FLFishChik Posted July 27, 2022 Share Posted July 27, 2022 This was my 29g “before” - 100 % plastic and silk plants and this is “after” - 100% LIVE plants!!! All of you awesome”nerms” convinced me that I needed not be intimidated by live plants and I’m grateful for all of the advice! 8 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandon p Posted July 27, 2022 Share Posted July 27, 2022 I like both. You did a great job with the false plant’s. I do like the red plant in fake tank. You have done an outstanding job on both tanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLFishChik Posted July 27, 2022 Author Share Posted July 27, 2022 On 7/27/2022 at 7:11 PM, Brandon p said: I like both. You did a great job with the false plant’s. I do like the red plant in fake tank. You have done an outstanding job on both tanks. Thank you! I tried to mimic a live planted tank with fake plants when I set it up… I was just too intimidated… but, I finally made the leap after advice from some awesome people and I like it much better now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandon p Posted July 27, 2022 Share Posted July 27, 2022 (edited) I’m do think the tank likes the real plants but if I ever go with big cichlids I’ll ask for your help. They don’t do well with real ones Edited July 27, 2022 by Brandon p 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeJay Posted July 28, 2022 Share Posted July 28, 2022 There really is nothing like live plants. I was always intimidated but then. But once you get started it's really not that hard and so much easier to keep a balanced system. And watching them grow is excellent. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick_G Posted July 28, 2022 Share Posted July 28, 2022 Wow, that looks great. Those plants are really going to take off, just don’t forget to water them! 🤣 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lefty o Posted July 28, 2022 Share Posted July 28, 2022 to be honest, your plastic set up did not look bad, but the plants take it to the next level as far as looks go. not to mention the benefits live plants provide. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flumpweesel Posted July 28, 2022 Share Posted July 28, 2022 I had fake plants with my goldfish because they pulled up any live ones I added and replanting daily gets old fast. Both set ups look great I'd be tempted to add that purply one back in and see who you could fool. Real plants do bring a new level of involvement with the tank so they are really worth trying hope it continues to go well for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLFishChik Posted July 28, 2022 Author Share Posted July 28, 2022 (edited) On 7/28/2022 at 6:54 PM, Flumpweesel said: I had fake plants with my goldfish because they pulled up any live ones I added and replanting daily gets old fast. Both set ups look great I'd be tempted to add that purply one back in and see who you could fool. Real plants do bring a new level of involvement with the tank so they are really worth trying hope it continues to go well for you. Thank you! I thought about adding the red one back in, but decided against it because it’s not exactly “soft” and didn’t want to risk the Betta tearing his fins - he was the biggest reason for the switch to live plants Edited July 28, 2022 by FLFishChik 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLFishChik Posted August 1, 2022 Author Share Posted August 1, 2022 Update! It’s beginning to fill in! This is so exciting, watching everything grow and fill out! 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lefty o Posted August 1, 2022 Share Posted August 1, 2022 looks really good! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLFishChik Posted August 1, 2022 Author Share Posted August 1, 2022 On 8/1/2022 at 4:35 PM, lefty o said: looks really good! Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PotatoFish Posted August 1, 2022 Share Posted August 1, 2022 I'm glad you took the leap! It can be scary at first, but conquering that fear leads to a wonderful aspect of aquariums! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anitstuk Posted August 1, 2022 Share Posted August 1, 2022 Looked good before and after! Real plants at first can be a obstacle but as soon as you get the hang of it, it pays off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLFishChik Posted August 1, 2022 Author Share Posted August 1, 2022 (edited) On 8/1/2022 at 6:54 PM, PotatoFish said: I'm glad you took the leap! It can be scary at first, but conquering that fear leads to a wonderful aspect of aquariums! I'm really happy I finally did it. I was a bit intimidated at first, but everything seems to be doing well (except I have a very small diatom issue now... it's not a big deal, but wondering if dosing fertilizer did it) and I'm very excited to see how much things have grown each week (sometimes each morning with the Red Dwarf Lily and Pogostemon Stellatus Octopus). Noticed this morning that one of my Anubius has a couple new leaves... that's exciting! On 8/1/2022 at 6:59 PM, anitstuk said: Looked good before and after! Real plants at first can be a obstacle but as soon as you get the hang of it, it pays off. Thank you! I'm over the moon with how it looks right now - far better than I had anticipated for a cheap aquarium kit light and a newbie aqua gardener!🤣 Edited August 1, 2022 by FLFishChik 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nabokovfan87 Posted August 15, 2022 Share Posted August 15, 2022 (edited) On 8/1/2022 at 4:16 PM, FLFishChik said: I'm really happy I finally did it. I was a bit intimidated at first, but everything seems to be doing well (except I have a very small diatom issue now... it's not a big deal, but wondering if dosing fertilizer did it) and I'm very excited to see how much things have grown each week (sometimes each morning with the Red Dwarf Lily and Pogostemon Stellatus Octopus). Noticed this morning that one of my Anubius has a couple new leaves... that's exciting! What would you tell someone if you walked up to them in a big box store and they were eyeing plants and trying to decide which to get? Awesome work. Your tank looks better than mine by a few hundred miles! Edited August 15, 2022 by nabokovfan87 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLFishChik Posted August 15, 2022 Author Share Posted August 15, 2022 On 8/15/2022 at 2:29 AM, nabokovfan87 said: What would you tell someone if you walked up to them in a big box store and they were eyeing plants and trying to decide which to get? Awesome work. Your tank looks better than mine by a few hundred miles! If they were brand new to aquatic plants, I’d definitely recommend Anubias or Java Fern. Nothing easier than glueing a plant to a rock and setting it in the tank! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nabokovfan87 Posted August 15, 2022 Share Posted August 15, 2022 ORD but yes! Super easy and you don't need a crazy light. Pretty much anything works. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeeD Posted August 15, 2022 Share Posted August 15, 2022 Looking great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLFishChik Posted August 16, 2022 Author Share Posted August 16, 2022 (edited) Update! One month after planting! Got a bit of a diatom issue going, but I’m over the moon with this tank. I’ll be trimming back soon! Here’s the day I planted the tank vs today! Edited August 16, 2022 by FLFishChik 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLFishChik Posted December 17, 2022 Author Share Posted December 17, 2022 (edited) Well, it’s been 5 months since I made the change from “plastic to planted”. In that time I’ve made a few changes to the tank. The large piece of spider wood was removed- it was constantly migrating in the tank and made maintenance very difficult. I rearranged the lava rocks to the middle of the tank for a more central focal point and moved the Argentine Sword from back left to the back right. Also moved the Red Dwarf Aquarium Lily from Front right to the back left as it had begun to block out the view. I’ve had to trim both the Watersprite and Pogostemon Stellatus Octopus numerous times, but the trimmings along with babies from the Java fern and a plantlet from the Red Dwarf Lily have helped me convert another tank to planted so… woot! I ordered 3 more plants from ACO yesterday - Vallisneria, Aponogeton Crispus and Pearl Weed. Will be excited to get those in when they arrive! but, here is my tank as of today! Edited December 17, 2022 by FLFishChik 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick_G Posted December 17, 2022 Share Posted December 17, 2022 Very nice! That Windelov Java fern is very neatly trimmed, I wish I could get mine to grow that way. 😀 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLFishChik Posted December 17, 2022 Author Share Posted December 17, 2022 On 12/17/2022 at 5:51 PM, Patrick_G said: Very nice! That Windelov Java fern is very neatly trimmed, I wish I could get mine to grow that way. 😀 I bought that Windelov by accident (thought it was regular Java Fern) and just glued it to a rock and plopped it in this tank… didn’t even think about placement so it “sits where it hits”. It has grown so very slowly but I haven’t touched it. It seems happy in its current spot so I’m hesitant to move it 😊 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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