May '05 - Planted Tanks: Small to Large II

Alex Tan´s 125 Liter Planted Tank. (Singapore) I am using a Juwel Rio 125 tank. The filtration system is internal (built-in). The light is modified to 2x36 W PL tubes, giving me a total of 72 Watts of lighting, set at 10 hours a day. Fishes include several Dwarf Cichlids (Apistogramma, Dicrossus...), Tetras (Cardinal, Green Neon, Black Neon, Bleeding Heart, Ruby), Corydoras, and a few others. I am using the almost full Dennerle setup (Profi 2000, pH Controller). pH is 6.7, KH is 4, Temp is 27°C.

Leonardo and Saskia´s 220 Liter Planted Tank. (Brazil) Owners: Leonardo and Saskia Graever, 30, from Rio de Janeiro (Brazil). Setup: October 2002. Dimensions: 100x40x55 cm, 220 L nominal. Filtration: Millennium 3000 with foam and wool. Lighting: 5x30 W fluorescent (3 Aqua-glo and 2 Gro-Lux), photoperiod 10:00 to 20:00. Heating: Hagen 150 W. Substrate: 10 cm layer of gravel, 500 g concentrated laterite, 1 box Tetra Initial Sticks. Others: DIY CO2. Fauna: 6 Cardinals (Paracheirodon axelrodi), 5 Rummy Noses (Hemigrammus rhodostomus), 3 Otos (Otocinclus affinis), 4 Platys, 2 Pearl Gouramis, 3 Serpaes, 2 Bleeding Hearts, 2 Boeseman's Rainbows. Flora: Valisneria, Limnophila heterophylla, Cryptocoryne, Echinodorus amazonensis, Cabombas, Ludwigia. Maintenance: 20% water change per week with Aquasafe treated water, syphoning, filter maintenance and glass cleaning, plant pruning. Fertilization with Tetra Flora Pride.

Don Matakis´s 235 Liter Dutch Tank. (USA) Owner: Donald G. Matakis, 51, from Faribault MN (USA), 41 years of fishkeeping. Website: Freshwater Aquarium Plants Tank Setup: September 2002 Dimensions: 90x40x60 cm, 235 L (nominal). Filtration: Tetra Tec 300. Lighting: 2x55 W 6700 K fluorescents and 30 Watt Flora Sun. Heating: Dupla Thermik and integrated Tetra Tec Heater. Substrate: 8 cm layer of Red Flint Gravel (#20) and Substrate Gold Laterite. Decoration: African Rootwood driftwood, petrified wood, quartz rock, Christmas moss wall. Others: Dupla CO2 injector, Timer. Water: Temp 26°C, pH 6.6-6.8. KH 4, GH 6. Fauna: 4x Marbled Hatchets (Carnegiella strigata), 16x Takashi Amano Shrimp (Caridina japonica), 2x Pearl Gourami (Trichogaster leeri), 12x Greenfire Tetras (Aphyocharax rathbuni), 5x Dwarf Pencilfish (Nannostomus marginatus), 1x Siamese Algae Eater (Crossocheilus siamensis), 3x Flying Fox (Epalzeorhynchus kalopterus), 2x Dwarf Bristlenose (Ancistrus temminki,) 1x Otoniclus. Flora: Narrow Leaf Java Fern, Lilaeopsis brasiliensis, Anubias nana, Baby Tears (Hemianthus micranthemoides), Cryptocoryne balansae, Rotala rotundifolia, Hydrocotyle leucocephala, Hygrophila corymbosa, Hygrophila polysperma 'Rosanervig', Rotala macrandra, Rotala wallichii, Vallisneria spiralis, Christmas Moss, Riccia, Glossostigma, Bacopa carolina, Bolbitis heudelotii, Lobelia cardinalis, Ludwigia repens, Asian Ambulia, Myriophyllum elatinoides. Maintenance: Water change 25% per week (mixed water), Flora San, Kent Botanica Nitro + as needed, Substrate Gold Balls reseed every six months. Comments: This aquarium has never had any algae problems other than greenwater on initial setup. I believe this is due to the heavy planting, the plants outcompete the algae for the nutrients. Moss wall is made with fruit netting secured with suction cups. The baby tears was shaped into a bush. An extremely enjoyable office aquarium!

If you'd like to submit an aquarium for Tank of the Month, just contact me.

Photos taken by their respective authors and displayed here with their permission.

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