[CatFishStryk]

Just set up my new Evolve 8 a few days ago. I am using Floramax substrate, and have a Cryptocoryne wendtii 'green' to be a little bush, Staurogyne repens to hopefully grow as a carpet, and Alternanthera reineckii 'cardinalis' in the back left.

With the zebra rocks and pink reineckii, I hope to have some pops of bright color to really stand out in the aquarium.

I am looking for critiques/suggestions, and am open to ideas on how to improve my hardscape and plant arrangement/choices. The reineckii should add some nice height, but should I add height with the hardscape, too? What would complement the zebra rock?

I am going to dry start my tank (as long as I have the patience), but am thinking ahead to livestock choices, as well. I don't think I'm ready to challenge myself enough to do shrimp, so any suggestions will have to stick with fish.

I'm looking forward to some feedback and thanks ahead of time for any help you guys can give me.

 

[CatFishStryk]

Lack of height in the tank drove me to seek out a decent, tall zebra rock at another Petco.

Rescaped the tank again to accomodate the new rock, and added in some Japanese cress. It's hard to see the dimension or the substrate slope in the pic, because of the inch of water above the front of the substrate, and the poor lighting angle, but I think I'm pleased with it. I'm already getting antsy and want to cycle/add livestock to my tank, but I think in the long run I will be happier if I get some height out of the reineckii first.

Any tips on growing a nice, lush carpet out of the Staurogyne repens?

 

[parrottbay]

Looks good, I think it would look good with a piece of branch

 

[Charrr89]

My s repens grew well with some good lighting and strong current...

 

[CatFishStryk]

My s repens grew well with some good lighting and strong current...

Well, that's something going for me! Just picked up a 9watt Cree LED for the floor lamp that's helping me light the tank, and one of the biggest concerns with the Evolve tanks is that it has such a strong current.

Rearranged the hardscape at the suggestion of folks on another thread, so here's how the tank looks now. It should stay this way for a while, while I use dsm. I'm trying for at least a month, maybe two, before flooding. Here's hoping for fast growth!roud:roud:

 

[Charrr89]

That's alot of water fr Dsm I think... I got so impatient with mine in da past I flooded 2 weeks later. It was going well too:/ good luck!

 

[CatFishStryk]

That's alot of water fr Dsm I think... I got so impatient with mine in da past I flooded 2 weeks later. It was going well too:/ good luck!

Lol... I was hoping no one would notice that! I filled it all the way up and then changed my mind. I got as much water out as i could without sliding the substrate around or using my mouth to start a siphon. It will evaporate out pretty quickly, I'm sure, and I just won't replace it as it does.

 

[CatFishStryk]

Siphoned out the rest of the standing water, pruned my S. repens, and replanted it to look like an actual carpet. My A. reineckii is standing up straighter and looks like it may have some growth already (unless that's just wishful thinking ) Looking forward to seeing the contrast of colors as everything starts to fill in, and still researching fish for the tank. I think blue ones will stand out nicely, but there isn't much for options in such a small nano tank. Finding them locally will be an even bigger challenge. I really like Danio erythromicron for the color as well as the stripes, which I think will complement the zebra rocks in this tank.

 

[CatFishStryk]

I neglected this tank for a long time, stopped spraying it, and only watered every 2 wks or so, and all my S. repens died. Yep, my own lazy fault. The crypt in the center grew like crazy tho - just about took over the whole thing!

I flooded the tank about 2 weeks after I moved to Utah (late Feb). The wendtii was so big i had to split it; the smaller half stayed in this tank. Found another nice hunk of zebra rock for $3 and picked up my first (Gardneri?) killifish on an impulse. I'm a little bummed, now that I know they aren't shrimp safe, but he's a gorgeous, happy boy! I'm keeping this tank "stripey," with an Oto, and I'm going to get a zebra nerite, as well.

 

[SinisterSheltie]

I like it better this way. The crypt looks grand in this 'scape and it'll give the fish lots of awesome hiding spaces.

It's a jungle in there!