FishProfiles.com Message Forums

Looking good so far!

The first thing I would do is to separate the 'bacopa', I'll use your name for it for now, I just put the plants in then try to figure out the names. If you left the weight on you should take it off, the stems could begin to rot if they stay bunched up with the weight. Have at least an inch between each stem to allow good water movement.

With your lighting, hygophilia difformis, aka wisteria, will do well, and so should hygro polysperma, it seems to do good in my tank with less light, so it should do great in yours. Some crypts would be nice, there are small ones that make good foreground plants and some that get taller and look good in the mid-back ground.

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

The tall plants look like bacopa monieri (monneywort). It needs good light, so separating them into smaller bunches is good idea.

Man, your tank and that driftwood reminds me of someone else's tank from a few months back. Hmm...who was that?

-P

Well, I'm looking for a plant to put behind the driftwood, preferably grassy looking. My main concerns are that the plant needs to be able to grow in a 10 gallon (not too big) and that hopefully, it can be a colour other than green. By looking at my tank, you can see that every plant is green, but it's balanced by the brown driftwood. The problem occurs once I cover the driftwood with moss. I'm afraid of my tank looking too green, so I need at least 1 or 2 plants that are either red or brown. Anyone have any suggestions? It would be really helpful.

EDIT: I'm also looking for a carpet type plant that can go to the left of my anubias, in the strip of gravel right in front of the driftwood. Someone mentioned a plant called HC? What does this stand for?

Yesterday I bought 7 Neon Tetras and the last Wisteria that the LFS had. Unfortunately, it doesnt look particularly healthy and it's already quite big. Also, how should I plant the stems? I basically just stuck them far into the gravel and piled the rest around it and seperated all 5 of the stems.

The Neons seem to be doing well and I successfully fed them today (they eat bigger pieces of flakes then I expected ). Anyways, I posted pics below and feedback would be appreciated as I don't have much experience with planting Wisteria, or any plant for that matter :

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a157/kent_19_92/IMG_0183.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a157/kent_19_92/IMG_0176.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a157/kent_19_92/IMG_0175.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a157/kent_19_92/IMG_0172.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a157/kent_19_92/IMG_0171.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a157/kent_19_92/IMG_0170.jpg

Kent,

Wow, seems like I am missing threads that I have participated in left and right, yours being one of them.

OK, first off - HC refers to Hemianthus callitrichoides, a tiny and rather slow growing carpet plant that likes good lighting.

Next - Your Wisteria. Seems like you stuck in just right. As long as it stays down it seems to be good and will develop roots at the stem ends. Make sure you don't have the individual stems too close to each other so they have room to grow.

Next - The Neons. How are they doing after a few days now?

Last - Your tank. It is beginning to look very nice . Take your time and continue to look into plants that you like. Then you can ask about them here and I promise I will try to answer quicker than the last time.

Sorry for the delay,

Ingo

---

Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Thanks LF for clarification of HC. (Now I think I may get some for the foreground)

The neons are doing well, eating and schooling, but most of them seem to have bad fins. One has no dorsal fin, 2 or 3 have nipped caudal fins and 1 seems to have shredded caudal and dorsal fins. I believe only 2 of the 7 neons are actually fin-problem free. Hopefully, these bad fins were not caused by finrot and I will wait too see if the fin conditions worsen.

For plants, my moss still hasn't come and I hope it doesn't die in this cold Canadian weather before it reaches my house . Soon I will be buying either dwarf ambulia or anacharis to fill the space in the middle background of my tank (you can see from the pics). For the foreground, I am hoping to somehow get some HC and Pygmy Chain Swords (I'll have to check my LFS). Also, my tank seems like it's turning out to be too green, so I'm hoping to get some sort of tall brown or red Crypt. that I can put right in front of the wisteria and right behind the driftwood.

I'll post some more pics later.

EDIT: I'm also thinking of these plants (if anyone has experience with them, please post):

Cryptocoryne undulata
Alternanthera reineckii "roseafolia"

Kent,

Have the Neons had fin problems before you got them or is this a new thing? If the latter is true, what are your ammonia readings (and nitrites and nitrates, if you have that info). Sounds like fin rot to me as well.

The moss is pretty hardy and most likely will be able to survive

HC and Echinodorus Tenellus (Pygmy Chain Sword) are very different plants. The Tenellus can grow up to 6 inches tall, depending on light and space between the plants (the closer the taller). Also, it will grow much faster. I would assume that it is not fully quailfied in a 10G as a foreground plant, except you are able to keep up with removing the runners at least bi-weekly. Here is a link to my 20G Long where you can see Tenellus as a foreground plant. Also, your chances of finding Tenellus at a LFS are about 1000 times higher than finding HC.

About your crypt idea: Seems like the undulata would make a nice midground plant, as would the probably more available Crypt Wendtii red. Alternanthera reineckii "roseafolia" will outgrow your tank in no time and, at least in my opinion, is to bold of a plant for your small tank.

I hope this helps,

Ingo

---

Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

I only have an ammonia test kit, and the results are usually around 0. I'm saving up to buy a complete test kit of some sort, but it'll probably be a while. Anyways, the Neons fins seem to be healing, so if they did have fin rot in the pet shop, I hope it goes away in my tank.

Tonight I'm going the the LFS in hopes of getting some new plants for the background or midground (anacharis, dwarf ambulia, or crypts). Also, with my 7 neons and dwarf gourami, what options would I have for algae control? I'm thinking of buying ghost shrimp and snails, but would I be better off with ottos? Also, would it be safe to add one or two more mid dwelling fish like a pair of guppies, along with my algae controllers?

One more question, the Wisteria seems to be at the surface already, how would I be able to trim it? Can I just break one stalk in half and plant both halfs into the gravel?

Kent,

A few things:

- I would say you don't need a complete test kit. These usually contain a few tests that normally would not be used. What you should have is Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrate. Then the may (just may) want to know what your ph and your KH are so you have an idea how much CO2 is in your tank. And lastly you may want to know about GH, in case your water would be very soft and wouldn't contain any buffers. But the last 3 can be retrieved maybe by having your LFS test the water for you or by asking your local water supply department.

- Great that you are getting more plants, keep us posted on what you came up with. You want to have algae control, does that mean you have algae? If so, what kind?
For the time being I would not add more fish or other kritters, give the tank some time to settle and the plants some time to grow in first.

- Yup, you can cut the Wisteria stem (not breaking it) with a pair of scissors, preferably just above a leaf. Then take the top part and plant somewhere else. The cut area will create a new stem/leaves in no time.

Hope this helps,

Ingo

---

Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Oh, darn. I went to the LFS before reading your post about not getting any more fish .

Well, I left with 2 guppies, an amano shrimp, ambulia aquatica, and a trumpet snail (unknowningly). I'm not really sure how well the ambulia will do because I really intended on buying dwarf ambulia, which they didn't have. When I got home, I planted the ambulia, and introduced the new fish and then took pics.

Also, I recieved the christmas moss in the mail this morning and dropped some in on top of the DW. Hopefully, the position it is in right now (you'll see in the pics), will allow it to attach itself to the DW. I'm thinking of leaving the moss on the DW for a week, then removing the unattached moss and leaving the rest.

PICS:

Before going to the LFS:

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a157/kent_19_92/IMG_0183.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a157/kent_19_92/IMG_0201.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a157/kent_19_92/IMG_0207.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a157/kent_19_92/IMG_0208.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a157/kent_19_92/IMG_0209.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a157/kent_19_92/IMG_0211.jpg

After the LFS:

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a157/kent_19_92/IMG_0231.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a157/kent_19_92/IMG_0233.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a157/kent_19_92/IMG_0236.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a157/kent_19_92/IMG_0238.jpg

Female guppy:

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a157/kent_19_92/IMG_0245.jpg

Male guppy:

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a157/kent_19_92/IMG_0246.jpg

With the moss in:

[link]http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a157/kent_19_92/IMG_0249.jpg
[/link]
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a157/kent_19_92/IMG_0252.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a157/kent_19_92/IMG_0253.jpg

Male and female guppies? Hope you have a spare tank (or three) - those things will breed like rabbits.

Nice shrimp!

-P

BTW, if you want a red plant for your tank, try ludwigia repens. It should grow fine in your light.

-P

Thanks for the suggestion, I think I will get some Ludwigia Repens (that is one plant that my LFS seems to have much of).

A minor problem, I seem to have some green spot algae on my glass. How can this be treated? I'm afraid of getting ottos because I doubt my tank has any more space. Pics of the algae are below:

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a157/kent_19_92/IMG_0264.jpg

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a157/kent_19_92/IMG_0266.jpg

Hey,

I don't know much about the algae because I'm a beginner like you, but i assume for now you could just clean it off the sides of your tank manually considering you have little room for otto's (if any room). Also, how long are you keeping the lights on for, and does your tank get direct sunlight? More light = More algae. You should have somewhere around 12 hours of lighting a day.

Just curious... did you do any cycling at all? It seemed to me that one day you had driftwood and gravel and the next you had water, plants and a gourami?

The tank is looking a lot better than when you started, and i agree, when you have a different coloured plant it will look even better.

Also, where in Canada do you live? I'm in the Toronto Area, Ontario.

Good luck!

Hey FLEXJr, I am also in the Toronto area (GTA), I actually live in Brampton. About the cycling question, I was running the filter with only the DW and water for a few days while adding some Big Al's cycling product. Basically, I did a combination of cycling with additives and cycling with fish. I was checking ammonia levels regularly and was doing a water change almost every day.

I leave my lights on around 14 hours were day. Basically, from the time I get up till the time I go to bed. I guess I could reduce the lighting, but it is much more convenient for me to just leave the lights on for the extra 2 hours. I am hoping for a more permanent solution then removing the algae manually, but if it comes down to that, I guess I'll have to go out and buy an algae scraper. Just curious, I read that Flourish Excel reduces algae, but what type? If it gets rid of green spot algae, I'll probably go get some of it.

Excel doesn't do anything to green spot algae (which is usually a sign of phosphate deficiency).

-P

Kent, So since you live right there i'm guessing you go to the Big Al's on Queen & Kennedy? I live in Mississauga, so it's a bit farther for me, but that's where i go as well. (Assuming you go there).

Like i said before, i'm just a beginner, but maybe you could call Big Al's or drop by and tell somebody who works there your situation with the tank?

Here's an article on how to remove Green Spot Algae, unfortunately it says that it can only be mechanically removed.. Hope this helps!

http://freshaquarium.about.com/library/series/blalgaespot.htm?terms=plastic+fish+tanks

Hey,

Just updating with a few pics. I added some Ludwigia Repens "Rubin" and the ambulia has exhibited some rapid growth. Also, my christmas moss was dying so I selected a few green pieces and tied it down to the wood with some thread. Here are the pics:

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a157/kent_19_92/IMG_0293.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a157/kent_19_92/IMG_0294.jpg


Also, I redid my 5 1/2 gallon betta tank with cabomba, wisteria, java moss and a dwarf anubias. Unfortunately, my red CT betta is lost in a forest of wisteria so you cant see him in the pics.

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a157/kent_19_92/IMG_0286.jpg

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a157/kent_19_92/IMG_0288.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a157/kent_19_92/IMG_0289.jpg

Kent, So since you live right there i'm guessing you go to the Big Al's on Queen & Kennedy? I live in Mississauga, so it's a bit farther for me, but that's where i go as well. (Assuming you go there).

Yeah, that is the store I go to. It's pretty good except for the overpriced plants ($10 for tiny crypts?).

kent,

It appears as if your tank is filling in nicely. So, how about a full tank shot that shows the complete layout?

Ingo

---

Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club