55gal journal. Big changes. New photos 6/10/08.

**rountreesj** · 02-22-2008, 02:08 AM

Well I bought some manzanita off the swap-n-shop here, so I wanted to wait until I got it in the mail to begin THE trim. So here's some pics of my jungle before the trim:

Yes I know the fishes have fun hiding from me...

then we began to trim...

and we trimmed some more...

All in all, a lot of aching back, a number of experlatives and a 75% H20 change...I'm somewhat satisfied. The HM in some places was yellowed due to lack of light, but I expect a pretty full recovery. I've cranked the co2 up some for a few days to recessitate the not-so-healthy plants, so I've just got to wait.

Comments and critiques please. And I Still have one bag of HM for sale if anyone wants it. $10 shipped pm me.

**Orlando** · 02-22-2008, 02:10 AM

Well done!

**octopus44** · 02-22-2008, 02:12 AM

Brilliant! I love it. I think that is the most HM that I have ever seen.

**rountreesj** · 02-22-2008, 02:16 AM

Yes, I filled 12 ziplock bags about 3/4 full. I have sold most of it, but at $10 per bag shipped, I only make about 3 bucks.

**@marko@** · 02-22-2008, 02:23 AM

wow its a huge improvment

yeah HM can get pretty invasive if unattended.

sick lid · 02-22-2008, 02:58 AM

Sweet!

**helgymatt** · 02-22-2008, 03:17 AM

Nice tank! What size of manzanita package did you buy? Is that a large? I'm thinking about getting one. What is the trick to get it to stay down where you want it in the substrate? Also, I understand that this stuff has to be boiled and then soaked for a few weeks to get it to "sink". Is this all true?

I love the pic with the tetras swimming in a line around your centerpiece!

**NATURE AQUARIUM** · 02-22-2008, 03:39 AM

Two Thumbs up

Looks Great!!!

mrbman7 · 02-22-2008, 05:00 AM

very nice! I really like the island look surrounded by green. well done.

**rountreesj** · 02-22-2008, 05:07 AM

Well honestly, I'm lazy, so I didn't boil it, it had been sundried for a while before they shipped it to me... Originally, I had the old driftwood lower in the center, so I went to petsmart and bought a big bag of plain black gravel and poured it in the center. Then I basically stuffed the branches in as I envisioned them(pretty much how they are in the pics). Then I placed the granite where I wanted it, and finally placed the java ferns and anbias where they are. The ferns and anubias dont need much of a substrate, so I put some fert tabs around where I wanted roots to grow. Its all really pretty simple. The key is to get driftwood that's branchy, and rocks that all look the same, then just stick them in there artistically. I have used driftwoods of all sorts for about 2 years now, and they all do pretty much the same, dry them, then just shove them in the gravel. Never had any problems.

**rountreesj** · 02-22-2008, 05:10 AM

Oh yeah! Almost forgot why I posted this here... Thanks all ya'll for the complements, still need critiques though.

**resowner92** · 02-22-2008, 06:08 AM

its going to look nice once the hm fills in a little more

**Wingsdlc** · 02-22-2008, 11:07 AM

Wow that looks pretty nice! I do see one problem though. I would guess that you are going to loose your rock work once the HM fills back in. Overall nice work though.

**rountreesj** · 02-22-2008, 02:06 PM

I got a medium package. If I can find the seller's name, I'll let you know.

Yes the rockwork looks good now, but it is very possible thet the HM will try to overgrow it, so hopefully I'll keep a better eye on it this time.

It appears I have sold every one of my packages of HM! Thanks guys. I'll put some more for sale in a month or so when I do another trim.

**fishman9809** · 02-22-2008, 03:09 PM

thank a great tank!!! How big your tank on the left?

What type of fish do you keep in your 55 gallon?

02-22-2008, 02:08 AM	#1 (permalink)
rountreesj Planted Tank Obsessed (View User Tanks) PTrader: (23) Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Georgia Posts: 464	55gal journal. Big changes. New photos 6/10/08. Well I bought some manzanita off the swap-n-shop here, so I wanted to wait until I got it in the mail to begin THE trim. So here's some pics of my jungle before the trim: Yes I know the fishes have fun hiding from me... then we began to trim... and we trimmed some more... All in all, a lot of aching back, a number of experlatives and a 75% H20 change...I'm somewhat satisfied. The HM in some places was yellowed due to lack of light, but I expect a pretty full recovery. I've cranked the co2 up some for a few days to recessitate the not-so-healthy plants, so I've just got to wait. Comments and critiques please. And I Still have one bag of HM for sale if anyone wants it. $10 shipped pm me. Last edited by rountreesj; 06-11-2008 at 01:50 AM.

02-22-2008, 02:10 AM	#2 (permalink)
Orlando Green Member (View User Tanks) PTrader: (63) Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Gainesville FL Posts: 2,670	Well done! __________________

02-22-2008, 02:12 AM	#3 (permalink)
octopus44 Planted Member (View User Tanks) PTrader: (18) Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Binghamton, NY Posts: 291	Brilliant! I love it. I think that is the most HM that I have ever seen. __________________ 75 Gallon 55 Gallon (torn down)

02-22-2008, 02:23 AM	#5 (permalink)
@marko@ Algae: $10 shipped (View User Tanks) PTrader: (2) Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: livingston, nj Posts: 3,041	wow its a huge improvment yeah HM can get pretty invasive if unattended. __________________ Eheim Pimp #296 Eheim Ecco 2232 (x2), Eheim Ecco 2234 (x1) Lizards: Leopard gecko dessert Gold dust day gecko jungle Tanks: 20L: community: JOURNAL!! Eclipse 3: betta tank: JOURNAL!! 6g reef: clown pair tank

02-22-2008, 02:58 AM	#6 (permalink)
sick lid Planted Member (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0) Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: BC, Canada Posts: 153	Sweet! __________________ 15g QT 32g Eclipse 3. Rainbow fry tank. 180g, Fluval FX5, 404, 320watts t-12, low tech, heavily planted, with ABN, 12 Congo tetras, 30 or so Amanos, 6 Corydoras Sterbai, 2 Botia dario, 9 Boesmanis, 2 sae, big old common plec, & 20 or so Otos. 180gallon corner in-wall build journal:http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/lo...tml#post594434

02-22-2008, 02:16 AM	#4 (permalink)
rountreesj Planted Tank Obsessed (View User Tanks) PTrader: (23) Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Georgia Posts: 464	Yes, I filled 12 ziplock bags about 3/4 full. I have sold most of it, but at $10 per bag shipped, I only make about 3 bucks.

02-22-2008, 03:17 AM	#7 (permalink)
helgymatt Planted Tank Obsessed (View User Tanks) PTrader: (17) Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Ames, IA Posts: 473	Nice tank! What size of manzanita package did you buy? Is that a large? I'm thinking about getting one. What is the trick to get it to stay down where you want it in the substrate? Also, I understand that this stuff has to be boiled and then soaked for a few weeks to get it to "sink". Is this all true? I love the pic with the tetras swimming in a line around your centerpiece!

02-22-2008, 03:39 AM	#8 (permalink)
NATURE AQUARIUM 65 Gal. Tank (View User Tanks) PTrader: (3) Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Pensacola, Florida Posts: 175	Two Thumbs up Looks Great!!!

02-22-2008, 05:00 AM	#9 (permalink)
mrbman7 Planted Member (View User Tanks) PTrader: (11) Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Bellevue, WA Posts: 278	very nice! I really like the island look surrounded by green. well done. __________________ Filstar Pimp #130 My 55G: Here

02-22-2008, 05:07 AM	#10 (permalink)
rountreesj Planted Tank Obsessed (View User Tanks) PTrader: (23) Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Georgia Posts: 464	Well honestly, I'm lazy, so I didn't boil it, it had been sundried for a while before they shipped it to me... Originally, I had the old driftwood lower in the center, so I went to petsmart and bought a big bag of plain black gravel and poured it in the center. Then I basically stuffed the branches in as I envisioned them(pretty much how they are in the pics). Then I placed the granite where I wanted it, and finally placed the java ferns and anbias where they are. The ferns and anubias dont need much of a substrate, so I put some fert tabs around where I wanted roots to grow. Its all really pretty simple. The key is to get driftwood that's branchy, and rocks that all look the same, then just stick them in there artistically. I have used driftwoods of all sorts for about 2 years now, and they all do pretty much the same, dry them, then just shove them in the gravel. Never had any problems.

02-22-2008, 05:10 AM	#11 (permalink)
rountreesj Planted Tank Obsessed (View User Tanks) PTrader: (23) Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Georgia Posts: 464	Oh yeah! Almost forgot why I posted this here... Thanks all ya'll for the complements, still need critiques though.

02-22-2008, 06:08 AM	#12 (permalink)
resowner92 Got Shrimp? (View User Tanks) PTrader: (42) Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Planet Earth Glendora, California Posts: 1,419	its going to look nice once the hm fills in a little more __________________ « Neil » My Photography Site

02-22-2008, 11:07 AM	#13 (permalink)
Wingsdlc Planted Tank Enthusiast (View User Tanks) PTrader: (34) Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Lincolnton, NC Posts: 817	Wow that looks pretty nice! I do see one problem though. I would guess that you are going to loose your rock work once the HM fills back in. Overall nice work though. __________________ 40 Gallon Long Taken down Aug. 2007 5.65WPG, EI dosing 55 Gallon Set up Aug. 2007 4WPG, EI dosing Container Pond April 2008

02-22-2008, 02:06 PM	#14 (permalink)
rountreesj Planted Tank Obsessed (View User Tanks) PTrader: (23) Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Georgia Posts: 464	I got a medium package. If I can find the seller's name, I'll let you know. Yes the rockwork looks good now, but it is very possible thet the HM will try to overgrow it, so hopefully I'll keep a better eye on it this time. It appears I have sold every one of my packages of HM! Thanks guys. I'll put some more for sale in a month or so when I do another trim.

02-22-2008, 03:09 PM	#15 (permalink)
fishman9809 Need custom lily pipes? (View User Tanks) PTrader: (23) Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Martinez, CA Posts: 3,185	thank a great tank!!! How big your tank on the left? What type of fish do you keep in your 55 gallon?

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