My 48 Gallon Planted 'Tropica' Tank

[blizzack1]

I figured I'd start a thread on the setup of my new tank.

It is a 48 gallon rimless (40x16x20) from Hagen.  I am using a Hagen GLO 2x39w T5HO fixture, which I may or may not suspend as a pendant.

The background is painted black with krylin satin (spelling may be off), which is fantastic - looks a lot better in person, but do NOT paint it indoors.  Filter is a Fluval 304 for which I may upgrade, and I will be painting the intake and output to match the background.

CO2 is a from Sumo.  It isn't setup, so I can't say much about it. 

I've got too much flourite in there right now, so I'll be taking some out and trying to give the substrate some hills/valleys

The plan is to keep the tank unheated, though I may have to change that as I'm going with HC - originally I was going to go with hairgrass.  I am going to grow it emersed, and am picking it up from Rebecca hopefully tonight, if she gets my message.

After its grown in, I will probably line the back with a huge wall of plants, but try to keep it amano-esque. 

I will load it up with shrimp, and for fauna I am planning on CPDs, or another schooling fish that doesn't need a heater.

Here is how the tank looks, pre-tropica order with water.  It will be a while before it is filled back up again 



So, comments and feedback are welcome - especially growing the HC.

[fischkopp]

That's going to be a nice tank - looks completely level if you would ask me again ...

Is that medium sized fluorite? It might make rooting a bit harder for HC. Make sure the water is clear and the CO2 is running (blasting) before you plant the HC. Try to plant single plants not to close to each other, tweezers come in handy. You shouldn't need to heat the tank, most plants do better in colder water.

[blizzack1]

That's going to be a nice tank - looks completely level if you would ask me again ...

Is that medium sized fluorite? It might make rooting a bit harder for HC. Make sure the water is clear and the CO2 is running (blasting) before you plant the HC. Try to plant single plants not to close to each other, tweezers come in handy. You shouldn't need to heat the tank, most plants do better in colder water.

Thanks - and level enough, I hope!

I bought so much HC that I'm hoping that I can plant decent sized clumps.  I read on planted tank about people spending hours doing this stem by stem.  Ouch.

As for heat, it is probably fine - Tropica says 18-26c for HC... if its less than 18 in my living room I'm sure I'll know about it

Has anyone here grown HC emersed before?

Cheers,

Josh

[charlie]

Nice start, I have to agree with Fischkopp on the HC & the flourite, that can prove to be quite a challenge.
They are several persons  here that have grown HC emersed, but i`m not one 

[blizzack1]

Nice start, I have to agree with Fischkopp on the HC & the flourite, that can prove to be quite a challenge.

:/

I hadn't read anyone complaining about HC and flourite... I'm planting clumps, so maybe I'm OK?  Tropica suggested planting with the wool intact (but trimmed)... people seem to have mixed things to say about this..

I'm just reading now about someone having mold growing all over their driftwood after only four days while growing HC emersed, so I gues that will be coming out.

[blizzack1]

HC has now been planted.

From above:



From the front:



I cut the pots into 8ths as tropica recommended, and left a cm of the wool.  I think I should have gone with 16th, which is what I started doing near the end.

I've got the tank covered now, and have the lights going on for about 12 hours a day.

My concern is that because the substrate is at different heights, there isn't any water hitting the roots on some of the HC planted higher up.  Is it going to be OK?

Thanks guys.

Josh

[charlie]

Looking good, it will be awesome when it carpets.
I would think if the substrate is moist , you are good, but i have never tried emersed growth.

[fischkopp]

Looks great! The fluorite as substrate should be ok, too (you seem to have the medium grain size, the large ones are not so good).

I am growing it emersed in soil. It is a pretty hardy plant (except if it is covered with water ). As said, moist substrate is the most important, but covering the tank for more humidity is a good idea with the dry canadian climate.

[blizzack1]

Looks great! The fluorite as substrate should be ok, too (you seem to have the medium grain size, the large ones are not so good).

I am growing it emersed in soil. It is a pretty hardy plant (except if it is covered with water ). As said, moist substrate is the most important, but covering the tank for more humidity is a good idea with the dry canadian climate.

Great, thanks guys.

I have the tank covered with what used to be the tank background, with holes cut out for the light fixture.  Fingers crossed, it should be grown in in a month or two!

[RebeccaB]

I figured I'd start a thread on the setup of my new tank.

The background is painted black with krylin satin (spelling may be off), which is fantastic - looks a lot better in person, but do NOT paint it indoors.  F

Looks great!  How have you done your background?  Is painting a better way to go?  I guess you can't really paint your background after the tank is full and planted!?

[blizzack1]

Looks great!  How have you done your background?  Is painting a better way to go?  I guess you can't really paint your background after the tank is full and planted!?

'

Hey Rebecca,

I used this:

https://www.wallacks.com/catalogue/catalog.php?cat=sp23&table=spray

The Satin one.  It looks awesome, but you don't want to spray it indoors.  I learned that after spraying for about 20 seconds and then noticing bits of airborn particles filling up the apartment in a hurry.

You could get something that you apply with a roller though, given your tank has wheels.

I am worried about the HC though.  I planted some submersed in my nano, and it looks nice and bright green.  The stuff in the tank is looking a lot less bright... I don't want to lose $50 worth of plants so I hope it is just part of growing it emersed...

[Bees]

I have a question about the cuba.  When cleaning the tank, I always dislodge it with the vacuum even if I pinch the hose.  Should I just avoid cleaning near it, will that lead to other problems?  I have only had the plant for a few weeks and although it is growing slowly, I'm worried that I'm hassling it too much.

Thanks

[blizzack1]

I have a question about the cuba.  When cleaning the tank, I always dislodge it with the vacuum even if I pinch the hose.  Should I just avoid cleaning near it, will that lead to other problems?  I have only had the plant for a few weeks and although it is growing slowly, I'm worried that I'm hassling it too much.

Thanks

You should be fine avoiding it... grab some trumpet snails and/or shrimp if you're worried.  They'll eat up just about anything...

[charlie]

Great, thanks guys.

I have the tank covered with what used to be the tank background, with holes cut out for the light fixture.  Fingers crossed, it should be grown in in a month or two!

Any updates?

[OttawaFolkFestivum]

I just found this thread now and I'm very intrigued.

How did the painting of the fluval parts work out? I have a Krylon painted background as well and was considering painting my hose outlets.

I also liked your idea of going heaterless; slows down evaporation, less equipment. Great setup all around. Let us know how it ends up working out!

[blizzack1]

I just found this thread now and I'm very intrigued.

How did the painting of the fluval parts work out? I have a Krylon painted background as well and was considering painting my hose outlets.

I also liked your idea of going heaterless; slows down evaporation, less equipment. Great setup all around. Let us know how it ends up working out!

The painting of the parts went extremely well, I highly recommend it.  From a distance, you barely notice them.  The current issue is the CO2 tubing, which I will have to paint.  I've been slacking on my tank work lately though. 

The HC took off like crazy, but isn't nearly as bright green as it used to be.  I believe my co2 was too low, so I turned it up today and hope it returns to its lush greenness.  IF anyone has any thoughts on if this is the case please let me know.

My main issue right now is that the MTS do not seem to hide under the gravel during the day.  They are EVERYWHERE all the time.  I added a couple amano shrimp and nerite snails to deal with a bit of algea, and a bamboo shrimp, which is cool as heck.  I will be transferring my CPDs sometime tonight or this weekend.

Here are a couple updated photos:

Can you spot the intake?



My formerly bright green HC. 

[charlie]

Looking good 

[blizzack1]

Looking good 

Thanks, but the colour of the HC is bothering me a bit!  It used to be so much brighter that I figure something isn't right.

I did a 50% water change, re-dosed following EI, upped my CO2 a bit and am crossing my fingers!

[fischkopp]

Dito: it's growing in really nicely. I can't tell from the picture that the coloration is off.

One thing maybe that happened to me too: it is probably too early to dose full EI, because there isn't much of a plant mass existent yet. New tanks with fancy substrate do not need fertilization for the first few months (most of the time) since the substrate will provide nutrient sufficiently. I can imagine that the nitrate and phosphate levels are now elevated even though you do a 50% water change (I could see this happening in my tanks: NO3 >50, PO4 off scale). These elevated levels can inhibit growth, especially the phosphates can bind iron before the plants can take it up. This could be the reason that new growth becomes more yellowish.

[blizzack1]

Dito: it's growing in really nicely. I can't tell from the picture that the coloration is off.

One thing maybe that happened to me too: it is probably too early to dose full EI, because there isn't much of a plant mass existent yet. New tanks with fancy substrate do not need fertilization for the first few months (most of the time) since the substrate will provide nutrient sufficiently. I can imagine that the nitrate and phosphate levels are now elevated even though you do a 50% water change (I could see this happening in my tanks: NO3 >50, PO4 off scale). These elevated levels can inhibit growth, especially the phosphates can bind iron before the plants can take it up. This could be the reason that new growth becomes more yellowish.

Yeah, I think you're right... i was only fertilizing weekly when the HC was in there, but then I added some more plants and went to full EI (maybe over-dosed a bit, in retropsect) so there is probably too much fertilizer in there.

My snails seem none too happy, either, and I'm hoping my new bamboo shrimp is just hidden away molting which is why I can't find him...