Journal Experimental / learning tank with inert substrate

[JacksonL]

Is that L. brevipes growing alongside the blyxa? It has beautiful colours

 

[Aquajack]

Is that L. brevipes growing alongside the blyxa? It has beautiful colours

L. arcuata

The colors are much more vibrant in person. I really dislike the auto color rendering of the pixel phones.
If you look online they can get quite red too, either under higher light and/or nitrate limiting. Clearly not my situation lol.
However, I think there are enough red plants you can choose and I like how its basically a combo of colors. I want it to be a bit more vibrant and bushier but that will come in time I hope. Only started with a few small emersed stems but gradually coming around.

 

[Aquajack]

This large piece of drfitwood is confirmed...again, as being the most buoyant piece of wood I've ever experienced.
I decided I'd had enough of the large rock just sitting on top weighing it down so of course I just ripped it out.
Unfortunately, even after 4 months submerged, the driftwood floated straight up.

I still have it in there as per the pics below, but it is now literally floating. I could tap it with my little finger and it would move inches. I did my first water change on the weekend like that and you could imagine the chaos of that.

Anyways, It's obviously not sustainable medium term so I think I'll take it out completely in the next week or two.
Two main benefits:

• I'll gain nearly half my tank back and leave a lot more real estate for plants. I probably have enough plants in there now to full the tank, they are just crammed in currently.
• The drfitwood is slowly breaking down so bits of wood are over the substrate which I have to clean each week. So it will be a cleaner tank

One disadvantage is I'll lose the MC growing as an epiphyte which I really like. I think I have a small piece of driftwood hanging around. I could transfer the MC onto that as a substitute maybe.

What would you do? Get rid of the driftwood or persevere?

Anyways, this is how it looks currently.


Here is a better example of the driftwood literally floating for a full tank shot.










I think I like the L. Hippuridoides more than than the L. Aromatica. The colours seem to come out more.


Also, I'm glad the L. Cuba is finally showing up to the party. Can't tell from this pic but is starting to develop a red/orange tinge.

 

[FatPleco]

Too many cons with your current piece of wood. I'm in favor of taking it down, the fact that it's shedding pieces of itself is really a deal breaker for me.
To accomodate epiphytes while freeing some space, maybe something a bit smaller ? Would be cool to be able to add tall plants behind it.

 

[BranchScape]

As a last attempt. This could be a prime time to drill one hole in the wood towards it's center in an area that wont be visible. There might be a huge air pocket in its core. That said you already have such great plant growth and the tank is so plant forward, the wood might be a net negative.

 

[Aquajack]

Too many cons with your current piece of wood. I'm in favor of taking it down, the fact that it's shedding pieces of itself is really a deal breaker for me.
To accomodate epiphytes while freeing some space, maybe something a bit smaller ? Would be cool to be able to add tall plants behind it.

I think so too. I do have much smaller, skinnier pieces which would me much less intrusive and not really take up much space. So I might play around with something like that.

As a last attempt. This could be a prime time to drill one hole in the wood towards it's center in an area that wont be visible. There might be a huge air pocket in its core. That said you already have such great plant growth and the tank is so plant forward, the wood might be a net negative.

Yeh good point, never thought of an air pocket. It does take up a lot of room in any case and limits the areas I can plant. That's why I have stem plants in places they have no right to be lol.

 

[hamfist]

Lol, you have persevered so much longer with that wood than I would have !! However, its an interesting idea about drilling it. Certainly cutting a big hole out of the middle of it would make it much more interesting aesthetically too, and may of course also release trapped air.

 

[Beza]

I'd take the wood out as well, to me it doesn't look interesting enough to warrant all that space it is taking up. Though yeah, would be a pity to lose the MC growing so nicely, but if you have a (smaller) replacement at hand, I'd totally try that.

I have MC planted as epiphyte myself, but I am running way lower nutrients, and so it grows rather slowly. But at least it does grow.

Very nice looking tank btw!