Stocking tank

[Aqua360]

Can anyone please suggest some suitable plants for the hardscape? I want to go for plants in and among the rocks and wood.

It's only going to be a sand substrate, so ideally will be plants capable of growing out of substrate, or that will do well in sand with dosing water column only.

Right now I feel the automatic options are:

anubias,
java fern
hydrocotyle tripartite

but would like to hear more if anyone can suggest 🙂

 

[Smells Fishy]

Can anyone please suggest some suitable plants for the hardscape? I want to go for plants in and among the rocks and wood.

It's only going to be a sand substrate, so ideally will be plants capable of growing out of substrate, or that will do well in sand with dosing water column only.

Right now I feel the automatic options are:

anubias,
java fern
hydrocotyle tripartite

but would like to hear more if anyone can suggest 🙂

Pothos? Since the tanks so shallow the roots will probably dig into the substrate. Water sprite?

 

[Aqua360]

Pothos? Since the tanks so shallow the roots will probably dig into the substrate. Water sprite?

love pothos, could be a shout towards the left hand side, but I'd be wary of roots disrupting the rocks etc in time perhaps

 

[Aqua360]

Latest update, all rocks and sand washed, siliconed the wood to the rocks, I'm praying it holds, as floating wood will be a pain in the bum.

Excited for the next step!

 

[Aqua360]

Update

 

[Aqua360]

Added 30 white cloud mountain minnows, along with seeded filtration, just need to see how well they settle in 🙂

 

[Guest]

Can anyone please suggest some suitable plants for the hardscape? I want to go for plants in and among the rocks and wood.

Looking good. Have you thought about attaching all the Java ferns to the left of the hardscape with perhaps some Bolbitis, and then attaching smaller plants to the rest to accentuate the classic triangular hardscape you've created.

You have a lot of epiphytes to choose from...Buces, Anubias; I go for some of the smaller ones. There are others like H. pinnatifida, and mini Christmas moss would work well too. I'd also plant a bit of something like mini hair grass, or a selection of low growing carpet plants, in the sand around the hardscape it'll give it a bit more interest; if you're dosing fertz it'll be fine.

 

[Aqua360]

Looking good. Have you thought about attaching all the Java ferns to the left of the hardscape with perhaps some Bolbitis, and then attaching smaller plants to the rest to accentuate the classic triangular hardscape you've created.

You have a lot of epiphytes to choose from...Buces, Anubias; I go for some of the smaller ones. There are others like H. pinnatifida, and mini Christmas moss would work well too. I'd also plant a bit of something like mini hair grass, or a selection of low growing carpet plants, in the sand around the hardscape it'll give it a bit more interest; if you're dosing fertz it'll be fine.

Really good suggestion, will have to look into it, I have been disappointed by my first plants added, but I can easily re-arrange the java ferns without fuss.

Interesting point on the carpet plants...I figured I'd have low success given its sand, but if I'm dosing the water column that should take care of things...

Much thought to be given now!

 

[Finn]

Very nicely scaped, looks like it would be a fab tank for river loaches and gobies. Have you thought about Stiphodon semoni and maybe Gastromyzon ctenocephalus? I think they'd be wonderful centerpiece fish. You could put a decently strong powerhead in the left hand side to get some flow over the pebbles (perhaps with a venturi to get a little aeration), and with the light I think it'd be easy to cultivate some nice green algae for them to munch on.

 

[Aqua360]

Very nicely scaped, looks like it would be a fab tank for river loaches and gobies. Have you thought about Stiphodon semoni and maybe Gastromyzon ctenocephalus? I think they'd be wonderful centerpiece fish. You could put a decently strong powerhead in the left hand side to get some flow over the pebbles (perhaps with a venturi to get a little aeration), and with the light I think it'd be easy to cultivate some nice green algae for them to munch on.

i'll check them out now 🙂 I had a wavemaker in there but seemed to be disrupting the minnows, still working on a solution to provide enough circulation on the left hand side

 

[Aqua360]

Yet another update lol, added moss to the cracks between the stones, and took the plunge and planted my Monte Carlo I had from a previous Scape, straight into the sand and surrounding rocks.

Still missing the triangular shape focus and i will address it, but for now it's coming along, i think i added too many minnows, may have to remove some.

Also cheating a little and using the fluval co2 diffuser for a little bit extra co2

 

[sciencefiction]

Nice tank.

If you give them the right conditions the plants will carpet in sand even better...Temporarily I'd get some fast growers to balance things out and prevent algae. Once the tank establishes, you can remove them if needs be.

 

[Edvet]

I still feel like you need some smaller pebbles going from the stones to the right, just a few gradually decreasing in size. Just my2 €cts😳

 

[Aqua360]

Nice tank.

If you give them the right conditions the plants will carpet in sand even better...Temporarily I'd get some fast growers to balance things out and prevent algae. Once the tank establishes, you can remove them if needs be.

good shout, last night I added duckweed, and I'm doing water changes every second day to manage things before backing off, but I definitely got overzealous with the minnows, added 28 so I'm gonna remove about 10 or 12, bring it down to a smaller number as right now they are all over the place, and will have a larger bioload than anticipated

 

[Aqua360]

I still feel like you need some smaller pebbles going from the stones to the right, just a few gradually decreasing in size. Just my2 €cts😳

I have some pebbles available, so i'll add them 🙂

 

[Kalum]

Looking good mate, like the direction it's going

A few low and thin creeping bits of wood (with no pebbles) stretching out of the main pack to the right would look good

 

[doylecolmdoyle]

Looking really good! I think I all also go with White Cloud Mountain Minnows for my long skinny tank. How much sand did you need? I am finding it hard to locate more ADA La Plata sand here in Australia (none left in the country!) I only have 1 bag of fine sand and 1of the big sand.

I like what you did with the wood!

 

[Tbone]

Can anyone please suggest some suitable plants for the hardscape? I want to go for plants in and among the rocks and wood.

It's only going to be a sand substrate, so ideally will be plants capable of growing out of substrate, or that will do well in sand with dosing water column only.

Right now I feel the automatic options are:

anubias,
java fern
hydrocotyle tripartite

but would like to hear more if anyone can suggest 🙂

How can you forget about the ever abundant varieties of Bucephalandra!!! Yes they grow mad slow but the color choices / sizes and shapes of the different types makes it well worth it...

Especially coz you can superglue them to hardscapes and let them grow that way 😉

 

[Aqua360]

Looking really good! I think I all also go with White Cloud Mountain Minnows for my long skinny tank. How much sand did you need? I am finding it hard to locate more ADA La Plata sand here in Australia (none left in the country!) I only have 1 bag of fine sand and 1of the big sand.

I like what you did with the wood!

I believe I used 8kg sand exactly, one of the bigger bags of unipac from pets at home, and one of the smaller bags of gravel.

Thanks on the wood, I'm glad I opted for the minnows again they are great little fish

 

[sciencefiction]

I have some pebbles available, so i'll add them

I got a 25kg bag of round mid sized beach pebbles from builders supplies. They came in all types and colours, really nice and cheap 🙂 You can't tell while in the bag but once washed and in the tank...

but I definitely got overzealous with the minnows, added 28 so I'm gonna remove about 10 or 12, bring it down to a smaller number as right now they are all over the place, and will have a larger bioload than anticipated

Just keep up with daily water changes and the tank will pick up in no time and the fish will appreciate the extra care.

Can anyone please suggest some suitable plants for the hardscape? I want to go for plants in and among the rocks and wood.

I have a cold water tub and a small tank with tropical plants such as ludwiga, bacopa, crypts,anubias, hydrophila, not very interesting ones I admit but those are the ones I have. My point is, they don't care being in colder water. They grow just as good. I am sure there's plenty out there that will do well. Pick what you like and see how it goes. One thing about cold water tank is that my dark brown/pond snails don't do good, neither do malaysian trumpets. They just don't seem to multiply without a heater and the latter ones even completely disappear. The only ones that do well are red ramshorns and they're my favourite ones.