My New 4x2x2 Scape

[phuakokhong]

Finally get my new scape ready to share with all here. Previous tank was a high maintenance glosso, decide to embark on something with less work.

Tank size: 4x2x2 feet
Flora: Blyxia Japonica, Dwarf hairgrass, Rotala sp green, Rotala Rotundifolia
Fauna: Neon Tetra, Harlequin Rasbora, Small Angel Fish, SAE, Shrimps.
Soil: ADA amazon.
Light: 6x 54W, 8hrs a day
Fertilization: Liquid Iron, Phosphorous, Potassium, Nitrogen
Temperature: 26.5 degrees with chiller
CO2: about 4 bubbles per second
Water change: 1/3 once every week

Still trying to trim the rotala to a rounder shape, pretty happy with the progess, however unable to get the red of the rotundifolia to be more distinct. The Blyxia Japonica being growing nice and lush, might need some trimming soon as it is pushing towards the rotala. The dwarf hairgrass being a little slow on the right side of the tank, but they are spreading. Am thinking of adding some plants on the right side, maybe tiger lotus? Please feel free to advice and comment, as I am pretty new to planted tank, and will be great to learn from the experience guys here. Thank you.

[yilimi]

i love your Blyxia Japonica! how did you grow it?

[rage]

Bro, Awesome setup. Thanks for sharing.

[blue33]

Your rotala looks like "rotala green", it will not turn red. Even for rotala red, there are 3 type of colour, 1)red 2)orange 3)orange yellow. And there's also hybrid(various breed mixed) rotala.

Below are different types of rotala.


You can try to put some rocks infront as your hardscape, it'll enhance the looks overall.

[torque6]

Have to agree that this setup is definitely less work from your previous high tech. No need to waste time adding rocks, hardscape , driftwood and make full use of the available scape to grow plants instead.

Simple tank = simple to find your fishes and clean your tank.

I wouldn't have done it anyway else.

Well done.

[phuakokhong]

i love your Blyxia Japonica! how did you grow it?

Thank you! i didn't really do anything special to my blyxia japonica, but the crucial components for healthy growth are lights and CO2, as i learnt from the forum.

[phuakokhong]

[QUOTE=blue33;534977]Your rotala looks like "rotala green", it will not turn red. Even for rotala red, there are 3 type of colour, 1)red 2)orange 3)orange yellow. And there's also hybrid(various breed mixed) rotala.

Hi Blue33, majority of my rotala are sp green. I mixed it with some orange yellow rotala bought separately. the underneath of these orange yellow rotala are more red than the upper surfaces. it's actually showing a tinge of reddish orange on the surfaces. understand that with too much iron dosage will cause more algae, is there any iron tablet that i can actually place it into the soil in front of the rotala?

[AquaZinYaw]

Just would like to know how will you trim the japonica? Mine grow aggressively and so I pluck the whole lots and restart from top cuttings.

Cheers,
ဇင္ေရာ္

[blue33]

bend(so that you wont get cut) some "iron nails" and place below the soil, it helps abit.

[yilimi]

Thank you! i didn't really do anything special to my blyxia japonica, but the crucial components for healthy growth are lights and CO2, as i learnt from the forum.

you're welcome. i'm inspired by the shape of japonica (from your tank). i'm wondering how does it propagate itself and how we should trim it?

[unpluggedmusic]

very very nice and neat indeed... it is just lacking a bit of height.. but thats alrite..

[o2bubble]

Bro blue, I have tried all the rotala rotundifolia you posted except the orange yellow one. Do you know where can I find it, I want to use some in my tank. The oriental book only have the red one and green one. I got the orange one by chance at polyart (I thought it was the red one originally just lacking iron and appears orange)

[blue33]

you mean this one? no matter how strong the light, you still get this colour, picture show here close to reaching the water surface, initially trying all method to get it red but still this colour. too bad i decom my tank and throw all away due to lacking of space. i was searching for more red instead of this colour and now i already found the very red and i miss this colour, sound so funny right? if i find it i let you know.

[o2bubble]

bro blue, yes that's right, I'm looking for this. I have very red macrandra SP bought from colorful. Very pretty and grows very small. I have rotala rotundifolia Orange and Green as contrasts to it. The orange-yellow one looks great to have as well to add some nice final touches

[gonjinn]

Looking at your tank gives me a very wonderful peaceful feeling - can have therapeutic effect.

[phuakokhong]

Just would like to know how will you trim the japonica? Mine grow aggressively and so I pluck the whole lots and restart from top cuttings.

Cheers,
ဇင္ေရာ္

I haven't trim them yet from the day i planted them, probably 2 month plus till date, but i think i will start doing so by plucking the new stems, which can be seen very distinctly the branching out stems when they propagate.

[phuakokhong]

you're welcome. i'm inspired by the shape of japonica (from your tank). i'm wondering how does it propagate itself and how we should trim it?

The slope and my amazon soil is much much higher than the front, maybe about 2 to 3 times higher, and also when the new stems propagated they just outgrowing each other, and all these i suppose contributed to the shape like our "Esplanade"! I will be trimming soon, by just plucking off the new stems, to thin it out a little.

[phuakokhong]

Have to agree that this setup is definitely less work from your previous high tech. No need to waste time adding rocks, hardscape , driftwood and make full use of the available scape to grow plants instead.

Simple tank = simple to find your fishes and clean your tank.

I wouldn't have done it anyway else.

Well done.

Thank you. Yes i like to keep it simple after the experience on the glosso!

[BFG]

If you add a wavemaker on the right and aim it to blow at the blyxa japonica field, it will look like the wind blowing on a field of lalang! And if you can find a suitable fish species that will weave in and out of the blyxa japonica, it resemble the clownfish hanging around the anemone except that yours is green!

I like it!

[terenceteo79]

hi. very nice and clean planted tank you have. maintain it. thumb out!

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