Emmersed Plants Tank by the Windows

**Merviso** · 7th Mar 2008, 00:50

Hi there,

I have been planning to set up an Emmersed Plants Tank for quite while and finally proceed to set it up on Sunday. The tank will be placed beside the windows and fully powered by natural Sunlight.

I'm starting with some simple plants: downoi, HC and Cryptocoryne wendtii. But would like to slowly collect some interesting plants that I have seem on water streams which I have no idea what's the name.

First of all, just to share my setup pictures:

One problem that I foresee is that the plant that I would like to collect looks taller than my tank height. I'm thinking of not putting on the cover once my place has settle down, but I'm not sure if the lack of humidity will kill the current plants...

Anyway, the tank is 2ft long. As I'm trying to recycle whatever stuff I have left, I have put a layer of 4cm thick gravel with some balance base fert throw below. Next is a thin layer of my balanced ADA Amazon I Soil just about 3mm thin. The top layer is 3cm layer of Gex Soil (Light Green Packing). I have also pour in used water from my Bichir Tank since they will contain the most waste material... Lastly, added some tubiflex worm to do the gardening work... I was also thinking of throwing some shredded pieces of Ketapang Leaves inside to feed the worms...

All comments and Suggestions are greatly appreciated!

**rwalker** · 7th Mar 2008, 22:54

Interesting project.
I would think normal potting soil will do rather than GEX. This will cut down your cost since you do not intent to flood the tank later.

Keep us posted on the progress.

**Merviso** · 8th Mar 2008, 00:07

Hi rwalker, I did thought of using normal potting soil, however, as this tank will also act as a a backup holding tank for my newts, I'm not sure whether other soil will not be suitable for them.

I had bought a 4 kg pack and only use half of them now... I will have more option to use the balance soil to start a Nano fish tank or Nano planted tank later...

**Merviso** · 12th Mar 2008, 16:46

Just some small updates. I have added some plants that I have collected last Saturday and also bought a unknown emersed plant that looks quite healthy and is even flowering..

After collection some taller plants that is growing around streams, I cut a piece of Acrylic to act as divider so that a portion of the tank is not covered. This now becomes my experimental area to see which plant needs higher humidity and which can be under open air. The plant on the far left is turning brown, maybe since the roots has been damaged. Hopefully it will recover.

I'm very happy to see this Downoi branching out 3 little plantlets.

at the very least, it is not dying on me yet...

Bought this from healthy looking plants growing on wire mesh last Saturday. It is already flowering when I bought it and still continue to flower. Anyone can advice me what is the name?

There are some other plants unknown to me inside the tank. I will update with more photos if they are able to survive in this setup...

**PlAnTaNoOb** · 14th Apr 2008, 20:42

Hi Merviso,
I believe I'm using the same tank as you. However, my scape is rather different from yours. Will take some pics when I'm free after exams.

Anyway, I've filled the bottom with clay pellets, and then a thick layer of ADA amazonia 2 at the sides of the tank, with a water pool in the middle section of the tank. So far, I've got
Crytocorne Wendtii Green - emerse
Crytocorne Wendtii Green Gecko - 2X emerse; 1X submerse
Crytocorne Wendtii Tropica - 4X half sebmerse/emerse
Nanas - some emerse, some submerse
Glosso - some emerse, some submerse (on slopes)
HC - emerse

Have some feeder catfish inside pond for now to prevent any mosquitoes from breeding.

Haven't installed any filtration system yet. No money now.

Anyway, don't think I'll add any amphibians in this tank.

**Merviso** · 14th Apr 2008, 21:22

Hi PlAnTaNoOb, I'm guessing that you had the same tank too...

Interesting idea you have there, but would the side collapse or you have set up somethings to hold it? Looking forward to your pictures!

The feeder catfish should be Walking Catfish, Clarias batrachus, that will grow big very fast. I had one that grew to more than one fit within 3 months and it is event more aggressive in eating than my birchir. End up had to give it away...

Maybe you can try the small singapore goby that sometimes also comes with the feeder pack.

I do have a small dolphin hanging overflow filter if you want to just create some flow.... Good luck to your exam !

**PlAnTaNoOb** · 14th Apr 2008, 22:22

Yea. Thanks.

The catfish are there only for the moment. Not gonna feed them. I've got 2 pieces of driftwood on the slopes. Some parts I've planted glosso, hoping that the root system would hold the slopes.

As for the filter, I have one too. Was thinking of getting eden 501 and creating a "rain-system" via air tubing around the perimeter of the tank. However, I'm hesitant, because the water would seep through the ADA soil into the miniature pond. I'm afraid much nutrients would leech into it. 1)waste of nutrients. 2) might be toxic to fishes.

Those catfish might be able to take it, but i'm not sure about other fishes.

**Merviso** · 14th Apr 2008, 22:31

That's why for my second vivarium, I design with a larger water volume in mind. Cause the more water you have the lesser headache with water parameters. My singapore goby is very harder, and should be able to take this environment as well..

**torque6** · 15th Apr 2008, 21:08

Nice project merviso, keep us updated.

**aquaSynthesis** · 6th Jul 2008, 13:25

so Merviso, did you got the plant ID for the plant that is below the downoi pictures?

**Merviso** · 6th Jul 2008, 18:04

Hi bro aquaSynthesis, nope, actually i did not put in too much effort to ID

Anyway, this plant was too growing too successfully for it's own good. It actually dominated the half side of the tank, partition by the divider. In fact, it is growing out of the tank and almost out of the window. I end up plugging all out and thrown it away a few weeks ago.

However, I just saw one small stalk growing out of the soil. Tough plant!

**jimsuy** · 10th Jul 2008, 18:09

any updates?

**Merviso** · 10th Jul 2008, 18:50

Hi jimsuy, thanks for your interest, I have not been taking photos for quite a while..

Let me do some cleanup and take photos on this weekend...

**Thirteen** · 13th Jul 2008, 01:56

I'm rather curious to see the one which looks like glosso with pink flowers..

and if they are able to survive without acrylic cover in normal humidity.

**patricc** · 13th Jul 2008, 22:59

are those bacopa carolina?

**CK Yeo** · 14th Jul 2008, 08:15

Bacopa monniera

ck

**Merviso** · 14th Jul 2008, 13:07

Originally Posted by Thirteen

I'm rather curious to see the one which looks like glosso with pink flowers..

and if they are able to survive without acrylic cover in normal humidity.

Hi Thirteen. Yes, they are glowing very well out of my acrylic cover. However, they are not like glosso at all. Mine grown very long in emersed state. And I just observed that they seems to be able to grow from just a piece of leaf, drop off when I'm removing all of them few weeks back.

Hi patricc and CK, thanks for the ID. I'm not sure yet. Maybe I will try to take more pictures of those remaining few.

**illumbomb** · 15th Jul 2008, 00:42

Hi Merviso,

Have you encountered problem with BGA for this emersed setup using GEX substrate?

Regards,
T S Wang

**jimsuy** · 24th Jul 2008, 17:40

Originally Posted by Merviso

Hi jimsuy, thanks for your interest, I have not been taking photos for quite a while..

Let me do some cleanup and take photos on this weekend...

i really like your downoi... do you use the sunlight for lighting? how many hours? i like to try that...

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