Gratuitous Unusual Plant Pics - 56K Warning

[travis simonson]

Well the Bacopa myriophylloides did not do well. It seems to be very touchy. I'd like to try it again under more controlled conditions. The M. hippuroides is doing great (expect some in the shipment ).

 

[Zezmo]

Thanks Sherry, I like the Hottonia too. It grows like crazy. The Selaginella did grow some above the waterline. The rest ended up melting and making a mess. The Marbled Val grows like crazy, I am triming 6" or more a week.

Here are a few other plants I have added to the tank.

First is something I have wanted to add for a while. A Echinodorus "Ozelot"

Another shot, you can see a young YoYo loach and an Older Angelicus loach in this shot.

Here is a little less common Anubias species. This is a Anubias frazeri with another YoYo loach playing peek-a-boo from behind the Marbled Sword.

This is some Bacopa monnieri, or Moneywort. There is some Nesaea pedicellata in this shot. Also in the back is some Echinodorus "Red Flame" just poking up.

Lastly is a plant that I do not know much about. I got it at the last SVAS auction. The clippings were green when I brought them home, the new growth has been a nice bronze color. I like the light stripe on each leaf. This plant makes for a nice effect in the tank, it is called Potamogeton gayi.

Here is another shot of it, with my new powder blue Female Dwarf Gourami (Colisa lalia)

 

[travis simonson]

That looks a lot like Potamogeton gayi. Very prolific

 

[Jchillin]

Please forgive me...I had to wipe the screen off.

Zezmo, not only are your plants spectular, your fish are cute as well, especially the loach.

 

[Holokai]

Wow man... Magnificent pictures.

 

[Zezmo]

Thanks for the feedback

Travis thanks for the spelling correction on the Potamogeton gayi. I edited the post..and looked back in my notebook, seems I can't read my own writing

I read Tom Barr did a lecture on planted marine aquariums for SVAS recently. I hear SFBAAPS meetings are amazing. I wish we had such clubs here.

I went to that lecture, and in talking with Tom afterwards he pointed me to the sfbaaps, which turns out to be an wonderful group. I attended the December plant swap. There were easily 30+ species that were being freely traded. That is where I got the E. "Ozelot", and the E. "Red Flame". I also picked up a few other species that I am trying out. Including a mystery moss, that I am trying in other tanks.

Here is a (er gratuitous) pic of the whole I took the other day. This was right after cleaning and pruning, I am pretty happy with how things are turing out in there. Especially after some of the learning pain I wen't through last summer. I of course still strive to get the kind of lush (and algae free) growth as posted by Travis and Cz. <<<bows - i am not worthy>>>

 

[travis simonson]

I would say you're doing just fine Zezmo. I don't see a speck of algae anywhere I like the open spot in front. You should consider putting a layer of white sand there. It gives a very pleasing, beach-like effect IMO. What is the dark object on the left foreground of the tank? It should be moved to open up the foreground some more, I think. It would make the tank seem a lot larger if you did. And try moving the sword on the right more to the back of the tank. It is a bit too big to sit right in front. It will also help open up the foreground and give the tank a better sense of depth

 

[sherry]

Zez I love your tank.. and I have actually been to a little beach like Travis is describing in Bermuda... I was sitting with a navy pilot on our way home from a tour of the sixth fleet... we had hit our flying limit and were FORCED to stop in Bermuda.. the things I do for work

anyway we hung out there to watch the sun come up... white sand, heavy greenery and all.


travis.. you're going to have to tell me which plants to evict when yours arrive. Can't wait to swap underwater adventures

 

[czcz]

Very nice tank and plants. I think you should show off the crypts. I envy you for listening to, meeting, and talking to Tom Barr. What did you think about the Marine Planted Aquariums? Were tanks set up? I don't know what to do with myself after reading my username after "Travis and."

...

 

[crazycat]

gorgeous zezmo! just beautiful! i've just added you to my list of people whhose tanks i covet!

 

[Zezmo]

Thank you everyone.
I particularly appreciate the feedback Travis. I was considering joining a aquascape contest, just to get that kind of feedback. I of course have the dreaded 55-show. Which is very difficult to achieve a sense of depth with due to it only being 12" thick. For example, that sword on the right is just forward of mid tank. It is heavily trimmed to keep it from filling that whole side of the tank.. it is wide but not very deep. I think If I trim/train it off the front glass some it should provide a little of the depth you describe. It will open up the crypts in front some too. On the left, that dark thing is my driftwood. It fills from front to back and top to bottom any way it is turned. It really is not that dark in person, but at the time of the shot I temporally had my Banana plant growing up front (until I sell it at auction next week). This created that dark shading in the pic. The AGA 2004 conference DvD that I am watching has some technique using masks and overlaying, and consecutive underexposed and overexposed shots to brighten areas like that for photography. I may try that here.
My main solution for much of the depth issue, is that I am planning on switching to 1 70-bowfront some time this year.
Tom’s presentation on Marine planted was very interesting. No real live tanks, but lots of slides. First off…. Marine plants…OMG super hard… if balancing nutrients in FW makes you nuts, don’t even think about marine. I am pretty sure, the tank shown in his slides is the only good looking (aquascaped) marine planted tank in the world.

 

[Holokai]

Any chance of some one having a picture of this marine planted tank?