Sticks & Stones - Journal

[FishCrazyBenBOMB]

Sorry, Ben. It's Fissindens fontanus. It took a couple of months for it to really get nice and full. For driftwood covering, I prefer the Fissindens fontanus to java moss.

I should look into that stuff.

 

[fort384]

Looking very nice. I like the fissendens f. Agree that it looks much nicer than the java moss. Did it grow along the branch, or did you have to tie it down every few inches?

 

[Purrbox]

Very nice. I love how it looks after the trim with the DSLR.

 

[elwaine]

Big Change to old look - Cladophora update

Hi,

I grew tired of fighting with the HC and the Cladophora, so I removed the HC... and then I removed the HM... and then I didn't like the look of the Amazonia substrate. I also gave up on the Potamogeton gayi so I added more needle leaf Java Ferns that I was growing on DW sticks. They are nice and full on the right side of the tank (at the rear), but need to grow more on the left. It's amazing what plants in the background do for the over all look of the aquarium.

Anyway, here's what I did (I feel like I pulled a "Ben").

And, BTW, now that I got rid of the HC and increased the GH to 9, the Cladophora has died off and is gone! I do use Excel... but since increasing the GH, I also decreased dosing Excel... simply because I usually forget to do so.

Fort... sorry I forgot to answer your question about the Fissindens. Yes, I tied it down to the DW branches. It doesn't take much of the moss. After a couple of months it fills in quite nicely. After about 3 months, it looks like you see it in these photos.

 

[marchmaxima]

it's looking great!!!

 

[FishCrazyBenBOMB]

Love the look. Looks way natural.

 

[newfound77951]

Looks fantastic! I may have to try that GH raising trick to see if it will help my hair algae problem in my 10g. I'm using DI water in that tank as my tap water has enough copper to kill the RCS.

 

[belladee]

thanks for the updated pictures.

the tank looks great!!

 

[elwaine]

Thank you all for the compliments.

For some reason I thought that freshwater planted aquaria would be a lot less work to maintain than Marine aquaria. Well... they are a little less work, but not quite as easy and forgiving as I had imagined. - Live and learn....

 

[elwaine]

It's been two years since I've posted here. My "simple" design has grown into a jungle and I am absolutely loving it. My original goal was to create a freshwater bog. I wanted it to look very natural - not sculpted. I had many battles with Cladophora and finally came to terms with it. It is ever present - but controlled.

I no longer use CO2, or worry about lighting. I still do water changes - but maybe only 30% once a month. I fertilize when I feel like it. Most of my plants are ferns and mosses (several varieties each), but I also have A. nana petite and it's is growing wild as well.

This is my wild, healthy, nearly care free 18 gallon tank (note the root hairs on top from the floating plants:

 

[fort384]

Looking great Larry. I love a full natural looking tank like this. What shrimp/fish does it contain?

 

[elwaine]

There are no shrimp. I have RCS in a separate 3 gal tank. The fish in the 18 gal. are a wild Guppy variety, and for the life of me, I forget which one. I also have a few Cory cats.

The main tank looks so much better than the photos I took, as it is impossible to capture the depth (3D) of the aquarium.

I think that the main reason it is so healthy is the abundant plant life. The plants must filter out and detoxify harmful chemicals. In any case, it has been my experience that - with any aquarium, and especially with a fresh water aquarium - once it attains a certain level of biological balance, it takes care of itself with only minimal intervention. Water changes are still important, on occasion, but the actual maintenance time in a well balance aquarium is minimal.

 

[SNAKEMANVET]

Your tank looks great,if mine looks half that good I will be happy.

 

[marchmaxima]

Looking really good Larry. I could stare at that for hours.

 

[elwaine]

Thanks for the kind words. And in fact, I do stare at the aquarium for hours. Of course, I usually have a Bourbon in hand while I stare.

 

[Piscean22]

OK, this one will either ruin you eyes or ruin you mind - or both. I did this for myself because I have to order plants and kept forgetting what I wanted to plant and where I wanted them to go. It's a lot easier to understand when the actual tank is in front of you. The lack of 3-D really makes it difficult to understand my plant design. (Also, as I haven't had any Bourbon yet, it's even difficult for me to follow my "drawings."

BTW, light shouldn't be a problem as I'll have slightly over 7 watts/gal. But I will watch the Anubias roots carefully. The one's up front will be no problem at all, but the ones in the back may get too much shade.

Don't say I didn't warn you! Here they are:

Hi I'm starting to put up a 40 gallon breeder, your layout is amazing just viewing it really helps me understand the process and achievement. I'm gonna follow it with a design of my own, hitting the sketch pad now! - picean22

 

[elwaine]

Thank you... and good luck.

It's a lot of fun to start a new aquarium, but it takes a good year - at least - until it matures and evolves into what it will finally look like. And sometimes, it's a nice surprise.

 

[Chrisinator]

Gorgeous tank!

 

[LemurLad]

What a magnificent tank Larry! That's absolutely inspiring. No doubt about tanks taking a year plus to mature, yours is an awesome example of a box of liquid nature. My 10 gallon's at about 1.5 years and it's just coming around. Though I tinker with it a bit.