# 4th revision of my 20L



## Danielle (Jan 26, 2008)

The Rotala and Ludwigia were just trimmed so the height is a bit sparse in the back.

specs

5.5g (20L)
Hagen aquaclear mini
Stealth 25w heater
Catalina 16" 1x24w CF 7100/8000k bulb
seachem black onyx
Aquariumplants.com total substrate pellet once a month under root plants
Seachem excel and iron although I just started the full dosing schedule today.

plants are:
Rotala rotundifolia (or maybe indica)
Ludwigia arcuata
Bacopa monnieri
Lobelia cardinalis
Mayaca fluviatilis
Giant hairgrass
Windelov java fern
Crypt wendtii (red, green and bronze)
Red Nesaea
Pogostemon helferi
Potamogeton crispus

residents
red cherry shrimp
red fronted (rudolph red nose) shrimp
ember tetra
celestial pearl danio
pygmy cory
oto




























shrimp!



















Here is the post with all the previous versions


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## Djeki (Feb 17, 2008)

I like it very much.
If I had to guess, I would say that it is at least 50l.
Cool.


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

Really pretty. Your plants look so healthy. Your tank looks so crisp and clear... and your shrimp look happy!


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## Danielle (Jan 26, 2008)

Thanks all

unfortunately the P. helferi had a meltdown. I have one little plant left, but more on the way. I dunno what happened 

The good news is, I have at least 4 shrimplets!


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## ItsDubC (Jan 12, 2008)

A lot of ppl report that downoi is fairly sensitive to change and slow to acclimate to new surroundings, but grows really well once it settles in. Apparently it likes to be left alone once it's in the substrate. I don't have any personal experience yet since I'm currently floating the downoi that I do have, so maybe someone else can give first-hand advice.

Congrats on the new-borns!


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## travis (Oct 5, 2004)

I agree with Djeki: your tank gives the impression of a much larger aquarium. Nice work!

It's possible that you may have to pare down your list of plant species as they grow and fill-in in order to make all of the groupings stand out.



ItsDubC said:


> A lot of ppl report that downoi is fairly sensitive to change and slow to acclimate to new surroundings, but grows really well once it settles in. Apparently it likes to be left alone once it's in the substrate. I don't have any personal experience yet since I'm currently floating the downoi that I do have, so maybe someone else can give first-hand advice.


I've kept downoi in both acidic (Aquasoil) and alkaline (Cichlid Sand and Eco-Complete) substrates and have had good luck with it in both, although, like DubC said, it can be sensitive to changes, especially pH/KH variations. It is a medium to heavy root-feeder and, in my experience, it is prone to moderate to severe melting when substrate ph and KH conditions change noticeably. Once it acclimates to the new substrate it seems to be just fine, though. Even if its leaves completely melt down it can still snap back if its rhizome/root organ is robust and it has a well-developed root system.


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

I'm still fighting with my downoi *after 3 months*. Haven't moved it... do EI ferts, same light, DIY CO2 constant green drop checker... It has rooted well and appears to be putting out new leaves. I thought it was over it's temper tantrum a month ago but I guess I was wrong. *It really is a slow adapter.* Getting more just means that you start all over with the adapting.


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## bratyboy2 (Feb 5, 2008)

im sorry to here do you have any pics of the tank at this point?


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## Danielle (Jan 26, 2008)

Well I got the new downoi and I guess I'm a sucker for punishment because I topped some of this bunch too. The difference is, the last tops that melted had no roots at all. These had aerial roots and so I trimmed just below those. We'll see what happens.

These plants have also been in the tanks at aquabotanic already. I'm hoping maybe that helps. The first bunch I got was right out of the shipping box from the grower. I also dipped the first plants in a heavy alum dip and then left them in an unheated bucket of tank water overnight so maybe that was a contributing factor?

I've got a bunch (4 plants) untouched floating in my quarantine tank so I'll see if those melt too.

If it has another complete meltdown I'm going to trade the plants out of the QT for some HM or maybe do a moss carpet. 

The downoi is beautiful.. but seriously not worth the frustration to me.

Sorry no new photos.. but it looks pretty much just like it did in the posted pics.


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

Hey there Danielle. I looked up your tank again. Just wanted to appreciate it's beauty. I see your posts and always try to look at the little px under your sig line. You need to make it a link to this page!

How's your downoi doing? Mine melted! So frustrating. I will keep trying. I'm getting new lights so that might help. I heard it hates excell and I did dose some in my shrimp tank. Maybe that's what happened... 

Anyway.. let's see an update of your tank. I think it's so pretty. It's one of my favorites! :mrgreen:


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## Danielle (Jan 26, 2008)

Oh wow thank you! 

Most of the downoi didn't make it. I'd floated some in a tank and that all melted. 6 tops and one root ball with small sprouts on it are still going and even look to be putting out new growth though! I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

The tank isn't looking so well at the moment. I switched fertilizers and did a major trim on the rotala because my redfront shrimp were eating it and did some damage (they are now gone). I also had to get rid of the mayaca for the same reason. They mowed it down like grass. I've also got a bit of an algae problem that I'm trying to get a handle on. I think a lot of the algae problems are because of flow issues. I've two filters running... the HOB flowing back to front on the left side and a new canister flowing right to left from the right side. Makes for a good bit of dead spots  I can't take the HOB off though till the canister is good and populated with bacterias. Don't want any ammonia spikes to take out my shrimps! I'm also hoping to add a CO2 system of some kind sometime in the near future. I think that will help a good bit.

The cherry population has quadrupled or more and the redfronts were traded for amanos. I also have a small school of celestial pearl danios now.

Here's a picture of it before the trim/algae!










I'm hoping once the flow is fixed and the rotala grows back in (it's got several new branches sprouted)
things will start to turn for the better.

Thanks so much for the wonderful comments though! :mrgreen:



Tex Gal said:


> Hey there Danielle. I looked up your tank again. Just wanted to appreciate it's beauty. I see your posts and always try to look at the little px under your sig line. You need to make it a link to this page!
> 
> How's your downoi doing? Mine melted! So frustrating. I will keep trying. I'm getting new lights so that might help. I heard it hates excell and I did dose some in my shrimp tank. Maybe that's what happened...
> 
> Anyway.. let's see an update of your tank. I think it's so pretty. It's one of my favorites! :mrgreen:


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## oregon aqua (Jan 30, 2008)

love the tank ! very clean and crisp. 

i have been dosing "excel" for awhile now and my downoi hasnt melted(hold on need to find some wood)...... mine sat thier for ever until i added some plantabbs to their roots and BOOM new leaves the old leaves melted but new ones stayed. and i even moved a bunch of them cross tank to new substrate.
they even pearl a little. in fact some times i forget to add excel on saturdays (not sure why but i always forget on saturday) and they dont pearl. 

by the way when ever i get something like downoi or hc or marsilea i put a piece in my emersed set up under my tank so hopefully if i do get a meltdown in my tank i have a backup and if it does really good i can sell to my lfs to feed my SUPPOSED plant addiction. 

once again great tank


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

Danielle, thanks for the new pxs. Sorry you're having similar downoi issues. Just don't know how others can grow it so easily.

Sorry about your hungry redfront shrimp. Sounds like they weren't polite guests! It still looks so pretty.

Sounds smart to have 2 filters going until the bacteria is built up. Smart move. I also had some dead areas in my big tank. I ended up putting a power head in that area. I already have 2 XP3's. I really didn't need more filtration, just some water movement.

Thanks for sharing. Maybe one day we'll get the hang of the downoi and be the ones sharing it with others! 


Oregon Aqua - do you have ADA Aqua Soil? I have Amazonia II and it's supposed to be extremely nutritious. Haven't heard of anyone adding root tabs to a new Aqua Soil tank. I could add them but don't want to overdo.


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## cholly (Jun 12, 2007)

Danielle said:


> Well I got the new downoi and I guess I'm a sucker for punishment because I topped some of this bunch too. The difference is, the last tops that melted had no roots at all. These had aerial roots and so I trimmed just below those. We'll see what happens.


I'm in the same boat. Had a ton of downoi delivered day before yesterday, but I ended up topping 95% of it because of the growth pattern on the plants I got. There was over six inches of bare stem in between the tops and the root balls and I just couldn't see a different way to plant them in 3" of substrate. I did the same as you, though - trimmed below the point where there were aerial roots (some of which were quite well developed).

Day later, some of the individual leaves were definitely going brown/gray. Most still look good, though, so we'll see.


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## oregon aqua (Jan 30, 2008)

i have really old river sand and the new substrate was flourite. i tried to take pictures and you can kinda see the new bright green leaves. the old leaves had gotten a little algae on them and where much darker.
















one day soon i will have a nice camera!!


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## bratyboy2 (Feb 5, 2008)

im likeing the tank alot its filling in nice


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