Pennywort Flower & 10 gal Shrimp Jungle

[hjsvt]

I think I have finally achieved "heavily" planted but you be the judge.

Where I started-

What it looks like today. Even in a sunny window I can't see through the tank!

The Brazilian Pennywort has decide to grow emersed all by itself. It is trailing everywhere. Here is the top/side view.

And this is after I trimmed it back a couple of days ago. It also has about 9 white flowers right now. Here is a close up of one.

I've got to thin the plants in this tank but it's so thick right now it's hard to start!! Any suggestions?http://www.aquariumadvice.com//www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/

 

[Nils]

Wow! That's a lot of plants! Are you planning on shipping any of those plants out? It's definitely heavily planted and I bet the shrimp don't mind. If you tell us what kind of plants you have it might be easier to tell you where to start trimming. Looks really good, love that pennywort!

 

[TheresaM]

So pretty, I love the pennywort adventuring out! I see you are running a heater on the tank, do you have a filter as well?

Not quite a jungle-y as yours but I recently posted some pics of my 10g here. This one also needs some trimming & thinning...it's been doing so well though I'm afraid to mess with it!

Edit: really great shot of the flower!

 

[Hunter73]

Wow! Yes, that's probably the definition of heavily planted. Nice job!


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[hjsvt]

Wow! That's a lot of plants! Are you planning on shipping any of those plants out? It's definitely heavily planted and I bet the shrimp don't mind. If you tell us what kind of plants you have it might be easier to tell you where to start trimming. Looks really good, love that pennywort!

The last time I thinned a bunch of the corkscrew vals out I shipped a bunch out to other AA members for just the cost of shipping. I'm not planning on it right now. Only because it's cold in VT and I worry about them surviving. I don't have any heat packs. I think the shrimp love it, and they are doing great. I see lots of little shrimplets swimming around. The problem is I can't see them very well because there are so many plants! I also appear to have a pretty healthy scud population that was totally a result of hitchhikers. I have all kinds of plants in there. It started as a grow out for some small sword plants but I think they are getting out competed by the vals. I went to a local club auction last spring and picked up a bunch of plants I wanted to try and a lot of extras ended up in here. I was thinking some won't work for me and I'd thin those out but other than being out competed everything grows pretty well for me. I think the Corkscrew vals are the biggest problem. I love the way it looks and how it grows but it is a nuisance in my tank. It loves the conditions in my tank and just spreads like crazy. I might just have to take it all out. I think now that I've had some experience with plants that I like the slower growing but healthy looking plants the best. The ones that don't require so much trimming and maintenance or they take over!

So pretty, I love the pennywort adventuring out! I see you are running a heater on the tank, do you have a filter as well?

Not quite a jungle-y as yours but I recently posted some pics of my 10g here. This one also needs some trimming & thinning...it's been doing so well though I'm afraid to mess with it!

Edit: really great shot of the flower!

Thank you. I really do love the plants almost as much as the shrimp and fish but would rather they didn't require me to thin them out so much.Trying out a clip on macro lens for the cellphone and it actually works pretty well. That's how I got the flower picture. Yes I am running a decent sponge filter on this tank. It's behind the heater. If you look at the top view photo you can see the plastic wrap floating over where it bubbles so it doesn't splash everywhere.

I just took a look at your tank. It's amazing! At least you can still see through yours. The last time I thinned a bunch of vals, I was really worried about up rooting things and causing stress and who know what else but everybody seemed fine. I didn't have any issues. But when I did that I didn't have the pennywort mat at the surface. It was just all overgrown vals. I just need to dig in and start cutting but I'm dreading it!

Wow! Yes, that's probably the definition of heavily planted. Nice job!

Thanks!

 

[Caliban07]

Love it. Do you use an additional carbon source?


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[hjsvt]

Nope. In the beginning I was dosing excel but I stopped several months ago. IME it makes no difference. The only carbon is what the air pump provides through the sponge filter. And on sunny days my plants will pearl. I do dose fertilizers kind of at modified pps-pro every other or third day. Plus extra phosphate because this tank is always deficient in it.

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[brennae]

Wow! That pennywort is so awesome! I love how it trails out of the tank. What colors of shrimp do you have?

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[hjsvt]

Wow! That pennywort is so awesome! I love how it trails out of the tank. What colors of shrimp do you have?

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Thanks brennae! I have 2 amano that were originally in the 29 community but always hiding so I transfered them to this tank. I had 6 Orange-eyed blue tiger culls but lately I've only seen two. I may have lost the others or it just may be so dense I can't see them. I do feed in the front where I can see and get an idea of population. My water be a little two hard for them even using RO. And lots of Red Cherries. The Red Cherries aren't anything special some are pretty red, lots have some red and then some are brown. But they are doing great and I see lots of little babies swimming around. I also have scuds but those weren't planned. But they are pretty interesting to watch. I'm thinking about trying to catch some (scuds) with a turkey baster and feed them to my fish in the 29 community tank. But I don't know if that's considered a "good idea" or not.

 

[Nils]

The brown shrimp are what RCS look like in the wild and happen when 2 color morphs (lets say yellow and red) interbreed and have babies. The scuds should be fine to feed the fish, lots of people have them just for that!

 

[brennae]

The brown shrimp are what RCS look like in the wild and happen when 2 color morphs (lets say yellow and red) interbreed and have babies. The scuds should be fine to feed the fish, lots of people have them just for that!

Yes and also if you go too many generations without fresh genes I've heard also.

Brenna

 

[hjsvt]

Yes and also if you go too many generations without fresh genes I've heard also.

Brenna

I was thinking that might be going on. Who knows how long the colony was going before I got them. I have been thinking lately of maybe trying to find some to trade shrimp with to get some fresh genes.

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[TheresaM]

I was thinking that might be going on. Who knows how long the colony was going before I got them. I have been thinking lately of maybe trying to find some to trade shrimp with to get some fresh genes.

Good idea. I've noticed even if they don't revert back to brown they'll often lose intensity of red over time and generations.

 

[hjsvt]

Good idea. I've noticed even if they don't revert back to brown they'll often lose intensity of red over time and generations.

That's good to know. I have a club meeting next week and I'll ask and see if anyone has some they want to trade. Otherwise maybe in the spring I can find someone on AA to trade with.

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[TheresaM]

That's good to know. I have a club meeting next week and I'll ask and see if anyone has some they want to trade. Otherwise maybe in the spring I can find someone on AA to trade with.

I'll definitely have cherries ready in the spring, would love to set up a trade.

 

[hjsvt]

I'll definitely have cherries ready in the spring, would love to set up a trade.

That would be great! Thanks. I've never done a trade but would love to do it. And I've only shipped plants so far so may need some advice on that. I'm in VT so I'd definitely have to wait until it warmed up some. Thanks!

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[TheresaM]

That would be great! Thanks. I've never done a trade but would love to do it. And I've only shipped plants so far so may need some advice on that. I'm in VT so I'd definitely have to wait until it warmed up some. Thanks!

I have boxes, bags, packing material, labels, even heat packs so I'll be ready. It's funny because we were wearing shorts here on Christmas, now it's back to normal winter weather.

 

[brennae]

I was in a sweatshirt today. Rained and rained. Still no snow. I like snow.

Brenna

 

[TheresaM]

I was in a sweatshirt today. Rained and rained. Still no snow. I like snow.

Rain here too...both me and my dogs would very much prefer snow over rain!

 

[hjsvt]

I have boxes, bags, packing material, labels, even heat packs so I'll be ready. It's funny because we were wearing shorts here on Christmas, now it's back to normal winter weather.

I'll have to get some stuff. I received some shrimp wrapped in house insulation but the stuff gives me hives. I had to have my husband take them out of the box. I imagine it works well but I'd like to avoid it if possible. What do you use for insulation and do you recommend a brand of heat pack?

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