# 40 gallons the long way



## Tvadna (Jan 17, 2013)

After letting the tank cycle a while I added the CO2 and a few plants

blyxa japonica
staurogyne repens
red ludwigia
anubias
taiwan moss bindered to a plastic grid

June 27


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## Tvadna (Jan 17, 2013)

After the cotton in the end of the airline wasn't diffusing the CO2 enough to turn my drop checker green, I plugged it into the airline port of a sponge filter that was attached to a powerhead. Not only does it do double duty now, it is very efficient. I also added a few live items.
extra endlers livebearers
dwarf baby tears
star grass

July 8


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## Tvadna (Jan 17, 2013)

I added my German Blue Ram pair from my 30 gallon because the female was looking thick with eggs and they already had 3 week old fry in the 30. I didn't want the parents to have to choose between batches of fry so the parents got the boot into the 40 long. 

July 19


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## Tvadna (Jan 17, 2013)

Here is a close up of my DIY co2 diffuser/secondary filter. I can't believe I haven't seen anyone rig this up before.
Feel free to ask any questions about it.


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## Tvadna (Jan 17, 2013)

Initially the staurogyne repens was looking really rough. It got bright green after a week and is showing new growth plus side roots left and right. Are the side shooting roots normal for this plant or am I doing something wrong like not planting it deep enough?

Also, you can see the blyxa japonica to the left of the screen. I can never get it to flourish, does anyone have any tips for this plant? Planting depth, ferts, lighting?


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## Jonnywhoop (May 30, 2012)

Good looking tank. Blyxa is pretty easy, your lighting seems fine, just start dosing dry ferts. As for your s repens, you could probably plant deeper, but since its done, just leave them alone. The repens will grow side growth and become thicker.


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## Tvadna (Jan 17, 2013)

My rams have spawned again in their new tank. The first one was successful but I removed the endlers when I found eggs. This batch looks bigger but I think I will see if they're up for the challenge. They were smart enough to lay eggs opposite the inlet for the canister filter and in the back corner where all the flow is the weakest. I turned the fluval off since the inlet slots are massive but I'm keeping the powerhead sponge filter going.


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## Tvadna (Jan 17, 2013)

When I try to upload pictures that were taken from my droid razr, they upload just fine.

When I try to upload pictures from my digital camera, they're too large and need to be resized before I can add them to this site.

Has anyone else come across this problem? I'd like to continue to do the pictures from my digital camera but it is a pain to resize everything first. Is there a way to adjust my camera so that the files are small enough to upload?


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## Loco4Tanks (Jun 13, 2013)

is there something you can do to hide that sponge filter/diffuser... it gives it that edgy industrial look,, but maybe a slab of slate or something would look nice


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## Tvadna (Jan 17, 2013)

So is blyxa jap. a bigger water column feeder then a root feeder? That would make sense since its technically a stem plant. 

I don't know a lot about dry ferts. There are a ton of different ones but how do you determine which ones you need? 

I should also add that *I use RO water for my tank, only RO water*. 
Could this be a potential problem?



Jonnywhoop said:


> Good looking tank. Blyxa is pretty easy, your lighting seems fine, just start dosing dry ferts. As for your s repens, you could probably plant deeper, but since its done, just leave them alone. The repens will grow side growth and become thicker.


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## Tvadna (Jan 17, 2013)

Loco4Tanks said:


> is there something you can do to hide that sponge filter/diffuser... it gives it that edgy industrial look,, but maybe a slab of slate or something would look nice


I agree with it not being attractive. I was planning on putting it in the back once I got it adjusted and letting a few stem plants camouflage it. I really think you're onto something with the slate. I have some tiles I could try and tuck it behind if I could get one of them to stand on end...

I don't want to stress my ram pair/fry right now but I'm keeping that idea on the back burner.


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## meppitech (Apr 29, 2011)

Do you use any remineralizer with the ro water? Are you not having algae issues? That is a lot of light with no ferts. The dry ferts are a ton cheaper. I did liquid and i switched to dry ferts not long ago. I will never go back. As far as which ones to use, check out the sticky in the fertilizer section of this forum. If you look back through the for sale section you will find someone on here that sells them in package form. Read, read, and read some more. Good start!


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## Tvadna (Jan 17, 2013)

meppitech said:


> Do you use any remineralizer with the ro water? Are you not having algae issues? That is a lot of light with no ferts. The dry ferts are a ton cheaper. I did liquid and i switched to dry ferts not long ago. I will never go back. As far as which ones to use, check out the sticky in the fertilizer section of this forum. If you look back through the for sale section you will find someone on here that sells them in package form. Read, read, and read some more. Good start!


I do not remineralize. I think I initially went to RO water to breed Rams and to get my pH down and it seems to work for the plants too. 
The RO water has worked great in a 10 gallon that I used floramax in but now that you mention remineralizing, the flormax may do that for me since I've read it has non-stable/dissolvable material mixed in.

I've read the stickys before on the ferts. It is still hard to follow. It is also tough to figure out what you need since there isn't exactly a magnesium sulfate test kit. 

The only dry fert I have added is Azomite in a shrimp tank and it seemed to make a big difference in the shrimp and the plants liked it too. 

Time to do some reading/research...

*Do you mind sharing what you dose and why you dose that particular blend? Plus, any changes you have seen in your tank since dosing.. Thanks*


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## Loco4Tanks (Jun 13, 2013)

Tvadna said:


> I agree with it not being attractive. I was planning on putting it in the back once I got it adjusted and letting a few stem plants camouflage it. I really think you're onto something with the slate. I have some tiles I could try and tuck it behind if I could get one of them to stand on end...
> 
> I don't want to stress my ram pair/fry right now but I'm keeping that idea on the back burner.


I like the idea of slate,, but there's lots of options ..maybe wrap it in stainless steel mesh and tie some plants to it. I'm always trying to be creative with hiding stuff.. Ideally, all I want to see is fish and plants,


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## Tvadna (Jan 17, 2013)

It has been a busy week for me. I slipped up on a BBS feeding for the ram fry and they died off... But the spawn before are about a month old and dime size so it isn't a big loss.

I may have went over board on a buying spree on this forum. I'm waiting on some osmocote root tabs, EI dry ferts and plants plus some shrimp food.

I'm not sure how many of the plants will end up in this tank but here is the list:
Pogostemon Erectus
Crypt Parava
Hydrocotyle 'Japan'
Myriophyllum Mattogrossense


July 26


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## Tvadna (Jan 17, 2013)

I took your advice and have some EI dry ferts on the way. I'm still new to the fert. system but I think I can figure it out, even if it is the hard way. 
When I ordered the dry ferts, I did order some gh booster. Hoping that is what you meant by remineralizing the RO water....

I'm thinking that this will benefit the stem plants most. The red ludwigia trimmings are starting to brown. I'm not sure if this is because of the RO water or because they sat in a bucket for a few weeks before planting. I'm pretty sure I've eliminated the light/CO2 issue....



meppitech said:


> Do you use any remineralizer with the ro water? Are you not having algae issues? That is a lot of light with no ferts. The dry ferts are a ton cheaper. I did liquid and i switched to dry ferts not long ago. I will never go back. As far as which ones to use, check out the sticky in the fertilizer section of this forum. If you look back through the for sale section you will find someone on here that sells them in package form. Read, read, and read some more. Good start!


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## Tvadna (Jan 17, 2013)

The red ludwigia I had in the back center was starting to brown despite great root growth and previous new stem growth. I'm not sure why but it was removed to make way for some new plants.
Myriophyllum Mattogrossense
Hydrocotyle 'Japan'
Pogostemon Erectus
Limnophila aromatica

I also started an EI dosing regiment of dry ferts today. Curious to see how it will help all the new stem plants.

August 2


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## Twillz (Oct 13, 2012)

What a great tank size. I love long tanks. 

Get some hardscape in that thing!


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## Tvadna (Jan 17, 2013)

Twillz said:


> What a great tank size. I love long tanks.
> 
> Get some hardscape in that thing!


There are two rocks and a few manzanita branches. What else did you have in mind? I always appreciate criticism and suggestions!


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## Tvadna (Jan 17, 2013)

I have been experimenting with the white balance on my camera. Please check out the last two pictures and let me know which looks better based on coloration!


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## Twillz (Oct 13, 2012)

Tvadna said:


> There are two rocks and a few manzanita branches. What else did you have in mind? I always appreciate criticism and suggestions!


A large/tall piece of driftwood on the right side would help obscure some of that equipment, and add additional layered planting space for some anubias or mosses. Though, if you want to stick with the thin manzanita pieces you could accomplish the same with some taller plants.

I'm a big fan of tanks that are generally valley-shaped, with lots of activity on the left and right and more open space in the middle. To me, that gives an illusion of depth. Especially in long tanks where you can't rely on tank height to give you any open space feeling.


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## Tvadna (Jan 17, 2013)

I cleaned the glass and went back to the auto white balance on the camera.

August 4









Left hand side









Right hand side









Really impressed with the staurogyne repens starting to fill in from how ratty it was when I got it.


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## Tvadna (Jan 17, 2013)

I'm sold on the EI dry ferts I got. The growth is explosive on the stems and it even seems like the staurogyne repens is beefing up.

August 13










Left









Right









Staurogyne Repens


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## Tvadna (Jan 17, 2013)

The persicaria kawagoeanum is one of the nicest looking plants I've ever had. The pink and the green combined on it is great. Thanks to *Adam C* on the site for recommending it when I got the L. Aromatica from him. His plants are stellar.. so check him out on the for sale section.


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## Tvadna (Jan 17, 2013)

Staurogyne Repens is quickly becoming one of my most favorite plants. The color on it is lighter brighter green then most other plants which makes it pop. I can literally see it getting bushier, fuller and spreading by the day. 

Aug 20


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## Tvadna (Jan 17, 2013)

The hair algae in this tank was starting to really take over and annoy me. I got a bit desperate and dumped about 8oz of hydrogen peroxide into the tank. It already seems to have done its job and then some. The tank is much clearer and there is less visible algae. I may have also killed the an otto, stargrass and some of the baby tears as well. This is a trade off i'm okay as long as it kills all the hair algae and no other variety of plant.

What I'm really asking is if there is a forumula for the correct H2O2 dosage. I'm looking for ounces/gallon that would be safe for plants/fish/inverts.

Aug 20 - after the h2o2 bleaching


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## Melooley (Jul 18, 2013)

It looks like between 1 and 4 tablespoons per 10 gallons is the "right" dose of H2O2, depending on how careful versus aggressive you want to be. There are a variety of doses and results reported in this thread: http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=203684&highlight=h2o2

I'd probably stay with the lower end of the spectrum if I weren't going to do the big ol' 50% water change (which didn't seem like much when I had 10 and 20 gallon tanks, but now that I'm rocking a 50 gallon seems overwhelming). Did you do any sort of water change after dumping in H2O2? I'm trying to plan my attack on my own hair algae while doing as little water-changing as possible, so I look forward to hearing about your experience.

That said, I hadn't even noticed any hair algae in your photos. Your tank is lovely, and is really coming along swimmingly (ha!). Those dry ferts really made a difference!


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## Tvadna (Jan 17, 2013)

Melooley said:


> Those dry ferts really made a difference!


Dry Ferts have seem to be the game changer when it comes to stem plants. They have always been spindly/barely surviving to flourishing since the addition of the ferts. Check out my next post to see how the hydrogen peroxide has affected the tank.


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## Tvadna (Jan 17, 2013)

It has been a week since I treated the tank with a heavy dose of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The reason why I treated the tank was because of hair algae. It was the kind that felt slimy when pulled from the tank. The two flag fish I bought were able to take care of the hair algae on a small scale in a 10 gallon but there were not enough of them to curb its growth in my 40.

I did not measure when I added the H202 but it was about half of a bottle which would mean 8oz or 240ml. 

240ml/40gal = 6ml/gal

I have seen recommended dose rates as low as 2ml/gal and as high as 6ml/gal. I believe I went on the higher range.

I did a 5gal/12% water change after 3 or 4 days.

I am happy to report that the H2O2 has killed all of the hair algae and disolved most of it. The few remaining strands that are visible are a greyish clear and clearly dead. There was also some green fuzz algae on the glass that seems to have been killed/dissolved at 90% or better. It has however affected a few species of plants. Most seem to unaffected. 

The following seem to be unaffected:
Persicaria Kawagoeanum
Myriophyllum Mattogrossense
Hydrocotyle 'Japan'
Pogostemon Erectus
Limnophila aromatica
Staurogyne Repens
Anubias
Blyxa Japonica
Water Sprite

Possibly/Slightly damaged
Taiwan Moss - color seems not be slightly duller

Damaged or obliterated by H2O2
Hemianthus Micranthemoides (HM) - severely damaged and browned with some green tips
Stargrass - nearly 100% of every plant is grey/brown and wilted

No affect on GBR, Black Molly, Flagfish
1 of 12 Ottos died as a result, a few others seemed to be stressed but have since recovered.

August 27

Full tank view, water appears to be slightly cloudy. Maybe because of all of the dead/dissolved algae/plant material









Right side. Shows the decimated star grass









Middle









Close up of the baby tears (HM). They weren't the greatest before but had no chance with the hair algae covering them. I couldn't remove it physically from the delicate stems.









In my experience H2O2 can and will kill anything in the right amounts. I once soaked an anubias (thickest leave/stem plant I can think of) for 15 minutes in H2O2 and it chemically burned it to death. Thinner more delicate plants like foreground plants and stargrass are more susceptible. 
*Algae in nearly every form I have seen is the most susceptible to H2O2. That is why I feel like it is a practical and effective treatment*

Hope this info helps to draw your own conclusions.


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## Tvadna (Jan 17, 2013)

Pre-trim

September 4










Post-Trim










Left










Right


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## Tvadna (Jan 17, 2013)

September 5

Staurogyne Repens - Have only had to trim one long one and replant. Impressed with the horizontal spreading/growth









Persicaria Kawagoeanum - Trimmed and replanted


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## Tvadna (Jan 17, 2013)

Been a while since I've posted. The water sprite had grown gigantic stretching from nearly end to end of the tank and was growing out of the tank as well. It was shading everything else and the tank suffered. 
The good news was that I sold it locally with a few other stems for $25. It was pulled out about a week ago and the recovery has begun.

October 8
Full tank









Right









Middle









Left


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## Tvadna (Jan 17, 2013)

The plastic grid that I attempted to secure the Taiwan moss too just hasn't panned out as expected. A few jostles and it separated from the grid. After seeing a bit of the moss attach itself to the DIY spray bar. I may just go that route. Has anyone tried this before? I'm guessing it won't attach very well but would look pretty good if I was able to wrap it in black thread.

The hair algae is back and this time I'm trying a slightly different technique then the peroxide nuke. Small dosages of H2O2 with only 4 hours of light/day. If it doesn't work, I may just go black out for a few days...


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## Tvadna (Jan 17, 2013)

Staurogyne Repens

October 13


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## Tvadna (Jan 17, 2013)

*Tank battle*

*Tank Battle*

I figured I would put my 30g long up against my 40g long and see which one people like more. 

Here is how it works... Post on this thread and choose only one. Feel free to say why you like it better but you don't have to. The tank with the least votes in 1 week losses the tank battle and is destroyed.

At 4 years of age the 30g has been converted into a German ramming tank. It has been used for this purpose for the last 6 months and is equipped with an arsenal of 30 medium sized rams and is appropriately colored red with some black. It is trimmed with wood on the interior.



















VOTE until the 27th!


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## Idrankwhat (Mar 20, 2013)

the 40g is my pick. It looks like my kind of wonderful madness.


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## Tvadna (Jan 17, 2013)

I forgot to post an updated picture of the 40 tank. Most of the moss was removed because it just didn't want to attach to the plastic grid.

Nov 20


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## zetvi (Jun 12, 2013)

The 40 looks great filling in. Do you intend to keep those green algae spots? because it seems to be everywhere since the first few pics and you don't really bother. What dry fert did you buy? i'm new to dry ferts too, only started for 2 months. I experience that dosing it in a low light without co2 will cause brown algae, so co2 definately plays a role in the dry fert. I'm trying to dose more phosphate which is listed as "Mono Potassium Phosphate (KH2PO4) bought from nilocg, a TPT member" in order to soften those green algae spots for otto to eat it easier. Check out mine 55 journal, i used to run a few thing like yours


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## Tvadna (Jan 17, 2013)

zetvi said:


> The 40 looks great filling in. Do you intend to keep those green algae spots? because it seems to be everywhere since the first few pics and you don't really bother. What dry fert did you buy? i'm new to dry ferts too, only started for 2 months. I experience that dosing it in a low light without co2 will cause brown algae, so co2 definately plays a role in the dry fert. I'm trying to dose more phosphate which is listed as "Mono Potassium Phosphate (KH2PO4) bought from nilocg, a TPT member" in order to soften those green algae spots for otto to eat it easier. Check out mine 55 journal, i used to run a few thing like yours


I also bought my dry ferts from Nilocg. He is a great seller and also answered my questions about which ferts to get. I got his EI based NPK + CSM+B with GH booster package. 

I'm not really concerned with the green spot algae. it comes and goes, I only scrape it from the glass with a razor attached to a handle (selling them also). I recently got striped nerite snails and they are keeping the algae at bay. My ottos don't touch it.
The one algae I rally have problems with on that tank is hair algae. The long, stringy green stuff that feels slippery when removed. I've successfully rid it from a few other tanks but can't get it out of this one. 

I agree, your 55 does look similar to mine. I've never had the luck you do with the glosso. Did you DSM the glosso in your 55? 
I'm seriously considering a finnex led fixture for my 30 long... I take it you've had good luck and would recommend them?


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## Jonnywhoop (May 30, 2012)

^ I used h2o2 in the tank in my sig. It was the best treatment ever, however that was when my tank was in its early stages.

now that the treatment is done, you should lower your photoperiod, and do daily WC! I literally did 3 50% WC RIGHT after my treatment in a row. I was too anal abut the h2o2 staying in my water column.

shoot me a PM if you want more stargrass about 10-15+ cuttings , I will give you a bunch if you can cover the shipping cost of $7.


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## Tvadna (Jan 17, 2013)

It has been a while since I've updated. I also put the tanks on the back burner the last few months and they have suffered. My staurogyne repens died off quite a bit so I salvaged what I could and planted it in a smaller tank. The easier plants like anubias and myrio mattogrossense still flourished and to my surprise, the pogostemon erectus has done well also. 
I tried the ignore approach to the blyxa japonica and that did't work either. So i've officially tried everything I can think of think of to get it going. High/low light/co2 combos, water column fertz, dirted tanks and what seemed to be the most successful was root tabs. I never got a straight answer from this forum when asking if they're a water column or root feeder. I start with baseball sized plants and they just shrink and shrink until they're the size of a quarter and then they get uprooted, float to the surface and die. If anyone has any advice, I would appreciate it.
Until then, here are a few pics.

May 20









Pogostemon erectus


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## Tvadna (Jan 17, 2013)

It has been a while since updating so I think i'm due. I have added a few cardinals for a total of 9. I also have 4 or 5 SAE now to keep any hair algae under control. They seem to do a fairly good job as long as I skip a few flake feedings per week. The nerite snails and farlowella cat keep the glass clean to the point where I haven't had to clean glass in months. I would recommend them to anyone! Please notice the extensive growth of the Anubias on the left. It has been in the tank for a year and has really done well IMO.

Here we are pre-trim.

July 18









Post trim 
July 23









Pogostemon Erectus 
pre








post - trimmed and replanted tops









Myriophyllum Mattogrossense
pre - this is the second trim and it really got bushy after the first. Very impressive








post - trimmed and pulled dozens if not 100s of stems


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## CoffeeLove (Oct 31, 2012)

Awesome looking tank. Where did you get a 40g long? I want one.... Lol. Is it 4 feet long? How wide/tall? 

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk


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## Tvadna (Jan 17, 2013)

I found it on a local aquarium forum. It is the exact foot print of a 55 gallon as it sits on my old 55 gallon stand but it isn't as tall.* 48" long x 13" wide*. The difference is the height. A 55gallon is 21 inches tall and the 40L is 17" tall.

It's the old school version meaning the glass is really thick so it was built with out a center brace. The only down side of it is the age, it had a few scratches when I bought it. For $40 I got it and a glass top which I don't use but still think it was a good deal.


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## Tvadna (Jan 17, 2013)

Playing around with the camera on the new phone, LG G3. Let me know if you like the phone pics better.
Here is a post trim picture. 







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Here are buckets full of taiwan moss and pogostemon erectus that I pulled out. It is in great shape, let me know if you want some!








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## Tvadna (Jan 17, 2013)

This tank was so overgrown it was time to break it down, trim and replant. I added a bit more rock work to build a bigger hill on the left. 

Wanted to say thanks & throw a shout out to TPT member kevinmichael77 for some awesome Stauro. Repens and throwing in the hygro araguaia. If you ever get the chance to deal with him, do NOT hesitate.

11/08/14
Whole tank








left








middle








right


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## Tvadna (Jan 17, 2013)

I'm fairly sure this is the best my tank has ever looked. It is amazing to see how much plants can fill in over a few weeks. The journals on here really help compare growth and see progress.
Added a few plants from the MAS plant extravaganza, which was a great event that offered a ton of varieties of plants for cheap. 

nesaea pedicellata 'golden' - got about 6 stems for $2
myriophyllum tuberculatum red - Someone took the whole lot before I got to it but there was one lone stem laying on the table that fell out of a bunch. I didn't hesitate to swoop it up.

Already having to trim and replant the PK and the stauro repens is due for some trimming too. Next project will be new bulbs since I've had them for about 1.5 yrs now. Thinking about going with some giesemann since they're top of the line. Going to do a few different color options since I have 4 lamps to play with.

12-08-14


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## xxUnRaTeDxxRkOxx (Jul 12, 2011)

Man I do love 40 gallon long tanks!!!! Great looking tank you have going!!!

Can I ask what bulbs are you currently using? 6500k I presume, but because I have the same 48" Odyssea light fixture I've found that going with the following bulbs gave me better and healthier plant growth. Bulbs listed from front to back, and here was my timer settings 8am front set of bulbs come on, 10am the rear set of bulbs turn on to give a burst of midday lighting, 2pm front set of bulbs turn off, and finally at 4pm the rear set of bulbs turn off. So with this lighting schedule it gave me 2 hours of simulated "morning" lighting, 4 hours of bright midday lighting, and 2 hours of late afternoon lighting.

1 - 6500k bulb 
1 - Colormax bulb
1 - Wave Point Ultra Growth Wave bulb
1 - Power Chrome Aquaflora bulb

The plants in my 45 gallon long 48"x12"x19" responded better to this series of lighting, and those that looked bad suddenly perked up and looked great in a few days. The reason I recommend the ultra growth wave bulb is very simple, plants have 2 chlorophyll stages to them, chlorophyll A and chlorophyll B; and instead of explaining everything about them here's a picture that shows what I'm talking about...











As you can see the 2 chlorophyll stages respond to these wavelengths, and here's what the ultra growth wave bulb supplies.











Here's where to find the ultra growth wave bulbs...

Amazon.com : Wavepoint 2-Pack Ultra Growth Wave High Output T-5 Universal Replacement Lamp for Aquarium, 54-watt : Aquarium Lights : Pet Supplies


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## Blackheart (Jul 5, 2011)

Great looking tank! I'm actually on the look for a 40 long too. A guy in my area had one on craigslist brand new with the stand for 40 bucks that I was trying to pick up, but he sold it before I got a chance to get to it.

Also have you ever ran this tank without C02?


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## Tvadna (Jan 17, 2013)

Blackheart said:


> Great looking tank! I'm actually on the look for a 40 long too. A guy in my area had one on craigslist brand new with the stand for 40 bucks that I was trying to pick up, but he sold it before I got a chance to get to it.
> 
> Also have you ever ran this tank without C02?


They're not impossible to come by. Local stores here in MN do have them occasionally for about $55-60. They can also order them so it doesn't hurt to ask. The best part is that they have the same footprint as a 55 gallon and those stands are extremely common and cheap on craigslist.

I have ran it for a few weeks here and there with out CO2. Usually when a CO2 tank runs out and I don't have time to swap a new one for a while. I don't have the greatest needle valve and I don't run solenoids so my CO2 tends to vary. I try to keep the drop checker at green but some days it is yellow and some days it's more of a blue.

If I go with out CO2 for a while a lot of plants start to get stringy, long and less bushy. Everything survives but I would say for every week with out CO2 it takes 1-2 weeks with CO2 for it to bounce back to looking healthy.


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## Tvadna (Jan 17, 2013)

xxUnRaTeDxxRkOxx said:


> Man I do love 40 gallon long tanks!!!! Great looking tank you have going!!!
> 
> Can I ask what bulbs are you currently using? 6500k I presume, but because I have the same 48" Odyssea light fixture I've found that going with the following bulbs gave me better and healthier plant growth. Bulbs listed from front to back, and here was my timer settings 8am front set of bulbs come on, 10am the rear set of bulbs turn on to give a burst of midday lighting, 2pm front set of bulbs turn off, and finally at 4pm the rear set of bulbs turn off. So with this lighting schedule it gave me 2 hours of simulated "morning" lighting, 4 hours of bright midday lighting, and 2 hours of late afternoon lighting.
> 
> ...


I've got the original 6500k bulbs that came with the fixture still. I never programmed the fixture so it's normally all off or all 4 on. I may have to play with it and see if I can get it working!

I like the numbers on the wavepoint ultragrowth. I'll have to compare some other bulbs before I decide on pairings but here is what I was thinking. This is without any research so far. 

1/2 - 6500k/pinker bulb(like the wavepoint ultragrowth)
3/4 - 6500k/10,000k

Only thoughts on the 10,000k was to get a better spectrum for viewing. I like the suggestion though. Interesting to see a recommendation other than the Giesemann.

UPDATE
I had to do some research and a bit of math to do some comparisons. A lot of bulbs are rated by peaks measured in K while info on chlorophyll peaks are measured in nm. The peak rating doesn't give any information on how much light is emitted along the rest of the spectrum so charts are much more helpful to see a little deeper into a bulbs capability. A little conversion was needed but it's pretty easy. 2,897,768/nm=K or 2,897,768K=nm.

The big peaks in Chlorophyll A/B are at about 430nm/453nm. 6738K/6396K are the corresponding Kelvin ratings for these peaks. The chlorophyll absorption drops dramatically for anything greater then the peaks so it is better to be under then over. This explains why 6500/6700k bulbs are the most common. 


The secondary absorption peaks for chlorophyll A/B are at 642/662nm.
Nothing compares to the spectrum for the high end peaks of the Wavepoint ultra growth bulbs you've shown. They also do a nice job of supporting the lower ratings, especially the 430 range which would correspond with a 6700k bulb. 

This backs what you said about giving your plants a perk. You're providing a more balanced diet rather then over compensating in one area. 
Either way, I'm sold on these.


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## Tvadna (Jan 17, 2013)

xxUnRaTeDxxRkOxx said:


> Man I do love 40 gallon long tanks!!!! Great looking tank you have going!!!
> 
> Can I ask what bulbs are you currently using? 6500k I presume, but because I have the same 48" Odyssea light fixture I've found that going with the following bulbs gave me better and healthier plant growth. Bulbs listed from front to back, and here was my timer settings 8am front set of bulbs come on, 10am the rear set of bulbs turn on to give a burst of midday lighting, 2pm front set of bulbs turn off, and finally at 4pm the rear set of bulbs turn off. So with this lighting schedule it gave me 2 hours of simulated "morning" lighting, 4 hours of bright midday lighting, and 2 hours of late afternoon lighting.
> 
> ...


I noticed you're running 3/4 pink bulbs. How pink does your tank look? I'm not a huge fan of the pink hue.


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## xxUnRaTeDxxRkOxx (Jul 12, 2011)

I loved the way my 45 gallon tank looked before I tore it down, but once I get it set back up I may go with a 12,000k white actinic bulb in place of the colormax bulb because it'll enhance the following spectrums.











Then here's the spectrum wavelengths provided by the Powerchrome AquaFlora










So with the mentioned bulbs combined with a 6500k day bulb, and a ultra growth wave bulb it'll give me a more balanced effect on plant growth, and overall healthiness of the plants.


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## Blackheart (Jul 5, 2011)

Tvadna said:


> I have ran it for a few weeks here and there with out CO2.
> 
> If I go with out CO2 for a while a lot of plants start to get stringy, long and less bushy. Everything survives but I would say for every week with out CO2 it takes 1-2 weeks with CO2 for it to bounce back to looking healthy


Do you have really excessive algae issues when you run out of C02 considering how much light you have?


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## Tvadna (Jan 17, 2013)

Blackheart said:


> Do you have really excessive algae issues when you run out of C02 considering how much light you have?


I haven't noticed running out of CO2 to be a major factor in algae. The two main reasons I ever have any algae regardless of CO2 or not are:

1) Leaving the lights on over night (20+hrs). This usually results in green spot algae on the glass. I treat this with nerite snails. I can't stress how important they are. I have not scraped glass (which used to be monthly routine maintenance) in any of my tanks since adding them. I'm pretty sure I only have about 5 left in my 40 gallon and they are still doing a good enough job.

2) Too much floating debris or excessive floating plants. There is too much PAR at the surface for algae not to develop if I don't remove everything after a trim. This results in hair algae usually. I think it develops regardless of CO2. Once it's in a tank it always seems to have potential to flare up. The other combatant of hair algae is SAEs. They are also incredible. I've tried Florida Flag fish with some success but they don't compare to the SAEs. Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2) kills hair algae very well. It can also kill delicate plants though. If you use H2O2, you're better off going with small doses for a few days then one large dose to nuke the tank. Plants and fish seem to handle small doses while hair algae dies off. Shrimp and snails seem to be more susceptible to H2O2 then hair algae so I wouldn't recommend any if you keep them.


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## Tvadna (Jan 17, 2013)

Although my plants still look healthy, I've noticed a slight decrease in growth.
After 16 months on the original bulbs, it was time to change to either new bulbs or LEDs. I've switched to LEDs on all other tanks but decided to keep the T5HO fixture.
Here is what I got:

1x*Coralife 6700K*: covers chlorophyll A peak absoption
1x*Wavepoint Tropical Wave 6500K*: covers chlorophyll B peak absorption
1x*Wavepoint Ultra Growth*: covers the secondary peak absorption for both chlorophyll A/B while bolstering both primary peaks
1x*Wavepoint 12000K*: simply for aesthetic purpose. Should bring out fish and plant color to balance out the pink hue. (Don't want to feel like i'm in a 12 yr old girls bedroom)

Is there a best way to arrange them?
I was thinking about doing this (back to front). 12000k, UltraGrowth, 6500k, 6700K
Maybe it would be better to put the 6500k and the 6700k in the middle with the 12000k in front so it will be the dominant viewing light?

Purchased them all from Aquariumparts.com for $60. Will post pictures when they arrive.


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## Hilde (May 19, 2008)

Tvadna said:


> Here are buckets full of taiwan moss and pogostemon erectus that I pulled out. It is in great shape, let me know if you want some!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I would love to get some pogostemon erectus. Perhaps when it gets warmer I could get some from you.


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## Tvadna (Jan 17, 2013)

Always have enough to go around. I started with one or two stems originally. I thought they were great but looking back on it, they were pretty ratty compared to what I have now. It took a while for them to really blow up but once they did, they have been one of the best plants I've grown. 

I have included them in different tanks and their growth is slightly different in all. Usually there is an obvious change where the new growth is different from the old. Some of the differences I have seen are: speed of growth, length of needle like leaves, color of leaves and varies degrees of side shoots that result in the bush effect.


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## brooksie321 (Jul 19, 2014)

What a ride, just read the whole thread! I like the ramming tank hahah


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## Tvadna (Jan 17, 2013)

Been a month since the last post so I figured it was time with the recent changes. 
I've got 4 new bulbs in my fixture. The biggest difference I've noticed is that it's easier to grow more algae... That and my sole red plant, persicaria kawagoeanum grows faster then ever. The following pictures are with the new bulbs.
I also sold the gigantic anubias barteri locally for $35. It has left a bit of a gap in the back left of the tank. Also have trimmed the myrio. mattogrossense.

January 5








left








middle








right









Bump:


brooksie321 said:


> What a ride, just read the whole thread! I like the ramming tank hahah


For Brooksie-

Here is an picture from a few months ago of the Ramming tank.. 









For a bonus.... The baby ram tank. There's about 100 fry I've raised. 2-3 months in this picture.


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## TDashJ (Nov 6, 2014)

Where did you buy that fitting for your pump/diffuser to plug the co2 tube into?


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## Tvadna (Jan 17, 2013)

TDashJ said:


> Where did you buy that fitting for your pump/diffuser to plug the co2 tube into?


I stole it from a sponge filter. Actually all of the parts minus the powerhead are from the same modified sponge filter. Try using a search engine or auction site to find them. Sponge Filter XY-2830 or 2821 They should be about $3 each. I even use them to adapt to HOB filters as diffusers and prefilters.


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## TDashJ (Nov 6, 2014)

Thanks! I found one on Ebay, got it hooked to my HOB canister with my co2 tube inserted, got it running for a few days now, hopefully i see an improvement in my diffusion.


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## Tvadna (Jan 17, 2013)

TDashJ said:


> Thanks! I found one on Ebay, got it hooked to my HOB canister with my co2 tube inserted, got it running for a few days now, hopefully i see an improvement in my diffusion.


Let me know how it works. Best of luck


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## Obakemono (Dec 23, 2011)

oooo, a rare 40 long tank. Almost go that size but was 40.00 more than my 55. Nice tank BTW.


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## Tvadna (Jan 17, 2013)

The 40 is over grown with pogostemon erectus. I have trimmed the myrio. a few times as well as the persicaria kawagoeanum which has kept them at bay. I'll need to do a major trim of pogo. soon. The bad news is that I'm in Minnesota and the temps are below zero which makes shipping difficult and the local market for plants here is fairly dry. I may have to see how many nerite snails a LFS will trade me for 100 premium stems.

My swordtails have been reproducing at a fairly healthy rate. I even have grey/black fry which I'm guessing are from my black mollies. She was probably pre-hit with another molly of a different color.


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## pewpewkittah (Jan 14, 2014)

Tvadna said:


> The 40 is over grown with pogostemon erectus. I have trimmed the myrio. a few times as well as the persicaria kawagoeanum which has kept them at bay. I'll need to do a major trim of pogo. soon. The bad news is that I'm in Minnesota and the temps are below zero which makes shipping difficult and the local market for plants here is fairly dry. I may have to see how many nerite snails a LFS will trade me for 100 premium stems.
> 
> My swordtails have been reproducing at a fairly healthy rate. I even have grey/black fry which I'm guessing are from my black mollies. She was probably pre-hit with another molly of a different color.


You've come a long way!! I love the look of the jungle. Beautiful rams as well. I think if you put some bushy plants like Blyxa in front of the plants two large green bushes in the middle it would really complete the look and also cover the unsightly roots. Just my two cents though .


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## Tvadna (Jan 17, 2013)

pewpewkittah said:


> You've come a long way!! I love the look of the jungle. Beautiful rams as well. I think if you put some bushy plants like Blyxa in front of the plants two large green bushes in the middle it would really complete the look and also cover the unsightly roots. Just my two cents though .


I completely agree with what you said. Pogo Erectus is one of the best stem plants at keeping its lower leaves but it still gets the ratty roots hanging like every other stem I've seen. It's also really bushy. It's tough to tell from the picture but it is touching the front glass right now and when I planted it, it was only in the back half of the tank. That makes it fairly tough to plan around. It ends up shading things out as it bushes out.

Unfortunatley, Blyxa Japonica is the one plant that I can NOT grow. I've tried it multiple times under different conditions. It's frustrating because its so easy for some folks they can grow it in their dogs bowl. I really like seeing this plant in other tanks. It's one of my favorites. As an alternative, i've gone with Erio Parkeri in other tanks. It doesn't grow as large or bushy to screen the roots of a large stem plant though.

There is a lack of medium size plants that can serve the purpose of covering up unsightly roots. Crypts come to mind but they're a bit too permanent next to a fast growing stem that needs to be uprooted occasionally. I'm open to other suggestions for plants that would serve the same purpose though.


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## pewpewkittah (Jan 14, 2014)

Tvadna said:


> I completely agree with what you said. Pogo Erectus is one of the best stem plants at keeping its lower leaves but it still gets the ratty roots hanging like every other stem I've seen. It's also really bushy. It's tough to tell from the picture but it is touching the front glass right now and when I planted it, it was only in the back half of the tank. That makes it fairly tough to plan around. It ends up shading things out as it bushes out.
> 
> Unfortunatley, Blyxa Japonica is the one plant that I can NOT grow. I've tried it multiple times under different conditions. It's frustrating because its so easy for some folks they can grow it in their dogs bowl. I really like seeing this plant in other tanks. It's one of my favorites. As an alternative, i've gone with Erio Parkeri in other tanks. It doesn't grow as large or bushy to screen the roots of a large stem plant though.
> 
> There is a lack of medium size plants that can serve the purpose of covering up unsightly roots. Crypts come to mind but they're a bit too permanent next to a fast growing stem that needs to be uprooted occasionally. I'm open to other suggestions for plants that would serve the same purpose though.


I know what you mean... I LOVE S. Repens, but I can never seem to grow it. 

You aren't always limited to plants that grow medium size... You can manipulate another stem plant and trim it to your liking, possibly 1-2 times a week and that would be high maintenance. You could also bring around the beautiful S. Repens carpet you have going and simply let the stems in front of the Pogo grow taller. Morgan Freeman's tank is a good example of this.









Any type of AR put between S. Repens and the Pogo would also help transition between short-tall plants. 

Again, this is just my opinion and you can toss in species to your liking .


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## Tvadna (Jan 17, 2013)

I just traded a ton of Pogostemon Erectus for some Blyxa Japonica. 
I had to make room for the new Blyxa so I pulled out even more Pogo. Blyxa has been my nemesis in the past. This is probably the 3rd or 4th time trying it. I've added oscomote plus root tabs in this time.
Hopefully it helps me turn the corner on the Blyxa4.0 experiment.

Pewpewkittah, this is per your request. Proof I honor criticism.. haha


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## Tvadna (Jan 17, 2013)

3 weeks of blyxa and the progress is minimal. It is at least holding up.

Everything else needs a trim


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## Tvadna (Jan 17, 2013)

Posted some plants for sale on the forum. Most will come from this very tank.

If you've posted on my journal prior to this entry and buy a portion of Pogostemon Erectus, *i'll double it for free*. Just let me know when you PM me!

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=836410


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## Tvadna (Jan 17, 2013)

It's been a long time since I've posted to this thread, I guess summer is a busy time of year for me.

Without updating too much from the last 9 months, I started with a single stem of Bacopa Carolina and have grown, cut, replanted it numerous times over and have a nice patch of it in the back left corner. It seems to keep the lowest leaves well with minimal rooting along the height of the stem so I am pleased with it. I recently added Alternanthera reineckii "Rosefolia" and Ludwigia inclinata var. verticillata "Cuba". I threw in some spare scraps of java fern to experiemnt with how fast they grow in a high light/CO2 tank and they have done well. I have numerous swordtails and even more black mollys.
My quad T5HO has dropped to a dual T5HO unit. I think one of the ballasts is shot. Because of this, the tank is dying back a bit. The good news is that I just ordered a Sattellite LED PRO fixture...


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## Tvadna (Jan 17, 2013)

Sat freshwater LED + Pro came and isn't amazing but it's damn close. It only appears slightly brighter then the quad T5HO but it has higher PAR and it shows in the plants. Not sure if the camera will pick up the difference in light but you can see for yourself. The other great advantage of this unit is the built in timer. It has saved me from algae outbreaks when I forget to shut off the light.

The Ludwigia inclinata var. verticillata "Cuba" has fully transitioned to being submerged now meaning I trimmed all the new submerged growth and replanted it and discarded the old stems. At first the new growth was very white and ill looking which was a sign of severe iron deficiency. Once I corrected this, it has been smooth sailing.
I also added some myriophyllum filigree and myrio. red but i'm not sure the red was labeled correctly because it grows fast and is barely showing color.

I purchased about 5 angel fish and a few german blue rams in hopes to start breeding again. I believe one of the new fish had some ich that I didn't see because most of my fish have it now and I lost my first cardinal tetra in a few years. I know it is hard to tell but they are gigantic. Everyone who has seen them says that they are the largest they've ever seen. Temp has been cranked up, hopefully that solves the issue.


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## Tvadna (Jan 17, 2013)

From This








To This


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## Tvadna (Jan 17, 2013)

Bought a new phone after 2.5 years. Upgraded from the LG G3 to the LG V20 for those interested in phones and photography. This phone has 4 cameras (2 front facing, 2 rear facing). Obviously I'll be using the rear cameras for these pictures. They are normal and wide angled lenses. Posting them here so I'm able to compare quality and see the 16MP highly rated phone camera at work. These are just point and shoot pictures, no manual adjustments.

Normal 16MP camera









8MP wide angle camera


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## Tvadna (Jan 17, 2013)

Current









Added a massive African Bolbitis that was gifted to me by a fellow hobbyist after doing some plumbing work at his place.


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## Tvadna (Jan 17, 2013)




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## Pipejax (Nov 27, 2016)

Nice tank Tvadna. Recently picked up a 40 long and planted it.


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