mUAr_cHEe’s Piece of River

[AQMS]

Awesome!!

[mUAr_cHEe]

That plant is called Proserpinaca Palustris (aka mermaid weed).

Here is some info from Tropica website: http://tropica.com/en/plants/plantde...037CTC%29/4766

I've kept them for a period of time before too... like most similar stem plants, good light intensity + low nitrates + high iron combo = nice reddish leaves.

And yes, they are a marginal plants, so they do have the potential to grow above the water surface (the emersed form is like the green leaves at the bottom).

Thank you idol for the ID. My wife is right, there is a mermaid in there.

[mUAr_cHEe]

Very nice! The algae has cleared up nicely! I like the color contrasts in the scape.

Awesome!!

Thank you for the compliments.

[georgelam]

Wow! Beautiful tank! Love the colors and the contrast between foreground and background of the tank. I think your 110 cherries will soon be 1100 cherries. They multiply fast.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[mUAr_cHEe]

Wow! Beautiful tank! Love the colors and the contrast between foreground and background of the tank. I think your 110 cherries will soon be 1100 cherries. They multiply fast.

Thank you. I hope so too. I had some random deaths since the introduction but most of them looks like they are doing well.




The Black one died shortly after the photo is taken. I found out that it might be a bacteria infection and it could be contagious. I have been observing the others but still all are fine so far.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

iPhone Rocks.

[lantian69]

Nice tank Bro ;-)

[Dscheng]

Very nice tank !!

[Cmlee]

Muar Chee is it water wisteria on the left Conner of tank?
how do you keep them planted at bottom together?

[mUAr_cHEe]

Nice tank Bro ;-)

Very nice tank !!

Thank you for your compliments.

Muar Chee is it water wisteria on the left Conner of tank?
how do you keep them planted at bottom together?

Yes. That's Hygrophila difformis at the left corner of the tank. I just stick it really deep down into the soil. After a while, It will root on its own. I find it easier to keep the stemmed plants down by using two hands in the tank. For me, right hand to stick the plant in with the pincers, left hand to hold the plant down while the right hand is letting go of the plant. Another tip is to very slowly and gently let go of the plant and pull out the pincers in an angle. Whilst doing so, let the surrounding soil granules fall back into the void that is created by the pincers.

[Gavan]

can shake the pinceps on its way out too, so the soil granules will fall in and compact.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Cmlee]

My tank doesn't have substrate, how to anchor them in this case?

[mUAr_cHEe]

My tank doesn't have substrate, how to anchor them in this case?

You can tie them down to driftwood.

[whatthefish]

Beautiful scape! Finds it a challenge to have 2 types of substrate but you did it very well.

And you are a really funny guy!

[babiwangi]

Very inspiring.. good one

[mUAr_cHEe]

Beautiful scape! Finds it a challenge to have 2 types of substrate but you did it very well.

And you are a really funny guy!

You flatter me. I really think I could do better with 2 different kind of substrates.
I have come to learn that my sense of humour can be a little dark and edgy. I am glad you appreciate it.

Very inspiring.. good one

Thank you.

[mUAr_cHEe]

Today is maintenance day.



I had to squeeze some extra time for a 'last burst of kai-kai-ing' for the last weekend of the school holidays, so it was kinda shortcut day. I did not clean out the canister and scrub the pipes completely. Somehow rather, I managed to squeeze some shots in between so I am sharing with all 1tips (which you might have already known) for cleaning your tank.



After drawing out water from my tank, I do take time to use a cloth to wipe clean the tank walls and edges. I use some old diaper cloths as I find them easier to wash and dry. I also have plenty left over from my kids and since my wife and I have agreed and declared the shutting down of our factories, I am pretty sure we will not need to use them anymore.



This is one of the smaller details that I make the effort for: I cleaned the edges of my tank so that the pictures would also turn out well especially for the macro shots. It is not really much more work since I am already cleaning the top parts of the tank from hair grass trimmings and stray leaves.

More updates of my tank will follow. Next up, a lesson about planning and planting. It is a big heartache for me.

[mUAr_cHEe]

A lesson that I would like to share with the rest of the gang here: Plant planning.

I would not say that this is an obvious mistake for me as this is honestly my first serious shot at community planting. I did dabble abit before in a nano tank before moving onto this current tank but the experience is very different.

The lesson that I learnt here is know and choose your plants well. Perhaps it is the kiasu side of me but I want to get two kind of carpeting plants just in case if one did not do well. Well, I was wrong. Both did well and one apparently better than the other.

Earlier on, I did pose a question which went unanswered. Would the plants be territorial and try to outgrow each other. I got my answer.



YES.

I guess the first mistake I made was the wrong pairing of plants. Hairgrass which is an easier and faster growing plant. HC which is a more difficult and slow growing plant. Perhaps it is possible to try to grow two kind of carpeting grass together, side-by-side. I can imagine it to be done but I can also imagine the amount of hard work one has to put in to achieve that result. It is not worth it in my case.

I have decided to leave the plants as it is and let nature run its course. If I managed to prepare my other tank in time, I will save some patches of HC if I can. I still aspire to grow my own lush carpet of HC but the downside is that other my other tanks are all low tech and I think it would be a challenge. *sigh* Unless I follow in my idol's foot steps and set up another nano in the cabinet.

My current count is 1 X 120cm tank, 2 x 45cm tanks and 1 x 90cm tub. I think I have a 15cm lying around somewhere.

BRB.

[limz_777]

i prefer mixed carpet actually look more natural but can be untidy at times

[matashi]

My hairgrass is also creeping into the territory of monte carlo. It would be too messy and difficult to separate them now. I'll just leave them as it is.

[jiajuen900]

Great sharing! I personally find the mixed plants quite natural as well.