Planted Tank Guru
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Newbury Park, CA
Posts: 4,182
If I was given that tank I would pull the plants out and put into a white tub with some water and pick through to get off any dead stuff. I would drain the water out of the tank, vacuuming the surface to get crud off the surface. I would reserve some water to rinse out filter media. I would smooth the substrate surface and place my wood and/or rocks. Then pull out the wood and/or rocks, get out some dark colored cotton thread [yes I do have some antique all cotton thread in the house] lay the moss in a thin layer where I want it and wrap firmly. In the end I would like the wrappings to be about 1/4" apart. Then I would float the salvaged plants, wipe down the tank panes, put a layer of bubble wrap to soften the water flow in the tank and refill with warmed dechlorinated water very very slowly. I would put the cleaned up filter and heater back on the tank and plug in. I would go to my favorite LFS and buy several bunches of easy stems like wisteria and pennywort as well as another favorite, Crypt. wendtii. If there was Anubias nana or Java fern that looked clean I would love to pick that up as well. I hope this is a tank with a single T5HO or a double T8 or T5NO over it and I would get a bottle of Excel and the usual sort of planted tank nutrients as well. If the total flow in the tank seems inadequate I might pick up a small powerhead to improve water movement. At home I would plant the new and old plants and admire the cleaned up tank. I would check the light's timer and set it for ~6-10 hours for when I am in the room most. That week I would hunt down a couple gallon jugs, one for change water and one to siphon tank water into and establish a weekly routine.
I hate giving up on plants. I brought back pennywort from a single 3 node and leafless stem one time. Very satisfying!
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River Bank
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MOP* Nano