Balance... my 10 gal tank

[Raul-7]

Great wild look you have going, but don't you think the Ram needs a husband to keep her fins full..maybe then you'll see her.

Do Bamboo Shrimp eat microscopic algae?

[Wasserpest]

Actually I pulled her out of the 100gal tank because her "husband" didn't treat her nicely, and with the fierce competition for food (Festivums...) she got thinner and thinner... time for a shrimp-diet!

I don't think the bamboo/wood shrimp eats algae as much as tiny organisms, like protozoans or things like that. I know some "feed" them by squirting dissolved flakes in front of them. I used to have a problem with tiny critters (I believe Paramecium) that would cloud the water and the shrimp took care of it.

[Ibn]

Great looking tank there, WP. Been waiting for a new picture of it ever since seeing it in your signature...

[Wasserpest]

Well, it's been a couple of months since the last update. Things are still really well. I added a few watts of light (now 26!!) and connected it to the pressurized CO2 that drives the 100 gal tank. Not much left from the original "Mountainscape" idea, Java Fern and Moss are covering up all the mountains, and I don't really have the guts to rip them out too much. Cleaned the aquascape up a little... less variety of plant. Need to trim the Pearlweed in front, it's building up against the front glass again.



The little white worms in the center of the picture are oxygen bubbles... just did a water change and everything is bubbling like crazy

[randomrambler]

2 thumbs up looks very cozy in there. If I was a fish, that's where I would want to live One thing though, that little piece of what I am assuming is rotala indica looks a tad out of place with the pinkish tip. Everything else seems perfect.

[Wasserpest]

You have got good eyes! It was a totally green tank for the longest time, and recently I got tired of it and thought about adding a little splash of color. Not sure yet if I'll keep the Rotala in there, maybe it is out of place, maybe it is adding a little contrast, who knows...

[Kyle]

Wasser, very nice tank! Someday I hope my 10gal looks the same.

2 q's for you. First off, what is that plant in the foreground on the left hand side?

Also, are those pygmy chains on the right? For some reason mine are doing crappy, I am seeing a lot of leaf rot at the ends, or at the base of the plant, for being what I thought is a "beginners" plant, they aren't doing too well in my tank. It could be that I'm burning them as I have 4wpg currently.

[PJAN]

Very nice tank, Wasserpest.
I truly enjoy such a wilderness. Even with the may plant species, it looks in harmony.

Gr.PJAN

[Wasserpest]

Thanks for the feedback guys. I agree, it's wild...

Kyle, the foreground on the left is some kind of pearlweed-like plant, known unscientifically as "Two-leaved Pearlweed. I wasn't successful with regular Pearlweed (3-4 leaves per node), but this one seems to be okay with my conditions... lowish light and hard water and other stress factors.

Those are no pygmy chains (I had them but they disappeared for some reason ). This is Saggitaria, I suppose a dwarfy form. Some of them grew a little taller, and landed on the compost, now they behave nicely, I just thin them out once a month or so.

[randomrambler]

The rotala would give a nice bit of contrast if there was more of it instead of a single tiny spot of pink, a larger area might fit in more Nice pics too

[Wasserpest]

I just put in a single stem to see how I like the effect. There is a few more coming up from it's base, but in the mossy shade they look still green. Once they grow a little taller there will be some more pink. Maybe I'll add a few more stems, so far I like the color combination, not too screaming

There is a little amazon sword plant in the center underneath the Windelov fern, of course totally unsuited for a 10 gal tank, but thanks to the shade it stays really dwarfish... well until it takes off one day.

On the right there is some Lagarosiphon madagascariensis which I got from Fosty (thanks!), it's a lovely plant which unexpectedly seems to grow well in my water. Once it spreads out some more I might take out the ferns on the right and move the L.s. back into the corner.

[StUk_In_AfRiKa]

Wow that looks amazing. My jaw actually dropped and I had to take a breath lol. I think that's my favorite small tank that I've seen here. All the plants flow so nicely (except for the smooshed pearlweed but you already said you were going to fix that). Wow... wonderful job.

[Buck]

I love all the moss in the mix Wass... the tank looks beautiful ! Who says you need tons of watts ?

Great tank !

[Georgiadawgger]

Holy cow! That looks incredible...it appears much larger than a 10g the way you have it scaped! It kind of has an eerie look to it...really cool.

[Wasserpest]

Originally Posted by Georgiadawgger

Holy cow! That looks incredible...it appears much larger than a 10g the way you have it scaped!

Thanks! After 2 years since I started it the tank has matured a lot. The trick is to use small-leaved plants. Until recently I had some wendtii crypts in there, and for that very reason I pulled them out: the large leaves made the 10 gal tank look small.

Originally Posted by Georgiadawgger

It kind of has an eerie look to it...really cool.

Part of this is the photo. I reduced contrast a little, because if I don't the highlights will be totally blown out and the shadows sink into blackness. So in reality it looks better. I wish I could afford a DSLR