Evolving Jungle - 157L Planted Tank

[pm]

I have really enjoyed reading through tank build threads here and on other forums and thought it was time to post my own work.  Unfortunately I did not document the early stages well, so I will have to start by showing the tank as it is today.  As the title suggests, the tank is very dynamic, with additions, removals, and changes occurring more often then they probably should.  Many thanks to OVAS members (Charlie in particular... guess how many of the plants came from you) and forum users for allowing access to the majority of plants used.

UPDATED: May 2012
Tank: 157 litre Kotobuki Leglass R-900, 90cmx45cmx45cm (curved front edges)
Substrate: Black gravel mixed with Fluorite black and a laterite base
Light: 2x39W T5HO Hagen Glo fixture plus 1x39W T5HO Sunblaster strip light
Filtration: Marineland Magnum 350 with DIY spraybar 2X Rena XP1s
CO2: Pressurised, fed into filter intake
Heater: Jager 150 watt glass heater
Water change: 50% weekly
Fertilization: EI dosing using a combo of dry and wet ferts
Hardscape: Just a big old piece of cottage country driftwood... but super funky Redmoore wood
Livestock: Neon Tetras, Cardinal Tetras, BN Plecos, Pygmy Cories, Amano shrimp, Cherry shrimp, Otto, SAE, Assassin snails

Plants:  Always changing

The tank, or at least the scape, as it was in a 33 gal up until October/November, has evolved quite a bit.  It has gone from DIY lights (CFL bulbs) DIY CO2 and inert gravel to what is posted above.

Potential future changes include replacing the Staurogyne repens with more Dwarf hair grass, or more likely letting the hair grass envelop the Staurogyne, thinning out the red plants  (ludwigia repens 'rubin' and alternanthera reineckii), and providing more shade to the low light plants.  Now that the tank is full and growing well, I think I will need to add a small powerhead to increase circulation (no dead spots).

Comments encouraged.

[Peekay]

You have some very interesting plants in there.  what is the goldish one on the very far right?  It has a great leaf shape.

Looking great!

[pm]

Proserpinaca palustris 'Cuba'

just got that one this week!

[charlie]

Great job, love it, but then again it`s planted  . thanks for sharing .

[jshchrtn]

Awesome tank love the curved edges! Good job duder!

[touchofsky]

Gorgeous tank!  I am glad that you posted it 

[fischkopp]

Thank you for sharing this tank with us. The aquascaping works really well. I especially like how the C. wendtii offsets the wood behind it. In my opinion, keep the Staurogyne on the left, it will grow into a nice low bush, is much easier to control than hairgrass and provides more variety in the foreground.

[pm]

In my opinion, keep the Staurogyne on the left, it will grow into a nice low bush, is much easier to control than hairgrass and provides more variety in the foreground.

i see your point wrt the hairgrass!  I have to trim it all the time now  and it is taking over.  I just trimmed the HM and found hairgrass growing throughout it.  A plus for it, however, is that it seems to root well in my mixed substrate.

All comments welcome, keep them coming. 

[pm]

Update.

Saw a nice piece of Manzanita at Big Al's so I swapped out my Ontario driftwood (which was too big anyway) for the imported kind.  

Taking a cue from dutch style tanks I have also moved some plants around to try to have a bit more contrast (separated the red plants, tried to place different leaf shapes together, etc.)

A couple of plants need a trimming, I know.

[Thunda]

The tank is looking great!!!!

[touchofsky]

Beautiful!  I like the changes 

[charlie]

Fantastic job Peter, love it.
Thanks for sharing

[daworldisblack]

Looking great Peter!

[Peekay]

Lovely.  Everything is so vibrant and happy to be there!

[pm]

Thanks for all the comments, I appreciate the feedback.   

I learned to adjust the white balance and exposure on my camera.  Pics are more realistic now, and not so yellow-green.

[touchofsky]

I am still working on getting good pictures.  Yours look great 

[bettabreeder]

very good looking tank! gotta start on my own now...

[DaWolfe]

Very Nice, good job.  Any recent pics to share??

[pm]

Thanks for the comment.  The tank is in a bit of transition right now.    I did some major trimmings, removed some plants, added others, moved things around, etc.

I will post more pics as soon as the tank is back in a reasonable state. 

[charlie]

Thanks for the comment.  The tank is in a bit of transition right now.    I did some major trimmings, removed some plants, added others, moved things around, etc.

I will post more pics as soon as the tank is back in a reasonable state. 

Transistion  , you are starting to sound like me , i move things around often

[pm]

Yeah, I can't seem to leave it alone... I guess that is one of the beauties of a planted tank, it is very dynamic.

My biggest "issue" right now is my dwarf hair grass.  When I say issue I mean what to do with it.  It grows great for me, and is still my foreground plant on the right side.  The problem is that it is a little too tall to have anything medium size growing behind it, or something small growing beside it.  It also spreads into everything, but that I can deal with.  So right now I am trying to determine if I want to make it my whole foreground plant (i.e. have it run the length of the tank), or figure out a way to segregate it so it looks somewhat natural.  From above, my hair grass forms a perfect little rectangle... not very natural looking at all.

[charlie]

Yeah, I can't seem to leave it alone... I guess that is one of the beauties of a planted tank, it is very dynamic.

My biggest "issue" right now is my dwarf hair grass.  When I say issue I mean what to do with it.  It grows great for me, and is still my foreground plant on the right side.  The problem is that it is a little too tall to have anything medium size growing behind it, or something small growing beside it.  It also spreads into everything, but that I can deal with.  So right now I am trying to determine if I want to make is my whole foreground plant (i.e. have it run the length of the tank), or figure out a way to segregate it so it looks somewhat natural.  From above, my hair grass forms a perfect little rectangle... not very natural looking at all.

It`s the main reason i got rid of haigrass, it tkes over the tank & requires constant pruning to keep it in check , so out it went  
you can trim it to keep it short but it only grows back in no time, not to mention the pain of getting the trimmings out of the tank .

[pm]

Here is an update after some changes.  Still not quite right in my eye (too many focal points), but getting there.  Comments always welcome.

[touchofsky]

Gee, it is looking pretty darn beautiful to me!

[bettabreeder]

Too many focal points psssfftt. IMO it basically just means a new experience everytime you look at it. But yeah looks incredible!

[exv152]

What kind of crypts are those? and what's the red plant next to it, to the middle/right?

[charlie]

What kind of crypts are those? and what's the red plant next to it, to the right?

I think that plant came from me & for a while i thought it was Alternanthera reineckii - since i had Alternanthera reineckii  for a while & got rid of it, i picked this one up in Montreal under the impression it was Alternanthera reineckii which was the plant that got me going in planted aquariums, well the short of it is while doing some research recently i discovered  another plant looks very similar to it ( to me anyways), so i`m in the middle of investigating it with some Gurus on another forum, i`ll report when it`s conclusive, so for now it`s a red plant that looks like/ could be or could not be  Alternanthera reineckii 

[pm]

When I got the crypts (some time ago), I was told there were wendtii browns.  They were not always that colour or that compact.  They have good unobstructed light right now, so they are really really brown.  When they were under less light there were more dark-green brown and about twice the size (the leaves).

Errol... Hey that means it was false advertising... I want my money back 

[Peekay]

I love your species choices.  Nice variety of colours and shapes.  I see what you mean about the hair grass you mentioned earlier.  It's luscious, but looks hard to work around. 

How's that downoi doing for you?  those are the ones you got a couple weeks back, right?

[charlie]

When I got the crypts (some time ago), I was told there were wendtii browns.  They were not always that colour or that compact.  They have good unobstructed light right now, so they are really really brown.  When they were under less light there were more dark-green brown and about twice the size (the leaves).

Errol... Hey that means it was false advertising... I want my money back 

Marketing 101 bait & switch, common in Ottawa in this hobby more so in other niches of this hobby  .
But seriously i can report my suspisions seem to be  correct , after consulting with some Gurus on another well respected forum in the plant world they were mixed opinions of what it was , the majority  agree it is Ludwigia Glandulosa/Peruensis
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/plantfinder/details.php?id=56

as opposed to this
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/plantfinder/details.php?id=58
My apologies guys , but no refunds 
Regards

[pm]

... I see what you mean about the hair grass you mentioned earlier.  It's luscious, but looks hard to work around...
How's that downoi doing for you?  those are the ones you got a couple weeks back, right?

Yeah, I am on the fence right now with the hairgrass.  I might keep it, or sell it, not sure yet. 

Yes, it is the downoi from a few weeks back, but it wasn't always in this tank since then (I have a 10 gal that I never bothered to get rid of and now I am so thankfull that I kept it.  It is a plant/shrimp holding and grow out tank).  So as of now the downoi isn't doing much, one completely melted in just a few days, not sure why, but the others are hanging in there.  Hopefully it is just acclimating itself to the setup. 

[exv152]

... so i`m in the middle of investigating it with some Gurus on another forum, i`ll report when it`s conclusive, so for now it`s a red plant that looks like/ could be or could not be Alternanthera reineckii  

I've been a member of a few sites, one is aquaticplantcentral, but have you tried...
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/

[pm]

Well the hairgrass is gone    But more Downoi+ added 

Replanted the front to deal with a substrate issue as well.  Needs to grow in now.  Hope i can wait for that before I fiddle with it again.

Pics coming soon 

[charlie]

waitiiiiinnnnnggggggg 

[pm]

waitiiiiinnnnnggggggg 

Here ya go... sorry about the window reflection, but this is the best shot I have.

Cheers!

[daworldisblack]

Looking Nice!

[touchofsky]

Looks great!  I like the changes 

[fischkopp]

Very nice! Now lean back, enjoy the tank  and let grow for a while, or at least for a week.

If you ever decide to part with these golden brown crypt please give me a shout.

[charlie]

i got a peek of this tank on the weekend in maintenance condition meaning plants missing water change in progress etc & it still made an impression, now seeing it replanted it even looks better, great job Peter &i endorse Roberts advice leave your hand out of the tank
that put`s meaning to " Pot telling the kettle it`s bottom is black".
great job

[pm]

The only plant changes that will occur in the near future are replanting uprooted plants.  My cory and momma amanos seem to have become experts at pulling out planted stems 

[pm]

Very nice! Now lean back, enjoy the tank  and let grow for a while, or at least for a week.

I haven't touched the tank since Sunday... This hobby is boring now... that's it, I am selling everything....



April fools (less 61 days) 

[Peekay]

Peter!  I love the changes.  The colours and the layout both feel better balanced.  And downoi is way cooler looking.

nice job.

[charlie]

Yeah, I am on the fence right now with the hairgrass.  I might keep it, or sell it, not sure yet.  

Yes, it is the downoi from a few weeks back, but it wasn't always in this tank since then (I have a 10 gal that I never bothered to get rid of and now I am so thankfull that I kept it.  It is a plant/shrimp holding and grow out tank).  So as of now the downoi isn't doing much, one completely melted in just a few days, not sure why, but the others are hanging in there.  Hopefully it is just acclimating itself to the setup.  

Hey Peter have a gander at this thread
http://ovas.ca/forum/index.php?topic=30074.0
BTW it is still grown in my tank @ PH 5.7 now & dosing as per EI.
Errol

[bettabreeder]

Here ya go... sorry about the window reflection, but this is the best shot I have.

Cheers!

Whoa. Nuff said.

[pm]

Hey Peter have a gander at this thread
http://ovas.ca/forum/index.php?topic=30074.0
BTW it is still grown in my tank @ PH 5.7 now & dosing as per EI.
Errol

Thanks Errol, yeah it is a strange plant.  Some appear to be doing fine (or at least nothing seems wrong), and a couple have holes in their leaves, or have melted (only 1 has melted, and 2 have holes in their leaves out of 10+, so a few losses is not an issue).

[pm]

Peter!  I love the changes.  The colours and the layout both feel better balanced.  And downoi is way cooler looking.

nice job.

Thanks, I think so as well, just hope there are no issues growing it.

[pm]

In honor of the upcoming plantoholics anonymous meeting, I figured it was time for an update. 
For the most part I have tried not to re-scape too much.
-   Took off the black background just to see how it looked now with no background... jury is still out on this one.
-   Had to remove most to the java moss from the wood as it wasn't letting enough light through to the other plants
-   The long crypts in the back will need to be pulled soon for exactly the same reason as the java moss
-   Snagged some plants from the auction that will fill in the vacated spaces nicely*

* I learned a lesson recently about quarantining plants.  So that is what I am doing now.  Good thing to, as I used a few cherry shrimp as canaries to test if the imported plants that were for sale at the auction were shrimp safe, i.e. no or washed away pesticides.  Well the shrimp did not make it... better a few now than a colony later.

[Peekay]

WOW!     This is beautiful... I can only imagine how good it looks in real life.

Those bronze crypts are amazing. 

Sorry about the dearly departed shrimp... glad you tested.  What's your quarantine process going to be?  I remember some of the pesticides deteriorate very quickly if you raise the ph, others it was just time.. unfortunately it's unlikely you'd know what was used on them. 

[touchofsky]

Gorgeous, it is really coming along 

[bettabreeder]

Whoa!!! :O


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[bizfromqc]

Sweet looking tank Peter, should have entered the POTM contest, you would have gotten my vote 

Do you keep both Neon and Cardinal Tetras or is it just a camera trick? LOL I can see some smaller/bigger ones and some with the full red belly and other partial red. Can both species have those fluctuations in red markings?

[charlie]

Amazing Peter, very well done, the downoi took off & is healthy, the upcoming plantoholics anonymous meeting received a great honor  .
Errol

[daworldisblack]

Wow very nicely done Peter! Looks very sweet! Very nicely composed! So you needle-leaf javafern is struggling too eh? Seems like the least prolific. Same thing in mine! I hope its only a matter of time! What are your new additions?

[Cheebs]

Very, very nice tank!! You've done an amazing job, I love it.

[pm]

Thanks for all the nice comments everyone 

What's your quarantine process going to be?

I have them in a rubbermaid container, and am running a filter with carbon and doing water changes... Hope this works.

Do you keep both Neon and Cardinal Tetras or is it just a camera trick?

I have both.  The neons are older (and fatter)

[pm]

Time for an update. 

It is definitely a jungle now, but I think the days of a few plant species are numbered.  Kinda regret getting rid of the long crypts, but c'est-la-vie.  Removing them, however, caused an explosion of growth.  The red ludwigia (behind the wood) doubled in size in the past 20 days and turned a bright red.

Re-attached the background (just with tape), and still not sure which I prefer (background or no). 

Comments?

[exv152]

Nice job, the tank looks amazing. Keep the udpates coming with some close ups too.

[daworldisblack]

Wow looks great! Red ludwiga really is making its presence known! I really like the overall composition too. As for the background, its a yeah for me (as opposed to a nay).

[sas]

Looking great, wonderful growth.
I'm for the black background as well .

[Peekay]

I love love this tank.  Abundant, but tidy.  Great use of textures/colours.

Background, yes. 

[fischkopp]

Looking good. Keep the black background. It's the best choice for planted tanks.

Growth is great, so I will be trying to add a bit of positive criticisms: It's looking a bit to uniform looking from a distance, like a wall of green. Try to use different shades of green, and move the reddish plants in front of the green wall. They are you focal points.

[bizfromqc]

Great looking tank Peter.

Didn't you say at the last PA meeting that you wanted to remove the moss from wood? It's coming back 

[charlie]

Hey Peter your research & dedication shines through in the lush & healthy growth, great job.
Errol

[Janny]

Gorgeous! I prefer the black background - wish I could access my tank backs to do it now.

[pm]

Thanks for all the comments and feedback.  Much appreciated.

Oh, and I will respect the votes... The background will remain 

[pm]

Long overdue update:

Well I got tired of the old layout, and some of the plants got too bushy from repeated trimmings, so I decided to do a rescape about a month ago.

Not the best pic, and not complete yet, but I though I would share.

The left side is looking pretty decent, other than the glosso, which needs to fill in (it started on the right side, hence it being quite thick there).

The background plants on the right side are barely visible in the pic, but they are there, and will be tall when grown in.  The left side has been trimmed since the picture as the Ludwigia was growing out of the water.

Cheers!

[daworldisblack]

Wow.. looks awesome! I like how your needle-leave javafern is coming along!

[bettabreeder]

Looks amazing as always!


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[bizfromqc]

Looks great Peter, as always.

[exv152]

Nice setup. The rocks look familiar 

[pm]

Well since there is yet another planted tank meeting coming up to which I cannot attend  , I thought it was time to update/share my own tanks online    .  Here is an update of my 48 gallon:

This tank has been through a number of iterations since the last update (a few pics are attached), but in the end the shear volume of plants, combined with having to tear the tank down to allow new flooring to be put in, a new scape was in order.

[pm]

Lots of growing in to do, but here is the new scape pic.

Info on the tank setup:
Tank: 48 Gallon rimless
Lights: 3x39w T5HO
CO2: pressurized with ISTA Mix Max reactor
Substrate: Black Diamond blasting sand
Hardscape: Wood and rocks

The lower level plants are not 100% figured out yet.  Currently trying HC, but will need to see if the bigger fish in the tank uproot it too much (BN Plecos and SAEs)

[fischkopp]

It's looking quite nice. Very healthy grow in all iterations. That's what makes this hobby fun!

[daworldisblack]

Lol.. you've been doing all these awesomeness in silence! Thanks for sharing!

[exv152]

Very nice setup. Too bad you can't make it Saturday.