My ever-evolving tank (picture heavy)

[Amandas tank]

Originally Posted by orchidman

hmmm i bet L M means something, i just dont know either, lol! Looks Massive? Loche-ness Monster? Loveit Man?

Originally Posted by AUvet14

Listeria monocytogenes. :-P Sorry, I'm a dork. Oh the things you find amusing as a vet student. Lol.

Originally Posted by orchidman

Litttle Monocotylodons

LOLOLOLOLOL!!! You all are silly I had to do a search after you all posted these ideas...I gotcha! L m means "loud mouth"!!!!

Check it out:
http://www.internetslang.com/LM-meaning-definition.asp

Have fun!

[orchidman]

Originally Posted by Amandas tank

HaHa! That's funny. I'm sitting over hear wracking my brain to unravel the L m mistery.

Originally Posted by Amandas tank

LOLOLOLOLOL!!! You all are silly I had to do a search after you all posted these ideas...I gotcha! L m means "loud mouth"!!!!

Check it out:
http://www.internetslang.com/LM-meaning-definition.asp

Have fun!

there ya go, guess your tank is apparently sooo Loud Mouth! what means when its directed a tank, im not so sure..

[Amandas tank]

Originally Posted by orchidman

there ya go, guess your tank is apparently sooo Loud Mouth! what means when its directed a tank, im not so sure..

HaHa! That's right...it's sooooo Loud Mouth! This could mean awesome (except mine is an awesome mess right now )

[orchidman]

[AUvet14]

Idk how you do your maintenance, but when I do a bunch of moving around and stir up a lot of fine particles or I get a new plant that sheds a bunch of leaves, I usually try to do a 50% water change the next day, trying to suck up as many of the dead/dying leaves that have detached. I also will clean the filter pads in my canister if it's been a couple weeks since they were rinsed, that way it cleans things up a bit and you don't have as many of those decaying leaves fouling up your water But I would take OVT's advice over mine if he suggests anything different, as he seems to have quite a bit more experience than I do.

[OVT]

Originally Posted by Amandas tank

I am running too low of light at the time. OVT suggested adding another T5 6500K or greater, so I will be doing this as soon as my LFS gets the right ones in. Right now I have 2 T8 pink plant bulbs and 1 T5 6500K. I don't add Co2 and don't plan to. I like having it low-tech, non co2

I recommended replacing your actinic light bulb with a 6,700K bulb. !0,000K if you really must have that bluish tint

[Amandas tank]

Originally Posted by OVT

I recommended replacing your actinic light bulb with a 6,700K bulb. !0,000K if you really must have that bluish tint

Oh yes...I should have been more clear about that...BTW! It's done I now have 2 T8 Aqua-Ero plant bulbs (no idea K rating...except they are pink) and now 2 T5 6500K (they didn't have anything higher than this). No more Actinic.

[Amandas tank]

Originally Posted by AUvet14

Idk how you do your maintenance, but when I do a bunch of moving around and stir up a lot of fine particles or I get a new plant that sheds a bunch of leaves, I usually try to do a 50% water change the next day, trying to suck up as many of the dead/dying leaves that have detached. I also will clean the filter pads in my canister if it's been a couple weeks since they were rinsed, that way it cleans things up a bit and you don't have as many of those decaying leaves fouling up your water But I would take OVT's advice over mine if he suggests anything different, as he seems to have quite a bit more experience than I do.

Thanks for your advise Will be changing out water every three days (sooner if it needs it) And the filter pads...good idea. I hadn't thought about them.

[Amandas tank]

Today I finally got those Puntius Denisonii out of the tank! Those suckers are fast and intelligent! They learn fast and act accordingly to avoid being netted. Good grief I was frustrated after 15 minutes! They are gone

I brought home 4 tiny Kuhli Loach. That's all they had. I want a total of 8, possibly 10. The kids were beaming from ear to ear. They love these fish!

I also picked up a huge piece of Mopani DW and rinsed it several times in the dishwasher and now it's soaking in a bucket. Will repeat the dishwasher and soaking until the leaching is minimal. This method really speeds the process up 10 fold My husband would kill me if he knew his sweet wife put the wood in the dishwasher LOL! Tomorrow he's off and will have to see it done

I replaced a T5 Actinicbulb with a T5 HO 6500k bulb. My Angel is still blue! Yeaha!!!

I did some shifting of the manzanita and planted the rest of the stems and other plants. Tank looks horrendous right now because I have all the Anubias floating waiting for their place on the mopani dw.

Unfortunately at lights on this morning, I found the Tiger Lotus melted at the base of the stems where the main stem connects The leaves were floating. I left as is by some chance it will spring new growth up from the roots. Fingers crossed everyone! Most the E.T. plants have melted overnight too.

Here's some pics showing the tank as is tonight, and the plants, Kuhlis and Mopani

The Manzanitas re-arranged


Terrible pic, but shows the "slope" for some stem plants at the base of the Manzanita


Some melting...


A lot of melting


He's still blue without Actinics! Also have some algae beginning on the wall; noticed bottom above the substrate on the right side.


The whole disaster scene LOL! The airstone kicked up a couple plants I had planted..oh well Re-plant tomorrow.


The Kuhli's


The Mopani! This is an awesome piece IMO. Can't wait to get it in the tank!

[OVT]

Water changes are almost never a bad idea (well, there are some exceptions, bacterial bloom being one example). If the plants shed leaves, most of them will be floating on the surface - I just scoop them up. I do try to avoid large water changes and cleaning the filter at the same time (trying to preserve the bacterial colony) but I don't think that really matters that much, especially in a well established, planted tank. Having more then one filter on the tank takes that concern away

[Amandas tank]

Originally Posted by OVT

Water changes are almost never a bad idea (well, there are some exceptions, bacterial bloom being one example). If the plants shed leaves, most of them will be floating on the surface - I just scoop them up. I do try to avoid large water changes and cleaning the filter at the same time (trying to preserve the bacterial colony) but I don't think that really matters that much, especially in a well established, planted tank. Having more then one filter on the tank takes that concern away

I try to keep my water changes at 35% or less...usually less. It's understocked anyway, so no worries about fish waste building up. But now, with all the plants..water changes every 3 days is a good idea right?

[LyzzaRyzz]

I enjoy this thread so much! Great tank! Sorry about the melting! Hopefully they'll bounce back!

[OVT]

Originally Posted by Amandas tank

But now, with all the plants..water changes every 3 days is a good idea right?

Beats me. I guess it depends on the cost of water in AK

I really would not go all crazy about this. In the end, there are so many variables and we still know so little about closed aquatic environment, that's what's 'good' and what's 'best' is above my guessing abilities. I personally would just go with your 'normal' maintenance routine.

With plants I follow 'dump and forget' OVT's theory. If you really, really want the plant to survive, dump it in the corner and forget about it for a week. If it wants to live, it will.

I'm learning this from my doctors: I am more likely to die/suffer from the cure then from the original affliction....

[Amandas tank]

Originally Posted by LyzzaRyzz

I enjoy this thread so much! Great tank! Sorry about the melting! Hopefully they'll bounce back!

Thank you I am counting on them bouncing back "They can do it!!!!"

[Amandas tank]

Originally Posted by OVT

Beats me. I guess it depends on the cost of water in AK

I really would not go all crazy about this. In the end, there are so many variables and we still know so little about closed aquatic environment, that's what's 'good' and what's 'best' is above my guessing abilities. I personally would just go with your 'normal' maintenance routine.

With plants I follow 'dump and forget' OVT's theory. If you really, really want the plant to survive, dump it in the corner and forget about it for a week. If it wants to live, it will.

I'm learning this from my doctors: I am more likely to die/suffer from the cure then from the original affliction....

Okay! "Dump and Forget". Sounds easy enough!
I will stick to the regular routine. Once a week 25% wc.

So...I almost am thinking I might not want much more plants except for some live HM Every stem of the HM disinegrated unfortunately. So for sure some more of those as well as more of the red-tipped leaf plant...I forgot the species again! Sorry