Plan for my Planted Tank

[Angry_Platy]

So, at the end of this week I have 4 weeks off work. One of those I will be holidaying but for a good chunk of the rest (well, maybe a day or 2), I am going to transform my 30gal planted tank. This is what I invisage :

- a rainforest of val with the stems as the tree trunks and the tops as the canopy (selective draping and pruning as required)
- some taller plants consisting of Ambulia and Ceratophyllum demersum
- smaller sword and Crypt plants as the "jungle floor"
- transformation from gravel to sand
- an extra piece of driftwood to create a "fallen tree" look

So my plan is to have the val across the back and sides of the tank.....these will be my primary val plants. As they send out runners, I will selectively remove unwanted plants which grow up and/or relocate them. Dispersed across the middle of the tank I will have randomly placed smaller plants with reds and greens as the colour scheme.

If I can I'd like to find some tank ornaments kind of like totem poles and the like.....for a feature towards the back of the tank.....

I am sure I will add to this and change as I go but for now, that is what I want. I will be getting rid of a LOT of plants like my wisteria, blue stricta, ludwigia etc.etc. But I am not worried as the look I have now is not the look I am after.

I think the BIGGEST part of this exercise will be replacing the gravel with sand but it is something I have wanted to do for a long time. My biggest decision in that regards is choosing the colour of the sand. I would ideally like a darker coloured sand since it will help hide the debris better.

 

[iggy01]

Sounds good!

I'm sure your fish will love it!

I have light coloured sand for the opposite reason you want dark. I like to see any debris, so it can be removed easily.

 

[Sime]

i think it will look stunning, i can sort of picture it, a real opening in a rainforest

i have a plan too for a planted tank but i have to "spend less time talking about plants" apparently

keep us posted!

 

[Megan]

Hi Angry


Happy Hols !!!!!!

Your tank sounds wonderful. How long has it been set up?? I have just started out and am a complete novice as regard to plants. I used to have a small 2' tank that I could not grow anything in. I just kept buying elodea and vall and they just kept dying. (I did have a good fluoro over it!) but still they pegged out.

I love the look of a planted tank and now I have set up my 4' I have plants in it. I also have a wall of Vall at the back of the tank, a planting of (I think they are) Anubias at the left side and a "garden" of Hygrophila (I think), Elodea and 2 sml potted crypts at the back round to the right side. I was after some plants to go on some pieces of wood. Any suggestions? The reason that I have the Elodea in the tank is that it was still alive in the 2' when I moved the fish over so I shoved it in. To my surprise it seems to be growing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am wondering if floating plants are a good idea? I accidentally had them in the 2' and they got into the filter (I had a HOB Aquaclear) so I chucked them. I was planning on getting gouramis (4 or so) for the new tank, and read that they like to hide in the plants? So should I give them another go? Which ones?

I also live in Aust (Mackay, Qld) and am wondering if you know where to get the Java Moss? We have 3 pet shops in town and I have not seen it in any of them. I have seen it on a lot of other peoples posts and am wondering if it is available in OZ.

I mainly have loaches, 2 large clowns (which will eventually be 5), 11 kuhlis, 1 cory (which will be 4 or 5), 11 rasboras. At present I am fighting another cycling. The clowns, cory, half of the kuhlis and half of the rasboras came from the 2'. So they all went in to the new one all at once and it was too much for the new tank to cope with. I have nitrites of .5 at present. The fish seem ok just a little stressed, but I am getting there. Have used a couple of doses of "Prime" and now it has dropped a bit.

Why are you changing to sand. I was planning on sand but could only get really fine gravel (looks a bit like gritty sand)?

Good luck with your redecorating....... Have a great Hol....... Are you going away anywhere or just "fish tanking" ? You will have to post some photos of your tank when it is finished.

Megan

 

[Angry_Platy]

Your tank sounds wonderful. How long has it been set up??

My tank without plants had been setup for 12 months before planting it. I added plants at the start of this year....soo....erm, 6 months planted

So should I give them another go? Which ones?

Floating plants I have never seen or used. Perhaps gf225 may be able to help you out here.

am wondering if you know where to get the Java Moss?

I haven't seen any in any of the LFSs near me. You might like to try ebay or a site I visit a lot Aquaria Australia

Why are you changing to sand.

I guess I want something different. I have 5 tanks all with gravel and wanted to make the 30gal different/stand out a bit more. I get conflicting reports as to how plants grow in sand but I am pretty sure they won't all die just because I have sand in the tank. It also fits in with my new design (which I will be doing at some stage over the next few weeks)

Are you going away anywhere or just "fish tanking"

I am going to Melbourne for a week "shopping" and "eating". The rest of the time I will be being "domestic"...like watching TV, cleaning the house, rearranging the tanks (not just the 30gal), etc.etc. I have 4 weeks off so I am sure I will be ready to go back to work at the end of it (perhaps)......

 

[Ben]

sounds awesome Chooky B)
better post pictures when it's done!
EDIT: HAppy Bday
DD