In the beginning...*Update* 9/20/06 - Aquarium Advice

Jchillin · 04-18-2006, 08:49 PM

Here is a photojournal of the 75 gal amazon jungle. I started with 1wpg and no ferts. A couple of java ferns started me rolling toward where it is today:

A year ago...too much wood. The java ferns are the only live plants in the tank.

During the summer, added an micro sword and some anacharis and a few crypts (the jungle is taking shape:

December 2005 - Additional plants added include: L. repens, jungle vals, hornwort and some clippings of various other plants:

January 2006 - I upgraded from NO to 110w CF. The difference in the lighting is great. Added a huge amazon sword as well. At this point, I found I needed to dose potassium:

Today - All of the hornwort and anacharis is removed (couldn't keep up with the pruning). At this point, I also began dosing nitrogen. I'm still experimenting with growing various plants so a true aquascape is yet to be considered:

**Zagz** · 04-18-2006, 09:58 PM

Wow Bill that is great that you gave the before and after shots! Looks so much better with the growth and the new lighting. I can totally relate to the hornwort issue, learning that one first hand!

Glenc · 04-19-2006, 09:39 AM

Your tank looks alot bigger than 75 gallons. I would have guessed 125. Very nice, thanks for the photojournal.

BrianNY · 04-22-2006, 07:40 AM

Looking good Bill. I would let the giant Val grow. If it starts getting too dense you can thin it out. You might also try adding some rocks or low driftwood on the right side, and moving the plants in the foreground closer to the front.

fastfly48 · 04-22-2006, 08:09 AM

Cool tank Bill

Love'n the step by step photos!
Thanks.
Ry.

Jchillin · 04-22-2006, 09:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrianNY

Looking good Bill. I would let the giant Val grow. If it starts getting too dense you can thin it out.

In the 6 months that I've had them, I've split them 4 times. In pic #3, you can see the full grown Val creating a canopy on the left.

Zezmo · 04-22-2006, 12:11 PM

I like watching the progression of your tank in those pictures. It's funny how quickly your tank can go from "I don't believe anything is growing" to "I can't believe how fast it is growing". If you look closely it is also a journal of your Ram growing up. The piece of driftwood in the center has some character. What kind of wood is it? It must be a pretty good sized chunk.

Jchillin · 04-22-2006, 01:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zezmo

If you look closely it is also a journal of your Ram growing up.

Wow, a combo journal! I totally missed it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zezmo

The piece of driftwood in the center has some character. What kind of wood is it? It must be a pretty good sized chunk.

I have no idea. I saw it advertised online when I was beginning the tank and looking around for some nice wood pieces. I removed a ton of it, but that one was just what I needed for a centerpiece (note how it was moved from the left to the center).

That original Java Fern has been a very successful plant as it has given "birth" to so many additional plants. I now have two large clumps from that original:

Jchillin · 05-01-2006, 07:53 PM

I'm now trying something completely different. I want to create an L. repens "forest" in the tank so, over the weekend, I trimmed all of the L. repens into 3" plants and grouped them together. I also did some additional pruning and the tank looks different again:

BlazerFRS · 05-01-2006, 11:16 PM

Lookin lush Jchillin

Plants look so good I can almost forgive you for the blue gravel

lookin very good!

04-18-2006, 08:49 PM	#1
Jchillin Aquarium Advice Addict Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: New York, NY (The Big Apple) Posts: 12,970 Images: 47	*In the beginning...Update* 9/20/06** Here is a photojournal of the 75 gal amazon jungle. I started with 1wpg and no ferts. A couple of java ferns started me rolling toward where it is today: A year ago...too much wood. The java ferns are the only live plants in the tank. During the summer, added an micro sword and some anacharis and a few crypts (the jungle is taking shape: December 2005 - Additional plants added include: L. repens, jungle vals, hornwort and some clippings of various other plants: January 2006 - I upgraded from NO to 110w CF. The difference in the lighting is great. Added a huge amazon sword as well. At this point, I found I needed to dose potassium: Today - All of the hornwort and anacharis is removed (couldn't keep up with the pruning). At this point, I also began dosing nitrogen. I'm still experimenting with growing various plants so a true aquascape is yet to be considered: __________________ _________________________________

04-22-2006, 08:09 AM	#5
fastfly48 Aquarium Advice Freak Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Perth. Western Australia Posts: 274	Cool tank Bill Love'n the step by step photos! Thanks. Ry. __________________ My tank: 20 gallon planted freash water (26*C) community. 30" long, 12" deep and 12" high. 40W lighting = 2 watts per gallon.. otb aqua clear filter Pressurized C02 fish: 8 neon, 4 rosy barbs , 2 brs. pleco Shatered dreams of yesteryear, cloud horizons in shades of grey.

05-01-2006, 11:16 PM	#10
BlazerFRS Aquarium Advice Freak Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Rochester, NY Posts: 320 Images: 4	Lookin lush Jchillin Plants look so good I can almost forgive you for the blue gravel lookin very good! __________________ 10 gallon 2.6 [acronym="Watts Per Gallon"]WPG[/acronym], [acronym="Carbon dioxide"]CO2[/acronym] supplemented. 3 Dwarf Puffers, 3 Ghost Shrimp, 3 Otos Planted with Java Fern, C. retrospiralis, Java moss, chistmas moss, L. repens, R. rotundifolia, Wisteria, C. wendtii, C. lucen, S. subulata, M. heterophyllum, C. carolina

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04-19-2006, 09:39 AM	#3
Glenc Aquarium Advice Addict Community Mentor Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 1,075	Your tank looks alot bigger than 75 gallons. I would have guessed 125. Very nice, thanks for the photojournal. __________________ 125 gallon, Crypt green gecko, Crypt undulata "broad leaf" Lobelia cardinalis small and large form. H.corymbosa "compact" Crypt parva, Downoi, Bacopa. 2x 150 Wt 10000k HQI Metal Halide, 2x 65 Wt 6700k-Colourmax

04-22-2006, 07:40 AM	#4
BrianNY Aquarium Advice Addict Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: NY Posts: 4,259 Images: 18	Looking good Bill. I would let the giant Val grow. If it starts getting too dense you can thin it out. You might also try adding some rocks or low driftwood on the right side, and moving the plants in the foreground closer to the front.

04-22-2006, 12:11 PM	#7
Zezmo Aquarium Advice Addict Community Mentor Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Northern California Posts: 1,112 Images: 14	I like watching the progression of your tank in those pictures. It's funny how quickly your tank can go from "I don't believe anything is growing" to "I can't believe how fast it is growing". If you look closely it is also a journal of your Ram growing up. The piece of driftwood in the center has some character. What kind of wood is it? It must be a pretty good sized chunk.