# 150 Gallon Re-Scape Overhaul



## Sub-Mariner (Jan 25, 2016)

Hello Ladies and Gentlemen,

I haven't posted in quite some time. But, the time has come for me to totally overhaul my 150 gallon tank and I would like input along the way. Just to be clear, this is going to be more of a journal. Being in grad school simply doesn't permit me the budget or the time to do it all at once. Also, I'm not the most tech-savvy so I may struggle keeping up with any photographs. Anyway, lets start with current set up:

150 gallon tank, standard size. (6' long, etc.)
Fluval FX6 Filter with filter pads, Purigen, etc.
Eheim Heater
72" EVO Green Element 6500K LED, hanging from ceiling about 18" above the tank. 96 LEDs, each 3w. About 15 of the lights have failed, which is part of the reasoning I'm overhauling. I knew that I was buying a lower end light 2 years ago when I purchased it, but the time has come to upgrade. I notice more failed lights every week it seems.
20lb CO2 tank with diffuser placed underneath FX6 intake- so far no issues with that, but I'm planning on using an in-line of some sort.
2-3" layer of Eco-Complete Substrate
Driftwood and various crypts, amazon swords, dwarf sag, rotala
Discus, Cardinal Tetras, Rummynose Tetras, High Fin Spotted Plecostomus, Sidthumunki Loaches, Skunk Cory Cats 


Ok, so the general plan is to go big or go home with the lights: I'm planning on purchasing 3 Kessil A360WE Tuna Sun lights with A-Series arms this week. Then I'll allow some time for my bank account to recover.

Planning on putting in a reactor for CO2 that fits the 1" FX6 tubing. I've got one in mind from searching the forums but if anyone has any suggestions, let me know. I'd like to avoid building anything on my own (I'm working on being a nurse practitioner, not an engineer), but if it's simple I'll at least consider it.

I want to scoop out all of the substrate and replace it with 3-4 bags of Amazonia, and cap it with pool filter sand. Of course, I would allow enough time for the ammonia and such to cycle from the Amazonia.

I want my hardscape to essentially be a giant piece of driftwood that spans most of the tank. I've got a general idea of what I want but I'm in Texas, where nice driftwood is either hard to find or expensive. So I'll know it when I see it.

For plants, I'm thinking a few Swords first. I've got a few flame swords already so we'll see if they make the cut. Otherwise, I'd like to glue some Java Fern to the driftwood, and then place Cabomba at the end of the tank with my hardware to crowd in and cover a lot of it. My inspiration here is actually the Boa tank at the Dallas World Aquarium. Sand bottom, cabomba, and swords everywhere with hundreds of rummy nose and cardinal tetras, not to mention the giant snake.

Once the tank has cycled I'll add a few dozen amano shrimp and maybe 50 Cardinals? This is really the least of my worries. I've also got a Pigeon Blood Pair I grew out from DiscusUSA that I'm thinking I'll put in as the showcase fish. I know I know, they may eat my shrimp. We'll see.

All I've got for now is this plan. Planning on ordering lights later on this week. So, thanks for the input in advance let the games begin!


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## The Dude1 (Jun 17, 2016)

I can tell you that if you can screw in a light bulb you can build a Griggs reactor that will handle as much c02 as you want to pump in there. About $30 in parts and less than 10 minutes to build. Just a couple pieces of PVC and some unions and caps. 
I'll be following along, sounds like a cool tank. I've never understood the use of expensive substrate outside of shrimp keeping with a requisite low pH and the temporary buffering abilities. On a tank that size I'd do an RO unit before special substrate.


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## vanish (Apr 21, 2014)

I agree with TheDude on both points. 

1.) A Rex Griggs reactor is a very easy build. I just built a 2" x 25" one last week. It cost me $18.79. The only tool needed was a drill with a single drill bit.
2.) Fancy substrate isn't needed and is very expensive on large tanks. Your money is better spent elsewhere.


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## Sub-Mariner (Jan 25, 2016)

This is a picture of the tank as it stands now. If you look closely you can see some of the failing diodes. Also, some of the plants are having trouble growing because I think that the substrate is tapped out. I add GLA fertilizers periodically but I don’t have time for a true EI dosing schedule.

Bump: Also, thanks for the suggestions on the reactor, I'll do some research and see what I like. As far as substrate, I've had good experience with Amazonia, both with and without shrimp in the tank. I suppose I could go with some fresh eco-complete or something else, but I've seen a lot of conversation lately about how it needs fertilizer over the long haul. I'm nervous about various fertilizers because of ammonia content and copper if I'm going to end up with shrimp. I'm happy to use something that will last a while before I have to do something with it, especially if its cheaper.


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## Sub-Mariner (Jan 25, 2016)

Took the plunge on the lights today: 3 Tuna Sun A360WE LEDs with A-Series Arm Mounts. Should be delivered sometime next week. I'm excited and also cringing a bit at the price tag, but they'll look awesome and I know I'm getting quality.

In the mean time, I've been researching my substrate options. It appears that public opinion favors ORGANIC miracle grow potting soil. Several folks on this forum and elsewhere appear to have used it with success. Anyone have any cautionary tales regarding this? I'm still wary of ammonia, nitrate, etc. with any fertilizer. I still plan on capping it with sand. So I'm thinking about 0.5-1" of soil with 1.5-2" of sand, with a bit of an incline taper so that the soil can't be seen from the front of the tank. So, feedback anyone?


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## The Dude1 (Jun 17, 2016)

Sub-Mariner said:


> Took the plunge on the lights today: 3 Tuna Sun A360WE LEDs with A-Series Arm Mounts. Should be delivered sometime next week. I'm excited and also cringing a bit at the price tag, but they'll look awesome and I know I'm getting quality.
> 
> In the mean time, I've been researching my substrate options. It appears that public opinion favors ORGANIC miracle grow potting soil. Several folks on this forum and elsewhere appear to have used it with success. Anyone have any cautionary tales regarding this? I'm still wary of ammonia, nitrate, etc. with any fertilizer. I still plan on capping it with sand. So I'm thinking about 0.5-1" of soil with 1.5-2" of sand, with a bit of an incline taper so that the soil can't be seen from the front of the tank. So, feedback anyone?


Those are some sick lights!! 
As to soil.... Ive used it. There is no doubt it grows plants... but its dirty... builds up toxic gas pockets, and will eventually need to be completely replaced. Any time you move plants it will make a massive mess. The same thing will happen if you have fish that dig. It will also release tannins into the water depending on how you prepare it. It also stinks after a period of time. If it were me.... having used several substrates... I would use black diamond blasting grit or some kind of inert sand. Once plants are placed where you are relatively happy you toss some DIY root tabs in there. I would never use dirt again. 
Are you going to do C02??
It takes me 1 minute each day to dose all 5 of my tanks and everything is completely under my control. I can control Ca, Mg, Fe, Kno3, potassium, phosphate, sulfate, micro's.. and I can adjust them based on what I am observing in my tank.


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## Sub-Mariner (Jan 25, 2016)

Thanks for the input TheDude1!

I'm still waffling a bit with the substrate. I definitely know I want the look of light colored sand. I don't mind taking the time to vacuum it, I've read a lot about using PFS with Discuspaul's threads. If root tabs with straight sand are the better option I'm not opposed, as long as they can keep up with the demands of swords when they get larger and cabomba when it starts to grow. I can dose the water column for the java fern if it comes to that with some ferts from GLA. 

To answer your question, I am planning on using CO2. I'd hate to waste the potential of those lights by not using it. I won't be running the lights at full intensity for the sake of the java fern, at least not at first (we'll see how that goes for the cabomba). The CO2 will be run in via a reactor I'm putting in-line with my FX6. 

Another issue just occurred to me, not sure if it will be a real problem or not. The tank is 72" long. Should I use a powerhead of some sort to circulate the water a bit better for CO2 distribution? I suppose that I could use a drop checker and eventually figure that out, but if anyone out there has experience with pushing CO2 with this setup, feel free to chime in.


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## Sub-Mariner (Jan 25, 2016)

Ok, so substrate is settled. Going to go with PFS, with root tabs. Now on to other things...heaters? Also, lights shipped today.

Currently planning on the Finnex 800w titanium heater with external controller. Objections? Honestly, everyone seems to really love these and with the current downward trend the Eheim heaters seem to be experiencing, so I'm preparing to make the switch.

Planning on going by Fish Gallery, Dallas to check out their driftwood tomorrow. They usually have a pretty good selection of large driftwood, and although they're rather expensive, I don't have a lot of good options. Hopefully I find that perfect piece.


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## Sub-Mariner (Jan 25, 2016)

Got lucky and found an awesome piece of driftwood for the scape today. That’s my lovely wife holding it up and my 20g in the background. It’s about 4 feet long and the piece sticking up is about 3 feet long.


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## The Dude1 (Jun 17, 2016)

Epic piece of wood!! I don't have measurements showing the variation in C02 levels in a 6 foot tank. I know Greggz has his C02 splits between 2 filters on either end of his 120 which would lead me to believe that a powerhead would be a good idea. I have a powerhead aimed at the filter output plumbed for C02 in 2 of my three large tanks.
Good choice on the heater. I need to buy new heaters for my tanks and that the direction I'm going. For something that can quickly wipe out a tank, it's not a huge expense. 
I think you.will be pleased with PFS. I used a root tab with each of my swords and with maybe 4 months I was forced to rehome them due to their size. Root tabs, ferts, good light, and C02 makes for some huge swords.


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## Sub-Mariner (Jan 25, 2016)

Cool, I've already got a Hydor sitting around dormant somewhere I can use for a bit of extra current. I also ordered my CO2 reactor from NiloCG Aquatics. He custom builds them with the size fitting I need and it ships in about a week. While the RG Reactors appear easy to build, I work this weekend and then I'll spend most of my time next week studying and such- so I spent the extra money to have it put together to the specifications I needed by someone that's had lots of practice. Can you really put a price on peace of mind? Next up, PFS and a big ol bag of flourish root tabs.


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## owens81jw (Feb 7, 2009)

I WISH I SAW THIS EARLIER 

REGARDING THE LIGHT , THERES ANOTHER 72IN LED ON THE MARKET THAT I HAVE ON MY 125 , 72IN Snake eyes LED , 3 watt 112 LEDs (28 each row)

if ur gonna use an inline heater , add another filter and run it thru that. the FX6 Hose is too big..


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## Sub-Mariner (Jan 25, 2016)

Thanks for the input owens81jw...I saw the snake-eyes light on ebay and considered it when I was going through all of my options. While it isn't nearly as costly, it appeared very similar in a lot of ways to the light I already have, and I decided to just buy the expensive stuff and not have to worry about the diodes going out prematurely. 


Also, no plans for an inline heater. The only ones I can find are the Hydor ones that aren't nearly large enough for the FX6 hosing. I'm going to go with the Finnex Titanium heater.


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## The Bungulo (Aug 28, 2017)

if the stocking isnt completely set in stone, in a tank as large as that i think 7 or so altum angelfish would look stunning. havent seen much with altums for a very long time.


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## Sub-Mariner (Jan 25, 2016)

The Bungulo, I've still been keeping my options open for a "center piece" fish. I'm considering the discus I have simply because I already have them. I haven't really seriously considered my livestock yet, as I'm still in the infancy stages of just getting materials together. I know DiscusUSA sells altums, that's where I've gotten some very nice discus and angels in the past, but their site is currently under maintenance. I like the idea, but I also am still partial to the idea of having a breeding pair of 5-6" discus. Maybe I'm just wishy-washy, but when you're starting over, the possibilities are almost overwhelming (in a good way). Maybe I should hold a vote at some point. Anyway, still a few weeks away from settling on fish species, but altums are definitely in the running. Overall, I guess you could say I'm trying to decide if I want a planted tank with fish or a fish tank with plants.


Meanwhile, I've been lightly perusing the choices for root tabs. Since rootmedic is no longer a thing, I thought I'd settle on flourish tabs, but now I'm pretty much set on some osmocote tabs (especially since I can get 300 for around $15). These along with the Finnex heater will be my next purchases.


Speaking of the Finnex heater, the site recommends the 800w model for a 150g tank. Anybody know if this might be overkill? 800w just seems like a lot, especially since the eheim I have is only 300w and up until the last couple of months worked like a champ.


Lastly for today, I've been considering Aqua Quartz #20 as my PFS of choice. Its the lightest color I can find. However, I can only find it online in 50 lb bags, and I'd like to avoid shipping that much weight. Anyone familiar with a location in or around Dallas that might sell this type of sand?


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## Sub-Mariner (Jan 25, 2016)

So this is the setup I’ll be using to keep the fish I already have while I’m rescaping the 150g. 56g, 25g, and 20g. When the rescape is done, I’ll make a final decision on what’s staying and what’s getting re-homed, and then I’ll take down all but the 56g, so I can repurpose it for growing out discus. I have the light angled so it can provide for more than one tank.


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## Greggz (May 19, 2008)

This should be good, looking forward to seeing where it goes. 

Subscribed!


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## Sub-Mariner (Jan 25, 2016)

Here’s just a little something to drool over.


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## Wendy1B (Jan 8, 2017)

I'm excited to see how this set up progresses! Since you haven't put the substrate in yet, one method I have had success in my old 55 gal low tech set up with Anubius, Crypts, swords & moss was to sprinkle Osmocote Plus directly on the tank bottom and then top it with sand. Then you just have to replace with actual root tabs every 6 months or so depending on your growth - you can fill gel caps made for vitamins & supplements with the osmocote plus for this purpose. I did this with my current 43 gallon as well.


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## Sub-Mariner (Jan 25, 2016)

Thanks Wendy1B, these were actually my thoughts exactly- I've done something similar with some ADA supplements in other tanks. As I mentioned before, I don't have gratuitous time on my hands though, so, I'm going to buy my osmocote already capsuled off of the bay of E. 

Speaking of fertilizers, I had another question occur to me today. Most likely, this tank is going to have amano shrimp in it. I'm thinking that once the tank is all set, I'll throw them in there with some cardinals, and that's how it will stand for a few months while I grow out some new discus to gargantuan proportions. If they get eaten after that so be it, or I'll move them to other tanks. Anyway I digress...I'm wondering if I start dosing ferts if the copper content from, say, Plantex from GLA, will be a problem. I'd hate to anesthetize a bunch of perfectly good amanos. Anyone have any experience with this?


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## Sub-Mariner (Jan 25, 2016)

Haven't done much in the way of planning in the last couple days, except seed my temporary tanks with bacteria from my FX6. The reactor is scheduled to arrive tomorrow, and I will post pictures. Would anyone like to address my previous post regarding copper content of fertilizers and its effect on shrimp?


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## The Dude1 (Jun 17, 2016)

Sub-Mariner said:


> Thanks Wendy1B, these were actually my thoughts exactly- I've done something similar with some ADA supplements in other tanks. As I mentioned before, I don't have gratuitous time on my hands though, so, I'm going to buy my osmocote already capsuled off of the bay of E.
> 
> Speaking of fertilizers, I had another question occur to me today. Most likely, this tank is going to have amano shrimp in it. I'm thinking that once the tank is all set, I'll throw them in there with some cardinals, and that's how it will stand for a few months while I grow out some new discus to gargantuan proportions. If they get eaten after that so be it, or I'll move them to other tanks. Anyway I digress...I'm wondering if I start dosing ferts if the copper content from, say, Plantex from GLA, will be a problem. I'd hate to anesthetize a bunch of perfectly good amanos. Anyone have any experience with this?


Won't hurt them. I dose full EI in my tanks and have Amano's in there that are doing very well.


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## ChrisX (May 28, 2017)

Sub-Mariner said:


> Got lucky and found an awesome piece of driftwood for the scape today. That’s my lovely wife holding it up and my 20g in the background. It’s about 4 feet long and the piece sticking up is about 3 feet long.


That is a great piece. Found in nature, or found on ebay?


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## The Dude1 (Jun 17, 2016)

ChrisX said:


> That is a great piece. Found in nature, or found on ebay?


I guess I just assumed purchased... but it doesn't say does it?? If that was found I'm truly going to be envious. My LFS has some epic stumps that I'm considering for my 265. Unfortunately they are all $100+ and float.
Did that piece sink immediately?


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## Sub-Mariner (Jan 25, 2016)

Regarding the driftwood piece, I found it at a LFS here in Dallas called Fish Gallery. It was $130, which may sound overpriced, but pieces of wood like that down here are not easy to come by. There is a large lake nearby, but it is kept as a recreational reservoir and as such there isn't a lot of wood in it. Plus, if it helps keep a good LFS open, I don't mind paying a little extra. 
I haven't placed it in the tank yet, but when I put it in a bathtub, it sank, although with its slightly odd shape, I couldn't totally submerge it. We'll see if its buoyancy is such that it will sink when totally underwater.

Also, thanks for the input on the fertilizers as they relate to shrimp.


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## ChrisX (May 28, 2017)

The Dude1 said:


> I guess I just assumed purchased... but it doesn't say does it?? If that was found I'm truly going to be envious. My LFS has some epic stumps that I'm considering for my 265. Unfortunately they are all $100+ and float.
> Did that piece sink immediately?


265!? When did you get that? You have 2x75, 150, and a 265?


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## fermentedhiker (Oct 28, 2011)

Sub-Mariner said:


> The Bungulo, I've still been keeping my options open for a "center piece" fish. I'm considering the discus I have simply because I already have them. I haven't really seriously considered my livestock yet, as I'm still in the infancy stages of just getting materials together. I know DiscusUSA sells altums, that's where I've gotten some very nice discus and angels in the past, but their site is currently under maintenance. I like the idea, but I also am still partial to the idea of having a breeding pair of 5-6" discus. Maybe I'm just wishy-washy, but when you're starting over, the possibilities are almost overwhelming (in a good way). Maybe I should hold a vote at some point. Anyway, still a few weeks away from settling on fish species, but altums are definitely in the running. Overall, I guess you could say I'm trying to decide if I want a planted tank with fish or a fish tank with plants.
> 
> 
> Meanwhile, I've been lightly perusing the choices for root tabs. Since rootmedic is no longer a thing, I thought I'd settle on flourish tabs, but now I'm pretty much set on some osmocote tabs (especially since I can get 300 for around $15). These along with the Finnex heater will be my next purchases.
> ...


The general rule on heaters is 3-5 Watts per gallon. If your house is on the warm side you don't need as much of a heater. I will say I'm always in favor of using two smaller heaters instead of one large one. Just safer imo. Adding a heater controller is also worthwhile insurance.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk


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## Sub-Mariner (Jan 25, 2016)

CO2 Reactor from Nilocg aquatics came in today! Going to use a spare piece of the FX6 tubing to check if it’ll work with the ribbing or if I need to buy different hoses. I’m told it should work but I definitely want to make sure.


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## codycow (Jun 11, 2015)

I've got 3 of those lights on my 125g. They are so awesome, you'll love it! Awesome piece of wood too. Mine has a few smaller pieces but I've been thinking of getting a large one. I'm going to keep up with your tank and see how it looks. Nice work!


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## The Dude1 (Jun 17, 2016)

ChrisX said:


> 265!? When did you get that? You have 2x75, 150, and a 265?


I got it a couple months ago. Just the tank, stand, and canopy (I don't have your woodworking skills). I'm still deciding / purchasing lights and figuring out the sump. It would have been a minimum of 2 FX6 filters which is like $700 or more... and I dislike canisters. Won't be up for a while.
As for that piece of wood I would have paid that for that piece. It looks dense. Looks like mopani... which is awesome wood. The pieces available to me look killer, but ive had some pieces take 3 months to sink... with a piece that size I would only be able to submerge it in the tank... so 3 months of just waiting for it to sink...
Might be too early to think this far ahead, but that piece of wood would look killer with several groups of bucephelandra and anubias in different spots.


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## Sub-Mariner (Jan 25, 2016)

The Dude1 said:


> I got it a couple months ago. Just the tank, stand, and canopy (I don't have your woodworking skills). I'm still deciding / purchasing lights and figuring out the sump. It would have been a minimum of 2 FX6 filters which is like $700 or more... and I dislike canisters. Won't be up for a while.
> As for that piece of wood I would have paid that for that piece. It looks dense. Looks like mopani... which is awesome wood. The pieces available to me look killer, but ive had some pieces take 3 months to sink... with a piece that size I would only be able to submerge it in the tank... so 3 months of just waiting for it to sink...
> Might be too early to think this far ahead, but that piece of wood would look killer with several groups of bucephelandra and anubias in different spots.


Buce would look pretty good. It'll be a bit before I make a final decision on plants. I've never kept it personally so I may need to do a bit of research. As for the stumps, I've had success with using a masonry bit, drilling a hole through a brick, and using a large gauge nail to adhere it to the bottom of the stump. The brick is heavy enough to not be dependent on substrate weight to hold everything down, so you don't have to worry about any complications related to that, and unless the brick/nail are made of something weird they won't leach anything harmful.


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## Sub-Mariner (Jan 25, 2016)

Nothing much new in the last couple days, other than I ordered the Finnex heater and external controller, along with 4 bags of AquaQuartz #20 PFS (50 lb bags). I hope thats enough substrate.

Something I've been contemplating regards the tank being level. I currently have 3 tanks in the room this is all going down in. All 3 of them are slightly off level. All the stands were purchased already built, so I don't know if its the room or the stands. When I get the 150g deconstructed before I re-scape, I'm going to find out. Should it be the stand, anyone have any DIY advice to level everything out without rebuilding the whole thing or compromising the stand? It appears to be off by about half an inch or so.


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## Sub-Mariner (Jan 25, 2016)

Currently, the tank does not have a background, which I'm not a big fan of because I can see all the filter pipes and whatnot behind it. I'm thinking I'm going to paint the back dark/forest green. The thought is that it will be a nice contrast with the sand and wood. I've seen some people say that something lighter will be better...thoughts?


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## The Dude1 (Jun 17, 2016)

Sub-Mariner said:


> Currently, the tank does not have a background, which I'm not a big fan of because I can see all the filter pipes and whatnot behind it. I'm thinking I'm going to paint the back dark/forest green. The thought is that it will be a nice contrast with the sand and wood. I've seen some people say that something lighter will be better...thoughts?


Technically all the tanks should be level. You would use shims under the stands... but to do that would be difficult at this point. All of my tanks are off... some are 10 years old. Ive never had a leak. That being said it is highly likely that a tank that is not balanced will leak a good bit before a balanced tank all else being relatively equal. The seams are obviously the weak point and silicones attachment will degrade over time. Although new tanks likely are prepared better pre silicone that older tanks. Ill balance my 265 before I put water in it. The rest..... I'm not even worried about any of the others other than my 150. Water pressure just isn't high enough in the others to cause me to worry. The 150 will eventually leak though given its age and amount of pressure on the seams.
I would use some kind of removable film or tint from here on out. Looks better and gives a deeper look than the flat black I think.


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## Sub-Mariner (Jan 25, 2016)

The sand, osmocote tabs, and heater all came in yesterday! That leaves me still with the background to decide on before I get started. Anyway,
I ordered four bags of sand, 50 lbs, each. Now that I've got it in front of me, it looks like it might not be enough. I'm thinking I'll need a couple more bags.


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## Phil Edwards (Jul 18, 2003)

Sub-Mariner said:


> Nothing much new in the last couple days, other than I ordered the Finnex heater and external controller, along with 4 bags of AquaQuartz #20 PFS (50 lb bags).


Do you have any pictures of this sand? I've been looking for a source of sand that's coarser than the usual PFS and would like to see the grain size on this.


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## Sub-Mariner (Jan 25, 2016)

Here you go!


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## owens81jw (Feb 7, 2009)

sub-mariner said:


> the sand, osmocote tabs, and heater all came in yesterday! That leaves me still with the background to decide on before i get started. Anyway,
> i ordered four bags of sand, 50 lbs, each. Now that i've got it in front of me, it looks like it might not be enough. I'm thinking i'll need a couple more bags.



what about using window film from lowes


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## Sub-Mariner (Jan 25, 2016)

Alright, so today I moved all of my fish to their temporary tanks, pulled all of the plants, removed the substrate, and cleaned the front glass. The front glass has a few scratches so I’ll paint the front and then turn the tank around. Got the painter’s tape on the edges already, may do it tonight. I will have to find someone to help me turn the tank around. Definitely not a one person job.


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## Phil Edwards (Jul 18, 2003)

Thanks for the sand pics Sub. Looking forward to seeing the tank as it gets up and going (soon?).


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## Sub-Mariner (Jan 25, 2016)

Today, I got the tank turned around, cleaned all the algae off the glass, and refilled it to make sure I didn’t kill its silicon integrity. I drained it again and this is how it sits. You can see the small shrimp tank I have set up underneath. Next, I’ll take it down and place my reactor and filter, then start putting in fertilizer and substrate. Also, I placed a couple of shims under the left side to help deal with the aforementioned leveling issue. My level doesn’t say it helped much but we shall see.


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## Sub-Mariner (Jan 25, 2016)

More sizeable update today!
First, I ran into my first complication when I discovered I did not have enough tubing to finish connecting my reactor to the filter and then place the output in the tank. So, the input is done and I will post pics of the plumbing when it is complete. Extra tubing is in the mail. 
Next, I placed my Osmocote tabs on the bottom of the tank and put in all my sand over the top. I saved a few tabs to place near the plants when I have them, just to give them a little bit more of a supplement. 
Then, I placed my showcase-worthy driftwood. Unfortunately, I had to saw off a bit of the branch sticking up because it would have been in the way of the light mount, and also partially because my wife decreed that it should’nt stick out of the tank. It’s the little things in life. 
Finally, I got rid of the CRS tank underneath and rather than re-home elsewhere as I originally intended, I quickly put together a Walstad type bowl with the leftover plants and water from the tank. Threw a desk lamp over it and I’m hoping it works out. 7 shrimp in there. 
Anyhow, I don’t know if I’ll be able to resist setting up the lights before I get the FX6 tubing. I did remove the original light from above. Sorry for the glare in the pictures. I don’t have a fancy camera, so I’ll just make sure my next pics are taken at night. 
Updates to follow!


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## Greggz (May 19, 2008)

Alright getting somewhere now. Starting to look like a tank.

keep the updates coming.


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## Sub-Mariner (Jan 25, 2016)

Plumbing! Going to fill the tank and run everything tonight to check for leaks. Also, placed my heater, and then took out some java fern I’ve been propagating in my other tank. I’m planning on using some fluval plant glue to adhere it to the driftwood. Next up (hopefully), lights!


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## Sub-Mariner (Jan 25, 2016)

Alright, so good, bad, and ugly things happened when I filled the tank with water. I'll go with the bad and ugly first so that the good can cheer everyone up afterward.

Tha bad:

1. The tank still isn't quite level, despite the shims. There's about a half inch difference in water level at each end. I can live with that I guess, as long as the water level is above the black trim.
2. Despite my having been successful sinking my driftwood in a bathtub, it floats now. This is baffling. One might say inexplicable. Thoughts anyone? Barring any miracle cures, I'll be delayed indefinitely until this thing sinks. I can't glue my java fern until it sinks. Booooooo.

The ugly:

1. When I started up my filter, it expelled a bunch of bacteria/algae clumps from the tubing into the tank. Now I have a bunch of reddish brown stuff on my immaculately white sand. I had rinsed the tubing out but I suppose a lot of stuff hangs on inside that ribbed hosing. Rookie mistake I should have foreseen.

The good:

1. No leaks so far! My amateur plumbing skills seem to have worked. The 1" Fluval ribbed tubing was super-hard to get onto the fittings on the reactor (as in my forearms are sore from forcing it on), but it seems to have been worth it.
2. The sand seems to be a heavy enough grade that I'll be able to vacuum out all of the abominable bacteria sludge that my filter spat out with little loss.


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## Greggz (May 19, 2008)

Sub-Mariner said:


> 2. Despite my having been successful sinking my driftwood in a bathtub, it floats now. This is baffling. One might say inexplicable. Thoughts anyone? Barring any miracle cures, I'll be delayed indefinitely until this thing sinks. I can't glue my java fern until it sinks. Booooooo.


Here's what I do.

Go get a piece of slate tile from the hardware store. Drill a small hole in it, then screw it to the bottom of the driftwood.

Shimmy the slate under the substrate.

Months later you can remove it.


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## Sub-Mariner (Jan 25, 2016)

Greggz said:


> Here's what I do.
> 
> Go get a piece of slate tile from the hardware store. Drill a small hole in it, then screw it to the bottom of the driftwood.
> 
> ...



Is there a specific type of drill bit I need to do this? I've got a couple pieces of tile left over from when my house was built I could use, but I've tried to drill through it before with this exact purpose in mind and I barely made a scratch. Either it isn't made of slate like I thought or I need a different tool, I suppose.


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## Greggz (May 19, 2008)

Sub-Mariner said:


> Is there a specific type of drill bit I need to do this? I've got a couple pieces of tile left over from when my house was built I could use, but I've tried to drill through it before with this exact purpose in mind and I barely made a scratch. Either it isn't made of slate like I thought or I need a different tool, I suppose.


Carbide tipped bit will do the trick.


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## Sub-Mariner (Jan 25, 2016)

So I bought the tile and the drill bit. Screwed it to the bottom. The wood still floats. I tried two pieces of tile. Still floats. So, currently, the wood is weighted down by a plethora of river rocks. It's about 3/4 submerged and I'll just continue to work around it for now. As time passes, I'll slowly raise the water level, and then remove a rock at a time.


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## sdwindansea (Oct 28, 2016)

Good luck with the driftwood. You probably do not want to hear this but I had a larger piece of driftwood that still floated like a cork after 18 months under water. You may want to drill some holes into it as well to help it get waterlogged.


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## Greggz (May 19, 2008)

Sub-Mariner said:


> So I bought the tile and the drill bit. Screwed it to the bottom. The wood still floats. I tried two pieces of tile. Still floats. So, currently, the wood is weighted down by a plethora of river rocks. It's about 3/4 submerged and I'll just continue to work around it for now. As time passes, I'll slowly raise the water level, and then remove a rock at a time.


Did you shimmy the tiles under the substrate?? 

If so, my that is some buoyant wood you have there.


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## Sub-Mariner (Jan 25, 2016)

Yeah, the sand isn't heavy enough to hold it down. I might drill some holes in the bottom of it. Or maybe find a nice piece of flat landscaping stone to attach, see if it holds.


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## The Bungulo (Aug 28, 2017)

i'd try as many of the heaviest tiles you can find that will fit in the substrate line. Drill them all on there, scoop out a hole in the susbtrate, put in the wood, dump rocks on top of the tiles, then put the sand back on.


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## Phil Edwards (Jul 18, 2003)

If all else fails, or looks ugly, try a nice thick piece of slate.


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## Sub-Mariner (Jan 25, 2016)

BEHOLD! 


Ok so this was a frustrating experience. I finally found a 2’x1’x2.5’’piece of concrete block and screwed it in to the bottom of the wood with two 6” hex bolt screws. I buried the thing in the substrate and found that the first time around, I didn’t have enough sand to make everything flush. So I had to use shorter hex screws. Now I’ve repeated the process and you see it as it is. I’m hoping over time it settles down onto the sand more. 
Otherwise, I set up the lights! They’re on the lowest setting in the pic. Next on the docket, I’ll be draining the tank once more to get rid of all the crap on the substrate and then gluing my java fern. I’m thinking I need to do something around the base of the wood to help hide how unnatural the way it’s sitting looks. But I can’t really plant anything substantial because the block is just under the surface. Hmmm. 
Heater controller seems to be working, and I’ll need to address my filter media soon. It’s coming together...


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## sdwindansea (Oct 28, 2016)

Glad you are able to keep it in position. Maybe some rocks around the edge of it will make it appear more "natural".


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## Phil Edwards (Jul 18, 2003)

Sub-Mariner said:


> BEHOLD!
> 
> Ok so this was a frustrating experience. I finally found a 2’x1’x2.5’’piece of concrete block and screwed it in to the bottom of the wood with two 6” hex bolt screws. I buried the thing in the substrate and found that the first time around, I didn’t have enough sand to make everything flush. So I had to use shorter hex screws. Now I’ve repeated the process and you see it as it is. I’m hoping over time it settles down onto the sand more.
> 
> ...


Congrats!!! Could you give us a front-angle FTS? Next question, do you want the wood smack dab in the middle of the tank or are you open to re-placement suggestions?

I'm with sdwindandsea, some rocks would help make the wood feel like it was placed there by nature. Buuuuut, don't just put a circle of rock around the wood, that would look unnatural. Check out the build videos of the aquadesignamano channel on YouTube. They should help with figuring out rock placement. If you want to get really cool, add some anubias to the rock.


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## The Dude1 (Jun 17, 2016)

Phil Edwards said:


> Congrats!!! Could you give us a front-angle FTS? Next question, do you want the wood smack dab in the middle of the tank or are you open to re-placement suggestions?
> 
> I'm with sdwindandsea, some rocks would help make the wood feel like it was placed there by nature. Buuuuut, don't just put a circle of rock around the wood, that would look unnatural. Check out the build videos of the aquadesignamano channel on YouTube. They should help with figuring out rock placement. If you want to get really cool, add some anubias to the rock.


Or if you want to get really REALLY cool add some bucephelandra onto the rocks!


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## Sub-Mariner (Jan 25, 2016)

Ok. Lots got done today:
1. Drained the tank (again) and glued on some java fern to the wood. Also vacuumed out a lot of stuff from the sand. 
2. Placed my swords. They’re not looking too good at the moment because they just spent two weeks floating in a bathtub, but I think they’ll bounce back. Once they do, I’ll decide if I need to re-arrange and then fertilize. 
3. Placed some rocks as suggested. I will put some plants on them, I think, but I ran out of java and I might like the buce idea. We’ll see. 
4. Started the CO2 through my reactor. Still getting a few bubbles but the instructions that came with say to adjust a little at a time when first starting. So that’s in progress. 
5. Took down the hanging brackets from the previous light. 

Next, I’ll be filling my 20lb. CO2 tank this week before the current 10lb. runs out. I’m still thinking I’ll add some red/purple cabomba as well. Going to check the LFS for that before I just order it. Then, I’ll make a few tweaks to my filter media. After that, it’s just cycling before I add some Amano shrimp. 
Also, I provided several pics. Unfortunately the window across from the tank causes wicked glare so it’s hard to get good FTS.


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## madcrafted (Dec 23, 2017)

Sub-Mariner said:


> I finally found a 2’x1’x2.5’’piece of concrete block and screwed it in to the bottom of the wood with two 6” hex bolt screws.


Did you test that concrete with vinegar before placing it in your tank? Not all concrete is created equal. Some compositions are not really safe to use in our tanks. They can leech minerals and other unknown chemicals for quite a while. I would keep a close eye on parameters over the next few weeks.

Sorry if I rained on your parade. Something to think about, though.


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## Sub-Mariner (Jan 25, 2016)

madcrafted said:


> Did you test that concrete with vinegar before placing it in your tank? Not all concrete is created equal. Some compositions are not really safe to use in our tanks. They can leech minerals and other unknown chemicals for quite a while. I would keep a close eye on parameters over the next few weeks.
> 
> Sorry if I rained on your parade. Something to think about, though.



I tested with vinegar, it definitely bubbles as I expected it too. 

I'm expecting the pH flux to decrease as time passes, especially since its 150 gallons and I'll be changing the water several more times before my livestock actually go in the tank. Also, I'm no chemist but I would assume the CO2 will counter the bicarbonate driven pH jump at least partially, just like it would in a human body. As far as any other chemicals leeching into the water, I suppose I am taking a bit of a gamble. I'll be keeping a close eye on the parameters the closer I get to stocking.


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## The Bungulo (Aug 28, 2017)

Amano suggested putting rocks you found in nature in a tank with high co2. the acids in Co2 will leach out the pH changing minerals.


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## Sub-Mariner (Jan 25, 2016)

That sounds in line with what chemistry I know. I suppose time will tell.


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## underH20garden (Dec 19, 2017)

love the sand! 
fallowing for sure.


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## geektom (Dec 17, 2012)

Man, that is one gorgeous piece of wood!


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## Sub-Mariner (Jan 25, 2016)

Ok so I've had a couple of issues with the tank, one I'm still troubleshooting.

Many of the leaves on my swords simply went too long in sub-par conditions, and as such, they rotted. As a result, I had to trim the swords down to almost nothing a few days ago, but I'm already seeing signs of new growth. 

I received my purple cabomba in the mail, and its planted, pictures soon!


The main issue I'm having now is with the reactor. It's a Nilocg reactor that I ordered online, 24". It's currently connected to my Fluval FX6. The filter and the reactor don't have any inherent flaws or problems, its just that no matter how I adjust my flow or my reactor, I still get bubbles coming out of the output into the tank. I think its just because the volume of the tank requires a lot of CO2, but simultaneously, the bubbles I'm seeing come out of the output are rather large, not small enough to call micro-bubbles that you would get out of a diffusor.
I've tried putting a small bio-ball in the output to break up the bubbles, but it really kills my flow and, well, I still have a lot of bubbles. I'm wondering what solutions I have here. Should I place a secondary, small reactor with a few bioballs after the primary reactor to help make the bubbles smaller? Should I just get more tubing and attach? Any thoughts are welcome!


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## sdwindansea (Oct 28, 2016)

Does the reactor have a bypass for the flow (I believe the Nilocg ones do)? If yes, try adjusting this to see if it helps.


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## The Dude1 (Jun 17, 2016)

Sub-Mariner said:


> Ok so I've had a couple of issues with the tank, one I'm still troubleshooting.
> 
> Many of the leaves on my swords simply went too long in sub-par conditions, and as such, they rotted. As a result, I had to trim the swords down to almost nothing a few days ago, but I'm already seeing signs of new growth.
> 
> ...


FX6 has crazy flow and 24" isn't all that big. Mine on my 150 gallon is 38" - 40" and runs off an XP3. I would split the output into another canister. I know you don't want to buy another reactor, but I would think a single much larger one MIGHT work (still alot of flow) or another small one on another canister. My smallest reactor is 24" and it's on one of my 75 gallons running off of a 2215.


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## OreoP (Aug 12, 2016)

The Dude1 said:


> FX6 has crazy flow and 24" isn't all that big. Mine on my 150 gallon is 38" - 40" and runs off an XP3. I would split the output into another canister. I know you don't want to buy another reactor, but I would think a single much larger one MIGHT work (still alot of flow) or another small one on another canister. My smallest reactor is 24" and it's on one of my 75 gallons running off of a 2215.


Agree with above. On my 135gal, I run the FX6 as a dedicated filter and a Hydor canister as a second filter and as a feed to a 2ft x 3" RG reactor and heater.

From my experience to get no micro bubbles in the display tank and acceptable pH drop, you need to introduce back pressure in the reactor if the flow from the canister is too high. For your present set up, this is not possible as you will compromise filtration. 

You can either feed your reactor with another canister or a smaller pump like a Rio 1100 or similar.


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## Sub-Mariner (Jan 25, 2016)

Alright. I appreciate all of your input. However, I’ve decided to try one last strategy before I put another filter on this tank. I’ve spent about $12 and started building a tiny reactor that’s going to serve solely as an agitator. Planning on attaching it in-line directly after the original reactor. At the very least, this should get me smaller bubbles by the time they reach the tank. If I’m getting the “carbonated” look after that, I’m planning on converting my filter output to a spray bar that terminates behind the driftwood, out of site. The downward direction of the water to the spray bar will also essentially result in more reactor length, and if any bubbles remain they will have a longer journey to the surface. The only thing I’m worried about here is flow. If the spray bar results in not enough flow, I’ll revert to the original output, suck it up, and get the extra filter. I just really want to minimize the amount of equipment in the tank. Pics below of the reactor parts, including the bioballs I’m using epoxy to attach to the internal lumen of the agitator.


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## Sub-Mariner (Jan 25, 2016)

I don't think the spray bar will be necessary, after all. I attached my homemade agitator, and then turned the valve on the in-line reactor to the lowest current setting. From what I can tell, turning it to the lowest setting essentially extends the reactor length by splitting the current between two paths. Coupled with the agitator, I've been watching it for about an hour now and I haven't seen a single bubble come out of the output. Barring any setbacks (leaks, etc. from the agitator), I think the CO2 issue is likely resolved. My next investment will be in a drop checker just to make sure, and then I'll just watch the plants closely until my test kit tells me its time for shrimp.


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## Sub-Mariner (Jan 25, 2016)

So I need to retract a few things I said in my previous post. Been busy the last few days so a lot has happened!

1. Turns out, the bubbles were just backing up to the top of the reactor and sitting until the reactor finally "burped" out a bunch of them. So, I added the spray bar. I painted a few feet of 1" PVC, bought a 1" fitting and elbow from Home Depot, then after assembling all of it, I ran the PVC from the top of the tank to the bottom, and turned it 90 degrees to run behind the driftwood. I camouflaged it a bit with a couple of rocks. Now, with adjusted reactor settings, I'm still seeing a few bubbles, but not nearly as many. I'm satisfied with the result for now.
2. I added an old 1st generation Hydor Koralia for some current to help circulate the water while the plants are still growing in. 
3. A couple of the swords I trimmed back didn't make it, so I replaced them with a St. Elmo's Fire, a Melon, and a Marble Queen Radican. These along with the remaining two Amazons and two Fire swords should provide plenty of color, and when they get bigger I may need to re-home a plant or two for the sake of space. Plus, the Cabomba is already showing growth- root systems and small leaves at the crowns so far.
4. I checked my pH to make sure the cement block holding down the wood wasn't going nuts, and so far so good. pH was around 7.6-7.8. I did a 50% water change today anyway just to make sure. Plus, my TDS is sitting around 400 (tap water), which is in stark contrast to the 650 it ran this time last year. I'll have to keep an eye on that for my Discus' sake.
5. Going on vacation next week, and then the wisdom teeth are coming out (ugh). In short, this means the tank will have a couple more weeks to mature before I start doing final parameter checks to place livestock. First, planning on a few cherry shrimp culls just to test the water (and because if they live they'll be snacks later anyway). If they do well, I'll add the Amano's and the Cardinal Tetras, followed finally by the Discus. Also considering a small group (5-10) Sidthumunki Loaches, but they're usually expensive in this area ($12-18).
I will be posting pictures of this all tonight, as when I photograph during the day, the window across from the tank leaves a terrible glare and ruins the photo, regardless of what I do with the blinds.


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## Phil Edwards (Jul 18, 2003)

My first high tech tank had a spraybar along the bottom too. Then I got a custom reef tank (used) that had been drilled a few inches from the bottom, so those became spraybars too. The first tank was the return outlet. The CO2 was feeding directly into the pump (had a sump) and the only reason I got bubbles was because it wasn't turned upward enough. The second tank was purely a CO2 outlet. Both worked out really well. I think you'll be pleased with your change.

$12-18 sounds pretty reasonable for sidthimunki. I haven't seen them for less than $12 anywhere.


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## Sub-Mariner (Jan 25, 2016)

As promised, pictures! The St. Elmo’s was larger than what I though it would be when it arrived, and it looks a bit rough, but it should color up nicely.


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## Sub-Mariner (Jan 25, 2016)

Returned home from my vacation to find that the Cabomba has grown to the water’s surface and all of the swords are really taking off. I’ve pictured 3 nice wine colored leaves that have started on the St. Elmo’s. I trimmed the Cabomba and re-planted the stems. However, I am finally growing algae, mostly brown and possibly diatoms, along with some green spot on the glass. I’ve started dosing excel, reduced my light period by a couple hours, dimmed the Tuna Suns just a touch, and the cherry shrimp (50 or so) will arrive on Monday. I’ll do one more large water change along with a glass cleaning before they go in the tank. Ph sitting right at 7.6, temp at 78. Will eventually turn up the temp when the discus are coming back.


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## The Dude1 (Jun 17, 2016)

Phil Edwards said:


> My first high tech tank had a spraybar along the bottom too. Then I got a custom reef tank (used) that had been drilled a few inches from the bottom, so those became spraybars too. The first tank was the return outlet. The CO2 was feeding directly into the pump (had a sump) and the only reason I got bubbles was because it wasn't turned upward enough. The second tank was purely a CO2 outlet. Both worked out really well. I think you'll be pleased with your change.
> 
> $12-18 sounds pretty reasonable for sidthimunki. I haven't seen them for less than $12 anywhere.














Why are they so expensive by you?


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## Phil Edwards (Jul 18, 2003)

Shipping.


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## ChrisX (May 28, 2017)

Where did the Discus go? Did you rehome them or are they in a holding tank?


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## Sub-Mariner (Jan 25, 2016)

Discus are currently in a 56g in another room. Haven’t decided if I’ll keep these or get some new ones to grow out yet.


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## Sub-Mariner (Jan 25, 2016)

Put about 50 RCS in the tank yesterday after testing parameters. Not a single issue thus far.

Parameters as follows with CO2 at about 4 bps:

pH: 6.4-6.6
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 20-40 ppm
GH: 12 drops (140-200ppm)
KH: 6 drops (50-100ppm)

So the GH and KH are questionable because the scales in the kit aren't mutually exclusive. Also, I have a hard time deciphering the shades of red for the nitrate test, but either way they aren't high enough currently to be an issue. This is the same tap water that I've kept my previous discus in, so I don't expect to have to change anything. 
As for discus, been eyeing a few from Discus Hans or Uncle Sam's Discus. Never bought from either but read plenty about their stellar reputations.


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## ChrisX (May 28, 2017)

Sub-Mariner said:


> Discus are currently in a 56g in another room. Haven’t decided if I’ll keep these or get some new ones to grow out yet.


They are animals. Id keep them and give them quality care.


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## Sub-Mariner (Jan 25, 2016)

ChrisX said:


> They are animals. Id keep them and give them quality care.


Obviously, I'm aware they are animals or they would have perished 3 years ago when I originally purchased them. When I say get rid of them, I mean re-home them to somewhere I know they will be appreciated.


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## The Dude1 (Jun 17, 2016)

Sub-Mariner said:


> Obviously, I'm aware they are animals or they would have perished 3 years ago when I originally purchased them. When I say get rid of them, I mean re-home them to somewhere I know they will be appreciated.


You wont have ANY problem finding a good home for healthy discus even if they are less than perfectly formed. Lots of people would be MORE than happy to take those off your hands and provide them with excellent care.
When I feel I am close enough to being able to learn and care for Discus I would like to get older perhaps less than perfect discus to raise and care for.


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## Sub-Mariner (Jan 25, 2016)

Well boys and girls, I accidentally discovered the 25% off sale that Uncle Sam's was having today, and not wanting to miss a great opportunity to save some serious cash and get awesome discus, I ordered 10. I purchased the Fire Ruby Ring Leopard 2.5" (4), Alenquer F1 3-3.5" (3), and Blue Diamond 3-3.5" (3) strains. 

To prepare for their delivery, I'm going to move my original discus into the re-scape (still haven't decided on them) and use the 56 gallon as the grow out tank. Also going to start gathering foodstuffs- california black worms and some high protein flake, along with some beeefheart. Also, I'll be preparing for the feeding and water change grind that is discus growing.

Still planning on adding some cardinal tetras to the tank, and perhaps some Amano shrimp (again, still not sure about the shrimp).


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## chayos00 (Sep 22, 2013)

Just finished reading your whole blog. Can't wait to see how your setup progresses. I keep eyeing discus, but don't like the idea of having to keep the hotter temps as I already have a higher cooling cost for my home living in AZ, don't want the tank fighting the 75°F air temps and then the 82°F+? temps discus need. Really wish I had gotten in on the solar deals before when it was a 1:1 credit use deal, but now it's half the credit it used to be. 

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk


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## Sub-Mariner (Jan 25, 2016)

Chayos00, it’s unfortunate you have such a temperature battle to fight. It gets hot here in Dallas as well but it doesn’t endure as long, nor is it quite up to the 110-120 degrees (usually) that are common in Arizona. Meanwhile, the solar craze is starting up here, but I don’t know if there’s enough infrastructure here yet to incentivize converting financially for most. But I digress...
Here are some up to date growth pictures. I put in a few Cardinal Tetras after raising the tank temp to 81. I will be adding more, and my discus should arrive tomorrow for the grow out tank. I also added some giant frogbit to the tank surface.


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## chayos00 (Sep 22, 2013)

Sub-Mariner said:


> Chayos00, it’s unfortunate you have such a temperature battle to fight. It gets hot here in Dallas as well but it doesn’t endure as long, nor is it quite up to the 110-120 degrees (usually) that are common in Arizona. Meanwhile, the solar craze is starting up here, but I don’t know if there’s enough infrastructure here yet to incentivize converting financially for most. But I digress...
> Here are some up to date growth pictures. I put in a few Cardinal Tetras after raising the tank temp to 81. I will be adding more, and my discus should arrive tomorrow for the grow out tank. I also added some giant frogbit to the tank surface.


Yeah AZ does suck on that aspect, that in March we were already 90+ LOL which will last all the way through October November. 

By the way I love Cardinals! Can't wait for mine to get old enough to start breeding, I want to fill my tank with at least 50 or more! LOL


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## Sub-Mariner (Jan 25, 2016)

All ten discus arrived healthy today, so far no issues! I ultimately decided to keep 3 of my original discus, and I re-homed the other 4 to the personal collection of an LFS owner here in Dallas. Managed to get some store credit out of the deal even though he won’t be re-selling them. Only things left to do with the tank are to put in a few more cardinals, sidthumunki, and amano. If everything goes according to plan the Discus should be grown out in the next 8-12 months.


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## Sub-Mariner (Jan 25, 2016)

Summer semester started last week, so a bit behind on updates:

1. Tried frogbit in the tank. It quickly got out of hand so I removed it. It’s just too much work to keep under control, and I believe it was contributing to my swords doing what ive got pictured below. 
2. Added 8 sidthumunki loaches for a grand total of 11. I think that’ll do. 
3. I opted not to buy Amano shrimp. The three discus currently in the tank are making quick work of the test cherries, so I didn’t want to waste the money. Instead, I bought two panda garras. Not as efficient but I like them and their semi-unique. 
4. I am still currently trying to find cardinal tetras. None of the LFS currently have them and I haven’t had a lot of success having them shipped in the past. So I’ll wait. 
5. My marble amazon suddenly started doing what I pictured below. I think it was because of the frogbit blocking out too much light but I wonder if there’s a nutrient deficiency. Anyone have any input here?


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## The Dude1 (Jun 17, 2016)

Is the tank still at 81*? That's how some of my emersed plants looked when I left them in direct light and they got hot. How fast did it happen? Over a course of a day or two or weeks? 
Have you posted pics of the new discus?
I haven't seen any issues with plants in my Ram tank that's kept at 84*. Your tank is looking really good!


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## Discusluv (Dec 24, 2017)

Good luck with your new discus!
I have a pair of Alenquer F1's myself from Uncle Sam's. They are very healthy and robust. 
I can post a couple pictures of them if you like.
They have spawned several times, but the spawns, while fertile, have not made it because need to do some adjusting of water (lowering of my TDS). The eggs calcify prior to hatch.
Right now they are in a 60 gallon cube with a couple of Stendker Tefes and hope to transfer them soon to a breeder to adjust TDS to get a viable spawn.


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## Sub-Mariner (Jan 25, 2016)

The Dude1 said:


> Is the tank still at 81*? That's how some of my emersed plants looked when I left them in direct light and they got hot. How fast did it happen? Over a course of a day or two or weeks?
> Have you posted pics of the new discus?
> I haven't seen any issues with plants in my Ram tank that's kept at 84*. Your tank is looking really good!


Yes, the tank is still at 81F. This happened in the span of the last 3-5 days, I've been working and going to school a lot so I didn't really pay much attention over the weekend. The frog bit had spread considerably in the last week or so and really covered a large portion of the surface, along with the cabomba. Today, I trimmed off the damaged leaves, did a 20% water change, fertilized with GLA ferts, added a couple osmocote tabs to the base of the queen marble sword and the St. elmo's, trimmed down the purple cabomba, and finally added a dose of excel.
I haven't posted any pics of the new discus yet. They're still rather shy so I'll see if I can get a decent pic tomorrow.

Bump:


Discusluv said:


> Good luck with your new discus!
> I have a pair of Alenquer F1's myself from Uncle Sam's. They are very healthy and robust.
> I can post a couple pictures of them if you like.
> They have spawned several times, but the spawns, while fertile, have not made it because need to do some adjusting of water (lowering of my TDS). The eggs calcify prior to hatch.
> Right now they are in a 60 gallon cube with a couple of Stendker Tefes and hope to transfer them soon to a breeder to adjust TDS to get a viable spawn.


I'd love to see pictures, that way I'll have an even better idea of what I have to look forward to! I've had a couple of blue pigeon bloods in the past that would breed in my 150, but my tap water is relatively hard as well and the eggs calcified on the filter intake tube. I'v yet to dedicate the resources to try and do anything about it.


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## Discusluv (Dec 24, 2017)

This is the female:









The Male









The Alenquer pair and the Tefes:









Bump: Oh! This one too- spawning!


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## owenjmayer (Jul 15, 2013)

Beautiful tank. Quick question about your lights--did you have any trouble getting the mount to fit over the tank rim? My tank is only a 75g but the thicker rim (compared to something like a 20g) has caused some headaches getting filters and stuff to fit. Would love to go the Kessil route, but need a tank mount as ceiling isn't an option.


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## Sub-Mariner (Jan 25, 2016)

owenjmayer said:


> Beautiful tank. Quick question about your lights--did you have any trouble getting the mount to fit over the tank rim? My tank is only a 75g but the thicker rim (compared to something like a 20g) has caused some headaches getting filters and stuff to fit. Would love to go the Kessil route, but need a tank mount as ceiling isn't an option.


The mounts have no problem fitting. They come with a piece of block plastic that can be taken out to adapt to various rim widths. They would work on rimless or standards like mine with no after market modifications.


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## Sub-Mariner (Jan 25, 2016)

Just some pics of the discus in their grow out tank, coming out to eat. Not the greatest pics, but they’re still a bit skittish.


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## Sub-Mariner (Jan 25, 2016)

I've still been having trouble with my sword plants. The marble queen and st. elmos growth had slowed, and the present leaves had also started to deteriorate. I decided to remove them from the tank to trim them and attempt to figure out the problem. I was surprised to find root systems that were mostly rotted, with a few new healthy growths of roots. So, I trimmed them, cut off the rotting roots, trimmed the healthy roots to promote growth, and replanted. I placed two osmocote tabs at the base of each plant. I'm hoping this solves the issue. My theory is that shipping these plants left the roots without enough moisture for long enough that they died, and the plant started growing a new system. Time will tell if I am correct.


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## The Dude1 (Jun 17, 2016)

I bet you're right. Swords are pretty resilient. They can take alot and bounce back. Trim off the rotted stuff and give them good light and some root ferts and they'll likely recover.


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## Sub-Mariner (Jan 25, 2016)

This post is about 5 months overdue, but as I mentioned before, graduate school tends to get in the way. In my time away from the forum, the plants here ave progressed quite a bit, as you can see below. In summation, I’ve gone through several different types of swords to see what I like, and that’s still a work in progress. The Java Fern has filled in nicely. I’ve added frog bit and duckweed as well. You may also notice the crypt lutea. I’m considering adding some intriguing “pink flamingo” crypt I discovered online to add a bit of contrast. 
As for stocking, I’ve added some of the discus I was growing out. Unfortunately they aren’t very photogenic at the moment. I haven’t had too much issue with them, but I did lose 3 of the 4 ring leopard spot to what I’m reasonably sure was just high stress. The 4th surviving simply isn’t growing well. The others have done admirably and are 4-5” now. 
Finally, I removed the purple cabomba. I just couldn’t get it to be as full and purple as I’d like, and it kept breaking off and just looked raggedy (very technical term). I’m still considering if I might add something taller to the back right corner.


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## elusive77 (Sep 27, 2016)

Just read through your whole journal. The tank looks great. That's an amazing piece of wood and I love how it looks with the plants. It makes me happy to see someone with Discus in a planted tank. I've wanted Discus since the first time I saw them, but I just can't do a bare bottom tank. I have been planning on doing the same thing as you and raising them in a spare tank and moving them over when they have grown. Glad to see someone successful at it. Looking forward to updates.


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