# 40b Crypt jungle rack system w/sump



## dasob85 (Feb 4, 2012)

Came across some pygmy cories a while ago and found them to be pretty cute. Had nowhere else to put them but my shrimp tank. I figured it was high time to get them a more dedicated home and courtesy of the petco $/gal sale came home with 2 40b's. Decided to get this started before the weather is too cold to do all the prep work outside. Big thanks to 0live's thread on the 40b rack or else this may never have happened.

Plan is to make the top tank the display and the bottom tank the sump. I hate bending over to look at tanks so the bottom will be a sump and refugium. Since I am a chronic overstocker of fish, the extra water volume can't hurt.

Pics 
Didn't like how the tank rested on the metal so went to HD and got some super heavy duty plywood to provide a more stable base for the tank.


Leak test:


No leaks! also, used the pump to see how fast I can fill the top tank. Calculated to roughly 500gph! The fish are going to be plastered against the glass, just the way I like it :tongue:


Well, since I way oversized the pump, I'll go with 2 returns to split up some of that pressure and probably need to restrict some of the outflow.


Sweating bullets! I ran out of adrenaline and nerves to continue(Actually it was getting dark and I was getting hungry and so were the mosquitos. Will finish the rest of the holes tomorrow.)


Finally what you've all been waiting for, a rough scape idea. Driftwood courtesy of Tom Barr




Rough plant idea. that cyan colored area is supposed to be s. repens.


I dont like to trim so will be keeping this mostly low-light crypts, ferns, and mosses. The overflow will be a beananimal (I know its overkill but I'm drilling it anyway and it will be a good learning experience for the eventual discus tank) with a return on each side. Going to go with a deep sand bed to test it out and since the cories dont use the top part of the water anyway, no loss. Will put a refugium in the sump to grow stems and since I dont care how they look, trimming will be 5 secs of snip and remove.

Advice on planting the display is always welcome 
Will also put some fiss covered slate perhaps or lava rocks completely covered with moss around the tank.

Will also be using black sand.

More photos tomorrow


----------



## concepts88 (Oct 4, 2012)

How does the water go down? Does it skin the water off the top like a reef tank? What happens when the power goes out and your pumps fail?


----------



## Royal Pleco (Sep 11, 2011)

That driftwood is fantastic....


----------



## tattooedfool83 (Mar 15, 2013)

Awesome build


----------



## dasob85 (Feb 4, 2012)

concepts88 said:


> How does the water go down? Does it skin the water off the top like a reef tank? What happens when the power goes out and your pumps fail?


yes, after the holes are drilled, I will put in an internal overflow box.



Royal Pleco said:


> That driftwood is fantastic....


Thanks! the hard part comes next with rocks. I'm horrible with rocks.



tattooedfool83 said:


> Awesome build


Thanks!


----------



## edwing206 (May 8, 2012)

Subscribed! Pygmy cories are one of my favorite fish. I have 20-25 in my 20 long and they often school with my black neon tetras!


----------



## dasob85 (Feb 4, 2012)

Was a bit busy yesterday and still feeling a little under the weather so didn't go to Lowes to pick up pvc supplies.

I did finish drilling all the holes, stuck on a background and attached the bulkheads though



Also picked up some plants and rocks yesterday for the tank. Ignore the gray slate, that is not staying and is only there for color comparison. I dont like how the color of the rocks match so well with the wood and will try to find other options.


Plant holding tank


Will go pick up some pvcs this weekend for sure.


----------



## Legot (Jun 29, 2013)

Awesome! I can't wait to see what you do to that sump.


----------



## dasob85 (Feb 4, 2012)

Waiting for plumbing parts sucks. All I got to show for it is a messed up string of pvc that doesn't work because I forgot to account for the low height of the space above the bottom tank which I already glued lol. Oh well, pvc is cheap. Just staring at the wood soaking in a bucket for now.


----------



## dasob85 (Feb 4, 2012)

Got tired of staring at the wood. ordered some plants online and went into the city to share with friends when I ran into some habrosus at the most random big box pet store last week. Couldn't resist and picked up a few. This was the second day in tank. Dripped them overnight since I didnt get home until late. Would you believe they dont like chopped up live blackworms? Even now they still spit it out.


Pulled some foam from the canister filter and put it into a HOB on the 20L plant holding tank for some filtration. Also put down a small layer of sand.


*repeat to myself 3 times* this is only a holding tank, this is only a holding tank, this is only a holding tank. *whew* bullet dodged. MTS is dangerous.

Back to the main tank. Tested the drains for leaks and figured out how the bean animal actually works. Going to silicone the baffles & overflow box and rework the drain lines for something prettier that wont take up so much room.



Now I know why nice tanks cost so much, my silicone job looks like it was done by a 5 year old.

Will hopefully get in the last shipment of plumbing supplies tomorrow and can have the tank up and running by next week.


----------



## dasob85 (Feb 4, 2012)

Its been a while with the updates and it is because I am too tired to update after running around dealing with the plumbing. But it is finally set!


Side shot


FTS


Going to plant it slowly over the next week and take down the Q tank and then the 12gal.


----------



## CheyLillymama22 (Jun 9, 2013)

Sub'd.

Pygmy cories are epically adorable


----------



## dasob85 (Feb 4, 2012)

Things are going pretty well. Getting some new fish today from Rachel. 

Full setup shot. Sump is still pretty sparse with planting as those are all the stems I had in the 12gal lol oh well, better than nothing. seeded the sump with some live blackworms but not the display as I dont really want anything else to shift the slope. the cories already do enough of that.




Also moved the old marineland doublebright down into the sump because the legs are extendable and also bendable.


----------



## Lucubration (Jun 20, 2013)

I love pygmy cories. I also love what you're doing with this tank; looks great!

Going to be doing my first drilling in the coming week or two. Hopefully I'll manage as clean a job as this one.


----------



## AGUILAR3 (Jun 22, 2013)

This is your holding tank? Looks better than most main tanks people keep :hihi:


----------



## dasob85 (Feb 4, 2012)

Lucubration said:


> I love pygmy cories. I also love what you're doing with this tank; looks great!
> 
> Going to be doing my first drilling in the coming week or two. Hopefully I'll manage as clean a job as this one.


thanks, luckily the bulkheads cover up the imperfections quite nicely 



AGUILAR3 said:


> This is your holding tank? Looks better than most main tanks people keep :hihi:


haha those people you are referring to must be the ones that dont come on tpt cos there are some awesome ones here that mine doesn't compare to


----------



## dasob85 (Feb 4, 2012)

Its been a while since I updated this. I wonder what caused all this poop in one night?  new fish!


Giant tweezers to go fishing with 


Filling up after planting and wc, side shot


The long awaited FTS, I'd like some more smaller crypts to fill in the front and sides. Also will be putting in those NLJF in earlier pics in the back.


----------



## 0live (Jun 8, 2013)

Looking good! That reminds me, I need some more 40b's... 

I really hope the $/gal sale doesn't come between now and Christmas.. If it does, my fish are going to be the only ones getting gifts!


----------



## dasob85 (Feb 4, 2012)

0live said:


> Looking good! That reminds me, I need some more 40b's...
> 
> I really hope the $/gal sale doesn't come between now and Christmas.. If it does, my fish are going to be the only ones getting gifts!


thanks! who doesn't need more 40b's lol


----------



## dasob85 (Feb 4, 2012)

Since amazon is evil with their new $35 for free shipping thing, I had to find something extra to pad the purchase. I ended up with a macro lens for my phone. Works quite nicely for 10 bucks and I received it on Sunday to boot. Not all the critters were cooperative so had to lure them in with food.









Crypts are starting to melt, but i guess that is to be expected.


----------



## 0live (Jun 8, 2013)

Oh which macro did you get? I'm in the market for one.


----------



## johnson18 (Apr 29, 2011)

Looks pretty nice! I'm definitely diggin the crypts!


----------



## dasob85 (Feb 4, 2012)

johnson18 said:


> Looks pretty nice! I'm definitely diggin the crypts!


Thank you! Its definitely an experience trying to figure out which are which haha. especially at a store


----------



## dasob85 (Feb 4, 2012)

I wonder what this is in the mail that I preordered a few weeks ago and is suspiciously lengthy. Its the finnex planted+!


I had originally ordered it for a different tank but my sump doesn't have enough light and I dont want algae over the return pump area so this 30" light should be perfect. Luckily I have a glass divider right at the 30" mark


Do you guys think I should get another planted+ to match them? 


And finally, the whole point of this tank, Pygmy Cories!


----------



## anastasisariel (Oct 4, 2009)

Excellent job, I'm thinking I might do something with my sump... nothing quite that ellaborate but nice job.


----------



## Legot (Jun 29, 2013)

Dsb ftw!!!!


----------



## ForensicFish (May 19, 2013)

That sump is awfully full. What happens when the power goes out?

I am in the process of doing the same type of setup you have (40b on top, 40b with a sump, journal to be posted in the future). Now that your sump is up and running, is there anything you wish you would have done different? Is the foam barrier providing adequate mechanical filtration?


----------



## dasob85 (Feb 4, 2012)

anastasisariel said:


> Excellent job, I'm thinking I might do something with my sump... nothing quite that ellaborate but nice job.


Thank you!



Legot said:


> Dsb ftw!!!!


yea! I'm also trying that algae scrubber thing as well so I am trying to get higher par in the sump compared to the display.



ForensicFish said:


> That sump is awfully full. What happens when the power goes out?
> 
> I am in the process of doing the same type of setup you have (40b on top, 40b with a sump, journal to be posted in the future). Now that your sump is up and running, is there anything you wish you would have done different? Is the foam barrier providing adequate mechanical filtration?


There is actually about 1.5 inches of clearance for water in the bottom sump. since they are both 40b the amount of water that flows down when the power goes out is about 3/4 of an inch.the bottom of the plastic trim is the absolute highest that I fill the water to. Since I was standing in the pic, you can't really see the water line.

Regarding anything done differently, I would have made an external overflow box in the back, so the bulkheads could point straight down. this way I could get the tank even more flush against the wall since the 40b is already pretty deep. Also would be easier to keep fish and snails from going down the drain.

I wasn't really worried about mechanical filtration. I figured I'd test the merits of a hamburg mattenfilter as well when I planned this out but according to calculations, I have too much flow for that surface area? Anyway the foam was already bought and i figured it can't hurt so I put it in anyway. The shrimp love it.


----------



## dasob85 (Feb 4, 2012)

whoops, haven't used the controller for the sat+ light in a long time and realize I had it set on the cool blue the whole time. Changed it up from the originally planned full spectrum into a warmer hue. That looks much nicer



Also, I want some scaping advice regarding the massive clump of NLJF I have in the holding tank. The overflow box (as seen below) takes up so much space that if I use all of the fern, it will be split along the back wall between the left 1/3 and right 1/3 of the tank which would look bad right? Perhaps I should only put it on the left 1/3 and put in some smaller sized crypts along the back right 1/3 and call it a day. What do you think?



And finally I see I haven't posted a full sump setup which seems to be what everyone is interested in so here it is. refugium on right, pseudo hamburg mattenfilter, dividers and return pump.


----------



## acitydweller (Dec 28, 2011)

the single 30" Planted+ looks brighter than the two 36" Sat+. is that true or is it just the camera playing tricks on my eyes...?


----------



## dasob85 (Feb 4, 2012)

acitydweller said:


> the single 30" Planted+ looks brighter than the two 36" Sat+. is that true or is it just the camera playing tricks on my eyes...?


There is actually a marineland doublebright 36" on the sump as well. While yes the 30"planted+ is brighter than the 36" sat+ in that last picture, the finnex is much closer to the substrate which is more reflective and the sat+ are lowered in light intensity through the controller. I hope to get some more 36" planted+ as well so the comparison will be more "fair" lol


----------



## acitydweller (Dec 28, 2011)

Good point. in fairness, the lighter pool filter sand substrate is also refracting more light than the black sand would. Really pleased to see the Planted+ lamp in action!


----------



## dasob85 (Feb 4, 2012)

the planted+ is a very nice light. its good to see firsthand that the hype about finnex isn't misplaced


----------



## dasob85 (Feb 4, 2012)

Got my lights hung today after bending and painting conduit. Thank goodness for the kindness of friends to lend me a conduit bender. You know who you are.



My poor otos are looking skinny. they keep getting pushed out by the pygmies at food time.



and some of the pygmies think they are otos


----------



## 0live (Jun 8, 2013)

I like the painted conduit.


----------



## Legot (Jun 29, 2013)

Where did you get your cories?


----------



## dasob85 (Feb 4, 2012)

0live said:


> I like the painted conduit.


Thanks! I was too lazy in the end to make it look nicer and resorted to zip ties. Figured they were all black anyway



Legot said:


> Where did you get your cories?


I got a bunch from MsJinkzd, a bunch from Frank's aquarium and my first bunch at a LFS

Picked up some new fish today but they are quarantining so no pics yet


----------



## manzpants92 (Dec 6, 2012)

very cool idea sticking with a big pack of crypts


----------



## dasob85 (Feb 4, 2012)

manzpants92 said:


> very cool idea sticking with a big pack of crypts


thanks. crypts are the way to go for me especially since I hate trimming.


----------



## dasob85 (Feb 4, 2012)

New fish had a bout of ich but they are doing okay in qt.


Also picked up a UV sterilizer since I was itching to spend money for black friday *sigh*

 
Just testing here but I'll only run it on the QT tank when I get new additions.

Even stranger, I like how it glows green on the outflow pvc. Seems dangerous though with UV just going every which way lol. The actual housing looks like normal PVC to me too but since it doesn't glow, maybe there is some shielding on it.


----------



## Legot (Jun 29, 2013)

I think the green is just the UV rays that aren't getting absorbed by the PVC. PVC actually does deteriorate from UV exposure, but it's not dangerous to anything, the only side effect is a weakened sharp impact resistance and minor discoloration over time.

Nice QT by the way, lol.


----------



## dasob85 (Feb 4, 2012)

Legot said:


> I think the green is just the UV rays that aren't getting absorbed by the PVC. PVC actually does deteriorate from UV exposure, but it's not dangerous to anything, the only side effect is a weakened sharp impact resistance and minor discoloration over time.
> 
> Nice QT by the way, lol.


Thanks, I've been spending less time in front of the tank with the uv sterilizer running lol. Dont want to catch any rays 

and its a bit aggravating with all the java fern in the qt and I can't tie them and move them to the display since the qt fish are still iffy lol


----------



## acitydweller (Dec 28, 2011)

Next accessory to get


----------



## dasob85 (Feb 4, 2012)

acitydweller said:


> Next accessory to get


A nicer camera perhaps lol. Borrowed one to take this.

Feeding time 


Melanotaenia Praecox


----------



## Steezy B (Apr 19, 2013)

dasob85 said:


> A nicer camera perhaps lol. Borrowed one to take this.
> 
> Feeding time
> 
> ...


I love those rainbows! :drool: Do you keep a lid on your tank? I heard they were jumpers


----------



## dasob85 (Feb 4, 2012)

Steezy B said:


> I love those rainbows! :drool: Do you keep a lid on your tank? I heard they were jumpers


Thank you! I do have a lid which is very secure since there aren't any wires going into the tank thanks to the sump :wink: Rainbows are on their final observation this week and will clear QT soon!


----------



## Jdiesels (Mar 20, 2013)

amazing tank, I have 12 pygmy cory's in my 20 long that I absolutely love


----------



## dasob85 (Feb 4, 2012)

Jdiesels said:


> amazing tank, I have 12 pygmy cory's in my 20 long that I absolutely love


Thanks!

Its been a while and since all my display plants are slow growers, there isn't really much change from the last FTS. Been getting some new leaves on the crypts but also had to remove some from algae and melting. Knock on wood, but mine haven't melted really badly as I've read they could.



Sump is full of fast growers. They've been using up all the ferts quite fast. I had to increase my dosing regimen to stave off algae.


----------



## dasob85 (Feb 4, 2012)

Checked out the deep sand bed for any progress and holy moly those roots are long! at least 4 inches.


Uprooted them to give away to a friend.


Rainbows cleared QT and are in the tank now. Perhaps I do need some dither fish after all for the rainbows. When will stocking this tank end!


----------



## dasob85 (Feb 4, 2012)

FTS 


Trimmed the sump,


----------



## Hyzer (Mar 9, 2010)

dasob85 said:


> FTS


I really like your tank and can relate to you crypt only aspirations. Those are some healthy looking plants.


----------



## FishStix (Sep 19, 2013)

Your setup looks great, I have a few questions, maybe I missed it, what substrate are you using? 

Also in regards to the stand and the plywood you had cut, so does the plywood sit inside of the bracket on metal or is it sitting on top of the metal brace? Also do you think 2 10 gallon tanks would fit on the top rather than a 40? I plan to put a 40 on the bottom.

Thank you


----------



## thebuddha (Jul 16, 2012)

Tank looks great, I love it! I wish all of my crypts looked so healthy


How do you dose? 
Is your substrate just sand? (and do you use any root tabs or anything?)

:red_mouth


----------



## dasob85 (Feb 4, 2012)

Hyzer said:


> I really like your tank and can relate to you crypt only aspirations. Those are some healthy looking plants.


Thanks!



FishStix said:


> Your setup looks great, I have a few questions, maybe I missed it, what substrate are you using?
> 
> Also in regards to the stand and the plywood you had cut, so does the plywood sit inside of the bracket on metal or is it sitting on top of the metal brace? Also do you think 2 10 gallon tanks would fit on the top rather than a 40? I plan to put a 40 on the bottom.


I just use sand.

The plywood sits on top of the actual metal brace and not inside like the cheap particle board. The tank had originally rested on top on the metal brace but I was worried it might shift or slide off so I oversized the plywood a bit.



thebuddha said:


> Tank looks great, I love it! I wish all of my crypts looked so healthy
> 
> 
> How do you dose?
> ...


Thanks, Just sand. I did put in 4 root tabs (testing 2 brands) when I first set up the crypts but forgot which brand went where lol. Not sure if there is any difference really but I uploaded updated pics so you tell me


----------



## dasob85 (Feb 4, 2012)

Its been a while since my last update, but its okay since the crypts grow so slowly lol. Finally finished tying all the java ferns down after 2 months of procrastination.

FTS. I can spot maybe half an inch of growth lol


Some changes: Move the pygmies into the sump in order to put new fish into the display. They didn't seem to enjoy their time in the display and were always hidden. I'm going to set up a smaller tank for the cories.

At least they feel safer with the wall of plants along the front glass.


Moved the dwarf chain loaches from qt into the display after catching all the pygmies (lots of work!)

and of course, they are also skittish (ugh, although 3 of them are braver after 2 weeks and will venture up front. the rest of them stay hidden but i managed to coax this shot with food)

so of course, i decided also to add some danios to hopefully dither up the tank but so far they seem a bit skittish in the quarantine tank lol. Just my luck! I thought danios are supposed to stay up top but mine love to hang on the bottom. At least they are super active, this was the best pic out of 50+ ones lol


----------



## parrottbay (May 14, 2012)

Tank looks awesome!


----------



## acitydweller (Dec 28, 2011)

you gotta check it out in person.


----------



## austin.b (Feb 9, 2012)

I noticed you have both male, and female Dwarf neon rainbows! Did you get them at a LFS or online? 

I also have a dozen C. habrosus and 4 male Dwarf Rainbows in my 40B and was hoping to pick up some females. The tank looks great! Ive only thought about aquascaping a tank with nothing but crypts


----------



## dasob85 (Feb 4, 2012)

parrottbay said:


> Tank looks awesome!


Thanks!



acitydweller said:


> you gotta check it out in person.


Come soon! I'm out of live foods already lol need to go to the fish store



austin.b said:


> I noticed you have both male, and female Dwarf neon rainbows! Did you get them at a LFS or online?
> 
> I also have a dozen C. habrosus and 4 male Dwarf Rainbows in my 40B and was hoping to pick up some females. The tank looks great! Ive only thought about aquascaping a tank with nothing but crypts


I got most of the rainbows from a store and picked up 4 more from a fellow hobbyist(those are the big pretty ones). Crypts are cool, no trimming involved


----------



## HybridHerp (May 24, 2012)

what kind of danio is that? As always, digging this tank man.


----------



## AquaAurora (Jul 10, 2013)

Lovely photo, and beautiful tank and fish! I've wanted to try crypts but I'm wary of the dreaded "melt". What breed of danios did you get? I don't think I've seen them in that color/pattern.


----------



## dasob85 (Feb 4, 2012)

They were new called fire ring danio. I couldn't find any info on them either but they look quite similar to danio kyathit. Took a chance on them since they are quite rare.

And yea, I always hear horror stories about crypt melt but so far have been lucky *knock on wood*


----------



## Duck5003 (Oct 1, 2012)

Those are gold ring danio or Danio tinwini. They are awesome little fish, one of my favorites. I've attempted to breed mine but haven't had any success yet. Beautiful tank by the way!


----------



## dasob85 (Feb 4, 2012)

Duck5003 said:


> Those are gold ring danio or Danio tinwini. They are awesome little fish, one of my favorites. I've attempted to breed mine but haven't had any success yet. Beautiful tank by the way!


Thanks! These danios are almost double the size of tinwini. I was actually considering the tinwinis instead of these because at least I knew what they were compared to the fire ring with no info and just one picture on google lol.


----------



## dasob85 (Feb 4, 2012)

Its been a while with the updates. The crypts have really taken over the tank when compared to the first picture. (edit: and even compared to january's picture. crazy! they must have settled in) And as always, i'd like to point out i'm using inert sand without root tabs. It can be done!



Sump is still same old same old. nursery for windelovs and moss + fast growers to maintain water quality.



and a sneak peek at a new project when it gets warmer. they are in a holding qt tank for now.


----------



## pianofish (Jan 31, 2010)

Ah, dude the tank looks beautiful! Very nice job growing those in my friend! That there is a nice bush that is. It looks really natural and very SE Asianish. Even the sump looks great man. I'm diggin the chocolate gouramis too. Very nice touch! I bet its really cool to see your fish school in and out of your crypt forest. A+ job my man
Joshua


----------



## Duck5003 (Oct 1, 2012)

Nice update! Those chocolates are awesome looking, they are certainly great little fish. Is this your first time keeping them?


----------



## rajah_22 (Dec 12, 2013)

Wow, good to know you can grow crypts really well in inert sand! Nice job!

Is this tank pretty high flow? Seems like a lot of leaves are pointing the left, which is often how I see them in photos growing in streams.


----------



## jhays79 (Mar 28, 2012)

Very cool setup! Where in NJ are you?


----------



## dasob85 (Feb 4, 2012)

pianofish said:


> Ah, dude the tank looks beautiful! Very nice job growing those in my friend! That there is a nice bush that is. It looks really natural and very SE Asianish. Even the sump looks great man. I'm diggin the chocolate gouramis too. Very nice touch! I bet its really cool to see your fish school in and out of your crypt forest. A+ job my man
> Joshua


Thanks



Duck5003 said:


> Nice update! Those chocolates are awesome looking, they are certainly great little fish. Is this your first time keeping them?


Yes, my first time with chocolates! I really like full body colored fish. I had considered a betta sorority but these guys are just so peaceful and interesting.



rajah_22 said:


> Wow, good to know you can grow crypts really well in inert sand! Nice job!
> 
> Is this tank pretty high flow? Seems like a lot of leaves are pointing the left, which is often how I see them in photos growing in streams.


Yes, i have a powerhead on the front right that you barely can see in the pic. At first all the leaves swayed but now only the middle patch catches good flow. I need to trim badly.



jhays79 said:


> Very cool setup! Where in NJ are you?


up in bergen county. are you a part of NJAGC?


----------



## jhays79 (Mar 28, 2012)

Yeah but I don't really participate, wife and kids take up most of time. I'm in Morris County.


----------



## Duck5003 (Oct 1, 2012)

dasob85 said:


> Yes, my first time with chocolates! I really like full body colored fish. I had considered a betta sorority but these guys are just so peaceful and interesting.


You wont be disappointed, they are a lot of fun to watch. I've had a small group since December and they have become one my favorites. I also recently got two of the Samurais, hoping to get more. What params are you keeping them in?


----------



## jhays79 (Mar 28, 2012)

Hey I never said that?:icon_ques


----------



## Duck5003 (Oct 1, 2012)

Oops! Not sure how your name got there J, all better though


----------



## dasob85 (Feb 4, 2012)

I'm still on the fence about what to keep them at, but right now i have them in a species setup with IAl so the ph is pretty low below 5, gh3 temp 82. I kind of want to adjust the params later in the main tank slowly so i dont use ial which means the ph would be higher, then i could put some dwarf cories with them. maybe drop the temp another 2 degrees as well. What do you keep yours at?


----------



## Duck5003 (Oct 1, 2012)

Right now i am keeping both species of chocolates at 6.9, TDS 150-175, gh 4-5, kh 1, temp 80 and they have been doing well for me. Not really showing signs of breeding though, just pecking order flaring and what not. I recently just got a big shipment of IAL's in to try and lower the Ph gradually for breeding, but as far as just them being in the tank for viewing purposes they have done well at these params for me. 

Here is a link to my journal in the fish section for them

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?p=4918033#post4918033

Feel free to add pics of yours or any info you find helpful in your experiences with them  My goal is to successfully breed these and turn that journal into a nice resource for everyone on these fish. There is info out there, but i feel it is a bit out-dated and lacking in some areas. They sure are fun fish!


----------



## dasob85 (Feb 4, 2012)

ah, valliants are nice too. but i have too many chocs already for my sized tank haha so I think i'm set. Mine dont really peck or flare at each other within the group. When i first had 2 for a while, the big one did pick on the small one during feeding time.

Still debating if they need the dither fish though (I notice you are wondering the same thing in your journal)


----------



## dasob85 (Feb 4, 2012)

Weather has been nice lately so decided to do a big rescape. I was also tired of not being able to see my pretty fish.



What do you think? I'm still looking for some shorter crypts to fill in the bare spots up front. Could put down 2 more stones too for some dividers and maintain the slope.


----------



## Duck5003 (Oct 1, 2012)

I like this new scape a lot! Its so different from the previous, which was IMO a strong, in your face scape. This one has so much more depth to it and a much better swimming area for your fish. I dig it :thumbsup:

Now when you getting that chocolate tank up and running! :bounce:


----------



## Tihsho (Oct 10, 2007)

Love Crypt tanks! Great job!


----------



## Crazy4discus (Jan 30, 2014)

Nice tank setup! Lovely crypts!


----------



## dasob85 (Feb 4, 2012)

Thanks guys  Just need to fill in the bald patch in the middle and its done.

The chocolates... hrmmm well perhaps when the weather gets a bit warmer. and I need to clean out a space to put the new tank too hehe. btw i'm going to put the ember tetras from the sump into the chocolate tank to see how they enjoy some company.


----------



## AGUILAR3 (Jun 22, 2013)

dasob85 said:


> Old FTS 12-21-2013


What the plant breakdown in this pic?


----------



## Duck5003 (Oct 1, 2012)

dasob85 said:


> The chocolates... hrmmm well perhaps when the weather gets a bit warmer. and I need to clean out a space to put the new tank too hehe. btw i'm going to put the ember tetras from the sump into the chocolate tank to see how they enjoy some company.


Funny no matter how much we have (or are allowed :hihi: ), we never seem to have enough space for this hobby! Let me know how it goes with the embers, i think thats a great pairing. The colors will go very well togeher to


----------



## dasob85 (Feb 4, 2012)

AGUILAR3 said:


> What the plant breakdown in this pic?


ah if only those plants stayed that short, it would have been perfect to me.
there's nljf on the back left. the clump of crypts are lutea back left, undulata front left, wendtii reds middle, undulata front right, wendtii green back right.

the short crypts that stayed short in march are some parva and some mystery crypts from friends.



Duck5003 said:


> Funny no matter how much we have (or are allowed :hihi: ), we never seem to have enough space for this hobby! Let me know how it goes with the embers, i think thats a great pairing. The colors will go very well togeher to


hopefully the embers dont steal too much food from the chocs  but if they act as a good dither fish I'll allow them the extra treats


----------



## kwheeler91 (May 26, 2009)

I dont know that I would use embers as dithers as they are kind of shy and have little tempers. they dont respond well to stress either. I have seen them damn near go into shock if you take too long trying to net them. They have mini heart attacks. However I havent kept chocolates so i dont know how aggressive they are but if they would pick on the embers I would look for another candidate. $0.02


----------



## exv152 (Jun 8, 2009)

Nice tank. Crypts are some of my favorite plants.


----------



## AGUILAR3 (Jun 22, 2013)

Thanks for the ID. Looks like I need some C. Undulta and C. Lutea. Have you considered replacing the NLJF with C. Balansae?


----------



## dasob85 (Feb 4, 2012)

kwheeler91 said:


> I dont know that I would use embers as dithers as they are kind of shy and have little tempers. they dont respond well to stress either. I have seen them damn near go into shock if you take too long trying to net them. They have mini heart attacks. However I havent kept chocolates so i dont know how aggressive they are but if they would pick on the embers I would look for another candidate. $0.02


Oh yes, they had their mini heart attacks while I was netting them. Luckily they seem to be hardier than pygmy cories, some of which died following the stress of netting.

I've actually felt embers are an awesome nano fish. They are braver than some other fish, school together quite nicely and have a nice color. Luckily the chocolates are super chill and not at all aggressive so I'm hoping the embers will bring them out more. and the embers look awesome in the blackwater under the monster ray.



exv152 said:


> Nice tank. Crypts are some of my favorite plants.


Thanks 



AGUILAR3 said:


> Thanks for the ID. Looks like I need some C. Undulta and C. Lutea. Have you considered replacing the NLJF with C. Balansae?


I have one balansae in the back left corner. the leaves have already reached the surface and are growing horizontally. I think the total length is at least 2 feet which is ridiculous for a 40b lol so I dont think I want any more of those. I'm trying to sell my nljf (on another site since i used up my sale limit already on another tank trim) and replacing it with Lutea or possibly another plant. its always fun to try new plants


----------



## kwheeler91 (May 26, 2009)

I agree they are awesome little fish, one of my favorites. Good luck with them and be sure to post some pics or even better video.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk


----------



## dasob85 (Feb 4, 2012)

I'm trying to figure out which style I like better. I'd love your opinions

This one is minus the background plants


vs with


Ignore that one crypt spiralis in the back right. I just dont know where to move it to right now.

Also, as requested  

greedy ember
http://youtu.be/CgZQAD3e5mw

and my favorite loaches
http://youtu.be/RBbNq5IT-j0

I saved the best for last, found a dwarf cory fry right along the glass so ran for the macro lens


----------



## AGUILAR3 (Jun 22, 2013)

Love the filled in look. Hides the equipment quite nicely. 

If you decide to get rid of your balansae, hit me up.


----------



## Duck5003 (Oct 1, 2012)

Very nice! How goes it with your chocolates and the dithers?


----------



## dasob85 (Feb 4, 2012)

The chocolates seem more outgoing compared to previously. I'm now worried the embers will die prematurely of a heart attack due to high cholesterol lol. They're eating really really well.


----------



## Capsaicin_MFK (Nov 15, 2009)

Happen to have a list of the Crypts you have in this aquarium?

Looks fantastic!


----------



## AGUILAR3 (Jun 22, 2013)

Capsaicin_MFK said:


> Happen to have a list of the Crypts you have in this aquarium?
> 
> Looks fantastic!


I asked the same question a few posts back





dasob85 said:


> there's nljf on the back left. the clump of crypts are lutea back left, undulata front left, wendtii reds middle, undulata front right, wendtii green back right.
> 
> the short crypts that stayed short in march are some parva and some mystery crypts from friends.


----------



## AGUILAR3 (Jun 22, 2013)

Update? Do you have another jungle on your hands with the new scape?


----------



## dasob85 (Feb 4, 2012)

took a while to get the photo uploaded.



The crypts on the right converted from emersed and I will plant them into the open spot in the middle. but definitely less of a jungle than the original scape


----------



## philipraposo1982 (Mar 6, 2014)

your tank is looking really good. I too am getting away from all the stem plants I have and more crypts and similar type heavy root feeder type plants.

Less maint. and imo looks really really good with good driftwood.


----------



## BHolmes (Aug 23, 2012)

philipraposo1982 said:


> your tank is looking really good. I too am getting away from all the stem plants I have and more crypts and similar type heavy root feeder type plants.
> 
> Less maint. and imo looks really really good with good driftwood.


Cheers to that!
Your crypts and scape look awesome dasob


----------



## Capsaicin_MFK (Nov 15, 2009)

Your tank gave me inspiration to do a Crypt themed scape. Thanks! If you ever want to trade plants let me know.


----------



## dasob85 (Feb 4, 2012)

Thanks guys. Definitely loving the low maintenance factor of this tank. I literally have not trimmed this tank ever since planting. I love that the plants this time are staying small and not overtaking the tank but they are still slightly too big and covered all my rocks.


----------



## hitmanx (Jun 24, 2012)

AquaAurora said:


> Lovely photo, and beautiful tank and fish! I've wanted to try crypts but I'm wary of the dreaded "melt". What breed of danios did you get? I don't think I've seen them in that color/pattern.


First of all this is a very nice scape... I love me some crypts, but...


*Crypt melt is a MYTH!*

Yes, some or all of the leaves will melt when the crypt experiences a change to their environment like water parameters or light, but they by no means die off... the crown and roots survive 99.9% of the time... it's probably a defense mechanism to reserve energy for root production when environmental conditions deteriorate or change... also alot of crypts are grown emersed at the nurseries so they need to change their leaves to submersed and most of the leaves will melt... so what? They will grow back no problem!

When I add or move crypts I always remove all but the inner 3 leaves, which never melt, and this method has great success... the older would probably melt anyways so why not remove them before polluting your tank?

Crypts are a great plants for all kinds of scapes, and it's a damn shame that people perpetuate the idea that crypts are hard to care for because of the "dreaded crypt melt" without explaining that it only involves the outer leaves and not the plant itself. .. :icon_twis


----------



## Blackheart (Jul 5, 2011)

awesome tank


----------



## Tyrone (Nov 22, 2013)

Awesome set up! What brand and where did you get the rack?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## r45t4m4n (Feb 12, 2014)

Looks like an edsal, HD/Lowes sells them.
http://www.lowes.com/pd_319468-1281...-lm_52838-_-product_spot1&CA_6C15C=1368042139


----------



## dasob85 (Feb 4, 2012)

Yes I believe that is the rack I used. Followed another guide on tpt for it. Works quite well.


----------



## dasob85 (Feb 4, 2012)

Its been a while so here's a picture. No trimming since planting it although I really should organize it a bit. With all the runners, the different crypts are starting to intermingle with each other.


----------



## Aquatic Delight (Mar 2, 2012)

the tank looks spectacular!


----------



## Freemananana (Jan 2, 2015)

I'm trying to do something quite similar actually! I read/skimmed through this and have a few questions on your sump pump set up. You have a bunch of lines on the back and I just couldn't sort through them. You have a photo on the first page of the back of your set up. Could you elaborate on what each pipe does? My understanding of a sump is the intake that goes into the sump, some baffling, and the pump to return it to the main tank. You seem to have more than a couple of pipes!


----------



## dasob85 (Feb 4, 2012)

the 2 vinyl hoses on top on the left and right are the return. the 3 pvc in the middle that come down to the left side of that pic are the drains. google bean animal overflow. lots of info on salt websites.


----------



## ROYWS3 (Feb 1, 2014)

Looks fantastic!! What all do you have in your crypt collection?


----------



## Blackheart (Jul 5, 2011)

Those Crypts are awesome


----------



## Freemananana (Jan 2, 2015)

dasob85 said:


> the 2 vinyl hoses on top on the left and right are the return. the 3 pvc in the middle that come down to the left side of that pic are the drains. google bean animal overflow. lots of info on salt websites.


Thanks, I sure will. Seems like there is a vent up top and possibly a drain to change water on the bottom?

I think I've figured it out. I just looking for confirmation. :hihi: The bean animal overflow was definitely a good read.


----------



## dasob85 (Feb 4, 2012)

I have crypt nurii, petchii, becketii, parva, and 2 other smaller rare varieties although now they've pretty much sent out runners all over the place. i used to keep the common varieties but they got too big for my tank.

The vent up top is part of the bean animal system as the second backup full siphon. I'm not sure what do you mean by drain to change the water? you mean the clear pvc that goes to nowhere?

edit: ah yes i'm looking at the original pic you linked and yes the weird u bend thing on the right at an upward angle with a black knobbed valve that you can barely see is for water changes. I didn't install the tubing at that time yet.


----------



## hitmanx (Jun 24, 2012)

I read through the thread but I can't find any details about your return pump and the overflow design... 

Also what crypt species is the large red-brown one in the centre? From your latest FTS of course...


----------

