CryptKeeper54's Fluval Spec

[CryptKeeper54]

Can't really add to anything that's not already been said about the Fluval Spec. I like it. Hope the plants do okay. Gonna add taiwan moss here and there later on maybe. Trying to keep this tank OEM only and low maintenance.

Just scaped:

S.repens and boblitis "mini leaf"(that's what the LFS called it), using fluval stratum.

[CryptKeeper54]

Thinking of adding rotala indica to the back. Anyone know if it will survive with spec lighting? Something seems to be missing from this scape. Gonna add taiwan moss to the front.

[antbug]

Are you running co2 on this tank? That s. repens is going to have a hard time. I used my clubs PAR meter on my tank and at the sub, I was getting reading of 5-6umols. Only low light plants will do fine with the stock light. co2 might help you, but I don't think it will help with the s. repens. I have c. parva, flame moss, anubias nana, fissidens fontanus and s. hygro in mine. All of these do fine with excel and the stock light.

[CryptKeeper54]

Thanks antbug.

No co2. Trying to do without excel. Thinking of weekly or bi-weekly 50% water change only. Wanted to experiment with repens so I threw them in. My fluval edge has parva, nanas and hydro so I wanted to do something differnet with thhis tank.

[rocksmom]

Looks nice, I like the wood.

I've tried the s. repens in a few of my low light tanks and it hasn't fared well. Hasn't died or anything, it just gets leggy and doesn't look very nice. Good luck with it.

I'm guessing shrimp are going to be on the stocking list? What kind?

[CryptKeeper54]

Originally Posted by rocksmom

Looks nice, I like the wood.

I've tried the s. repens in a few of my low light tanks and it hasn't fared well. Hasn't died or anything, it just gets leggy and doesn't look very nice. Good luck with it.

I'm guessing shrimp are going to be on the stocking list? What kind?

Sounds like my scape is gonna fail. Might try m.minuta as foreground plant if or when my repens go bad. R. Indica a good background choice or will it throw off this scape? Just regular red cherry shrimp maybe. Giving this tank to a friend so don't want to spend much on live stock and gotta kee maitenance low.

[antbug]

S. repens is a co2 hog. Forget the low light, it wont do well without co2. I'll be watching to see how it does in your spec. Fun little tank.

[CryptKeeper54]

Originally Posted by antbug

S. repens is a co2 hog. Forget the low light, it wont do well without co2. I'll be watching to see how it does in your spec. Fun little tank.

I guess I got to hunt down some m.minuta or another alternative foreground plant. Its too bad cause s.repens looks so good in my eheim tank.

[rocksmom]

I actually have some MM that I ended up not using. I'm not sure how great of shape it's in right now from not being planted for awhile, but I could send it to you for just shipping cost.

[CryptKeeper54]

Originally Posted by rocksmom

I actually have some MM that I ended up not using. I'm not sure how great of shape it's in right now from not being planted for awhile, but I could send it to you for just shipping cost.

Thanks. PM'd you.

[CryptKeeper54]

Update:

Added mini pelia (didn't realize it was that expensive), rotala indica, and MM (courtesy rocksmom..... thanks). Rescaped a little. H2O change 50% weekly, excel dosing (trying to do everyday). Styro showing new growth at tips but old leaves died off pretty quickly. The fluval spec is a cool nano "kit" IMO.

In retrospect, I should've used shrimp stratum instead. It might have been better asthetically.

[CryptKeeper54]

Update:

Got impatient with the styro. It was dying quikly so I transfered it to my eheim tank where I have styro that looks healthy and compact. I replaced it with a downoi since this downoi wasn't doing great in my eheim tank. Let's see how this downoi does in low light. These "mini" bolbitis are dying on me. I wonder if the leaves are emersed form and just dying off to make way for submersed leaf growth. Also, the MM new growth are forming 4 leaved clovers. R. Indica seems do be doing fine.

Just doing weekly 50% H2O change and daily excel dosing.

[CryptKeeper54]

Update:

R.indica growing well. Downoi, mini pelia and m.minuta doing okay. Bolbitis leaves dying, seems to be transitioning, but I see new growth. Not to sure how its going to grow out. Time will tell. Always interesting to see the growth patterns of plants which will be useful for future aquascapes.

[CryptKeeper54]

Update:

Downoi removed, wasn't doing well. Hope it can recover it my other tank. Trimmed and replanted r.indica. Added m.umbrosum. Cut most of the old leaves of mini bolbitis, seeing new growth. Hope this thing stays mini. It was an awesome looking fern when I first bought it, hopefully this new growth looks the same. Mini pelia is a tough moss to work with (just thinking to myself).

[CaffeinatedCake]

I can't wait to see this grown out some more; I received a SPEC about a month ago for my cubicle (Now it's sitting next to my computer in my home) and was experimenting with plants in it as well.

I don't seem to have much luck with any medium+ light req. plants myself (Running stock lighting), so I have some new low light plants coming in around tuesday to re-scape with. I transfered a lot of my plants from my SPEC to my "boyfriend's" medium-high tech nano. (It's technically his, as I got it for him for our anniversary because he was so interested in planted tanks, but I take care of it, haha. ).

Definitely following this journal; I like your sense of "Style" for placement and selections.