I got my tanks planted over the weekend!

[An t-iasg]

Remember the list of plants I posted a week or so ago? I got them in the two 5 gallon tanks last weekend. Oh my, the tanks look terrible! I knew they wouldn't look like Takashi Amano's or even the show tank at the hatchery. My terrestrial, perennial garden took 3-4 years to look good, although I hope the tanks won't take that long, lol. I'm going to be patient for about a month before (if) I make any changes. I don't want to stress the fish also, by too much rearranging all at once. The one tank still has the silk plants in it, just for that reason -- I didn't want to change that betta's environment too much at once. The other betta is new, so his tank is all planted. It's definitely a work in progress!

 

[Toirtis]

Good job...you will see some rewards within a couple of weeks, I suspect, and then it will have been all worthwhile.

 

[An t-iasg]

Thanks, Toirtis! I've had a few crypts and java moss in the betta tanks before, but this is my first try at all-planted tanks. It will be fun to see how it progresses!

 

[gheitman]

Congratulations on getting your tanks planted. Don't feel that your tanks have to look like Takashi Amano's when you set them up. While his tanks are beautiful they aren't necessarily the only way to go and they are certainly very high maintenance.

Also planted tanks are never really done. I consider mine to be a "work in progress" no matter how long they have been set up.

 

[Jchillin]

Also planted tanks are never really done. I consider mine to be a "work in progress" no matter how long they have been set up.

That is an excellent point Gene. I've changed my tank around at least 6 times since April (this looks good here...this looks better there) so I have to agree. What plants did you get An t-iasg?

 

[czcz]

Congrats Pics?

 

[travis simonson]

Don't worry about things not looking like you want them to in the beginning - they rarely do. The plants almost always need some time to adjust and grow in. Your idea of letting things stay as is for a month or so is a good one. You'll get an idea of which direction things are headed and then be able to make a more informed decision as to where you want to go from that point. And yes, some pics would be great

 

[dnaelting]

Congrats. I am hoping to do the same thing this weekend. Just waiting for my order to come in from AZ Aquatics...

 

[Blazeherd2306]

Congrats Planted tanks are alot better than plastic plants IME.

 

[gheitman]

I'm partial to planted tanks myself. See my profile for the plants I have in each of my tanks.

 

[An t-iasg]

Thanks, everyone!

Gene, you're partial to planted tanks? I never would have known! I'll try to get some pics; I know it's important for feedback. They are really bad right now, lol. I know my tanks won't look like Takashi Amano's -- I can't even compare my tanks to his at all! I enjoy looking at his tank pictures, and someday I hope to enjoy the way mine are arranged too.

I hope I'm not going to have problems with Kylie. I've had him for about 6 months and I've rearranged his home. He's not happy; he's been very skittish. I left in the two silk plants and he comes out to eat and swim around a little, but he's in the silk plants most of the day. He wasn't that skittish before. I think I'll need to leave the silk plants in until the real ones get thicker. I hope this doesn't cause a probem with the crypts. I hope their roots don't wrap around the base of the silk plants. Is there a low-light plant that is thick and full right away? What about a taller/bigger variety of anubias? I've only had the petite variety.

The other betta, Kelsie, is new, so he doesn't know any better! He seems fine. The two bettas can see each other from one corner of each of their tanks, but they don't seem to care much about that. I'll try to get a pic. I'll have to see how Kylie is tomorrow. He hides even if I walk by the tank fast (getting to the phone), which he didn't do before.

I understand the work in progress part! I just don't want to stress the fish so I'll take it slowly. My perennial gardens are done -- I added one plant this spring that I was waiting all winter for. The gardens look great, but I almost miss working with them (or, directing my husband where to dig, lol).

 

[An t-iasg]

Does anyone have a comment on H. polysperma or difformis as my tall, thick plant? (I did see a notation somewhere about H. polysperma being a noxious weed!) I didn't consider them before because I thought they would overwhelm a 5 gallon tank too quickly. I could use them now, but that probably would mean I would have to rethink my whole aquascape to allow for their growth.

 

[travis simonson]

More of an ob-noxious weed if you ask me They both growth rather quickly with the H. difformis being one of the fastest growing plants around. You're right in avoiding them for your 5G because they would just get too big too quickly. H. polysperma might work, but you'd have to spend a lot of time trimming it to keep it within the tank boundaries.

 

[An t-iasg]

Thanks, Travis! That's what I thought -- I'd get a whole new set of problems with those plants. I'm going to have to do something for Kylie -- he feels very insecure. Maybe a taller anubias -- he can hide under the broad leaves. Here's some pictures. You can see the big silk plants on the right side of Kylie's tank. The Echinodorus angustifolius in both tanks is by the heater (the tanks are a mirror image of each other), the anubias petite is in the front corner, the crypts and lace java fern are along the front (they aren't very visible) and the sunset hygro is the most visible plant. The bacopa melted, and only the stems are planted along the back. Hopefully they will recover.

 

[czcz]

Lay down the bacopa stems and they'll come back with bushy growth. This works for all stem plants I think, but fwiw its worked best with rotala and bacopa for me.

(example of growth from a rotala stem broken to three ~3" sections, then bunched together.)

 

[An t-iasg]

czcz,
Do you mean lay the stems horizontally on/in the gravel? You can see the bacopa stems by the heater in the first picture. I like Rotala; I've had it before. I thought I'd try something different this time, but I may go back and get some more Rotala and try what you suggested since I really need something thick and tall to make the one betta feel safe, and I really want the silk plants out of there!

 

[gheitman]

You might want to try Cabomba in your tanks. I've found that it is quick growing and offers a lot of cover. My dwarf loaches love it.

 

[czcz]

Do you mean lay the stems horizontally on/in the gravel?

Yup. I dig how much you do for your bettas by the way, and may do your moss bed in my betta's tank

 

[An t-iasg]

Thanks, Gene, and czcz! Gene, I see in your profile that you have cabomba in your 5 and 10 gallon tanks. I have always liked cabomba, but thought it needed much more light than I have. Your 10 gallon tank has 1.5 WPG, which is what my tanks have. (My Eclipse 5 gallon hex isn't set up yet -- I want to get get these 5 gallon tanks straightened out first!) How often do you trim the cabomba? I think the hatchery I go to has cabomba in the pond section. I'll have to make sure it's not a pond specific plant that they have.

czcz, I'll try that with the bacopa. It's very pretty and I hope it recovers. If you try the betta moss bed, let me know how it goes! Having a plastic soap dish in an aquarium is rather unconventional, but the bettas rule! They love it so much that I wouldn't dream of removing it (plus, I got some really cute pics of the bettas in the moss!)

 

[gheitman]

Actually I just added Cabomba to two of my tanks last week. The plants already need trimming they are growing so fast.