29 planted tank

[Emg]

I just redid this 29...had a major hair algae issue because of starting it out all wrong. I think I've finally gotten the hang of this planted tank thing !

I had an ugly brown gravel mixed with flourite....and decided that maybe if I get rid of the gravel and put in some proper plant substrate it would help the plants get going...seems to have worked. I replaced it with Echo-Complete

Before, right after a good cleaning:



After I replaced the gravel with Echo-Complete:


I had been dosing with Excel before the change, but didnt' seem to help. I think the algae just had too much of an upperhand.

Tank Info:
29 gallons
65 watt compact flourescent fixture
penguin 170 bio-wheel
daily dose flourish excel
echo-complete substrate
Temp set to 80F

Stock
2-half dollar size angels
1-pair of german blue rams
5-prestella tetras
2-otocinclus

Plants
Java fern
small amazon swords (cropped the heck out of them to get rid of algae)
assorted aponogetons
water sprite
red lilies
anubia
cryptocyrene

Now to wait for all these plants to fill in, since I had to crop so much off of them. The driftwood was absolutely covered in hairalgae...just tossed it and replaced it with a smaller piece of malaysian driftwood.

Any ideas or suggestions very welcome !

[ranmasatome]

The gravel change is a nice start... it looks much better now to me personally..

[|squee|]

I know plants are expensive over there, but get more plants, especially stemmed ones. Otherwise algae will gain a foothold before those plants grow in. It'll also help in defining your scape.

[XnSdVd]

Alternatively, set up a kind of "plant farm". long tanks, direct sunlight, lots of CO2. Heck you could probably sell the excess to the petshop.

[Emg]

Thanks for the comments and suggestions. I definitely prefer the new substrate to what was in there before.

I sure do want to get some more plants in there...but you're right...they are expensive here. I picked up a small pot of micro sword for 3.50$....It's hanging out in quarenteen until I'm sure it doesn't have anything on/in it...lol...sure don't want to be dealing with issues NOW ! I'm not sure how well it will do with the lighting I have, but I thought I would give it a shot.

I'm thinking more java fern and wysteria....they're supposed to be good for sucking up nutrients from what I've read. I also like the ludwigia..it's growing like wild in another tank I have...great stuff...if that's what it is...lol...I'm actually not sure.

I like the plant farm idea, but I really don't have the room for another tank..I already have about 21 tanks of various sizes !!

Thanks again !

[XnSdVd]

Heh, and here i was wondering who else would be up at 4.30am Try it in your garden or something I've got a small tank in my balcony where i'm cultivating C. grifittii for my 6 footer. And yes, I'm that bloody poor

[Emg]

Lol Xn,....I'm in the states....so it was 3:30pm here when I posted that...

Problem with having one in the garden or out on the porch....is this time of year when we have about a foot of snow outside. I don't think the plants would like that much....lol...!

It's a good idea though if you live somewhere where it stays warm !

[XnSdVd]

I know, read your blog. And yes, it helps that i'm in singapore. And on the 11th floor no less lots of sunshine in the afternoon. Wish i had a garden though...

Another thing, hair algae on driftwood isn't so bad. Most fish love the stuff. So give it a try if you ever get hold of some shrimp to keep it off the other plants.

[Emg]

Well, this hair algae looked horrid ! It was black and nasty. I have another tank that has a nice green carpet of hairalgae on the top of a fake rock decoration. We keep it there, it looks so nice...and the guppies like to sleep on it..lol...here's a pic I took of one of them. The lighting's pretty bad in this pic, new camera and still figuring out how to use it.

[ranmasatome]

woooooooooo looks like where ursula would live..
i bet thats her evil demented (eye-popping out on one side) side-kick guppy.

[Emg]

Lol.....

Well, the tank really isn't that dark.....that's just a good example of lousy photography......