mikeecht

So I decided to keep a journal just so I can look back at this experience, monitor my progress and maybe get a few tips along the way. It's going to be a multi month process before I have my 40 gallon tank going, but here is the equipment I have so far for the final setup:

40 gallon breeder
2 T5HO 6500k fixture - 78 watts
Milwalkee PH meter, aquatec regulator/solenoid and 15lb CO2 tank

Here is my pathetic empty tank:




Before I get started, I need to purchase substrate and a filter and find some nice rocks for my aquascape. I was thinking about the Fluval 206 since it is on sale right now for $83 with shipping. In terms of the substrate, all I know is that I will NOT use the fluorite I'm using now....since it is sooo cloudy whenever you touch anything.


In the meantime, I started a 10 gallon tank 3 weeks ago, with my goal being to grow/propagate some of the plants I will be using in my final setup. It has since been plagued with hair algae

Here is what it looks like:




PH 6.8
KH 5
Temp 74
Nitrates 20ppm
I also fertilize with this API Leaf Zone and some KNO3.
My Water is 2 parts RO, 1 part Well water (lots of limestone here)

Right now I have the following plants:

LUDWIGIA REPENS - My best grower so far.....just cut them and replanted today.
VALLISNERIA AMERICANA - New growth is slow and small so far
HYGROPHILA CORYMBOSA - 1 little stem the lfs guy gave me for free...growing well
Java Moss - Not sure what type, lfs threw a strand of this in for free too, growing well
Echinodorus tenellus - Just planted a few days ago
CRYPTOCORYNE WENDTII - 1 green and 1 red....both melted first week
APONOGETON ????? - grew from a bulb....growing like crazy.

My Aponogeton has flowers, so hopefully it will not be too hard to propagate. I have found some useful info on the internet. The only thing I really dont understand is the Cryptocoryne. It now has a couple very small leaves and some side plants that were growing from it, but none of the leaves are larger than an inch or look very healthy.

My goal is to triple the amount of plants I have over the next month or two, so that my 40 gallon will not cost me a fortune to fill with plants. I would still like to get a java fern, but they are so expensive. We will see...

I'll try and post some mock up plans for my tank layout tomorrow.

mikeecht

So I used google sketchup and MS paint and came up with a mockup for what my tank could look like. I have the Ludwiga in back left, Hygro in back right, and a couple of groupings of Val in the back middle. My hope was to have a field of the chain sword in the middle, although I have a feeling mine are too tall to get the effect Im looking for unfortunately, the LFS does not have anything else (I would really love some of that short grass stuff). If my grass was short enough, I would love to have some of the crypts scattered through them. Otherwise, I can use the aponog for this and just use the crypts for the front corners. I was thinking putting the java moss I have on the left side of the rock, underneath the Ludwiga.



FYI, while I've kept fish before, I have had limited success with plants and this is my first real attempt...Hope it goes well. My 10 gallon is chocked full of hair algae :-/

gladiator008

what fish are you breeding?

mikeecht

Hi Gladiator,

I actually wont be breeding anything in this tank. The tank size is just known as a breeder tank. Actually, I take that back, since I would like to have 1 pair of cichlids as well as about 15 cherry barbs or tetras.

I do breed some killifish in my other tanks. I need to remember to clean the glass before I take photos




I collected some rocks today. I'm 90 percent certain none of them are limestone, although I will need to get some stronger acid to really be sure. I also made another mockup for what my tank might look like with my 3 new stones.

mikeecht

So I came home after being away for the weekend and my 10g is chocked with algae. The hair algae is all over and the water is green. Gonna change out 50% this evening. All the plants seem to be growing at least, although the Val still seems to be growing slower than I would hope and the new leaves are now only about 3 inches tall. Maybe it just needs time.




I put some gravel (ended up getting more fluorite since it is still the cheapest option )and the rocks I found in my 40g just to see what it might look like....not sure if I like it. Maybe I'll wait until I go to the Adirondacks and grab some nice rocks from there. The lighter color gravel is from a bag I had lying around, just regular gravel....figured the Ludwiga would not mind if I end up planting it in that corner.



Would love to have some larger rocks in there, but they are just so heavy :-/



Any suggestions on other ways I could organize the rocks I have?

mikeecht

I put about 30 daphnia in the 10gallon to see if it helps with the green water.....water changes don't seem to be doing anything.

mikeecht

Well the Daphnia were gone within 24 hours....fish made quick work of them.

Received my fluval 206 in the mail last week. It seemed to powerful at first for the 10g but the plants dont seem to mind the fast moving water....

I checked my water again today.

PH 6.8
KH 4
Nitrates 20ppm

The algae has gone down quite a bit. Green water is disappearing. Looks like my crypts are slowly growing as well, although my Hygro is not growing nearly as fast as I had hoped.....I only had 1 stem and in the past 3 weeks, its only put out 3 sets of leaves. I dont know if this is normal growth rate or what, but at that rate, it will take months to have the amount I wanted to start the 40 gallon.

Anyways, Im getting ready to make the move maybe today or tomorrow. Would hate to distrub the crypts and val now that they are finally starting to grow but oh well. Here is the 10 gallon now:

mikeecht

So....I got antsy and started last night...








My layout changed a little, as I bought 3 more plants.....a java fern, cobomba and water sprite. Im not sure if I have enough light for the cobomba, but I though I would try anyways since it was 1.29 at the store.... also figured that the water sprite might help to prevent an algae bloom.

Water is still a bit cloudy...think I will wait a week or two before I add any fish.

My goal is to not muck around in the tank for at least 3 weeks and see what happens....

mikeecht

2 Weeks in, slow growth....think it might be the CO2, as my PH calibration seems to be now off....just turned it down. Here are my current numbers:

PH 7.2
GH - 71ppm
KH - 3 Degrees
Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 40ppm

I realized that none of my fertilizers have any Phosphate....not sure if that is going to be an issue :-/ Right now just have Nutrafin Plant Gro, API Leaf Zone, and KNO3.

Gonna hold off on any nitrates and once I get those levels down below 10, will be adding fish. Petsmart has dollar sales on a whole bunch of different tetras right now.

mikeecht

I feel like things really should be picking up but they are not :-/ Maybe I should turn up the CO2.....

Added 8 Harlequin Rasboras.