Jeffboyarrdee's 45 cm ADA

[jeffboyarrdee]

alright heres another one!

the water cleared up, hopefully it will be come more clear as i keep adding green bacter daily for atleast one week. This will be my first time using green gain as well, so we'll see how my plants get settled in because in my previous experiences, my plants would always melt or be stunted for like 2 weeks, but i also think that might have been ammonia levels or pH shocks.



I added 2 new plants from my 50 gallon. i can ID these plants in a few days, but if you guys can help ID them that would be great.
1. utricularis something? its a carnivorous plants that feed off of microorganisms in the water.




2.this plant that is kind of like a sag.

[turbosaurus]

I would take out that ultricularia if you intend to breed crystal red shrimp.
I have seen another type of ultriculatia catch baby cherry's in my tank. While the baby shrimp was too big to be eaten whole, it did get snagged by a leg and could not excape. I imagine it would have died of stress or starvation had I not pulled it off and gotten rid of the plant.

I would also get rid of he sag, its going to grow uncontrollably.

The tank does look great. If you wanted something in there similar to the sag why not try cyprus helferi? It will be taller, but won't grow all over everything like the sag.

[Storm_Rider]

looking good. though i think the biggest rock should be the farthest back and the triangular one to it's rear left should be somewhere else. but looks good so far. and i like your shrimp, i need to find me some of those

[jeffboyarrdee]

hmmm...good points...i probably will take out those plants later on...should i replace the sag-like plant with blyxa? i just needed a place to put my utricularis for now...it was temporary...dont worry i definitly wouldnt put them with crystal reds...or any type of breeding shrimp.
For the rock structure its kind of hard to move around rocks now, and plus i kind of like it the way it is...but since i planted around it..i will see how the plants grow in...and see how the rocks look after. im sure it will look a little different after the first trims dont you think?

[FelixAvery]

i agree it would be hard to move rocks now, but i think they still need work
your right to wait until your plants have established
http://translate.google.com/translat...language_tools
read that and think about using fewer rocks with bigger impact

also look at some of amanos scapes, you will notice the way he usually has a gap of free space somwere along the length of his tanks, you should either have 3 rocks arranged in a iwagumi form (or one of the ones from the link i gave you) or two groups or rocks with a clear gap and clear grouping

but apart from the hardscape, nice tank, chin up sonny lad jimmy boy boy sonny ma lad

[ebichu]

In your first post, what is that ADA product above the "M Ventil" (Aqua Medic Solenoid) picture ?

Very nice setup indeed.

[jeffboyarrdee]

the product above the M-ventil is an ADA CO2 speed controller, to basically control the amount of CO2 going into my tank, i am currently adding 1 bubble/second.

yes i do need to work on my hardscape...i think i should have posted my hardscape first before planting....i guess wen i have time gonna take a rock out and move something around. OR i can push rocks DEEPER into the substrate...maybe any suggestions on that...cuz that would be easier.

[FelixAvery]

just push the large rock left and then smooth over the substrate

actually scrap that, its fine but could be better with a total rescape of the rocks
cut some paper to be the same size as the tank, draw in were the plants are
then heft the rocks out

divide the paper with a line 2/3 of the way from either side
place the main rock on the line, then place a slighly smaller rock in the middle of the larger devision, you now have the golden ratio

then find four small rocks, mess around with the positioning of them
2 on each side (and close to the two main rocks)
if you like what you see, then change it, if not just put the rocks back

thats the best advice i can give you for good hardscape

[jeffboyarrdee]

thanks! yea i should have done it that way...i will find time in the near future to do that...ill grow out my plants first...too much stress on them for now.

[jeffboyarrdee]

the growth on my tank was amazing! it has only been around 3 weeks and all my plants have reached the top, i will have to perform a trimming soon!
I also had added 5 cherry shrimp, and hopefully they'll breed soon.

[FelixAvery]

can we get a picture?

[jeffboyarrdee]

Here is a quick update on my tank, and a few pictures of a couple of my cherry shrimp (5 in all). I have just been dosing Brighty K nothing else, and 25% water changes a week. I also took out the utricularis because it was algae ridden and i didnt want to bother with it.

[jeffboyarrdee]

here is an update too

i had trimmed the plants a couple weeks ago and they have grown back
once im done with this school semester i am gonna take out the plants and redo the rock arrangement and add a bit bigger rock and go for a triangular sloping down layout, so ill be sure to get back to that.

[Firefly312]

Even though the midground plants are taller then the background one...IMO that looks really good the way its trimmed. I like it a lot. Will look even better when the HC grows fully in.

[Jessica]

You know... I think the way you trimmed the background and then contrasting spurts of taller mid ground really does something unique for this tank. It creates a lot of depth and the complimenting colors of the foliage set everything into a cool spring feel.