# February 2012 TOTM Voting Poll!



## bmlbytes (Aug 1, 2009)

Another awesome round of TOTM!

I have resized all of the pictures to fit your screens. If you want the original, click the image and you will be able to see it. The names of the tank owners will be shown in the TOTM poll. Please do not base your vote on who owns the tank, but rather which tank you like the most.

Voting Rules
1. *One vote per person per contest per month.* 
2. *Don't vote based on the person who submitted it.*
3. *Vote on the tank, not necessarily the photo.* 
4. *When posting comments, keep it on topic.
*For a full list of the rules click here.

Please note the number above the picture you would like to vote for. This is the number you will use in the poll above.

1. snyderguy


2. hXcChic22


3. br00tal_dude


4. cossie


5. phlyergirl


6. grogan


7. Fish_fan


8. eclipse


9. S-hag


10. giggitygiggity


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## snyderguy (Feb 9, 2010)

LOL grogan. I see your name and in my head I'm saying "ahh crap" and then it's an empty tank. Haha.


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## giggitygiggity (Sep 14, 2011)

Dang, snyderguy is blowing everyone outta the water on this one  lol


awesome tank snyderguy!


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## phlyergirl (Nov 6, 2011)

Mine is brand new, I only sent it in so there'd be enough entries for Snyderguy to run away with this thing. :lol:


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## snyderguy (Feb 9, 2010)

Please, please, call me Josh or just plain ole Snyder.
Thanks though you guys, I've worked pretty hard on this tank but I'm honestly still not satisfied with it. I'm going to try and put some smaller fill in plants around the bottoms of all the other plants. If you look close, you can see there's quite a few gaps.

Btw, for those plant noobs, I do not use CO2, so don't think that CO2 is an absolute must.


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## phlyergirl (Nov 6, 2011)

What species of plants do you have in there? I don't use CO2 in my planted tank either and it's thriving with just lights, root tabs and liquid fert (when I remember it LOL).


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## snyderguy (Feb 9, 2010)

I actually don't use any fertilizers either, but I don't do many water changes. So a lot of just stuff decomposes and feeds my plants.

but I've got mainly amazon swords, the longer leaf ones on the left I do not know what they are, and the big one in the middle and on the very left (Darker green) I can't think of the name at the moment.


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## grogan (Jan 23, 2011)

The darker red ones are cypts. Not sure on the sub species though.


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## snyderguy (Feb 9, 2010)

That's what they are, thanks grogan. I've also got some vallisneria in there


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## bmlbytes (Aug 1, 2009)

Josh, what kind of lighting is on that tank? How big is the tank?

I think your discus do a good job of accenting the rest of the tank.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

All of them are prettier than my tanks.


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## snyderguy (Feb 9, 2010)

I've got T5 HO lights on it and it's a 72 gallon bowfront. Here's the link to the lights...
http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/group/7010/product.web
They're cheap lights compared to what someone could get but they do a really nice job.


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## giggitygiggity (Sep 14, 2011)

When I had plants without CO2 they were dying :/


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## Kimberly (Jan 22, 2012)

snyderguy said:


> Btw, for those plant noobs, I do not use CO2, so don't think that CO2 is an absolute must.


Thanks for letting us know! This really gives me hope and excitement that I can plant my 125 gallon with out co2 and have it turn out BEAUTIFUL likes yours! 

Oh and about the lights too! I'm gonna have to consider ordering some. The ones that came with my tank can only hold 2 T8's


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## bmlbytes (Aug 1, 2009)

snyderguy said:


> I've got T5 HO lights on it and it's a 72 gallon bowfront. Here's the link to the lights...
> http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/group/7010/product.web
> They're cheap lights compared to what someone could get but they do a really nice job.


Only 48 watts on that tank? Wow, there is something good in your water.


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## snyderguy (Feb 9, 2010)

bmlbytes said:


> Only 48 watts on that tank? Wow, there is something good in your water.


Well something I try and do is keep the water pretty high so there's not a whole lot of water movement, keep CO2 levels fairly high. It's hard to see too but I have quite a few neons in there too so they contribute to the CO2 levels. And then I rarely change the water, so all the dead leaves and stuff just decompose and the plants use that.


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## snyderguy (Feb 9, 2010)

bmlbytes said:


> Only 48 watts on that tank? Wow, there is something good in your water.


But no, it's 2 x 54 watts. I have a 48" long light set up, so 108 watts


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## grogan (Jan 23, 2011)

Okay I've been viewing this thread off and on all day at work and finally got home and am able to type out my thoughts on these tanks. Bml and I both think its really cool how that all started so Im going to keep it going.

1st: Snyderguy (Josh)

Wow your tank is really coming along and is definitely worth being proud off. Your Amazon looks really healty, crypts look great, and so do your vals. The only thing it needs is smaller plants in the foreground. You already mentioned that you knew this and im simply agreeing. If you do decide to do this It wouldn't be a bad idea to push the crypt and the other sword (guessing its a broad leaf chain sword) further back in the tank. This will create more room for adding foreground plants. Maybe splitting your pants to ether side and leave a open channel down the center. Just some of my thoughts but it already is impressive. Good job bud. 

Oh and great use of low light plants. Your plant choice is why you are able to have so much success. 

2nd: hXcChic22

Well obviously I like the use of live plants and your placement woks. That grass in the back might be more noticeable in the front..possibly right square in front of the center log. Or you could scrunch all the plants up tight around the log. Neat looking tank though. I have always liked that chiclid gravel. 

3rd: brOOtal_dude

Hmmm two tanks is a row with the same gravel? You two must think alike  Anyways this tank looks very crisp. I like how it is aquascaped tall in the corners and lower in the center...The two cords and visible heater throw it all off though. 

4th: Cossie

Alright bud we need to get you some foreground plants BAD. Your amazon and driftwood have great placement but its missing the layered elements. I know you tried hairgrass and had issues, maybe you can experiment with micro swords in low light. Im doing it in my 14 right now its they seem to surviving. This aquarium is one step away from "show" status. 

5th: Phlyergirl

You know this style of aquariums obviously isn't my "style" but I can always appreciate a CLEAN well thought out goldfish tank. Your water is crystal clear and gravel looks tidy. Does that plant come out of the top of the aquarium or is that an illusion?

6th Grogan:

Easily my best scape yet  

7th: Fish_fan

Healthy looking plants and great placement of the pot. Maybe bunch the anacharis closer together to free up some more space. 

8th: Eclipse

Well I have to be honest, this is one of favorites. Very peaceful aquarium to look at. I absolutely love the of set focal point and plant layout. Im going to go ahead and say those are fake. You should replace them with real plants. Also uneven gravel line is perfect. Nice aquarium stand too. 

9th: S-hag
Nothing wrong with the minimalist approach. If you slide that filter over to the left an inch or two that heater will fit in the space between you intake and the glass on the right. Its a good way to bunch up that equipment so it doesn't draw away. 

10th: Giggitygiggity

Fake plants?!! I thought I had trained you better lol. I have always been a fan of solid black gravel. A blue led would look really neat under that castle. Oh and if this tank is anywhere near you other one you can buy a splitter for your regulator and run co2 to both of your tanks from one co2 canister. 

Well that about sums it up. Everybody's tanks look AWESOME. Bml thanks again for doing a great job putting this all together. Maybe somebody else can run one of these some month so you can enter. cough..funlad..cough


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## phlyergirl (Nov 6, 2011)

Grogan, I have a pothos with the roots submerged in the back of my filter.  That is the plant you see on top.


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## grogan (Jan 23, 2011)

awesome....


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## phlyergirl (Nov 6, 2011)

The fish destroy anything live and edible so that way I can still have some nitrate control. It actually does a pretty good job. I have one on my cichlid tank too, same reason.


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## snyderguy (Feb 9, 2010)

Hey thanks grogan,
I'm actually stopping by my LFS tomorrow to see what they have but will be in Indianapolis all weekend so won't actually pick up and plant anything until who knows when. I was thinking about keeping the taller piece of driftwood on the left how it is and moving that big crypt into the very center of it and moving some of the swords around it too, so a lot of the plants are bunched on the left side of the tank. And then I'll have the entire right half of the tank as micro swords.


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## giggitygiggity (Sep 14, 2011)

grogan said:


> Okay I've been viewing this thread off and on all day at work and finally got home and am able to type out my thoughts on these tanks. Bml and I both think its really cool how that all started so Im going to keep it going.
> 
> 1st: Snyderguy (Josh)
> 
> ...




lol there is only one fake plant in there, the others are trimmed pieces of hornwort 

I didn't want the tank to feel empty for the cockatoo cichlid, so thats why I put the fake plant in there. Maybe when he gets better ill convert the tank into a small aquascape and split my CO2 like you said :twisted: ha, I've been looking at the aquascapes on YouTube and I'm so jelly and I want to do one.


P.S. Thanks for the feedback!


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## eclipse (Jun 2, 2011)

thaanks grogan! im pretty happy with it. the pic was taken the day i redid everything and added that driftwood therefore the water was really cloudy and i think that took away from the pic.no real plants for me...  my fish will eat all of them considering they distroy my fake ones. and the uneven gravel line gets changed daily by my fish lol


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## grogan (Jan 23, 2011)

bump!! 

Give more votes to Josh lol


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## br00tal_dude (Dec 26, 2009)

Thanks for the input grogan! cords were a little better hidden before but some of my floating plants died off and they had to come out... 

I'm slightly surprised no one comment on the lego guy swimming in the tank haha


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## cossie (Dec 19, 2010)

3rd, ill settle for that this time


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