JMHart's 45g FW Planted
- Thread starter jmhart
- Start date
What's left of it is growing GREAT, as long as it can stay rooted.
My Dojo loach LOVES to dig it up.
Actually, the whole tank looks bad right now. I added a few fish last weekend, dig a major prune, and hooked up co2 to my other tank. In the process of all that, I accidentally turned the co2 up in my main tank, killing almost all of the fish I had just bought and a few others.
I'm planning a MAJOR rescape, including pulling out all the soilmaster and adding a layer of laterite(my red plants just won't get red). Most of the fish I have moved over to my other tank. The wife won't like it, but the dojo loach is probably staying there. He just doesn't get along with the HC.
Once the rescape is done in a two or three weeks(I'm soaking some driftwood, that's what I'm waiting on), I'm going to go fishless long enough for the HC to at least start to fill in. Most likely I'll go bottom dweller free, except for some SAEs(if you can really call them bottom dwellers) and I'll probably have to put back my common pleco because my wife just won't let me give him away.
In other news, I'm in the process of cleaning/repairing a 55g acrylic tank, so hopefully that'll be set up in the near future.
My Dojo loach LOVES to dig it up.
Actually, the whole tank looks bad right now. I added a few fish last weekend, dig a major prune, and hooked up co2 to my other tank. In the process of all that, I accidentally turned the co2 up in my main tank, killing almost all of the fish I had just bought and a few others.
I'm planning a MAJOR rescape, including pulling out all the soilmaster and adding a layer of laterite(my red plants just won't get red). Most of the fish I have moved over to my other tank. The wife won't like it, but the dojo loach is probably staying there. He just doesn't get along with the HC.
Once the rescape is done in a two or three weeks(I'm soaking some driftwood, that's what I'm waiting on), I'm going to go fishless long enough for the HC to at least start to fill in. Most likely I'll go bottom dweller free, except for some SAEs(if you can really call them bottom dwellers) and I'll probably have to put back my common pleco because my wife just won't let me give him away.
In other news, I'm in the process of cleaning/repairing a 55g acrylic tank, so hopefully that'll be set up in the near future.
ahh i see thats alot of news at once lol
So the hc that didnt get uprooted did it grow fast.. just want to compare before and after (i know its hard because of the dojo)
Btw how much hc you looking for?? i got about a 1.5-2" piece on the side.. Trying to decide if i should use it in my 29
So the hc that didnt get uprooted did it grow fast.. just want to compare before and after (i know its hard because of the dojo)
Btw how much hc you looking for?? i got about a 1.5-2" piece on the side.. Trying to decide if i should use it in my 29
I'm really looking for whatever amount. The HC that was able to grow grew great. Meaning, it stayed low and really filled out. Grow almost flat against the substrate, maybe only 2 cm above it. I could tell that if it was allowed to fill in, it would look great.
However, I did add more bulbs. I've read that with HC, to get a nice lawn effect, the more light the better. I did notice that it grow lower and fuller when I added the new bulbs. I've also read that while slower, growing it emmersed is easier because it's easier for the roots to take hold. I'm contemplating growing it emmersed.
However, I did add more bulbs. I've read that with HC, to get a nice lawn effect, the more light the better. I did notice that it grow lower and fuller when I added the new bulbs. I've also read that while slower, growing it emmersed is easier because it's easier for the roots to take hold. I'm contemplating growing it emmersed.
ahh yea i saw plenty of setups with hc and few other plants grown emersed.. Looks great and plenty had great success but a few had problems with it melting. Plus takes around 8 weeks for it to grow in nicely.. dont know if you are patient lol Heres what Tom Barr the plant guru himself told me when i asked him about submerging hc that was grown emersed..
"There should not be any melt to speak up.
Good sediment(ADA aqua soil is very good) and good CO2 is about all the plant needs.
It's an easy plant to grow with good CO2 and sediment."
What many do when they submerge the plants that were grown emersed is pound them with co2 or excel (good time not to have fish in the tank)
I at the moment am trying to grow hc myself in the 10g, planted it this week so 2 early to tell whats going to happen. I did learn that a little hc goes a long way..
Im also trying to decide if i should add another 14w bulb to my 10g to give it more watts for the hc.. at the moment it got 2.8wpg (prob 3.2-3.5wpg since i added tons of substrate giving me only 8 or so gallons in the tank)
"There should not be any melt to speak up.
Good sediment(ADA aqua soil is very good) and good CO2 is about all the plant needs.
It's an easy plant to grow with good CO2 and sediment."
What many do when they submerge the plants that were grown emersed is pound them with co2 or excel (good time not to have fish in the tank)
I at the moment am trying to grow hc myself in the 10g, planted it this week so 2 early to tell whats going to happen. I did learn that a little hc goes a long way..
Im also trying to decide if i should add another 14w bulb to my 10g to give it more watts for the hc.. at the moment it got 2.8wpg (prob 3.2-3.5wpg since i added tons of substrate giving me only 8 or so gallons in the tank)
Little update: I pretty much killed every fish in this tank, stocking has changed as well as plant list. I also took the opportunity to do a rescape and change the substrate.
Went pressurized with co2.
Changed substrate from 100% SMS to 50/50 SMS/Flourite mixed.
Flora:
Bacopa Carolinia
Rotala Macrandra(could be varigated or 'green' var, or I could just be bad a growing it)
Limnophila Aromatica
Sunset Hygro
Ammannia Gracillis
Rotala Macrandra
Blyxa Japonica
Lobelia Cardinalis
And an invisible amount of HC
Fauna
6 Cardinal Tetras
4 Clown Loaches
3 Otos
2 Chocolate Gourami's
1 Discus
1 SAE
Needs to be trimmed. Battling GDA right now. Hoping to get a Hydor in-line and remove the heaters. I've got the magnum 350 in there for water polishing...but at the moment the magnet's burned out and needs to be replaced.
I upgraded the lighthing, now it's got 206 watts. I think it's way too much. I either going to reduce it down or rewire so that I can time half the lights separate from the other half. Who knows.
I'm struggling right now with my red plants. I can't seem to get them red. Rotala Macrandra and A. gracillis just aren't doing well. I've upped my iron and phosphate dosing, and reduced nitrate. We'll see what happens in a few weeks.
Went pressurized with co2.
Changed substrate from 100% SMS to 50/50 SMS/Flourite mixed.
Flora:
Bacopa Carolinia
Rotala Macrandra(could be varigated or 'green' var, or I could just be bad a growing it)
Limnophila Aromatica
Sunset Hygro
Ammannia Gracillis
Rotala Macrandra
Blyxa Japonica
Lobelia Cardinalis
And an invisible amount of HC
Fauna
6 Cardinal Tetras
4 Clown Loaches
3 Otos
2 Chocolate Gourami's
1 Discus
1 SAE
Needs to be trimmed. Battling GDA right now. Hoping to get a Hydor in-line and remove the heaters. I've got the magnum 350 in there for water polishing...but at the moment the magnet's burned out and needs to be replaced.
I upgraded the lighthing, now it's got 206 watts. I think it's way too much. I either going to reduce it down or rewire so that I can time half the lights separate from the other half. Who knows.
I'm struggling right now with my red plants. I can't seem to get them red. Rotala Macrandra and A. gracillis just aren't doing well. I've upped my iron and phosphate dosing, and reduced nitrate. We'll see what happens in a few weeks.
Last edited:
nice, How did you manage to kill the fish??
lol love the "invisible hc", give it some time, it will eventually break through. And with that lighting/co2/ferts it should spread out nicely
lol love the "invisible hc", give it some time, it will eventually break through. And with that lighting/co2/ferts it should spread out nicely
I *may* have had the co2 up too high:wall:.....twice....and once in my other tank followed by a thermometer malfunction resulting in 90+ deg water killing all the fish in that tank too........it's been a rough couple of weeks.
But, I had a buddy breaking down his 125, so I took all of his fish and restocked.
Yeah, I had a TON of HC, but the GDA kind of covered it and wiped it out.
But, I had a buddy breaking down his 125, so I took all of his fish and restocked.
Yeah, I had a TON of HC, but the GDA kind of covered it and wiped it out.
