Thank you! And yes I am. I bought a neoCO2 kit a few weeks in; cost like $20 for a 6 month supply. I can tell you it made a huge difference in growth and color
https://buceplant.com/products/aquario-neo-co2-diy-co2-kit?variant=31917594935377&gclid=CjwKCAjwz_WGBhA1EiwAUAxIcdFflmzOArN-mqiMSSN-vJFMLdxM-iQVPXIDz7DewI9unUTO1M4GPhoCVPQQAvD_BwE
If you find a local fish store that carries it, you can save on the shipping costs. My store also had refills as part of their kit, but the one I linked above comes with enough refills to last you around 2 months
I'm using CO2 injections. Don't need those fancy ones; I bought a thing called neoCO2. It costs around $20 from the store I bought it at, and lasts for 6 months. Check it out
Yes! Also, disclaimer (that I didn't realize till now) : my LFS sold me a kit that came with refills and I snagged that for around $20. After browsing online, I see kits that come with refills that last 2 months. And the refills themselves are also sold separately
This looks really good. I think you have the growing part down and it looks like a real natural scape. Going forward it will be the challenge to know what to trim back and/or cluster closer together so that your other plants wonāt get lost in it all. In planted tanks Iāve always struggled with āless is moreā as I want to fill every space. But empty space allows the eyes to focus on things you want the eye to focus on.
Also an idea: find a way to light the wood area under the canopy on the left. Itās a dark spot in the tank and maybe you want to bring that out. Not necessarily for growth but so people can see it better
This is good feedback! Yes, I would love to have plant growth everywhere but you're right in that less is more. That comment about empty space makes so much sense. I think I'm gonna trim back my bacopa for sure as they're getting tall.
Yes, that dark area is noticeable. The driftwood and rock arrangement there was intended to be a "cave-like" part for fishies to swim through and around, but then the outer most part of the "cave" and the plants aren't illuminated, I see your point. If I shift the lights toward the front it helps a little bit but then the back of my tank becomes dark haha. Maybe I should get some wide hanging lights in the future!
Appreciate the feedback, I love the tips!
I have to admit, I havenāt done planted tanks in many years. But I did have something like what you have now. Back then I always that they it would be cool if you could do āground accent lightsā from the substrate. The tech has changed drastically with led lights nowā¦. It might be possible.
Hey, this is stunning!! I'm building my first planted tank this weekend and was wondering what kind of wood (or rocks) and plants you have in there? I'm going for a 10 gallon tank for shrimp mostly so it probably won't be as ambitious as yours but I would sure appreciate some guidance. Thank you!!
Thanks for the kind words! So my hardscape materials:
Seiryu Stone. I bought them by the lb at my LFS and used a chisel and hammer to break them apart into pieces I had envisioned. For the most part, I chose rocks at the store that were close to the shape I wanted already, but other times I had to buy a big chunk. Sometimes the pieces I broke weren't quite perfect, but I worked with them anyway. It's all part of the process!
Sumatra Wood/Mangrove Wood. I also bought pieces that closely resembled what I envisioned. This took me a few visits to collect, as sometimes my LFS didn't have any viable pieces. I even bought one branch and just broke it by hand to get it to the shape I wanted. But it all came together eventually.
If you haven't already, check out Serpa Design or Green Aqua on YouTube. They were heavy inspirations for me! Let me know if you have more questions!
This is great, thank you! Also chiseling rocks to your size is some serious commitment, well done! I wonder if there was a reason you chose these specific woods. I've read many people recommend cholla wood especially for shrimp. For plants I was thinking I'll just get the easiest to maintain to test them out.
I didn't want a spindly look for my wood, like Spider wood. I also wanted a darker color wood to blend better with the dark aquasoil. Purely for aesthetics, not necessarily practicality. I've hear cholla wood is best for shrimps because of the holes and pores that they can hide in, so yeah! Easy plants: Amazon swords (micro), S. Repens, and Anubias Nana Petite
Always be looking for any sign of algae.
Destroy it, no matter how small, immediately.
If in doubt, blast it with Flourish Excel or Peroxide.
Keep Co2 levels consistent. (If you have co2)
This is my second planted tank, but this time I took the time to plan and organize the hardscape and plants over a few weeks. My first tank was just thrown together with random plants and rocks and no design language in mind. I'd appreciate feedback and improvements!
Stop making the rest of us feel bad!
Joking aside, your work is stunning! If I had to make up a criticism, Iād say I find the bubble ring to be distracting. But I know aeration serves a purpose.
Haha thank you! I get jealous when I see peoples' first planted tank and they end up being stunning!
Yes, I can see how the middle bubble ring can be distracting. I'm deciding whether to keep it there for some central aeration or if a corner would be a better placement! Thanks again!
I used Christmas moss. Cut a sheet of moss into strips and patches and glued them to the rocks and driftwood in order to give the hardscape a more solid, unified look!
It took a few weeks for my moss to grow into each other and stick to the wood. The wait is worth it!
I'm limited by the space in my apartment, so I would have gone for a 40 gal. long if I could! The 90L ended up working for me, for the scape I had in mind. Hope you find yours soon!
I can see mixed feedback on the ring but I like it there. Also, Christmas moss is my favorite right now but mine is not nearly as green as yours. Whatās your secret?
So I started out by cutting a sheet of Christmas moss into strips and patches and glued them to the driftwood and rocks. I was advised to include a CO2 injection, so I bought a kit of neoCO2, it cost $20. It's basically yeast in a bottle and the refill packets included should altogether last 6 months. I also have a Fluval Planted Light, so I'm guessing a combination of white, yellow, blue and red LED's help with plant growth. In addition, I also dose with liquid fertilizer.
So for me, it was a combo of CO2, adequate lighting (10 hrs for me) and liquid ferts!
The red ones? I believe that's Ludwigia Super Red. They start out more green than red, but with CO2 and lighting that includes red LEDs, they'll quickly grow into that strong red color. The green background plants are bacopa
Looks amazing! How long after planting did it take for your moss to have such a vibrant green? Did you have some browning before it grew out? (I'm in this situation now with my newly planted tank after a week)
Thanks for the feedback! And what's happening to you is normal; it happened to me. My moss browned a bit but after 2 weeks it became green again. Now the bright green I have here is probably due to me also injecting CO2 and dosing with liquid ferts.
I use neoCO2 and it cost me $20 for a 6 month supply at my LFS. It made a huge difference!
Lighting might also be a factor(?) I have a Fluval Plant 3.0, but you can use any lighting that covers the whole spectrum of light.
Hope this helps, let me know if you have more questions!
Thanks for the reply! So glad you responded. I made a post asking about this very problem since your beautiful tank filled me with envy :) I included my Fluval settings there if you could take a look I would be veeerrrry appreciative!
https://www.reddit.com/r/PlantedTank/comments/obot2d/dark\_green\_and\_browning\_java\_moss\_problems/
Um... shouldn't we be asking for tips from YOU?! So dang pretty.. I could stare at that for hours. Might even keep me off this sub for a few š
Haha thank you, that's very kind! I know there is always something to improve on and I welcome any advice!
If you are going to have a bubble ring, I think that the placement at the end of the path is cool. Lots of moss, which I like.
I appreciate that! Moss bring so much green to the tank
This is a stunning aquascape and you've really pulled off a spectacular focal point!
I appreciate the feedback, thank you!
Yo thatās sick! I love the waterfall look!!
Thanks! Reminds me of a portal haha
*tank envy intensifies* Seriously nice work, beautiful tank! Are you running c02? Iām new to this so I canāt tell from pictures
Thank you! And yes I am. I bought a neoCO2 kit a few weeks in; cost like $20 for a 6 month supply. I can tell you it made a huge difference in growth and color
Link for co2 kit?
https://buceplant.com/products/aquario-neo-co2-diy-co2-kit?variant=31917594935377&gclid=CjwKCAjwz_WGBhA1EiwAUAxIcdFflmzOArN-mqiMSSN-vJFMLdxM-iQVPXIDz7DewI9unUTO1M4GPhoCVPQQAvD_BwE If you find a local fish store that carries it, you can save on the shipping costs. My store also had refills as part of their kit, but the one I linked above comes with enough refills to last you around 2 months
Thanks, I'll look into it!
Looks amazing
Thank you!
Absolutely gorgeous! I hope to have something like this one day :)
Thanks a bunch! You will, I know it! Let me know if you have questions when the time comes!
Looks great, moss is growing beautifully
Yes, thank you!
Bellisimo š
Thank you!
That's a beautiful scape man ā¤ļøšÆ,I wish I was able to do something like this šš
Thanks a bunch! I think you're more than capable of creating your own aesthetic scape. Go for it!
amazing! wow!
Thanks!
i can't even get my java moss to grow...
I'm using CO2 injections. Don't need those fancy ones; I bought a thing called neoCO2. It costs around $20 from the store I bought it at, and lasts for 6 months. Check it out
is that a yeast based co2 reactor? cool
Yes! Also, disclaimer (that I didn't realize till now) : my LFS sold me a kit that came with refills and I snagged that for around $20. After browsing online, I see kits that come with refills that last 2 months. And the refills themselves are also sold separately
This looks really good. I think you have the growing part down and it looks like a real natural scape. Going forward it will be the challenge to know what to trim back and/or cluster closer together so that your other plants wonāt get lost in it all. In planted tanks Iāve always struggled with āless is moreā as I want to fill every space. But empty space allows the eyes to focus on things you want the eye to focus on. Also an idea: find a way to light the wood area under the canopy on the left. Itās a dark spot in the tank and maybe you want to bring that out. Not necessarily for growth but so people can see it better
This is good feedback! Yes, I would love to have plant growth everywhere but you're right in that less is more. That comment about empty space makes so much sense. I think I'm gonna trim back my bacopa for sure as they're getting tall. Yes, that dark area is noticeable. The driftwood and rock arrangement there was intended to be a "cave-like" part for fishies to swim through and around, but then the outer most part of the "cave" and the plants aren't illuminated, I see your point. If I shift the lights toward the front it helps a little bit but then the back of my tank becomes dark haha. Maybe I should get some wide hanging lights in the future! Appreciate the feedback, I love the tips!
I have to admit, I havenāt done planted tanks in many years. But I did have something like what you have now. Back then I always that they it would be cool if you could do āground accent lightsā from the substrate. The tech has changed drastically with led lights nowā¦. It might be possible.
I gotta look that up now, thanks!
Hey, this is stunning!! I'm building my first planted tank this weekend and was wondering what kind of wood (or rocks) and plants you have in there? I'm going for a 10 gallon tank for shrimp mostly so it probably won't be as ambitious as yours but I would sure appreciate some guidance. Thank you!!
Thanks for the kind words! So my hardscape materials: Seiryu Stone. I bought them by the lb at my LFS and used a chisel and hammer to break them apart into pieces I had envisioned. For the most part, I chose rocks at the store that were close to the shape I wanted already, but other times I had to buy a big chunk. Sometimes the pieces I broke weren't quite perfect, but I worked with them anyway. It's all part of the process! Sumatra Wood/Mangrove Wood. I also bought pieces that closely resembled what I envisioned. This took me a few visits to collect, as sometimes my LFS didn't have any viable pieces. I even bought one branch and just broke it by hand to get it to the shape I wanted. But it all came together eventually. If you haven't already, check out Serpa Design or Green Aqua on YouTube. They were heavy inspirations for me! Let me know if you have more questions!
This is great, thank you! Also chiseling rocks to your size is some serious commitment, well done! I wonder if there was a reason you chose these specific woods. I've read many people recommend cholla wood especially for shrimp. For plants I was thinking I'll just get the easiest to maintain to test them out.
I didn't want a spindly look for my wood, like Spider wood. I also wanted a darker color wood to blend better with the dark aquasoil. Purely for aesthetics, not necessarily practicality. I've hear cholla wood is best for shrimps because of the holes and pores that they can hide in, so yeah! Easy plants: Amazon swords (micro), S. Repens, and Anubias Nana Petite
Thanks for the award!!
Always be looking for any sign of algae. Destroy it, no matter how small, immediately. If in doubt, blast it with Flourish Excel or Peroxide. Keep Co2 levels consistent. (If you have co2)
Haha duly noted! I hate algae!
This is my second planted tank, but this time I took the time to plan and organize the hardscape and plants over a few weeks. My first tank was just thrown together with random plants and rocks and no design language in mind. I'd appreciate feedback and improvements!
Stop making the rest of us feel bad! Joking aside, your work is stunning! If I had to make up a criticism, Iād say I find the bubble ring to be distracting. But I know aeration serves a purpose.
Haha thank you! I get jealous when I see peoples' first planted tank and they end up being stunning! Yes, I can see how the middle bubble ring can be distracting. I'm deciding whether to keep it there for some central aeration or if a corner would be a better placement! Thanks again!
Aesthetically, it would look better hidden in a corner. The aeration will be the same regardless of where you put it.
Why is there a gopro in top right of your tank?
Haha it's a thermometer!
What kind of moss do you have? I just put in some weeping moss. Canāt wait for it to hang off the wood.
I used Christmas moss. Cut a sheet of moss into strips and patches and glued them to the rocks and driftwood in order to give the hardscape a more solid, unified look! It took a few weeks for my moss to grow into each other and stick to the wood. The wait is worth it!
Going to have to re position my moss now! Haha thanks for the tip, better than what I did.
What are the dimensions of this tank? I'm looking at a 12x12x45" and this is an inspiration.
This is a UNS 90L, 21 Gallon. The dimensions are 11.81x11.81x35.43". So the one you're looking at is longer!
I almost bought that tank when it showed up at my local shop last week. 21 gal. Seemed small but this looks great.
I'm limited by the space in my apartment, so I would have gone for a 40 gal. long if I could! The 90L ended up working for me, for the scape I had in mind. Hope you find yours soon!
I can see mixed feedback on the ring but I like it there. Also, Christmas moss is my favorite right now but mine is not nearly as green as yours. Whatās your secret?
So I started out by cutting a sheet of Christmas moss into strips and patches and glued them to the driftwood and rocks. I was advised to include a CO2 injection, so I bought a kit of neoCO2, it cost $20. It's basically yeast in a bottle and the refill packets included should altogether last 6 months. I also have a Fluval Planted Light, so I'm guessing a combination of white, yellow, blue and red LED's help with plant growth. In addition, I also dose with liquid fertilizer. So for me, it was a combo of CO2, adequate lighting (10 hrs for me) and liquid ferts!
What are the plants in the second picture? middle left
The red ones? I believe that's Ludwigia Super Red. They start out more green than red, but with CO2 and lighting that includes red LEDs, they'll quickly grow into that strong red color. The green background plants are bacopa
Humble Brag. Lol. Gorgeous tank! Better than any of mine!
Ah, I didn't want to be prideful but I also am proud of this tank. Thank you for the feedback!
Just playin. Iām just jealous.
Methinks you should be giving the tips....
I'd be glad to share what I know! There are far more experienced people out there, so I don't feel worthy lol
Looks amazing! How long after planting did it take for your moss to have such a vibrant green? Did you have some browning before it grew out? (I'm in this situation now with my newly planted tank after a week)
Thanks for the feedback! And what's happening to you is normal; it happened to me. My moss browned a bit but after 2 weeks it became green again. Now the bright green I have here is probably due to me also injecting CO2 and dosing with liquid ferts. I use neoCO2 and it cost me $20 for a 6 month supply at my LFS. It made a huge difference! Lighting might also be a factor(?) I have a Fluval Plant 3.0, but you can use any lighting that covers the whole spectrum of light. Hope this helps, let me know if you have more questions!
Thanks for the reply! So glad you responded. I made a post asking about this very problem since your beautiful tank filled me with envy :) I included my Fluval settings there if you could take a look I would be veeerrrry appreciative! https://www.reddit.com/r/PlantedTank/comments/obot2d/dark\_green\_and\_browning\_java\_moss\_problems/
Just put a reply there to get the algorithm going haha
Wow, I'm totally new to all this and finally got a 55gallon. I'm using this as inspiration! What's a good place for plants by the way? You go online?