181 gallon ! Need help !

3240 Views 10 Replies 8 Participants Last post by wrkucera, Sep 27, 2008

dosj

Discussion Starter · Sep 15, 2008 (Edited)

hi all,

I just rescape my 181g tank and I need some advise. On the layout as per the photo, I'm not sure to either add more rock to the left side of the tank or to add in plant for the scape. What do you guys think ??? Rock ? Plant ??? I'm using gravel, so if to add plant I need to mix some ADA/GEX substrate to the gravel for the plant 'liveable' or if add rock I'll just top some gravel to make it mountain-like shapes, with depth that is .....

rescape : Sept 2008
tank size : 80 inch x 25 inch x 21 inch
lighthing : 40w x 5 (to be upgraded to 8 x 55w custom)
filter : external sump / pre-filter at side of tank (covered with black stickers)
others : moutain rocks / driftwood 2 piece
co2 : aluminium cylinder 5 kg, 4-5 bubbles per second
plants : many on testing phase
fauna : 3 x Red line torpedo barb (more to be added), 1 x CAE, 2 x flying fox (mistaken for SAE), 5 x amano shrimp, clown loach, strawberry snail, zebra nerite snail, 8 x harlequin rasbora, 1 x garra flavatra

future : more plant ? more rock ? more fauna ?

please advise guys. ur comment of any sort is welcomed

cheers ! thanks for looking !

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fshfanatic

· #2 · Sep 15, 2008

Dude, I like it just the way it is.. I would simply wait and let it grow in.

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bigpaa

· #3 · Sep 15, 2008

Maybe more plants on the driftwood. Anubias,Java Fern, Bolbitis Heudeluti, moss would be nice. What do you plan for the empty foreground?

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Angie

· #4 · Sep 15, 2008

I think it looks great. Just let it grow in.

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dosj

Discussion Starter · #5 · Sep 16, 2008

heya .. thanks for the comments ... im trying to grow the plants in the tank with some daily dosing (pmdd) if that doesnt work out, ill just have to put in more rocks at the sides to cover ground ... added anubias on the driftwood and would try to attach some flame moss of the driftwood too ... hopefully it can turn out as nice as some of yall tank .....

as for the foreground ... im thinking to rearrange the plants (if they grow!) to create some 'depth' feel ... and maybe to grow some Lilaeopsis brasiliensis (wishful thinking) haha

any suggestions ?

cheers !

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chagovatoloco

· #6 · Sep 17, 2008

I agree with the rest, put in a fore ground and let if grow. I'm partial to dwarf hair grass.

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jmontee

· #7 · Sep 17, 2008

I am actually experimenting with both L. brasilensis and E tenellus micro and both have they're advantages. The L brasil. has a very green color and seems to fill in faster because the new plants grow very close together. It is very nice but grows a little longer and straight up when compared to E tenellus micro.

E tenellus is a much prettier plant IMO due to it's bronze color in high light, ferts and CO2. The main problem that I have with it is it takes l;onger to fillin because the runners tend grow very far from the mother plants. I have to cut them and replant them where I want them. I just pulled a length of runners that wa like 7 inches with 4 to 5 plants on it. It's impressive when the mother plant is only about 2 inches tall.

In your size tank the length of L. brasil isn't such a big deal and you want the fastes coverage possible. Now light is a consideration because with lower light the brasil. will tend to grow even taller. Now when you upgradwe to the new lighting system you will definitely need a foreground covering and more plants or you will have a lot of algea problems.

Also maybe add some blyxa japonica behind the middle area of the driftwood where the rocks are.

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dosj

Discussion Starter · #8 · Sep 18, 2008

i think dwarf hair grass is abit too soft for a tank of this size and somehow i know i'll mess it up quite bad lol i like the idea of using E tenellus micro as foreground as it's more manageable despite the work that needs to be done ... ill test them in the tank if i get my hands on those ... now im waiting for the arrival of Utricularia graminifolia and will test it in my tank for at least 2 months ... whichever grows nicest will be a foreground haha .. its a big tank and i have lotsa time ... haha

thanks fer the recommendation !

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will5

· #9 · Sep 23, 2008

The clown loach will eat the Amano shrimp and the snails. No doubt about it. You should have done a little more reading on what the loach will eat.

The tank looks great don't change a thing until it does some growing in.

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dosj

Discussion Starter · #10 · Sep 24, 2008

will5 ... gosh man i didnt know that ! sheeshhh that loach gonna end up in my 2 ft ghost tank lol .. even thou they say loach eat shrimps .. my yamato is half the size of the loach ... aniway the loach is a goner !!

thanks for the tips !!!!

p/s my snails missing one by one ... GOT to be the loach !! #$!waste my .. !%@^ no good !#@^^ :mad2:

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wrkucera

· #11 · Sep 27, 2008

My suggestion would be to keep the loach in a separate tank. I was always the science nut in highschool and part of that comes out in my fish keeping. I love experiments. One time I put a gourami in a 4 qt sauce pan and put it on high heat on a gas stove for 4 minutes. I then poured him into a small container and threw it in the freezer for over an hour. I almost forgot about him. that was a year ago. The fish still lives. It demonstrates the ability of willpower. My gourami has alot! I named him Hercules.

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