Getting Frustrated...and Hello! - Page 5 - New to Planted Aquariums

rehdjac · 05-13-2008, 09:14 AM

My tap is Ph 7.5, Gh 12, Kh 10.

Probably haven't much to worry about then?

C.Anderson · 05-13-2008, 09:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rehdjac

My tap is Ph 7.5, Gh 12, Kh 10.

Probably haven't much to worry about then?

I was worried about this exact same thing. Before I found this forum for the planting, I'd asked that question over on Aquaria Central (in my introduction post), and was told (quote):

Quote:

Originally Posted by rbishop

Also, the ability of the driftwood to drastically lower your pH is highly overated.

I know next to nothing about it...but rbishop's pretty respected over there =).

Cris

C.Anderson · 05-13-2008, 09:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by guaiac_boy

Cris, I don't want to sound doubtful here, but these fixtures and reflectors might not be as good as you'd like to think. They're certainly better than what you had, but most T8 fixtures are pretty limitted compared to what most of us are using in CF, MH, or T5 designs. That's OK, but you might need to compensate with a bit more light. Might I kindly suggest that you ditch the actinics? Replace them with something useful and it will go a long ways to helping. Create a nice environment for the fish (plants) and they'll take care of coloring up and displaying beautifully.

Actinics are gone. Speaking of, anyone want to buy 2 slightly used actinics that cost me $30 a piece? =/

LOL

Anyhow, I replaced them with the same 5000k lights I have in the T8 fixtures. Again, still too little light and in a bit too low a range...but far better than the multiple 2100k's that I was sold as 'plant lights' lol.

On another note, I've decided to utilize the front cubbies on the stand for 3 more tanks. I found a REALLY cool bowfront that actually fits the center hole (Believe me, finding a larger than 5gal tank that fits a 19"wide x 17"tall x 15" deep opening was NOT an easy proposition). I'll probably have to make two smaller tanks to fit the other holes, but they're small enough it shouldn't be a problem. The stand is open above the cubbies, so I can mount my lights above and totally out of the way of the tanks. I'll probably fill them with Endler's Livebearers and a nice selection of plantings to keep things interesting. Updates (with pictures) will be coming as I decide exactly how to go about getting them installed! One bonus...quality lighting for a 13gal and a few 5 gals should be a LOT easier than for the 300gal lol.

By the way, thanks again for all of your help! This would be a LOT more difficult without it!

Cris

C.Anderson · 05-13-2008, 02:27 PM

Sooo....

I've got an idea that I wanted to run past you guys. I've been thinking about how to go about aquascaping the 300gal. This thing is literally 10' wide, and every time I start to think about how to go about it I just sort of get overwhelmed. So I started thinking to myself that if I broke the tank up into 3 'separate' 3' or so tanks with a common theme (blended together at the edges, of course!) that might make it easier.

Doing so SERIOUSLY helped. Before I kept thinking 'man, I need a LONG piece of driftwood!'...or 'if I stub the driftwood out of the left side...what will I do with the right?'. Now I can take each piece as a separate 'whole' and only worry about making sure the themes are common. You know, sort of like a Triptych, only combined =). I actually just ordered my wood too. They're different enough that they'll keep it from being boring or repetitive...but similar enough to continue the theme. Here's some pictures:

This is the center piece. If you see the long, sloping pointed piece...that side will be pointed mostly upwards, although not verticle. I'm trying to avoid having a big triangle in the middle. I'll probably shift it a bit off center towards the lower side (left facing the tank), and tip it upwards at about a 20* angle towards the higher side. None of the above pictures shows placement like I'm thinking I'll use.

Here is the piece I intend to use on the left. If you take the first picture and flip it side for side, then tilt it to the left about 20*, that's about how it'll be.

I think this is the most interesting piece. This one could be used on the left side as it is in any of those pictures.

The idea, from the left side of the tank is a large, tall fill of driftwood drawing your eyes down and right...with a slight downward lilt and point in the left/center, then a long, low sweep through the right/middle and a sharp upwards curve on the far right. Hopefully this sort of arrangement will allow me to use a variety of plants and blue/slate colored rocks to accent the wood and fish. I really liked the Mopani wood, but this Malaysian wood is open and 'airy' in a way the Mopani wasn't. I think it really fits the style of tank I'm going for a lot better. I think what I'd like to do is install those attractive glass diffusers throughout the system for air bubbles (or Co2, if I end up going that route). The tiny, TINY bubbles would be much less disruptive to the surface area, and since they float so very slowly perhaps they would still allow a nice amount of oxygen transfer. Plus I think that the smaller bubbles are very, very beautiful. Once the plants filled out perhaps I would do away with the air bubbles entirely and simply use Co2. I guess this also means I'm going to have to work out a clear spraybar system, or perhaps go with some of those really cool glass ADA style outlets to keep the surface disruption to a minimum. I think in the meantime I'll invest in some Flourish in order to help maintain things until I get off the fence on the Co2 thing.

So what do you guys think? Tex Gal has already donated a BEAUTIFUL Apon Ulvaceus to the cause (for which I can't thank her enough!). Here's a picture:

I think this is going to be a great filler plant for the sides...taller on the left, slightly shorter on the right...causing ones attention to flow from left to right. I have some baby's tear (and another I also picked up that is similar but has smaller leaves, and grows more slowly...I can't remember the name!). Yesterday I also picked up...for the incredible price of $25 a school of five Columbian Sharks...ranging from 5" - 7" long. They're SO active, and surprisingly reflective compared to most I've seen (maybe it's all this light lol?). I think they'll add some real beauty to the tank, and offset the neons and Endler's that I'm keeping in the tank as schooling fish. Yes, I know the neons and smaller fish may (or should I say, will =/) become snacks, but we have a great supplier for them here (20 for 15$), and keeping a nice school of about 30-40 of them will keep the tank from being boring. I'm going to use the three front tanks for maintaining my Endler's population...so keeping 20 or so of those in the main tank shouldn't be a problem either. Other inhabitants are a nicely sized (about 10") Common Pleco, a 7" Albino Pleco, a 6" Sailfin Pleco (he's very attractive...I never really much liked Pleco's until I saw him), 4 Black Kuhli Loaches, a 6" Algae Eater, a 13" Rope Fish, 5 Black Tetra's, a 5" long Red Tail Shark, and 2 amazingly peaceful Fiddler Crabs. Planned additions are possibly a school of 3-5 or so of the more colorful rainbows (going to remove the Black Tetras), and 2 blue crayfish. One of the nice things about a tank this large is that the diverse fish can easily divide up into their own territories. It's amazing how peaceful many fish can be if they simply have some room. The same for the crayfish. I'll make sure there's caves on opposite ends of the tank for them.

Anyhow, I'm getting kind of excited for this stuff to come together. Now just a little more research on plant choices and my options for caring for them, and upgraded lighting and I think I'll be well on my way! Figuring out how to attack this thing really made a BIG difference.

Cris

rehdjac · 05-13-2008, 03:34 PM

That wood is great. One looks like a steer skull. I'm looking forward to the set up.

Tex Gal · 05-13-2008, 04:05 PM

Cris - love your driftwood. I think anyone would be overwhelmed by such a task as you have ahead of you. The good news is that you can tweak it forever! Once you get the plants in and they begin to grow you'll feel like your 10' will shrink.

I would advise you to do one tank at a time. You are so adventurous to add 3 more tanks! Have fun buddy!!!

C.Anderson · 05-13-2008, 05:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rehdjac

That wood is great. One looks like a steer skull. I'm looking forward to the set up.

Thanks!! Hopefully I can do it justice lol. We were at the only local store I know of that actually sells planting items. Very nice store, mostly SW based...but really big on the ADA stuff...they offered more PLANTS than FW fish! They also retailed the ADA garden tanks. Very clean designs. Anyhow though...they had some similar pieces of Malaysian Driftwood for sale...slightly smaller though (probably 18" on the long side), and wanted $100 each! These three...at 24"x10"x15" on average each barely cost that total between them.

Can't wait to get them and get started!

C.Anderson · 05-13-2008, 05:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tex Gal

Cris - love your driftwood. I think anyone would be overwhelmed by such a task as you have ahead of you. The good news is that you can tweak it forever! Once you get the plants in and they begin to grow you'll feel like your 10' will shrink.

I would advise you to do one tank at a time. You are so adventurous to add 3 more tanks! Have fun buddy!!!

Thanks a ton!

The three tanks in the front are very small...13gal for the center, and probably a 5gal on either side (I'll either have to make or order those two). I'm going to work out a pump system that uses the filter and powerhead built into the back of the 13gal to cycle the water through the other two tanks as well. That way I can immediately drop fish in them if needed and not have to worry about acclimating them. They will be used for fry until they're grown enough to go in the 13gal, at which point I'll transfer about half and half of the 13gal's population into the 300gal. Rinse, and repeat =). They will be planted, but only for decorations sake and nothing outrageous. Just enough to make the fish feel secure. I'm also putting the tanks on a slider base so maintenance will be a breeze. I sort of wish the front opening were large enough for one 55gal or something. I've never been a fan of the smaller tanks lol...but I think it will look very nice with them glowing like little suns (I did say planted...I've come to realize that 'nsane lighting' and 'planted' are synonamous!) out the front of my 300gal stand lol.

Anyhow, I'm off to get started on the 13 gal and get it setup for the Endler's coming tomorrow. I'll make sure to take some pictures of this tank...it's sort of unique. Sort of like an Eclipse (I think?), but without a lid or canopy of any sort. It was only $34 too. I'm quite pleased with it!

Cris

C.Anderson · 05-14-2008, 02:26 AM

So...tonight I decided to go ahead and start working on my odd little 13gal tank I picked up yesterday for the Endler's I bought from Mgamer20o0. Since I'm going to let them breed (just try to stop them eh?!?), this will be the first of three small tanks that I put together to go on the shelves in my 300 gallon stand. It will also be the main holding tank for them to mature in before releasing them into the 'wild' (read: 300gal BIG fish tank!) on their way to shark bait heaven =). Basically all I did tonight was set the aquascape, fill it with water...install the powerhead (sort of a pain...but it worked), and start the tank filtering to clarify it. When the fish get here Tues/Wed of next week I'll steal some of my sponge media out of one of my cannisters to seed the filter on this setup with. Man, I love not having to cycle tanks =).

Anyhow, here's some pictures of the tank...it's a pretty cool little design and I'm SO freakin lucky I was able to find one to fit the shelf on this stand!

Front of the tank with the price tag still on it. $34.99! Finding a tank that fit the 19.75" wide, 16" tall, and 15" deep cubby hole on my stand was not easy. Dimensions on this tank are 16.5" wide, 13.5" tall, and 15" deep. By the way...anybody want to buy a brand new Fluval 405? LOL

Side view. You can see the built in sponge filter setup on the back.

From the front, looking down at an angle at the filter housing setup on the back of the tank. Inlet is on the left, outlet on the right.

Looking down into the filter inlet. About 3/4 of the way down on the left is the inlet into the next chamber.

The two central chambers with a lower divider between them. Water comes in from the right (I put my sponges and large media in that side), goes up and flows over the wier...then down and into the far left chamber where I installed the powerhead (with some mods!). I keep carbon and biomax in the left chamber, along with a polishing pad underneath them.

Left chamber where I installed the powerhead. For some reason this chamber goes down and all the way under the two central chambers. Dunno why though.

And...planted. From left to right, Baby Tears (Hemianthus Micranthemoides, Baby Tears, Green Ludwigia (Ludwigia Palustris), Water Primrose (Ludwigia Palustris), more Baby Tears, and finally on the far right a mix of Val and what I think is a Parrot Fern. The wood is 'African Voodoo Root' and the rock came from my yard lol.

There's no light on it at the moment. It will be installed above the shelf. The substrate is Soilmaster Select Charcoal, topped with 3m Colorquartz Type S, in black.

Now I just need to finish the lighting on the stand, cut myself a plexiglass lid for this thing...and get the fish!!

Cris

Tex Gal · 05-14-2008, 07:33 AM

So, I think you said that you were tying the same filter system to all three small tanks, right? Good news is that they will have the same (more or less) water parameters. The bad news is that any bad thing that happens to one will happen to the others, disease, algae blooms, etc.

How is it that you don't have to cycle the 13g? ... by seeding the filter? That helps but doesn't get you there immediately. The bacteria still has to grow on all your surfaces, glass, rocks, substrate, driftwood, filter, etc. They always say that you need to put tons of plants in and then they will eat up the ammonia until the bacteria starts it's nutrifying...

Maybe I don't understand what you're doing.... I've never had a tank that didn't cycle, heavily planted, old water, old filters, old decorations,.... new substrate - still cycled.....