Some of my set up

[lorba]

Attached are some of my recent scapings. All are low maintenance tanks with crypts, moss and ferns.

Do give me some comments on it.

[|squee|]

I really like the first tank, is it a 6ft?

[lorba]

its around 6.5 ft. The tank is only into its 2nd week and not mature.

I hope to get thick clusters of balansae at the backdrop and taller crypts in the midground and at the side.

I am using balansae, pontederifolia, wendtii, blassii, java ferns, moss, red tiger lily etc in this set up. Not exactly a biotope-ly correct, but might be something you are planning for?

[|squee|]

Yea, something like that. Wild, untamed, and dark mysterious places.

It's only into it's 2nd week? I thought it has been around for quite some time. 6.5ft... fwah

No fish in there yet?

[lorba]

The tank is 2nd week, but some of the ferns are established one. There are 6 big T-barbs and around 100 harlequin, you missed them?

The big clump of java fern are actually established one. I find that scaping using emerse java ferns will usually give you dark, brown, ugly ferns for the first few months. And they look too plastic at first.

Submerged java ferns at such quantity are actually extremely difficult to come by, especially from LFS.

[ongsl80]

very nice set up....

[BFG]

Haiz, some day have to come over to your house to see your setup. If only I can get a 6 footer. You still stay in the same place right?

[lorba]

hi BFG, yeah, long time since we met, 2 years ago? Yup, still at the same place.

[neon]

Attached are some of my recent scapings. All are low maintenance tanks with crypts, moss and ferns.

Do give me some comments on it.

Bro,

Care to share your tank parameter :
a) type of dosing (brand), dosage and freq, PH and dKH
b) WC freq and qty, water temp , chiller or fan
c) any base fertilizer and brand,
d) lighting type (MH or PL), wattage and hours per day
e) gravel type . Why the gravel is so high (I think it is more than 5 inch in the front ) ?

Thanks !

Cheers

[lorba]

hi neon,

a) i am using profito and the usual PMDD, once a week or so. I seldom measure PH and dKH anymore since 2 years ago. Unless I am keeping or acclimatising baboras or other stuff that requires different than normal ph.

b) once a week for water change. Temperature is 26, using fan.

c) JBJ base fert.

d) the lights are 2 set of 6ft 36WPL, roughly 10 hrs / day.

e) normal lapis sand. The tank is 2nd hand. When i set it up, i pour all the sand in and release its too much. But anyway, good for deep rooting plants. 5inch is just a guide, if you want your echinodorus or crypts to be real big, other then good fertilization, deep gravel allows much more rooting space.

[lorba]

this is another tank that i tore down, 2 months ago.

[juggler]

Roland: Care to send those nice tanks for ADA 2005?

Cheers!

[Fei Miao]

Roland--Really Nice Tanks.

[lorba]

juggler, i wont smell a smoke sending these tank, no point. Amano dont like low maintenance tank.

Thanks Fei Miao. I think I gonna change my style soon, its always java ferns and cryptos. Arent you bored? :P

[BFG]

Come to the DARK SIDE Lorba! I sense the Dark Side in you !!! Let it flow through you !!!

[lorba]

what is dark side? black water tank or black stone tank?

[BFG]

Marine lah!

[aizaspurz]

Awesome tanks you'v got lorba!

You said they're LOW MAINTENANCE tanks. From my limited understanding of 'low maintenance" tanks so far, that would mean no CO2 INJECTION as well.

So, yours are "CO2-less" so to speak? Just wana be sure lah....

[lorba]

Low maintenance tank for me is simply changing water every 2 week, add a little tiny wee bit of fertilizer, scrub a little algae here and there. A low maintenance tank is one which is established, substainable, need minimal care to look good and require little bit of trimming and replanting.

CO2, light, base fert etc is still a must have, if you want a lush tank.

[aizaspurz]

Ah, got it now.

So CO2 will still be relevant to a certain extent, that is, if we want the plants to look lush in a low maintenance set-up. Thanx lorba...