My First Foray into Live Plants

[Jacquie]

Wow Eva!

Those tanks look like axie paradises and that Lottie is just too cute! Not to be greedy, but how about a picture of her partner in crime?

But... um ... I am in the gallery here...? (Thanks for the compliment, too.)

I think Jen meant the http://www.caudata.org/photoplog/ member's gallery, not this gallery.

 

[blueberlin]

Wow Eva!
Not to be greedy, but how about a picture of her partner in crime?

Below is about the best I can do - if you look really closely, you'll see his tail as he relaxes in his usual postion (in his pot). As a trade-off, how about a pic of the boys? (Also below.)

I think Jen meant the http://www.caudata.org/photoplog/ member's gallery, not this gallery.

Oh! Not sure I've ever intentionally clicked through that before. What a deficit on my part! Sooo many pictures! Ok will add a pic there, too. Thanks, Jacq!

-Eva

 

[Heather at HMSG]

I too have been using live plants with my 'Lotte' & 'Sparkle' (pictures to follow, when I work out how to post!). I have taken plants from my ponds, cleaned them as thoroughly as possible (by shaking in several changes of rain water & selecting bits individually) & they are growing strongly. I have 3 aerators (elodea & 2 other fine ferny ones) & floating 'duck weed'. I do have a strip light on a timer, as the tank is a display in a school classroom lab. I have hung a baby spider plant over the piping at each end of the tank, & they are also doing well also. I found spider plants in a list of safe plants - maybe on this forum somewhere (my memory is bad!)
So far my axis seem to enjoy hanging about in the plants, & no damage.

Heather

 

[blueberlin]

Hi Heather,

I also have pothos hanging into one of my (other) tanks. It grows its roots into the water and I like to think that that helps a bit. It won't do well being completely submerged, but hanging along the top, it is doing quite well without any special lighting.

I am curious about the duck weed. As I understand, it takes a lot of the salts out of the water, but I worry that it might clog my (external canister) filter. Have you noticed a problem with that at all?

-Eva

 

[Heather at HMSG]

I have used plants from my ponds for our school display tank. I washed the plants thoroughly several times in rain water, & hand-selected, using a lead weight on each bunch.
The set up is as from the beginning of January, & the plants are growing well (as you can see) & the water analysis of amonia, nitrite & nitrate levels are now as they should be.
I read somewhere that if plants, especially the floating ones, send out long roots it's a good sign.
I have also hung spider plants over the pipes in the back corners, & they are growing good roots.
I will now attempt to post my very first picture!

 

[blueberlin]

That looks really, really nice! I like the spider plants, may do that, too. I thought to put some Tillandsia around the outside of the tank because I thought they would do well - enough water in the air and enough light from the lamps; they won't do anything for the aquarium but I thought they might look nice.

Thanks for the picture, it looks lovely! You should post it again in your own thread, too, so more people will look at it. Like in the gallery, Jacq linked it into this thread above.

-Eva

 

[Darkmaverick]

WOw Heather,

That is most impressive. How i wish i have a fraction of your artistic flair and eye for detail and finesse! Lovely tank!

Cheers

 

[optimist]

Lovely tank Heather. How are the eggs doing?

 

[Heather at HMSG]

Lovely tank Heather. How are the eggs doing?

Triplets & one other hatched last night - one appears to have stunted gills, & whether it survives will be interesting. I have counted 15 developing eggs I think.

Pupils snowed away today, so the most interested missed the first births, sadly.

Thank you again!

Heather

 

[ttess]

that aquarium is just incredible. congrats

 

[supergrappler]

I finally got to the point where I am ready to learn about aquatic plants. I chose everything by temperature requirements, figuring that the plants could be arranged according to their light requirements as needed. I have live plants in two aquaria because I have lights for two aquaria.

Also thought I'd toss in a pic of Lotte because she's just so darned cute.

-Eva

Gorgeous setup!!!
What is the wattage of lighting are you using?

 

[ferret_corner]

Hahaha Eva - i've been browsing this site for 2 days for ideas and to learn how to maintain tanks (sorta) ...
http://showcase.aquatic-gardeners.org/2006.cgi?&op=showcase&category=0&vol=1&id=56

 

[blueberlin]

Gorgeous setup!!!
What is the wattage of lighting are you using?

Thank you. The lamps are 60 watt.

Now that the setup has been established for a few months, I can update. The lamps are too close to the tanks and warm the water. I am thinking of swithing to energy saving lamps but am unsure whether they are appropriate as plant lights. (Anyone have info on that?)

The lamps are on all day. I turn them on mornings when I think about it and turn them off evenings in the same way. That means that they are on anywhere from 8 to 12 hours a day. This is too much.

I will take pics to update but first I have to scrub off all the brown algae that has happily and prolifically coated the glass, the sand, and the decorations. I am assuming that with less light, I will have less algae.

-Eva

 

[blueberlin]

Hahaha Eva - i've been browsing this site for 2 days for ideas and to learn how to maintain tanks (sorta) ...
http://showcase.aquatic-gardeners.org/2006.cgi?&op=showcase&category=0&vol=1&id=56

Wow, Sharon, what a great site! I am deeply impressed by the photos. They make me feel like the noob I am. Time to start mucking about in the tank again! Thanks so much for the link.

-Eva

 

[ferret_corner]

LOL you're welcome. Those pics make me feel gauche and lazy!!!

The day after aaron got me hooked on that site, I tackled my well planted but insane paddletail tank. I have no idea if I did any good. I did thin out and trim up the guppy grass, get this chain sword thing actually planted. The parent plant is well rooted but its offspring have been hanging in the water. and oh **** I just realized I put some extra plants on the noto tank but I don't think I actually put them in the tank - gawd.

I found dozens of marimo mossball starts. I told Kays last night that I've had these for years but I've never had any lights on the tanks. Now I put good plant bulbs in and suddenly the buggers are shedding bits of themselves all over.

I used the turkey baster to pick up debris and leaf bits from the paddy tank, I squeezed that stupid bulb so often and for so long that by the time I got back to my computer I was trying to squeeze my mouse from the side. GAWD.

After I was done clipping and thining I realised I had more plants than my tanks could support (and look half way decent - I need some fine leaved mounding plants.....) I ran outside and grabbed a 10 gl., evicted the spider who was living in it, rinsed and filled then dumped all my siphoned off tank water in it and today I'll add sand and the extra plants - I'll let them grow out in that tank.

BUT!! That site is good for reading how such heavily planted tanks are maintained. daily CO doses, liquid blah blah , whatever, lol. We can't do that with our axies but I am looking forward to finding a plant & rock combination that requires nothing more than light, newt/axy poop & good aeration.

I've saved a number of those pages so I can go back and take note of plants I found interesting - some freaky ladder lacey looking thing was just amazing. I imagine the axies would destroy it but maybe it would be ok with the newts.

Anyway - enough rambling... I think I found a plant & rock lay out that will work for the newts and a tank layout for the axies.. all I have to do is find appropriate plants and .... finish the axie counter.... then I can get started!!

 

[blueberlin]

Well, my biggest concern would be that the axolotls would trample everything, but I am sure I can figure out something. Thanks to that link, I have been looking at my tanks with new(t) eyes. Will see what I change and post pics accordingly.

-Eva

 

[ferret_corner]

The axies are pretty rough on stuff but so far they haven't actually killed anything.

In the beginning they uprooted the naja grass fairly often and I was replanting daily. But now they have decent roots and don't pull any up.

Any plants with roots, I mounded sand over it and place a couple of large rocks around it to protect them, now they're really well established too.

I bought some new stem plants - moneywort - didn't do any of that and it wound up floating in all the tanks, lol.

 

[Darkmaverick]

Thanks sharon, that link was fantastic. Aqua horticulture and landscaping is really popular in a lot of asian cities. Needless to say, after going for expos and exhibits, i tend to feel really small, crude and totally devoid of any sense of style.

The difference though is that a lot of plant species used in such tanks require much more lighting, specific nutrient requirement and warmer temperatures, especially those with beautiful shades of red and purple. The axie tank conditions, plus the clumsy, foraging nature of the inhabitants make it quite difficult to make something as picturesque and sustainable. If anyone has a tip, let me know!

Cheers

 

[blueberlin]

So, now I can update. Had to scrub off all of the algae first. We have a new pup and so I haven't been spending as much time with the tanks as before, and letting the lights run too long. So, I straightened up a bit and here are how things are looking.

I can definietly report that Valesneria remains my favorite plant in an axolotl tank. Once they rooted firmly, they became pretty robust - which is good, because the axolotls like to climb through them - and they spread quickly. I am hoping to have something like a forest of them by this time next year.

Here is Axel's tank from the side (if anyone can give me a good tip how to get the sticker off, I'd appreciate it; they should build airplanes out of the gum on that thing):

Same side, from a bit deeper to show the floating plants:

This one is from the other side and hopefully gives an impression of the overall effect I am trying to achieve:

And this is the whole tank from head-on:

I'll follow up with Lotte's tank in the next post.

-Eva

 

[blueberlin]

Lotte's tank


Side view for the "desired effect" trick:

Here is the lady doing her thang to show why it is good that Valesneria are sturdy plants - Lotte does this aaaaallllll day long:

And the tank from head-on (compare with earlier photo to see how she grows):

-Eva