# Jiinx's 79 G Planted Garden



## Jiinx

Hello!
I've had my 79 G set up since last June, but got attacked by BBA which has just recently decided to bid me farewell. It has been a very bitter struggle so I am so happy to see him gone. 

I'm just going to throw up some photos of my plants a couple of fishes. Tell me what you think!

I need to trim and slim, but I just got rid of some algae so I'm hesitant to trim my fast growers at the moment. 

FTS
It looks very messy! Waiting for all the plants to grow out and throw side shoots and will make everything look neater in the future. 









Alternantherna sp. variegated - my favourite plant. Just stunning.










Hygro sp. 'brown'










ludwigia sp. 'curly' or 'tornado'









Combomba 'silver edge'









Tropicana male GBR









Assam Badis









Persicaria "ruby"









Thanks for looking


----------



## greg

Wow, your setup is beautiful.

Love the wood use in and out of the tank. Together with the floating plants it gives the impression of providing a secret look into a world normally hidden from above.

The ludwigia sp "curly/tornado" is a very interesting plant. Did you buy it from a lfs or get it from another aquarist?

Hopefully my plants will look as healthy as yours soon 

Greg


----------



## Sameer

That looks GREAT!!!!!!!! It looks really nice actually. I think the only thing you need is stem plants in the background rather than whatever it is you have in the background now. The leaves are on top blocking the light in the back but there are no leaves to cover the space.

I really like the reds and greens. I dunno Im just not found of the curly. I know its mad expensive but it dosnt wow me.

I really want your Alternantherna sp. v and thin leafed stellatus  That is stel right, in the middle? I looks really really nice. Its actually reddish. Howd you do that? Do you dose chelated iron? I just ordered dry ferts and iron from someone in plantedtank.

Close up pics of the stellatus plz.


----------



## manmadecorals

you just have to see the Alternantherna sp. variegated in person...my god what a stunning plant... and an amazing tank as well


----------



## Jiinx

greg - thank you! I am trying to create am ambiance that helps all the fishes feel more comfortable. I have caves for the cichlids, apistos and badis badis, floating plants for the sparkling gouramis and everything else just swims around 

I did not get the curly from a LFS. All my plants are from hobbyists! 

Sameer- thanks! I'll have to top off my stems in the back and plant. I have a lot of my fast growers in the back bc of the floating plants block out a lot of the light.

I had to google the plant you mentioned. I don't have that plant. I -think- the one you're referring to is Ludwigia Pantanal? 

I do dose iron. I dose plant prod iron. 

Manhtuuuuuuu - thanks bud!  

I'll take more photos of the pantanal and fishes and post up!


----------



## Sameer

Ah, so its set, dibs on the Ludwigia Pantanal and the sp. Closer pics of the pantanal please, I love that orangish red colour.


----------



## GAT

OMG its stunning. What is your dosing strategy


----------



## aaronc

Beautiful set up! glad to see the BBA gone from the tank.


----------



## NuclearTech

Very nice! That's a long time to have to battle the algae. Congrats on kicking it out. What strategy did you use?


----------



## balutpenoy2oy

Yes your combat tactics, please,,


----------



## Jiinx

More photos snapped tonight 

FTS - water change day..cloudy and still messy. I trimmed the plants in the back and replanted.










Badis Badis in the ET from Jsu









apistogramma baenschi maliti waiting for dinner









Apistogramma cactuoides Orange from Tropicana









L. Pantanal - taking a beating from my mollies! 









My Zebra oto - love these guys


----------



## Jiinx

Thanks for looking everyone 

GAT - I use dry ferts purchased from AquariumFertilizer.com I have a mixture of CSMB in solution with K2S04 and Plant Prod chelated iron in another bottle. I dose 1 ml of the micros and 1.5 of the iron solution. A fellow GTAA and member on barrreport, Pierre, helped me out with making a solution. 
Aside from that, I do dose KNO3 and monopotassium phosphate every other day, but I do it on the lean side. Meaning, I don't do the full EI dosing yet. I was doing that for half a year and it just wasn't helping the algae. I had met aaron one day when he picked up some plants and that night he suggested to test my nitrates. They were in the 60 ppm! So since then I've been dosing the macros on the low side.

balutpenoy2oy and NuclearTech - I did so many tactics. I did a few things at once which may have helped.
- I got a new light. My old light was great but sat right above my tank. It wasn't providing enough light for the plants that needed high light so everything died or got attacked. My light now sits 6 inches above rather than 2.5 inches that my old light sat on. 
- I increased flow in my tank so my co2 got distributed better. 
- I got an in tank UV sterilizer (more flow too!).
- I got another filter (this was prior to the diminishing of BBA, but it can't hurt to have more filtering).
- I let all my plants grow. Just grow and grow and become weedy. I wanted the plants to outcompete the algae for nutrients
- I started using RO water, but that's more for plants
- I got rid of a lot of stones and replaced it with driftwood so the water stays softer - the increased mineral dissolving may have contributed to BBA, who knows. Harold from menagerie helped me realize that as my water was getting very hard. 
- used excel everyday
- added two zebra nerite snails

Finally, just being sick of the BBA I re did my WHOLE tank. I mean just take out ALL the stems. I vacuumed. I cut the stems and re planted to have them form new roots. I took out all the driftwood and boiled them or used h2o2 on it.

I talked to DarkCobra and crazydaz on PTF a lot and they helped me out so much. DC has this method that I tried - at one point, I was like "what do I have to lose?"

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=203684

My fishes were fine. My plants were okay ..some of them like rotala macranda and persicaria k lost a bit of their pigmentation.

Just persistence and patience. BBA for half a year is awful. Don't lose hope..it will go away and you'll be so much able to deal with it once you figure it out for yourself what caused it! And don't stop asking questions..I must have bothered so many people, but everyone was so patient and helpful. Please feel free to PM me or post if you need any more clarification!!


----------



## NuclearTech

Thank you for sharing. I want to know how to structure my battle plan for when I get attacked!


----------



## Jsu

Your ET is getting a little too thick, time for a trim.


----------



## Jiinx

Jsu - you're right. I just feel bad throwing them out..so I'm letting it grow 

I put some in to my nano fish tank. Maybe I'll just carpet that tank with them.



















My tank is getting hit my a little bit more of GSA than I'm comfortable with. I'm going to monitor it. Perhaps adjusting my fertilizers will do it. I know all about BBA, but nothing about other algaes!


----------



## Sameer

The contrast is really nice btw the repens and your pinky fav plant.


I also see your ammannia garcilis have small flowers that grew out the water. Exactly like mine


----------



## greg

Hey there, just wondering if you have a phosphate test kit to check the levels. Low phosphate is one of the causes of GSA. That's one algae battle I did win 
Unlike the BBA one currently under way.

Greg


----------



## Jiinx

Sameer - how on earth are you fitting all your new plants into your tank!? I'm having a hard time with 79 G and it looks so messy!

Yep, mine was grown out of the tank and then given to me. Funny how we like the same plants 


Greg - I have been testing ..I've been getting 0.5 - 1ppm. I think it's closer to 0.5ppm. Can it really trigger gsa? I added a bit more phosphate today in hopes that helps. Does it go away on its own or does it linger until I manually remove it all?

Btw, did you get my email? Just waiting if I should mail it out tomorrow or...wait? I'm okay with anything as long as you're comfortable with it!

sarah


----------



## greg

Jiinx said:


> Btw, did you get my email? Just waiting if I should mail it out tomorrow or...wait? I'm okay with anything as long as you're comfortable with it!
> 
> sarah


Yes sorry was just inundated today and missed that one. GTAA notifications are good but sometimes it gets a little crazy for the inbox. I'll email you shortly - waiting is best by the way.

I would scrape the glass and remove GSA damaged leaves within reason. Never had it on the leaves myself, just glass.

Also, is your CO2 on 24/7, set by a timer or regulated by a ph controller?

Greg


----------



## Sameer

ehehe its so frikkin hard fitting the tank!!!!!! I sold 85% of all my plants last week. About 1/4 the tank was covered in repens and the other 1/4 with grass. Sold them too. I just got back from US today and threw in new stems. I seriously had to scatter all of them because some how, theres something growing everywhere. Not to mention things grow so frikkin fast. I also got nutrient mix and most important, IRON!!!!! Ive never dosed just chelated iron before. I think now, I can finally have red/purple aromatica.


I really want 100 gal+, I really do. But I dont want the apartment collapsing. I also got lots of non aquatic plants as well -_- there really is no space in the apartment as well.

Sarah I sold all my foreground plants!!! Im dieing to get UG. I really want it!! But its like $30 in US and if someones selling it here, I dont think I can drive at all till the weekend.

Also, I want your pink plant and Pantanal. Some of the plants in my bros tank died/melted since he couldnt tend to the tank for a week  So the Pantanal I ordered didnt make it.

Hate the darn algae. I really hope you find a solution. Ive never had a problem with normal algae (thank god!!) except for the hard to get rid of ones.

Enough about me


----------



## DSPiCablE

Great tank set up . Loving the apistos, hoping to get some of my own down the stretch.


----------



## John_C

*Wow*

Impressive!!!

Looks very natural and lush!

And i love the badis too! You don't see many of those often..

If you don't mind I'd love to post your pics on my blog under the "Aquarium Gallery" ,, With a description and all about the specs and links of course crediting it to you.

http://lushaquatics.wordpress.com/


----------



## Jiinx

So I figured out, with the help of Greg and some researching, that my algae was caused by lack of co2. My tank was empty and I didn't realize but I glanced at the gauge, and sure enough it was at 500! Not fun carrying a 20lb steel tank across the city with two girls. lol. The things we do for our tanks..

Anyways, it looks like everything is back on track. I have to do some trimming tonight and get rid of some bba infested leaves.

Sameer - Sorry about your plants. I know how it feels when your plants come and they melt or they don't make it for whatever reason. You can definitely have some pantanal  Should be ready in a week. I have some now but they're tiny bc they didn't have co2 for a few days!

I'm going to start a for sale thread, like yourself, as my plants are in desperate need of a trim.

DSPiCablE - thanks! They're awesome fishes  I'm probably going to sell my maniti down the road as he's just a bully. They're breeding all the time and scattering my fishes in fear. 

John_C - thank you! That means a lot. I don't mind at all. I'm flattered you'd ask. I haven't gotten around to doing my specs, but when I do I'll post it here.
Badis are great. I love their cousins too- badis badis badis. They're blue, I believe.


----------



## Jiinx

Just a small update. Moved some plants around. I trimmed and sold some plants.










still a bit bit messy..tonina looks a bit misplaced but not sure where to put it at the moment.










moved the rotala nanjenshan to the other side..









l. repens red. Very pretty bunched red colour.



Still wondering if I should uproot the ET and place another carpeting plant. I was thinking of s. repens but it's not as lush as ET. Is it? I love how bright green ET is ..s. repens is a bit of a brass green. I'm not a big fan of the grass carpets...

Any suggestions, let me know!


----------



## Sameer

nice, looks much better. Just gotta wait now and let nature do its thing. Also, how do you manage to get your plant to grow that much out of the water? What plant is that? All my plants keep growing but they are dried out, not humid enough in an apartment.


----------



## Jiinx

It's just regular ol' Hygrophilia corymbosa "stricta"! Some of the leaves that were in the water and grew out of the water became brittle and fell off. The rest adapted to the air and are growing outside 

I met Greg for the second time today! I purchased some fire reds from him. Randy had invigorated my interest in shrimps and I bought myself a Fluval Flora that was on sale (who hasn't bought it by now? lol) and I'm using it as my shrimp tank. I bought some fire reds from Kims and I had a massive death which made me lose interest and hope in shrimps! I went back to the tank a few days ago, after leaving it for a month (no water change, no light..just gave up) and I saw a berried one! So, naturally I became hopeful that all was not lost after all!

Thanks Greg! I acclimatized them all day and put them in just a couple of hours ago!


----------



## greg

Jiinx said:


> I met Greg for the second time today! I purchased some fire reds from him. Randy had invigorated my interest in shrimps and I bought myself a Fluval Flora that was on sale (who hasn't bought it by now? lol) and I'm using it as my shrimp tank. I bought some fire reds from Kims and I had a massive death which made me lose interest and hope in shrimps! I went back to the tank a few days ago, after leaving it for a month (no water change, no light..just gave up) and I saw a berried one! So, naturally I became hopeful that all was not lost after all!
> 
> Thanks Greg! I acclimatized them all day and put them in just a couple of hours ago!


Wow they are getting the royal treatment from you. Looking forward to pics of the new setup soon 

Great to see you again.

Greg


----------



## Jiinx

Hello!
So a couple more updates.

I got these lovely root tabs. I love them.










I've been having some issues with co2. The bubbles from my diffuser were quite large. So, after some prompting from Greg, I got a GLA inline diffuser to replace my current ebay one  The difference in bubbles was so evident. It was misting rather than bubbling. My plants, at the end of the day, were pearling like I've never seen before. Great buy!










FTS









I got a bit frustrated with my MM and decided to uproot and replant. I got a bit impatient again and clumped them..still better than before. I'll tackle it another day 









my shrimpies!









That's it! Thanks for looking


----------



## charlie1

Good job jiinx, well done.
Your passion & dedication to researching is very evident in this thread.
Regards


----------



## Jiinx

*March 17 update*

Hi!
I could have very well done something really dumb, but I wanted to change my set up bc mulm was accumulating and causing brush algae everywhere. So I uprooted everything (I don't recommend doing this to anyone) and plugged in some clay and soil tabs and re planted and re did my scape a bit.

I changed my circulation so it was more circular rather than haphazard and going anywhere flow. I feel better about that.

I also bought an ATI purple and a GE starcoat bulb to replace two of my bulbs! I'm unsure of how I feel about the purple - it's markedly different! I don't know if a purple has any place being in a freshwater..but I guess I'll see how it goes!

So here's how my tank looks with the Geisseman aqua and an ATI purple..










What do you think? It's cloudy bc..well I uprooted and a lot of clay came up and exploded all over the place!

left side of the tank









right side..









And here's the tank with all four lights on! (midday, aqua, GE and ATI purple)









The dwarf rainbows are ecstatic with the new swimming room and zooming from one end of the tank to the other side by side. They're really nice...I may get a couple more down the road. Anyone know a good ratio for them to be happy? More females than males?

The cardinals are confused and wondering where to hover. They're all scattered around right now. It's nice to "see" them now.

So I'm a bit sad bc I've lost the "lushness" but happy to do something new. Hopefully will grow back to being lush in a few weeks!

Thanks so much for looking!


----------



## Jiinx

*Eheim impeller*

I forgot to mention that I changed the impeller on the Eheim 2215. I used to have a koralia to push the co2 bubbles around the tank right beside my lily pipe. I bought the 2217 impeller to replace the 2215. I hope it makes a difference as it has 6 blades rather than the 3 that the 2215 has.


----------



## greg

Wow, and I thought I would win the prize for most frequent rescaper. Big changes!

I like the colours in your fourth photo so I think the bulb selection works. Are the other two bulbs around 6500k. You could try an Aquaflora bulb next time to see how you like the colours with it. I think its the usual first choice for a bulb outside the 6500k range.

I think the plants will look good when they fill in - possible exception vals on the left. I just removed mine from same position. I just don't find they provide a good backdrop for wood. Something about the thin narrow lines creates dark shadows that causes them to blur with the wood.

Dwarf rainbowfish usually do best in a school of at least 7, with 3 being male. They do spar so having 3 males ensures its not the same two always sparring with the loser being forced to hide out. More females helps deflect unwanted attention from the males, although once you reach a certain amount I don't think its critical. Also you have lots of different pockets of territory so that helps a lot. I find my dwarfs are busy with their sparring and spawning in the morning and then chill the rest of the day.

Next time I'm heading in your direction I can give you a pair of dwarfs if we can arrange a meet. The female is currently 2.5cm and the male 1.5cm.

Greg


----------



## manmadecorals

LOL! And i thought i was having a hard time with my 16 gallon... I bet you must've been exhausted afterwards... I know cause i was DEAD after i was done with mine. As they say, "Do it once and do it right, so you will never have to do it thrice"

Very nice work you did.  Keep the updates coming i'll be creeping around your thread 

Also, where did you find your GLA inline diffuser?


----------



## Jiinx

greg said:


> Wow, and I thought I would win the prize for most frequent rescaper. Big changes!


haha! I just find ways to keep me busy  I'm not busy enough it seems 



greg said:


> I like the colours in your fourth photo so I think the bulb selection works. Are the other two bulbs around 6500k. You could try an Aquaflora bulb next time to see how you like the colours with it. I think its the usual first choice for a bulb outside the 6500k range.


I did have and do have aquaflora. I had two aquafloras on the sides and two middays in the middle. Now I have ATI purple and an aquaflora at the sides and GE and midday in the middle.



greg said:


> I think the plants will look good when they fill in - possible exception vals on the left. I just removed mine from same position. I just don't find they provide a good backdrop for wood. Something about the thin narrow lines creates dark shadows that causes them to blur with the wood.


Are the vals the long grass that I have in the left corner in the back?



greg said:


> Dwarf rainbowfish usually do best in a school of at least 7, with 3 being male. They do spar so having 3 males ensures its not the same two always sparring with the loser being forced to hide out.
> 
> Next time I'm heading in your direction I can give you a pair of dwarfs if we can arrange a meet. The female is currently 2.5cm and the male 1.5cm.


thank you, Greg. You're always so kind.  thank you for the comments. they're always so thoughtful, sincere and gives me ideas!


----------



## Jiinx

manhtu said:


> LOL! And i thought i was having a hard time with my 16 gallon... I bet you must've been exhausted afterwards... I know cause i was DEAD after i was done with mine. As they say, "Do it once and do it right, so you will never have to do it thrice"
> 
> Very nice work you did.  Keep the updates coming i'll be creeping around your thread
> 
> Also, where did you find your GLA inline diffuser?


thanks MT! Yes I was exhausted. Fell into bed around 1am afte installing the bulbs.

I got the GLA inline diffuser from the states.


----------



## Sameer

Looks really nice, I really want to rescape but would need an entire 2 days to do it. I want to take out all my gravel and give it a good wash. Maybe another person to help too. Great, I was thinking about it and looking at ur tank, I really want to now.

Also, I think with a black background, ur tank will look much much better. I think its the busy surrounding that takes the concentration off a little.


----------



## Jiinx

My persicaria were growing emmersed and then i submerged them the other day I rescaped...I thought the new pink growth against the green emmersed growth was stunning..









and closer..










L. repens "red" ..beautiful centre piece along with the a. sp variegated


----------



## Jiinx

The only thing about an entire rescape, sameer, is that it can induce algae big time.  Could you take it slow..do bit by bit every week? 

Instead of washing gravel, could you try a different substrate? Sounds like so much work!

Rescaping gives you a chance to toss out plants you don't really enjoy and re position ones you do! Do it! 

thank you for the suggestion re background. I was thinking that today too..one day..it's a good idea! thank you!


----------



## jart

Awesome looking tank with great assortment of plants and fish. I'm still trying to figure out how you had the driftwood anchored in the very first pic.


----------



## Jiinx

Hi all!
I got a couple of new plants..didn't have time to take good pics but I thought I'd share anyways!

I'm clearing the ET out and replacing it with s. repens, downoi and mm.

I'm hoping to add 20 or so amanos to my tank from tommy. I saw a female berried last night so I snapped a photo. I wish I could have little amano babies that could make it in my tank!



The latest addition - checkerboards!



Quick blurry photo! 

thanks for looking at my mish mash of a tank!


----------



## Jiinx

jart, I used zip ties!  It wasn't a very effective solution so now it just rests on the wood.


----------



## manmadecorals

Hey Sarah! Lovely as always 

Where are the pictures of the new arrivals you promised me?


----------



## greg

Looks great Sarah! Love the cluster of downoi. May want to try it in my tank.


----------



## balutpenoy2oy

Yes beautiful indeed ..Me too, want to try that DOWNOI..I am trading my portion of fissedens, nothing answers


----------



## Jiinx

thanks everyone!
I'm really happy with the downoi. The ET is on its way out and I'm replacing it with Downoi on one side. And on the other side it's S. repens and s repens porto velho. In the middle it's mm and ranunculus inundatus, which I'm growing out.

Manh Tu - sure, it's nothing special. I'll snap a photo tonight..


----------



## Jiinx

I had a few minutes to snap some photos..

I've removed all the ET and replaced it with Downoi on the left side and s. repens and ranunculus inundatus on the right.

My checkerboards follow me around the tank and happen to be in almost every photo. They're definitely not camera shy!

here's a photo of the ranunculus inudatus..


My humble s. repens..still has a ways to go..



I'm devastated that my GBRs from Kelly died (I caused an ammonia spike with movement of plants) and replaced them. They're not as vibrant and I still miss my old ones 



my Checkies!  the male was wagging his fin while I snapped the photo..wonder if she's interested 



My female poking around the a. variegated


FTS!


Please do pass along your thoughts, both good and bad!

sarah


----------



## manmadecorals

Holy crap!!! That is looking superb!!!


----------



## rickcasa

Very inspiring. Great work.


----------



## Sameer

Those pinky closeups make my eyes explode. I seriously so badly want that plant (alternative to the $200 per stem of the mini on PT). Lovely fish as well. Your tank is lush, but it needs more of it. Those plants need to cover the background, especially the one red in front of all the greens. Overall its an amazing tank, wish I had that.


----------



## Canadianbettas

wow very nice!! now i miss my old high light co2....


----------



## Jiinx

Manh tu and rickcasa, Thank you so much for your kind words! It means a lot! 

Sameer, thank you! I think you need a bigger tank! I haven't seen an update of your tank for awhile! 

What stem costs 200 dollars? That's pretty insane. The alternanthera mini? Tropica has it but I asked big ALS if they could ship it here but the manager said he couldn't get it.  still searching for it...it'd be a nice complementary colour for the right side of my tank.

Thank you for the suggestions! I'm really trying..I took your advice and got rid of the previous stems and replaced it with alternantha ocipus and bacopa. I'm still not satisfied with where ludwigia red is and wanting to replace some stems here and there.

You can totally get this growth and colour! What's stopping you??

Kevin, thanks! I remember receiving my first package of plants from you!


----------



## Sameer

Yea its the alt mini. A few days ago it was actually for $50. But I know they were being sold for $200. Can you try with Menagerie? Maybe we can do a group order or something. Harold usually imports the rare stuff. If any lfs has a chance, its his.

I had a major bga and diatom problem. Thank god thats receding. Ive spent hundreds buying new T5HO, diy co2 diffuser and stuff but I just cant get the aromatica to go red. My co2s been actin up, which is really getting on my nerves. Im thinking it might be my 5 year old t5ho bulbs, they are from some unknown company. But then I dont want to spend $60 to $100 just upgrading lights to find out theres no change in the aros colour. Its really tuff. I made a lighting help thread on pt but not much help. I wanted to ask you where you get your t5ho bulbs from. Ive been just so fed up with my tank, I stopped taking my monthly progress pics too. I recently updated my thread on pt, but tank looks boring. Its getting filled up quick but Im not liking the colours and my plant conditions. 

Also I seriously want to visit your place to buy that Alter. sp. variegated, but your just too far north. Wait, you dont have any shrimps?


----------



## Jiinx

Hi sameer,
If there's anything I've learned is that you want to go with quality products in this hobby. We've all made mistakes and it has costed us twice as much to correct it...

Since our tanks is our artwork, why not invest a bit more in the bulbs to get the colours you want? Quality bulbs make all the difference. I got mine from the states and pick them up whenever or whoever goes there. I got mine first from amazon.com and then ati and ge ones from a reef site that sponsors pt..

Think about it. Bulbs are yearly investment. Chances are, if they're 5 years old, they're not doing much for your tank....

I have a few Amanos and fire reds...why do you ask?


----------



## Sameer

Jiinx said:


> Hi sameer,
> If there's anything I've learned is that you want to go with quality products in this hobby. We've all made mistakes and it has costed us twice as much to correct it...
> 
> Since our tanks is our artwork, why not invest a bit more in the bulbs to get the colours you want? Quality bulbs make all the difference. I got mine from the states and pick them up whenever or whoever goes there. I got mine first from amazon.com and then ati and ge ones from a reef site that sponsors pt..
> 
> Think about it. Bulbs are yearly investment. Chances are, if they're 5 years old, they're not doing much for your tank....
> 
> I have a few Amanos and fire reds...why do you ask?


Yea I was looking at the Ge bulbs, no bad reviews about them and they are the lowest price. The reason I ask is because everyone talks about the geis. bulbs when other bulbs do the same job, but for less. They are overpriced because they are considered the "best/top model". But again, I want to see if its even the lights that are the problem, maybe its the co2 that Barr keeps telling me and everyone else. But yea, I really want to buy those bulbs, right after I fix my co2 and finalize.

As for shrimps, I didnt see any pics, so I asked. I think I have to go through your thread again


----------



## Jiinx

I do have Geis bulbs. In fact, I'm going to go back to them and take out my ATI purple and GE bulb. I'm really really pleased with Geissman bulbs, Sameer. They're really amazing. But to get to that decision, it's your journey to experiment and decide what works best for your tank. Yes, co2 is part of the equation but lights are quite important. Hanging them a bit higher than having them right above the tank gives you a better and even spread throughout the tank.


----------



## Jiinx

More photos 

ludwigia red..



A couple of corydoras from Tommy..


Ludwigia curlies..


polygonum ruby


thanks for looking!!


----------



## Reckon

Those L. sp. reds are looking pretty awesome!

Do the curlies color up?

Oh yah, I've been looking for a nice midground plant as well. The R. Inundatulus seem pretty good. I wish they got a bit taller though. They sure like a lot of light, and they sure don't like getting moved around. Mine are finally getting settled.

Sameer, I was using a cheap fixture (Odyssea 3 bulb on my 50 gal tank) with Ge bulbs and I was still struggling with lighting. I just added a vertex led unit and I've seen big improvements. Now, I'm thinking of picking up another one to add to my lighting set up... One thing I learned is yes don't over do it with lights as per Tom Barr's advice but still gotta give the right intensity to see plant health and coloration. Leds are ridiculously expensive but it will certainly help with needing to change bulbs. I figure that they pay for themselves with 1 bulb change.


----------



## Jiinx

Hi Reckon, sorry I didn't realize you had posted. The curlies colour up a bit near the top ..a soft baby pink in the middle of their crowns. 

Sameer - I don't think local stores are able to get plants that hobbyists trade easily. Permits..etc. I asked big als, as one of their providers is tropica, but they can't get the minis in. I just ended up getting from PT hobbyist.


----------



## Jiinx

Updated photos..

I didn't focus on the rams and got the plants instead..still able to see the ram's colours beautifully.



Another shot..



Placed some red splash of colour on the right side of my tank now..a. reinecki mini/



here's my FTS..



I have a gaping hole in the middle as I took out some plants and re-arranged them. I'm still struggling with the back of my tank. I can't find a way to make it look neat and tidy. My foreground is fine..my mid ground is okay. My back just looks a bit chaotic.

I've increased my ferts a tad as I've noticed my alternantherna variegated is looking a bit washed out. Plus I'm getting GDA on the glass and on plants.

that's all for now! thanks for looking. Any suggestions or comments is very welcomed and appreciated.


----------



## GAT

very nice tank. Where did you get the ludwiga red and the reinecki mini?


----------



## Jiinx

GAT said:


> very nice tank. Where did you get the ludwiga red and the reinecki mini?


Hi Gat! Thank you so much for the kind words.

I got them from hobbyists in the states - namely off PTF.


----------



## greg

*Awesome Tank!*

Picked up some plants today from Jiinx and had a chance to view the tank in person. It looks amazing. The diversity of plants is unbelievable and they are all so nicely arranged in the tank.

Some great fish too! Really liked the Scarlet Badis


----------



## Jiinx

*Update*

Hello!
I haven't done much of an update as I haven't gotten new plants.

I picked up some beautiful signifers and (hopefully) Dicrossus maculatus over the weekend. I'll have to wait for the maculatus to grow and see their finnage over the next couple of months! 

I've been scaping and moving plants around a lot in hopes to create some sort of organization ..let me know how I'm doing?

I moved the Belems from the forefront left to midground right. I took out a bit of driftwood from my scape to make room ..plus I want to start another tank and place the driftwood in there.



My dicrossus filamentosus males have grown up. They are so stunning. Amazing fishes.





Middle of tank shot:


I moved my persicaria K to the left side and using it more as a midground plant rather than a side plant that grows tall.


FTS:


----------



## Jiinx

greg said:


> Picked up some plants today from Jiinx and had a chance to view the tank in person. It looks amazing. The diversity of plants is unbelievable and they are all so nicely arranged in the tank.
> 
> Some great fish too! Really liked the Scarlet Badis


You're too kind. Thank you for the wonderful visit.


----------



## Sameer

You're background is on the right track, its being filled. But everything is the same colour, a little pale. Sorry Im being such a critic with your tank  You need blood red coloured plants in there (from what I see at least). I have the Rotala Macranda 'Japan Red' and Rotala Mini Butterfly and they are amazing. DEEP RED and brilliant pink colours. Its really strong and they dont get big and annoying. I think you will love them. Even the Sao Paulo (not sure of the name) is the miniature version of the Ammannia Garcilis. Beautiful dark red. A.G is one of my all time favourites. When its small and depending on your nutrients, its bright pink. As it matures and nutrients are fulfilled, its dark, lust red. You can even see the soft yellow on the new leafs that are coming out. 

Enough babbling, its a great tank.


----------



## jart

Are you using any substrate additives?


----------



## Jiinx

sameer - thank you. I need that feedback ..I didn't realize how green and yellow my middle was until you pointed it out. Yes, I will take you up on your offers for rotalas! I'm not a big fan of rotala but if they do well in the background....I'll be happy to try!

jart, I use root tabs. Lots of them. Ones with iron and ones with micros.


----------



## Jiinx

I did two water changes this week. My tank was filling with mulm and the plants started looking dirty. I was a bit concerned so I did two water changes with a couple days lapse in between. I've decided to change my co2 output a bit next week and see how that reflects on plant growth.

Anyhoo, here's the updated FTS! I did a lot of trimming in the back of the tank. The middle part is long bc I'm going to transfer the cuttings to my s. american tank next week so I'll let it grow for now.


----------



## Fishfur

Pardon me while I drool. And while the plants are gorgeous, every time I see this I am drawn to the lovely lines of the wood. Don't know how you managed it, but I doubt they could be better arranged than they are.


----------



## jart

I Emailed you about this plant earlier. It's the one that extends diagonally, from the bottom right. It seems to a be a fast growing plant. Odd shaped leaves. Very nice contrasting color.

Always nice to see a collection of difficult plants with fish that are a bit on the delicate side. Do you tinker a lot with your CO2? And what's the fish on the far left?


----------



## Jiinx

Karen, thank you so kindly for your sweet comments! How have your plants been doing? 
I'd love to get some oak leaves from you  I'll be getting the cones and almond leaves from angel fins.

jart - I -think- you mean persicaria ruby? The ones that drops and grows sideways? I can't see which other one you may mean...


----------



## Jiinx

Hello!
I managed to take some new photos this morning. I was pretty psyched to share them with you all because, well, I haven't managed to get green plants to go pink before!

Here's my attempt with nesaea crassicaulis. When I walk past the tank, I'm really drawn to this plant. It's bigm no doubt but I've never had such healthy growth before! I'm a proud mama!

I'm still working with the camera and trying to improve so please ignore the bluriness and dullness! I need to get a flash and tripod going to show you how beautiful these colours really are!


I had my alternanthera ocipus in the back where it was getting hit by a lot of flow..needless to say, it didn't do too well! In its new spot - it's gotten even pinkier! It's quite a pretty plant. I think it's one of my first plants from Cris that managed to last through the infestation of all algae.



I think this is such a beautiful soft coloured plant..ludwigia inclinata sp. "red", I believe..it's not so red with me but I'll take what I can get! 


a new addition to the tank..rotala indica "true" or ammania bonsai as it was called



Bacopa Colorata. Not the biggest deal of a plant, but, for the first time in my tank - it's got pinky tops! wooooot


AND talking about firsts, first time my cuba has pinky tops too! It's so beautiful..looks like the sun a bit! the hyptis difformis in the back went from being pink to turning a deep shade of maroon. crazy.



Funny enough with all the focus on my plants, I didn't manage a FTS! I'll guess you'll all have to come back and check out the thread tomorrow!


----------



## Sameer

owww how did you manage to make it go red??? You know thats one of my primary goals  the patanal is lime yellowish in my tank with red stems.

Also, you have the true indica???? Thats a really nice plant  Its the next rotala along with sunset on my list. Man the plant list never stops 

Hows the tank looking as a whole? I think you mentioned you were going another route?


----------



## Reckon

Nice! The plants look super healthy! I've had success with L. Cuba's pink colors with high co2, and high po4. That plant really likes growing fast.

How fast does the Inclinata sp. red grow for you? Mine was great with color but grew about 3-4" per day! I tried putting it in a lower light tank and it just slowly shrunk and melted away


----------



## Fishfur

Slurp,.. oh dear, I really do need to start wearing a bib when I look at pics of plants like these. Too hard not to drool.
Need I say, gorgeous !!


----------



## Jiinx

Sameer - did you mean the cuba that you got from me? It was greeny yellow for me too. I changed my co2 from an inline to a reactor ..perhaps that's the difference. I can't tell you that I've done anything else different. I've increased my lights by 15 minutes and dosing a bit more potassium than I used to! I do have a fts..I did change up a bit of it and made it more tidier but it still looks messy. A work in progress  

Hi Reckon! I think I trouble shot my co2 reactor. I'm still a bit wary/iffy about it..hmm but I don't see any ill effects as of yet..

Karen, thank you for the kind compliment!


----------



## Sameer

Yes I meant the cuba, they all look so similar to each other. Im glad the cuba is still compact in my tank, unlike my aromatica. The length/width(horizontal) of one leaf of my aromatica equals the entire length of my cuba, but I guess it will get just as big? I see that in your pic.

Thats amazing how much co2 can make a difference, Tom Barr is right when he posts in every thread, "co2 co2 co2".

Its nice to see you have so many species growing at once, must be alot of trimming. How do you find the space to plant them again?

Is that an ammannia garcilis I see at the bottom left (right behind the wood)? Its one of my favs. Ive had it for 2 years and through all types of abuse, its lived through and given me the most beautiful colours known to plants  I dont have it anymore  

Have you considered a ph co2 controller? Ever since I got one, life been sooooooooo much easier and less stressful. I did a 24 hour co2 test and my default ph is 8.0 and I have my ph set at 6.0. Which means I have 60 ppm co2 (I think).


----------



## Reckon

Wow, that's an awesome FTS. I'll bet it looks even better in person. Pictures never do it justice. 
Sameer, I'll bet that plant you are pointing out is the nesaea crassicaulis she was talking about. 
I'm injecting 3 bubbles per second into my 50gal. Lots of CO2 is definitely the way to go. I now only introduce fish into my tank at night.


----------



## Sameer

Reckon said:


> Wow, that's an awesome FTS. I'll bet it looks even better in person. Pictures never do it justice.
> Sameer, I'll bet that plant you are pointing out is the nesaea crassicaulis she was talking about.
> I'm injecting 3 bubbles per second into my 50gal. Lots of CO2 is definitely the way to go. I now only introduce fish into my tank at night.


wow the nesaea looks very very similar to ammannia.


----------



## Jiinx

Sameer, yes you're right. They do look similar. I pulled out my ammania bc it wasn't growing well.

I went a little overboard and bought a few new varieties of plants. 

I'm also going to try a NWP to get my co2 into the tank. A little bit of DIY on my part...wish me luck! Greg, if you're reading this - I just have to try it out 



Here's my FTS after planting tonight. All my fast growers have been sent to the back. Yes, sameer, no background yet 



p.s. I have a ton of alternantherna mini variegated if anyone wants to purchase some. I got them from a friend's tank so they probably have snails and they have some thread algae on the older leaves.


----------



## charlie1

Nice looking tank.
I look forward to your updates on your new approach to CO2 diffusion, I have been considering this for a bit.
Regards


----------



## Sameer

You have too many foreground plants  The dense mini carpet looks really nice.

The co2 diffusion is done by the pump? I had my co2 going into my ph before, sent out really nice stream of tiny bubbles. My tank was always cloudy with them and it was effective but wasted alot of co2. Ever since I did the diy Rex's co2 diffusion method its been amazing. My container isnt long enough so I still get bubble wastage, but it takes less than 30 minutes to drop my ph from 7.3 to 6.1!!

I hope the pump works for you, I guess itl be in the tank?

What new plants did you get from US? Not only do you have multi tank syndrome but you also have gazzilion plant specie syndrome  The tanks looks really nice, all those species really work out.

Your background is still waaay better than my newspaper background  So I wont say much.


----------



## Canadianbettas

Jynx can you pm the plants you gave to me  I'm trying to look them up lol

nice tank btw... looks so nice..


----------



## Jiinx

Sameer,  you make me laugh. It's like I can hear the words you're saying because you're typing as you speak - you're so frank and tell it how it is! haha!

Yes, I have lots of foreground plants. Whattodo. I love them. And I have way too many plants for this small tank but I love them! 

The couple stems that I can think of, at the top of my head, are rotala sunset and ludwigia suffruticosa which is a foreground plant - yes, can you imagine? ANOTHER foreground plant. It's a creeping one..turns pink in high light but is staying light green for me. And rotala, well, drool, it's pretty. 

Charlie, thank you for checking in. My NWP is doing a good job so far.

Yes, my NWP is in the tank. I was going to place it outside but the thought of another in and outlet outside of the tank does not bode well with the hubby. So I managed to place all the gear inside. 

Here are some pics! Enjoy! 
***

I have this love/hate relationship with apistos. They are so sweet and so vicious at the same time. My female fire red has decided to bully everything that comes into her "space". She's taken on my apisto inkas and decided to pick a fight with them trailing half way across the tank. sigh. Either she's breeding or she's just mighty territorial.



please bear with me while I overwhelm you with my checkerboards. They are and continue to be my favourite fishes.



hey, what's happening in the minuta..


my two males sparring..these pictures don't give these beauties justice. 


my inka male




Just taking a stroll..


pair of rainbows 


signifer rainbow..


My scarlet dario..


Latest edition to my tank..
syngonanthus uaupes and syngonanthus madeira


rotala sunset


My left side..need to make this a bit more organized..needs trimming/plucking..



My top left..


And FTS..


----------



## Canadianbettas

Hmm how long did it take you to grow that minuta?

Mine is growing and spreading runners but not as fast as I would like it to LOL
I guess its a slow growing plant...


----------



## Jiinx

Hi Kevin, the new growth of the mm took some time. I can't remember how long exactly but I was wondering when it would start to grow rapidly as well. It takes some time to establish the root systems and then once it gets going it shouldn't be too long for your carpet to establish.


----------



## Jiinx

*Needle Wheel Pump Questions*

Hi All, 
For those who are interested in knowing about co2 diffusion through NWP..my friend Don helped me out by answering my questions. His write up can be found here: 

http://hydraforum.com/forum/needle-wheel-pump-questions

1. Picture #1: This is my CO2 tank. You notice the clear CO2 line, just like you probably have, leading from the bubble counter down the side and going towards the mess of other cords and tubes at the bottom. Hey, I'm good at this, but I never claimed to be organized!! Out of sight, out of mind, right?









2. Picture #2: Here, you see the CO2 tubing leading to a check valve, which is connected to some bigger tubing. The "bigger tubing" leads to the pump intake, which is a little difficult to see. It's that black cylinder looking thing, just above and right of center, to the left of the blue towel and the *********** cord.









Point: Water from the tank is being sucked in through a normal-looking filter intake, into the "bigger tubing" where CO2 is injected into the water from the CO2 tubing which is connected to the CO2 tank. The water and CO2 is being sucked towards the pump intake.

3. Picture #3: Here is a GREAT picture of my arm. Haha! Well, it's good enough to illustrate my point, though. I'm holding the pump by the intake "cylinder." The cylinder is an optional accessory that can be added if you would like, and has a straining mechanism that fits inside of it. It's the same idea as when you pour spaghetti noodles and hot water into a colander to allow the water to pass through, and keep the noodles.

In any event, from there the water and CO2 bubble go into the pump housing where the impeller "chops" the CO2 bubbles into a fine mist. The water and CO2 mist is then forced out through the top (where the orange tape is), and into outflow tubing (right of the orange tape).










4. Picture #4: Here is the outflow tubing leading back up to the tank, carrying the water and CO2 mist. It is put back into the tank through a normal-looking spray bar.










5. Here is the Pump that I used (I think). As you can see, it is an ordinary pond pump. The "633" I think only refers to Gallons Per Hour (GHP) rating is all.










6. Here is a "close up" of JUST the pump, minus any tubing. Water is sucked into the inlet at the front via the impeller mechanism, and then forced out through the top of the pump. Notice what the impeller looks like in this picture.

Water goes in, water goes out. The magic is the impeller.









7. Now take a look at these impellers. They are all different type of needle wheel impellers. The mission is to chop up gas bubbles (CO2 or oxygen) into really fine mists so they can dissolve into the water and be utilized by an organism, such as a plant or fish. These are also known as "fractionating impellers"!









Here's the one that I have:









Look at this dude!:









THE ONLY PART THAT MAKES A PUMP A NEEDLE WHEEL PUMP IS THE NEEDLE WHEEL IMPELLER!!

8. Here is the process in a picture form. This is a Venturi type of needle wheel pump. They use a "venturi" connection instead of a check valve for the introduction of the gas, in this case "oxygen." Simply put, the injection port is built into an intake nozzle; this is referred to as a Venturi "port" or connection. There is no specific pro or con to a Venturi based pump; it does the same thing as a check valve.

In any event, the only difference between what is shown in the picture below and my system is that in the illustration, the pump is inside the tank doing it thing (fractionating O2 into a super-saturated mist), and with mine, I have it outside of the tank. I bring water from the tank, introduce CO2 bubbles, both water and bubbles go into the pump where the needle wheel impeller creates a CO2 mist+water, and flows out through tubing back into the tank via a spray bar. That is it. Nothing complicated, and very easy to put together.

Here is a link to some pumps that already have the appropriate fractionating (needle wheel) impeller inside. I ended up having to buy two different impellers and two different pumps because I couldn't figure out what sized pump to purchase with a certain sized impeller. So, I over-spent, which I never like doing, but these things happen. Anyhow, here's the link:

http://www.azponds.com/New_webpages/New_air_pumps.html

Scroll down to the PondMaster Supreme Air Fractionating Water Pond Pump. It could be a good option for you (and me). Or, research something else that you think would be better, by all means!!

Don[/QUOTE]


----------



## Jiinx

*Update!*

Hi everyone!
Wow, I have so much catching up to do! My family got hit with the stomach bug. We're all healthy now 

I rinsed my two filters on Friday. My 2215 Eheim has a 2217 impeller in it. I find that this one has A LOT of mulm. I think I'll need to do bi monthly changes. I also was wondering if I should do two weekly water changes (by water changes, I mean to clean up the mulm and the water that will come with it).

Anyways, as a result of, I think, the mulm and clog in my filters - I got algae  So I cleaned that all up and lo and behold, growth is healthy and happy again.

Ranunculus inundatus. I love how this looks. Spooky looking plant but so captivating at the same time. Perfect plant for this time of year 


Got this ludwigia hybrid (ludwigias are banned in Canada now? ) from a fellow hobbyist. Ludwigia grandulosa x palustris



My female apisto has not moved from this area since two weeks ago.



My sunset! I'm so happy I have this plant! *proud smile*



My nesaea


My only toninas that are doing strinkingly well!



Anyone know what this plant is?



My FTS



I'm having problems, at times, with plant pigmentation. What can cause a run out of colour? Like someone scratched the surface of the leaf? I find this happening with my persicaria k and rotala macranda.



That's it for now! thanks for looking!


----------



## Jiinx

Here's my new scape...

Happy New Years everyone 
I haven't updated for awhile bc my tank went through a series of GSA or GDA or both. I'd rather BBA by far as I can get rid of that bugger with high co2 and h2o2. This stuff? It sticks around like a bad cold.

Anyhoo, here are some updated photos. You'll notice the healthy growth at the top. Enjoy!

Rotala Indica 'True'



ludwigia sphaerocarpa



row of toninas


row of toninas by Jiinx1197, on Flickr

some rotala florida and cuphea



ludwigia tornado





FTS Dec 31


----------



## jimmyjam

Nice bud,, looks like you have been collecting quite a few species of plants.. The tank looks like a huge collection of different species. And you know we both love that Checker board, My fav cichlid by far. I hope they breed.


----------



## Yann

Real nice stuff!
Great Apisto collection you've amassed, they have a lovely looking home! 
I'm really digging that Ludwigia tornado too; haven't seen that before.
May your tanks prosper in the new year!


----------



## Norman

Gorgeous work on your tank, it's looks beautiful! An inspiration...


----------



## sig

despite I have other preferences, I must admit that this tank is beautiful 

*100% free webcam site! | Awesome chicks and it is absolutely free! | Watch free live sex cam - easy as 1-2-3*


----------



## luda2001

you have a beautiful tank I hope mine looks as nice as yours once I get mine started


----------



## default

It's like manhattan in a fish tank! So diverse with so much colour and various heights. Love the species you got in there, the rare plants are wicked and those dwarfs cichlids are looking really good.


----------



## kyle

Love the tank. Keep the updates coming.

How did you find adding the extra 2 bulbs over your tank??


----------



## Jiinx

Thanks everyone  Your comments and thoughts are so appreciated. I'm so proud of what I've done and been able to accomplish..

Having said that, I may have to hang up my high planted tank. It's simply consuming my entire free time (trimming, and algae combats, and meticulous cleaning I do) so I may turn my tank into a riparium with crypts and bruces below and plants above...


----------



## jimmyjam

riparium sounds like a awesome idea. I might do one soon as well.


----------



## jart

Just had another look at your most recent pics. Great looking tank... plants are awesome and love your taste in fish. Not sure what happened to your NW pics though... Hope the tank is continuing to do well!


----------



## greg

Jiinx said:


> ... I may have to hang up my high planted tank. It's simply consuming my entire free time (trimming, and algae combats, and meticulous cleaning I do) so I may turn my tank into a riparium with crypts and bruces below and plants above...


I wonder if part of the culprit for the excessive amount of work is all the stem plants you have in the tank. I would agree that a well maintained tank filled with stem plants is very beautiful. However, I cannot help but notice that many of the beautiful tanks filled with stems seem to have their plant layout changed drastically every few months. Correct me if I'm wrong but I think there is a lot of topping and replanting and replacing stems plants being done to these tanks.

As a result of my desire to have many planted tanks, I've gradually transitioned away from stem plants due to the work required and am now favouring crypts. I spend a maximum of 1 hour a month on any one planted tank and even then most of the work revolves around the few stems I still have in them - trimming, topping and replanting etc. I expect my newest tank - my crypt tank, which is not hooked up to an automatic water change system will take about 10-15 minutes per week to maintain - this includes, vacuuming, water change, trimming when necessary, fertilizing, cleaning filters, and cleaning the front glass. If so it will probably replace my endler tank as my favourite. Funny how the tanks with lush growth requiring minimal work are my favourites 

My only other tip to minimize the workload is to go with low to medium light levels.

Ripariums are great - I have a friend in Kitchener who has created a beautiful one. However, I believe they are more work than a planted tank filled with non-stem plants and kept under low/medium light.


----------



## pyrrolin

I have also moved away from stem plants in my display tanks. My newest display tank a 20 long has hair grass, glossostigma, crypts, java fern, anubias and spiral vals.

Stem plants are just too much work for me but I did start with them to see plants grow fast and fill tanks faster. I have learned some patience and now have more plants available to me in my tanks so I can be more picky.


----------



## charlie1

greg said:


> I wonder if part of the culprit for the excessive amount of work is all the stem plants you have in the tank. I would agree that a well maintained tank filled with stem plants is very beautiful. However, I cannot help but notice that many of the beautiful tanks filled with stems seem to have their plant layout changed drastically every few months. Correct me if I'm wrong but I think there is a lot of topping and replanting and replacing stems plants being done to these tanks.
> 
> As a result of my desire to have many planted tanks, I've gradually transitioned away from stem plants due to the work required and am now favouring crypts. I spend a maximum of 1 hour a month on any one planted tank and even then most of the work revolves around the few stems I still have in them - trimming, topping and replanting etc. I expect my newest tank - my crypt tank, which is not hooked up to an automatic water change system will take about 10-15 minutes per week to maintain - this includes, vacuuming, water change, trimming when necessary, fertilizing, cleaning filters, and cleaning the front glass. If so it will probably replace my endler tank as my favourite. Funny how the tanks with lush growth requiring minimal work are my favourites
> 
> *My only other tip to minimize the workload is to go with low to medium light levels.*
> Ripariums are great - I have a friend in Kitchener who has created a beautiful one. However, I believe they are more work than a planted tank filled with non-stem plants and kept under low/medium light.


Great tip Greg, choice of stems & light control makes all the difference.
choice of stems with a slower growth , reacts well to trimming and with good control of light intensity to retard growth is the trick.
Think of the light intensity as the plant`s gas pedal 
Regards


----------



## jimmyjam

For sure Stem plants are high maintenance. I find they require even more trimming in moderate lighting tanks that are well dosed/co2, as they reach for light, their internodes increase in distance. 
So it does all come down to what kind of tank you want to keep. Do you just like to keep plants in your tank, or do you like to aquascape. Aquascaping and keeping plants in the tank are two different stories, and should be treated as so. The question I like to ask my colleagues is if they get more excited about the plants that they will be putting into a new tank, or the type of fish that will go into it. For me, the fish comes after I decide how Im going to scape the tank. The fish is always secondary to my scape. And I really enjoy scaping my tanks... but water changes are still a bitch lol.

The benefits of stem plants is that they suck up a crap load of nutrients in a high lit /fert/co2 tank to help keep the algae down. But the downside is the instability when you trim. I always have to readjust my co2, ferts etc after a big trim. And yes Greg your absolutely right, its way more work, but man are dutch style tanks ever bad ass eg http://img808.imageshack.us/img808/8446/partition1.jpg



greg said:


> I wonder if part of the culprit for the excessive amount of work is all the stem plants you have in the tank. I would agree that a well maintained tank filled with stem plants is very beautiful. However, I cannot help but notice that many of the beautiful tanks filled with stems seem to have their plant layout changed drastically every few months. Correct me if I'm wrong but I think there is a lot of topping and replanting and replacing stems plants being done to these tanks.
> 
> As a result of my desire to have many planted tanks, I've gradually transitioned away from stem plants due to the work required and am now favouring crypts. I spend a maximum of 1 hour a month on any one planted tank and even then most of the work revolves around the few stems I still have in them - trimming, topping and replanting etc. I expect my newest tank - my crypt tank, which is not hooked up to an automatic water change system will take about 10-15 minutes per week to maintain - this includes, vacuuming, water change, trimming when necessary, fertilizing, cleaning filters, and cleaning the front glass. If so it will probably replace my endler tank as my favourite. Funny how the tanks with lush growth requiring minimal work are my favourites
> 
> My only other tip to minimize the workload is to go with low to medium light levels.
> 
> Ripariums are great - I have a friend in Kitchener who has created a beautiful one. However, I believe they are more work than a planted tank filled with non-stem plants and kept under low/medium light.


----------



## pyrrolin

I had lost interest in the fish for a while but have made a come back. I think the biggest thing was my ability to buy some new fish for a while


----------

