# oldpunk's 29g 56k*



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

recent photo


----------



## sewingalot (Oct 12, 2008)

I LOVE that driftwood. The shape is amazing.


----------



## James From Cali (Dec 15, 2006)

OMG, I love thjat wood. I can never find a piece of wood that looks like that in my area.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

it took a bunch of waiting on different shipments to find one i wanted. i had time though, lol. this piece actually soaked out in the backyard for like six months (w/ weekly water changes and a couple of power heads) before i was ready to start up this tank. it looks all bleached when dry.

- glad you guys like the wood so far, i really hope that works out well with the scape i'm thinking of.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

after looking over low light lists and talking to you guys about what might work out for me this is what i just ordered, i hope it work out, lol...

2 -Wendtii, Bronze (Cryptocoryne wendtii v. ‘Tropica’)
3 -Crypt Lutea (Cryptocoryne lutea) Pot (medium size)
1 -Nana (Anubias barteri v. ‘Nana’)
2 -Green Temple (Hygrophilia corymbosa)
3 -Sword, Narrow Leaf Chain (Echinodorus tenellus)(Pot)
1-Retrospiralis (Cryptocoryne retrospiralis)
2-Rotalla Wallichii (Rotalla wallichii)

i can't tell how much this fill the tank, i figure this would put me about 1/2 way there??? but it's all i can afford right now. i wanted more Anubias and will probably add more later.

any thoughts?

i added a spray bar today. i also have a prob. w/film on the top and will be adding the surface skimmer when i find it.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

yay! just got my first order. i'll plant tomorrow...


----------



## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

Looks like fun waiting to happen


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

update:

this is as far as i got this afternoon. i still have to plant the Echinodorus tenellus. i also have to figure out what i'm doing on the left side. 

so here is my first attempt ever, what did i do wrong?


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

made some changes:










any thoughts?

EDIT - 

i forgot, i now have a new found respect for all of you out there that can pull off a decent aqua scape. it's harder than it looks, lol.


----------



## fastfreddie (Sep 10, 2008)

That looks nice! Are you going to try to grow any moss or anubias on the wood? I'd say that order got you halfway there for sure. Maybe something would look good in the back right corner?? Are you adding fish?


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

i haven't decided on what to get for the wood. i have one nana but i don't think it will look like it belongs there. there's another piece of wood in the curing stages now, the nana is for that. 

does anyone have a suggestion as to what might look good on the wood? i can't see it, lol.

the right corner - idk for now. thinking nana on wood or just narrow leaf chain sword. maybe some more colorful stems(my wife says it need more color(i wanted all green).

as for fish, ottos are going in tomorrow(tank just cycled). i planned angels, but that is up in the air now because i also like the look of small schooling fish. if i go that route, the top choice is either going to be black neons or cardinals(probably the black neons).


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

anyone care to comment on what my photo period should be (1-65w pc 7" above water). no idea here, help needed!

substrate -

-eco complete

filtration -

- fuval 205

plants -

-Wendtii, Bronze
-Crypt Lutea
-Nana
-Green Temple
-Sword, Narrow Leaf Chain
-Retrospiralis
-Rotalla Wallichii

ferts -

-flourish comprehensive
-flourish excel
-flourish tabs

-following the directions seachem provided...

on a side note, i have noticed some of the leaves melting on the crypt lutea. is that normal? do they need to be removed?


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

update:









the lfs messed up my order and i ended up getting more of the same(just one bunch). i needed more plants anyway...


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

update:



















it would seem that the hygro in the back is rotting at the bottoms. the tops are growing so if anybody wants to give a suggestion about that it will be very welcome.

i changed my lighting yesterday to 2 x 24w t5ho and also started some diy co2 the only algae so far is on the top of the piece of wood(very little).

i also added some Rotala roundifolia. love the color, i hope with the new lighting and co2 the other rotala will go back to being red. the new growth on it has been green/pink. also i've added 8 Rasbora hengeli. 










^this is what i'm hoping will work as sunrise/sunset. i didn't really care for the moon light in my old fixture(the blueness). this one came out of a flash light and is 1 watt of white light. the power is from an old cellphone charger. i plan on installing tonight. i'll post a pic of the light output when i get done w/it. (it should be about double of the light that 2 blue moonlights put out)


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

i didn't get it mounted(the led), just stuck it in there to see how it looks. this photo doesn't do it justice. it actually looks really sweet.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

update - i killed off the original stems(lack of nutrients i guess, bought dry ferts, problem solved for now).


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

crypts are doing well after the melting^

haven't really changed anything. i tried out a power glo bulb along with the 6700k. it really brought out all the colors in the tank. i don't think narrow leaf chain swords liked it though... the leaves went from bright green to yellow to brown on some. it may of also been from from the lighting change i made. the ones that turned colors were in a old bright spot from the pc. it's a little dimmer now in the same spot with the t5's, idk. i went back to two 6700k...

can anyone make a suggestion as to what might go well with the rotalia?

edit- oh ya, note the difference in color from the previous post to now. that's with the one power glo bulb.


----------



## dougiefresh (Sep 5, 2006)

Looks good. May try crypt spiralis for some taller plants to go with your stems.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

dougiefresh said:


> Looks good. May try crypt spiralis for some taller plants to go with your stems.


there is one Retrospiralis in there. you can kinda see it(my cell phone won't take a good fts for some reason). i was just trying it out though...

i put that rotalia in there because i killed off the original stems i had, ohp's. i needed something fast growing and that was all i could get my hands on in a hurry. i'd like to remove, like... a third of it and replace it with something different. i don't know what though...

may be some pennywort and something else. idk. (easy stuff, for a beginner, lol)


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

i made some changes today. i think it looks better. now i just need some new ground cover.


----------



## blackrocks (Dec 16, 2008)

*looks great*

LOoks Fantastic. Excellent Job. What is ur photo period and also what ferts are you using? 
im getting a little green eyed looking at your tank lol .


----------



## roybot73 (Dec 15, 2007)

Wow! I love the layout, even without any groundcover. In fact, I personally think you don't even need it!

One thing, however... Why does the color look so washed out? Camera settings, or what color temp bulb are you using?


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

roybot73 said:


> One thing, however... Why does the color look so washed out? Camera settings, or what color temp bulb are you using?


2 reasons -

1 - cell phone pics. i'm generally too lazy to upload pictures from the camera.

2 - 6700K bulbs


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

blackrocks said:


> LOoks Fantastic. Excellent Job. What is ur photo period and also what ferts are you using?
> im getting a little green eyed looking at your tank lol .


photo period - 7hrs.

ferts - nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, flourish and excel


----------



## klumsyninja (Apr 16, 2008)

I love it, looks great.. I think it would definitely look good with some foreground plants in there.. 

All that equipment in there is distracting to the eyes..

Maybe one day when you got some time, take it all out, snap some good pics with your camera and upload those just for show and throw all your equipment back in..

But I love that central 'mound' look.. I was going to try that with my 55G but never did.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

update:

did a trim, changed the lighting a little, and added some Najas sp. Roraima. 

i finally got off my butt and took a better (non-cellphone) photo.








still too lazy to remove the equipment though. lol, i'll have to bite the bullet and get a better filter and pressurized co2 so i don't need all of it...

i have about two golf balls of Taiwan moss that i don't quite know what to do with. i was thinking about loosing the nana (always thought it looked kinda out of place anyway) and putting it there. any opinions?

edit - i guess i should have waited until it was dark. i didn't realize that all of those reflections were there. check out those blinds and the back of my kid's head, lol.


----------



## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

The tank looks a lot better when it's not so washed out  Looks a lot more alive lol


----------



## infinite07 (Dec 20, 2008)

I see the reflection. Lol. Nice tank by the way and the plants look really healthy.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

clwatkins10 said:


> The tank looks a lot better when it's not so washed out  Looks a lot more alive lol


^ thanks!


----------



## fastfreddie (Sep 10, 2008)

Diggin the rescape! This thing looks totally different with your real camera.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

not a whole lot has changed. i was bored this afternoon and took this picture. i there is a small new piece of dw along with a c. spiralis and some e. quadricostatatus(sp?) that i haven't quite figured out what to do with. the c. spiralis should eventually hide the surface skimmer (i hope). i also added a gallon of diy co2 this week. that brings me up to three total. 
only thing else that has happened is that i finally won the battle with the bga. thank you 'blue-green algae remover'. 










thanks for looking...


----------



## eyebeatbadgers (Aug 6, 2007)

Looks good!


----------



## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

very nice, the crypts are awesome.


----------



## Homer_Simpson (May 10, 2007)

Looks great! Excellent job, OldPunk. Ludwiga Repens may make a nice addition to the tank if your are looking to rescape with new/additional stem plants.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

eyebeatbadgers said:


> Looks good!


thank you!



chris127 said:


> very nice, the crypts are awesome.


thanks, they are taking over...



Homer_Simpson said:


> Looks great! Excellent job, OldPunk. Ludwiga Repens may make a nice addition to the tank if your are looking to rescape with new/additional stem plants.


is this what you are talking about?









i wonder where i could fit it in there? 
thanks homer!


----------



## Homer_Simpson (May 10, 2007)

oldpunk78 said:


> ...is this what you are talking about?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


You are welcome.
Yes, that is what I am talking about. You could perhaps, plant it in the left rear corner to help hide some of the equipment.


----------



## Pinto (Jan 23, 2009)

This is such an awesome layout.
What kind of fish are in there? Cardinals?


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

Homer_Simpson said:


> You are welcome.
> Yes, that is what I am talking about. You could perhaps, plant it in the left rear corner to help hide some of the equipment.


i just put some c. spiralis back there in hopes it would kind of hide the surface skimmer. it's in the middle of a melt. i need to thin out my rotallia(sp?) though... hmmm


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

Pinto said:


> This is such an awesome layout.
> What kind of fish are in there? Cardinals?


umm, no. there are rummy-nose tetras(red/white), rasbora borapetenis(green stripe)(i hope that's right, the lfs had them labeled as brillant rasbors), an oto, anther rasbora that i can't catch to move(can't remember the name), ghost shrimp, one crs(he was a test, i hadn't seen him in 2 months before today, lol), and countless pond snails.


----------



## brion0 (Sep 28, 2008)

Your tanks coming along, starting to look very nice.


----------



## itstony (Jan 11, 2009)

love how the tank is turning in the right directions! also, i see the improvement in pic quality


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

brion0 said:


> Your tanks coming along, starting to look very nice.





itstony said:


> love how the tank is turning in the right directions! also, i see the improvement in pic quality


thanks for the praise guys! it keeps me motivated...


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

this morning:









what i removed:









i will try and take an 'after' photo later once the tank clears up and it gets dark out. i took homer's advice and put some ludwigia repens in there. i guess i will have to wait until it grows out some more to see what it looks like though. it's hiding behind the crypts now. i like the color and it seems like it's going ad some more diversity.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

ok, so here's the post trim pic. it looks a little uneven, i know. i think it will improve over the next few week weeks.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

alright, here is an update:

did a trim, tweaked the co2 a little, and removed the blyxa. that's about it. i've been experiencing a bit of a crypt melt lately. i guess they didn't like the change in PH due to higher co2 levels.


----------



## imeridian (Jan 19, 2007)

Looking good! :thumbsup:


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

imeridian said:


> Looking good! :thumbsup:


thanks!


does anyone have a suggestion for a stem plant for the left rear? i need help...


----------



## brion0 (Sep 28, 2008)

Hello oldpunk,

I enjoy following your thread, think we may be near the same spot, far as figuring out how to take care of a planted tank. Our tanks are both 29s with DIY CO2. Since I saw your crypts Ive added some to my tank. Heres a good thread on trimming http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/...lants-discussions/57960-pruning-timeline.html Orlando brought it up here, an I found it to be very helpfull to me.

Didnt like the blyxa?


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

brion0 said:


> Hello oldpunk,
> 
> I enjoy following your thread, think we may be near the same spot, far as figuring out how to take care of a planted tank. Our tanks are both 29s with DIY CO2. Since I saw your crypts Ive added some to my tank. Heres a good thread on trimming http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/...lants-discussions/57960-pruning-timeline.html Orlando brought it up here, an I found it to be very helpfull to me.
> 
> Didnt like the blyxa?


thanks for the comments and link. and as far as the blyxa went, it just didn't do it for me in there. (although, i do like it...)


----------



## Pinto (Jan 23, 2009)

Wow that is awesome. 
Its so organize it seems. Also is it just me or you trying to make your plants look round from a full view of your tank?


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

^ kinda. i was going for the mounded look. well, not really trying, it just happened and i went with it...


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

update time. i added some stargrass, (not too sure about it...) trimmed some stuff and replanted it, moved the lighting a little. i also removed the nana that was on the wood. that's about it.


----------



## Red River (Feb 21, 2009)

*Nana gift? *



oldpunk78 said:


> update time. i added some stargrass, (not too sure about it...) trimmed some stuff and replanted it, moved the lighting a little. i also removed the nana that was on the wood. that's about it.


If you still have that nana laying around and don't want it I'd love to take it off your hands. My husband and mom will be driving through Redding tomorrow.

Red River
(really really far nor-cal)


----------



## Trallen44 (Dec 10, 2008)

Looking good man!


----------



## sewingalot (Oct 12, 2008)

I love your crypts. I wish I could grow crypts like you.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

Red River said:


> If you still have that nana laying around and don't want it I'd love to take it off your hands. My husband and mom will be driving through Redding tomorrow.
> 
> Red River
> (really really far nor-cal)


sorry - it already found a new home...



Trallen44 said:


> Looking good man!


thanks!



sewingalot said:


> I love your crypts. I wish I could grow crypts like you.


they are really not all that hard. i think the only things you need to worry about are may be some root tabs once in a while and tank consistency. i tend to get a mild melt every time something changes. any of wendtii seem to grow like weeds...


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

i don't think i've ever posted any side shots...

the left:










and the right:


----------



## fastfreddie (Sep 10, 2008)

The progress of this tank has been remarkable. :thumbsup:


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

fastfreddie said:


> The progress of this tank has been remarkable. :thumbsup:


thanks man! i don't know what i'm doing, lol. i just keep adding more plants. i think i may actually remove one of those big crypts in the front though. i really want to add some sort of foreground plant...


----------



## fastfreddie (Sep 10, 2008)

I saw this thread about carpeting hygrophila difformis for a foreground plant. Its a pretty easy plant (if I'm able to grow it..lol) Just an idea for something different. 

Keep up the good work man. It really does look cool!

Oops forgot link:
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/plants/81182-hyrophila-difformis-carpeting.html


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

^ that's a good idea. i don't think i have enough light to do that though...


----------



## Homer_Simpson (May 10, 2007)

oldpunk78 said:


> ^ that's a good idea. i don't think i have enough light to do that though...


That is remarkable progress oldpunk78 and the tank just continues to look better and better. Excellent job. 

For a carpeting plant, you may be able to bet away with Hemianthus micranthemoides or pearlweed.

Just out of curiosity, are you using that Mini Hagen Submersible Elite filter as a c02 diffuser?


----------



## brion0 (Sep 28, 2008)

Your tank is looking great. I thought maybe you could move the Mini Elites to the bottom of the tank, then the CO2 would be in the water longer, an they wouldn't be as visible.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

Homer_Simpson said:


> That is remarkable progress oldpunk78 and the tank just continues to look better and better. Excellent job.
> 
> For a carpeting plant, you may be able to bet away with Hemianthus micranthemoides or pearlweed.
> 
> Just out of curiosity, are you using that Mini Hagen Submersible Elite filter as a c02 diffuser?


to answer your question about the mini's - yes, i put wood diffusers inside them and i end up with a fairly fine mist of co2 coming out of them. and when the lights go out, i turn one of them off and the co2 just does a big bubble once in a while. i got kinda worried about the co2 levels at night. i'm now making enough diy co2 to change the ph from 8.2/4 down to 7. :/ - there should be a drop checker coming in the mail soon.

i will have to look up those plants, thanks.:thumbsup:



brion0 said:


> Your tank is looking great. I thought maybe you could move the Mini Elites to the bottom of the tank, then the CO2 would be in the water longer, an they wouldn't be as visible.


ya, i guess i should move them down. i'll have to get more tubing though. there are 4 gallons of diy co2 and 2 gas separators going. i sorta ran out of tubing whem i added the 2nd mini.


----------



## Homer_Simpson (May 10, 2007)

oldpunk78 said:


> to answer your question about the mini's - yes,* i** put wood diffusers inside them* and i end up with a fairly fine mist of co2 coming out of them...


What an excellent idea! I have used the same filters as c02 diffusers on other tanks but never thought of running a diffuser through them.


----------



## brion0 (Sep 28, 2008)

oldpunk78 said:


> ya, i guess i should move them down. i'll have to get more tubing though. there are 4 gallons of diy co2 and 2 gas separators going. i sorta ran out of tubing whem i added the 2nd mini.


You should post a pic of your DIY CO2.:thumbsup:


----------



## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

It's looking so nice! :thumbsup:


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

Homer_Simpson said:


> What an excellent idea! I have used the same filters as c02 diffusers on other tanks but never thought of running a diffuser through them.


it seems to work pretty good. i don't know how long the wooden air diffusers last so i can't really say if it's going to be cost effective in the long run, but they have been doing well so far. it seems like you have to clean them off about once a week though. i just added that to my maintenance day. 



brion0 said:


> You should post a pic of your DIY CO2.:thumbsup:


as requested:

inside the mini - 








- i had to cut about 1/4" of the wood to get it to fit.

and under the tank -








a crappy pic, but you get the idea.



lauraleellbp said:


> It's looking so nice! :thumbsup:


thank you lauralee!


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

i've been toying w/ this idea for a while now. 









(sorry for my poor photoshop skillls lol)

any opinions?

- where there is a big c. wendtii tropica (there are two right next to each other) i want to put some broad leaf chain sword and fill in the rest of the foreground with micro swords.

EDIT - i think i meant cuban for the common name, not brazil. ohp's.


----------



## Pinto (Jan 23, 2009)

Your tank Looks awesome every time!


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

thank you pinto, i appreciate the compliment.


----------



## Trallen44 (Dec 10, 2008)

From my experience with the wood air diffuser, if you use a scrub brush on them to get any slime or algea off of them when you do your maintence, they last for a good long time. I think that idea would look really good. My only concern is that the sword might cover up your drift wood and then you would loose your hard scape. I am not sure if that would happen or not, it is just a thought I had.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

Trallen44 said:


> From my experience with the wood air diffuser, if you use a scrub brush on them to get any slime or algea off of them when you do your maintence, they last for a good long time. I think that idea would look really good. My only concern is that the sword might cover up your drift wood and then you would loose your hard scape. I am not sure if that would happen or not, it is just a thought I had.


thanks for sharing your experience with the diffuser. i feel better about it now.

the Echinodorus quadricostatus (broad leaf chain sword) don't get that tall. they are like a big mircosword. they should stay a bit smaller than that crypt that is there now. (at least i think - i don't have a whole lot of experience w/ them.)


----------



## Tex Gal (Mar 28, 2008)

I think you may end up with alot of the same leaf structure in the front of the tank. Have you thought about anubias perhaps? It would break up that same leaf shap. I do like the idea of something shorter in there. Also, Ranunculus is a beautiful plant for a foreground.


----------



## Trallen44 (Dec 10, 2008)

I was looking at where you had brazil sword at in your drawing. I am not sure how tall they get. I think anubious would look good in there too. But I am kinda partial to them.


----------



## brion0 (Sep 28, 2008)

I would take out one crypt an add micro sword.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

Tex Gal said:


> I think you may end up with alot of the same leaf structure in the front of the tank. Have you thought about anubias perhaps? It would break up that same leaf shap. I do like the idea of something shorter in there. Also, Ranunculus is a beautiful plant for a foreground.





Trallen44 said:


> I was looking at where you had brazil sword at in your drawing. I am not sure how tall they get. I think anubious would look good in there too. But I am kinda partial to them.



sounds like i should re-think the decision a made about the anubias. lol

i think maybe i'll just remove the crypt and add in the microsword for now. thanks for all the input you guys!


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

today i moved some stuff around and made room for a microsword foreground. the new plants should be here by the middle of the week.

here is what i did:










sorry about the weird angle, the sun is in the middle of setting and it puts a gnarly glare on the tank.

any suggestions?


----------



## Homer_Simpson (May 10, 2007)

Looks great as is, but you could add a small java fern to fill the space on the right facingt the tank(just below the heater). Even a anbias coffelia which, if you are lucky, may even flower for you.


----------



## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

Wooow, it looks so nice! The water is crystal clear  You diy co2 is hilarious


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

Homer_Simpson said:


> Looks great as is, but you could add a small java fern to fill the space on the right facingt the tank(just below the heater). Even a anbias coffelia which, if you are lucky, may even flower for you.


thanks homer, but... the heater is on the left side(?). lol i know what you mean though. there is some c. spiralis(sp?) back there, which should, in time cover that stuff up. i am also trying to get my hands on some ludwiga inclinata var. verticillata 'Cuba' to through back there too. and the anbias coffelia is something that i have been looking at for a while now. good sugestion.



clwatkins10 said:


> Wooow, it looks so nice! The water is crystal clear  You diy co2 is hilarious


what do mean 'hilarious'? i wish i had a pressurized co2 set up, but it just isn't in the cards right now. it's the best i can do.


----------



## brion0 (Sep 28, 2008)

Your tank is always looking better. A lawn will be sweet. My CO2 has 3 2 L bottles now. What is your drop checker reading?


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

brion0 said:


> Your tank is always looking better. A lawn will be sweet. My CO2 has 3 2 L bottles now. What is your drop checker reading?


um... i'll have to get back to you on what the drop checker is reading. i just put it in yesterday afternoon and i swapped out a couple gallons of co2 yesterday as well. i'm not totally sure if i did it right, lol. i will be keeping an eye on it today when lights + co2 come on(minis are on timers as to not accidentally out gas my fish/shrimp). my guess is that it will read low, even though i should be at maximum output today. i will be amazed if can get 30ppm out of diy co2.

EDIT - i guess i should mention what the mixture is... about 3/4 gallon water, 3/4 tsp. yeast, and 2 cups sugar. it stays about 68F degrees under my tank. just from watching, the bubbles stay pretty consistent for about two weeks. i change out 2 solutions per week. i think i may have to go back to 3 bottles when it starts to warm up outside as it will be about 78-80 degrees under the tank then. (hopefully i will go pressurized by then.)


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

brion0 said:


> What is your drop checker reading?


alright, so after i realized i messed up the solution for the drop checker the first time (guess i used the wrong water - it was yellow) it is now a light green - almost a little blue.

EDIT(again) - i messed up some more. i have to make some 4dkh solution now, ohp's. (i used the stuff it came w/.)


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

the microsword came. now i just have to untangle and plant it. also coming this week should be some ludwigia 'cuba'.

here is how much i got. i hope it grows well for me. any tips on planting? root tabs?


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

i got the microsword planted(took like three hours - wew...), did a really big trim to most of the rotala and ludwigia repens. i also removed the stargrass (didn't really care for it) and added some ludwigia 'cuba' behind the big crypt on the left (it's still shorter and can't really be seen). 










opinions?


----------



## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

Um, wow. I love it. It's really unique and the crypts are AWESOME!


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

clwatkins10 said:


> Um, wow. I love it. It's really unique and the crypts are AWESOME!


thanks cl. i can't wait for about a month to role by so we can see how it's going to look when things start to grow in a little. it kinda sucks waiting for things to catch up with the crypts. (they hide a lot!)


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

i couldn't keep my hands out of the tank today and this what happened...











it's still a little murky form me messing with things. that big piece of drift wood was just taking up too much room. i might add some manzanita later .


----------



## Homer_Simpson (May 10, 2007)

Just keeps looking better every time. Excellent work *****


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

^ thank you sir. i hope it all grows in the way expect it to. i'm a little nervous about it now...


----------



## Homer_Simpson (May 10, 2007)

oldpunk78 said:


> ^ thank you sir. i hope it all grows in the way expect it to. i'm a little nervous about it now...


Lol, so am I.....but everytime I see your tank I am tempted to go out and buy a 29 gallon tank and begin a new setup. If my home wasn't so full of tanks, I probably would. :icon_eek:


----------



## sewingalot (Oct 12, 2008)

You have the best crypt tank ever. I cannot grow them for the life of me and I am always envious when I see your tank. I love the microsword addition.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

Homer_Simpson said:


> Lol, so am I.....but everytime I see your tank I am tempted to go out and buy a 29 gallon tank and begin a new setup. If my home wasn't so full of tanks, I probably would. :icon_eek:


^ lol - i wish there was a little more distance form the front to the back though... i think the next time i get a new tank it will be a 40 breeder.



sewingalot said:


> You have the best crypt tank ever. I cannot grow them for the life of me and I am always envious when I see your tank. I love the microsword addition.


what kind of substrate/lighting are you using? my water is rock hard here with a ph out of the tap at 8.2. whenever i get a new crypt it melts almost to nothing and then rebounds. which ones have you tried? any of the wendtiis seen to be pretty easy. they really don't seem to care for fluctuations in the tank either. i've noticed a melt with even the co2 changing a little.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

well... i needed a change (and also a fresh start w/ algae control - the bba wasn't getting any better either). anyway, here is where i'm at so far. there will be plant additions throughout week.


----------



## imeridian (Jan 19, 2007)

o... m... g... :eek5:


----------



## roybot73 (Dec 15, 2007)

Yeah... It was looking super sweet


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

imeridian said:


> o... m... g... :eek5:


hahaha, that's what i was thinking about 1/2 way through ripping it all out.



roybot73 said:


> Yeah... It was looking super sweet


hopefully i learned something the first time around and can get it looking even better this time (minus the bba - lol)


----------



## Trallen44 (Dec 10, 2008)

I would call that a change!!! But I know the feeling. A lot of people liked mine, but I wanted a change. I think once you have learned more about what you are doing and get a semi plan together and make your change you end up happier with it.


----------



## fastfreddie (Sep 10, 2008)

Whoa!!! What did you do with all of the plants?


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

fastfreddie said:


> Whoa!!! What did you do with all of the plants?


they are out in the garage in a spare tank. calm down, lol i was just waiting for the dust to clear in there.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

here's my newest attempt at a planted tank. most of the stems are still really short and don't show up in the picture yet.










plant list:

java fern
blyxa j.
cryptocorynes spiralis, wendtii 'tropica', and walkeri 'lutea'
rotala roundifolia
ludwiga repens
bacopa colorata
limnophila repens 'mini'
Tall Sagitarria


----------



## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

This one has a hardscape! 
I can't wait for it to grow in!


----------



## Trallen44 (Dec 10, 2008)

It looks great!!! I can't wait till it grows out and we can see what it looks like then.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

clwatkins10 said:


> This one has a hardscape!
> I can't wait for it to grow in!


i know, you can actually see the wood now. that was one of my goals. i wouldn't go as far as to say it has a real hard scape though. it's just two pieces if wood, lol.



Trallen44 said:


> It looks great!!! I can't wait till it grows out and we can see what it looks like then.


thanks, and me too!


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

small update -

got a Hemianthus micranthemoides foreground planted along with some Lloydiella 'golden' and a little more Bacopa colorata. there was also some 'narrow' leaf Microsorum pteropus added. now i guess i just need to let everything grow in. it's still a little cloudy.










any help/comments welcome.


----------



## imeridian (Jan 19, 2007)

Nice to see that it's looking a bit less "nuked from orbit" now.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

> Nice to see that it's looking a bit less "nuked from orbit" now.


ya, the nuked look kinda sucked. i think i like it better w/plants. :thumbsup:


----------



## Pinto (Jan 23, 2009)

I was like "OMG"
Thought something had gone drastically wrong like "abandon ship ABANDON SHIP!" 
Looks very nice. Are you going to put tall stems in one of the back corners, well the right back corner considering you got equipments on the other side, unless you planing to cover that up?


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

^ umm... the back right corner actually has quite a few stems back there. they are just too short to see. there is a mixture of rotala roundifolia, ludwiga repens, and limnophila repens 'mini'. i haven't figured out what i want to use in combination with the bacopa colorata and the tall sagitarria on the left side. i can't figure out what won't get sucked into filter's intake yet.


----------



## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

NICE TANK
in other words, I like it


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

clwatkins10 said:


> NICE TANK
> in other words, I like it


thanks cl.

another small update: 

stuff is growing . i added more blyxa and moved some other plants around. that's about it.




























the AS is finally done leaching it's ammonia and will probably put the fish back in this week. that's about it, thanks for looking.


----------



## imeridian (Jan 19, 2007)

I'm really starting to like it as it grows in. Did you do the ceramic airstone mod on the HME? I see you have the tubing going into the side now.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

imeridian said:


> I'm really starting to like it as it grows in. Did you do the ceramic airstone mod on the HME? I see you have the tubing going into the side now.


thank you imeridian, me too. although, i think i want some red somewhere in there.

no, not yet. i haven't had a chance to make it to the lfs this week. i'm still using the 'ol limewood airstone. i will probably give it a try this weekend though. :thumbsup:


----------



## Trallen44 (Dec 10, 2008)

It is looking great! Liking it more and more as it fills in. Glad it isn't a bare tank anymore!! LOL


----------



## speedie408 (Jan 15, 2009)

The tank looks good man. It should look very nice once everything grows in. How are your Hemianthus micranthemoides growing for you? I have some too and they are rather slow growing for me. It also doesn't help that my GBR's eat the sprouting leaves.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

Trallen44 said:


> It is looking great! Liking it more and more as it fills in. Glad it isn't a bare tank anymore!! LOL


thanks man, now i just have to get the right side to catch up to the left side.



speedie408 said:


> The tank looks good man. It should look very nice once everything grows in. How are your Hemianthus micranthemoides growing for you? I have some too and they are rather slow growing for me. It also doesn't help that my GBR's eat the sprouting leaves.


thank you speedie. as far as i can tell, (i have no prior experience w/HM) it's growing well. i think most of it has doubled in size in the last ten days or so. i think i'm even going to give some of it a trim this week. a few of the stems i planted have melted or died but i think i may have been a little rough with it when i planted it. maybe your rams are eating more than you thought, lol.


----------



## Trallen44 (Dec 10, 2008)

Is your Co2 difusser on the left side? I wonder if that has anything to do with that side growing faster.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

i guess i felt like taking some pics this morning, here's a couple more:

if i had an open top tank, sigh...


















as you would see it when you walk through the front door(for a different perspective)










thanks for looking


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

Trallen44 said:


> Is your Co2 difusser on the left side? I wonder if that has anything to do with that side growing faster.


yes tim, it is, but that's not the reason for the taller left side. for whatever reason while i was planting, i put all the longer stems i had on the left in an attempt to draw some attention away from the equipment over there. i need to do a trim. i'm not sure how to trim that bacopa yet though, lol.


----------



## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

I really like the "peak" you have created although you have to prune pretty often to maintain that shape. As long as you keep them in shape this is going to be an impressive scape.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

malaybiswas said:


> I really like the "peak" you have created although you have to prune pretty often to maintain that shape. As long as you keep them in shape this is going to be an impressive scape.


thanks malaybiswas, that peak happened by accident, lol. i'm going to trim it back soon. it's looks like the right side grows a lot slower anyway, so i'm sure most of the time there will be a bit of a peak there.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

weekly update pic:


----------



## Seiryoku (Apr 1, 2009)

Looking good! Is that blyxa japonica in the center/sides?


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

Seiryoku said:


> Looking good! Is that blyxa japonica in the center/sides?


thank you, seiryoku. yes, that is blyxa j. i wish my camera would take better pictures of it though. now with a lot more green in the tank, it always looks way over-exposed.

WOOT NORCAL! lol


----------



## Seiryoku (Apr 1, 2009)

Didn't notice your location, lots of CA people here! I'm still playing with camera settings for my tanks, a lot of my shots look overexposed as well.


----------



## Trallen44 (Dec 10, 2008)

Looking great!! What kind of camera are you using? I am still learning myself, but getting a little better on it.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

Trallen44 said:


> Looking great!! What kind of camera are you using? I am still learning myself, but getting a little better on it.


the camera that i am using is an old kodak z710 point and shoot(on landscape setting ,lol)


----------



## Hilde (May 19, 2008)

oldpunk78 said:


> Have a prob. w/film on the top and will be adding the surface skimmer when i find it.


Read that someone added black mollies t their tank and they got rid of the film on the top.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

Hilde said:


> Read that someone added black mollies t their tank and they got rid of the film on the top.


thanks for the info. i've heard the same thing. i just wish i liked mollies more, lol.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

i messed with the hard scape a little bit today. basically, i just added more wood. looks i'm going to have trim the blxya soon. 

people, feel free to suggest some different med/low light stems i could use in the back. i don't seem to have enough light/co2 for that bacopa and am going to have to swap it out for something else.

anyways, here's what i did with the wood. (it's still a little mercky)










thanks for looking.

EDIT - hey, i was thinking: what would it look like if i yanked out all of the stems in the back. just leaving the tall sag, the c. spiralis and the ferns as the only tall stuff back there? would it look too empty, or would it have an amano look to it? opinions?


----------



## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

you don't need to get rid of stem plants for Amano look  but yes, the idea you have seems to work for me. Personally I enjoy those "grassy" scapes. However IMO in that case you might want to push some of the blyxa's a little backwards.


----------



## Trallen44 (Dec 10, 2008)

I really like the added driftwood for the hardscape!


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

malaybiswas said:


> you don't need to get rid of stem plants for Amano look  but yes, the idea you have seems to work for me. Personally I enjoy those "grassy" scapes. However IMO in that case you might want to push some of the blyxa's a little backwards.


thanks for the imput. i think when it's time to give the blxya a trim i'm going to try removing the stems back there and moving the blyxa and HM around a little bit and see what happens. i'm also trying to get my hands on some bolbitis and more needle leaf java fern to add to the wood.



Trallen44 said:


> I really like the added driftwood for the hardscape!


thank you! the shrimp seem to like it too.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

i messed with it again:










i think maybe the next time i trim the HM, i will try planting it where the blyxa in the front is now. i kinda like it there though. any thoughts?


----------



## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

looks great boss. i like it with the stems too, but this is also very nice.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

hydrophyte said:


> looks great boss. i like it with the stems too, but this is also very nice.


thanks hydrophyte, there is some tall sag. and c. spiralis back there where the stems used to be. i'm hoping it grows in and looks more like a back drop. 

since posting the last photo, i've stuff around a little bit more. mainly the wood (i just don't seem to be able to get it right where i want it, lol). i also removed the bolbitis for now (having a hard time getting it where i want it as well.) oh, i also noticed i had a pretty bad dead spot where water wasn't moving very much and fixed that too. 

*note to people looking to buy a new canister filter - if you have to buy a fluval for some reason, get one that is rated at least double your tank's volume. ie: i have a 205 on a 29g (says it's rated for up to 40g), i should of at least got a 305. better yet, i should of gotten a proper sized ehiem, lol.

anyone have any advice as to how not to make my foreground look so washed out when i try and take a picture of it? (i have an 'ok' piont and shoot.)


----------



## imeridian (Jan 19, 2007)

oldpunk78 said:


> i should of gotten a proper sized ehiem


It was worth repeating. 

Tank looks nice, balanced. 

Re: the camera, it's an exposure thing. Your photos are slightly over exposed, so if you camera has a way to dial it back a bit you'll likely get better results.


----------



## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

looking great!

I always thought planting some HM in front of the blyxa would be nice. so u have my vote on it


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

imeridian said:


> Tank looks nice, balanced.
> 
> Re: the camera, it's an exposure thing. Your photos are slightly over exposed, so if you camera has a way to dial it back a bit you'll likely get better results.


hey, thanks imeridian. about the camera, i finally figured out the PASM menu on it. i think i got a better picture this time



malaybiswas said:


> looking great!
> 
> I always thought planting some HM in front of the blyxa would be nice. so u have my vote on it


cool. next time i get enough free time to do it, i will.


as mentioned, the 'minor' scape modification and a slightly less overexposed picture:










anybody have any suggestions?


----------



## imeridian (Jan 19, 2007)

Much better, I'd try it with just a little less exposure too.

Oh, and I really like the driftwood mountain!


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

^ now that i know how to adjust some of the settings on my camera, hehe.
i am a little concerned that removing the blyxa in front is going to ruin the whole mountain look it has going on. i hope it doesn't end up looking like a pile of wood (which it really is, lol.)


----------



## imeridian (Jan 19, 2007)

Oh, don't remove the blyxa from in front of the wood pile, it looks great where it is there.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

imeridian said:


> Oh, don't remove the blyxa from in front of the wood pile, it looks great where it is there.



hmm...

well, okay. how about i just try thinning it out a little so i can put some HM in from of it? that might also add some more depth.


----------



## imeridian (Jan 19, 2007)

That sounds good.


----------



## calcimoo (May 7, 2009)

he


> y, thanks imeridian. about the camera, i finally figured out the PASM menu on it. i think i got a better picture this time


Any chance you'd share what you figured out about the PASM menu? I have a camera with telephoto lens, Kodak's voted best user friendly of last year, Z712 IS, but I can't figure out what settings to take a plain picture of lit up tanks. I can figure out everything else but that. Lack of patience more than anything. I got it for taking pictures outside of birdies, not inside of fish. But they want pictures here and I've been posting links to videos. Help me before I get in trouble?


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

calcimoo said:


> he
> 
> Any chance you'd share what you figured out about the PASM menu? I have a camera with telephoto lens, Kodak's voted best user friendly of last year, Z712 IS, but I can't figure out what settings to take a plain picture of lit up tanks. I can figure out everything else but that. Lack of patience more than anything. I got it for taking pictures outside of birdies, not inside of fish. But they want pictures here and I've been posting links to videos. Help me before I get in trouble?


dude, i don't think i know enough about it to really help all that much. here is the screen i was on when i found stuff i could mess with. oh, by the way, mine is a z710 from a couple of years back. 










edit - most times i just use the landscape setting.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

oldpunk78 said:


> hmm...
> 
> well, okay. how about i just try thinning it out a little so i can put some HM in from of it? that might also add some more depth.


i just got done doing it. it was a pain in the butt too. from the front view, that wood looks to be a few inches back from the the glass. it's really much closer, like not enough room for my hand, lol.

if you guys want to learn a lesson in creating the illusion depth, buy a 29g.

EDIT - i forgot, i have been using a glo 18,000K bulb along with a 6,700K bulb for a while now. after some thought i've decided to try and see what happens with using two 6,700K bulbs until i can get a 10,000K or one of those aquaflora bulbs. one a sad note, my fish don't quite look as nice as they did with the powerglo bulb + it's a little washed out now. oh well... (it dose look brighter though)


----------



## speedie408 (Jan 15, 2009)

looks like your pearlweed is growing in nicely. Mine finally took off as well. 

Tank looks good man. What's next?


----------



## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

i agree that that _Blyxa_ is successful right where it is. all of that negative space in the upper protion of the frame is nice, but a few stems reaching up behind would help to balance that bright green _Blyxa_.

this latest picture is much better. like they said you could lower the exposure even more and you might also try to adjust white balance. the green has an oversaturated look and different white balance settings might give you something better.

the nice thing about Fluvals is that they are cheap.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

speedie408 said:


> looks like your pearlweed is growing in nicely. Mine finally took off as well.
> 
> Tank looks good man. What's next?


glad to hear your HM finally started to do it's thing. i really like the way mine is growing in. 

what's next? hmm... idk, i need another tank to keep me busy so i can actually give this one some time to grow in. there is that 10g out in the garage, maybe i should do something with that. (or did you mean this tank, lol. no idea. i'd like to add some more fish.)



hydrophyte said:


> i agree that that _Blyxa_ is successful right where it is. all of that negative space in the upper protion of the frame is nice, but a few stems reaching up behind would help to balance that bright green _Blyxa_.
> 
> this latest picture is much better. like they said you could lower the exposure even more and you might also try to adjust white balance. the green has an oversaturated look and different white balance settings might give you something better.
> 
> the nice thing about Fluvals is that they are cheap.


any stem suggestions? i'm lost on that one

i'll keep on messing with the camera untill i get better at it. i just took like 30 pictures on different settings and i think i found a setting that is pretty close.

ahh the fluval... cheapish and easy to clean. hahaha


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

ok, so in this pic you can see where i removed some of the blyxa in the front and got some HM trimmings planted. this is about as close as i can get the exposure and white balance for now. lol i didn't even know i could adjust this stuff a week ago. silly oldpunk...










in this one i was trying to show how close everything is to the front glass. i couldn't hold the stupid camera still though. 










...and i finally get a good balanced picture. too bad it's the side with all the junk on it. *sigh*


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

i can't decide whether or not i like it better w/o the clump of narrow leaf fern right in the middle of the wood. i think if that sag. ever grows in i'll like it better. idk...

anyway, here's the totally unneeded update (i was bored).


----------



## legomaniac89 (Mar 16, 2008)

Looks good, I like all the green. It's a nice contrast with the dark wood. That little angel makes the tank look huge


----------



## Dollface (Sep 30, 2008)

I like it with the needle leaf blob, It'll look fantastic if you let it grow into a monster. Your blyxa looks amazing too.


----------



## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

oldpunk78 said:


> any stem suggestions? i'm lost on that one
> 
> i'll keep on messing with the camera untill i get better at it. i just took like 30 pictures on different settings and i think i found a setting that is pretty close.
> 
> ahh the fluval... cheapish and easy to clean. hahaha


this is looking great. nice work troubleshooting with your camera settings--these pictures are much improved.

you know maybe it is best to just have that open space up there. if anything maybe just some thin grass-like leaves would be ok, maybe _Eleocharis_, or _Cyperus helferi_(?). if you keep the stem cut short _Hygrohila angustifolia_ can grow long lily-like leaves that might emulate your other plants in there.

the Fluval is alright for me because i have so many tanks. i would have broken the bank outfitting them all with Eheims. i haven't had one flake out yet, but i haven't found a way to prime them that doesn't involve spilling a pint or so of water.


----------



## Vladdy (May 6, 2008)

That's a nice tank! My plants rotted at the bottom when I got them. Now they are growing fine. How did you make that moonlight? Check out my journal. Please comment on it.


----------



## TheCryptKeeper (Mar 9, 2008)

It looks healthy, green and lush. nice!


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

legomaniac89 said:


> Looks good, I like all the green. It's a nice contrast with the dark wood. That little angel makes the tank look huge


hey, thanks. it does, huh?(the angel)



Dollface said:


> I like it with the needle leaf blob, It'll look fantastic if you let it grow into a monster. Your blyxa looks amazing too.


i do too(like the fern). after the sag. gets a bit taller i might stick it back in there. i think imeridian's blyxa is trying to take over my tank. it really seems to like the AS.



hydrophyte said:


> this is looking great. nice work troubleshooting with your camera settings--these pictures are much improved.
> 
> you know maybe it is best to just have that open space up there. if anything maybe just some thin grass-like leaves would be ok, maybe _Eleocharis_, or _Cyperus helferi_(?). if you keep the stem cut short _Hygrohila angustifolia_ can grow long lily-like leaves that might emulate your other plants in there.
> 
> the Fluval is alright for me because i have so many tanks. i would have broken the bank outfitting them all with Eheims. i haven't had one flake out yet, but i haven't found a way to prime them that doesn't involve spilling a pint or so of water.


ya, i finally figured how to manually adjust the white balance and the exposure. those two things have really helped.

i'm kinda diggin the open space there right now. i'm still not used to being able to just look at the tank and see fish with out looking for them. 

and i wasn't knocking my fluval. it does a good job. i only have to clean it 4 times a year and it keeps the water clear. i just wish it had a bigger pump.



Vladdy said:


> That's a nice tank! My plants rotted at the bottom when I got them. Now they are growing fine. How did you make that moonlight? Check out my journal. Please comment on it.


thank you, vladdy. the diy moonlight is just a led(1 watt) out of a flashlight i had laying around (not used anymore) plus an old cellphone charger sodered together.



Torpedobarb said:


> It looks healthy, green and lush. nice!


thanks torpedobarb, i appercaite the comment.


----------



## Trallen44 (Dec 10, 2008)

I am really liking the evolution of this tank. I think you are just about there! Might even be there with a little time to grow in. The pics are getting better too! LOL I think you are on to something on the camera settings.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

Trallen44 said:


> I am really liking the evolution of this tank. I think you are just about there! Might even be there with a little time to grow in. The pics are getting better too! LOL I think you are on to something on the camera settings.


thank you, tim. 

six months ago:










thank you TPT! i don't think i would of even got to where i was here ^ if it wasn't for this forum and the people on it.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

once again, i couldn't leave things be. the HM was out control and needed way too much trimming to stay low - so i chucked it. i am kinda liking the plain foreground look though. 

here's a picture i thought was pretty cool before i yanked out all of the background plants:











 and as of this evening (and still cloudy):










thanks for looking


----------



## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

really nice. glad to see it again.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

added one more piece of wood and put some background plants back in. idk.


----------



## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

now its startin to look hot  get some foreground! elatine triandra?


----------



## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

nice.. I have a 29G but upgrading to a 75 soon. I couldn't make a 29G look nice. You have more talent than me.

I agree with the bare substrate. It's a nice contrast to the plants.. You might want to dress it up a little with river stones. The narrow leaf fern will take forever to fill in.


----------



## Trallen44 (Dec 10, 2008)

Looking good!!


----------



## eyebeatbadgers (Aug 6, 2007)

I like it with the bare foreground. I'm thinking about doing something similar in my 29, foregrounds just require too much maintenance in my tanks it seems. Looks nice!

P.S. You ever going to get around to cleaning some of the equipment out of the tank?


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

chris127 said:


> now its startin to look hot  get some foreground! elatine triandra?


thanks chris! i'm working on some sorta foreground. i just suck at it. the blyxa is also a lot closer than it might look. some if it is already touching the glass.



mistergreen said:


> nice.. I have a 29G but upgrading to a 75 soon. I couldn't make a 29G look nice. You have more talent than me.
> 
> I agree with the bare substrate. It's a nice contrast to the plants.. You might want to dress it up a little with river stones. The narrow leaf fern will take forever to fill in.


thank you for the kind words. the bare substrate areas in the come from not really under standing what will work the right in front of that silly blyxa. instead of the stones (which i now will have to reconsider, lol) i was thinking maybe some really small pieces of wood. (like river stone size.)

...going to go look for rocks in the yard.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

Trallen44 said:


> Looking good!!


thanks trallen, i appreciate the compliment. 



eyebeatbadgers said:


> I like it with the bare foreground. I'm thinking about doing something similar in my 29, foregrounds just require too much maintenance in my tanks it seems. Looks nice!
> 
> P.S. You ever going to get around to cleaning some of the equipment out of the tank?


thanks man. 

psssst - you don't have to look at it, lol. i'll get rid of some of it some day.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

a little bit more progress to note.

i wanted to try and get away from the piled-up wood look. so... i removed the stuff you couldn't really see behind the blyxa. mainly this piece:









^ sitting on top of a 5g bucket.

moved some more stuff around and then:









^i can't tell if that's better or worse, lol. at least it doesn't look like a pile anymore.


----------



## Trallen44 (Dec 10, 2008)

I like both versions.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

Trallen44 said:


> I like both versions.


thanks tim. lol, which one is best?

does anyone think i could benefit from having some stems in the corners? - and if so, what would you recommend?

thanks


----------



## Ugly Genius (Sep 27, 2003)

The tank looks great. 
While I can't say what stem would look best, I do feel that stems on both ends would help accentuate the "road" between the two pieces of DW on the center right of the tank.
Tall, arching stems would really add to the effect, I feel.
It's a great 'scape in that it inspires so many thoughts as to directions it can go.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

thanks UG. i'm in the process of hitting up the sns and will see if i can't get some different stems in in there sometime soon. i just can't seem to figure out what stuff is going to fit in and will do well in medium/low light on the ends. 

i got bored this morning and tried to get a couple different pics (had some trouble holding the camera still though)


----------



## Trallen44 (Dec 10, 2008)

i like this latest version. I like the red ludwiga. It is growing pretty easilly in my low tech tank now that I have a little better light on it. Might be somthing to try out.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

Trallen44 said:


> i like this latest version. I like the red ludwiga. It is growing pretty easilly in my low tech tank now that I have a little better light on it. Might be somthing to try out.


repens? ya, that's a cool plant. i've used it before. the last time i had it in there it was an algae magnet for some reason. it also got kinda leggy too. 

i just ordered some Limnophilla Sp. Mini and rotala mini type 2 off the sns. i guess we'll see what happens with those.


----------



## speedie408 (Jan 15, 2009)

I like the new look a lot better. It looks very natural. The wood def sets it off very well. Great job man! Keep it up.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

thank you speedie!


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

i did a big trim on the blyxa the other day and felt like i butchered it. so...









^ it's like spongebob knew something was wronge.

and later this evening:










i kinda did the whole thing blind and will most likely have to fix a bunch of stuff tomorrow. i'll put up a better picture later.


----------



## Trallen44 (Dec 10, 2008)

You end up with more great looking versions, and always end up tearing it up and starting over. I got lucky with mine, and haven't touched it since. Although it is in need of a trim, and I might add a few more plants to thickin it up some. But I refuse to tear it all down again and start over. LOL I can't wait to see what kind of great scape you come up with this time!


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

^ thanks tim. i think this one is pretty much going to look like the last one. except i've added some stems in the back. 

last weekend, i trimmed like 20+ stems of the blyxa and didn't like the way i hacked it up at all. i think i learned how to trim it though. 

i was also getting tired of the cloud and ensuing dust all over everything from the bad batch of AS II that is currently in use in there. that being said, i used this as an opportunity to put a cap over it. - i hope it works, lol.


----------



## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

lol @ spongebob. I still like that guy haha. The tank looks freakin' awesome! I love the wood and blyxa. Keep it up. That blyxa can grow into some pretty huge masses.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

so... here's what it looks like as of this morning:










after taking notice of how the blyxa grew and filled in last time, i think it might look pretty cool after a month or so. anyway, i left a lot of foreground area open this time. i haven't decided if want to do anything with it though.

i also decided to cap my aquasoil with some used eco complete i had laying around. don't freak out - it was a bad batch of amazonia II. the dust (for lack of a better term) was really becoming a problem. it never seemed like i could ever get the tank to look clean (not to mention the fact that when ever i disturbed it i ended up with super cloudy water for awhile.) seems to be working well so far. the water is super clear again. woo hoo!

i'm still looking for more stems to put in the back and can't decide if i want to put the needle leaf java ferns back in. i guess that's all for now.



> That blyxa can grow into some pretty huge masses.


that's no bull. i just gave away like 50 stems.


----------



## Trallen44 (Dec 10, 2008)

And yet another great scape! I like the needle leaf java fern, but you do an amazing job with whatever you put in there.


----------



## fastfreddie (Sep 10, 2008)

Looks pretty good man! I wish I could have gotten your needle leaf. I saw it in the SNS right? I'll keep an eye out for your new stem choices. 

As we speak, I have my tank drained to 2" and I have about 50 stems of blyxa sitting here in a tupperware that I just pulled. It all started from 15 stems I got from CL Watkins. I'm looking at my tank and I'm at a complete loss of creativity. Blyxa is a hard plant to plan a scape with. You sort of have to just start planting huh?


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

fastfreddie said:


> Looks pretty good man! I wish I could have gotten your needle leaf. I saw it in the SNS right? I'll keep an eye out for your new stem choices.
> 
> As we speak, I have my tank drained to 2" and I have about 50 stems of blyxa sitting here in a tupperware that I just pulled. It all started from 15 stems I got from CL Watkins. I'm looking at my tank and I'm at a complete loss of creativity. Blyxa is a hard plant to plan a scape with. You sort of have to just start planting huh?


thank you freddie! ya, blyxa is a challenge for me too. i just tried to remember that it kinda grows out in all directions when i planted it.



Trallen44 said:


> And yet another great scape! I like the needle leaf java fern, but you do an amazing job with whatever you put in there.


hey, thanks tim. i miss the ferns too. i'll probably end up putting at least one back in.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

small update

not much of an update though, lol. i got some more stems in there this week. that's about it. i would like to note that the capped AS still seems to be growing plants just as well as it was before. 

plants added this week: Limnophila aromatica and Rotala rotundifolia (can't really see too much of either one yet.)



















i also decided to set up an old eclipse 6 i had laying around out in the garage. it's not much, but at least some of my spare plants don't have to sit out in the 100 degree weather. (they don't seem to like the heat, lol)










thanks for looking!


----------



## speedie408 (Jan 15, 2009)

Man you didn't waste no time do you haha. NICE! I forgot how many aromatica stems I gave you but I think they should be enuff to get you started with a nice n tall background foliage soon. I like the change up you did. It's gonna look great once the stems fill in. 

I see the L. Guinea Broad Leaf peaking from your new tank. What's going in the foreground?


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

speedie408 said:


> Man you didn't waste no time do you haha. NICE! I forgot how many aromatica stems I gave you but I think they should be enuff to get you started with a nice n tall background foliage soon. I like the change up you did. It's gonna look great once the stems fill in.
> 
> I see the L. Guinea Broad Leaf peaking from your new tank. What's going in the foreground?



thanks for your reply speedie. this is one of those times i can't wait for things to fill in. those four aromatica stems fit just perfect so i couldn't resist, lol. i really meant to put the limnophila sp. 'guinea broad leaf' back there, but it just seemed too small right now. as for the other tank, it's just like a holding tank for stuff untill i figure out what i'm gonna do with it.​


----------



## fastfreddie (Sep 10, 2008)

Very nice! Those are gonna look great after they perk up a little!

I like the 6 gallon too. Can't you pop the rim off of it? I have that same tank.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

fastfreddie said:


> Very nice! Those are gonna look great after they perk up a little!
> 
> I like the 6 gallon too. Can't you pop the rim off of it? I have that same tank.


thanks! ya, the rim comes right off, lol. the eclipse tank is old and the plastic is starting craze a little bit. when you take the rim off, it bows a little bit and i didn't want to worry about cracking.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

i messed around with the hard scape a little. stuff has grown a little. that's about it. i think i may remove some more of the blyxa - particularly in the front corners. i don't know, lol.

here's today's pic:










comments are welcome


----------



## speedie408 (Jan 15, 2009)

I say take the corner blyxas out and put them in the empty areas in the middle. The aromaticas straightened nicely man. They complement your tank nicely.


----------



## Trallen44 (Dec 10, 2008)

I really like it the way it is. It looks natural the way it is now.


----------



## Voozle (Mar 22, 2009)

I agree with Trallen, it does look very natural, and extremely clean! It could do with a few more stems in the back left, that area looks rather sparse.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

update time*

got back from tahoe and everything was overgrown(in the back). so... i hacked it back and hopefully i get some nice bushes here pretty soon. the only thing that really happened algae wise from not getting excel while i was gone was the c. spiralis got a bad coating of bba. i have no luck with keeping algae of the crypts for some reason, lol.


















thanks for looking - comments welcome


----------



## legomaniac89 (Mar 16, 2008)

Lookin pretty good man. The blyxa looks really nice, I never could keep mine looking that good.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

ohp's - looks like i forgot to get back to a few of you.



speedie408 said:


> I say take the corner blyxas out and put them in the empty areas in the middle. The aromaticas straightened nicely man. They complement your tank nicely.


haha, i took out the ones in the middle and the corners. and indeed the aromaticas did straighten out. too bad i'm not using more light/co2, they are green - i have had to prune them all at least.



Voozle said:


> I agree with Trallen, it does look very natural, and extremely clean! It could do with a few more stems in the back left, that area looks rather sparse.


thank you! and i stuck some more stems in that back left corner today. we'll most likely see them in about a week.



legomaniac89 said:


> Lookin pretty good man. The blyxa looks really nice, I never could keep mine looking that good.


thanks man. it seems like the trick is to have something sticking out of it, lol. it is a mulm magnent though. 



Trallen44 said:


> I really like it the way it is. It looks natural the way it is now.


thanks tim. i hope i still kept some of the natural feeling after i messed around with it this time.


----------



## mgdmirage (Mar 30, 2009)

absolutely gorgeous tank!


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

^ thanks!


----------



## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

I like the clean simplicty. Nice work. roud:


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

thank you lauralee! (where have you been?)

i keep getting a 'clean' comment (i've got tuns of mulm , lol). is it the lack of a ground cover? hehe


----------



## Trallen44 (Dec 10, 2008)

It still looks great, but I think I prefer the scape before this one. Maybe it will be different once it grows and fills in a little. I see you took the crypt out. Have you thought about maybe adding a type of val. in the back to get the same look. I think that might be what is missing for me. I don't care for the jungle val, but there are other varieties that don't have as wide a blade and look pretty good in the background. I think the contortion val would look great in the back corner. Just my .02! Keep up the great work on it.


----------



## mountaindew (Dec 10, 2008)

Thats an eye catcher! very nice form / layout!
:thumbsup:
I need to grow some blyxas in a display, nice color and texture.
md


----------



## Hilde (May 19, 2008)

oldpunk78 said:


> have no luck with keeping algae of the crypts for some reason, lol.


I had the same problem until I improved the circulation on the crypts.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

Trallen44 said:


> It still looks great, but I think I prefer the scape before this one. Maybe it will be different once it grows and fills in a little. I see you took the crypt out. Have you thought about maybe adding a type of val. in the back to get the same look. I think that might be what is missing for me. I don't care for the jungle val, but there are other varieties that don't have as wide a blade and look pretty good in the background. I think the contortion val would look great in the back corner. Just my .02! Keep up the great work on it.


lol, i think i liked the one with the ferns the best. i don't know about the vals - i use excel.



mountaindew said:


> Thats an eye catcher! very nice form / layout!
> :thumbsup:
> I need to grow some blyxas in a display, nice color and texture.
> md


thanks man.



Hilde said:


> I had the same problem until I improved the circulation on the crypts.


i don't necessarily think that was the problem. there's lots of flow though out the tank. i think my problem comes from diy co2 and t5ho lighting. but i don't know that for sure.


----------



## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

The blyxas look refreshing. I have recently planted some and hope they grow this lush. Do you plan to have any foreground cover?


----------



## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

here's another thumbs up for the "clean" appearance.

i can't remember where but there was a pciture floating around from a little while back of a scape by a Dutch guy i think that was in a big tank and rendered just with very nice rocks, manzanita-like driftwood, a dark gravel and a couple different crypts. it had low light, probably didn't need any extra CO2 and was probably very low maintenance. it was so simple and so effective. the look of this tank reminds of that one.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

malaybiswas said:


> The blyxas look refreshing. I have recently planted some and hope they grow this lush. Do you plan to have any foreground cover?


foreground? eh, not right now. i think i'll wait on pressurized co2 1st. 



hydrophyte said:


> here's another thumbs up for the "clean" appearance.
> 
> i can't remember where but there was a pciture floating around from a little while back of a scape by a Dutch guy i think that was in a big tank and rendered just with very nice rocks, manzanita-like driftwood, a dark gravel and a couple different crypts. it had low light, probably didn't need any extra CO2 and was probably very low maintenance. it was so simple and so effective. the look of this tank reminds of that one.


thanks for the thumbs up! i'll have to keep an eye out for that tank. :thumbsup:


----------



## april_tanks (Jul 21, 2009)

Wow I LOVE the hardscape! Do you mind if I steal your idea and make my hardscape kind of like that??? haha I would just had HC as the foreground, but thats about it what I would change haha


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

^ thanks! got for it. the easiest way i've found to get the wood to stand up like it is: cut longer pieces in half(or what ever length you want). that way you've got a nice flat surface on the bottom to easily position the wood as desired. cutting weird sized pieces of hardwood can be a bit of pain though.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

one more update:



















the silly blyxa is getting out of control again. i think i'm actually getting kinda tired of it. haha, it never stays the way i want it for more than a week. anyway, this might be it for this scape. it's not really going in the direction i was hoping for.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

woot! two updates in one day. i did a mild trim and took a couple better pics. anyway, i think it looks better now.



















comments are always welcome, and so is advice. thanks for looking.


----------



## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

this is really successful--i like it a lot.


----------



## Ugly Genius (Sep 27, 2003)

oldpunk78 said:


> [T]his might be it for this scape. it's not really going in the direction i was hoping for.


I suggest that you keep this one for a while longer. Give it a chance. 
While I'm just as guilty as anyone for tearing a tank down and starting over, this 'scape has promise, as if it is just two breaths away from getting where it's going.
When I see it, I see a foundation laid strong and solid; all that is left is the rest to rise into place.
It'd be a shame to not see this one through to the end.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

hydrophyte said:


> this is really successful--i like it a lot.


thank you hydrophyte. 



Ugly Genius said:


> I suggest that you keep this one for a while longer. Give it a chance.
> While I'm just as guilty as anyone for tearing a tank down and starting over, this 'scape has promise, as if it is just two breaths away from getting where it's going.
> When I see it, I see a foundation laid strong and solid; all that is left is the rest to rise into place.
> It'd be a shame to not see this one through to the end.


thanks for vote of confidence ugly. i think i just need to set up anther tank to give me something to mess around with when my patience is running low on this one. i came pretty close to yanking it all apart yesterday evening. i think the only thing that kept me from doing it was knowing that i'm just a few weeks away from having some nice bushes in the background.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

well... i got bored today and added anther piece of wood and a needle leaf fern in the back left corner.


----------



## boltp777 (Jan 16, 2009)

beautiful angel


----------



## Trallen44 (Dec 10, 2008)

Still looks great! I agree that you need another tank to mess with so this one can actually fill in and reach its full potential before you rearange it. I just want to see one of your great scapes go for a month or so and see what it truely looks like.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

boltp777 said:


> beautiful angel


beautiful but mean, lol.



Trallen44 said:


> Still looks great! I agree that you need another tank to mess with so this one can actually fill in and reach its full potential before you rearange it. I just want to see one of your great scapes go for a month or so and see what it truely looks like.


thanks man. well, it'll go for at least another couple weeks. unfortunately, the week after this one, it will go without ferts or excel as i will be on a vacation. 

i do have anther tank but i keep robbing it for plants or it gets filled up with trimmings.










i would really like to get another one though. perhaps a 15g, idk...


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

i got back from vacation yesterday and this is how it looked.










the staghorn that the excel had been holding back is starting to make a little bit of a comeback. i'm glad that's all that happened with with 7 days of no excel or ferts. i guess the blyxa is slowly starting to consume the driftwood again as well.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

did somewhat of a trim today.


----------



## speedie408 (Jan 15, 2009)

I actually like that overgrown look of the pic you took after your vac alot. What is that plant next to the aromaticas in the second pic from last? Is it the L. Guinea?


----------



## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

Hey, it looks great! That blyxa is gorgeous! Especially against that clean black background!


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

speedie408 said:


> I actually like that overgrown look of the pic you took after your vac alot. What is that plant next to the aromaticas in the second pic from last? Is it the L. Guinea?


thank you speedie. i liked the grown out look too. i keep hacking it back a lot in an attempt to get some nice bushes. and to answer your question, yes. when i got back from vacation, the l. guinea looked really nutrient starved and i decided to place it in another tank to recover. (it got leggy and translucent)



clwatkins10 said:


> Hey, it looks great! That blyxa is gorgeous! Especially against that clean black background!


thanks cl. i can't wait to see what happens with your new 40!


----------



## Hilde (May 19, 2008)

oldpunk78 said:


>


What happened to the red plant floating? What lights do you have over your 29 gallon tank?


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

> What happened to the red plant floating? What lights do you have over your 29 gallon tank?


that was Rotalla Wallichii - i killed that off pretty quickly. 

lighting - right now i have my 2x24w t5ho glo retro kit staggered in one power compact reflector (to cut down on light). both bulbs are hagen 6,700k.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

update time - (don't look at the equipment)

before trim









after trim









i just couldn't deal with that much blyxa any more. i wanted to see the wood. then, after i yanked it out(well, 90% of it anyway) i couldn't remember how the wood was supposed to be. 

thanks for looking - questions, comments, and suggestions are welcome.


----------



## fastfreddie (Sep 10, 2008)

Nice new clean look! I know what you mean about the blyxa. It really just becomes a big debris trap when it gets thick. The wood looks better now too. The open foreground and vertical wood makes the tank look very deep from front to back. It reminds me of the Flatirons in Colorado:


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

thanks a lot freddie. i tried my best to get the blyxa as far back as i could this time. i now have a good 3 1/2" of empty space. i'm thinking about trying glosso in there, but idk.


----------



## Hilde (May 19, 2008)

oldpunk78 said:


>


This is my favorite of your tanks. Mostly because of the plants on the left that look like little buttercups.

What lights did you have over tank at this time?


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

let me think... you are looking at a 2x24w t5ho retro(glo). they were about seven inches above the water, both centered in the middle of my canopy. one hagen 6,700K bulb and one hagen powerglo 18,000K bulb.


----------



## Hilde (May 19, 2008)

oldpunk78 said:


> let me think... you are looking at a 2x24w t5ho retro(glo). One hagen 6,700K bulb and one hagen powerglo 18,000K bulb.


Thanks for clarifying that. This is what I am going to save up for.

Do you inject Co2 in this tank?


----------



## Trallen44 (Dec 10, 2008)

I think your trim after the good growth turned out perfect! It looks a little more filled in now.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

Hilde said:


> Do you inject Co2 in this tank?


ya, it's too much light. but diy co2 seems to be keeping up with demand.



Trallen44 said:


> I think your trim after the good growth turned out perfect! It looks a little more filled in now.


thanks tim. i'm glad to see you back! we missed you this week.


----------



## Kolkri (Dec 9, 2006)

Very nice before and even after. lol


----------



## Chrisinator (Jun 5, 2008)

Insane looking tank!


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

Kolkri said:


> Very nice before and even after. lol





Chrisinator said:


> Insane looking tank!


thanks guys!


a clean slate:









i kind of had to do a rush job on the paint yesterday - the doors need one more coat, lol.

i'm taking a low tech approach this time around. all i know for sure so far is that i will be using soil(mineralized), sand, and manzanita. i haven't figured out the the rest yet.


----------



## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

I missed those pictures from September before. You sure had it looking good then. I'll sure you'll put together something even better now.


----------



## demonbreedr16 (Jan 10, 2008)

^ Agreed, I loved my 29 empty, tho, because I never had to worry about 'scaping it with that stupid vertical space!

I'm really tempted to have mine as a riparium and keeping the dimensions intact with the dimensions of a 20gL for the water area...that'll atleast give me 20 gallons!

I really hate my 29; your previous incarnations have atleast shown me how to redo it if I keep it as an aquarium!


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

hydro - thanks! and i hope i do - lol.

demonb - that 12" depth does suck. it can either be really frustrating or teach a good lesson in creating the illusion of depth. haha - the center of my 50g only has 9" of depth to work with. that can make things really hard!


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

i made a little headway this week. here's a couple pics(sorry that they're not the best).










the substrate is a combination of things. the bottom layer is mineralized topsoil, maybe only 3/8" deep covered by with some 2-3mm silica and then topped off with play sand. the sands are the same color so they look pretty good mixed. the front is only about an inch deep working up to about two inches in the back. i'm hoping that the larger grain sizes and lack of depth will help from having bacterial issues in the future. the wood is just locally collected manzanita.










i was originally thinking that this would be a peninsula type scape. i think i'm gonna ad something to the other side though.










these are all plants i just stole from my 50g. they're all crypts and moss with a couple of lotus thrown in. the rocks are petrified wood collected locally as well. i'm still working on finding more.

questions ans comments are great! thanks for looking. :red_mouth


----------



## speedie408 (Jan 15, 2009)

The new scape looks good man.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

thanks speedie. i still have a lot of work to do. i just went out today and found a ton of cool looking manzanita so i'll have more in there soon. i also need to acquire some more plant life. i'm not really sure what to ad though.

...off to browse the sns.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

i really want to ditch the current wood for this piece:










what do you guys think?


----------



## Dollface (Sep 30, 2008)

Do it, that new piece is amazing.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

i guess i better get it soaking then. lol - it's going to be a pain to clean up. all those little branches are really brittle. how do you clean off the nano stuff?


----------



## Dollface (Sep 30, 2008)

powerwashing blasts all the small brittle stuff off on its own, if you're soaking and scrubbing it, most of the stuff that wants to break off anyway just will. I would try and leave most of it on though, it gives more character.

edit: OH I think I misunderstood your question. Basically you support the small stuff in your hand and scrub it very gently with a brush, just enough to get loose bark off.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

i made the wood swap this afternoon. man it was a pain to scrub off, it must have taken 45mins. anyway, it's not sinking yet to i didn't bother to try and create a scape.

the new wood:









oh - dollface, thanks for recommending the brush. i would have killed it with the pressure washer.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

i got some work done this afternoon. i still need some more plants.

(really bad pic, sorry)









java fern
needle leaf fern
c. wendtii tropica 
c. undulatus
c. walkeri lutea
xmas moss

i'll be adding more moss tomorrow(the 50 needs a trim).


----------



## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Your driftwood with the tannins in there looks creepy- like crooked hands rising from a Halloween swamp... :icon_smil

I like the arrangement, though I think the open space emphasizes the equipment too much.


----------



## Kittysnax (Dec 8, 2009)

ha ha oldpunk was watchin cartoons! LOL! 

Im super jealous of your tanks LOL mines all sad lookin with the lil spaghetti-monster moss ball....yours is all "look at me im awesome!" I love it!


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

lauraleellbp said:


> Your driftwood with the tannins in there looks creepy- like crooked hands rising from a Halloween swamp... :icon_smil
> 
> I like the arrangement, though I think the open space emphasizes the equipment too much.


creepy huh? lol - the fungus on the wood creeps me out...



Kittysnax said:


> ha ha oldpunk was watchin cartoons! LOL!
> 
> Im super jealous of your tanks LOL mines all sad lookin with the lil spaghetti-monster moss ball....yours is all "look at me im awesome!" I love it!


thanks! the tv in the living room is dominated by the kids. i don't have much say anymore.

i managed a clearer picture this morning. anyone have any good tips on photographing your tank when the light is suspended 18" above it? it throws off a wicked glare and lights up the whole room.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

a little more moss and a little more fern.










i can't decide on livestock. :help:


----------



## Hilde (May 19, 2008)

oldpunk78 said:


> i can't decide on livestock. :help:


Checking out fish on You Tube.com. is helpful. Then if you want a large group of schooling fish check out Aqua Bid. Some don't charge for shipping.

My favorites are the Gold long finned Danio. They are always chasing each other. They are slower than other Danio and more visible too.


----------



## Dollface (Sep 30, 2008)

Get a huge school of microrasbora kubotai.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

thanks for the ideas guys. those microrasboras are really cool! i'm still leaning towards some kind of colorful tetra though. i want something that will pop against the black background and greens. hmm...


----------



## billb (May 29, 2009)

Old Punk,

That piece of driftwood is quite a find, it looks excellent in your tank. The scape looks very nice. 

I am by no means an expert on fish choices but I have been happy with my Ember tetras. Very bright orange color and hardy. They also pretty much ignore my CRS - probably because they are stuffed. They eat likes pigs!

I recently got some Thread fin rainbows and I am enjoying the show they put on. Lots of displaying their ornate fins. Not good schooling fish though. Good luck and I am looking forward to seeing this develop.

Bill


----------



## speedie408 (Jan 15, 2009)

Dollface said:


> Get a huge school of microrasbora kubotai.


roud: x2

An awesome ground crew addition are these guys: Yasuhikotakia Sidthimunki aka Dwarf Chain Loach. Awesome little Gems. Good luck finding them. :eek5:


----------



## fastfreddie (Sep 10, 2008)

I REALLY like what you have going here. It looks great so far. The driftwood is really creepy and natural looking. I'm excited about this tank. Now I have to redo my 29 gallon! :icon_eek:

The moss looks neat at ground level. I recall a sweet moss carpet CLWatkins made long ago using pieces of slate and sewing thread (I think). Could be a nice touch for at least a few inches around your brush mound you have going. Just a thought!


Picture stolen from CL's ten gallon journal in September 2008


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

thanks for the input/feedback people! those microrasboras are really cool. i just won't be able to get them locally. oh well... i may be able to get a hold of the loaches though. i'm not sure if i'll have enough room.

i just picked up 10 of these guys:








(glowlight tetras)

i plan on adding ten more too, a few otos and maybe something else.

that may be all i can fit in there.


----------



## Dollface (Sep 30, 2008)

glo-light tetras are awesome


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

^ ya, i really thought they would look cool with black back ground and darkish plants in there. they seem pretty peaceful too. i wanted this tank to have a quiet theme about it. so far so good - hehe


----------



## roybot73 (Dec 15, 2007)

You don't see these beauties very often...
Moenkhausia pittieri
Diamond Tetra









http://www.flickr.com/photos/sakichin/473521563/


----------



## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

I have a group of glowlights and they are my favorite tetra. They only cost me like $1.19 each.

There was a feature on those diamond tetras in the November TFH.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

the Diamond Tetras have a elegance about them, huh? too many choices - lol


----------



## Dollface (Sep 30, 2008)

Just keep with a huge school of glowlight tetras, not much else goes with them fishwise, and they're pretty interesting on their own.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

Dollface said:


> Just keep with a huge school of glowlight tetras, not much else goes with them fishwise, and they're pretty interesting on their own.


that's the plan. i have really been pleasantly surprised with these guys!

so... after checking the water this morning to make sure it was safe to add more, i realized something odd.

both this tank and my 50g are very much alike. same water, same dirt, both capped with inert sand/gravel, same manzanita and even a lot of the same plants. the three main differences are that this tank has a canister filter while the 50g uses a overflow/wet-dry. this tank has some diy co2 going and 50g utilizes excel. and lastly, i did not add the dolomite and potash to the soil in this tank.

water parameter comparison:

ph - 29g 6.4 / 50g 7.8
dkh - 29g 6 / 50g 8
dgh - 29g 6 / 50g 6
temp - 29g 75 / 50g 80
ammonia 0 / 0
nitrate 0 / 0
nitrite 0 / 0 

is it just the diy co2 and lack dolomite that makes the difference here?


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

i went and got 9 more glowlights yesterday. that brings the school to 19. so far they don't really seem to want to school all that well but we'll see. it is kinda cool watching them swim independently - little flashes of color here and there.

i'm still having a hard time taking clear pics but you can make some of them out here:










i have a small mountain of manzanita out in the backyard. should i try and add more?

i have some nano type stuff like this piece:










i was thinking about trying to cram it in on the left side. thoughts?


----------



## JennaH (Sep 28, 2009)

i think it looks good with the amount of wood it has now. love the little glowlights too


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

thanks jenna, you may be right about the wood. might get too crowded in there, huh? i guess i'm just trying to figure out what to do with all the scaping stuff i've accumulated lately.


----------



## NJAquaBarren (Sep 16, 2009)

looks nice.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

thank you aquabarren!


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

nothing new to update this week. things are growing, no algae yet. it looks like the diatoms might be showing up soon - sand is turning a little brown in places. that's about it.

i do however have a question. i just bought a regulator and plan to add pressurized co2 in the near future. this is still going to be slow growing tank, i just want happy healthy plants with no algae. how do you figure out how much co2 to inject if your goals are less than a drop checker will register?


----------



## Dollface (Sep 30, 2008)

I would guess you just dial it in by plant growth, if your plants aren't doing too well or you're getting algae, just turn it up bit by bit till it goes away.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

not much of an update today. i did get a kind of a cool moon light shot. (a little creepy..)










in the last couple weeks i've accumulated just about everything i need to go pressurized. i can't wait. 

this will still be a moderately low light tank, i just wanted to try out pressurized. 

not much has really changed in the tank this week. a little bit of diatoms is starting to show up but it's not bad at all (thank god). the only other plants i plan on adding will be downoi. a very generous forum member offered to ship me some, hopefully it shows up unscathed from the cold (fingers crossed). i plan on putting it between the moss and wood in a couple of places. 

i would also like to take this opportunity to thank orlando at green leaf aquariums for all of his help with my co2 questions. best costumer service ever [period]. 

thanks for looking, comments/questions always welcome.


----------



## Matty (Dec 4, 2009)

I love that new piece of wood, all spidery looking.


----------



## MrJG (Feb 21, 2007)

I really like this layout. Its simple from the plant selections but the curling mass of driftwood is very cool and adds complexity. I'm sure the fish have fun swimming in/around it. 

As far as adding in that new piece. It might go well at the 10-11 o'clock postition but at the same time that gap between 9-1 seems alright for some reason. Might be the equipment in there. Trying to picture a tank shot without the return/skimmer and that gap might come more into play. 

At the same time take my thoughts with a grain of salt. I'm still waiting on my copy of Composition 101... must be lost in the mail somewhere.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

Matty said:


> I love that new piece of wood, all spidery looking.


thanks, i like it too.



MrJG said:


> I really like this layout. Its simple from the plant selections but the curling mass of driftwood is very cool and adds complexity. I'm sure the fish have fun swimming in/around it.
> 
> As far as adding in that new piece. It might go well at the 10-11 o'clock postition but at the same time that gap between 9-1 seems alright for some reason. Might be the equipment in there. Trying to picture a tank shot without the return/skimmer and that gap might come more into play.
> 
> At the same time take my thoughts with a grain of salt. I'm still waiting on my copy of Composition 101... must be lost in the mail somewhere.


i forgot to add the pic from when i took all the equipment out. (i think it only got posted in the aquascaping section.) this was a week ago. not much has changed.


----------



## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

Looks great to me oldpunk.


----------



## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

It's always a nice surprise to see one of my tanks pop up somewhere  It's nice to serve as inspiration.
One thing I would suggest is replacing the curved piece of wood on the left with a piece like the nano piece you pictured in post #270, but of course so that the branches are flowing to the left (instead of the right like in your picture, maybe just turn the piece around backwards?) to go with the rest of your scape. It would look a lot better with the scrawly look of the large pieces of wood that you have in there that the smooth curved pieces that are on the left.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

hydrophyte said:


> Looks great to me oldpunk.


thanks man!



CL said:


> It's always a nice surprise to see one of my tanks pop up somewhere  It's nice to serve as inspiration.
> One thing I would suggest is replacing the curved piece of wood on the left with a piece like the nano piece you pictured in post #270, but of course so that the branches are flowing to the left (instead of the right like in your picture, maybe just turn the piece around backwards?) to go with the rest of your scape. It would look a lot better with the scrawly look of the large pieces of wood that you have in there that the smooth curved pieces that are on the left.


ok dude, i don't know if i'm willing to tear up the the whole thing yet (that curved piece is big) but check this out:










that's not the same stuff that was in post 270 (i think i shipped that piece off) but it matches the other wood. we'll see if i can get it to sink today.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

cl, does this new piece 'camo' that arched piece enough? hahaha










the more i look at the whole thing, it is becoming clear that there needs to be some more needle leaves on the left. maybe i'll steal some out of the 50. muhha ha haaa haaaa.

i also think i need to move the the lonely lotus into view. i thought it would get tall but it just wants to hide behind the crypts.


----------



## problemman (Aug 19, 2005)

coming along good


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

^ slowly but surely, thanks problemman.


----------



## Trallen44 (Dec 10, 2008)

Tank is looking great! I agree, that you could use a few needles on the left. I really like how this is filling out without major rescapes. LOL Keep up the great work!


----------



## Dollface (Sep 30, 2008)

I'd break the left twig of that fork off of that new branch, if that makes any sense.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

Trallen44 said:


> Tank is looking great! I agree, that you could use a few needles on the left. I really like how this is filling out without major rescapes. LOL Keep up the great work!


thanks tim. i did manage to get a little bit fern in there on the left. it's a little bit more balanced now. i think i'm going to go with current scape for a while now, i'm pretty satisfied with how it's going.



Dollface said:


> I'd break the left twig of that fork off of that new branch, if that makes any sense.


i read this too late. i've already removed that piece. i also did a very minor rescape this evening which involved adding a small patch of downoi (i hope don't kill it). 

i got the (pressurized)co2 fired up and running. :hihi: woo-hoo!


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

some pics from this afternoon:


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

update time!

i think it's still growing. at least most of it is. the downoi wasn't looking so good this morning. most of it melted down to almost nothing. i moved the rest of it to the 50 in hopes that it does better in there. the crypts have just about lost all of there immersed growth. it looks like they're in the middle of bouncing back though. 

some other things to note: let's see... i added 20 rcs this last week. they seem to be doing alright, although they hide all the time. i also ordered a xp2 and an inline heater. hopefully i'll be able to get some of that equipment out of there now. 

i've been considering adding some lilly pipes. now there's no way i can justify the cost of the ada or even the cal aquas. is there an ebay brand that reputable? i've found a few sets of 17mm pipes on ebay but i've never heard of folks using them...

anyway, thanks for looking!


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

one more unnecessary update.




























i must say that so far i love the xp2. why the blue pipe? why not black? haha


----------



## F22 (Sep 21, 2008)

oldpunk, looks tight, i wanna keep watching this grow in cause its a nice concept...


----------



## dj2005 (Apr 23, 2009)

A picture update is never unnecessary. 

Looks like the algae is all gone and the plants have greened up. Tank is gorgeous.


----------



## lrbs (Dec 1, 2009)

the driftwood is REALLY nice...


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

F22 said:


> oldpunk, looks tight, i wanna keep watching this grow in cause its a nice concept...





dj2005 said:


> A picture update is never unnecessary.
> 
> Looks like the algae is all gone and the plants have greened up. Tank is gorgeous.





lrbs said:


> the driftwood is REALLY nice...


thank you guys!


----------



## fastfreddie (Sep 10, 2008)

The new filter really cleaned up the look. I agree on the blue pipes. That drives me crazy on my XP's, especially after they get dirty. I have seen people spraypaint them. They are great filters though. I think I might ditch the spraybar like you did. Does the output seem too strong right at the nozzle, and if that pops out will it shoot water across the room? Guess I'll have to try for myself. 

Love the look right now. The crypts in the back right look awesome. Don't grow this thing too thick. I think the open space is a nice statement in itself. 

Take care man.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

fastfreddie said:


> The new filter really cleaned up the look. I agree on the blue pipes. That drives me crazy on my XP's, especially after they get dirty. I have seen people spraypaint them. They are great filters though. I think I might ditch the spraybar like you did. Does the output seem too strong right at the nozzle, and if that pops out will it shoot water across the room? Guess I'll have to try for myself.


i think it's just about right with the nozzle. i tried the spay bar but it looked like i got better circulation w/o it.



> Love the look right now. The crypts in the back right look awesome. Don't grow this thing too thick. I think the open space is a nice statement in itself.
> 
> Take care man.


thanks a lot man!


----------



## speedie408 (Jan 15, 2009)

Lookin real good OP. Keep it up.


----------



## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

Sorry that I missed your reply. I think that the scape did look good that way, but it looks fine the way it is now. I was just being a bit nit-picky


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

speedie408 said:


> Lookin real good OP. Keep it up.





CL said:


> Sorry that I missed your reply. I think that the scape did look good that way, but it looks fine the way it is now. I was just being a bit nit-picky


^ thanks guys!

i think it grew some...










wow, check out those snails.

edit - does the big crypt in the front look out of place? hmmm


----------



## dreamcatcher88 (Mar 29, 2010)

I found this thread about a week ago and actually went back to the beginning to read the whole thing. How amazing to see this tank progress since late 2008... you've done some beautiful stuff with it. And I must say, I'm wildly jealous of your manzanita lol... I live in AZ, so there's nothing in my backyard that's gonna make it into the fish tank any time soon, haha. 

How does the moss seem to be doing down on the substrate? I may have to give up on foreground plants and try this in my 29 gal (low tech). 

Keep up the great work. I look forward to seeing this continue to develop.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

^ thank you!!

i like the moss tided to rocks a lot. it seems to be doing well. the rcs love it. it's also easiest foreground i've tried. you(i) don't even have to trim it very often. it does tend to get dirty with out a lot of flow though. good luck with your 29!


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

another update:

i took out the c. tropica in the front. it was getting too big to be there any more.










thanks for looking!


----------



## !shadow! (Jan 25, 2010)

ls that needle leaf java fern on the very back or c. walkeri lutea? lt looks really good weaving in and out of that manzanita. l also had a question concerning your substrate. When you do clean it do you just do it lightly or you let the plants just take care if it like some people do so it won't mix in with the topsoil?


----------



## dj2005 (Apr 23, 2009)

It's filling in nicely.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

!shadow! said:


> ls that needle leaf java fern on the very back or c. walkeri lutea? lt looks really good weaving in and out of that manzanita. l also had a question concerning your substrate. When you do clean it do you just do it lightly or you let the plants just take care if it like some people do so it won't mix in with the topsoil?


all of the leaves in the back are needle/narrow java ferns. there is a lutea kinda in the front though. it's leaves haven't darkened up yet.

i don't really clean the sand. but when i do i just kinda mix up the upper layer a little bit. the mts is so fine, it always just stays at the bottom. 



dj2005 said:


> It's filling in nicely.


thank you, dj.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

i managed to clean up the tank a bit today. i also got a decent picture of it. the crypt that was in front was relocated to the rear. i really need to trim the moss. anyway here's some pics.

obligatory full tank shot:










where the crypt got moved to:










tetras: (these guys are great)










oh, a made a short video too:

http://s536.photobucket.com/albums/ff327/palkos4/?action=view&current=DSCN0273.flv

comments and criticism welcome!


----------



## Voozle (Mar 22, 2009)

Looks great oldpunk, really great. I haven't had a chance to read over this thread in detail, but I will; the transformation your tank has gone through is incredible. If you have them, I'd love to see some photos of the rocks you tied the moss to (mostly to try and replicate the effect myself). EDIT: Scratch that, I see what you did on page 17.

Have you noticed any breeding behavior from the tetras?


----------



## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

I think moving the big crypt was a good call. The tank is really looking awesome.

I do think you need a 2ndary focal point in front about 1/3 of the way from the left, though.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

thanks voozle! those are just some flat stones i found outside. i tied some some xmas moss to them with thread. i wish i could report some breeding activity. that would be cool. all they really do is school around. sometimes a male will run off another one. i think there needs to be some kind of change that happens to make them want to breed. i dunno...


----------



## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Good diet (especially live and frozen foods), waterchanges, and thunderstorms are common spawning triggers for my fish.

I do bet you'll see some pretty soon, and with all that moss there's a good chance some fry will survive.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

hi laura. i was thinking the same thing. like something in that hole right in front of the c. lutea. i busted up some manzanita stumps i had out in the backyard yesterday. they are soaking right now. i was gonna try maybe adding a piece there. either that or trying some kind of low growing plant. i haven't figured it out yet.


----------



## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

A big clump of Anubias nana 'petite' on some DW or a rock might be nice.

Most everything else I can think of would get too big or throw off the rest of the scape...


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

hmm, petite might be a good idea. hahaha... makes me wish i hadn't just sold the last of it i had in my 50g. i like the idea of the anubias. i'm trying to keep all my plants low tech. that way, when i go on a vacation or something, all i'll have to do is shut off the co2 and raise the lights back up. at least that's the plan anyway.


----------



## smoq (Feb 19, 2008)

I love the way your tank changed over that past year. It looks like a showpiece now and I really like your low-tech approach. Keep up with the pics


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

thank you man!


----------



## Voozle (Mar 22, 2009)

How's the tank looking, oldpunk? I picked up eight glowlights to begin my breeding project over the weekend, but unfortunately I'm not off to a good start. Although they looked healthy in the store and my water parameters are good, two have already disappeared (and I've only located one body), and one appears very sick - the lower half of his caudal fin is missing, but whether or not this has occurred since I brought him home I don't know. I just quarantined him; do you have any experience in treating diseases in these fish?

The five remaining seem fine, for now, and they are a joy to watch. Much more personable than any other tetra species I've kept before. I'm just not really sure how to proceed in boosting their numbers back to a decent school.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

hi voozle, the tank's still chugging along. 

sorry to here that you're off to rough start. i started off with 19. one died right after i brought them home, and three more jumped ship. i think it took about a week or so before they all started acting normal. the remaining fish never got sick and have been doing well. as i recall, they seemed a little fragile at first. 

i wish could could offer some advice on medication. maybe some melafix?

maybe try looking around to see if any other lfs have better looking stock. it'll be easier to make that distinction once your fish have colored up and are used to their new home. how many are you planing to keep?


----------



## Voozle (Mar 22, 2009)

I have to think that the one that vanished without a trace jumped out, and maybe ended up behind the stand. If another disappears I'll buy a glass top, but I really prefer it to be open. Thanks for the medication suggestion, I'll look into it as soon as possible. Medicating the single sick specimen is going to be so much more expensive than the fish itself, but I don't want to euthanize it if I can save it. As far as I can tell, it isn't eating, so it might not last until I make it to the LFS.

Those remaining have already colored up plenty since being brought home, I'm very impressed. I'll follow your advice and look for stores with brighter tetras to replenish my stock. I'm only planning to keep eight at the moment, pretty much the minimum for a happy school. This is partly because of the small tank size, but mostly because I hope to be able to fill the tank with their offspring before too long.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

some pictures...














































comments and suggestions are always welcome ;P


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

a couple more photos...

co2 on










co2 off










figured out the macro button(doh!)










last weekend i figured out how to stuff one of my smaller glass diffusers into a hagen elite mini. the mist it's putting out is ridiculous. if anyone's interested i can post a pic of how i did it. that's about it for now.


----------



## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

That's looking great oldpunk. Everything is so clean. 

I like your glowlights. that is one of my favorite kinds of fish.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

thanks hydro! you know, this tank with it's current scape is surprisingly easy to keep clean. i love the glowlights too. i'm thinking about adding more.


----------



## speedie408 (Jan 15, 2009)

Haven't peeped your journal in a minute so thought I'd stop by to tell you that you're tank looks awesome. Refresh my memory, are you dosing any npk/CSM-b?


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

hi speedie, thanks!

i dose kno3, kh2po4, equilibrium, and flourish micros. all at 2/3 ei.


----------



## sewingalot (Oct 12, 2008)

One of these days I am going to make myself do a more natural tank like this one. I say Amano would be proud of you if he saw this scape.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

you are too kind sewing. 

well... i finally crossed the thresh hold(sp?) between just right and too much co2 last night. just before i went to bed i looked in on the tank to find a school of glowlights gasping at the surface. they are all fine now. i suppose the mist in the above pic is what too much looks like. if only by 1/16th of a turn on the needle valve.


----------



## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Poof- close call!

Do you run an airstone at night?


----------



## Nate McFin (Mar 19, 2009)

Drifting through...love the tank and great journal as well!


----------



## matthew.shelly (Dec 1, 2009)

Awesome tank! Just found this thread and I am super impressed. I recently got some narrow leaf for my tank and I can't wait until it looks like yours. 

What kind of substrate is that?


----------



## msnikkistar (Mar 23, 2010)

oldpunk78 said:


> last weekend i figured out how to stuff one of my smaller glass diffusers into a hagen elite mini. the mist it's putting out is ridiculous. if anyone's interested i can post a pic of how i did it. that's about it for now.


Please do.


----------



## demosthenes (Aug 23, 2008)

what awards has this won?

haha but seriously, this tank is incredible! enter it in some aquascaping contests, youd be sure to win something! :hihi


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

lauraleellbp said:


> Poof- close call!
> 
> Do you run an airstone at night?


tell me about it. no air stone, lots of surface movement though.



Nate McFin said:


> Drifting through...love the tank and great journal as well!


thanks dude!



matthew.shelly said:


> Awesome tank! Just found this thread and I am super impressed. I recently got some narrow leaf for my tank and I can't wait until it looks like yours.
> 
> What kind of substrate is that?


mostly play sand and mineralized topsoil.



msnikkistar said:


> Please do.























demosthenes said:


> what awards has this won?
> 
> haha but seriously, this tank is incredible! enter it in some aquascaping contests, youd be sure to win something! :hihi


hahaha - you're nuts man. thanks for the complement.


----------



## sewingalot (Oct 12, 2008)

Nice diy. Where were you when I was still using the hagen? You should listen to demosthenes and me. You're tank is fabulous.


----------



## msnikkistar (Mar 23, 2010)

I am going to do that thanks!


----------



## esab (Apr 26, 2010)

Awesome tank! It was interesting to see your thought process and the evolution of your tank. I've got a 29g I'm getting started, just waiting on the light fixture and plants to come. How much CO2 do you use for a 29g? I don't have pressurized CO2, but I'm setting up DIY CO2 and I'm curious as to how many 2 L to use (I'm planning on using 1.89L juice jugs) Can't wait to get everything set up and watch it grow!


----------



## benon (Feb 18, 2010)

that's lookin SWEET Love the look of the java fern exploding out of the driftwood!

love the hagen mod... I'm also a bit of a DIY CO2 scientist myself


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

esab said:


> Awesome tank! It was interesting to see your thought process and the evolution of your tank. I've got a 29g I'm getting started, just waiting on the light fixture and plants to come. How much CO2 do you use for a 29g? I don't have pressurized CO2, but I'm setting up DIY CO2 and I'm curious as to how many 2 L to use (I'm planning on using 1.89L juice jugs) Can't wait to get everything set up and watch it grow!


thank you.  i'd go with at least 3 juice jugs. but that's going to depend on your lighting. good luck with your tank!



benon said:


> that's lookin SWEET Love the look of the java fern exploding out of the driftwood!
> 
> love the hagen mod... I'm also a bit of a DIY CO2 scientist myself


thanks man!


----------



## ikuzo (Jul 11, 2006)

hei i'm misting CO2 too minus the diffuser. i just put the CO2 line directly into powerhead. i wonder if i will get smaller bubbles if i use your method


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

ikuzo said:


> hei i'm misting CO2 too minus the diffuser. i just put the CO2 line directly into powerhead. i wonder if i will get smaller bubbles if i use your method


smaller bubbles and no load bubble smashing sound. you know that sound when you pour a coke over ice and you get that fizzing. that's kinda what the tank sounds like now.


----------



## msnikkistar (Mar 23, 2010)

I just did your method, and WOW the bubbles are TINYYYYY!


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

^ cool, huh? (i bet your drop checker gets a little lighter green now too)

the reason i tried this was to force more co2 around the whole tank + i was tired of watching most of my co2 just bubbling up to the top. the mini with the diffuser inside solved both of those problems.


----------



## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

oldpunk78 said:


>


I find this very interesting. Please tell us more about your latest Hagen diffuser mod?

Thanks,
Kelly


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

> Please tell us more about your latest Hagen diffuser mod?


well, there's not really much more i can explain about how to put it together. all you're doing is cutting the bottom out, trimming the foam, and stuffing a cheap ebay diffuser in it. i think it's the 1.2 inch one, i might be wrong though.

i had the idea when i was trying to figure out how to get more bubbles distributed throughout the tank. the mini forces the bubbles out in a direction. the glass diffuser just lets them go strait up to the surface. not to mention you're loosing a lot in the form of big bubbles. the mini also does a really good job of chopping up those big bubbles so you're not wasting as much co2.


----------



## msnikkistar (Mar 23, 2010)

I can attest that oldpunk's method is pure genius and works incredibly well. Except for my own clumsiness, it was extremely easy to do and took about 5 minutes from start to finish for me to rig the same thing up.


----------



## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

The reason this thread caught my eye was because it was very similar to something I saw on APC, but with an interesting twist (the diffuser).

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/...s/44053-tiny-super-efficient-co2-reactor.html


----------



## msnikkistar (Mar 23, 2010)

kcrossley said:


> The reason this thread caught my eye was because it was very similar to something I saw on APC, but with an interesting twist (the diffuser).
> 
> http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/...s/44053-tiny-super-efficient-co2-reactor.html


Personally, I prefer oldpunk's method for the simple fact that it is quiet. I have a bubble counter, so I don't need to hear the bubbles.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

one more update...

the ferns continue to overtake the tank. i actually had to remove some of the regular java to make more room.










got some of these guys to liven up the tank a little (they love the sand - it's all clean now)










added some hygro compakt(sp?)










i have made up my mind to have some kind of stems behind the compakt but can't figure out what to use. something low light that i can turn into some kind of big bush to turn the mound into a hill.

aaaaaannnnd... 

algae!










i think i have miss diagnosed the lighter green stuff. just this week i started to notice that some of it is starting to spread from the wood to some of the older leaves. i think i'm under dosing something and not changing enough water. my lights are about 28" above the substrate(2x24w) and the co2 is just barely not killing the fish by the end of the day. i had been dosing 1/2 ei and doing 25% water changes weekly. so i suppose that means i will now be doing full ei. hahaha - or someone could tell me what i'm under dosing.

thanks for reading! 

comments and suggestions are always welcome.


----------



## The Plantman (May 5, 2010)

I just finished going through the entire thread! Nice work! This last tank is definitely the nicest. A real show piece! I want to change up my tank as well maybe with some of that Java moss.

I have wiped out that algae 3 times now using Excel by the instructions. I didn't have to overdose and killed it all in less a week. I have a 46 Bowfront and dose 4 caps the first day, 2 the next and 1 every day for the rest of the week to wipe it out.

Good luck.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

^ thanks for the compliment plantman. i can't believe you went through all 24 pages. moss tided to rocks or wood can really help fill dead areas.

i'm trying not to use excel anymore. yes it can help but i feel like it's just a band-aid sometimes. i'm gonna try raising the fixture some more. i think i may have under estimated my home made fixture a little.


----------



## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

I think your nutrients are fine. I don't see a deficiencies on the plants and they look like they're growing.


----------



## matthew.shelly (Dec 1, 2009)

oldpunk78 said:


> the ferns continue to overtake the tank. i actually had to remove some of the regular java to make more room.


You know you could always send some my way if you need to get rid of it.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

mistergreen said:


> I think your nutrients are fine. I don't see a deficiencies on the plants and they look like they're growing.


ok, i'm just gonna raise the lights and go from there. thanks for your help. 



matthew.shelly said:


> You know you could always send some my way if you need to get rid of it.


sending you a pm. 

i've made a few observations. first off, these guys:










...are completely nuts! they got moved to another tank. but not before they scared three of my glow lights out of the tank.

they were replaced by these guys:










much calmer. they feel like a better fit in the tank too.

there's one more thing i don't understand. today i threw some wisteria in tank and it just float there for a while. later i noticed my surface film was GONE. all gone... i've had wicked bad surface scum ever since i ditched surface skimmer. did the wisteria absorb it??? here's a picture of the missing scum for good measure:










ok, so here is what i did to the left corner: (i hope it works out)










still have to find some marsilea spp. for the foreground in front here.

here's a pic of the other end for contrast:










alright, lastly i figured i'd post a pic of one of the rams i stuck in here. 










they seem to add just right amount of color. i hope i'm left with some shrimp.


----------



## Beeya (Mar 29, 2010)

Pepper cories are a lot of fun, and definitely a nice fit for the natural style of your tank. Looks fantastic.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

ya, i like the peppers a lot. thank you for the compliment! sometimes you guys almost make me fell like i know what i'm doing - lol


----------



## NATURE AQUARIUM (Dec 16, 2007)

Tank looks nice.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

thanks dude!


----------



## jart (Jan 17, 2003)

I suppose you think that the ceramic diffuser is not going to require maintenance since it is not exposed to light?
I am going to try to use airstones, starting tonight, to see if I can get the bubbles a bit smaller with the Elite filter. Hopefully they will not clog either.

I hope you will have success with the compact hygros. Very nice plant. And I don't see it in scapes very often. I had a few but lost them all a while back secondary to CO2 issues.


----------



## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

Crazy awesome diffusion method. Too bad my rhinox 5000 is a little too big to do that haha. 
The tank looks awesome!


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

jart said:


> I suppose you think that the ceramic diffuser is not going to require maintenance since it is not exposed to light?
> I am going to try to use airstones, starting tonight, to see if I can get the bubbles a bit smaller with the Elite filter. Hopefully they will not clog either.


i think i will probably have to clean it every two months. that's just a guess though. i've been meaning to take it out and look at it.



> I hope you will have success with the compact hygros. Very nice plant. And I don't see it in scapes very often. I had a few but lost them all a while back secondary to CO2 issues.


i hope i'm successful with them too. they look to growing so far.



CL said:


> Crazy awesome diffusion method. Too bad my rhinox 5000 is a little too big to do that haha.
> The tank looks awesome!


thanks cl. you could just stick it under your korilina. that would help chop up the big stuff a little.


----------



## Craigthor (Sep 9, 2007)

Tank is looking nice!


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

^ thanks a lot craig!

here's a photo from this afternoon. i should have waited till the co2 was off and it was dark out. oh well.










i hope the mm fills in quickly and catches up with the rest of the plants.(actually, i will be happy if i don't kill it.)


----------



## msc (Mar 10, 2008)

oldpunk,You’re doing some thing right. Tank is look great.


----------



## MlDukes (Nov 24, 2009)

25 pages later i finally made it to the end!!! :icon_smil Not that that is a bad thing! Great thread! I absolutely love the branchy/ferny look lol, but seriously your tank looks great! 

Keep on keepin on!!!!

Giggidy


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

jart said:


> I suppose you think that the ceramic diffuser is not going to require maintenance since it is not exposed to light?
> I am going to try to use airstones, starting tonight, to see if I can get the bubbles a bit smaller with the Elite filter. Hopefully they will not clog either.


oh, i forgot. i took it out and cleaned it the other day. the diffuser was covered in the same gunk that fills up inside the filter sponge. it all wiped off with a towel. wasn't clogged either. 



msc said:


> oldpunk,You’re doing some thing right. Tank is look great.


thanks!



MlDukes said:


> 25 pages later i finally made it to the end!!! :icon_smil Not that that is a bad thing! Great thread! I absolutely love the branchy/ferny look lol, but seriously your tank looks great!
> 
> Keep on keepin on!!!!
> 
> Giggidy


i'm glad you like the thread. can't believe you read the whole thing lol. thank you for the compliment!


----------



## MlDukes (Nov 24, 2009)

oldpunk78 said:


> i'm glad you like the thread. can't believe you read the whole thing lol. thank you for the compliment!


Dont give me too much credit, I read atleast half the thread... but i looked at 100% of the pictures! :biggrin: I think its really cool to so see a tanks progression from scape to scape and all the transitions in between. Yours has really turned into a work of art!

Cant wait to see whats to come!!!


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

one more update.

i just got back from a week away from home. it looks like my idea of easily converting the tank to low tech just by raising the light works.

here's what i came home to (i did do a water change and clean the glass prior to taking this pic).










i think the ferns might have actually grown faster with less light, i dunno...


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

it just occurred to me that i might just be better off if i just post some pics rather than do a bunch of typing. so...




ahh, the obligatory otto shot. (your journal is not complete with out one)










just added this guy, i love him. he's really hard to get a picture of. (runs from the camera)










fts










thanks for checking out my journal!


----------



## sewingalot (Oct 12, 2008)

I am stunned at how fast your java is growing since you made your Uber Diffuser. It's like double in size already. Love the obligatory otto photo! How is your new fish getting along with the other fish?


----------



## Centromochlus (May 19, 2008)

That otto picture is awesome! I love when they sit on a leaf or piece of driftwood; it's so cool. I have 5 in my 10g holding tank temporarily, and they're all doing that right now. :hihi:


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

sewingalot said:


> I am stunned at how fast your java is growing since you made your Uber Diffuser. It's like double in size already. Love the obligatory otto photo! How is your new fish getting along with the other fish?


hi sew! the java blob continues to grow. you wouldn't believe how dense it is. umm, the flame gourami is actually getting alone well with the rams and glowlights. 



AzFishKid said:


> That otto picture is awesome! I love when they sit on a leaf or piece of driftwood; it's so cool. I have 5 in my 10g holding tank temporarily, and they're all doing that right now. :hihi:


thanks man! i was trying to get a good clear shot of the gourami and the otto was just sitting there. figured might as well get a picture of the fish that wasn't trying to hide.


more pictures




























happy fourth of july


----------



## Stemwinder (May 29, 2010)

Congratulations on a beautiful tank. Very impressive.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

hey, thanks dude! yours looks like it one its way too. it's always interesting to see what other folks do with the same tank.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

one more update.

this could very well be the last update this scape. i think the ferns have officially taken over. i guess i could try thinning some out, but it would just grow back to look the same as it does now.

i'm gonna keep the sand for sure and i know i'd like to keep more slow growing low light plants. anyone wanna try and throw some ideas out there for me as to what type of scape i should try? i have unlimited access to all sorts of manzanita. sticks, stumps, logs, ect... not too big on rocks though.

anyway, here are some crappy pics from this afternoon:




























the corys spawned this weekend. they really spread it out all over the tank.










^ there's one more reason i'm ready for a re-scape, a lot of the wood in there is covered in bba and some clado.

thanks for looking. opinions welcome!


----------



## Dollface (Sep 30, 2008)

Taken over? I think the ferns are just right, they look so nice and lush.


----------



## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

Everything looks awesome, man! I love the ferns.


----------



## counting the days (Jul 21, 2010)

oldpunk78 said:


> one more update.
> 
> this could very well be the last update this scape. i think the ferns have officially taken over. i guess i could try thinning some out, but it would just grow back to look the same as it does now.


hi!

i'm new here, been watching and admiring the thread by unirdna, and now yours. love your setups, especially the latter one, though i agree the ferns got a bit carried away lately. 

however, before they grew so long, the setup was truly amazing. 



> i'm gonna keep the sand for sure and i know i'd like to keep more slow growing low light plants. anyone wanna try and throw some ideas out there for me as to what type of scape i should try? i have unlimited access to all sorts of manzanita. sticks, stumps, logs, ect... not too big on rocks though.
> 
> thanks for looking. opinions welcome!


IMHO - similar, off centre, slanting setup would be nice, or dividing the tank in two by two parts of driftwood, one closer to the front, the other slightly back? but perhaps using ferns with shorter leafs this time. 

also, it seems to me something's not quite right with the moss carpet beneath the ferns and the wood... :icon_conf feels a bit too dark and lacks form. perhaps you should try thick bushes of anubias (nana petite?) as the base instead? 

that's mho. 

and thank you for the photos, i've enjoyed watching your setups grow and develop. the use of branches in the second one... wow! i'm on the lookout for wood to use in my own tank, and must say you've just lifted the standards and made my job harder :icon_smil


----------



## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

Nice pack of ferns. To your earlier point, I do have noticed my ferns and moss to grow faster under med/low light. I was not sure but your observation validates it for me to some extent.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

Dollface said:


> Taken over? I think the ferns are just right, they look so nice and lush.


well... you know what i mean. maybe i should try and shape them some how. do i just trim off old leaves until i have less of a blob? 



CL said:


> Everything looks awesome, man! I love the ferns.


thanks, cl! 



counting the days said:


> hi!
> 
> i'm new here, been watching and admiring the thread by unirdna, and now yours. love your setups, especially the latter one, though i agree the ferns got a bit carried away lately.
> 
> ...


welcome to the forum! and thank you for the compliments. thanks for the ideas. i'm kinda leaning towards the slope to one side scape for next time. and i probably will use lots of anubias. unirdna has inspired me too.



malaybiswas said:


> Nice pack of ferns. To your earlier point, I do have noticed my ferns and moss to grow faster under med/low light. I was not sure but your observation validates it for me to some extent.


hi! isn't that weird? i think it might just be in our heads, lol.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

not done yet. still need to get some anubias and maybe a little bolbitis too. here's a blurry picture.


----------



## speedie408 (Jan 15, 2009)

What's your new carpet plant? Is it MM? 

Love the open space man. This one's gonna look really nice once it fills in.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

speedie408 said:


> What's your new carpet plant? Is it MM?


yes.



> Love the open space man. This one's gonna look really nice once it fills in.


thanks! it's sorta cool being able to see the fish again. i hope it fills in the way i envisioned.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

i haven't been able to take a decent pic lately. here's a slightly less blurry one.










critiques welcome.


----------



## Clare12345 (Dec 20, 2008)

subscribed.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

^ LOL i have a fan. (thanks!)


----------



## boon (Mar 29, 2006)

Now you have 2. :smile:


Once that carpet of MM fills in it will look super nice. I'm a really big fan of MM.


----------



## Lil' Swimz$ (Jul 24, 2010)

Oldpunk, beautiful tank(s)!

Where did you get that light? I'm also planting up my 29 gallon soon and that light would be perfect!


----------



## jargonchipmunk (Dec 8, 2008)

I'm always a fan of MM in other people's tanks lol. I never liked it in mine for some reason, but it always seems nice elsewhere.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

boon said:


> Now you have 2. :smile:
> 
> Once that carpet of MM fills in it will look super nice. I'm a really big fan of MM.


i hope it fills in soon. i've never had a big carpet before. i'm really looking forward to it.



Lil' Swimz$ said:


> Oldpunk, beautiful tank(s)!
> 
> Where did you get that light? I'm also planting up my 29 gallon soon and that light would be perfect!


thanks! i made the light. it's a combination of a walmart shop light and home depot 2 bulb t5no fixture. then i stuck in a HO ballast. it works out pretty good for me. i had most of the stuff just laying around and put it together one day. i think it would be cheaper to buy a new fixture though... 



jargonchipmunk said:


> I'm always a fan of MM in other people's tanks lol. I never liked it in mine for some reason, but it always seems nice elsewhere.


that's how i used to be about mm. now i like it a lot.


----------



## boon (Mar 29, 2006)

When I set up my 60H, I got a good carpet going in about a week. Although I did have co2 at full blast with 2x39w of T5HO and OD on dry ferts. Once they established they should carpet pretty fast.


----------



## matthew.shelly (Dec 1, 2009)

great tank! i like the new scape (liked the old one too). cant wait to see more pictures as it fills in.


----------



## sean117Ply (Jun 28, 2009)

You've made me feel bad about not re-scaping my 29g that has been the exact same for years.

I would like to delve into the hight-light world, just not sure if I should. I tend to get very stressed with my tanks when things start to go bad.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

matthew.shelly said:


> great tank! i like the new scape (liked the old one too). cant wait to see more pictures as it fills in.


thanks!



sean117Ply said:


> You've made me feel bad about not re-scaping my 29g that has been the exact same for years.
> 
> I would like to delve into the hight-light world, just not sure if I should. I tend to get very stressed with my tanks when things start to go bad.


this tank is actually low light. i'm just using co2 and ferts.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

the plants are still growing and camera skills still suck - lol


----------



## Lil' Swimz$ (Jul 24, 2010)

That's an awesome hunk of wood you go there, carpet seems to be coming in good, great job.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

^ thanks! that is actually 5 pieces of manzanita. one stump and 4 smaller pieces.


----------



## Lil' Swimz$ (Jul 24, 2010)

Wow really? you can't tell at all, looks like one chunk.

What are those fish in there? White clouds?


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

glow light tetras, ottos, and peppered corys


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

sometimes you live and you learn.

Always read what's in your fish food. Even if the type is too small to read with the naked eye. It may contain copper and kill all your shrimp and snails. this tank is a mess right now. white water, decaying shrimp/snails, dieing shrimp/snails. it's a sad day. i can only imagine how may dead snails are in the substrate. this really sucks










what do you guys think, rip out the substrate or let it be?


----------



## The_Finglonger (Jun 21, 2010)

sorry for your loss. love the aquascape though.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

^ thanks man.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

Iok... looks like disaster may have been avoided. after a 125% water change over the last 2 days, it looks like the white water might be gone. no new shrimp deaths either.

i have made some changes to this tank over the past couple of weeks.

- no more wood. it looks cool, but man... i just couldn't handle the brown water any longer.
- all if the plants are stems. even the foreground.

- i think i finally got the co2/ferts thing down so i've added more light. now the lighting is 3x24w t5ho. i don't even think you can buy one of those (well, maybe catalina could make you one. idk) the 3rd bulb really makes a big difference. it allows me to hang the light higher while getting better coverage with a little more intensity.

plant list so far:

cabomba pulcherrima
limnophila aromatica
pogostemon stellatus
pogostemon stellatus 'broad leaf'
nesaea pidicellata
bacopa caroliniana (i think)
hygrophila corymbosa 'siamensis'
hygrophila corymbosa 'kompakt'
ludwigia repens
rotala rotundifolia
staurogyne 'repens'

i'll probably narrow that down a bit when i figure out how they all fit together and i'll post some pictures soon if my tank doesn't crash - lol.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

picture update:









well... there it is for now. 

just replanted everything this afternoon. i'm also waiting a lot of the plants in there to make the change from emmersed to immersed. should be pretty dutch before long.


----------



## sajata (Aug 21, 2009)

the attached clip form your photo is what i would call bacopa caroliniana.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

well, turns out i'm not dutch. lol

yesterday i yanked everything out. threw in some manzanita, some easy plants and called it good.

current plant list:

cyperus helferi, hygro kompakt, and tropica 049

as of ten mins ago:



















thanks for looking!!


----------



## Rhaethe (Jan 20, 2010)

Love it! 'Scapes that look like this make me happy


----------



## Nate McFin (Mar 19, 2009)

Nice and clean set up!
On a side note, does the tree next to the tank get any light beyond the light from the tank or is that enough to keep it growing?


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

Rhaethe said:


> Love it! 'Scapes that look like this make me happy


thanks! makes me happy too.



Nate McFin said:


> Nice and clean set up!


thank you. 



> On a side note, does the tree next to the tank get any light beyond the light from the tank or is that enough to keep it growing?


there's a lot of indirect sunlight involved. there's a big west facing window on the opposite side of the room.


----------



## chuukus (Jun 17, 2008)

Very nice!


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

^ thanks chuukus! i really appreciate that.


----------



## matthew.shelly (Dec 1, 2009)

wow the simple design is really working for me.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

matthew.shelly said:


> wow the simple design is really working for me.


you know, i did try some other stuff in there. i had some limnophila aromatica and pogostemon stellatus poking out of the manzy. it just looked too busy for me. i've got a whole bunch of plants in tubs right now because i didn't want to put them in there.

i did want to add more c. helferi and 049 but that's all i had. i think this tank will look best once everything bushes out. i'm hoping all that kompakt doesn't hide the wood.


----------



## Green Leaf Aquariums (Feb 26, 2007)

Simple and clean. When this gem fills in in it will look really nice. Well done OP!


----------



## roybot73 (Dec 15, 2007)

Less *is* more. Get rid of that question mark!
Super clean, super chill. Don't add anything, don't take anything away. Let it _grow_!

BTW -- old punk, huh? Like "The Exploited" old punk? "The Germs"? "UK Subs"? "Black Flag"? :hihi:


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

Green Leaf Aquariums said:


> Simple and clean. When this gem fills in in it will look really nice. Well done OP!


thanks O! 



roybot73 said:


> Less *is* more. Get rid of that question mark!
> Super clean, super chill. Don't add anything, don't take anything away. Let it _grow_!


alright!!! lol - i'll leave it alone.



> BTW -- old punk, huh? Like "The Exploited" old punk? "The Germs"? "UK Subs"? "Black Flag"? :hihi:


yup!


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

one scaping question if i may.

so... i really want to leave it alone.

but... i have some hygrophila corymbosa 'siamensis'. same leaf structure and color as the kompakt except it gets tall/less bushy. maybe it's just the hefeweizen talking, but would some added height to the kompakt give me more depth? uhhrrr!! i was thinking about throwing a few of those stems in on the left right in front of c. helferi.

ehh - lol


----------



## problemman (Aug 19, 2005)

Don't do it


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

^ haha - i left it alone. 

i decided to try some different fish instead.


----------



## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

Nice going oldpunk. This is your best layout yet I think. It will look awesome grown in just a bit more.


----------



## gringostar9 (Oct 11, 2010)

Looks great... Very Clean.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

hydrophyte said:


> Nice going oldpunk. This is your best layout yet I think. It will look awesome grown in just a bit more.


thanks man! i think this one's going to fill in rather quickly. i believe the kompakt may be "weed".



gringostar9 said:


> Looks great... Very Clean.


thanks ******!

i just traded in the glow lights for something different. they were great fish, too bad most of them jumped out.










i also just swapped out one of the 6,700K bulbs for a 10,000K. i'm mc lovin it. very crisp.

so now there is one 6,700K(hagen) as the noon burst and a 18,000K(pfff - power glo) and a 10,000K(zoo med ocean sun - very blue) for the duration.


----------



## acropora1981 (May 30, 2010)

oldpunk78 said:


> sometimes you live and you learn.
> 
> Always read what's in your fish food. Even if the type is too small to read with the naked eye. It may contain copper and kill all your shrimp and snails. this tank is a mess right now. white water, decaying shrimp/snails, dieing shrimp/snails. it's a sad day. i can only imagine how may dead snails are in the substrate. this really sucks
> 
> ...


 
I highly doubt the copper from NLS killed your inverts.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

^ you're probably right. I just couldn't find any other way to explain it. Any ideas?


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

picture time!









^ one of my favorite views.









^ new fish











some things to mention:

i finally figured out the correct amounts of fertilizer. (it's not like it's a sticky somewhere - lol)

built and installed a rex style reactor - got tired of the 7-up water.

finally got rid of the 6,700K bulbs, yeah!

on the verge of over stocking, hahaaha

that's about it. oh, and i'd like to thank all of you folks out there that have helped me out for the last couple years. this has to be one of the best forums out there - you people make it that way!


----------



## Cynth (Sep 11, 2010)

Really love the way this is looking now, very nice!


----------



## MrJG (Feb 21, 2007)

This is a beautiful, simple, and elegant layout. Love it. Always wanted to try the Kompact as well but never had the chance. Well done!


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

Cynth said:


> Really love the way this is looking now, very nice!


Thank you! I can't wait for the foreground to take off.


MrJG said:


> This is a beautiful, simple, and elegant layout. Love it. Always wanted to try the Kompact as well but never had the chance. Well done!


thanks. The kompakt is actuality a really easy plant. That is only like two pots worth and a couple of months growth.


----------



## chad320 (Mar 7, 2010)

I dont have anything for a comment other than this is looking great! Cant wait to see it all grown in.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

chad320 said:


> I dont have anything for a comment other than this is looking great! Cant wait to see it all grown in.


Thanks, I can't wait to see it all grown in either. That kinda sucks though because its such a slow growing tank. Easy maintenance at least...


----------



## acropora1981 (May 30, 2010)

oldpunk78 said:


> ^ you're probably right. I just couldn't find any other way to explain it. Any ideas?


I...no I dont. All I know is that I feed NLS to all my tanks; including my reef tank and have never had a copper issue from NLS. I don't use carbon or other resins on a regular basis.

Tank looks great btw  I love how the driftwood arcs to the left.


----------



## Chrisinator (Jun 5, 2008)

Awesome!


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

acropora1981 said:


> I...no I dont. All I know is that I feed NLS to all my tanks; including my reef tank and have never had a copper issue from NLS. I don't use carbon or other resins on a regular basis.
> 
> Tank looks great btw  I love how the driftwood arcs to the left.


hmm... maybe i've got an anaerobic pocket in there.



Chrisinator said:


> Awesome!


:icon_wink


----------



## ciler (Nov 5, 2010)

Looking great!


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

thank you, ciler. welcome to the forum!


----------



## GReichert (Oct 24, 2010)

What plants do you currently have in your tank?

Awesome tank by the way


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

^ thanks!
cyperus helferi, hygro kompakt, and tropica 049.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

here's an update.










i did a pretty big trim/replant today. the foreground has grown a little. that's about it.


----------



## speedie408 (Jan 15, 2009)

I like what u did OP. The cyperus looks awesome in there.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

Thanks Nick. The Cyperus is finally starting to grow. There were a lot of dead leaves with bba on them that I trimmed off yesterday.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

overgrown and algaefied



















i have a four day weekend coming up(Christmas) i'll probably fix things up a bit then.


----------



## xmas_one (Feb 5, 2010)

very "classy" 'scape, i dig it!


----------



## chumlee (Nov 4, 2010)

This will always be one of my favorite tanks...so natural looking and all I can think of is 'If I was a bolivian ram, that's where I would want to live!!!'


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

xmas_one said:


> very "classy" 'scape, i dig it!


Lol - he called the punk classy. Thanks dude.


chumlee said:


> This will always be one of my favorite tanks...so natural looking and all I can think of is 'If I was a bolivian ram, that's where I would want to live!!!'


Those rams love it in the stems. They stay put in there all day. They only hang out w/ us in the evening.


----------



## Superluminal (May 28, 2010)

What substrate is that?


----------



## chad320 (Mar 7, 2010)

This is proof that sometimes simplicity is better. Nice tank old one


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

Superluminal said:


> What substrate is that?


fine gravel, play-sand, and mud


chad320 said:


> This is proof that sometimes simplicity is better. Nice tank old one


thanks, chad!


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

post trim



















deficiency


----------



## acropora1981 (May 30, 2010)

I have that same plant with that same deficiency.... What do you think its deficient in?


----------



## speedie408 (Jan 15, 2009)

Squirt some excel on that bba on your manzy twigs bro.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

acropora1981 said:


> I have that same plant with that same deficiency.... What do you think its deficient in?


maybe micros, either that or potassium. here: deficiency help please 


speedie408 said:


> Squirt some excel on that bba on your manzy twigs bro.


alright man, next water change for sure - lol


----------



## jart (Jan 17, 2003)

How's your drop checker, OP? That could be a CO2 deficiency. I had the same issue with this plant in the past. Turned out it was CO2/ flow. But you should have no issue with flow in a tank that size.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

jart said:


> How's your drop checker, OP? That could be a CO2 deficiency. I had the same issue with this plant in the past. Turned out it was CO2/ flow. But you should have no issue with flow in a tank that size.


here's my drop checker 5 mins ago. 










that's the right color isn't it? if i turn it up much more the fish start to head for the surface.


----------



## acropora1981 (May 30, 2010)

I cant imagine its potassium - all of my macro's are potassium salts, so there's an absolute tonne of it in my tank. Could be another deficiency. I made a whole post on this very thing, but no one could give me a good answer. My drop checker is also lime green within a few hours of lights on.


----------



## jart (Jan 17, 2003)

Is your drop checker in close proximity to the plants that have the issue?


----------



## acropora1981 (May 30, 2010)

jart said:


> Is your drop checker in close proximity to the plants that have the issue?


No... good idea though  I'll check that out riiiight now...


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

jart said:


> Is your drop checker in close proximity to the plants that have the issue?


umm... no

the drop checker is about 5" below the water line and the plants w/deficiencies(all of them) are something like 7-8" below it. 

you think the co2 levels are too low at the bottom? how do i fix that? more flow?


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

i decided to pull out the sticks and clean the bba off them. unfortunately i couldn't figure out how to get them back in how i had them. so...

i changed things up again. i'm really unsure if i like it or not. it took two afternoons of messing with things and planting and replanting and i finally couldn't take it anymore and just left it.


----------



## chumlee (Nov 4, 2010)

I like it the same if not more than the original scape. I think that once the foreground plant grows in a bit it will look really nice (Im not fimiliar with that plant but Im sure it will grow enough to cover the bottom?)


----------



## boon (Mar 29, 2006)

It still looks good. The only adjustment I'll make is move the dark dw on the front right behind the plants. Let a portion of it stick out. Sorry if I'm not making any sense. Lol


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

chumlee said:


> I like it the same if not more than the original scape. I think that once the foreground plant grows in a bit it will look really nice (Im not fimiliar with that plant but Im sure it will grow enough to cover the bottom?)


thanks man. the foreground plant is tropica 049. i'm having trouble w/ it. lol 


boon said:


> It still looks good. The only adjustment I'll make is move the dark dw on the front right behind the plants. Let a portion of it stick out. Sorry if I'm not making any sense. Lol


the plan was to let the foreground swallow a bit of it. that makes sense though.

here's a better picture. (where's the white balance setting?!)










i robbed my 50 for the ferns and vals. hopefully they make a quick transition from brackish to fresh.


----------



## chumlee (Nov 4, 2010)

Btw, where's your filter output? 

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

^ right beside the little power head.


----------



## jart (Jan 17, 2003)

oldpunk78 said:


> you think the co2 levels are too low at the bottom? how do i fix that? more flow?


Sorry, I missed this before, but what I was suggesting was indeed, more flow. Has the issue worked itself out yet?


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

^
ehh... time will tell. i certainly hope so.


----------



## sewingalot (Oct 12, 2008)

Have you found the answer to your deficiency yet?


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

maybe.

it could be a lack of co2 and light. i've just reevaluated both of those things and made some changes so we'll see.


----------



## sewingalot (Oct 12, 2008)

What happened to make you get this conclusion? I am just curious because your drop checker always looks yellowish. I am wondering if that means I need to up co2 in one of my tanks.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

well, i think i might have had some flow issues with the reactor i was using. that would explain co2 dead spots. the bba made me think i had too much light and i kept raising it up. there may not have been enough light for the plants. since i'm ei dosing, ferts really shouldn't have been an issue.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

installed a new regulator this morning










no one ever mentions how heavy these thing are - this thing must weigh almost seven pounds.


----------

