PlanetCatfish.com

My 33US gallon tank was getting awfully messy back in Jan, so I decided to redecorate it. I removed everything and started from scratch!

The plant I am using is Hygrophila difformis.

January 16th 2007 (when tank was planted):



Feburary 7th 2007 (today):



It's a low light tank and I have been using king british plant food. I am cutting the tops of the plants off and replanting them in the gravel.

The tank is home to 8 pencilfish, 5 (4 bandit and 1 peppered) corydoras and 2 cherry barbs.

ammonia: 0
nitrites: 0
nitrates: 20-30

I'm so glad people take the time to post these photos and information about their tanks. It is so very helpful to newbies like myself, especially since I am dealing with a similar sized tank and lighting situation.

What kind of plants are the ones floating at the top of your tank? Are they the same as the rooted ones?

What is your filtration? Are you using a cannister filter? To have as many plants as you have, do you have to use some sort of CO2 system? Sorry to pepper you with questions. I don't even know if it's okay to do that with this sort of post. So if I'm making a faux pas please excuse me and disregard the questions.

Anyway, your hard work is well worth it. What a lovely tank. I bet your fish are very happy in it!

Hi Hello!

The plant floating on top of the water is duckweed. I have tried to get rid of it many times, but it just grows from nowhere:) It prevents light penetrating the water.

My filter is an internal Fluval 3 and no CO2 is needed for this plant..I dont think it could grow any faster!

I have tried plants like java fern, anubis and etc which are all great plants for a low light aquarium, but they dont help much with water quality..You will also have to wait ages for them to grow. I'd strongly suggest this one! It's very beautiful and you will notice it grow each day. They can double in size each week. Creating new plants from old plants is incredibly easy too...even a loose leaf will produce a new plant.

Thank you so much. You've been a big help! I absolutely love the looks of that plant. It's got beautiful form and color and if it ends up being the only kind of plant in my tank, I think I will be very happy with it. It sounds like it would be the ideal choice for my situation. I'll go see if I can order one online or find a good specimen at the LFS and hope I will have as good luck with mine as you have with yours!

Ahhh....so that is the infamous duckweed I've been reading so many complaints about! It's actually quite pretty and lends a bit of a pondlike look to the aquarium. Too bad it can be such a nuisance.

I kind of like duckweed too! Its a fast growing plant, absorbing all of those unwanted nutrients aswell.

Tank update: The plants are growing a bit slower now. The tank looks a lot better this week though, with the background plants growing to the top of the tank. I need to work on the right side, because I didnt put a plant there when I started!



After I took that pic, I did my weekly water change and increased the flow of the filter. Minutes later, I think my cherry barbs are doing some kind of mating dance! They have been doing it for about 30mins now and he is glowing a bright red..amazing!



The cabinet is such a mess, sorry! Its because Im getting a new one delivered tomorrow.


EDIT:

A pic of my cherry barbs at it:

I'm so in love with your tank! There's something very serene about it. Maybe it's because there's just the one kind of plant predominating. It's sort of the same principal with a garden--if you showcase just one variety of flower or plant it is more relaxing than a riot of different colors and textures. Not that there's anything wrong with a diverse garden...it's just a different kind of result and different effect on the viewer.

If I could keep more than one tank, I'd like to have both kinds...one kind of serene and simple and another that's very diverse. But I can have only one so I'll go for serene and simple. I think my fish will thank me for that. They've had quite enough excitement to last a lifetime.

Also, I think a set-up similar to yours would go well with my hoped for future simple assortment of fish. I want to get away from a community tank idea I once had & basically just expand what I currently have in the way of cories: small schools of no more than 3 species plus my sole elegans. I hope to keep the danios I have now and they will be my dash of diversity. Eventually when they pass away, I will probably then move to another kind of small schooling species--hopefully one that doesn't have individuals who can be such horrible bullies as some of my danios have been.

Cherry barbs are beautiful when in breeding color. I remember my dad kept quite a number of them when I was a child. I don't doubt that yours are quite comfortable and happy in that tank.

I hope to be able to purchase my plants soon. I can't get out or order anything in while we're iced in. The driver on my UPS route could not complete the route and bring me my filter. No telling now when it will get here.