[Sumit]

Hi Folks,
Just sharing my Seachem Excel dosed planted tank. I love the challenge of not using pressurized CO2 (there are also logistical problems) for planted tanks and this is my first planned planted tank.
The tank details are as under:
Tank: 24x12x12 inches. 15 Gallon
Substrate: ADA Amazonia + Ada Amazonia Powder
Filter: Sunsun H-302 Canister Filter
Filter media: Sunsun media + MarinePure MP2C
Light 1: Sunsun HDD-600B T5 2x24W (6500K)
Light 2: Sunsun SL-600 LED 10W (White and blue) - on for 2 hours
Dosing: Seachem and API liquid products

Plant list:
Alternanthera reneckii mini
Bacopa caroliniana
Cryptocoryne wendtii
Eleocharis parvula
Hydrocotyle tripartita
Limnophila aromatica
Hemianthus micranthemoides
Micranthemum umbrosum
Microsorium pteropus
Myriophyllum tuberculatum
Rotala macrandra 'green'
Rotala rotundifolia 'pink'
Rotala rotundifolia 'Wayanad'
Rotala wallichii
Sagittaria subulata
Staurogyne Repens
Vallisneria nana

The fauna, at this time, includes a dozen Ember Tetras and 3 Harlequin/Lambchop rasboras. I will add Otos and rasboras after this lot has settled down.

Comments/suggestions welcome, and thanks for looking

Sumit Sen
Kolkata, India

 

[thedood]

Looks good. I like the way you have the red and green blended. Kudos!

 

[Sumit]

Looks good. I like the way you have the red and green blended. Kudos!

Thank you. Glad you like it

 

[touch of sky]

It is beautiful! How much Excel are you dosing daily?

 

[Sumit]

It is beautiful! How much Excel are you dosing daily?

Thank you so much.
I dose Excel at 1.25X recommended. About 2ml daily, which is about when the plants start pearling. Was dosing higher before I introduced the fish. About 1.5x the recommended dose.

 

[WaterLife]

First planted tank, no co2 and it's only been one month!? You've done very well.

As thedood already said, very nicely done meshing the reds into the green.

Keep up the good work!

There are other alternatives to Excel though in case you weren't aware. You could use Metricide 14 (stronger concentration of Glute than Excel) to save some money. Even do DIY co2 if you can't do pressurized co2.

 

[Sumit]

First planted tank, no co2 and it's only been one month!? You've done very well.

As thedood already said, very nicely done meshing the reds into the green.

Keep up the good work!

There are other alternatives to Excel though in case you weren't aware. You could use Metricide 14 (stronger concentration of Glute than Excel) to save some money. Even do DIY co2 if you can't do pressurized co2.

Thanks a bunch First real planted. Had been in the hobby ages ago (recently back) when the available list of plants could be counted on the fingers

Many thanks for your excellent suggestions. The DIY is certainly an alternative, but there is serious objection to bottles hanging around the study from the one who decides on all things aesthetic in my household
Metricde 14 sounds great. I will check it out.

Thanks again.

 

[pauliewoz]

Wow, it's a beauty!

Just goes to show low tech can be gorgeous too.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

 

[Sumit]

Wow, it's a beauty!

Just goes to show low tech can be gorgeous too.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

Thanks a ton

 

[HeavyUser]

Great looking low tech tank, can you give some specifics of what you dose besides Excel?

 

[Wetsleeve]

Lush! Looks beautiful

 

[Sumit]

Great looking low tech tank, can you give some specifics of what you dose besides Excel?

Thank you.
I usually dose as under now:
1. Seachem Flourish twice weekly (half of weekly dose each time)
2. API Leafzone 5 days a week (weekly dose broken up into 5 days)
3. Seachem N/P/K on two days/week with the Flourish
4. Seachem Trace 5 days.
As my soil is new I go easy on the N and P and skip them if I change 50% water.
The macro dosing really started about 7 days ago. Before that the tank was on Flourish and Trace, with occasional of API Leafzone injection. I do not dose Iron and depend on Flourish and Leafzone for that element.
Cheers!

Bump:

Lush! Looks beautiful

Thanks a bunch, glad you like it
Cheers!

 

[Aolinger11]

Wow!! Unbelivable. What an awesome set up ?

 

[Sumit]

Wow!! Unbelivable. What an awesome set up ?

Thanks very much

 

[WaterLife]

Not sure if this is true or not, but from what I've come to notice is people in India have good access to Bucephalandra plants. If that is true, those are definitely nice looking plants to grow. They are slow growers, but are very hardy, easy to grow and are some of the best looking plants with unique features. If it's easy to get in your area, and especially if it's really cheap there (seems so), I would definitely recommend doing a Buce tank (can be a small nano tank as there are tons of Buceph plants that are tiny).

 

[Sumit]

Not sure if this is true or not, but from what I've come to notice is people in India have good access to Bucephalandra plants. If that is true, those are definitely nice looking plants to grow. They are slow growers, but are very hardy, easy to grow and are some of the best looking plants with unique features. If it's easy to get in your area, and especially if it's really cheap there (seems so), I would definitely recommend doing a Buce tank (can be a small nano tank as there are tons of Buceph plants that are tiny).

Wish it was true They are fairly expensive and the accessible supply side is erratic at best. But I have seen hobbyists in India build buce tanks with great variety, so they may have special access to supply.
But one sad aspect is that most seem to tear buce tanks down after a year or so. Possibly impatience or need to show something new.
I have plans to get acquainted with them and it will be a nano tank, as you suggest. But I have to first find reliable sources
Thanks.

 

[pauliewoz]

So much light. Are you having any algae issues?

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

 

[Sumit]

So much light. Are you having any algae issues?

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

It is a constant struggle to keep algae at bay. I need the lights for some of the plants which are demanding.
Things have not got out of hand yet mainly because, I suspect, that the planting was very heavy. Usually managing the photo-period works better for me than reducing light intensity. Will have to cross that hill when the time comes

 

[HeavyUser]

How do you measure out the N/P/K(1ml, 2ml)? Sorry for the million questions, I'm a complete noob very new to planted tanks.

 

[Sumit]

How do you measure out the N/P/K(1ml, 2ml)? Sorry for the million questions, I'm a complete noob very new to planted tanks.

Very happy to help
Old fashioned dropper from a medicine store with ml etched - I have them in two sizes. You could also use a syringe.