Stargazer53

I would love to see how everything looks when it grows in but so far, everything looks thumbs up!

Wheeler

watch thread...

AaronT

I'm having the typical 'new tank' algae issues at present, but the plants are growing well except the Utricularia graminifolia. I suspect the Utricularia is not doing well because of the mineral content in the substrate. I'm hoping to put up a few pics tomorrow perhaps.

AaronT

Here's a shot of the tank from this morning 10/19/06:

Here it is again after two large water changes and a scrubbing of the front glass only. You can see that I've also added 8 furcatas rainbows as well.

Though I'm having quite the new tank algae breakout, I'm still optomistic. I haven't dosed a thing save for a little excel and the plant growth is very healthy underneath all of that algae. Just look at the color on the Rotala macrandra. The only plant not doing well is Utricularia graminifolia. I suspect that it has to do with the minerals in the substrate. This plant prefers an inert substrate, but I thought I'd try it anyhow.

MrSanders

any updates?

AaronT

still fighting green beard algae. Suprisingly, the Utric turned around and is looking very healthy.

Zapins

Looks like green dust algae on the macrandra to me...

I also have a hybrid tank like you (just w/o the clay ) so far it has turned out to be the most maintanence free tank of them all O.o and it grows plants just as well as my NKP tanks!

I am very curious to see how your tank does though.

Hopefully new pics soon!!!

DataGuru

So how come you went to all the trouble instead of just using soil as is?

Adding some fast growing floating plants may help balance things out.

swannee54

DataGuru I sincerely hope you don't take this the wrong way, because I don't mean it the wrong way, but we would still be in the 50's if we all thought that way

DataGuru

ROFLMAO
I don't get the impression from what I've read, that people were using soil as a substrate in aquaria back then. My impression is that it is a fairly recent thing that soil is catching on as a substrate.

You're posting in the e-natural forum where we use soil without doing much at all to it. LOL Maybe let it air out overnite. other than that, and adding crushed minerals, we don't do much of anything to it.

I have 8 soil based tanks now and all are happy and low maintence.. Just gotta top them off and pull/prune plants every couple of weeks. Don't hafta dink with ferts or CO2. everyone's happy.