Loop's 29G MTS/MGO mix Journal -"Noobtown"

[Loop]

I decided to move my tank to another room and switch to a dirt tank and try to make some sort of cohesive scape.
Before I had just randomly placed plants everywhere because it was my first attempt at keeping plants.

Here's the tank specs:

Filter - SunSun 302

Lighting - Zoomed 2x24W T5HO
(I only run 1 bulb with a sheet of bug screen covering it though)
Currently using an 8hr photoperiod.

Substrate - MTS & MG Organic Mix with a Flourite Dark Cap
I originally intended to do MTS, but a big storm came through and
blew/washed away too much of it. Didn't want to start over or
waste what I had made, so I just mixed it with the Miracle Grow.
I mixed them together really wet and let the mix sit in a bucket
soaking overnight to make sure it was good and waterlogged to
avoid floaters. So far after about 12hrs since set up, I haven't
had one yet. Hopefully everything works out ok with the mix.

Ferts - Waiting for my Green Fertilizer package to arrive from GLA.

CO2 - Paintball tank setup with cheap ADA knockoff diffuser.

Flora - Don't know the names of everything yet, but Java Fern, Val,
crypt, Dwarf Hairgrass, Amazon Sword, Wysteria, and some others
I don't know the names of.

Fauna - 6 x Tiger barbs
7 x Black Neons
2 x Assassin Snails
1 x BN Pleco
1 x Julii Cory (last of original group)
1 x Zebra Danio (last of original group)
All currently waiting in a temporary holding tank.

Here I'll be adding new pics about once a week for a while so that I can easily track growth with them side by side.

4/4/2011


4/11/2011 (I don't know what the heck I did with the camera settings here )


Comments or Critiques ? I'd like to get some feedback.
Sorry my pics will always suck. I hope I'm better at planted tanks than photography

[Wolfgang]

Looks like it is off to a good start. Once the foreground plants fill in your tank should look fantastic!!!Look forward to updates.

[Loop]

Yeah, you can barely see the grass in the pic. I'm not too worried about it filling in completely. I just want some patchy sections scattered around for a natural look, but right now it's a little sad and unimpressive . Thanks.

[Loop]

The water has cleared up some so I thought I'd post some more pics. It would be clearer, but I've been stirring things up a bit shifting plants a little. I added in my Tetras, Cory, Danio, and the Assassin Snails. I'm gonna keep my BN Pleco and Tiger Barbs out for a few days I think. They are too big and rambunctious, and I don't feel like replanting half the plants everyday until the roots grab hold.


Left Side




Right Side




Whole Tank




Wish I was better at taking those awesome pics that some of you guys do, but
I'm not too camera savvy.

[daverock1337]

lookin really good. i like the hardscape a lot. how long has it been set up? and also, have you checked to see if there is any ammonia leaching out of the mg?

[Loop]

Originally Posted by daverock1337

lookin really good. i like the hardscape a lot. how long has it been set up? and also, have you checked to see if there is any ammonia leaching out of the mg?

Thanks. I just set it up Sunday. So far ammonia is at 0 still. I'll keep testing everyday for a while to be sure.

There are some other things I wanted to point out though.

I didn't use too much dirt in here. This tank will be getting moved around mid May probably, so the dirts probably only 3/4" thick. I also don't have a good thick cap on it, because I ran out of it. The flourite is probably only 3/4" max also, but some places I can see the dirt a little. There is a bottom layer of old flourite/gravel mix that I used to make a little slope and hills. Suprisingly, even with a weak cap over the dirt, I still haven't had any floaters from the miracle grow. Not even one for the entire time. I'm not sure if this is because it is mixed with the MTS and that's holding it down, or if it's because I let it all soak for a while and put it in very wet. Either way it's nice that I don't have to pick out any pieces.

[daverock1337]

maybe the clay in the mts is helping to keep the soil down. i only have 1 inch of mts capped with 1-2 inches of pool filter sand. the clay acts as a flocculating (sp?) agent with the mts helping it to not float out when uprooting plants and keep it settled down...

[bonaparte]

What is MTS?

[RickRS]

MTS is Mineralized Top Soil when talking about substrate

[Loop]

Originally Posted by bonaparte

What is MTS?

Like RickRS said. If you don't know what it is, or how to make it
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/su...substrate.html
^ That's the thread with all the info

[Loop]

Pic update in top post for side-by-side viewing of progress

Week 2 - I added my Tiger Barbs and BN Pleco so everyone is back in. Plants are showing some growth, and algea doesn't seem to be going grazy, so that's good. The apongentons (sp?) grow crazy fast, but they did that when my tank was just gravel. Swords definately showing improvement over gravel substrate. Before, in just gravel, they seem to grow about 6" tall and then just stop growing, but they always looked ok. Now I can see that these things will probably outgrow this tank in no time. Hairgrass doesn't seem to be doing anything yet, but it's hard to tell. Maybe in another week or two I'll be able to notice a difference. Still getting zero ammonia readings. I got my ferts from GLA about 4 days ago so I've been dosing EI, but only in quantities for a 20G. Didn't think it was necessary to do anymore than that with the soil substrate. I guess I'll have to wait and see if I'm right on that one. Might end up increasing doses. Hopefully everything keeps going OK.