My first planted tank - don't laugh!

[Eggheadfish]

Ya I just feel like it lacks depth, I mean I know the tank literally does but I would like to aesthetically simulate more space. It'll get there!

 

[Fresh2o]

Definitely get some vegetation behind that DW. Move the red stemmed plant away from the front. Open space up front, followed by the shortest plants then slightly taller plants, etc.


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[Ulmina]

So I got up today, put on some KMFDM, and went to work on this stupid tank.

ANARCHY!!


I hate it. I hate it so much.
Help me

Really, it Doesn't look bad! My helpful suggestion, though, is to get something like Staurogyne Repens for the front. Personally, I have fallen in love with that plant. Also, some tall grasses ~ I have seen them but don't know the name. Stuff that looks like, you know, tall grass in meadows or fields that sway in the wind ~ er, or powerhead breeze.

 

[Brookster123]

Youll find what you like steph, I've rescaped and planted mine many times, chucked plants I was emotionally attached too.. it's a evolving theme. Nothing stays the same from day to day.

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[Eggheadfish]

Ulmina - GENAU! Our Time Will Come was in the CD player. That, Kunst, or Demanufacture are my go tos for housework music lately ha. Got to see KMFDM last year it was awesome.

Brooks - I know it's always a work in progress I just am annoyed at that stupid algae and impatient. Plus I'm upset I killed your plants I guess the cool thing is that I see the fish a lot more at the moment.

 

[Eggheadfish]

Thanks for the tips David...it just stinks cause the tank is only 10" deep and not much substrate so putting groups of plants behind one another is tough, not a lot of room for the roots.
I'll check out the other plants you mentioned. Gonna need some help on my 40b too but I'll start a new thread for that when the time comes

 

[Angela1108]

Ulmina - GENAU! Our Time Will Come was in the CD player. That, Kunst, or Demanufacture are my go tos for housework music lately ha. Got to see KMFDM last year it was awesome.

Brooks - I know it's always a work in progress I just am annoyed at that stupid algae and impatient. Plus I'm upset I killed your plants I guess the cool thing is that I see the fish a lot more at the moment.

KMFDM does a great show


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[Eggheadfish]

Well, having a little trouble with this tank now. Looks like I might need to start dosing carbon because the BBA isn't quite gone and now I'm getting a bunch of staghorn algae. I've also cut back the photo period.
In other news, the Mauritania is growing like a weed and I started moving cuttings to another tank (set up my little 5g)

 

[Brookster123]

Sounds like a plan, get it going! Spot treat with h202 in the meantime. What's the flow like?

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[Eggheadfish]

Just the agitation from the sponge filter, enough that the water lettuce and duckweed only cover about 60% of the surface. My air pump has a spare port so I can run a bubbler too if need be, do you think I should?

 

[Ulmina]

BBA? H202? You guys have gone over my head now. ;p

I guess this is where tekkie-tanks and low-tech divide paths! Sending you best wishes for your tank(s), Eggheadfish.

 

[Eggheadfish]

Ulmina no! Stay with us! I'm still low tech just having some issues.
BBA is black beard algae
H2O2 is hydrogen peroxide. Spot treating algae on plants with it helps murder it
If I have algae growth, it means there's excess light/nutrients available for it to grow which is why I'm cutting back on the photo period. Increasing bubblage helps air exchange and introducing more CO2 from the air.

 

[Brookster123]

Air driven sponge?

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[Eggheadfish]

Ya......

 

[Brookster123]

Set it on a night timer or get it out haha

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[Eggheadfish]

Why? Is it oxygenating the water too much? Ehhh??? Confused.

 

[Ulmina]

Ulmina no! Stay with us! I'm still low tech just having some issues.

BBA is black beard algae
H2O2 is hydrogen peroxide. Spot treating algae on plants with it helps murder it

If I have algae growth, it means there's excess light/nutrients available for it to grow which is why I'm cutting back on the photo period. Increasing bubblage helps air exchange and introducing more CO2 from the air.

Awww! That's so sweet!

This is funny because recently I wondered if I could BUY some algae to feed my 2 Nerites. One man's trash is another man's treasure, hahaha.

I would like to strike a balance in my planted tanks, where both plants and algae have enough to eat. Maybe I'm out of my mind.
This is all 'a grand experiment' for me, as these are my first planted tanks.

There is a bit of green tinge to the glass in this tank (5g #1), but no visible algae plants. There are 5 Corys in there, too, plus 6-8 shrimp and the 2 snails. Maybe they are eating it all? I have this tank under a 13W 5000K Daylight LED bulb, on a timer from 6 a - 11 a and 1 p - 9 p.

Have fun!

 

[Brookster123]

Air in planted tanks is bad juju.. big nono for co2 as well. You want to limit variables.. air bubbles is a variable. Im not saying they're good, bad or ugly.. just I would never use them in a heavily planted tank.

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[Eggheadfish]

Ok Brooks...I had to run a filter, sponges are small, flow wasn't crazy so I assumed it would be okay. I know that air driven elements oxygenate the water, but I thought that the surface agitation helped introduce CO2 as well? Or am I just confusing bubbles with flow
I'm guessing that there shouldn't be any risk with shutting it off since the BB are colonized on the surface of the sponge...yes?

 

[Brookster123]

That's the only filter in there?

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