Tropiquarium68 reborn

[Apistogramma]

You have some patience!! The break has done you good - you're more obsessed than ever!

[pandacory]

Daran you can come and aquascape my 4ft tank for me.

[cousin it]

the break has definately helped me to see how much of a part of my life the planted hobby is and how much happyness it gives to me in return for my efforts. All the tanks are slowly being returned to how they should be and improved on in one way or another, the rio 400 is slowly being switched to having all the fertilisers added via the computer to reduce the work I have to do on it which is something the 300 will make use of as well. the smaller tanks are guinea pigs for the layouts for the 300, which is potentially going to be a larger version of this tank
a fresh outlook was needed to motivate me which I had not realised I actually needed in the first place, as the tropi was my first venture into planted tanks using more than undergravel filters and basic methods it seems right that it should be the first setup to be started fully after the hobby was reborn for me.
sitting looking at it while the plants are settling in it reminds me very much of sitting on Dartmoor in the summer.

lol the fun is painting your own picture, playing with what you like, if I was to aquascape your tank it would be enjoyable initially for you but not as rewarding as creating your own.

[Apistogramma]

*Cyber hug* It's so good to have you back. You were such an inspiration to me in my early days...especially with that co2!!

[cousin it]

thank you.

week 2

week 3
this plant is slow growing.

and a full tank shot after the first 3 weeks.



the Hydrocotyle verticillata has been developing new growth and is slowly filling in the areas I want that to cover, the moss has started to show signs of growth on the wood.
for the time this has been settling in it is looking more and more promising, only about 5 weeks left until I can finally fill the tank

[cousin it]

week 4, new growth starting to show in most areas of the tank, looking promising.



week 2


week 4

feels like the area I chose to monitor the growth from is the slowest area to develop so far.


the Hydrocotyle verticillata is sending up new shoots.


the anchor moss is showing healthy growth in most areas.


the anubias are sending down good roots.

[cousin it]

still very little going on in the area I chose to monitor.

week 2


week 5

but in other areas the growth seems to be speeding up, I have noticed quite a few new shoots starting to break the surface of the substrate,


just after I planted this tank up I decided to use the remaining pots to plant the foreground of my rio 400 as a control to see what they do under the conditions in that tank, the reason I chose that setup as a control was because lights, co2 and fertilisers are dealt with by an aquarium computer which removes me as a variable, I cannot forget anything the plants in the tropiquaruim are settling in much better and showing signs of new growth far faster than they are in the rio.

[cousin it]

bit of a setback on the tank happened yesterday, the ballast on the light unit I am using failed.
So while I wait for a replacement to arrive I decided to put the 150w mh lamp into use, I have to admit the ada bulb in the light unit does give a very nice colour to the plants and hardscape in the tank.

[Apistogramma]

Owch - frustrating!!

[cousin it]

with how slow this tank is being started minor setbacks are less of a disaster than they could be. I am hoping that the boost that using a 150 w mh light over a 2' tank will give will make the setback a hidden blessing , just a good job I didnt sell it as I was planning to reciently.

[Apistogramma]

Argh no! Don't ever sell tanks! Never!

[cousin it]

the tank was staying put just the mh light unit was possibly going to be sold along with a few spare t5 light units to help fund the remaining dosing pumps I need for the rio 400, after finding some 1ml per minute pumps I have started having all the fertilisers I add to that tank done via the computer for laziness.
I still have a tank in the shed that was given to me for my 13th birthday by my father, that one is here to stay just a shame that setting it up again is out of the question due to a crack in the base

[Carylnz]

This is like watching the results of a hair transplant, except a bit more interesting and colourful

[EMBX]

Very nice write up and Pictures Daran. And looking good as usual as I remember from your other tanks you have or had

This will help lots of people who want to go with life plants in their tanks.
I read you where out of the hobby for a while? I remember you from the older days when i was also on these forums. (2004 till 2006/7) I think RockfishUK (Sean I think his real name is) was posting here then too. Wonder how he is doing, He had a lot of tanks I believe.

Anyway, I also left the hobby for a while too, it was too busy starting my own company and take care of 4 planted tanks. My wife loves Aquariums, but only the watch site of it LOL. So torn it all down but stored the tanks and equipment except two 10 gallon tanks I gave away, just as I gave away all the fish and plants to people I knew would take good care of them.

But now things are settled, some more spare time, so I started a 75 gallon tank again What is this thing with this hobby what keeps you going back to it? Will I end up with again 5 tanks? Time will tell I guess I also still remembered The Tropical Tank Forums after all those years. My first setup was with the help from these forums, so I signed up again.

Anyway, as I said, your tank is looking good and hope it keeps developing the way it goes now

I wait for my plants to arrive from the online store and start setting up this weekend.

I shall take some pics and post them in the Tank Talk Portion of the site.

Nice to see you all again and a big welcome to all the newer members

Evert

[cousin it]

great to see you here again thank you for the compliments I still have all the other tanks which are slowly returning to their former glory after the period of neglect by me, the gf took care of the fish very well but the plants suffered apart from the cryptocorynes which flourished.
I look forward to seeing your tank as it is set up, things have moved along a long way in the planted area so many new toys to play with