Evolving Realm of Fairies

[Justikanz]

My 'Realm of Fairies' (#749, ADA 2006) just underwent a re-scape... Err... Actually, just re-planting lah... The rocks were not moved... Not really pretty or grown in yet... But just want to share...

From this:


to this:


and finally, to this:


Pardon the little black basket of APP... Excess and waiting to use them in a new tank, hopefully... Tank still hold Endler livebearers...

The plants...

Polygonum species? The leaves still emersed...


The flower:




Moss pearling... Yes... I FINALLY have 7-up effect (slightly, but can see bubbles constantly coming up)... But CO2 like more than 5-7bps lah...


My pennywort... bought in from Hong Kong during my trip in August... Supposed to be common but cannot find in Singapore leh...


Ludwigia brevipes, courtesy of Valice

Lucky not as red yet... else, Valice will kill me...

Potogamon gayi, courtesy of Green Baron

Are the brown leaves natural? ... They do pearl...

My first Eriocaulon sp., from Teo's... Outer leaves browning, but the core is sprouting new smaller leaves... *hopefully*...


Another view of the tank...


The bunch of Cryptocoryne wendtii var is like floating in mid water... the bubbling is lifting the plant up but the roots are beginning to hold it in place...

I always like this view... slighly strange, though...

[valice]

Is the plant in the middle an Echinodorus sp or Cryptocoryne sp?

[Justikanz]

The big bunch in the middle and in front of the Ludwigia brevipes ah? Crypt lor... I think I have a couple of Echinodoras latifolius inside too... Or did I not plant it in this tank? ...

[Weirong]

It's a pity you covered all the nice rocks. It's like there's no difference even if you removed them! Time to trim...

[Hanako]

Hi Justikanz, very nice looking scape. Haiz, just came back from Hong Kong but didn't have time to go check out the aquarium scene otherwise would have squeeze in no matter what and try to get the pennywort too. Been looking for pennywort in Singapore for a while but can't find so have to settle for some hydrocotyle species instead. Please save some for me when trimming time comes .

[CK Yeo]

Regarding the pennywort, they are everywhere. From Botanic gardens to Little India's vegetable store. The problem with them is that they dun seem to want to stay in water for me. Yours dun seem to have this problem. Different species?

Good to know you like abstract photos.

ck

My pennywort... bought in from Hong Kong during my trip in August... Supposed to be common but cannot find in Singapore leh...

I always like this view... slighly strange, though...

[Justikanz]

CK, the pennywort I have is Hydrocotyle verticillata. I am not sure what those dark green big big pennyworts commonly found in LFS here are called... I keep those in my vivarium and corridor... They don't like to be submersed and they grow fast!...

Weirong, the plants are new! I am not trimming them as yet!... Just need to thin down the moss as they are the ones blocking the rocks... And maybe shift the crypts in the middle to the side... The lighting of the picture makes it hard to view the rocks... Need help to take better picture. Haha... Any volunteers?

Hanako, you missed out Tung Choi street? I bought the pennywort there. No problems, will let you know when trimming time arrives.

[Hanako]

Hanako, you missed out Tung Choi street? I bought the pennywort there. No problems, will let you know when trimming time arrives.

Yeah, totally missed Tung Choi Street and the new one further up North Point . That's right, when I asked for hydrocotyle verticillata I was given the big emersed types found commonly in ponds. Yours look like the very small ones featured in ADA photos. Very nice, if a little fuzzy (is that the glass?!) .

What are your faunas - Endler livebearers? I am curious to know the fauna that appears as red/amber dots in your tank.

[Justikanz]

Fuzzy? Haha... A few leaves seem to have some algae... Luckily, only some of the older leaves have them...

Yes, the fauna consists of Endler's Livebearers and shrimps (cherry and black shell).

[Justikanz]

The Ludwigia brevipes grew pretty fast...



and so are some of the other plants:

Marsilea sp.


Weeping moss. However, they rather erect than weep...


What moss is this? Also weeping moss?


And so is the algae... Always having this matted hair algae problem... They just grew and grew, took over my pelia and moss... Soon, I will have an algae lawn ah...

[valice]

It is not hair algae that you have...
It is staghorn i believe... You have to remove them fast...
Because they grow fast...

[Justikanz]

Staghorn? So, that is how staghorn looks like... You won't believe how fast they grow! I was telling Justin that I am seriously contemplating an algae lawn instead... Frankly, besides their funny odour, they look reasonable good...

[valice]

PeterGwee mentioned something about your algae in another thread... Might want to pick up from there instead...

[ranmasatome]

did i not say staghorn the otherday thomas??? hahaa..

[Justikanz]

Update:

This tank had gone a long way since the beginning... The plants OVERGROWN the tank over the months as I was overwhelmed by work and neglect the tank...

Eventually, on a Sunday in July 2007, I decided I need to do something and practically pulled out every plant and moss in the tank... And replant...

So, here it is...









Oh, I also changed the filter from Eden501, which practically provided NO water movements to Ehiem Classic 2213, which is providing the water movement that the Borneo suckers are enjoying...

Hope I can successfully transform my horrible 4ft tank!...

[EvolutionZ]

bro. the forground is app? where you get your app from?

[tcy81]

very nice scape.
But whats the plants floating on the left ?
Ludwigia brevipes ?

[Justikanz]

The foreground is APP, from C328.

The floating plants are Rotala rotundifolia (if I recalled correctly)... I let them float to see if they can grow as the leaves had all dropped off when I transferred them to the tank...

[valice]

No!!!!
The Crypts are all so healthy looking. A waste to rip up everything.
Shoot a proper tank shot and submit for ADA 2008 first!
But need some trimming on your APP.

[Justikanz]

Valice... I am not ripping out the crypts in this tank... But the 4ft one... Yes, they will have to be ripped out transplanted in other areas as I need to change the substrate...