[Fosty]

Just wanted to throw out a few pictures of my 38 gallon tank. It's not really scaped yet, just kind of thrown together with various driftwood covered in java fern. Hopefully I can get some suggestions as to how to improve the layout, other than just get the java ferns growing better (which I'm also welcome to any tips with that). The lighting is two 20 watt bulbs and two 30 watt bulbs of NO flourescent (I really need to replace the bulbs soon). Since almost all other plants are quickly devored by my fish (mostly tetras), java ferns are all I keep. My fish even eat anubias, but they won't touch java ferns, some mosses, and some crypts. Anyway, here's the pictures:

 

[Plattykins]

Well, what you have works very well. Nice color contrast with the rock, the Java Ferns and the driftwood. I like it. Nothing wrong with keeping it simple. Sometimes that works best. Funny you mentioned improving the growth for the Java Ferns. I was going to ask how you kept them so healthy looking. Yes, upgrading the lighting is a good plan. I just use typical aquarium fluorescents, but then, I'm no expert in that area, as I try to keep costs down. What ferts do you use?

 

[trenac]

Very nice start... The browns of the substrate, rocks and driftwood give the the tank a very natural look.

Do you plan on adding any other plants other than Java Fern?... I ask because I think the scape wold look good with some background plants and foreground plants. For a background plant I would suggest Rotala Indica, it grows very fast and does well in most any type of light. Also the tops will have a reddish hue which will make a nice contrast with the greens. For a foreground plant you could use Dwarf Sag. which grows fairly fast and is a pretty tough plant.

Just curious what type of Tetras do you have that are eating your plants?

 

[Fosty]

Do you plan on adding any other plants other than Java Fern?... I ask because I think the scape wold look good with some background plants and foreground plants. For a background plant I would suggest Rotala Indica, it grows very fast and does well in most any type of light. Also the tops will have a reddish hue which will make a nice contrast with the greens. For a foreground plant you could use Dwarf Sag. which grows fairly fast and is a pretty tough plant.

I may add other plants such as crypts and mosses which don't get eaten, or I might add some stem plants and get rid of the tetras that eat the plants. They do also eat the dwarf sag, I used to have some and they devored it. The only two stems plants that they haven't eaten are Ludwigia repens and Hygrophila polysperma 'Sunset'.I will try rotala indica because I think I have a bit extra from another tank.

Just curious what type of Tetras do you have that are eating your plants?

The only fish I currently have are about 6 buenos aires tetras and 6 lemon tetras. I'm 99% sure that the buenos aires tetras are the ones eating the plants. I also have 4 Siemese Algae Eaters, a few ottos, a few random small platies, a hatchetfish that somehow survived the many traumas in that tank in the last few years, and one 6 year old white cloud mountian minnow, but I am sure none of those eat any plants. The more I think about it, the more I want to get rid of the buenos aires tetras. I think I'll put an add up for them soon.

Well, what you have works very well. Nice color contrast with the rock, the Java Ferns and the driftwood. I like it. Nothing wrong with keeping it simple. Sometimes that works best. Funny you mentioned improving the growth for the Java Ferns. I was going to ask how you kept them so healthy looking. Yes, upgrading the lighting is a good plan. I just use typical aquarium fluorescents, but then, I'm no expert in that area, as I try to keep costs down. What ferts do you use?

I currently don't use anything for ferts, but I think I'll start trying some out when I get the new bulbs and maybe I'll even try some diy CO2 again. I'll keep you informed as to what I do with this.

Thanks for the comments
Devin

 

[Fosty]

I started to redo this tank last night. I have many more options now because I don't have to work around fish that eat plants. Sadly, I lost all my fish due to an outbreak of diesease started by some contaminated fish I bought a week ago. I didn't notice it in the LFS, but as soon as I got home I realized a lemon tetra I had just bought had some white fungus around its mouth. I treated with some meds., but they didn't help. Within a day or two the diesease spread to almost every fish in the tank. Moral of the story, get a quarantine tank.

Anyways, the upside to all this is I got to have a fresh start to this tank. I did 100% water changes until the gravel was completely clean and to make sure traces of the diesease were wiped out. Then I added a layer of sand to the bottom and then mixed some Flora-Max gravel in with the Flourite, so now I have a gravel mix with Flourite, Flora-Max, Profile, regular river gravel, sand, and a little peat. Somehow this mixes together nicely and has a very natural looking color and works pretty well. After this I filled the tank full and did more water changes until the water was free of dust from the gravel and sand.

Then I started to work out the hardscape with the same old rocks, and all the driftwood that didn't have any plants on it. This is when last nights (dissapointing) NBA Finals game ended and I went to sleep. Today I will take pictures of the hardscape and when thats looking good enough for me, I will start adding plants. So far I have just three kinds of java ferns and an amazon sword plant that I'm planning on using. I need to get other plants and I'll have to see what grows in the medium light (2.5 wpg).

38 Gallon Hardscape

I added plants today, but I am waiting until the water clears (maybe later tonight) to take more pictures. The one thing I was unable to add, was my best piece of driftwood with tons of java ferns on it. I don't really have room for it in this aquascape so far, and this is my only tank big enough for it, so I think I'm going to have to sell it on aquabid. Here is the pictures of the piece:

I do need suggestions for foreground (and other) plants. For foreground I was thinking of using either dwarf hairgrass, dwarf sag, or echinodorus tenellus. Whichever one is less work and grows fastest in my tanks conditions. I will post pictures of the progress of the work tonight.

And here are the pictures with the plants in the tank (sorry about the cloudy water):

This layout will most likely be changing as soon as I get a better idea on the setup. I am going on a kayakng trip in Maryland (freshwater) and hope to find some good rocks and driftwood, maybe even plants and fish. So I will probably change the layout soon, and I'm always really happy to hear any suggestions on how to improve the aquascape.

 

[mlfishman]

nice start

Nice a Nice start. I like the size of a 38 gallon (thats the 36" long one correct?) IT has nice height. I like a tank that has some height to it, I plan on getting a 38 for my living room. Id love to go bigger but I am afraid it may damage the hard wood floor in my apartment. Anyways what you have so far looks really good. I would add some stem plants to the backround to add some depth to the layout. I also think some anubias or c.parvas along the right side next to the rock and in front of hte javas on the left would look good. Something with some reds or purple hues in the backround might help add interest. Red temples are easy red plants to grow (reineckii rosefolia I think the real name is) and form nice red and purple hues and should grow in your tank. BTW: do you have co2?

 

[Fosty]

I like the size of a 38 gallon (thats the 36" long one correct?) IT has nice height. I like a tank that has some height to it, I plan on getting a 38 for my living room. Id love to go bigger but I am afraid it may damage the hard wood floor in my apartment.

I think its a great height and a great length, but it's only 12 inches front to back. If I were to start over, I would have tried to find something with a little more depth. I'm sure there's a creative way to have a bigger tank with a hard wood floor.

I would add some stem plants to the backround to add some depth to the layout. I also think some anubias or c.parvas along the right side next to the rock and in front of hte javas on the left would look good.

Since the last update, I have added a few plants. I have some background plants starting to fill in. I will try to work some anubias in as I have some extras in a spare tank. The only problem is my (new) foreground is echinodorus tenellus which is a bit taller than the anubias, but I'll try to fit them in somewhere.

Something with some reds or purple hues in the backround might help add interest. Red temples are easy red plants to grow (reineckii rosefolia I think the real name is) and form nice red and purple hues and should grow in your tank.

I actually just got some red temple last week and have it growing out in my 20 gallon. Once it grows more in there I will move at least some of it to this tank. I only got a few stems, so I need to get it growing good in the high light tank and then transfer it once I have some more.

BTW: do you have co2?

I wish...Really though, I don't have the money for co2 right now, but I might just run some diy 2 liter bottles through the filter intake to see if it helps.

Here's an updated photo (it's not very good photography, but oh well):

Please ignore the Pennywort thats floating. As soon as I get some of the P. Crispus out of there, I will plant it.

I hope to hear some more ideas of ways to incorperate some different plants into this layout. It's not really aquascaped yet (in my mind), but its a work in progress (slow progress). The only really plan for this tank is to have a mound layout, other than that I have know clue.

 

[mlfishman]

depth

Yeah I know what you mean. My 37 is the same depth. I'd love another 6" of depth on the tank, but again the weight on the floor of my aprtment is a concern, plus someone gave me hte tank and stand for nothing so for that price Ill make the best of it. I'm not even sure it would damage my floor but Im afraid to try it. I'd love to do something around a 55 with more depth but Im on the 3rd floor and I dont want to damage anything....Im not even sure if it would hurt anything. Some big televisions and wall units have to weight more then 600lbs, so why would a 600 poud tank be any diff. any suggestions??

>I think its a great height and a great length, but it's only 12 inches front to back. If I were to start over, I would have tried to find something with a little more depth. I'm sure there's a creative way to have a bigger tank with a hard wood floor.

As for the co2, I was in the same boat you are but I got a great deal on a regulator and tank, and thats all you really need. It was a great investment....worth the $$.....do a 3 bottle DIY and change a bottle every week...that should work well...

 

[Fosty]

I just got new lights tonight and installed them. I got AHSupply.com's 96 watt bright kit and it is BRIGHT. I got 2 co2 bottles setup today, and I'll start to dose EI tomarrow. It's too late to do a water change tonight and start EI. I also have a new piece of driftwood that I will add. I think I will remove the rocks because they are just too hard to work around and they are too big for a tank with a 12 inch depth. I will post pictures tomarrow hopefully. I am also debating which plant to go with in the foreground. The Chain Sword seems to grow a bit too tall, although it looks great. I was thinking either glosso, dwarf hairgrass, or hemianthus micranthemoides. And yes I mean micranthemoides not this trendy new hemianthus callitrichoides[-( . I already have some glosso and HM, but I may end up buying some dwarf hairgrass to try something new. Any input on the foreground or the tank in general would be helpful.

 

[mlfishman]

glosso

I just ripped upo my glosso lawn last night. I cant take it anymore, it just grows too fast. I have to cut it down ultra short and it looks rough for like a couple days then it grows in looks good for 5 days and is over grown in a week. I have like 2 lbs of glosso in a ziplock in my room. Im so glad to be done with it. Just not feasible for a long term tank. Ive had it for 7 months and just wasnt feeling it anymore. Plant it really sparsely, try to make like a thin thin layer of it and just keep up on it if your gonna do it. But as for planting it densely, youll regret it.