29G and 5G NPT's - El Natural

musrusticus · 11-16-2008, 09:53 AM

As promised I have pics of my two NPT's. The 29 gallon is still fighting some BGA, which you should be able to see and there's still a little in the 5 gallon but not enough to concern me.

There are lots of plants in the 29 gallon but they're still pretty small, so it doesn't look like much yet. Hopefully they'll fill in well but I'm open to suggestions of plants to try. I'm not sure that there'll be much room for any other plants in the 5 gallon before too long, though.

musrusticus · 05-22-2009, 02:56 PM

Pictures. First is the aquarium after a few months of neglect and the others are after a recent trim and PWC.

dwalstad · 05-24-2009, 06:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by musrusticus

Pictures. First is the aquarium after a few months of neglect and the others are after a recent trim and PWC.

Thanks for posting pictures of your tanks. You have clearly shown how an NPT can function with little maintenance!

However, you may enjoy the tanks more with a little more upkeep. For example, a little trimming allows for new growth, better light penetration, and keeps one plant species from taking over the tank.

When I was busy with demanding jobs, I really let the tanks go, but they still worked. Now I have more leisure time and have enjoyed keeping the tanks more-- do I dare use the word-- "aquascaped".

Sophie · 05-24-2009, 10:12 AM

Go ahead and use "aquascaped". I have been looking at quite a few of these
high tech aquascapes lately and in alot of them the only thing that would not
work in a low-light NPT is the carpet plants.

I am currently gathering the parts needed for another 10g NPT
which I am going to try to "aquascape" with moss, anubias, java fern, and whatever
else I can grow.

musrusticus · 05-26-2009, 10:51 AM

Thanks for the comments.

Yes, I know maintenance is a good thing. Normally I'm a bit of a doting aquarist, but I finished college in December then moved and started a new job in January and things are just now settling down enough that I can devote some much needed attention to the NPT's.

Last night I ordered some red cryptocoryne wendtii to plant in both tanks. They should be arriving on Thursday. After the crypts get settled in I may add some neon tetra to the 29 gallon, but we'll see. Anyhow, wish me luck with the crypts and I'll post some more pics after they get planted and established.

dwalstad · 05-27-2009, 05:46 AM

The Red Cryptocoryne wendtii are beautiful and tough. They might work very well in your tanks.

Good luck!

musrusticus · 10-03-2009, 09:43 AM

I've been trying to get pics but my camera has taken a turn for the worse, so none for now. The crypts didn't fare well, they pretty much melted away within the first week and didn't come back.

However, some duckweed hitched with them and that stuff is doing great. There's been a bit of a java moss growth spurt also which looks like it may end up carpeting both tanks if I leave it be. I'll try to post some pics if I can get my hands on a working camera.

dawntwister · 10-04-2009, 10:16 AM

The fact that the legs of the plants are very leggy, few leaves at bottom, shows that they are not getting enough light at the bottom. Things that would help compensate for that are making a reflector and dosing with Flourish Comprehensive or Calcium sulphate and Potassium sulphate.

What light do you have over the tank?

musrusticus · 10-04-2009, 10:39 AM

Right now I have 3 100 watt CFL's. One in a desklamp about six inches above the surface and the other two in a floorlamp probably 18" from the tank. The light setup is pretty inefficient, hence the high wattage. The room it's in is also a solarium. It was a greenhouse but has since been converted to an apartment so it probably gets more light from sunlight than anything else for most of the day.

Light comes in on all sides, I've actually been fighting off most leafy growth in the bottom half of the tank because that's where the catfish usually hang out and I like giving them plenty of room to move about. They seem happier that way. The plants that are there routinely go to seed and there are all sorts of seedlings floating around that I've been trying to get planted along the back of the tank.

dawntwister · 10-04-2009, 11:50 AM

Oh!! I was wonder why the plants were so massive at the top.

How come you don't have the water to the top?

Perhaps dosing with Flourish Comrehensive or CSM + B would help get the growth you want in the back.