Ya, that equiptment is one of the really, really, anoying things about this tank. The problem is, the filter does not really fit over the rim of the tank, so I had to cut notches for it, in the plastic rim of the tank, (back when this tank had a "mound" config) so it can't move. The heater needs to be where there is water flow so the same goes for it, and the co2 reactor should be where there is water flow too, so there it sits. I plan to get a canister filter in the future, make a DIY inline reactor and get a hydor inline heater to move the ugly equiptment out of the tank, like my 29 gall, but all that stuff costs $.
BIOTAPE? I am not really sure what a biotape is, sorry.
I agree, the forground is still growing, I just took 4 cuttings of glosso from another tank, and let them go where they please, the still have some growing to do.
Plants; Glosso, crypt, java fern, money wart (behind the crypt ment to grow above it, but I only planted a few cuttings so they haven't goten above the crypts yet), anubias nanna (infront of the crypts, will grow together eventually), Ruffled sord??? (I bought it as black sord but somebody said it was ruffled sord, in front of the java fern)
Stuff; 50G tank (48 inch), Presurized co2, about 25PPM, aquaclear 300, cheap 300W heater, 4*40W NO lights (shoplights in diy hood) full range of ferts macro/trace, dosed 2 times a week, substrate, 1 bag onix sand, 3 bags florite, some small gravel, with smashed slate terrices.
Fish; 16 tiger barbs (they rule), 2 SAE's, 1 CAE (I could never catch) 2 black mollys, 1 female guppy, and snailes. Those tiger barbs make a very active tank.
Thanks for the comments, and complements, keep them comming.
Whiskey
P.S. could someone tell me what a biotape is?