My low tech progress (2.5 week Update)

[fish_4_all]

Before

1 week without CO2 (only just started Excel dosing)

10 gallon tank
~33 watts NO flourecent
Dose EI dosing everything
Epoxy gravel substrate with some river run gravel mixed in
AC20HOB
Airstone running 24/7
NO CO2 injection, no Excel dosing, yet
Plants are: Anubias Nana, Crypt Red Wendtii, Pearlweed, L. Aromatica, Christmas moss, Primrose

Only thing missing is a background so I can hide my CO2 factory for the other tank.

All of the plants but the crypt and Anubias are from other members, thank all of you again and again and again!!!!!!!!!

 

[zenkatydid]

oh wow, what a gorgeous crypt! i have a bronze wendtii that is just starting to get going, will be a while before mine looks like yours!

 

[drobertson]

What are the taller plant by your green cave? Nice set up

 

[zenkatydid]

the tall pale green one in the centre is Limnophila aromatica. i love those, i wish i could find them - they look gorgeous when they go pink!

 

[rkilling1]

why are you EI dosing if you are C limited?

EDIT: or does that mean weekly EI dosing? or the normal every day dosing?

 

[drobertson]

Ok, thanks it sure looks nice

 

[fish_4_all]

I dose about 75% of what I dose for my CO2 tank.

NO3 - 7 instead of 10ppm
PO4 - 0.5 instead of 0.77ppm
K is the same for both, 17ppm from K2SO4, not adding amounts from KNO3 nor KH2PO4
CSM+B to 0.15 instead of 0.2
Mg and CA dosed same as other tank, 7ppm and 20ppm once a week

I still need to adjust the tank some and make sure the NO3 isn't getting too high but so far my tests show levels just above the dosing, so far so good.

I had BBA in the CO2 tank and have staghorn in this one but I think it was because of really low PO4 dosing, I upped it to 3x a week and it seems to have helped. Still an adventure to adjust without CO2. Growth has slowed but the L aromatica has grown about an inch in the last 4 days and since I added more PO4 the christmas moss has sprung to life. The crypt seems to like the removal of the CO2 as the leaves look much healthier and don't have as many holes in the leaves. Root tabs help my crypts big time, all of mine love them and really seem to suffer without them.

I would send some aromatica but it isn't growing very fast and I just got mine a few weeks ago. Will become a really nice background when I can trim and replant to fill out the back of the tank with it.

 

[Mosaic]

It's been said, but that's a gorgeous crypt. I am coveting.

 

[fish_4_all]

Can anyone confirm that the middle back plant is actually L. Aromatica? Could it be another Lymnophila species?

 

[rkilling1]

I believe it's Polygonum odoratum. This is all I could find:

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/...nophila-aromatica-var.html?highlight=odoratum

It looks pretty close.

 

[fish_4_all]

http://members.optusnet.com.au/aquaticlife/Limnophila.htm

This picture looks exactly like mine. Sounds like there could be either a var. that I have or the names are a little screwy, but that wouldn't be surprise now would it.

 

[fish_4_all]

The plant behind the cave is Primrose, sorry I took so long to answer that one. I had to up my dosing of NO3 to 10ppm every other day to get the Aromatica (or whatever it is) to start growing and since then it has taken off as well as everything else.

Excel should jump start this tank beyond what I actually want as far as growth but the more the better. Should be a nice tak once it fill in in front of and behind the cave. The pearlweed is growing slow but starting to fill in and the Primrose is strating to grow reall well. Should be really nice and porvide a really nice tank for my BN babies if they ever breed.

11-22-06

 

[zenkatydid]

what is the green tunnel made out of? and is it sealed?

 

[fish_4_all]

The cave is ceramic. It is not sealed but it doesn't need to be. I have tested them and found information that says they last for 100 years. It is painted with underglaze, EZ strokes to give it color but prevent a slick surface. The cave is majorly roughed up and designed specifically for moss. The inside is smooth to protect the BN when they use it.

 

[fish_4_all]

Update 12-2-06

I LOVE LOVE TECH!!!!!!

 

[drobertson]

Your tank has progressed beautifully. I can't believe how much it has filled in in such a short time. Great Job