Holland tank

[fischkopp]

Thank you!

Yes, I try to keep up with the weekly water changes, although life gets a bit in the way of that. But the tank is still being drained to the bottom. Every 2-4 weeks depending on the species I will prune a little, but not all at once if I can help it. I decided to keep this kinda "wild nature dutch style" look with plants grouped here and there as I find it easier to maintain and also interesting to look at.

In recent weeks I had a bit of an dust algae issue, which forced me to re-think the dosing a bit. Dosing is daily: 1/32 trace, 1/8 KNO3, 1/8 CaN02, 1/16 K2SO4, 1/32 KH2PO4, in that order. I believe I was dosing traces and nitrate too heavy before. The tank bounced back within two weeks, but there are still gaps to fill. I think I give up on foreground plants since the tank is not very deep (plants from the back will shade the front) and go over to mid-ground plant like blyxa japonica or staurogyne repens. Will see how that goes ...

[daworldisblack]

Thank you!

Yes, I try to keep up with the weekly water changes, although life gets a bit in the way of that. But the tank is still being drained to the bottom. Every 2-4 weeks depending on the species I will prune a little, but not all at once if I can help it. I decided to keep this kinda "wild nature dutch style" look with plants grouped here and there as I find it easier to maintain and also interesting to look at.

In recent weeks I had a bit of an dust algae issue, which forced me to re-think the dosing a bit. Dosing is daily: 1/32 trace, 1/8 KNO3, 1/8 CaN02, 1/16 K2SO4, 1/32 KH2PO4, in that order. I believe I was dosing traces and nitrate too heavy before. The tank bounced back within two weeks, but there are still gaps to fill. I think I give up on foreground plants since the tank is not very deep (plants from the back will shade the front) and go over to mid-ground plant like blyxa japonica or staurogyne repens. Will see how that goes ...

Any root tabs? I dont know what I can do to make my crinium happy. It doesn't look as happy as yours! Did it take time to establish?

[fischkopp]

Any root tabs? I dont know what I can do to make my crinium happy. It doesn't look as happy as yours! Did it take time to establish?

Mmh. I added some DIY root ferts a few years back, and I keep finding some every once in a while when up-rooting plants. I might have also added some Seachem root tabs at some point. But I never noticed any big improvement by adding any of them. The dosing seem to provide enough nutrients, and the substrate is supposed to buffer a bit of them as well. I can't really prove that, but recently I added two swords for recovery to the tank and they are doing really great.

As for the Crinium, I don't do anything special. They do take some time, months on occasion, to establish when being moved to a different tank. But in this tank they seem to do well. I had the issue that I lost two mother plants that were rotting from the bulb. I could never explain why as other smaller Ciniums right beside it did well. It could have been that the trace dosing were too high, and too much got absorbed over time. But I don't know for sure.

Here another pic of pearling plants that I took while playing with my camera toy in the fish room.


Proserpinaca palustris ''Cuba''

[Peekay]

This tank is really interesting.. such a variety of sp.  The longer I look, the more I see!
What's the one on the right that has tiny leaves arranged like a wheat stalk on long harder stems? 

[charlie]

Thanks for sharing Robert , always a ppleasure seeing other tanks & yours i`m sure will inspire more tanks, great job.
Errol

[bettabreeder]

simply a stunning tank.

[daworldisblack]

What's the one on the right that has tiny leaves arranged like a wheat stalk on long harder stems?  

Thats Hygrophila Pinnatifida Brenda Interesting leaf shape and the undersides have a nice colour too!

[Janny]

Thats Hygrophila Pinnatifida Brenda Interesting leaf shape and the undersides have a nice colour too!

It's beautiful - another new one for me to add to my "wish list".

Stunning tank - inspiring.

[fischkopp]

Thats Hygrophila Pinnatifida Brenda Interesting leaf shape and the undersides have a nice colour too!

Yes. That's it. An interesting one for sure; I don't remember when I got it from Errol, but it's been a few month. Hygrophila pinnatifida can be quite invasive under high light, but its not very light hungry. I guess you could tell that already by it's dark coloration. You can plant it in the dark corner, or shaded by other plants around it. This slows the growth, but doesn't harm the plant at all. 

Thanks everyone for their comments. The tank is due for a little trim. Will try to post some pics afterwards. Just don't expect nice aquascaping ... 

[fischkopp]

I promised an update after pruning, so here it comes. Luckily the CO2 ran out, so I won't have to deal with all those air bubbles in the tank.

There is, once again, a bit more fish in the tank. I added a school of Aphyocharax rathbuni; they are still young so they don't quite show all their colour yet. Maybe in a few more weeks from now. There is also a young pair of Apistogramma norberti that I got at the giant auction.

Not pictured, because hidden most of the time, is a reverse trio of Ctenopoma ansorgii that might have to go. The tetras seem to trigger their appetite ...

[exv152]

Hey fischkopf, I saw some green fire tetras at BAs the other day and was pondering buying some, but ended up settling for some colombian tetras which look quite similar. I read their colours will really come out in a planted tank, and that seems to be the case in your tank, and that they tend to change colour hues as they mature. Nice choice. How many did you buy?

[fischkopp]

I had a couple of these tetras in a smaller tank a while back. They really look quite plain in fish stores, but once they settle in their red is pretty punchy. I like the silver tips, and the back becomes darker green-metallic - that probably where the name comes form. Plus they tend to stay very small 3-4cm maybe. I like small fish. There are about 60-70 in the tank right now.

[Peekay]

Amazing.   

[bettabreeder]

Awesome tank!


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[exv152]

Nordländer! (I assume you`re German from your name), I especially like your attention to the colour scheme. Amazing piece of art.

[fischkopp]

Glad you are enjoying it!

Yes, German roots cannot be denied.  Not sure if I would call it art. For me it's like a collection of favourite plants gone wild. 

[Cheebs]

Holy wow!!! I am blown away by the beauty of this tank. You often hear of people switching to saltwater for various reasons, but darn it, this really makes me want s freshwater tank!

[exv152]

Favourite plants to you, but definitely artistic to others.  I do have to ask one question, why do you dose K2SO4 in your daily regimen? Is it for the K?

[fischkopp]

Holy wow!!! I am blown away by the beauty of this tank. You often hear of people switching to saltwater for various reasons, but darn it, this really makes me want s freshwater tank!

Thanks. It's a good that this hobby has many sides. For me it's the affection for things green.

I do have to ask one question, why do you dose K2SO4 in your daily regimen? Is it for the K?

Yes. Not sure if it is really needed, but K isn't something you want to be short of. I use it mainly because half of the nitrate dosing is done via calcium nitrate. I wouldn't use it if i dose potassium nitrate only.

[sylros]

Your tank is an inspiration to folks like me who's only been in the hobby of PT for a short while. If you think your tank is wild, wait until you see the latest picture of mine! It's changed from last time you've seen it.

I think that one can't be too averse in moving plants in the tank, as I think it will need to be done to give it the various levels or 3D effect your tank has. For the first time, thanks to the last OVAS meeting, I've got red in my tank...that helps.

Thanks for sharing...that new camera is working awesome as your pics are amazing!