# Where The Jungle  "Destroys" Red Rock Creek..



## zozo (2 Mar 2019)

Actualy i have no idea how the categorize this in our hobby terms.. Is it a Paludarium a riparium an aquarium?
It is something but i realy don't know. I leave it up to you if you have suggestion, i will add the winning term to the title.

Anyway the making off the tank itself you can find <here>






*Dimension*: approximately - 124cm x 32cm x 21cm
*Hardscape material*: Fosillized wood, not the typical one but sourced privately and dug up by a hobby fossil collecter somewhere in the dark outbacks of Germany.
*Substrate*:  In the creek area submersed - Seachem flourite Dark
*Base substrate for the emersed parts: *Crushed Lava Rock to create the banking, in the baskets an Alfagrog type.
*Capping substrate for the emersed parts*: Not yet desided..


*Filter*: 300l/h Resun Hang on the back.
*Lights*: Her comes the sun..  Thus natural light only.
*Heating*: Non

*Plants*: For now i can only say South/Central - American bog plants and a few terrestrials, will update the list later on the fly. Definitively a drystart.
*Lifestock: *Shrimps and snails.. Fish i yet not desided on, depends on how stable it runs in the future. And yet i do not know it's true water volume in the end.. Free swimming space will be around 10 to 20 litres estimate. Maybe small Corydoras sp. and or Otocinclus and or Ember Tetra. But for now i don't think i will hold fish in here.

Seen from above:




Detail on the filter tube feeding the hob. Did test run it on 300l/h without the drain holes and it ran like a charm. Drilled in the extra drain holes, it probably is going to function a small part as UGFilter embeded in lava rocks. The top of the tube sticking out of the substrate is also coated in the dust from the crushed lava. Later on likely covered in moss as well.




Left side, the steep cliff side.. After it is flooded there will be a small water lily planted in the corner where the 2 big rocks meet. I'm yet not sure but i think that will be the only aqautic plant totaly submersed. For the rest it will be some trailing marginal plants hanging over the rocks.




Finding that Seachem Flourite Dark in my country realy was a treat.. I've searched for days for other alternatives. Was rather getting frustrated, nothing out there, than by chance i found 1 shop in the entire country selling seachem flourite. Never seen it before, had to choose between black and dark.. Took my chances and ordered the Dark.. Was a lucky shot. I don't think black would have looked beter. What do you think?





No carpet plants in the submersed substate as you would expect to see in a creek in nature. Only mosses on the rocks.



Still far from done, have some more little and medium sized rocks left and still might add some other hardscape details in the creek. Any suggestions on improvement on details in the middle are more than welcom.

I have one little dilemma i need some advice and suggestions about..  I can't realy deside what to use as capping substrate to fill up the sides and top off the lava rock.

Should i go Inert with a fine black lava bases gravel or should i go Organic peaty pond soil? Or should i mix in both?

What do you guys think? What should i cap it with?

SInce it's going to be very plant heavy and dry starting i'm leaning towards Organic soil.. 
And still need ti fill in an extra bag of crushed lava around the baskets. I'm not realy expecting anaerobic pockets in the deep layer substrate. The soil will only fill up the spaces between the lava rocks at the glass as much as possible. Probaly with a lot of free space between it in the middle only holding water. I guess shrimp fry can and will get into that cave labirynth.

Another question i yet can't deside about.. Should i cover the back panel in black foil?
To be continued:


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## tam (2 Mar 2019)

Very cool! I think dark rather than black was spot on for substrate - looks like a good colour match for the rock and that makes it look much more natural. For the same reason I'd be inclined to hold off on covering the back in solid black - you might want to go for something dark brown or off black i.e. more murky stream coloured. I've some brown paper behind mine at the moment set about 4" back from the tank (on the wall behind rather than the tank) and I like how the rooms ambient light gives it a gradient. Black does make plants pop but it's not very natural.

Some leaf litter/twigs might be a good way of adding more fine detail to the centre?


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## Fiske (2 Mar 2019)

Yup. The dark substrate looks great, and matches the rocks well. I like where this is going.
If I had a tank with these dimensions I'd probably go this way, or some kind of hill stream.


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## zozo (2 Mar 2019)

tam said:


> hold off on covering the back in solid black, you might want to go for something dark brown or off black i.e. more murky stream coloured



I think you are correct..  

At the other end of the room i have my asian themed slow burner.. There i simply painted the wall behind the tank in a Old English Wood and Wall Blueish Black, chalk paint. And that looks great but it's different larger dimension..

Here i could do the same, but i'm reluctant to paint the entire wall in this dark color. Might only do a big enough circle to contrast only the submersed part.

Thanls for the inspiration..


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## zozo (5 Mar 2019)

Some details on the way it is going to be filtered. 




I've tested it in another tank, filter is rated 300l/h and the pipe is sufficient to feed it.




Only had to create a little acrylic extension to clamp to the glass and lift the filter a bit higher.



Later on all will be hidden behind the plants anyway..

Nice is, it all stands in front of the sofa.. It's a nice way to get down on it lay there watching and thinking how to procede. It's very relaxing.  No hurries..
Did try to create some depth into the scaped stream part with small details.. All the way in the back right there are 2 stones covering the filter inlet. Behind it is a small cave and the gaps between the stones are big enough for the water to pass.




Also made a decision on the banked up capping.. It's going to be a black lava source gravel.. Choose lava source because of it's porousity and thus plant roots will attach to it. Than it will  be one firm mass once all is grown in. Also going to mix in 15% special Hummus Rich Depot Mix to benefit the plants.That will be 1,5L depot mix on 10L substrate. It's ordered but in delay because of carnival holidays..

Did some resourcing on Window Sill hardy Echinodorus sp. that do well summer and winter indoors. There are not many the majority withers away in the winter periode.. But i found and ordered a few that reportedly do good indoors all year long..

The E. regine Hildebrandt actualy a very beautifull Hybrid..




And E. Cordifolius, rather a big boy for the back ground.



Both should do fine indoors as emersed Echinodorus.. I hope..

Found an Alternanthera reineckii "sessilis" ready nursed and solled as seasonal outdoor pondplant.
If it's good for that it's good for indoors too.




Other plants on my wishlist.. For now mainly grassy plants..
Cyperus Haspans - Mexican Dwarf Cyperus.
Juncuns repens
Sagitarria subulata
Lilaeopsis brasiliensis

More to come i yet not 100% decided on.


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## zozo (8 Mar 2019)

It's slowly getting shape, right hand side is about done..  Maybe change some minor details along the way. As we all know scapping is work with what you got and a long process sometimes to see what changes need to be made. 



 

I underastimated the amount of soil neede to fill all this up. Have non left to go on with the left side, need to run to the lfs again to buy a bag of gravel.

Now in the picture i see the left hand light colored rock needs to be gone..  In the back ground its the Cyperus haspans already displayed with the resident tiger inspecting it.. Cyperus after all is Cat Grass, he's already helping me to trim it..




How and if the little down stream from the HOB will work i don't know yet. It needs a flood for that.. But the idea is already there.




Some Echinodorus sp. that go in there  The rest around it is going to be completely carpeted with grassy plant sp. From taller in the back to low growing in the front. At the rocks edge i'll think i plant some MC trailng over and softening the rocks edges. Later on likely also growing out of the nooks and crannies. All looks a bit rough and harsh now.


 



 

At the top i might add a flowring stem plants as well. Get some red ones in there..


 

Have to wait till medio month May for the outdoor pond plants to arrive in the pond shop.. Than see what South American tropicals are available this year.

The left side will be the Fern side, whit some wet feet loving terrestrials..


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## Fiske (8 Mar 2019)

Very nice!

So now I have to follow both this and the Mission Bathtub?


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## Tucker90 (8 Mar 2019)

Really really REALLY love the way this is going! 

Would be interested in what pond plants you find. I’ve found some of them are £3 for a massive pot, then the aquatic version is £6 for a tiny pot! 

My tank is ready to set up now but the house is up for sale and would be daft to set up then move! 

Gonna let you set this one up so I can steal ideas! 




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## zozo (8 Mar 2019)

Thanks guys.. 



Tucker90 said:


> Would be interested in what pond plants you find. I’ve found some of them are £3 for a massive pot, then the aquatic version is £6 for a tiny pot!



Previous years i saw various Eleocharis sp. such as E. acicularis and E. parvula, various Lilaeopsis sp. brasiliensis is always available. Myriophyllum brasiliensis. Various Hydrocotyl sp. Gratiola sp. Hygrophila sp. All transitioned to grow seasonaly outdoors and indeed rather large dirted pots all less than € 5,-  At some online pond plant suppliers even more can be found. It's depends on which nursery supplies the shops. It saves a lot of weeks transitioning plants myself.. But i have to wait till month may and june for the pond shop to be fully equipt, the shop i go displays all these plant outdoors and they have a huge collection. I'll take some pics when i go. 

Here are some online pics from this shop.




3 of those tables bursting with pond plants.




Than i have 2 other shops nearby as well. With a slight different collection.. 



Tucker90 said:


> Gonna let you set this one up so I can steal ideas!



You're welcomme!  I always say, Rather a good nick than a bad invention..


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## zozo (8 Mar 2019)

I realy wanted a litle stream cascading down from the HOB.. And the way i did it, it didn't, the porous lava just soaked all up and it drained straight down into the substrate. I thought if it looks like a stream it shoud stream..

Thus pond foil to the rescue..   Brushed a ditch out of the gravel.. Laid in a strip of pond foil and pushed it in the ditch


 

And covered it up again.. It's all lava rock, thus plants and mosses etc will ready attach to it, grow over it and secure all in place.. The foil will never be seens.




Now the water will cascade down and have a gutter to follow..  It wont be a massive splashing flow with 300l/h.


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## Tucker90 (8 Mar 2019)

Video?!?  


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## zozo (8 Mar 2019)

Tucker90 said:


> Video?!?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



Good idea!.. Comming up..


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## zozo (8 Mar 2019)

Short video impression.. Trash quality, obviously not my strongest point.. but i'll make a beter one later on..


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## DeepMetropolis (8 Mar 2019)

Nice project,
Looked where the shop is at cause it looks good 2h and 20 min drive.. It's cheaper ordering online for me or go local.


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## Tim Harrison (8 Mar 2019)

Looks like a well stocked shop.
It'd be nice to watch a video of it planted and up and running with water moving down the little gully you've created.


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## zozo (8 Mar 2019)

DeepMetropolis said:


> Nice project,
> Looked where the shop is at cause it looks good 2h and 20 min drive.. It's cheaper ordering online for me or go local.


Thanks..

It's still one of thos odd shops with lots of new old stock from forgoten times. Little DIY pieces other shops don't even bother to have in stock or probably not in production any longer in the pet industry. These are shells looking like a bom exploded in it, than you have to estimate probable location, dig and find. Realy love it.  Only negative review i have is the fish keeping also still is in era 1970's.. Not good...



Tim Harrison said:


> It'd be nice to watch a video of it planted and up and running with water moving down the little gully you've created.


That be the next one. The tripod than and see if i can do some editing. That bumpy ride above is a awfull roeler coaster of a video.

But it also need one test fill just to see where i'm at. Tha i also test run the hob over the gully.. Also because the substrate needs to sink in.. I guess there are still a lot of sink holes in the lava rocks i used as a base. And need some recapping here and there after the first flood and dran. And than all is properly soaked for the start up..


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## zozo (9 Mar 2019)

Anyway a little pause anounced,for now... And mean while and before i couldn't do without..



Thanks my friends!!!


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## PARAGUAY (9 Mar 2019)

Great work, love your inventiveness


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## zozo (12 Mar 2019)

Now that was a short break.. Couldn't resist getting on with it..  And fill up the left side..

In total 18 kilo of crushed filter lava, 20 kilo of mouled lava gravel and 5 kilo of rounded silica gravel and a bit less than a kilo Depot Fert mix went in there to complete the job..

For so far the scaping part is done.. Absolutely no turning back except changing some minor details.




Now it actualy needs one test flood.. Just to see where i'm at with the total water volume.. Already threw in about 6 to 7 litres of water to presoak the substrate at least a bit. If i keep doing it like that for a periode i loose track and can only estimate the true volume.

With flooding i'm at risk that the fine gravel sinks deeper into the nooks and cranies still open between the lava chunks and create siinkholes. or wait till all plants are properly rooted, but that will take at least a few months.. Little dilema, test flood or wait? I'll sleep a night over it. But feel like flooding just out of curiousity how it will look. 

Plant salready in there at the left side Thelypteris palustris fern i overwintered indoors on a chuck of DW. A syngonium.. The Begonia maculata.. Creeping jenny. And some Cyperus haspans. More to come, at least a few more ferns definitively a maiden hair.




I guess some of you recognize this piece of DW.. It stood in the garden bathtub for a few years growing mosses. Couldn't resist, now its in here.




The big chunk of red rock pops out like mad as a centre piece.. Still a bit much into your face.. But the maiden hair is going on top with some mosses growing to it.. And it has a pretty rough structure, hard to see on picture.. I'll plant some HC to it at the water surface and try to grow it semi submersed.



Some still young and small shoots from the Cyperus haspans around the hob filter.. Didn't have to much soil there to place bigger plants. That needs time to grow some body on its own.




The 2 Echinodorus regine hildebrandt are still in the pots.. They have been in the propagator for a week, so not sure if they are ready to be planted yet. Keep them a while in the pot in there to see how they cope with it. But they seem to be pretty hardy.. The other two E. cordifolius and E. palifolius  are still in the propagator and definitively in need of slower transition



Anyway, now i need at least to wait 2 months before pond plants are available..  But it gives me time to transition plants that i need to by from the lfs. Thinking of HC and MC, juncuns repens, sagitaria subulata and helanthium tenellus and others i've not yet decided on.

But also thinking of some Myriophyllum sp. and plant it in the water part in the background growing from behind the big rock. In the triangular corner in the mid, there will be a small lily..




Fron the other side MC will trail over the rocks growing seme submersed. The cave showing at the right hand side will stay a cave..



All and all, looking and thinking.. I think it also needs a light for the winter periode... But thats something a can think an intire summer about how to fis that..




Now my hands are tight and have to wait on the plants..  nothing much else to report.. Only if i do a test flood, than i also take some pics and post them.


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## Edvet (12 Mar 2019)

When are you adding water?


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## zozo (12 Mar 2019)

Edvet said:


> When are you adding water?



After it is completely grown in.. Other words when the carpeting plants have fully matted and secured the substrate with roots..  The main plant responsible for that will be Lileaopsis brasiliensis.. And maybe helanthium tenellum, both reproduce with runners in simmular fasion.. But yet wasn't realy very succesfull in transitioning this plant emersed.

Thus it all depends, i can't tell.. The plants will tell me when its ready to flood.

Flood level will be about this.. Not higher.. 





But i might do a test fill soon.. Its a burning thought.. I think i need too.. Than i can also test run the HOB and see the streaming gully work in real time.

Than i'll show..  But  i'm a bit  with premature flooding.. Should i take that risk?


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## Edvet (12 Mar 2019)

You getting Lileaopsis from the garden center? These are emersed already.
https://www.intratuin.nl/tuinplante...liaanse-grasplant-lilaeopsis-brasilensis.html


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## zozo (12 Mar 2019)

Edvet said:


> You getting Lileaopsis from the garden center? These are emersed already.
> https://www.intratuin.nl/tuinplante...liaanse-grasplant-lilaeopsis-brasilensis.html



Yup. And a few more, have to see what's available this season..


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## zozo (12 Mar 2019)

Actualy still didn't recieve any suggestion on where to categorize this from a vivarium perspective?.. What is it?

Since its a slized diorama / cross section of a small creek bed with landscape.. Is it a Creekarium??


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## Tim Harrison (12 Mar 2019)

I guess it's a paludarium...? Either way it's shaping up to be epic.
Are you going to put any aquatic critters in it ?


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## Edvet (12 Mar 2019)

https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paludarium
Funnily i find more dutch references then english ones on the first few google pages.


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## Edvet (12 Mar 2019)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paludarium


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## zozo (12 Mar 2019)

Tim Harrison said:


> I guess it's a paludarium...?



I can sattle for that..  

Tho a Palus is a bog, Riparian refers to river bank.. A ditch crossing a meadow would be a Fossa in latin or a Fovea. But a Fossarium yet doesn't excist afaik and Fovearium sounds like a speech impediment. 



Tim Harrison said:


> Either way it's shaping up to be epic.
> Are you going to put any aquatic critters in it ?



Thank you Tim.. That comming from you tells me i'm on the right track.

I wanted it to be as close as South American biotope as possible.. Tho never been there so actualy i don't know what that is. And it is pretty tough to stay trully biotope acurate. Shrimps are definitively going in, S A shrimps are difficutl, i have lots of cherries there i'm already off biotope wise. Tho shrimp is a shrimp and cherry in an unheated invironment color much darker, tend to develop wild color deep brown instead of firy red. Ramshorn and pond snail are also going in. And likely a few Earth worms too for the free worm castings ofcourse.

Yet i do not know its true volume and the surface to bottom play will be darn shallow at 15 cm max depth.. Doing a rough estimate i'm maybe at 20 to 25 litres max free swimming space incuding the planted super shallow parts. Not counting the volume soaked into the substrate. In esence that would resamble a scaped 25x25x40cm aqaurium netto volume. Taking all that into account i'm not sure what fish sp. i can make happy in there. Maybe a fish sp. that doesn't require a lot free space and is more substrate level oriented. Pygmy cory maybe, oto's. 

I have to monitor it first for a while.. Since it recieves day light from a south faced window.. I yet have no idea what the temperatures will do. At first without knowing what i'm up to i'm reluctant to take unneccessary risks and cook anything alive in there.  So i dunno yet.


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## Tim Harrison (12 Mar 2019)

zozo said:


> A ditch crossing a meadow would be a Fossa in latin or a Fovea


That would make sense, I live near to an old Roman road known as the Fosse Way which links Lincolnshire to Exeter; 370 km long.


zozo said:


> But a Fossarium yet doesn't excist afaik and Fovearium sounds like a speech impediment.


Speech impediment aside, it exists now


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## Edvet (12 Mar 2019)

I've had Euryrhynchus amazoniensis, tiny, hiding and night active
and i have Macrobrachium brasiliensis, large, bolsterous and easy breeding. You could try these.


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## zozo (12 Mar 2019)

Edvet said:


> Euryrhynchus amazoniensis, tiny, hiding and night active



They sound nice..  And available in the trade.. Tho night active aint that much fun..


Edvet said:


> Macrobrachium brasiliensis, large, bolsterous and easy breeding. You could try these.


As long as they are not escape artists they might do very good.. After all its an open top with very easy access to the emersed sections. A walk in the park..

I was considering Cambarellus sp. But thats a no go.. They will escape. 

Btw walk in the park, was out of Cigars so took a stroll to the shop and also found this growing on a rock at a rather damp spot.


 



 

Ant this growing on a base of a tree. 




Got to find me some more. Strolling the parks with ponds and little streams. 

I'm also boggling about a heliamphora remembering <Mr. Teapots Green Pekoe Pond> But they are darn expensive.. Suspect an epic fail if i do..


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## zozo (12 Mar 2019)

zozo said:


> They sound nice..  And available in the trade..



On the other hand €45,- per 5 shrimps..  Thats about a lobster in a 5 star restaurant..


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## Fiske (12 Mar 2019)

You could mix a few different colourstrains of Neocaridina, I have done that and have loads of wild coloured, brown, chocolatey and black(ish) shrimp.


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## zozo (12 Mar 2019)

Fiske said:


> You could mix a few different colourstrains of Neocaridina, I have done that and have loads of wild coloured, brown, chocolatey and black(ish) shrimp.



Since i'm on a budget that was a bit the plan..


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## zozo (12 Mar 2019)

Another nice thing to explore in this setup are South American Carnivores in general..

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Carnivorous_plants_of_South_America

Have a few on my whishlist already. Definitively Epiphytic Utricularia.

https://www.araflora.com/p673/bladderwort_utricularia_alpina

https://www.araflora.com/p685/bladderwort_utricularia_blanchettii_chapada_diamantina

Trying to source Drosera sessilifolia, for now can only find seeds. 

And an affordable Heliamphora.
https://www.araflora.com/p3983/sun_pitcherplant_heliamphora_heterodoxa_starter


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## zozo (17 Mar 2019)

Some updates on iits slow developments.. Also in ideas comming along the way.. 

Pics taken at High Noon.. Sun highest in the sky and it shows how the light plays in it.



The left side will be mainly the terrestrial jungle side transitioning to the creek into a wet shallow part that gets the most sun during the day.

The Echinodorus Regine Hildebrandt already in place.. Its a darn hardy Echi realy comfortable in living room conditions. As far as i could find it it is alledgedly a hybrid crossbreed between E. Ozelot and E. uruguayensis "Red". So i guess one of these should be equaly easy to grow emersed it likely is inherited. The question remains from which one?.. (Lets find out in the future.)




I decided that the E. palaefolius var. latifolius is to boisterous for this scape. It doesn't fit in the scale. Thus i gave it a new place with the bigger Cyperus haspans in a large glass vase functioning as background decoration. The vase will get a new base later on.. My brother is making it on his wood turning machine. This Echi is equaly comfortable in living room climate.. It seems to be happy in there.. 




And the jungle part.. Still waiting on some ordered plants..



Played a bit with pieces of driftwood to create a jungle transition. In the bollow pic you clearly see the suns shadow line thats also +/- the water line this will barely tough the driftwood. Thus its a constant shaded jungle part getting indirect daylight and not to wet.

Ordered a few small epiphytic pygmy Orchid Barbosella  sp. reportedly good growers in livingroom climate to grow on the wood. Accompanied by an epiphytic Bromelia 'Neoregelia lilliputiana' the smallest bromelia in the trade. Also ordered 2 of the easiest to grow terrestrial Utricularia sp. to live in the nooks and crannies of the DW. Above the water line in a bed of sphagnum and leaflitter.





For the rest i ordered a Ficus sp. Panama, a small climbing ficus with elongated leaves trailing over the front left hand corner. And the Cissus amazonica that should be a vigorous climber to be planted at the top in the orchid bark forest soil i added. I still need to fix me something to the wall for it to climb. The dark substrate part will be filled up with tropical boggers. HC feathering the rocks semi submersed trailing over. Lilaeopsis meadow on the slope slowly transitioning to staurogyne repens. With a Alternanthera sessilis in the back next to the cyperus.  There also will be some trailing Hydrocotyle leucocephala.

For the right hand rocky side in the bog area there will be Micranthemum umbrosum as trailing plant into the creek. Juncuns repens as taller grass in the back. A lilaeopsis meadow sloopng out of the water again transitioning to staurogyne repens.

Maybe add some more plants to it in the future.. Dunno yet.. It might very well that this is it.. It might get to bussy other wise.. To much different plant sp. will only make it too ghaotic.

Anyway waiting in anticipation in the plants they will slowly drop in the comming days.. And yet don't kow if and how long some need to be transitioned to drystart.


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## sciencefiction (18 Mar 2019)

Great journal. Posting a bit of gibberish so I get the update alerts 

By the way, I have a feeling that kuhli loaches may do rather well in a setup like that if the temperature is right. They may venture even up the hills..... Shrimp may happen to walk out by accident. I've seen mine walk above water as long as there's hard surface beneath and some moisture  

In my hillstream tank I put some manzanita wood I had sitting at home for years.It was originally collected in a forest.It has been growing some unknown species of moss emersed and even mushrooms


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## zozo (18 Mar 2019)

sciencefiction said:


> Great journal. Posting a bit of gibberish so I get the update alerts
> 
> By the way, I have a feeling that kuhli loaches may do rather well in a setup like that if the temperature is right. They may venture even up the hills..... Shrimp may happen to walk out by accident. I've seen mine walk above water as long as there's hard surface beneath and some moisture
> 
> In my hillstream tank I put some manzanita wood I had sitting at home for years.It was originally collected in a forest.It has been growing some unknown species of moss emersed and even mushrooms



It's South Amrican Theme from planted perspective. If the temps stay in relative good range i might try Oto's and Pygmy Cory. But the first season there will be no lifestock anyway.. Not till i know what i'm up against. 

I also think i need some light for the winter periode or need to drain it.. Too wet and not enough light usualy isn't a good thing for plant with wet feet. Thus i build a light too in time and see if i need it during the winter..


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## sciencefiction (18 Mar 2019)

zozo said:


> I also think i need some light for the winter periode or need to drain it.



It probably depends on the plants. Mine have gone through 3 winters, no sunshine yet outside this year, plants started flowering and the majority of the plants are outside the artificial light spectrum as those are pointed downward but I guess some is bouncing around the room. They are near the window though. 



zozo said:


> But the first season there will be no lifestock anyway.. Not till i know what i'm up against.



With a deep substrate like that you better let it mature I guess. It will be interesting anyway and I am sure it will turn out really nice.


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## zozo (18 Mar 2019)

That was what i was trying to prevent, deep and dense substrate.. That is why i used filter lava, all chuncks of lave a different sizes to create a lot of room for water pockets, enough room for micro organsime to thrive. it's 90 litre total volume and only added 20 litre fine mouled lava to cap it, the rest is one big labyrinth af bigger lava chunks.

I'm not realy worried about biologicail maturity.. Actualy to be honest, i don't know what i'm worried about..  Just want to learn by experience if there are things to worry about.. I never did anything like this before. And as long as i do have no clue what to expect i'm not taking chances on lifestock. 

Little things that worry me, mainly is natural light, in form of direct sunlight and temperature behind glass.. This can get realy extreem for submersed lifeforms such as fish.


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## Tim Harrison (18 Mar 2019)

zozo said:


> Little things tha worry me, mainly is matural light and temperature behind glass.. This can get realy extreem for submersed lifeforms such as fish.


Especially in a small volume of water with little buffering capacity. Either way I know this is going to turn out well Marcel


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## zozo (18 Mar 2019)

Tim Harrison said:


> Especially in a small volume of water with little buffering capacity.



Indeed, i yet do not know it's true water volume.. Maybe 30 litre to the max, the rest is solid material. And its a south faced window lots of sun blasting on it.



Tim Harrison said:


> Either way I know this is going to turn out well


I hope so, lifestock is the least of my concern rigt now.. I'm happy with a Wabi Kusa only in this dimensions.


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## zozo (19 Mar 2019)

This afternoon the LFS plants will arrive, depending on well they do outside a greenhouse i see if what already canbe planted..  Thus gave it a presoak and test run.. I'm approximately at 30 litres total..





Also already planted the small Nymphaea and a rather small unidentified Nymphoides at the other side. Till now i wasn't able to identify this small nymphiodes it definitively is tropical and not realy winter hard.. Despite it was in the full sun entire summer in the garden last year growing like mad, it refused to flower. I only know it's a small plant, leaves didn't get bigger than 3cm in diameter with red striping on it. I'll give it a go in this setup and hope it will finaly flower on me one day. 

In the day light with the sun on it, this setup is ompissible to make video or good photos from it. I definitively need an artifical light source and dark room for that. Thus excuse the crapy videos and i hope its beter than nothing.


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## tam (19 Mar 2019)

That is very very cool!


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## zozo (20 Mar 2019)

Slowly filling up.. 




Plants doing good from the get go, not needing a transition. Ready to root..

Juncus repens in the back.. Micranthemum umbrosum in the front.




Hemianthus callitrichoides




Plugged a small portion in between the rocks that will be submersed after flooding.


 

Here is my Staurogyne repens test dummy.. I'll give it 24 hours to show if it likes it before the rest is planted.
I tried Alternanthera sessilis yesterday, this plant seemed to like the day, but didn't like the night, maybe a temp shock. Dunno yet but this plant needs a bit more patience.




At the right hand side from above pic, you see a small round leaved epyphite on the wood.. That is a Barbosella cogniauxiam (mini) Orchid. The wood is shaped like a cup filled with some peat, sphagnum and barkchips. It's still tiny.. It's a South American tropical Orchid alledgedly doing good in living room climate. We'll see.. I hope so, darn expensive little blighter.

Bellow on the wood stem also is a Barbossela specie, not further identified but more of a epyphitic climber. Same story should do well and readily flower.  If they do, we are in for a treat..




 The jungle boogie in the making.. Still waiting to recieve some terrestrials. Most anticipated are the Utricularias i ordered. And the pygmy Bromelia should also be a real stunner. In a way i can't get my mind of putting a Pachira aqautica in there, but i can not seem to track down one single young plant. Only the ones with the silly braided stems. It seems cuttings can be propagated, thus i wait till i come accross one i can take a cutting from..



Mister Pond Snail alread helping and threw in a bunch of Daphnia and what ever more was in the garden bucket.


 
Some more waiting in the propagator.. The picky Alternanthera sessilis (sensibillis) Some Brasilian pennywort, not sure yet if i'm going to use it. And Helanthium tenellum, defenitively a sensitive bugger, already failed 2 times transitioning it. But darn i must have it and must succeed.


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## Edvet (20 Mar 2019)

Somehow i think a long T5 in an enclosed (DIY) lampholder suspended over it (30-40 cm)will be helpfull.


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## zozo (20 Mar 2019)

Edvet said:


> Somehow i think a long T5 in an enclosed (DIY) lampholder suspended over it (30-40 cm)will be helpfull.



Yup already brainstorming about fixing me a hanging a light above it. Most likely go for a LED option. Still have time, for the summer i don't need it.. Now atcualy starting today it's spring time.. Its a step by step conept anyway regarding planting it up. Have to wait 3 more weeks for the Lilaeopsis pond version to arrive in the shop. So i wait with planting the sensitive ones as the last ones when its warmer and when its flooded with a higher water level.

But it indeed beter be ready before the winter. Somehow i don't expect it to survive the dark periode without artificial light.


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## sciencefiction (20 Mar 2019)

I think you're done Marcel.  It looks great already.


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## sciencefiction (20 Mar 2019)

Let me know if you want any of these


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## zozo (20 Mar 2019)

sciencefiction said:


> Let me know if you want any of these



I added loads of mosses collected in the forest.. I'm not surprised if they pop up one day..


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## sciencefiction (20 Mar 2019)

zozo said:


> I added loads of mosses collected in the forest.. I'm not surprised if they pop up one day..


 
I was asking about the mushrooms


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## zozo (21 Mar 2019)

sciencefiction said:


> I was asking about the mushrooms


Yes i know and i think it looks cool.. Since i always use moss and or wood pieces i find outdoors in about anything that has plants, i occasionaly have mushrooms too.


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## zozo (21 Mar 2019)

Did a little experiment with the 3 sensitive plants.. Because i noticed a weakened plant readily come back with the roots in the water. Kinda gave me the hunch, low humidity around its leaves aint always the problem, It more likely the change of substrate and lower humidity around its roots shocking and killing the plant.

I took them all from the green house left them in the pots standing in the water.. And they all are fine..




They are in here now for the last 24 hours without any sign of stress.. As soon as i plant one in substrate with the roots above the water line than they do not feel like living..

Another hint towards how important the roots actualy are for a plant to survive and thrive. It contradicts the common practice and recomendation to unpot a plant cut off the long roots and replant it. What we actualy should do is keep the roots as intact as possible and sufficiently dig the plant into the substrate without damaging them.


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## dw1305 (21 Mar 2019)

Hi all,





zozo said:


> What we actualy should do is keep the roots as intact as possible and sufficiently dig the plant into the substrate without damaging them.


I think that is good advice, I try and avoid losing any roots when I move a plant (I don't buy many).  I just cut any damaged roots back to the first intact root section.

I do the same with the stems and leaves, if they are green and healthy looking I'll try and keep them until the plant is established. I'll only prune off stem sections, or leaves on rosette plants, when the plant is back in active growth.

The only exception to this is if a leaf is obviously senescent, then I remove it.

cheers Darrel


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## zozo (21 Mar 2019)

Did some modifications on the HOB so i can run it at alower water level.. After that i noticed my gully wasn't realy streaming.  It spilled water rather as soon as it fell in from the hob. Thus i needed to do some modifications to the gully as well. And with rather satisfying results. Not a rafting stream, not making splashy running stream sounds, doesn't need to i don't keep singing birds anyway..  And what is streaming water without birds singing , making you run to the loo.

This will do and still needs to grow in with mosses etc.


A close up


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## zozo (21 Mar 2019)

The Jungle boogie update..  Yet new plants arrived again.. And i'm as happy as i toddler with a lollypop.!.. 

The Cisus amazonica.. Still need to figur out a way to make it climp up the wall..




Ficus punctata sp. Panama..





Utricularia alpina.. Came together with some wonderfull moss sp. Awsome!!




Utricularia blanchetti a lovely tiny plant, you have to look twice, is it moss, no, is it grass??




If it wasn't for the lovely flowers growing out one would easily overlook this plant among  the mosses.. 




Last but not least the Neoregelia lilliputiana. Growing on the highest driest spot available. But i expected it to be smaller regarding it's name.




Not sure if i leave that Bromelia up there.. Still have a few smaller ones in the pot.. Have to think about that..

Still feel like missing a plant in the background..  As said maybe a Pachira aquatica.. The black slopes will later on be overgrown with Lilaeopsis..


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## mort (21 Mar 2019)

You could give the cissus a branch to climb up. I have a Monstera dubia that I have climbing up a piece of oak bark that I peeled off a dead tree. I'm going to try the same thing but growing down, with a Hoya.


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## zozo (21 Mar 2019)

mort said:


> You could give the cissus a branch to climb up. I have a Monstera dubia that I have climbing up a piece of oak bark that I peeled off a dead tree. I'm going to try the same thing but growing down, with a Hoya.



I was thinking somewhere along that line.. Visit a saw mil and ask for a slap of wood with bark still on. Or go for a <decoarative dried Syringa branch> from the dry flower arr. shop. Or maybe as you say slabs of bark, thats a good idea.. Maybe do something crazy with smaller slabs of different sizes and puzzle them together in form of a tree. 

Still have time for the plant to establish, no hurries..


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## zozo (24 Mar 2019)

An dit has a light now.. Even tho i do not need it yet..


 
1 metre 4000 lumen Led strip.




Copper stand off mount at the wall for the wire suspention..


 
And fixed the wire slider to the Alu led profile..




All that wire suspention material was chrome nikkel plated.. Used reverse electrolysis to get the plating off and now its simply solid brass.  At first i thought to give the alu a brass paint finish.. But in way it doesn't look uggly...

Than dissaster struck..  During mounting it to the wall.. A smalll 4mm alen key fell out of my hands.. It could have fallen anywhere.. But it fell exactly smack dab in the middle of the back glass panel breaking off a glass chip.. . It isn't much but it is exactly in the middle i wanted to keep unplanted.. Now i have to put some plants in front to hide it away.. 




It is what it is.. Darn..


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## sciencefiction (24 Mar 2019)

So unlucky Marcel. At least the damage is small. I like the copper holders, very stylish.

The tank looks great and those plants are going to love the sunshine.


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## sciencefiction (24 Mar 2019)

Oh, and I love your window sill ginger mat


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## zozo (24 Mar 2019)

sciencefiction said:


> Oh, and I love your window sill ginger mat



That's his favorite hangout.. Thus he probably will feature regularly in the pics.


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## Tim Harrison (24 Mar 2019)

zozo said:


> Than dissaster struck..  During mounting it to the wall.. A smalll 4mm alen key fell out of my hands.. It could have fallen anywhere.. But it fell exactly smack dab in the middle of the back glass panel breaking off a glass chip.. . It isn't much but it is exactly in the middle i wanted to keep unplanted.. Now i have to put some plants in front to hide it away..


I feel your pain Marcel, I did something similar to my Cube Garden  And my youngest son took a chunk out of the shallow several years ago; wielding a wooden sword around. Which wouldn't have been so bad but the tank was on loan from George at the time...
Loving the DIY copper suspension kit.


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## tam (24 Mar 2019)

Aww no! Maybe one of these strategically placed?  https://www.countryandhome.co.uk/plant-pot-feet/parlane-frog-pot-hanger/


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## zozo (24 Mar 2019)

Tim Harrison said:


> I feel your pain Marcel, I did something similar to my Cube Garden  And my youngest son took a chunk out of the shallow several years ago; wielding a wooden sword around. Which wouldn't have been so bad but the tank was on loan from George at the time...
> Loving the DIY copper suspension kit.



This one is actualy also a loan, i said to the owner "i'll keep it safe till you have room again for it.. .. For so far it was safe.. Well it's also a chance for new uportunities..  Build a new one even beter..  But indeed it did hurt for a while. ran around with a temper and a short fuse for half a day.

Another uportunity is the question how to mask chipped glass as best as possible? And i think i found a way..  Not 100%, that's probably impossible.. But!?I'm on the way..

Did put a small piece of Tesa Tape at each side of the glass. Than did put in a few drops of super glue to fill the gap. Super glue doesn't stick to this tape. Let it fully cure fr a few days, you see it slowly shrink while curing, than drip a bit more in to level it out.  In this pic the tape is still on the glass.. It barely looks like chippen glass now. Till now the glue is glass clear but still wet, as far as i know it cures completely clear.. If this doen't work out i'm going to use casting epoxy. I think when it's done only a trained eye will notice from up close.. I didn't expect this to work so well. 

And i want those plants gone, that's not what i initialy wanted to be there.




In the evening the light does a awsome decorative job..



Pics like this are impossible during the day..




Now it's sit back and wait for it to grow in..


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## zozo (24 Mar 2019)

tam said:


> Aww no! Maybe one of these strategically placed?  https://www.countryandhome.co.uk/plant-pot-feet/parlane-frog-pot-hanger/



 That's actualy not a bad idea.. Find me a mini one with a crown on its head..


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## zozo (24 Mar 2019)

By the way, while waiting a funny Quiz Question maybe?. Having a laugh..

The piece the arrow is pointing to.. Who can guess what its from? It has absolutely nothing with lights, i only got the idea to use it in this alternative.. I'm confident that everybody has looked at it, mayeb a lot of you every day in your own house, others maybe occasionaly somewhere else. Already gave a hint above. it originaly comes in Chrome Nickel plated and i took that off.


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## Tim Harrison (27 Mar 2019)

zozo said:


> By the way, while waiting a funny Quiz Question maybe?. Having a laugh..
> 
> The piece the arrow is pointing to.. Who can guess what its from? It has absolutely nothing with lights, i only got the idea to use it in this alternative.. I'm confident that everybody has looked at it, mayeb a lot of you every day in your own house, others maybe occasionaly somewhere else. Already gave a hint above. it originaly comes in Chrome Nickel plated and i took that off.
> View attachment 122810


Okay I give up  I have to admit I've been racking my brains trying to guess what it's from but I've come up with zilch ...what's the answer Marcel?


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## zozo (27 Mar 2019)

Do you see it?..  I think now its obvious what it is?


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## PARAGUAY (27 Mar 2019)

Hurry up Tim


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## zozo (27 Mar 2019)

And in the moss that i found in the forest have some small plant germinating in it.. No idea what it is, but tiny (still).. The plant right side bottom is HC










And the Super glue trick for the chipped glass didn't work out. It was to moist probably, the glue slowly turned white over night. 
Next step is trying clear Casting Resin. I'll get some tomorow..   For now i used @tam 's idea..

That my little plastic Lizzard Mascot was glued to my Mountainback frame for 20 years as talisman for good luck. (An old Keltic symbol for eternal life).


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## Tim Harrison (27 Mar 2019)

What the heck,...there's no way I would ever have guessed. it's obviously some kind of hinge, but I'm still scratching my head trying to think what from 
All I can say Marcel is that there is no doubt about your resourcefulness and seemingly no end to your ingenuity


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## zozo (27 Mar 2019)

Tim Harrison said:


> What the heck,...there's no way I would ever have guessed. it's obviously some kind of hinge, but I'm still scratching my head trying to think what from
> All I can say Marcel is that there is no doubt about your resourcefulness and seemingly no end to your ingenuity



 Thanks for the compliment.



 

I needed a new one, putting it together the idea struck this was excactly what i was missing. Only used the stand off pillar as mount for the light. It fits perfect. But also never would have guessed to ever use toilet seat parts on aqaurium lights..


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## PARAGUAY (27 Mar 2019)

Could the plant be some kind of Crassulla?


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## zozo (27 Mar 2019)

PARAGUAY said:


> Could the plant be some kind of Crassulla?


Who knows, its still only a mm in size.. Must be from a very tiny seed.. But that doesn't say the plants stays tiny. I leave it on for now to see what it turs into. 

I regularly find Anagallis arvensis growing around my place.. That is a potential candidate..


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## PARAGUAY (27 Mar 2019)

zozo said:


> Thanks for the compliment.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Like Tim says genius, inspiration in the most unlikely locations


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## Iain Sutherland (27 Mar 2019)

Hey marcel,
I'm pretty late to this party but wanted to say I think this is looking great and will be a stunner as it grows in. In regards to helping plants climb walls a good idea is these...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Command-Ho...mand+hooks&dpPl=1&dpID=516Hwy8Qm3L&ref=plSrch

I have a few plants running up walls with them and took the idea from here..
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bu_XORnAmiY/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=fb0xe1aq6hms

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk


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## Tim Harrison (27 Mar 2019)

zozo said:


> Thanks for the compliment.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Haha...of course. My excuse for not recognising it is, I've lived in new builds for the last 9 years with soft close lids so I've not seen one of those in a good while


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## zozo (27 Mar 2019)

Iain Sutherland said:


> Hey marcel,
> I'm pretty late to this party but wanted to say I think this is looking great and will be a stunner as it grows in. In regards to helping plants climb walls a good idea is these...
> 
> https://www.amazon.co.uk/Command-Ho...mand+hooks&dpPl=1&dpID=516Hwy8Qm3L&ref=plSrch
> ...



Thanks lain!..  

And indeed that is a realy very good idea.. Much beter than ruining a wall with hamering nails or drill holes for plugs and screws.


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## zozo (27 Mar 2019)

Tim Harrison said:


> Haha...of course. My excuse for not recognising



No excuse needed, i probably also never would have guessed it, if it was not my own idea. It was absolute coinsidence that i bought a new toilet seat in the same time i was building this. It never occured to me before and since beeing a plumber for over a decade of my life i threw a lot of these in the trash without notice. I could have boxes full of it by now if i wanted to.. I guess when in need it triggers to look out and find alternative ideas.


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## tam (27 Mar 2019)

zozo said:


> That my little plastic Lizzard Mascot was glued to my Mountainback frame for 20 years as talisman for good luck. (An old Keltic symbol for eternal life).



He's perfect  I think he should stay permanently!


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## zozo (27 Mar 2019)

tam said:


> He's perfect  I think he should stay permanently!



It will..  It looks kinda neet.. Thanks for the idea...


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## zozo (28 Mar 2019)

After test running the gully a few days i noticed some need for modification. It pushed some water out at the top. Had to play with some polymer (kit) covered again with sand..  Finaly have it running optimaly as it should.



This is also in its maximum intended water level.

There are about 10 cherries in there already and a buch of daphnia etc. But i only occasionaly spot them.. The likely are hidding in the subterranian lava labirynth accessible via the cave.. Or in the long filter tube.


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## zozo (8 Apr 2019)

Having a laugh... 

Went to the pond shop today for some plants.. Lilaeopsis brasiliensis.. € 3.95 see the pot size.. Next to the Aqurium version potlet, internet price €2.95, yet don't know the local store price.




We obviously get kicked in the bottoms, if you need to buy this plant during the winter. 

The other pot is Myriophyllum aquatica Red stem.. Same price..


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## DeepMetropolis (8 Apr 2019)

I will look more at the pond section of stores from now on..


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## Tim Harrison (8 Apr 2019)

Great value for money but make sure you check and rinse the plants thoroughly, I've found leeches hiding in plants from the pond section


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## zozo (8 Apr 2019)

Tim Harrison said:


> Great value for money but make sure you check and rinse the plants thoroughly, I've found leeches hiding in plants from the pond section



Did you?..  I never did fortunately.. At least not that i noticed, in the garden water party i just dump in the complete pots. But if i plan to use it in something indoors i always rinse all completely off to the bare roots , since i don't want that dirt soil in the tank.


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## zozo (9 Apr 2019)

Now i think i'm done planting  all is there and it's waiting now for it to grow in.. All pllants established realy well, mosses are starting to show new growth already slowly spreading. Tho it's still a bit at the cool side, i think i have to wait out april and hopefully go nuts in may. A plant like Juncuns repens is actualy a very good indicator plant for this, it's the only one strugling a bit, it is known t die bellow 12°C and my average temp for now is around 15°C slowly rising to 17° during the day. This plant doesn't show any activity yet. The rest is slowly rooting and developing new growth. Exept what i planted today ofcourse, but these i don't have to worry about.

The jungle corner, there still is a Pachira aqautice cutting waiting to root in the propagator, that's the only one still planned to go in there as Begonia neighbour.


 

The bog area..




And the creek, with the Myriophyllum aquatice red stem in the back left. The water level still can go a tad heigher, but i wait for that till the Milfoil starts to grow and pop the surface.


 
A shrimp hugging the water lily..  Can't wait for her to start making floaters..




It's fun to see the shrimps exploring the shallows, sometimes crawling partialy out of the water.. 


 





For this full view i have to lay down on the cautch in front of it.. I can tell it's more fun than laying in front of a television watching comercials.


 
Actualy with experiencing that the temps are yet not ideal, i have no idea how the plants will react too it once fully matured. Thus not to take to much chances i'm brainstorming to find a way to give it a heater.. But it's definitively going to be a hidden one.. Found some very small 12 volt 50 watt heater cartridges used in a 3D printer. Found an easy way to water proof it.. Only have to test it's capacity to heat 35 litres of water with a small 20x6mm heater element, if i can keep the water at 19°C that way i'm more then happy. I ordered 2 elements and an external controller. When all arrieved i skip with that to the DIY section.  I have a hunch i'm going to need it during the winter to keep all happy.

If the high tempratures during the summer stay acceptable and can keep it at a respectable temp during the winter.. Than i might consider some small fish sp. to join in. Such as Oto and the small cory sp. i have 3 to choose from. They all are not so fussy at the lower temp ranges.


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## Edvet (9 Apr 2019)

A kili could fit, they are use to changing and high temperatures.
\Or an air breathing anabantoid


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## zozo (20 Apr 2019)

It's surprisingly developing faster than inticipated into an intruiging setup with some steady growing interesting details. There is so much going on it is hard for the camera to auto focus on what i try to take a picture from. Need to go manual in this one.. 

Some details on it's development..

Noticed the water temp going a tad low especialy during the night hours. Thus i decided to add a heater set to 19°C constant till the temp stabilizes naturlay and no longer needs that heater. But it kinda worked pretty well the plants seem to appriciate it.

Myriophyllum growing swiftly and popped the surface withing a few days after planting.




The macrophytes are still in a trasition mode.. but the mosses are going mental and this is actualy for me the most intruiging part.. It is versatility in the tiniest details, simply green from a distance but up close it turns into a jugle of different grow forms. Me wondering what it all is, all is collected from nature, not knowing what i picked..



This bigger livermoss sp. does exeptionaly good, i believe i had it before and @dw1305 once did ID it for me, but i cannot seem to find it back. I found it in the garden growing on the soil from a potted fern.




In the above pic among the red spore caps you see tiny grassy grow form among the moss.. That is the 'Utricularia blanchettii 'Chapada Diamantina'.. A bold name for such a tiny gem iyou have to look closely 3 times to see it..

Another unidintified livermoss seems to love it, i can almost hear it growing.. In figur of speach.. 




And this one, bellow the lighter green leafmoss makes me want to dance around the table.. Did i finaly manage to unintentionaly drag home a Plagoichila sp.? It definitively looks like it.. Would be amazing, without knowing dragging a moss home that already is for years on my wish list. What are the odds?. Wishfull thinking forcing the luck?..



Another one slowly creeping up against lava dust glued to the HOB's feeding tube..




hydrocotyle leucocephala already flowering..




Another intersting tiny detail, is the little white root piece you can see in th epicture bellow 2/3 down 1/3 from the right in the substrate at the glass. That small vertical white stripe..  There is another one showing, harder to see and growing diagonaly.. Not sure from what it is, best guess it's likely from the Echinodorus sp.. And till now it only made 2 small new leaves less than 4cm² new tissue in all those weeks, but it shot some fat new roots down already almost reaching the bottom of the tank. Another hint again towards, that a young or transpanted plant first puts most of its energy into root recovery and development. The plant tissue that generaly has most of our attention and focus, seemingly isn't the most important for the plant itself. This obviously happens outside our view bellow the substrate. 




Was a good hunch to give them a heater to provide some warmer feet.  It seems to pay off..


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## Tim Harrison (20 Apr 2019)

Awesome...


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## dw1305 (20 Apr 2019)

Hi all,





zozo said:


> Did i finaly manage to unintentionaly drag home a Plagoichila sp.?


I think it might be a moss, something like <"_Plagiomnium affine_">.

cheers Darrel


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## TBRO (20 Apr 2019)

Brilliant set up, I agree the little details are fascinating and often hard to capture on a picture. Great project. T


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## zozo (20 Apr 2019)

dw1305 said:


> Hi all,I think it might be a moss, something like <"_Plagiomnium affine_">.
> 
> cheers Darrel



 That could very well be it.. It seems to grow in abundancy reported all over the place.  I live in the last block all the way down right hand side.



Blue dot means Sufficiently relliable report..

Tho i personaly never found it growing in nature.. Or simplly overlooked it.. Some how i did drag it home within other moss i collected.

I might need to bring my spectacles to the forest next time i go.. 

For now since it still is so small i'm not going to touch it.. Later on there is ID data enough..
https://www.verspreidingsatlas.nl/3142#

Thanks..


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## aquacoen (20 Apr 2019)

Awesome! Lot's to see


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## sciencefiction (20 Apr 2019)

Great tank. I can't wait until it fully develops.

When do you think you'll add fish? I still think kuhlis will do really well, especially f water level goes up a tad to cover some of hills.


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## zozo (21 Apr 2019)

sciencefiction said:


> Great tank. I can't wait until it fully develops.
> 
> When do you think you'll add fish? I still think kuhlis will do really well, especially f water level goes up a tad to cover some of hills.



Thanks.. 

I realy do not know yet.. I'm waiting for some ordered materials to drop in to build a super mini heater. Thus that still needs to be build and tested. It takes time and obviously some cold days.. Tho heating it isn't my worst worry, it more like is the cooling part.. Since it stands in front of a South-East window it will recieve quite a blast of sunlight during the summer.. For the rest of the indoors aqauriums the highest measured temp was 29°C with no issues. I have yet no idea how the temps will rise in this setup.. Anyway, i feel like at least waiting till past mid summer and see where the temperature stabalizes. If it stays in an acceptable range i might add some small nano fish sp.

Since it is planted in South American biotope theme i'm definitively not putting in Asian fish.. Can't help it, to me personaly, looking at multicultural setup community tanks even tho i can find them beautifull but still i find it a bit like Cursing in the Church.. Already crossed the line with throwing in Cherry shrimps..

I did cross that line more often than i want to.. And it always bugs me..


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## Matt @ ScapeEasy (22 Apr 2019)

Me too... I'm sure that new hobbyists would not care in the least (I didnt), but now I am a bit older and wiser, fish from the same area of the 2orld do s33ms to go better together... that said I'm not sure why!... it is unlikely that all the South American fish I have would ever be found together In the same stream!


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## zozo (14 Jun 2019)

Slowly but steadily.. 




It gets less full sun than i expected, some trees in front of my house grew bigger over the years providing shade. Till now didn't realy have any strange high temp readings, it stays pretty cool. Not yet realy over 20°C. And no significant algae growth other than the desired aufwuchs.. A bit of hair agae i can easily manage to control with regular maintenance. Shrimps and snail are happily thriving in it.







Even tho it stands next to a south east faced window, i have the feeling i could use some more light. 




Umbrella Moss next to the small but steadily growing Utricularia.. Growing into eachother.




HC is doing good in the shallows, it grew some gsa during transition, but that is 90% gone now. As suspected enough CO² for it if planted shallow enough. Nothing difficult about this plant..

All the white roots at the bottom is from the HC.. 












The mosses are going mental in this setup, alreade twice over grew the stream completely and had to take it out..




Interesting is seeing the different grow forms develop in the mosses from relative dry to wet to submersed.

In the centre Liver moss and some other growing on top of a rock in its dry form. Its very compact and feels very dense and hard to the tough.



Very same liver moss in submersed form.



The snail wandering down stream.








This makes me smile, some wonderfull scenery of tiny moss sp. carpeting the dw at the water line.




Jununs repens, what a slow bugger and still not happy. But see some slow improvements comming.


 
For so far, half way summer..


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## Tim Harrison (14 Jun 2019)

That's fantastic, a watery world in miniature.


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## Arana (14 Jun 2019)

Love it


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## LouisGenin (15 Jun 2019)

This is great... like a mini indoor pond


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Looneeyy (15 Jun 2019)

Absolutely incredible should be proud of what you’ve created!
Looney.


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## zozo (15 Jun 2019)

Thanks Guys!!. For the feel goods etc.


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## Ady34 (20 Jun 2019)

Looks incredible.
Love the little lizard on the chip too.....


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## Goncalo Oliveira (3 Jul 2019)

I love your tank, amazing!!


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## James Burcham (3 Jul 2019)

Good work, it really does look awesome!


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## zozo (28 Jul 2019)

Wildlife emerging.. 



First time i saw its web, it scared me because it isn't a traditional spiderweb. At first glance it more looked like spider mite web few mm over the substrate, hidden in the jungle at the back left behinds some wood.  But i couldn't detect any mites and didn't notice the typical mite leaf damage. It took me a quite a while and intentionaly distroying the web a few times. It got fed up with me and it moved to the other side, more into the open, into the Echinodorus and now i finaly spoted the builder. I guess it lives off the springtails and occasional mosquitos.  But it loves it in there, it keeps building a net and its going on for a few months now.


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## Tim Harrison (28 Jul 2019)

Looking great Marcel, Murphy looks right at home...is he Irish ?


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## zozo (29 Jul 2019)

Tim Harrison said:


> Looking great Marcel, Murphy looks right at home...is he Irish ?



Back in the 1080's there was a popular German Punk Band named Spider Murphy Gang. The name kinda stuck.. Ever since if i find a spider in my house i name it Spider Murphy.  Looking at its small size and canopy web construction i think its a Brigittea latens.


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## Tim Harrison (29 Jul 2019)

Haha, knew there'd be a story attached 
Does their distribution stretch over the pond to the UK? I'm sure I've seen those in my house as well.


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## zozo (29 Jul 2019)

Yes they seem to be native all over Europe. Don't get much bigger than 4mm in size. Only thing is their web isn't realy that decorative. As said first time i noticed i thought "Are you kidding!? Darn spider mites in my scape?" Fortunately not...  But now i know i'm relaxed and leave it be and let it live in there if it wants to.

I had a spider Murphy pet before, I have a sort of service hatch in the wall from living room to kitchen or simply hole in the wall. One day in the spring a smalll brown Cross Spider decided to build a web in it. And i started feeding it all kind of insects i caught around the house. I kept it almost an intiry year as a pet till the winter, than i was out of insects and Murphy went away never seen him again. But it grew like mad from about 7mm to 2,5cm body lenght even bigger with legs. Learned something i never thought of before. Spiders do poop a lot, had to clean beneath the web almost every other day.


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## Tim Harrison (29 Jul 2019)

Only you'd keep a spider as a pet and actually feed it and clean up after it 
My son has arachnophobia and gets extremely anxious around spiders so I'm often called upon to trap them and release them back in to the wild. 
I'm sure the same enormous wolf spider keeps finding it's way back in somehow


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## zozo (29 Jul 2019)

Well i do respect them very much and they are intriguing animals. But arachnophobia is something pretty common, must say if a big one gets to close to my fingers i pull away also. Still even tho knowing it can't hurt it gives me the chills, it likely is something instinctive. It's not that i realy pet them..  But only accept them in my house.

As you say, impossible to keep out anyway.. As indeed the Wolf spiders can get relatively enormous for what we have. I also see them regularly in my house. Interesting are the females, when draging around the egg cocoon under their head like a small pingpong ball.  I guess your son doesn't want to know how many baby wolf spiders you never see might live beneath the kitchen counter or in other damp nooks and crannies.  

Also Mission Bathtub is a spider farm, find spider webs around it on daily basis.. i always try to keep the webs undamaged working on it.


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## dw1305 (29 Jul 2019)

Hi all, 





Tim Harrison said:


> Does their distribution stretch over the pond to the UK?


Apparently it isn't a <"common spider"> in the UK. 

cheers Darrel


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## zozo (7 Aug 2019)

Short video impression on its development.  


I guess it will take a year for the Jungle at the left to get bushy.  But the rest is steadily growing..






 


 
The temperaturs stay pretty stable, not more then 25°C water temp during the heatwave and added a small heater to keep it at 20°C.. Added 8 Oto's about 4 weeks ago.. And they are doing great.. 0 loss all are happy, active and have lots of apetite..  




Not 100% sure yet, but thinking of adding a small school of Pygmy Cory's..


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## zozo (15 Feb 2020)

Winter is almost over and the sun is coming again to help me out.  As expected the plants suffered some light and humidity issues during the first winter. Most mosses didn't make it except a liverwort that is growing unstoppable all over the place.


 

What baffles me the most is the Cyperus (Papyrus?) at the right. I never bought it and in my recollection, i didn't plant it. But it's there and the biggest of all. Must be a sneak in somehow. I have no clue but i'm actually happy with it.


 
Took out a large portion of the submerged Lilaeopsis and replaced it with Helantium tenellum parvullum, its still in transition.




But all tho light issues and all plants didn't grow much foliage they rooted exceptionally well, i guess this coming summer with loads of daylight it will establish some more body and stored energy to go into next winter. 

I guess its the Lilaeopsis rooted al the way down into the submerged section and creeping all over the place.


 

At the edge of the rocks, it is already started carpeting submerged.. Didn't plant it there it came down on its own devices with a runner.


 

Also, the fissidens is slowly spreading around on its own.


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## zozo (22 Feb 2020)

Made a little addition to my water gully, due to plant growth the situation changed and it didn't really run the water where i wanted it.
So had to come up with some redirection.





Used 2 pieces of Poplar bark, that is thick enough to route a gully in it. With a Dremel tool and a router bit in it.





For now it works again..


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## zozo (18 Sep 2020)

Small update on this experiment, some plants do very well especially the Cyperus papyrus, the Mexican dwarf cyperus still there but a rather sensitive plant. Others plants do less but still around and some don't like it at all indoors and wither away... I guess light issues... Have to take it as is or get stronger lights... But yet I don't and see where it ends... In the end, there will be plants left that take what they get.





Did stick a cutting in it from a Pachira aquatica, it took this plant over a year to establish some root growth and 2 new leaves. But finally, it seems to get a hold. The Echinodorus are bugging me, outdoors they do very well indoors they hate being there and shrink and stop. But the liverwort grows rampant, unstoppable moss I have to prevent it from suffocating what's left of the swords.




What surprises me the most is HC is still around, more submerged than emerged. 




The small fake lizard got some company... 




Little Damselfly larvae used its tail to skin and hatch... Unfortunately didn't see it happen and didn't see here fly off only found the dry skin, still, it looks pretty intriguing.


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## castle (21 Sep 2020)

zozo said:


> View attachment 126472



What species is this lily?


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## zozo (21 Sep 2020)

castle said:


> What species is this lily?



This one...





But then a very small cutting from its rhizome... That way it stays very small for a few years depending on fertilization and light cycle... This actually goes for any lily sp. with a Marliac or Tuberosa rhizome. Cut off a small young plantlet from it's rhizome and plant it in a tank with a clay cone added.

But if you are interested in this specific sp. It's this one sold at Ebay from a German nursery. 
https://www.ebay.de/itm/Zwergseeros...111793?hash=item1c46b157f1:g:gggAAOSwQItUIyO0

And this, when it flowered indoors. 🥰 I'm still in love...
https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/i-think-i-am-in-love.37099/


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## zozo (21 Sep 2020)

castle said:


> What species is this lily?



Almost forgot this picture, to give you an example of how to cut a rhizome to get to a lily that stays mini for very
long.  The root growth you see is about 2 weeks after cutting and replanting. Any small to medium size pond lily will do...






A rhizome that small can never grow a big plant of course... Takes some time for the rhizome that size to get fat again...


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## castle (22 Sep 2020)

Last picture isn't working for me @zozo, but these replies are worth a golden star. 


Thanks!


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## zozo (9 Dec 2020)

Tim Harrison said:


> That would make sense, I live near to an old Roman road known as the Fosse Way which links Lincolnshire to Exeter; 370 km long.
> 
> Speech impediment aside, it exists now



Today I came across this documentary


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## zozo (10 Dec 2020)

And a small update on this Fossarium...  As you can see the Cyperus goes mental at the window.




The rest at the far side from the window is a lot slower, evidence how important light is and how light-sensitive plants are. Because they have equal potential but stay behind a simple 3 feet further away from the strongest light source.




The liverwort moss at the window side also is unstoppable, growing firm and dense thick and hard emerged crust and i have to trim it about every month. From the 4 species of Echinodurus in are only 2 taking hold and both are submerged.  The one in view is the E.  Uruguayensis. It refuses to pop the surface... The other 3 planted emerged are also still there but stay tiny and grow a tiny leaf then die a tiny leaf. This definitively is a light issue.




What baffles me again, is the Brazillian frogbit... Untill 2 months ago it grew like a champion for almost 2 years. And then suddenly it is slowly diminishing. I have very little left at the moment and no idea what's the cause...




All and all. Still going 💪 And in its 2nd winter... I guess this really is a multi-year project, now in rest waiting for next season to get stronger again.

The 10 Pygmaea Cories in it do very well... I'm thinking about adding 10 Nannostomus Marginatus... But I'm not really sure yet... It's a €60 investment I'm still pondering about i should do it or not?


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## Karmicnull (10 Dec 2020)

This is one of my favourite tanks on UKAPS.  I love the way it's in keeping with it surroundings.  Many thanks for sharing!

  Simon


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## mort (10 Dec 2020)

Looking great. I'm surprised that cyperus is still standing as I can't see any roots spreading into the tank from it. I wouldn't be surprised if this is what's making your other plants struggle. @hitmanx  has had similar problems with his beautiful celestial swamp.

With the pencilfish, I'd only consider getting them if you have plenty of line of sight breaks because although they are relatively peaceful fish, they can squabble and bully one another with plenty of cover. They can also be quite jumpy with sudden changes in lighting. I have mine living in a tank that gets plenty of natural light and in the summer they are fine but in the winter when it's dark outside and the lights go off, I occasionally hear one hitting the cover glass.


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## Wookii (10 Dec 2020)

zozo said:


> As you can see the Cyperus goes mental at the window.



Man, that's got to be some sort of record for emersed growth - its huge!!


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## zozo (10 Dec 2020)

mort said:


> Looking great. I'm surprised that cyperus is still standing as I can't see any roots spreading into the tank from it.


They are but don't really grow out the substrate, but that thin layer of substrate in the submerged part is one dense root mat beneath it. I guess it's still standing because the base layer substrate at the banked up part mainly contains chunks of lava rock with just a few cm of fine gravel on top. Also from the side panels, it's 5mm fine gravel between glass and lava rocks. If you look closer to picture number 4, right side submerged, you see a red coloured root sticking out of the substrate. This is from the Cyperus, occasionally i cut one away and they are all over the place.

Actually never thought of it, that this cyperus is fert-hogging all other plants. Till now i did stick to EI regime... But I'll try some Osmocote root tabs for the other side. And see what it does.


mort said:


> With the pencilfish,  They can also be quite jumpy



Ok! That's what I didn't know and what I don't need at € 5.50 per fish... I'll let it be...

Thanks!!


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## mort (10 Dec 2020)

I have a monstera deliciosa growing out of my 120 liter tank and I'm starting to notice the reduced growth of my floating plants. It's a really low tech tank that gets direct sun most of the afternoon in the summer but I've never had any algae problems other than some slight cyano in the substrate. It now has 5 leaves that are 2x2ft across, plus some more emersed growing plants. I only have a dozen pencilfish in there, so not much natural fertiliser but I'm starting to heavily root tab now to see if it helps, plus ei dose a bit more.


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## zozo (26 Feb 2021)

Days are getting longer plants waking up and taking off again...  Look at that monster Cyprus in the back...




This morning I did top off some evaporated water and meanwhile, I hear some water splashing from the back at the HOB filer... At first, I thought the filter is spilling water but a closer look revealed  This monster is ripping my tank apart!! 

😂 Have a look at this gap!? I quickly had to rush taking 10 litres of water out again.




The roots from this Cyprus are pushing both panels outwards are ripping the sealant.




But I think I can still fix this, since it's the back corner I glue a Corner profile to it that's 30x30mm...

This is a first-timer for me having a plant rip a tank apart... 🥲 Lesson learned again, it's not only water volume we need to calculate to DIY a tank...


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## Wookii (26 Feb 2021)

Ouch! 😣 Though I'm not surprised to be honest, that's a huge plant, and a lot of lateral pressure on the glass from the leaning stems.


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## zozo (26 Feb 2021)

Wookii said:


> Ouch! 😣 Though I'm not surprised to be honest


Me neither, I actually was looking at it and thinking about this a few months back already how this will end up, and hoping it had enough counter pressure to grow the other way. I already did ty it up with a cord against the floodlight to the wall to prevent it from hanging.. Too late damage already done obviously...

It was like a self-fulfilling prophecy... Not giving it a descent trim...


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## zozo (27 Feb 2021)

TEC7 to the rescue?... All i can do for now wait till it's cured and see if and how it holds.



 

Sealed a 3x3 alu profile to it with a busload of tec7 in between squeezed out at all ends... The duck tape is simply to create some pressure.




If this doesn't do it, then I, unfortunately, have to tear it down... 

The leak got worse yesterday and this is all water left in it.. Fortunately enough for the shrimps and few cories in it to make it another day.












Wait and see is all we can do... I hope at least the fix works temporarily to buy me the time to build a new one, but then a tad stronger... 

Now I'm off trimming that darn plant... 🤪


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## zozo (28 Feb 2021)

It looks good...  The tank is filled again and no longer leaking...

Enjoying the afternoon sun...




I think this is not going to give in anymore... Not the most beautiful solution, but it seals and makes it stronger.
Good thing it's at the backside and in the corner of the room, not in direct view. But I'll keep an eye on it anyway...


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## mort (28 Feb 2021)

Glad you, hopefully, have it sorted. Would be a shame to end such an interesting project.


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## zozo (28 Feb 2021)

mort said:


> Glad you, hopefully, have it sorted. Would be a shame to end such an interesting project.



I hope so too, but I have repaired a leaking tank in the past with the TEC7 sealant and did put it inside the tank over the old silicone and that was over 6 months ago, and it's still OK... But that was just a very tiny leak, not like this where the complete seal was gaping almost from top to bottom.  Anyway, that TEC7 stuff is very good it also seems to bond very well to cured silicon.

Time will tell if water will seep through, if it does then I simply start over again with a new tank at the same spot in the same dimensions and design but build stronger. 

But then without or maybe a much better maintained Cyperus papyrus, that actually was a sneak in from a seed I never intended to plant in the first place. But I kept it anyway with all consequences attached... Sometimes we learn lessons the hard way...


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## Tim Harrison (28 Feb 2021)

We put this on Instagram, and it proved quite popular 








						UK Aquatic Plant Society (@ukapsforum) • Instagram photos and videos
					

2,594 Followers, 197 Following, 195 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from UK Aquatic Plant Society (@ukapsforum)




					www.instagram.com


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## zozo (28 Feb 2021)

Tim Harrison said:


> We put this on Instagram, and it proved quite popular
> 
> 
> 
> ...



😂 and 70 loves (including my own) already... Seems people love tanks being destroyed, we should do this more often... 😁


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## mort (28 Feb 2021)

I didn't know it was cyperus papyrus. For some reason I have it in my mind that that particular species needs more light than cyperus alternifolius, the more common species. So that's even more impressive a beast. I know you have mentioned before but to save my fingers, what direction is the window that illuminating it? Could be a fun to try and grow one but in a more conventional pot.


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## zozo (28 Feb 2021)

mort said:


> what direction is the window that illuminating it? Could be a fun to try and grow one but in a more conventional pot.



It would be close to East-SouthEast, the back panel wall points East... It takes to 11 AM to get the first sun rais till about 4.30 PM... 

It indeed is a nice pot plant to grow and relatively undemanding to grow in tall proportions... I never grew this plant before initially I planted the Mexican dwarf Cyperus in that spot. That obviously had some Papyrus in it or at least a seed. It took off and outcompeted the dwarf cyperus completely. Now I trimmed 40% off and it still is an impressive plant.


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## zozo (2 Nov 2021)

A video update when it still is in a fair summer modus. But getting ready for the winter...  
It's still going strong and haven't fertilized it the entire year.


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## Wookii (2 Nov 2021)

Lovely! Diana Walstad would be proud! . .  but wait a minute, was that a fake plastic lizard or a bit of CGI?


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## zozo (2 Nov 2021)

Wookii said:


> Lovely! Diana Walstad would be proud! . .  but wait a minute, was that a fake plastic lizard or a bit of CGI?


Thank you...  It's a fake plastic lizard... I guess yet there is no CGI app for Android... 

Actually, that lizard is over 30 years old and with me ever since, it used to be glued to the back swingarm of my mountain bike as a talisman. In ancient times in Germanic culture, the lizard was a symbol of eternal life and luck... Because when it loses a leg or a tail it regrows a new one. And since I'm a Neanderthaler I felt related and compelled. At the time I still did mountain biking I also heard the same remark quite a lot from people with eyes for small details. Wait for a minute!? Look at that!! Oh, it's fake!?


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