# Crazydaz's Square 200G...."thing"



## crazydaz (Nov 18, 2012)

Hi All! 

I've been a "lurker" here for a few months. I've been an avid planted aquarium enthusiast and hobbyist for a dozen years, or so. Started with small, reasonable tanks, and gradually got rid of those for a square 200g tank that I had custom made for me about four years ago, or so. To date, this tank has survived three moves, two of which were out of state, and the last move happening this past September 2012 from one suburb of Nashville to another where we bought our first house. I hope that we're done moving for awhile! 

Prior to the last move, my tank looked like this (Click on any of the following pictures to "enbiggen" them!):

Front:









Side:









Other Side:









Whereas this set up was really colorful and pretty, it was a beast to maintain. If I were doing "plant packages," it usually meant a Sunday where I would be up to my shoulders in tank water trimming plants, making packages, re-planting, re-trimming for the scape, cleaning, water changing, and fertilizing. This whole process could take up to 8 hours. Whereas I enjoyed the results, it was just becoming a bit much to handle. I swore that after the move, I would restart the system and make it a bit more maintenance-friendly.

Towards the middle of September....a week before the move, I drew up these rough plans for the new scape:










For some time, I'd had driftwood poking out of the surface of the water in my tanks. I liked the look, but wanted something a bit more. With that in mind, I also knew from my last tank that I didn't want a bunch of high-maintenance stems which would require several hours of caring for every week. I wanted a bunch of hardscape, and liked the appeal of Seriyu stone, and I thought it would look really cool to fill a tank with it, and grow a bunch of bucephalandras and other aroids on it. Lower light would also allow for a great low-light set up, which would mean less busy work. And since aroids and crypts will thrive and do well in lower light, that also meant that I would also be able to put more "above" the tank as well. Then, I suppose that I thought that it would be cool to have some stuff growing on the driftwood sticking out of the water....but I knew that I couldn't go with "traditional" terrarium plants due to the lack of humidity in the house. The aquarium itself has 3L/day evaporation rate, which I feel is astounding.

Here are some photos of the early phases of the restart:


















The Manzanita branches that are in there I had custom-made for me by Hydrophyte, who is also a Sponsor/Vendor here too. They are all actually cut in half, and held together using a simply nut and bolt which allows the connecting part to be bent to any position I want as needed.

Here are pics where I added about 250lbs worth of Seriyu stone. You will notice that it didn't get me very far  :










Better image of the arrangement I was going for:









The substrate is minerlized top soil (MTS). I don't even remember how much I added, other than "a lot."

Basic information, for those who care about such things:

Tank dimensions are 4'x4'x20"Tall~~approx. 200gallons
Substrate: MTS+sand cap
CO2: you bet! pressurized through a needle wheel pump; 2 bubbles/sec rate
Filtration: FX5
Lighting: Twelve Giesemann HO T5 bulbs; six AquaFlora and six Midday; 12 hour photoperiod

Also, two Korelia powerheads are in there for water movement; temp. is steady at 78F; UV sterilizer.

Filling it up after the sand cap and plants were added:




















The Next Day after the cloudiness had settled a bit:




































OK....that's enough for tonight. Remember that these are pics from late September and early October. The tank currently is much different than what are in these pictures.

And, again, I wasn't even going to post here. This tank isn't really a true Vivarium, Terrarium, or Riparium. I figured it would be better to post pics and details of my system in a more relevant forum than "Plant ID." I'll get more pics up tomorrow, where it will become apparent why I posted this setup, in case you haven't been to my Plant ID thread yet.

Thanks for looking! There is PLENTY more coming!!


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## dendrothusiast (Sep 16, 2010)

good to see you over here from the aquatic plant forum. I remember this aquarium and was stunned by the journal - great looking from the last updated pics I saw over there.


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## crazydaz (Nov 18, 2012)

Thanks Arman! This may be a repeat for some, so I apologize in advance! I only posted tank photos to help get a plant ID.  But, I had several requests for more info, and have a nice response from the good people here, so I though "Meh, why not?" lol!!

Thanks for the comment!!


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## dendrothusiast (Sep 16, 2010)

No prob, How's this leviathan doing nowadays anyways? I'm interested to see how the cryptocorne nuriis are doing.


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## crazydaz (Nov 18, 2012)

Arman....it's doing nicely! The nurii's are great, actually...I'll post some pics of them. Nice big patch of it forming now.

The build continues.......

Received some riparium plants, also from Hydrophyte about a week after the pictures were taken above....so about early to mid October. I started with about eight planters, and I believe that I added another 100lbs of Seriyu stone:






































Here's where it really starts to deviate from a "traditional" riparium or aquascape....these were added about a week later:
































































More later!!


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## oneshot (Mar 5, 2010)

You're a ninja! Love it!


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## frogparty (Dec 27, 2007)

beautiful set up!!!


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## Harpo (Nov 9, 2012)

I recently derimmed a BC29 with a goal to do a similar set up but I rushed the process and cracked the back glass (while removing the chambers). Inspirational set up. Bravo!


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## JoshsDragonz (Jun 30, 2012)

This tank is awesome! It's cool to see another person from middle TN.


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## shiloh (Nov 28, 2012)

Wow, the original setup looked amazing. Seems like its starting to look sexy again.


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## crazydaz (Nov 18, 2012)

OneShot: Thank you!  I've never been called a ninja before, and I LIKE IT!!!

FrogParty: Thank you for the compliment! As you will see throughout the build, it gets better and better looking, IMO. I wanted a tank where I wouldn't have to stand around for eight hours trimming, re-planting, cleaning, etc. twice per month. This tank was designed around my laziness; once we're past the "algae" phase, it's pretty much smooth sailing. Not much to do other than an occasional trim and fertilizing of the top and bottom. Woot! And as the buce's and crypts continue to grow and fill everything in, this system should keep looking progressively nicer.

Harpo: That sucks!!!!  This was a custom-made aquarium; it was expensive up-front, but built to withstand the test of time. My next one will probably be bigger, and made of acrylic. The tank is just so darn heavy! Even empty, it still takes three to four guys to move it.

JoshsDragonz: I know! That's pretty sweet! Everyone around here seems to be into reefs or cichlids. Most planted tank enthusiasts in the area are in Clarksville, or in Knoxville. Not by us, for sure! We'll have to set up some trades, or something!! Feel free to PM me. I'm not sure if I have anything that you might want, but you never know!

Shiloh: Yes, that last set up was really colorful, and did really well for me. The sad truth is that for as much time that I spent on the tank every week keeping it clean and maintained, I wasn't home that much to enjoy it. My job had me away from home for the better part of a week (4-5 days most weeks). So, instead of being able to enjoy the tank while I was home, I had to work on it. It just became another thing to do. With my new position, I am at home more often, and the tank requires much less from me, so there's plenty of time to sit down and chill to some music while just watching the tank, plants, fish, and shrimp just do their thing.

Anyhow, onward with Journal!

The last set of pictures were taken on 10/11/12, or about two weeks after initial set up and restart of the system. AT THIS POINT THE TERRARIUM/VIVARIUM BUG BIT ME HARD!!!!!!!  These pictures were taken on 10/24/12, or close to the One Month Anniversary of the "new" setup; I believe that another 50lbs of Seriyu stone was added (we are now up to 350lbs of Seriyu stone, or so, in this picture), and I had also increased the number of Manzanita branches at the top, and added some grapewood as well....NO GRAPEWOOD is touching the water: (Remember to click to enlarge, if you wish to!)



















You can see the "rough" idea of the look that I'm trying to get in this picture....kind of a "C" looking shape where the branches reach out over the water, and the rock slope in the tank comes out as far as the branches do. The idea is that this is a "river bank" type of theme:










This "river bank" idea is further illustrated by the current and ripples at the top of the water due to the filtration and powerheads:



















Closer look at the "top" terrestrial portion....you can see more branches added here, but I also added some trellis rafts as well from Hydrophyte. The idea is to not only to provide more area for plants and epiphytes to grow on, but to also conceal the filter outputs, control knobs, and equipment as much as possible over time:










The "back" section gives a better idea as to what is going on sometimes better than what I can put into words....a picture is worth a thousand of 'em!!:










Fast forward from 10/24/12 to this set of pictures taken on 11/06/12. At this point, this set up started attracting the attention of some terrarium and vivarium enthusiasts in addition to the "usual" aquatic planted tank hobbyists. I received a PM from a cool dude "Mack23" who offered to do a trade with me: he would send me terrarium/vivarium species that he thought would survive my conditions for species of bucephelandra cuttings and crypt daughter plants when he wanted them this coming spring. NO PROBLEM!!  I added MORE manzy branches, another 50lbs of Seriyu stone (approx. 400lbs at this point), and bought some additional materials and plants from Devin ("Hydrophyte"):














































A "construction" shot:



























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I started wrapping everything in LFSphagnum and black thread in eager anticipation of what I would be getting from Mack. I wasn't disappointed! These were taken as of 11/08/12, right after I received my plants from Mack.

Close up of some of the branches: 










Other side opposite the one above:









The center part of the tank:









Kind of a nice shot of my shoal of Microdevario:










The next set of pics really shows the whole set up coming together with Mack's plants on the driftwood, and the impact of that. So, I'll post those tomorrow or Wednesday!

Thanks for looking! Feel free to comment, but before you critique, keep in mind that I am trying to catch you guys up to the "present" day. Plenty more to come!!


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## eyeviper (May 23, 2006)

Great looking tank! I love the way you are adding epiphytes to the branches more and more. Looks awesome!


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## crazydaz (Nov 18, 2012)

Thanks Eyeviper!! It's been a slow, but steady, build so far. As of right now, there probably won't be too much more added, in terms of hardscape...it's really a matter of letting it all grow and fill in now.

These pics were taken on 11/9/12, and you can see the "final" form is really starting to take shape above the tank. The aquatic portion still needs to re-acclimate to new conditions and pick up the growth, but crypts and buce's are NOT the same as Hygrophila species and other fast growing stems!





































Woot! Ant Plant! 






















































At this point, my crypts were beginning to recover and put on new growth. Here, some Crypt kota and nurii are starting to form a nice patch:









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Here is the set up on 11/19/12, ten days after the pictures from above. The aquatic portion is starting to fill in, but still growing slower than I had expected. The stems in there were doing well and growing quickly. I believe that I had finally received enough Seriyu stone at this point, and finished at about 450lbs of Seriyu stone. The rest of the branches are in there as well.

Nevermind the cat grass in these shots! 





































Some additional growth!








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Might as well finish off November! Post Thanksgiving pics taken on 11/29/12. Returned back home to some algae issues, which was a bit annoying. However, we did order furniture for this room to turn it into an "official" sitting room:

....now with "bookcases"...









....and new chairs!:


















It's my "chill" room....nothing like putting on a little "Sonic Bliss" out of Ann Arbor, MI or Hooverphonic Radio on Pandora, doing some "tank surfing" and seeing this system when you look up!!

Anyhow, you can see the crypts in the foreground starting to pick up speed now in their growth. Still having algae issues at this point, which is a little frustrating, but nothing that I little patience won't take care of. And some trimming. 





































See! The "Seriyu peninsulas" are starting to fill in a little bit, too!









I was letting the riparium plants grow out in preparation for our week long trip North to Michigan....needed them to keep the humidity a bit higher since I wasn't going to be around to do daily waterings and the every 2-3 day mistings.










More tomorrow! I'll get the pics up for all of December, then it should just be one more post after that to be fully current!

Feel free to ask any questions!! Thanks!


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## ICS523 (Mar 10, 2012)

This is a buitiful aquarium, I love how the branches totally compliment the water area without taking away from it. I love aquascape, its usually very pretty, but it never looks that natural, this is both fabulous and it has a very natural look to it, almost as if your looking into a crossection of a little creek or something. the little bits of leaf litter look amazing. Usually don't comment on stuff I know nothing about But this tank is really nice and I couldent resist.


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## whitethumb (Feb 5, 2011)

really nice. i dont think pic heavy would be an accurate description of how many photos you have. thanks for sharing


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## jacobi (Dec 15, 2010)

Wow. Wow. Fantastic. Thanks for sharing. 

I may have missed it, but are you hand spraying the epiphytic plants?


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## EntoCraig (May 17, 2011)

Awesome Planted Tank / Riparium! The reds in that first shot are unreal!


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## diggenem (Sep 2, 2011)

This thing is epic. I see what you was trying to do with the river bank concept and I think you nailed it. One of the best plated aquariums/riparium I have ever seen. Where did you get the tank?


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## crazydaz (Nov 18, 2012)

Hi ICS523--I appreciate your compliment, especially because you aren't in the habit of doing so! It's a fine line to walk with the aquascaping, and the terrestrial planting! Too many plants or different species can make both portions look "messy" or "fake." Too much planning and too much manicuring also can make it look unnatural as well. If you let it grow too wild, then you can't see all the cool little nooks and crannies, either. So, it can be tricky! The leaves help tie the "terrestrial" with the "aquatic," and they do add a natural randomness too. Oak leaves are great, but Indian Almond leaves are more beneficial to the system. I use a mix of both.

Hi Whitethumb!--Thank you for looking!! It will get less "pic heavy" as the journal gets caught up to the present time. I usually take pics once or twice per month, depending on how it looks and how busy things are. Not trying to hog the spotlight. 

Jacobi--Thanks man!  I don't think that I said it here, but "yes," I do hand spray the plants about twice per week. I water the plants (minus the Tillandsia species!) with tank water at least once per day when I'm home and not on the road traveling.

EntoCraig--Thank you! I appreciate the compliment and the post!

Hi Diggenem!--Thanks for saying so, buddy! I hope that as the back fills in more and more that it will increase the "river bank" type of effect. Would have been better with just a few really large boulders, but I wouldn't have an easy way to lift them into the tank. I got the tank custom made at Great Lakes Aquariums when I was living in near Madison Heights, MI. They had built a few nice tanks for me in the past, and was really impressed with them. This tank is TOUGH!!! It's been through three moves total, and two of those were interstate moves, all within four years. The only scratches on it are the ones that I did while cleaning the glass! 


So, the thread continues into December.....these were taken on 12/7/12:

















































































































































That's it for December! Next set should be it, and we're current! Thanks guys!!


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## shiloh (Nov 28, 2012)

Looks awesome, great color variety


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## eos (Dec 6, 2008)

Holy geez! That thing is super impressive! Job well done is an understatement.


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## epiphytes etc. (Nov 22, 2010)

1. I love this.

2. Is that Asclepias curassavica in there? And is it planted in one of Hydrophyte's riparium planters?


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## crazydaz (Nov 18, 2012)

Thanks Shiloh! There is plenty of variety in there!

Eos--lol". Thank you for saying so! It's been a lot of fun for me to work on and very educational, too! . I haven't been this excited to work on the tank for years!

Hi Epiphytes! 1. Thank you!! 2. Yes, it is, and yes, it's planted in one of Devin's ("hydrophyte's") planters! They do a great job!


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## crazydaz (Nov 18, 2012)

Well, we've made it! The next few sets of pics are from my last picture-taking frenzy. I'll do the last set over the next three days....I don't think that posting 40-ish pictures in one post would be a great idea.

This is following a pretty big trim and re-plant about a week after New Year's Day. I was having too many tall stems blocking my view from seeing to the back of the tank, and you lost all the depth....what's the point of having the extra width that the square shape allows for if you can only see half way back?

Algae problems have all but vanished from the tank, and I would say that this set up is almost "mature." Another month, and I'll be pretty happy and feel secure that the set up has some nice stability.

Anyhow, here are the pics!:





































Some of you have seen these before...I'm trying to get that vine ID'd:










































































Thanks for looking!!!!


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## drutt (Oct 4, 2011)

love it....


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## crazydaz (Nov 18, 2012)

Hey thanks a lot, drutt! And Joshsdragonz!  The tank and system are a blast to work on now that things are clicking! It's even fun to go water all the branches down daily just to see what else might be growing in there; I feel like a little kid "exploring" a creek or nearby forest for the first time. Which is a little ridiculous...lol!!

I'll get the next set of pics up later today! Thanks guys! Then, no more for a little bit....camera is getting repaired and I won't have it for at least a few more weeks.


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## skanderson (Aug 25, 2011)

looks great. i was saddened to hear you took down the tank which was so good looking, but you have really made it even better. did all the rare crypts in there do ok with the transition. ive been lusting over them for a while now.


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## crazydaz (Nov 18, 2012)

Thanks Skandy!  The last set up was terrific, but was WAY, WAY too time consuming. When I was traveling 80% for my job, then coming home and spending between 4-10hrs worth of maintenance over three days, it's was just too much. Especially with my wife glaring at me. The hobby was becoming a "chore" rather than something fun to do. So, I'm pleased with how the new set up takes between a few minutes to an hour every week, but still has a nice aesthetic appeal to me. And most people seem to agree that this set up is either nicer looking than the last one, or "will be" nicer looking than the last one. I think that it is already nicer, maybe not in terms of "color," but in terms of interest, species variety, and maintenance. It should only get better, barring any unforeseen catastrophe!

And, yes, the crypts did fine. I think I had two leaves melt in the process of moving out of a 100 or so multi-leaved crypts. They're tougher than most people think....they may lose some leaves or go dormant for no apparent reason, but they will come back almost 100% of the time if you just leave them alone and let them do their thing.

SO!!! Let's finish this up and get to the last set of pics. No more until I can get my camera back! BTW, I hope that at least SOME of you are remembering to click on some of the pictures to expand them.....some are much better to look at when bigger! 

These are the "valleys" between the rock "peninsulas":



















One crypt patch, mostly C. nurii, and some C. Kota...along with many, many others:









Another crypt patch, mostly C. affinis "Metallic Red":









Left side shot:









Kind of a cool shot of my Crypt zukalii sending up a new leaf:









Hard to see part of the "top," but probably one of the most interesting parts of the terrestrial set up:









Jewel Orchid....this one is not commercially available yet:









flowers on the dischidia geri:









Some sort of "mystery" Sagittaria species...probably Sagittaria calycina:









Picture of one of my C. nurii "mutated":









Shot of the "middle" area of the tank:









Close up of some Hygrophila polysperma "sunset":









Front shot of "just" the aquatic portion:









....and finally, the WHOLE MEATBALL as it pretty much is today. I did plant a little Resurrection Fern, some F. pumila, some F. Lance Leaf, and Peperomia rotundifolia var. pilosior. No idea if any of it will survive.










Anyhow, thank you for looking, and feel free to comment or ask questions! I'll quit way-laying all you with pictures now!  lol! Have a great weekend!!


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## mitcholito (Dec 30, 2011)

Its a lovely tank!

But you should be aware of that you have aphids. Look on the picture of the Jewel orchid.


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## rigel10 (Jun 1, 2012)

Extraordinary! You would win a contest, for sure!
(@ Mitcholito: What a glance!)


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## IEatBugs (May 15, 2012)

Simply stunning.


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## crazydaz (Nov 18, 2012)

Thanks Mitch. I'm aware of the aphids: http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/be...tle-creepies-aphids-my-plants.html#post807913

Any idea how to get rid of them? I've manually been removing them. Given my somewhat unique situation, the threads that are suggested don't help me much. Advice would be appreciated.

Rigel--thank you....that's very flattering! 

IEatBugs--thank you, buddy!! I appreciate the compliments very much!!


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## epiphytes etc. (Nov 22, 2010)

As long as you have asclepiads, you will have aphids. If you have (or will have) fish in there, just use a soft paint brush to knock them in the water for a healthy snack.


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## Azurel (Aug 5, 2010)

Simply amazing....Best planted tank I have ever seen.


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## crazydaz (Nov 18, 2012)

Epiphytes--Thanks much! I'll try to use the paint brush technique on them. I didn't see any more of them since I manually removed them, but I'm sure more are on the way!

Azurel--Wow! Thank you very much!!


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## crazydaz (Nov 18, 2012)

This is best viewed in HD 1080 and maximize the screen, if you want to.

I was able to rig a cool mist humidifier with a piece of PVC from the emitter, from there, I connected a piece of tubing that led from the PVC "outlet" up the back of the tank, and connect the other end to an open-ended spray bar that I wasn't using. I connected the spray bar to a piece of Manzanita wood in order to hide it the spray bar/equipment. Due to the high amount of growth from Hydrophyte77's riparium planters, it is difficult to see ANY equipment in the back of the tank.

I decided to do this to help increase the humidity levels a bit and stimulate some more moss and plant growth above the water.....we'll see if it has any impact.

The idea for this came from Ibacha on TPT.net, who got the idea for it from another user.


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## hydrophyte (Jun 5, 2009)

That's cool!


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## Frogtofall (Feb 16, 2006)

The most impressive thing about this "thing" (haha) in my opinion is your dedication and patience. I would have lost what little patience I seem to have when it comes to vivaria at about 3 mos in. 

In all honesty, I am not sure what I think about the branch area. You have a lot of tropicals mixed with some not-so-tropical plants. It is nice but I guess I'm having a hard time giving this "thing" of yours an identity. I absolutely love the waterscape though. The way you have it setup really pulls my eyes everywhere. I keep looking harder and harder at it b/c I keep thinking I missed something. Very neat!

For your aphid issue, you may have to get a bit tedious with these little 'bastids'. A Q-tip dipped in Isopropyl and applied directly to the aphid will do them in pretty quickly. Tedious for sure but aside from covering the entire setup with plastic and BLASTING the CO2 for a day, thats pretty much your only option. Come to think of it, the latter may work pretty well if they get out of hand and your plants will LOVE you for it. 

Edit: But your fish may not... Haha... Doah...

Thanks for sharing. I really enjoyed the journey.


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## dendrothusiast (Sep 16, 2010)

epic epic epic, Best use of 200 gallons if you ask me. Really like your selections of plants!


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## crazydaz (Nov 18, 2012)

Devin! Thank you very much!! 

FrogtoFall--I've had to learn patience. Keeping aquariums has taught me that if you want a healthy, mature, and thus "problem-free" fish tank, you CANNOT rush things. There are plenty of tricks and tips, but you can't make time go faster or slower. And despite your best efforts, something will probably end up dying....a fish, a plant, a shrimp. I'm sure much is the same in this "realm" as well. I was forewarned of this by a hobbyist in San Fran (Mack); not only would some of the plants that he sent as a "sampler" not do well, some would probably die off, and to expect it. So, that's what I've done. I've expected bad things to happen, and some things haven't made it, some things have, and some don't seem to be doing anything at all!  I think that it's important to know "why" something didn't do well so you can learn from that and move on. If you're willing to learn, then you have to be patient.

I can respect you opinion regarding the branches. I think that to most of us in the aquatic plant hobby, we just are used to "mixing and matching" plants. We think, "Oh, that plant would look great here, and this plant's color would look fantastic in between these other plants" and so on. Not, "This is a ludwigia species from North America that tolerates these conditions, and therefore my other logical choices would be to add this Sagittaria species because it's found in the same conditions." Even in the Biotope world of planted aquariums, many hobbyists STILL end up picking plant or fish species that wouldn't normally be found from a certain "country" or region. Most of us mix South American species with Malyasian species with African species, and throw in something absurd like Angelfish, and call it a "South American themed tank" even though it has plants that are not endemic to South America. Furthermore, what plants are generally found with angelfish are usually quite un-interesting, and wouldn't keep your interest for long. And even in the most strict sense, any biotope set up that closely resembled one specific area would only have one, maybe two plants in the tank. Most any natural area in the world would only have a few plant species in the same area that equates to any terrarium, vivarium, or riparium. That's certainly NOT what I've been seeing here, or elsewhere. I see the same things.....plants mixed together, usually from a tropical region, even a few that try to resemble a specific area, but all make the same choice to have way more plant species in their habitat than an equal amount of space out in Nature. 

It's simply due to aesthetics. Plain and simple!  And, as aesthetic appeal is not shared by everyone (and thank God!), not everyone is going to like my set up. Some, in fact, may not like it at all! Totally fine by me. I would like to know "why," as it could be a learning opportunity for me to improve upon my skill sets, or make something look even better now or in the future. Given the fact that the upper portion of the set up is not enclosed in glass, I don't have many other options for plant choice; the closer to water I get, the more my variety increases. The "mist" is simply to grow more mosses and keep those tropical more moist than they were. It also will give me the option of growing some of my bucaphelandra and some piptospathas emergent now as well.

I really do appreciate your feelings on this, FrogtoFall!! I will have to keep an eye out for some of your set ups to see how they differ. It will be an interesting learning opportunity for me! Thank you!!

Dendro! Thank you for the compliment buddy!! It means a lot that you like it! I've seen some of your work, and it is very impressive!!


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## Frogtofall (Feb 16, 2006)

Mixing regions is something we all do. I have tropicals from Asia, Central/South America in just about all my vivs. I was more commenting on the fact that it appears some of your plants are tropical and others look like temperate or non tropical species. 

Don't look too much into it. I had no intent to make that much of it. Was just an observation. You have a piece of art here. Don't change a thing. 

Most importantly, please keep updating as she grows in more!


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## crazydaz (Nov 18, 2012)

Frog! I see! Sorry for being so long-winded! lol!! I just appreciated your candor, is all. Guess I misinterpreted the the meaning, is all. ha!

Thank you for commenting and for the clarification! I'll be updating as we go. I won't have my camera back from the shop for another two weeks!! Grr!


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## crazydaz (Nov 18, 2012)

New lights!! I finally hung them with the help of The Mrs. and another hobbyist. Two fixtures, eight HO T5 bulbs a piece, so 16 bulbs total which is four more than my old fixture. I took a few pictures, but will get some more done tomorrow....I think this really says it all:










Looks a little bizarre, but the spectrum is pretty nice looking:


















Here is it with four bulbs on:









More to come tomorrow.........Pretty burned out. Long day!


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## us13fox (Jan 12, 2013)

That is amazing! Whats the new fixtures are you using?


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## crazydaz (Nov 18, 2012)

Hey, thanks us13fox! The fixtures are TEK-Light Elite 8x54watt.


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## crazydaz (Nov 18, 2012)

So far, so good with the new lights. I'm starting to see tints of red in some leaves....new growth on other plants, and no noticeable issues yet regarding algae or anything like that. I keep my water column pretty lean on the nutrient load regarding ferts and food, so I wouldn't expect algae issues. That said, I'll feel a lot better once a few weeks have passed and things are still looking fine.

Took some new pics yesterday and the day before with the new lighting. Feel free to comment or ask questions! Also: thank you all of you for all of the "Likes"!! I'm very humbled, and I appreciate it!!

*Click to Enlarge!!*





































Crypt leaves:









Crypt nurii:









Metallic Red Patch:









Starting to get some nice moss growth on some of the manzanita branches:









Noticing some nicer colors on the tillandsia species just down to the center left:









Front of the tank, left side.....incredibly, this is with ONLY four bulbs running:









Left side of the tank...again only four bulbs running;









Front of the tank, center:









Nice shot of some of the plant species....there are many species in this one shot...buce's, crypts, lileopsis, sagittaria, persicaria, ludwigia, alternanthera, staurogyne, anubias:









Front of the tank, right side:









Top of the tank....at "dusk"...


















Closer look at a branch....the original vine grew a new shoot, which is what is in the picture on the moss, and the old vine died....odd:


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## zth8992 (Jul 19, 2012)

This blows my mind! You need to get into frogs, if not for your sake for everyone else's so we can look at your work more.


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## crazydaz (Nov 18, 2012)

Thanks zth!! I think that even my funds are limited, as well as my wife's tolerance.  Unless I can get sponsored to build a frog system!  Let me know if there is anyone out there that wants me to spend their money!!! lol!!


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## [email protected] (Mar 19, 2009)

Your thread is breaking my brain, but that is cool! So great to see the different effects!


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## crazydaz (Nov 18, 2012)

Thank you Robyn!! That's very nice for you to say so!

As far as I'm aware, me, and two other hobbyists in Texas are the only people to have this plant species. This plant is called Ludwigia grandulosa x palustris hybrid. My new lighting has really caused some really, really nice color in this species of Ludwigia. As of a week and a half ago, this plant was lime green in color, with slightly red tips. As of tonight, it now looks like this:



















From the Side:










Here is a smaller stem a few inches away that had been in mostly shady conditions until I moved it on Friday. Again, going from a lime green color to this within a few days. Hopefully "junior" here will join his larger brother in terms of coloration soon!










The plant is quickly becoming a favorite of mine! It is an aquatic specimen, but anyone can appreciate the colors of this plant!


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## crazydaz (Nov 18, 2012)

New pics.....I have a cryptocorne throwing a spathe for the first time. It feels delightful. Anyone know which species, by chance? I can't tell.....I have C. nurii, C affinis Brown Green, and C. Kota tinggi all in the same area, and I didn't feel like digging to find the exact plant it was coming from. 

Your help would be greatly appreciated. 














































Some Alternanthera taken with a macro lens......The lighting is pretty intense!









Finally, a bucephalandra leaf coming in, turning pink due to the new lighting:


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## crazydaz (Nov 18, 2012)

Hmm....not sure what happened there....Photobucket was acting a little strange for me the past several days. Anyhow, below are the pics for the above post. Sorry about that!















































Some Alternanthera taken with a macro lens......The lighting is pretty intense!









Finally, a bucephalandra leaf coming in, turning pink due to the new lighting:










Just a random shot....have a nice new neo off to the right side there.


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## crazydaz (Nov 18, 2012)

Also, here are some additional shots that I took today of the bloom from my Ant Plant.....pretty cool stuff!:




























Here's a nice pic of it that I took with my iPhone last night:


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## crazydaz (Nov 18, 2012)

Correction: this is an orchid flower. A Bulbophyllum species. I'm such a noob. Sorry folks.


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## crazydaz (Nov 18, 2012)

It's been a little while, so I've taken EXTRA pictures! 

Not much to report. I'm trying to slowly get rid of the Staurogyne in favor of letting the true dwarf Sagittaria take over as the foreground. I will also likely need to get some floaters again. The amount of light is great, but I'm starting to get GSA on my crypts and buces; I'll need something to shade the bottom a bit. 

Also, I'm currently having the backgrounds made for my tanks. Once that is done, I should be able to start a new journal for the other tank I have going on. The purpose of the backgrounds is to hide the lighting cords. I can't "stands" them anymore. 

I'll add pics over the course of a few days. Thanks for looking and feel free to comment of make suggestions!

Front, bottom Only:









Right Oblique:









Hygro corymbosa flower....just for you, Devin!:









Left Side:









Closer:









...and Closer:









"Bario" patch, Anubia, and Buce Emerald Carpet....you can see the GSA issues:









....especially on the Anubias nana:









Metallic Red patch recovering....:









Macro of a flower from one of my Tillandsia:









Top Left Side:









Closer in:









Nice picture of the Floscopa scandens and Ludwigia grandulosa x palustris hybrid:









Nice shot of the whole system:


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## crazydaz (Nov 18, 2012)

Round #2

Last of the pics:
Some sort of rotala that came along as a freebie....wallichii, I sort of guessing....









THIS IS NEAT! A VERY hard to come by Ludwigia linearis. I have three stems, and it seems to be doing quite well so far:









Front, Right Side Close up:









Front, Center Close up:









Front, Left Side Close up:









Not often seen Right Side of the Tank; Hydrocotyle triparita is going wild over the java fern and buces:









Top Down:









Hygro "sunset" getting an odd variegation:









Top Close UP:









Right Side Top:









Right Side Top Close UP:









Left Oblique:









Top Down, all of the tank:


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## mitcholito (Dec 30, 2011)

Looks really great! 

I especially like the look of the branch pieces that emerges from the water and up. Would love a close look of the one with all the moss growing. 

From the first time I saw this tank I have thought about the corner reinforcment of the tank. The pieces of triangular glass. 
I think they distract a part of the experience of the tank.
How about taking a piece of Hygrolon and cut it into the same shape as the reinforcment. Have a very small piece of it hang down into the water as a wick and make two perfect patches of growth there? 
They are just the perfect place to make use of I think. And if the end result isnt satisfying you just take them off.


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## crazydaz (Nov 18, 2012)

Thanks Mitch!! That's an interesting idea regarding the Hygrolon. I'm a little torn about using it though. I am worried about blocking out too much light to the back corners of the tank and losing my aquatic plant growth under there. This would likely have the undesired effect of revealing more of the equipment in the tank which I don't want to do.

Keep in mind, too, that every displayed picture needs a frame! 

Another concern that I would have about that would be the fact that if I covered up and hid the back two braces, would that make the front two braces stand out more? I would hate to draw attention to that because there wouldn't be anything that I could do about those.

Would two symmetrical pieces of moss look weird, too? Though, that's less of a problem....I could simply make those patches a bit larger and asymmetrical to blend in better.

I'll give it some thought. I like the suggestion, and give you due props for literally thinking outside the box on this! That's a unique suggestion and solution. I'm not sure if it will be implemented, but I'll chew on it for a bit!

Thanks Mitch!


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## mitcholito (Dec 30, 2011)

Just chew as much as you like about the suggestion 



> Would two symmetrical pieces of moss look weird, too? Though, that's less of a problem....I could simply make those patches a bit larger and asymmetrical to blend in better.


 Actually I was just thinking about the two front braces and not the back.
With some low and moist loving speecies together with mosses I really think it could be a nice detail that would add a dimension.


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## crazydaz (Nov 18, 2012)

Not too much to report on.....I FINALLY got that background up behind the tank to help hide the power cords for the lights which had become such a distraction for me. I've been battling some hair algae for the past month or so, and it had me a little stumped until just recently. I believe that I'm getting an "overload" of nutrients, particularly iron, in my water column due to the "run-off" that I get when I am watering the plants on the manzy branches. I was adding old leaves/detritus from the tank onto or into the sphagnum almost as soon as the set up was complete. As that material continues to breakdown, the nutrients are available not only to the terrestrial plants, but also get wicked up into the sphagnum, and the excess is getting partially washed out into the tank. It's an educated guess, but it would make sense. I'll have to pick up the water changes a bit, and just mist the set up for a while. It's a unique problem. 

Anyhow, here are a few more shots for today. I'll get the rest posted tomorrow. Thanks for looking!


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## JoshsDragonz (Jun 30, 2012)

It's looking real good!


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## Keister (Mar 5, 2013)

So gorgeous! I can't believe the vast array of colors as well!


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## MKammerer (Apr 21, 2008)

Man oh man, I want one. Killer job, looks great grown in.


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## DrawntoLife (Nov 12, 2009)

Crazydaz from tpt! Your tank is one of the most beautiful I have seen on that site  glad to see you like frogs too!


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## Dendro Dave (Aug 2, 2005)

Looks great!!!, not a fan of red leaf aquarium plants, but other then that... fantastic!


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## crazydaz (Nov 18, 2012)

Thank you Josh! 

Keister--Thanks buddy! The plants in this set up are really simple but amazing. I'm just happy that most have survived, and seem to be thriving.

MKammerer--Thank you very much! It still has quite a ways to go, but it's doing better than I thought it would. Thank you for noticing!

DrawntoLife! Nice to see you here too!  I have noticed a few of us on here as well. I would love to try a full-fledged vivarium, but the wife has said "no dice" to that idea. Oh well! Guess I'll have to live vicariously through the members here. Lol!!

Dendro Dave---Really?? You don't like red-leaved aquatic species? Hmm! Usually, I hear the opposite. What is it that you don't like about them? Is it too distracting for you? Curious perspective! Please explain that a bit more, if you wouldn't mind. I would like to know why! Thank you! 

Last set of pics. I yanked up that huge crypt (I'm calling in C. affinis "undulata" until I'm proven wrong....) in the center of the tank. It was a doozy getting it out, but after enough tearing and cursing, she came out alright. It really changed the look, so I'll have to re-do some stuff in there and take some more pics this week.

Pretty rare Ludwigia linearis:


















Left Side:









Center:









Right:


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## Dendro Dave (Aug 2, 2005)

First let me be clear  ...It is just a personal taste thing, not an actual criticism of *your work*, which *is great*. I'm basically trying to take my vivs in an aquascaped direction, look wise. 

As for the red aquarium plants, unless they are really bright pink/red and in good shape, most just look like they are dying to me in most aquariums I see...and clash to much and/or distract to much from other stuff (IMO).

I used to use them in my vivs and still kinda like a splash of red foliage, though I like the red flowers more then foliage usually. 

Here is a 75 I did with splashes of red...








Kinda has a planted aquarium look but not yet to that full on Amano style aquascaped look I want.


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## crazydaz (Nov 18, 2012)

No offense taken! I was truly curious to learn what your rationale is; it was an opportunity for me to learn another perspective, which is mostly "at odds" with the majority opinion. I appreciate you explaining that to me.

I think that your set up is fantastic! You've used very subtle pinks and reds in there to great effect. I think that the only way to achieve a terrestrial "Amano"-type scape is to use sedges and grasses. Lots of 'em!!  Which is an intriguing idea, to be honest!

I can see your point about the reds being distracting, and I find it interesting that you equate "red" with "death," my friend! lol!! Most reds in tanks, the truly brilliant reds, don't last long in most people's tanks. They tend to "hang on" for a bit before eventually fading, and then eventually dying. This tends to be due to a lack of light. You can see that I don't have that problem. But, perhaps the real issue is that "too much red" can be aesthetically unpleasing, which I don't doubt. It'll be wise to bear that in mind moving forward. I appreciate the input, Dave!


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