# New guy in town - with pictures



## jccaclimber (Jan 17, 2012)

What better way to up your post count than to post pictures of planted tanks, so here goes.
1) A picture of me.


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## jccaclimber (Jan 17, 2012)

2) My tank a bit before the move.


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## jccaclimber (Jan 17, 2012)

3) An attempt at reddish blyxa japonica. In hindsight this picture looks too red, although that was the bulbs I was running, not me editing the photo.


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## jccaclimber (Jan 17, 2012)

4) Pogostemon stellatus from the 300.


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## jccaclimber (Jan 17, 2012)

5) RO storage back when I had a basement. I really do miss my basement.


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## jccaclimber (Jan 17, 2012)

6) Crypt affinis. I'm always amazed at the red on the underside of these leaves, particularly in contrast with the top.


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## jccaclimber (Jan 17, 2012)

7) A ludwigia, probably arcuata x repens (sold to me as grandulosa x palustris, but I don't think it is) grown under a convenient nutrient shortage. I wish it always looked like this, the picture doesn't do it justice.


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## jccaclimber (Jan 17, 2012)

8) The 75 sump.


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## jccaclimber (Jan 17, 2012)

9) A friend's tank I set up and helped maintain back in Indiana.


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## jccaclimber (Jan 17, 2012)

10) Some plants in a 75 I also had in Indiana.


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## jccaclimber (Jan 17, 2012)

11) A RCS tank, or a moss-floor demonstration depending on how you want to look at it.


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## jccaclimber (Jan 17, 2012)

12) The same previously mentioned 75.


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## jccaclimber (Jan 17, 2012)

13) A 20 long that I use as my cherry shrimp tank. Sadly several of these plants are no more.


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## jccaclimber (Jan 17, 2012)

14) Rotala colorata in my 75.


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## jccaclimber (Jan 17, 2012)

15) Not really in focus, but posting this got people to stop asking me how to determine gender in RCS.


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## jccaclimber (Jan 17, 2012)

16) The usual c. wendtii.


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## jccaclimber (Jan 17, 2012)

17) Still working towards 25 posts.... This one is another 20 long. The reason I'm proud of it is a bit different. This tank was set up for a friend who had never really kept pets, and lived in a different state. I helped him get it running, then simply answered questions over the phone. We're now a couple years in and while I've failed at infecting him with upgrade-itis, he is still maintaining his own tank.


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## jccaclimber (Jan 17, 2012)

18) The beginnings of my time with a planted tank. After years and years of plastic plants a relative's boyfriend came in one day and replaced my plastic plants with live ones. I was resistant at the time, but never looked back.


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## jccaclimber (Jan 17, 2012)

19) My 75 from several years ago. This was the second post-college tank. The first was a short lived 55 that spring a leak in the front/center/bottom seam while I was out of town for the weekend. I got rather lucky avoiding major damage since I was in a 2nd floor apartment.


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## jccaclimber (Jan 17, 2012)

20) My orange neos. Genius that I was I put them in a tank with orange/brown substrate.


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## jccaclimber (Jan 17, 2012)

21) My cherries. They don't actually normally look this good, but at the time the tank got direct sunlight for a brief part of the afternoon and they looked great in it.


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## jccaclimber (Jan 17, 2012)

22) Another old picture of the 75.


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## jccaclimber (Jan 17, 2012)

23) A picture of my filter (HMF) and a squadron of rummy noses.


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## jccaclimber (Jan 17, 2012)

24) Following that theme, rummy noses doing what they do best...being a blur.


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## jccaclimber (Jan 17, 2012)

25) I was having a hard time explaining to people that crypts can store their energy elsewhere in the plant, and that they shouldn't remove newly planted ones just because the leaves are melting. I finally found this guy with the potato like tissue one day.


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## Michael (Jul 20, 2010)

This is a very constructive way to increase your post count!

In the photo of your matten filter, are the epiphytes growing directly on the reticulated foam? If so, does this affect the operation of the filter? I've been interested in these filters for some time, but hate their appearance in the tank. I've thought about planting the foam as the Dutch do on their tank backgrounds, but wondered if it would make the filter less effective, harder to keep clean, or cause any other problems.

Are you using Poret foam?


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## jccaclimber (Jan 17, 2012)

Michael said:


> This is a very constructive way to increase your post count!
> 
> In the photo of your matten filter, are the epiphytes growing directly on the reticulated foam? If so, does this affect the operation of the filter? I've been interested in these filters for some time, but hate their appearance in the tank. I've thought about planting the foam as the Dutch do on their tank backgrounds, but wondered if it would make the filter less effective, harder to keep clean, or cause any other problems.
> 
> Are you using Poret foam?


The large leafed one is plain old java fern. I eventually removed it because it was taking up way too much space though. Also in that picture is christmas moss (also in picture 17, right side). Over time I've done UG, anubias nana, and nana petite as well. Currently I have a kleiner bar sword growing half way up the filter in a 20 long because I never trimmed the runner and that is where it rooted. I also have a terrestrial moss that has recently started growing on the top of one of my more neglected filters (see photo below).

In my experience there is so much surface area that a couple roots here and there don't stop the filter, it isn't like an undergravel which will actually stop. The filters in my 20's were set up some time late in 2011, and I decided to finally remove one for cleaning this week. The main reason for cleaning I suspect was the soil that has gotten lodged in them over the years more than the buildup of gunk from the fish, although I may clean a couple others now that I've gotten started. I did need to clean the one every year or two, so the roots may have contributed some. The way I had it folded likely also contributed quite a bit.

The one in the photo above was a medium blue, I've since started getting them in black (photos 13, 17, and 21)to decrease their appearance. Given that I tend to put black backgrounds on my tanks this doesn't make much difference.

Edit: Yes, I am using Poret foam. For full disclosure the US seller is an in-law of mine and got me started. On the other hand, I happily paid retail for my last filter (for the 300) and will happily do so again whenever I need more.

Here is a picture of the moss:


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## BobAlston (Jan 23, 2004)

Very nice tanks.


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## digital_gods (Apr 23, 2010)

Very nice.


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## redthumb (Apr 17, 2014)

Nice set ups and beautiful shrimp


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## BenChod (Sep 21, 2011)

nice set ups...welcome to Dallas


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