Going Dutch by the book - tank sponsored by Tropica

[Dantrasy]

Beautiful, simply beautiful!

Can you tell us your trimming method? For example, when you trim r. macrandra I still see nice tips, no scissor cuts. Do you pull the stem, cut mid-way and re-plant?

 

[Pedro Rosa]

Attachments are not working for day 49 onwards 🙁
IGNORE: working now 🙂
Stunning

Yes, I had some problems with editing the messages for changing the pictures size ... and them "something" happened. Thank God we have Paulo on the job 24 hours 😀

 

[flygja]

Looking superb!

 

[Pedro Rosa]

Beautiful, simply beautiful!
Can you tell us your trimming method? For example, when you trim r. macrandra I still see nice tips, no scissor cuts. Do you pull the stem, cut mid-way and re-plant?

Depends on the plant. Some weeks ago (at the start) i wrote what i was thinking in doing:

Rotala Macandra I haven't touched it yet but i'm going to cut right on the substrate and replant when reach the needed height. This plant does not react well to cuttings (does not grow well after have been cut and creates another two stems).
For Limnophila hippuridoides, Heteranthera Zosterifolia, Bacopa caroliniana, I will trim around 1/3 of the higher stems on each trimming session. This should make it look good most of the times.
Murdannia Keijak can prove to be a little more difficult to use this method and i'll see how it will grow. It's branching very good!

For Macandra i'm doing a mix of what i wrote (cut down and replant -> best way to get an healthy plant) and at the back (hidden) i cut where light can still reach the stem so it can branch. I know that it's a (kind of) difficult plant to maintain healthy but this one have great colors.

Pedro.

 

[Bacms]

I am still impressed with the growth rates you get on this tank. It is looking more beautiful with every cut

 

[Mark Green]

Your making this hobby look really easy

Loving the health and colours, nice work

 

[banthaman.jm]

simply stunning
Jim

 

[Pedro Rosa]

Some updates… starting 15 days after the last ones.
I'm probably starting to repeat some type os photos... sorry.

I’m very happy with the health of the tank. Completely clean from algae with no need for water changes or other type of maintenance besides the 50% water change at sundays.
Maintenance is around 3 hours (mainly trimming and replanting, but includes water change).
Even the glass stays clean from sunday to sunday.
Fish are happy and 0 deaths.

A large quantity of plants, good fertilisation and a good schedule of maintenances are paying!
I also believe that, for the fish health and top of the water surface, the small air pump and good air diffuser (~5 hours at night) are also contributing.

It’s obvious that i wouldn’t say badly about Tropica products (Soil, ferts and plants) in this topic, but i’m really very happy with this only-tropica tank and the way is going. Couldn’t say better things for the “complete Tropica pack” and it’s the first time with the soil.

Regarding the layout… there are some things i would like to improve, like the Rotana Macandra “road” and i should have chosen a larger Cryptocoryne.
I suppose that for a “small” Dutch (120x50cm) the depth and appearance are not very bad.

Some infos:
1) Montecarlo it at the middle/foreground;
2) Eleocharis sp. and UG are out;
3) Ciperus are at the right side/wall;
4) Crinun was partially changed to go more to the left/wall (it’s now growing very well and it’s easily seen at the last photos);
5) Hygrophila corymbosa 'Siamensis 53B' entered behind Bacopa and in front of Myriophyllum let’s wait for some large leafs to appear;
6) 1 - 3 cm of substrate at the front and keep trying to get some nice borders between the plants (difficult with the mad growing).
7) 20 new Hyphessobrycon Ornatus white fin Tetra

Day 70:



Details of the new Hyphessobrycon Ornatus white fin Tetra:









Some details of plants:



Really in love with Lobelia. It's there for such a long time and it's the first time i use it:



Staurogyne Repens and CO2 bubbles...



Congo Tetras are mainly at the middle/top and Ornatus white fin Tetra at the bottom:



Day 71:









Some underwater lettuce 🙂 (love this photo!)



The bad guys...









Day 77:







Day 78:



Day 80:





Bacopa:



Day 84:



I’ll now prepare a trim for a video (and photo) shooting without equipment for the 3 months milestone.

Pedro.

 

[Alexander Belchenko]

Incredible tank!

 

[Luís Cardoso]

Great work Pedro.

 

[tmiravent]

Pedro, amazing! 🙂
But not completed surprised with your success, i was waiting for something in this level!
Really inspiring, make me thinking in a small Dutch also...
The plants are amazing, very nice choice for the fish!
The UG doesn't want nothing with you! 😛 But is not bad, i think in the end you would find it too small for the layout.
You must have lot's of fun cutting that one! Never tried lobelia, nice plant!
IMO your best tank ever! 😉
cheers

 

[Bacms]

Truly beautiful Pedro love the health of the plants

 

[flygja]

Beeeeeaautiful!

 

[LondonDragon]

Nice work Pedro, what is your current photo and CO2 period?

Also what is the current fert regime?

Obrigado e excelente trabalho 🙂

 

[Pedro Rosa]

Pedro, amazing! 🙂
But not completed surprised with your success, i was waiting for something in this level!
Really inspiring, make me thinking in a small Dutch also...
The plants are amazing, very nice choice for the fish!
The UG doesn't want nothing with you! 😛 But is not bad, i think in the end you would find it too small for the layout.
You must have lot's of fun cutting that one! Never tried lobelia, nice plant!
IMO your best tank ever! 😉
cheers

Thanks Tiago. Yes I'm loving Lobelia and Montecarlo is lovely at the UG place 🙂

Nice work Pedro, what is your current photo and CO2 period?

Also what is the current fert regime?

Obrigado e excelente trabalho 🙂

Thanks Paulo.
7 hours of light daily. One more hour at the weekend (mainly for me/family, not for the plants 😀 but like nature they are sunny days 😀).
Don't remember if it's 7,5 or 8 hours of CO2 (don't know it it's 1,5 or 2 hours before the lights - off 1h before lights of off).
30 ml Tropica daily, every day. One 50% water change weekly (sunday). Zero maintenance ate weekdays (only ferts and food for fish).

Pedro.

 

[AAngel]

Absolutely stunning Pedro!

 

[Martin in Holland]

Just perfect.....

 

[Nelson]

Any update ?.

 

[Pedro Rosa]

Yes, it's definitely time for some updates.
Everything is going very well. Just had some problems with Crinum Calamistratum but i think that it's now recovering.
These three first photos are from a week ago - i made a huge trim since then.
The other photos are from December.







Some details...

 

[BruceF]

Lots of skill there....Nicely done Pedro.