400l /100g Bowfront El Natural

So, the reason I came in this community was actually that I wanted to revive my 400l tank.
120 x 50-60 x 60. A biiiig Bowfront - my dream tank.

Be warned bit of a ramble incoming.
If you want to skip it go down to the pictures.

I got this tank for a group of goldfish. I even breed them in there and got one fry to survive to adulthood. But after my move the only room we had was in the Garage. I thought I could just make a little fishroom in there.

Unfortunately the temp got down to freezing in the garage just months after moving there. It was an especially cold winter for Germany but it showed a tank there was not feasible long term.
I gave the Goldfish to someone with a fishroom in their basement.

So for this winter the tank was empty.

But I payed a good chunk of money not only or the setup, but also to get it moved. Also it's the biggest tank I ever owned. (And probably the only one this size I will ever own)

Well luckily my tv is not usable for my anymore. It is flickering and I actually don't want to get a new one I only used it for playing on switch anyway. I even found using the little screen without glasses is better for my migraines. So the will be empty space there.....

But as I said in my introduction my health is not the best so the tank should be able to stand for longer periods of time without maintenance.

I bought Dianas book on a whim. And I think this will actually be doable without to much money involved.

Pics of Tank


What my Goal is. Make a jungle out of It. I had tanks like this many years ago. Even without soil and crappy lights. I probably just have a green thump and would really like to go back to my roots.



Now for my plans. If I forgot something essential or you have better ideas, please tell me!

First my tap water.

I get very soft water. I actually had tanks where vallisneria got rid of all my kh and chrashed the ph down to 5 (and under). My channa loved that.
Snails never thrive for me, but my Neocaridinia never had problems...

Out of the tap:
ph under 7
kh 3
gh 8
Nitrat around 10

So I will need to supplement the soil with calcium, magnesium and potassium.
(Dolomit and potash are my plan, also supplementing eggshells and sepia).
I also plan to mix in a bid of cheap red clay

The soil mixture I used for experiments is just very cheap potting soil (standing outside for over a year) and our topsoil that is unfortunately mostly sand. Mixed 40:60. For the big tank I will probably go for more 50:50.

Both are thoroughly sived. Our sand with a fine sive and the potting soil with a 5x5 mm mesh.

I plan on getting cheap gravel (Rhein kiesel) 2-5mm for a cap. In most of my other tanks I have black sand 0,7-1,2 mm and will use that for capping when converting.

The Tank.
I will use reef scaper and coat one of the sides with it. Did it in a little tank and it works great. That side will be planted with all sorts of epiphytes. Like java fern normal, trident and windelov. Anubias nana, nana petite, buce, moos etc.

Backside will get painted black.

As lights I will keep the old blue & white led and get a growlight for normal plants (power led 50w) I have had good experience with this. Just the old light + full spectrum grow light.

The tank will also get diffused sunlight from a south west window. I applied some private screen and my tanks get light from it right now so that should be fine.

For water movement I will get a little filter with an uv bulb like Diana suggested. Because I also had problems with guppy dieing. Have switched to wild typ they are mostly fine.

The Tank will be completely unheated. It will be in my room so in winter under 18 Celsius in summer upards of 26 Celsius.

Now my biggest questions.

1. Wood
I want to use some that had been in different tanks over several years. Do you think I can pull it off? Would put a stone plate on the bottom before filling the tank with substrate.
These things are so dead ot even biofilm grows anymore.

2. Fishies

So first thing I thought was koi sword tails, had them some many years ago and they where so pretty. They also don't get too big. (Since they are crosses with platy)

Then I thought back to some of my favorites I never got to keep.
Least Kilifish Heterandria formosa.
Nano fish in an gigantic Tank.

That would be interesting but not really for a show tank...
They would be expensive and hard to get.
So what would you do?

Heterandria formosa
Cnesterodon decemmaculatus
Elassoma okefenokee

Or

Platy (red/yellow/white)
Swordtails (Koi)
Guppy (Koi)
Molly (Gold)
Cory cats

I allready have the platys - swordtails, molly and corycats are easy to get and koi guppies I can get from lokal breeders. The tank will also look alive, I can sell the young ones and the colors will pop.
I will start with a few from each 2 males 3 females.

(Deep in me I want the second but the first is just so interesting)