Llj's 15g Journal

[lljdma06]

Well, Yesterday was scary! We had a tornado warning and the power was out for over 5 hours! So I was thinking while I was crammed in my hall closet with my canaries, Pomeranian, my best friend and her French Bulldog in the dark, what's going to happen to my fish? It was a lousy night, I tell you. The wind barreled through like a freight train, it was aweful! There were downed trees everywhere, but no broken windows or building damage, and my fish are fine! I was so happy, the 15g has survived tank trashings, BGA, Greenwater, and now you can add tornado to the list!

I'm getting the digital camera tomorrow, so hopefully I'll post some nice pictures tomorrow.

 

[Themuleous]

Doh thats scary! Glad you made it through ok and your fish. Its funny the things you think about in situations like that! My mind would have been on my fish the whole time too! I would watch your NO2 and NH4 over the next few days 5hr without water movement through the filter may have killed some of your biological filter.

Sam

 

[lljdma06]

Oh my goodness!!!! That's pretty scary indeed
Glad to hear you're alright. I guess that's another reason to move back to Miami, huh?
Your fishies definitely are survivors

Well, in Miami I face hurricanes rather than tornados, but at least I have a few days with those buggers rather than 10 minutes !

I have a few technicolor pictures today with the digital camera. Expect some added plant profiles in the next few days, as I am taking a long needed break from all this performing I've been doing the past week. A few days of internet idleness will just what the doctor ordered.

15g full shot, front view

15g full shot, slant view

Close-up of harlequins

Close-up of R. macrandra and corydoras pygmaeus

Close-up of cryptocrynes and macrandra.

 

[Themuleous]

Looking good! The better camera really helps show the tank off, love the colours you have in there and the macrandra looks cool too, may have to get one of those

Sam

 

[lljdma06]

Aww are you sick? Hope you feel better!
Anyhoo, your crypts are in excellent condition! I'm amazed --- I've read threads of them melting and all, but yours are in pretty darn good shape And the colors of your macrandras are really vivid!!! Mine's not quite there yet (goes off to yell at her plants...)

Yeah, I woke up with a sore throat today, which sucked because I had to perform three opera scenes tonight. I sang well, but I have to be careful the next few days and just stay home.

Thank you very much regarding the crypts. I'm so concerned with my algae, that I just kind of ignored them. I try not to move them around too much, and I have root tabs underneath them. They have melted on me in the past, but only a few leaves at a time and they always spring back to life.

Don't yell at your plants! I can't take the credit for the macrandra, that's Aquariumplants.com. It'll probably fade to a more realistic color in the next few weeks. I bet they have their's under like 7 WPG or metal hallides or something. I just can't duplicate that kind of power. The one sample plant I had faded over time, it's still very lovely and very reddish, but not neon bright red!

 

[lljdma06]

I rearranged the 10g and moved some of its plants to this tank. The real problem in the 10g was the lotus. It was just getting WAY too big for the 10g. So I moved it and the creepy jenny, needed some more green, to the 15g. The lotus has already filled in nicely and is really a lovely shade of red. Not sure on the species, however, and would like some input. The basic layout of this tank will be preserved in FL, except minus the lotus, which I think is going to be the ideal centerpiece plant for the 36g.

Now, time for pictures.

Full tank shot:

Close-up of lotus:

One of my honey gouramis

 

[kjb66]

LOOKS GREAT

 

[IovaykInD]

That lotus has really defined the entire tank. It is a great focal point, and ties everything together, including the red plants in the background. Before, the tank didn't look really unified, but now, with the lotus, it really brings the tank together. Good job, keep it up.

 

[Themuleous]

I would agree, it adds a great focal point and the contrast with the other small spiky plants is good. Think the crypts in front of it need to fill out a bit, to fill that gap a bit more but thats a small point I think and will happen in good time.

I really love all the colours you've managed to cram into this tank, looks great

Sam

EDIT - I think Jim recommended to someone that they cut some of the bigger lily leaves off to encourage it to grow small leaves but more of them, that might be worth a try?

 

[Squirrelbuddies]

Your tank looks great! As others mentioned, the lotus really made it all come together.

 

[Bloo]

Looks really great ! and the plants so vibrant and healthy.

 

[zig]

llj........you have come a long way, the tank looks great, would you give a run down of the plant species in this tank?

 

[lljdma06]

llj........you have come a long way, the tank looks great, would you give a run down of the plant species in this tank?

All your comments are great and I appreciate them so much. I feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

Well here goes. I tried to put up a post on the member's thread in this section Yesterday, but we had another tornado warning last night and I had to cut the computer time short. I will definitely do it for this tank, though.

15g high (2o"x10"x18") Planted: 3.73WPG, Co2 injection, EI fertilization
Myriophyllum aquaticum
Rotala rotundifolia
Rotala macrandra
Egeria najas
Glossostigma elatinoides
Alternanthera reineckii
Lemna minor (occasional visitor, often removed)
Cryptocryne wendtii red
Cryptocryne willisii, lutea, or parva (not entirely sure on that one)
Nymphaea lotus zenkeri var. 'Red'
Lysimachia nummularia

Fish:
9 Rasbora heteromorpha
8 Corydoras pygmaeus
4 Colisa sota

Over-stocked by some standards, but with the weekly maintenance required by EI and the clean water the plants need, the tank is clean enough for the fish. This tank is also nearly 3 years old and planted for 8 months. The harlequins regularly breed and the male honey gouramis makes little bubble nests all the time. The livestock will be sold back to the LFS for credit, since I don't think they'll do well with the move. I'll probably stock the same, however, when I move back to FL. I also plan on changing the substrate, but the plant layout will be the same.

Again, thanks for the comments. Means a lot to me.

 

[Qays]

hey, your tank is looking great! Do you use CO2 and fertilizers? and what wpg lighting do you have for it?

 

[lljdma06]

hey, your tank is looking great! Do you use CO2 and fertilizers? and what wpg lighting do you have for it?

Read the post right above yours, it gives most of my tank specs.