Plant recommendations

angus

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Dec 21, 2013
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After doing a great deal of reading and looking at various pictures online, I've finally settled on what I would like to do for as an aqua-scape in my 90 gal.. As much as I love and drool over the pics of Tom's Dutch (and others') tanks, I've decided to keep things relatively simple and easy to care for.
I like the carpeted look, and I especially like the look of Gerryd's 220 gal.. I would like to do something similar, but using driftwood instead of rock.

Eleocharis belem has been recommended to me for the carpeting, and I will probably cover some of the driftwood with some species (Java?) of moss. My tank is a rimless with high lighting (and will have pressurized CO2), and I would like to keep some hatchetfish in the tank to occupy the upper layer of the water column. To discourage them from jumping from an open top tank, I would like to keep a bit of some sort of floating plant to give the hatchets some cover. But I don't want so much of it that it overshadows or overtakes the tank. Does anyone have any suggestions for a floating plant that is relatively easy to care for, and whose numbers can be easily kept under control?

I'm also wide open for any other suggestions, advice, etc. for aquascaping my tank, as this is all entirely new territory for me.
 

BenFishin

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Jan 15, 2014
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There are plenty of mosses. Get portions of whatever and see if you like it. My LFS gives me credit back if I bring it back, and it is usually in better shape when I take it back to them. This is the same with all plants even if I didn't buy from them. I wouldn't call Gerryd's simple and easy to care for as a beginner though. Maybe once it is all established but getting that started will take a decent amount of care. Sagataria Subulata "Dwarf sagataria" or Echinodorus tenellus "narrow leaf chain sword" are simple and fast fillers but dose heavy on the iron. For some the EB may be a piece of cake but I struggled in my early years, while the plants I listed quickly took over my tank. If you have more experience than you let on or you are feeling confident, are persistent, and have good luck, you may well have a nice EB carpet.

I also have ridiculously hard water (gh and kh) here. Don't let me talk you out of your dream, but if you struggle with the EB, you have easier options.

- - - Updated - - -

There are plenty of mosses. Get portions of whatever and see if you like it. My LFS gives me credit back if I bring it back, and it is usually in better shape when I take it back to them. This is the same with all plants even if I didn't buy from them. I wouldn't call Gerryd's simple and easy to care for as a beginner though. Maybe once it is all established but getting that started will take a decent amount of care. Sagataria Subulata "Dwarf sagataria" or Echinodorus tenellus "narrow leaf chain sword" are simple and fast fillers but dose heavy on the iron. For some the EB may be a piece of cake but I struggled in my early years, while the plants I listed quickly took over my tank. If you have more experience than you let on or you are feeling confident, are persistent, and have good luck, you may well have a nice EB carpet.

I also have ridiculously hard water (gh and kh) here. Don't let me talk you out of your dream, but if you struggle with the EB, you have easier options.
 

angus

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Dec 21, 2013
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Thanks for the input. What I meant by a tank like Gerry's being simpler and relatively easier for me to keep is that I would only have to focus on meeting the needs of a few species of plants, as opposed to having to deal with the needs of a diverse group of plant species. I realize that Gerry's aquarium only appears to be deceptively simple. Plus, I like the minimalist look. I'm also dealing with some serious health issues which limit my ability to maintain an aquarium. I'll spare everyone the sordid details, but my immune system is somewhat impaired, because of one of the meds I have to take, so the doctors tell me I need to be careful about limiting my exposure to aquarium water, detritus, etc.. I'm hoping to achieve that by choosing plants that only require a minimum of trimming, thinning, etc., and keeping the bioload relatively low.

Also, as for my experience, I'm not starting completely from scratch. I'm a retired Biology professor and I've been keeping aquaria of various types, off and on, since I was nine, albeit I've never tried my hand at a planted aquarium. Given that I'm disabled and have lots of time to fill, I thought I might learn and try something new. And I've been very fortunate in finding this forum where there are so many knowledgeable people like you who have been kind enough to share their knowledge with me. Believe it or not, I actually jot down notes in a notebook regarding the replies I receive, along with other useful info I find in various posts here for future reference.

I'm prattling again, so how about those floating plants I originally asked about? Any suggestions? I already know from bitter experience to stay well away from duckweed. :)
 

Gerryd

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Sep 23, 2007
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Hi all,

May I shed some light on Gerry's tank? I know him and his tank fairly well :)

Keeping lesser species can be less work. I like the belem for the following reasons:

1. It does not shed leaves for the most part. A few here and there but I mean a few.
2. It is easy to care for. I do edge trimming and when it gets too tall (for me) I use scissors and mow it like a lawn.
3. It looks great.
4. Folks always want to buy it if you want to farm some of it.
5. It does not require high light (50-60 mmoles is plenty) but does require good c02.

If you look at the progress of my 220, after only 20 days, the lawn looked great and filled in quickly.

Angus, for your tank:

1. I would lower the water level as hatchets are jumpers, period. Even with good plant cover, they can still jump out from the open areas when startled or even feeding.

2. You can use some stem plants as floaters as well. Many will do well floating at the surface. Riccia can form a nice floating mat and some of the pennyworts also float nicely...You can anchor them to a driftwood branch that approaches the surface and it will go from there.

I recently sent Tom a bunch of belem for one of his tanks that uses driftwood, so ask him how that is going :)

Since you like my tank so much, I would be willing to sell you some HG belem to get started. Tom has plenty of wood for sale.

My Dad used to be in Daytona/Ormond area and I was up there all the time and could have brought you some, but he is now in NJ.

I hope this helps a bit.

Will you be using canisters or a wet/dry?

I ask as I also have some health issues and low maintenance was a huge goal for me. I personally find my sump much easier to clean maintain than either the various eheims, renas, or magnums that I used to use.

- - - Updated - - -

Hi all,

May I shed some light on Gerry's tank? I know him and his tank fairly well :)

Keeping lesser species can be less work. I like the belem for the following reasons:

1. It does not shed leaves for the most part. A few here and there but I mean a few.
2. It is easy to care for. I do edge trimming and when it gets too tall (for me) I use scissors and mow it like a lawn.
3. It looks great.
4. Folks always want to buy it if you want to farm some of it.
5. It does not require high light (50-60 mmoles is plenty) but does require good c02.

If you look at the progress of my 220, after only 20 days, the lawn looked great and filled in quickly.

Angus, for your tank:

1. I would lower the water level as hatchets are jumpers, period. Even with good plant cover, they can still jump out from the open areas when startled or even feeding.

2. You can use some stem plants as floaters as well. Many will do well floating at the surface. Riccia can form a nice floating mat and some of the pennyworts also float nicely...You can anchor them to a driftwood branch that approaches the surface and it will go from there.

I recently sent Tom a bunch of belem for one of his tanks that uses driftwood, so ask him how that is going :)

Since you like my tank so much, I would be willing to sell you some HG belem to get started. Tom has plenty of wood for sale.

My Dad used to be in Daytona/Ormond area and I was up there all the time and could have brought you some, but he is now in NJ.

I hope this helps a bit.

Will you be using canisters or a wet/dry?

I ask as I also have some health issues and low maintenance was a huge goal for me. I personally find my sump much easier to clean maintain than either the various eheims, renas, or magnums that I used to use.
 

angus

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Dec 21, 2013
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Central Florida
Thanks very much for your kind and informative reply, Gerry. My liking your tank is a gross understatement. I think your tank is absolutely stunning. And I hope you don't object to my copying you, and consider it flattery rather than laziness on my part. I've watched your video at least a half dozen times, as has my wife. She's also quite taken with your aquarium.

I'm still a few weeks out from needing plants. I'm waiting on the closing of my "old" house (April 18) to get started on the aquarium in earnest. My wife recruited her sons to move the tank and cabinet to our new house today, but I still have to wait on our handyman to build it into the wall.
Someone else on the forum has also offered to sell me some E. belem, but I would like to get as much as possible to give me a good head start on carpeting. If you don't mind, I would like to send you a PM about buying some belem from you when I'm ready for planting.

It's quite a coincidence that you brought up the subject of a wet/dry filter. My wife and I were discussing it this morning. I just bought a new canister filter (Fluval FX6), but I've been having second thoughts, mostly brought about by Tom's writing at length on the subject, and my own experience with them when I had reef tanks.
I see from reading that the CPR hang on the back overflow units are very popular with folks here, and I intend to buy one of the Deluxe doubles. But I haven't seen much in reference to the filter itself, other than DIY units. The only builder of wet/drys that I'm familiar with who's still in business after all these years is Jeff Turlock at a LifeReef. His units are rather pricey.
I no longer have the tools or the room to build my own (plus I have to avoid breathing volatile fumes), unfortunately.
However, I would very much like to change strategies and go with a W/D. It would greatly simplify things and allow me a place to put my Aqua Medic 1000 CO2 reactor, a Purigen reactor, pH probe, room to install an ATO system, and mechanical filtration all in one neat package. Do you, or anyone else have a recommendation for a good W/D filter that'll work well with the CPR Deluxe box and meet all my needs? I'm willing to buy it outright, or work out a deal on a brand new, never used, or set up, Fluval FX6 with a variety of extra filter media tossed into the deal.
 

Overfloater

Member
Mar 3, 2014
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Columbus, OH



Here are two pics from a tank I had in 2006. The carpet is entirely blyxa and the substrate is colorquartz. Its easy to do and the maintenance is pretty simple. You might try it! :)