New shots... SE Asian and African biotope tanks
- Thread starter DrNo
- Start date
Thanks for the kind words Greg and for following the thread! The pleasure is all mine to share the updates. Its great to see everyone's tank mature/evolve.
Looking really good, Vader. Know you, though, that the vals are going to throw runners, and, given your success with the lawn, I'd say you have about an 80% chance of them filling in really thickly. On the other hand, I have found Val. tortefolia to be highly variable in size. I planted 10" plants in my 110, and they died back and regrew in a patch about 4 to 5" tall. If they stay tall for you and take off, the one behind the triceratops skull and the one beside the manzanita are going to overgrow and dominate the crinium (Gorgeous, those. C. natans, I think). I'd scoot the one to the right further behind the triceratops and let it fill in behind, and I'd scoot the one by the manzanita back a bit further so that it's easier to trim out of the way of the crinium if the runners start heading that way.
Unfortunately, I know precisely bubkis about how blyxa spreads or fails to, so I can't begin to guess about that. If it starts propaging, it would look great to frame your lawn with it, maybe run it out along the front of the Triceratops and around the rotala and into the front right corner, basically extending what you have. Another plant that might really work in there with the blyxa (about the same size) is downoi (which is the Thai name for the plant, and what it generally goes by. Means "little star", but the latin name escapes me at the moment).
Unfortunately, I know precisely bubkis about how blyxa spreads or fails to, so I can't begin to guess about that. If it starts propaging, it would look great to frame your lawn with it, maybe run it out along the front of the Triceratops and around the rotala and into the front right corner, basically extending what you have. Another plant that might really work in there with the blyxa (about the same size) is downoi (which is the Thai name for the plant, and what it generally goes by. Means "little star", but the latin name escapes me at the moment).
Great info., thanks top. BK seems to think the blyxa will do well since the hairgrass does well; we'll see. I like the crinum (really nice octopus quality) so the goal is to let them thrive but tightly control growth. Double that sentiment for the vals... I have not had success with vals in this tank previously (ditto crypts) so it wouldn't surprise me to either pull'em if they don't survive and/or move them as needed to prevent smothering the crinum. If I had found aubertii for the order I would have got that instead of the vallisneria. BK thinks he may have found a source so we'll see if a minor re-shuffle could be in the works. I'll check out the "little star". Thanks for following the thread!
Excellent Vader - love the changes you made. What's that plant back middle? Looks like an outdoor shrub - awesome!!
