# The wow factor!



## white_roses90991 (Nov 6, 2009)

I just wanted to post some pictures of my tank. The lovely pink plant (rotala Rotundifolia AKA rotala indica) has grown this much in LESS THAN two months. Most of my lighting is natual, through the wonderfully large window behind the glass and we haven't really used much fertilizer. Once every water change, instead of following the directions.


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## Sweet Tee (Nov 24, 2009)

Wow! Most of that lighting is natural??? Amazing! It looks really nice!


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## WhiteGloveAquatics (Sep 3, 2009)

What is coming out of the bubble bar? Co2?


I dont use Co2 and use an air pump instead and have great growth. 

No algae issues with the tank in-front of the window?

Nice growth, natural lighting is best, carries more then what man can reproduce in a glass tube or ball.


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## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

nice setup.

Glad to see sunlight success after many flames years ago on another board.

did you use any organics like peat moss under the gravel?

Again nice tank.


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## WhiteGloveAquatics (Sep 3, 2009)

Bob, flames are just internet key peckers, the window thing has always been a hot debate, my 90g was infront of my window and in san diego the sun is strong, I had no algae or ill effect with the window, now I keep my tanks in a basement with no windows but you get the point, its just one of the many joys of these forums, others are always right and in their eyes you are always wrong. 

I get it on another forum ALOT. There is no such thing as experts in this hobby, not a single person can successfully use any proven method 100%, all tanks are different.


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## Sweet Tee (Nov 24, 2009)

Yeah, I'm starting to realize that there's no right or wrong way with aquarium setups, because everyone does it differently! It's a matter of figuring out what fits you and your fish/plants best.


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## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

+1


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## WhiteGloveAquatics (Sep 3, 2009)

Yep, Bobs method is not a common one and used mostly with advanced greenthumbs, the method he is following is fantasticly awesome I kinda wish I had the time to have a NPT like he does but I dont. His tank the water parameters with what substrate he uses is a very very good south american biotope start. I am not sure if he follows the Walsted method or not but he is close to it with what has been described. That Diana knows her crap about NPT's in and out and if you havnt read her book I suggest it.

Bob are you on aquaticplantcentral?


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## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

Right now I am on a chair.

Actually I have been using these methods since a read some articles in Freshwater and marine aquariums in 1979. So I guess I'm following the Robert Gasser method, The author of some of the articles. Including using the peat moss. I made a few minor operational changes but basically the same. Of course, I don't know all the ins an douts of how or why it works. And I am not published. 

That said I do think I am basically using the Diane Walsted method. But then it is quite possible for two people to independently arrive at the same or at least very similiar methods. But that doesn't mean she copied "my" methods. 

Don't think I'm on aquaticplantcentral.


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## white_roses90991 (Nov 6, 2009)

Sweet Tee: yes, most of it is natural lighting. There is a 40 watt bulb but pennywort and water sprite covers most of the surface. 

Whitedevil: It's just plain oxygen. That would be very neat though, to figure out how to co2 it up. and yes, there is a little bit of an algee problem, but it isn't bad.

beaslbob: thank you, i thought it was a little cluttered. We just used one bag of substrate on the whole 75 gallon tank.


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## WhiteGloveAquatics (Sep 3, 2009)

there are alot of NPT hobbyists on APC is why I asked. I will look up that name and see what I can drudge up, I enjoy a good read. 

Co2 would hook up the same way,WR. I noticed that too, plain air pump does bring Co2 into the tank via pumping air from the same air we breathe into the pump for pressurization then into the tank, I see you have the same results I do with o2, growth and alot of it. I trim every 3-4 days on my stem plants now. I didnt get nearly this much growth when I had 4 gallons of Co2 going on my tank DIY.


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## white_roses90991 (Nov 6, 2009)

I didn't even think Co2 would go in there through the air pump. I guess I never put two and two together. I guess I learned something new today. I am trying to grow out my rotala Rotundifolia to a foreground plant, so I am trying not to trim, but I have been tempted. :S I'll trim soon and hopefully have some to offer up on here. I'll give it one more month, before I am ready to trim. I bet by then it would be up to the surface.


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## WhiteGloveAquatics (Sep 3, 2009)

Ive been doing alot of Co2 dosing research lately cause all I need to pressurize is a Co2 fill and a valve. I found that air pumps pump in the same air we breathe, figure hey its saturated with Co2 and then I started watching the plants, they grew fuller and alot greener since using the O2 pump.

every week I am at the surface, its never ending but glad I got tanks to transplant to for safe keeping till I destroy or RAOK or sell.


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## Dmaaaaax (Nov 20, 2008)

Keep in mind as your plants begin to grow in fuller, they will require more nutrients. Look for thinning leaves, loss of color, or melting. If you start to see this, increase your plant tabs or whatever you are using.

Most of a natural tank's CO2 will be coming from water changes. Air pumps actually lower CO2 due to bubbling and loss of CO2 through surface tension. Any CO2 you are adding with an air pump is comming right out, however, remember that at night, a plant needs O2 and releases CO2 so maybe your tanks just needed more O2 or better water flow.

If you have a real CO2 setup you see this on a daily basis. As your water level goes down due to evaporation (especially in the winter months) and your filter splashes the surface more, your pH does not go as low as normal because the CO2 is lost from all the surface tension. I have to add a pitcher a day to keep my CO2/pH ideal.


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