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i had a similar problem with water sprites. mine had a really slimy green algae on all the leaves. you could take your finger and slide the algae right of and it was pretty thick(it probably would have made good foor for algae eaters.) but it looked like it took the coating off the leaves so the plants died.
i have banna plants in my 20H right now and it sprouted a leave all the way to the top of the tank that turned purple, is this normal. i will post a pic.

banana plants

also the tank looks really good. i would just ad a few more of the stem plants in the back. i like the driftwood, i was thinking of getting a small piece for my 15 gallon, i think i read that yours is fake driftwood, is there any disadvantages/advantages to that over real driftwood.

Last edited by Sonic2041 at 06-Jun-2005 11:33

Kitten

Post a new topic on "How to grow & propergate stem plants" There are several excellent plant growers on FP that can assist you.
PS good luck with the new job.
Keith

Near enough is not good enough, therefore good enough is not near enough, and only your best will do.
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Well, I'm going to see how these stem plants do. Maybe if I get on a steady fert schedule (I'm so horrible at sticking to routines), then things will work out.

If they don't work out, I'm all for the anubias idea. I love anubias and don't know why I didn't think of it myself! *smacks self* And I've got a whole herd of baby javas cultivating... my mother plant spews them out like crazy. Some of the daughter plants are even producing babies already, and they're still small themselves!

I don't run CO2... don't know if I want to get into that. (Again with the having issues staying on a schedule.)

I'll have to test the nitrates... haven't done that in a while. Last checked it was running at about 20-40... of course, now I have more cories and a new BN plec in there... Yeah, I should check that.

I'm happy because I just got a call on a temp to permanent job... if I get it, it means I'll have money to support the fishies! And, like, buy anubias if the stem plants don't work out. *plots*

~Meow. Thus spoke the cat.~

(I'm no aquascaper. Only wish I was.)

Since you've said stem plants don't do well in the tank, how about a tankfull of anubias and java ferns? More nana everywhere, maybe afzelli too. If you attach these to the objects in your tank, you can reaquascape easily without hurting the plants. You might like marimo balls as a pseudo carpet by breaking it up into smaller balls, like this. Marimo balls' only maintenence is rolling it over at pwc, and it will grow nice and round. You've said you run 2.3wpg -- just curious, do you inject co2 or test for nitrates? CO2 is probably necessary to beat algae. When this happens, I'll bet all your current plants, including stemmed plants, will grow well.

---
http://justanothertank.com

Well, while I was offered some truly great ideas via email, I don't have the funds to support the project at the moment. For now, I shall plant the stems as they are, with some minute adjustments to my hasty arrangement.

As I'm sure y'all realize, this is becoming something of a garden salad of different plants (as was pointed out to me), but I'm hoping to make it work. I'm still not exactly sure how I'm going to end up liking this arrangement, I'll plant things and see how I like it in a week or so. I intend to spend a greater part of the day up to my elbows in tank water, so hopefully something good will come out of it (besides clean tanks ).

Hold on to your seats, ladies and gentlemen, cause I think I'm going to be asking advice on another tank shortly... After I clean it.

~Meow. Thus spoke the cat.~

yes, i am looking for a piece fo another tank because it seemls like it is easier to aquascape with it because it is a good divider between the background and foreground. i think i will be looking for a real piece because i want to try java fern and other plants that need to be attached.

Sonic -

As for fake driftwood vs real, there are both advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages to fake DW: No tannins or other yuckies to deal with. Easier to remove algae (sometimes), not as heavy as real wood, etc.

Disadvantages to fake DW: Paint may peel or chip (though I haven't had this problem), it may be hard to find a piece you like and there's a very limited selection. Not as easy to get plants to root to plastic. Some pieces are very unrealistic.

The reason I have both is because the BN plec likes to rasp on wood. Yes, that piece is solely for one fish.

If you want to attach plants to it, it takes a lot longer, if at all possible. I've had java moss attach to just about anything, so that might work on plastic.

I modified the piece of fake driftwood that I have... it had fake plants and flowers attached to it via hot glue gun (I think), and I just pulled them off. It was one of the few pieces of fake driftwood that I actually like and suited the feel I wanted for my tank. Unless you really look, you probably wouldn't know it was fake, especially when it gets a nice coat of algae. *shrugs*

Edit: Just took a look at your pictures, it's odd that the stem for the lily pad is so long... mine went straight up to the surface without really that much leeway. But then, I only have experience with one banana plant that did that, so maybe yours is just different.

Last edited by Kitten at 06-Jun-2005 13:54

~Meow. Thus spoke the cat.~

thanks for the info, i thought mine was mutating or something, but it is cool. i edited my post above and added a pic.

Sonic -

Yes, quite normal. They send up lily pads to the surface. I love this plant, and finally got a replacement for the last one, that died, ironically, right after I moved it towards the front so that I could display how very beautiful it was.

I love banana plants, besides having super cool "bananas", they send up lily pads AND have some of the most beautiful green leaves I've seen. When the last plant was flourishing, it had underwater leaves that were a good 3-4" across and lily pads that were 2-3" wide.

I've heard that if you snip off the lily pads, you'll get bushier underwater growth... but I just love the lily pads, and so do my betta girls. When the lily pads start to die, they begin to curl up and create this great hammock for the girls to sleep in... I always mourned the true death of the lily pads, because the girls would have to find a new bed.

~Meow. Thus spoke the cat.~

Well, miss shrimpy has been in there for a few months and looks better than ever... now that she's actually out of hiding. I think she was calling the space between the petrified wood and the back of the tank her spot, but then the BN chose that. Now that I've turned the petrified wood, the BN loves the driftwood and anubias, and the shrimp must have found another place to hide out. Hope she comes out again...

Are they schooling types? Do shrimp school? I had her in my five gallon with a buddy, and still never saw them there... maybe if I get a few more, she'll feel more secure and come out of hiding. I've never seen any aggression from the bettas towards the shrimp, even when she was sitting out on the driftwood, plain as day, for like half an hour or more.

~Meow. Thus spoke the cat.~

Well, to start things off, here's what the tank looks like now. It's a 20 gallon long with stock consisting of cories, betta girls, a few black neons and one baby BN.



As you can see, my watersprite looks like palm trees (stupid algae is trying to kill it), so I'm going to be snipping the tops off and hoping to save it... It will probably stay short little bushes then, or that's been my experience in the past. I rather like the left side of the tank (as do my cories), so I'd like to keep that mostly the same, maybe adding a few plants in back of the driftwood.

I've got a few new plants, see [link=this thread]http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/Planted%20Aquaria/60188.html?200506041422" style="COLOR: #00A0AE[/link]. One plant needs [link=an ID]http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/Planted%20Aquaria/60212.html?200506041534" style="COLOR: #00A0AE[/link].

I'm thinking of taking out some of the rocks (though I rather like the large chunk of petrified wood, so that might stay), and adding a series of terracotta caves. I think the cories and the pleco would appreciate them, as they spend a lot of time hiding under the driftwood arch or under the half-pot I already have in there.

I'm thinking of setting the smaller piece of driftwood (the real one) into the front right corner, flanked by the two anubias. The various stem plants would be along the back wall and framing the fake driftwood. Then the new caves would sort of range from mid to foreground at right-center. Not quite sure where to place the petrified wood chunk... I'd like to move it out of the corner, because fish like to slip between the glass and the rock and there's just not a whole lot of space there... maybe turn it a bit so that it's still in the corner, but not flat against the tank walls...

Right, this would be easier if I just drew it out, hang on... Top down layout view:


Cripes, I forgot my stem of Lobelia Cardinalis. Imagine it near the middle, between the dwarf lily and the Rotala. I saved it a while back and while it's growing nicely, I'm hoping that if I put it right under the lights (instead of off to the side) that it will turn red again... The Giant Hygro is positioned to conceal the filter intake, and the fake driftwood and the other plants on the left side of the tank obstruct the view of the heater. Whatever space there is left will get peppered with some of the rocks I have, I suppose.

Suggestions or comments? They'd be muchly appreciated![/font][/font]

~Meow. Thus spoke the cat.~

I would say definitely add more shrimp since they add next to nothing to the bio load and really do a great job with algae, except the bettas might harrass or try to eat them. I had a pair of sparkling gouramis in a small tank with shrimp, and even though the shrimp were nearly as large as the tiny gouramis, all the shrimp would hide all the time to keep from being picked on.

Hoping that there must be a word for everything I mean...

Hehe... well, I've tried otos... they disappeared. For now, the BN is attempting to keep up with things. (He's new to the tank and is still small enough to meander throughout the plants.) There's also an algae eating shrimp in there - forgot about her, as I don't see her much. If nothing else, I may add more shrimp. My tank is actually quite stocked, if not overstocked at the moment.

Not quite sure that this is how it's going to stay, but I'm glad you like my attempt at arranging.

As for fish, I've got to say that there's been a few different combinations in this tank, but I think I've finally settled on exactly what I want this to be... I could do with out the black neons (not a personal favorite), but I think the cories, betta girls and BN make a great combination. They always make me laugh.

~Meow. Thus spoke the cat.~

In a 20 gallon tank, 4-6 otocinclus would probably help keep algae on your plants under control.
I have to say that I love your combination of fish, and I think your aquascape looks pretty good. I'd be interested to see more pictures once its had a chance to mature a bit.

Hoping that there must be a word for everything I mean...

Hmm... well, waterprite... the higher leaves tend to get covered in algae, blocking the light from the lower leaves, which causes them to die. I've done this before, where I clip the tops off and even after they get a good root system going, they never become more than bushes. *shrugs a bit*

Unless this batch of watersprite does differently than the other (the last batch got killed off when BGA attacked my tank), I'll try them as bushes... If they start growing again, I guess I'll be rearranging again. I rather like them as foreground, they make cute little bushes.



~Meow. Thus spoke the cat.~

Kitten,

You can tie the anubias nana to the driftwood with a piece of black thread. In three of 4 months the plants will root to the wood and you will have a moveable planted pice.

I highly recommend against using the watersprite as a foreground plant. Trim the existing plants and put the tops of the sprite into a bucket of waste water from your aquarium. Discard the bases of the plants. Put the bucket outside in full sun. The sprite will quickly develop roots in this free floating state. You should be able to plant them within a week.

Lower stem die back on these plants is caused by insufficient light levels. Sarting with fresh roots will help boost their foliage. I have this plant as a background plant in my 125G and it grows out of the tank!

__________
"To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; to steal from many is research."
researched from Steven Wright

Well, someone did offer some advice via email, but while I'm waiting for that to arrive , I had to thoroughly clean the tank, anyway, so I sorta went ahead and tried out what I had plotted. I only got interrupted three times by the phone ]:| and then had to leave without truly finishing things off. *sigh* I just rewrapped the stem plants with the lead weights and dropped them in the tank. The other plants were quickly shoved into the gravel and I had to hurry out the door.



Here it is, a rough idea of what my original layout was supposed to look like. It's not bad, not great, but it might work. I'm going to see what my advisor has to say and see if I can't get this to look better. One thing I am rather happy about is the front right corner, which isn't easily deciphered in the picture. Suffice it to say that the anubias and the driftwood look very nice together, and I was able to arrange it so that the leaves and the branches of the wood kind of wove together. Oh, and Tipsy, the baby BN seems to like it, cause he was hanging out of the driftwood when I got back, relaxing in the shade of an anubias leaf. If you look really hard, you can see him on the driftwood, where the red arrow is pointing.

The ludwigia looks great against the petrified wood and the rotala picks up the pink of the dwarf lily and echoes it to the back of the tank. The giant hygro is a great plant, and brings the long leafed shape of the crinum over to the other side of the tank. I really like the selection of plants, just haven't decided if this is going to be a finished product (obviously would have to PLANT the stem plants, not just drop them in) or if it can be made into a better design.

If I keep this design (dunno yet, depends on if anyone has better ideas!), I'd nudge the moneywort to the left a bit so that the lobelia cardinalis (which IS right in front of the driftwood, but blends into the color of the moneywort) stand out more. Hopefully it will turn red again.

Also, right in the middle... uh, right behind Selene, the pink and blue betta girl... yeah, I shoved the plant that needed ID... turns out it's a green ozelot sword. Pretty little thing, but going to overwhelm everything when it grows up. Hopefully by then I'll have a bigger tank for it. It's kinda just plopped in the middle of things, so that will probably move. Oh... and bonus time... when I unpotted it, I found not one, but TWO plants.

Oh, that big terracotta pot? I just dropped it in for shelter when I got called away. I'm going to cut it in half and make two caves out of it. I think it's too much of a statement as it is... like it's screaming "look at me!" I've got two pots that size, two of the smaller ones, and the half pot. Not quite sure how I'm going to configure the cave "system" but it should be fun. I've seen the betta girls investigating the pots, hope the cories don't mind that I've moved the half pot over... I'm sure they'll like things better when they settle down.

I obviously didn't have time to smooth out the gravel , however, I'm just happy to have all that new green stuff in there. Obviously, the tank needs to be topped off, but I figured I was going to be sticking my hands back into it when I got back, so I didn't fill it up all the way. Oh... the watersprite "bushes" are sitting in a betta cup full of water, waiting for the algae on them to be cleaned off, so they have yet to go back into the tank.

So... whatcha think? I'm WAY open to more suggestions, I think this looks better than what it was, but by no means is it the best that could happen... I'm just not sure how to make it great.[/font]

Last edited by Kitten at 05-Jun-2005 14:58

~Meow. Thus spoke the cat.~

I could switch the Rotala and the Moneywort... after making that design up, I was thinking that the colors of the Crinum and the Moneywort were quite similar and that perhaps that should be broken up. *shrugs*

As for the fake driftwood, the shape I drew there is really only a vague representation of the size/shape. I'm not really moving it from it's current position at all and my gravel vac just fits in the front left corner. And to think... I didn't even think about that when I placed it... quick thinking on that, Megil.

~Meow. Thus spoke the cat.~

hmm sound like you have quite a good idea of where you want your tank to do. Only thing I would suggest is that you place the real driftwoof a bit further from the corner as it may get in the way when your doing a WC or gravel vac. also im' not sure about the money wort, i think it works as a backgrounds plant, but i think it does better as a midground (but then again i'm not sure on this as i haven't kept moneywort before)

Other than that looks like you have a good idea of what you want, and there's no trying to advice you to create a jungle when you want open space for the corys.