Plantman
09-14-2003, 10:04 PM
I have to share this story with someone.
Well it has been over a year of major construction on my house. This presented a major problem to keep up with my 55gal aquarium. So what do you do if you have 2 years devoted to keeping a planted aquarium looking like a showpiece?
Do what I did place it outside remove the fliter, run only a heater & the pump (keep the water moving prevenst mosqitoes). I watched my tank turn into the largest collection of algae ever. But I did nothing. During the winter MONTH (I live in Florida so winter is a month) most all the fish died Cold got'em. I did nothing to this tank for over a year. Then in may I watched the algae disapear almost overnight. But the plants still looked ugly. There were leaves collecting in the bottom of the tank from my Oak tree's. I think you all get the point. I did nothing to this tank, turned my back & built onto my house.
I have now completed my addition to the house. I should bring the tank indoors. Instead I have grown to like it outside. In fact I drained the H2O & moved it onto my screened in porch. I have filled it up cleaned out a little bit of debris. I have pulled the power compact lights out of the attic & set up the timer.
I can not believe what had happened during all the neglect. My anubis is still active, the vals have spread the full length of the tank & then some. The tiger lotus is sprouting along wiith the madagascar. The Crypths are popping up in areas never even planted. This is so cool. And there are also 3 Amano shrimp cruising around the tank after a year of neglect
Why did I not just shut it down & set it up later you ask?
Part of this has been an experament. I wanted to see if I could allow nature take its course. I believe it did. Not aestheticly. I had a great soil medium prior to setting the tank outside. But now there is a light layer of organic decomposing plant matter supplying the plants with fertilizer. Without any lights, CO2, and Liquid Fertilizer supliment this tank has done wonders.
I have since given almost every Val a hard prune. The Swords had to be thinned out and some plants had to be moved. DIY CO2 (2 liter) is now being added. My PH is a solid 6.6 with a KH of 2. Not bad for a DIY 2 liter.
I should have some pics up soon.
THIS ROCKS!!
Sorry I got so wordy, I just had to let the world know.
Well it has been over a year of major construction on my house. This presented a major problem to keep up with my 55gal aquarium. So what do you do if you have 2 years devoted to keeping a planted aquarium looking like a showpiece?
Do what I did place it outside remove the fliter, run only a heater & the pump (keep the water moving prevenst mosqitoes). I watched my tank turn into the largest collection of algae ever. But I did nothing. During the winter MONTH (I live in Florida so winter is a month) most all the fish died Cold got'em. I did nothing to this tank for over a year. Then in may I watched the algae disapear almost overnight. But the plants still looked ugly. There were leaves collecting in the bottom of the tank from my Oak tree's. I think you all get the point. I did nothing to this tank, turned my back & built onto my house.
I have now completed my addition to the house. I should bring the tank indoors. Instead I have grown to like it outside. In fact I drained the H2O & moved it onto my screened in porch. I have filled it up cleaned out a little bit of debris. I have pulled the power compact lights out of the attic & set up the timer.
I can not believe what had happened during all the neglect. My anubis is still active, the vals have spread the full length of the tank & then some. The tiger lotus is sprouting along wiith the madagascar. The Crypths are popping up in areas never even planted. This is so cool. And there are also 3 Amano shrimp cruising around the tank after a year of neglect
Why did I not just shut it down & set it up later you ask?
Part of this has been an experament. I wanted to see if I could allow nature take its course. I believe it did. Not aestheticly. I had a great soil medium prior to setting the tank outside. But now there is a light layer of organic decomposing plant matter supplying the plants with fertilizer. Without any lights, CO2, and Liquid Fertilizer supliment this tank has done wonders.
I have since given almost every Val a hard prune. The Swords had to be thinned out and some plants had to be moved. DIY CO2 (2 liter) is now being added. My PH is a solid 6.6 with a KH of 2. Not bad for a DIY 2 liter.
I should have some pics up soon.
THIS ROCKS!!
Sorry I got so wordy, I just had to let the world know.