# TorontoPlantMan's Planted Aquariums & Emersed Plants



## TorontoPlantMan

I'm going to be starting a thread on the journey of my 10 gallon and 37 gallon. Been quite a ride with these 2 as I've been trying to get my 10 gallon lights & ferts figured out while also converting my 37 gallon from a piranha tank housing 9 piranhas to a fully planted dirt aquarium.

Here's some pictures of the 10 gallon and 37 gallon. I must say...I can already see the results with the dirt and boy oh boy am I ever happy I decided to go that route.


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## TorontoPlantMan

Continuing...


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## TorontoPlantMan

Here's the current specs of both tanks

*10 Gallon*

*Substrate-* Sachem Flourite Dark 
*Lighting-* Two CFL Spiral 13W 
*Filtration- *Hagen Aquaclear Mini
*Species-* 8 Cardinal Tetras, 1 Siamese Algae Eater (Confirmed Species), 1 Male Fancy Tail Guppy, 1 Female Grey/Baby Blue Guppy, 1 Female Red Guppy
*Plants- *Dwarf Hairgrass, Alternanthera Reineckii Var. 'Rosefolia', Cryptocoryne Wendtii Green, MoneyWort, Elodea Canadensis, Rotala Magenta.
*CO2-* DIY Sugar/Yeast Mix
*Diffuser-* Bubble Ladder
*Fertilizers* SeaPora Plant Food Supplement, Sera Root Tabs

*37 Gallon*

*Substrate-* MGOPS + Sand
*Lighting-* Coralife T5HO Dual Bulb Fixture, 10,000k + Colormax
*Filtration-* Marineland Penguin Power Filter - 200B
*Species-* 20 Rosy Red Minnows (Testing before putting expensive fish)
*Plants-* Amazon Sword, Cabomba, Dwarf Hairgrass, Alternanthera Reineckii Var. 'Rosefolia', Cryptocoryne Wendtii Green, MoneyWort, Elodea Canadensis, Java Moss.


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## Kimchi24

you can house 9 piranha in a 37 gallon? this is a serious question because im planning on getting some


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## TorontoPlantMan

It's not recommended but I raised them as a group from when they were less than an inch big so they were very tolerant with each other. Normally if you just bought a couple RBP's here and a couple there and then put them together, they'd end up killing each other. I ended up putting them in a 90 Gallon as I felt so bad for them all squished up in the 37, but mind you they were in a 20 Gallon before hand  All ranged in size from 4.5" to 6". Definitely a fish the women actually dig 

By the way.. I wouldn't recommend getting them. It's a joyful thing at first and definitely awesome to watch them rip apart whatever you throw in the tank, but I guarantee after the first month if not sooner they'll lose their "hype" and you will want to get rid of them. They were fun, but I wouldn't recommend them to anyone.


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## 10G

Nice tanks, I really like the 10 gallon and the stand.


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## TorontoPlantMan

10G said:


> Nice tanks, I really like the 10 gallon and the stand.


Thanks 10G


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## TorontoPlantMan

Managed to get a bunch of new plants, around 18 different species in this tank now. Box is at the top because of babies or else i would have removed for the picture lol.


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## TorontoPlantMan

I haven't done an updated in quite some time and since then much has changed so I figured this is long overdue.

I moved during Christmas so I had the opportunity to completely re-do my tank and save my plants from the terrible anaerobic conditions of my amateur dirted tank.

Here's the current specs of my tank.

*Lighting*
- Lights turn on at 12:00 and turn off at 7:00pm
- 30" Coralife T5HO Dual Bulb Fixture with 6700k and Colormax 
- 24-36" Marineland Plant L.E.D

*Pressurized CO2*
- 10LB Aluminum CO2 Cylinder with handle (Thanks Greg )
- Praxair Prostar 212 Dual Stage Chrome-Plated Forged Brass Body, Five-Port Configuration, 316L Stainless Steel Diaphragm Regulator
- Parker H3L Metering Valve
- Fabco Solenoid
- A.I Bubble Counter
- Fluval Ceramic Disc Diffuser (Will eventually upgrade to in-line)

*Filtration*
- Marineland C220 Canister Filter

*Heater*
- Marineland 150 Watt Fully Submersible heater

*Substrate*
- Everyone has their own view/opinion on substrate and layering, I have specific plants in which require very specific needs which is why I have my substrate done in such a manner.
- Seachem Fluorite Dark (Outer Wall)
- Seachem Fluorite Red (Mixed with MTS mix + on top of and underneath MTS mix)
- Seachem Fluorite Black Sand X 2 
- Aragonite sand
- Natural clay
- Mineralized Top Soil (MTS) Soaked and dried for 6 weeks, mineralized with natural clay from the badlands as well as other additives.

*Fertilizers*
- Seachem Flourish Potassium
- Seachem Flourish Phosphorus
- Seachem Flourish Nitrogen
- Seachem Flourish Trace
- Seachem Flourish Iron

*Fauna*
- Hypseleotris compressa (Empire Gudgeon) X 2 males and 1 female.

*Flora*
- Crinum Calamistratum 
- Rotala Rotundifolia
- Dwarf Hairgass 
- Alternanthera Reineckii Var. 'Roseafolia' Mini
- Staurogyne Repens 
- Cryptocoryne Tonkinensis
- Cryptocoryne Nurii Pahang 'Mutated'
- Cryptocoryne Cordata 'Rosanervig'
- Microsorum pteropus 'Windelov'
- Anubias Nana Petite 
- Rotala Vietnam
- Glossostigma Elatinoides (transitioning from emersed to submersed)

I'm excited to see how it grows out with exception for the dying gloss  all suggestions and advice is welcome  Sorry for the cell phone quality picture of the fish, I'll take a better picture of them when the lights are on and they are coloured up.


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## TorontoPlantMan

Here are some updated pictures the pressurized CO2 is really making a difference as well as the addition of the LED light.


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## TorontoPlantMan

Heres some updated pictures, I'm really loving the growth under these LED's as well as finally reaping the benefits of pressurized CO2. Enjoy


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## hendy8888

Very nice! What's the plant in the last picture?

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk


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## TorontoPlantMan

hendy8888 said:


> Very nice! What's the plant in the last picture?
> 
> Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk


I originally bought it as dwarf hair grass but others have ID'd it as e.tenellus, it gets nice red tips under high light which looks nice.


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## HOWsMom

What a beautiful tank !! 

I wish I had the knowledge, money, and dedication to pull off something nearly as nice !

I bow down to you PlantMan !


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## hendy8888

TorontoPlantMan said:


> I originally bought it as dwarf hair grass but others have ID'd it as e.tenellus, it gets nice red tips under high light which looks nice.


I think I like it better in a group like you have it then as a carpet. My juncas repens has similar colour and leaf shape but is larger.


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## TorontoPlantMan

HOWsMom said:


> What a beautiful tank !!
> 
> I wish I had the knowledge, money, and dedication to pull off something nearly as nice !
> 
> I bow down to you PlantMan !


Thanks HOWsMom, trust me when I say it's been a long journey but with time and a bit of effort we can all achieve something we always wanted.



hendy8888 said:


> I think I like it better in a group like you have it then as a carpet. My juncas repens has similar colour and leaf shape but is larger.


Thanks, It's been really hard so far to manage keeping it in a small group and stop it from carpeting. Usually twice a week I'll have to go in there and pull up the runners which spread over in all directions. I've actually thought about taking it out and letting the micro sword fill in but I'm not entirely sure yet.


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## kevinli1021

Wow your empire gudgeon looks so amazing


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## TorontoPlantMan

kevinli1021 said:


> Wow your empire gudgeon looks so amazing


Thanks  Here is a video of them when I first setup my planted tank after I moved. 




When I see my plants in that video and then I look at the pictures now the growth just shocks me lol


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## TorontoPlantMan

*Emersed Plants*

Picked up a couple new products recently and have been experimenting with difference substrates, here are some of the results. The Cryptocoryne Sp. Affinis is my absolute favourite, the bullate leaves look amazing in real life 

Not everything is labeled yet but the majority are.


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## TorontoPlantMan

More pictures...


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## blackblack

Beautiful pics! What are those bins full of white stuff in your last image?


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## TorontoPlantMan

blackblack said:


> Beautiful pics! What are those bins full of white stuff in your last image?


Thank you, I haven't gotten around to potting everything yet as I was waiting for my air pump but since I got that today I can finish now and will upload a picture of my six tank rack. It's just a pain in the butt having to pot 100+ pots.

The white stuff is just a silica sand cap, I use this for fine root plants like H.C and Glosso or anything else that spreads quickly. If its a slow grower the white will promote unwanted algae so it's key to use fast growing plants.


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## blackblack

Ah that makes sense. I'd like to come visit your operation this summer once you've got everything all set up. Keep up the great work


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## TorontoPlantMan

blackblack said:


> Ah that makes sense. I'd like to come visit your operation this summer once you've got everything all set up. Keep up the great work


Definitely, you're more than welcome and thanks for the kind words


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## creature55

Just found this thread and have to say I'm so impressed!! I'm better at growing algae than anything else lol. All your plants are impeccably algae free and the colours are fantastic. Will definitely need to pick up some tips from you! Gorgeous tanks


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## Sameer

I dont know what the demand is for crypts and rare crypts but you seriously need to start a buce collection!!! I wish my tank was bigger, Im looking to hopefully start with buce.


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## TorontoPlantMan

emathieu55 said:


> Just found this thread and have to say I'm so impressed!! I'm better at growing algae than anything else lol. All your plants are impeccably algae free and the colours are fantastic. Will definitely need to pick up some tips from you! Gorgeous tanks


Thank you  Everything takes time and patience, and sometimes a bit of money lol but trust me I've had my battles with algae, I've just managed to beat it 



Sameer said:


> I dont know what the demand is for crypts and rare crypts but you seriously need to start a buce collection!!! I wish my tank was bigger, Im looking to hopefully start with buce.


It's surprisingly quite large, but it all depends whether you're trying to sell to a collector or a hobbyist and just regular crypts or rare crypts. Most of the rare crypt transactions I do aren't on the forum and just with collectors I met at auctions or forums, the regular crypts I've had many sell on here no problem.

I've had a few buce's awhile back but sold them. I'm just not all that fond of how easily they grow, emersed anyway. I just found them to be not as challenging as the rarer crypt's that I was dealing with at the time. I may possibly pick up a few again because my good friend regularly brings in many different buce sp. You should start an emersed tank!!


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## default

Looking good, what kinda substrate mix are you playing with? I'm running out of mixes to try.


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## TorontoPlantMan

default said:


> Looking good, what kinda substrate mix are you playing with? I'm running out of mixes to try.


Quite a wideeee variety depending upon what I want the water parameters to be but generally it looks like this : 1 part cow manure, 1 part sheep manure, 1 part worm castings, 1 part natural clay, 1 part- (peat,or dolomite, depends what I want PH to be), and 5 parts of premium topsoil. Then I use a cap of either silica sand or regular gravel or black sand, but never ADA with this mix as it'll result in hugeee algae blooms from the large amounts of nutrients. Sometimes I'll throw in some perlite or muriate of potash but it depends on the plants I'm potting.


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## TorontoPlantMan

Here are some updated pictures of my emersed set-up's. I've been experimenting with many different water parameters, temps, and substrates. I found Glossostigma in particular to be extremely adaptable from PH at 6.5 up to PH at 8.5.

Also...Check out the Bacopa growing like a zig zag lol, very strange.


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## TorontoPlantMan

More Pictures


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## mlongpre

That is cool man. Might have to get some pointers from you on emersed growing.


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## TorontoPlantMan

mlongpre said:


> That is cool man. Might have to get some pointers from you on emersed growing.


Thanks, you're welcome to ask questions anytime.


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## Cichlidrookie

mlongpre said:


> That is cool man. Might have to get some pointers from you on emersed growing.


mlongpre TorontoPlantMan has really nice plants. His pointers and advise is even better.

He will also answer your question fast, I feel like he is on this forum 24/7. LOL


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## TorontoPlantMan

Cichlidrookie said:


> mlongpre TorontoPlantMan has really nice plants. His pointers and advise is even better.
> 
> He will also answer your question fast, I feel like he is on this forum 24/7. LOL


Thanks Cichlidrookie I appreciate the kind words. I'm not on here 24/7 but I do check in often unless I'm working


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## cubetank

Wow! Amazing selection and growth, great tanks!! I'm loving the a.r.mini. Do you sell? Sadly I have nothing to trade!


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## TorontoPlantMan

cubetank said:


> Wow! Amazing selection and growth, great tanks!! I'm loving the a.r.mini. Do you sell? Sadly I have nothing to trade!


Thanks  I sell many many plants, Alternanthera R. 'Mini' is easily one of the most popular of them all. Just check out the link in my signature to my buy/sell thread.


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## TorontoPlantMan

Caught one of my Crypt's flowering  Hopefully the spathe opens tomorrow or the day after as it looks close.


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## TorontoPlantMan

*Flowers*

Crypt still hasn't opened but the spathe is getting larger. Caught my Glossostigma flowering though which was a surprise.

I also picked up a L014 pleco and got a nice picture of my emperor gudgeon.

Hope everyone's enjoying summer!


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## TorontoPlantMan

I recently started a blog so I could connect with other Cryptocoryne fans and those who grow emersed. If anyone want's to check it out I'll be doing detailed write ups on here.

http://torontoplantman.wordpress.com


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## TorontoPlantMan

*Cryptocoryne Spathe's*

Here is a picture of my Wendtii 'Mi Oya' spathe in emersed form when it finally opened. To my surprise it's flowering again as well as a treat I found today in one of my tanks while cleaning; Cryptocoryne Wendtii 'Green Gecko' spathe in submersed form.


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## TorontoPlantMan

Ammania Sp. Bonsai Flowering  Still small buds but they'll grow soon enough.

The Cryptocoryne Wendtii 'Mi Oya' is constantly flowering, it's like as soon as one flower dies another forms, except now there are THREE spathes forming at the same time. 

Also picked up some goodies to make life a bit easier in the plant room when I leave for Australia.


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## blackblack

Will you continue to blog and keep emersed plants when you move down under?


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## TorontoPlantMan

100% !! If anything I will have a lot more information as I'll be going to collect many species in the wild; some of my friends down under have also told me that I'll be able to grow many of the species outside if I have a balcony 

Thanks for taking the time to check my blog out; I appreciate it.


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## blackblack

That's amazing! A great opportunity there. No freezing temps to keep you from expanding. I look forward to your future posts for sure


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## TorontoPlantMan

Thanks! It'll be an awesome opportunity.

Here is some pictures of a submersed Cryptocoryne Wendtii Sp. 'Green Gecko' which has THREE submersed spathes


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