2F Tank Journal

[mike455555]

id need a rough scape to grow the plants into though =]

i think i'll try growing my moss's and riccia and HC in the tank while i think about a scape abit more...(and possibly find some more resources to put into it)

i do like the nature aquarium look any other useful tips?
hopefully i'll be getting some dry ferts tomorrow and maybe some liquid carbon

with what iv got at the moment what would you suggest i do?

edit: i have grown a few types of plants in other tanks ( with little success but i think that's from lack of light)

the plants iv got are :
HC - growing emersed
java moss
java fern
dwarfhair grass
amazon swords
xmas moss
weeping moss
riccia - new
crypts
anubias (nana and petite nana)
some vallis ( i think)
indian fern

so quite afew to work with =D

 

[ian]

you do need a rough outline, but believe me once you get started, you rough outline will never turn out to what you planned. You may end up with a jungle.

I suggest you get a nice bit of wood and work around that. The plan will be in your head, it sometimes pays to sketch the plan out and share it with other for pointers.

 

[mike455555]

i sketched the one out in my sig and played around for about 20 mins in the shop getting 2 nice bits of wood for it. although the grass is dyeing off because its not getting enough light (im working on getting another tube)

iv got a bit of wood in the guppie holding tank at the moment... i dont really like it to much though

look above for the list of plants iv got to work with

 

[mike455555]

thought id give this a little bit of an update. although iv done nothing to the scape as of yet. (working on some wood)

is pearling without CO2 or additional ferts normal? because my riccia some xmas moss (stuff iv attached to some slates) and algae (tank's got a little in, having got any livestock in / fully planted yet so its understandable) there all pearling without the addition of CO2. (so much with the algae its floating to the top, kinda looks abit like a ghost)

 

[mike455555]

update...
drained the tank (to make it easier to work on)
got some more wood in it and this is a start of a scape...

i was thinking of useing riccia on slate from the back left following the hill down then merge into another carpet plant. moss over some bits of wood as well
some crypts at the back maybe to flow over the rock and wood?

any comments / constructive criticism welcome

edit: i think im quite liking this scape.

 

[Ps3Steveo]

I'm liking the bottom one best there mate, looking good, any more plant plans? Do love Riccia.

 

[mike455555]

i'll do a little sketch of what plants might go in it on paint

 

[Ps3Steveo]

 

[mike455555]

yellow = riccia
brown = Pogostemon helferi (maybe) -where the small sword is
red = HC

possibly

id gladly take recommendations ;p

theres xmas moss on the last bit of point wood at the back. and weeping moss on the stick

had to edit some small flints with plants on out of the pic (hence the box's) (there just temporarily in there some might become perm though =])

 

[Ps3Steveo]

I can suggest where you get your Helferi from ............me

 

[mike455555]

seeing as i don't have any =D maybe willing to donate? coldcazzies selling for £1
+ P&P on classified but id rather have it free

whats it like as a plant anyway? how high does it grow/ does it grow fast?

i read up that it was tasty... what doesn't eat it...

 

[Ps3Steveo]

Will grow under any light mate, needs some ferts etc to do well, never seen a fish eat it but I have schooling fish in mine so they aren't big enough to try really lol.

 

[mike455555]

ohh right =] willing to donate/sell? im willing to cover P&P

 

[mike455555]

update =D
after 2-3 hours playing around with tweezers and little bits of plant's the HC is finally in. now my only worry is my hitch-hiker snail will eat it all
i dont really want to kill him as iv become quite fond of him. could someone identify him for me?

 

[Fraoch]

Looks like a tadpole snail, i have millions of them in my tank so watch how many appear, cause they reproduce like crazy As far as ive seen they only eat algae though