Kinda redid my mac tank the other day.So heres a journal on the build

Size:25 US gallons
Substrate:Mix of playsand,eco complete and several types of inert gravel,capped with caribsea super naturals voodoo river,because i like the look.
Plants:Amazon sword X2
Willow Hygro
Sunset Hygro
Crypt (unknown type)
Val?
Rotala something(hehe)think its rotundifolia but mine doesnt follow pics too well
Java fers,wendelov and regular
java moss
dwarf lily
duckweed
Decor:Driftwood
Flitration:Marineland magnum 360 AKA Overkill
Lighting:two 15 watt strips,aquarium lights,will switch to daylight and a 20 watt T5 daylight
Ferts:DIY CO2,glass difuser,and EI dosing

Livestock:Betta Macrostoma X3

Pics!
Before:


After:


OK so plans on this thing.I want the willow hygro to cover the right side and the sunset to cover the left.I am in need of a nice carpeting plant,i want something easy to grow,and grass like.I saw someone on another forum had something,it wasnt dwarf hairgrass,but was a little taller.It was an excellent carpet plant easy to grow under many different lights.

SO anyhow,thoughts,comments,suggestions,flames what have you.

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I think it looks great so far. Just wondering though, some of your plants listed, I think will need higher lighting than what you have.

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J-Pond
http://j-pond.myminicity.com/

please click on the egg/baby to help it grow:

Thanks!Yeah i am hoping to get a single light with two to four bulbs.It gets 50 watts for most part of the day and the plants seem to grow well with it.I would like to see faster growth but i dont get algae and with the ferts they seem to not be deprived anything.I was worried about the rotalas but they do well.I want some carpeting plants.maybe micro swords or something similiar.

I need to get another pic,it has grown in a little since the last pic.The willow hygro is growing pretty fast.The sunset hygro,is not getting the red.Its strange because i have more light in this tank and its not getting the red or orange hue,yet in the 29,with stock light,it seems to be growing better.The rotala is growing a little as well.

There is a long slender plant,which i am not sure what it is.Its one leaf,lol.I was told it was a crypt but ive not seen any long slender green crypts.So maybe its a val and maybe not.

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OK more pics.
Mystery plant:

The dwarf lily.I love the bronze color.

My favorite side of the tank.The willow hygro is getting tons of new sprouts.It really does get nice and bushy the more you trim.

Crappy shot of the rotala.I took very small plantlets and placed them way in the substrate.They have grown a little in the past few days.These will be moved to another spot once i find me a carpet plant.For now though,ill keep this trimmed low,about a half an inch.

I didnt get a shot of the crypts,but they have new leaves too.

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Ok another update.I added a few more plants and have some more pics of the existing plants.

Full tank shot

Some new stems.Have no clue what they are.

Willow hygro and java moss.The hygro seems to be growing quite well.I have to trim once a week.Its getting bushier too.Thanks Susan its one of my favorite plants!

Rotala is growing ever so slowly.Once it starts though it grows pretty well.Most of these stems were just small half inch pieces placed in the substrate.

Another new addition.I believe this is Limnophila 'silvertip'

The dwarf Lily is growing well.Was thinking of clipping leaves just before they surface,but i think i will let a few surface.

Sunset hygro,and a stem that looks to be the same thing,though the leaves are a bit hammered looking.

Smaller crypt.This one was in another tank and i am highly surprised it didnt melt.Been in here since the rescape and is getting new leaves.

LArger crypt.Its getting new leaves daily.I think because its very close to the diffuser.

I am still wanting a nice easy carpet plant.

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Guess I need to update,yeah?Ok so,I have added the female Albimarginata to the tank.She lost her mate(have no clue what did him in,he was fine but then just quit eating)Anyhow,she was lonely and has since been swimming with the male mac.Good thing they cant breed,lol.Plants have grown,been trimmed and grown more.The lilies cover the top of about half the tank,and the rotala is nice and full.My mother in law bought me some plants that a LPS was selling at great prices.I finally got some microsword,and its been sending out runners and has only been in there about a month.

Pics tomorrow,after I move the apon bulbs to the back.

On a side note,the sea life apongeton bulbs.I bough some three or four months ago,from Walmart.They never sprouted.None.So therefore I sent them back to the company.last week I got my replacement package(I had forgotten I sent them in,its been so long).It contained seven or eight(ill count tomorrow)apon bulbs and three or four lily bulbs(they were on the reciept,but I told them they grew)Everything but two of the lilies sprouted.Im impressed,they kept to their guarantee!

So yeah pics tomorrow.

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OK as promised updated pics of this tank.Beware,its a jungle,and I havent moved the apongetons yet,they are right up front,hah.














As you can see by the last pic,the top is pretty well covered in lill pads.The fish love it,so Im not messing with it.Since the top has been more covered my male is more colorful and they seem genuinely more happy.

Now wait until I get pics of the 29.It Looks bare compared to this one.Im trying to fix that though.Pics of it later,it needs a waterchange today.

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There is major flirting going on in here.The females are absolutly enthralled by the male now and the funniest thing,the female albi will come sport her colors for him.Hoping soon to add a breeding journal for them.

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Sometime this week,this tank,the 29,the three are all getting completely tore down.I will be moving up the road.One thing though,I am adding some peat to the bottom for the plants.

So an update on this one,and the others,soon.

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