CrownMan

I remember discussing at the last DFWAPC meeting putting up some pictures on the website about out tanks. Here is my 90 Gallon Planted tank, ADA Aquasoil, Coralife 110 Watt CF Lights, ~1.2 WPG. I keep about 20 species of plants, some growing well, some staying alive. No algae, 5 or 6 species of fish life - 15Albino Cories, 300 Cherry Shrimp, 11 Lemon Tetras, 1 OTO, 1 Pleco, 1 Platy. No CO2, no regular water changes. 2 HOB AquaClear filters. I have about 8 other tanks right now, all smaller and all planted with something. I will be shutting down 3 of them after I get rid of some Endlers and Apistos. I will then start back up my 40Gallon CO2 tank. Anyone interested, I will keep a log on our club site during the build up.

Sorry about the bad picture but still learning how to take above water pictures.

Mike

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JAXON777

Hey crownman long time no see. Tank looks good lots of different species in there.

CherylR

Nice tank! No CO2? I have to hate you now. Sure, we would love a blog about your tank. You can post pictures in the Gallery of the DFWAPC web site.

That goes for all of y'all.

There are a couple of articles about planted tank photography on the DFWAPC site by Mike Cameron:
http://www.aquatic-plants.org/articles.html

Tex Gal

Crownman do you use Exel as a carbon source. Your tank looks great! Nice job.

erock

Looks good. I'm interested in learning more about any fertilizing schedule you may have.

CrownMan

Thanks for the comments everyone. Here is a "brief" history of this tank.

Darrell Stephens gave me the tank, Coralife 4x55Watt CF Lights, well used substrate consisting of Flourite, eco, Aquasoil, etc., some plants, filter,.... It didn't come with a stand so I bought one of those build your own from PetCo or Petsmart, I don't remember and put it together in March 2007. I added 2 new bags of Aquasoil Amazonia on the top of a very seasoned substrate, filled it up and planted a ton of crypts and a few stem plants I had and ones he gave me with the tank. I have 7 other smaller planted tanks with various stems and would take a sprig or 2 from one of them and plant it in the 90. Almost all grew well but slowly.

Since then, there have been very irregular water changes, no ferts other than an occassional addition of Equilibrium after water changes, CSM and a touch of phospates (about once every 2 months). I was relying on the Aquasoil, fish poop, and fish food for everything else. I threw in some cherry shrimp, albino corys that I bred and a bristlenose pleco and several emperor tetras that Darrell gave me with the tank. I only ran one bank of lights, 110 watts for 9 hours a day on timer, 2 HOB Aquaclear filters and trimmed and replanted the tops on all the stems I was growing. There was a 3 month period that I was growing ludwigia cuba on one side and set a 5 hour burst of an extra 55watts on that side. The cuba grew well and I gave a bunch of it away. About 3 months ago, I quit the extra light and the cuba has all died off. I just got some Rotala Vietnam from Milalic a couple of weeks ago at the last club meeting and it is still growing well.

Heres a list of the plants that are growing well in this tank:

C. Wendtii Bronze, Red, Green, Tropica, etc.
C. Willisi
C. Lutens
C. Lutea
C. Pontefolia (sp)
C. Balansae
Hygrophila species with a very long narrow leafs (8" from the base) - Got at the last Club Meeting
Brazilian Micro Sword
Mermaid Weed
Bacopa Carolinia
Red Ludwigia Repens
Cabomba Furcata (Purple tops grows very fast)
Limnophila Aquatica (green version)
Altenathera Reneickii - Doesn't look great but refuses to die
Java Moss everywhere for the 300 shrimpies (I do keep it trimmed and under control)
Anubias Nana
Rotala Vietnam
Eleocharis Vivipara

So far the only algae I get is on the glass that comes off very easily with my magnets.

Tex Gal, I have used Excel in the past and I just started using again on a few of my small tanks as per Tom Barr's recommendation as a alternate carbon enhanced fert option. I am not using Excel on the 90. On my 20H and 29G, I am using Excel daily with once a week addition of PO4, Equilibrium and CSM. I have enough of a fish and shrimp load so I don't need to add Nitrates. I will post seperately about my success/failure with those 2 tanks.

Erock, the fert schedule has been very erratic and pratically nonexistent.

Thanks Cheryl, at least 2 of the plants in this tank I got from you.

JAXON777, ya still got your big tank?

Sorry about the long post.

Mike

JAXON777

yes I do Mike. I actually have two 100 gallons now one low tech one high tech.