A Chocolate Puddle -

[darren636]

Re: A Chocolate Puddle Now with Chocolates and licorice

i like the thought of you using the plants from Tom, that tank being an inspiration of chocolate puddle. Kind of full circle somehow.

 

[Alastair]

Re: A Chocolate Puddle Now with Chocolates and licorice

i like the thought of you using the plants from Tom, that tank being an inspiration of chocolate puddle. Kind of full circle somehow.

Totally agree, actually the first plant to go under water at the start was a microsorum trident from Tom. Then I stole the idea of licorice gouramis then robbed his emmersed plants too. Should have just uplifted the whole tank ha ha


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[Alastair]

Re: A Chocolate Puddle Now with Chocolates and licorice

Ok so here's some pic updates of the tank.
This is how it was Before I went into hospital
Before:


When I got back the cyperus was just like a jungle so it came out and has all become a house plant.

New plants for the emmersed section are prayer plant hybrids, peace Lily's, an antherium lily with lots of purple spathes, some pothos that I've managed to get slowly trailing across the back of the tank so hopefully in a few weeks it will all look like its blending in.
There's also some emmersed echinodorus schlueteri leopard which has grown up from the main plant which is filling in the side nicely


I unfortunately had one chocolate gourami jumper which is my first ever ( and hopefully last), heart broken I was and one of the chocco's had to be put to sleep as he was never growing and got thinner by the day and eventually couldn't swim so both got buried by the little one in the garden.

Chocco's


And managed to get a quick snap of one of the lesser coloured p.sentang, there bloody hard to photograph with a phone as theyre quick



And Here's the tank currently...


I'm loving the growth both above and below. Just want to thank Tom for keeping hold of the riparium plants for me.
I just want to add some bolbitus emmersed on a raft across the back too.

Tank inhabitants are now
35 red cherry shrimp
10 cbs/bee shrimp
6 amanos
10 paros sentang
My trusty 4 year old otto
4 baby albino corys.

Opinions and criticism very much welcomed

Thanks for looking




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[meejo]

Re: A Chocolate Puddle Now with Chocolates and licorice

Wow! Amazing tank, its tanks like these that make me want a successful planted tank, good work!

 

[Antipofish]

Re: A Chocolate Puddle Now with Chocolates and licorice

If ever there was an advert for emersed plants in a tank, THIS is it !!! Alastair, glad you are back home buddy, and congrats on such a successful aquarium. Its a real stunner. Of course, the chocco's are the star of the show 🙂 Sorry about the losses. It is inevitable that some fish wont last forever, but I reckon 90% of them would have been predated in nature by now, so the remaining fish can count themselves lucky in my book

 

[BigTom]

Re: A Chocolate Puddle Now with Chocolates and licorice

Very nice to see those plants in their new home Alistair 🙂

All looks like it's coming along brilliantly - that echino plantlet is great.

 

[George Farmer]

Re: A Chocolate Puddle Now with Chocolates and licorice

Inspirational stuff - the aquascape and the story behind what's inside. 🙂

Thank you, Alistair (and Tom). I'll be picking your brains when I set up my next shallow aquascape, if you don't mind!

 

[Gill]

Re: A Chocolate Puddle Now with Chocolates and licorice

Love Love Love Love it. Great Scape and some very interesting plants used.

I think I will have a play with another open tank in the store, with all the marginal plants that will be left over from the end of the pond season this month.

 

[clonitza]

Re: A Chocolate Puddle Now with Chocolates and licorice

What a beautiful tank you have there! 🙂

 

[dw1305]

Re: A Chocolate Puddle Now with Chocolates and licorice

Hi all,
I think you may need to raise the Calathea apex above the water level, as when potted they are prone to rotting if they stay too wet. I think Tom had them, so hopefully he will be able to say which bits of his were submersed.

If you can find Taro or Eddoes (Colocasia esculenta) (I've seen it in Sainsbury's vegetable section) they will grow with the root submerged.

cheers Darrel

 

[BigTom]

Re: A Chocolate Puddle Now with Chocolates and licorice

Ah yes, good spot Darrel. I did have almost all the plant out of the water except the roots.

 

[tim]

Re: A Chocolate Puddle Now with Chocolates and licorice

This is looking absolutely stunning I have to say with big toms one of the best tanks on the forum IMO

 

[darren636]

Re: A Chocolate Puddle Now with Chocolates and licorice

this is a slice of heaven. Wild yet tamed enough to have in your lounge.

 

[GreenGrow]

Re: A Chocolate Puddle Now with Chocolates and licorice

That is looking great! So many aspects!

 

[Ian Holdich]

Re: A Chocolate Puddle Now with Chocolates and licorice

What everyone else sid +1...really well done Al!

 

[Little-AL]

Re: A Chocolate Puddle Now with Chocolates and licorice

Looking amazing pal! Glad the plant growth is going well... Looks so healthy and lush!

Should send some pictures to PFK to see if they want to do a feature imo!

 

[Ady34]

Re: A Chocolate Puddle Now with Chocolates and licorice

Should send some pictures to PFK to see if they want to do a feature imo!

Im sure they would, it would follow on nicely from Troi and his soil based hybrid energy tanks whilst also nailing the shallow tank trend...... great looking set up and lovely for the chocolates
Ady.

 

[Nathaniel Whiteside]

Re: A Chocolate Puddle Now with Chocolates and licorice

Hey Al,

After reading this tank over from scratch, I have to say it is truly astonishing what you have achieved here.
The growth of everything seems to be amazing (probably quicker as I'm reading whole lot in one go! 😛 )

I Love your shots of the Chocolate Gouramis, they look fantastic.

I also particularly like the 'Shots-from-above' showing the layout, and it being shallow you can see everything in detail. Rotala - 'WOW' Explosive growth & looking unbelievable.

Add me on to the long, long list of your chocolate tank admirers here,What an epic piece of work.

Now, after immersing myself in this dreamlike world of your journal, I have to snap back to reality.
Thanks for the Journey, keep up the Great work.

 

[Alastair]

Re: A Chocolate Puddle Now with Chocolates and licorice

Wow! Amazing tank, its tanks like these that make me want a successful planted tank, good work!

Thanks Meejo

If ever there was an advert for emersed plants in a tank, THIS is it !!! Alastair, glad you are back home buddy, and congrats on such a successful aquarium. Its a real stunner. Of course, the chocco's are the star of the show 🙂 Sorry about the losses. It is inevitable that some fish wont last forever, but I reckon 90% of them would have been predated in nature by now, so the remaining fish can count themselves lucky in my book

Thanks Chris, still got a fair bit of a way to go until the emmersed part is on par with Toms but its looking well now after they have finally adapted to my softer water. And thanks for the warm welcome back mate, nice to be home again finally.
The Choccos are the main focus when they are out, although when the licorice gouramis show off there true colours and behaviour its a close call. Glad to say no more losses though, all looking fit n very well fed. Keep wanting more but i think this is enough. Plus im seeing various shrimp buried so too many fish and ill have no baby shrimp lol.

Very nice to see those plants in their new home Alistair 🙂

All looks like it's coming along brilliantly - that echino plantlet is great.

Thanks Buddy, its definitely coming together, and its all thanks to you and your bucket mate, although not sure if its a curse actually as i find myself sat on my backside admiring and not getting on with daily tasks lol. The emmersed echino is looking amazing now will pop up some pics in a bit.

Love Love Love Love it. Great Scape and some very interesting plants used.

I think I will have a play with another open tank in the store, with all the marginal plants that will be left over from the end of the pond season this month.

Sounds good Gill, get some pics up for us to see if you manage to get something planted up ill be interested to see what you come up with.

What a beautiful tank you have there! 🙂

Many thanks mate im glad its getting so much good feedback.

Hi all,
I think you may need to raise the Calathea apex above the water level, as when potted they are prone to rotting if they stay too wet. I think Tom had them, so hopefully he will be able to say which bits of his were submersed.

If you can find Taro or Eddoes (Colocasia esculenta) (I've seen it in Sainsbury's vegetable section) they will grow with the root submerged.

cheers Darrel

Hi Darel, thanks for pointing that out mate, it was purely down to the weight of the plants in the planters and they were sliding down the glass slowly. All sorted with some thick paper clips bent into hooks. I hadnt even noticed until youd mentioned

This is looking absolutely stunning I have to say with big toms one of the best tanks on the forum IMO

Cheers Tim thats great stuff to hear. Its thanks to toms thread really that i have such a nice looking tank, maybe not to everyones taste but hey.

this is a slice of heaven. Wild yet tamed enough to have in your lounge.

wish i had the rom in my lounge for it ha ha

That is looking great! So many aspects!

Thanks Ed

What everyone else sid +1...really well done Al!

Cheers matey, much appreciated, not sure i want to ever go back to co2 now lol ( i will though its an addiction)

Looking amazing pal! Glad the plant growth is going well... Looks so healthy and lush!

Should send some pictures to PFK to see if they want to do a feature imo!

Should send some pictures to PFK to see if they want to do a feature imo!

Im sure they would, it would follow on nicely from Troi and his soil based hybrid energy tanks whilst also nailing the shallow tank trend...... great looking set up and lovely for the chocolates
Ady.

You reckon i should then?? how would i go about giving that a shot? would be nice to see even just one good pic of it to show people what can be done with little effort and like you say a good folow on from Tims soil article, ideas anyone????

Hey Al,

After reading this tank over from scratch, I have to say it is truly astonishing what you have achieved here.
The growth of everything seems to be amazing (probably quicker as I'm reading whole lot in one go! 😛 )

I Love your shots of the Chocolate Gouramis, they look fantastic.

I also particularly like the 'Shots-from-above' showing the layout, and it being shallow you can see everything in detail. Rotala - 'WOW' Explosive growth & looking unbelievable.

Add me on to the long, long list of your chocolate tank admirers here,What an epic piece of work.

Now, after immersing myself in this dreamlike world of your journal, I have to snap back to reality.
Thanks for the Journey, keep up the Great work.

Thanks Nathanial, thats really good stuff to hear mate and has given me a little more of a boost to add that little extra now here and there too, growth has been pretty steady and lush considering too, obviously not the full lushness and growth as from a co2 injected tank but its growing quickker than i ever thought it would.

The Rotala i was gobsmacked with, it was like a weed and no matter how much i trimmed it, it grew back thicker and more intensely coloured each time, to the point where i had to remove a section of it as it was becoming a debris magnet and was catching everything.

Very encouraging words thanks mate.

Inspirational stuff - the aquascape and the story behind what's inside. 🙂

Thank you, Alistair (and Tom). I'll be picking your brains when I set up my next shallow aquascape, if you don't mind!

From the man himslef ha ha, thats something to hear that George thanks, pick away by all means, it was all new to me but with advice from both darrel and tom its exceeded my expectations massively. "A true piece of nature" in my dining room.
Will gladly help as much as possible, and i wish you a safe return from your posting out there George. Your doing us proud mate

 

[Morgan Freeman]

Re: A Chocolate Puddle Now with Chocolates and licorice

Love this tank! It's just my favourite style by far. Working with an emersed section is way more fun than a regular planted aquarium. Everyone should try it.