Start of a long relationship (planted tank journal)

[mfdrookie516]

Here are some not so great pictures of the tank today. The algae is coming back strong. I've got PO4 on order, hopefully that'll take care of it. Knock on wood, I don't have BBA issues... yet.


Here is the wallichii that fort sent me a while back.. It has really jumped up

Here's the Rotala that Marconis sent me last week

Here's the Marsilea that Kristin sent me

And a FTS

 

[Marconis]

My Rotala isn't looking so hot, eh?

 

[mfdrookie516]

My Rotala isn't looking so hot, eh?

I think it looks great. It's growing very fast. What makes you think its not looking so hot? It was much more green before I added the other light, then it turned a light green, almost orangish color. The other rotala I have is the same way under this lighting.

 

[Marconis]

Oh maybe that's why I thought it then; also it looked like it was limpy and I was worried that the stems lost strength.

That's very reassuring, though.

 

[mfdrookie516]

nah, its very healthy looking and growing pretty fast.

 

[Crepe]

Looking gorgeous. I just finally made my new EI solutions. Did this on easy mode. Got a spray bottle and measured the ml each spray made using a graduated cylinder then adjusted the concentration of Tom Barr's EI solutions. Now it's just 1 spray of Micro and 4 sprays of Macro a day for me.

It's pretty simple. You should try it:

Take tom barr's formula. Take your pump/spray bottle or whatever and figure out the dosage per pump. Find the number of pumps you want to dose for example:

My spray bottle dosed 3.4ml per pump. Tom barr suggests a dose of 12ml per 20 gallons daily. I just did 3.4ml x 4 = 13.6ml.

Then using a ratio I did: 13.6/12ml to get a ratio of the volume of solution I should make using the same amount of solute he did. The key is to make your solution more dilute than his in order to avoid going above maximum solubility.

I'll make a more detailed thread later....gotta study for finals lol.

And that wallichi is making me jealous...Want to trade my L. Sulawesi for some? I have a big stand, but you're going to have to wait for a month because I just harvested quite a bit of it. And is it just me or has that Staurogyne bihar gotten HUGE in your tank?

 

[fort384]

Looks great!

Crepe, I can send some rotala w your way -- I owe you one. Just pm me if interested.

 

[mfdrookie516]

Thanks guys!

Crepe, there's no way I have enough rotala ATM. I did just trim it though, so I have twice as much as I did.

 

[mfdrookie516]

I'm currently doing a blackout because of all the algae. Finally started dosing PO4, so we'll see how that goes. Here are a couple pics I took. I really need to find my camera charger. My video camera does not take good pics.

 

[Jason7894561230]

Still loving those Kerris Mate!

 

[mfdrookie516]

So, I'm very pleased. I had seen eggs under my driftwood, but one day they vanished. I had tried looking, even with a flashlight, but never saw fry. I finally gave up, thinking something had happened and they ate the eggs. Well, today, I was looking in my tank and found fry!

Yeah, i know, I started a new thread about it, but since this is a journal of this tank, it's only fitting to include this video.

YouTube - ‪MOV00A‬‏

 

[giggalz]

wow the fry is awesome! i'm majorly jealous i'm waiting on fry in my tank..is the fry from the fish that was first coming out of the driftwood has like the flame looking tail?? that fish is cool never seen it before

 

[mfdrookie516]

Yeah, the yellow one with the black bars under her eyes is the female... the male is the one with the red in his fins

 

[severum mama]

WOW... they are colored up so nicely, and they've got mad parenting skills! Congrats on the spawn!!!!!

 

[Crepe]

SHARE SOME FRY SHARE SOME FRY SHARE SOME FRY....sorry...got a bit too worked up. But please, share some? I'm for certain I can keep a pair down in a netted off portion of my pond until they're ready for tank life.

 

[mfdrookie516]

Haha. Once I got them in the bare bottom 10g, I was able to get a better count. I counted 73. I did find one dead. Maybe I did things wrong. I sucked them up with a siphon hose, since netting them was obviously out of the question. I had it running pretty slow.

 

[daileene]

Oh wow...congratulations jon...what a beautiful bunch....

 

[Pecktec]

Man that is a cool fish. Seeing new fry is always so exciting.

 

[Coleallensmom]

Very, very cool! Congrats!

 

[angelgirl66]

wow!!!! what is that gorgeous fish with the red fins in the video? ( I'm not that familiar with all species yet lol)