# Jeffboyarrdee's 50 ADA AMAZON



## Evergreen (May 1, 2006)

Looks like a great start Jeff! keep us updated. Subscribe to Tom Barrs website and start reading.

Keith,


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## mecgeorgeneo (Aug 12, 2005)

did you buy that stand or did you make it? would it be possible to get some pictures up close of the hinges? i wanted to use hinges like that but because of an inner frame i wasn't able to... thanks


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## JenThePlantGeek (Mar 27, 2006)

Could you tell us more about how you plan to plumb your tank? I noticed that your drain is way down at the bottom. Do you worry at all about leaks? (because if a hose or canister attached to that drain DOES leak, the water level of the tank will drop all the way down to the bottom where the drain is - that's a lot of water!). 

Or maybe... you have the bottom hose running up to the top - are you going to just put a pump on that line for water movement? I guess I'm confused...


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## jeffboyarrdee (Aug 25, 2004)

Hey everyone!
i will get some close up pictures shortly!
i service tanks, and i had a carpenter make the stand for me, kind of a knock off ada stand. and the tank will just be hooked up to a canister filter. and yes i am taking a big risk by putting my draining hose all the way at the bottom of the tank, i have already tested the tanks for leaks at the piping that is why there is a single hose connecting both, but i will be taking that off soon. I do know that if i have a leak...it is bad, but i guess im just gonna be naive and do it anyway =) hahaha, if my plan busts...then im gonna have to be creative and think of something after. i did want to go with a custom made tank, but i had already bought a truvu a while back, so i can always upgrade later on! hopefully everything will go smoothly.

i have currently ready,
pressurized co2
eheim thermal filter
tek light 4x39 watt t-5
ada soil
and that is pretty much for now, pretty simple


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## crazie.eddie (May 31, 2004)

You should invest in a backup power supply. If the power goes out, the water keeps draining with no pump returning the water back.


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## mad about fish (Nov 17, 2003)

if the power goes out the tank will not drain because external power filters are presurised the water will rise up the return pipe to the water level height and then stopand if that outflow is under the surface it will leave both pipes full meaning the filter will work straight away the power coes on because there will be no air in the pipework or filter canister

:fish:


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## jeffboyarrdee (Aug 25, 2004)

yea when there is a power outage...it wouldnt affect it because its connected to a canister filter. not like a sump where the water level needs to be watched closely


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## turtlehead (May 31, 2005)

very nice adaish stand.


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## jeffboyarrdee (Aug 25, 2004)

Here is an update for my tank setup:
i finished building the aluminum bars to hang my tek lights, and tried to go for a different look as the bars overhang from the backside. it took some time to measure, drill, and design the look of the bars.
i also started my half-week leak test, so far so good. i ran into one problem with my eheim filter because it had a crack in one of the bottom corners, so i just used some acrylic adhesive to bond it back together. Now everything is running fine. so far so good. in a couple days its time to bring it upstairs and start aquascaping! more pictures soon.


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## JenThePlantGeek (Mar 27, 2006)

Looks great!!!


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## Architect1 (Feb 19, 2006)

Nice set up.


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## Y0uH0 (Dec 19, 2005)

tank looks really good,everything is very professional and from what i see,the workmanship is great.


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## ianmoede (Oct 1, 2004)

That looks like a ton of light! Beware the algae....


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## kzr750r1 (Jun 8, 2004)

ianmoede said:


> That looks like a ton of light! Beware the algae....


The nice thing with this light is he can run the two bulb sets on different schedules. Main thing is it's flexable. With only 108w over my 55 I have to augment with window light to make the plants happy. This is a hard way to go and is unstable to say the least.

Nice job on the stand. Your off to a great start.


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## jeffboyarrdee (Aug 25, 2004)

ianmoede said:


> That looks like a ton of light! Beware the algae....


hey everyone!
if you are referring to the outside light in the garage, there are no worries because right now im just testing it for leaks, im going to move it to a different room upstairs in my house. 
if you are referring to my tek-lights! yes i will be putting two bulbs on separate timers than the other two , to save energy, and possibly simulate increasing and decreasing light of day. 
i am planning to move my tank Friday. so maybe more updates really soon, with a hardscape and everything.


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## kzr750r1 (Jun 8, 2004)

jeffboyarrdee said:


> hey everyone!
> if you are referring to the outside light in the garage, there are no worries because right now im just testing it for leaks, im going to move it to a different room upstairs in my house.
> if you are referring to my tek-lights! yes i will be putting two bulbs on separate timers than the other two , to save energy, and possibly simulate increasing and decreasing light of day.
> i am planning to move my tank Friday. so maybe more updates really soon, with a hardscape and everything.


Good luck with the move. I'm going to have to stay tuned and see how you progress. I'm convinced myself that there is not enough light over my 55. That light is what I'd target since I alrady have th two bulb unit. Time will tell how you settle out your light schedule.


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## jeffboyarrdee (Aug 25, 2004)

kzr750r1 did you say you have 2 54watt bulbs? my teklights have 4 by 39 watt...yea i dont have that much more wattage. we'll see how it goes.


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## kzr750r1 (Jun 8, 2004)

jeffboyarrdee said:


> kzr750r1 did you say you have 2 54watt bulbs? my teklights have 4 by 39 watt...yea i dont have that much more wattage. we'll see how it goes.


What are the dimensions of your tank? You have the 3’ version of the Tek Light. My mistake it looked like 4’ to me, sorry.

If 50g is just over 3’ is going to be a tall tank. Nice thing is you’re afforded the flexibility of doing the midday 156w blast. I think both sets will be lit up more than you had intended. Keep us in the loop when you start this baby up.

Looks great so far.


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## jeffboyarrdee (Aug 25, 2004)

*Jeffboyarrdee's 50 gallon update June 25, 2006*

Here are some picture updates! i moved my tank up into my room yesterday, and today i got everything in place and put the gravel and drift wood in place. THe drift wood placement isnt final, its something i whipped up real fast for now, it might constantly change as i add plants. Hope to plant it sometime THIS WEEK! enjoy!


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## Jdinh04 (Mar 15, 2004)

How many bags of Aqua Soil and Power Sand did you buy?


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## kzr750r1 (Jun 8, 2004)

Looking good. Hope to see some updates soon.


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## jeffboyarrdee (Aug 25, 2004)

i had put in three bags of powersand, then i added 3 bags of amazonian aquasoil, but i had bought 4 bags, i have one laying around


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## JenThePlantGeek (Mar 27, 2006)

The driftwood arrangement looks VERY good! I can't wait to see what else you put in it!


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## mrbelvedere (Nov 15, 2005)

Jeff, the driftwood placement looks so unnatural.....have you given thought to them resting on the substrate instead of being buried in it?


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## the_noobinator (Jun 10, 2006)

i think the wide pieces being buried is a natural effect and i like it, but you might want to lay some of the "stick" pieces down.


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## jeffboyarrdee (Aug 25, 2004)

hey!

great some input on my driftwood, because i too agree that it doesnt look perfect! but i never thought of just laying some pieces down, because i figured my plants will cover alot of it anyway, ya know!? i dont have alot of pieces, maybe ill take another trip to the fish store and buy a couple more pieces to lay around the front, but my plan is to have taiwan moss growing, some HC foreground, and crypts in front of the drift wood, so hopefully alot of the "bases" of the woods will be covered. any input on that? cuz once a tank is grown in, it can take a completely different look.


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## the_noobinator (Jun 10, 2006)

i think driftwood looks great if it's planted around and/or on. behind the wood, some taller plants, and maybe some dwarf subulate or something like it in front.


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## attack11 (May 5, 2006)

i agree. with the peices in that arrangement you have good options for presentation.


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## Y0uH0 (Dec 19, 2005)

looking great,your plan sounds great too. I am just looking forward to see the final product. As for the drifwood layout,you can consider laying some down like what the others have suggested. It is alright to obscure some of the pieces. What matters is that some of it is seen while others are hidden.


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## jeffboyarrdee (Aug 25, 2004)

well i will be out of town for the weekend, so i probably do not have time to plant the tank until sometime next week!


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## jeffboyarrdee (Aug 25, 2004)

*Jeffboyarrdee's 50 Gallon update 7/3/06*

I just planted the tank today! it took a few hours but it was fun!
plants:
rotala indica green
rotala indica singapore red
ludwigia arcuata
rotala sp
hementhias ambrosium
crypts
hementhias callichatoids
(unknown red foreground plant) i will find the name soon
























































LEFT SIDE








RIGHT SIDE








Center









I am using those 36" tek lights 4x39 watt T-5s, is it ok that they are 4.5 inches from the top of the tank?
i am also planning on hooking up my pressurized Co2 maybe next week, is it smart to let the plants settle in before hooking up Co2?


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## Jdinh04 (Mar 15, 2004)

Looks nice, why is the tank so cloudy? Your using ADA Aqua Soil right? ... btw where did you order your plants from?


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## kzr750r1 (Jun 8, 2004)

jeffboyarrdee said:


> I just planted the tank today! it took a few hours but it was fun!
> plants:
> rotala indica green
> rotala indica singapore red
> ...


Glad you enjoyed planting the tank. I too am interested where you picked up the plants, they look nice.

As for the distance you fine. Hit the CO2 and get another order of plants in. Or at least try and double the mass with a trim ASAP the latter takes less time cycling and look cool in the process. Good choice with all those stems.


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## Gerald the Mouse (Jun 19, 2006)

It looks nice, what kinds of fish are planing to get?


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## jeffboyarrdee (Aug 25, 2004)

hey everyone! 
well i live in San Francisco so i goto Aquaforest for all my plants, soil, drift wood, etc. but i also help service tanks, so i get around with the equipment. Thanks for the advice with the lighting/Co2. i just wasnt sure about the distance, but it seems like there is ALOT of light. 

the tank got cloudy because i was planting in some HC that i had leftover, and i guess it kinda stirred up a little. Its clear now tho. but yea i will get more plants soon and take more pictures soon!

as of fish im not so sure at the moment
but i plan to get maybe 2 or 3 schools of fish or maybe just one big one!?
i also have tiger shrimp in the process because i just BRED a new batch, i have about 20-30 now.


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## Gerald the Mouse (Jun 19, 2006)

I think nice big school of neons would look nice in there, with a few discus.


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## the_noobinator (Jun 10, 2006)

i really like the V effect of your driftwood! it came out nice.


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## kzr750r1 (Jun 8, 2004)

jeffboyarrdee said:



> hey everyone!
> well i live in San Francisco so i goto Aquaforest for all my plants, soil, drift wood, etc. but i also help service tanks, so i get around with the equipment. Thanks for the advice with the lighting/Co2. i just wasnt sure about the distance, but it seems like there is ALOT of light.
> 
> the tank got cloudy because i was planting in some HC that i had leftover, and i guess it kinda stirred up a little. Its clear now tho. but yea i will get more plants soon and take more pictures soon!
> ...


Doh! I never noticed your location. Good deal! In a couple of weeks I'm going to go to AF.

As for the fish go with a solo species school. Makes a bigger impact IMO.


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## jeffboyarrdee (Aug 25, 2004)

yea i seem to like 1 dominant school of fish, i just wasnt sure if more than one would look, but we'll see. But i love shrimp, so for sure i will have shrimp in my tank, plus they are excellent with the algae! i will take more pictures soon with clearer water.
i will also setup my pressurized Co2 next week and give the plants a few days to settle in.


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## RobChuck (Mar 9, 2006)

Nice looking tank! I like how clean everything looks with the way you set up the canister.


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## the_noobinator (Jun 10, 2006)

i would love to get into breeding other kinds of shrimp, but for only having one tank right now with a claw frog in, anything other than ghost shrimp is out of the question, at least as far as my wallet is concerned.


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## jeffboyarrdee (Aug 25, 2004)

haha, well when and if you ever get into it, cherries, tigers, and bumble bee shrimps are pretty easy to breed and raise. Any kind of moss is perfect for them to forage and shelter them. In San Francisco those are the only shrimp that i can get a hold of. and tiger shrimps was a one time thing so far. im glad i got my hands on a few. and now i have around 20-30 in one batch! so we'll see how well i can farm them.


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## the_noobinator (Jun 10, 2006)

my LFS got in some amanos, but they were $3 each, when i can build a small army of ghost shrimp for that price haha!


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## attack11 (May 5, 2006)

that's going to be really nice as it grows in. great arrangement of the wood!


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## jeffboyarrdee (Aug 25, 2004)

thanks everyone for the comments and advice. i hope this will become an interesting thread as the aquascape progresses.

as for the near future, i need to get my hands on:
pH tester
setting up pressurized Co2 (ready to go)
putting my 4 parallel T-5's on two separate timers
fish/shrimp


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## jeffboyarrdee (Aug 25, 2004)

Hey everyone! here is a one week update! 
so far ive had no equipment problems, and ive installed my pressurized Co2 lastnight. So far, plantwise, some stems of the rotala (red), rotala (green) are kind of melting, but they are looking better. My ludwigia arcuata has melted away and i could only recover 8 stems that i have replanted (bare empty spot in the back). My hemethias umbrosium has melted, i recovered the top parts and replanted them (bare empty space bottom of driftwood right side). I have just started water changes often and Co2 to recover from this problem, im not so sure what to do. any advice would be appreciated.


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## Gerald the Mouse (Jun 19, 2006)

I think you should get some vals and scatter them around your wood, and maybe some anubias for the foreground?


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## kzr750r1 (Jun 8, 2004)

For now you need more plants. Don't worry about scape too much at this stage. Just start collecting...


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## JenThePlantGeek (Mar 27, 2006)

Your melting plants may have just been working to go from emersed form to submerged form. They'll bounce back!


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## the_noobinator (Jun 10, 2006)

JenThePlantGeek said:


> Your melting plants may have just been working to go from emersed form to submerged form. They'll bounce back!


yes, i'd give them some time before you tear them out.


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## jeffboyarrdee (Aug 25, 2004)

hey everyone
im having trouble with my plants so far. my pH has been fluctuating between 6.5 and below. and my plants are melting, like Every plant is experiencing melting, the leaves are translucent, and some stems are dying slowly. i am wondering if anyone knows what could be the problem, and and solution quick before my plants are all gone! =O 
but uhh just from my feelings, i think its because i have such soft soft water, that its probably/usually below 6.5 which could be the source of the melting. 
im really in a dilemma.


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## attack11 (May 5, 2006)

i keep my water at 6.5 on purpose to promote the intake of nutrients. your dosing is probably off.


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## jeffboyarrdee (Aug 25, 2004)

well i didnt does anything yet, besides ada brightyK, one squirt is 1ml. should i start a dosing regime? any schedules that are useful to follow?


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## Y0uH0 (Dec 19, 2005)

If i am not wrong,it is recommended that dosing starts right after planting so that the plants do not get starved.Perhaps the others can help out with it.


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## fresh_lynny (Mar 9, 2006)

yes, you should be ready to go with CO2, lighting, and ferts from the first plant that goes in. If you don't, you will be behind the ball and spend most of the time combatting issues rather than forming your scape and enjoying it. Trust me on this one as many can attest to, I am sure.


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## hughitt1 (Jun 19, 2006)

Are you still using only aquasoil? It looks like there are two layers of different substrates.


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## Jdinh04 (Mar 15, 2004)

Jeff,

Did you kick start the tank with some bacteria or mulm? I had the same exact problem and it was becuase there was nothing for the plants to feed on. I eventually had to order another plant package and by the time there were enough bacteria for the plants to feed on and grow.


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## jeffboyarrdee (Aug 25, 2004)

ok i just have ada power sand at the bottom like in my pictures, and just 3 bags of ada amazonia, it just looks like two layers because the light penetrates the top few inches. i have started my pressurized Co2 and its been about half a week. i am only dosing ada brighty K (potassium) 6ml a day. should i be dosing some general supplement to start off? 
But my pH is fine if its 6.5 or less right? it shouldnt be the cause of my melting plants. I do agree that it is probably defficiency in nutrients. 
i will see how i can resolve my problems. cuz im worried that in a week or two my plants will ALL melt away, and that was alot of money. and for my 4 t-5 bulbs, they are 2x6500K, 1 red plant bulb, 1x10000k. should i swap out the 10000K with another 6500k bulb? could that be harmful or not useful to my plants?


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## attack11 (May 5, 2006)

you need to dose macros and micros accordingly. your ph at 6.5 is fine; some would say ideal. plants don't care about kelvins.


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## Jdinh04 (Mar 15, 2004)

Jeff, 

I would also start off the tank with low lighting and work your way up, it was the advice that I was given and everything turned out great after a couple of weeks with my new plant package all planted and everything.


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## turtlehead (May 31, 2005)

The plants are begging for you to start the normal dosing now.


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## Betowess (Dec 9, 2004)

Great start. I second get some minimal dosing in there and possibly some tough cycle fish like Danios or Guppies. Rex Grigg has a lot of good info in his web page on Dry dosing ferts you may already be familiar with it. Its great stuff and here is a link.
http://rexgrigg.com/dosing.htm

What is the water's sitting pH and its GH? A lot of the Greg Watson dry ferts are a lot cheaper than the ADA stuff I imagine. Like a couple of bucks for a lb. of potassium sulfate.


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## cbennett (Oct 20, 2005)

i started a new tank with AS a few weeks ago, and started doing a little dosing right away (had low lighting in the beginning). My pH has been between 5.8 and 6.4 since the get-go and plants are doing well. Now that my lighting issue is fixed, I'm going whole-hog with the ferts and just had to do my first trim job! :thumbsup:


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## jeffboyarrdee (Aug 25, 2004)

thanks everyone for helping me narrow it down to ferts and nutrients. i never would have thought i needed to dose or fert right away, since i used ada power sand and soil. i thought id wait atleast a few more weeks! But today i will for sure goto the store and buy some iron and general supplements, either liquid or for the soil. i will also buy a few more plants while im there!


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## jeffboyarrdee (Aug 25, 2004)

Here is just a quick update, my plants are doing well so far. i have a little algae growing on the drift wood and on some plants, so i added some tiger shrimp. This week i will try to get some ottos or something. I am on a schedule of maybe 30-40% water changes twice a week. and i have the T-5's running for about 6 hours only.


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## kzr750r1 (Jun 8, 2004)

Good move on the light schedule looks great for a fresh start. But at this point from my understanding of the ADA recommendations you’re done with the extra WC time frame. Why WC twice a week still? Let her grow in and fill out those stems. Then you can keep that light on longer. Hope your HC is doing well, if that’s HC I see in the foreground?


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## jeffboyarrdee (Aug 25, 2004)

yes! that is HC growing in the foreground, i hope that will fill in the front of the tank nice and full. yea so i should just maybe do 1 water change? or less frequently? i am gonna let the plants take their places and fill in before i scape them.


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## jeffboyarrdee (Aug 25, 2004)

hey everyone my tank has been up for almost a couple months i believe. the plants are growing well, i added 15 amano shrimp and i am currently breeding tigers for the tank! i am gonna attempt a major trim this coming weekend to hopefully make things look neater! and i am wondering if anyone has any suggestions on what type of fish would compliment my tanks, preferrably 1-2 schools?

full tank shot








Rotala sp or macandra green?








umberosa








Rotala green








ludqwigia arcuata








rotala red (singapore)








blyxa japonica








unknown?








HC








side shot








closer


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## mrbelvedere (Nov 15, 2005)

Unknown plant is Hygrophila "Araguaia."


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## fresh_lynny (Mar 9, 2006)

What is the genus name of the umberosa? Is it also called Pond Penny?


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## JenThePlantGeek (Mar 27, 2006)

Micranthemum umbrosum, sometimes called baby's tears, though Hemianthus micranthemoides (previously known as Micranthemum micranthemoides) is the more common baby's tears.


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## jeffboyarrdee (Aug 25, 2004)

thanks for identifying my unknown plant, i like how its red/orange/brown but it grows very slowly, but i like how it sends runners!, so far i dose 6 ml brighty K daily and 3 ml step 1 daily. this weekend i plan on trimming the whole thing.


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## kzr750r1 (Jun 8, 2004)

NICE NICE NICE. Glad to see you got the bull by the horns.


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## jsenske (Dec 20, 2004)

Superb health my friend! Looking good. Gorgeous stemmed plants!


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## yoink (Apr 21, 2005)

Very lush plants. Nice work.


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## jeffboyarrdee (Aug 25, 2004)

thanks guys!
i tried to really get the plants healthy as my main goal especially in the beginning before i tried anything fancy or focusing on asthetics....
today i did a major trim and hacked away at everything! and now im waiting to see some growth and to see where i need any help/suggestions on anything to do with the arrangment or plant choice?
thanks for all your comments and suggestions.


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## Y0uH0 (Dec 19, 2005)

Your plants are in great health! They're looking really beauutiful. A little bit more filling in at the foreground and it'd be perfect.


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## Lorenceo (Jan 29, 2004)

Fantastic tank man!
Love the setup. Just need that HC to fill in and it will look awesome.
Only thing you need to sort out is the water clarity.


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## Betowess (Dec 9, 2004)

Yeah! Makes me want to try out Aqua Soil. Beautiful growth Jeff. What is the little line on the top left side of the tank? Nice plant selection and it really works with the driftwood. Great job!


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## jeffboyarrdee (Aug 25, 2004)

Lorenceo said:


> Fantastic tank man!
> Love the setup. Just need that HC to fill in and it will look awesome.
> Only thing you need to sort out is the water clarity.


yes i have noticed that as well. i predict that i am starting to have green water blooming, or maybe my water is just cloudy and i need some stuff to clear it up. i do weekly water changes. i do not feed food or anything, so i think its most likely green water. any suggestions on how to take care of this problem without a uv sterilizer!? (trying to save money)



Betowess said:


> Yeah! Makes me want to try out Aqua Soil. Beautiful growth Jeff. What is the little line on the top left side of the tank? Nice plant selection and it really works with the driftwood. Great job!


yes i noticed the aquasoil/powersand/sufficient lighting/pressurized co2 makes a really big difference than what i had before. the plants are all doing extremely well. but the line on the top left of the tank? there is a wire hanging from my t5 fixture, in the tank there is a thermometer that monitors the temp for my eheim thermo filter. there is the gray tubing for my co2 diffuser. not sure what else is on the top left. 

yea i am having alot of fun with this tank so far, and am going to maybe take some plants out and control the aquascape if you will.


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## kzr750r1 (Jun 8, 2004)

jeffboyarrdee said:


> yea i am having alot of fun with this tank so far, and am going to maybe take some plants out and control the aquascape if you will.


It looks good now even with all the plants you have in there. If you were to take one or two out what would it be? Glad your having fun cause that is what this hobby is all about. That and the satisfacion when visitors to the house are awstruck by your creation. Makes me feel like a proud poppa again every time I get props from visitors.


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## jeffboyarrdee (Aug 25, 2004)

well i was thinking maybe...taking out some of the mid ground like the umberosa and sticking with just blyxa since its growing so well, and i recently just cut plantlets off and spread them more out. i would also take maybe the arcuata and rotala sp out, and maybe just stick with rotala red and green for the background. and just a simple hc foreground....something a little less diverse, but this tank can go in any direction at this point cuz i have all these different plants in there that are all doing well, so its hard to eliminate anything.


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## kzr750r1 (Jun 8, 2004)

I would agree eliminating anything that is growing well is hard. You may be on to somthing with your choices. Rotala looks great but you have alot of green already. You could loose that and keep the arcuata to give some red to the picture. I was just introduced to this plant recently and I like it alot but it's not too happy with my hard water and limited light. Whatever you do I'm sure it will look awsome.:thumbsup:


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## jeffboyarrdee (Aug 25, 2004)

hey everyone

my tank is going through/starting a green water bloom, each day progressively the water is getting greener/cloudier.

i was wondering if anyone has any advice on what to do, i know i could use a uv sterilizer and wipe it out in a day, but i dont feel like spending the money. is there a process that i could follow in conquering this algae. thanks!


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## xcooperx (Jun 21, 2006)

im also go through that problem last week, i thought its green water but after 2 weeks the water cleared up, and yeah its Bacterial bloom.

Get some water to your tank and put it on a white bowl, if its Green water you 'll immediatley see the Green on the water (I mean you can identify it real green) If its just slightly green or brownish, its a bacterial bloom, do water change after the water cleared up.


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## plantbrain (Dec 15, 2003)

You can use KNO3, KH2PO4, K2SO4 and TMG instead and get the same results. No need to waste the $$ on the pricy ADA ferts.
That will help the algae issue also.

NH4 causes algae, too much light in combo with that.

Run a UV for 2-3 days and that will take care of things.
I have a one you can borrow if you are around Monday.

It should not come back if you keep up on things and start dosing the rest of the nutrients besides just K, traces.


Regards, 
Tom Barr


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## turtlehead (May 31, 2005)

Just do a four day blackout.


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## jeffboyarrdee (Aug 25, 2004)

*Jeffboyarrdee's 50 Gallon 9-16-06 update*

Hey everyone, 

here is an update since my last posting. After i had trimmed my plants down, i had gone through a green water phase. At first i performed a 4 day blackout on the tank, some of my old algae definitely went away and my green water got better, but it was still greenish and was coming back. I went to aquaforest in sf and bought a bottle of ADA cleardash, and the liquid cleared up my water within a week, and as the water cleared up, my plants seem to be doing significantly better (because they started to pearl). Well i trimmed the tank maybe 2.5 weeks ago, and the stemmed plants have all grown pretty fast. 
i am soon going to buy fish, i have yet decided on what to get, i guess it will have to be "by air" when i select.

Full Tank Shot








Middle Shot








Corner Shot








Side Shot


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## turtlehead (May 31, 2005)

Nice growth! So how's the lighting and fert now? Unchanged? And do you have a picture of ADA cleardash and a description of what it does exactly?


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## xcooperx (Jun 21, 2006)

Beautiful Tank!! And Nice Plants, I love the HC roud:


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## kzr750r1 (Jun 8, 2004)

The HC did turn out great. I also like the stem plant trimming, nice shrub look. Glad to hear the GW didn't get worse. Thanks for the update.


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## Y0uH0 (Dec 19, 2005)

Your tank has really come a very long way from it's original setup to become the beauty that it is now. I love the layout and how the colours actually compliment one another. Love the driftwood arrangement as well.


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## fresh_lynny (Mar 9, 2006)

Jeffboyardee! Makes me wanna go out and eat some spaghettios! well ok, maybe not, but your tank looks fantastic! Your growth is great and the pruning is nice. I like the heights of everything. Good fish swimming room.


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## the_noobinator (Jun 10, 2006)

this looks real good after your trimming.


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## jeffboyarrdee (Aug 25, 2004)

thanks everyone!

we'll see how this tank changes over time, maybe some changes here or there.
im already noticing more growth since i last updated with pictures, so more to come soon. maybe with some fish in there. im always at school everyday, so i dont really tend to my tank often.


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## the_noobinator (Jun 10, 2006)

jeffboyarrdee said:


> im always at school everyday, so i dont really tend to my tank often.


i'm right there with you. between my two jobs i work 65 hrs/wk +, so i have to set time aside every week just for the water change.


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## Urkevitz (Jan 12, 2004)

Wow the HC took off, I want to do a similar setup but with rocks instead of wood.


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## sNApple (Nov 6, 2005)

wow, very very nice and jealous


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## dweebikus (Jul 11, 2006)

I have that exact same aquarium, sans the tapped in drain and return. Any suggestions on how you might use lily pipes on that? Right now I've got the eheim spraybar running vertically and spraying at the back of the tank.

By the way, not to derail the thread, your tank looks fantastic!


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## jeffboyarrdee (Aug 25, 2004)

dweebikus said:


> Any suggestions on how you might use lily pipes on that?


hey!

well i have the plumbed style which i thought was very inexpensive and less maintainance. the lily pipes (if you mean the glass type) you can drill holes in the rear left or right corners, where there is quite enough area of plastic to work with. i have seen it done at aquaforest in sf, so far the tank is still up so it didnt break or anything. just like how i used a dremmel bit to drill holes, you can use the same technique to drill on the top but just make the holes wider to fit your lily pipes in.
i initially wanted to use lily pipes because they were nice looking, but i realized i didnt want to deal with bleaching them every once in a while, doing that for my ada diffuser is enough work hahaha. but yea it does add a nice touch to the style of an aquarium i think. 

oh yea...and as for the clear dash. i will take a pic next time, but the box and instructions are in japanese so i dont know what it is in it. i know it kills the bacteria or algae in the water and my filter takes out the debris. i am assuming its kind of working the same process as a UV sterilizer, just in a liquid form.


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## jeffboyarrdee (Aug 25, 2004)

here is a quick update on my tank

everything is still going well. no major changes to the tank or dosing. i still really need to get some fish hahaha. well enjoy.


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## fresh_lynny (Mar 9, 2006)

One word...... gorgeous!


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## PasD (Sep 2, 2006)

Wow, amazing tank. I'll be using it as a model for my future tank.


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## sayn3ver (Sep 1, 2006)

i love it.

As for fish, what are you leaning towards?


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## Y0uH0 (Dec 19, 2005)

Wow,it is really beautiful. And it is such a great difference from when you first started it. Simply stunning. Now the fish,and everything would be perfect!


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## kzr750r1 (Jun 8, 2004)

*Awsome!*

Ok this is it. I really have to get four bulb tech to add two more 54w over my 55. You have some awsome stem groupings and the HC growth is steller. Keep up the good work!:thumbsup:


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## Finch_man (Mar 21, 2006)

is that HC your using? Very nice.


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## A Hill (Jul 25, 2005)

fresh_newby said:


> One word...... gorgeous!


couldnt of said it better myself! the plants look great! it looks very dutch/ADA to me. nice mix of style, the plants look great, the bulb combination makes them really shine i guess.

you did a great job.

get a nice school of a dozen or so rummy nose tetras. im pretty sure they wont eat most adult shrimp, and babies wont have a problem hiding in there. 

also maybe get some hatchet fish for the upper stata? would look cool with some marble or silver ones.

- fish newb -


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## jeffboyarrdee (Aug 25, 2004)

that sounds AWESOME! 
marble hatchets! i sure will try to search for those. and yes a school of some sort of tetra is what i want to get. fish will sureley set the tank alive!

yes it is an HC foreground, im surprised at its growth its one of my favorite parts of the tank because it looks so soft hahahaha.


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## A Hill (Jul 25, 2005)

yeah marble hatchets are cool but im not sure how jumpy they can get... so you might want to put a glass top on the first few weeks to a month to make sure they dont jump.

rummynose tetras are probly a very good choice because they are a very tight schooling fish and their red nose will probably help to accent the red plants. and they just look really cool.

you did a great job with this tank

- fish newb -


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## Lorenceo (Jan 29, 2004)

That looks fantastic. :eek5: 
Great job man!
As or fish, some sort of Apisto would look nice in there with the school of tetras..


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## riverrat (Jul 14, 2005)

Your tank looks great! It also looks big which I think you pulled off nicely. What are the dimensions? What size eheim are you using? 2126?

You have the touch I'll say. This creation has competition entry in its future.


Keep up the good work,
river


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## jeffboyarrdee (Aug 25, 2004)

hey!

thanks everyone! well schooling of tetras is a must, i will surely get them soon. a school of hatchets sounds like a great idea. and i have a plastic lid on it as of now just to prevent evaporation, cuz i am not able to tend to my tank often as id like. 

the dimensions of this tank is a standard 50R TRUVU tank, so im recalling off the top of my head...36"L x 15"W x 24"H
and im using a 2126 freshwater eheim with thermo

id like to enter this tank in a competition, but i didnt expect to get a nice looking aquascape out of this honestly. i made this dutch style because i wanted to grow alot of plants to see which ones i would like to use in an alternative aquascape to enter in a competition. but since this is turning out really good, im sure i need to tweak it here and there.


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## Overfloater (Jan 12, 2004)

Very nice. I have to admit I am not a fan of your drifwood layout but the way you have created very well-defined, distinctive stem plant groupings really catches my eye. The planty health amazing looks amazing also. Great work!


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## jeffboyarrdee (Aug 25, 2004)

yea i am not satisfied with my driftwood either, i should have gotton longer pieces


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## chinchek787 (Aug 28, 2005)

Very nice, this may have been answered before but where did u get (or make) that light stand?


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## jeffboyarrdee (Aug 25, 2004)

the black stand for the tank was bought from a carpenter that made it for me, and i primed and painted it myself. the lights are hanging from a homemade metal frame that is bolted to the back of my stand. the metal bars and brackets and bolts are all from home depot.


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## gabeszone247 (Jul 8, 2006)

SWEET! I love your plants!


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## jeffboyarrdee (Aug 25, 2004)

yea my plants are doing well. i want to take some semi professional photos of my tank, but all i have is a digital camera. i guess i will have to try my best with what i have. 

after i grow my plants out another time after this one, i will try a new aquascape...which means saving up for some nice rock, because i wanna try a tank with a rock hardscape.


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## andbigdaddy2 (Oct 3, 2006)

Hey maybe i missed it but how much did you pay to have someone custom make your stand? I want to know if im getting good estimates or not.


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## jeffboyarrdee (Aug 25, 2004)

my stand cost me around 350 to 400 dollars. they usually get more pricey for more precision and paint jobs


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## plantbrain (Dec 15, 2003)

Few weeks ago I realized, I've never bought a stand for any home tanks other than a couple of the iron wrought ones because they were light and easy to move and small/stackable.

DIY the stand is a simple thing.
I've made dozens of them over the years, some from solid oak, some veneer MDF, some from MGF and painted etc.

I might spend 30-70$ at most for one.
Nice wood will cost more, but MDF and a paint job/finishes can reduce the cost much more.

Textured finishes look nice and hide imperfections and are rock hard.
They can be colored then shot with clear coats for cleaning and durability.

Cab shops do a very good job for the $$$ and are very reasonable vs the pre made aquarium stands often sold, you have to go ask the cab shop to make it etc, but they are very good and you get precisely what you want.

Regards, 
Tom Barr


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## jeffboyarrdee (Aug 25, 2004)

yea i spent alot for a stand i know. and i think its only mdf wood i actually am not sure...i take back the cost. it cost me $200 cuz i got it from a wholesaler but he charged me some extra labor costs. because i wanted a specific design and precision because i intended to buy one of those 45 gallon ADA tanks but i decided to save some money, but i still really want a glass tank. hahaha


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## dogg76 (Jan 31, 2004)

Jeff:"my stand cost me around 350 to 400 dollars"

Tom:"I might spend 30-70$ at most for one."


Jeff:"i take back the cost. it cost me $200 cuz i got it from a wholesaler but he charged me some extra labor costs. because i wanted a specific design and precision. i spent alot "


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## thumperinflorida (Mar 27, 2006)

You should try a school of Threadfin Raindows (Iriatherina werneri). Wonderful fish. Very hardy. The male's display is amazingly beautiful.
http://img242.imageshack.us/img242/5934/threadfin1ir8.jpg


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## livebearer (Jun 4, 2006)

oh yea these are very nice i have a trio 2 males and 1 female, i will be trying to breed them next year around jan /feb. the males will raise the long top fin at each other and the females. pretty cool. funny thing is no fish in my tank mess with them and i have some *supposedly mean ciclids* in there with them.


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## fresh_lynny (Mar 9, 2006)

I have 8 featherfin rainbows...a lot like threadfins but thick and very long...past their tails.


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## thumperinflorida (Mar 27, 2006)

same fish

but either way it is a great edition. I have 15 in a 45 gallon tank and they are spectacular!


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## Marc (Oct 13, 2004)

plantbrain said:


> I might spend 30-70$ at most for one.
> Nice wood will cost more, but MDF and a paint job/finishes can reduce the cost much more.


That must have been a small tank- a sheet of mdf already cost close to $30.


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## plantbrain (Dec 15, 2003)

Not sure where you get yours, 18$ a sheet for 5/8" MDF and the tank was a 90 gallon. Cost me 50$ total and that was mostly for the finish(I like a nice finish).

Wood: 18$
Hardware: 3$ for the hinges for the door, 6 $ for the construction angle ties(these are much better/stronger/cheaper than the other L shaped ties, they run about 40 cents each at Home Depot, I get 12 or so), box of 1/2" screws. 

Tools:A drill and jig saw. 
Home Depot etc will make the cuts for you there.

Smart cuts in the sheet also make the most from the single sheet.
I only waste about 24"x 6" piece for a stand for 70-90 gallon tank(20x50 stand "surface"). The stand is 24.5" tall.
Has one very large access door.

Jeff, 
I sent Ian the location for the rocks as well.
See if you can both head up there together and perhaps Buon might get away from the house destruction for a bit as well.


Regards, 
Tom Barr


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## Anthony (Jan 11, 2005)

Is that a Sea Clear Acrylic? I wish I would have gotten the 50 gallon instead of the 40.


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## jeffboyarrdee (Aug 25, 2004)

its a truvu 50R


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## Marc (Oct 13, 2004)

plantbrain said:


> Not sure where you get yours, 18$ a sheet for 5/8" MDF and the tank was a 90 gallon. Cost me 50$ total and that was mostly for the finish(I like a nice finish).
> 
> Wood: 18$
> Hardware: 3$ for the hinges for the door, 6 $ for the construction angle ties(these are much better/stronger/cheaper than the other L shaped ties, they run about 40 cents each at Home Depot, I get 12 or so), box of 1/2" screws.
> ...


WOW that's a good price Tom, you must tell me where you get all your supplies? I built 2 of these stands with a friend- One for Ian and one for myself and material alone came close to $100 not including finish. Here is the one we built. We used 3/4 material FYI. 
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/photo-album/36286-ada-120cm-tank-w-diy-stand.html


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## jeffboyarrdee (Aug 25, 2004)

i bought new fish a few weeks ago, 20 red tail rasporas, 10 pencil fish, 2 red finned ottocinclus, and 6 bleeding heart tetras.

my tank so far is very overgrown and i need to do a major trim and move some plants around. This winter after my semester ends, i am going to rescape the tank with maybe a rock layout. ill update a new picture soon.


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## fresh_lynny (Mar 9, 2006)

cool Jeff...we will keep our eyes peeled.


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## DR.V (Oct 29, 2006)

Very very very nice !!!


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## jeffboyarrdee (Aug 25, 2004)

Here is a quick update after last weekend, i hacked away at the tank and redid the planting. i took out a few plants and am sticking to red indica on the two sides, green indica in the center, crypts and blyxa in the midground, and HC in the foreground. i have 25 brilliant red tail rasporas, 6 bleeding heart tetras, 10 penci fish, 2 red finned ottos, and 15 amano shrimp. i will update again as soon as it growns in more and another trim!


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## fresh_lynny (Mar 9, 2006)

Jeff, looking real good! This will grow into quite a nice scape with great color contrast for sure!


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## kzr750r1 (Jun 8, 2004)

Nice lookin redo Jeff. Those otto's are neat looking too. Kep us posted.


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## George (Sep 11, 2004)

I've spent the last 30 mins+ reading through this journal.

Jeff - this is a great tank! I love the combination of styles, both Dutch and Nature, unique and refreshing.


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## jeffboyarrdee (Aug 25, 2004)

thanks! i just added some more crypts today and plantlets of anubias nana. and i did a 30 percent water change, it takes alot outa you! but i have this system of tubes that i just connect to my sink! so i dont have to carry water at all.


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## weeds (Mar 28, 2004)

Beautiful tank! I'm really interested in the ADA substrate you used. How do you like it and where did you order it from?

Thanks


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## jeffboyarrdee (Aug 25, 2004)

hey weeds,
i am using ADA powersand underneath, and on top of that, ADA amazonia aquasoil. i live in san francisco so i goto Aquaforest Aquariums in the city. They have a wide selection of plants, even rare plants, as well as all of the ADA products. aquaforestaquarium.com

so far its working great. THe plants are growing exceptionally well in this substrate. It does mess around with the water chemistry within the first few weeks. but after frequent water changes, it stabalizes.


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## jeffboyarrdee (Aug 25, 2004)

hello quick question...

whats is the difference between rotala indica or rotala rotundafila, or rotala nanjean? if anyone has any knowledge on what kind of rotalas i have that would be great. i especially would like to know what rotala nanjean is or if its the same.


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## plantbrain (Dec 15, 2003)

_Rotala indica_ is a common weed in the Delta, rice patteis here in CA we do not have in our tanks.

You might consider changing the layout's substrate sloping, making opposing hill sides and elevating the wood will place more emphasis and give a deeper feel.

All you hve now is a simple front to back slope.
Think about how changing that would help the design.
50-70% water changes 2x a week for 3-4 weeks and it'll do well and dosing thereafter.

Needs a little asymmetry in the hardscape perhaps but........good trimming can resolve this once the weeds in the rear grow in.


Regards, 
Tom Barr


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## Marc (Oct 13, 2004)

jeffboyarrdee said:


> hello quick question...
> 
> whats is the difference between rotala indica or rotala rotundafila, or rotala nanjean? if anyone has any knowledge on what kind of rotalas i have that would be great. i especially would like to know what rotala nanjean is or if its the same.


Here is the Nanjen








Rotundifolia


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## jeffboyarrdee (Aug 25, 2004)

so rotala indica and rotundifolia are pretty similar, i see how the nanjean is much more thinner in leaf width...interesting id like to get my hands on some of that nanjean...


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## xcooperx (Jun 21, 2006)

who is more redder, indica or rotundufilia?

im planning to change my flourite to ADA AS, what would you guys suggested do 100% water change or save the water from the previous tank, and what effect does this AS will do on my tank that i need to WC 2x in 2-4 weeks?


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## weeds (Mar 28, 2004)

Thanks Jeff, I might think about ordering some of this. Looks great and I'm sure it works great as far as plants....but when you say it mess' with the water chemistry..lows ph..lows KH...increase's ph & KH??????


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## jeffboyarrdee (Aug 25, 2004)

it lowers everything, the water becomes very soft....during the first two weeks i add this powder that raises gh and kh so that the water doesnt fluctuate so easily. That is why frequent water changes are needed especially in the beginning...But after that...the plants love the soft water!


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## fresh_lynny (Mar 9, 2006)

jeffboyarrdee said:


> so rotala indica and rotundifolia are pretty similar, i see how the nanjean is much more thinner in leaf width...interesting id like to get my hands on some of that nanjean...


I have some I can get to you, Jeff....


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## xcooperx (Jun 21, 2006)

jeffboyarrdee said:


> it lowers everything, the water becomes very soft....during the first two weeks i add this powder that raises gh and kh so that the water doesnt fluctuate so easily. That is why frequent water changes are needed especially in the beginning...But after that...the plants love the soft water!


This is Bad for Plants or not? My tank doesnt have any Fish or shrimp so this mean that im okay?

What is your current Gh, KH and Ph? Right now my Gh is 11, Kh 9, ph 7


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## fresh_lynny (Mar 9, 2006)

xcooperx said:


> This is Bad for Plants or not? My tank doesnt have any Fish or shrimp so this mean that im okay?
> 
> What is your current Gh, KH and Ph? Right now my Gh is 11, Kh 9, ph 7


Your plants would do great in AS with your kh being so high. You will not have to add anything, just use the AS


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## jeffboyarrdee (Aug 25, 2004)

hey everyone! its been almost a month since i replanted my tank! its going well, but i have been constantly trying to kill the BBA in my tank. its growing on my driftwood and plants. Soon ill be redoing the whole tank with all new layout and driftwood and rocks.

here are a few pictures of the tank now.


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## fresh_lynny (Mar 9, 2006)

Jeff...it looks beautiful. So is the aquasoil showing you a significant change since you put it in?
What do you have in mind for your new layout?


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## trckrunrmike (Jul 20, 2005)

Why doesn't my rotala green look like that :-/


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## jeffboyarrdee (Aug 25, 2004)

ill take pictures of my new driftwood soon, i kind of want a branchy/mossy feeling with crypts surrounding, and balansei in the background and maybe a hairgrass foreground.


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## PasD (Sep 2, 2006)

Your rotala green looks amazing. I would love to buy some if you have any extra stems.


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## jeffboyarrdee (Aug 25, 2004)

hey!

i trimmed the plants a couple weeks ago, and decided to share a few quick pictures.


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## sNApple (Nov 6, 2005)

Tank looks good. When i had wood in my tank, it got covered in BBA, when i switched to rocks maybe like 1% of the rock had BBA, which has virtually nothing.


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## PasD (Sep 2, 2006)

Your plants growth is amazing. What's your fert regimen for this tank?


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## jeffboyarrdee (Aug 25, 2004)

so far... i just squirt 6ml of ADA Brighty K daily...and like 1ml squirt of ADA step 1 daily...i do a weekly water change of maybe 30%-40%. i am thinking about re-aquascaping this tank with all new wood that i have sitting around from AFA and new types of plants (thinking about a moss and crypts tank). 

i am in the works of setting up a MINI L ADA tank...i built my own ADA style stand...and i will update on everything about that when i get the tank planted and running. 
heres a little preview...


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## fresh_lynny (Mar 9, 2006)

awesome Jeff...if/when you change scapes, can I buy your rotala green from you please?


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## jeffboyarrdee (Aug 25, 2004)

ill send you some sure!...but thats when i actually begin to redo my tank...i dont know exactly when...but it will be in the near future.


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## esarkipato (Jul 19, 2005)

Love the tank. It's obvious you are getting plenty of co2 to your plants, I'm just not sure how??!! Is the microbubble diffuser the only source of co2? Isn't the filter outflow on the opposite corner????

Sorry for all the questions, the tank looks wonderful.


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## jeffboyarrdee (Aug 25, 2004)

the Co2 diffuser is yes the only place where the CO2 is getting into the tank...and yes my outflow is on the opposite side...i just thought it was where the flow picked up...because if i put it on the same side...the corner wouldnt be as "whirly" hahaha im not sure...i just always put it on the opposite side...does anyone else have a better answer?


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## jeffboyarrdee (Aug 25, 2004)

Here is the makeover of my 50 gallon. Its kind of not doing so well at the moment...about half my crypts have melted so far...so i had taken out the dead leaves and performed a waterchange. I also added Brighty K, green gain, green bacter, and python git to see if it will relieve some of the plant stress and add a little nutrients. I am probably guessing it could be pH shock, or just shock in general to a totally new environment. I never have luck with crypts in the beginning...but i know that they always grown back if i dont take out the main root. If you guys have any advice on how to keep my crypts healthy...as well as a tank with slow growers as you can see... i have crypts, anubias, and dwarf hair grass. 

The background far left and right : cryptocrine balansae
The background mid left and right: cryptocrine pygmea
Midground far left and right : cryptocrine bronze wendtii
Midground mid left and right: cryptocrine beckettii
Midground middle: cryptocrine pavara
Foreground: dward hair grass
wood centers: x-mas moss
wood branches: java moss
wood branches: anubias nana

i am going to transfer to another college this fall away from home, so i am starting a low maintainance...well slow growing planted tank...so i transformed my 50 gallon to something like this.


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## James From Cali (Dec 15, 2006)

Looks very natural and nice and I cant wait for how it will look when it fills in.


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## jeffboyarrdee (Aug 25, 2004)

Has anyone ever kept amazon puffers with amazon angelfish? i heard that the amazon puffers are peaceful, but can only get a little nippy during feeding times. Has anyone tried a similar situation, not necessarily with angelfish, but with other small fish too. My LFS said that if i truly got amazon puffers, they wouldnt even bother my amano shrimp.


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## aquanut415 (Jan 21, 2006)

hey jeff.. nice looking tank.

i have had zero luck with finding kind dwarf puffers, they eventually seem to get hungry and nippy....

justin at ocean claims that if you keep them in 3's they sorta tame eachother... i tried that and a few days later noticed many nips marks on my cories tails.. looked pretty bad.

i would say if you plan to add puffers with shrimp, plan to lose at least some shrimp.


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## jeffboyarrdee (Aug 25, 2004)

do you think amazon puffers would bother my amazon angels? i know dwarf puffers arent nice...


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## Casty (Sep 28, 2006)

I wouldn't put any puffer with an angelfish. They are all way too curious and I will guarantee you they will nip their fins.


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## PasD (Sep 2, 2006)

You've got some really nice pieces of driftwood. The cryptocorynes will bounce back in no time. They grow very well in AS, but they just need to adjust to their new environment.


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## esarkipato (Jul 19, 2005)

Nice! I like it, the driftwood becomes the focus. YOu just might have to change the title of the thread, though (dutch....? ). 

I'm sure you said back on page 1,2,3,4 or something but where did you get the wood, and do you know what kind it is?


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## jeffboyarrdee (Aug 25, 2004)

how do i change the thread title? HAHA

well anyway the driftwood is from aquaforest, i think its from the rio *****, pretty much the amazon. Its really nice driftwood, it does leach some yellowish tanins even after soaking for like 2 months. I know it will not be as yellow as the water changes progress. 

the livestock now:
10 puruvian angelfish (pterophyllum scalare)
4 puruvian/amazon zebra ottocinclus
1 regular ottocinclus
1 ottocinclus nager
1 SAE
1 pencifish (unknown)

the angelfish and zebra ottos are wild caught, they look really really good with this driftwood. ill try and update with a pic soon.


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## skabooya (Apr 15, 2005)

ooo yes please pics PICS! i love angelfish and your setup for them looks AMAZING


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## esarkipato (Jul 19, 2005)

Please tell me you are gonna get some dwarf cichlids!?!?!?


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## jeffboyarrdee (Aug 25, 2004)

would dwarf cichlids bother amano shrimp?

i will need to do some research, can anyone jumpstart me?


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## jeffboyarrdee (Aug 25, 2004)

Hey this is a quick update on the peruvian angelfish and zebra ottos. The angelfish i have just been feeding frozen bloodworms (1/2 a cube) and the zebra ottos are not like regular ottos i have noticed. They definitely are more active in cleaning/eating off of the plants and wood, i can always catch them moving around. 
As of my plants, all my crypts have stopped melting, and now hoping for them to bounce back with some healthier looking leaves hopefully! I got this new crypt called cryptocorine lingua, it has very thick round leaves, and is definitiely very green, i hope it will grow well in my tank, we'll see how my conditions suit it, i dont know much about this kind of plant. 

















this is a newly added plant, cryptocorine lingua








this is one of the zebra ottos








pterophyllum scalare


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## esarkipato (Jul 19, 2005)

Great shots, your altums look wonderful. Very interesting crypt species, too. Judging from your placement, I assume that it will grow fairly tall?

Also, what is the plant in front of the crypt lingua?


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## jeffboyarrdee (Aug 25, 2004)

that is crypt parva, or parvara. its a mini crypt foreground plant. It grows very very slowly.


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## tiffamisu (Feb 5, 2007)

beautiful!


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## Wingsdlc (Dec 9, 2005)

Your crypt lingua look a lot like some plants we just got in at my store. I have never seen them before. 

Here is a link to what I have found about them.

http://www.nationaalherbarium.nl/Cryptocoryne/Gallery/lin/lin.html

I would worry more about your angles eatting the Amanos than a dwarf cichlid. Very nice fish BTW. I would love to get my hands on the zebra otos someday!roud:


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## jeffboyarrdee (Aug 25, 2004)

cryptocoryne lingua is actually a very hardy plant, it didnt melt at all, but it does grow slowly, which is perfect for this slow growing tank. Yea my angels are generally very peaceful and actually dont bother my amano shrimps. We'll see how this tank grows out, it will be a few months before significant changes can be noticed.


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## Betowess (Dec 9, 2004)

jeffboyarrdee said:


> would dwarf cichlids bother amano shrimp?
> 
> i will need to do some research, can anyone jumpstart me?


I have never seen a dwarf cichlid bother Amano shrimps and I have a total of six various Apistos (four A. cacatoides and two A. borellii) in both of my tanks and the Amanos are fine.. They might eat baby cherry shrimp. 

Nice new slow grow setup. The wood is outstanding.


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## jeffboyarrdee (Aug 25, 2004)

here is another picture update

not much has changed, not loss in fish, plants are doing fine, but my moss looks like its browning and stunting so im not sure how well its gonna grow, i think i will just keep trimming it. 

my zebra ottos love cucumber and they eat a slice every 2 days which is cool. i have finally gotten my angels to eat spectrum which i think would be a good part of their diet for other nutrients than juts feeding them frozen bloodworms all the time, so i try to switch it around every other day.


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## macclellan (Dec 22, 2006)

Betowess said:


> I have never seen a dwarf cichlid bother Amano shrimps and I have a total of six various Apistos (four A. cacatoides and two A. borellii) in both of my tanks and the Amanos are fine.. They might eat baby cherry shrimp.


My Bolivian rams and l. curviceps don't eat amano shrimp. They just terrorize them until the have a heart attack and die. :fish: 

Very nice tank setup. But, um, those plants aren't all from the amazon. You must have meant fish only?


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## jeffboyarrdee (Aug 25, 2004)

yes fish, definitely not the plants


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## chippie (May 9, 2007)

what plant did u use for cover of gravel at the front of the tank on page 7 ?


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## jeffboyarrdee (Aug 25, 2004)

that was a buttload of HC !!!
if i still had it...i think it would have been fun to do an iwagumi style tank.
maybe in the future


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## Raul-7 (Oct 17, 2003)

I love the hardscape! Is it manzanita?

Great potential with this tank. Are those Peruvian (wild) Angels?


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## jeffboyarrdee (Aug 25, 2004)

the wood is like from south america from either the rio ***** or the basin. I got it from aquaforest aquariums in SF. the wood looked really nice, and so i couldnt pass it up and i had to buy it.

oh and yea, the angels are wild caught peruvian angels from ocean aquarium in SF. The owner there always tells me about the rare fish he gets and i couldnt pass these angels up either, i just love the coloration of wild fish, and i thought they would look great with the hardscape in my tank. They are very peaceful and active at the same time. It was also interesting to know that the steinhart aquarium (academy of sciences museum) had bought 24 of those peruvian angels from him as well.


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## jeffboyarrdee (Aug 25, 2004)

Hello! alot has grown out since the last update. My balansae is growing slowly and some leaves still melt. I thought it was the ammonia or water quality so i kept a regime of Brighty K, Step 1, and Green bacter for the beneficial bacteria growth. The water quality is better, but still dirty because i have 10 peruvian angels. Should i get rid of maybe 4 angels? I know that even my crypt lutea and crypt pygmea look stunted and dont seem to be growing, but dont seem to be dying. Is there a reason why? or anything that i can do to make them grow?


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## mr.sandman (Nov 7, 2006)

Ya I think you should cut down on the angels it seems a little crowded in there.


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## jeffboyarrdee (Aug 25, 2004)

Ok everyone...there has been a major change in the scape and plants in this tank since my last update. I was having trouble growing crypts, i guess the tank was getting dirty fast and with such a great bioload i couldnt keep up with the cleaning and syphoning because the wood was in the way for the most part, and my crypts werent really growing fast enough to fight off some algae. SO i thought that i would re-do the aquascape because i wasnt really pleased with the wood before, and i wanted to use faster growing plants. So i traded all my balansae for valsneria nana, and i got rid of the becketti and got cyprus helferi. I have planted these in hopes that they would grow faster, and help keep my tank a little cleaner. and the wood arrangement makes it alot easier for me to gravel vac most areas of the tank without have to struggle. This tank is probably only a week old, so the water JUST cleared up because i had a bacteria bloom and so when the plants grow out it will hopefully look alot better, and definitely different. As for the java ferns, they are needle leaf java fern in the middle, and the two sides have phillipines java fern which is like a mini java fern and it stays small and the veins in the leaves are more distinct, its a very beautiful plant, one of my favorites.

as for the fish i had lost 2 angels due to internal infections and they had died of starvation, i managed to heal the 8 left, and i took out my SAE's cuz they were eating all the worms and getting real big. An d i took out the 2 chocolate guoramis and i added 2 gudgeon fish, and 2 AMAZON pUFFERS which are AWESOME!


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## unirdna (Jan 22, 2004)

I LOVE this setup. That driftwood is spot on for an Amazon style tank full of angels. I hope your issues clear up, because this one has amazing potential.


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## kzr750r1 (Jun 8, 2004)

Nice change and good luck with this new replant.


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## jeffboyarrdee (Aug 25, 2004)

yea i really think it will look much different once the moss kinda grows in and the vals in the back fill it out and make a nice stream look. i really am glad i took the time to redo the wood though, alot easier to view the fish and plants.


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## will5 (Sep 30, 2005)

jeffboyarrdee said:


> Ok everyone...there has been a major change in the scape and plants in this tank since my last update. I was having trouble growing crypts, i guess the tank was getting dirty fast and with such a great bioload i couldnt keep up with the cleaning and syphoning because the wood was in the way for the most part, and my crypts werent really growing fast enough to fight off some algae. SO i thought that i would re-do the aquascape because i wasnt really pleased with the wood before, and i wanted to use faster growing plants. So i traded all my balansae for valsneria nana, and i got rid of the becketti and got cyprus helferi. I have planted these in hopes that they would grow faster, and help keep my tank a little cleaner. and the wood arrangement makes it alot easier for me to gravel vac most areas of the tank without have to struggle. This tank is probably only a week old, so the water JUST cleared up because i had a bacteria bloom and so when the plants grow out it will hopefully look alot better, and definitely different. As for the java ferns, they are needle leaf java fern in the middle, and the two sides have phillipines java fern which is like a mini java fern and it stays small and the veins in the leaves are more distinct, its a very beautiful plant, one of my favorites.
> 
> as for the fish i had lost 2 angels due to internal infections and they had died of starvation, i managed to heal the 8 left, and i took out my SAE's cuz they were eating all the worms and getting real big. An d i took out the 2 chocolate guoramis and i added 2 gudgeon fish, and 2 AMAZON pUFFERS which are AWESOME!


The tank look great.:icon_smil 

I just wanted to say to watch out for the Amazon Puffers because even though they are the most peaceful puffer they will still take chunks out of other fish such as those angles and the are really nice looking, but they won't if let in the tank with those puffers for too long.


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## jeffboyarrdee (Aug 25, 2004)

ok ill keep an eye on them, i too wasnt sure if i should add them...right now they seem fine but maybe when they get bigger or more comfortable ill have to remove them. I even had to remove the chocolate guoramis because they were aggressive and guarding the worm feeder that i use.


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## bienlim (Nov 30, 2006)

my kind of tank,i like it and good job.cant wait to see it matured


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## jdmstop (Aug 24, 2007)

*Awesome tank*

Jeff, Awesome tank..

I was wondering what brand of paint and primer did you use to paint the cabinet, it looks awesome. Now will your paint and primer work on MDF? And also if you dont mind can you tell me what kind of brush you used to paint the cabinet, I recently spray painted my cabinet because it was the way the dudes at home depot recommended and it came out looking like doo doo.. thanks in advance.


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## MikeyP (Aug 19, 2007)

WOW Jeff, great job !!! You have giving me some ideas for the 120 I am doing now....Keep it up man!!!


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## jeffboyarrdee (Aug 25, 2004)

Here is another update since i left for school and came back this weekend for thanksgiving.
i actually cleaned this tank up last presidents day weekend, so i didnt really work on it this weekend.
the valsneria nana grew real fast, and the fish are still alive, and there is alot of algae, like hair algae and green slime all over the moss and grass, but sometimes its dying, and sometimes when i come back home its back like crazy. i think if i were home to do weekly water changes it would go away, but i guess its ok. the vals have algae on them too. =(


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## fresh_lynny (Mar 9, 2006)

Jeff...beautiful tank!
Perfect for those fish for sure.


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## styxx (Jul 2, 2003)

That last pic is the best...have you ever considered replacing the bulbs in your lighting? I've noticed after 6 months there is a discernible difference between the old and a brand new bulb (and I wouldn't have ever thought about it if I didn't have one to compare it to either)...just a thought...


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## jeffboyarrdee (Aug 25, 2004)

yea i usually change the bulbs after 12 months, but in a tank like this, i dont really need intense intense lighting, because the vals and hair grass grow like crazy real fast, so as the light becomes weaker, it kind of makes my job of maintenance a little bit easier.


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## ikuzo (Jul 11, 2006)

what a jungle!
are those hairgrass still doing well under the shade of those valls?


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## styxx (Jul 2, 2003)

What's the status on this tank? Anything new to report?


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## jeffboyarrdee (Aug 25, 2004)

the tank still has slimy algae as usual, if i only was able to keep up with water changes i could battle my algae, but for now the plants still grow and the fish still live.


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## skabooya (Apr 15, 2005)

beautiful just beautiful. Im using this tank as a model for my low light 32 gal angel tank


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## unirdna (Jan 22, 2004)

I know the "judges" would frown on that algae. But, c'mon, what a beaut. It looks like a slice right out of the pond. I'd love to have this tank in my home.


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## lstratton (Jan 7, 2008)

Just to let you know that the puffer that you have aren't amazon puffers. They are South american puffers or colomesus asellus. They are the most peaceful of pufferfish and they shoal with each other. Also they need to be feed a diet of mainly snails as their teeth grow very quickly. You will no doubt have to trim them. If you don't and their teeth overgrow, their jaws lock and then they starve to death. If you go onto the puffer forum, you will find more details on how to trim their teeth and it isn't as scary as it sounds.
Your tank looks amazing though, I hope my one that i'm planning can look as good as yours.


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## jeffboyarrdee (Aug 25, 2004)

thanks unirdn for the comments, hopefully in the summer when im back from school, ill be able to combat the algae and take a nice final picture.

yea istratton you are right they are colomesus asellus. they are actually from Peru, which i think is right outside the amazon river basin? or maybe its connected im not sure.but yea since they ate all my snails, i feed them only blood worms and whenever i come home, (holidays) i actually catch them, tranquilize them with clove oil, and use cuticle cutters to trim their beaks. its actually quite fun. The first time i did it, it was terrifying, i thought i would smash them with my fingers.


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## Canoe2Can (Oct 31, 2004)

Parts of Peru drain into the Amazon. Maybe even all of it. I know that I've read that the Amazon or one of its tributaries is navigable all the way into Peru.

Edit: A quick check of the world atlas confirms that almost all of Peru is within the Amazon basin. Only the western slope of the Andes is not.


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## jeffboyarrdee (Aug 25, 2004)

yea so to me they are considered AMAZON puffers HAHA


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## jeffboyarrdee (Aug 25, 2004)

Ok so bad news...angels and puffers have been dying off one by one, since my brother doesnt really know how to take care of the fish...i thought just feeding them would be fine, but i dont know if he doest that consistently. So ive decided to take out whatever fish i had left and i got 3 pitbull plecos to go into the tank. So now my tank has no fish that really need to be fed. There are only a few amanos, a number of ottocinclus niger, and 3 pitbull plecos. the plecos only grow to be like 3-4 inches which is pretty small, and im hoping they would eat up alot of the algae that the dead carcasses created. Hopefully this new change will help with the algae while im away. but other than that...the tank is ok i guesss...alot of blue green slime algae...some green beard algae. Nothing a healthy tank cant compete!









The tank after a MAJOR cleaning!









the underside of a pitbull pleco, they are shy so its hard to get a picture of them.









one of the shrimp


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## lopez_316us (Jan 25, 2008)

Update?


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