# First Planted 38 Gallon



## Big Jim (Jan 7, 2010)

Week #2 
Flourite dust settled on everything DIY 80W shoplight (crappy plant and aquarium bulbs) DIY CO2










Week# 3

Changed bulbs to Natural Sunshine still DIY CO2










Week #4

Upgraded to T5HO and pressurized CO2


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## Darkside (Sep 14, 2009)

Your plants look like they're starting to pick up a lot. Are you dosing anything?


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## Big Jim (Jan 7, 2010)

I use Excel after a water change and trace fertilizer twice a week. 
My hygro is starting to become aggressive going outward in 4 directions, and becoming slightly pink


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## Julian (Jun 29, 2008)

if you're running compressed CO2 there isn't much point in the excel really. Though it probably isn't doing any harm either.


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## KnaveTO (May 13, 2007)

If you are using compressed CO2 then dosing with excel is a waste of money. Save the Excel for your planted tanks that are not connected to CO2.


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## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

I like your fish choices. Gold white clouds and black skirts are perfect for that. 

How about some gouramis


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## Big Jim (Jan 7, 2010)

AquariAM said:


> I like your fish choices. Gold white clouds and black skirts are perfect for that.
> 
> How about some gouramis


Might get a pair of rams not sure yet as the fish choices were more for the cycling with hardy fish.

I add excel as i was told it helps keep algae in check especially after a water change


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## Julian (Jun 29, 2008)

that drift wood rocks btw. Some anubis tied down to it would look really nice.


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## Big Jim (Jan 7, 2010)

Updated


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## shrtmann (Feb 15, 2009)

nice tank...love the driftwood, where'd u score that?....and nice arrnagement too
what trace dosing are you using? How many bbs on your co2 and how do you like your redSea reactor 500?? i just got one and am still kinda leary about its efficiency but am unable to test co2 as of now so....


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## dl88dl (Mar 8, 2010)

Nice update...thanks for sharing


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## igor.kanshyn (Jan 14, 2010)

Great set up!

What are those stones out there? Is it petrified wood?


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## Big Jim (Jan 7, 2010)

Thanks!

I used Jobes Organics plant food sticks. 4/4/4 along with Sea Chem Trace, Flourish, and Iron. 

Those rocks are petrified wood. And that driftwood I picked up at Big Al's Mississauga.


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## Big Jim (Jan 7, 2010)

shrtmann said:


> nice tank...love the driftwood, where'd u score that?....and nice arrnagement too
> what trace dosing are you using? How many bbs on your co2 and how do you like your redSea reactor 500?? i just got one and am still kinda leary about its efficiency but am unable to test co2 as of now so....


It seems to me its working fine. The drop checker goes from a blue green to a yellow green from the time the injection starts until the end off the day when the lights go off. PH is just above 6 and normally my tap water is 7.5


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## shadow_cruiser (Jan 26, 2010)

Jim,

Where did you get the petrified wood?. I was going to pick up that driftwood from Big Al's Mississauga but it looked like terrarium wood screwed to slate. When I asked one of the guys what type of wood it was, he didn't know but he just said it came from China, lol


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## igor.kanshyn (Jan 14, 2010)

shadow_cruiser said:


> Jim,
> 
> Where did you get the petrified wood?. ...


I saw it in Aqua Tropics about a month ago. It was not cheap, but looked great.


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## Big Jim (Jan 7, 2010)

I ended up with buying a piece of terrarium wood. XL on a boxing day sale was $25 I think. I had slate at home and stainless steel screws. A friend of mine ended up doing the exact same thing as it saved him about $10 a piece doing it himself.


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## shadow_cruiser (Jan 26, 2010)

Ah thanks, that's what I figured. I don't the effects of having terrarium wood in the aquarium, couldn't find any info but it looks like yours is doing well!


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## dl88dl (Mar 8, 2010)

Big Jim said:


> I ended up with buying a piece of terrarium wood. XL on a boxing day sale was $25 I think. I had slate at home and stainless steel screws. A friend of mine ended up doing the exact same thing as it saved him about $10 a piece doing it himself.


Wow, that is a very good price for that beautiful XL terrarium wood


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## shadow_cruiser (Jan 26, 2010)

Thanks Jim for letting me know. I ended up ordering a XL manzanita stump from Jake (badcopnofishtank) on plantedtank. Came to $50 all in.


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## Big Jim (Jan 7, 2010)

Update










The hairgrass keeps getting pulled up by my dwarf frogs and corys. So I'm constantly pushing the offshoots back in the substrate. Its a battle of patience trying to get a carpet


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## igor.kanshyn (Jan 14, 2010)

Nice view, plants are definitely growing.


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## Big Jim (Jan 7, 2010)

igor.kanshyn said:


> Nice view, plants are definitely growing.


My ludwigia is about a month old and was weak when I got it and lost most of its leaves until it got established then it grew tall and leafy on top. I actually trimmed a stem that had roots all over and planted it at the base in hopes to make it a little more full. But yeah my plants are definitely growing. My Rotala also had a pretty big trim last week. It was at the height of my tank. My Cabomba Aquatica is also growing like a weed.


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## igor.kanshyn (Jan 14, 2010)

Big Jim said:


> My ludwigia is about a month old and was weak when I got it and lost most of its leaves until it got established then it grew tall and leafy on top. I actually trimmed a stem that had roots all over and planted it at the base in hopes to make it a little more full. But yeah my plants are definitely growing. My Rotala also had a pretty big trim last week. It was at the height of my tank. My Cabomba Aquatica is also growing like a weed.


ludwigia will appreciate some iron in fertilization and, of course, more light.

That's right that you replanted tops. It grows much better in this way.
Also you can replant a top and cut a few several leaves, it will start two stems from the place of cutting and can start several smaller stems from lower leaves.


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