My 55 Gallon Right Now

[trustemedia]

Think I'm done and just need to wait for plants to grow in better. What do you think?

 

[Wiggles24]

What is that light in the middle?

 

[trustemedia]

It's a slow color changing LED bubbler.

 

[trustemedia]

Still trying to sink driftwood.

 

[dragonfisher33]

i would recommend more plants on the driftwood, java ferns/anubias to give the more natural look. some forground plants would also look nice

 

[trustemedia]

I haven't had any luck with java fern for some reason. I had about 4 plants and a couple leaflings and all died but one. I have one in there still I'm trying to get going without dying. I don't have anubias, but have been looking at getting some. I did have a few foreground plants, but most seem to get eaten or end up floating in the morning. Having a hard time getting things rooted down before getting floating up. I keep a space open in the very front though for my sand sifters who like the sand. I still have a few in the front trying to grow and just got some Comprehensive Flourish to help so we'll see how things go.

What do you recommend for foreground plants - easy to grow and most likely low light?

 

[dragonfisher33]

what kind of light do you have? low, medium, or high?

 

[dragonfisher33]

did you tie the java fern instead of planting into the substrate? did you expose the java fern directly to the light source? how are you water parameters? java ferns are very hardy and if you manage to kill them i suspect your planting method might be wrong

 

[trustemedia]

Low light. I did tie the java fern. It was never in the substrate. I had them in different places in the tank and even placed one in a different tank I had to see if that made a difference in anything. Died in my other tank, too. I have one left, tied to the driftwood now. Not sure what expose directly to light source means - the root floating at the top or make sure it gets enough light.... would need you to clarify that part for me, please. Water parameters are all good. I check them weekly. Some plants are planted, but not growing. Some growing like crazy, and some just didn't take at all, like the java fern. I was surprised by the java fern, too. I am hoping this one makes it. Maybe your input will help me not lose my last one. They turn brown and to mush. I got them in plant package I ordered here in the classifieds. Unfortunately, upon their arrival, all the leaves had fell off but a few on each plant. I ended up losing them all but the one I got left.

 

[dragonfisher33]

Low light. I did tie the java fern. It was never in the substrate. I had them in different places in the tank and even placed one in a different tank I had to see if that made a difference in anything. Died in my other tank, too. I have one left, tied to the driftwood now. Not sure what expose directly to light source means - the root floating at the top or make sure it gets enough light.... would need you to clarify that part for me, please. Water parameters are all good. I check them weekly. Some plants are planted, but not growing. Some growing like crazy, and some just didn't take at all, like the java fern. I was surprised by the java fern, too. I am hoping this one makes it. Maybe your input will help me not lose my last one. They turn brown and to mush. I got them in plant package I ordered here in the classifieds. Unfortunately, upon their arrival, all the leaves had fell off but a few on each plant. I ended up losing them all but the one I got left.

"directly under the light" means that the java fern is not placed with light shining on it. how i do my tank is that i have a large amazon swords and right underneath the leaves of the amazon sword, i tied my java fern to a piece of rock. root should never be floating on the top of the surface. your light is burning the java fern. if the java fern turns brown/black, it's an indication of too much light. you should've gotten some java from me as i take a picture of the plants you're going to receive and you can approve before i ship them out. let me know if this clarifies your quandary.

 

[trustemedia]

Good to know. I have never had my root floating, so that is good. But I guess I should hide the java fern where it's dark and see what happens. My light seems so dim I didn't imagine it could burn anything. I guess it can! I'm new to plants and these are the first I have planted. Thanks for your help. I will hide it tonight and see how it does.

 

[dragonfisher33]

Good to know. I have never had my root floating, so that is good. But I guess I should hide the java fern where it's dark and see what happens. My light seems so dim I didn't imagine it could burn anything. I guess it can! I'm new to plants and these are the first I have planted. Thanks for your help. I will hide it tonight and see how it does.

well, i don't know what you meant by "i should hide the java fern". this is what i would do. tie the java ferns to a rock and place the rock right under the branch from your DW. you still want some light for the fern to grow, just not direct exposure to the light.

 

[trustemedia]

That's exactly what I meant by that. Thank you!

Do you think what I have in there is too much or just right, or...? The DW is hollow and has many entrances from top, back, front, bottom, and right side. I thought kind of big, but the fish love going in it. So, I kept it in. If they like it... it's for them. I will be able to move some things around when the wood sinks. And hopefully it will get greener when plants fill in. Looking for feedback I can use, like with the plant suggestion. I can take it.

 

[dragonfisher33]

That's exactly what I meant by that. Thank you!

Do you think what I have in there is too much or just right, or...? The DW is hollow and has many entrances from top, back, front, bottom, and right side. I thought kind of big, but the fish love going in it. So, I kept it in. If they like it... it's for them. I will be able to move some things around when the wood sinks. And hopefully it will get greener when plants fill in. Looking for feedback I can use, like with the plant suggestion. I can take it.

what kind of light do you have for the tank? i can't tell by looking at the picture you posted. can you take more pictures of different areas of your tank so that others, myself included, can chime in as well? it's hard to give suggestions when there's not enough info on your setup. What plants so far do you have and what's your fish stocking list?

 

[trustemedia]

Will do. "I'll be back."

 

[trustemedia]

Checked my light (I know I should probably know that as it's important, but tackling one thing at a time), I have 2 24" fluorescent bulbs labeled cool F20 20Watts. I think... I got the tank from craigslist an cleaned it up real good and resealed it. The light it came with had 2 different bulbs in it. My husband matched them up for me from the spare bulbs I received, but I don't have the packaging. What I have are 3 cool F20s spare. I could have something brighter in there and I know that doesn't help. Guess I should have looked. Originally, one was more blue and one was more yellow. Probably helps none.

I uploaded different pics to Flickr with descriptions. Here's the link:

55 Gallon Aquarium - a set on Flickr

Tried to embed slideshow. Not sure how. Didn't work.

Tank is low end brackish 1.002 to 1.006.
Mostly gobies - dragon, bumble bee, knight, sakura, ninja, flame cheek, algae eating, peacock. I have a lot of hoppers, sitters, glass eaters.

Top swimmers: 3 juvie lyretail dalmation mollies I raised and 3 juvie swordtails. Adult swordtail pair who are deeply in love, for real.

Plants in tank:

Water sprite - does good, but stays the same.
Java Moss - growing roots now
Ludwigia Repens -couple good stems. breaks alot and I replant tops
Java Fern - like said, most melted and brown gooed up. got 1 left.
Micro Sword - hanging in there. growing so slow
dwarf sagittaria - did good for about a month. started melting. saved some.
Cabomba Palaeformis - dong great
ambulia - doing great
Rotala walichii - this is mostly gone, kept getting dug out.
Rotala rotundifolia - doing okay.
Bacopa caroliniana - my stems melt a lot on these for some reason
Crypt green - lasted a month or so and melted
Hornwort -does real good.

Took a chance with a lot of these as not on my "tolerable list". Took what came with my packages and crossed fingers. Seen many others have luck with a lot. Also read a lot about melting before a plant comes back, so hanging in there as only had them all a short while. Worst problem in gobies dig them up before they get rooted. Caught one sucking on the stems of them, so that may be why some stems shrink on me. Working on finding hardy ones that tolerate the abuse. The Cabomba does read good, but they dig it out in spots alot. When something is caught floating, I just stick it somewhere else in the tank to help it find a spot where it won't get knocked out. I also got some plant sinkers the other day, so maybe that will help.

Okay, fire away. It's been a lot of work and my tank seems happy now. Just need DW to sink so I can take some rocks off and plants to fill in.

 

[trustemedia]

I also need a background someday. I'd love to use a real plant that hangs.

 

[dragonfisher33]

if you don't plan on upgrading your light fixture, then i would at least get a day-light fluorescent bulb. you can find them in homedepot. what you should have is 6700K for color temperature. GE makes them, so does Philips. They sometimes have the label of "for plants and aquarium". what you have right now is not enough at all, especially not enough penetrating light toward the bottom of the tank.

this is the type of bulb you need
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Philips-...-387522/100476647?N=bm3zZ1z132on#.UcJnb9gmYYY

 

[dragonfisher33]

the lighting should solve some of your plants dying issue. next, looking at your plants list, most of them require at least medium lighting. the fact that you have some plants underneath the DW is also another reason why your plants are dying. put them under direct light exposure. the only exception to this is java fern from your current list.

 

[dragonfisher33]

what' s your pH btw? and the type of substrate you're using?