Fishenthusiast's 30 Gallon Planted Odyssey

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The tank doesn't look bad upon returning from vacation on Sunday . . . somehow ?. I'm going to be making some small changes to the scape. The Red Hadi Sword is getting too large for my liking. The Rotala macrandra hasn't done well since the start, so it will be replaced. My plan is to get a couple new plants, and reduce lighting to the medium range for slower growth--none of the plants that I have need high light anyway (besides the Rotala mac., which is being removed anyway).

Plants that will not be a part of the future scape:

• Rotala macrandra
• Red Hadi Sword

Plants that may be added (will only select a few):

• Crypt wendtii "Green Gecko" (supposedly stays smaller in size; could remain algae free in medium light) I've always wanted this beauty, even in the days of the low light tank.
• Rotala colorata
• AR "rosaefolia" (will add a red touch, but I had algae problems with it before when I had it last year in high lighting)
• Bacopa colorata/caroliniana
• Rotala rotundifolia
• Micro Sword
• Glosso



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Glad the tank was not out of control upon your return. I always expect to see a jungle whenever I go away.
I've got quite a bit of Rotala roundifolia or colorata in my holding tank. Plus more in the tank. Initially, the plants were separate but over time I mixed them.


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Wow! Between you and Fresh at the very least, I feel humbled. My little project is just starting, so we'll see how things turn out. :) Very lovely. :)
 
Carriwin said:
Wow! Between you and Fresh at the very least, I feel humbled. My little project is just starting, so we'll see how things turn out. :) Very lovely. :)
Click to expand...


Every needs to start somewhere. Some of my early setups were frightening. Moss tied to a flat stone = Planted Tank.
You just need to find the right plants for the conditions you will be providing them.


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This tank is an odyssey, and it is taking a new turn in direction. The tank is going back to low maintenance, low light. All of the plants are gone, and some new ones will be arriving later this week. The tank, though, will be much different from any of my prior builds. One thing that I did was I sloped the substrate upwards so that I'll have more depth. Secondly, I sold of all my driftwood, and new spider wood will be coming in--even more branchy than before, and with more character. It'll be better for this tank and its dimensions.



This is not a build of trial and error this time. I've spent more time planning this build. The driftwood will be focused on one side, and it will be branching out towards the other side. The tank will be mainly green as well--the fish will stand out more. True Dwarf Sag (stays short in low tech), Crypt wendtii "Green Gecko" and "Florida Sunset", Crypt willisii lucens, Crypt parva, Willow Moss, Lilaeopsis Chinensis Maryland (low tech version of Micro Sword), Anubias nana, Anubias nana "petite", Marsilea creanata, Needle Leaf Java Fern, and some others will be a part of the build (mostly likely Crypt undulata, and a moderate sized grassy background plant). CO2 will be pumping, ferts will be added every few days, and algae will be less prevalent. Stay tuned AAers.



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Sounds nice! Just re-doing plants on one side of tank here and getting long roots in deep gravel. Looking forward to pics of your driftwood :)
 
Those previous setups are something you can build upon. You've got the CO2 and ferts covered. I guess there are no plants I can send you :(
How will you maintain the substrate slope? You can cut up plastic cutting boards into appropriate sized strips.


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Fresh2o said:
Those previous setups are something you can build upon. You've got the CO2 and ferts covered. I guess there are no plants I can send you :(
How will you maintain the substrate slope? You can cut up plastic cutting boards into appropriate sized strips.


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Click to expand...


That sounds like a good idea. Maybe something like this? https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003FBSZBM/ref=psdcmw_289863_t2_B00BOUUX6G


Delapool said:
Sounds nice! Just re-doing plants on one side of tank here and getting long roots in deep gravel. Looking forward to pics of your driftwood :)
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The driftwood will be here tomorrow. ?? I'll get a couple days to think of possible positions. The plants will arrive on Saturday.

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I received both the plants and the driftwood today. I was disappointed in the plant return--thought I should've got more. It looks like I'll be making a purchase from aquariumplants.com in the near future. At least the wood will be good for this tank. It's not too large, but it is not too small either. It's very branchy as well.


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A little teaser. I'm currently soaking the driftwood, so the tank won't be planted until the driftwood is waterlogged.


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New plan of attack:

My plan is to get some tissue culture and potted Crypts from aquariumplants.com so I won't have to fork over a ton of money. My recent acquisition with a TPT member left me very disappointed, so from now on, I'll just be purchasing from trusted personnel on AA and from trusted online vendors. I can't show off the tank yet as its a disaster show, but I'll make sure this tank looks great!


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I did some planting yesterday, and it looks better than anticipated. I really like the driftwood. Since the spider wood isn't as large as the pieces that I previously had, the tank appears larger. The True Dwarf Sag is going to look great once grown in. I'll have to get more Marsilea creanata--I'll have to be patient with this one. I'm on a mission to get more Crypt wendtii "Florida Sunset" and "Green Gecko". I found a "FL sunset" seller (Seattle_Aquarist from APC is one of the nicest sellers I've ever met; highly recommend the guy), and I'm waiting for a response from Han to see if he has any of the "Green Gecko". Most of the plants that I'm purchasing this week are Crypts. I hope to have it completely planted by Sunday. Stay tuned.


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Planning this low light build is a ton of fun--it keeps taking twists and turns. I've found an American seller who sells European TC plants for a relatively nice price. I'm going to jump on a cool foreground Crypt know as Crypt lutea "hobbit". Instead of using Micro Sword, this will be a nicer alternative. Something unique and rare will make this low light tank unique in itself.



More updates to come.


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What? Tired of weekly trimming and roller coasters?
Nice find in the crypt!


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Fresh2o said:
What? Tired of weekly trimming and roller coasters?
Nice find in the crypt!


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Haha! Yeah, the stems were growing faster than they did last year. Algae growth became a pain, and some of the plants were beginning to suffer. I knew it was time for a change.


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fishenthusiast said:
Haha! Yeah, the stems were growing faster than they did last year. Algae growth became a pain, and some of the plants were beginning to suffer. I knew it was time for a change.


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That's the problem with stems in high light. Seems that they are too high maintenance and if you don't keep on top of them they just shed lower leaves for fun and get algae on the leaves much faster. They grow tall, block light and obstruct flow. Perhaps they become limited first because of their uptake rates?

Thinking of doing something similar in my tank now I have a slight hang of using co2. This time I will do a properly thought out scape rather than Just dumping plants anywhere.

Good luck


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