Anthony J.
New Member
So, I never did a journal on my old setup, but here is a picture so can see.
obviously, very low tech, bullet proof plants, nothing in the inert substrate etc, etc.
After seeing Roys low tech 10, and seeing what he was doing with a lowtech tank I started reading. Hours and hours and hours of reading. I have always been inspired by the amazing works of Takashi Amano, and aquascaping or "hardscaping" in my big tanks has always been a great joy to me. In reading I have spent a bit of time on a few sites, and looking at all the different approaches that are taken by people. From Walsted, and Dustin, who LOVE dirt. To the green machine, who loves adding 3 types of substrates, and 100 different slow release in substrate additives, in very specific orders. To the massive controversy over "ADA vs ________". I have read over a dozen "beginners guides" and many "lighting and co2 balancing" articles. With all the overwhelming, and varying opinions that are out there, I found an excellent article by Richard T. Pon and would encourage anyone thinking about starting a planted aquarium to start there, or here \/ rather.
Ironically its a cichlid forum link. http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/intro_aquarium_plants.php another great one here, with a link on it to another good one for no excel or Co2.
I also did a lot of other reading, anyway. I decided by the previously posted article on a baseline of ferts, I'm going all seachems, starting with excel everyday, @ 1.5 the recommended dose, followed by flourish 2x a week for the trace and micros, and seachems Potassium for,,, well potassium. I have no current intention to add phosphorus, or nitrogen based off of the information I have found in several places like this one,
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/fertilizers_intro.php
I'm sure, I will be adding root ferts here and there, because of the few heavy root feeders I have.
My chosen substrate is already iron rich, again seachems 'flourite mixed with floramax'. I ordered some plants, and took the plunge. Lets see how it turns out. Follow along, this should be interesting
FTS
Cryptocoryne parva,
Dwarf chain sword "narrow leaf"
bacopa carolinia left rear
some kind of emersed rotala, infica I think
right rear,
unknown crypt front
This was with the rotala, emersed vs submerged I assume.
Java fern trident.
and java moss,
I'm waiting on another shipment of plants that will be here on Monday, it will include, ludwigia repens, gold lloydiella, purple cabomba, and a few odds and ends stems for me to try. I payed the average price for two "bunches, and asked for 2-3 stems of 4-6 various species, so I could see what I like, and, what likes me.
Because this aquarium can be viewed from the front and the left side, I wanted to go with a traditional triangle nature style layout. Thanks for viewing.
obviously, very low tech, bullet proof plants, nothing in the inert substrate etc, etc.
After seeing Roys low tech 10, and seeing what he was doing with a lowtech tank I started reading. Hours and hours and hours of reading. I have always been inspired by the amazing works of Takashi Amano, and aquascaping or "hardscaping" in my big tanks has always been a great joy to me. In reading I have spent a bit of time on a few sites, and looking at all the different approaches that are taken by people. From Walsted, and Dustin, who LOVE dirt. To the green machine, who loves adding 3 types of substrates, and 100 different slow release in substrate additives, in very specific orders. To the massive controversy over "ADA vs ________". I have read over a dozen "beginners guides" and many "lighting and co2 balancing" articles. With all the overwhelming, and varying opinions that are out there, I found an excellent article by Richard T. Pon and would encourage anyone thinking about starting a planted aquarium to start there, or here \/ rather.
Ironically its a cichlid forum link. http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/intro_aquarium_plants.php another great one here, with a link on it to another good one for no excel or Co2.
I also did a lot of other reading, anyway. I decided by the previously posted article on a baseline of ferts, I'm going all seachems, starting with excel everyday, @ 1.5 the recommended dose, followed by flourish 2x a week for the trace and micros, and seachems Potassium for,,, well potassium. I have no current intention to add phosphorus, or nitrogen based off of the information I have found in several places like this one,
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/fertilizers_intro.php
I'm sure, I will be adding root ferts here and there, because of the few heavy root feeders I have.
My chosen substrate is already iron rich, again seachems 'flourite mixed with floramax'. I ordered some plants, and took the plunge. Lets see how it turns out. Follow along, this should be interesting
FTS
Cryptocoryne parva,
Dwarf chain sword "narrow leaf"
bacopa carolinia left rear
some kind of emersed rotala, infica I think
right rear,
unknown crypt front
This was with the rotala, emersed vs submerged I assume.
Java fern trident.
and java moss,
I'm waiting on another shipment of plants that will be here on Monday, it will include, ludwigia repens, gold lloydiella, purple cabomba, and a few odds and ends stems for me to try. I payed the average price for two "bunches, and asked for 2-3 stems of 4-6 various species, so I could see what I like, and, what likes me.
Because this aquarium can be viewed from the front and the left side, I wanted to go with a traditional triangle nature style layout. Thanks for viewing.