Jungle Fan

It looks like the spider wood is already attached to a piece of slate; if so you should be good to go, if not you definitely will need to soak it first because in my experience it usually takes anywhere from a week to two weeks to stop floating. I would hide the slate in the substrate and arrange the rocks around the base of the wood to make it look like the wood had naturally grown out of it. The pockets in the rock are absolutely perfect for attaching Anubias nana petite and Anubias nana, a bit of Java fern at the base of the wood in between rock and wood, and on the wood itself I would go with Anubias nana petite and maybe a few small pieces of Christmas moss on a few branches. I think you got some great supplies for a beautiful hardscape already.

Silicone gear ties would work as well to hold the plant roots and to shape them into a hook for the tank rim, and they are available in a bunch of colors to blend in with your tank's background.

Check out this video for illustration and inspiration.

I did a dark start in my tank. four weeks with just the substrate, hardscape, filter, heater, and surface skimmer running, lights are out, I also ran a Magnum polishing filter to remove dust from the substrate during that time and added bacteria from Seachem Stability, and kept adding about twice a week. the whole four weeks without lights on, no re-arranging, fingers out of the aquarium. I let the biofilm grow on the wood, the shrimp and Otocinclus love it once they finally get added in. After four weeks I turned on the light did a 100% water change, and planted. After another week I added shrimp and Nerite snails. After another week the fish. No cycling problems, no algae problems, most problem free cycling I've ever done on any of my tanks. I verified my water values with test kits before adding the inverts, and the fish both.

Those plants look great, nothing to worry about!

Snails will only take over the tank if there is a major imbalance with nutrients, meaning light, or ferts, fish waste, or left over fish food. In a tank where you do regular large water changes and keep an eye on water values you will likely never experience a "coup of the Snails." LOL I deliberately employ Nerite snails, especially the Zebra Nerites and Military Helmet Nerite Snails to help with controlling algae in my tank.

You can see what the stump looks like with this method in my thread about my 75 gallon tank and decide for yourself whether it is something you'd like, or not. After all we all have different visions, and what I like might not be your cup of tea.

Forgot to mention make sure to place root tabs throughout the area where you are going to plant swords and crypts.

If you are planning on having just one spiderwood centerpiece I would locate it either on the left, or right of the tank but not in the middle. Behind it I would plant some background stem plants like Ammania gracilis, Scarlet temple, or Ludwigia repens framed on both sides of the stump by either Bacopa caroliniana, or Brazilian Pennywort. On the root I would affix the epiphyte plants in the following order from the tips of the roots to the top of the stump, first Anubia nana petite, then Anubias nana, then Java fern, or Anubias afzelli all glued on with the gel type super glue. In the opposite corner I would place a Red Flame Sword, or other sword plant, or two. or some Bacopa, or Pennywort, In the midground I'd recommend some crypts like Cryptocoryne tropica, or Cryptocoryne wendtii. in the foreground on the sides I would plant some smaller crypts like Cryptocoryne parva, or Cryptocoryne lucens and fill out the middle with either Staurogyne repens, Dwarf Baby Tears, in my experience both Dwarf Hairgrass and Micro Swords can be iffy to get started without inviting algae for beginners. That's just a simple layout, easy to take care of based upon what I currently saw available on the Aquarium Co-Op web site, except for the Ludwigia repens which is usually not too hard to source locally anywhere without problem. Hope this helps as an inspiration.

I agree looks like Ludwigia repens.

Always remove the rock wool. Plant farms generally douse it with ferts and not removing it can cause algae problems, also some plant farms, especially those in Asia use plenty of pesticides on the rock wool to keep their merchandise healthy. The problem with that practice is what keeps the plants healthy can be a major detriment to your fish, and especially shrimp and snails. I always remove all the rock wool from the roots under running water while using a plastic fork and a brush that is designed for cleaning hummingbird feeder ports.

I think you will do well with the reduction in blue light, you could possibly up your pink a bit as plants like and use the amber and red spectrum of light for growth primarily. Seattle-Aquarist also had a good point and you could increase your dosing but I would monitor it closely so you don't get algae problems and keep in mind that Java fern is a very slow growing plant.

Either the corys, or the loaches would be my suspects. The rocks should solve that problem.

MD Fish Tanks did a tutorial on how he placed Pothos and a Monstera around his Amazon tank. he describes adding a shelf for the Monstera fairly at the beginnin. The installation of the Pothos is described starting around 53:05 into the video. Hope this helps.

Great looking fish!

I know several people who say don't mix aquarium wood types in your tank, but that's nonsense the wood always darkens within the first six months and you can't tell the difference in my tank now between Pacific driftwood, Spiderwood, and Mopani. The same goes for Mopani wood being "dangerous" to shrimp, if you soak the Mopani for several months before placing it in the tank as I do with all my driftwood there is no issue.

Two more photos of a Rummynose, and an Amano climbing downward on the stump in the left of the tank who was photo bombed by a Nerite.

I'll have to look into how that works. I've viewed stuff on YouTube just never uploaded anything. Thanks for letting me know though. When I looked through my files I found this picture I had taken of what my hardscape looked like after the four weeks of dark start cycling during which I ran only the filter, heater, surface skimmer, and the Marineland Magnum Polishing Internal Canister Filter of which I had preloaded the micron cartridge with diatomaceous earth to remove all dust particles. The Magnum ran only during the dark start, after which I removed it. I keep this filter only for removing particles and unclarities, much like my internal UV filter which only gets into use when algae, or disease necessitate it, otherwise it stays in its box to keep it from messing with the liquid iron's chelation which would render it non-useful for the plants. I had kept adding Seachem stability, and between it and the original ADA Bacter 100, some of which I had also added into the Canister filter's Siporax media, the tank's cycle was running pretty well. I added the plants and after about a week the snails and shrimp, after another week the fish. Never had an issue with any of the elements of the ammonia cycle, and very little algae. I do minor things every day and a 50% water change once a week. I dose liquid iron from Aquarium Co-Op, liquid all in one, and Brightwell Aquatics Blackwater for Shrimp twice a week, Mironekuton Deep Sea Mineral Powder once a month, and I've got root tabs at regular intervals throughout the tank for the swords and crypts. Also one of my pictures of my favorites, the Cardinal Tetra, the fish that got me started in the aquarium hobby when I saw them in the pet department of a department store in Germany 52 years ago. I have now lived 30 years in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado and dealt with water that was super hard, some super soft, and some that had a lot of phosphates from farming in the area, so I've learnt that water tests and frequent large water changes are a fishkeepers best friend.

I love Corydoras but left them out of this tank deliberately because the soft belly soil is so light and they would end up getting the S. repens to float in perpetuity in this one. I had a good long time to think about this tank and plan in detail. It's been running since end of July last year now and I'm happy the way it is coming together. I would've loved putting a Discus tank together with German Blue Rams, Cardinals, and Rummys but I didn't have the space for a 125, or 150 gallon tank and Cardinals and Bolivian Rams are what I started with many years ago.

Would insert an MP4 file of the Kessils but is not one of the acceptable file types the shimmer is an active thing. I used to take pictures for a living, hummingbirds was my specialty but I've even got some fairly decent ones of dragonflies in flight. This one is of a Blue Darner. The trick is to use the right timing and have decent light, usually 1/1600s will work too freeze movement. With dragonflies you have to watch them; they are territorial and have a return point when they patrol the edge of a pond. At the return point they linger just a little while when they turn, get the autofocus in between the wings, and Bingo with a little experience and skill, like about 40 years worth.LOL

Not intentionally at least, a few of the "Blue Velvet" offspring look like Cherries but have a white belly, and like I said a few are actually Crystals, and a few are Black Riilis. Must've been different strains they were breeding to get to the original six "Blue Velvets" I started with, now there are at least 50. Had several people tell me the Rams would take care of them in a New York minute but they aren't even interested in any of the shrimp and live with them in harmony as the increasing population proves.

The Rummys at feeding time. I love the way the sunset program brings out the colors in the Rams with its shades and the shimmer. The Rams love to hide in the assorted caves I built for them with the driftwood.

My 75 gallon dream tank which I finally managed to put together last year after collecting and saving for a good long while. The fish are strictly South American, the plants, snails, and shrimp are a more fishkeeper friendly combo designed to recreate the spirit of the Amazon jungle rather than to be an "Amazon biotope". The Cardinals and Rummynose are wild caughts from my LFS and Project Piaba sourced. After seeing one of Aquarium Co Op Cory's tanks with crypts in the foreground I decided to forego the S. repens lawn and just place a few interlaced with crypts and my fish love it; although the Rummynose and Rams now love to hide and the only time I see everyone together is feeding time LOL. My wife calls it our "Mini Jungle Book". The shimmer from the surface movement under the Kessil lights lets the Cardinals shine like little jewels; an old man's 52 year long dream since I started keeping fish. Let me know what you think, or if you like it. Here are the specs: Livestock: -35 Cardinal Tetras (Paracheirodon axelrodi) -13 Rummynose Tetras (Hemigrammus bleheri) -8 Otocinclus -6 Bolivian Rams (Mikrogeophagus altispinosa) -15 Amano Shrimp (Caridina multidentata) -at least 50 Blue Velvet Shrimp as they have multiplied rapidly and some in genetic throwbacks are red, some Crystal shrimp now and some Black Riilis -several Zebra Nerite snails, some other Nerites, including Military Helmet snails, and the occasional bladder snail hitchhiker. Hardscape: Substrate: One thin layer of Mironekuton Deep Sea Mineral Powder, followed by ADA Tourmaline BC. ADA Clear Super, ADA Bacter 100 sprinkled over the Deep Sea minerals. Next a layer of small crushed lava rock, a thin layer of pebbles mixed with Fluval Shrimp Substrate, and finally a thick layer of Soft Belly Amazon Soil. Mopani, Pacific driftwood, & Spiderwood (well pre-soaked for about three months with frequent water changes), diverse rocks among them Brazilian Carnelian, Flint, Agate, and Obsidian, a few pieces of lava rock on which I mounted Anubias Plants: -Echinodorus Red Flame -Echinodorus Rubin -Echinodorus Ozelot Green -Pogostemon erectus (Gone, as of July 2020 because my now huge Amano shrimp developed a distinct hankering for the fine leaves of this Pogostemon, expensive salad for shrimp) -Ludwigia repens -Lobelia cardinalis -Java Fern (Microsorum pteropus) -Anubias afzelli -Anubias nana -Anubias nana petite -Cryptocoryne wendtii Green Gecko -Cryptocoryne willisii -Cryptocoryne parva -Bucephalandra wavy green -Bucephalandra biblis blue -Bucephalandra Kedagang -Staurogyne repens -Christmas moss (Vesicularia montagnei) Equipment: Stand: (manufactured locally to my design) White oak treated like a boat with polyurethane finish in mission style with slate inserts in doors( gotta keep my wife happy), doors can be opened to 170 degrees, or removed completely with two clicks each, built in metal square tubing frame rests on 8 adjustable feet which can hold 2,500 lbs. each (the living room floor turned out to be uneven) the back of the stand is open to reach the power strip I mounted on the wall for better access and to allow for drip loops, the CO2 cylinders (1 active, 1 spare) rest in a box which keeps them from falling over, the bottom wood plates can be removed to adjust the feet Lights: -2EA Kessil A360X Tuna Sun on Goosenecks with Spectral X Controller -small lunar light (blue) on night timer for 6 hours Filtration: -Fluval 407 Canister Filter, loaded with fine and coarse sponge mechanical filtration, and Sera Siporax sintered glass biological filtration, as well as a polishing pad, also equipped with an Eheim Pre-filter with two sponges -Eheim Skim 350 Surface Skimmer Oxygen: -Tetra 100 Whisper Air pump with air wand on timer for night oxygen Heater: -Eheim Ebo/Jaeger fully submersible 300 Watt Heater CO2 System: Operating one hour before photo period and shutting off one hour before end of photo period -GreenLeaf Aquarium Dual Stage CO2 Regulator w/solenoid & bubble counter -CO2 line -Dennerle CO2 Check Valve -Aquario Neo CO2 Diffuser L from Aquarium Co-Op -Glass CO2 Drop Checker