El Natural With A Twist (long 56k!) - Page 2 - El Natural

Stargazer53 · 10-14-2006, 11:36 PM

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

Wheeler · 10-16-2006, 11:43 AM

watch thread...

AaronT · 10-18-2006, 08:59 AM

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 · 10-19-2006, 08:37 AM

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 · 10-31-2006, 03:48 PM

any updates?

AaronT · 10-31-2006, 07:16 PM

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

Zapins · 10-31-2006, 07:22 PM

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 · 10-31-2006, 09:09 PM

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 · 11-01-2006, 12:48 AM

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

AaronT · 11-01-2006, 03:23 AM

The tank will balance out eventually. The green beard algae is a persistant problem with any tank I seem to setup. I think there is something in the water supply here that triggers it. I've had this issue with Aquasoil as well. After several weeks it settles down and the plants look great.