The idea for this tank is high-tech and nano fish only. I'm looking for suggestions on lighting, fish, plants...whatever comes to mind. At this point there's not even water in the thing, so anything goes.
I've already got the tank, obviously, an Eheim 2215 canister, Hydor 200W inline heater, pressurized CO2 rig (still need some sort of diffuser) and 5 bags of eco-complete. I've got some funky driftwood bits (roots, really, but they're leaching out nicely in water right now), some pieces of granite and I'll put together a few hidey-holes with some black ABS pipe I've got kicking around.
I'll also be putting insulation under the tank to keep the substrate at a decent temp.
What I don't know for sure is whether I should go for some specific 'style' of tank, or if I should just carefully freeform things as I go.
For starters, I'll put in hardy plants like val (corkscrew if I can get some) and whatever else is fast-growing and available. From there, I'll move up to tougher stuff like Cabomba, Ludwigia and - my own holy grail - HC. I reckon as long as I have enough light, CO2 and ferts, I should be okay with all of them as long as the tank is mature enough when I introduce them. And, really, anything that displays a colour other than green is on the list somewhere. (There's also Aponogeton Madagascariensis, but I harbour no illusions of being able to just drop that one in there.)
As for water, I've got an RO/DI system that I can put to use here to make water as soft as I like. I'm worried about Chloramine so although I'd allow for more than zero TDS with this setup I'll still be using Prime to prep my water. (I think the initial fill will be straight-up tap water + Prime, as I'll probably change enough of it out before a single fish goes in that it won't make a difference. I'll be doing a fishless cycle and establishing plants before a single fish hits water.)
Any tips on Ottawa water are welcome...I suppose if I could just use it +Prime then that would be much simpler.
The only light I have right now is a 48" 8-tube ATI Powermodule, which is patently useless on this tank. I was thinking a 4-tube T5 setup would provide me with a nice choice of bulbs and plenty of PAR for even the most demanding plants. I've had metal halides (too hot!), power compacts (too pricey!), T8's and all the rest, and T5 looks pretty good to me. Fixtures can be had for decent prices as well.
And because people love pics and I do too, here's the first two:
The tank is placed in the front room of the house, and I'm a bit concerned about sunlight hitting it but there's not really anywhere else to put it. (That room is cool in the summer anyway.)
Here's the tank from the front:
(https://www.ovas.ca/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi174.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fw107%2FFunkmotor%2FNew%252055%25202012%2Fphoto1.jpg&hash=f1cefe9563afa81bdd07f31933a14d37f07ba432)
And from the back, looking out from the other room.
(https://www.ovas.ca/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi174.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fw107%2FFunkmotor%2FNew%252055%25202012%2Fphoto2.jpg&hash=a61599b91c32539a6a7745dd334f01be1dba1f09)
Wow pretty excited for this build! Some thoughts on some of the things that jumped at me:
- Diffuser: the Fluval 88g system ceramic diffuser works really well I find! Not expensive either :)
- Lighting: I think 8 bulbs would be crazy over kill - the 4-bulb fixture sounds more feasible; even then you'd have to raise it a fair amount over the tank. I'd say start higher then lower as necessary. There is a thread on the Planted Tank Forum that would be helpful wrt this.
- Livestock: I liked Fishnut's suggestions on the other thread! You have to get large enough numbers of each to have any impact though :p
- Background: Vinyl Black gets my vote! Makes plants and fishes pop! You can use vinyl (a few of us tried the stick-on vinyl signage from DeSerres and it works awesome! Easy to apply as well - just do it before you put in anything into the tank to make life easier :))
- Plants : high-tech setup allows you the ability to try a wider variety of plants so no limits there. Something quick-growing to start with would help while your tank settles.
- Ferts: You'd definitely need to dose ferts with this set-up. Either directly into the water column or pre-made solutions. EI or PPS-Pro get my vote!
- Flow: With a tank this size, maybe some extra flow is necessary so that no algae gets ahold in dead spots where the spray bar isn't reaching. But with nano fish, you'd have to look at ways to prevent them from getting minced by propellers (assuming your solution is a powerhead or two)? This is just a thought but probably other's would be able to chime in. The guys at AI don't even use the spray bar apparently - they use lilly pipes - but personally I like the spray bar. A suggestion is to have it on the side panels as opposed to the back so that flow goes length wise. I see that potentially you might even need an extra filter or a 2217 or higher since they provide better flow as well. Over-filtration ain't such a bad thing either. Again others will probably chime in here but just a thought :)
I can't wait to see how this develops!
Well, I could get a 2217 - what I have is still in the box, unopened. I've run a heavily populated tank this size on a 2213 before and had good results, though (this from my last f/w tank in January 2007):
(https://www.ovas.ca/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi174.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fw107%2FFunkmotor%2FFish%2FTank_Jan_07.jpg&hash=c49e042ba888c5a0401bb3df4e6d21974b9e2ece)
(Yes, that's a pair of Boesemani in the front. I think I had 6 rainbows in there, 7 or 8 clown loaches that I kept saving, 20 or so neons, a big pleco, about a thousand ghost shrimp and a few other bits and bobs. This tank ran on a 4' fixture with 2 T5's and 2 150W MH's.)
I do have three EcoTech MP10's I could put to use, but even one of those would probably be overkill even on low speed. There's a 'filter' you can put on them though, foam that stretches around it to avoid sucking littlies in there. Just worried that it would gunk up over a short period of time...but they're sitting in a box so I might try one.
I also wasn't going to put a background on the tank at all and leave it visible from all sides...also light would come out on all sides. I know fish need a place to hide, so the idea was to keep the plants more toward the center of the tank, but hopefully to have enough room to keep an open space in the interior.
With the plants toward the middle it might be work to avoid a circular 'toilet bowl' kind of flow, but I suppose I can deal with that if it comes to it.
That Fluval diffuser looks decent...and it's certainly cheap. Might be good enough to get rolling before I switch all the plumbing out for clear tubing and glass!
Just about to start checking out the CO2 rig...it looks pretty nasty on the outside but I think it's still good!
(https://www.ovas.ca/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi174.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fw107%2FFunkmotor%2FNew%252055%25202012%2Fphoto.jpg&hash=cd630bf7459b7313486b5c4e3abf876ce9ff4b1b)
If I were to buy new lighting I'd look into getting something LED for several reasons. Up to now LEDs for planted tanks haven't been strong enough but marineland and finnex have come out with some nicer HO options. The 48" finnex ray II DS at 7000k has an estimated PAR of about 60 micromols at 21". Which would be ideal for your setup. http://www.finnex.net/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=321&category_id=4&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=61 (http://www.finnex.net/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=321&category_id=4&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=61) Otherwise I'd suggest a T5HO like a catalina or a tek light. Also, the co2 cylinder might need to be re-hydro tested since it looks like it hasn't been used in the last five years, and I'd do a leak with soapy water on the regulator. As for a diffuser the fluval ceramic should work, but with a 55g I would even suggest an inline diffuser for better co2 diffusion, or a DIY reactor. Good co2 diffusion tends to be a challenge in larger tanks like yours. Inline diffusers can be bought online - ebay or amazon.
So that Finnex one...they say it's the same as 3 T5's, so I'd probably only want the one - especially if it was putting out good PAR. And 7000K is just a twitch more blue than natural daylight, so that wouldn't be bad, either. Am I far off?
Still not altogether certain about LED's, but I'll give them a look. I can't find a Canadian dealer, though...do you know of one?
And don't worry about the regulator. It looks a bit rough but it just needs some brasso or something. I've leak tested it and it's fine (needle valve still works!), and the intention is to just run it until it's empty...acquiring replacements in the meantime.
I'm not really a plant person but I've grown my fair share of algaes over the years because of lighting mistakes. I would have to agree that 8 lights is over kill. I'm also not convinced that the LED's are quite there as far as being bright enough for lush plant growth. IMO the price of them also doesn't warrant an experiment either. If I were you I would go with what I know works.
My tank is very short and I don't add CO2. I have vals, crypts, some moss and a few other plants that I'm trying. Nothing that needs CO2 and lots of light. I only have 2 bulbs over mine...low light essentially. I forget what the bulbs add up to as far as watts per gallon. I grow duckweed quite well also >:(
I'm more into the fish :) What kinds of species are you thinking of adding?
Oh, I love duckweed...the really small, dwarf variety. Had some in my last tank and it ate up the surface scum quite nicely.
And, no, that 8-tube light is going nowhere near the 55...it's a big saltwater light meant to go on a 250!
As for fish, I'm not sure. I do like the Celestial Pearls...lots of colour for a f/w fish, and I like German Blue Rams. Had a pair of those before and it broke my heart to part with them. I reckon in a 55 I'd have lots of room for 2-3 Rams to do just fine.
I wonder what the smallest fish you can get are, that have at least a bit of colour?
What I'm not sure about are cleaner-types. I like Oto's, but they don't seem to do a lot. Dwarf Cory cats can be nice, and I like Clown loaches but they grow too large for what I'm after. Shrimp, definitely, as long as they work for their keep.
I've just been watching a video about an Iwagumi build...not that I'd do that, but there does seem to be a lot I need to absorb before I can even start pouring sand.
Duckweed is a pain in a planted tank, anything that covers the surface for that matter, as it block the light and tend to grow very, very fast.
Otocinclus are probably the most reliable surface feeders out there, better than bushynose plecos, without adding tom much to the bioload. They will take care of any soft algae buildup.
Take a look at apistogramma as well. I prefer them over rams, but it's not easy to find some nicer species nowadays.
CPD are my favorites as well. A nice large school in a well planted tank with
a few clumps of java moss on driftwood about midway in the tank, so the CPD would be darting in and out spawning. makes for a very active tank.
Then some otos and a large school of some type of small cory. Adolfois are my
fav.
Traditionally LEDs have not been strong enough to grow plants, but these and a few others only available online (US) are revolutionary in terms of growing plants. SW enthusiats that grow corals also report awesome results. Currently the best LEDs are the finnex, current usa truelumen pro, kessil a150 amazon sun etc are all as good as T5HO, and they save on energy. Also the 7000k is because they also include red and blue diodes. But no Canadian dealers carry any of them. As for the regulator, it sounds like you know what you're doing and you're well on your way. Keep us posted.
I decided to try a Marineland LED fixture on my 15 gallon low tech planted tank. It's been running on my tank for about 6 months now and I get really good growth for a low tech tank. I'm convinced that they work for planted tanks....but they are expensive.
If you decide you want to go LED I'd look at US pricing. When I bought my T5HO fixture 5yrs ago I ended paying half by ordering it in the US and having it shipped to Ogdensburg.
Jeff
Just thought I'd mention....this is my 1000th post.....haha. Guess that means I spend too much time here!
Love the title... I was sure you'd stuttered the '5'.. most nano tanks are NOT 55G!
My favourite cleaning crew is Otos and Amano shrimp. The Amanos are workhorses, and the otos? I never see them during the day unless I search carefully, but they always have big full bellies in my algae buffet of a planted tank. ;) I have seen places with Chinese Algae Eaters labelled as Otos, in which case they wouldn't do much.
Looking forward to seeing the build. The best ones are the ones where the people start thinking far enough ahead to show an empty tank as the first photo.
Good luck!
Quote from: Peekay on October 09, 2012, 08:03:33 AM
Love the title... I was sure you'd stuttered the '5'.. most nano tanks are NOT 55G!
This is true. I thought of using Pico at first. I suppose what I'm after - and that I haven't really realized until reading that - is a tank that conveys a sense of scale beyond the size of itself. (I watched a ton of build videos last night...all kinds.)
Nano tanks have small things in them because they have to. I want this one to have small things in it because by doing so it will make the whole thing seem way bigger than it really is.
By using striking nano-scale fish (Chili Rasboras, anyone?) and small but strong features in the 4 foot tank, I might be able to accomplish that.
I do like wood, and I have a fair bit that could be made to look out of scale, and I think all I'd need are some decent rocks to go with. Preferably ones that won't cost me an arm and a leg.
Then for plants, keep everything dwarf and low except for perhaps one focal point in among wood and stone. I'd want that to be one spectacular plant.
I'm still turning it over in my mind, and while it forms up I'll keep acquiring equipment.
Quote from: Funkmotor on October 09, 2012, 10:07:29 AM
By using striking nano-scale fish (Chili Rasboras, anyone?) and small but strong features in the 4 foot tank, I might be able to accomplish that.
Chilli Rasboras are prettty darn awesome! I have about 18 in my 9.2G nano and it is pretty sweet. You'd have to get them in the hundreds for a 55G haha.
Quote from: Funkmotor on October 09, 2012, 10:07:29 AM
Then for plants, keep everything dwarf and low except for perhaps one focal point in among wood and stone. I'd want that to be one spectacular plant.
As for a focal point plant, a Crinium Calamistratum? They look pretty awesome.. or a crypt Balansae. They grow taller and would be 'gigantic' in comparison to your other nano tanks :)
LOVE chili rasboras!! I have a bunch in my tank with the Celestial Pearl Danios. I need more though. You'll probably want to get a really large number of them. I started with 20, some died over the past year and I think I'm down to a dozen. I can still see the specks of red nicely but my tank is smaller.
One thing I would suggest when planning your set-up is that Celestial Pearl Danios and Chili Rasboras both need something tall and dense to hide in. It makes them feel much more secure. I'll take a pic of my tank to post when the lights come on so you can see. My CPD's hide more in the vals but they do come out and swim in the open. The Chili rasboras tend to hover under anything floating at the surface or they're in the vals with the CPD's.
Amano shrimp are the greatest clean up crew IMO. I would choose them over otto cats any day just because they're interesting. They eat hair algae and all kinds of things so they tend to be a more versatile cleaner. The only thing is that they're going to look so big next to all the teeny fish!!
There are quite a few interesting species of little rasbora out there now that have recently been discovered in various areas of Myanmar. I saw yet another one in Critter Jungle a few weeks ago. It looks like a bloodfin tetra but it was tiny and the shape of a CPD. There's also the Blue Axelrod Rasbora...although they didn't do well for me and I've never seen them locally. So far I haven't found a micro species of fish that likes to spend most of it's time swimming in the open. Can't blame them I guess!!
You know...since you're going to have CO2 and some great lighting, why not try a madagascar Laceleaf plant as your focal point?!! I've been trying but I'm not having any luck. It would fit in well with the little fish as well because they should not be in a heated tank.
I have a dozen chili rasboras (b. brigittae) and 2 boraras merah, and although I love them, I think they are best suited for a species only tank. In my experience they do not do well with other even slightly larger fish, they tend to hide and not eat. Even a slightly bosterous fish can make them shy away from swimming in the open, and they're easy pray for bullying given their size. So I keep them with some lemon tetra fry, cherry and amano shrimp and they do very well. If you're thinking of doing a mixed community, I would not recommend this fish. Especially not with larger SA cichlids like german rams.
Well, how about Chili's *or* Celestials (given what might be available) and shrimp...and nothing more.
No Rams, no cats of any sort, nothing else.
I've had Ghost Shrimp before and they were rather unobtrusive...not to mention that their numbers grew as needed to keep the tank clean. Other shrimp look better, perhaps, but won't be able to breed in f/w.
But here's the thing...I like warm 'tropical' water because the plants grow better in it. And this is more about plants to me than fish (I know, heresy) ... but the fish bring life and movement. So I think I'll have to check that out a bit better.
Though the Madagascar Laceleaf is a tempting proposition...and it would perhaps make a nice centrepiece.
Quote from: daworldisblack on October 09, 2012, 10:27:04 AM
As for a focal point plant, a Crinium Calamistratum?
That is an interesting plant. I've seen them before and they are quite neat with that kind of messed-up growth pattern and the wavy leaves. Very interesting...
Quote from: Funkmotor on October 09, 2012, 10:07:29 AM
This is true. I thought of using Pico at first. I suppose what I'm after - and that I haven't really realized until reading that - is a tank that conveys a sense of scale beyond the size of itself. (I watched a ton of build videos last night...all kinds.)
Nano tanks have small things in them because they have to. I want this one to have small things in it because by doing so it will make the whole thing seem way bigger than it really is.
I really like that idea. I look forward to seeing the progress.
...as if I didn't already have enough of a problem making up my mind what I want to do! lol
Quote from: Funkmotor on October 09, 2012, 10:07:29 AMThis is true. I thought of using Pico at first. I suppose what I'm after - and that I haven't really realized until reading that - is a tank that conveys a sense of scale beyond the size of itself. (I watched a ton of build videos last night...all kinds.)...
If you have your heart set on small scale then I recommend looking at finer leafed plants (like HC, glosso, UG) and finer detailed rocks, like seiryu stone (google it), and of course, smaller fish like cardinal tetras that have tons of colour and like warmer water, or the other micro species rasboras but they tend to be hard to find locally.
Quote from: Funkmotor on October 09, 2012, 11:03:00 AM
Well, how about Chili's *or* Celestials (given what might be available) and shrimp...and nothing more.
No Rams, no cats of any sort, nothing else.
I've had Ghost Shrimp before and they were rather unobtrusive...not to mention that their numbers grew as needed to keep the tank clean. Other shrimp look better, perhaps, but won't be able to breed in f/w.
You'd need less CPDs to get the same effect I'd say since they are way bigger and won't get lost in the scale. Also the Chillis are hard to come by as Eric mentioned - unless you look into it more in which case it should be possible. I think a member here got a few hundred shipped in (Shawn84) maybe he has a contact. Cherry Shrimps and their variations do well in most tropical set-ups and breed well if not threatened. They look good too. I'm a fan of the yellow variety and am looking to get my hands on some but there are chocolate and blue varieties amongst others ( even green i hear). So long as the water is clean and params are in check, they are good.
Okay...this is starting to come together. I do like the Cherry shrimp, and CPD's are quite nice in their own right.
That you can get Cherry's in different colours is an interesting thought.
The seiryu stone - awesome - is there a decent source in Ottawa? I don't mind driving around a bit.
Quote from: Funkmotor on October 09, 2012, 12:38:53 PMThe seiryu stone - awesome - is there a decent source in Ottawa? I don't mind driving around a bit.
Kanata BAs get it in regularly, but they have it labeled as some other type of rock. When you're looking at their shelf of various stones; it's the one on the top right-hand corner, I think it goes for $2.49/lbs. Don't buy too much of it because it leaches mg and ca, and raise the pH slightly.
Quote from: exv152 on October 09, 2012, 01:33:10 PM
Kanata BAs get it in regularly, but they have it labeled as some other type of rock. When you're looking at their shelf of various stones; it's the one on the top right-hand corner, I think it goes for $2.49/lbs. Don't buy too much of it because it leaches mg and ca, and raise the pH slightly.
Thanks, I think I'll be there tonight. I'll have a look and see what's what.
If you like tropical waters, try not to let the temp get above 75. Shrimp, CPD's and a few other interesting species don't tend to do as well in higher temps. Their lives are significantly shorter.
I also wanted to touch on the habits of the CPD. They naturally live in the clumps of plants. I used to have 20 or so in a 15 gallon tank that had lots of vals and a huge hunk of moss in the middle. If you were to walk past the tank all you would see was the plants...not a single fish. Put some food in there and suddenly the tank is alive with little fish. If this is what you're after, find someone who is willing to ship you LOTS and LOTS of CPD's!
Depending on how patient you are in finding fish, there are some micro fish that do prefer 75+. The Axelrod rasboras and erythromicron rasboras actually do better in warmer water, as do a few others. 78 is a good place for them but most colourful shrimp don't do nearly as well with that temp. Do some detailed research though. I sometimes have to go as far as looing at the conditions of the fish's native habitat to be sure the info I'm reading is accurate on some of these new species.
I've also got a few crinum calamistratum. They grow slowly for me because I don't have CO2 and they tend to get some Black bushy algae, so I keep a few siamese algae eaters in the tank to help with that...the ones with the solid black strip from nose to tail. None in my micro fish tan though.
I just remembered a great little fish that would do well in a tank like yours if you want a more tropical temperature. Threadfin Rainbows!! They're an absolutely stunning fish when they're in large numbers with a good mix of males and females and they don't get bigger than 1.5 - 2". They like to swim in the open too! When you see them in LFS's, they rarely look good. They don't ship well and they can be quite sensitive so you have to be very careful when sourcing them.
Oh, you're good. If you mean "Danio erythromicron" then that fish looks like a winner right there. 68-75 degrees okay, 20mm adult size and pretty sharp looking at that. I could probably put 60 of them in the 55 and they'd still all be able to hide. Thankfully I still have a 15G I can use as a QT tank.
I suppose I could bend a little and go with water a bit cooler for the sake of the shrimp...running at, say, 72 would give me a bit of room in either direction.
And I've got patience to spare. I got a few of those grey rocks last evening (they're just marked as 'Feller Stone' at BA's and a LOT of very different things seem to be marked as that) and they're soaking in with the wood now just to see how they clean up, and there's still nothing in the tank...I'm holding off completely until I decide what I'm doing. (Though perhaps tossing in the eco is on the cards because I'll be using that no matter.)
I like the Iwagumi idea - very minimal, but I also like wood...moss grows nice on wood. So right now I'm thinking about a way to have both without having too much...if that makes sense.
Got the canister swapped out for a 2217, so now I'm looking at Lily Pipes to put on that. The more dispersed flow is attractive, as is the surface vortex for scum removal.
More pics as stuff happens, or maybe some tonight of the equipment I've got so far...
Just to add a bit more to the discussion from a personal experience perspective. I've had discus in the past, I still have one, and they do better with higher temps like 86ºF and what most discus keepers find is most plants simply do not do as well in warmer waters. Not sure why that is, but I have found this to be true especially with regards to mosses.
Second, the lily pipe idea is a great idea, but you'll find there's only one supplier here in Ontario (www.aquainspiration.com) and they're located in Markham. They have a knock off glass product for about $65 for both inlet and outlet which is pretty nice. See link http://www.aquainspiration.com/nproductdetail.asp?PIN=FS&PNAME=goa&PSIZE=YIOFM45&PTYPE=Filter Accessories
(http://www.aquainspiration.com/nproductdetail.asp?PIN=FS&PNAME=goa&PSIZE=YIOFM45&PTYPE=Filter%20Accessories)
The only problem with the lily pipe - for me - is that they're glass and therefore smashable. I suppose there are some plastic ones, but if you're gonna go you might as well go all the way.
I've seen some of them online out of HK/China/Malaysia for $30-40 shipped, so I'm thinking I might order one of those and see what I get. Some people say the glass is thinner and easier to break, some people say the 'real' ADA is more brittle, still others say Cal Aqua Labs...so I want to see for myself.
---
And I want to say thanks for everyone for throwing their thoughts in on this...it's given me a lot more to think about and I think I'm taking this in a much different direction than I would have.
I forgot to post my pic. Here's my tank. The plants in the middle are going to be moved as soon as they establish themselves a bit better, so it looks a bit off. Nothing fancy...vals and crypts plus a few other plants I'm trying out. Note my pethetic laceleaf plant...
I'll also post a pic I took of a display tank at Aqua Inspiration. The guys used some kind of glue to attach mini pellia to rocks in tufts. If you've got patience, this might be a great project for you.
On the topic of the lily pipe...if it's glass, how do you clean the algae from the inside? I've seen them in stainless steel :)
Quote from: Fishnut on October 10, 2012, 01:35:22 PM
On the topic of the lily pipe...if it's glass, how do you clean the algae from the inside? I've seen them in stainless steel :)
Just a simple bendy brush...they can be had for a few dollars. As it's glass, I imagine it would clean of algae and any deposits fairly easily.
Tank looks good...liking that reddish stem plant in the middle there.
And for a laceleaf, have you seen Aponogeton henkelianus? I don't know if you can even get them here, but it's supposed to be much easier than A. madagascariensis whilst having much the same latticed leaf look.
Quote from: Fishnut on October 10, 2012, 01:35:22 PMOn the topic of the lily pipe...if it's glass, how do you clean the algae from the inside? I've seen them in stainless steel :)
Cleaning the glass is simple if you have double taps on your inlet and outlet hoses, just remove them and snake a brush through the pipe with a fishing line or a bendable brush kit, fluval makes both type. Stainless steel pipes are also sold by AI.
So not sure if you are at the fish acquisition stage yet but I might have seen some Microrasbora erythromicron at BA West when I was there this morning! I thought they looked reddish but same size and bar pattern on them though!
Not quite(!) ready for fish yet, but I think I've gotten the substrate and the rocks the way I like them. No water yet, either, still waiting on some parts.
I'll apologize for the low-light pics...but I think they do the job.
From the front:
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From above (composite shot):
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Critiques on placement welcome, but please be gentle.
Looks like you ended up getting the stones we talked about? Looks good so far.
Quote from: exv152 on October 25, 2012, 10:22:57 PM
Looks like you ended up getting the stones we talked about? Looks good so far.
Yep, the very same.
Interesting start , looking forward to the updates as the tank progress.
Regards
Lol.. the wooden bars at the back look like bamboo shoots! Also reminds me of this:
(https://www.ovas.ca/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi215.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fcc216%2Fkb46_2007%2Fada2010.jpg&hash=5055cb82f3a02c523faa116415b668c12f693e66)
Haha.. good start so far!
Well, I've finally managed to get some plants into this thing. I ended up capping the eco complete with some black fluorite sand to give things a nicer appearance and a bit more root grip, and I added a whole bunch of plastic bracing to the hill to try to hold it up for a while.
All the plants could be classed as 'starters' except for the HC...I figured on a dry start was the best time to try that if I was ever going to. I've got temporary lighting on there for now but I hope to have something more permanent soon enough. The 16-hour photo period should compensate somewhat I hope, CO2 is going in and ferts start tomorrow (have to pick some up.)
Still needs a bit more in the mid ground, and as things develop I'll probably change things out here and there depending on taste. No fish yet, either, I'll wait a bit for that.
The pic is a bit fuzzy from the stirred up silt.
(https://www.ovas.ca/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi174.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fw107%2FFunkmotor%2FPhoto2012-11-20123823AM.jpg&hash=5f374c618d9343519f913be1776ce8b7d5750b24)
Coming along nicely, do you have any pics/ details on how you did the plastic restrain to hold the gravel from doing a landslide ;).
Errol
very nice looking layout, I like that a lot.
Thanks, brian, it's far from done but I'm liking it.
And, Erroll, I do have pics of how I did it but I'm thinking I might reserve those until I know if it actually *works* or not. Never tried it before...and you can see a couple of the braces sticking out at the front.
Just taking a guess here that you did something like this? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZDexLMZFrU#t=713s
Quote from: 76brian on November 21, 2012, 03:36:50 PM
Just taking a guess here that you did something like this? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZDexLMZFrU#t=713s
And I thought I was being so original!
I got the black plastic board at Rona and just cut it into pieces...made sense to me at the time.
Quote from: 76brian on November 21, 2012, 03:36:50 PM
Just taking a guess here that you did something like this? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZDexLMZFrU#t=713s
I have seen that before , was curious to see how Daryl did his.
Thanks Brian
That HC carpet will look nice! You probably want to get some mid-sized plants in front of the Ludwigias. It's a bit tricky with the tank dimensions.
I would be careful with the 16h light; duration doesn't compensate for intensity, especially in taller tanks. I don't know what light you are using, but you might just open the door for algae early here.
I would also not add any fertilizer at this point, nice the substrate is new and the plants neither established nor plenty. Crank the CO2 and watch things grow, and once you observe deficiencies you can start thinking about ferts. I would guess that this is a few weeks down the road.
Happy gardening! :)
Yes, I have high hopes for the HC. I took my time getting it in there so I'm hoping it's able to grow out and grab on. Only time will tell.
I'm adding a second light either tonight or tomorrow, so that will bring me up to 128W. Hanging both fixtures from the one support is being a bit of a bugbear, but I think I have it figured out.
It's the best I'm going to do until I get some proper lighting.
This is why folks who've had success with HC swear by the dry-start method. DS gives the tiny HC roots a chance to establish without the need for ferts or CO2, ideally in a nutrient-rich substrate. Once the HC has established you fill the tank with water and crank the CO2. It's almost a guaranteed method given the tricky part to this particular plant is its initial establishment.
Quote from: exv152 on November 22, 2012, 09:41:36 AM
Once the HC has established you fill the tank with water and crank the CO2. It's almost a guaranteed method given the tricky part to this particular plant is its initial establishment.
Oops...maybe I filled it up too soon. It's so hard to control yourself.
Quote from: fischkopp on November 21, 2012, 11:11:33 PM
That HC carpet will look nice! You probably want to get some mid-sized plants in front of the Ludwigias. It's a bit tricky with the tank dimensions.
I would be careful with the 16h light; duration doesn't compensate for intensity, especially in taller tanks. I don't know what light you are using, but you might just open the door for algae early here.
I would also not add any fertilizer at this point, nice the substrate is new and the plants neither established nor plenty. Crank the CO2 and watch things grow, and once you observe deficiencies you can start thinking about ferts. I would guess that this is a few weeks down the road.
Happy gardening! :)
The Fish Cop ;) has given you good advice.
Keep up the good work
Errol
Quote from: charlie on November 22, 2012, 09:58:22 AM
The Fish Cop ;) has given you good advice.
Keep up the good work
Errol
Indeed, it is good advice. I've got the second light on there now and I've dialed it back to 11 hours + CO2.
Quote from: Funkmotor on November 22, 2012, 09:53:59 AM
Oops...maybe I filled it up too soon. It's so hard to control yourself.
Not really, keep your fingers crossed. Just something to consider if this doesn't workout.
Quote from: exv152 on November 22, 2012, 10:14:47 AM
Not really, keep your fingers crossed. Just something to consider if this doesn't workout.
Another thing to try is to drop the water line ( if no livestock is present) way down- just enough to cover the HC & weigh the stem plants down on it`s side for a few weeks, this will let more light intensity in since there is less defraction due to water, just a brain wave i got ;)
Errol
Quote from: Funkmotor on November 21, 2012, 03:42:56 PMI got the black plastic board at Rona and just cut it into pieces...made sense to me at the time.
Makes perfect sense... I wish I'd done it
So I get home from work today...and the plants are pearling! Streams of bubbles coming off the Cabomba and Ludwigia and even the HC's got a pearl on it here and there, so I'm thinking that my ghetto FrankenlightTM might actually do the trick until I get my permanent lights in place:
(https://www.ovas.ca/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi174.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fw107%2FFunkmotor%2FNew%252055%25202012%2Fphoto3-1.jpg&hash=69f2ea397252885fd20ca1fc18db26cfc4bd216f)
(https://www.ovas.ca/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi174.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fw107%2FFunkmotor%2FNew%252055%25202012%2Fphoto2-1.jpg&hash=9b38228ce4a21a7580ece77fa0e83f1ad87a2317)
There's even some new growth on the HC that I can see. Some pieces look to be doing really well, and other pieces not so well. Whether it's how I planted them or luck of the draw, I don't know, but I hope it evens out over time.
Got five CRS and 5 Otocinclus last night and they're doing quite well today. The CRS are very active, picking at everything and seemingly all over the place even though there are only 5 of them.
(https://www.ovas.ca/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi174.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fw107%2FFunkmotor%2FNew%252055%25202012%2Fphoto1-1.jpg&hash=5699184149368b333dd9307bf441b44381c97511)
The HC is also starting to grow out...hard to tell, but it is.
Also stuck an MP10 in there just for kicks, and it seems to be working very well. Lots of slow, steady water movement (on low speed, of course) and helps with CO2 dispersion a bit. (Ordered myself an inline diffuser today.)
(https://www.ovas.ca/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi174.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fw107%2FFunkmotor%2FNew%252055%25202012%2Fphoto2-2.jpg&hash=9cb5ad217af3cc9a437652b70e26cefaa7bd7cfe)
And the obligatory FTS. Lots of temporary plants, which is a departure from plan - but I kind of like it.
(https://www.ovas.ca/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi174.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fw107%2FFunkmotor%2FNew%252055%25202012%2Ffts.jpg&hash=2f45af9aa6514ac2ec62477c8b47cd725e8e46cc)
Looking good Daryl, can`t wait to see this tank when it all comes together.
Errol
I like the wild forest surrounded by a sea of HC idea too! Maybe abandon your iwagumi notion for an Island one? :p
I also used the plastic divider method when my tank was built, but more of a retaining wall style. I got the idea from Rebecca and then built on it.
You can see it on the left in this shot a week before teardown. When the sand was pushed against it you couldn't see it and it kept the sand from mixing with the black fluorite in the back.
(https://www.ovas.ca/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi44.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Ff45%2Fstussi613%2F8714CABC-B29C-4166-8ED1-EAF82B2455C7-844-000001E06C0BE0D3.jpg&hash=0c49565c79cac7ecc6d312bb60d78c1a538fd814)
Interesting, you have a glass lily pipe on the filter output, yet the green eheim intake on the other side. How did that happen?
Quote from: exv152 on November 30, 2012, 07:15:23 PM
Interesting, you have a glass lily pipe on the filter output, yet the green eheim intake on the other side. How did that happen?
Um...err...hrmm...well... The thing is, the inflow pipe for a 2217 is 17mm, and the return is 13mm. So I got a 13mm lily pipe and that's cool, but the only way to get the 17mm inflow is to buy a set. And as there's other stuff to be buying, I thought I could live with the green pipe for a while.
And now I've realized how ugly it is and it shall be fixed posthaste! ;D
Correction: The inflow on this thing is 16mm, or at least uses 16/22 hose.
Looking great! Can't wait to see this tank fill in with the plants :).
Love the choice of shrimp as well.
Quote from: exv152 on November 30, 2012, 07:15:23 PM
Interesting, you have a glass lily pipe on the filter output, yet the green eheim intake on the other side. How did that happen?
This doesn't bother me so much, and I think if you put a background on the tank you wouldn't even notice it and it would make your plants and aqua scaping pop.
Quote from: Funkmotor on November 30, 2012, 08:25:40 PMUm...err...hrmm...well... The thing is, the inflow pipe for a 2217 is 17mm, and the return is 13mm. So I got a 13mm lily pipe and that's cool, but the only way to get the 17mm inflow is to buy a set. And as there's other stuff to be buying, I thought I could live with the green pipe for a while.
And now I've realized how ugly it is and it shall be fixed posthaste! ;D
I kind of figured it was because of the hose size difference on the 2217. I have two of these myself. Kinda frustrating eh?
;)
Did you buy those online or from AI ?
Quote from: exv152 on November 30, 2012, 08:56:20 PM
I kind of figured it was because of the hose size difference on the 2217. I have two of these myself. Kinda frustrating eh?
;)
Did you buy those online or from AI ?
Got them online. Sometimes you just can't argue with price, though AI is on my list as they do have some real nice stuff.
And, yes, it's a bit weird to have 2 different sizes.