55g(220l) Planted Aquarium

[Animallover😍]

This is my 55gallon planted aquarium. Haven't stocked yet, but will be moving my fish here in a week or so.
I really love this setup the black background makes the plants stand out and I can't see the HOB filter intake or sponge filter very much.
Plants:
Microsorum Pteropus(Java Fern)
Ceratophyllum Demersum(Hornwort)
Hydrilla Verticillata(Water thyme, Anacharis)
Ludwigia natans sp red
Ceratopteris thalictoreides/cornuta ( Water sprite)
Hygrophila Difformis(Water Wisteria)
Taxiphyllum Barberi (Java Moss)
Limnobium Laevigatium (Amazon Frogbit)
Intended Stock:
20 Cardinal Tetra
14 Rummynose Tetra
9 Black Neon Tetra
3 Pearl Gourami

 

[I Like Rare Fish]

Great tank, but hornwort is super annoying. It will break off when you try to remove it, and stay in there forever. It spreads like…well…underwater weeds!

 

[Animallover😍]

I like hornwort. My stems are thick and easy to remove if they start growing too much.

 

[Animallover😍]

Ok so, algae came back. I have the snails settling in my 10g but less in my 55g, which makes me kinda sad now. Coz in my 10g they are doing a very good clean up( I have learned to accept them as friends- which is the best way to get rid of them).
Updates:

The java moss looks like it traveled to the driftwood; actually I glued it on to a small piece of driftwood and placed that on the top of the bigger driftwood. I like it that way. After being battered by algae before I changed the rocks, it's recovering.

The Java fern has plantlets. what should I do?
Should I cut the plants leaf off?

I thought ludwigia was classified as a 'fast growing plant'. Look at mine!

This is my field of water sprite.

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

Some suggestions;
Hornwort...chop it to a third of its length, just above a leaf node and the halve the bit you cut off. Plant the cuttings next to the mother plant...it'll stop the plant looking thin and leggy.
(You can do this with all of your tall green plants).
Java fern...leave the plantlets were they are...they grow into bigger plants and then you can remove them and stick them elsewhere.
Give the ludwegia time.

Remember to use only the sharpest of scissors when cutting...you've got to avoid crushing the stems at all costs.

 

[Animallover😍]

Some suggestions;
Hornwort...chop it to a third of its length, just above a leaf node and the halve the bit you cut off. Plant the cuttings next to the mother plant...it'll stop the plant looking thin and leggy.
(You can do this with all of your tall green plants).
Java fern...leave the plantlets were they are...they grow into bigger plants and then you can remove them and stick them elsewhere.
Give the ludwegia time.

Remember to use only the sharpest of scissors when cutting...you've got to avoid crushing the stems at all costs.

I've had the ludwigia for 2 mts
I have trimmed the hydrilla the way you mentioned before. It had grown 2ft long.
I have a special aquarium plant scissors.

 

[Animallover😍]

I took out the hydrilla from the 10g to see the growth, I had NOT expected this.........(abt 3ft long!)
Btw, that thing on the side ofthe aquarium is my brine shrimp hatchery.

 

[Animallover😍]

Tetras are settled in, lovely to watch them swimming around in a big aquarium!
They are very happy, so am I watching them!

 

[Myraan]

I know we can't tell how happy fish are by looking...

But they do look happy in that tank

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

View attachment 145544
Tetras are settled in, lovely to watch them swimming around in a big aquarium!
They are very happy, so am I watching them!

So in future, when someone says that their fish are fine in their undersized tank, and we've to stop worrying...you'll know.

 

[Animallover😍]

Came with a photo of tetra in 55g.

Hemigrammus Rhodostomus(identified by red only around the head without a longer line, and the black on sides of tail)
Sunlight on the fish tank... you can see the frogbit growth

 

[Animallover😍]

Before trimming and replanting (sorry about the TFF TOTM paper, I was wondering if it would look nicer before or after trimming)

after trimming and replanting:

Btw this time the longest hornwort was 4 ft long(longer than the tank) and the longest hydrilla was 3ft long.

 

[Animallover😍]

Today I removed the frogbit and turned of one of the lights(because I was moving the black neons to the breeding tank).
I thought it looked quite good, so I left the frogbit out of the tank in a storage box(to sell and also if I needed any).
Without frogbit or light:

Without the frogbit:

Storage box with frogbit:

 

[itiwhetu]

Have you got 20 Cardinals in this tank?

 

[Animallover😍]

Have you got 20 Cardinals in this tank?

I've got 9. If I fail to breed them(which is likely), I will buy 9 more. because they are expensive, and if I do breed them, it's a waste of money.