Any Recommendations For Background?

[KittyKat]

It was set up on 30 March 2007, so about 3.5 years now. I've moved house with it twice so far, one of the times I was moving country as well, so it has had a few remakes from scratch over the years

I really enjoy Crypts too, just havn't figured out how to stop them growing!

 

[ZoddyZod]

I only occasionally add some root tabs. Lights are 2× 30W on for 10 hours. W/C 10-20% once per week. No CO[sub]2[/sub], and basically no ferts.

wow, incredible looking tank with seemingly very little plant specific 'care'. Wish mine would grow like that.

 

[KittyKat]

If this was my tank, it would be the right hand ones I'd move! If they went to the left a bit then it would help draw the eye to the focal point just off centre left. However, that is only if you were really definite that you wanted to change it a bit. IMO there's not anything else that could 'improve' a fabulous looking tank like that.

That was another option I had considered.. the Hygrophila between and behind the right-hand Crypts was meant to grown and provide a nice backdrop for them, but all it managed so far was all of 1" in three months. Bah!

I only occasionally add some root tabs. Lights are 2× 30W on for 10 hours. W/C 10-20% once per week. No CO[sub]2[/sub], and basically no ferts.

wow, incredible looking tank with seemingly very little plant specific 'care'. Wish mine would grow like that.

Thanks I am happy to share my secrets with you, but be aware that they don't conform with many standard fishkeeping and plant growing guidelines

 

[jpeterson]

Flame moss background??

 

[gearhead65]

I love crypts!!

 

[KittyKat]

So long story short, and three weeks of bad weather, I pulled up all the Crypts and moved some of the Vallis. to the back (at which point all of it promptly started trying to grow tall):




And now, finally, the new plants have arrived from a very charming seller.. in the end, I decided to go for the following:

• Staurogyne repens (half a tub)
• Staurogyne spp. from Rio Cristalino, probably S. repens as there is no other species in this family at the moment, but looking salad green instead of the dark green that Tropica's S. repens has (half a tub)
• Hygrophila pinnatifida (the replacement for the Crypts on the left, hopefully it will go a slightly rusty colour)
• Hygrophila polysperma 'Rosanervig' (in case the H. pinnatifida doesn't take)
• Lilaeopsis brasiliensis (to replace the Vallis.)
• and now add a pinch of Marsilea hirsuta (my friend's, in case it doesn't take very well for her)

..all planted:


(Only to be dug up by morning, thank you pleco.)

Full list of plants can be seen by clicking the photo.

 

[lljdma06]

Looks good. I personally LOVE crypts and don't really know why you rescaped, but aquascaping is a very personal matter and as long as you are happy, it's a great scape. I think both are great. It also shows that a different method can yield good results. This reminds me of my 8g stemplant tank, No ferts, no CO2, higher light levels. Your tank has that vivid, clear water too. Just watch for an ammonia spike with all the recent upheaval, combat that with waterchanges, and you should be fine.

 

[KittyKat]

Looks good. I personally LOVE crypts and don't really know why you rescaped, but aquascaping is a very personal matter and as long as you are happy, it's a great scape. I think both are great. It also shows that a different method can yield good results. This reminds me of my 8g stemplant tank, No ferts, no CO2, higher light levels. Your tank has that vivid, clear water too. Just watch for an ammonia spike with all the recent upheaval, combat that with waterchanges, and you should be fine.

All those photos are just after trimming, before trimming, the Crypt was pretty much the only plant one could see in the tank.. I was starting to get slightly annoyed at having to dig up the whole tank every few months, just to find the rest of the plants! I really like Crypts too, but not as the only plant in the tank!

I start to get a bit bored when the plants do too well.. I am not patient enough to just sit watching it and twiddling my thumbs! I miss my fish room and this is really the only tank I can do any serious work on nowadays.

p.s. Crypts ended up going into one of the breeding tanks!