Help me help my hate tank

[gabysapha]

So I had my wisdom teeth pulled this morning, and I have quickly realized that I will be in pain for a while, and I will also be BORED for a while.

This is a good opportunity to work on my least favorite tank! To take my mind off the pain!

A 10g, with a basic 15 watt light. Dosed with seachem flourish whenever I feel like it.
Home to a couple pairs of Endlers+juveniles.

It gets no love. It's gravel is the yuckiest of all. It has the most algae of all. The Endlers are my least favorite fish of all.
It's the hate tank.
And it needs to be revamped.

I'm hoping somebody will take my Endlers soon (if you're in upstate NY you can have them!). In the meantime, I can re-scape and re-plant the tank.

I don't even know where to start. But this is what it looks like now:


Ugghh.....


I will soon upload a picture of the hardscape materials I have available (not much).

A list of plants I can use:
Java ferns x 3= they are babies/pretty small
Crypt wendtii x 1= a little tall, will need to go in the midground/foreground
A lot of ludwigia= you can see it in the picture of the tank. It does not grow red in my low light, but it does grow green/yellow and roots well.
Purple cabomba= several stems, a little finicky in low light.
Frogbit= PLENTY
Hornwort= several short clippings
Wisteria= several short clippings.
Java moss= too much
Najas grass= a bit
dwarf sag x 1



Goal: heavily planted using low light plants. Suitable for hiding fry. I would like to make good use of hornwort planted in the substrate, because I find it's fantastic for fry.
Have shelter available incase this is used as a breeder tank.

After eating some pudding and taking painkillers, I'll get started!

 

[cheeky_monkey]

No help on the tank but know how the wisdom teeth pulling feels so I feel for you! I've had one out and the other 3 come out later this month under a GA.

Good luck with the make-over!

 

[gabysapha]

No help on the tank but know how the wisdom teeth pulling feels so I feel for you! I've had one out and the other 3 come out later this month under a GA.

Good luck with the make-over!

Thank you so much! I got all 4 removed this morning under GA! That magic sleepy serum is definitely interesting. When they woke me up I started sobbing, but then I was fine after a minute. The nurses said the girls usually wake up that way

Good luck to you too!

 

[cheeky_monkey]

I've never had a GA only a spinal, so a bit nervous! Do you look like a baboon? The diet sucks for a few days hey!

 

[Galligak]

I bet that tank will look fabulous after your done. It'll no longer be your hate tank.
So the plants that you listed are the ones that you listed? Also what type of subrate are you planning on using? I love the driftwood that you have in the lower left hand corner.

Just one more question: How fast growing is your dwarf sag? I am planning on getting some and was just wondering...

 

[gabysapha]

I bet that tank will look fabulous after your done. It'll no longer be your hate tank.
So the plants that you listed are the ones that you listed? Also what type of subrate are you planning on using? I love the driftwood that you have in the lower left hand corner.

Just one more question: How fast growing is your dwarf sag? I am planning on getting some and was just wondering...

Hi Aquakai,

The substrate will stay as it is; just black epoxy-coated cheap gravel.

The plants listed are what I have available to use. Some of what I listed is already in the tank- I have several tanks that I can take plants from if I need more!

Yeah the driftwood is an interesting shape, but it's kinda small! Here is a picture:



I also have several pieces of flat slate that I don't know what to do with. Different orientations never leave me satisfied. The larger pieces may reach half the height of the 10g.






As for the dwarf sag, that little plant in the Hate Tank has shot off a few new leaves since I got it from Aquabid 1 month ago.
Other sag from the same order are in another low light tank, with have slightly higher light, and those plants have also grown new leaves, and some plants have shot off 1 runner plant. So it does grow in my low light tanks, but it seems to enjoy higher light than my frogbit-covered tanks!

 

[Galligak]

Ok, I thought that you said that you were switching substance... But I guess not.

I like the different plants that your using, nice variety.

The driftwood is very nice, small but interesting. As for the slate, I like the odd set up that you have now. It's like a mix between the stone hedges and pride rock from the Lion King

And thanks for the dwarf sag info. I'm really excited to get some!!!!!

Can't wait to see the outcome of the tank!

 

[ashleynicole]

I think it looks great as is.

As for the wisdom teeth, put ice packs, inside of a bra and wrap it around so that one cup is holding ice on each cheek. Works wonders. Ice for 15 minutes on and 15 minutes off.

 

[daileene]

i agree...i actually like your setup now. maybe just a little move here and there with the plant setup then it will all be what you like.

if you are still looking on getting rid of your endlers, I am very interested. But I am in MA and wondering if you ship. Please PM me if you do. Thanks in advance.

 

[mudraker]

Here are a few tips on how I would rescape it.

Take the driftwoon and place it vertically in the left corner in front of the tall plants in the same corner.

Then take all the ludwigia and group it together as a single bunch next to the driftwood. It will look much less busy that way and give the tank a colorful a focal point.

Then group some of the lower plants closer together out from the base of the dw. Use hornwort, or other stemmy, bushy plants out from the back of the tank going towards the right going gradullly shorter. When you get toward the right hand corner, use something bushy but tallish to finish off the corner.

Forground plants can be grouped closely around rocks placed in the mid section of the tank.

It would be a different look, or at least a nice start for you own new ideas

 

[gabysapha]

I think it looks great as is.

As for the wisdom teeth, put ice packs, inside of a bra and wrap it around so that one cup is holding ice on each cheek. Works wonders. Ice for 15 minutes on and 15 minutes off.

Right before I checked replies on this thread, I was wondering how I could type and hold ice packs to each cheek at the same time! And then I saw this reply!!! Thank you SO MUCH for this brilliant idea. I'm doing it right now actually, and it's really helping! I can't wait to see my roommates reaction.

i agree...i actually like your setup now. maybe just a little move here and there with the plant setup then it will all be what you like.

if you are still looking on getting rid of your endlers, I am very interested. But I am in MA and wondering if you ship. Please PM me if you do. Thanks in advance.

Thank you Daileene. I agree it's not terrible, but I think my negative feelings towards the tank just make me want to START FRESH and hopefully feel more positive about it! I PMed you by the way~

Here are a few tips on how I would rescape it.

Take the driftwoon and place it vertically in the left corner in front of the tall plants in the same corner.

Then take all the ludwigia and group it together as a single bunch next to the driftwood. It will look much less busy that way and give the tank a colorful a focal point.

Then group some of the lower plants closer together out from the base of the dw. Use hornwort, or other stemmy, bushy plants out from the back of the tank going towards the right going gradullly shorter. When you get toward the right hand corner, use something bushy but tallish to finish off the corner.

Forground plants can be grouped closely around rocks placed in the mid section of the tank.

It would be a different look, or at least a nice start for you own new ideas

Mudraker, thank you very much for the tips! I wish I had seen your reply on this thread before I got impatient and starting tearing the plants out. I will try your suggestions tomorrow and upload a picture of the results ok?


Thank you everyone for the replies, about the tank and about my swollen jaws
I now understand why the dentist said to keep my head elevated and not to exert myself. Just removing the plants from the tank was enough to make me a little ouchy. So I had to stop for the night.

I did however get to play around with the pieces of slate I have. Here are pictures of orientations that came to mind before I got a too sore to keep going.

The slate looks much bigger in the tank than I expected!

And ewww, that's a lot of mulm I kicked up. I'll have to do three rounds with the gravel vac tomorrow....



Does ludwigia always grow like this? It's very interesting! I think this specific stem came from Dr Scroggins, on this forum. Thanks again Dr Scroggins!











Eh, at least it's a start. More to come tomorrow.

 

[mudraker]

I'm sure it will be awesom no matter how you do it.

Hope you get to love your tank (and your mouth!) again

 

[daileene]

will be following for sure.....

get some rest my dear....

 

[ashleynicole]

Right before I checked replies on this thread, I was wondering how I could type and hold ice packs to each cheek at the same time! And then I saw this reply!!! Thank you SO MUCH for this brilliant idea. I'm doing it right now actually, and it's really helping! I can't wait to see my roommates reaction.

Yeah I had all 4 if mine surgically removed when I was 17. I did the ice for the first 24 hours and I was golden. I was eating grilled cheese the next day. Good luck!

 

[gabysapha]

Hi everyone!

I'm back at fiddling around with the Hate Tank. I'm feeling a bit more sore/tired today, so I won't do as much today.

Today I'm trying Mudrack's suggestions. Here is the result! If you think a plant/hardscape piece should be moved/added, please suggest it so that I can try it and take a picture!

And I apologize for all the crud in the water I need to use the gravel vac for sure, but I think it will hurt my face too much to move buckets of water today.

Here are a few tips on how I would rescape it.

Take the driftwoon and place it vertically in the left corner in front of the tall plants in the same corner.

Then take all the ludwigia and group it together as a single bunch next to the driftwood. It will look much less busy that way and give the tank a colorful a focal point.

Then group some of the lower plants closer together out from the base of the dw. Use hornwort, or other stemmy, bushy plants out from the back of the tank going towards the right going gradullly shorter. When you get toward the right hand corner, use something bushy but tallish to finish off the corner.

Forground plants can be grouped closely around rocks placed in the mid section of the tank.

It would be a different look, or at least a nice start for you own new ideas

It's refreshing to see a new scape already! It's starting to feel less like my Hate Tank and more like a work in progress! And this new orientation is helping me assess what I have/what I want/what I don't want.

I don't have much of a gradient in plant height. Right now it mostly feels like I have just a background....instead of a background-midground-foreground/ lush 3D effect.

I think I will pull some dwarf sag, wisteria, hornwort, and cabomba out of my other tanks for use in this tank.

The ludwigia clump is more like a ludwigia mass. I feel the need to remove a few stems. I look at it and I'm a little overloaded by the brightness and size of it!

I am quite pleased with having the driftwood sit vertically rather than lie horizontally. It could not stand up on it's own, so I left it to lean on the side of the tank. It just feels better!



I noticed a gap between the wisteria and cabomba, so I tried putting in a piece of slate. I don't like the placement of the slate. The slate and the ludwigia compete to be the focal point, in my eyes. I wish I had some boulders to use, not just flat slate! All the rocks outside are covered in snow now!






I also have a crypt I can use, but I don't think I'll use it at all. I think having 2 bunches of red plants doesn't look right.






Tomorrow I will fill in with more plants of different heights, and hopefully give the tank a good cleaning!

 

[daileene]

looking good....i am loving the new look in progres...

 

[mudraker]

Its an excellent starting point. You can take it anywhere you want, now that you started working with it.

Its like starting over with a new tank.

.

 

[gabysapha]

Chipmunk Cheeks is back with both arms in the tank today. My face hurts more today, so I'm still working at a snails' pace. But I think I made more progress- thanks to tofu and mashed potatoes for bringing back my energy!

The 10g as it looks today, with some markups for tomorrow:



I found that the ludwigia in yesterday's position was being smushed face-first into the gravel because of the filter outflow. Since my sickly-looking java ferns bounce back after being placed in high water circulation, I decided to put in 2 pieces of slate and a cruddy-looking java fern in the filter outflow area. I still wanted that area to be the focal point, so I moved the ludwigia mass over to the right just a little, and moved shorter pieces of ludwigia in front of the slate.
But now the ludwigia/focal point is in the dead center of the tank, and I don't like that at all! I think I'll shift it further to the right, maybe switch it with the wisteria.

And in the spring I hope to replace the slate with some nice, rounded boulders! the slate looks just too flat and sharp for my liking.

Geez, is that a colorful tank or what? My other tanks are mostly just green. This tank is just BRIGHT COLOR EVERYWHERE! A good tank for Endlers I guess!

After doing research on aquascaping this morning, I left with 3 techniques I have never really considered before: using different textures of leaves, making triangles throughout the scape, and keeping it asymmetrical. I'll have to work on that in all my tanks!

I have some plants coming in on Wednesday or Thursday, but it's a mystery package. Hopefully I will receive a new species to use!
The plants are coming with some least killifish. I've been looking to try out these nano fish for several months, and I finally decided to get some off Aquabid. Yay for nano fish!

If I'm able to walk around tomorrow, grab some more black gravel. I never realized how little substrate is in this tank: I think there is only one inch of substrate if it were evenly spread out.

Thanks again to everyone for their encouragement and suggestions. It's great to have support!

 

[daileene]

I love colorful tanks. If I am brave enough to get CO2, I would have more colorful plants too. I love your tank. I can't wait to see more.

Take it easy though. I hope your face will not hurt too much tomorrow.

 

[ashleynicole]

Day 2-3 should be the worst, you should feel much better now.