Just planted my tank -- check out the PICS!!!!

[my name is mike]

i am totally excited about the new plants, and hope i can keep them alive and (fingers crossed) even allow them to thrive

Here's what i got in there:

Java moss
Java fern and lace java fern
crypt ciliata
cambomba
vals
moss balls (check out the giant one, stage right, its about 4" in diameter!)

its a 30 gal with a 65w PC 6700k -- i am dosing with half a cap of excel every day (but think every other day might be better, based on some surfing) - i am also considering using flourish for ferts (good idea?) - current photo period is 5hr on, 2hr off, 5hr on. Any advice here for adjustments would be greatly appreciated as this is my first experience with aquarium plants -- Thanks!

[crazedpuffer]

Nice setup! Nice F8 too!

[CoreyK]

Tank looks wonderful!

Just wondering though, is it brackish?
If so, you may want to keep a careful eye on the plants, as they may not live in brackish if they weren't carefully acclimated and could foul the water.

[stevenlk]

absolutly loving the setup! whats the orange lookin creature, is that a molly? .... major props. and good luck w/ it,

[my name is mike]

thanks everyone --

steven, that is indeed a golden molly, one of the only ones the fig 8 hasn't killed yet, he didnt like the other two that would harass him on a regular basis

corey, it was brackish, but i slowly took the SG down to 1.001 (or below) for the planting, once the plants seem to take hold, i will start slowly raising the SG back up to 1.005

[kass]

Looks awsome.

[manutius]

Great stuff very natural looking tank well done

[manutius]

how's this doing Mike?

[my name is mike]

things are good, thanks for asking --- the molly in the first pictures was murdered, but the plants are doing well . the SG is at .005 and the plants are doing well. the cambomba is not doing as well since raising the SG, but its not dying. The hornwort grows like a weed and helps keep algae pretty much in check. the ctypt ciliata in the front does great (but the fig 8 loves to poke holes in it, looking for snails i guess) --- the java fern, both lace and regular are doing great, shooting off new little groups all the time. ive started transfering the extra growth to my 20 gal baby fig 8 tank

The bummer with the brackish tanks is when you want to add new plants, you have to have a whole tank dedicated to it. Starting them in fresh and then bringing up to SG over a few weeks once they take hold -- thats why i havent added much since the beginning, and what made it, has made it

i just got my camera working and took some pics last night (not great but you get the idea)

[manutius]

it looks great mate, good job I hadn't considered the bother of adding new plants, must be a pain but then again of its gonna look like your tank then its worth having an acclimatising tank. I'd love to see a vid of you puffer whizzing about in there, any chance at all? Have you entered the tank of the month comp?

[my name is mike]

yeah , i hadnt considered it either, until i realized i wanted to add watersprite, tried to just stick it in, and it died in a few weeks (bummer)

yeah, i can grab a video -- he is totally scared of the camera for the most part, but from time to time he tolerates it, so ill give it a shot

i havent entered the TOTM yet, but might do it this month, since my camera is working again.

[Samr]

wow looks great

[kimmers318]

Very nice planted tank. I have NO luck with plants of any kind except java moss, and that is only because it is in the corner of a tank that gets natural sunlight in that corner!!! It is the same for house plants and yard plants...they all die on me!

[THE AMAZONIAN]

Great Looking Set-up!!

[mikeosoft]

How's the tank doing? Are you getting pretty good growth out of the plants? I've been really wanting to setup a planted-brackish tank for a F8. Your tank is starting to make me think it can work!