ooooh, very nice!

It is very nice! Does anyone live in it? It's nice with just the plants even.

That's beautiful, and I do love live plants, and had a fair amount of luck with most types years ago, though I think from the looks of the picture there are many more colorful ones available nowdays , than when I last had my tanks. I quickly learned after adding about six small tinfoil barbs to my 55 gal aquarium, how fast some fish can ruin your plants, and in less than a month as those little piggy barbs grew like crazy, they ate every last plant, and the aquarium was bare within weeks.

Thanks Fairy, to the left back (covering my CO2 reactor) is the Red Tiger Lotus and in the middle back is the Green. I didn't even realize that you could put other text here until you mentioned it in a recent thread. Yes Northspruce, there are some fish. I think most hid after I was "pruning" for this pic. If I remember correct I gave some away because I am planning an "overhaul". I will be adding a new background. The only thing in it as of today is a crowntail betta, 1 loan clown loach and 4 oto's. If I ever get the new plan done I will restock it. I have even removed most of the plants, well thinned them out anyway. Thanks Birdy, when I got back into this hobby I was amazed at the plants available, when I was a kid the only plants where from a local pond LOL. At least doing this as an adult I am not limited to "as far as I can pedal my bike". When I desided to do plants I bought at least 1 of everything I could find, well damn near. With the web and good books you can get almost anything you want.

Hi
Truly is a beautiful tank.The really tough part is keeping them that way lol
have you ever had the Lotus bloom?? I would imagine you have to allow floating leaves develop?? How large do they get and do they stop producing sub leaves after a length of time??
gary

if forgot, your water isn't soft, right? hmmmm. maybe i could do that tiger lotus after all.

so far, i still just hve my sword plants. but, since i had been adding espom salt, natural aquarium vital, and immuno vital...i inclulde all b/c that is all i have done diff except for parasite meds....i haven't had the leaf loss i had before. but, those were the older leaves that had been there from the grower, mostlikely. still, those that have grown up and the baby plants are all the same size now, and little to no leaf loss. yipeeeee

Sorry Gary I didn't notice your question until today (I dont check here often and have been having trouble with GW)And thanks for the kind words. That particular one I was going to let bloom. You have to have a few shoots/pads at the top to do so. The leaves get enourmous, especially for a 29G. They were almost at the point of blooming and I pruned it down. It started to afect the other plants and turned green from lack of light to the bottom leaves. I just prune back the shoots now and enjoy the red color. I never tried to flower one. I didn't realize that the pads and flowers got so big, also they are only open when I'm sleeping I think LOL. ---- Fairy--- some parasite meds, too much copper, can hurt your plants. I'm sure you knew that just thought I'd bring it up. Nymphae's can handle high GH/KH. Some even use them in african rift lake aquariums, as long as the mbuna don't eat'em first. Epsom salts will also raise GH (magnessium sulphate). I find that when trace elements/micro nutrients are added solely without any macro nutrients the plants do better. Usually unless you are heavy planted ith fast growing plants Nitrate isn't needed, phosphourus there is usually too much and potassium is always lacking. I am going to start using individual doses of ferts/trace elements using hygroponics salts. I just have to get off my arse and order them.

thanks for the copper warning. actually, it was just a three dose routine over 6 days, as necessary, and all done. definitely not a regular routine. it was also parasite clear- metrodyazonol..whatever....and something else in there. all seems ok, plants, fish eating like pigs, etc!

so, you can keep the tiger lotus leaves trimmed down to the bottom and it is ok with that? oh, i want one so bad. one of these days with a bigger tank. does it require the 2-3 watts per gallon to retain the red?

hyudroponic salts...interesting thought. hmmmmmm. know of any good trace element test kits?

No trace element test kits. However, some individual trace elements are copper (despite of what was said previously, too much copper becomes toxic to plants, but is good for them in small doses) iron and I guess a GH and KH/pH test GH measures calcium and magnessium. KH/pH for available organic carbon (you need a cart for this or figure it out with a formula). The lotus I have will grow large if you let it, but it is more of a dwarf variety. Pinch the runners down and prune it and it will keep small, like a bonsai. Prune the leaves when they get too large. Yes, I would say minimum 2 wpg 2.5+ is bettter.

none? hmmmmm. swear i saw one somewhere.... *think think think- inmy best winnie the pooh imitation*

rumbly in my tumbly

ah, some people dooo understand! lol!