# 29 gallon scape



## helgymatt (Sep 12, 2007)

Hi everyone,

I have been in the process of tweaking this 29 gallon tank. It has been set-up for about 2 or 3 months. I have just added some driftwood, moved around some plants, and am seeing "what works" for me. Most of the plants have not reached maturity. Let me know what everyone thinks...

I plan to change a few more things around next week. Ideas I have...
Remove the _Rotala indica_ in the far back right corner and replace it with _Rotala wallichii_. I also thought about taking out the hairgrass and filling that front right corner in with more of the lobelia. I also might place an aquarium lily somewhere in the midground off to the right for a focal point. Any comments about these ideas?

Tank Specs

Light - Two 65w compact fluorecents (6700K)
Substrate - Eco Complete
Ferts - EI dosing and excel
Presurized CO2 injection
XP2 Filter with inline CO2 reactor.

Fauna: Three swordtails, two black mollies, 5 SAE, 5 oto cats, 2 amano shrimp, yoyo loach, and about 30 nerite snails.


























Matt


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## helgymatt (Sep 12, 2007)

No comments about this tank??? Please, Be critical!


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## JustOneMore21 (Mar 19, 2007)

Your scape is really nice! I love the layout of the plants and the different textures.

I would suggest atleast trimming the Rotala in the corner, if you choose to keep it. It just sticks out to me when I first glance at the picture. Rotala wallichi would be a good choice there and I think it would look better than R. rotundifolia.


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## phishphan (Jan 7, 2008)

I agree with JustOneMore. Trim the Rotala to get a more bushy growth or swap it out for something else. Otherwise great scape and depth.


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## cs_gardener (Apr 28, 2006)

Very nice tank. I agree with the 2 above that the Rotala should be switched out. I like your idea of removing the hairgrass and adding more Lobelia. Right now you have a lot of different things in front and it's a little distracting. Or move the hairgrass slightly behind the Lobelia and have the Lobelia go a bit further toward the corner so they overlap.


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## helgymatt (Sep 12, 2007)

I do agree it is a little busy in the front....going to see what to do about that. 
Do you think the _Lobelia_ and _Anubias_ are too much alike in size and texture?


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## cs_gardener (Apr 28, 2006)

helgymatt said:


> Do you think the _Lobelia_ and _Anubias_ are too much alike in size and texture?


No, I like that they are similar (helps with continuity in the tank) but slightly different to create interest. I have the same combo in one of my tanks and I know that the Lobelia is a distinctly brighter green than the deeper Anubias green.


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

I like your tank a lot. I think the rotala in the right corner will look fine once your stargrass grows up. I do think trimming it to make it bush is a good idea, so it won't look leggy. I also agree with cs_gardner that the lobelia and anubias compliment one another and are different enough to be interesting. The hair grass does seem a little too fine for the layout. Maybe the plant to the right of the anubias could go over there too.

Even if you didn't do a thing it really is a pretty tank. Reminds me of my 10g shrimp tank!


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## helgymatt (Sep 12, 2007)

The plant to the right of the anubias is a split leaf java fern (I know, this isn't the right name) Anybody interested in this plant??? I may sell it as this is the area where I am considering putting a dwarf aquarium lily as a focal point (or you can provide a suggestion as to what I can do with it). Also, the hairgrass is already gone! Although I like this plant a lot, I find it hard to fit it into any of my aquariums. Once I make some more changes and things grow up a little more I'll post some new pics

Hmm...and maybe someone can link me to a good page that has suggestions on how to take good pics. I have a nikon D40, but I can't seem to get the pics to turn out clear and with good color. I turn the flash off, jack up the ISO, and set the white contrast to sunlight. The bright green plants always seem to be overexposed even when I turn the exposure compensation way down. Also, I've been using a tripod, but don't have a macro lens. Someone told me that I need to get an external flash, but that is WAY out of my budget! People must be getting better pics than I am, without an external flash??? 
Matt


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

helgymatt said:


> Hmm...and maybe someone can link me to a good page that has suggestions on how to take good pics. I have a nikon D40, but I can't seem to get the pics to turn out clear and with good color. I turn the flash off, jack up the ISO, and set the white contrast to sunlight. The bright green plants always seem to be overexposed even when I turn the exposure compensation way down. Also, I've been using a tripod, but don't have a macro lens. Someone told me that I need to get an external flash, but that is WAY out of my budget! People must be getting better pics than I am, without an external flash???
> Matt


I feel your pain!!!


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## mistergreen (Mar 3, 2007)

looks good to me. better than my 29G


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## helgymatt (Sep 12, 2007)

new pics coming soon...maybe tonight.


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## Jessie (Apr 23, 2007)

It's looking really beautiful Matt! It almost has a dutch feel with all the complimenting textures.

Nice work


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## helgymatt (Sep 12, 2007)

Update....
Things have filled in a little so I thought I would post some new pics. I have got some new plants since my last pics. I pulled out the rotala indica and put in some rotalla wallichii. I also put in a dwarf aquarium lily...which has just started to put up two new leaves and I put some moss on the piece of driftwood. 
























This still has a ways to go before it all fills in but the right side is already looking good. I think I need some driftwood on the right somewhere but havn't decided where to work it in yet. I may just wait till the new plants fill in and then decide.

Sorry for the poor photography. I havn't figured out how to keep the bright green plants from washing out.


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## helgymatt (Sep 12, 2007)

I have discovered that SAE love to gobble up Rotala wallichii. I removed them, and the Rotala is now recovereing. What a beautiful plant! It's my new favorite.


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## patrick76 (May 21, 2007)

Tank is coming along nice. Looking good keep it up.


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## JustOneMore21 (Mar 19, 2007)

The tank is filling in nicely.  I like the Rotala wallichi alot better for that corner.

I also like the left corner being a big higher looking (taller plants) than the right.


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## helgymatt (Sep 12, 2007)

Thanks! I just did a trim and got more wallichii to fill in. Should be looking really good in a few weeks!


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## helgymatt (Sep 12, 2007)

Some new tank shots. My new plants are filling in and I got some manzanita driftwood. Things are starting to fill in more and more all the time. If I hadn't just trimmed my ludwigia arcuata the other day these shots would be A+ I'll have to get the cam out again in a week or two. I had a present surprise in this tank this morning....dozens of baby mollies. That always makes me smile. And holy crap...aquarium lily grows like mad and took over my tank in a weeks time! Very soon I'm going to add some more moss to those new pieces of driftwood. Just haven't got around to it yet. 

































and a few shots for you mbuna lovers out there....








I really like this one!


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## helgymatt (Sep 12, 2007)

And yes, I know...thats a ton of rock in that 55! I'm waiting for the day I come home and the water is all on my downstairs neighbors


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## bratyboy2 (Feb 5, 2008)

matt the tanks are looking amazing...i love the last pic of the mbunas too! i love the planted tank its so nice and the layout is great dont change a thing


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## stewy098 (Mar 6, 2008)

whats that thing in the top middle


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## helgymatt (Sep 12, 2007)

stewy098 said:


> whats that thing in the top middle


??? Well there is a nerite snail in one picture. Are you talking about a plant? Middle left is ludwigia arcuata and middle right is Pogostemon yatabeanus. Lower middle is Anubias nana.


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## helgymatt (Sep 12, 2007)

Brad, Thanks for the nice comments! I'm sure I will not at all follow your recommendation to not change a thing. I'm always monkeying around with things to keep myself satisfied :-D


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

I like the right side a lot better than in the beginning. Do you think you might want to trim down the lotus so it's leaves stay short so you can see the R. Wallichi in the back? Maybe let the Rotala Magenta in the back corner grow up a little so you can see that color. I just love the lobelia. It's a really pretty tank. 

What's the midground plant on left in front of the giant hygro that looks kinda like bacopa leaves?


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## helgymatt (Sep 12, 2007)

Tex Gal said:


> Do you think you might want to trim down the lotus so it's leaves stay short so you can see the R. Wallichi in the back?
> 
> What's the midground plant on left in front of the giant hygro that looks kinda like bacopa leaves?


I agree about triming down the lotus. Is there a trick to keep that thing short? All it wants to do is shoot to the top of the tank! This was supposed to be dwarf...hmm. Not so dwarf to me, but beautiful. I swear it pops 3 new leaves a day!

The midground plant is bacopa moneri.


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## Markalot (Feb 14, 2007)

I like it, nice job. I'm anti-trim, the more natural looking the better.  I say move the R. Wallichi, perhaps toward the front? perhaps left front? I like the big lotus, makes it look real.


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## stewy098 (Mar 6, 2008)

helgymatt said:


> ??? Well there is a nerite snail in one picture. Are you talking about a plant? Middle left is ludwigia arcuata and middle right is Pogostemon yatabeanus. Lower middle is Anubias nana.


no lol the tube thats at the very top


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## slowhand35 (Apr 13, 2007)

Excellent photos


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## helgymatt (Sep 12, 2007)

The tube is my spray bar for xp2


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

helgymatt said:


> I agree about triming down the lotus. Is there a trick to keep that thing short? All it wants to do is shoot to the top of the tank! This was supposed to be dwarf...hmm. Not so dwarf to me, but beautiful. I swear it pops 3 new leaves a day!
> 
> The midground plant is bacopa moneri.


Just pinch off all the tall leaves all the way back to the soil. If all are tall you may want to leave a few until some shorter ones grow out. It acts like a dandelion plant - grows tall until it's mowed over and over again and then stays short for a while. It will stay short for 3 or more months and then try to send up a tall leaf again. Keep trimming off tall leaves and it stays short always. I have 3 different lotus in my tank. I love the colors, but I have to keep them trimmed or they will take over. May have to pull one out anyway. The leaves grow so wide! I do love the plant! :mrgreen:


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## helgymatt (Sep 12, 2007)

UPDATE

Here are some shots just before a big trim.

















As you can see things have really filled in nicely. 
Besides my moss being full of hair/thread algae, everything else is doing great. I ended up pulling all the moss of the wood and I'm not sure if I'm going to try it again because I'm afraid it will come right back. Any opinions here? I'm already using excel. I can't have SAE because they LOVE rotala wallichii!


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

So that is what's eating my roatala wallichii! I couldn't figure out who was doing it since I never saw any criminal! I have 2 SAE's in there... I notice if I augment at night with cucumbers or zucchini they will leave it alone. If I forget I see wallichii damage! I have taken some wallichii out and put in my grow out tank to make sure I will be able to replace any damage.

Your tank is really pretty and lush. From your shots you can't see the algae at all. Sorry about the thread algae. I haven't had it before, but I've heard that all you can do is keep pulling it out. Some people use pipe cleaners, others use small tooth brushes. What if you just pulled most of your moss off and let it grow out again? It would take time but you'd be done with the algae.


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## helgymatt (Sep 12, 2007)

Tex Gal said:


> So that is what's eating my roatala wallichii! I couldn't figure out who was doing it since I never saw any criminal! I have 2 SAE's in there... I notice if I augment at night with cucumbers or zucchini they will leave it alone. If I forget I see wallichii damage! I have taken some wallichii out and put in my grow out tank to make sure I will be able to replace any damage.
> 
> Your tank is really pretty and lush. From your shots you can't see the algae at all. Sorry about the thread algae. I haven't had it before, but I've heard that all you can do is keep pulling it out. Some people use pipe cleaners, others use small tooth brushes. What if you just pulled most of your moss off and let it grow out again? It would take time but you'd be done with the algae.


SAE really love it and other fine leaved plants, like my moss as well. My angels seemed to have an appetite for my limnophila aromatica and wallichii too. I regret saying the Angels had to go to save my plants, but what do you do!

Thanks for the nice comments about the tank. I tried pulling out the algae from the moss with test tube cleaners and it works well but comes right back in no time. Pipe cleaners were no good at all for me. Maybe I got the wrong kind? I was pulling all of the moss out and just left a few strands to grow back. We'll see if this solves my problem.


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## kastoner (Apr 21, 2008)

Your tank is realy nice!!!!


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## insomniaclush (Jan 14, 2008)

Great looking tank. I just set up a 29gal as well and i'm hoping it comes in as lush and green as yours. Keep on that lotas, I have a couple as well and it took a few mo. of clipping every other day or so before it was trained to stay down.


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## CobraGuppy (Jun 16, 2008)

Any updates? Your tank looks really good.


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## helgymatt (Sep 12, 2007)

No, not much change other than it doesn't look as good as it did in those photos from April. My lily when dormant, likely because I turned off my heater for a few weeks and the water got cold a few times. Not a good idea for lilies I guess. I also realized my filter was not running for a week and now I am battling some algae here and there. Also, the rotala wallichii looks like crap. Don't know why, but I think it needs more light than it gets back in the corner. Just keep admiring what I showed a few months ago I have a rimless, bottom of tank bulkhead filtration that I'll be setting up next month. I'll be sure to start a journal of that. I just ordered my TEK today! Can't wait!


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

Congrats on your new light! I'm waiting on one DIY. Don't know how much longer, but I know it will be worth it. Looking forward to your new tank!


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## helgymatt (Sep 12, 2007)

It really is a lot of fun to sit, stare at my tank, and decide what I want to different with the next one. Decidng what plants to use, what kind of scape, what the focal point should be, how I want to arrange my driftwood, etc. Right now I'm thinking about doing a "high on the sides" scape using rotala indica, crypt wenditi, alternathera on one side, and on the other rotala green, crypt balansae, crypt walkeri, and limno. I'm not sure what to have in the middle of the tank. Any ideas out there??? I was thinking of HM, which is a little high maintenance, or small form lobelia. My last experience with HC was good until it got infested with thread algae. I may venture into it again... I have a nice package of manzanita driftwood that I'm going to also work in this new design. Let me know what ya'll think of this idea!


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