29 Gallon Planted Tank Journal

IovaykInD said:

The brown stuff is algae, if you're referring to the green stuff sticking out of the gravel, that's dwarf hairgrass.

I always thought java ferns were tiny plants, growing to around 6" max. I didn't know it would grow that big, except for George's crazy java fern thats on steroids. I'll consider java fern, let me go check it out next time I go to my LFS.

Isaac

Click to expand...

I meant the brown stuff. Your tank would look amazing if you had better substrate like sand!

my Java fern is 12" high.

Many are small but they would grow great in your tank!

That is why I want to cover the substrate, so you can't see the terrible substrate =P

I'll try and get some java fern next time, where do you think I should place it? Behind the rock, I was thinking I'd put cabomba. So the only place to put the java fern would be to the left of it, would this be a good place?

Here's a little update so you can see what I'm working with now:

It's looking a lot brighter now that I've taken out most of the watersprite. I've left the mother plant on the right, I think it looks quite nice. The plants on the left are to cover up the nasty looking heater and the co2 bell. Too bad I can't cover up that blue tubing, I had to put it on the bottom so as the bubbles float up, most of the co2 will already have dissipated into the water.

You can see the Dwarf Hairgrass at the back left, and the pgymy chain sword in the front of the tank. They seem to be doing well, but can't really tell, at least they're not turning yellow

What my plans are as of now:
1) Get cabomba for the back right, behind the java moss rock.
2) Get java fern for the space between the amazon sword and rock, where the java moss is occupying right now(I'll move the java moss to another tank).
3) Get the hairgrass to carpet the back, and the pgymy to carpet the front.

Anything else you guys recommend? I'm still sort of new at aquascaping and could use all the help I can find.
What do you guys think of the triangular setup. I think I'm aiming for that, the right side being the higher side. I'll so be removing the waterpsrite on the left, so it looks more triangular

Isaac

IovaykInD said:

Just a little update.

View attachment 34792

The water sprite has grown tremendously, so much that I had to throw away some live plant That's something I thought I would never do. I've also started transplanting some of the water sprite to the substrate to let it start forming a jungle. Right now, I'm waiting for the water sprite to "evolve" into a submersed form, as you can see which water sprite was formerly floating.

On another note, I got two dwarf gouramis and two angelfish. They are happily nesting(the gouramis, I mean) and have started building some nice bubble nests using the roots of the water sprite. The angelfish have started eating, and its great to see them hide in the plants that I provided

My plan now is to wait for it to get a little warmer, then order some vallisneria to fill the left side of the tank. I'm also waiting for the java moss to grow, so that the left side will be a safe haven for the fry that I have. The water sprite will be slowly transplanted until that entire section of the tank is covered in water sprite. Also, the amazon sword in the back is continuing to grow larger and larger leaves. Can't wait till it grows large enough leaves to be considered a "background" plant.

Isaac

Click to expand...

Wow! Nice job and your tank has filled out real well. Now it is reaching the 'trim me' stage.

I like and recommend the Jungle Vallisneria or as you have called it Vallisneria americana. The olive-green leaves grow long and narrow with saw-toothed tips. Plant in high light in back of your aquarium. (mine has medium to low light), this stuff grows in water from 60-85 degree water temp. My gravel is rather large but has not been a problem for rooting.

I planted some Moneywort, (Bacopa monnieri). This is a long, airy stem multitude of small bright leaves. Medium light, this is a tall grower also. I choose the moneywort an americana because my tank is 18 1/2 h x 14 1/2 w hex tank.
Your water sprite looks to be just what I am looking for. I "need" to rescue these 6 fish from the lfs. (they will need a New Home, a 55g). The water sprite would diffuse the light for them, then my herd of 5 could join them. I need that low light jungle stream for my new planted tank.

Thank you for sharing this planted tank with us. treecat

Wouldnt you rather replace the ornements with a piece of bogwood or more plants?

Luke_e said:

Wouldnt you rather replace the ornements with a piece of bogwood or more plants?

Click to expand...

Yes, but not in that tank. My wife likes her 'ornaments'. My wife has grown fond of her tetras and ghost shrimp.

The upside-down cats of mine live in there which is why I am wanting to over grow with vegetation. The water sprites I saw in your great looking planted tank would help in that.

I know with the 55g tank, that starting from scratch is the way for me to go about planting an environment that would be beneficial for all. Starting with an empty tank, keeping in mind the design for the synodontis nigriventris as the co-occupants with plants. Bog wood and terraced tile or pottery giving the fish lots of undersides but allowing viewing instead of the ornament you see in the hex tank where they hide by day an only come out at night, reading about what you and others here are and have done with there tanks. I should have a shot for my 'under the sea garden' and a home for some cats that like to do the Backstroke.

Looking forward to more of your "29 Gallon Planted Tank Journal" tc

If you look at the last picture I posted of the tank, when the watersprite matures, their leaves become branchlike and don't cover light too much. If you want your upside-down cats to swim on it, I don't think it would work. The leaves are very branchlike if you can see.

If you, or anyone really, needs some watersprite, just PM me. I filled up another 20 gallon tank and it has already covered it.

I would be looking for the watersprite to form a base on top, like moss on the bottom. My idea is for this plant to form the top layer of a jungle like canopy. Your pictures showed that the watersprite had the ability to Choke off the top or surface of the tank.

The cats would swim under the watersprite, play on the bottoms amongst the rocks and bogwood. Just watching your 29 Gallon Planted Tank Journal gave me such hope an ideas about a new project.
tc down under the X in TEXAS

Haha..glad I could inspire/influence at least one person on this forum.

I added some vallis, but it doesn't look like it will survive, we'll see though.

Isaac

Your last picture isn't there, any luck on getting another picture. I think as soon as I'll get some money I'll send you another vall and ship it in a box this time so it won't get smashed, that is if you keep updating your pics.

Austin

How do you go about mixing your CO2 mixture and I just bought a crypt that will grow all the way to the surface and I have exactly the same tank dimensions, maybe I can get and send you some for free soon if mine grows well, a lfs had some in there planted tank and it looked really nice. I didn't know hairgrass could grow under such low light cercumstances.

On the note of the dwarf hairgrass, you don't need much light to grow it. I have some in the planted tank, but some unused ones just go in a 3 gallon tank and get sunlight. This is how much they've grown from absolutely nothing.

All the leaves are about 1" and they were not there about three weeks ago. They've grown and new leaves keep popping up every couple of days.

My co2 mixture is done with a 1.5 liter soda bottle, half teaspoon of yeast, and a little less than 2 cups of sugar. It lasts me three weeks, now I just have to find a good way of diffusing it My bell method does not seem to be working very efficiently. It lets out a huge bubble about every ten minutes.

The vallis seems to be coming back from the dead, but I'm not sure yet. I'm seeing a new leaf come out, or at least I think it's a new leaf, but it might just have been there before and I didn't notice it. We'll see.

Isaac

Looks like they're growing out of the water?

Well that's cause the water is really shallow. If it wasn't it would still grow, maybe I should add more water to it so it stays in its submersed form, so I can put more into my tank at any time.

Oh, you got any full shots so we can see how it looks?