My tank - Mystical Rainforest

[Martian]

Hi Everyone,

Just sharing with you my tank. Your comments are welcomed.

3 months old


7 months old


8 months old (picture under exposed without flash)


Tank specs:
4 feet x 1.5 feet x 2.5 feet (height)
26C - CL650 chiller
Weekly 1/3 water change
Daily fertilisation dosing
3 bubble per second
Sump filtration
Fluval 304 canister
300w HO T5 lighting

Plants list:
Vesicularia dubyana - "Singapore moss"
Vesicularia ferriei - "Weeping moss" "
Taxiphyllum alternans - "Taiwan moss"
valisneria gigantea
Fissiden Sp.
marsilea crenata
crytocoryne parva
crytocoryne bulosa
crytocoryne willisi
crytocoryne tropica
crytocoryne balansae
crytocoryne Affinis
Riccia fluitans "Mini"
Echinodorus tennelus
Hairgrass
Bolbitis Heudeloti
Anubias nana
Anubias Afzellii
Hemianthus callitrichoides
Crinum Natans
Crinum C.
L. Aromatica
Microsorum pteropus - "Windelov"
Microsorum pteropus

===================

Rgds,
Isaac Goh

[azn_fishy55]

That is one nice tank you got there.Truelly looks like a rainforest,lush and green.Are you keeping any fish or shrimp in there?

[Martian]

Hi Andrew,

Thanks for your compliment. Some people actually find the tank too wild for their liking but it's just the way I want the tank to be. Here's the answer to your question:

1) Crystal Red Shrimps (breeding tank)
2) P. Axelrodi
3) P. Simulans
4) Corydoras Panda
5) Yamato Shrimps
6) Bumble Bee Shrimps

Rgds,
Isaac

[timebomb]

Outstanding tank, Isaac.

How do you keep the giant Vals (at the back of the tank) from running all over the place? Also, are there moss walls on both sides of the tank?

I can see, in the first picture, a green wire at the right hand corner. Is that wire an undergravel heating cable?

Loh K L

[Martian]

Outstanding tank, Isaac.

How do you keep the giant Vals (at the back of the tank) from running all over the place? Also, are there moss walls on both sides of the tank?

I can see, in the first picture, a green wire at the right hand corner. Is that wire an undergravel heating cable?

Loh K L

Hi KL,

Actually, I met you when you were judging our nano tanks in Malaysia last year. Since then, I've been coming here to "leech" information on moss growing.

Here's the answers to your questions:

1) How do you keep the giant Vals (at the back of the tank) from running all over the place?
I plant the valis at both side of the tank, leaving a gap in the center, trimming valis is easy, just trim the tips to the length you want them to be from time to time.

2) Also, are there moss walls on both sides of the tank?
Yes, Moss walls on both side of the tank were meant to cover up the sump filtration on the left hand side of the tank and also to enhanced the jungle feel of my aquascape. Am making full use of the height of the tank (2.5 feet) with the taiwan moss wall to create depth.

3) The green wire is actually my Co2 air hose feeding my canister-come-reactor.

[timebomb]

Actually, I met you when you were judging our nano tanks in Malaysia last year.

Oh yes, I remember now. Were you a competitor in the contest?

I plant the valis at both side of the tank, leaving a gap in the center, trimming valis is easy, just trim the tips to the length you want them to be from time to time.

Yes, I'm aware you can just cut the leaves to any desired length but what I want to know is how you keep the Vals in the corners. As far as I know, this plant propagates itself by throwing out runners and if these runners are left unchecked, they will eventually take over the whole tank.

Loh K L

[stormhawk]

KL, placing flexible pieces of plastic around the Vals helps to keep them in check.

[Martian]

Oh yes, I remember now. Were you a competitor in the contest?

Yes, I was the one who received the honorary prize(last minute prize).

Yes, I'm aware you can just cut the leaves to any desired length but what I want to know is how you keep the Vals in the corners. As far as I know, this plant propagates itself by throwing out runners and if these runners are left unchecked, they will eventually take over the whole tank.

Ah, the runners, yes, what I usually do is trim off the runners whenever I see some going to undesired places. It's not too time consuming for me after at least 5 months of keeping the valis in this tank.

Loh K L

[|squee|]

I actually like the 7 month old tank best. The two mounds at the sides are very natural looking, and the redness at the top adds a nice "sunset" touch.

Perhaps the photo did not do justice for the 8 month old tank

[timebomb]

Yes, I was the one who received the honorary prize(last minute prize).

Now I remember. I'm glad they gave you a honorary prize. Your current tank shows how much you have improved since then. A better way to keep the runners from branching all over the place would be to insert a piece of acrylic into the substrate. It can save you a lot of trouble.

Loh K L

[FC]

Issac,

Welcome here!

The aquascape looks real wild but good effort in keeping the silhouette intact. You must be enjoying this low maintenace setup.

[Martian]

Perhaps the photo did not do justice for the 8 month old tank

Thanks. Based on my own judging on the actual tank, the current 8 month old is much nicer and fuller than the 7 month old tank. I added more wild collected stuffs(mini pelia, eriocaulon sp.) on the side which made it have a really jungle look. Waiting for my friend to help me take a more professional shoot of the tank on Apr 15th to capture the tank's peak as we all know the current state will not repeat itself.

[luenny]

Hi Martian, nice tank setup. I like your 8 month old picture the best. Very wild and looks very natural. My only concern is with all the plants growing near the top casting shadow at the bottom, won't you have some plants near the base dying out because of lack of light?

[Martian]

Yes, I was the one who received the honorary prize(last minute prize).

Now I remember. I'm glad they gave you a honorary prize. Your current tank shows how much you have improved since then. A better way to keep the runners from branching all over the place would be to insert a piece of acrylic into the substrate. It can save you a lot of trouble.

Loh K L

IMO, the acrylic may not help much, because in my experience the valis runners are very good climbers too, I think they can climb above acrylic...they are quite tough too because incidentally last night I trimmed some runners from under the driftwood and mosses. This is a spot that is so dark and lightless but I ended up pulling rolls(easily 2-3feet) of valis leaves that was still growing with slightly pale white leaves.

[Martian]

Hi Martian, nice tank setup. I like your 8 month old picture the best. Very wild and looks very natural. My only concern is with all the plants growing near the top casting shadow at the bottom, won't you have some plants near the base dying out because of lack of light?

Yes, the big bolbitis might overshadow the bottom plants, from time to time, I'll need to trim them, they are very fast growers contrary to the common belief. If you notice my bottom plants are in the front only, whenever I trim, I look from the top to see if any leaves are covering the front to make sure that light can penetrate through to the foreground plants.

[Martian]

Issac,

Welcome here!

The aquascape looks real wild but good effort in keeping the silhouette intact. You must be enjoying this low maintenace setup.

Personally, I don't think moss is a low maintenance plant if we want grow it to its best potential. Skill of trimming mosses is very critical to get it in shape(not that I have acquired the skill yet :P).

With the variety of plants in my tank, unfortunately, no matter how much I wish it to be, it can no longer be considered a low maintenance tank.

[azn_fishy55]

Are you planning on entering the ADA Contest?

[Martian]

Hi Andrew,

Yes, I'm planning to but due to ADA's contest rules, I cannot post the final shoot picture to share with everyone.

"Only unreleased/ unpublished work produced by individual applicant is accepted."

This statement is highly debatable, I would think that it has more to do with copyrights but to be on the safe side, I'll choose not to. Anyway, it's quite close to the last picture that I posted earlier.


Thanks.

[StanChung]

hi isaac,

want me to post it for you? kekeke...

[Martian]

Hi Stan,

No, leave it to me to post it here later. I'd like to share it with the forumers here myself in couple of weeks.

Thanks for your help in the photos.