#74: 227L Aquatic Garden Plant Collector-itis

Anthony W. Baker Lansdale, United States

Comments

Clear water good-quality light and bright colors make a very nice impression. The aquascape would be improved by moving plants back from the front glass and by paying a little more attention to the left side. Getting another planted tank might help keep that "Plant Collector-itis." from hurting your aquascaping plans.
— Roger Miller
Nice colors and plant growth but scape out of balance.
— Detlef Hupfeld

Aquascape Details

Dimensions 122 × 42 × 43 cm
Title Plant Collector-itis
Volume 227L
Background Black plastic
Lighting 2x55 watt 8200K CF and 1x96 watt 6700K CF, both with AH Supply Reflectors. Lights are on a timer for 12 hours a day.
Filtration Eheim 2217 canister w/ 2 DIY spraybars. Bio media with a bit of floss on top.
Plants Plants include: (A) Glossostigma elatinoides, (B)Mayaca fluviatilis, (C) Gratiola spec., (D) Cyperus helferi, (E) Eleocharis acicularis, (F) Nymphaea lotus, (G) Rotala spec. "Nanjenshan", (H) Cryptocoryne balansae, (I) Potamogeton gayi, (J) Microsorium pteropus, (K) Riccia fluitans (Singapore variety), (L) Didiplis diandra, (M) Ludwigla arcuata, (N) Rotala rotundifolia spec. 'green', (O) Blyxa spec. (possibly echinosperma or novoguineensis), (P) Microsorium pteropus "narrow leaf", (Q) Hemianthus micranthemoides, (R) Lobelia cardinalis (dwarf form), (S) Hottonia palustris , (T) Alternanthera sessilis var. reineckii, (U) Micranthemum umbrosum, (W)Anubias barteri var. nana, , (V)Vesicularia spec. "X-mas tree moss". Also a few pesky C. wendtii plantlets that survived my deforestation attempts.
Animals Apistogramma trifasciata, Neon tetras, Black mollies, Rummy-nosed tetras, Otocinclus, Crossocheilus siamensis, Jordanella floridae. 2 stray Black Kuhli loaches help population control of the red ramshorn snails and MTS.
Materials Substrate is 60% Flourite / 40% "other" including sand and regular gravel. Driftwood, petrified wood, coconut shells.
Additional Information About the title: As K. Randall has pointed out, many aquatic gardeners eventually reach a plant "collector" stage...

Aquanetics 8 watt UV on filter return, running along with lights on the timer and CO2.
CO2 injected directly into the filter intake at ~1 bubble/sec. Original substrate was regular aquarium gravel over laterite before I removed about half and replaced with Flourite.
Fertilization routine is Flourish N, Flourish PO4, and regular Flourish 2X a week (after weekly 40% water change and less 3 days later). K added 3 times a week if I remember. Algae has dropped from signigicant problem to hardly there after cutting down on ferts and switching to Flourish macros.

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