29 Gallon Upgrade

[Byron]

Not all plant species will survive or thrive with all other plant species. There are several factors in this, from allopathy to light to nutrients to fish...my approach has been to stay with plants that do well in my tank, and forget those I try that don't.

 

[sharkweek178]

Not all plant species will survive or thrive with all other plant species. There are several factors in this, from allopathy to light to nutrients to fish...my approach has been to stay with plants that do well in my tank, and forget those I try that don't.

I'm hoping that the floating plants will be able to accomplish the silent cycle without the wisteria.

 

[Byron]

I'm hoping that the floating plants will be able to accomplish the silent cycle without the wisteria.

This I can guarantee. Once you have evidence that floaters are growing (which you seem to) there is almost no limit to the ammonia they will assimilate. "Ammonia sinks" is an accurate term inded.

 

[sharkweek178]

I picked up a bunch of vallisneria from a local shop for a good bargain. After I disinfected it, I took out most of the water wisteria and the moneywort. The moneywort isn't in bad shape so I put that in my ten gallon. I might end up returning that to the 29 gallon. I planted the new vallisneria and moved the crypt over to make room for a sword. I hope the crypt doesn't get too mad about it. I'm getting close to the final form for plants. After I add a sword and a few more anubias, I think I'll have it.

 

[sharkweek178]

Here is how it looks now.

 

[sharkweek178]

OK I have pretty much all the plants now. (I might add some more java moss but that's so slow growing that I'm not going to count it)

The plants are...

Jungle Val (Vallisneria americana)
Water Spangles (Salvinia Minima)
Bacopa Monnieri
Java Fern (Microsum pteropus)
Anubias Nana Petite (Anubias barteri var. nana)
Anubias Frazeri
Water Wisteria (Hygrophila difformis)
Cryptocoryne Usteriana
Amazon Sword (Echinodorus Red Diamond)
Amazon Frogbit (Limnobium laevigatum)
Water Sprite (Ceratopteris thalictroides)
Anacharis (Elodea densa)
Java moss (Taxiphyllum barbieri)
...along with the ramshorn snails that got in there.


I'll post this pic for posterity. I'll keep doing the weekly water changes and adding the fertilizers. In a month we'll see what the growth looks like.

 

[connorlindeman]

OK I have pretty much all the plants now. (I might add some more java moss but that's so slow growing that I'm not going to count it)

The plants are...

Jungle Val (Vallisneria americana)
Water Spangles (Salvinia Minima)
Bacopa Monnieri
Java Fern (Microsum pteropus)
Anubias Nana Petite (Anubias barteri var. nana)
Anubias Frazeri
Water Wisteria (Hygrophila difformis)
Cryptocoryne Usteriana
Amazon Sword (Echinodorus Red Diamond)
Amazon Frogbit (Limnobium laevigatum)
Water Sprite (Ceratopteris thalictroides)
Anacharis (Elodea densa)
Java moss (Taxiphyllum barbieri)
...along with the ramshorn snails that got in there.


I'll post this pic for posterity. I'll keep doing the weekly water changes and adding the fertilizers. In a month we'll see what the growth looks like.

View attachment 307979

I like what you've got going there.

 

[sharkweek178]

I received some of those anubias petite nana on the day of the big cold snap. They were supposed to be shipped in insulated packaging and with a heat pack. I got the package and it was literally 0 degrees out. I open it and not only was there no heat pack, one end of the insulated packaging was open. The plants were cold to the touch. I figured I'd try them anyways. Over the next week, they disintegrated. The snails got a feast though. I contacted the merchant and he was cool about it. He'll make it up to me and send new plants. Said he would personally package them himself.
Also a couple of the crypt leaves melted. I didn't have an initial melt when I planted it at the beginning of the month. But I did move it over a few inches a couple of weeks ago. Something to keep an eye on.

 

[Slaphppy7]

I received some of those anubias petite nana on the day of the big cold snap. They were supposed to be shipped in insulated packaging and with a heat pack. I got the package and it was literally 0 degrees out. I open it and not only was there no heat pack, one end of the insulated packaging was open. The plants were cold to the touch. I figured I'd try them anyways. Over the next week, they disintegrated. The snails got a feast though. I contacted the merchant and he was cool about it. He'll make it up to me and send new plants. Said he would personally package them himself.
Also a couple of the crypt leaves melted. I didn't have an initial melt when I planted it at the beginning of the month. But I did move it over a few inches a couple of weeks ago. Something to keep an eye on.

Always nice when vendors are "cool" with cold plants....

Melting crypts are perfectly normal when first planted or moved, just trim the dying leaves, and leave the rest of the plant alone

 

[sharkweek178]

Always nice when vendors are "cool" with cold plants....

I didn't get too upset with them because I am ordering live plants in December. But I explained the issue with the packaging. So I have some more on the way, properly packaged and the weather won't be as bad.

Melting crypts are perfectly normal when first planted or moved, just trim the dying leaves, and leave the rest of the plant alone

That's what I did. I read that conserves energy for the plant so that it can just focus on regrowing the new leaves.

 

[Slaphppy7]

I read that conserves energy for the plant so that it can just focus on regrowing the new leaves.

That is correct.

 

[sharkweek178]

I replaced the anubias that died and added some java moss. Now, I'm done adding plants.

A couple of leaves on the crypt melted so I had to clip them. Otherwise, I'm showing growth. The vallisneria is sending out runners. Plantlets are growing on the java ferns. I throw away handfuls of salvinia minima every week. And the sword is growing new leaves. And I ended up with some bladder snails along the way.
I want to make sure the new anubias survives. I think I'll be ready to add fish in a couple of weeks.

 

[Slaphppy7]

I replaced the anubias that died and added some java moss. Now, I'm done adding plants.

View attachment 309188


A couple of leaves on the crypt melted so I had to clip them. Otherwise, I'm showing growth. The vallisneria is sending out runners. Plantlets are growing on the java ferns. I throw away handfuls of salvinia minima every week. And the sword is growing new leaves. And I ended up with some bladder snails along the way.
I want to make sure the new anubias survives. I think I'll be ready to add fish in a couple of weeks.

Very nice....but sorry to hear about the hitch hikers...if you can pick them out while the numbers are low, it may help

 

[sharkweek178]

Very nice....but sorry to hear about the hitch hikers...if you can pick them out while the numbers are low, it may help

I'm not too worried about them. I'll probably do that with the bladder snails. I don't mind the ramshorns. If it comes to it, I'll get a couple of assassin snails.

 

[sharkweek178]

I added some Manzanita branches in the back. I like tanks that are very busy. So I wanted to fill in a few spaces in the back. And I just like how the wood looks.