# Planted Tank in a Sunroom?



## finsrite (Mar 28, 2007)

I want to start a 75 gallon planted tank. I really would like to put the tank in my sunroom which recieves natural sunlight on three sides - currently no blinds or shades on the windows because I grow plants in there. The room is heated and air conditioned and I live in central Indiana, so we aren't talking tropical sun. Nevertheless, you always read about NOT locating tanks near natural sunlight - but then for planted tanks they advise spending a fortune on lighting - so it occurred to me that I should just put the tank in the sunroom and forgo the high-end light fixture in favor of the standard ones. If I heavily plant the tank - am I still going to have alot of trouble with algae?


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## mistergreen (Mar 3, 2007)

yep...You have to be extra careful for algae.
this guy has a sun tank setup on another forumn.
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/g...n/44580-maintenance-one-planted-tank-sun.html


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## dymndgyrl (Jan 22, 2007)

Ummm . . .The Walstad method recommends natural sunlight _over_ artificial. Your situation is ideal, you won't need to add a fixture. If you use Diana's method for all the other aspects of the tank (substrate, planting, stocking, feeding, etc.) and you find it hard to keep a balance, you can always cover one or more sides of your tank with something opaque or even something sheer (like fabric) that will let in less light.
She also suggests in her book that you keep an open top - at least in the summer - to let heat dissipate.

Hope you go ahead and consider the NPT method - it's fun, satisfying and inexpensive. Good Luck!


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## cs_gardener (Apr 28, 2006)

There is a thread recently about a tank outside in Spain. Beautiful tank and minimal algae. I don't know if the link will work, but here goes: http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/aquascaping/5018-my-sunny-tank-in-the-street.html

As dymndgyrl mentions, your setup would be perfect for an El Natural tank. I'd definitely give it a try.


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## finsrite (Mar 28, 2007)

I have read about Walstad method on various websites, but not her book - yet. That is why I posted my question in this forum. It is my interest in her method. I ordered the book on Amazon, don't have it yet. It just makes sense to me - to use natural sunlight to grow the plants - instead of paying a fortune to light the tank with bright enough light to grow the plants I want in there. But at 75 gallons - it won't easily be moved if I can't keep the water clear.... I don't think heat will be a major issue since the room is heated and cooled with the rest of the house and I have never thought that the room was especially warm. It faces east, so the hottest part of the sun - in the afternoon - is on the other side of the house.... Right now I have 2 little angel fish in an Eclipse System 12 with java fern, driftwood, swords, and a moss ball... They will need a bigger home and I would love to have alot more plants and rainbow fish - hence the 75 gallon idea.... The 12 gallon is not in the sunroom - because I followed the advice of most experts to not place the tank in sunlight. I also did not put soil in this tank - but I think I will read Walstad's book before I start the 75 gallon. Thanks for your responses.... The tank in Spain is surely an inspiration.... I also thought about "shading" the tank with that floating tiny-leaved plant that seems to cover some ponds.... It is growing over a tank at my LFS.


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## dirtmonkey (Mar 12, 2007)

There are lots of less weedy, or at least prettier, floating plants than duckweed (I guessed that's what you're referring to). Frogbit, Azolla, water lettuce, and in your situation you'd probably get Water hyacinths to bloom, as well as dwarf waterlilies. The water hyacinth wouldn't pose a weed threat in IN, and has beautiful purple roots.

Keeping those and a heavy planting underneath should avoid bad algae problems. And algae is always 'curable' by getting the balance right, even if it does pop up sometime.

I wish I had a sunroom like that, I'd do exactly what you're thinking of, only I'd probably have it completely filled with pools tanks and plants


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## finsrite (Mar 28, 2007)

Has anyone combined Walstad's ideas with added filtration? I am worried about not using any filtration at all. If I put angels and rainbows in there, will the fish load be too much for plant-only filtration?


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## fredyk (Jun 21, 2004)

just as an aside, I've put hairgrass in the windowsill in a small container, and it's growing well. But as daylight hours increase, and as sun gets stronger, that will change the dynamics. I think a sunroom will grow plants, but growing conditions will change with the seasons, so I think you can go ahead with a regular planted tank, adapting to the light as needed. For instance, some plants may grow well in summer, less well in winter; and you may need to compensate for more light in summer by shading the tank with your terrestrials. just a thought. But I think it can be done easily.


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## Mud Pie Mama (Jul 30, 2006)

For the past five months I've been experimenting with a med-tech, all sunlight, soil-based tank. This 29g tank sits directly in front of a south facing (6' x6') sliding glass door. When the sun is shining it gets unimpeded light which has a very magical look. After a few hours of sun the peacock moss and _potamogeton_ start to pearl. However, I have had to revise my planting ideas several times. It is still very much a WIP:

****I tried to post a photo here and I don't know why it's not working???? This 29g can be seen in my gallery:
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/aquarium-pictures/showimage.php?i=4373&c=15&userid=12796










I've been removing the stem plants and replanting with mostly rosette type plants (ie., _echinodorus_, _aponogetons_) as the stems have shown annoying phototropism. Since I'm viewing the tank from the opposite side as the window I was left starring at the backside of the leaves. That fantasitc tank in Spain is outside and I think without a roof overhead so the plants grow upright.

Another thing is that, as fredyk mentioned, there are definate seasonal variations. In this tank my _Echinodorus_ 'Rubin' grows more slowly and almost entirely green. In another tank with 2wpg of CF it has beautiful burgandy coloration. It seems that now over the last two or three weeks with Spring's stronger sunshine I'm seeing the color slowly improving. I do have dwarf hairgrass planted in the center front, and while it's not died, it hasn't grown at all this winter. Now I'm seeing just a tiny bit of growth? I'm sure there will be additional challenges and tweaking needed during the peak sunshine months. Now, although my sword is not growing as strongly as under powercompact lighting; two of my stemplants have displayed leaves which look like emersed growth - _Hygrophila polysperma _'Tiger' and _H._ 'Sunset'. Strange!

So, I think I still have to reserve my verdict as to whether this tank is a success -or not, until a whole year has gone by. Although I'm certain I would not have been brave enough to try this out on a 75g.

PS., I'd never run a tank with angelfish or especially rainbows without a good filter. Also, I would pick only one or the other to be the star in a 75g as they both do better in groups and behave quite differently. Angels are slow moving and graceful; rainbows - turbo charged racers. I had a lone angel in with six Lake Tebera rainbowfish - she'd never get a bite to eat as they are so supercharged at feeding time - speedy, greedy monsters! I taught the angel to eat from my fingers just so she'd get a share, however I eventually removed her to another tank.


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## finsrite (Mar 28, 2007)

thanks for the input. i was wondering about the fish combination, I can see your point. I didn't think about overhead light vs. light from the windows - but it makes sense. And it isn't like you can rotate the plants.... have to think about it more.


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## finsrite (Mar 28, 2007)

Well, I jumped in - head first. It will either be a disaster or magnificent! Set up a 75 gallon planted tank in my sunroom on Sunday. The sunroom is about 14 X 14 and has windows on the north, east and south sides of the room. If the sunlight becomes a problem, I can put blinds on the windows, black backing on the tank, large floor plants next to the tank, etc....I put the tank on the north window wall so that direct sunlight is minimal. The south window is across the room and appears to be too far for the sun coming in that window to actually hit the tank directly. The entire room is still very bright even though it appears the tank may only get a little direct light in the morning from the east windows. Right now, the only additional lighting is the standard 40 watt daylight strip that came with the new setup. I am wondering about lighting and what I am going to need to add and how to know based on the amount of sunlight in the room even though it is not necessarily direct sunlight. I am using a large cannister filter - so not completely natural - and Eco Complete substrate... Any ideas on measuring the existing light and/or estimating the additional light I may need to add?


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## finsrite (Mar 28, 2007)

My 75 gal tank has been running two weeks now. A week after I set it up, I finally got the Amazon order for Walstad's book - ha! I am impatient, I know. Had I read her chapter on soil substrate first, I probably would have put some soil under the eco complete. Her lighting advice, though, I did follow. I added a double bright strip to the standard single, giving me 120 watts/1.6 watts per gallon plus natural sunlight. Which I have noticed hits the tank directly, in the morning hours from the east and indirect bright light all day long. My light strips are on a timer. Started at 12 hours on, reduced this week to 10.

So how is it doing? Well, I think it is okay - although I don't have any reference point to know for sure. In other words, not really sure what I should be seeing at 2 weeks. So far, I have had some algae on the glass to clean off - some on the leaves of the swords and anubias. But I don't think too much. I have not had tremendous plant growth - like I have read some others have had. My echinodorous tennellus has sent out runners though and appears to be reproducing. 

I had trouble finding nice plants and pretty much went all over town looking. Not all of the plants were added at the start, but incrementally, over the past two weeks or so, as I found them...

Plant list:
Echinodorus Bleheri Sword - 2 adults with lots of trailing babies - some of which i cut off and planted
Echinodorus Tennelus - 3 - one of which has sent out two runners in the last two weeks.
Anubias Nana - rubber-banded to drift wood - has put on a new leaf
Anubias Coffefolia - planted in the substrate - has also put on a new leaft
Hornwort - floating- growing well
Duckweed - floating - came free from the LFS with other plants - also doing well
Java fern - a baby from my other tank - rubber-banded to the drift wood - appears stable.
Lobelia Cardinalis - stable but no noticeable new growth
A crypt that appears to be suffering somewhat- margins of leaves are wavy - but I also separated a larger plant into several small ones before planting. some of them have definitely rooted because when i tugged on them to move them - they did not budge.
Then several stem plants - Ludwegia Repens - I think - Something labeled Moneywort - with no other labeling but I think is Bacopa monnieri - and something labeled Bacopa with no other labeling- thinking it might be Bacopa Carolinia - but the leaves are smaller and rounder than Bacopa Monnieri so not sure. The stem plants are all doing fine - the Carolinia's older leaves are darker and algae covered - but it has put on several young, bright green leaves.
Sagitarria Subulata - 2 - that looked terrible when I bought them - algae covered leaves - but I bought them anyway because I had hard time finding this plant so many people like - at any rate it is the only plant where I see visible pearling on the leaves every day and I think I see new leaves sprouting now after about a week....
Onions - crinum something - 2 - stable - no noticeable growth.... - love the long gently spiraling leaves...
Hemigraphis colorata - stem plant - would not have bought it if I had read what I know now before I bought it... That it is not truly an aquatic. It is just surviving - lots of algae on the leaves that I periodically wipe off with my fingers....

Animals:
5 Zebra Danios - added 2 days in 
1 Ghost shrimp - added 5 days in
1 Fancy male guppy - added 1 week in because he was causing trouble in my other tank - he can be aggressive
1 platy - added 2 weeks in because a friend who is giving up fishkeeping wanted me to take him.

Also noticing snails that must have come in with the plants - even though I thought I rinsed them all thoroughly. I have seen 3, I think , and they appear to be growing. Wondering if I should try to remove them or not. Or just leave them for awhile and then put in a loach or two to eat them.

Filter is Marineland C360 Cannister. Wondering if I should remove the charcoal from it after reading in Diana's book. 

I will try to get pictures posted - although to me, right now, my tank looks pretty much like an experimental garden rather than an aquascape. Which, it is, I guess. I took Diana's advice and put as many different plant species as I could find - to see which ones will do well and knowing that not all of them will likely do well. 

Any critique and/or suggestions welcome....


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## 01krisp10 (Feb 18, 2007)

Sounds cool, have any pics?

No soil? NPT is based on it. Your tank will shortly fall into the 'High Tech' category as you will need to ramp up fertilizers and co2 and you may see declined growth within 6 months to a year.

I would love to see it cycle the same way, but I'm skeptical. What were your NH3/NH4+ and NO2- readings before you put the fish in? Did you use bio-spira or mulm from another tank?

Can't wait to see it.


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## finsrite (Mar 28, 2007)

01krisp10 said:


> Sounds cool, have any pics?
> 
> No soil? NPT is based on it. Your tank will shortly fall into the 'High Tech' category as you will need to ramp up fertilizers and co2 and you may see declined growth within 6 months to a year.
> 
> ...


Yeah, I kind of realize that now. Was afraid of soil - the mud effect - whenever I change the plants around. Which I do often since I am new at aquatic gardening and aquascaping for that matter. I did use Eco Complete and based on their advertising anyway - should contain the major minerals that the plants need. Why do you say co2 is needed without soil? Won't decomposing fish food, plant matter and fish waste work to my benefit with this substrate too? If not, I may be redoing it soon - ugh.

I added some gravel and potted plants from 12 gallon initially. I put the zebra danios in early because they are hardy and I cycled my 12 gallon with them and the guppy and they were just fine. I have also read that the platy's are also very hardy. My small angels are in my matured 12 gallon - waiting for the right time to move to their home in the 75. 2 days ago - a friend gave me about a half cup scoop of gravel, mulm, etc... from the bottom of her tank and one of her two biowheels. I put her gravel and mulm inside a cloth napkin, tied with a rubber band, and then plopped that and the biowheel into my tank. Before that ammonia was reading .25, now it is 0. Nitrite, Nitrate, also all 0 and I added 2 fish and have done no water changes. I used all RO water with a PH of 7.0. I added Kents Freshwater Micronutrient supplement to the water at setup time also - thinking I needed to re-mineralize the pure RO water. Today the PH is reading 8.0. Wonder what caused the increase. Someone told me they thought using my friends bio-wheel may have increased the PH since her tank was very well established with regular decholorinated tap water and that minerals may have built up on the biowheel. Or could it be the Kents? I had the same problem initially, with my 12 gallon, and have since discontinued using the Kents in that tank and the PH has remained stable at 7.0 so I am wondering if it is the Kents. The 12 gallon contains neons and angels and I wanted to keep the PH more toward neutral for them. At any rate, took some photos, posting soon...


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## finsrite (Mar 28, 2007)




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## mistergreen (Mar 3, 2007)

finsrite said:


> Great pic huh? Apparently I have to host the picture somewhere else and submit a link. At any rate, haven't ftp'd to my isp server in quite awhile and apparently I have forgotten the password. I will try again another time.


you can post your picts on flickr.com or photobucket.com


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## finsrite (Mar 28, 2007)

mistergreen said:


> you can post your picts on flickr.com or photobucket.com


thnks, did it that way...


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## dirtmonkey (Mar 12, 2007)

> Something labeled Moneywort - with no other labeling but I think is Bacopa monnieri


I'd check it against Lysimachia nummularia too, sometimes it's sold as moneywort. I use it a lot because it's easy and free (growing emerse as a weed in the yard).


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## finsrite (Mar 28, 2007)

dirtmonkey said:


> I'd check it against Lysimachia nummularia too, sometimes it's sold as moneywort. I use it a lot because it's easy and free (growing emerse as a weed in the yard).


thanks. the one I thought was bacopa carolinia just might be creeping jenny - now that you mention it - but the one they labeled moneywort has more oval leaves. i used to have creeping jenny all over my yard when i lived in virginia beach and i loved that plant. loved the lime green color punch it gave to moist, shady areas. then, i didn't have aquariums. i just recently read about the fact that it is also sold for aquarium use, but have not grown it there before and I know it has a different growth pattern in the aquarium than in the yard. Upright rather that ground-hugging. I had already planned to look for this plant at Lowe's this spring and try it in my aquarium.


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## mistergreen (Mar 3, 2007)

that's a nice big tank you have there.


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## finsrite (Mar 28, 2007)

mistergreen said:


> that's a nice big tank you have there.


 When I upgrade - I UPGRADE. The 12 gallon Eclipse was just not satisfying enough.....


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## finsrite (Mar 28, 2007)

Thanks to those of you who have commented or sent me emails on this tank. I appreciate your interest in my experiment. Being as new to fish tanks as I am, I am learning alot from this forum, and I hope my learning experience may help someone else as well...

This is kind of turning into a journal on my experience.

My notes at 3 weeks in on this tank -

Alot (?) of brownish powdery-like algae on the leaves and glass. Seems to be the only type of algae seen so far. Wipes off fairly easily. So as part of cleaning the glass - decided to also rearrange the tank somewhat.

removed Hemagraphis - not a true aquatic so I don't want to waste any time with it - plus the large and textured leaves seemed to collect alot of brown algae that I am always wiping off. Have since studied and become very familiar with the lists of non-aquatic plants sold alongside the true aquatic plants.
Added what I believe is water wisteria - emergent growth form is what I think I found
Added valisneria - not labeled, so again, I think it is valisneria americana....
Added anubias caldifolia - not labeled - but much larger leaves than coffeefolia I have that was labeled.
Added Rotala Indica - put it on the sunnier side of the tank to see if I can keep that pinkish color
Added 10 young Oto's to keep those leaves cleaner than I could
Added 2 bamboo shrimp 
Added 2 small female platy's to keep the lone male platy company - Mr. and Mrs. and Mrs. Platy are now expecting....
Added 1 blue snail - not sure what it is called - but my 5 year old son loved it....
still need to find some "prettier" floating plants - seem to be non-existent at LFS... maybe a garden center that sells pond equipment...
have noted 5 or 6 small, hitchhiker snails - have not removed them because I do not see any damage from them- and my 5 year old likes to watch them. They actually seem to clean the plants too. Have developed a wait and see attitude about them.

Pretty much reorganized the whole tank - took out all of the amazon swords, trimmed their roots some and removed all of the baby's/runners and some of the larger leaves to keep the plants from floating out of the substrate - which was really annoying me. Pinched off the tops of the bacopa monneri, which had grown a little, and replanted cuttings. Discovered the wonderful usefulness of tweezers for planting these stem plants. I probably have way too many different types of plants in this tank. But right now, I am just trying to see what grows and what I like better. At some point in the future, I am sure I will need to rearrange and eliminate more. I am approaching this similarly to the way I did my perennial garden.

a stupid thing I did - midweek I added plant/pond fertilizer tabs into the substrate near some of the larger plants. Maybe added 3 or 4 to the tank. Then, forgot about them and started moving plants around - woops. Clouds of dissolved whitish fertilizer tabs released into the water column, of course. The next day the ammonia level was reading .5. Was 0 the day before. I performed a small water change at the time it clouded up. But the filter cleared the look of the water very quickly. Wonder if the higher reading was the result of adding fish, or the fertilizer tabs... PH has remained stable at 7.8 this week. Measured at different times of day - because of reading about how photosynthesis can affect ph..... results always similar...

Notes on cycling this tank -

I have read conflicting opinions on whether or not a "heavily" planted tank would ever read high ammonia/nitrite. So for the past 2 weeks I have been monitoring daily. As I stated in an earlier post, after adding 2 fish and my friends bio-wheel and some of her gravel - my ammonia, which was already registering low (.25) at 2 weeks in, fell to 0. Nitrite and Nitrate also 0. After the fertilizer tab mishap and adding the platys and otos my ammonia started to climb again and I started registering some Nitrites. Added aquarium salt at this point. That was 3 days ago. Today, nitrites are now declining and nitrates are starting to register for the first time in this tank. Wish I had not added the fertilizer tabs because I don't know for sure how they affected these readings. All of the inhabitants still seem very happy. Fed them blood worms as a treat this evening and everyone came hungrily for their share. I think I have read Walstad write that she has never read high ammonia in her tanks but sometimes she has had problems with Nitrites. Seems similar to my experience so far. I had higher ammonia readings on my 12 gallon and for longer before reading Nitrites. It has plants, but only a couple and slow-moderate growers.

The otos have been in the tank 3 days and what a fantastic job they have done cleaning the leaves of the plants. Much better than I could do. 

I love sitting and watching the sun rise on this tank in the early morning. It seems to excite the fish when the sun first starts to hit the tank. I need to record the actual number of hours the tank gets direct light but it is only til early afternoon or noonish for sure. Direct light may end sooner than that. May need to add more fluorescent light come fall/winter. Also wonder if I should have put the tank on the East window and go for bold on the natural sunlight. So many people strongly cautioned me against using sunlight at all that I slightly wimped out and put it on the north window wall. Where it is, the sun comes in through the east side of the tank in the morning so I have one side of the tank that is "sunnier" than another. Which is often true of outdoor gardens too though, so I considered this fact in my recent rearrangement.

Considering ways to get soil under this substrate without tearing down. Read about someone wrapping soil in wax paper and placing it under gravel near plant roots. Also thought of trying a turkey baster/syringe and injecting wet soil deep under some of the plants. Definitely try it in another container first. Definitely not til I am ready to stop moving plants around. And I don't think that time has come yet. Still reading Walstad's book - lots of stuff to take in. I find myself re-reading sections over and over and thinking about how it applies to my situation. Very useful book.

Really don't want to get into pressurized Co2. Wondering though, if I will have to eventually to see much growth without real soil. Researching Seachem's Flourish Excel product as an alternative... Meanwhile just giving the tank, and me, more time.


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## wiste (Feb 10, 2006)

> Considering ways to get soil under this substrate without tearing down.


There is a suggested method of adding frozen soil beneath plants.
This topic is discussed in the thread below:


> http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/...tic-lighting/28548-180-gal-tank-lighting.html


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## finsrite (Mar 28, 2007)

thx, wiste - that sounds very doable...


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## finsrite (Mar 28, 2007)

Pictures of My tank

At 7 weeks now. I think it is doing quite well, actually. Albeit, a little wild looking. I will probably reduce the number of varieties of plants eventually - keeping only those that do well - and don't take over. But right now, I am letting the plants fight it out.

No algae problems since the first 2 weeks. Have pruned plants in the tank several times - especially the ludwigia repens and the hornwort. Also scoop out lots of duckweed weekly and compost it for vegetable garden.

Have done 2 10-20% water changes. The second one yesterday. Using RO water mostly, with Flourish added to re-mineralize. I already had the RO system for our drinking water anyway.

Lighting is still 1.6 wpg fluorescent + natural sunlight. Tank gets about 4 hours of direct sun in the morning, bright indirect the rest of the day.

Dosing every 3 days or so with a capful of Flourish Excel - which I read is a C02 alternative. I often forget to add it. Once a week or so with a capful of Flourish (micro-nutrients). I have already had to prune more often than I thought I would - so I can't imagine what this tank would be like with C02 injection. I would rather just stick with plants that do well without it in my environment - and there appears to be many that will.

Added alot of new varieties of plants obtained from a fellow local hobbyist who read my posts here. The cuttings he gave me have done better than almost anything I bought at the stores, btw.

Plants doing the worst: sagitaria, valisneria, crinum, java fern - all just sort of sitting there - not growing.
Plants doing the best: hygrophilia, a green variety and sunset, ludwigia repens, asian ambulia, hornwort,water wisteria, najas/guppy grass.

Inhabitants: (many of the fish came from a friend who is getting out of fishkeeping - and they needed a home. don't think I would have chosen some of them, but, oh well. The angels and kribs are my favorites. The kribs stick to the bottom - and only seem to bother each other.)
7 Angel fish - varying sizes
3 Kribensis
2 cory cats
2 chinese algae eaters
10 oto's
2 bamboo shrimp
1 ghost shrimp
3 platys
4 red serpae tetras
4 zebra danios
1 buenos aires tetra
1 gold mystery snail
lots of miscellaneous snails who came in on the plants - they do not appear to damage the plants so I leave them alone.

Overall, I think the tank has been a success. Once I am more certain that the plants are in their final positions - (not yet) -- I will try adding soil under the gravel via the freezing method suggested.


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## mistergreen (Mar 3, 2007)

looks cool. You have eco-complete?

You might want to do a DIY CO2 system.
My java ferns isn't doing that great either.. They're slow growers so don't expect them to grow like the h. polysperma (weed).. You're lucky your ludwigia is doing great. Mine is half dead.


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## finsrite (Mar 28, 2007)

mistergreen said:


> looks cool. You have eco-complete?
> 
> You might want to do a DIY CO2 system.
> My java ferns isn't doing that great either.. They're slow growers so don't expect them to grow like the h. polysperma (weed).. You're lucky your ludwigia is doing great. Mine is half dead.


Yes, eco-complete. Want to put soil underneath eventually. Was worried about my tendency to move plants around alot. That is the only reason I didn't do it at first.

Slow growth, in my case - no-growth. Java fern is one of those plants everyone says is easy but it really has not done well for me. Disappointed in sagitaria and valisneria too. Others that are supposedly easy. I have seen pictures of really nice java ferns, mine just sit there, old leaves getting rattier by the day. And I bought a fairly good sized one - for my 12 gal, so I have had it since January. I recently moved it from my 3 wpg 12 gallon tank to the 75 to see if it does better in there. I am starting to hate that plant.

Weed or not, I really like that hygro polysperma. At least for now. I know from perennial gardening that you get excited about quick growth at first, only to be ripping those out later when they start taking over. But so far, only the asian ambulia seems to grow that fast. And I still love that plant.

I wondered about the DIY C02 - but it seemed impractical for a tank this large. Thats why I bought the Flourish Excel though. And it does seem to have a positive effect. I have been most pleased about accomplishing a tank in sunlight without algae. But I haven't seen it through a whole year yet, seasonal changes and all. Curious to see if I'll need to add more flourescent light come fall. We get alot of cloudy days year-round in Indiana though - so in some ways, the lighting is already being tested.


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