davemonkey's picotope journal - Page 3 - Journals

Tex Gal · 09-21-2009, 09:27 PM

It's coming along... I can see some shape to it now!

davemonkey · 09-23-2009, 05:22 PM

A little update:

Growth is good. I came home from a week absence to find some GSA, but nothing serious. The colors are subtle, but more noticeable than what my camera shows. I think it's coming along nicely...maybe not contest material, but a nice little scape in the making.

Before Trim

After Trim

Ludwigia brevipes

davemonkey · 10-02-2009, 01:36 PM

1 week after trim:

davemonkey · 10-04-2009, 08:14 PM

And now, just two days later....

Here's what the original looked like.

I like the cooler colors of the original much better, but the scape had a very unfinished look and the plants seemed scattered. The top one is what I wound up going with for the contest. The lights on the top pic are somewhere around 2700K to 4000K ( "Softwhite" bulbs...not so goo at growing, but good for creating warmth). The lights on the "original" picture were not the tank's lights. I borrowed from another tank just for the pics. They are an off-brand "aquarium light" somewhere around 6700K or 8000K? No idea really, but very nice coloring and CRI in my opinion.

-Dave

davemonkey · 10-16-2009, 05:31 AM

Stay tuned! I've been bitten by the NPT bug and now I'm getting interested in emmersed set-ups after seeing mudboots' terrarium. There is a chance this could become an emmersed crypt/anubias 'petite'/lilaeopsis/??? set-up. I have this one crypt that would be PERFECT due to its small size. Plus, I could get it to flower and finally get true confirmation on its ID. (It is believed to be Cryptocoryne willisii x lucens 'bronze'. )

This is open for debate for anyone who wants to chime in. I'm always open to suggestions.

-Dave

hooha · 10-16-2009, 06:06 AM

looking good! The stem plants in a nano can be a challenge maintenance-wise....but still take a lot less time compared to 75+ gallon tanks

emersed is definitely cool.....but personally I'd recommend using a used 10 gallon or the like instead of that sweet rimless there!

mudboots · 10-16-2009, 07:26 PM

The emersed set ups can turn out really nice if you plan them out ahead. I've got one that I just threw together on a whim and it's looking classier and more "scaped" than my 10 and 125. Plus being able to get aquatics to flower is cool too. Speaking of Crypts, I'm working on what I believe to be wendtii 'green' and retrospiralis, though it's true identity is under debate.

davemonkey · 10-18-2009, 05:18 AM

I decided to keep my options open. I set up an emmersed set-up using plants from the previous scape (and some Marsilea), did a sort of layout, and used Aquasoil capped over some organic substrate. So, if I want to go back to submersed, all I have to do is fill it up and go.

I have the little crypts, Anubias nana 'petite', some moss, Lilaeopsis sp., Marsilea sp., Ludwigia brevipes, Needle-leaf Java fern, and a grass I have not ID'd yet and will now be able to ID once it starts flowering. (I think it is in the Fimbristylis family and it has been growing well for me submersed...so maybe something new to offer once it grows out.)

Little crypt

Lilaeopsis in front of Marsilea

Anubias 'petite'

-Dave