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Well, I decided to stick with plants for my 25 hex.

Will keep it in the basement, nice and cool, shooting for 70 degrees or so, because i wish to try a madagascar lace plant in here. (I kept one in my 90, it thrived and died in 6 weeks or so, tooooo hot) It will be the only tall plant, still researching low foreground plants that like it cool.

Co2, I'll do DIY for now.

Lighting, just bought a pc floodlight, 85 watts, 3.4 wpg, should be pretty good. Using a gooseneck floor lamp fixture that fits over the tank perfectly!

Filter HOT Magnum, will adjust lip to decrease surface agitation.

Substrate, Schultz Aquatic Plant Soil. Bought several bags, want to try it in the pond, and in this tank also.

Since I plan to keep this tank cool for my lace plant, I'm thinking White Cloud Mountain Minnows, any other small, cool water, non-plant eating suggestions surely welcome!
 
Neon Tetras like it cool, and non plant eaters. Make sure you wash off the plant soil good, i did for 20 min and still clouded the water bad.
 
Yeah, between that and the play sand it's still cloudy as of 7am, got it filled and filter running at 9 or so last night.

Got 10 white clouds, they are in my Q tank for now, will get out today and get some ammonia, try fishless cycling for the first time.

Plants, bolbitis, riccia, dwarf sag, some apontgen bulb just sprouting (could be mad lace, but for 99 cents i couldn't resist!)

New tank, fun fun fun!
 
quoting aquabotanic.com in reference to cycling

""""Planted Tanks and the "Silent Cycle"

Ammonia and Nitrite kits are usually useful when cycling a tank. However, if your tank is heavily planted, the chances are you won't see an ammonia or nitrite spike if you track these parameters when cycling. In fact, the only indication that your tank has cycled may be the appearance of nitrates. Even then you may not get a reading: heavily planted tanks with a light to moderate fish load often test zero nitrates, since the plants take up some of the ammonia before the bacteria convert it, plus most plant species can back-convert both nitrite and nitrate to ammonia (ammonium). If you let a large plant load get established for a week or two in your new setup, it's usually safe start to add groups of fish in weekly increments, but testing for zero ammonia and nitrite first is always a good idea. Remember to put in some fish food while your plant are getting established so they and the beneficial bacteria have some nitrogenous waste for food. In addition to planting heavily, it's wise to start out with a nice percentage of stem plants, which, growing fast, consume more nutrients (fish waste). Once your tank is well-established and in balance, you can start to replace some of the stem plants with slower-growing, rooted ones (if you like).""""
 
Thanks Tyler!

Oddly enough, I read that wednesday on Aquabotanic also!

So, as usual, I changed plans a bit. Put in some wisteria and hygro polysperma, both fast growers. added some ramshorn snails and fish food. i will add food daily instead of using ammonia. snail cylcing, i guess! Going to wait a full 2 weeks before fish, see how all is going.

Lost one white cloud in the Q tank. I mean really lost, I can't find him, alive or dead. Not the first time I've had a fish disappear, but always weird to find nothing in or around the tank.
 
Well, you said you have 11, think you may have missed one in the count? I think my tank is pretty good and cycled. Like the post above, i never say any ammonia or nitrates, just a really low pH. My fish seem really happy, and both ottos are really looking good
 
We lost Clouds like that before, I thought I netted them out without noticing.
huh I know the confusion your going through its pretty weird.

Cool idea with the hex I would have done that, I was going to post it in the Sticky but deleted it, lol they'll grow nice ands tall.

Chris
 
moss...

Total change of plans, look at this stuff I found growing on driftwood in my pond...

I' ll tell the story later, just take a look for now :D
 
OK, sorry but was in a super rush yesterday.

Last fall I collected some driftwood at Deep Creek Lake, in the mountains of Westarn MD. IIRC, one pice had a few strands of some ugly dried-up moss on it, didn't give it any thought.

got home, chucked the wood in the pond for the winter to finish submerging. I go out the other day, fish out this piece, and there is this giant moss growing everywhere on it. It was really caked with mud and stuff couldn't see details well. gave it a good rinse and there it was 8O 8O !

So now I have clipped a few strands and am trying this moss in all tanks, plus the pond. Hopefully cultivate some more driftwood covered with it.

Considerring where it came from, I'm thinking it's most likely a native species, likes cool/cold water, good light.

I'm just guesssing on all this, but find it to be pretty exciting to experiment.

If you look at the pic, my goal will now be to make it look like a Bonsai pine tree!
 
see if the boys at aquabotanic can get you an id. it's a cool looking moss though. i like it.
 
Fontinalis antipyretica , or at least some Fontinalis sp.

Don't think it's found in the AQ trade, if you want it, you'll have t find it in a stream, river, or lake. If you find it dried up on shore, it's NOT dead. Put it back in cool water, it'll come back.

Major reason for not keeping in tanks, cool water plant, likes it best in 50's and 60's. ouch. still, I'll keep it, give it a shot. My hex has stabilized temp at 67, this may be good enough. Next goal, find more local plants, make it an all native tank!
 
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