Stig of the Sump

[Kezzab]

This emersed growth started life as a very tatty piece of Rannunculus, a few tiny off cuts of MC and some scraps of moss just tuck around the roots of the Ficus Pumila. It's now creating its own island, which is quite cool.

 

[Kezzab]

After starting this tank with the intention of being quite purist low tech, I'm now dosing liquid carbon, complete ferts and potassium nitrate. The latter was in an attempt to combat cyano and it seems to be working. The plants are definitely happier with my medium tech approach.

Latest development is that the Rannunculus Inundatus that is growing emersed appears to be about to flower. Exciting times.

 

[Kezzab]

Not exactly a spectacular bloom, and as my wife pointed out: "Ranunculus? So, a buttercup?" Quite.

Any ideas why it is flowering now? Is increase in nitrate relevant?

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

Any ideas why it is flowering now?

It is just because it has grown long enough (or build up enough emersed biomass) in the air. There is no advantage in the plant flowering under-water, so evolution will have favoured plants that become emersed for a period before they flower.

cheers Darrel

 

[zozo]

Rannunculus Inundatus

I had the R. Aquatilis in the pond. Because it's indigenous i guess you don't realy find it as aquariumplant but in pond shops as pond plant.
But it flowers like mad from early to late summer. And i bit more striking than the tropical version, slightly bigger white flower with a yellow heart. 🙂

 

[Kitalexander]

The hard scape on this tank is amazing! Gonna have to go find a root like that now.

 

[Kezzab]

Thanks, it was a lucky find!

 

[PARAGUAY]

The hard scape on this tank is amazing! Gonna have to go find a root like that now.

Find your local woods now is a good time to source oa k and twigs branches try to get permission, sponser Aqua Essentials usually have interesting pieces

 

[Kezzab]

A wee fts for the record. Planted some juncus repens in back right to try and get some height. We'll see how it goes.

 

[Kezzab]

Added 12 Gold Tetras today. There's space because the original 18 Pearl Danios are now down to 2, all the rest having leapt to their demise. They were a poorly researched choice.

Of the new fish, my son's response was "why do you always buy the boring ones?"

 

[Kezzab]

A few months from the last fts, grown in a bit more. Considering a rescape, but its looking quite good at the moment.

 

[Kezzab]

Been a while, here's the current state of play...

 

[Kezzab]

For the past nearly five months the tank has been running with a single TMC aquabeam, of unknown variety, with only four functioning LEDs. I thought things were going ok, some things were thriving. But I could see clearly that any plants down low were suffering.

Today in the LFS they were selling aquaone plant glo 90cm LEDs for £50 instead of £100 so I went with an impulse purchase.

The strip has 156 LEDs in two strips. You can have either all of them on or half of them.

The difference is stark, and has immediately revealed how tatty things had been getting...

Old:

New, 50%:

New 100%:

I now await an algae disaster.
K

 

[rebel]

Looks like nice spectrum on the PlantGro. Maybe dim it a little?

 

[Kezzab]

There's no dimmer, so it would be a baking parchment job. I'm going to just go with it and see what happens!

 

[rebel]

There's no dimmer, so it would be a baking parchment job. I'm going to just go with it and see what happens!

Just reduce duration by 20% or so.

 

[Kezzab]

My aponogeton flowered, set seed and now it's self seeding around the tank. Which is quite cool.

 

[Kezzab]

Now been running with the new light for almost a month and starting to see positive impact. Thankfully no sign of any algae apart from a bit of cyano that I can never get rid of.

The tank is now also running with gas. Its set at a very low dose, about 1.5bps which is the same as what is was an my 15ltr nano... The co2 line goes straight into the return pump inlet, no atomiser. But in combination with 5ml of LC a day it seems to be beneficial. No idea what ppm I'm achieving but don't think it matters if fish and plants are doing well. Dosing TNC complete at about 3ml a day.

There are a good few Aponogeton seedlings growing in the empty left had side so We are heading towards full jungle I think.

 

[Kezzab]

Still ticking on. The aponogeton is flowering constantly and then self seeding everywhere. In 6 months it will probs my be just one massive forest of the stuff. Bolbitis huge now too, fronds easily 50cm+.