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Hey guys,

Greetings from Indonesia! (just got here after spending a day in Singapore where I spent almost S$300 on fish tank stuff )

RE: the pygmy corys - there are 3 kinds of pymy-sized corys (5 actually, but 2 are quite impossible to find) that only get around 1" in size (def. much smaller than Pandas): c. Habrosus, c. Pygmaeus, c. Hastatus (in order of decreasing size). c. Hastatus and c. Pygmaeus spend most of their time on the middle water level (or sitting on leaves of plants ), so you won't see them sifting through substrate much if that's what you're looking for. c. Habrosus are bottow dwellers and my favorite in terms of cuteness and personality, but they're also the most delicate out of the 3. IME they also don't sift through substrates very well b/c of their tiny mouths.

Cheers!

-P

upikabu,

Nice to hear from you

Hope you have a nice vacation. Did you bump into Bensaf already? He should be easy to identify

Ingo

PS: thanks for the nice info on the tiny Cories.

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

just got here after spending a day in Singapore where I spent almost S$300 on fish tank stuff )

You found the shop then ?

$300 ?! That was a bit much to be spending on my Chrissie pressie

He should be easy to identify

It's a terrible burden , but yes, somebody as tall and strikingly handsome as I, does tend to stick out. Plus, Indonesian spoken with a thick Irish accent is quite a strange sound."Tidak ada apa apa begorrah !"

I'm sure we'll be meeting up later. I'll bring a camera. You guys I'm sure would be interested in the aquatic markets. Myself and Paulus can do a mini FP field trip and post some pics. Or we can forget and just go have beers

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Some days you're the pigeon and some days you're the statue.

Remember that age and treachery will always triumph over youth and ability.

Thanks, Ingo - so far the vacation has gone off to a good start. Two days in and I already got 3 bags full of fish-related stuff.

You found the shop then ?
$300 ?! That was a bit much to be spending on my Chrissie pressie

Hi Bernard - yup, found the shop, thanks! Turns out to be very close to where I stayed, just a 5-min drive. Spent 2.5 hrs there going back and forth in that tiny shop and kept piling stuff on the tiny counter table. Too bad those ADA substrates are heavy. The plants displayed there and esp. at the shop next door made me want to cry/live in Singapore. It's light years better than the selection/quality of any shop I've been to in Oz. All kinds of awesome-looking mosses (DaFishMan would've drooled for sure) and rare (by Oz standards at least) plants in pristine conditions, without a spec of algae or rotting leaves. Needless to say, I've changed my schedule so that I can go back there on my way back.

I'll bring a camera. You guys I'm sure would be interested in the aquatic markets. Myself and Paulus can do a mini FP field trip and post some pics.

Great idea! I'm still kicking myself for not bringing a camera into that shop yesterday. ]:| I'll definitely take pics when I go to the fish markets in Taiwan & Hong Kong. Now I'm off to don my Elmer Fudd huntin' gear and go lookin' for that wabb...er, bensaf.



Last edited by upikabu at 18-Dec-2005 21:07

-P

Now you know why I can't resist the plant smuggling. A lot of real hard to find plants in those 2 shops and at great prices. Last time I was there I picked up Postegemon Helfiri (Downoi) for USD$3 a pot. This would sell for ten times as much in the US IF you could actually find it.

Amazing shrimp collection too, but I wouldn't try smuggling them.

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Some days you're the pigeon and some days you're the statue.

Remember that age and treachery will always triumph over youth and ability.

Yeah, I can totally understand the smuggling now (not that I condone it of course ). At first glance I thought some of those plants were fake since they looked so perfect. Also can't believe all the different kinds of tiny shrimps they have too (saw a cute tiny baby Yamato shrimp on one of the moss-covered driftwood in NA's main tank).

P.S. BTW guys, bensaf sounds much younger than I thought. But definitely Irish.

P.P.S. Sorry to hijack your thread, tetra.

-P

P.P.S. Sorry to hijack your thread, tetra.
Just bring me something back and we'll call it even.



My Scapes

P.S. BTW guys, bensaf sounds much younger than I thought. But definitely Irish.

Bloody hell, how old do you think I am ?] What were you expecting a cracked grandad voice? You'll be in for a greater shock when you meet me, nobody ever believes me when I tell them my age. Must be the Oil of Ulay....or the Guinness

Yep, never lost the Irish brogue and it still makes the ladies hearts melt, a'tall a'tall and the top 'o the mornin' to yis all.

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Some days you're the pigeon and some days you're the statue.

Remember that age and treachery will always triumph over youth and ability.

Just bring me something back and we'll call it even.

A nice glass diffuser ok?

Yep, never lost the Irish brogue and it still makes the ladies hearts melt, a'tall a'tall and the top 'o the mornin' to yis all.

Hmm I think I'll need to bring along a translator when we meet.

-P

A nice glass diffuser ok
You got me an ADA glass diffusor, you really shouldn't have.

My Scapes

So,

How is the tank coming along tetratech?

I envy you for being able to have a open top. Did a fish already jump ship?

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

No fish have jumped yet. I do keep the water level pretty far below the top.

I'm getting some BGA in the tank. I am dosing excel, no3, po4 and flourish for now.

What the like about the sand and open-top is the maintenance. If some of the sand get's some BGA on it I just gravel(sand) vac it out of the tank. I have a 50lb bag in the gargage so I just replace it when the sand runs low.

On a bigger tank, you really need a custom-made tank for that open-top affect, because the AGA and I think the Oceanic have that mid support piece in the middle which kinda ruins the asetitics of the whole thing.

My Scapes

... you really need a custom-made tank for that open-top affect

I hear you. Either the glass would have to be much stronger ( $$$ ) or the cross braces would have to be made out of glass (as I have seen in pictures).

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

O.K.

It's been an eternity since I posted to my 12g sand bottom tank. I really haven't been doing much with it. The tank did have a bout with BGA when I switched to a stronger light and I seem to have won a over by doing water changes semi-weekly and putting a lot of plants in. I just keep throwing wisteria into the background of the tank and also floating pieces. I also strengthend the biofilter by putting a bag of my eheim substrate into the HOB. It's amazing the uses I find for Wisteria.





tetratech attached this image:


My Scapes

Simple but nice. How do your plants do rooting into the sand? I am think about setting up a small Hex with sand in as a betta Heaven and I would probably use some of the plants I already have in there.

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

Thanks Wingdsc, Yes it is very simple. Just wisteria and java moss. The wisteria is rooting very well in the sand. It's pool filter sand and it has a descent size grain to it.

Here's another shot without the floating wisteria. All the green basically surrounds the driftwood without taking the focus away from the high point of the wood.



tetratech attached this image:


My Scapes

I tank is also pretty well stocked which I'll probably have to move some back to my 72g. Right now the tank has:

8 Gold Tetras
4 Black Neons
3 Otos
3 Kuli Loaches (To move around the sand)



tetratech attached this image:


My Scapes

Seems like the tank is doing just fine.

But it starts to look a lot like your 72.

You must really love the Wisteria theme

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Really nice looking tank. Did a great job on the rocks in front of the wood

I'd love to see something tall and thin at the back for some height. Not a lot, just a tuft here and there.

Not having a background works well on this tank.

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Some days you're the pigeon and some days you're the statue.

Remember that age and treachery will always triumph over youth and ability.

Thanks for the comments.

Wisteria, Here it seems to work as a background plant, but I do see where Bensaf is going, some strands here and there. That would add more dimension.

The BGA kinda ruined the first round with the java covered stones. I'm kinda doing an experiment. The stones on the corners now have hairnets covering the java and the ones in the middle are tied down. I want to see if there's any difference. I think the hairnets one will come in fuller because the stones are smooth and the coverage better.

Also do you guys like the bare stones in the front of the java covered ones or does it distract from the java and sand border constrast.



My Scapes

Agree with others, the tank has come into its own.

As for the stocking, I don't see why you'd have to move any back to the 72 if you dont want, we all know how a little dense planting can make up for some slight over stocking...

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Back in the saddle!

I like bare stones, when they fit into the overall picture.

I am not sure about the sand bottom and bare stones though, they may look better if they would be like half way buried in the sand, more natural.

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

I like the bare stones on the sand, they give it a beach look, maybe add 3 more of varying sizes which would bring the total to 5 right? slightly bury some of them, group them one group of three and two on their own or something, whichever way looks better to you. This one puts me in mind of a Japenese Zen garden, thus the bare stones will go well with the moss covered ones.

Question, does the wisteria do well as a floater or does it prefer terra firma? Have you noticed a difference?

"If you're afraid you'll make a mistake, you won't make anything."
-Family Circus

Thanks for the comments. Maybe bury half way, I could try more but it might be too overwhelming.

Any kuli loach experts in the house. I always remember these guys hiding all the time and thinking they were a waste of money, because you never saw them, but these guys are always in the open. Is it the sand? Do they feel secure that they could always go into the sand if need be.




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My Scapes

I'd love to see something tall and thin at the back for some height. Not a lot, just a tuft here and there.

O.K. I was definitely inspired by this, but I'm not saying this is exacting what Bensaf had in mind, but let's just say it was a quick fix to see if I like the height in the back. What does everyone think and what plant is it?



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My Scapes

I like it,

I seems to be very skinny and grass like, is that a plant from the onion family?

Or maybe it is a crypt?

But you should get more of them

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Sorry LF, guess again

My Scapes

It can't be a sag either, they would die in that tank

It totaly looks like one of the onion guys.

So what is it?

Ingo

Maybe it is the one I had for one day, forgot the name though.

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Not so fast LF, this is too much fun, guess again.

What did you have for one day?

My Scapes

That was a plant that grows rapidly, is not too rare, gets a little reddish on the leaves,

I think it was called Gayii

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Oh yeah, your gayii is my diandra
So is it gayii -


My Scapes

Blyxa aubertin (or something like it, starts with a though)

Ingo

EDIT: show a close-up

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Sorry . Where is Uncle Ben, I'm sure he can name this very exotic weed.



My Scapes

So last try:

You say it is not in the onion, crypt, or sag families. Neither is it Gayii or Blyxa.

Is it in the Echinodorus family?

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

What ever the heck this plant is you should go get some more of them and just tell us what the heck they are.

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

Not a sword LF. You planted tank people are a tough crowd. It's driving you crazy isn't it. . How 'bout if no one guesses by 8pm EST. I'll give the answer.




My Scapes

What time zone are we going by for the record?


Edit:

P.S.

I am going to steal my friends cammera tonight to show of some pics of my tank. I also got some new fish for it! Pretty pumped!


55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

Look forward to seeing your pics Wingdsc. we are talking eastern standard time.

My Scapes

ok cool so will be back in an hour or so to find out whats up. I am going plant shoping!

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

O.K. big hint it's common name rhyms with condo. I could here the disapproving voices -

My Scapes

Yeah that's pretty much what I had in mind although maybe thicker bushes.

The positioning is a bit "neat" though, it's like both are the same distance from the side on each of the sides, i.e the right one is 6" from the right side of tank and the left is also 6 " from the left side of the tank. I'd move one a couple of inches closer to one side.

It's hard to tell from the pic but it looks like C.Retrospiralis. Any chance of a close up ?

EDIT: I somehow missed an entire page and didn't see all the above. Are you saying it's Mondo Grass ? Mondo - Condo ? Doesn't look like but the hell do I know about Mondo grass ?

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Some days you're the pigeon and some days you're the statue.

Remember that age and treachery will always triumph over youth and ability.

Are you saying it's Mondo Grass ? Mondo - Condo

Yes, now everyone's gonna say it's not a true aquatic and it will be dead in a few months. This was a piece I cut off from the mother plant that has been growing in my son's newt,white cloud tank for over 2 years. The tank is 3/4 filled to the top, so in an open top same idea.
Your description of "neat" is so dead on to my thinking it's scary It was going to say it's "too organized". I just threw it in an took pic, I will add some more and reorganize it.

My Scapes

OK lets have a talk about this plant....I just bought some.....and couldn't find anything aquaria related....is it doomed?

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

Are you sure it's Mondo grass ? Doesn't look loike any I've ever seen

But then again my lack of knowledge on Mondo is only matched by my lack of knowledge on how the female mind works

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Some days you're the pigeon and some days you're the statue.

Remember that age and treachery will always triumph over youth and ability.

Yeah it's definitely mondo grass. It has a very stiff emersed plant feel to it. It has a rhizome similiar to an anubias and it was only a few inches long when I bought it. It kinda looked like dwarf hairgrass but thicker strands. I anchored it between two rocks above in my son's tank under a 25watt bulb and it grew straight thru the screen cover with above 25% of the lenght out of the water.

My Scapes

It looks the same as mine. It has a really stiff feel to it. I will post some close ups here in a bit.

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

I will post some close ups here in a bit

Promises, promises. Where's your pics Wingdsc? You toy with us

My Scapes

Attached Image:

Mondo

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

Attached Image:

Mondo

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

Sorry for toy with all ya all all the time.

I just posted a bunch of pic of my tank too! I am doing the trial prem. member thing. I might have to fork out the cash. It way easeir to post pictures this way!

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

Yep, that's the plant wingdsc. Your typical "exotic" plant from Petland Discounts.

Here's another pic of my tank with a few more pieces added. Still not really how I want it, but can only spend so much time before I get dirty looks from

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My Scapes

So can you trim this plant down. The ones that I got are already going to be pushing the top of my tank.

I got mine from Petsmart.....

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

No Wingdsc, you really can't trim. You'll end up with a dead tip. Just remember the one I'e had for 2 years had about 25% of the stem out of the water. I plan on doing the same thing in this tank since it's open top. I'm not sure how the plant will do completely submerged.



My Scapes

hmm.......I might be out of luck. Although I am thinking of setting up a small hex betta tank that I could probably use them for. What is another plan that is like the mondo but for under water.

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

Wings,

All the ones I listed when guessing what this one is are for "under water"

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

All the ones I listed when guessing what this one is are for "under water"

I prefer the term completely submerged

My Scapes

Well at least it works visually. Looks better after been moved a coupleof inches. The extra bit of height adds depth and interest.

If it doesn't work out try Blyxa Aubertii. It will give a similar effect but the color and texture will work well with the Wisteria.

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Some days you're the pigeon and some days you're the statue.

Remember that age and treachery will always triumph over youth and ability.

Well at least it works visually

Are you referring to the fact that mondo is not a true aquatic. I'm still alittle confused on how the pundents decide that. Aren't alot of true aquatics actually only submerged during part of the year in nature.

My Scapes

Aren't alot of true aquatics actually only submerged during part of the year in nature.

Yes, but at least they have the capability to adapt and are built to survive submersion long term.

Non aquatics aren't built the same way and supposedly slowly rot.

Know nothing about Mondo or any other non aquatic plant for that matter. Maybe having a good portion out of the water helps

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Some days you're the pigeon and some days you're the statue.

Remember that age and treachery will always triumph over youth and ability.

Yes, but at least they have the capability to adapt and are built to survive submersion long term.

Yes, that would be the distinction between the two. To be honest I broke apart the rhizome so much in this tank I don't know if it will even live apart from the true aquatic issue.

I couldn't leave well enough alone, so I added a few sprigs of rotala to the center just to see. I think I like it or does it make too much noise to the simplicity of the setup? I'm actually pretty happy with this tank partly because it was created with cuttings from other tanks and because it doesn't have anything exotic in it and I think it looks goods.


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My Scapes

I would have to say stick with the grass like plants. The Mondo looks nice in there. KISS Theory. Keep It Simple Stupid!

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

Please meet the crew of my 12 Gallon (medium light) Sand Bottomed Planted Setup



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My Scapes

Oh, can't forgot the grounds crew.



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My Scapes

Nice crews,

How did you convince them to huddle all together for the picture?

I also see that it is become another Wisteria dominated tank

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Those black neons are nice, much bigger than I thought they would grow to.

The mondo grass is still doing OK submerged?

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Back in the saddle!

How did you convince them to huddle all together for the picture

I started to dance

Well yeah the whole back is wisteria clippings from my 72g.

The neons are very big and sometimes actually nasty. They beat up on some young guppies I had seeding the tank in the beginning. The mondo grass is still fine. I'm trying to keep the tips out of the water and over the edge. Might look good with the open top. I don't expect many of the grass stems to live though becuase I think I didn't retain enough of the rhizome from the main plant.

BTW - Can anyone guess what that little plant is in the right corner.



My Scapes

Not another plant guessing game

Ok, one try only - A stem from your false Stellata or the Diandra

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Ok, one try only - A stem from your false Stellata or the Diandra

Isn't that two trys, yes you are right its from the E. Stella. It has not been conclusively proven what it is. Aquatic botanic says it's E. Stellata. Who am I to argue.

My Scapes

Errr, false Stellata or unusual piece of wisteria...


dang, posted at the same time....

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Back in the saddle!

Too late NowherMan6

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Rats

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Back in the saddle!

Not much new with the tank. My one issue (there's gotta be something right) is that the javamoss get's alot of gunk in it. Probably from the high fish load. I'd might do a fish for shrimp swap with my 72g in an effort to keep the moss cleaner.

Current Pic:




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My Scapes

I haven't posted a pic on this tank in quite some time, because not much has really changed. The tank is extremely easy to care for. I have alittle algae on some of the stems, mainly because I ran out of excel and the plants have been growing very slowly, but I think the huge biofilter has kept algae at bay even runing 2.7 cf wpg for 11 hours a day. I'm dosing a smigden of this and a pinch of that. I dumped all that media that came with the aquaclear 20 and filled it with eheim efhibsubstrate. I also added about 2 pounds of seeded eco complete to the rear of the tank and even the sand is staying very clean.



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My Scapes

Lookig good tetratech!

This tank is so much lighter than your other one. At least thats how it looks in the pictures.

I am actualy doing a similar set up with a small hex tank (5G?) right now. My plan is have it set up for just a male betta and no filter but the water seem to get kind of nasty over the corse of the week. I might have to go with a small filter on it. The trick will be to find one that fits on something that is only 5 inches.

Sorry I went on rambling...

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

O.K. Well since my 72gallon is pretty much a "done deal" I got bored so I messed around alittle with my 12g. Tell me what you guys think. New plant additions include some of my E.Stellata from my 72g. You could see the old layout a couple of posts up. I kinda like this cause it shows more beach.



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My Scapes

Looks good man. Only thing I would do different: less beach on the right, more moss. Make it like a big moss field.

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Back in the saddle!

You should angle the set up from front left to back right. Maybe had Nowher said add moss to fill up the space.

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

Love it Much better. Becoming quite the masterful scaper aren't you

I disagree with the previous 2 guys. I like the the open area on the right. More depth. It does look like a real natuaral landscape that way.

Should be even better when the Stellaromatica fills in. Having that left corner really bushy will finish it off nicely.

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Some days you're the pigeon and some days you're the statue.

Remember that age and treachery will always triumph over youth and ability.

I am 100% with Bensaf, it looks realllllly nice. Great idea to change the setup .

I also think that having the way left grow taller/bushier will be the final touch.

Sadly though, that means this tank is pretty much done as well . What now tetratech

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Wow, I appreciate the input. Thanks all. Yes, I think I'm really starting to enjoy this hobby, realizing it doesn't take much to create something nice. This setup is bascially javamoss and wistera with a piece of driftwood.

What now tetratech

Im going to disneyworld!


My Scapes

Im going to disneyworld!

They need a tank designer?

... realizing it doesn't take much to create something nice.

Gee, nice. Now you are telling me that I should have been sticking to easy plants for the 125G .

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

They need a tank designer

Yeah ya know that big tank in that restaurant in one of the parks (might be epcot) where you pay off the host to sit you next to it. Their going freshwater planted, I'm consulting

My Scapes

Right and what did you do.. commandeer Ammono's army?

I am in the mind of thinking that simpler the better. My tank I have 7 or 8 types of plants that are all in their own little space. I think it seems to work better that way. Bigger groups of less plants that is.

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

Right and what did you do.. commandeer Ammono's army?

My Scapes

My Kuhi Loach is a Parrot Head

One thing I find interesting in this tank is the Kuhi loaches. I figured I would never see them, but for some reason they are always visible. I don't have alot of experience with loaches, but I remember going to the store and these guys are always hidden in the tanks. Many times they are just lazily hanging out in the open leaves of the wisteria, sometimes on their side like in this pick. When I first saw this I thought it was dying, but they are not.

I guess the reason for staying in the open is:

1.The feel secure with the ground cover and the sand that they can always hide

2. No predators in the tank






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My Scapes

I think you are right on tetratech,

In particular the secure thing is most certainly a reason why they come out to play (no predators hepls in this department). As has been said any times before: If you give your fish ample opportunities to hide then they will be more in the open

And your wisteria does not only provide hiding spots but maybe also serves as:

- A pillow for them to nap on.
- A Loach Wash (like a car wash) where they get their ski cleaned when wiggleing through it.
- A petting unit, where the gentle movements of the wisteria pet the fish as it slides through.

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

- A pillow for them to nap on.
- A Loach Wash (like a car wash) where they get their ski cleaned when wiggleing through it.
- A petting unit, where the gentle movements of the wisteria pet the fish as it slides through.

Not a bad way to go. They also dig through the sand and create air pockets that help keep it clean.

My Scapes

This tank continues on it's merry way. Slow growing, but really no problems. The only alage is some healthy looking spot algae on the glass. I am now doing the full EI program on this tank. I'm pretty much following the schedule on my 72g, except for the excel in place of the co2. I was thinking about removing the stems from the corner and putting a grassy plant in the left back and having it wraparound the corner.

Tank - 12 gallon bowfront
Light - 27 watts cf
Substrate - pool filter sand, eco complete
Ferts: Excel, no3, po4, flourish
Floura: l.aromatica, rotala rotundilia, wisteria, java moss.
Fauna: Gold tetras, black neons, otos, kuhi loaches





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My Scapes

tetra,

Really like the up dated picture. You can really see the moss on the rocks. Looks great.

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

Thanks Wings,

As I said this tank is a pleasure. Almost no maintenance.
I witnessed something interesting with the kuhi loaches that I never realized . I was watching the loach poke it's nose in the sand and I saw the sand shoot out of it's gills. I honestly did not know they did that. They are also keeping the sand really clean.

Tetra loves Kuhi
Bensaf loves MTS


My Scapes

Wings loves Brillian Rasboras cuz they school so pretty.....

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

Yup, very nice, the little island looks good with its beach front .

Say, whatever happened to the Mondo Grass? Did it just not fit in anymore or where there problems with it?

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Say, whatever happened to the Mondo Grass? Did it just not fit in anymore or where there problems with it?

When I changed the looked it really didn't work anymore. Some of the stems didn't die, but weren't looking that good. I left none of the rhizome on some of them. Others had new leafs coming out.


My Scapes

my kuhlis in my 10 gallon do all that u said urs do. i also noticed a difference in behavior when sand is used, with pea gravel my kuhlis just hid all day but with sand they just sift through the sand and sit on tops of plants it could also have something to do with the fish; my tank just has herlequins so they are not bothered. how do u keep the gravel so clean? i clean the sand atleast once a week but within hours its covered in ppop just as before as before, could it be the shrimp and snails? how come there isnt any algae on the sand? my tank is only 1.5 watts per gallon with no added sopplements but i get patches of bluish green algae where there is the most flow. know how i can fix this? is it true that mondo grass will eventually die in an aquarium?

p.s. sorry for hijacking your thread

resle,
Don't worry about hijacking my thread. All your questions are relevant to the threads discussion.

Sand,
I do surface clean the sand once a week, but it does stay pretty clean. I did have some BGA develop when I first set it up, but with add'l plants and a larger biofilter it stopped.

As much as I like shrimp they will leave poop visible on sand, same with larger snails.

Mondo Grass will eventually fade away if the stems aren't out of the water. I also think many people plant it in the substrate. It has a rhizome like an anubias and that part of the plant shouldn't be buried. So if you have an opentop tank it will thrive if you tie it or wedge it between a rock or a piece of wood.







My Scapes

well i currently have a hob fit for a 30gal so i dont think that would be the problem ill try adding more plants

one king of algae eater do u use? i got the shrimp and snails because they do a more delicate job then a fish would

how well do your kuhlis sift the sand? so far i havent seen mine even go in it

i do have the mondo grass in the sand but the rhizome is not buried, i dont know what to do with it

heres my tank for your enjoyment

http://img380.imageshack.us/img380/6265/pdr16333rg.jpg

Very nice.
I spent awhile reading thru your log, very inspirational I must say. The big tanks are nice to look at, but hard for me to relate to - it would be a very long time before I could devote that amount of space and money to a tank!

I really like where you ended up with the scaping. Makes me think of the sand gardens in Japanese gardening. (all you need now is a little rake...HAHA) I am amazed at how clean the sand is - I've been reluctant to try sand b/c I figured it would just be a mess.

I have the exact same desk light that you are using - believe me, I've thought, "got a light sitting there doing nothing. I could put a little tank under that..." However I was afraid that the humidity would cause a problem with the fixture. How long have you had yours over the tank and have you noticed anything adverse? Also, is there a piece that covers the bulb on your light? Mine doesn't have anything and I can't remember if it came with it or not.

resle,
Nice tank, I think you need more plants though.

bettledance,
thanks for the tank comments. I believe I've had the light for at least 4 months without any problems. You are correct there is no cover over the bulb. As you can see the bulb is a good ways away from the water so I don't believe any moisture is hitting it.

My Scapes

So far so good. I've seen no problems in the tank since starting a regular EI routine. The plants are growing, but slowly, Alittle spot algae on the glass, but nothing to worry about. Notice the kuli loach front and center.



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My Scapes

One of the reasons the sand is staying clean and aerated.





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My Scapes

Wow, they really dig down in the sand - I thought perhaps they would get only just under the surface. How many of those guys do you have in there? And please excuse my ignorance - what does EI mean?

Estimative Index. It is a way of dosing your Ferts so that you get great growth of your plants and no algea. If you have it figured out.

Google Tom Barr's for more info

Edit: Forgot to say something! Nice pictures tetra! Loach is cool and it looks like your plants are doing well as usual.

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

Yup Tetratech,

Looking nice as usual

There are shrimp in there, right? If so, how are they doing (and what), if not, maybe you should add some. Or maybe 4 cories, I somehow feel sad for the beautiful beach with only one resident building a sand castle. There should be more diggers.

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Thanks for the comments
Actually there are two kulis in there, no shrimp, although I am thinking of adding a few. I assume the loaches won't mind. There are also 3 otos in the tank, in which two of them are visible in the first pic, unless LF spots the third.



My Scapes

I think i found all three! But I went to paint them and it made the picture so small that you can't even tell what I did! So I will leave it up to LF!

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

Ok then,

There are two Otos in the picture (yellow circles).

And the one that Wings believes he has found is a Kuhli Loach (greenish circle).



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Find The Fish

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Very good, but when I looked at the pic again, I'm thinking the one in the green circle is an oto facing forward, but I'm not 100% sure.

My Scapes

Thats what I was look at! And if tetra is with me then we have a 2 to 1 win for me.

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

Guess I'm alittle bored too.
Here's a current pic, Ignore the Blyxa in the upper right corner. I put them in there to see if they would live, not for scaping purposes.

This tank continues to be clean and easy. No real problems with a combination of 2.2wpg, EI, and Excel everyday.

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My Scapes

I added a few of Yamatos to help keep the java moss clean.



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My Scapes

Very nice tetratech,

How is the moss doing in the areas where the Wisteria is shading it? Does it grow more stringy?

When did you start the Blyxa experiment? Keep us posted how it worked out.

So, when did you go to the LFS and bought the Amano shrimp, and how did you resist buying anything else, or didin't you?

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

I haven't seen much of a difference yet in the shaded area of moss vs part in direct sun. I've actually been clipping the left alittle each week so it doesn't stay shaded that long.

The Blyxa been in there about a week ever since I expanding my riccia foreground, It bascially got squeezed out and I fiqured I would see if it will grow/survive in this tank.

Actually I stopped at a store coming back from a meeting that I usually don't go to and they had a whole tankload of the shrimp for $1.99 so I took five and put 2 in the 12 and added another 3 in the 72g.



My Scapes

I've decided to use my 12gallon as a sort of "play" tank where I try different things, etc. Here is the result of a 30 minute makeover. You might recognize the main rock

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My Scapes

Tetra,
This looks pretty good. I like how it has different levels.

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

Thanks Wings,
It needs to grow in a bit and I will be playing around with the rock positioning some more. I thing it creates a nice beach edge with a rocky hill behind it.

My Scapes

I've decided to use my 12gallon as a sort of "play" tank where I try different things

That is exactly what I use my 20QT for. If there are only the main fish in there and nobody to be QTed for a while then I go ahead and mess with it.

Your 30min overhaul is sure nice tetratech, also the way you "package" the picture is getting pretty darn good. You are selling us a rectangulat shaped tank as a cube .

And yes, even before I read the words in your post I did identify the 72s rock.

About the current setup in itself: it looks very nice. The most impressive thing about it to me is how small the fish look, or, in other words, when looking at the fish and then the size of the rock it seems as if the tank is much larger. Ergo: great job on creating space

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

That is exactly what I use my 20QT for. If there are only the main fish in there and nobody to be QTed for a while then I go ahead and mess with it.

At least you have 8 add'l gallons to play with

Thanks for the comments. I cut out the heater that was moved to the right side of the tank, thus the cube shape.

I guess I'll keep this look for a while and fine-tune it.
Right now there is moss and blyxa in the tank, but I might decide to do moss only or change the blyxa since I don't think I want to cater to it's demands in this tank once the
saltwater tank is up.

EDIT: Good observation on the fish size. The rock is very large for a 12g and the gold tetra are very small it does create a larger inpression.

My Scapes

The rock is very large for a 12g

How much water did it take up?

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric