A stroll by the reservoir

My recent assignment in work place was extremely stressful, causing a slight high blood pressure.  Doctor advised me to do more exercise and learn to relax.  I thought of a sanctuary not too far from home.  It is one place that I felt very rejuvenating and refreshing because menthol get released gradually from some unknown trees in  the middle of thoes forest...

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Probably it was the after-rain effect, the atmosphere was cool with slight breeze. Nothing beat having a camera on hand and taking a slow walk by the water bank.

Here are some photos of plants that love having wet feet.

This reminds me of an an aqua plants (Proserpinaca Palutris - Mermaid Weed). They look alike and this one has purple flower.

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They are weediing everywhere.

Hornwort at juvenile stage (emersed stage)

Growing longer

 

Finally submersed in water











Can be quite intrusive in the half-shaded area of the forested pond










Pennywort?

Crawling its way into the water

Clover?

Various baby shrubs and ferns

 

Cute fern with orange tone, reminds me of my african Bolbitis in the aquarium.











Baby pilea

Is this fissiden or moss? The leaves resemble those of fissiden.

Eleocharis

At the above spot where I stood, I saw several interesting woodbrush (2 ft long by 1.5feet H), fallen from the trees above,

This place look sad and very unlike it once was 10 years ago when it was still full of different flourishing flora, and natural mini waterfall with fishes swimming beneath the shallow pond. Now the place look broken and dull.

Admiring some of the common shrub flowers along the reservoir

Eco garden to educate public how rain water is collected, filtered through the ground and recycled into the pond naturally. The fishes (mostly cichlid) are happy no less.

Will update more if I venture deeper into the forest...someday.

2 feet Nano tank (Desert to Forest)

Non fuss nano setup under the following specs.

Tank: 60cm x 28cm H x 23cm w
Material:  River gravel, dragon rocks (inert)
Wood: 2 small bogwoods
Flora:
Needle fern,
cryptocoryne
Java fern (main theme)
Windelov (main theme
Mini Nana
Other loose ground plants to experiment

Equipment:  Eden 501, Fan
Light: T5HO 24w x 2 (switiched on 1 tube only)

Transformation within a span of 9 months (since November 2012)

The Java moss has never been so beautiful in natural canopy shape, no trimming is needed at this moment because it  has grown thicker rather than longer..

The above tank is also based on (Diana Walstad) method using natural Fishes' waste as fertilizer for plants.

A simple fantasy

2 feet low tech tank - Update

Updating my multi-purpose low tech set-up, to explore different possible method of growing my beloved low-tech  plants - African fern, mini nana, narrow leaf fern, cryptocoryne, bucephalandra..etc

Aquarium specs:
2 ft by 1.5 x 1.5
Fan
T5HO 2 X 24w (usually switched on a single tube only)
Eheim 2213 (wash twice a year)
Air pump (to get rid of protein film on water surface)
GEX soil (for plants/Shrimps)
River Gravel & rocks (Inert) - rocky scape
Small loose Driftwoods and bogwood - scattered inside  planted areas
Fertiliser - Nil
CO2 kit - Nil
Chiller - Nil
Test Kit - Nil

EMERSED SCAPE
Trying to bloom couple of flowering aqua plants without submerging them in water.

ROCKY SCAPE
This rocky corner of my tank is fit for more acquisition of bucephalandra flora in future.

FlOATING SCAPE
Made out of wire in my previous post, this floating scape add space to cultivate some narrow ferns and mini nana and serves as parasol for shy creatures like Amano shrimps and dozen of  Boraras Brigittae.

OPEN SPACE
"Empty" area is an important part of any form of my aquarium scapes. The concept is to draw aquarium creatures into the open, during feeding, and "take stock" of their existence.  It was like paying  a visit to the zoo, and not to expect animals hidden behind bushes.

It has been more than 2 years since I started the above tank, the concept has never changed. I am too lazy to change what I have already set out to do initially and happy with minor tweaking as long as my plants remain healthy and growing under Diana Walstad's concept of keeping an aquarium

Will showcase my 2nd "ecology:" low-tech nano tank in subsequent post.

Aquarium Emersed plants project

I have been wanting to do this emersed aqua planting project a long time ago from an under utililised breeding box.   The concept rekindled yesterday when I saw varous beautiful emersed aqua plants on display at SV.  Thus I bought the basic to start off another project..

800g GEX plants/shrimps soil
Breeding box
2 different flowering plants (Hygrophila sp "Araguaia" and Proserpinaca Palustris (Mermaid Weed)

I filled up 90% of the breeding box with GEX soil to create depth for the roots. Submersed the box slightly below water surface to avoid water clogging and thus became unncessary breeding ground for mosquito. Fully submersed box also creates new playground for fishes/shrimps which in turn add fertlisers to the soil. Thus you see the dual purposes there.

Final result for further monitoring. The plants are now closely exposed to my T5HO light. I have added a few drops of green liquid fertliser to the soil too.

*finger crossed* Anyone tried this method with good result?

Floating Garden inside my tank

You think you have no land space in your aquarium?  Make one with a small wire mesh, two mini suction cups and any low tech plants of your choice:-

Bend a small rentangular mesh wire and superglue two suction cups to hold them to your tank wall.
Back

Front
I sew Java Moss and mini nanas onto the wire (both hardy plants).

Side View 

Mount them on the tank

Bucephlandra (Various specimens)

The beauty of Borneo Native Plants is here. I acquired these rare plants thru AQ forum's friend. These will be my initial "experiment pieces"  for my low tech tank.

Another Unidentified plant

I have this plant awaiting identification.  Apparently it has "star dust" effect on its leaves and quite similar to the characteristic displayed by Bucephalandra. LFS's vendor told me it will turn red with enough dose of  iron fertiliser and is meant to be rooted...hmm  Here are pics for closer look, hope anyone can tell me what it is.  I strongly hope it is another Bucephalandra specimen.

 All ready to go into my tank

Done and hope for the best outcome in times to come
They are strategically placed under my ehiem's outflow rainbar, to mimick their natural habitat under the flowing river - research via Youtube.

UPDATED 14 JUNE 2013
Almost all my Bucephlandra send out new shoots.

Not as difficult as many thought they were, my green fingers at work again or was it my SEACHEM EXCEL that performed miracle?

Update: 08 March 2014
Looking good with many new shoots..