kronosdelsol

Hi everyone

I have been lurking around here for way too long and thought that I should share my first planted tank with everyone. I have been keeping fish for over 10 years but never tried plants. There was one time when I actually had a fish room and Cichlids in every tank (the electrical bill was way too expensive). I never would have thought that plants would be so addicting.

When I first started, I planted some inherited low light plants in regular gravel. This was very successful. My tank gets direct sunlight from the south for 6 hours a day. Being oblivious to any planting styles or systems, I started reading about different setups.

I read an article on the krib about using soil with vermiculite, and decided to try it out. Actually what caught my eye was how cheap it would be to implement. I had no idea that this was a natural planted tank style.

In September 2009, I went out and purchased a product from AquaScape called "Aquatic Planting Media". It is designed for ponds and has a good mixture of soil/sand. It was also 100% fish safe. I mixed in a bag of vermiculite and tore down my fish tank, keeping 60% of the existing water. I topped the soil with playground sand.

Initially my tank broke out with all types of Algae, so I did some more reading. I didn't take in the fact that 12 hours of light was too much for a new cycle. I also concluded from some research (yes I don't research well enough and take the first couple things for granted) that pond soil did not have enough nutrients, so dosing was in order. Poor Mans Dupla Drops and the Estimative Index came up at this website. The Estimative Index seemed to be the best choice as I didn't want to be bothered with measuring, and a 50% water change does not take long. Especially since all the crud stays on top of the sand. It only costed me $30 for a years supply of dry fertilizers from aquariumfertilizer.com.

My addiction started to grow and I found myself adding new varieties every week. Since I'm a n00b and have no idea about aquascaping or highlighting specific plants, I just planted the plants where they looked good. I'm starting to find out now how big some plants get. Yikes!

Current setup
45 US Gal - 48"x12"x18"
2 x T12 40watt light (1 Sylvania Grow Lux, 1 Phillips Daylight)
250 watt heater

Dosing - 3 times a week according to Estimative Index
1/4 Potassium Nitrate
1/16 Mono Potassium Phosphate
1/16 Potassium Sulfate
5ml Seachem Flourish - running out so switching to Plantex CSM+B

Full Shot


Left


Middle

Yes that is a Anubis barteri var nana tree. I tried java moss but the fish got into it and I will never go with that again.

Right


Aponogeton flower

There are 2 flowers next to each other here. Each stalk puts up 2 flowers. Maybe this is an Aponogeton Crispus cross Natans?

I will provide a list of flora/fauna next time if anyone is interested. I am also thinking about putting in a small powerhead to give it some circulation.

I still battle with hair algae. The Vallisneria Spiralis gets it so bad that I have to keep trimming it down. They used to be 3 to 4 feet long.


Feedback would be appreciated. I am a snap and click type of person so maybe some help with taking better shots?

Thanks! ~Donny

insectocean

Nice

kronosdelsol

insectocean - Thanks. Your 55Gal looks really good too. I like how you posted an update week by week so I think I will do the same on this one as well.

Here is a list of flora/fauna that is currently in the 45 gal.

flora
Anubias barteri var. nana
Aponogeton crispus
Aponogeton crispus cross natans
Bacopa monnieri
Cabomba caroliniana
Ceratophyllum demersum
Ceratopteris thalictroides
Cryptocoryne wendtii green
Cryptocoryne wendtii "mi oya"
Echinodorus amazonicus
Echinodorus bleheri
Echinodorus osiris
Hygrophila difformis
Hygrophila polysperma
Ludwigia repens
Microsorum pteropus
Najas guadalupensis
Rotala rotundifolia
Rotala macrandra
Vallisneria spiralis
Vesicularia dubyana

fauna
Brachydanio rerio
Hemigrammus erythrozonus
Hemigrammus rhodostomus
Neocaridina denticulata sinensis
Otocinclus affinis
Palaemonetes spp
Paracheirodon innesi
Poecilia reticulata

I can't imagine how much work it is for those of you with high-tech setups. I already spend so much time each week, trimming down my plants on my low tech setup.

I really like guppies. They must be my favorite fish. We'll they started breeding like crazy so I think it's time for a second tank. That's also another excuse to purchase more plants, right??

kronosdelsol

I decided to remove some plants from the 45 gal and did some rearranging. Some trimming was also in order to eliminate the dead leaves below. I'm noticing that the snails are eating little holes in the bottom leaves of my Hygrophilia plants. Does that happen to everyone?

Plants removed
Aponogeton crispus (one)
Cryptocoryne wendtii "mi oya"
Echinodorus osiris
Microsorum pteropus

2009/12/23


I'm hoping that my wife will get me a Tiger Lotus for Christmas. I've been hooked on having one ever since I saw the one in davemonkey' tank. The Tiger Lotus will go on the left side in that open foreground space.

That water sprite (Ceratopteris thalictroides) started out as a wilty dead plant and grew into 30 individual large plants within the past 2 months. I had to throw so much of it away.

The hornwort (Ceratophyllum demersum) doubles in size every couple of weeks. It's definetely a guppy fry saver. It does make the tank messy though.

My Anubias tree is falling over. The driftwood was a grapevine if I remember correctly. It does float to the top. I tried to drill a hole through a slab of granite but my masonry bit barely penetrated the surface. I decided to screw two tank dividers onto the bottom of the driftwood. The problem is that the sand is not heavy enough to keep it in place. The dividers are also flexable, which causes the wood to fall over. Any suggestions would be most welcomed.

I also added an Aquaclear Mini until my tank population goes back down. That will be a while yet though.

I also noticed that one of the ghost shrimp was laying on its back. I had to help turn it over. I wonder if it will make it.

insectocean

I really like the layout of the tank, so many species plants yet you still have room for that empty space next to the driftwood. I think that empty space really brings a lot to the overall scape.

The more tanks i see with sand bottom the more I can't wait to set up another tank so i can put one in.

dougrm3

Hi Donny,
Wanted to let you know how much I have been enjoying your journal. I have used the Aquatic Planting Media in my 29 gallon. Had better experience with laterite, perlite, and tetra root tabs. Are you using yeast CO2? Your aquarium looks good. Keep posting. I am getting ready to “rejuvenate” an aquarium that has been running for a long time. Doug

kronosdelsol

insectocean - My wife says that I'm not getting a Tiger Lotus plant so I guess that space will be left open. Or until I get some HC. The sand is good but the waste does accumulate on top. That doesn't help nutrient the soil subsrate if you are going EL Natural. It also makes it unbearable to look at, especially 3 days after a water change. You just look forward to the next water change.

dougrm3 - Hi Doug. Thanks for the positive feedback. No yeast co2 or Seachem Excel. I guess my luck has been contributed to the dry fertilizer dosing. I also feed my fish 3 times a day and very liberally. My fish are all fat but they still run to the feeding corner whenever they see me. I can't wait to see your setup.

My guppy population is crazy. I guess it doesn't help if you have 9 pregnant females who drop fry every week, and a enthusiast who wants to save every one. I have always wanted a guppies/endlers only species tank, so the 45 gal will be dedicated to this purpose.

I picked up a 90 gallon (48" x 18" x 24") for only $50. The tank is over ten years old so I resealed it. I also built a stand out of 2x4's. I made the stand following instructions in the DIY on this forum (thanks butacska). I have never built anything like this before. The cost of the stand was only $30 plus my time and frustration. A skeleton cabinet will be next on my list.



I'm going NPT again for this tank. This is a bag of soil I had lying around.


In goes the soil. I was going to mineralize the soil but my plant shipment was on the way and I was out of time. It's also minus 20 degrees celsius in Canada so forget the sun drying option. I didn't bother soaking or screening.



For the substrate, I am topping with playground sand again. Boy this stuff takes forever to clean.

Unrenovated basement with no sink. It only took me 20 trips up and down the stairs with buckets. Yikes! Estimative Index will not be on my list for this tank. I will dose dry fertilizers but only plan to change 30% of the water every 2 months or so.



Those plants that I removed from the 45 gal went into this tank. I did some trimming to remove the staghorn algae that was so hideous to look at.

Flora
Alternanthera lilacina
Alternanthera reineckii var roseafolia
Ammannia gracilis
Cryptocoryne balansae
Cryptocoryne lutea
Cryptocoryne wendtii "tropica"
Eleocharis parvula
Hemianthus micranthemoides
Hygrophila corymbosa "compact"
Hygrophila polysperma "rosanervig"
Juncus repens
Limnophila aromatica
Ludwigia arcuata
Lysimachia nummularia var golden
Pogostemon helferi
Pogostemon stellata
Prosperinaca palustris cuba
Shinnersia rivularis weiss-grun

Lighting - 3 x T12 40 Watts (1 x Sylvania Grow Lux, 1 x Phillips Daylight and 1 x Hagen Sunglo)

Heater - cheap on the back 300 watt. I'm saving up for a submersible unit. The funny thing is that I have been watching this unit that only costs $24 at Big Als. The day I go to pick it up, they increased the price by 50%. Must be so that they can provide a significant discount on Boxing Day.

2009/12/23 - 90 Gallon


These plants spent two days in transit in a big styrofoam box with no heat pack, so most of the leaves are wilted. I don't know how many will survive. I will take close up shots when they look healthier.

This is going to be a schooling tetra / danios tank. Zebra Danios, Rummy Nose Tetra and Galaxy Rasboras are on the top of my list. Until next week.

Merry Christmas everyone!

bratyboy2

how is the play sand working for you with plants growing?

kronosdelsol

bratyboy2 - The play sand is really nice. It's so easy to clean up as all debris sit on top. However, it provides no benefits to the plants whatsoever. I guess I like raking it.

45 Gallon Update

We'll I didn't get a Tiger Lotus for Christmas but I got a Nymphaea stellata instead. There were four plants growing on the bulb. I decided to rip them off the bulb and have a new plant grow from it. Surprisingly, the four plants are still thriving and are putting out new leaves. I know its just a matter of time before they die out.

2010/01/03 - 45 Gallon (Before)


I got sick of this look and decided to rescape. The Anubis tree kept falling over so I thought that it would best to lay it down. I got rid of 99% of the hornwort so that I can look into a nice bright tank again. There was literally a bucket full that got thrown away. All the tetras/danios were moved to the 90 gallon. I also have way too many fry that will over populate this tank when they grow up in several months from now.

Plant removal


Out with the stem plants.


Always wanted to have one of these shots. Glassware has better uses than just food.


My attempt to add some depth.


2010/01/03 - 45 Gallon (After)


My Aquarium Systems Visi-Therm 250 Watt Heater died on me. I had it for 4 years. When I raised the temperature to 26C/80F, it lasted two days then cracked and is now full of water. Pretty good unit considering I only paid $20 for it. I guess you get what you pay for. I replaced it with a Aquarium Systems Visi-Therm Stealth Heater-250 Watt unit ($40). Let's see how this one goes.

I received another shipment of plants for the 90 gallon but they also came in DOA. I tried to save as stems as possible so they are slowly recovering. No picks of the 90 gallon yet until I can get the third shipment.

I'm also going to keep the Aquaclear Mini to help circulate the heat better. Now that there are no floating plants to sink around.

Can anyone identify this plant for me? There is a light red on the underside.

kronosdelsol

45 Gallon Update

2010/01/18 - 45 Gallon


Hemianthus callitrichoides - lets see how long it takes to fill up the foreground.


Pogostemon stellata (eusteralis) - look how the new leaves are growing in compared to the emersed form.


90 Gallon Update

I got my third shipment in and now i'm just worried about growing these plants to see how they do. I have a major algae out break and some really bad staghorn. My SAE are eating them but I only have three and they can't keep up. I tried splitting the photoperiod with a blackout period in between. I am no longer dosing phosphate. I'm hoping the staghorn will die off soon.

2010/01/18 - 90 Gallon


I'm hoping to fill the foreground with Eleocharis parvula. I also had put a bunch of Pogostemon helferi in the mid-ground but the fish ate it right away. Strange?


This staghorn algae seems to be on every plant. Would adding a filter help?


I added in a DIY CO2 bottle to both tanks (starting this week). I'm hoping to get the foreground going.