Planting my Tanks...

[Brent]

No, no bark. But that is useful info!

Seeing as I found them on a beach just out of reach of the tide, I'd say they probably have some unknown substances.

I'll be a good boy and buy some small driftwood instead.

Thanks Nick.

[Nick]

No problem. The most innocent-seeming things can behave oddly once permanently underwater. Even certain rocks that seemed fine with every examination and were then boiled off might turn out to have a TINY band of something that dissolves in the water, and all of a sudden your GH is slowly rising out of nowhere. With something as permeable as wood...

Yea, good choice.

[Brent]

I knew of the rock issue from Corvus several months back... But wood really does seem harmless. Good thing I decided to ask rather than just try it and see.


I'll put some pictures up later tonight of my progress. Started cleaning a few days ago. Not a whole lot to see, but you'll at least get an idea of the tanks.

[Brent]

Sorry about linking to them, but resizing takes like 25 minutes per picture.

http://i42.tinypic.com/rjfew1.jpg

http://i43.tinypic.com/2n1vtrp.jpg

http://i43.tinypic.com/x3t5y.jpg

In chronological order:

25g (sorry about the water quality- with no inhabitants I haven't been as picky about a clean substrate/glass etc.)
10g
5g

[J-P]

your dream list will not fit in that tank ... have you thought of a species only tank?

the plants will grow at different rates and crowd out others... wasted $$

[Brent]

Oh, I know. They won't be able to order all of them anyway.

Again, dream list. I told them what I wanted. I'll pick and choose from what they say they can get me.

I thought I said that already.... Oops.

[J-P]

My advice is try to find a spot light plant... something unique to focus on ...

and choose something to compliment that and let it grow out

[Brent]

Wow. Reading how I put numbers by everything it really sounds like I expected it all! It was meant to be what I was going to ask for, and go from there, but I never did specify that. Edited those out. Anyway...

I'd want the spotlight to be the Ludwigia Ovalis, but I don't know if that's going to work out as it was meant to be an expirement.

I think I need their stock list first... Choose from there.

Edit://

To elaborate on the above, I think it was probably false-hope that restricted me from mentioning that I didn't think I'd be able to get them all. I knew it, but admitting it is so hard. Haha

[J-P]

there are a few things to keep in mind

1) availability
2) function
3) esthetic's

Everyone wants a nice looking tank... but if you can't get what you want, you'll have to settle for what you can get.

Function ... why are you adding plants? This will determine what types you introduce. If you are looking for a "pretty tank" vs "high water filtration". You can have both worlds but keep in mind the availability.

If you are going for purely "the look" then you are in for some serious $$. Plants can, and will be, more expensive than the fish you keep in the tank. To put that in perspective, think of corals... the fish are cheap.. but keeping the corals (lights etc..) are expensive.


Find out what you can get, what works, and what you like (in that order)... and you'll be OK