# 140G. It is a real GREEN VALLEY -1/8/12 - Pg.6. Huge Disappointment



## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

:icon_eek:

You have my undivided attention.


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## green_valley (Sep 14, 2011)

cableguy69846 said:


> :icon_eek:
> 
> You have my undivided attention.


but soon, my 10g will give you a divided attention.:biggrin::biggrin:


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

green_valley said:


> but soon, my 10g will give you a divided attention.:biggrin::biggrin:


Lol. I think you may have a point there.

I will still stop by to do this :drool: every now and then.


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## fishboy199413 (Jan 20, 2010)

Can't wait to see the porgress!  Good Luck


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## green_valley (Sep 14, 2011)

fishboy199413 said:


> Can't wait to see the porgress!  Good Luck


Thank you Sir, I might need lots of luck as this will be my first big tank scaping. But I trust my experience on my 10g, its gonna be fun.:biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

green_valley said:


> Thank you Sir, I might need lots of luck as this will be my first big tank scaping. But I trust my experience on my 10g, its gonna be fun.:biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:


What are you planning for substrate? Dirt, or something else?


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## green_valley (Sep 14, 2011)

cableguy69846 said:


> What are you planning for substrate? Dirt, or something else?


After further research for the design, we have decided to go with eco complete. Dirt would be a disaster for this project since we will have high and low points.



Alright, so this is a little updates. The idea is to have a Valley, where there will be high on the right side, and low on the left side. And path will be in between the high and low. Just like a valley basically.


I went to my backyard, and guess what I found. WOWWWWWWW...treasures. Yup, they will go in this tank. Those ROCKS are amazinggggg:bounce:, specially those petrified woods. LOVE IT:thumbsup:

















That's right, the black blank background. It was somewhat challenging since I have the filter "in and out" to the back, but heyyy...the more challenge, the more I will learn. I used the water soap technique on the background. It will be air pockets all over, then you will see once it's all gone:thumbsup::thumbsup:


















Ok, now for the lower side of the Valley, which is the left side. I have been playing around with the scaping for hours, and I am not satisfied. Go figure. 










































Now, here comes the challenge. The aquarium is 24" high, and we wanted to be as high as possible, and it has to be much taller than the left side. :thumbsup: So I tried the best I could to get ideas to raised the rocks as high as possible. I found these corals that have been used for years in freshwater, and I know if I stack them right, you can create a mountain. :thumbsup: Then, as I was designing it, I realized that I accidentally created a cave. Well, guess what?????? then there will be a cave incoorporated in the design:fish::fish: fish will love it. Please remember, there will be ROCKS on top of this "HILLS".:redface:


























Alrighty, there will be more updates soon. I LOVE THIS PART (scaping). I would take a long as I can as I enjoy it so much.:bounce::bounce: Any question, please ask or suggestion? please tell.


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

This is going to be EPIC!:icon_eek:

Just be careful with the depth you are looking for that you don't create anaerobic areas in the soil. That would nuke your tank really quick. EcoComplete is not the best, but if you add water column ferts as well, it will work well. I have it in one of my 10 gallons, and while I hate the dust it kicks up, it is not too bad at growing stuff with the aid of a secondary fert source. Root tabs would not hurt either near your heavier root feeding plants.

It is looking good so far. I like where it is headed.

One more thing........ can I go rooting around in your yard for some petrified wood too?:hihi:

Looking forward to this build.


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## green_valley (Sep 14, 2011)

cableguy69846 said:


> This is going to be EPIC!:icon_eek:
> 
> Just be careful with the depth you are looking for that you don't create anaerobic areas in the soil. That would nuke your tank really quick. EcoComplete is not the best, but if you add water column ferts as well, it will work well. I have it in one of my 10 gallons, and while I hate the dust it kicks up, it is not too bad at growing stuff with the aid of a secondary fert source. Root tabs would not hurt either near your heavier root feeding plants.
> 
> ...


Thank you Sir. That is on the back of my mind while designing this bad-boy. That's why I wouldn't use full gravel all the way to create hills. Basically it needs to be somewhat filled up and not creating too deep substrate. But anyways, im still having fun with my rocks placements. :thumbsup:

Yes, you are welcome to come by and get some of my rocks. Hahahahaha


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

green_valley said:


> Thank you Sir. That is on the back of my mind while designing this bad-boy. That's why I wouldn't use full gravel all the way to create hills. Basically it needs to be somewhat filled up and not creating too deep substrate. But anyways, im still having fun with my rocks placements. :thumbsup:
> 
> Yes, you are welcome to come by and get some of my rocks. Hahahahaha


No problem.roud:

And I will be on the next flight out. Lol.:hihi:

I wonder what airport security would say if I had a big bag of petrified wood? Lol. It would be an interesting conversation for sure.:hihi:


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## magma (Oct 31, 2011)

Grrrrrr... I am not jealous, I am not jealous, I am not jealous. Oh man I am so jealous!!! Hopefully someday I'll have one of these large setups. If your 10 gallon is anything to go by, this is going to be amazing...


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## jkan0228 (Feb 6, 2011)

Haha dang dude! Totally subscribed.


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## The Gipper (Sep 9, 2003)

Did the tank come predrilled in the back or something you did (if so how?)


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## TactusMortus (Jun 28, 2011)

green_valley said:


> Thank you Sir. That is on the back of my mind while designing this bad-boy. That's why I wouldn't use full gravel all the way to create hills. Basically it needs to be somewhat filled up and not creating too deep substrate. But anyways, im still having fun with my rocks placements. :thumbsup:
> 
> Yes, you are welcome to come by and get some of my rocks. Hahahahaha


If you are going to be using the substrate you have in there now. I would not worry about going to deep. That stuff will have plenty of flow going through it. You only run into a problem when you attempt to use a substrate that will compact in large hills like that.


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## irishchickadee (Mar 19, 2009)

DO WANT!!! :icon_eek:

I'm trying not to be jealous of the rocks, I have my own unlimited supply of quartz river stones (when the weather warms up again) but yeah.. love the look of the petrified wood. Can't wait to see more progress :bounce:


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## bryfox86 (Apr 6, 2011)

Everything is looking great! cant wait to watch this tank come into its own!


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## green_valley (Sep 14, 2011)

Sorry for the DELAY response everyone.






cableguy69846 said:


> No problem.roud:
> 
> And I will be on the next flight out. Lol.:hihi:
> 
> I wonder what airport security would say if I had a big bag of petrified wood? Lol. It would be an interesting conversation for sure.:hihi:


As long as they don't think it's a bomb, you're good. roud:Just call me if they take you to jail.:angel:



magma said:


> Grrrrrr... I am not jealous, I am not jealous, I am not jealous. Oh man I am so jealous!!! Hopefully someday I'll have one of these large setups. If your 10 gallon is anything to go by, this is going to be amazing...


Grrrrrrrr........lol. I am jealous to many of the tanks around here too. So I have to keep up...ahahahah. I hope it will be amazing.



jkan0228 said:


> Haha dang dude! Totally subscribed.


Dude.....thanks for subscribing.



The Gipper said:


> Did the tank come predrilled in the back or something you did (if so how?)


It is predrilled, it comes like that. Sorry, I wish i could tel you more.



TactusMortus said:


> If you are going to be using the substrate you have in there now. I would not worry about going to deep. That stuff will have plenty of flow going through it. You only run into a problem when you attempt to use a substrate that will compact in large hills like that.


Yup, agreed. I only have much bigger gravels and rocks underneath it. 


irishchickadee said:


> DO WANT!!! :icon_eek:
> 
> I'm trying not to be jealous of the rocks, I have my own unlimited supply of quartz river stones (when the weather warms up again) but yeah.. love the look of the petrified wood. Can't wait to see more progress :bounce:


Don't be jelous, I'll send you some :biggrin:. Quarts river stones are nice too.



bryfox86 said:


> Everything is looking great! cant wait to watch this tank come into its own!


You haven't seen anything yet......:icon_bigg you're toooo nice.


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## green_valley (Sep 14, 2011)

Finally, after scaping for weeks. :icon_lol::icon_lol::icon_lol:...Just kidding. This is done weeks prior. So let's just get to the step by step taken for this bad-boy. Remember, Rocks, Mountain, hills,....VALLLEY are the main idea behind the scape. So here we go. I apologize for not so great pictures:

After spending too much time, we decided this is the final position of the rocks. For raising the hills, I use large gravels in stockings.









This is how we left it over night for precaution measure. :icon_lol: I was a little worried about the weight of the rocks. I would say about 100lbs. I was nervous, but confident at the same time:thumbsup:









This is when the first layer of the gravels, they're pretty big grain. It started to look like valley. Sorry for the glare.









Eco Complete on top. The idea is to have root caps in them. But I wish I went with ADA. I don't know why. 









We wanted to have carpeting surrounding the rocks, and after researching which plants to go, we decided Dwarf Sags is the winner. WHY? we thought the rocks are HUGE, so dwarf sags would be perfect. Besides, at the time, we thought we were going to do low-tech.









After planting them for 3 hours


















Ok, so this is the most exciting part. It was around 2 or 3 am. I don't remember. FILLING UP THE WATERroud:. Btw, I would not recommend this idea. hahahahahah.









Finally, I was half asleep . All of sudden we were awakeee:bounce::bounce::bounce:Superrrrrrrrrr excited. My apology for my PINK light. I know I know. No worries, new one is not that color. ahhaahaah




















Side view that I LOVE. roud:


















A cave that we accidentally created, and it works out for us because there is water circulation inside the hills.









Fish in the next day, and they love it. If you want some hardy fish. Nothing compared to these Red Eye and penguin tetras. OMG....unless you take them out of water, they will survive.


















There you have it Ladies and Gents. I hope that you like it, and if you have any questions, opinions, suggestions, please please please let me know. I will be more than happy to see comments.

By the way, please remember, if you think it's finished, you are wrong..ahahaha. The project has just begun. roud:I will put more progress pictures near future.


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## 83bosfan (Oct 15, 2011)

Nice tank, wish I had the room for something that big.


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

OH. MY. GOD.

That is beautiful. I love it. It looks like a valley too. Good work.roud:

One question, maybe more. Any plans for a taller plant in the background? Especially on the shorter side?

And, are you going hi tech with this monster?


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## green_valley (Sep 14, 2011)

83bosfan said:


> Nice tank, wish I had the room for something that big.


Thank you for the comment. I dindn't have a room, and I managed to squeeze this in somehow. 



cableguy69846 said:


> OH. MY. GOD.
> 
> That is beautiful. I love it. It looks like a valley too. Good work.roud:
> 
> ...


Thank you for the compliment Cable. .........
GRRRRRRR..........how did you know what I was about to do.:frown:
Yes, I have been playing around with taller plants on the background. May be both on high hills, and lower?????? hmmmm.....

And how in the world did you know I was thinking about high-tech?????? Here is the problem, I have no idea and have zero experience on CO2. I am really thinking about it. I already got the TH5 3 bulbs. Hmmmm..... Very tempting. What do you think? Should I?


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

green_valley said:


> Thank you for the comment. I dindn't have a room, and I managed to squeeze this in somehow.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


No problem.:icon_bigg

Lol, I knew cuz I am good like that.roud: I don't think you will need the taller plants on the higher hill. If you do it on one, it will look like mountains with a forest on one side if you keep the taller plants to the smaller hill. I think that would really set this scape off.

One statement tipped me off. It was the one about the sag.:biggrin:

I don't have a lot of experience with CO2. I run all DIY yeast reactors myself as I have small tanks. For CO2 on yours, I would advise you to drop the money on a good pressurized system. Also if you do that, you should look into ferts in the water column as well. I know there are a ton of threads in the equipment section of this forum about CO2, you may be able to find everything you need there. Sorry I don't have more experience in that to help out.


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## green_valley (Sep 14, 2011)

Thanks cable, my response is below in blue.



cableguy69846 said:


> No problem.:icon_bigg
> 
> Lol, I knew cuz I am good like that.roud: I don't think you will need the taller plants on the higher hill. If you do it on one, it will look like mountains with a forest on one side if you keep the taller plants to the smaller hill. I think that would really set this scape off.
> 
> ...


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

The only problem I see with planting both hills, is on the higher one, you will be pruning a lot as there is not as much height for the plants to take up. But then again, if you do it right, that may not be a concern. I think it would be cool to have some sort of stem plant with needle like leaves to act as "trees" on the hills. Maybe some D. diandra. Then you can still keep it low tech and not have to prune all the time. Not to mention, with a plant like that, you can prune it and sell the cuttings on the SnS and make some money back on your tank. Maybe use those funds to add CO2 later down the road.roud:

Once you get the CO2 dialed in with your ferts and light, you should not have to worry about the fish. After you set it all and it is running how you like it, don't mess with it and you should be fine. I hear you on the money bit though. That is the one reason I am not running pressurized on any of my tanks at the moment. 3 tanks with CO2 would be a pretty penny to setup pressurized on. If I get a bigger tank though, I will for sure put the money into one. You can always add that later as well. Maybe wait a while to get the tank setup and recoup some of the money put into it, then add it after a while and more research.

As for the dosing, I dose my tanks every other day and usually when I feed the fish. An extra few minutes, in my opinion, is totally worth it, and the longer you do it, the faster it will become. If you are going to wait on the CO2 though, you may be able to hold off on the ferts as well. With as much as I dose, and as many fast growing plants as I have, I usually only trim one tank once a week. If that. Not too much more work to me. Than again, I enjoy all the mundane tasks like that.roud:


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## sam22sam (Nov 9, 2010)

Thats one massive tank. Am looking forward to seeing how it will turn out.


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## bryfox86 (Apr 6, 2011)

tank turned out awesome!! not the painful part... waiting for it to fill in!


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## Studman0143 (Mar 20, 2011)

Fantastic start to this tank. I love how that cave kind of formed. It'll be a huge eye catcher when you are scanning your tank up close (and I can't be the only person who does this with their tanks  )

~following!


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## green_valley (Sep 14, 2011)

cableguy69846 said:


> The only problem I see with planting both hills, is on the higher one, you will be pruning a lot as there is not as much height for the plants to take up. But then again, if you do it right, that may not be a concern. I think it would be cool to have some sort of stem plant with needle like leaves to act as "trees" on the hills. Maybe some D. diandra. Then you can still keep it low tech and not have to prune all the time. Not to mention, with a plant like that, you can prune it and sell the cuttings on the SnS and make some money back on your tank. Maybe use those funds to add CO2 later down the road.roud:
> 
> *Thank you so much for the GREAT idea cable. Smart move. As far as "trees" on hills, I am going to try all kind of plants. That's going to be the fun part roud:. If it doesn't work, oh well, at least I tried my best specially this is the "true" first aquascaping I've done. I really think that on the back of my mind saying "go high-tech":biggrin:*
> 
> ...





sam22sam said:


> Thats one massive tank. Am looking forward to seeing how it will turn out.


Massive indeed, yeah, I can't wait how this turn out.




bryfox86 said:


> tank turned out awesome!! not the painful part... waiting for it to fill in!


Thank you for the compliment. Hahahahahhahha, believe me, it's painful to wait....hahahahahaha:icon_lol::icon_lol: I just have no patience.





Studman0143 said:


> Fantastic start to this tank. I love how that cave kind of formed. It'll be a huge eye catcher when you are scanning your tank up close (and I can't be the only person who does this with their tanks  )
> 
> ~following!


Thank you. As for the cave, I can't wait for the plant to cover the whole "entrance" sort of speak. The fish love it:fish::fish:


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

awesome tank!!


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## Alyssa (Sep 16, 2011)

I love it! Only thing is, I'm wishing that the lower side was just like an inch or an inch and a half taller - as I think it would accentuate the valley just that much more than it does now.

Maybe higher plants would do the same thing ... but it would be nice to see the actual hill be more of a well ... hill and less of a gentle "mound" ... if that makes sense.

But nonetheless, it is gorgeous! And inspiring!


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

Glad to help man.:biggrin:

As for ferts, you can also look into dosing pumps as well. Then you can set it and leave it do it's thing for a week at a time, and just feed and enjoy the fish and scape. It would be beneficial to drop the money on a high tech setup with a tank this big. You will kick yourself down the road if you don't. It happens to all of us. The biggest problem with plants is waiting for them to take root. After that, they will be good though.roud:


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## green_valley (Sep 14, 2011)

allaboutfish said:


> awesome tank!!


Thank you.



Alyssa said:


> I love it! Only thing is, I'm wishing that the lower side was just like an inch or an inch and a half taller - as I think it would accentuate the valley just that much more than it does now.
> 
> Maybe higher plants would do the same thing ... but it would be nice to see the actual hill be more of a well ... hill and less of a gentle "mound" ... if that makes sense.
> 
> But nonetheless, it is gorgeous! And inspiring!


Thank you Alyssa. I appreciate the "love". :bounce:
You got some good eyes, yes, you are correct. This is still somewhat in progress, no worries, there will be some taller plants. I didn't go to the "hills" route because I needed the big hills to stand out. Thank you for your suggestionroud: Btw, you're in Woodland hills, ....We're not too far away.:icon_lol:

Thank you again, I really appreciate the comment and suggestion.


cableguy69846 said:


> Glad to help man.:biggrin:
> 
> As for ferts, you can also look into dosing pumps as well. Then you can set it and leave it do it's thing for a week at a time, and just feed and enjoy the fish and scape. It would be beneficial to drop the money on a high tech setup with a tank this big. You will kick yourself down the road if you don't. It happens to all of us. The biggest problem with plants is waiting for them to take root. After that, they will be good though.roud:


Yes, Sir. I need as much help as possible. Dosing pumps are nice, I got some from rootmedic and it's so convenient. ....would you stop mentioning about high-tech:biggrin::biggrin:hahahahahha.......after slow start on 10g, high-tech is really on the back of my mind. hahahaha...Probably will go with it. Yes, I wanted rooted already. haha


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## Alyssa (Sep 16, 2011)

Naw, not in Woodland Hills, just Woodland! We are up north ... Woodland Hills I believe is down south, on the other side of the state.
I get that all the time though lol!


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

green_valley said:


> Yes, Sir. I need as much help as possible. Dosing pumps are nice, I got some from rootmedic and it's so convenient. ....would you stop mentioning about high-tech:biggrin::biggrin:hahahahahha.......after slow start on 10g, high-tech is really on the back of my mind. hahahaha...Probably will go with it. Yes, I wanted rooted already. haha


I am not saying anything. *twiddles thumbs innocently* I am just telling you what I would do. Lol.:biggrin:


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## green_valley (Sep 14, 2011)

Alyssa said:


> Naw, not in Woodland Hills, just Woodland! We are up north ... Woodland Hills I believe is down south, on the other side of the state.
> I get that all the time though lol!


Hahahahah, I should read more carefully. Yup, you're north, and I am south. But still close enough within CA.:angel:



cableguy69846 said:


> I am not saying anything. *twiddles thumbs innocently* I am just telling you what I would do. Lol.:biggrin:


roud:If I go high-tech, it's all on you cableroud:


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

green_valley said:


> roud:If I go high-tech, it's all on you cableroud:


Lol. I will take the responsibility for that.roud:


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## sam22sam (Nov 9, 2010)

Hey Green,

I did not see too much of plumbing apparutus under the tank or may be I missed something. How do you plan on doing water changes?


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## green_valley (Sep 14, 2011)

cableguy69846 said:


> Lol. I will take the responsibility for that.roud:


You better be ready, we got tons of responsibility ahead of us.



sam22sam said:


> Hey Green,
> 
> I did not see too much of plumbing apparutus under the tank or may be I missed something. How do you plan on doing water changes?


Hi Sam, You are correct, there is not much. There are 2 canisters filters with 2 in-out hose on each. Then all other goodies. As for water change (I have done several times now), I used to use siphon, but I get impatient with it and so slow. i had to dumb 5 gallons each trip to the restroom, at least 10 times. Hahahaha


So I upgraded to water pump, and have a long hose straight to the sink. roud:Baaammmmm.....they're done is seconds, and put back water in seconds....roud:

Also another way to do the WC is to let the hoses off the canister filters, and let it drain automatically, but I like the water pump better and faster.


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

green_valley said:


> You better be ready, we got tons of responsibility ahead of us.


Lol. You know that is true.:biggrin:

Now I want a huge tank too.:icon_frow


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## green_valley (Sep 14, 2011)

cableguy69846 said:


> Now I want a huge tank too.:icon_frow


No Cable..............NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! :hihi::hihi:
But it would be nice though:angel::angel::angel:


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

green_valley said:


> No Cable..............NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! :hihi::hihi:
> But it would be nice though:angel::angel::angel:


Lol. I just need the room to put one now.:hihi:

Wait till you see what I do this spring.roud:


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## green_valley (Sep 14, 2011)

cableguy69846 said:


> Lol. I just need the room to put one now.:hihi:
> 
> Wait till you see what I do this spring.roud:


Hmmmmmmmmmm...........I wonder what it is....hmmmmmmmm.....


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

green_valley said:


> Hmmmmmmmmmm...........I wonder what it is....hmmmmmmmm.....


Let's just say that "Fish Room" may be in the title.roud:


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## green_valley (Sep 14, 2011)

cableguy69846 said:


> Let's just say that "Fish Room" may be in the title.roud:


:fish::fish: FISH ROOM:fish::fish: ????????????
Oh, what are you gonna breed? I was thinking about that too.


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

green_valley said:


> :fish::fish: FISH ROOM:fish::fish: ????????????
> Oh, what are you gonna breed? I was thinking about that too.


Lots of shrimp if I can swing it. Maybe some cool lovebearers and tons of plants. I already have 3 racks planned out.:hihi:


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## green_valley (Sep 14, 2011)

cableguy69846 said:


> Lots of shrimp if I can swing it. Maybe some cool lovebearers and tons of plants. I already have 3 racks planned out.:hihi:





cableguy69846 said:


> Lots of shrimp if I can swing it. Maybe some cool lovebearers and tons of plants. I already have 3 racks planned out.:hihi:



3 racksssssssssss????????????????
oohhhh myyyyyyyyyyyy:hihi::hihi:


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## 150EH (Dec 6, 2004)

You have made a lot of progress and it looks really nice.

I saw you were looking at CO2 reactors, for a large tank the Carbon Doser EXT5000 from Aquarium Plants.com works great with medium sized filters (150 to 400 gph) but it will set you back $110, but it's worth it.


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

green_valley said:


> 3 racksssssssssss????????????????
> oohhhh myyyyyyyyyyyy:hihi::hihi:


Yep. 2 for plants and one for shrimp and fish. I may add more later on.:biggrin:


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## green_valley (Sep 14, 2011)

150EH said:


> You have made a lot of progress and it looks really nice.
> 
> I saw you were looking at CO2 reactors, for a large tank the Carbon Doser EXT5000 from Aquarium Plants.com works great with medium sized filters (150 to 400 gph) but it will set you back $110, but it's worth it.


Thank you so much for your comment. I really appreciate it. Yup, If I were to diffuse the CO2, it will be Reactors. Thank you for the suggestion, $100 but worth it. But I have seen some of the DIY, and they work perfectly fine. 



cableguy69846 said:


> Yep. 2 for plants and one for shrimp and fish. I may add more later on.:biggrin:


:icon_bigg:icon_biggI want blue shimps, are you gonna get those?:bounce:


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## jkan0228 (Feb 6, 2011)

Any progress on the lovely little plants? 

You should get some aura blues or blue rili's. I know I wanted those.


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

green_valley said:


> Thank you so much for your comment. I really appreciate it. Yup, If I were to diffuse the CO2, it will be Reactors. Thank you for the suggestion, $100 but worth it. But I have seen some of the DIY, and they work perfectly fine.
> 
> 
> 
> :icon_bigg:icon_biggI want blue shimps, are you gonna get those?:bounce:


Possibly.


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## 2in10 (Feb 8, 2011)

Outstanding scape, awesome job


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## green_valley (Sep 14, 2011)

jkan0228 said:


> Any progress on the lovely little plants?
> 
> You should get some aura blues or blue rili's. I know I wanted those.


Jkan, which little plants? You meant the sags? There are more coming, and this is still in a designing mode technicallyroud: There will be little plants on lower hills and around path....gahhh, i can't wait. Hahah

Mannnnnnnnnnnnnnnn, I want those guysssss............They are soo nice, Go Blue Go..... But not gonna be in here though, there are some fish that will hunt them down.:icon_mrgr



cableguy69846 said:


> Possibly.


:wink::wink::wink: Blue Go BLue :wink::wink::wink::wink:



2in10 said:


> Outstanding scape, awesome job


Thank you so much, but one day, I'll have one like your tank.:icon_mrgr


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## jkan0228 (Feb 6, 2011)

Yup. The dwarf sag. How's it doing? What Livestock do you have in here right now?


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## green_valley (Sep 14, 2011)

jkan0228 said:


> Yup. The dwarf sag. How's it doing? What Livestock do you have in here right now?


Oh, Sags are doing well, they were melting the outer sprout, then after a little over a month, then smaller ones are coming out. I have not seen any sag that actually died. But at the same time, I want them to have the runners already....shessshhhh. Hahaha. I pulled one last weekend just to see, and the root was spreading pretty well. I have been planning to boost CO2, it might grow a little faster. 

Livestock??? sshhhhhhhhhhh.......... I got too many. Lol, bunch of cumminity fish in there, I'll get some pictures soon. :icon_mrgr That's why i'm a little concern about this CO2 thingy.


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## [email protected] (Apr 27, 2011)

Man, that tank is AWESOME!! You did a great job with the scape, and the plants as well. I think you need some more fish, but the tank is perfect and I wouldn't change a thing. Great job.


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

Lol. I think I am going to go for some Orange Eyed Blue Tigers at some point. They look awesome.


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## TactusMortus (Jun 28, 2011)

Your tank looks great I can't wait to see it fill in. We need more pics though!


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## [email protected] (Apr 27, 2011)

cableguy69846 said:


> Lol. I think I am going to go for some Orange Eyed Blue Tigers at some point. They look awesome.


+100:smile: I LOVE them things. They are pretty expensive to buy online, but I'm in the process of getting some to add to my tank. Gonna have them grown mostly though, I hope. 

Glad to hear that about the Sag, greenvalley. I just put about 75 of them in my tank and was curious as to how long it was going to take for them to recover and start spreading. There has really been minimal melting on mine yet (only a few leaves on all of them so far), but am keeping my fingers crossed that's all that's going to happen. 

Where are them livestock pics you promised days ago? I wanna see some fish:hihi:


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

[email protected] said:


> +100:smile: I LOVE them things. They are pretty expensive to buy online, but I'm in the process of getting some to add to my tank. Gonna have them grown mostly though, I hope.
> 
> Glad to hear that about the Sag, greenvalley. I just put about 75 of them in my tank and was curious as to how long it was going to take for them to recover and start spreading. There has really been minimal melting on mine yet (only a few leaves on all of them so far), but am keeping my fingers crossed that's all that's going to happen.
> 
> Where are them livestock pics you promised days ago? I wanna see some fish:hihi:


Yeah! I'm with Tony, where are the pics at?


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## tizzite (Mar 28, 2010)

Love it. I'm a big fan of the plumbing


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## 150EH (Dec 6, 2004)

You guys need to find a local club to join for better prices on stuff, well Tony I know you already do but someone sold 12 or 15 OEBT shrimp at the last auction for $6 and they would of sold cheaper but we had to outbid a Cichlid lover that wanted to use them as feeders.


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## talontsiawd (Oct 19, 2008)

That is no joke right there. Great job on the scape, I want to see this mature.


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## green_valley (Sep 14, 2011)

[email protected]mail.com said:


> Man, that tank is AWESOME!! You did a great job with the scape, and the plants as well. I think you need some more fish, but the tank is perfect and I wouldn't change a thing. Great job.


Tony, thank you for your kind words. I really appreciate that. As for fish, mannnn, I can't wait to post them picutres :fish::fish::fish::fish:I have tons. :fish::fish::fish::icon_cry::icon_cry::icon_cry:



cableguy69846 said:


> Lol. I think I am going to go for some Orange Eyed Blue Tigers at some point. They look awesome.


OMG, I want soooo bad. They look the best out of all blues....have you shopped around for these guys?




TactusMortus said:


> Your tank looks great I can't wait to see it fill in. We need more pics though!


Thank you, and as for pictures........Uggghhh, I kept promising. It's been busy, but very very soon.roud:




[email protected] said:


> +100:smile: I LOVE them things. They are pretty expensive to buy online, but I'm in the process of getting some to add to my tank. Gonna have them grown mostly though, I hope.
> 
> Glad to hear that about the Sag, greenvalley. I just put about 75 of them in my tank and was curious as to how long it was going to take for them to recover and start spreading. There has really been minimal melting on mine yet (only a few leaves on all of them so far), but am keeping my fingers crossed that's all that's going to happen.
> 
> Where are them livestock pics you promised days ago? I wanna see some fish:hihi:



How much are they oline? Well, great news for your sags. That dude is for sure tough. Yeah, I so want them to spread already, and cover all the hills. Hope yours would be fine and even better.

About livestock....:fish::fish:sorry, I had to break my promise. Soon???


cableguy69846 said:


> Yeah! I'm with Tony, where are the pics at?


Well, guess what Cable??? I have been busy at work, and at the same time I got some side project that I have been working on :bounce::bounce:. You will see it this weekend....hahahaha. So pictures will be this weekend hopefully.



tizzite said:


> Love it. I'm a big fan of the plumbing


Thank you so much and I love it too. Simple and easy. People are scared of the plumbing of big tanks..........Nahhhhhhhhhhh :angel::angel:



150EH said:


> You guys need to find a local club to join for better prices on stuff, well Tony I know you already do but someone sold 12 or 15 OEBT shrimp at the last auction for $6 and they would of sold cheaper but we had to outbid a Cichlid lover that wanted to use them as feeders.


Wow....15 for $6????????? why can't you win them for me, and ship me some :red_mouth:red_mouth



talontsiawd said:


> That is no joke right there. Great job on the scape, I want to see this mature.


Thank you so much. Yeah, the scape is not easy NO JOKE indeed. Unfortunately, some people think it's only taking 2 hours. Now, that comments would be a joke:icon_bigg. The whole project was taking me about 2 months. From searching tanks, levelling, designing, etc. Scaping itself took me about a week. I am picky, I know. roud:


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

Blue Tigers are the best looking. I know some members on here have them, but I will not be getting any till the spring/early summer.

Side project you say?:icon_bigg


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## green_valley (Sep 14, 2011)

cableguy69846 said:


> Blue Tigers are the best looking. I know some members on here have them, but I will not be getting any till the spring/early summer.
> 
> Side project you say?:icon_bigg


Yesss:bounce:YEsssss:bounce:Yessss:bounce:. I will have a new journal soon. roud:



Btw, here is a tease for my 140g. At least:


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

:drool:

:icon_eek: Must get moonlights........


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## green_valley (Sep 14, 2011)

cableguy69846 said:


> :drool:
> 
> :icon_eek: Must get moonlights........


Yes it's a MUST


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## green_valley (Sep 14, 2011)

:bounce::bounce:YESS YESSS YESSSS..............FISH FISH FISH FISH :fish::fish::fish::fish::fish:

As promised, pictures of the livestock (FISH). The idea is to have less than 4 inches community fish. Enjoy. 

Here is the list of fish that I remember:

APISTO - x2
German Blue Rams - x4
Electric Blue Rams - x4
Spotted Leaf -x2
Golden Killlies - x4
Otto - x15
Blue Gourami - x5
Pepper Corry - x2
Albino Corry - x3
Julii Corry - x2
Rainbow Shark - x2
Albino shark - x2
Cardinal - x10
Redeye Tetra - x9
Sarphae Tetra - x6
Upside down Cat - x2

I know I have more, but lose track hahahahahha. I know that I need more.:thumbsup:


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

Awesome fish man.

I know you are planning on more fish, but, if I may make a suggestion, instead of getting more kinds, get more of the schooling fish you have already. I would suggest the tetras. You will get much better behavior out of them with bigger schools.


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## green_valley (Sep 14, 2011)

cableguy69846 said:


> Awesome fish man.
> 
> I know you are planning on more fish, but, if I may make a suggestion, instead of getting more kinds, get more of the schooling fish you have already. I would suggest the tetras. You will get much better behavior out of them with bigger schools.


Thank you Cable, I'll consider that.


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

green_valley said:


> Thank you Cable, I'll consider that.


roud:


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## jkan0228 (Feb 6, 2011)

Remember that those rainbow sharks will grow up to eat your plants and bully everyone else.


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## green_valley (Sep 14, 2011)

jkan0228 said:


> Remember that those rainbow sharks will grow up to eat your plants and bully everyone else.


Ohh mannnnnnnnnnnnn....are you serious??? But I was planning to move them when they're bigger, so that works out. They'll be the biggest out of all. One more thing, they actually chew my hand....haha


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## jkan0228 (Feb 6, 2011)

green_valley said:


> Ohh mannnnnnnnnnnnn....are you serious??? But I was planning to move them when they're bigger, so that works out. They'll be the biggest out of all. One more thing, they actually chew my hand....haha


Yea atleast that what it did for me.... Took up about half the tank and beat the other ones till I took them out.... But with a 140G tank it could be easier since theres so much space.. Yea my biggest one also came to greet meet whenever i popped in some food.. Greedy fatty...


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## [email protected] (Apr 27, 2011)

Very nice pics, thank you. Love the stocking list too. I thought I was the only one that had such a diverse stocking list.

Your sag's looking good BTW! Mine has only been planted a week and has already started sending shoots out, it's crazy. Things didn't even need an acclimation period, and have looked great since the day I got them. Hopefully I didn't just jinx myself


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## green_valley (Sep 14, 2011)

[email protected] said:


> Very nice pics, thank you. Love the stocking list too. I thought I was the only one that had such a diverse stocking list.
> 
> Your sag's looking good BTW! Mine has only been planted a week and has already started sending shoots out, it's crazy. Things didn't even need an acclimation period, and have looked great since the day I got them. Hopefully I didn't just jinx myself


Thanks Tony. WOWWWWWWW, your have some shootings already. OMG, that was fast. mine is so slow.:icon_neut

As for fish, I love all different varienty of fish. They have so many different personalities. It's fun But for the high tech 52G, I will have 1 type of schooling fish only.


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## Alastair-T (Jun 5, 2011)

Gorgeous tank. I thought my tank looked big ha ha. I love all the open space you have. 
I noticed you have spotted leaf fish, won't these polish off your smaller fish for snacks? 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## green_valley (Sep 14, 2011)

Alastair-T said:


> Gorgeous tank. I thought my tank looked big ha ha. I love all the open space you have.
> I noticed you have spotted leaf fish, won't these polish off your smaller fish for snacks?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Thank you for the compliment. 

Yes, indeed spotted leaf are awesome. No they won't do anything, as long as the other fish are same or bigger size, they won't do anything. :biggrin:

Btw, killies are vicious. They basically eat up almost all my cardinals. :icon_frow


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## [email protected] (Apr 27, 2011)

Yeah, the killies are mean. Sorry about the cardinals. Your tank is awesome as always.


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## frenchymasters (Nov 28, 2011)

jkan0228 said:


> Remember that those rainbow sharks will grow up to eat your plants and bully everyone else.


 
i have never had this problem with any of them in the past and i have had multiples at once.

the ctenopoma will get big an eat everyone else so thats the one to watch....even at a young age his mouth is very larger comapered to what you think....i have 3 of these guys at 10 inches each and too down a synodontis cat....that ways 3/4 the size of themselves


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## green_valley (Sep 14, 2011)

[email protected] said:


> Yeah, the killies are mean. Sorry about the cardinals. Your tank is awesome as always.


Mean indeed. Here is the problem. First few days, they were doing awesome each other, and after a few days, I saw Cardinals missing one by one. I didn't know who's the bad boys, until one day I saw 1 killies was chasing 1. By then, there were only 2 left. But killies are a lot of fun. Any buys I found, there goes killies:icon_mrgr



frenchymasters said:


> i have never had this problem with any of them in the past and i have had multiples at once.
> 
> the ctenopoma will get big an eat everyone else so thats the one to watch....even at a young age his mouth is very larger comapered to what you think....i have 3 of these guys at 10 inches each and too down a synodontis cat....that ways 3/4 the size of themselves


So far so good for me with them too. 

Now, as for ctenopoma, I really thought that there were going to be 4 or 5 inches max. You said 10 inches :icon_conf:icon_conf I like them a lot, as they are slow and relax. How long did it take them to grow 10 inches?


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## green_valley (Sep 14, 2011)

Well, this is a long over-due update for this tank. It's been great and it's been awesome. I have learned a lot about this 140G. Finally, it comes down to disappointment. It did not turn out to be what I wanted. The growth has been SUPER slow. I am impatient, that's right. There were some algae here and there, but it's not really an issue to me. The only problem was that the growth has been very minimum. Or some don't really grow. It's just not what I expected. 

Nah, I am not sad. I am very happy what have happened since it was the best lesson for me. Doing this tank and my 55G, was a great combination. The low light vs High light. I know that a lot of people love their lowlight, but not for me. This 140G has low light, no CO2, and Eco-complete with tabs. Nope, that's would be my last project. Never again. I LOVE my scape, but I HATE the growth.

From now on, I will never never use substrate with lack of nutrition. Compared to my 55, this 140G is basically a step child as far as growth wise. 


So here are some pictures.

*This is the 360 degree with better light (Not Pink). My apology for unprofessional pictures:*




























*More plants were added:
*



























































































*More plants were added. However, they were too big. Never really liked it.*



















So anyways, now I have been researching about ADA substrate. That would be my next rescape project. Btw, I am updating the 55G tank, and you will see a huge difference in growth.

Thanks


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## Storm (Aug 7, 2011)

I think you won't be disappointed. I used eco-complete in some of my first tanks, and then I tried ADA Aquasoil. Now, I won't use anything but ADA Aquasoil. It's just way better.


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## jkan0228 (Feb 6, 2011)

Well with your setup, like mine, you can't expect fast growth... One way you can speed it up a bit would be adding root tabs. But be warned, stick them down AS FAR AS YOU CAN. Preferably with your fingers since you have more control.... Best to stick them to the very bottom. Because when they pop up, algae will strike... And believe me you don't want it to...


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## chad320 (Mar 7, 2010)

I agree on the AS. Its better. I have also found out that its better yet if mixed with Eco. And cheaper. ill never use plain AS ever again.


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## green_valley (Sep 14, 2011)

Storm said:


> I think you won't be disappointed. I used eco-complete in some of my first tanks, and then I tried ADA Aquasoil. Now, I won't use anything but ADA Aquasoil. It's just way better.


I sure hope so. It will be my first ADA, so it's pretty much a lot of pressure. As for other soil, I would still use dirt. It's INSANELY amazing. The reason why I am going to do ADA, is because I am going to scape this bad boy..crazy. I can't wait. Hills and valley would be hard with dirt and cap, that's why I go with ADA.



jkan0228 said:


> Well with your setup, like mine, you can't expect fast growth... One way you can speed it up a bit would be adding root tabs. But be warned, stick them down AS FAR AS YOU CAN. Preferably with your fingers since you have more control.... Best to stick them to the very bottom. Because when they pop up, algae will strike... And believe me you don't want it to...


Actually, this has root caps. I really don't believe that the roots need to find them, and yes I think they will find them. But if they sediment around it, is rich, that would be best. Also, I really don't believe on low light now, and no CO2. At least not to me. I am not saying they won't grow, but it's just too slow for me. 



chad320 said:


> I agree on the AS. Its better. I have also found out that its better yet if mixed with Eco. And cheaper. ill never use plain AS ever again.


Thanks Chad. Wait a minute now, AS and ECO??? I was thinking that I would never use ECO anymore. Can you explain a little more why mix is better?


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## jkan0228 (Feb 6, 2011)

green_valley said:


> Actually, this has root caps. I really don't believe that the roots need to find them, and yes I think they will find them. But if they sediment around it, is rich, that would be best. Also, I really don't believe on low light now, and no CO2. At least not to me. I am not saying they won't grow, but it's just too slow for me.


Well the root caps will slowly let out nutrients so your entire substrate will be rich with nutrients. So you got that right!  
What do you mean you don't believe?! My tank has no co2, ferts and low lighting and its doing pretty good... You just gotta let things get established. Patience is a virtue... Especially in this hobby. 



> Thanks Chad. Wait a minute now, AS and ECO??? I was thinking that I would never use ECO anymore. Can you explain a little more why mix is better?


My guess would be that the eco stops the AS some crumbling as much and the eco will absorb some of the AS's nutrients? Just my guess, never really used them as a mix


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## green_valley (Sep 14, 2011)

jkan0228 said:


> Well the root caps will slowly let out nutrients so your entire substrate will be rich with nutrients. So you got that right!
> What do you mean you don't believe?! My tank has no co2, ferts and low lighting and its doing pretty good... You just gotta let things get established. Patience is a virtue... Especially in this hobby.
> 
> 
> ...


I think what I meant was, I don't believe that low light is my taste. I wasn't referring to as Low Light means doesn't work. Of course it does, and as far as my tank, it actually does work. Because it doesn't kill my plants. It does grow too, but TOO slow for my taste. close to 5 months, and grow nothing basically. Very disappointed.


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## jkan0228 (Feb 6, 2011)

green_valley said:


> I think what I meant was, I don't believe that low light is my taste. I wasn't referring to as Low Light means doesn't work. Of course it does, and as far as my tank, it actually does work. Because it doesn't kill my plants. It does grow too, but TOO slow for my taste. close to 5 months, and grow nothing basically. Very disappointed.


Haha true.... IMO crypts, moss, ferns and anubias are the only plants suitable for low light... And theyre also the majority of plants that are in low light setups. Everything else doesn't do too well for me. Even though I've only tried a couple.


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## green_valley (Sep 14, 2011)

jkan0228 said:


> Haha true.... IMO crypts, moss, ferns and anubias are the only plants suitable for low light... And theyre also the majority of plants that are in low light setups. Everything else doesn't do too well for me. Even though I've only tried a couple.


Agreed. All the plants for this tank was "supposedly" low light plants. But, I agreed with you. Crypt, moss, fens, anubias would be best. I tried to be smart and create those nice scenery scape by saving some money, but that failed.


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## jkan0228 (Feb 6, 2011)

green_valley said:


> Agreed. All the plants for this tank was "supposedly" low light plants. But, I agreed with you. Crypt, moss, fens, anubias would be best. I tried to be smart and create those nice scenery scape by saving some money, but that failed.


Haha the good thing about those low light plants is that they can go for a few bucks if you have the rarer species. Although moss generally is a nice supplier in funds too.


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

The tank looks good. I like it.:thumbsup:

If you want some growth, slam some better light over that tank, add some CO2 and maybe dose the water column. Your plants will explode. No need to redo the substrate and all that unless you want to.


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## jkan0228 (Feb 6, 2011)

Also forgot to add that the older Eco is, the more nutrients it has stored.


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## green_valley (Sep 14, 2011)

cableguy69846 said:


> The tank looks good. I like it.:thumbsup:
> 
> If you want some growth, slam some better light over that tank, add some CO2 and maybe dose the water column. Your plants will explode. No need to redo the substrate and all that unless you want to.


Cable, yes I agree with you. It looks good. I love the scape too, but it's just so slow. I need to see some growth. So yeah, CO2 and good lighting, and I believe rich substrate. I was thinking about not doing the whole thing, but I think I will end up rescaping it. Because I love doing it. :wink:



jkan0228 said:


> Also forgot to add that the older Eco is, the more nutrients it has stored.


Hmmmmmmmm........do u know how long? :smile: From what i Understand, this is still debatable.


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

u'd be surprised how much faster it iwll grow with just a ltitle c02 added.. not much. just a little. my low light tank grew twice as fast with c02 than it does now with none.. and still no algae.. its SUPER LOW LIGHT


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## jkan0228 (Feb 6, 2011)

Eco absorbs nutrients from its surroundings to the longer it's in there for better.


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## green_valley (Sep 14, 2011)

HD Blazingwolf said:


> u'd be surprised how much faster it iwll grow with just a ltitle c02 added.. not much. just a little. my low light tank grew twice as fast with c02 than it does now with none.. and still no algae.. its SUPER LOW LIGHT


Yeah, that's amazing. CO2 is amazing indeed. I learned my lesson. But I believe I am going all out high tech next scape. roud:


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## green_valley (Sep 14, 2011)

jkan0228 said:


> Eco absorbs nutrients from its surroundings to the longer it's in there for better.


I gotta be honest with you, ever since I used this for months, and lack of growth, I don't think I will do another eco scape. May be I would do Chad's idea, which is mix. But I don't think i am about to do another test. This tank was basically just a trial and error, and I got my lesson.roud:


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## jkan0228 (Feb 6, 2011)

The mix sounds like a decent plant. Be warned that high tech just means more chances for algae to strike...


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## green_valley (Sep 14, 2011)

jkan0228 said:


> The mix sounds like a decent plant. Be warned that high tech just means more chances for algae to strike...


Thanks for the warning and I am aware of that. I believe that's the reason why my 55G is high tech. roud:


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## ibmikmaq (Aug 19, 2011)

Wow beautiful tank! How do you keep you sand so clean looking?


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## green_valley (Sep 14, 2011)

ibmikmaq said:


> Wow beautiful tank! How do you keep you sand so clean looking?


Thanks for the comment. With those white sand, they're not easy to siphon. The trick is to somewhat disturb the sand, then you siphon the excess floating around.


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## ibmikmaq (Aug 19, 2011)

Tried it today and it work like a charm thanks for the tip! :0)


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## green_valley (Sep 14, 2011)

ibmikmaq said:


> Tried it today and it work like a charm thanks for the tip! :0)


No problem. Glad that it works out for you/roud:


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