cousinkenni

So here it is......My first tank post on APC so go easy on me. Actually this tank was set up in Dec. 2003. The photo was taken in early Oct. 2004 for a local Honolulu Aquarium Society annual tank contest. I hadn't done any trimming on the tank until about a week before the contest and the plants never got a chance to grow in before this photo was taken. I didn't have a camera to photograph it at it's peak and thought there was no photo documentation of the tank for it was torn down after the competition. This past month's HAS meeting was in prep of this years upcoming HAS tank contest and low and behold in the powerpoint presentation there was a photo of my tank from last year. I asked for a copy and now I am posting the pic.

Tanks stats:

10 gal
36 watts CF 10,000K
DIY CO2 (hagen ladder)
Fluval 104
Flourish 2X weekly
Flourish trace 2X weekly
W/C once weekly
No macros at the time but heavy fish feeding


Plants:

Glossostigma elatinoides
Echinodorus tenellus
Crytocoryne Beckettii "petchii"
Cryptecoryne wendtii red
Microsorum pteropus windelov
Vesicularia sp.
Spiral Vallisneria
Rotala macrandra
Ludwigia glandulosa
Ludwigia repens



So now to the comments:

I was thinking about setting up the same hardscape so my question to all of you is what do you think I should do in terms of plants? Instead of the Windelov I was thinking of using nana or petite. I think I like the foreground especially when it grows in (sorry you guys can't see it in this picture).

Any suggestions for the next go-around would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Ken T

Aaron

Where is the pic of the 20g?!?! C'mon brutha! Share with us!!

Two things with this tank that bothered me were the fact that many of the plants were too large in stature and many of the plants had forms that were too similar. I would look to using stem plants with smaller diameter whorls than the ones you used. I would add more fine leaf plants to the mix to create more variation in texture. Replacing the Java fern with Petite or Stardust Anubias would be a great addition. Using a background other than black will bring out the driftwood more. Work on the mid ground with E. tennellus or Downoi or something.
So you gonna show a 10g again at the show this year? Can't wait to see it.

Cobra

there's a sudden drop of depth in the fore ground bro and i agree with bro aaron by using fine leaves plants should make the depth of field more stunning.. maybe some more height on the background and a afew clusters of riccia might help... Just a thought my friend

cousinkenni

Sorry Aaron,

The 20 gal will be posted in a week or two, just tore it down and replanted it this past weekend. I am going to enter it in the show this year. Thanks for the suggestions, I am thinking of setting up the 10 gal for next years comp. Hence the request for suggestions. I must agree, the plants used were defiantely too big. At the time it was all I had coming from my 30 gal.

So what do you think for a foreground? Maybe HC? i was also thinking of using the currently overused rotala sp. green in the back.

Well I am off to the Big Island for the weekend I will ask for more suggestions and run a few ideas by maybe monday. Who knows, maybe If I am feeling gitty I will even post a pic of the new 20g

Ken T.

Steven_Chong

hey hey! I remember seeing that tank in the contest! It may not have been grown in but it's obvious you did a good job man.

I hope you and everyone else in the HAS is doing well. I will soon be setting up a small tank in my dorm room . . . I just can't give it up you know . . . aloha to everyone! Cannot wait until I come back in december and go to the meeting in Jan.


Steven C.