Re-Doing My 120
-
ddavila06
- GWAPA Member
- Posts: 1590
- Joined: Wed Aug 27, 2008 12:50 pm
- Real Name: Damian Davila
- Location: Burke, Va
jajja, by criticize me i meant about the current set up, not like that! i want to know what ideas other people has, i want to know what do they think about the current set up i have i also want to know how to improve it other than the multicolor gravel
Damian Davila
"Fishes-up, chill, Plants too"
"so many plants, so little space!"
"Fishes-up, chill, Plants too"
"so many plants, so little space!"
I had to go look at your pics again.... I have no criticisms on your current setup 
(aside from the ugly gravel, but you knew that). When I rescaped my first effort I was sure to put a layer of the eco-complete on TOP so I could grow a carpet. So far, so good.
I think you could take advantage of all that space by finding a plant that grows bigger. Val could fill alot of space. Swords, too, I think. At least, my swords are getting too big for my 30gal. I think coffefolia's get pretty big, but anubiases are slow-growing, right?
The biggest challenge for me has been putting plants in a place where they can STAY. I put a lot of tall things in front and short stuff in the back when I set up my first tank. I got it OK right now, but some of the crypts and swords are getting too big for their placement in the tank. How do you prune a rosette-type plant?
Is the new tank going to remain your "Everything Tank?"
(aside from the ugly gravel, but you knew that). When I rescaped my first effort I was sure to put a layer of the eco-complete on TOP so I could grow a carpet. So far, so good.I think you could take advantage of all that space by finding a plant that grows bigger. Val could fill alot of space. Swords, too, I think. At least, my swords are getting too big for my 30gal. I think coffefolia's get pretty big, but anubiases are slow-growing, right?
The biggest challenge for me has been putting plants in a place where they can STAY. I put a lot of tall things in front and short stuff in the back when I set up my first tank. I got it OK right now, but some of the crypts and swords are getting too big for their placement in the tank. How do you prune a rosette-type plant?
Is the new tank going to remain your "Everything Tank?"
Dan Please, spay/neuter your Platys.
-
ddavila06
- GWAPA Member
- Posts: 1590
- Joined: Wed Aug 27, 2008 12:50 pm
- Real Name: Damian Davila
- Location: Burke, Va
jajja, yeah, pretty much...unfortunately i do not have room for more tanks at home 
so it has to have everything. now does the carpet has to be right on top of the eco complete or can you add a fine layer of gravel (sand, etc) in between? as far as those large plants i just cut off lower leaves that are like falling off, dying etc from the rizome directly. i think large plants have been a challenge for me too, even the anubias that i have had for over a year are now huge! like 15 inches tall...
so it has to have everything. now does the carpet has to be right on top of the eco complete or can you add a fine layer of gravel (sand, etc) in between? as far as those large plants i just cut off lower leaves that are like falling off, dying etc from the rizome directly. i think large plants have been a challenge for me too, even the anubias that i have had for over a year are now huge! like 15 inches tall...Damian Davila
"Fishes-up, chill, Plants too"
"so many plants, so little space!"
"Fishes-up, chill, Plants too"
"so many plants, so little space!"
I tried an experiment with some Glosso in an inert toplayer with peat below. Didn't go well. Possibly, lighting + CO2 was all wrong. I would put the eco complete right on top. I think people put down an inert top layer in certain places to control where the carpet grows; think about those scape with the 'path' down the middle. I'd research that a bit. I kinda liked the black look of it and I wanted my carpet to go all over.... I think they've got brown eco-complete now. Maybe they'll have white soon 
Another thing about carpets... if I could do my tank again I think I'd like to give my carpet plants a headstart of a couple weeks before adding my tall plants. My glosso is nice and thick and low in the front but the petioles get longer and longer toward the back and it's not putting out as many stolons as before. Also, I wouldn't mix E. tennelus with the glosso... its a mess, not really pretty. In my small tank I have glosso with dwarf hair grass (parvula?) and that's worked out ok, not as messy as the other tank, but, knowing what I now know, I would've stuck to one or the other. Heh, at the time I didn't know if I could grow anything
Another thing about carpets... if I could do my tank again I think I'd like to give my carpet plants a headstart of a couple weeks before adding my tall plants. My glosso is nice and thick and low in the front but the petioles get longer and longer toward the back and it's not putting out as many stolons as before. Also, I wouldn't mix E. tennelus with the glosso... its a mess, not really pretty. In my small tank I have glosso with dwarf hair grass (parvula?) and that's worked out ok, not as messy as the other tank, but, knowing what I now know, I would've stuck to one or the other. Heh, at the time I didn't know if I could grow anything
Dan Please, spay/neuter your Platys.
