# First High Tech Planted 75G and First attempt at DSM



## newday3000 (Nov 4, 2009)

I've kept many aquariums and plants and done DIY CO2 with good success. Currently have 220G African with some low light plants (anubias 18" high 3 year old plant, java fern), a 580 Gallon pond/waterfall, new 3000 Gallon pond in progress for Koi and 25 years of fish keeping experience.

Never tried salt water (no interest in this at all) but high tech planted seemed like a cool project over the winter.

I cleaned out a 75 Gallon tank.









The plan is the following equipment *(updated)*
1. lighting - Catalina T5HO 4 bulb 216Watt total 
2. CO2 10LB CO2 cylinder + GLA IDEAL CO2 Regulator JBJ bubble counter + GLA CO2 Diffuser 5000
3. Eco-complete 2-3" 160 LBS, I like the black look and reading here seems it's a pretty good off the shelf substrate
4. Filter (already have a Fluval 305) - may upgrade to a Ehiem 2028
5. Since I don't like tinkering everyday with anything, milwaukee sms122 PH controller plus it's looks like cool toy anyway.
6. light timer for 10 hours, may get night lights later.
7. Drop checker CAL AQUA "Double Check" Drop Checker from GLA
8. fish worry about this later once tank is doing ok with plants.
9. Dry Ferts from Hydroponics store and gram scale - plan on EI dry dosing directly into tank 

Fish:
1. 16 Rasbora's - June 27, 2010
2. 10 Neons
3. 3 Otos
4. 4 RCS

5. 4 Blue Rams
6. 4 Corys 
4. 2 glass shrimp

April 4 2011 rescapped a bit, still have not done drift wood but removed rocks for more room











Any suggestions or comments are welcome.

The DSM and equipment setup is the rest of the journel.


----------



## Dr. Acula (Oct 14, 2009)

That's lookin' good so far. I would love to be able to get my hands on a nice big tank like that with all the goodies.

I'd only say to be sure you get rocks big enough for a tank that size. Also, maybe check out a dwarf hairgrass foreground (I'm using eleocharis parvula myself). I've found it's pretty easy to grow, not too slow, and would give you a nice green carpet. You could also go for blyxa japonica in a tank that size, if you wanted. I'm partial to grasslike plants like that, but glosso and the like are always fun, if that's more your style.

Ah, and maybe start off running your lights for somewhat less than ten hours, to help with initial algae. Then gradually increase the photoperiod. Of course, I'm sure someone more experienced could weigh in on that.

Anyway, welcome to TPT! And good luck!


----------



## newday3000 (Nov 4, 2009)

Thanks, I am sure I will have many questions as I go. Lights arrived today Catalinaaquarim.com had great deal on 216W T5HO for $179.

Also bought 60Lbs of Eco-Complete, I think I will buy another 60 Lbs before I get started. 

Tank with Eco and new lights setup 2 x 6500K and 2 x 10K bulbs









Light Timer from Walmart - really cheap with 2 fully programable outlights 7 on/off settings per outlight. $22 CDN









Some rocks I will get started with 










Next order is CO2 stuff


----------



## newday3000 (Nov 4, 2009)

Finally decided on the following CO2 equipment which I am waiting for now. 
1. GLA Ideal CO2 Regulator, Bubble counter, solenoid and Ideal Needle valve








2. CAL AQUA "Double Check" Drop Checker








3. GLA - CO2 Diffuser 5000








4. Milwaukee PH Controller SMS122


----------



## wadesharp (Nov 27, 2009)

all very nice stuff you got your self there i cant wait to see it when everything is done


----------



## newday3000 (Nov 4, 2009)

Little bit of progress. Spent many $$ and now waiting on UPS to deliver.

I went out and picked up a shinny new 10LBS CO2 tank ready to go but CO2 regulator order didn't show up yet. UPS had delivery for last 2 days and never showed up. (Good thing I work from home or I would have been really pissed waiting for them)

Pic of my CO2 tank but no regulator, drop checker, diffuser yet , but I did get PH controller Milwaukee SMS122 (new toy). I ran around testing water in other tanks and tap to see if my test kits were close. It seems test kits were pretty close.









Picked up gram scale (Walmart) and Marco's from the local "Hydroponics" store, really cheap 3 x 500 gram contains $15 cdn!!!









Also got 2 x HC (Baby Tears) pots from aquariumplants.com. I'm planning on Dry Start (DSM) after much reading. I planted small bunches, sealed the top with glass and plastic wrap, tossed a temp and humidity guage in the tank. I'm using Eco-complete 160 Lbs (wholly crap that was expensive). Temp is 69F and 60% humidity, I hope this is ok. Never seen any posts on these parameters for DSM setup.

I plan on being patient and using 8-10hour photo period for next 4-6 weeks and misting daily with water from my mature tank that averages 10PPM of NO3. I figure this is a light fert mist versus mixing up water with dry ferts and risk burning the plants.

Never done this before so will post progress and my success (hopefully) using Eco-Complete and mature tank water misting scheme.

Here's a pic of DSM Day 1 (looks good so far LOL)

Hard scape is temp for now just something to stare at while I watch plants grow. I work at home beside the tank most days so I can literally watch plants grow, LOL, won't that be exciting!!!


----------



## newday3000 (Nov 4, 2009)

Got the regulator today so I hooked it all up with a bucket of water to test everything for leaks.











Playing with the dropper checker in bucket of water.


----------



## newday3000 (Nov 4, 2009)

Dry Start Method Day 7 - update Pic's

HC still looking very green and healthy. Only misting with water from mature tank with NO3 of about 10 PPM. Misted once with Flourish Trace in first 7 days.

Starting to see some growth and spreading of some of the plant clumps. Crossing my fingers, it's going well so far.


----------



## newday3000 (Nov 4, 2009)

Dry Start Method Day 10. More growth, seems to be showing more growth now everyday.


----------



## newday3000 (Nov 4, 2009)

DSM Day 12









DSM Day 14









DSM Day 14 close up









some plants are showing faster growth rates than others. All plants are doing well still. Still misting with approx 10 PPM Nitrate water from another mature tank. No ferts added at all except in week 1 added trace to the misting on one day. Since things seem to be doing well, I will stick to misting NO3 water from my other tank.

Hopefully anyone trying DSM can use my pictures to compare day by day to measure or compare how well there plants are doing.

My kids are getting bored waiting to fill the tank now. appears I have more patience.


----------



## newday3000 (Nov 4, 2009)

DSM Day 18










DSM Day 20









DSM Day 20 Close up










Still misting with mature tank 10 ppm NO3 water and 10 hour of 216W T5HO. Growing well still. 

Getting my DIY CO2 reactor ready, got it ready, need to test it and finish mounting it.


----------



## newday3000 (Nov 4, 2009)

video of day 7 to day 24 growth.


----------



## killacross (Oct 15, 2009)

dont think I would have the patience for that! a month and thats all? ...you need some glosso my friend


----------



## newday3000 (Nov 4, 2009)

I would estimate the plants have all doubled in size since day 1. Not bad but I agree very slow but otherwise very health still, I have seen DSM posts that said plants died or grew mold etc... I'm not sure if misting additional ferts would have helped but since I'm still waiting on CO2 gear to show at my house, I have the time to wait.


----------



## newday3000 (Nov 4, 2009)

Getting closer to filling the tank.

Comparison of Day 7 below to Day 45 into DSM shows a lot of growth.

Day 7









Day 45


----------



## newday3000 (Nov 4, 2009)

I think this is good enough growth to start filling the tank. HC doing very well with 10 PPM NO3 misting from another tank.

DSM Day 52









Need to start planning on adding other plants.


----------



## newday3000 (Nov 4, 2009)

Filled the tank today. Now the fun begins, keeping algae away. I'm hoping the HC survies the transition to submerged. No fish yet so planning on saturating with CO2 now.

After filling the tank and starting to inject CO2. The HC started perling right away.











Added some Ludwigia and Cabomba stems thinking fast growing stems will help take up nutrients. 

Added mature filter media from my other tank so the filter's bacteria is up and running.

Tank shot filled.


----------



## Niyona (Feb 20, 2010)

Wow! You really have quite a bit more patience than I do *winks* WTG! Keep it up and keep posting pictures. Looks great so far!!!!


----------



## newday3000 (Nov 4, 2009)

Started to grow some algae in the gravel so I reduced photo period to 6 hours with only 2 x 54W T5HO bulbs. 

Found out local aquarium society yearly auction was today with over 800 items for sale. I picked up many more plants to compete with the algae for nutrients.

PH controller is doing a great job of keeping the drop checker lime green. Need to put ph controller on timer to turn it off at night. Glass diffuser under the canister output does a good job of misting CO2 around the tank. Will likely move to a reactor that is external.

Picked up several plants I was looking for today for $34. Blyxa japonica, Ludwigia Inclinata Var Verticillata "Cuba", and several bucnches of Cryptocoryne (not sure species)

Here's a picture of the new auquascape.


----------



## morgan_mac3 (Mar 8, 2010)

i just bought two potted HC from the samee place and it should come on like wednesday. im pretty new to planted tanks, and i thought the HC would look really nice as a carpet in mine. but i was wondering what the best way to grow it is. like the fastest i guess? haha im not very patient


----------



## OverStocked (May 26, 2007)

morgan_mac3 said:


> i just bought two potted HC from the samee place and it should come on like wednesday. im pretty new to planted tanks, and i thought the HC would look really nice as a carpet in mine. but i was wondering what the best way to grow it is. like the fastest i guess? haha im not very patient


HC needs High light and high co2. Starting emersed(dry) is the fastest way to get it to spread. Without High Light and likely pressurized co2, it is really hard to get it to grow.


----------



## newday3000 (Nov 4, 2009)

I found getting it to grow was easy using dry start method. It's not fast, I waited 52 days before filling the tank but the roots are well established now and it seems to have handled the switch to submerged growth well.

I think in a new tank it may be difficult to get it start growing well submerged from day 1. 

I'm running pressurized with no fish now with at least 30 ppm CO2.


----------



## morgan_mac3 (Mar 8, 2010)

oh i see. thanks. i think im in for quite a challengee


----------



## newday3000 (Nov 4, 2009)

Started DRY ferts this week, not using a full dose yet as the tank is not fully planted. 

Getting BGA on the gravel which I have been vaccuming.

Setup closed loop CO2 reactor solution and comparing to the ceramic disk I was using which was getting dirty and reduced flow after only 2 weeks.

Here is the full setup while testing. I feed CO2 line into pump intake to chop up into bubbles and then it flows into main cylinder where bubles need to pass through a 30 micron filter before it enters the tank again.

I don't really get any bubbles leaving the cylinder and DC is lime green. I think it's working well. I created 2nd exist in the outlet nozzle in the tank so CO2 enriched sends 50% to the bottom of the tank and the other 50% is sent across the tank as the nozzle is pointing.










Here is the re-actor in it's final position on the side of the tank. I will likely cover the glass on this end of the tank with black felt to hide it, since it's up against a wall anyway and no good for viewing.


----------



## pianofish (Jan 31, 2010)

Looking good mate, your patience is quite astounding, but I think the fruits of your labor were quite rewarding. Nice co2 setup, if only it wasn't soo expensive I wuold have some... but your tank looks great.
Keep up the good work,
Your pal,


----------



## newday3000 (Nov 4, 2009)

Added the first fish today. 12 Harlequin Rasbora's look good against dark gravel.

Also have some cool snails that must have come with plants that seem to have cleaned up all the algea in the tank, even off the comboda fined leafed plants. I haven't had to clean the glass now in weeks. Not sure what kind they are but they seem to have gold colored shells.


----------



## pianofish (Jan 31, 2010)

Looks great!


----------



## VadimShevchuk (Sep 19, 2009)

updates?


----------



## newday3000 (Nov 4, 2009)

well mixed results so far. Need to ask some questions. I have not added more plants until I get growth from the plants already in the tank.

Tank setup:
I've been doing EI with 50% weekly 
Pressurized CO2 with DC showing 30 ppm
Amonia 0
Dry ferts 3 x weekly plus flourish trace
PH drops to about 6.6 from 7.4 everyday
KH 4 
Lights 2 x 54W T5HO on 8 hours a day I have 2 x 54W bulbs I turn for an hour during the day so I can go from 2 to 4 bulbs on with separate timers


Added cories, RCS and 12 rasboras which are doing fine.

HC is doing amazing, carpet is spreading well and it's thick.









I have Crypts which are all doing really well









My Blyxa japonica has some melted leaves and others are very green and look fine but not a lot of new growth that I can tell. I have read it's easy to grow.

I have cabomba which slowly melted away, I have left it in the tank as I see some new growth. 

Algae - I have none!!! I haven't even scraped the glass in the first 3 weeks, snails have kept tank perfectly clean. 

I've been trying to get growth before changing or adding too much.


----------



## newday3000 (Nov 4, 2009)

Added 10 x Neon's tetra's and 3 x Oto's. Added Dwarf Chain Sword, more Cabomba and trying some Purple Waffle (bog plant) half out of the tank and roots in the water to see what happens.

I increased CO2 to yellow green and started adding Iron in hopes of recoverying Blyxa, remaining plants seem to be doing ok, have not seen new growth yet. Also added Crypt Wendtii. 

Plants all pearl now with increased CO2 levels. Ludwigia added inches within day of upping CO2 levels. 










Crypts and Ludwigia









puruple waffle sticking out behind my lights, will see what happens.


----------



## newday3000 (Nov 4, 2009)

still not getting much growth from Blyxa, problem with hair algea in the HC which I treated with Excel once with 1.5 dose using syringe into the algea. Seems to have killed it with one treatment.

I added some Blue Rams 4 males (just my luck). They all get a long fine. Ludwigia is going crazy and split it once and now it's growing over the top. Crypts are growing well, Wendtti is growing well, some hair grass is living not thriving.

Going to try more plants and see what takes off before re-aquacaping the tank with plants I like.

some pics of the current growth and look of the tank. starting to look like a planted tank now. all the fish are doing really well


----------



## newday3000 (Nov 4, 2009)

I picked up some plants from someone locally that has lot's of rare plants. 

I'm trying differnet plants to see what works well in my tank, than I plan a re-scape to get a look I like. This is more a bunch of plants I am experimenting with.

I added 
Brazilian Micro Sword - Lilaeopsis brasiliensis
Staurogyne sp (rare plant from what I can tell)
Marsilea hirsuta more ground cover plant to fill in where HC isn't
riccia fluitans - wedged it into some rocks to see what it will do.

some pictures of the new plants


----------



## Russgro (Mar 15, 2010)

newday3000 said:


> riccia fluitans - wedged it into some rocks to see what it will do.


 It will float eventually if it isn't tied down.


----------



## newday3000 (Nov 4, 2009)

Started rescaping with stems in the back. will start to let the forground and mid ground plants grow.


----------



## newday3000 (Nov 4, 2009)

Added an un-known red plant for contrast to the green everywhere else. I'll see how it does.

spreadout the HC to carpet more and spread it out. looks better now, was getting too bushy. Added 8 more Rasboras, love how they school together. Added 2 glass shrimp. I think I will sit back and let it all grow in now.


----------



## newday3000 (Nov 4, 2009)

still deciding how to finish of this tank, the white rock at the back is now gone and foreground has grown in well. I plan on removing camboda at the back and replacing with a long stem or a few types of stems. I can't find what i want locally.


----------



## VadimShevchuk (Sep 19, 2009)

hc is growing nicely for you. What do you think about harlequin rasbora? They school tight, active?


----------



## macclellan (Dec 22, 2006)

The red plant is certainly a Ludwigia, and probably glandulosa species, but the leaf shape is different from what I've had.


----------



## growshell (Jul 23, 2010)

Looks like really healthy Ludwigia Repens. This place sells it 

http://www.aquabotanicstore.com/product_p/p119.htm

Also, really nice tank and hc carpet.


----------



## newday3000 (Nov 4, 2009)

VadimShevchuk said:


> hc is growing nicely for you. What do you think about harlequin rasbora? They school tight, active?


Thanks, I really like HC, I've been trying to spread it out to cover the front. 

The Rasbora's school very well, I'm thinking of adding another school or just add more Rasbora's. The Neon's don't school well (it had been years since I last kept them and forgot they form loose schools) but I like the color they add. They act more like cichlids when they explore the tank.


----------



## newday3000 (Nov 4, 2009)

removed a rock in the back, trimmed some B. Japonica. Added 10 Glowlight tetras which are working out really well as the 3rd school of fish in the tank.
still need to find stems for the back of the tank. Can't find any locally so may buy online.


----------



## newday3000 (Nov 4, 2009)

This is how the tank looks after 7 months. Pretty happy with progress so far. Getting closer to the look I want. planted tanks really take time to fill in!!!

I have been growing riccia fluitans in matts floating on the surface. A couple got large enough to tie to a rock to look like moss growing. Will see how it grows now.










middle of tank








right side (crypt corner)









FTS









Going to aquarium action next week to hopefully pick up one of the following stems for the back of the tank.

Limnophila aromaticaPogostemon stellatusludwigia inclinata


----------



## RAWR (Aug 29, 2010)

Your tank is looking great, the HC is amazingly good.


----------



## Arturo Lerma (Mar 2, 2010)

One question, Catalina offer different types of bulbs, which one is your configuration?


----------



## newday3000 (Nov 4, 2009)

I use 2 x 6700K 54w t5ho and 2 x 10000K, all 4 bulbs are on for 1 hour and 2 bulbs for 10 hours. This is CO2 injected system with dry ferts and EI dosing


----------



## newday3000 (Nov 4, 2009)

video I took recently, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bl8--5434k8 I'm waiting on the following plants to come in, likely in Dec. group order with local aquarium web site.

Echinodorus vesuvius
Hygrophila pinnatifida
Ludwigia repens 'Rubin'
Aponogeton crispus 'Red' (083B)


----------



## newday3000 (Nov 4, 2009)

Decided to move light plants from 220G to 75G. Java fern, Anubias and some plant I don't know.


----------



## newday3000 (Nov 4, 2009)

HC had to go. hair algae that I treated many times with H2O2 but I got tired of dealing with it. Looks good but plant is high maintenance.

I added some Tropica plants that were left in a car before i picked them up in winter so many died, will see if they bounce back at all.

I re-scaped to use Blyxia as ground cover.


----------



## newday3000 (Nov 4, 2009)

I did a rescape to open up the front to let fish swim more and took a rock out for more plants I plan on buying. I have some java fern that's doing very well. added some aponogeton cripsu red that has grown taller than the tank. added some echinororus vesuvius that is surviving but not spreading or growing much, it looks fine to me, not sure what's wrong with it.

I'm seeing some defficiencies with holes in plant leaves but all plants grow very well. Tank as been up and running for 1 year now.


----------



## newday3000 (Nov 4, 2009)

Bought some plants at an auction.
Heteranthera Zosterifolia
Hygrophila Balsmaica
Marsilea Hirsuta
Taxiphyllum sp spiky peakcock moss 
Hygrophilia Polsperma 


New tank scape


----------



## newday3000 (Nov 4, 2009)

rescaped again. fish like the open space better and taller plants at the back looks better


----------



## newday3000 (Nov 4, 2009)

couple of cell phone pics. Tank is doing well, easy to maintain 30 minutes a week at most.


----------



## newday3000 (Nov 4, 2009)

It's been a year since I setup my tank and it's doing amazing for my first planted tank.
old scape with HC carpet (it got hard to maintain but looked great)








new scape
























flowering Aponogeton crispus 'Red'


----------



## bearcowski (Jun 6, 2010)

nice


----------



## newday3000 (Nov 4, 2009)

I moved this tank to my new house and the water KH went from 80 ppm to 250 ppm (well water). 

Here's how it looks now after growing out in 250 ppm water. I think CO2 injection helps alot. All my plants are doing fine still and growing and some are doing much better now than before.










Need to add some fish now as a few didn't make the move.


----------



## narhay (Feb 28, 2007)

Nice to see someone from Ottawa. I was a part of OVAS before I moved away. How is the tank doing these days on well water?


----------



## newday3000 (Nov 4, 2009)

I am in Carp so still in city of ottawa. I was worried hard water would kill off plants but most have done very well especially bylaxia which seems to like the hard water. The Crypts all love the hard water and the corkscrew plant is sending runners everywhere which it didn't do in my old softer water. 

I decided to not try and soften the water and just live with hard water and whatever plants could live in it. The fish have all done fine as well.


----------



## newday3000 (Nov 4, 2009)

Moved the tank to the living room and looks way better. Fish are schooling now and staying at the front of the tank. Catfish are joining the schooling too with the Blackskirts and angel fish.

GF has noticed the difference. Old location was near a window and was looking washed out.


----------



## 2in10 (Feb 8, 2011)

That looks very nice in the new spot, great progression of the tank. Looks great now.


----------



## newday3000 (Nov 4, 2009)

I just had baby black skirt tetra's in my tank (Gymnocorymbus ternetzi). I only feed flake food and have a PH of 6.5 CO2 injected tank. KH is very hard 250ppm but these fish live in hard and soft water.

The baby is about .2 inches so far, only found one. Never breed Tetra's ever before, very cool that it survived in this tank with no special care at all.


----------



## 150EH (Dec 6, 2004)

There's lots of good hiding in there so you may have more, but you are lucky if any survive with Angels, I've never owned any Angels but for some of my friends have and I always remember them talking about fighting, etc.


----------



## newday3000 (Nov 4, 2009)

Tank still doing very well. Did a rescape, a little but Dutch like with 2 avenues.

current FTS of the tank


----------



## newday3000 (Nov 4, 2009)

Sent from my BlackBerry 9810 using Tapatalk


----------



## newday3000 (Nov 4, 2009)

Well, another milestone for my fish keeping career. Found a baby peppered corydoras in the tank (likely more too many plants). This tank gets flakes and sinking catfish pellets. I have also had Black skirt Tetras breed and fry grow to adults. Tank is doing very well and fish obviously doing well. Guessing fry have plenty to eat and places to hide.

Very cool to see this happen in a community planted tank.



Sent from my BlackBerry 9810 using Tapatalk


----------



## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

i wonder what the fry eat. i never had any fry make it (except livebearers) outside of breeding setups where i would feed mw, bbs, and powder fry food.


----------



## newday3000 (Nov 4, 2009)

My view is the tank is 2 years old, I think in a densely planted tank, micro fauna exist for fry. I feed once a day and often skip days. 

Sent from my BlackBerry 9810 using Tapatalk


----------



## newday3000 (Nov 4, 2009)

Tank doing very well with fish breeding. Its been very stable tank.

Sent from my BlackBerry 9810 using Tapatalk


----------



## newday3000 (Nov 4, 2009)

With picture. Upload via attachment not working with tapatalk











Sent from my BlackBerry 9810 using Tapatalk


----------



## newday3000 (Nov 4, 2009)

Got a Korea 450 VPN for the tank. I think I will get a 750 and use this one for the ripariam


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD


----------



## newday3000 (Nov 4, 2009)

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD


----------



## newday3000 (Nov 4, 2009)

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD


----------



## newday3000 (Nov 4, 2009)

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD


----------



## newday3000 (Nov 4, 2009)

had a lot of cyno bacteria develop in this tank which is now several years old. I treated with marycin and killed it in 3 days. worked very well. This is the 2nd time I have used this on marycin and it works very well. All the warnings about killing good bacteria never happened. I think this is more theory then practice. 

For anyone needing to kill cyno bacteria this approach works very well. 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD


----------



## newday3000 (Nov 4, 2009)

Had the kribs have babies in the tank. Will take pictures

Sent from my BlackBerry 9810 using Tapatalk


----------



## newday3000 (Nov 4, 2009)

new scape with drift wood.










mom with babies


----------



## newday3000 (Nov 4, 2009)




----------



## newday3000 (Nov 4, 2009)




----------



## newday3000 (Nov 4, 2009)

Broke a clip on my eheim and it started leaking, had to run out and decided to buy a rena L rated for 175G tank and moved my media over. It polished the tank in 2 hours and it's crystal clear now and is night and day from the old filter. 

This tank is 4 years old now and had algae issues lately but not it's very clear. I think the carbon and bio chem pads helped a lot as well.

Motivated me to add more plants. I have been doing weekly 80% water changes and EI dosing with pressurized CO2 for years now, tank has never looked better. 

Have had Cory's, Blackskirts, and now Kribs breeding and fry surviving.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD


----------



## HybridHerp (May 24, 2012)

Nice, nice, what lights and plants do you have in here? And what is that stuff on the right side that looks kinda fuzzy?


----------



## newday3000 (Nov 4, 2009)

HybridHerp said:


> Nice, nice, what lights and plants do you have in here? And what is that stuff on the right side that looks kinda fuzzy?


Thanks, I don't recall all the plants but bylxa up front, various crypts, anubias (it started life in 220G cichlid tank 5 years ago and still with me, some jungle val, and few other plants I would need to look. I have tried many plants but find my new house with hard ward and high ph, restricts the plants I can pick now.

The fuzzy stuff is algae (beard) that stays under control and looks ok as it only stays on rocks and drift wood. looks like an anenome with the flow in the tank.

lights are 2 x T5 54w 10 hours with all 4 T5's on for 1 hour together 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD


----------



## newday3000 (Nov 4, 2009)

Never buying a Rena XP ever again. Bought one as my Eheim handle broke off, so needed a filter. it's loud, priming is horrible, sucked air after hours tyring to fix this. flow slowed down after 1 week.

I returned it today and did the right thing and got Eheim pro 3 ultra 160. Had it running in no time, primed easily low watts 16. dead silent and 5 trays of media. quick dis connect is way better with no dripping after disconnect. all around you get what you pay for, never going to try anything else.


----------



## AlanLe (Jan 10, 2013)

Nice tank. I'm in the process of doing dry start. I have a 55 gl tank. My light system is 216 watts (4X54 watt) 10,000k. I'm planning to run only 2 bulbs. Subtrate is going to be Eco complete. Carpet is going to be HC. In the emerge stage, can I mist the HC with tap water mixed with Flourish product such as the Complete Supplement? Or the tap water must be treated first? Thanks


----------



## newday3000 (Nov 4, 2009)

AlanLe said:


> Nice tank. I'm in the process of doing dry start. I have a 55 gl tank. My light system is 216 watts (4X54 watt) 10,000k. I'm planning to run only 2 bulbs. Subtrate is going to be Eco complete. Carpet is going to be HC. In the emerge stage, can I mist the HC with tap water mixed with Flourish product such as the Complete Supplement? Or the tap water must be treated first? Thanks


you should only need 2 bulbs, i misted with water from another tank if you dont have that then i would mist with tap water as plant benefits most from co2 in the air and water. i don't feel ferts are needed for dry start. good luck, patience is key before fillng 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD


----------



## AlanLe (Jan 10, 2013)

newday3000 said:


> you should only need 2 bulbs, i misted with water from another tank if you dont have that then i would mist with tap water as plant benefits most from co2 in the air and water. i don't feel ferts are needed for dry start. good luck, patience is key before fillng
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD


Once you have submerged the tank you will need to treat the water?


----------



## newday3000 (Nov 4, 2009)

After eheim pro 3 ultra 160 much happier with clarity and flow now


----------



## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

Hey that's looking great!


----------



## exv152 (Jun 8, 2009)

Very nice tank. If you haven't already, you should look into joining OVAS, there are a few of us who are into planted tanks, both high and low tech. Like the angels too.


----------



## newday3000 (Nov 4, 2009)

Thanks,

I have been meaning to join and find the time to go, guess winter is the best time to find the time. also looking to find new plants to try in the tank and local stores don't really have anything worth buying for my tank.


----------



## newday3000 (Nov 4, 2009)

http://youtu.be/M-agdat_IJk


----------



## newday3000 (Nov 4, 2009)




----------



## newday3000 (Nov 4, 2009)




----------



## newday3000 (Nov 4, 2009)

this tank is now shut down, after 3.5 years of keeping high tech planted and fighting algae off and on, I decided it's time for something different, tank is now empty waiting for new idea on species only tank.

I felt I got good at high tank planted and EI and had the tank looking to my liking for many years. even posted a pick on ratemyfish tank that was 53

Now I plan species only and looking at fish that work best in my water which is a community well fed system that is very hard water and high ph over 7.0. I fought high ph with CO2 to get my ph below 7



http://www.ratemyfishtank.com/photo-main.php/35242


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD


----------

