# Jake's 18" Rimless AquaTop Bow-Front Tank



## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Now back to the journal!

The tank is an 18" AquaTop Euro Style Bow-Front, obviously. Measures 18" x 10.75" x 10.75" and holds roughly 8.7 gallons.

The goods:


I'll either use the Nano Type-P LED I've got or will try to save up to buy an 18" Current Satellite Plus. 
I know I'm going to do some sort of a dry start, so it could be 4-6 weeks before it's flooded. Maybe dwarf hair grass and red stems? Or maybe a field of Marsilea minuta. Feel free to yell suggestions my way. Whatever I end up doing, it'll need to be simple and suitable for shrimp.
Have some great driftwood, leftover black lava rock and easily 100 pounds of other rock to pick through. 
Torn on filtration. Depending upon the budget I can come up with, I'll likely end up with an AC30. But really want to get another Eheim 2211/2213. Or maybe one of the neat hang-on filters from AquaTop that have a spraybar. Can even be expanded to double the filtration capacity. 
For substrate, I have all the options. ADA Aquasoil Amazonia, Azoo Plant Grower Bed, UP Aqua Shrimp Sand, Black Diamond, Pool Filter Sand, Safe T Sorb, et al. 
Depending upon what I can get my hands on, these are the shrimp I'm considering: Tangerine Tigers, Blue Bees, Princess Bees.

Now I just need to cross my fingers that I can sell everything I own to finish the tank - ha!

Thanks for reading along. I'll update with more photos as I add a black background and put together some potential hardscape plans.


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## newportjon (Mar 22, 2011)

Haha.

Can't wait to see this tank! I'll be starting a journal for my Aquatop 8 gallon in the next 2-3 weeks, once I finish buying everything. I'm interested in seeing your dry start method, as I've been thinking about doing that as well.

Random question, do you dose dry ferts?


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Depends upon the tank. Some tanks only get root tabs, some get both. 

In higher tech tanks with high light and CO2, I always dose ferts.


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## Mike00726 (May 23, 2011)

Wow I didn't know that they did the black silicone too


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## I3raven (Jan 30, 2013)

Nice tank! What do you plan to do with it? Start a Iwagumi, Dutch Style, etc?


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Check out the second post.



I3raven said:


> Nice tank! What do you plan to do with it? Start a Iwagumi, Dutch Style, etc?


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## mosspearl (Jan 30, 2013)

Dang, nice tank. Now I have something else to add to my wish list. Can't wait to see what you do with it.


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## I3raven (Jan 30, 2013)

somewhatshocked said:


> Check out the second post.


Ah, excuse my ignorance.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

I3raven: Long story short, there are too many options flying around in my head at the moment - HA!

Going to take me a while to figure out the right scape. I took a bunch of photos of various rocks and will try to upload them a bit later for ideas. 

mosspearl: The beauty of the tank? It's so cheap you can buy it on impulse.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Never got around to uploading these yesterday.

Here's some of what I've got to work with:


































Those aren't actual layouts I'd stick with. Just showcasing rock. Have actually been saving them for another 45-F or 60-F layout - specifically the tall rock. 

Extras:



















Leftover lava rock:










UPDATE: Most of the lava rock chucks are fist-size or larger.

Also plan to dig through my driftwood stash to see what I can find/maybe order more.


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## I3raven (Jan 30, 2013)

I like the greenish-grey rocks, they look curved and jagged. It's kind of a relief after seeing those commonly used Seiryu Stones.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Seiryu and Ming are nice but $$$. They also alter water parameters and I'm not much of a fan. 

The jagged rocks are commonly sold as "lace rock" in pet stores and are really just formerly live rock. The pieces I have are all well-cleaned and have been used previously by me in sensitive shrimp tanks, so I know they won't alter parameters. Maybe not the nicest-looking stones around but I enjoy the nooks and crannies for shrimping. 

Hoping to find a nice driftwood stump or two to make use of the tank height.


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## I3raven (Jan 30, 2013)

somewhatshocked said:


> Seiryu and Ming are nice but $$$. They also alter water parameters and I'm not much of a fan.
> 
> The jagged rocks are commonly sold as "lace rock" in pet stores and are really just formerly live rock. The pieces I have are all well-cleaned and have been used previously by me in sensitive shrimp tanks, so I know they won't alter parameters. Maybe not the nicest-looking stones around but I enjoy the nooks and crannies for shrimping.
> 
> Hoping to find a nice driftwood stump or two to make use of the tank height.


I wish my LFS stocked nice rocks, I can only find Lava rocks or Malaysian driftwood. I have a piece of Hornwood that I can give away at the price of shipping. Here is a pic of what it looks like -


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## mosspearl (Jan 30, 2013)

Jake, yes, the tank could be an impulse... it's all the other equipment it needs that costs! LOL For now I'll live vicariously through you.  My aquatic wishes are lower in priority at the moment to other family needs. Heck, I'm still waiting just to order some inexpensive shrimp for a couple 2.5 gallon tanks. 

So, what lighting are you planning? That's the biggest expense in my eyes...


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## mosspearl (Jan 30, 2013)

Nice driftwood, Raven!


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## thejoe (May 23, 2013)

For what your getting, I don't think you can beat the price. Very nice!


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## I3raven (Jan 30, 2013)

mosspearl said:


> Nice driftwood, Raven!


Thanks, I got it picked from ADG for $30. I recently got more Hornwood and I don't know what to do with this piece since it doesn't fit with my aquascape.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

I3raven: Appreciate the offer!

mosspearl: Hoping to come up with enough money within the next couple months to pick up at 18" Current Satellite Plus. Also considering a 12" Wave Point fixture because I'm not sure I want anything obstructing the top of the tank.

In the interim, I've got a great AquaTop LED, lots of CFLs and two spare Fluval clamp lamps. Worst case scenario, I'll pick up another 18" BeamsWork fixture.


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## I3raven (Jan 30, 2013)

No problem, keep us updated!


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

A few images I neglected to upload the other day…

Black background added:










As you can see, the AquaTop Nano Type-P LED fixture provides plenty of light - probably medium:


























Though I'm picking up a couple more cubes, I may end up using the light on this tank for a while.

Have a bunch of new driftwood on the way but I'm now considering turning this into a small riparium with 1/3 to 1/2 water - with just crypts and anubias in the water. Would be an ideal habitat for the 12-15 Corydoras habrosus I've got.

So many options!


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Just traded my old iPhone for an Eheim 2211. Should give me plenty of flexibility. If I decide to go the riparium route, I wouldn't have been able to use an HOB, anyway. 

Also realized I've got some spare Zoo Med lamp stands. Which means I may just use a daylight CFL in a dome (already have both) suspended above the tank. Thank goodness my frugal side has kicked in for a moment.

Now I need to think about substrate. If I go the riparium route, I'll likely just use pool filter sand or Black Diamond blasting grit. If I decide to go all in on a scaped, planted tank, I've got both Aquasoil and Azoo Plant Grower Bed. Think I'll be waiting to see what kind of hardscape material I come up with before making a substrate decision. If I go with rocks, I'll probably use Azoo and keep Tangerine Tigers or something similar. If I go with driftwood, will also use Aquasoil and keep Blue Bees or Princess Bees, as I mentioned earlier. Time will tell.


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## mosspearl (Jan 30, 2013)

Anxious to see how it all turns out.  Glad to see the AquaTop Nano light fits. A bit spendy for my budget, but it is sweet. May have to budget it in come tax return time.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

I'm hoping to use the LED on a 12" cube. That's why I'm motivated to figure out other options for this tank.

Here's hoping I don't let myself down - or anyone else - with the scape. Really like showing off these lower cost tanks because I stand by my assertion that they rival my favorite higher end nano tanks.


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## mosspearl (Jan 30, 2013)

Don't put so much pressure on yourself. As long as you're happy with it, that's all that matters. 

I made the typical newbie mistakes when I began earlier this year and stuffed my tanks with all sorts of plants while I had the budget. I'd always wanted to do planted tanks, but years ago, it cost a fortune to get the right lighting and so on. Now that I've had more time to really see what's available, I've got completely different ideas in my head, but my budget is shot. I've learned from your journals that less can be more...


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

It's not really pressure. Just the excitement of starting a new scape.

Less can absolutely be more. Both in terms of plants, material and even equipment. Coming up with setups that are easy to maintain is a requirement when one has a serious case of Multiple Tank Syndrome.


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## mosspearl (Jan 30, 2013)

I can imagine. I've got 4 small tanks... 1 10g and the rest smaller. Then I have several planted jars just to hold the excess greenery I trim, not counting the big plastic bin on my back porch holding all the extra frogbit. I don't do any high tech and I'm amazed at how fast things grow... even things I've been told are slow, like crypts. There are a few plants I've grown to truly love, but the rest I wouldn't mind trading or giving away once I know what I really want. But that all comes with experience, right? That's why I follow people like you who know what they're doing. It obviously doesn't save me from making all the mistakes, but it helps me through example. 

I have learned I want shrimp, so I've got two nanos set aside for them. I was going to get some from an RAOK, but it didn't work out. In the meantime, my snails are enjoying an occasional (1x month) treat with your veggie sticks with the added calcium. I figure it can only help keep their shells strong.  Slow and steady, that's me.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Got some great new driftwood pieces from Alpha Pro Breeders:


























































Probably going to use it for my 12gal but some of it may end up going into this tank.

Have some additional driftwood coming soon.


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## Jester946 (Mar 30, 2013)

somewhatshocked said:


> Now back to the journal!
> 
> The tank is an 18" AquaTop Euro Style Bow-Front, obviously. Measures 18" x 10.75" x 10.75" and holds roughly 8.7 gallons.
> 
> ...



Will this be a high light tank, or low? Looks like low from the fixtures mentioned?

What light ended up on your 12g long?


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Still determining light levels. But either the Type-P or the Satellite Plus would provide medium light. Aiming for low-medium, I think, but have everything I need to go high-tech with CO2 and such.

I've only had one fixture on my 12gal - Marineland Double Bright. Will likely replace it sometime soon with a Current fixture.


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

:jaw_drop:

You sir, have a LOT of threads to keep up with lol


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

The scary thing is that I have way more tanks than I'll ever be able to document here.

At least I get to showcase some interesting goodies for forum members so they don't have to spend a bunch of scratch trying them out. That's the fun part.


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## Psiorian (Jun 23, 2013)

somewhatshocked said:


> The scary thing is that I have way more tanks than I'll ever be able to document here.
> 
> At least I get to showcase some interesting goodies for forum members so they don't have to spend a bunch of scratch trying them out. That's the fun part.


I'm scared to ask how many you actually do have. 

Sent from my GT-N5110 using Tapatalk 2


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## I3raven (Jan 30, 2013)

Nice driftwood pieces and the background looks neatly done from here.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Eheim 2211 arrived today (along with a bunch of dog treats - so you can imagine what kept me from messing with tanks for a while). Thinking it'll work out really well for the tank with just shrimp.

Have more driftwood arriving Tuesday. Hope to finalize some sort of scape at that point.


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## BoxxerBoyDrew (Oct 16, 2005)

Really cool tank!!!

when I am able to do a shrimp tank I might just go with one of these beauties! Price can't be beat! Could easily make a lid if needed!

Subscribed!
Drew


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## londonloco (Aug 25, 2005)

One of our fellow club members did a review on the Satellite LED+, have you seen it? 

Part One:
http://www.guitarfish.org/2013/05/20/satellite-freshwater-led-review-part-1

and Part two:
http://www.guitarfish.org/?s=Satellite+LED

I actually bought three of these the past few months, the last one going on a 75g. Now, all my plants are low light. They are doing fine on 20g longs on H mode. I started the 75 gallon on full spectrum, but it's too soon to tell if it's going to work. 

Just thought I'd share in case you hadn't read his reviews.....


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## jpappy789 (Jul 28, 2013)

Looking forward to seeing this one progress! The tank itself is pretty sweet.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

I have a few of the fixtures. One is in use on my 20Ls journal.



londonloco said:


> One of our fellow club members did a review on the Satellite LED+, have you seen it?
> 
> Part One:
> http://www.guitarfish.org/2013/05/20/satellite-freshwater-led-review-part-1
> ...


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Have another piece that could work in this tank:


























Not quite sure yet. Still hoping to find a nice stump of some sort.


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## mosspearl (Jan 30, 2013)

That's a nice piece. I can picture shrimp all over it.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Added a bunch more driftwood to my 12gal thread, as I'm in the process of re-scaping it as I build this tank up.


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## I3raven (Jan 30, 2013)

Try looking for Redmoor Root Wood, i think it closely resembles a stump if you position it correctly.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Yep, it's a common variety in pet shops in this neck of the woods. Not interested in that light color, though, Focused more on Malaysian driftwood or Manzanita stumps. I'll eventually find something, I'm sure.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Now that I'm in a new city, I'm finally setting this tank up.

Once I settle on a light fixture, that is...


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## CheyLillymama22 (Jun 9, 2013)

Oh yay. I've been really looking forward to seeing this tank go up


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## oscarsx (Mar 15, 2011)

Great build!! Always nice seeing new projects.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Okay. Made a decision. Since this tank will be on the bottom of my rack, I think I'm going to use an AC30 for filtration instead of the Eheim. Will use it on a new 12" cube.

Slowly coming together!


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## Bserve (Nov 4, 2012)

Hey do u want any manzy maybe? The wood usually scapes itself.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Actually have a small mountain of Manzanita in the basement. Think I may be leaning toward some sort of rock scape if I can't find the perfect stump, though. 

Can't wait to get this thing going.


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## BillV (Aug 27, 2011)

Any progress on this tank Jake? I'm interested in this size or the 14 gallon myself. Probably the 8 for my office. Are you going to use the truaqua light? I see those are $50 righ tnow, would 1 suffice for low to medium plants (probably no CO2)?


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

No, using that fixture on a 30cm cube.

It could work on this tank but isn't ideal when it comes to spread.


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## BillV (Aug 27, 2011)

Have you seen the nano tanks of their in the clearance section? A 6.6 gallon and 14 gallon, $24 and $44 shipped? I was thinking those might be nice too, and you could probably run the finnex px360 or other filter with it. Any thoughts?


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Most all-in-one tanks are a bad idea. I'd say those aren't a great deal. The high-clarity and bowfronts are great, though.

My philosophy: buy exactly what you want. Don't buy half of what you want while compromising over $20-$30. That's what makes this hobby so great - the waiting period. Wait til you find exactly what you want and you'll be happier with the end product.


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## BillV (Aug 27, 2011)

thanks Jake, I am interested in the Euro style, possibly high clarity tanks. It would be for my new office so I still have a couple of weeks to see what might fit. Its just that their price was amazing, but being on clearance makes me wonder why. I like a panoramic view of a rectangular tank over a cube, I have an Ebi at home and while I like it I wish it were longer. I was liking the Mr Aqua bookcase tanks for their length.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

AquaTop also has some rectangle tanks that are high-clarity - definitely give them a look on the site.

Have finally started playing more with the scape of this bowfront and believe I'm nearly settled on something. Hope to photograph it and get it planted ASAP! The move really zapped me for energy and I'm just now getting caught back up.


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## Steelen (Jan 28, 2013)

somewhatshocked said:


> Have another piece that could work in this tank:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That piece looked like the ship from Thor 2 










Thats a beautiful piece. Looking forward seeing the tank grow!


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## Harrisgo (Mar 18, 2013)

update??


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## EwDeg (Feb 4, 2014)

Did you ever set up this tank? I like the footprint, so just curious what you did with it.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Ended up moving and haven't had a chance to get things going.

Just finished my new tank room last week, so all my tanks documented here on the forum will be coming back to life ASAP.


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## Minhha2006 (Oct 14, 2014)

Update? Ive been following every thread and ive finally caught up!


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Nothing to update. This tank is still sitting empty. Maybe sometime this winter but other tanks took priority.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

While I've got a layout and purpose for this tank, that's still several months in the future. You know how it is when life gets in the way and other tanks take priority.

BUT!

Figured out a temporary use for the tank (and one of my high-clarity cubes - a 25cm/10") and thought I should update here.

Thanks to inspiration from wastewater's great Tillarium, I decided to set up temporary quarters for some Tillandsia (air plants) that I've been neglecting since at least mid-winter.

Siliconed some cork bark onto the back and made some crude holders out of 18 gauge floral wire. Here they are shortly after a dunk in some spring water:


































They've lost color because they haven't been under their usual light fixtures for several months but they've still occasionally flowered and thrown pups, as you can see in the top right. To the left of the tank is a hollowed-out champagne cork holding a pup from my T. neglecta that's so small I can't place it in in a holder.

Here's a look at them pre-dunk in the bath:


















16" Finnex Fugeray lights the tank and seems to be plenty bright. Have a 20" Fugeray and several other fixtures I can swap with if need be. Eventually all of these plants will wind up in a 10gal tall with a custom LED fixture. If I ever get around to soldering LEDs, that is.

Have temporarily rigged a 40mm fan for air circulation

Some cell phone shots of the 25cm tank:


















This tank also has a 40mm fan for air circulation.

And a small globe containing what I think is T. ionantha 'guatemala':










It gets light from the cube, which has a 10" Fugeray on top.

While they don't look great and aren't laid out too well, I like them for what they're going to be temporarily.

All of these plants used to be mounted on cork rounds and driftwood but I decided to use the wood in a new vivarium build.

What's not pictured is a huge mess of Spanish Moss I've got growing amongst all of the metal IKEA shelves in the office. Started as a few small springs of gray-green stuff has morphed into a crazy mess. Will try to snap a pic when there's better lighting.


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## Rushdoggie (Jan 14, 2015)

Very cool!


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## wastewater (Apr 5, 2010)

How's your Tillandsia project progressing (still have the Tilly bug)? You had mentioned in your above post "a new vivarium build". Any decisions on the design, flora/fauna?


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Yep. Still have the Tillandsia bug. Had to move most of them to the office because I'm in the midst of a move, so haven't done a lot with the tanks. Even have some loose plants just laying around that I've acquired the past few weeks. 

Some updated shots:


















Look how dusty:










Spanish Moss is growing well — just hanging from a ZooMed light stand in front of the tanks:










New ones:


















Flowering:










Need to water later today, which is why some of them look a bit thirsty. Takes about 20 minutes to remove them all, mist or soak and return to their positions. I really ought to get my act together and set up an enclosure that's drilled for drainage so I don't have to move the plants around. 

Planning to rewire some stands and rearrange a bit. Probably replacing the moss in the dome with pea gravel and adding a couple more. 

Definitely doing the Vivarium thing once settled. Slowly collecting everything. Have an 18x24x18 Exo and a larger one - 36x18x36 (I think those are the dimensions - it's tall and wide) - gotta plan a bit more. DIY background with cork branches. Have plenty of driftwood and manzanita. Am a big fan of small ferns, vines, small orchids, other bromeliads, mosses, nothing too crazy.

Just need to make my mind up about whether or not I want to drill the tank (or tanks? Maybe I'll do both). Leaning against. Sticking with a manual siphon and drain pipe will force me to pay regular attention to the tank and prevent neglect.

Pretty sure I'll be going the thumbnail frog route if I end up keeping critters.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Beginning to think it may be time for me to use some stronger lighting than the Fugerays I've got over my tanks at the moment. Granted, the fixtures are just 8 or so inches from most of the plants but I'm guessing I'll have a lot better plant growth with CFLs or one of my other LED fixtures I've just got in storage.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

FINALLY! Things are starting to bloom this season.

Tillandisa ionanth 'peanut':


















Always a relief to find out I haven't killed everything.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Flower growth is steadily increasing each day:










Need to snap some more photos to get a better look at the rest of the plants beginning to bloom.


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## BettaBettas (Aug 21, 2016)

update? Also this is a really cool journal  I'm not an air plant kind of guy, to simple (im sure they aren't behind the leaves though) for me. I'm more of a "wanting to 24/7 work" kind of guy lol! I do however like the tropical indoor plants, I have a couple of those. just basic plants like African violets, orchids, and other types with pretty flowers! anyway would love to see an update on how it looks now! Could you put any critters in there?


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Been a while since this thread has seen an update.

Recently moved all of my air plants onto hanging frames in a sun room and I'm ready to use this bowfront tank as a water-holding aquarium again. Finally found a glass top for it and am going to use it for its intended purpose all these years later.

Now I just need to spend a few weeks looking through my manzanita and driftwood to see what I can come up with. Planning on something simple and as low maintenance as possible. Maybe I'll turn it into a Betta tank? Time will tell.


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## Discusluv (Dec 24, 2017)

somewhatshocked said:


> Yep. Still have the Tillandsia bug. Had to move most of them to the office because I'm in the midst of a move, so haven't done a lot with the tanks. Even have some loose plants just laying around that I've acquired the past few weeks.
> 
> Some updated shots:
> 
> ...


Wow, Jake! This is amazing! I had no idea you had this kind of set-up! 😮


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## Discusluv (Dec 24, 2017)

somewhatshocked said:


> Been a while since this thread has seen an update.
> 
> Recently moved all of my air plants onto hanging frames in a sun room and I'm ready to use this bowfront tank as a water-holding aquarium again. Finally found a glass top for it and am going to use it for its intended purpose all these years later.
> 
> Now I just need to spend a few weeks looking through my manzanita and driftwood to see what I can come up with. Planning on something simple and as low maintenance as possible. Maybe I'll turn it into a Betta tank? Time will tell.


Looking forward to following along. 
A betta, huh? Ive never had one, but sounds intriguing...


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Discusluv said:


> Wow, Jake! This is amazing! I had no idea you had this kind of set-up! 😮


I've got a ton of Tillandsia. Easy to care for, extremely rewarding, everyone thinks they're way more exotic than they are. 



Discusluv said:


> Looking forward to following along.
> A betta, huh? Ive never had one, but sounds intriguing...


If not a Betta that's full of color, then something small and active. Celestial Pearl Danios, maybe. Or Veiltail Guppies? Something basic but still pretty. Way outside the norm for me.


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