# New Indonesia El Natural, Old El natural rescaped



## tantaMD (Dec 23, 2011)

it began when i feel quite bored with my tank. i know heavy messy jungle of vals maybe a great home to my fish, but hey, i started it all with an aesthetique purpose in mind too. that jungle was far from what i pictured in minds at the beginning. so a month ago i decided to rescape my el natural tank, and this time i put my valisneria in a pot and make a "fence" for them so the runner doesnt takes over the tank.

specs :

tank size : 100 x 50 x 50 cm3
substrate : bottom : mineralized soil combined with used up tank soil added 3 bicarbonate capsules
top : gravel added with crushed corals
filtration : only power head with sponges
plants : sagitaria subulata
valisneria tortifolia
valisneria spiralis
amazon red rubin
amazon swordplant
spatterduck
tiger red lotus
hygrophilla diformis
hygrophilla angustifolia
hygrophilla polysperma var rosanervig
rotala rotundifolia
ludwigia repens
anubias nana
cryptocoryne wendti sp green
and some duckweed

animals : harlequin rasbora

i make the fence with plastic pot that been cut into half



4 days after set up


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

New adventures all always fun. It'll be nice to watch what it grows into.


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## Yo-han (Oct 15, 2010)

Don't want to be the messenger of bad news, but I tried this one time. I even used higher fences than you did. Worked for a few weeks, than it became too crowded inside the fence and runners started growing up, and over the fence. And being over, they came down again, like they could see. Later on, they creeped even underneath the fence (I didn't had a bottom like you) and squeezed between the fence and the glass. I replaced it with Cyperus helferi and Juncus repens for a similar look without the trouble.


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## barclaya (Apr 14, 2011)

Hello tantaMD. salam kenal from NY. but Cyperus helferi need a high light right? mine already one year and they never thrive. also the crypt balansae too. on the left.


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## tantaMD (Dec 23, 2011)

@ tex gal : thanks  , im going to post the update soon after getting some significant changes of the tank's general looks. right now i got significant growth in every plants except amazon sword and anubias (actually the amazon developed new leaves too, but not as crazy as my red rubin).

@ yo-han : well someone in my country's forum also said that to me too. but yo-han, i just checked your tanks. it seems that u use CO2 injection in those. well, since i dont use any CO2 injection i hope i can avoid that kind of behavior from them  at least for quite a time. and btw those tanks u build were astonishinglly amazing 

@ barclaya : salam kenal dari palembang city  . have u ever been to indonesia? from what i search in our forum's plant finder, cyperus helferi only needs medium lighting. well crypt usually a slow grower. do u use soil below the sand and the corals in ur picture?


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## tantaMD (Dec 23, 2011)

@ yo - han : its my stupidity but i just seen that ur name infact is johan. are u from indonesia too??


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## tantaMD (Dec 23, 2011)

1 month update  , the rotala and ludwigia have reached the water surface  , starting reducing duckweed


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## tantaMD (Dec 23, 2011)

another update, some developments happen ,.. i dont really like how the h. polysperma looks now, looks like its gonna block the valis tortifolia from the front view, i plan to change it to echinodorus ozelot.. what do u guys think?.. will it going to look better? or worse??? . got some new residents,... three spots gouramis!!!

picture fron the front view


aponogeton grows out of nowhere!!,.. i think my old soil has its seed in there..


hygrophila polysperma with its giant leaves, start to block the valis torta from the view


my lovely three spots gouramis,...




carpeting hygrophilla diformis!!,.. these guys get direct sunlight every morning


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## tantaMD (Dec 23, 2011)

little update, using some black paper for background


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## tantaMD (Dec 23, 2011)

another update of my tank 






the fence seems succeeded of holding the vals in the predetermined location.


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## totziens (Jun 28, 2008)

I believe your "fence" will not last too. Vallisneria is "smarter" than you can imagine. They will spread underneath the soil, side way, climb over your "fence" in a matter of time if they're growing well. There is no difference whether you supply CO2 or not. The most important criterias for Vallisneria are sufficient light and nutrient rich soil (well...not necessary actually. My Vallisneria used to grow like wild fire on Holland sand but it's exposed to sunlight)


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## tantaMD (Dec 23, 2011)

@totziens : well, i hope it will be a long time before that happens. i put the vals in the corner where they doesn't get direct sunlight and my lighting is only 1,5 watt/gallon using flourescent tube. even though it will happen, i hope it happens in a slow processes so it will not make me very busy just cutting the jumping runners


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## totziens (Jun 28, 2008)

Yeah, lower amount of light will reduce the growth rate of Vallisneria as long as they don't die due to insufficient light...hahaha. Remember not to dose any Seachem Excel when you keep Vallisneria - they're so sensitive that they got wiped out in one of my tanks (I knew about Excel versus Vallisneria taboo but I forgot I had Vallisneria inside the tank)


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