Bert's 60g Planted Tank

[Bert2oo1]

Smashing it Bert. What you doing for GH these days?

Thanks all! Really happy it's back to being nice again! Hygro's growing back nicely too was looking abit untidy.

Forgot to mention the plant in the nursery is fissiden fontanus. It's turned into a massive mat (about the size of my hand). I have no idea what to do with it but can't bring myself to throw it away lol

No additional GH additives apart from the marble gravel I've got in the small canister (apparently slow releases calcium at ph below 7)

How's your tank coming along cal?

 

[Caliban07]

I see, what about Mg?

Things are ok. Not perfect mind

 

[Bert2oo1]

I see, what about Mg?

Things are ok. Not perfect mind

Nah no additional MG at all. I gave up on trying to balance the CA MG ratio lol

Just following the high light PPS pro dosage daily with the marble gravel in the filter, seems to be working pretty well. I do still get the odd leaf twisting but generally everything seems to grow in nicely. Could be a lack of a micro nutrient maybe?

The green stems tend to explode with growth but the reds are much slower. Still considering moving a few plants around but still waiting on the left growth [emoji106]

8 weeks untill my month long holiday so the tank will almost be full grown by then and I'll be coming back to a disaster most likely lol

 

[Bert2oo1]

Tanks now fully clear again! Whoo! Now I can actually see the plants I've noticed I have a heap of damaged plants due to the reduction in light.

Repens carpet has to be completely replanted as all the lower leaves have died and fallen off, I've lost a few Liminophila hippuroides due to the stems rotting through. Pogo helfari has become abit leggy but I should be able to hide the lower sections so not too worried.

Overall not to much damage and I'm sure it will bounce back extremely fast.

That's all for now, time to get the sleeves wet and replant this carpet and remove all the ugly bits [emoji106]

Tank shot today - http://pho.to/AlvrW

 

[Bert2oo1]

Left side is catching up! Tanks starting to look really good! Just waiting for the ludwigia glandulosa to grow through behind the hygro compact and the repens carpet to grow back and I'll be close to the finished product!

Going on my 3 week holiday in 5 weeks... Could say I'm a little nervous about this tank!

Photo after water change today [emoji106] http://pho.to/AmgAe

 

[Fresh2o]

Tank looks fine! I miss the diverse jungle layout. That is until I have to break out the shears.

 

[Bert2oo1]

Tank looks fine! I miss the diverse jungle layout. That is until I have to break out the shears.

Haha yes it's very much a handful to keep it under control. Shears are coming out weekly and the leaf litter has to be cleared every second day with the skimmer.

The bylxa is starting to get abit crowded aswell so I may need to pull it all out and replant it [emoji106]

 

[Bert2oo1]

Due for a trim again (only trimmed last week). The AR has gone crazy and is growing out of the tank. Need to cut out a few old leaves and make them look nicer.

Pulled out the ludwigia as I wasn't happy with the way it was growing. Couldn't keep it to grow straight and I've now got another plant in there. Can't remember the name but it's only 4 stems so will take a while to grow enough to fill the space. It's a thin leaf bright green plant. I'll get a name for you later [emoji106]

All in all happy days [emoji106] pics: http://pho.to/An6q0

 

[Bert2oo1]

I'll be locked away for life for mass murder today! Had a huge pull out and replant as a lot of the stems were shooting roots everywhere and growing in a tangle from being trimmed to many times.

Removed a heap of the stricta and replaced it with some Liminophila hippuroides, should look a lot better and be easier to maintain. The stricta was too large and shading a lot of the smaller plants.

Also getting frustrated with the bolbitus because all the leaf litter is collecting on it before it makes it to the skimmer [emoji36] I have no other use for it though and I don't want to throw it out (plant hoarder!)

Few more months and it should be complete [emoji16]

Crime scene: http://pho.to/An8uK

 

[Delapool]

Is that angelfish in there? They look very nice!

And ambulia?

 

[Bert2oo1]

Is that angelfish in there? They look very nice!

And ambulia?

Certainly is [emoji106] I got sold it as Liminophila sessifoli

 

[Delapool]

Certainly is [emoji106] I got sold it as Liminophila sessifoli

Oops (behind the times!). Normally hopeless at recognising stuff.

I liked it, nice plant - was just too much work for me. Grew nicely though. Is yours getting bit of a red tinge at the top near light?

 

[Bert2oo1]

Oops (behind the times!). Normally hopeless at recognising stuff.

I liked it, nice plant - was just too much work for me. Grew nicely though. Is yours getting bit of a red tinge at the top near light?

Yea once it gets to the surface all the tips are turning red they hippuroides goes a bright purple aswell if I pushed the lighting to 100% I recon majority of the tank would be red lol [emoji16]

 

[Delapool]

Nice, I might get some for a small tank again. Comes up for auction every so often or shops have it.

 

[Bert2oo1]

Nice, I might get some for a small tank again. Comes up for auction every so often or shops have it.

Yea it's a great plant, I love the look of it when it's all bunched up and because the leaf structure is really small the light penetrates through really well. Even at the very bottom it doesn't shed the leaves [emoji106]

 

[Delapool]

True, my last hygro stem is no more and tbh finding the crypts less work. No lower leaves dropping off and floating around tank.

 

[Bert2oo1]

Getting ready for my 3 week holiday to Canada! My mother will be looking after the tanks (barely), feeding the fish and fert dosing every 2nd-3rd day. I'll be dimming the lights down to 50% power on both of my tanks but co2 will remain the same.

I'm expecting some serious damage when I return, so no doubt I'll have 2 complete rescapes when I get back.

Not sure if I'll do another Dutch theme or go with something completely different. The time and effort with the Dutch scape is abit draining. However I have really enjoyed starring into the tank for many hours.

I plan on doing a full strip down when I get back and replace the substrate with ADA Amazonia "light" and I'll plan a scape of some sort before I do it.

The Ada tank will also be stripped down and rescaped, I've already got a plan in mind so something to look forward to [emoji16]

I leave in 8 days so fingers crossed for me guys and hopefully the damage isn't too bad when I get back [emoji106] I'll get a photo of the tank when I get back home.

Edit: forgot to add, if anyone is in Aus and is interested in plants let me know as I'll basically be pulling the whole lot out and starting fresh so all the plants will be up for sale [emoji106]

 

[Delapool]

Nice one [emoji106]

Have you ever looked into auto-ferts dosers? Got a few week long holidays coming up and thinking of just turning lights down / no dosing but would be nice to dose something. I was thinking fish-feeders but find them pretty erratic so far.

 

[Bert2oo1]

Nice one [emoji106]

Have you ever looked into auto-ferts dosers? Got a few week long holidays coming up and thinking of just turning lights down / no dosing but would be nice to dose something. I was thinking fish-feeders but find them pretty erratic so far.

Yea I considered an auto doser but ended up not having any spare $$ to buy one. Those auto fish feeders are crazy expensive for what they are! My LFS had them for $65!

I'm thinking it shouldn't be to bad if I do as you said and dim the lights.

At the end of the day I don't mind deconstructing the tanks once I get back and starting a fresh if I have to [emoji106]

 

[Delapool]

Yea I considered an auto doser but ended up not having any spare $$ to buy one. Those auto fish feeders are crazy expensive for what they are! My LFS had them for $65!

I'm thinking it shouldn't be to bad if I do as you said and dim the lights.

At the end of the day I don't mind deconstructing the tanks once I get back and starting a fresh if I have to [emoji106]

I know - I agree, ridiculously expensive.

Kind of tempted on a re-scape here. Plants have gotten out of hand / some not doing well. Not sure if I like the bolbitis after all but too expensive to just discard. Dodged the whole issue by ordering some root tabs on weekend ....