# Nate's 75gal (Update april 14)



## kribkeeper888 (Oct 8, 2011)

Ok heres a couple pics of the stand so far, still needs its outer shell but its coming along for the 2 days I've spent on it.


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## kribkeeper888 (Oct 8, 2011)

Ok heres some of the goodies Ive been collecting-


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## kribkeeper888 (Oct 8, 2011)

And a shot of the rocks im thinking of using, any thoughts?


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## Complexity (Jan 30, 2008)

Good stuff! I'm looking forward to watching you build the tank. Keep the pics coming as you put it together!


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## kribkeeper888 (Oct 8, 2011)

Complexity said:


> Good stuff! I'm looking forward to watching you build the tank. Keep the pics coming as you put it together!


Thanks, I really have no idea now what im going to do for plants or an aquascape. But I'll keep you all updated.


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## kribkeeper888 (Oct 8, 2011)

Ok quick update on the stand in the incredibly messy garage. Got a chance to work on it yesterday. But im not carpenter and its coming along kinda slow lol.











Side.


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## kribkeeper888 (Oct 8, 2011)

What do you guys think of applewood burls? I pulled these out of a pile of firewood, thought they were interesting for being free lol Might look interesting in a tank if they were used right


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## HybridHerp (May 24, 2012)

For the light, I like recomending the catalina 4 bulb fixture, it cost me like $220 with the moonlights and legs.

Aside from that, Those wood pieces seem interesting, I'm sure you could pull something off. And I'm sure that this tank will be pretty amazing looking once it is done.

How much did that co2 system run you (if you don't mind me asking)? and I would suggest doing the EI method of ferts, it seems to be the most popular and makes a ton of sense.


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## kribkeeper888 (Oct 8, 2011)

HybridHerp said:


> For the light, I like recomending the catalina 4 bulb fixture, it cost me like $220 with the moonlights and legs.
> 
> Aside from that, Those wood pieces seem interesting, I'm sure you could pull something off. And I'm sure that this tank will be pretty amazing looking once it is done.
> 
> How much did that co2 system run you (if you don't mind me asking)? and I would suggest doing the EI method of ferts, it seems to be the most popular and makes a ton of sense.


Ill check out the light. thanks. http://greenleafaquariums.com/complete-co2-systems/choice-co2-system.html thats the setup i got. honestly dont know if it was worth the price but I didnt want to bother piecing one together since its my first system. And i cant order off the forum since im a minor.


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## izabella87 (Apr 21, 2012)

I like this wood, very unique !


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## Algae Beater (Jun 3, 2011)

my biggest issue with root burls is their tendency to fungus/mold like crazy as they typically have more carbohydrates that branches and stems. but yes used properly they will be VERY unique


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## izabella87 (Apr 21, 2012)

Algae Beater said:


> my biggest issue with root burls is their tendency to fungus/mold like crazy as they typically have more carbohydrates that branches and stems. but yes used properly they will be VERY unique


That problem eventually goes away.. given a few weeks of submersion.
The wood that didn't go all moldy on me was the wood i found on the damp forest floor as in my Oasis tank. just gotta find one of a nice shape, and preferably without any termites inside .. lol


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## kribkeeper888 (Oct 8, 2011)

I've had good success with boiling them and then putting them in a bleach solution. If I end up using these thats what im going to do. I think with some moss and maybe some anubias nana "petite" they could look epic


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## Algae Beater (Jun 3, 2011)

i have used the burls as well, boiling, and powerwashing to remove what i can 

some people freak out when they see the mold and fungus. I'm okay with it, its just a natural process! 

I wish i could collect nice wood locally, but with the exception perhaps of rhododendron all the conifers in Vancouver and surrounding areas give only so so wood. We do have kick as rocks locally however


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## kribkeeper888 (Oct 8, 2011)

Im not huge on wood or rocks around here lol. Wood is mostly soft and the rock is basalt and more basalt. Boring stuff. Well I took the advice of someone and used a sponge brush to put the stain on the stand. Eh. Didn't work so well. So gotta wait 4 more hours before I sand it off and restain. If I can get that done I'll post a pic of the final product. (costing me about $110)


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## dewalltheway (Jan 19, 2005)

I would suggest going with mineralized soil...I had thought of doing it with me 125 and didn't and now wish I had. I have a 20 gal that I have MTS and I don't dose at all and the plants flourish. I have even thought of tearing down my 125 to do MTS.

Looks like a great start. Ever think about running a Purigen reactor off your Fluval? Also, I would recommend an inline Atomic CO2 diffuser from GLA.


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## kribkeeper888 (Oct 8, 2011)

dewalltheway said:


> I would suggest going with mineralized soil...I had thought of doing it with me 125 and didn't and now wish I had. I have a 20 gal that I have MTS and I don't dose at all and the plants flourish. I have even thought of tearing down my 125 to do MTS.
> 
> Looks like a great start. Ever think about running a Purigen reactor off your Fluval? Also, I would recommend an inline Atomic CO2 diffuser from GLA.


Well actually I already got an inline atomic, so thats covered. Im not sure on mineralized soil? Im going to use ADA amazonia for the substrate, but im curious lol


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## kribkeeper888 (Oct 8, 2011)

Second attempt, first coat of finish, (it came out looking more red and darker then it really is)


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## LB79 (Nov 18, 2011)

Wow. That'll contrast really well with the plants and discus.


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## kribkeeper888 (Oct 8, 2011)

Thats my hope as well. Discus wont be going in for quite a while after i set it up im thinking though


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## LB79 (Nov 18, 2011)

Are you using Amazonia or New Amazonia? As I understand, one leaches ammonia, and the other doesn't, or something of the sort. Could be the difference in how long the discus wait...

Are you going to stain the stuff that's not stained in the photo? You don't want water getting under the tank during water changes or aquascaping (which, if you're like me, can be very messy) and swelling up that untreated wood or causing it to rot...


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## kribkeeper888 (Oct 8, 2011)

It seems to be a mix of both. 2 bags of each and a full bag i have in a 20. Ether way, I'm going to put em in after the plants have a good root. otherwise there could be problems.


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## kribkeeper888 (Oct 8, 2011)

Ok, heres the stand finished tonight, just finished actually. It didn't actually come out all that great or the way i wanted but i thought the 2tone color was interesting.


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## kribkeeper888 (Oct 8, 2011)

Just broke down my 60 gal to start getting ready for my 75. I STILL dont know what I want to do for an aquascape! heeelp!! Any thoughts anyone?!


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## ChadRamsey (Nov 3, 2011)

that one beautiful stand that you build there.


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## tetra10 (Aug 5, 2012)

what kind of regulator are you using?


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## zzrguy (Jul 11, 2012)

Well I'm off to HOME DEPOT. Just curious how much did the materials cost you for the stand.

It looks awesome. Drawing up plan right now.


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## kribkeeper888 (Oct 8, 2011)

zzrguy said:


> Well I'm off to HOME DEPOT. Just curious how much did the materials cost you for the stand.
> 
> It looks awesome. Drawing up plan right now.



Lets see. about 150 with mistakes lol without you could easily do 110 or less for that stand. (I didnt know what I was doing haha)


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## kribkeeper888 (Oct 8, 2011)

tetra10 said:


> what kind of regulator are you using?


I don't know for sure lol. Its green leaf aquariums "choice" reg.


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## kribkeeper888 (Oct 8, 2011)

ChadRamsey said:


> that one beautiful stand that you build there.


Thank you very much, I personally was a little disappointed in it but if you did the stain right it would be one beautiful stand, but hey, its the only thing ive EVER stained or built.


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## kribkeeper888 (Oct 8, 2011)

Well, I've come to the point where I'm going to start setting up tonight. And ordering plants I suppose, what should I get?


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## kribkeeper888 (Oct 8, 2011)

Heres how the setup is going to look


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## kribkeeper888 (Oct 8, 2011)

Today was the day! Heres the progress in stages-!! 

Power sand of sorts....










Kind of skipped over a bunch and went for a mountainish look. 










Took a hose through the winder and filled over 4 hours 










"planted" Ehh sortof.










the "underworks" Still needs like 5 things put in place.


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## kribkeeper888 (Oct 8, 2011)

Heres a shot today. A little less cloudy then last night.


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## caykuu (Jul 30, 2011)

Sweet!  I love mountain scapes. Are you planning on other kinds of plants?

Also, if you seperate the hairgrass blades more finely, they will spread faster.  
If it is hairgrass... or my eyes are lying to me...


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## kribkeeper888 (Oct 8, 2011)

caykuu said:


> Sweet!  I love mountain scapes. Are you planning on other kinds of plants?
> 
> Also, if you seperate the hairgrass blades more finely, they will spread faster.
> If it is hairgrass... or my eyes are lying to me...


Haha thanks, Im planning to get other plants but im not sure what just yet. And thats actually Blyxa Jap. It propagates by side plants not runners.


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## caykuu (Jul 30, 2011)

kribkeeper888 said:


> Haha thanks, Im planning to get other plants but im not sure what just yet. And thats actually Blyxa Jap. It propagates by side plants not runners.


Ah, I see. I knew something was fishy. :icon_eek: LOL
Well, can't wait to see what you come up with.


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## radioman (Oct 29, 2007)

I love Blyxa and this is an awesome scape. Subscribed. Keep us updated.


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## kribkeeper888 (Oct 8, 2011)

caykuu said:


> Ah, I see. I knew something was fishy. :icon_eek: LOL
> Well, can't wait to see what you come up with.


Yup, I can't quite decide on what I want for plants other then the blyxa. 



radioman said:


> I love Blyxa and this is an awesome scape. Subscribed. Keep us updated.


Thanks. Blyxa is one of a kind in my opinion. Funny thing is I didnt plan this aquascape at all. It wasnt until 10 minutes before i started chucking stuff in my tank i decided on what i wanted and from there it sort of built itself.


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## LB79 (Nov 18, 2011)

That's the best way to aquascape. Just throw it together!


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## izabella87 (Apr 21, 2012)

STFU! this is Beautiful!!!!!! Great work!


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## kribkeeper888 (Oct 8, 2011)

Haha thanks.


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## kribkeeper888 (Oct 8, 2011)

Heres a quick pic of my tank this morning. Sorry in advance for bad pictures. went to my LFS yesterday and came back with some rotala wallichii, some emersed but cool proserpinaca palustris and some mini pellia !!!!! Good day it was. Quick question tho. HOW do i plant mini pellia to whatever? Ive not a clue other then its impossible to find in a LFS and i wanted it lol. Its growing on metal screens right now and im not sure what to do.


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## HybridHerp (May 24, 2012)

really nice, that thing is going to look amazing once it fleshes out completely.
have fun with replanting those floating stems though lol
any idea on what fish you want in it?
I vote gouramis


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## kribkeeper888 (Oct 8, 2011)

HybridHerp said:


> really nice, that thing is going to look amazing once it fleshes out completely.
> have fun with replanting those floating stems though lol
> any idea on what fish you want in it?
> I vote gouramis



Yeah im hoping it will turn out. I'll post some better pics in the next couple days. Fish, hm. I was thinking discus. But Im not sure on that. Ive got some that might work. But im thinking Ill do a bunch of shrimp eventually and a large school (40+) of some really small rasbora or tetra and maybe 6-8ish blue/electric/powder rams.


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## ChadRamsey (Nov 3, 2011)

so you collected those stone yourself?


:icon_eek:


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## kribkeeper888 (Oct 8, 2011)

ChadRamsey said:


> so you collected those stone yourself?
> 
> 
> :icon_eek:


Yup in my oh so secret location hahaha. Its weathered limestone, somewhat like seiryu stone. Actually my secret location was discovered by my dad who is a geologist working for the DOE and just looked up the geographic location of limestone outcrops in the state.


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## ChadRamsey (Nov 3, 2011)

wow thats amazing, they do look just like seiyu. i green with envy.

Buy your pops a beer for that find.


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## kribkeeper888 (Oct 8, 2011)

ChadRamsey said:


> wow thats amazing, they do look just like seiyu. i green with envy.
> 
> Buy your pops a beer for that find.


Yeah I will. Unfortunately there wasnt a whole lot of this rock at the one particular spot otherwise i would have picked up a ton more and sold some. But non the less, I got hundreds in seiryu stone FREE! Anyone have any thoughts on mini pellia? I started a thread asking about it but I havent gotten much.


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## kribkeeper888 (Oct 8, 2011)

Sorry for the bad pics but heres my update for this week, mini pellia on lava rocks now. Some good growth for the blyxa j. in one week also. Had some trouble with hair algae of some sort so I upped the co2 and dropped the lights for 2 days and will continue with a 4/6 photo period for the next few days.


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## kribkeeper888 (Oct 8, 2011)

Happy rotala perhaps??


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## LB79 (Nov 18, 2011)

Um, yeah, I'd say that rotala's having the time of its life. SAEs should work for the algae, but I don't know if you want SAEs in that tank. They can be hard to catch once they're in...


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## kribkeeper888 (Oct 8, 2011)

LB79 said:


> Um, yeah, I'd say that rotala's having the time of its life. SAEs should work for the algae, but I don't know if you want SAEs in that tank. They can be hard to catch once they're in...


Yeah, its going nuts. The hair algae will hopefully die from light depravation and whatnot SAEs can also be annoying and that amazonia isnt fully cycled. Wont be for another few weeks. I'll add 10 amanos or 20 once it is.


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## kribkeeper888 (Oct 8, 2011)

Had REALLY good growth from the blyxa but the stems are really lacking, Ive been dosing ferts and keeping the co2 up and im not sure whats wrong here.


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## tinkerpuppet (Feb 13, 2010)

Wow, I am in love with the stand. I love the almost zebra striping that comes out of the grain, gorgeous! And your scaping skills are awesome. How did you get the rocks to hold together like that to form the 'mountains'? Can't wait to watch this one!


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## kribkeeper888 (Oct 8, 2011)

tinkerpuppet said:


> Wow, I am in love with the stand. I love the almost zebra striping that comes out of the grain, gorgeous! And your scaping skills are awesome. How did you get the rocks to hold together like that to form the 'mountains'? Can't wait to watch this one!



Thnx. It was pretty easy scape actually. just put in a layer of rock and then filled with amazonia and then another layer and so on. Then i planted the Blyxa so it would root and keep the whole thing together better. I personally had SO many woes with that stand and everyone who sees it is like wow thats cool and im just sitting there seeing all the mistakes that comes from doing something the first time lol.


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## kribkeeper888 (Oct 8, 2011)

Update, Week whatever this is. -


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## LB79 (Nov 18, 2011)

Moving right along. Need some fissidens and the like on a few of the rocks, and this tank'll be rocking.


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## kribkeeper888 (Oct 8, 2011)

Update.


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## ChadRamsey (Nov 3, 2011)

WOW!! its looking great!


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## kribkeeper888 (Oct 8, 2011)

ChadRamsey said:


> WOW!! its looking great!


Thanks! Growth has picked up somewhat. Along with the snails....


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## kribkeeper888 (Oct 8, 2011)

Update! Few fish finally in, (my discus stunts) and a few other random things. Something ate 90% of the snails, (odd) And the rotalla looks chopped up because... well it is. I chopped half the tops off and planted them behind the top row of blyxa jap. Anyway. Enjoy the crappy iphone pic!


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## LB79 (Nov 18, 2011)

Nice! Love the blyxa.


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## kribkeeper888 (Oct 8, 2011)

My usual monthly update, keep the reply's coming! :icon_mrgr


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## alipper (Nov 6, 2012)

kribkeeper888 said:


> My usual monthly update, keep the reply's coming! :icon_mrgr


WOW. Saw in your first post 4 bulb T5 fixture. How many watts total and how long do you keep them on a day? Looks great.


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## kribkeeper888 (Oct 8, 2011)

alipper said:


> WOW. Saw in your first post 4 bulb T5 fixture. How many watts total and how long do you keep them on a day? Looks great.


Its about 180 watts total and I keep them running like 10-12 hours a day with max Co2, the plants seem to enjoy it haha.


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## rustbucket (Oct 15, 2011)

Looks awesome. Wish my blyxa would grow like that


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## zzrguy (Jul 11, 2012)

So lush . What kind of discus is that?


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## In.a.Box (Dec 8, 2011)

kribkeeper888 said:


> Lets see. about 150 with mistakes lol without you could easily do 110 or less for that stand. (I didnt know what I was doing haha)


damn 100-150 spent on a stand? holy cow ...

the money you spent on the stand you could of build a stand just using 3/4inch plywood alone for around $80


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## Tvadna (Jan 17, 2013)

Nate, this is one of the coolest hardscapes I have seen. How were you able to keep the gravel piled up among the rocks on each side? It looks like it should all just spill out to the middle of your tank and level out. It appears you're defying gravity... Either you know some tricks or you're a wizard. Got to know how you did this!


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## Mumford (Nov 12, 2012)

zzrguy said:


> So lush . What kind of discus is that?


Curious as well. Those are nice!


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## kribkeeper888 (Oct 8, 2011)

First off, sorry everyone, been off the forum for a while and didnt guess that anyone would be interested in my tank! 



rustbucket said:


> Looks awesome. Wish my blyxa would grow like that


Thanks, lots of co2, my tank had a crash about a month ago and I had to tear the whole thing apart and start all over. 



zzrguy said:


> So lush . What kind of discus is that?


I think he's like a blue snake cross with something. 



In.a.Box said:


> damn 100-150 spent on a stand? holy cow ...
> 
> the money you spent on the stand you could of build a stand just using 3/4inch plywood alone for around $80


Yeah but it wouldnt have looked the way it did 



Tvadna said:


> Nate, this is one of the coolest hardscapes I have seen. How were you able to keep the gravel piled up among the rocks on each side? It looks like it should all just spill out to the middle of your tank and level out. It appears you're defying gravity... Either you know some tricks or you're a wizard. Got to know how you did this!


Trick is, pile rocks, fill in, pile more rocks fill in, and so on. However this doesnt allow for much planting contrary to the picture since its mostlyjust rock and it gets frustrating after a while but it sure did look good for a while.


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## rustbucket (Oct 15, 2011)

That stinks  What type of crash did you have??
I'm sure you'll top this scape though with the redo


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## alipper (Nov 6, 2012)

Sweet scape. I really like the stand too. My next house I'm going to build a stand for my 75G and will probably copy yours. :icon_smil


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## kribkeeper888 (Oct 8, 2011)

rustbucket said:


> That stinks  What type of crash did you have??
> I'm sure you'll top this scape though with the redo


 Kind of a light/co2/temp combo that did it in. My current "scape" is just flat at the moment with some stems and other odditys. Im planning to do something epic with wood in a few monthes once I collect the peices. I can post a pic of my current setup if you want (nothin special) 



alipper said:


> Sweet scape. I really like the stand too. My next house I'm going to build a stand for my 75G and will probably copy yours. :icon_smil


 Thanks, let me know if you have any kind of questions on the stand.


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## hisxlency (Jan 26, 2013)

Love the scape. Its always neat to see these types. Personally I enjoy the monochrome/single style colors and tanks to a degree. Yours works very well


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## kribkeeper888 (Oct 8, 2011)

hisxlency said:


> Love the scape. Its always neat to see these types. Personally I enjoy the monochrome/single style colors and tanks to a degree. Yours works very well


Yeah I kind of change my mind a LOT on what I really like haha but thanks!


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## rustbucket (Oct 15, 2011)

Of course post pics, please. I like seeing the whole evolution of a tank, even the flat times


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## kribkeeper888 (Oct 8, 2011)

rustbucket said:


> Of course post pics, please. I like seeing the whole evolution of a tank, even the flat times


Will do. "Flat" is right lol.....


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## kribkeeper888 (Oct 8, 2011)

Right, the overdo update, sorry everyone (who was actually interested in this thread which I really doubt there were many) Im hoping to rescape completely using a lot of branch wood, crypts and moss someday in the distant future, but for now this is the boring look- roud: oh and sorry for the lousy iphone pics. 










And a few other pics of some of the inhabitants-- 










IMG]http://i1173.photobucket.com/albums/r588/Kribkeeper888/photo4_zpsc463fcaf.jpg[/IMG]



















enjoy if you can :biggrin:


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## kribkeeper888 (Oct 8, 2011)

Ok, picked up 8 rams this week, 1 GBR male, 3 females and 1 EBR male and 3 females, have always loved the personality of these quirky little fish, plus they look great. Moved some plants around and saw quite a bit of growth this week, put in some new plants and wood tonight (not the final layout by any stretch) And I'll post a list of my current plants and a reference picture to where each one is situated in the tank below. Again, sorry for the pics, I really need to get a camera. 







Ok so... Lets see if we can get this right, I'm really bad at plant names, I just know what they apply to when I see them.

Underlined in orange is the Micro swords
Dark blue is dwarf hairgrass, this seems to be growing after the initial melt, but that could be just wishful thinking. 
Purple is Crypt. Undulata? Correct spelling lol? 
Pink is Blyxa J. 
Red is dwarf tiger lily, (somebody bought this for me, I dont really want it lol) 
White is Crypt Wendtii "bronze" 
Light blue is the hygro "compact" 
Green in crypt. Lutea (NEW) 
Black is Anubias nana "petite" (NEW)
Yellow is L. repens
black/blue is L. peruensis.


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