# new planted 120gal fahaka, Any Advice?



## nmullens (Jan 15, 2009)

I have a 120gal 4*2*2 tank with 260Wat @ 6700k . I have 120lbs of eco complete and 60 lbs of fluorite black sand.

I plan on laying my tank out so that 3 feet of it is covered in eco complete and 1 foot covered in the black fluorite sand(so my fahaka can bury him self).
I will have one large stump with roots sprawling across the tank(home made with Styrofoam, cement, paint and Epoxy)

I plan to have Dwarf hair grass and micro sword for my ground cover. Some other plants I plan to try.


Cryptocoryne Balansae
Aponogeton ulvaceus
Micro sword 
Dwarf hair grass 
Tiger Lotus 
Subwassertang (round pellia)
Star Moss (not aquatic  Removed )
Narrow leaf javafern
Giant Marino ball 
Downoi Pogostemon helferi (high light and c02 Removed)
Red Cryptocoryne wendtii 
Cryptocoryne wendtii 
Cryptocoryne lucens
Cryptocoryne undulata 
Cryptocoryne bekettii 
Cryptocoryne nevillii
Crinum thaianum

I dont plan to do C02 yet as I would like to keep it a low-med light tank. I have never done a planted tank to this scale before and would love any input that anyone with some experiance can give me. Also I would like to hear if my selected plants will work.

Thanks in advance..


----------



## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Welcome to TPT!

I think that's going to be too much light to run with no CO2, though. You might get away with it if you only run the 2nd bank of bulbs for a few hours a day.

Star moss isn't aquatic, so I'd skip that one.

You also aren't likely to have success with Downoi- it needs higher lighting plus definitely CO2.

Dwarf hairgrass also I suspect won't make it without CO2 + higher lighting- you might consider E. tenellus 'narrow' or 'micro' instead.


----------



## nmullens (Jan 15, 2009)

To bad about the Downoi cool looking plant but it was going to be expensive anyways, also good to know about the star moss I will drop that one also.I already have hair grass on the way any suggestions to keep it alive in my conditions or is it going to die unless I up the light and add C02?


----------



## brion0 (Sep 28, 2008)

Have you finished your stump? Ive never touched or seen a real Downoi, but it is listed on this fourm in the Low light plants list. If you dont want to do CO2 read up in the Low Tech fourm. Its not a bad way to go, I like the low tech tanks I keep. Easy to take care of, crypts do well in them.

Just checked out you stump, cool!


----------



## nmullens (Jan 15, 2009)

I just finished the first coat of Epoxy on the stump tonight


the process so far


----------



## Coltonorr (Mar 12, 2008)

nmullens, I gotta hand it to you, that stump looks really great! 
Can't wait to see it in your aquarium


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

that stump is cool.


----------



## nmullens (Jan 15, 2009)

Thanks for all the compliments on the stump. It was a tone of work but just about done now. It will be a week and a half to two weeks till I start putting plants in my tank. Any other suggestions on my plants, or other plants that might work good in my tank. I was also wondering if anyone can suggest a good ground cover plant that does not grow to high, but will be thick and nice looking.


----------



## o snap its eric (Jan 12, 2004)

since you have mentioned your fahaka liking to bury itself, having a carpet is risky. I also know that fahaka tend not to touch plants but will trim plants for you if it's in the way. Fahaka's natural environment is in africa, mostly rocky surroundings i believe. At this rate, keeping a fahaka will mean giving him live or prepared food. Thats a lot of film of surface film. Not to mention you will have to rule out all possible tankmates due to his aggressive behavior and no more inverts as they love to chomp on shrimp regardless of size. I also forgot to mention that fahakas or any puffers in general will blow sand to look for food. Acidity might also be a factor......


----------



## nmullens (Jan 15, 2009)

Yes I realize these things. I don't plan on having him with any tank mates fish or invert. All though I put three batches of Chiclid fry in with him for food and they are all still alive and growing well, none the less he will not have any tank mates in his new home. Feeding him should not be a problem I have 2 XP3 filters on the tank and if you take the scraps out of the watter it should stay good enough shouldn't it? About the ground cover and him burring himself, That is why a quarter of the tank is going to be uncoverd (no plants) for him to burry in the flurite black sand. I am hoping the eco complete will be all ground covery by the time he is large enough to burry himslef in that. But I am just keeping my fingers crossed on that.


----------



## fshfanatic (Apr 20, 2006)

Be sure to include large snails and live crabs in his diet. Their beaks grow fast and trimming them is a royal pain in the ass.


----------



## nmullens (Jan 15, 2009)

live crabs hey, any idea what kind you would feed a fahaka? Do you know if they are fresh or salt water crabs?


----------



## nmullens (Jan 15, 2009)

Finally got my stump into my tank with a few plants. My large plant order is on its way this week. Hear are some pics.


----------



## nmullens (Jan 15, 2009)

Ok so I have my first problem. My green wendtii is totally starting to melt and the tips of some of my Blyxa japonica is also starting to melt. 

Parameters are 
PH 7.6
GH 60
KH 70

I have read that this is normal when moving plants but I just want to make sure my parameters are ok and I am not going to kill everything.


----------

