Riparium for species catfish display - Page 3 - APE - Aquatic Plant Enthusiasts

dewalltheway · 01-04-2010, 09:11 AM

Looks nice Devin! I am doing the same thing with the painted background of the 20 gal I am doing. Where did you get your rocks?

hydrophyte · 01-06-2010, 11:41 PM

I have a quick update from tonight. My centerpiece plant, the lone Cyrtosperma johnstonii, is still growing and looking healthy--I wondered if this environment would be suitable for it. Here it is with a new leaf slowly unfurling.

The leaves have such strange colors and patterns--they look prehistoric to me.

The petioles are also growing more spiny as the leaves get larger, but the spines are soft. Here is a view of the petiole up close.

This plant will eventually grow too large for this enclosure, but it is growing slowly so I hope that i will be able to keep it here for some time more.

hydrophyte · 01-06-2010, 11:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dewalltheway

Looks nice Devin! I am doing the same thing with the painted background of the 20 gal I am doing. Where did you get your rocks?

Those rocks are a combination of rounded river rocks that I found through several hours of searching, and a couple of "split fieldstones" that I purchased at a local stone & mortar yard. The fieldstones are the largest rocks that look as though they are deeply-buried in the substrate. They were cleaved right in half and I believe that they are mortared up to create stone walls and hearths.

hydrophyte · 01-08-2010, 07:10 PM

Here is a quick shot from today.

Algae is growing on the rocks, which I sort of like. The fish like it too. The tan wall is imparting that yellow tinge to everything. I think that I will paint the wall white for the sake of picture-taking.

hydrophyte · 01-18-2010, 10:19 PM

Hey is anybody out there? This sub-forum has been kind of sleepy the last coupe of days.

AquaZilla · 01-18-2010, 10:21 PM

Its looking really nice hydro. Is that a sword plant on the far right?

hydrophyte · 01-18-2010, 10:46 PM

Hi Orlando I hope that you had a nice weekend. Yes that is a Echinodorus cordifolius 'Tropica Marble Queen'. It is a real nice plant for this. The size and shape are perfect and it also grows not-too-fast. The white variegation is pleasant too.

AquaZilla · 01-18-2010, 11:02 PM

Nice, what are the humidity levels like for these plants?Is there a specific level you target?

hydrophyte · 01-18-2010, 11:29 PM

The plants in this tank can all handle dryer air, and probably do better with more air circulation. Depending upon the temperature outside, our house varies from 30-50% relative humidity during the winter. While the water probably makes a somewhat more moist microclimate around the plants, the water level is high so it's mostly just the regular room air swirling around the foliage.

Emersed swordplants grow best with somewhat drier air. If the air is too moist they will react as if underwater and develop immersed-form leaves, which don't grow right out of the water.

sajata · 01-19-2010, 10:55 AM

hydro, what camera do you have, specifically?
you may not need to paint the wall.

01-04-2010, 09:11 AM	#21 (permalink)
dewalltheway Almost Guru Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 140	Looks nice Devin! I am doing the same thing with the painted background of the 20 gal I am doing. Where did you get your rocks? __________________ Journals: Tranquility ~~ Restful Hideaway Visit ~~ *Riparium Suppy* ~~ For all your Riparium Needs

01-06-2010, 11:41 PM	#22 (permalink)
hydrophyte Planted Tank Guru Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Madison, WI Posts: 448	I have a quick update from tonight. My centerpiece plant, the lone Cyrtosperma johnstonii, is still growing and looking healthy--I wondered if this environment would be suitable for it. Here it is with a new leaf slowly unfurling. The leaves have such strange colors and patterns--they look prehistoric to me. The petioles are also growing more spiny as the leaves get larger, but the spines are soft. Here is a view of the petiole up close. This plant will eventually grow too large for this enclosure, but it is growing slowly so I hope that i will be able to keep it here for some time more. __________________ Hydrophyte

01-08-2010, 07:10 PM	#24 (permalink)
hydrophyte Planted Tank Guru Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Madison, WI Posts: 448	Here is a quick shot from today. Algae is growing on the rocks, which I sort of like. The fish like it too. The tan wall is imparting that yellow tinge to everything. I think that I will paint the wall white for the sake of picture-taking. __________________ Hydrophyte

01-18-2010, 10:19 PM	#25 (permalink)
hydrophyte Planted Tank Guru Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Madison, WI Posts: 448	Hey is anybody out there? This sub-forum has been kind of sleepy the last coupe of days. __________________ Hydrophyte

01-18-2010, 10:21 PM	#26 (permalink)
AquaZilla Administrator Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 2,736	Its looking really nice hydro. Is that a sword plant on the far right? __________________ The Planted Aquarium Blog

01-18-2010, 10:46 PM	#27 (permalink)
hydrophyte Planted Tank Guru Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Madison, WI Posts: 448	Hi Orlando I hope that you had a nice weekend. Yes that is a Echinodorus cordifolius 'Tropica Marble Queen'. It is a real nice plant for this. The size and shape are perfect and it also grows not-too-fast. The white variegation is pleasant too. __________________ Hydrophyte

01-18-2010, 11:02 PM	#28 (permalink)
AquaZilla Administrator Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 2,736	Nice, what are the humidity levels like for these plants?Is there a specific level you target? __________________ The Planted Aquarium Blog

01-18-2010, 11:29 PM	#29 (permalink)
hydrophyte Planted Tank Guru Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Madison, WI Posts: 448	The plants in this tank can all handle dryer air, and probably do better with more air circulation. Depending upon the temperature outside, our house varies from 30-50% relative humidity during the winter. While the water probably makes a somewhat more moist microclimate around the plants, the water level is high so it's mostly just the regular room air swirling around the foliage. Emersed swordplants grow best with somewhat drier air. If the air is too moist they will react as if underwater and develop immersed-form leaves, which don't grow right out of the water. __________________ Hydrophyte

01-19-2010, 10:55 AM	#30 (permalink)
sajata Planted Tank Guru Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Chester Springs PA Posts: 344	hydro, what camera do you have, specifically? you may not need to paint the wall.

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