10gallon Planted Upgrade Log

[WaterPond]

I decided that it was tome to upgrade my 10gallon apisto tank. It used to just be a mess of plants with rotting stems because i only had 9 watts over it. The only things that grew well were crypts and my spiral vals. not to mention i didnt dose anything either. I wanted something a little more... so i bought two 24w fixtures to put over this tank. That gives me a total of 48watts. Should be fun, i have never worked with that much light before. I know since its a small tank that only brings my WPG down a bit. Still havn't figured out the exact amount. I also have a co2 reacotr running. I have never had good luck with co2, but i will be more dilegent with this, see how it goes.

I am dosing with dry ferts, and tropica aquacare liquid.

For substrate i am usuing eco-complete with a small layer of black gravel on top.

My plants are:

Cryptocoryne beckettii ''petchii''
Cryptocoryne wendtii ''brown''
Cryptocoryne wendtii ''green''
Cryptocoryne parva
Hydrocotyle sibthorpioides (maritima)
Ludwigia glandulosa
Vallisneria americana ''mini twister''

I plan on getting some type of groundcover (i was thinking Marsilea minuta or good ol' glosso)

I also plan on getting some downoi or some other type of mid ground plant for a small tank.

I will post pictures as soon as photobucket is done with maintenance. Its a work in progress.

 

[Glenc]

Sounds cool, looking forward to pics

 

[WaterPond]

My camera takes awsome pics, but once i run them through photobucket they turn out not so good. Really blurry and such. I will try to get some better ones.

Here are the inhabitatnts of the tank:

Here is the left side of the tank:

Full tank:

I have some more plants coming soon. I will get pics once they come.

 

[rich311k]

Very nice, Jason.

 

[spittinfly]

Waterpond, what kind of fish is that in the first pic, and is that the male or female of the same kind in the next?

 

[WaterPond]

First picture is a male apistogramma cacatouides, second pic is a female. They are a breeding pair.

 

[JustOneMore20]

The tank looks great! And your Apistos are beautiful as well. I bet the Eco really shows the colors of the Apistos.

 

[Glenc]

Awesome looking tank, plants and fish look amazing! Love the althernanthera behind the driftwood, nice red accent. Only gonna get better

 

[Glenc]

Oops, L. glandulosa is awesome!!

 

[WaterPond]

Yeah, its glandulosa, i've have awsome luck with alternathera when i used to grow it, but i thought i'd try something different. I'm already getting a tiny tiny tiny bit of hair algea on the leaves of the glandulosa, i hope i can get it under wraps.

I picked up some narrow leaf java fern the other day and i have some more plants on the way in the mail. I will get pics up again soon.

 

[Devilishturtles]

Good luck with the glandulosa. It died on me.

Tank looks great!

 

[BlazerFRS]

Beautiful fish!

The 'scape is very nice as well. I especially like the touch of red behind the driftwood.

Nice work