And then there was an empty 33G long tank!

[Anonymous]

Tiger lotus, pretty my fav! I like the even lighting throughout the tank, we can see the while tank now


The plant you are enquiring about with the holes, do you know the name of it?


And that crazy terrarium fern, 4th picture down on the right- Have you gotten that to grow any?

 

[cichlid-gal]

Tiger lotus, pretty my fav! I like the even lighting throughout the tank, we can see the while tank now


The plant you are enquiring about with the holes, do you know the name of it?


And that crazy terrarium fern, 4th picture down on the right- Have you gotten that to grow any?

Thanks fishNA bowl but the lighting is still a bit brighter on the left side of the tank as the floaters seem to congregate on the right side. I actually have the light raised a little higher on the left side.

I think the plant with the holes is Temple (Narrow Leaf), Hygrophila corymbosa? When you look at the full tank shot it is the tall plant on the left hand side kinda forward ... tall. It is reaching the surface.

hmmm... the fern. I do think it has grown in size recently, not much, but some. Although I could be imagining that

 

[Anonymous]

I am not sure what could be causing the holes. They look as if they are older leaves though(?). If they are older leaves, lowest on the stem it maybe normal. I have a couple plants where the very 1st couple leaves are kind of crusty, brown, and have holes. The rest of the plant especially the new leaves seems healthy and vibrant.

 

[cichlid-gal]

I am not sure what could be causing the holes. They look as if they are older leaves though(?). If they are older leaves, lowest on the stem it maybe normal. I have a couple plants where the very 1st couple leaves are kind of crusty, brown, and have holes. The rest of the plant especially the new leaves seems healthy and vibrant.

I moved things around a bit today Chad...cleaned up the bad leaves and trimmed some plants and replanted. Also got rid of more floaters as I seem to be overrun with them...they just keep filling up the tank. So I'll see how the leaves on those plants do now. Thanks for the input.

 

[Anonymous]

While manicuring my 140 I have a tendency to clip off old , yellowing, leaves with holes in them. There is a plant deficiency forum here. It is a STICKY at the top of the plants and inverts section. However, I would still wait to see if its epidemic. If you see more then perhaps contemplate adding ferts.

http://www.wafishbox.com/t294-recognizing-deficiencies

 

[cichlid-gal]

Update time....the tank has been doing well.  I found that my nitrates were through the roof on it so have been doing water changes and no dry ferts to get it down again.  Today it was down below 20 again.  Water change done so tomorrow I will start the fert dosing again at 1/4 strength...and monitor to see how that works.  If its not enough...I'll bump to 1/2 strength and so on till I get the right balance and right amounts.

I did make some plant changes so I'm not sure how much they contributed to the changes.  I also have Eco-complete substrate and maybe the dry ferts are just too much given what is already in the substrate.  I had pulled out a big Echinodoris major plant as I had two behind the rock on the left.  I also removed a very large cryptocoryne from the center of the tank.  I did add 2 new swords...an Echinordorus Kleiner Bar and an Echinodorus Frans Stoffels.  The Kleiner Bar is already coloring up nicely and the Frans Stoffels is also putting on some color.  I also added a small bunch of Rotala macrandra.  I have it directly under the light in the center of tank behind what I thought was a ludwigia I had previously.  I'll just have to see how the R. macrandra turns out.  And last but not least...I threw in a couple of moss balls...Woot! Maybe stirring up the substrate with the new plantings and removed plants caused the nitrate to spike also. Still not sure ... so will be watching for now.

My Hygrophila corymbosa I pruned the longest stems from it and putting it into some H. corymbosa that that was shorter bushier clumps and now I have some beautiful pink showing in the topmost leaves on these.  They seem to be remaining very compact (the bushes)...which I like as my tank is rather short.

I have a nice melon sword that is kinda hiding in the back of the tank that is looking pretty good too.

OK...so that's about it for now...so here it is

Full tank shot


H. corymbosa


E. Kleiner Bar


Close up selected plants


Enjoy!

 

[pbmax]

Looks great! I don't see any algae; nicely done so far.  lus1: 

 

[Anonymous]

HEY, is that Ammnnia praetermissa AKA Nesaea sp. "red" on the far left?!  :suspect: 


Everything looks great Donna. Planted tanks brings a whole new element into aquatics, and can be addicting.

 

[cichlid-gal]

Thanks pbmax...and I do have algae...that strange hairy kind...in the same family as the moss ball.  It had to have come into the tank from some of the plants or a plant I put in.  I have no idea but it is managable so far.  And those E. major's get a little algae on the top tips near the surface and lights.  My dwarf sag which have multiplied 10 fold have a little algae too but I'm not complaining.

HEY, is that Ammnnia praetermissa AKA Nesaea sp. "red" on the far left?!  :suspect: 


Everything looks great Donna. Planted tanks brings a whole new element into aquatics, and can be addicting.

Chad thank you so much...and I think so about the N. sp. "red" and don't ask me where that lonely stem came from...probably a big bag of plants I got from Cory's a while back...either there or from The Fish Store or Dennys as those are the only places I have bought plants at and I know it wasn't a auction buy and I really don't think I bought it at all as I only have that one stem.  I stuck it in the corner because it looked pretty...LOL...it's hanging in there...not thriving but not wilting or losing leaves either.

If I can get it growing I'd be happy to share  :hugg:

 

[pbmax]

Thanks pbmax...and I do have algae...that strange hairy kind...in the same family as the moss ball.  It had to have come into the tank from some of the plants or a plant I put in.  I have no idea but it is managable so far.  And those E. major's get a little algae on the top tips near the surface and lights.  My dwarf sag which have multiplied 10 fold have a little algae too but I'm not complaining.

Oh good.  I always feel like a doof with all the time I've put in on planted tanks and all the algae I have.  :cyclops: 

And yeah, I'm fighting the clado too.  It's nasty stuff.... not unattractive in some settings, but mostly just a pain.  Good luck to you! You're doing a great job so far.

 

[cichlid-gal]

Thanks pbmax...and I do have algae...that strange hairy kind...in the same family as the moss ball.  It had to have come into the tank from some of the plants or a plant I put in.  I have no idea but it is managable so far.  And those E. major's get a little algae on the top tips near the surface and lights.  My dwarf sag which have multiplied 10 fold have a little algae too but I'm not complaining.

Oh good.  I always feel like a doof with all the time I've put in on planted tanks and all the algae I have.  :cyclops: 

And yeah, I'm fighting the clado too.  It's nasty stuff.... not unattractive in some settings, but mostly just a pain.  Good luck to you!  You're doing a great job so far.

That algae seems to love the seiryu stones...it is growing in the cracks and crevices...the fish love to spawn over it...I just pinch it out when it gets bigger. I'm hoping it doesn't spread.

 

[Betty]

It's looking very nice! I love the dimensions of the tank. I don't think I've ever seen one of those.

 

[Anonymous]

Chad thank you so much...and I think so about the N. sp. "red" and don't ask me where that lonely stem came from...probably a big bag of plants I got from Cory's a while back...either there or from The Fish Store or Dennys as those are the only places I have bought plants at and I know it wasn't a auction buy and I really don't think I bought it at all as I only have that one stem.  I stuck it in the corner because it looked pretty...LOL...it's hanging in there...not thriving but not wilting or losing leaves either.

If I can get it growing I'd be happy to share  :hugg:

I like to share too, and appreciate the thought.

 

[cichlid-gal]

It's looking very nice!  I love the dimensions of the tank. I don't think I've ever seen one of those.

Thanks Betty...the 33G long tanks are getting to be some of my favorite tanks. You get the floorspace which most fish love and not a lot of wasted top space. I'm waiting for one of John's next stand project...a double stack for 2 of these.

 

[cichlid-gal]

Another update...one month out from last...everything is getting a lot fuller and in such a short tank I think I am going to have some problems.  My sword in the back left corner is bending over the surface and probably covering half the tank. My crypts are about 1/2 the height of the tank now. My microswords are taking over the front of left of the tank and getting a lot taller. Any recommendations? The right side of the tank is much more shaded than the left and alot more sparsely planted. I could possibly move some of the micro swords over there but not sure what else to do other than maybe pull some of the bigger plants?

 

[Anonymous]

Wow. Beautiful tank!

 

[pbmax]

Another update...one month out from last...everything is getting a lot fuller and in such a short tank I think I am going to have some problems.  My sword in the back left corner is bending over the surface and probably covering half the tank.  My crypts are about 1/2 the height of the tank now.  My microswords are taking over the front of left of the tank and getting a lot taller.  Any recommendations?  The right side of the tank is much more shaded than the left and alot more sparsely planted.  I could possibly move some of the micro swords over there but not sure what else to do other than maybe pull some of the bigger plants?

Indeed; your tank looks fantastic!

Yes: yank the larger plants (like the sword). It's either that or cut them back constantly, which is doable, but doesn't fit with my laissez-faire approach to aquarium gardening.

 

[cichlid-gal]

Wow. Beautiful tank!

Thanks SirWes...and pbmax...I have trimmed that sword...maybe I'll do it one more time to see how it fairs. Do you guys recommend less floaters so I don't have so much shade on that other side of the tank. The fish seem to like the shadier side and hanging out under the floaters so I've been hesitant to pull too many of them. Thinking I want to move some of the micro swords over there and possible add another nice focal plant on that side...not sure what right now though.

 

[pbmax]

Fish hate bright light, I think - bright light means dead in nature. That's the balance we have to find with our planted tanks - make them beautiful and fish-friendly at the same time. I have a floating plant area in all of my tanks, but mine aren't as attractive as yours.

 

[cichlid-gal]

My floaters  Same plants just different locations in the tank...colors vary ... so beautiful