oregon aqua

BIg? update: Well 4 months later the tank has changed. All erio are gone=0( i had a pitty party for a bit, wiped my tears away and went with it. The minis went first then the others. I moved the surviving pieces into another tank where they where promptly uprooted and floated in to who knows where. I had some snail problems where somehow some pond snails and MTS got in the tank. I worked very hard to get them out as i worried about the MTS mixing the potting soil up to the top of the substrate, and i just dont like pond snails. The only snails i have wanted in this tank was ramshorns to breed and add to my 55g for cleaning and food, this has worked well as i have a ton of them=0).

Other changes: well some java fern needle leaf was added to the left corner and i have to say to me it has changed the whole tank i really like it. A plant was added to the middle between the java and a rock but i cant remember what its called. I have been growing out some peacock moss and finally had enough to cover the rock so i just tied that down yesterday with my new favorite tie down....... glide dental floss. In my experiments it last longer then cotton thread but still degrades after some time and is easier for me to work with and tie down. This is my first attempt at putting it in an aquarium with fish so we will see how it does. IM tired of the HC it just not worth my effort in this tank to trim replant and clean all the time. So im letting the hair grass take over.

The pellia is gone dont know why but has been replaced with a piece of weeping moss.

I have done 2 50% water changes in 4 months due to a sudden cloud after i uprooted the erio's. Still absolutely no dosing of excel or ferts of any kind.

i need your help i need a small easy plant to break up this green. Ideas welcome...........PLEASE.

and now pics. Camera has been a little screwy since i droped it so sorry if pics are worse then normal.
FULL SHOT

LITTLE CLOSER

MYSTERY PLANT

JAVA WITH RCS he is a camera hog as you will see

WEEPING MOSS WITH... RCS

GRASS MOVING IN ON HAIR GRASS WITH...............RCS

Tex Gal

Once your ammania bonsai and neddle leaf java grow up and fill in it will look nice. I'm not sure what your asking. Do you just want a plant with a different color? There are lots of red plants out there. Did you take a look at the plant finder?

oregon aqua

BOnsai thanks Tex-gal. I have looked at the plant finder, as much as i like it it needs some updating. IM looking for an easy plant that will help break up some of the green. I think my tank is way to green. Problem is i really cant think of any small red or like plants that dont need co2. I really think i might just have to skip it as i really dont think i can fit another plant in their with out loosing the scape. plus i cant find or think of a single small red plant that wont take over.

Maybe its not to green and its just me?

The amania bonsai was a plant i picked up at the Oregon plant meet, i instantly forgot its name and have not been able to find much info on it since i got it. I hope to make a bush of some sort out of it but its one of the slower growing plants i have dealt with. You know much about it?

Tex Gal

Let me back up a little. I'm not sure whether it's ammania sp bonsai or Rotala indica bonsai. I don't know how to tell the difference between the two. What I have was sold to me as Rotala indica bonsai. I hear that they are slow growers and like nutrients at the roots.

A red plant that might work and does well without CO2 is Combomba frucata. Crownman is growing it quite well without CO2. You would have to trim it but it would give you that beautiful red color. It's not small though. There is another small red/green that is Rotala sp 'araguai' but I think it needs CO2.

THHNguyen

I think the tank looks much better without the erios. I'm starting to dislike them as a group (well at least the short squatty ones). Your tank has a very natural feel to it.
An easy red plant you can try is Ludwigia arcuata. It just needs good light and iron to turn red.

oregon aqua

Correct me if im wrong but i thought that Rotala indica bonsai and ammania sp bonsai ended up being the same plant? Co2 is something i can consider down the road maybe, so that might make the plant choices easier.


Thank you. I had wanted a erio foreground but im pretty shure thats imposible lol. I do like the bigger erios over the smaller ones thats for sure. I have seen some newer big ones that i am really envios for. I dont think i could plop that much money down on a plant again though.

cs_gardener

I'm sorry you lost the erios. It's always disappointing to lose a plant you tried so hard to keep.

You might try Rotala wallichii for some red. I'm growing it in a mineralized soil based tank with good lighting and low dosing of gluteraldehyde. It grows fairly slowly but looks healthy and keeps a nice red. With it's fine leaves and narrow width it shouldn't overwhelm a smaller tank.

hristoz

I think your mystery plant is Bacopa monnieri

It is a slow grower.

bru

How about a Bronze Crypt for a different color? It does fine in low lighting.