Simon's Planted Tank Journal

[simonbrown403]

The plant touching the water surface, in the left quater of the tank (2nd pic), looks ace, its like a tornado!
How many shrimp did you get? What fish are in with them, might be obvious or not if they fish have eaten them. Amano shrimp are great at hiding!

I got 10 originally, lost six the first day, saw one the day after that (pic in previous post), now there are all AWOL.
The shrimp where to big to fit into any of the fishes mouths, and all i have are albino red fin sharks, plats and rummynose tetras.
So i shouldn't of thought the fish have ate them.

from what I've read in other post its quite common to lose a few when introducing them, but it was almost heart breaking to find six dead with in hours.

I'm not a hundred percent sure but, i have a funny feeling the guy i bought them off, form eBay imports them, as they was quite a big delay from me buying them to his emailing me to tell me he had sent them, and finally receiving them.

I think it might be wise to buy some strong home grown shrimp next time even if it means paying a bit more.

You live and learn.

I'm not sure on the dynamics of shrimp breeding, will the remaining shrimp change sex to breed?

Simon.

 

[Luke_e]

Shrimp arent the strongest aquatic creatures when in transit so they can often die during transit and in the first hours/day of getting them. If he imported them, then sent them straight onto you its not suprising they died as its a double amount of stress.. but that is his fault.

Not sure if shrimp change sex to breed, but i think i've read they require brackish water for the eggs to hatch so not too sure..

 

[lljdma06]

Simon, I'm glad your're starting to be happy with your tank! The additions are looking great and are helping to balance out the original fern. I have no clue what the unknown is, thought at first it might have been a wierd lotus, but there are some Echinodorus that look similar to what you have, but not quite the same. Hope you find out. It's really starting to define the look of the left side and perhaps with HC, glosso, or riccia, it might become a focal point. My eye already rests on it.

Funny about fish, you think they're harmless and then they turn demonic on you. A blind sparkling gourami made short work of my cherry shrimp and he was smaller than they were!

 

[Themuleous]

Tanks looking great Simon, the new additions sound like a bit of a bargin too

BTW can I recommend you send the pic of the Eusteralis stellata into the PFK photo comp, that is a truely stunning photo, really cleaver and interesting to look at. Please submit it if only for my sake! As I wish I had photos like that! But before you do crop the last 1cm or so off, so the small green triangle in the bottom right corner isn't there and there is just black along the base, will just finish it off and stop anything from distracting the viewer from the main plant

 

[simonbrown403]

Tanks looking great Simon, the new additions sound like a bit of a bargin too

BTW can I recommend you send the pic of the Eusteralis stellata into the PFK photo comp, that is a truely stunning photo, really cleaver and interesting to look at. Please submit it if only for my sake! As I wish I had photos like that! But before you do crop the last 1cm or so off, so the small green triangle in the bottom right corner isn't there and there is just black along the base, will just finish it off and stop anything from distracting the viewer from the main plant

Thanks lljdma06 and sam.

I might just put that pic into the PFK photo comp, do you have a link, i cant seam to find it on the PFK we page.

 

[Themuleous]

Cant see one mate, and the acrticle in the mag doesn't mention anything about submiting them by email, so you may have to buy a copy of the mag and fill out the form in that, its probably a sly way of getting people to buy the mag!

 

[simonbrown403]

Cant see one mate, and the acrticle in the mag doesn't mention anything about submiting them by email, so you may have to buy a copy of the mag and fill out the form in that, its probably a sly way of getting people to buy the mag!

I've just bought it today so il have a look thanks sam

 

[simonbrown403]

Just bought some Hemianthus micranthemoides and callitrichoedes to replace all that horrible grass, I've also go a anubias nana var nana, which after attaching to the bogwood on the right that sticks out of the water.

With any luck i should get them towards the end of next week, so i should have a few new pics to show you all.

Simon.

 

[simonbrown403]

My plants order from Greenline came today, and i have to say I'm pretty disappointed , it's not what i expected from a specialized mail order aquatic plant company.

I got two pots of HC which are more like thimbles than the normal size pots you would get your plants in, not to mention its falling to bits and brown in places.
The anbuia looks like a ruddy pancake, I've seen better specimens at lfs for less.

The only good thing i can say about them so far is, its was fast delivery, but that's not a lot of consolation

here take a look i put a pound coin next to them to give you an idea of the size.

 

[wesleydnunder]

Simon, the plant with the floating leaves looks like an aponogeton, maybe a. natans? Beautiful tank.

Mark

 

[simonbrown403]

Thinking about it your probably right, it dose have a bulbous root commen of aponogeton.

Thanks wesley

I think I'm going to have to let the Hc sit for a while, let it settle and grow, its going to take a while to replace the grass depending on how well it dose in my tank.

 

[lljdma06]

I think I'm going to have to let the Hc sit for a while, let it settle and grow, its going to take a while to replace the grass depending on how well it dose in my tank.

I would be crabby too if I received those plants. The anubia's ok, but I'm concerned not to see any roots coming from the rhizome, unless they're hiding underneath in the picture. The HC has brown leaves and a bit sad, but hopefully with your TLC, eveybody will pull though. Sorry this delays things for you. As a notoriously impatient person, that would drive me bonkers! You should let them know and send a picture when you order again. Maybe they'll give you a discount for next time. It never hurts to try.

llj

 

[simonbrown403]

I don't think there will be a next time lljdma06,i've thrown better quality plant than that in the bin after there covered in algae.

There is a little bit if root on the anbulia, so there's hope there.

I'm exspecting the other half of my order from birstall 2 HM so that might cheer me up if they hold up to there reputation.

 

[Themuleous]

Hi Simon,

Sorry to hear about the HC, thats really crap, Ive just got some plants from greenline and I have to say they are excellent quality. Re the HC I might have a few bits going spare if you want some? I have promised Chris some but I could probably find some in there for you to have, it could use a thin away, my HC carpet is getting very thick!

Just send me a PM

Sam

 

[simonbrown403]

Thanks Sam just Pm you.

Just finished messing around with my tanks, you know how it is once you start, it just gets out of hand

My co2 bits came from the USA today, i got a co2 splitter, a handy little gadget, which allows me to use one bottle to supply two tanks with co2.

The shop i bought them off, ran out of the particular one i ordered, so he asked me if i would accept this one which delayed it for a bit, so he sent me two JBL type bubble counters for nothing,

You can't grumble at that.

Here's a pic of it setup and working, a nifty bit of kit really, just the ticket.
Since fitting it the plants in my top tank are pearling like mad, so I'm going to have to sort a EI schedule.