From 48 To 180 In 3.0 Seconds Flat

[Alm0stAwesome]

Are you guys just messing with my head now?

...I need hangover food, then I can think about it some more

 

[Salam]

Hangover? Lucky you!

 

[Alm0stAwesome]

Well it took me a bit longer to recover than initially thought so I haven't gone back to my plant saga until today.

I got it down to cryptocoryne balansae and alternathera roseafolia. In the end I've decided on the balansae due to it being OK with low/medium light seeing as it's quite dark in that corner, also meaning that the roseafolia probably wouldn't do as well. There's a whole lotta green in this tank! But with a bit of luck the "green gecko" crypts will develop some red eventually.


So the final thingy is:
Vallisneria gigantea
Bacopa caroliana
Echinodorus tenellus
Cryptocoryne Green Gecko
Cryptocoryne balansae

Now I just have to decide where to buy it all from! I'm tempted to go the posh route and buy a load of Tropica plants from Seapets, as they seem to offer them at a slightly lower price than some of the other Tropica suppliers, someone please let me know if I'm wrong This gives me a bit more of an instant planted tank because they are bigger than you get from other suppliers, right?

 

[Alm0stAwesome]

Hey Dudies - I added about 3L of sand when I was doing tank maintenance today, I think it looks a lot better but you guys probs can't tell a difference The vallis is getting so long! It's going to be hitting the other side of the tank before long, not looking forward to trimming it back

This was the tank on the 3rd June - 3 weeks ago! I am SO pleased with how everything is growing

Edit: I just noticed that you can't even see all of that bacopa any more lol, I gave it the chop big style!

 

[FishFanatic04]

You have had nice growth. More sand is good. I like my sand a little deeper, easier to plant.


What are you doing on the left side near the glass? The vallis looks like it needs to spread that way a little. Against the glass toward the front a little maybe. Something needs to be there. Right now the flow makes it look too far into the tank.

 

[Alm0stAwesome]

Yeah I know, it's annoying. They are actually planted all the way to the left and there is a smaller plant over there that will hopefully help but it's because the flow is so strong it sweeps them over. If I turn the filter off it looks a lot better I'm ordering probably another five vallis plants so I'm hoping I can work something out to fix it, hey if it stacks up deep enough it won't be able to make a gap that big lol!

 

[Andy Vox]

Vallis tends to send out loads of runners so it's probably not worth buying any, if its growing quick, which it looks like it is you will end up with loads. Two plants made over 30 runners in my tank in 6 weeks.

Looks good though mate! Growth all looks very green and healthy!

 

[Alm0stAwesome]

Thanks Andy! Patience isn't my strong suit. There isn't a lot of room to spread back behind that wood, do you think it will find a way?

 

[Andy Vox]

Yeah it'll definitely find a way, mine was rammed in a corner with a bogwood blocking it into a space about 4inches square, it multiplied on top of each other or anywhere it could find a space. Due to the fairly small root structure and thin leaves as long as there are enough nutrients, co2 and light it'll grow. Runners will grow even if they are completely shaded like almost all of mine were, they seem to take nutrients from the mother plants rather than trying to create their own until they reach high enough to use the light.

It will grow very densely with runners if it doesn't have room to grow outwards. The piece in the 4 inches square of gravel turned into over 30 runners in 6 weeks. Buy some if you can't wait, but you might kick yourself when you get to the point I was at where you are throwing out 2-3 runners a week. Vallis would have quite happily taken over the entire tank. When I removed them there was the original plant with really thick wide leaves and another 25-30 plants all attached by runner stems that came out all attached together.

 

[Alm0stAwesome]

Time for another family discussion guys!

I'm thinking about getting rid of the cardinals They are beautiful BUT sooooo boring! Also, I witnessed two of them attempting to nip Zod the other day. I mean yes, when I first looked up he was flaring at them and then they retaliated but who's to say they didn't start it!?

I would replace them with more espei I think...maybe...unless you kids told me to do something else hehe

Thanks Andy! That's really good to hear

 

[FishFanatic04]

More espei!

 

[Man of fish]

I like the cardinals too, but I'd go with more espei. My 19 look amazing!

 

[Salam]

Espei for sure!

 

[Alm0stAwesome]

Thanks guys! I love these little discussions

I've just added some posts of the fish I want to sell (the bronze corys, hengelis and cardinals), eek! If they don't go on here I'm pretty confident my local MA will take them. I'd rather they went to someone on the forum though so fingers crossed.

 

[Alm0stAwesome]

Obnoxious signatures FTW!