[freshfish]

Some day this tank will be 'scaped, and these swords will have a "real" home. For now, they're all in pots of Flourite just hanging out till I'm ready to get going on the tank... I've managed to collect a some species that I'm quite happy with, and there are still about 1/2 dozen or so I'll add to some tank some where, some time. IDK why, but I just really really love the whole Echinodorus genus! (I do hear that the genus is being reworked and the chain swords may end up being moved to another genus- but that's OK, I'll still remain addicted to them,too LOL)

So here's the assortment of plants patiently waiting on me in my 46gal (please keep in mind that my camera does not do a good job at picking up reds and pinks):

FTS




Rose sword- new leaves come in a lovely delicate pink, and the leaves are yellow-veined




Variagated sword- if grown emersed, the new leaves come in white with pink veining (see the leaf up on the top left that grew in while this sword was still floating in my tank). Once submerged, the leaves are the nice lime green as seen in the rest of the leaves. Since I divided one large plant into 3 plants in this pot, I'm debating trying to transition one of them to a potted houseplant, so that I'll continue being able to enjoy the lovely pinks...




Trio of cultivars propagated from European imports:

Red Devil- the reds aren't doing so well ATM (all the leaves were brilliant red when I first got it, it truly lived up to its name!), I need to stick a fert tab underneath this one and just haven't gotten around to it. It also floated for a long, long time b/c it hasn't yet developed a root system. The Red Devil is the one with the long skinny leaves on the bottom left.


Tricolor, the sword on the right. New leaves come in a deep pink, then turn white, then turn green as they age.


Aquafleur- the lime green sword in the above pics. Similar to the Rose sword (probably cultivated from it, I'm guessing)- new leaves are pink and then turn green. Slightly different shades of color from the Rose, and the veining pattern on the leaves is somewhat different- more similar to the Kleiner bar in my 90gal (maybe a cross?)

Random other plants, since this tank ended up being my "catchall" tank:

Val nana




Big Ball O Mosses- mostly Suesswassertang and Pellia, but also some Flame, Java, and possibly some Christmas moss. Plus a few baby Java fern and Hydrocoytle thrown in for good measure. I'm gonna have fun when I go to try and separate these at some point...




Java moss, on the right. I've tried to give all of this moss away at various times, but always end up with a few straggler strands that "get away," then multiply like rabbits. This is the biggest wad, but of course there's more here and there all over this tank...


Willow moss. First time I've kept this moss, I haven't had it for long. So far I've managed to keep it from getting mixed in with the others...


Gobs of "floating stuff"- I've lost track of everything in this mess floating at the top of the tank. I know there's some duckweed, red root floater, riccia, hydrocoytle, and Rananunclus inudatis. This last one is really a cool plant, and I need to pot it before it starts fading from floating for too long... there's also Najas stems (guppy grass) scattered here and there around the tank.


Oh- I almost forgot. There's a baby albino long-finned bushy-nosed pleco in there somewhere. He didn't want to come out to have his picture taken. He's done an amazing job with algae in this tank; when I first added him the entire back wall of the tank was covered in brown and green spot algae. Within 24 hours- it was gone! I'm making sure to feed him a catfish wafer every few days, just to make sure he's getting enough to eat.

So that's it. I am planning on working most if not all of these plants into the eventual 'scape. IDK that this tank will end up with a "theme" like my other planted tanks; probably just an eclectic mix of some of my favorite plants and fish.

EDIT- WOW the forum blew up my pics and cut off all the right sides! That's never happened before... now my pics look really really out of focus! LOL

[J.B.]

Is it just me, or does that first pic look like a very poorly done Photoshop job? I'm glad you put the second pic up, or I'dof sworn it was a hack job.

Looks like you've got some nice specimens to get this one started. Again, another one I'll be watching.

[freshfish]

LOL you're right!! That pic was taken with the flash on. I turned it off for all the rest. I think the Variagated sword was just reflecting the light back funny?

[Dutchman]

I see that you have the same problem with your camera as I have with mine. The camera focusses (automatically) on the front window. So what's behind it is out of focus. Been trying to figure out how to change that. No success so far.
Suggestions anyone?

PS: Forgot to mention . . .
If you stand back from the tank, say one meter (yard), the focal distances between the front glass and whatever is behind it become less different. So all you need to do is zoom-in on the area of attention to get a sharper picture. Problem remains . . . it's still not sharp-sharp.

[1077]

As I am sure judging from the posts here most are aware that swords are heavy root feeders. Were it me I would place approx. one inch of plain potting soil on the bottom of the tank followed with whatever plant substrate is desired. This will give the plants a quick boost from the outset. I have grown some nice plants with simple potting soil and gravel with low to moderate lighting.

[freshfish]

1077- I agree, they'd definitely do better in better substrate.

Eventually this tank will be converted to a Mineralized Soil substrate, so I actually am planning soil for them once I get going on the tank. Right now, they're just "in holding." Good chance that this tank will end up being a QT tank when I start stocking my 29gal, so I want to be able to easily move the swords out when that time comes.

[1077]

I was thinking for when you decided to put the substrate in . The only potted plants i ever left or placed in pots were in a cichlid tank .I am very much interested in the particular substrate you end up utilizing. My own expieriments with different mediums always brought me back to the afore mentioned due to most providing nutrients for a finite period that was wholly inconsistent. The soil itself only produces for so long but I have found that flourite lasts nutrient wise for much longer than some rather pricey substrates.In any event I wish you well and will follow the progress.

[freshfish]

This is the process I'm going to use to create Mineralized Soil. http://gwapa.org/wordpress/articles/min ... substrate/ I have all the additives already, I just need to get some topsoil and the sifting materials.

[freshfish]

What Cor said about my camera focusing in on the glass has been sticking in my brain. So tonight, I made an attempt to get some better pics. This time, I cleaned the glass inside and out (mag float inside, windex outside) and made sure that all the lights were off in the great room except for the tank light, to eliminate reflection. It really helped (EDIT- now if we can just get this forum pic-formatting issue resolved... 1/4 of my pics are all cut off on the right side ):

[Dutchman]

The trouble wish pics that are slightly out of focus is that I always think its ME

PS: Try the "distance" shots, while zooming in on the target, as well

[1077]

Freshfish, The article for the process you are going to use was interesting as well as informative. I have done something similar with the exception that plain HYPONEX potting soil found at walmart was used. It had no additives. Upon getting the mixture of soil, flourite, and water to the right consistency I then poured it onto a cookie sheet with wax paper under it and froze it. If removed carefully it stays intact and can then beplaced on the bottom of the tank and covered with the gravel of your choice. I may give the method you are using a go on twenty gal long that i have been procrastinating on. Thank you for sharing. PS the method I described can also be used to make your own root tabs using what ever nutrients with the mixture.

[freshfish]

I've heard of making root tabs that way, and people have reported really good results with them.

I asked Aaron (the author of the article) why more potash isn't used, since apparently this is the macro that tends to run out the most quickly in high tech tanks using this soil prep method- he said that it should work to add a little more potash in the initial stage if one felt it was necessary, plus he suggested keeping some of the clay on hand, mixing a little potash in, freezing, and using those as fert tabs if needed.

I'm really excited to give this method a try. This is what I first started out looking for a while back; a method that would keep most if not all the nutrients that plants need in the substrate to minimize if not eliminate the need for dosing. Aaron says that the guy who he learned this method from, named Sean, has had some mineralized soil tanks going for over 15 years!!!

I'm also really eager to compare the results of this method with the growth in my 29gal with ADA AquaSoil. It will be far from a "scientific" study, but definitely interesting to me for sure.

[k2_16]

I used a gravel over soil substrate in my 10G at one time and my (previous and now dead swords) LOVED it. Eventually one of my BN Pleco's (I had too at that time), ripped up the soil making the tank a mess. I gravel vac'ed and quickly switched to eco-complete. Then that same one knocked over a potted sword and screwed up the Eco-Complete. Even after that, I had no heart to get rid of her (Ugly--Ehmm..Countess Iblie) and she now resides into my 29G with NO soil! I'm not sure if I'm going to keep her in this tank after I plant it as she loves ripping up the crypts. When redoing the tank last time, she stabbed my 9 times through the net!

[freshfish]

Yeah, plecos can be pretty rambunctious fish for sure! I added the Plecos in my 90gal very recently, to try and make sure all the plants had time to grow good root systems first. Even so, the Gold Nugget plecos have munched on my big sword leaves quite a bit.

[freshfish]

So here's a few poor pics of the sole resident of the 46gal, a Long Finned Albino BushyNosed pleco (how's that for a mouthful?) It's not a fish I would have bought on my own, personally; he was a freebie with my Gold Nugget plecos. IDK what I'm going to do with him in the long run, but for now he's doing an excellent job keeping the 46gal algae-free!