Here's the tank with the new plants.....needs more in the middle there...I would like to get some red lily plants to tuck behind the large driftwood towards the middle of the tank. I think they'll grow ok in a mid-low light tank.
Love the tank... On the schooling thing - I have about 9 neons who school beautifully - I think because I have some rather boisterous zebra danios that go charging through the group occasionally. So that might work (or for once in my life I might just be lucky!)
Thanks Ripple...it is coming along rather nicely I think.
I had some danios a bit ago and didn't like them...way too active for me, drove me nuts zipping around the tank all the time playing..."tag, your it"...or...the "Mommy, he's touching me !...STOP TOUCHING ME !" game....lol..
I sub in a local elementary school...I get enough of that sort of nonesense there AND at home with my own kids. I need slow...pensive...cerebrial fish so I can veg and relax when I watch them. :dive:
HHhhmmm......the search goes on...lol...ah, but what a fun process !
what kind of plants are those, what is your substrate, and what is your WPG? im getting a 29 or 30 gallon planted tank next week and don't know what to get. I really like how your tank looks, and might do a similar set-up to yours.
Well...I only have a dual striplight over this tank...with 2-20 watt bulbs. One is a 2800K and the other is a 4200K...I think I should at least have a 6700 in that tank though. I'm not sure if what I have in there is enough lighting at this point.
Those new plants are looking very healthy because they were apparently getting plenty of ferts at the store....we'll see if they can keep that nice green color in my tank. I also have been adding some Flourish Excel to the tank too. That's a liquid carbon fert in place of a CO2 injection system. I really don't want to get into anymore gadgets right now.
For substrate I used flourite underneath a brown colored gravel. What I would like to do is get rid of the gravel and put some Echo-Complete for planted tanks in there....but what I've done instead of that is to just scoop a good amount of the echo complete and just put it down where the plants are going...I really don't want to go to the trouble right now of removing all that gravel and the mess it would make..lol..
The new plants, I'm not sure what they are...some type of amazon sword I think. The plants on the left side of the tank are from some bulbs I bought at Walmart. Appotogenens of some type. There are also a few small anubias and smaller amazons that look like they could use a bit more lighting.
If I were you I would try for at least 2 watts per gallon in your tank. Go with the compact flourescent bulbs if you can. Wish I had seen those before I bought the striplight. If you can afford it....Echo-Complete makes a great substrate for planted tanks...and you don't have to rinse it !! (BIG plus for anyone who has gone through the process of trying to rinse out their flourite )
oO(Now, if I can get rid of some of those little tanks that are hanging on the side of this tank....maybe it'll really start to look like something !)
if i used eco-complete, could i just use that as my substrate soley, or do i need some other kind of substrate mixed in with that. don't know what to use, eco-complete or fluorite
You can use just the echo-complete. Make sure it's the one for "Planted Tanks". There is an Echo-Complete for cichlids, which is different. The one for the planted tanks has all the nutrients in it that plants require, along with some bio stuff to give your cycle a head start. My plants seem to like it.
I put a layer of spagnum peat moss underneath the Echo-Complete. If you do this you have to soak the moss really well.....I put mine in a culindar with a layer of paper towels on the bottom to keep the small pieces from rinsing out and down the drain. Some folks boil thiers first to make sure it's good and soaked. Otherwise it will all rise to the surface...lol...what a mess it can be.
After I soaked the moss I put a layer on the bottom of the tank, then the Echo-Complete on top of that. When you fill the tank be very careful not to let the water just pour right in the tank because that will stir everything up and the moss will be everywhere. Set a plate on top of the substrate and gently pour the water on that. I will also hold my hand just at the level of the water and pour on my hand. When you get the tank about half full, add the plants where you want them.
Good luck and have fun....do post some pics when you get it all together so we can all Ohhh...and....Ahhhhh over it...