First Planted Tank hand holding required...!

[nodding_dino]

thanks everyone!

There is a good sized sword which is hidden from view by the grass and lily...I have decided to pull this, and move the hygro back a little...this should give me some more room for midground plants...I may also pull the sword on the right, and plant some of the Heteranthera zosterifolia in it's place...I will probably use the baby tears as the midground.

I guess I am finally getting to the point where 3 or 4 species make the bulk of the planting....talk about a work in progress


(when do I finish? )

 

[nodding_dino]

Just a quick update...

after noticing the hair algae, and prompted by Zigs advice, I took the opportunity of this weeks prune and water change to have a bit of a play around with things...

When I very first started the tank (prior to this thread by a month or so) I added several swords...and, as I mentioned a few days ago, I had decided it was just about time that these came out. Well to be honest I didn't realise how many were in the tank, and ended up pulling 5!!! This extra space meant that I could move the Hygra back a little...the lily moved back a few inches too, opening up the front of the tank a lot more. This newly found space will be (eventually) populated by baby tears which I will use as my mid ground plant. I think this will run nicely into the clover/glosso. The large swords that were on the right hand side of the tank have been replaced by some Hygra cuttings and some Heteranthera zosterifolia (star grass). I am hoping that the speed of growth of these (when compared to the swords) will deter the hair algae.

In compliment to my stem plant arsenal, I have upped my EI dosing levels...10ppm NO3 has become 15ppm and 1ppm NO4 has become 1.5ppm CO2 has also been increased (MUCH easier to do with a pressurised system!!!) to 35-40ppm.

I also found some Japonica shrimp in the LFS yesterday and came home with 3 (all they had) of them...I'm not sure they'll touch the hair algae, but should help keep things a little bit tidier nontheless!

 

[houndour]

sounds good ND. You got pictures?

I absolutely love the pressurized CO2. Don't you? I'm thinking of running 24/7 now rather than turning off at night. I tested my pH from running 24 hours and the pH was the same (or about as the same as it can be with these tests) morning and night. Where as I checked pH this morning after switching off last night and its gone from 6.6 (CO2 on) to 7.1

My shrimp have been acting wierd though...normally they are all out and about and swimming around and sifting through sand etc, but since Friday night they've all been clung to my outlet pipe. Really odd. Thing is the female has finally released her eggs (unfertilised or fertilised I dont know) but cos of that I dont know if it the higher dose of CO2 or the egg thing thats making them act wierd.

 

[nodding_dino]

sounds good ND. You got pictures?

Not yet...may try and get some tonight...it's amazing how the whole tank seems to have 'thinned out' with the removal of the swords...that said, I don't suppose it will take too long for the hygra and grass to really get going in the extra room!

and yes, the pressurised system is great! I don't have a solenoid, so it runs 24 hrs, but to be honest I'm not seeing too much of a pH swing anyway...!

 

[George Farmer]

I don't have a solenoid, so it runs 24 hrs, but to be honest I'm not seeing too much of a pH swing anyway...!

[snapback]902776[/snapback]​

 

[nodding_dino]

just a quick post to let you all know how I'm getting on battling the hair algae...after last weeks major prune and move around, I upped all of the levels:

CO2 40ppm
NO3 15+ppm
PO4 1.5+ppm

I am pleased to report that everything BUT the algae seems to be growing

I have stopped feeding as much as I had noticed that my faithful few platies were nibbling on the hair algae...I'm hoping that if they get really hungry, they'll finish off whats left for me!

All the plants continue to do well, and the extra space generated by removing the swords seems to have had a positive (?) affect on the lily which has sent leaves all the way to the surface for the first time... unfortunately I haven't been able to take an pics yet, but will try and get some by the weekend!

 

[nodding_dino]

Well, especially for you houndour...some pictures! The tank is look a bit like a jungle as I am letting it go a bit crazy while I try to put an end to the hair algae.

First off is a full tank shot - after struggling for so long to get lose some height on the right and gain some on the left, the tables have turned! The removal of the swords on the far right gave me space to move some star grass and hygra cuttings across. They are just beginning to take hold and I don't think it will be too long before they really get going. I'm amazed at how prolific the star grass is...the large clump on the left will be trimmed right back this weekend, so all being well will lose a little height. I'm also really please how the glosso and clover are coming along (left and centre respectively)...I can't wait to get a really dense carpet!



This is a closer shot of the left hand side...

 

[nodding_dino]

and here is one of the right...not a great picture of it, but the dwarf sag (after a slow start) is becoming nice and dense...a realy nice colour and great shape. The ottos love to sit on the leaves...(I'll get a picture yet!) I will eventually split the baby tears and use this more across the middle of the tank...



This one shows the great contrast in colour between the lily leaves and the hygra...

 

[pseud]

Looks superb Houndour.

 

[nodding_dino]

and finally....a cool one of a lily leaf at the surface...it's collecting all the little bubbles from todays pearling!



Hope you like them!

 

[Walt]

Right On ND!!
Looking Great!!

 

[zig]

That last shot is a really excellent shot ND really good.

The hair algae will disappear if you keep doing what your doing, correct ferts and co2 and all will be well.

Very nice update.

 

[nodding_dino]

thanks for the compliments everyone!

 

[George Farmer]

I seemed to have this update ND - sorry.

Absolutely stunning pics mate. The lily in particular is great, looks very professional.

I'm getting bored of my sag, I may be calling in that Glosso favour soon .

Keep up the good work.

 

[houndour]

thanks for the pics ND. Your tank is looking 10 times better than the last time you posted. The glosso has grown really well.

Love the picture of the lily.

Your hermiathius (sp) is really good too. Mine looks nothing like that. I just dont know what I'm doing wrong. (Yes, Zig...NO3 ) *sigh*

ND, whats your dosing regime with phosphates? Are you overstocked with fish?