Ishar's 20 Gallon Long Planted Tank

[ishar]

Well if you are new to my tank experiences, then you should take a look in this thread to see what I have gone through up until now. It involves much evolution of knowledge in 'scaping and plant keeping, diseases, different fish and shrimp experiences, going from low tech to high tech, and finally, a false tank leak that prompted me to go from a 20H to a 20L.

Due to the switch, I was finally able to add the soil substrate I have been working on ALL summer. I referred to this article: Mineralized Soil. This process was very long for me, but I was in no rush. I was also able to spread out my 'scape and hopefully make it a little more my style. I turned it more into a jungle type- I have always been interested in an Amazon biotope tank and I think I am going to work on it in this tank.

So let's introduce the tank! It is not going to include pictures yet as the soil is making the water very brown, almost like tannins would. Due to the fear of a cycle (especially after I change my filter floss as it needs it BADLY), I will be doing daily or semidaily water changes to remove the colouring and the possible ammonia and nitrites. I am hoping that some of the cycling bacteria is left on the flourite from my other tank that I put in this one to speed it up, but we'll see.

Tank Size: 20 Gallons
Tank Dimensions: 30"x12"x12"
Substrate: 1-1.5" mineralized topsoil, 1/2" layer of flourite gravel on top
Filter: Penguin 150 with biowheel
Heater: unknown brand 100W
Lighting: 68W PC 6700K 24" Coralife Fixture
Other Equipment: Koralia 1 powerhead, Elite Mini Submersible Filter (for CO2 misting- see here: Ultra Mini Diffusor), Milwaukee MA957 Regulator on Paintball CO2 cylinders

Current Fauna: many fancy guppies, 4 neon tetras, 3 ottos, pond snails
Current Flora: Bacopa caroliniana aka Giant Bacopa, Bacopa; Eleocharis accicularis aka Hairgrass; Heteranthera zosterifolia aka Stargrass; Microsorum pteropus aka Java Fern; Microsorum pteropus var 'Windelov' aka Windelov's Fern; Riccia fluitans; Rotala indica aka Rotala; Crinum Thianum aka Onion Plant; Vallisneria gigantea aka Jungle Val; Vallisneria spiralis aka Val; Vesicularia dubyana aka Java Moss

Due to problems in my 20H before this tank, the Stargrass and Rotala are both doing quite poorly, so they will likely get tossed before much longer- the Stargrass before the Rotala. The guppies are going to be taken to my LFS as soon as I can find the time to do so, and I will likely fill out the neon school to about 10 or so. The ones I have now are really quite large for neons, and the ones I will buy will be quite small- it will make for a funny picture if the water is cleared when I get these new fish .

If the Rotala and Stargrass get ditched, I may use the bacopa as a sort of centerpiece and then let the vals take over in the background, trimming them as needed to allow the hairgrass to grow. My hairgrass was really fillign in in my other tank, but now I am back to the patchwork foreground . Time will fill it in though, so I am not too worried.

So this is my tank and my lightly placed plans so far. I hope I can get a picture or two up soon enough, so you can all see what I have done. So far though the 'scape is almost identical to the 20H- stems on the left, vals on the right, and the wood is place the same- I don't have much choice as I apparently didn't know how to pick driftwood back when I grabbed these .

[ishar]

For a quick little update, I finally got around to hooking up my CO2 and start a light fert regimen. The water is still going brown, but it seems to be 'darkening' at a slower rate then when I first set it up (the first few days I mean) so I figure a few more water changes (one planned for tomorrow) and ti should be clear enough for the lighting to penetrate good enough, and hopefully for a half decent picture.

As you will see once I get a pic up, the vals are shading out much of my hairgrass, some riccia, and less importantly, some java fern. I do not think the ferns will mind much, but the hairgrass and riccia might, so I may do some serious pruning this weekend, after giving them two weeks or so to acclimate themselves.

[ishar]

Well I know these pictures are crappy as I had to resort to using my laptop, but the water is finally getting clear enough to see through with a camera, and I trimmed my vals to let some more light through to the bottom. So here are some pictures for you.












The rotala is doign terrible- very ugly, compact and short growth. The hairgrass is acclimating as is the stargrass. The bacopa and vals are doing quite well, and the riccia is not doing the greatest but it's hanging in there.

Now I doubt you can see it, but I have a tall stem plant that started out as a tiny little hitchhiker in my riccia when I bought it. It grows SO fast, with long reddish leaves with slightly serrated edges (not sharp, just wavy). It is starting to propagate itself with sideshoots, but I want to know what it is hahaha. I have no idea, but it is growing like a weed, so hopefully in time I will be able to get a good photo for you and see if you know.

EDIT: I thought I posted this before but maybe not. I had a discussion with the guy who sent me the riccia and thus the hitchhiker, and the plant has been identified as Hygrophila Polysperma "ceylon".

[Lotus]

Looking nice I have a feeling the jungle vals will be going away at some point. I think you'll find keeping them trimmed too time consuming.

[ishar]

hahaha no the vals are there to stay. I am more worried about my stargrass and this bloody weed called Hygrophila Polysperma "ceylon" lol! The Hygro started out as a tiny tiny tiny little piece of plant, and ever since I hooked the CO2 and started fertilizing again it has grown these bloody 3-4" long thin red leaves and is growing so tall! I have already cut the Hygro in half and it needs it again. And the stargrass I know how it grows, but the bottoms die off, so they may very well be the plant to get tossed. I like its looks a lot but if I have to keep uprooting it each time to trim it and remove the dead bottoms then forget it .

As an update... I love my mineralized soil. So far my vals are sending out roots like mad and they have the healthiest and greenest leaves I have ever seen them have, and my hairgrass is *already* starting to send out new runners and carpet. After seeing these results I doubt there is any way I am going back to pure flourite or ecocomplete or anything. Soil and a gravel top is all you need . Based on my limited observations thus far, anyways

EDIT: I forgot to mention that my rotala is starting to grow properly again, nice rosy colour with dense bushy growth .

[Pure]

Looking good!

I take it that big square reflection is the laptop screen? lol

[tom91970]

I might have to give this mineralized soil method a try one of these days. Looks very interesting.

[ishar]

Originally Posted by Pure

Looking good!

I take it that big square reflection is the laptop screen? lol

Thanks man! haha and yeah that is definitely my laptop screen . I wish I could get some good pics, but I am way too poor to grab a decent digi cam right now .

Originally Posted by tom91970

I might have to give this mineralized soil method a try one of these days. Looks very interesting.

If you want the article that I took the method from, it is here: Mineralized Soil Walkthrough. I did not use any of the additives however- that will be done for my next tank though. I just soaked and dried the soil over and over, over a period of 4 months, and then I put it in my tank with a layer of gravel over top. As I said last post, my plants are *loving* it so far

EDIT: apparently I gave you the soil link in the first post, but there it is again anyways

[ishar]

Well two days ago I added 6 Elegan's Corys to my tank, and today I gave away the last guppies, so I am now stocked with:

6 Elegan's Corys
4 Neon Tetras (next week I should be able to knock this number up to 10-15)
2-3 Ottos (I have only seen 2 at any one time for a while, but haven't seen the third's body)

[ishar]

Well two days after adding the corys I lost two of them- they had nipped fins pretty bad, and I thought it might have been my neons- no matter how odd that would be. But I think they were just stressed and had their fins taken off at the store. They are still very very shy, and are always hiding in the back corner of the tank though, and it sort of worries me. But I will give them time.

Here is the thread where I tried to figure out why the cories died: nippy neons?