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Planted 40 gallon

Ok here is the deal. I have quite a few pictures up at this sight and they really arent in any order. I have some pictures of my DIY Co2. Am I on the right track here? Also I have pictures of my tank before and after I tryed to hide things like my heater and filter. The problem I had after I moved things was it left a great big hole in the tank. I just kind of stuck some hornwort in the gap........

Tell me what you think.....Should I change any thing??

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

Very nice tank. For starters I would add a black background... just makes a tank look so much nicer IMO. Also - and this is only if I were you - I'd at the minimum, even if you don't want to move anything around, just plant double the amount you have right now. Or maybe just wait until things grow in a bit more. Once it starts to fill out it'll look that much better, but it seems to be important to plant heavily from the start... thus, if you're able to, but more of the plants you already have, and just fill things up. Other than that, you're definetely on the right track. Well done

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Back in the saddle!

Wingsdlc,

So far, looking nice and crisp. I have a few suggestions/questions:

- I would start thinking about some form of background to add behind the tank
- How long is the tank up and running already? With this amount of light (130W) you can grow anything. Did you have any algae problems?
- I cannot identify a focal point in your tank except the big “thing” on the left. Try to either move it or remove it .
- How do you fertilize the plants?
- How about some moss on the driftwoods?
- Does it only look like your CO2 bottle is in the tank? If it is, why?

I guess that does it for now,

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Very nice tank, just add a blue or black background.


http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/s8xi5heh/my_photos
http://www.geocities.com/s8xi5heh/classic_blue.html
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/buzaqq/

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Member of the Malta Aquarist Society - 1970.
http://www.maltaaquarist.com

- I would start thinking about some form of background to add behind the tank
~ I am in the search for one right now. I want either a light to dark blue fade or an all black. The thing is I can't seem to find one in the right size. They are all the short guys!

- How long is the tank up and running already? With this amount of light (130W) you can grow anything. Did you have any algae problems?
~ The tank has had water in it since about mid August. I put the light on it maybe a little over a month ago. I haven't had any major algae problems yet. I started out by getting some brown algae on the gravel and some on the glass. That as since turned into the green algae on the glass. I also have noticed that there is some kind of stringy green stuff growing in the cracks of my "thing". Maybe I need to get my java moss growing on it to hide it from the light. Most of this started to happen around the time I started the DIY Co2. I think....

- I cannot identify a focal point in your tank except the big “thing” on the left. Try to either move it or remove it.
~ I like my "thing"!!! Although I am thinking of moving it closer to the center of the tank. Then building up the right side with my giant hygrophlla (or how ever you spell it). I would like some sort of thick plant to add in on the foreground some where around my "thing". If I move my "thing" then how would I go about hiding my Co2 defuser?

- How do you fertilize the plants?
~The only ferts. That I am using are from the substrate. (Flourite)

- How about some moss on the driftwoods?
~ Are you talking about the ones on the right hand side? I was thinking of adding some but I wasn't sure...

- Does it only look like your CO2 bottle is in the tank? If it is, why?
~ I don't get what you are asking here. Could you try me again with this question?

Thanks for your help thus far. This is my first real planted tank and for the most part I think things are going pretty well.

Here is what I am game for. I realy don't mind messing around too much with the center and left hand side of the tank in terms of moving plants and stuff. On the right hand side my Wisteria is rooting in like mad and I don't really want to mess with it too much. My main goal is to hide my filter and Co2 defuser and give the tank a little more focus.

Edit: Maybe for hiding the defuser I shoudl make a shorter one?

Thanks for everones help! Bring on the comments and sujestions!

P.S. The "THING" is a chunk of wood that has some jave fern and moss growing on it. For the record that is !

Last edited by wingsdlc at 26-Oct-2005 14:23

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

Game plan?

Algea
This is the algea growing on my DW. It is probably...1/4 inch long and has branches. Bad??

Here is a little bit of a game plan. I think I want to play with something other than the hornwart though. any ideas? One other thing I was thinking of doing was adding some darker gravle to mix with the lighter colored stuff on top.

Last edited by Wingsdlc at 26-Oct-2005 18:39

Last edited by Wingsdlc at 26-Oct-2005 19:21

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

Wingsdlc,

Sorry it took me a little to get back to you, but here is my limited input:

- Hope you didn’t mind me calling it a “thing” , but I personally prefer slimmer driftwoods, if possible in a branch form. I know they are hard to come by, that’s the reason I have none in my 125. I like the intended position in your drawing better.
- Your alga seems to be pretty limited in propagation. It the only spot it grows on is that piece of wood then I would say just keep an eye on it. If it appears somewhere else as well then it would be time to take action. I assume it has very good growing conditions next to your diffuser.
- The diffuser is the entity that I mistook for your CO2 bottle. I am completely inexperienced in DIY CO2 systems, I guess I have never seen a self made diffuser. I am a little shocked that it is this large and such a distraction in a tank. If you can afford it then I would suggest in buying a smaller diffuser that attaches to the glass. In the long run, I am almost certain that you will be very tempted of buying a CO2 system as you have so much light (130W) that I would assume the instability of a DIY will cause problems (algae).
- About your plant selection: It seems that you have chosen a group of easy growing plants of which most would do well with much less light and no CO2. DO you like these so much or is this just to play it safe? I personally am not a fan of Hornwort, I had it in my tank to suck up nutrients and removed it as soon as the basic job was done.
- I would strongly recommend that you start to read up on plant fertilization through the water column. If you want to (and haven’t done so already) read quite a long thread that talks about my ferts then look at my 125G log in the “Planted Aquarium” section. You know that, besides water, plants need 3 things for good growth – CO2, light, ferts. You have 2 elements but you miss ferts, this will eventually cause algae troubles.
- Adding some darker gravel sounds good, let me know how that goes as I consider the same .

Hope this helps,

Ingo

Last edited by LITTLE_FISH at 27-Oct-2005 03:33

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

As for my plant choice....Most of my plants came from a low light planted 20 gallon. I am not a super big fan of the hornwart but I wanted something a bit flowy. It as plays the game of keeping my nitrates low. I don't have my own test kit being that I am a very poor college kid at this point. Which is also the reason I don't want to spend tons of cash on more plants and such.


Right now I think I am going to play the move things around game. Buy a 20oz soda instead of 24oz bottle of Faygo Red Pop. (thats right the stuff is really called POP!) and make a shorter diffusers. (The basic idea behind the diffuser is to juch trap the co2 under the water level. This seemed like the simplest one for me to make. I want to keep it close to the filter intake just to keep water flowing by it. I guess that helps it desolve faster. For the record this is my first time playing with it!)

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

I really like the tank I'm envious

I think I might actualy have some visible photosynthesis going on in with some of my plants. I am getting some very small bubbles coming up from the leaves.

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