Bettarazzi Posted May 9, 2007 Report Share Posted May 9, 2007 Took photos of my planted 2 foot tank today. Essentially trying to find something to do other than trawling websites looking at pictures of bettas I can't have. There's a plant in the rear on the left side of the tank next to the java fern which I'm not sure about. The LFS said it was Willow Hygro which I hadn't heard of. Can anyone confirm? Oh, my red mongrel LFS female is there as well. I tried to get a close up of her but she wouldn't stay still. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tuataress Posted May 9, 2007 Report Share Posted May 9, 2007 Hey the tank looks great - wish mine looked like that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Posted May 10, 2007 Report Share Posted May 10, 2007 That looks great What sort of lighting do you use? co2? ferts :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jess Posted May 10, 2007 Report Share Posted May 10, 2007 I can't see which one you mean :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bettarazzi Posted May 10, 2007 Author Report Share Posted May 10, 2007 I've cropped the photo and enlarged a little to show the Willow Hygro. It's the long narrow leaves behind the variegated hygro. Probably still not good enough for ID. I'll try to get a close up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beano Posted May 10, 2007 Report Share Posted May 10, 2007 what are those double tailed fish? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bettarazzi Posted May 10, 2007 Author Report Share Posted May 10, 2007 Those little cream things? They're not double tailed. They're blurry tailed baby guppies. Growing fast and I'm hoping to get some virgin females to start my line of lyre tails. Oh yeah. Then they will be kinda double tailed but not in the betta way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beano Posted May 10, 2007 Report Share Posted May 10, 2007 No, I mean in the first photo you put up - there's a yellow and purple fish that look like they have 2 tails - are they lyre tails? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jess Posted May 10, 2007 Report Share Posted May 10, 2007 They'd be Guppies in the first pic too. Yeah, don't know what that plant is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bettarazzi Posted May 10, 2007 Author Report Share Posted May 10, 2007 No, I mean in the first photo you put up - there's a yellow and purple fish that look like they have 2 tails - are they lyre tails? Sorry. Yes, they're lyre tail guppies. I think. I'm not a guppy expert. They might be considered double swords. I can't get a good pic of them. I'm trying to develop a line of blue double swords/lyretails. It will probably take a couple of generations because I don't have a matching female. Fortunately guppies get to breeding age really fast. They're fussy about water quality though and apparently about being moved when they're pregnant. What sort of lighting do you use? co2? ferts I started setting this tank up on 25 Mar 2007 Lighting is a single Powerglo Substrate is 3mm red gravel Fertilised with a bit of Dupla Root in the gravel. I was a bit of a cheapskate with it, probably only about 3-4 tbsp There was a DIY CO2 bottle going for the first couple of weeks. But I've been too lazy and 'betta mad' to fill it up. I will do it soon though. Filtration and heating is via a Hydor EKIP Thermofilter. It has a venturi which the CO2 goes into. I've added a dose of API Leaf Zone once since this tank was setup Plants are: Myriophyllum simulans, Hygrophila polysperma, H.difformis, Vallisneria spirallis, V.tortifolia, Ceratophyllum demersum, Microsorium pteropus, Riccia fluitans, Taxiphyllum barbieri, Cryptocoryne willisii, C.undulata, plus something sold to me by the LFS as Willow Hygro. Some of the younger leaves of the java fern seem to be going translucent. I think it's caused by too much or too little of something. I'm wondering if it's getting too much light, although it's not the leaves closest to the light that are affected. Any ideas? Should I be more consistent with the Leaf Zone? And I guess I really need to get that CO2 started up again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jess Posted May 10, 2007 Report Share Posted May 10, 2007 I think the Java fern issues is with temperature. I get it every now and then and seems to coincide with fluctuations. It's a pain as the whole leaf dies off. They aren't the fastest growers either! You tank is great Michael, thought about logging its progress? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bettarazzi Posted May 10, 2007 Author Report Share Posted May 10, 2007 So is the temperature too high? or too low? Ohh.... I see, it doesn't like it when the temp swings? I think water flow in that tank was pretty bad for a while. The Willow Hygro got very large and was sitting in front of the filter. I think it's size was affecting the water flow and consequently the temperature. So the leaf won't recover? What if I cut off the affected part? Hmmm.... that's no good... it's the growing tip that's affected. It's very annoying since java fern is soooooo slow growing as it is. There are other problems with that tank too. I think I introduced black hair algae with the Val. I'm tossing up between removing it or feeding it to the flying foxes in my other planted tank. I should take some pictures of that as well. Re: logging. Hadn't really thought about it. It'd be like watching grass grow wouldn't it? Or algae in my case? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jess Posted May 10, 2007 Report Share Posted May 10, 2007 I am certain it is a high temperature swing. Abbey and I theorised it was the cause one day as we both had it happening. If there is any shoots coming off its tips, cut the leaf from parent plant and let it float on the surface. Last year my 4ft was infested with snails terribly. My Java fern was being destroyed completely. I removed all the dead leaves and plants from the tank, rinsed them clean and have kept them floating in a small tank. They have finally recovered enough to plant back into the 4ft and almost all of them have shoots which I have taken and am growing out in another tank. Logging, can be for as long as you want! There is a planted tank log I have been following for over a year elsewhere and this person takes an updated shot each week etc as they take a while to grow and with trial and error. I think it is awe inspiring for many people! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bettarazzi Posted May 10, 2007 Author Report Share Posted May 10, 2007 I've got a planted 3 foot as well. That might be more interesting. Coz the layout is rubbish and people can see it transform into a thing of beauty. Of course it could just go from one bad layout to another. Oh I had a question. Do people think it's necessary to have an airstone going after lights out to balance out the CO2? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jess Posted May 10, 2007 Report Share Posted May 10, 2007 I love to see tanks transformed! Oh I had a question. Do people think it's necessary to have an airstone going after lights out to balance out the CO2? For sure, if you have a timer on your lights, you could add another timer for an airpump (space permitting) to come on after dark. I had this for a awhile until a timer died and the DH pinched the other for his shed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuckie Posted May 11, 2007 Report Share Posted May 11, 2007 I don't think it's necessary though. I never ran an airstone at night when I used CO2 and the fish were fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bettarazzi Posted May 11, 2007 Author Report Share Posted May 11, 2007 I think I might try it without for a while. Apart from anything I need that pump and timer elsewhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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