ryan
Aquarium Advice Freak
excellent tank what are you using for groung cover i would like to know for my tanks.
Did some Re-planting
- Thread starter Glenc
- Start date
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OP
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Glenc
Aquarium Advice Addict
Thanks guys! That ground cover is Hemianthus callitrichoides "cuba" It took about 6 months to get it like it is now. I started it in a ten gallon and transplanted it into the 20. It grows thick in time, I took it out of the ten gallon in three large chunks, substrate and all. I used my kids sand box shovel! Good little plant, pearls easy and often. It's a consistent grower that hasn't given me any trouble.
maxwell1295
Aquarium Advice FINatic
What kind of lighting do you have in that tank?
ryan
Aquarium Advice Freak
thanks now all i have to do is find somewhere or someone that has it.
OP
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Glenc
Aquarium Advice Addict
I am currently running 28 wts of t-5 and 30wts of t-6 together in two different fixtures, right around 4 WPG. They are running staggerd on-off cycles, both lights on for 10 hours a day, with a 1 hour single fixture start and a 1 hour single fixture finish, 12 hours total. I'm getting alot of brown algea happening again, had this problem really bad once already, had to black this tank out to get rid of it. The black-out worked amazing, but the algea is coming back. You can see how the HC has a brown tinge to it, not it's usual bright green. Not sure what is causing it. I suspect incorrect NO3 and PO4 test readings, or my lighting is on to long. Have got Lamotte test kits coming to confirm or dispell the fert theory. Did a bit more re-planting as the baby tears were pretty much ruined by the brown stuff, as well as the once beautiful Alt reineckii. I have moved whats left of these plants to other tanks to try to save them. All other plants are doing ok so far. I'm trying some Samolus valerandi where the baby tears were and still looking for a nice background center plant to re-place the Alt reineckii. I am hesitant to put anything else in till I figure out what is going on in this tank. Here is a current shot as of this morning. Live and learn.
maxwell1295
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Yeah, it looks a little barren in the back-center now. That Alt reineckii seems like it can be a difficult palnt to grow at times. It does better in the tanks that I don't dose ferts in. I think it likes low nitrate. I hope you're able to get control of the brown stuff because your tank looks great.
OP
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Glenc
Aquarium Advice Addict
The brown algea in my tank seems to have stalled. 
It's still around, but not getting any worse. I trimmed the Ammania S in the back right down and re-planted the tops, it was breaking the water surface. It gets a bit to big for this tank, all the more reason to get a bigger one! Put some Ludwigia palustris in the back just off center, have dwarf Bacopa in the center back and put a few stems of Bacopa carolinia in the very back left corner beside the Rotala mac, just to green it up a bit. Also put a bit of E tennellus in the right foreground. I think the tank will look better colour balanced and shaped once some of the green plants fill in the back, especially the center. I am trying to train the back plants on each end to grow toward the center, to form a more triangular look. I am doing this by putting a shorter, 18" light on the back over these plants, a 24" light at the front to keep the HC happy. The tank is 24" long. It seems to be working. Ferts are firm at 10N03, 1.5 P04, 15K. So far so good. Getting there.
It's still around, but not getting any worse. I trimmed the Ammania S in the back right down and re-planted the tops, it was breaking the water surface. It gets a bit to big for this tank, all the more reason to get a bigger one! Put some Ludwigia palustris in the back just off center, have dwarf Bacopa in the center back and put a few stems of Bacopa carolinia in the very back left corner beside the Rotala mac, just to green it up a bit. Also put a bit of E tennellus in the right foreground. I think the tank will look better colour balanced and shaped once some of the green plants fill in the back, especially the center. I am trying to train the back plants on each end to grow toward the center, to form a more triangular look. I am doing this by putting a shorter, 18" light on the back over these plants, a 24" light at the front to keep the HC happy. The tank is 24" long. It seems to be working. Ferts are firm at 10N03, 1.5 P04, 15K. So far so good. Getting there.
rich311k
Aquarium Advice Addict
That tank is just incredible. What super color you have. Excellent work.
OP
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Glenc
Aquarium Advice Addict
Thanks for the kind words. You people are the only ones out there that get how much time and TLC go into keeping a healthy planted tank. I do this stuff because I love it, but it sure is nice to get feedback once in a while on how your doing. We had a bunch of friends over today for a bbq and no-one even wanted to see the tanks. No interest. Nada. Oh well, I guess thats to be expected. I am a planted tank aholic, so glad I found you people! Nothing much new in this tank, though I have upped my NO3 dosing slightly after reading of member Sherry's succsess with her Rotala mac after increasing NO3. My mac is looking a little sad lately, so I thought I'd give it a try. After doing this for a few days, the Mac is looking better, also my Ludwigia palustris turned this beautiful reddish pink, almost as pink as the Ammania s. NO3 levels are now at 20 ppm. Think I'll hold it here for a while and see what happens.
Lonewolfblue
Aquarium Advice Addict
Looking good...
dskidmore
Aquarium Advice Addict
People who come to my place usually make comments about how huge the tank is, and how much driftwood do I really need? Maybe a little bit of interest in the shrimp, but no-one really cares about the plants.Glenc said:
Your L. palustris is incredible. I mean, your plants always are, but man. I did not get close to that color by using more light or lower N, higher traces, etc. It's very interesting and inspiring. Like looking at one of Travis's pics and making it a goal.
to you.
What's your dosing schedule now and before?
to you. What's your dosing schedule now and before?
OP
OP
Glenc
Aquarium Advice Addict
Thanks! My dosing shedule hasn't really changed that much. I have been dosing as follows:
Fri, 50% water change, 10 ppm N03. 1 P04, 15 K
Sat, TMG 1ml.
Sun, test, top up macs to 10:1:15
Mon, TMG,1ml
Tues, test, top up macs to 10:1:15
Wed, stare at tank, no ferts except TMG, 1ml.
Thurs, test, top up macs.
I am off Fridays so thats water change day. My C02 levels are always good as I am a workaholic and change out those bottles every week, bubbling or not. The only things I have done to change this fert regime is in the last week and a half I have slowly got the NO3 up to 20 ppm, P04 to 1.5ppm, and K to 20ppm. Everything has responded well, the Ludwigia P especially! Unfortunately, after looking like a comeback, my Mac is just about toast again. Win some, loose some. I'll keep trying it. Your gonna hate this, but I am just plain lucky to get the colour out of the red plants that I do. The water here is supplied by a small sewage treatment plant. It can only supply about 30,000 people. I live in the old part of town that still gets it's water from this supply, and there has got to be something in it that make red plants red! It is super hard water. It ain't me! Well, maybe a little bit! Guess I'll know for sure if I ever move! I learned everything from you people, Just doing what you all taught me! Here are a couple more shots of the tank, just for the heck of it!
My dosing shedule hasn't really changed that much. I have been dosing as follows:Fri, 50% water change, 10 ppm N03. 1 P04, 15 K
Sat, TMG 1ml.
Sun, test, top up macs to 10:1:15
Mon, TMG,1ml
Tues, test, top up macs to 10:1:15
Wed, stare at tank, no ferts except TMG, 1ml.
Thurs, test, top up macs.
I am off Fridays so thats water change day. My C02 levels are always good as I am a workaholic and change out those bottles every week, bubbling or not. The only things I have done to change this fert regime is in the last week and a half I have slowly got the NO3 up to 20 ppm, P04 to 1.5ppm, and K to 20ppm. Everything has responded well, the Ludwigia P especially! Unfortunately, after looking like a comeback, my Mac is just about toast again. Win some, loose some. I'll keep trying it. Your gonna hate this, but I am just plain lucky to get the colour out of the red plants that I do. The water here is supplied by a small sewage treatment plant. It can only supply about 30,000 people. I live in the old part of town that still gets it's water from this supply, and there has got to be something in it that make red plants red! It is super hard water. It ain't me! Well, maybe a little bit! Guess I'll know for sure if I ever move! I learned everything from you people, Just doing what you all taught me! Here are a couple more shots of the tank, just for the heck of it!
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HiFi
Aquarium Advice Activist
I love the color you get. Very vivid
The Samulus valerandi looks really nice.
The Samulus valerandi looks really nice.
Lonewolfblue
Aquarium Advice Addict
How do you get such nice colors with no algae? LOL. I put my tank in total darkness today, and hopefully can start fresh. Very nice looking tank. Really like how it's turned out. Good job....
OP
OP
Glenc
Aquarium Advice Addict
Sorry to hear about your algea issues LWB, it can be really disheartning. Don't let it get you down, you'll beat it. I am not without algea issues of my own, as I have blacked this tank out before. I seem to have a handle on it for now, but algea is always just waiting for an open door. I am getting green spot happening in this tank now, you can see it on the Crypt parva. Working on it.
Lonewolfblue
Aquarium Advice Addict
Yup. My 29G has just been disaster prone, lol. But my heavily planted 75G has been awsome, very little algae at all. Looks great, thanks to Travis' dosing schedule. But still, can't get my red foxtail or my L. repens to turn red, lol. Got to be something in my water keeping them green, lol. the L. repens gets a little red when it's at the surface, but that's all. And I got tons of light on it. On my next bonus check, I'm getting all new bulbs for the fixtures. Could be the cheapie bulbs I got as well. Will be spendy, as I need 8 65W bulbs, lol, and 2 more on my 29G, and 1 on my 26G, lol.
Wood_Dog
Aquarium Advice Freak
Beautiful tank
I'm starting a new tank now...hope i can get it somewhere like this one day.
I'm starting a new tank now...hope i can get it somewhere like this one day.
OP
OP
Glenc
Aquarium Advice Addict
If I can grow plants and get decent results, anyone can. I started my first planted tank in January. I learned most everything I know from the kind and knowledgeable folks right here on this site. You can to.
