gf225

Here's my latest aquascape - "Shaded Sanctuary". Please excuse the poor photography, as these are the first photos taken with my new camera.

As you can see, it's full of slow-growers that tolerate shade. I have deliberately gone for a very low maintenance layout as I am too busy to maintain a high-growth set up.

I'm not entirely happy with the composition but am a little afraid to move the crypts about too much. I'd like to add more wood and have some willow moss coming soon.

The plants have been maturing for around six months now. The only plant I've needed to tame is the Java fern.

Spec -

Tank - Juwel Rio 125 (125 l. / 33 US gal.)
Filter - Juwel Compact H internal (400 lph)
Lighting - 2 x 18w T8 6500K Interpet Daylight Plus for 10 hours (1.1 wpg)
CO2 - Pressurized system, 1 BPS, Rhinox 2000 diffuser
Substrate - Tropica Plant Substrate and 1-3mm gravel, Tropica Capsules
Fertilisation - modified EI, 10ml Tropica Plant Nutrition liquid 2x week, NPK 2x week, 50% weekly water change
Water - (from tap) KH 7, GH 13, NO3 20ppm, PO4 5ppm

Plants - Cryptocoryne balansae, C. wentii (brown and green), C. undulata, C. parva, Microsorium pteropus, Anubias barteria var. nana, Crinum calamistratum

Fish - Barbus/Puntius pentazona

Genin

wow that looks great. I love the set-up. I am a big fan of the green planted tank, ie, when all the plants are different shades of green.

trenac

Nicely done... Heavily planted with a lot of thick lush growth.

Kookaburra

Hi Georges,
This is a great "Low-Tech" tank ^^

Woh, it's hight ! No algae issue ?
(In spite of the majority presence of plants with slow growth?)

gf225

Thanks everyone.

Kookaburra - In my experience "high" NO3 and PO4 do not cause algae if there is heavy planting and good growth, even with low light/slow-growers. Weekly 50% water changes, good CO2 and circulation help to prevent algae too.

I very rarely experience problem algae, to the extent I don't use algae-eating fish/inverts.

MrHarris

How did you get your java fern so big? lol

zig

^^well if you seen the last scape George had in this tank you would wonder, probably one of the biggest ferns I have seen, different ferns than these ones though, I know the person who was donated the last one,fern is still alive and well.

Very nice setup George.

redstrat

Very nice i love the lush growth you've achived, beautiful tank!

rich311k

Very nice tank. Lush and beautiful.

Squawkbert

I like it a lot! I may end up following this path as I have only 96W over my 46-bow and my A.reineckii isn't "taking off". I have one or two more reds to try first (L. replens, R. indica...)