# My aquascape(pictures!)



## Ownager2004 (Apr 4, 2005)

Ok I finally got my hands on a digital camera and got some pictures of my tank. I thought i would share with everybody here. Before you start laughing this is my first attempt at a real planted tank, so take it easy 

Sorry for the algae, the equipment, the bad pictures, the water line... etc etc. lol, was also one of the first times ive taken a closeup picture 

The photo kind of kills the depth of the tank. The right side looks better in person, i promise. Also the driftwood on the right I found on a fishing trip about 3 weeks ago, not a bad find, eh? 

Ok first pic... if you look closely enough you can actually see the algae pearling on the sides of the tank 









another









glosso coming in and fauna









p.s. Oh yeah if your wondering where my tiger barbs went I talked the LFS guy into taking them back. I felt bad cramping em in a 10


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## SueM (Jan 23, 2004)

Looks wonderful !!!
How do you keep that apple snail from flattening your plants??


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## Ownager2004 (Apr 4, 2005)

Im pretty sure its a bridgessi(spelling...). They are not supposed to eat plants, but i know some will. I try to keep him fed up on algae wafers. I haven't noticed anything and ive been keeping a close eye on him. There was one new shoot of glosso I was keeping an eye on just to gauge growth... it dissapeared  But ill be happy as long as older growth doesn't dissapear.


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## Guest (May 18, 2006)

It looks great! One thing I suggest, get a black or dark blue background. It will help hide your filter intake and the filter.


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## Damon (Jan 18, 2005)

Could you list your plants and locations for all other members. Helps give them an idea of what a specific plant looks like,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

I believe I see glosso in the foreground, a rotala in the back left (maybe rotundifolia). Is that Giant hygro in the back right?


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## Georgia Peach (Sep 23, 2005)

I think your tank looks great! I want to try a planted tank one day


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## Ownager2004 (Apr 4, 2005)

Ok as you see it. 

back left - are walmart aponogetons... no idea of species.
Java fern on left driftwood(malaysian driftwood).
Back center - dwarf sag.. and a few stems of Red ludwigia behind that. They are growing in slow because I overtrimmed.

back right - Rotala indica... thats what it was labeled as when I bought it anyways.

Foreground - Glossostigma Elatinoides. The bushy part on the right is the emersed growth I received in the mail. Thats why it looks kinda yellow. I haven't cut the new growth and replanted it yet. I may even leave it bushy, we'll see.

There is also some java moss growing on the right piece of driftwood.

6 neon tetras
2 gold mystery snails
2 ghost shrimp

Oh, and every kind of algae you can dream of 


20 - Yeah ive been thinking about a dark background, but with the algae right now its just an exercise in futility.

Oh and thanks for all the compliments everyone!


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## Ownager2004 (Apr 4, 2005)

I think i might have nailed the source of algae. I hadn't checked my filter pad in around 3 weeks. It was absolutely covered in gunk!! By far, the worst ive ever seen it. Ive won this battle but the war still rages on


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## craftyflalady (Jan 25, 2006)

Really nice tank!! You did a great Job. How bout anothe pic in about a month so we can see how it's grown out! 

Tks for sharing..
Kathy


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## Guest (May 19, 2006)

How long do you leave your lights on for? Do you use fertilizers? If so, what types? Are you adding CO2? All that contributes to algae. I don't know that the gunk on the algae pad causes it. 

What type of algae is it by the way? Or what does it look like?


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## Ownager2004 (Apr 4, 2005)

The thing is I have to move this tank to my new apartment in about a month  It wont suffer too much, but im sure itll do some damage. Ill try and get a pic here right before I move it.

I dose KNO3, MgSO4.7H2O, Seachem Potassium, and Seachem Phosphorus every other day on the high side of EI recommendations.
On Alternating days I dose 4x flourish excel and flourish. Seachem Iron every other alternating day.

I haven't tested CO2, but i had the fish gasping at the surface and tweaked it a little till they didn't. It should be fine.

The reason why all the gunk was probably the cause is because as it was decomposing it was producing NH4. Which triggers algae growth like none other.

Right now I think i have Green spot algae, hair algae and probably "fuzz" algae. Also maybe brown algae with diatoms... Im not sure though as Im not a big fan of researching my algae growth 

What you didn't see in the pics is that I also float a fairly large amount of anacharis and hornwort. I took those out for the pic though.

Edit: oh yeah... 11 hour photoperiod with 1x36 watt CF 5500K(if i remember right).


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## IloveCichlids (Jul 11, 2005)

Very nice tank! Makes me want to start a planted tank!


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## Damon (Jan 18, 2005)

You are overdosing your tank with ferts. Cut back on all of them by a third. Cut back on the iron to twice a week. Add more PO4. THat should help with the green spot algae. As far as the hair alge, remove what you can and wait it out. As the tank settles in it will disappear. Looks good for now. (BTW, your R indica is rotundifolia  ).


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## Ownager2004 (Apr 4, 2005)

I thought I might be overdosing, but the whole thing with EI was playing it safe meant overdosing. Ill cut back though


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## vinimack720 (Apr 20, 2006)

what size tank is that?


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## Ownager2004 (Apr 4, 2005)

its 10 gallons


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## Fishboy93 (Jun 11, 2005)

Sorry if i didnt catch it but what was your WPG?


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## Ownager2004 (Apr 4, 2005)

1x36 watt AHsupply retrofit kit. 3.6wpg


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## Ownager2004 (Apr 4, 2005)

Updates:

I think ill just make this a sort of journal thread... for any who cares to read about this tank.

I have removed the two apple snails. They were producing waste at an incomprehensible rate. I think it was one of the main factors of the major algae outbreak I had. Ive been trying to clear all of their waste out to return a happy equilibrium. The algae looks to be on the decline again... lets hope its for good this time.

Ive also been looking for Otos, but am having trouble getting them. The LFS has them, but their tank has had ich for like 2 weeks now. I almost wish I could just buy some and treat them in my tank, lol. They also have amano shrimp, but I dont have much luck with shrimp so im kinda wary of getting them at $3 a pop.

The glosso is sending horizontal runners and is filling in.

I also trimmed and planted the bushy glosso on the right side. The emersed growth was dieing off and slowly turning it into an eyesore. I trimmed up a few other plants, but nothing really is much different. Ill post more pics when there is a significant difference


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## Damon (Jan 18, 2005)

Sick ottos are dead ottos. If they are not healthy, dont waste your time. Even healthy ones die in tanks once moved. Order online (and be prepared to pay a high shipping cost) if you really want them, or find another pet store and make sure they have had them in stock at least 7-10 days. Never buy ottos they just got in unless they haven't released them into their tanks.


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## Guest (May 24, 2006)

I agree with Simpte. Ich alone shouldn't kill them, but combined with the stress of moving them to your tank probably will.

Be patient, wait until the store gets some healthy ones in. Make sure to pick the fatter ones...those are usually the most healthy. Stay away from skinny, sickly looking ones. They usually die on you.

If you really want some, order them online. The thing about that is you can't see them to pick them out. So you don't know if you're getting fat healthy ones or not.


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