Joined: Nov 23, 2011 Posts: 1881 Location: Bangalore, Prakashnagar.
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Posted: Sun Aug 26, 2012 2:21 pm Post subject: Rip and Scape Journal.. Day 10 updates - page-6.
Hi all,
This will be my first true aqua scaping, all this time I had only wild kind of planted set up. doing a bit of experimentation with it.
This was supposed to have happened few months back, but due to some or the other reasons it used to get postponed.
Basically it will be a low tech set up (as always), where there will not Co2 dosing (may be glut if needed), ferts will not be dosed until some deficiency starts to show up, low lighting, DIY substrate, locally collected rocks and plants from my previous set up.
Specs will be.. Tank :
DIY - 50G / 190 Liters... 36L X 18W X 18H inches, Normal glass.
Lights :
Phillips Ecotone 45W HO 865 rated - 2nos,
Filter :
Jebao 503 external cannister - 750L/H.
Substrate :
Bottom layer 3 cms of crushed aquaclay 50% + laterite 10% + mixture of vermicompost and coco-peat 40%. all mixed in to a slurry and laid out. Top layer Aqua clay 4 cms above the bottom layer in the front and upto 10 cms in the back..
Flora :
Blyxa Japonica Dwarf,
Ammania gracilis,
Limnophila aromatica,
Alternanthera reineckii,
Ludwigia Arcuata red,
ludwigia palustris red,
Rotala Rotundifolia red,
Rotola Wallichii green,
Hygrophila Polysperma Green,
needle leaf javafern,
Javafern regular,
Echinodorus tenellus,
Hydrocotyle tripartita,
Elatine triandra,
Cryptocoryne wendtii brown,
3 types of crypts, which need ID..
So, here is the tank with the bottom layer slurry laid out..
The crushed Aquaclay will add some porosity and help in penetration of plant roots, laterite for iron suppliment, vermi compost for nutrition and cocopeat for softening a bit of my hard water..
Another closeup..
Point to be noted is that all the materials used in the lower layer substrate were mineralised for 2 months outside the tank,
The Aquaclay laid on the top was kept in buckets submerged in water for 2 months too, because they are very porous and very light. so some of them will not sink immediately and plants will get uprooted easily when planted..
This a snap after the Aquaclay was laid out and roughly arranged the rocks..
Another angle.. but the rock were rearranged after flooding the tank..
The scaping was completed in a day, including planting.. but could not take the photos after planting, as the water was a bit murky..
so will take a few snaps after the water gets cleared..
Last edited by Nidhi on Fri Oct 05, 2012 9:13 pm; edited 8 times in total
Joined: Aug 19, 2005 Posts: 4895 Location: Mathura, UP
Status: Offline
Posted: Mon Aug 27, 2012 11:27 am Post subject: Re: Rip and Scape Journal..update after planting!
You have some high light stem plants in this setup.
I think you have Ammania in the back, these will not do good in low lights.
Stem plants are not really suited for low light tanks, they grow tall & leggy.
Joined: Oct 09, 2011 Posts: 1854 Location: hebbal,banglore
Status: Offline
Posted: Mon Aug 27, 2012 2:27 pm Post subject: Re: Rip and Scape Journal..update after planting!
What did you do for mineralising the substrate?
Don't you think the filtration is little less considering that it is less than 5 times the tank capacity and it seems you will be heavily planting it.
Also less than 2 watt per gallon of light seem to be very low for stem plants
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