Blazey's 10gall Planted Journal Log *updated 12/29/06*

[blazeyreef]

well since i have not basicly started-over my 10gall...I desided to do a journal log.... I mean...I have now even changed my subtrate to quarts gravel (like it a lot better)
Specs
____________
10gall
35watts (little over 3/wpg)
DIY-CO2
Doseing Flourish

___________________
(plants of right now)
rotala indica (sp?)
Micro Sword
Aponogeton (sp?) Crispus
Red ludwigia peruensis (sp?)
____________________________
fish
1x albino corry
1x bolivian ram
4x neon tetra
2x otto

Before (right after the new subtrate was added)


After (after I added the plants)


* I still need a LOT more plants LOL *

[Jchillin]

*pics coming when water clears...*

I'll hold you to that promise. Looking forward to it.

[blazeyreef]

Originally Posted by Jchillin

I'll hold you to that promise. Looking forward to it.

awesome my water is a little cloudy cause I change the subtrate.... but when it clears!
Ok, edited them in

[blazeyreef]

ok question..is there to much gravel in there?

[dapellegrini]

Looks like you may have more than you need, but I am not convinced that there is such a thing as "too much", in terms of a quantity that would become unhealthy for your aquarium. How deep do you figure the substrate in a FW river is?

[blazeyreef]

hmm...I dont know...4 inches-ish

[happygirl65]

I dont think you have too much gravel. It looks really nice and I think it would make it easier to plant stems, or at least they would hold better.

As for gravel depth in nature...it depends on the river, and what part of the river you are at where the only constant is change!

The gravel in the FW River near my house is quite deep. I dug my substrate directly from the bank during low water last fall, we scraped off the top 4 inches just to get down the the more gravel layer which was about 6 inches deep then there was even deeper layer of course sand....then finer sand under that...then clay under that....I would say the gravel/sand layer was at least 12 inches, maybe more. It made for a very nice natural subtrate with sand and gravel of varying dimensions. The plants seem to love it! I wish I had made mine deeper.

I really like the look of your quarts gravel. It is really beautiful. And your placement is great on what you have in there too at least it looks good to me, I am not expert but I love to see all the different tanks on here, the possibilities are endless!

Your post makes me want to beg harder for a second tank...lol. Perhaps a planned space in my kitchen remodel next year!

[blazeyreef]

Thanks so much for the complement

[Jchillin]

Yes, that is a lot of gravel but not so much that you cannot be creative with it. You can create some depth perception by creating some hills and valleys and having the appropriate sized plants situated throughout the landscape.

You will definitely need some malaysian trumpet snails to stir up your substrate to avoid those beastly anaerobic gas pockets.

Looks good so far...just need some tall background plants

[blazeyreef]

Originally Posted by Jchillin

Yes, that is a lot of gravel but not so much that you cannot be creative with it. You can create some depth perception by creating some hills and valleys and having the appropriate sized plants situated throughout the landscape.

You will definitely need some malaysian trumpet snails to stir up your substrate to avoid those beastly anaerobic gas pockets.

Looks good so far...just need some tall background plants

thanks! Im still trying to get my hand on some plants and I dont know where to get a malaysian trumpet snail....my LFS's dont carry them ( or at least not that I have ever seen)
thanks for the Idea... I will see what I can do