Took a big chunk of mass out!
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Journal Attempting a True Dutch
- Thread starter Kwyet
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- #82
Kwyet
After every new tank—“This is my last one!”
Yes, lol! I’m hoping it won’t be quite as overgrown when I come back.
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- #83
Kwyet
After every new tank—“This is my last one!”
Correction: In post 72 I reported 90 ppm CO2 using the Hanna CO2 checker kit, but on finding out today from @Naturescapes_Rocco that it would have been impossible and still have live fish, I retested. This time I got 40-50 ppm, which I’m sure is much closer to the truth. Maybe I’m still getting a reading that’s a bit higher than actual, I don’t know. At any rate, the fish are just fine and I don’t intend to change anything. I’m just glad to understand it a bit better.
I used the Taiwan lily as a curtain in my first Dutch and liked it a lot.
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- #85
Kwyet
After every new tank—“This is my last one!”
I keep moving it around, lol! This gives me light green in both back corners though, which seems to be a big deal. It looks like the curtains have a little more leeway.
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- #87
Kwyet
After every new tank—“This is my last one!”
She’s doing quite well, considering hip replacement surgery. She can’t drive yet though and the stairs are difficult. My sister and I are coordinating schedules to take care of her. Thanks!Hope your mom's doing all right!
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- #88
Kwyet
After every new tank—“This is my last one!”
I had to stay a little longer than I had expected, and the CO2 ran out before I got back. Then it took me a couple of days to get it and get the tank in order. I still don’t think it turned out too badly, although I have Cyanobacteria growing on the substrate. I trimmed, cleaned, and treated with Blue-Green Slime Remover. I still have a little cyano showing here and there, but it’s much improved. I also traded out the left curtain plant (yes, again), so now I have a Crypt balansae there. The Platinum Glossostigma tissue culture has almost entirely disappeared. I’ll have to come up with something else. I’m sure too much substrate is showing.
I’ve been playing with phone camera settings, and I found that lowering the exposure by 30-50 and raising the saturation by 10 makes it look MUCH more like what I see in person. I hope that’s not considered cheating, lol!
Before shot:
After trimming:
Thanks for reading!
Edit: My husband clomped through the room and startled the fish, lol! Here’s a rare picture of them in a tight school.
I’ve been playing with phone camera settings, and I found that lowering the exposure by 30-50 and raising the saturation by 10 makes it look MUCH more like what I see in person. I hope that’s not considered cheating, lol!
Before shot:
After trimming:
Thanks for reading!
Edit: My husband clomped through the room and startled the fish, lol! Here’s a rare picture of them in a tight school.
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- Thread starter
- #89
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- #90
Kwyet
After every new tank—“This is my last one!”
The last couple of months have been a series of neglecting my tanks and getting them back in shape, over and over. It’s not due to laziness, but life just keeps happening, lol!
This is the attempted Dutch tank today. I’ve put Mexican Oakleaf in the back left corner. I think I’m going to like it when it fills in. The Ludwigia there is just to see how it would grow and look. If it gets to be a deep red, I might put it in place of the Rotala. I also put Lysimachia parviflora next to the Hydrocotyle tripartita (thanks @Burr740 !) I recently started using his macros and micros too, and switched to the schedule of double dosing the macros after a 50% water change and then single doses twice later in the week, and daily micros as usual.
I feel like it’s in a pretty good place, but I do still have some reservations:
1. I thought the Crypt balansae would make a good curtain plant, but it just isn’t growing. I’ve changed that left curtain spot out so many times, but I might do it again. I have Pennywort, but is it okay to put right next to another Hydrocotyle?
2. Are the curtain plants close enough to the corners?
3. Do I need moss on the sides too? If I do that, it’ll obstruct viewing from the seating area.
4. I’ve had to trim a lot of leaves out of the Crypt Green Gecko because of yellowing and melting. I’ve gone back to 0-1 dkH water thinking it might help the Limnophila wilsonii, and I think it did because it’s looking great now, but did that cause the crypt melt? If so, I hope it adjust soon.
5. Photography—I keep trying to adjust the settings on my phone to get the most accurate picture. I can’t seem to completely get rid of this bluish cast. It looks better than it did, by turning the black point way up, but it’s still there. The Crypt Green Gecko is also a little too blue-green, and I can’t get the yellow-green of the Taiwan Lily without messing up the colors of everything else. The other plants are pretty spot-on. Is anyone else taking pictures with an iPhone? What settings do you use?
Thanks for reading, it was a long one! All comments, answers and suggestions are welcome!
This is the attempted Dutch tank today. I’ve put Mexican Oakleaf in the back left corner. I think I’m going to like it when it fills in. The Ludwigia there is just to see how it would grow and look. If it gets to be a deep red, I might put it in place of the Rotala. I also put Lysimachia parviflora next to the Hydrocotyle tripartita (thanks @Burr740 !) I recently started using his macros and micros too, and switched to the schedule of double dosing the macros after a 50% water change and then single doses twice later in the week, and daily micros as usual.
I feel like it’s in a pretty good place, but I do still have some reservations:
1. I thought the Crypt balansae would make a good curtain plant, but it just isn’t growing. I’ve changed that left curtain spot out so many times, but I might do it again. I have Pennywort, but is it okay to put right next to another Hydrocotyle?
2. Are the curtain plants close enough to the corners?
3. Do I need moss on the sides too? If I do that, it’ll obstruct viewing from the seating area.
4. I’ve had to trim a lot of leaves out of the Crypt Green Gecko because of yellowing and melting. I’ve gone back to 0-1 dkH water thinking it might help the Limnophila wilsonii, and I think it did because it’s looking great now, but did that cause the crypt melt? If so, I hope it adjust soon.
5. Photography—I keep trying to adjust the settings on my phone to get the most accurate picture. I can’t seem to completely get rid of this bluish cast. It looks better than it did, by turning the black point way up, but it’s still there. The Crypt Green Gecko is also a little too blue-green, and I can’t get the yellow-green of the Taiwan Lily without messing up the colors of everything else. The other plants are pretty spot-on. Is anyone else taking pictures with an iPhone? What settings do you use?
Thanks for reading, it was a long one! All comments, answers and suggestions are welcome!
Tank looks great! I've definitely been in that scenario where I'm constantly behind and doing big repair whenever I have time to work on the tank.
There is no reason not to put two species with the same genus next to each other. For example, hygrophila pinnatifida and hygrophila corymbosa look very different. My main concern would be that pennywort and hydrocotyle tripartita are close to the same color
It probably would be a good curtain plant if you gave it enough time.
There is no reason not to put two species with the same genus next to each other. For example, hygrophila pinnatifida and hygrophila corymbosa look very different. My main concern would be that pennywort and hydrocotyle tripartita are close to the same color
They don't grow as well when shoved right into the corners. I'd use Burr's trick of adding a black frame to your tank, or just crop the photo you use.
Traditionally, yeah you're gonna have moss on the side walls. IMO if you have tall groups on the sides you can use their reflections to fill in the empty space on the sides. The Taiwan Lily you have is a good example of this.
Maybe... It's cliche but I would not chase water parameters for one species or the other. Instead just find out what grows well, and use that.
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- #92
Kwyet
After every new tank—“This is my last one!”
Thanks for all the answers!
Thats looking real good.
Im not crazy about the Purple Knight behind the Lysimachia. Even though they do contrast well, its still a red behind a red. Or lets say color behind a color, in an otherwise sea of green. I would separate the colors more. And if youll notice you have a little unwanted symmetry going on. Youve done the same move with two colors, twice. Thats all your colors. Both places have the same size groups in the same shape heading the same direction
The crypt isnt technically a color of course but it comes off as one here. Might change if you get the camera setting figured out, actualkly looks good though! And it wont look so even when the Rotala gets taller but this is the kind of symmetry and repeating of moves you want to avoid. It is also very advanced critique, but its what separates a good Dutch from a great one
1. I wouldnt, like gjcarew said. And you cant use it on the other side because its too similar to the Nymphoides
2. You could scoot them closer a little bit, mostly forward. You can judge better once they get bigger. Both of those will make good curtains, eventually. Dont crop your pics though, gotta disagree on that. Because itd be obvious thats what you did to a trained judges eye
3. Speaking for a competition, you dont want any bare exposed glass. Doesnt have to be moss, can be tall plants. A thick enough curtain can hide a lot of blank space too
4. Its possible, had to adapt. I wouldnt worry about it should bounce back
5. I feel your pain lol
Im not crazy about the Purple Knight behind the Lysimachia. Even though they do contrast well, its still a red behind a red. Or lets say color behind a color, in an otherwise sea of green. I would separate the colors more. And if youll notice you have a little unwanted symmetry going on. Youve done the same move with two colors, twice. Thats all your colors. Both places have the same size groups in the same shape heading the same direction
The crypt isnt technically a color of course but it comes off as one here. Might change if you get the camera setting figured out, actualkly looks good though! And it wont look so even when the Rotala gets taller but this is the kind of symmetry and repeating of moves you want to avoid. It is also very advanced critique, but its what separates a good Dutch from a great one
1. I wouldnt, like gjcarew said. And you cant use it on the other side because its too similar to the Nymphoides
2. You could scoot them closer a little bit, mostly forward. You can judge better once they get bigger. Both of those will make good curtains, eventually. Dont crop your pics though, gotta disagree on that. Because itd be obvious thats what you did to a trained judges eye
3. Speaking for a competition, you dont want any bare exposed glass. Doesnt have to be moss, can be tall plants. A thick enough curtain can hide a lot of blank space too
4. Its possible, had to adapt. I wouldnt worry about it should bounce back
5. I feel your pain lol
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- Thread starter
- #94
Kwyet
After every new tank—“This is my last one!”
Symmetry is something I’m having a hard time with, lol! Thanks for your insights!
Dont feel bad, its one of those things that takes a minute to get an eye for. It was a couple years after I got mine pointed out to me in my first entry that I really started seeing it lol. But once you start seeing it itll jump right out
I think it looks really great so far, keep it up 
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- #97
Kwyet
After every new tank—“This is my last one!”
I can’t unsee it now, lol!
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- #98
Kwyet
After every new tank—“This is my last one!”
Thanks!I think it looks really great so far, keep it up
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- #99
Kwyet
After every new tank—“This is my last one!”
Since I just updated this journal recently, I’ll just add some pictures of tanks that don’t have journals here. One of these days I’ll get around to writing them up…
Your tanks are all looking great! Absolutely love how the dutch is developing. And I meant to offer insight but gjcarew and burr have got you covered in that aspect. Wait the rosette on the right is crypt wendtii green gecko? I thought it was something else entirely and am sad that its the phone setting turning it that blue-green.
