RHX's 4 ft planted setup

[RHX]

Hi all, i've finally finished my 4 ft planted tank after 6 months of planning & just in time for the new years. The tank is just 2 months old & some plants are only 2 weeks old. So the scape looks relatively new.

I'm actually planning for a crypt tank with eriocaulon in the front & middle, utricularia graminifolia for foreground and stem plants for background.

The right side of the tank is pretty much set. Just waiting for the plants to grow bigger & taller.

However for the left side, i'm still waiting for my crypts to grow taller (which probably take more than 6 months). The stem plants there are more or less a gap filler, so it looks kinda messy at the moment. If i find a stem plant i really like, i might rescape over this area.

Any suggestions are welcome. Thanks for viewing.

[Zenislev]

Bro, i see you actually have eriocaulons in your 4ft tank. So i assume that you're using a chiller right? May i know how many watts of lighting are you using?

[RHX]

Yes, I have a chiller. I'm using 2 x 3ft light set. 3 tubes per set so i have 6 x 39 watts of lights.

[raymond]

hows ur giaos coming along bro?? looks like u got a nice piece over there. u have any experience with giaos b4?? wanna find out how u actually split the baby plant from the mother plant for giaos??

[RHX]

This is my first gaios. So i'm not sure how it propagates.

[Jervis]

May I know what chiller are you using and what's the set temperature range?

[RHX]

Updates of my tank. Not my ideal scape, as some of my crypts are not growing. Anyways i'm using TECO chiller. Bought it used, an old model something like 680. For lights i've just upgraded to solite, using 2 x osram 865 & 2 x osram 880.

[zenscape]

This is a fabulous tank with healthy plants! I think for whatever reason, your plants seem to be bigger than normal Some power fertilisation you dose!!?

Pardon me, whats the name of the left background plant? It is huge!

By the way, where did you get your Osram 880? I tried many places but to no avail.

[RHX]

I had ADA powersand special M + 5 ADA substrate powder as base fertilizer & ADA amazonia II as my substrate. However I still feel that there is something missing. My Eriocaulon sp. 'Goias' is not growing well. The old leaves have became yellowed & died off. Even the new leaves are not as green.

Which background plant are you refering to? Actually I don't know the much about the names of my stem plants, i can only identify a few. You'll actually see some spaces here & there, because there are crypts there which are not growing. I think very soon, those spaces will be covered by the stem plants in no time.

Actually you can get Osram 880 from NA, I got mine there.

[FishSoup]

Could the left background plant be Limnophila aromatica? I have some stalks i tentatively identified as Limnophila aromatica that looks exactly like that

[zenscape]

I had ADA powersand special M + 5 ADA substrate powder as base fertilizer & ADA amazonia II as my substrate. However I still feel that there is something missing. My Eriocaulon sp. 'Goias' is not growing well. The old leaves have became yellowed & died off. Even the new leaves are not as green.

Which background plant are you refering to? Actually I don't know the much about the names of my stem plants, i can only identify a few. You'll actually see some spaces here & there, because there are crypts there which are not growing. I think very soon, those spaces will be covered by the stem plants in no time.

Actually you can get Osram 880 from NA, I got mine there.

Thanks for the reply. Your base fertiliser really potent. No wonder...

If only one plant showing indication of deficiency, may be it is not suitable to the condition of your tank water. To me, I am happy so long the rest are doing well.

Previously I asked Chan and he said he didn't sell 880 . Are those tubes a recent purchase?

Could the left background plant be Limnophila aromatica? I have some stalks i tentatively identified as Limnophila aromatica that looks exactly like that

Yes, FishSoup, you are right and thanks.

[RHX]

Could the left background plant be Limnophila aromatica? I have some stalks i tentatively identified as Limnophila aromatica that looks exactly like that

Thanks for the ID.

Previously I asked Chan and he said he didn't sell 880 . Are those tubes a recent purchase?

Yes I've got it 2 weeks ago.

[blue33]

I had ADA powersand special M + 5 ADA substrate powder as base fertilizer & ADA amazonia II as my substrate. However I still feel that there is something missing. My Eriocaulon sp. 'Goias' is not growing well. The old leaves have became yellowed & died off. Even the new leaves are not as green.

Which background plant are you refering to? Actually I don't know the much about the names of my stem plants, i can only identify a few. You'll actually see some spaces here & there, because there are crypts there which are not growing. I think very soon, those spaces will be covered by the stem plants in no time.

Actually you can get Osram 880 from NA, I got mine there.

If you bury Eriocaulon sp. 'Goias' too deep, you will encounter slow grow or dying off, normally what i do is when i bury the plant, i'll pull up again until i can see abit of the root then stop from there, that way you are sure you are not over bury your plant.

[RHX]

If you bury Eriocaulon sp. 'Goias' too deep, you will encounter slow grow or dying off, normally what i do is when i bury the plant, i'll pull up again until i can see abit of the root then stop from there, that way you are sure you are not over bury your plant.

Sounds interesting, didn't know that burying the plant too deep will kill it. Will try to pull it out a little. Thanks!

[StanChung]

Nice scape! Eriocaulons are generally very light hungry and blue's right about not burying it too deep.

I think you can concentrate on thickening the bushes of stem plants and letting the foreground plants fill in.

[bubberls™]

the fissidens look really good


does your erio for lotsa roots near the base? have you got any problems with new prop of the erios?

[Panut]

your erio will need lots of lighting. avoid using a co2 solenoid, as it will cause the PH of the water to vary, making it melt. good to dose ferts regularly to the water column.

tank looks great! what will you be using for your foreground?

[RHX]

the fissidens look really good


does your erio for lotsa roots near the base? have you got any problems with new prop of the erios?

I've tried pulling out the erio but it was really deeply rooted in, so i gave up. I've read that old leave turning yellow is either lack of nitrogen or phosphorous. Heard that erios need lots of phosphorous, think will try to add more of these.

your erio will need lots of lighting. avoid using a co2 solenoid, as it will cause the PH of the water to vary, making it melt. good to dose ferts regularly to the water column.

tank looks great! what will you be using for your foreground?

Ummmm.... so far my erio have never shown signs of melting, only turning yellow.

Initially planing for c.parva, but the growth is far too slow. Now planting jap hairgrass to replace it.

[bubberls™]

yah i tried pulling mine out and could not too so i cut at the base and replanted. it was really long.

now it is reaching the water surface and not sure if i cut them now if it willa ffect growth cause i read that if you cut them too early they might just melt. the erio split to 4 plants and the area i want to cut dont have any long roots growing out...

any advise?

[RHX]

Oh you meant Eriocaulon setaceum. Well, it's ok to cut the stem part without roots. It'll grow roots when replanted. Just don't cut too close to the tip where you'll have to bury them.