Phil Posted October 16, 2005 Author Report Share Posted October 16, 2005 10 days later: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuckie Posted October 16, 2005 Report Share Posted October 16, 2005 great! I'd keep pinching it out to get it growing really bushy if you can. I never coud get that stuff to grow - ironic, as it is supposed to be one of the easiest stem plants. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Posted October 16, 2005 Author Report Share Posted October 16, 2005 it must be the co2, it hasnt grown b4 for me either. I plan to cut them in 3 soon :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Posted October 19, 2005 Author Report Share Posted October 19, 2005 ok, i got sick of the messyness, and wanted to add some structure, so added 4 grey riverstones. Abbey said 'looks like you have buried a mummified pammy lee' but i like them. The 2 bunches between the rocks will go, to be repaced with a pair of red swords bewteen the rocks, and some sort of groundcover in the front: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
splendidbetta Posted October 19, 2005 Report Share Posted October 19, 2005 it looks nice Phil, either way you had it how come the water looks hazy in the last pic? did you take it after you just moved everything around and the dust/dirt got disturbed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Posted October 19, 2005 Author Report Share Posted October 19, 2005 Thanks stefan, Yep it is cloudy because of the mud that got disturbed in the sand. The plants developed amazing root systems in the sand and as i pulled them out, some mud came up aswell. It should clear in a week or so *hopefully* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbies Betta Posted October 19, 2005 Report Share Posted October 19, 2005 Lookin good phil Unless PL had 2 sets of "boosies" I can't see the similarities But i like what you've done to it, more natural looking now :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jess Posted October 19, 2005 Report Share Posted October 19, 2005 Good Work Phil Those wisteria will shoot up in no time! Where are you going to put the sword? That would look good as a centerpiece on the side somewhere. Are you getting any thin valis? that would help with the background. I saw some contorting valis on Mango's list, maybe some of that for spunk. What ground cover are you thinking about? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halszka Posted October 19, 2005 Report Share Posted October 19, 2005 I have to say Valis is awesome for background cover. I bought about 5 small bunches in total and planted them along the back of my 3' tank several weeks ago. They've been going nuts ever since, even sending out runners and growing seperate new shoots (some at a rate of several cm a day! ). I keep pinching them off or they take over the whole surface And all this without any extra CO2 or fertilizer and only one 3' fluro. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Posted October 21, 2005 Author Report Share Posted October 21, 2005 Vallis have never seemed to survive in tropical tanks for me, mabey i had the temperatures too high? I have the green hygro across the back, and that will cover it the whole 4ft (i am so surprised one bunch covers the whole tank!) here is a picture now it has cleared up: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
splendidbetta Posted October 21, 2005 Report Share Posted October 21, 2005 :fish: That tank is awsome Phil, you should be proud I would love to see it again once it fills out some more, but it looks stunning now as it is :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Callatya Posted October 21, 2005 Report Share Posted October 21, 2005 Unless PL had 2 sets of "boosies" I can't see the similarities Well i didn't SEE the outside rocks! it was just the central 2 that caught my eye. I am thinking maybe rock piles? stacks? or maybe a more architectural piece? I don't know, at the moment, 4 evenly spaced rocks aren't doing it for me, but having been on the recieving end of 'rock envy' before, I am reserving my decision until the plants are full-grown :goodo: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mango4Jade Posted October 21, 2005 Report Share Posted October 21, 2005 Dood! That looks someone! very nice! I guess its not an unskilled planted tank...you gotta change the name of the topic Add some red plants and Im sure it will look better Great Work! Mango :goodo: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Posted October 21, 2005 Author Report Share Posted October 21, 2005 Thanks guys, i have ordered the red swords for the colour mango Damn, abbey you are hard to please, do you want to come over and re do it yourself lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
splendidbetta Posted October 21, 2005 Report Share Posted October 21, 2005 Well i didn't SEE the outside rocks! it was just the central 2 that caught my eye. I am thinking maybe rock piles? stacks? or maybe a more architectural piece? I don't know, at the moment, 4 evenly spaced rocks aren't doing it for me, but having been on the recieving end of 'rock envy' before, I am reserving my decision until the plants are full-grown <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I have to agree with Abbey about the rocks. I think a central, main, architectural piece of rock or drift wood would look lovely with the tall plants, and to break up the rest of the tank you could have some smaller rocks. Hey, see if you can find the huge pieces of petrified wood, where the wood has been fossilised and the organic fibres have been replaces with mineral/rock. No need to cure the wood and then you could stack them up in the centre And some red or purple plants would look great in there :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Posted October 22, 2005 Author Report Share Posted October 22, 2005 Ok, i will sort out some rocks today (i have about 1000 outside around the pond and garden, sandstone and river rocks, so will see what pieces i have that will look good :goodo: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jess Posted October 22, 2005 Report Share Posted October 22, 2005 Rocks are good! I re shuffled my 4ft yesterday and add a clump of river rocks and this morning my Matadi Kribs had already moved the sand out and created a little cave under them. Let us know how you go :goodo: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuckie Posted October 22, 2005 Report Share Posted October 22, 2005 ooh, I heard of kribs doing that once and causing a rockfall! It's looking great Phil, and I agree with Mango - not so unskilled! Be careful using sandstone as it can dissolve in the water slowly, alkalinising the pH. You can tell if the rocks are inert by putting vinegar on them. Apparently if they are the type that is going to dissolve and effect pH, they fizz. I haven't tried this as I already knew what the rocks I put in my tanks would do. I have found with Vals that they grow so long they bend over at the surface and block the light out for the other plants, and cutting them at surface level looked shocking. They would be better in a deeper tank (I once had an awesome tall 4' tank that held 316 litres, Val would have looked great in there). I think hygro is a better option, personally, as you can cut the stems and it still looks good. What backing do you have on it? Is it just painted black? It looks totally brilliant. I am a big fan of driftwood, ideally with java moss growing all over it... I can't wait to see it after the new rocks go in! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jess Posted October 22, 2005 Report Share Posted October 22, 2005 Val does look shocking trimmed short at the surface, you can trim it 5-10cm after the top so it slighty bends over, even still I am trimming heaps as it does block the light if left to grow 6m WB BTW :photo: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Posted October 22, 2005 Author Report Share Posted October 22, 2005 Thanks lisa, It is just a standard glossy backing that you buy from the petshop, i got the double sided one, either blue or black, i thought black would look better I like driftwood aswell, but it is so expensive, i plan to put java moss on the new rocks :photo: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jess Posted October 22, 2005 Report Share Posted October 22, 2005 Maybe you could get some driftwood on your little "trip" in a few weeks :confused: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Posted October 22, 2005 Author Report Share Posted October 22, 2005 If i'm lucky to find it :confused: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jess Posted October 22, 2005 Report Share Posted October 22, 2005 Push lilli in, she will help you look for some :confused: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Figure_8 Posted October 22, 2005 Report Share Posted October 22, 2005 :photo: :confused: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Posted October 22, 2005 Author Report Share Posted October 22, 2005 I think we should tell lilli first lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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