# 5 gallon hex planted



## CaysE (May 21, 2006)

Here is my newly set up 5 gallon hex tank! Multiple tank syndrome has taken hold of me! I originally got this tank as a backup in case I needed to quarantine anything, but I decided to try a mini-planted tank. So far I think it's coming out great; all it needs is a good background plant to fill up the area. The background plant in it now is L. repens, but I'd like to remove it for something fuller like hornwort. On the driftwood is java moss on the left and A. barteri nana petite on the right. The rest are small java ferns. The only creatures in there now are a fairly large ramshorn snail and a few infant physa snails. When I'm comfortable with the setup and water conditions, I will be adding 3 neon blue endlers.


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## Puffer Pita (Jun 16, 2006)

Make sure the roots of the java fern aren't buried or it will die. The roots need to be exposed. Its hard to tell from a distance but that appears to be A.nana, not A.nana sp. petite. Petite are really tiny, the entire plant isn't much bigger than a quarter. Pretty though. Personally, I never had much luck with java moss. Just a big schmutz magnet, always looked filthy. I've seen some that looks very nice though, I think they had shrimp to help keep it clean.


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## Christine (Nov 4, 2005)

Looks very nice Cayse.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Really pretty, take it to shows.


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## CaysE (May 21, 2006)

Boxermom said:


> Make sure the roots of the java fern aren't buried or it will die. The roots need to be exposed. Its hard to tell from a distance but that appears to be A.nana, not A.nana sp. petite. Petite are really tiny, the entire plant isn't much bigger than a quarter. Pretty though. Personally, I never had much luck with java moss. Just a big schmutz magnet, always looked filthy. I've seen some that looks very nice though, I think they had shrimp to help keep it clean.


I guess that means I did pretty well aquascaping this tank. It is indeed a petite, and is only the size of a quarter. The tank is quite small.


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## CaysE (May 21, 2006)

Would red needle-leaf rotala survive in here? Or is pretty much any red plant out of the question? I can fert the tank, just don't have a lot of light and only ambient CO2.


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## Damon (Jan 18, 2005)

The only red plant I would even try would be A. reineckii. It does well in low light tanks.


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## Puffer Pita (Jun 16, 2006)

Agreed, most red plants require high light.


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## Ownager2004 (Apr 4, 2005)

Looks nice!
L. repens would turn red if you had a lot of light


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## CaysE (May 21, 2006)

The A. reineckii rosaefolia looks like a good background plant, though I don't know if I could find it locally. 

Thanks for the tip on the java fern roots. I did bury the roots partially, so I'll have to uncover them a bit when I get home.


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## fish_doc (Jan 31, 2005)

So when are you putting it up for auction. 

Good art is always so hard to find.


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## Puffer Pita (Jun 16, 2006)

Anacharis (ejeria densa) would probably do very nicely as a background plant. Bushy without being overwhelmingly so, grows fairly straight, tolerates a wide range of conditions. Best in cooler water but does nicely in my 78-82 degree tanks, too. Grows well in low light.


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## CaysE (May 21, 2006)

fish_doc said:


> So when are you putting it up for auction.
> 
> Good art is always so hard to find.


LOL, thanks for the compliment! :king: 

Anacharis is a good idea! I think I'll try that.


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## lochness (Jan 10, 2006)

very pretty


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## Ownager2004 (Apr 4, 2005)

Im pretty sure its safe to bury java moss roots. You just dont want ot bury the rhizome. Maybe thats what boxermom meant.
For a red plant you could try rotala rotundifolia or indica. It would probably turn pink on the top portion of the plant and you can trim it almost any way you want. It may not do well in your tank but its usually cheap enough to give it a shot if your interested.
I would stay away from anacharis. Ive tried this in my tank a couple times and i just couldn't get it to look good. Looks like an ugly weed to me 

Edit: meant java fern ^^


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## Puffer Pita (Jun 16, 2006)

Java moss doesn't have a rhizome. Java fern, however, does but no, that's not what I meant. I meant the roots themselves should not be buried. The plant can be laid on top of the gravel or attached to something like a rock or driftwood, but should not be buried.

I have anacharis in most of my plants and very much like the look. Its a personal choice, some like it and some don't. I do, plus its a fast growing plant even in low light which helps the water parameters.


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## CaysE (May 21, 2006)

I got the anacharis in (the LFS called it elodea) and I like it! I'll have more pics soon.


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## Ownager2004 (Apr 4, 2005)

Okay this still doesn't make any sense to me... Why cant the roots be planted again? Ive planted my java fern's roots before... it did fine. Where are you getting this info?


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## Damon (Jan 18, 2005)

You can plant java roots in the substrate. The problem occurs usually due to the fact that newer plants dont have roots long enough to be properly plants and you end up burying the rhizome also.


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## CaysE (May 21, 2006)

New pic! The anacharis is looking OK, and the neon blue endlers are doing great. I think regular fert dosage will help the anacharis, but at the moment it's a little brown.


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## Puffer Pita (Jun 16, 2006)

Looks very nice. Ferts will help but stay away from Flourish Excel, it melts anacharis.

Every aquarium plant specialist (and a number of plant specific websites) state not to plant java fern roots as they will rot and foul the tank.


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## CaysE (May 21, 2006)

What exactly in the Flourish Excel is bad? I'm using Flourish Comprehensive + macros.


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## Puffer Pita (Jun 16, 2006)

Dunno, I just know it melts anacharis for some reason. Melted mine when I used it. Flourish is fine, just not Flourish Excel.

http://plantgeek.net/plantguide_viewer.php?id=110
_***Special note*** This plant seems to be sensitive to Flourish Excel, to the point it "melts" completely off if given enough. It is also sensitive to bleach dips. _


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## jwalker (Apr 7, 2005)

you could add a crypt "becketti" and it has red on it. and its a low light plant. i can never get anachris to grow inside. i put them outside in 20 gallon tank and it grows wild and it even flowered. inside it just slowly wastes away. yours is looking nice. hopefully you can keep it growing


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