I finally put my first real plants into my 10-gallon tank last night... it wasn't terribly fun or easy, but for my first time planting & decorating I'm pleased with how everything looks. I got all of my plants from MG, I’d highly recommend buying from him… the plants all were very healthy, generously portioned, and were packed well. Add in that the prices are ¼ what they are at my LFS (for generic “versions” of the plants I might add) and shopping MG is a no-brainer.
I received 5 or 6 different rhizomes/bunches of Java Fern Windelov which I simply separated to make 3 bunches of Java Fern (assuming/hoping that’s an acceptable way to do it?). It was not at all fun getting them where I wanted them on the wood, tieing the fishing line without having the plants move or fall off, and keeping them upright. Wet/smooth wood, small plants/rhizomes, tiny clear fishing line, a genuine fear of destroying the plants, and big hands did not make for an enjoyable, relaxing experience. But by some act of God I got it done and I only swore about it twice. I’m not one to swear usually, but in this case I’d still call it a success.
I also received 2 Anubias Nana Golden. I tied each of them onto their own little rock... both of the rocks were small, round and smooth, but the rhizomes of the anubias were relatively large and solid so tieing them down went surprisingly well. Moving the roots so that they surrounded the rocks a little better (instead of just being on one side) was the most difficult part, the roots themselves were pretty firm so I had to play with them a bit while tieing it all down.
Finally, I got a 6" x 6" mat of Taiwan Moss that I tied onto a piece of driftwood, I literally draped the moss over the section of wood I wanted it on and tied it down.
Pics & Questions...
Full tank shot... any suggestions? I'm hoping the Java Fern Windelov will fill out, I'm not sure whether I want to keep this side relatively open or to plant some easy, low-light plants to fill in the background there.
I haven't got a clue why or what... but my driftwood's got some purple streaks on it. (I dipped the plants in potassium permanganate before attaching to the driftwood and rinsed them off well)- what might the purple be? Also, some of the java fern leaves have small brown spots on them... should I cut those leaves off near the root or wait to see if they improve?
Same for my Anubias Golden, sort of I guess...
One of the leaves is a bit more yellow and curly than the others... is it going bad too? If so, do I cut it near the root now?
Finally, my MTS are spending just as much time out during the day as they are at night. I've read that might be a sign of water problems, but I tested and everything was perfect (API Master Kit= 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, ~10 nitrate, GH & KH are high on the chart but I don't remember the reading, pH is ~8, temperature is about 79... ~20 juvi. yellow shrimp my wife found and bought by impulse despite my plans to use this tank for livebearer fry, and perhaps 10 MTS). Just to be safe, I did a 30% water change today after testing because of the MTS activity- water was treated with Prime, sat for ~4 hours and was the right temp before the change. So, why aren't my MTS hiding in the sand during the day like good little snails?
Obligatory Shrimp riding a snail pic....
I received 5 or 6 different rhizomes/bunches of Java Fern Windelov which I simply separated to make 3 bunches of Java Fern (assuming/hoping that’s an acceptable way to do it?). It was not at all fun getting them where I wanted them on the wood, tieing the fishing line without having the plants move or fall off, and keeping them upright. Wet/smooth wood, small plants/rhizomes, tiny clear fishing line, a genuine fear of destroying the plants, and big hands did not make for an enjoyable, relaxing experience. But by some act of God I got it done and I only swore about it twice. I’m not one to swear usually, but in this case I’d still call it a success.
I also received 2 Anubias Nana Golden. I tied each of them onto their own little rock... both of the rocks were small, round and smooth, but the rhizomes of the anubias were relatively large and solid so tieing them down went surprisingly well. Moving the roots so that they surrounded the rocks a little better (instead of just being on one side) was the most difficult part, the roots themselves were pretty firm so I had to play with them a bit while tieing it all down.
Finally, I got a 6" x 6" mat of Taiwan Moss that I tied onto a piece of driftwood, I literally draped the moss over the section of wood I wanted it on and tied it down.
Pics & Questions...
Full tank shot... any suggestions? I'm hoping the Java Fern Windelov will fill out, I'm not sure whether I want to keep this side relatively open or to plant some easy, low-light plants to fill in the background there.
I haven't got a clue why or what... but my driftwood's got some purple streaks on it. (I dipped the plants in potassium permanganate before attaching to the driftwood and rinsed them off well)- what might the purple be? Also, some of the java fern leaves have small brown spots on them... should I cut those leaves off near the root or wait to see if they improve?
Same for my Anubias Golden, sort of I guess...
One of the leaves is a bit more yellow and curly than the others... is it going bad too? If so, do I cut it near the root now?
Finally, my MTS are spending just as much time out during the day as they are at night. I've read that might be a sign of water problems, but I tested and everything was perfect (API Master Kit= 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, ~10 nitrate, GH & KH are high on the chart but I don't remember the reading, pH is ~8, temperature is about 79... ~20 juvi. yellow shrimp my wife found and bought by impulse despite my plans to use this tank for livebearer fry, and perhaps 10 MTS). Just to be safe, I did a 30% water change today after testing because of the MTS activity- water was treated with Prime, sat for ~4 hours and was the right temp before the change. So, why aren't my MTS hiding in the sand during the day like good little snails?
Obligatory Shrimp riding a snail pic....
