100gal First Attempt At Planted Tank.

[hellohefalump]

I originally posted this in the photos forum, but I will post it here aswell, as it seems to be turning into a plant discussion. I will update as things progress.

I have kept plants before, but really easy ones that don't need any attention - anubias, java fern, and vallis. About a month ago I converted my Juwel rio 400 (100 gal) tank into a properly planted tank. As it's new, please excuse the algae.

I have two filters - the standard Juwel internal, and an external Tetratec 1500. The filters were already mature, having been running for approx 3 years now.

Standard Juwel heater - although it's switched off most of the time because the lights heat the tank.

I have upgraded my lights from the standard Juwel T8 lights to the new T5 Juwel system. I then found it wasn't enough - HM growing very stringy, HC growing vertically, and growth rate of stems was very slow. So I added two extra 54watt T5s and things are now coming along nicely.

I am dosing PPS (Perpetual Preservation System) method, which is when you dose low amounts of ferts, but every day. So the plants get what they need in a day and excess nutrients don't build up (so you don't HAVE to do water changes once a week like with EI).

I have pressurised CO2 running off two systems, one at each end. It's 30ppm

Plants are from www.thegreenmachine.com <---recommended!

Substrate is just normal sand. I want ADA Aquasoil, but it's VERY pricey. And I'm moving house in a years time and I hear it doesn't like being moved (can turn to mud) so I'll upgrade the substrate in a year. For the moment I'm using root tabs for the more 'rooty' plants.

Plant list:
vallis
Neasea Crassicaulis
Hygophila corymbosa (red)
Crinium calamistratum
hygrophila difformis
Aponegeton Madagascarieisis (lace plant)
Anubias (not sure what variety it is)
cryptocoryne wendtii (tropica)
Microsorum pteropus 'Windelov' (I already have this)
Hemianthus micranthemeides
Hemianthus callitrichoides (cuba)
Eleocharis parvula (hairgrass)
java fern


Fish list:
2 bala sharks
1 very friendly parrot cichlid
khuli loaches
3 glowlight tetras
10ish red line rasboras
3?- bristlenose plecs, all female
2 bulldog plecs
1 whiptail cat
3 striped raphaels
some juli cories
1 albino cory
5? black widow tetras
3? gold tetras
5 angels
some otos
2 flying fox
2 SAEs
probably more but I can't remember them

Here it is:

full tank shot

left side

right side

HC and lace plant

windelov

2 of the angels

striped raphael

pumpkin the parrot cichlid

 

[hellohefalump]

It's now been set up approximately six weeks.

My hairgrass is doing very well - as you'll see in the HC pic, there are strands of it appearing from under the sand all over the place.

I have trimmed the nessea crassicaulis this week (red plant at the back) because it reached the top. That's why it doesn't look like its grown much.

I swapped the places of the windelov java fern and the big piece of wood - and I have put xmas moss on the wood.

Here are pics:

full tank shot

right side

left side

crinium callismistratum - eventually I want this to get massive, and branch out everywhere. That's why it's at the back.

HM

HC - this isn't growing as fast as I'd want it to. But it's still alive, and healthy looking and has grown A BIT.

 

[aaronnorth]

hope you dont mind if i say it looks a bit messy to me, if you can tidy it up, then it will look fab. maybe it is just because the plants havent had time to grow in properly yet though.

keep it updated

 

[hellohefalump]

Yes I agree with you. Especially the right side. Although, the right side is really my 'fast growing stems' bit that I'm letting grow so prevent algae. Once it's massive, and the HC, hairgrass, lace plant etc are bigger, I'm going to have more of a think about that side.

I want to put my nessea crassicaulis in one big bunch, rather than two, with C.Callimistratum in the middle. But the crinium doesn't like to be moved, and it's only just coming back from when it was starting to rot... so I'm leaving it be, to get settled. Once it's settled I'm going to move it.

 

[hellohefalump]

Here are more pics. Since doing these pics, I've done a slight rescape but i've yet to take pics. I've also started dosing an extra 5mls of macro solution.

whole tank shot. Last Friday.

An angel

 

[hellohefalump]

New update. These photos were taken today (30th Nov 08). Since I last updated I went on holiday and while I was away my CO2 went haywire and overdosed the tank, killing Pumpkin and one of my balas. My other bala has now gone into retreat and spends all day hiding in the corner down by the java fern. He's gradually coming out more often. I can't see anything physically wrong with him apart from some scratches that I pressume he's done himself.

I've added a piece of redmoor rootwood (right side) and I think it looks much better.

I've moved some of the plants around too.

In December I'm starting up a nano and all the HC from this tank will go in there and I will have all hairgrass in the foreground in this tank. the HC is failing to grow very much and I think it might be to do with the depth of the tank.

full tank shot

right side

left side

 

[aaronnorth]

Tank is looking great, You have made it more tidy, yet it still looks natural, and the new redmoor is positioned well, especially the root that sticks out