My Plant Journal

[Smalltank3]

2-20-06:The Beginning
Hi everyone! This is the beginning of my plant journal. This is my first ever tank started in October last year. I plan on doing this journal of live plants to look back on all the mistakes I had. I don't want to get started off with Co2 or ferts right away because I want to learn more about plants before doing that stuff. As of right now I have a lilly and aponogeton bulb and java moss. The fish in my tank are as follows:
3 Red Dwarf Gouramis
3 Mickey Mouse Platies
Here are the pictures!

Java Moss on Driftwood

Lilly Bulb

I will update you with any changes and pictures. The updates will probably be a one week update unless something does happen then of course I will update.

 

[Ramirezi]

I like your Java moss log. How long have you had your lilly bulb in the water? It looks like it is growing algae but no leaves yet.

Photo tip: if you do not have a tripod for you camera use the back of a chair to steady your camera for the long exposure.

 

[Smalltank3]

Ramirezi: I put it in on 2-19

 

[Smalltank3]

Aponogeton Sprouts, Get a Guppy!

2-26-06: Female Guppy
I went to Petco today and bought a female guppy. She is too fast I couldnt get a good picture of her but I got this:

 

[Big Vine]

Nice to hear that your plants seem to be growing. That's a beautiful guppy! *SUNSMILE*

Big Vine

 

[Smalltank3]

Good News, Bad News

2-27-06:Guppy Gone, Lilly Bulb sprouts
Well I woke up this morning to find that my guppy was all caught up in the java moss dead. She was very beautiful but lasted only overnight The good news is that my lilly bulb sprouted. Here is a pic:

 

[love_fish]

SHe probsbly died because you didnt acclimate her good enough. Usually if a fish dies that quickly, thats the problem.

 

[Big Vine]

Sorry your guppy died so soon. Maybe she was in shock from not being acclimated slowly, like love fish suggested.

Big Vine

 

[Lotus]

If your nitrates are high, that's most likely what caused the guppy to die. While slow increases in nitrates aren't good for fish, a vast change can make a stressful transition from the fish store into a deadly one.

If your Java moss is tied on with thread or fishing line and you left pieces of thread loose, fish can get caught on it and die.

 

[Swordtail8]

I should warn that fish can swim into an empty snail shell and die as well. My gourami died in a snail shell. Then I clown loach got stuck in one and it didn't come out until I pulled it out of the water and shook him out. Now I have my snail shell sitting in such a way that no fish can get in.

But nonetheless, sometimes some fish are destined to die not long after they are purchased. There is a preliminary period where they are vulnerable. But then after a week or two, a fish will probably then live for a long time. Like my neons and rasboras that seem to last forever.

I am familar with all your plants. Java moss pretty much should be attached to something or it is just messy. Aponogeton bulbs I have dont but not with much success. They tend to stay near the ground but shoot up white flowers. Lotus bulbs are good to get. I have several lotus bulbs that are growing. I have a group of bulbs all on an empty pot so I can move my lotus around but I never put the lotus in the pot until it actually grew into a good sized plant. Once the bulb sprouts you want to ancher the bulb somewhere because if a new sprout moves around too much its growth doesnt take off until it gets anchored somewhere.

 

[Smalltank3]

If you look in my left corner it is empty. Does any body have a suggestion of a plant that would look great in my corner? I was thinking Java Fern but I would like some suggestions. Oh, and an update on the lilly bulb, it grew bigger and the stem is red, so yay a red plant!

 

[Swordtail8]

Java Fern, or you could do what I did, I am using cryptocorne. My brother had some crypt that is almost tall as the tank so I used it in both corners in my tank with my lotus in the middle, and java moss as a carpet in select areas and in the front corners.

 

[Smalltank3]

3-02-06:Java Moss Tied, Lilly Bulb Growing, German Blue Ram!
So tonight I TIED my java moss to my driftwood and gave half of it to my brother(tubbs24) I give him credit because he is the one who tied it to the driftwood. My lilly bulb is growing rapidly, the color is red! That is just what I wanted. Here is the pics of my java moss and lilly bulb:

Oh, and I don't think I mentioned this but a couple days ago I purchased a German Blue Ram. Here it is!

Well there is the update, enjoy!

 

[Swordtail8]

What makes a small tank like a ten gallon look good is a school of fish. Why dont you try to add a school of fish such as neons, rasboras, or rummy-noses? They make the tank look populated. I have all three of those fish, although only one rummy-nose survives. I'm down to 4 neons and 3 rasboras which was originally 8 neons and 6 rasboras (my rasboras I have owned for a year and a half).

 

[Lotus]

I think smalltank's tank is well stocked already, I wouldn't recommend he/she adds more fish.

 

[Swordtail8]

Oh cmon, you could easily get away with more fish. The upper stock limit is actually higher these people say it is. I know from experience. Four neons I don't think will push the stock all that much.

And just a note to for future reference, never ask anyone on this board about stocking limits because they will limit you to death. Most of the common posters more on the fish lover side so they kinda force their views on others. Me, I just like an attractive colorful tank and like fish but dont pay much attention to them, lol. I am good at set up low maintenance, heavily stocked tanks for long peroids. Sure, if you over stock, some may die, but then you know where your stock limit is.

Just look and see how some of the other people stock their tanks in their signatures or in the rate my tank section. You can literally get up to 18 to 20 inches of fish in a ten gallon if you know what your doing (just make sure you tank is well established before you do that). Plus, if you add shrimp or snails, they dont really add much to the stock limit either.

Now that both points of view are here, you can pick one unbiasly and do what you think is best. There is more than one style of fish keeping. I'm gonna update my sig and then you can see what I get away with in my ten gallon.

 

[Smalltank3]

1 week update!

3-09-06: Anacharis and Green Hedge
Yay! Today I bought some Anacharis and Green Hedge. Here is a full tank shot:

Here is a few pics of the Anacharis:

A pic of the Green Hedge:

And a pic of the Lilly Bulb:

My Java moss has grown out nicely. When some of the java moss fell off and got caught in the gravel, I didn't bother to go pick it up. Today when I planted my new plants, the java moss attached itself to the gravel so I have a little java moss farm in the back right corner. I think there was like 7 pieces of java moss attached to gravel.

 

[Big Vine]

I like it Smalltank3.

I'm amazed at how spacious your tank looks. The plants fill it in nicely...but even just going by the fish alone, it still looks like you've got lots of room in there. I suppose I'm just used to my 3 gal. and my crowded 12 gal. tall, which I'm certain has a smaller footprint than your 10 gallon tank.

Lookin' good...I'm interested to see what happens with that lilly bulb.

Big Vine

 

[fishcraziee]

Sure, if you over stock, some may die, but then you know where your stock limit is.

Swordtail8, that isn't a good way to think. Killing a fish to find your stock limit isn't a good idea. My tank is quite heavily stocked, ok really stocked, but I didn't have any deaths. It's not good to just keep adding until a fish or two die. Then again I may have interepreted your thoughts differently

 

[Smalltank3]

Trim

3-11-06: Trimming
Today I trimmed my java moss because I have lost some fish because they got caught in it. I seperated my anachris from the bunch and spread it out along the back of my tank. My aponogeton bulbs are planted in front of my pump and heater(back left corner) so they will hide the equipment when full grown. Instead of throwing out the java moss I trimmed, I planted it in the front left corner so it will grow on my gravel along the front side until it reaches the Green Hedge. Here are the pics:
Full Tank Shot: (The tank looks tilted but really the camera was tilted )

Java Moss on Driftwood Trimmed:

Java Moss that was trimmed and will serve as a carpet plant along the front of my tank:

The Anachris when spread out: