Genin

Hey everyone,
Here is my first planted tank.
specs:
40g breeder tank
pressurized CO2 (tank will be here next week then it will be up and running)
ADA ferts & Excell
70w MH lighting
CF4 cannister filter

plants (courtesy of members here and at P-fury):
java fern
java moss
anubias nana
najas grass
Rotala rotundifolia
Monosolenium tenerum
Taiwan moss
HC
Bacopa caroliniana
blyxa
stargrass
crypt


here's the tank!



let me know what you think.

trenac

Nice start ... I like your background. You will most than likely want to move the Blyxa back to the mid-ground becuase they do get quiet large to be in the forground.

Genin

Thanks Trina.

epicfish

Good start.

I have a 40 gallon I'm planting now too, so this thread will help me out.

If I were you, I'd remove the background and paint it black...it'll bring our plants out more.

Your 70MH lighting is good, but the plants on the sides might suffer and grow towards the middle instead of straight up...how high is the light mounted off the tank? I'm in the process of geting materials to have a 2x70W MH setup instead of just one for a better spread.

steelhead004

Good ... I like what you've done

JanS

Great start Joe!

It looks very well planned out.

bristles

Very nice, can't wait to see it grown in.

Genin

epic,
thanks for the kind words. I did the background like that because I like the stony look plus i plug java ferns into it, lol. This tank is designed for the piranha I am going to put into it, so I am not so much concerned about the plants really sticking out, I just want it to look really jungle like and wild. I built the canopy 14" high and the actual light sits a comfy 7" above the water just about. I checked and as you can see from the pic the spread of light hits the whole 36", even the tall plants will get light right up to the surface! I didn't want the light to be too extreme so I am sticking with only one 70w. I bet your tank will be quite bright. I will watch for it.

steelhead,
thank you.

JanS,
thanks again for the plants. I think they look great in there. it was planned the best I could and hope it works out that way, ahaha.

bristles,
thank you. i am going for a really grown out jungle type wild feel with the tank so we'll see how it turns out.

Genin

Here's my 1st week update:

oblongshrimp

where did you get your 70w MH light from?