Trying to post new picks of my cube/ some rearranging

[sherry]

just to whet everyone's appetite of course.

moved some things to fill in holes, make light for macandra. Subtle, but I think it helps.

Thank you Travis for your incredible additions

 

[quadrider5953]

wow, that is a good lookin tank. good job

 

[fishfreek]

Images using the

 

[TwoHobbies]

Nice looking tank, I would love some clippings from it next time you clip. Can you safely send them in NY in the winter. AL

 

[czcz]

Many nice plant species. Looks nice. Will be interesting to see adaptation from Excel to pressurized.

 

[rich311k]

Nice looking tank.

 

[sherry]

czcz my L.Aromatica is showing hair algae for the first time.. .. and it started this morning after pressurized.

ugh

happy to share clippings.. winter.. what winter?

 

[BlazerFRS]

Looks VERY nice sherry... what's that bright red pant I can see in the front?

I recently recieved some clippings from sherry, they made it from NYC to Rochester (western NY) pretty well. They seem a bit worse for wear, but they look healthy enough to bounce back w/o much problem.

 

[sherry]

the bright red one is rotala macandra.. but I don't know if It will maintain that gorgeous magenta... the new growth is coming in healthier and thicker leaved, but a duller color..

it is an improvement over my last try which just melted.

I put it in front to get it the most light this time and I think this is my most obvious example of an advantage of co2.

What do you guys think of the fact that I'm seeing MORE algae two days later .. in fact my first real algae... and it has happened WITH co2. (and a tiny bit of excel for security)

also will I need to go up to 4 watts per gallon to hold on to the reds or are they doomed to fade in my tank.. most of the red plants are two weeks old at most. so I can't claim the color as mine, jsut the healthy growth.

 

[czcz]

Do not be so hard on yourself, Sherry. You got advanced plants with amazing color from a helluva grower, and they have to transfer from hard to soft water. I've been chasing Travis -- my favorite guru -- for a year, and now, sometimes, if I squint real hard, I can sort of see him, but it just reminds me that I am still very far away. You are doing great. Really.

What do you guys think of the fact that I'm seeing MORE algae two days later .. in fact my first real algae... and it has happened WITH co2.

My guess is that CO2 injection drove up nutrient uptake, and now something is bottoming out. Maybe N. I feel pretty good about this guess.

also will I need to go up to 4 watts per gallon to hold on to the reds

3wpg CF is high light. More might help, especially since your tank appears quite tall, but I think you should just keep up the CO2, make sure nutrients are right, and see what happens this time when the plants grow closer to the light. Then you'll know with more certainty if its a problem with light penetration or some such, or if its just a nutrient and CO2 thing.

Again, that macrandra is damn red, though. It's probably not an easy answer to get that. This is what makes Travis's tanks so mind-numbingly impressive, even when ignoring Mbuna and 'scape and size and tech.

Just my $.02. HTH

 

[sherry]

hey for 2 cents I'll dance.

testing nitrates now.

while I'm waiting on the clock to run out, I'll mention I dose K every other day on the assumption that my fish load will keep (as it has been doing) N and Phospates up to fertilizer levels.. I dose cms + b + fe every other day too.. maybe I need more..


hmm nitrates look to be 10, maybe a little less.
phosphates are out of wack.. but they are 2.. surely both levels are high enough for the plants.. tho I'd llike to get phosphates down. Looks like a water change tonight and maybe dosing a little extra n tomorrow?

what say you .. for a nickle this time ?

 

[sherry]

oh and a quick ps.. the tank is 20 inches tall, but has 3 inches of substrate.. so plants have 17 inches of room.

 

[Glenc]

Hi Sherry, your tank looks amazing!! You are doing a great job. I recognize that red beauty up front. The fact you even got it to grow says a ton. From what I've read, thats one tough plant. Gotta laugh at czcz's comments about Travis. I know exactly how he feels! Keep up the good work.

 

[travis simonson]

Wow, that is a lush tank Sherry! I'm glad to finally see pics of the tank I've heard so much about. You are doing a great job. Nothing like starting out your first planted tank with high-difficulty level plants and having them look so nice Don't sweat the algae right now. Overreacting to an outbreak can be just as bad as doing nothing. A 50% water change is a good idea. It will reset your nutrient levels (check out information on EI - Estimative Index - here on the forums) to known values and you can dose the right amounts of N and P to keep things stable. You are going to love pressurized CO2 And if you're worried about it, continue dosing with Excel also. It won't hurt anything and may help keep the algae down.

Hope to see more pics as things progress

 

[czcz]

For a nickel I would have told you exactly what I would do, big spender, but it's just EI while dosing Excel to supplement CO2 (assuming you are still unsure of the injected levels), and Travis just did that. So... can I keep your nickel?

 

[Jchillin]

Pssst...you guys really should see that tank in person Sorry sherry, I want the nickel. LOL!

 

[sherry]

Hey I'd offer you all a nickel, but you know them times are tough, especially if anyone is about to suggest MORE light to bring out the reds...

So the lone nickel up for grabs goes to cz.. I promise him first

Chillen and Travis.. would a hug do?

 

[travis simonson]

A hug, or some really killer French food

 

[sherry]

Ah.. Tout Va Bien .. You are on !!

So, are those of us who keep snails now cannibles if we taste escargo?

 

[travis simonson]

J'aime l'escagot. Il n'est pas des cannibles!