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Nursery Update

altaaffe

Member
Joined
13 Jul 2008
Messages
309
Location
Thornhill, Egremont, Cumbria
I created a nursery system at the top of my Oscars 2m tank which I now successfully grow a number of plants.
The tank is covered with 2 perspex covers with 2 luminaires each of 2x39W T5.

The 2 trays are lined with Betta filter matting which the roots seem to like and the water is the return from a Tetratec EX1200. I feed no ferts, no CO2, etc - everything comes from the main tank. Water return to the tank is by holes drilled in the trays and this provides the surface agitation for this tank also.

The tank & plastic covers:
2009_0427nursery0001.jpg


Tray one with newly placed mat seeded with Staurogyne plantlets and a little HC:
2009_0427nursery0002.jpg


Tray two with some older plants (will get ripped apart and redone once the other tray has taken hold):
2009_0427nursery0003.jpg


As an aside - I also feed a tank I'm experimenting with via an overflow, this also double as my shrimp breeding tank:
2009_0427nursery0004.jpg
 
I LOVE it!!

Just the right balance between a 'Heath Robinson' style solution, and a nice looking living area display.

And what a brilliant way to link two parts of the hobby that you are interested in - keeping large messy fish and growing plants - it's like a little ecosystem where both aspects help the other - oscars (and tankmates) providing 'nutrients', plants providing 'waste removal'.

Hats off to you :D

Mark

PS - those rainbows are enormous!
 
vauxhallmark said:
I LOVE it!!

Just the right balance between a 'Heath Robinson' style solution, and a nice looking living area display.

And what a brilliant way to link two parts of the hobby that you are interested in - keeping large messy fish and growing plants - it's like a little ecosystem where both aspects help the other - oscars (and tankmates) providing 'nutrients', plants providing 'waste removal'.

Hats off to you :D

Mark

PS - those rainbows are enormous!

Thats exactly what I meant when I said inspiring! :lol:
 
a1Matt said:
vauxhallmark said:
I LOVE it!!

Just the right balance between a 'Heath Robinson' style solution, and a nice looking living area display.

And what a brilliant way to link two parts of the hobby that you are interested in - keeping large messy fish and growing plants - it's like a little ecosystem where both aspects help the other - oscars (and tankmates) providing 'nutrients', plants providing 'waste removal'.

Hats off to you :D

Mark

PS - those rainbows are enormous!

Thats exactly what I meant when I said inspiring! :lol:

:lol:
 
Thanks All.

vauxhallmark said:
PS - those rainbows are enormous!

They're all about 4 years old now, bar the one right in the middle of the first shot which is actually a Boesmani / Lacustris hybrid - I didn't have the heart to euthanise it just because it was a hybrid after all it had managed to survive and it is only ever going to stay in this set-up.
 
Indeed this is a fantastic idea. Placing plants on trays above some part of the tank.

I have a 125 rio, small tank, but high, and will try to replicate this setup, especially as one could use a spray bar coming from the filter to feed the tray.

Even a 20cm long tray would be more than enough, and provide shade for fish that like shade, such as neons.

One to replicate.
 
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