Erin

Hi!

My name is Erin; I live in Frisco (N. of Dallas). I have been a member of DFWAPC since Feb 05 (but haven’t managed to make a meeting yet!! ) and I currently have 7 tanks (29g, (2)10g, (2)1g, 6g & 9g); all soil based naturally planted tanks using the methods from Diana Walstad's "Ecology of the naturally planted aquarium". None of my tanks have any kind of filtration on them, I do use small empty HOB's for water movement and I have gotten rid of most of my heaters as well. As for lighting, all of my tanks have incandescent hoods using compact fluorescent light bulbs bought @ Sam's Club. I have (2) 5g & a 55g in the works, one of the 5g will be a new shrimp/moss tank so that I can actually see them and the second will house a purple/metallic crown tail betta sometime next month.

Since I converted from standard fish/plant keeping in May of this year to a “low tech” method, I have had 0 fish deaths and have lost only a few plants that just didn't seem to be happy. I have been absolutely thrilled with the outcome. Before trying a soil tank, I could not keep plants alive to save my life, nor fish for that matter! Now, I prune every 2 weeks or else it's like playing "Where's Waldo" in my tanks. I do not do water changes on any of the tanks but the Black Moor tank (it's an experiment w/floaters only) and I have only changed the water 3 times in 3 months.

The biggest problem I have come across so far with keeping soil/planted tanks is keeping nitrates high enough for the plants, I attempted to add “flourish” supplement but all it netted me was a ton of black brush & green thread algae, so I have given up on adding ferts at this point. I also keep several different kinds of mosses. (Taiwanese Moss, Xmas Moss, weeping moss, mini moss and a couple I haven't been able to identify yet)

I also have cultures of grindal worms and California black worms to feed my goby & puffers. The black worms have been raised to "pet" status as I have not been able to figure out how to get them out of the java moss now that they are there! You can view a couple pictures of my tanks under "Users Personal Galleries" Erin.

Here is just a little info on my tanks

29g- Fish/inverts:

(1) 6" Rhino Pleco (Pterygoplichthys scrophus)
(3) Florida Flag Fish (Jordanella floridae)
(3) 1 1/2" golden Pristillas (Pristella maxillaris)
(1) 2" Otocinclus sp
(1) 3" golden angel (Gold Pearlscale Angel)
(5) German Blue Rams (Mikrogeophagus ramirezi)
(6) Cardinal Tetra (Paracheirodon axelrodi)
(1) L-134 Leopard Frog Pleco (Peckoltia sp.)
(1) L-201 Hypancistrus inspector
(10) Apple snails (Pomacea bridgesii) all colors
Malaysian Trumpet Snails (Melanoides tubercularia)
Red Ramshorn Snails (Planorbis corneus/rubrum)

Plants:

Anubias Congensis (anubias congensis)
Anubias Hastifolia (anubias hastifolia)
Giant Bacopa (bacopa caroliniana)
(bacopa myriophylloides)
Chinese Ivy (cardamine lyrata)
Indian Fern (ceratopteris cornuta)
Massimo ball (cladophora aegagropila)
Wendt's Crypt (cryptocoryne Wendtii)
Anacharis (egeria densa)
Water stargrass (heteranthera dubia)
Water Violet (hottonia palustris)
(myriophyllum mattogrossense)
Cutleaf watermilfoil (myriophyllum propinqum)
Common Milfoil (myriophyllum simulans)
Banana Plant (nymphoides aquatica)
Bean Stalk (rotala rotundifolia)
ROTALA WALLICHII (ROTALA WALLICHII)
''Mexican Oak Leaf'' (shinnersia rivularis)
Guppy Grass (najas guadalupensis)
Tiger Lotus (nymphaea lotus 'zenkeri')
(rotala macrandra green)
(nesaea crassicaulis)
Green Hygro (hygrophila polysperma)
Corkscrew Vals (vallisneria americana v. 'Biwaensis')
Brazilian Pennywort (hydrocotyle leucocephala)

10g (1) Fish/inverts:

(3) Cardinal Tetra (Paracheirodon axelrodi)
(2) Neon Tetras (Paracheirodon innesi)
(3) Black Neon Tetras (Hyphessobrycon herbertaxelrodi)
(1) Black Khuli Loach (Pangio javanicus )
(1) Gold Dojo Loach (Misgurnus anguillicaudatus)
(1) L-134 Leopard Frog Pleco (Peckoltia sp.)
(1) 2" Otocinclus sp
(2) Albino Bristlenose pleco (Ancistrus formoso)
(6) Apple snails (Pomacea bridgesii) blues & purples
Malaysian Trumpet Snails (Melanoides tubercularia)
Red Ramshorn Snails (Planorbis corneus/rubrum)

Plants:

Blood stargrass (didiplis diandra)
Green Hygro (Hygrophila polysperma)
Corkscrew Vals (Vallisneria americana v. 'Biwaensis')
Java Moss wall (Vesicularia dubyana)
Brazilian Pennywort (Hydrocotyle leucocephala)
Creeping Rush (Heteranthera zosterifolia)
Moneywort (Bacopa monnieri)
Dwarf sag (Dwarf sag/E.tennelus)
Micro sword (Lilaeopsis brasiliensis)
Limnophila (Limnophila aromatica)
Java fern (Microsorum pteropus)
Guppy Grass (najas guadalupensis)
Riccia (Riccia Fluitans)
Red Root Floaters (Phyllanthus fluitans)

10g (2) fish/inverts:

(1) Bumblebee goby (Brachygobius xanthozona)
(2) Dwarf Puffers (Carinotetraodon travancorius)
(2) Albino Bristlenose Pleco (Ancistrus formoso)
(3) Limia Melanogaster (I think, I still don't think I have it right)
(1) L-201 Hypancistrus inspector

Plants:

Taiwanese Moss wall
Ceylon Hygro (hygrophila polysperma ceylon)
Crinkle moss (Monosolenium TENERUM)
Guppy Grass (najas guadalupensis)
Tiger Lotus (Nymphaea lotus 'zenkeri')
Rotala (Rotala macrandra green)
Riccia (Riccia Fluitans)
Blood stargrass (didiplis diandra)
Green Hygro (Hygrophila polysperma)
Creeping Rush (Heteranthera zosterifolia)
(Bacopa australis)
Hornwort (Ceratophyllum demersum)
(Lagarosiphon madagascariensis)
Cardinal Plant (Lobelia cardinalis)
Primrose Willow (Ludwigia glandulosa (''perennis'')
Primrose (Ludwigia repens)
Baby tears (Micranthemum umbrosum)
Glosso (glossostigma)
Lilly (bulb) (Wal-Mart special)
Water stargrass (heteranthera dubia)
Water Violet (hottonia palustris)

6g Cherry Red Shrimp Tank-fish/inverts:

30+ Cherry Red Shrimp (Neocaridina denticulata sinensis (red)
California Black Worms (Lumbriculus variegatus)
8 Apple snails (Pomacea bridgesii) all colors
Unknown aquatic bugs - got them w/the skuds
Common Pond Snails (Austropeplea sp.)
Freshwater Skuds
Malaysian Trumpet Snails (Melanoides tubercularia)
Red Ramshorn Snails (Planorbis corneus/rubrum)

Plants in this tank-this started out as a clippings tank and took on a life of its own when I discovered a great deal on cherry red shrimp and realized after ordering them that they could not go into any of my current tanks. It has every type of plant I own in there, large amounts of Wisteria & Java Moss.




Regards,
Erin

Ricky Cain

Hey Erin,

Sounds like you've made a good start on converting from "the dark side" over to the light. Where you adding just plain Flourish or Flourish Nitrogen?

Erin

I was just using "flourish", I have been contemplating other types of ferts, but haven't had the time or the money to invest in them. I have begun doing some research on PPMD (?) and may look into something like that. I have what appears to be some iron deficiencies going on with my hygro's but I don't see how it's possible since iron is something that should be fairly plentiful at this point.

titan97

If you need more nitrates, go to Lowes or Home Depot and buy some "Stump remover" in the garden section. It will be a small bottle of crystals and will cost about $3. That should be enough for a good long time. Stump remover is potassium nitrate, both of which you will need in a planted tank in large quantities. Flourish by itself won't provide enough nitrate.

-Dustin

Erin

Dustin,

You have just saved me quite a bit of time and research. I have been combing the Krib looking at deficiencies and what not and have come to the conclusion that I am dealing with a Nitrogen deficiency. Looks like I am off to Lowes tomorrow to find myself some "Stump remover" (potassium nitrate). Thanks so much for the tip because I was having a hard time figuring out how to increase the nitrogen in my tanks. Do you by any chance have any idea how much to add? I'm going to do some jar tests before adding it directly to my tank.

Regards,
Erin