Some pictures of my tanks..

[ChloroPhil]

1. 20 gallon (high) Sri Lanka Highland biotope.

Lighting: 36w PC Fluorescent lighting, 1.8 w/g
Flourite substrate
pH 6.3
KH: 1
CO2: Pressurized Canister
Filtration: RUGF with sponge pre-filter
Fertilizer: .5mL KNO3 solution and .25mL Potassium + Trace solution 1x/day

Plants:
Cryptocoryne walkeri (large)
Cryptocoryne parva (small)
Cladophora algae on wood, cork, and some gravel

Fish:
Cherry Barbs
Banded Mountain Loaches
Ottocinclus affinis (the only small algae eater I could get)
Amano Shrimp

[ChloroPhil]

90g Planted Display Tank: My "Impressionist" work.

It's currently fighting a war against Green Water algae due to high ambient light in my small apartment. The only place it could go was near the balcony door... Learn from my experience...always put a planted tank where you can control the lighting as absolutely as possible.


Lighting: 2x 96watt and 2x 55watt PC Fluorescent lighting, 3.4w/g
*I've recently reduced this to 206w, 2.29 w/g to see if I can stimulate better vertical growth in the stem plants.
Substrate: Sand/Laterite base under Shultz Aquatic Plant Soil
pH: 6.2-6.4
kH: 2
CO2: Pressurized Canister
Filtration: DIY Wet/Dry
Fertilizer: 3/4tsp KNO3 3x/week, 1 tsp K2SO4 2x/week, 10 mL PO4 solution 1-2x/week, 1-3 mL trace solution 1-2x/week. Liquid doses vary on the condition of the plants at the time.

Plants:
Anubias nana
Anubias coffeefolia
Eustralis stellata
Mayaca fluviatalis
Bacopa caroliniana
Echinodorus tenellus
Echinodorus parviflorus v. tropica
Ludwigia repens
Ludwigia brevis
Ludwigia arculata
Ludwigia glandulosa
Rotala rotundifolia (indica)
Cryptocoryne walkeri
Cryptocoryne spiralis
Hygrophila difformis
Hygrophila stricta
Hygrophila polysperma
Alternathera reineckii "roseafolia"

Fish:
Siamese Algae Eaters
Ottocinclus affinis
Rasbora heteromorpha
Pseudosphromenus dayii

[ChloroPhil]

5.5g Anubias Tank

Lighting: 14w Normal Output Fluorescent, 2.54 w/g
Substrate: Laterite, Flourite, Gravel mix
pH: 6.8
KH: 2
CO2: Flourish Excel
Filtration: Whisper Jr. set on low
Fertilizer: Mix of Flourish Excel, Traces, KNO3, and K2SO4 as needed.

Plants:
Anubias barteri v. nana

Fish:
None yet. It will house a single Spike Tailed Paradise fish and probably a group of Khuli loahes or Pygmy Cories.

[ChloroPhil]

5.5 Cherry Barb Breeding Tank:

Lighting: 13w PC Fluorescent lighting, 2.36 w/g
Substrate: Laterite/Flourite mix under silica sand
pH: 6.8
KH: 2
CO2: None
Filtration: AquaClear Mini
Fertilizer: None other than what the fish provide.

Notes: This tank is also my only tank to not receive Carbon supplimentation, either through liquid or compressed gas. I haven't changed the filter in months and don't change the water unless I want to induce spawning and then it's usually just topping off evaporated water with some cooler stuff straight from the tap. Algae is limited to brown diatoms on the glass which hasn't grown back from the last time I scraped it.


Plants:
Cryptocoryne parva
Lillaeposis brasiliensis
Myriophillum spp.

Fish:
Cherry Barbs
1 lonely danio fry which showed up one day in a cutting bucket. I have no idea where it came from as I haven't had danios in years.

[Ralph]

Wow
It's a natural inclination to want to pick a favorite, but I can't.
I have an affinity to biotopes so I really like the Sri Lankan Tank. But I also like simple things like the Anubias Tank, it has a zen look to it. I'm a big fan of driftwood too so I'd be proud to own a tank like the Barb breeder. And the 90 gal reminds me of the dutch style tank, I even like the algae, that's what water actually looks like in the "wild." My guess is that the fish like it too.
I'm glad that you post here. I have a lot of respect for your strong scientific approach to fish keeping, or should I say, plant keeping. And anybody that can get Lilaeopsis to grow has my respect.
Great job.
Where do you buy your plants?

[ChloroPhil]

I get most of my plants from friends or at an LFS where I'm a regular. If I'm out on a trip I usually try to check out a store and see if they have good plants, and if so, I'll get one or two. If you're close to the West Coast Robert at www.aquabotanic.com has some really good stuff. Unfortunately it hasn't shipped well out to Charlotte unless it's a hardy plant to begin with.

Funny thing Ralph, the 90 has been cloudy for so long that for the time after I redid it and it was clear I didn't recognize it! The cloud also helps to obscure small defects in the aquascape design so it looks better than it really is. I've recently done a complete overhaul of the design, keeping only the Eusteralis in the same place as it makes a very good focal point.

[dm]

Nice tanks Bio, very impressive. Do you have any Discus?

[ChloroPhil]

Not yet...that's why I'm here. I want to make sure everything I learned all those years ago about discus still applies. I should be getting a pair soon. Once they're rehabilitated and have grown out they're going in the Impressionist tank.

[arpanlib]

hi,
lovely planted tank you got there.

i really like them.

arpanlib