Aquascaping in the dark ages, 1980s - Page 2 - Aquascaping

dirrtybirdy · 03-12-2008, 02:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skinns

1985....Holy smokes. I think I was trying to moonwalk on my parents dresser in my socks then. Awesome that you still have the photos.

ahahaha damn i was only 1 year old!! thats crazy that you still have pictures! good job

Brilliant · 03-12-2008, 04:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skinns

1985....Holy smokes. I think I was trying to moonwalk on my parents dresser in my socks then. Awesome that you still have the photos.

Haha! Man sweet! We were scouring the neighborhood for appliance boxes trying to be Turbo and Ozone!

About the equipment in 80's...
My tank was like the other guy colorful gravel, corner filter with floss and carbon. Nice looking tank!

I cannot believe no one tried to hook their keg to their aquarium...

I mean they did have beer meisters in the 80's right!?!

BruceWatts · 03-12-2008, 08:35 PM

If you did a lot of research back in the mid 1980's you were aware of CO2 fertilization but figuring out how to go about it was the problem. I even heard of people pouring club soda into there tanks to increase the CO2.

As far as lack of algae goes I think three things are worth mentioning.
One is that the low tech tanks like mine were very stable with out all the CO2 and ferts. Having the kind of growth that modern plant tank owners expect can cause some to overdose that is why you are always trimming and have algae eaters in your set ups. I rarely had to do anything to this tank besides routine maintainence.
Two I had a very low bio load and almost pristine water right out of the tap. The tank had a few rasboras, cardinals and some corys.
Three I have always had a green thumb with tropical plants. I worked as a professionel gardener when I lived on Maui and have raised orchids and tons of other plants over the last 50 years.
Thanks for the positive feedback.

Bruce

AaronT · 03-12-2008, 08:40 PM

Is that Crypt. aponogetifolia I see in there?

BruceWatts · 03-13-2008, 09:04 AM

AaronT

I believe that the plant you are talking about is Aponogeton boivinianus. There are Crypts that have very similar puckered leaves but this plant grows from a bulb. There is also an A madsgascariensis on the right. I always liked the the Aponogetons because they are easy to move from tank to tank and of course they are very attractive.

Bruce

AaronT · 03-13-2008, 09:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BruceWatts

AaronT

I believe that the plant you are talking about is Aponogeton boivinianus. There are Crypts that have very similar puckered leaves but this plant grows from a bulb. There is also an A madsgascariensis on the right. I always liked the the Aponogetons because they are easy to move from tank to tank and of course they are very attractive.

Bruce

Ah yes, okay now I see. Even so the health of those plants is quite impressive.

Bert H · 03-13-2008, 09:12 AM

Bruce I tip my hat to you! That's a great looking tank at any time period. We're probably close in age, I remember when I was a kid (we're talking 60's here

) I had a 10 gal full of guppies with an incandescent strip and a corner filter. That was the first time I ever tried to plant something in there. I stuck some Vals or Sag, don't remember what they were, but they grew really well, and mostly algae free. I never did anything to the tank other than top it, and clean out the filter occasionally. It took me about 25 years later with on-line info to be able to grow anything as well as those vals did.

BruceWatts · 03-13-2008, 12:34 PM

Bert

If you look at the first pic you can see what was then called Val gigantea on the right side and covering the surface. I was never able to equal the success of this plant in other set ups. They grew long enough that when I removed them to thin them out they would reach the floor with me holding the roots over my head. I put a power head behind them and they waved in the current like they would in a stream. Very nice effect.

Bruce