[plantblr]

Hi all,

This is my 1st posting on this forum with pics of my planted tank.Hope you all like it.Suggestions & advice are welcome.

Set up a month ago..........

Tank specs:
40 gallon full glass
Filter - power head sponge
Substrate - Bottom layer=Generic potting soil,Top layer = river sand
Hardscape - 3 pieces of drift wood arranged together
Light - 2 x 65 watts daylight bulbs for 10 hours
Plants - Lots of vals
4 types of Crypts(dont know the names really)
4 types of Anubias
Java ferns
Cabomba
Hydrilla
2 types of Ludwigas
Hornwort
Sagittaria
I have some moss which I'am planning to tie it to some flat rocks & place them in the empty
space in the front.
Fish - 11 Cardinals , 3 harlequin rasboras,4 flame gouramis , 7 guppies , adding another 9 harlequins
& 6 emperor tetras this weekend.

Enjoy the pics.....

Front full tank - https://flic.kr/p/2732231324 Right - https://flic.kr/p/2732223352 Left - https://flic.kr/p/2731381831
Thanks
Ravi

 

[cs_gardener]

Nice start, I like the wood/fern/anubias combination. I hope the sagittaria doesn't grow to hide it. I like the plant grouping at the right but it currently looks a little squished into the side. I think as it fills in and the center of the mass moves a bit to the left it will feel better balanced.

 

[foofooree]

Yeah, nice start I love how long it is

 

[plantblr]

Thank you Foo & Gardner ,

I also have 2 Giant swords & some tall hairgrass growing in there.I also have some water lettuce floating there.Probably they are not visible due to the poor pic quality .......Will try to get some better pics the next time when I come back with the update on the progress.


Thanks
Ravi

 

[plantblr]

Hi all ,

Here are some updates as of 02nd Sep.
Check for the photos titled "As of 02/09/08".

http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/

Thanks for seeing,
Ravi

 

[cs_gardener]

It's filling in very nicely and the right side looks more balanced now and not squished. Don't let those dwarf sag block the view of what's behind them! They can take over completely and your plantings behind them are too attractive to lose sight of.

 

[plantblr]

Thanks Gardner ,
As you said these sags in front of the wood are taking over the view at the back.I keep trimming them,but they grow back very fast.Also I removed some recently.Any suggestion of replacing these with some other short foreground plants,which should grow no more than 3"?Also I find lot of small garden snails crawling all over my tank & I keep removing them manually.Any solution to put an end to them?

Thanks
Ravi

 

[cs_gardener]

I normally remove the snails manually. I'll put a piece of sinking fish food or blanched zucchini or cucumber in a net or cup and set it on the bottom of the tank in the evening. In an hour or two (or the next morning) I can remove the net/cup and all the snails the bait attracted without them dropping back into the tank. I have loaches in a couple of my tanks and they keep the snail populations down. I wouldn't add loaches if I didn't specifically want them as some are very rambunctious and can bother more sedentary fish.

For foregrounds I think Echinodorus tenellus would work as a shorter substitute for the Sag. Also, check the Plantfinder and select "Foreground" in the "Aquascape Placement" category on the right for a list of possible plants to see if there's anything else you like that will work with your tank parameters.

 

[plantblr]

Thanks Gardner,
But the idea of placing a cucumber piece in the tank doesn't seem to be working .I placed a piece of cucumber in a cup & placed it at the bottom after the lights went off in the evening at 06:00PM.When I went to remove the cucumber the next day morning at 08:30 AM(the lights go on at 08:00AM),I found there was no single snail there.
Now the question is,should the cup be placed in with the cucumber after the lights go off & be removed before the lights go on?

Thanks in advance,
Ravi

 

[cs_gardener]

They snails may be finding too much other food in the tank to be interested in the cucumber because what you did should work. If the cup is deep it might work better to put it on its side so the snails have easier access.

 

[plantblr]

Thanks Gardner,
Do I have any other options of getting rid of the snails?

Thanks
Ravi

 

[cs_gardener]

You could try loaches to eat your snails but they might be too boisterous for your other fish. My kuhli loaches keep the ramshorn population down but do nothing with the MTS. My yoyo loaches are better snail hunters and I have very few surviving snails in their tank. They are very active though and dash around the tank all the time, riding the currents, playing tag, body checking other fish. I'm glad I planned on the tank being an active tank anyway. I haven't tried keeping any other loaches so I don't know if their is another type of loach that would be more appropriate for what you need.

 

[plantblr]

Hi....

As some say,snails are good for the air movement in the soil & they even help in quick decomposition of dead leaves.I think I'll leave the snails there & see what happens.
Here is an pic of the update as on 01 Oct

http://www.flickr.com/photos/2831820...59025/sizes/l/

Thanks
Ravi

 

[dawntwister]

This link gives me message bad link. http://www.flickr.com/photos/2831820...59025/sizes/l/

Are you using ferts or injecting co2?

 

[gravy9]

Hi Ravi,

The Malaysian Trumpet Snails (MTS) are the ones that are good for aerating the substrate. Not sure about what type of snails you have.

regards,
Ravi

 

[plantblr]

Hi Dawntwister,

Here is the link....this works.
https://flic.kr/p/2903859025
No,I dont use any sort of ferts or CO2.This is a Walstad style set up.Just with a layer of plain potting soil at the bottom & topped up with sand.

Ravi

 

[dawntwister]

I have been trying the Walsted method and it has not worked for me. I am on my 3rd group of plants.

Plants are Hornwort, Rotala Indica, Carolina Fanwort, Crypt balance, Wisteria, Hygro Sunset, Tonia,
Bacopa Carolina, and Java Fern.

Lighting was 3-20 watt bulbs over a 29 gallon tank. I have switched to 1-20 watt daylight bulb and 1-65 watt dual 6700k,10000k daylight bulb.

I have found that the problem is the lights don't give off the proper colors for the plants to grow properly thus have to add potassium sulfate, calcium sulfate, and flourish excel.

I would like to know more about your light system? Did you buy it as is, or make it?

 

[plantblr]

Hi Dawn,
I just use the normal CFL White lights.I have a 50G tank & I use 2-80 watt bulbs running them for 10hrs a day.My tank does not get any direct sunlight.I do a 25% water change weekly.Thats it.....,my tank is doing well.
But I found out one thing.Except Cabomba,no other stem plants survived in this tank.

 

[dawntwister]

So you made the light fixture? You are talking about the screw in bulbs?

 

[plantblr]

No.Its a metal top which I ordered when buying the tank.The shopkeeper got it done for me.