The 700 gal indoor sunken garden project

[Martin]

Let the 'marble queen' grow above the waterlevel. The marbeling will appear in the emerse leaves. and look quite pretty to boot.

Have you considered Ech. 'rose' ? Beautiful leaves. really!


How are you planning to maintain the plants? pruning etc.?

[Martin]

260 x 3.8(approximately)= 988L

[forddna]

984.2L, but not sure why you're asking 260??

http://www.onlineconversion.com/

[medicineman]

I think he just found the link of my 260g on my signature and interested in the aquarium setup.

@Symbiot,
The marble queen is originated from my friend who have had enough of the plant as halfway emmersed form and give it away to me. The leaves have clear marbling before it was put sumbersed into the pond, now that they melted away, replaced by underwater leaves with less distinct marbling. I dont know if it ever be able to grow any leaf out of water for it is around 80cm deep.

Echinodorus "rose"? I have this echinodorus "pink" which I guess is entirely a different plant. Let me see if there is any available to look/buy at the local tropica dealership.

Maintenance is easy. I have a continous WC system running very slow, approximately 60ml per minute or 3.6 liter per hour (almost 0.947 gallon per hour) at the least of which any overflowing water is channeled back to the ground. Not much because of increased evaporation and some minute leaking from the falls.

I maintain the plants using simple method. Long pincers and long tongs, some with blade on tip to handle them without the need for me to go inside. Such routine must be done bit by bit everday, for a prolonged leaning and working at once with tools (which is not as easy to manouver) is stressful.
Heavier, mass maintenance would require me to jump in and take careful steps, preferably by the stones (or as I did once, added more stones to step on) not to disturb the substrate too much and cause a havoc. A quick half water drain via large draining pipe will further ease the job as I do not have to dive my face in when leaning. Refilling after I drain is a problem though, as it takes quite some time.

So here is another pic showing some plants :


Left : Echinodorus barthii x
Right : Echinodorus rubin
Front : Echinodorus horemanii (I think)
Some leaves from giant Crypt balansae and assorted Hygro by the background.

[andy_j]

WOW...what a fantastic project.

Any chance of seeing how the terrestrial plants have settled in when the camera is out next ?

Andy

[medicineman]

Full pond shot.

Most of the plants are starting to settle in, while others seems do not appreciate the condition when I think they should. I've had no luck with cryptocoryne crispatula of all sort though the giant balansae are not dead yet. Hoping that they will grow back later on.

Running for some time now, I can be sure of one thing. The pond is consuming quite a great deal of CO2 with 7-8 bps (can be read via double bubble counter). Already the meter dropped significantly...

[Harsh]

Amazing !!

[forddna]

Wow!! Looks awesome! I'm sorry about the plants giving you trouble. I know that's frustrating.

[Gill]

Looks spectacular MM, must be so relaxing to sit down in the evening and cabbage in front of that.

[Architect1]

wow Med I love the tank it turned into a vary beautiful tank. I love the pics that show the plants in it finally. Nice work, i hope to see fish in there soon.

[Raul-7]

Very natural, almost like a section of a stream right in your own house, with an underwater view on one side and a mud bank on the other. Fish must feel right at home in there. I like this tank a lot, great idea; even better accomplishment.

[organic sideburns]

this tank is amazing, i remember when MM first started this thread.

love the new pics

[BiscuitSlayer]

Medicineman - That is a fantastic setup! I just read the thread from start to finish, and it has been quite a journey. There is only one thing about the setup that doesn't seem to fit the look:

That PVC pipe which I am assuming is the inflow for the filter or drain system. Have you considered building up a rock scape or something of that nature to "hide" it?

I think the crew that you had do the work did a fantastic job with the rock walls. If you were trying to achieve a consistant volcanic look you did an excellent job. I could sit a chair next to your pond, crack open a 12 pack of beer, and sit there and look at that all day.

BTW, having dealt with frogs/herps I think you made the right decision not having those types of hassles. While it would definately be interesting to watch those types of animals it would be a royal PITA feeding them and maintaing them. Poison dart frogs would have been cool, but how could you possibly contain their food source?

[medicineman]

Yep, in fact this is where I like to hang around for some time after a long day. Sit around, feeding, gazing trough, watching fish or simply some child play on the water. It is easy to get your hands wet and it is just simply fun!

Anyway, just a simple update post with the title : GROWTH


The water is not so polished because there has been some problem with water source, though it is not bad enough to ruin the pond.

So far so good, the only problem is just some pesky BBA

[ikuzo]

overhead photo please