75 gal. High Tech Planted Tank

[aznsushi41]

lowtech camera

[FishDevil789]

nice....makes my 50 gallon look suckish :P

[HookedOnFishing000]

what are the small circles of plant on the bottom what type?

[MriBackup]

Does riccia grow tall?

[igobyjoey]

What plants do best in medium light? substrate???

[Grak70]

@igobyjoey

There are lots of plants that do well in medium light. Crypts, sagittaria grasses, hygrophila, swords, glossostigma.

If you can find it, Christmas moss looks awesome. Just spread it out and let it form a mat on the bottom. Works great if you have a lot of rocks and wood; it will fill in the corners and give a full look.

Substrate is just garden soil. I strained out all the organic junk mixed into it. Then covered ~1.5 inches of the soil with ~1 inch of fluorite.

[stronglish]

lol small fish look like parasites in large tanks

[pappaellio]

I have gravel and DIY in my freshwater tank.

What do I need to grow Dwarf Baby Tears?

[ryan12381793]

@pappaellio u need LOTS of light, co2, and nutrients in both the water column and the substrate. generally with dwarf baby tears, the more light and co2 u have the better it grows

[zipperhead53]

This absolutely gorgeous. It's fun watching the neon's!

[metallicplatinum]

Ever had any algae problems with the high wattage?

[Grak70]

@metallicplatinum Very occasionally, if I don't pay attention to the tank, yes. Most important is to do water exchange frequently and to keep nutrient available for macro plants. As long as there is not a deficiency in any one macro nutrient (N, P, K, or CO2), algae will not get the upper hand.

[aquriamheat]

does your oto fish stay alive long?

[ProEmoGurl]

can't wait to see what it looks like filled in!

[Grak70]

I'm sorry to most recent commenter. I deleted your comment by accident. HC benefits from CO2 a great deal. Any source you use will help.

[d2jsp911]

are you using normal sand or substrate sand?

[Grak70]

My substrate is top soil (NOT mulch) that has been sifted to remove organic matter. I put about 1 inch of soil, then 1.5 inches of Fluorite on top. With this arrangement, there is no need to fertilize unless your plant has special needs.

[d2jsp911]

are you using Co2 tank or co2 by yeast+sugger? your tank look cool, how do you grow Baby Tears HC?

[Grak70]

I am using CO2 from a tank. I bubble about 2/sec and keep pH at 7.1. For Baby Tears HC, I recommend CO2 at this level and lots of light (<2.5W/gallon), 8-10hr/day.

[jordski123]

that big bushy plant in the right hand corner, is that diplis diandra, if so does it grow fast

[Grak70]

Yes, it is diplis. Grows respectably fast, maybe an inch or two a week with high light. If you get above ~3W/gal the pigmentation will change from green to red as well!

[Smokeondavidp69]

whats high tech about it?

[turbothunderst]

superb tank!, i really struggle to grow Hemianthus Callitrichoides , do you have any tips?

[Grak70]

Lots of CO2, separate the strands from the pots (do as I say, not as I do!). It spreads much better if you "unclump" it.

[DUHKK]

I have a question. The crystalwort. I know you planted it in different patches. When it grows, do you have to replant to the missing areas or does it just cover the whole aquarium bed on its own.

[Grak70]

Actually, the bunches on the substrate are dwarf baby tears. But crystalwort will spread easily. It is not a rooted plant though, so you will have to weight it down or it will float. The best strategy I've seen is to spread some over a thin piece of slate and wrap a hairnet around it.

[IntegraGSR5]

how many gallon is this and how many WPG, if u dont mind telling me

[Grak70]

75 gallon. 3.5W/gal.

[IntegraGSR5]

did u use a glass canopy on top ?

[Grak70]

No canopy.  It's open.

[amritsn1991]

what is your total wattage for the light reply please

[Grak70]

4x 65W = 260W. So about 3.5W/gal. I run lights for about 10 hr per day.