# My 29 Gallon viv, new land mass added! dial up beware!



## Guest (Mar 27, 2006)

Hi all,

ok just wanted to show off my work a little and ask one question.
I just added land to my 29 gallon tank by reducing the size of the water feature. It works nicely because the water feature now actually has more shore line, and the viv has this look of a hidden water way, or two. It will give this feel even more so once the new land mass gets some nice plants. Which leads me to my question: I'm looking for a small leafy, plant that will fit in this new land mass that will probably be about 6" x 4" wide. Here are some pics for you guys to get a clear picture of what Im talking about and did. The new land mass will by tomorrow have more gravel, and possibly have some soil added. 
Any opinions on the construction or plants most welcome. Thanks

Ok, the first set of pics is from right before I added the land.








































toward the back you can see filled in water by gravel. I cleared this out as you will see.

























Now the after pics,








here it is from above, can you see the new river?








Here is a pic of that once filled in back water. Now the water flows continously, well that is if it actually flowed :lol: 

























Thanks all.


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## Grassypeak (Jun 14, 2005)

Hummm,

I’d say that you want something small (short that is), how about Anubias nana (the really small cultivar). Another idea might be that small chain sword (Sorry, don’t have time to look up the binomial). Still another idea might be a Pinguicula butterwort, but I’m not sure how much light they need.


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## Grassypeak (Jun 14, 2005)

Tank looks great, by the way. 
How are the toads?


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## Grassypeak (Jun 14, 2005)

you could also plant a few clumps of one of the smaller Cryptocorines.


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## Guest (Mar 27, 2006)

Grassypeak said:


> you could also plant a few clumps of one of the smaller Cryptocorines.


Thanks, I was just thinking that! I was looking at Black Jungle's site and they seem to have emersed forms. 
The toads are great. Kinda fat. Someone else on the board contacted me cuase they just purchased a trio. I wonder if they have become available again.


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## back2eight (Dec 19, 2005)

Looks great! I have some of the same plants in my tank. The one on the left with a lot of pink veins in the leaves did not survive in my tank and I tossed it out the other day, though. I really like the water plants you have.


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## Guest (Mar 27, 2006)

i agree with Chris on both reccomendations. i really like the anubias nana or barteri (but this gets a bit larger). as for the micro sword i prefer Lilaeopsis brasiliensis, but some of the other Lilaeopsis sp. could work.

link for the micro sword
http://species.fishindex.com/plant_90.html


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## Guest (Mar 27, 2006)

Thanks guys. Im hoping to pile up the gravel a little higher, and maybe add some of my spare jungle mix. Or should I just put the crypts in now?I will definetly go for the Cryptocorines though. Question about the sword, does it grow emersed?


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## Grassypeak (Jun 14, 2005)

As far as I know all sword plants, Echinodorus sp., grow emmersed. I’ve grown the pigmy chain sword emmersed before and it looks really nice. It produces wider leaves than when it grows below the surface but doesn’t produce the runners. I’m not sure that it will put up with being trampled by fat toads though. 

Landon, doesn’t the Lilaeopsis require a ton of light? I’ve never successfully grown it in an aquarium but I’ve never tried it emmersed.


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## Guest (Mar 27, 2006)

the toads are fat but they are tiny. They really don't wiegh more than a few grams.


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## Tadpole4 (Mar 16, 2006)

Do you have fire belly toads? I bet they love that environment you have created!! I have a pair of Fire bellies, I suspect they are both female. They are both huge! I saw some at the pet store the other day for sale I I was amazed at how much smaller they are. But hten again mine are three years old now! They are the reason I got into this hobby, It seemed so innocent when I first started. Now I have this addiction to amphibians. Two fire bellies then 4 aquatic dwarf frogs now two Azureus and two imitators soon to come! :shock: Who knew? 

I like how you set this viv up, i like the marsh like feel you have created. I may redo the viv I have my toads in to something more like this. My guys just hang around in the water all the time. Not very active. (unless it is feeding time of course) do you find that to be the case for your toads?

anyway great job!


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## Guest (Mar 28, 2006)

HI Tadpole,

I do have firebellies, but those are not the toads Chirs was refering to. But first, my firebelly toads are always on the move, in and out of the water. If one moves, the other gets attracted to that movement and moves himself, and that way they get closer and closer. In this way they end up traveling the 4 corners of my 55 gallon tank. But yes they do stay still most of the time.

Now, the toads in my 29 gallon tank are Melanophryniscus stelzneri, aka bumblebee walking toad aka Argentine walking toad, aka Pampas walking toad. Well they have a few names to say the least. One of them managed to show up in picture #7. But since I love showing these guys off, here is a pic or 2:


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## Guest (Mar 28, 2006)

Oh, and here are my Bombinas



















I love taking pics!


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## Tadpole4 (Mar 16, 2006)

Great Toads!!
I haven't seen the ______ walking toads (fill in name you prefer :lol: )
They are too cool! 8) 


I have several layers of rock and stone slabs covered in java moss so my toads each have a favorite ledge in the water and that is were they can be found on almost any given occasion. Like I said not too much action.
still pretty cool though.

My dwarf frogs are always swimming around, someimes they stand on one foot with all their other legs floating free in a zen like meditation pose or just float on top of the water. They are pretty cool too.

Since we are on a dart frog forum I have to say that far and away my favorite frogs of the entire bunch are my Azureus pair. Mostly because of their activity level and of course their striking bright color. ( blue is my absolute favorite color)


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## Guest (Mar 28, 2006)

I like to pretend that my Pampas walking toads are actually PDF's. They are small, active all day, and brightly colored. Oh, and I found this cool link that plays a recording of thier call.
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/alan.cann/ ... lzneri.mp3

Plus my favorite of thier qualities is that they dont jump/hop. They look soo cute walking/crawling around.


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## Guest (Mar 30, 2006)

So I added some cryptocorynes that I ordered from Black Jungle on Monday, Night. I got those real fast.

It didnt work out exactly as I planned. I always forget to take the height of the root ball into account. 
Anyway. So here is what it looks like now. Its got that over grown deep dark jungle stream look to it. I love that look. Can't wait/hope the crypto's grow in. I got two C. wendtii greens and C. wendtii red.

Before, 









After,


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## RGB (Jan 15, 2006)

Nice work Cesar, I like the renovations! Do your toads use the new land or stay on the mainland?


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## Guest (Mar 30, 2006)

thanks. I dont think they have "discovered" this new world yet, but I hope to see them walking there soon. I did make the water barriers narrow enough for them to be able to stretch themselves and reach the other side.
I'm still looking for more short water tolerant plants to fill in the gaps.


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## Grassypeak (Jun 14, 2005)

Cesar,

Don’t be surprised if the Cryptocoryne leaves melt away on you. These plants often lose their leaves when they are transplanted. If this happens they will grow back shortly. 

They look good there. Be sure and take pictures when they bloom.


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## Guest (Mar 30, 2006)

Grassypeak said:


> Cesar,
> 
> They look good there. Be sure and take pictures when they bloom.


I can only wish and dream that they bloom. I love aroids!
Yea I know they will melt. I already have a smaller submersed Crytpocoryne wendtti 'green' in this tank, it has melted on me without explanation 2 times. ITs soo frustrating because it starts to look like its about to take over the whole water feature and then boom, only 3 or 4 leaves are left.


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## Frogtofall (Feb 16, 2006)

I've noticed that sudden water chemistry changes will cause the leaves to fall off. Especially when you bring them home from the petstore. At least C. wendtii is un-killable right? Heh.


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## Guest (Mar 31, 2006)

Thats just it, when my C. wendtii melts, it usually happens right after I rip algea away from its leaves or from around the plant. No good deed go unpunished when it comes to these plants. I just don't get it.


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## Guest (Apr 18, 2006)

Grassypeak said:


> Landon, doesn’t the Lilaeopsis require a ton of light? I’ve never successfully grown it in an aquarium but I’ve never tried it emmersed.


im 3 weeks late on this but figured some may want some type of response 

Lilaeopsis brasiliensis has been the only L species i have grown under less than optimal lighting conditions. that teamed with the fact that light is a lot more intense above the water line are the factors that make me choose this one. i have had fair luck with it in aquariums and wierd luck in vivs. ive had it totally take over water features under NO lighting, and have had it slowly fade away under PC lights. for the most part ive had pretty consistent success with it out of the water under PC lights, especially where there is a bit of substrate for it to attach to. with thin layers of gavel it doesnt seem to take hold real well or thrive for long.


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## bluedart (Sep 5, 2005)

Wow, those Bombina are some of the brightest I've ever seen... what do you do?


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## Guest (Apr 19, 2006)

Cool temps. Thats the only difference I can see that might affect their color. When their viv was in my home where it is warmer they were almost always darker in color. I moved them to my cool office and they instantly (over a matter of a few days) turned bright green. Every now and then I still see them turn dark green, but they change back by the end of the day.


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## Guest (May 19, 2006)

*Update on the Crypts*

I'm very happy. No melt has occured. In fact, the opposite happened.
Here is a pic of what it looked like when the Crypts were first planted:










And here it is now. Now Im just waiting for flowers, :twisted: 








































Its getting a little tall I think.
 
What do you think Chris?


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## c'est ma (Sep 11, 2004)

Wow, Cesar, beautiful pics of beautiful plants! You've had tremendous success with them!


Did you mention whether or not your toads have discovered their new land area?


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## Guest (May 22, 2006)

Diane, 
THanks.

The toads have been there, but they tend to stay on the biggest land section which is to the left of this one. They rarely cross the "river", and only do it when they are happily chasing a fruit fly. But thats ok. The new land section is still trying to grow its moss.


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