[Saurek]

Hello there. Im just registered on APC and as I promised in my greetings thread here Im posting my journal.
First a bit of history. At the moment I have a 85 gallon community tank - minimum lights, simple plants, quite a lot of different fish. I have it for more than a year now. It brought a lot of usefull experience to me - and gave a vision what I really want and expect from that hobby. Also - which items and stuff are most pleasant to work with.
As I mentioned for the last half of a year(even more actually) - I`ve been studying about planted aquarium. Read a lot of material - gladly I found nice site with many articles from ADA and Amano itself, looked at many works of experienced aquascapers. Oliver Knott is my greatest inspiration. Here will be my setup, inspired by his nice work:
http://www.pbase.com/plantella/bblunew

 

[Saurek]

What do have?
So here the list and some photos:

125-gallon rimless tank, made from opti-white low-iron glass( all,but back side) - in our region(Russia) we still not have all ADA production - especially bulky things like tanks and stands. So I was forced to order aquarium from local aquarium-workshop. Gladly guys there know their work. Dimensions are: 130X60X60cm - sorry, Im not very good with Imerial metric system, so sticking to classic one for me.
ADA-style stand - also ordered from local factory. Well, not absolute similarity to ADA-ones, but somewhere close.
Lightsystem - its SunSun HLD-1250C - it have 2X150W MHQ bulbs and 2X54 t5 bulbs. Original(marine ones) bulbs were replaced by Sfiligoi 6500K daylight MHQ bulbs and dennerle Amazon Day t5 bulbs - 6000K. Hope to get bright clear daylight in the result. I have "special" flora bulbs with ugly yellow color - they seems very unnatural to me. But I know some people who loves them.
Filter system. Amano advices to have filter capable to circulate 5-10 volumes of tank per hour and with filter canister volume of 8-10% of actual tank volume - so I decided to stick with Eheim 2260 - looks like R2D2 from StarWars, quite bulky, but extremly strong, reliable and cheap for it capabilities. His pump have 2400l/hour power and canister volume is 18 liters. With the cost about 230 USD - its pretty nice.
CO2 - its ballon pressured system from Dennerle with 2-liter ol` soviet ballon(replacing small 0.5 dennerle one). Reactor is Dennerle ceramical diffusor - very similar to ADA ones. Clear and beautiful.
Finally, to substrate system. I was chosing between ADA and Dennerle. After some researching I decided to stick to Dennerle. I know, ADA is better overall, but guy who consulting me and helping with stuff said that Dennerle is better for the beginner like me, and its easier not to mess with that.
Dennerle using 1-3mm quarz gravel instead of aqua-soil and deponit mix instead of PowerSand. Also Dennerle advices to put heating cable for right circulation in the aquarium bed.
So, here is overall view of the stuff:

 

[Saurek]

Here is some more photos( sorry, I have crappy camera and even more crappy hands - surely I should improve my photo skills if I want to continue with aqua-scaping!):

Another overall view:

Some CO2 stuff(with water conditioner):

All removed and tank cleared from dust and tank-mat edges cutted:

Preparing to lie down heater cable - my little sucker-clips army of helpers:

The heater is planted:

 

[Flurl]

Wow! That is an amazingly beautiful tank

The whole unit; tank, stand and lights actually look better than most ADA setups I see, you're off to a great start there!

Any particular style you are using for this tank?

happy planting and keep us updated

 

[1aqumfish]

Looks good, what is a soviet ballon co2 system? How does it work never heard of it so I am wondering about it?

Tony

 

[Saurek]

Here is update(gravel and bottom mostly):

Adding a little gravel to foreground so we can hide deponit:

Close look(using my shave-brush for fine layout adjustmens):

- as you can see Dennerle gravel is very tiny pieces - little bigger then AquaSoil powder I guess. Looks nice so far. Absolutely clear - no pre-washing needed.

Next we are putting deponit mix - a bottom fertilizer. Used almost 29 kg(I checked with site and asked people - its considered ok for my volume):

Next - we should colonize the bed of the tank with bacteries - together with deponit and heater they provide healthy enviroment for plants..Thats what Dennerle promises at least. Also, they are supplied in vacuum bags - so they cannot live forever without working system - I expect my plants in Saturday. As I know they can survive up to week at least in dry layout:

Now time to fill in rest of the gravel - I have 100kg of it total - bit more then I actually need, but better be safe(so far used 70 and plan to add one more bag(10kgs) when I will finish hardscape):

Filled in:

 

[Saurek]

Looks good, what is a soviet ballon co2 system? How does it work never heard of it so I am wondering about it?

Tony

Heh, I mean just old soviet ballon of CO2, pretty similar to the others - even Dennerle pressure reduction could be fitted without any additonal devices. Just look bit dirty and old

 

[Saurek]

Now time for the most important part - the hardscape.

Here is my materials.
Driftwood - red moorwood roots:

- actually I should buy more then two pieces, I guess I need more little branches - to put them just near bottom. Will how it will work, perhaps I will go to market and search more.

Next. Stones. Its not a seryu stones, even looks pretty similar. They are called "Mini landscape stones"(some,however, say that there ARE seryu stones) - but I find true seryu more beautiful.
I had shipped them from the Germany - since we have troubles in finding good rocks in our stores. But it was worth the effort I guess:

- Cant said that Im totally happy with their shapes and size( hope to get bigger ones), but I have to work with what I have)

So, on the fast-hand(about an hour) I have such hardscape. It HAVE TO BE modifed - calibrating stones, adding/removing some of them. But overall idea is here. You can compare with the tank of Oliver Knott(see my very first post link) if you wish.
Your comments,critics are very needed. Please, tell your thoughts.

Overall view:

Right side:

Left side:

Also..Im using just 2 54W tubes here - if I turn on Metall Halides impression could be better I guess..Will try it on later updates.

Once more - your suggestions about hardscapre are really needed.

 

[Peter16]

looks good so far.
I like the hardscape.

You have spared no expense thats for sure.

 

[Gilles]

Great hardscape! Any details on filtration method you are going to use?

 

[Saurek]

Great hardscape! Any details on filtration method you are going to use?

Thanks) But there is things to improve. I guess I should rip a piece of right driftwood - from its base - its looks ugly and I cant cover it with gravel.
About filtration. I have 18 liter volume canister. So Im using some(about 4 liters) Eheim ceramic tubes at the start of water flow inside - to break up stream and first mechanical filtration. Then goes about 10 liters of lava - Eheim Enfilav - as bio-filtration - using it specialy - since I dont need VERY effective bio-filtration - otherwise plants will starve on macro. And finally there is few layers of Eheim Fix - green synthepon for fine mechanical filtration - about 4 liters that remain in canister.
On the exit Im gonna use Lilly pipe - not ADA one, but its clone( it not so big tho:sad. The inflow tube - classic eheim inflow tube, but modified - I gonna jam its primary sucking hole and make some tiny holes on the half of its lenght. As a result I expect to have right water flow in tank as ADA recomends.
Also, the filter is allready cycled on my old community tank - hope that will help me to avoid some algae problems at the start.

 

[Saurek]

Im sorry for a big delay in posting - I was quite busy during those 3 weeks - solving sudden problems and changing dozens and dozens gallons of water)
Now, after 3 weeks after start everyting seems to go in growth - just HC is not doing very well - its green and healthy, but I cant say that its growed much..But as I know HC needs about month to start spoiling around.
Also its strange that Hygrophila polysperma "Rosanervig" didnt turn to very red color - its have enought light and all fertilisation(Im using Dennerle system - all stuff). Perhaps thats because I still didnt fill in major population of fishes? Just few angels from old tank( will remove them later) and sanitation team of SAE`s and shrimps. So they lack some macros? Any ideas and suggestions will be welcome)

Here is a pic just after I finnished planting and some plants photos:

- Just before filling in water

- HC( was used 5 such pots total - unfortunatly my HC was in clay and not in rock wool - much harder to plant and prevent it from surfacing - especialy if shrimps help)

- Rotala "green" - I have imported one, so its took almost two weeks to adapt - lost almost all old leaves - now grows pretty fast - allready trimmed some.

I will post new photos in few days - dont have camera at the moment.

 

[anhtu402]

Amazing Saurek! Believe it or not, but I am very intrigued by Oliver's setups as well! I hope everything will go well with your tank~ a very beautiful 125 gallon rimless tank.. that's where I want to be someday! lol. What other plants are you planning? I hope there will be a lot of reds & greens to bring more life into that new tank of yours! Hope everything go well for ya!

 

[Fabac]

Excellent start, nice hardscape! I also bought mini landscape rock, I think it is seyiru stone.

 

[Saurek]

-To anhtu402.
Thank you, Im trying to do my best) Olivers works are very inspiring! And in his gallery there is a lot of pics and info - usually more informative then ADA ones. About plants - I using almost the same plants as in original tank - expet I changing glosso to HC and I still dont have eleocharis - planing to add it in forward.

As I promised, here is some pics. Quality of camera and skill are far from perfection, but still..Here it is(3 weeks old at the moment):

- Front view

- Flank view

- Impressions

- Heminathus callitrichoides

Plants are growing up quite good, but they didnt turn too reddish at the moment - perhaps they need time to adapt completely.
Also, in the background I plan to have two real big bushes of Rotala "green" - I guess it will take about 2 or 3 months to multiply my current amount of it. But it grows for about 1 cm per day I guess)
For the current moment I quite satisfied with the result - think it will become even better with the time.
As it 3 week after setup and there is almost no fish - just few angels - and they as I said gonna be removed back to their old 75g home.
Im still thinking about type of fish to put in. Any suggestions? Demands is to be schooling and peacefull of course. I myself thinking about Iriatherina werneri - but I guess there should be more then one type(exept the sanitation fish).

 

[anhtu402]

For fish, I would recommend Rasboras and rummy-nose tetras, they school pretty well.
Cardinals look really nice, but they don't school as nice/close as the former two. Good luck!

I wouldn't recommend serpae tetra-from experience- because they attacked my rummy-nose tetras. All but two died. Of course some ottos for your cleaning crew. Would not recommend clown loaches for they tend to get really big- 1 foot or more~like kois... lol...

Good luck!

 

[Saurek]

For fish, I would recommend Rasboras and rummy-nose tetras, they school pretty well.
Cardinals look really nice, but they don't school as nice/close as the former two. Good luck!

I wouldn't recommend serpae tetra-from experience- because they attacked my rummy-nose tetras. All but two died. Of course some ottos for your cleaning crew. Would not recommend clown loaches for they tend to get really big- 1 foot or more~like kois... lol...

Good luck!

- Yea, rummy-nose tetras are pretty cute. I should think about them again. I dont like cardinals - them seems too dull for me.
I wish I could find ottos - but cant find them anywhere today in Moscow. Perhaps I will even order some from foreign. Clown loaches - my love - they live in my another community tank. Perhaps I dont feed them - since they didnt grew a lot in a year)
Thank you!

 

[cah925]

Very nice choice of rock and wood. The placement works very well. I like seeing the angels in there to get a perspective on the size of everything. I'm looking forward to seeing this one as it matures.

 

[rjfurbank]

Saurek,

Great looking tank! Thanks for posting the detailed set up pics.

Will be great to see the HC lawn when it grows in.

Keep us posted. . .

-Roy

 

[capn_kirkl]

Privyet, Shto gorad?

When I visited Voronezh five years ago, I was not into aquariums, now I wish that I had been able to grab some russky aquarium products. Are there any true russian made and designed products, not just asian copies?