desktop 2.5gal

[czcz]

Man, it is reassuring to read you go through this too! I'm trying to get layouts as attractive and balanced as yours. When I say I suck at hardscape, I mean that I've spent hours messing with layouts by eye and just gave up... I just revert back to trying to grow plants instead of the scape. The aural focal point article is an interesting concept and is easier for me to follow than the golden ratio ideal of single focal points, but I still have no real clue what I'm doing. My significant other understands the obsession I think, though she surely finds it funny.

I would appreciate your advice on anything and everything, but this in particular:


That's Erect moss on the rock, which doesn't attach and is held down with hairnets. When it is grown out I am hoping I can give it haircuts instead of pulling it out of the tank to trim. In the meantime, I want HC to creep over the rocks, so it looks like spikes of moss are growing up out of HC in a rounded/textured foreground.

Any thoughts on how to best do this? Will HC creep up on its own or should I also hold it down with a hairnet? If I use a hairnet, do you think I can haircut it or will I need to remove the rocks and thin/reattach HC to keep it healthy looking?

Should I also spread the HC out more?

Thank you.
Joe

[Glenc]

Hmmm.. HC in my experience creeps well but needs sandy soil to get thick and stay put. Even with eco-complete the HC spreads well where the subsrate is mostly sand, and likes to detour away from any of the larger particles. You could probably get it to creep over a rock, but it would be tough to get it to stay on, you would surely have to tie it down. I'm not sure how much HC relies on nutrients in the substrate, you could coat the rock with a fine layer of substrate if it's flat enough. That would encourage HC to grow onto it and insure it's getting enough nutrients to stay healthy. Don't think it would take to bare rock. I have never given HC a haircut, but it will send out many shoots when it is separated or pulled apart and re-planted, it would probably be fine with a haircut in the tank. The more you spread this stuff out, the faster and thicker it grows! When I first got this plant, and saw how fine it was, I was not going to take hours planting it.(my, how times have changed, I just spent 2 hrs. planting HC in my ten gallon!!)) I put it in in clumps, and thats how it stayed for a long time. I took it out and re-planted it thinner and spread it out. The rate and quality of growth was amazing, no comparison, well worth the effort! Good luck!

[Glenc]

Any new pics czcz? What's going on in this tank?

[czcz]

Here's one from the 18th. I am unhappy with the left side and am thinking of pulling the L. brevipes in favor of Lindernia sp from another tank. The HC floating up is the stuff I was trying to grow over the rocks: when there's too much plant and too little rooted portion if floats up when pearling for me. I might rethink the Erect moss rocks because I envy the look of your 20g's carpet. I think the floating mass of Aldrovanda and Uticularia sp has to go, too. Thats brown algae on the glass.



And got some cool Nerite snails. They were in a tank with an open top, so hope they don't go for a walk. I want emergent growth on the left side and maybe around the driftwood.

[Lonewolfblue]

Looks awsome......

[Purrbox]

I love the nerite snails. Do you happen to know what types they are? I think I counted at least three distinct snail in your pics. How big will they get? Looking forward to seeing what you do with the aquascaping.

[plecoperson]

Those are some foxy snails-and of course a remarkable gem of a tank.

[czcz]

Thanks This is becoming my favorite tank. It is more of a nano pond than an aquarium to me sometimes. I hardly ever dose it with anything anymore btw. I've had a lot of baby snails since feeding the tank regularly (there are limpets, pond, and brown and ruby red ramshorns in there too).

I used to have Olive Nerites and they only got to quarter sized. I don't know how big these guys will get. I only know one of the Nerite's scientific name but have not looked farther than AppleSnail. http://www.applesnail.net/content/sn....php#Neritidae

So, I am pretty sure what I got as Tiger Nerite is Neritina natalensis. There is one in this tank and one in my 8gal.

The redish spotted ones were called Mosaic Nerite, and there's two in this tank.

I forget the common names of the spiky guys. They're both very small, smaller than adult common ramshorns. AppleSnail calls then unidentified. Spike1 above has a ribbed shell, and kind of looks like an armadillo.

This is Spike2. He's spotted and has a very unique shell I, but I have not gotten a good pic of him yet, but here's one:


I might be crazy, but Nerites seem social. They're always grouping up.

[Glenc]

Very cool, it is looking great! I agree, the floating mass should go or at least be reduced a bit, gonna block to much light. Don't forget, to get that carpet of HC in my 20 took over 6 months!

[azn_fishy55]

Looking good cz,sorry about not sending any of the plants I promised you since I've been busy moving lately.I hope it turns out how you want it to.