40B Dutch
By: aquabotanicae
March 11th, 2018
5:48 pm

Hi everyone!
This is my first journal in this forum. In November 2017, I came across a craigslist ad about someone selling their unused 40 gallon breeder tank. This was perfect because I had a beautiful wooden cabinet that perfectly matched the dimensions of that tank. So, I decided to set up a new planted tank.
Hardware used in this set-up:
Eheim Classic filter
T5HO lighting fixture
Aqueon heater
CO2 regulator
Ista Inline CO2 Reactor
CO2 drop checker
I decided to go for a Dutch set up in order to challenge myself to keep up the tidy rows of plants to mimic Dutch streets. I know it requires tedious trimming, which I don't mind.
The first thing I did is that I painted the background into black.
The Substrate
Next, ADA Aquasoil Amazonia arrived in mail. Three 9L bags were a perfect amount!
The Dry-Start
The tissue culture plants arrived a few days later, and I planted them according to the plan, which has changed so many times since then. One of the few parts that remain constant is the curving "street" of Staurogyne repens. The other plants here are Althernanthera reineckii 'Mini', Hemianthus callictroides 'Cuba', Hydrocotyle tripartita, and Lobelia cardinalis. I planted, sprayed them thoroughly, covered with plastic cling wrap, and left them alone for four weeks to allow them to root well and grow.
The most important part was to leave one corner of the tank slightly open for ventilation and to make sure that there is always enough condensation within the tank, which meant it was humid enough for the plants to thrive. The lights were on for 9 hours a day, and the plants seem to like that.
Post Reply
44 comments on "40B Dutch"
March 11, 2018 at 7:27 pm
really pretty
April 16, 2018 at 2:23 pm
really pretty [emoji3]
Thanks. I know you in this forum as a RAOK guy. [emoji4]
April 16, 2018 at 2:33 pm
Week 18

April 16, 2018 at 3:48 pm
Gosh it looks stunning, my 40b dutch dirted has JUST now after months taken a turn for the permanent better. Hope mine turns out as good looking as yours in the long run
If i may ask, whats that large bushy plant left mid center?
April 16, 2018 at 4:48 pm
Gosh it looks stunning, my 40b dutch dirted has JUST now after months taken a turn for the permanent better. Hope mine turns out as good looking as yours in the long run
If i may ask, whats that large bushy plant left mid center?
April 16, 2018 at 5:07 pm
Blyxa japonica. Needs trimming. Let me know if you need a few stems.
April 16, 2018 at 10:33 pm
Wow! That is a spectacular aquascape!
April 16, 2018 at 11:18 pm
Wow! That is a spectacular aquascape!
Thanks hoppy. Still trying to shape the plants into better Dutch “street “ looks. We’ll see where this goes. [emoji4]
April 25, 2018 at 4:40 pm
My lights make Bacopa blush...
April 25, 2018 at 5:19 pm
We need an FTS tho.....