My 25G

stevegoods · 06-27-2009, 07:18 PM

I'm going to add a few more plants up front I think. I had a 10g with tons of plants, but I couldn't get the maintenance "perfection" down.

I see some of the tanks on this site with hundreds of plants, and I can't get my head around the maintenance of something so beautiful. Also, I have found the more plant life I have the harder it is to clean the bottom with the gravel cleaner. I suppose the plants are supposed to "digest" most of the waste, but I don't know.

Sorry the pics are not better. I had to take them with my blackberry.

4 Neon Tetras
1 Honey Gourami
3 Fancy Mollies
1 Orange Platy
1 Siamese Algae Eater
1 Pleco (He loves to eat the Swords)
1 Clown Loach

Anyway, totally open for comments!
Steve

louistheloach · 06-29-2009, 11:26 AM

You just vacuum where you can. You want to avoid disturbing the plant roots, especially of crypts as it can tend to set the plant back a little. The tank should be able to handle the rest as long as you are doing regular water changes.......

That is a nice start on the tank. Get something with a little height for that back right corner, like a valasneria, or a taller crypt (spiralis, retrospiralis {interesting leaves}, or balanse) the crypt will spread less than the val. It will also add to the tank if you have something with a little red in it.

ltl

stevegoods · 06-29-2009, 11:34 PM

Thanks Louis.

Here is what I purchased and how I intend to plant. Let me know your thoughts:

Anubias Nana - Front Left corner
Limnophila Aquatica - Back of tank, empty space needing height
Wisteria - front, middle right in front of rock
Lilaeopsis brasiliensis - Front left around the Anubias
Cryptocoryne Lucens - Front tight.

Hope this has some impact!

louistheloach · 06-30-2009, 10:18 AM

Are you pulling some of what is in there out? The micro sword will easily spread to fill in the front white area. Even if it is in a pot, you could probably divide it in two or three depending on what it looks like when you remove the pot and the rock wool. Do you know what the plants are that you have in there? They look like crypts...

The wisteria tends to get somewhat bushy, especially if under low to moderate light, but it is still probably too tall to put in front.

The Limnophila Aquatica is a nice looking plant but if not under bright enough light will tend to lean over. Also, all the feathery like fronds act like little filters collecting diatoms and debris etc. You really need to have a well lit tank that is in balance.

They all are nice plants. Crypts are generally easy to grow. Just leave a little room around them for them to come to full width. And leave room for the fish......

I find that it is an on going thing....plant.....move.....replant....toss.....pl ant......well you get it

stevegoods · 07-02-2009, 12:09 AM

I wasn't planning on removing any of what I have in there. My thoughts were that the added planets will just fill the empty space. If I find that there is too much, I will have to make some adjustments as necessary. The plants I have in there now are all swords. Amazon Broadleaf and Melon Sword.

And yeah I totally get it. I am finding one thing that is certain: it's almost impossible to 100% happy. It calls to be changed!

Jay · 07-02-2009, 08:16 AM

Quote:

I find that it is an on going thing....plant.....move.....replant....toss.....pl ant......well you get it

My Weekend project is to prune this monster back.

stevegoods · 07-24-2009, 01:10 AM

Wow, that's a lot of plants!

I just put the new ones in and I will get some pics up shortly for some opinions.

I regret now using the white rocks when starting the tank. I prefer the sand tone instead which I had in my 10G. But I guess I am stuck with it. Changing the gravel seems like a massive undertaking.

stevegoods · 07-26-2009, 10:49 AM

I bought some new plants and added some rocks... I'm a lot happier now. It's feeling better. Comments welcomed.

louistheloach · 07-26-2009, 02:52 PM

Looks good.........and did you mean to say, I'm a lot happier for now.....

ltl

stevegoods · 07-26-2009, 04:29 PM

Ha. Good point. I'm sure I will want to change it all shortly. I have my old 10G tank just sitting in a closet. So I think I will put some time into getting that up and putting it in another room. I have to think about what I want in there though. Angel Fish tank? Hmm....