Here is a picture of my one and only tank...

[quezoxx]

Here is the first pictures of my journal. This is my first real planted tank with the works. I've had plants before in my 20 gallon high which was up for like 6 years straight but the plants were an afterthought really. I was to lazy to break it down and to be honest all the extra stuff you have to learn for planted tanks was a bit overwhelming and costly!!

Anyways, its been up for around a month and a half. Don't mind my brown algea out break, hopefully it will out grow that. I mostly used crypts because they are easier, and to be honest I love them. I also have some needle leaf java fern, anubias nana petite and java moss attached to the driftwood. I am patiently waiting for all that to latch themselves down. In the very back on the left I have dwarf hairgrass (which I might yank) and glosso for the forground. Im still trying to get most of it to run. Oh yeah, I put the green gecko that I won at this auction on both sides of the driftwood. I also got some Cyperus Helferi for the back. Most of the plants arent exotic but my main goal is health for the plants and fish, then the scape. Ill get fancy once I get this thing down.

Please take a look and tell me what you think I should improve as far as the scape and any suggestions on keeping the algea at bay. Oh yeah, Id love to talk with anyone about dry ferts at the next meeting. I do seachem and its expensive but thats all I know for right now.

Fish: Pair of German Blue rams, rummynose tetras, sterbai cory, ottos, harlequin rasboras

[weeb]

I'd love to tell you it looks great, but the pictures aren't showing up :p

[quezoxx]

Yeah, I had to resize everything sorry hahaha!! Dang you guys and gals are quick! My vision is a triangle slope scape with the open part on the left. I tried to plant the stuff where I think it will grow into. We shall see!

[quezoxx]

I figured out why the brown algea broke out by the way. Funny thing was I saw my Rams had lost some color, at first I thought they were sick. It was just the male though and he was still eating just being shy. A couple of days later the algea came. Only yesterday when cleaning the tank did I notice that one of my newly bought bulbs was dead. I have a feeling the person who sold it to me on amazon may have just swapped an old bulb because the light light and box looked used but was sold as new. I got another one today so I am back to 39 watts X2. I did a 75% water change today so hopefull in a few days I will hath slain the brown beast !

[krisw]

Great looking start, Chris! The wood build-up that you have on the right looks very nice, and I like how you complemented it a little bit on the left side with rock. I'm looking forward to seeing how this grows in!

[Cristy Keister]

I can't wait to see it grown in. This is a terrific 1st attempt at a scape! My only comment at this point is that it looks like you have hairgrass planted in a straight line along the back wall. It might look better if you planted it around the rocks on the left - avoid straight, unbroken lines.

[quezoxx]

Will do with the hairgrass....guess nature doesnt really line stuff up in a straight line, makes sense. Man this brown algea feels like it just wont go away!! I stuck with this scape because it seems so much easier to make a big triangle. Do any of you have Igwami tanks?? I think I want to try one o of those later. One community tank regular scape and one small nano species tank igwami style.