Leopaldi update

Hi All
Well i can finally move my leopoldi's out of the two footer to a five foot jewel, this tank is a planted tank (a first for me) and I am doing a little experiment with the substrate, The first picture is of the tank if you look closely you will see the substrate is around one and a half inches of topsoil covered by a inch of playsand, the tank has been set up just over two weeks and the growth rates are phenomenal .the polysperma (far right ) I have had to trim twice and the mother plant (just off centre) was half that size when i put it in its leaves are now breaking the surface. Total outlay for my substrate for a five foot jewel tank was five pounds fifty pence. Any way on with the pictures you will notice that even with a new all singing all dancing camera my pictures are not good I will keep trying and I hope you enjoy,

Kim





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Those pics aren't bad at all. Your tank looks great. Is the polysperma a low light plant, and where did you get it? Don't you just love Juwel tanks? I think they're quality. Those Leopoldis are lovely and look like they've settled in to their new home.

endlessendlers wrote:Those pics aren't bad at all. Your tank looks great. Is the polysperma a low light plant, and where did you get it? Don't you just love Juwel tanks? I think they're quality. Those Leopoldis are lovely and look like they've settled in to their new home.

HI Helen
Thank you for those kind words, I get my plants locally from a bloke who runs a import plant business on ebay, if you remind me closer to the day of the bca auction I will bring you up some cuttings, Oh in answer to your question my polysperma seems to do well in bright and subdued lighting it even has been growing in one of my breeding tanks just floating at the surface.

Kim

Stunning settup! I mages look great, and the Leopoldi beautiful. You have done a fantastic job!
Lisa

Ghipsi wrote:Stunning settup! I mages look great, and the Leopoldi beautiful. You have done a fantastic job!
Lisa

Thank You Lisa, I look forward to seeing you at the bca auction.

Kim

It's certainly looks good, are you using any form of CO2 dosing, or relying on the natural CO2 produced by the fish, bogwood etc.?
My only concern with your substrate would be to watch for signs of it going anaerobic. Bacteria will be decomposing the organic matter in the top soil, because the sand is very fine grained it limits the amount of oxygen that can get through to the lower layer. In some, admittedly fairly rare cases, this results in anaerobic bacteria taking over. Signs to watch for are :-
Areas of the sand turning black, and roots of the plants, especially things like cryptocorynes and hairgrass, turning black and rotting. The anaerobic bacteria produce hydrogen sulphide (rotten egg gas) which not only smells horrible, but can be toxic to fish, in particular bottom dwelling fish like cories and plecs.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that this will happen, just that it's something I've occationally encountered with similar set ups in the past.

Hi Pterophyllum
Yes i did a little research on the net I deliberately did not pile it at the back or make it too deep to prevent this problem, I am running CO2 in but at a very low rate at present because apparently this substrate can give off natural co2 (according to the net) for a couple of weeks,and I will be monitoring ph very closely if it starts dropping I will simply turn off the co2 for a while. To finish it off i am currently using two 54 watt t5 bulbs but i am in the process of doubling that to four 54watt bulbs.

Kim

kim554x wrote:

endlessendlers wrote:Those pics aren't bad at all. Your tank looks great. Is the polysperma a low light plant, and where did you get it? Don't you just love Juwel tanks? I think they're quality. Those Leopoldis are lovely and look like they've settled in to their new home.

HI Helen
Thank you for those kind words, I get my plants locally from a bloke who runs a import plant business on ebay, if you remind me closer to the day of the bca auction I will bring you up some cuttings, Oh in answer to your question my polysperma seems to do well in bright and subdued lighting it even has been growing in one of my breeding tanks just floating at the surface.

Kim

Thanks Kim, that's very kind. Unfortunately, I can't make it to the BCA auction.