Pepere Posted January 13 Share Posted January 13 (edited) So far, my goal has been to learn to grow healthy plants… my goal used to be killing algae, but, if you grow healthy plants, you are not going to have them infested with Algae…. So I learned to concentrate on growing healthy plants. I threw away my remaining Easy Carbon. I never really perceived it was doing much anyway… I am getting rather comfortable growing healthy plants and avoiding algae…. My tanks however tend to confused and overgrown and cluttered…. case in point… I learned early on that plant species look better when in bunches rather than a stem here and a stem there…. Little colonies of plants… But the background of val is just too much… and covering the top shades out the understory excessively… This actually after a fairly heavy retrenchment. It opens up the surface for light penetration and allows some negative space… This clean up was a good start…. But… here is a major rearrangement. In the first photo you barely see any of the rocks. Just a hint here and there… and several rocks you dont even see a hint of.. and to what end? I mean what purpose is a rock in the tank if you never see it? You sure cant plant in that spot unless you glue a rhizome plant.. So I pulled out three rocks. The remaining ones were brought forward on the left allowing me to move the tiger lotus Forward and to the left allowing a stand of Ludwigia repens to grow behind it. Yes it is all there behind it and will be visible after a few weeks of growth…. Thank you @Mmiller2001 for this suggestion. Anubias reduced and excess moved to other tanks.. MyScarlet Temple was replanted where there was a rock to move it back from the front glass, and the Rotala Walichii was moved to the background between the Ludwigia Repens and Cardinal Lobelia,. I also completely removed the Bacopa as it was cluttering more than anything… At this point I am going to let it grow in for 3-4 weeks before considering other options. Honestly I am rather overwhelmed with all I have to learn. Composition, trimming pruning , complimentarity, textures colors shapes… But, @Mmiller2001 says its easy. Just keep removing what doesnt look right and adding what does…. I suppose a Chimpanzee pecking at a keyboard long enough might just type out Shakespeare eventually…. But I need to remember how overwhelmed I was with Algae and at a loss of how to deal with it… Edited January 14 by Pepere 4 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Posted January 14 Share Posted January 14 Love it! Let's hear some more about your tank: size, which lights, and filtration? Both pics are stunning; but I enjoy the first pic better 😉 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pepere Posted January 14 Author Share Posted January 14 (edited) On 1/13/2024 at 7:22 PM, Jeff said: Both pics are stunning; but I enjoy the first pic better 😉 Yes, but that had grown out. I have learned that a layout always looks much better after 3-4 weeks after a redo… 29 gallon Aqueon cheap tank… Fluval 207 with glass intake with surface skimmer, and spray bar. Side mounted air driven double sponge filter is just there to keep it full of beneficial bacteria ready to go into a quarantine tank as needed. pressure CO2 via inline diffuser. 2 Finnex Planted Plus ALC lights controlled by Nicrew timer dimmers cheap inert aquarium gravel, but bags of aquasoil interspered below it. I view this tank as a workspace to be learning how to aquascape. It has already helped me learn a lot about how to grow healthy plants and minimize algae. So much to learn… I am intending this thread to be a working document I can view my progress over time,,, Suggestions welcomed.. Edited January 14 by Pepere 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pepere Posted January 27 Author Share Posted January 27 Two weeks later… In addition to Two weeks of growth, I added 2 tissue culture cups to the foreground. 1 of AR mini to right foreground in front of a different AR, with remaining plant mass to left foreground in front of anubias. The other TC cup was S Repens planted in bare spot under the Tiger Lotus and coming forward a bit between the Tiger Lotus and Pink Flamingo crypt… Waiting for them to grow in and establish. They were planted a week ago. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pepere Posted February 10 Author Share Posted February 10 A month of growth. I shortened the Cardinal Lobelia as it was up to 3/4 of tank height… 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crow Posted February 13 Share Posted February 13 I really like your tank, but your pink crypt looks amazing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gannon Posted February 13 Share Posted February 13 The color all provided by plants is amazing! You're doing a fantastic job!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nabokovfan87 Posted February 13 Share Posted February 13 On 1/13/2024 at 5:07 PM, Pepere said: trying to learn to balance a non co2 tank. A skill that has so far eluded me… Plant selection was a very critical one for this for me. Some worked fine, others definitely did not. It was tied to water parameters I had at the time, I'm assuming, as well as just the setup I had. When I first started getting into higher quality planted tanks using things that were from ACO and learning a bit more, it almost seemed like dumb luck when you get the mix right without really understanding what's going on. Hopefully you're able to balance this one long term. It looks great. Both of the project tanks do! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pepere Posted February 25 Author Share Posted February 25 (edited) 2 more weeks of growth. The Rotalla Wallichii is starting to grow in nicely, and the Cardinal Lobelia is getting up to a nice height. The corymbosa compacta on the left offsetts the val background and the Tiger lotus nicely to my eye. The Scarlet Temple doesnt really look to be doing much of anything. It just seems to be sitting there, but it is free from Algae, and that is always a plus. Edited March 9 by Pepere 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanB Posted February 26 Share Posted February 26 You have done a really impressive job with the health of the plants. If you are looking to get more into aquascaping, I would say the next step is to get comfortable with hardscape and substrate. You may find it much easier to make aquascapes with visual impact if you try a few simple things. First, avoiding a uniformly flat substrate from the front to back can help a lot. If you bank up the substrate toward the back of the tank to create a slope that rises from front to back, you create the appearance of more depth, and you allow a viewer to more easily see your plants as they are not blocking each other as much. Often, getting the substrate as high as halfway up the back of the tank is a good guideline. You can use cheap garden center lava rock or gravel so that you aren't wasting money on expensive aquasoils. Second, using one of both of wood/rock in significant sizes so that they make an impact and create the structure for your aquascape for plants to fill in often creates more visual impact than using plants as the main shapes with hardscape as accents. Third, if possible, using aquariums that are at least as deep as they are high (or even deeper) makes aquascaping easier in many cases. Finally, using plants that have smaller leaf sizes relative to your aquarium will make it seem bigger (though this frequently can/should be ignored). You can find all sorts of "rules" for aquascaping (i.e. follow the golden ratio), but mostly it is just whatever makes you happy. Some of the tips above helped me make my scapes more aesthetically pleasing to my eye. I hope you find what works for you! Oh and valisenria is one of my favorite plants and can work well for a jungle-style scape, but will be the bane of your existence if you want a more controlled scape. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pepere Posted February 26 Author Share Posted February 26 On 2/26/2024 at 12:38 AM, IanB said: If you are looking to get more into aquascaping, I would say the next step is to get comfortable with hardscape and substrate This was my first foray as I re entered the hobby. There was an incredible learning curve of learning how to grow healthy plants and avoiding algae growth. My concentration at current is in the plant composition and placement and working on the grouping sizes and trimming them and forming them in to the forms I want. I do understand that the hardscape forms the backbone of the composition, and will be an area of focus when I start up a 75 gallon tank in the future. At present, I am loathe to tear this current tank up to do the work necessary to get that backbone in. I sort of view this tank as a sandbox to learning the plant side of aquascaping right now.. I am fond of the hardscape layout in George Farmers favorite personal tank as shown in this video. when I start up a 75, I intend to transplant a lot of the plants from this tank as well as another 29 gallon tank in to it. Then remaining plants will be consolidated in to 1, 29, and this one will be emptied and cleaned and be left a clean slate to restart at a later date once the 75 stabilizes… It may well be a foray in to dutch style with no hardscape at all… I definitely agree with the Val. It requires frequent pruning back and hair cuts…. It came with my first tranche of plants as a package deal of plants as a single bunch. I somewhat doubt it will be included in the 75. I am planning on thinning it back a fair amount on the back left side corner next weekend as it is getting a bit overpowering there. I am also not so much a fan of Java moss either though I have been enjoying the colony that self established on the top of the rock just to the right of the Pink Flamingo Crypt. I never placed it there myself, it simply hitched a ride in with other plants and chose that spot for itself… 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pepere Posted March 3 Author Share Posted March 3 Another week. I significantly thinned out the Val in left rear corner, shortened the Ludwigia Repens, (weekly task) and evened out the Rotala Wallichii and replanted tops to increase the patch size. Then clean glass, clean canister filter, and do water change. next week the cardinal Lobelia will need shortening again…. AR still not doing much of anything.. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pepere Posted March 8 Author Share Posted March 8 (edited) Here is a photo after a week of growth before trimming back. I will post another after the trimming session. Edited March 8 by Pepere 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pepere Posted March 9 Author Share Posted March 9 After shortening the Cardinal Lobelia and Ludwigia Repens. yes I seriously reduced the Val. I have some new plants coming in the mail so made space for those… 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wisdom Posted March 10 Share Posted March 10 Love your color and location selection. Well balanced, with a nice focal point. Very well done. BTW, what is that red fern in the center that grew like crazy? I want one. LOL! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pepere Posted March 10 Author Share Posted March 10 On 3/9/2024 at 11:47 PM, Wisdom said: BTW, what is that red fern in the center that grew like crazy? I want one. LOL! It is a Pink Flamingo Crypt. While it is growing well now, it sat and struggled for about 8 - 9 months with old leaves melting away about as fast as new ones would sprout before it finally started to take off.. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scaperoot Posted March 11 Share Posted March 11 On 3/10/2024 at 4:45 AM, Pepere said: It is a Pink Flamingo Crypt. While it is growing well now, it sat and struggled for about 8 - 9 months with old leaves melting away about as fast as new ones would sprout before it finally started to take off.. 8-9 months! Wow, you're very patient. I may have given up long before then. Your scape is lovely. I love the placement of the Pink Flamingo😍 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pepere Posted March 11 Author Share Posted March 11 On 3/11/2024 at 12:42 PM, Scaperoot said: 8-9 months! Wow, you're very patient. I may have given up long before then. I bought 3 of them at the same time. One died within a week,, the other one flourished, and this one struggled… After several months I moved a tiger lotus that was near it and went heavy root tabs around it and it started to perk up… 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pepere Posted March 11 Author Share Posted March 11 On 3/11/2024 at 12:42 PM, Scaperoot said: I love the placement of the Pink Flamingo I wish I could take credit for the placement… however it just happened to be the only open spot in the tank when I planted it…. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pepere Posted March 16 Author Share Posted March 16 Another week, another photo… mostly for myself so I can document progression for myself… If you look closely in the left rear you can just barely make out a new addition behind the Corymobosa Compacta. It should look pretty good as it fills out and gets height. sneaking around the corner to get a better view until it grows. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pepere Posted March 24 Author Share Posted March 24 Another week, another picture. The Lidwigia was emersed before trimming. Yes, I could have did a better job trimming and shaping it, but it has been an exceedingly busy week and weekend… cardinal Lobelia trimmed and replanted, should return to a good height by next week. the Corymbosa Compacta floated to the top, so I replanted it a bit deeper. We will see what it does… Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pepere Posted March 30 Author Share Posted March 30 Another week, another update photo. The Ludwigia Repens had broken the water surface. I shortened it. The Tiger Lotus was getting overpowering. It looks like I really butchered it but there are several young leaves that will develop quickly. The new background plant by the intake is establishing nicely. I will likely be trimming it down next week and planting the tops to expand that one. The Cardinal Lobelia should grow in nicely in the coming week. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pepere Posted yesterday at 12:17 AM Author Share Posted yesterday at 12:17 AM About a month later and several trimmings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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