# 120cm - Cuspidated Jungle



## George Farmer (22 May 2008)

This is an aquascape I created over winter 2007.

I really enjoyed watching this mature and the eclectic mix of SE Asian fish and plants provided many lost hours of wonder.  

It was also nice to see that I can turn my hand to more complex layouts, as typically my aquascaping style is relatively clean-cut.

Cheers.


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## Ed Seeley (22 May 2008)

Very nice George.  Love the Pearls.  What's the plant in front of the JF?  Blyxa?


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## aaronnorth (22 May 2008)

Wow, nice, i like how every so often you just pull out a random scape without notice.


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## George Farmer (22 May 2008)

Ed Seeley said:
			
		

> Very nice George.  Love the Pearls.  What's the plant in front of the JF?  Blyxa?


Thanks, Ed.  Yes, the weed that is known as Blyxa japonica...



			
				aaronnorth said:
			
		

> Wow, nice, i like how every so often you just pull out a random scape without notice.


Thanks.  I've got more in the bag too...


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## ceg4048 (22 May 2008)

Hi George,
              Absolutely gorgeous mate. One question for you. Can you recall if you used Excel on this tank within a week or two of these photos?

Cheers,


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## The Green Machine (22 May 2008)

Very nice,

very relaxing and lovely subtle use of colour.


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## Steve Smith (22 May 2008)

That is one monster fern 

Lovely tank once again Mr F


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## nickyc (22 May 2008)

Love it!!!  Exactly how many tanks do you have?!


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## LondonDragon (22 May 2008)

That is one great jungle, love it  congrats once again George


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## George Farmer (23 May 2008)

Thanks, everyone!



			
				ceg4048 said:
			
		

> Can you recall if you used Excel on this tank within a week or two of these photos?


Quite possible, Clive.  I did suffer from some minor BBA on the Sumatra wood on occasion.  

Why do you ask?  Colours of the E. stellata?  I wondered about that myself.

Cheers.



			
				nickyc said:
			
		

> Love it!!! Exactly how many tanks do you have?!


I only have two running right now - 60cm German opti-white from Aqua Essentials and 30cm nano.

I've had five at one point - 4 hi-tech planted and one biotope...  But there weren't enough hours in the day to keep them up to my 'OCD' standard!

You can see them all here - http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/p ... blogid=168

Thanks again.


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## ceg4048 (23 May 2008)

George Farmer said:
			
		

> Thanks, everyone!
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Well, not only the stelleta but also the colors of the Blyxa. I'm seeing that they both go bronze (each in their own way). Deletion of Excel seems to return them both to more green within a week or so. I'm not sure if this is coincidence or illusion or real.

Cheers,


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## George Farmer (23 May 2008)

Interesting observation, Clive.

I am dosing Easycarbo regularly in my nano.  The Blyxa is indeed orangey-red.

But... the Blyxa in my 60cm is really quite a vivid red, but I'm not dosing Easycarbo.


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## ceg4048 (23 May 2008)

Hmm..OK... :?  That's a good data point. That means I'm suffering delusions and that it must be some other factor or combination thereof.   My next suspect is TPN+ or possibly lighting. Sorry to be annoying mate but could you confirm that  the plant in the nano is in fact B. japonica and not B. aubertii or something like that? Also, do you (or did you) have any specimens of non-bronzed Blyxa, and if so could you recall the conditions under which they maintained their green coloration?

Cheers,


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## Dan Crawford (23 May 2008)

I always wondered why George's Blyxia was *GREEN* and mine were more of a browny red?
The browny red ones i have originally came from you clive?...


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## TDI-line (23 May 2008)

Top of the class as usual George. Looks fantastic.


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## George Farmer (23 May 2008)

ceg4048 said:
			
		

> Sorry to be annoying mate but could you confirm that  the plant in the nano is in fact B. japonica and not B. aubertii or something like that? Also, do you (or did you) have any specimens of non-bronzed Blyxa, and if so could you recall the conditions under which they maintained their green coloration?
> 
> Cheers,



No bother mate.  

This is my 80cm with B. japonica that JamesC kindly sent me a good while ago.  It did morph in colour though from light green/orange hint through to deep green.





4 x 24w HO T5, 8 hours, Arcadia Plant Pro and JBL Natur 9000K (basically pink and blue tubes)
CO2 20-30ppm
5ml TPN+ per day
1/2 WC per week
Tap KH 7, GH 14, NO3 20ppm, PO4 5ppm (according to water supplier).


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## George Farmer (23 May 2008)

TDI-line said:
			
		

> Top of the class as usual George. Looks fantastic.



Thanks mate!


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## ceg4048 (23 May 2008)

Dan Crawford said:
			
		

> I always wondered why George's Blyxia was *GREEN* and mine were more of a browny red?
> The browny red ones i have originally came from you clive?...



Gosh, I've just about run out of suspects.   Dan those were deep green exactly like those shown in Georges 80cm. The specimens I have now are from that same group and they are now green again. The only thing I can think of is the actual CO2 level. If it's not that then it's back to square 1. Anyway sorry to hijack, George.  

Cheers,


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## james3200 (23 May 2008)

Lovely healthy scape George


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## Themuleous (24 May 2008)

Healthy plants as always.

Sam


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## Arana (24 May 2008)

Nearly missed this!... Love it Mate   8)


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## LondonDragon (24 May 2008)

George Farmer said:
			
		

>


Thanks looks amazing, I am considering doing this on my tank, removing all the plants from the left hand side, would look similar! Clive as I nice plant that I am going to try if he manages to find me some clippings so we will see 
As always George, great scapes


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## John Starkey (24 May 2008)

Hi George, your usual standards as ever,all very nice and all have really lovely healthy plants,well done mate regards john.


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## daniel19831123 (25 May 2008)

ceg4048 said:
			
		

> Hmm..OK... :?  That's a good data point. That means I'm suffering delusions and that it must be some other factor or combination thereof.   My next suspect is TPN+ or possibly lighting. Sorry to be annoying mate but could you confirm that  the plant in the nano is in fact B. japonica and not B. aubertii or something like that? Also, do you (or did you) have any specimens of non-bronzed Blyxa, and if so could you recall the conditions under which they maintained their green coloration?
> 
> Cheers,



I thought that's common with blyxa. If you look on aquatic plant central webpage and search for blyxa I did remember something about dosing high fert especially micro that will cause the plant to go bronze red.


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## ceg4048 (25 May 2008)

Yes, but then how to explain the fact that it's now green, as well as the green in the 80 cm...

Cheers,


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## Superman (25 May 2008)

Truly amazing Gerorge.


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## alip01 (27 May 2008)

Looks great, as always


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## George Farmer (27 May 2008)

Thanks, all!

I appreciate the nice comments.


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## planter (27 May 2008)

Very nice George!   The large rock breaks up the green perfectly .


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## beeky (27 May 2008)

George Farmer said:
			
		

> nickyc said:
> 
> 
> 
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Does that mean you don't have the chocolate biotope anymore?


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## james3200 (30 May 2008)

> I'm seeing that they both go bronze (each in their own way). Deletion of Excel seems to return them both to more green within a week or so. I'm not sure if this is coincidence or illusion or real.



Yep i can agree with that. I spot dosed excel a few weeks ago on my tenellus lawn and saw a large increase in the red shoots. Stopped it now and many are returning to green

James


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## GreenNeedle (1 Jun 2008)

I can't add to the blyxia solution as mine were light green to bronze from start ot present.  This is with JamesCs lean dosing and 20-25ppm CO2, then TPN+ with 30ppm back to how I have it at the mo.  All the time under 0.9WPG T5HO so no help from me as usual. lol

Nice scape George, not going to attempt to copy this one as it would turn into a puddle of algae with my lazy methods. lol

Andy


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## JamieH (25 Jun 2008)

Why did i look at the pics in the OP?


My tank is a ragged mess in the face of such beauty.


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