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Worlds Behind Glass (a journal?)

18K views 107 replies 17 participants last post by  Knuggs 
#1 · (Edited)
I'm working through a backlog of pictures from at least April - my computer is over-crowded and fighting with me for each one, so you'll be seeing a lot of random shots of various things thrown up here as I come across them, some old and some new. . . not exactly a journal, but all you gorgeous people keep poking at me for pics, and since you have always humored me when I stomp around here demanding them, I figured I'd try to oblige!


I haven't gotten very many new animals, and nothing fishy, for sure - though I did have a lot of fun experimenting with plants this summer (obviously)!

I'll be updating my sadly neglected Becoming 55g thread as I come across the pictures that belong there too. Sorry for the delay - it's taken me a bit of time to work through a rough patch in that tank (thanks to all of you who offered your support and helped so much in getting us through!)

TFK peeps are seriously the greatest! Thanks for always being awesome, guys!! *luffs*






Look what I found in my tank today! ^_^
 
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#6 · (Edited)
It is pretty, neh!?? Brings a whole new light to a common old Anubias - though I love them just fine without. I've had two spathes in about a month - and nothing before that for almost two years! I think it's because there are so many of them in there right now. . . More?! lol. . . maybe I can dig up just ONE more. . .

 
#11 ·
You play dirty, Agent. Don't you have anything better to investigate?! ^.~
Let me feed the minions, and I'll see what I can do for you. . .

Both of those that have flowered for me have been Anubias Barteri var. nana, and from what I've read (I could be totally wrong) these seem to be the most likely species to flower UNDER the water. In their native environments, these plants are more likely to be found growing submerged than many of the other species, which are more often emersed, except during certain times of year (again, check me oh, Reffie - I know not of what I speak!). I think just as long as you have a few of the same type, they'll be more likely to aaahhmmmm, be in the mood, so to speak -and then you get to see flowers! The flowers can't do anything submerged, though - they just hang around for a while and eventually get funky and need to be cut off - though from what I've read, once they flower, they'll often do it again - provided conditions are right. I've *ALSO* read that high phosphate levels will encourage them to bloom, but I actually test my tanks for phosphates, and always get a 0 reading. . .

. . . anyway, there's your next assignment! Do some detective work, and see what you can dig up on the subject! This is just off my head, and based on things that I *might* have read a while ago, so take it with 6 grains of salt, and feel free to correct me if I'm wrong! ^_^
 
#15 · (Edited)
Ao - this tank has a piece of black foam core behind it, (I go out of my way to keep it algae-free and avoid reflections so it vanishes easily from pictures) but I do plan on painting the back of the 125g! That's a mission I'm very excited for. . . still. lol.
I thought you didn't like Anubias?!!

Feel your pain, Agent - I did both of those things after I posted this, too - a mother's day is never over, neh?!
Thanks for the investigation! - I really hope they choose to keep on the path of the spathe!!! So pretty!

Trick question, though. . . (I played dirty, too)
They are all Anubias barteri, but not all of them are nana - though both that have flowered are. I know there is at least one plant that you can't see behind the big rock that you *also* can't see cuz' it's covered in (too many) rhizome plants. >.<

^__^

I *think* there are:

2 Anubias barteri var. barteri
4 Anubias barteri var. nana (one is massive, and as long as the rock)
3 (maybe 4?) Anubias barteri var. nana "petite"
2 (maybe 3?) Anubias barteri var. coffeefolia

(I get confused between this tank and the 10g that is also stuffed with rhizomes - not sure which ended up where anymore!)

This is loach mountain, it was built specifically to be a Pangio playground, and at this point has taken over *almost* half of Becoming 55g. They love it there, but it *may* have gotten just a bit out of control! *blushes* It's basically a tangled mass of roots, rocks, and driftwood with a whole lotta moss growing around the base (especially behind). There were at least six of them tumbling around in there when I took this pic, but I was only able to find a half of two loaches in the shot - bonus points if you can find them!

<3 mah loachies!
 
#17 ·
This is loach mountain, it was built specifically to be a Pangio playground, and at this point has taken over *almost* half of Becoming 55g. They love it there, but it *may* have gotten just a bit out of control! *blushes* It's basically a tangled mass of roots, rocks, and driftwood with a whole lotta moss growing around the base (especially behind). There were at least six of them tumbling around in there when I took this pic, but I was only able to find a half of two loaches in the shot - bonus points if you can find them!

<3 mah loachies!
Loach mountain looks fun!! My loachy tank is pretty fun but yours seriously looks like a playground! I have what I call the loach tree . About 5 stems I can't even remember what they are creating a mini forest that the enjoy sitting on or under the leaves. Their constant silliness, plant climbing and schooling with the wrong fish just is great ("yes my weirdo zebra and angelicus, you guys are in fact not threadfin rainbows...try as you might but you just look ridiculous" ). But I has no spathe :-(
 
#20 · (Edited)
Wow, guys! I'm the one that's (almost) speechless! Thanks for such sweet words!!!

I LOVE loach mountain, but I thought it had become a green disaster area! It's the loaches that really make it shine. . . too bad you can't really see them in the picture (+10 to those of you who found a couple!) In this tank live a shoal of Banded 'Kuhli' (Pangio semicincta) and Dwarf 'Kuhli' (Pangio cuneovirgata). *adores*

Aquascaping sticky?! Koi!!! Thank you for the vote of confidence, babe - but your 'scapes are the ones that are well thought-out and gorgeous! I vote for you! My sticky wouldn't be terribly helpful, I'm afraid:
Find a big rock and a couple of sticks. Add entirely too many rhizome plants and dump in tank. SHAKE (don't stir). Allow to settle. Add C.spiralis and assorted mosses (if desired). Garnish with squirmy loachlings and enjoy! >.<

Agent, I'm jealous of your loaches (be they zebra or angelicus - or both!) Jealous of the threadfin rainbows, too *luffs*! I've only had wormy loaches, but am fairly determined to one day bring home a shoal of Hovering zebra loaches (Micronemacheilus cruciatus). It won't be until I (finally) get the 125g set up. Which is kind of funny, because I'll actually have enough room for a shoal of larger loachbutts. . . I'm just head-over-heels for the tiny guys!

The loaches do seem to adore their mountain. It's hard to tell from the picture, but the main rock has an overhang that they like to chill under, and of course loaches love plants. I always get the impression that they like anything they can twirl around - so piles of rooty rhizome plants are heaven for them. . .and of course nothing beats a nice broad leaf for a nap - especially one that happens to be shaded by another nice broad leaf! I can never get a picture of the world BEHIND the rock. That's where I dump extra sponges for JIC seeding, and there is a TON of moss back there, too - the little ones seem particularly fond of frolicking in the moss. . .




I think you ALL need an Anubias flower of your very own!!!
(they seem to be in high demand!)

You guys should grab a few A. nana plants (3+?) the next time you can, and lets test out the group love theory!
You can't really go wrong with this plant. It thrives in next-to-no light, and is nearly impossible to kill - bonus? PRETTY AND GREEEEEEN!

My TFK peeps are always telling me that I can never have too many bottom dwellers. . . I say you can never have too many anubias!!! ~_^

NEED MOAR PLANTS!!! <3
 
#21 · (Edited)
Plant QT tanks

since y'all seem to like tanks with too many of the same kind of plant, here's a shot of the 29g Crypt QT tank (with bonus lotus!). Some of you have already seen this image, it was taken in the summer just before I decided that I needed to clear it out a bit and started sending plantlets off to live in new homes. . .





Might as well throw this one up too - this summer I had a good time experimenting with a dirt substrate for the first time! Another plant QT, 20gL, this one is *mostly* filled with swords and Dwarf Sagittaria. (a huge thank-you to JenTralala and Termato for sending me their 'extras' to grow out in preparation for the 125g! <3). A few pretty crypts to the right - they didn't seem to be thriving as much as the others, and are now growing much better in the Crypt QT pictured above. The swords were little woobies when I got them, and at this point. . . well, I think I need to get them into a bigger tank! (this is an older image) I'm really impressed with the growth on the D.Sag, it's pretty much taken over the tank, which is awesome! I've never had luck with this plant, even in this tank with this light. It doesn't die, it just never has grown much for me, either - until now. I think it's really loving the nutrient-rich soil. I'll have to give it extra root tabs once I move it into a sandy tank and cross my fingers that it stays happy.

As you can see, I play with my plants entirely to much to keep a proper sand cap in place, hence all the dirt on TOP of the sand in there. No dirty tanks with fishies for me, I think, but fantastic for plant growth! >.<



Many thanks go to BWG for digging me up some amazing deals on many of the plants you see in both these tanks, as well as quite a few of those gorgeous rhizome plants from the shots before!


Both these tanks have changed quite a bit since then, being QT tanks, but I happen to have these images uploaded already - so there you go!

I keep trying to close tanks to make my life easier - but somehow tank consolidation inevitably leads directly to the set up of yet another tank! >.< Maybe this time I'll win?! (too many tanksssssss!)




 
#26 · (Edited)
Thanks everyone!
Delmar, Pete and Everett are Fowler's Toads.
My guess is that Pete is a season younger, because he's so much smaller than the others
(not that any of them are particularly big)

*swoonsforPete*




Their 10g tank is the (current) end result of all the fun I had playing with plants out in the backyard this summer.
It's an odd mix of true tropicals, natives collected locally from the woods near my home, and emersed tank plants.
. . .I got myself in trouble when autumn arrived and I had to find a place for everything indoors! >.<

Aokashi helped get my emersed experiment started way back in July with a RAOK of trimmings from her gorgeous setup(s). (thanks Ao!)
Here's where many of these plants started - I never expected them to grow for me!!!



I lost many of the stem plants when I added the toads - Apparently they didn't appreciate being hopped on :/
The crypts and ferns seem to be handling the abuse fairly well so far. *fingers crossed*
The photos of the tank at the top of my last post were taken just after a heavy pruning - it was a jungle in there!
I hope it continues to grow, and the toady babies stay happy - the toads have been a lot of fun to keep and care for. ^__^

I'll have to dig up an image from when this tank was first set up with all emersed plants - pre toadies. . . it's grown in and changed a lot since then - can't wait to see where it goes next!
 
#28 ·
When it was warmer out, they were mostly eating rolly polly pill bugs that the kids happily helped me gather from our yard - we had a fun time building a habitat for them, too (sure I have pics of it somewhere on this hard drive!). Now that it's winter, we've switched to crickets that we get from the pet shop. . . I'm not a huge fan of the crickets - lol, but the toadies seem to be! >.<
 
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