[NowMed]

First tank - Journal

Well, this is my first tank. It's a 55 gallon tank.

I wanted to build a book case to put it in.

So that was my first project.

I got the stuff for my hard scape on some off road adventures.

Today is day 3 of the tank with water in it.

I know you should plant heavy from the start but it didn't turn out like that, so next week I should add some more plants.

For fish I have about 40 neon tetras and a few shrimp

For equipment I'm using:

-Eheim filter
-C02 on a time w/ dc'er 1-2 bpm
-x2 65w 1200k bulbs (one of my bulbs burnt out ....errr)
-heater

(Ps. Sorry about the bad photography)

Here's the book case in the early stage:

Here is the first day I added the tank:

Here is the co2 tank/filter/ heater

Here is the hard scape:

Here is day 3 of the tank up and running.

I'm really light on plants and I have a bad light but the co2 is working well, filter is good, and the tank seems to be doing well.

I had to put a rock on top of the drift wood because it was a floater, hopefully that temporary.

Well that's all I got for now.

Oh.. I want to tanks to everyone on the forum; I got a lot of info and ideas!

....

I repost this in the aquascaping section ... http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/aquascaping/69887-first-tank-journal.html

 

[mudboots]

Awesome bookshelf!! That is some pretty serious hardscaping. I'd be worried about the weight on the shelf that high (tipping; I've got lots of kids). But obviously it's holding, so that's cool.

Do you know what plants you're going to use yet? A lotus (Nymphaea lotus 'red') would look nice on the right side of the DW in that hollow just left of center, but so would just about any focal specimen. I guess I like lotus because I've got some in my 125 and the Apistos use them as their territory boundaries (even the small specimens).

Very nice set up.

 

[Ozone]

I didn't know you can keep Co2 tank in laying position

 

[NowMed]

I didn't know you can keep Co2 tank in laying position

I just found that out. It's filled less than 1/4 of the way. I talked to the tank company where I bought the tank. The guy who filled it told me he only filled it less than ¼ because he saw it was lying sideways in the bookcase. He also told me he can add a "j tube" so the tank can be filled, but then it can only be on its side. I think when I get a refill, I may go with that.

Awesome bookshelf!! That is some pretty serious hardscaping. I'd be worried about the weight on the shelf that high (tipping; I've got lots of kids). But obviously it's holding, so that's cool.

Do you know what plants you're going to use yet? A lotus (Nymphaea lotus 'red') would look nice on the right side of the DW in that hollow just left of center, but so would just about any focal specimen. I guess I like lotus because I've got some in my 125 and the Apistos use them as their territory boundaries (even the small specimens).

Very nice set up.

Thanks so much! I had a lot of fun building the shelf. I was going to paint it but it kinds of fits he beach shack the way it is.

I built the book shelf to the golden ratio, so the focal point in the book shelf is also the focal point of the tank. It looks really good in person, I'll have to see what I can do about my photography.

I built to be extra load barring, you can't really see it but it's sold!

Not sure on the plants yet, I kind have been going with what's at the local shop. I looked up the Nymphaea lotus that would look awesome around the roots.

Do you order your plants offline??

 

[ghengis]

Now that's what I call a DRIFTWOOD!! O, lordy!!!

Nice tank man and great work on the bookshelf

 

[mudboots]

Do you order your plants offline??

All of the plants in my tanks were either collected in the field or received from folks here at APC. Some I got in the For-Sale-or-Trade forum (purchased, RAOK, et cetera) and some I was given for free in person.

Collecting your own is rewarding, but wild specimens aren't always the prettiest or the most adaptable to full submersion in an aquarium.. You have a leg up though with the CO2, so you may have pretty good luck. But most folks here are pretty generous with quantity and quality, including shipping prices, compared to what you'll pay at the store or order elsewhere.

 

[BobasEB]

Looks good keep us updated.

 

[NowMed]

Found out some more about the CO2 tanks lying down and the J-tube on the jeep forum I'm on. Someone responded to a post with this tech page. This person calls it a "new tube" but it's the same thing. Just some info.

Got some new plants and stuff... I'll post them up soon

http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f9/how-use-your-co2-tank-laying-down-standing-up-840504/

 

[NowMed]

Now that's what I call a DRIFTWOOD!! O, lordy!!!

Nice tank man and great work on the bookshelf

Thanks so much! It's really kind of a small tree

All of the plants in my tanks were either collected in the field or received from folks here at APC. Some I got in the For-Sale-or-Trade forum (purchased, RAOK, et cetera) and some I was given for free in person.

Collecting your own is rewarding, but wild specimens aren't always the prettiest or the most adaptable to full submersion in an aquarium.. You have a leg up though with the CO2, so you may have pretty good luck. But most folks here are pretty generous with quantity and quality, including shipping prices, compared to what you'll pay at the store or order elsewhere.

Sounds good, I went to store again this week but I love the idea of collecting your own, I'll have to see what I can find.

Here's some pic's of some searching for tank stuff, this is before I had the tank going so I didn't get any of the plants, but maybe next time!

Here's some of the new plats I just picked up. Nothing special, but getting better.

Here's a few after the new plants and the water change. I really want to take the taller plants in the back ground out, but I'll wait until I get some more plants. But for now, here's where I'm at.

Also, I had a pretty big change in ph after the water change. I tested the local water I'm using and it's very alkaline, it turned the drop check blue in about 5 min (1/4 tank water change). But that is under control and I'm back to green.

 

[mudboots]

It's coming along very well. Some of that moss looks similar to a liverwort davemonkey has found in Chambers County, Texas (pics I think in the Local Biotopes or New Plants forums?). I'm gonna head that way soon and pic up a sample for a corner in the wetland tank.

The bright greens of the new plants really look nice against the grey-er tones of the tank, especially with the brightness of the neon tetras. That bookshelf still blows my mind; that's cool to have built one sturdy enough to support a 55 gallon aquarium with that much hardware in and around it. It'd have cost a fortune to buy one like that.

Looking great!

 

[NowMed]

It's coming along very well. Some of that moss looks similar to a liverwort davemonkey has found in Chambers County, Texas (pics I think in the Local Biotopes or New Plants forums?). I'm gonna head that way soon and pic up a sample for a corner in the wetland tank.

The bright greens of the new plants really look nice against the grey-er tones of the tank, especially with the brightness of the neon tetras. That bookshelf still blows my mind; that's cool to have built one sturdy enough to support a 55 gallon aquarium with that much hardware in and around it. It'd have cost a fortune to buy one like that.

Looking great!

Thanks so much!

The bookcase weighs over 300lbs. With the tank out, I can't really move it by my self.. I wanted to paint it with layers of crackle paint, distress it, and clear over it, it would look awesome. I may do that at some point.

I moved some plants around and took a few pics. Here they are …