Norbert Sabat

Nice project =D>

I only don't like moss on wood

FazTeAoMar

Hello.

Thank you all for the kind comments.

Anti-Pjerrot: Hidrocotyle verticillata only has big leaves when is exposed to direct light. That´s what happend in the right side of the tank. I already trimmed it and confined it to the front side of the driftwood. Leaves are smaller and shorter. I really like ElosTerra. Plants are growing/rooting very nice. Regarding ferts, I dose, daily, Fase 1 ( micros and Iron), K40 ( potassium, calcium and magnesium) and Extra 1 ( extra dose of Iron). Fase 2 ( macros) are dosed twice a week. Yes, ATO-10 is sufficient for this tank. Tanks bigger than 150L should use the ATO-20 for better CO2 diffusion. I have small samples of BBA in the driftwood and stones that are now controlled with the increasing of CO2 and will be taken care of as soon as I get Seachem Excel.

Steven_Chong: Steven, thank you! It means a lot coming from a deep aquascape analyst like yourself.

XRTech and Chuppy: The reason why moss is so clean is because the filter system is doing a nice job keeping the water without floating sediments. I also vaccue the white sand where sediments are deposited at the surface and are susceptible of floating to the plants. But, the major reason why moss is so clean is because it is growing healthy and healthy plants stay clean and beautiful.

Blue_Dolphinvn: The background plants are there, if you take a closer look.

Jessie: Jessie, thanks! Indeed, you are right. It was the first time I worked with Hidrocotyle and surely it won´t be my last. Its sense of wilderness is unique.

chester: Chester thanks! Back corners are going to be covered with Utricularia graminifolia. If you notice, UG is slowly spreading towards to the back of the tank. The idea is to let the corners free of tall plants, leaving only the UG to cover the substracte, giving more sense of space and depth. Lets see how it goes...

Paul Higashikawa: Paul, many thanks! Some classics are still my inspiration.

harsh: Thank you. I must admit that this tank is giving me much too pleasure to maintain, risking to say, more than any other tank I have setup. Slow to medium growths, easy ferts routine, long periods without trimming and just let nature take its course, slowly.

Norbert Sabat: Norbert, thanks. Maybe, as plants grow thick, the branches covered in moss get blend with them. Time will tell...

I will try to take some pics tomorrow, to show how the tank was trimmed.

Regards,
André

tha_beeg

this is a very beautiful tank. you must put a lot of time into maintaining it!

FazTeAoMar

Hello all!

Thanks. No, not really. Maintenance is:

- everyday, 1 minute to fertilize, using the ELOS ferts dispensor
- one day per week, usually at Sunday, to trim the plants and perform a water change

That´s it, that´s all.

Here´s an update after trimming Bolbitis and green stem plants.














Regards,
André

apistaeasy

The tank is maturing nicely.
What kind of algae problems have you had?

deepdiver

Incredible tank! The UG in the corners really give the sand foreground a concave impression that draws the eye into the wood and plants. The red plant is perfect in the background too. BTW, what plant is that?

gf225

Excellent aquascape and beautiful presentation. One of the best mound compositions I've seen in a long time.

How do you propose the Proserpinaca palustris "Cuba" will grow? Do you want it to 'fill out'? Does it respond well to pruning? At the moment it looks a little too distracting in its sparseness.

Do you use Tropica plants? They are superb aren't they!?

Can you get Easy-Life EASYCARBO in Portugal? It is cheaper than Seachem Excel, and is the same product - ideal for treating BBA etc.

Finally, what camera etc. are you using, please?

Thanks.

FazTeAoMar

Hello to all!

Thanks! I´ve had long strands of green algae on the moss, somewhere between the 15th and the 30th day after the setup. That was the time when I went out on vacations and stopped fertilization. When I came back, I started fertilizing with k40 and estabilished the nutrient levels. That was when the tank became algae free. More recently, I had a small case of BBA ( Black Beard Algae) on some small stones and in the end of the driftwood, all in the same area ( in the sand area). I used Seachem Excel directly on the algae, everyday a small dose ( 1ml) and after a week, it was all gone. I then increased the CO2 and NO3 levels to maintain the balance.

Thanks! I call that effect " The bay" The red plant is Proserpinaca palustris " Cuba". Beautiful plant.

George, thanks. Regarding the Proserpinaca, I want it to be sparse, not too compact. The plant does respond well to pruning. When you trim it, two new buds come out of the node next to the cut. If you let it grow, it will send new buds too from the lower nodes. The FTS I presented is an experiment to see how well does the P. palustris fit in the final layout when it comes to trimming. That is why I trimmed the surrounding stem plants. Now that I have an ideia on how she looks as a focal point, I can start working on the surrounding plants.

I only use Tropica plants. Top quality, no doubt.

Yes, I can. I had no ideia it was the same product as Seachem Excel. The price is a bargain, compared to Excel. Thanks for the tip. I will give it a try.

The camera is a Minolta Dimage Z1. It is an old camera but, until I don´t have the money to buy a DSLR, I will be playing around with this one. Do you want to know anything else in particular regarding the camera settings?

Best regards and thanks for the feedback.

André

gf225

Hi Andre

Thanks for the Proserpinaca info. It's a lovely plant that I may try out myself.

The photography is excellent for a compact, enhanced by your good lighting choice.

I can see another Portagese fellow doing will in the ADA/AGA next year...

FazTeAoMar

Hello again!

George, thanks for the encouragement. Fingers crossed for that one.

I performed a major maintenance, replacing the sand, trimming some plants and cleaning all the equipment. After that, I took a picture of how the tank looked like. Here it is:




What do you think?

Happy New Year of 2008


Regards,
André