Time to stop mucking about

[Progen]

So I was given a 4 footer by a generous neighbour. I filled it with water and left it standing, breeding mosquitoes for a couple of months before I drained it and moved to another place.

Then I filled it with water again and because I spend a lot of time taking in weak / sick stray dogs and cats and do not have a full-time job, finances did not permit any fancy equipment, critters, plants, substrate or hardscape. I started off buying different types of ferns tied to driftwood and then moved on to anubiases. It was supposed to be a cheap project since the plants only cost around USD1.20 each and that's with the driftwood too.

Then the disease started, my usual tendency to go overboard on hobbies kicked in, and ......

After a few weeks of mucking about with DIY CO2 (resulting in an explosion which sent yeast flying at least 4 metres away) the lady got me a Concoa dual stage regulator from the USA, I read up on EI, started searching online for dry salts and this is where I am after 4 months.

Now I'm definitely no Amano, Picasso, Monet or Da Vinci and I can't boast of any extraordinary artistic talents and I'm not being humble when I say that this arrangement is NOT what I'd like to arrive at but I'm happy with my slow and steady understanding of plant needs and I've had no serious algal blooms from day one.

 

[Progen]

This is typical of me. Jump into things head on. Fill with water first and then worry about everything else later on!

 

[Progen]

Was very happy with this at first. Who wouldn't be with emersed grown ferns and swords looking all green and grand? Then they started going to hell.

 

[Progen]

Another attempt. As can be seen from the greenish water, something was badly wrongly and the fact that I was using a USD6 overhead filter and hardly any water changes didn't help things much.

I'm grateful that the cat stuck by me through and through.

 

[Progen]

Didn't want to spend big money then but seems like a stupid choice now when I wasted money on terrarium light fittings and DIY CO2.

CO2 premature ejaculation. Woke me up in the middle of the night and I thought that the tank had cracked!

But the cat still didn't give up on me.

 

[Progen]

The twins choosing their breakfast. They're the same breed but they're not related actually.

 

[imak]

... I spend a lot of time taking in weak / sick stray dogs and cats and do not have a full-time job...

Beautiful tank... Really natural looking

 

[Progen]

So one day I took my thumb out of my a** and said to myself, "Why not we take it apart, drain the water and start from scratch like how it's NORMALLY done.

Things sure looked promising at first.

Wow! Healthy and CHEAP ferns!

Now let's fill her up!

 

[Progen]

Different gauges on the Concoa thanks to the courier guys damaging the working pressure gauge. No solenoid or needle valve then but that stock valve was surprisingly stable. Tank was courtesy of a pub so no expenses on that or refills. Been drinking Carlsberg for years and love it so it's time I got something back other than hangovers.

 

[Progen]

First version of the CO2 reactor and it did work beautifully although I modified it later to deal with a much higher bubble rate without any getting into the tank.

 

[Progen]

It's nice when (almost) nothing is planted in the substrate because you can rearrange as and when you feel like it. I moved on later to replant everything substrate rooted into containers.

 

[Progen]

After a water change or two, that became this. I was still just using CO2 on its own with hardly any fertilization and thought EI was a bad word then.

 

[Progen]

Then the plants started looking all crappy probably because of the homemade lighting array of T4s, T5s and T8s being too bright so I started reading up on EI.


I've always been an animal guy so notice the cave on the lower right. Great for fishes which need a break.

 

[Progen]

It really hurt when the abandoned poodle I was fostering told me that my arranging skills sucked.

 

[Progen]

Changes not immediately noticeable since I'd still retained the cave on the right.

 

[Progen]

After a few water changes, the cave was getting old so off it went and became this.

 

[Progen]

And that became this but I was always thinking that the two pots of eelgrass on either side of the anubias / fern group in the middle was too unnatural.

Here's another view. By now, the ferts were really doing their job and the plants responding so that explains the high plant mass.

Had green water every few days after water change but still the cat stuck by me.

 

[Progen]

And after two water changes, I took almost everything out, ditched the large mangrove piece and arrived at this.

When you have something like this just beside your bed, there's less reason to go to the pub to chill out.

 

[Progen]

Beautiful tank... Really natural looking

Thanks buddy!

 

[Progen]

Here's how the substrate rooters are planted. The helanthiums are in a plastic food box (talk about recycling) and the blyxas are in a rice / miso soup bowl. In the final arrangement, the helanthiums' box is being hidden by the substrate being swept against its front and the blyxas are on the extreme right.

ps. This photo was of them in their earlier days after recovering from their melting. They're much more bushier and taller now.

The crinum's planted in a cut bottle with amazonia below and topped with black sand.

And the vals are in cups.