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My emersed plants were suffering the the lights as they had pretty much grown into them, so I set up a sump and moved them into it. This is an older pic when they'd just been moved. They look better now, a few weeks down the line. What do you think, is it still a riparium? A "displaced"...

The Monstera gets a bit big for that. I'd need to feed nitrates to the tank! :D It is on the cards for the discus tank though. 2 meters of tank should be enough for it to spread its vines.

Not exactly. Those plants have been in the sump just for a couple of days. The darker leaves were growing above the aquarium lights. But, yeah that was the main issue. Once I noticed that the new lights were annoying the plants I ordered the overflow, but it took quite longer than expected to be...

My peace lilies were suffering a bit under the tank lights, so I set up an external sump and moved them there I later also added a small Chamaedorea elegans And some pothos is waiting in the living room to be added. I'm waiting to get a trellis to put behind the tank for it. It is pretty...

Since I have people here who have boraras, so direct experience: what is their breeding rate when unaided? Consider I come from a community tank with a self-sustaining colony of corys that were regularly breeding despite discus and tetras in the tank, discus that successfully bred in that...

Thanks for the advice, I will look out for those signs. I don't have any experience with fish this small, so any info is more than welcome. Unfortunately my shrimps are crystal red, which are very temperature sensitive, that is why I'm looking for something else that will be happy with warmer...

I'm using RO water remineralised with CRS specific minerals. I'd have to check the params now but they should be around Ph 6.5 - Kh 2 - Gh 8 if my memory serves me well.

I have a 52 litre shrimp tank in my study, but this summer I've had some serious temperature issues, even with the fans going, and I've pretty much lost half of them. The issue is twofold: this is not an unusual summer here (Italy) so I can't write it off as an unusual heatwave, and I will be...

Yes, I know, but with $5 I can get myself six pods, or a bag of walnuts and a bag of hazelnuts, and have the nuts to eat as a bonus. This without counting $35 shipping to Italy. It can get expensive to litter around 1 square meter (around 11 square feet for the non-metric) from this shop.

I guess I can do the long soak described above, and then try small quantities. Won't be needing much, because as mentioned above, I'm aiming for variety, not for bulk. Also, in about 800 litres it should dilute quite well, and the forest of emersed plants on the back edge of the tank should be...

It'll be some time before I can set up this aquarium, so I can soak this stuff for months (and use the water to water the plants on my balcony) before drying it and storing it for future use in my aquarium. In any case I'm not planning to go for quantity, just variety, so there won't be a large...

Adding a couple of questions: Walnut shells? Hazelnut shells? Almond, pecan and any other nut shell? I'd like it to look like the bottom of a slow flowing river, and it won't have any plants other than one or two amazon swords, so twigs, leaves and various shells will be the only real...

Yes, I understand they should be dried when added to the aquarium, but what I mean is do I pick them already dry, when the tree has already drained all the nutrients it could for them or do I pick them green, dry them and then add them to the tank? They won't be used as shrimp food, the tank...

Ah, almost forgot: picked green and dried or picked in autumn when already dry?

Thank you everyone, I'm planning a rather large tank and doing it with just catappa would have looked unrealistic (and expensive!). With this selection of botanicals it'll look a lot better. As for pesticides, I'd be picking them from the woods owned by a former neighbour who used to trade in...

Not exactly aquatic plants, but I thought I'd ask here as it seems the most appropriate. I have available, locally that I know are clean, linden, walnut, oak, magnolia, sweet chestnut, cherry. Any of these good to use as leaf litter?

Ah right... I thought it was a bit odd at the time. Forgot that detail as I read the book.

Not sure to be honest. He simply said that her book is now surpassed and there is new understanding about the matter. It kinda startled me a bit, and had to give it some thought before I'd question him about it. I missed that, what was wrong about the flow and how did she correct herself...

Ok, thanks. My guess is that maybe he hasn't read it and only went by publication date...

I have a copy of Diana Walstad's book "the ecology of the planted aquarium", and I have set up a couple of tanks extrapolating from that book, they are doing more than fine. I have suggested it as reading material for a person who was asking in an aquarium-related facebook group for information...

There are no pictures :rolleyes: It is still a project for the moment. I have 70Kg of live rock waiting for a reef tank, new windows on the way and other stuff that is getting in the way, and I'm finding myself pushing this project further and further back :( I will get there eventually

It does look nice, but I was hoping for something that would raise a bit further above water, like the water hyacinth.

The lights on the ceiling are in the center of the room directed towards where the tank will be, that way they can illuminate the whole height of the emersed plants (including the creepers on the trellis) and the surface of the water. The surface of the water (and the couple of submerged...

VERY nice

I like to experiment :) The question remains which plant though... I have found out that water hyacinth is banned here in Italy, so I'd like a substitute. Fast growing isn't a necessity. The tank will have peace lilies, philodendrons, anthurium, peperomia, maranta, syngonium, adiantum and many...

No worries for the lights. When I had the flat renovated I had a number of ceiling lights installed on a timer exactly for this tank. There is a total of 150w of LED lights at 6500k plus another 80w of LED grow lights. As for their hunger, 10 discus, 50 rummynoses, 30 corys and 6 or 7...

... or I could build a plastic raft with actual hyacinths :lol:

If not water hyacinth, what floater would you suggest that is as large? Not sure how big water lettuce gets, I'm not familiar with it. Also if it blooms easily it would be a welcome bonus.

Had it, but I was looking this time for some larger plants.

Would water lettuce withstand discus temps?

Planning out my discus tank, and have already decided to have all the back edge thickly planted with emersed plants. Now thinking of the water surface and since it might be an open tank I am looking in the direction of water hyacinths. The tank should have a surface of 220x60 (or 70 depends on...

Here is a basic representation of what I was thinking. Either this: Basically a beam (with braces and supports of course, I haven't added them in here for simplicity) where the lids can rest and that would hold up the baskets for the plants. The water flow would be normal, from one end to...

I have a couple of smaller baskets with small peace lilies in my ram tank. When I get home I'll take a few pictures and post them. As for the depth of the tank I'm planning 60cm, with enough sand on the bottom for the corys to play in and the two amazon swords to set root.

The roots will grow out of the baskets and down through the water. Remember we're talking about emersed plants, not submerged.

If you read the original post you would know that the plants will be rooted in baskets full of clay pellets secured to the rear edge of the tank

I have one question that has been haunting me for a while, while thinking of this project. Might as well ask for some opinions here: Should I leave the roots of these emersed plants hanging in the water or hide them in a compartment? Let me explain: I have been thinking of the possibility of...

Emergent or emersed?

Don't worry, I'll advertise it once I get started. There will be a reef before the discus tank, as I have the live rock from an older tank and need to set it up. And before that I need new windows for the house. Last winter with single glazing and drafts wasn't fun, even in Italy :(

The journal will probably be on youtube.

I am looking at ways of having transparent lids on the tank, and still allow the emersed plants to grow out, exactly for this reason. Since I'm having the tank made from acrylic it should be easier to get an unusual design made. Even if I should decide to keep it open, though, I have a...

I have four peace lilies (a small cultivar) on my blue ram tank in clay pellets. Thanks for the heads up though.

Thanks

What's the diameter of that pot? Just to get a feel of the size.

Thank you, I will look them up. As for the Echinodorus, I was considering them. I had already decided to have two in the tank substrate, as the only submerged plants, but was also thinking of the possibility of having one of the larger ones that'd grow out of the water. I'm a bit undecided...

The idea is to have the back of the aquarium with a lush emersed vegetation. I will also install a trellis for creepers to climb up. Since it's going to be an amazon themed tank, I'd like to stick to plants that can be found in the amazon. My research so far has coughed up: Philodendrons...

Please, I really need some advice on this and unfortunately I have little time. I have done my research before deciding on this setup, but nothing beats real experience.

Can't do that I'm afraid. Due to a sudden business trip I've been away and the crabs are now waiting for me at the shop. I really can pick them up Saturday next week at the very latest.

I have to rebuild my crab habitat. I was going to house red claw crabs (persesarma bidens) but for various reasons i had to switch to vampire crabs instead (geosesarma sp.) The tank has a base of 80x30cm and is 40cm high. That means that the sand is coming out, and it is going to be replaced...

Two of those lights I had on my previous discus tank, two feet deep, in which I had a normal sword, an ozelot sword, blyxa and some hairgrass (that admittedly was growing phenomenally slowly). I just got two more of the same. In this case the only submerged plants are going to be the two swords.

Forgot to mention 2x28w LED grow lights from the ceiling for the emersed plants.

This is basically what I'm planning: Acrylic tank 220x70cm base 60cm tall. Lights are 4x36w LED spotlights on goosenecks. 6500k light temperature (no idea on PAR values). The flora in the water will be a couple of amazon swords, no more. The exact variety to be determined, probably ozelot...

In the end I decided to get a vial of those £1 seeds. For £1 I'm curious to see what comes out. As for the glosso, I'll just buy a couple of pots of plants.

Thank you, I think I'll go for buying the plants as usual. Since the tank is being set up, and there won't be any animals for quite some time (i want the very well established before the shrimps try and pull them up), is it worth growing them emersed and slowly rise the water once they've...

Why do you say that?

I'm seeing these ads on ebay for 8k+ seeds of Glossostigma, and I'm thinking of plants for the shrimp tank I'm going to set up. I've just about prepared the mix of soil to use as a substrate, so I haven't gotten very far yet. So, is it worth sowing the glosso rather than planting it? The tank...

I don't tend to move stuff around when I've set up a tank, and it'll be a couple of months before any stock is added. I was just wondering what problems could uncapped potting soil cause. Also, any suggestions for carpeting plants?

I'm planning a shrimp tank for crystal red shrimps, and I want it to be heavily planted. I also want the substrate to be dark, so uncapped potting soil would be ideal in that sense. Consider that I will be starting with a cycled filter, and that I will not be stacking it for a month at the very...

How would you see a peace lily tied to the wood in the way I described, but with the leaves all out of the water? What about a guzmania almost entirely out of the water, but with the roots trailing a bit under?

Nice... thank you

I know amazon swords can be grown emersed, but I was wondering if I can tie a small sword on a piece of wood, as you would an anubias, so that when it grows it will grow out of the water, so it would end up with roots in the water, down to the substrate, and leaves that start in the water and...

I'm open to suggestions on a specific plant species, not necessarily a Spathiphyllum. I'm new to this emersed plants lark and I will gladly take any help given.

Unfortunately shrimps don't poo as much as fish :D

Reading the link you posted I think I'll go for tying it to an almost emerging piece of wood, that should look awesome growing up between the two LED lights.

Is it something I'd be able to grow from the substrate through about a foot of water?

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but that looks like a philodendron of some sort...

Thanks for the advice regarding capping. I was going to let the carpeting plant cover the soil before adding the shrimps instead of capping, but I'm thinking that it might be a good idea to do so anyway. As for the Thor shrimps, nothing to cap there ;)

Now you have an idea of what I want to achieve, visually speaking, do you have any suggestions regarding a plant to replace the dieffenbachia?

I'm planning two shrimp tanks: the two tanks are identical, in shape and size, (52 litres) so I thought it'd be interesting to set them up near to each other, one with a population of crystal red shrimps and the other with a population of sexy shrimps. For the crystal red shrimps I wanted to...

Thank you for your answer. In the meantime I have been convinced elsewhere to drop the idea of using collected soil, so at the moment I'm looking at a mix of sphagnum peat, sand, red clay and compost. I still have to decide what the proportions will be. Yes, because of the little bulldozers I...

Thanks, I appreciate it.

I'm going to move soon to the village I grew up in, with a stream and a river. I know exactly where to look for sandy mud :D I even have the stream flow next to the flat I've bought.

Trying to "tropicalise" and quarantine local invertebrates could be an interesting project even if I end up not using the end result. I have loads of smaller tanks that could be put to such use. I was planning to set up some live food coltures anyway. As for the DIY loam, it's likely that I...

I've pretty much dropped the idea of using "natural soil" anyway. Do you have any suggestions of critters that could be added to the tank that would complement the tubifex's activity? I would actually prefer more variety of mini fauna in this sense, it would be closer to the original...

Any pathogens in the soil is the reason I'd bake the soil before using it. As for the nutrients, as I mentioned, the tank will be simply a garden with no fish for a while. I want to plant dwarf hairgrass and I want it to be well grown in before the corys start digging it up. Also I'm planning...

Tim, I'm planning a planted riparium, and by that I mean well planted both above and below the water, even with some epiphytes on emerging wood. The theme will be Amazon, both in flora and in fauna. That will also mean soft water and low ph. The main fish will be discus, but quite far down the...

Oh, thanks for the link, I'll read through it :)

I can tell you that those stories are exaggerated. People even keep them in bare tanks because of those stories! I have kept them in a community tank, planted and doing half the recommended water changes and never vacuuming the sand, and they thrived. One pair even bred successfully with...

I'm planning a soil tank, and wanted to cap it with one or two cm of Argos play sand, with a net to keep the corys from mixing it up and still allow roots and nutrients through. At first I was thinking a 50/50 mix of sphagnum peat and soil dug up from the woods (and baked for an hour or so to...

Very nice zozo! Yes, I was planning on having plenty of emergent wood, just for epiphyte plants, especially after bromeliads were suggested and the bit of research that came after that. I was also looking for a way to have orchids, and this seems the best and most natural way.

That is very VERY close to how I'm imagining the end product of what I want to do. Even the tannin-loaded water that the chestnut wood would release, even though not quite that dark. Thank you for the link. The only difference would be that I'd also have four goosenecks illuminating the...

I will have a VAST choice of wood, as I will be picking from a few hectares of sweet chestnut a former neighbour owns, and I was already planning on having emerging wood, bit I didn't think of planting orchids or bromeliads on the emerged wood, at most I was going to have an anubias climb out of...

In the end the aquarium lights will replace the normal room lights, and since that's going o be my office the photoperiod would be just right for work hours ;) I'm planning to have a "control panel" in which I can keep the temperature controller for the water heaters, timers for the various...

The tank will be filled with water, and the emersed plants will be growing from there upwards.

I'm planning a tank that will be set up as riparium, so plenty of emersed plants. The aquarium itself will be 60cm deep with a surface of about 2 square meters. I don't know the precise shape yet as I still have to order it but I know the depth and capacity I'm looking for. The aquarium part...

It'll be some time before I can start. I will order the first tank lateish this coming summer and that will be for the reef, as I already have the live rock, some corals and inverts nobody wanted, and four fish I was unable to catch. Following that, the amazon tank will be ordered. In the...

Hmm... Ferns... Why didn't I think of looking in that direction! Also thanks for the tip on the Aechmea, it looks interesting.

Agreed. That is why I am asking. I must have not been clear, I do tend to not explain myself as I'd like :p Basically I'm looking for a larger variety to choose from, not necessarily a larger variety to plant. One peace lily is a given, because I really like it, and one philodendron, but that...

I thought bromeliads were mostly air plants, and had problems having their roots in water.

I'm aware of plants such as peace lilies, pothos and philodendrons and many aquarium plants that can grow emersed, but I will have about 2 meters to fill, and I would appreciate some variety to choose from. Since it's going to be a discus tank they have to be able to cope with the temperatures...

Thank you

Yup, well, near Florence, couldn't afford actual Florence.

Hi everyone, new member here, so I thought I'd introduce myself. I've started keeping fish properly about five years ago and dove right into planted tanks with a Fluval Roma 90. Since then I've accumulated quite a few tanks, now nearly all of them empty pending a move abroad, but I'm planning...