´underneath The Forest Canopy´

[SuperColey1]

Well after all the planning for October time I have jumped in and bought everything already.

Following on from my first journal of this tank where I learnt valuable lessons and basically had a play around in seeing what to do and how to do it I think I am ready to attempt my first real scape.

The plants Ive ordered are crypts, anubias, ferns and Lily species and I am aiming to have the effect of a high light tank where the Lilys will be allowed to climb and create a forest of stems (trunks) with their leaves creating a canopy (hopefully not all on the surface as I would like some to stagger through the top half of the tank)

Then using lots of low light plants underneath.

Full Plant List will be:

Christmass Moss (which I already have)
2 x Philippine Java Fern (1 which I already have)
5 x Nymphaea Rubra (3 which I already have)
3 x Anubias Barteri (1 which I already have)
2 x Tiger Lotus (Zenkeri)
1 x Cryptocoryne Undulata
3 x Cryptocoryne Lingua
4 x Cryptocoryne Wendtii Brown (1 which I already have)
3 x Cryptocoryne Wendtii Green
3 x Cryptocoryne Spiralis
10 x Cryptocoryne Balansae (4 which I already have)
5 x Anubias Barteri Petite (3 which I already have)
2 x Needle Leaf Java Fern
1 x Nuphar Japonica (Spatterdock (which I already have)
4 x Bacopa Caroliniana (which I already have)

Sounds a lot but some will be put into the Nano in March and after the Lilys have grown the rest will be in low light (hopefully)

I will be using the same wood and rock as before but arranging them in a more aesthetic and natural way.

Also I have purchased the Leonardite and Tropica Substrate and I have a 25Kg bag of Silver Sand in my shed (from work).

Budget for the whole rescape including plants and substrate was £150 and I am well within this (I bought a couple of items of equipment for my 35Ltr project which I plan to start in March so have minused these from the spend. lol)

Everything has been ordered over the internet and therefore I will be at the mercy of the post as to when I can start but should be hopefully next weekend 2 days after my return from Portugal.

Looking forward to this little project and will detail the start to finish stages this time. Im not planning to buy any more plants other than the ones I have already unlike last time where I experimented with 40+ different plants before the finish. lol

I will also add in all the punctuation marks I have missed out because I cant find them on this portuguese keyboard. lol

Andy

 

[Rob.S]

I am aiming to have the effect of a high light tank where the Lilys will be allowed to climb and create a forest of stems (trunks) with their leaves creating a canopy

I have a Nymphaea Stellata lily, which used to do just that - Actually, it got totally out of hand, the leaves covering the whole of the surface (180l tank). Growth rate was spectacularly quick. Then it stopped producing leaves, and now the bulb sits on the substrate doing nothing - maybe it's flogged itself to death . It looked good while it lasted though.

 

[Themuleous]

Sounds good Andy keep us posted.

Sam

 

[lljdma06]

I am aiming to have the effect of a high light tank where the Lilys will be allowed to climb and create a forest of stems (trunks) with their leaves creating a canopy

I have a Nymphaea Stellata lily, which used to do just that - Actually, it got totally out of hand, the leaves covering the whole of the surface (180l tank). Growth rate was spectacularly quick. Then it stopped producing leaves, and now the bulb sits on the substrate doing nothing - maybe it's flogged itself to death . It looked good while it lasted though.

Many of the Nymphaea species have a dormant period, like the aponogetons (sp). Doesn't mean it's dead. Give it a few weeks.

 

[Rob.S]

Will do

 

[DevUK]

Looking forwards to seeing this develope Sounds like a great project!

 

[Ark]

wer do u order ur plants from bcuz i want to buy some crypts but i cant find a site that has a wide variety

 

[Underwurlde]

Way to go mate.

I'd only say that because I'm a simpleton, that's still a lot of different plants you've chosen, but whatever: Each to their own.

GL,

Andy

Here, quickly copy & paste this: !

 

[SuperColey1]

I have finally decided to replace the mod after mod Fluval hood with a wooden one fo my own making.

I have also decided that I am going to reduce the lighting therefore I shall be removing the PC55 and 18W T8 replacing then with 2 Hot5 25W lights

So will be selling the PC with its starter and 2 bulbs + reflector if anyone is interested (don't know when it will be done yet)

Andy

 

[Themuleous]

How much do you want for the 55w? I take it its a single tube not a twin?

 

[SuperColey1]

Its a 55W power compact single starter (not a twin starter)

There are also 2 daylightplus lamps (1 of which has been used since March and the other is still boxed)

starter and lights were bought in March and are the updated version (the altered one after all the melting problems)

and 1 T8 reflector that I have cut to the correct length.

I was thinking £40inc postage

Probably sort the Hot5 lights and DIY hood out towards the end of next month after which I can send them out

Andy

 

[Themuleous]

Cheers, will have a think and check of the bank balance The question is do I really want to convert my main 20g to high light and have to run two tanks on EI...

 

[SuperColey1]

I took several things into account when I started thinking about lighting etc.

1. Algae can be such a pest very quickly with the lights I have and 1 step wrong and boom. algae attacks.

2. I think we've all discvered that you don't need high light to grow the plants - as shown by many TB tanks and articles.

3. The 55W is even shorter than the tubes that came with the tank and therefore leaves the ends of the tank slightly darker. (I suppose if it were in a slightly raised hood this would be different)

The Hot5 lamps are 29" end cap to end cap and my hood width is 31.5" so the will spread over the whole tank.

Drop us an email if you want it.

Andy

 

[nry]

I am with you on this, I initially changed my tank from 1x15w T8 (original Juwel fitting) to 1xPC T5 36w. The same issue was there, the length of the tube was 16" so I had poor lighting to the edges of the tank, and a single tube just didn't give a broad light coverage across the whole substrate area.

Even though I have now 'downgraded' to 2x15w T8 tubes the light spread is much much better and I am getting significantly more pearling. I guess for a larger tank you can have more tubes and spread the light better etc, but the massive light intensity from my single T5 made a nice algae magnet of the plants directly below the tube (mainly hair/thread algae).

Still, someone is trying to sell one of the PC tubes etc, so 'yeah, they're great, £40 is a bargain'

 

[SuperColey1]

The hood should be sorted this weekend

I have gone for Pine and it will be an unflashy affair with 4 plain sides and a Split lid with a Piano Hinge to make a Flap at the front

The wood is 20mm thick and the measurements for the 6 pieces on my 125Ltr tank are:

LxWxD (mm)
Sides (x2) 390 x 144 x 20
Front/Back (x2) 800 x 144 x 20
Lid (x1) 840 x 220 x 20
Flap (x1) 840 x 170 x 20

Total Cost for these pieces that Jacksons are pre cutting for me is £13. Waahoo

Once I've drilled the holes in the wood and screwed it all together I shall add a square brace to each corner which will allso act as the supports for the hood.

Then it will be varnished with yacht varnish on the inside and I think I shall use a beeswax or similar (rub in) stainer on the outside.

Final step will be to cut access for the Lily Pipes, Holes for Light cables, Holes for the fans (Which I might now put on the back)

I then intend to get 2 hot5 29" lamps which should fit the hood with an inch to spare at each end (These lights do not need seperate ballasts and are complete with end caps and reflectors) Probs get 1 x Daylight and 1 x SpectrumGrow.

All excited again. lol

Shan't be on as often (I am at work at the mo) for a while because the PC died last night so will be going in for resuscitation today.

This is on top of the chest freezer dying 2 weeks ago and the Dyson dying at the weekend. Things do really happen in 3s (They are all 3 years old too. lol)

Andy