55G Journal (56K Warning) Update: 2/11/2008 - TANK HAS BEEN FILLED

[mistergreen]

The dwarf hair grass isn't doing much huh?
Nice rocks btw..

I've been to the 'rock shoppe' up by your neck of the woods. It's a pretty cool landscaping place.

[fishscale]

I've actually never been there. I was supposed to go but I ran out of time that one weekend, those are rocks I collected in the upper peninsula. The hairgrass is actually doing pretty well, I started with a pretty small amount. There's more there than I started with.

[fishscale]

Update (1/30/2007):

Last time:


Now:
















I had an outbreak of duckweed when I was gone for winter break, and it choked a whole section of the tank. The part that isn't filled in on the left is where it was overrun by duckweed. I had to fill it halfway and spend about an hour scooping it and teasing it out of the HC. I'm sure there's more in there, but I'll worry about it when I fill the tank. Also, I added my java fern; a couple big Philippines, and a bunch of regular.

Hopefully, it will stay green and lush when I fill it. I'm planning on getting my CO2 tank this weekend, and I will be all set to go with lights, CO2, and ferts.

[EdTheEdge]

Very intresting. Nice start. Thanks for sharing.

[fishscale]

Oh yeah, I am for sure going to change the background. Maybe paint a piece of foam board or something. I like my ghetto IKEA curtains, but not as a tank background

[fshfanatic]

How is the smell in that room? I would think it would be interesting to say the least.

[moogoo]

what is that plant in the middle that used to be sandy looking?

[fishscale]

Originally Posted by fshfanatic

How is the smell in that room? I would think it would be interesting to say the least.

The room itself actually doesn't smell, probably because I plastic wrapped the tank real well. When I open it to scape, it's a different story Kinda funky, not unlike a public restroom.

Originally Posted by moogoo

what is that plant in the middle that used to be sandy looking?

I'm not sure what you're referring to, are you talking about the right side? If you're asking why the sand foreground is green, that would be algae

Currently, the tank has HC, dwarf hair grass, java fern "Philippine", regular java fern, and a few stems of hygrophila polysperma "rosanervig" I tried growing emersed. They are growing fine emersed, but change form. I don't like how they look, so I am probably going to replace them with some of the same plant grown emersed when I fill the tank. Grows fast anyway.

[moogoo]

Hahaha. Yes I was asking about the foreground sand. I kept wondering why you weren't taking closeup shots of the nice green lawn there! It almost looked like a very fine riccia that you somehow anchored there. I was impressed!

I guess I shouldn't be. I can grow algae too!

[JHipkin]

Nice job. Have you filed the tank w/ water?

I'm about to start a tank using the emmersed method to grow out the foreground plants and SMS. I also have a sand in the front of the tank with a channel moving toward the back. Did you add fertilizer to the water soaking the SMS? And what are you using to divide the sand from the substrate?

[fishscale]

First, I washed the SMS, and I washed it a lot. Then, I soaked the SMS in a fert solution (dry ferts dumped into the bucket of water and SMS, mixed around a bit). Then, I took the SMS and dumped it into the tank, shaping and whatnot. Eventually, you will have to fertilize again. Just make a dilute fert spray (don't forget to make a macro spray every once in a while), and spray it on the HC. Don't keep it too wet, but make sure the air in the tank is humid. To separate the sand and the SMS, I cut strips from soda bottles and used silicone to glue them together.

Small world, I used to live in Walnut Creek. Montego Way and Bancroft Elementary

[BiscuitSlayer]

Originally Posted by fishscale

The room itself actually doesn't smell, probably because I plastic wrapped the tank real well. When I open it to scape, it's a different story Kinda funky, not unlike a public restroom.

LMAO! Nice! Its funny how you can mention a smell on a message board and it instantly went through my mind almost as if I had experienced it myself.

On another note, your HC is looking great! It has filled in that much in 9 - 10days?

What kind of photoperiod are you running for the emersed growth?

[fishscale]

Update (2/11/2008):

Last time:



Now:









Today, I got the last piece of the puzzle:



Which means...(sorry about the bad picture)



THE TANK HAS BEEN FILLED!!!!!!11ONE





After my midterms are over, there will be much updating.

[mpodolan]

Great progress, man. I'm glad to see you were able to stay patient enough to wait until it filled in so well. Can't wait to see this one progress. What are your stocking plans?

[rasetsu]

Love the 'scape...but I have to ask, what's up with that background?