# Ultum Nature Systems 90P Journal



## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

I've been meaning to start this journal for a while but never got around to it, so I am going to start from the beginning of this tank back in December 2017 and work my way forwards to present. 

I came up with the concept years ago to build two externally matching aquariums, but have one house a reef and the other be planted. Both would be in the same room to create a cool dichotomy. Late last year the purchase of a new home presented the perfect opportunity. 

I originally wanted to do two UNS 90U's and drill the reef. After some consultation came to the conclusion that this wasn't a good idea, and also the 90U wouldn't fit in the space I needed it to. So plans were altered slightly and I downsized the planted tank to a 90p and had the saltwater tank custom built by Planet Aquariums. The stands were custom built by Aquarium Design Group in Houston who I worked with on the entire project. 










The saltwater tank was kept at roughly the same dimensions as a 90U. 










I spent hours piecing together the hardscape in ADG's warehouse rummaging through their extensive selection of materials and finally ended up with this. 












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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

So with everything back at home and moved to their final resting spots, ended up with this:



















And then got the hardscape back into place. 










Then I put my trusty old Bulk Reef Supply 150GPD RODI system and water change station to work making water to fill the tank, and threw the driftwood into my crawfish boil to waterlog the very floaty wood before final placement into the tank.





















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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

After the wood was waterlogged and cooled off, it was back into the tank for a final hardscape including sand. Temporary lighting was used as my final light choice was still on it's way. 










And with the rockscape in place for the reef as well. 










Then got to planting with all epiphytes, various different buces, anubias, and narrow leaf Java fern. 










Then time to fill! 










And Day 1 of the 90p planted tank:









I was still working on plumbing and filling the saltwater tank over the next couple of days while the rest of the equipment was on it's way in. 












More to come soon.


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## lab_fly (May 6, 2018)

Looking forward to this!


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## Grobbins48 (Oct 16, 2017)

Very cool idea with the two tanks. Nice work so far!


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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

So one of my biggest challenges with this build is that these two new systems were replacing already established and stocked systems. The old systems were at my old home, and I had a firm and short deadline to get the aquariums out of there. This means I was on a tight timeline to get both new systems (salt and fresh) running so that all livestock could be transferred from the old, leaving little to no time for a proper cycle. 

To help mitigate this for the freshwater tank, I planned to use an Eheim 2213 that had been running on my Ultum 5N and the Eheim 2215 that was running on my Ultum 60U for filtration on the 90P. This would give me plenty of filtration and both filters had been running for a year so were already biologically established. I also picked up several bottles of AquaVitro Seed, a product I truly love and use even on established tanks at water change time to help keep biologicals thriving. 

The 2213 went on first along with the Eheim Skim 350 that had been on my 60U.










With temporary hosing in place: 









Which brings me to a good point for equipment list. 

Filters:
Eheim 2213
Eheim 2215
Eheim Skim350
CalAqua glass filter pipes x4 
Lee's 1/2" clear pond tubing

Lights:
2x AI Prime Freshwater with AI mounting arms

CO2:
GLA Mini-SS solenoid and 5# cylinder 
CalAqua inline diffuser

And so after the 2213 was on and running for a day I transferred over the 19 Tucano tetras, 3 o-cats, and 1 betta from my 60U system before breaking it down.










At this point I had to focus on the saltwater tank so I basically left the 90P as is for a while. 





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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

Now this is where I made a critical mistake. I was very focused on the reef tank, as the fish and corals I had from the old tank were precious to me (and also very expensive). So it took me about a week to get back around to setting up the Eheim 2215. 

With final plumbing, glass, and CO2 in place:









And the cabinet organized:









And the "final" look of the tank at day20:



















And a walkthrough of both tanks:
https://youtu.be/xqHMMYSAH58

But this is where fish started to die. And I couldn't figure out the reason why. Water tests read normal, no sign of NH3 or NO2. I tried using some API Triple Sulfa for a week, which seemed to help, but eventually continued to lose fish. I was also getting horrible algae to the point of green water. I also stopped photo documenting the tank at this part because it looked so terrible. 

I finally came up with the idea that the 2215 had probably gone anaerobic from sitting for a week or so. So I replaced all of the media in both the 2213 and 2215 with fresh stuff (biorings, the mechanical balls, and all pads). This almost instantly helped and the tank had signs of going through a fresh cycle at this point. But the damage had been done. All of the fish were gone and nearly all of the plants were either dead or close to it. So I let it sit fallow for probably a month, pulled dead plants, and basically just let it stabilize and cycle. 



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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

So after the fallow period and letting everything cycle and stabilize, I started restocking the tank with neon tetras and purple harlequin rasboras. 

I was still apprehensciois about adding livestock so I had a bubble filter in place for a few weeks to provide additional aeration. You can also see the sad state of the plants at this point. Only a couple of the original buces and most of the anubias made it through the struggle period. 










But overall, I was happy with the progress of both tanks at this point. The saltwater had pretty much been a dream since the start with minimal problems and now the 90P was headed back in the right direction.



















And a few weeks later found some choice gourami to add:










I was having a problem with jumpers, however, and decided on the Red Sea DIY cover since aesthetically it worked well with the clean rimless look of both tanks. I was especially excited about this on the reef tank as it opened up some new stocking choices (wrasses) that are known jumpers. 










And my gourami's are very inquisitive and shy is not in their vocabulary (), here they are investigating during a weekly water change. 














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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

Another struggle I was having was due to the location of the tank by large windows. The tank would receive direct sunlight in the afternoon which I remedied by closing automated blinds, but it was still enough indirect light to cause extra algae. 

The direct light did make for a few minutes of rainbows a day though 










90P at the end of May:









And both tanks at end of May:









And to help rectify the algae problem I added an AquaUV 8w filter that I originally bought for the saltwater tank. If you haven't tried UV filters, wow!!! I can't believe it took me so long to find them, they are a literal magical tool for any aquarium in my opinion. I won't run another aquarium without one again. 










And the final stocking additions were some opaline gourami and gorgeous turquoise rainbows. 










And at the end of July I ripped out any remaining suffering plants and replaced with a big order from Buce Plant. 












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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

This pretty much catches up to current day. The challenges on this tank were only quickly summarized here but in reality it was a long, drawn out, and frustrating process. I nearly gave up and just started over with a totally different concept on multiple occasions. At this point, I am just looking forward to growth and shaping the plants better as they grow. The epiphytes rooting.over driftwood and rock is already adding a rustic and aged appearance and I think in 6-9mo it's going to look really amazing. 

If you are familiar with my 60U tank journal, you'll know that I also have Ultum 5N and 3N tanks that have been through a few iterations. These two also made it into the new house opposite the large tanks. They dont get much attention as I spend most of my free time working on the large tanks so I'm pretty much just keeping them simple and clean.

5N:









3N:









The big tanks during a full moon cycle:









And both tanks with lights on. For information, I run my lights for 6-hrs from 6p-12a with a 1-hr sunrise / sunset. This allows me to actually enjoy viewing them while I am at home. 










And the latest FTS from mig-August:









I will continue to update moving forwards! 



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## Greggz (May 19, 2008)

Great looking tanks and nice journal. 

I like the way all the equipment is neatly arranged, inside and outside the tank. Very well done.

Those Rainbows get pretty large, but it will take quite awhile. Look forward to seeing how things progress from here.


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## rwong2k (Dec 24, 2004)

beautiful. love this journal

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## Kaiede (Sep 11, 2017)

Sorry to hear about the troubles, but glad to hear the tank eventually got back into shape. 

I'm curious what the current stocking numbers look like in the 90P? I'm actually thinking of doing something similar (but more focused on the smaller fish), and would be interested to learn from what is working in yours.


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## Grobbins48 (Oct 16, 2017)

Wow both of those ranks are beautiful. Very nice work, and thank you for sharing that process. Looking forward to where thus thread goes. Also, wouldn't mind seeing a FTS of the salt water!


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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

Greggz said:


> Great looking tanks and nice journal.
> 
> I like the way all the equipment is neatly arranged, inside and outside the tank. Very well done.
> 
> Those Rainbows get pretty large, but it will take quite awhile. Look forward to seeing how things progress from here.


Thanks!! I'm a little OCD when it comes to cabinet organization, haha. Tesa tape is used in automotive wiring (stereo systems and what not) and is incredibly useful for managing cords on aquariums also 


rwong2k said:


> beautiful. love this journal
> 
> Sent from my SM-G930W8 using Tapatalk


Thanks!


Kaiede said:


> Sorry to hear about the troubles, but glad to hear the tank eventually got back into shape.
> 
> I'm curious what the current stocking numbers look like in the 90P? I'm actually thinking of doing something similar (but more focused on the smaller fish), and would be interested to learn from what is working in yours.


Let's see, right now I have: 4 dwarf gourami, 2 opaline gourami, 7 turquoise rainbows, 8 neon tetras, 7 harlequin rasbora, and about a dozen amano shrimp. Plan to add a couple of Siamese algae eaters soon. I've always liked my planted tanks over-filtered and heavily stocked.


Grobbins48 said:


> Wow both of those ranks are beautiful. Very nice work, and thank you for sharing that process. Looking forward to where thus thread goes. Also, wouldn't mind seeing a FTS of the salt water!


Thanks!! Here is an FTS of the saltwater from August. 










And a close-up of my lineatus wrasse. Sorry it's a bad picture but his colors are incredible in natural sunlight, far more stunning than the 14k reef lighting. 












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## FreshPuff (Oct 31, 2011)

Awesome tanks you got there. I am looking forward to seeing how they all evolve. Following!


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## ScrubbyDick (Mar 31, 2016)

Beautiful tanks!!!


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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

FreshPuff said:


> Awesome tanks you got there. I am looking forward to seeing how they all evolve. Following!


Thanks!!


ScrubbyDick said:


> Beautiful tanks!!!


Appreciate it!!

So one of my LFS had this small discus that was beautiful and a great price. Always wanted to try them but never had the nerve after hearing all of the horror stories. But I figure I should have all the right elements to keep them (RODI water, weekly 50% water changes, etc) except for the hot water. So I bought a Hydor 200w inline heater then I plan to plumb in a bump the temp up to 80deg. This is still on the low side for discus, but I don't want to cook everything else in the tank. Without the heater the tank runs about 77deg due to the 8w UV sterlizer that's always on. 

Discus:









The tank on 9/5:











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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

I had an unexpected experiment this past weekend - how long can tanks survive without power...










The power unexpectedly went out, not too big a deal, but after an hour I started to get concerned. Then I received notice that it may be 4-hrs before the power was restored. This wasn't an experiment I wanted to conduct!! I ran to the store and picked up some bait box battery powered bubblers to keep the tanks oxygenated and hopefully keep things going for multiple hours. 










But after a few more hours I got notice saying it may be 8-hrs or more before the power was restored!! Yikes!

So I ran out again and bought a Honda EU2200i generator, something I had honestly been meaning to buy anyway as we are in prime hurricane season in Houston (and I have a little too much experience dealing with Hurricane's). 

Of course, by the time I made it home the power had been restored. Everything was fine after 8-hrs of power outage total. 6-hrs of that time had the battery powered bubbler running. Potential disaster avoided. 










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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

Tank update 9/25:









And after many many years of using CalAqua lilypipes I finally broke my first one  I guess the suction cups are getting brittle and I accidentally snapped the base of the pipe off trying to remove the suction cup to clean it. Oops!! Good thing my buddies at ADG had a handful of them used on hand and I was able to scoop one up quickly on the cheap. 











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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

After a month of success with the small royal red discus, I officially have the itch!!! I caught the gourami's and a few random "extra" fish that were in the tank and found nice new homes for them in friends tanks. 

Then I made a trip over to one of my long time LFS's who had a large batch of discus that had been in for a couple of weeks and were looking fat, happy, and healthy and scooped up an assortment of 3 leaving me with the original royal red, a blood pigeon, red melon, and gold pigeon. 

They looked much smaller in the tank at the LFS!! LOL! After a few hours of settling in they were already much less shy and had colored up considerably. I am super excited as this basically makes a perfect tank in my eyes!! Just hoping for long term success with them. 










I am having a bit of a battle with algae on plants at the moment, which I believe is due to an imbalance in CO2 and fert dosing that I am working on getting resolved. 

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## Powerclown (Aug 17, 2014)

Seriously I would go crazy with that amount of algae, increase co2 and ferts and cut down on the light. Hope that helps,great job on the tanks btw. Cheers


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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

Powerclown said:


> Seriously I would go crazy with that amount of algae, increase co2 and ferts and cut down on the light. Hope that helps,great job on the tanks btw. Cheers


Trust me, it's not easy for me!! Driving me nuts! I think it may actually be due in part to removal of the gourami's - they we're constantly eating algae. I've also lost a lot of my amanos over time, I used to have about a dozen but they always figure out ways to crawl out of the tank even with the cover in place and I find them randomly all over the house. I added 5 more amanos and trying a group of 3 Siamese algae eaters for some natural control. And I actually decided to stop running CO2 for a while and cut out ferts all together until things are back under control. My photoperiod is already only 6-hrs but I reduced intensity down to an almost non-existent level, the amount of light is basically good for viewing only.











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## ahud (Mar 6, 2010)

Your place looks so nice and the aquariums enhance the look! Really nice job!


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## FreshPuff (Oct 31, 2011)

How 'bout a closeup of that reef tank :wink2:


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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

ahud said:


> Your place looks so nice and the aquariums enhance the look! Really nice job!


Thank you so much!


FreshPuff said:


> How 'bout a closeup of that reef tank :wink2:


I can do one better! 

https://youtu.be/GtHvf44A3S4


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## ahud (Mar 6, 2010)

Do you have a write up on your reef tank?


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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

ahud said:


> Do you have a write up on your reef tank?


Yes, I have a thread over on Reef Central for it, not sure if you're allowed to link to other forums on here. 

The Siamese algae eaters and 5 extra amano made quick work of the algae problem, I was surprised how effective the fish were especially. 














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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

Fish room tour, 10/22

https://youtu.be/gWRBFy_54kc

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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

FTS Update 11/4










And while I'm at it I'll throw in the two small tanks
5N









3N











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## Devin187 (Nov 4, 2018)

Great tanks! Subscribed!


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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

Devin187 said:


> Great tanks! Subscribed!


Thanks Devin!

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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

I filled in the top left with a bolbitis huedelotii and am happy with the way it's looking, once it fills in should be really nice. Next I think I've gotta add a few more types of buce to the lower left side. Also working on a nearly total fish swap. All of the existing fish aside from the neons will go to friends and I've got an order of some really nice discus in the works. 

I'm also trying out an ADA diffuser in place of the inline CalAqua one I've been using. I don't particularly like the in-tank footprint but it is working well and I've got my levels dialed in nicely, it seems more consistent and efficient than the inline one. The plants are responding well to 30ppm and I haven't been having any algae issues. 














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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

Update from mid-December:









And a shot of both large systems from early December:











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## Jasoncor (May 19, 2018)

Great looking tanks. How are you liking the inline uv light? I’m thinking about trying one out.


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## FreshPuff (Oct 31, 2011)

What does your water change regimen look like? I imagine with two tanks you got yourself at least a few Brute trash cans. What are the details of your water change setup?


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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

Jasoncor said:


> Great looking tanks. How are you liking the inline uv light? I’m thinking about trying one out.


Thanks!! I love the UV filter, even added one to my saltwater tank. It keeps the water so clear and gives me peace of mind for parasite control for a lot of expensive fish . I've never run them before these tanks but I am now a firm believer and highly recommend everyone to try them. 


FreshPuff said:


> What does your water change regimen look like? I imagine with two tanks you got yourself at least a few Brute trash cans. What are the details of your water change setup?


I do 50-60% once a week on all 3 planted tanks. I do 50% every other month on the saltwater tank. There are pics of my WC station back on page1, but it's basically two Rubbermaid SlimJim trash cans on roller carts with float valves, a BulkReefSupply 150GPD RO/DI system with booster pump, a Sicce 3.0 pump with a scavenging elbow so it sucks all the way down to the bottom, a ball valve to control flow rate, and an Eheim inflow pipe and screen to break up the water flow when refilling. The setup makes the process easy and quick.

I know most people hate having to clean glass and do WC, but I find it therapuetic to be honest and actually enjoy my weekly routine. Having this setup allows it to be enjoyable - lugging around 5gal buckets and lifting them to refill isn't fun for anyone. 

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## gus6464 (Dec 19, 2011)

Is your reef tank really 30g? It looks so much bigger in the pictures.


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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

gus6464 said:


> Is your reef tank really 30g? It looks so much bigger in the pictures.


Woah did I say 30g somewhere? Must have been a typo. The tank is right around 70g display plus the sump, total system volume is 90g.

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## gus6464 (Dec 19, 2011)

ange062 said:


> Woah did I say 30g somewhere? Must have been a typo. The tank is right around 70g display plus the sump, total system volume is 90g.
> 
> Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk


Ahh yeah I was going by your signature.

I am a huge fan of UV units as well. I love the aquauv stuff because it's a commercial unit everything can be replaced unlike the crap aquarium branded stuff. You run it 24/7 like it's supposed to run by aquauv?

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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

Ahhh yeah I forgot about that sig, I haven't updated it in years haha. I tore down the 30g system when I built this current one. 

I agree completely, the AquaUV stuff is very well built compared to the "fish tank" specific models. Easy to find replacement bulbs and the 2" sch40 unions make them very easy to plumb into any system. Yep, I run em both 24/7. 

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## Jasoncor (May 19, 2018)

I have a question about using the two eheim filters. Are you using something to control the flow rate, or are they not too much flow for the fish? Reason I’m asking is I’m planning on getting a 90p also, and am trying to figure out what filters to get as I don’t want any dead spots. Thanks


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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

Jasoncor said:


> I have a question about using the two eheim filters. Are you using something to control the flow rate, or are they not too much flow for the fish? Reason I’m asking is I’m planning on getting a 90p also, and am trying to figure out what filters to get as I don’t want any dead spots. Thanks


I haven't noticed the flow being an issue with the 2213 and 2215 combo, but keep in mind I'm also using an inline UV filter on the 2213 and an inline heater on the 2215. But even before those it wasn't too much flow even with the Eheim skimmer at max flow, in my opinion anyway. 

FTS Update 1/21














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## WetLeaf (Oct 14, 2017)

ange062 said:


> FTS Update 1/21


Damn that is some clear clear water.

This thread and your tank was a major contributor to adding UV to my build aha


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## KwhyLE (Nov 9, 2014)

Beautiful tanks. I'm extremely jealous of your reef. I had a 20gal reef and it was just too much maintenance compared to my 75g low tech planted. From trying to match salinity and temp, then pouring with buckets. Though, I'm convinced, if I invested in the correct equipment, it would have gone much smoother. I tried to do budget reef, just more work in the end. I only now have the planted low tech and planning to build a nano riparium. 

Cheers!


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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

WetLeaf said:


> Damn that is some clear clear water.
> 
> This thread and your tank was a major contributor to adding UV to my build aha


Awesome, I hope you're seeing good results, I can't believe it took me nearly a decade to start using them, I'm a huge fan now!


KwhyLE said:


> Beautiful tanks. I'm extremely jealous of your reef. I had a 20gal reef and it was just too much maintenance compared to my 75g low tech planted. From trying to match salinity and temp, then pouring with buckets. Though, I'm convinced, if I invested in the correct equipment, it would have gone much smoother. I tried to do budget reef, just more work in the end. I only now have the planted low tech and planning to build a nano riparium.
> 
> Cheers!


I honestly think the saltwater is easier. I hardly even touch the tank other than changing filter socks, topping off the ATO reservoir, and cleaning the glass. I do a big water change every other month. 

I do have a good setup in place for making saltwater and doing water changes which definitely helps. 150gpd BRS RODI system, 25gal rolling mixing / WC station, have my salt amount dialed in precisely for that system (normally only takes slight Sg adjustments), and use a Sicce 400gph pump, and Eheim 1/2" plastic filter pipe and screen, and a ball valve for refilling. Not having to lift buckets makes it a breeze. I think if you go back a few pages I have pics of it all. 

My planted tanks are more problematic and more work. The reef is a breeze 



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## KwhyLE (Nov 9, 2014)

ange062 said:


> My planted tanks are more problematic and more work. The reef is a breeze


I saw the setup. looks great! Maybe the planted is having problems because of the ambient lights from the windows like you stated. Either way, all your tanks are beautiful. As for my reef, I should have invested correctly in my reef. I tried to go cheap. I did have my own BRS 75 gpd RODI, but I think my city adds the maximum allowed chloramines so I had a hard time with that. It felt like I was fighting it more than I was enjoying it. I never had that moment where I would turn everything else off in the room and stare at the tank like I did with my planted tanks. I still get lost in my planted tanks. My reef never really gave me that. 

fwiw this was my 20gal long https://i.imgur.com/nDbabqV.jpg


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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

KwhyLE said:


> I saw the setup. looks great! Maybe the planted is having problems because of the ambient lights from the windows like you stated. Either way, all your tanks are beautiful. As for my reef, I should have invested correctly in my reef. I tried to go cheap. I did have my own BRS 75 gpd RODI, but I think my city adds the maximum allowed chloramines so I had a hard time with that. It felt like I was fighting it more than I was enjoying it. I never had that moment where I would turn everything else off in the room and stare at the tank like I did with my planted tanks. I still get lost in my planted tanks. My reef never really gave me that.


I feel ya, I've had a few funky saltwater tanks over the years that just never wanted to cooperate. But if you don't skimp on equipment up front and just commit to doing it the right way, it makes life much easier and more enjoyable. Oh, and add a ton of biological media, that's the biggest trick. My sump is packed full of biobricks. 

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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

The tank is really just dialed in and chugging along and I've got some massive plant growth. Due for a large pruning soon. I also added a pot of hygrophila pinnitifida to get a little new texture and color in the plant scape. Once it attaches and fills in a little I can prune it to the shape I want. 










And a little side project 45cm short that I threw together. I've always been fascinated by emersed plant growth and have experimented with it before but this one is a full blown emersed assault! I even have some water loving terrestrial plants at the back. Really excited to see how this one progresses!










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## vvDO (Oct 18, 2010)

ange062 said:


> The tank is really just dialed in and chugging along and I've got some massive plant growth. Due for a large pruning soon. I also added a pot of hygrophila pinnitifida to get a little new texture and color in the plant scape. Once it attaches and fills in a little I can prune it to the shape I want.
> 
> 
> 
> ...




Nice! Awesome layout, what rocks are those in the 45?


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## d2creative (Jan 24, 2013)

ange062 said:


> The tank is really just dialed in and chugging along and I've got some massive plant growth. Due for a large pruning soon. I also added a pot of hygrophila pinnitifida to get a little new texture and color in the plant scape. Once it attaches and fills in a little I can prune it to the shape I want.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Angelo, remember me? D2mini on Marsh. 

These look great! I just sold my reef stuff after more than a decade.
Going to give planted a try now.

Bump: Oh hey, about your UV... I have the 25w Aqua UV from my reef. The planted im going to set up is a 143g.
Overkill or ok?
What exactly did you use to size down to the small hoses on your filters?

And do you ever wish you went with a sump on this one?


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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

vvDO said:


> Nice! Awesome layout, what rocks are those in the 45?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


They are called a very generic "mountain stone", no fancy Japanese name for em  It's some kind of sandstone. 



d2creative said:


> Angelo, remember me? D2mini on Marsh.
> 
> These look great! I just sold my reef stuff after more than a decade.
> Going to give planted a try now.
> ...


Hey Dennis! Long time no talk man! Your name was brought up just a few weeks ago in a discussion with FJW Dennis! I hadn't seen your reef in years, sorry to hear your getting out of it but planted tanks are really fun! 

UV is probably overkill but doubt it'll be a bad thing, I've got 8w on ~50gal so not far off... To size down you can buy a 2" sch40 union with threaded 3/4" connection then just get a 3/4" to whatever size hose barb you need. It's about $6 at Home Depot. 

Sump - yes and no. It'd be nice to have a place to hide away equipment like I do on the reef, but there are two main problems. 1) the water turbulence releases CO2 out of the water which means you're going to have to pump extra in 2) there is no such thing as a clean looking overflow / returns.

The glass lilypipes and clear tubing are by far the cleanest look on a clean rimless tank with a frosted back. 

Hit me up on DM and we can exchange numbers again. I'd be happy to chat about it! 

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## caique (Mar 16, 2012)

Sweet! Where did you get the diffuser?


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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

caique said:


> Sweet! Where did you get the diffuser?


The Aquario diffusers I have been using recently were purchased locally. 

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## EdWiser (Jul 14, 2015)

The Aquario diffusers have been available on Amazon. Thou they are currently out of stock. 

Aquario Neo CO2 Diffuser M https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XWDLXGD/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_pyfFCb782C8RR


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## houstonreef (Aug 24, 2018)

ange062 said:


> The tank is really just dialed in and chugging along and I've got some massive plant growth. Due for a large pruning soon. I also added a pot of hygrophila pinnitifida to get a little new texture and color in the plant scape. Once it attaches and fills in a little I can prune it to the shape I want.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Beautiful Scape.


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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

houstonreef said:


> Beautiful Scape.


Thanks!! Another Houston reefer in the house, nice!! 

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## d2creative (Jan 24, 2013)

ange062 said:


> Thanks!! Another Houston reefer in the house, nice!!
> 
> Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk


I saw that too... was like "who dat?" :grin2:


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## jlau28 (Jun 9, 2017)

Wow, those tanks are beautiful! Keep it up!


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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

d2creative said:


> I saw that too... was like "who dat?" :grin2:


Haha, I'm sure we all have met at one point or another 


jlau28 said:


> Wow, those tanks are beautiful! Keep it up!


Thanks!!! Here is how I spend my relaxation time:












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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

I'm so infatuated with this 45 shorty!! It's actually got me seriously contemplating making some major modifications to the big tank. Initial thoughts have been centered around keeping the existing hardscape but removing all of the sand and replacing with a planted substrate so I can add a carpet and some longer stems at the back. Thoughts?? Do y'all like the 90P how it is or would it look good with more plants?

45S is filling in quickly, super impressed with these Tropica tissue cultures and Tropica substrate combo! 










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## Jasoncor (May 19, 2018)

The more plants the better👍🏻 That tank looks amazing. Great job!


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## EdWiser (Jul 14, 2015)

That’s why you have other tanks to try different layouts.


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## Jamo33 (Feb 18, 2014)

What is lighting the 45s?
I'm loving it, just thinking of some other options for my own tank right now.


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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

Jasoncor said:


> The more plants the better That tank looks amazing. Great job!


Thanks!! I'm definitely leaning towards more plants. I'd have to transfer the fish and shrimp to one of my 25gal water change stations while I add the soil and plant it but I think it would be fairly quick and simple.


EdWiser said:


> That’s why you have other tanks to try different layouts.


Exactly!! I love rebooting the small tanks, it's a quick, cheap, and easy fix when I get bored 


Jamo33 said:


> What is lighting the 45s?
> I'm loving it, just thinking of some other options for my own tank right now.


It's an ADA AquaSky 361 that I just took out of the plexiglass stand and mounted to the cabinet. 

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## d2creative (Jan 24, 2013)

That's my favorite scape of the 3. Has that crazy sense of scale.


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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

d2creative said:


> That's my favorite scape of the 3. Has that crazy sense of scale.


Thanks man! It's my current favorite too, it's been a fun ride so far! The main reason I didn't do something similar in the big tank is that I wanted slow growing plants (read low maintenance). I'll have to see how hard the shorty is to keep up with longer term. 


Updated "gallery" video, not so rushed this time:







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## houstonreef (Aug 24, 2018)

ange062 said:


> Thanks!! Another Houston reefer in the house, nice!!
> 
> Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk


Used to but not anymore, LOL. I am now just plants only.


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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

Been a couple months since my last update but the tank still just continues to grow in. So much so, actually, that I filled a 2gal bucket with trimmings a couple days ago and it still looks like a jungle!!!

It really needed some shape back in the scape that had been lost due to overgrowth, so I moved some things around and really think this will look better once it had a chance to backfill and be pruned again.

All in all, it's been over a year with this scape now and I'll likely be doing a full reboot and entirely different scape concept in the not too distant future. 



















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## JJBTEXAS (Jul 8, 2013)

Your 45S is amazing! I love the shallow tanks and have a 60S myself, just haven't been happy with any of my scapes yet, but yours looks amazing. 

Subscribed for the reboot of the 90P!


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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

JJBTEXAS said:


> Your 45S is amazing! I love the shallow tanks and have a 60S myself, just haven't been happy with any of my scapes yet, but yours looks amazing.
> 
> 
> 
> Subscribed for the reboot of the 90P!


Everybody loves the 45S, including me!! I mowed the lawn actually as the eleocharis acicularis was getting quite long. Here is an updated FTS 



















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## Ventchur (Apr 29, 2018)

Love how you have planted/saltwater in the same area, best of both worlds. 

90P rescape hype!


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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

Playing with some scape concepts today. I keep envisioning a terraced rock wall with bold wood over it that will stay visible even when heavily planted. It would have a hairgrass carpet at the front, some pogostemon helferi, staurogyne repens, and other midgrounds through the center, and multi colored stems in the back. 

I threw this hardscape together with that concept in mind. I think it's a good start but going to brainstorm some more.










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## ipkiss (Aug 9, 2011)

Wait. Where were u doing this? It kinda looks like a lfs from the "background" stuff leakage in your shots. 

If an lfs, that's amazing that they have an area for customers just to futz around with scapes. If that's your own fish room then holey smokes !!


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## Yaboihunt (Mar 27, 2019)

ange062 said:


> I've been meaning to start this journal for a while but never got around to it, so I am going to start from the beginning of this tank back in December 2017 and work my way forwards to present.
> 
> I came up with the concept years ago to build two externally matching aquariums, but have one house a reef and the other be planted. Both would be in the same room to create a cool dichotomy. Late last year the purchase of a new home presented the perfect opportunity.
> 
> ...




Where do you work with all of that aquarium stuff?!? I would kill (not literally) to be able to scape aquariums like that!


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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

ipkiss said:


> Wait. Where were u doing this? It kinda looks like a lfs from the "background" stuff leakage in your shots.
> 
> If an lfs, that's amazing that they have an area for customers just to futz around with scapes. If that's your own fish room then holey smokes !!


It's at Aquarium Design Group, my LFS. Really awesome to be able to mock up different scapes before committing to one!!


Yaboihunt said:


> Where do you work with all of that aquarium stuff?!? I would kill (not literally) to be able to scape aquariums like that!


See above 

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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

Well after months of deliberation I finally committed to getting the 90P rescape done! The old scape was very overgrown and FAR past it's honeymoon stage for me so I went to do a water change and trim and just couldn't bring myself to do it. A quick run to ADG and all of a sudden I was on a 12-hr endeavor to tear down the old and create the new. 

Here is an abbreviated time lapse of how it went down:









And a couple of closeup shots. Given the location in the room I wanted this scape to have two good viewing angles, lengthwise from the left side of the aquarium and of course, from the front. 



















First time working with several of these plants so here is to hoping it fills in the way I envision! 

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## PurdueGK (May 16, 2015)

Really nice setup! I am currently have a saltwater reef tank that I have enjoyed, but I am looking for something that looks more appealing in my home. A reef tank just doesn’t look natural in my opinion. I am looking to go with a 60H high tech for a first setup.


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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

PurdueGK said:


> Really nice setup! I am currently have a saltwater reef tank that I have enjoyed, but I am looking for something that looks more appealing in my home. A reef tank just doesn’t look natural in my opinion. I am looking to go with a 60H high tech for a first setup.


Thanks!! I'll always have a love for reef tanks, but honestly I enjoy the planted tanks more. There is so much more that you can do artistically with a planted tank in my opinion, and I love being able to "reboot" them somewhat frequently and start a new concept and challenge.

A 60H is a tough tank to scape! Look forward to seeing what you come up with! 

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## Koenig44 (Aug 19, 2016)

ange062 said:


> Which brings me to a good point for equipment list.
> 
> Filters:
> Eheim 2213
> ...


Dude; your tanks are insane! Love the rimless / stainless / glass intake look. So clean!

What substrate did you use for your planted?


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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

Koenig44 said:


> Dude; your tanks are insane! Love the rimless / stainless / glass intake look. So clean!
> 
> 
> 
> What substrate did you use for your planted?


Thank you!! My favorite substrate right now is the Tropica Aquarium Soil and Powder combo. However, I wasn't able to get Tropica in time for the 90P rescape so trying out the Ultum ControlSoil large and fine grain combo, won't have a verdict on it for a month or so. 

5 day growth shot on the 90P:









And the 45S ran into an issue I had never even thought of, I got freaking mealy bugs in the emersed plant growth!!! Ufff!! I didn't take a "before" picture because I was in a hurry to cut it all down, but it had some massive emersed growth especially on the alternathera and ludwigia. While I was at it I chopped down everything, pulled all the stems, trimmed, and replanted. Did a massive short cut of the eleocharis as well, the only thing I didn't trim much was the hygrophila araguaia. And since the terrestrial plants were covered in mealy bugs I pulled them all together and replaced with some cryptocoryne wendtii. We will see if they "melt" and / or even tolerate emersed growth - it's an unknown at this point. 










And finally, a scape I did for a friend months ago (hardscape only - no plants), became the new home for all the plants out of the old 90P scape. He originally didn't "want to mess with plants" but I talked him into this and it's looking great! Him and his wife are really happy with the outcome. 














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## Koenig44 (Aug 19, 2016)

ange062 said:


> Thank you!! My favorite substrate right now is the Tropica Aquarium Soil and Powder combo.


Powder? Do tell....

Like a layer of powder and then the Tropica on top? How much powder?


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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

Koenig44 said:


> Powder? Do tell....
> 
> Like a layer of powder and then the Tropica on top? How much powder?


I use the regular large grain Tropica Aquarium Soil as a base then top with a thinner layer of the Aquarium Soil Powder. Basically the same as using an ADA substrate system. 

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## PurdueGK (May 16, 2015)

ange062 said:


> PurdueGK said:
> 
> 
> > Really nice setup! I am currently have a saltwater reef tank that I have enjoyed, but I am looking for something that looks more appealing in my home. A reef tank just doesn’t look natural in my opinion. I am looking to go with a 60H high tech for a first setup.
> ...


Thanks! 
What is so difficult with a 24” X 18” X 18”? Do you think I should do a mixture of driftwood and stone or one or the other?


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## Koenig44 (Aug 19, 2016)

ange062 said:


> I use the regular large grain Tropica Aquarium Soil as a base then top with a thinner layer of the Aquarium Soil Powder. Basically the same as using an ADA substrate system.
> 
> Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk


Thanks for all the responses!

One last question: do you use ferts? If so, which ones, and how often?


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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

PurdueGK said:


> Thanks!
> What is so difficult with a 24” X 18” X 18”? Do you think I should do a mixture of driftwood and stone or one or the other?


The ratio of dimensions (specifically D to H) make it a little challenging to get good composition in a scape in my opinion - just takes a little extra creativity. For an H wood and stone will make it a lot easier as you can use the wood to get the height you need. It'll be tough (or expensive) to get the hardscape tall enough with only stone.


Koenig44 said:


> Thanks for all the responses!
> 
> One last question: do you use ferts? If so, which ones, and how often?


Yes I do. I try to use the minimal amount of ferts possible, which is different than when I started out where I was always trying to keep up with ferts and being on a schedule! All of that led to algae problems for me back then, and over time I figured out less is more. I basically wait to see signs of nutrient deficiency then start adding ferts in slowly increasing increments until it goes away. So each tank has its own amount and schedule which is adjusted over time. 

I've used GLA PPS system ferts which are cheap and "tunable" since you mix them yourself, but lately I've just been using the Tropica liquids that come in squirt bottles because they are so quick and easy!

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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

Day 9 since planting the new scape and figured that was enough time for things to root decently well. Added my fish and shrimp back in, they had been sitting in my water change station since I took down the old scape. Really like the way this update is coming along so far! 










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## mjord (Jul 23, 2016)

OMG you've struck a nerve with the Rainbows! Beautiful in every way, tank, scape, & fish.

Mind if I ask how happy you are with the UNS tanks? They're mighty pretty! Why did you choose them over ADA or another?


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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

mjord said:


> OMG you've struck a nerve with the Rainbows! Beautiful in every way, tank, scape, & fish.
> 
> Mind if I ask how happy you are with the UNS tanks? They're mighty pretty! Why did you choose them over ADA or another?


Thank you for the kind words! I'm really happy with this one so far and it's been a long time in the making. 

I love the UNS tanks if you can't tell, I have 4 of them  They are beautifully made, come in all the right sizes, and I absolutely love the 45deg beveled corners! 

I like the sizes and corners better than the ADA tanks, and the UNS are MUCH easier to come by in the USA. I try to buy as much locally as possible and have a local place that stocks the full gammut of UNS tanks. 

I replaced the lymnophila aromatica today which just seemed to be struggling, and now have some beautiful healthy ammania senegalensis in its place. Really excited about this plant, it's beautiful and unique. Also added another oddball, myriophyllum propinquum on the right side to break up the reds. Going to let everything grow in for a while then to a major trim to get things shaped how I want them. 



















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## rwong2k (Dec 24, 2004)

so beautiful. wow love the scape. cant wait for the next update

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## vijay_06 (Apr 11, 2017)

The scape looks really good! Even though there seems to be a lot going on, it gives a sense of calmness looking at the pics.

Are those transparent hoses you have attached to the lily pipes? Where did you get them? 

Any reason why you went with a separate stainless steel skimmer rather than using a glass skimmer that sits in the lily pipe?


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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

vijay_06 said:


> The scape looks really good! Even though there seems to be a lot going on, it gives a sense of calmness looking at the pics.
> 
> Are those transparent hoses you have attached to the lily pipes? Where did you get them?
> 
> ...


Thank you! Yes the hoses are transparent, it's Lee's pond tubing 1/2" ID, common and easy to find for about $1/ft. 

The Lily pipes with integrated skimmer always seem bulky to me. I like having the Eheim skimmer with a stainless can on it because it's ultra effective, easy to clean, and easy to remove from the tank in the event of a proper photo-shoot (above was just snapped randomly on my cell phone). Plus I'm a sucker for CalAqua lily pipes, been using them for years. 

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## AcidGambit (Aug 30, 2018)

ange062 said:


> Thank you! Yes the hoses are transparent, it's Lee's pond tubing 1/2" ID, common and easy to find for about $1/ft.
> 
> The Lily pipes with integrated skimmer always seem bulky to me. I like having the Eheim skimmer with a stainless can on it because it's ultra effective, easy to clean, and easy to remove from the tank in the event of a proper photo-shoot (above was just snapped randomly on my cell phone). Plus I'm a sucker for CalAqua lily pipes, been using them for years.
> 
> Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk


Is the can something that is commercially available or did you just find an appropriately sized can and fit it yourself? I have a lily pipe with the integrated skimmer, but I was also considering going the Eheim route. I've seen some people run the Eheim skimmer on a timer throughout the day to allow shrimp and small fish to escape.


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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

AcidGambit said:


> Is the can something that is commercially available or did you just find an appropriately sized can and fit it yourself? I have a lily pipe with the integrated skimmer, but I was also considering going the Eheim route. I've seen some people run the Eheim skimmer on a timer throughout the day to allow shrimp and small fish to escape.


The can was custom made by a local fabricator, I haven't seen any commercially available covers for the Eheim but you can always go with the ADA version that is stainless for 6x the price of the Eheim! LOL

I only run the skimmer while CO2 is off, once CO2 turns on the skimmer stops to decrease gas loss through the surface. Shrimp can get out when it's stopped but you would have to take it apart to get fish out IME. Plus fish are likely to die after a couple mins in the skimmer from suffocation. 



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## Sabdali (May 7, 2019)

After seeing how stunning your scape looks, I might actually rip apart mine and recreate it. Great work! This thread is so fun to follow because of how beautiful it always looks.

Where did you get the ammania senegalensis? Does adg stock it?


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## PurdueGK (May 16, 2015)

Tank is looking phenomenal! I just sold all of my reef setup. I am doing as much research as I can and I am planning on starting my planted aquarium this winter. I am ready for a break from saltwater and am looking forward to a new chapter. How is it keeping both a reef and a planted aquarium? Do you tend to lose interest in one or the other? I would have a difficult time focusing on both.


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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

Sabdali said:


> After seeing how stunning your scape looks, I might actually rip apart mine and recreate it. Great work! This thread is so fun to follow because of how beautiful it always looks.
> 
> Where did you get the ammania senegalensis? Does adg stock it?


Thank you!! I hope you do! It's a lot of fun to restart them and experiment with something new, learn about new plants, and push the limits of your knowledge. 

I have not seen the ammania at ADG, I ordered from BucePlant



PurdueGK said:


> Tank is looking phenomenal! I just sold all of my reef setup. I am doing as much research as I can and I am planning on starting my planted aquarium this winter. I am ready for a break from saltwater and am looking forward to a new chapter. How is it keeping both a reef and a planted aquarium? Do you tend to lose interest in one or the other? I would have a difficult time focusing on both.


Thank you!! I like having both, they are so different it really creates a cool environment in the room while still staying in theme. The saltwater tank is SO simple to maintain I almost never do anything to it. I actually just finished my quarterly water change. 










It's hard to get the white balance right for both tanks so here is a close-up of the reef. 











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## Duboisi (Jul 11, 2019)

beautiful! think I saw your post on reddit a few days ago too!


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## PurdueGK (May 16, 2015)

You sir have a blue and green thumb! 

I am having a tough time with deciding how often to dose fertilizer. I am leaning towards an all in one with thrive to keep it simple. George Farmer is an advocate for dosing everyday in high doses. This is of course for high tech tanks. He doesn’t believe that the extra nutrients will effect freshwater like it would for saltwater. He doesn’t believe that an excess of nutrients will cause algae issues as long as you have a healthy planted tank. He believes that you are much better off oversupplying ferts versus starving your plants.

Your tank looks amazing, what is your take on ferts? I know it always depends on what’s in your water.


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## tv4184 (Oct 29, 2006)

It took me a second to realize that you were refering to ADG as the UNS dealer. I got most of my UNS tanks from buceplant with the exception of my 120P. I just finished setting up my 120P and hope it'll turn out as nice as your 45cm and 90U.


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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

PurdueGK said:


> You sir have a blue and green thumb!
> 
> I am having a tough time with deciding how often to dose fertilizer. I am leaning towards an all in one with thrive to keep it simple. George Farmer is an advocate for dosing everyday in high doses. This is of course for high tech tanks. He doesn’t believe that the extra nutrients will effect freshwater like it would for saltwater. He doesn’t believe that an excess of nutrients will cause algae issues as long as you have a healthy planted tank. He believes that you are much better off oversupplying ferts versus starving your plants.
> 
> Your tank looks amazing, what is your take on ferts? I know it always depends on what’s in your water.


I personally don't agree with any kind of "over fertilize" approach. My first high-tech tank I was doing PPS ferts and was super-strict about dosing, water changes, etc. I was thinking of it like the saltwater SPS tank I had at the time where I was running a dosing pump, etc. 

What did I end up with? An algae farm that frustrated me to no end. These days I'm quite the opposite, I try to do as little ferts as possible, especially on a new scape!! I figure the substrate is leaking nutrients and the tank is in a wonky period at first as everything settles in, cycles, etc. I do 0 ferts for about the first month and slowly ramp up ferts over time when I start seeing subtle signs of deficiency. And I also don't "panic fert" which is tempting to do when you start seeing signs of deficiency - I stick to small changes and waiting about a week for results before adjusting further. 

Is this the right or best method? Who knows, but it works for me and keeps algae and frustration levels to a minimum. 

I did see that Farmer had some algae issues in his Scaper 1200 recently but I didn't really track it closely enough to understand what the cause of his issues were. 



tv4184 said:


> It took me a second to realize that you were refering to ADG as the UNS dealer. I got most of my UNS tanks from buceplant with the exception of my 120P. I just finished setting up my 120P and hope it'll turn out as nice as your 45cm and 90U.


Yep! Got all my UNS from ADG. If I didn't have access to them locally I would have ordered from Buce. I love the 120P format and wish it was an option when I got the 90, it would be fun as heck to scape! I'll keep an eye out for yours 

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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

Quick video walk through of the two main systems. 






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## Jamo33 (Feb 18, 2014)

Just annoyingly nice really. 
Bows look very happy indeed!


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## PurdueGK (May 16, 2015)

I am going with a 90P now because I must have a small school of rainbows. Do you worry they will jump out? That’s my only reservation right now about pulling the trigger on rainbows.


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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

PurdueGK said:


> I am going with a 90P now because I must have a small school of rainbows. Do you worry they will jump out? That’s my only reservation right now about pulling the trigger on rainbows.


It's definitely a worry, I keep a screen cover (RedSea DIY) on the tank the majority of the time. When I first set up the new scape the old cover wouldn't fit the new plumbing and light mounts, so I ran topless for about 10 days. No jumpers but I was worried every day!!! Those rainbows are fast swimmers and aggressive eaters and hit the water surface hard when you put food in. Running topless it's only a matter of time before you find carpet surfers. 


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## PurdueGK (May 16, 2015)

Man that kinda stinks. I will have to order a artfully acrylic lid then I guess. Are they worth it then? They look like amazing fish but it really takes away from the look of a rimless tank


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## Bon MotMot (Aug 3, 2019)

Loving your tanks! All of them are exquisite. Did you give up on discus?


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## mjord (Jul 23, 2016)

Rainbows are wonderful fish to keep. I've had many that lived 6-8 years, and they can go longer. They are not difficult from my experience.


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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

PurdueGK said:


> Man that kinda stinks. I will have to order a artfully acrylic lid then I guess. Are they worth it then? They look like amazing fish but it really takes away from the look of a rimless tank


The Red Sea covers are super clean visually, and I HAVE to have a cover on the saltwater tank because of all the expensive jumping fish. So overall it there is minimal visual impact and the two large tanks match as they both have the same covers on them. Not sure if you have ever had a glass or acrylic kid before but they are a MAJOR PITA, the screen covers are far easier to manage.


Bon MotMot said:


> Loving your tanks! All of them are exquisite. Did you give up on discus?


Thank you so much! Yes, gave up on the discus. I knew they weren't an ideal choice from the start but I wanted to try. They struggled in my tank so I eventually gave up and re-homed them to a friend's discus tank.


mjord said:


> Rainbows are wonderful fish to keep. I've had many that lived 6-8 years, and they can go longer. They are not difficult from my experience.


I agree, these guys have been super easy and actually quite robust! They have made it through a couple of accidental gassings, tank reboots, stupid mistakes that wiped out other species of fish, etc. Despite all the adversity I have not lost a single one of the original 7 I bought about 1.5yrs ago. 

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## Ventchur (Apr 29, 2018)

Beauty scape mate. 

That lighting setup and skimmer cover are both genius..


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## carlsj2012 (Mar 7, 2019)

At what point did you move away from the inline CO2 diffuser?


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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

Ventchur said:


> Beauty scape mate.
> 
> That lighting setup and skimmer cover are both genius..


Why thank you very much!


carlsj2012 said:


> At what point did you move away from the inline CO2 diffuser?


Probably a year or so ago for two reasons. 1) I felt like it was a little inefficient because I was going through a LOT of CO2 for a 50gal tank 2) it was a pain to clean. 

While it looked great it is a solid piece of glass so had to be bleach soaked every other water change which was time consuming. The in-tank diffuser I just brush off with a toothbrush which takes 30 seconds instead of 30 minutes. I don't like the visual impact of the AquaRio Neo but think it's worth the trade-off in maintenance. Though I still consider going back to an inline from time to time. 



The nymphoides hydrophylla, as cool looking of a plant as it was, really wasn't ideal for the location I had it so I decided to swap for a couple new stems (rotala sunset and orange juice) that I could keep shorter and smaller so that the top-most rock in the scape isn't lost. 

Have also noticed I am getting some signs of nutrient deficiency so I am working on getting my ferts dialed in to bring some vibrancy back to the plant colors. 










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## JBigz (Jul 11, 2018)

Man, I remember your posts from WAY back in the day (over a decade ago). I used to post under @Solstice back then. I just started up a new tank today after a long hiatus and stumbled across your journal almost immediately after getting back to it. I'm glad to see you're still at it dude. Fantastic tanks!


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## AcidGambit (Aug 30, 2018)

ange062 said:


> Everybody loves the 45S, including me!! I mowed the lawn actually as the eleocharis acicularis was getting quite long. Here is an updated FTS
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I apologize for going back so far, but what are the bushy plants with crinkled leaves that are in a diagonal row going from the center to the right rear of the tank?


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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

JBigz said:


> Man, I remember your posts from WAY back in the day (over a decade ago). I used to post under @Solstice back then. I just started up a new tank today after a long hiatus and stumbled across your journal almost immediately after getting back to it. I'm glad to see you're still at it dude. Fantastic tanks!


I don't think I've been around quite that long, but it's getting darn close to a decade! Though I do recall a solstice! Glad to see you back in it, feel free to hit me up if you need any advice, I love talking about this stuff 



AcidGambit said:


> I apologize for going back so far, but what are the bushy plants with crinkled leaves that are in a diagonal row going from the center to the right rear of the tank?


That's pogostemon helferi, one of my current favorites! It's all across the midground in the large tank also 

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## tv4184 (Oct 29, 2006)

What kind of van are you using for your water changes? It seems more convenient to stash than my brute can...


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## houstonreef (Aug 24, 2018)

AcidGambit said:


> I apologize for going back so far, but what are the bushy plants with crinkled leaves that are in a diagonal row going from the center to the right rear of the tank?


For those immersed plants, do you water spay the branches/leaves?


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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

tv4184 said:


> What kind of van are you using for your water changes? It seems more convenient to stash than my brute can...


I have 3 Rubbermaid "Slim Jim" 23g trash cans with a couple of lids and dollies. It's 3 because I use one for new saltwater, one for new freshwater, and one for discard water. They are great because I can stack them together and the slim profile is easily stored in a closet out of sight.


houstonreef said:


> For those immersed plants, do you water spay the branches/leaves?


Most of the emersed growth is actually water loving terrestrial plants or semi-aquatic plants with the exception of the ludwigia, so I don't spray them. It's a bit of a hybrid scape similar to a paludarium in that the substrate is nearly to the surface at the back of the tank. 

It's starting to get a little long in the tooth so I'm feeling a reboot coming up soon. 














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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

Well the new fert regimen is looking promising, getting some explosive plant growth and the colors are not quite there but definitely headed in the right direction! 










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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

So I was doing a WC on my 5N over the weekend and managed to accidentally knock the light over and crack the tank!! Whoops!! It wasn't actually leaking but I wanted to replace it to be on the safe side. I first considered just getting another 5N then ended up deciding on something new! The reef is a standard "U" LxWxH ratio, the large planted is a longer "P" ratio, the 45 is obviously an "S" ratio, so what was I missing??? 

A cube of course!!! So I decided to go with a 30C and a new scape to replace the 5N. I picked up some driftwood from ADG and carefully glued it into shape, filled with black lava rock, and added gold sand. I decided to go with a black back on this one, and the end effect was kinda sterile and drab to me. So even though I planned for a hardscape only I decided last minute to go with some nice low-tech low-light plants to fill it in and get a color pop! Pretty happy with the end result. 

Original 5N:









Topdown of 30C:









30C front view:











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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Like the new cube a lot!

Right call on adding plants. It really makes it pop and seem more, well, alive.


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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

Today marks 3-mo since the rescape of the 90P, and it's still continually evolving. Here are some quick picks from after a big pruning session. 

In the planning phase of a reboot for the 45S, and will have some cool new equipment coming in soon. More details on that later. For now, pics! 


FTS:









Topdown: 









Ambient light side view:









Gallery shot:









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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

Wow, 5 months since the 90P reboot already! Time is flying! Just did a major trim after letting it grow out way too far. 

Before trim:









And after:









I also got bored with the emersed growth 45S concept so I rebooted that, coming along nicely after 2 weeks!









And I added some botanicals to the 30C, really loving the natural looking aesthetics of that, though I'm not getting as much tannins as I expected:









And finally, a quick shot of the reef to round out my full gallery:









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## pauld738 (Jan 4, 2019)

Love that top down on the 90P!

I know it's only been 5 months but have you pulled the stems and replanted tops yet? It looks like from the pic that you are trimming tops and leaving bottoms.

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## Streetwise (May 24, 2019)

All very nice! I like your symmetrical technology. They are all amazing, but the 30C is nice and wild.


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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

pauld738 said:


> Love that top down on the 90P!
> 
> I know it's only been 5 months but have you pulled the stems and replanted tops yet? It looks like from the pic that you are trimming tops and leaving bottoms.
> 
> Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk


Sure have! I typically alternate. Sometimes I pull everything, cutoff bottoms, and replant tops only. Sometimes I cut about half length and replant the tops between the original bottoms. I'm trying to get it to fill in a little thicker so I did the latter this time.


Streetwise said:


> All very nice! I like your symmetrical technology. They are all amazing, but the 30C is nice and wild.


Thanks!! I definitely feel the 30C has more of a natural biotope feel with the botanicals, black-ish-water, kubotai rasbora. 

For me the external tank aesthetics are just as important as the aquascape itself. Hence all the symmetry you see 

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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

Did a minor rescape on the 90P yesterday. As the tank has matured the plants have really taken over the hardscape. I have been planning out "the beach" for over a month in order to break up the green plant mass. I thought the added complexity would also brighten up the scape, create more depth, and also give better perspective on the height of the hardscape on the right. 










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## Silly_Guppys (Jan 25, 2020)

Well done, you scape a lot and all were keepers amazing.

This last post is special with "The Beach" i can see you finessing it well

Great texture and depth it's very busy and interesting, eyes always wondering

AND THE STANDS! lol so nice thank your carpenter for me... lol ok ok Can't wait to see what's next


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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

Silly_Guppys said:


> Well done, you scape a lot and all were keepers amazing.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thanks for the kind words! The stands were built by Aquarium Design Group (ADG) in Houston. 

Found a backlight I used to use on my 60U, forgot I even had it. Figured I'd throw it on the 90P to play around with. It's a Philips Hue RGB lights trip so fully adjustable on color and intensity. Can get some pretty cool shots with some different lighting effects! 










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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

Had a lot to keep up with lately (got married) and neglected the 90P for way too long. The stems had basically filled the entire tank! I did a major prune and replant and going to take a few weeks to get the plants back to looking like I want them. I did finish out "the beach" and decided to bring it all the way across. 










Was also struggling with my 45S. The amount of rock in the scape and the type of rock was driving the GH up to the 16-17 range just 2 days after a full RO water change. Plants kept melting and it was becoming unrecoverable. Decided to swap it for a 60S and a totally new concept. 

For this one I used only plants that I've never kept before just to make it more experimental and a fun learning experience. 

Once it fills in there is ammania gracilis and lymnophila aromatica at the back that'll add to the emersed growth and hopefully flower nicely! 

Right after planting:









Had some driftwood float when filling so I had to add some temporary rocks to weight it down. 






















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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

The 60cm shorty is coming along nicely 10 days since planting. Really excited to see how it evolves. 

The rock holding down the driftwood was driving me nuts so I drained the tank today and glued it down. Much happier now 










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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

Hit the 1 month mark on the 60S. The AI Prime just wasn't working out with this setup. Since it's sitting on a counter top with only 16" vertical space from counter to built in cabinets above, I couldn't get enough height to achieve good spread and fill with the Prime. I was burning plants in the middle while plants on the outside were melting from lack of light. Decided the ONF Flat One would work perfectly in that space so I decided to try it out! It was a bit tricky to install cleanly in this location but managed to get it done with some slight modifications to the cabinets. 

The difference in light fill is tremendous!! Wow! The pictures don't really do it justice, but in person it's a night and day difference. Hoping this helps balance the tank out so I can get the plants truly thriving. 




























The 90P is looking pretty good too. All this time at home during quarantine has given me extra time to mess with the tanks! 










And finally a quick update on the 30C cube. Added a small school of African butterfly barbs which I think work perfectly in there! 











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## pauld738 (Jan 4, 2019)

I just switched to ONF as well. Great light! Atleast from where I was coming from. :laugh2:

Love the pics. More top downs, lol!


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## PurdueGK (May 16, 2015)

Amazing tanks! I love your style! I am going to be setting up a 9 gallon office tank at work.


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## Chizpa305 (Feb 13, 2011)

Wow, how many tanks do you have? One for each room of the house. All are very pretty. 

The 90P planted scape looks great, the added "beach" gives it a very nice touch. I would also throw in there maybe a couple of Alternanthera reineckii minis in the midgrownd, to help create color contrast with the green and also soften the plant size difference between foreground and background. Very inspirational tank.


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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

Chizpa305 said:


> Wow, how many tanks do you have? One for each room of the house. All are very pretty.
> 
> The 90P planted scape looks great, the added "beach" gives it a very nice touch. I would also throw in there maybe a couple of Alternanthera reineckii minis in the midgrownd, to help create color contrast with the green and also soften the plant size difference between foreground and background. Very inspirational tank.


I have the 3 planted tanks seen plus my reef tank, all in one room! I agree on the plant additions, the uniformity of the midground has been bugging me and I've been looking for JUUUUUST the right plant(s) to add. Alternathera rosanervig, several types of crypt, pogostemon compact, and hygrophila araguaia, and pogostemon compact are some of the ones I've looked at but obviously haven't yet pulled the trigger on any. Maybe I'll get that done this weekend 


PurdueGK said:


> Amazing tanks! I love your style! I am going to be setting up a 9 gallon office tank at work.


Thanks!! The 30C would be the perfect office tank, very simple, low tech setup. I lightly fertilize at water changes and otherwise nothing. Filtration is just an air pump and small sponge filter sitting on top of a filter bag full of Matrix for biologicals.


pauld738 said:


> I just switched to ONF as well. Great light! Atleast from where I was coming from. :laugh2:
> 
> Love the pics. More top downs, lol!


Lol, I'll post some more topdowns soon 

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## EdWiser (Jul 14, 2015)

Love the ONF lights.


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## mjord (Jul 23, 2016)

Here is an off topic question, and I maybe should have posted elsewhere, but would appreciate your input. I’m moving to a place with a well and water will have no chemical additives at all. I haven’t yet had the water tested, but I know the mineral content is pretty high. Do you have, or can you direct me to any information about using well water for a planted tank? Many thanks, happy quarantine, and happy holidays!


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## taylorwinhaha (Jun 19, 2020)

You're located in HTX?


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## someoldguy (Feb 26, 2014)

Well water will work just fine . I was on a well in my last place , was running a good size fish room (up to 65 tanks) with no problems for around 10 years or so . Just get the well tested so you know where you're at re: water chemistry .


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## YTP (Aug 26, 2019)

Bumping this to say I really love this scape and may have taken some inspiration from it on setting up my waterbox 3620 build! :icon_mrgr The plants are still filling in but I'm hoping it turns out half as good as yours does. Do you mind sharing your settings on the AI primes? I'm also running two primes and am trying to get the settings dialed in to improve red coloration on red stems. Growth is great but all my rotalas and are going green even with leaner dosing and heavy CO2, so I'm wondering if it has something to do with the intensity/spectrum/duration.


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