planted freshwater tanks.

[surfn]

I was just going through some old pics on my server space, and realized i still had pics up from my planted freshwater tank a couple of years ago.

I did this before I did reef keeping. And I consider keeping a planted tank like this 10 times harder than saltwater, and strongly advise against it lol :lol:

...unless of course, you are the type of person whe loves to have their hands in the tank constantly trimming stuff daily, and moving stuff around, and battling a new type of algae every week.

you use mainly PC's, and get it up to about 4.5wpg. then you inject pressurized CO2 into the tank to get the pH down to around 6.0. which makes the plants grow like MAD. you also need a special gravel that roots can get nutrients from, and you gota shop for specific kinds of fish.

most specifically, fish that can tollerate low pH levels, and ones that eat certain kinds of algae. as battling algae in a planted freshwater tank is a major headache. b/c algae also likes alot of light and CO2. so you essentially have to figure out a way to make the plants out compete the algae for nutrients. (alot harder said than done).

i aquascaped my tank after the Japanese style Amano tanks. it kind of has a "Zen" like look to it.

here are the pics of the tank at its "prime". i had other pics detailing the headaches of algae that lead up to this...but they are painful reminders.

 

[jessiesgrrl]

Truly pretty... I like the Asian tank that was that contest winner in a mag I read about a month ago... Tropical Reefer or something like that?? The guy's tank looked like moss overgrown Stonehenge kinda.

Not my bag, but very peaceful looking.

:D
Laurie

 

[surfn]

oh yeah, the water looks crystal clear b/c you HAVE to use a UV filter. if you dont, the combination of high CO2 and high light will turn the water to a pea green soup kind of color

had that happen also :(

 

[ecotoxlady]

Very nice tank surfn! Beautiful aquascaping. I have a question for you....I go to Baltimore as often as I can and there is a big Barnes and Noble bookstore at the power plant across from the baltimore aquarium. They have a massive planted tank there but must do the opposite with the pH there because they are keeping discus fish in the tank which I know need higher than normal pH....is there different plants that prefer more alkaline waters instead?

 

[surfn]

Very nice tank surfn! Beautiful aquascaping. I have a question for you....I go to Baltimore as often as I can and there is a big Barnes and Noble bookstore at the power plant across from the baltimore aquarium. They have a massive planted tank there but must do the opposite with the pH there because they are keeping discus fish in the tank which I know need higher than normal pH....is there different plants that prefer more alkaline waters instead?

yup, that is like the MILLION $$$ question concerning those tanks you see pics of in contests, with tons of plants and discus in the same tank.

discus are HARD to keep, and HARDER to keep alive a very long time, and INSANELY HARD to breed. yet it has been done. i for sure couldnt do it even with cheap discus.

discus come from south america, near the amazon rain forest areas. i dont remember the specifics. but they either like a higher or lower pH, in combination with a higher or lower water hardness. possibly a high pH, and high water hardness....which means CO2 is not in good supply for the plants to grow. and some plants just dont like hard water, at least ones that arent native to the amazon.

so essentially, i have no idea how the "pros" do it. but i can tell you at the national aquarium, the discus tanks dont really have that many fancy plants. and its essentially a biotope. so all the plants in the tank with the discus thrive under lower light, low CO2 levels, and harder water.

 

[JGoslee]

Great looking tanks! I have a few cichlids that would lova a tank like that. Are you still keeping any freshwater tanks?

 

[jessiesgrrl]

Very nice tank surfn! Beautiful aquascaping. I have a question for you....I go to Baltimore as often as I can and there is a big Barnes and Noble bookstore at the power plant across from the baltimore aquarium. They have a massive planted tank there but must do the opposite with the pH there because they are keeping discus fish in the tank which I know need higher than normal pH....is there different plants that prefer more alkaline waters instead?

yup, that is like the MILLION $$$ question concerning those tanks you see pics of in contests, with tons of plants and discus in the same tank.

discus are HARD to keep, and HARDER to keep alive a very long time, and INSANELY HARD to breed. yet it has been done. i for sure couldnt do it even with cheap discus.

discus come from south america, near the amazon rain forest areas. i dont remember the specifics. but they either like a higher or lower pH, in combination with a higher or lower water hardness. possibly a high pH, and high water hardness....which means CO2 is not in good supply for the plants to grow. and some plants just dont like hard water, at least ones that arent native to the amazon.

so essentially, i have no idea how the "pros" do it. but i can tell you at the national aquarium, the discus tanks dont really have that many fancy plants. and its essentially a biotope. so all the plants in the tank with the discus thrive under lower light, low CO2 levels, and harder water.

Hahahahaha I bet I know... They keep it all in other tanks until they wanna take the pic, then they put it in one tank and- snap quick!!!

LOL
Laurie

 

[surfn]

Great looking tanks! I have a few cichlids that would lova a tank like that. Are you still keeping any freshwater tanks?

noooooooo lol way too much time, way too much maintenance compared to saltwater tanks. i would spent about 6-8hrs every sunday, trimming plants, and replanting them. serious PITA.

 

[Reefwifey]

Wow Surfn......I love those pics! I've always liked planted tanks. Its like gardening without the dirt and bugs!

 

[feh]

The CO2 wasn't for lowering the pH. It was a side effect, not only that measuring pH is an indirect way to measure how much CO2.