How My Tank Is Doing

[Walt]

Here's some pics of my 50 gallon
tank these days
Im really enjoying it now and so are the creatures within
Im keeping it steady at 35ppm co2, 83 degrees, 15ppm nitrates and 3ppm phosphates.
kh sits at 3.
All seems to be doing great!
As you can see, the lillies can perl up pretty good!

and the swords are very healthy, and shoot up a new leaf every couple days...

Heres the riccia that pseud sent me...this plant must be pretty hard core...
He sent it to me while i was in Jamaica, and it sat in my mail box while it snowed 12 inches, and the temp hovered in the mid 20's..... for 2 days!!!
And its doing great!!! LOL!

The foreground is starting to fill up now...

And JoJo is enjoying it too

Heres it is as i step back.....

Thanks to all who have helped along the journey thus far B)

Walt

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Lovely tank you have there !

 

[Walt]

Thanks! B)

 

[jimbooo]

tank looks great Walt, lillies are amazing when they pearl aren't they.

the riccia will be fine that stuff's as tough as java moss just 10x more attractive

how long has the tank been up and running now?

 

[Walt]

Thanks jimbooo!!
I set/cycled this tank up in mid July, so its still a baby

 

[jimbooo]

Thanks jimbooo!!
I set/cycled this tank up in mid July, so its still a baby

but still enough time for it to go pear shaped and algae infested - well done looks like your past the hard bit, and no visable algae at all. any plans to add more plants?

 

[Walt]

other then the green water thing i had going on before i switched out my lights, its been great!!
My 3 sae's work thier butts off too B)

Im sure ill add in some more plants
Ive been replacing the fast growing ones with nicer plants over time so far... it seems/feels like its in a real nice balance at this moment...
Also, ill either hair net the riccia to some rocks on the back wall or some slate in the very front.

Whats a good trace/general fert to use?
EI has been working wonderfully so far!

 

[jimbooo]

great, one tip though not that you need it. replace the fast growers very gradually. you dont want to shock the system out of balance. but i'm sure you know that already. riccia on stone/slate would be a better idea. it detaches from the hairnet in about 2 months so a wall of it will end up a massive mess. you can do the wall with java moss using the same method, the java moss will anchor to the wall so wont fall apart over time. i've done this in my 40G but have not got any pics i'm afraid. it works really well.

Edit: oh you can just about see it in my sig, you may have to play with your contrast though - far right wall of the tank. 2 big lumps of slate, covered in java moss leaning against the glass, almost vertical.

 

[pseud]

Tanks is looking very healthy Walt. Great job mon!

 

[zig]

Whats a good trace/general fert to use?
EI has been working wonderfully so far!

Tank looks great Walt, id say you will never go back to a tank without plants or EI for that matter, great result

As regards a good trace fertiliser at the moment im using CSM+B from gregwatson.com, its basically like the dry ferts you mix it up yourself......its cheap and effective, other good ones you can buy off the shelf would be Flourish or Tropica Master Grow, if you can find the TMG locally id go for that but Flourish is very good as well.

 

[Walt]

Thanks Zig!

Ya... ill never go back
I used to have a tank setup simular to this about 15 years ago.. a 29 gallon, but back in those days i only upped the lights.... no EI.
It actually worked pretty dern good, and it was one of my favorite tanks i had running, but it only had easy plants. (had 5 running in all.. a salt 15 gallon, 10, 29, 55, and 135 fresh)
It also had the craziest grouping of fish as well... as i try n remember..
a black ghost, spotted puffer, bala, gouramis's, neons, hatchets....
strange grouping, and they all got along wonderfully!!! go figure B)

I was re-reading your EI posting, and picked up some Flourish, so ill be good for abit....
I think ill get that CSM+B from Greg when i run outta the Flourish

 

[Walt]

Here is a new update!
The tank is running Great!! Most of my plants require cutting back prob 30% every week or so
Here are some shots just after cutting it back this week...

Heres a pic of the guard dog making sure no one is fighting..
Is that a CO2 tank, or what?!! heh, i stole my 20 pound tank from my beer taps while i was refilling my 5 pounder

The lilly is growing like a weed!! And Jojo approves

The Bolbitus Heudelotii is starting to fill in nicely.

The Riccia that pseud sent is now enjoying its new location... i kept abit more of it back at the surface to grow more..

Here it is in all its glory B)

Walt

 

[pseud]

Looking good Walt! Definitely a change from how it used to look when you first started!

That Bolbitus Heudelotii is looking particularly healthy. Might have to check that plant out for myself.

 

[simonbrown403]

Its looking nice how long has your takn bee going

 

[Walt]

Hey pseud!!
Thanks man! Its running so awesome i hate to touch a thing..
Actually.... i think i prob wont do much more to it... i could plant the heck outta it.. but idont want an 'overly' planted tank...
It coming close to its final destination...

.....maybe alittle tweeking over here...err... over here.. B)

Hey simonbrown403, its been setup since July

I used to have 5 tanks running(10,15,29,55, and 135 gallons...the 10 was in the bathroom and the 15 was salt... snicker)
Then i had to go on the road... work... and sold all 5 tanks....
That was a decade ago...
In july my neighbor who was moving says.. "hey, want my tank?"
Wellll... too tempting..
Ill prob end up with 5 tanks again.... ROFL!!!
Im already eyeing a 90 or 120 gallon....
but the wife says not until the next house...
Sounds fair to me...that will prob happen next summer B)