Bren MacFish Posted August 27, 2006 Report Share Posted August 27, 2006 Copying Betty Harris who was copying Diana Walstead, I've had a go at putting in a natural planted tank. The principal is that it is self-sufficent, lots of plants and bacteria in the soil take care of the breakdown of waste and provide all the nutrients the plant needs. A whole ecosystem in a bottle... or aquarium. It relies on good bacteria in the soil, plants outdoing algae, plants exchanging at the surface, lots of things really. So taking my 2ft extra deep (87l) I put down my layer of potting mix and crushed shells and then added plants: Duckweed Hygrophila polysperma Bacopa Caroliniana Ech. quad an Ozelot sword an Anubias a val or two java fern and Utricularia australis (a MEAT eater) Followed by a layer of gravel and a sponge filter to keep the water moving mainly. I have driftwood with javamoss left to add, and of course the fish. Already threw in some blackworms (lousy burrowers... they just half burrow!) and a little snail... who I haven't seen since. I'm not happy with the layout, but lighting is an issue... it is brighter at one end, and I'm hoping it will grow on me (pun intended). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bren MacFish Posted August 27, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 27, 2006 Scuse the lousy photography. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuckie Posted August 27, 2006 Report Share Posted August 27, 2006 that will look great once it's all bedded in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jess Posted August 27, 2006 Report Share Posted August 27, 2006 For sure! Give it a few more weeks and some Flourish I like the arrangement personally :lol: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterJ Posted August 27, 2006 Report Share Posted August 27, 2006 Already threw in some blackworms (lousy burrowers... they just half burrow!) They'll probably burrow more once your plants settle in and produce more O2 and/or you add the fish and the worms get their ends bitten off. It always amazes me how many blackworms surface in my planted growouts when I remove the fish and turn off the filter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Posted August 28, 2006 Report Share Posted August 28, 2006 Looks like a good start, didn't know you were a member of APC, im not i just read the forum the only thing i would suggest is a background, maybe black, it'll make the plants stand out even more. Any fauna plans at the moment? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bren MacFish Posted August 28, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 28, 2006 Me too, been reading how other people have done it at APC for a while. It looks great for bettas. I have 8 big betta girls to go back in with a couple of snails, need to test the water and top it up first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jess Posted September 3, 2006 Report Share Posted September 3, 2006 Bump! How is the tank going Bren? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bren MacFish Posted September 4, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 4, 2006 Half the girls are in there and keeping the cycle working. It was instantly cycled really by using mostly old water and an old filter but still a little dodgy initially. The meat eater plant detached itself from the gravel and now is roving free at the surface but still alive. The hygrophilia is very happy and the other plants look like they might contemplate acceptance of their new home soon. I hope. There is a strange slime in the depressions... supposed to be some mulm but the strange slime is definitely not mulmish. Will vac it out, I think, doesn't look healthy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jess Posted September 4, 2006 Report Share Posted September 4, 2006 Cool. Has the plants grown much? any more additions? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bren MacFish Posted September 4, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 4, 2006 APCs a funny forum. 800 people will look at your thread and only two or three will comment and only one will have any advice. It's like a forum for professional lurkers... or maybe I'm just too out there by having a go at a NPT publically? I don't mind public failure tho... :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Posted September 4, 2006 Report Share Posted September 4, 2006 Don't be discouraged Bren, I was 1 out of the 800 that looked at it, and even diana left a post, thats pretty impressive . Another of our members has posted on plantedtank.net and hasn't got much of a reception either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Posted September 11, 2006 Report Share Posted September 11, 2006 Hey Bren, hows the tank going? Got any updated photos? I am trying something similar to your tank, i think its a great idea ( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bren MacFish Posted September 11, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 11, 2006 Well, I meant to test the water again two days ago but haven't got around to it. Got a little blue green algae happening, which is a good sign, altho annoying. Fish seem happy. The anubia and the sword browned on the edges a bit. The only plants which are entirely ecstatic about the new surroundings are the hygrophilia and the duck weed and the system needs fast growing plants to clean out the water so that's good. Still got slimey stuff in the divots. I was expecting mulm, not slimey stuff. I stabbed the substrate with a skewer and bubbles errupted so I presume that means some sort of aerobic bacteria is at work down there. The soil is alive! Mwahahahah! Will take some photos later this week when I put the rest of the big girls in there. How have you set your tank up? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Posted September 11, 2006 Report Share Posted September 11, 2006 Sounds like there is some interesting stuff happening in there Bren!! I have set mine up but it has a filter on it, although i never clean the filter, more just there for bacteria. Its not as natural looking as yours, but, i can add to it and change it. I have a few types of plants and also added some duckweed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bren MacFish Posted September 12, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 12, 2006 It looks great! I can imagine the val thickening to a forest of val at the back looking like seaweed against the sand there. Is it square? I love the look of square tanks. Seems more natural based on a square. Is there soil under the sand? I read somewhere that sand suppressed the aerobic ability of the soil which would stop it from growing the good bacteria needed to keep the tank healthy. But smaller gravel than mine was supposed to be used... as long as it keeps the soil on the bottom, I reckon. I'm being a bit slap happy with the NPL principles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pritch33 Posted September 12, 2006 Report Share Posted September 12, 2006 hi Bren MacFish being from melbourne have you looked at using laterite soil for your substrate instead of potting mix you can collect from werribie and is great for growing plants Ray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bren MacFish Posted September 12, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 12, 2006 Ahhh... I have heard the aquarium masters speak of this mysterious laterite from Werribee... I wasn't sure what kind of substrate it was... or why anyone would travel all the way to Werribee in search of it or if it was legal to steal dirt and if I would be able to steal the right dirt. How do you recognise laterite? Is laterite full of juicy bacterial goodness like potting mix? The Oakleigh dirt is hydrophobic alluvial sand... nothing lives in it. It would probably float. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuckie Posted September 12, 2006 Report Share Posted September 12, 2006 I think laterite has high iron content. If so, I wish I could go to werribee and steal some dirt, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bren MacFish Posted September 13, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 13, 2006 Hop in the car now and you could get here in time to join the Melbourne fish crawl, I'm sure they could swing by Werribee and do some dirt theft enmasse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bren MacFish Posted August 5, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 5, 2007 BEFORE: AFTER: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bettarazzi Posted August 7, 2007 Report Share Posted August 7, 2007 What happened with the sword? And are you doing water changes only every 6 months? And what happened about the mysterious slime? It looks quite clear and health? What plants are left in it now? Can see lots of val. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bettarazzi Posted August 7, 2007 Report Share Posted August 7, 2007 And can't see any fish! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
divy Posted August 7, 2007 Report Share Posted August 7, 2007 i see a red female at the top shes playing hide an seek with the camara...lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bettarazzi Posted August 7, 2007 Report Share Posted August 7, 2007 oh yeah..... I see her now. You need a nice red boy for her Bren. Why can't you use the same concept on the barracks? Then you wouldn't have to do all those water changes you don't have time for. And you wouldn't have to sell it. How small a tank can this work in? Wonder if it will work in a coke bottle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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