Planted tanks

[Peter Roach]

Finally pulled my finger out today and got a few of the arboreal tanks planted.
I planted 6 tanks today and will probably do the other 4 next week when I can find some different plants.
The tanks only have a single Chamaedorea elegans planted at the moment but I have ordered some (10) small Chlorophytum comosum that should arrive via the post sometime in the next week.
I'm going to leave them for a few weeks to let everything settle down before adding the arthropods and spiders.
All I have to do now is decide who to put in which tank.














The tank with the plastic plants can easily be distinguished from the planted tanks.

[Marko Sajovic]

Looks great.
I love planted tanks. I have moved recently, and this year's project is constructing and planting between 40 and 50 tanks. Slow process, but I just love the results...
Please post pictures of your progress

[Tim Gibbons]

The tank with the plastic plants can easily be distinguished from the planted tanks.

Looking pretty amazing Peter . Keep us up to date on your progress. You even seem to have included a radio in the setup. I find they enjoy Radio 3 quite a lot, a little Vivaldi keeps my Old Worlds nice and chilled out .

[Paul Welsh]

Just seen these pics Peter ! Awesome.

[Aragorn Davies]

Wow they have come on well peter, gravel in the bottom for drainage and is that moss in them also? very nice indeed

[Peter Roach]

Wow they have come on well peter, gravel in the bottom for drainage and is that moss in them also? very nice indeed

The 'gravel' is actually Hydroton expanded Clay balls which are extremely lightweight and porous. These are separated from the soil by a tightly fitted piece of aquarium gravel tidy.
Most house plants usually die from being over watered so I thought that if i added drainage then any excess water would be soaked up by the porous balls and then will evaporate slowly through the soil. (in theory )
It must be working to some degree as I havent needed to water the plants sine i planted them almost 2 weeks ago.

[Szandra Speier]

Hydroton expanded Clay balls

Thank for this information, I gonna buy it...I was thinking about how I can prevent the mold growth in tank. It seems to be a good way.

Most house plants usually die from being over watered so I thought that if i added drainage then any excess water would be soaked up by the porous balls and then will evaporate slowly through the soil. (in theory )

This is a good idia Peter and the tanks looks amazing! Congrats!

[Aragorn Davies]

The 'gravel' is actually Hydroton expanded Clay balls which are extremely lightweight and porous. These are separated from the soil by a tightly fitted piece of aquarium gravel tidy.
Most house plants usually die from being over watered so I thought that if i added drainage then any excess water would be soaked up by the porous balls and then will evaporate slowly through the soil. (in theory )
It must be working to some degree as I haven't needed to water the plants sine i planted them almost 2 weeks ago.

That's a great idea, i used a layer of sand and very fine gravel mix about an inch or so deep as a base substrate for a bit of drainage, but, actually i think what you have done with the Hydroton clay balls is a much better idea... i'm still jealous of ya super cork tubes lol....What species will you house in the new tanks ?

[Peter Roach]

That's a great idea, i used a layer of sand and very fine gravel mix about an inch or so deep as a base substrate for a bit of drainage, but, actually i think what you have done with the Hydroton clay balls is a much better idea... i'm still jealous of ya super cork tubes lol....What species will you house in the new tanks ?

I can see (and you will probably smell) the sand and fine gravel compacting and creating a dead smelly area

Not sure yet what I'll be housing in them yet.
I've got a few species growing on and most of them are now large juvie/sub adult sizes. I've sexed most of them so I'll only be putting the females in the planted tanks, luckily I have multiples of most of these species.

The choices I have are . .

Cyriopagopus schioedtei
Cyriopagopus sp. 'Sumatran Tiger'
Lampropelma nigerrimum
Lampropelma sp. 'Borneo black'
Lampropema violaceopes
Phormingochilus everetti
Poecilotheria metallica
Poecilotheria subfusca 'lowland'
Poecilotheria pederseni
Poecilotheria regalis
Poecilotheria tigrinawesselli
Poecilotheria ornata

[SelinaBailey]

They look awesome. Cant wait to see what they look like webbed up

[Peter Roach]

They look awesome. Cant wait to see what they look like webbed up

Nah that aint gonna happen !!

The spider shed is reasonably bright and the light above the tanks makes it even brighter, so I'm working on the theory that almost all of my selected species will take refuge in the deep, dark cork tubes rather than make webbing across my nice shiny and new plants.

[Aragorn Davies]

I can see (and you will probably smell) the sand and fine gravel compacting and creating a dead smelly area

Not sure yet what I'll be housing in them yet.
I've got a few species growing on and most of them are now large juvie/sub adult sizes. I've sexed most of them so I'll only be putting the females in the planted tanks, luckily I have multiples of most of these species.

The choices I have are . .

Cyriopagopus schioedtei
Cyriopagopus sp. 'Sumatran Tiger'
Lampropelma nigerrimum
Lampropelma sp. 'Borneo black'
Lampropema violaceopes
Phormingochilus everetti
Poecilotheria metallica
Poecilotheria subfusca 'lowland'
Poecilotheria pederseni
Poecilotheria regalis
Poecilotheria tigrinawesselli
Poecilotheria ornata

That's a great list to choose from, do you have a favorite in that list. I like the lampropelma violaceopes,, lol actually i would like them all its a great wish list....

[Peter Roach]

That's a great list to choose from, do you have a favorite in that list. I like the lampropelma violaceopes,, lol actually i would like them all its a great wish list....

My favourite has got to be the P everetti, with the C sp. 'Sumatran Tiger' a close second

[Aragorn Davies]

My favourite has got to be the P everetti, with the C sp. 'Sumatran Tiger' a close second

Yer both are stunners, is P everetti a little more difficult to get hold of? (Hmmm that's probably a silly question for someone with about a gaZillion tarantulas and multiples of said species lol. )

[Peter Roach]

Not really that hard to get hold of but expensive. I've seen 2cm slings recently for £75