i was asked many times by fellow planters....why i seldom go for fern species??
the answer is simply...how long can a person keep planting ferns???....are my skills tested in anyway with ferns?...a plant that refuse to die.
it doesnt matter if a pot of planted exotic fern could cost rm60 to 70, im simply not interested. well...ferns are beatifully addition in any planted setup...but just like the riccia...its simply tie and wait...u cant go wrong.
nowdays i only use fern ...especially broad leaf java fern as a stop gap...as the rest of the plants are growing the fern is use to fill up space and to discourage algae...and once the plants had established , the java fern will be removed...to make way for the growing plants.
just like most planters i started off with stem species....and back in those days before ADA, planting is really a skilled art, u have to be at your very best to get good results
when i fail in getting the desired results with stem species, i moved to ferns. its a moral booster to setup a tank full with lovely ferns...and after some time ...i got bored...hey what else could i do with ferns apart from what im doing now.
when i was confidence my skill had improved thru out the years...i went back to tackle stem species...and this time i came with some in depth knowledge
3 weeks ago i set up 2 planted tanks just for the purpose of departing my knowlegde on stem and red plants...in the following weeks i will explain the progress of each species in detail and photos.
in my method there would be no short cuts..no instant aquascape setup... no plant some species here , plant some species there , send it to ADA to be judged.whats the point of having a setup thats made ready with a week?? any fool could do that. we are here to judge ourselves to see how good are we
in my method ,its all hardwork , and we will start from the basic...from the emerged form right up to a full size submerged species.
here is where your skill is tested...we are planters, not decorators...and patience is one thing u must have.
all the species im about to discuss are cheap species....but dont be fool , they are not as easy as one think. doesnt mean if u have rm60 species u are a sifu...yes u are a sifu...but what kind of a sifu are u if u cant plant a rm2 species?
we start off with Eusteralis Stellata, Rotala Macranda, Ludwigia Acurata, Hemianthus Micranthemoides,Nesaea Crassiscaulis, Amania Senegalensis,Blyxa Japonica, Echinodorus Tenellus and others
most of the plants i have choosen are red species...which will test our skill to the limit. if u could handle the reds ...the majority of known stem plants wouldnt post too much problem for u in the future.
tenellus will only develop reddish bronze blades after trimmings...if dont trim , they will remain dark green . this photo is taken under full lightings...6,900k x2, 2,900Kx 1, 18000k x1
at sunset, with only the 18000k light running, the colour of the blades looks in deep pinkish colour
this is one of the most diffcult plant i have ever encounter...this species simply refuse to grown in gravel subtrate....they need soil and mud. Guess what species are they?
blyxa planted in close formation...so far so good without any rotting after 2 weeks...i aim to turn this species into Ball Shape , with trimmings and plenty of monster root booster.
