[jennesque]

I had to add some more sand for the large swords, plus I ripped up most of the other plants so the water is still cloudy. I'll try to take some better pics later tonight when it's dark out.. so you can see better.

I took out a majority of my plants and now I just have various swords and some pennywort (and floating water sprite..?)



I've got Echinodorus Kleiner Prinz in the front left, it's supposed to stay relatively small. Echinodorus 'Rubin' (Red Rubin) behind that. In the middle of the background that's supposedly a Echinodorus Kleiner Bar. Next to that is Echinodorus uruguayensis. I've also got some small stems of pennywort throughout the swords in the background.
In the 'midground' are Echinodorus Parviflorus 'Tropica' and then in front of that there's some Lilaeopsis brasiliensis (Microsword) which I'm hoping will survive the distance from the light.

This is a new tank for me. I recently moved from a 28gal bowfront to this 37gal tank. Not totally sure if I love the plant arrangement, but I know it still needs to grow in. Should I move anything? The Red Rubin is supposed to grow pretty large.. The Uruguayensis is supposed to grow very tall, but pretty slender for a sword.. And I know at least the Kleiner Prinz is supposed to stay under 12".. not sure about if I want to keep the Kleiner Bar or not.. I also have an Ozelot coming in, which I know I don't have room for. Not sure if that'd look better than the Kleiner Bar or not.

Is one root tab per large sword enough? Using the flourish root tabs. I've also got a couple around the small swords and microsword.

Also installed my DIY spraybar today.

 

[Byron]

Canyou move that piece of rock/wood at the front right over to the front left where there is a blank area? I think this will balance out the wood/rock bits. If something needs to go where this piece now is, I would move the very small piece from the left to this area.

Does that make sense?

 

[jennesque]

It's wood attached to tile.. I can move it though, each piece is separate.

Are you saying to move the wood to where it looks like this?


Though it'd be hard to move the triangular piece forward like I had it in this pic, but I can move the smallest piece over to the left.

 

[jennesque]

I'm also curious if these swords are going to grow to the point where they totally take over, lol. I was debating on if the two swords (Rubin and Uruguayensis) would grow wide enough to cover the majority of the background of the tank.

I'm probably going to try to grow my extra sword emersed, and I think the Kleiner Bar may have already been growing emersed since it's leaves are mostly oval and very green. I was going to do a sortof riparium for my newts in the 28 gal, with probably 7-8" of water and let the sword grow out of the water. Not sure if I should keep the kleiner bar in this tank, or try it in the other tank.

This tank here is only 30" long.. I don't want the swords to totally outgrow the tank. I do realize pruning will need to be done.

 

[Byron]

On the wood first, yes to where you have the small piece on the front left, but leave the "medium" piece back where it is in the first photo. And if there is an "empty" looking space, move that tiny piece on the left of the large bit over to the right front area.

On the swords growth, this is not always easy to predict, as the plants in this genus often develop differently according to light and nutrients. These species are in the profile, check there too.

 

[jennesque]

I moved the wood like you suggested, that certainly helps fill out the left side. I also took out the sword I don't really like.. It's not really in great condition, doesn't look like how I expected.. though I still think it may be in it's emersed form. It's leaves are slightly thicker but definitely rougher than any of the other swords in my tank.. but they're all different species so that could mean nothing.

I will see how the other sword I ordered looks when it arrives with more pennywort and see if that looks good in the back as well. I feel like if they are able to grow healthily, the plants in the back already will grow large enough to cover the background pretty well.. But I can plant the other sword just in case.

 

[Byron]

I moved the wood like you suggested, that certainly helps fill out the left side. I also took out the sword I don't really like.. It's not really in great condition, doesn't look like how I expected.. though I still think it may be in it's emersed form. It's leaves are slightly thicker but definitely rougher than any of the other swords in my tank.. but they're all different species so that could mean nothing.

I will see how the other sword I ordered looks when it arrives with more pennywort and see if that looks good in the back as well. I feel like if they are able to grow healthily, the plants in the back already will grow large enough to cover the background pretty well.. But I can plant the other sword just in case.

Yes, that is better balanced.

 

[fish keeper 2013]

I like it a lot better now than before. Even though I like white sand over black sand the sand and the rocks made for a bad blend. The black sand provides much more contrast with the rocks. Nice job with your rescape!

 

[jennesque]

Thank you.. Yeah, the sand I had was wayyy too bright. I think it might've looked nice with natural colored sand, something more brown, but I do like the black. It makes the colors pop more.

The rocks are actually wood, they're Cyprus knees. There's a bit of java moss that's growing on them, and that's the dark areas..

Woo.. I *need* to get that pennywort growing so I can float it. The lights are bright in the tank! I had some cabomba floating in it before I did the rescape (that other picture with white sand I posted is actually pretty old..) but for whatever reason the cabomba didn't want to float at all when I put it back in the tank. I think it's because the current has changed since I put in the spray bar, instead of just having a duck bill pointed into the corner.

Whatever it is, I think my cardinals are happier now because I see them swimming around the tank a lot more. They're still relatively new so I know they're still going to be shy but they're coming out much more now. I can see my whiptail out and about more too.. he (or she) likes the swords.

 

[JDM]

The pennywort will grow faster floating.

Tank's looking great!

Jeff.

 

[jennesque]

Thank you!

I've been having problems keeping the pennywort under the light when I leave it floating.. Not sure if I should raise the light at all, cause it's already so far from the substrate already.

I may need to move the direction the spray bar is pointed.. I've got it pointed out and slightly up, which creates a bit of a current flowing down the front of the tank.

 

[Byron]

Thank you!

I've been having problems keeping the pennywort under the light when I leave it floating.. Not sure if I should raise the light at all, cause it's already so far from the substrate already.

I may need to move the direction the spray bar is pointed.. I've got it pointed out and slightly up, which creates a bit of a current flowing down the front of the tank.

I'm assuming from the photos that the spraybar has to be where it is, correct? If so, I would adjust the holes to face the back wall and slightly down, so the water flow is into the back wall and down. This is much better for a couple of reasons.

Byron.

 

[jennesque]

It doesn't have to be.. Though I can't really move it much deeper than that.
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[JDM]

I mounted my spraybar vertically and it has holes on either side so it directs the flow out along the back and around the front. This keeps all the floaters together in the center nicely and I have duckweed mixed in with my pennywort and other floating plants. The surface is fairly still but it moves enough to coral the plants.

It's also made out of soaker hose which further serves to reduce the intensity of the water flow.

Jeff.

 

[jennesque]

I could do that too I think..

I do have a small sponge filter running in the left corner that provides some movement at the surface. I have that running in case I need to set up a hospital tank. I've been debating on where to out everything. I know having things close to the center is usually best.. If I put the spray bar vertically I could move the heater and intake closer to the center.
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