My first attempt to landscape a planted tank

[Realcaster]

My plants are pearling

Myriophyllum mattogrossense
Attachment 52111

Weeping moss
Attachment 52112

No no sure what's the name
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[WingCher]

bro, can i buy a stalk of Myriophyllum mattogrossense trimming from you? i just need a 5cm trimming will do...

[Realcaster]

Please PM me your contact I am trimming again today

[Realcaster]

Now my tank is 3 weeks old. The MC was carpeting well, but I find it too messy and lots of floating leave. So I decide to replace the MC on the right side with Japan sp mini hair grass 3 days ago. The same hair grass on the left is now 2 weeks old and it is carpeting pretty well. The rest of the plant is doing well too. Added a few mid ground red plant 5 days ago. And tied a few mini fussiden and US fussiden on the rock 2 days ago. The are doing pretty well and are rooting.

Did a DIY feeding dish like UA, what I did was buying a suction cup tube holder, cut off the 2 gripping arm leaving 5mm on each side. Soften it with a lighter and press it on the side of the dish to make it conform to the side of the dish and super glue it with Diaso jelly super glue. It have held pretty well for 1.5weeks now.

Is the growth rate of my plant normal?

My only regret is...... I should have bought a 6 footer . There are just so many more plants that I like but I don't have enough space to put it in my tank.

All comments welcome.
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[WingCher]

if you are living in HDB flat, you cant put any tank more then 600litres in volume, unless you have a permit...
Nice tank scape you have!

[Realcaster]

I live in apartment, hopefully it does not have such regulation

[Realcaster]

I think i got the wrong plant, it is not Rotala sp Green, it seem to be Rotala sp Nanjenshan, a Taiwan variety.

Could someone help me ID this plant! Thanks

Attachment 52113

[Urban Aquaria]

Yeah, that is Rotala Nanjenshan, i've kept it before too... very fast grower.

[Realcaster]

Yes, very fast grower. I just gave it a hair cut 2 days ago and it formed a tight bush very easily.

1. I notice, my plant is pearling less now, seems like the plants are all settling down pretty well and growing very fast including the moss.
Can i assume i need to increase in CO2 input, used to be 1.5 bps, I have increased to 3 bps now, and the pearling is still very occasional (Co2 indicator is dark green). Do you think I should increase to 4-5bps due to the plant mass i have now or even attempt to push the indicator to yellow?

2. The christmas frones are very dense and it looks really nice. Is it due to the water temperature (now at 24~25C)

3. Recently, I received some AR mini cutting from 2 different brothers here. I see some obvious difference in the cutting, one have much smaller leaves (3cm), and the other have bigger leaves (6cm). Does low temperature water produce denser bush and smaller leaves?

4. Hair algea started to attacked my plants, I reduce my light duration from 12 hours to 8 hrs now. I tried removing the hair algea quite successfully using a tooth brush (soft). I sort of gently combed the mosses with it and hair algea are readily picked up by the tooth brush without damaging my mosses. Brother with hair algea on mosses can try this, its very effective.

[Realcaster]

My chiller exhaust was placed 5 inch from the wall, air circulation isn't good at all. I measured the temperature when the chiller kicks in, it runs as high as 55C, as with all heat exchanger, the power consumption will be base on the temperature difference.
I ordered a thermostat control power extension. With the thermostat place just outside the chiller exhaust and clip an ANS cooling fan (L) blowing directly at the chiller exhaust. The ANS fan will kick in once the thermostat detect a reading above 35C and will shut off when temp drop below 35C. During my initial testing I manage to drop 10deg (55->44C). It would definitely help in my utility bills . If I reposition my fan or add another, the drop in temperature could be even more. Highly applicable if chiller is placed in the cabinet or spot with poor circulation.

The thermostat power adaptor cost less than $15 including shipping and the ANS fan is recycled

i also bought a 4 outlet power adaptor. With independent timer for each outlet. I am suppose to be able to control my co2 solenoid, 2 aquarium lights (day n night mode) with just one timer will post a report once I test it out.

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