Lowee's 45gal Journal

Well, its been a fair while since ive been around here, so i thought i'd give you an update! After spending a lot of time abroad last year, the tank was almost forgotton about. I reduced the lighting and stopped dosing EI. I rarely even found time to do water changes, but surprisingly none of the tanks inhabitants had any problems.

I won't be going away again for a while now, so started to get the tank running again. I stripped all of the plants apart from the hairgrass, rotundifolia and HM and went to the lfs to pick up some new Tropica plants. I bought two pots of Polysperma, a pot of polysperma 'rosanervig' and a pot of hygrophila siamensis. Then planted them along the back of the tank, and some of the old rotundifolia in and around the wood.

I'm pretty happy with how its looking at the moment, and should look a lot better once the new plants have filled out. Im also hoping to buy some more mid-ground plants to place infront of the new ones and infront of the wood. I still need to top the tank up a bit more and clean the glass!

All comments are welcome!

it looks good, but the sharp edge of the bogwood loks so unnatural. Turn it the other way like it was before, I think it would look better.

Yeh i totally agree with you, but i was hoping that when the background plants have grown above and around it, it will not be as noticable. I will see what it looks like tomorrow with the wood the way it was before.

Thanks

Well its looking quite different now! The plants have grown a lot in the past week or so at the tank is starting to look quite healthy! As you can see, the polsperma already needs quite a big trim! I am planning on putting a mid-ground plant to left of the bogwood (looking at tank) in front of the polysperma, any suggestions? I will also be planting diplidis diandra on the far right of the tank.

What does everyone think?

To me it looks very good! I would leave it like it is. I like your lawn, and the swimming space you have for the fish.

Thanks, I will add some more pictures over the weekend when i have given the tank a trim and topped the water up.

Just a mini update:

These plants grow far too fast! Im having to trip them once every couple of days and im only running the tank and half light!

One problem im struggling with is GSA, anyone have any ideas on how to get rid of it? Or should i just let it runs it course and die off on itself?

Lovely looking tanks. My only suggestion would perhaps be to have more mid-ground plants to help grade it from the carpet to the background, tall plants. its very stark at the moment. Unless of course that is the look you are going for crypts are the obvious choice.

Re the H.poly, I trim mine almost weekly. Just cut the tops of any tall shoots and it grows back lower and bushier.

Sam

your tank looks better and better everytime