6g CBS and rasbora tank

[LooksLater]

Here's the new 6g bowfront. We've got 5 CBS and about a dozen chili rasboras in here, and one lone pencil fish.
pH is about 6.0 and temp is around 76. Forgive the pics, bowfronts are so hard to get good shots of!



Finally got my tree water logged, wrapped and up! The fissidens is looking a little unhappy, I was/am fighting green slime algae and have lowered the excel dosage, we'll see if it'll pull out of it. Aside from that, I love it. The CBS love it too, they are always hanging out on the tree.







So what do you all think, scape wise? I know the heater is an eyesore, the internal filter as well...they'll get upgraded eventually. Aside from that...any suggestions?

[HiepSTA]

looking good sasha! the plants will hide the internal filter, i say ditch the heater, 76 is good for the tank, colder is better, i dont think it will go under 72 which would be perfect for the cbs, with all the stories i read about heater malfunctions boiling people's shrimps and fish, i would just take the heater out, its more trouble than its worth, try without the heater and if it goes under 70 then put it back in, if not, then leave it out

[HiepSTA]

oh another tip is to trim the fissidens super short, cutting will promote new growth, and allow more light for the moss near the wood to grow and attach to the wood better. take your trimmings and tie it to something else, or throw it in a bucket/bowl/vase and leave it outside to grow so you have more fissidens to sell or tie to other stuff.

and scape-wise i think it would look nice to move the base of the tree more to the right and point it leaning to the left rather than leaning to the back of the tank, kind of like an overhang over the middle of the tank

[LooksLater]

Thanks! Not a bad suggestion, the heater is not adjustable anyway and seems to just bump it up a few degrees. I'll try that...good to know that they can take temps that low, thanks...the heater was mostly for them! The rasboras should be fine in low 70's, also.

[LooksLater]

oh another tip is to trim the fissidens super short, cutting will promote new growth, and allow more light for the moss near the wood to grow and attach to the wood better. take your trimmings and tie it to something else, or throw it in a bucket/bowl/vase and leave it outside to grow so you have more fissidens to sell or tie to other stuff.

and scape-wise i think it would look nice to move the base of the tree more to the right and point it leaning to the left rather than leaning to the back of the tank, kind of like an overhang over the middle of the tank

Right on, I'll do that. The longest ends are what's trying to brown anyway so that kills 2 birds.
And I might try a lean, I wanted the negative space in the middle, but it's almost TOO negative and I can't figure out why it's bothering me....maybe that'll help.

[aquabee]

Wow! Lotsa new tanks! :) Love the tree. How about having the tree growing out of a pile of pebbles/rough small rocks?

[eklikewhoa]

Very nice CBS! I think they don't get enough attention but are so much nicer looking than CRS!

I agree with Hiep, would also ditch the stems and sword and move the japonica probably behind the tree

[HiepSTA]

i think the japonica would look cool growing around or in front of the base of the tree, behind the tree wont get enough light and they are already looking like they could use more light

[eklikewhoa]

I was thinking in front as well but if there isn't enough lighting to suppress it then it will over power the tree and dwarf it.

[LooksLater]

Wow! Lotsa new tanks! :) Love the tree. How about having the tree growing out of a pile of pebbles/rough small rocks?

Thanks! That was my 1st instinct but I am trying to avoid rocks in this tank for the sake of keeping TDS low. I started doing some research and if I can find the right rock, it won't be a problem
but I want to be sure.

Very nice CBS! I think they don't get enough attention but are so much nicer looking than CRS!

I agree with Hiep, would also ditch the stems and sword and move the japonica probably behind the tree

I agree, I like the look of CBS so much better. Probably going to ditch the red melon, and thinking about swapping the stem for something smaller...they are both throwing off the scale of the tree, I think. I like the japonica where it is, though. Sort of 'swamp tree on a hill, running down to marsh' thing going, I'm digging it.

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[HiepSTA]

i had this in mind

[LooksLater]

i think the japonica would look cool growing around or in front of the base of the tree, behind the tree wont get enough light and they are already looking like they could use more light

That too. Keeping it exposed will help me nurse it back.Some of it came from my ebi where it wasn't getting enough light, the rest got a little too much down time in a bag before rehoming...then it got moved here, where the GS algae keeps trying to bury it. Sigh.

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[LooksLater]

Awesome, I see what you mean!

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[LooksLater]

Maybe microsword in front of it, so the short-azz trunk doesn't get buried too badly?

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[Totenkampf]

cool shrimp! my fissidens is starting slowly too, it didnt brown but is slow to start new growth. i have been increasing excel dosing slowly to see if this sparks it. its just draped in there now until i decide that i like it, but i think that i will do as heip suggests and tie it down thinly. i have decided that i like the leaf like structure far more than the other mosses, although i will find some place for the flame, willow and peacock that i was also trying...they are cool in their own right.

i have tried stem plants around my tree and they dont balance right, i think u have to have something really small in scale for that to work. i have been propagating micro val for this from a single plant so i may try that this weekend to hide the filter intake. rotala nanjenshen might be one to try, that is another one that i am trying to propagate from a couple stems. i agree that b.japonica would look good as bushes around the base of the stump. i am trying DHG, crypt 'lucens', and crypt parva for groundcover right now until i see which one that i like the best. if you try microsword, you may want to look for lileaopsis mauritiana since it is reported to be tolerant of shaded areas and has a more rounded, thinner scale leaf. i have been looking for some myself.

i would ditch the heater until we have our two weeks of winter here, i havent used them in a long time since i had one fail open once.

what are your thoughts on the britewell substrate? what size is that?