Here I will be explaining the progression of my planted tank. I will talk about everything from hardware to inhabitants (Plants and fish) and how they have changed.
Simple eh? I knew I wanted to start a planted tank and keep it really low tech, so here is where I started. Everything you see here I bought for $100, stand, tank and all!
Here i added some real driftwood. Some more plants and river rocks. Also may have rushed adding the fish, but I was a little naive thinking that the plants would remove the whole cycling process...WRONG!
Here I added a few more plants. Still hated the look, and I also hated the play sand as the substrate, way too messy and foggy, so I changed to pool filter sand!
Now things are starting to look better, not great but better. I learned some simple things about basic aquascaping and tried my best to incorporate those tips, like off centering the drift wood and what not. I also changed the lighting, went from half watt led lights by marineland and changed to a 48" dual shop light with 2 GE 6,500k bulbs.
Throughout these pics, I changed things up quite a bit. Added more plants (I assume most of you know the plants in there) and some better floating plants like frogbit (wasnt pleased with the wisteria). I also added more fish, especially 2 cool super red bn plecos!
I also started dosing some ferts and minerals like equilibrium and flourish, added some root tabs, and also removed the small vals I had in there, my water was quite soft for them.
Here I added a larger sword to help fill in the aquascaping. Beginning to look better, but there still seemed to be something missing. One of those things was swapping out the bulky driftwood piece with manzanita branches.
Now! This is where I am at now. Still dosing with Seachem Flourish, Seachem equilibrium, and Seachem root tabs. I had a problem several pictures ago with my swords looking like they had mineral deficiency, so I was directed to equilibrium and root tabs, and everything seems to be improving. The 2 larger swords were recently purchased so I hope all is well. I finally got ahold of the larger manzanita branch, and WOW! am I stoked! Also added 2 german blue rams, and some chain swords. So this is where its all at now, I am definitely pleased with it.
The only other thing I would like to do is change to a shop light that holds 4 48" fluorescent bulbs, instead of the one I have now that holds 2 bulbs.
Here are my current plants:
4 Anubias Barteri (Middle)
1 Anubias Nana (Middle)
4 Anubia Petite Nana (Right/Middle)
2 large Amazon swords (Left)
2 smaller Amazon Swords (Middle and Right)
Frogbit (Floating)
20 nodes Hydrocytle Sp. Japan (Front/Middle)
Scattered Java Moss
Ball of Pellia (Front/Right Corner)
Chain swords (Front/Left)
Lutea (Front/Left)
Inhabitants:
4 Angels
3 Oto Catfish
2 Super Red Bristlenose Plecos
2 German Blue Rams
I am still very new to planted aquariums, but I wanted to show my progress from the very beginning.
Any thoughts, advice, ideas and critics please bring them on and post! I want you to. I will accept any and all advice, everything from lighting, fish, plants and substrates.
Simple eh? I knew I wanted to start a planted tank and keep it really low tech, so here is where I started. Everything you see here I bought for $100, stand, tank and all!
Here i added some real driftwood. Some more plants and river rocks. Also may have rushed adding the fish, but I was a little naive thinking that the plants would remove the whole cycling process...WRONG!
Here I added a few more plants. Still hated the look, and I also hated the play sand as the substrate, way too messy and foggy, so I changed to pool filter sand!
Now things are starting to look better, not great but better. I learned some simple things about basic aquascaping and tried my best to incorporate those tips, like off centering the drift wood and what not. I also changed the lighting, went from half watt led lights by marineland and changed to a 48" dual shop light with 2 GE 6,500k bulbs.
Throughout these pics, I changed things up quite a bit. Added more plants (I assume most of you know the plants in there) and some better floating plants like frogbit (wasnt pleased with the wisteria). I also added more fish, especially 2 cool super red bn plecos!
I also started dosing some ferts and minerals like equilibrium and flourish, added some root tabs, and also removed the small vals I had in there, my water was quite soft for them.
Here I added a larger sword to help fill in the aquascaping. Beginning to look better, but there still seemed to be something missing. One of those things was swapping out the bulky driftwood piece with manzanita branches.
Now! This is where I am at now. Still dosing with Seachem Flourish, Seachem equilibrium, and Seachem root tabs. I had a problem several pictures ago with my swords looking like they had mineral deficiency, so I was directed to equilibrium and root tabs, and everything seems to be improving. The 2 larger swords were recently purchased so I hope all is well. I finally got ahold of the larger manzanita branch, and WOW! am I stoked! Also added 2 german blue rams, and some chain swords. So this is where its all at now, I am definitely pleased with it.
The only other thing I would like to do is change to a shop light that holds 4 48" fluorescent bulbs, instead of the one I have now that holds 2 bulbs.
Here are my current plants:
4 Anubias Barteri (Middle)
1 Anubias Nana (Middle)
4 Anubia Petite Nana (Right/Middle)
2 large Amazon swords (Left)
2 smaller Amazon Swords (Middle and Right)
Frogbit (Floating)
20 nodes Hydrocytle Sp. Japan (Front/Middle)
Scattered Java Moss
Ball of Pellia (Front/Right Corner)
Chain swords (Front/Left)
Lutea (Front/Left)
Inhabitants:
4 Angels
3 Oto Catfish
2 Super Red Bristlenose Plecos
2 German Blue Rams
I am still very new to planted aquariums, but I wanted to show my progress from the very beginning.
Any thoughts, advice, ideas and critics please bring them on and post! I want you to. I will accept any and all advice, everything from lighting, fish, plants and substrates.