Frank's Planted Tank How-To Mini Novel - The Mini S Returns! New Layout

[fplata]

This is the most useful thread I have seen. Thank you!! and yes i read every single post. keep it comming

[Francis Xavier]

I set out on my normal water regime for a new tank - if you've been keeping up so far then you know the method calls for one water change a day for the first week.

For your viewing pleasure, I have wonderfully unique photographs of the tank looking almost exactly as it did a two days ago.

Except one photo has half the water in it:



And the other is presumably after the water change, I could have just photoshopped it though:



(it really is after the water change).

This layout will go quick - I'm invisioning simulans tetra as the go to guys maybe even some microrasbora kubotai - since they won't get as drowned out in this layout.

And to round out the day, here is a cameo of the 60-P:

[orchidman]

60-p looks great!!

in the mini-m, any reason the substrate isnt straight?

[Francis Xavier]

Originally Posted by orchidman

60-p looks great!!

in the mini-m, any reason the substrate isnt straight?

Yes: laziness and no sense of urgency (substrate line).

If I had a carpeting plant I'd have an extreme sense of urgency to get it and keep it straight.

But here I'll wait until water changes are twice a week to bother since nothing will grow with the sand

[@marko@]

the 60P looks excellent. the red in the back, is that r. colorata?

[orchidman]

sounds like a good reason, lol!

you do water changes everyday for the 1st week, every other day for the 2nd week, and two times a week for the 3rd week?

[Francis Xavier]

Originally Posted by @marko@

the 60P looks excellent. the red in the back, is that r. colorata?

Yeah, the R. Colorata kind of took over. It's a super thick bush now. Also, it was supposed to be more orangish, but everything in that tank, if it can turn red, is the deepest possible red it can be.

R. Wallichi is in there, R. Bangladesh (which you can literally watch grow a few inches in an hour once it gets going) and D. Diandra. Also some H. Pinnatafolia, which I'll have to watch since it's behaved and stayed small - which means in about a week I am betting it explodes in size.

In the end there may be too much red!

Originally Posted by orchidman

sounds like a good reason, lol!

you do water changes everyday for the 1st week, every other day for the 2nd week, and two times a week for the 3rd week?

Yes.

[Francis Xavier]

I also fear I might be turning into the "Riccia & Tennellus Guy"

[freph]

Originally Posted by Francis Xavier

I also fear I might be turning into the "Riccia & Tennellus Guy"

I see no problem in this. Healthy plants are available and you get cash in your pocket for spare plants. What's not to like about that?

[orchidman]

Thanks! I'm gonna follow that retiming too!

[orchidman]

frank- what do you think about this light? http://www.adana-usa.com/index.php?m...roducts_id=667 (do you sell this one?) my tank is 18" wide and 10" tall. it would be for the low-budget one.. which means no co2. thanks!

[Chlorophile]

Originally Posted by Francis Xavier

I also fear I might be turning into the "Riccia & Tennellus Guy"

You do well with Riccia, I loathe that plant but it looked good in the last layout!

edit: I love those rocks, damn! Is it okay to use only 2 stones ;] Hah, I kid, it looks great with just 2 given their size and complexity.

[trenton]

Just wanted to say that this thread has been a great resource for me in figuring out everything I needed/wanted to do with my own tank. I learnt a lot from reading through the pages.
Keep up the great work!

Cheers,
-T

[Francis Xavier]

I'm sorry for the lack of updates of late guys & gals.

Honestly, it's been a bit hectic keeping pace with demand lately!

I did, however get to take pictures along the way.


Day 4:




The Amazing part here - is that after such a short period of time the Riccia is 'standing up,' and growing in very small and tight. Normally the time it took for it to begin growing like this under MH and CF bulbs was about 1.5-2 weeks, and the leaf pattern was broader and wider until trimming occurred.

Day 5:



Day 7:



By the end of the first week the Riccia was nearly fully grown in, standing tall and very very tiny.

Also, at the end of Day 7, I began dosing Green Brighty Special Lights, so the dosing became x1 Special Lights + x1 Brighty K (squirts).

Day 9:



Day 10:



The Former Layout:

Day 3:



Day 4:



Day 6:



Day 7:



Day 8:



Day 11:



With the previous Solar Mini M - it took til the 11th day for Riccia to start really pearling, etc.

The difference between growth patterns here, is that under the Solar Mini M it grew much taller and broader. Under the AQUASKY, it's been coming in a lot shorter and much, much thinner, more nano sized.

The Tennellus and the Hair Grass though, are definitely going through some adjustments, they're transition from the light types and uprooting / re-planting. New growth is clean and slender in, which tells me that both plants should be trimmed here in the next few days. Root growth is pitch white - an excellent sign of health in plants.

[Francis Xavier]

For those looking to the 60-P, here are more recent photos after a trim.

After trim:





Today, two days later after trim right after lights came on:



The layout here is approaching its final shot for completion. Stems usually take about a 3 month process of trimming and pruning to get a full bodied look.

Daily Dosing: Brighty K x8 squirts, Green Brighty Step 1 x8 squirts

ECA x10 drops, Phyton Git x8 drops, Green Gain x5 drops.

After water change: Green Bacter x15 drops