Nano Experiment

[geekgirl]

Hi Rex! How was vacation? My Daffs don't bloom because our lot has mostly shade and the ground stays cooler. So far I've tried two different spots. No luck. :cry: Third spot this year, we'll see if they bloom. Those microclimates... I know they can flower in OR, I've seen them in yards, just not mine. :fire:

If they don't bloom this year I'm going to dig up the whole lot and give them away. Any takers?

Buck, maybe the next plant bundle you have, I'll take. You could send some mystery vine and I'll give it to the plant "gurus" at the aquarium club for ID too. Get everyone in on the sleuthing. That's the fun part! :mrgreen:

Stacey

btw, Rex...Endler's? Still got 'em?

[corvus]

sunny, you do let the green growth on the daffodills live untill it turns brown, correct? If you cut down the greens before they die off, the bulb will not have enough energy to flower the next year, it'll just put up vegetation till it stores enough reserves to expend on flowers.

[geekgirl]

yep, actually, I'm quite an experienced outdoor gardener. The seasonal nursery down the street offers me work everytime I go in there, and my yard is starting to look like Holland (or Woodburn, for those in Oregon )

Just the peruvian Daffodils don't flower, and the Beautyberry only gets a few berries. I guess I'll be moving that this week (groan!)

[Rex Grigg]

I still have the Endler's. All we need to do is set a time for you to come over and get some. I have my PD in full sun so I get the flowers every year. You need to add more light to your lot

[brandon429]

Buck I have been looking at the pictures of your 5g nano planted tank and first let me say that is a bad ___ web page. What do you use to build something like that, is it some software you can download off the internet?

And, in looking at the detailed pics of the setup Id like to make a few predictions. This system is already very aged in terms of microfauna and bacterial colonies that are adjusted to this type of substrate-a good thing. One thing this nano will have that few nanos have is a sandbed rich in organic material, not necessarily raw fertilizers such as bulk phosphate but compounds and elements locked up in bacterial, animal and plant matter all at varying stages of decay.

This rate of decay is what releases the critical nutrients for algae buildup, so thriving plants should compete for much of it in the water column. A denser stocking of fast growers such as val may help to pull nutrients out of the water. In this setup, Id predict it would be favorable to limit water permeation in the sandbed to keep its richness to a minimum in the upper column. Once you have a decent root matrix (if not already) aerenchyma from active plant growth will keep the soil healthy, minimizing anaerobic patches.

When I build another nano I want to try rich organic soil like the type you have found---already accustomed to life underwater. This will hold a massive amount of trace elements, dosing will be almost nill Id suspect/great tank bro this type of nutrient supply is just what a planted nano needs--all natural and quite a store for the volume in question....

[Buck]

Glad ya like my site Brandon, its created using Homestead... very simple to use

Once you have a decent root matrix (if not already) aerenchyma from active plant growth will keep the soil healthy, minimizing anaerobic patches.

This is my biggest concern... I recently setup a 56 gallon tank and was toying with the soil idea for that tank but chickened out... :lol: This is the reason for this tank, to see how soil might work. The roots are growing rapidly in here so I shouldnt see a problem very soon, but the test of time is what Im after.
I'd rather see a small problem in a small tank... then a big problem in a big tank ! :lol:

[brandon429]

Ill tell you about the day I first saw this with my own eyes.

I was in a plant store called Holland Gardens here in Lubbock. Was looking for terrestrial plants for the terrarium bowls, then I came across this outdoor pond that had large pots of dwarf saggitaria--a better aquatic plant specimen than id ever seen in a LFS, who has mainly small plant cuttings or rubber banded groups for sale.

These were dense little pots of saggitaria, three being enough to fill a ten gallon twice over. they had been in this pond for two years and not been sold or fertilized. This was not a fish pond, the water was not circulated or changed in two years, it just held seasonal plants to keep them moist outside (it was moved in during winter) Other plant shipments were continually stacked on top of them or in front of them, but they still managed to grow root masses so thick it was about to split the side of the heavy plastic pots---thickest root matrix I have ever seen on an aquatic bundle. And, the soil was pure dark clay mud 9 inches deep. Black as night, but did not smell foul in the least. If any aquarist had substrate like this they'd panic, but I think mother nature is telling us that an extremely organic, fine-particle substrate is not detrimental in the presence of strong root matrix. Without the root growth, anaerobic rot would prevail underwater due to the abundance of nutrients and the lack of higher fixation. I think it may be vital in sustaining such a matrix over the long haul

[Buck]

Well I had to tear out the native "grasslike" plants that were doing so well... they grew like heck and then just withered away... then at the bases it started all over again. Its like it peaks then dies off... threw it all out.

I pulled all the plants, mixed in a pound or so of sand (black moon sand) and then capped it with a little more sand.
Out of the original plants I dug up I have only 1 type left, it resembles H.polysperma in a way, and I also have the little sword from a shoot in my 30 gallon. Time to plant some more... Im thinkin Anubia's or small crypts...not sure yet.
Back to the drawing board... :lol:

[corvus]

Originally Posted by Buck

Well I had to tear out the native "grasslike" plants that were doing so well... they grew like heck and then just withered away... then at the bases it started all over again. Its like it peaks then dies off... threw it all out.

Well, that sounds to me like they were actually marginal plants, not true submerged plants. In other words, they just like their feet wet, not the foliage. You prolly already knew that, or came to the same conclusion.

The rush-type ones still look interesting to me, going to try to find some of those around here, see what they do as a marginal in my pond. When it warms up a bit more, and I have all my spring yard/pond preparations done, I'm going to do some serious search for native species, esp. for my pond. Going to go as native as possible, really sick of plants i have to overwinter in the house.

[Buck]

That is correct Corvus, not submersible... they were well below the old water line but when I went back to the pond I realized that where I found them had been drained since the tail end of last summer so they had some time to seed there so to speak.
They were kool while they lasted, and Yes , they would be very nice in your pond's edges, I have found a patch down the road that is growing at the edges of a small pond with the foliage half out of the water... its 14 " Tall and a rich green color. Would be an awesome terrarium plant too.

But hey, thats the fun of trying natives, ya just never know how it will respond to OUR conditions which are very different then their natural lighting and ferts.
Concentrate on marshy areas at your local ponds... it seems to like still water.