Llj's 15g Journal

[lljdma06]

I am pleased. I'm still testing nearly zero nitrates, and I've increased the dose twice already, but the BGA wasn't so bad this time, so I can see that the nitrogen is being put to good use. I didn't even have to remove any plants to remove the stuff, and there was none on the gravel. Yippie! Now, I did have quite a bit of the softer bright green stuff, but it was confined to the aquarium glass and was easily removed. My honey gouramis were even munching on it and I could see little snail trails. The stuff that had been on my plants was nasty, nearly black, and really slimy. I'm also still testing zero in Phosphates, and iron, but I'm a little afraid to add too much until I get my nitrogen on track. Here's a picture.



All the plants in the tank are stem plants except my cryptocrynes. The glosso didn't have algae on it this time, so I'm happy about that. Slowly but surely, things are looking up.

 

[pseud]

Can you post some bigger pics? I'm struggling to see these lol... I'd really enjoy looking at your tank if the pics were about 3 times the size....

 

[lljdma06]

Can you post some bigger pics? I'm struggling to see these lol... I'd really enjoy looking at your tank if the pics were about 3 times the size....

Unfortunately, Pseud, I'm limited by my camera, which is in my cellular phone, so that is as big as the picture can get to get a full tank shot. I can try getting closer, but you'll only get patials of the tank, not the whole setup. I can try to get a digital camera from a friend. Or even try to take some video.

 

[lljdma06]

Here is another update. I'm still not at 10-20ppm for Nitrates, but the BGA is much less noticable and much easier to remove. I also had a lot less green algae this time, and tank maintenance was done in about 30 minutes. I didn't prune on purpose, as I kind of like the whole jungle look right now, though I think I have too many plants with the same leaf structure. In addition, I removed a lot of duckweed, as this might be contributing to my lack of Nitrogen. They soak it up like water. My honey gouramis were posturing a lot lately, so I'm hoping they'll do what my T. pumilus did in my 10g. But I won't hold my breath.



I really apologize for the picture quality and I know it is frustrating to look at a poor quality image. Believe me, I really don't like it either. But my attempts to get better image quality from my camera phone has not been successful. I wish it wasn't this way, and I wish I had the money for a digital camera, but money is not easy to come by. I'm a college student and I'd rather invest in keeping the fish and plants healthy and strong rather than invest in taking pictures of them.

 

[lljdma06]

Time for another update. In a recent thread, I addressed an issue I was having with cloudy water.

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=132095

I'd like to thank the people who helped me out with advice and encouragement. The tank is a little better, and I am lightening up the EI regimen. I think I have to not take things quite so seriously and just let my plants let me know when they need something. Hopefully the algae will be in check, and the cloudiness will disappear (sp). Here's a picture. Too bad nobody likes Duckweed here, I binned a whole bunch of it today. Super healthy stuff too. Some plants were the size of a dime! Also managed to make a few more plants out of my Egeria najas and stick some in my 10g. Fish are doing great, the male honey gouramis really has lovely coloring, very bright. Can't wait to put these fish in my 36g in Miami, they'll make a great community.

 

[lljdma06]

As many of your know, I was able to borrow a digital camera from a friend. I can now take pictures of my tank. Here a few. I think, if I'm understanding GF correctly, is another example of a "jungle" look. I really don't want to prune too much, and I'm growing the rotala for my 36g in Miami.

Full Tank shot:

A small section featuring the foreground:

Five of my harlequins posed. The sixth was hiding. The gouramis didn't want to play and neither did the cories.

A close-up of my myriophylum and another of my rotala macandra. I wish I had more of this plant.

Thanks for humoring me by looking at these pictures. The water is clearing up pretty well from a mishap with EI (I'm still learning ). The water is naturally tea-colored from the tannins in my driftwood. My glosso doesn't really carpet, I think the lighting is too low, but it doesn't have any algae. I like how it looks as a small foreground and will definitely take it home. Since I started EI, there hasn't been much algae to write home about. I have a mind to post pictures of both tanks in the Members section, just because. Afterall, it's not often I get to play with a digital camera. It's back to lousy camera phone updates next week. So I hope everybody enjoyed this treat. I know I did. Especially since, like the 10g, this tank will also be dismantled in May. Any comments, questions, criticisms?

 

[Alex_]

i think you need some contrast all your plants are really simillar.

just a thought. What is that reddish small plant in the last pic on the right?

-Alex

 

[Themuleous]

How come you’re dismantling them? Seems a shame? You going to be able to set them up again I hope?

Sam

 

[lljdma06]

They look pretty different to me, but I see them everyday. But with all my past algae problems and cloudiness issues, I've pretty much given up aquascaping this tank. I just want my rotala to grow to the top. It is impressive. Pink leaves on top, nice green leaves all the way to the bottom. Not a rotten leaf in the bunch!

The reddish plant is rotala macrandra. A type of rotala, I also have rotala rotundifolia. The r. macranda was a freebie I received from a plant order. I really like it and wish I had more. It contrasts nicely with the myriophylum.

I am dismantling my tanks because I'm moving. I live in IL, but I'm done with my DMA coursework this May and the rest of the degree can be done with only a few trips up, so it doesn't make any sense to live in IL anymore. The tanks will go to a friend, but I'm taking the T5 light fixtures, CO2 units, plants, and fish with me. He won't be left high and dry, though, I still have the original light fixtures and hoods that came with the tank. Most of the fish and plants will go into the 36g I have setup over there, but I'll probably setup a smaller lower light setup for my anubias. I have an old 20g high that is waiting for me. It'll be nice for them.

Yes, I would have to say that I possess the tallest glosso in the forum! I guess I could try and get it to carpet, but I don't think it will in either tank. Perhaps it'll have a better shot in the 36g in Miami, since that tank has 3.6 WPG, is quite a bit larger, and a little deeper, especially if I slap one of the T5 fixtures in the front. But it is growing well, and the leaves are not covered in algae. I really enjoy it as a small stem plant.

 

[lljdma06]

I am rearranging all the plants in my tank. I am super bored from Spring break. Major overhaul. I figured one more month of fun before I take it all apart.

Stay tuned.

Too lazy to rewrite a new post, same applies to the 15g.

 

[lljdma06]

*hint hint*

This tank is going to drive me nuts. I have green water now, so no pictures of this sucker until the blackout is over. Seems to me the game plan is water change before 2 days of darkness and then another water change afterwards. I plan on moving the glosso and the macrandra first, though. I don't want them damaged. One of the benefits of having multiple tanks. At least I don't have BGA anymore.

EDIT: Blackout has begun! Hopefully it will work out.

 

[lljdma06]

Black out is over and the water is crystal clear!

I can see my fish. Plants are a little leggy, but I only lost the cabomba. I forgot to transfer it to the 10g, my bad. I did, however, see several stems of glosso that I forgot to remove!

Back to stupid camera phone pictures until my friend can loan me her digital camera.

 

[Themuleous]

Like the redness of the tank, may have to add some red plants to mine, it contrasts well with green. whats the plant at the back, far right, in front of the nutrafin diffuser?

Sam

 

[JArtiles305]

Nice, tank. I'm also going to try for a jungle look. Considering how artistic I am, trying to aquascape would just be a headache. Anyways the jungle look is a good one if you ask me, less work and I like the look. Your coming back to Miami that's cool, the more hobbyist down here the better.

 

[lljdma06]

Sam, the website where I purchased it gave two names, but I got results from a google search with this name Alternanthera reineckii. According to my book it's a plant that likes bright light and Iron, and it's easy to care for if given the right conditions. It looks really good with my myriophyllum and was pretty hardy. It survived the blackout without a problem.

JArtiles305, yeah, I'm glad I'm coming back to Miami. It's all big cichlids and marine down there. Overgeneralization, I know, but it has some validity to it. It would be nice to find out how many plant oriented people are down there and form a club of some type.

Thanks for the complements, despite crappy camera phone. Hopefully things will be better by tonight since my friend is loaning me her digital camera.