# Some Of My Old Tank Pics



## DiPpY eGgS

Hi
I was going through my old pictures and thought I would re-post some of them, to share with some of you planted piranha tank lovers.
I had a compressus and a rhom in most of these tanks.

Hope you enjoy!

I had to sell my rhom last week, because I only have a 75g, and he was getting quite large.. (got him 3 years ago @ 3")
His new home is a 180g, and I'm very happy for him.
Sooo.. My wife wanted a change from piranhas.. She likes angelfish, and I kind of don't, so I got her the 2nd coolest angelfish I could find, the wild Peruvian P. scalare(or false Altum tiny nickel sized ones)


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## CLUSTER ONE

Looks great as always. I've always liked your tanks.


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## DiPpY eGgS

Thanks a lot.

The last 2 shots are of my current, freshly planted aquarium. I should be updating the site on that tanks progress.

The angels are tiny lol


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## Piranha-Freak101

What a nice tank ! I always wish to have a tank like that someday !


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## Guest

Nice tanks and fish


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## Mr. Hannibal

Some of the best planted tanks i've ever seen...


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## Guest

really quick question.... I love your tanks..... and wanted omething similiar... but how do you gravel vac???









sorry for derailing thread


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## DiPpY eGgS

Thank you Piranha-freak, c_granger, and traveller, 
Mr. Hannibal, those comments keep me going!

granger, the substrate commonly used in planted aquaria is usually very small grained.
Detritus, and other waste material can't get trapped under it too easily, therefore you just simply skim the surface of the gravel, or just go over the plants, and you are done.

In a massive clump of plants, I just get where I can without disturbing the plants, and it's fine.
It ends up being consumed by the plants anyway. lol


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## Guest

Dippy Eggs, in the 6th pic, what is the plant in the center foreground ?
ps. I like that pearling pic







, I haven't had any luck getting any tanks to pearl yet.


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## DiPpY eGgS

Traveller said:


> Dippy Eggs, in the 6th pic, what is the plant in the center foreground ?
> ps. I like that pearling pic
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> , I haven't had any luck getting any tanks to pearl yet.


I'm guessing you mean the crawling plant, center foreground?
If so, that is Rotala mexicana 'Goias'

But if you are referring to the stem plant in the center, that is Ludwigia inclinata var. verticillata 'Pantanal'

The pearling plant is Ludwigia inclinata var. verticillata 'Cuba'
Pearling usually only happens when you use higher light, and CO2. It is a result of your water being 'super-saturated' with oxygen from your plants exhaling.
O2 has no where to go but simply forming bubbles on the underside of the leaves.


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## Piranha-Freak101

those were some lucky fish!.... how long did it take you to grow out all the plants in the 8th pic


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## DiPpY eGgS

piranha-freak101 said:


> those were some lucky fish!.... how long did it take you to grow out all the plants in the 8th pic


Thanks!

If you mean the tank with the lighter green Hemianthus micranthemoides, spreading from taller on the left to the open, shorter expanse on the right, not very long, just about 3 months.

I have the before pics too, it was silly how fast it grew. I used the 'burst' method of lighting in that tank.
I believe it was a 10 hr cycle, 2 hrs of 110w PC, then 6 hrs CO2 and 220w, and finally 2 hrs of the other 110w PC.
Everything grew tremendously well in that tank.


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## caribemob

In picture 9 , buddy I always wanted a grass like planted tank, so what is that actually called? and also all my tanks have normal size gravel only a inch high, so Can I still do those plants?


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## e46markus

Your tanks look awesome man, puts my tank to shame haha. My plants stay alive but I can never grow out plants like that (probably due to no c02 induction).

Any recommendation for a carpeting foreground plant similar to what you have in the first 2 pics. Tank is 40G long, 48" 54w HO (1 bulb), flourite substrate, no c02. Hope you don't mind me asking...just seems like you know your stuff.


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## DiPpY eGgS

caribemob said:


> In picture 9 , buddy I always wanted a grass like planted tank, so what is that actually called? and also all my tanks have normal size gravel only a inch high, so Can I still do those plants?


In pic 9, that is an awesome plant called _Hemianthus micranthemoides_. It is an easy plant to grow, however it doesn't grow so thick and lush without at least medium light, and CO2.
That is how it was grown in that tank, although I also had a 'burst' of higher lighting for a few hrs during the day.
But it will grow in lower light. there will be more stem, and less leaves.
(I'm assuming that you are talking about the lower bright green plant?)

Normal gravel will work, but again, I use planted aquarium gravel for best results.

It WILL grow, but not exactly like that. 
Hope that helped! 
Feel free to ask more q's in the plant forum, or even here!


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## DiPpY eGgS

e46markus said:


> Your tanks look awesome man, puts my tank to shame haha. My plants stay alive but I can never grow out plants like that (probably due to no c02 induction).
> 
> Any recommendation for a carpeting foreground plant similar to what you have in the first 2 pics. Tank is 40G long, 48" 54w HO (1 bulb), flourite substrate, no c02. Hope you don't mind me asking...just seems like you know your stuff.


So glad you like the tanks!

I worked very hard on my tanks for a long time to be able to do that. I asked a lot of questions, and failed miserably in the process, but I kept going lol

The plant you are referring to is _Eleocharis acicularis_, or dwarf hairgrass.
I think if you picked up a few pots of the stuff, and planted it, it would grow, but in lower light it grows very slowly.
And when you plant it, you want to make little plugs out of it. (about 5-10 leaves per plug.)
Just make sure you are very observant, and very patient, and it should eventually grow out. 
If it starts to die on you, then you know you need a bit more light, which would mean CO2.

I personally never grew the stuff with lower light, but know ppl who have, and they had success.
It depends on a lot of factors. Having oodles of plants in an aquarium only helps things along, especially if you are starting a new tank.

Hope that helped


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## BRUNER247

Stunning tanks!I'm jealous.


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## DiPpY eGgS

BRUNER247 said:


> Stunning tanks!I'm jealous.


Thanks, but don't be jealous!

If I can learn how, anyone can...

It takes time, money, patience, + trial and error. If you can handle that, you can do it!


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## caribemob

DiPpY eGgS said:


> In picture 9 , buddy I always wanted a grass like planted tank, so what is that actually called? and also all my tanks have normal size gravel only a inch high, so Can I still do those plants?


In pic 9, that is an awesome plant called _Hemianthus micranthemoides_. It is an easy plant to grow, however it doesn't grow so thick and lush without at least medium light, and CO2.
That is how it was grown in that tank, although I also had a 'burst' of higher lighting for a few hrs during the day.
But it will grow in lower light. there will be more stem, and less leaves.
(I'm assuming that you are talking about the lower bright green plant?)

Normal gravel will work, but again, I use planted aquarium gravel for best results.

It WILL grow, but not exactly like that. 
Hope that helped! 
Feel free to ask more q's in the plant forum, or even here!
[/quote]
what other type of grass can you grow in the aquarium


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## DiPpY eGgS

caribemob said:


> what other type of grass can you grow in the aquarium


In high lighting? Any aquatic grass, you have to make sure that it's aquatic, not to state the obvious.

In medium light, some types of 'grass' you might want to grow are:_Blyxa japonica, Cyperus helferi, Eleocharis acicularis, Helanthium tenellum, Lilaeopsis brasiliensis, Sagittaria subulata_

I think Jungle Vals can be grown in low light if I'm not mistaken.


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## His Majesty

those are some gorgeous planted setups Dippy


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## DiPpY eGgS

Thanks a lot.

I got the itch to do a few more tanks.. lol


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## caribemob

DiPpY eGgS said:


> what other type of grass can you grow in the aquarium


In high lighting? Any aquatic grass, you have to make sure that it's aquatic, not to state the obvious.

In medium light, some types of 'grass' you might want to grow are:_Blyxa japonica, Cyperus helferi, Eleocharis acicularis, Helanthium tenellum, Lilaeopsis brasiliensis, Sagittaria subulata_

I think Jungle Vals can be grown in low light if I'm not mistaken.
[/quote]
hey bud wanted to know what that moss like stuff is on the substrate bro, it looks like golf coarse grass, I love it, its in picture the 5 from the bottom with the sanchezi


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## Soul Assassin

Wow, great scaping and fish. I'm glad I came to troll the plant section, lol.


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## DiPpY eGgS

caribemob said:


> Wow, great scaping and fish. I'm glad I came to troll the plant section, lol.


Hey man, you are welcome to troll here anytime!! And thanks so much for the encouraging remarks!


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## 65galhex

Wow. Awesome looking tanks Dippy. I have never been able to maintain a good looking planted tank setup for an extended period of time. Amazing man.


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## DiPpY eGgS

Give it a shot, and the staff and friends here will make sure your effort bears fruit!!


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