# The Shallow Planted Tank



## manualfocus (Jun 15, 2011)

The dimensions of this tank are awesome! Is it custom? Looking good so far. I feel like your lights are going to be overkill, however.


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## PlantedNewt (Mar 19, 2012)

manualfocus said:


> The dimensions of this tank are awesome! Is it custom? Looking good so far. I feel like your lights are going to be overkill, however.


Thank you, yes it is... and as far as the lights go I definitely do too. They're all I got though, and I'm working on figuring out a DIY hanging method. 
If I can master planted tanks, I'm going to use the light fixture on a reef tank :biggrin:


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## ikuzo (Jul 11, 2006)

wow this is great
the sand color is amazing
is it black silica?


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## PlantedNewt (Mar 19, 2012)

ikuzo said:


> wow this is great
> the sand color is amazing
> is it black silica?


Thank you! It's Black Tahitian Moon Sand mixed with Active Floro so it has some beneficial qualities for the plants!


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## argu (Apr 6, 2009)

good size but not standard
I guess you will have algae problem because you can't prepare good flow in the tank.


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## iRun (Apr 12, 2011)

I'm so glad to see a tank with these dimensions! I really considered getting a shallow square when I ordered mine, but it just wouldn't fit where I needed to put it. What did you set it on?


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## tatersalad (Dec 7, 2011)

cool looking tank, reminds me of one of those coral frag tanks. Can you unscrew the metal halide bulb to reduce your lighting by just having the flourescents on? Might help out some with alage and such.


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## vincenz (Jan 29, 2012)

Since it's a square tank, I'd hang the fixture and take out the fluorescent strips and run just the metal halide for the coverage and the shimmer effect. Add a Koralia 240 in one corner to help with flow also. :thumbsup:


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## dasob85 (Feb 4, 2012)

This is such a cool tank.


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## PlantedNewt (Mar 19, 2012)

argu said:


> good size but not standard
> I guess you will have algae problem because you can't prepare good flow in the tank.


Not true... I did research on that. I'm using a Rena Filstar XP1 with a spray bar on the tank, I have a strong flow throughout! 
Thanks though


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## PlantedNewt (Mar 19, 2012)

iRun said:


> I'm so glad to see a tank with these dimensions! I really considered getting a shallow square when I ordered mine, but it just wouldn't fit where I needed to put it. What did you set it on?


Thank you! I made a stand myself for it, it has a bottom shelf too in case I decide to get it drilled and get into reefing


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## PlantedNewt (Mar 19, 2012)

dasob85 said:


> This is such a cool tank.


Thank you so much :biggrin:


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## PlantedNewt (Mar 19, 2012)

tatersalad said:


> cool looking tank, reminds me of one of those coral frag tanks. Can you unscrew the metal halide bulb to reduce your lighting by just having the flourescents on? Might help out some with alage and such.


I'm working on hanging it so that I don't have to worry about algae... However, I feel that my tank flow is good enough. Not sure, but I still need to hang it, regardless


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## PlantedNewt (Mar 19, 2012)

vincenz said:


> Since it's a square tank, I'd hang the fixture and take out the fluorescent strips and run just the metal halide for the coverage and the shimmer effect. Add a Koralia 240 in one corner to help with flow also. :thumbsup:


I need to work on the hanging thing. Not sure how I'm going to get that done, but it'll happen haha

and the flow is perfect right now. I have a canister filter rated for 45 gallons in a 18 gallon tank with a spray bar. I think it's perfect anyways... any more current seems like overkill to me?


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## Zefrik (Oct 23, 2011)

Lol, metal halides on a 7in deep tank. Looks like a cool tank though!


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## iRun (Apr 12, 2011)

How is your evaporation? I'm losing a gallon every other day (Denver is pretty arid) and I have less surface area (36x12x12).

I was thinking the same thing as you are with an eventual transition to reef. After seeing how much I'd have to stay on top of the water due to the evaporation, though, I'm thinking...not so much.


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## PlantedNewt (Mar 19, 2012)

iRun said:


> How is your evaporation? I'm losing a gallon every other day (Denver is pretty arid) and I have less surface area (36x12x12).
> 
> I was thinking the same thing as you are with an eventual transition to reef. After seeing how much I'd have to stay on top of the water due to the evaporation, though, I'm thinking...not so much.


Evaporation is a pain in the butt... but yeah, I may want to hang my fixture.
PS go broncos all day.


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## GoldenTetra (Jan 17, 2009)

I really like it! I'm excited to see this tank develop!


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## PlantedNewt (Mar 19, 2012)

Okay guys, quick question... My tank started browning. It's not diatoms, but I want to say the plants seem to be dying? The middle of some of them is still green, like leaves underneath the brown ones on my HC and they're pearling. I'm really quite confused.
I'm guessing it's due to too much light? I've been fertilizing perfectly, co2 is perfect.. so I'm lost


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## PlantedNewt (Mar 19, 2012)

Switched my lights to only the T5HO.. a pink bulb and a 6500k... Plants are doing better already within 3 hours.


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## PlantedNewt (Mar 19, 2012)

About a week or so into this, I'm going through a diatom outbreak... although it's lessening since I've increased my otto count. They were dying at the pet store but all seem to have nice little bellies now. Out of the 10 I bought, nine survived the first week. I'll take that, they normally seem to drop like flies


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## sketch804 (Mar 2, 2011)

great looking tank! Wow 14 gallons you say? Looks a lot bigger than that! I once seen this guy that had a 75-100+ gal cube tank like this and it was spectular on how it turned out after a few months..I am sure that yours will be like that, this is the start of something great here! I love seeing when people step outa the box called 'normal' and do something creative and new, even if its not totally new it is one of very few so it is unique in its own way and i applaud you for it! Can't wait to see this once it grows in! I will tell ya you will save so much money if you use a paintball tank and regulator vs the 88g cartriges..but either way looks beautiful!


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## PlantedNewt (Mar 19, 2012)

sketch804 said:


> great looking tank! Wow 14 gallons you say? Looks a lot bigger than that! I once seen this guy that had a 75-100+ gal cube tank like this and it was spectular on how it turned out after a few months..I am sure that yours will be like that, this is the start of something great here! I love seeing when people step outa the box called 'normal' and do something creative and new, even if its not totally new it is one of very few so it is unique in its own way and i applaud you for it! Can't wait to see this once it grows in! I will tell ya you will save so much money if you use a paintball tank and regulator vs the 88g cartriges..but either way looks beautiful!


Thank you soo much! I was going to just get a CO2 cylinder in a little to save money. The tank is about 20 gallons, and I really hope it turns out nice. Your comment means a lot to me  Thank you!


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## PlantedNewt (Mar 19, 2012)

*Update Week 2?*

I think it's week two. I had a bad diatom outbreak so I kinda wanted to stay away from post any new pictures... but that's gone and over with now. 
My HC is beginning to carpet (but not as fast as I want :icon_neut ), and the glosso is sending tons of runners throughout the section I have marked off for it. However, I am getting some hair algae that's really annoying. I'd like help getting rid of that... 
But yeah, here's some pictures! Thanks for checking out my thread!


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## PlantedNewt (Mar 19, 2012)

Oh and if anyone knows how to get rid of that green spot algae on the rocks, that'd be a tremendous help as well


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## sketch804 (Mar 2, 2011)

PO4 (phosphate) will soften it so the algae eaters can eat it easily..its working for me so far..


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## PlantedNewt (Mar 19, 2012)

sketch804 said:


> PO4 (phosphate) will soften it so the algae eaters can eat it easily..its working for me so far..


Thanks! Thats a big help. What product has PO4!?


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## vincenz (Jan 29, 2012)

Good thing you got rid of the metal halide because you were definitely cooking your plants before. How many otos do you have in there now?


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## sketch804 (Mar 2, 2011)

KH2PO4 for a dry fert..prolly the expensive..also you can get Flourish Phosphate, and a few other proudcts but itll cost more in the long run...GLA and a few other aquarium fert sites have it..also I got some ferts from a powerseller here that had a great price! Name started with a M..good luck!


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## PlantedNewt (Mar 19, 2012)

vincenz said:


> Good thing you got rid of the metal halide because you were definitely cooking your plants before. How many otos do you have in there now?


Six, but I want to get about 11 total. I have a buttload of frozen zucchini for once they finish their jobs with the diatoms. 
I was thinking about getting a siamese algea eater for the hair algae... but not sure if that's a good idea.


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## PlantedNewt (Mar 19, 2012)

sketch804 said:


> KH2PO4 for a dry fert..prolly the expensive..also you can get Flourish Phosphate, and a few other proudcts but itll cost more in the long run...GLA and a few other aquarium fert sites have it..also I got some ferts from a powerseller here that had a great price! Name started with a M..good luck!


Thank you! That's a big help~


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## sketch804 (Mar 2, 2011)

nah..SAE grows a little to large for that tank, unless you know someone local that will take him when he grows to a nice size then eh whatever..but I know its annoying but please read up on algae and ways to prevent it/get rid of it with out using cleaners..if you fill the niche the algae is using then you will slowly but surely take the algae down to a manageable level..I had staghorn in my tank for the longest time (and I have a SAE) but once I adjusted a few things, dialed in my co2, etc..it went away for the most part..its nice to have cleaners but if you can give conditions where plants do better than the algae it will help a bunch! But you tank is still newish (I believe), so just give it time and everything...good luck, I can't wait til this one fills in more, its gonna be gorgeous!

But this is all IMO, so take it with a grain of salt so to speak..


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## PlantedNewt (Mar 19, 2012)

sketch804 said:


> nah..SAE grows a little to large for that tank, unless you know someone local that will take him when he grows to a nice size then eh whatever..but I know its annoying but please read up on algae and ways to prevent it/get rid of it with out using cleaners..if you fill the niche the algae is using then you will slowly but surely take the algae down to a managable level..I had staghorn in my tank for the longest time (and I have a SAE) but once I adjusted a few things, dialed in my co2, etc..it went away for the most part..its nice to have cleaners but if you can give conditions where plants do better than the algae it will help a bunch! But you tank is still newish (I believe), so just give it time and everything...good luck, I can't wait til this one fills in more, its gonna be gorgeous!
> 
> But this is all IMO, so take it with a grain of salt so to speak..


I have a 55 gal I could transfer it to, a tropical community tank that's planted but not really scaped. A big dirted tank pretty much. 
Yeah, I'm starting to think I just need to wait this out until my plants start filling in. I may even want to go buy another pot or two of HC to speed up the process. 
Thanks for the info!


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## sketch804 (Mar 2, 2011)

anytime  ...and ya that sounds good, I have a large one in a tank about that size and he does fine..we need more pix haha! But now that I can see it on a normal size screen everything looks great and once it fills in with the HC it'll be a nice work of art..Do you have any other fish in there besides Otto's? I didn't see any but..ya


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## kamikazi (Sep 3, 2010)

cool tank, if I had one like that I would just plant a bunch of emergents in there.


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## PlantedNewt (Mar 19, 2012)

I have some white cloud minnows, cherry shrimp, and I want to get some nerite snails.
I may want to get a different variety of shrimp as well


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## sketch804 (Mar 2, 2011)

Ah man those white clouds are gonna hump hard core in there and before you know it you will be selling them off! I had some in a 10 gal with java moss, took em out 1-2 weeks later and after a month ended up with like 100+/- fish!! they can eat crushed flake when they are young so VERY EZ! sounds good to me..


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## PlantedNewt (Mar 19, 2012)

sketch804 said:


> Ah man those white clouds are gonna hump hard core in there and before you know it you will be selling them off! I had some in a 10 gal with java moss, took em out 1-2 weeks later and after a month ended up with like 100+/- fish!! they can eat crushed flake when they are young so VERY EZ! sounds good to me..


I had like 12.. I'm down to 3.
They enjoyed jumping out of the tank a little too much..


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## PlantedNewt (Mar 19, 2012)

*New Pictures*

Updated pictures of the tank.. awhh yeaahh


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