# 65 Gallon Low Tech Journal [56K]



## raulfd4 (Dec 20, 2012)

*Pictures From Setup Phase [56K]*

Everyone knows a tank journal is no fun without pics! This is obviously a work in progress as you can tell by the tannins and other junk floating all around. I am going to do a total water change and big clean up when I add the plants. Enjoy!

The Beginning










Installing the baffles in the sump.










Original hardscape after adding substrate.










Re-scape Part 1










Re-scape Part 2










"Final" scape










Tank in room.










Some sump images.



















This is the digital timer I got. It's pretty sweet. Half of the outlets are on a timer, the other half run constantly. Only 20 bucks at Lowe's.










Here's the Amazon sword I picked up from my LFS. I trimmed the roots and planted it like this. Does it look like I planted it correctly?










Here's the java moss and the raw shrimp inside nylon pantyhose that I'm using to cycle the tank.


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## tiggity (Feb 21, 2012)

Fantastic! I like your final scape


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## raulfd4 (Dec 20, 2012)

Hey, thanks! I am pretty happy with it, too. I think I may add a few small rocks around the base, as well. More to come on that, though.


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## CAM6467 (Feb 11, 2009)

I'm liking the sump idea lately. I've seen various setups and I've been making some plans as to how to create the proper sump design. I'm a bit curious about your sump baffle design. It seems that there really isn't any trickle effect that you would generally see. Did you use a plan for your sump or did you come up with your own design? I'm really just trying to learn. Thanks!


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## raulfd4 (Dec 20, 2012)

CAM6467 said:


> I'm liking the sump idea lately. I've seen various setups and I've been making some plans as to how to create the proper sump design. I'm a bit curious about your sump baffle design. It seems that there really isn't any trickle effect that you would generally see. Did you use a plan for your sump or did you come up with your own design? I'm really just trying to learn. Thanks!


My main reasoning for the sump was to have a place to hide filtration, heating, wires, etc. The extra volume is a bonus, too. In retrospect, I may have gone with a wet/dry "trickle" filter in lieu of the baffles. It is a pretty cost effective method of filtration, and it seems like a good way to get a lot of biological filtration.

This article is awesome for sump ideas and basics. Some of it is saltwater specific, but there's a lot there on function and design of any sump.

This article  was a big help in learning how to plumb the system. I didn't end up using PVC pipes, but the author, Cliff, has a lot of knowledge and is very thorough. Definitely worth reading.

I guess a lot of people with planted tanks don't use a sump design because of gas exchange and the loss of CO2. I am hoping my sump won't require the use of CO2, but we'll see. :icon_roll


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## raulfd4 (Dec 20, 2012)

*Latenight Planting Session - Very Happy with the Results!*

The plants came a day early, so I threw them in the tank until I was ready to plant them after the wife went to bed. :icon_smil





































I knew I wanted to add some rocks to my hardscape, so I picked up a bag of pond stones from Lowe's for $3.50. They came in handy when planting the Java Fern and Anubias, as well. They were dirty, though! Took a while to clean them in the tub.










While I was cleaning stuff, I decided to clean off the driftwood, too. It had begun to grow that white filmy stuff that usually comes with a new piece of wood in the tank.










Threw the rest of the crypts, Java Fern, and moss down in the sump. So many tannins leeched from the driftwood; the water looks like tea!














































So this is what it looked like while I was planting... quite the elaborate setup.










Drained the tank.










The Anubias looked super healthy.



















Some nice laves on the Wisteria.



















Anacharis was good and chunky.



















Diandra was super delicate, but definitely healthy and lush.



















Java Fern was nice and sturdy.










I love the little brown dots running up the leaves.










Nice roots and rhizomes, too.










The green and red Crypts were nice and big, with big sturdy root systems.




























I'm psyched about the red ones :icon_smil.




























Here's the Amazon Sword that I bought from my LFS. It held up for the past week down in the sump. I love the flower up at the top. The roots are small, but look promising.




























Here's the Java Moss that I bought from my LFS. It's nice and sturdy and thick.



















Aquariumplants.com was nice enough to throw in this big hunk of Java Moss with my order. It's not as nice as all the other stuff they sent, but it came in handy when I decorated the driftwood.



















So this is everything all laid out and trimmed. This is probably my favorite picture of the setup process. I felt like Takashi Amano with all these plants to pick from in setting up the tank :icon_surp.




























Covered everything up with wet paper towels, misting it every once in a while so things wouldn't dry out.










Decided to bust out the sewing thread and tackle what I figured would be the most time consuming, tedious part of the setup. It was tricky tying down the Java Moss to the driftwood, but after a while you learn a few tricks and it goes a bit faster. Keep in mind it's probably around midnight/1am as I'm doing this.





































Here's the finished product. I am REALLY happy with the way things turned out. I'm hoping it will grow out to completely cover the wood. Probably took me about an hour to do it all.










So cool!



















Makes me want to have a riparium...



















Threw in some rocks to liven up the boring substrate. I'm not crazy about it, but it's something.



















Started planting the Vals first. 










Put in the Java Fern and Anubias next. It's probably around 3am at this point and I'm pretty deliriously tired. I was definitely getting frustrated tying them to little rocks to bury in the substrate. 










Added the Crypts in the corners and filled up the tank a little bit more.










Lulu was not happy with all of the latenight commotion. She was running all over the place. She didn't know what to think! :tongue:










Wasn't crazy about the placement of the Java Ferns when I started to see everything coming together.










Still wasn't totally sold on the final scape at this point, but it was 4:30am and I knew my wife was going to be getting up for work in half an hour. And my alarm is set for 7:45. Scrambled to clean things up and took a few minutes to snap some pics and admire the hard work.














































I put the Anacharis down in the sump, by the way.



















Here's a closeup of the Crypts and Vals on the left side of the tank.










I tucked the Amazon Sword in the back left corner behind the driftwood. I know it's going to get big, so I want it to stay in the background of the driftwood centerpiece.










These are the crypts on the right side of the tank.










All the cute little Anubias.



















Here's the Diandra and Wisteria in the back/midground on the right. These were the plants I was the least excited about, and I think I like them the best. So light and fluffy.










Java Fern.










A little yellowing on the Crypt leaves. I've read that Crypts will almost always melt when moved to a new tank. Then they regrow new leaves in a month or two. I'll be sad to see them go, the leaves are so big and healthy :icon_frow.










Here is a closeup of the planted Vals; I hope they aren't in too deep. They really make the look of the tank, so I am hoping that they are successful. I put some API root tabs (I know they're not the best) underneath them in the hopes that it will help them establish roots faster.



















As I was staring at my tank today, I noticed this on one of the Vals. I think it might have been snail or fish eggs? It was slimy and pretty sticky. I took it out just in case it was something weird.










Okay... so here it is. *The final scape! *Leave some comments and tell me what you think.


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## craigee2199 (Jan 21, 2011)

Beautiful!


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## raulfd4 (Dec 20, 2012)

Thanks! I hope I can keep it that way. The plants have been in for about 4 days now. 

The Crypts are still holding up, as are the Anubias. My friend is afraid the light might be a little too intense for the Anubias and Java Fern. As long as I don't get any algae, I'm happy for now.

The Vals still don't look very strong - some of the tips are browning and getting very "flimsy". I'm hoping that they will establish some roots and make a turnaround soon.

On the bright side, the Diandra and Wisteria are looking great.


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## Sea_Of_Treachery (Feb 8, 2006)

looking good dude. i'm still waiting for my aquariumplants.com order (ordered last monday) apparently its still processing......


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## XCW-500 (Jan 19, 2013)

Looks nice!


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## raulfd4 (Dec 20, 2012)

Sea_Of_Treachery said:


> looking good dude. i'm still waiting for my aquariumplants.com order (ordered last monday) apparently its still processing......


Yeah they only ship stuff on Wednesdays. I ordered 2 day shipping and it came overnight, so once they get the ball moving it gets where it's going quickly. 

I can't recommend them enough though. The proof is in the pudding and as you can see from the pictures, they have great plants.


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## rustbucket (Oct 15, 2011)

Love it. 
Vals are notorious for melting as well, so if they go away on you just wait it out, they'll be back.

Once a few of those plants get established you'r going to have a lot of trimming to keep up 

Those were snail eggs by the way.

Also I would do the cories and otos both, corys stay on the bottom and otos on the glass.


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## raulfd4 (Dec 20, 2012)

Ah, that's good to know about the Vals. I've read so much about how they are tricky to plant, so I'm hoping that they are at the right depth and not too close to each other. 

I know cories are happiest in schools of 6 or more. Can otos be kept in smaller numbers?


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## rustbucket (Oct 15, 2011)

Otos are happiest in bigger schools as well, I would go 4 minimum. But they don't take up much room, growing only a 1 1/2" max so a school of 6 would fit great, they clean more then they mess imo.


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## raulfd4 (Dec 20, 2012)

*Water Testing, Cycling, and Petco Discrepancies*

Okay, so I have been using two pieces of raw shrimp to cycle this tank for about a month now. 

About two weeks before planting, I used my API Liquid Master Test Kit to check the water parameters. The results came back confirming that there was a healthy amount of Ammonia, still no NitrItes or NitrAtes.

The day before planting, I checked the water again using my API Liquid Master Test Kit, and the results came back with no Ammonia, plenty of NitrItes, and still no NitrAtes.

Then, I did a complete water change while planting. I knew this would set back the cycle a bit, but I wanted to get rid of the tannins in the water, etc. The decaying shrimp has remained in the tank the whole time.

Yesterday (4 days after planting), I checked the water parameters again. I figured that since the tank was now heavily stocked with plants, they might be absorbing/using all of the excess NitrItes and NitrAtes. Once again, the results came back showing no Ammonia, some NitrItes, and no NitrAtes.

I was a little disappointed with the results, but not totally surprised. However, my API Liquid Master Test Kit is around 3 years old, give or take. I have heard that they become less reliable, and expire after about 3 or 4 years. So, I decided to take a sample of my water to Petco to have them test it.

Much to my disappointment, they used the API Test Strips to test the water. I know that if the strips are exposed to any moisture at all, the results that they give are pretty much totally bogus. Either way, I was curious, and the test strips came back reading nothing across the board.

*So, should I trust the crappy test strips, or my old liquid test kit?* I'm not used to cycling with plants, so I'm not sure how to proceed. I would like to start adding some fauna, but want to make sure everything is safe and not have to change the water a million times until the tank is fully cycled.

(I know the short answer is to buy another Master Test Kit, but I'm looking to see if you have any insights on cycling with plants and where you think my tank might be in its cycle, given the information above.)


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## Sajacobs (Aug 24, 2012)

Subscribed. As a newbie, I found your step by step pictures helpful. Beautiful layout. Cant wait to see how the plants grow in.


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## raulfd4 (Dec 20, 2012)

Wow, a subscriber! The blind leading the blind, I guess! :red_mouth Thanks for following along.

Thanks for your comments on the layout, as well. 

I will be trying my best to stay vigilant about posting pics of the tank's progress, even when it looks less than presentable. I have a feeling that the first month may look a little melty/brown, but once things get more established, it will take off.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

This looks like a great start!


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## Grimnokk (Dec 31, 2012)

I love the wood. It looks really nice. I would agree that this looks like a good start. I only hope that I can do as well when I set mine up.


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## tomfromstlouis (Apr 2, 2012)

I think you did a great job, but then I have always been a sucker for the val wall look. Consider clustering the java fern at the base of the wood as if the wood were growing out of it; might look good.

Stay patient with your cycling efforts.


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## raulfd4 (Dec 20, 2012)

hydrophyte said:


> This looks like a great start!


Thank you! It's a big compliment coming from you. I love looking at all of your ripariums. Your photography is top notch, too.


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## raulfd4 (Dec 20, 2012)

Grimnokk said:


> I love the wood. It looks really nice. I would agree that this looks like a good start. I only hope that I can do as well when I set mine up.


Thanks! Yeah, I ordered the main piece of wood in the foreground from eBay. When it arrived it was a lot smaller than I was expecting, but now that everything is in place, I wouldn't want it any bigger. It really worked out.

The wood in the back is actually three different pieces ziptied together at the base. I am really happy with the way that, from the front, they combine with the piece in the front to look like one big piece with lots of branches. Can't wait to see tons of red cherry shrimp chilling on it all day :icon_cool.


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## raulfd4 (Dec 20, 2012)

tomfromstlouis said:


> I think you did a great job, but then I have always been a sucker for the val wall look. Consider clustering the java fern at the base of the wood as if the wood were growing out of it; might look good.
> 
> Stay patient with your cycling efforts.


I too am a sucker for the Val wall look. The Vals really make the look of the tank, so I am most worried about their success. I know it won't look as good if I have to rip it all out. Not to mention it will have been 30 bucks down the drain :icon_conf. Time will tell.

I guess that goes for the cycle of the tank, as well. Patience is a virtue, especially in the aquarium hobby. I'm just starting to get tired of the thick film of protein that builds up on the surface of the sump from the decaying shrimp. I know that any fish I add at this point would be fine, especially if I stocked lightly at first, but I hate to think I'm stressing them unnecessarily. I've told myself to wait until Friday to measure the parameters again. Then, take it from there.


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## raulfd4 (Dec 20, 2012)

So, it's been one week since I planted. Been running it with a 9 hour photo period. No CO2, no ferts.

The Diandra and Wisteria are both showing growth.

The Anubias, Java Fern, and Java Moss are looking essentially the same as when I first planted.

The Crypts had about one leaf/branch melt per plant, but the other remaining leaves are looking good! Is it possible that they are past the point of melting away completely???

The Vals are doing okay. I did a heavy trimming last night to get rid of all the brown/melty strands. What remains looks good, and a bunch of them have shot up some new little flowers :smile:.

Anacharis also shows a little growth, and looks healthy and happy down in the sump.

Tested the water paramaters tonight, and it looks like the tank has finally cycled! :icon_smil Adding the plants has removed everything - zeroes across the board. pH is at 7.4. 

I will be adding some fish this Saturday. I am thinking I will keep the decaying shrimp in the tank until Friday. I will do a 50% water change Thursday night, and then another one on Friday night. Then I'll take the shrimp out and rinse out the sponges in my sump.

Thinking I will probably get a Betta and a school of Tetras - maybe Neons? What do you all think?

I am going to wait to get the Otos, shrimp, and cories until the plants are more established.










(Pardon the ugly tank shot, just took it quickly with all the lights on in the apartment so that you all could see how it's looking at the moment.)


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## Saxtonhill (Dec 28, 2012)

lovely tank and look forward to seeing how the "wall of vals" comes along.


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## raulfd4 (Dec 20, 2012)

*One Week Plant Update*

Wanted to start by showing how my lights are currently set up. I had to do a DIY to make the lights for the sump. I took two Aqueon hood lighting fixtures and connected them using leftover strips of acrylic from the sump build. I used super glue for the adhesive.










I used those 3M adhesive hooks on the top.










Connected the bottom in the same way.



















Inside the bottom of the stand, I screwed in an old scrap piece of particle board and then screwed in two hooks to that. Then I suspended the lights from the hooks using chain.




























For the lights on the display tank, I put a sheet of window screen mesh behind the splash guard. A few of the forum members here suggested I do that so that the light wasn't too strong.










Here's a nice shot of the tank in the context of the whole living room.










Awesome new growth on all of the crypts! roud:














































The swordplant is going nuts! All of the leaves growing on the main stalk about 3/4 of the way up this shot are new. :icon_mrgr













The Vals are flowering!



















Diandra and Wisteria showing steady growth. :icon_bigg










Anubias not looking so hot.










But, some new growth! :icon_wink










Java Fern doing well. I guess it's not too much light for them after all... for now. 



















Here are the Anacharis down in the sump. Slow, but steady growth down there as well.


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## hedge_fund (Jan 1, 2006)

Great looking tank.

by the way, this doesn't look like java moss to me.


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## raulfd4 (Dec 20, 2012)

*Fish!*

So, water change on Thursday. Water change on Friday. Removed the decaying shrimp and tested the water. Zeroes across the board... it's fauna time.










So, it may seem lame, but I am really happy with what I got. 

My wife helped me pick out a beautiful Crowntail Betta at Petco. I've always had this dream of releasing a Betta from those crappy little cups they live in and letting them into a big, lush, planted tank. Life doesn't have to be miserable for the poor Bettas!



















This is my favorite picture of him. 










Then I got a bunch (or what I thought was a bunch!) of Neon Tetras. I was really tempted to get some nice Rainbows, but they were a little too pricey for me.

Brought them home and started acclimating them. :icon_bigg




























Did a DIY drip acclimation.










*Airline valves?!?!*



















Here are the Neons.










And then the Betta.



















The Betta looks AMAZING! :icon_mrgr



















The Neons look great, as well. But the school of 11 looked so small....



















Soooooo, I went back to the LFS and got 18 more! :icon_lol:

Threw in 4 Otos for good measure. I will probably add 2 or 3 more when the store gets more in this week.




























And here it is... My cat Lulu loves the tank. It makes me so happy, too. She is home alone while my wife and I are at work, so I wanted to give her something to watch.




























Sorry for the crummy pictures. I'll upload some better ones once it gets dark and I can kill all the lights.

Really REALLY happy with the way things have come together.

On the horizon for delivery this week - 15 RCS and 5 MTS. Oh, and a bunch of Frogbit! :bounce:

Thanks for checking it out! Please, let me know what you think. roud:


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## alipper (Nov 6, 2012)

Sweeet tank. That's what I wanted to do with my 75G, but I was too impatient.


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## raulfd4 (Dec 20, 2012)

hedge_fund said:


> Great looking tank.
> 
> by the way, this doesn't look like java moss to me.


What would you guess that it is?


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## hedge_fund (Jan 1, 2006)

raulfd4 said:


> What would you guess that it is?


It looks a little bit like my Christmas Moss but it's hard to tell from the pic. It definitely does not look like Java Moss.

Christmas:
http://www.aquamoss.net/Christmas-Moss/Christmas-Moss.htm

Java:
http://www.aquamoss.net/Java-Moss/Java-Moss.htm


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## raulfd4 (Dec 20, 2012)

*Ich *

Bahhh...so I come home today and three Neon Tetras are dead.

Check the parameters - everything is still good. Zeroes across the board. Otos look fine.

But, there are a number of Neons with little white spots. Quick google search tells me it's ICH.

Turned up the heat and did a water change.

Even though it's bad for the plants (supposedly), I added some salt. Not the full dose recommended on most sites for ICH, maybe about 2 tbsp per 5 gallons.

Going to see how the plants (and fish) do with this. Might add some more salt tomorrow. 

Not sure if my 200 watt heater can handle keeping the tank at such a high temperature. Might get another one to supplement on my way home tomorrow.

Sigh... just when things were getting good. Always something. I'm glad it's not my water's fault, though. I guess this is why they say you should always quarantine.


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## raulfd4 (Dec 20, 2012)

*Ich Update*

48 hours and two extra heaters later, I finally have the tank running at 86 degrees. Plenty of aeration. Still running the same concentration of salt. Need to do a water change tomorrow, but parameters are still steady.

All white spots are nearly gone. No more dead Neons; from what I can count, I'm at around 23. They are swimming and eating strong. Ottos are very active, as well. Moved the Betta down into the sump. He seems MUCH happier down there, but it's sad no one gets to see him .

From what I have read, this means that the parasite has now moved into the next phase of its life. All of the spores are now down in the substrate, waiting to procreate and explode into the water column by the thousands. So, it's important to have the salt in the water column to keep the new spores from being able to reattach to the fish and find a new host. 

My temp is barely at 86 according to my run-of-the mill thermometer. All 3 heaters are at max heat (2x 150 watt, 1x 100 watt). One in the sump and two in the display. My apartment stays around 70 degrees, so maybe it's a tall order to ask for a 20 degree difference? Keeping a blanket on it at night, but I can't keep it on there while the lights are on...

I know that anything under 86 basically makes the stuff stronger, so I'm trying hard to keep the temps up. If anyone actually reads this drivel, any tips on how to space or organize the heaters are appreciated. 

Oh! I added a bunch of shrimp and some MTS courtesy of shloken38. The ones I can find are looking good! :icon_bigg A lot of them colored up a bit already. Hoping they start breeding once the tank is back to its usual temp and no salt.

Now - what all of us on this forum are concerned about...the plants :icon_wink. So far so good. The only thing noticeable is the Vals look diferent. It's almost like you can see the cell structure better? They still feel strong to the touch, and the flowers are still doing well, but they don't look like they used to. Not sure if it's good or bad. Just because there is salt and the high temps, I am assuming bad. I'll try to post some pics tomorrow, but the camera phone probably won't do it justice. 

The Anubias are still looking kind of stagnant. Some new growth, but very slow (as expected), and the tips and sides of probably half the leaves are cracked or a little "burnt" looking? Again, try to post some pics tomorrow. 

Noticed a bunch of growth in a few of the Java fern. The rest are still slow and steady. 

Anacharis are steady and starting to really get long 

The Crpyts, to my surprise, are the stars of the show. Lots of new growth, and even a decent little runner . 

The moss is still very slow growing. Makes me appreciate it more, I guess.

Wisteria and Diandra seem to have maybe slowed down a bit? Maybe not.  They look good, though.

I was lucky enough to find a guy on craigslist who buys tons of used aquarium stuff from people and stockpiles it in his huge garage. I picked up a heater and ten gallon aquarium from him for 10 bucks. I wish I had a bigger place just so I could take advantage of all the deals I could get from him.

I've considered taking all the fish out and keeping them in the 10, but they really do seem happy. And the thought of cramping them all in a 10 while the tank cycles out the ich doesn't seem worth it.

Either way - got myself a QT tank roud:


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## raulfd4 (Dec 20, 2012)

*Three week update*

So, lost about a neon or two for the past few nights. I think the heat was just too high for them. Still no spots on any of the fish, so I decided to take some action.

I picked up a bottle of Kordon't Ich Attack. (It's all "organic" and is safe for shrimps and snails). I figured that the case of ich was so mild, I didn't mind doing like half doses of this stuff for the next week or two in order to keep the temperatures at a more respectable 80-81. The temperature definitely got up to 86+ for about 24 hours, so I'm hoping that was able to keep the spores from respawning, and now the Ich Attack will help to keep them from re-attaching to the fish.

Did a big water change in the main tank and set up my quarantine tank using some of the biomax from the sump. I am hoping there is enough BB on the media and that the plants haven't been absorbing all of the ammonia, etc. I added some of the anacharis to the QT and six more Otos.

Here's Lulu watching the drip acclimation.










Here's a FTS. Amazingly, with all the temperature change and added salt, the plants and fish seem to be doing well.




























Ordered some Frogbit on aquabid. Put it in both the display and the sump.










Sump still has a skin of protein on it... not sure why. I've cleaned the filter media in tank water twice now.










The swordplant has been doing awesome. I can't even get it all in one picture. This is just the top 2/3.





































Here's the happy Betta.



















The survivors 




























The crypts look so good! Nice and leathery...










New growth on the crypt.










Diandra and Wisteria good as usual.










Otos being active as usual.










Shrimps!



















New growth on the Vals.










Some Hornwort that came with the shrimp down in the sump.










Cool bottom-up shot.










Little snail and some pooey Anubias.










Some new growth on the Anubias, though.










Java Fern doing really well.


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## Saxtonhill (Dec 28, 2012)

Very very nice and the plants are so lush and green!


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## tomfromstlouis (Apr 2, 2012)

Tank is really looking good. Sorry to hear about the ich episode though.

Can you explain why you put the betta in the sump? The way Lulu and I both see it, he was the feature fish above. He is one handsome dude.


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## raulfd4 (Dec 20, 2012)

Saxtonhill said:


> Very very nice and the plants are so lush and green!


Thank you!



tomfromstlouis said:


> Tank is really looking good. Sorry to hear about the ich episode though.
> 
> Can you explain why you put the betta in the sump? The way Lulu and I both see it, he was the feature fish above. He is one handsome dude.


I put the betta down in the sump because the flow seemed too much for him up in the display. I was reluctant to do it, but when I found him in the overflow one day, I decided that was enough!

He really does seem happy down there. I often admire the tank with the doors open, so Lulu still gets to say hi every day. 

Plants are still doing okay - I took out the Diandra because it wasn't really growing and kept on uprooting itself and floating all over the place.

I might post some pics tonight, but I think I will wait until next week.


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## dthb4438 (Nov 12, 2007)

Your tank looks really good and you spent tons of time getting everything together. Nice job! Maybe you can come over and help me with my new lights. I just ordered some new systems. 

Very nice set-up!!


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## ETK (Jan 25, 2013)

Looks great!

It looks like your Anubias might be planted a little deep. I think the rhizome will rot if it is buried. Most people attach them to rocks or driftwood.


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## dthb4438 (Nov 12, 2007)

ETK said:


> Looks great!
> 
> It looks like your Anubias might be planted a little deep. I think the rhizome will rot if it is buried. Most people attach them to rocks or driftwood.


Yes that's true! Tie them with thread to wood or rocks.


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## raulfd4 (Dec 20, 2012)

ETK said:


> Looks great!
> 
> It looks like your Anubias might be planted a little deep. I think the rhizome will rot if it is buried. Most people attach them to rocks or driftwood.





dthb4438 said:


> Yes that's true! Tie them with thread to wood or rocks.


I tried my best to keep the rhizome above the substrate. The Anubias are actually tied to little rocks, but I buried the rocks under the sand. I had read that this is a viable way to plant Anubias and other rhizome plants. There has been some new growth on the Anubias, so I was hoping they were making a turn for the better. 

I like the way they are planted now, but if they continue to look lackluster, I will expose the rocks they are tied to and see if things improve.

Thanks for the advice.


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## raulfd4 (Dec 20, 2012)

*One Month Update*










Not too much news. Slow, steady growth. No alge ::knocks on wood:: Took out the Diandra - only the tops of the plants were growing and the bottoms were starting to break up and float away. Started dosing 1/2 the prescribed amount of Flourish Comprehensive. Should I add some more root tabs after a month?

Fish are doing well. Shrimp are doing awesome. The QT tank is cycled, so I am going to let it run for one more week on just the fish food, and then maybe get some more fish next weekend. We'll see. 

Frogbit:



















Runners keep on running:



















Scrimp toast:



















Still loving the crypts the most:










Wisteria:










Moss with sword in background:










Meanwhile... in the sump:



















Thanks for looking!


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## Saxtonhill (Dec 28, 2012)

Looks good! Your crypts look very happy. And I'm interested in the shrimp as well

(I just got a few crypts and fingers are crossed...read the crypt thread...so far so good...)


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## Jeff B (Oct 16, 2010)

I like that wood. The big piece is close to what I wanted to put in my 65 like I drew in my original layout plans but I could not find a piece like that locally and didn't want to pay huge shipping for the large box it would have required. Some of your plants were ones I also considered early on so I am interested in seeing how your tank develops. I was originally going to wrap moss on the wood as well. Most of your plants are faster growing types than mine so your tank should grow in faster.


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## BarbH (Feb 27, 2013)

*Re: 65 Gallon Low Tech Journal [56K] One Month Update 3/1*

Tank looks great and beautiful looking beta.

Sent from my SCH-R720 using Tapatalk 2


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## raulfd4 (Dec 20, 2012)

Thank you all for the compliments. 

Here's a photo update!










Biggest change is that I cut the flower stalk off of my Amazon Sword and replanted the new growth down in the sump. I am hoping they will grow out of the top of the water eventually.




























I also threw an AC20 on the back of the sump to help stop the bio-film. The Anacharis and Hornwort still growing like weeds down in the sump.



















Still lots of runners and new growth with the Crypts and Vals.




























The most exciting thing is the new growth on the tips of the Java fern. This is normal, right?



















Frogbit are really taking off, as well. I finally got it figured out so that they float around in circles on the right side of the tank.










Picked up some HEALTHY Neons and put them in the QT. 










Thanks for looking!


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## thornomad (Mar 7, 2013)

Subscribed. Thanks for taking the time to post in such detail! Nice.


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## JerSaint (Oct 22, 2012)

Subscribed! Good looking tank and I Love the Betta in the sump(Great idea )!


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## raulfd4 (Dec 20, 2012)

*6 Week Video Update*

Had a few minutes to shoot and upload a quick video of the tank.

Link to YouTube video.

http://youtu.be/8ob1Np-gk5s


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## Saxtonhill (Dec 28, 2012)

Enjoyed the video! Those neons look great against the dark background and the greens and red of the plants and manzanita branch. I thought the (cherry?) shrimp are really interesting also...that tank is really coming along great :red_mouth

My Java ferns also had a lot of baby plantlets on the browning leaves. I waited until there were about 5-6 leaves and some good roots and then put the little plants on some small stones with a dot of super glue and planted them in the 30 gallon and just put a few in the 60 gallon.


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## raulfd4 (Dec 20, 2012)

*10 Week Update with Pics*

Everything seems to be doing about the same as 4 weeks ago except for the Frogbit, Anacharis, Amazon Swords, Java Fern, and Hornwort. They are all growing nicely.

Everything else (Vals, Wisteria, Anubias, Mosses, Crypts) seems to have kind of just stopped growing :icon_roll.

I am dosing Flourish Comprehensive and Tetra Flora Pride weekly. I also just added some new Osmocote Plus root tabs. I have also begun "aerating" the substrate using a straw to keep the soil from becoming compacted.

Anyway, here are some pics:

FTS





Frogbit



Right Side



Left Side



Sump



The new growth on the Java Ferns are starting to get pretty big.



The Amazon Swords I propagated down in the sump have really taken off, as well. Here are some before and after pics.

Sword 1 BEFORE:



Sword 1 AFTER:



Sword 2 BEFORE:



Sword 2 AFTER:



Finally fully stocked with fish :smile:

Spotted Cories:





Otos:



Gold Gourami and a bunch of Neons:



And of course, Bruno down in the sump:





Thanks for looking!


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## BarbH (Feb 27, 2013)

*Re: 65 Gallon Low Tech Journal [56K] 10 Week Update with Pics*

Looks like things are coming along well. If you are not against having snails in the tank I would suggest maybe getting some Malaysian Trumpet Snails, they will keep your substrate from getting compacted.

Sent from my SCH-R720 using Tapatalk 2


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## raulfd4 (Dec 20, 2012)

I actually do have a few in the tank - you can see one of them on the rock in the background of the pictures of the Cories.

I think there are around 5-10 of them in there, but I never see them! I think they are always buried in the substrate. That's fine with me; they are doing their job. 

But I would have expected that by now there would be more of them; it was my understanding that they can really take over a tank? :icon_conf

If anyone has some extras, shoot me a PM - I'd be glad to take them off your hands. :tongue:


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## raulfd4 (Dec 20, 2012)

Been a while since I've updated.

Here's a FTS:



I've pretty much given up on the vals and wisteria. I moved the amazon swords I propagated up to the display on the right side.



I also cut some lines in the screen on the cover of my to give the tank some more light.



Thanks for looking!


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## Saxtonhill (Dec 28, 2012)

Any updates? Your tanks still looks really good!

I've been having some problems with vals also...due to a bad hair algae attack a few months ago.


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## raulfd4 (Dec 20, 2012)

*Update coming this weekend*

Hey Saxton,

Sorry for the delayed response. For a while, I was really neglecting the tank. I was getting really frustrated because the dirt underneath the sand kept creeping out around where the driftwood went into the substrate. I would be vacuuming the tank sometimes twice a week, but it still looked dirty all the time. I was burning through sponge filters that were getting clogged with dirt and dust. All of my moss started to look gross with all the dirt clinging to it. The water column was always cloudy. I thought about throwing in the towel a few times... :icon_roll

Anyways, I think I have finally solved the problem this week (removed the driftwood, vacuumed out all the dirt below and around it). I have made some changes to the scape and will take some pictures this weekend.


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## raulfd4 (Dec 20, 2012)

*It's Been a While*

So here are some pics. Water clarity is still kind of crappy, but I am slowly but surely trying to bring the tank back to it's former glory. It has been fun getting back into the tank, and the neglect it has seen doesn't seem to have hurt it too badly. I guess that's an advantage to being low tech :smile:

FTS



Neons and Greens



Wisteria Going Wild in the Sump



Bruno!



One of the New Cories



Side



Baby Albino Bristlenose


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## Saxtonhill (Dec 28, 2012)

raulfd4, good for you for sticking at it! The tank kind of looks like a river bed with the stones and the branch against the greens of the plants. And the fish seem really robust. Looks good and way better than last June! 

I've been having some recurring issues with hair algae...and my vals just gave up the ghost...sticking with the anubias and the crypts for now...


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## PeterN1986 (Jun 15, 2011)

This is a great layout with the wood and plants and all. I was just going to ask about your water clarity and if you had the tannins in there on purpose. You should put some purigen in your HOB; that will clear things up quick. I use two 100mL bags so that I can just exchange them out while one is being recharged. I think with clearer water, it will look more amazing.


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