# urb 55 gal



## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

I should have started a journal way way before but I didn't know about the journal option so here it goes!

I'm a recent graduate from Virginia Commonwealth University and after that I pretty much bummed around the house. I got a temp job and had some excess money so I thought "Hey, my tank is kind of lonely...maybe I should do something about it." So I started out by adding my malaysian driftwood centerpiece. From there I thought that it was kind of boring, so I added 2 amazon swords. At that point I figured that I could actually do better than this because I've only heard of planted tanks but never really seen them. So I came to this great forum and found soo many inspiring ideas from a huge gallery of great tanks, and I'm very honored to see so many as well! So here is the beginning tank.

August 25th 2009









At this point this is what I had in my tank:

Equipment:
Rena XP3 Canister Filter
Hood light Fluorescent 25w single

Plants:
Amazon Sword
Wisteria
Driftwood
Some type of lily?

Fishes:
1 guppy
2 gourami
2 mickeymouse platy


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

I was pretty much hooked about my project and just couldn't stop! Before my planted tank I was and still am cultivating bonsai. But after seeing soo many great tanks, I came to the consensus that this is very similar to my bonsai cultivation as I would cultivate a tree and utilize moss to mimic a natural scene. So I did some research on how to apply the same basics in my tank. I found out that riccia was probably the cheapest way to go because at the time the LFS did not carry any foreground plants. I went onto youtube and figured out a way to apply the riccia via rocks and netting. By this time I had a pretty good set up goin. I added a few fishes to get some movement in my tank.

September 27th 2009









Plants:
Riccia
Amazon Swords
Wistera

Fish:
5 Neon Tetra
2 Gourami
2 guppies (yep it was an immaculate conception)
2 Mickeymouse platy

***ALSO at this time, I went out and bought a light fixture. Knowing very little about lights I thought that all I really needed was a bigger light. So, I bought myself a double fluorescent 36" light fixture that had 25w bulbs. I will later hate myself for buying that light...


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

A week passes and there was a family gathering at my house. My cousin who I believe is a fishkeeper expert was criticizing my tank. He had asked me how come I didn't use a proper substrate and how come I had 2 light fixtures. Shamed I told him that I was unexperienced and would be honored for his consulting. He said, "you don't need to go and get stuff, next time if you need anything you can get it from me." My cousin had 70 gal salt water tank before but sold it all cause he had kids. He told me to come over tomorrow and I'll give you my seachem flourite substrate and a nova extreme t5 HO light fixture. Needless to say, I was on top of the world.


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

I had picked up the stuff from my cousin but I had some urgent issues to attend to so I postponed adding anything to the tank. I didn't even want to add the lights just to it. I was job hunting...


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

I finally got the time to change my tank and boy was it a hassle. I'll just explain in pictures and a few captions.

October 15th 2009
Here is the Flourite my cousin gave me. Found out that this was just the right amount but wanted more so I went and washed some more.









Draining that tank water, which made my bonsai VEEEEEEEERY happy!!









Riccia that had grown.









Left some of the gravel in there and all that yummy yummy fish waste on the bottom.









Placed the flourite in there.









Placed all the plants in.









Took some riccia and placed it between netting to make carpet.









Tank is full.









I waited a day and a half before putting my fish back into the water. Also, water cleared up within a day.


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

I added the lights to the tank and boy was it bright. Nova Extreme 4x39w bulbs, I had to take it down to just turning on 2 of the 4 bulbs for a good majority of the time and only 2-3 hours of the actual 156w. I found out that the light fixture had 2 regular t5 HO white light bulbs however, the other two were actinic blue bulbs. My cousin called me one day and told me to buy an extra white t5 HO bulb and replace one of the actinic blue bulbs and I should be fine. Here are two pictures to show the differences:

October 19th 2009
ACTINIC Bulbs









Regular 10k white bulbs









Here is the combination of the two


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

By now, I added a 1 liter DIY co2 generator that flows into a powerhead that will chop up the bubbles as it enters a plastic bottle where it will diffuse into the water. Amazed to see some pearling around some areas. However, I feel like I could do better by upgrading the 1 liter to a 2 liter. Will try that next week.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

That tank is an usual shape/size. Do you know who manufactured it?


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

This is an update of my tank as of today.

October 30th 2009
Added a few more plants to the tank can you figure out what it is? lol









Look at that lawn grow!









Another view of the new riccia carpet growing with riccia rocks.









Close up of riccia rock.








***This rock actually had alot of riccia that melted... I guess they didnt like the new tank. but They are doing fine now.

Side view of the tank. No idea why the picture is flattened lol.








***My amazon swords also melted alot...Hoping for it to come back to life with new growth.

Plants:
Scarlet Temple (anyone know the proper name of the plant?)
Anacaris
Wistera
Riccia
Melted Amazon Swords

Fish:
16 Tetras
3 Guppies (WHERE THE HECK DID OTHER ONE COME FROM?!)
1 Platy (Gourami got the other platy)
** Gourami died 1 day before the water change...do not know why.
5 Ghost Shrimp
8 Amano Shrimp (yay)


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

To this point, I'm pretty much satisfied. With the exception of the CO2 increase which I plan to do next week. Is there any suggestions as to what could be added i.e. fish plants?

I'll keep this posted when the riccia lawn comes in full.


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

hydrophyte said:


> That tank is an usual shape/size. Do you know who manufactured it?


I'm sorry I wish I could tell you!! It was a gift from my parents. Do you mean to say that it's unusual in shape and size? Because I thought about the same as well when I got it.


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## Emerica88 (Oct 16, 2009)

It already looks good just wait till it fills in.


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## FrostyNYC (Nov 5, 2007)

It really looks great. I love the 10k lighting. The greens really pop.

I think that instead of wisteria you could go with windelov java fern. It would give you a similar look, and it will adhere to the driftwood for more permanence.

Are you concerned at all with all that riccia about what you'll do when it starts to die below the netting? Do you think that constant trimming will keep it from falling apart? I've always liked the look of riccia lawns and rocks, but I'm concerned about the mess-factor in my tank--floating pieces and whatnot.


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

FrostyNYC said:


> It really looks great. I love the 10k lighting. The greens really pop.
> 
> I think that instead of wisteria you could go with windelov java fern. It would give you a similar look, and it will adhere to the driftwood for more permanence.
> 
> Are you concerned at all with all that riccia about what you'll do when it starts to die below the netting? Do you think that constant trimming will keep it from falling apart? I've always liked the look of riccia lawns and rocks, but I'm concerned about the mess-factor in my tank--floating pieces and whatnot.


thanks for the suggestion! i never knew that the java fern looked like that. i might consider that because the java fern kinda gives me two things in one plant, the bottom being swords and the top being wisteria like. and about the riccia, i have not encountered that problem yet. it's been 2 months with my older riccia and i havent had that problem. but i guess that trimming will be my only way of maintenance. have you had that problem before?


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## sewingalot (Oct 12, 2008)

This is so cool. I can't wait to see it grow in.


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## JennaH (Sep 28, 2009)

i really want to do a riccia carpet in my 55 but i've also heard that it will eventually die under the netting/mesh and float to the top. i think regular trimming will take care of that? but what a mess it will make to trim an entire carpet of riccia! good luck i can't wait to see when it fills in


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

JennaH said:


> i really want to do a riccia carpet in my 55 but i've also heard that it will eventually die under the netting/mesh and float to the top. i think regular trimming will take care of that? but what a mess it will make to trim an entire carpet of riccia! good luck i can't wait to see when it fills in


Thanks alot, I really do believe that trimming it is the best thing to do. it would be a hassle but i plan to take out the whole mesh and just cut it outside the tank. but man, if these were actually practical I'D BUY IT just for the purpose of cutting riccia in the tank. haha










They are bracelets btw, created by a french designer Thomas Jaillot.


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## mountaindew (Dec 10, 2008)

This setup it starting to take shape.
good work
md


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## tanh3 (Oct 14, 2009)

dude, nice tank.


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

I got my drop checker in the mail today! It took a while for it to come though...Not really happy about it taking almost 2 weeks to arrive. It didn't even come with an indicator sheet...Anyways, I placed it into the tank and waited about 3 hours for the water to reach equilibrium. I went back onto ebay and complained to the seller and asked if he could tell me what the colors meant. He told me that blue was insufficient, yellow was too much and green was good. After close evaluation, my drop checker had a very obvious blue but also had a slight hue of green. I figured that it could use some more CO2. I also noticed that alot of the water wistera were pearling a bit; but, it happens inconsistently. So, I decided to upgrade from 1 Liter to a 2 Liter bottle and plan to install it tonight. It's been about 2 weeks since i installed my 1 liter, I figured that it's about time I changed the yeast compound anyways.


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

It's been a while since I posted an update. Since then nothing was added to the tank. However, I did take the my light and took out 1 of the 2 Actinic lights and replaced it with a 6700k 39w bulb and boy did it do wonders! I'm up to 117w with 1 actinic bulb to bring out the fish. i had forgot to turn off the fan for the light and also forgot to plug in the led moon light so when i just turned on the light i found the whole tank filled with pearls. I've had pearls in the past but it was kind of rare but since my whole floor is riccia carpet, my whole floor was shining bright! But I just want to post an update and a time lapse of my tank the first time it was rearranged.

So this is from October 15th to November 11th.









Pearling carpet.









Pearling carpet #2.








This picture was so good that I'm currently using it as my wallpaper! lol.

More Pearling.









I'm just excited because I didn't know if I was capable to make my plants pearl.


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## JennaH (Sep 28, 2009)

looks great! the carpet is filling in nicely!! riccia is great at pearling, it's the only plant of mine i've ever gotten to do it.


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## RipariumGuy (Aug 6, 2009)

How come you are the first person I have seen to use this type of plant carpet? Its awsome!


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

JakeJ said:


> How come you are the first person I have seen to use this type of plant carpet? Its awsome!


the more i think about it, the more i think about how i dug myself a hole...it's not a deep hole but it's a hole. meaning that maintenance is going to suck lol.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

It'll be worth it though--it's a pretty cool idea. Wouldn't it be cool to use your riccia carpet method on a steep slope?


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

you know, after my re-scape i am still rather unhappy with it. i feel like there just isn't enough substrate in the back or substrate in general. with money being tight these days it's rather hard for me to get anything. but if i were to re-scape again, which i plan to because i want this set up to be a "test" for me to get experience and all, i want to try out the ADA soil. hydrophyte do when you say steep slope do you mean to do it like an igwami style? like the illusion of depth.


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

Alas, all good things will come to an end. Several people have warned me before in the beginning about the riccia rotting on the underside of the netting but I thought that trimming would have helped it. After about a month and a half of trim maintenance, nothing really did help slow down the rotting. so i decided to do a tear down of the foreground plant. it was easy though, just pull the stuff up and it's done. good thing i've been selling the riccia, because i had alot and would have felt rather guilty to have just thrown away all that good stuff. saved 2 rocks and replanted it with some riccia for a small adornment rather than before. all the rotted matter basically went around the whole tank and settled, figured that it'll come in handy anyways so good for the tank. I bought some glossostigma but it was kind of dead on one side rather just a small portion of it, but i hope that i can nurse it back to health. will be planning to distribute the glosso once it's ready to be split up. but man, a good 6 months messing around with riccia, it was a good thing lol.


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## brinks (Dec 19, 2007)

I think Scarlet temple plant may be Alternanthera sessilis which is a emersed plant not a true aquatic, but it could be one of the other Alternanthera species which can be grown, but like lots of light to stay red.


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

I added the glosso today and planting it was i gotta admit pretty fun because it was like planting rice in rice paddies. I found that using my thumb to force the roots under did the trick better than using tweezers. Dosed the regular dosage of ferts and added more iron into the mix and reloaded the 1 L diy co2 bottle. Still alot of riccia bits floating up and alot of the rotted riccia clung to alot of the other plants. Will the rotted material disappear or will it stay? Because right now, it looks like fuzz on leaves and stuff.


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

So I wanted to get some pictures in. This is about a week after I got rid of all my riccia. I have still some left over so I'm not hating the plant that much. But man is it bare down there.









This is a rather dark shot of it so I'm going to try to get a brighter pic tomorrow.









So since then I've bought some glosso and here are the pics of the glosso. They have started to spring roots so I'm kinda psyched! 









A brighter shot of the glosso.









Another shot of a different batch.

So, the glosso still has a ways to go but I'm going to keep doing whatever I'm doing.


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## nerdyjon (Sep 12, 2009)

How's the glosso growing?


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

Decided to do a tear down of my old tank. Decided to keep it low. Will post pics later.


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

Had an awesome day today. Thought about doing some work on the tank for a good long time but never really put that much initiative into it. But today I guess it was different today, had my dad's help "Lets clean up your dirty ass tank." Went and bought some baby tears to carpet the foreground. Added alot more substrate flourite and giving the back more substrate to give that more distant look. Took the original center piece malaysian drift wood and put it on its side so that it's not as in your face. it certainly looks more modest now.


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

nerdyjon said:


> How's the glosso growing?


This is a really late reply. It did not do so well as it just grew long and stringy...I thought it was doing great because the glosso seemed like it was spreading runners; however, it was overtaken by algae i believe. I now have baby tears and i hope that it can do better as i have fine tuned my diy co2 generator.


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

Week 5 and things are looking good with the tank. Was battling algae but who isnt? I have reduced the photoperiod to about 7 hours and the algae seems to be subsiding. I also added new plants to the tank. I added a plant that was identified as Ludwigia Cuba but looked nothing like it. Also I added some crypts and penny worts and a few baby tears. It seems to be settling in well. only problem is that I don't understand how i got duck weed or not sure if it is duck weed. I am almost 100% sure that it came from the root ball of the baby tears and what is on top could possibly be just baby tears that was un-rooted but this is something I have to make sure. Anyway, I will post pictures soon of this set up.


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

Finally, I'm uploading some new pics of my new set up. I was also bought 3 bpsemani rainbows for now and 6 zebra danios. They look awesome especially the rainbows i bought have such deep and rich colors. here is a pic of it.


















If you look on the right side, you can see a clump of riccia. It clung to the last set up and somehow blew up within the month. Lol it looks awesome.










BTW!
This is the last picture I took before my tank went south. I think it looked awesome.


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## shrimpo (Aug 2, 2009)

Last picture looks great, well done.


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

This tank sits on a metal work table that seems to be holding up. It's still a bit of a concern as it wobbles...So with a vote of confidence from loved ones and a nudge from a coworker, I was able to bring together a project to move the tank to the basement and also a new stand.

So far the project has cost $100. Will post the work in progress pictures soon.


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

Here are a few pics of the stand. It's still needs staining and doors.





































Handles for the doors. Awesome buy, 3 dollars a pop.









So the top has some laminate floor boards. Didn't want to buy any particle boarding since I have some kind if board in storage. Since these pictures have been taken, I have added molding to the bottom so it looks alot better. I need some doors and also need to stain the whole stand. Looking forward to finishing it all.


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## doncityz (May 17, 2011)

Those riccia carpet are to die for. PRettty awesum. why did u rip it all out?

Anyway seems your glosso needs more light (?) cuz it sorta growing vertically (?).


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

doncityz said:


> Those riccia carpet are to die for. PRettty awesum. why did u rip it all out?
> 
> Anyway seems your glosso needs more light (?) cuz it sorta growing vertically (?).


Oh trust me, if i could keep the Riccia I would. But it was growing out of its means. It grows so fast and the bottom that's attached to the rock has rotted away freeing the whole carpet. I can't keep up with the trimming and when I did trim it was chaotic! And as for the glosso, I figured the plant needed more light lol, but it's gone now...in plant heaven...poor thing...


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## Byakuya (Oct 26, 2011)

wonderful tanks! can't wait to see the new setup


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

So, this weekend is the only weekend with out any chance of rain. I got a good start last night by staining the stand and this morning, before work, I added a layer of satin coating.

All preped and ready.









Decided to go with English Chestnut









Doors opened.









Dried. Looks alot better with daylight hitting the stand.









So, I am satisfied with the color, just that some of the wood took the staining more than others and it's a little un attractive. I added the satin coating so it looks better but I plan to sand it down a bit and reapply the coating and see how that turns out. Any thoughts?


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## aXio (May 29, 2011)

I like how it looks now


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

aXio said:


> I like how it looks now


Oh thank you so much. I had doubts lol.


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

This past weekend, I was able to move the stand inside and also made the huge move. The tank is barren I must warn you first.

Lighting is the normal old hood light.









Open cabinet shot.









Side view.









Another shot.









Morning shot, water cleared.


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

For cyber monday, I ordered myself a pretty good light fixture. Looked at a few websites and it seems like Amazon had the best price. Bought the Coralife 08606 Lunar Aqualight High Output T5 Quad Lamp Fixture, 36-Inch light fixture. There have been plans to have a canopy made for the tank and it's still up in the air at the moment.


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

So I've worked up some plans to build the tank a canopy. I decided to go with a very light wood, pine, and i don't think i need a frame for the canopy because I plan for it to be pretty light in weight. So here are the first few renderings of what I want it to look like.

**The inner bulge is the light so it's not part of the canopy.





































This is an x-ray rendering, trying to show the rim support.


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## frenchymasters (Nov 28, 2011)

i have always wanted to build a canopy for my tank....this gave me some ideas of a nice way. good job


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

My light finally came after a day late due to missed scans and what not. I've installed it and it is everything I've imaged it would be.




























Lunar Lights in action!









Things I still need to do:
1) Get a timer.
2) Build Canopy.
3) Relocate my Diploma.
4) Decide to either get rid of the glass lid or let it stay...


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

Decided over the weekend to finally build the last component, the canopy. This was pretty fun as it was the easiest thing I had to build for this project. No frame, just the shell because I needed it to be light in weight. I just used some angled bracers and screwed them into the wood for support. I used pine as it is light and takes in a wonderful stain as well.

Fitting, without the stain.









Open lid.









Stained.


















Things I still need to do:
1) Seal the whole thing.
2) Let it air dry.
3) Relocate diploma.
4) Decide to either get rid of the glass lid or let it stay...


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

Came home in the nick of time and saved my canopy from certain destruction as it rained and poured. I was missing 1 thing and that was the pull handle. I went to the local Home Depot and found they are officially out and will never sell that kind of pull handle. I was devastated...I asked if they would like to sell me their display, and they just ripped it out and slapped the regular price on it. Got home, leveled out the handle and installed it and did a test fitting.

Here is how it all turned out.





































So happy with the outcome. I just need to get adjusted to the big thing.


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## Doc7 (Apr 7, 2011)

Looks great

Sent from my BlackBerry 9650 using Tapatalk


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

Had a talk with a buddy of mine and he pointed out I may need more substrate since it just does look like an inch all around. Thought about getting some eco-complete to just place ontop of the whole thing since the bottom has all that mulm, no need to mix it all up.


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

I came home last night from work and wanted to check on the light and noticed the heat was unbearable! Apparently leaving the back open is certainly not enough ventilation. So I quickly turned the light off as the light bulb started to pulsate in a strange rhythm. I just about cooked my brand new light. So I turned it off and let it rest the night. Turned the timer off and turned it on in the morning and found no pulsating bulbs, I let out a sigh of relief... So I'm planning on adding some vents to the top of the canopy since the hot air will naturally rise and the light fan is situated at the top and will help expel the hot air out naturally. I also plan to add in two computer fans to create that circulation of air throughout the canopy. So if I add the fans, would I need the vents? I feel like I d since the light fans are so close to the canopy top.

Here's the fan uncovered.









Notice the light fan and how close it is to the canopy ceiling. I think because of the height I should add a vent for natural air exhaust.


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

Got a chance to go to my LFS and bought a 39w 10k light and also one 6700 39w light to replace the two actinics. I changed them in and glad I got the 6700 bulb. I really need to fix up the overheating issue first. I haven't even thought about planting yet as I need some more substrate. So much more to do...


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

Today I was able to visit a local computer store and with the help of a friend, a second opinion, I bought a fan for the canopy. My canopy has some space constraints so I am going to try out the fitting for one fan first. I bought the "Enermax 80 mm Case Fan" the specs are as follows: 

Speed: 1600 rpm
Voltage: 12v
Air Flow: 47.47 CFM
Noise: 15.dBA

Problem with this is cutting the hole to fit the whole unit rather than just drilling the actual fan hole. All due to space restrictions.


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

I did a closer analysis of the specs and realized the CFM was not specified as CFM but m3/h. So I did some calculations and realized its 29 CFM. So given the volume of the canopy it would take about 16 minutes to have pulled out all the heat. This was a good test because the fan was 7.99, an amount I would be willing to sacrifice for the sake of a test. I have another fan in mind; and at least I started small so I can always adjust easier. The fan I saw that will work is 69.69 CFM which will be great. Going to buy two fans, enlarge the inserts and call it a day.

Here are some pics:

Unboxed.









Inserted...I know horrible job, hand saw. Wish I had that vibrating saw!!









Electrical tape.









And she's off!!


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

So it's been over more than an hour since I left my light on with the canopy closed and the fan side is drastically cooler than the other side. If i added the same fan on the other side it would probably bring it down to an ok temp; but still I want a bigger fan circulating air. Temp readings on the side that has no fan reads 107.6 degrees. The side that has a fan has a read of 90 degrees 17.6 degree diff is a pretty substantial finding. The temp without a fan running at all is 135 degrees F. I will invest in the larger fans.


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

Got the fan running over the weekend. Everything looks good to go.




























New fan is rated at 69.69CFM the canopy is now properly ventilated. Only thing to do now is to wait for my Eco complete and add that to the tank and I will be good to go. Can't wait .


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

I received my shipment of eco-complete and this is the first time I have yet to just drop everything and just start working on the tank. So far, it's been a good week and no ideas have come to mind. It seems I'm having the most severe case of planner's block. Nothing comes to mind, it's probably got something to do with not deciding on a style. Then when I decide on a style I have trouble finding hardscape material for that style. I have my chunk of drift wood but it seems too large for what I want to do. I might just need to actually play around with it rather than just imagine what my scape should look like...


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## BoxxerBoyDrew (Oct 16, 2005)

Looking good so far! 

I learned a long time ago when I first started building canopies to leave the back of them mostly open! The first canopy I built was completely enclosed, and it would get VERY HOT and it only had normal output Fluorescents in it! Did the whole fan thing, and they work ok, but back( 1992) then they were expensive and LOUD! So with trial and error I started using a small piece to run along the top of the back to attach the lid to it , and it helped A LOT in keeping everything cool! The only down side is there is some lite that escapes the back of the canopy, but Ya get used to it pretty quick!

You did a AWESOME JOB in the layout with the Ricca lawn! I have always loved the look, but it only last for a small amount of time from what I read! TO BAD, as it is a very beautiful look!

You will love the Rainbow Fish too! My first planted tank was setup with many different types of Rainbows, and was FREAKIN' AWESOME, but I got a wild hair one day and traded them to my Buddy who owned a Fish Shop, and I have kicked myself in the arse for it even since! They have AWESOME COLOR, VERY PEACEFUL, always on the move, and won't outgrow normal medium size tanks(55g and up)! I have 5 Angels in my 55g (48" long) planted setup now, and they are beautiful, but they are always picking on each other! Not as bad as African Cichlids, but for their size ( body's are silver dollar size) they are getting quite aggressive toward each other! So Stick with the Rainbows and your tank will be PEACEFUL!

GREAT work on the Journal! and Keep up the Pics and letting us know how it is going!
Drew

P.S. A Jig Saw is a GREAT saw to have around the house! They are not too expensive either, around $25 at WallyWorld for a OK one! Just get Ya some scrap wood and practice cutting with it, as they can be a pia to keep going straight down a line at first, but i doesn't take long to figure them out! Just get the correct blade for the type of wood you are using and get to cutting!


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

BoxxerBoyDrew said:


> Looking good so far!
> 
> I learned a long time ago when I first started building canopies to leave the back of them mostly open! The first canopy I built was completely enclosed, and it would get VERY HOT and it only had normal output Fluorescents in it! Did the whole fan thing, and they work ok, but back( 1992) then they were expensive and LOUD! So with trial and error I started using a small piece to run along the top of the back to attach the lid to it , and it helped A LOT in keeping everything cool! The only down side is there is some lite that escapes the back of the canopy, but Ya get used to it pretty quick!
> 
> ...


Awesome post. Many kind words . I'm actually really trying to follow the rules and trying to put in my own flare. I've had trouble in the past with this tank but I have to say this time I am more prepared, experience wise and better equipped.

I will stick with the rainbows and maybe add some tetras.


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## BoxxerBoyDrew (Oct 16, 2005)

Also if you are going to do away with the glass lid make sure you protect the Inside of the canopy with some POLYCRYLIC! I use Minwax brand Polycrylic to seal the inside of my canopies! It is WATER-BASED so it won't harm the fish when in is curing as oil based sealers can! I learned the hard way about that! I get the clear semi-gloss and just brush it on everywhere on the inside! Especially in the fan holes as the water vapor will swell the wood around the fan and can cause the fan to have problems, don't ask! A pint can will cover the inside of a 55g canopy at least once! It is a little expensive, around $6-8 dollars, but it WILL SAVE A CANOPY though! I use it even if I am using the glass lids or not! That way the wood doesn't warp any where near like it does if it is unprotected!

Hope this helps!
Drew


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

Great advice Drew! I but I might keep it on just to try but if I don't like it, I know where to look for advice!

I came home to this today









And thought about it, screw it, I'll reuse my driftwood and make it look amazing.

Plan to place it like this off center.









Had this standing for a good while. Didn't like it that much.









Thoughts?


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

Decided today would be the day to work on the tank and really do some real hardscaping. This post is post is picture intensive.

I really thought about the whole golden ratio and it really is more pleasing to the eye.









From the top.









Another shot from the top.









Noticed the small sunken trench and decided it'll be an amazing area to fill the Eco-complete and plant some HC. 









Prepped HC.









The planting tweezers made the job so much easier.









Filling in.









Rice patty farmer. Lol.









About done.









Close up of the sunken trench.









Filling up the water.









All filled.









Still need some more plants. Thinking about getting some dwarf hair grass to plant around the drift wood to soften the transition from driftwood to HC and other future plants.

Planning on posting a list of plants in a bit.


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

*[UPDATE 12/22] urb 55 gal*

This is an update of the growth. Not so much yet, as it's only been a week but wanted to start a mini thread within this thread on the growth of the HC.

Day 7









Day 8








I found an app in my phone that takes pictures of only certain colors. This is good because it really brings out the greens. Even though the eco-complete is already black, this really enhances the color. Not much change but wanted to start that mini thread.


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

So it's been about two weeks since I've added the HC and it seems like my fear of algae bloom is coming to fruition. I've been dosing a little under since I know the HC takes some time to absorb all of the nutrients so I dose ever 3 days rather than daily or every other day. I have yet to get any stem plants because of 2 reasons; 1) It's still the holdiay season so it's now sure how long it'll take; however, we are talking about plants so it should be either next day or 2nd day shipping but that's $$$ 2) No LFS near me carries any plants that's desirable. They have wonderful amazon swords and all but, not really into that. I would love to just stop by my trusty LFS and pick something up but it is just not possible since the one I go to so much closed and had to move. Since I can't wait for a LFS to magically carry plants I want, I plan on ordering plants from an updated list. I can't begin to tell you how much I just want to click on the pay now button.

So here's the plan:
Since the HC is taking root rather nicely, I don't have much to worry. I've left enough spacing in the back to plant the stem plants. Since I have a huge chunck of drift wood, I plan to get some hairgrass to blend in the transitioning thresholds from HC to driftwood and vice versa. Plan to get a 3.5" x 5" mat (more than I really need but they have a sale) to evenly distribute around the tank.

For the midground:
I plan on ordering some Blyxia but they are out but will get some somehow.

As for the background:
I plan on ordering Limnophila hippuroides and some Rotala wallichii. All together, the total price tag on this comes around to $44.69. Not so bad, for 2nd day shipping.

Plan to do some sketches to see if i can get the feel for the tank later on today.


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

Just received my package of plants I ordered. In wonderful condition. Got that mat of dwarf hair grass and it is in wonderful condition. Separated all mat into groups and is now prepped for planting. The other stem plants I got came in 4 bunches when I asked for 3 but they had a sale goin on when you buy three you get one free. Package came and I just dropped everything to prep it since its been in the system for two days. Forgot I have an eye appointment in the afternoon so I just prepped and headed straight for the optometrist. Can't wait to finish the prep and plant!


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

Aside from the planting, it dawned on me that my DIY bottle of CO2 was not producing results, meaning i wasn't getting any CO2 from it and I've set it up 2 days earlier... Found out my yeast had expired...Went to the store and bought myself some active yeast and proofed it and refilled the bottle, resealed the vital areas and immediately got results. These plants need the CO2 so I'm not about to just leave them without it.


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

Just uploaded the pictures and posting them now. I did not order the blyxia as intended.

Upon ordering my stems, I had asked the vendor to do this for me:









And this is what I got:









Wonderful sports, these people.

So,

I decided that I want to create dynamic look and made a sketch a few weeks back. This is what I came up with. Even though some of the plants do not reflect what I currently have I do want to create this scape.









So here is the prepped Limnophila hippuroides and Rotala N. I have actually trimmed it a bit to get the top portion of the stems to add elsewhere in the tank in hopes of it filling in later.









Here is the product.








I intended for the Limnophila to grow thick and dense in the back while the rotala in the midground will be trimmed down to a third of the length. As for the dwarf hairgrass, I want that to be able to create a good transitioning buffer from the HC to the hardscape and the stems.

Another shot.









Substrate level shot.









It's been a good 5 days and, none of the stems and or hairgrass has been uprooted.









I do have a concern. I have enough light and dosing Fertz every other day with DIY CO2; however, I notice my HC browning. Plan to keep a close eye on that. I hope to take more pictures with a proper camera since the iPhone camera is "so-so" at best. Can't wait to see this all fill in.


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

Did some tests and found my nitrates were extremely high. Did a 25% water change hoping that will help with the stablization of the nitrates. I have a substatial amount of stem plants, I wonder why the nitrate levels are so high? Will do another water change friday again to make sure the nitrate levels are within the boundaries. I'll post up some pictures of the deteriorated HC because they are turning brown.


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

Last night, I went and purchaced a master testing kit from API. The one tester I used prior to was a mini one and it seems I have run out. Found a good price for it and snagged it (24 bucks other places selling for 30-36). Got home did the nitrate test because I knew it was my nitrate that was the issue. Here are my findings:

CO2 seems to be adaquate. Plants are all pearling and bubbling.
Drop check reads 30 ppm

pH: 7.6
High Index pH: 7.4
Ammonia: .25ppm
Nitrite: 0 ppm
Nitrate: between 80-160 ppm estimated at around 100 ppm

I had no idea how high my Nitrates were. My other test was totally inaccurate as my results were around 20-30 ppm. It wasn't until I started reading some threads on here and actually read the instructions that I had to shake the bottles. I couldn't believe it was such a massive difference and I had already changed the water earlier this week. It's not a surprise to see this number as the tank is pretty messy with plant debris from the new rescape and a slight hint of tint to the water. I immediately did a 50% water change and found the clarity imrpove drastically. (note to self, I realize now why people stop their filters, the water is amazing and peering down from above is breathtaking.)

I plan to do another test later on today since I changed the water right before bed. This is really my own fault because I have not changed the water in 2 weeks prior to my last water change and I have no one to blame by myself. Did not have the time to. I am glad to see much more accurate results. All I have to dose now is fertz and watch the nitrate levels. Still not sure why my HC is browning. I'm using NPK and dosing Potassium as well.


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

January 14 2012:

It's been exactly two weeks since I've established the plants. I've realized I have been slacking with the fertz possibly once a week since I've been concerned with the overall water parameters. I thought since the nitrate was so high it was possibly due to plants decomposing and what not. When I had tested the water it showed a pretty high nitrate level; however, it was because my test was not calibrated with my current water conditions. I thought I had an outrageous number but it came out to be around 20ppm, even thought it was still high, it was much better than my other readings (100ppm). With that I've been pretty occupied with changing some water every other day (15-20%). Water is at a stable level and I'm dosing on the regular. But, it seems my plants have been under stress because alot of the stems foreground plants have started to brown and I wasn't sure if it was due to me not regularly dosing fertz or if it is because of something else. I took my bubble chopstick diffuser out and installed a power head to chop the co2 bubbles and it is working very well.

Here are some pictures to show the progress."

As it looks today.









Closer up of the Limnophila hippuroides and Rotala N. Notice the rotala is starting to brown at the ends.









Shot of left most side of the tank. Notice the browning of the HC and dwarf hairgrass.









Right most tank shot. Notice more browning.









Close up of the HC browning.









Only good patch of HC left. But some browning has occurred.









More browning.









So here is a comparison 2 weeks ago and two weeks later.
1/1/2012








1/14/2012


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

Side note: If you noticed, my rainbows are missing...Unfortunately, my 4 rainbows are in a better place now...They're in my cousin's 300 gallon.  gotcha...


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## Hcancino (Jun 18, 2011)

Try adding more flow to your tank. That happened to me when I had dhg and not alot of flow at the bottom of my tank. I'm talking about the browning by the way.


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

Update: 1/20/2012

Water change yesterday. Had some tests done and found the nitrate to be between 5-10ppm so exactly what I had wanted. All other parameters are standard. I do believe I have reached an equilibrium. Also, cleaned alot of the diatom out of the tank. Stem plants are making remarkable progress, new shoots everywhere. The HC seems to be making a come back, I did not realize this but I tried to get more water flow to the substrate surface and diverted the nozzle but it was aimed too low, got a nice film on the water surface...Fixed that last night. Hopefully, this routine will produce better results.

One thing I want to note...I have a pretty established tank, flourite contained alot of mulm. Because I added the eco-complete ontop, and unrinsed, that probably helped the diatom appear. Had a few other aquarists confirm this is definitely a possibility.


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

Update: 1/30/2012

I've been sick at home with a viral infection the past week and it's strange, I noticed more growth in my week of being sick than I've noticed ever. Anyway, the diatoms seems to have run its course, pretty much turned to black and plants seem to be crawling all over it. I've an explosion of snails since I've last seen my tank. Also, I noticed I have a new fish! They look to be guppy-ish and have no idea where they came from. I do remember I introduced cabomba to my tank but that was over half a month ago.

Anyway, everything seems to be on course; however, I might have to take out my Rotala Nanjenshan, it's all blackened at the tips and I do not really care for it in this condition unless I can find the reason why it's blackened. It's producing new lateral growth but it's just so unattractive to look at. How can my other plants create such strong shoots but the rotala be in such frail condition?


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

[Update: 3/3/2012]

It's been quite a while since the last update but things turned out for the better. I rechecked the algae and found it to be blue green algae rather than diatoms because i think if i had diatoms it'd be gone. I've installed an airstone hoping to give the tank a bit more air when i'm not injecting CO2. Every water change I do comes with manual removal of the BGA so far, it seems to be working extremely well. 

So here is a pic of the BGA coverage on January 31st 2012.








Looks totally disgusting, I had enough of it and just went to town on the bacteria/algae.

This was what the tank look like before the BGA totally covered the tank.








Totally dismal looking...

Here is what the tank looks today.








Really looking alot better. BGA coverage is gone with a few areas here and there.

Here is an image of the clump of HC I planted in the small little niche of the drift wood. Looks like the HC is starting to climb down the wood, love it.









Here is a shot of the background plants. Notice the debris coverage onthe bottom. I can't really seem to get rid of the debris but I do believe it's a mix between snail droppings (had an outbreak) and the BGA dying off because of the O2 addition.









A side pic of the tank. See more of the advancing coverage of the HC.









And finally a close up of my Amano, whom I've named Charles.









Everything looks amazing. Will post more updates.


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

So over the months after my failed tank. The plants went to hell and I more or less and took a hiatus to re-examine my method. I did realized I couldn't keep up with the high demands, laziness settled in after i had a discouraging algae bloom that I could not control. I thought I'd give it a chance but this time, instead of my ad hoc high tech approach, I settled for the low tech method instead.

Here is the list of flora I plan to order:
3 x Sagittaria, Dwarf (Order comes in 10 plants per order)
3 x Bacopa australis 
2 x Hygrophila corymbosa Angustifolia
4 x Anubias, Nana (Anubias Barteri v. Nana
3 x Hornwort (Ceratophyllum demersum)
3 X Telanthera Rosefolia (Alternanthera reineckii)

I posted this in the low tech segment and got some pretty good feedback. There were a few that I had to take out but overall good selection.

Adjusting my lights, I'm at 2 x 39w T5HO bulbs and hope that I'm not over doing it. I've been cycling the tank for a month already and didn't notice any outbreaks.

I've even added a current circulator to boost up the tanks current by about 13%. The main issue I had with my old tank was there were too many dead zones. Adding more circulation I hope that it will help mitigate dead zones.


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

It took about 2 weeks for the plants to arrive but when they finally did, it was in awesome condition.

Here is a picture of the initial tank and the planting process.





































Planting


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

It's been a week since the initial planting and it looks to be in great condition.
Before:









After:









Have not stocked any fishes yet; however, there is enough decaying matter that was left over to supply sustenance for the plants.


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

I did noticed a bit rather late; but, I found the Bacopa I ordered was not as I expected. I ordered the Bacaop Australis however, ended up with the carolinia instead. Kind of a big let down, but I love it regardless. I have sent the place numerous emails stating my claim but they haven't answered back. Any thoughts on what is the best approach? Let it go? Continue my pestering?


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

Update on the bacopa. I called them, the place said it's the right kind all I need to do is to keep trimming...Sure...Oh well, I'm happy with what I have.

I do notice a bit of melting, mainly the hygrophila. Probably because this is the normal process for replanting. Not sure how they were grown but I do hope they get better.


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

It's been 2 weeks since I've added the plants and I've noticed some considerable growth. I also added 20 rummynose tetras to the tank.

Week 2 Picture Update:


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

Week 3 Update:

I've lost for some reason 3 rummynose tetras and still cannot understand why. I checked the water for any clues and couldn't find any. Everything was where it should be. I also feed these buggers twice a day; however, when I pull the corpse out, it's totally been ravaged. Aside from the tetra's everything is growing quite well.

I've trimmed the Bacopa and have established them in other parts of the tank. They are growing rather quickly, I hope to have enough to one day replace the hornwort in the tank. The rotalas are also doing quite well. I forsee in a few months, I can trim and then have new cuttings to replant.


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

It's happened, the hornwort has detached and is all over the place. I am not sure if I should continue to keep them in the tank or not. I want to keep them in because it keeps the right corner full but I've realized my plants are growing at a pretty rapid pace where I can cut and plant. Also, I'm under the assumption that the rapid growth of the hornwort will keep algae down since it'll out compete the algae. Then again, the other plants are growing just as fast. Any thoughts?


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

A friend of mine has the fluval chi and has sand for substrate for slightly over half a year now. He has some real plants, namely bamboo, but he's been complaining about how his tank gets murky white. I told him I had sand once and it looks filmy even on the best days. I've been able to convince him to change his substrate. He's going with flora max, because of him losing the standoff between sand and good substrate, I said I'd give him plants since he's willing to switch over. Also since my tank is getting over run by hornwort and other rapid growing plants, I'd be happy to give him my clippings.

I did warn him of the impending doom of hornwort but he's willing to take it since he is sick of changing the water when the slightest hint of murk comes.

He's going to be setting up his tank tonight and ill be able to give him the goods tomorrow. Right now this is what his tank looks like.










I'm excited for him. He told me he changes water every week and be has to do a hard scrub down (doesn't really help). I told him he doesn't need to with low tech tanks so I'm sure he'll appreciate some more time with the new wife.

I'm pretty sure once it's all up and running, this tank will be good to go.


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

Week 4 Update:

Weekly Pic Update:
The hornwort is taken out of the tank, and good riddance. It was a pain in the ass. Did some major trimming and ended up with a few bushels, replanted to the side. Can't wait for it to fill in.









Got bored and couldn't sleep...Got work in the morning, at least I'll go into work knowing my tank is in ship shape.

Results:

Trimmed Bacopa and Rotala in back.









Anubias blooming.









Rotala trimmed









Side view.


















Getting tired here.









Another rotala side shot.









Shrimp on a stick.


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

3 days ago, I brought the cuttings I had placed at a corner of my tank to a buddy of mine because he was interested in planted tanks. Also complaining about the tank being murky, the moment he added water into the tank with the flora max substrate, he noticed an immediate clarity that he hasn't seen ever. Not sure if I did good because I got word from his wife that he more or less got lost in the tank all night haha.










Heres to hoping everything turns out ok lol. He has some rotala, bacopa, java moss, and maybe 1 strand of dwarf hairgrass. I know the chi lighting sucks, Hoping to find him a better light.


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

Yesterday evening, after coming home from our local garden center with a custom made wreath, the girlfriend and I decided to visit out local petco. I wanted to buy some more schoaling fish and came home with 10 zebra danios. They were selling their amano shrimps for 2 dollars a pop so I just took the whole lot, which was 3. Will be back for me shrimps, my other LFS sells these bad boys for 5 dollars a shrimp!

I did some trimming and planted them as well as added about 2 packets of root tabs to the substrate. I've been a bit concerned with the dwarf saggitaria. It's not sprouted any runners and saw some melting of some leaves. While I was planting the root tabs, I noticed one dwarf sag plant sent out a runner. There is hope! Will post a picture update later on this evening.


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

Week 6 Update:


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## LyzzaRyzz (Nov 6, 2012)

Great job! Wish I had friends I could encourage! Subscribed for updates! =]


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

Week 7 Update:
I did my bi-weekly trimming to get trimmings to replant. I was able to get quite a few bacopa and rotala trimmings and replanted into the less dense area.

Weekly Monday Pic:









Last week, I hope many of you guys took advantage of the pFertz sale...I know I did. Bought my refills and just waiting for it to ship. I bought a few more root tabs because why not? Nothing exciting happening in the tank I am still wondering what else I can stock. I've asked for suggestions and it seems the general consensus calls for either angels or german blue rams. I am worried about adding angels because I'm worried they may be a bit aggressive for my tank. I will; however, think of some blue rams as I've always wanted some.


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

Week 8 Update:
I recently got some root tabs in the mail from pFertz and planted them into the substrate. I did some more trimming around the bacopa and planted them around the already dense right corner. I thought it couldn't hurt to plant it around other locations. I want to be able to train the bacopa to possibly mound up. I know it'll be more work to keep the plant low, but hey, why not try.

Weekly Monday Pic:









Over the weekend, I bought some red eye tetras and I am totally digging this fish. It's super fun to watch as they seem to love to do the huddle from time to time. They are such fast swimmers and are a bit shy. I did notice that they love to swim against the current provided by the circulating fan. Aside from the red eye, these tetras are a bit larger and gives a bit of contrast in terms of size differences between the zebra danio and the rummynose. As for plant growth, I've noticed some considerable growth in the rotala within a week, I'm excited to see more!


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

My fissidens came yesterday and I couldn't have been happier. I couldn't want to put them into the tank. I didn't have any mesh avaliable until I opened the fridge. The garlic mesh carrier that holds 6-7 bulbs of garlic was a very lucky find since I was in such an impulsive state. I wrapped a few pebbles and placed them around the drift wood. Whatever I had left, I placed the moss right under the rocks as a place holder to hold the moss in place. Very happy with the delivery, moss was in great condition.


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## LyzzaRyzz (Nov 6, 2012)

Pictures! Isnt it so exciting when you get a plant order? Its like Christmas and your birthday in one!


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

LyzzaRyzz said:


> Pictures! Isnt it so exciting when you get a plant order? Its like Christmas and your birthday in one!


You're telling me! I'm in the process of getting the pictures uploaded.


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

Mini Tank Update:

I wanted to point out that I recently learned that most stem plants close up leaves when the lights are off. The lights had turned off 2 hours ago, I just turned on the lights just to see if I could confirm and here is my confirmation.









Here is the rotala open.


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

Week 9 Update:
Merry Christmas!
Upon doing some maintenance today, I have noticed a few strands of hairgrass algae growth as well as some BGA mats. This is the first time I've ever seen algae grow soo slow in my personal experience. I was able to catch the growth and remove it completely. With the addition of Excel I am able to control that to a minimum. I like this set up very much. I noticed that the growth probably means that I have a excess amount of nutrients that was not absorbed enough. I've skipped this weeks dosage.

Weekly Monday Pic:


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

Week 10 Update:
Happy New Year!
I've been inundated with house work and haven't really had time to check out the tank. I trimmed a few here and there and replanted again as usual. I am seeing a really nice defined shrub like feature on the right side and it's exactly what I had hoped for. I am also noting that alot of the rotala in the back are coming in very nicely. I have gone 1 week without dosing ferts hoping it all gets soaked up. No algae outbreak and from what I can see the BBA is again diminishing. Not a sign of any mats of BGA and that is awesome. My tank just turned off for the night, looks like I'll go cruise around Netflix until I fall asleep.

Weekly Monday Pic:


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

Week 11 Update:
House work is finally dying down. The new sofas come tomorrow and IKEA this weekend...anyway, I'm really excited this this week because I finally decided to hook back up the co2 system that I purchased almost a year ago. I cranked it up to 1 bubble every 1.5 second, big whoop right? My old diffuser for some reason has clogged up, but what can I say, it's been a year. I found a regular airstone and found success! The bubbles coming out of the airstone are just as fine. I'm a bit peeved about my dwarf saggitaria and dwarf hairgrass not spreading as quickly, I hope adding some co2 can help. I took some pictures to show some closer details of the tank.

The original airstone that came with the simple co2 system is soaking in a bowl of vinegar. I hope it will help break down whatever has calcified within the stone. If it doesn't work, I'm satisfied with what I replaced the original with.

Weekly Monday Pic:









Close up of bacopa bush.



























Red eye









Side view of tank.


















Top view









Full view


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

Week 12 Update:
Well my try at trying to save my air stone failed. I stuck with the one I used and its working fine. There is not much to report other than the co2 is doing its job and I've noticed an observable difference. I don't see much algae but I notice some small specs of BBA here and there. The rotala is getting considerably redder and its quite exciting to watch the plant change colors. I also noticed that the trimmed bacopa is slowly creeping which is what I want. Noticed I don't need high light for this to be achieved but I think it has something to so with the added co2. With my excess trimmings, I've sent some of them my friends way and I hope it'll do good over in his chi. I leave with my weekly Monday pic.

Weekly Monday Pic:


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

Week 13 Update:
I reflected a bit this week about how some plants aren't flourishing, especially my dwarf sagittaria. I asked around about how the plant propagates and it seems everywhere I ask, I get the answer it takes some time and it usually ends up with you not wanting the plant anymore. It's been about 10 weeks and I noticed only a very small spread of the dwarf sagittaria. I have noticed a pretty drastic difference in growth once the CO2 was added; so maybe the dwarf sagittaria will finally take off. Aside from all that, I have added 10 more red-eye tetras and the tank looks pretty amazing. The size of the red eye tetra definitely helps fill in any voids and I am loving it.

Weekly Monday Pic:


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## switch26 (Jan 25, 2012)

keep that bacopa trimmed and it should carpet and bush right up. I have bacopa in my tank and i just kept cutting and cutting and cutting.. the only issue is when it gets REALLY thick and bushy the lower levels don't get any light and yellow up so i try to keep it lower and not so super thick.

I use to dose pfertz, didn't read see if u were still dosing it, and saw some issues you had. But the normal dosing levels aren't what a heavily planted tank would require. I switched over to EI dosing and it is cheaper and i see lots of growth daily


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## wrangler (Oct 14, 2007)

What light are you using again? The 4bulb fixture? Are you using all the bulbs?


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

wrangler said:


> What light are you using again? The 4bulb fixture? Are you using all the bulbs?


Nope just using 2 of the four. Thought about upping it one more bulb but I'm super concerned about doing that.


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

switch26 said:


> keep that bacopa trimmed and it should carpet and bush right up. I have bacopa in my tank and i just kept cutting and cutting and cutting.. the only issue is when it gets REALLY thick and bushy the lower levels don't get any light and yellow up so i try to keep it lower and not so super thick.
> 
> I use to dose pfertz, didn't read see if u were still dosing it, and saw some issues you had. But the normal dosing levels aren't what a heavily planted tank would require. I switched over to EI dosing and it is cheaper and i see lots of growth daily


Dosing the EI method would require higher lighting correct?


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

Week 15:

Been almost 2 weeks and there are no drastic changes. I've decided to not mess with the lights because if I had gone with 2 weeks of neglect with 3 bulbs I would have pretty much been engulfed by algae. I'd like to say that this is the first time I had to throw away my bacopa trimmings for the first time ever! I'm happy with what I have now and I don't think I need add anymore other than just keep it maintained. I'll probably start posting bi-weekly pictures starting March. I've finally run out of CO2, whatever was left. I don't think I'll buy any more refills. I'm currently still working with excel and I'm happy with that. My only concern is the fissidens. It's not growing very well and I'm not entirely sure why it isn't. I know it's ridiculously resilient, but it is turning rather dull and it doesn't look exactly healthy. Everything else is healthy but the fissidens, it seems.


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

Week 18:

Today I did my first large trimming. Everything was cut down especially the rotala. I noticed that the rotala has grown to a unmanageable length. The bottom growth suffered a lot as I can see that the bottom growth wilted and was browning. All the excess rotala trimmings were bunched up and replanted in empty spots. Fed the inhabitants to say "sorry for disturbing you" and called it a night. I do notice that all the inhabitants love to hide in the dense bacopa. Makes me smile because I've always wanted my fish to enjoy its surroundings like clown fishes. Huzzah!


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## BoxxerBoyDrew (Oct 16, 2005)

The Tank has come a long way!!!

I really like the looks of the plant arrangement! Everything is looking very healthy!!!
Keep up the great work!!!
Drew


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## urbguy (Sep 24, 2009)

BoxxerBoyDrew said:


> The Tank has come a long way!!!
> 
> I really like the looks of the plant arrangement! Everything is looking very healthy!!!
> Keep up the great work!!!
> Drew


Thanks! It's been a while, I'll upload a quick update pic later on tonight.


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