picture overload - planted 40G

[Adistar]

wow, ur tank is just simply amazing!

 

[jimbooo]

Just awesome

you make it sound so easy but I will have a tank like that one day - watch this space.....

Is that a Sterbai cory I spotted there ? How many do you have ?
I'm thinking of getting some - they look so lovely.

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Hi bloozoo, i've just bought 2 more so have 5 sterbai's now. great to watch them, one is 3x the size of the other 4 so acts like mum/dad, not sure which. the others follow it like ducklings follow a duck. really cute.

 

[jimbooo]

well what can i say, thanks ever so much for the kind words everyone. i really appreciate it. it's funny though i know the tank looks okay but never put it in the league of some on here. i guess when you look at something every day you concentrate on the problems, that bit of algae, the odd scraggly leaf etc... and you convince your self it's not up to scratch. well thanks a million you've all made my day.

 

[zig]

TBH i think it looks better than ever, i much prefer the new Riccia arrangement, it sort of balances the tank a bit better, not saying i didnt like the old arrangement with the Riccia, but when you compare the two it works much better for me anyway, subtle differences but thats the way it should be, and i dont think i would be bored looking at that tank each day, its a fine example of a dutch style tank one of the better ones out there at the moment, it would stand up against some very very good tanks and believe me i look at a lot of them, but i know what you mean about doubting yourself i think we all do that, but i suppose thats what keeps you on your toes as well, trying to get it perfect.

Anyway well done it really does look better than ever IMO, and hopefully EI will iron out some of the minor problems, but its definatly a winner i wouldnt have any doubts about that.

 

[jimbooo]

thanks zig, (smile growing by the second)

i'm really up for EI now as i bought a low range nitrate kit last weekend.

the 40G is down to 2.5 nitrate 24 hours after water change.

so much for the tetra test kit 12.5 apparently, doh!! getting there, just need to buy dry ferts and read your article

 

[George Farmer]

Beautiful flora, fauna and photography Jim. You appear to have set somewhat of a standard with a couple of possible exceptions.

However I am sure you want some constructive critisism otherwise it will appear that you have the "perfect" tank. Are you 100% happy with it? That, after all is our ultimate goal, and something that should always appears to be that little bit nearer- a form of evolution if you like.

Anyway from my own (somewhat limited) artistic perspective I feel the whole layout appears unbalanced. For me there are too many focal points and overwhelming colours. There's too much tension and one's eye doesn't flow across the picture but is forced to dart around due to the competing focal points.

If and when you enter your tank in the AGA then I imagine you will recieve similar comments from the judges. Apologies if this seems to "wee on your bonfire" so to speak. It does appear flawless from a plant health perspective, I am just pointing out what I perceive in the hope of perhaps you acheiving even greater beauty.

Enough waffling, wonderful tank Jim. Much respect is due for one of the best tanks I have seen on this forum.

 

[cometcattle]

Incredible pics and tank, jimbooo!

BTW - What camera do you use?

 

[jimbooo]

Beautiful flora, fauna and photography Jim. You appear to have set somewhat of a standard with a couple of possible exceptions.

However I am sure you want some constructive critisism otherwise it will appear that you have the "perfect" tank. Are you 100% happy with it? That, after all is our ultimate goal, and something that should always appears to be that little bit nearer- a form of evolution if you like.

Anyway from my own (somewhat limited) artistic perspective I feel the whole layout appears unbalanced. For me there are too many focal points and overwhelming colours. There's too much tension and one's eye doesn't flow across the picture but is forced to dart around due to the competing focal points.

If and when you enter your tank in the AGA then I imagine you will recieve similar comments from the judges. Apologies if this seems to "wee on your bonfire" so to speak. It does appear flawless from a plant health perspective, I am just pointing out what I perceive in the hope of perhaps you acheiving even greater beauty.

Enough waffling, wonderful tank Jim. Much respect is due for one of the best tanks I have seen on this forum.

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feel free to wee away gf. it's about time i was going to struggle to get through my door at this rate, head room and all that.

i do agree though theres 2 definate sides to the tank, a bright side and a dark side and they just sort of clash in the middle without the transition. i wasn't quite expecting the lillies to take off as well either. theres a little too much red now but i'll leave them alone i think as the otto's and cories love sitting on them.

the problem i have with planting is the two huge lumps of bogwood on the substrate. both are U shaped or n shaped rather either side of the central cave. this leaves little room for planting options. to be honest i'm trying to buy a house at the moment so the whole lot will need to be ripped apart soon enough anyway. i think i'll save the big change till then. i'm really looking forward to it actually. i'd love to start again with an empty tank and do it all properly from the start.

anyway thanks for the constructive comments and bringing me back to earth.

Cometcattle: thanks. the camera's not that great, only £180

link to camera

 

[zig]

Theres always one jimbooo theres always one

Not sure if i totally agree , i think if you look at the picture in your sig of the tank previously, to me yes it looks very unbalanced, simply because the large clump of Riccia in the left hand side looks like its growing on a brick or something and its to dominating, its was just to large and it needed to be broken up somehow, and thats whats you did with the new arrangement, you broke it up and it immeaditaly works a lot better, so overall the new arrangement is definatly better from my point of view.

One criticism i would have is that the the leaves on the lillies are way to big, the eye is immeaditaly drawn to them and they dominate that side of the tank, but you know this allready, i think if you sorted that out it would make the tank more balanced again, i suppose gf is correct in a way perhaps there is to much going on in the tank, but to me this is the dutch style and i still think its a very good example, but as you say yourself a change is probably needed, personally id leave your tank alone for the moment and when you have the move made and the bucks again go for something totally different, .

On the subject of EI ill have the article finished in a few days and run it past gf, you could allways just read through the thread in the meantime (lazy sod)

Naw but seriously id order KNO3 and the KH2PO4, it wouldnt cost more than £15 delivered especially if you are getting readings as low as you say on the NO3, you might only need the PO4 for topups as your tapwater will provide you with most of the phosphate but you will still need it, and id bring up your nitrate levels now to try and keep a bit of balance with the phosphate, get the NO3 up to at least 10ppm for the moment.

 

[jimbooo]

yeah i'll definatly buy the whole lot and do ei properly (after payday as i'm pennyless at the moment)

on the lilly front how do you suggest i shrink the leaves then . they come up from the gravel at that size rather than grow into monsters. i halved the number before taking those pics as well. they grow faster than the riccia!!

sod it. that'll do for now i think i'll concentrate on ei and play with the layout later on once i've got the small algae problem sorted. hows the riccia coming along anyway. still alive?

 

[Bloo]

hows the riccia coming along anyway. still alive?

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Mine's still alive but after the little hairnet (near) disaster, it's floating on top till it grows a bit more.

By the way, I actually love your lillies the way they are - but then again, that's from a layman's eye

 

[jimbooo]

hows the riccia coming along anyway. still alive?

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Mine's still alive but after the little hairnet (near) disaster, it's floating on top till it grows a bit more.

By the way, I actually love your lillies the way they are - but then again, that's from a layman's eye

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i still feel bad about that bloozoo, although never had the problem with mine. i guess the net needed to be tighter thats all. worth another try i'd say. just be sure to put the riccia right up to the edges of the slate and pull the net as tight as you can before tying underneath.

i dont understand those lillies at all i planted 2 identical bunches one on the left and one on the right. the right side is at least 4x the size of the left now. everything else the same???

 

[zig]

Riccia is coming along fine bit to early to tell, i ripped out a large plant from the front corner section of my tank and have some Riccia Tied onto a couple of rocks just to see what happens (how quickly will they be covered) bit of an experiment really, i want to see how far they will wrap around the rock, i hope they have enough light around the edges, in the meantime im looking for a better rock or rocks of the right shape to go in that corner, the rest is floating at the top of the tank but not growing like crazy either probably just needs a bit of time to settle.

 

[Sime]

Lovely Jimbooo - do you take hundreds of photos like me and only use one or two of the best? or is every one a good-un with you?!

I like both layouts personaly at present. I think the Rekord 60 leads your eye to the bottom of the slates of riccia, just at the point of the "V" shape they form, right in the centre of the tank - maybe instead of that wood behind it just there something like a plant a little different and more textured may look better? Not sure though if you have anything in mind?

Great pics though! Love it!

 

[George Farmer]

Theres always one jimbooo theres always one

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That makes two with you surely zig?!!

EI is the way forward, no doubt about it. Complete long-term algae freedom at last.

Something that may interest you planted guys - I visited New Leaf in Knaresborough today (bought a bubble counter). They have a 7 foot display tank, the full-works, everything Dennerle, pressurized CO2, mercury vapour lighting etc. etc. Cost over £3000 to set up. Get this - IT STILL HAD ALGAE. I didn't bother trying to explain that LOW nitrates and phosphates were more than likely the cause, they're all stuck in the old-school way of thinking regarding ferts (and have been "brain-washed" by the Dennerle marketing).

The UK is really quite well behind the US in terms of accepting that nitrates and phophates are not the enemy we once thought. You only have to see a few of the guy's tanks on this forum (zig, myself etc.) to witness the proof.

Just my two pennies.

PS Jim - Your tank is a great example of a Dutch/Nature hybrid IMO. My critisisms were for your benefit - and the fact that deep down I'm probably jealous and miss my old dutch layout.