# 25 Gallon Tank Journal



## Sunstar

Perhaps I will start one.. although I don't have any pics, today was a hell day for me in the tank.










By hell, I mean, I was fertilising my tank yesterday and four of the tabs burst forth out the gravel/sand and polluted the water. I woke up this morning to not being able to look into the tank, it was so cloudy and brown. With me, panic sets in really rapidly when pets and animal life is concerned. I did a water change, boiled up more beach sand to sterilise it, and did another water change, adding the sand to the tank to cover the exposed tabs.

I am using an under gravel filter. I have heard mixed feelings about this, but my substrate is piled on pretty thick on this. Due to the issue with the fertiliser, I hauled out some of my other filters to get into place... Problem two noticed. Dead Danio.

I was not happy to find this and I could barely see the fish due to murky water. This fish appeared to be having problems prior to the tank problem. Not sure what was up, but you could see a bring red area in his chest, like it was see through and you can see his/her heart. The body was removed.

Problem three noted when I went to set up the filter. Not enough space between the back of the tank and wall. Every aquarium bucket I had was called into service. I drained out 20 gallons from the tank, leavng barely 4 inches of water on the substrate for the fish to swim. Even claude, the chameleon shrimp, came out to wonder what I was up to.

My husband had left for work and my lunch was going cold and I am trying to carefully move the tank a little bit away from the wall. I did this and set a small flat rock under the one stand foot to use as a shim. My floors are not even for some reason.

Slowly I filled the tank up, litre by litre until the water level was back to normal. One bucket of water had to be drained as it was in my mop bucket and I did not wish to hurt fish with whatever horrible chemicals would leech out into the water. So water change #3 was done.

The water was still cloudy, I got the filter up and running with two carbons in it, well one has that stone stuff that helps remove ammonia mixed in the carbon. 6 hours later, the water was crystal clear once more and everyone looks pretty happy again.

I am using a home made co2 system. I am ordering a unit for dispensing the co2, the long tube with the spiral in it.

I currently have about 7 plant types in my aquarium two are actually "wild caught".

Amazon Sword
Cryptocoryne
Glossostigma
A bulb plant who's name escapes me.
Java Moss (although I may need a better specimen) 
American Val (jungle val) which is wild. It floated past me while I was at the lake so I took it home.
And some wild spiky plant who's name is unknown

I am looking for Java Fern, Java Moss or any real pretty moss. I am taken by Christmas moss and Singapore moss. I would like to do a moss wall and get something really lush and pretty going. Currently it looks sort of Meh, and my one cryptocoryne keeps uprooting itself. I just hope to heck I got it replanted in a nice spot now.

Fish....

I got a bunch. I am sort of losing count as the creatures decided to breed right away.

I started with:

6 Zebra Danio, one died today.
3 Rainbow Platy and 5 of their babies.
2 Ghost Shrimp
1 Chameleon Shrimp ((sold as blue tiger) These are apparently aggressive and I need to watch this one) I love this thing to bits. "claude"

The ghost shrimp died after a week. Which bites because I rather like shrimp, but shrimp are sensitive to changes in water chemistry and I probably lost them during some ammonia spikes.

After three days the Rainbow Platy had babies. Then a few days later, I was doing a water change and I sucked up about a dozen Zebra Danio Fry. I put them into the 5 gallon tank with the water and fed them finely powered fish flake. I still have most of those. They're about a cm long and look like fish. Any others of the Zebra Danio must have been eaten by the others. It happens and a tank my size cannot support a huge fish population without going off.

I recently got a false Siamese algae eater to control some of the algae that is forming.

I need to research about the algae a bit more. I am familiar with several types

green spot,
green water
*green beard
*blue green (slime)
*black beard algae (BBA)

The last three I have had for sure. So far not three green water and I haven't had spot as far as I can tell. Black Beard is problematic as I would need a true Siamese algae eater to combat it. I remove the plant that has BBA on it as soon as I spot it.

Other pests that I am aware of, although it seems to not be too bad are:

Snails
leech (Primus I hope something ate it)
some nematodes. 
Loose strands of my hair... I keep pulling this stuff out, but I am sure it spawns in there.









His right claw has become very hairy.

Anyway, I will hopefully get new pics soon. the Aquarium pic is just over a week old now.


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## Calmer

This should help you with algae identification: http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/algae.htm


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## Ciddian

Oohh is that a photo of claude there??  He totally reminds me of a huge freshwater prawn at the zoo...
http://rmbr.nus.edu.sg/biodiversitii/bio/fw_prawn.html

I think the tank looks lovely.. I am sorry to hear you had sucha hard start


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## Chris S

Got a picture of that wild spiky plant?


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## Sunstar

I just took a pic... the glosso is still trying to grow in and the emmersed stuff is dying off.









wild spikey stuff that was ensared with the val. Its not big, but it has grown. As I said, it keeps uprooting.









this is the wild val, new leaf growing. Platy ate the dying stuff.


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## Chris S

Not really sure what that is to be honest.


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## Sunstar

When it gets larger and fills out, maybe we can get an idea then. Its a very hollow stem, sort of like...oh for the love of primus... its a plant that looks really primitive, horse tails? is that the name??


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## ameekplec.

Probably something like hornwort or foxtail or a similar plant. The nodules and the fact that it loves to float points to something like that.


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## Sunstar

I want to make a notation here that I am starting to notice growth with the Multitude of Amazon swords I have. They're starting to grow longer. I added some fert tabs, and those that did not explode, seem to have been a happy addition.

Edit:

I am prepairing for the incoming plants I am getting from ameekplec. I removed some of my amazon sword and transfered it to my fry tank. I have about 18 of thoseplants, some didn't do well in where I had them before. Others had incredible healthy white root systems. I am looking forward to the new plants, planning where some will go. Some will be on moveable drift wood. Some will be on static driftwood.... Java moss.. I got a multitude of uses for, depending on how much I get will depend if I can execute these ideas. I want to make a moss wall backdrop and side drop for the 5 and 25 gallon. The danio fry in my 5 gallon are doing well, but my platy fry in the 25 gallon seem to be posturing and fighting. Very odd activity. I think every platy is female in there. I am thinking of getting a male sunburst wag though.

I took pics today.









My Algae eater I named Tsunami and a little platy fry.










glosso is comming in, removed plants from central area, I may move more later.

Final edit for the day....

I got a pair of Sunburst wags. One is male, one is female, I think. I got the sunburst wags because, I have a fan char named Sunburst... it appealed to me. Anyway, they are me "centerpeice" fish I think. Named them Sunstorm (male) Sunburst (fe?male)


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## Chris S

I like your setup, will look great when it grows in.


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## Sunstar

My new plants are in town on delivery so, I am hoping to have my setup more full by this evening and new pictures. 

I never mentioned I have two hood lights, 20 W each and a compact flouressent clamp on the back. Which I think is around 13 watts, could be more.


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## Sunstar

I've planted most of everything except a bucket load of java moss. One really does not need a whole lot of this stuff. I am still needing to find ideas to work with it. Really, I need to get hold of some plastic mesh to make a wall.


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## Sunstar

I added my driftwood and I have it tethered and weighted in one spot. I had to move an Apo bulb out of the way for now. Anyway, I got a sucktion cup wired to the back of the wood and one part is in the substraight...or will be once it gets fully water logged. The other part is touching a rock and the one end is into the front right hand corner. I have bound it with Java moss, a couple very small Java ferns and an experemential small crypt in one spot.

Right now, the tank looks super tacky with the wire teathering the rooty thing to the sandstone and the out of place rose quartz weight. but soon, I hope to have those removed. Also the tacky thread, which is partly polyester/cotton, so I will have to remove it myself when the time comes.

I hope the driftwood slime/fungus problem doesn't get too bad. Some wood gets it, some wood doesn't. Not sure why that is. I got this awesome chunk of beaver chewed wood that went all funky. I removed it to dry it out again. I like it.










I probably will remove the sandstone.. Not sure if I will or not, depends on what others think. 
I want my fish to have ample room to live, of if removing it helps in that respect, I am all for it. And the planting area would be well received I think. I need to take a nighttime shot. daytime sucks.


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## Sunstar

Earthdate: 08.07.08
Subject: Waterchange and minor tinkerage and future trades...

I should have levelled the tripod...so shoot me.










Minor adjustment to the tank. I did a water change this evening, and I removed the rock, used the suction cup and a clear band to adhere it to the wood and buried the end. I will remove the wire sometime eventually. Just know it's coated and is NOT COPPER.

Claude is getting pretty big, he's doing moults almost once a week. He moulted the other day and came out looking almost more blue than ever. His antenna span is something like 4 inches tip to tip and he is a good inch and ¾ long. Big boy, and is pretty happy. I do hope he'll forgive me when he gets moved.

I am seeing growth on most of everything. I am not sure about Java fern growth. The Java moss has little emerald coloured bud-like growths starting, the lotus is unfolding its second new leaf, the Val is growing new leaves and the snails are snailing... I am thrilled that the glosso appears to be doing the crawl along the sand, rather than grow upward. I hope it stays that way.

Just to point out in the picture, there is a green rock to the lower left hand side of the tank. That is a "fry cave" Occasionally the fry swim into it and can't be got at by anyone. I am hoping the moss will wiggle down into it and cover the entrances better.

I will have some danio fry soon available. I want to keep one or two. Give them about two weeks more at least, they'll be 6 weeks old then. If anyone is interested in those, I am looking for cherry shrimp or some plants. Prefer the shrimp. I might have some Platy fry too. I want to keep a couple, but I am getting a few young mollies off my sister, so the fry may have to find new homes rather than crowed the tank. They are so cute!!! PM me. The blurry orange mark in the middle is a platy fry.

Edit: Just a note to mention that I have Mondo grass growing in a pot hanging off the back of the Aquarium. The roots are submerged and the plant is in open air. It's doing quite well. I've got java moss tied to the pot to hide it as well as covering the pot surface. I bought it almost two months ago and it was sold to me as an underwater plant. After I learned that it wasn't I yoinked it up, and potted it. Just a note.


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## Sunstar

I think I have a heavy bio-load at the moment. My platys are 6 weeks old and need homes. I got a honking huge molly, hiding right in the corner under the co2 diffuser. I have another young molly the same size as my young platys. I think I may have to part with those two, I really don't feel comfortable with their overall size in my tank. feels wrong, know what I mean? I don't want to hurt it. Poor thing seems terrified, when I was drip acclimatising it, the thing jumped out of the bucket. Definitely an  moment.

I think things are filling out, at least in the java moss department. Also it appears that there are plantlets starting to form all over the java ferns. Growth has been slow but Ameekplec seems to think it is more of a transplant shock than anything. I felt that the bulb was past its prime as it was a reptile bulb I used for a few years on both my Iguana and little chameleon. So that has been replaced with a flora-glo. Incredibly pink light.

I have had to move a couple plants around as A: Claude digs them up. B: I knocked them out when I took the wire off the wood. Yeah, see that? No more unsightly wire. The only thing left is threads, and clear plastic tie things that hold toys in their packages. I am still thinking something bushy is needed. Not sure what. I was thinking of that Carbombya or whatever you call that plant.

Still waiting on my co2 diffuser. the one that arrived came in many little bits. So I got a refund. There is a small story here. Something that involves common sense. I think most people with even a fragment of a brain would realise that if you are shipping a fragile glass object across the ocean, you would choose to put the thing in a box with bubble wrap. Putting it in a bubble wrap envelope and expecting it to arrive in a single piece is rather... silly. If it does arrive in one piece it was luck more than anything. At least he refunded it. I bought from Aquatic Magic, I think that's the name. We shall see if they can ship something properly.

So I think things are starting to slowly get a move on now. Even the glosso is crawling around.


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## Sunstar

No pics at the moment, but I just got riccia, taiwan moss, Coffee leaf anubia, Chinese Ivy and a water lettuce. 

ANd I got one of those cool funky algae magnet scraper things.


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## Sunstar

Earthdate: 08.23.08
Subject: Plantage

New Photo, primarily of the big driftwood.










My brown algae problem is being demolished by that Zebra nerite. I cannot say enough good words about that snail. Boy is he efficient. I could not see the picture on the back of the tank last Monday, now it's clear. He's working on the log that's laying in the gravel. You can see where the snail's munched. Very efficient.

I finally got the pic, I will try to remember to do a full shot of the tank this evening. I still haven't got claude. he went into the trap, panicked and ran out. So I will have to wait a while before trying again, in hopes the cretin forgets. I love him... he's huge. It might be nice to get a pic of the beasty too when I have him out.

New plants in the tank currently are the Cardamine Lyrata, Anubias Baratie(please correct that spelling) I have more hygrophilia, I am thinking it is Sunset.

The moss has really taken off too. The furthest branch of that wood has the Taiwan moss, but it's still getting over the shock of being clipped, mailed and retied. I moved the riccia out of the main tank because I want it to get a chance to get a bit bigger before my insane fish get at it.

I had to take that branch out the other day, which was a pain in the afterburner. The suction cups I got, from the dollar store, kinda went weird. I had to use a better sucker to hold the branch to the back glass as it drifted up a little. However, that sucker is black and looks pretty good. The other end is deeply buried now.

I am really trying to get a dense growth going on so the shrimps have ample room to hide. As a matter of fact, I intend on locating some popular and oak leaves this autumn to add to the bottom of the tank. I realise this will release tanins. I will watch my acidity and whatnot. My tank is currently more on the alkaline side of things as it is and the water is quite hard. I just feel I want that look for the Aquarium

I am thinking I am getting a little blue green on the sand. Seems to have taken over a bit since the brown.

Also upon nosing, I am now starting to see true plant growth. Java ferns are making babies as well as growing new leaves. Lotus is growing still, I added a small 2mm thick of fert stake to the base of the lotus. What I discovered and this is rather interesting, in my books, is that the Java Fern leaf can still survive without being attached to its rhizome. As a matter of fact, I still had that big I got from Ameekplec laying around and inside was a leaf sprouting a baby. So the rogue leaves are sitting in the shrimp tank having babies. That almost seems to be my nursery. I got single leaf of duckweed in a cup hanging in the water. I can't grow duckweed; I never have been able and I want duckweed.

The Val is starting to send off runners, the Sag is growing, I think it will take off shortly. I moved the one crypt I had that refuses to stay planted and dropped it into the 5.5 gallon. Amazon swords are almost as large as their mother.

In the 5.5 gallon, I find the shrimps LOVE the water lettuce. They hang off the leaves.

I find I am typically a patient person, but with the tank I am so excited with my plant success that I am eager to see it really flourish. That is in part because I want my shrimps to have hiding holes. I think that is it for now.

Shrimps are transferred...









Claudette.


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## Sunstar

Night Pic added:


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## ameekplec.

I'm really glad you like the nerite. I'm not a huge fan of them, but they get the job done.

Good to see that you have plant growth now. Guess lighting wasn't a huge concern afterall. 

The ajav fern leaves will eventually die because they are not on a rhizome, but it takes about 3 or 4 months, in which time they usually have apical growth and put out a few plantlets before they peter out.

If you want more robust growth from the lotus, root tabs are good, but try to pull out the lotus from the substrate a bit. I find that it tends to do better that way.

Looking good! Keep it up


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## conix67

Nice looking tank! Somehow it looks a lot bigger than my 20G  

I have a Nerite in my 10G tank too, I like it a lot but it caused one problem so far. It has bulldozed its way through all my cotton threads holding down java moss and riccia on driftwood and rocks  

However, yours look fine so far, either you did a better job at tieing down the mosses or you got a Nerite with a different personality!


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## Sunstar

ameekplec. said:


> I'm really glad you like the nerite. I'm not a huge fan of them, but they get the job done.
> 
> Good to see that you have plant growth now. Guess lighting wasn't a huge concern afterall.
> 
> The ajav fern leaves will eventually die because they are not on a rhizome, but it takes about 3 or 4 months, in which time they usually have apical growth and put out a few plantlets before they peter out.
> 
> If you want more robust growth from the lotus, root tabs are good, but try to pull out the lotus from the substrate a bit. I find that it tends to do better that way.
> 
> Looking good! Keep it up


I think the light had a lot to do with it. things are growing a lot better, even my swords.

The lotus will be yoinked up a bit, I had to hold it down so the roots can take hold because it, like all my other plants, had this urge to go nomadic on me and roam around my tank at night. I am sure they're triffids....I've given the lotus some plant stake. I am avoiding tabs for a while since I had that horrible incident a few weeks ago where 4 tabs exploded and poluted my tank killing two fish. I got shrimps in here so I need to be careful. I am not sure how safe it is to add a capful of fert to the water collum now.



conix67 said:


> Nice looking tank! Somehow it looks a lot bigger than my 20G
> 
> I have a Nerite in my 10G tank too, I like it a lot but it caused one problem so far. It has bulldozed its way through all my cotton threads holding down java moss and riccia on driftwood and rocks
> 
> However, yours look fine so far, either you did a better job at tieing down the mosses or you got a Nerite with a different personality!


My thread is Polyester/cotton. Ergo, I may have to remove it myself. Some might be okay to leave. Well my tank is 25 G so its 5g larger on you. Someone on a different forum suggested the branchy root bit to give it height, maybe try that. I am so glad I did do that because it gives my tank a whole new level.


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## MrAL

Tank is looking great!


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## Sunstar

I pinched the tip off one hygro plant and cut a bit down on another hygro stem. I wish to promote some branching. Java moss looking good. Still watching for the blue-green algae. So far it has not sprung back in any large amount...knock on driftwood.

Elastics snapped on the end of the driftwood, I removed them but the one fern was not very stuck, so I using a wooden peg to hold it in the meantime. All other algae is minimal, may have some staghorn.

I added a fresh co2 yeast bottle in. I change it weekly.


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## Calmer

The powerhead on the UGF that's passing air bubbles through the ventura will probably diffuse out most of the co2 that you are putting into the tank. You are not passing the DIY co2 through the powerhead ventura; are you?  Probably the airline at the right is your co2 line? If you close off the ventura then more water will pass through the PH and UGF and a better chance to keep it sweet under the plates.
The crypt wendtii at the front of the driftwood will fill in nicely as it likes to travel under the gravel. Sometimes travel so much that you will need to pull some out on a regular basis but it is a nice plant. I like the looks of the tank as it is well set out proportionately.


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## Sunstar

I am unclear what you are saying here... _If you close off the ventura then more water will pass through the PH and UGF and a better chance to keep it sweet under the plates._

I put the airflow back on as a way to combat the BGA. I'd prefer to not use it. the right hand airline is the co2, it goes to a bubblestone...for now. I got a ladder coming...sometime this century I hope.


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## Calmer

Ahh okay sorry.
With the ventura capped there is more water passing through the undergravel filter and less chances of dead spots where anaerobic bacteria will colonize producing methane as a byproduct. It's a catch 22 situation. Maybe trying it with the air on may help.


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## Sunstar

I yoinked the ventura out for a bit. See if things are calming down. the glosso has stayed mostly planted now. I been having to replant about a quarter of it a day for hte past several... and finally only a few bits drifted up.


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## Sunstar

Earthdate: 09.02.08
Subject: Baby fish central

I want to start singing the song by bloodhound gang...bad touch.... Opening lines are "ha ha! This is what we call the act of mating...." considering that is what seems to go on in my tank all the time.

Yes, there are MORE baby fish. I see one, but it's hanging out in the back near the Java moss clump I got wedged between the power head stem from the UGF and the side glass. Trying to collect enough moss there to build a moss wall for the back of that tank. 

I am pretty sure the fish that had the baby is my younger rainbow platy. Not any that were born in my tank, but one that I got as a youngster. I do hope it won't get munched by those hydra. I got my second DIY yeast reactor set up with the end leading into a glass co2 ladder. I am nto sure this is gonna work, if not, I'll use an air stone. But I have been wanting to use two bottles on this tank. 

Question for those who might have had experience with the glass ones. How does water get into the bowl area of it?

So more baby fishies! And the BGA seems to be under control Claude's tank currently has the brown algae issue. I need to get a snail or three in there. The amount of hydra in that tank is worrisome....I need to do something to fix that. 

And the baby ghost shrimps are so far doing fine. I am not sure if they are the brackish type, but i did add salt to the water and they seem to be very active. In spite of each issue that arises, I am still enjoying this very much. It is extremely educational.

Anyway....no pics, nothing has changed so no point.

Edit: the main log floated up... I am gonna have to take everything out and replant... except the glosso, I think I can leave that in, but everything else must be moved out for a short ibt... argh... this weekend's work I guess


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## conix67

I love baby fishes! How many are there?

How was your log pulled down to the floor before? Doesn't it sink eventually?


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## Riceburner

takes a long time for some woods to become water logged. I've got some pieces that were under for almost a year and they still float a bit.


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## Sunstar

Conix67: So far I see one baby fish, but I am sure there are more hiding in my plants, then there are 4 3 - 4 week old sunburst wags and 4 8 week old rainbow Platy and 1 8 week old Zebra Danio and about 10 ghost shrimps in a jar. 

As for the log, it was wired down. I stupidly removed the wire....It will sink but it sort of....was held down by a rock as well which I shifted slightly to get the co2 ladder in teh corner, then it drifted up. I got it more or less back in place and wired. I re-arranged a few plants to hide the wire this time. 

I noticed the gravel has settled a fair bit, I think that is the problem as well, when I put the gravel in, I had it almost level with the top of the wood... now somehow it sunk down. I will look into getting a bit more gravel to fill in some sunk areas I dislike.

At least I know the gravel's been stirred up and little to no methane pockets.


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## Sunstar

Mum took these pics of my tank.


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## ameekplec.

Very nice! I love that wood 

Seems like you've got that algae problem under control there....


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## Sunstar

More or less. 

Your nerite has been absolutely fantastic. I've been on top of the cyanobacteria too, which has been good.

I do like the fact I have pics of my danios that don't look like streaks.


Pest of the week: Isolated spot or two of BBA. I touched said spots with a tiny bit of peroxide. It works well enough as a light spot treatment in my opinion.


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## Sunstar

I thought I would take pics tonight from a different angle. More accurately, the side of the tank, not against the wall.










Close up shot of under the javamoss driftwood and the end of the log.

Here you can see the rock, the sand, the hygrophilia polysperma rosenvig, a small amazon sword, a few crypt leaves and some rogue java moss bits I am sure to regret sometime in the future.










Looking in the right hand corner, I'd like to point out one of the adorable baby sunburst wag platy. sufice it to say, I need to change my yeast bottle tomorrow. I was busy with tomatoes all day, I never had the chance.


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## conix67

How's the yeast bottle working for you? Do you see a significant improvement in plant growth? What is your lighting system (was this mentioned before)?


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## Sunstar

I use two yeast bottles and it seems to help. My lighting is:

20 Watt sun-glo
20 watt flora-glo
15 watt compact flouressent spiral


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## Cory_Dad

For gosh sake. I buy all this stuff and my tanks still look like they did when I was 12 years old, crap.

The pictures of your tank just blows me away. Can you tell I'm jealous?


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## Sunstar

*grin*

my answer is easy: I have too much time on my hands.

I should get a new pic done. My riccia grew nicely. it may even require a trim soon. I put it on the top of the driftwood near the light to get it really going. My pellia is starting to do something. The Cardamine Lyrata is growing.... almost out of control, leaves are quite big and going green again. Hygrophilia is bushing out, I keep topping it to force side shoots. 

But now I can at least get some of the excess plants into the small tank, now the hydra have been slagged. I'll wait a couple more days to make sure they are well and truly dead.

But tomorrow, I do a water change on the cycling tank.


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## Cory_Dad

LA LA LA, I can't hear you, I'm not listening!

What I need is a step be step set of instructions on how to plant my tank. Even then I know I'll mess it up. I have no decorating sense. Must be the German in me...


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## Sunstar

I did a lot of reading up. before and after I purchased plants. The glosso I have, I spent probably 5 hours planting and replanting the stuff with tweesers. I might have to thin out an Amazon sword at some point I have a LOT of them. It depends if I get the plants I want to get sometime in the future. 

I put things A: where they fit B: where they would stay. Seemed to work for the most part.


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## Cory_Dad

I planted glosso in two of my tanks but the Cories and others uprooted it all. There's none left now. All that money and work for nothing.


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## Sunstar

Claude kept doing that to me. I kept putting it back hoping he wouldn't uproot again. then my shrimp went around and picked picked picked and uprooted stuff.... Now finally it's had a chance to stay in

I just caught my veyr berried female cherry and put her in the bowl. I'm gonna save her clutch because I want a good start in the 5 gallon. I hate to do that to her, but survival of the young is probably hard and I want a colony started. This female is pomegranet seed coloured. Just gorgeous.

I'm getting a BIG pickle jar to make a brackish tank in shortly and a couple of extra water change buckets. I want to keep the ghosts in strict brackish water as it seems to keep them happy.


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## Sunstar

Quick pics:

Glosso coming in well... BBA starting to annoy me.


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## ameekplec.

Very nice pics!!

It looks like everything has really grown in well.


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## Sunstar

I think so. I added fert sticks to some of the plants and flourish. things been quite happy happy. Even the glosso can be seen  Happy to see your plants growing well?


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## Cory_Dad

<stares longingly, open mouthed with tongue hanging out>


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## Calmer

That second picture is fantastic. I stole it for my wallpaper 
Umm, with your permission of course.


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## Sunstar

if you want a larger pic, I can get you one. Permission granted


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## ameekplec.

Sunstar said:


> I think so. I added fert sticks to some of the plants and flourish. things been quite happy happy. Even the glosso can be seen  Happy to see your plants growing well?


Yep, glad to see they're being appreciated. All my FW is being ignored for the flashy new addition


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## Calmer

Sunstar said:


> if you want a larger pic, I can get you one. Permission granted


I resized it and added a bit of contrast. It looks good thanks.


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## Sunstar

You edited my image!   Glad you liked it


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## Sunstar

I just did a fairly hefty trim in the tank. pruned my sunset hygro. I am trying to get it to bush out more. My Java Moss on the wood has been trimmed as well as some of the moss on the log and rocks. Most of that is going into a bucket by the window until such time as I get my screen to do the moss wall stuff. 

I removed the Chinese Ivy in the center as it was looking messy. I will transfer it to another tank later. Probably the shrimp's one as they'll appreciate the vertical climb

I got some nice bits growing by the side.


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## conix67

Not only your tanks look nice, your photos are always nice and clear as well. Probably good enough to enter a contest!


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## Sunstar

if you saw the BBA in the glosso you might think otherwse. I hope to get excel this week or next.


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## Sunstar

Earthdate: 10.07.08
Subject: Excel and the algae within. The tale of three tanks.

This entry will include the three tanks I have in my apartment. Not including the nano vase on my desk. That is still doing well, but I need to replant most of the plants later. They floated up.

I thought I would add that I have been adding Excel to the tank since Friday. I have been putting in between 15 - 20ML per day as an OD treatment against Staghorn. I don't mind the other algae so much, just the hairy black stuff. I do have BBA as well It seems to be surviving this.









Main 25 Gallon tank.

I do hope to tear this tank down in about 4 - 6 months and replace the substrate with something like fluorite or eco-complete. One of the black ones appeals to me.

So things are really starting to take off. I think I say that every week. I have to make a remark about the glosso. It's really thickening, however the staghorn seems to thrive in some areas of this. I have removed stubborn bits and I am just keeping ahead of the game. I think the excel has slowed the spread down and is in some cases eliminating it.

Tomorrow is Wednesday: or the first day of my Aquarium's week. This is the day I do my Water changes (about 20%) Change co2 (Bottle #1) de-lime my glass lid with vinegar, clean filters and filter head. Prune where it needs to be pruned.

I usually sit for a good 30 minutes and look deeply into the leaves and decide what needs what work, where the algae is spreading, what new lives have appeared and so on. I am almost finding a new fish in my tank every week to two weeks. I spotted some juvenile shrimp that were born in the tank and have evaded being eaten. I wish them luck.

Speaking of new born fish. One of my young platy who was born in the tank days after I put the platy in there, has decided to be male. He's busy trying to couple with other platy, and the mollies. Silly platy. He will be one of the ones I take to a LFS. I do not want more than one male in my tank. Actually I need to remove at least 8 of my young platy as it is....

Occupants:
Sunburst Wag Platy
Rainbow Platy
Mollies
Zebra Danio
Thai Flying Fox
Cherry Shrimplets

Claude's Tank

Claude is the name of the animal that is within. I think its a she although I am never entirely sure. She often gets fed houseflies by hand. She's a Macrobrachium Pilimanus (Chameleon Shrimp). She's predatory which is why she has her own tank. At least until the mollies are big enough to not be eaten by her.

Her tank contains off cuts of Sunset Hygro, java moss, java fern and some Chinese Ivy and one really weak growth of Amazon sword (which is growing new leaves) Claude likes to dig. She loves to dig and shove rocks out of her log/cave and as a result tends to dig up my plants.

I love the look of the pink granite stones.









Claude's Tank. (5.5 gallon)

Shrimp tank

This tank is growing quite nicely, although it looks hazy, that's just the crappy plastic.









Shrimp tank (5 Gallon Hexifun) plastic gone to hell because my mother scrubbied it. Thanks Mum! This tank has the same plants as Claude's with the exception to some Aponagetons, I think Brazilian Microswords and Riccia. I have added a couple oak leaves to the bottom and the shrimp seem to enjoy hanging off that.

The problem with this tank, is some sort of strange growth on the glass









Growth through a microscope lense taped to side of tank.








Similar growth on the thermometer.

I have no idea what this is and if anyone had anything similar, please tell me what to do with it. I put a young platy in there to nibble at things incase.

Most shrimp in here have berried so I hope to see baby shrimp soon.

On a small note: I have successfully sprouted my Hardy water Lilly seeds. At least two have sprouted and are sending up their first shoots.


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## Sunstar

Earthdate: 10.13.08
Subject: Lush and Green.









Tank Prognosis: In need of Iron.

The hygo isn't doing a whole lot of red at the moment and I think I am a bit iron deficient. It might be an easy enough fix. The question I have, and I wonder if its a deficiency or an effect of using excel. But Some of my Anubia's leaves are getting rather holy. Rather disappointing, but such is life.

I moved out the dwarf sag to the 2.5G tank. I can use it there and it was getting smothered by the Glossostigma. I am impressed with that plant. I remember being dubious about it as I heard it's rather tough to grow. It seems to like that tank. Not so much the other tanks though.

I can see me putting up some of my plants for trade in the near future. I am getting an abundance of Cardamine Lyrata, the Hygro and certainly the Glosso. My Val in the front of the tank, which is a wild and local specimen, is sending out a runner into the glosso bed. I will have to cull that shoot and put it in the 2.5G tank.

I think with the treatment of the staghorn, I managed to succeed in seriously impeding its progress. I am pleased with this as I was getting rather upset. My pride and joy was almost to get overrun.

The tank is lush, green and needs a prune. Believe it or not, I pruned it last wednesday. Growth with the excel was impressive. I can't wait until I can get proper co2 system.


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## ameekplec.

Wow, looks great!! I love the lush green, and how tranquil it looks. Get some nice reds in there too!!


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## Sunstar

my reds are not being red at the moment. I was thinking it was lack of iron perhaps? the sunset hygro is the bushy plant on the left hand side. Have any secrets?


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## Ciddian

Wonderful update Sunstar


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## Sunstar

Earthdate: 10.24.08
Subject: My favourite plants

I thought it migth be a nice time to show some of my favourite plants. Although its hard to point out a plant favourite









Red Tiger Lotus.

Each new leaf is larger than the last. I think my largest is 2 inches now. This will be a spectacular plant when it's mature. It is so pretty to look at. Depending on how you look at the plant, it the leaves appear either more green or more red. Sort of like that "shot through" fabric.

Note, glosso is going bananas.









Hardy Water Lilly seedling.

There are two in this tank, this one happens to be the biggest and almost lost in the glosso. But in spite of that, the plant is doing well. I ensure it has enough care and if it appears overwhelmed, I will move it somewhere else. I extracted the seed from a pod and sprouted it myself. I am to tickled by this!

I may permit one to reach the surface.









Cryptocoryn wendetii ???

Not sure what it is, it has a redish underside and was at one point getting over grown by staghorn. Excel did wonders. Anyway, this poor plant is being walked all over by the glosso; however, it is sending out new leaves and is doing well regardless.

You can see what I mean about the light and the way the lotus appears. It seems very pinkish.









Wild Val plantlet.

This is a offshoot from the large wild val I have growing near by. The leaves are nearly 2 feet in length and are, for the moment, quite thin. This plant is growing in a spot I don't want it, but I will leave it for the time being to mature so I might transfer it elsewhere later.

The spot where this plant is growing was an epicentre of staghorn growth. It was terribly annoying and I shot excel directly in this area quite frequently.

These are some of my favourite plants growing well in the lowest area and the for-most area of my aquarium.


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## MrAL

Nice looking glosso. Two questions. Where did you get them and how do i get some? I'm not really happy with my HC. Thinking of taking them out and putting glosso instead. My red tiger lotus isn't doing too well. It started out pretty good and the leaves just get smaller and smaller. Now one of them stopped showing any leaves =(. Glad to see yours is doing well.


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## Sunstar

the tiger lotus I baby. I put a small piece jobe's fert stakes, a part of an iron tablet and part of a calcium tablet right under the plant. They're heavy feeders and need a lot of love. What I am doing seems to be working. taking time. But it works.

Want glosso? I need to remove some plants before it gets too thick for itself. I'd rather not have to throw it out. I'd be willing to trade for some specimens of moss... I even have some chinese ivy and hygro if you want some. 

to grow it, I have about two watts of light on it. I shove jobes into the substrate every now and again.


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## Sunstar

Earthdate: 10.28.08
Subject: Bananas

here are a couple of images of my aquarium just prior to the weekly maintenance. A Wednesday thing for me.

The Cardamine Lyrata is going nuts there at the top. It really filled out and is a mess of roots and leaves. A perfect hang out for shrimp and young fish.

I think I have a specimen of Apongeton Ulvaceus growing ever so larger in my tank. Until recently, it did not do a whole lot until finally its shooting leaves up that are larger than the water depth. It;s a light green with slightly wavy leaves, that are at least 8CM wide. I bought a bulb and then split it into several small plants. Most are growing. I have a feeling it and some of my swords are destined for "liquidation" when it comes time to reset the tank.

My current parameters are as follows. 
ph: 7.4
GH: 8D
KH: 11d

But prior to that I had a PH of about 8 the gh and kh have virtually been the same since day one. I think as soon as that PH went down, the plants took off like mad.

Yesterday I installed a new Sun-glo bulb as I felt the old one was not giving off the power and I can see that the flora-glo is not as potent as it once was. I was not sure if I should go with aqua-glo or life-glo, but the sun-glo was the cheapest at the time and I did not have a lot of cash handy.

Things here are requiring weekly prunes now. I did some moss trims today and I bundled up several stems of lyrata and Sunset hygro to take to a LFS. I am trading some glosso for some mosses to add to my moss collection.

Anyway, here's the pics.



















ph: 7.4
GH: 8D
KH: 11d


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## Sunstar

Earthdate: 10.29.08
Subject: holes in my head

I needed another plant in my aquarium like I needed a hole in my head, yet, here is another plant. My vals are not doing much...well the domesticated ones. However the wild ones are. And the domesticated ones in my nano vase, which need to be moved to a tank where they can actually have a chance to grow.

So I planted this lovely red cabomba Not sure what specie it is, so please identify it for me. I have my doubts about growing it, but then again, stranger things have happened.










Placement of red cabomba in my tank. Left hand (middle) To be honest, it was the only spot to put it. 









So what is the bet that tomorrow, they'll be floating at the surface?


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## Ciddian

lol i hope not 

The red looks very very nice sunstar.. Just love the tank :3


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## Sunstar

thanks. I think this tank qualifies as densly planted?


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## twoheadedfish

maybe it's been mentioned here, so i apologize, but i'm bad with plants. what's that foreground plant, the carpet cover?

awesome looking tank. impressive


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## Sunstar

the forground is glossostigma.


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## Sunstar

Just a quick top down shot of my tank.










Looks thick.


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## Sunstar

Happy Hallowe'en everyone. Hope you had a fun day!

Here's something a little fun I made last night. 









blast
it doesn't show up


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## ameekplec.

Sunstar said:


> Just a quick top down shot of my tank.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Looks thick.


Love the cardamine!
I'm going to try some again. The last time I did the current ate it up.


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## Sunstar

it is crazy fast growing. I'll be throwing slag loads of this stuff out soon. Need some? trade for some mosses.... Christmas, flame, erect...


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## ameekplec.

I'm working on a small patch of christmas right now, and fissidens. I've got the fissidens to grow sans CO2 supplementation. I'm excited.


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## Sunstar

Earthdate: 11.02.08
Subject: Decepticons are ruthless.

"Decepticons are a swell bunch and boy do we have fun" – Starscream (episode: war dawn.)

I wanted to wait one more day, but the truth is, the plant growth had nearly covered my water surface. Effectively shutting out most of the light. So, I was ruthless. I'll get a pic tonight when I can get a nice one...if you can call how my tank looks nice.

I cut back the hygro as it was about to overwhelm my newly planted cabomba which has grown 3 inches since Thursday. So I trimmed the hygro heavily back; in all its locations. 

I thinned out the shoots of the Cardamine lyrata, took out literal handfuls of the plant and it still has that thick wad in the back, which will fill the tank by this time next week. I promise. This stuff knows the meaning of nutrient sponge for sure. I may give my sister a stem or two of this...hell knows I got mounds of it. This is my duckweed! I wonder if it will grow in a pot...

Glosso has been thinned a little. I may go back and thin it more if I can find where the trailing vines are. I am trading some of that out. Mosses, like I need more plants, but I am really loving mosses. 

I removed a sword. Story about the swords. I bought a plant with a lot of runners and plantlets. I put it in the tank and nurtured the plantlets until they grew large enough that I could plant them. I did, I had about 18 total. I think I still have about that, but spread out in several tanks. I paid 7.99 for the mother and she's still happy, albeit, in a darkish corner. 

My fish, since the trim, are going bananas. I seem to like that word, even if i sort of don't like the fruit. They're swimming around like rockets on nitro. That's the danios. I am pretty sure they're laying eggs since I have discovered baby fish in my bucket of java moss, and in my water change bucket from last Wednesday. (I keep the water for a week to make sure I haven't sent any fish/shrimp to their doom. I am sure they're saying "WEEE! We can swim! This is is great! Look at all these hatchling danio's SNACKS!!!! We're happy!!!" 

All in all, the tank looks like hell, but in a few days it'll "heal" up and look nice. Just the growth is crazy nuts in there and I need to take radical action. I have heard that folk sometimes need to be ruthless, I just never thought I would have to do this myself. 

I think I am coming to a realisation, that my tank has almost, if not fully, matured. Something I have waited five months for. I was considering resetting the tank, but I may wait even longer now. It works, the tank looks fine. I probably will remove plants and whatnot around that time, but for now I may concentrate on getting myself that pressurised co2 system I am dreaming of, and maybe even a better light or filtration system. Definitely better light. 

I Definitely thank anyone and everyone who has helped me in some way or another, knowingly or unknowingly. 

It is Definitely a view from the Decepticon "undersea" base. Or under lake....


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## Sunstar

Earthdate: 11.02.08
Subject: Fans of this tank

A play on words perhaps. Unfortunately, the shrimp took up residence under the filter in amongst the leaves. Well, I guess that's okay as long as it's feeding.

I bought a rock shrimp (bamboo, wood, fan, flower) from the box pet store. The poor thing was digging through the gravel. Finally, I had some money to get one. Early birthday present if you will. Now it's feeding as a fan shrimp should and it looks just beautiful. I may get another one at some other time.

As for the tank, I told you I did a slash and hack to it this morning. Here is how it looks. As promised.










A few comments. The Cabomba Furcata has lost much of its intense red, but that is not stopping it from growing rapidly. Perhaps in the future when I score myself a Co2 system and lights that it will brighten up and look extra beautiful. But for now, it's a different texture and looks interesting. In other words, I expected this much and I am quite happy.

So the fans of the tank is the nameless wood shrimp.


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## Kevdawg

oooh nice growth.


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## Ciddian

I cant get over how green the tank is.. Wonderful 

Yay for shrimp!


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## Sunstar

I... am scoring that co2 system...  soon to be pressurised!


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## Calmer

Welcome to the pressurized club.


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## Sunstar

Earthdate: 11.05.08
Subject: Heebie jeebies (shrimp tank horrors)

Funny thing about me is my phobias. I have a few and well, I won't name them all incase some bright spark gets an idea to inundate me with images of the things I don't care for. But one phobia, or something that gives me creepy crawlies is groups of things. By groups I mean large amounts and this can include people, fish, birds, insects, animals. I am not sure what it is that weirds me out, but it weirds me out big time... I am not saying this is a phobia but it is creepy....

I put a piece of driftwood I had soaking in a bucket into the shrimp tank, tied with some fissidens. I want to get it going and felt the shrimp tank was as good a spot as any for this process. Perhaps I will pull it off the wood when it fills in to make a moss wall or something of that nature. But I never really thought about what would happen as soon as I put in some delicious well soaked wood....it became shrimp the capitol of surrey lane.

This pic doesn't look too bad, but the full piece of wood has dozens of the creatures on it. Which is, to me, creeeeeeepy. I'll get over it. But all in all, it gave me a shudder.


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## ameekplec.

I know what you're talking about. I hate large congregations of small things too. But somehow ants fascinate me.

But yeah, that shrimp log does look kind of creepy. And they're all in the same direction...


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## Sunstar

ants facinate me IF they are doing something. if they are on a heap on the sidewalk I get extremely creeped out. The most interesting thing I ever saw ants doing, was moving a nest. two 20 foot or longer collums, about 4 inches wide each one going out with eggs, one returning.


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## Riceburner

large groups of small thing probably reminds you of bacteria, germs, etc.

like..


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## Sunstar

oddly, that doesn't bother me. I find microbes facinating.


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## ameekplec.

Me too.

A good portion of my life right now involves staring into a microscope looking at millions of cells.

Although if I saw the same number of cockraches, it would creep me right out.


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## Sunstar

imagine what you'd think if you saw what I saw when i worked at new york fries once... a small box Full of the horrilbe creatures. I threw it out.


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## Sunstar

Earthdate: 11.09.08
Subject: It's a Gas..

I have only managed to get the co2 running in the late hours of my "fishy day" as I call it. Now it's fishy night and will remain that until nearly 10am. At that point I will monitor the tank and see if I can learn all the important signals that my tank is telling me.

To explain the system I have.

It's a Red Sea system. The bubble counter didn't work out for me, some issues I'll rectify, however since I am using a bubble ladder as the counter. Hence why I am going to carefully monitor the tank tomorrow. The system is off right now, since I am going over to the co2 night.

I am working out the kinks now which is a new and some what scary learning curve for me.

I am using a paint ball bottle which is being held against the leg of my tank stand by a cool water bottle strap thing. I was going to use a bike water bottle holder, but they were just too small. Oh well, Sunstar is at to bat and her mind manages to overcome most puzzles of this nature. This holder system is pretty good. It's held on by zipper ties, and can be tightened or loosened via velcro.

I am using an electronic solonoid and a needle valve thingy which goes directly to the glass ladder thingamajig in the tank.

Though the second tank, which is empty save some syphons and drifwood, is the "spider" as my mother called it, of electrical wires and crud. I want to move that around which is why that tank has no water and is not full of plants. But as soon as I can get a nice light system for the upper tank, all those goodies that light the upper will go down a floor there.

Sunstar is quite happy.

That is also the corner the blasted mice get into my apartment. Little fraggers got past my patch job. Oh well, they will find their welcome not so warm when I get one of those sonic repellants.

I am not overly happy with how the glosso looks right now and I might clear out a patch of it and plant HC in instead. (sandy area toward the forward most val (wild)) I may remove the apongeton from the back, split it and give my sister a bulb as it's getting WAY too large. The green cabomba which hitch hiked with some bacopa(not in this tank) is growing well. The red cabomba looks tacky so I hope it'll improve its look soon? Eventually? We shall see.

I have noticed some black algae spots on some sword leaves just recently and it could easily be triggered by the erratic co2 over the past few days. I would bet my energon on it that it is. 50 cubes!

So now I am off to learn more valueable things, do a number of water tests and whatnot. I will post my tests shortly.









My new pressurised system.


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## Sunstar

Quickly... looking up a pocket digital scale... seem to need one for my ferts... anway...

water tests:

Ammonia: 0.6 (I do have a rather high bio-load with the fish making more of themselves.
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: less than 5
Posphate: 0
GH: 9 drops
KH: 12 drops
PH: 7.4
Iron: 0
Chelted Iron: 0
Copper: 0

Drop checker was green.

I do believe I see holes in fertilisation. I did not fertilise saturday as I left before the lights came on. 

I have the macros I need now, so I just need to get them measured out. I'll give a good iron dose tomorrow. 

I think I got a touch of food poisoning ugh


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## Sunstar

Earthdate: 11.10.08
Subject: The insane growth of Apons










Well thick wall of green again, my swords and apon are taking over. Looks like time for plant liquidation shortly. I will speak to my sister see if she might take that front most sword(left hand side) and the Apongeton with the 2 foot long leaves. Its crazy growth in there and I need to tidy it up a little.

Red Cabomba is growing some side shoots, which is good. I am considering removing some glosso at the right hand side and planting some HC there. That is if the HC survives. It didn't do well in the one tank, so I am putting it in my shrimp tank as a floater until it either dies totally or gets healthy growth again.

I stressed out the fish a little today with the co2. Had too much going in and everyone hung around the drop checker and the thai flying fox was really beating his gills. Everything is fine now, turned it down and the DC is at the olive green colour that seems to indicate my tank is fairly happy.

The lotus in the front is looking amazing. The growth on that is simply astounding and I do shove root stakes, calcium and iron tabs into its vicinity.









The little plant near the lotus, the one on the left, is the baby hardly water lilly.

It forms about two new leaves a week, each one larger than the last.

Hah hah! I wonder if I can ask for a 100 Gallon tank  I'd have to get rid of the husband to keep it I bet.

So, I may have some plants to sell in the near future.

Edit:

Messed around with the bulbs again.. and took another time lapsed pic


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## Sunstar

Earthdate: 11.12.08
Subject: Trouble with Tribbles....err platy.

Maybe Platy were not such a good idea. Every time I look in the tank, I seem to find more and more. I am pretty positive my bio-load is incredibly high so in order for me to maintain my sanity, I decided I better liquidate my population. This probably means sending away my lovely Sunstorm and Sunburst, the rainbows. However, I may keep the males...they can't be like tribbles can they? However, I would like some pretty specimens like the celestial pearls I saw. Or a couple of ottos. The platy, which to start were fine and dandy tend to get out of control incredibly fast. And every time I look into the moss, I see a half dozen faces looking back out at me. 

I know I am about to go critical with shrimp in my shrimp tank and mental with my shrimp in my main tank... (they haven't had babies yet, but boy are they saddled)

I am losing my mind. Hah!

Anywhoo....

Sunstar out.


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## Ciddian

I have two boys that I got from an auction last fall.. They do okay together  One loves to flirt with the other lol Other than that.. no fry ^^


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## Sunstar

Earthdate: 11.13.08
Subject: Photoshoot... a couple of fish.

I wanted to get a specimen pic of my red nosed shrimp. So far I haven't got anything worth while.

But this is the best shot I have anyway. I got two of the creatures and they like to play hide and seek with me. Lets not pose while the camera is around and lets dance our brains out when it's not. Heck, we'll hover on the spot too...deranged animals. I would like some more.









They are extremely pretty with yellow-red rostrums. Not that you can tell in this pic, they also have gold dots.

My photos are often full of blurred streaks that zip back and forth. I had to set the shutter speed really fast, which meant the picture was really really dark. This is the least blurry picture of one of my Zebra Danio females who found herself a sweet spot to swim in. They swim in the flow of the under gravel filter's power head and really seem to enjoy this. I really like the danio fish. They are so lively and active, chasing each other, the platy, the shrimp and my thai flying fox around.

So finally, a face to the streaks.









Zebra Danio female.

Thai Flying Fox is about 3 inches long, tends to enjoy mouthing on the plants as well as any food I throw in. Just loves to root through the glosso bed looking for more morsels. It seems to be non aggressive thus far leaving shrimp, danio and platy alone. I've been warned they might try to eat my fish...we'll see if it gets aggressive, then it will have to go. I named this fish Tsunami and I call it a her, but I don't know if she's really a she.









Resting on an anubia leaf.









Resting on an amazon sword leaf.

My favourite lotus is getting bigger by the day. Leaves get a little taller, a little wider and every few days a new leaf is added and an old one starts to decay. I just LOVE this plant. But like all my other plants, it might just get too large....pray I can get my plant tank started in the new year. (it too is a 29 gallon tank.









Lotus starting to grow huge. Baby platy blur.

My deep dark corner of the tank where the co2 diffuser thrives and all my floating plants collect. This area is thick with cardamine Lyrata and riccia as well as being the location of the driftwood thick with moss. And I wonder why I have a platy boom. This is the nursery for all those baby fish. So far haven't seen any young danio coming out of it, but I got them growing in a 5 gallon bucket by the tanks. 








Right hand area of main tank

Something to say about the val that is growing in this area and why I leave it here. This val was collected from Hamilton canal. It was drifting out of Hamilton bay into lake ontario. I fished it out with my keys then took it home. I cleaned it well and left only a few small bits of leaves left. My platy ate all the dead stuff and left only a few bits of green. This green grew and flourished. Even when I spot treated excel on it, it just went nuts and grew more. The leaves on this plant are easily 2 feet in length, they curl up at the top going with the flow of the filters. Its lovely, bright emerald green and much finer than the other vals I have. That is my favourite val because, I collected it myself.

So that's it for the evening.


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## MrAL

Is That The Riccia You Got From Me???? LOOKS KINDA BIG ISN'T IT?


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## Sunstar

yes, that is the riccia I got from you. Its in my shrimp tank too, a large matt of it... main tank...Oh I remember you saying I hope it survives....it did...then went nuts. Hows the stuff you got going? I hope it has taken revenge upon you with groing wild.


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## redclove

nice. I just collected several vals from my cottage lake, up in fenelon falls this past summer. they are doing well and are very green. go local!

(jealous of fissidens)


----------



## Sunstar

I don't have fissidens going nuts yet. maybe in time. just getting the few bits started first. I am doing up several small rocks with moss and liverworts. Its coming along. 

Fenelon falls. the name is familiar. I think I went up there as a kid. Where is it exactly?


----------



## Sunstar

Someone on another board gave me this idea.....









This is my world, Megatron. I command the shrimp and I say ATTACK!


----------



## Sunstar

I think I managed to get a decent picture of my ever elusive red nosed shrimp... which I am thinking is more yellow nosed. Either way, it's still a very very pretty shrimp.









I had to edit out a blurry platy that got in the corner of the shot.


----------



## Riceburner

Sunstar said:


> Someone on another board gave me this idea.....
> This is my world, Megatron. I command the shrimp and I say ATTACK!


my kids want to do that with their AquaRaiders Lego...


----------



## Ciddian

Rofl awesome idea sunstar...

I just love the updates.. I wish i could locate val myself


----------



## Sunstar

the longest leaf on this plant, I measured it today, was 35 inches. Crazy long.


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## MrAL

That multiplied pretty fast! Plants are doing great. Glosso specially.



Sunstar said:


> yes, that is the riccia I got from you. Its in my shrimp tank too, a large matt of it... main tank...Oh I remember you saying I hope it survives....it did...then went nuts. Hows the stuff you got going? I hope it has taken revenge upon you with groing wild.


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## Sunstar

Earthdate: 11.18.08
Subject: Issue of the week.

I am starting tank maintenance early. A couple reasons. I have an issue in my tank that does not make Sunstar particularly happy. My favourite keyboard is having issues too. I am unhappy with that as well...I hate this one...

My plants, the Chinese ivy in particular, needs to be controlled once again. The light getting down is crap causing my glosso to stop crawling. I am getting some plants out tomorrow, including glosso and a couple wads of the riccia pads. Much will be removed... another hack and slash I think. This time I think the Apongeton will suffer my trimming wrath. Its way too big and it'll either be trimmed down or given away. Not sure, probably both actually. I am thinking of adding a piece of wood to the back, not very thick, but enough for my rock shrimp to climb up it and fan the water. It does like it back there.

So I titled this set of pictures "any room" because really, I don't think there is any room. It's a mess, although, it looks great as a mess, I just need more light getting down, that is all.

I did the artsy fartsy cut the aquarium out of the background. I choose black. I really don't like white.









Pretty front pic.

The plant leaf at the top in the middle is from the apongeton planted in the back. That is the plant I need to remove and get under control and replant. I probably will do this tonight and see if I can get things back in order, more or less. The Cardamine lyrata is growing amazingly well, perhaps too well. It too needs to be slashed back.

Tomorrow I will regret when I did today, but we shall see. It needs to be done.

Please note the lotus which has finally become "adult" in my eyes. It has a new leaf which is growing up...it has filled out beautifully.









top-front view of the tank.

You can see the thick mat of green which is both riccia and cardamine lyrata. Some of the lyrata has grown OUT of my tank and is currently heading toward the floor. I wonder what will happen, so I may leave it to do its thing.









Clear view of the Cardamine Lyrata and floaties of riccia.

Some of the riccia has glosso plants holding it into place. About that; I have planted glosso on the driftwood, it grows through the moss, I guess it got hold of the riccia and is growing through that.









Ditto.

So, that's why I need to trim it. This time I was smart and chose to take pics first.


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## Sunstar

Earthdate: 11.18.08
Subject: Butchered!

I did my hack and slash as promised.

Glosso has been thinned. It was necessary as it was growing too thick and upward. I think the upward was due to the amount of overhead plant growth of both riccia and cardamine lyrata.

Cardamine Lyrata has been cut back quite heavily. I may cut more back tomorrow, we shall see. Riccia has been removed because it's going to someone tomorrow. Thick pads of it.

Apongeton, inspite of hating to do tis, I did remove the huge 23 inch long plant. Amazing length, beautiful leaves, small plantlings. My sister will probably get the apon.

I moved the apon from the front and put it in the back where the mother plant had been. I took some of the mother plant's daughters and planted it in the front and in claude's tank. And around the corner in the main tank. Sort of a plant switcher roo. The apon's roots went deep but was no hassle from the UGF. It was simply deep in the substrate. Tomorrow morning I will look at the damage and add ferts where I removed plants. It should all fall into place by next week.

As I said, hate to do it, but it was necessary to do.









After the tornado named Sunstar went through.








Apongeton.


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## Ciddian

huge beautiful plants! Those apongeton are a definate fav of mine...

Gosh my tank really needs a trim but i dont have the guts to do it yet LOL

The new and refeshed tank looks wonderful. Do you find it hard to get used to the changes? I always feel a little sad after i do a big clean up. I personally like the lush greeness of everything


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## Sunstar

I feel sad for my hack and slash, but I know, SOON it'll be a-okay


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## Sunstar

Earthdate: 11.19.08
Subject: Plant list. 

Plant species: 
"Coffee Leaf" Anubias (Anubias barteri 'coffeefolia' )
American Val (Vallisneria Americana) (Wild and Domestic)
Amazon Sword (Echinodorus amazonicus)
Tiger Lotus (Nymphaea Lotus (Zenkeri) 'RED' )
Sunset Hygro (Hygrophila polysperma 'Rosanervig' )
Glossostigma (Glossostigma elatinoides) 
Dwarf Sagittaria (Sagittaria subulata)
Chinese Ivy (Cardamine Lyrata)
Java Moss (Vesicularia dubyana)
Weeping Moss (Vesicularia ferriei)
Pellia (Monosolenium Tenerum) 
Riccia (Riccia fluitans) 
Java Fern (Microsorum pteropus)
Windelove fern (Microsorum pteropus 'Windelov' )
Cryptocoryne (Possibly: wendtii 'Green Gecko' )
Cryptocoryne (Cryptocoryne cordata var. blassii)
Aponogeton ???
Pigmy Chain Sword (Echinodorus Tenellus)
Red Cabomba (Cabomba furcata)
Green Cabomba (Cabomba caroliniana)
"HC" (Hemianthus callitrichoides)
Salvinia (Salvinia var.) 
Corkscrew Val (Vallisneria spiralis var. Tortissima)

The aponogeton is for sale 8$


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## Sunstar

Earthdate: 11.24.08
Subject: How grows it?

The wonderful world of weeds is thriving as one such aquarium might. I remove some plants and do my hack and slash, then other plants say WOO! Lets grow. Swords are now my nemesis and the smaller apon looks like it wants to take the place of the mother plant by going nuts in the back. I wonder what is in that UGF that makes things thrive like this. Oh I admit, I use jobes plant sticks broken into tiny bits and inserted into key locations, but it seems to be growing happy.

Last week I had a co2 out. I don't think I had the regulator on tight enough and I had intense leakage. It appeared loose when I removed it. Canadian Tire refills the 20oz tank for 9.99 and the paint ball store down the road... was around 7 dollars with taxes. Guess where I am going to get it from now on?

DIY can be cheaper in the long run, but as many say, myself included, it is not consistent. Now the only thing I need to do to make my world more consistent is to get the co2 solenoid on a timer. I have to switch it on or switch it off manually. I have a timer but the thing doesn't like me or something. It won't work? I am not sure what is up with that. It was given to me.

All in all I am very very happy with my system.

I need to move my corkscrew val to a different tank. It is not particularly happy for some reason, well the big plant isn't the tiny plantlet is growing new leaves. When I told my husband I bought a new plant the other day (it had been in for at least two weeks) he said, "Yeah, you really needed another plant didn't you?". I can't help it. I always wanted a corkscrew val. They are the classic aquarium plant and the sort of thing I always drew as a kid.

Plant news!

The glossostigma has finally grown under the driftwood that spans my tank. It is now starting to infiltrate the back bottom area of the tank. How well that will do is beyond me, but its back there. I am intreaged.

The Echinodorus Tenellus is not doing a whole lot in this tank. It's growing long, that's fine, but it is not spreading. In the shrimp bowl on my desk, it is growing really short and sending out runners left right and center.

The Cabomba is doing well, slow but well. The growth spurt at the start stopped and it shot out a side shoot. The original plant is kinda tacky looking but the new growth is nice and healthy. I suppose it had to grow to fit my tank parameters.

Lotus is getting very large now. New leaf is forming and it grows a large leaf every couple of days. Older ones die back it seems. The smaller leaves I just left to die back, but when the bigger ones perish, I can see myself removing it immediately.

Riccia gained mass again since I took about 4 lumps out last week. I am wondering if baby fish are living in it or what. Baby fish are living in a bucket in my bathroom. My husband is thrilled....









Lotus which has grown beautifully.









Tank today back at its normal level of crazy.


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## Sunstar

Earthdate: 12.01.08
Subject: Growing pains.










I am realising now that I probably will have to remove the glosso from a large area of the main tank. One spot, the plants still look bright emerald and beautiful. The other area it's getting weedy and all around "unnice". I believe I will look for another sort of low growing carpet plant that can doesn't need a lot of full light. Is there such a thing?

Anyway, my thought is when I get the red fluorite for my betta tank, I might take off an inch, of substrate from that front area, remove the glosso and get something new planted in there.

So, the val that I collected this summer is really amusing me and now is the object of intense care. It has a leaf which is over 4 feet long! Okay, maybe this is not a big deal and it happens a lot, but as I said in earlier posts, my domesticated val has barely grown. If the domestic val is not growing much due to my use of excel, then it appears the wild stuff doesn't mind it at all. I would like to test this theory sometime. Anyway, I have gently coiled the leaves into a loop at the top of the tank so ie doesn't get damaged.









Background of cardamine lyrata pretty much pruned into a hedge back there.

It is still growing across the back, under the filter, I plan on letting it do this and I will trim it to maintain a thickness. My pregnant shrimp seem to be kicking it back behind that area. I believe the place is an ideal spot for little shrimp and fry of all types. I am dreading looking in there incase there are some more platy babies. But what can I do? As the saying goes "fish happens". And they seem to happen a lot in my system.









Yay lotus!

Very lovely plant and I am sure it would benefit from a bit of fluorite and since the glosso no longer looks pretty. It looks fine in my brackish shrimp tank. Which is good. I rather like the plant.

So friends, romaine and country fresh produce, what says you? What do you think I should look into for a forground plant that can tollerate low to medium light.

I think that is it for now.


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## Sunstar

Earthdate: 01.011.09
Subject: First Big Prune of 09

(serious need of a rescape)

The plant growth is mind boggling at times and I keep removing specimines for this that and the other. Hell I have resorted to just tossing scraps out, or into the 29 below just because my platy enjoy hiding in it or my snails will munch it.

pressurised Co2 must be in part responsible for the extreme growth. My red plants failed, the few bits I had just were..meh..bad.

My glosso died back or was removed. I still have some in that tank, they are just growing on driftwood under the light, along with the HC.

My fish can't move in there, I mean there is SO much plant they can hardly swim. Shrimp love it, I saw many babies. Probably free meals now.

I had to prune the lotus back. I think it was sending out a surface leaf and I wanted to nip that in the bud. I also trimmed back several to hopefully attempt to dwarf it just a little. Then I fertilised it. I have removed 3 baby plants from the lotus. One's in my betta tank. One's in my shrimp tank (I'll regret that but I can also sell it if it gets too large) and one's in claude's tank (read my first remark)

I removed some val which were growing rogue and where I really didn't want them. They are now in my shrimp tank. This Val has leaves over 6 feet in length. I am simply stunned. The wild val has done MUCH better than the domesticated stuff. Only though, I realised my corkscrew val vanished. 

Platy are reduced to only males, but I think I will remove the males and just stick with danio, the Thai flying fox and shrimp. I am raising more danio now. I am strongly considering eliminating my whole platy population. Livebearers although quaint, are a pain. I will keep my two mollies, on the grounds of, they don't get too much bigger (the grey one appears to be a runt) and they don't have babies.

I am sort of considering a tear down again. But I am on the fence with that. I do know when I get my 20 gallon for my bettas, I will go out and get more substrate, and thin my plant population. Hopefully plant it nicely. I would put the male platy into the tank with the male bettas and hope for the best.









Before the prune this morning









Barely any surface room too.









OMG light....the fish can breathe, swim, play.....bare gravel, ugh.


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## Ciddian

LOL it really did go insane! O_O


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## ameekplec.

wow, looks crazy. You need a bigger tank


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## Sunstar

I do don't I?


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## Sunstar

heebee jee bees take two

Shrimp feeding time in my 5 gallon hex.










they won't sit still.


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## Sunstar

still trying to tame it.


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## ameekplec.

Taming tanks is for suckers. Let it be free and grow into a craaaazy jungle


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## Sunstar

I want my fish to have room to swim....


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## Sunstar

Earthdate: 01.23.09
Subject: Oh boy....

...did I get my hands wet today, I moved the wild val around, extracted the domestic val, three swords and uprooted all the hygro.










I planted the swords and the domestic val in clear plastic tubs with substrate and put into my bottom tank. At least for now, I will hopefully move them to a LFS later. Well not the val, just the swords.

I cut the tops off the hygro, stripped off a few leaves and tied them with thread into bunches of three, then replanted them into the substrate. I think my bamboo shrimp was looking at me with a WTF are you doing?! My plants?! How can I eat? You are so evil!

My fish seem upset with the rescape, more like... Um, you took away my hiding spots! I was worried about the shrimp, they all loaded into the log and the moss and whaever else was thick and green. Tonight I added a few dozen more cherry shrimp to the mix as I am going to take the shrimp out of my hex and put Tarn, the betta into that. *I think* I am thinking of rescuing a betta tomorrow who is in piss poor shape. He needs some TLC and I think I can supply that.

Chances are strong I will go back to the LFS tomorrow and also get some red leafy plant. I really want something red in here and the furcata did nada.

I also put my apple snails into the tank, all 4 of them...wait, I bought one more... All 5 of them. I am trying to convince them to have babies.

I am still considering some moves for my plants. I have some crypts that are by that thick Val and to the right of it. I might bring them more to the left of it. I hope the glosso starts to take off once more. That practically died out in there.

So all in all, a lot of clippy clippy, animal addition, and whatnot. Massive cut back and boy did it feel good. Scary that it did. All that got "tossed" has been thrown into the platy tank. Baby platy LOVE it.


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## Sunstar

Earthdate: 01.29.09
Subject: returning to normal.










I have to do a water change shortly. I have had multitude of migraines and whatnot from the storms we keep getting. I take stuff for it, but it really saps my energy.

Needless to say, I have been more interested in light work than hauling buckets around. One of those light jobs was actually improving my lights in a simple manner.









To this...









...with this...









...from that

And it works a charm. (I think I need to replace the one bulb soon)

A few shots of the fest of weeds that I call the home of my tank. I consolidated my shrimp tank into this tank because of a mysterious die off. So far everyone looks happer.









Wendelov Java Fern

Things have filled out, the java moss really should be trimmed down a bit, but it's full of baby shrimp. Shrimp love it!









Crypt, HC, riccia...lots of stuff

All of the above is growing ON driftwood. Another happy place for shrimp, I am forever seeing babies in around there. The crypt....sheesh not sure when that started to grow there, but a while ago, I saw a tiny plant growing on the driftwood. I can only imagine, I had stuffed a tiny thing into the wood and forgot about it until I started to trim the moss. I keep it trimmed now, but I think it is pretty happy. The HC has spread a fair bit, I've been able to break it into smaller clusters to try to grow elsewhere. Seems to prefer that spot though.









Same shot, just further back. Holy shrimp....









My dumb white molly.


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## MrAL

Looking great. How's the hc growing for you?


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## Sunstar

HC grows on my driftwood well. Anywhere else it dies

Finally a new update.


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## pat3612

Thats beautiful Sunstar. Great Tank.


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## blossom112

the tank looks amazing!!!


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## Julian

man i can't even see the driftwood


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## Shattered

Beautifull tank, I'm hoping mine looks half as good when it's finally done.


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## Sunstar

I took tis yesterday, but I forgot my camera so I can;'t get anything better


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## daking

whoa, and thats with the lights on?


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## Sunstar

My camera was set to a rather low setting so the shutter speed snapped really quickly. Otherwise the tank is quite bright.


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## Julian

sorry but what is the plant in the middle at the bottom, its green with redish patches, i really like it


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## ameekplec.

Nymphea zenkeri - tiger lotus. Comes in a green form (with red patches) and red (with darker red patches).


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## Sunstar

I am not sure, but I might have a baby one soon, if you are looking for any.


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## Sunstar

WEEEEDS


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## ameekplec.

Looking good. Love all the crypts


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## jimmyjam

*hey*

im diggin the wood bud... hows the wall coming along?


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## Sunstar

I never got around to doing the wall. Maybe one day though.


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