


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## ThatGuyWithTheFish

Love that big mass of anubias. Did it come like that or grow from one piece?


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## crazydaz

Marko....it is clear, currently. I just trying to post pics over the course of a few days instead of all at once. So, look forward to it!! 

Thanks GuywithTheFish!! It grew from one piece over the course of about eight months.


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## ua hua

Good looking start so far. I will be looking forward to the progress of this new setup. I understand you wanting to try something new with this setup as it can be real easy to get bored with this hobby if you don't try new things and challenge yourself. Have you thought about trying some other varieties of anubias such as coffeefolia or hastifolia. I think the anubias hastifolia would look really cool coming up out of the tank as they can get huge.


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## crazydaz

I have coffeefolia in there....it is part of the original clone that I received from TexGal,. who got it from a long-time hobbyist who posts mostly on APC. I think that I have gracilis, nana gold, lancelota, and nana petite, and probably others in there. Plenty of Nana though, huh?  It does pretty much demand your attention!

I am hoping that I can get some emergent growth out of those guys! It's surprisingly tricky though; the leaves are surprisingly fragile out of water.


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## DogFish

"The beginning of it starts at the end"
- Tom Waits


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## crazydaz

Every dawn brings a new day, Frank.....just like how this next set of pictures is from Day 2, one day after the move and initial set up....or "September 25th, 2012". Nice segue, right? 

Though still a bit hazy, the tank did a great job of clearing up overnight, as you would expect. The MTS's don't seem to be a fan of the substrate yet, but I would imagine that as time goes on, and the substrate comes a bit more mixed together (whether I want it to or not), they retreat back under. Kinda stinks that they are running around on top of the substrate, but that's life.

As I had indicated in my last Journal, I did end up keeping my slow growing stems, such as the Ludwigia alata, Amnannia latifolia, and some Alternanthera sp. "Variegated." These stems are out in the open, and NOT in their "final" placement. Likely won't be for a little while yet. I know that they look a little out of place growing up in the middle of the tank, but they'll be moved.

I also kept a bunch of faster growing stems, mostly floaters and hygros, to help with excessive nutrient loads. My last tank became algae ridden for a good two months simply because I "under-plated" the set up. Eventually the hygros will go as well as the RRF. I will keep the Hygroriza aristata as it is a bit more "authentic" to the theme of the tank.

I also kept a stem of Nesaea crassicaulis to give me a good indication of the water conditions. Yes....it looks strange just sitting there out in the middle of the scape....but it's serving a good purpose right now. That, too, will be "offed" once I'm a little more certain of the conditions of the scape and that the tank has settled and matured.

Will have another set of pictures tomorrow!

Left side...you can see the haziness still, but you are also looking through four feet of water, too:









From the left side, looking "into" the tank, you can see that it is clearing up fairly well:









Left Oblique:









Same angle, just zoomed out so you can see the stand and lighting. Again, it is about 28" from the bulbs to the water's surface. It's quite nice to be able to include the stand now, and not be embarrassed by the warping or bubbling:









Front shot, head on:









A bit further out:









All the way zoomed out to view the full set up:









Right oblique shot:









Shot of the right Front side of the tank...I added Thread-leaved Java fern that day:









....and some Orange shrimp too:









One of my favorite shots! I had no idea that I had so much bullosa "Bario" until I had to dig it up! I separated it into all of this.....I have about 7 separate plants growing nicely. From left to right on the substrate in this pic....it's all bullosa "Bario"!









More pics tomorrow! Thanks for looking!


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## @[email protected]

whats that pink plant between the threadleaf java ferns.


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## DogFish

Don - as much as I've looked at you tank I really never noticed the corner braces. How thickish the glass 3/8" or 1/2"?

What Anubuis Sp do you have now?


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## crazydaz

Between the thread leaf java fern? With the flowers? That would be buccephelandra sp. "super blue." If you are referring to the bright pink plant in the picture, that is Alternanthera sp. "variegated."


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## crazydaz

Hey Frank! It's 3/8". Anubia species that I have in there, that I can recall off hand are: gracilis, gasser, nana, nana "gold," lancelota, nana "petite," and coffeefolia.


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## Robotponys

Wow, looks great already! Love how on the first day of moving you set up a 200 gallon tank. 


Tank journal, please visit and give advise 
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=187460
-Tapatalk


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## DogFish

Don, I'm just starting to get into Anubias myself. I'm sure the A. gracilis & gasser will eventually break the surface and really show well for you.


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## izabella87

you can do it! thats a great start


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## Chaoslord

Looks like your restart is going to fill in great.
The Fts before your move was awesome.


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## Obakemono

Don,
Looking good there!! BTW, how do you like the FX5? I think I have settled on my hardscape for the tank now, just working out details in the filter/reactor area before I buy anything.


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## Jiinx

I'm subscribed!

Missed the journey last time! I'm excited to watch the new tank grow and develop into, I'm sure, a beautiful piece of indoor fish heaven!


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## crazydaz

Robotpony--Thank you! We had been moving small things over since the close on the house, and we had to get that tank out of there over a weekend where I had time to focus "only" on the tank....the following weekend would have been too chaotic as we would have had to do all of the tank stuff in addition to moving furniture, getting one house set up and the other one cleaned, and so on. Too much!!

Frank, I might be able to trade with you in a few weeks for some crypts, if you want some gasser and gracilis. PM me!

Izabella--Thank you! I can do it!!  What other option is there? I'm a big fan of your different set ups, btw. 

Chaoslord--The bar has been set high from that last tank, and won't have the same array of colorful stems as my former set up....so the challenge is to use different textures and focal points with the hardscape in order to (hopefully) surpass the last scape. It will take some time. Thank you for the compliment!

Obakemono! I love the FX5! It's adjustable in terms of flow, and an all-in-one filter and powerhead. No worries ever about filtration or flow using this beast! I had it when it first came out several years ago, and should have stayed with it instead of trying Ehiems. How would you connect this to a reactor, though? I'm using a different method via needle wheel pump to do my CO2, mainly because I couldn't think of a feasible way to connect a reactor to the outflow hose. Do tell!!

Jiinx! You just want more plants, is all. Quit trying to butter me up!

New pics after dinner tonight!


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## c_gwinner

Truly amazing. Like the driftwood idea you have. Though of trying to hide the hinges more with growing some terrestrial moss or something to help conceal them? Can barely notice them as is. Your tank so don't wanna mess up your plans or anything.

Love the C. Bullosa "Bario" you have. That is quite a bit too.


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## Obakemono

crazydaz said:


> Obakemono! I love the FX5! It's adjustable in terms of flow, and an all-in-one filter and powerhead. No worries ever about filtration or flow using this beast! I had it when it first came out several years ago, and should have stayed with it instead of trying Ehiems. How would you connect this to a reactor, though? I'm using a different method via needle wheel pump to do my CO2, mainly because I couldn't think of a feasible way to connect a reactor to the outflow hose. Do tell!!


Well I need to see how large the hose barbs are on the FX5 but I was really planning on running 2 FX5's for the main filtration and then a 406 for the reactor. Still thinking of a reactor design that would minimize flow restrictions (DIY pvc).


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## crazydaz

Thanks gwinner! I'll try to point the screw and bolts out in the next set of photos. I guess that I was tired of having to wait for the "perfect manzanita" branches, so I thought that if they could be custom made to fit, so much the better. Devin did an excellent job with them, I feel.......it also makes routine maintenance easier for me as well...just loosen the bolt a bit, bend the branch out of the way, tighten, do whatever I need to do, and then move it back again.

The joints will be covered, but I'm keeping that a secret for the time being. Have to get a few things ordered first, but same to say that it won't be moss. 

I love the "Bario"....it should make it much easier to part out and sell from time to time for a decent price. It's been a wonderful plant to have!!

Obakemono--do you need 800 gallons worth of filtration?

Anyhow....next set of pictures were taken October 1st. I added 25lbs of Seriyu stone, mostly to the left-side peninsula. I think that I'm finally starting to achieve the look that I was going for. Still, I need probably another 50lbs more to finish it. The height that I would like is nearly there...just need to "fortify" it a bit, and add some additional height to the other two peninsulas in the tank. This was a blue-colored Seriyu which contrasts with the brown stone that I received from CraigThor....still, it looks nice, and in a few months, any visible rock work will either have enough patina for it to all blend together nicely, or it will be covered by anubia, java fern, or bucephelandra species.

In addition, taking pics of this tank has become unexpectedly tricky, simply due to the height of the lighting....it casts light onto me taking the picture as well. Slight annoyance, and I'll have to figure something out.

At this point, I could already start seeing new leaves forming on the crypts and buces....the coffeefolia quickly grew a nice new leaf, too. The growth is amazing, and I'm not even running CO2 yet! I'm excited to look at the growth after I can get my CO2 up again!

Here is right side of the tank, if you click on the picture you can see a "hinge" on the manzy branch sticking out of the water:









Close up of the right side toward the front....the buces are getting ready to flower in the midground:









A look at the Keei "Jambusan" patch:









Here is a look at the forming crypt "field" between the right side peninsula and the two left side peninsulas...and my hand in the upper-left part of the photo:









This is the same area, just looking towards the left side of the tank...and you can see my camera and hand in this shot as well:









Nice shot of the Left side of the tank with the extra Seriyu stone:









Another shot of the left side...you can see the "hinge" joint on the manzy branches in this picture as well:









Left Oblique:









Same angle, but further away....potential problem is that the walls in this room are painted brown, so it is difficult to get a good shot that really stands out. I may have to re-paint the room:









To make matters more interesting, this is really heavy on the peat right now...so it's basically going to be blackwater for a little while. It's neat to look at in person, but it doesn't really photograph well. Especially against a brown wall.










Thanks for looking!


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## DogFish

crazydaz said:


> ....At this point, I could already start seeing new leaves forming on the crypts and buces....the coffeefolia quickly grew a nice new leaf, too. The growth is amazing, and I'm not even running CO2 yet!...


Whoa!!! New growth in how many days?


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## crazydaz

About six days after re-planting. You weren't kidding about that MTS, Frank!  Steroids!


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## looking4roselines

Wow those crypt patches are looking pretty good with minimal to no melt after a transplant shock. Did you get a chance to plant the new "stuff" yet? 

I would love to see what you'll mount on the wood. Have you decided what yet?

Frank sent you that miracle dirt? Nice! 

Xue


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## crazydaz

Oddly, I did not get the crypts yet that you sent, which bummed me out a bit! It'll be here tomorrow! 

I did get my riparium package from Devin today, though! I'm pretty stoked about that. I have some rearranging to do in order to make everything fit, and I should be good to go!!

I have decided on the what will be used on the wood. Just have to order them is all! When I get paid!

Yeah, Frank's miracle dirt is the real deal!


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## Obakemono

Don,
Do you think one FX5, with media, will be fine for an 8 foot long tank? (165gallons) I'm a bit worried that if I have the filter on one end or even in the middle that the tank curculation would suffer.

OT: New growth so fast, that can only mean one thing: You are going to be trimming allot more!!!


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## @[email protected]

not sure about franks MTS, but i know im in love with the stuff. since i tried it, i put it under everything. even under ADA aquasoil (and i notice an improvement in growth rate too, though not a very dramatic one).

maybe you should put some cool black-water fish in there. like betta macrostoma.


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## crazydaz

Xue: got the crypts and Buces this morning, and they look great! The mailman said that he forgot to leave the package yesterday. Ok.....  in any event, they are in the tank, adding to my collectoritis crypt and buce setup!

Obakemono: an 8ft long tank? Dios mio! Maybe if you put it in the middle with some powerheads at each side. If it will be heavily planted, it should be fine. PM me with more details so I know what you are planning!

Trimming shouldn't be too problematic....it's still a predominantly a crypt and buce tank!

Marko--you have to try DogFish's (Frank) "premium blend" MTS for your next set up! It's perfect! Better than Aquasoil. Planning to do some microdarios, if Rachel ever gets them in again from her suppliers!


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## @[email protected]

well i am just about out of MTS anyway...
alrighty, looks like i know what im using for the next setup. 
BETTER than aquasoil? now this i have to see. ok for my next setup ill get some and cap with inert silica sand. never did a sand scape actually ill probably leave some sand open in front of the foreground, might look nice (dammit, i just setup one scape and now you have me think about another, im a college student, not a millionaire).

you mean microdEVario? m. kubotai? http://msjinkzd.com/species/fish/microdevario-kubotai-neon-yellow-microrasbora/
i saw pics of them in francis xaviers nano recently. they look cool, and you could stuff a massive shoal of em in there.


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## c_gwinner

Did you get your riparium stuff planted? Would love to see shots of that and your new crypts and buce.

Wish my wallet and wife would let me do something as amazing as this....guess staring at a computer screen of yours will have to do haha.

Just guessing you gonna do something like Orchids or something on the branches? Knowing you you probably have something more amazing in store though.


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## keithy

wow, Don the tank looks very well done. I can't wait to see some more new growth and for the crypts and buces to grow more leaves. Looks like the filter is doing a great job! roud:


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## hydrophyte

Lookin' great Don!


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## crazydaz

Marko....yes, much better than AquaSoil!! DogFish's prices were perfectly fine, and you could always get some and use it later!

gwinner....I did and got the arrangement finally ready for pics. The wife knows who wears the pants in my family. If I want something, I simply buy it. And the beg her not to get mad at me for doing it! LOL!

Thanks Keith!! I've gotten some great growth already, and I just got the CO2 up and running again.

Frank....thank you! I really like the new riparium plants! They look great!!


Just got the CO2 system up and running, as I said yesterday. It was a pain in the butt, however I was successful. New needle wheel pump, tubing, spraybar. The whole 9 yards! If anyone wants me to make one, just let me know! It's even better than my old one! Even without it, I've gotten some really good growth on everything, even my Nasaea crassicaulis and Ammannia latifolia put on some healthy growth without the CO2.

But, I was in there and kicked some dust up, so I'll have to post more pictures tomorrow of the tank. For now, here are a few pics, mainly looking at the new riparium plants from Devin. This should add a REALLY nice element to the tank over the next month or so.

Front:









Top looking down:


















Right side of the tank:









Left side of the tank:









Still pretty hazy:









More pics tomorrow! Thanks for looking.


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## BeachBum2012

That is looking really awesome! I love it.


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## 11f150

Hey Don, been a while decided to see what you were up to on this forum. See that your into a house now...thats great! Ill be moving in less than a month into a house finally. I cant wait to get a freshwater tank again. I will be setting up a planted tank this time! I still have the nano cube its up and running still. Ill be following this thread, cya


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## crazydaz

Thanks BeachBum2012!

Good to hear from you again, 11f150, and I'm happy to hear that you are moving on to bigger and better things yourself! Keep me posted on your planted freshwater set up, and let me know how it is going!!


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## c_gwinner

I'm not sure if I missed it or it just hasn't been mentioned, but any idea on the fuana you gonna stock?

Loving the riparium setup you have going, especially the hangers attached to the driftwood. Love the ruellia where it looks like its growing right outta the wood


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## crazydaz

Hi Gwinner.....I'm not too sure yet. I was thinking Microdevario to go along with my tangerines and orange shrimp in the tank already. I have to think about it.

The ruellia will be a nice touch, especially as it fills in and blooms. I'm looking forward to it!

Will start backing off the updates, though there will be some major changes coming soon (additions). I'll try to post those changes before heading up to Michigan this weekend for my nephew's baptism. FINALLY, I'M going to be a Godfather! Muahh hah hah ha....

The water is clear, but tannin-stained....first three are of the front of the tank:



























You can see the challenge of taking pics of this tank....if you look closely, you will see the photographer's knobby knees: 









Left oblique:









Right Oblique:









Devin's riparium plants! Love these guys!! I will need to get some more to properly fill out the tank the way I want:









Top down.....gives you a better idea of the layout, and how it's coming along:


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## Turtlemaxxx

Nice tank! 
I believe the outlet size of the FX5 is 5/8" ID tubing. Use the tubing from the filter to a DIY spraybar if you need to. PVC chunck shaved into a barb, 2 90's to hang over the edge of tank, one more to send it along the back wall, long bar drilled every inch for spray, 3 more 90's to hang over tank again, cap end. Scuff up the PVC and spray with Krylon fusion. FX5 spraybar that is 4' long, works like a champ. I did that in my 125 for my Oscar.


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## 11f150

crazydaz said:


> Thanks BeachBum2012!
> 
> Good to hear from you again, 11f150, and I'm happy to hear that you are moving on to bigger and better things yourself! Keep me posted on your planted freshwater set up, and let me know how it is going!!


 
Yeah Im still working on closing so its going to be a few months before I consider getting a freshwater tank going. Yours is looking great so far keep it up.


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## crazydaz

Turtle....that's a pretty cool idea! I don't think that I would have enough room back there for a four foot spraybar, but I like the idea of that type of flow through the system. Do you have a picture? Why did you decide to do that for your Oscar tank?

Yeah, it's difficult to start one if you haven't even moved into the new place yet, huh?  HA!! Give yourself time and start planning now. Let me know if you have any questions!


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## hydrophyte

That's looking great Don!

I'm glad those plants that I sent traveled well. Nice job planting them up.


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## Turtlemaxxx

I had to find the pictures  Here they are. I originally tried to put the FX5 on my 75gallon discus tank but... too much flow. So i put the XP3 back on and put the FX5 back on the 125. I had to zip tie the end up since my great idea of making both ends the same, but capping one, came after I had it glued and in the tank. Oh well, that is what Rev. B is for.


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## @[email protected]

i keep staring at your tank. man, i wish i had a tank anywhere near that size.


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## speedie408

Lookin dope dude! This tank is gonna be magazine worthy pretty soon. Mark my words!


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## crazydaz

Devin--Thank you! It really is a neat ability to be able to put your planters and plants in there! It adds another dimension....I would expect to see more people start doing this in the future with their systems as well. If you can just have a little patience, and wait for the aquatic plants to grow up to cover some of the planter, the whole thing looks wonderful! Look at Nick's tank, for instance!!

Turtlemaxx--Holy Cow!! That's awesome!! That would be perfect for a huge tank to maintain nice surface agitation, aeration, and flow! It might not work for my current set up, though; I have too many wires running in and out for heaters and a CO2 misting pump. That sure is sweet! I wonder: how do you have your heaters set up with this? Are they in-line??

Marko--keep going to school, buddy! You'll get there!! It just takes a while, man! Makes it sweeter to get the more you wait for it. You are well ahead of me when I was going to college....I didn't even have a tank until I was 23 and out of school. Plants came about 1 or 2 years after that, and I didn't even know about CO2 systems until 5-6 years ago. Think of the set up you'll be able to do once you have been working for awhile and can get a tank of similar size, man!  You've got skills!

Nick--Thanks buddy! I hope that it will be that nice! I just got in my grapewood and Tillandsia today. I mounted the wood, and the plants are soaking as we speak. I should also get more rock tomorrow and some more buces from Xue. I hope to be able to squeeze a few pictures in tomorrow night after I've had a chance to add the new Seriyu and Tillandsia plants.


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## @[email protected]

if this were a few decades ago, id have responded with "aw shucks."
those encouraging words really put a smile on my face as i read em. thanks, man.


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## crazydaz

Oh Marko....you can still say "Aw shucks!" My pleasure! I hope you stay with this hobby...it's nice to see young talent developing..."tomorrow's greats," and that sort of thing!

Quick update....my Tillandsia species arrived yesterday, and I got some extra stone and some additional buce's from Xue. The "tilly's" were soaked for about 4-5 hours yesterday in the tank and then stuck in the manzy branches overnight to dry out a bit. They are surprisingly colorful, which is nice! I Tilly-tacked them this afternoon, added the extra Seriyu stone and buce's.

Planning on getting a staghorn fern to put on the left "set" of branches, and I'll be doing some additional "polishing" over the coming weeks and months. The wife lost her job yesterday, which may slow down some of my plans a bit, but I have the time. What is amazing is that I keep adding Seriyu stone, and it never really looks like anything changes! That's what I get for having a square tank, I suppose. It's a good problem to have.

I'll try to get a few clear pictures of everything together tomorrow....did a large water change today before I leave for my soon-to-be godson's/nephew's baptism up in Michigan and a short work trip early next week. Things are still a bit hazy in the tank......

The pics are "clickable" for higher res shots......

From the left side:









From the front:









From the right side:









Looking from the right side to the left side, back of the tank:









A few shots of some of the individual species:
Erio-looking! 









Here's a slightly different looking one...I like the pink tips:









One of my favorite ones...it was much more red after soaking last night:









Have a lot of iron in my substrate and plenty of light. My Hygro corymbosa seems to think so:









Like I said, I'll try to get a few pics of the whole set up tomorrow before I head out onto the road. Thanks guys and gals for looking!


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## somewhatshocked

I. Love. This. Tank.

And your latest addition of plants attached to wood is going to pay off. So much color!

The best part about it is that the entire display is calming. I even like the tannins.


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## DogFish

crazydaz said:


> ....Have a lot of iron in my substrate and plenty of light. My Hygro corymbosa seems to think so:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ....


:hihi: :hihi: :hihi:


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## hydrophyte

Wow those _Tillandsia_ are great. I love the variety of color. This gives me ideas for redoing the planting in my 50G. 



crazydaz said:


>


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## @[email protected]

awesome tillandsia. i think the super colorful one is t. ionantha.
i dont know if they will stay THAT colorful though. i could never get any of mine to be anywhere close to that colorful, and i know some people will grow them in partial or even full sun.

that h. corymbosa is absurd (in a good way). thats not even supposed to be a red plant!
...well that does it. your substrate is godly: im convinced. im gonna have to send dogfish a pm when i figure out how much funds i have.


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## orchidman

wow! all it needs are some orchids!! those tillys are awesome


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## Capsaicin_MFK

How do the Tillandsia even grow? I don't think driftwood has much when it comes to nutrients...


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## orchidman

Capsaicin_MFK said:


> How do the Tillandsia even grow? I don't think driftwood has much when it comes to nutrients...


actually, in nature, they grow just like that! literally this is like the closest thing to a natural environment then can get roud: they dont need much nutrients, in nature they rely on any leaf litter or dirt that runs down the tree when it rains for nutrients.


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## hydrophyte

Capsaicin_MFK said:


> How do the Tillandsia even grow? I don't think driftwood has much when it comes to nutrients...


_Tillandsia_ don't need much. That's why they call them "air plants".


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## @[email protected]

tillandsia (and other bromeliads) get their water from their leaves, not their roots. while rain is very low in nutrients, it does actually have some: nitric oxides -> nitric acid -> nitrate (for example). an the slow decay of the wood provides some as well via the roots.


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## hydrophyte

Now I really want to combine a branch like that with _Tillandsia_ in a riparium setup. Don if you get a chance it would great if you could number-code or otherwise identify those _Tillandsia_ in a picture. Did you keep track of which is which? 

It's cool that way the colors in the underwater plants are echoed in the _Tillandsia_.


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## somewhatshocked

Carrying the aquascape up looks great like that. Makes a shallow take look larger than it is, for sure.

Can't wait to see what you do with them in a rip setup, hydro.



hydrophyte said:


> It's cool that way the colors in the underwater plants are echoed in the _Tillandsia_.


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## c_gwinner

You had me wondering if something like this was coming when I asked if you were gonna do mosses on the branches. You blew me away with these. How exactly did you attach the Tillandsia to the branches by the way?

I take it would orchids not do so well with that much direct light since the ones I know of and have kept did not do well in direct light. 

Looks like someone just to some oil paints and a paintbrush to your tank.


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## orchidman

c_gwinner said:


> You had me wondering if something like this was coming when I asked if you were gonna do mosses on the branches. You blew me away with these. I take it would orchids not do so well with that much direct light since the ones I know of and have kept did not do well in direct light. Looks like someone just to some oil paints and a paintbrush to your tank.



there is an orchid for practically any environment roud:


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## c_gwinner

Guess I need to start looking into orchids again and tillandsia haha


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## BeachBum2012

This keeps getting better and better. I love it.


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## orchidman

c_gwinner said:


> Guess I need to start looking into orchids again and tillandsia haha


if you want suggestion, Pm me...


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## antbug

Can't wait to see them flower. My buddy had a white one that looked sweet. What a great idea!


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## crazydaz

Somewhatshocked--Thank you for your appreciation! I mean that! No worries....even the tannins will eventually be changed out! 

Devin--You should try using a mix of Tillandia, orchids, and maybe some sort of vines in your set ups!! I think that they would look even better in your tanks! I will send you a list of Tillandsia ID's when I get back home to Nashville on Thursday, ok? I'm with family this weekend in Michigan, and then have some work appointments before heading back home on Thursday. But, I promise to get those to you!

Marko--Thanks bud! You really need to get a large box of Frank's Batch II! It's amazing stuff. I have planted buce's that are spreading quickly because this stuff. Crazy! We'll see how the color gets over time. No reason to think that it'll fade.....I hope!

Bob--I think that I have keyed in on a few species....Devin has helped quite a bit with species suggestions. As soon as I can get the funds, I'll get at least one, if not two species.

Capsaicin--There is a fertilizer that is offered that you use once a month or so. I'll mist with RO for two weeks, mist once with tank water, mist with RO for another two week, then mist with the fertilizer. Repeat. They are not incredibly fast growing, and don't need much.

Gwinner--Yeah, I didn't want to jump the gun until I had them up. I could have told you in the thread, but I don't think that it would have had the same impact. I'm happy that you like them! I affixed them using Tilly Tack, which is a sort of glue/cement for Tillandsia. Works alright....takes a while for it to set up, but it seems to be doing a nice job so far. I don't know that, exactly....I'm currently out of state at a family function and I won't get back until Thursday....they may have all fallen down and are being tossed about in the tank by the current. Pretty sure that isn't happening, but we'll see! LOL!

Thank you, BeachBum!! I hope it continues to do so! Things have to start filling in now.

Tony--One of them is flowering in the picture....it's towards the back...it has pink, purple, and white flowers in a stalk. 

Sorry for the delay in responding, all....I'm not in close Internet proximity for the time being....should be again, starting Monday sometime.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend, and thank you all for the comments!!


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## orchidman

awesome! which species?


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## hydrophyte

crazydaz said:


> Devin--You should try using a mix of Tillandia, orchids, and maybe some sort of vines in your set ups!! I think that they would look even better in your tanks! I will send you a list of Tillandsia ID's when I get back home to Nashville on Thursday, ok? I'm with family this weekend in Michigan, and then have some work appointments before heading back home on Thursday. But, I promise to get those to you!


Yeah the trick is just getting the dimensions and proportions right. There are so many possibilities for a tank with such a broad footprint like yours, but it will be a tighter fit in a smaller enclosure. 

Branches with _Tillandsia_ might work well in my 50G if they are more vertically-oriented. I would want to use the right kind of riparium plants behind them. Background plants with a nice neutral green could make a good contrast for the_ Tillandsia_.


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## crazydaz

Hey Bob.....I was looking at the following, per Devin's suggestion: Encyclia microbulbon; Dendroboium wassellii; Dendrobium caronnii; Brassavola "Mickey Mouse." Of those I was leaning towards the last two. They should look pretty cool, and I want to try to keep them on the smaller side, and I am a big fan of red-flowering plants. Any other suggestions?

Devin....scale is everything! I would suggest that you only use 1-2 different varieties of tillandsia in your 50...it would probably make it look nicer. Against Leather Fern for sure!!!


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## SpecGrrl

crazydaz said:


> O
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> A few shots of some of the individual species:
> Erio-looking!
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> Here's a slightly different looking one...I like the pink tips:
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> One of my favorite ones...it was much more red after soaking last night:
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> Have a lot of iron in my substrate and plenty of light. My Hygro corymbosa seems to think so:
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> Like I said, I'll try to get a few pics of the whole set up tomorrow before I head out onto the road. Thanks guys and gals for looking!



Brain melts from the awesome!


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## orchidman

crazydaz said:


> Hey Bob.....I was looking at the following, per Devin's suggestion: Encyclia microbulbon; Dendroboium wassellii; Dendrobium caronnii; Brassavola "Mickey Mouse." Of those I was leaning towards the last two. They should look pretty cool, and I want to try to keep them on the smaller side, and I am a big fan of red-flowering plants. Any other suggestions?
> 
> Devin....scale is everything! I would suggest that you only use 1-2 different varieties of tillandsia in your 50...it would probably make it look nicer. Against Leather Fern for sure!!!



good suggestions. really there is any number of suggestions. i guess it depends also on how much you want to water them, because they will definitely need water. when most people mount orchids, they usually wrap the roots in sphagnum moss and then attach that to the mount, that helps keep the moisture in, especially if you use a good amount of moss. but even so your looking at watering 3 times a week most likely. 

when i think of red, i think vandas and cattleyas, vandas wouldnt work, most are HUGE, but you could get a nice red mini catt that would stay with your scale. something like this would be very nice http://www.ottawaorchidsociety.com/showphotos2010/24-3_P1050531-cr-28.jpg

rupiculous laelias would also be a very good choice, they are very similar to cattleyas. most are very small, some getting 8" tall, but most staying under 4" when not in bloom. they love high light and they like to stay pretty dry and the colors are awesome! things L. milleri or L. briegeri


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## Jiinx

Don! So gorgeous. Stunnniiing!


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## hydrophyte

Don what are those books on the tank corner braces...texts from your least favorite classes in college?


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## crazydaz

SpecGrrl! Thank you for checking it out!!

Bob---thank you for the extra suggestions! I'll look into them...the last thing that I really want to do is to make this another high-maintenance set up. I don't mind misting plants a few times per week, but I don't want to be tied to being highly concerned if I am out of town and I miss a watering. Ugh!

Sarah---Thank you kindly! 

Devin--No; one is a dictionary, the other is "Principles in Flow Cytometry," which is a book that I sometimes refer to for my position. As I have a good 11 years in flow cytometry by now, I don't use it very often. And I have a ton of dictionaries, too. So, some get relegated to more important "roles." Such as holding my hoses while the tank is filling. It is one of the more important functions of the entire house. 

Praying that the wife gives me the thumb's up when she gets home tonight that the tank is OK. I have my fingers crossed. If not, it's going to be a long time until Thursday roles around!


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## crazydaz

Just a quick note of good news:

My wife returned home today to Nashville, and she sent me pictures back of the tank. My, my! The Tilly's have just gone bezerk! The colors have really intensified over the last several days!! Surprising, even to me! The reds are much deeper...there's some changing going on. I'm excited to see them when I get home on Wednesday night, and may try to take some pictures of them at that time.

The tank has cleared up completely, too. Still tannin-stained, but it looks nice and the crypts have shown some marked growth. Should be a nice update.

In other words: Squee!!


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## orchidman

yeah the rupiculous laelias are pretty forgiving, i would suggest them!

those tillys area weomse! im tempted to get some!!! where did you get yours? do you have names?


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## orchidman

yeah the rupiculous laelias are pretty forgiving, i would suggest them!

those tillys are awesome! im tempted to get some!!! where did you get yours? do you have names?


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## crazydaz

Thanks Bob! I will go with a Mickey Mouse and the rupiculous laelias then, as soon as I can spare the cash.

I do have the names, but I have to go back and put the names with the pictures again. I was in a rush and forgot to photo-document them like I normally try to do with all of my plants. I will try to get those up this coming weekend. I got them online at Rainforest Flora. Highly recommended.

Don


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## orchidman

awesome! cant wait for the names!


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## Alastair-T

Wow looking great mate. Nice to see you've opted for some riparium plants amongst the wood too, it will add an awesome dimension to the tank above and below. Really glad you decided to give it a go this time mate. 
Ps if you need to or want to build a reactor for the fx5 I designed a perfect one fir the two I used to use which alot of people I know now use too and it hardly affected flow rate at all. Can pm you the link if you like as an not sure I'm allowed to link to the site from here??? 

Will be keeping my eye in this  


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## crazydaz

Thanks Alastair! I say that if you have an open top tank of any sort, you need to truly take advantage of that space. You certainly do, and Nick does, and a handful of others. I don't know why you wouldn't add plants that would either grow emersed or from a planter, such as the ones I got from Devin. Feel free to use the link in this thread, if you would like to, buddy, for the reactor. I am currently using a needle wheel injector for my CO2 which is working very well for me. Still, I would really like to see how you did it!! That's quite a feat for an FX5!! And you have two???? Holy cow!! 

So, I got a pretty nasty hair algae problem the weekend of my nephew's baptism when I was up in Michigan. I hooked up the UV sterilizer, did a tank-size dose of peroxide, followed the next day by spot treatment with peroxide, followed the next day using Excel. That did it. Algae dead. I did have to do a tiny spot treatment of Excel on Day 4, but EVERYTHING algae-related was dead. Even my tiny amounts of green spot perished extra-dead!  Unfortunately, my algae serial killing spree left my crypts on the slightly "melty" side of things, and are just now recovering from that episode. My RRF and Staurogyne didn't seem to care for the algae treatments either, and yes, I lost about half my shrimp, which annoys me. But, now that the algae is gone, it shouldn't come back.

I added 25 Pygmy corys and 20 Microdevario kubotai today, and they are fine. I've also been increasing my hardscape above the water, thanks to Hydrophyte (Devin, you're a genius!). Just need maybe a few more smaller branches and I should be done with the Manzy. The riparium plants that I received from him are still doing very well, and I threw in some oak leaves that he sent along, as well as planted the bacopa on the trellis raft. The bacopa has withered substantially, but should be fine. All and all, things have been moving forward nicely. The tillandsia species seem to love the environment, but do need water a bit more frequently than I had thought. It's not too much of a problem, though

The next steps will be to add some additional Microdevario, replenish my shrimp, and add about 25 lampeyes. For plants, I'm eying a few orchids and air ferns, as well as some Spanish moss and a type of fern that looks like a vine. Maybe some Marcgravia species as well. And not necessarily in that order. I'm also in need of additional Seriyu stone, too. But, I am so far happy with the progress that is being made with the tank.

Picture heavy today....feel free to comment or ask questions! As usual, clicking a picture will enlarge it!

Thanks for looking, everyone!


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## andrewss

i've got to say that is probably one of the most amazing tanks I have seen on here - great work! everything is so well done


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## @[email protected]

sucks about your shrimp. hopefully your crypts recover quickly.
at least you got rid of your algae. im dealing with a diatomical bloom (probably since its a new tank) thats growing all over my plants, and i cant do much about it since i still have nitrite. the moment they drop im adding a school of otos to get rid of it.


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## hydrophyte

Those riparium plants are starting to perk up.


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## orchidman

those tillys are so nice and vibrant!


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## DogFish

Don - I really like how the Tillandsia repeat the colors of the submersed plants below, they really complement each other. I keep looking at that Manzy branch dipping into the water and think MOSS. Something like Taiwan under the water on the branch them growing up a few inches in terrestrial form on the dry branch. 

Glad you to a handle on the hair algae.


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## catfishbi

great tank. also what's the foreground carpet plants in the old tank? the red one.


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## GMYukonon24s

Nice pics and BEAUTIFUL plants


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## crazydaz

andrewss--thanks bud! The nice thing about this tank should be that it will keep looking better and better as time goes on as the buces and crypts start growing and filling in the space without me really having to do that much. Unlike the last system, this should be fairly "hands off" eventually.

Marko--brown algae is annoying but shouldn't that just clear up once the tank finishes cycling, pretty much on it's own? What's strange is that I've yet to EVER get diatoms in any tank I've ever set up. I wonder why that is? Usually, I get a hint of diatoms or slight brown color just starting to form, and it jumps right to hair algae. You have your solution, though! I gotta get me a few ottos, too, for this system!! Love your emmersed set up, bro!!

Devin--Yeah the plants are all growing pretty well now! I will need to start topping them in a week or two. At least some of them! I really enjoy the element that they bring to my tank, without question!! I just need the submersed plants to grow to cover up the planters a bit. All in good time, though!

Bob-- Thank you! They look really, really colorful after you water them. Actually, the difference is night and day between a dry Tilly and one that has been misted. Oh, by the way, here are the names of the ones that I have in my set up:

--T. (Tillandsia) argentina
--T. huamelula
--T. harrisii
--T. ionantha
--T. baileyi
--T. stricta "Greyleaf"
--T. aeranthos
--T. Brachycaulos "Supreme"
--T. corcata "Copper Penny"

I will be probably placing another order late next week for additional species, but only a few more Tillys.  I have to get the orchids and ferns too

Frank--I did "dip" the branch into water for the purpose of putting something on it. I'm thinking "buce," though. I'm not a huge fan of moss, other than fissidens, and any moss that I put there will likely burn. I would love to put grandifrons on it, but I don't think that it would do too well. I'll figure something out! But, I like the way you are thinking! Probably what would work well would be riccia, but I don't know if I want to deal with it.

Catfishbi--Thank you!! The foreground in the old tank is Rotala mexicana "goias." Did very well in my tank, and when I get a new system, and IF it will be another planted system, I will use that as the ONLY foreground plant.

GMYukonon24s--Thanks for the compliment! I appreciate you saying so!


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## Obakemono

Looking good there Don!


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## crazydaz

Thanks Obakemono! Wish the crypts had suffered as much as they did during the algae outbreak, but it is what it is. They are starting to send up new leaves now, so things are progressing and moving forward!

Frank....do you think that since the branch is directly in the current that any moss that I put there would just get cluttered with detritus? I'm just wondering if it might look better to add moss to the back, main branches coming from the water, by Devin's planters. What do you think?


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## @[email protected]

crazydaz said:


> Marko--brown algae is annoying but shouldn't that just clear up once the tank finishes cycling, pretty much on it's own? What's strange is that I've yet to EVER get diatoms in any tank I've ever set up. I wonder why that is? Usually, I get a hint of diatoms or slight brown color just starting to form, and it jumps right to hair algae. You have your solution, though! I gotta get me a few ottos, too, for this system!! Love your emmersed set up, bro!!


it should. but ive never gotten them this bad before (its BAD. i went in an used my thumb and index finger to clean it off the lower leaves of my rotalas.)
i like otos anyway, i think they are cool looking, IF they are active. some groups i had just hide during the day, others actively swim around and hang out on the front glass. im sure this tank will offer them a good meal, and they ought to be able to clear it up within a few days of me adding them (im praying every night for my nitrites to finally drop).

thanks man. im actually surprised with how well its doing. im actually expanding it now (i think ill build up a plant bank, lol).

i keep staring at those tillandsias. i have a sunny window that could fit a branch with a few... might have to get some.


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## DogFish

crazydaz said:


> .....Frank....do you think that since the branch is directly in the current that any moss that I put there would just get cluttered with detritus? I'm just wondering if it might look better to add moss to the back, main branches coming from the water, by Devin's planters. What do you think?


I do like your idea of Buce on that branch. Maybe start it so the top is just under the water line and let it grow up & out onto the branch. 

Yes, it is possible that the moss may get cluttered with detritus and yes, near the planters would help hid the planters. I think I'd would try it on the Manzy branch to see how it works and if you like the look. Simple fix if you don't like it.

I have moss in mine near the outlet, there is constantly at least one cherry shrimp in there working on it. I didn't take the light into account. Do you think it will toast the moss?


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## Thanks

Beautiful tank! Great job all around. Where did you get the Tillandsias, and how did you attach them to the wood branches? Just stick them into crevices? I'm looking to do something similar with my 54 corner tank.


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## mountaindew

Nice setup!
The color is way out there.
Dont know how i missed this thread all this time
mD


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## c_gwinner

I can honestly say I have huge tank envy. I'm actually enjoying the above tank scape more than the tank itself haha. Keep up the awesome work and quit fueling the need for me to want another tank haha.


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## crazydaz

Mark--I think you should try a few, at least...they're easy to care for. Just remember to use bottled water when watering them, with a little bit of Epi ferts....you just mist them with this solution. They're fairly cheap, too!

Frank--I had moss burn before on this tank, so I'm hesitant to try it again. Also, it tend to get everywhere in the tank, which makes it a little aggravating work with. Still, I can't think of too much else that would work and look as good as Taiwan moss in those spots. The branches dipping into the water are definitely for Buces, and will be used the same way that you are suggesting!!

Thanks--I used TillyTack, but you can use hot glue from a glue gun. You would apply the glue, wait for 10seconds for the glue to cool off a bit, then place the Tilly in the glue. You can wedge them into crevices, but they are oddly shaped, and there isn't usually much of a rhizome to use for wedging them into a crevice. They are widely available online, but I got mine from rainforestflora.com

Thank you, Mountain Dew!

Cgwinner--the bottom is still a work in progress, but should catch up. Over time, the top and bottom designs should look pretty good (I hope!), and be relatively maintenance free outside of an occasional misting, feeding, or water change/top off. Unlike the last set up, I don't want to have my arms n the tank very often.


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## zzrguy

Its looking good.


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## crazydaz

Lots of pictures today!

I have a HUGE week ahead of me....It started yesterday when I received additional Manzanita branches and Alternanthera to add to my trellis "rafts" from Hydrophyte, who, as usual, sent me perfect materials to work with. I went about gluing the branches in place, and used zip ties to hold everything together:

Front View:









Closer View:









RIght side:









This can be precarious at times:










I don't like show the "how to" of this project, or any of my other set ups very often. I think that it ruins some of the mystique of what you are seeing, but who knows? Maybe it will help explain what you are seeing in ways that I don't usually state. Maybe it will give some of you ideas of your own.

In any event, wood placement has been essential for this set up. Trying to strike a balance between direction of the branches, having some dip into the water (but not too many!) or having some branches stick out (but not too straight out or all in the same direction!!) has been a fun challenge! Other considerations have to do with creating spots for plants that are going to be delivered this week. Probably tomorrow and Thursday, mostly. So, it isn't about creating an aesthetically pleasing geometry, but creating additional space and support for future species without really know what I will be getting exactly. A lot of this is simply "winging" it.

Here are several shots today showing the zip ties removed from the branches and ready to accept plants starting tomorrow. 























































I have some additional aquatic plants coming on Saturday and additional stone arriving next Monday. More shrimp are en route as well!

The back is starting to fill in a bit now. This will start looking better and better, especially when the Hygro corymbosa and Alternanthera start gaining some height. I will be adding additional plants to the wood in back which will also help to soften the appearance of the wood "emerging" from the plants in the back of the tank.










Feel free to comment or ask questions. Plenty more pictures to come throughout the week!


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## somewhatshocked

Woah, so much color! 

To reiterate: this is an amazing tank. Flat-out amazing.


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## @[email protected]

looking good.
you may want to cut the extra parts of the zip ties that are sticking out, though.


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## crazydaz

Thanks somewhatshocked! I hope that it will just keep getting better and better. I will have additional pictures over the weekend too, hopefully with the additional plants coming in this week.

Marko...thanks! The second set of pictures are "post" zip tie.


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## hydrophyte

This will be really amazing if you can get some of those _Tillandsia_ to flower.


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## @[email protected]

oh i get it. they were just temporary.
i thought i just wasnt noticing them from that angle.


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## c_gwinner

Awesome progress. What kinda glue did you use to attach the extra manzanita branches? Your pictures have become more of the top tank focus haha. I know your getting more plants in, care to share what kinds of plants? Looks good as always and keep it up.


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## andrewss

such a great tank


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## orchidman

looks great! i think adding the new wood helps it! one thing i noticed that i really like, the floaters and the floating oak leaves you have! ive never really seen floaters that i liked and i always hate when people float oak leaves, but yours look great!


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## hydrophyte

Another great thing about this design is that the mainly monochrome green of the riparium plants will make an excellent contrast and foil for the manzanita and _Tillandsia_.


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## crazydaz

Devin! I know!! That would be a good sign! Some are starting to put out little roots and dividing/budding. I forget the technical term for it. Their flowers are amazing!! And your plants that you have sent do provide a nice lush green back drop. The textures are really different, though, and the Mexican milkweed is flowering for me already. The shorter plants, like the Alternantheras and Aluminum plants add color and some needed thicket-like bushiness around the wood.

As you well know, you've had a hand in all of the wood-based hardscape and the plant selection, both Tillandsia and riparium. It's turned out wonderfully. Anyone who has pendant style lighting or relies on sunlight SHOULD have riparium or marginal plants growing. It just adds so much more to a tank, IMO.

C Gwinner...thank you! I used wood glue. Works perfectly well, and dries to match the color of the wood. With enough growth from the plants, it will look a lot more seamless. I'm getting a sampler package of terrarium plants that should be able to tolerate this type of lighting, from a Mack who is a hobbyist here and a pretty cool guy! Very helpful to me so far! I just don't know what all he sent to me yet. I'll find out tomorrow! Things along the lines of Margravia, ficus, vines, ant plants, and so forth. I didn't ask...I want to be surprised.

I did order additional airplants on my own, including a nice type of airfern, and some other Tillandsia. I do want to keep some of it a surprise, though! 

The top part of the tank IS the focus right now, but I think that it is simply because that is where you notice the biggest and quickest changes. The aquatic plants are chugging along alright. I've had your "normal" algae issues which I'm still fighting a bit. I assume that they'll go away as soon as the system matures. But, spot treating with Excel and peroxide has cause some leaf-melt on my crypts, so you don't really see a lot of growth from them yet. Once things calm down in there, and the crypts, buces, thread-leafed java fern, anubias, and my slow-growing stems start putting on fast growth, it will look completely different, and (hopefully) equally as intriguing to view. That's the goal, anyway.

Marko--Yeah, the ties removal isn't actually very evident until you click on the pictures. Sorry about that buddy! You're right! They were just temporarily used to hold the wood in place until the glue dried and cured. I did wait a good 24 hours in between the "glue application and zip tie'-stage to 'removing the zip tie"-stage.

Thanks Andrew and Bob! Normally, I don't LOVE seeing leaves in a tank, unless it is for a shrimp tank. But, I needed something to tie in the top with the bottom. So, floaters, in general, help the eyes make that transition. The leaves further help with that. Plus, they add to the "forest stream" feel I'm trying to go for. They also help keep the tannins in the water, add anti-microbial properties, and foster the development of micro-fauna as well. Especially as this tank is slow to put on good leaf growth (it seems to be maturing "back to front" oddly), I need something "more" to look at in the water.

Once the tank is healthy and covered in crypt/buce leaves, I will likely take out most of the oak leaves, with the exception of having a few floating on top of the water.


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## pandacory

Another awesome tank.

I am still scratching my head on an ada75p vs custom 2 foot square since the first iteration of this tank turned me on to the possibilities of a square tank.

This iteration makes me question my desire to do a separate terrarium, given the amount of color you're getting without having to keep the above water area enclosed for humidity.

Any plans on beefing up the school sizes? Even the final stock list seems very lightly stocked for the amount of surface area you are working with.


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## crazydaz

Thanks Panda! I don't mean to complicate your decision making! Personally, I believe that a square tank is more interesting as it offers multiple perspectives and three different views. I feel that it also forces you to be a better scaper for the reasons above. And if you have an open top, why not take advantage of that as well.

You are right...the humidity isn't the same as having a closed top terrarium or vivarium. However, the more plants you have around the water, the more humid it will be. Also, the warmer the water is in the tank, the more humid it will be. Wicks can be made using long fiber sphagnum, and if you can mist every two or three days, that should provide plenty of moisture. Not for "everything," but for a nice selection....probably nicer than you think is possible.

I think that I'm done with shrimp and fish. I have 35 microdevario kubotai, 25 microrasbora boraras, 32 Pygmy cories, 10 ottos, about 40 orange shrimp and about a dozen tangerines in there. It's more than enough!! The Microdevario and boraras school together mostly, and it looks more impressive in person than what I've been able to get a picture of to date. They've colored up very nicely, too, and are pretty much in the open constantly. I just really haven't focused on getting shot with them in it. You can get an idea of the school in there in the close up picture of the left side showing the Manzy branches in and out of the water, going from back (on the left side) of the picture to the front (right side of the picture). It's the second to last shot in the second set of pics....you can see a bunch of the micro fish.


----------



## hydrophyte

Do you still plan to add orchids? I am shopping around a bit for miniature orchids that can handle more airy and less humid conditions to use in my tarantula setup.


----------



## crazydaz

Mmm hmm. I should have something like that arriving tomorrow.


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## toksyn

Very nice developments! And yes, I'm going to stalk this across domains.


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## BeachBum2012

Stunning. That's all I can come up with to say.


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## toksyn

Oh, and the process of vegetative propagation for bromeliads / tillandsias is called 'pupping'.


----------



## Amandas tank

My oh my...beautiful work.


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## theericafish

Your tank is always awesome. Looked good before and looks good now. I WANT IT. Lol.


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## hydrophyte

crazydaz said:


> Mmm hmm. I should have something like that arriving tomorrow.


If you have your camera out it would be great to see some specimen photos.


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## wastewater

Very well thought out and creative set-up!



hydrophyte said:


> This will be really amazing if you can get some of those _Tillandsia_ to flower.


From the coloring that is already showing, a couple of your specimens look like they are on the verge of flowering. After flowering, as Toksyn mentioned, the mother plant should produce pups (off-sets). Most Tillandsia will flower once in their lifetime and die. After your Tillies do flower, do not be tempted to pull any floppy and/or 'what appear to be dying' leafs off the mother plant (usually on the base of the plant), pups are probably forming in those areas. After the pups are visible and have a bit of size, you can remove those leaves without problems.

Tillandsia are unique because of their photosynethesis process (Crassulacean Acid Metabolism: "CAM" respiration). Unlike other plants, Tillandsia close their stomata (pores) during the day and open them at night. Tillies take in CO2 during the night, while also releasing O2 and water vapor. Here are a few pics showing pups that have formed on an ionantha, along with a couple of ionanthas in bloom to give you an idea of what to expect (notice that the color is gone and flower bract has withered away in the first picture).

View attachment 56746


View attachment 56747


View attachment 56748


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## SpecGrrl

So much eye candy!


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## fishcrazee

your tank is seriously AMAZING! I am at a loss for words... I can only hope to ever make a tank even half as great and intricate


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## DogFish

Don - It's always a perilous move adding hardscape to an existing 'Scape. More times than not we tend to go to far. I think you've improved on your 'Scape. The additional wood adds a nice balance.

I also really appreciate the challenge of 3 viewing sides. In my humble 40 I only have 2 sides and it took me quiet a while to get a handle on the fact that it really is multiple 'Scapes based on point of view.

Looking good my friend, looking good.


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## crazydaz

Whoa!

Toksyn--View and comment on whichever forum you wish!  Thanks, and I appreciate the reminder of the term "pupping." It was on the tip of my tongue last night, and I just couldn't spit it out! 

Amanda! Thank you for the compliment and for looking at the Journal thread!!

TheRicaFish--Well, thanks! I hope that this one will surpass the other over time! I hope that you will keep on eye on this tank over time, and let me know what you think. 

Devin--I took some photos today. No orchids, but some pretty cool stuff, nonetheless! I'm quite happy with what Mack sent to me. Estatic, actually! I hope that at least some of these species make it....time will tell! I'll post those pics tomorrow. Spent several hours planting this afternoon until about 9:00pm, and I will have at least several more tomorrow. It's been interesting working with long-fiber sphagnum and thread. LOL!!

Wastewater!! Whoa, nice pics man!! Thank you for the information....I do have a few pups forming....will they have to be glued as well, or will they likely hold onto the wood using their roots? CAM....holy cow! I'm going to have to go back to my Plant Biology books and do some reviewing!! The process sounds familiar, but it's been quite some time since I've had to even think about that process. Thank you for pointing that out!! Probably best to mist them towards evening then?

SpecGrrl...many thanks, buddy!!! Hope you've been doing well!!

Fishcrazee....thank you! Just keep on learning and improving on your skills. Don't be afraid to make a mistake. You'll get there...that's all I've done over the course of 12 years or so. Nothing special except staying patient and persistent.

Frank....You are right....so far, I think that it looks tasteful....not overwhelming and everything has been very complimentary to each other. Got some cool Hygro "Brown" from Jeff today, so not everything is going on the manzanita branches. Have some crypts and buces coming in from Xue tomorrow too. So, I'm trying to keep some balance. It's difficult, though, when you are relying on such slow growing aquatic species like buces to fill in spaces! Just gotta stay frosty! I appreciate your kind words, my friend, and your wisdom! 

Should have a few pics up tomorrow night, if I get done in time! Wish me "Godspeed" please!


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## oliver77

So colorful I love it!!! Superb job.


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## keithy

Don, 
it's coming together very beautifully. Another masterpiece in the making.


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## Fishies_in_Philly

i was wondering what you were up to when you were asking about Macgravia sp. and here i thought you were going to something spectacular. it's ok...LOL seriously Don....simply stunning. you've outdone yourself this time. can't wait to see it with the ferns and orchids. you mentioned a fern that looks like a vine, is that what i think it is?


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## crazydaz

Thank you Oliver!! I am hoping that the colors will become even more intense going forward. As the tank continues to mature, the growth should become faster and more full, and I'll be able to increase my EI dosing which should lead to healthier plants with better coloration.

Keith! How are you doing buddy? How's think there in Lexington? Thank you for the nice words, sir, and I hope that you and your family are doing wonderfully! We'll have to make some time to meet up again when I'm going through the area again.

Fishies! Yeah, I didn't want to ruin or take the chance that someone else might get the idea and beat me to the punch.  I was going to add a small air fern, but what I thought was "small" was absolutely enormous when it arrived yesterday, and won't work. It's a nice fern, but it came mounted on a wood placard and is about 10 times bigger than what I thought I was getting. It's OK, though. I have some Microgramma lyco. from Mack that I'm hardening that will do nicely in it's spot instead. Mack's the man! All the plants he sent to me are just incredible! I hope that I haven't outdone myself yet! 

I do have some species shots of plants that were added to the aquarium....so I'll post these and then post whole-tank photos a little later....

I spent most of Thursday and Friday planting or tying plants to sphagnum....it's been a killer past few days, but we are almost there....just need a few specie orchids, and the top will be done. Inside the tank, I just need to keep adding stone, but that is about it, I think. Maybe a few more buces  

Variegated bucaphelandra:









REALLY RARE!! As far as I know, only three other people have this right now.....Ludwigia grandulosa x palustris hybrid. It won't stay rare for very long....grows quickly (I'm told), and has a creeping-type of growing pattern...oddly, even though L grandulosa and L palutris get very red to red-purple, this one only get a tinge of red....I'll see what I can do to bring out more red, if anything:









An aquatic Selaginella:









Titan II Buces:









Nice shoal of my Microdevario!:









Few "teaser" shots of the top part of the tank from late yesterday during "construction":


















More pics later!


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## toksyn

crazydaz said:


> Few "teaser" shots of the top part of the tank from late yesterday during "construction":
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> More pics later!


Is that Lecanopteris sinuosa I see?

Very nice additions!


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## @[email protected]

dude, you own a slice of rainforest. im in love with your tank.


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## SpecGrrl

Wait, is that a rare ziplock sp. turquoise I see?

I hear they don't need Ferts...!


----------



## SpecGrrl

Things are going great: my little crowntail girl is recovering from her bout of finrot/fungus. My bad not doing 100% water changes -- I thought she had enough plants to sustain partials only.


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## crazydaz

Toksyn....you are CORRECT sir!! Nice ID!!

Thanks Marko! I'm almost done with my last group of photos, and they look pretty "rain forest-y." I think that the whole thing will look pretty good when the bottom catches up to the top in a few months....well, maybe six or seven months. The crypts will be there in a few months.....the buce's and anubia will take much longer, though.

SpecGrrl-- Yes, indeed it is! I was able to obtain this species, but it was VERY hard to get! xD I am trying to "harden" a Microgramma species in that bag and get it used to "The Star" that will be beating down on it all day.

I'm a little surprised to hear that you need to do 100% changes?? YIKES! Get a small sponge filter!! 

Here's another teaser shot....the rest to come tomorrow! Click to enlarge!


----------



## Zefrik

crazydaz said:


> Have a lot of iron in my substrate and plenty of light. My Hygro corymbosa seems to think so:


Wow I have never seen hygro corymbosa that red before! Mine is always a darker green with a hint of orange/red/yellow at the very growing tip.


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## supermoto

This is my favorite tank of all time! Truly an inspiration


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## crazydaz

Zefrik--Yes, it was a bit surprising to me as well! The color has faded as that part of the tank is much more shaded out now!

Supermoto....thank you for such a nice compliment!!! Wow!! :icon_redf 

Well, here was the initial "plan" on paper that I took way back on 8/20/12 when I was trying to prepare for the new scape.....it always starts off this way, but then quickly veers off-track:









In any event, I am getting close to wrapping up and being "done" for a while with the top part of the tank. I will be ordering a few orchids, and that will be about all i'm going to do. I'll have to wait and see how this progresses (or regresses) over the coming months. I am prepare to say that not everything that I used will make it. I hope that it does, but this is step in a direction that I'm not used to, so who knows what will really happen. Some of the plants seem to be OK, others will need a little time to re-adjust themselves, and others will take off. Nothing ventured, nothing gained!

Anyhow, more pics!:

Ant plant!!  In Nature, these plants house ants....really cool!









The whole meatball....it's very tricky to get the top and the bottom parts of the system to look great in the same picture:









Zooming in a bit:









Closer:









Crypts are starting to show some nice growth!! The beginning of the "filling in" phase has begun!









Close view of the Left side of the Top part:









Whole shot of the Left side:









Whole shot of the Right side:









Right Oblique:









Top of the stairs looking down into the tank:









Many Thanks so far to Devin, Xue, Nick, and Mack for all the supplies and for being so darned GENEROUS with portions and extras. All of you are way too kind, and have made this construction of the this system a lot more fun to do!!!

Everyone else: thanks for looking and for the compliments and nice things that have been said!


----------



## keithy

crazydaz said:


> Keith! How are you doing buddy? How's think there in Lexington? Thank you for the nice words, sir, and I hope that you and your family are doing wonderfully! We'll have to make some time to meet up again when I'm going through the area again.


Don, 
I'm doing great bro, just super busy with family, work & school all going at full speed. Hey, you're always welcome here and I would take every opportunity to meet up with you whenever possible. Maybe we can try some other good place for food the next time you're here, LMK.


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## crazydaz

Thanks Keith! It would be great to see you. I'll see if I can get up there before Christmas-time, and I'll let you know! Lexington's a cool town; I'm sure that we could find another place to eat. The burgers were great though!!!  I would be perfectly happy to meet you there again, too!


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## ua hua

I wasn't quite sure where you were going with the above water portion of this tank when you started but it turned out beautiful. Not the typical riparium plant choices that most use so kudos for you for thinking outside the box. This will without a doubt be an inspiration for many others to try to copy. I always enjoy looking at all your pictures(much more enjoyable than reading through 15 pages of small talk).


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## mack23

wow! great work, man. the planting looks great, and should get even more amazing with time. 
keep a tight eye on the orchids and lecanopteris to make sure they don't stay too moist. you may have to move them a up to a bit higher and dryer spot, like the tillandsias. or they may just love it where they are, as they are all a little more moisture loving than some twig epiphytes.
and i just have to say it again, great work man!


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## SpecGrrl

Her usual tank is a Spec 2. It has Matrix in it. If I stem plant it things will be better.


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## izabella87

DAZ THE MAN!!.. The tank is just gorgeous n getter better !! bravooo!!!


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## c_gwinner

Love the new additions and the suprises you have arround each corner. The colors and texture you have with this tank this go round are so awesome, not to say last time wasnt awesome either though. If you ever need to sell some of your buces I will glady take them off your hands. 

Keep it up and hope your getting some sleep, cuz I would be restless with that tank thinking of what to do next with it. haha


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## crazydaz

Ua Hua! You should read the small talk! Lots of important info in there!  LOL! Sometimes, there's a "nugget," but I understand if you are a "pictures only" type of person! I appreciate you making the time to post here, and thank you for the nice words! I didn't have an exact plan for the top part of this system, but I did start out knowing that I wanted something more unique to be growing on the wood. I didn't want all orchids or tillandsia, so I think that I have a nice mix of species up there now. I'm pretty content....maybe I'll change some stuff around, and add a few stick-mounted orchids to it, but at this point, I just have to let Nature take it's course. 

Mack buddy!!  So awesome the stuff that you sent to me! I can't thank you enough for initiating this Trade. You have free reign when the time comes!! I just can't get over your generosity and kindness! Wish you lived closer...I'd treat you for beers! You're a cool dude!

SpecGrrl! Thanks for clearing that up!  Yes, if you can add a fast growing hygro, that would help him out a ton!! Plus, it would grow out of the tank/bowl and look pretty nice too! Any of the hygros should work. Let me know what you think. I'm also getting close to having enough RRF to try to send you some again, if you would like, too! Probably will be ready right after I get back from Thanksgiving.

Thanks Izabella! You're very kind!! I know that you, of all people, can appreciate something different!  I hope that over time, this will look really good after the plants on top, like the ficus and the orchids will fill in some of these gaps, some of the stems in the tank continue to grow emmersed, and the crypts, buce's, and anubias species continue to grow inside the tank and fill up the underwater nooks and crannies. It just takes a while, but I'm not in a hurry!

Thank you C Gwinner! It looks a lot better in person...it's hard to capture all of the species with a camera...the colors and leaves tend to blend in with one another. It's a neat system, and I'm having fun with it.

I'll let you know when buce clippings are available. It'll probably be this coming spring, but you never know!


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## Fishies_in_Philly

ya know Don, like i said in another thread, this one is a game changer. Amano may be the godfather, but you brought his work to a whole new level. that being said, there is one thing that bugs the crap out of me when looking at your tank, those 2 branches on the right with the flush cut ends!!!! any plans for something to cover them? 
now, if you could find an animal that would live in there peacefully and never escape, then you, my friend would have the tank of the century.....lol


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## izabella87

Your tank is beautiful enough that my dyslexic ass will get a book n read beside it all evening


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## @[email protected]

i want in on the bruce sales too! 
i have a neoregelia fireball X n. lilliputiana that sends out runners all the time that i would happily trade you for a discount if you want it for your branches. also have a n. fireball with a new runner coming in. not as red as most though, but i think your lighting would fix that...




Fishies_in_Philly said:


> now, if you could find an animal that would live in there peacefully and never escape, then you, my friend would have the tank of the century.....lol


an iguana would likely be happy to bask on those branches, eat the plants, swim around stirring up the sand, and relieve its bowls in such a tank. :flick:


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## Chrisinator

Those Tilisandrias are phenomenal! I saw a little booth at the mall selling these and wanted to try a couple of them! So cool!


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## crazydaz

Thanks Bill! That's probably the "Ultimate" compliment that I've received, but let's not forget: this tank is far from done. So, I have PLENTY of time to screw things up!!  If the bottom fills in nicely, and I can get some good growth on top of at least a FEW of the things Mack sent to me, I will be pleased. Far from knowing any of that though, yet! I don't have your know-how when it comes to the terrestrial side of things.

I suppose that I could put a tree python in there and tie a leash around it so it couldn't get out! heh heh. I do have animals in there that can't easily escape already, come to think of it, Bill....the fish! 

Izabella--what are you talking about? You have several pretty kick ass systems at your place to curl up next to. What's more is that you actually made your own tank....I wouldn't have the know-how to start something like that, nor the guts to try! Well-done to you! Though, if you want to read, I probably have plenty of that for you!  Actually, my wife and I are making that into a reading room. We are planning on getting matching black or mahogany colored bookcases for either side of the aquarium, along with a few matching chairs and a few reading lamps. Should be nice. We'll see!

Marko....I'll try to keep that in mind, bro. Mack gets first dibs on everything, though. Let's not get ahead of ourselves....but I am interested in setting up a trade with you, though! PM me! And I'm sure that an iguana would end up killing everything thing, just by the sheer amount of crap coming from his bowels. That's some nasty stuff!

Chrisinator....thank you! I hope that I can get them to flower, along with the orchids! They are easy to take care of...almost idiot proof. I would recommend that you get a few to try. You just mount them to some wood or stone and spray them with a spring water/RO water (I use cheap spring drinking water) with a tiny pinch of ammonia-free fertilizer every two or three days. They seems to be doing well with that, so far.

However, if you get Spanish Moss (I have Usneoides 'circulato'"), you may have to mist every other day if you keep in in dry conditions. 

Most of these plants die from over-watering, so make sure that they can dry out. In a vivarium, the humidity may be so high that you wouldn't probably need to water them hardly, if at all! 

The really nice thing about these species are that they are all pretty inexpensive, too! That's always nice!


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## orchidman

crazydaz said:


> Thanks Bill! That's probably the "Ultimate" compliment that I've received, but let's not forget: this tank is far from done. So, I have PLENTY of time to screw things up!!  If the bottom fills in nicely, and I can get some good growth on top of at least a FEW of the things Mack sent to me, I will be pleased. Far from knowing any of that though, yet! I don't have your know-how when it comes to the terrestrial side of things.


technically it would be epiphytic.. :flick::biggrin::bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce:


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## crazydaz

^+1 Thanks for the correction, Mr. Bob!  LOL!


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## orchidman

crazydaz said:


> ^+1 Thanks for the correction, Mr. Bob!  LOL!


lol, just thought id be annoying roud:


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## Fishies_in_Philly

ya know Don, i knew you were gonna say the fish. i even thought about editing my post, but i figured, ah, i'll give him that one, he earned it...LOL btw, i wonder if a Jackson's Chameleon would try to escape the "airborne" section of your tank. (don't want Bob correcting me..LOL)

i figured you were far from done. you're probably just like me, tinker, tinker, tinker. you start to get it going good and then you want that extra pop and BAM! the blasphemy starts!! happens to me all the time.....LOL


----------



## Fishies_in_Philly

@[email protected] said:


> an iguana would likely be happy to bask on those branches, eat the plants, swim around stirring up the sand, and relieve its bowls in such a tank. :flick:


oh, definitely!! an iguana would LOVE this tank. right up to the point where he leaps off and terrorizes the household!!!LOL but it would be cool to see something living up there, wouldn't it?


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## @[email protected]

thats ok. 
just letting you know, if you have an extra rhizome of something he doesnt want, let me know. ive only got one bruce and wouldnt mind some more. 




Fishies_in_Philly said:


> oh, definitely!! an iguana would LOVE this tank. right up to the point where he leaps off and terrorizes the household!!!LOL but it would be cool to see something living up there, wouldn't it?


terrorize isnt the word i would use. iguanas are awesome, and can be pretty docile and tame (though not as much as a domesticated animal) if raised properly. when i was working at a reptile sanctuary i would hand feed the pair they had. i would sit in the cage, and they would climb into my lap to eat the leaves i was feeding them.


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## SpecGrrl

I also very much appreciate all the love in this thread. It's a pleasure to read all the exchanges and warm camaraderie.

Thanks to our excellent host, and all the fine companions!


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## hhk12

all i have to say is wow just wow!!!!


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## Fishies_in_Philly

@[email protected] said:


> terrorize isnt the word i would use. iguanas are awesome, and can be pretty docile and tame (though not as much as a domesticated animal) if raised properly. when i was working at a reptile sanctuary i would hand feed the pair they had. i would sit in the cage, and they would climb into my lap to eat the leaves i was feeding them.


oh, don't get me wrong. they are great animals. i had one for several years. i just mean when they break away, they can be pretty scary, especially to an unsuspecting cat or dog. heck even the kid and wife.....LOL mine scared the crap out of my cat when he freaked out. one of the funniest things i had ever seen.....LOL


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## cturner

Ok Don...
#1 shame on you for directing me to the last page!
#2 The tank looks beautiful 

I like the fact that you added more manzi, your eye doesn't just look right to the center of the tank now. Those tillys are awesome too. I can't wait to see your crypts & buce's once they really start to fill in.

As always love the pics!


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## Fizgig777

Beautiful tank! Especially the top section =)


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## crazydaz

Sorry guys and gals.....I've been away on a work trip and didn't have any time to respond back! Stupid work!...

Bob--No worries, you would still be annoying if you hadn't done that. JK!!  You set me up for that one!

Bill--Thank you for the easy one! xD That was a softball! LOL! But you are right....even after this thing is done filling in and looks great, there will be Don with his arms wet to the shoulders tinkering around in it. Someone tell me to "stop!" when we get to that point, please! I'll end up ruining it.

NO REPTILES! I would be Wife-less so fast your head would spin. And at my age, I'm too tired to go out and try to find a new one of those.... 

Marko--by the time I can offer him buces, I'll have plenty to go around. There are a TON in there; I need shoots, and then I need those shoots to send out shoots. I'll go from having nothing to having 4 dozen ready around the same time.

SpecGrrl--Thank you! Verbal "hugs" and "Fist bumps" are about the best we can do given the distances. Everyone here has been very kind to me, and I try to return that the best I can! Good people!!

hhk12--Thank you for saying something, though! I appreciate it! Feel free to add commentary or criticisms as you wish! 

Correna--Well, I thought that I would keep you "current" with the thread, and thought it was well within your grasp to click on the "arrow" to change pages back to the pictures, if you wanted to.  lol! I'm glad that you like it! It's been a big experiment for me, of sorts, and it seems to be going pretty well! Like you, I want those crypts and buces to start filling in too!!! And, I need more emmergent growth from my stems in there to tie everything in a bit better. I probably will be looking at buying a few addition plants that will be able to grow that tall and hold their own above water without becoming "weedy." I'll have to give that some thought, though. I like the Ludwigia alata and Ammannia latifolia for that reason....I'll have to source some additional Hygro lancea stems.

Hey, thanks Fizgig! Love your goldfish tank, man!! That thing is enormous!! Your goldies look like red platys in that thing! Very cool!!


----------



## Fishies_in_Philly

how many hygro lancea stems are you going to need Don. i'll probably have 3 or so in about 2 weeks or so. of course, it will probably be too cold to ship then.....LOL


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## tlyons01

If you could only see this thing in person, oh the eye full it is! I am fortunate enough that I am some what close to this thing of beauty and the owners have been nice enough to let me stop by and enjoy it. You all are really missing out, in person it is even more amazing.

So, have you figured out a misting solution yet? Or have you looked into blending the cords into the wall yet? If you need any ideas, let me know. I am full of them!


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## crazydaz

Bill--I'll probably need those three, if you can spare them. They take a while to convert and grow, the the flowers are great!! Well worth the weight.

Therese--it was a pleasure to see you again, and under better circumstances. Thank you for hanging out!

Not sure about the misting...it would be difficult to do and have it blend in. I like the idea of a fogger, but again, I don't know where I would put it. I'll probably just keep it manual via spray bottle.

The cords....I don't know about that either. I would like to install an outlet above the pendant and get out of the way completely, but that is a LOT easier said than done, and veritably impossible for someone like me who has no experience (or drive) doing such a project. I might install some sort of blank theme art thing back there that would act as a false background and hide the cords.


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## tlyons01

That is not a bad idea, disguising or better even hiding it. I bet you have a slew of nature pictures to choose from. Great way to tie in 2 hobbies...


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## crazydaz

Oh, not that type of false background!! Just a blank partition that will stick out slightly from the wall behind it. It will probably be cream colored only, or maybe it will be covered in fabric or something. No false nature scenes for this guy!!


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## tlyons01

(I meant your wife's nature pictures)


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## Fishies_in_Philly

Oh, the ol' "nature pics" from the wife? Hey! This is a family forum!!! Lol

Don, the 3 stems should be no problem. One of them is already growing emersed in my paludarium and the other 2 should be breaking the surface any day now, so your conversion time should be nil.


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## Fishies_in_Philly

Oh, i should also have a pair of persicaria 'sao paulo' if that strikes your fancy....lol


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## ThatGuyWithTheFish

Is this high tech?


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## crazydaz

Yes, TGWTF, it is high tech.

Some good news.....I think that I am pretty much set for Seriyu stone. Received a few really nice pieces today in the mail, so I think that my peninsulas are pretty much done being built up. Probably need one last nice-size stone, and maybe a dozen or so small cobbles to polish it off a bit. The buce's, java ferns, anubias, and so on are doing pretty well at binding everything together, so it's coming along and making nice progress.

I have a few more Manzy branches coming next week, mainly for support purposes than anything. I also threw my Korelias back in there as well to get better flow for a while as I was getting some hair algae formation. Minor set back...I'll try to get some more nerites when I get back from Thanksgiving.

Still trying to scratch my head over what to do about hiding the perfectly cut branch ends.....point a tillandsia there of any kind would make it look obvious that I am trying to hide something, and it would make it look too "Dr. Seuss-ish" for me. I open to ideas!

Some pre-"Tanksgiving" pics:




























Left Side--



























Thank you all for looking and, as always, feel free to comment!


----------



## @[email protected]

what is that wooden box with the grass in the back?


----------



## Fishies_in_Philly

Don, you're right, just sticking a plant there would look, contrived, for lack of a better word. a suggestion? my not just take a small pair of pliers or side cutters and break off little pieces to make them look broken, instead of cut. you don't need to take much off of them to acheive the desired look. just remember to cover the tank or you'll be fishing manzy chips out of the tank for weeks.....LOL


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## SpecGrrl

Fishies_in_Philly said:


> Don, you're right, just sticking a plant there would look, contrived, for lack of a better word. a suggestion? my not just take a small pair of pliers or side cutters and break off little pieces to make them look broken, instead of cut. you don't need to take much off of them to acheive the desired look. just remember to cover the tank or you'll be fishing manzy chips out of the tank for weeks.....LOL


Great minds think alike! I was thinking this too!


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## Fishies_in_Philly

he's probably doing that right now.......LOL


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## crazydaz

Well, that's not a bad idea......I will try it when I get back from Michigan. The pieces should float, btw. It would be a simple matter of netting them off the surface. Thanks for the help, Bill!

And SpecGrrl.


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## crazydaz

Marko---that is oat and wheat grass growing for the cats. Forgot to remove it for the pictures.


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## Learner

its genius crazydayz, the tank is absolutely awesome. The depth of the scape is insane


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## crazydaz

Thank you Learner!! 

Some pretty cool news! My wife and I just got some furniture to help get us closer to "completing" the Sitting Room, or "Fish Tank Room"! It's our first "Big Boy" purchase for our house. We bought two matching chairs to view the tank from, and two matching dark, dark, dark brown bookcases to go on either side of the tank. Looks better than I thought it would, and I'm pretty pleased!:



















Bookcases:









I purposely lightened the picture to show the bookcases a bit better:









View from one chair:









......and the view from the other:









Tank update....well, going through a hair algae phase right now. I have tried cutting back on my photoperiod, but it really hasn't seemed to help, and with my crypts taking off, I dare not dose Excel. To be honest, I'm not really concerned about it anyhow. I'm starting to get some BBA, which in my experience means that the algae is starting to lose the battle. Algae problems always happen during a new set up.....the trick is to not lose your head about it. Keep doing what your doing, in terms of dosing, keep the lighting about the same, and just increase your plant mass. I'm adding more stems by topping and re-planting stems until my crypts, buces, anubia, and java fern have significantly grown and multiplied. It will take some time, but I already knew it, and admitted it. So, the algae really isn't shocking, and it is of no real concern. It will go away.

I did lose 24 horned nerites that I paid for, which annoyed me. I received the shipment in from a supplier on Aquabid, and when it arrived, the box was damp. I opened it up, and the bag was open and leaking. He rubber-banded the top closed, but didnt' tie it. So, the rubber band snapped, and the bag leak, and the snails didn't make it. Guess I won't be ordering from him again!

I have the last of my rock arriving tomorrow (I think), and have additional plants and critters on the way. Mainly Olive nerites and Amano shrimp. More branches are coming in as well as some more Staurogyne repens to help fill in the foreground a bit more. I ALSO GOT TWO NEW LIGHTING FIXTURES! Two 8x54watt HO T5's TEK Elite systems, for a total of 16 bulbs. I LOVE the lights that I have, but it looks too homemade, and it's time to upgrade. New Geisemann bulbs are on the way, and I will probably try to get two Red Sun bulbs before I leave for Christmas vacation.

Anyhow, click to enlarge the pics, as always. Feel free to comment, and thank you for looking!

Front:









Just the tank:









Just the top:









If you look at the bigger view, you can see the crypts are becoming finger-lickin'!:









Probably my favorite shot of the pics I took....water is clean, and the Seiriyu stone "peninsulas" are really getting the look that I sent out to get. It only took 400lbs+ to get it:









Top view looking down:


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## AaronT

Looking better and better man. Are you dosing this tank in addition to the mineralized soil?

Man, 16 bulbs is going to be insane. How many are you running now?


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## toksyn

Perhaps you already mentioned this, but what is that blood red plant on the far right side? I absolutely must know!

Everything is looking fantastic!


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## thefisherman

i love your tank don. i'm glad to see it new and improved! 


- thefisherman


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## marioman72

i know amano shrimp did a huge number on my hair algae, def a beneficial addition to a tank


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## tylergvolk

Your tanks are primo! I love reading your threads.


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## Fishies_in_Philly

Looks awesome Don. The furniture makes it a nice, cozy place to hang out and just watch the tank. The Mrs. Has exquisite taste


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## keithy

looking great Don. Everything is coming together including the home furnishing  . The more I look at your tank, the more inspired I get.


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## DogFish

Don - Funny stuff, typical Aqua-Nut, worry about furniture AFTER I get the tank up & running. :hihi:

Tell the truth, you had a lawn chair for yourself in front of the tank up until now? Right?

:hihi:


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## @[email protected]

Who needs furniture at all? A 5 gallon bucket upside down is a fine stool for tank-viewing.


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## BeachBum2012

Every time I see updates I find new ways to be amazed. The tank, and tank room, look absolutely fantastic.


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## crazydaz

Thanks Aaron! I am dosing modified EI to the water column as well. I do have some stems in there that probably need the extra "oomph," as well as keeping everything else looking colorful. I'm also feeding riparium plants too, so they need the nutrient load to be a bit high as well. 

16 lights isn't so bad....it's only four more than what I have up there right now. But I needed the upgraded lighting to fit the aesthetic of the room better than the "DIY" feel of my current pendant "Star I". It works great, and I hate to get rid of it, but it's just time to move onto "Star II."

Toksyn--Thank you, kindly!! The plant is Alternanthera "Variegated." I bought some from Jojo a while back, and has done very well for me. It provides a nice contrast in the tank, while tying in the colors of the plants above, and also within the room itself now (with the reddish-orange chairs). It also has a variegated pattern similar to what you find in Hygrophila polysperma "Sunset." Very cool plant....nice color, spreads laterally, and grows fairly slow.

Ryan---thank you, Sir! I hope it will be an improvement over the last one! The top part is nice....and bottom is at least trying to catch up a bit now!  Time will tell!

MarioMann72--Yeah, I haven't used them for a few years, but I really haven't needed to. Now, I'm just waiting for Arizona Aquatic Gardens to send me my stuff, man! I ordered it Sunday evening, and still haven't gotten any word yet regarding the shipment. It's causing me to clench my jaw a bit. I've ordered 24 Amano's, 30 olive nerites, and 6 Bamboo shrimp....and I was hoping that they would be here by now. Anyone else have dealings with them? Is this normal?

Tyler--LOL! "Primo"! Nice! Thank you very much! I hope that you are enjoying the thread, and maybe getting some inspiration and ideas of your own to try out. I've seen some Tillandsia species popping up on other threads as well, which has been interesting. Always neat to see others with the same ideas, and still others who take an idea and improve upon it!

Bill---HEY! I WAS THE ONE the picked out the furniture, I'll have you know! It's my room, and my wife told me to have at it.  She was along when I picked them out, and she OK'd them, but I picked them out! LOL! I assure you that I paid for them...you can believe that!! Yeah, it's nice to be able to sit down in that room now, do some work, and listen to some music. Sonic Chill podcasts from 107.1 out of Ann Arbor, MI. You simply cannot beat it!

Keith--Thank you, buddy! It very nice to have your support, and I hope that you can find this thread useful and/or enjoyable! And, if you hate it, I would expect that you would tell me that as well!!

Looks like our lunch or dinner in Lexington will have to wait....I'm going to Alabama the week after next, and that will likely be the end of my travels until January. I do need to get back there in January, so maybe around the middle of January, if you aren't too busy, we could meet up again!! 

Frank---IS THERE ANY OTHER WAY?!?!?  HAHA!! I had to match the furniture to the Alternanthera "variegated," so I had to see if it was going to first make it or not, yes?? :hihi:

Well, it certainly is MUCH better now. The only time where I would spend any time looking at it was when I was working on it, which was the same issue I had before back at the last house. That's no good! So, the chairs are a welcome addition!! The bookcases will be useful, but now I'm kinda at a crossroads with those: if I load them up with impressive texts from my college years, will the spines be too distracting? I feel like I need to buy some sort of leather-bound encyclopedias, or something, to match. Likely, I'll just throw some kind of books in there. I held onto those damned college texts for a reason....it's about time to put them up and impress "would be" dinner guests, hypothetically. You know, in case the tank doesn't do that for them already.

Marko---That's hilarious! Spoken like a true college student!!  Too funny! It wouldn't work for me, though. I like to slouch, so it would be very uncomfy for me!! 

BeachBum2012---Hey, thank you bud! It's been an effort, and it is nice to get compliments! I find it equally amazing that so many people have been kind enough to say so! I didn't expect that, so I am truly and sincerely flattered!! Thank you!!


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## ThatGuyWithTheFish

Oh, so what kind of Alternanthera species is that? I've heard/seen that most get pink, but this a really nice red.


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## kwheeler91

Lookin good daz. Diggin the riparian growth on this incarnation of the square.


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## crazydaz

TGWTF---It is Alternanthera reineckii "variegated." I think that some of the color is due to my specific lighting scheme, as well as a nutrient-rich substrate and a modified EI dosing regimen. I'm just able to bring out the red coloration pretty nicely using all of these factors.

Like I said above, it's a neat plant with variegation similar to Hygro polysperma "Sunset." I picked some up from JoJo about 7-8 months ago. Here it is back in my old set up a few months ago:









Thanks Kwheeler!! It's added a great touch to the set up, and helps with the humidity, too! Noticeably, in fact, which was a little surprising to me!


----------



## somewhatshocked

Woah, seeing the tank with two club chairs in front of it really puts its size into perspective. What a gorgeous monster this has turned into.


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## wabisabi

crazydaz said:


> TGWTF---It is Alternanthera reineckii "variegated." I think that some of the color is due to my specific lighting scheme, as well as a nutrient-rich substrate and a modified EI dosing regimen. I'm just able to bring out the red coloration pretty nicely using all of these factors.
> 
> Like I said above, it's a neat plant with variegation similar to Hygro polysperma "Sunset." I picked some up from JoJo about 7-8 months ago. Here it is back in my old set up a few months ago:


One of my favorite plants!

Love your tank!


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## izabella87

Really magnificent room & tank!!


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## oliver77

Cooll tank!!


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## SpecGrrl

All you need are nice footstools and no one will ever leave.


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## thefisherman

i wonder if Don is willing to rent me the room beneath his tank? it looks more spacious than my old apartment! :O


- thefisherman


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## crazydaz

Thank you Izabella!! It's nice to have a room in the new house that is finally almost done!

Oliver, thank you for the compliment and for looking!

Maiyah--We thought about getting the ottomans, but that would have been a bit too much....there just wouldn't have been any room to walk through. We also checked LazyBoy for some recliners as well, but because we would have had to pull the chairs out a bit to recline them, we would have had the same issue. So, we opted for a simple, clean look. The chairs are for sitting and looking, and not for sleeping in which is fine. Don't want guests getting any ideas, such as "never leaving." 

Lol! Ryan, where do you think all the equipment is stored to run this thing??  Not as spacious as you might think, although, I don't know how it compares to the apts. in NYC.


----------



## Obakemono

Tank is lookin' good there Don!! Sadly to say my dream tank is on hold until further notice due to the threat of job cutbacks in the DOD (my employer) but my 56 is doing good right now.


----------



## keithy

crazydaz said:


> Keith--Thank you, buddy! It very nice to have your support, and I hope that you can find this thread useful and/or enjoyable! And, if you hate it, I would expect that you would tell me that as well!!



Don, the one thing I hate about your thread is that it makes my tank look like child's play lol..... Really, you are a very good 'artist' + 'farmer' + 'landscaper' all combined in one.Your journals have always provided plenty of opportunities for me to learn and absorb. 

When you coming to Lexington bro?


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## crazydaz

Obakemono--Oh, man! That's hard to hear! Yeah, you will have to put your dream tank to the side for a bit! I hope that the cuts at the DOD don't directly impact you! Keep me posted....would it be easy for you to switch to the private sector relatively easily, or not?

Keith! I good at "tinkering." I've also been involved in this hobby for the better part of a dozen years, and I'm willing to keep learning and taking another step beyond what the last tank set up was. As long as you keep it fun for yourself, that's all that really matters, you know? Absorb away!! 

Looks like it will probably be mid or late January at this point. I'm trying to get to Alabama next week, and then I think that I'll be done with my business trips for the year. When does UK start back up again in January??


----------



## keithy

crazydaz said:


> Looks like it will probably be mid or late January at this point. I'm trying to get to Alabama next week, and then I think that I'll be done with my business trips for the year. When does UK start back up again in January??


UK starts Jan 9. I may not be in town begining of feb. Otherwise, feel free to give me a call. 

Have a question for you. have you ever had green water in your tank before? I was trying to make my kompakt happy by overdosing with K and ended up with green water. It just doesn't go away after that! Any suggestions?


----------



## crazydaz

Right on! Thanks Keith!

Regarding your question: Your best bet is to do a 50% water water change, and do a black out for 4-5 days, followed by another 50% water change. This should reset your water column, and get rid of the green water. I use a UV sterilizer, but the few times I've had green water, without the UV sterilizer, the only way to get rid of it was to do a the black out.

If you have a smaller tank, this should be too hard to do....just turn of the lights and drape an old blanket or two over it. Make sure that NO light can get into the tank at all!

Your fish will be fine, and your plants will recover quickly as well from the blackout period!


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## Fishies_in_Philly

ummm......any updates there Don??? did you ever "fix" the cut branches???


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## Fishies_in_Philly

and considering your new avatar and sig, i expect to see xmas lights on the tank dang nabit!!!


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## crazydaz

William....I do not have any Christmas lights on my tank. Plenty of red and green colors, though! 

I did "fix" the cut branches....it created an absolute mess, but I think that I did an OK job. I took a hand pruner, and cut along the grain. It took a while of crunching, snapping, gouging, ripping, and so on, but I was able to make them look more realistic, I guess. Luckily, I have powerful hands.

So, as one problem has been resolved, another sprang up to take it's place. I'm going to have to empty out and clean my CO2 needle wheel pump and tubing. Had a couple of snails that somehow managed to get inside and clog my pump. I would estimate that this happened probably a few weeks ago, judging from the sound the pump has been making. At first, I thought it was just the vibration from the pump. I checked the flow today, and I'm barely getting anything out of it. It could explain most of the algae issues that I've been having lately. Last two or three weeks, it's been "strangely hair algae-fied." BINGO! No CO2 is really getting put into the tank.

So, tomorrow will be full of damp towels, dripping water, cutting hose lines, and plenty of cursing. I'm not looking forward to it. I wish SOMEONE would invent some sort of device where you have retractable inlets and outlets leading from a needle wheel pump with an optional UV sterilizer, where all I would have to do would be to hook it up to my CO2 tank, attach the inlet and outlet where I wanted them to go, and plug it in. I have the WORST mechanical mind you could imagine.  WHERE'S IZABELLA WHEN I NEED HER???!!!?!?!?!


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## Fishies_in_Philly

dude....that sucks. sounds like all you need is some tubing a few quick disconnects and a couple valves. easy peasy lemon squeezy.....LOL actually, i have no idea what your needle wheel pump looks like, never used one. send me pics via pm and maybe i can wrap my defective brain around it for ya.


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## crazydaz

The needle wheel refers to the type of impeller with the pump housing. What I need is a friend who is hand in not only setting these things up, but can improve on the design as well.

I get by alright....I just don't enjoy this technical stuff. I enjoy getting my hands dirty inside the tank and working on the hardscape on top, but I do not take much joy in setting up the inner-workings. I just want it to work.


----------



## @[email protected]

crazydaz said:


> I get by alright....I just don't enjoy this technical stuff. I enjoy getting my hands dirty inside the tank and working on the hardscape on top, but I do not take much joy in setting up the inner-workings. I just want it to work.


same here.
i thoroughly enjoy not knowing how the whole CO2 setup works, so long as I can still put the correct amount into the aquarium water.

how do you like the neoregelia, by the way. should have gotten there by now.


----------



## crazydaz

It arrived in excellent condition, due to your awesome, and somewhat "unique" packaging! :hihi:

I have it tacked on and being held in place by a zip tie overnight so it can set. Nice green to it, but it certainly does have a nice red speckling on it. I will see what I can do to bring that out more! 

I decided to try something a bit different to use on the branches instead of pure long fiber sphagnum. I had bought some background panels....I think they're called "tree bark panels." I cut some rows off of these panels and crushed them up with my fingers, and mixed it with a handful of sphagnum moss that I ripped up as well. I then used Tilly-tack on the Manzy branches that were bare or had been covered initially by only long-fiber sphagnum, spread it around with my fingers, and took the LFS+crushed up panel mixture, and pressed this mixture onto the Tilly-tack. It has a much nicer and cleaner look, and I will probably end up replacing all the LFS with this mixture eventually. It's messy, but I like it more, and it holds moisture nicely, too!


----------



## crazydaz

Update....

So, I've been fighting some green hair algae over the past...month, or so. I had been adding seriyu stone at the rate of about 25lbs a week on average, and chalked it up to silicates. Come to find out today that my CO2 pump has been clogged for probably close to 6 weeks with tiny little snails and detritus in the pre-filter inside the pump housing that I put in. IN addition my UV sterilizer's intake was also clogged, probably for about that long as well. The flow had become so bad that I was starting to notice "water fleas" around some of my emmergent Manzy branches....just stangnant!

So, I spent most of the day playing hooky from work draining, cleaning, swearing, and finally fixing the problems and upgrading some of these parts. The flow in the tank is like night and day, and I've able to see my crypts and Staurogyne pearling already. TAKE THAT YOU JERK HAIR ALGAE!!!!  Should make a nice difference soon! I don't mind a little bit of algae....it adds an element of realism to any system. But, enough is enough! Hopefully, I am hoping for a nearly algae-free tank (as "normal") by shortly after Christmas or New Year's. We'll see.

Despite the lack of CO2, addition of seriyu stone (WHICH IS FINALLY DONE!!!!!), lack of water movement, and algae issues, the tank has been fine! Crypts and buces don't really need pressurized CO2 anyhow, and the hygros grow fine without it as well. The riparium plants have put on nice growth, and if I can get them to lean over the wood, the increase in humidity is noticeable. Noticed a resident ladybug earlier this week too, and received a nice neo from Marko as well, which should look stunning under my high light set up in a few months.

I've taking some of the old long-fiber sphagnum moss (LFS) off and replacing using crushed up material called "Tree Bark Panels" and bits of LFS which I place on top of Tilly-Tack. I like the look much better, and I hope that it provide a better medium for my vines and marcgravia species to root into over the coming months, as opposed to LFS only.

Lots of pics today! I'm having a bit of a problem with some of the pics due to the fact that Mrs. Don (Technically that would be Mrs. Doctor Don) dropped my camera on accident and broke the viewer. So, I guess that means that I'll have to gift myself a new camera! 

Thanks for looking and feel free to comment!

Nice zukali from Ghanzafar this past week too:









"El Gigante" buce....with a tangerine shrimp:









Full system view:









Left Oblique:









Left Side:









Right Side "Above Water":









Right Manzy branch close up:









Mexican milkweed flower:









Left Side Manzy branch close up:









Nurii, anyone? Most are mine, but some I got from Ghanzafar this week too!:









Nice Metallic Red patch forming!:









Top Shot Down:









Neo lillixfireball (from Marko):









Some of the "undergrowth":









Same shot, just a bit further out:









Left Side of tank:









Middle....the hygro tiger is really nice in a dense row!:









Right Side of tank:









Nice shot of the top:


----------



## @[email protected]

that tank looks more and more fantastic with every post. 
you know, ive never been a crypt person, but you have some pretty nice specimens. whats that plant youre using as a foreground. its growing in very nicely.

the neo looks infinitely better in those branches than in the plastic pot it was in.


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## Jiinx

Beautiful, don. I love how you have the best of both worlds! Hope your hair thread disappears!!


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## toksyn

Looking good! I really wish you got Neo. Domino or something. I'm growing a few now and might be able to spare you a pup or something in the future. I've also got some materials that might work better for you in the long run on the branches. Let me know if you're interested 

Tank looks better and better!


----------



## crazydaz

Marko--Thanks for the brom, bro!  I think that you are looking at the Crypt affinis Metallic Red. It's a rockstar....such pretty reds, and just wait until I can start dosing like normal again and get my new lighting up. IF you are talking about the GREEN plants in the foreground, that is just some pretty nice Staurogyne repens that I got in on Monday from Tony (Antbug). He went above and beyond what I paid for. It was almost like getting an instant foreground!

Thanks Sarah! I do have some good starts both above and below the water! The hair algae is an annoyance, and will hopefully disappear now that my flow has been increased and the CO2 mist is going again. The silcates in the water column will eventually decrease too with the water changes.

Toksyn--Thank you! I would love a pup of it, if I can wait that long!  I would be very interested in the materials you allude to, and I'll contact you about it!


----------



## kwheeler91

Are you using straight sand with root tabs? Ive been thinking about getting sand with a lighter color to pop the plants colors better and match the stones I collected for my new scape. Back to ferns and moss and crypts, lost all of my stems except like 3 L. Brevipes x lacustris do to forgetfulness and stupidity. Left them sit in a bowl waaaayyyy too long without a good rinse after an h2o2 dip trying to fix my neglect of the tank, thus ruining hundreds of stems  sorry didnt mean to ramble lol


----------



## crazydaz

No, no! The substrate for bottom to top is made of kitty litter, then MTS, then regular play sand cap. I do have root tabs added throughout as well. I also wanted to pop the colors, but it ended up looking lighter than I had wanted it to. Oh well!

Stinks to hear about your plants!! If I still had stems I'd be happy to RAOK them to you. I'm getting plenty of Hygro tiger growing, if you would like any!! Let me know!


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## Fishies_in_Philly

ya know Don. it's starting to get there. but i think you're c. 'keei' look a little crowded. i would be more than happy to take a few off your hands...lol and umm, where are the flush cut wood ends? i miss them already 

looks amazing. truly a piece of art. is there anyone on the forum who hasn't contributed to this tank??LOL


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## octavusprime

Amazingly complex tank yet avoids the cluttered look. Very impressed. I really like your use of leaf litter. Adds great depth and texture.


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## marioman72

Once again i am amazed by the update! the stone looks great everything is growing very nice.


----------



## kwheeler91

crazydaz said:


> No, no! The substrate for bottom to top is made of kitty litter, then MTS, then regular play sand cap. I do have root tabs added throughout as well. I also wanted to pop the colors, but it ended up looking lighter than I had wanted it to. Oh well!
> 
> Stinks to hear about your plants!! If I still had stems I'd be happy to RAOK them to you. I'm getting plenty of Hygro tiger growing, if you would like any!! Let me know!


Oh I see 

I may take you up on that in the future but im so broke I couldnt even cover shipping lol, unemployment + baby=not fun. Just finished rescaping with what i have left, crypts, some raggity lookin nljf, fissidens on wood, and rocks. Gonna see how it grows out and go from there. Im not staying where my tank is so its probably for the best I stick with slow growers for the moment anyway.


----------



## crazydaz

Oh, I have keei, Bill, but it is tiny and on the other side of the tank. You may be referring to the Red Metallic or the C. bullosa Bario? I would be happy to give you some or trade you for some. The keei will be ready in a few months.

I cut those flush ends just for you, bro!! Lol!!

Thanks! It's coming along nicely, especially considering the circumstances re: the UV Sterilizer and CO2 issues. Most of your big names have their plants or products displayed in here. But, I bought them and loved them!!  I will have to make a list of the people that have made their influence felt in this system. Including you, William!

Octavus--- Thank you!! Many thanks!! The Oak leaves are nice, and provide a nice snack for my shrimp and the Stiphodon species in there. I have Indian Alamond Leaves en route to see if those might be better, but likely it won't matter much. I think it ties the system together fairly well.

Thanks Marioman!! I added the last of the stone this past week. To be honest, I probably should have taken it all out, and re-done the stacking job, but I think that, given time, it should look nicer when the various aroids take hold and start growing and spreading onto the rocks. It's ok for now. If it doesn't , I can always change it later!

Kwheeler---If you can wait until after New Years, I'll be happy to send you some of the various hygros that I have for free. I'll take care of the shipping too. Sound good?


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## kwheeler91

I got nothin but time bro and I would appreciate that a lot.

What species of stiphodon do you have? I have a solitary stiphodon elegans, just happens to be my favorite fish in the tank.


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## Fishies_in_Philly

duh....i was talking about the Bario. so many plant species going through my head lately that i can't tell the difference between pennywort and penny marshall. LOL

and i was just busting your stones, bud.  seems like every update, you're thanking yet someone else!!! but really, that just goes to show what a great member base we have here


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## crazydaz

Kwheeler-- ok! Send me a reminder after the New Year to remind me, ok? Oh, and I have Colbalt Blues.....at least that's what they're supposed to be. Most are brownish, and one has a slight metallic stripe. But, I hardly see them at all, and when I do, they just kind of "flit" around for a minute or two, and then disappear again. I thought that they were supposed to be fairly gregarious, but not so much I guess.

Bill--- I give credit where credit is due! It's been a lot of fun for me, but I am indebted to quite a few people for selling/trading with me so I can the materials I need for the setup.

I could trade something with you for the Bario. I think that I owe you a buce clipping, too! These are from one plant that I bought from Xue about 8 months ago, if you can believe that!!


----------



## STS_1OO

This is an amazing tank, amazing setup and an amazing addition to a house. Amazing enough? 

Crazydaz, I saw that you mentioned Excel and crypts - in a "STAY AWAY" sort of manner. 

I'm currently dosing excel in my 5G that has nothing but a few crypts right now. Is this pretty much anecdotal science that Excel ruins crypts? I haven't been dosing long enough to really tell (only 2 doses thus far). 

Anyways, didn't mean to distract from this great journal!


----------



## crazydaz

Lol!, thanks STS!! 

I found that they can tolerate, or at least "become tolerant of" Excel dosing. I have witnessed some leaves melt after the addition of Excel, but nothing serious or long-term. However, Excel was added 1.5 times greater than recommended to treat algae. At normal dosing (1 capful/ 50 gallons), there was no issue. But since I was finally getting nice leaves growing, the last thing I wanted to do was to push my luck and continue using it.

It happens frequently enough where I would suggest that it is more than just "anecdotal," though I am unfamiliar as to why this happens. This is more due to the fact that until recently, I had never used Excel to treat algae issues, and never researched the "why." I can't imagine that aldehydes are good for much of anything, though! 

Tell you what: try overdosing with Excel and let me know what happens to those crypts?  I'm not going to push my luck, though!

Thanks for asking though, and it's not a distraction, STS! Like the interaction and questions! You're always more than welcome to ask anything on the thread!


----------



## Centromochlus

What type of Buce is this? Your tank is looking fantastic man!


----------



## crazydaz

Thanks Philip!! That is Buce "Achilles" Kalimantan.....it's quite a lovely plant! The flower it sprouted was about a little more than half the length of my pinky finger!


----------



## hydrophyte

Tank is looking great Don!

I like this shot.



crazydaz said:


>


----------



## ua hua

Wow this tank is turning into a beautiful setup and looks better with every new update. The new stones you added made a huge difference. I'm really liking the crypt 'metallic red'. I may have to give that a try some time.

How many Tek light fixtures are you putting over this tank again? You will love them. I have had many different lights and these are very nice. The only t5 fixture that would compare to these are the ATI's but plan on dropping some coin on them and for me I couldn't justify spending double what the Tek's cost just to have a dimming feature(although it would be nice).


----------



## Alastair-T

This is looking awesome now mate well done. You must be very happy. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Fishies_in_Philly

man Don, i don't even know what i have that i could trade you for a bario....besides my whole mantella tank...lol actually, i am currently waiting on my c. nurii 'pahang' and my c. x purpurea to throw runners. i think you have everything else i have, even c. zukalii...lol but i'm sure we'll come up with something


----------



## Obakemono

I have to say Don that tank 2.0 rivals and even exceeds 1.0. The addition of the airplants above the water and as always the great looking plants in the tank just make this thing a great piece of art in an aquarium form.


----------



## crazydaz

Thank you, Devin! You can see what an impact the riparium plants have made in the set up! I feel it truly gives that "river bank" type of quality. They have also increased the humidity levels beneath them, and now I have a nice white fungus growing in places on the LFSphagnum. It's thin....I'm told that as long as it is "white," it's just an indicator of decent humidity levels.

Thank Ua Hua! Yes, I got one last awesome round from CraigThor, and another 25 lbs from PC1....I finally got the proportions to my liking. It was just going to take a while to get so much rock in there, so I just had to keep getting it piecemeal until I was happy with it.

The C. Metallic Red is wonderful!! It is a quick grower for a crypt, spreads easily, and colors up really well. Definitely one of my favorite plants in the tank right now! Let me know after New Year's, and I could probably just send one to you.

I'm putting two 8x54watt fixtures over the tank. I already received them, but I just need to put them up now. It might not happen until after the New Year, but it will happen soon! I would also LOVE a dimming feature, but it just isn't worth the cost of it. The two fixtures will give me a total of 16 bulbs, which should allow me to do a better "dawn and dusk" effect anyhow....it'll be good enough having four sets of four bulbs. I need to get my Red Sun bulbs this week too. That'll give me two red and two purple bulbs to put in, so the dusk effect should look pretty "trippy." 

Alastair! Thank you kindly, Sir!  I'm happy to see it progressing along nicely, even if there have been some minor algae issues along the way. I did a nice water change, did a little OD on the Excel, and increased the CO2 a bit more today as well. The thread algae is already decreasing in amount and in growth rate. I hope that's a positive sign. Never mind that I'll have a TON of leaves to trim off over the coming month or two, but I hope that at some point in the near future, things will be algae-free!!

Bill...It wouldn't have to be "aquatic" necessarily, and it would have to be equivalent in terms of $$'s anyhow. I'm just looking for some neat stuff, is all. Yes, I do have the zukalii too! Maybe something terrestrial or I'd be happy if your purpea throws off a few nice plantlets. Trust me....until Mack gets his stuff, very little of this will be traded or sold. I can afford taking out a few extra Red Metallics or Barios, maybe a few buce cuttings, but there is no rush! I have to make sure that Mack gets what he wants!!  

Thank you Obakemono!! That's very kind of you to say...it makes the effort of doing it worthwhile for me, so I appreciate the compliments!! I'm not sure if it is quite there yet, but it has some great potential to exceed the last set up. Sure is nice to look at in those being comfy chairs, though! :hihi:


----------



## Fishies_in_Philly

sorry, Don, i think we are on different wave lengths....lol i'm not looking to do anything until spring.  too much stuff going on here


----------



## SlopTank

Much more of a lurker than a poster, but just wanted to say that this tank is truly fantastic, have loved both iterations. Out of curiosity, since I don't believe you mentioned it, what kind of root tabs are you using in addition to everything else?

-Chris


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## crazydaz

Thanks Chris! The root tabs I used were Devin's GroSoil and GroHumate. Probably will need to order some more of those in January, come to think of it. They are the same ones that I used in my last set up. Osmocote makes a mess, and can create really weird coloration in plants. Cool colors, but weird nonetheless. Like my black limnophilia aromatica. That was interesting!


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## orchidman

it looks fantastic!!!!! WOW! the submersed section really filled it! you should put christmas lights on it, haha


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## junglefowl

Your tank is very very unique!!!
I might miss it, but what is the purpose of those dry leaves you put in there, is this for creating blackwater. I notice there are more than 1 kind of leaves in there.


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## crazydaz

Hey, thanks a bunch Robert! Actually, if you are referring to the Staurogyne, I got a billion stems of it from Anthony, last Monday. That's helped! But the crypt growth is all me!! 

Christmas lights aren't a bad idea! Lol! I will keep that in mind for next year! Lol!!

Junglefowl--- thank you! You got one of the reasons....yes the leaves release tannins which help keep the water a bit soft....but it really is mainly for keeping the water a bit darker. Just a touch.

Also, when the leaves get water logged and sink, my shrimp seem to enjoy nibbling on them. I just plain old like the appearance of them more than anything. My tank is big enough to not make it look too overdone, and I think that they tie in the upper part of the set up with the lower part of the set up.

Actually, the leaves in the pictures have all been oak leaves, so just one type. I did take them out today because they were probably going to start disintegrating next week, and I will be gone out of town. I did switch to using Indian Almond leaves today. I will post a few pics of it tonight or tomorrow.


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## 11f150

Looking great Don...just checking in on your tank


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## hydrophyte

I'd love to see an update for this.

Have any of those _Tillandsia_ flowered? What do the riparium plants look like?


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## Saxtonhill

Awesome tank...I enjoyed reading (and re-reading :smile and getting an education on substrate and different aquatic and terrestrial plant species 

Looking forward to further updates and photos


----------



## crazydaz

Hey, thanks Guys! I just rescaped yesterday, moved some things around, and added some Floscopa, a few new crypts, along with two Sagittaria species from AaronT, including a "mystery" one. I got some of my depth back!!

To date, none of the Tillys have flowered....one was in bloom when I got it, but the spike finally is gone now. Several of the Tillys have pups though, and none have died, so I must be doing something well.

I do have an orchid that is beginning to flower, which is cool. And the jewel orchid cutting that I got from Xue is growing pretty well, which is great because, as far as he knew, it wasn't being commercially offered in the States.

Devin, the riparium plants are doing really well. I had to hack them back after New Year's, but they really helped to raise the humidity levels, and keep things in better condition. The Mexican Milkweed flowers prolifically!!!!

Pics later today! Thanks guys!


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## toksyn

I'm excited to see the progress!


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## Jiinx

Can't wait to see photos, don!


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## crazydaz

Hi and hope everyone is having a nice start to their New Year! 

First, a bit of a teaser:










The Anubias nana "petite" is being used for a new tank that I'm setting up. It is a 30G long Tangynikan, and I just got the bulk of the set up done today. In fact, it was an incredibly long day, and spent a long amount of time getting the hardscape set up, the petite planted, heater and filter running, in addition to cleaning the Big Tank and getting it ready for pics. Anyhow, the 30G still has a ways to go though, but I'm hoping to post the build journal here a week from this coming Sunday or Monday. So far it's working out OK.

So, I went absolutely nuts with the camera today, so I'll be posting pics over the coming several days. I did a pretty MASSIVE re-scape yesterday after I got plants in from AaronT....few new crypts, "true" Sagittaria, a MYSTERY Sagittaria, and a few stems of Floscopa. The tank had become over-grown, which was fine as I was battling some green hair algae. Things are filling in now pretty nicely, and I wanted to reclaim the depth of the tank again. So, project done. I let the riparium plants become beastly-huge before I left for vacation to trap some of the humidity around the terrarium plants....I trimmed those down pretty far a little over a week ago, and they've bounced back nicely already!

I'll shut up now...I'm exhausted, and I will post more pics tomorrow. Feel free to comment if you would like to!!

Thanks!

Left Oblique...









Top part from this angle:









Closer look at the Alternanathera grouping:









Using my new Macro lens!:









Nice view of the slope from the Left side of the tank:









New Jewel Orchid cutting that I got from Xue is doing really well and has put out several new leaves:









Left side of the rock slope...close ups going from front to back:



























Front of the tank.....left side (can you detect a "theme" here?):









Crypt bullosa "Bario":









Crypt Zukalii from Ghanzafar sending out a new leaf:


----------



## SlopTank

Wow everything's looking great! My LFS has this big community cube set up and it gave me a whole new appreciation for what you do, so much more going on! ... Thinking my next tank will definitely need some serious depth


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## speedie408

Your plants are growing in beautifully Don. Def one of my favs on the site. Love all the bright colors and the variety of plants you got goin on. AWESOME bro!


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## orchidman

Looks fantastic!! And you have such BRIGHT colors!!! This 30 gallon tank seems like it will also be stunning!!!


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## amajoh

LOVE LOVE LOVE the Alternanathera! What a beautiful tank!


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## hydrophyte

It is a whole world unto itself.


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## toksyn

Never disappoints


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## crazydaz

Hi SlopTank! Thank you! Cubes and squares usually mean a little more work, but it's worth what you get in return. And if it's "depth" you are craving, there is plenty of it in a square tank!

Nick and Bob! Thank you both!!  The colors do pop out now! I've learned that if you mist the plants and the branches, you get better color from them in a picture. Most of the Tillys are a bit sedated in terms of colors, as they are covered in white hairs. If you mist them before a picture, those hairs get wet and allow the other colors to come out. Otherwise, it just about adding the ferts and doing a few small water changes! And, the soft water really helps, I think, too. The crypts are just becoming incredible to look at, too! I never thought a burnt orange, brown, and red color pallet could look so appealing mixed in with dark and light greens, but so far it's working OK.

Amajoh--Thank you! The Alternanthera really stands out amongst the green leaves! I got that from Hydrophyte, and is one of my favorite plants. It also does a great job at hiding equipment and such. EXCELLENT filler plant!!

Devin--Indeed it is!! It didn't start off that way, but it's turning out the way I had hoped for. Still has a long, long way to go though. Owe you a lot of gratitude for those riparium plants and Manzy branches. And the GroSoil and GroHumate tabs, too! 

Toksyn! Thanks bud! My next set of photos will show the two branches that I used the Hygrolon....so far, the results have been pretty good, especially for the vine that you sent to me......the mosses haven't done well, but that's simply due to the fact that the air is pretty dry, so don't feel bad! In a true vivarium, terrarium, or even riparium, it would be growing mosses like crazy. The air in this house is just so bone dry. I lose 3L of water from this tank per day in the winter due to evaporation.

Who knows, though....maybe the moss will rebound...it's still pretty early yet, and the branch that's closer to the water's surface has most of it's moss still alive and doing well! 

More pics to come a little later today!


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## Fishies_in_Philly

I always wondered if you had enough humidity to sustain life above the tank. I see a modified humidifier turned fogger project in your future don....lol it would look cool having fog drop down from the canopy. Like the mountain fog moving into the lowlands


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## antbug

Beautiful update Don. The tank is lookin' great!


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## nonconductive

We find our songs in fashion magazines
We read the story in the morning paper


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## @[email protected]

that emersed pink plant, thats althernanathera? 
in 2 months when i make my betta sorority into a riparium, im gonna be on your case for a clipping of it, lol
it looks stunning. as does the rest of the tank.


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## ChadRamsey

wow, i love all the changes. I really dig this tank. great job


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## crazydaz

Thank you Anthony!! She's turned a bit of a corner and is entering "maturation" now. Many of the algae issues I was having are just starting to disappear on their own without me having to do much at all. A little peroxide here and there. That's about it.

Non Con-Howdy and thank you for "getting it."  I knew that I could count on you; well played, Sir!

Marko--That is Alternanthera! Got it from Devin a few months ago....I think he sent me 6-8 stems, maybe more, for about $6 or $7 bucks....it grows on the trellis raft very well for me, though you could plant it into a hanging planter if you wanted to. I would be happy to send you a few clippings, along with your buce cuttings, if you would like. If you are going to be buying from Devin, you will get more just buying it from him, though. PM me and let me know what you would like me to do!

Chad, thank you! The overgrowth was nice for clearing up the algae, but it was growing pretty tall about 18" from the front of the tank that you couldn't even really see the back at all. What's the point of having a square tank if you don't have the depth? So, I knew that it was time to do some rearranging. Surprising, aside from topping some of the plants, I didn't actually get rid of any more than a handful of stems. I just yanked, topped, and replanted the grouping a bit closer together or in better areas of the tank. It's the advantage of using Hygro's for most of my stems....they got moved closer to the back of the tank, but they'll keep growing regardless if they are in some "shade" or in bright light. I'm hoping that some will go emerged and cover up some of the space in the very, and in front of the Manzy trunks. I would be nice to have more leaves there instead of simple LFS. And some white mold. 

A while back, Toksyn sent me some Hygrolon to try out on a few of my Manzy branches, which I readily agreed to! I added to two different branches: one on the "right" side that sits about 5" above the water line at it's highest point, though it does arch into the water, and another branch that pretty much stays in direct contact with the water for about a good 2/3's of it's length before rising up. This is where my Ant Plant is located.

First, I cut strips of the Hygrolon that were a bit smaller that the branch, and applied TillyTac to where I was going to put the Hygrolon on. Next, I added the Hygrolon material, and wrapped the branch with black cotton thread so it would adhere to the rough shape of the branch. I let it dry for a good 24 hrs. TillyTac is great stuff, but if you don't let it fully cure, it will turn white when exposed to constant moisture. I removed the thread using a razor blade, and added some plants along with LFS and moss species that Toksyn had sent along as well. Here are the results:

"Tall branch" on the right side of the tank:









And here is the other branch that remains in contact with the water for most of it's length:



























I have Saleginella species and some java moss growing submersed to immersed where each branch meets the water, and well as LFS to wick water up onto the Hygrolon. The Hygrolon then wicks water up its entire length, allowing water to, in turn, wick into the LFS that is on top of the Hygrolon. I have to say, I'm pretty impressed so far! The Hygrolon stays moist constantly, which is great for my plants. The moss species that Toksyn generously sent along do fine on the branch with the Ant Plant, and most of the moss has died off on the other branch. I attribute this more to the incredible dry air in my house then I do the Hygolon in any way. Maybe over time, the Hygrolon will become seeded with moss....I added the material only a few weeks before Christmas, so I'll keep tabs on it. The mystery vine that I received is doing really well; it kept it's hairs, turned a nice gold and orange color, and seems to be producing a stem that is growing vertically. Anyone know what this is??

In short, I'm pretty happy with the stuff, and will be using it on my new set up and on additional areas on my Manzy branches too. Makes my life easier, and the plants seem to like it! It's a no-brainer.

One more question: anyone know what "this" is? I have about at least a dozen of these things popping up on my moist areas, but I haven't a clue as to what they are:










Any experts out there care to guess what on Earth these curious things are popping up all over the place?? I'm NOT concerned at the moment....just curious.

All right....Set #2 of pics. Will post more tomorrow...

Crypt Patch of Metallic Red. IT'S GLORIOUS!! :hihi: 









Here's that "Mystery Sagittaria" that I got from AaronT. Hoping that it will spread and give a nice contrast to the R. Metallic:









The whole meatball, head on:









Just the Top, head on:









Just the Bottom, head on:









Just the Bottom head on, closer in on the right side:









The Bottom head on, closer in on the middle section:









Once again, the Bottom head on, closer in on the left section:









These last three were not easily shot.....the light from the pendant reflects off of me, so I was seeing myself in all these shots at first. Now, I'm a handsome guy, and all (tee!), but I don't like photobombing my own pics, so I had to tape black trash bags to block out all of the light from the top of the tank upwards to the pendant.

From the stairs looking down:









Thanks all! Please comment or critique!!


----------



## toksyn

I'm glad it's all working out and glorious is definitely how I would describe your tank. Beautiful results!


----------



## fishykid1

Damn that's just incredible!!! Beautiful tank!


----------



## Jiinx

Wow, don! I'm so speechless. Did you ever imagine you could create such a beautiful underwater artwork? I love your crypt photo! I especially love how you created depth with your rocks!


----------



## crazydaz

Thanks Fishykid! I appreciate the compliments! It's been worth staying patient with it, and it is a test of remaining consistent in the care and maintenance of the set up. It pays to not lose your head if there are small problems, like algae formation or something like that. Is never as bad as you think it is initially, just like anything else.

Hi Jiinx! Thank you!! It's been nice to see it start turning around and get the growth and color I was imagining. On that note, of course I had hoped (and had predicted) that the bottom part of the tank would catch up in aesthetic appeal to the top eventually. I hope that it surpasses the top, and I think that it will given enough time. I think that if you don't set out to achieve a step or two beyond where you left off the last time, you are underachieving. Never aim for something commonplace or ordinary, or do what someone else has already done, unless you can gain something from it, right? 

Thanks for posting on the thread, both of you!


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## ADAtank

dont know why but the word "swamp thing" comes to mind when i se this tank


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## Centromochlus

crazydaz said:


> Here's that "Mystery Sagittaria" that I got from AaronT. Hoping that it will spread and give a nice contrast to the R. Metallic:


Looks similar to _Lilaeopsis chinensis_... maybe?


----------



## crazydaz

No, it's definitely a Sagittaria species, Philip! That's my fault...I should have taken a picture of it before I had planted it. It does look like it could be Lilaeopsis chinensis from that angle. Sorry about that! 

ADA-- not sure why you think "swamp thing"! :hihi: but, why not? There is a ton of Spanish moss hanging down for the branches, the water is tannin stained, lots of crypts.....seems like a reasonable comparison! I think that the addition of some IAL's would have been a nice touch.


----------



## AaronT

AzFishKid said:


> Looks similar to _Lilaeopsis chinensis_... maybe?


No, it has much wider leaves than chinensis. We collected chinensis 4 years ago and this Sagittaria we only just found last summer. We're pretty certain it's Sagittaria calycina. It grows slow, but it's really nice stuff.


----------



## keithy

absolutely dig the red patch of crypts and all the S.repens surrounding them. Looks very natural.


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## crazydaz

Aaron.....how slow is "slow" for this Sag? 

Thanks Keithy!! Eventually, and the Sagittaria species fill in, I'll start yanking the Staurogyne out. The tank really isn't "supposed" to look like a perfect aquascape; rather, it's meant to blend in with the top of the tank. A little disorder will help that, and "time" will cause that to happen. But, I'm also not going for a "chaotic" look to it either, and it was beginning to look that way pre-trim and rearranging that I did a few days ago. I don't want a wall of stems blocking the view to the back of the tank.

Will be in Lexington this week, and we could do an early lunch around 11:00am on Wednesday. PM me, if you are available Keith!


----------



## AaronT

crazydaz said:


> Aaron.....how slow is "slow" for this Sag?


New runners every month or so. Slow and steady.


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## Centromochlus

Oh well, it was worth a shot.  Nice plant!


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## Fishies_in_Philly

crazydaz said:


> I think that if you don't set out to achieve a step or two beyond where you left off the last time, you are underachieving. Never aim for something commonplace or ordinary, or do what someone else has already done, unless you can gain something from it, right?


well said Don!! and by the way, if you were to actually put some time and effort, this would be a nice looking tank 

awesome buddy. i love looking at this tank. can you just put it on live webcam? it would be easier for all of us.....LOL

oh, and i'm gonna need more product review on that hygrolon for the 125 palu rebuild. i haves me some idears for that stuff


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## 2in10

Outstanding reincarnation, love the emersed island.


----------



## keithy

crazydaz said:


> Thanks Keithy!! Eventually, and the Sagittaria species fill in, I'll start yanking the Staurogyne out. The tank really isn't "supposed" to look like a perfect aquascape; rather, it's meant to blend in with the top of the tank. A little disorder will help that, and "time" will cause that to happen. But, I'm also not going for a "chaotic" look to it either, and it was beginning to look that way pre-trim and rearranging that I did a few days ago. I don't want a wall of stems blocking the view to the back of the tank.


I'll see you soon my friend. When you're ready to yank the Staurogyne, let me know. I may take some off your hands. 

This tank has not fully matured yet, but it have so much potential. When everything blends in with the hardscapes it would be breathtaking, just like your last stem tank. It is already beautiful with the way it is now. I really enjoy the "above and below" water effect, not to mention the colors and foliage textures of the different varieties all coming together. You made it seem easy. Great work buddy!


----------



## crazydaz

Aaron---that's great news! That's about as fast as I can handle!! 

Philip, no worries! Like I said, I should have taken a pic before I had planted it. Maybe I'll send you some in a few months. 

Hey Bill....thanks! Webcam of my tank.....not a bad idea!! lol!! Feel free to PM me to get more info and my opinions on the Hygrolon. I'll be happy to discuss it with you more!

Thanks 2in10! Nice to see you pop in again bud!! It's been a while!

Keith.....look forward to grabbin' a bite to eat on Tuesday. I'll let you know about the Staurogyne, but it will be a while.

I agree with you about the tank. It should get better and better as time goes on. There should be buce's, thread-leaf java fern, and anubia species covering most of the Seriyu stone and going up the submersed manzy branches, tons of mature crypts and various stems either filling in the background or growing above the water line and flowering, and the Sag should form a nice natural looking lawn. At least, that's what I'm hoping for! It's not as hard as it might seem, though....sure, there are (and were) some hard days with setup, re-planting or rearranging, and stuff like that. But, the "top" part requires little maintenance except for daily watering of the "non-epiphytes" or twice-per-week misting of the epitphytes....that's not too hard. The "bottom" of the tank requires daily feeding, some ferts in the water column, and maybe a twice-per-week five gallon water change. Some minor trimming every so often. Nothing that hard, really. Maybe an hour or an hour and a half every week, I would guess. 

Compare that to my last set up where I would spend up to 8 hours in *one day* doing massive trimmings, plant packages, re-plants, and so on. This system is easier in many ways!! 

Last set up pictures for a little bit. I'm getting the camera fixed. My lovely wife accidentally dropped it, and it broke one of mirrors in the camera, so we are trying to have it repaired. I may just have to get a new one, I guess. 

Feel free to comment and critique, and thanks for taking time to look everyone!!

One of my favorite parts of this tank are the "valleys" between the Seriyu stone peninsulas. Here is the one on the left side, by the Red Metallic patch:









Here is the other one on the right side....you can see the newly planted "true" Sagittaria subulata:









Shot of the Alternanthera along with a Tilly and a micro fern in the background:









Shot of the left side of the tank:









Nurii mutated:









Dischidia sp. "Geri" flowers:









Right Oblique:









Closer in:









The "undergrowth"....one of the coolest parts of the tank, but it doesn't photo well unless you are zoomed in on it:









The branches on the right side....you can see the obvious differences between those who have Hygrolon and those who don't. I think that most will have Hygrolon on them as time progresses....:









Top down (my perspective and eye level):









Macro lens shot of Hygro polysperma "sunset":


----------



## hydrophyte

It looks like that _Hygrophila_ in the riparium background has flowers on it. If you get a chance can you get a pictures closer up of that plant?

Great contrast of textures in this shot below that I quote.

I think that that "orchid flowers" is likely some other kind of plant. Do you have _Dischidia_ in here?




crazydaz said:


>


----------



## @[email protected]

that is some intense sunset hygro. very very nice.
bet that thing still needs tons of trimming. i had it in one of my scapes and it needed to be trimmed at least once a week or it would undercut all the other plants.


----------



## crazydaz

Hi Devin! Thanks for pointing that out....I fixed it. I just turned in my camera to get it fixed so I won't be able to take pics of it for a little while. But I will! There are blue flowers on it on both sides.

Thanks Marko! It doesn't really need to be trimmed to often....about a "handful" comes out every few weeks. In my last set up, it needed more attention!


----------



## infamouz23

I gotta say that your tank is absolutely amazing and makes me look forward to setting my tank in the future. Just gotta wait til new carpet gets installed for my house. :frown:


----------



## kwheeler91

Filling in nicely bro. I wasnt sure how i felt about this version at first since the last was so freakin awesome, but its turning out fantastic! All you need to do now is stop buying all those crypts and buces for updates and making it look like your growing them so well...


----------



## 2in10

Wow more lovely shots.

I kind of got worn out on the forums and keeping up tank threads. I seemed to be re-energized for now.


----------



## n00dl3

The tank is coming together really nice. I think once everything filled in, it will be awesome!


----------



## crazydaz

infamouz23--Thank you!! House comes first, then hobbies! Are you a Detroit transplant too? Whereabouts?

kwheeler--Thanks for the advice, man! :hihi: That's my secret...I just plant another half-dozen of everything in between photo ops. lol!! Frank's MTS and Devin's root tabs are some pretty powerful things!! I have the easy job....just some minor tweaking from time to time.

2in10! I hear you...it can be difficult to remain so intense about anything. Glad that you took a break from it for a while. Now, get back to it!!!

Noodle--  Thank you kindly! It has plenty more to go, for certain! I could use that Sagittaria to fill in some of those blank areas around the crypts...and as much I like the Seriyu stone, I really got it so it would fill in with buces.


----------



## Wingsdlc

Wow! Unreal tank! The colors are out of this world. Need to read through the whole thread.


----------



## rainbuilder

I can't find in this thread what the whitish curly dangly plant is... So what is it? Awesome tank!


----------



## crazydaz

Thanks Wingsdlc!! Read up now before it becomes too long! Most of its pictures anyways! 

Hi rainbuilder! That is just a type of Spanish Moss. I think the species name is "circulito." The complete name is Tillandsia usenoides "circulito"


----------



## Lurch98

rainbuilder said:


> I can't find in this thread what the whitish curly dangly plant is... So what is it? Awesome tank!


The spanish moss?


----------



## rainbuilder

Oh! Neat! I figured it was some kind of tillandsia.

The riparium-ish part of this tank is really cool. I think I like this version of the tank better than the previous one already!


----------



## zzrguy

Looking good.


----------



## crazydaz

Thanks Rainbuilder!  I thought that the Spanish Moss would add some additional interest to the layout. Glad that you like it! Keep checking back...this tank should keep getting better and better without me really having to do much else other than fertilizing and doing some minor trim work. Just has to keep growing! I do have additional plants on the way for both the top and bottom this week, so I look forward to adding those.

zzrguy! Thank you!!


----------



## NWA-Planted

Gorgeous....sub'd can't believe i hadn't already!!!!

Sorry if i missed it somewhere, but what are the dimensions on this tank?

Sent from a dark corner in my happy place


----------



## crazydaz

Thank you Sir!  lol!! No problem, NWA....for as much time as I'm on here, I still am coming across cool new things and posts.

The tank if 4'x4'x20"Tall, or approx. 200 gallons.


----------



## NWA-Planted

Very nice!! And you didn't need any eurobracing?

Sent from a dark corner in my happy place


----------



## pweifan

Hey Don, maybe I missed the explanation, but do you mind telling me how your filtration works? I'm particularly interested in how you keep the emerged plants watered. Thanks!


----------



## crazydaz

NWA---nope, just corner-bracing. I wish that I didn't even have that, but it sure beats Euro-bracing!!

Pweifan---I'm not quite sure what you mean by my filtration. The tank is filtered using an FX5 filter, but like most filters, it's really there for water circulation, too. I also circulate the water using two Hydor Korelia pumps, and I run water separately through UV sterilizer and a CO2 needle wheel pump. So, in addition to the FX5 and the riparium and aquatic plants keeping the water "filtered" and clean, I also have a total of five pumps providing water circulation, which is key.

The terrestrial plants are kept moist by me manually either misting them or pouring water over them using a bottle. I usually pour water over anything that is growing on LFSphagnum moss once or twice per day if I'm at home, though this is probably "overkill"; and I mist the plants when I mist the Tilly and Bromeliad species once or twice per week. SOME branches have a sheet of Hygrolon that I've attached which does a great job of wicking tank water up and keeping those areas appreciably damp. I will be re-doing additional branches using the Hygrolon as well.

I suppose that I could add a MistKing and/or a fogger and likely wouldn't have to manually do any watering. May be a project for down the road. We'll see!


----------



## orchidman

crazydaz said:


> NWA---nope, just corner-bracing. I wish that I didn't even have that, but it sure beats Euro-bracing!!
> 
> Pweifan---I'm not quite sure what you mean by my filtration. The tank is filtered using an FX5 filter, but like most filters, it's really there for water circulation, too. I also circulate the water using two Hydor Korelia pumps, and I run water separately through UV sterilizer and a CO2 needle wheel pump. So, in addition to the FX5 and the riparium and aquatic plants keeping the water "filtered" and clean, I also have a total of five pumps providing water circulation, which is key.
> 
> The terrestrial plants are kept moist by me manually either misting them or pouring water over them using a bottle. I usually pour water over anything that is growing on LFSphagnum moss once or twice per day if I'm at home, though this is probably "overkill"; and I mist the plants when I mist the Tilly and Bromeliad species once or twice per week. SOME branches have a sheet of Hygrolon that I've attached which does a great job of wicking tank water up and keeping those areas appreciably damp. I will be re-doing additional branches using the Hygrolon as well.
> 
> I suppose that I could add a MistKing and/or a fogger and likely wouldn't have to manually do any watering. May be a project for down the road. We'll see!


 WHERE DID YOU FIND HYGROLON!?!??!?!?!?!


----------



## pweifan

Thanks for the detailed explanation! I'd really love to go for a more automated setup in my next tank so I'm always looking for good examples.


----------



## crazydaz

Bob---talk to Toksyn; he carries it now.

Wei---my pleasure! Bill suggested that u set up a fogger using a humidifier like Len did in his set up, so I may steal the idea for my own! It may mean that I won't have to constantly be pouring tank water on my plants everyday.


----------



## 11f150

We should have another meet at AC sometime...I finally got a new setup up and running after moving in my new house. Your tank is awesome Don


----------



## crazydaz

Thanks a bunch 11f150. We could meet up at AC...you should think about joining up with TankOutlaws.com; we're arranging for a meeting up in Clarksville sometime in March. Would be great to see you!


----------



## 11f150

crazydaz said:


> Thanks a bunch 11f150. We could meet up at AC...you should think about joining up with TankOutlaws.com; we're arranging for a meeting up in Clarksville sometime in March. Would be great to see you!


I joined tankoutlaws back in December and just have looked around a bit. Ill post more on there and probably start a build thread. Im on MTRC right now with my thread, just have to decide if I want to have 2 going lol


----------



## pirayaman

im still mad you tore down the first tank.


----------



## pirayaman

what is the ground cover (low red plant) in the original tank. man that has to be one of the best looking tanks i ever saw. a true master


----------



## crazydaz

Only two threads going? THAT'S NOTHING, 11f150!! 

Pirayaman--If you had to keep my schedule, you would understand why I decided to go with a lower maintenance tank, bro! 8hr maintenance days?? Come on! I want a hobby, not another job!  And I still think that this current set up will be superior to the last set up.

The foreground was Rotala mexicana "goias." Not many people can get it to look like that.  (Sometimes you do have to pat yourself on the back!)


----------



## whitepapagold

Everytime I see this tank I wish I could grow out of the water on mine...

Just awesome!

Im with you on the low maintenance reality... I barely want to feed the fish or change the water... Let alone trim the plants!


----------



## 11f150

crazydaz said:


> Only two threads going? THAT'S NOTHING, 11f150!!


 
haha yeah I know some people have like alot going on. I did make a thread the other day on tankoutlaws


----------



## crazydaz

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQ7b0pdBseQ

This is best viewed in HD 1080 and maximize the screen, if you want to.

I was able to rig a cool mist humidifier with a piece of PVC from the emitter, from there, I connected a piece of tubing that led from the PVC "outlet" up the back of the tank, and connect the other end to an open-ended spray bar that I wasn't using. I connected the spray bar to a piece of Manzanita wood in order to hide it the spray bar/equipment. Due to the high amount of growth from Hydrophyte77's riparium planters, it is difficult to see ANY equipment in the back of the tank.

I decided to do this to help increase the humidity levels a bit and stimulate some more moss and plant growth above the water.....we'll see if it has any impact.

The idea for this came from Ibacha on TPT.net, who got the idea for it from another user.


----------



## NWA-Planted

crazydaz said:


> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQ7b0pdBseQ
> 
> This is best viewed in HD 1080 and maximize the screen, if you want to.
> 
> I was able to rig a cool mist humidifier with a piece of PVC from the emitter, from there, I connected a piece of tubing that led from the PVC "outlet" up the back of the tank, and connect the other end to an open-ended spray bar that I wasn't using. I connected the spray bar to a piece of Manzanita wood in order to hide it the spray bar/equipment. Due to the high amount of growth from Hydrophyte77's riparium planters, it is difficult to see ANY equipment in the back of the tank.
> 
> I decided to do this to help increase the humidity levels a bit and stimulate some more moss and plant growth above the water.....we'll see if it has any impact.
> 
> The idea for this came from Ibacha on TPT.net, who got the idea for it from another user.


OMG love it!!!!! That humidifier setup is absolutely sweet!!!

Have tolet us know how it works!!!

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2


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## Fishies_in_Philly

Very,VERY cool Don! It just gets better and better  nice job!!


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## @[email protected]

it looks REALLY cool.
however, i wouldnt leave it on all the time. i believe some tillandsias dont like too high humidity.


----------



## izabella87

crazydaz said:


> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQ7b0pdBseQ
> 
> This is best viewed in HD 1080 and maximize the screen, if you want to.
> 
> I was able to rig a cool mist humidifier with a piece of PVC from the emitter, from there, I connected a piece of tubing that led from the PVC "outlet" up the back of the tank, and connect the other end to an open-ended spray bar that I wasn't using. I connected the spray bar to a piece of Manzanita wood in order to hide it the spray bar/equipment. Due to the high amount of growth from Hydrophyte77's riparium planters, it is difficult to see ANY equipment in the back of the tank.
> 
> I decided to do this to help increase the humidity levels a bit and stimulate some more moss and plant growth above the water.....we'll see if it has any impact.
> 
> The idea for this came from Ibacha on TPT.net, who got the idea for it from another user.



Now this tank has a lil "je ne sais quoi" of sleepy hollow ambiance  I like how artistic this all is !!


----------



## crazydaz

Gary--Thanks!!  I will keep you all posted on what happens over the next month or so. I'm hoping for some good things. The placement of the "out spout" is as good as I can get: not too high where it would negatively impact the Tillandsia; not too low where it would be useless to some of the other tropical species, such as the ficus, the vines, and some of the emergents that are either present....or will be present.... 

Bill--Thank you! And thank you for your help with this. I knew that Lenny had done this before in his tank with GREAT results, but I wasn't sure of the humidifier he had used. You nailed it, perfectly! Not sure if Grimm used the same one or not. But, it works great, at least for the effect!

Thanks Marko!! Yeah, I am kinda blasting it right now because I'm uber excited about it. I think that the plan I have is to have it come on each day four times for about an hour or so: once about an hour after all the lights have come on; once about 2/3's the way through the day, once right after the lights turn off, and once a few hours after that. The outlet for the mist is not too high up in the set up, and falls immediately to cascade over some of the tropical species, and there isn't much in the way of Tillandsia getting the direct effect. It's really dry in this house, and I don't imagine that this will raise the humidity much more than a few % at the height where the Tilly's are. I'll keep an eye on it. Thanks for the tip, though!!!

Thanks Izabella! It adds an element of mystery to it.....not sure if I can say I planned it to be that way. You have better eyes and creativity than I do!!


----------



## @[email protected]

your explanation has me less worried for the tillies now, but it does ring a bell when you talk about turning it on after lights out. most sources say houseplants and terrariums should be misted in the morning, not evening, since it takes longer for the water to evaporate off the plant in the evening, and that increases the chance of rot. i dont know how significant that effect will be with a humidifier vs a squirt bottle though. just sharing my thoughts on the subject.


----------



## crazydaz

YES!! THANK YOU, Marko!! I remember that to, now....same thing with your lawn at your house!! Water in the morning, or something? It makes sense! I'll be sure to keep that in mind when I start using the timer. Thank YOU for sharing!!


----------



## pirayaman

crazydaz u are my new god. i must have missed the new pics last time i was looking threw this epic thread. my brain cant even funtion when i look at the new tank design. so much going on. planted tank overload for sure.


----------



## Wolf19

Good sir, I have just started reading this tread and looking through the photos. I am simply amazed and inspired. I will be starting my own planted tank in the next month or so, and can only hope to achieve 1/10th of this success.


----------



## crazydaz

lol! Thanks Pirayaman!! That's a bit high of a pedestal I think!  I'm happy that you like it that much, though! It's nice when your efforts are appreciated, always! Thank you!

Wolf19--Thank you! I hope that you will surpass me and everyone else here! Once you get the hang of things, this hobby becomes increasingly more fun to do. Just be patient and enjoy yourself!


----------



## pirayaman

crazydaz ive seen alot of tank and planted and award tanks and that first on the composition could crush them. so people use rocks and drift wood. to make a tank great that first tank to me was just plants in their glory. im a landscape biz owner and you have brought me a new inspiration. for my company. honestly if i had all the money in the world id be bored and would do what i do for free. you should enter these tanks in a contest or something. do it for the love of it then send a pic. your vision should be seen by everyone. theres not a price on art work like that. its alive


----------



## NWA-Planted

*Re: Crazydaz's Square 200G RIPARIUM Strikes Back! 1/23/13: Video added!*

We may need to slow down... We are going to bloat his ego to epic proportions 

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2


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## keithy

pirayaman said:


> you should enter these tanks in a contest or something. do it for the love of it then send a pic. your vision should be seen by everyone. theres not a price on art work like that. its alive



Don, I think I have to agree with what he said ....... for the love of it bro.


----------



## crazydaz

Pirayaman--It's interesting that you mention landscaping. I used to work at a nursery myself for a few years. Took care of plants, did a lot of landscaping, and dug holes. A lot of holes.  But, I think what I learned on that job has come in pretty handy when it comes to tank set up. How to plan to use plants, what they will look like as they mature, how look for and use different leaf textures, how to create natural focal points, and so forth. I owe a lot of my basic design technique to landscaping. It's nice to be able to utilize plants (or "Nature" in general) to form something nice to look at!

Gary--No ego! I know that there is always someone out there that is better than I am in just about everything. I appreciate the compliments and kind words, but it wouldn't do me any good to let any of that go to my head. It's "just" a fish tank, after all. It's fun, educational, and relaxing. That's why I do it. There's always someone better. Probably many "someone's," in fact.

Keith---Yeah, I'm not the type to enter these things into contests. I won Tank of the Month for my local club about half a year ago. That was neat. I just don't like feeling that everything that I do for my hobby is subjected to criticism by a few people who decide these types of things based on their opinions. Besides, this really isn't a technical "aquascape." It's an amalgamation, and I wouldn't have a clue as to how to enter it into a contest.


----------



## Wolf19

Simple question. How many hours do you run your lights for, and do you use a pH controller for the CO2 injection or just 1 hour on before lights and 30mins off before lights off?


----------



## crazydaz

Hi Wolf!

The lights turn on and off in sets of three to "simulate" dawn and dusk. The first set of three come on at 7:00am, and all lights are running by 9:00am. All lights run until 5:00pm, then the first set turns off at that time, and all lights are off by 6:00pm. This is kind of temporary....I will be gradually increasing that over the coming months to have the lights come on a bit later in the morning, perhaps 8:00am or 8:30am, and run until about 9:30pm.

I do not use a pH controller, nor do I perform any direct testing of the water parameters either. Observation of any problems or issues is enough info for me to act upon. 

The CO2 comes on at about 8:15am right now, and turns off at about 5:15pm. I've found nothing to indicate that turning the CO2 off or leaving it on has any additional benefit OR deleterious effect after the lights turn off. I don't believe that turning it on prior to the lighting has any additional benefit either. I've tried, but I just don't see how it does anything except waste CO2.


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## keithy

you are very humble my friend. Many people, including myself see your tank as an inspiration. Thanks for sharing it.


----------



## Wolf19

Thanks again for answering my questions. Trying to soak up as much information as I can while preparing for my planted tank (Journal to come as soon as the tank stand building begins).

I had a few conversations with people that suggested a pH controller is important to prevent fluctuations...my personal thought was that in nature the pH is likely to naturally swing. (Maybe more important with plenty of fish in the tank, not sure tho)

I appreciate you taking the time to answer questions.


----------



## crazydaz

Thank you Keithy! There are so many good tanks and systems on here; it would be foolish of me to be anything but humble.

Wolf--you're quite welcome! I'm always happy to help, or offer my advice/opinion. I don't find the need for a pH meter in a planted tank. I suppose that it might be a good safeguard, just like a UV sterilizer is, but I don't believe that you "need" one. pH fluctuations are normal, even drastic pH swings are normal for these fish out in The Wild. I don't think that going from pH 6.8 to pH 6.0 or 6.1 overnight is that big a deal. If you are worried, simply add an airstone and have a pump pushing O2 through the airstone at night after the CO2 goes off. If you're having massive pH swings, something is terribly, terribly wrong with your system. I don't think that most people will ever experience such issues with their tanks, though, under normal conditions with even regular, minimal maintenance.


----------



## Jiinx

Wise choice for a teacher  I've learned immensely from him!! GREAT guy Don is!


----------



## DogFish

Don - i really like the mist effect. Just subscribed on youtube.


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## NWA-Planted

*Re: Crazydaz's Square 200G RIPARIUM Strikes Back! 1/23/13: Video added!*

Makes me want to duplicate this setup so bad that misting effect is just sweet!!

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2


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## crazydaz

Thank you, Jiinx!  I'm over-joyed to hear that things are going better with your tank!! You're patience (crosses fingers) seems to be paying off very well now! You should be proud of yourself!!

Frank....thank you for subscribing!  I'm going to try to do one more video tomorrow or Sunday showing the aquatic part. I'm also changing my lights tomorrow or Sunday, too, to the 16 bulb system. Should be intense!

Gary....go ahead!! It's easy enough! If I can do it, anyone can. You just have to be creative as to where you hide the output for the "fog"; it has to be discreet, or else it just ruins it.

Camera's ready for pick up! Should be able to take and post pics next week, ad nauseum.


----------



## crazydaz

New lights!! I finally hung them with the help of "Mrs. Don" and a "BrayN." Two fixtures, eight HO T5 bulbs a piece, so 16 bulbs total which is four more than my old fixture. I took a few pictures, but will get some more done tomorrow....I think this really says it all:










Looks a little bizarre, but the spectrum is pretty nice looking:


















Here is it with four bulbs on:









More to come tomorrow.........Pretty burned out. Long day!


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## Jiinx

wow....that looks amazing, Don. 

I'm pretty sure they can see the glow of those lights from space  hehe


----------



## BrayN

*Re: Crazydaz's Square 200G RIPARIUM Strikes Back! 2/3/13 GO! GO TO THE LIGHT(s)!!!!!!*

There's enough light coming out of those things to fry your retinas lol.

It was nice meeting you and "Mrs. Don" today, I enjoyed it very much. Thanks again, Don.


----------



## nonconductive

thats a lot of light!


----------



## crazydaz

Thanks Sarah! I like the sleek, "finished" look of it. And, they work well. I will have to keep my eye on it and see how everything responds. I don't want to burn anything, but it is also a little bit higher than my last lights were too. We'll see what happens.

Yes, BrayN, you would know!! Thanks for stopping by and helping! I hope that you use the old light well for it's parts.

NC--It is! I would rather have too much than not enough. Plus, there's an industrial aesthetic to the fixture, and you should know how much I like Industrial!


----------



## @[email protected]

the lights are very pink overall. bet it brings the reds out very nicely.


----------



## Obakemono

Wow! Like the lights Don. What brand are they?


----------



## antbug

Obakemono said:


> Wow! Like the lights Don. What brand are they?


They look like TEK's to me. 

Nice upgrade bro! Tank looks great as always.


----------



## crazydaz

Thank you Gentlemen (Marko, Obakemono, and Antbug)!! 

Obakemono---Just like Anthony said, they are TEK's. TEK "Elite" 8's. I got them during the half-off sale. Stayed up most of the night to get 'em back on Black Friday. Totally. Worth. It! lol!! So much nicer looking than the big, white, bulky-looking pendant I had up. It completes the room. All I need now are to replace to curtain rods with a darker wood to match the book cases, throw some books and some manzy branches up on a few shelves, and that room will be finished. One room down......11 to go (right!.....).


----------



## speedie408

Got light?  I think you got every spectrum on the rainbow covered Don. 

Looks awesome!


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## hydrophyte

Wow that's some amazing lights!


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## crazydaz

:hihi: LOL!! Thanks Nick! You can't miss a wavelength of the spectrum if you have a fixture and bulbs that give you all of them! Ha!! I gotta keep that Buce "variegated" variegated!

Thanks Devin! They are really sleek and look much better in person! Great lines!


----------



## ua hua

I haven't been one here for awhile but I always have to check up on your tank and it looks beautiful as usual. What type are the red bulbs. Are they the UVL red sun?


----------



## @[email protected]

crazydaz said:


> :hihi: LOL!! Thanks Nick! You can't miss a wavelength of the spectrum if you have a fixture and bulbs that give you all of them! Ha!! I gotta keep that Buce "variegated" variegated!


give us a pic of this variegated buce.


----------



## mrkookm

@[email protected] said:


> give us a pic of this variegated buce.


I'm curious about this one as well.....


----------



## crazydaz

Ua hua! I know....haven't seen you around for a little bit. Thanks for dropping by!  Yes, those are UVL Red Suns. From what I read online here and elsewhere, they are supposed to be a little annoying to look at. And though they are a bit "eye-catching," I don't find them to be a distraction. Yet.

Marko and Mr. Kookm--OK, I'll try to get a picture posted tonight!

UPDATE: So far, so good with the new lights. I'm starting to see tints of red in some leaves....new growth on other plants, and no noticeable issues yet regarding algae or anything like that. I keep my water column pretty lean on the nutrient load regarding ferts and food, so I wouldn't expect algae issues. That said, I'll feel a lot better once a few weeks have passed and things are still looking fine.

Took some new pics yesterday and the day before with the new lighting. Feel free to comment or ask questions!

Click to enlarge!!





































Crypt leaves:









Crypt nurii:









Metallic Red Patch:









Starting to get some nice moss growth on some of the manzanita branches:









Noticing some nicer colors on the tillandsia species just down to the center left:









Front of the tank, left side.....incredibly, this is with ONLY four bulbs running:









Left side of the tank...again only four bulbs running;









Front of the tank, center:









Nice shot of some of the plant species....there are many species in this one shot...buce's, crypts, lileopsis, sagittaria, persicaria, ludwigia, alternanthera, staurogyne, anubias:









Front of the tank, right side:









Top of the tank....at "dusk"...


















Closer look at a branch....the original vine grew a new shoot, which is what is in the picture on the moss, and the old vine died....odd:









Thanks for looking!


----------



## toksyn

*Re: Crazydaz's Square 200G RIPARIUM Strikes Back! NEW PICS 2/6/13!!*

I'm going to need some of that red Affinis man. Looking great!


----------



## crazydaz

Thanks Toksyn! As you can see, I have plenty! 

Here is the Buce "variegated" that I got from Xue a few months ago:

Side view doesn't reveal too much of the variegation, but you can sure tell that it likes where it is. I'm hoping that the new lighting will perk it up a bit more:









From the top, you can see more of the variegation on some of the leaves:


----------



## hydrophyte

That lighting seems to bring out such a wide range of color in the plant foliage.


----------



## nonconductive

love the fog rolling off the water


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## hydrophyte

This would be another good tank for a magazine article.


----------



## orchidman

Your pictures are so vibrant!!!! Amazing! The fog looks crazy awesome, and I'm sure the orchids and broms love it!!


----------



## hydrophyte

I wondered Don have you seen any new growth from that Spanish moss?


----------



## NWA-Planted

*Re: Crazydaz's Square 200G RIPARIUM Strikes Back! NEW PICS 2/6/13!!*

The song smoke on the water kept popping into my head, this tank looks outstanding Don, simply outstanding!

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2


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## crazydaz

Devin--Yes, the bulbs have perked things up very nicely, and I'm really enjoying this set up in a new way now! It's almost like having my last set up with the high intensity lighting. I'm getting my Ludwigia grandulosa x palustris to blush and start turning red. I'll try to grab a pic of it soon. Pretty cool!

Like I said on a different thread, I alternate between being curious to try submitting this tank to a magazine, and then feeling a little embarrassed about it. I like the compliments, but I'm not very good at accepting them. I'm a little better than I used to be, but still not great. I'm not even sure where I would even start....This isn't an ADA tank, and that's about the only magazine that I know. You were recently published, Devin, if I remember correctly......I read that article, and I think that I still have it on my iPad still....

I would appreciate the guidance! 

And...."YES"!! That Spanish Moss grows quickly! I just usually wrap some of the hanging parts around the branch it's on a few times. I may have to start trimming it. Some of it dangles down into the water as well, which looks neat.

NC!! I love the fog....especially now! After manually watering the plants every day, the new lights do add some additional radiant heat, increasing the evaporation rate, so by the end of the day it just looks like a thick haze hanging over the top of the tank, and a thick fog on top of the water. You can watch the convection happen as the fog comes out, gets a little warm, and starts rising up towards the lighting. NEAT!! 

Thanks Bob!! I'm loving the effect, and the new colors! New leaves on most of my buce's are turning red or coppery colored. I am also getting better colors now in some of my Tillandsia species, and one just started throwing out a bloom. Curiously, I have yet to see ANY of my orchids bloom, but that's alright. I started fertilizing a bit more, so that should help (eventually) produce some blooms. You know that I'll be snapping pictures as soon as I get any new flowers on anything!

NWA--I have to admit that I found myself thinking that too, this past weekend.  I couldn't get it out of my head for a solid day. Now, it'll be in my head again. lol! Thanks man!! Hope that you are doing well!!


----------



## NWA-Planted

*Re: Crazydaz's Square 200G RIPARIUM Strikes Back! NEW PICS 2/6/13!!*

Well you should think that, you have done an amazing job!!

Things are good here, have nightmares due to dead space 3, upcoming shoulder surgery, and just waiting for tax returns so i can start building my tank!!!!

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2


----------



## orchidman

That's great about the tillys! Which orchids did you get again? Orchids can take longer between blooms then other plants, depending on the type.


----------



## Obakemono

Wait, are you saying that your tank has it's own _weather patterns_? W O W. That is interesting. I think I personally would love to see your tank in a magazine.


----------



## HD Blazingwolf

incredible daz.. i can't believe i haven't read through this sooner.
glad to see someone else that uses a wider variation of bulb colors!
I thought i saw an ATI aquablue, and ATI purple plus, and a uvl red /455 nm
the other bulbs are questionable.. 

i wish i could say more, but its just simply...
Beautiful


----------



## HD Blazingwolf

crazydaz said:


> Devin--Yes, the bulbs have perked things up very nicely, and I'm really enjoying this set up in a new way now! It's almost like having my last set up with the high intensity lighting. I'm getting my Ludwigia grandulosa x palustris to blush and start turning red. I'll try to grab a pic of it soon. Pretty cool!
> 
> Like I said on a different thread, I alternate between being curious to try submitting this tank to a magazine, and then feeling a little embarrassed about it. I like the compliments, but I'm not very good at accepting them. I'm a little better than I used to be, but still not great. I'm not even sure where I would even start....This isn't an ADA tank, and that's about the only magazine that I know. You were recently published, Devin, if I remember correctly......I read that article, and I think that I still have it on my iPad still....
> 
> I would appreciate the guidance!
> 
> And...."YES"!! That Spanish Moss grows quickly! I just usually wrap some of the hanging parts around the branch it's on a few times. I may have to start trimming it. Some of it dangles down into the water as well, which looks neat.
> 
> NC!! I love the fog....especially now! After manually watering the plants every day, the new lights do add some additional radiant heat, increasing the evaporation rate, so by the end of the day it just looks like a thick haze hanging over the top of the tank, and a thick fog on top of the water. You can watch the convection happen as the fog comes out, gets a little warm, and starts rising up towards the lighting. NEAT!!
> 
> Thanks Bob!! I'm loving the effect, and the new colors! New leaves on most of my buce's are turning red or coppery colored. I am also getting better colors now in some of my Tillandsia species, and one just started throwing out a bloom. Curiously, I have yet to see ANY of my orchids bloom, but that's alright. I started fertilizing a bit more, so that should help (eventually) produce some blooms. You know that I'll be snapping pictures as soon as I get any new flowers on anything!
> 
> NWA--I have to admit that I found myself thinking that too, this past weekend.  I couldn't get it out of my head for a solid day. Now, it'll be in my head again. lol! Thanks man!! Hope that you are doing well!!


 
my orchids flower the most when lighting is reduced.. just FYI
but there are many species out there. this isn't a true statement for all variants i wouldn't think


----------



## crazydaz

NWA--LOL!! That's hilarious! I used to watch my buddy play Resident Evil 2 and Shadow Man back in the day, and he would get frightened playing those games. It was hilarious!! Some of the best times I had were staying in on the weekends drinking and watching that dude play his video games, and waiting for him to get scared. TOO FUNNY!!!

Bob---I don't even know. E. Porax, Epidendrum, tolumnia sylvestris....I think that's it. Getting a few others hopefully next week. They're all growing fine....just no flowers yet. Any ideas?

Obakemono.....I wouldn't say "weather patterns." It's just the latent heat from the lights warming everything below causing the water vapor to rise slightly. Just a touch of convection is all. Still looks neat, though. A slight microclimate maybe.

HD! Thanks for commenting and for the compliment man! I have UVL Red Sun, Fiji Purple, and Giesemann Lagoon Blue in each fixture. The other bulbs are Giesemann Midday's and AquaFlora's. It does make for a nice colorful tank with all of those combinations.

Odd, about the orchids....I have all the varieties in both high light and lower light conditions. None have given me any flowers yet. Oh well....then again, I've only had them for three months or so. I'll give them a little more time.


----------



## HD Blazingwolf

i never read what the orchids are supported in, or what substrate u have them in.. this may play a factor

ati purple plus is a killer bulb,, another good purple/red bulb is the wavepoint red.. excellent color there
u also might try ge startcoats for white, they have less green in them and appear more "white"


----------



## crazydaz

HD.....they are simply on LFS and leaf litter from the aquarium. They seem to like it....they are growing well, just not flowering yet. I will keep what you say in mind, though. It will be difficult to plant them on or in anything else except EpiWeb or Hygrolon. No good way to stick a pot into the setup, as you could imagine. 

I'll keep the Starcoats in mind....I've heard good things about those bulbs, but it is SO incredibly hard to rationalize a move away from Giesemann's. Way too hard! Lol!


----------



## HD Blazingwolf

they like bark. its odd, but they are parasitic plants, they like to attach to wood.
the aerial roots generally like 70 degree temperatures. bulbs will make that harder to attain.. but also don't be too gentle with the plant. its actually quite hardy and is use to rough winds and handling. being too gentle can cause negative side effects as well

the starcoats wont dissapoint. that's for sure


----------



## crazydaz

Does anyone else have Ludwigia grandulosa x palustris?? It's the one in the center of the picture. I've been able to get some nice red coloration after a week of the new lighting. Not the greatest picture, but it's the best I could do for a quick shot.


----------



## hydrophyte

You have to look up the blooming seasons and care requirements for each individual orchid species. They vary. Some kinds of orchids can bloom any time of the year, but most only bloom during a certain period once or twice per year. Most of the seasonal orchids also require a (usually) wintertime rest with reduced watering, cooler temps and no ferts. Many orchids also grow and flower best with cooler nighttime and warmer daytime temperatures. Fluorescent lighting is useful for this effect because the extra infrared coming from the lit-up bulbs can usually raise temps around the plants by a few degrees.

Relative humidity requirements are another important variable. Some kinds of orchids can live well in normal (as low as 30%) household humidity levels, while others require very humid air all the time or they will perish. Increased humidity is generally helpful for most kinds of orchids. Even for those species that require drying around their roots (as for a dry winter rest) it is often beneficial to have extra humidity in the air. 

There are are only a few kinds of parasitic orchids and I think that all of them are terrestrial (rooted in the soil) and subsist from nutrients that they get from the roots of other plants. Most of the most popular culivated orchids are _epiphytes_; they are rooted on the branches of trees, but they do not take nutrients from them.


----------



## Jsquared

I am in love with you Alternanthera 'Varigated'. I want some but cant find out anything about it. ><


----------



## crazydaz

Thank you, Jsquared. It has done well for me in my set up. It never gets very tall; seems to max out at around 8 inches in height, if that. Need bright light, pressurized CO2 and lots of iron in the water column (EI dosing) and a nice nutrient-rich substrate as well. Spreads on it's own, and only requires an occasional removal of an old leaf or two. Pretty hands-off, as far as I can tell. Not a fast grower.

I got mine from manini.....you could try PM'ing him to see if he has any.


----------



## crazydaz

New pics.....I have a cryptocorne throwing a spathe for the first time. It feels delightful. Anyone know which species, by chance? I can't tell.....I have C. nurii, C affinis Brown Green, and C. Kota tinggi all in the same area, and I didn't feel like digging to find the exact plant it was coming from. 

Your help would be greatly appreciated. 














































Some Alternanthera taken with a macro lens......The lighting is pretty intense!









Finally, a bucephalandra leaf coming in, turning pink due to the new lighting:










Just a random shot....have a nice new neo off to the right side there.


----------



## DogFish

I think you need a patch of Crypt 'Flamingo' :hihi:


----------



## Fishies_in_Philly

wow, i take some time off and come back to find your update pics don't work


----------



## crazydaz

Frank....I would love a patch of Pink Flamingo. Have any in an aquatic form ready to go? 

Bill......how do you mean they don't work?


----------



## Fishies_in_Philly

first three and last three show "user has deleted or moved this image" i only see the pic of the spathe


----------



## sarahspins

I can't see most of the new pics either.. there's a photobucket message saying you deleted the image.


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## crazydaz

Fixed guys....sorry!


----------



## @[email protected]

i see the pics. they look great by the way. those crypts are great, but the alternantha is spectacular.


----------



## keithy

DogFish said:


> I think you need a patch of Crypt 'Flamingo' :hihi:


Frank, that would look super SWEET in his tank.


----------



## BruceF

looks very much like a nurii spathe I recently had.
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/cryptocorynes/86529-c-nurii-spathe.html


----------



## pianofish

I just wanted to say that your tank is very inspiring. I really like the way your white sand makes your crypts pop. I plan on in the near future (around April) setting up a crypt/moss only tank and yours serves as a big inspiration. Keep it up man! 
~Joshua


----------



## HD Blazingwolf

COOL crypt shot!!
i haven't seen an underwater spathe before!


----------



## thefisherman

*Crazydaz's Square 200G RIPARIUM Strikes Back! Spathed-Out, Man! 2/21/13*

outstanding sir, simply outstanding


----------



## DogFish

keithy said:


> Frank, that would look super SWEET in his tank.


That was an inside joke with Don. :wink:

Yes, if they will actually grow and have that color underwater. So far, top there best of my knowledge no one has been successful conveying them to submersed growth.

I have a feeling they are going to need a rich substrate like Don has, high light and most likely CO2 to get that color submersed.


----------



## HD Blazingwolf

DogFish said:


> That was an inside joke with Don. :wink:
> 
> Yes, if they will actually grow and have that color underwater. So far, top there best of my knowledge no one has been successful conveying them to submersed growth.
> 
> I have a feeling they are going to need a rich substrate like Don has, high light and most likely CO2 to get that color submersed.


I'd be willing to give that a go 
i've got bookoos of the above neccessary


----------



## crazydaz

Marko--thanks! The Alternanthera has really been a pleasant surprise for me. I knew it got "red" but not like this! Definitely adds a nice "pop" to the system. You have an emmersed set up....have you tried growing it? I could send you a stem or two next time I trim it. Let me know!

Keith--Indeed it would!  HA! Maybe in a few years after enough people have been able to get it to submersed form and make it available. It's a stunner!

Bruce--Nice job yourself!  And, I agree with you...it's gotta be nurii. I don't even really care which species....the fact that I got it to spathe for me is an accomplishment for me. 

Joshua--Well, thank you very much for the kind words!! I'll be on the lookout for your forthcoming journal, then!! What type of crypts are you going to use? More common ones, or more of the rare species?

HD--Thanks, man! It happens from time to time from what I've seen. It has never happened to me before, and I don't know many people that get it to happen within 4.5 months of a set up. THAT is way cool!  I don't try to make it a habit of boasting, but I am, admittedly, pretty proud that I was able to get a spathe within such a short amount of time. Squee! 

Fisherman! Thank you buddy! I'm really enjoying the set up now! Everything is beginning to come together, but I still have a very long time to wait before I would consider the tank to be "done." Those buce's, man....very pretty, and are growing quickly, but that doesn't mean that they're even close to covering even 20% of the area that I need them to. It'll take some time.

Frank--Yes, that was a WONDERFUL experience.....I think that SOMEONE was able to get a small daughter to start growing submersed. I have no idea if it lasted, though. I would give it a go, but like I said to Hung, I don't have that much time to breastfeed and nurture it into maybe growing for me. I'd rather simply pay a handsome sum for one that has been growing underwater. My conditions are prime; but, I highly doubt that I could get it to grow submersed from a gel. You would have better luck than I would. You would have to get some to grow emmersed, take daughters from that batch, grow it in really high humidity in a flood tank; take daughters from that batch, and then have it such that those daughters were mostly submerged; take daughters from that, and then finally you would probably have a crypt Flamingo that would survive underwater. Who has the time for that? 

HD--Contact Hung (Noodle). He's a good guy, and may have a lead on some. Well, he did go to THE Ohio State University......that's the only knock I have against him.


----------



## HD Blazingwolf

supposedly, he's already got some plantlets growing submersed.. looks like a pretty plain crypt to me

that being said, what's ur fish stock like?


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## crazydaz

I'm sorry, HD. Were you born on some distant planet?  This looks Plain Jane to you?:










Lol! I would still want it!! A lot of it, too! It's PINK! If you know of any that already has some in submersed form, please let me know!! 

Actually, in some ways your right.....I think that is just an albino form of a common crypt. But it is really rare to find over here State-side. It is somewhat common over in Europe, though.

Stock wise, I have Pygmy and Hasbrosus Cories, Otos, BNP's; orange, tangerine, and Amano shrimp; Microdevario kubotai and one of the microrasoras (I think boraras briggante), cobalt blue gobies, nerites and ramshorns, stuff like that. It's well stocked.


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## HD Blazingwolf

he doesn't have it. we've been talking. the crypt he has, is kinda pink on the underside. topside is green
however i do plan on trying to order some from somewhere once spring comes and ewather is more tolerable, its comming cross seas so we shall see if it makes it? it might not even get past customs. im not sure yet. don't need to break any laws getting it

know that i have talked to you enough, i feel comfortable saying, you may try increasing co2 a tad
the palustris hybrid had some twisted leaves and looked a little deficient. this may be its growth pattern but it's something that caught my eye. every other picture i've seen though looks pretty well exactly the way it should be

for the record. crypt wendtii red can look this way with low nitrates
my lfs is full of pitiful looking wendtii red. and it looks remarkably like that. just not as healthy


----------



## ChadRamsey

crazydaz said:


> I'm sorry, HD. Were you born on some distant planet?  This looks Plain Jane to you?:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> .


WOW:icon_eek: that thing is INSANE. 

id love one too if you stumble across some


----------



## crazydaz

Well, Sir, I have made a note of the CO2 increase and will look into it. The "crinkle" to some of those leaves is gone....my assumption was that it was adjusting to the higher light, but a touch more CO2 probably wouldn't hurt it.  It never tends to.

Somebody will eventually offer the Flamingo here. Just a matter of time. We'll see what happens. And, you can get these in gel legally, but they don't often arrive in the greatest of shape. 

Chad--I'll get right on it. LOL!! After I get mine first.


----------



## pianofish

crazydaz said:


> Joshua--Well, thank you very much for the kind words!! I'll be on the lookout for your forthcoming journal, then!! What type of crypts are you going to use? More common ones, or more of the rare species?



More common ones to start although I do plan on getting some nurii, some rosanervig, and flamingo's been on my list for a long time. I'd also love some aponogetifolia. Soo many to think of haha. Ill probably start common and head in that direction eventually. Those new buce plants look kinda cool too. We will see! Maybe Ill buy some of your buce babes if they grow enough


----------



## crazydaz

Good luck getting that Flamingo, Josh....I've been looking for a viable way to get it as well for months and months....nurii isn't all that challenging....I would probably get some of that along with some of the "common" ones, which are equally as nice. Green Gecko and Florida Sunset are all really nice crypts; I really like red wendtii as well. 

We'll see how the buce's turn out. They are growing at a faster rate now, and I'm hoping that I can just leave them alone for a while and just let them grow out and fill in. They seem to do better if you let them do their thing instead of splitting them apart. Should have plenty of clippings....eventually.

Here are some cool shots of my Ant Plant that bloomed for me on Friday morning; it has a neat flower!:




























Here's a nice pic of it that I took with my iPhone last night:









Also, my Ludwigia alata has sent a runner....very weird! I'll try to get better shots of it tomorrow after I turn of the pumps and filters:

First, this is Ludwigia alata, for those who aren't familiar with it:









Here is the runner going across my Seriyu stone:


----------



## hydrophyte

Nice job growing that stuff Don!

That bloom looks like a _Cirrhopetalum/Bulbophyllum_ orchid, not an ant plant.


----------



## Centromochlus

crazydaz said:


> First, this is Ludwigia alata, for those who aren't familiar with it:


One of my favorites! Looks awesome. :drool:


----------



## Saxtonhill

crazydaz said:


> I'm sorry, HD. Were you born on some distant planet?  This looks Plain Jane to you?:



Beautiful!


----------



## NWA-Planted

*Re: Crazydaz's Square 200G RIPARIUM Strikes Back! Spathed-Out, Man! 2/21/13*

I seriously could look at this tank for hours... I love the close up photos, the lighting the fog it's like i am getting a close up look to some kind of Amazon jungle!

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2


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## crazydaz

Devin, you are right....it is a Bulbophyllum orchid. It has sent the flower out and had intertwined itself amongst the leaves of the ant plant. See? I still have PLENTY to learn! Thanks for the correction!!!  I guess my orchids HAVE flowered for me now! lol!

Thanks Philip! It's really taking off....never seen it creep and throw a runner before! Cool stuff!

Saxtonhill! That's not mine! I wish! That's what I want!!! 

Thank you as always, NWA Planted! I love cranking that mist up in the morning and watching it pour over the sides of the tank. I don't usually go that high, as it does run through a solid two gallons of water in a day, which is a bit much. But, it does help the plants and certainly adds an element of ambiance to the set up!


----------



## Jiinx

I agree. I could go through hours staring at your tank, Don. So peaceful, so colourful and serene. I love the close up photos!

Do you think you'll venture into other bulbs? I'm wondering if getting a ge starcoat would help my colours pop a bit more. Or any other bulbs, really.


----------



## crazydaz

Thanks buddy!! Your system has really perked up quite a bit! Very nice job...you should be proud of your persistence!

As "luck" would have it, one of my Giesemann's burned out, and I do plan on taking Tom's advice and trying a Starcoat to replace it. Why not, you know? . I do like my Giesemann's but it's worth trying out a different white. I will see how that goes.


----------



## crazydaz

Here's that Ludwigia alata runner I had mentioned. To me, this is pretty cool...I've never known a Ludwigia species to throw a runner before. 










Here's a pic of my Cobalt Blue....I need to try to get some Macro shots of him tomorrow.


----------



## flwrbed

Post #410 is crazy cool.

Where do we get those. Is that the "flamingo"

Who owns that?


----------



## crazydaz

That is the Flamingo, in theory. There don't seem to be too many pictures of it online, and it isn't available commercially in the United States. All specimens that come in from overseas are in tissue culture gels, and the plants hardly ever make it. The ones that do are incredibly small and petite, and look nothing like the picture above. It may be a doctored photo....I've only seen very few pictures that look "legit" to me. I think that it comes from stores in Germany....but Tropica may offer it by now.

You want them? You better get ready to pony up the cash! There is one seller that will ship here, but only in bulk quantities. I was in on a deal for it last year in a group buy; spent about $100 and got nothing. Most plants died in transit, and the ones that remained slightly alive were kept by the arranger of the deal. Worked out pretty nice for him, I guess.

*By the way, that spathe still has not melted yet!!* Although, I expect that it will. It has gotten any taller from what I can tell, and I think that'll be the end of the story this time.


----------



## toksyn

crazydaz said:


> That is the Flamingo, in theory. There don't seem to be too many pictures of it online, and it isn't available commercially in the United States. All specimens that come in from overseas are in tissue culture gels, and the plants hardly ever make it. The ones that do are incredibly small and petite, and look nothing like the picture above. It may be a doctored photo....I've only seen very few pictures that look "legit" to me. I think that it comes from stores in Germany....but Tropica may offer it by now.
> 
> You want them? You better get ready to pony up the cash! There is one seller that will ship here, but only in bulk quantities. I was in on a deal for it last year in a group buy; spent about $100 and got nothing. Most plants died in transit, and the ones that remained slightly alive were kept by the arranger of the deal. Worked out pretty nice for him, I guess.
> 
> *By the way, that spathe still has not melted yet!!* Although, I expect that it will. It has gotten any taller from what I can tell, and I think that'll be the end of the story this time.


That particular picture of C. cordata (?) "Flamingo" has several variants on the web, with different amounts of color correction. It's hard to say what the actual plant looks like, and it's already hard to know what "actual colors" are with Cryptocorynes anyway. With that said, I want to give it a shot and will probably be in the next wave attempting it.

Tank is looking great as always!

I was curious about your "ant plant bloom" as well, it definitely looked like a Bulbophyllum when I first saw it.


----------



## crazydaz

Yes, yes....like I admitted, I still have much to learn both above and below the waterline.  maybe a little more above than below it. The flower had intertwined itself around the ant plant, and I'd also in the very middle of the tank, so without a step stool to trace the flower back to the orchid, from what I could tell it was originating from the the ant plant.

Please go for it, Dev! I hope that you guys are successful this time around and can start spreading this species around. The color seems to be relatively true "flamingo pink," but it's the size that has always been a little disappointing. Most seem to get as big as a quarter, or so.


----------



## crazydaz

It's been a little while, so I've taken EXTRA pictures! 

Not much to report. I'm trying to slowly get rid of the Staurogyne in favor of letting the true dwarf Sagittaria take over as the foreground. I will also likely need to get some floaters again. The amount of light is great, but I'm starting to get GSA on my crypts and buces; I'll need something to shade the bottom a bit. 

Also, I'm currently having the backgrounds made for my tanks. Once that is done, I should be able to start a new journal for the other tank I have going on. The purpose of the backgrounds is to hide the lighting cords. I can't "stands" them anymore. 

I'll add pics over the course of a few days. Thanks for looking and feel free to comment of make suggestions!

Front, bottom Only:









Right Oblique:









Hygro corymbosa flower....just for you, Devin!:









Left Side:









Closer:









...and Closer:









"Bario" patch, Anubia, and Buce Emerald Carpet....you can see the GSA issues:









....especially on the Anubias nana:









Metallic Red patch recovering....:









Macro of a flower from one of my Tillandsia:









Top Left Side:









Closer in:









Nice picture of the Floscopa scandens and Ludwigia grandulosa x palustris hybrid:









Nice shot of the whole system:









That's it for now. Thanks guys!


----------



## HD Blazingwolf

Outstanding! Im actually pretty impressed with ur water clarity considering the water change habits!
The metallic patch is making me envious!. Its very unique and attractive the way you have it laid out!


----------



## hydrophyte

That's amazing.


----------



## toksyn

*Re: Crazydaz's Square 200G RIPARIUM Strikes Back! NEW PICS 3/9!!*

Excellent!


----------



## hydrophyte

These two shots especially awesome...



crazydaz said:


> Closer in:


----------



## crazydaz

Thanks Guys! HD, what are you talking about, man!? You don't need to do massive water changes all the time or once per week. I do alright with one or two very small changes every week or two. It's not to say that you "can't" do it your way, but why would you want to? 

Toksyn....thank you! I have heeded your advice for the other tank, and have been slowly removing peat and coco fiber from the Hygrolon and EpiWeb. The hairgrass seems to be growing on it just fine and roots in better. It's been an interesting progress! 

Devin! Thank you very Sir! No doubt about it, I've really enjoyed this set up this time around!

Would any of you guys know a better photo hosting site than Photobucket? I used to be able to upload my pics in better resolution, and though I've learned my lesson in trying to post 2MB pics here on the site, I would mind being able to post pictures here that are in better detail and a bit larger than what is available. Would a Pro Flickr account be better than what I'm getting with Photobucket currently?

Thanks in advance! This is killing me!


----------



## HD Blazingwolf

crazydaz said:


> Thanks Guys! HD, what are you talking about, man!? You don't need to do massive water changes all the time or once per week. I do alright with one or two very small changes every week or two. It's not to say that you "can't" do it your way, but why would you want to?
> 
> Toksyn....thank you! I have heeded your advice for the other tank, and have been slowly removing peat and coco fiber from the Hygrolon and EpiWeb. The hairgrass seems to be growing on it just fine and roots in better. It's been an interesting progress!
> 
> Devin! Thank you very Sir! No doubt about it, I've really enjoyed this set up this time around!
> 
> Would any of you guys know a better photo hosting site than Photobucket? I used to be able to upload my pics in better resolution, and though I've learned my lesson in trying to post 2MB pics here on the site, I would mind being able to post pictures here that are in better detail and a bit larger than what is available. Would a Pro Flickr account be better than what I'm getting with Photobucket currently?
> 
> Thanks in advance! This is killing me!


i do it mostly for water clarity.. that and it helps my rainbows spawn which is truly a site to see
and if i don't do it, my water is all like bleh looking..


----------



## toksyn

crazydaz said:


> Thanks Guys! HD, what are you talking about, man!? You don't need to do massive water changes all the time or once per week. I do alright with one or two very small changes every week or two. It's not to say that you "can't" do it your way, but why would you want to?
> 
> Toksyn....thank you! I have heeded your advice for the other tank, and have been slowly removing peat and coco fiber from the Hygrolon and EpiWeb. The hairgrass seems to be growing on it just fine and roots in better. It's been an interesting progress!
> 
> Devin! Thank you very Sir! No doubt about it, I've really enjoyed this set up this time around!
> 
> Would any of you guys know a better photo hosting site than Photobucket? I used to be able to upload my pics in better resolution, and though I've learned my lesson in trying to post 2MB pics here on the site, I would mind being able to post pictures here that are in better detail and a bit larger than what is available. Would a Pro Flickr account be better than what I'm getting with Photobucket currently?
> 
> Thanks in advance! This is killing me!


Glad to hear it .


----------



## Jiinx

love it!

The rocks and the plants compliment each other well. The build is so complex and there are many hidden layers inside your tank. The colours are so vibrant and cover each shade of brown, green and reds. It's really beautiful, Don. I love each of your updates!

sarah


----------



## crazydaz

Thanks Sarah! I'm so happy that you like it!! That pleases me!

HD---You're right on the spawning. Good trigger mechanism, so you probably need the frequent changes. Do you ever get viable fry from that?

Anyhow, I figured it out! Try clicking on these for a better look!!


----------



## HD Blazingwolf

Yes i do get fry, but they get eaten. A good mat of a floating plant would easily solve that though


----------



## pianofish

What do you feed your cobalt blues and how do you like them? I hear they can be a little finicky when it comes to water quality, temperatures, and food.


----------



## crazydaz

I don't specifically feed them anything. I small amounts of flake, bloodworms, brine shrimp, and some sinking algae pellets. Sometimes, some cyclops "goo," and I do have some Repashy I need to start using.

I don't see them eating much "food," per se. Rather, they seem to eat the mulmy biofilm on plant leaves, the rocks, and substrate. I don't really see them as picky or fussy. Shy, maybe. And only the dominant male gets that awesome cobalt blue color.

If you have a mature system and don't over-clean your tank, they are fun to watch dart around and chase one another.


----------



## Soup12

what livestock do u have in there???

would look awesome with some celestial pearl danios - nano salmon


----------



## DogFish

crazydaz said:


>


Really looks fantastic Don! I'm very happy for you!


----------



## crazydaz

Soup--I have a TON of livestock in there, including several types of micros, like Pygmy Cories, Microdevario, and Boraras species. CPD's would simply hide in this tank, so I don't believe that they would be a good option for me.

Frank--Thank you buddy!  It'll be interesting to see what your tank looks like after you remove the uber-clump of crypts!!

I'll get the last set of pics up later today. They will be the last set that I use from Photobucket ever. Onward to using Flickr Pro for my photos!


----------



## n00dl3

Great looking tank Don! I love your Affinis 'Red Metallic' looks. Extremely red and bullated leaves. Your lights must be out putting over 100+ par and full spectrum from all your different bulbs.


----------



## toksyn

crazydaz said:


> Soup--I have a TON of livestock in there, including several types of micros, like Pygmy Cories, Microdevario, and Boraras species. CPD's would simply hide in this tank, so I don't believe that they would be a good option for me.
> 
> Frank--Thank you buddy!  It'll be interesting to see what your tank looks like after you remove the uber-clump of crypts!!
> 
> I'll get the last set of pics up later today. They will be the last set that I use from Photobucket ever. Onward to using Flickr Pro for my photos!


I support your Flickr move, and will add you as a contact once you've transitioned . 

I have a pair of _Stiphodon semoni_ and feed them Repashy Super Green. I actually do observe them eating it, though the male usually claims the entire chunk and chases the female away. It's fun watching the female set up a distraction (not sure that it's intentional) and then feast on the Super Green while it's unguarded. I wish I had _atropurpureas_ though.


----------



## DogFish

crazydaz said:


> ....Frank--Thank you buddy!  It'll be interesting to see what your tank looks like after you remove the uber-clump of crypts!!....


I am curious myself about how many are in that clump. 

I'm going to spread the C. Nurri out maybe move the Java fern encrusted driftwood all to the left. Then just cultivate a C. Nurri jungle.


----------



## @[email protected]

DogFish said:


> I am curious myself about how many are in that clump.
> 
> I'm going to spread the C. Nurri out maybe move the Java fern encrusted driftwood all to the left. Then just cultivate a C. Nurri jungle.


DO IT!!
that c. nurri looks amazing. i think i like it even better than the c. a. metallic red.


----------



## DogFish

@[email protected] said:


> DO IT!!
> that c. nurri looks amazing....


:hihi: Let not hijack Don's thread. I'll post updates on my 40b thread this
weekend


----------



## crazydaz

Thank you Hung! I think that you may (perhaps) be looking at the underside of the C Bullosa "Bario" if you are seeing bullated leaves. They are getting closer together. I do have a crypt from Ghanzafar that I received not too long ago that is mixed in there, too. Zukalii, I think, and that's also bullated. ON second look, I can see a few leaves of the Metallic Red that are a bit wavier than I had initially thought. LOL! It's getting difficult for me to pick them out, too!  Let me know if you need any sometime!

Dev--Excellent! Please do look me up in a few weeks! Good to know about the Super Green.....that's exactly what I have. I seem to remember them picking at some of the Repashy samples that I buddy had brought with her one day. Just seems kinda messy and gooey.  I hate to rub it in, but the color on the dominant male IS nothing like I've ever seen. I mean, it's brilliant metallic blue, and it doesn't need to "catch the light just right" or be photographed in some strange way. It's catching!

Frank, and nurii jungle would be awesome to see. I agree with Marko: do it!! Your nurii is probably the best that I've seen....I would think a huge amount of it would be really cool looking.

Last of the pics:
Some sort of rotala that came along as a freebie....wallichii, I sort of guessing....









THIS IS NEAT! A VERY hard to come by Ludwigia linearis. I have three stems, and it seems to be doing quite well so far:









Front, Right Side Close up:









Front, Center Close up:









Front, Left Side Close up:









Not often seen Right Side of the Tank; Hydrocotyle triparita is going wild over the java fern and buces:









Top Down:









Hygro "sunset" getting an odd variegation:









Top Close UP:









Right Side Top:









Right Side Top Close UP:









Left Oblique:









Top Down, all of the tank:


----------



## AaronT

A few of us collected Ludwigia linearis a couple of years ago and it was really tough to grow. Did you find that one yourself?


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## crazydaz

No, I can't take the credit. It came from DaveMonkey. He felt the need to get rid of it as he wasn't sure he would be able to keep it thriving, so he PM'd me and asked if I would be interested in taking it off of his hands.

What was I to do, Aaron?


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## DogFish

Don do you know how many different Sp./varieties of plants are in there?


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## toksyn

I just noticed that in a previous post you said that the C. affinis patch is recovering - what happened to it? I'm still waiting on some .


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## crazydaz

Frank, I wouldn't have a clue at this point. I'm pretty sure that I have at least 18 different species of buce's alone, probably about the same for crypts, and maybe about another 18 species between the stems and anubia. That's being conservative, and that doesn't even begin to touch the amount of different species on top either. It's collectoritis.

Dev, it was recovering from a peroxide treatment. The growth put on by the background stems impeded my water flow a bit, and between that and leaving my CO2 off (by mistake) for a week, I got a little hair algae formation. So, I've had to dose peroxide a bit, and had a moderate amount of leaf melt. No biggie to those guys. They rebound quickly.


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## nonconductive

that sure is a colorful tank for an ex-goth 

i find most collectoris tanks guady, but not at all with yours. Definately lots to look at!


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## crazydaz

LOL! Thanks buddy!  I had to chuckle at that! ("Conformist!")


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## nonconductive

lol you baby bat!

you better watch the word "friggen".... someone likes to remove it


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## NWA-Planted

*Re: Crazydaz's Square 200G RIPARIUM Strikes Back! NEW PICS 3/12!!*

It's so clean... And pretty... And..the colors, the COLORS!!!

*DROOL* 

OK once my glass finally decides to ship.. And i get it put together... Want to scape my tank??? Pretty please ^_^

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2


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## crazydaz

Lol! Of course, Gary! I would be happy to!


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## lamiskool

haha yea if I lived anywhere near you id pay to have you come over and scape my tank. Yours is completely magnificent


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## crazydaz

Thanks lamiscool! I'm happy to give advice, but if I did the design, it wouldn't really be your tank. I think that you could come up with a better idea than my tank, in fact, I would want you to!! It's better for the hobby....a bunch of Don-looking tanks like this would become pretty boring, don't you think?

But thank you! I'm very flattered!!


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## Tajaba

I signed up just to comment on this thread.

Specifically, I didn't realize they let you upload porn to this site!


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## crazydaz

I'm going to take that as meaning the equivalent as "eye candy"?? I hope?


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## NWA-Planted

*Re: Crazydaz's Square 200G RIPARIUM Strikes Back! NEW PICS 3/12!!*

Lmao!!!

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2


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## Tajaba

crazydaz said:


> I'm going to take that as meaning the equivalent as "eye candy"?? I hope?


uhh.....yea! sure....thats EXACTLY what it meant :icon_roll

really though, your tank is very inspiring, How much CO2 are you using per month for your tank if any? I'm planning a tank this year to house my arowana and Bichirs and I'd like to plant it as well. But after seeing this I might as well make a pond for them to live in lol


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## HD Blazingwolf

what fogger are you using on this tank?


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## crazydaz

Thanks Tajaba! I do run pressurized CO2 at about a rate of three bubbles per second. A 20lb CO2 cylinder usually lasts me about 8 months, maybe a little longer.

Hey Brandon! The fogger is just a simple cool mist humidifier that I have attached some hosing to and run into an extra spraybar I had laying around. I think it was by HomeMedics or something. It's the same one that Lenny (Ibacha) used in his Borneo setup.


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## HD Blazingwolf

Noo way! 
How is ur spraybar made/ positioned?


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## crazydaz

I have it positioned at an angle, basically at a diagonal angle with the holes pointed slightly downward. My spraybar has a removable top and bottom cap that screws on at the two ends, which makes it somewhat adjustable. However, I usually just leave those off. I noticed that if I screw the top on, I get too much condensation running back down the hose into the humidifier which stops the mist from forming.


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## HD Blazingwolf

Im gonna need to know how to make that spraybar asap!
The tillandsia are calling my name


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## crazydaz

Easy! Buy this: Eheim Aquarium Filter Spray Bar 594 5/8"/16mm.

Don't copy me bro!  I've seen a few tanks mysteriously pop up since this setup that have had Tillandsia. That deserves a slight eye roll. :icon_roll: Lol!


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## HD Blazingwolf

Ahh im not gonna copy you, but i do want a few plants around my tank, i used to have planters hanging behind my 29 gallon. Ive been looking at doing orchids so im not gonna copy. But incorporate.
Im also looking at foggers for my daughter's terrarium. The reptile ones just look cheasy unless u wanna spend big bux. Shes 4, im not gonna buy a 300 dollar fogger.

I also have a very humid bathroom that a few tillandsias would do well in


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## DogFish

crazydaz said:


> ....Don't copy me bro!  I've seen a few tanks mysteriously pop up since this setup that have had Tillandsia. That deserves a slight eye roll. :icon_roll: Lol!


Pretty weak when people use one's ideas but don't give credit. I believe I was the 1st to use a track light system for PAR38LEDs. Would it kill ya to give some credit? Throw the dog a bone people :hihi:


----------



## h4n

*Re: Crazydaz's Square 200G RIPARIUM Strikes Back! NEW PICS 3/12!!*



DogFish said:


> Pretty weak when people use one's ideas but don't give credit. I believe I was the 1st to use a track light system for PAR38LEDs. Would it kill ya to give some credit? Throw the dog a bone people :hihi:


Ya throw the dogfish a bone!!!!! Hahha

-Sent from my Samsung Note, a "Phablet"


----------



## Tajaba

crazydaz said:


> Thanks Tajaba! I do run pressurized CO2 at about a rate of three bubbles per second. A 20lb CO2 cylinder usually lasts me about 8 months, maybe a little longer.


have you ever tested for your pH? I'd like to know what it is with all those plants and substrates?


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## HD Blazingwolf

8 months? Jees. Lasts my 75 gallon 6 weeks 
Thats 0.48 pounds of co2 per day

Dog dont be surprised if a few bones arrive in the mail over the next few weeks


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## crazydaz

Brandon, I'm totally kidding!  Actually, I approached Devin with the question of what might be able to grow on Manzy branches that would be low maintenance and hardy. I believe he actually deserves the credit for first bringing up the idea of "Tilly's" to me. I _*MAY*_ be one of the first to have used a "square" tank for a freshwater set up four or five years ago, but that really isn't too creative as they already had cube tanks around. 

And, "yes," we need to give Frank his due props, Han! Well done, Frank! 

Tajaba--No, I don't do any testing. I can tell by what's growing well in the tank what the pH and hardness is around. It's a good enough for me. I'm not sure what you mean by "what is with" the plants and substrates? It's a very, very high light system that is well fertilized using mineralized top soil, some GroSoil and GroHumate tabs from Hydrophyte, and some EI as needed. I also use peat granules in the substrate, filter my water through peat granules, and don't change out any more than 5-10% per week with new water. There isn't anything that I'm doing that would be considered a "trick" or have some sort of secret to what I do. Truly, the only thing incredibly unique about this system may just be the amount of lighting and the bulb choices. Otherwise, it's a soft water, nutrient-rich system.

Yikes, Brandon! That's a LOT of CO2 your pushing through that system. I use a needle wheel impeller+spraybar which is incredibly efficient for spreading my CO2 around in the tank in "mist" form. If it ain't broke, though, right?


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## HD Blazingwolf

My main return chops up my bubbles quite nicely. But sump, plus high flow, lots of agitation. Yeah i waste some


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## crazydaz

The sump! There it is.  Still, a half-pound per day of CO2? Seems like that would get expensive. Would it make more sense to simply grab a needle wheel pump and inject it separately? Just straight into the tank? It would pay for itself in about 14 months just in CO2 refills alone.

A buddy of mine was going to use this system and force the water and CO2 mist through a water filter in order to achieve 100% dissolved CO2. I have to check in with her to see if she was successful. A system like that would be, theoretically, "sump-proof," agitation-proof, etc. and a 20lb CO2 cylinder would probably last someone like me for a year and a half. I would love to see that in action!!


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## zzrguy

You are awsome this tank looks better then the one you rip down to move. I wish my humble tank looked half as good as yours did when it was just starting. Dam


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## HD Blazingwolf

oh i can make it last longer, im now running 800 gph through my tank and sump
if i drop that down to 500 fish get stressed in about 15 minutes so i'd say it'd last a lot longer if i didnt want such high flow


----------



## 10gallonplanted

Amazing tank. I never thought a dirt tank could be so clean. I will be setting up a55 with soil capped with ecocomplete. No co2 though  just micro and macro nutrient dosing. Hopefully mine will be half as good looking. Any tips for the soil?


----------



## crazydaz

zzrguy....thank you very much! Please remember that we all come from humble beginnings. Your current set up reminds me a lot of how I started off, and how much fun that time was! Reading all about plants, the impact of different ferts, trying different scapes and looks, and just having fun with it all. I just ended up putting it all together over time, just like everyone else. You'll get there too! And, I still have a ton more to learn and try!

Brandon, wow! Why do they get stressed out? That still seems to be plenty of flow to me.

Thanks 10gallon! I would watch the water column dosing without CO2.....you can get algae (and freakishly epic) issues very quickly! Especially cladophora. Be sure to run very, very lean!!

Tips for soil? Get, or make, MTS. I paid Frank to make me some and it's been outstanding. I also used a layer of kitty litter beneath that, and mixed in some peat granules. Before capping with sand, I added some of Devin's GroSoil and GroHumate tabs. I just added another pack of GroSoil just about a week ago as well. So I think that the trick is to start with a rich substrate, and keep it nicely supplemented so it stays nice and rich!


----------



## 10gallonplanted

Hmm cause I've been dosing my 10 gallon that doesn't run co2 either without any problems for months and the plants love it. But then again the tank isn't dirted! I have always heard of people adding cat litter but I don't see why. I know it is clay but what nutrients does it provide? Thanks.


----------



## crazydaz

How thickly planted is your 10 gallon, how bright is the light, and is it full of fast growing stems? Do you dose Excel? Depending on your answers, it is entirely possible to dose the water column without CO2 and be fine. My current set up wouldn't handle that very well for long.

Kitty litter is a cheap and wonderful way of adding iron to the substrate, which really benefits my crypts and Buce's.


----------



## Tajaba

Fine! I'll just be straight.
How many apistos can u fit into this thing


----------



## HD Blazingwolf

> Brandon, wow! Why do they get stressed out? That still seems to be plenty of flow to me.



Wet/dry filters when properly setup don't waste much co2. Matching flow to drain tubes is essential. If I had a one inch drain line it would last about 3 weeks because of the amount of air being pulled through the siphon. Bigger drain lines reduce this. Or less flow. 
So by reducing the flow I'm reducing the amount of air being pulled into the media chamber. If I don't adjust co2 down. Fish get crazy stressed fast.

My plant beds are also very very dense at this point so having the extra flow distributes co2 better throughout the plant beds.
Really a good trim would solve that it the fish love to play in them so much it's hard to justify thinning things out.
My blyxa is my shrimp haven, it's the only thing that keeps them alive. Without it everyone else would tear them to shreds


----------



## crazydaz

Tajaba--Well, you could fit plenty of them!  Apistos alone, with the current filtration, and all other species that are currently in there removed, I would guess that you could comfortably have at least 150 Apistos in this tank. IF your goal is to breed, that I probably wouldn't put any more than 15-20 pairs in there, but that's an educated guess. You could make this Apisto Heaven though! 

HD--:thumbsup: Now I see :hihi: Thanks for detailing the O2 issue!


----------



## 10gallonplanted

Two 12 watt cfls, no fast growing stems. The moss and ricci a are the only fast growers. Mostly crypts and any bias. No excel. Its the most established tank I own. But it is a dense tank! Home to my dario dario pair, shrimp and khuli loaches. And sweet I'll be adding kitty litter lol. Any specific brand?


----------



## crazydaz

Nope, no specific brand. Something cheap, and it MUST be "unscented"!!! Just plain ol' kitty litter with no additives to it (no carbon, baking soda, scents, etc.!).

Oh, and just do a thin layer.....quarter inch is plenty!!


----------



## 10gallonplanted

Cool so thin layer of kitty litter, thin layer from the bottom of our compost bin, and an inch layer of organic dirty with some root tabs and I think I'll be golden. Thanks so much!


----------



## night9eyes

crazydaz said:


> Nope, no specific brand. Something cheap, and it MUST be "unscented"!!! Just plain ol' kitty litter with no additives to it (no carbon, baking soda, scents, etc.!).
> 
> Oh, and just do a thin layer.....quarter inch is plenty!!


Incredible tank! Nice to see another kitty litter tank on here too :wink: I made the decision to go with litter after doing research and I am getting great results. Beautiful Crazydaz :icon_mrgr


----------



## crazydaz

10gallon---that sounds basically "perfect." You should have some really nice results from that tank!! Look out for that ammonia spike you will get from the organic soil though! That's why I went mineralized to start with. Though I'm sure that you already know that by now! 

Thank you Night9eyes! Mine isn't "just" a kitty litter tank, though. Rather, I just have a thin layer of it at the very bottom of the tank. I have seen 100% kitty litter tanks, and some do very well, though!! Glad to hear that you've gotten nice results from it!


----------



## All your base

Amazing tank. Can you give a description of your lighting system? I'm sure you've done so but after a quick scan through the first few pages I didn't see it.


----------



## crazydaz

Thank you All Your Base! I appreciate the compliment!

There are two AquaTEK 8xHO T5 fixtures above the tank. Each fixture has 1 Giesemann Lagoon Blue bulb, one UVL Red Sun bulb, and one UVL Indigo Sun bulb. One fixture has 2 Giesemann Midday bulbs and 3 AquaFlora bulbs; the other fixture has 2 AquaFlora bulbs and 2 Midday bulbs. Total of 16 HO T5 bulbs.


----------



## 10gallonplanted

I think I will mineralize also since I have about a month! But anyways I will be posting a journal. Lots of sag, vals, crypts, and some swords and stems!


----------



## All your base

Thanks for the info.

I have to say, I am really envious of your rimless aquarium and the way it lets you play above and below the waterline so seamlessly. I am in the process of converting a tank that is essentially in-wall from a marine reef to planted FW, and while I'm considering opening up the area above the aquarium to allow for emersive growth, I won't have the freedom that you do.


----------



## crazydaz

10gallon--I see someone has a journal up and running!  I will be following along closely. I bet it might take a little longer than a month to mineralize that soil in your tank. But, it will mineralize all the same! 

AYB--that was the idea when I got it. Plus I wanted a tank that would allow me to reach in and do maintenance a bit easier than some of the other tanks I had. I also wanted something that could be appreciated from three sides as well. I'll have to post some of the shots here from the original set up a few weeks after I got this and moved it to St. Louis.....time to go a little Old School? I'll try to post some a little later tonight....they were the impetus behind this setup.


----------



## 10gallonplanted

Haha yah my first tank! I'll tell you when I get the 55 up!


----------



## crazydaz

Some people have asked over the past few years how I came up with this type of tank...."why a square system? Where'd you get the idea?," and so on. The truth is that there really is no direct answer. I started this hobby right out of college...some time ago.....when the only cell phone available were the "flip" kind, or the "heavy" kind, it cost $1 for a text message. Some of you "youngin's" out there in this hobby now probably don't even remember such a time. "Your cell phone weighed HOW MUCH?!?!?" they would exclaim. Ugh. I did this to simply spite my folks who never would let me have one growing up. "It'll be too messy!" Yeah, right, Ma....and the cat hairballs from Mittens weren't?

Anyhow, yes, out of college, I bought myself a nice 55 gallon tank with one of those thick wrought iron stands that are open on the bottom. A couple of nice Whisper HOB's, black and white gravel, and BLAMMO, I owned a nifty cichlid set up that did surprising well. I lost a Venustus. I probably had 25 fish in that thing, too. ENORMOUS Tin Foil Barbs too! Had a Gold Severum that would eat out of my hand, which was neat. Eventually, I had to dismantle it because I lost my job, and no longer had the money to spend on it. I was out of the hobby for about a year. I call this my "Fish Phase"; the phase where I bought and kept fish, learned whatever I could about the species I had in the tank, and success was simply measured by what stayed alive and what did not. It was a horrid mish-mash of whatever looked neat at the shop found it's way into my tank. A mix of SA and African cichlids with Giant Danio as dither fish.

Finally, I was hired on at a automotive supplier near Detroit, north of town, so after I moved up to be closer to work and had the funds, I re-started the system. However, I had become interested in planted tanks, so I settled with species I knew weren't going to eat the crap out of my plants. (My first foray into the planted realm ended when I cautiously planted some Anachris and some ludwigia into my aforementioned cichlid tank, and kept wondering why they always ended up floating at the top every morning. Until I watch the Tin Foil barbs munching them down and the ciclids digging them up.) I think that I settled on a nice shoal of tiger barbs and a few Kribs. I also bought another strip light and was amazed when I was able to grow Anachris, Swords, and Hornwort. I also remember using Root Tabs for the first time for a source of nutrients. This is significant because it symbolized the fact that I could "care" about the well-being of a plant. And the fish, if anything, just picked at the leaves instead of eating them. Success! The first step in Planted Tankery was taken....but, you need to start somewhere, yes?

A WHOLE YEAR later, I moved again into a bit of a nicer place, even closer to work....by about a few blocks. But, I had grown tired of the Burger King-related riff-raff a block away from my house, and how I could hear the drive thru speaker late at night and early in the morning. A person needs his beauty sleep. So, a tear down and re-start later, I had really gotten into this "plant thing." I also started to work part-time at a LFS as well, which was the greatest-worst thing that could have happened. I took the position to make extra income to pay off my credit cards. However, as I got 50% off all livestock and plants, I simply couldn't let those good deals go to waste! Most shifts, I left with a new plant, new food to try, or new fish. They got half of their pay to me right back.  So, those credit cards MAY not have gotten paid as quickly as I had wanted them to be. But, I sure learned plenty! I started buying my aquatic plant books....probably a new one every week and just read and studied. I tried the bulk of what is considered to be "common" species nowadays: anubia, java fern, a few Ludwigia, vals, sags, crypts, different swords, some Hygros, and so on. As well as the "Purple Krinkle Leaf" that, as I found out and scolded my boss, isn't a true aquatic plant. Neither is "Pineapple Plant." Good grief. I call this my "Basics Phase." I really leaned and gained my foundation during these few years. I was also able to try out additional lighting, different types of lighting, generic CO2 fluids (a poor man's Excel) and ferts, different root tabs, different substrates, and so on. The 55 gallon would actually look marginally decent during this "era."

Sadly, I got engaged (haha!) and I gave my 55 gallon tank to my buddy, and moved into an apartment. However, my fiance was down with me getting a few tanks....upgrades, even! I wisely figured out that I should start taking pictures sometimes. This is where it really starts becoming clear why I started angling towards the 200G tank, from what I can tell.

100G tank:




































Later pics, I think:



















Yup. Nothing impressive here. You can see the two HOB Whispers, and how I decided that it was a WONDERFUL idea to run my pressurized CO2 into my canister filter, which was a Magnum. But, hey, it worked! I can tell that this system really helped give me practice to properly plant and trim different groups, how to grow a nice foreground, how to use CO2, how to fertilize, etc. under HIGH LIGHTING!! This had four HO T5's and one MH as well. I also learned how to get the best colors out of the plants with this system. Perhaps, this was the introductory tank to high light/high tech systems, and learning all about the pro's and con's that accompany such a system. I also learned that high light makes some rotalas creep, which was essential for my last set up where I made Rotala colorata creep for part of my foreground/midground. I decided then that I hated the black bracing around the top of an aquarium as well; too distracting! But, I could see aspects of my tank in some of the other ones that I had admired on "other" websites, so I knew I was able to create "Depth" in something that was only viewable on one side. It was a CONFIDENCE BUILDER: where risk-taking, hard work, determination, research, common sense all come together to result in something unexpectedly positive. 

The 40G Cube:

Quite possibly my favorite tank of all time. It was taking what I had learned from the large 100G system, and applying it on a smaller scale, but with comparatively more physical depth to work with. This was the tank where I could "fine tune" some of my skills, and was able to work with Manzy branches and such for hardscape.























































This tank had six T5 bulbs (3 dual Coralife fixtures); the light wasn't terrific, and they weren't High Output bulbs. But, it was really nice to have the extra depth in that tank. Had a great Marselia minuta mat from Ghanzafar Ghori in there, and the Blyxa aubertii constantly flowered. IT wasn't as deep as it may have appeared; there was a built in sump which ate up a lot of space in the back. The cool thing was that the Persicarias (then called Polygonum!) would grow out of the water and flower! I thought that was the neatest thing! But, with the top lid on, you never could see that unless you were doing maintenance. What a waste of a neat aspect of a planted tank!! 

So, alas, my wife finished Grad School, and we decided to go to St. Louis from the Detroit suburbs so she could attend Washington University Med School for her post-doctoral studies. But, before we left, I had my square 200G tank built, along with a customize pedestal and pendant lighting from a buddy of mine (I don't know if you are still on here or not, Riley! ) I wanted the size of a 100G tank but with the dimensions of a cube. I wanted to be able to view a large tank from multiple sides, essentially giving me three views of the 100G tank that I had come to enjoy, one from each side, with the back of the tank against the wall. I thought of the square shape from that. I loved that 40G cube, but wanted something more unique than a cube. The added advantage of a square is that I didn't have to worry nearly as much about physical depth for light penetration. And, with my aversion to the black top bracing running around the top of a traditional tank, I specified corner bracing instead for less of an eyesore, and a more seamless transition between "above" and "below" the water line. 

YES! Part of this tank was based on laziness and practicality. It IS DIFFICULT to scape three sides of a tank. HOWEVER, post-substrate addition, there are about 17" of water for light to penetrate. The pendent light was designed to hold 12 HO T5 bulbs. Ergo, I would NEVER again have to worry about adding light in order to "get enough light" to grow a plant specie. They would all grow now. It negated that problem. Having three sides to work from allowed me to reach just about anywhere I needed to in the tank as well; no more rolling up my sleeve to stretching my arms in impossible angles and directions to do maintenance either. Just tip the light UP a bit, and presto! Instant access to just about anywhere in the tank I wanted to go. And with a pendent light, I could have that open top and have things sticking out of the water or have plants grow out of the water if I wanted to.

Here is the tank after about three months of being set up in St. Louis:


















Check out this color of red:













































This was some sort of grass that had grown into my driftwood:










This tank was on it's way to be something really cool. Then, I dosed too much nitrogen and killed my Utricularia lawn. Then my back went out on me a few months after that; it was physically impossible to do any maintenance on the tank for about two months. During which time, everything died. It was incredibly depressing, and I quit the hobby for two years. I didn't even go onto the sites anymore. Blah, blah, and etc. AGAIN, what I proved to myself, though, was that the tank, while it was up and running, had the potential to look unique and spectacular, and that it could be done well. It is also VERY VERY time consuming, as I quickly learned, to keep a tank like this looking nice; maintenance had to be done religiously twice per week and could take a few hours each time--not always, but it could.

Anyhow, the tank sat there for two years until my back recovered, and we learned that I was to be transferred from St. Louis to Nashville for my job. Which brings us to the first two pics in this journal, taken about a 4-6 weeks before it's last tear down and final move to our new home:



















....to where we are now, which focuses more on the hardscape and draws more attention to one of the strengths of the system (open top) than I have before; the bottom is filled with slow growing plants, mostly, because I am tired of doing so darned much pruning.










Well, thanks for reading, if you bothered to. LOL!!! I had fun going back and comparing how some of my older set ups have caused me to evolve to my current system. Feel free to comment or ask questions!


----------



## toksyn

What a journey .


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## HD Blazingwolf

Wicked cool story!


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## 10gallonplanted

Nice history! What a great read and beautiful tanks. This is really inspiring to me in making my 55 amazing. I want to really try my best on this tank. No more being lazy and half a**ing. You've really encouraged me man!


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## samee

Youre making yourself sound too old. What is your age? If you dont mind me asking.


Also, how the eff is that aromatica bleeding blood? Dam I just cant get mine to get red. Must be your perfect co2 lvls.


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## JEden8

Now that is red! Beautiful setup!


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## crazydaz

Dev--Yes, it really has been. I don't know about you, but I do not put things like this hobby into perspective. I don't give it much thought, one scape to the next....maybe this last one took about 20 minutes total to think about and plan. I guess when you put it on paper (or in a Journal thread on the Interwebs, in this case), you can see how your earlier set ups impact your recent ones, even without you consciously realizing it. I would love to see some of Tom Barr's first tanks, and see what humble beginnings he started from to where he is now!  Or, Oliver Knott. Perhaps even more so with the hobbyists here. I wonder if they would see the impact vs. time of their earlier works on their current set ups, or if they don't really give it much thought most of the time. What about you, Dev? Do you see an evolution between some of your first "completed" set ups to now? Does it cross your mind to build upon what you did the last time, or do you just "do" it?

--Thanks Brandon! Long story. At least I did it now, and don't have to explain it again. I can just say "see post #492 in my Journal...."  Long-winded, though. I try to keep it "more pictures" than anything, and I was a little surprised about the length of it. I read through it, and I even thought to myself "Shut up, already!" 

10gallon--Well, thank you kindly, Mister! We all start from some place, and it really is (at least) partially meant to show and explain that to others. I don't think anyone is born to aquascape. Perhaps some are inclined with a better eye for color, or pick up on the information more easily, or otherwise have more of a natural talent towards doing this hobby, but I believe that most of these things can be developed with enough time and patience in just about anyone with an interest in it. So, practice and challenge yourself, even if you fail miserably at it.....otherwise, you won't get anywhere with it, and the way you will tell is that you won't care about what it looks like. When you do care about it, it will never look good enough, and I think that is a good thing because it means that the drive to improve upon what you'v, e done is there. If that drive is still there, then you are open to trying new things and taking risks which would ultimately result in a tank that is not simply "eye-candy," but stands out from the rest. WHICH MEANS IT REMAINS FUN TO DO most of the time!!!!!!

Samee--I'm going to be 37 before too long. Old enough. :hihi:
I attribute most of the coloration to nearly perfect growing conditions, or a nice polymorph of a plant that get appreciably colorful. That old tank had a base layer of kitty litter, then a good inch and a half of MTS, then another inch and a half of AquaSoil, and capped with Tahitian moon sand (for some reason). The nutrients were very ample in the substrate, and L. Aromatica does put out a healthy root system. I also dosed heavy EI, especially on the iron and phosphorus, and I had brand new Giesemann bulbs in there, too! Really, aside from keeping a nice maintenance and dosing schedule, I really didn't do that much. I probably just had a strain of it that colored up especially nicely, is all. Likely both! The CO2 was kept in ample supply as well! LOL!

--Thank you JEden8 for the compliment!


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## HD Blazingwolf

ah don't feel that way, i read through the whole story on my phone enthralled. i never once thought shut up.
more of how the heck can this guy tell such a story? if i were to write that, it would say,
i planted, i failed, i planted i failed, today i got it. yay. insert pictures of failures here, and success here


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## All your base

Thanks for taking the time to type that all out. It's really nice to be able to see an evolution for a system or hobbyist all in one single spot, vs. having to hunt and dig through years of posts in long threads.


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## toksyn

Believe me, I've had my journey too (still on it). I might give my scapes a bit too much thought. I started with reptiles and terrariums, and am used to literally fabricating the hardscape. I try to capture an overall theme or emotion and I've definitely seen a huge improvement from build to build with regards to aesthetics and technicalities. I typically approach new builds from the perspective of existing builds: what did I do that I could do better? What did I not do? What didn't work?

And most importantly, did I like how that turned out?

Whether by accident or not, I usually end up setting up the hardscapes for my aquariums well in advance of actually executing them. I walk by the tanks for days and make adjustments constantly. Usually its because I have the tank and hardscape before I have the substrate or equipment, but it forces me to constantly reevaluate my placement and overall strategy.

I'm an engineer by trade but also did freelance web / graphics design and some studio art - definitely helps me to have the perspective of both sides.



crazydaz said:


> Dev--Yes, it really has been. I don't know about you, but I do not put things like this hobby into perspective. I don't give it much thought, one scape to the next....maybe this last one took about 20 minutes total to think about and plan. I guess when you put it on paper (or in a Journal thread on the Interwebs, in this case), you can see how your earlier set ups impact your recent ones, even without you consciously realizing it. I would love to see some of Tom Barr's first tanks, and see what humble beginnings he started from to where he is now!  Or, Oliver Knott. Perhaps even more so with the hobbyists here. I wonder if they would see the impact vs. time of their earlier works on their current set ups, or if they don't really give it much thought most of the time. What about you, Dev? Do you see an evolution between some of your first "completed" set ups to now? Does it cross your mind to build upon what you did the last time, or do you just "do" it?


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## 10gallonplanted

Oh I have the drive this time. It also helps to finally have a decent job to be able to afford some of the nicer things or hobby has to offer. No co2 though.  I plan on sketching out the layout of the plants today. I'm going to put a lot of thought and effort into it. Which pants need more light than others, the scape, etc. I'll post it on the new 55 journal so you can check it out and comment on it if you'd like. I'm gonna make it detailed. Well anyways I'm off to get the dirt!


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## nonconductive

ha! i remember that driftwood grass from APC. nice history lesson


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## caliherp

Wow this tank is incredible. Your Tillandsia's look great. I can't get mine to blush like that all the time even growing in the sun. If I had this tank at my house I'd never leave the room it's in. Truly stunning, well done.


Regards, Patrick


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## crazydaz

Hey, thanks All for the responses! I'm in Chapel Hill for a work conference, so I won't be able to respond back to compliments and comments until some time tomorrow. So, I didn't want anyone to think I was being snooty!


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## HD Blazingwolf

crazydaz said:


> Hey, thanks All for the responses! I'm in Chapel Hill for a work conference, so I won't be able to respond back to compliments and comments until some time tomorrow. So, I didn't want anyone to think I was being snooty!


HA we know ur a snoot
J/K
im still waiting on that conference call!


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## crazydaz

Yesterday was great! My flight got cancelled going from Atlanta to Nashville, I got put up in a very questionable Quality Inn, and got a very generous $6 meal voucher from Delta. The hotel room was a smoking room, and hey, I don't judge as I used to smoke too, but they aren't "preferable" for me now to sleep and dwell in. Just got home not too long ago. I'm tired.

Brandon, we still fail, sometimes in a colossal fashion, but it just doesn't happen as often now. I wouldn't say that "Yea, I got it!"; rather, I think "yea, things are going fine for the time being." It's just a matter of time. But, the good times typically are long-lasting.  And, yes, we need to get together on the phone. Your work schedule is icky, though. But we'll make a plan and stick to it.

AYB--You're welcome! You wouldn't have found those pics on here! Thank you for making time to read through it!

Dev--I don't know how you do it, friend! If I had your background, I would go insane trying to make every last detail perfect! And "perfect" isn't natural-looking most of the time. Which isn't to say that the end result won't be spectacular....I know that I would go crazy with the tweaking. For me, that was part of the problem with the high growth tank before this current set up: constant trimming, pruning, replanting. It was a good day if I didn't have to stick my hands into the tank. Very similar to what Tom Barr has going on right now with his Dutch scape.....frankly, one of the most amazing things to me about that specific set up is that he still keeps it going and looking wonderful. I would call it quits after six months. Too much work requiring too much time. Though, to be fair, I had almost all fast-growing stems in my set up, so perhaps his doesn't necessarily require "constant" attention demanding a few hours every day or two. It doesn't "seem" to, at least.

10gallon! Have fun!! I've responded to the thread....cool to see that you are off on your journey!

NC! Man, you remember that?  Haha! That grass became HUGE!!! It was so cool until it started rooting into my other plants and killing them. I was amazed that a simple grass would do that in an aquarium; I thought it would need to be rooted in substrate or would eventually drown itself. Nope! It cracked my driftwood when I tried to remove it. Pretty amazing!

Thank you very much Caliherp!! I was surprised because they were losing their color under my old 12-bulb system. 16 bulbs with superior reflectors seems to be enough to reverse that trend and add the color back in.


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## HD Blazingwolf

I can be contacted any day after 6pm est. For what its worth


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## 10gallonplanted

Just wondering, what's all in this tank? Fauna wise.


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## crazydaz

10gallon--Not an inordinate amount of species. Amano, Tangerine, and Orange shrimp; Ramshorn, Pond, Nerite, and Sulawesi Snails; Otos, Pygmy Cories, Cory Hasbrosus; Cobalt Blue gobies; Boraras Merah, Microdevario kubotai, Bristlenose.


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## Wolf19

What a great story daz! I'm looking forward to seeing to see the learning path I take starting up with aquariums  Great motivation here.


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## zzrguy

Well it was a stunning tank before the move and is stunner once again.


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## SlammedDC2

With no co2 and stellar results. I might have to make an hour drive and kidnap you for information/skills to make my tank to where Id like it.


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## crazydaz

Hi Wolf! Sorry about the delayed response back! Thank you....I'm not sure if it's a "great" story, really. It's the story of how most of us start in this hobby: from humble beginnings, we pick up the skills and knowledge necessary to keep improving on our previous experiences and set ups. Patience and persistence both play huge roles in anything, especially when you are starting out. I go back in this thread and read some of the comments regarding how the "top" of this set current set up looks so much better than the aquatic portion. My response was that they need to be patient, and that the aquatic portion needed more time to catch up to the top as I have predominantly slow-growing buces and crypts. A "long-term" scape is not a "Shake N' Bake" type of thing. It takes a bit of vision to see the potential of what the tank will look like over the course of a few months, to a year, to a few years. My last set up with this tank was a high growth stem plan, and it was easy to see new or dramatic results quickly. It was colorful, grew like mad, and required a ton of maintenance that I just don't have time for. Iwagumi tanks are created in a similar vein: the rock placement takes time, the substrate sloping takes time, but after planting with a fast carpeting species, an Iwagumi typically looks fairly polished and complete within a month or two. The same can be said about a Dutch scape or really any tank that employs the use of fast-growing carpets or stems. This current tank I have going really isn't meant to look "finished" for about another year or so, after the anubia and buces have had time to grow over more of the Seriyu stone and the top plants have had a little more time to fill in some of the gaps and spacing. And, with such low maintenance, it's much easier on my lower back! 

I would suggest to anyone that before they start a new tank, consider not only what you want it to look like in the near-future, but what it's going to look like in a year after set up. How hard or easy will it be to accomplish that vision, and how often do you want to change things around? For me, I love working on my tank, but I don't like having to give it constant attention....that's what kids and spouses are for (I'm glad my wife doesn't read these posts, btw! :hihi.

zzrguy: Thank you very much! The last two starts have been pretty successful for me, and I'm very grateful for all of the nice compliments and attention they have gotten. And duly so. Nature makes some pretty fantastic stuff, man! We're just curators.

Slammed: You are always more than welcome to swing by! However, this is a pressurized set up!! I run CO2 through a needle wheel impeller-based pump. Sorry buddy....I should be more clear.


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## SlammedDC2

crazydaz said:


> Slammed: You are always more than welcome to swing by! However, this is a pressurized set up!! I run CO2 through a needle wheel impeller-based pump. Sorry buddy....I should be more clear.


 Ah I didn't read all the way through. I would love to run co2 in my big tank but cant find a way to do it with the sump without off gassing to much. If I could find a happy medium I would in a heart beat. But I may just take you up on the offer and come up next time I'm in Nashville. Therese says good things about her trip up with you and it's always nice to meet someone in the hobby as well as make a new friend.


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## crazydaz

Just got the pics uploaded. Just one for tonight though for now. More to follow tomorrow.


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## NWA-Planted

*Re: Crazydaz's Square 200G RIPARIUM Strikes Back! TAKE A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE! 3/20/*



crazydaz said:


> Just got the pics uploaded. Just one for tonight though for now. More to follow tomorrow.


Sexy... Enough said

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2


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## DogFish

crazydaz said:


> ....It takes a bit of vision to see the potential of what the tank will look like over the course of a few months, to a year, to a few years....


roud:

Well said Don!

There in lies the difference between a nice tank and a great one.


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## h4n

*Re: Crazydaz's Square 200G RIPARIUM Strikes Back! 4/19/13 PIC*

Oh my Don... you even started to get the floating plants red... LOL!!!

-Sent from my Samsung Note, a "Phablet"


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## crazydaz

Heh heh. Thanks Gary!! It was a nice photo out of many, many, many others that I took. I take about a hundred, and end up cutting those down to about 20-ish or so. Probably like many others here!!

Frank--Thank you! I like to think so, and I don't see it practiced in this hobby very often. With just a bit of planning, people could save themselves a lot of work and money.

Han--Some are gaining a red tint. I'm a little surprised about that myself. I think that it could also be the way the lighting is striking the Hygroryza bladders, mostly, though.


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## crazydaz

More pics!

Not too much to report on.....I FINALLY got that background up behind the tank to help hide the power cords for the lights which had become such a distraction for me. I've been battling some hair algae for the past month or so, and it had me a little stumped until just recently. I believe that I'm getting an "overload" of nutrients, particularly iron, in my water column due to the "run-off" that I get when I am watering the plants on the manzy branches. I was adding old leaves/detritus from the tank onto or into the sphagnum almost as soon as the set up was complete. As that material continues to breakdown, the nutrients are available not only to the terrestrial plants, but also get wicked up into the sphagnum, and the excess is getting partially washed out into the tank. It's an educated guess, but it would make sense. I'll have to pick up the water changes a bit, and just mist the set up for a while. It's a unique problem. 

Anyhow, here are a few more shots for today. I'll get the rest posted tomorrow. Thanks for looking!


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## NWA-Planted

*Re: Crazydaz's Square 200G RIPARIUM Strikes Back! NEW PICS 4/20!!*

Unreal is really what comes to mind it's a visually orgasmic overload... Fantastic job!!

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2


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## toksyn

Very, very nice!



crazydaz said:


>


Is the Hygrolon still working out for you? Is this it here, with the moss growth?


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## keithy

Don,
You are indeed the master!


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## @[email protected]

looking fantastic crazydaz. 
i had a hair algae issue in an old tank. tried upping the CO2 and decreasing my Fe dosing. didnt do squat. but then i bought 2 young SAE (granted, my tank was 20 gallons, not 200 gallons, you would need more than 2, lol) and they ate it up within 2 weeks and kept the tank clean. by the time they were old and lazy and only ate flake food, the algae was gone and didnt come back. 

how are the neoregelia doing? the parent plants i got them from have both flowered by now and are sending out mad runners - the n. fireball has 4 runners growing off it, and may grow more still.
id be surprised if you arent getting any runners yet with your lighting.


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## truong

I can't believe i just spent 1 and a half hour reading the journal but it's all worth it. Your tank gave me lots of inspiration. It's like you have a part of rain forest river in your living room. Beautiful yet natural.


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## 10gallonplanted

Amazing tank as always. Your educated guess does make sense to me too. I'm going to use the manzanita I purchased to make a dry side like yours. To kind of create a area that looks like where a river collects twigs, leaves and other junk. But instead mine will be plants.  if you don't mind me copying Lol. Did you use any sort of media for the pants to grow into or what?


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## crazydaz

LOL! Thanks Gary for the unique compliment.

Toksyn--Thank you! Yes, the branch pictured has Hygrolon on it, and it has done exceedingly well for my purposes. The moss always grows so nicely on it!

Keith--Thank you, Sir! Lucky pics is all.

Marko! Thanks man! I was thinking about getting an SAE, but nobody has ever given me "true" SAE's in the past. Do you have a trusted source? Please let me know!

The neos, frustratingly enough, aren't doing well, and I'm not sure why. I can't tell if I am over-watering, under-water, under-fertilizing, over-lighting, etc. You have any suggestions? One has died....the leaves curled up on themselves and drooped. They seem to be the only plants not doing that well. Any pointers for me?

Truong---thank you for making time to read through the whole thing! I try to add a lot of pictures so it keeps it righteous. I appreciate that you like and your kind words mean a lot to me. Thank you for looking through this journal!

10Gallon---Thank you! Of course I don't mind....do what you want, and I hope it comes out looking great!! I'd like to see it when you're done!

The Manzy branches are wrapped in long fiber sphagnum moss, some areas have Hygrolon as a base. Of course, I've added leaves and other netted detritus to add to that for some nutrient value. Most plants have thrived, which I'm a little surprised at considering how dry it is in the house. I'll take it though! 

Last set of pics. I yanked up that huge crypt (I'm calling in C. affinis "undulata" until I'm proven wrong....) in the center of the tank. It was a doozy getting it out, but after enough tearing and cursing, she came out alright. It really changed the look, so I'll have to re-do some stuff in there and take some more pics this week.

Pretty rare Ludwigia linearis:


















Left Side:









Center:









Right:


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## @[email protected]

thats odd, they do really well for me and i do nothing special.
how did it die on you? did the leaves yellow or dry up or what?
i just keep em planted in miracle grow orchid mix and keep the cups filled as much as i can (sometimes they go empty, but not often), and add water to the soil when it dries out. they are in a south facing window. 
i can send you another one to replace the dead one, but first try and save the second so you know youve fixed the issue.


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## crazydaz

No, they just curled up length-wise and shrank. It was strange. I thought that I might have over-watered them, but due to the warmth the lights put out, they may have dried up?

Also, they were just "wedged" into cracks of the branches......do they have to be planted or on LFS to do best? It would explain why the ones I have on the sphagnum peat are doing considerably better than the ones that are simply wedge into cracks and holes.

What do you think?


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## @[email protected]

i would plant them. bromeliads dont need much soil, but most do prefer some. if they were tillandsia, then id say just wedge them, but neoregelia can use their roots for water and nutrient intake. my neos have been growing considerably faster since i took them out of coconut fiber and put them in the miracle grow.


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## crazydaz

That will be a challenge for me, as I do not have a way of adding soil to this set up. But, I'll put them on the LFS that has some leaf litter mixed it, and I'll see it it improve anything. I'll keep you posted, Marko. Thank you for the tips!


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## caliherp

I'm really surprised your Neo's are giving you problems. I would have thought you would have problems with your Tillandsia's before your Neo's. I have a feeling it is due to a lack of water. IME Tillandsia's would be the first to rot if over watered. I am growing Neoregelia's in manny different conditions.(in terrariums, windowsills, and outside) there are quite a few that never have been fertilized that grow well for me and have great color. I have some that get daily mistings, I also have some that rarely get misted. I've only had a few rot on me. One because of to much heat, and the other because of to much heat and moisture. Do you use RO to water them. They could be building up gunk(for lack of a better word) in there cups. I flush mine out once a week if I remember to keep impurities from building up. I hope this helps a little. 


Regards, Patrick


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## toksyn

crazydaz said:


> No, they just curled up length-wise and shrank. It was strange. I thought that I might have over-watered them, but due to the warmth the lights put out, they may have dried up?
> 
> Also, they were just "wedged" into cracks of the branches......do they have to be planted or on LFS to do best? It would explain why the ones I have on the sphagnum peat are doing considerably better than the ones that are simply wedge into cracks and holes.
> 
> What do you think?


That sounds like they are drying up. Were the cups filled?


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## nonconductive

i think the side view is my favorite


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## Plantnerd

The terrestial broms aside I don't find the arboreal ones need or want alot of water on their roots. I have some that i have not once watered besides in their cups/leafs. 
I suspect your neos are dieing from having their roots/plant base being to wet. 
I doubt it is the lights since people often place them in at upper parts of their vivs.


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## crazydaz

Thank you Damon!! Why, out of curiosity, is the side view your favorite? Just a better pic to you, or is it something particular?

Plantnerd--I don't over-water, in my opinion, and I know it isn't the lighting. I'm suspected that since I dry-mounted most of the neos that they aren't getting enough water where they probably need it the most. I had been watering the neos in their cups about once a week, but unlike a brom, apparently they need moisture on the roots as well, which I wasn't aware of. So, I would tend to agree more with Toksyn, Caliherp, and Marko that they aren't getting enough water.

Only one way to find out, right?  Thanks all for the help! I'll move the Neo's to better spots and try increasing the moisture more, and see if that helps.

Otherwise, maybe they are getting too much water and Plantnerd's right! lol!


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## Plantnerd

I would rather suggest you watered/misted the leafs/cups more. In vivs these things often gets misted twice a day:icon_smil 
Your tale just reminded me of some _vriesea _where I in the beginning mistakenly misted the roots aswell as the leafs. The leafs would curl up and die. If the sphagnum around the neos roots is constantly wet or moist that could be the cause.


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## crazydaz

Thanks Plantnerd! You may end up being right! I'm a little bummed about the neo's, and I'm a bit surprised that they, of all the plants that I have in there, seem to be the one's that aren't faring particularly well. Everything else is thriving quite well, minus a species here or there.

I did say that this was a bit of an experiment.....and I didn't expect everything to live. Why did it have to be the neo's though?  lol!

Let's see what happens when I up the water!


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## samee

Yuk floaters!!!

Your foreground carpet needs time, I want to see lush dark green!!

Your background, out of water plants need more variety and reds.

I will get to ur lvl someday.


EDIT: I see a killer pink thing on the most left, what iz it? I love it.


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## crazydaz

Samee....yes, it will take a little while for the foreground to fill in. It's a slow growing species, which is why it is appealing to me. 

I would love to hear your suggestions for red, terrestrial background plants that would survive in 25-35% humidity. I'm all ears, in fact. I have many different species of terrestrial plants, though they aren't as noticeable as the Tillandsia. I have several different mosses, Dischidia sp., creeping ficus, Neos, ferns, orchids, etc. as they are supposed to be tolerant of drier conditions. So, I'm limited by the fact that this isn't enclosed like a traditional vivarium, terrarium, or even riparium. As far as I'm aware, I don't have many other options open to me. If I'm wrong, please let me know. 

The red plant that you are seeing is Alternanthera.


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## Jiinx

Don, I think you need a swimming pool size tank for your next creation :wink:

You have so much variety in colours. Does light still go through with your floaters? How many pumps do you have? 

May I see a pic of your nw setup? I'm still on the fence on it but still unsure of how to get around to doing it 

Thank you for the photos, don! They're beautiful and inspiring as usual!

Sarah


----------



## hydrophyte

The planting is looking fantastic! It is so different now that it has matured some more. 

These are better pictures, too. Did you change camera settings? The color rendering seems much better.


----------



## crazydaz

Sarah---I would love to have a swimming pool sized freshwater tank like this. You couldn't drag out of it!  

I have no light issues at all. I turned all pumps and filters "OFF" for these photos; when they are "ON," the current produced brings all of the floaters towards the center of the tank, and back by the manzy branches. So, there is no light blocking the cyrpts, sagittaria, foreground. Where the light is a bit dimmer, I have mostly anubia, mosses, buce's, taller plant species whose leaves are closer to the surface, and other plants that do fine with lower light levels. "Lower light" is a relative term; this tank has 16 bulbs at 54watts a piece, so even "shaded" areas still get a good amount of lighting. I like them alright, unlike some fellow hobbyists (cough, Samee, cough!), and though I expect them to remain in there for a while in present or lesser numbers, I hope to be able to remove most, or all, of them eventually. The roots are a bit distracting, but I need their nutrient absorbing powers!

I have two Korelia powerheads, FX5 filter, a pond pump for the CO2, a smaller pond pump for a UV sterilizer, and an in-tank UV sterilizer all moving water.

I'll PM you re: the NW. I'm happy that you like the pics, bud!

Devin: Thank you very much!! Yes, it really is looking quite a bit different than when I had first started this, and I expect it to look different still in another several months! Hopefully, it will look "better"!  I had hoped for some faster growth from some of the species (ahem, creeping ficus species....) that I have on top, but it'll come around. The bottom/aquatic portion is turning out better than I had initially hoped for, and should like nice when the carpet gets a bit thicker. The trick will be to keep it thinned a bit around the crypt patches, but that won't be hard to do.

I adjusted the shutter speed a bit, but otherwise, I didn't really do much else when taking the shots. Oh wait! Actually, I did turn on all of the bulbs for these shots. The last set of pics from a few weeks ago, I only had on 4 or 8 bulbs, so that may have impacted the colors a bit.


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## @[email protected]

wait, ficus can do well in a riparium?
if thats the case, you have another candidate for a riparium bonsai, hydrophyte. i know ficus are excellent candidates for indoor bonsai, i was looking into getting one, but then decided i dont want to spend that much money. 
sorry for the hijack crazydaz. but hey, maybe you wanna try bonsai-ing your ficus


----------



## hydrophyte

@[email protected] said:


> wait, ficus can do well in a riparium?
> if thats the case, you have another candidate for a riparium bonsai, hydrophyte. i know ficus are excellent candidates for indoor bonsai, i was looking into getting one, but then decided i dont want to spend that much money.
> sorry for the hijack crazydaz. but hey, maybe you wanna try bonsai-ing your ficus


_Ficus_ is a huge genus with something like 1,000 species. Some of them are swamp or riparian habitat trees, while others are not. There are some _Ficus_ that grow in dry deserts. For trying as a riparium bonsai tree you'd want to use one of the water-associated species that can handle having its roots permanently submerged. I don't know if the real common _F. benjamina_ that is used a lot for bonsai would work like this or not. I remember seeing really big F_icus_ trees growing right along the edges of rivers in Costa Rica, but I don't know what species they were. 

I believe that Don planted the creeping _Ficus_ as an epiphytic plant on one of those branches, not in the water.


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## jczz1232

Wow this great looking tank, wish to have something like that one day. Your electric bill must be very high with that fixture of yours


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## nonconductive

in the 2nd pic of the last series you posted, the way the rocks slope down from back to front, it just looks "real"... you did an awesome job with that.


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## crazydaz

Marko, Devin is right. I have a few type of ficus growing on my branches. The ones with the roots in the water are doing "so-so," but the ones kept on moist sphagnum and leaf litter are doing well. Minus the humidity, they just don't grow quickly. In reality, that's probably a good thing; it would just be one more plant to prune.

jczz1232--Thank you! You would be surprised.....the electric bill isn't that bad. The most any one set of bulbs is on for would be 8 hours. The new ballast types in these systems are pretty energy efficient, and as we just spent a BOATLOAD of money replacing two furnace+AC units in our home with high-efficiency Rheems, our electric bill should be lower than ever!!!  (I'm crying on the inside, though....that was so expensive.....)

Damon--Thank you for the explanation! I enjoy hearing the logic behind a specific comment. The slope came together well, but it was a bit tricky getting the Seriyu stones to fit well. Even now, they are "balanced" but I wouldn't want to push my luck too much. I'm waiting for the aroids to bind things together and cement everything into place.  The idea was to create a "riverbank feel" to it....not sure if it really looks like what I had envisioned, but I appreciate the compliment all the same, Sir!


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## truong

I love the fog on top of the tank, it looks like the creek behind my backyard every morning when the sun comes out.
How do you deal with all that moisture? I have only two 40b tanks and i have to get a dehumidifier.


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## crazydaz

Truong, thank you very much! Makes me a little jealous of you! I would do anything to have a small creek in my back yard....maybe at the bottom of a small hill, to avoid any flooding. It must be beautiful. There's plenty of creeks where I am, but none that offer that type of convenience!

Really, there isn't any excessive moisture. We have forced air and gas heating, so it really dries the air in the house out, to the point where I was getting bloody nose issues. We just got a house humidifier to help this. I was losing about 6 quarts of water per day simply due to evaporation. So, there has been no moisture issue, and the cool-mist humidifier creating the fog was almost "necessary" just to keep the terrestrial plants in semi-good condition. It will be interesting to me to see if that changes moving forward since we added the humidifier for the house as well.

If anything, the plants will love it! As long as I don't get black mold, I'm fine with the extra humidity!


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## rocksmom

I'm in the same boat with the humidity. It's so dry here that even with like... 10 tanks going right now I could still use a humidifier. I have to be careful doing water changes or maintenance because even plants like anubias will dry out and get really brittle if they're above water for more than a few minutes. I always have to keep a mister bottle handy.


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## crazydaz

I hear you brother! I turn on the cool mist humidifier, ESPECIALLY during water changes. It's not too big of a deal....i'll just splash some water on any submersed leaves every couple of minutes. I haven't had an issue yet following that "procedure."


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## izabella87

crazydaz said:


> LOL! Thanks Gary for the unique compliment.
> 
> Toksyn--Thank you! Yes, the branch pictured has Hygrolon on it, and it has done exceedingly well for my purposes. The moss always grows so nicely on it!
> 
> Keith--Thank you, Sir! Lucky pics is all.
> 
> Marko! Thanks man! I was thinking about getting an SAE, but nobody has ever given me "true" SAE's in the past. Do you have a trusted source? Please let me know!
> 
> The neos, frustratingly enough, aren't doing well, and I'm not sure why. I can't tell if I am over-watering, under-water, under-fertilizing, over-lighting, etc. You have any suggestions? One has died....the leaves curled up on themselves and drooped. They seem to be the only plants not doing that well. Any pointers for me?
> 
> Truong---thank you for making time to read through the whole thing! I try to add a lot of pictures so it keeps it righteous. I appreciate that you like and your kind words mean a lot to me. Thank you for looking through this journal!
> 
> 10Gallon---Thank you! Of course I don't mind....do what you want, and I hope it comes out looking great!! I'd like to see it when you're done!
> 
> The Manzy branches are wrapped in long fiber sphagnum moss, some areas have Hygrolon as a base. Of course, I've added leaves and other netted detritus to add to that for some nutrient value. Most plants have thrived, which I'm a little surprised at considering how dry it is in the house. I'll take it though!
> 
> Last set of pics. I yanked up that huge crypt (I'm calling in C. affinis "undulata" until I'm proven wrong....) in the center of the tank. It was a doozy getting it out, but after enough tearing and cursing, she came out alright. It really changed the look, so I'll have to re-do some stuff in there and take some more pics this week.
> 
> Pretty rare Ludwigia linearis:
> 
> 
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> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Left Side:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Center:
> 
> 
> 
> 
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> Right:



One day u get back home and you realize this natural habitat is now habited by some snakes frogs n lizards


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## nonconductive

izabella87 said:


> One day u get back home and you realize this natural habitat is now habited by some snakes frogs n lizards


one day he'll come home and realize i stole it.


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## crazydaz

Izabella--lol! If that happens, there is a MAJOR problem with the house! I was a little surprised.....we do have anoles lizards down here. I didn't think that it would be warm enough, but you see them scampering around on occasion in the warmer months. And armadillo too. Plenty of snakes and frogs as well.

Damon--Oh, now.....you have equal capabilities to me, and would be able to make your own. And hey, why not? You have the perfect opportunity to do it now after you restart your system again!! PIECE OF CAKE!!!!!


----------



## izabella87

crazydaz said:


> Izabella--lol! If that happens, there is a MAJOR problem with the house! I was a little surprised.....we do have anoles lizards down here. I didn't think that it would be warm enough, but you see them scampering around on occasion in the warmer months. And armadillo too. Plenty of snakes and frogs as well.
> 
> Damon--Oh, now.....you have equal capabilities to me, and would be able to make your own. And hey, why not? You have the perfect opportunity to do it now after you restart your system again!! PIECE OF CAKE!!!!!


But hey you could always put in some salamanders, would be fun


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## jczz1232

Ah ic


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## nonconductive

crazydaz said:


> Izabella--lol! If that happens, there is a MAJOR problem with the house! I was a little surprised.....we do have anoles lizards down here. I didn't think that it would be warm enough, but you see them scampering around on occasion in the warmer months. And armadillo too. Plenty of snakes and frogs as well.
> 
> Damon--Oh, now.....you have equal capabilities to me, and would be able to make your own. And hey, why not? You have the perfect opportunity to do it now after you restart your system again!! PIECE OF CAKE!!!!!


thanks for the vote of confidence maestro


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## Senior Shrimpo

WOW. That riparium is ridiculously beautiful. The transformation is crazy! 

Also I gotta say mad props for having Kindergoth as a signature. South park is the best.


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## Jeromeit

*Crazydaz's Square 200G RIPARIUM Strikes Back! NEW PICS 4/19-4/21!!!*

Wow been a while since I've been on... You my friend have a gift for planted tanks... Looks amazing


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## crazydaz

Thank you, Senior Shrimpo, for the compliments regarding the tank, and especially the signature!  Kindergoth is the best.

Jeromeit: Thank you, and how the heck are you? Where've you been, man, and what have you been up to? What's up with that tank lately?


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## speedie408

Tank is bangin!! Haven't seen it in a while and damn... the top section is BAD ASS!


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## HD Blazingwolf

nonconductive said:


> one day he'll come home and realize i stole it.


 NUH UH
Cause I'm going to steal it first


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## crazydaz

Thank you Nick!!! I'm actually a little surprised about how well the top has come along, considering the dry air surrounding it. Everything grows, just at a reduced rate. Still, that's fine by me. Mosses seem to be doing nicely, too!

Brandon, you are invited up from Chattanooga anytime man!  That way you can see what you will need to pull off the heist.


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## HD Blazingwolf

crazydaz said:


> Thank you Nick!!! I'm actually a little surprised about how well the top has come along, considering the dry air surrounding it. Everything grows, just at a reduced rate. Still, that's fine by me. Mosses seem to be doing nicely, too!
> 
> Brandon, you are invited up from Chattanooga anytime man!  That way you can see what you will need to pull off the heist.


HEHEHE you'll never know i was there. i wont even drop water. im going to come in through the roof with a laser cutter and crane it right out. i'll have a replacement peice of roof fitted in place with super glue


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## NWA-Planted

*Re: Crazydaz's Square 200G RIPARIUM Strikes Back! NEW PICS 4/19-4/21!!!*



HD Blazingwolf said:


> HEHEHE you'll never know i was there. i wont even drop water. im going to come in through the roof with a laser cutter and crane it right out. i'll have a replacement peice of roof fitted in place with super glue


Super glue takes time to set and doesn't work well on porous surfaces...

I recommend duct tapes

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2


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## HD Blazingwolf

NWA-Planted said:


> Super glue takes time to set and doesn't work well on porous surfaces...
> 
> I recommend duct tapes
> 
> Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2


 its made from the secreations of barnicles.. very sticky stuff


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## Jeromeit

*Crazydaz's Square 200G RIPARIUM Strikes Back! NEW PICS 4/19-4/21!!!*



crazydaz said:


> Thank you, Senior Shrimpo, for the compliments regarding the tank, and especially the signature!  Kindergoth is the best.
> 
> Jeromeit: Thank you, and how the heck are you? Where've you been, man, and what have you been up to? What's up with that tank lately?


Been well! Found a different apartment and sold off my 72 gallon but I am definitely comming back strong  going to pick up a 230 gallon soon hehe so I'll be starting a new thread not too far from now and will definitely be more active. It's great to see that you're doing well! Your green thumb never ceases to amaze! Bravo brother! I'll definitely be hitting you up for advice being tht I've forgotten a lot of what goes into a planted tank lol.. I guess it's like riding a bike huh?


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## Ziggi

Well I'm late for the party but Thanks for pointing me to this journal! Very inspiring and funny  Love ya'lls comments (I recommend reinforcing the roof cut out with some staples, they're mini I-beams cut in half!  We say "Duct Tape, Bailing twine and WD40 can fix everything!" why not?!)

How's your other tank? the one from the teaser with the anubias? er the .... Tangyanika one (spelt horribly wrong!) Is there a Journal for that one too?


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## crazydaz

Hi Ziggi!

No, no pictures of that tank yet. I have a new light coming some time soon, which I desperately need over that tank. The top looks great, but I need the bottom to fill in with the anubias and others. It will be a long time before I will even be tempted to share that tank with everyone, and I may not. We'll see.


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## tlyons01

I see as well


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## tattooedfool83

You are a master, i feel as if i should bow at your feet and yell "im not worthy" waynes world style. On a serious note, its a work of art in my eyes, you really are a master of your craft. bravo!


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## crazydaz

Therese, as far as I know, you are the only one that has seen the tank or pics of it. You helped with the rock setup, so i can make an exception for you. 

Tattoo, you embarrass me Sir!  I'm very grateful for the compliment; Thank you!! I should get some new pics up next week after I return from Michigan.


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## tattooedfool83

Where in Michigan? Im heading there in July, i lived there for a few years.


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## toksyn

Don! No updates, man?


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## crazydaz

Tattooed: I have family in the Detroit suburbs and in Detroit-proper, with friends in and around Royal Oak/Ferndale and Ann Arbor that I'll be seeing. You? My father used to live in Portage. I grew up there, so I've been all over, except for the UP.

Devin--No, I've been busy and letting things fill in. I'm not even home until next Monday night. I plan on getting updated shots up next week some time. My schedule for work and socializing should die down considerably after this weekend, so I should have more tank time. PS-- LOOK WHO's TALKING!!  What about your Hypoptopoma tank??


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## @[email protected]

looking forward to seeing those updates.


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## toksyn

crazydaz said:


> Tattooed: I have family in the Detroit suburbs and in Detroit-proper, with friends in and around Royal Oak/Ferndale and Ann Arbor that I'll be seeing. You? My father used to live in Portage. I grew up there, so I've been all over, except for the UP.
> 
> Devin--No, I've been busy and letting things fill in. I'm not even home until next Monday night. I plan on getting updated shots up next week some time. My schedule for work and socializing should die down considerably after this weekend, so I should have more tank time. PS-- LOOK WHO's TALKING!!  What about your Hypoptopoma tank??


Hah! Man, I wish I had good news with the Hypoptopoma tank. Between a few unfortunate circumstances, I lost all but one sp. Peru and one gulare, but my Parotocinclus are going on just fine. I don't think I can call it the Hypoptopoma tank anymore ... more like "New Floors and Dead Dreams."

I started another tank that I haven't shared yet.


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## tattooedfool83

My mom and brother and sister live in Saline right outside of Ann Arbor, going to the irish hills for a "family camping trip". When my family gets together things get out of hand. But i dont make it back but maybe every one or two years. Ann Arbor is a great town, i was there for st pattys day last year on UofM campus. Good times.


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## blazeyreef

What LFS do you use? Fins of Franklin? Aquatic Critter? Just curious, your tank looks freaking awsome! Im from the Franklin area btw.


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## crazydaz

Hi Marko....thanks man. Should be an interesting trim next week! 

Oh, Devin! Come on! You have to share at least one tank with us. Or me!

Tattooed: Went to Suak Valley eons ago for soccer camp, or something, so I'm familiar with that area! My wife and I are both Michigan alums as well. Many fond memories of the place, so it'll be nice to get back for a few hours at least! Most of my immediate family is in the Detroit area, so we are back several times per year.

Blazey--Thanks, Blazey! I almost never go to a LFS. Much better quality fish and plants from other hobbyists and a few select online stores. I've been to Critter a few times. I guess they are OK, but they mark things up a bunch, and it's too busy for my liking. I never had been to Fins, so maybe a field trip is in order.  Franklin is still a bit of a haul for me though, so I will have to wait to hustle out there when I have business in Alabama or something. I doubt that I'm missing anything though.


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## prasantkmrs

going through your journal is like walking in the dream land  awesome


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## blazeyreef

yea your not missing a thing with franklin. I mean, its just a little hole in the wall. I was simply curious. That hole in the wall really helped fuel my interest for years. I dont honestly even know if its there anymore...


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## @[email protected]

so whats up? no pics? i need some cool shots, man, come on.


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## crazydaz

Prasantkmrs---Sorry! I owe you a belated "Thank you!"  I appreciate the compliments!

Marko---I do have some updated "top" terrestrial shots that I'll share....I'll have to come back and post FTS and aquatic pics later this coming week. My Metallic Red was KICKING(!!!), but got choked out by the dwarf sag (I think) and melted. I did some pruning this past week to separate the two, and the MReds are already putting out new growth. and regaining their color.

Here they are about a month ago kicking butt. The leaves were even bullated, if you look closely:









Right Side:









Closer:









Getting some really intense colors on my Tillandsia:









Top:









Closer:









Left Side:









Closer:









Nice look at the moss growth and some of the plant species:









Alternanthera "Raspberry Swirl" from Devin. Who rocks.









Lights and Mist shot:









That's enough for right now.....I'll get the other ones taken late this coming week and post some FTS and aquatic shots as well. 

Thanks for looking!


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## samee

Thats on crack!


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## keithy

I love it!


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## MikeP_123

OMFG is that even real? INSANE!!!!


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## MikeP_123

Sorry for the double post... but I was just showing my friend and what came out of his mouth was "That looks like something from Alice in Wonderland". Truly psychedelic!


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## Jiinx

I agree! It looks like a scene from the enchanted forest - just need some fairies to complete the look! :red_mouth

Mmm raspberry swirl! Sounds like an ice cream flavour. What a beauty!


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## crazydaz

Thank you Samee! Crack is wack! 

Keithy--Thanks man! I won't be in Lexington for a while. I was laid off two Mondays ago, so I have no idea if or when I'll be at UK again. 

Mike--Thanks. It's real enough! lol! The colors really pop out if you take pics after soaking everything with tank water. I've learned that....if I don't, the Spanish moss is too white and really impacts pictures in a bad way. But, you are right...it's a nice tank with really cool coloration on top and inside the tank.

Sarah....Devin will throw in a surprise plant for me from time to time to try. This was a really, really nice find! It doesn't grow quickly, like the "normal" Alternanthera species, but the leaf color is amazing. He has given me some really nice plants since I've known him!


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## johnson18

Your tank is looking great, as always. That raspberry swirl is insane!!! I also find that my pictures turn out better after a good misting.


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## Dietz

So impressive!


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## Ziggi

Wooooow! Its so detailed yet natural feeling.  I wonder how many folks have contacted Devin for their own raspberry swirl after seeing this! 

Love it!

Sent from my SCH-I510 using Tapatalk 2


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## crazydaz

Johnson--Yeah, that Raspberry Swirl is really cool! I planted a few extra stems into the substrate to see if I might be able to get them to grow, but so far, nada. I may dig them up and add them to the trellis raft. And it's those darn white-colored hairs and "fuzz" on all those plants. If you don't wet them down, you just end up getting light-colored shots that really are very true to the colors you see with your eyes. I almost always douse things down now before a "shoot." 

Dietz and Ziggi! Thank you both very much! I hope that Devin is benefiting. It seems to me that there are more ripariums now than there used to be. The more I can help showcase some of his plants, especially if they're "extras." The more the hobbyist has to choose from, the more fun the hobby becomes.


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## Ziggi

Awesome salesman! 

Sent from my SCH-I510 using Tapatalk 2


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## Betta132

This is the most amazing tank ever! I am totally gonna do something like this eventually. I hope. If I ever can.

This doesn't have any CO2 or anything like that, right?


----------



## I<3<*))))><

OMG, I am floored! I seen the Before pics, prior to the move and my heart sank at having to tear down such a beautiful set up. Then I read thru the thread and see these epic images of the Now. Insane my man.. my favorite Riptarium I've seen yet! Just wow!

You even have my BF commenting on how awesome it looks and until this point he has been anti-riptarium.


----------



## Lil' Swimz$

This tank is on fiiiirrre!!! This tank is on fiiirrrree eeerrr errr ERR! And they're growing in wateeeeer! This tank is on fiirrrree errr errr ERR! (that was my rendition of This Girl is on Fire lol)

LOL seriously what the hay how is this even possible.


----------



## Da Plant Man

Hey, if your ever in Franklin, hit me up. I go there every thursday all day. Trade some plants possibly, or at least meet up. 

Your tank is looking amazing right now. EPIC!


-Caton


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## crazydaz

Ziggi....not entirely. The product sells itself! Lol! As it should! I just take pictures to show everyone what's been going on with the tank, and that was one of the more noticeable things that had changed. It's actually kind of fun to show something new.....,this tank does not experience a fast rate of change both above or below the waterline. Moss growth and new buce shoots are neat, but take a long time to grow. It's nice to be able to focus on a neat highlight.

Geeze guys! :icon_redf Thank you!

Betta, I'm sure that you will be able to! Just takes a little time, patience, and a willingness to think outside the box. Practice. But "yes," this is a pressurized CO2 tank. With the amount of light above it, there would be no way the aquatic plants would do well without it.

I Love Fish--I'm very flattered and happy that you like it! I've been able to win-over my wife over the years by improving on skill and showing her that spending all of that money was worth it. Lol!! The pressure from her helped! I almost sold this set up before moving from St. Louis to Nashville. Glad I kept it!

Swimz-- thanks for the Alicia Key's serenade!  I am surprised, too, that the plants have done as well on top as they have. The higher humidity due to the warm weather certainly has helped. Otherwise, just being consistent with the watering of the plants has been very beneficial as well. Nothing grows really fast, but it has been very consistent growth. Well, the Dischidia has grown pretty quickly.....and the Peperomia grew pretty well after some initial die off.

Thanks Caton! I would be happy to meet up some time!! I didn't know that you were so close! I will see what I can do over the coming weeks. That'd be fun!


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## bigstick120

Looking great as usual! Really liking what you have above the waterline. The mist effect is pretty darn cool!


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## I<3<*))))><

Hah, Im slowy trying to win my BF over with freshwater. He keeps saying he isn't interested in planted tanks and that my shrimp look like bugs to em, lol.

I just miss the days were we BOTH spent hours Oohhing & Aahhing over our reefs. It'd be heaven to be able to share this hobby with him again.

I don't think I'd ever have the heart to sell a tank like that. The dimensions alone are killer! Keep it up!!


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## BackAtIt

You've probably been asked a million times, but what kind of light is that? I can't seem to find mention in the thread. 

Beautiful tank, you have an artistic eye. Thanks for sharing the process with us!


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## crazydaz

Stephanie--Don't saltwater shrimp look similarly "bug-like" to him? Copepods don't look like bugs to him??  I think that he sees what he wants to see because he misses his reef tanks. Perhaps for good reason, too, but he needs to give freshwater an honest chance and quit trying to compare it to reef systems. Both have differences and are equally stunning, if done properly.

BackAtIt--Thank you! Regarding your question: do you mean what type of light fixtures? I have two TEK Elites with eight HO T5 bulbs in each fixture.


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## crazydaz

UPDATE!:

Here is a teaser.....I'll get more shots up in a few hours. They're uploaded, I just have to import into the thread. I am starving and have some things to do first.


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## blazeyreef

were were you guys like 3 years ago when I lived in Spring Hill??? I would have loved to of met up in franklin to trade!
and bro your tank is just freakin amazing


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## AnotherHobby

That picture is stunning! Amazingly beautiful with so much color!

This whole tank is just insane and intense — I love it!


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## NWA-Planted

Pretty sure I just suffered a visual orgasm

Sent from... The BEYOND via tapatalk


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## peachii

Your tank is beautiful! Looks really great with all that color.


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## KFryman

Wow this tank has come a long way! This tank is a piece of art, I can see why you won over your wife with this tank. Your plants all look great and are super colorful. I hope someone in the future my tanks can look half as good as your tank.


----------



## @[email protected]

i still cant quite understand how you can get so much color out of your tank. must be those megalights - and a very fine-tuned CO2.


----------



## samee

@[email protected] said:


> i still cant quite understand how you can get so much color out of your tank. must be those megalights - and a very fine-tuned CO2.


I wanna know how he takes pics that show all those colours. I think I mightve asked about it before, cant remember.


----------



## crazydaz

Thank you Blazey, AnotherHobby, Peachii for the compliments!! 

NWA, that's awesome! And gross.  LOL!!

KFryman, you will be able to. Just get good equipment, fertilize as you should, and practice trimming, moving groups around to see what looks good in what location. Just like most things it's all about the practice and developing the eye for it.

Marko and Samee, there really is nothing secretive. I play with the lighting sets for the pics before I take them, make sure that I have little ambient light for whole tank shots; for "underwater" shots, I hang fabric around the lights so I don't get any sort of weird reflection. Otherwise, the tank is mature now, much easier to fertilize, and fairly easy to photograph. Just a healthy tank with awesome lights and some unique bulb combos. It sure as heck isn't my picture taking abilities!  I ended up taking 120 pictures that night as well, and ended up with 61, so it does help that I have a variety to choose from, at least.

I'll post a few dozen pics over the next few days. Just to forewarn your eyes, NWA.  



















Tillandsia blooming!


















Left Side:









Right Side:









Crypt Spathe:









Center of the tank:









Hygro "Tiger" (left) and Ludwigia grandulosa x palustris (right) shot above the water









Alternanthera sp. "mini." Not so "mini" right now.


----------



## hambone870

cant tell you how much of an inspiration that tank is

do you have multiple tanks running? or is this your only one?

would be a lot of work to maintain that many gallons of water!


----------



## NWA-Planted

Warned the eyes, it still happened... I may need a tissue... And you know you liked it Don 

Your tank though... It's gorgeous, I say that all the time, but, it truly is!!! The colors, everything is intensely vibrant!! 

In my current settings I doubt I could convince the wife to let me set up that kind of lighting, however.... Was going to order another led fixture... May have to be 2... Get 3 fixtures... I want... Color!!!

Sent from... The BEYOND via tapatalk


----------



## C kram

That sir is amazing! Great work!


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## fishboy199413

How many Microdevario kubotai have survived? Also have they bred for you? Looking good.


----------



## samee

Very nice, you do have alot of bulbs on top. Have you ever considered led? Im thinking of getting from buildmyled. Im sure they would give you the same colours (in plants) since you can customize what colours you want.


----------



## crazydaz

Hi Hambone! Thank you! I have one other tank that I've been tinkering with. It's an African Swamp type of set up, and small (30G long), and while the planted top portion looks pretty cool, the bottom aquatic portion really hasn't taken off. It's a lack of lighting, and it simply won't look very good until I can get some higher light in there. I may end up re-doing it. We'll see. My wife has been very good at putting up with the two set ups, and I will not try to push my luck.  Two is enough for me.

Gary.....LOL!! That's awesome!! :hihi: 

I would start with two and see how it goes.....I can't really comment too much about the LED's; I have no direct experience with them, and couldn't tell you how many fixtures or LED's you would need to make a comparable set up. Not to mention the constant tweaking you are going to have to do with your ferts and CO2 for a month or two after the new set up. It can be a little frustrating, as going from 12 to 16 HO T5 bulbs caused algae issues for me that were pretty bad for a few months. 

I think that it was worth it though. Before this set up, I never had a crypt throw a spathe; since the new lighting was set up at the end of January, I've had to different crypts throw spathes, which is pretty remarkable.

C kram---Thanks a bunch! 

Fishboy--Thank you! Out of the 24 Microdevario that I had, I'm down to about 10 or 11 now. They're a pretty fish, but not incredibly long-lived. I've seen wigglers, but I don't know what they're from, and they're often quickly eaten in the tank. I might try something else in a few months.

Samee--Thank you! I did consider LED's when I was thinking about upgrading, and had asked around to some buddies about their opinions, including several that had them already. Something that expensive is worth asking around about. The general consensus was that it isn't worth the expense yet. The viewing spectrum is still just a little off, mostly having things look a bit too blue or green, or washed out. I wasn't thrilled about the pricing, so between the two reasons, I just opted to go with what I was already comfortable with. I have no regrets!! It is something that I would have to see "in person" in order to be convinced to go with LED's. I had read about some technology coming down the road that is supposed to be better than LED's, where the light generated almost perfectly reproduced natural sunlight, and could be used for aquariums. LED's "may" (emphasis) already be in jeopardy before they can really grab too much of this planted tank market.

That said, IF I had a reef tank, I would go LED all the way. But I don't.


----------



## Xirxes

16 30" T5HO's? that fixture has got to throw some heat! Putting out about 600 watts if they are 30", but it takes what it takes, your results are outstanding!

I have always loved the little atomizers for fog effect, i have one in our 2x2x4 crested gecko terrarium.

Amazing to see cryptocorynes so lush and loving the tank. Way to go.


----------



## ua hua

Beautiful as always. There's not too many threads that I subscribe to in the journal section but this is one of those threads that I always love to see new pictures of. It is amazing to see the progression of your tank and this tank has the most beautiful colors ever. I'm really liking the micro sword foreground and the crypt metallic red. The crypt metallic red has been on my wtb list for some time but don't see it offered to often. Let me know when or if you ever have some you are willing to part with.


----------



## crazydaz

Xirxes--No, that's 16x48" HO T5 Bulbs. 864 watts. Yes, it does put out some heat, but the lights are hung and are about three feet about the water, so there isn't too much heat getting into the tank from the lighting. Thank you for the nice words, and I feel that the fixtures were worth getting. Especially since they were 2 for the price of 1.

The cool mist humidifier has been a really nice investment. It has really allowed a lot of the mosses and selaginellas to not only grow, but thrive in what otherwise be an impossible environment to live in. 

The crypts have rebounded well, and the spathe has been a lot of fun to watch get bigger and bigger by the day. It's the second one that I've had in this tank, and I'm beginning to think that there is a connection between the crypt health and the UVL Red Sun bulbs that I have in the TEK's. They seem to really thrive with the longer wavelengths available provided by those bulbs. The Metallic Reds suffered by being choked out by the "true" dwarf sag, but as long as you keep them relatively clear of them, they seem to do great. I'll have to thin them out this week though.

Ua Hua--Thank you sir! That's a really nice thing to say, and I sincerely appreciate that! I could part with some of that Metallic Red this coming week or early next week, if you would like a couple. 

That isn't microsword; it a type of Bucephalandra.....Bucephalandra "Kualakuayan 1" which started from about two 2" pieces last August. It actually grows fairly quickly for me, and should end up being a really nice foreground for me some day. In a few years.... 

Anyhow, thanks for the kind words again!!



















A little GSA on the anubias leaves....no biggie, though.









TONS of Thread Leaf Java Fern! (and snails...tons of snails):









Nice shot of the top down into the tank:









Crypt Metallic Red has come back nicely!:









Left Side of the front of the tank:









Large Shot of the same area:









Right Side of the Front of the tank:









Top Down:


----------



## Dan's85

This is absolutely stunning. I have never seen anything like this before. Just from looking at one picture I can see that A LOT of time, effort, planning, and consideration has went into this project. Thank you very much for sharing this.


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## ChadRamsey

Beautiful!


----------



## ua hua

I was actually referring to the microsword on the front left side of your tank but I did wonder what the plant was that is next to the crypt metallic but you just answered that for me. Very nice. You are the first to see use buce for a foreground and it looks really good.


----------



## tropicalmackdaddy

Wow that would be 10x better than a tv.


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## hutch11

that is incredible... im speechless!!...congrats to you!


----------



## Da Plant Man

Yeah, you can just go ahead and deliver that to my house. I can take it off your hands if its too much work. 

I'm Jealous. Good work, as always.


----------



## crazydaz

Dan's85, thank you! There was some planning.....a some "make it up as you go along."  I can't lie. But I am happy that you appreciate it!

Thank you, Chad!! Woot! 

My bad, Jason! I see what you meant now! HA!! That's a combination of "true" Dwarf Sag and Sag Calycina from Aaron. The Buce carpet should look cool when it's done. It doesn't look very full right now because I end up splitting it constantly, but it handles it surprisingly well, and i have yet to lose a piece due to constant trimming. I'm going to just let it start to grow together now, and just clip off piece that don't end up growing into the substrate.

TropicalMackdaddy--Thank you, but it's actually a bit boring lately. I need to resupply my shoal in there and get a little more fish action. It is nice to bring my laptop in there and just relax in front of though!

Thank for the nice compliment Hutch!! 

PlantMan! LOL!! Yeah, right man! You need an army just to lift.  Come on by any time!


----------



## c_gwinner

I have not been on in like forever, and it looks like I have missed a lot with this tank. This thing looks amazing now. Love everything about it cuz there is not just one cool thing, there are too many to count. Amazing work as always


----------



## crazydaz

Hey CG Winner!! You didn't miss much....it's been an bit of a trial, but you saw the most important part.  It's been my favorite set up so far because there are a bunch of things to see, and plenty of fish if you are willing to just sit quietly and watch for a minute or two.

Thanks for the nice words, winner!


----------



## AnotherHobby

crazydaz said:


> it's been an bit of a trial


I could only dream of having such an amazing _trial_. 

Your photography is really impressive. You use great technique with lights with colors, and what's really cool is that you do it in a way that allows us to appreciate your tank as much as you do.


----------



## I<3<*))))><

Your tank is unreal.... just so breathtaking!! Seriously in awe. Keep up the amazing pics & thanks for sharing!!!


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## c_gwinner

Got anymore updates? Have any of the plants on your branches given any problems?


----------



## crazydaz

AnotherHobby and Stephanie--So sorry about the LONG delay in responding! I've been really busy starting a new position and attending to some personal family matters as of late; I either didn't see that you responded, or forgot to respond. I apologize if that came across as rude!  

AnotherHobby=I meant "trial" as in "journey," more than anything. At times, perhaps a Trial of Patience!  Slow growing plants do not fare very well against algae, so I've had to make adjustments in dosing, lighting, distance of said lighting to tank, CO2, etc. To top it off, slow growers don't really let you know if the adjustments that you've made help them or hurt them for about month. As a predominantly "stem-oriented" fellow in the past, it has been difficult to experiment. The results have been mixed, but generally more successful since adding some fast growers and floaters to take up excess nutrients in the water column. A pure buce or crypt tank is likely too difficult for me to do, if anything, because I like high light and having long photoperiods. The water column would have to be nearly devoid of most nutrients, otherwise, it would be frequently be the victim of algal blooms. I suppose that could be an option for me to try down the road. I've had this idea for an Iwagumi set up for this tank that I'd like to try. If nobody steals my idea first. 

Picture-wise, I appreciate the kind words. That's been a seven year experiment, more than anything, just making tweaks here in there in exposure times and lighting levels. Tweak, tweak, tweak. The pictures aren't perfect, but I guess that they're decent enough to accurately display how it looks in "real life." Thank you!

Stephanie=Thank you! I will try to keep updating.

C GWinner=any updates....well, I was "plant-sitting" for a buddy of mine until today. I had plants in there that were converting to submersed form and putting on some growth until I returned home from my work adventures (By the way....Houston is as miserable as I remember it being in the summer time. Ech!). So, now those plants are out, my crypts need to re-grow, and the tank is in dire need of a water change. I'm getting a lot of mulm build-up.

I did get a few nice Crypt Flamingos that seem to be doing well and putting out some nice growth. Slowly, of course. I was a bit surprised, but I experience NO leaf-melt after receiving them and re-planting them. That was about three-ish weeks ago, already. New growth is as advertised, and I hope that I can get a few nice plants going that gain some height!


----------



## AnotherHobby

No worries! You didn't come across as rude at all. 

Can't wait for more pictures of your tank in the future!


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## c_gwinner

Really anywhere in Texas is pretty hot, the worst is the humidity around here. Didn't realize you'd be down this way in my neck of the woods haha. Hope things are settling down for you now. Keep it up.


----------



## zzrguy

Still a stunner.


----------



## crazydaz

Some updates......

I ended up getting rid of the Lileopsis species for the lawn. It was too overwhelming to control and was choking out my smaller crypts. it's still present, prominently displayed on the "right" side of the tank, and strewn throughout, but I'm hoping to have a foreground mostly consisting of the "true" dwarf sag, which grows very slowly, and Bucephalandra "Kualakuayan"#1, which grows even slower (but it looks fantastic!). Bottom line: the crypts are recovering and the foreground looks a little naked. Otherwise, things are growing pretty well.

Pictures I took were a bit rushed, but they were the best that I could do without breaking out fabric to block the pendant lights in order to take "perfect" pictures near the tank glass....so there is some reflection. Sorry!

Left Side....nice Bucephalandra growth, but you can see what I mean about the nakedness of the foreground. Time heals all wounds--










Top and bottom partials....If I could get enough black fabric to drape the wall, it would make some of these pictures pretty cool. Oh well:









Close up of the top....the Monk Orchid is a "transfer" from my other tank, and may not make it. Had to try, at least:









Bottom, full Shot:









Near-perfect shot.....photobombed by my new additions to the tank (Sunset Gouramis):









One of my favorites: Crypt Pink Flamingo.....doing pretty well now!









Aquatic Selaginella sp.:









Here are the little buggers!:









Alternanthera top down:









Bucephalandra Brownie Ghost:









Just some moss shots:



























Top:









Reflection shot:









Whole thing:


----------



## BigTom

Just stumbled into this thread for the first time. Amazing selection of plant species there! What is your room humidity like?


----------



## crazydaz

Hi Tom,

It's a little variable, but I would say it ranges between 40-50% throughout the year. The fog helps in the immediate micro-climate, as well as the water evaporation and daily waterings using tank water. I'm getting a Mist King in order to lessen some of the direct waters I have to do.....probably after Christmas, at this point.


----------



## caliherp

Incredible as always. Do you have an I.d for that neo. in the second picture after the "just some moss shots"? The color on that one is ridiculous.


----------



## crazydaz

Hi Caliherp,

I don't recall the name of that neo....I got it from Bonnie about a year ago, and I've tossed the emails over on Dendro with that info, unfortunately. Sorry!


----------



## Jiinx

seeing your tank always motivates me to do something to my tank, Don :icon_mrgr beautiful photos. 

Do you have a species list for your flora and fauna? What are your opinions for the humble planted tank enthusiasts, like moi, who want to grow crypt flamingo? Is it do-able?

sarah


----------



## ua hua

Beautiful as always Don. I really am liking the Selaginella. How long has it been submersed and is it a true aquatic? I have some of the true sagitaria sublata and it is a painfully slow grower but I like that about it. Better than trimming every week like I have to do with the elatine triandra.


----------



## crazydaz

Hi, and thank you, Sarah! I don't keep an active species list for my flora or fauna. It is always evolving and I don't have much time to keep track of everything in a list form. If someone is interested in something they see in a picture, I'll ID it for them. It's good enough. I'm also busy with other projects, and time is not very plentiful right now. 

Regarding the Flamingo: I don't really know how to answer that question. If you have a high tech set up with all of the bells and whistles, keep a nice few-inch barrier around it where other heavy-root feeders don't come into, and keep the leaves from getting a lot of detritus build up on them, then it doesn't seem too finicky. However, it does seem to take some time to get established, and I won't feel very comfortable recommending it for a novice to try until I get get a few generations of daughter plants. It was suggested by a buddy of mine that the mutation may not be very stable, so it should prove to be interesting to see what happens over time with this crypt.

Hey Ua Hua! How've you been? Yes, the Selaginella species can survive very nicely completely submersed. It will climb the mosses and branches without any problem, and grow emmersed as well, but it won't climb any more than an inch out of the water where it still saturated by water.

I do like the true sag as well. It's very easy to keep and control, and as I have much less time nowadays to fuss with the tank, it is a perfect choice for my tank as well.


----------



## DogFish

Don - Congrats on the Crypt Pink Flamingo. roud:

When those became available you were on my short list of people that I felt might be able to get it to survive.


----------



## crazydaz

Thank you for the vote of confidence, Frank! I was hesitant to try, and I'm glad that I gave in finally to buy Lenny's when it became available. It's been worth the minor gamble!


----------



## @[email protected]

Tank looks sexy as ever.
And I see at least one Neoregelia is doing well. Never seen em that pink. 
And that C. flamingo, woah.


----------



## keats

This is awesome.


----------



## crazydaz

Thanks Marko! Actually, all neos are doing extremely well. I've had three that have produced daughters...they just aren't easy to see some of the time. I'll have to take some pictures solely of them so you can see. Yours are doing really nicely!! 

Hi Keats, and thank you for saying so!


----------



## kwheeler91

Lookin good bro! Never heard of Selaginella before, haven't been really active around here for a while but winter is coming and that means its fish tank time  Anyway I wanted to ask what the requirements are for that plant and if it attaches well?


----------



## crazydaz

Hey kwheeler! Long time no see! I haven't been around much either over the past few months, myself. No worries!

Selaginella species commonly grow in very humid and moist terrarium or vivarium setup. I have a few that are hardening to conditions around my cool mist humidifier right now that I will take pictures of. All of them are terrestrial species, as far as I know, EXCEPT for this one, which will start to die completely once it is about an inch from water. It will grow a little emergent, but even the tops will dry out once it grows out from the waterline. So, this is almost certainly an aquatic species. It prefers to be submersed.

It doesn't seem to attach easily to driftwood or stone. I learned that the trick is to grow this on top of moss that has been wrapped around a branch. Under bright light light, the moss seems to survive alright, even as the Selaginella quickly covers it as it grows. This species really seems to thrive in my high light and pressurized CO2 system. It probably would do fine with average kH, even though my kH is probably really low. PH is slightly acidic in my tank, so neutral values are tolerable. It needs good flow in order to keep debris from clinging to the leaves. Otherwise, normal ferts are fine. The limiting factor probably is the lighting. I do not think that this plant would do really well under weak lighting.


----------



## kwheeler91

I see... I wonder if you could maybe tie some terrarium type sphagnum onto the wood and then the selaginella, or is it the growth of the base moss grabbing hold of the selaginella that keeps it in place?


----------



## cownose-ray

DAMN.

This is the most amazing tank I've ever seen. Just beautiful.


----------



## crazydaz

Kwheeler - I think that it is the latter which is happening. You could try Hygrolon tied to driftwood and see if that works. LFS in water probably wouldn't be a great idea for long term growth as it would disintegrate, eventually. I may try the Hygrolon, just to see if it would work.

Cownose Ray - thank you very much!


----------



## teddo10

Congrats on a very very nice setup!
Somehow i missed this journal up till now, just read almost all 44 pages of it.
I especialy like the underwater jungle look of it.
I have never been a fan of the real clean scaped tanks, and this is a nice example of how a tank can look "junglestyle".
It inspires me to try to get a junglelook within the parameters i have set myself. Thanks for that.


----------



## crazydaz

Hi teddo!

Thank you very much!  I haven't been on here often as of late; just popped in for a picture update, so it is probably very easy to not catch this thread. Thank you for spending so much time with it, and I am glad that you liked the read.

I've not been one to try an Iwagumi or perfectly manicured tank. Both are very nice to look at, and require some pretty intense trimming and maintenance; they are art forms, but they don't tend to keep my eye for too long. Rarely, are any of them truly unique....and likely the one reason why I've tried to blend aspects of the hobby, mostly Dutch along with "collectoritis" tanks to create something memorable, at least to me. I feel that if everything is laid out in a tank to see, then there is no reason to search to find anything else that might not be as obvious when the viewer is looking at the tank the first time. It is also a combination of multiple angles and intersect points. Mostly, though, it just "does it's thing" and is pretty undemanding. Which is good for a lazy guy like myself.


----------



## inka4041

This tank is an absolute work of art. Would love more info on this aquatic selaginella though. Never heard of a species that would grow submersed. Any info on what kind it is, or where you sourced it?


----------



## crazydaz

Hi Inka,

I was given a sample of this species from a friend of mine, about a year ago, who had received it as a sample from another hobbyist called simply "Aquatic Selaginella." It does very nicely submersed or emergent as long as it is saturated with water. I cannot provide additional info regarding the species. I haven't actually tried researching it, to be honest.

That's a ridiculous DBZ reference in your avatar. Lol!! Fusion!!


----------



## kwheeler91

Dragon ball 4 life lol


----------



## crazydaz

Kwheeler.....


----------



## inka4041

crazydaz said:


> Hi Inka,
> 
> I was given a sample of this species from a friend of mine, about a year ago, who had received it as a sample from another hobbyist called simply "Aquatic Selaginella." It does very nicely submersed or emergent as long as it is saturated with water. I cannot provide additional info regarding the species. I haven't actually tried researching it, to be honest.
> 
> That's a ridiculous DBZ reference in your avatar. Lol!! Fusion!!


If you're not the first person to get the reference, you're definitely the first one to mention it, lol. 

As far as aquatic selaginella goes, you've got even google stumped. I wonder if this is something that's only growing submersed because it's in a high tech setup, or if it'll actually grow under water in a variety of conditions. LMK if you ever want to find out how it does in someone else's tank


----------



## crazydaz

I had awesome friends in college that shared my love of animé. Our days would usually end with an episode (or five) of Dragonball or one of the movies, usually in Japanese, which only made it more sweet to watch. Anyhow, it's permanently burned into my head now.

I would assume that you are right. It does do quite well a few inches below the surface; bright light or low light doesn't seem to matter too much. But I sincerely doubt this would do well submersed in a low tech tank. And the enjoyment partially comes from having something that very few other people have, even if it has Google a little confused. Heh heh.

If you would like some, just let me know. You can do your groveling via PM. Lol! Worried about the weather, though.....we'll have to see how things go and play it by ear a bit.


----------



## pianofish

This tank's views is over 9000....


----------



## inka4041

Good stuff about the anime. I'm 6 years post undergrad, and still indulge in my weekly manga fix, lol. 

Also totally hear you about that feeling of having something nobody else does. That might have had a bigger effect on the stocking of my 90 gallon than I'm willing to admit, lol. 

As it happens, groveling over PM's is a niche specialty of mine. I'll shoot you one when I get home from work. I may have some things that are suitable for a trade, and barring that, am happy to work something out.


----------



## asuran

Amazing tanks


crazydaz said:


> Some people have asked over the past few years how I came up with this type of tank...."why a square system? Where'd you get the idea?," and so on. The truth is that there really is no direct answer. I started this hobby right out of college...some time ago.....when the only cell phone available were the "flip" kind, or the "heavy" kind, it cost $1 for a text message. Some of you "youngin's" out there in this hobby now probably don't even remember such a time. "Your cell phone weighed HOW MUCH?!?!?" they would exclaim. Ugh. I did this to simply spite my folks who never would let me have one growing up. "It'll be too messy!" Yeah, right, Ma....and the cat hairballs from Mittens weren't?
> 
> Anyhow, yes, out of college, I bought myself a nice 55 gallon tank with one of those thick wrought iron stands that are open on the bottom. A couple of nice Whisper HOB's, black and white gravel, and BLAMMO, I owned a nifty cichlid set up that did surprising well. I lost a Venustus. I probably had 25 fish in that thing, too. ENORMOUS Tin Foil Barbs too! Had a Gold Severum that would eat out of my hand, which was neat. Eventually, I had to dismantle it because I lost my job, and no longer had the money to spend on it. I was out of the hobby for about a year. I call this my "Fish Phase"; the phase where I bought and kept fish, learned whatever I could about the species I had in the tank, and success was simply measured by what stayed alive and what did not. It was a horrid mish-mash of whatever looked neat at the shop found it's way into my tank. A mix of SA and African cichlids with Giant Danio as dither fish.
> 
> Finally, I was hired on at a automotive supplier near Detroit, north of town, so after I moved up to be closer to work and had the funds, I re-started the system. However, I had become interested in planted tanks, so I settled with species I knew weren't going to eat the crap out of my plants. (My first foray into the planted realm ended when I cautiously planted some Anachris and some ludwigia into my aforementioned cichlid tank, and kept wondering why they always ended up floating at the top every morning. Until I watch the Tin Foil barbs munching them down and the ciclids digging them up.) I think that I settled on a nice shoal of tiger barbs and a few Kribs. I also bought another strip light and was amazed when I was able to grow Anachris, Swords, and Hornwort. I also remember using Root Tabs for the first time for a source of nutrients. This is significant because it symbolized the fact that I could "care" about the well-being of a plant. And the fish, if anything, just picked at the leaves instead of eating them. Success! The first step in Planted Tankery was taken....but, you need to start somewhere, yes?
> 
> A WHOLE YEAR later, I moved again into a bit of a nicer place, even closer to work....by about a few blocks. But, I had grown tired of the Burger King-related riff-raff a block away from my house, and how I could hear the drive thru speaker late at night and early in the morning. A person needs his beauty sleep. So, a tear down and re-start later, I had really gotten into this "plant thing." I also started to work part-time at a LFS as well, which was the greatest-worst thing that could have happened. I took the position to make extra income to pay off my credit cards. However, as I got 50% off all livestock and plants, I simply couldn't let those good deals go to waste! Most shifts, I left with a new plant, new food to try, or new fish. They got half of their pay to me right back.  So, those credit cards MAY not have gotten paid as quickly as I had wanted them to be. But, I sure learned plenty! I started buying my aquatic plant books....probably a new one every week and just read and studied. I tried the bulk of what is considered to be "common" species nowadays: anubia, java fern, a few Ludwigia, vals, sags, crypts, different swords, some Hygros, and so on. As well as the "Purple Krinkle Leaf" that, as I found out and scolded my boss, isn't a true aquatic plant. Neither is "Pineapple Plant." Good grief. I call this my "Basics Phase." I really leaned and gained my foundation during these few years. I was also able to try out additional lighting, different types of lighting, generic CO2 fluids (a poor man's Excel) and ferts, different root tabs, different substrates, and so on. The 55 gallon would actually look marginally decent during this "era."
> 
> Sadly, I got engaged (haha!) and I gave my 55 gallon tank to my buddy, and moved into an apartment. However, my fiance was down with me getting a few tanks....upgrades, even! I wisely figured out that I should start taking pictures sometimes. This is where it really starts becoming clear why I started angling towards the 200G tank, from what I can tell.
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> So, alas, my wife finished Grad School, and we decided to go to St. Louis from the Detroit suburbs so she could attend Washington University Med School for her post-doctoral studies. But, before we left, I had my square 200G tank built, along with a customize pedestal and pendant lighting from a buddy of mine (I don't know if you are still on here or not, Riley! ) I wanted the size of a 100G tank but with the dimensions of a cube. I wanted to be able to view a large tank from multiple sides, essentially giving me three views of the 100G tank that I had come to enjoy, one from each side, with the back of the tank against the wall. I thought of the square shape from that. I loved that 40G cube, but wanted something more unique than a cube. The added advantage of a square is that I didn't have to worry nearly as much about physical depth for light penetration. And, with my aversion to the black top bracing running around the top of a traditional tank, I specified corner bracing instead for less of an eyesore, and a more seamless transition between "above" and "below" the water line.
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> YES! Part of this tank was based on laziness and practicality. It IS DIFFICULT to scape three sides of a tank. HOWEVER, post-substrate addition, there are about 17" of water for light to penetrate. The pendent light was designed to hold 12 HO T5 bulbs. Ergo, I would NEVER again have to worry about adding light in order to "get enough light" to grow a plant specie. They would all grow now. It negated that problem. Having three sides to work from allowed me to reach just about anywhere I needed to in the tank as well; no more rolling up my sleeve to stretching my arms in impossible angles and directions to do maintenance either. Just tip the light UP a bit, and presto! Instant access to just about anywhere in the tank I wanted to go. And with a pendent light, I could have that open top and have things sticking out of the water or have plants grow out of the water if I wanted to.
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> This tank was on it's way to be something really cool. Then, I dosed too much nitrogen and killed my Utricularia lawn. Then my back went out on me a few months after that; it was physically impossible to do any maintenance on the tank for about two months. During which time, everything died. It was incredibly depressing, and I quit the hobby for two years. I didn't even go onto the sites anymore. Blah, blah, and etc. AGAIN, what I proved to myself, though, was that the tank, while it was up and running, had the potential to look unique and spectacular, and that it could be done well. It is also VERY VERY time consuming, as I quickly learned, to keep a tank like this looking nice; maintenance had to be done religiously twice per week and could take a few hours each time--not always, but it could.
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> Anyhow, the tank sat there for two years until my back recovered, and we learned that I was to be transferred from St. Louis to Nashville for my job. Which brings us to the first two pics in this journal, taken about a 4-6 weeks before it's last tear down and final move to our new home:
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> Well, thanks for reading, if you bothered to. LOL!!! I had fun going back and comparing how some of my older set ups have caused me to evolve to my current system. Feel free to comment or ask questions!


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## sanj

Crazydaz... WOW! I like your style, I have seen similar setups, but the look is very different... you have gone for a lot of colour, lol I didnt think that was a "kinda Goth" thing.

I dont know if you wrote the specs on the lighting or not, there are so many pages, but your lighting rig seems to cover much of the tank very well and I wondering if you were using dimming at all?

Your Bucephalandra doesnt seem to suffer from Green Spot algae, I get it on these plants and on anubias, only in my very low light systems do they seem largely free of it. How do you manage it? 

Also i wondering what tube colours you were using?

All in all excellent, your set up definately stands out from the crowd.

Sanj


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## c_gwinner

Really liking how this has turned out. I like this set up so far just cuz it doesn't feel so crammed to me as in the open spaces are not really void, but have something there. The open top does give it a lot more, and your ripparium stuff looks a 1000x better than mine does. Hopefully will get my CO2 setup going and start dosing real ferts and the rest of the tank will take off.


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## Qwe

One of my favorite setups that I've seen... just throwing that out there


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## keithy

Don, 

its been a while I did not check in. You now got the pink flamingo! That is one beautiful specimen. Lovely reineckii btw.


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## crazydaz

Hi everyone! Sorry about the delay.....I just got home from Thanksgiving up North, and didn't have much internet access.

Asuran-- wow, you really went through the thread! Thank you for reading and looking. I'm not used to seeing those anymore.

Hi Sanj-- thank you for the compliments! I don't use any sort of dimmer on this set up; however, I do have them come on in sets of four and go off in the same order to try to simulate some dawn and dusk periods. A dimmer would be great, but I haven't gotten around to investigate it. 

I run one UVL Red Sun Bulb; one UVL Fiji Purple; one Giesemann Lagoon Blue in each fixture, and either two Giesemann Midday bulbs and three AquaFlora bulbs, OR three Giesemann Midday bulbs with two Giesemann Aquaflora bulbs, depending on the fixture. I'm running two TEK Elite 8 fixtures for a total of 16 bulbs.

GSA doesn't really seem to be a problem in this tank, at least, not yet! I had a brief period of it happening roughly a year ago, but it seemed to go away fairly quickly. I just removed any sort of problematic leaves and that was all I really had to do. The bright light seems to burn leaves instead of promoting Green Spot, and I do have plenty of CO2 and current in the tank which appears to discourage algae growth in general.

C_gwinner-- thank you, buddy! I worked hard on trying to keep things a bit more tame in this one. Eventually, the foreground will happen in stages. The front is starting to fill in nicely now with true dwarf Sag, which will eventually five way to an all Bucephalandra foreground. The tank will continue to evolve over time and give way to some potentially drastic different looks. CO2 makes all the difference, man!! You will love it!

Qwe-- thank you for the kind words!  I appreciate it!

Keith-- thanks bro! I haven't seen you around for a while! How's Atlanta? I'll be swinging through there in mid-February for work. I'll have to see if you are free to meet up!


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## FlyingHellFish

It is probably somewhere in this thread but at 45 pages, I rather ask here.

Do you use RO water? What your fertz dosage like? Can you take more pictures of that "grass" that growing on the driftwood? 

What your Co2 set up like? Diffusion? 

Simply amazing tank, it looks like anything you put in just grows.


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## tlyons01

Such a beautiful tank. Thanks for the updates


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## crazydaz

Hey HellFish! No, I don't use RO water; the plants need the minerals and I soften the water using peat granules and by rinsing water through the dried leaf debris on the branches. I have a KH of 4 without doing anything else.

My fertilizer dosing is somewhat unique. I measure amounts by "pinches" of dry powders dissolved into water, and dose the liquid volume visually. Macros are added about twice per week, sometimes just once, and micros are added about twice per week, sometimes a little more often. My CO2 is injected via needle wheel pump through a spraybar in the back, and I rely on the powerheads and filters to help spread that around the tank. I don't use a drop checker. The resulting microbubble "mist" is seen, but the amount varies. I suspect that the distribution needs some more "oomph," so I've gotten myself a better powerhead that ought to do the trick, when I get back from work this coming week in Miami.

I think that the grass you refer to is just plain ol' Lileopsis brazilensis. But, I'd be happy to take some pictures of it when I return from my work trip. It does create a nice effect through the tank and helps tie in everything.

Thanks for the compliments HellFish! I appreciate them!

TLyons! You bet!!


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## Obakemono

Looks like your tank is really doing well. Can't speak for mine.


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## Wolf19

The journey and the current tank is inspiring.  Thank you for sharing everything in so much detail.


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## keithy

crazydaz said:


> Keith-- thanks bro! I haven't seen you around for a while! How's Atlanta? I'll be swinging through there in mid-February for work. I'll have to see if you are free to meet up!


So far, things have been good here. Only thing is that I am even busier than before and still have not found the time to setup my tank again...... grrr....

Don, just another question for you, since you are not doing EI for dosing, how do you tell how much and what kind of ferts(including co2) you need the first time around(when you first setup your tank), and still avoid major algae issues? Reason I ask is that if I do setup my tank(which I need to), I am planing to dose the ferts based on the amount I need, like what you are doing, and would like to get your advice on it. 

You are always welcome anywhere I am. I will make time to meet up with you. Drop me an email or give me a call when the time comes. I am looking forward to seeing you again bro.


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## denske

Don, do you run your co2 24 hrs a day? What needle valve do you use?


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## crazydaz

Hi guys!

Wolf, I really appreciate that! Thank you for reading!!

Obakemono, I think that you do some wonderful stuff! Just stick to it and be patient!

Keith and Dennis, I promise to respond to your questions tomorrow night or first thing Friday morning! It's been a long and tiring business trip, and I have to go crash! So worn out!


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## crazydaz

As (sort-of-almost) promised, I return for you Dennis and Keith!

Den--I don't run mine 24/7. I used to, and decided that there was no real benefit and I was just wasting CO2. Besides, it's on for about 14 hours anyhow, which is plenty!! I use a needle wheel regulator from GLA. Orlando and I are fairly well acquainted, and he makes a wonderful regulator. I bought my first one from him about 7 years ago, and it was still working perfectly well when I decided to give that one to a friend of mine and get an upgraded one for myself.

Hi Keith! I can't really tell you exact measurements, except that I run my CO2 at a 3 bubbles/sec rate. I have achieved a balance in my system because I was able to start off lightly dosing, and gradually build to a point of seeing algae growth, then cut back either on concentration of ferts in the dosing bottle (smaller or less "pinches"), frequency, or both. Usually all of those factors come into play. As does lighting, plant species, substrate composition and mass, bio load, and water change frequency, pH, photoperiod, and CO2. Beyond that, you have finer details that can factor into the equation, like gH, KH, total dissolved solids, mineral content, temperature, ambient lighting, water movement and filtration, bulb age, and so forth. You have to develop a feel for your system using general guidelines, then make your own tweaks as you need to. It's not the quickest way, but it is certainly the best way to gain a stable system longer term. It wouldn't matter what my testing results were; your system would be naturally different than mine and require it's own fert schedule based on those natural differences. My suggestion is to start off using small amounts of weak concentrated ferts dosing every other day, and see how the plants do. Then, start tailoring the concentration and amounts to fit the needs of your system. I can try to help you, if you would like, Keith.

Of course I will contact you to see if we can grab lunch. I'll be in the area again around 2/17, so we can try to set something up for then!


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## Craigthor

Looking sweet!


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## keithy

crazydaz said:


> My suggestion is to start off using small amounts of weak concentrated ferts dosing every other day, and see how the plants do. Then, start tailoring the concentration and amounts to fit the needs of your system. I can try to help you, if you would like, Keith.


Great! I guess that would be what I will do.... start slower. 

Would have to go bend some conduit to hang the light once the semester break begins. I would definitely need your advice and help from time to time bro. 

Let's meet in Feb!


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## LICfish

Your tank is absolutely stunning. One of my all time favorites! I wish I could get colors like that in my tank.


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## crazydaz

Hi Craig! Long time no see! Thanks for checking in, sir. 

Keith - feel free to shoot me a note anytime buddy! I'd be happy to help. I will make plans to stop by on my back from Athens and grab lunch with before heading back to Nashville.

LICfish - thank you very much!! I'm happy that you like it. With the right lights and bulb combos, you can get some really nice results, assuming you have a decent substrate and fert schedule. Ample lighting is key!

More pictures tomorrow! Took some nice ones from this past Sunday that I will be sharing,


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## crazydaz

Pics as promised! Taken this past Sunday. I am also very happy to pass along that I have my first publication to my credit, which is very exciting for me, and it can be found in the very first inaugural issue of "Tropical Habitat" magazine. These guys did a great job with the issue, and it is available digitally, if you are in the USA....or in traditional form in the UK!  Look it up online....it's a very attractive hobbyist magazine.

Moving along to the pics!

Ludwigia sp. "Atlantis"









Tillandsia species in bloom!









View from the Dining Room:









Just the top part:


















Ludwigia linearis









Full Tank Shot:









For those of you who think that I don't like fish:









Closer shot of the left side of the tank:









Whole mess of Hygrophila "Tiger"









Branch with plants









Ficus....simple, but effective!









Regnellidium diphyllum. I guarantee you that you don't have this:









....you can see it growing straight up to the surface in this picture:









...and here are the leaves of it at the surface:









Just looking into a random nook, simply seeing what is growing:









Neat shot of Pilularia (the grassy looking fern just to the right of the Mint stems), some Marsilea schlepiana (green plant in the dead-center):









Closer look at the group of Marselia schlepiana:









Few more...looking down into the tank:


















THANK YOU for looking everyone!


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## AquaAurora

ooooooo aaaahhhh [group unison 'aww'ing]
Very beautiful set up! wonderful photos too, thanks for sharing them


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## pianofish

It's looking good my friend! I see you got some of Manini's Rosanervig?  Mine just put out its first daughter plant. I feel like it looks beautiful in its own right. However, my heart longs to see the definition of the rocky peninsulas that you had at the beginning of this scape. Your stems look gorgeous, but I miss the crypty, bucey, rocky goodness. Is it still in there hiding? 

Aside from that, I must say the above water plants have never looked better! Superb job there my friend. 
Joshua


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## crazydaz

Thank you AquaAurora, for the "ooh's" and "ahh's"!  

Nice eye, Josh! That is one of Jojo's awesome Rosanervig's. I thought that I would try it one last time. I've never seemed to be able to keep that specie alive, for some reason, in the past. So far, so good, though! I'll keep my fingers crossed.

You bring up a point regarding the stone and such. I did do a massive trim several months ago in order to better see the Seriyu and smaller plant species, but since the top has filled in, it really looked odd. I had this full, luscious looking top part, and a skimpy looking bottom part, and I didn't care for it too much. In order to compensate, I would probably need another few hundred pounds of Seriyu to add and take the place of the stems, and I just don't want to do that. At least for now. I see where you are coming from, but it wouldn't look good overall.


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## kwheeler91

Dude, this is the best it has ever looked. Not that it ever looked bad, but this is sweet man. Sorry for the dude + man + sweet lol, its my envy shining through all dude where's my car style.


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## izabella87

its so prettyyyy


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## c_gwinner

There is so much raw natural beauty to this tank. See something new in every new pic you post, making me wish I could see the whole thing in person to try and soak it all in. (Probably would take a week though haha) Really hard to get a fish that could truly compliment or be a show stopper like the rest of the tank, but the fish do look happy and healthy. 

Do you have any issues with insects from lush jungle you have growing above the water line. You should rename this "Crazydaz's Jewel in the MIST". There is not a plant or animal that does not look a happy in the glass cage you call an aquarium.


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## crazydaz

Lol! Thanks kwheeler! It was set up with that in mind, initially. I wanted to make a system that became easier to handle over time instead of harder. The stems always need a little work, but that doesn't take much time. It's easier to get thing to all peak at the right time.  much easier than my last set up. 

Hi Izabella! Thank you very much! 

Thank you very much cgwinner. I appreciate it! There are a lot of things going on in the tank, and quite often, something sprouts up that seemingly comes from nowhere. It's an adventure for me too, which makes it fun. Which is the point.

I do have occasional insect issues, but most seem to be subsiding. I used to have aphids, which was really annoying, though the fish loved eating them. I started growing mint, which is a natural aphid repellent, and now, they are pretty much gone. I've seen the occasional ant from time to time, and the fruit flies can get annoying, but have also been subsiding since the late Fall. Just pests....nothing problematic though.


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## aqua-botanicae

Absolutely gorgeous! How do you maintain the tank when you leave for a vacation or a long trip?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## skanderson

as always the tank looks beautiful. not to nag but the pilularia is a close fern relative.


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## crazydaz

Thanks Aqua! If my wife and I are gone for a trip, I will pay someone to come over every other day to water the plants on the branches, feed the fish, fertilize, and fill the water level back up. They also are there to take care of the cats as well. It works fairly well. If I'm away on business, my wife is fairly adept at taking care of the system. She doesn't put her hands into the tank, or remove the occasional dead fish, but she's pretty good otherwise!

Skandy--not only is the Pilularia a "close fern relative," it is actually a fern! It's a grassy looking fern, wouldn't you say?


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## LICfish

crazydaz said:


> LICfish - thank you very much!! I'm happy that you like it. With the right lights and bulb combos, you can get some really nice results, assuming you have a decent substrate and fert schedule. Ample lighting is key!


Do you also think CO2 is a must have to achieve the colors? I've been reluctant and only use Excel. 

I'm sure I won't get those colors no matter what I do though. I only have LEDs and they just don't have those colors. I'm trying to supplement with color LED light strips.


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## crazydaz

If you have fast growing species (any stem plant), then pressurized CO2 is a must if you have bright lighting. Otherwise, they will starve themselves to death without an ample and ready supply of carbon. Excel is OK, but it still won't be enough to get stem plants into peak condition. If the lighting isn't strong enough, you won't be able to peak the colors either. Realize that none of these points say that you can't have a great looking tank, though. Simply, there will be some limits on what you can achieve. I suggest that if you aren't able to fiscally upgrade your equipment, then work with plants that will do well in your system, and come up with a nice layout. Instead of getting Ludwigia glandulosa x palustris like I have, get Ludwigia sp. "Red, " glandulosa, repens, or something similar. You don't have to have the best system with really exotic plants to create a really, really great looking tank, LICfish. A super setup could be something that you could work towards, or not, but see what works well in your tank as is.


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## octanejunkie

What a crazy, lush and wonderful tank!

This is giving me new inspiration for my next riparium build


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## scapegoat

holy crap that is gorgeous.


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## synaethetic

Always love looking through your thread! I'm really liking the submersed arrangement you have in the latest pictures, It looks like a scene from an undisturbed creek bed . . very natural, it doesn't look "assembled" as many hobbyist's layouts do.

Tell me, how much time do you spend observing this tank? Must be quite the in-home distraction !


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## peachii

I recognize these pictures, didn't realize this was you however. I drooled over these pictures for well over an hour earlier today on the other site and now sitting here doing it again. To beautiful to believe really, all those plants... just stunning. I'd never get anything done if this was in my living room.


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## Hippocampus

Seriously...all the color, texture, life, growth, variety are just STUNNING.

I love this setup!!!


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## crazydaz

Octane--Thank you! I'm happy that it provided you with some inspiration to consider doing something a little different for your next build. Thank you for being signing up on the site, too! 

Scape--Thank you! lol! It's also very easy to maintain, too!

synaethetic--Thank you, too! It's not a traditional Dutch style tank, for sure. It's probably best described as a riparium with a Dutch/Natural submersed portion in the aquarium. I don't really get any more than a few minutes per day, on average. I'm travel extensively for my job, and when I get home, I make it a point to sit down in front of it for 15-30 minutes, maybe play a little music, and enjoy what's going on in there. But, if you are around it often, it can be a bit easier to pass it by.

Peachii--ha! Yes, this is "me."  I appreciate the compliment! It simply takes time to learn how to grow plants successfully and get them to color up nicely. It's more than simply having great equipment, which I do, and ferts, though those are certainly quite important to have! You must learn how to trim and group species together in order to achieve the look that you are going for, and what plants do better in certain high-light areas, and which look better in lower light, and so on. This tank is a culmination of many years of practice and making mistakes and having fun.

Hippo! Thanks dude!  

I'll try to get some additional pictures up between today and tomorrow, so be on the look out!


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## pirayaman

Straight up you could sell that tank for 30k amazing work

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk


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## Mirv

looking for some new pics if possible :icon_redf

greetings from your italian fan! (lol)


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## crazydaz

Thank you Pirayaman!

Here you are, Mirv! Thank you for requesting them! 























































































































Thank you for looking!


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## NWA-Planted

Omg... the colors... so pretty... can I just sleep next to it???

Sent from my SM-P600 using Tapatalk


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## The Trigger

This is incredible. The colors are amazing!! Awesome job


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## Meganne

crazydaz said:


> Thank you for looking!


 
no, thank YOU for sharing! this tank is amazing!


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## breakg

Speechless  beautiful job there. Lucky fishes.


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## Mirv

thank you so much for sharing this.
it looks like a cube of nature surrounded by four glasses, and is just awesome.
i got a question for you, how do you hold tilliandias on woods?
i found one here in italy but it lasted 4 days, i'm mad for that ahah.
cya man!


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## TDerivan

This tank is a testament to the hard work and superior knowledge you have put into it. It makes me proud to be part of the same hobby and I only hope that one day I can create a masterpiece like this. I know this makes me want to work harder on my current scapes. Thank you sooo much for sharing this with us.
I look forward to (hopefully) seeing that 30 gallon long setup too!


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## The Trigger

I honestly feel this is my favorite tank I've seen on this entire forum since I started lurking here 6 years ago. I think the only thing that comes close to this tank for me is Tom Barrs Dutch scape as far as aquascaping skills go. What do people say when they walk into your house and see this!??


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## pirayaman

I should come help u with your lawn hahaha. Carpet the front with hc the contrast would be insane

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## AnotherHobby

Every update is just insane. Your creation is executed on a whole different level. Plant growth, layout and aquascape, lighting, colors, photography... all of it is a 10 out of 10.


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## crazydaz

Gary, you don't have to ask! You are more than welcome to come over, and I'll put a sleeping bag out for you. 

Trigger, thank you very much! The results turned out better than I had initially thought they would be, and I'm very happy that many of the terrestrial plants were able to harden and thrive in the top part of the tank. Tom has a very traditional style Dutch which is simply amazing. I enjoy how he is able to replace species at his whim, and the tank never skips a beat. That tanks incredible talent and skill, and it is an honor to be considered even remotely close to him in terms of aptitude. I think that I still have quite a ways to go before I could really thought of in those terms, to be honest. But I do appreciate the compliment! 

Thank you Meggane and Breakg!  I'm glad that you both like you like it!

Mirv, I used TillyTak for most of them. It's a type of glue that is used to attach epiphyte type of plants to wood. You can use a glue gun, though. Others are just wedged into crevices or "nooks"; eventually, all of them will root directly into the wood, though it can take a little time. It is important to give them plenty of light, and not to over-water them. I can water mine daily, due to the amount of heat they get from being underneath my lights. Otherwise, they should be misted with tank water every few days. They require very little maintenance, and I really like them! Their flowers are extraordinary!

Trigger, I don't know. Some people get pretty stoked when they see it; others, don't really seem to be very enthused. Very broad range. Even fellow hobbyists that see it in person don't seem to be incredibly impressed, or maybe they're just holding back a bit. At least, nobody has told me that they hate it. LOL!!!

TDerivan-I don't think that similar wisdom can't be attained by anyone; I believe that any hobbyist could do something like this without too much of a problem. It does take some know-how and some experience, but my guess is that if you are in this (or a similar) hobby, then you probably have a good eye, so there is no reason why you shouldn't be able to do something like this. Use some logic when putting it together, plan it out in your head, and learn to be flexible if things are going well, or if the plants aren't growing very nicely. Quite often, what the end results becomes is better than what you initially thought it was going to look like. It's certainly not "perfection," but I've enjoyed putting it together and learning from it. In some ways, it has exceeded my expectations, and in others, it didn't come close to meeting my expectations. But, it's been fun! 

You know, Pirayaman, I do have HC in there, and it's just way too small. There is so much light that it simply hugs the substrate, and does not grow vertically at all. It's just too tiny!! lol! I'll try to snap a few pics of it and show you what I mean.

Sadly, this may be it for this journal thread here on this site. I may be removing it soon in favor of my own projects, though I can't be certain if or when that will happen. We will see how it goes!


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## crazydaz

Sorry AnotherHobby.....you must have posted right before I posted my response.  Thank you for the kind words. Such a positive reaction to the system has been very humbling and too kind. Thank you!


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## DogFish

This tank must be what Peter Max sees in his dreams.


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## Neatfish

Pretty awesome tank.


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## MB2

Amazing tank


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## c_gwinner

I get so caught up in your pictures that I forget half the time which shots are the above portion and in tank shots. Think the fuana you have the tank really set it off and give it just that much more character. Keep it up and hope the maintenance on this beast is actually fun and not a hassle.


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## crazydaz

Frank, I could only imagine what he sees in his dreams. lol! Probably Beatles.

Thank you Neatfish and MB2!  Thank you for the compliments!

Thanks C_gwinner! Actually, this setup is very easy, maintenance-wise. Mostly, it's the watering of the plants on the branches daily, and top-offs. Every other week or two, I will do a quick water change just to suck up some mulm, scrape the glass, and maybe trim the stems if they need it, and that takes about 30 minutes. I am pretty stringent about removing any floating leaves, but I just usually add those to the top branches to fill in some spots that need some extra supplementation. Old, decaying leaves are great and will leech nutrients to the terrestrial plants, and also back into the tank, as well as soften and acidify the water to a degree.


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## pirayaman

Love that last tidbit. Mulching the top plants. 

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## c_gwinner

crazydaz said:


> Thanks C_gwinner! Actually, this setup is very easy, maintenance-wise. Mostly, it's the watering of the plants on the branches daily, and top-offs. Every other week or two, I will do a quick water change just to suck up some mulm, scrape the glass, and maybe trim the stems if they need it, and that takes about 30 minutes. I am pretty stringent about removing any floating leaves, but I just usually add those to the top branches to fill in some spots that need some extra supplementation. Old, decaying leaves are great and will leech nutrients to the terrestrial plants, and also back into the tank, as well as soften and acidify the water to a degree.


Thanks for the info and glad the maintenance is fairly easy for this gem. 
How have the joints in the driftwood holding up with the added weight of plants and water over time now. Do they droop down any or do they have any more movement?


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## crazydaz

Pirayaman--I mean, that's pretty much the idea. Those leaves have some pretty vital chemicals in them that, as they rot, become available for other plants both in and out of the tank. It's what happens in Nature, so I figured "why not"? It also helps to make things look a bit "unclean" or slightly dirtly....something that is too pristine looks unnatural to me and really stands out in a poor way.

CG-Surprisingly, the joints have worked really, really well. No rust, no loosening; Devin not only did a great job in their construction, he gave me the appropriate pieces to put them together and hold up under the relative punishment I give them. That, and I'm pretty good with a screwdriver and a wrench. lol! I will say that the amount of weight that an "end" piece holds really isn't very much, even when wet from watering. I've made certain to bear that in mind during the decorating to not over-load branch ends.


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## Tyrone

crazydaz said:


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Absolutely wondrous! I'm definitely shooting for a project like this! Subscribed! 

P.S. What type of Bucephalandra's are those in the fourth picture?


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## crazydaz

Hi Tyrone! Thank you! Those are Buce "Brownie Ghost."


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## sjb1987

crazydaz said:


> Hi Tyrone! Thank you! Those are Buce "Brownie Ghost."


When my ghost grow up, they want to look like yours!


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## crazydaz

Lol! Sean....they can be just like mine one day. One day. haha!


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## teddo10

Two. Thumbs . Up!!


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## Ebi

Donald 


How is that pink centipede doing I sent yuh? I'm sure you can bring out even more colors out of it with your light combo! 





Mike


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## crazydaz

Thank you Teddo! 

Ebi: It's doing alright. The colors are nice, but for some reason, it's had a difficult time adapting to the substrate in my tank in getting established. I don't really know why, to be honest. Seems to be doing a bit better now, though!


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## zzrguy

Beautiful still amassing to look at after almost two years.


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## pirayaman

Hey crazydaz. I wanta do a Betta like rice paddy thing ahhaha. Is there a grass that will grow up out of water or something similar? 

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## BraveBuc

This tank has really inspired me. So much color and in your face abundance without looking unnatural. Amazing! roud:


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## crazydaz

Thank you zzrguy! It is a very stable system, easy to maintain, and should look pretty much how it does now until I decide to make it look different. Not much to do with it now, except add a few finishing plants up top and let the bottom finish filing in a bit.

Pirayaman- not a traditional grass, I'm afraid, for a tank. Mondo grass does fine it wet conditions, but not with the leaves submersed in any way for a long period of time. Cat tails are way to big for most aquariums, though there is a dwarf variety on the market now, but it still gets rather large. Your best option would be to use a dwarf papyrus which will grow fine as long as the tops and some of the upper stem is above water. It took root in my system and started spreading quickly. I don't think that Val's or sags are the way to go...they tend to dry out and die once the leaves break the surface. There maybe something at your local nursery that may work as a marginal, but that is all I really can suggest right now. Mint species work well as long as there are some leaves above the surface of the water, but I don't think that's really what you're trying to go for in terms of looks.

Hey BravBuc! Thank you very much!!  are you thinking about trying something similar.


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## BraveBuc

crazydaz said:


> Hey BravBuc! Thank you very much!!  are you thinking about trying something similar.


Yes! I'll be thinking/learning/planning for awhile though. So much to learn, so little hobby time .

I'll probably start by growing some plants out of the back of my high light 40b for now. Just to get a feel for growing things out of the water.

I'm not at your level yet. :red_mouth


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## crazydaz

There's always time, my friend. Always.  You just have to plan it into the schedule.

That's how I started....just got so tired of trimming stems that I started letting the ones in the back of the tank grow out of the water. Persicaria, Bacopa, Hygros....stuff like that. It worked really well, and gave me ideas for the set up I currently have. Plus, they were cheap! Once they break the surface of the water, they look vastly different. They also send out a TON of roots as well.


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## pirayaman

Yeah papyrus grows crazy I was gonna try it with cypress heferni? Think it can grow half in and out 

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## crazydaz

Cypress is fine, but also grows quickly. And rather tall as well. A lot of the marginal species do get pretty tall....you'll simply have to trim them and train them.


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## izabella87

Doooooowww mAaaaaa your tank so sassyyyy !!!


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## BraveBuc

crazydaz said:


> There's always time, my friend. Always.  You just have to plan it into the schedule.
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Nice! There is some sort of Bacopa in a local stream so that sounds like a good one to start with. Do I need to plan on covering the portion that is in the water from view? Or is it possible to keep the underwater leaves looking nice once the plant is growing in air?


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## crazydaz

No, I don't think that you have to. Bacopa species tend to keep their submersed leaves fine even after the top goes emergent. No worries.


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## pseudomugil

Congratulations on having your tank featured in Amazonas magazine!
your tank is amazing as always Great work!


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## hydrophyte

Congratulations again to Don for the tank feature in the current issue of AMAZONAS Magazine. The plants and everything else look great in print, too.


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## lamiskool

hydrophyte said:


> Congratulations again to Don for the tank feature in the current issue of AMAZONAS Magazine. The plants and everything else look great in print, too.


Congratz!!! Thats amazing!


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## BraveBuc

Awesome! I actually just subscribed to the magazine after seeing your tank is in it. Grats!


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## harsaphes

Never going to leave the couch. Just going to keep refreshing the browser. On another note there was a reference a few pages back to not keeping the thread going? or something like that. Care to explain?


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## griffin_pak

Looks amazing! wish mine had tank had been a taller!
Those airplants are out of this world.

Congrats on making the mag!


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## manishtata

OOo my my my!!!! Sucha splendid work... saw each and every pic in all the pages.... I feel lazy to post any replies for the tanks i view but ths was somethng tht force u type  

Hats off to ur dedication... got some new inspiration from your tank... totally loved it  
MASTERPIECE INDEED!!!


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## Tihsho

This is due for an update. I spent too long reading all 51 pages to not know how its doing!


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## crazydaz

Thanks all for the compliments regarding Amazonas. It was a nice accomplishment, and it couldn't have been done without Devin's help. 

Sorry that I have trailed off into the ether. I'm currently very busy with work and outside projects, and just haven't made much time to stay up to date on this thread. I'm trying to get it photo-ready for an opportunity this weekend, or at least a video of it. Have a nice foreground now, and though I'm waiting for some things to fill in from my last trim, I might as well grab a few pics soon.

Harsaphes, I think that I was simply alluding to the fact that the set up doesn't really "change" all that much from photo op to photo op. It is mostly a slow-growing system, and it really takes some time for anything "noticeable" to really happen. I am a little weary of posting consistent updates as many people may think "So.....what's different now from when you took the last set of photos? Why are you bugging us with miniscule updates?" Tank-fatigue is a real thing.  People get tired of looking at the same system looking pretty much the same all of the time, and I can't blame them. I think that fellow hobbyists want or need changes to a system to stay engaged in the thread, and I'm just not one to do major re-scapes every so often for the heck of it. I didn't set up the system to be that way....it was originally designed to peak after a lot of time, and so, I'm just going to stick with that. lol!

Will try to get some eye candy up over the next several days! Thanks all!


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## Tyrone

Right on brother! Keep doing what you're doing! Can't wait to see the eye candy! 


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## crazydaz

*Crazydaz's Square 200G RIPARIUM Strikes Back! Updated w/NEW PICS 2/15/14*

Here are some pictures that I was able to take yesterday, mainly of the top portion. I am waiting until this evening to take aquatic photos when there is less glare. Also working on a video, too! Bought myself a new camcorder, so I'll be messing around with that, too!


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## pweifan

I think you've been downplaying the amount of growth you've had in the tank  That carpet looks spectacular! Stunning as always, Don. Thanks for posting.


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## Centromochlus

Do you still have _Ammannia latifolia_ in there Don?
The tank is looking beautiful as always!


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## Down_Shift

Holy crap. That looks amazing.


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## orchidman

Looks super lush!!


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## Tyrone

I just want to beat on my chest and swing across your tank with a vine!!!


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## crazydaz

Thank you Wei. I had forgotten that I hadn't had a carpet in the last set of pics. Whoops! I guess that is a change! LOL 

Hi Philip! Thank you, and yes I still do have a few stems of the Ammannia that I am currently re-growing from a trim. Not a very fast grower.

Downshift.....thanks!  

Bob, it is! I can spend an hour pruning, have a mountain of scraps, and you probably wouldn't be able to tell much of a difference. Yet, it's not over-bearing....most everything in there is pretty slow-growing.

Tyrone.....pretty neat image! hahaha!!


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## NWA-Planted

Never get tired of looking at this tank...

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## Saltydog33

I have spent hours upon hours looking at tanks online hundreds and hundreds this is by far my favorite well done!


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## teddo10

Lokking good, as usual. Hats of to the tank and to your skills.

Just one slight but. The colors look to unnatural to my eyes. Any chance to take a picture with daylight lamps only?


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## Bushkill

Saltydog33 said:


> I have spent hours upon hours looking at tanks online hundreds and hundreds this is by far my favorite well done!


Have to agree with this.

The Gloxinia in the last pic is a nice touch. I haven't seen gloxinias, large or small, in quite a while.


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## AnotherHobby

This tank is just unreal. I love every update!



teddo10 said:


> Just one slight but. The colors look to unnatural to my eyes. Any chance to take a picture with daylight lamps only?


I get where you are coming from, and I kind of thought the same thing the very first time I saw this riparium, but I think a big part of the artistry of this tank is the lights, the steam, and the misting so the plants are wet. It makes it feel surreal and very jungle like. It feels like another world.

If he was photoshopping the pictures to make wacky fake colors, that'd be one thing, but this is how it looks in real life when he looks at it every day, so that's how it should look when he posts pictures. It's stunning.


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## johnson18

Looking incredible as always Don! I may have missed it at some point but what is the fern? I have been wanting to add some different textures into my tank.


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## crazydaz

Gary and SaltyDog- Thank you both very much for the compliments! I am happy that you guys appreciate the set up and the pictures! It helps keep me going! 

Teddo- Of course I have to tweak the photos! If I didn't, it would be washed out by the blinding white of the Spanish Moss. Therefore, the photo is taken, and adjusted in my Canon software. I have to decrease the brightness, increase the contrast a bit, increase the saturation to get the warmth back, and I usually increase the sharpness. But all I am doing is getting it back to a true visual. There is so much light from 16 HO T5 54 watt bulbs that it becomes necessary to this. I don't consider it cheating as much as I consider it a true version of what my eyes see versus what comes out on film, which is blinding and would look "Eww." The only really big comp that I do is on the brightness level; everything else is somewhat minor adjustments to less the "Eww" factor.

Thank you Bushkill! The Gloxinella is a very pretty plant, and I lucked out that it would do well. From what I could tell, it should have, but you never know with these things sometimes until you get them, set them, and see how it responds. Other plants that I have gotten require hardening, and it's common for these species (like Marcgravia for instance) to disappear completely, only to re-emerge a few months later doing well. It always ends up surprising me what pops up.

Thank you AnotherHobby! In reality, that's all I'm trying to do is to compensate for the over-brightness from the lighting. You can see in the video below what the tank looks like from a video perspective, and I feel that it is comparable.

Johnson, thank you very much! The fern is called "Fluffy Ruffles" and was de-potted when I added it to the tank on top. It is sitting on top of a bed of leaf litter and trimmings from the tank, and covered at the base with the same. This was simply to keep it from drying out is all. It has since been able to grow it's root structure to the extent where they are touching the water, which is about 18" below where the main fern sits. It did that after about a month of being placed in it's location, and sends out runners like crazy, which I have taken and replanted elsewhere on the top.

I took this video using my new camcorder on Saturday and Sunday this past weekend. It's my first non-crappy, non-iPhone video.
: http://youtu.be/XbLc2540KM8


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## thelub

Stunning as always crazydaz


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## AnotherHobby

That video really shows off how amazing it must look in person. Seriously, that's just awesome.


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## teddo10

I didn't want to implie cheating!. I thought you used colored TL lights to enhance reds and blues. Sorry


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## crazydaz

Thanks Lub! 

AnotherHobby! Thank you! I wanted to show what it looked like in reality, without camera tweaks! heh heh. Even still, it isn't quite there, but it's pretty close.

Teddo, I didn't want you to think that I was mad or anything!  I didn't mean to imply that you were implying anything! lol! Yes, I see what you mean, and the bulb choices do likely add to that effect of an "unnatural" aesthetic. I feel that it is probably a bit more exaggerated in the pictures than what it looks like in real life, which is one of the reasons I took the video.....to kind of show the tank without any sort of tweaks in the pictures, and maybe give people a better understanding of the truer look of the tank. You are right....the spectrum is a bit off, but it does bring out the colors to a greater degree by using some of those quirky bulbs. I can't complain with the results though!  And Teddo, if for some reason you were to be critical of the tank, that's ok, too, my friend! You have no reason to apologize to me at all, sir!  Thank you for mentioning that, and clarifying what you meant. You are correct!


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## ua hua

Every time I see new pictures of your tank Don I'm amazed. One thing you can't edit in photos is the ability to grow healthy happy plants. I don't mind the tweaks in your photos because i understand how hard it is to get a photo to look like it does in person especially with the blinding lights like you have. And now I have a video to drool over. 

Is your little Buce that you were using for a carpet plant still in there? Better yet just take some more pictures of the submerged portion so I can see for myself. :red_mouth


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## teddo10

No harm done:red_mouth
Video looks good, thx. Just want to know where you buy the magic pixiedust to get all that growth:drool:


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## Saltydog33

ua hua said:


> Is your little Buce that you were using for a carpet plant still in there? Better yet just take some more pictures of the submerged portion so I can see for myself. :red_mouth


I agree :icon_bigg


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## crazydaz

Ua hua and Saltydog-- It's still there....it's just growing under a bunch of lileopsis right now, I think. It wasn't growing fast enough, and it was really difficult to keep runners from both the crypts and lileopsis from growing under the runners of the buces. I would have to uproot them constantly, and they just weren't handling it to well. So, when I remove the lileopsis foreground, if they are still there, cool, if not, oh well. Not much I can do about it.

Forgot to post these submersed shots:


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## NWA-Planted

What always gets me is how clean the plants look / are. No matter how hard I try I always seem to get some kind of detritus or caked on algae on plants here and there. I have good circulation ( least I think so) and good filtration... I just dun understands lol

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## kwheeler91

I know ive said it before, but this looks better than ever. What fish are dwelling in that jungle?


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## crazydaz

Gary, all of that is there. You can't really avoid it all. I suck up visible mulm, and do top offs directly over the plants to shake any detritus off that may have settled onto the leaves. There are spots of BBA....I just trim off old leaves on occasion to keep them looking nice is all.

Thanks Kwheeler! At the moment, a lot of bronze corys are in there. You just don't see many of them. I had a CO2 dump a while back that killed most of my fish, and I just haven't replaced them yet. I'll need to soon.


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## NWA-Planted

crazydaz said:


> Gary, all of that is there. You can't really avoid it all. I suck up visible mulm, and do top offs directly over the plants to shake any detritus off that may have settled onto the leaves. There are spots of BBA....I just trim off old leaves on occasion to keep them looking nice is all.
> 
> Thanks Kwheeler! At the moment, a lot of bronze corys are in there. You just don't see many of them. I had a CO2 dump a while back that killed most of my fish, and I just haven't replaced them yet. I'll need to soon.


Lies..... tell me your sorcerer ways! !!

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## crazydaz

Magic Water, Gary. Magic Water.


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## UDGags

Looking great man! 

I followed some of your advice/methods from our PM's and it worked


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## AutumnSun

Your tank is stunning! I am absolutely in awe!
Could you give me an idea of the emersed plants in photos 4 +7 in this post? And where I might find them for sale? They are gorgeous!


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## brooksie321

This is hands down the most incredible tank I have ever laid eyes on!!


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## crazydaz

Hey UD! Thank you! I'm happy that my advice paid off for you! At least, it didn't destroy you, and I'll take that as a positive! 

Hi Autumn! Thank you for the compliments! Most of what you see growing emergent is Mexican Milkweed, Dwarf Umbrella Sedge, and Common Mint. I have some smatterings of others....such as: Hygrophila corymbosa that I let grow out of the water; alternanthera; and some Pilea species (Coral and "Aluminum plant"); Persicaria hydropiperoides; not sure if the mosses and creeping fig count or not! 

You can get these either at your local garden center, other traders, or contact Devin at Riparium Supply and see if he has any of the species or not....I got the Pilea species, Mexican Milkweed, and Cypress Umbrella Sedge from him directly.

Hi Brooksie! Thank you! I'm grateful and flattered!


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## crazydaz

Sorry. Double-posted.


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## AutumnSun

Thank you!


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## crazydaz

Time for some updated shots:

Bottom portion....I do like that row of Ludwigia linearis that is forming. Once the Alternanthera grows some, it should make for a nice feature. I hope to have the Ludwigia glandulosa x palutris coming up on the right side behind it all, and have some Ludwigia Atlantis mixed throughout. Still a few weeks away from being where I want it.










Top from the right corner:










Kind of a half-top/half-bottom shot. You can see that it is challenging taking a picture of both the top and bottom at the same time, due to the glare of the light from the top part of the tank. The Green Neon Tetra in the tank really add a nice contrast against the plants.










Here is a male Pelvicachromis taeniatus “Moliwe." This fish is fantastic, but curiously "opposite" of what you expect in a dwarf cichlid. The males are considerably larger than the females, and though have a great coloration, are more drab than the females. In addition, they also do not flare or chase the females; the females shimmy and try to impress the males!










Here is a female Pelvicachromis taeniatus “Moliwe." These fish are somewhat shy, but are fairly visible in the tank. "Skiddish" may be a better description, and they do not hold still for any longer than a second or two. It makes for a very challenging picture session. Their color is stunning, and they are currently available (as of 12/5/14) through Rachel (msjinkzd).










Here is the male again lurking around a Ludwigia species, which I cannot ID. It was sold to me as "glandulosa," but I do not think that it is. Lots and lots of color, and I LOVE the scale pattern on the Pelvicachromis taeniatus “Moliwe."










Here is a shot of the Left front-corner with several Bucephalndra species present. I have to trim this, but this follows two very heavy trimmings over the course of a month. You can never have enough Bucephalandra, but this might be pushing that line a bit.










Top of the tank has "officially" filled-in. Unless the Ficus is pruned every two weeks, it will choke out nearly everything, or simply grow over it. The Fluffy Ruffles Fern also sends out many runners, and is a prolific grower. It must be trimmed or removed on occasion.










Red or Green? Have a little BBA there, but that's OK. Have a new nice plants there: Alternanthera reineckii, Helanthium tenellum, and Limnophila sp. "Belem" make up most of the red plants; Penthorum sedoides and Cryptocoryne "Green Brown" makes up most of the green.










Full system shot:









I actually prefer this one most:









A nice shot of the Blotched Pyrrhulina:


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## lamiskool

Man I do love your tank...still my favorite on on this site. Theres just so many beautiful colors which I wouldnt think possible in a tank! Great photography skills also!


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## samee

Amazing as always Donn. Those reds and such clear water and tank, the top looks amazing too, drool x 100.


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## TheGrinch

this tank is sweet. whats the orange plant under water dead center?


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## knm<><

Wow, seriously impressive!


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## crazydaz

Thank you lamiskool, knm, and samee! Grinch, that is Ludwigia linearis.


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## AnotherHobby

Mindblowingly beautiful... as always. Thanks for the update!


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## crazydaz

Thanks Sean! That is Limno "Belem." 

Thank you AnotherHobby!


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## Tyrone

Say Don, I think the name of this masterpiece should be called "Crazydaz's Dreamscape" or "Crazydaz's Paradise!" It's so captivating! Yes, thank you again for sharing. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## jmf3460

wow, simply stunning, you have a real talent my friend.


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## crazydaz

Well thank both very much, Jacklyn and Tyrone. It's been a pleasure to show and to receive the comments and compliments, to be sure. . Thank you!


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## TheGrinch

crazydaz I think I need some of that belem! also what is the lush orange plant?


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## ChemGuyEthan

I...what...it's beautiful...


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## John7429

amazing.


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## crazydaz

Hi Grinch! That plant is Ludwigia linearis. Pretty rare species, and I only do trades for other rare species at this point.  Let me know via PM if you might have anything interesting!

Ethan and John, thank you both very much. ;-)


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## J.Kirk

Obviously your tank is beautiful. But the thing that always gets me though are the interesting, unique fish you choose. They're always different from the run-of-the-mill tetras, angelfish, etc that most planted tank people have. Keep up the amazing work.


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## crazydaz

Thanks J.Kirk! The fish that I get really have to stand out against all of that color, and bring some character to the set up. Common fish might work well, actually, but not common colors typical found. Platinum Angels would look great in this tank, but I can't imagine adding a huge school of Tiger Barbs, guppies, or most Tetras. They would get lost against those plants.


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## Obakemono

crazydaz said:


> Time for some updated shots:
> 
> Bottom portion....I do like that row of Ludwigia linearis that is forming. Once the Alternanthera grows some, it should make for a nice feature. I hope to have the Ludwigia glandulosa x palutris coming up on the right side behind it all, and have some Ludwigia Atlantis mixed throughout. Still a few weeks away from being where I want it.
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> Kind of a half-top/half-bottom shot. You can see that it is challenging taking a picture of both the top and bottom at the same time, due to the glare of the light from the top part of the tank. The Green Neon Tetra in the tank really add a nice contrast against the plants.
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> Here is a male Pelvicachromis taeniatus “Moliwe." This fish is fantastic, but curiously "opposite" of what you expect in a dwarf cichlid. The males are considerably larger than the females, and though have a great coloration, are more drab than the females. In addition, they also do not flare or chase the females; the females shimmy and try to impress the males!
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> Here is a female Pelvicachromis taeniatus “Moliwe." These fish are somewhat shy, but are fairly visible in the tank. "Skiddish" may be a better description, and they do not hold still for any longer than a second or two. It makes for a very challenging picture session. Their color is stunning, and they are currently available (as of 12/5/14) through Rachel (msjinkzd).
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> Here is the male again lurking around a Ludwigia species, which I cannot ID. It was sold to me as "glandulosa," but I do not think that it is. Lots and lots of color, and I LOVE the scale pattern on the Pelvicachromis taeniatus “Moliwe."
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> Top of the tank has "officially" filled-in. Unless the Ficus is pruned every two weeks, it will choke out nearly everything, or simply grow over it. The Fluffy Ruffles Fern also sends out many runners, and is a prolific grower. It must be trimmed or removed on occasion.
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> Red or Green? Have a little BBA there, but that's OK. Have a new nice plants there: Alternanthera reineckii, Helanthium tenellum, and Limnophila sp. "Belem" make up most of the red plants; Penthorum sedoides and Cryptocoryne "Green Brown" makes up most of the green.
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> A nice shot of the Blotched Pyrrhulina:


Just incredible Don. looks so nice. As for me, about to pull the trigger on a Mr Aqua 17gal and downsize a bit. Maybe. My 56 is just not working out. Still debating it though.........ugggg


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## Saxa Tilly

This is so amazing my brain hurts. Want to trash all my tanks and cry.


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## octanejunkie

Saxa Tilly said:


> This is so amazing my brain hurts. Want to trash all my tanks and cry.


That's funny!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk


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## samee

There needs to be a like button.


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## LRJ

This tank is absolutely incredible. Mind blown.


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## onlycrimson

That looks rather amazing!


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## vanish

Been a year, wonder what happened?! 

Top 5 coolest tank I've ever seen.


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## prototyp3

Love this one.. Better than 99% of the overly fussed scapes out there. Just gorgeous, full of interest and colors.


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## crazydaz

Thanks guys....I appreciate the compliments. This tanks was dismantled a few months ago, and restarted.

Here's a preview:


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## AquaAurora

crazydaz said:


> Thanks guys....I appreciate the compliments. This tanks was dismantled a few months ago, and restarted.
> 
> Here's a preview:


Whats the terrestrial/riparium plant? Taro? Philodendron? ..Arrowhead?


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## hachi

This tank is/was amazing. I just read through the entire thread over the course of a week. I'm sad to see it go, but excited to see it in it's current incarnation. Any particular reason for the breakdown?


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## crazydaz

AquaAurora: that is just some Saururus cernuus I kept from the old setup. The new tank is supposed to be a southeast Tennessee/northwest Georgia native design, and the plant fits. It becomes a bit too large, so I'm going to either replace it or trim it.

Thanks Hachi! Well, I thought know that the last setup had peaked, and I felt it was pretty accomplished design. It was published in two separate magazines, including Amazonas, had over 100,000 views on TPT, and the only challenge that I felt I had left was to see if I could keep the system stable for a long duration. I also used it to experiment with conditions and fertilizing variances. When all of that was done, there was little reason to keep it going, other than me just being lazy. I always like to keep trying new designs and setups so I can keep learning how different layouts and systems work, new fish and plant species, and so on. Otherwise, it ceases to be a hobby, and simply becomes another chore to do.


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## AdamTill

Wonderful thread, wanted to add congrats! Excited to see where the new one goes.

My only bone to pick is that you've substantially added to the complexity of my new 90 build. After seeing this, I HAVE to try a riparium element  You've already sent me into areas of garden centres that I've never visited before!

Thanks for being so generous with your knowledge.


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## AquaAurora

crazydaz said:


> AquaAurora: that is just some Saururus cernuus I kept from the old setup. The new tank is supposed to be a southeast Tennessee/northwest Georgia native design, and the plant fits. It becomes a bit too large, so I'm going to either replace it or trim it.
> 
> Thanks Hachi! Well, I thought know that the last setup had peaked, and I felt it was pretty accomplished design. It was published in two separate magazines, including Amazonas, had over 100,000 views on TPT, and the only challenge that I felt I had left was to see if I could keep the system stable for a long duration. I also used it to experiment with conditions and fertilizing variances. When all of that was done, there was little reason to keep it going, other than me just being lazy. I always like to keep trying new designs and setups so I can keep learning how different layouts and systems work, new fish and plant species, and so on. Otherwise, it ceases to be a hobby, and simply becomes another chore to do.


Ahh I never had luck with lizard's tail. I tried it twice but it always arrived in bad shape in the mail it was usually dead/melted in a few days. if you replace it and consider selling it I'd love to give the plant one more try.


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## UDGags

Looks like a good start again


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## crazydaz

Thank you, Adam. I think that adding Riparium type elements not only add to a scape, but are very beneficial as emergent plants tend to keep aquarium water extremely clean and significantly reduce algae issues. "Think outside of the box"!

Aqua: as a submersed species, it doesn't do well at all. In nature, you find it as a marginal species, so it definitely needs to be "wet," just not completely underwater. It does get surprisingly large, so I would recommend pruning, unless you want it to flower. I would be more than happy to share some cuttings with you.

Nick: thanks a lot, buddy. It's off to a nice start. Will be some time before it even approaches that level of the former setup. Then again, that was kind of one of the main points....to have a slower growing system so I don't have to worry about doing all sorts of trimming even on a weekly basis.


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## AquaAurora

crazydaz said:


> Thank you, Adam. I think that adding Riparium type elements not only add to a scape, but are very beneficial as emergent plants tend to keep aquarium water extremely clean and significantly reduce algae issues. "Think outside of the box"!
> 
> Aqua: as a submersed species, it doesn't do well at all. In nature, you find it as a marginal species, so it definitely needs to be "wet," just not completely underwater. It does get surprisingly large, so I would recommend pruning, unless you want it to flower. I would be more than happy to share some cuttings with you.
> 
> Nick: thanks a lot, buddy. It's off to a nice start. Will be some time before it even approaches that level of the former setup. Then again, that was kind of one of the main points....to have a slower growing system so I don't have to worry about doing all sorts of trimming even on a weekly basis.


I did not try to keep it submersed. I kept it riparium style like yours: roots in water, stems/leaves above.. it just didn't seem to take shipping well so never lasted. Out of curiosity what humidity is the room your tank is in and the tank water's pH?


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## crazydaz

Hi Aqua: sorry to make any assumptions. Mine seems to do well by keeping the main stem underwater, with the leaves coming out of the water. The main stem is submersed about an inch or so, and I currently have it "pinned" between rocks, though I would imagine that the roots would keep the plants in place by now. In my last setup, I had it much in the same position, but it had rooted in some moss. 

The humidity varies between 28-65%, depending on the time of year. It's no doubt higher at the water line, but I don't do anything special to increase it. I had the fogger running a few years ago to help the plants above water transition and harden, but I haven't run that for a few years. In terms of pH and hardness, I really don't know. I don't take measurements for any of my tanks; rather, I use plant growth and aesthetics to get a rough idea of those two factors. Someone did ask for a water sample back a few years ago, which I sent. The results were a pH of 6.8, and a hardness of 4 I believe. I believe that those values are higher now since adding the fieldstone.....probably a pH in the neighborhood of the low 7's and a kH around 10. Just educated guesses though.


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## tefsom85

You probably touched on this in one of previous 54 pages :laugh2: but can you tell me where you got all of your emersed plants (air plants?) for your previous rendition(s) of this tank. Definitely something that I would like to add on to my display.


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## AdamTill

Tillandsias are pretty easy to find online and in most garden centers. They're even in some grocery stores etc.


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## crazydaz

Tefsom85: Adam is right...,they are pretty easy to find. I got most of mine from airplantcity.com, I think, but I ordered around. They ship very well, and I never lost a plant from any of the vendors I used. You shouldn't have any issues.


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## Woody0229

Pelvicachromis taeniatus “Moliwe." Are these coming from a local fish store or are you getting those from a breeder? Absolutely insane tank as always.


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## crazydaz

Woody...Rachel got several pairs in for me, and shipped them to me after quarantine period.


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## crazydaz

Tank is over. Will be starting a new thread on the new set up. Here are teaser shots:

All gone.







[/url]53BE4757-9BA8-45C0-93E7-B49C3B92B213 by Crazydaz, on Flickr[/IMG]

Some new rock....Tennessee flag stone:







[/url]3B28A0D9-9B54-44AF-82E7-CB022CFFCA8F by Crazydaz, on Flickr[/IMG]

New hardscaping work:







[/url]0CF79090-43FD-44F1-A476-3468E237BADC by Crazydaz, on Flickr[/IMG]








[/url]8AD08F75-7286-45CF-8D69-C14A447899CF by Crazydaz, on Flickr[/IMG]

BB887FC4-5376-4A5F-AC4D-A7A75CEA70D3 by Crazydaz, on Flickr


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## tlyons01

you are such a tease.....


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## aja31

New hardscape looks really cool. Looking forward to the next iteration!


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## ScubaSteve

Please let us know when you get the new thread started! I want to hire you to help me set up a tank!!


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## Netcode

I was browsing through the first 56 pages looking at your tank with the manzi branches sticking out and was absolutely blown away. I got to about page 14 and said, I wonder what the final product looks like. So I flipped to the last page to see you tore it down and are starting a brand new scape. I am surprised, the money you must have spent on the first one must have been outrageous, and to think of all the rare plants you sourced. Then to tear it down!? :O woweeee. I have a 60 gallon (I have a tank journal going on now, however it is no where near the scale of yours and I am super amateur) and I am only using common plants and whatever rock/wood I can find for free yet I am super attached to it. Thinking of tearing it down would kill me. I don't know how you do it! I am super interested to see what you come up with this time because last time it was mind blowing. Good luck!


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## crazydaz

Thanks AJA and Scuba. New journal should be up in the next week or two, depending on my travel for work. Scuba, I'd be happy to help you with a new set up, if you would like some pointers or advice, which you are absolutely free to take or refuse as you wish.

TLyons: you know me!  I enjoy flirting with hobbyists.

Netcode: Certainly, I suppose that there is a note of "melancholy" to tearing down a set up that was doing well in favor of a new one, and I can understand how you feel. The money involved comes and goes, and though I have certainly spent a bit of fair coin to get the items and species I felt would improve the set up and help it reach its potential, I also have made a nice sum over the years by selling plants. I have given plenty of items away as well, which brings a nice sense of satisfaction, or made trades. If it's worth doing, then it's worth spending money on, within reasonable limits. For me, it's less about the sense of pride in reaching a goal; rather, it is more about the learning process and experimentation that drives me. This last set up had been going for three years. I had gleamed a lot of information from doing it and satisfied a lot of curiosities I had, and as "stability" was one of those goals I had set for myself, I felt that had been accomplished, and it was time to try something new, and continue the journey towards other things. I will try to push myself to accomplishing additional wisdom with this next "scape" and to learn from my mistakes. I would imagine that this next set up will probably have to last 3-5 years.

However, there is absolutely nothing wrong with enjoying your work. Don't misinterpret what I am saying. You should keep your set up for as long as you wish, and I wish you continued success with it! For me, it's hard to stay still when there is so much more I feel I need to learn about the hobby. I enjoy "getting in there" and seeing what else I can do or not do. It's more relaxing to work on the tank than it is to sit down and look at it, and so when there is not much more that I can do, it's time to move on, and try a new or different approach.


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## ScubaSteve

crazydaz said:


> Thanks AJA and Scuba. New journal should be up in the next week or two, depending on my travel for work. Scuba, I'd be happy to help you with a new set up, if you would like some pointers or advice, which you are absolutely free to take or refuse as you wish.
> 
> I appreciate that! When I finally get the size tank I want, I will be hitting you up!


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## Netcode

crazydaz: That is a logical explanation, and a good one. Three years is certainly a long time to have a tank running, I think you achieved stability. What do you think was the biggest/most significant thing you learned from the previous scape? I am always interested in the learning process, and what triggered it. In setting up my new tank, with two previous setups under my belt, the most significant thing I learned was the importance of a good substrate. I made the same mistake again and used plain gravel due to cost, hoping that enough root tabs would do the job, but it just doesn't. I am curious, what exactly is the MTS you used in the previous scape? I thought it meant trumpet snails, but it seems like you used MTS in reference to your substrate from DogFish?


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## crazydaz

That's a loaded question, NetCode. I think, primarily, I learned how to add another dimension to a set up by growing plants above the waterline as a riparium. Not that it hadn't been done before, but it was certainly something that I hadn't attempted until then. I was also able to learn how to reach an equilibrium between the plants above and below the water's surface. Being published in two different hobbyist magazines was an honor, but I learned the type of hard work that it takes to achieve that. I also learned what it took to keep that type of setup going successfully, and to know what that required for fertilization, algae issues, water changes, etc. Perhaps most importantly, I learned to be patient with a setup....that all aquarium setups come with both general and unique issues to that setup, and that problems and issues can be resolved through patience, rational thinking, and persistence.

MTS, in this context, means "Mineralized Top Soil." MTS is also used for Malaysian Trumpet Snails, but you can figure out which one fits based on the context of the article. Dogfish makes/made the best, and I knew that it would be easier for me to buy it off of him, than to try to make a batch on my own. I often travel for my job, and don't have the time or the resources to make MTS on my own. There are directions out there to make your own MTS, and it works very well for growing plants. Aaron Talbot has a good recipe on APC.com, and there are likely similar ones here on TPT.

I also add my own additions to substrate. A bottom, thin layer of plain kitty litter and peat granules seem to do very well at providing the type of iron heavy root feeders need, such as crypts and sword species, but really, any plant that sends out roots into the substrate will benefit, even if they receive most of their nutrient uptake directly from the water column. Root tabs are great to add in as well, and I think that if you could find some root tabs that add a source of clay to the substrate, your plants will take on a new dimension. Or, simply start over, and add a small layer of plain, cheap kitty litter, if you want (easier said than done, of course!).


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## hachi

Very excited to see your new set up! Have you started a thread for it yet?


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## ValMM

Wow, from what I saw, your tank was beautiful. Did you ever try to keep Dendrophylax lindenii (ghost orchid) in your aquarium? I was reading up on them and it seems like they like lots of water and very stagnant air.


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## crazydaz

Hi Hachi,

Thank you. I have not started a new thread for it. At this rate, I'm not sure I am going to.

Val: thank you very much! I don't believe that I attempted that orchid. Though there was plenty of moisture, the humidity in my home during the winter goes way down. It had a tendency to kill most of the orchid species. The lighting, too, would dry things out, or simply be too much for most of the orchids to handle.


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## BettaBettas

crazydaz said:


> Here are some pictures that I was able to take yesterday, mainly of the top portion. I am waiting until this evening to take aquatic photos when there is less glare. Also working on a video, too! Bought myself a new camcorder, so I'll be messing around with that, too!


 Im not trying to be nosy or, to polite. But this tank Looks as if it would cost as much as my house!
These photos are even more detailed than my own eyes can see lol! Beautiful tank


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## Sean W.

Really is amazing, I feel as tho this is the next step after planted tanks. I think I could evolve to either keeping a reef tank, or doing something like this.


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## crazydaz

Thanks Betta and Sean. I suppose that if I had added everything up during the setup's various peak times, I probably could have made a nice profit on it, if I had sold it all. Shipping is just such a pain in the butt that I rarely did it.

Sean: the set up I had prior to this one (in the same tank) was a high-growth, high-color system, so I wanted to try something a bit different when I set the tank up again. I was looking for a new challenge, so I tried to think out of the box, literally.


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## PEdwards

Holy cow, you're still alive! Hope all's well with you these days. Got any pics of the "new" setup? I haven't seen any for quite a while.

Cheers,
Big Spoon


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## crazydaz

Hi Big Spoon. 

Yeah.....travel for work has been almost constant since November of last year. I am just now home having an office week. I'm drained.

The pictures are especially difficult with this set up. The plants I have growing out of the top are pretty waxy-ish and reflect a lot of light. So, it makes it almost impossible to get both the top part and aquatic parts to look good and show up in the same photo. I'll see what I can do. Maybe I'll be able to get enough rest this week to get my energy up and take new photos and post them.


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## PEdwards

No rest for the wicked.


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## Williak

Crazydaz.... Anything for us?


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## leequan

*best inspiration*

How can I look for your video? Can't wait to see it! >


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