Author Topic: Preparations for a Planted Tank (Read 39024 times) 116 replies

Helen · « **Reply #40 on:** February 07, 2013, 11:05:19 AM »

I don't have any water wysteria. The fluffy plant reflected in the water surface at the top is limnophilia sessiflora, the bushy plant is the lace java fern. It is the 'frills' on the ends of the leaves that make it look really bushy, and I think give it its unique texture.

And there is a single leaf of cryptocorne crispatula horizontally along the bottom of the photo.

TigzFish · « **Reply #41 on:** February 07, 2013, 11:06:29 AM »

Quote from: Helen on February 07, 2013, 10:35:48 AM

I was going to suggest lace java fern for your bogwood. ... The scientific name is Microsorum pteropus 'Windeløv'. It might actually be a Tropica brand!

Hi Helen, looks nice and definitely a Tropica [article]. Thanks for the offer, but I reckon I'm going to settle on what I've ordered for now. I'll certainly keep you mind if I need something extra on the bog wood though, it's one of the easy plants that according to Tropica do well in low-light setups.

Helen · « **Reply #42 on:** February 07, 2013, 11:12:52 AM »

I can vouch for it doing well in low-light setups. With two t8 lights, my tank is definitely a low-light set up. I bought two plants of the lace fern when I planted up my tank - a couple years ago now. Each had maybe a dozen leaves each, on the rhizomes. Now I have just run out of space for them; I would say they are 10 times the size they were when I bought them, and that is with pretty regular pruning. I think plant growth is usually quantified by how long it takes to double in size? For this plant, I would say it was a matter of weeks in my tank.

TigzFish · « **Reply #43 on:** February 07, 2013, 01:21:56 PM »

Been in touch with the plant stockist and unfortunately they don't have everything available. Plants will now be delivered on 14th Feb, though I may still have a trip down to see their store. How will I cope waiting for a whole week.

Helen · « **Reply #44 on:** February 08, 2013, 04:46:15 PM »

I know that feeling! But it's not aquatic plants I'm waiting for!

TigzFish · « **Reply #45 on:** February 15, 2013, 01:21:32 PM »

Plants (or at least most of them) arrived yesterday and I started planting last night.

I still have 2 Echinodorus quadricostatus to put in once they arrive next Thursday, and the plant for attaching to the larger Bog Wood piece, Anubias barteri var. coffeefolia, is also in that delivery.

It took a lot longer to plant and fill the tank than I had anticipated, probably as I've never done it before, but I think it went pretty well. Started at 8pm and didn't get finished and cleaned up until 1:30am. So, today at work I am knackered to say the least.

Tonight I'll be attaching the Java Moss to the root wood and dropping them into thier right places.

Lots and lots of pictures taken during the process, which I will be compiling for posting on Saturday.

Very happy so far, despite the the store not filling the order in one hit.

TigzFish · « **Reply #46 on:** February 17, 2013, 12:37:50 AM »

Planting ... 1 of 7

TigzFish · « **Reply #47 on:** February 17, 2013, 12:39:08 AM »

Planting... 2 of 7

TigzFish · « **Reply #48 on:** February 17, 2013, 12:40:28 AM »

Planting... 3 of 7

TigzFish · « **Reply #49 on:** February 17, 2013, 12:41:44 AM »

Planting... 4 of 7

TigzFish · « **Reply #50 on:** February 17, 2013, 12:42:49 AM »

Planting... 5 of 7

TigzFish · « **Reply #51 on:** February 17, 2013, 12:45:26 AM »

Planting... 6 of 7

TigzFish · « **Reply #52 on:** February 17, 2013, 12:48:31 AM »

Planting... 7 of 7

ColinB · « **Reply #53 on:** February 17, 2013, 09:32:45 AM »

That looks good so far. Quality plants! Thanks for taking the trouble to post - I'm looking forward to watching your tank mature.

TigzFish · « **Reply #54 on:** February 17, 2013, 08:54:31 PM »

Thanks Colin. I think it's going to end up looking pretty nice once it gets going, and pretty chuffed with my efforts.

The melting has already begun on all of the broader leaf plants, which I expected of course. The Staurogyne repens and Eleocharis parvula have perked up brilliantly over the last 2 days with the parvula visibly longer already. Java Moss has started to turn its strands towards the light too.

I did a Phosphate (PO₄^3-) test yesterday, to discover my tap water contains 5ppm, one step from from the maximum colour chart reading at 10ppm. Not sure whether I need to worry about that being quite so high as I know the plants will use it too.

Anyway, looking forward to getting the last of the plants this coming Thursday.

TigzFish · « **Reply #55 on:** February 25, 2013, 12:49:05 AM »

End of week #1.

There is a distinct amount less to see this week in the plant department as all but one of the Crypts has melted completely. Now I wait for their coming back (I hope) $:-\$

Everything else seems to be hanging in there ok.

I have also been observing the appearance of uninvited guests, in the form of about 10 very small snails. These chaps have grown very quickly from the 1mm almost translucent blobs I spotted earlier in the week to now 5mm. I've attached a snap of one feeding on some Java Moss, From the shell colouration it looks like a common Pond Snail. I don't mind them being there, as long as they don't become destructive.

Still no sign of the missing plants from my mail order, they were apparently sent via standard post on Thursday. Not very happy about that one bit, especially as they will have had added days in transit from the Tropica source to their shop in Wrexham. I'll be very surprised if they survive, if they arrive at all. Telephone conduct of this shop has a great deal to be desired; obnoxious actually. I won't be using them ever again.

I have also been keeping a watch on water parameters and it looks like I've kick-started a slow silent cycle.

Date	KH	pH	Phosphate	Ammonia	NitrIte	NitrAte
Sat 16 Feb	2	7.2	5	0.25	0	5
Tue 19 Feb	3	7.5	4	0.25	0	5
Thu 21 Feb	3	7.5	4	0.25	0.1	5
Sun 24 Feb	3	7.5	4	0.25	0.25	5

ColinB · « **Reply #56 on:** February 25, 2013, 07:29:23 AM »

I get my plants from these guys..... http://www.plantsalive.co.uk/index.php ....they don't ship Tropica plants but they've always been top quality, very large and there always seem to be more than I asked for. Their communication is great and no mistakes have been made.

TigzFish · « **Reply #57 on:** February 26, 2013, 09:35:03 AM »

Thanks Colin, I've bookmarked the site for future reference.

The remaining items from my plant order arrived whilst I was out at work on Monday. Thankfully my neighbor took in the parcel for me which I was handed when I got back home. Saved me another day delay and a trip to the central sorting office in town.

So, this is the final bit of planting/attachments. Now... grow, grow, grow

TigzFish · « **Reply #58 on:** March 03, 2013, 07:16:43 PM »

End of Week #2

Snails seem to be smaller in number as I've only managed to count 6 at once this week. I'm happy about that TBH. One of them is about 8mm in length (head to back of shell), the others in varying sizes up to about 4 or 5 mm.

Water parameters for this week indicate that the silent cycle is over, as all Ammonia and NitrIte have been consumed. After the readings on Tuesday showed a higher NitrAte level I did a 50ltr water change (about 28%). This was the first water change since starting the tank. Both Thursday and Sunday readings show no further increases in the NitrAte. My regular weekly 50ltr water change begins tonight.

Date	KH	pH	Phosphate	Ammonia	NitrIte	NitrAte
Tue 26 Feb	4	7.5	4	0	0.25	20
Thu 28 Feb	4	7.5	5	0	0	10
Sun 03 Mar	4	7.5	4	0	0	10

The melted Crypts have yet to make an appearance again, but the other plants do appear to be settling in nicely, and all are showing signs of increased or new growth.

To combat the build-up of the thin oily scum that tends to develop quickly, I added an airpump and a double tube feed to small airstones at both rear corners. I incorporated adjustable flow valves to each, allowing the rate to be evened out and reduced to a low level. (Picture of the mount attached).

ColinB · « **Reply #59 on:** March 04, 2013, 07:27:04 AM »

Quote from: TigzFish on March 03, 2013, 07:16:43 PM

Now that's a great bit of air-pump engineering.... I love it!!

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Preparations For A Planted Tank

Preparations For A Planted Tank

Author Topic: Preparations for a Planted Tank (Read 39024 times) 116 replies

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