Knock Me Down With A Feather...

[nry]

Okie dokie, my tank is a kind of mid-tech one. 14gallon/54litres with a single T6 Realux 11,000k 18" 15w tube, hood lined with foil tape. JBL AquaBasis Plus beneath the gravel, CO2 added through a not too amazing Tetra Optimat system, Seachem Flourish Excel 1ml added daily along with 1ml of Tetra Plantamin.

The tank has been set up for almost 6 months now, plants are doing pretty well, though the hornwort was pretty much added to help reduce algae build up. I have a fair collection of plants:

Echinodorus Martii
Red tiger lotus
Vallis
Echinodorus tenellus
Pygmy chain sword
Cabomba
Rotala Macranda
Monosolenium Tenerus
Anubias barteri

General comments welcome The layout etc was done before I had any clue about aquascaping so it is almost a jungle at present!

 

[chardonnay1000]

wow looks really lush..very nice

 

[nry]

wow looks really lush..very nice

Another Cumbrian member Doesn't say so in my profile but I am well and truely Cumbrian!

 

[Fwapp]

Lovely looking tank! I can imagine you're very pleased with it!

 

[nry]

Now the algae has calmed down, yes, it looks better in the flesh so to speak! Fish are happy which is the main thing

 

[chardonnay1000]

where bouts in cumbria r u?

 

[George Farmer]

Very nice job. Well done!

 

[nry]

where bouts in cumbria r u?

Not always so good ol' Carlisle.

 

[chardonnay1000]

Cool, im out an hours drive in workington..is there any decent fish shop in carlisle, i use the one in penrith at the min, hes really good, there is one in wton but is just so so.

 

[Liam]

Looks excellent, I read that Rotala M was very hard to grow, yours looks like its doing well.
Great job

 

[stang1]

Your tank looks fantastic!

 

[fishstick]

Your tank looks beautiful, plants growing strongly, lots variety and no signs of algae. You are the first to mention T6 Realux 11,000k lighting. I bought 2 of these tubes as the lighting was so gloomy in my Juwel and it made a lot of difference- the algae just adored it, and as I don't have CO2 I have had to go back to the Juwel lights for the moment.

 

[wei0204]

Yes, I must agree that this is a nice planted tank, the plants look great!

 

[nry]

Cool, im out an hours drive in workington..is there any decent fish shop in carlisle, i use the one in penrith at the min, hes really good, there is one in wton but is just so so.

I also go through to Penrith for fish, plants are all from www.tropical-aquarium-plants.co.uk

The Realux light was the third tube I tried, I also went for an Interpet Daylight Plus before I managed to get hold of the Realux unit. I think the combination of 7.5 hours lighting, Flourish Excel and shrimps has helped reduce algae significantly.

The Rotala isn't as red as it was when it was delivered, the top bits of the plant go really pink/red, but the lower stems go more greeny-red. Doesn't do too bad, when I trim it down and replant, it takes a while to grow again and once it starts it is away.

 

[Themuleous]

Lovely looking tank my only comment would be the plactic wood thing, perhpas remove it and push the lily into the resulting space?

Sam