JG's 10G Hex

[MrJG]

This is my first ever planted tank... the one that got it started for me. Its gone through many trials and much learning on my part. I've kept a journal for it on another forum but its only been around these parts with a snapshot now and then so when I updated the journal today after many months of absence I figured I'd chuck a journal up here as well.

I hardly ever do anything to this tank anymore other than scrape a little GSA off the glass once a month or so and hit a 50% WC every two weeks or so. Now that its grown in a bit I'm finally starting to be satisfied with how it looks, that and I don't think I can do any more with the footprint and my lack of aquascaping talent. heh.

Hardware:
AC20 filter
Visitherm stealth heater
18W Current fixture (6.5k,10k dual daylight bulb)

Flora:
Lots of Java fern and narrow leaf fern
Fissiden Fontanus
Dwarf Sag
Anubias 'nana'
Anubias Nana 'petite'
Crypt 'petchii'
Crypt wendtii 'red'
Crypt wendtii 'green gecko'
Floater: Salvinia Natans

Fauna:
5 Rasbora espei
Lots of Red Cherry Shrimp
Lots of MTS

Pardon the bit of gsa on the lower glass.. its been a few weeks since I scraped it off and I didn't do it before the pics. :P

Best snapshot I could get of the front:


One from the right:

[gamexeater]

looks great! do you use any fertilizers?

[lauraleellbp]

That looks awesome, I really like it a lot!

[oldpunk78]

nicely done hex!

[BigPaul]

Best looking hex tank I've seen. Looks great. What are you growing out of your intake sponge?!

[Angel AQ]

Very nice! I really like it.

[MrJG]

Thanks for all the replies everyone!

Originally Posted by gamexeater

looks great! do you use any fertilizers?

Only a little excel and flourish every once in a while. No Macros, no CO2.

BigPaul: Its a little chunk of java fern that floated up there and got stuck. It's made it through several sponge cleanings so I just left it there.

This tank has taken quite a while to get to this point, it was really the tank that I cut my planted teeth with. If you look back at the journal in my sig you'll see that early on things were pretty sparse as I added plants, killed them, and added more plants. But by researching on this site and being patient while things grew brought it to the way it is now. It only took a little over 2 years haha! But I have to say this tank takes so much less work than the high light ones and its just as enjoyable to sit and watch. I can't grow any stems in this one so there is a trade-off but it fits in with my idea to have each tank in the house with a different look and sp. of plants.

[ZooTycoonMaster]

Wow those are nice Crypts!

[Dollface]

That little java fern on the sponge filter is adorable. <3

It's so nice to see such a well done hex tank. I really like hex's but nobody ever plants them.

[wantsome]

Very nice!

Does the duckweed block alot of the light?

[Saraja87]

I love this tank, that leaf texture is perfect!

[MrJG]

Thanks once again everyone.

wantsome: Its salvinia natans which is about 5 times the size of duckweed so much less of a pest. It does block a good amount of light but everything in the tank is pretty much comfortable in low light. What it really does is keep GSA from forming on the glass as quickly as it might otherwise. It doesn't bug me at all to scrape really quick every 3 weeks or so.

[sewingalot]

I am absolutely amazed by this tank, and excited. I am going to try growing a java fern and moss tank in my office and you have me adding crypts to the list. I love this tank. Just finished reading your whole post in your signature. Wish my first tank looked so good.

[Tex Gal]

Very nice! A great tank to have at the office. Not much to do but great to look at!

[EdTheEdge]

Very nice tank! Keep up the good work!