# BSS 46 Gal Bow Front



## BSS (Sep 24, 2004)

Okay, time to stop procrastinating, become a supporting member of the forum and get a tank shot out there. This photo is from 11/18. A few challenges have popped up with the tank, but I'll post another shot in a couple weeks when I get those under control. My Crypt balansae and Hygro difformis in the back right corner have started to fill in, though my Mayaca fluviatilis is still struggling, likely because my oversized, lazy SAE keeps uprooting it  .

Here's the summary. It's a 46 gal AGA bf. Rena XP3 w/ coarse sponges, medium sponges, and ceramic noodles. I have since also added filter floss. The 55w CF is on for around 13 hours. The 96w CF kicks on an hour after the 55w and turns off an hour before. My fert regimen has been pretty basic. On 50% water changes every 1-2 weeks, bring the PO4 up to 1.0, NO3 to 10, dose K to 20 ppm and add "a pinch" of CSM+B.

I'm still in that 'what can I plant next' stage, so there's quite a smattering of plants. Nothing too exotic, I think. 

Comments, suggestions, questions...let em' fly!
Brian.


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## unirdna (Jan 22, 2004)

I'll bet your fish love that lighting system. A 55w would be a nice way to wake up. I've been meaning to do the same with my tank - instead of saying, "good morning fish - here's 192watts to help you wake up ". I like your open-water section to the right. Not sure how I feel about that big, leafy plant yet....keep posting .


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## BSS (Sep 24, 2004)

The big, leafy E. ozelot is one of my first plants...originally from my first, lower light, learner tank. It's currently making lots of babies which I can trade in at the local store. So, I'm torn with uprooting it. But, I'm guessing the urge to try something different and its dominant position in the tank will lead to some form of change in the not-too-distant future. Actually, just last night I was noting that some of my mid-ground crypts (Wendtii's prehaps) are starting to get pretty sizable. So if I remove the sword, slide the crypts back, make some more room... Ah, it's such a nice distraction to work!


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## jart (Jan 17, 2003)

BSS i must say i second unirdna's thought on the sword. i think in some of amano's pics he suggests a diagonal "line" going from the top of one side of the tank to the lower level of the other side. the sword may very well distort the line. but this is just an opinion, to each his own, a very nice looking tank. the open area in your "lawn" looks very quaint.

i'm wondering... if you were to move a sword that is so well established, would it take it quite awhile to start making more planlets?


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## Kris (Feb 27, 2004)

i disagree!
i think that if you trim down those plants on the left (?) the red ones? then the ozelot can become the center focus-in place of wood or rocks or something.


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## BSS (Sep 24, 2004)

My original vision was to have a V-shaped layout (is that concave?). The opening in the back right corner is where I ripped out a jungle val "jungle" that was causing way to many shade issues. I agree that the L repens is a bit too large in the photo. But, I was so happy to finally get a decent photo, that I just had to go with it  .

Good ideas, folks. Gives me some options to consider.


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## unirdna (Jan 22, 2004)

Kris said:


> i disagree!
> i think that if you trim down those plants on the left (?) the red ones? then the ozelot can become the center focus-in place of wood or rocks or something.


Now why didn't I think of that....wait, I did ! 

If you click on the 46 in my signature, you'll see what my tank used to look like. I have since completely removed the L. repens and hacked down the hygro to almost nada. And my java fern has tripled its size. Sooooo, my tank is similar to what yours would be if you removed the L.repens and let that centerpiece grow.

What was I thinking :icon_redf ?

ps. But ya gotta admit, a big red bush does look pretty snappy in a photo .


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## BSS (Sep 24, 2004)

Time for an update. As there is always a reason to wait a while for something else to grow just right, it has been a while.

I'm still wrestling with my fert regimen. My first 10 lb CO2 tank dating back to July just got a refill. For most of the time, the CO2 was on a timer with my lights, and I've been dorking with the levels. So, this tank might not last quite 7 months like the first one. Per the recent Tom Barr EI threads (and continuing green spot), I've just starting bumping my target PO4 levels to around 2.0, NO3 levels up to 20 and K up to 20. I only dose NO3 and K on water changes. My healthy fish load seems to keep the NO3 fairly stable. I'm adding 0.3 ppm of PO4 every other day, and 1 ml of my CSM+B every day (w/ 3 ml on water change).

Current plants include: (back row) L. repens, Alternanthera reineckii, Rotala indica, Hemianthus micranthmoides, Myaca fluviatilis, Crypt balansae, Bacopa caroliniana (? recently collected near Miami), Hygrophila difformis.
(mid/front) Heteranthera zosterifolia, Sagitarria sublata, Java fern (very small clump), Crypt wendtii, Lobelia cardinalis - dwarf, Marsilea quadrifolia, Lilaeopsis basiliensis, Marimo ball (why :icon_roll ?), E. ozelot, Crypt wendtii, Anubia nana, Vallisneria spiralis.

Current fish load: Sally (my giant, lazy SAE), 2 threadfin rainbow, 4 harlequin rasbora, 4 cardinal tetra, 10 rummynose tetra, 6 oto, 3 leopard danio, 3 red swordtails (+ assorted babies :icon_evil ), 1 bristlenose plec, 2 botia kubotai, 1 botia rostrata, 1 botia "Yo-yo", 7 assorted corydoras.

Comments? Suggestions? Corrections of above? Let 'em fly!!
Brian.


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## BSS (Sep 24, 2004)

And, here's a shot from the day before taken with a flash. This was just after a 3-4 hour pruning/removing, water change, etc. Comments on the flash versus the non-flash shot??


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## rwong2k (Dec 24, 2004)

I love the pix,

personally i like the non flash pix =)


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## Ahkuma (Dec 5, 2004)

After seeing these pictures it really makes me want to get off my butt and get this 46 bow going I have just sitting here empty in my office.

In that first pic, out of all those fish you have listed all you notice is big ol sally.

Thanks for the inspiration! I would love to see more pics of the rest of the crew.


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## jart (Jan 17, 2003)

Very nice, I like this set up a lot.


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## BSS (Sep 24, 2004)

Thanks for the comments, folks!! When I have a few hours to kill and I'm in a fairly calm mood :icon_bigg , I'll see if I can stretch my picture taking talents to get some fish pics. Definitely something I've been thinking of trying some day, I'm just expecting it to be a frustrating adventure. I was pleasantly surprised when I flipped the lights on in the tank last night, and Sally just sat there posing. Sally is normally quick to dodge back to the back of the tank under the spraybar and hidden by the plants.


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## BSS (Sep 24, 2004)

*Semi-Overhaul*

Well, the more I looked at the previous tank shot, the more I found I didn't really like. So, it was time for a bit of an overhaul. Here's the changes:

Out: Ozelot sword (kept a plantlet for my 10g), R. indica (wasn't doing it for me), L. repens (been there, done that, grew too fast).

In: Monosolenium tenerum/ Pelia (*generous* batch from Picesgirl!! Loosely tied to rocks...will this stay low enough for the foreground?)

Dosing: Increased CSM+B (1 tsp in 250ml) to 10 ml on non-Macro days about a week ago (thanks, Craig)

Replants: Mayaca (topped and held down with plant weights...thanks, Shalu), leggy Pearlgrass/Stargrass topped and replanted "individually" (my apologies to those in the senior council when I suggested otherwise :wink: ), Anubias nana being weighed down in front to lower the root structure (don't you love the nice clay pot!).

Photo: Went with just the 55w this time to reduce glare.

Coming attractions: Getting some E. stellata and L. aromatica tomorrow. Suggestions for placement??


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## cprroy73 (Nov 10, 2004)

I just wanted to say nice tank. Sorry I can not answer your placement ?.


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## Momotaro (Feb 21, 2003)

Looks great!

Flow is much better, and things have a much more natural feel. Everything looks nice and healthy to boot!

Some of the plants seem small and need to grow in...and I can't wait to see the aquarium again once those plants do grow in!

Mike


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## BSS (Sep 24, 2004)

Well the increase in CSM+B dosing seems to be kicking growth up to a more healthy level. I'm now seeing a bit of BBA on dying/older leaves, so tonight I bumped up my CO2 bpm by about 20% (I've been running around 25 ppm with pH=6.9 and kh=7). My current dosing is NO3=20, PO4=4, K=+15 on weekly 50% water changes. Alternating days: 10 ml CSM+B (1 tsp in 250 ml) and 3ppm of PO4. High fish load keeps NO3 levels pretty stable.

Getting alot of glare off the plants with the camera tonight. The best shot came with just the 96w bulb on. This shot is a couple hours after giving the Stargrass a good hair cut and smoothing out the top of the H. micranthemoides. Also, the Monosolenium tenerum (Pellia/Pelia) is starting to show some interesting new growth.


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## Overfloater (Jan 12, 2004)

Looks pretty good except the alternanthera is looking a little ratty and haggard.


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## BSS (Sep 24, 2004)

Agreed on the Alternanthera. I just can't get that sucker to take off. With some new stems of E. stellata recently added (haphazardly placed in a line near the middle of the tank), the Alternanthera might just have to go if the new plants start taking off.

Also, I'm beginning to wonder if I can keep the Stargrass in a shape I'd like. It might turn out to be a bit fast growing for my tastes.


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## unirdna (Jan 22, 2004)

BSS,

You've done a very nice job at giving depth to a tank that isn't all that deep. Love the placement of that tall crypt against the low pearlgrass.


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## bigpow (May 24, 2004)

niiiiice!


:envy:


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## BSS (Sep 24, 2004)

Thanks for the comments, folks!


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## Overfloater (Jan 12, 2004)

BSS said:


> Agreed on the Alternanthera. I just can't get that sucker to take off. With some new stems of E. stellata recently added (haphazardly placed in a line near the middle of the tank), the Alternanthera might just have to go if the new plants start taking off.
> 
> Also, I'm beginning to wonder if I can keep the Stargrass in a shape I'd like. It might turn out to be a bit fast growing for my tastes.


How are your NO3 levels? I have found alternanthera to be quite a N hog. It's weird because it's only a medium speed growing stem plant IME, however it will show N deficiency very quickly.


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## WinterWind (Mar 6, 2005)

What are those red plants in the first picture?

NIce tanks, btw.


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## BSS (Sep 24, 2004)

Overfloater said:


> How are your NO3 levels? I have found alternanthera to be quite a N hog. It's weird because it's only a medium speed growing stem plant IME, however it will show N deficiency very quickly.


I dose my N03 level to 20ppm on water change and just use feeding after that (I've got 50-60 fishes). Per my LaMotte 3110 kit, after a 50% water change, I ususally get an "N" measurement of 2 (which equates to NO3 of 8.8). So, I'm guessing the NO3 levels stays close to 20. Maybe I'll make a mid-week test this week to see if it really is sitting close to 20. 

I keep reading that alternanthera is supposed to be one of the easier red plants, but (as is frequently the case) my experience has been different thus far.

Thanks for the suggestion!


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## BSS (Sep 24, 2004)

WinterWind said:


> What are those red plants in the first picture?
> 
> NIce tanks, btw.


The big, thick bush in the corner is L. repens. It has one stretch there where the color really reddened up (is reddened a word  ?). There is also some Rotala indica growing on the right edge of the repens.

The repens grew too quickly and the indica never filled out like I wanted it to, so they've since been replaced (at least, for now :wink: ).

Thanks for the compliment...Brian.


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## BSS (Sep 24, 2004)

Well, a couple weeks back, I needed to find a permanent spot for the new stellata and aromatica. Four hours later, about 50% of the plants seemed to find a new home.

Out: Spiral vals (no one could see them anyways!), H. difformis (the look never grew on me), H. zosterifolia (I loved the grown in look, but after a hair cut, it looked empty for too long and then was suddenly too long again).

Dosing changes: My CSM+B mix was actually 1Tsp/250ml (not tsp). After upping to 15 ml, I noticed algae growth, so I'm back down to 10. Also, I'm now adding 1/4 tsp of K2SO4 with the 3ppm of PO4 as I noted some pin holes in the Anubias leaves. And, I bumped the CO2 slightly. Now up around 37 ppm.

I decided to chop the "stilts" underneath the Nana, to allow a better view of the back-ground plants.

Overall, I like the growth rate (so far none of the plants grow too quickly!) and feel some of the plants are more interesting. 

Next up: Not-so-dwarf sag out, Blyxa japonica in.


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## BSS (Sep 24, 2004)

Burned up my last CO2 tank refill in three weeks because I couldn't find any good gaskets, so I used the cheap one from the refill store. Attaching the tank when it was still quite cold might have contributed also. So, this time, I got better gaskets, waited for the tank to get near room temp, and used a new, hefty 1 1/8" wrench bought at an auto parts store. Figured I'd snap a shot or two while I had everything pulled out of the stand.


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## BSS (Sep 24, 2004)

And, while I had the camera out, figured I snap a shot of the tank. The only real plant change since last time is a swap out of Blyxa japonica for oversized dwarf sag.

The Alternanthera has actually started doing pretty well. Though I recently hacked it up pretty good to share with a fellow hobbyist. In addition, the lower half of nearly all my Mayaca melted away in the last three days. Not sure if this is due to CO2 running out or after-effects of being away for 5 days last weekend with no ferts being added.

I need to do something with the dwarf Lobelia cardinalis. I'm thinking of moving it back in place of the H. micranthemoides. When it's nice a bushy, I've always really liked the HM. But, to keep it lower, it seems like I need to pull it up and replant it every 2 or so months...and that's getting old. Good idea? Bad? Other suggested placements?


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## cprroy73 (Nov 10, 2004)

Your tank looks great man, I am getting some L. Aromatica. Does it seem to do well in your tank?


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## Steven_Chong (Sep 14, 2004)

Even though you've sectioned the plants, the transitions are very smooth and natural-feeling. I am jealous of your lobelia. 

Is there a plant mixed in with the marsilea?


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## cocamide (May 25, 2005)

Your tank looks great. The Pellia is really filling in nicely there. I couldn't even fit all of the plants you gave me into my tank, but I think the ones that are in there are liking their new home so far. The red temple has been pearling, so hopefully it will keep its color and fill in nicely.

I also saw some eggs on the underside on one of the red temple leaves. Do you think they're snail eggs or fish eggs? There's about 6 of them and each contains a white dot inside.

Well, your tank looks great after the trimming. Take care and thanks again.


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## BSS (Sep 24, 2004)

cprroy73 said:


> Your tank looks great man, I am getting some L. Aromatica. Does it seem to do well in your tank?


Thanks! I've been *very* happy with the aromatica. You should be able to see three sizable stems in there, all originating from one smallish topping. I'm actually thinking of removing the Alternanthera and just allowing the aromatica more room to prospser.


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## BSS (Sep 24, 2004)

greenmiddlefinger said:


> Even though you've sectioned the plants, the transitions are very smooth and natural-feeling. I am jealous of your lobelia.
> 
> Is there a plant mixed in with the marsilea?


I keep hoping to hit critical mass on my Lobelia so I can start offering up some here. I might be getting close roud: !

As to the foreground, good catch. I've got some Lilaeopsis basiliensis in there. I started the plant with both, and the marsilea won...mostly! Then again, considering how I didn't really break apart the Lilaeopsis, it really wasn't a fair fight.


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## BSS (Sep 24, 2004)

cocamide said:


> ...I also saw some eggs on the underside on one of the red temple leaves. Do you think they're snail eggs or fish eggs? There's about 6 of them and each contains a white dot inside.
> 
> Well, your tank looks great after the trimming. Take care and thanks again.


Glad to here the plants are working out. But, heck, I wanted to share more than just plants :icon_roll . I'm bet that those egss are snail eggs. I've got quite a collection going. Should you decide later you need some MTS or if any of those plants don't make it but you want to try again, just ask!


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## BSS (Sep 24, 2004)

Well, with a rainy weekend caused by the tropical storm passing, I had too much time on my hands. So, I decided to make some changes. The full tank shots didn't work out, so you'll have to wait to see the full changes :icon_bigg . But, I did want to feature the Blyxa japonica which is starting to look really sweet. Here's a teaser of the Blyxa...


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## BSS (Sep 24, 2004)

And though I've been resisting the urge to put in one of the mandatory pearling shots, I can't pass on this one. I upped my CO2 ppm to ~45 a few days ago to help in the BBA battle. Here's a so-so shot of my recently ravaged Mayaca which looked pretty sweet in person!


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## Buck (Oct 13, 2002)

Man BSS that tank is looking soooo healthy ! Very nice and some great photos you got... love the pearl roud:


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## Georgiadawgger (Apr 23, 2004)

That's a great shot of pearling!! You need some P. gayi...now that's a plant that pearls!! The blyxa looks nice and healthy too!! Nice


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## BSS (Sep 24, 2004)

Thanks for the compliments!!


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## BSS (Sep 24, 2004)

Tinker, tinker, tinker! Per a suggestion from Bert H on my ragged A. reineckii, I've started dosing Mg via Espon Salts. Bert also lives in FL, and even though my GH=10, he stated it might be almost all Ca, so give the Mg a try. Well after about two weeks, I'm seeing a noticeable improvement. Hooray!

Also, the Lobelia was just too crowded up front...actually the whole front of the tank was getting too busy. So, I lost the H. micranthemoides, sent a mass of Crypts to a forum member, relocated the Pellia, redistributed the Blyxa, added some Ammania (hiding in the back) and just today, replanted my foreground (was riddled with algae that wouldn't give up).

So, though it wasn't completely dark and a few reflections crept in, I think this shot came out quite nice.


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## Georgiadawgger (Apr 23, 2004)

I actually like the open foreground...the bylxa has got nice coloring! That makes me think I should try it.


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## BSS (Sep 24, 2004)

No major changes...for a change :tongue: ! Just some additional growth, and a cleaner shot.


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## jart (Jan 17, 2003)

Very nice, I still like this tank a lot, though I am envious of the Mayaca, I ended up replacing mine as my CO2 levels took a dive while I was on vacation and it never recovered. I have yet to see a plant that pearls like it, at least in my setup.


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## BSS (Sep 24, 2004)

Thanks, jart! I really thought I had lost of my Mayaca during a recent CO2 outage followed by an Excel experiment. I'd say I lost 80% of it. However, it's on the rebound!


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## Jdinh04 (Mar 15, 2004)

Very nice tank progress BBS, you have PM.


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## BSS (Sep 24, 2004)

Thanks, John. I've been off-line for a few days, so I just got the PM.


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## Jdinh04 (Mar 15, 2004)

No problem, replied back.


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## m.lemay (Jul 28, 2002)

A very peaceful aquascape. Keep up the nice work. roud: 

Marcel


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## BSS (Sep 24, 2004)

*The Algae War of the Summer of '05*

Someone please make the pain stop  !!!

Well, since my last shots near early July, it has been a fast trip downhill. I'm hopefully coming to the close of my nastiest algae battle ever. Though I've had my CO2 levels up to around 50 ppm since mid-June, a strain of BBA (or so I'm guessing) has been kicking my backside!! I've lost 90+% of my Lobelia leaves. My Bacopa is near invisible. The M. tenerum is drastially thinned, and many of the stem plants have been hacked down with extreme prejudice. If it weren't for the thriving Blyxa japonica (is this stuff BBA resistant :icon_bigg ), the tank would really look pretty thread bare.

When the algae really kicked into overdrive, I was trying to cut back on my NO3 levels to try to increase the C to N ratio to bring out reds in my plants. I also noticed just the other day that my pH was raising from 6.6 (KH=7.5) up to around 6.8 in midday due to my Milwaukee regulator bubble count slowing down....AGAIN! So, I went back to full dosing on my ferts (1/2 tsp K2SO4, 1/4 tsp KNO3, 0.6 ppm PO4, 1/3 tsp Epson Salts, alternating w/ 10 ml of CSM+B premix) along with 4x OD'ing of Excel for the last 3+ weeks, and I think I finally have the upper hand. I'm still getting lots of stunted growth (especially on the A. reineckii), so I think I need to bump the Mg (even though my GH+10+).

Anyway, figured I'd capture some bad along with the good. Check out the root "beards" on those Lobelia stems. They were actually much more white and pronounced just after I hacked off all the algae riddled leaves.

Then again, maybe tank conditions are just a reflection of how life has been treating one lately  . But, this too shall pass roud: !


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## dss2004 (Apr 1, 2005)

Sorry to hear about your algae issues. But to be real honest I think the tank still looks great. Whatever that plant is center left, looks unbelieveably healthy. 

That is strange that you are getting BBA at such high levels of co2!? I know BBA is usually co2 related but do you think maybe a few more bunches of fast growers would help out? 

Anyway, I think it looks great, and from your knowledge I am sure things will bounce back quickly.


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## John P. (Apr 10, 2004)

I wonder if your CO2 is really as high as you think it is.


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## kunerd (Jul 19, 2005)

greenmiddlefinger said:


> I am jealous of your lobelia.


LOL its 5am and when i read this i had to read it a couple of times cause i thought it read that you are jealous of his libido :tongue:


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## BSS (Sep 24, 2004)

Hey, algae happens. I work in a support group, and one of my first mentors used to say "there are those that have battled problems, and there are those that have yet too". So, to me, it's a good learning experience and part of the challenge.

As to that 'plant' on the left, it's actually a collection of about a dozen Blyxa japonicas. I must admit, that after taking the photo, things didn't look as bad as I was initially thinking.

As to the CO2 level, I *think* it's fairly accurate. I don't know of anything in my tank that would screw with my KH levels or that should upset the KH/pH relationship. But time may tell. I'm actually now leaning towards Mg being a limiting factor and causing strange things.

As to someone being jealous of my libido, seeings how I have enough time for my tank, that would be one sorry person who wished for my libido level :icon_bigg !


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## BSS (Sep 24, 2004)

*A Tank on the Mend and In Transition*

Wow! What a difference a couple weeks and an identified nutrient deficiency can make roud: . Per this thread (http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=20821), I've recently started addressing a magnesium deficiency in my tank. This is even with a GH>10. The new growth has been incredible since I started adding 1 tsp of Epsom Salts to my 3x macro dosing.

So, here are some changes:
- The M. tenenrum was pretty algae riddled, so it's been scooped up...at least the parts that aren't still floating around and lurking. I still really like this plant, and can resort to a supply in my low tech 10g if needed.

- I had to hack up my 4+ year old anubias nana "bush", which started as a 4 leaved clipping. Most of the central rhizomes were coated with BBA (or some form of black algae). So, I recovered 20+ 3+ leaved plantlets, and subjected them all to a 4-5 minute 5% bleach dip. Many are now 'weighted' together until I can be sure the algae is gone.

- I've started rearranging/uprooting my Blyxa japonica jungles. I was actually leaning towards selling off most of that clump in the middle so I could see my Lobelia again. But, I'm kinda liking it there. Perhaps I'll have to move it back and have the Lobelia take a step forward.

- The aromatica, stellatus and reineckii are actually looking the way they should...FINALLY! I had to snip the bottom off much of the stellatus and aromatica, but you can still see how it has shot up. The Mayaca is growing in a bit brighter and more dense also. Maybe my balansae will even start growing faster than the older leaves die off. That would be nice.

So, my current plan is (was?) to create a curve of japonica as a mid-ground. Leave it open in the middle to highlight the Lobelia. Then intersperse nana stands amidst the japonica. And, just allow the background plants to continue to fill in and gain health. Any comments on that plan? Any alternate ideas or suggestions? I'd love to hear 'em!!


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## cocamide (May 25, 2005)

*hello again*

hey, i don't know if you remember me, but you gave me tons of plants a couple of months ago. your tank looks great, and i think mine is finally coming along. i've had to take out a couple of the plants because they were growing like crazy. the pellia really took off. i'll try to get a picture up this weekend.

take care


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## Nolan W. (Feb 9, 2005)

I love how everything looks lush and healthy! I think some driftwood branches would make it look even better.


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## BSS (Sep 24, 2004)

cocamide said:


> hey, i don't know if you remember me...


I sure do! I was wondering what ever happened to you. Welcome back. I've been contemplating holding a TPT social event at my house in the next month or so, so keep an eye out!


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## BSS (Sep 24, 2004)

Corydoras85 said:


> I love how everything looks lush and healthy! I think some driftwood branches would make it look even better.


Thanks!! I've been thinking of driftwood or even rocks for a while now. It's down around item #393 on the task list :wink: . More than likely, I'll be out and about somewhere some day and I'll just trip on what I'm looking for. Definitely a future endeavor...good suggestion.


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## Georgiadawgger (Apr 23, 2004)

Things are starting to look great! Sorry to hear about the algae woes. But you're growing that Bylxa as well as anyone!! Nice!


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## BSS (Sep 24, 2004)

Georgiadawgger said:


> But you're growing that Bylxa as well as anyone!! Nice!


Thanks, dawgger. It's always amazed me that even though a few plants struggle in a given tank's conditions, others just thrive. I was actually beginning to wonder is Blyxa is BBA resistant! I guess I've got a Blyxa-making-machine cranking at the moment. And THAT certainly ain't a bad thing!!


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## Overfloater (Jan 12, 2004)

Where are the updates on this tank? Don't leave us hanging with our... well you know... :wink:


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## BSS (Sep 24, 2004)

I was staring at my tank just a few minutes ago thinking the same thing :icon_bigg ! In my mind, it's kinda in a transition phase, but still no reason not to capture a shot.

Thanks for the prod!
Brian.


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## BSS (Sep 24, 2004)

Well, I'm still definitely into the jungle. collectoritis look! I just did a pretty severe hair cut, so the scape looks kinda flat. That coupled with the fact that my Lobelia cardinalis is clearly not the dwarf variety I ordered makes things a bit less interesting. Certainly the one stem of A. reineckii is a bit tall, but as it is the best stem I've had to date (argh :icon_frow ), I couldn't bring myself to cut it. I've gone away from the strict grouping and have started mixing plants a bit more. I think it's working well.

At the recent social gathering, I picked up some narrow leaf java fern, Myriophyllum mattogrossense (perhaps a Lobelia replacement?), Hygrophila corumbosa and Crassula helmsii. The Crassula is looking pretty sickly, but the others seem to be settling in.

As always, comments are appreciated!
Brian.


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## Tino (Jan 9, 2005)

Looks fresh and robust. I love collectoritis! roud:


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## Overfloater (Jan 12, 2004)

I think the narrow leaf java will work out well for you. Pretty soon you will have as much as I do


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## Georgiadawgger (Apr 23, 2004)

Dang...you've certainly crammed about as much as you can in there  

I say let things grow out...pick what you like for a scape and roll with it. 

Everything looks healthy so its just a matter of time


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## BSS (Sep 24, 2004)

*A Pleasant Surprise, and the Great Thin-out*

My tank had some major neglect through late January and into February. Still had ferts being added most days, but never got pruned, topped off, WC. By the time I got to it, about 1/4 of the water had evaporated, the top of the tank was thick with plants, though surprisingly, algae wasn't as bad as I might have expected.

Much to my surprise, when I finally went to clean it out, the Hygrophila angustifolia had really sprouted and was taking on a very nice look. So, you couple that with me starting to thin out so I can add some sizable driftwood, and here's the latest look. 

I'm also adding a shot of some of my latest inhabitants. My favorite corys, Corydoras sterbai.

Comments/suggestions always appreciated!
Brian.


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## vandyll (Feb 3, 2006)

Nice growth in there. Looks great.

And those cory's.... they're glorious I tell you!!! (my wife hates it when I refer to my glorious corys, so I like the phrase.  )


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## Betowess (Dec 9, 2004)

Very very nice Brian. Your plants look super healthy! I really like seeing a pack of Cory's like you have. Seems more natural.


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## unirdna (Jan 22, 2004)

Jeez Brian, 

It's been a while.... Trying out a new look, I see. I admit I miss the blyxa mound...but I can see you still have it growing well . Trying out a glosso carpet, or are you going to keep it in check?


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## turbowagon (Dec 30, 2005)

Very nice tank Brian... I just read through your whole journal. And I love those cories too. I feel bad that I have a mixed fleet (1 albino, 1 Schwartz's, 1 emerald green). Maybe I'll trade them in for a grouping of Sterbais if I can get my LFS to order them.

I like the tall crypt in the back right corner. It has a strong presence in almost all of your 'scapes.

Think you'll be trying some Riccia any time soon? :wink:


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## BSS (Sep 24, 2004)

vandyll said:


> And those cory's.... they're glorious I tell you!!!


Hey, I think glorious cory's is cool (or should I say neato) !



Betowess said:


> Very very nice Brian. Your plants look super healthy! I really like seeing a pack of Cory's like you have. Seems more natural.


Since adding three sterbai to my remaining one, going to a vertical spraybar and thinning out the plants, I'm actually seeing almost all of my fishes more. They're starting to get it the way of my view of the plants  !



unirdna said:


> Trying out a new look, I see. I admit I miss the blyxa mound...but I can see you still have it growing well . Trying out a glosso carpet, or are you going to keep it in check?


For me (imagine that!), glosso isn't really growing too quickly. As to the japonica, I've been trying to keep it thin, as well as sharing it with others. I'm actually trying to be a bit more Amanoesque...well, at least that's the dream! Once I get over that, I'll let the Blyxa bush out again.



turbowagon said:


> ....And I love those cories too. I feel bad that I have a mixed fleet (1 albino, 1 Schwartz's, 1 emerald green).


Not to give me too much credit, I have 3-4 other loan cory species in there. I do tend to buy them in groups, but one of each bunch just seems to last much longer than the others.



> I like the tall crypt in the back right corner. It has a strong presence in almost all of your 'scapes.


Hmmmm, and here I was thinking I should pitch it in favor of the H. angustifolia. Good comment, thanks!



> Think you'll be trying some Riccia any time soon? :wink:


You know it! Right after I finish breaking in my new Brad maintenance tools, and I get my Rex Clippard parts set up and I track down some Riccia :redface: !

Man, I love this hobby!

Thanks for the comments, folks!!
Brian.


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## cookfromscratch (Aug 10, 2005)

Love it love it!!! Wish mine would start growing in better. My LFS gets very few different species of plants in and what they do get in they know little about. Thanks for sharing!!


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## cprroy73 (Nov 10, 2004)

Thats alot of variety there. It looks good too. Keep up the good work!

I kind of favored your first attempt.


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## Fosty (Oct 17, 2003)

> > I like the tall crypt in the back right corner. It has a strong presence in almost all of your 'scapes.
> 
> 
> 
> Hmmmm, and here I was thinking I should pitch it in favor of the H. angustifolia. Good comment, thanks!


If you decide to pitch it, pitch it my way :wink: . Seriously though, your tank looks great!


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## bastalker (Dec 8, 2004)

I had an image of glosso in the foreground when I saw the pics. Then I read further, an lo an behold ya had planted it already! 

Least ya coulda done is wait an let me express myself!!:icon_wink 

Great lookin tank!!!!roud:


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## BSS (Sep 24, 2004)

Thanks for the comments, all! I wonder if I'll ever really settle on a final 'scape or if I'll just miss the tinkering too much!!


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## BSS (Sep 24, 2004)

Time for some hardscape! Found a couple nice pieces of mopani while vacationing back home in Grand Rapids for the holidays. So, I started a separate thread on driftwood placement suggestions. http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/g...nts-about-driftwood-placement.html#post238100

Will post back here once the final resting place is decided...


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## BSS (Sep 24, 2004)

*The Beginning of Hard Scape and "Health"?!*

Well, thanks to some great input by fellow TPT members, I'm very happy with the way the driftwood placement worked out. As a side effect, I may have finally come to realize (admit?) the major source of 'difference' in my tank! I had a smallish, craggy piece of DW that my noctural fishes had taken up residence in....my "loach motel". All the other pieces I got with this one had been removed because I had run tests to show that they were leaching acids! So, why (for once  ) did I do something to benefit the fish and not the plants?!? Since removing that and adding the new DW, there have been a number of interesting changes:

Positives:
- The glosso has taken off, and is now acting as others have implied.
- The growth on the aromatica/stellatus is much tighter, bushier and healthier looking. It's the first time my stellatus has ever looked healthy.
- So far (!), my KH has been stable...though I had fallen out of checking it too often, being a good, EI follower :icon_redf .
- It "seems" like my nutrient uptake is better (though an 'expired' PO4 kit might have thrown off my perception on this one).
- My A. reineckii is finally starting to act like an easy red plant. It's about time :thumbsup: !.
- The tank seems to doing better with my CO2 dialed up from 6.3 to 6.8 (th

Negatives:
- I had a significant Crypt die-off. I'm assuming this is the infamous melting which I've read so much about. Though I did 'bulldoze' back the wendtii a few inches, I didn't touch the balansae. And, as you can see, both have had significant die-off...and just when I was finally really liking how the wendtii added to the 'scape.
- The color on the aromatica has gone to bright green. I like the healthy, lighter looking green, but the aromatica is supposed to be adding a splash of red.
- Lots of my A. nana leaves blackened and started to die, so I pruned them.

TBD:
- Will I finally be able to actually grow some mosses?
- Will the color return to the aromatica/stellatus?
- Will my Crypts make a quick, full recovery?
- What plants should I 'feature' in my golden ratio "corners"?
- Will it mature enough to take a good shot for the ADA contest so I can improve on my showing from last year (583rd :icon_evil ...though I really didn't mind!)?

Ah, the fun and learning continues...


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## unirdna (Jan 22, 2004)

Great narration and description, Brian. You aren't kidding those balansaes took a hit. What is your lighting schedule/intensity? I've noticed that my the balansaes seemingly do much better in low-light or shaded areas (this is why I moved them to the back of the aquarium (less light intensity). This is just a cursory observation; just wondering if yours are getting more light than they used to.


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## BSS (Sep 24, 2004)

I have a DIY light fixture w/ a 96w CF in front and a 55w CF in back, both with AHS reflectors. I typically have the fixture pulled forward to where the bow starts, so the balansae are in the darker portion of the tank. I'm hoping it is just shock from removing the acids and doing 3x 50% WC one day to try to remove all the acids. At least that's my theory .

Oh, and I did finally have my first-ever 55w CF go out. It was a 5400 (?) kelvin and I replaced it with a 9325 that came with my original AGA fixture. I wouldn't think that would be the driving factor, but I've been surprised before.

Thanks for the question, Ted!


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## BSS (Sep 24, 2004)

*A Sure Fire BBA Formula?!?*

It has been a month since I entered my new, alleged, healthier tank phase. And, it hasn't been a particularly good month. As suspected in a recent post, my pH test kit did expire, so my upping of PO4 dosing because I thought my tank was 'chewing' through PO4 wasn't quite right.

On a positive note, I do think I have a sure fire way to breed BBA. Elevated temps (somehow my thermo go set to ~88), excess PO4 and NO3 and 3 or so missed WCs seem to bring out the best in BBA!! Prior to 66% and 50% WCs yesterday, my PO4>2ppm (kit max), my NO3>10...but wait, it's the LaMotte kit, so multiply that my 4.4, so say >50ppm and temp>86, things looked pretty grim.

Fortunately, a good aggressive pruning can rid most of the stuff visible on plants, and a good spot dosing of Excel on the driftwood will hopefully see that disappear soon. Then, you bring in a healthy looking specimen from the no-tech tank and place it in a strategic position (can you spot it?), and the tank back to reasonable shape. 

I've got Riccia floating in the net. I was putting off scaping with it until I snapped a good ADA shot (hey, you get a free copy of all entrant tank shots just for entering!). But, I guess I'll just have to settle for about what it looks like now. But that will just leave plenty of room for improvement.

So, here's a reasonable full tank shot, and then some nicer cropped close-ups of the ever-so-lovely, furry driftwood  .


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## unirdna (Jan 22, 2004)

BSS said:


> I was putting off scaping with it until I snapped a good ADA shot (hey, you get a free copy of all entrant tank shots just for entering!). But, I guess I'll just have to settle for about what it looks like now. But that will just leave plenty of room for improvement..


Is the deadline that soon, Brian. A month could go a long way considering all of the tech issues that went awry :icon_roll .

I see your L. aromatica has agreed to stand up. That stuff you sent me ran into the back wall, and now it has been forced to take a turn . Stellata is coming along, and the blyxa. Darnit, it looks like everything is just coming together.....how much time do you have before the deadline?


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## BSS (Sep 24, 2004)

unirdna said:


> ...how much time do you have before the deadline?


Thanks for the comments, Ted. Photos are supposed to be in Japan, by April 30...Sunday! I sent it in a few days late last time, so I'll likely do the same this time. As I don't expect to be a top finisher, I'm guessing a slightly late arrival won't hurt me much  .


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## Betowess (Dec 9, 2004)

Oooh, I like it Brian. That is Hygrophila augustifolia on the left blowing in the current? Man, the tank looks really cool! I wanna do that Hygrophilia sometime. Very nice. :thumbsup:


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## BSS (Sep 24, 2004)

Thanks, Betowess. Yes, that H. angustifolia in the back left corner. I'm really liking it...though I'm still trying to get the rigth look with it.

If grows faily quickly, so if you want some, PM me. I'm sure I could spare some for the cost of shipping.

As to my ADA entry, I've been stewing on it a bit the last few nights. Looking at the book/magazine from last year, I'm surprised I finished ahead of a lot of tanks that I did. I like my layout a lot better this year, but the health of some of my plants is questionable, and that could really knock me down. But, I guess, bottomline, I don't really care how I finish. It's a curiousity to see where I finish, and it is neat to keep collecting the mags and showing my entry to folks. So, I'll just have to go with what I've got come tonight or tomorrow night. I'll post back with my final picture.


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## fresh_lynny (Mar 9, 2006)

Good luck....it had transformed into a beautiful tank~


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## BSS (Sep 24, 2004)

Okay, so this is the photo I'm looking to enter. I did make use of my low-tech tank and pulled out some much nicer looking nana plants. I also pulled out many of the plants that looked too trashy and moved a few things slight. I think it made a pretty big difference. But, time will tell .

Heck, nothing ventured, nothing gained...huh :thumbsup: !


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## unirdna (Jan 22, 2004)

Subtle, but significant. Your choices have made a big difference. That lone stem of L. aromatica looked out of sorts on the right, and I think you were showing off a bit too much wood. These two modifications (removal of aromatica and addition of anubias) made the aquascape much more pleasing to my eye. Best of luck in the competition. If you get a photo of every entry, you have already won.


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## BSS (Sep 24, 2004)

Well, it has been a touch over a week, and I gotta say that the bba on the driftwood is completely gone. I do love that Excel spot treatment approach! 

I also finally got around to making my frog-inspired Riccia weights earlier this week :bounce: !! Here's a shot of one of the two I've got in place.


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## Momotaro (Feb 21, 2003)

The weights will work brilliantly!

Give it a couple of weeks and the stainless steel will be over taken and you won't see the weight at all.

Mike


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## unirdna (Jan 22, 2004)

Pretty schnazzy, Brian. I look forward to wherever you are going with this. Hey Mike, I think that's your riccia Brian has under that weight .


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## BSS (Sep 24, 2004)

Well, it's been a while...once again. I'm currently trying to take on my recurrent BBA problem and am documenting the fun in this thread: http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/algae/33522-arresting-bba-growth-why-cant-i.html#post292607

I'm expecting the battle to really rely on increasing my CO2 levels. Though my KH=8 and my pH 6.5-6.6 should imply decent CO2 levels, my relatively minor BBA continues to re-occur. So, it's time to see if I can find a better level.

Here's a recent shot. The tank has taken a bit of neglect recently, but again, a nice healthy pruning session can cover up a lot of sins. The shot is a bit cloudy...which could be a result of excess gaseous bubbles in the tank...or maybe just a lax job of cleaning the front glass .

In either case...enjoy, and all comments are welcomed!
Brian.


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## unirdna (Jan 22, 2004)

Been a while, Brian. I've got questions....

What is that brilliant green three stems of plant, left of center, to the back right of the riccia, to the right of the Limnophila, in front of the 45 degree angle driftwood?

Do you keep your Limnophila in check, or does it grow slowly in your tank. Same goes for the Blyxa... Both those plants started very slowly in my tank, but now I have to hack them down every couple weeks. 

Your tank makes me miss my H. angustifolia. In its last days in my tank I let it breach the surface, and was surprised to see how happy it was to emerge. A stiff, fuzzy stem with wider fuzzy leaves. Very different from the submerged growth.

I have a lot of BBA in my 30g tank. It kicks the crap out of my anubias.


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## organic sideburns (Dec 22, 2005)

Looking good, lots of colors in this tank. Has alot of depth.:thumbsup:


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## BSS (Sep 24, 2004)

unirdna said:


> Been a while, Brian. I've got questions.....


Good man, Ted! 



> What is that brilliant green three stems of plant, left of center, to the back right of the riccia, to the right of the Limnophila, in front of the 45 degree angle driftwood?


No clue which plants you are referring to...could you be more specific  ...LOL! That would be my struggling, P. stellatus. When I get my CO2 levels dialed-in, and it starts to explode, I'll send you some. Ah, the power of positive thinking .



> Do you keep your Limnophila in check, or does it grow slowly in your tank. Same goes for the Blyxa...


My L. aromatica seems to grow relatively slowly...with all the lower leaves dropping off. It could be because I use plant weights to sink them and don't really let roots establish. Every 2 weeks of so, I pull them up, snap off the bottom half of the plant and drop them back into the tank. CO2 changes could have some effects on this as well. As to the Blyxa, it's just a good steady performer. You can see the stand on the right was recently thinned and replanted, while the bunch on the left is in need of some attention. I tend to find Blyxa uprooting and floating every so often...so that helps keep it in check.



> Your tank makes me miss my H. angustifolia.


This plant is getting close to that 'grows to fast for me' stage. I hacked it back pretty severely on this last pruning. You want some? Let me know .



> I have a lot of BBA in my 30g tank. It kicks the crap out of my anubias.


Thus the reason for my current experiment. I'm guessing when I'm done that per the standard ph/KH charts, my CO2 measurements could be triple digits. But, clearly, since BBA has been thriving to date, the chart doesn't work for my set up.

Thanks again, Ted.



organic_sideburns said:


> Looking good, lots of colors in this tank. Has alot of depth.


I appreciate it! Thanks!


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## BSS (Sep 24, 2004)

Well, perhaps premature, but I'm claiming victory over recurring BBA :thumbsup: ! My KH~9, and I now have my SMS set to keep pH between 6.2-6.3. 

Along with that success, I'm having much improved plant growth. The leaves on my aromatica, stellatus and others are much longer and healthier looking than in the past. In addition, I want to evolve into keeping stem plant "bushes" and not just topping and replanting all the time.

Oh, and I snagged some Java lace fern ('Windelov') at a random Petco recently...snuggled amongst all the non-aquatics  . But, I'd never seen it before, and was pretty psyched to get it. So, I had to add that into the mix.

So, after some rearranging and pruning, I ended up with the following. I'm kinda liking the new sloped look, though if I become a successful 'busher', it won't last long. If things go as expected, there should soon be some nice aromatica and reineckii bushes covering the filter/probe/CO2 plumbing in the left hand corner and there should be some stellatus bushes breaking up the straight lines of all the Crypts on the right.

So, we'll see how it progresses! If you have any suggestions on rearranging anything (especially the Blxya/nanas along the mid-line), please fire away!


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## Overfloater (Jan 12, 2004)

Interesting setup Brian. Looks like you have thinned out quite a bit. What happened to the narrow leaf java I gave you?

I am moving my aquarium to the new apartment tomorrow. I may have some parvula left if you want it?


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## BSS (Sep 24, 2004)

Overfloater said:


> Looks like you have thinned out quite a bit. What happened to the narrow leaf java I gave you?


Ah, you know. Thin out, grows back in...thin out, grows back in. It's all a vicious cycle. As to the narrow leaf, believe it or not, but I have yet to get a single moss or java fern to thrive in this tank. After a number of months of doing almost nothing, I move the narrow leaf to my daughter's 10g no-nothing tank. It's now thriving and I've giving away chunks of it. I'm hoping with the removal of my acid-leaching driftwood and with my CO2 levels at a good range (contrary to what the 'standard' indicators might show), that I'll have more luck. Time will tell...



> I am moving my aquarium to the new apartment tomorrow. I may have some parvula left if you want it?


Hmmmm. Never have tried parvula. I guess that means I'll have to have some . You'll be 10 minutes down the road. Stop on by and you can pick and choose what you'd like to try in your new setup :thumbsup: .

Thanks for the comments!


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## thirston (Nov 17, 2004)

Caught the rescaping bug again did you Brian? When things start to grow back in I might have to hit you up for a 'care package'. I'm probably going to head down to the local petsmart and see about getting some algae busters for my tank. I think a clump or 2 of wisteria and anachris should do the trick until I see what these N. Carolina folks offer up at their auction in a few weeks. It looks like there's a little more activity here than Orlando, but not by much :icon_cry: Seems most of thefolks here are into the rock fish (africans), and those don't tend to blend well with our planted tanks.

Bob, was that you that gave out the Narrow Fern? Damn you  I had to rent a larger moving truck just to haul all that stuff up here to NC. I wound up donating about 50 lbs. of it to a Navaho woman who dried it out and is weaving baskets now to sell at market :biggrin:

Take care.


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## danepatrick (Jul 17, 2006)

what plant is that you have in the rear, right corner? the one drooping over.


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## Overfloater (Jan 12, 2004)

Brian: Well at least it is growing somewhere.  I couldn't get it to stop growing in my tank. Brian, I'd love to swing by and drop off some parvula for you but I don't have the time until Sunday. If you want it then let me know. The 75G is going to be hairgrass only so I'll pass on the plants but thanks for the offer.

Thirston: Yeah I had plenty of narrow leaf to give away. It is one of my favorite plants and managed to net me a decent ranking in the ADA contest this year.


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## thirston (Nov 17, 2004)

danepatrick said:


> what plant is that you have in the rear, right corner? the one drooping over.


Crypt Balansae I believe.


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## BSS (Sep 24, 2004)

thirston said:


> Crypt Balansae I believe.


We have a winner :biggrin: ! I also tucked some H. corymbosa 'angustifolia' behind it...since I couldn't bring myself to tossing it...yet!

Great story above, thirston!!


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## Betowess (Dec 9, 2004)

BSS said:


> Ah, you know. Thin out, grows back in...thin out, grows back in. It's all a vicious cycle.


Boy ain't that the truth. I guess that's why so many are steering away from a stem city tank. I keep trying, then there's another one that I just got to check out. 

I really like the latest layout Brian. The C. balansae looks terrific on the right. I think you'll find that E.stellata grows like gangbusters once happy. I gave up on stellata it grows so fast... So I moved it to another tank where it went crazy... and last night I did a huge change on both tanks and off to the LFS I go to give away some trimmings and history plants! But I still kept a few stems of that stellata. I figure if its only one or two I can manage that without going bonkers.

Anyhow, the tanks looking great. Glad you wiped the BBA. Those Excel squirts really work! That's how you did it, right?


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## BSS (Sep 24, 2004)

Betowess said:


> Anyhow, the tanks looking great. Glad you wiped the BBA. Those Excel squirts really work! That's how you did it, right?


Thanks!! Regarding stem plants, I have been slowly moving away from them. Formerly (likely due to CO2 limitation), the stellatus and aromatica grew at a relatively slow clip. I'm half expecting that to change soon now. But, I'm hoping the 'bush' approach will contain it. Time will tell.

As to the BBA, I did use Excel to help eradicate what had built up, but it really was the cranking of the CO2 (from 6.5 range to 6.2 range) that really stopped it from recurring. That's the good news. The bad news is I will likely be doing much more pruning...but that's a problem I'd rather have :hihi: .


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