# "Pirate Cove" - My dream tank build



## Duck5003 (Oct 1, 2012)

Reserved for update


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## Fishumms (Apr 21, 2010)

I want to see where this goes.


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## Varmint (Apr 5, 2014)

Puffers, gobies and amano or ghost shrimp? (For an ocean themed set of fauna). Sagitaria or Val or java fern for a kelp like vibe?

This is going to be so cool.


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## Chiefston (Dec 25, 2011)

Subbed. Curious to see how this takes shape, and how you decide to fish-proof that ship. I imagine if you are able to cover the paint with some sort of clearcoat, you should be ok.


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## ngrubich (Nov 29, 2011)

I take it you are going to make some holes in the ship like it hit something underwater and sank? 

I think it would look cool if you tattered up the sails a bit (and maybe even break a mast?) to make it look a little more battle-worn.


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## Duck5003 (Oct 1, 2012)

Varmint said:


> Puffers, gobies and amano or ghost shrimp? (For an ocean themed set of fauna). Sagitaria or Val or java fern for a kelp like vibe?
> 
> This is going to be so cool.


This will definitely have some amanos in my cleaning crew. Thats a great idea with the kelp look. May be good in the background and some dwarf sag towards the front....hmm i'll have to play around with that. Thanks for the good idea!



Chiefston said:


> Subbed. Curious to see how this takes shape, and how you decide to fish-proof that ship. I imagine if you are able to cover the paint with some sort of clearcoat, you should be ok.


Yeah, honestly that's my biggest concern/question mark at this point. I'm hoping a clearcoat will be ok. I'm going to see what info i can get on the products used on the ship. 



ngrubich said:


> I take it you are going to make some holes in the ship like it hit something underwater and sank?
> 
> I think it would look cool if you tattered up the sails a bit (and maybe even break a mast?) to make it look a little more battle-worn.


You got it! My thought is, the boat hit the large structure on the right and this is where it sank. There will be one large hole in the hull. 

As far as the battle-worn, tattered ship, you read my mind. I'm contemplating between doing it myself, or just letting the tank break it down over time. At least as far as the sails go. At least one mast i will likely break and put somewhere else in the tank, maybe more. 


My first step will be getting the 20L and building the sump, as this will take the most time. From there i'll get the 40B and drill it, and then figure out construction of the internal/external outflow. Something i now find myself contemplating is what 40 gallon to go with. Originally i was thinking the dollar/gallon sale. Would certainly be the cheapest way to go, but now i'm thinking rimless. ADA 75P is more than i want to spend, thats for sure. Anyone have any other reccomendations for a good, ~40gallon rimless??


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## metsfan421 (Jan 23, 2014)

Cool idea, can't wait to see how it turns out for you.


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## jpchaos (Feb 23, 2014)

This is really cool. Subbed

Sent from this here hooskerdoo


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## Duck5003 (Oct 1, 2012)

So i went to petco on my lunch break today to pick up the 20L on the LAST day of the $1/gallon sale. They had ONE left, but the silicone was terrible. No chance that thing would have held water. So i had to pass :icon_neut . Thats ok though, i'll scour craigs list. Plus its that time of the year for garage sales and flea markets. I'm sure i can pick one up. It doesnt have to be pretty, just hold water!


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## Deano37 (Jul 17, 2011)

cool idea interest to see how turns out mate


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## Nobody (Oct 17, 2013)

I love themed tanks when pulled off well. Good luck


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## Duck5003 (Oct 1, 2012)

Thanks for the comments all  My rough estimate, i should have all the parts to put everything together in about a month, month and a half. I already have orders going out on several of the plant species listed to start building my stocks up further. 

Got a couple more rough sketches here to better estimate scale. Below, each section represents 4.5" / 4.5" as far as real distance goes. The red is rough estimate how much room the ship will take up. 

I'm going to need a lot of rock.......:icon_eek: . So my immediate thought is seiryou stone. Finding exactly sized, big pieces will likely be impossible. So i'll be piecing the structures together most likely, although i want to keep the number of pieces as low as possible. If anyone has any objections and/or recommendations on stone type please, feel free to provide it  The shading in the pics below is the different levels of rock. Size increasing from front to back except for the middle structure (ship bed). Again rough sketches but just a better idea of scale. Stay tuned


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## Duck5003 (Oct 1, 2012)

Also, on another note. Looking for some input on two things regarding CO2 that i would love some help on. Keep in mind, i will not be growing any plants that require HIGH CO2, just want this to promote better growth in the tank;

-What size storage tank should i be looking for on this setup? 

-Would i be better off to buy a full kit or just piece everything together, in YOUR experience? 

Thanks in advance for any and all help!!


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## pianofish (Jan 31, 2010)

Hey Duck, honored that I got a mention in your journal XD 

On the co2 note, I would look at the swap and shops on the various planted tank forums, alot of people do their spring cleaning and you can find great deals on a full setup or pieces and parts. Pieces and parts will require a bit more research, but if you are up for learning/ have the time go for it. Regardless get a dual stage regulator if you can. You can find them for decent prices in the swap and shop sometimes. Don't be afraid of used parts. And as far as the tank goes, get the biggest one you can. I have a 20# tank on a 20 gallon setup. A little overkill, but it will last me several tank generations.
Good luck with everything!
Excited to see it all come together,
Joshua


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## HybridHerp (May 24, 2012)

This is going to have a very Oliver Knott feel....also, be the perfect tank to show a kid to totally wow them. I'm excited for this


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## fish jihad (Mar 1, 2014)

It would be sweet to get some mosses growing on some of the masts. I was also thinking miniature urns, plates etc the kind of booty a pirate ship would have spilling out of the hole you make in the ship. But alas im not sure the sell stuff that small. Fun idea anyway. Good luck this project sounds fun


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## Duck5003 (Oct 1, 2012)

pianofish said:


> Hey Duck, honored that I got a mention in your journal XD
> 
> On the co2 note, I would look at the swap and shops on the various planted tank forums, alot of people do their spring cleaning and you can find great deals on a full setup or pieces and parts. Pieces and parts will require a bit more research, but if you are up for learning/ have the time go for it. Regardless get a dual stage regulator if you can. You can find them for decent prices in the swap and shop sometimes. Don't be afraid of used parts. And as far as the tank goes, get the biggest one you can. I have a 20# tank on a 20 gallon setup. A little overkill, but it will last me several tank generations.
> Good luck with everything!
> ...


Thanks Josh! The more and more i look, i think your right. At least for my first official C02 i'm going to get a kit/already assembled unit.



HybridHerp said:


> This is going to have a very Oliver Knott feel....also, be the perfect tank to show a kid to totally wow them. I'm excited for this


Thanks! It's going to be a fun build, this has been in the makings since i was a little guy so it has a lot of meaning to me. 



fish jihad said:


> It would be sweet to get some mosses growing on some of the masts. I was also thinking miniature urns, plates etc the kind of booty a pirate ship would have spilling out of the hole you make in the ship. But alas im not sure the sell stuff that small. Fun idea anyway. Good luck this project sounds fun


You read my mind  Once everything is set up it will be a big work in progess as far as planting, but definately gotta get some moss on that ship. Most likely mini-pellia or mini fiss. As for the treasure, i know what you mean. I'd love to have a small treasure chest inside the hull, and maybe some loose treasure around but i'll have to play that one by ear. 


Quick update-got some hygro pinnatifida, more roserpinaca palustris, and more nana-petite on the way to build up my stock and start cultivating for the amounts i'm going to need. Slowly but surely


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## Betta132 (Nov 29, 2012)

Try Lego for mini treasure... They make tiny gold coins and vases that are pretty realistic, and would be even more so when covered in algae. I think most Lego pieces are also going to be aquarium-safe, since they're molded plastic. You could clearcoat them just in case.


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## Duck5003 (Oct 1, 2012)

Betta132 said:


> Try Lego for mini treasure... They make tiny gold coins and vases that are pretty realistic, and would be even more so when covered in algae. I think most Lego pieces are also going to be aquarium-safe, since they're molded plastic. You could clearcoat them just in case.


Thanks for the idea!! I just ran a google search for "lego treasure" and there is TONS of stuff out there. I had no idea. The fun level on this just went up lol


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## Duck5003 (Oct 1, 2012)

So just a brief update here. I've gathered a good amount of the plant types i want for this tank, the rarer ones in the pic below. Various buces and anubias types. Also a crypt balansae i received in an RAOK that i really like and want to find a place for. So no more plants for now, i will just let them continue to multiply as i will need fairly decent numbers of some and they are all by in large, slow growers. 

Next will be the hardscape and hardware for the setup. I missed my chance at the dollar/gallon go around, so i'm probly looking at the display tank last. I can find a 20L somewhere i'm sure to build my sump, so for now i will work on that and finding the hardscape materials. 

I'm still up in the air with what stone to use. I'm thinking seiryu stone, but i'm going to need a lot of rocks, including at least one fairly large sized one. Hmm. I could also go black lava rock?? Anyone have any suggestions for me?

I'll be ordering the pirate ship in a few weeks and begin figuring out the best method to fish proof it (would love some input here as well  )

CO2 i've decided i'm just going to buy a full rig. Still unsure of who from or where. I'm new to that market so need to do more research to figure out what is a fair deal on the equpiment. Open to suggestions if people have some however for fear of fringing on any forum rules, if any such kind acts occur, please PM me  

Slowly but surely, i'll get there! As always, thanks so much for looking and i'd love some input on the hardscape materials


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## second (Jan 31, 2005)

Ok I've never been a fan of plastic toys in an aquarium but I must say I want to see where this goes.


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## thedudeabides (Feb 29, 2012)

Varmint said:


> Puffers, gobies and amano or ghost shrimp? (For an ocean themed set of fauna). Sagitaria or Val or java fern for a kelp like vibe?
> 
> This is going to be so cool.


I would advise against puffers and shrimp in the same sentence let alone the same tank.


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## drewsuf82 (May 27, 2012)

thedudeabides said:


> I would advise against puffers and shrimp in the same sentence let alone the same tank.


Agreed, but if you're lucky and have a store and don't mind buying them once a week, you can get them here 10/$1 -- the ghost shrimp that is


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## Duck5003 (Oct 1, 2012)

second said:


> Ok I've never been a fan of plastic toys in an aquarium but I must say I want to see where this goes.


I know what you mean! I want to try and make this as natural looking as possible. The ship itself is entirely made from wood, just gotta worry about what it may do to the water. I'm ordering it next week and will start soaking it and seeing what it does. 



thedudeabides said:


> I would advise against puffers and shrimp in the same sentence let alone the same tank.





drewsuf82 said:


> Agreed, but if you're lucky and have a store and don't mind buying them once a week, you can get them here 10/$1 -- the ghost shrimp that is


Yeah, i definitely want this tank to have amanos in it so no puffers. Honestly though, livestock will be the very very last thing put into this tank. I want to get it setup and well on its way growing. This scape is mainly about my plants and aesthetics


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## MamaJu (Jun 4, 2013)

I had two pea puffers and two amano shrimps housed in a 10 gallon. They lived together fine but I think it may be because it was a heavily planted tank. If you get a puffer, only get one, not two.


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## Padraig Pearse (May 26, 2013)

Looks cool so far! Maybe put some subwassertang in there for a kelpy feel. Looks awesome though, good job!


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## AquaAurora (Jul 10, 2013)

I have no clue if this will be helpful to you, but my husband will be using a *polyurethane* to coat some "shrimp rocks" (also sometimes called "zebra rock") I bought from a pt member that brings my gh off the charts, sooo coating it to prevent leaching into the water will make it useable. Honestly I've never used the stuff, but my hubby tells me it can be applied and dry as a clear coat. He's going to simply dip them in a bucket/can of the stuff then let them dry and re-coat any missed areas. I don't know how easily it can be applied to your desired decor though, but I thought I'd share.


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## scoutsdoitbetter (Apr 12, 2014)

Polyurethane can be toxic unless it completely cures. Usually takes 2 weeks. Be very careful with it. 

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## AquaAurora (Jul 10, 2013)

scoutsdoitbetter said:


> Polyurethane can be toxic unless it completely cures. Usually takes 2 weeks. Be very careful with it.
> 
> Sent from my LG-P769 using Tapatalk


 Yep going to give it a nice long dry time, sorry forgot to mention that ^^''


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## Duck5003 (Oct 1, 2012)

AquaAurora said:


> I have no clue if this will be helpful to you, but my husband will be using a *polyurethane* to coat some "shrimp rocks" (also sometimes called "zebra rock") I bought from a pt member that brings my gh off the charts, sooo coating it to prevent leaching into the water will make it useable. Honestly I've never used the stuff, but my hubby tells me it can be applied and dry as a clear coat. He's going to simply dip them in a bucket/can of the stuff then let them dry and re-coat any missed areas. I don't know how easily it can be applied to your desired decor though, but I thought I'd share.





scoutsdoitbetter said:


> Polyurethane can be toxic unless it completely cures. Usually takes 2 weeks. Be very careful with it.


Good info to know! Thanks you two  once i get the ship, i'm going to soak it and see what it does to my water, measurable param wise. May even stick it in a tub of water with a cheap light, bio filter, and some easy stems with some cull cherries and see what happens (after the initial soaking test of course). Depending on what that reveals, i'll get serious into what to coat it with. Since the ship itself is so intricate, i'm hoping i dont have to coat it with anything.


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## scoutsdoitbetter (Apr 12, 2014)

If it's a wooden ship then that means it's painted. Wood breaks down in water and the paint with start to flake. Depending on what kind of paint it is it can cause issues not to mention just clogging filters and floating around. Also if it has cloth sails then you are going to have to deal with possibility of that breaking down and leeching dyes or chemicals, or just getting stringy and fish possibly eating it.
Honestly I love your idea, but you might be better off trying to find an existing plastic aquarium decoration that matches what you want. 

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## Duck5003 (Oct 1, 2012)

scoutsdoitbetter said:


> If it's a wooden ship then that means it's painted. Wood breaks down in water and the paint with start to flake. Depending on what kind of paint it is it can cause issues not to mention just clogging filters and floating around. Also if it has cloth sails then you are going to have to deal with possibility of that breaking down and leeching dyes or chemicals, or just getting stringy and fish possibly eating it.
> Honestly I love your idea, but you might be better off trying to find an existing plastic aquarium decoration that matches what you want.
> 
> Sent from my LG-P769 using Tapatalk


Last possible scenario, i would look for a plastic ornament. But i really want this to work. Even if i have to order my own kit and build the ship myself so i can leave it bare. Its fine if it wears and decays a little, i want it to look natural but the paint chipping off and being everywhere is a great point i hadnt really thought about :icon_idea 

I currently have a question out to the conpmany that manufactures them. The wood is good quality i know, but i asked what paint/products were used to treat the ship and is it possible to get a fully assembled model, unpainted. I'm still waiting for a response on that, so hopefully i get good news  If i could get it unpainted i could treat it with a wax base clearcoat to help preserve the wood as well as make it aquarium safe.


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## AquaAurora (Jul 10, 2013)

SO dredging this up t let you know.. at the water test stage for polyurethaned rocks (after a month of drying/curing).. its staining the water so not sure yet it we opps-ed with type of urethane or if its going to take several soaks to be tank safe... will let you know as its figures out!

btw, updates???


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## Duck5003 (Oct 1, 2012)

Thanks for the info! Funny you bring that up, I just ordered the ship a day or two ago so it should be here next week. Still not sure how im going to approach that one, I received no response from the manufacturer regarding any of the specs or products used so I'm going in blind. We will see! Really the biggest thing holding me back is not having the tanks. I'm eagerly awaiting the $1/gallon sale so I can get the sump and 40B. 

I already have a lot of the plants I want, even got the fish I eventually want to have in this tank. Seems odd and a bit backwards, but had the space and an opportunity I couldnt pass up! Plus I'm going to be breeding these fish (I hope!) so that's another reason I got them now. They wont be bred in the 40B scape, at least not intentionally plus fish will not be going into that tank for some time to come.

Hardscape materials is what I've been contemplating now. As I've searched I'm realizing its going to be hard for me to get pieces of seiryou stone I would need as far as size is concerned with shipping costs. So I may be piecing the structures together or going with a different rock, I just like the look of seiryou for the scape. We shall see!

Keep me updated with how the poly works. Any noticeable effects on your params or just with the coloration?


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## scoutsdoitbetter (Apr 12, 2014)

A good substitute for the seiryu might be black lava rock. It has great texture and appearance and plants tend to grow on it very well. Only issue I could foresee is it may raise pH and kH/gH in the tank. 

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## AquaAurora (Jul 10, 2013)

Update on my polyurethane attempt:
1 extra week fo water soaking, no water staining, no gh raise.. but the rocks still smelled like the chemical when taken out of the water.. and when removed and washed under warm water.. some of the urethane pealed off (not good) and left my and my husbands hands sticky.. conclusion: cannot put these rocks in the tank. Checked the can of urethane we got, is oil not water based.. and is meant to be thick coated on.. but didn't work. We're going to try to remove all the coating, rock tumble these to roughen the edges (think rock was too smooth to let it adhere well) and try again.

I think their lack of porous texture and the thick dipping we did made it impossible for the polyurethane to stick completely to the rocks and 2 weeks of soaking (after a.. nearly month of curing dry) broke it loose... hopefully will have better luck on 2nd try. 

If you do try it make sure to cure and test it a long while before it actually goes in the tank to be sure nothing is leaching or coming loose from being water logged.


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## scoutsdoitbetter (Apr 12, 2014)

Honestly I don't think any urethane is going to work. I would try an epoxy. They have a 3 part epoxy you can get from boating supply stores. It's made for bottom of boats so I'm sure it's fine in an aquarium once it's cured. 

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## AquaAurora (Jul 10, 2013)

When originally asking about coating/sealing on here, and with a few google searches, polyurethane popped up a lot which is why I tried it out.


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## scoutsdoitbetter (Apr 12, 2014)

Ya, I've seen some things that say it's OK, but I was never able to find anything that said a specific kind. Honestly if you do find one that works I'd be interested in knowing. I've done a bit of research on DIY backgrounds, and a lot of people use the epoxy to seal them. 

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## Duck5003 (Oct 1, 2012)

Hello all! So life has been doing a great job of keeping me REALLY busy, but i finally have started to get everything put together. I have been playing around with the hardscape for the past 3 days and just cant decide on what i want to do. Doing exactly like the drawing will be hard. I may need to get more rocks but i'm hoping i dont need to. The ship has not been treated with anything. I'm going to see how it does on its own first. I have had it soaked and it doesnt do anything weird to the water from a PH GH/KH TDs Ammonia standpoint. 

This is the tank as it sits. Its still on the floor as i'm not quite finished with the stand. It will be a week or so before i get it planted and started. I have the filter, CO2 setup (minus the diffuser which is on the way), heater, and a light for the tank to at least get it started. 

Please let me know what you think of the hardscape and if anything should be added, removed, or moved. Thanks for looking 

**added some closer shots of the individual structures**


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## AquaAurora (Jul 10, 2013)

Very cool looking set up, love the look of the ship! Hope it lasts well underwater and doesn't leech any unknown nasties. Look forward to seeing it planted ^^


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## houseofcards (Mar 21, 2009)

Looks like a fun project. I would definitely more the ship to be more off center similar to the way you had it in your concept on the 1st page. Also it looks to straight might be more interesting if it landing more on angle.


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## scoutsdoitbetter (Apr 12, 2014)

I agree, I tend to place everything very symmetrical and end up changing it later and looks so much better. Maybe have the ship leaning to the side like it sank and settled awkwardly. Looks awesome so far. Can't wait to see it


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## jmsaltfish797 (Oct 27, 2012)

subbed. i wanna see where this tank goes. very cool hardscape so far. I love the pirate theme.


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## Varmint (Apr 5, 2014)

Wow! Just add water!


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## FishStix (Sep 19, 2013)

Looking great, where did you get your Seiryu Stone?


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## MeCasa (Apr 22, 2014)

Makes a man want to drink rum


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## AGUILAR3 (Jun 22, 2013)

scoutsdoitbetter said:


> Maybe have the ship leaning to the side like it sank and settled awkwardly.


ditto

I've never seen a sunken ship sit perfectly straight up. It's usually leaning heavily to one side. Aside from that, tank is looking amazing. Like mentioned above, just add water.


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## Hilde (May 19, 2008)

Lovely idea.

I don't think the mast or other small pieces of wood will last long, though. For I had manzanita wood bird perches in my tank and they disintegrated. When it occurs you can find more durable sailboats by Googling sailboats for aquariums.

For scaping ideas check out rah-bop's tank. He uses the rule of 3rds which photogophers use.


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## iowanaquarist (Jul 8, 2014)

You *might* have some luck replacing the sails with bits of filter floss -- it's definitely aquarium safe (actually might be a bacteria surface, even), and it will hold up -- it might look decent as tattered sails.


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## AquaAurora (Jul 10, 2013)

Where are the updates and the plant photos?


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## Duck5003 (Oct 1, 2012)

Hello TPT!! It sure has been a while, what a busy summer i've had! Sadly, i have severely neglected the forum for the past few months with life and such, so i do apologize! 

On a good note though, all my tanks and projects are doing well and the pirate cove tank is slowly but surely coming together. Below are some pics of the initial planting. I'll be doing more this week as i have a lot of time off, so feel free to make suggestions. 

I really appreciate all the advice and comments people, this tank really means a lot to me  i tried to adjust the ship a little and tilt it. That was a major delay, i could not get that think to stay...sunk? lol its not a hollow hull so i had to anchor it in multiple places by drilling THROUGH the seiryou stone (purchased from a fellow TPT member, pm me for details). Anyway i have some of the anubias nana petite planted, a beautiful coffeefolia i have been growing out that was a generous donation that is doing very well, a small bucephalandra in the rock wall, some dwarf sag on the left with a golden nana. I have a LOT more plants i can and will be adding including moss to the ship. I still have to get a tank to get my CO2 running, its the only part i'm missing i just haven't had the time to go get one. 

I would LOVE input on this tank and some planting suggestions. One of the things i love about this tank is it really has been built by TPT members   from the stone (purchased, but you know who you are :icon_wink), to the great tip on the amazing deal i got for the filter (thanks MABJ  ), a lot of beautiful anubias graciously RAOK'd (thanks Aqua ), the fish (Macs) that will eventually be housed in this tank from a member, and so many great plants i've bought from many members on this very forum. So really a huge thanks to everyone out there, you made this tank (my dream) happen so please, keep the suggestions coming!

So currently, what i have to play with as far as plants

-more anubias nana petite
-anubias coffeefolia
-anubias micro
-anubias narrow leaf
-anubias marbled variegated nana petitie
-anubias hastifolia (at least i think thats what it is)
-anubias barteri
-anubias lanceolata 
-Crypt wendtiee "green gecko"
-Asian ambulia
-Guppy grass
-Various bucephalandra which will be all throughout the scape but mostly on the right wall
-Ludwigia arcuata x repens
-Hyrdrocotyle japan
-Various java ferns
-Proserpinaca palustris

I will be purchasing mosses for this tank soon so feel free to make suggestions there. Also i havent purchased the lights let, just running CFL's and t5's for now. Here are a few pics as promised, hope you like them. Its only going to get better from here!!


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## AquaAurora (Jul 10, 2013)

I'm glad you finally updated I was about the prod you for some news! Looks to be coming along nicely ^^


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## Naja002 (Oct 12, 2005)

Duck5003 said:


> Hello TPT!! It sure has been a while, what a busy summer i've had! Sadly, i have severely neglected the forum for the past few months with life and such, so i do apologize!
> 
> On a good note though, all my tanks and projects are doing well and the pirate cove tank is slowly but surely coming together. Below are some pics of the initial planting. I'll be doing more this week as i have a lot of time off, so feel free to make suggestions.
> 
> ...


Love the concept. roud: Personally, I think the bow should swing just a bit more toward the front, but that's just MO. I am glad to see more people adding "Unnatural" objects to their setups, especially with a theme. We've about run out of the "natural", so I think as In-Box "Landscapes" finish burning themselves out...we'll begin to see more and more "themed" tanks...like this and the 1 with the castle, etc.

Sleeping Beauty Castle

 Tomb Raider Petrified Wood Anubias Garden

roud:


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## Varmint (Apr 5, 2014)

Looks amazing! That is one lucky Betta in there.


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## AquaAurora (Jul 10, 2013)

*poke-it-y poke-it-y poke* UPDATES?!


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## Duck5003 (Oct 1, 2012)

Hello all! So it's been sometime since I've updated this thread. The tank is slowly but surely coming along. The biggest set back is i STILL have not set up my CO2. Just been too busy, i've really just been maintaining all my tanks and not changing much. 

As for this tank, I have added some Asian Ambula in the background that is doing well. Some other various buces to the right as well as some newer crypts in the front right. Back left is an Anubias species (cant remember what kind) and on the ship is some mini-pellia and on the mast is some anubias-micro.

Still havent added my marbled anubias but it continues to grow and do well in another tank until i'm 100% comfy with putting it in here. I have seen zero negative effects (knock on wood) to any of the plants or fish in the tank in regards to the ship. One note, and as you can see the sales did in fact pretty much dissolve in the water. It was messy for a while but i finally have it under control. I also really need to update the lighting on this tank. Just some t5 fls running at the moment. 

Now, onto the pics! Please feel free to make suggestions. I need to add a lot more plants. More buces will go on the right and the marbled white anubias will go at the bow of the ship. I need to fill in the sand but dont really have much experience with growing in sand so i'm learning as i go. So what would you like to see added/removed/changed about the tank??


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## Varmint (Apr 5, 2014)

I love it. I think the fact that the sails melted off works in your favor. The ship looks more like an old sunken ship without the sails.


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## AquaAurora (Jul 10, 2013)

Glad all the anubias is still doing well, have any of the originals gotten big enough to split yet? Love the light green pop from the Ambulia behind the ship! 
Btw hows your chocolate gourami breeding program doing? And did you ever breed your danio tiniwini (with non eaten fry/eggs)?


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## Duck5003 (Oct 1, 2012)

Thanks varmint! It does have a much better look to it the more age it gets. Once i get the CO2 running and the plants really take off and i add more, it will look better. I'm thinking about adding more stone and possibly some random, small pieces of driftwood. Any thoughts?




AquaAurora said:


> Glad all the anubias is still doing well, have any of the originals gotten big enough to split yet? Love the light green pop from the Ambulia behind the ship!
> Btw hows your chocolate gourami breeding program doing? And did you ever breed your danio tiniwini (with non eaten fry/eggs)?


All the anubias have done well. Almost all of the plants that came from you have gottem plenty big enough to split at LEAST once, i just havent taken the time to split them. The before and after pics of the anubias at the base of the ship, are all the same plants. They have been spreading well. I also have some of that narrow leaf petite thats getting pretty populated as well.

As for the chocolates, they continue to frustrate me beyond belief. The fry are so finicky. I have only had 3 fish survive to adult hood in say....10 or so batches of fry?? They are so so so sensitive its crazy. I make changes everytime and just havent gotten it figured out yet. 

And as for the tinwini, i try to breed them and i get nothing. I DONT try to breed them and just leave them be and i went from 6, to 9 lol another fish that i cannot figure out!

Any suggestions on plants to add to the pirate scape? I need some sort of foreground. Not all of it, but just some. I'm thinkin a mix of some sort but i just cant make up my mind. Id love some input!


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## jmsaltfish797 (Oct 27, 2012)

Maybe some cryptocoryne parva in the right foreground? Tanks looks awesome. Been following this build for awhile now. Starting to come together nicely.


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## Hilde (May 19, 2008)

Duck5003 said:


> Hello all! So it's been sometime since I've updated this thread. The tank is slowly but surely coming along. The biggest set back is i STILL have not set up my CO2. So what would you like to see added/removed/changed about the tank??


None of those plants really need Co2 injected. Plants look great. So if it works leave it be.

Wow!! What a change. Love it!! :icon_surpI just think some moss on the rocks would add to the aged look you are going for.

What are t5 fls? What are all of the lights that you have over the tank?


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## Wilder (Jan 21, 2006)

Wow! This is seriously nice. It's great to see someone use what can otherwise be considered tacky aquarium decor to good effect. Well done!


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## fishophile (Feb 6, 2012)

The ship looks awesome! Can't wait to see it progress.


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## Chizpa305 (Feb 13, 2011)

This reminds me of my first aquarium. I had a ship like that. Back then I didn't know anything about planted tanks, so my plants were plastic and the gravel was blue/green...


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## Duck5003 (Oct 1, 2012)

Hilde said:


> None of those plants really need Co2 injected. Plants look great. So if it works leave it be.
> 
> Wow!! What a change. Love it!! :icon_surpI just think some moss on the rocks would add to the aged look you are going for.
> 
> What are t5 fls? What are all of the lights that you have over the tank?


They are T5 Flourescents. I have two 24 inch bulbs on the tank.

Its been such a long time since i've updated this thread! Thanks for all the comments and kind words, i am really starting to get happy with where the tank is. Everything has been filling in nicely despite no CO2. I added another coffeolia on the right, several more buce species throughout, some mini riccia on the ship and in the rocks. Changed the large anubias on the left to a hastofolia that ive been growing out. I also added a piece of wood covered in NL moss on the left in the rocks and moved all the dwarf sag to the front left. Also through a wendtii bronze to add some leaf shape variation. In the background i mixed in hornwart with the ambulia to give it a mixed look. Fairly new so we'll see how they fill in together. Added my marbled variegated as well. 

Still a work in progress but it is a fairly young scape still.

Anyway, as always feel free to make suggestions and enjoy the pics!! Thanks for looking and happy tanking


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## lamiskool (Jul 1, 2011)

lovin it!


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## Acro (Jul 7, 2012)

Very cool!


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## bk. (Sep 27, 2014)

This is just awesome. Well done


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## rick dale (Feb 26, 2014)

*tank/ship*

Cool !


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## majerah1 (Nov 6, 2010)

Few months late, but wow! This is amazing and I want to do this now!


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