Pogostemon Pastures

[Ps3Steveo]

Right here goes, a friend of mine decided he didn't want his Aquastart 320 anymore so after having one before and quite liking it I decided to take his off his hands. I got the 320, a small nano heater, an internal 150lph filter, some gravel/sand mixture, a few Platys, some Platy fry, a couple of Pygmy Corys and an Assassin Snail for free(had to take the stock otherwise I couldn't have it lol).

So tech stuff is.
Aquastart 320 - 32litre obviously
9w light so low light
Internal 150LPH filter
No CO2
1ml TPN+ every few days or when I remember

On the way home I got an absolute bargain, think they messed up the barcodes on the till as the plants in my lfs were 9 for £26 but I got a potted Anubias Nana, a cup of Riccia, 3 potted Crypt Costata, 4 potted Crypts unknown (quite small), 3 potted Pogostemon Helferi and 2 potted Pygmy Chain Swords for £14 lol, I kept my mouth shut there.

I also have a brackish 100litre for my GSP's and nicked a few trimmings of the Limnophila Polysperma and a piece of triangular slate with moss growing on it from there, will do a journal for it when I sort it out.

Anyway got back, cleared it all out as it was totally smothered in algae and got planting.

Will upload some pics tomorrow as after all that and then putting the fish back in I decided to turn off the lights and let the fish settle in again.

 

[Ps3Steveo]

Ok so here's some pic's,

After a good clear out and the substrate was cleaned.

Slate with moss.

Plants laid out.

With the slate in.

Crypt Parva and Costata added, also the Riccia on mesh to the front right, the Parva is still a little low at the moment and will grow up the back over the Costata hopefully.

After splitting the Pogostemon Helferi for about an hour and adding it.

Missus not happy after some of the print came out on the new table lol.

Stock added and full tank shots, bit cloudy but once its crystal clear I'll get some more pic's up.

I think it looks pretty good so far, I'm hoping the Parva will grow up the back a little. There's also the Anubias Nana on a tiny stone beside the slate, I changed the nano heater for a larger one which was aesthetically more pleasing, added a gulp of TPN+ as some plants were a little yellow on the leaf tips and here it is.

 

[Ps3Steveo]

A bit clearer.

Short video, click the image to play.

 

[stu40]

That i'll look good when the water clears. Is that just a flat piece of slate, and what moss is growing on it?

 

[Ps3Steveo]

Not a flat piece, it was cut at a right angle and the front was left kinda weathered, the top was flat so I just glued Java Moss to the top of it and it grew great, really thick, its triangular and about 6" x 6" x 8" and about 3" high.

 

[coldcazzie]

Looks good! bet your friend will be wondering how you got it looking so good when he sees it next!

 

[ian]

looks good, will look better when grown in.

 

[Ps3Steveo]

Thanks guys, he probably wont be to bothered, he just got a coffee table marine tank.........jealous lol.

 

[Ps3Steveo]

Pearling today.

 

[Ps3Steveo]

Nice clear water now and some close ups. I so need to buy a good camera lol.

 

[Ps3Steveo]

Added some Hairgrass to the back today thanks to Rorie, its in 4 very large clumps at the moment and throwing runners everywhere so once it roots well I'll spread it out across the back, trim it and get some pic's up.

 

[lljdma06]

Be warned, the tenellus was grown emmersed. It's going to be ugly in a bit and you'll have to do some cleaning while it converts, as most Echinodorus do, to the submerged growth. The ridges on the leaf are a dead giveaway for emersed growth. Just so that you know.

Nice little setup. Platies and mollies are too big for it IMO, but if you're happy. I'm being picky with everyone today, not just you. Even Ian got my pickiness today. LOLOL

Liz

 

[Ps3Steveo]

Lol its cool, its for me to scape but my missus picked the stock so she got what she wanted, yeah hopefully the Tenellus should be ok in the end, hasn't gone bad yet, just added a load of really tall hairgrass to the back, once it roots well I'll spread it out and get some more pics up after a clean.

 

[Ps3Steveo]

Slight update, added Hairgrass, moved the Anubias and shuffled the Pogostemon to get more light. Looking more healthy now tho.

 

[ian]

looking very healthy Steve, that looks like Eleocharis vivipara at the back, a nice plant.