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- #41
JayP
Valuable Member
Wow! Three months since last update. To be honest, I might not be providing an update today if not for the fact @Burr740 started a turf war. He called out non-Dutch style tanks as worthless piles of rocks and wood with easy slow growing epiphytes and moss. He basically said they were a complete waste of time and an embarrassment to planted tanks. At least that's what I read (JUST JOKING JOE. Please don't stop sending me free plants 
)
Seriously though, while I may not spend as much time working on this as those with Dutch style tanks (or maybe I do, I don't know since I haven't done that style yet), it does take up a lot of time, and it's only 90X50X45. Because everything tends to grow at different rates, I tend to do big maintenance in sections or quadrants. A couple weeks ago I pulled most all the Phoenix moss out because it was getting too thick and full on all the branches/rocks and starting to turn brown underneath and harboring a lot of detritus. I also pulled most background stems in the back left and replanted fresh cuttings, including a few new plants. About a month ago, I pulled most of the AR mini because the Amanos had been going to town on it (I pulled the Amanos as well). Obviously, it didn't take long for the new AR mini stems to take off, as they clearly need to be trimmed as well. I swear AR Mini might be the easiest red plant to grow. The right side of the tank tends to turn into a jungle quickly, so I'll be trimming that next weekend and hopefully, that will be timed well for it and the left side to get back in sync.
One of the problems I still have with the tank is moss getting down into the front hairgrass carpet and choking it out. You can see it in this picture even though I just pulled a lot out yesterday. It's a big reason I'm hesitant to use much moss on future tanks, even though I think it has strong visual and natural appeal.
The tank is now 15 months old and I plan to keep it going for at least another 6 while I work on the basement remodel and other scapes.
)Seriously though, while I may not spend as much time working on this as those with Dutch style tanks (or maybe I do, I don't know since I haven't done that style yet), it does take up a lot of time, and it's only 90X50X45. Because everything tends to grow at different rates, I tend to do big maintenance in sections or quadrants. A couple weeks ago I pulled most all the Phoenix moss out because it was getting too thick and full on all the branches/rocks and starting to turn brown underneath and harboring a lot of detritus. I also pulled most background stems in the back left and replanted fresh cuttings, including a few new plants. About a month ago, I pulled most of the AR mini because the Amanos had been going to town on it (I pulled the Amanos as well). Obviously, it didn't take long for the new AR mini stems to take off, as they clearly need to be trimmed as well. I swear AR Mini might be the easiest red plant to grow. The right side of the tank tends to turn into a jungle quickly, so I'll be trimming that next weekend and hopefully, that will be timed well for it and the left side to get back in sync.
One of the problems I still have with the tank is moss getting down into the front hairgrass carpet and choking it out. You can see it in this picture even though I just pulled a lot out yesterday. It's a big reason I'm hesitant to use much moss on future tanks, even though I think it has strong visual and natural appeal.
The tank is now 15 months old and I plan to keep it going for at least another 6 while I work on the basement remodel and other scapes.
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gather the banners!!!
. I do know this though, it will be moving to the basement. In its place will be...drum roll...a new Waterbox Clear Mini 30. Yes, another new tank. Over the past few weeks, I've come to the realization that a number of the new and used tanks I purchased over the last year, are not really the footprints I'm really most interested in, so there's been a shift in my future scaping plans. The overall number of tanks I was planning to have in the house is going down, perhaps to single digits, as I get rid of some of the boxier footprint tanks. On the main floor of the house, the new 30 will be the largest volume tank. Everything else will be in the basement, where maintenance is easier.
