my new MONSTERS to be: Black Mangroves...

[cornbread_5]

did u make those containers yourself and what are you using as substrate for the planters

 

[hydrophyte]

Wow I missed this update from a few days ago. Those plants are looking great!

Just wait till those leather ferns really get going. You will be amazed.

Lets get to it...

The unkept JUNGLE:

I was missing my palm this morning... Oop, there it is:

My MASSIVE bucket of Bacopa trimmings:

After I went thru with the weedwacker (and rearranged a lil):

Now, the GROWTH!

My "original" big grower (was ~10.5cm at last update):

The NEW big grower (came outta nowhere!):

And dwindling down from there, but still healthy:

And the runt (looks like the first 2 attempted shoots were stunted by something, I hope #3 makes it and this makes for a unique plant):

Thanks for watching and stay tuned for next time...

 

[MaddMaxx]

did u make those containers yourself and what are you using as substrate for the planters

I got everything (planters/substrate/plants) from - http://ripariumsupply.com/?page_id=4

The seller is a member here, Hydrophyte, and he's a great guy with tons of knowledge so if you hit him up I'm sure he'll help you out.

 

[MaddMaxx]

Wow I missed this update from a few days ago. Those plants are looking great!

Just wait till those leather ferns really get going. You will be amazed.

Thanks Hydro, I love watching the ferns uncurl... Also that rainforrest lily(?) sprouted and bloomed with the quickness!

Thanks!

 

[JamesF]

Nice flower! Is that a spider lily?

 

[kamikaziechameleon]

great thread!

 

[pshtex]

i really want to start using plants as another step in my filtration but am hesitant to do so cause if i do i wrong again then i will end up with dead plants and bad water. but ur tank looks great.

 

[kevinfleming21]

awesome progress!!!!

 

[MaddMaxx]

Nice flower! Is that a spider lily?

Thanks, I can't remember but that sound right... Hydro sent it to me and told me what it was, I really should know what it is...

great thread!

Thanks!

i really want to start using plants as another step in my filtration but am hesitant to do so cause if i do i wrong again then i will end up with dead plants and bad water. but ur tank looks great.

You totally should! As long as you take your time and do a little research you'd be fine. All of these plants are very hardy and take little care, just water and lots of light really.

awesome progress!!!!

Thanks man!

 

[MaddMaxx]

So I finally took the first step in trying to "bonsai" these mangroves... Really I just pinched the to shoot/leaves on a few to test it out:

Some of the others I pinched:

And my tallboy:

In theory this should force them to push out new shoots lower on the trunk and eventually I can start training/shaping the plants. But I'm actually pretty nervous since I've heard horror stories about people's mangroves dying just from moving them...

Here's to hoping!