The fifty cent vase project

[yeti79]

My camera doesn't take good pictures of smaller objects. I shall provide a verbal description as to the contents of the blurry photos. 8.5x4 vase with 3 unknown small buce, giant duckweed, a few strands of java moss, 2 bacopa carolina clusters, 1 unknown crypt and one small dwarf sag plantlet, moss balls stuffed in acorn caps along with a few slivers of chollo wood and 3 "alder cone trees" for decor. The gravel is from an old tank that has not been running for 6 months mix of black gravel and sand with a few brightly colored ones mixed in.
This is my first attempt at a potted vase. Going to sit on my table next to a window. Thinking about adding a pair of neocaridina shrimp if it does well. Advice or opinions on the addition or on projects like this would be welcome. I will try to update the photographs as time passes.

 

[ruud]

Got plenty of these projects myself, including neo's. Just keep an eye on the biofilm that develops on the surface. I use a small cup to keep it clean, which is also the water change.

On somewhat bigger vases / little tanks, I use a very modest bubbler - just a tiny hose connected to the tiniest of air pumps.

 

[yeti79]

After one week I have observed that the biofilm builds up very quickly. The water in the vase also smells very bad. The topmost buce cluster melted away. Going to start changing a little water daily to see if it helps. An additional taller (~3 inch) bacopa carolina stem was added.

 

[yeti79]

Since the last update a lot has happened. I have not been doing the water changes daily as planned and became about every 3/4 day. The water was from a cycled shrimp tank. A single malaysian trumpet snail was added shortly after my last post. Since then the film buildup at the top is gone. The alder cone "trees" and stuffed acorn caps have a thick biofilm bush over them. Put a newly started dwarf lily bulb and just added one test shrimp. Sadly only one of the 3 buce are surviving. The bulb may be a bit much for this vase but for now it looks very pleasing.