# 「R.I.P」My First Planted Tank



## oscarsx (Mar 15, 2011)

Looking good already!  

Any plans for a background? 

- oz


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## mitchfish9 (Apr 30, 2012)

Your in the right place to start your first planted tank! What plants and fish are you thinking about?


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## iter (Apr 24, 2012)

> Looking good already!
> 
> Any plans for a background?
> 
> - oz


Haven't got that far .


As for the fish, I am just going to put the fish I had in the fish-only tank into there. Remember, I am focusing more on plants and getting the hang of all this, so the fish would basically just be there to contribute to the nitrogen cycle.

Just a side note, I am really good at keeping fish alive until they are too old to live, like my 5 year old tiger barbs (but sadly one of them died 3 days ago ). 


For the plants, I will reveal my plan when I finish hardscaping. :icon_roll


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## oscarsx (Mar 15, 2011)

You tease!!!! 

- oz


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## iter (Apr 24, 2012)

Okay, hardscape ready. What do you think? Feedback wanted!!!










I am using the Popsicle sticks as a way to determine the balance of the scape, since it is hard to picture plants in that!


This scape wouldn't much variety in plants because I want to keep this simple so that I would understand each plant individually. In general for the plants, I want to have stems in the two areas in the back, probably some rotalas or ludwigias. Main ground cover would be glosso, and the midground with crypts, because i think they would do well in there with the wood and the darker rocks.

As for tiny accents, probably some sparse eleocharis near the rocks.


What do you think?


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## iter (Apr 24, 2012)

Just a side note, this is all the material for layout I have!!! What I did now optimizes space for plants and tried to make it look as good as possible. My tank dimension is weird, 90*30*36cm, plus all my objects are small. Just some extra input to know.


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## iter (Apr 24, 2012)

Ok guys, don't make me talk to myself here. I NEED FEEDBACK!!!! THIS IS A CALL FOR HELP!!!


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## Mike1239 (May 20, 2012)

It looks ok but I would want the wood to be placed so its as tall as it can be and place another rock on the left of the wood and maybe move the the wood and rock to the right of it a little closer to the center


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## Curt_914 (Oct 6, 2007)

I would definitly replace the wood with another rock, and I would do a grouping of 3 rocks on the left 2-3 smaller on the right.

Curt


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## Inkedsphynx (Sep 17, 2012)

I think it looks pretty good, but one nitpick I would have is that the two features are too well balanced. That'll confuse the eyes and make it hard to define the actual focal point. I'd move the rocks around and try to make sure that the general size characteristics of the left feature is about 33% larger than the right feature. Another good way to do this without altering your scape too much is to try to make the left feature taller, as that will give the illusion that it takes up more of the tank, even if by overall volume it's roughly the same as the right feature.

Of course, you could also flip this to make the right side the main focal point instead, but try to avoid having two features of basically the same size characteristic, as that is tougher for the brain to process.


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## iter (Apr 24, 2012)

Thanks guys!

The main problem I have is that this is all the stuff I have for layout(don't ask)!!!

I knew the proportions of the areas are too even, just wasn't sure, so I'll definitely take your advice.

I already moved the wood higher, but I also wanted it at least a bit slanted because it would give the feeling of being emerged from the stem plants that I am planning to plant. The main point of this layout is to give as much planting space as possible, so I can learn how to grow the plants without too many physical obstacles.


Will update the picture as soon as I'm done fixing it!!!


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## Inkedsphynx (Sep 17, 2012)

If you don't have other scaping materials handy, there's ways you can help modify them a bit with a small mount of cash.

For instance, you could buy some small PVC pipes (1/4" or 1/2") and attach the wood to it, creating legs. This would allow you to raise the wood up higher in the tank, while still having solid support underneath so it won't fall over. This way you don't have to stick it so deeply into the substrate.

Another trick that can help is to slope the substrate more. Create a larger mound and then place a rock or the wood on top of that and it'll appear higher. As a side benefit, it looks more natural in my opinion to have a substrate that rolls and has divots and hills, rather than just flat. Not sure how well that'd work with your substrate, but it's an idea.

If you want to pick up more rock for super cheap, but don't have someplace nearby where you can forage for rocks, you can hit up a larger landscaping place. They usually have a pretty good selection of rocks. Some online digging can turn up multiple sources for rocks. I got 80lbs of Granite (hardly ended up using any of it) for something like 3$. Cost me more in gas to drive there and back!

I'm sure there's plenty of other creative ways to add to a scape. Just walk around Home Depot or Lowe's and you'll probably find a few ideas!


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## iter (Apr 24, 2012)

I too really think that I don't have enough things to work with, but I am making up for that by really thinking about the plants. For example, I would probably use glosso as the foreground because its lowness won't block to much.

This is only going to be the only time I will use this little materials, planning to go to Taiwan when I get my greencard to rock hunt the REALLY SPECIAL rocks that are present in the mountains (Florida is either limestone or sand....). The problem with getting more rocks is that my current rocks have strata, so the rocks must come from one place, which these three rocks do.

Right now I am more focusing on the planting, since I am already fixing the hardscape.


@Inkedsphynx: I am finding inert materials to raise the base of the aquasoil, since even though the plants would fill in the emptiness in the upper portion of the tank, raising some rocks would help a lot with the general depth. Thanks.


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## Inkedsphynx (Sep 17, 2012)

As far as plants go, I think another way to help the size balance would be to do as you said and go with something low growing not only in the extreme foreground, but right around the base of all the rocks. It would probably require some pretty diligent trimming and maintenance, but having a low growing plant around the front of the base of the rocks in particular will give them a larger sense of scale. I'd place the taller plants around the back of the rocks, and on the outside edges (relative to the sides of the tank). That would also achieve a nice little stony-grotto type affect I think


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## iter (Apr 24, 2012)

Okay, I raised the substrate as much as possible and somewhat changed the proportions of the two main areas. Any thoughts?








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Plants in the background: The main problem is that for some reason, I only have access to 2 green stem plants!!
Those are rotala nanjashen (which I like very much) and Hemianthus micranthemoides (which I have seen pictures of them growing very tall and bushy). I might incorporate a couple redder hue ludwigias to go along with all the green.

Plants in the midground: Haven't really decided yet, but probably going to go with some crypts, since they do give an interesting effect when they tower over low foreground plants. Tenellus might also be interesting, they could be good in between the "path" between the 2 rocks on the right. Hairgrass might be too "fuzzy" in combination for the plants that I plan to get.

Plants in the foreground: Glosso might be the main choice, since they are low growing and unlike HC, they grow faster. The only problem I have with carpet plants is that I don't have a curved trimming scissor, only a straight one, but trimming would come later and I would have time to decide if it is worth it (the curved trimming scissor I mean).

As a side note, I really want to somehow use hygrophila pinnatifida, is there any way I could incorporate in to this layout? They might look good by the rocks. This is just a suggestion, for no matter how cool that plant is, if it doesn't work then there is no point getting it.



Keep the feedback and reviews coming!!!


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## Inkedsphynx (Sep 17, 2012)

Looks much better! Like the way the substrate elevates towards the back now. Also think the driftwood looks much better standing in that position 

I think hygrophila pinnatifida would be a great plant to ring the back side of the right-most rock. Not sure how tall your tank is, so it might require some trimming towards the top if it gets too tall, but would add a nice darker color and also create a bit of a screen for that back corner, which would be useful for hiding an intake/heater and providing a sheltered location for fauna.

Hairgrass is cool, but I think it works best in a tank that's designed to be "grassy" as a theme. I've got some in my tank, but I think it's going to get swapped out for HC.

Depending on what carpet you go with you should have plenty of time to decide if the curved trimming scissors are worth it. I'd say they are, if you're going to have this tank for any length of time.

Why the limited access to background plants? Is that all you can get locally? Keep in mind there's many other great resources for getting your hands on plants. There's the RAOK/Trade forums here, online retailers like LiveAquaria or Aqua Forest Aquarium, or even things like Craigslist.


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## iter (Apr 24, 2012)

Thanks, I think it looks a lot better too!


As for the background plants, what I am trying to get hands on is rotala sp. "green" which I think it would do best in this tank. I am constantly checking the "FS/Trade" section on this forum for rotala stems. All the plants are ordered online, Florida (more specifically Orlando) is the worst place for planted aquariums. Those 2 plants aren't the only ones there, but they are the two I think would be good to practice trimming on, since they can get real dense and compact. I might also add ludwigia arcuata and other redder plants to have some red shades too.

As for other places to buy plants, liveaquaria has the issue with shipping fee, and their stock of plants are more or less equal to other non-shipping-fee heavy stores. As for AFA, I got my aquasoil with a shipping fee of $40, so I do not want to know the fee for live plants.


The main goal is to have all the plants come at one time, so I can start immediately when they arrive so there won't be any stressed plants who are waiting for others to arrive.

Sooner or later I would have a planting plan using Paint to show everything.


Chime in on this everyone!!!


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## Inkedsphynx (Sep 17, 2012)

Yea, I know what you mean about the shipping fees. I'm actually doing a big order from LiveAquaria in the next few days. Lucky for me, I wanted to pick up a bunch of fish that I can't find locally as well as some plants, so I decided I'd just go with LiveAquaria, as what I want totals just over 225$, so I get the free shipping (well, paying 3$ extra for overnight on the plants).

If you know any other people in the hobby in your area you could always try to put together a group buy 

Definitely check craigslist in your area too. You may not find people listing plants explicitly, but if you see people selling off freshwater setups that look like they were planted, you can always message to see if they have any plants they could sell, or even some stem cuttings you could get.

I'm sure you'll be able to find some stuff though. Oh, could always try Ebay too! If I had any plants that were all that interesting I'd offer some cuttings or stems of mine, but thus far I've only got the run-of-the-mill stuff like Anubias, Wisteria, Hairgrass, Microswords, etc.


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## Mike1239 (May 20, 2012)

Second scape is better take the wood out and I think it will be even better


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## iter (Apr 24, 2012)

Well, at least 2/3 of the wood is going to be covered by the stem plants, so it will create some sort of tension, as we can't clearly see the whole piece. 

Plus, I need some things to minimize the space for the plants. This is because I don't have anything more to replace any "empty spots." Besides, I like wood .

But I will post a picture soon with the wood out, just to see what happens.
Hey, this is my first time, I'm open to ideas!!!!

Oh BTW, I have an Anubis barteri var. nana. Just got it 2 years ago for fun, now this thing is HUGE!!! Where do you think it would be a good spot to put cuttings of it?


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## Mike1239 (May 20, 2012)

There is nothing wrong with empty spots


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## iter (Apr 24, 2012)

Just took the wood out to see what happens.

Sorry, a little blurry and forgot to turn off the flash:










What I feel about this is that this tank is not an iwagumi, the 2 areas on the sides are going to be filled with stem plants, so they need something (such as the wood) to transition from the midground to the background. I would probably put the wood back, but thanks for the suggestion anyways.


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## iter (Apr 24, 2012)

I have finally decided on the plants!!! This was an effort that took three days.

Here is a picture of the hardscape to help picture this:










The right side would have rotala rotund. in the corner, with a small amount of HG next to it. The "aisle" the 2 rocks to the right makes are going to be planted with cryptocorynes (still checking which ones are available), trying to get a hold of wendtii brown. The front right side would have some tenellus.

The main foreground would be glosso.

Rotala rotund. will be again used on the left side corner, with Ludwigia arcuata in front of it, without it touching the glass. More cryptocorynes are going to help the transition by being in in front of the wood.


Here is the actual map:










Uploaded with ImageShack.us


What do you guys think?


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## iter (Apr 24, 2012)

Any thoughts on the plant selection? Anyone? If not, then I'm going to start soon.


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## microw (Jun 30, 2012)

I'm liking it. The wood looks really good up like that. Also, your scape has a really nice line to it, it draws me right into the center.










I'm new to plants, so I'm not much help there.


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## iter (Apr 24, 2012)

If you go deeper, this should be where the eye would take:











The arrows pointing to the right looks weird right now, but when I add crypts in between the rocks the arrow would then work.


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## iter (Apr 24, 2012)

Found my fish inside my Fluval in the tank where I am temporarily putting them. I literally went insane trying to revive them. There all fine now and I put a screen over the intake since I forgot to add one since I started that temporary tank.

SO SCARY!!!


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## iter (Apr 24, 2012)

Wasn't able to do anything with the aquarium for a while, but did complete something yesterday: Completed hanging my light fixture!

This is what it looks like (it doesn't look blue in real life):











All that is left is to order my plants!!!! Finally!!!!!!!


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## iter (Apr 24, 2012)

*The Beginning*

After 1 year of researching planted tanks, 3 years of fish-only experience, 9 months of planning, and 10 hours of preparation and planting in all-nighter mode, I started this:





























This tank would be somewhat based off of Frank Wazeter's method for his Mini M thread here.

Will post supplies and equipment after I rest from last night's planting.


Speak your mind! Post anything (hopefully useful :icon_roll)! Feedback wanted!


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## Kathyy (Feb 22, 2010)

A+
All that studying up is going to pay off now, looks great. Plants are good, not too hard to grow and in good scale to the size of the tank, hardscape looks good and love the way you put all the hardware to one side. Good move.


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## dastowers (Feb 19, 2011)

Your tank has lots of great energy. Wonderful job!


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## iter (Apr 24, 2012)

> A+
> All that studying up is going to pay off now, looks great. Plants are good, not too hard to grow and in good scale to the size of the tank, hardscape looks good and love the way you put all the hardware to one side. Good move.


Thanks, studying can be hard sometimes when you don't know where to start . I didn't select too many species due to simplicity (yes, I don't have collectoritis yet ). But I am worried a bit about the glosso as I didn't really plant it correctly and some of it is emmersed.....


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## iter (Apr 24, 2012)

After a water change, still a bit cloudy:










I have a question, those who used Seachem Equilibrium, is it supposed to be like sandstone which is hard but you can somewhat easily crush? Also, is it supposed to leave some grains which looks like silica sand that would not dissolve after adding it into the water? Thanks.


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## iter (Apr 24, 2012)

Here are the list of equipment:

*Tank, stand, substrate, light:*
-29 gallon tank 90cm (L)*30cm (W)*36cm (H). Both stand and tank are from craigslist for like 36 bucks
-ADA Amazonia (used two 9 liters)
-Hagen Glo 36" Dual-bulb with Giesemann Midday and Aquaflora


*Filter, filter media, plumbing:*
-Eheim 2215
-A output pipe from MarineDepot
-Seachem Matrix Carbon
-The Ehfimech that came with the filter
-ADA Bio Rio
-1/2" vinyl tubing


*CO2, fertilizers:*
-GLA Nature Beast Regulator
-5lb Cylinder from GLA
-Fluval bubble counter
-Seals
-Rhinox 2000. Its ceramic disc didn't function correctly so:
-Small powerhead with a venturi
-2 Brass check valves
-Fertilizers from GLA: KNO3, KH2PO4, Plantex CSM+B


*Water quality, additives:*
-Seachem Equilibrium
-Seachem Acid Buffer (our tap has a pH of 8+)
-Seachem Prime
-Seacehm Stability


*Maintenance:*
-UP Aqua Forceps
-Algae Pad scrubber
-Kent Metal Blades
-Hydor Seltz L20 (for water changes)
-Three 5 gallon buckets
-1 mega net, 1 medium net, and 1 fine net
-Curved Nature 6.5" Scissor
-Small 5" surgical scissors (my mom was a nurse, and the hospital got some extras)


*Miscellaneous:*
-API Master Test Kit
-API GH & KH Test Kit
-Mopani Wood
-Some stones from the sea


Extra notes:
-I use only tap water for now, but I do have a Reverse Osmosis unit at disposal
-The lighting in the pictures isn't really accurate, still trying to figure out the camera
-Photo-period is 10 hours
-Dosing EI
-Thank you Frank Wazeter for the inspiration to start this aquarium


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## iter (Apr 24, 2012)

Oh yeah, the plants:

*List of plants:*
-Glossostigma elatinoides (sadly over half of the pots came in emergent form. Yeah, lots of rot and unusable plants)
-Either Rotala indica or Rotala rotundifolia (can't really tell the difference)
-Hemianthus micranthemoides
-Cryptocoryne wendtii 'bronze/Tropica'
-Cryptocoryne wendtii 'green'


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## iter (Apr 24, 2012)

Got bored last night and decided to play around with the camera and got some fun ideas :icon_idea:

Oh, forgot to turn off the kitchen's light :icon_roll.


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## brinks (Dec 19, 2007)

I like Anubias Barteri var. nana for a forground plant, no pruning required.


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## iter (Apr 24, 2012)

Okay, 3rd Day!

There is so far no crypt melt, good . Either the crypts are already in submersed form or its just not happening yet.
The glosso is starting to take root and so are the crypts.
Can't really tell whats happening with the root system of the rotalas and the HM, but I assume they're okay since they're not dying.

Still tweaking around with the CO2. Can anyone recommend anything else for CO2 distribution? I am planning to replace the venturi with either a better pump or a different system (probably CO2 atomizers from GLA). Would like a glass diffuser but sadly there are no good cheap ones. 


Feedback is appreciated!


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## iter (Apr 24, 2012)

Oh no, found a lot of hitchhiker bladderworts .


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## iter (Apr 24, 2012)

Day 5-No algae seen, plants recovering from shock (the planting didn't go so well). Slowly dosing the macros and micros, and still trying to find a temporarily CO2 distribution method. So far it is a venturi.


Current conditions of the plants (sorry, bad at pictures):

Glosso is spreading runners!!!









Hemianthus is starting to perk up, it stopped getting browned leaves









I don't know yet if the rotala is growing, but I do know that it is not dying because I discovered last night that the crowns of the rotala close.....HOW FREAKING AWESOME IS THAT? Since I am pretty sure dying plants won't do that, they look to be fine, though they are still twisted from the shipping.









Need to organize the leaves of the crypt greens when their roots get established, or else I have to replant them again which is not my favorite task. The crypt bronze are doing fine, beginning to see some sprouting leaves!









A random picture 










What do you guys think? Any thoughts?


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## Kathyy (Feb 22, 2010)

For right now you could move the power head so its outflow adds to the Eheim's outflow, might move the CO2 around the tank better. Or not as pretty but reflects what the ADA tanks do and put the powerhead on the other end of the tank low so the water from the filter flows across the tank and down then the powerhead continues the movement and pushes water back to the filter's intake. Right now the powerhead's outflow might be pushing against the filter's flow pattern.

The only stem plant that has straightened out for me has been Persicaria Kawagoneanum. All the rest curve after a day of no light and I have to wait for new growth before they look right. Annoying.

I would tell the vendor that there was a lot of bladderwort on your plants. That is not good. Good that you picked it out, it can be difficult to get rid of.

See if you can push the white stems of the glosso down without messing anything up, it should root there.

Looks good, like your arty photos too!


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## iter (Apr 24, 2012)

> For right now you could move the power head so its outflow adds to the Eheim's outflow, might move the CO2 around the tank better. Or not as pretty but reflects what the ADA tanks do and put the powerhead on the other end of the tank low so the water from the filter flows across the tank and down then the powerhead continues the movement and pushes water back to the filter's intake. Right now the powerhead's outflow might be pushing against the filter's flow pattern.


First of all, well, the pump is only 60gph (not a lot). I placed the it there because the CO2 rises up and gets picked up by the filter's output flow. But I will try the suggested .

I am currently feeding CO2 into the inlet of a 180 gph pump (this is just an experiment). It works WONDERFUL, got a nice bubble saturation. The downsides are that this is a 180 gph pump and everything is bending right now. Another thing is that it is LOUD when the CO2 gets into the pump. We are actually trying to fix our previous Rhinox diffuser, which could first of all be a lot more aesthetically pleasing and silent . In the end I might just get a GLA Atomizer for the sake of less hassle and really misty bubbles.


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## iter (Apr 24, 2012)

The things that work and the things that didn't work.

Work- CO2 on a 60 gph venturi pump is a good when it is under the filter output

Does not work- Rhinox Diffuser (ceramic disc didn't function properly), CO2 fed into a 180 gph pump (CO2 bubbles were just what I needed, but a dust storm was not)


Conclusion- In the future I would almost surely get an atomizer, it is relatively cheap, makes micro bubbles, and shouldn't be as loud as that 180 gph pump. The venturi would be the temporary solution.


Other things- Might get a small wavemaker since my filter's output isn't as strong as I hoped it would be. The reason is my tank is pretty long, but has a smaller water volume compared to tanks of the same size (it has a small width). The filter output would push water through the front half of the tank and then the wavemaker would do likewise for the back of the tank.

I also planted the glosso as Kathyy recommended, will see how it goes.


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## iter (Apr 24, 2012)

Well, day 5!

I have a problem.

The problem is that a weird brownish film is appearing on the cryptocoryne leaves and some on the rocks. It could be one of the two things: beginning of algae or Aquasoil dust. I thought about the Aquasoil because during the planting I had to replant twice :icon_redf (don't ask) and it probably created a lot of dust. 

The other option is algae which I new it would come sooner or later . I did reassure myself that it is nothing like BBA, more so leaning towards diatoms since it is brown in color and makes a film. The reason it is causing trouble is because it basically covers the crypt leaves. There are probably some on other plants but the crpyts are easier to see on.

I'll post a picture or two later. 

Aside from this, I can say that crowns of the rotala is showing new growth!! The glosso are really starting to get going, but it would still take a while to get the carpet. Crypts are sprouting new leaves. The HM however is still stagnant in growth, don't really know if it is dying or growing.


More importantly, when is a good time to add otos? As an extra note, I have to say that I currently have no access to any Amano Shrimps. They sometimes appear in petsupermarket, will be searching for some.


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## iter (Apr 24, 2012)

Did a bit of research, the film are diatoms. The 10 aquarium that I keep my fish from the previous fish-only project was sitting by the window. The same stuff grew all over the glass and I validated what is was. 

Heh, thought it was aquasoil dust .


How do you get rid of diatoms?


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## iter (Apr 24, 2012)

Nothing much to say, but rotalas are growing and pearling and the HM is getting greener growth. 

The algae on the crypt leaves are still a bit annoying, I have to wipe it off the leaves daily to prevent it getting choked; but it is not a major concern. Had to replant the crypts in the right side because I didn't plant it well the first time and everything was floating. The crypts are also melting, not too much of a concern for me.

I also found a way to get glosso to grow low: cut the long, tall runners and replant them. This is working BEAUTIFULLY!!

Other than the plants, I lowered the light and increased CO2. I am now dosing full EI. One thing I learned this week is that I hate floating plants more than dying plants.


I'll get some pictures once the water clears up from the Equilibrium.


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## iter (Apr 24, 2012)

Okay, pics!











Where the tank stands inside the house:




























I actually found out that the tank having a small width is a good thing in my situation. Since it is in a junction between the kitchen+dining area and the living room, it provides good walking space.

Comments anyone? Suggestions?


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## iter (Apr 24, 2012)

Ok, so I have some questions regarding algae.

First, when is it possible to add otos? Since I am getting some diatoms and other types of algae that to them would look like a feast, when is it possible to add them? When ammonia is 0? Nitrite and nitrate?

Second, the algae I am getting are so far only affecting the crypts. Even though they are doing their melting thing, I am seeing young and new leaves getting a thin layer of some sort of brownish algae. Its thankfully not BBA, or other types of filamentous algae. Its kinda like GDA except that it is brown and when you move your finger for example on the rocks, it creates a residue on the fingers.

There is also a root thing with the rotalas which you can see from the pics.


Here are the pics of the algae (sorry, close-ups are difficult). A thing to note is in the first picture, the leaf where you can see the brighter green is the leaf that had been wiped in only the middle for comparison. The algae was fairly easy to wipe. Hope someone can ID this and tell me how to solve these problems!!


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## iter (Apr 24, 2012)

Tested the water today, got these results:

Ammonia- 0 ppm 
Nitrite- 1 ppm :icon_eek:
Nitrate- 8 ppm

pH- 7.0
Gh- 6 dkh (107.4 ppm)
Kh- 3 dkh (53.7 ppm)


Can anyone tell me when to add otos? All those algae need to be eaten!!


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## iter (Apr 24, 2012)

Update:

The tank can be described in one word: pea

Luckily I know why it happened: ammonia spike because of adding fish. It just needs a good'ole water change .


All the plants are growing fine. The rotalas and the hemianthus needed to be replanted because I didn't do a good job of planting them in the first place (hey, I'm a n00b ). The older leaves of the crypts are still melting, but the young leaves are doing great. Glosso is being stupid and taking over everything :angryfire. 

Gonna stock about 6 otos today and some amano shrimps if I can find them.


The algae conditions:
Light green water (not much of a deal to me, just water change).
GDA, some present.
Brown stuff on ornaments and some leaves (I'll see what happens).
Had Spirogyra :icon_eek:, but it went away for no apparent reason :biggrin:.
Had some hair algae but after manual removal it never came back roud:.
No 'tough' algae (BBA) since my CO2 is pretty good.

The conclusion: You might call me crazy but I am actually very delighted to see the diversity of algae species and their habits!!! My motto: To understand algae, you must experience it!!! So far my plan for taking care of the things above is nothing (well, except for otos). I am just going to let everything settle down and stabilize because the tank just went through a major replanting, change of light intensity (I raised the light fixture), and being stocked with fish. I am just going to wait everything out.

Going to do a HUGE water change on Saturday and clean everything, this would reset nutrient imbalance and other stuff due to my negligence .

To those who are curious about my fish, they are just transfers from by 10 gallon which kept my fish temporarily from my last fish-only projects. Yeah, not very exciting. But since they were with me for soooo long, letting them live in a tank with plants is my Christmas gift to them :icon_bigg. But I do have a trained tiger barb which is at least 5 years old (yeah, its family now). All its buddies died though, so now he/she is the most gentle tiger barb in the world (never attacks other fish, even plays with them at times).



Pics coming soon!!!!! It's going to be a bit blurry due to the green water


P.S. I have a side project, TRYING TO GET MY ANUBIAS TO SEED!!!!!! Pictures of that too is coming .


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## iter (Apr 24, 2012)

Ah, pics . I will say I rushed them so some stuff are out of focus :icon_redf. Enjoy my algae tank!!!!


FTS










Green water and dirty tubes










My lovely tiger barb roud:, but is out of focus :icon_mad:










Rotala propagation . I am actually confident that they would one day make a beautiful background :bounce:!!!










Crypt Tropica










Crypt Green has finally come back!!!!










Nothing to say but patience










Viral glosso.....










Glosso on day 1










Need to clean.....










Everything after a HUGE water change on Saturday will be better!!!!

Anubias barteri nana flower pics coming up!!!!


PLEASE LEAVE SOME ADVICE, COMMENTS, CRITICISM, etc.


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## iter (Apr 24, 2012)

Okay, new type of algae to battle: staghorn


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## iter (Apr 24, 2012)

I had no idea why I got all the algae, so I decided to clean the filter. The filter media turned the water pitch black and I almost puked . I took out half the carbon and added in one whole bag of Ehfisubstrate or whatever you want call it. Hopefully this would solve a big part of the problem *fingers crossed*.

I also think I found another for the algae: CO2. When I added the fish I forgot to turn the CO2 back up after they got acclimated :icon_roll.

Meanwhile here are some pics of the anubias flower which I hope gets to seed.
I was a bit late on the emersed flower picture, it dried up . I used Q-tips to attempt to pollinate, will think of a method to capture the seeds if there is any.


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## karce87 (Dec 6, 2012)

I want my anubias to flower too! About the algae, I think you should try blackout before anything else. I'd take an unused toothbrush to brush all the algae off the rocks and DW. A few things I'd do.


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## iter (Apr 24, 2012)

Good luck with your anubias!!! Well, mine is 2-3 years old and this is the first time I was able to record flowering. I read somewhere that they flower when more you add more PO4, you could try that .

As for the algae, I am waiting for things to stabilize since I changed over 70% of the filter media a few days ago. The green water probably was caused by an ammonia spike from the lack of nitrifying bacteria since I accidentally used tap water on the filter media . I would try the blackout method if everything else doesn't work since it does kill plants too and my plants are in a vulnerable state.

Well, what can I do but to wait; would try to get some otos as cleanup crew when ammonia goes down.


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## iter (Apr 24, 2012)

LOL the blackout worked BEAUTIFULLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Everything is like crystal clear. Thank you karce87 for the tip!!!!!!


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## iter (Apr 24, 2012)

Here is the tank now after a 90% water change. If you compare this to previous FTS's, you can see how much clearer this is because of the 3-day blackout.


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## iter (Apr 24, 2012)

Look who is here 



















On the crypts. They actually have _very_ long poop strands :hihi::









On the crypt green:










I originally wanted 7 otos, but since the Petsmart has 9, I took all of them since the others left would be lonely . 9 otos should be more effective in algae cleaning anyways .

They were actually really unhealthy in Petsmart, they are safe now in algae heaven :angel:.


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## iter (Apr 24, 2012)

I present you the snail 

It was crawling under the surface of the water.


Meanwhile the tank is going okay; almost all the rotalas died; the hemianthus recovered; crypts just slowly growing; and glosso being ever so invasive. This Saturday the glosso and the HM is going to get a good haircut. The water is crystal clear and the tank still follows EI dosing.

I need some advice on trimming so PLEASE GIVE ME TIPS!!!!!


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## LyzzaRyzz (Nov 6, 2012)

What fry are those? Your barb is so pretty! 
I always thought they were gorgeous, but they are fun nippers so none for me...
Plants are looking great!


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## iter (Apr 24, 2012)

OKAY GUYS, HOW DO YOU TRIM GLOSSO AND HG?????? :help::help::help::help::help:

This is what my tank looks like, sorry, iPad picture. The plants are 20 more vibrant and green. And please excuse that giant anubias, its temporary :icon_smil.


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## iter (Apr 24, 2012)

> What fry are those? Your barb is so pretty!
> I always thought they were gorgeous, but they are fun nippers so none for me...
> Plants are looking great!


Thanks for the compliments and the post! Starting to get lonely updating things for myself :icon_sad:.

I am not sure what you mean by fish fry....

P.S. The Tiger barb is about 6-7 years old


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## GMYukonon24s (May 3, 2009)

iter said:


> Thanks for the compliments and the post! Starting to get lonely updating things for myself :icon_sad:.
> 
> I am not sure what you mean by fish fry....
> 
> P.S. The Tiger barb is about 6-7 years old




I think that when LyzzaRyzz asked about the fish fry. LyzzaRyzz was thinking that the fish in the bucket were fry. At first I even thought they were fry until I seen the next pic of the oto.

The fish in the bucket are otos right?


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## iter (Apr 24, 2012)

> The fish in the bucket are otos right?


Yup


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## iter (Apr 24, 2012)

Okay, here is before and after of the trim. Trimmed everything as low as possible and replanted the HG. And sorry, no High Quality pictures for a while until we buy a new camera 

Before:









After:


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## iter (Apr 24, 2012)

Yay!! The dslr is back!!!! Good pictures now!!!!


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## iter (Apr 24, 2012)

Okay, here is the update for 1-29-13!!

FTS and side view


















As you can see, the water is crystal clear and algae non-existent :thumbsup:
You can also see all that vacant space, which was once filled with rotalas. I am going to try again with rotalas. This time with experience and knowledge of how to plant them :thumbsup:


Crypt Green finally growing as I wanted it to. The only problem is that it is not getting the vibrant green that I want, but we'll see what will become of this.










Crypt Tropica. Normal and growing properly :icon_cool










The glosso after the trim is recovering REALLY FAST; so many new leaves and finally horizontal runners :icon_bigg










The hemianthus was really healthy this time:










As you can see, I temporarily removed the wood. The reason is that the nails which supported the wood from falling wasn't stainless steel, so it rusted. I will tie a stone this time to the wood to anchor it.


Just a nice angle 











Just as a side information, I currently spend about 4 hours a week on this. Most of it is just the water change, trimming doesn't take to long.

My next project: Build a DIY surface skimmer and start my EMMERSED PLANT "FARM"!!!!!!!


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## scapegoat (Jun 3, 2010)

you need to rehome that tiger barb. they do best in schools of 7+ and 7 of those will get too big for your tank. this lone guy may start harassing other fish.

otherwise, looking good. looking forward to seeing those plants growing in the corner


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## iter (Apr 24, 2012)

I had fun is all I can say :bounce:




























Now to get on with the emmersed setup 



> you need to rehome that tiger barb. they do best in schools of 7+ and 7 of those will get too big for your tank. this lone guy may start harassing other fish.


I understand that tiger barbs need 7+ of their kind to avoid damage to other fish, but he has been alone for about a year now, and there is no sign of nipping or aggressive behaviors. He is tamed and is calm; you can hand feed him and play with him. He sometimes even play around with the decor and equipment . He has been through harsh treatment for 6 years under my inexperience as an aquarist, but now I know he is happy in a planted tank roud:.


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## BoxxerBoyDrew (Oct 16, 2005)

WOW,

Your tank is looking very good!!! The Gloso is spreading very well and the crypts are sweet!!!

The Tiger Barb is looking Happy! They are TOUGH FISH!!! It is good to see them when they get full grown and their adult colors are cool! At the age he is I doubt you should have any problems with aggression! The rest of your fish look very happy as well!

The DIY skimmer is a good idea, but when the water evaporates it will go out of adjustment. I would get one of the Fluval surface skimmers that is attached to your filter input. I have used them for years, and they work VERY WELL! The skimmer floats, so it will adjust for evaporation, and it pulls water from the top and middle of the tank too, so it does a good job of removing waste! They are pretty cheap to IIRC. I think the last one I got was around $12. But that has been 6 years ago, so it might have gone up like everything else!!! GRRRRRR

Anyway keep up the great work, and I really want to see the rest of the tank fill in!
Drew

p.s. Are your lights HO(high output) or Normal output? I am asking because I have a 29g that was given to me, and since you are getting great gloso growth with your light setup, I was wondering! Thanks


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## iter (Apr 24, 2012)

BoxxerBoyDrew said:


> WOW,
> 
> Your tank is looking very good!!! The Gloso is spreading very well and the crypts are sweet!!!


Thank you, it really means a lot to me! I worked hard to get these results.

As for the skimmer, I only use it for about 10 minutes in the morning to clear things up for the rest of the day, then I take the cup out or else it will start to fall apart (it's paper). It is not a permanent piece of equipment.



BoxxerBoyDrew said:


> p.s. Are your lights HO(high output) or Normal output? I am asking because I have a 29g that was given to me, and since you are getting great gloso growth with your light setup, I was wondering! Thanks


DON'T REMIND ME OF THE DAYS OF CHOOSING LIGHTS!!! 

Just kidding 
My light fixture is a Hagen Glo 36 inch Dual-bulb T5HO fixture with the bulbs being Giesemann Aquaflora and Midday both being 39 watts.

This is where all my light problems came to an end: http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?p=1951661#post1951661

Thank you Hoppy!!!


There is a chart that shows the PAR measurements of common fixtures, which is what I used to pick my light. It may not seem like it but my tank is considered a "low light tank" according to the chart. I don't have enough experience to say too much about why I am getting good growth, but I have to say when I got my CO2 down and started sticking to a good fertilizer regime lots of things were fixed. Good luck on that 29g!!!!

I might halt the rotalas for a while since we are getting a dog; things are gonna get hectic here :help:


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## iter (Apr 24, 2012)

I encountered a problem with the glossostigma a few days ago.

I apparently didn't plant the glosso very well in the first place, which led to its runners not staying on the surface or under the surface of the substrate. This means that every time I trim I basically kill everything.

Solution: Pull out the glosso and replant it.

Was back-breaking

Here is a pic 2 days later:









After the middle area stabilizes, I will move on to replant the back and some other parts too.


Some other good benefits: I was able to suction out LOADS of crap from under the glosso from my last trim. Plus I really crippled the snail population; those snails....


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## iter (Apr 24, 2012)

Tank is currently in a mess.......
Until things get organized here I can't take pictures 


BTW I got shrimp for the first time ever; so interesting critters . They were marketed as amano shrimps but I don't really think so.....nonetheless, blue shrimps are cool :icon_cool


Sadly, there was a catastrophe......my 7 year old tiger barb and some other fish died overnight. Cause: forgot to add dechlorinator :icon_redf:frown:
Never thought that it would make that big of a difference when not adding dechlorinators.....

THERE DEATHS WILL NOT BE IN VAIN. THEY WILL SAVE COUNTLESS FISH IN THE FUTURE FOR I WILL NEVER AGAIN FORGET TO ADD THAT BOTTLE OF SEACHEM PRIME.


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## iter (Apr 24, 2012)

Finally, update!!!

I will start by saying that I took out all the glossostigma, took away all the dead parts, and with the patience of a snapping turtle I spent 8 hours over 4 days planting them individually . I think I worsened my scoliosis :help:.

Anyways, here is the glosso as of now:









I am putting special attention to the glosso, hopefully it would pay off by it growing horizontally.


I also found some Ludwigia arcuata from Petsmart in Topfin packages, still trying to cultivate them:










The Hemianthus is growing like a weed, I will trim it next week:










The crypts are finally growing the way I want them to, which is to have big broad leaves, though the right corner needs more time:










Found some Cladophora last week and quickly removed it roud::










The shrimp pictures that I promised-

Amano:









Unknown, anyone want to take a guess?











FTS and angle shots:




















Can't wait until glosso fills in properly . Still trying to source some more Rotala rotundifolia's.....

Currently no sign of algae and everything is growing at its best! CO2 at about 4 bps. Normal EI. About 65% water change once a week on Saturday. I did lower the light by an inch to increase growth. 

I also finally got the filter output and the CO2 venturi at the right places to minimize CO2 loss and waste.

Now the hard part: PATIENCE FOR THINGS TO GROW.......


Enjoy!!!


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## iter (Apr 24, 2012)

I present you.....An Update!!! 3-10-13

First of all I spent 5 hours doing a "spring cleaning" on everything: Cleaned filters, trimmed, wiped the glass, etc. The filter was in a disgusting state when I opened it, now I know that I have to clean it more often. I also added ADA Bio-Rio, for that reason the tank's water is a bit cloudy, but should clear up in a few days. Other than that, time to talk about the tank:


I am starting to get that nice glosso carpet, the trick was careful trimming :icon_smil.




























Amano shrimp 










I took a few shots yesterday morning when I realized that there was a bit of sunlight leaking through our windows into the aquarium. Enjoy!









I never noticed how much texture and detail this rock has until yesterday :hihi:










Usual FTS and another angle:



















You probably noticed I did some stuff :icon_surp

Basically I mowed all the crypt's crowns. I was simply curious how they will grow back since they are not really growing into the form that I expected, so probably a restart method is good. I know it will take probably a few months for it to grow back but it should be worth the wait.

Also, I did not take out the hemianthus, just trimmed it REALLY short. This was my first time truly ever trimming a well grown bunch of stem plants, so I just kinda want to see what happens if I trimmed it low.



I know everything looks bare now, but the point of this aquarium is to experiment and experience planted tanks, to learn how things grow and react to factors such as increase in nutrient dosing (yeah, did that too).

What do you think everyone? Anything I need to change?


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## iter (Apr 24, 2012)

I just some maintenance pics .





































My water supply roud:










Some other shots:




















FTS:










I pulled out all the ludwigia on the right and replanted them while taking out dead stuff. Ludwigia arcuata is now my new background plant .


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## iter (Apr 24, 2012)

Well, my dad just came back from Taiwan and got me a little something for a surprise:




















It is a (not broken) Mr. Aqua Spiral CO2 diffuser. They are actually REALLY good for $20; making extremely small bubbles that don't rise to the surface easily. The reason that they get horrible ratings in stores like MarineDepot is because they always get broken during delivery. So lucky me :hihi:!


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## iter (Apr 24, 2012)

Well, my first CO2 disaster :icon_redf. The fish are floating in the left back corner (isn't visible in the picture). After about 2 hours with the tank like this everything turned back to normal. 

The cause of this: Yesterday I was testing out the maximum CO2 I could add into the tank in the afternoon, where the CO2 turned off after about an hour I turned it up. I forgot to turn it down and I left early in the morning so I wasn't able to monitor the CO2. Came back 6 hours later to this.

Commencing Operation Aeration:









Thankfully no casualties or damage to fauna :thumbsup:.


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## iter (Apr 24, 2012)

Update- 4/3/13

Well first thing off, I trimmed the glosso (probably a bit too much). Unlike the first time I trimmed, this time there was an underlying layer of stems on the bottom so the plants are still alive .

Through trial and error, I PLEDGE TO MASTER GLOSSO TRIMMING THIS YEAR!!!


Other than that, I got a HYDOR KORALIA!!! The model is the one with 240 gph. So far it is working great, has the perfect amount of flow for my application, which is for water to reach the other side of the tank. My filter only pushes the water from one end of the tank to the other, so the Hydor completes the cycle.
Many people review that the Hydor 240 is too weak for even nano tanks, but don't confuse a reefer's situation with ours. The Hydor 240 is capable of moving water across a 90cm without much bending of the plants on the other side. I will recommend this to all who's tanks are around 90cm in length. Any longer, then its effect diminishes; any shorter then the plants are going to really bend a lot.

Everything else is looking fine with the exception of the presence of Blue-green algae. It's not like its a huge mat like you see when you search for it on Google Images but there is a significant amount in isolated spots throughout the tank. If you look at the FTS you can see across the left side's bottom at the glosso the faint blue-green color.

How do you get rid of it? A blackout will do great but I am afraid it will do more harm than good (especially to the glosso at this post-trimming stage). I need help! :help::help::help:


Well here are the pictures:

Right after the trim









After 1 week










Hydor Koralia




















FTS on 4/3/13










BTW for those who didn't notice, the Venturi pump for co2 is back! WHY? Cause I broke the glass one .......Planning on getting a GLA Atomic diffuser.


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## iter (Apr 24, 2012)

Weekly update: 4/6/13

I finally got a Kent Proscraper and let me just say: IT IS AWESOME 

I finally got the back glass panel a thorough cleaning for the first time, since previously I always uprooted the stem plants when I try clean it with an algae pad, so I gave up. Even after 2 months of GDA, GSA, and some filamentous algae build-up, the scraper did its thing roud:

Meanwhile the glosso is recovering pretty good, the tank will look much better by next week.










Here's just a pic of the Hemianthus (with a tip I accidently pulled off):










Overall FTS:










As you can see, I removed the Hydor Koralia due to too much flow. I got it originally because my filter wasn't putting enough flow. I found out it was due to a small clog, so when I fixed it everything was in a whirlwind. But my short experience with the wavemaker was a positive one, would definitely use one in the future if needed.


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## javajive1981 (Feb 20, 2013)

*Re: My First Planted Tank- 4/6/13 Update*

It looks really nice.


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## iter (Apr 24, 2012)

javajive1981 said:


> It looks really nice.


Thank you! It means a lot to me .


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## AguaTropical (Apr 3, 2013)

I like the way you've kept it simple, but also intriguing. I also like how you aren't scared to take some risks and experiment...I'm sure you're learning a lot that way lol good work roud:


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## iter (Apr 24, 2012)

AguaTropical said:


> I like the way you've kept it simple, but also intriguing. I also like how you aren't scared to take some risks and experiment...I'm sure you're learning a lot that way lol good work roud:


Thank you very much! I just have to say, experimenting and taking risks is not easy and really ticks you off sometimes. Take my glosso for an example: I CANNOT FIND A WAY FOR IT TO STAY HORIZONTAL :angryfire:angryfire:angryfire:angryfire:angryfire!!!

Every time I trim, it always end up growing upwards no matter how strong my light is.......now I am mainly experimenting with trimming techniques. But the problem with doing stuff like that is once that scissor snips, there is no going back. And so far every time I snip I always do something wrong . 

But this how I learn things: to get pissed off by unsatisfactory results and then getting the motivation from that to find the solution :hihi:.


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## iter (Apr 24, 2012)

Special news! Plant acquired: Alteranthera reineckii "Cardinalis"

Let me first make this clear first: This is not a symptom of collectoritis (yet :hihi; I was simply sick of the left side being all empty and found 2 packs of tissue cultured Alteranthera so I went why not? I then thought more about it on the way home; the wide red leaves of the Alteranthera would make a beautiful contrast with the HM!

Enough of the chatter, here are some pics:

Official packaging:









Took it out:









Separated it while taking the gel and some dead things off (I am really thorough with plant preparation, took me about 2-3 hours):










Planted!




















I have never dealt with so much plant density before, this is going to be AWESOME!!! Sadly it takes about 2 weeks before they kick off.....

I cut the Heminathus a bit so it doesn't overshadow the plantlets. I replanted the HM stems to make the already-thick bunch thicker. I'm going to trim it when the Ludwigia reaches the surface.

I also realized that I am getting a lot more skilled with my forceps, right now I can use 2 forceps to tie knots and ties :biggrin:. I also found out that when planting plants using forceps, it is necessary to use the right angle, with the right force, with the right release time, and the proper opening angle of the forceps. It takes some time for me to warm up before I can plant effectively.

Oh and the FTS (don't mind the floating rotalas, they are going to an emersed setup soon):


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## iter (Apr 24, 2012)

Update 4-13-13:

Nothing much really :icon_roll. However there is one thing notable: The aquarium is now at a state of pretty good balance. Algae issues are non-significant, and the plants are growing really well. The Alternanthera that I planted 3 days ago are still sending roots into the soil. After they get rooted then they will start their crazy growth; probably in one more week.

I am planning to get a GLA Atomic Inline diffuser once they are in stock, really sick of that venturi pump (though pretty effective).

Going to try to make the glosso go horizontal by experimenting on trimming techniques. Waiting for a couple of more days to see if trimming works. I am also going to be trimming the HM when most of the bottom crowns are higher than the driftwood.

One last thing: After my trip to Japan, I will remodel the back of right side. Basically I am going to try to bring the aquarium back to its original concept that was pretty much destroyed. Since now I can actually grow plants, I will make sure that the tank will be as I imagined it to be :icon_smil.
Another reason to do this after Japan: I want the Alternanthera to fill in completely so I can determine the balance of the scape so I can then properly remodel the right.
The actual remodeling isn't going to be too different than what the tank looks like now. I am simply going to make a thick background with 3 species of stems (right now Rotala colorata and the Ludwigia are currently on the list) and then replace the Cryptocoryne wendtii "Green" with Cryptocoryne wendtii "Red" (or Mi Oya). The Crypt "Bronze" will stay as is.


No more delay, here are the pics:

Glosso-









Hemianthus-









Ludwigia-









The Ludwigia's crown :hihi:-









Althernanthera (nothing really changed on the surface, but I do see more roots)-









Amano shrimp-










And the FTS for this week-










Try comparing last week's FTS to this week's, pretty big difference. Feeling so good that I am actually growing plants not algae :icon_wink


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## iter (Apr 24, 2012)

Got lazy and forgot about this journal lol.

Anyways..........


I just got back from my vacation to Japan (will dedicate a thread to post aquarium-related pictures, Takashi Amano's giant Sumida Aquarium aquascapes are also included). It trip took over a month so there was need for heavy "save the tank" measures. Will get to getting photos up soon when the tank stabilizes.

but that is not all.......

I managed to set up an emersed aquatic plant "greenhouse" (It's a 10 gallon tank :icon_roll). Nevertheless it operated well like any other good set ups; there was growth, there was algae, and there was stinky water.


Supply list-
-10 gallon tank (Should be Aqueon)
-Marineland glass cover for 10 gallon aquariums
-Net pots from Urban Sunshine (Hydroponic store)
-Clay pots (Home Depot)
-Rockwool
-Miracle Gro Sphagum Peat Moss soil
-Gravel
-A screen used for pools (Used pieces)
-Found some Miracle Gro Tomato Fert thing (I just threw about 2 teaspoons into the water in the tank)
-The pressurized spray thing used for spraying pesticides etc. (I also added some of the Tomato fert into the water)

Plant list (Most are from my tank)-

-Anubias barteri var. nana
-Glossostigma elatinoides
-Rotala sp.
-Rotala wallichii
-Cryptocoryne wendtii 'green'
-Bolbitis heteroclita
-Hemianthus micranthemoides
-Ludwigia arcuata

Pics (In order from the list)-


*Anubias barteri var. nana*-

Before trip-









After trip-











*Glossostigma elatinoides*

After trip (Deleted the "before trip" by accident)-




















*Rotala sp.*

Before trip-









After trip-




















*Rotala wallichii*

Before trip-









After trip-


















Love this one-











*Cryptocoryne wendtii 'green'*

Before trip-









After trip-











*Bolbitis heteroclita*

Before trip-









After trip-











*Hemianthus micranthemoides*

*Pics coming*



*Ludwigia arcuata*

*Pics coming*



That is all until I get the tank up and running again. 

Some notes:
-I got an Inline Atomic CO2 diffuser
-I got a Do!aqua Pincette Small
-Alternanthera reineckii 'Cardinalis' got HUGE
-Glosso, HM, and Ludwigia arcuata was pulled out and replanted


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## iter (Apr 24, 2012)

Now finally for the aquarium update ------ 6/15/13

This updates shows comparison between major changes that was done due to clean-up after I came back from Japan. So, I'll simply use pictures to talk :icon_smil.


*The day I came back:*


















GSA :help:












*The next day as I cleaned things up (The GSA took FOREVER to scrape off):*









Yeah it was a bit blurry....





























*Today, 1 week later:*





































*Got something that took care of that stupid surface film forever:*



























As a side note, I HIGHLY recommend it. It is the Ista Surface Skimmer. Even though it is about $6 more than the more common Tom's Surface Skimmer, it is, first of all, much shorter than its counterpart. Plus it has a nice design as well as color. As with anything it needs tweaking to get it working efficiently, but it is definitely not a waste of money. The aquarium now has better gas exchange capabilities than before, and light penetrating to the plants without any obstacles.


*Inline CO2:*










_*One last thing*_
Anyone have any suggestions of what to do with this, it has gotten so big that I am using the name markers as support for it:

Rotala wallichii










Since I want to have some of the rotala inside the aquarium, how would you transform the plant into immersed form? Do you simply just stick it in the dirt and wait? Also, is is possible to trim it and then replant the tops like its immersed form? Anyone who has an answer, please tell me, I don't want to do anything rash before getting some background information.


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## iter (Apr 24, 2012)

I think it is time to start thinking about.............................



_*FISH!!!!!!!!!!*_


I am thinking of a large group of small schooling fish that will grow to the maximum of about 2.5 cm.

So, anyone have any suggestions?


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## Charrr89 (May 15, 2013)

Love yr journal. I have no idea. Lol wen I think if a planted tank I think shrimp..


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## melanotaenia (Mar 26, 2013)

Great looking tank so far! 

Question: After all of the trial and error, what are you finding is the best way to trim the glosso?


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## fishboy199413 (Jan 20, 2010)

Microdevario kubotai or Boraras brigittae! The tank is coming along nicely.


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## iter (Apr 24, 2012)

Charrr89 said:


> Love yr journal. I have no idea. Lol wen I think if a planted tank I think shrimp..


Thanks! Regarding shrimp, I think the 6 of them that are already in there is enough :hihi:. Will get more Amanos if I see them on sale though.



melanotaenia said:


> Great looking tank so far!
> 
> Question: After all of the trial and error, what are you finding is the best way to trim the glosso?


Thank you! As for glosso, because of my traveling I wasn't able to get any chance to try to trim it. But once this lot grows in I will try to trim it again.



fishboy199413 said:


> Microdevario kubotai or Boraras brigittae! The tank is coming along nicely.


I have to say Orlando isn't the best place to find good LFS, but I will be searching for species along those lines. Buying online is out of the question due to those ridiculous shipping costs if you want to make sure your fish stays alive :icon_roll.

Btw, thank you for your words!



Also, what do you guys think of Hyphessobrycon amandae/Ember Tetras (if I can somehow find them)?


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## fishboy199413 (Jan 20, 2010)

One person to look into is Msjinkzd. She is great and can hook you up with any of those fish at reasonable prices and great shipping prices. She has a website www.msjinkzed.com .


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## iter (Apr 24, 2012)

So, after careful considerations, I decided that NEON TETRAS will be best for my tank.

The neon tetra in theory should compliment the plants well in color. It also doesn't get TOO big and my tank's specific conditions should make it happy :thumbsup:. Going to start with 8-10 of them.


However, this will need to wait for about 3 weeks due to GDA algae. I wanted to try the "leave it for 3-5 week method" and don't really want to bother with fish during that time. Meanwhile, the fish choice would be subject to change due to me having time to think more about it. So in the end we might see other fish, who knows?


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## iter (Apr 24, 2012)

*7/4/13 ------ 2 days before next water change.*

So, fish are here! Neon tetras was the choice, and from the looks of it I can say that it compliments the plants pretty well :thumbsup:. I got 17, one died by an unknown cause, but it looked REALLY unhealthy anyways so I am not worrying about the rest of the fish. R.I.P. :icon_frow.

The Ludwigia arcuata is experiencing melting on a significant amount of stems. Only the healthiest stems are fine now. Unlike last time where I pulled everything out and started over, this time I will just remove the melted ones and at trimming time, replant the healthy stems. This should give me a nice background of healthy stems after 1-2 trims.

Regarding the Alternanthera, I am still trying to see the best way to trim it. It looks like it will not behave the same with "normal" stem plants like Rotala after trimming, so still researching on this subject.


FTS:










Neons:










Bacopa caronliniana replacing the HM:










Got hold of some Cryptocoryne beckettii :icon_eek::










I recently planted some of the Rotala wallichii into the tank, and still seeing how they transition so when I decide to put the rest in there, I will know what to do. So far doing ok, had a little hit from day without CO2 due to acclimating the fish, but it is improving again:










Glosso is growing nice and strong roud:. This is most likely due to the improved CO2 injection of the inline diffuser, compared to a small venturi:









I am planning to trim it in about 1-2 weeks, when it starts to overgrow. Still waiting for more root establishment so the trimming won't be too hard on them:










Emersed tank FTS:









Since it is summer now in Florida, it gets like 6 hours of direct sunlight and everything is growing MAD. Added some of the Alternanthera in there, I'll see how well it grows. Also put all the HM that got replaced by the Bacopa in there, should look wonderful when it grows out. As a side note: Emersed for Ludwigia arcuata grows WAY faster than its submergent form. I compared it to the rotala emersed and submergent form. I will plant a stem or two of the Ludwigia on Saturday to see how well it can transition.

You can also see my laziness to not wipe the glass. Going to do deep clean a on Saturday.

*
Comments, questions, and criticism welcomed!!!!!*


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## du3ce (Jan 26, 2013)

how did u get your pearlweed to grow that tall? thats nuts!


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## iter (Apr 24, 2012)

Update -------- 7/13/13

Spent the whole day working on the tank because of the work that accumulated from the previous two months of laziness :icon_sad:. It was an algae mess before I started, but everything is fine now. Lots of changes happened. So:



First of all, I took out all the Alternanthera and moved some of it to the right side beside the Ludwigia. Those thick stems made me happy :icon_smil.




















Probably the most exciting thing that I did was move ALL the Rotala wallichii in my emersed tank into the aquarium. Now I just hope that I didn't plant too dense :icon_eek:

When I took it out the pot:


















Preparing for planting (It's hard to see it in the pictures, but there is A LOT of stems):


















In the aquarium:




























Glosso is going to be ready for trimming in a few more days. Will trim sometime during the week when I have time.










I also mowed the crypts since things were going downhill for them. Should get better soon. The crypt petchii is doing well though.










FTS:











Nothing else to say, except that I missed breakfast and lunch because of this :icon_sad:. Need to work on pacing things out :icon_roll.


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## iter (Apr 24, 2012)

8/10/13:

Have not updated in a month, sorry . But things are turning out great! Many new plants, mostly the ones that died before last year that I saved through the emersed set-up. I am greatly pleased by that 10 gallon tank sitting outside, from 2 stems of almost-dead rotala became about 15 in 4 months roud:.

I didn't take too many pics this time, but here are all the important things:


The right side. Should look great once everything fills in. A bit small, my bad:










*Two very nice photo that I thought I might share:*

The rotala haven't transitioned to submersed for at that time yet (This was taken 2 weeks ago). I already trimmed it today. No large pics sorry :icon_conf:









Caught it when the lights are almost turned off for the night :icon_wink:











The fish; need more neons, the rest died :icon_redf. The tank was really unstable due to the trimming and the new CO2 diffuser, so it was a really hectic time. Right now everything is doing well though:










And the FTS:










I am going to tear down this tank when I reach my goal for this aquarium, which is to learn glosso trimming, stem trimming, and learning how to stabilize the aquarium from an algae mess. So far the glosso and the stabilizing is done, just need to learn as much as possible on stems now.


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## iter (Apr 24, 2012)

*R.i.p.*

Well.......................Taking the tank down tomorrow!

It simply wasn't worth it to keep it up, the plants were all scraggly, a bit leggy, etc. My whole family was also sick of seeing the same thing for almost an year too. Therefore.............


IT IS TIME TO TOTALLY START OVER :thumbsup:!!!!! I have learned so much with this first tank, and I will carry over as much experience as possible to this next project. The theme for the next scape is mainly stem plants, as well as utilizing the use of crypts again. The goal would be to learn and practice trimming, and also to develop a scape with as much depth as possible with the hardscape.

I will upload the last pic of this aquarium before the tear-down; it is currently in an algae mess due to the fact of simple negligence :icon_redf (I was having trouble adjusting to the new school year). However, I have already prepared lots of emersed growth space for the plants to go, so the plants won't be wasted. Plus they were NOT in any shape to be sold.....

As for the plans of the new scape, it has already been finished! The key difference between this new one than the old one is that I went to a pond design shop and actually got quite a few materials. The only problem is that I accidentally measured the aquarium wrong, so the rocks are REALLY OVER-SIZED :icon_roll. But fear not! I have worked really hard to make things fit, it will look really weird but should work, hopefully.....

Anyways, a new thread for the new tank will be up soon, please do check it out when its there!


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## iter (Apr 24, 2012)

Okay, pictures as promised:


*First, the Alternanthera!*


















Some comparisons between size and emersed/submersed:



















*Glosso next:*


















So far what the tank looks like after I let it settle for a few minutes:









Crypts:










Here I want to say something important: I learned that whenever you tank down a tank with crypts in it with fish and shrimps inside, take out all the plants EXCEPT for the the cryptocoryne, net out all the fish and shrimp, and THEN take out the crypts. I said this because I took out the crypts first in the above picture of the tank after the glosso was taken out. I literally took 2 hours trying to net all the fish and shrimps out in pitch black, murky water. IT WAS HORRIBLE. I wasn't able to siphon anything out; the water was way to dark, didn't want to hurt anything or suck out more aquasoil, etc. With this experience, I did not want to mess with crypts anymore in the next tank; but I thought against it and will still use it, just need to be more careful. Oh well.....

Here, after the aftermath of the crypts:










*Holding tank:*










Water being siphoned out by airline tubing:










*Well that's it, learned so many things, from glosso trimming to rescuing a tank out of an algae mess. Sincerely I say Rest In Peace.



As I say that, the next step towards aquascaping starts here:

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=465753

*


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## NanoDave (Feb 25, 2013)

Great journal/read, thanks for sharing. Looking forward to seeing your next "learning experience"


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