75G Planted Tank...Here we go

Sooo...I broke down my 33G long planted and moved about 3/5ths of the plants over to my 75G tank.  Moved the CO2 but left the setting the same for now.  I do have a 2nd tap on the bottle so I can add a line on the other side of the tank if/as needed.  Moved the light (Finnex Ray2) with the tank and added a plant light I had purchased for a 29G tank.  Right now I'm running the extra light 3 hours on, 3 off, 3 on.

I put new substrate in, the Eco-complete and I moved some of the old substrate.  Tank was already fully cycled for fish as it has been running for years but it never had very many plants. Having been on a complete micro/macro dosing schedule in the 33G I'm a little concerned about how to proceed with the tank given the new Eco-complete will have some ferts in it and the plants will possibly need less in the way of ferts until they restablish themselves.  I've chatted a bit with some members but none of us are sure if I should start dosing now, wait a bit, or possibly start dosing now at a lessened amount.  I would hate to lose all my plants but know that is a possibility.  

So ... here's the 1st pics... not totally finished with the plantings. I have two more tanks that I'm breaking down and moving to the 33G tank .. both have plants so a couple of those might yet be incorporated into this tank and I left a couple of plants in the 33G. All the plants so far have came from the 33G.  The plants are larger than I realized and now I can see how full and tall they were...so many were just hiding behind others and floating on the top of the tank bent over.  The pygmy chain sword will be planted a little heavier in the front, I just haven't gotten around to it (I have a bucket full of the stuff).  Not sure if the E. major will recover from all my trimmings trying to keep it contained in the 33G...I hope so as its a beautiful sword.  Anyway...here's the 1st round..lots of tinkering yet to do.

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Looks good! I need to start planting my nano now that I've got some more plants for it. Keep us updated with pics!

OMG , it looks good now, just wait a few months that tank will be absolutely awesome. I think you will do fine.

When a cichlid tank goes planted... I love it!   So when are you going to change your nickname from cichlid-gal to planted-gal?

But seriously, I love the planting you have going on here. The lighting and arrangement look good. Have you considered cutting that tall stem in the middle (rotala?) in half, and planting the trimmings along the back of the tank? This way you could grow a more even background for the tank.

Also, great touch with the little marimo ball by the rock on the left. The only way I can imagine to improve that would be to replace it with fissidens I can bring some clippings next time I drive out east if you like!

MRTom wrote:When a cichlid tank goes planted... I love it!   So when are you going to change your nickname from cichlid-gal to planted-gal?

But seriously, I love the planting you have going on here. The lighting and arrangement look good. Have you considered cutting that tall stem in the middle (rotala?) in half, and planting the trimmings along the back of the tank? This way you could grow a more even background for the tank.

Also, great touch with the little marimo ball by the rock on the left. The only way I can imagine to improve that would be to replace it with fissidens I can bring some clippings next time I drive out east if you like!

Thanks ShortyK and fishN...I will work on it and cross my fingers.

Tom thanks... and the tall plant in the middle is Rotala rotundifolia I think.  I didn't realize how tall that plant was when I pulled it.  I had already placed what I think is another rotala to the left of it (you can see it peeking out over the rock on the right side (it is redder and broader of leaf...maybe a ludwigia species).  I wish I had those two plants switched but I don't want to rearrange so soon for the plants sakes.  I'll let them settle in and get some good growth going and then I'll see what might look best back there.  Trimming would be good too...that big plant needs it.  Again, I was thinking to have the plants settle a little before I did major stuff.  Just relocating the big root masses worries me...LOL.

Oh..the fissedens...I have that on that random stick on the left hand side. It had been growing in the 33G up near the top of the tank and getting a lot of light ... I need to figure out how to get it back near the top again as it was doing quite well there. I don't think I want to pull it from the wood so maybe some more could be incorporated if you have some to spare but again, going to wait now for things to settle before I throw a bunch more plants in that I might end up losing in changeup. So I'll get back to you...thank you for the offer.

" .. and the tall plant in the middle is Rotala rotundifolia I think.  I didn't realize how tall that plant was when I pulled it.  I had already placed what I think is another rotala to the left of it (you can see it peeking out over the rock on the right side (it is redder and broader of leaf...maybe a ludwigia species).  I wish I had those two plants switched but I don't want to rearrange so soon for the plants sakes.  I'll let them settle in and get some good growth going and then I'll see what might look best back there. "

The Rotala would look good as a full background. I did that in my 140 for the longest time before I decided to mix it up. I ripped it all out and kept about as much as you have  in your tank Donna.  I've been doing exactly what you mentioned above. Growing plants out a bit, moving things around. Heres what my rotala looks like now with different plants around it. There for a time the Rotala was the tallest plant in this tank just like yours. Slowly but surely and clipping of the Rotala the other plants are catching up.

Rotala is on the right.
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Thanks Chad...you rotala looks awesome.

Not the best pic but .... PEARLING GOING ON TODAY

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I did add another light. I took the Finnex 36" planted light I had on Connors tank and moved it to this tank also. So now I have the three lights on the tank...the Finnex 48" Ray II, Finnex 36" Planted, and BML 30" Dutch Planted.

The plants seem to be pretty happy.

Ooohhh yeah! Watch them plants grow now! How is your ludwigia macranda verigated doing?

Not great but it was hanging in there.  I've lost some leaves since moving it. I have it right under the BML light and between the two Finnexes.  Hoping it will come back.

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my ludwigia seems picky like that too, although it's a different species. I'm sure it will come back with a vengeance, especially looking back at the 33 you had going with all that excellent growth. I was just looking back over some of my old topics, and saw that a few months ago you were admiring my plants- now it's my turn to admire yours, they look awesome

I'm sure you will have good luck with this new tank, again considering what your 33 long ended up looking like. And with the amount of light you are running, I think everything will be very happy once it gets established.

I have a question for you- what do you do for your swords to get them to grow nice and big like that? I have never been able to tell whether I have a deficiency or just not rich enough substrate, but both types of sword I have tried--amazon sword and ozelot sword--just stay small, then the old leaves get holes in them and start dying. Do you use root tabs for them, and if so, what kind? I have tried the flourish tabs and I don't think they work very well, at least they didn't make much of a difference for me

cichlid-gal wrote:Not great but it was hanging in there.  I've lost some leaves since moving it. I have it right under the BML light and between the two Finnexes.  Hoping it will come back.

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Oh, I dont think thats ludwigia. I think thats Alternanthera rieneckii verigated.

LuminousAphid wrote:my ludwigia seems picky like that too, although it's a different species. I'm sure it will come back with a vengeance, especially looking back at the 33 you had going with all that excellent growth. I was just looking back over some of my old topics, and saw that a few months ago you were admiring my plants- now it's my turn to admire yours, they look awesome

I'm sure you will have good luck with this new tank, again considering what your 33 long ended up looking like. And with the amount of light you are running, I think everything will be very happy once it gets established.

I have a question for you- what do you do for your swords to get them to grow nice and big like that? I have never been able to tell whether I have a deficiency or just not rich enough substrate, but both types of sword I have tried--amazon sword and ozelot sword--just stay small, then the old leaves get holes in them and start dying. Do you use root tabs for them, and if so, what kind? I have tried the flourish tabs and I don't think they work very well, at least they didn't make much of a difference for me

Thanks Luminous...and apparently I have mis-id'd this plant...LOL.  For the swords in this tank and the 33G I did not add anything. I used Eco-complete for substrate and they seemed to like it and grew quite well. I also struggle with my swords in other tanks. I've found the ones planted in gravel and supplemented with root tabs (either API or Seachem) have done well. Those I have planted in mostly sand substrate have struggled along. They are still growing but not nearly as nice as the gravel substrate. I have also supplemented the sand ones but it doesn't seem to make a lot of difference.

fishNAbowl wrote:
Oh, I dont think thats ludwigia. I think thats Alternanthera rieneckii verigated.

Ahhh...well, its the only varigated that I have left in my tank so I must have lost the other .  The tank was so full, there were areas that just didn't get the light they needed.  As for the A. reineckii...I think it likes softer water.

cichlid-gal wrote:

fishNAbowl wrote:
Oh, I dont think thats ludwigia. I think thats Alternanthera rieneckii verigated.

Ahhh...well, its the only varigated that I have left in my tank so I must have lost the other .  The tank was so full, there were areas that just didn't get the light they needed.  As for the A. reineckii...I think it likes softer water.

The soft water maybe a possibility.  Yours looks like mine though. I only have 1 3 inch stem that's verigated. It was a lucky add on to an order. An extra 1 might say. But my other A. Rieneckii made its way to the water surface. This plant seems high maintenance to me.  I have to position it just right in a tank to look nice because the bottom half gets funky looking. Last night I pulled it all up, clipped the bottom and planted the tops. Same goes for the mini ver.

I do have Ludwigia macranda verigated and is doing very well. This plant seems very delicate in the leaves and stem. So I can see it fading away easily. So I must have gotten lucky with this plant.