10g Planted

[Ichthius]

So, here's my journal. It's not going to be too lengthy as the tank is nearly finished at this point. But I do plan to make a couple changes in the nearish future.

What the tank used to look like:
Well, gosh, I didn't take a picture it was so ugly! If you can imagine a tank with sand, a bunch of snails on that sand, and a bunch of water on those snails, then you've got it.

The ebil genious plan, a.k.a, my blueprint. Please take caution in admiring my lovely Paint artwork:


I didn't stay true to the plan in all aspects, but hey, looks pretty darn similar. The blueprint helped a lot in the end. I had just tossed them in there before, and it didn't look so good.

Upgrades to the present:
Lighting- I upgraded from 10w to 2wpg 6500K
DIY CO2
Plants and wood, of course!

What the tank looks like as of yesterday:




Specs at the present:
10 gallons
2wpg 6500K flourescent lighting
DIY CO2

Flora:
Aponogeton x 2
Crypt x 1
Didiplis diandra x 1
Java fern - windelov x 1
Ludwigia repens x 3
Rotala indica (I'm not holding my breath on that one. Looks more like rotundafolia [sp?]) x 3
Stargrass x 3
A small bit of java moss on the rocks

Fauna:
1 honey gourami
A few red ramshorns
MTS and pond snails here and there

Future upgrades:
Foreground plants
Lighting- Plan to upgrade to 3wpg, possibly even 4wpg.
I'm considering shrimp, since it is densely planted, and I don't *think* the gourami would try too hard to eat larger shrimps.
If I do add more fish, it'll be something dwarf, probably corydoras. I'd be happy with what's in there or adding shrimp.

Notes: When I add foreground plants, I plan to move the java fern to a more suitable position, possibly not even in this tank. Decorations include small, black river rocks and driftwood.

I do realize a few of the plants require a tad higher lighting, which is why I'm upgrading.

And, of course, I'm open to comments and criticism!

[greggolf]

lookern good, i had no success with plants, so ya lol,

[Sowilu]

Beautiful!!!!!!!!

[Steve155]

I really like how you have layed it all out. Great! A*+++++ =P

[Ichthius]

Thanks for the great comments so far!

I finally added my blueprint (as you can see) lol. Today I trimmed back any damaged foliage (from shipping), and as things start to grow out, I may reconsider placement of some plants. It's looking suitable right now. I won't bother with pics until there's a major change, e.g. new plants, rearranging, etc. I might be able to upgrade the lighting over the weekend, if not early next week.

My gourami seems to be enjoying his new pad

[Benty]

Nice! Where did you get your plants from? Nice layout by the way. Pretty good for each lighting need and the look of thier size. What fertilizer are you going to use?

[Ichthius]

Thanks! I purchased all but the ludwigia, aponogetons, java fern and moss from aquaticgarden.com. I don't use ferts at the moment, but I'm considering to do so in the future.

UPDATES: Upped the ante! The lighting is now at 3wpg. Nothing major has died, so I'm happy about that. The gourami has been pulling up the rotala every now and then, but not such a big deal when they root. A few yellowed leaves on the crypt, but still looking good.

[JustOneMore20]

You'll have a grassy foreground soon! The tank is lookin good, Leah!

[Ichthius]

Can't wait for it, thanks!

[Ichthius]

Well, the dwarf sag and bacopa arrived today. Thanks, Kristin!

Here are a few updated pics:






I had to move a couple plants around to fit everyhting in. The stargrass in the back melted, so I ended up removing what was left of it.

[JustOneMore20]

Looks great! Stargrass is a touchy plant...I've tried it before but never could keep it healthy. The Dwarf Sag looks awesome in the tank.

[fishbguy]

looking good leah. I wish i had enough $$ to buy that many plants. I'll be getting more crypts once i take my baby zeebs to the lfs.(at least 12 bucks in store credit...lol) my crypts seem to be the only plants that survuve. My banana plant is doing horrible, leaves just keep dying, and my dwarf sag seems to be doing okay, but it just doesn't look healthy, I'll give it another month or so before i buy more...lol

[Kageshi17]

Ok. So I am thinking of starting a 20g planted! When the light arrives I will be in business! It will be 3wpg. So ummm...is sand the only type of soil I can use to grow plants successfully? I mean...I bought a HUGE bag of gravel. Hahaha. Wow. But I heard sand can be really problamatic with algae and stufffffs. So umm, any advice would be awesome.

That tank looks sooo darn beautiful

[Ichthius]

Kristin- thanks! I was more worried about the didiplis diandra dying back, but it's doing great. I think it's my new favorite plant! The dwarf sag fits in great too.

Andrew- ty! It actually didn't cost *that* much. It was around $21 for all the plants including some shipped. Although, I did collect some myself and was given some. If you pick the right plants, it's worth the money . Strangely enough, my crypt is looking a bit yellow, and my banana plants (in other tanks) always do great, but seem to do better in more acidic water.

Kageshi17- Sand isn't the only type of substrate you can use in a planted tank. I've only used sand and gravel myself. You can get more nutrient rich substrates, eco complete, etc. Sand has done great for me. It's not hard to clean and I've had no problems with algae. After all, it doesn't actually cause algae . Try posting in the plant section of the forum, if you haven't. Thanks for the comment!

[fishbguy]

21 dollars? that's awsome! I paid 1.99 for my crypt, 3.99 for my banana plant, and 3.49 each for all my crypts. That's not including my 10% discount but still. but the good news is that today they called me (the lfs) and I have a job there now!! so now i get even more of a discount!! The crypt may be yellow cause of the new water. crypt rot or something. I've heard most crypts do this when they switch water. so far mine haven't (than god). My dwarf sag is my favorite plant and i'de love to get more but not till the one i have now makes it...good luck!

[Kageshi17]

Thanks Ichthius! I will post in the plant section right away!