Project sunken garden

**Jungle-mania** · 19th Sep 2007, 10:55

In regareds to your rain bar pipe, you could instead cover the pipe with black netting and have some moss growing on it like flame moss or creeping moss to give a more natural feel.

**mkt** · 19th Sep 2007, 11:07

Hi real nice setup.

I was just wondering if there's sufficient water movement generated with the rainpipe.

**bryan** · 19th Sep 2007, 13:05

Boesmani Rainbows will look great in that tank.

**medicineman** · 20th Sep 2007, 19:59

@StanChung,
Worry not... I've seen them (bala shark and puntius) do so in my tank. Funny enough they did stop doing it and prefer feeding time instead after tamed. Anyway after more than a week, most of my plants are OK and I can only see a partially damaged echinodorus shoot (now growed into large leaf) and that is it.

@Jungle-mania,
Well... that is a briliant idea. Though I'm not too sure, they might block the rain holes and significantly slow down current.

@mkt,
More than enough. 2 rain bars powered by 135W pump. 1 powerhead rated at 2000 l/h. I can see CO2 mist distributed well all around the tank, and my red nose pack enjoy themselves in the breeze.

@bryan,
Rainbows are very nice. I used to have them, though they may get a bit agressive towards tankmate.

Back to pond..

Echinodorus rubin "narrow". They do no longer sell this beauty at tropica anymore...

Growing quite fast (25+ leaves) as I got this specimen earlier as a plantlet (12 or less leaves) from a collector in Singapore (kudos to Ben for hunting it for me). Must have been the short burst of direct sunlight from the canopy as the growth and colour is equally stunning. A good sized lace plant (Crinum calamistratum) I got from tropica mass import earlier, fortunate enough it does not do anything bad since it is not cheap and easy to get.

Assorted plants (Limnophila aquatica, Hygrophila, vallisneria, Saggitaria, etc) covering a huge Echinodorus marble queen.

Some direct burst of sunlight proved to be highly beneficial as the plant retains some of the marbling, unlike in average aquarium where it would turn single colour. The plant is notorious for growing big, so we will see forward what will happen.

Note the 3 plantlets swaying in the current. It seems happy enough and I will be planting those little fellows in the future.

**kiasu** · 20th Sep 2007, 21:59

omg?!! can i go swimming there?

**medicineman** · 22nd Sep 2007, 10:18

@kiasu,
Err... better not man

I did just that before (well.. not actually swimming, but I jumped in) carefully and I dont like the slight murkiness afterwards.

I maintain the plants using simple method from afar. Long pincers and long tongs, some with blade on tip to handle them without the need for me to go inside. Such routine must be done bit by bit everday, for a prolonged leaning and working at once with tools (which is not as easy to manouver) is stressful.
Heavier, mass maintenance would require me to jump in and take careful steps, preferably by the stones (or as I did once, added more stones/tiles to step on) not to disturb the substrate too much and cause a havoc. A quick half water drain via large draining pipe will further ease the job as I do not have to dive my face in when leaning. Refilling after I drain is a problem though, as it takes quite some time.

So here is another pic showing some plants :

Left : Echinodorus barthii x
Right : Echinodorus rubin
Front : Echinodorus horemanii (I think)
Some leaves from giant Crypt balansae and assorted Hygro by the background

**StanChung** · 22nd Sep 2007, 12:24

I think that one is E. uruguayensis. E horemanii has thinner leaves I think. I have both.

**medicineman** · 23rd Sep 2007, 10:25

@Stan,

I have uruguayensis and the leaves are almost vallisneria-like, long and thin, and one single plant could be having large amount of leaves.
But who knows... for most of the plants I get locally (except tropica imports) come with no label, sometimes with no or wrong spoken ID.

Anyway, here is another full picture showing full burst period. Metal halide with sunlight... hard to beat that.

Good thing the rest of the day it receive much less light and I'm out of algae problem. Just enough burst to kick the plants.

**iwishweallcouldwin** · 23rd Sep 2007, 23:44

nice overall picture of your project!! reward of all the hard work which you have put in. very well done.

nothing beats coming home after a hectic day at work to admire your pond!!! beats all the frustration out of you....

**Graeme** · 24th Sep 2007, 06:33

This really is a amazing post.

The tank on its own is beautiful.
The waterfall/moist wall is beautiful

When put together its just amazing.
Thanks so much for sharing with us.
I love looking back to page 1 and seeing how it all started.

Is it what you planned in the very early stages?

Thanks
Graeme

**medicineman** · 25th Sep 2007, 20:35

@Graeme
More or less I end up with something I plan step by step. The contractor, artisants and workers made this possible with some attention to details. In fact I did draw, concept and exchange ideas from the start even though if I could turn back time I have some things to change.

@iwishweallcouldwin,
Sure it can be a relieve and a good object of relaxation. As one of the house centerpiece, one cannot miss it on the way in. A good place to chill by the side. You get that outdoor feeling with indoor comforts. Is it relieving to say that the pond does not smell like if I keep fish only tank, and the garden is not actually excessively dirty to handle like outdoor ones.
Just nice.

I did recieve some Puntius denisonii at last. A dozen of the juvenile ones. Funny thing is, they mingle and behave like my pack of red nose. These denisonii school and eat together with red nose, perhaps seeing that they have common features, just slight different size for now. The outline, the colourings, the way they move ... denisoniis and full grown red nose just look quite similar at this stage. A good thing because my red nose are eating like pigs, and these denisonii follows - a promise that they will be eating well.

**iwishweallcouldwin** · 25th Sep 2007, 23:53

hi medicineman,
regarding the behaviour of your denisonii and rummynoses, i had the exact same behaviour when i introduced smaller zebra danios into my rummynose tank as well. my danios instantly shoaled together with my rummynoses, and both species did not mind mingling together at all. no doubt, my danios were the greedier eaters from the start and now they're of the same size as my rummynoses, and they are still shoaling together even after so long. guess this is their intrinsic behaviour? to school together with other species of similar characteristics?

**medicineman** · 27th Oct 2007, 13:32

Update post on GROWTH

Strong growth on the plants, different from what I find in regular tank (perhaps due to rich bottom and some sunlight supplement).

The water is not so polished to clear because there has been some problem with water source, though it is not bad enough to ruin the pond.

I dosed in interval quite plenty (just the plenty look when I dose because the volume of this tank is huge enough) of Wonder-Gro Macro+ and Micro+. CO2 mist is kept minimal still at 5-6 bps.

So far so good, the only problem is just some pesky BBA, a small price to pay when harnessing sunlight and nutrient combo (not to mention that large outgassing of CO2 from the waterfall).
I could use some excel and increase micro bubbles a bit and see what will happen.

**StanChung** · 28th Oct 2007, 02:41

It's coming along nicely. Growth looks good!

**crazzz** · 29th Oct 2007, 13:28

Really an EYE OPENING!!!
Only got 1 word to describe......
WOW!!!!!

**Fei Miao** · 31st Oct 2007, 12:53

Absolutely amazing! Looks like your patience and careful planning paying off handsomely. The plants growth are coming off nicely> I awaits more updates with high expectations

**Jungle-mania** · 1st Nov 2007, 00:59

I checked up on tying the moss on your pipes and I did for mine too. It will work, just that you have to be sure not to add too much moss and to trim every now and then. In my case, I haven't seen the need to trim after 5 months and still going.

**medicineman** · 1st Nov 2007, 20:18

Thanks!

I might try that out some time, after I get some clean moss that is. Did you roughen up the pipe surface prior to attaching the moss so it would stick easier? (crude sanding with grit paper)