My tank

Today I changed the 3,000 K bulb and I see that the plants are already releasing more oxygen.
 
These days I will make a new setup in my tank because there are already 4 months since the last time I cleaned the substrate .One more picture with a shrimp.1.JPG

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mario75, I have a question! How do you go about trimming your HC? Do you just snip the stalks anywhere & replant the clippings? Mine have started growing a lot better in 2.5g under a 10w 10k 50/50 daylight CFL, but I've recently switched to a 19w 5k CFL and have even better growth. Most of the newer plants or stems are much shorter with the better lighting. I've been dosing CO2 Booster to make up for the lack of a DIY CO2 system (too much of a hassle imo for right now)
 
That tank looks like a gardener lives in there. Awesome.
 
Thanks everyone for being so nice!
@Matiller : I trim HC two times after plantation. The first time is after about a month when I cut only the higher stems and if it's needed I plant those stems in empty spaces. The second and final trimming is after another month and this time I trim all the carpet by cutting all the stems.
I usually keep the setup for three months, and then a make a new one.
This time I made an exception and I kept it for 4 months.
It is good that you have more watts, but this way the plants will grow faster consuming more nutrients, and you should test the water parameters to avoid having algae.
 
Ideal sand dimension for planted aquarium with HC is 1-3 mm .I use 2-4mm sifted sand obtained from construction gravel .I don't know the size of play sand ,but if the size is under 1mm I wouldn't recommend it because it will suffocate the plant roots.
 
Your tanks are just so beautiful, wish mine could look like that.
If your light bulbs are old would that make for algae in your tank?
I really need to change the bulbs I have but no one sells them in the area
and they're quite expensive, but I'll have to do it soon.
 
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