FresH2O's 20g planted rescape

[Brian_Nano12g]

Hi OS... yes I do! Thank you again for that! I'm just waiting for it to settle and my diatoms to subside before I take a decent picture. You'll have to follow my build on TPT though (or I can PM you)... I have decided not to continue my build threads here... only to participate with you guys!

 

[Fresh2o]

Well, I searched online for Limnophilia hipp. and the few places I checked were sold out.

While out at PetsMart getting dog food, I stopped by the plant section and there was AR cardinalis in a Topfin gel pack...so somehow it fell into my cart and I paid for it. Oops.

What's the difference between regular AR, mini, and cardinalis?

I'm planning to clear some space behind the broadleaf chain sword and plant it there (see the crude yellow arrows):

 

[Fresh2o]

I cleared a 3" x 6" space for the AR along the back if the tank. The stems are so short (1-2") that they are hidden behind the chain swords. They are almost directly under the lights with minimal shading if any. I have toothpicks ready in case they need to be pinned down. There is very little current back there so they should be fine, however, the MTS might have other plans.

View from above:

Now I have to figure out what to do with the broadleaf chain sword I pulled out. Maybe the LFS will take it. The stuff grows like a weed:

 

[Ayi]

I cleared a 3" x 6" space for the AR along the back if the tank. The stems are so short (1-2") that they are hidden behind the chain swords. They are almost directly under the lights with minimal shading if any. I have toothpicks ready in case they need to be pinned down. There is very little current back there so they should be fine, however, the MTS might have other plans. View from above: Now I have to figure out what to do with the broadleaf chain sword I pulled out. Maybe the LFS will take it. The stuff grows like a weed:

If there's enough of it, you could probably sell it on here.

 

[Fresh2o]

Here is an update on my 20g long planted tank:

Plants are growing fine but not where I want them. Probably do a rescape in the next week or two. The broadleaf chain sword which used to occupy the front of the tank is filling out the center of the tank. Cutting off new runners each week. I might clear some space in the back left corner and move as much of it there and leave the front center open. That way the AR I bought last month will become visible. Might try Hydro in the front/middle or more Staur repens. Open to suggestions. Lighting is a Finnex FugeRay.

Here is the staurogynes repens about 8 weeks after planting. Growth is slow and steady (I like low maintenance):

 

[Old Scales]

Fresh,
I think the AR mini is a petite form of the regular AR. Developed by Tropica in Denmark.
Other than needing a rather high light, it seems to be really hardy, easy to trim and replant and grows at a relatively moderate rate. It's a good foreground or accent plant that can make a nice carpet and it's RED. OS.

 

[Fresh2o]

Fresh,
I think the AR mini is a petite form of the regular AR. Developed by Tropica in Denmark.
Other than needing a rather high light, it seems to be really hardy, easy to trim and replant and grows at a relatively moderate rate. It's a good foreground or accent plant that can make a nice carpet and it's RED. OS.

I like the red carpet you made with mini AR. Not sure if it will do as well with a Finnex FugeRay (~10"). I need to carve out some real estate in the middle before I think about new plants. Do you know any stateside vendors that have this plant in stock?

I think by New Years I will start using dry ferts. Was thinking of possibly getting a CO2 system as a present to myself (w/ solenoid, pH checker) but the DIY CO2 I am currently using is pretty low maintenance IMO.

I've held off buying additional fish for this tank (11 months since I've purchased any) because the plan was for the excess shrimp (mostly culls) from my shrimp tank would move into my planted tank. But I may scrap that and get something like a school of Cory's or Khuli loaches.

 

[Fresh2o]

Here is an update from my unkept, overgrown tank:

Things are busy at work so I am waiting until I have some free time to work on this. Not liking how this is looking (cant see the DW or rocks anymore) but the fish don't seem to mind.

I plan to pull all of the dwarf sag from the left rear corner and the broadleaf chain sword from the center of the tank. Going to select a few choice specimens of the chain sword and replant that in the left rear corner. That should leave the middle open for a red foreground plant such as mini AR.

The Staurogynes repens is hanging in there. I would not call it a carpeting plant at this point. Just a slow growing, low growing foreground plant. The crypt wendtii red has sent out several babies on runners and the dwarf sag on the right side of the tank is sending out runners as well.

 

[Rivercats]

I have the Mini AR in 4 tanks and for kicks I have left it untrimmed in the 12g to see how tall it really gets. Well it's about 7 inches now and still growing. The difference in the growth though is the Mini gets thicker with actual little plantlets that can be pulled off all from one stem where as the Regular AR stem grows straight up. It's an interesting plant and does color up better and better the higher the light.

 

[Old Scales]

Hurray for the AR mini. Kinda makes you feel like Johnny Appleseed doesn't it River. (Wink, wink). OS.

 

[Fresh2o]

Hurray for the AR mini. Kinda makes you feel like Johnny Appleseed doesn't it River. (Wink, wink). OS.

OS - What you are doing makes this forum/ hobby all the better.
Before I pull out the plants I want to get some new lights (metal clip on dome lamps with 6700k Fluor bulbs) from the hardware store to place over a spare 6.6 bookshelf tank. I want to use that as holding tank; I feel that the single T-8 bulb might be too much of a drop off. Whatever plants I don't use I'll probably giveaway or sell. Maybe tomorrow...Army-Navy game on right now and it is sleeting pretty heavy out now.

 

[Old Scales]

Fresh,
Thanks, but so many make this forum great. One of my favorite all time tanks was a 20L I had a few years ago. It was planted, with just Veiltail Guppies.(and two Corys) I loved watching the fry being born, grow and color up. I had it for years and It was a very carefree tank size. When the fry got grown and too many I would sell/trade them to my LFS. I found I would watch it more than the 55g community I had. GO NAVY! My dad was a WW2 Navy vet & lifer.
I'm also looking for some Limno Hippodorus to replace Limno Sassiloflorus that grows so fast it's a weed. For a color transition plant between green and red, look at Ludwigia Ovalis. It can get a nice bronze color if you have enough light for it. Later, OS.

 

[Rivercats]

Fresh,
Thanks, but so many make this forum great. One of my favorite all time tanks was a 20L I had a few years ago. It was planted, with just Veiltail Guppies.(and two Corys) I loved watching the fry being born, grow and color up. I had it for years and It was a very carefree tank size. When the fry got grown and too many I would sell/trade them to my LFS. I found I would watch it more than the 55g community I had. GO NAVY! My dad was a WW2 Navy vet & lifer.
I'm also looking for some Limno Hippodorus to replace Limno Sassiloflorus that grows so fast it's a weed. For a color transition plant between green and red, look at Ludwigia Ovalis. It can get a nice bronze color if you have enough light for it. Later, OS.

Too cold to ship IMO right now OS but come spring before it gets too hot (remember what happened last time...lol) I can send Limno and anything else.

 

[Old Scales]

Great! Thanks Janis. I'm looking forward to trying some more advanced plants with the CO2 set up. I upped my Glut from 20ml to 25ml two weeks ago and the Cuba started filling out better. The L. Atlantis is also looking better. This tells me that carbon is my limiting factor. When the new black 9 substrate from CalAgua hits the market (they're building the production line now) I'm going to switch out the red Flora max for it. THAT will be a ton of work! lol. Question??? for Fresh and River. Does the Limno Hippo. grow as fast as Limno Sassilo.?

 

[Rivercats]

No it doesn't. With CO2 it grows at a nice rate IMO.

**EDIT**

I have a new uncommon plant, Cuphea Anagalloidea, that you might like. It's a very pretty smaller leaf stem plant that can get really red. That and the very difficult Rotala Sunset. It hard because it doesn't acclimate well to new tanks but if you can get alittle going it grows nicely. It has unusual leaves that are mostly red to the outside with green closer to the middle. They are also shaped differently.

 

[Old Scales]

Glad to know the Hippo grows slower. I won't have to buy a weed eater then. Thanks so much, I'll make arrangements with you this spring. OH boy! I'm excited about the CO2 and the new possibilities. I'll see if I can find some articles on the R. Sunset. OS.

 

[Rivercats]

The first R. Sunset I got were stem clippings that melted. Next time I got some from Tom Barr who said he sells plants/stems with roots as that is about the only way you can get them going. I still had about 1/2 of them melt but it left about 3 stems that turned into countless many. So I learned you need to pull up a stem with roots to ship and then once planted I was told not to move or mess with them, even for trimming for at least a min. of 8 weeks. I think I left them alone 3 or 4 months.

 

[Old Scales]

You know Janis, it's about time for some more pictures of your beautiful plants to keep us neophites charged up. OS.

 

[Rivercats]

You know Janis, it's about time for some more pictures of your beautiful plants to keep us neophites charged up. OS.

I know, I know!

 

[Fresh2o]

Here's a shot of a holding tank I just setup (6.6 gallon with two 5.5" lamps and 13w 6500k CFLs) and my planted tank.

Right now the holding tank has water lettuce I just pulled out of the planted tank. When I thin out the planted tank the extras (broadleaf chain sword, dwarf sag) will go in there until I figure out what to do with them. That will free up some space in the middle for some mini AR if its warm enough for shipping (going to be in the 60s in the mid-Atlantic by the end of the week).