# Philip's 90 Gallon - UPDATE 7/31/2012 (FTS P.86)



## Da Plant Man

Nice plan! Can't wait to see it progress!

Lets just hope you don't get your leg blown off this time around :hihi:


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## rickztahone

how much soil are you buying? i'm trying to figure out how much to buy for my 55 but i can't figure it out in L, i only see the chart for lbs.


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## Centromochlus

Caton said:


> Nice plan! Can't wait to see it progress!
> 
> Lets just hope you don't get your leg blown off this time around :hihi:


Thanks! I'm really excited to get this all set up. The 150g was fun, but it was a lot of work and i hope this will be my final tank until i go off to college (but you never know what will happen when you're part of an addictive hobby like this one...).



rickztahone said:


> how much soil are you buying? i'm trying to figure out how much to buy for my 55 but i can't figure it out in L, i only see the chart for lbs.


I'm buying 4 9-liter bags and 2 3-liter bags, since i may want a slight slope. If you click on the "extended information" tab on the product page, it will tell you how many bags you need for the size tank you have. According to that chart, a 58g (36"x18") would need 3 9-liter bags. They do not say how deep the substrate would be though, but i'm assuming around 1.5"


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## rickztahone

AzFishKid said:


> Thanks! I'm really excited to get this all set up. The 150g was fun, but it was a lot of work and i hope this will be my final tank until i go off to college (but you never know what will happen when you're part of an addictive hobby like this one...).
> 
> 
> 
> I'm buying 4 9-liter bags and 2 3-liter bags, since i may want a slight slope. If you click on the "extended information" tab on the product page, it will tell you how many bags you need for the size tank you have. According to that chart, a 58g (36"x18") would need 3 9-liter bags. They do not say how deep the substrate would be though, but i'm assuming around 1.5"


thx. i was thinking 4 bags since a fellow member told me to go with really steep slope for the look i was going for. i'm not sure if you say my Journal thread but i really like the slope i have on my 10g's. i measured it and it was 4" at the rear and the front pretty much matched the black trim, not bad IMO. also, the soil comes out to be much cheaper than buying local florite. The only thing i don't like is the ammonia leech, i really have never cycled a tank, i have always taken media from an exsisting filter and used that to insta-start a tank. I will have to do more research on this...

btw, good luck with this build, i was sad to see the other one go but i think this one will have more potential since it isn't on such a huge scale.


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## xJaypex

how much did you save buying the soil from afa? Just asking cus i remembered i wanted to do the same but there really wasnt a difference from buying it locally.


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## Centromochlus

xJaypex said:


> how much did you save buying the soil from afa? Just asking cus i remembered i wanted to do the same but there really wasnt a difference from buying it locally.


I think i saved about $10 or $20, but that's about it. Tim wanted to order a 3-liter bag, so he helped out with shipping.


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## dxiong5

Looking forward to your progress as I have a 75 gallon myself that I am planning to start in the near future. How will you place the light - suspended? on legs? right on top of the tank?

According to Hoppy's lighting tables (http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/lighting/105774-par-vs-distance-t5-t12-pc.html), 4x54w T5HO can be too much lighting for a 75 with respect to how it is placed. I thought about getting a 4-bulb fixture too, but am not sure yet.


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## VadimShevchuk

I was looking forward to see your new 75 gallon set up and it was sad to see your 150 go. Are you going to switch the 5 lb to a bigger tank in the future? It's not going to be fun running back and forth from the co2 refill place every month or 2.


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## Centromochlus

dxiong5 said:


> Looking forward to your progress as I have a 75 gallon myself that I am planning to start in the near future. How will you place the light - suspended? on legs? right on top of the tank?
> 
> According to Hoppy's lighting tables (http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/lighting/105774-par-vs-distance-t5-t12-pc.html), 4x54w T5HO can be too much lighting for a 75 with respect to how it is placed. I thought about getting a 4-bulb fixture too, but am not sure yet.


The retrofit will be attached to the top of the canopy, which will be about 13" from the water surface i believe. So, according to Hoppy's chart, 3 bulbs will give me medium light, and 4 bulbs will give me high light. I'm hoping to make this a high-light tank if i can keep up with the water change/fert schedule. 



> I was looking forward to see your new 75 gallon set up and it was sad to see your 150 go. Are you going to switch the 5 lb to a bigger tank in the future? It's not going to be fun running back and forth from the co2 refill place every month or 2.


After everything is up and running and when i have some spare cash, i'm definitely going to upgrade to at least a 10lb.


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## hydrophyte

Sounds like a great plan!


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## Green Leaf Aquariums

Congrats on the new tank and furniture. Looks like you have a good plan on getting things off to the right start.


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## Axelrodi202

I look forward to seeing this new tank! But I can't help but notice that your fish list is on the large side.


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## Centromochlus

Axelrodi202 said:


> I look forward to seeing this new tank! But I can't help but notice that your fish list is on the large side.


Everything, including the fish list, is tentative at this point. The aquarium isn't even filled yet, let alone in my bedroom! I appreciate your input though, and i do agree- it may be too much for a 75g to handle. 

Orlando/Hydrophyte, thanks for the comments.


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## Da Plant Man

Are you going to put the assassin snails from your 150g into this tank?


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## sewingalot

Yay! Nice pictures. I love the new setup. :hihi:


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## Centromochlus

http://www.aquariumplants.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=ext5000&CartID=3

Would this be worth purchasing? Would it be as effective or more effective than a DIY Rex Grig reactor? I like it because it wouldn't take up 24"-30" (height) of space. And the probe holder looks cool. I assume that I could hook this up to my FX5 without issues?

As for the assassins, I sold most of them a while ago. Not sure if I'm going to have them again.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## RipariumGuy

Great sounding setup so far Phillip!


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## rockwood

The aquariumplants.com reactor you linked is similar to the setups Craigthor and I (as well as several others) are running. We built them ourselves using a house filter, and I'm fairly positive it would be easy for you to build as well. There's a thread on them in the DIY section here on TPT. Just search for "Cerge's Reactor". Craig experienced better flow when he went from the Griggs version to this style. I don't know anything about the Griggs style because I completely skipped it over but I know I LOVE my reactor. I'll try to get pics of it tonight. 

Mine cost me about $45 to complete, and I'm pretty sure you can buy just the probe holder and include it while you're building yours. If you wanted to look around you can probably find that "probe holder" a lot cheaper than 30 bucks. It looks like they are using standard PVC so you might find a quick DIY thread somewhere if you google a bit. 

Beats spending $100 bucks on something you can easily build cheaper.


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## Centromochlus

I'm considering drilling the back of the tank to install bulkheads, but i wanted some input before i follow through with it. My main objective for doing this would be to remove clutter inside of the tank (tubes, intake cage, etc), and plus- it looks really cool. 

Will having the outtake split into two directions cause loss of flow? If so, how substantial would it be? 
Where should i put the intake? Is there a better place than dead center near the top?

By the way, thank you for the input on the aquariumplants.com reactor. I'm going to look into a DIY version, or i may just buy the one from the website later.


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## RipariumGuy

That plan for the pipes looks great!


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## Centromochlus

JakeJ said:


> That plan for the pipes looks great!


Thanks!

What could i use to split the output tubing into two directions?
I remember seeing something on a DIY website, but i can't seem to find it...


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## Green Leaf Aquariums

Why not drill the bottom? This way you could do manual water changes in a snap by installing a gate valve with a hose connected. To easy to do if your going this far.


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## Centromochlus

Green Leaf Aquariums said:


> Why not drill the bottom? This way you could do manual water changes in a snap by installing a gate valve with a hose connected. To easy to do if your going this far.


True... would i just connect the intake (from filter) to the bottom, then remove it and connect it to another tubing for draining?


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## rockwood

If you do it right, you won't need to switch hoses at all. Just open the gate and water starts flowing out the hose.


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## Brownthumb07

I have the Aquariumplants.com reactor and I hate it. The pump it comes with is horribly weak and doesn't mix the co2 at all like they say. There is a house fiter at home depot that is larger and should work better with the filter you will be using. Right now I have my co2 running into the intake of my Odessa CFS 500. Works like a charm until I can try and plumb it into the AP.com's reactor. Maybe the extra flow from the Odessa will work better than the flow I had from my fluval 405. Just been too lazy to drive into town to get the pvc piping.


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## Centromochlus

The stand and canopy arrived yesterday. I unpacked all of the pieces and started staining a few pieces to see if i can get it to be dark enough. I'm going to apply a second coat in a few hours. I'm guessing that i'll probably have to do 4-6 coats (keep in mind that i want it to be very close to black). 

Leak test:









The materials that i'm using:









The boxes:









Opening the boxes the hard way:









Out of the box:









What a mess!









One coat applied:


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## Chafire

Oh man! I bet your stoked. This will be a fun project! Liking the color of the stain as well. curious though the last picture is it just the picture or do the bottoms and the tops of the doors have a different look to them?


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## rickztahone

good luck to you buddy. i stained (or tried better said) to stain my 125 stand it was a total PITA. The look of a finished stained stand/canopy is awesome though!


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## rickztahone

Chafire said:


> Oh man! I bet your stoked. This will be a fun project! Liking the color of the stain as well. curious though the last picture is it just the picture or do the bottoms and the tops of the doors have a different look to them?


what doors?


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## Chafire

rickztahone said:


> what doors?


I Swear, no joke there was just like 10 other pictures and not just of the stain.

Yeah there back.


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## rickztahone

Chafire said:


> I Swear, no joke there was just like 10 other pictures and not just of the stain.
> 
> Yeah there back.


Lol, I see them now. The doors look fine, just a perspective issue of the way the pic was taken


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## Centromochlus

Yeah the pictures were to big so i had to resize them... hence why you didn't see them at first. :flick:

The bottom/top parts of the doors look different in the pics because of the angle. It is all made out of the same wood.

The substrate also arrived today, to my surprise. It wasn't supposed to be here until Tuesday! 4 9-liter bags and 3 3-liter bags of ADA Amazonia I Aquasoil (one of the 3-liter bags is for a friend, so i'll only end up using the big bags and two of the smaller ones).



















Another lame picture of me:


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## CL

Aww, isn't Philip cute? :hihi:
Haha, I bet you're having fun. I always love setting up new tanks. So much fun.


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## dxiong5

Any particular reason why you got Amazonia I instead of II?


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## Centromochlus

Lol CL.

I had Amazonia II in my 68g a while back, and it was super dusty... i heard that Amazonia I was basically the same thing except much less dusty. We'll see if that's actually true.


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## Centromochlus

I assembled the stand and applied one coat of stain today. Yay! 3-4 more coats to go...
I also just ordered a 47" T5-HO 4x54 watt retrofit w/moonlights and one fan (for inside the canopy) from Catalina Aquarium. 
Going to assemble the canopy, finish staining everything, drill the back of the aquarium, and get all of the plumbing set up on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday- hopefully in time for the AAPE meeting on the 28th at my house!

Partially assembled: 









Assembled w/o doors:









One coat of stain applied:


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## oldpunk78

mayne... it looks worm there. lol

the stand is looking good.


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## CL

Haha, what I'd give to swim in that pool lol. Looks like summer.
Great progress too dude!


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## Centromochlus

It started to pour about two hours after i took those photos.

I love the unpredictable AZ weather. :thumbsup:


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## Axelrodi202

Very nice pool you have. Can't wait to see this thing filled up.


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## GitMoe

If you wanted an almost black end result why didn't you just start with a darker stain? Stand looks good though. Solid real wood is a plus. Built to last...


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## RipariumGuy

Pool party at Phillips house.... :hihi:

That really like that stain color. It will match your room very well.:thumbsup:


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## Centromochlus

GitMoe said:


> If you wanted an almost black end result why didn't you just start with a darker stain? Stand looks good though. Solid real wood is a plus. Built to last...


It's ebony stain. I didn't think it came any darker?


So.... when should we have the pool party? :fish::fish::fish::fish::fish:


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## RipariumGuy

AzFishKid said:


> So.... when should we have the pool party? :fish::fish::fish::fish::fish:


In the time it takes for me to earn enough cash for me to get a plane ticket out there. I am not to concerned about getting back a this point. :icon_eek:


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## problemman

I can't come to the pool party? I will bring some food!


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## Centromochlus

I was going to go swimming this afternoon, but the pool is way too cold.  Looks like we're going to have to postpone the pool party until next summer.

Three coats of stain was plenty. Stand is done!









Canopy is assembled! Time to stain it...
(by the way, there are going to be doors in the front)









Plumbing supplies and the retrofit should be here on Friday or Saturday. Hooray!
I'm going to split the outflow into two directions, so i'll have two outflows inside of the aquarium with one filter.


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## Da Plant Man

Looks good! I almost wish I didn't have a rimless but at the same time I think it will make it look better. What you have done is awesome!


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## VadimShevchuk

:drool:Beautiful stand and canopy there. I think in the end you will wish you went with a 90 gallon. Looking forward to updates from warm Arizona, 37F on thanksgiving here:angryfire


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## Centromochlus

Caton said:


> Looks good! I almost wish I didn't have a rimless but at the same time I think it will make it look better. What you have done is awesome!


Thanks! I was considering a rimless, but later decided that i really wanted to have a canopy. 



VadimShevchuk said:


> Beautiful stand and canopy there. I think in the end you will wish you went with a 90 gallon. Looking forward to updates from warm Arizona, 37F on thanksgiving here.


Thanks VadimShevchuk!
A 75 is fine for now... isn't a 90 just taller?


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## Da Plant Man

VadimShevchuk said:


> 37F on thanksgiving here:angryfire


I wish it was 37F here, it is a high of 6F today, with windchill yesterday it was around -20F.


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## Centromochlus

Caton said:


> I wish it was 37F here, it is a high of 6F today, with windchill yesterday it was around -20F.


It was around 62F (and mostly sunny!) all day here... finally got cold enough for us to turn on the fire. :icon_cool I'm actually sitting in front of the fireplace in our living room right now.


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## Da Plant Man

We have had out fireplace on for a while, we have to keep it going all the time and it is a woodstove, I have to go outside and get a wheelbarrow full almost twice a day.


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## VadimShevchuk

> Thanks VadimShevchuk!
> A 75 is fine for now... isn't a 90 just taller?


With a canopy and stand the tank will look shallow. 90 gallon would look more like a "show tank". I still would trade my 55 for your 75 any day:icon_bigg


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## dxiong5

:frown: cold here in Wisconsin and it's just going to get colder.

The stand and canopy look good, wish I had a house/garage to build things, my little apartment isn't cutting it. And yes, a 90 is just taller than a 75 ---> more water to change roud:


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## Xalyx

Nice pool. Looks like you have plenty of disposable income. This'll be good.


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## Centromochlus

VadimShevchuk said:


> With a canopy and stand the tank will look shallow. 90 gallon would look more like a "show tank". I still would trade my 55 for your 75 any day:icon_bigg


Eh if it looks to shallow then maybe i'll find a 90g to swap it out with... but the 75 seems like such a perfect size for me right now. I just hope that the height of the canopy won't make the aquarium seem too short. The 90g is only 4" higher though, which isn't a huge difference.



> Nice pool. Looks like you have plenty of disposable income. This'll be good.


Thanks, but it's my parent's income, not mine (i'm 16). I'm going to have to wait a while until i can get all of the plants i want. I'm pretty much out of money right now after buying all of the plumbing supplies and the retrofit.

Btw, pools are very common in Arizona... i don't know many people here who don't have one.


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## rockwood

AzFishKid said:


> Btw, pools are very common in Arizona... i don't know many people here who don't have one.


That probably has something to do with having summers where it easily hits 105F.

BTW, the ebony stain looks awesome. You make me want to build a stand and stain it with that. I am worried what it's going to look like when you get everything together. It sort of feels like the actual aquarium is going to be dwarfed in scale by the stand.


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## Centromochlus

rockwood said:


> BTW, the ebony stain looks awesome. You make me want to build a stand and stain it with that. I am worried what it's going to look like when you get everything together. It sort of feels like the actual aquarium is going to be dwarfed in scale by the stand.


Yeah, i'm very happy with how the staining turned out. It was a PITA to do, but i think it looks much better than paint.

Here's what it looks like all together. I don't think the canopy makes the aquarium look too small, so there's no plans to replace it with a 90g right now. The canopy still needs one more coat of stain, and i need to apply a coat of polyurethane to everything after it dries for a good 24 hours. The aquarium and canopy are also at the perfect height for me. I can comfortably reach my hand inside the canopy and almost touch the bottom of the aquarium.


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## problemman

Looks great! Forget the 90 lol that's just more work! I so can't wait to see this in place and put all together!


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## fishykid1

The canopy just seems really tall to me.  Personal opinion i guess, but i'll be watching this very closely for my future 75G within the next month or 2 hopefully.


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## Centromochlus

fishykid1 said:


> The canopy just seems really tall to me.  Personal opinion i guess, but i'll be watching this very closely for my future 75G within the next month or 2 hopefully.


Yeah it's definitely a personal opinion ... But I think it looks fine.

Crossing my fingers that the light and plumbing supplies will arrive today. Tracking website says that the plumbing package was delayed, even though i ordered it on Tuesday with express 2-day shipping... Ughh.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Centromochlus

The light is here! They forgot to include the fan that i purchased, so i called them and they're going to send that out asap. Doesn't matter though, since i finally have the retrofit!  Excellent customer service and an excellent product- highly recommended. 

47" T5-HO 4x54 watt Catalina Retrofit w/ moonlights (all 6700k bulbs, but will replace with giesmann aquaflora/midday later):


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## Solid

Nice Crockpot!!


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## RipariumGuy

Solid said:


> Nice Crockpot!!


LOLOLOL! That was awesome.


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## fishykid1

That's a nice looking retro! glad everything made it there with no problems. I can't decide on spending an extra 100$ to have a retrofit...


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## Centromochlus

Solid said:


> Nice Crockpot!!


Thanks? LOL.



fishykid1 said:


> That's a nice looking retro! glad everything made it there with no problems. I can't decide on spending an extra 100$ to have a retrofit...


I don't understand why retrofits are more expensive than normal fixtures... isn't a fixture just a retrofit inside of a shell?


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## Da Plant Man

Lol, I have the same crockpot. 

I really like the light, I am planning on getting a Odyssea light, I hear good things about them. I am a bit confused on what retrofitting even is. Is it just like replacing the ballast with a better one so that you can put a better bulb in or something?


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## Centromochlus

Caton said:


> Lol, I have the same crockpot.
> 
> I really like the light, I am planning on getting a Odyssea light, I hear good things about them. I am a bit confused on what retrofitting even is. Is it just like replacing the ballast with a better one so that you can put a better bulb in or something?


It's a light fixture that mounts inside of a canopy.
Same thing as one with a shell, but it's just easier to mount to a flat surface.

Like this:


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## fishykid1

I called the Catalina guys and they said it's because they had to bend all of the parts and make it, rather than have a company do it for them...IDK. That's what they said a few minutes ago.
I don't see why someone can't just by the fixture and take it apart then retrofit it into their tank, but anyways, that's not the point. 

Philip, I believe cooling fans are going to be needed on my setup if i buy the regular fixture rather than the retro, but...fans are like 30$ and loud. Is it worth the noise and headache?

EDIT: caton, have you dealt with aquatraders before? That just seems like a insanely low price for a new fixture. And do you know if it has a fan? 4X54W is gonna produce a decent amount of heat.


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## Centromochlus

fishykid1 said:


> I called the Catalina guys and they said it's because they had to bend all of the parts and make it, rather than have a company do it for them...IDK. That's what they said a few minutes ago.
> I don't see why someone can't just by the fixture and take it apart then retrofit it into their tank, but anyways, that's not the point.
> 
> Philip, I believe cooling fans are going to be needed on my setup if i buy the regular fixture rather than the retro, but...fans are like 30$ and loud. Is it worth the noise and headache?
> 
> EDIT: caton, have you dealt with aquatraders before? That just seems like a insanely low price for a new fixture. And do you know if it has a fan? 4X54W is gonna produce a decent amount of heat.


Unfortunately they forgot to include the fan in the package with the light, so i haven't tested their fans out yet, but i don't think they're too noisy... i turned on my retrofit 5 minutes ago and it's surprisingly cool, so a fan may not be needed after all.

Someone recommended aquatraders to me once, but i also thought it was "too good to be true". I haven't heard anything bad about them yet though, so if you do decide to purchase one caton, let us know what you think of it.

On a side note, i just applied the last coat of polyurethane on the stand and canopy. The stain job doesn't look anywhere near perfect, but i think it turned out pretty decent for a first try... I'm planning on moving the tank, stand, and canopy inside tomorrow to get everything set up before Sunday.


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## problemman

Ive heard some reviews of aqua traders products on line and many say that the only default is that they are chinese made so they are not really put together and sometimes the parts aren't, but I guess they will send you new parts like immediately.so...

Azfishkid- can't wait for sunday to side this in place.
Idk if you posted this already but what's the fish/plant ideas on this? 

I got gertrude rainbows, glow light tetras (soon to be removed),a roseline shark and a ram right now in mine. More roselines to come and dwarf spotted rasboras and ottos. Plants I'm still tinkering with.


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## Centromochlus

problemman said:


> Ive heard some reviews of aqua traders products on line and many say that the only default is that they are chinese made so they are not really put together and sometimes the parts aren't, but I guess they will send you new parts like immediately.so...
> 
> Azfishkid- can't wait for sunday to side this in place.
> Idk if you posted this already but what's the fish/plant ideas on this?
> 
> I got gertrude rainbows, glow light tetras (soon to be removed),a roseline shark and a ram right now in mine. More roselines to come and dwarf spotted rasboras and ottos. Plants I'm still tinkering with.


Of course everything is tentative at the moment, but here's what i thought of.
I will not be buying any fish for a few months. I want all of the plants to be completely grown in before any fish/inverts are added. I have the 6 plecos already in a 10g holding tank, but they can stay there for a little longer.

*Planned Flora*:
Ammania sp. 'Bonsai'
Blyxa alternifolia
Blyxa aubertii
Didiplis diandra
Heteranthera zosterifolia
Hydrothrix gardeni
Limnophila aromatica 'broad leaf'
Lindernia sp. 'India'
Ludwigia brevipes
Ludwigia inclinata var. verticillata 'Cuba'
Ludwigia inclinata var. verticillata 'Pantanal'
Ludwigia senegalensis
Poaceae sp. 'Purple Bamboo'
Pogostemon erectus
Pogostemon stellatus
Polygonum kwagoneum
Polygonum ‘Sao Paulo’
Rotala sp. 'butterfy'
Rotala macrandra
Rotala mexicana 'Araguaia'
Rotala mexicana 'Goias'
Rotala mini 'type 2'

*Planned Fauna*:
Cardinal Tetra [25]
Rummy Nose Tetra [10]
L144 Blue Eyed Yellow Bristlenose Plecos [6]
Orange Lazer Cory [4]
Skunk Cory [4]
Black Shultzi Cory [4]
Peacock Gudgeon Goby [2]
Oil Catfish [3]
Oto catfish [8]
Zebra Nerite Snail [8]
Amano Shrimp [15]


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## problemman

:-O that's a list right there!


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## Da Plant Man

That fauna list sounds a little steep. Mayba ditch a few of the catfish? Like get 8 cories of one species because they like bigger schools rather than small ones. And I hear skunk cories are a little nippy. Maybe also ditch the oil catfish. Just saying, I know it is going to be heavily planted but even still...

I was reccomended to the aquatraders light by the guys at reefcentral. I don't think it has a fan, so I plan on getting a computer fan or two for it and DIY it, PC fans don't make that much noise. I might go catalina, it all depends. I heard that the lights were a piece of crap before but they fixed the problems and are fine now...


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## Da Plant Man

When I google "Hydrothrix gardeni" I get nothing...what is this plant?


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## Centromochlus

Caton said:


> That fauna list sounds a little steep. Mayba ditch a few of the catfish? Like get 8 cories of one species because they like bigger schools rather than small ones. And I hear skunk cories are a little nippy. Maybe also ditch the oil catfish. Just saying, I know it is going to be heavily planted but even still...
> 
> I was reccomended to the aquatraders light by the guys at reefcentral. I don't think it has a fan, so I plan on getting a computer fan or two for it and DIY it, PC fans don't make that much noise. I might go catalina, it all depends. I heard that the lights were a piece of crap before but they fixed the problems and are fine now...


I think it'll be fine.. i have plenty of time to think it over though. 
Corys are my favorite species of freshwater fish, so there's no way i can only have one type! But i may ditch the skunk cory idea and just have two species... we'll see. I've always wanted to have a few oil catfish also.


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## Centromochlus

Caton said:


> When I google "Hydrothrix gardeni" I get nothing...what is this plant?


It was offered by plantbrain a while ago. I had never seen it before either.
It's the green bushy plant in the center that looks like pogostemon erectus.


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## problemman

I have never heard of oil cats...what's that? And the plants is so beautiful! Def get it.


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## problemman

Found them.those are cool cats.where you getting your fish from?


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## Centromochlus

problemman said:


> Found them.those are cool cats.where you getting your fish from?


I know, oil catfish are awesome! I'm really excited to get a few of them.

I'm going to be getting most of my fish from a good LFS. Some of the more rare ones (oil cats, black/orange laser corys, etc) will be purchased from reputable sellers on aquabid.


----------



## Green Leaf Aquariums

I saw some green laser corys that looked really cool, sounds like you a nice selection of fish lined up..


----------



## fishykid1

Green Leaf Aquariums said:


> I saw some green laser corys that looked really cool, sounds like you a nice selection of fish lined up..



That he does. I'm ready for his setup to get running. I'm beginning a setup very similar to his, starting probably just after X-mas.


----------



## Centromochlus

Thanks guys! I'm really excited to get this all set up... i've been aquarium-deprived for too long!

I'm trying to decide whether i should do a _marsilea minuta_ carpet again, or try my luck with _eleocharis sp. 'belem'_. Any thoughts? The belem would have to wait though, since that stuff is pretty pricey...


----------



## dxiong5

Wow, can't wait to see this planted and stocked. I like _eleocharis belem_ more, so my vote goes for that. There a few sale threads for it now, and you could plant it emersed in a separate tank for quicker growth then transfer it to the 75.


----------



## Centromochlus

dxiong5 said:


> Wow, can't wait to see this planted and stocked. I like _eleocharis belem_ more, so my vote goes for that. There a few sale threads for it now, and you could plant it emersed in a separate tank for quicker growth then transfer it to the 75.


Hmmm that's a good idea... i could get a little cheapo light that would work fine, right? Any recommendations?


----------



## problemman

Well I'm all for the belem


----------



## dxiong5

AzFishKid said:


> Hmmm that's a good idea... i could get a little cheapo light that would work fine, right? Any recommendations?


I had a 13 watt spiral cf bulb in a desk lamp over my ADA Mini-M and grew UG emersed like mad in Aquasoil. I misted occasionally to keep the leaves moist. 

Right now I'm growing HC in a 10 gallon tank with Azoo Plant Grower Bed under one of those regular AGA/Aqueon fluorescent hoods; not as quick growth as the UG, but there is little spreading - not sure if it's the substrate difference, light, or HC vs. UG.

A desk lamp with one of those spiral bulbs should work fine.


----------



## Centromochlus

The tank is moved in! I'm considering swapping it out with a 90g... it does look a little "dwarfed". The guy who i bought the tank from has a 90g, and i think he might be willing to swap it out for me plus a little extra cash. He buys and sells used aquarium equipment. I called him and i think he's out of town though...


----------



## VadimShevchuk

Looking good but if you get a 90 it would look better.


----------



## problemman

Yah looks a but dwarfed.but hey it looks great! Nicely done!


----------



## RipariumGuy

A 90g is just a tad taller. Correct? If so, get it!

The canopy and stand looks awesome though.


----------



## Centromochlus

Yeah i'm going to see if i can get a 90g. I'm also going to put a piece of cloth over the back side of the canopy so not as much light leaks out.

90g is the same dimensions as a 75g, just 4" taller.


----------



## VadimShevchuk

Are you gonna get a 90 gallon with black or clear silicone?


----------



## Centromochlus

VadimShevchuk said:


> Are you gonna get a 90 gallon with black or clear silicone?


Don't really care... but the one that i'm looking at has clear silicone.


----------



## Centromochlus

Thanks Mom!!!!


----------



## dxiong5

Spoiled!

I really like the 90 more than the 75 too; perhaps I will get a 90 also. Alright, slap it on the stand and canopy and take some pictures!


----------



## VadimShevchuk

AzFishKid said:


> Thanks Mom!!!!


Not even funny. Your so lucky! Did you buy it new a petsmart/petco or what?


----------



## problemman

Must be nice your mom just tran out and got it for you....


----------



## fishykid1

Hey Philip, 

Just saying you suck  JK Lucky stuff man. My mom's still not wanting me to get a 75. Let alone go buy one for me. It'll look better with the canopy as well.


----------



## Centromochlus

I am 100x happier with this tank now that it is 4" taller. It looks so much better!

Also, let me know what you think of the scape. Right now i'm pretty happy with it, but any suggestions are welcome! It turned out to be a very similar layout as the 150g.

Edit: By the way, it was "an early christmas present".


----------



## fishykid1

Looking good Philip! Do you have any aqua-soil left over from your escapade with swapping tanks?


----------



## Centromochlus

fishykid1 said:


> Looking good Philip! Do you have any aqua-soil left over from your escapade with swapping tanks?


I do! They're all yours. :smile:
Two 3-liter bags.


----------



## fishykid1

AzFishKid said:


> I do! They're all yours. :smile:
> Two 3-liter bags.



Sweet stuff, I won't be back to Raleigh until Sunday evening sometime. Do you think they'll fit in a medium USPS box?


----------



## Centromochlus

fishykid1 said:


> Sweet stuff, I won't be back to Raleigh until Sunday evening sometime. Do you think they'll fit in a medium USPS box?


Probably. But I may have to open the bags and put the aquasoil in a zipbloc bag to make it fit inside of the box, if that's alright.


----------



## fishykid1

That doesn't bother me at all. How much are you looking at for the 2 bags?


----------



## problemman

That is slick phillip!


----------



## Centromochlus

problemman said:


> That is slick phillip!


Thanks! 

The fluval fx5 isn't working properly... i'm trying to figure out what's wrong with it. It's making quite a loud motor noise, and the flow is pretty bad. I tried pushing some water up through the intake via a powerhead, but that didn't help much. Any ideas?


----------



## rickztahone

looks much better! i'm glad you changed the title as well. keep up the great work.


----------



## RipariumGuy

That was quick... As others have said, you are a luckey man. I would guess that either there are air bubbles trapped in the FX5 or the impeller is off. The hardscape looks sweet. The only "problem" I have with it is piece of driftwood on the left. It comes too close to the front of the tank IMO. But again, it looks great as is. 
Great job man! Can't wait to see it filled.


----------



## Centromochlus

Im really hating this fluval fx5 right now... i'm regretting selling my eheim pro 3e's. Ughhh.

Halppp meee!!


----------



## RipariumGuy

AzFishKid said:


> Im really hating this fluval fx5 right now... i'm regretting selling my eheim pro 3e's. Ughhh.
> 
> Halppp meee!!


Is it a grinding? Or is it just really loud?


----------



## RipariumGuy

This help? http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-176146.html


----------



## NJAquaBarren

I have a 3e Az, if you want one back. Same price as you sold yours so you break even. It's plenty for my 84g.


----------



## Centromochlus

JakeJ said:


> Is it a grinding? Or is it just really loud?


Neither. It just sounds like it has a lot of air in it. I tried pushing water up through the intake. Anything else i should try?


----------



## Centromochlus

NJAquaBarren said:


> I have a 3e Az, if you want one back. Same price as you sold yours so you break even. It's plenty for my 84g.


o_o

I would so take this offer if i had extra cash. How long is this offer available for? :flick:

That's very generous of you. I appreciate it!


----------



## problemman

Did you put water down the intake to fill it up more?


----------



## Centromochlus

JakeJ said:


> This help? http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-176146.html


"It usually does this for a good day or so after initially setting it up when first buying, or after cleaning. It usually fixes itself. ALOT of water inside those babies. Great Filter."

I'll let it do it's thing for a day or two and see if it fixes itself. If not, it's going in the trash. :icon_twis Stupid fluval...



> Did you put water down the intake to fill it up more?


Yes.


----------



## RipariumGuy

Some people said that after taking it apart then filling it up to the rim with water then reasembling it fixes it. They also said that disconecting the hoses helped.

Hope that helps man!


----------



## NJAquaBarren

For as long as you like AZ. No hurry here. If you really want it, I can be flexible and you can pay me later. I think you're trustworth. Either way it's yours if you want it, you're a great member of the forum and God's been good to me this year. Switch to PMs to not clutter the thread.

AB


----------



## RipariumGuy

AzFishKid said:


> I'll let it do it's thing for a day or two and see if it fixes itself. If not, it's going in the trash. :icon_twis Stupid fluval...


Nooooooo....... My 40g needs a new filter. :icon_smil


----------



## Centromochlus

JakeJ said:


> Nooooooo....... My 40g needs a new filter. :icon_smil


You can have it- i'll even pay shipping, LOL.
I'm tempted to get a silver sharpie and draw a big evil face on the lid. :icon_twis


----------



## RipariumGuy

AzFishKid said:


> You can have it- i'll even pay shipping, LOL.
> I'm tempted to get a silver sharpie and draw a big evil face on the lid. :icon_twis


Will do. The evil face is much appreciated: I need something to stop my _Corydoras_ from overstocking my tank! :hihi:


----------



## fishykid1

Hey Philip sorry to hear about the fx5 being stupid. My fluval 205 burped for a couple days, but has not burped after those first 2 days. I think you should try to slow the flow and maybe tip the canister from side to side. That may also move any air bubbles out. Make sure the flow valve is open too.

Best of luck to your filter. Can't wait to see this in action.


----------



## oldpunk78

i had a similar problem with one of my fluvals. i had an air leak somewhere in the intake hose connections. it worked fine after i found it.


----------



## sewingalot

You changed to a 90 gallon already? LOL. Typical of you, Philip to change your mind 80 million times. I am glad your parents support your hobbies! I think that is really awesome. The stand and canopy is gorgeous. Can't wait until you fill this up!


----------



## fishykid1

sewingalot said:


> You changed to a 90 gallon already? LOL. Typical of you, Philip to change your mind 80 million times. I am glad your parents support your hobbies! I think that is really awesome. The stand and canopy is gorgeous. Can't wait until you fill this up!



The 75 kind of looked silly with that huge canopy over top of it, no offense. Just another 15G to stock fish with though


----------



## Centromochlus

Ok, i swear- fluval makes the WORST filters everrrr.

The pipes got loose inside of the aquarium (the clips on the holders failed), spewing water all over my carpet. It is now outside on my patio, awaiting certain death.

Ughhh...


----------



## RipariumGuy

Ouch! That really, really stinks! Sorry to hear about the filter.

If you really want to get rid of it, feel free to ship it way up nort' to WI....


----------



## Centromochlus

JakeJ said:


> Ouch! That really, really stinks! Sorry to hear about the filter.
> 
> If you really want to get rid of it, feel free to ship it way up nort' to WI....


Lol im gonna see if i can get the guy to give me my money back first. I payed $150 for it!


----------



## sewingalot

Dagnabit! $150 for a piece of junk.


----------



## fishykid1

Man Philip, not your day AT ALL. -prays to the filter gods- let his filter work! 

Keep looking up though, if something didn't go wrong everyone would be doing this hobby. I loving my Fluval 205, hopefully I have no problems.


----------



## VadimShevchuk

AzFishKid said:


> Lol im gonna see if i can get the guy to give me my money back first. I payed $150 for it!


Why didn't you buy a new one? They go for 220 shipped with media off [Ebay Link Removed] I'm not a fan anymore of buying used filters since their impellers are bad and after you buy news one you only saved a little bit of money. BTW the 90 gallon looks awesome with the stand and canopy and you can stock 5-7 more corys with the extra 15 gallons:hihi:


----------



## RipariumGuy

AzFishKid said:


> Lol im gonna see if i can get the guy to give me my money back first. I payed $150 for it!


No way! $150! That is a crazy amount of cash for something that doesn't work.

Fingers crossed that the guy refunds you!


----------



## Centromochlus

VadimShevchuk said:


> Why didn't you buy a new one? They go for 220 shipped with media off [Ebay Link Removed] I'm not a fan anymore of buying used filters since their impellers are bad and after you buy news one you only saved a little bit of money. BTW the 90 gallon looks awesome with the stand and canopy and you can stock 5-7 more corys with the extra 15 gallons:hihi:


Good question. I don't really know.

YESSS, MOAR CORYS!!!! MUAHAHAHA.



> No way! $150! That is a crazy amount of cash for something that doesn't work.
> 
> Fingers crossed that the guy refunds you!


Yeah he better refund me. I'll be really pissed if he doesn't. 



> Man Philip, not your day AT ALL. -prays to the filter gods- let his filter work!
> 
> Keep looking up though, if something didn't go wrong everyone would be doing this hobby. I loving my Fluval 205, hopefully I have no problems.


LOL yeah. But i got my tank all set up (mostly), so i'm happy.



> Dagnabit! $150 for a piece of junk.


Dangnabit... HAHAHAHAHAHHA Sara.


----------



## rockwood

As far as the corys go.... I personally thing its a waste to get special ones. I NEVER see mine, they always stay back in the stems and hide like my new loaches. I'm actually quite glad I just bought the cheapest corys I could find (juliis)


----------



## problemman

I have 7 orange lasers I plan to breed first then stock in my tank.lol I love them. But I love my skunk cory more. So cute.


----------



## Da Plant Man

At least you don't change your mind like I do. When I was going to set-up a 55g once I had 14 pages of me asking questions about fish and figureing out what fish I wanted, it went from SA to asian to african like 5 or 6 times. When I filled the tank up, it leaked. When I repaired it, it leaked after a week. It has been a year now and the tank is in my room with the bottom pane (the part that leaked) taken off and I am going to fix this tank right, and use it as a sump. Maybe choose one species of cory. I think that would look better IMO, more uniform and the cories with appcreiate it.


----------



## VadimShevchuk

I prefer panda corys. They are cheap and they look awesome! Update us on the fx5 situation.


----------



## filipem

Sorry to hear about your filter troubles. The tank,stand and canopy really look fantastic. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Centromochlus

Corys are my favorite type of fish. I always saw mine out and about when i had my 68g and 150g up. Wonderful little fish imo.

Thanks for all of the compliments on the stand and canopy. I'm really pleased with how they turned out!

I'm going to give the fx5 another try and see if i can get it to work... wish me luck. =/


----------



## sewingalot

Good luck. We do have the cories in common. What's sad is I don't have any at the moment. By the way, glad you liked my country wording.


----------



## RipariumGuy

Good luck with the FX5 Phillip! I also love _Corydoras_. Very cool fish and there breeding behavior is very interesting.


----------



## oldpunk78

i keep picturing philip working on the fx5 with a bat. that has got to be extremely frustrating at this point.


----------



## NJAquaBarren

AZ is blessed with high expectations. Just "working" won't be enough. 

If he is truly satisfied with it a month from now, that will be a real endorsement for it.


----------



## problemman

: wack -wack -wack -wack- wack -WACK:

Phillip will be back shortly....

: WACK: 

:flooding sound:

:$H!T! The tank!"


----------



## RipariumGuy

*BANG*..... His dad- " Hey! Where did the shotgun go Phillip?"


----------



## problemman

Phil-um sure you didn't (reloading) misplace it :BANG:


----------



## RipariumGuy

Nice Problemman! Nice...


----------



## problemman

What can I say I could write a play....but I would need you cuz I didn't think about the gun lol my murder story would be pathetic lol


----------



## Centromochlus

I got some plants from my list! (only 1-4 stems of each):
- Ludwigia senegalis
- Ludwigia inclinata var. verticillata 'cuba'
- Polygonum kawagoeanum
- Polygonum sp. 'sao paulo'
- Rotala macrandra 'green'
- Rotala macrandra 
- Rotala vietnam

Going to mess around with the fx5 a bit more when i get my plumbing supplies tomorrow afternoon. Hopefully i can also get my dad to get my co2 tank refilled in the morning.

After i get the co2 and filter all set up and working, it's time to order a bunch of plants! Woo-hoo!


----------



## fishykid1

Hey Philip, glad to hear your giving the FX5 one more chance to not be garbaged. My single crypt. wendtii that i got for 5$ is actually about 6-7 plants, 4 of which will probably make it.  Nice list of plants though. can't wait to start trading, if i get the 75 set up.


----------



## problemman

Did you like how we played out you working? Lol


----------



## Centromochlus

fishykid1 said:


> Hey Philip, glad to hear your giving the FX5 one more chance to not be garbaged. My single crypt. wendtii that i got for 5$ is actually about 6-7 plants, 4 of which will probably make it.  Nice list of plants though. can't wait to start trading, if i get the 75 set up.


Yeah i figured that i mind as well try and fix it since it's the only filter that i have right now. And plus, i spent quite a bit of cash to get that plumbing stuff that will only work with the fx5...

Why will only 4 of the 6-7 plants make it? lol.



> Did you like how we played out you working? Lol


It was very entertaining. :flick:


----------



## Aquamom

Staining the cabinet a warm espresso color will give the whole system added visual warmth. I like dark furniture, and much prefer it over blond. Even red woods and stains are preferable to blond shades.

Sounds like you're going to have a wonderful experience if everything works as it should.

Please post pics when you have it up and going...

-- Aquamom


----------



## VadimShevchuk

Maybe you should get a 110 gallon. It's 48x18x30.:hihi:


----------



## Centromochlus

VadimShevchuk said:


> Maybe you should get a 110 gallon. It's 48x18x30.:hihi:


Psh... upgrading again would defeat the purpose of downgrading, LOL.
Plus, 30" is way too tall imo.


----------



## fishykid1

The others have kind of small roots on them, they may survive. But if they don't who cares. SET THIS TANK UP NOW!!! hahaha any more pics?


----------



## problemman

fishykid1 said:


> The others have kind of small roots on them, they may survive. But if they don't who cares. SET THIS TANK UP NOW!!! hahaha any more pics?


Lol I'm in!


----------



## Centromochlus

I'll post up more pics when i get more plants, which should be in the upcoming next few weeks. I got some L. Cuba, A. 'bonsai', more P. kawagoeanum/P. 'sao paulo', P. erectus/P. stellata, and some rotalas on hold that i should be getting in the next few days/week.


----------



## problemman

Week? Listen phil this isn't a growth journal! Lol we need eye candy!


----------



## fishykid1

problemman said:


> Week? Listen phil this isn't a growth journal! Lol we need eye candy!



^^^ Right on the money. -chants- pix!!! pix!!! pix!!! pix!!! :icon_excl:icon_excl:icon_excl:icon_excl:icon_excl


----------



## Centromochlus

OK OK fine... lol. I'll take some pictures tomorrow. But no FTS's until it actually looks decent.


----------



## RipariumGuy

AzFishKid said:


> OK OK fine... lol. I'll take some pictures tomorrow. But no FTS's until it actually looks decent.


Hey has any of my tanks looked "decent"? :confused1: Of course not! And I always include a FTS... FTS FTS FTS! :icon_smil


----------



## problemman

AzFishKid said:


> OK OK fine... lol. I'll take some pictures tomorrow. But no FTS's until it actually looks decent.


Decent? Oh please no glamour sous please nitty gritty all the way!


----------



## Centromochlus

Oooo.. isn't that pretty...


----------



## problemman

I totally want one but can't bring my self to pay that price


----------



## Centromochlus

problemman said:


> I totally want one but can't bring my self to pay that price


If my tank was up and running with a filter and with co2, and if i had an extra $40 laying around, i'd so buy it. Do you know how much money you could make off of that plant? The guy was selling 4 stems at $40 per-- that's $160 (for 4 STEMS)! And he apparently sold all of them at that price, which is even more crazy!


----------



## problemman

Yes but my luck I would kill it some how.i can't seem to keep java ferns happy half the time....but I can keep other things weird right?!

-brad


----------



## VadimShevchuk

What is that plant in the last photo, it looks sweet! I wouldn't pay more then 15 bucks a plant unless i was planning on selling it to make profit.


----------



## ua hua

Hygrophilia pinnatifida. Very cool looking plant indeed.


----------



## Da Plant Man

Hygrophilia pinnatifida, never heard of it. But since it is a hygro shouldn't it grow fast? I like the look of it but since it is so expenseive I think I will just stick with more "common" plants.


----------



## FSM

If it's anything like other Hygrophilas the price will drop fast.


----------



## problemman

Lets hope cuz I would love one


----------



## fishykid1

I wouldn't pay 40$ for a fish, mostly. Let alone 40$ on a plant... no drug properties known about it right


----------



## plantedpufferfreak

looks awesome  i would pay more than $40 for a fish and i have (betta macrostoma)


----------



## Centromochlus

I'm really into plants (especially the more rare ones), so I'd pay $40 for that plant if I had the money. Not just because it's expensive, but also because it looks beautiful. Maybe someday I'll get a stem or two of it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## fishykid1

> Not just because it's expensive, but also because it looks beautiful. Maybe someday I'll get a stem or two of it.


I wish... i could afford something like that.


----------



## filipem

That's a really nice plant.

$40 is steep, but I know I would end up buying it if the opportunity presented itself


----------



## Centromochlus

My plumbing supplies came today. I left my camera at school, so i can't take any pics (i haven't even set it all up yet), but here's what i got.

Two of these return pipes:









18' of black 1" tubing,
A hard plastic tube splitter

Incase you missed it on page 2, here's how the plumbing is going to be set up (except i'm not drilling the tank/not using bulkheads):


----------



## Da Plant Man

Nice! Can't wait to see pictures.


----------



## problemman

Very interesting


----------



## A Hill

The tank looks even better in person but I doubt it'll be there very long before he changes his mind again! 

As a side note, where can one get that stem? I really want it and it doesn't seem too hard to grow.

-Andrew


----------



## rockwood

Phillip did you ever get the FX5 running? If so what was the issue? What heater are you running?


----------



## Centromochlus

rockwood said:


> Phillip did you ever get the FX5 running? If so what was the issue? What heater are you running?


Unfortunately, I haven't had much time to set the filter back up. With midterms rolling around the corner, I've been extremely busy. I'm hoping to set it back up within the next few days.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Centromochlus

UGHHH.. so i was putting the lid on the fx5 and one of the lid fasteners broke. There are 6 or 8 that are used around the lid. Would it be a bad idea to set it up without 1 clamp? Will it leak?


----------



## TickleMyElmo

AzFishKid said:


> UGHHH.. so i was putting the lid on the fx5 and one of the lid fasteners broke. There are 6 or 8 that are used around the lid. Would it be a bad idea to set it up without 1 clamp? Will it leak?


I'm gonna say yes, yes it will....and if it doesn't leak when you test it, that's even worse, because then it'll spring a massive leak while you're at school/away from the house, aka the very worst time possible  lol


----------



## fishykid1

You talk to the guy that sold it to you yet? This is why I don't like buying used items. If it's new and I break it, I can always blame the manufacturer. When I buy something from someone else and it breaks, I can't do the same.


----------



## Centromochlus

TickleMyElmo said:


> I'm gonna say yes, yes it will....and if it doesn't leak when you test it, that's even worse, because then it'll spring a massive leak while you're at school/away from the house, aka the very worst time possible  lol


I'm tempted to try, but i think i'll wait.



> You talk to the guy that sold it to you yet? This is why I don't like buying used items. If it's new and I break it, I can always blame the manufacturer. When I buy something from someone else and it breaks, I can't do the same.


Haven't gotten a call back from him yet. I'll try again tomorrow afternoon.


----------



## Da Plant Man

Pictures!


----------



## sewingalot

^^ x's 2!


----------



## rockwood

Geez Phillip, I know you bought that FX5 used but you're making me worried about getting one all the same. I can't find anything even close to as effective for that price ($234 and change on amazon) but with the troubles you're having I'm wondering if that's why. 

I'm still curious how you're going to heat it. Right now in my split configuration I have 2 200w ETHs running inline. However with the 1" tubing on the FX5, the best I could do is a 5/8 inch fitting on the bigger Hydor. I'm curious about messing the flow up too much.


----------



## Centromochlus

rockwood said:


> Geez Phillip, I know you bought that FX5 used but you're making me worried about getting one all the same. I can't find anything even close to as effective for that price ($234 and change on amazon) but with the troubles you're having I'm wondering if that's why.
> 
> I'm still curious how you're going to heat it. Right now in my split configuration I have 2 200w ETHs running inline. However with the 1" tubing on the FX5, the best I could do is a 5/8 inch fitting on the bigger Hydor. I'm curious about messing the flow up too much.


I watched a setup tutorial for the fx5 and I did MANY, MANY things wrong that probably caused the air leaks the first time. I don't think I'll run into the same problems this time, but I'll let you all know after I set it up (tonight or tomorrow afternoon). 

I'm planning on getting an externally-controlled 200w Catalina Aquarium heater for the tank. The probe and actual heater are pretty small (and thankfully black/silver), so I don't see much point in running them inline with the filter. Too much trouble, IMO. But maybe it'll fit in the cerge's-style co2 reactor? Could this cause any problems? The heater is controlled by a probe, so I could put the actual heater inside of the reactor, and the probe that measures the temperature inside of the aquarium.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## NJAquaBarren

Make sure you shut the heater off with the filter as a precaution.


----------



## rockwood

AzFishKid said:


> I watched a setup tutorial for the fx5 and I did MANY, MANY things wrong that probably caused the air leaks the first time. I don't think I'll run into the same problems this time, but I'll let you all know after I set it up (tonight or tomorrow afternoon).
> 
> I'm planning on getting an externally-controlled 200w Catalina Aquarium heater for the tank. The probe and actual heater are pretty small (and thankfully black/silver), so I don't see much point in running them inline with the filter. Too much trouble, IMO. But maybe it'll fit in the cerge's-style co2 reactor? Could this cause any problems? The heater is controlled by a probe, so I could put the actual heater inside of the reactor, and the probe that measures the temperature inside of the aquarium.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Well, there's two things to consider with the heater in the reactor idea:

1) I doubt you'll have enough room for anything inside the reactor. I know I don't in mine. The pipe that has to be on the inside to keep the bubbles from going straight into the tank is going to eliminate any space where you might fit it in there. 

2) My reactor forms a decently sized air pocket at the top later in the day after the CO2 has been running for a little while. Even if you manage to stuff the heater unit in the reactor somehow, you'll still need to make sure the heater doesn't end up with part of it in nothing but air.


----------



## Centromochlus

Thanks for the suggestions about the heater. Looks like i'll be putting it inside of the tank, as opposed to inside of the reactor.

The fan that i got is super noisy and it doesn't even move a lot of air around... any suggestions on a cheap (but quiet) fan?


----------



## fishykid1

You could wire a PC fan in, the larger the fan is in diameter the quieter it is usually. I'm going to have to do that with the 75 with the t5's otherwise i think it may heat up the water...


----------



## rockwood

Dude, look into PC fans. I'm not sure how they wire these fans into the unit but bigger PC fans are meant for this purpose and move a ton of air. 120mm fans are great at moving a lot of air yet staying quiet. Noise is produced mostly by RPMs and 120mm fans can turn slower and move the same amount of air as smaller ones. 

http://www.frozencpu.com/products/6...Fan_-_4_Pack_R4-S2S-124K-GP.html?tl=g36c15s60

Check out those and see if they will work. Again I don't know how your current fans are wired in. A neat thing to do would be to retrofit a fan speed controller they have on that site and be able to control the speed of the individual fans.


----------



## Centromochlus

rockwood said:


> Dude, look into PC fans. I'm not sure how they wire these fans into the unit but bigger PC fans are meant for this purpose and move a ton of air. 120mm fans are great at moving a lot of air yet staying quiet. Noise is produced mostly by RPMs and 120mm fans can turn slower and move the same amount of air as smaller ones.
> 
> http://www.frozencpu.com/products/6...Fan_-_4_Pack_R4-S2S-124K-GP.html?tl=g36c15s60
> 
> Check out those and see if they will work. Again I don't know how your current fans are wired in. A neat thing to do would be to retrofit a fan speed controller they have on that site and be able to control the speed of the individual fans.


Hmm.. those look nice. 
And yeah, i'm trying to look for a good controller to control the speed of the fans. Any suggestions?


On the way:
Ammania sp. 'Bonsai'
Eleocharis sp. 'Belem'
Heteranthera zosterifolia
Ludwigia senegalensis
Poaceae sp. 'Purple Bamboo'
Polygonum kwagoneum
Polygonum ‘Sao Paulo’


----------



## rickztahone

Hey Phillip, do they sell black intakes where you got the output ones? Link?


----------



## Centromochlus

rickztahone said:


> Hey Phillip, do they sell black intakes where you got the output ones? Link?


I don't think so.  I got the outputs from marinedepot. I couldn't find any intake tubes.


----------



## rickztahone

AzFishKid said:


> I don't think so.  I got the outputs from marinedepot. I couldn't find any intake tubes.


Sux. I'm trying to find some replacements for my xp3 intakes. I hate the blue color. Oh well, ill keep searching


----------



## theblondskeleton

If you don't already have a heater, the Rena heaters attach to the intake and they are black. I just sprayed the intake black and attached the heater. Pretty much disappears on a black bg.


----------



## rickztahone

theblondskeleton said:


> If you don't already have a heater, the Rena heaters attach to the intake and they are black. I just sprayed the intake black and attached the heater. Pretty much disappears on a black bg.


Did you use krylon paint? I have two hydor 300 inlines


----------



## Centromochlus

Ok so i finally got my 5lb co2 tank refilled... i was planning on cranking up the co2, but would that extra co2 actually be used? I'm using a glass diffuser, and i thought the extra co2 would just float to the top and be wasted?


----------



## FlSHRFun

Yes, some will be wasted.
Once the water column is saturated with CO2, injected CO2 won't continue to dissolve into the water unless plants take it up.
However, how much does it cost you to refill a 5lb CO2 tank? $5? $10? $15?
It costs me $10 to refill my 5 lb. cylinder. Even at 5+ bubbles per second, that 5 lb. cylinder can still last me over a month.
$10 a month isn't that bad for me, and I'm a penny-pinching, brown-bagging college student. lol
It's worth it in the long run to simply crank up the CO2 if it helps you fight off the algae.

That's one of the main benefits of pressurized CO2 over DIY CO2. Cheaper refills that last longer... and isn't quite as messy.


----------



## rockwood

*AZ* - IMO, if you're using a glass diffuser there's non reason to crank it because it's just going to rise to the surface and de-gas into the atmosphere faster. I'd say only do enough to keep algae at bay. Yes, glass diffusers work and a lot of people use them, but personally, on bigger tanks they just seem like they are a waste of good carbon dioxide. 

Then when you get your reactor built/bought, crank it up because it won't escape the system and will be forced to dissolve into the water. When I was first setting my CO2 up I set it too high and I had almost 4 inches of my reactor filled with a CO2 air pocket. I almost gassed my fish but that's just proof of the air staying in the system and not being wasted by letting bubbles float out the top of the tank. 

*FISHRFun* - Yes CO2 is cheap, but there's no reason to be wasteful. This is especially true when he isn't driving yet and can't just go get the tank filled any ole time. His parents have to get involved and I remember what that's like, hehe. 

Your set up is gorgeous, but a 60-F isn't exactly a 90g tank. I'd say if he cranked on it with that diffuser, he'd probably be able to blow through a 5lb tank in 2 weeks easy.


----------



## NJAquaBarren

Each type of diffuser has a ceiling and more co2 just produces waste.

My red sea 500 hits it's limit at about 10bps, which keeps a 84g, hi-flow tank at about 20ppm.


----------



## Centromochlus

Thanks for all of the input guys. I'm keeping it at about 4-5 BPS and the drop checker seems to stay a constant light green color.

I really need to get the filter going on the tank... but i'm waiting for the lid clamp to arrive, which isn't expected to be delivered until this Friday... ugh. The water looks awful. I need to do a huge water change sometime.

All of the plants look OK. The rotala macrandra 'green' is shedding some of its leaves, but all of the other plants seem to be doing OK. The Ludwigia inclinata var. verticillata 'Cuba' is doing especially well. I had so many problems back when i tried it in my low-tech 68g, but it's going crazy in this setup! The ludwigia sengalensis, polygonum kawagoeanum, and polygonum 'sao paulo' are also doing quite well.

When all of the new plants come on Wednesday, i'll post some pictures... i promise.


----------



## problemman

Your lying you wont!


----------



## rockwood

AzFishKid said:


> I really need to get the filter going on the tank... but i'm waiting for the lid clamp to arrive, which isn't expected to be delivered until this Friday... ugh. The water looks awful. I need to do a huge water change sometime.


Ha, get in there with a wooden spoon and stir things around like its a cauldron. It will at least keep things from being stagnant.


----------



## Da Plant Man

I hope there aren't fish in the tank...Wait...is this going to be a high-tech walstad style tank?


----------



## RipariumGuy

You don't have a powerhead do you? Or some airstones?


----------



## FSM

FlSHRFun said:


> Yes, some will be wasted.
> Once the water column is saturated with CO2, injected CO2 won't continue to dissolve into the water unless plants take it up.
> However, how much does it cost you to refill a 5lb CO2 tank? $5? $10? $15?
> It costs me $10 to refill my 5 lb. cylinder. Even at 5+ bubbles per second, that 5 lb. cylinder can still last me over a month.
> $10 a month isn't that bad for me, and I'm a penny-pinching, brown-bagging college student. lol
> It's worth it in the long run to simply crank up the CO2 if it helps you fight off the algae.
> 
> That's one of the main benefits of pressurized CO2 over DIY CO2. Cheaper refills that last longer... and isn't quite as messy.


The saturation point of CO2 in water is a lot more than 30 ppm.

Also, if at 5 bubbles per second it only lasts a month, you've probably got a leak.


----------



## Centromochlus

Caton said:


> I hope there aren't fish in the tank...Wait...is this going to be a high-tech walstad style tank?


No fish are living in the aquarium at this time. The plecos and flagfish are in a 10g. One of the female plecos looks like she's carrying some babies! :smile:

Ok, i did lie about the pictures-- i haven't had much time to take some since midterm exams have been going on. The polygonum 'sao paulo', polygonum kawagoeanum, ludwigia senegalensis, and the belem hair grass all arrived in excellent condition. I spread the hair grass out in an empty litter box with aquasoil to grow emersed. I'm hoping that i can get enough of it this way to fill the front section of the 90g. 

The lid fastener should arrive tomorrow, = time to set up the filter! I'm really hoping that it will work fine this time. On a side note-- yes, i do have a single koralia powerhead running in the 90g right now to keep some of the water moving.

Out of all of the plants i'm growing right now, i think the ludwigia cuba is doing the best. Really nice growth!

I'm running the co2 at about 5 BPS, and it seems to be working well. It's gone down about 75 PSI in 5 days, which i hope is normal. I am keeping it on 24/7, so i guess i could turn it off when i go to bed to save some co2.

Pictures to come... hopefully, by tomorrow.


----------



## Da Plant Man

AzFishKid said:


> Pictures to come... hopefully, by tomorrow.


Why must you be such a LIAR? :flick: I think we need to get some help from Andrew Hill (A Hill) to come down to your house and take them for us! We demand pictures! It only takes what? Like 10 minutes to take them and upload them?:tongue:


----------



## Centromochlus

Caton said:


> Why must you be such a LIAR? :flick: I think we need to get some help from Andrew Hill (A Hill) to come down to your house and take them for us! We demand pictures! It only takes what? Like 10 minutes to take them and upload them?:tongue:


LOL! The thing is that i keep my DSLR at school because i'm on the yearbook committee and they always need me to take photos with 30 seconds notice, so i usually don't bring it home. I'll try to remember to bring it home tomorrow though.


----------



## fishykid1

Don't think you'll be taking pictures for the yearbook over the weekend phillip  Just saying.


----------



## problemman

You better phil or I'm sicking andrew on you lol


----------



## Centromochlus

fishykid1 said:


> Don't think you'll be taking pictures for the yearbook over the weekend phillip  Just saying.


Well i was supposed to take some this weekend, but can't because of exam preparation. :tongue:



problemman said:


> You better phil or I'm sucking andrew on you lol


LOL that would be frightening.


----------



## fishykid1

Uh-huh  Just a thought, have you ever done HC? I think that's going to be my foreground in the 75. DSM method more than likely, as I believe I'm staying at home for college and will have time to keep this tank up.


----------



## Centromochlus

fishykid1 said:


> Uh-huh  Just a thought, have you ever done HC? I think that's going to be my foreground in the 75. DSM method more than likely, as I believe I'm staying at home for college and will have time to keep this tank up.


You lucky *****... hahaha.
I'll likely have to take my tank down in 2 years when i go off to college, unfortunately. Unless i go to a local college and can come to maintain it on a weekly basis... maybe i could move most of my plants to an emersed setup when the time comes? :help:

I have never tried HC before. I hear DSM works great with it though.


----------



## problemman

OMG AFTER REREADING THAT I HAD TO QUICKLY EDIT IT!!!!!!!!!i so did not mean that lol


problemman said:


> You better phil or I'm sicking andrew on you lol


Not sucking.....


----------



## fishykid1

AzFishKid said:


> You lucky *****... hahaha.
> I'll likely have to take my tank down in 2 years when i go off to college, unfortunately. Unless i go to a local college and can come to maintain it on a weekly basis... maybe i could move most of my plants to an emersed setup when the time comes? :help:
> 
> I have never tried HC before. I hear DSM works great with it though.



Not completely sure yet. I have a meeting with the NCSU engineering admissions officer (happens to have worked with my mother for over 15 years) on Dec. 17.


----------



## Centromochlus

Doing a water change right now. I got the lid clamp in the mail today and it looks like the "stupid fx5" is going to work after all-- yay! The flow isn't great though; i just hope it will improve when it's done with it's purging process.

Also, my two stems of _Cuphea anagalloidea_ should be arriving today.

Pictures coming soon... :hihi:


----------



## problemman

I hope some pictures lol did you get all your stems?


----------



## RipariumGuy

problemman said:


> OMG AFTER REREADING THAT I HAD TO QUICKLY EDIT IT!!!!!!!!!i so did not mean that lol
> Not sucking.....


Now that would be disturbing....


Fingers crossed for you with the FX5 man! And congrats on the preggy pleco!


----------



## fishykid1

How's the tank coming along phil?


----------



## Centromochlus

Pictures, YAYYY!! I don't exactly have the best photography skills, but i'm learning.
I decided to watermark them, because, well... i'm cool like that. Enjoy!

Ludwigia inclinata var. verticillata 'Cuba'.









Ludwigia senegalensis.









Polygonum kwagoneum, Ludwigia inclinata var. verticillata 'Cuba', and a stem of Rotala macrandra 'japan red'/Ludwigia inclinata in the background.









FTS! I'm still messing around with the 2 rocks on the right side. 









Side Notes:

Fluval FX5 is up and running! It's kinda noisy, but that's alright. The single outflow pipe splits into two directions, which has been working well as a way to maintain flow in almost every part of the tank. The additional powerhead on the left side is to break up the co2 a little bit. I plan on using a reactor in the near future (likely cerge's, but maybe rex style).
I plan to get a new intake (probably glass, acrylic, or black plastic) to replace the large bulky one that came with the FX5. It's driving me absolutely insane!
The belem hairgrass is growing emersed right now until i have enough to plant.
I am now officially broke, = no more new plants until a month or two! 
The tank is no where near done, but i'm very happy with the progress.

Currently have these plants:

Ludwigia inclinata var. verticillata 'Cuba'
Ludwigia senegalensis
Ludwigia inclinata
Polygonum 'sao paulo'
Polygonum kwagoneum
Polygonum sp. 'ruby'
Cuphea annagalloidia
Rotala macrandra 'green'
Rotala macrandra 'japan red'
Rotala vietnam


----------



## Da Plant Man

Yay! Pictures! I was looking at the close ups and I was thinking you must have lots of plants right now...then I saw the FTS. Great photos, I can't wait for it to grow out.

Good job!


----------



## fishykid1

I really like the inclinata...I guess that's because it's similar to limnophila aromatica.. by the looks of it.


----------



## Centromochlus

Caton said:


> Yay! Pictures! I was looking at the close ups and I was thinking you must have lots of plants right now...then I saw the FTS. Great photos, I can't wait for it to grow out.
> 
> Good job!


Haha, thanks. I really don't have that many plants right now. I only have 1 stem of most of them.



fishykid1 said:


> I really like the inclinata...I guess that's because it's similar to limnophila aromatica.. by the looks of it.


Yeah, i really like it too. And it's doing well in my tank, so i can't complain! :smile:


----------



## hydrophyte

Wow nice pictures of those stem plants.


----------



## problemman

Great pictures phil! Do happy to see them finally. What plants don't you have alot of?


----------



## Centromochlus

hydrophyte said:


> Wow nice pictures of those stem plants.


Thanks hydrophyte.



problemman said:


> Great pictures phil! Do happy to see them finally. What plants don't you have alot of?


Thanks problemman!

I only have a single stem of Rotala macrandra 'japan red', Ludwigia inclinata var. verticillata 'Cuba', and Ludwigia inclinata. I found people who have the macrandra and L. cuba, i'm just waiting until i have enough money to purchase some more stems. Haven't found anyone with ludwigia inclinata for sale yet.


----------



## fishykid1

That inclinata makes me want to come to AZ and steal some right out of your tank. That'll definitely be on my list of plants to grab from you for my 75


----------



## RipariumGuy

No way... A picture update!?!? When did the pigs start flying?

Really like the_ Ludwigia inclinata _var. _verticillata _'Cuba'. Beautifle plant. As far as the hardscape I do not think having the flat side of the rock facing the viewing area is helping you out much. But to each his own! Great work man and congrats on the FX5!

Oh yeah, how do you watermark photos?


----------



## Tex Gal

You have a lot of fast growers in there with CO2, ferts and good light. Before you know it you'll have many plants in there!


----------



## NJAquaBarren

Love the senegalensis. A bushy stand of it would be awesome. Will be looking for that in SnS.


----------



## Centromochlus

fishykid1 said:


> That inclinata makes me want to come to AZ and steal some right out of your tank. That'll definitely be on my list of plants to grab from you for my 75


I'm sure i'll have plenty of stems of that in the future to send to you (i'm getting 5 more of it soon), so don't worry. :icon_bigg



JakeJ said:


> No way... A picture update!?!? When did the pigs start flying?
> 
> Really like the_ Ludwigia inclinata _var. _verticillata _'Cuba'. Beautifle plant. As far as the hardscape I do not think having the flat side of the rock facing the viewing area is helping you out much. But to each his own! Great work man and congrats on the FX5!
> 
> Oh yeah, how do you watermark photos?


Yeah i totally agree with you about that rock. It's definitely not staying like that for long. :icon_mrgr

I used a free program called Picasa 3 to watermark the photos.



Tex Gal said:


> You have a lot of fast growers in there with CO2, ferts and good light. Before you know it you'll have many plants in there!


I sure hope so!



NJAquaBarren said:


> Love the senegalensis. A bushy stand of it would be awesome. Will be looking for that in SnS.


Yeah, it's definitely one of my favorites. Really nice red color.


----------



## ZooTycoonMaster

I like your plant choices and your pictures. I can't wait to see it all filled in!


----------



## VadimShevchuk

roudictures are really nice and the tank is coming along great. Is the FX5 noisy enough to bother you when you sleep or is it just a little "hum"? As always, looking forward to updates.


----------



## Da Plant Man

UPDATE! I figure if I ask now you will update at the appropriate time.


----------



## Centromochlus

ZooTycoonMaster said:


> I like your plant choices and your pictures. I can't wait to see it all filled in!


Thanks ZTM! :icon_bigg



VadimShevchuk said:


> roudictures are really nice and the tank is coming along great. Is the FX5 noisy enough to bother you when you sleep or is it just a little "hum"? As always, looking forward to updates.


Thanks man. I can almost sleep through anything, so it doesn't bother me at all. It seems to be a little quieter today than it was yesterday, so maybe it's still purging some air.



Caton said:


> UPDATE! I figure if I ask now you will update at the appropriate time.


There's not much to update, LOL.


----------



## fishykid1

AzFishKid said:


> There's not much to update, LOL.



Sure there is, you can update on how much a particular plant grew in the past hour..  

JK that would be OCD.. and a little creepy.


----------



## Centromochlus

My pictures seem to be turning out very "grainy", and i'm not sure why.
ISO is at 800, f/5.6, 1/100 shutter speed. Is it because the ISO is so high?

Before editing:









After editing:


----------



## fishykid1

When I do pictures for my tank I put the ISO as low as possible..


----------



## Axelrodi202

The grains are called noise. If I remember correctly its caused by a high ISO.


----------



## Centromochlus

I edited the picture a little bit in iPhoto. Looks better after de-noising, but a little too "fake".









ISO 400. MUCH better! Taken with my 55mm lens. (this is a different plant, by the way)


----------



## problemman

phil i so want you to come take some pictures when my tank starts looking good! oh wait you live to far away.....hmmm


----------



## rickztahone

the goal is always to try to get the ISO as low as possible without affecting the quality of the picture. Then start tampering with the exposure and shutter speed. do you have a tripod? you have a DSLR right? that doesn't look like a PAS shots.


----------



## Centromochlus

problemman said:


> phil i so want you to come take some pictures when my tank starts looking good! oh wait you live to far away.....hmmm


LOL. Yeah, just a little far...



rickztahone said:


> the goal is always to try to get the ISO as low as possible without affecting the quality of the picture. Then start tampering with the exposure and shutter speed. do you have a tripod? you have a DSLR right? that doesn't look like a PAS shots.


Nikon D3000.
Yes, i have a cheapo tripod. I don't use it very often though. 
I've found that 400 ISO works perfectly for me. 

I wish other websites would describe photography like you did. Simple and easy to understand. Thank you for the tips! I'm still a beginner who's learning. :tongue: Thankfully, i'm taking a digital photography course through school next semester, so i hope that will help.


----------



## TickleMyElmo

Yep, it was the high ISO causing the grain. Also, the ISO in those first two shots were at 1600 according to the EXIF data, not 800, so that's a big reason why, lol....You probably set the ISO at 800, but you might have auto-ISO on, which bumped it up to 1600. 

Great shots regardless though! :smile:


----------



## Centromochlus

TickleMyElmo said:


> Yep, it was the high ISO causing the grain. Also, the ISO in those first two shots were at 1600 according to the EXIF data, not 800, so that's a big reason why, lol....You probably set the ISO at 800, but you might have auto-ISO on, which bumped it up to 1600.
> 
> Great shots regardless though! :smile:


Haha yeah i think i did have the auto-ISO on actually. Live and learn. :hihi:

And thanks! But it sounds like getting an external flash thing would be well worth the money. I like your duct tape system.


----------



## TickleMyElmo

AzFishKid said:


> Haha yeah i think i did have the auto-ISO on actually. Live and learn. :hihi:
> 
> And thanks! But it sounds like getting an external flash thing would be well worth the money.* I like your duct tape system. *


Only the best, highest quality setups for me, lol!

EDIT: Forgot to mention, before you go buying a speedlight, your camera doesnt have the commander mode built in, so to trigger the flash off camera you'd have to get a set of radio triggers off ebay. They're not too expensive or anything ($25?) but theyre not the most reliable and they dont always work 100% of the time. Doesn't mean they're bad, just figured you should know before you think about spending that kind of money :icon_wink


----------



## Centromochlus

Ahahaha i think i killed all of my belem hairgrass... cool.

I put it outside last night, and it got too cold during the night and too hot during the day... most of it is pretty brown now.

I took it out of the tub and planted it in the tank. I hope it will bounce back. There's still some green left, so there's hope, AMIRITE?


----------



## rickztahone

I'm going to try to find a photography book where I learnt absolutely everything I needed to know about using a DSLR. I will let you know the title once I find it.


----------



## skewlboy

AzFishKid said:


> I edited the picture a little bit in iPhoto. Looks better after de-noising, but a little too "fake".
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ISO 400. MUCH better! Taken with my 55mm lens. (this is a different plant, by the way)


the one with pink is my kawagoeanum, the other one grows completely green in my tank and is hydropiperoides. not sure why you are seeing yellow in leaf - ferts might be different.


----------



## mountaindew

Nice Pictures!
The contrast defines the subject!
Well done!
md


----------



## Centromochlus

skewlboy said:


> the one with pink is my kawagoeanum, the other one grows completely green in my tank and is hydropiperoides. not sure why you are seeing yellow in leaf - ferts might be different.


Then you included 4 stems of hydropiperoides in the bag (which i don't mind, since i really like these two plants-- i just want to find out what the correct identifications of these plants are), since the other 2 stems of what i believe are hydropiperoides are completely green under the same lighting, so i know those are definitely hydropiperoides.

I really don't think the golden-colored one is hydropiperoides. I'm no plant-ID expert, but the leaves aren't wavy like hydropiperoides, and definitely not green like it either.



mountaindew said:


> Nice Pictures!
> The contrast defines the subject!
> Well done!
> md


Thank you!


----------



## Centromochlus

The belem hairgrass is definitely dead. I doubt it'll recover. I feel so stupid for leaving it outside that long!
Will post updated photos soon (my camera battery is charging).
I got a bunch of plants from crispino ramos (thank you!) yesterday, so here's an updated plant list.

Flora:
Ammania sp. 'Bonsai' [ACQUIRED]
Blyxa alternifolia 
Blyxa aubertii 
Cuphea annagalloidia [ACQUIRED]
Didiplis diandra 
Eleocharis sp. 'Belem' [ACQUIRED]
Heteranthera zosterifolia [ACQUIRED]
Hydrothrix gardeni 
Lindernia sp. 'India' 
Ludwigia brevipes [ACQUIRED]
Ludwigia inclinata [ACQUIRED]
Ludwigia inclinata var. verticillata 'Cuba' [ACQUIRED]
Ludwigia inclinata var. verticillata 'Pantanal' 
Ludwigia senegalensis [ACQUIRED]
Poaceae sp. 'Purple Bamboo' [ACQUIRED]
Pogostemon erectus [ACQUIRED]
Pogostemon helferi
Pogostemon stellatus 'Broad Leaf' [ACQUIRED]
Pogostemon stellatus 'Narrow Leaf' [ACQUIRED]
Polygonum hydropiperoides [ACQUIRED]
Polygonum kwagoneum [ACQUIRED]
Polygonum ‘Sao Paulo’ [ACQUIRED]
Ranunculus inundatus
Rotala sp. 'butterfy'
Rotala macrandra 'japan red' [ACQUIRED]
Rotala macrandra 'green' [ACQUIRED]
Rotala mexicana 'Araguaia'
Rotala mexicana 'Belem'
Rotala mini 'type 1'
Rotala mini 'type 2'


----------



## problemman

Holy moly! I can't wait to see all these!


----------



## Da Plant Man

> Will post updated photos soon (my camera battery is charging).


Why must you lie to us?


----------



## Centromochlus

Notes:

I know the rock arrangement looks weird. I'm still messing around with it to see if i can come up with something better. I may just remove them all together, but i would like some input. Ideas?
Obviously, the left side is much more "complete" than the right side. More plants will be added to fill up that space.
Yes, i know my belem hair grass is dead.  I'm too lazy to remove it.
I'm considering getting some blyxa japonica to put in front of the stem plants in the center.


----------



## problemman

why not place the rocks on the left side under the wood as if they were a ledge and plant some of your midground and foreground plants thereto help age them? but in all reality i think a grey-brown rock choice would be better.:hihi:


----------



## Centromochlus

problemman said:


> why not place the rocks on the left side under the wood as if they were a ledge and plant some of your midground and foreground plants thereto help age them? but in all reality i think a grey-brown rock choice would be better.:hihi:


Hmm i'll have to try that. :tongue: Might look nice.

Color doesn't matter though, because i think i'm just going to end up covering them in either peacock or flame moss.


----------



## Da Plant Man

Yay! He told the truth! Yea, definitely get different rocks...


----------



## Dan the Man

Yeah if you eventually cover the rocks then it doesn't matter though until you do those rocks are going to look a little jarring. I would also suggest a greater slope towards the front to create added depth. Lastly, although your piece of wood had character, I feel it's not big enough for this tank either. I understand if eventually you want the plants to be the focal point of the tank but a larger piece/pieces with plants interwebbed (like a NLJF) would help in creating a better focal point. I'm sure you've come across the golden ratio? 1:2.618 I believe. That would be a good guide for the primary focal point or where the viewer's eye is drawn to first. I'm curious, why do you think your DHG died?


----------



## fishykid1

hey philip.. i have some blyxa japonica.. but only 2-3 plants. I could probably split them up into 5-6 smaller plants. It's growing fast as crap now that it's caught in. I love the plant.


----------



## Dan the Man

> Ahahaha i think i killed all of my belem hairgrass... cool.
> 
> I put it outside last night, and it got too cold during the night and too hot during the day... most of it is pretty brown now.
> 
> I took it out of the tub and planted it in the tank. I hope it will bounce back. There's still some green left, so there's hope, AMIRITE?


Ah. I see why.


----------



## Centromochlus

Thanks for the suggestions. I have an image in my mind of how i want this tank to be, but it will take a while to accomplish. I'm going for a semi-dutch style, and it will take time for the plants to grow in, and a few trimmings until i achieve the "bushy" plant look that i want. I'm sure i'll also be removing some of the species as time goes on, since i definitely have quite a few.

Honestly, i think the driftwood looks fine, but thank you for the input. It is a little small for the tank (especially in height), but i like how it looks. I may try and find another piece of driftwood for the right side that isn't so hard to sink like the last one, though.

Some of my inspiration:


----------



## RipariumGuy

Good inspiration. And we all know, good inspiration = Good tank!


----------



## Da Plant Man

I like aquahobby, their forum is really really tiny though. I am a regular and they are what got me hooked on aquariums and then plants.


----------



## malaybiswas

Second that.


AzFishKid said:


> Hmm i'll have to try that. :tongue: Might look nice.
> 
> Color doesn't matter though, because i think i'm just going to end up covering them in either peacock or flame moss.




Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk


----------



## RipariumGuy

Looks very good Phillip! For the rocks, I would move one of the into a near vertical postion, with the other at its base. Complementing the vertical one. Just an idea. Could you tell me the names of the stem plants that look like bamboo that are by the filter intake and the ones that are light green at the base of the driftwood? They look real nice... :icon_smil


----------



## fishykid1

There are so many fish in the left side of the first tank shot you posted. That's insane. Like the tank though.


----------



## problemman

love the first one if the right side was just expanded more out to the left to fill it up a bit more but hello color!!!!


----------



## Centromochlus

JakeJ said:


> Looks very good Phillip! For the rocks, I would move one of the into a near vertical postion, with the other at its base. Complementing the vertical one. Just an idea. Could you tell me the names of the stem plants that look like bamboo that are by the filter intake and the ones that are light green at the base of the driftwood? They look real nice... :icon_smil


Thanks Jake! I'll mess around with those two rocks tomorrow. 
Poaceae sp. 'purple bamboo' near the filter intake, and pogostemon erectus by the driftwood.



fishykid1 said:


> hey philip.. i have some blyxa japonica.. but only 2-3 plants. I could probably split them up into 5-6 smaller plants. It's growing fast as crap now that it's caught in. I love the plant.


If i don't get any at the AAPE meeting this Sunday, then i will definitely let you know.  Thanks.



problemman said:


> love the first one if the right side was just expanded more out to the left to fill it up a bit more but hello color!!!!


I actually think this is the same tank. Definitely more appealing.


----------



## fishykid1

I may not be able to get it to you right away, but It's starting to grow better. Soon it should spread more and more.


----------



## Centromochlus

fishykid1 said:


> I may not be able to get it to you right away, but It's starting to grow better. Soon it should spread more and more.


No worries, i'm pretty broke right now anyway lol.


----------



## problemman

AzFishKid said:


> I actually think this is the same tank. Definitely more appealing.


thats more like it!!!!!!!!:hihi:


----------



## Centromochlus

Can someone help me ID this plant? I received it in a plant package, and i thought it was _ludwigia bevipes_, but the leaves are quite different. I really like this stem! Is it _rotala macrandra 'narrow leaf'_?

On a side note, i moved all 6 plecos and 4 of the 12 flagfish over to the 90g this morning. The 2 male plecos were a little aggressive (probably fighting over territory), but i guess that's typical.


----------



## rickztahone

Not sure on the I.d. but it looks great!


----------



## Da Plant Man

Not sure either, but we need a full tank shot and pictures of the flagfish!


----------



## sewingalot

I don't know what it is, but it is very pretty. You are getting good with your picture taking skills!


----------



## Cardinal Tetra

I got something like that as a possible hybrid of Ludwigia glandulosa x palustris from Aaront.


----------



## Centromochlus

Thanks for the possible ID's--i'm still trying to figure out exactly what it is though--any other ideas on what it could be? 

I got a peacock gudgeon goby today from a LFS. This time, i'm going to make sure that it doesn't end up dried up on my floor! Haha. The flagfish seem to be picking on him/her though (and i've also noticed that they're eating some of my plants, especially the stargrass... GRRRR...), so they'll be going in my pond tomorrow. :hihi:


----------



## problemman

I never really cared for the flag fish.they are aggressive and destroy plants left and right


----------



## Centromochlus

LF professional flagfish catcher to safely remove my pesky fish without uprooting any plants... will pay top dollar!


Ok seriously... this is getting really old. Just get in the friggin net!!!


----------



## rickztahone

AzFishKid said:


> LF professional flagfish catcher to safely remove my pesky fish without uprooting any plants... will pay top dollar!
> 
> 
> Ok seriously... this is getting really old. Just get in the friggin net!!!


i didn't read back but did you try lower the water level?


----------



## Centromochlus

rickztahone said:


> i didn't read back but did you try lower the water level?


No but that would probably help a lot.


----------



## rickztahone

AzFishKid said:


> No but that would probably help a lot.


yup. i've done that when trying to catch my 6 rummies in my 125. sometimes i lower it to like 20g, lol


----------



## problemman

Yah it will.


----------



## RipariumGuy

Lowering the water level and having two nets helps a lot. Good luck man!


----------



## Centromochlus

Notes:
1) I removed all but one of the rocks. I couldn't find an arrangement that i liked. The one rock that's left will be removed.
2) Right side needs more plants... just waiting until i have more funds!
3) Reactor coming soon...
4) I might get a second retrofit (2x54 watt) to help the plants in the back.

New fish-- peacock gudgeon goby!









FTS:









Left side:









Right side:


----------



## VadimShevchuk

AzFishKid said:


> Thanks for the possible ID's--i'm still trying to figure out exactly what it is though--any other ideas on what it could be?
> 
> I got a peacock gudgeon goby today from a LFS. This time, i'm going to make sure that it doesn't end up dried up on my floor! Haha. The flagfish seem to be picking on him/her though (and i've also noticed that they're eating some of my plants, especially the stargrass... GRRRR...), so they'll be going in my pond tomorrow. :hihi:


Nice Christmas present for your fish :icon_smil. As always pictures are nice and I'm happy to see another dutch tank.


----------



## hydrophyte

Hey you got some great plants in there.


----------



## problemman

What plants you looking for? I got a bunch of myrio matto....i can send you for free and some star grass.yes free! Lol


----------



## khanzer22

AzFishKid said:


> Can someone help me ID this plant? I received it in a plant package, and i thought it was _ludwigia bevipes_, but the leaves are quite different. I really like this stem! Is it _rotala macrandra 'narrow leaf'_?


Ludwigia cf. palustris x glandulosa 

Tank is looking good!


----------



## Da Plant Man

This tank is amazing!!! I really like that peacock gugeon(sp?) and that substrate really brings out the colors in the plants. I can't wait for everything to grow out. Are you going to get some more HG? 


-Caton

Sent from my iPod touch using tapatalk.


----------



## Centromochlus

Thanks for all of the comments everyone! Christmas this year was definitely a great one for my aquarium. I got a new Milwaukee SMS 122 pH Controller, aquariumplants.com external reactor 5000 (with probe holder), metal co2 cylinder holder, and a Takashi Amano Nature Aquarium Complete Works book. Yay! And i also got a $50 gift card to my favorite LFS, and a little extra spending cash. 

Pictures to come... unfortunately, i can't run the filter/reactor yet, since i think i'm going to need hose clamps. Why can't Home Depot be open on Christmas?! :flick:



problemman said:


> What plants you looking for? I got a bunch of myrio matto....i can send you for free and some star grass.yes free! Lol


That's very generous of you! Unfortunately though, i have about 10 more plants that i still want to get, and i have very little room left... 

EDIT: Caton, i'm likely going to do another marsilea carpet. I think it'll look better than the belem hair grass.


----------



## fishykid1

WOOT, great christmas for you? Same here man. 75G tank, a nice water test kit (needed for a REALLY long time) and a few other nick nacks including a water python. And and, more money 
The LFS here in Knoxville is amazing. Fins n Skins is a great small LFS. Smells like reptiles, but they've really helped me out. Got a brand new 75G (Aqueon tank) for 150$ rather than petsmart's 200$ Topfin tank.


----------



## OverStocked

I really can't wait to see this fill in more! Pics are coming along nicely, too!


----------



## Centromochlus

Thanks guys. 

I put the reactor together, and it's leaking droplets of water in a few different places... i took it apart and put more plumber's tape in those areas, but now it's leaking again. Should i take it all apart and apply PVC cement?


----------



## kevmo911

Do you know exactly where the leaks are (in the manufactured parts vs. the slips for the hoses)? You mentioned hose clamps a few posts back, and those are always a good idea. If they're in the threaded sections, I'd take it all apart, take all the tape off, make sure there's no grime or tape in the interior threaded sections, and then retape the whole thing, making sure you wrap it in the right direction. Then use wrenches where possible to super-tighten everything. I don't know if using pvc cement is a good idea - you'll never be able to take it apart.


----------



## Centromochlus

kevmo911 said:


> Do you know exactly where the leaks are (in the manufactured parts vs. the slips for the hoses)? You mentioned hose clamps a few posts back, and those are always a good idea. If they're in the threaded sections, I'd take it all apart, take all the tape off, make sure there's no grime or tape in the interior threaded sections, and then retape the whole thing, making sure you wrap it in the right direction. Then use wrenches where possible to super-tighten everything. I don't know if using pvc cement is a good idea - you'll never be able to take it apart.


Yeah, it's leaking in between a few parts where pvc is screwed into pvc. I have clamps around the vinyl hoses, and they aren't leaking. 

I guess i'll take it down again... for the 4th time.  Would the cement help though, even if it would permanently attach everything together?


----------



## rickztahone

AzFishKid said:


> Yeah, it's leaking in between a few parts where pvc is screwed into pvc. I have clamps around the vinyl hoses, and they aren't leaking.
> 
> I guess i'll take it down again... for the 4th time.  Would the cement help though, even if it would permanently attach everything together?


This is a store bought reactor right? if so, i say contact the company before you start tinckering with it more. do you have a pic?


----------



## Centromochlus

rickztahone said:


> This is a store bought reactor right? if so, i say contact the company before you start tinckering with it more. do you have a pic?


On the phone with them right now.

Edit: They said apply more tape, and no on the pvc cement. BRB i hope i have enough tape...


----------



## fishykid1

Your using Teflon tape right? You have to make sure you put it on in the same direction your screwing it in. And once you screw it in, you can't loosen it, otherwise you have to replace all of the tape.


----------



## Centromochlus

fishykid1 said:


> Your using Teflon tape right? You have to make sure you put it on in the same direction your screwing it in. And once you screw it in, you can't loosen it, otherwise you have to replace all of the tape.


Yup, i just don't think i was using enough of it. My reactor is now fully functional without any leaks, YAY!

The main area in which the leaks were happening was the probe holder. I didn't feel like messing around with it anymore, so i just removed it and now nothing is leaking. 

I got 3 otos and another peacock gudgeon goby today at my LFS (used my gift card!), and i also got a few stems of Limnophila aromatica and Eichhornia diversifolia. Pics to come once i clean everything up... my room is a mess!


----------



## A Hill

Philip, that makes two of us getting the complete works of Amano for Christmas! Everyone who has seen it loves the photos, almost as much as me. 

Your tank looks great by the way, the stems are nice and healthy looking. If you want HG, when I get back to school and find mine not to be all dead and algae stricken I think I might give you it. I'm thinking about a simpler tank for next semester. 

Oh, and the one piece of DW looks much much better:thumbsup:



Caton said:


> Why must you be such a LIAR? :flick: I think we need to get some help from Andrew Hill (A Hill) to come down to your house and take them for us! We demand pictures! It only takes what? Like 10 minutes to take them and upload them?:tongue:


I don't think I would've been any use, I'm notoriously bad for not posting photos and letting journals die... 

-Andrew


----------



## Centromochlus

A Hill said:


> Philip, that makes two of us getting the complete works of Amano for Christmas! Everyone who has seen it loves the photos, almost as much as me.
> 
> Your tank looks great by the way, the stems are nice and healthy looking. If you want HG, when I get back to school and find mine not to be all dead and algae stricken I think I might give you it. I'm thinking about a simpler tank for next semester.
> 
> Oh, and the one piece of DW looks much much better:thumbsup:
> 
> 
> 
> I don't think I would've been any use, I'm notoriously bad for not posting photos and letting journals die...
> 
> -Andrew


Nice! The complete works book is amazing. I've only skimmed through it so far, but i drooled over some of those iwagumi scapes. They're spectacular! I also got "The Book of ADA" from Aquatouch today, which is pretty nice too. :icon_mrgr

Thanks for the offer Andrew! I really want a carpet of both MM and hair grass, but i'm not sure how i would incorporate both of them... i guess i could try putting them together, but i somehow feel that would look really awful. Any ideas? I may just have to choose one over the other, lol.


----------



## landolakes

Wow love it, the gudgeon reminds me of some of the gobies in my salt systems. I never knew there were fresh water fish that colorful till TPT came into my life.


----------



## Centromochlus

landolakes said:


> Wow love it, the gudgeon reminds me of some of the gobies in my salt systems. I never knew there were fresh water fish that colorful till TPT came into my life.


Thanks! I'm tellin' ya, you'll never turn back to salt again.


----------



## A Hill

AzFishKid said:


> Nice! The complete works book is amazing. I've only skimmed through it so far, but i drooled over some of those iwagumi scapes. They're spectacular! I also got "The Book of ADA" from Aquatouch today, which is pretty nice too. :icon_mrgr
> 
> Thanks for the offer Andrew! I really want a carpet of both MM and hair grass, but i'm not sure how i would incorporate both of them... i guess i could try putting them together, but i somehow feel that would look really awful. Any ideas? I may just have to choose one over the other, lol.


I've gone through it multiple times, I was really surprised at the amount he wrote in the book, but I guess he had a reality check when he realized he had been at it for 25 years (Granted, I've only got 20 to go to be at the same point...:icon_conf) So I can't say I've read everything in the book but I've looked at every picture a few times  I'm not sure if that will be the only book I look at on the way back to AZ... I mean, I got a kindle but those pictures are stunning!

As for the foreground, I'd just mix them, see what happens, start hg somewhere and MM somewhere and let them grow wild, trim them how you like, etc. I'm thinking planting the MM towards the glass and HG towards the back more, then allowing them to grow into each other.

Have you thought of grabbing half a dozen more rocks to make a bit more of a definite boarder covered in moss? That'd be kinda cool and keep the foreground out of the stems... 

-Andrew


----------



## Centromochlus

A Hill said:


> I've gone through it multiple times, I was really surprised at the amount he wrote in the book, but I guess he had a reality check when he realized he had been at it for 25 years (Granted, I've only got 20 to go to be at the same point...:icon_conf) So I can't say I've read everything in the book but I've looked at every picture a few times  I'm not sure if that will be the only book I look at on the way back to AZ... I mean, I got a kindle but those pictures are stunning!
> 
> As for the foreground, I'd just mix them, see what happens, start hg somewhere and MM somewhere and let them grow wild, trim them how you like, etc. I'm thinking planting the MM towards the glass and HG towards the back more, then allowing them to grow into each other.
> 
> Have you thought of grabbing half a dozen more rocks to make a bit more of a definite boarder covered in moss? That'd be kinda cool and keep the foreground out of the stems...
> 
> -Andrew


Hmm.. definitely something to think about. It's hard to imagine how MM and DHG would look together, but it may work. 

I actually took all of the rocks out, but may add some moss-covered ones in the future. (look at post #295 if you missed it )


----------



## Centromochlus

Ok now im stuck between marsilea minuta and utricularia graminifolia... i'm thinking that the UG might look nice, but like the HG, it's straight and "stem-like", which may be too much in a dutch-style tank considering it consists of mainly stem plants... any thoughts?


----------



## Cardinal Tetra

UG does not stand up unless you have crappy lighting or it gets shaded. It bends over.










A crappy picture yes but you can see what I'm talking about.


----------



## Centromochlus

@Cardinal Tetra:
I guess what i really meant is the overall shape of the leaves are "stem-like", unlike how the leaves of MM are round and a little different from everything else in the tank (except for a few species). But i guess it's the same way with the UG-- not everything in my tank consists of thick, bright green single stems. I have conflicting ideas, LOL. Thanks for the picture and info. It's a beautiful plant!


EDIT: Doing a water change... 1 flagfish captured, 3 to go!


----------



## Da Plant Man

You gonna put them in the pond?


----------



## Centromochlus

Caton said:


> You gonna put them in the pond?


yup... im having trouble catching the other 3 though.


----------



## Cardinal Tetra

Hmmm maybe you could combine multiple species in your foreground? haha
I mix UG with ranalisma but that's just another grassy stem. I think I've seen UG and HC grown together before but then the HC got shaded over :/


----------



## rickztahone

AzFishKid said:


> yup... im having trouble catching the other 3 though.


You lowered the water level and are using 2 LG nets?


----------



## Centromochlus

Still looking for:
Blyxa alternifolia
Hydrothrix gardeni
Ludwigia inclinata var. verticillata 'pantanal'
Pogostemon helferi
Ranunculus inundatus
Rotala mexicana 'araguaia'
Rotala mexicana 'goias'
Rotala mini 'type I'
Rotala mini 'type II'


----------



## discuspaul

That's ONE BEAUTIFUL TANK, azFishKid !!!!


----------



## Da Plant Man

WOWZERS! Its looking amazing!


----------



## RipariumGuy

Dang! That is looking awesome Phillip! Great job. roud:


----------



## dxiong5

Nice tank and pictures! Love the plecos, one of my favorites.


----------



## Centromochlus

Thank you all for the comments! It truly means a lot to me. I've worked really hard trying to get this tank the way i've always wanted it to be, and i'm very happy with the progress so far.

It has a long way to go, but it's getting there. :thumbsup: Still need quite a few more plants and i need to get that carpet going (i'm leaning towards marsilea minuta).


----------



## LICfish

Wow. Looking very nice!


----------



## FSM

Looks good. You need a surface skimmer though.


----------



## sewingalot

:thumbsup: Loving it!


----------



## Centromochlus

FSM said:


> Looks good. You need a surface skimmer though.


Yeah no kidding, LOL.

Thank you Sara and LICfish!


----------



## VadimShevchuk

AzFishKid said:


> Thank you all for the comments! It truly means a lot to me. I've worked really hard trying to get this tank the way i've always wanted it to be, and i'm very happy with the progress so far.
> 
> It has a long way to go, but it's getting there. :thumbsup: Still need quite a few more plants and i need to get that carpet going (i'm leaning towards marsilea minuta).


Didn't you use marsilea minuta before and you were not impressed with it? Would you consider glosso?


----------



## Centromochlus

VadimShevchuk said:


> Didn't you use marsilea minuta before and you were not impressed with it? Would you consider glosso?


I used marisilea minuta/quadrofolia (sp?) in my 150g, but it didn't do so well growing emersed.. then it started dying on me. I don't think it likes growing emersed.

Not a huge fan of glosso... mainly because of the color-- that's why i like marsilea better. UG is also another option, or maybe belem hairgrass.


----------



## Da Plant Man

Glosso always seemed green to me...whats so bad about it?


----------



## Centromochlus

Caton said:


> Glosso always seemed green to me...whats so bad about it?


Too light green for me. I like the dark green that marsilea typically has.


----------



## fishykid1

2 words: I WANT.

Looking awesome!


----------



## Centromochlus

WOO-HOO, someone local is gonna give me some Pogostemon helferi and Ranunculus inundatus... i'm excited! I can cross those two off of my list.

And thank you, Martin.


----------



## Centromochlus

Moon lights:


----------



## Da Plant Man

Sweet! They need to make more red moonlights though.


----------



## fishykid1

AzFishKid said:


> Moon lights:


YUM  Would look better without that protein film.


----------



## Da Plant Man

I think that protein film looks cool with the lights...


----------



## RipariumGuy

I love moonlights... Need to get some for my tank though. If you wanna get rid of the film, a couple paper towels will do the trick!


----------



## fishykid1

I'd rather have a clear surface, but that's me.


----------



## Centromochlus

Agreed, i'm not a fan of the protein film... i'll try removing some of it with paper towels later.


----------



## oldpunk78

this is really starting to come along. we're gonna get to see this one mature, right? lol

you know, with a tank this tall you could get away with a taller foreground like microsword. that's bright green though.


----------



## Centromochlus

oldpunk78 said:


> this is really starting to come along. we're gonna get to see this one mature, right? lol
> 
> you know, with a tank this tall you could get away with a taller foreground like microsword. that's bright green though.


Thanks man. There are no plans to replace this tank and/or scape anytime soon, so it'll be here for a while. 

I considered microsword, but i think i'd prefer a low-growing carpet. Thanks for the suggestion though.


----------



## Da Plant Man

AzFishKid said:


> Thanks man. There are no plans to replace this tank and/or scape anytime soon, so it'll be here for a while.
> 
> I considered microsword, but i think i'd prefer a low-growing carpet. Thanks for the suggestion though.


There is always good 'ol HC....


----------



## Centromochlus

Look what i got! :O










Two tatia perugiae (honeycomb catfish/oil catfish)!
I was shocked that one of my LFS actually had a few... i always ask an employee when i visit, but they had always said no.


----------



## RipariumGuy

Awesome Phillip! They're cool looking buggers for sure.


----------



## FSM

Those are cool fish, I've seen them in auctions but never bought one. Are they hiding?


----------



## Centromochlus

FSM said:


> Those are cool fish, I've seen them in auctions but never bought one. Are they hiding?


The bags are still floating in the tank. I'd imagine i won't see them often though, since they were quite hidden in the LFS tank. I'm also waiting for the water to warm up a bit... i didn't realize that my aquarium was at 70 degrees!

Oh well, they're still extremely cool fish and i'm just glad that i didn't have to order them online... always nice to skip the $40 overnight shipping charge.


----------



## RipariumGuy

AzFishKid said:


> Oh well, they're still extremely cool fish and i'm just glad that i didn't have to order them online... always nice to skip the $40 overnight shipping charge.


Yes. Yes it is.


----------



## Wingsdlc

Really nice looking tank. Your plants have some nice color to them. I have always thought the the cats you got were pretty neat. I guess it comes to show that asking for a fish you like pays off after a while. Most fish stores only carry the common stuff because they think that is all they can sell. Kind of a shame. Look forward for the tank to fill in.


----------



## A Hill

AzFishKid said:


> Agreed, i'm not a fan of the protein film... i'll try removing some of it with paper towels later.


Try an empty 2L or similar bottle, works better IMO.

Oh, and I saw the coolest fish the other day, it was basically a red and silver chocolate gourami and I had to look up what it is, they're Sphaerichthys vaillanti or samauri gourami, I think you should get some:icon_wink

Nice cats, didn't know they where hard to get in AZ, they're relatively common to find around here.

-Andrew


----------



## Centromochlus

A Hill said:


> Try an empty 2L or similar bottle, works better IMO.
> 
> Oh, and I saw the coolest fish the other day, it was basically a red and silver chocolate gourami and I had to look up what it is, they're Sphaerichthys vaillanti or samauri gourami, I think you should get some:icon_wink
> 
> Nice cats, didn't know they where hard to get in AZ, they're relatively common to find around here.
> 
> -Andrew


Yeah i'm planning on just sucking up all of the surface film tomorrow during the water change, but i'll try the bottle method if i can't get it with my python water changer. The protein film is REALLY thick right now, and is actually starting to form a crust instead of a slimy cover. 

This is the first time that i've ever seen honeycomb catfish at a LFS in the Phoenix area... you should smuggle a few more back to Phoenix for me.  Hey, if you can take moss on a plane without anyone knowing, then how about a fish or two? :hihi:

The samauri gourami looks cool. Not a huge fan of gourami's in general though.



Wingsdlc said:


> Really nice looking tank. Your plants have some nice color to them. I have always thought the the cats you got were pretty neat. I guess it comes to show that asking for a fish you like pays off after a while. Most fish stores only carry the common stuff because they think that is all they can sell. Kind of a shame. Look forward for the tank to fill in.


Thank you! I'm glad i asked, because i sure wouldn't have ever seen them in that tank if i looked myself.


----------



## Centromochlus

Just put them in the tank after acclimating them for about an hour... hope they'll do alright. They're breathing kinda heavily.


----------



## LICfish

Woah. Those fish look really cool. I've never seen one.


----------



## fishykid1

Those are some sweet fish dude!!!


----------



## RipariumGuy

Is there a lot of surface agitation? That may be the problem with the surface film.


----------



## Da Plant Man

If you agitate that surface, it becomes harder to get co2 levels up to par.


----------



## Centromochlus

The cats are doing better-- i dropped a frozen cube of bloodworms in, and they perked right up. They were swimming all over the place!

I need better surface agitation. The outflow tubes are pointed down at the moment, but i'll point them up a little tomorrow to hopefully keep the film from reappearing. I could also point the koralia up a little.


----------



## RipariumGuy

Caton said:


> If you agitate that surface, it becomes harder to get co2 levels up to par.


There is a differenct between surface "agitation", and splashing. The splashing will make it hard to keep CO2 levels up, not agitation.

Some surface agitation will also help a lot with the scum. 

Glad the cats perked up Phillip!


----------



## Centromochlus

Yeah if i agitate the surface now, all of the scum will float around in my tank and will make a big mess... so i'll wait until tomorrow when i'm doing the water change.

Even if it does effect the co2 efficiency a little, i'm still getting a lot more co2 out of my 5lb tank with the reactor. By now, i would have had to refill... and it's still at 800 PSI. I bet i had a leak though too, lol. It can't be THAT more efficient.


----------



## Da Plant Man

True dat Jake!

The tank is amazing!


----------



## problemman

Phillip I'm so jealous and the gourami s are amazing and well with thinking about I have been trying to find some around here.hey them you won't be sad!


----------



## Centromochlus

Ok this is kinda a stupid question... but how do you test ppm? Like if i wanted to test my Co2 levels, No3 levels, etc... how would i go about doing so?


----------



## Centromochlus

Semi-better picture... 









I just turned off the lights (I know... super long photoperiod, but it was just for today) and turned on the moonlights... 20 seconds later, I went back to see if the one honeycomb cat that had been sitting in the same spot for hours was still there, and to my surprise he wasn't! He was swimming around the tank like a bullet with the other honeycomb cat. These guys are definitely nocturnal-- I love watching them! I want to get 2-4 more if I can find some. Definitely my favorite fish of all time.


----------



## Reginald2

AzFishKid said:


> Ok this is kinda a stupid question... but how do you test ppm? Like if i wanted to test my Co2 levels, No3 levels, etc... how would i go about doing so?



I think ppm is parts per million. so a test kit would use x amount of water as a constant. So, x is whatever color the test kit turns and y is the CO3/NO3.

x______y
--- = -------
5ml 1 million

I'm envious of your photography skills.


----------



## Centromochlus

Reginald2 said:


> I think ppm is parts per million. so a test kit would use x amount of water as a constant. So, x is whatever color the test kit turns and y is the CO3/NO3.
> 
> x______y
> --- = -------
> 5ml 1 million
> 
> I'm envious of your photography skills.


So there are test kits that will test CO2, NO3, PO4, Fe levels? Any recommendations?
Thanks for your help.


----------



## Da Plant Man

There are drop checkers for co2, and the API freshwater test kit works really well for NO3, NH4 and etc. No clue how to check the others.


----------



## OverStocked

AzFishKid said:


> So there are test kits that will test CO2, NO3, PO4, Fe levels? Any recommendations?
> Thanks for your help.


THere is not an economical co2 test kit that does anything. Use a drop checker, they work the best.

Your are dosing EI, right? There is no good reason to test PO4 FE or NO3 unless you have a serious problem. Even then, they are only barely useful(PO4 and FE in particular).


----------



## Centromochlus

over_stocked said:


> THere is not an economical co2 test kit that does anything. Use a drop checker, they work the best.
> 
> Your are dosing EI, right? There is no good reason to test PO4 FE or NO3 unless you have a serious problem. Even then, they are only barely useful(PO4 and FE in particular).


My rotala macrandra 'japan red' hasn't been doing so well, and i was reading what the ideal conditions are for that plant on APC, and wanted to see what my fert levels were at since it said that rotala macrandra was a good fert/co2 indicator in general. I dose plenty of KNO3, KH2PO4, K2SO4, CSM+B, and extra FE. I'm using ADA Amazonia I aquasoil, and i'm injecting plenty of co2 (drop checker is light green). Plenty of light too. Any ideas? The rotala macrandra 'japan red' in my tank seems to stunt and turn a tie-die green and red color. It's not attractive.

I have a drop checker, but the chart only shows colors, no PPM. How can i convert color->PPM?


----------



## Reginald2

AzFishKid said:


> So there are test kits that will test CO2, NO3, PO4, Fe levels? Any recommendations?
> Thanks for your help.



yeah, I don't know about all of that. I've heard some of those kits (phosphate and iron etc) get kind of pricey, so I haven't tried them. There is a KH/PH correlation to calculate parts per million of CO2. I just use a drop checker. I think it's kind of a cheat and based of that chart. I have a cheap nitrate test kit I think it's API. It seems to work.

Sorry I couldn't be more helpful.

Edit: there is a chart that shows the correlation of ph to kh, so if you know the water inside the drop checkers degree of hardness then google for: ph kh co2 chart. I know I've seen/used them before.


----------



## sewingalot

AzFishKid said:


> Semi-better picture...


Fantastic picture, Philip!

Green 4dkh solution is usually around 30 ppm. I like to use 5 dkh to get a higher co2 reading with the drop checker.


----------



## vegakat

Again Nice Tank Philip! Subscribed!


----------



## Centromochlus

vegakat said:


> Again Nice Tank Philip! Subscribed!


Thanks! Glad to see you on TPT.  Welcome!


----------



## Centromochlus

Is it normal for water to become cloudy when dry dosing?

*Fertilizing Schedule*
Sunday: Water Change. 3/16 Tsp CSM+B
Monday: 3/4 Tsp KNO3, 3/16 Tsp KH2PO4, 1/4 Tsp K2SO4
Tuesday: 3/16 Tsp CSM+B
Wednesday: 3/4 Tsp KNO3, 3/16 Tsp KH2PO4, 1/4 Tsp K2SO4
Thursday: 3/16 Tsp CSM+B
Friday: 3/4 Tsp KNO3, 3/16 Tsp KH2PO4, 1/4 Tsp K2SO4
Saturday: Rest Day


----------



## Centromochlus

Also, where can i buy a prefilter like this? It needs to have the horizontal ridges like this one (yes... i want one for my honeycombs to hide in!).


----------



## sewingalot

My water gets a little cloudy when I dose. I started doing it a little before lights on and no more issues. :thumbsup: Azoo sells sponge filters that look like that. Check them out on Dr. Foster and Smith to see if they will work out for you.


----------



## RipariumGuy

AzFishKid said:


> Also, where can i buy a prefilter like this? It needs to have the horizontal ridges like this one (yes... i want one for my honeycombs to hide in!).


That would be so cool go look at!:thumbsup:


----------



## Centromochlus

Thanks guys. I'm going to try dosing earlier to see if i can get the cloudiness to not be so bad.

Also, i'm going to start using half RO water when doing water changes. It costs $0.39/gallon at my LFS, so if i change ~45 gallons per water change, i'll use ~23 gallons of RO water and ~22 gallons of tap. Should be about $10 (tax included) per water change, which i think will be manageable for me. Buying my own RO system is out of the picture, since my parents don't want one in our bathroom, and they don't want a trashcan full of water anywhere. I may or may not cut back on the amount of water changes that i do per month (right now i do one every Sunday, but i may just do one every other Sunday).

Would there be any benefit to using 100% RO water, compared to 50/50?


----------



## Captivate05

AzFishKid said:


> Thanks guys. I'm going to try dosing earlier to see if i can get the cloudiness to not be so bad.
> 
> Also, i'm going to start using half RO water when doing water changes. It costs $0.39/gallon at my LFS, so if i change ~45 gallons per water change, i'll use ~23 gallons of RO water and ~22 gallons of tap. Should be about $10 (tax included) per water change, which i think will be manageable for me. Buying my own RO system is out of the picture, since my parents don't want one in our bathroom, and they don't want a trashcan full of water anywhere. I may or may not cut back on the amount of water changes that i do per month (right now i do one every Sunday, but i may just do one every other Sunday).
> 
> Would there be any benefit to using 100% RO water, compared to 50/50?


Gorgeous tank! My parent's (well, my dad) would never let me do anything cool with my tanks when I lived with them...

What's your GH and KH?


----------



## dxiong5

$10 per water change twice a month, and in 5 months you could get an RO system already 

Trash can full of water...outside? Maybe you can run a pump/hose from the bin through your window to your tank when you need water (if you're on the first floor).

PS: ask your local clubs if anyone has an extra RO system. I got mine free from a local member who had it sitting around


----------



## A Hill

I bet Pets Inc will order you some more?

They come and go here pretty commonly. They aren't ever cheap though.

The tank looks as good as ever.

-Andrew


----------



## Centromochlus

Captivate05 said:


> Gorgeous tank! My parent's (well, my dad) would never let me do anything cool with my tanks when I lived with them...
> 
> What's your GH and KH?


Thank you!

Not sure what my GH and KH is-- but when i talked to an employee at a LFS, he said that Phoenix tap water is around 7-8 KH? All i know is that it's pretty high. :redface:



 dxiong5 said:


> $10 per water change twice a month, and in 5 months you could get an RO system already
> 
> Trash can full of water...outside? Maybe you can run a pump/hose from the bin through your window to your tank when you need water (if you're on the first floor).
> 
> PS: ask your local clubs if anyone has an extra RO system. I got mine free from a local member who had it sitting around


I know that in the long term, buying RO water at my LFS isn't a very economical way to use RO water in a 90g tank... However, getting a RO system just isn't going to happen, and i really don't want to deal with one anyway. Maybe if i win one at the AAPE raffle i'll give it a go (parents permitting), but for now i plan on relying on my LFS for RO water.



A Hill said:


> I bet Pets Inc will order you some more?
> 
> They come and go here pretty commonly. They aren't ever cheap though.
> 
> The tank looks as good as ever.
> 
> -Andrew


I emailed them a few days ago, but haven't heard back. I should probably try calling them.


----------



## Chrisinator

Sweet tanks and awesome catfish!


----------



## A Hill

AzFishKid said:


> I emailed them a few days ago, but haven't heard back. I should probably try calling them.


If you want next week I'll probably be going there so I can ask them for you. 

I'm beginning to worry about what my aquarium looks like back at school :hihi:

-Andrew


----------



## Centromochlus

Honeycomb Catfish Video


----------



## problemman

Active little guy isn't he!


----------



## Centromochlus

The collectoris keeps getting worse and worse! Someone call the doctor!

(i'm up to 45 species now :hihi
I have no idea how i'm going to fit all of these into my 90g... but i'll find a way!
UPDATED LIST:
Alternanthera reineckii 'rosaefolia' [ON THE WAY]
Ammania sp. 'Bonsai' [ACQUIRED]
Acmella americana
Blyxa alternifolia [ON THE WAY]
Blyxa japonica 
Cuphea annagalloidia [ACQUIRED]
Eichhornia diversifolia[ACQUIRED]
Gratiola aurea
Hydrothrix gardeni 
Hygrophila pinnatifida
Hygrophila sp. 'bold' [ACQUIRED]
Limnophila aromatica [ACQUIRED]
Limnophila sp. 'Sulawesi' 
Lindernia sp. 'India' [ON THE WAY]
Ludwigia brevipes [ACQUIRED]
Ludwigia inclinata [ACQUIRED]
Ludwigia inclinata var. verticillata 'Araguaia'
Ludwigia inclinata var. verticillata 'Cuba' [ACQUIRED]
Ludwigia inclinata var. verticillata 'Pantanal' 
Ludwigia senegalensis [ACQUIRED]
Marsilea minuta [ON THE WAY]
Poaceae sp. 'Purple Bamboo' [ACQUIRED]
Pogostemon erectus [ACQUIRED]
Pogostemon helferi [ON THE WAY]
Pogostemon stellatus 'Broad Leaf' [ACQUIRED]
Pogostemon stellatus 'Narrow Leaf' [ACQUIRED]
Pogostemon yatabeanus
Polygonum hydropiperoides [ACQUIRED]
Polygonum kwagoneum [ACQUIRED]
Polygonum praetermissum[ON THE WAY]
Polygonum ‘Sao Paulo’ [ACQUIRED]
Ranunculus inundatus [ON THE WAY]
Rotala sp. 'butterfy' [ACQUIRED]
Rotala macrandra 'japan red' [ACQUIRED]
Rotala macrandra 'green' [ACQUIRED]
Rotala macrandra 'narrow leaf'
Rotala macrandra 'green narrow leaf'
Rotala macrandra 'variegated' 
Rotala mexicana 'Araguaia' [ON THE WAY]
Rotala mexicana 'Belem'
Rotala mini 'type 1' [ON THE WAY]
Rotala mini 'type 2'
Rotala sunset
Sphaerocaryum malaccense [ON THE WAY]
Utticularia gramnifolia [ON THE WAY]

On a side note, i have 20 amano shrimp and 10 zebra nerites on the way. AAPE did a group order from ZID ZULANDER.
I also did my first water change with 25% (out of the 50% total water changed) RO water. I have yet to see any significant changes, but i guess i'm expecting too much this early on. :hihi:


----------



## problemman

I can't even find took for the 25 I had so I cut it down to my favorites lol


----------



## fishykid1

I think your plant list is longer than your first post about the tank...!


----------



## dewalltheway

With that plant list I think you need to upgrade your tank to a 180 gal! roud:


----------



## RipariumGuy

Where are the pictures Phillip! What is the point of a sweet plant list if you can not see them!


----------



## problemman

Cuz jake he doesn't have them all yet....some are on the way


----------



## RipariumGuy

problemman said:


> Cuz jake he doesn't have them all yet....some are on the way


 
Still not a good enough excuse IMO... I want pictures!!! :icon_smil


----------



## problemman

Lol


JakeJ said:


> Still not a good enough excuse IMO... I want pictures!!! :icon_smil


----------



## Chrisinator

Sharing would be good!


----------



## Centromochlus

Sorry about the lack of picture updates, guys-- I just did a massive trim to encourage lots of new "bushy" growth, so everything is very short and not that attractive at the moment. 

I'll post some new pictures near the end of the month... the annual AAPE raffle/plant auction is on the 23rd, so i'm hoping to get a bunch of new plants and possibly fish for my tank. 

My water is very, very cloudy-- i'm not sure if it's being caused by the dry dosing or by something else. My filter has been running for only about a month so far, so i don't think it needs a thorough cleaning yet. Could the addition of 25% RO water have anything to do with it?

I'm considering just stopping dosing for a while to see if there's any changes, since honestly i thought that my plants looked better WITHOUT any additional fertilizers. I've seen a lot of stunting, blackening, etc with a lot of my plants (especially the rotala macrandra 'japan red' and ludwigia senegalensis) which i suspect is because of the nutrients, but that doesn't make much sense because i thought fertilizers were supposed to HELP your plants, but i'm seeing the exact opposite. Again, i'm not sure if it's being caused by the ferts, but i don't really see why else some of my plants are going downhill. I have plenty of light, co2, and substrate nutrients. By the way, i was told that dosing a few hours before the lights came on helped with cloudiness when dry dosing, but i haven't seen any significant changes yet.

Does anyone see any problems with completely stopping all fertilizers?


----------



## problemman

There may not be enough light to the blackening leaves our not enough flow.up that and see what happens


----------



## dewalltheway

Blackening and stunting....lighting and check CO2.


----------



## lauraleellbp

OMG look at all the Tatias! *dies*

Love em!

I think stopping ferts would be kissing all your fancy Rotalas goodbye. You've got a ton of nutrient hog plants in this tank.

Have you held some water up against something white to see if you've got green water?


----------



## Captivate05

What are you using for micros? 

I'm not fond of Plantex CSM+B. I starting seeing stunting in Rotala rotundifolia of all things when I started dosing it (but not before). I'm not sure what's causing it, because the Ludwigias in my tank are going absolutely bonkers, but the cheap common plant hates it. Some stems look great, others right next them look pitiful.


----------



## Centromochlus

dewalltheway said:


> Blackening and stunting....lighting and check CO2.


Ok well my drop checker has been blue for a few days, but i just bumped up the CO2 and unplugged the solenoid from the pH Controller. Correct me if i'm wrong, but the lower the kH, the more CO2 can be injected into the water without altering the pH, correct? Because i can't get my drop checker to be green without dropping it down to 6.0-6.4 pH. 

Will i not see many benefits from using RO water until i do a few water changes? My main reason for using RO is because a LFS employee told me that RO water has a low kH, which will mean that i can inject more co2 into the water = more pearling without killing my fish. 

I have plenty of light, so it must be the CO2.



lauraleellbp said:


> OMG look at all the Tatias! *dies*
> 
> Love em!
> 
> I think stopping ferts would be kissing all your fancy Rotalas goodbye. You've got a ton of nutrient hog plants in this tank.
> 
> Have you held some water up against something white to see if you've got green water?


I didn't think about a green water outbreak-- i've never had that happen before in my 7+ years in the hobby. I'll have to do the green water test in a bit.

AND I LOVEEEEEE MY HONEYCOMBS!! They are the coolest fish EVARR! And i found someone who can hook me up with 6 more.  YAY!



Captivate05 said:


> What are you using for micros?
> 
> I'm not fond of Plantex CSM+B. I starting seeing stunting in Rotala rotundifolia of all things when I started dosing it (but not before). I'm not sure what's causing it, because the Ludwigias in my tank are going absolutely bonkers, but the cheap common plant hates it. Some stems look great, others right next them look pitiful.


I am using CSM+B. Is there another alternative that you'd recommend?


----------



## dxiong5

From what I understand, the greater the KH, the harder it will be to alter the pH. KH = carbonate hardness, which measures the amount of carbonate and bicarbonate in water --> the alkalinity to resist change. Thus, if you use 100% RO water with CO2, the KH will be fairly low and you may experience more pH swings from when the CO2 is turned on/off.


----------



## Captivate05

RO water has _no_ kH to it, or gH for that matter. That's how you lower it in your tank. And don't worry about the pH from injecting co2, it won't hurt your fish. What hurts them is swings in GH, KH, and TDS. CO2 lowers the pH without altering any of those.

I'd start bumping your co2 up until that drop checker turns green!


----------



## Centromochlus

Hm, interesting... so it's good to have a higher KH?

Is it worth continuing doing 50% RO/50% Tap water during my (50%) water changes? I'd like it to be a soft water tank, but will i eventually achieve this with only using a little RO water?


----------



## rockwood

Ok, I've been going through this kind of thing for a little while and I'll throw my advice into the pool. Take it for what it's worth. From my experience the drop checker is just that, a checker. It's not good for figuring out the best setting for your tank. IMO the fish and plants are the best judge of what you need to be doing with your CO2 levels. Once you get the level situated and stable, and your fish are swimming around stress free, then you can look at your checker's color and use that as a reference later. Outside of that, to me, a drop checker is useless. 

After spending weeks tweaking, adjusting, and fiddling trying to get my levels right (to the point of having an air stone available at a moments notice to keep from killing my fish) I figured out what works for me. I spent about 2 weeks slowly turning the CO2 up, until I noticed that my fish started acting a little funny. I backed it down slightly so they were active and crazy again, then started focusing on my fertilizers. Now.... I have to trim everything weekly and everything is growing like crazy. I'm still working out the nuances but my algae is backing off/non-existant and the fish are good. 

My drop checker is still only at a true green color, and no where near the light green people like to see... but it works for me. 

So, in summary, throw out measuring things with drop checkers, pH probes, etc. Measure by watching the behavior of your fish, and how well your plants are growing. Pearling and bubble storms are great, but its not the end all be all.... 

That's my $0.02.


----------



## Captivate05

rockwood said:


> Ok, I've been going through this kind of thing for a little while and I'll throw my advice into the pool. Take it for what it's worth. From my experience the drop checker is just that, a checker. It's not good for figuring out the best setting for your tank. IMO the fish and plants are the best judge of what you need to be doing with your CO2 levels. Once you get the level situated and stable, and your fish are swimming around stress free, then you can look at your checker's color and use that as a reference later. Outside of that, to me, a drop checker is useless.
> 
> After spending weeks tweaking, adjusting, and fiddling trying to get my levels right (to the point of having an air stone available at a moments notice to keep from killing my fish) I figured out what works for me. I spent about 2 weeks slowly turning the CO2 up, until I noticed that my fish started acting a little funny. I backed it down slightly so they were active and crazy again, then started focusing on my fertilizers. Now.... I have to trim everything weekly and everything is growing like crazy. I'm still working out the nuances but my algae is backing off/non-existant and the fish are good.
> 
> My drop checker is still only at a true green color, and no where near the light green people like to see... but it works for me.
> 
> So, in summary, throw out measuring things with drop checkers, pH probes, etc. Measure by watching the behavior of your fish, and how well your plants are growing. Pearling and bubble storms are great, but its not the end all be all....
> 
> That's my $0.02.


Very true. I don't even have a drop checker in my tank right now. The drop checker won't even work unless you have 4dKH water in it. Just start turning up the co2 until the fish start acting funny, then turn it back down a little. That's how you know when you're at your "best" with co2.

Unless your water is like liquid cement or you want to have soft water species, I'd just stick with what your tap has. I had to do straight RO with minerals added back due the crazy weird well water at my parents. I can tell you after months of buying 18 gallons of water a week, I'm really glad to just use my tap now. Although I've lost the control I had, water changes are so much easier. If the water is working fine for you, why change it? FWIW, my kH is at 2 and it's just peachy. It was also peachy when it was at 6 before I moved, just had a higher pH. 

kH shouldn't have much to do with oxygen saturation level, which is one of the things that determines pearling. Fully saturated water won't allow more oxygen in, so it just accumulates under the leaves. Also, if you have a ton of flow (like I do), you probably won't see much pearling then either. I don't see any pearling in my tanks until I shut off powerheads and filters, then all the sudden there's oxygen bubbles everywhere.

I'd recommend buying a GH/KH test and testing your water. Yeah, I know people say they are inaccurate, but mine is close enough that I don't care anymore.


----------



## Centromochlus

Thanks for the info guys. I bumped the co2 up to about 6.2 pH and the drop checker is a steady light-green/yellow color. The fish are fine.

The green water is really horrid now... i'm going to pick up a UV sterilizer tomorrow, since i'm unable to find daphnia for sale locally.

Chara sp. fragilis and Lymnocharus sp. on the way from Nikki!


----------



## phoenix44

Love the tank!


----------



## Centromochlus

Thank you Phoenix44!

What's happened since the last update:
- As seen in the very disturbing photos below, i'm battling a green water algae outbreak. I picked up a UV sterilizer this morning to help clear it up. Good news is that it looks like all of the plants are doing well, so the green water doesn't seem to be anything more than a nuisance. 
- New plants: Alternanthera reineckii 'rosaefolia', Lindernia sp. 'India', Polygonum praetermissum, Sphaerocaryum malaccense, Rotala sp. 'butterfy'.
- On the way: Rotala mini 'type 1', Rotala mexicana 'Araguaia', Lymnocharus sp., Chara sp. fragilis, Blyxa alternifolia.
- New fauna: 20 amano shrimp, 10 zebra nerite snails. No DOA's!

Zebra nerite snails. Taken right after i put them in the tank (yes they're alive!).









Amano shrimp.









Depressing FTS. Please ignore all of the cords in the front (they are only there temporarily). The tank in this picture looks worse than it actually is, lol.


----------



## RipariumGuy

Ouch! Hope it gets better soon. I can not stand algae in general, but the suspended type is the worst IMO.


----------



## fishykid1

AHHHHHAAAA!!!! Nice water...

JK.. hope it goes well. Hope I don't deal with this crap on my tank.


----------



## problemman

Damn phil that sucks! Is it clearing up at all with the uv?


----------



## Centromochlus

JakeJ said:


> Ouch! Hope it gets better soon. I can not stand algae in general, but the suspended type is the worst IMO.


Yup, i can't even see the plants in the back row when looking through the front glass... it's sad.



fishykid1 said:


> AHHHHHAAAA!!!! Nice water...
> 
> JK.. hope it goes well. Hope I don't deal with this crap on my tank.


This is the first time that i've _ever_ had green water. I've had hair, green spot, diatoms, bba, blue-green, etc... but never green water.



problemman said:


> Damn phil that sucks! Is it clearing up at all with the uv?


No visible changes yet (it hasn't even been 24 hours :hihi, but it'll take a few days (maybe even a week?) to clear up. I'm hoping it won't be long though since it's a 24 watt lamp...


----------



## lauraleellbp

Hm, I think it's a great time of year for pea soup... :hihi:


----------



## vegakat

Hope you get your green water cleared up soon. I wish I would have gotten in on that group buy of Amano shrimp and snails. Keep us updated!


----------



## Centromochlus

lauraleellbp said:


> Hm, I think it's a great time of year for pea soup... :hihi:


LOL it kind of looks like it. :hihi:



vegakat said:


> Hope you get your green water cleared up soon. I wish I would have gotten in on that group buy of Amano shrimp and snails. Keep us updated!


I just did a ~75% water change, and it's a lot clearer. The UV sterilizer will still be running for about a week though to make sure it doesn't come back.

I think someone else missed out on the group order too, and was going to start up another one... i might be interested in 10-20 more. :flick:


----------



## Centromochlus

FTS a few hours after 75% water change:


----------



## Da Plant Man

Hey! There are plants in there now!


----------



## fishykid1

much better....


----------



## problemman

Even though it still need to clear up your plants looks so gorgeous! Looks like a candy shop lol


----------



## Dempsey

Your tank is looking great man! You know what you need? Some ludwigia glandulosa and some pogostemon yatabeanus. :tongue:

Just let me know when you're ready for them. 

Clint


----------



## Centromochlus

Dempsey said:


> Your tank is looking great man! You know what you need? Some ludwigia glandulosa and some pogostemon yatabeanus. :tongue:
> 
> Just let me know when you're ready for them.
> 
> Clint


That empty spot on the right side is reserved for those stems! :smile:



problemman said:


> Even though it still need to clear up your plants looks so gorgeous! Looks like a candy shop lol


Thank you man! The only species that i'm still struggling with is the Rotala macrandra 'japan red'. I'm going to try dosing less KNO3 and see if that helps. 



fishykid1 said:


> much better....


Indeed! It's still a little cloudy though. Hopefully it'll clear up completely within the next few days.



Caton said:


> Hey! There are plants in there now!


Yeah, i can actually see them now! That's always nice. :hihi:


----------



## legomaniac89

Dang man, that's the nicest greenwater I've ever seen


----------



## sewingalot

That is the most amazing transformation I've ever seen! Thanks for documenting it.


----------



## A Hill

The tank looks great! 
-Andrew


----------



## RipariumGuy

I stand in awe at the power of the water change. Looks sweet Phillip!


----------



## VadimShevchuk

Good thing the green water is gone! You stated somewhere that you bought UG and i don't see it in FTS =/.


----------



## Centromochlus

VadimShevchuk said:


> Good thing the green water is gone! You stated somewhere that you bought UG and i don't see it in FTS =/.


It was a very, very small amount (1"x1"). I ended up giving it to someone locally, as i've decided to go with a marsilea carpet.



JakeJ said:


> I stand in awe at the power of the water change. Looks sweet Phillip!


Thanks Jake!



A Hill said:


> The tank looks great!
> -Andrew


Thank you Andrew!



sewingalot said:


> That is the most amazing transformation I've ever seen! Thanks for documenting it.


:icon_wink I'm just glad that the green water is mostly cleared up. 



legomaniac89 said:


> Dang man, that's the nicest greenwater I've ever seen


It was a lovely green color, wasn't it? :hihi:


----------



## LICfish

Wow. I'm glad to see you were able to get rid of that green water! My 5 gallon once also got pretty bad.


----------



## Centromochlus

New plants (January 20, 2011):
- Rotala mexicana 'araguaia'
- Rotala mini 'type I'
- Blyxa alternifolia

Updated Plant List:
*ACQUIRED: 26 // ON THE WAY: 8 // TOTAL: 45*
Alternanthera reineckii 'rosaefolia' [ACQUIRED]
Ammania sp. 'Bonsai' [ACQUIRED]
Acmella americana
Blyxa alternifolia [ACQUIRED]
Chara sp. fragilis [ON THE WAY]
Cuphea annagalloidia [ACQUIRED]
Eichhornia diversifolia[ACQUIRED]
Hydrothrix gardeni 
Hygrophila pinnatifida
Hygrophila sp. 'bold' [ACQUIRED]
Limnophila aromatica [ACQUIRED]
Limnophila sp. 'Sulawesi' 
Lindernia sp. 'India' [ACQUIRED]
Ludwigia brevipes [ACQUIRED]
Ludwigia glandulosa [ON THE WAY]
Ludwigia inclinata [ACQUIRED]
Ludwigia inclinata var. verticillata 'Araguaia'
Ludwigia inclinata var. verticillata 'Cuba' [ACQUIRED]
Ludwigia inclinata var. verticillata 'Pantanal' 
Ludwigia senegalensis [ACQUIRED]
Lymnocharus sp. [ON THE WAY]
Marsilea minuta [ON THE WAY]
Poaceae sp. 'Purple Bamboo' [ACQUIRED]
Pogostemon erectus [ACQUIRED]
Pogostemon helferi [ON THE WAY]
Pogostemon stellatus 'Broad Leaf' [ACQUIRED]
Pogostemon stellatus 'Narrow Leaf' [ACQUIRED]
Pogostemon yatabeanus [ON THE WAY]
Polygonum hydropiperoides [ACQUIRED]
Polygonum kwagoneum [ACQUIRED]
Polygonum praetermissum [ACQUIRED]
Polygonum ‘Sao Paulo’ [ACQUIRED]
Ranunculus inundatus [ON THE WAY]
Rotala sp. 'butterfy' [ACQUIRED]
Rotala macrandra 'japan red' [ACQUIRED]
Rotala macrandra 'green' [ACQUIRED]
Rotala macrandra 'narrow leaf'
Rotala macrandra 'green narrow leaf'
Rotala macrandra 'variegated' 
Rotala mexicana 'Araguaia' [ACQUIRED]
Rotala mexicana 'Belem'
Rotala mini 'type 1' [ACQUIRED]
Rotala mini 'type 2'
Rotala sunset [ON THE WAY]
Sphaerocaryum malaccense [ACQUIRED]


----------



## bnbfishin

Next time you have an algea bloom like that try using a canister filter to clear it. The ones I have used in the past specifically are the Magnum 350 and H.O.T. 250 by Marineland. Put the micron cartridge in there (white pleated filter insert) and some diatom powder and you will have a crystal clear tank in about an hour. Minus having to do a major water change. The 250 can be had on ebay for pretty cheap.

Just my own .02 from past experience.


----------



## Da Plant Man

Very cool! Sad that one of your Amanos died


----------



## problemman

Phil this tank is looking awesome! I just got a number of plants in as well! This foot print us just nit cutting my collectoritis! I need a 120 lol anyway I'm so impressed with the tank


----------



## sewingalot

Officially getting jealous, now.


----------



## Centromochlus

Thanks guys.  I'm pretty happy with how the tank is coming along. I still need a lot more plants though!

I will be traveling to San Francisco during presidents day weekend, so of course I HAVE to check out AFA and a few other stores. I'm hoping to bring back some cool plants, and maybe a few fish.


----------



## Centromochlus

NEW PLANTS:
- Chara sp. fragilis
- Lymnocharus sp.


----------



## problemman

Pictures?


----------



## Centromochlus

Prego amano shrimp!
Too bad they won't survive in freshwater...

I'm going to try moving her to a separate container and wait until they hatch, then move them to brackish water. I'll likely fail, but it's worth a shot.


----------



## problemman

Have you been following that thread on breeding the sunkist shrimp? Its getting poetry good lol


----------



## Da Plant Man

Whoa! Cool! I love how tiny the eggs are...


----------



## Dempsey

Ya know... I was reading a thread a while back about breeding Amano's. Apparently, it's not as hard as most of us think. From what I read anyway... I will try to find the link for you.

Anyway, from what I was reading, you can aclimate babies back to fresh water in 3 days. This guy was using plastic cups to do it. Start off the babies first day in salt water. 24 hours later, dump half the salt water out and fill it back up with fresh. 24 hours after that, do the same thing(dump half the salt water out and fill it back up with fresh). Then I guess it was on the 4th day, you can put them in fresh water. I will look for that link.


----------



## Dempsey

Found it!


----------



## problemman

Dempsey thanks for that! I bookmarked it


----------



## Centromochlus

New Plants:
- Ludwigia inclinata var. verticillata 'Pantanal' 
- Rotala sunset
- Hygrophila pinnatifidia
- Hygrophila sp. 'Araguaia'
- Pogostemon helferi (downoi)
- Rotala mexicana 'goias'
- Ranunculus inundatus
- Staurogyne sp. 'low grow'
- Rotala macrandra 'narrow leaf'
- Rotala sp. 'Nanjenshan'
- Marsilea minuta (carpet time!)

Plants removed:
- Limnophila aromatica
- Rotala sp. 'butterfly' (it wasn't growing very well for me... i need more light)

I won a Mr. Aqua 25g rimless cube (18"x18"x18") w/ 70w Fishneedit metal halide and 1 bag of ADA Amazonia I Aquasoil at the AAPE raffle today too, along with a lot of other miscellaneous goodies! I'm hoping that my parents will let me set it up. If so, i'm totally doing an awesome moss tree scape with shrimp (likely yellows). If not, i'm going to sell it and likely get a second retrofit for my 90g along with some fish (I NEED MOAR HONEYCOMBS!!). Either way, i'm extremely happy! Pics to come... eventually. :hihi:


Also, a big thank you to Cris, David, and Dan for the plants! I wasn't expecting to obtain that many rare plants on my list in 1 day. 

@Dempsey: Thank you for the link. I hope i can get the little ones to survive!
@Problemman: No, i have not. Do you have a link?


----------



## Da Plant Man

I hope your parents let you keep the tank! But remember...if you can just limit yourself to no stems it won't be as crowded as your 90g is....


----------



## Centromochlus

Caton said:


> I hope your parents let you keep the tank! But remember...if you can just limit yourself to no stems it won't be as crowded as your 90g is....


I'd probably do a large moss tree in the middle-back/center with seiryu stone and blyxa japonica around the trunk, with a hair grass carpet in the front and around the sides. It would be more focused on the scape rather than my obvious collectoris (i'd hope).


----------



## problemman

Here you are

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/s...tes/116856-caridina-cf-propinqua-journal.html


----------



## VadimShevchuk

Congratulations on winning the tank. Hopefully its a shrimp tank!


----------



## Da Plant Man

I demand pictures!!!!


----------



## A Hill

The tank looks great, I saw it over the weekend. 

You do have a bit of a problem with rare plants though...

-Andrew


----------



## fishykid1

A Hill said:


> The tank looks great, I saw it over the weekend.
> 
> You do have a bit of a problem with rare plants though...
> 
> -Andrew



COLLECTORITIS!!!!!

Hey Philip, when do I get some of them plants  hehe


----------



## problemman

I'm on the list for them first! Lol


----------



## fishykid1

-starts fight- Nu-uh! ME FIRST 

I think I am just going to be getting certain plants from him, so no worries.

How about we split it  - rock paper scissors is the only solution.


----------



## Da Plant Man

Okay, I get rock. You hold up your paper or sissors and lets see who wins.


----------



## fishykid1

I got paper  WOOT!


I win Caton


----------



## problemman

I got a baseball bat!


----------



## Centromochlus

LOL you guys are funny. :hihi:

Sorry about the lack of updates... 

What's new:
- I purchased three small (true) siamese algae eaters to see if i could get the BBA under control. There's a little bit on the wood, and a little on some of the plants. I want to get it under control before it takes over the whole tank.
- I planted glosso and marsilea in the front to start the carpet. 
- The green water seems to be slowly but surely coming back, so the UV sterilizer is running once again.
- I decided to sell the cube tank and light that i won to help pay for a second light for the 90g. While i'm sure i could manage (financially) to make a pretty decent setup out of that tank, i think it's better for me to focus on one tank rather than two. However, a small (5-12 gallons) wabi-kusa shrimp tank might be coming in the future.
- The CO2 tank is still at 800PSI, after being running at about 5-8 BPS for around 10 hours per day. It was last refilled about 2 months ago (i think?). I'm shocked considering that the 5lb tank used to only last me 3-4 weeks... i must have had some major leaks.

PLANTS THAT I'M STILL LOOKING FOR:
Acmella americana (going to purchase from AaronT sometime soon)
Diodia cf. kuntzei 
Hydrothrix gardeni 
Hygrophila lancea
Limnophila sp. 'Sulawesi'
Lindernia sp. 'India' 
Ludwigia arcuata
Ludwigia inclinata var. verticillata 'Araguaia'
Murdannia keisak
Polygonum sp. 'acre'
Rotala mexicana 'Belem'
Rotala mini 'type 2'


----------



## sewingalot

Caton said:


> Okay, I get rock. You hold up your paper or sissors and lets see who wins.


Neither. I win. :flick:


----------



## fishykid1

Philip, usually green water is from too much phosphates and/or nitrates (little bit of AP environmental and bio.) 

Are you dosing EI? In my 20G I'm not even dosing either nitrates or phosphates and growth is very nice and healthy. (only traces and iron, + whatever is in the tap water every waterchange) The fish/ substrate do all the phosphates and nitrate work.


----------



## problemman

Add some floating plants to the tank to allow extra nutrient up take. This will help alot as well


----------



## fishykid1

Agree with problemman


----------



## Centromochlus

fishykid1 said:


> Philip, usually green water is from too much phosphates and/or nitrates (little bit of AP environmental and bio.)
> 
> Are you dosing EI? In my 20G I'm not even dosing either nitrates or phosphates and growth is very nice and healthy. (only traces and iron, + whatever is in the tap water every waterchange) The fish/ substrate do all the phosphates and nitrate work.


I am dosing EI. Should i just stop dosing macros and only do micros every other day?



problemman said:


> Add some floating plants to the tank to allow extra nutrient up take. This will help alot as well





fishykid1 said:


> Agree with problemman


I'll see if i can get my hands on some _Salvinia minima_. Thanks for the suggestion!


----------



## Dempsey

Man! I have tons of Frogbit I could have sent you! 

Are you not running co2?


----------



## Centromochlus

Dempsey said:


> Man! I have tons of Frogbit I could have sent you!
> 
> Are you not running co2?


Hmmmm... :icon_cool
I'll have to PM you if i can't find anything locally.

I'm running pressurized co2 during the day-- the drop checker gets a nice light green/slightly yellow color. I think my real problem is that i don't have a whole lot of light. I'm dosing like crazy and the co2 is plentiful, but i don't think there is enough light for everything to get used by the plants.


----------



## Dempsey

4x54 watt Catalina T5-HO?

Plenty of light! I am running 4x54watt T5HO's on my 75g and I would have to say.... It is to much light.... I have it under control but I will be knocking it down to 2 bulbs. Since mine has 6 bulbs, I was going to go 2 at first, 4 2hrs later, 6 for an hour, then 4, the back down to 2. lol we will see how that works! lol

I think your biggest problem is that you don't have enough plants in your tank. Go to your LFS and buy cheap fast growing plants just to fill the tank up. I can send you a bunch of hydro in about a week. I just trashed a bunch but it grows crazy fast. That's the problem, IMO...


----------



## Da Plant Man

Lol, get some duckweed or ricca, that will fix the problem.


----------



## RipariumGuy

Riccia. Then kill it with a bottle of Excel! Poor K-10. :icon_cry:

Tank looks wicked (As always...) Philip! 

Hey, I spelled it right. :wink:


----------



## Centromochlus

Dempsey said:


> 4x54 watt Catalina T5-HO?
> 
> Plenty of light! I am running 4x54watt T5HO's on my 75g and I would have to say.... It is to much light.... I have it under control but I will be knocking it down to 2 bulbs. Since mine has 6 bulbs, I was going to go 2 at first, 4 2hrs later, 6 for an hour, then 4, the back down to 2. lol we will see how that works! lol
> 
> I think your biggest problem is that you don't have enough plants in your tank. Go to your LFS and buy cheap fast growing plants just to fill the tank up. I can send you a bunch of hydro in about a week. I just trashed a bunch but it grows crazy fast. That's the problem, IMO...


Well the light is ~13" above the water level and ~38" away from the top of the substrate... If it were down a little lower, i think it would be fine. However, i can't move it down since my canopy is so tall.

@Caton/Ripariumguy: There's no way i'm getting duckweed or riccia! I think i finally got rid of all my duckweed... but i'm sure there's one little plant hiding somewhere that will multiply into a hundred more within a few days.


----------



## Dempsey

Fill the tank with cheap and fast growing plants. Really. It happened to me a long time ago. Tom Barr suggested that and BAM! Clear water. Get some hornwort or something. Something to put in there until your plants take off. Really, you won't regret it!


----------



## problemman

I'm with dempsey on that! Told you you should take some furcata and ceylon from me! And I got salvia!
Only thing is I trashed alot today after a trim since you didn't want it e when I offered it


----------



## Centromochlus

I honestly think I have plenty of plants in the tank... I dont even know where I would put more stem plants, so that's why some floaters might be a good idea.


----------



## fishykid1

I think you could probably get away with lower dosing of the watercolumn because you do have the aquasoil. I'd go and add the floaters and reduce the macro dosing...just my thoughts. i stoped dosing my tank with nitrates and phosphates and just dosing micros. My limnophila has started growing better and nice and red. Nitrates hold steady at 5ppm because of the fish poo.

Best of luck man!


----------



## problemman

fishykid1 said:


> I think you could probably get away with lower dosing of the watercolumn because you do have the aquasoil. I'd go and add the floaters and reduce the macro dosing...just my thoughts. i stoped dosing my tank with nitrates and phosphates and just dosing micros. My limnophila has started growing better and nice and red. Nitrates hold steady at 5ppm because of the fish poo.
> 
> Best of luck man!


 He does have a point


----------



## Da Plant Man

Maybe some RRF would be cool.


----------



## A Hill

Maybe you should just clean your filter? 

Ammonia spikes tend to trigger green water for me, or if I don't have a large enough plant mass. 

With that said, you have a UV sterilizer so why not just keep that running and call it a day?

Oh, and how are the tools working for you?

-Andrew


----------



## Centromochlus

Yeah i'm going to clean my filter sometime this weekend. I think that would help a lot.

I'd keep the UV sterilizer running, but it's big/bulky and doesn't look very good inside of the tank.

I have stopped dosing all macros for now, and i'm only dosing micros every other day. The ludwigia inclinata is a lot more colorful already, and the senegalensis is doing better.


----------



## lauraleellbp

No new FTS in almost 2 WEEKS? I think this thread should be locked... :flick:


----------



## Centromochlus

lauraleellbp said:


> No new FTS in almost 2 WEEKS? I think this thread should be locked... :flick:


BAHAHA... now now Laura, be nice with your new moderator status. 

I'll post a FTS in a few days-- I need to wait for the green water to clear up again.

I got a lot of new plants yesterday too (thanks Dempsey!). Amongst the many:
- Ludwigia glandulosa
- Pogostemon yatabeanus
- Ludwigia x lacustris


EDIT: By the way, i love the Rumford Aquatic tools, Andrew! The scissors are extremely sharp, easy to handle/don't weigh a whole lot, and are very durable. I actually have to be very careful when trimming plants now because it's easy to snip something and not notice it until the trimming floats to the top! Highly recommended-- I can't wait until these go up for sale.


----------



## A Hill

AzFishKid said:


> EDIT: By the way, i love the Rumford Aquatic tools, Andrew! The scissors are extremely sharp, easy to handle/don't weigh a whole lot, and are very durable. I actually have to be very careful when trimming plants now because it's easy to snip something and not notice it until the trimming floats to the top! Highly recommended-- I can't wait until these go up for sale.



Good to hear, I have the same issues to be honest. The blades are much longer than they seem and I've cut things I didn't mean to too. It also makes cutting more plants at once much easier!

When did Laura get GSA all over her info?

-Andrew


----------



## lauraleellbp

LOL @ Andrew

AzFishy- You're still having GW even after running that UV for several days now?


----------



## Centromochlus

lauraleellbp said:


> LOL @ Andrew
> 
> AzFishy- You're still having GW even after running that UV for several days now?


Yeah-- it's slowly improving, but it still needs a few days to clear up. I think i'm going to keep it running for 1-2 weeks just to make sure that it's completely gone.


----------



## Centromochlus

*UPDATED PLANT LIST*:
(not all are included yet)

Alternanthera reineckii 'rosaefolia' [ACQUIRED]
Ammania sp. 'Bonsai' [ACQUIRED]
Acmella americana [ON THE WAY]
Bacopa colorata [ACQUIRED]
Bacopa ??? [ACQUIRED]
Blyxa alternifolia [ACQUIRED]
Blyxa sp. 'india' [ON THE WAY]
Cuphea annagalloidia [ACQUIRED]
Diodia cf. kuntzei
Eichhornia diversifolia [ACQUIRED]
Hydrothrix gardeni 
Hygrophila lancea
Hygrophila pinnatifida [ACQUIRED]
Hygrophila sp. 'Araguaia' [ACQUIRED]
Hygrophila sp. 'bold' [ACQUIRED]
Hyptis lorentziana [ACQUIRED]
Limnophila aromatica [ACQUIRED]
Limnophila sp. 'Sulawesi' [ACQUIRED]
Lindernia sp. 'India' [ACQUIRED]
Lindernia grandiflora [ON THE WAY]
Lobelia cardinalis 'small form' [ACQUIRED]
Ludwigia arcuata
Ludwigia brevipes [ACQUIRED]
Ludwigia glandulosa [ACQUIRED]
Ludwigia inclinata [ACQUIRED]
Ludwigia inclinata var. verticillata 'Araguaia'
Ludwigia inclinata var. verticillata 'Cuba' [ACQUIRED]
Ludwigia inclinata var. verticillata 'Pantanal' [ACQUIRED]
Ludwigia ovalis [ON THE WAY]
Ludwigia senegalensis [ACQUIRED]
Lymnocharus sp. [ACQUIRED]
Marsilea minuta [ACQUIRED]
Murdannia keisak
Murdannia sp. 'red' [ACQUIRED]
Nesaea triflora [ACQUIRED]
Penthorium sedoides [ON THE WAY]
Poaceae sp. 'Purple Bamboo' [ACQUIRED]
Pogostemon erectus [ACQUIRED]
Pogostemon helferi [ACQUIRED]
Pogostemon stellatus 'Broad Leaf' [ACQUIRED]
Pogostemon stellatus 'Narrow Leaf' [ACQUIRED]
Pogostemon yatabeanus [ACQUIRED]
Polygonum sp. 'acre'
Polygonum hydropiperoides [ACQUIRED]
Polygonum kwagoneum [ACQUIRED]
Polygonum sp. 'Porto Velho' [ACQUIRED]
Polygonum praetermissum [ACQUIRED]
Polygonum ‘Sao Paulo’ [ACQUIRED]
Ranunculus inundatus [ACQUIRED]
Rotala macrandra 'japan red' [ACQUIRED]
Rotala macrandra 'green' [ACQUIRED]
Rotala mexicana 'Araguaia' [ACQUIRED]
Rotala mexicana 'belem'
Rotala mexicana 'goias' [ACQUIRED]
Rotala mexicana 'green'
Rotala mini 'type 1' [ACQUIRED]
Rotala mini 'type 2'
Rotala sunset [ACQUIRED]
Sphaerocaryum malaccense [ACQUIRED]


----------



## VadimShevchuk

Wow thats a ton of plants there! Good luck and updates please!


----------



## RipariumGuy

Awesome plant list!.... Now where are the pictures!?!?!?!?!?


----------



## Centromochlus

How about some updated pictures? 

My collectoris has definitely taken over this tank. I don't care as much about the aquascape now, but i would still like to accomplish the dutch layout that i have been working on. Everything is ready for a trim (i'm sending out a bunch of plants on Monday), so the tank isn't looking it's best right now.

I decided to keep these photos unedited so you can see a more accurate representation of what the colors really are like. However, the tank is not as dark as it looks in the pictures. I still do think that i need a second light though (planning on purchasing a second 4x54 watt catalina shelled fixture soon to put closer to the water surface in the back, where most of the plants are).

FTS:









Left side:









Right side:


----------



## problemman

The first words out if my mouth I can't say on here lol but I will change it to holy ...moly! You can slip a bunch more plants in my package lol even a sprig of ranniculus! Wow phil really! Looks like you are completely grown in! So jealous!


----------



## Wingsdlc

Wow! Really grown in since the last picture post! I can't even begin to think of running a tank with that many different plants.... You have done a good job with it.


----------



## Centromochlus

problemman said:


> The first words out if my mouth I can't say on here lol but I will change it to holy ...moly! You can slip a bunch more plants in my package lol even a sprig of ranniculus! Wow phil really! Looks like you are completely grown in! So jealous!


Thanks man! It still has a long way to go, but it's getting there. 
I'll include some extras in your box o' plants if they fit. :biggrin:



Wingsdlc said:


> Wow! Really grown in since the last picture post! I can't even begin to think of running a tank with that many different plants.... You have done a good job with it.


Thank you! It's a lot of fun-- I really enjoy it.


----------



## problemman

Btw I saved your photos to my phone for reference lol


----------



## oldpunk78

great job man! i can't wait for a couple of months to pass.


----------



## Da Plant Man

This is by far the best tank I have ever seen. I can't wait to see it in even just a month.


----------



## MoparMuscl

WOW! Looking great!


----------



## RipariumGuy

Holy cheese itz! That is one heck of a good looking tank Phil! I declare that in roughly 4 months, thou shalt have one of the best lookingeth tanks on this TPT.


----------



## Centromochlus

problemman said:


> Btw I saved your photos to my phone for reference lol


Haha cool! :biggrin:



oldpunk78 said:


> great job man! i can't wait for a couple of months to pass.


Thanks! I'm sure it will look a lot better as time passes.



Caton said:


> This is by far the best tank I have ever seen. I can't wait to see it in even just a month.


Lol you're too kind Caton. 



MoparMuscl said:


> WOW! Looking great!


Thank you!



RipariumGuy said:


> Holy cheese itz! That is one heck of a good looking tank Phil! I declare that in roughly 4 months, thou shalt have one of the best lookingeth tanks on this TPT.


Thank you Jake! I don't know about it being one of the best tanks on TPT in the future, but i do think that my plant collection is pretty decent. :biggrin:


In all seriousness, thank you all for the kind comments. It still looks like a mess to me, but i'm glad you all like it!


----------



## problemman

AzFishKid said:


> In all seriousness, thank you all for the kind comments. It still looks like a mess to me, but i'm glad you all like it!



your not giving yourself enough credit Phil! the tank is THE BEST COLLECTORITIS TANK on here....i need to step up my game o get my tank that full. my problem is that i trim and move stuff to much but wednesday i will have all the plants i want minus 2 Nesaea's are hard to come by!:thumbsdow

really i love seeing your tank! i get instant email notifications on it if that makes you feel better lol


----------



## Danh Vu

What do you mean it is not looking its best?
My tanks on a good day will never beat the beautiful chaos of that of your tank on a bad day.

Great work Philip! Really looking forward to see this tank in a couple months also.


----------



## Centromochlus

Thanks problemman and Danh. 

I just got back from the LFS and i picked up 5 more honeycomb catfish. Woo-hoo!


----------



## problemman

You and those honey combs! Lol 

What other fish are you planning for?


----------



## Centromochlus

problemman said:


> You and those honey combs! Lol
> 
> What other fish are you planning for?


What? I'm not obsessed with honeycombs! What are you talking about? :tongue: :hihi:

I'm planning on getting a school of 30-40 cardinal tetras in the near future, but i think that's it for this tank.


----------



## problemman

AzFishKid said:


> What? I'm not obsessed with honeycombs! What are you talking about? :tongue: :hihi:
> 
> I'm planning on getting a school of 30-40 cardinal tetras in the near future, but i think that's it for this tank.


Lol why not some kerri tetras? Those are harder to find like your plants


----------



## Centromochlus

problemman said:


> Lol why not some kerri tetras? Those are harder to find like your plants


Hmm... yeah, those are an option too. I just really like the look of cardinals even though they're not exactly uncommon.


----------



## problemman

Why not look for some gold neons? I got a group of 6 and they are gorgeous


----------



## Dempsey

WOW dude! I was not expecting that much growth since your last update!

Looking awesome!

That is collectoris at it's best!:biggrin:


----------



## Centromochlus

problemman said:


> Why not look for some gold neons? I got a group of 6 and they are gorgeous


Yeah, i like those too. Lots of options!



Dempsey said:


> WOW dude! I was not expecting that much growth since your last update!
> 
> Looking awesome!
> 
> That is collectoris at it's best!:biggrin:


Thanks man! I was looking back at my last update (before i posted the most recent photos), and i was shocked at how much it's grown in during a relatively small amount of time.


----------



## sewingalot

VERY NICE! What are you dosing nowadays and how much? I read you aren't using micros.


----------



## Centromochlus

sewingalot said:


> VERY NICE! What are you dosing nowadays and how much? I read you aren't using micros.


HI SARA!! :biggrin:

I'm actually only dosing micros right now (csm+b and extra iron every other day). I've completely stopped dosing macros. I may start dosing small amounts of potassium phosphate and potassium sulfate though. But for now, everything seems to be growing wonderfully!

3/16 Tsp CSM+B and 1/16 Tsp 13% Iron EDTA


----------



## fishykid1

You just make me SICK! Looks awesome man. 

When do I get my plants 

I should have mine up and running hopefully in the next week/2. UGH! I'm so ready.


----------



## Centromochlus

fishykid1 said:


> You just make me SICK! Looks awesome man.
> 
> When do I get my plants
> 
> I should have mine up and running hopefully in the next week/2. UGH! I'm so ready.


You still need to tell me what you want! :icon_lol:
Your lobelia, DC, and check valve will be shipped out Monday afternoon by the way.
Can't wait until you get your tank set up! As Caton would say, "don't be an AzFishKid" with your journal updates. roud:


----------



## problemman

I'll take one of every plant lol


----------



## matt12

nice collection!!!!! I will be needing a bigger tank soon! my 40g is quickly filling up! Cant wait for my plants!!!


----------



## Da Plant Man

AzFishKid said:


> Can't wait until you get your tank set up! As Caton would say, "don't be an AzFishKid" with your journal updates. roud:



I guess I have a reputation now...:help:


----------



## sewingalot

AzFishKid said:


> HI SARA!! :biggrin:
> 
> I'm actually only dosing micros right now (csm+b and extra iron every other day). I've completely stopped dosing macros. I may start dosing small amounts of potassium phosphate and potassium sulfate though. But for now, everything seems to be growing wonderfully!
> 
> 3/16 Tsp CSM+B and 1/16 Tsp 13% Iron EDTA


HI PHILIP!!! Oh, it was macros and not mIcros, I am so ditzy nowadays. :hihi: It looks great regardless of my confusion, lol. I want everything in your tank minus NOTHING!!! Valentine's day is coming up, you know. :wink:


----------



## problemman

sewingalot said:


> i want everything in your tank minus nothing!!! Valentine's day is coming up, you know. :wink:


lmao!


----------



## A Hill

Philip, you have any idea what plants were in the bag you brought me? One is super purple/burgundy right now as far as plants go. it has small round leaves. The largest leaved plant is super orange.

Insane stuff you gave me. Although once that pinatafolia grows out I want to buy some. 

-Andrew


----------



## Centromochlus

A Hill said:


> Philip, you have any idea what plants were in the bag you brought me? One is super purple/burgundy right now as far as plants go. it has small round leaves. The largest leaved plant is super orange.
> 
> Insane stuff you gave me. Although once that pinatafolia grows out I want to buy some.
> 
> -Andrew


The super red/orange one is _ludwigia inclinata_.










And the purple one sounds like _lindernia sp. 'india'_... but i didn't think i gave you any? Lol.










Unfortunately, the pinnatifidia isn't growing quickly for me at all... i've seen two small new leaves pop up in the ~3 weeks that i've had it.



problemman said:


> I'll take one of every plant lol


You're already going to have most of my plants once you receive the package o' plants that i'm sending you tomorrow! :icon_lol:



matt12 said:


> nice collection!!!!! I will be needing a bigger tank soon! my 40g is quickly filling up! Cant wait for my plants!!!


Thanks Matt! I'm excited to receive the package from you. I need to find room for those plants!



sewingalot said:


> HI PHILIP!!! Oh, it was macros and not mIcros, I am so ditzy nowadays. It looks great regardless of my confusion, lol. I want everything in your tank minus NOTHING!!! Valentine's day is coming up, you know.


Thanks Sara! 
Send me a PM if you want some stems. I'm shipping out 9 packages tomorrow, so lets make it 10!


----------



## Da Plant Man

AzFishKid said:


> Send me a PM if you want some stems. I'm shipping out 9 packages tomorrow, so lets make it 10!



And I thought me shipping out 5 packages was a lot...


----------



## problemman

Caton said:


> And I thought me shipping out 5 packages was a lot...


Agreed! My top amount was 6 and I was getting looks...could you imagine how phil is going to be treated lol


----------



## sewingalot

Thanks for the offer, Philip! When I get some spare cash, you know you're first on my list to bug for plants. :biggrin:


----------



## Amazonfish

:drool::drool:

That is all I have to say about your tank and plant selection. I can't wait to get that package from you this week!!!


----------



## hydrophyte

AzFishKid said:


> FTS:


Wow this tank has come a long way. Nice work!


----------



## NJAquaBarren

It's come a long way. Looking great.


----------



## fishykid1

problemman said:


> Agreed! My top amount was 6 and I was getting looks...could you imagine how phil is going to be treated lol



One time I was shipping 4 packages out and I didn't have any small priority boxes at home. So I went with ~20 little bags of plants and the looks I got from people then.. Dear god!

Couple of shady fellas asked if they were weed plants LOL:biggrin:


I gotta wait for the other filter and heater Philip, then I'll be shooting you some plant names that I'd like to grab. 

Thanks for sending the lobelia and other stuff too


----------



## Centromochlus

LOL Martin. I bet that was an interesting experience. 

Thanks again everyone for the comments.  

I'm going to San Francisco this Friday... here i come, AFA!


----------



## rickztahone

i really like the plant you have on the top right. the tallest one. ID?


----------



## Centromochlus

rickztahone said:


> i really like the plant you have on the top right. the tallest one. ID?


_Eichhornia diversifolia_.


----------



## Centromochlus

Added:
- 7 stems of Blyxa alternifolia
- 3 stems of Rotala mexicana 'araguaia'
- Lilaeopsis sp.

On the way:
- Acmella americana
- Blyxa sp. 'india'
- Hydrothrix gardneri
- Rotala mexicana 'goias'
- Lindernia grandiflora
- Ludwigia ovalis
- Murdannia keisak

Still looking for:
- Rotala mini 'type 2'
- Rotala mexicana 'belem'
- Rotala mexicana 'green'
- Polygonum sp. 'acre'


----------



## RipariumGuy

AzFishKid said:


> Added:
> - 7 stems of Blyxa alternifolia
> - 3 stems of Rotala mexicana 'araguaia'
> - Lilaeopsis sp.
> 
> On the way:
> - Acmella americana
> - Blyxa sp. 'india'
> - Hydrothrix gardneri
> - Rotala mexicana 'goias'
> - Lindernia grandiflora
> - Ludwigia ovalis
> - Murdannia keisak
> 
> Still looking for:
> - Rotala mini 'type 2'
> - Rotala mexicana 'belem'
> - Rotala mexicana 'green'
> - Polygonum sp. 'acre'


*Falls to ground in dead faint*


----------



## problemman

AzFishKid said:


> Added:
> - 7 stems of Blyxa alternifolia
> - 3 stems of Rotala mexicana 'araguaia'
> - Lilaeopsis sp.
> 
> On the way:
> - Acmella americana
> - Blyxa sp. 'india'
> - Hydrothrix gardneri
> - Rotala mexicana 'goias'
> - Lindernia grandiflora
> - Ludwigia ovalis
> - Murdannia keisak
> 
> Still looking for:
> - Rotala mini 'type 2'
> - Rotala mexicana 'belem'
> - Rotala mexicana 'green'
> - Polygonum sp. 'acre'


Driving and crying cuz I don't have any of these plants


----------



## Dempsey

Looks like someone didn't take their meds today.... :hihi:

I take it the green water is gone? More pics??


----------



## problemman

hey phil

the sao paulo and kawagoeanum, are you getting the deep colors because you have higher fert levels or are they on the lean side on nitrate and high phosphate? im wondering this because in my 75 im not getting all that good color on a lean regimen but with the kawaogeanum in my 40 is staying pink with high nutrients...what are you noticing?:help:


----------



## Centromochlus

problemman said:


> hey phil
> 
> the sao paulo and kawagoeanum, are you getting the deep colors because you have higher fert levels or are they on the lean side on nitrate and high phosphate? im wondering this because in my 75 im not getting all that good color on a lean regimen but with the kawaogeanum in my 40 is staying pink with high nutrients...what are you noticing?:help:


I'm dosing lean macros all together, so i think that helps with the color. However, i also think that light plays a huge role in how the 'sao paulo' and 'kawagoeanum' look. They always get much more colorful when they are closer to the light. Heavy micronutrients (especially iron) help too, i think.



Dempsey said:


> Looks like someone didn't take their meds today.... :hihi:
> 
> I take it the green water is gone? More pics??


Haha. :help:

The green water is gone for good, i hope. More pics to come in a day or two... i'm also hoping to create a video for you guys to see in the near future.


----------



## problemman

okay well then i think im going to need to up the micros and keep with my new experiment of no nitrates because i think my fish supply just enough  thanks bud!


----------



## A Hill

AzFishKid said:


> The super red/orange one is _ludwigia inclinata_.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> And the purple one sounds like _lindernia sp. 'india'_... but i didn't think i gave you any? Lol.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Unfortunately, the pinnatifidia isn't growing quickly for me at all... i've seen two small new leaves pop up in the ~3 weeks that i've had it.


You're right, but mine look better:hihi:. The lindernia sp. india is straight up purple/burgandy and a little yellow, no green whatsoever. The inclinata is pretty much the same although I just like to think mine is better.

Maybe you should let me borrow the pinnatifidia after my algae is under control. 

Also, friday might work better for the amanos if that can work for you. If not it isn't a big deal. (PM me over at AAPE or FB or something)

Oh, and I agree with you, your plants are really lacking in the light department. You should get at least twice as much.

-Andrew


----------



## problemman

also what do you think of the Murdannia 'red'? im getting some and i want to know if its that pretty and if they keep that wavy leaf


----------



## Centromochlus

problemman said:


> also what do you think of the Murdannia 'red'? im getting some and i want to know if its that pretty and if they keep that wavy leaf


It's a nice plant but it's HUGE... a little too wide for my taste. 
Definitely an interesting leaf/stem structure and it has a purty color too.
Mine still has the wavy leaf thing going on.



A Hill said:


> You're right, but mine look better.:hihi: The lindernia sp. india is straight up purple/burgandy and a little yellow, no green whatsoever. The inclinata is pretty much the same although I just like to think mine is better.
> 
> Maybe you should let me borrow the pinnatifidia after my algae is under control.
> 
> Also, friday might work better for the amanos if that can work for you. If not it isn't a big deal. (PM me over at AAPE or FB or something)
> 
> Oh, and I agree with you, your plants are really lacking in the light department. You should get at least twice as much.
> 
> -Andrew


LOL.
Whatever you say, Andrew.

Planning on getting a second light... someday...

And there's no way i'm letting you "borrow" my pinnatifidia. :hihi: Your tank has more algae in it than plants!
I wonder if having it right next to a window that receives direct sunlight for most of the day has anything to do with it?


----------



## problemman

cool how wide is it? or do you have a picture?


----------



## Centromochlus

problemman said:


> cool how wide is it? or do you have a picture?


It's about 4" wide probably. But it's an awkward plant to aquascape with because it's a very "flat" plant. There's really no way to make it look bushy.


----------



## problemman

have you done a trimming on it to see if it bushes out?


----------



## Centromochlus

problemman said:


> have you done a trimming on it to see if it bushes out?


Not yet but i got it from Cris and it doesn't look like his bushes out at all. And i believe he's had it for a while, but i could be wrong.

Right now it's in the back/center of the pogostemon stellatus 'narrow leaf' in my tank. It looks nice when it's in between bushy plants.


----------



## problemman

then there we go now i can figure out where i want it planted! lol all the plants im getting in im going to see how they grow and how they bush and rate of growth to see which ones will stay and will work for a way i want to scape.


----------



## Centromochlus

Leaving for San Francisco tomorrow-- AFA, here i come!
I'm sure i'll come home with lots of new plants.

:hihi:


----------



## problemman

pic me some up! i need cardimine for some reason lol


----------



## JamesHockey

Wait did Philip actually post pics?


Sent from my iPod touch using Tapatalk


----------



## Centromochlus

Hahaha... You guys are funny.

Im in San Francisco now! My dad and I visited aquarium central today, and I brought some plants to ThoHell (hope they grow well for you, btw!). For anyone who is wondering, I had no issues bringing plants wrapped in damp paper towels in plastic bags onto the airplane (in my checked luggage). Aquarium Central was a nice store btw-- good prices, excellent quality fish, good selection. The plant variety was lacking, but I'm sure James will be able to change that. 

We also did a behind-the-scenes tour of Aquarium of the Bay, which was nothing less than awesome! We had already taken the tour the last time we were here, but I wasn't as involved in the aquarium hobby as I am now, so i didn't appreciate it as much the first time.

Tomorrow is the big day-- we're visiting AFA, Albany aquarium, and possibly a few others. Updates (and hopefully pictures) to come!


----------



## Cardinal Tetra

AzFishKid said:


> Hahaha... You guys are funny.
> 
> Im in San Francisco now! My dad and I visited aquarium central today, and I brought some plants to ThoHell (hope they grow well for you, btw!). For anyone who is wondering, I had no issues bringing plants wrapped in damp paper towels in plastic bags onto the airplane (in my checked luggage). Aquarium Central was a nice store btw-- good prices, excellent quality fish, good selection. The plant variety was lacking, but I'm sure James will be able to change that.
> 
> We also did a behind-the-scenes tour of Aquarium of the Bay, which was nothing less than awesome! We had already taken the tour the last time we were here, but I wasn't as involved in the aquarium hobby as I am now, so i didn't appreciate it as much the first time.
> 
> Tomorrow is the big day-- we're visiting AFA, Albany aquarium, and possibly a few others. Updates (and hopefully pictures) to come!



Wow I hope you brought lots of $$$ for all the plants aquaforest has to offer! How many species do you have again? :hihi:



> Still looking for:
> - Rotala mini 'type 2'
> - Rotala mexicana 'belem'
> - Rotala mexicana 'green'
> - Polygonum sp. 'acre'


OMG if you find those 2 mexicanas you better share! I've been trying to find those forever! 

BTW If you still want the Hygrophila lancea then you'll have to wait a little. I heard it grows slower than other Hygros and I only have 1. It can't grow slower than Hygrophila sp. 'Araguaia' though... Bolbitis and Javaferns outgrow it...


----------



## RipariumGuy

Lucky duck... Hope ya find some good stems Philip!


----------



## A Hill

AzFishKid said:


> LOL.
> Whatever you say, Andrew.
> 
> Planning on getting a second light... someday...
> 
> And there's no way i'm letting you "borrow" my pinnatifidia. :hihi: Your tank has more algae in it than plants!
> I wonder if having it right next to a window that receives direct sunlight for most of the day has anything to do with it?


Right now my plant mass is considerably more than the algae mass. Tomorrow I will be cleaning my filter as well so that should help. I think the real issue is also leaving my light on all day:icon_wink till around 1 am... 

What really happenned is that the aquarium had to cycle again since I turned the filter off and bagged the biomedia and just left it in my dorm. I should have bagged the media and put it in my aquarium. 

Then again, the algae may be a pain but the red I get in my plants... :icon_bigg

Enjoy Cali!
-Andrew

PS. When you get the chance, (maybe monday?) I'd love to talk to you about the tools and how they work and whatnot. The first order is about to arrive (about a week or so I think) and I'm hoping you can let me know what you think after having them for a while.


----------



## Centromochlus

Cardinal Tetra said:


> Wow I hope you brought lots of $$$ for all the plants aquaforest has to offer! How many species do you have again? :hihi:


TBH, i wasn't that impressed with AFA. I liked Albany Aquarium a lot better. The plant selection wasn't that great at AFA, and the customer service was OK... but it seemed like i would ask for a plant, they'd go bag it up, then start to help another customer when i still wanted more plants.

I have ~50 species in this tank right now. That number will soon drop though.



Cardinal Tetra said:


> OMG if you find those 2 mexicanas you better share! I've been trying to find those forever!


Will do! No luck yet, though.



Cardinal Tetra said:


> BTW If you still want the Hygrophila lancea then you'll have to wait a little. I heard it grows slower than other Hygros and I only have 1. It can't grow slower than Hygrophila sp. 'Araguaia' though... Bolbitis and Javaferns outgrow it...


No worries, just let me know when it's ready to go. roud:



RipariumGuy said:


> Lucky duck... Hope ya find some good stems Philip!


I did! I brought home ~10 different plants i think.



A Hill said:


> PS. When you get the chance, (maybe monday?) I'd love to talk to you about the tools and how they work and whatnot. The first order is about to arrive (about a week or so I think) and I'm hoping you can let me know what you think after having them for a while.


Sure thing Andrew. I may not be able to pick up the shrimp today (i have a ton of homework), but i'll give you a call in a bit.




**OTHER NEWS**
My mom agreed to let me set up a 20L tank! :bounce:

I'm going to be taking a slightly different direction with my 90g:
- There won't be as many plants.
- It will be used for the larger, less demanding species.
- The general setup will stay the same, but i will not be upgrading the lighting as i had originally planned.
- The scape (dutch style) will stay the same.

For the 20L:
- High-tech/high-light.
- ADA Amazonia I Aquasoil [OR] Another similar brand.
- Pressurized co2 (probably paintball).
- Likely dutch-style, similar to skewlboy's 20L.
- Shrimp (haven't decided which kind yet), with maybe a few CPD's.
- It will house the more rare/light-demanding/sensitive plants in my collection.

I tried to push my luck with a 40B, but she said no larger than 20 gallons. So i figured i mind as well take the offer while i can.


----------



## problemman

I'm trying to get rid of tanks and your getting more lol why not try for the 40 when you go to buy the tank. Be like look mom its not all that much bigger and I can get everything I need in it and won't half to upgrade again later....worked for me forever ago lol


----------



## Lil' Swimz$

Dude, your the coolest 15 year old I know. Your tanks are magical.


----------



## VadimShevchuk

Lil' Swimz$ said:


> Dude, your the coolest 15 year old I know. Your tanks are magical.


I am offended by that:angryfire. lol

AZ, you can disguise a 29 as a 20roud:. As always more pictures!


----------



## problemman

VadimShevchuk said:


> AZ, you can disguise a 29 as a 20roud:. As always more pictures!


i was going to say that too but then that means you have to get more intense lighting to get to the botttom...try for a 30 long lol that kinda looks like a 20


----------



## legomaniac89

AzFishKid said:


> I did! I brought home ~10 different plants i think.


So what new species did you bring home?


----------



## taniner

Sunday: Water Change. 3/16 Tsp CSM+B
Monday: 3/4 Tsp KNO3, 3/16 Tsp KH2PO4, 1/4 Tsp K2SO4
Tuesday: 3/16 Tsp CSM+B
Wednesday: 3/4 Tsp KNO3, 3/16 Tsp KH2PO4, 1/4 Tsp K2SO4
Thursday: 3/16 Tsp CSM+B
Friday: 3/4 Tsp KNO3, 3/16 Tsp KH2PO4, 1/4 Tsp K2SO4
Saturday: Rest Day

I was a bit curious... is there a reason why you dose KNO3, KH2PO4 and K2SO4 on separate days as CSM+B? I'm just starting to use dry ferts and was a bit confused with dosing. Is it best the way you do it or can I mix it all together and dose at once three times a week?

btw... great tank!


----------



## problemman

I dose on the same day but keep my macs sep from micros.and dose 3 times a week


----------



## Cardinal Tetra

legomaniac89 said:


> So what new species did you bring home?


I'm curious as well. Please divulge


----------



## problemman

Cardinal Tetra said:


> I'm curious as well. Please divulge


Yes it does seems like its taking forever


----------



## taniner

problemman said:


> I dose on the same day but keep my macs sep from micros.and dose 3 times a week


Is there a reason why you dose them separately?


----------



## problemman

I don't I dose on the same day ans have no adverse effects. Some people think that things wil mix and work against each other but I have yet to see that


----------



## Centromochlus

legomaniac89 said:


> So what new species did you bring home?


Not many, unfortunately. Nothing super special:
- Ammania senegalensis
- Pogostemon helferi (downoi)
- What i thought was Rotala sp. 'pink', but is likely just Rotala rotundifolia
- More Rotala mini 'type 1'
- More Cuphea anagalloidea
- Potamogeton gayi
- Blyxa aubertii
- Ludwigia arcuata
- Ludwigia inclinata 'pantanal' (already stunted in my tank, LOL)

I also have a large hygrophila pinnatifida plant on the way from manini. :bounce: My little plantlet is growing REALLY slowly!



taniner said:


> I was a bit curious... is there a reason why you dose KNO3, KH2PO4 and K2SO4 on separate days as CSM+B? I'm just starting to use dry ferts and was a bit confused with dosing. Is it best the way you do it or can I mix it all together and dose at once three times a week?
> 
> btw... great tank!


Micros and macros can't be dosed at the same time because some bad reaction occurs, i think... not sure exactly what that reaction that is, but apparently it isn't a good idea to dose them together. :thumbsup:


----------



## fishykid1

The Phosphates react with the Iron, I believe.


----------



## fishykid1

It's a reaction that occurs only in water. They use the Iron Phosphate as a coating for corrosion resistance, etc.

The phosphoric acid (H3PO4) (K2HPO4 + H20) reacts with an Iron ion (Fe2+) and forms a precipitate known as Iron Phosphate, when added at the same time. The resulting precipitate cannot be used by plants and therefore just builds up.

That's why it's bad. If the Iron has enough time in the water, with no new phosphates it can bond with water.


----------



## problemman

fishykid1 said:


> It's a reaction that occurs only in water. They use the Iron Phosphate as a coating for corrosion resistance, etc.
> 
> The phosphoric acid (H3PO4) (K2HPO4 + H20) reacts with an Iron ion (Fe2+) and forms a precipitate known as Iron Phosphate, when added at the same time. The resulting precipitate cannot be used by plants and therefore just builds up.
> 
> That's why it's bad. If the Iron has enough time in the water, with no new phosphates it can bond with water.


Okay I can see how that sounds right but tell me why I placed a iron deficient macaya fluviatilis in my tank and with in hours it was no longer white? Or is it that the plant can't use the phosphates? In which case that's probably why my rotala mac hates me


----------



## fishykid1

problemman said:


> Okay I can see how that sounds right but tell me why I placed a iron deficient macaya fluviatilis in my tank and with in hours it was no longer white? Or is it that the plant can't use the phosphates? In which case that's probably why my rotala mac hates me



Turning white? That sounds like Magnesium. Magnesium is a rapid response nutrient, check out Tomm Barr's experiments. Every time he limited magnesium he noticed a change very rapidly. I've noticed that too. For a test, instead of dosing GH booster I dosed Calcium sulfate and Potassium Sulfate, with no MG2SO4. Within 3 days, the plants were turning lighter and leaves were much thinner/brittle. I added Magnesium Sulfate (1/8 tsp. in 20G) and within 4 hours plants were starting to gain colors back again.

***Iron seems to be leaves that are yellowing/twisting, not turning white


----------



## taniner

awesome guys... thanks for the chemistry lessons!


----------



## sewingalot

Philip, I've tried being patient, but you are being slow with the pictures!! :hihi:


----------



## problemman

sewingalot said:


> Philip, I've tried being patient, but you are being slow with the pictures!! :hihi:


can i get an AMEN!!!!!!!!:iamwithst


----------



## Centromochlus

SORRY GUYS-- i promise i'll post some tomorrow when i get home from school.


----------



## problemman

AzFishKid said:


> SORRY GUYS-- i promise i'll post some tomorrow when i get home from school.


oh jeez promises after promises! ill take it with a grain of salt lol


----------



## JamesHockey

sewingalot said:


> Philip, I've tried being patient, but you are being slow with the pictures!! :hihi:


Just lock his thread XD


Sent from my iPod touch using Tapatalk


----------



## Centromochlus

JamesHockey said:


> Just lock his thread XD
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPod touch using Tapatalk


Hahaha no plants for you! 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## fishykid1

Hey Phillip, lemme know when you can trim your plants again. I'm already thinking I have way to much blyxa in my tank... it's 3/4 of the foreground. Lemme know when you want some or have room... lol


----------



## JamesHockey

AzFishKid said:


> Hahaha no plants for you!
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



:help:


----------



## sewingalot

JamesHockey said:


> Just lock his thread XD


I'd never do that. Oh, Laura............:biggrin:


----------



## problemman

sewingalot said:


> I'd never do that. Oh, Laura............:biggrin:


Uh oh calling for back up from the moderator police lol


----------



## JamesHockey

problemman said:


> Uh oh calling for back up from the moderator police lol


Lol!


Sent from my iPod touch using Tapatalk


----------



## sewingalot

I have one thing to say to you, Brad: frogs.

Philip, it's 3:00.....oh, wait you're on a different time zone. :hihi:


----------



## JamesHockey

sewingalot said:


> I have one thing to say to you, Brad: frogs.
> 
> Philip, it's 3:00.....oh, wait you're on a different time zone. :hihi:


It's 12:12 and still no pics


Sent from my iPod touch using Tapatalk


----------



## rickztahone

JamesHockey said:


> It's 12:12 and still no pics
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPod touch using Tapatalk


Tisk Tisk Philip!


----------



## problemman

I'm going to spam your facebook if you don't get pictures up lol


----------



## JamesHockey

problemman said:


> I'm going to spam your facebook if you don't get pictures up lol


Ho ho he's dead all I gotta do is add him!


Sent from my iPod touch using Tapatalk


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## sewingalot

If I weren't going offline in a few, I'd totally start spamming Philip's journal until he posted pictures. Peer pressure will probably totally work here.


----------



## Cardinal Tetra

I sure hope that he's home from school by now... me want pictures!


----------



## problemman

He was on a bit ago. Maybe he got kid napped from his bed room


----------



## Centromochlus

LOL you guys crack me up. :hihi:

I had to unexpectedly take pictures for yearbook after school for 2 and a half hours, so I was exhausted after that to say the least. I'm doing community service for most of the day today, but I'll post some pics of the tank when I get home (and yes, this time I actually will!).

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## fishykid1

Awesome.. lol.. SO my battle with brown thread algae begins... lol


----------



## Centromochlus

Still working on the right/middle side... i know it looks kinda empty.

YAY FOR YELLOW PROBE! Someday i'm going to hide that thing... And yes, that's a glass scraper floating in the tank. :hihi:


----------



## Ben Belton

Nice and clear. I like it.


----------



## rickztahone

Did you take the pic right after WC or do you have the co2 misting?


----------



## Centromochlus

rickztahone said:


> Did you take the pic right after WC or do you have the co2 misting?


The pictures were taken right after a WC.


----------



## rickztahone

AzFishKid said:


> The pictures were taken right after a WC.


I figured. Its growing in nice. The hc in my tank is pissing me off. It's growing great in the middle and dying on the sides.....wtf? Lol. I always like popping in on your thread, always has great progress.


----------



## JamesHockey

I hate you! My plant list keeps getting longer! 
I have been infected people!

J/k your the best (other than Caton of coarse) 


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----------



## dxiong5

Very nice! Your foreground has grown in very well.


----------



## legomaniac89

So I just randomly remembered that the mystery _Ludwigia_ you got from me is _L. x lacustris_. I was poking through my emersed setups, and had an "oh, duh" moment


----------



## problemman

PHIL, the tank looks awesome!


----------



## sewingalot

Looking very nice, Philip. My favorite part is the glass scraper.


----------



## JamesHockey

sewingalot said:


> Looking very nice, Philip. My favorite part is the glass scraper.


You got post 600 on this thread 


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## JamesHockey

I bumped your wtb thread, I want update


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## lauraleellbp

sewingalot said:


> If I weren't going offline in a few, I'd totally start spamming Philip's journal until he posted pictures. Peer pressure will probably totally work here.


PFFFT!! He posts like one pic for every 10 pages of everyone going - HEY WHERE R PICS????


----------



## JamesHockey

Spam spam spam spam


Sent from my iPod touch using Tapatalk


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## Centromochlus

Hi guys! Thanks for the thread bump(s), James. roud: And thank you everyone for the comments.
I'll probably be posting a video of the tank within the next few weeks.
And once i figure out how to take decent close-up photos of my plants, i'll post a few too.  They always seem to turn out very dark and overly-green though. I think it's time to invest in a new lens with a larger aperture.


----------



## JamesHockey

AzFishKid said:


> I'll probably be posting a video of the tank within the next few weeks.


Not funny..... 

:hihi: <----that's not me right now




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## sewingalot

lauraleellbp said:


> PFFFT!! He posts like one pic for every 10 pages of everyone going - HEY WHERE R PICS????


Seriously. I keep telling Philip I need pictures to keep entertained.....or at least a story. :icon_mrgr


----------



## Da Plant Man

QUICK! BLOW UP YOUR LEG AGAIN! Now theres a story...


----------



## JamesHockey

caton said:


> quick! Blow up your leg again! Now theres a story...


lol


----------



## JasonG75

AzFishKid said:


> FTS:


 
I would like to ask about your decision to go with JETS over spraybar. The reason I ask is because I am in the process of an upgrade LIKE THIS and i am seriously am thinking about jets instead of spraybar. I have DUAL canisters, and was going to go with dual jets. NOW the question for you...do you see any damages from the force of the jets? IS there to much current?


----------



## problemman

JasonG75 said:


> I would like to ask about your decision to go with JETS over spraybar. The reason I ask is because I am in the process of an upgrade LIKE THIS and i am seriously am thinking about jets instead of spraybar. I have DUAL canisters, and was going to go with dual jets. NOW the question for you...do you see any damages from the force of the jets? IS there to much current?


Jason I actually use the jets and aim it at the front pain I'm experiencing no bba and the plants are growing nice.


----------



## Da Plant Man

JasonG75 said:


> I would like to ask about your decision to go with JETS over spraybar. The reason I ask is because I am in the process of an upgrade LIKE THIS and i am seriously am thinking about jets instead of spraybar. I have DUAL canisters, and was going to go with dual jets. NOW the question for you...do you see any damages from the force of the jets? IS there to much current?


Hi DaleJr. :tongue:


From what I know, the jets are good for the plants, he has it so there is no direct force, only massive amounts of indirect flow. Since he has it that way, the CO2, ferts, a O2 is circulated evenly, resulting in lush plants. Since he is using jets, he gets more flow due to there being less resistance. I am sure if he saw damage he would take it out.


----------



## Centromochlus

JasonG75 said:


> I would like to ask about your decision to go with JETS over spraybar. The reason I ask is because I am in the process of an upgrade LIKE THIS and i am seriously am thinking about jets instead of spraybar. I have DUAL canisters, and was going to go with dual jets. NOW the question for you...do you see any damages from the force of the jets? IS there to much current?


I like the jets a lot better because you can change the direction of the flow to suit the needs of your plants, as opposed to a spray bar which can't have it's flow directed/adjusted as easily. However, i do have an inline reactor and i split the outflow into two directions (two outflows with one filter), so that significantly cuts the flow, hence why i need extra power heads. I'm sure if i didn't have an inline reactor and if i didn't split the outflow into two, it would be a lot more powerful, which would actually be a good thing.

So no, right now they don't create too much flow, but if i had my system set up a little differently i'm sure the flow would be better.


----------



## JasonG75

AzFishKid said:


> I like the jets a lot better because you can change the direction of the flow to suit the needs of your plants, as opposed to a spray bar which can't have it's flow directed/adjusted as easily.


This is why I want to go with 2 jets as well. If I went with "DUAL" dual jets again I have two canisters and if I put dual returns on each return that would five me 5 evenly spreadout returns. Thanks for the input!!

Caton:
"I am sure if he saw damage he would take it out" :icon_roll


----------



## Da Plant Man

JasonG75 said:


> Caton:
> "I am sure if he saw damage he would take it out" :icon_roll



I am sorry, but I don't understand...


----------



## JamesHockey

Caton said:


> I am sorry, but I don't understand...


It's cause you're 14


Sent from my iPod touch using Tapatalk


----------



## Centromochlus

Guess it's about time for another picture update. 

I stopped by the Home Depot yesterday after school (we had a half day, woo-hoo!) to pick up some supplies for a little DIY project. I was originally going to purchase a second light fixture from Catalina for this tank to bump up the lighting a bit, but several other members suggested lowering my current light fixture to increase the intensity. So here's the simple solution that i came up with:









Basically, i just mounted the retrofit onto another piece of wood, then used metal 90 degree brackets to attach it to the canopy. Works like a charm! 

Here's a few pictures of the tank after the light fixture was adjusted. It's definitely a lot brighter! However, i think i may someday replace two of the 67000k bulbs with 10000k because the light is a little too yellow for my tastes.
Please excuse the floating plants and nerite snails on the glass... And those sticky notes on the left side are how i keep track of my sales. roud:


















I also finally got some hardware for the stand and canopy. 
(flash used so you can see the hardware)









My thoughts/other updates:
- I think the left side of the tank looks really nice, but the right/middle sections still need some work. 
- The marsilea/glosso is about ready for a trim (any suggestions on how to go about doing this? i know it seems like a newbie question, but i've never really had a carpet for long enough that it actually needed to be trimmed :hihi.
- I'm planning on moving a lot of the smaller plants (rotala mini, rotala mexicana 'goias'/'araguaia', cuphea anagolloidea, sphaerocaryum malaccense, rotala butterfly, etc) into the high-light 10g tank that i will be setting up in a few months, since i think they look a little out-of-place in the 90g.
- I've been really lazy with my fert schedule lately, so i need to get back on track with that ASAP.
- When i'm 100% happy with my scape (who knows how long that will take...), i plan to add a school of cardinals and possibly 4-5 roseline barbs.
- The pogostemon yatabeanus (green stems to the right of the rotala macrandra 'japan red') looks very out of place. I think i need to trim it and replant the tops to give it a more "bushy" look.


----------



## taniner

wow... very nice! roud:


----------



## problemman

Phil I thought you were doing a 20 gallon for the farming tank


----------



## Centromochlus

problemman said:


> Phil I thought you were doing a 20 gallon for the farming tank


My parents gave me the option of either doing a 20g, or two 10g's. I'm pretty sure i'm going to go with the two 10g's (one for high-light plants and the other to experiment with growing some species emersed), but i'm not 100% decided yet. I've always wanted to try an emersed setup after seeing legomaniac's and Caton's tanks.



taniner said:


> wow... very nice! roud:


Thank you! Did your plants arrive today?


----------



## Da Plant Man

Looking good! I like that DIY you did, and your tank is looking amazing!


----------



## problemman

I think the 2 tanks work better in your favor then. I'm thinking about emmersed as well


----------



## Geoinerworks

Looks awesome Philip!


----------



## xJaypex

Wow, everything seems to be filling in perfectly.

I like it!


----------



## JamesHockey

AzFishKid said:


> My parents gave me the option of either doing a 20g, or two 10g's. I'm pretty sure i'm going to go with the two 10g's (one for high-light plants and the other to experiment with growing some species emersed), but i'm not 100% decided yet. I've always wanted to try an emersed setup after seeing legomaniac's and Caton's tanks.
> 
> 
> 
> Thank you! Did your plants arrive today?


You can disguise 2 15 gallons as 10s easily XD


Sent from my iPod touch using Tapatalk


----------



## Centromochlus

Caton said:


> Looking good! I like that DIY you did, and your tank is looking amazing!


Thanks K-10!



problemman said:


> I think the 2 tanks work better in your favor then. I'm thinking about emmersed as well


Most definitely. 



Geoinerworks said:


> Looks awesome Philip!


Thank you!



JamesHockey said:


> You can disguise 2 15 gallons as 10s easily XD


I actually bet i could. I was looking at one in Petco next to a 10g and they look very similar, dimension-wise.



xJaypex said:


> Wow, everything seems to be filling in perfectly.
> 
> I like it!


Thanks Jose!
Hey, i meant to ask you something... will send you a PM in a few.


----------



## sewingalot

AzFishKid said:


>


LOVING the left side. I can't wait until the right fill in more. Great job, Philip!


----------



## urples

can someone tell me the plant use in the foreground? THANKS!!


----------



## Centromochlus

urples said:


> can someone tell me the plant use in the foreground? THANKS!!


It's a mix of Glossostigma elatinoides and Marsilea minuta, but mostly Glosso.


----------



## sewingalot

I hate that your glosso looks that pretty.


----------



## JamesHockey

AzFishKid said:


> I actually bet i could. I was looking at one in Petco next to a 10g and they look very similar, dimension-wise.


Doooiiiiitttt


Btw, I thought I read some where that if you knew about mts sooner you would have used it, is that true?



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## Dempsey

Looking awesome man!! When did you plants the glosso?? Why don't I remember that?


----------



## Centromochlus

sewingalot said:


> I hate that your glosso looks that pretty.


It's only fair since i'm super jealous of your rotala butterfly. 



JamesHockey said:


> Doooiiiiitttt
> 
> 
> Btw, I thought I read some where that if you knew about mts sooner you would have used it, is that true?


Probably not. I'm too hooked on Aquasoil (and similar brands) to try anything different. 



Dempsey said:


> Looking awesome man!! When did you plants the glosso?? Why don't I remember that?


Thanks man! It's been planted for about 2 months now. It spread pretty quickly.


----------



## speedie408

I LOVE it man. This tank is gonna look so much sweeter once the right side fills in more.


----------



## Centromochlus

Update time!
Here's the most recent FTS. These pics were taken right after i tore up a bunch of glosso in the front, so the water is a little cloudy. Also, sorry about the picture quality... i think my ISO was a little too high lol. :S









Left side:









Right side:


----------



## problemman

Tank looks amazing phillip


----------



## Centromochlus

Thanks Brad!


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## Da Plant Man

You need 93 more honeycombs.

I want to come down to Arizona, with 5 bodyguards, and some way to pick up the aquarium and bring it home because it is so nice.


----------



## fishykid1

Caton said:


> You need 93 more honeycombs.
> 
> I want to come down to Arizona, with 5 bodyguards, and some way to pick up the aquarium and bring it home because it is so nice.



I was just thinking the exact same thing... Maybe in about 3 months will my tank look that nice! Stupidity is the killer of my tank.. Mine was soo totally looking better than his at 3 weeks LOL

Honeycombs are sweet, wish i could get my hands on some.

Yeah, well I'm coming with 6! BAHAHA


----------



## Dollface

_Whoa._


----------



## legomaniac89

Looking hot Philip!


----------



## FSM

Change the shutter speed from 1/250 to 1/100 or so and it will work out better

The tank looks awesome though


----------



## Cardinal Tetra

You should get more fish  Perhaps a top water schooler?

Other than that it has grown in great!


----------



## fishykid1

Cardinal Tetra said:


> You should get more fish  Perhaps a top water schooler?
> 
> Other than that it has grown in great!



hes gotta catch that darn flagfish first  -nudge- sorry phil, couldn't resist.

then he's gotta get a nice large school of tetras or congos!


----------



## Cardinal Tetra

I vote for Rasbora dorsiocellata! They school better than any other fish I've kept and they'll stay above your plants right below the surface for easy viewing! I think zid has some for cheap.


----------



## Dempsey

Looking awesome!​


----------



## Centromochlus

Caton said:


> You need 93 more honeycombs.
> 
> I want to come down to Arizona, with 5 bodyguards, and some way to pick up the aquarium and bring it home because it is so nice.


I've seriously considered making this tank a honeycomb catfish species tank. However, that idea didn't last long. :biggrin:

You'll need more than 5 bodyguards to steal any of my plants. We got some ferocious cats in our house!



fishykid1 said:


> I was just thinking the exact same thing... Maybe in about 3 months will my tank look that nice! Stupidity is the killer of my tank.. Mine was soo totally looking better than his at 3 weeks LOL
> 
> Honeycombs are sweet, wish i could get my hands on some.
> 
> Yeah, well I'm coming with 6! BAHAHA


You wish Martin. :biggrin: Stop being so jealous! lololol.



Dollface said:


> _Whoa._


Thanks Dollface!



legomaniac89 said:


> Looking hot Philip!


Thanks man!



FSM said:


> Change the shutter speed from 1/250 to 1/100 or so and it will work out better
> 
> The tank looks awesome though


Thank you! I tried lowering the shutter speed down to 100 and the pics turned out MUCH better. Will be posting a bunch in the next post...



Cardinal Tetra said:


> You should get more fish  Perhaps a top water schooler?
> 
> Other than that it has grown in great!


I'm planning on going with a school of 5 roseline barbs and ~30 cardinal tetras sometime in the near future. I made a bunch of money this past weekend so maybe i'll splurge on some fish.



fishykid1 said:


> hes gotta catch that darn flagfish first  -nudge- sorry phil, couldn't resist.
> 
> then he's gotta get a nice large school of tetras or congos!


I've just given up on trying to catch that stupid flagfish. John, if you see this, i'm going to need to get some more blyxa alternifolia from you.... again.... when i have my 10g set up (and i DEFINITELY won't be putting any flagfish in there!).



Cardinal Tetra said:


> I vote for Rasbora dorsiocellata! They school better than any other fish I've kept and they'll stay above your plants right below the surface for easy viewing! I think zid has some for cheap.


Never seen those before! Definitely something to consider. Thanks for the suggestion.



Dempsey said:


> Looking awesome!​


Thank you!


----------



## Cardinal Tetra

Hmmm flagfish are definitely not very friend toward some plants. I had one that would always pull up strands of UG and nip the tips off my various Blyxa spp. and eat them up. Perhaps you can try to catch it at night if it sleeps out in the open? My fish are usually blinded when I turn on my lights at night.


----------



## Da Plant Man

Cardinal Tetra said:


> My fish are usually blinded when I turn on my lights at night.


Think ABOUT THE HONEYCOMBS!


----------



## Cardinal Tetra

Caton said:


> Think ABOUT THE HONEYCOMBS!


I'm not a big catfish fan :icon_twis


----------



## Centromochlus

More pics!










Better FTS:









*Limnophila aromatica* (left) // *Eichhornia diversifolia* (right)









*Rotala mexicana 'goias'* - Not doing so well in my tank...









*Pogostemon stellatus 'broad leaf'* (left) // *Alternanthera reineckii 'rosaefolia'* (middle) // *Pogostemon stellatus 'narrow leaf'* (right)









*Acmella repens* - One of my favorites!









*Rotala macrandra 'green'* (left) // *Rotala macrandra 'japan red'* (right)









*Polygonum sp. 'sao paulo'* - MUCH more pink/red in person...









*Hydrothrix gardeneri* - Hasn't melted yet... woo-hoo! (the trimmed stem on the left obviously isn't doing too well though...)









*Rotala sp. 'sunset' (Ammania sulawesi)* - Definitely one of my favorite plants as well. I have 5 more stems on the way. Not sure why the leaves are curling though...









*Bacopa sp. 'colorata' *- This plant has slowly but surely been growing on me. I used to not be a big fan of bacopas, but this one and 'salzmannii' are simply stunning!









*Ludwigia glandulosa*// *Polgyonum sp. 'kawagoeanum'* // Etc.









R*otala mini 'type 1'* - Seems to be doing better after i lowered the retrofit, thus increasing the intensity of the light.









*Ranunculus inundatus* - Really cool plant!









*Hygrophila sp. 'araguaia'* - SUPER slow grower. Also much more red in person...


----------



## Cardinal Tetra

Hmmm your mini type I looks more like mini type II. The real type I is really hard to find these days for some reason. It used to be the only mini for years too


----------



## Da Plant Man

Wonderful! The Acmella repens you sent me is doing great emersed BTW! 

You really know how to grow plants


----------



## Centromochlus

Cardinal Tetra said:


> Hmmm your mini type I looks more like mini type II. The real type I is really hard to find these days for some reason. It used to be the only mini for years too


It was definitely 'type 1' when i purchased it. I think it changes based on tank conditions. Regardless, i'm definitely going to move it over to my future super high-light tank when it's set up since after researching it's requirements, it sounds like it's definitely a light hog.



Caton said:


> Wonderful! The Acmella repens you sent me is doing great emersed BTW!
> 
> You really know how to grow plants


Thanks! Glad to hear the acmella is doing well for you.


----------



## VadimShevchuk

I remember reading your 68 gallon journal and that tank looked great. This tank just makes you look like a pro and photography is splendid!


----------



## legomaniac89

You better keep that _Acmella_ in check. It'll completely take over if you leave it alone .

BTW, the _Rotala "Sunset"_ you sent me grew almost 2" and then melted for no reason. When you get some extra, I wouldn't mind killing...er...trying it again.


----------



## Centromochlus

VadimShevchuk said:


> I remember reading your 68 gallon journal and that tank looked great. This tank just makes you look like a pro and photography is splendid!


Thanks man! I feel really honored. :biggrin:



legomaniac89 said:


> You better keep that _Acmella_ in check. It'll completely take over if you leave it alone .
> 
> BTW, the _Rotala "Sunset"_ you sent me grew almost 2" and then melted for no reason. When you get some extra, I wouldn't mind killing...er...trying it again.


I've heard that this has been happening to a lot of folks... the only time that it has melted on me was after trimming it too frequently (resulting in the very sad death of one stem ). It doesn't seem to recover from being trimmed very well. I'll let you know when i have more available, but i already have a ton of other people who are waiting for a stem as well... i can't keep up with the demand! Thankfully i have 5 more stems on the way so i'm hoping that i'll have more stems to offer in the future.


----------



## fishykid1

AzFishKid said:


> I've just given up on trying to catch that stupid flagfish. John, if you see this, i'm going to need to get some more blyxa alternifolia from you.... again.... when i have my 10g set up (and i DEFINITELY won't be putting any flagfish in there!).
> 
> 
> Thank you!


 
hehe, that was fun watchin you try to catch it! You should resell that flagfish considering it has eaten like 30$ of blyxa alternifolia..  nice snack


----------



## sewingalot

Philip, I think you need to take out that piece of wood to make more room for plants. There not enough variety in there. :hihi:


----------



## problemman

sewingalot said:


> Philip, I think you need to take out that piece of wood to make more room for plants. There not enough variety in there. :hihi:


I really think the wood makes that extra element in the tank.


----------



## matt12

Cardinal Tetra said:


> Hmmm your mini type I looks more like mini type II. The real type I is really hard to find these days for some reason. It used to be the only mini for years too


 ive got hte real stuff:biggrin::biggrin:


----------



## matt12

your killing my gojas lol. hows the mini 2 doing?


----------



## Centromochlus

matt12 said:


> your killing my gojas lol. hows the mini 2 doing?


Hey-- it didn't exactly arrive in great shape... :icon_lol:

The rotala mini 'type 2' is doing great. It just looks like the other rotala mini though (the stems that were originally 'type 1').


----------



## matt12

AzFishKid said:


> Hey-- it didn't exactly arrive in great shape... :icon_lol:
> 
> The rotala mini 'type 2' is doing great. It just looks like the other rotala mini though (the stems that were originally 'type 1').


 wasnt given to me in good shape as well. lol. ya, your mini 1 looks a lot like 2


----------



## Centromochlus

matt12 said:


> wasnt given to me in good shape as well. lol. ya, your mini 1 looks a lot like 2


I'm likely going to toss it (or pass it along to someone who i think might be able to revive it, if he wants it) and wait to get more when my 10g is set up. It seemed to be doing well for a while but has been going downhill recently. A lot of the leaves have been turning black, which usually is an indicator that there isn't enough CO2, but my drop checker has been a nice green-yellow for weeks... i dose plenty of consistent macros and micros too.


----------



## Cardinal Tetra

AzFishKid said:


> It was definitely 'type 1' when i purchased it. I think it changes based on tank conditions. Regardless, i'm definitely going to move it over to my future super high-light tank when it's set up since after researching it's requirements, it sounds like it's definitely a light hog.


Trust me dude. I've gotten type 2 that looked exactly like really large type 1 and it become more type 2 like under my tank conditions. Skewlboy knows about this. Type 1 doesn't look like that unless it's stunted/suffering from some deficiency


----------



## Centromochlus

Cardinal Tetra said:


> Trust me dude. I've gotten type 2 that looked exactly like really large type 1 and it become more type 2 like under my tank conditions. Skewlboy knows about this. Type 1 doesn't look like that unless it's stunted/suffering from some deficiency


Do you know what causes it to morph? Water chemistry, light intensity, ferts,  ???

All i know is that it seems to be doing a lot better with more light.


----------



## Cardinal Tetra

No clue. I haven't had this plant since 2009 I think. I just know that skewlboy had it in way better conditions than I but I still managed to grow it well enough. I also noticed that type 2 grew faster than type 1 in my tank.


----------



## A Hill

Seems to be coming along well. It is really filling in well.

Now about those tools you've been using... because they are used to maintain this tank I am claiming full responsibility for it looking so well kept and trimmed!

Muahaha :hihi:

-Andrew


----------



## rickztahone

AzFishKid said:


> *Polygonum sp. 'sao paulo'* - MUCH more pink/red in person...



i have  Polygonum sp. "Kawagoneum that looks a great deal like your sao paulo. great looking plant you have. Mine has started sending side shoots like crazy now that is so close to the surface.

edit: btw, we have a lot of the same plants. Yours however take on a much better red hue than mine. I'm dosing 13% iron chelate 1/2tsp 3x a week at this point in my 55g and i still haven't gotten the reds to pop like i want them to. how much iron are you dosing?


----------



## Centromochlus

A Hill said:


> Seems to be coming along well. It is really filling in well.
> 
> Now about those tools you've been using... because they are used to maintain this tank I am claiming full responsibility for it looking so well kept and trimmed!
> 
> Muahaha :hihi:
> 
> -Andrew


Pshh. If they're the reason for the tank's success, then maybe you should let me keep them!
(no, seriously-- i really want to buy the long scissors :hihi



rickztahone said:


> i have  Polygonum sp. "Kawagoneum that looks a great deal like your sao paulo. great looking plant you have. Mine has started sending side shoots like crazy now that is so close to the surface.
> 
> edit: btw, we have a lot of the same plants. Yours however take on a much better red hue than mine. I'm dosing 13% iron chelate 1/2tsp 3x a week at this point in my 55g and i still haven't gotten the reds to pop like i want them to. how much iron are you dosing?


Polygonum 'kawagoeanum' and 'sao paulo' look pretty similar (i have both of them in my tank). However, 'kawagoeanum' has much thinner/longer leaves, whereas 'sao paulo' has broader, more spaced-out leaves. Also, 'sao paulo' obviously also has a much pinker coloration when grown under good amounts of light. I've noticed that the leaves also tend to bend downwards slightly. The two are often confused.

I dose ~1/2 tsp CSM+B with ~1/8 tsp 13% iron chelate 3x a week, and
~1/2 tsp KNO3, ~1/2 tsp KH2PO4, and ~1/4 tsp K2SO4 3x a week.


----------



## A Hill

AzFishKid said:


> Pshh. If they're the reason for the tank's success, then maybe you should let me keep them!
> (no, seriously-- i really want to buy the long scissors :hihi


Not to spin you off topic, but if you can find a dozen people who will buy some too I'll order them next:icon_wink.

-Andrew


----------



## Noahma

The tank looks awesome! Best looking Collectoritis (of rare plants) I have seen lol ;p


----------



## Centromochlus

A Hill said:


> Not to spin you off topic, but if you can find a dozen people who will buy some too I'll order them next:icon_wink.
> 
> -Andrew


That's too much work!
Do you have any other long scissors in stock that i might be interested in?
BTW, check your AAPE inbox...



Noahma said:


> The tank looks awesome! Best looking Collectoritis (of rare plants) I have seen lol ;p


Thank you! :biggrin:


----------



## A Hill

Will do, and I have the nude ones they're like a foot or more? Not as insane as the ones you have right now though...

-Andrew


----------



## Portalz

Hey Philip, just wanted to stop by and say NICE tank! Also, the Rotala mexicana 'goias' i got from you is growing very well with no algae or dieoff. Same with the rare blyxa and the other one(forgot the name but really slow grower)Both are doing amazing!


----------



## Centromochlus

Portalz said:


> Hey Philip, just wanted to stop by and say NICE tank! Also, the Rotala mexicana 'goias' i got from you is growing very well with no algae or dieoff. Same with the rare blyxa and the other one(forgot the name but really slow grower)Both are doing amazing!


Hey man, thanks for stopping by! Glad to hear that the plants are doing well-- I'll have to get some from you in the near future.  

I think you got the following plants from me at the last meeting, incase you were unsure of the ID's:
- Rotala mexicana 'goias'
- Rotala mexicana 'araguaia'
- Blyxa alternifolia
- Blyxa sp. 'india'
- Rotala mini 'type 2'

Let me know when you have some blyxa alternifolia available... My flagfish ate all of mine.  I'm going to try to catch him again this weekend.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## legomaniac89

By the way, how's that _Ludwigia peploides_ doing underwater?


----------



## problemman

Phil I give up! I went through 320 posts and couldnt find the plant list! Help!


----------



## Centromochlus

legomaniac89 said:


> By the way, how's that _Ludwigia peploides_ doing underwater?


I had to put it outside in a bucket because I didnt have any room for them in the tank. I didn't realize they were so huge! Anyhow, they seem to be doing fine in the bucket. Not sure if there's any new submerged growth (I'll have to check), but it's still alive!

I'm going to move a stem over to the 90g, since I know you were hoping to see whether it can be grown under water or not.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Centromochlus

problemman said:


> Phil I give up! I went through 320 posts and couldnt find the plant list! Help!


Did you look at the very first post on the first page of this journal? :hihi:


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## problemman

AzFishKid said:


> Did you look at the very first post on the first page of this journal? :hihi:
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


No that would be the smart thing to do lol


----------



## problemman

I'll message you later bout all that. To much for the phone lol


----------



## fishykid1

problemman said:


> Phil I give up! I went through 320 posts and couldnt find the plant list! Help!



It's on Pg 33... About halfway down 

(ps. I searched the 40 pages to find that durn thing like last week!!)


----------



## matt12

here is philips complete grow list
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/plantfinder/all.php
:icon_lol:


----------



## Noahma

matt12 said:


> here is philips complete grow list
> http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/plantfinder/all.php
> :icon_lol:


LOL!!!! that is hilarious


----------



## Centromochlus

matt12 said:


> here is philips complete grow list
> http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/plantfinder/all.php
> :icon_lol:


LOL i wish! :biggrin:

More rotala sp. 'sunset' (ammania sulawesi) arrived today... woo-hoo!
I now have 7 stems total.


----------



## inkslinger

How's your FX5 and co2 reactor working out now for you.


----------



## Da Plant Man

matt12 said:


> here is philips complete grow list
> http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/plantfinder/all.php
> :icon_lol:


Thats incorrect :wink: He has plants that aren't on that list :drool:


MORE PICTURES NEEDED!


TAKE PICTURES OF HONEYCOMBS!


----------



## Danh Vu

Very nice Philip! Great progress


----------



## Centromochlus

Ahaha... the unpredictability of rotala mini. Love it.


----------



## problemman

I noticed that two in my mini 1 it started going to mini 2 so I'm assuming there really just the same plant and they just curl when they want different ways


----------



## Cardinal Tetra

AzFishKid said:


> Ahaha... the unpredictability of rotala mini. Love it.


Ahhh your Rotala mini, whatever type it is, is confusing me. Isolate that stem from the rest. It looks like it could be legit.

Here are some pictures my of confirmed type I

























Notice how extreme the curling is. Some leaves curl into a full loop. I like type I better than type II. I don't see how type II came to predominate considering it came years after type I was introduced.


----------



## problemman

Do you think someone snipped that stem and isolated it and now after so long its converting back to the original form? Or do you think its a nutrient thing that's causing it?


----------



## Cardinal Tetra

Well type II originated as a mutated stem from someone's type I years ago. I remember reading the thread from the person who found it in his/her tank. I think it's a type of Rotala macranda and that species has proven to be very variable in its morphology (green, red, japan red, super red, mini butterfly, mini type whatever, etc). It could be morphing back. However, I notice that the stem from which the mini type I-like plant grew from had recently experienced a severe nutrient deficiency (look a little further down the stem)  but I'm pretty sure that the one to the left is type II. I have to say I've never had type I grow like that and that's a classic characteristic of type II.


----------



## matt12

Cardinal Tetra said:


> Ahhh your Rotala mini, whatever type it is, is confusing me. Isolate that stem from the rest. It looks like it could be legit.
> 
> Here are some pictures my of confirmed type I
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Notice how extreme the curling is. Some leaves curl into a full loop. I like type I better than type II. I don't see how type II came to predominate considering it came years after type I was introduced.


looks excactly like my mini 1. the guy i got it off of had it under a 150w MH in a ada mini m tank!!!! the curling was so extreme the stem could not be seen. it was also a whitish pink color.


----------



## Centromochlus

So i'm getting an ADA 60p and a 10g to grow plants emersed in when i have enough money.  Just got the approval of my parents. 

Thinking i'm going to do the 60p similar to this tank, but on a much smaller scale: http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/myTanks/1941-shayf.html

*60P Specs*:
- ADA 60-p tank (24"x12"x14" ~18 gallons)
- ADA-style black stand
- Fishneedit 70w metal halide with 8000k bulb
- Not sure what i'm going to do about CO2 yet... probably a paintball setup.
- ADA Amazonia substrate
- Eheim 2217 Filter
- Possibly some ohko stone
- Of course, lots of plants to fuel my collectoris...
Tentative plant list:
- Ammania sp. 'bonsai'
- Cuphea anagalloidea
- Ludwigia senegalensis
- Ludwigia inclinata ‘pantanal’
- Pogostemon helferi (CARPET)
- Rotala Mexicana ‘araguaia’
- Rotala Mexicana ‘goias’
- Rotala mini ‘type 1’
- Rotala mini ‘type 2’
- Rotala sp. ‘butterfly’
- Sphaerocaryum malaccense
Tentative fauna list:
- Yellow shrimp
- Ember tetras


*10g Specs*:
- Standard 10g tank (20"x10"x12")
- Ten 4"x4" plastic pots filled with gardening soil
- Haven't decided on the light yet-- any suggestions?
Tentative plant list:
- Ammania sp. ‘bonsai’
- Lindernia sp. ‘india’
- Ludwigia senegalensis
- Poaceae sp. 'Purple Bamboo'
- Rotala sunset (if it can be grown emersed, haven't been able to find any info)
- Hygrophila lancea
- Tonina fluviatilis 
- Limnophila sp. 'Sulawesi'
- Polygonum praetermissum
- Polygonum sp. 'Porto Velho'


----------



## JamesHockey

AzFishKid said:


> So i'm getting an ADA 60p and a 10g to grow plants emersed in when i have enough money.  Just got the approval of my parents.
> 
> Thinking i'm going to do the 60p similar to this tank, but on a much smaller scale: http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/myTanks/1941-shayf.html
> 
> *60P Specs*:
> - ADA 60-p tank (24"x12"x14" ~18 gallons)
> - ADA-style black stand
> - Fishneedit 70w metal halide with 8000k bulb
> - Not sure what i'm going to do about CO2 yet... probably a paintball setup.
> - ADA Amazonia substrate
> - Eheim 2217 Filter
> - Possibly some ohko stone
> - Of course, lots of plants to fuel my collectoris...
> Tentative plant list:
> - Ammania sp. 'bonsai'
> - Cuphea anagalloidea
> - Ludwigia senegalensis
> - Ludwigia inclinata ‘pantanal’
> - Pogostemon helferi (CARPET)
> - Rotala Mexicana ‘araguaia’
> - Rotala Mexicana ‘goias’
> - Rotala mini ‘type 1’
> - Rotala mini ‘type 2’
> - Rotala sp. ‘butterfly’
> - Sphaerocaryum malaccense
> Tentative fauna list:
> - Yellow shrimp
> - Ember tetras
> 
> 
> *10g Specs*:
> - Standard 10g tank (20"x10"x12")
> - Ten 4"x4" plastic pots filled with gardening soil
> - Haven't decided on the light yet-- any suggestions?
> Tentative plant list:
> - Ammania sp. ‘bonsai’
> - Lindernia sp. ‘india’
> - Ludwigia senegalensis
> - Poaceae sp. 'Purple Bamboo'
> - Rotala sunset (if it can be grown emersed, haven't been able to find any info)
> - Hygrophila lancea
> - Tonina fluviatilis
> - Limnophila sp. 'Sulawesi'
> - Polygonum praetermissum
> - Polygonum sp. 'Porto Velho'


 


-_-



:angryfire



:thumbsdow:thumbsdow:thumbsdow

:drool:



no.....just no


----------



## JamesHockey

at least you're getting some shrimp


----------



## Centromochlus

Just picked up the Do!Aqua 60p from Aquatouch.  I was originally planning on getting a standard 60p, but they didn't have any and i mind as well support my future employer instead of ordering one off of the ADG website, right? 

Plus the Do!Aqua tank came with some glass top holders, which i'll probably be using. Does ADA sell glass tops or do i have to get one elsewhere?


----------



## problemman

Picture? Im not sure what the tank looks like


----------



## Centromochlus

problemman said:


> Picture? Im not sure what the tank looks like


Haha i think i'm going to return it... i took it out of the box and the glass looks WAY too green for my tastes compared to the 90g... bummer. Impulse purchases FTL!

Guess i'll order a standard or clear-clarity glass 60p from AFA/ADG later.


----------



## problemman

Ftl?


----------



## Centromochlus

problemman said:


> Ftl?


For the loss.
AKA, i hate impulse purchases.


----------



## problemman

Aww I see! Me too today I just purchased 4 chocolate gouramis and 4 pygmy sparkling gouramis... Idk just thought they were cute and not always seen on here. I'm trying to be you and speedie lol he has the fish and scape, you got the plants! I just can't win!


----------



## Centromochlus

problemman said:


> Aww I see! Me too today I just purchased 4 chocolate gouramis and 4 pygmy sparkling gouramis... Idk just thought they were cute and not always seen on here. I'm trying to be you and speedie lol he has the fish and scape, you got the plants! I just can't win!


Haha it's even worse when you buy fish on impulse since you feel bad if you want to return them.

I'm just too excited to get the new tank set up i guess. :hihi: I have lots of plants in the 90g that look out-of-place, but i want to keep them for the 60p. By the way, i calculated how much it'll cost to get the ADA tank set up like i want... ~$700. Thank goodness i found a job. :eek5:


----------



## problemman

That's insane! But I have prob put 4 times that amount in the 75. Its all good


----------



## Centromochlus

Well i just got home from Montreal and it looks like my plants went without any CO2 or light for the past 5 days... lots of brown leaves and leggy growth. Hopefully it'll all bounce back soon enough. Good news is that it looks like all of my algae is gone... lol.
Thankfully, it looks like my rarest plant--Rotala 'sunset'--was basically unaffected by the lack of light and CO2.


----------



## problemman

That really sucks phil! Atleast the algae is gone!


----------



## JamesHockey

I got home from a three day trip, found my 8 bn plecos and about 15 rcs laying upside Dow on the substrate still breathing slowly, and the co2 wide open, with the drop checker quite yellow


I lost 3 rcs and 0 bn plecos 


The hard thing about reading my drop checker is that the roomthe tanks in is green 


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## matt12

NO!!!!!!!! i hope they bounce back!!


----------



## Centromochlus

Thanks guys. As pathetic as it sounds, seeing my tank like this is really depressing. It's like all my hard work is ruined. 90% of the plants look horrid. I just hope they'll bounce back soon enough...

Plants I had to ditch:
- Ammania sp. 'bonsai'
- Rotala macrandra 'japan red'
- Rotala mexicana 'goias'
- Ludwigia var. inclinata 'cuba'

Other bad news: Computer is broken. Grrrr...
Good news: I returned the Do!Aqua 60-P and purchased a nice stand instead.


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----------



## matt12

wel....at least there not the SUPER rare ones lol.


----------



## Centromochlus

Uhmm... So I found a dead orange amano shrimp under my hygrophila pinnatifida plant. Why is it orange?


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----------



## matt12

they turn that color when they die. its normal


----------



## Centromochlus

matt12 said:


> they turn that color when they die. its normal


Really? Interesting...

Btw, here's a pic of the new stand for the 60-P. Sorry about the crappy phone quality.

http://i370.photobucket.com/albums/oo149/inotacarnivore/ceca2d80.jpg


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## xJaypex

Looks good!

Are you setting this tank up in your room as well?


----------



## JamesHockey

Can you tell me how you keep your room so clean?


Sent from my iPod touch using Tapatalk


----------



## Centromochlus

xJaypex said:


> Looks good!
> 
> Are you setting this tank up in your room as well?


Yup! You're going to have to hand over some of your toninas when it's all set up.  


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Centromochlus

JamesHockey said:


> Can you tell me how you keep your room so clean?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPod touch using Tapatalk


Hire a housekeeper, lol. 



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----------



## JamesHockey

Awww really? I was hoping to see my floor sometime soon but now I have to save up my money for a house keeper, guess no fish stuff for a while


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----------



## Da Plant Man

AzFishKid said:


> Thanks guys. As pathetic as it sounds, seeing my tank like this is really depressing. It's like all my hard work is ruined. 90% of the plants look horrid. I just hope they'll bounce back soon enough...
> 
> Plants I had to ditch:
> - Ammania sp. 'bonsai'
> - Rotala macrandra 'japan red'
> - Rotala mexicana 'goias'
> - Ludwigia var. inclinata 'cuba'


I might be able to get you some of that Ammania sp. 'bonsai' back to you. It went through a rough patch but is growing back in a emersed state. I know this isn't soon, but in a month I think I can give you a few stems.


----------



## Centromochlus

Caton said:


> I might be able to get you some of that Ammania sp. 'bonsai' back to you. It went through a rough patch but is growing back in a emersed state. I know this isn't soon, but in a month I think I can give you a few stems.


Thanks Caton, but Matt already offered to send me some. 

@James-- lol. :hihi:


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----------



## Da Plant Man

AzFishKid said:


> Thanks Caton, but Matt already offered to send me some.


Cool yatabeanus, I just trimmed my polygonum kawagoeanum because it is growing so well. I love it when my favorite plant (as of right now...) grows good


----------



## JamesHockey

AzFishKid said:


> Thanks Caton, but Matt already offered to send me some.
> 
> @James-- lol. :hihi:
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


:hihi:


Sent from my iPod touch using Tapatalk


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## JamesHockey

I think we need new pics after you trim the plants you sell


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----------



## JamesHockey

AzFishKid said:


> i hope this will be my final tank until i go off to college (but you never know what will happen when you're part of an addictive hobby like this one...).


This is a quote from the third post on this thread



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----------



## VadimShevchuk

Gratz on the your parents letting you get a rimless tank! Hopefully we will see some nice shrimp in there.


----------



## problemman

Phil I feel like its been forever since I have talked to you...HI!


----------



## Da Plant Man

I hear you lost a lot more plants. Update your plant list and PICTURES!!!!


----------



## Centromochlus

Hi guys! Sorry about the lack of updates... the combination of school work and having a weekend job has taken up most of my time lately. The job is going well though; i absolutely love it!

Yes, unfortunately i did loose quite a few plants due to the accidental 5-day blackout while i was on vacation. I had to trim all of the plants and replant the tops since the bottom portions rotted. So now it looks like a newly-planted tank again. 

NEW PLANTS (since last update):
- Ludwigia pilosa
- Hygrophila lancea 
- Pogostemon cf. pumilus 
- Rotala sp. 'thailand'
- Blyxa aubertii
- Blyxa japonica
- Blyxa alternifolia

CURRENT PLANT LIST:
- Pogostemon yatabeanus
- Pogostemon erectus
- Pogostemon stellatus 'broad leaf'
- Pogostemon stellatus 'narrow leaf'
- Pogostemon cf. pumilus
- Alternanthera reineckii
- Ludwigia glandulosa
- Ludwigia brevipes
- Ludwigia pilosa
- Limnophila repens 'mini'
- Limnophila aromatica
- Bacopa colorata
- Bacopa salzmannii
- Rotala 'sunset'
- Rotala 'nanjashen'
- Rotala macrandra 'green'
- Rotala macrandra 'japan red'
- Rotala 'thailand'
- Blyxa alternifolia
- Blyxa aubertii
- Blyxa japonica
- Blyxa 'india' (nechamandra alternifolia)
- Hygrophila 'araguaia'
- Hygrophila lancea
- Hygrophila pinnatifida
- Glosso/marsilea
- Hydrothrix gardeneri
- Ranunculus inundatus
- Acmella repens

NEW FISH:
- 4 roseline torpedo barbs

STILL LOOKING FOR:
- Bacopa australis
- Bacopa madagascariensis
- Diodia cf. kuntzei (Hygrophila sp. 'pantanal')
- Ludwigia inclinata var. verticillata 'Araguaia' 
- Murdannia keisak
- Nesaea icosandra
- Polygonum sp. 'acre'
- Rotala mexicana 'belem'
- Rotala mexicana 'green'
- Rotala mexicana 'red'
- Rotala occultiflora


----------



## matt12

Ludwigia pilosa
Hygrophila lancea 
roud:


----------



## problemman

Where are the pictures? + how is everything bouncing back


----------



## JamesHockey

Bump


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----------



## Centromochlus

Well, i found one of my plecos dead this morning... one of the female longfin yellow blue eye's. I'm doing a 75% water change since i think ripping out all of the glosso caused an ammonia spike... might clean out the FX5 was well to play it safe.

I hope all of my honeycombs are ok.


----------



## problemman

That really sucks phil. Hope every thing else is okay.


----------



## Centromochlus

problemman said:


> That really sucks phil. Hope every thing else is okay.


Yeah, everyone else seems to be doing fine though, so i'm hopeful.

Sorry about the lack of picture updates-- when i get home from work today i'll try to upload some. A lot has changed... i was looking back at some old FTS's and i really miss how the tank looked. All ruined because the timers didn't work... ugh.


----------



## Centromochlus

One of my honeycombs has a bacterial infection.  I moved him to a 1G holding container with an air stone to hopefully help heal him. I'm dosing a TINY bit of melafix, literally half of a tiny drop... he doesn't seem to like it very well (being a scaleless fish), but i'm hopeful that he'll make a full recovery.


----------



## matt12

AzFishKid said:


> One of my honeycombs has a bacterial infection.  I moved him to a 1G holding container with an air stone to hopefully help heal him. I'm dosing a TINY bit of melafix, literally half of a tiny drop... he doesn't seem to like it very well (being a scaleless fish), but i'm hopeful that he'll make a full recovery.


 if you have a spare 10 gallon, move him to that. Keep it dark, clean, and warm (80). Melefix is pretty safe to use with scaleless fish. i prefer to treat with Microbe Lift's Artemiss.


----------



## Centromochlus

matt12 said:


> if you have a spare 10 gallon, move him to that. Keep it dark, clean, and warm (80). Melefix is pretty safe to use with scaleless fish. i prefer to treat with Microbe Lift's Artemiss.


He seems to be doing quite well in the little 1G; no issues so far. The wound/infection is a lot smaller in size and it's not nearly as red as it was a few days ago. Thanks for the advice though!

13 black cories are on the way too. They are expected to arrive tomorrow before noon. I'm going to pick them up at the PO after school. :smile: Can't wait!


----------



## matt12

AzFishKid said:


> He seems to be doing quite well in the little 1G; no issues so far. The wound/infection is a lot smaller in size and it's not nearly as red as it was a few days ago. Thanks for the advice though!
> 
> 13 black cories are on the way too. They are expected to arrive tomorrow before noon. I'm going to pick them up at the PO after school. :smile: Can't wait!


 wohoo!!!!


----------



## sewingalot

Glad to hear your little guy is doing so much better! I think you should take some pictures to celebrate.


----------



## matt12

i wanna see a fts with the cories!


----------



## Centromochlus

I'll definitely post some pics of both the cories and the tank tomorrow.


----------



## sewingalot

I'm holding you to this, Philip! Both yours and Matt12's tanks are gorgeous. I miss my collectoritis days.....:hihi:


----------



## xJaypex

AzFishKid said:


> Yup! You're going to have to hand over some of your toninas when it's all set up.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Sounds good to me, im free most of the time for meeting up or something, since finals are almost done. 

Hows the rotala mini turning out? Mine is pretty much growing with all leafs flatten instead of curled up. Its crazy!


----------



## Centromochlus

Cories are here!









































































Some pics of the tank. It's not nearly what it used to be, but it's getting there...
Please excuse the reflection, the dirty glass, and the floating plants. :hihi:


----------



## shrimpnmoss

those black corys looks sweet.....how big do they get?


----------



## Da Plant Man

I LOVE THOSE! I am going to have to get some when I set-up my tank


----------



## Centromochlus

shrimpnmoss said:


> those black corys looks sweet.....how big do they get?


2"-3" max. Just like most other cories. :icon_mrgr


----------



## matt12

nice!!! cant wait to get mine!!!


----------



## ua hua

Really cool cories you got there. Do you mind telling where you got them?


----------



## Da Plant Man

He got them from a guy who works at Area 51, 43 levels underground. The source tells me the seller would like to keep his name anonymous. These cories are out of the world people!


----------



## nonconductive

if those black cories are the same as mine they get up to 4" and are rather elongated.


----------



## Centromochlus

Terrible photo, but i figured i might as well post an updated FTS. Still working on getting the plants shaped the way that i want...


----------



## sewingalot

Gorgeous, Philip! How are the cories doing?


----------



## Centromochlus

sewingalot said:


> Gorgeous, Philip! How are the cories doing?


Thanks Sara! All 13 are doing very well-- i think they've already put on at least 1/6" or so since i got them. Doesn't sound like much but they're pretty tiny. 

I was afraid that i lost a few to the filter, other fish, etc but i saw all 13 eating algae wafers yesterday.


----------



## Cardinal Tetra

Ohhh nice. I like the roselines and it looks like the Nechamandra is taking over


----------



## sewingalot

That's fantastic news, Philip! It's always great when they all make it this long, a great sign. Your tank is looking better with every update.


----------



## Da Plant Man

I demand that you break down this tank.

THEN SEND IT TO MEEE!

Its so gorgeous! I love the pinatfidia! ITS HUGE! It looks EPIC AND AMAZING right now...I don't wanna know what its going to look like when its the way YOU want it!


----------



## RipariumGuy

Very nice Philip! The tank has matured very well. This is weird coming from my mouth, but I now actually like a dutch style tank!


----------



## Da Plant Man

RipariumGuy said:


> This is weird coming from my mouth, but I now actually like a dutch style tank!


I defriended you from facebook because you said didn't like dutch tanks (let alone stem plants). I guess I can add you again.


----------



## JamesHockey

da plant man said:


> i defriended you from facebook because you said didn't like dutch tanks (let alone stem plants). I guess i can add you again.


xxxxxxxxxxxxxddddddddddddddddd


----------



## JamesHockey

so today on fb i forced phil to give me a current fts so here it is :


----------



## Centromochlus

Thanks James... lol.

Anyway, i guess i should give a little info since the picture has been posted. I decided to remove the mounds o' blyxa because they blocked the plants in the back too much. Instead, i will be replacing them with ranunculus inundatus. I also removed the Ludwigia brevipes because it looked kind of ratty, but i plan to get more to fill in the empty spot in the back. THEN i'm going to remove the rotala macrandra 'japan red' and replace it with bacopa myriophylloides and probably some other plant(s). I have a vision but it's gonna take a while to get there...


----------



## JamesHockey

Nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnppppppppppppppppppppp man


----------



## Centromochlus

Updated FTS (May 30, 2011):









Updated Complete Plant List:
- Ammannia latifolia
- Acmella repens
- Alternanthera reineckii
- Bacopa salzmannii
- Bacopa colorata
- Bacopa myriophylloides
- Blyxa japonica
- Blyxa 'india' (Nechamandra alternifolia)
- Diodia virginiana
- Eichhornia diversifolia
- Hygrophila lancea
- Hygrophila pinnatifida
- Hygrophila araguaia
- Hydrothrix gardneri
- Ludwigia glandulosa
- Ludwigia repens 'rubin'
- Limnophila aromatica
- Limnophila repens 'mini'
- Najas roraima
- Pogostemon stellatus 'narrow leaf'
- Pogostemon stellatus 'broad leaf'
- Pogostemon erectus
- Pogostemon yatabeanus
- Pogostemon cf. pumilus
- Rotala macrandra 'green'
- Rotala 'nanjanshen'
- Staurogyne repens
- Staurogyne stolonifera

Updated Complete Fauna List:
- Corydoras 'black venezuela' (13)
- Tatia perugiae (7)
- L144 blue-eyed yellow bristlenose pleco (5)
- Peacock gudgeon goby (4)
- Denison barb (4)
- Otocinclus catfish (3?)
- Amano shrimp (?)
Planning on getting 20-30 cardinals someday...


----------



## Ben.

Looks really good man. Once that Staurogyne fills in...


----------



## Centromochlus

Ben. said:


> Looks really good man. Once that Staurogyne fills in...


Thanks! I'm still trying to figure out what plant i want to put in the empty space in the back and also the space in the front on the far right side... any suggestions welcome.


----------



## matt12

looking good!


----------



## JamesHockey

Needs more 049


Hi?uh... This is my iPod that I'm on..


----------



## sewingalot

Nice! I still think you need to take out that wood and put in mowr plants though. :hihi:


----------



## Centromochlus

Well, some bad news... i did a 50% water change yesterday--like i do every week--and it somehow resulted in the deaths of all 4 of my roseline barbs. Almost immediately after i added the new water, the barbs started gasping for air at the top, which made me think that there were low levels of oxygen in the tap water, so i adjusted the power head to agitate the surface. About 10 minutes later, they were franticly flopping around the tank and then soon after were laying upside down on the substrate and stopped breathing. The water came out of the sink at room temperature, and all of the other fish seemed fine (except for the barbs), so the low oxygen level theory is probably out of the question. 

Then after talking to some friends, i thought that maybe the tap water had higher levels of chlorine than usual-- but then i thought, wouldn't that have affected all of the fish?

By the way, i had both the tank water and the tap water tested, and they were both perfect. Does anyone have any ideas for why just the barbs, who were perfectly healthy and eating well before i did the water change, were killed by this seemingly normal and scheduled water change? None of the other fish, even my otos, oil catfish, and amanos (which i know tend to be on the more sensitive side) showed any abnormal side effects. 

I'm really bummed because they were doing so well in my tank, grew rather quickly, and were a nice centerpiece fish. I'm really confused as to what could have caused their sudden death. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.


On a side note, i'm leaving for Spain tomorrow morning and i won't be back for 2 weeks, so i'm going to miss you all! One of my fish buds is gonna look after the tank for me, so i'm hoping that i won't come back to a destroyed tank again. We'll be visiting the Lisbon Aquarium in Portugal as well, so i'm going to take lots of pictures to share with you all when i return.


----------



## shrimpnmoss

Have fun in Spain. Sorry about your barbs. They knew you were leaving and were like it. We're outta here.


----------



## orchidman

spain! thats pretty cool.. stinks about the roselines though


----------



## hilikus16

Great looking tank! What is the foreground plant?

Have fun in Spain! I did study abroad in Madrid for 5 weeks in 2008. I highly recommend visiting Sevilla and Toledo- both are gorgeous cities. You need to visit again in July sometime and run with the bulls; that was something I will never forget.


----------



## Rion

Some fish are just more susceptible to chlorine than others, I've lost a lot CPDs but nothing else because the water treatment center flushed the lines with highly chlorinated water. Honestly I think they should send out a notice before they do these flushes. Whenever college starts up they flush the lines to prepare and accommodate the influx of population returning.


----------



## sewingalot

Have fun in Spain!!!

It is possible there was more chlorine than usual in the tap water. Ours frequently has more in the rainy seasons, it's so strong you can smell it out of the tap. Perhaps a combination of the two? Try not to be so hard on yourself. Some fish are more susceptible to water changes than others.


----------



## robbowal

[/QUOTE] be visiting the Lisbon Aquarium in Portugal as well, so i'm going to take lots of pictures to share with you all when i return. [/QUOTE]

The lisbon Oceanarium (one of the largest in the world) is one of my favorite places to visit when i get a chance.
Been there shortly after it opened in 98 and three times since and it still amazing. 
Would recommend it to anyone to visit even if you are only passing through lisbon.
it is truly amazing.
you will love it.


----------



## jkan0228

hilikus16 said:


> Great looking tank! What is the foreground plant?
> 
> Have fun in Spain! I did study abroad in Madrid for 5 weeks in 2008. I highly recommend visiting Sevilla and Toledo- both are gorgeous cities. You need to visit again in July sometime and run with the bulls; that was something I will never forget.


That would be Staurogyne Repens Tropica 049  Great plant.


Have fun in Spain!


----------



## Cardinal Tetra

Did your Blyxa alternifolia get eaten again? I still have 50ish


----------



## Da Plant Man

Now I need an update, both on the tank and your trip  

Where are those "Europe largest aquarium" pictures?


----------



## Centromochlus

shrimpnmoss said:


> Have fun in Spain. Sorry about your barbs. They knew you were leaving and were like it. We're outta here.





orchidman said:


> spain! thats pretty cool.. stinks about the roselines though





hilikus16 said:


> Great looking tank! What is the foreground plant?
> 
> Have fun in Spain! I did study abroad in Madrid for 5 weeks in 2008. I highly recommend visiting Sevilla and Toledo- both are gorgeous cities. You need to visit again in July sometime and run with the bulls; that was something I will never forget.





Rion said:


> Some fish are just more susceptible to chlorine than others, I've lost a lot CPDs but nothing else because the water treatment center flushed the lines with highly chlorinated water. Honestly I think they should send out a notice before they do these flushes. Whenever college starts up they flush the lines to prepare and accommodate the influx of population returning.





sewingalot said:


> Have fun in Spain!!!
> 
> It is possible there was more chlorine than usual in the tap water. Ours frequently has more in the rainy seasons, it's so strong you can smell it out of the tap. Perhaps a combination of the two? Try not to be so hard on yourself. Some fish are more susceptible to water changes than others.





robbowal said:


> The lisbon Oceanarium (one of the largest in the world) is one of my favorite places to visit when i get a chance.
> Been there shortly after it opened in 98 and three times since and it still amazing.
> Would recommend it to anyone to visit even if you are only passing through lisbon.
> it is truly amazing.
> you will love it.





Da Plant Man said:


> Now I need an update, both on the tank and your trip
> 
> Where are those "Europe largest aquarium" pictures?


Thanks for the thoughts everyone. I'm still really bummed about the barbs. 
Spain and Portugal was a LOT of fun! We visited Madrid, Barcelona, Granada, Sevilla, Avila, Lagos, and Lisbon. Pics of the trip and tank to come...



Cardinal Tetra said:


> Did your Blyxa alternifolia get eaten again? I still have 50ish


It all melted on me for some reason... i just kinda gave up. Maybe i'll try it again in the 60P.


----------



## PzykoSkillz

Tank looks great and i had the same thing happen to three of my roseline barbs. One of them made it though along w/ all my other fish.


----------



## Centromochlus

Added 50 cardinals a few days ago. 4 died (that i know of) but it seems that ~8 more are missing... strange.
A few of the plants need to be trimmed, but i'm very pleased with how it looks. 
All suggestions/comments welcome, as always.


----------



## Ben Belton

That's awesome. Good work. My tank isn't getting much love this summer. Too much yard work to do.


----------



## orchidman

looks awesome phil!


----------



## hydrophyte

Looks great Philip! I like the contrasts of texture that I see.


----------



## RipariumGuy

Nice.... I am, as always, envious... 

Hey, idea for you: Enter this tank into the AGA Aquascaping contest! It is free this year, and I am doing it with my fail of a tank!


----------



## Lil' Swimz$

Daaaaaang.


----------



## orchidman

RipariumGuy said:


> Nice.... I am, as always, envious...
> 
> Hey, idea for you: Enter this tank into the AGA Aquascaping contest! It is free this year, and I am doing it with my fail of a tank!


i second the idea! he already convinced me to enter my ugly tank. you know youll be able to beat at least one person!


----------



## Centromochlus

Thanks guys!
When are the entries for the AGA contest due by?


----------



## orchidman

i think its september


----------



## RipariumGuy

September 25th.


----------



## orchidman

yep!


----------



## 150EH

It is a very nice looking tank, it's always so hard to count that many fish a couple could have strayed or even a miss count can happen so easy, but the gang looks great from here.


----------



## jart

Great looking tank!
What happened to your plan to replace the intake of the FX-5? And could you please elaborate on how you split the return?


----------



## Mr_ed

stumbled upon this thread and just went through it. Very nice work, Philip!


----------



## CL

Man, the tank is stunning. Nicely done. :thumbsup:


----------



## Centromochlus

150EH said:


> It is a very nice looking tank, it's always so hard to count that many fish a couple could have strayed or even a miss count can happen so easy, but the gang looks great from here.


Thanks! I think 5-10 have disappeared, but i haven't had any more disappearances for the past few days so maybe i'm fine now?



jart said:


> Great looking tank!
> What happened to your plan to replace the intake of the FX-5? And could you please elaborate on how you split the return?


Sure! It's kind of hard to take pictures, so i made a little diagram on Word-- hope it makes some sense. :icon_redf










Basically what i wanted was 2 outflows with just 1 filter. To do this i used a "Y"-shaped plastic PVC fitting (found here) that i got from Marine Depot. Got some extra tubing and some hose clamps, along with a few directional returns and i was good to go!

The only negative aspect of splitting the tube into 2 directions was a significant decrease in flow. Along with the inline reactor, it cut the flow of the FX5 by at LEAST 75%. If i were to change anything, i would have a separate pump for the reactor.



Mr_ed said:


> stumbled upon this thread and just went through it. Very nice work, Philip!





CL said:


> Man, the tank is stunning. Nicely done. :thumbsup:


Thanks guys!


----------



## Mr_ed

AzFishKid said:


> The only negative aspect of splitting the tube into 2 directions was a significant decrease in flow. Along with the inline reactor, it cut the flow of the FX5 by at LEAST 75%. If i were to change anything, i would have a separate pump for the reactor.


I think you have the CarbonDoser EXT5000 right? I thought they strongly advertised how their reactor doesn't reduce the flow.. I guess you have discovered otherwise?


----------



## Centromochlus

Mr_ed said:


> I think you have the CarbonDoser EXT5000 right? I thought they strongly advertised how their reactor doesn't reduce the flow.. I guess you have discovered otherwise?


Yup, that's the one i have! They lied.


----------



## Mr_ed

AzFishKid said:


> Yup, that's the one i have! They lied.


bummer!! was just considering getting one until I read this


----------



## Centromochlus

Mr_ed said:


> bummer!! was just considering getting one until I read this


It does what they claim it to do quite well, but it does cut the flow by a lot. A separate pump for the reactor would be ideal.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Mr_ed

AzFishKid said:


> The only negative aspect of splitting the tube into 2 directions was a significant decrease in flow. Along with the inline reactor, it cut the flow of the FX5 by at LEAST 75%. If i were to change anything, i would have a separate pump for the reactor.


when you say splitting the tube with a Y splitter reduced your flow, you really meant flow per nozzle head, right? you didn't mean overall flow rate that passes through the filter, right?

I couldn't see how adding less restriction at the output (with your Y-splitter) could reduce filter flow rate.


----------



## Centromochlus

Mr_ed said:


> when you say splitting the tube with a Y splitter reduced your flow, you really meant flow per nozzle head, right? you didn't mean overall flow rate that passes through the filter, right?
> 
> I couldn't see how adding less restriction at the output (with your Y-splitter) could reduce filter flow rate.


Correct. Obviously the flow is going to be split in half since it goes out through two tubes, but it literally trickles now. I'd say it's about 50GPH for each nozzle. I think just having more tubing for the water to go through puts more pressure on the pump, but i could be wrong.


----------



## Mr_ed

AzFishKid said:


> Correct. Obviously the flow is going to be split in half since it goes out through two tubes, but it literally trickles now. I'd say it's about 50GPH for each nozzle. I think just having more tubing for the water to go through puts more pressure on the pump, but i could be wrong.


I see... I'll have to think twice about the CarbonDoser . thanks


----------



## Centromochlus

Mr_ed said:


> so the blame lies squarely on the CarbonDoser ?


Nah, i think it's a combination of both, but i think the reactor is the main suspect. :thumbsdow




Mr_ed said:


> I see... I'll have to think twice about the CarbonDoser . thanks


No problem!


----------



## Centromochlus

Thinking about redoing my tank a little... i want it to look like how it was months ago.

Most recent pic:









How i'd like it to look again:









I think i need to remove most of the non-stem plants and start forming larger bushes of the species that i already have. We'll see how it goes.


----------



## Ben Belton

They both look great. Thanks to the summer neglect I've almost lost all my stems. I practically have to start over. Yours is great.


----------



## Da Plant Man

-Starts chanting-

UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE! UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE! UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE! UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE! UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE!UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE! UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE! UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE!
*WITH PICTURES!*


----------



## Da Plant Man

Philip, I know you read this. You told me that you did. You better update before you do that "secrete thing".


----------



## Centromochlus

Da Plant Man said:


> Philip, I know you read this. You told me that you did. You better update before you do that "secrete thing".


BAHA. Fine.

I decided to completely tear down this tank and go a low/medium-tech route. I'm moving all the fish into holding tanks and starting from scratch. The upkeep has been too much for me and i feel like making this a more simpler tank will be easier to maintain. The 60P is still going to be high-tech and will have a dutch scape. I'm still trying to decide whether or not i want to keep injecting CO2 into this tank, though i don't think it'll be necessary with the plants that i have in mind. If i decide to not use CO2 on the 90G, all of the equipment will be used on the 60P, so not having to buy a second system would be a bonus.

That is all. Pics/more information to come.


----------



## orchidman

make sure you take a nice official shot for this! before you take it down


----------



## peyton

Your tank was amazing before. I can't wait to see what you got planned.


----------



## Da Plant Man

peyton said:


> Your tank was amazing before. I can't wait to see what you got planned.


Correction to the above statement "Your tank [STRIKE]was[/STRIKE] is amazing..."


YAY!


----------



## VadimShevchuk

Nooooo!!! I love your tank Philip, but i guess you gotta do whats best.... I love low tech too and i think its a lot more forgiving then a high tech tank. Looking forward to updates as always!


----------



## TankZen

> Thinking about redoing my tank a little... i want it to look like how it was months ago.


WOW that tank loooked SICK! Excited to see what it turns out like!


----------



## Centromochlus

The driftwood arrived today-- in a HUGE box!
And of course, my cats were all over it.


----------



## shrimpnmoss

Nice pick on the driftwood. Can't wait to see it installed.


----------



## zachary908

Awesome driftwood, Azfishkid! Tom always has great stuff.


----------



## nonconductive

yea nice wood


----------



## Da Plant Man

nonconductive said:


> yea nice wood


:icon_surp Thats bad. :tongue:


Really cool driftwood! Can't wait to see what you do with it!


----------



## speedie408

I envy your wood. haha


----------



## zachary908

All of these wood comments are hilarious. :hihi:

Can't wait to see pictures of the new scape, Azfishkid.


----------



## orchidman

speedie408 said:


> I envy your wood. haha


:help:


----------



## speedie408

orchidman said:


> :help:




Rated PG:icon_excl


----------



## orchidman

lol


----------



## Centromochlus

Thanks guys! I'm really excited to get started with the new scape. I just hope the driftwood fits with the center brace.  It's currently soaking in my bathtub, lol.

I forgot to mention that i also have some nice rocks on the way from Da Plant Man. roud: I didn't feel like paying $4.99/lb (~50lb) for ADA's black river stone so i decided to look elsewhere. I think they'll look really nice in the tank. Assuming that USPS accepted the flat-rate package that he stuffed them in (which i'm doubtful of, but i'm crossing my fingers lol), they'll be here within the next few days.

I'll be moving the fish into the holding tanks either later today or tomorrow and the plants will hopefully be gone soon as well. Speaking of plants, is anyone interested in my massive carpet of _Staurogyne repens_? :hihi:


----------



## Lil' Swimz$

Aw man. I remember that piece.. I wanted it so bad.. Its the perfect wood. It will look amazing.


----------



## CL

Freakin sweet piece of manzy. Tom's got an eye for it


----------



## orchidman

i wish i had money to but your stauro!


----------



## Centromochlus

orchidman said:


> i wish i had money to but your stauro!


Make me an offer!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## orchidman

shoot me a pm with the range your thinking, and how much your offering roud: most likely wont be able to. never hurts though. ill be awaiting your PM


----------



## Centromochlus

The tank is drained and the new driftwood is in! Also added a 9L bag of new aquasoil to form the mound that the driftwood sits on. Considering adding another 9L or 3L bag as well (both of which i have). I'm so happy with how the driftwood looks!

Pics to come.


----------



## peyton

Blame this on my warped sense of humor but the shape of that driftwood looks like it's doing this










J/K. I can't wait to see the tank setup. PICS!


----------



## Da Plant Man

AzFishKid said:


> I forgot to mention that i also have some nice rocks on the way from Da Plant Man. think they'll look really nice in the tank. Assuming that USPS accepted the flat-rate package that he stuffed them in (which i'm doubtful of, but i'm crossing my fingers lol), they'll be here within the next few days.



Don't worry, USPS wouldn't let me ship 62lb's to you in a single large flat rate box. I handed it to the USPS guy and he just about dropped it because of the weight :icon_mrgr

Teaser picture:


----------



## Centromochlus

Bad pics but you get the idea...
I'm going to place the rocks around the "peninsula" (which will be made taller with more soil, btw) and keep stem plants on the peninsula. The rest, including the left side and right front, will be just Staurogyne repens.



















Lol @ that pic, peyton. Interesting interpretation!


----------



## zachary908

Amazing!


----------



## jkan0228

Can't wait to see this planted!


----------



## peyton

Looks outstanding so far.


----------



## Axelrodi202

That's some nice driftwood! Maybe you could try mixing in a bit of DHG Belem with the Staurogyne?


----------



## shrimpnmoss

Nice. I like the new bonsai trend I see occurring. What happened to all your plants?


----------



## Centromochlus

Axelrodi202 said:


> That's some nice driftwood! Maybe you could try mixing in a bit of DHG Belem with the Staurogyne?


Possibly, though i really liked the clean look of just Staurogyne in the last scape.
Something to consider, at least. :icon_mrgr Thanks for the suggestion.



shrimpnmoss said:


> Nice. I like the new bonsai trend I see occurring. What happened to all your plants?


Gone. I kept all my rare species but everything else i ditched/gave away. A lot of it was in bad condition due to neglect.

New plant list:
- Ludwigia glandulosa
- Ludwigia cf. glandulosa x palustris
- Pogostemon erectus
- Bacopa colorata
- Limnophila repens 'mini'
- Ranunculus inundatus
- Staurogyne repens
- Possibly some downoi


----------



## orchidman

nicee!


----------



## fishykid1

I bet mine will look better than yours >.> MWHAHAHA 

stauro is a neat plant.. i love the way it can grow tall but also creep


----------



## Centromochlus

Got the rocks from Caton today!
Need some help with the scape though. I haven't really done a scape with rocks before so any input is appreciated.

My plan is to have Ranunculus inundatus planted in the gaps between the rocks, and Staurogyne repens everywhere else (not on the hill) to complete the carpet. On the hill, i'm going to have the stem plants.


----------



## shrimpnmoss

Those rocks looks kinda big. Makes your wood look smaller. Maybe two in the back two in the front? Have the wood to appear like it has fallen over the two in the front...

I think they're too spread out right now...just my opinion..


----------



## Da Plant Man

These pictures made my day. Too bad you didn't show how bad the box was when they arrived  . I saw on skype that it burst. 

GET THAT SUCKER PLANTED FOO'!


----------



## orchidman

this looks AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i love it!

i think it you put the rocks a little lower in the substrate it would be perfect! cant wait to see it filled


----------



## Centromochlus




----------



## orchidman

i like the first one better. i would add that extra stone on the right instead of the left.


----------



## Centromochlus




----------



## Ben.

Very nice.  I'll have to stop by if I'm ever in the area!


----------



## orchidman

Move the three rightmost rocks left a little bit and you done. Can't wait to see it planted. Are you doing a dsm?


You can call me Bob


----------



## Centromochlus

I've been messing around with it a bit more to see what else i can come up with. I'm really liking how this looks but i'd like some opinions as well. 

I think the left side looked too empty, so i added the smaller piece of driftwood that extends to the rock on the far left.
Should i take the rock on the left side out and maybe replace it with a smaller rock, or maybe leave it out all together?


----------



## zachary908

I'm digging that last arrangement, however I would move the rock on the left back a bit.


----------



## Centromochlus

Swapped out that rock for a smaller one... thoughts?


----------



## Da Plant Man

DARN IT PHILIP! Why must you make everything so PERFECT! 

I love it the way it is right now, just plant it and watch it turn even more perfect.


----------



## orchidman

looks awesome!


----------



## RipariumGuy

Much better Philip! Can't wait to see it planted!


----------



## shrimpnmoss

The smaller rock looks better. I can't believe this is the same 90g.....that is one huge manzy..


----------



## zachary908

Looks great!


----------



## Centromochlus

Moved a few of the rocks around a bit and filled the tank about 30 mins ago... hopefully it'll be clear enough by tomorrow morning for some pictures.


----------



## Da Plant Man

AzFishKid said:


> Moved a few of the rocks around a bit and filled the tank about 30 mins ago... hopefully it'll be clear enough by tomorrow morning for some pictures.


roud:

Ya did good.


----------



## orchidman

woohohoo


----------



## Centromochlus

I'm not 100% happy with it, but i think it'll look a lot better once it's all planted.


----------



## jkan0228

Looks pretty nice to me!


----------



## zachary908

AzFishKid said:


> Moved a few of the rocks around a bit and filled the tank about 30 mins ago... hopefully it'll be clear enough by tomorrow morning for some pictures.


Is it morning yet? :bounce:

Edit: just refreshed the page you posted already! It looks awesome!


----------



## orchidman

the water makes it look so awesome!!! cool! it will look fine once you get plants in there


----------



## RipariumGuy

Amazing, as usual, but just one thought with the scape: Why not add even MORE rocks. Specifically to the left side of the tank? Past the little piece of driftwood. That should give the tank a more even feel.


----------



## orchidman

i think you should leave it as is, or with minimal adjustments. and plant it. once the plants grow in, some of the rocks wont even be seen. plant that baby up!


----------



## Postal Penguin

Correct me if I am wrong, it's been awhile since I read the manual on my pH meter, but I don't believe those pH probes are fully submersible. The only part that is supposed to be in the water is the bottom inch or so.


----------



## Centromochlus

Postal Penguin said:


> Correct me if I am wrong, it's been awhile since I read the manual on my pH meter, but I don't believe those pH probes are fully submersible. The only part that is supposed to be in the water is the bottom inch or so.


As far as I know they are--and that's how I've always used them--but someone please do let me know if I'm wrong!


----------



## hydrophyte

AzFishKid said:


> I'm not 100% happy with it, but i think it'll look a lot better once it's all planted.


Looking great Phillip. Where did you get that piece of manzanita? It looks super cool.


----------



## Centromochlus

hydrophyte said:


> Looking great Phillip. Where did you get that piece of manzanita? It looks super cool.


Thanks! I got it from Tom Barr. He has some great pieces.


----------



## Lil' Swimz$

I'd move the manzanita over to the right more, too centered. Group the rocks in odd number [instead of a row]. Looks sweet though, any way you put it it will be amazing.


----------



## fishykid1

I'd agree with a few more rocks and moving it a bit to the left or right. Other than that, it looks awesome dood! KEEP GOING!


----------



## NStarr

What plants are going into the tank?

On an unrelated note, whereabouts do you live in Phoenix? I used to live in Chandler and Gilbert.


----------



## fishykid1

NStarr said:


> What plants are going into the tank?
> 
> On an unrelated note, whereabouts do you live in Phoenix? I used to live in Chandler and Gilbert.


I believe he posted it a couple pages back.. check 56 and up


----------



## NStarr

fishykid1 said:


> I believe he posted it a couple pages back.. check 56 and up


Obvious post is obvious. Can't believe I missed it. :icon_redf


----------



## 2in10

I agree with moving the wood one way or the other other a bit and tweaking the rocks. Then plant that baby up!! Nice looking stuff.


----------



## VadimShevchuk

Woah!!!! nice wood Philip! I agree with others on the rocks but that minor after everything grows in!


----------



## Centromochlus

I moved the driftwood to the right a tiny bit more as suggested. Looks a lot better, IMO.
Any specific suggestions regarding how i should change the rock placement would be appreciated. I like the larger rocks so please don't say replace them with smaller rocks.
I have a good portion of Ranunculus inundatus, Pogostemon erectus, and Ludwigia brevipes on the way. The Staurogyne repens also needs to be planted once i stop being so lazy.
Thank you all for the continuing feedback!


----------



## RipariumGuy

Not sure if this is against the look you want, but why not add some rocks (some, not many at all) to the left side of the stump? Toward the back maybe?


----------



## Centromochlus

RipariumGuy said:


> Not sure if this is against the look you want, but why not add some rocks (some, not many at all) to the left side of the stump? Toward the back maybe?


I tried that a few days ago but it didn't look right for some reason, and i couldn't figure out why... seemed like a brilliant idea in my head but it didn't turn out like i had hoped. Maybe i'll try it again and post some pics for feedback.


----------



## NJAquaBarren

Don't think you need to change rocks, or arrangement. What might look nice though would be to add some smaller rocks around them in support. When rocks fall on nature, they fall in groups, large and small. You can often see where a large rock split in two with a pile of rubble in between and around. 

Amano always talks about emulating nature. So only addition I'd suggest would be to place some smaller rocks in the foreground and sides of your arrangement until you get a nice, natural look that you like. Then remove any that will be completely concealed by your plants when they grow in to maximize planting space.

Looks good as is though.


----------



## Axelrodi202

Nice tank Philip! Can't wait to see it when you get more plants.

I agree with NJ AquaBarren. Just the big rocks by themselves looks a bit weird. Adding some smaller rocks would make it look more natural.


----------



## Centromochlus

NJAquaBarren said:


> Don't think you need to change rocks, or arrangement. What might look nice though would be to add some smaller rocks around them in support. When rocks fall on nature, they fall in groups, large and small. You can often see where a large rock split in two with a pile of rubble in between and around.
> 
> Amano always talks about emulating nature. So only addition I'd suggest would be to place some smaller rocks in the foreground and sides of your arrangement until you get a nice, natural look that you like. Then remove any that will be completely concealed by your plants when they grow in to maximize planting space.
> 
> Looks good as is though.





Axelrodi202 said:


> Nice tank Philip! Can't wait to see it when you get more plants.
> 
> I agree with NJ AquaBarren. Just the big rocks by themselves looks a bit weird. Adding some smaller rocks would make it look more natural.


Thanks for the suggestions guys. I'll grab the small rocks in the morning and see what i can do. roud:

I'm thinking about getting a school of 5 discus (again)... lol. 
They sure are purty!


----------



## roadmaster

Beautiful example of what healthy Discus are supposed to look like.


----------



## fishykid1

That sounds nice dude. Wish I could fly out there and see it in person... I'll take another pic of my tank tonight when I remove that other piece of wood and finish planting some of the blyxa in the back left corner... I think it's going to look nice.


----------



## Axelrodi202

A school of discus would be pretty sweet. If you got a huge solid red sword in the right back corner that would go well with them too.


----------



## malaybiswas

Nice tank. Discus will look really good. Are you planning for a ranunculus foreground...that would be cool!


----------



## jaidexl

Nice! I think this is going to be a striking tank. The only thing I would do with the rocks is tilt a few, otherwise I like the placement. As long as their back sides permit it, I would personally tilt the right-most rock down to kill that dark space underneath, then tilt the next one to the left of it counterclockwise a bit till that ridge is pointing more upward. Maybe even rotate the third rock over from left, counterclockwise about 90 degrees so that ridge on top is pointing at the front of the tank rather than side to side. It's hard to judge rocks without holding them but the intention would be once the ground cover fluffs up between them, those rocks would be similar to mountain peaks sticking up through it and sweeping downward, and less contrived in placement. Nice work so far. :thumbsup:


AzFishKid said:


> I moved the driftwood to the right a tiny bit more as suggested. Looks a lot better, IMO.
> Any specific suggestions regarding how i should change the rock placement would be appreciated. I like the larger rocks so please don't say replace them with smaller rocks.
> I have a good portion of Ranunculus inundatus, Pogostemon erectus, and Ludwigia brevipes on the way. The Staurogyne repens also needs to be planted once i stop being so lazy.
> Thank you all for the continuing feedback!


----------



## Da Plant Man

I just got a flash of brilliance. You should make it a riparium! But what am I saying? I mean, I doubt you will actually change it based purely on my one suggestion


----------



## Centromochlus

Da Plant Man said:


> I just got a flash of brilliance. You should make it a riparium! But what am I saying? I mean, I doubt you will actually change it based purely on my one suggestion


Work in progress.


----------



## matt12

discus would look AWSOME in there! I'd do a small group of roselines with them as well


----------



## Aquaticz

Is that the wood you got from T Barr?


----------



## Centromochlus

matt12 said:


> discus would look AWSOME in there! I'd do a small group of roselines with them as well


Unfortunately i decided to abandon the idea of discus. The ones that i really want are out of my budget and i'd hate for something to go wrong... when i have my own place in the future i'll do a discus biotope, but for now i'm just going to have to stick to cardinal tetras, roseline barbs, and marbled hatchets. :hihi:



Aquaticz said:


> Is that the wood you got from T Barr?


Yes it is.



By the way, i decided to make this tank a riparium. I'll be keeping the same scape, but will be emptying about 1/2 of the water. The supplies and plants are on the way from Riparium Supply (hydrophyte) and should be here by Thursday.


----------



## Centromochlus

Sneak preview of what the riparium will look like... 
Still trying to figure out how to configure the filter intake and output. I was thinking about running a 48" long spraybar across the back of the tank that would be under the riparium plants... any thoughts? 
(water level will be slightly lower, by the way)


----------



## RipariumGuy

You are going to love ripariums!

You are going high humidity I am assuming? Crypts by chance? A large spray bar under the planters is a good idea. I did that with my 20gH riparium.


----------



## Centromochlus

RipariumGuy said:


> You are going to love ripariums!
> 
> You are going high humidity I am assuming? Crypts by chance? A large spray bar under the planters is a good idea. I did that with my 20gH riparium.


The plants that Hydrophyte is going to send me aren't high-humidity plants. I'm going to be getting one type of crypt but i guess it doesn't require high humidity? 

Anyhow, i'm super excited!

Edit: Here's the plant list:
Peace lily (x4)
Aluminum plant (x2)
Fittonia (x2)
Pandanus tectorius 
Leather Fern 
Chamaedorea cataractarum palm
Licuala paludosa palm 
Schismatoglottis 'Frosty Kiss' 
Colocasia fallax dwarf taro 
Cryptocryne ciliata 
Cyperus haspan
Black mangrove
Pilea grandifolia
Baby panda bamboo
Bacopa


----------



## zachary908

Looks awesome, AsFishKid! Do you have any plans for plants on the driftwood?

Is this the tank your honeycombs are in, or are they in a different one?


----------



## 150EH

That really looks good and that's a nice looking piece of wood, it seems like wood is so hard to find.


----------



## Centromochlus

zachary908 said:


> Looks awesome, AsFishKid! Do you have any plans for plants on the driftwood?
> 
> Is this the tank your honeycombs are in, or are they in a different one?


I'd love to have some anubias petite or some sort of moss on the top of the driftwood, but i won't be keeping it humid enough for them to survive out of water. 

Yup, the honeycombs are in this tank (well, will be-- they're in a holding tank right now). :bounce:



150EH said:


> That really looks good and that's a nice looking piece of wood, it seems like wood is so hard to find.


Thanks! Plantbrain collects some amazing driftwood. Definitely worth the price.


----------



## zachary908

AzFishKid said:


> I'd love to have some anubias petite or some sort of moss on the top of the driftwood, but i won't be keeping it humid enough for them to survive out of water.
> 
> Yup, the honeycombs are in this tank (well, will be-- they're in a holding tank right now). :bouncerice.


That would be pretty awesome, too bad it won't be humid enough. Regardless, it ill be stunning!

Great, everything is better with honeycombs!


----------



## RipariumGuy

Plant list is fantastic!


----------



## jkan0228

This makes me wanna add some riparium plants my new setup.... Thanks alot Phil...


----------



## RipariumGuy

jkan0228 said:


> This makes me wanna add some riparium plants my new setup.... Thanks alot Phil...


Do it! You won't regret it...


----------



## orchidman

sounds like it will be pretty cool!

i might add a few riparium plants to my 10g


----------



## 2in10

Looks great, you could try epiphytes on the exposed wood. You will need to mist them daily though.


----------



## hydrophyte

I like the way that manzanita looks in the half-empty tank. 

A 90 is a real nice shape/size for a project like this.


----------



## Centromochlus

I think all of my cardinal tetras have cotton mouth... ugh... they all have white lips and some have a few fungus-looking spots on their scales. Does this mean that i have to take them all out again to treat them in a quarantine tank? Is there any way that i can treat them in the 90G?


----------



## Craigthor

AzFishKid said:


> I think all of my cardinal tetras have cotton mouth... ugh... they all have white lips and some have a few fungus-looking spots on their scales. Does this mean that i have to take them all out again to treat them in a quarantine tank? Is there any way that i can treat them in the 90G?


You can treat in the 90 alot more meds are needed and some plants make not tolerate tehm very well.

Craig


----------



## Centromochlus

Craigthor said:


> You can treat in the 90 alot more meds are needed and some plants make not tolerate tehm very well.
> 
> Craig


Will my honeycomb catfish, corydoras, and plecos be alright?
Is it worth medicating or should i just put them down? This specific batch of cardinals has probably had every single fungus that i can think of...


----------



## Craigthor

I would move them over to quarantine and give it a try. I know I jsut finished treating my altums and several still show signs of columnaris but there is nothing more I can do but let it run its course and hope to not lose to many of them.

Craig


----------



## Centromochlus

Craigthor said:


> I would move them over to quarantine and give it a try. I know I jsut finished treating my altums and several still show signs of columnaris but there is nothing more I can do but let it run its course and hope to not lose to many of them.
> 
> Craig


I moved the cardinals over from a 10G holding tank to the 90G 2 days ago. Could some of my other fish be infected now? Should i treat the whole 90G?


----------



## Craigthor

Its possible, after doing some reading on Colomnaris there are many different views on the best way to rid of it. I would move them back and watch the remaining fish no need to treat if you don't need to treat them all.

Craig


----------



## Centromochlus

Craigthor said:


> Its possible, after doing some reading on Colomnaris there are many different views on the best way to rid of it. I would move them back and watch the remaining fish no need to treat if you don't need to treat them all.
> 
> Craig


Alright, thanks Craig.
Would melafix work?


----------



## Craigthor

I would say it probably won't be effective. You can try Peroxide H2O2 I think it was Wkndracer has a nice thread on quaratine and treatment.

Craig


----------



## jaidexl

It's that time of year I guess, everyone is getting flex.  Just posted my response to it in Nubster's black neon thread.


----------



## jkan0228

My Otto has columnaris. Going into the second week of treatment.


----------



## NJAquaBarren

Columnaris spreads fast. If you aren't losing fish in double digits in the first couple days it might be something else. Also, if it is columnaris you would have to treat the tank, not just isolate a fish and treat it.

At least that's what I've always heard and was validated by my one experience with it.


----------



## jaidexl

Seems to work for me and a lot of other people. Flex is always present, so treating the tank is overkill depending on how many fish are infected, and depending on what meds are used you could crash the tank.

This happens every year in droves, take it from someone who used to frequent a fish emergency forum. I bet if you take a poll, most people affected have a tank temp above 80f.


----------



## jaidexl

Just take a skim read down this page of results, 
http://www.google.com/m?aq=f&oq=&aq...flexibacter+columnaris+always+present+&flip=0


----------



## jkan0228

NJAquaBarren said:


> Columnaris spreads fast. If you aren't losing fish in double digits in the first couple days it might be something else. Also, if it is columnaris you would have to treat the tank, not just isolate a fish and treat it.
> 
> At least that's what I've always heard and was validated by my one experience with it.


Well none of my other fish have it so I'm not sure if its columnaris or not. It looks like this when it first happened:
Sorry to hijack


----------



## Centromochlus

I haven't lost any cardinals yet, so i guess it isn't columnaris. I moved them back to the quarantine tank though just to make sure. They seem to be doing fine.

I got shipment 1 of 2 from Devin over at Riparium Supply yesterday.  I should be getting the 2nd box next week, which contains the remaining plants, planters, and rafts. Quick preview... (sorry about the bad pic):


----------



## jaidexl

Oh man, that is already epic.


----------



## matt12

Awesome man!!! You should try some moss on the lower parts of the exposed wood. Also some epiphyte's would look awesome!


----------



## matt12

I would add a small group of Indonesian floating frogs! There small (1.5'' max) and won't eat your fish! http://www.petlifeforms.com/floatfrog.htm


----------



## matt12

purple bamboo would be cool to:biggrin:


----------



## hydrophyte

AzFishKid said:


>


Wow that looks great. I wondered how the riparium plants would jive with the manzanita, but that combination really does work well. You could consider putting some epiphytic plants on the stump--either at the waterline or higher up--but I think it looks good just like that and without plants on the manzanita it makes it stand out better.

There'll be more riparium plants to fill in space on the way. It looks like those in that 1st box traveled real well.


----------



## hydrophyte

matt12 said:


> purple bamboo would be cool to:biggrin:


Purple bamboo is an OK riparium plant, but it grows very spindly. You can use it as accent but there are other grassy plants that work much better for fill-in and background foliage.


----------



## hydrophyte

Have you looked into frogs any more? That manzanita might really makes a lot of nice habitat space for a frog. I think it might work best to research those _Hyperolius_ spp. frogs.


----------



## matt12

hydrophyte said:


> Have you looked into frogs any more? That manzanita might really makes a lot of nice habitat space for a frog. I think it might work best to research those _Hyperolius_ spp. frogs.


 AKA RAfrican Reed Frogs. They are AWESOME as well. Really colorfull to. they will enjoy broader leafed riparium plants. Good idea Hydrophyteroud:


----------



## matt12

not to mention easy to get ahold of and not to expensive!


----------



## shrimpnmoss

wow that looks really sweet


----------



## Centromochlus

Thanks Devin and Matt. 
I've been reading up on frogs and it seems like a lot of them need some humidity-- how would my current riparium plants do if i covered the top and misted every day?

The reed frogs are really cool. I'd love some red eye tree frogs but i think they need relatively high humidity levels if i'm not mistaken?


----------



## hydrophyte

It will probably stay pretty humid in there depending on how you have the canopy set up.

I think that reed frogs would be the logical first ones to consider. Those red eye tree frogs get pretty big and if they ever started climbing around on the plants they would knock them down.

I missed it are there any fish in there right now?


----------



## Centromochlus

hydrophyte said:


> It will probably stay pretty humid in there depending on how you have the canopy set up.
> 
> I think that reed frogs would be the logical first ones to consider. Those red eye tree frogs get pretty big and if they ever started climbing around on the plants they would knock them down.
> 
> I missed it are there any fish in there right now?


True. How much do reed frogs typically sell for? I'll do some more research on them. 

Right now there are 12 black cories, 5 yellow bristlenose plecos, and 7 honeycomb catfish in the 90G. The cardinals are in quarantine. I'm considering selling 4-6 of the cories since i think 12 is too many for a riparium of this size, especially since i have 5 plecos.


----------



## hydrophyte

What are those honeycomb cats like? Do they hide most of the time?


----------



## zachary908

hydrophyte said:


> What are those honeycomb cats like? Do they hide most of the time?


They hide quite a bit during the day, and come out at night. but they are totally worth it! :biggrin:


----------



## Centromochlus

zachary908 said:


> They hide quite a bit during the day, and come out at night. but they are totally worth it! :biggrin:


Yup! They are by far my favorite fish though. They like to cram themselves into very small spaces which is especially amusing. :icon_lol:


----------



## Aquaticz

AzFishKid said:


> Thanks Devin and Matt.
> I've been reading up on frogs and it seems like a lot of them need some humidity-- how would my current riparium plants do if i covered the top and misted every day?
> 
> The reed frogs are really cool. I'd love some red eye tree frogs but i think they need relatively high humidity levels if i'm not mistaken?


That is correct. I had six for a number of years as well as quite a few other anurans. If I did not have to deal with crickets/gut loading/ cleaning I'd still have them  

Red-eyebare hard to come by these days as they used to come from Honduras. I think CITIES put an end to that!


----------



## shrimpnmoss

how big is a full grown honeycomb cat?


----------



## Centromochlus

shrimpnmoss said:


> how big is a full grown honeycomb cat?


1.5"-1.8"


----------



## matt12

shrimpnmoss said:


> how big is a full grown honeycomb cat?


 1.5-2'' max. There one of the dwarf ''driftwood'' cats in the family Tatia


----------



## zachary908

AzFishKid said:


> Yup! They are by far my favorite fish though. They like to cram themselves into very small spaces which is especially amusing. :icon_lol:


Yeah, it is funny especially when they pile up on top of each other.


----------



## 150EH

It does look nice and the riparium look nice at that exposure, plus it look clean and new, nice job.


----------



## hydrophyte

Hey that second box might get there today. I did include the _Collocasia fallax_ in there along with a Large Hanging Planter.

That _C. fallax_ is one of the coolest riparium centerpiece plants. I did not include an instruction sheet for the Large Hanging Planter, but it should be pretty self-explanatory. While planting the plant you should hold the square piece of screen against the back surface of the planter and the longer rectangular piece against the curved inside front. You should plant the _C. fallax_ with the roots down in the planter, but the hard tuber and rhizome just even with the top of the planter so that it is 1/2 up out of the gravel. I just plnated another little division that I got from the same plant and the two leaves on it shriveled right up, but this shoudln't matter because so long as the tuber is hard and firm it is alive and will sprout more new leaves.


----------



## Centromochlus

Hey cool, thanks for the info Devin!
Unfortunately the box didn't arrive today. I'm hoping that it will sometime tomorrow.

I built an inflow pipe and an outflow pipe out of PVC last weekend. They're both working really well except i'm having problems with air bubbles being sucked up somehow by the intake, which causes the filter to make lots of noise. I took it out today and covered all the connections with a second coat of PVC glue and it didn't seem to help much. Any ideas?


----------



## hydrophyte

How did you couple the PVC and the hose?


----------



## Centromochlus

hydrophyte said:


> How did you couple the PVC and the hose?


All i did was coat the inside of the pipe with PVC cement/glue and screw the pieces together as tightly as I could, then I put a generous amount of glue around the connections on the exterior. I let it dry for a few hours then I put it back in the tank.

Edit: oops... Didn't answer your question, lol. I connected a hose barb to the PVC, and put a metal hose clamp around the tubing.


----------



## Centromochlus

Still trying to figure out the best way to take pictures, so here's 2 taken with different settings... :help:
I have a few more smaller "foreground" riparium plants on the way from Devin. They should be here tomorrow.
Any suggestions and/or comments are welcome!

(Please excuse the giant magnet algae scrubber...)


----------



## vespers_

gorgeous!


----------



## jkan0228

I like the second pic IMO since it looks cleaner without the marks on the glass.


----------



## 10gallonplanted

Envy.


----------



## zachary908

Looking awesome, keep it up! How are the honeycombs liking it?


----------



## Da Plant Man

Beautiful. Bonito. Belle. Schön. 美しい. 美丽的. красивый. Mooi. đẹp.


----------



## speedie408

How the heck did I miss this one?

That's kinda what I want to do with my 120-p. Now I'm subscribed so keep them updates coming buddy! Your doing an awesome job so far.


----------



## Centromochlus

Thank you everyone for the comments! 

So i kinda have a dilemma... i want to have cherry shrimp in this tank since none of the plants are going to make me a whole lot of money, but cherries definitely wouldn't last long with 30 cardinals and 7 honeycombs that will eat anything that is red... i know that really no fish is "shrimp-safe", but are there any that wouldn't have as large of an impact on a shrimp colony as say cardinal tetras? I was thinking that marbled hatchets might be a good option since they seem to have this gravitational force that keeps them at the top of the aquarium, but i'm not sure... any ideas would be greatly appreciated. I recently had to quit my job at a LFS because it interfered with school work, hence why i need another way to make some $$$ to fuel my hobby.


----------



## zachary908

Sorry about having to quit you job, Philip. I'm lucky to be homeschooled, otherwise I would have to quit my job at the LFS. I bet Hatchet fish would work well. Beyond that I'm really not sure, since I have no experience with shrimp in fish tanks. I have some Cherrys in my 75, but they are adults. My OEBT's are by themselves. Maybe you could expand your immersed set up to fuel the hobby. I'm setting a 40 breeder up soon to do just that.


----------



## 2in10

Hatchets and pencilfish might work with CRS, I think Corydorus cats might be safe also. I think your 7 honeycombs may have more impact than the 30 Cardinals.


----------



## Centromochlus

zachary908 said:


> Sorry about having to quit you job, Philip. I'm lucky to be homeschooled, otherwise I would have to quit my job at the LFS. I bet Hatchet fish would work well. Beyond that I'm really not sure, since I have no experience with shrimp in fish tanks. I have some Cherrys in my 75, but they are adults. My OEBT's are by themselves. Maybe you could expand your immersed set up to fuel the hobby. I'm setting a 40 breeder up soon to do just that.


Yeah i'm planning on expanding my emersed setup too, but breeding fire red cherry shrimp would be perfect since the store where i worked always needs some... which means i wouldn't have to deal with the hassle of shipping shrimp, And they'll pay me a decent price for them too since their markup is so extremely ridiculous... but people buy them so why not charge $6.99/shrimp? :hihi: I could also throw some assassins in there if they won't eat the baby shrimp... 



2in10 said:


> Hatchets and pencilfish might work with CRS, I think Corydorus cats might be safe also. I think your 7 honeycombs may have more impact than the 30 Cardinals.


You're probably right about the honeycombs. I'd hate to get rid of them though since they're my favorite fish!
I'm assuming i'd have to get rid of my 5 blue-eyed yellow bristlenose plecos too... sigh. Why can't everyone live together peacefully?


----------



## zachary908

AzFishKid said:


> Yeah i'm planning on expanding my emersed setup too, but breeding fire red cherry shrimp would be perfect since the store where i worked always needs some... which means i wouldn't have to deal with the hassle of shipping shrimp, And they'll pay me a decent price for them too since their markup is so extremely ridiculous... but people buy them so why not charge $6.99/shrimp? :hihi:


Ahh, gotcha, kinda what I plan to do with my OEBT .. sell them to where I work. We have a crazy markup as well. I mark the availability lists for what we want to order, and you wouldn't believe how cheap somethings are to buy... I have a question pertaining to selling things on here, so I'm gonna shoot you a PM real quick!


----------



## MaineAquatics

This thread was a great read, love what you've done with this tank!


----------



## orchidman

zachary908 said:


> Sorry about having to quit you job, Philip. I'm lucky to be homeschooled, otherwise I would have to quit my job at the LFS. I bet Hatchet fish would work well. Beyond that I'm really not sure, since I have no experience with shrimp in fish tanks. I have some Cherrys in my 75, but they are adults. My OEBT's are by themselves. Maybe you could expand your immersed set up to fuel the hobby. I'm setting a 40 breeder up soon to do just that.


how come i didnt know you were homeschooled! this whole time i thought you were public schooled. i probs knew that, but i bet i just forgot!


----------



## jkan0228

It seems that all you teens are homeschooled except for me... Not fair! I want plenty of time with my tank too! :tongue:


----------



## zachary908

jkan0228 said:


> It seems that all you teens are homeschooled except for me... Not fair! I want plenty of time with my tank too! :tongue:


 Haha, I don't actually have a ton of free time. I have school work to do of course, a job working 30+ hours a week, a homeschool group meeting on Wednesdays, work meetings from time to time... and I have other daily things to do. :hihi:



orchidman said:


> how come i didnt know you were homeschooled! this whole time i thought you were public schooled. i probs knew that, but i bet i just forgot!


You knew, bob.. you just forgot! We even discussed what classes we were taking...


----------



## orchidman

your a teen too jkan? cool!


zach on wednesdays do you go to co-op? i talked to you about classes but the whole time i though it was at a school... idk why. what textbooks are you using for chemistry?


----------



## jkan0228

orchidman said:


> your a teen too jkan? cool!
> 
> 
> zach on wednesdays do you go to co-op? i talked to you about classes but the whole time i though it was at a school... idk why. what textbooks are you using for chemistry?


Haha hell yea! Hence the "teen enthusiast" under my username... 

I think that you homeschooled teens have a much more flexible schedule than me since you can learn anything...where as I have a fixed schedule. Flexible schedules mean easier to find a job!  Haha


----------



## zachary908

orchidman said:


> your a teen too jkan? cool!
> 
> 
> zach on wednesdays do you go to co-op? i talked to you about classes but the whole time i though it was at a school... idk why. what textbooks are you using for chemistry?


Yeah I go to co-op on Wednesdays.... How did you know?:confused1: I take earth science, and Creative writing there. I have no clue, I'll have to find the post, but they whole way we became friends on this forum was talking about homeschooling. :hihi: I'm using a book by Barron's I believe, but I haven't done much in it at all yet.


----------



## Centromochlus

Dangit, why are you home-schoolers so overly proud of your schooling technique? I had this same exact conversation with Caton last night, lol!


----------



## jkan0228

How old are you teens?(Orchidman,Zach, Philip)


----------



## Centromochlus

jkan0228 said:


> How old are you teens?(Orchidman,Zach, Philip)


16; 17 in mid-November.


----------



## zachary908

I'm 16.. 17 second week of October.


----------



## orchidman

im 15. 16 october 9th! im a sophmore


----------



## orchidman

jkan0228 said:


> Haha hell yea! Hence the "teen enthusiast" under my username...
> 
> I think that you homeschooled teens have a much more flexible schedule than me since you can learn anything...where as I have a fixed schedule. Flexible schedules mean easier to find a job!  Haha


i dont pay attention to those things!

its flexible, but we still have just as much work as you guys 



zachary908 said:


> Yeah I go to co-op on Wednesdays.... How did you know?:confused1: I take earth science, and Creative writing there. I have no clue, I'll have to find the post, but they whole way we became friends on this forum was talking about homeschooling. :hihi: I'm using a book by Barron's I believe, but I haven't done much in it at all yet.



oh, haha i must be tired. going to bed now. 

is it apologia? thats what im using



AzFishKid said:


> Dangit, why are you home-schoolers so overly proud of your schooling technique? I had this same exact conversation with Caton last night, lol!



haha! i bet you did!


----------



## zachary908

AzFishKid said:


> Dangit, why are you home-schoolers so overly proud of your schooling technique? I had this same exact conversation with Caton last night, lol!


 Ha, I'm not overly proud.. It really doesn't seem like much of a difference to me, I just do school... at home. Nothing special about it.


----------



## Noahma

What about a large school of Threadfin's. They have very tiny mouths, and would probably not the babies. Plus, they are soo fun to watch when courting lol


----------



## orchidman

I grew Zachary. We aren't like eliteists or anything


You can call me Bob


----------



## jkan0228

Looks like your all older than me. 15, 16 feburary 28th next year.


----------



## orchidman

Cool! Jake is the youngest! he is only 14. And he is having an article published in TFH. That's pretty cool!


You can call me Bob


----------



## jkan0228

Oh yea that's true.... I still cant believe he's only 14...... But still. Teens ftw.


----------



## orchidman

Oh yeah! Our generation will end up doing some great things! Just because we are that cool! Cocky much? Haha. Night!


You can call me Bob


----------



## matt12

orchidman said:


> Oh yeah! Our generation will end up doing some great things! Just because we are that cool! Cocky much? Haha. Night!
> 
> 
> You can call me Bob


 Better go to bed! Its past your bed time! lol jk


----------



## orchidman

so true!


----------



## 10gallonplanted

18 here, wooo haha.I guess im still a teenager? idk.


----------



## orchidman

woop woop


----------



## Centromochlus

Updated pic...
I'm going to be picking up 12 marble hatchets tomorrow evening. 
Still trying to get more riparium plants for the right side of the tank... i know it looks kinda bare. 
Also thinking about getting a second giant java fern to put on the back left side of the tank to balance out the tank a bit.
Any thoughts appreciated!


----------



## hydrophyte

Wow that is looking pretty nice and full with the additional plants. 

It looks like you oculd maybe raise the water a bit more. I like to have the water level at just below the rims of the planters. That way the planters are less concspicuous, and the trellis rafts are held right even with the water level when snapped into place.

Can you get any close-up pictures?


----------



## Centromochlus

hydrophyte said:


> Wow that is looking pretty nice and full with the additional plants.
> 
> It looks like you oculd maybe raise the water a bit more. I like to have the water level at just below the rims of the planters. That way the planters are less concspicuous, and the trellis rafts are held right even with the water level when snapped into place.
> 
> Can you get any close-up pictures?


Yeah it definitely needs to be a little bit higher... the evaporation rate is crazy. I really need to get glass tops (the riparium plants seem to be doing fine in the open air, but i'm sure they'd do better with a higher humidity level).

I was thinking i should get more fittonia to put on the right side. The alternanthera doesn't seem to be doing very well so if it doesn't show signs of recovery within the next week or so i'm going to ditch it.

I'll definitely get some close-up photos soon.


----------



## jkan0228

If that entire submerged section is gonna be S. Repens this is gonna be one he'll of a tank! Can't wait to see everything filled in. You dosing EI?


----------



## hydrophyte

Yeah if you can get a glass canopy on it that will slow evaporation and the plants will appreciate the extra humidity + warmth too. If you leave the front 1" or so of the canopy open that will help to reduce condensation on the front pane of glass. 

I have a bit more _Fittonia _here if you need it.

It might get to be dark and shady in the underwater area for the _Staurogyne_ as the riparium plants grow in. If you see that happening you can start to introduce some crypts and _Anubias_ and they will do well in there.


----------



## matt12

Epic!


----------



## Centromochlus

jkan0228 said:


> If that entire submerged section is gonna be S. Repens this is gonna be one he'll of a tank! Can't wait to see everything filled in. You dosing EI?


Yeah it's all Staurogyne repens except for the section in between the large and small driftwood, which is a small patch of Ranunculus inundatus. 
I'm actually just dosing Flourish Excel right now. 



hydrophyte said:


> Yeah if you can get a glass canopy on it that will slow evaporation and the plants will appreciate the extra humidity + warmth too. If you leave the front 1" or so of the canopy open that will help to reduce condensation on the front pane of glass.
> 
> I have a bit more _Fittonia _here if you need it.
> 
> It might get to be dark and shady in the underwater area for the _Staurogyne_ as the riparium plants grow in. If you see that happening you can start to introduce some crypts and _Anubias_ and they will do well in there.


The Staurogyne seems to be doing fine under the planters but i was planning on putting a java fern in the back anyway, just leaving the Staurogyne in the front. 



matt12 said:


> Epic!


Thanks Matt!


----------



## 2in10

Looking fantastic, ripariums are the perfect setup for hatchets I think.


----------



## orchidman

looks nice! i think it would lok cool with sometime on the manzy though


----------



## Fergus

Like frogs. Frogs on the manzanita. Everyone expects moss.


----------



## zachary908

It's looking great, Philip! How are they honeycombs doing? :biggrin:


----------



## hydrophyte

I think that the manzanita looks pretty cool just like it is. If it had lots of plants growing on it it might not stand out so well against the riparium bakcground foliage.


----------



## orchidman

thats true, it just looks a little stark compared to the rest. maybe when the background plants grow and spread out more it will look more lived in.


----------



## Centromochlus

Picked up 12 marble hatchets today.  Had to drive 50 mins to get them but it was well worth it! These guys are awesome! They're acclimating now and will be put into the tank soon.


----------



## RipariumGuy

That looks real good Phil'! A heck of a lot better then mine, that is for sure... 0_o

My one idea for your riparium'scape, would be to switch out a smaller specimen with that larger peace lily on the right side. The branch kinda blocks a lot of the foliage on it, and I think it could be used better somewhere else. Just an idea.


----------



## orchidman

lets see some pictures once they get settled in


----------



## hydrophyte

Do you have any pictures of those hatchets yet?


----------



## Centromochlus

hydrophyte said:


> Do you have any pictures of those hatchets yet?


Been having some problems with my filter so I haven't had the chance to take any photos yet. I woke up today at 6:00 in the morning to a very loud noise coming from the filter... The water level got too low so air was being sucked up by the intake. Need to do a large water change when I get home from the college fair today because the filter hasn't been running for a few hours and it's looking pretty murky.


----------



## taniner

Very nice!


----------



## Centromochlus

The plecos had babies!  Trying to catch them all but the peacock gudgeons and cardinal tetras are going after them... caught three but i've seen many more. I put them into a little breeder net enclosure for the time being.


----------



## zachary908

Congratulations, Phillip! :biggrin:


----------



## hydrophyte

Cool!


----------



## RipariumGuy

Nice!! Awwww, Phil's a daddy!


----------



## jkan0228

Congrats!! Pics please.


----------



## Centromochlus

Caught 9 so far... they seem to be popping up everywhere!
Hopefully i'll be able to get some decent pics. They're TINY.


----------



## hydrophyte

How are the plants doing in there? Are they growing? Do you have any plant pictures?


----------



## Centromochlus

hydrophyte said:


> How are the plants doing in there? Are they growing? Do you have any plant pictures?


The plants are doing really well for the most part. The only one that seems to be struggling is the Fittonia (you can see it in the first pic. it looks very stunted and unhealthy). The aluminum plant seems to be thriving the most. The peace lilies are doing great as well, and the C. fallax has been sending out leaves quite frequently. All of the palms seem to be doing fine.

When the weather decides to cool back down i'd like to get more Fittonia from you, and maybe some more of that Alternanthera 'josephs coat' (i'd like to try it again-- i don't think it liked being moved around a lot). 

I spray the plants 1-2 times a day since i don't have glass tops, but the tips of some leaves still seem to dry out. I need to get some glass tops ASAP...

When i have a chance to clean the aquarium glass, i'll take a FTS and hopefully some pics of the baby plecos. 

Enjoy!

Pictures taken from left to right:


----------



## RipariumGuy

Beautiful plants!


----------



## hydrophyte

Wow those plants are looking good. Those palms will be especially nice when they fill out some more.

The _Fittonia _might be a little too shaded. If it fails to grow you could replace it with some aluminum plant or _Pilea gradifolia_ becuase those are better at reaching up to the light.


----------



## Centromochlus

RipariumGuy said:


> Beautiful plants!


Thanks Jake!



hydrophyte said:


> Wow those plants are looking good. Those palms will be especially nice when they fill out some more.
> 
> The _Fittonia _might be a little too shaded. If it fails to grow you could replace it with some aluminum plant or _Pilea gradifolia_ becuase those are better at reaching up to the light.


Darn, i really liked how the Fittonia looked when it was healthy. A nice hedge of Pilea grandifolia might look nice too, though. Do you have experience with any other types of Pilea in ripariums, besides the aluminum plant? I see a few other types online that might be interesting to try... e.g. Pilea microphylla and Pilea bertertonia.


FTS:


----------



## orchidman

love that elephant ear! the whole tnaks looks great! can we get a closeup of the underwater portion? the carpet looks great


----------



## matt12

looks great Philip! Have you checked out this website? http://www.blackjungleterrariumsupply.com/Plants_c_1.html
Ive ordered from them before.


----------



## speedie408

Keep up the nice work man! Lovin your tank! It's actually exactly what I want to do to my 120-P but don't think I'll have the guts to dive into keeping a Riparium just yet.


----------



## hydrophyte

AzFishKid said:


>


Nice work growing that _Colocasia fallax_. It looks like it has put on several new leaves. 

I'll be interested to hear how that _Licuala_ palm does. That one might grow into the coolest plant in there.


----------



## Capsaicin_MFK

How many planters did you use for the tank? I'm looking to turn my tank into a riparium also.

Totally jealous of the Colocasia fallax...


----------



## Centromochlus

Updated FTS. Planning on eventually getting more Pilea grandifolia to fill in the right side.









I love how the Colocasia fallax reflects water!









ID?









Awesome new plant from Devin-- Pandanus sp. Adds some nice color/texture.









Pilea grandifolia is struggling a bit... hope it perks up though because i love this plant!









Giant peace lily









Pilea cadierei and peace lilies


----------



## jkan0228

Looks like everything is coming on very nicely! Except for that pilea.. 
Btw you should take some shots of the submerged parts


----------



## Centromochlus

jkan0228 said:


> Looks like everything is coming on very nicely! Except for that pilea..
> Btw you should take some shots of the submerged parts


I've tried to but it's really hard. I'll see what i can do tomorrow... i've been trying to get some good pics of the hatchetfish but its challenging since they stay at the top.


----------



## RipariumGuy

Nice! Setup looks great! Though, I hate the fact that you are actually getting the plants to grow... Unlike me....


----------



## hydrophyte

Wow that's looking real good. It looks like the peace lily and _C. fallax_ are growgin super good. Don't let them shade out their neighbors so just trim any extra leaves. That _Pandanus_ will do well with some nice direct light. If you can get that thing established and growing it will be your favorite plant.

The driftwood looks awesome too with everything.


----------



## zachary908

Everything is looking great, Phillip! Keep it up!

How bout some Honeycomb shots? roud:


----------



## orchidman

looks great!


----------



## Da Plant Man

LOVE IT! Definitely take some shots of the submerged part though. No matter how bad of photos roud:


----------



## Centromochlus

Capsaicin_MFK said:


> How many planters did you use for the tank? I'm looking to turn my tank into a riparium also.
> 
> Totally jealous of the Colocasia fallax...


I currently have 11 planters and 10 trellis rafts. 



RipariumGuy said:


> Nice! Setup looks great! Though, I hate the fact that you are actually getting the plants to grow... Unlike me....


Thanks Jake! It's a work in progress but hey, doesn't that apply to every tank? 



hydrophyte said:


> Wow that's looking real good. It looks like the peace lily and _C. fallax_ are growgin super good. Don't let them shade out their neighbors so just trim any extra leaves. That _Pandanus_ will do well with some nice direct light. If you can get that thing established and growing it will be your favorite plant.
> 
> The driftwood looks awesome too with everything.


Thanks Devin! Yeah, i plan on trimming at least one leaf of the C. fallax that is shading the Pandanus. 

I notice that some of the leaves, especially on the peace lily, have yellow spots appearing. Should i be spraying them with RO/DI water with some sort of nutrients in it?



zachary908 said:


> Everything is looking great, Phillip! Keep it up!
> 
> How bout some Honeycomb shots? roud:


I'll try to get some just for you. 



orchidman said:


> looks great!


Thanks!



Da Plant Man said:


> LOVE IT! Definitely take some shots of the submerged part though. No matter how bad of photos roud:


Warning: They _will_ be terribad.


----------



## Da Plant Man

AzFishKid said:


> Warning: They _will_ be terribad.


WE DON'T CARE. Gogogogogogogo


----------



## zachary908

AzFishKid said:


> I'll try to get some just for you.


Sweet! If mine are out and about at all today I will get some pics to post! I've got mine eating NLS pellet now. 



Da Plant Man said:


> WE DON'T CARE. Gogogogogogogo


+1 roud:


----------



## hydrophyte

AzFishKid said:


> Thanks Devin! Yeah, i plan on trimming at least one leaf of the C. fallax that is shading the Pandanus.
> 
> I notice that some of the leaves, especially on the peace lily, have yellow spots appearing. Should i be spraying them with RO/DI water with some sort of nutrients in it?


I wouldn't worry too much about those yellow spots on the peace lilies. I imagine that those are just older leaves. If the roots and the base of the plant are firm and healthy then the plant is fine. I would just trim those leaves off. The peace lilies throw a lot of shade so it's a good idea to keep them trimmed down.

My _C. fallax_ were getting those burnt leaf edges too and I don't know what that's about. That was also on the older leaves so I would recommend just trimming those too.


----------



## Centromochlus

hydrophyte said:


> I wouldn't worry too much about those yellow spots on the peace lilies. I imagine that those are just older leaves. If the roots and the base of the plant are firm and healthy then the plant is fine. I would just trim those leaves off. The peace lilies throw a lot of shade so it's a good idea to keep them trimmed down.
> 
> My _C. fallax_ were getting those burnt leaf edges too and I don't know what that's about. That was also on the older leaves so I would recommend just trimming those too.


Cool, i just trimmed the peace lilies a bit and the large leaves of the C. fallax. The C. fallax does throw out new leaves frequently! 

Also, i have a large needle leaf java fern on the way to go on the left side of the tank. I think it'll make the underwater portion look more balanced. It'll be going near the back since it can tolerate some shade. Now all i need is for my Staurogyne stolonifera to grow faster so i can have a little carpet of it!


----------



## hydrophyte

AzFishKid said:


> ID?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Giant peace lily
> 
> 
> Pilea cadierei and peace lilies


Ripariums do tend to look dark in the underwater area, especially in digital photographs because the camera is not as sensitive as our eyes and increases the shadows and highlights. Do you have the light hanging as a pendant or as a strip just sitting on top? If it is loose on top of the tank you can just pull it forward to the front and it will shine more into the underwater area. 

It is also helpful to use light-colored gravel and bright green plants. That will be good to get that Java fern into the underwater area. 

That "ID?" plant is the _Cyperus involucratus_.

If you have some light shining on it that _Pilea grandifolia_ will perk up. That plant doesn't ship very well but is easy to grow.

Nice job growing that aluminum plant! You can just keep chopping the tops off that as it grows to get more and more.


----------



## hydrophyte

Hey sorry I missed it what do you have in that breeder box?


----------



## Centromochlus

hydrophyte said:


> Ripariums do tend to look dark in the underwater area, especially in digital photographs because the camera is not as sensitive as our eyes and increases the shadows and highlights. Do you have the light hanging as a pendant or as a strip just sitting on top? If it is loose on top of the tank you can just pull it forward to the front and it will shine more into the underwater area.
> 
> It is also helpful to use light-colored gravel and bright green plants. That will be good to get that Java fern into the underwater area.
> 
> That "ID?" plant is the _Cyperus involucratus_.
> 
> If you have some light shining on it that _Pilea grandifolia_ will perk up. That plant doesn't ship very well but is easy to grow.
> 
> Nice job growing that aluminum plant! You can just keep chopping the tops off that as it grows to get more and more.


The light is a retrofit, so unfortunately i can't move it easily. 

I would really like to get some sort of misting/rain system in there, but i'm not sure where to start... I don't really want one to keep the humidity up, more so for aesthetics-- but this is kinda an issue since the plants that i have don't especially like being wet all the time. Could i perhaps make something like this, but maybe with a less powerful pump to get more of a raindrop instead of a spray look? 

Or should i just get an Exo Terra Monsoon RS400, or a MistKing?


----------



## hydrophyte

A rain or mist system could be fun to include. It might be beneficial to also set up a couple of fans if you do that to keep the air moving around. There are some really cool plants that you could start adding if you raise the humidity...crypts, _Laganandra_, Java fern, _Anubias_.


----------



## Centromochlus

hydrophyte said:


> A rain or mist system could be fun to include. It might be beneficial to also set up a couple of fans if you do that to keep the air moving around. There are some really cool plants that you could start adding if you raise the humidity...crypts, _Laganandra_, Java fern, _Anubias_.


Will the other plants do fine though if the humidity is increased?


----------



## hydrophyte

They should be OK with higher humidity, especially if you can blow the air around with a couple of CPU fans.

One disadvantage of higher humidity is that plants tend to grow up more leggy and soft, so they can flop over. A little bit of wind will encourage them to grow more compact though.


----------



## Da Plant Man

Sorry to go off topic a bit here, but would say 90% humidity have any ill effects on a CPU fan?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## hydrophyte

Those fans are standard in dart frog vivs. I have been using a few of them in various growout tanks with no trouble.


----------



## Da Plant Man

Really? I may get a few for my emersed tank then. Thanks!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## hydrophyte

Da Plant Man said:


> Really? I may get a few for my emersed tank then. Thanks!
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


If you do that just be sure you have it buttoned up tight. If there much of any kind of gap in the top the fan will push air out and dry out the enclosure and that will be bad for stuff like crypts.


----------



## Da Plant Man

I was planning on using a Velcro type system, making it for easy removal if needed. 

I might even try to lower the humidity. 90% is good, but I want to get it around 70%.


----------



## Centromochlus

The large java fern arrived today in excellent condition. It looks great on the left side!

Also have some more Pilea grandifolia on the way from Devin.

Pics to come...


----------



## jkan0228

Make sure to take some of the plant I asked you about.


----------



## Centromochlus

jkan0228 said:


> Make sure to take some of the plant I asked you about.


I trimmed it a few days ago and took it to the AAPE meeting to be auctioned. It, along with Ludwigia cf. suffruticosa and a rare red form of Hygrophila corymbosa, went for $8 total. Ouch.

In the last FTS that I posted, it's the plant in the middle amongst the Ranunculus. Though you probably can't see it too well...


----------



## TactusMortus

Loving your Riparium!


----------



## jkan0228

AzFishKid said:


> I trimmed it a few days ago and took it to the AAPE meeting to be auctioned. It, along with Ludwigia cf. suffruticosa and a rare red form of Hygrophila corymbosa, went for $8 total. Ouch.
> 
> In the last FTS that I posted, it's the plant in the middle amongst the Ranunculus. Though you probably can't see it too well...


Dude that absolutely sucks... It would go for a lot more on here.  

A red form? Thats quite interesting.


----------



## Centromochlus

New _Pilea grandifolia_ from Devin! :thumbsup:









FTS. Sorry about the poor quality, i was in a rush. The riparium plants look VERY disorganized to me. I already have plans on how i'm going to re-arange some of them to hopefully make it look more cohesive. And, eventually, the right side will be filled with _Pilea grandifolia_ as well.

On a side-note, this tank has been going without CO2 for nearly 3 weeks now while my regulator was in the shop being repaired. Haven't had the chance to get the CO2 tank refilled yet, but i'll hopefully be able to do that sometime this week. The _Staurogyne repens_ (and stolonifera) aren't coping with the absence of CO2 very well, especially the _S. stolonifera_. The _Ranunculus inundatus_ also doesn't seem to be doing as well.


----------



## jkan0228

Will we ever get pics of the breeding cage?? 

Looks like the foreground is filling in nicely!


----------



## orchidman

cool! i agree with the riparium plants, but its pretty good. the right side looks a bit empty, the left side looks gods, except for the very far left, where its lacking something ( against the left glass.)

but over all, it looks great!


----------



## Da Plant Man

That looks AMAZING. Makes me want to do a riparium, but alas, I need my tanks submerged. 

I am wondering...could you get a dwarf african frog? I know they are aquatic, but I have heard they like hopping out of water every now and then. 

Oh, and IMO, that breeder cage needs to be slightly to the right, and back more, then you will follow the rules of aquascaping roud: :hihi:


----------



## hydrophyte

Those riparium plants are looking happy in there, but like you say they could use some rearrangement. One thing I see is that the two cat palms are bookending the whole planting. It would be good to get one or both of them away from the ends. I bet that the _Colocasia fallax_ would look good just to the left of the center of the driftwood. The right side will look better with more midground plants growing on the trellis rafts. 

Have you you noticed any new growth on that _Licuala paludosa_ palm? And what about the _Pandanus_? Is it still doing OK?


----------



## Centromochlus

The Colocasia fallax has proven to be challenging to work into the scape. It's so huge! I'll try moving it to where you suggested.

Havent noticed much growth from the palm yet. The Pandanus is doing great! I always have to be careful when I'm trimming the riparium plants though since it has quite spiky leaves.


----------



## hydrophyte

Yeah that _C. fallax_ can grow into a pretty big plant. You can trim the leaves to slow it down some. It looks like it might still have some leaves with burnt edges. I would prune all of those off. So is the _Pandanus_ growing new roots in the planter?


----------



## Centromochlus

Updated picture... sorry about the poor quality, had to take it with my iPhone since my camera isn't charged.
Doesn't look much better and i'm kind of getting discouraged... could really use some guidance. 

(By the way, i'm thinking about replacing the Staurogyne repens with some belem hairgrass or glosso. Opinions?)


----------



## orchidman

i like the stauro.


maybe it just needs more riparium plants, so you have more to move around with. looks a little flat as is


----------



## hydrophyte

I think that for one thing you need to let the plants grow in some more. They won't do that overnight. The planting will look less flat when you get more plants growing up on the rafts.

Another thing that could help with the visual layout would be to use some underwater plants that would mimic the shapes and textures of the riparium plants. Those are small, fine plants that you have underwater and I think that the underwater portion could benefit from some larger bright green crypts or swordplants.


----------



## Centromochlus

Ok, so maybe they need to grow in more-- but is there anything about the layout that i should change before not touching them for a month or two? :hihi: Definitely would like some more Pilea grandifolia for the right side.


----------



## orchidman

hydrophyte said:


> I think that for one thing you need to let the plants grow in some more. They won't do that overnight. The planting will look less flat when you get more plants growing up on the rafts.
> 
> Another thing that could help with the visual layout would be to use some underwater plants that would mimic the shapes and textures of the riparium plants. Those are small, fine plants that you have underwater and I think that the underwater portion could benefit from some larger bright green crypts or swordplants.


thats a good point. let it grow some. and maybe do a sketch or whatever you want it to be eventually. so you have a goal and then take steps to acheive it


----------



## hydrophyte

I think it is looking good the way you have it. The riparium plants really are in a pretty nice layout the way you have them but they would benefit from more plants on rafts. 

If you want something more dynamic you could also try to have a bit more negative space by removing a planter or two off to one side. 

Like I say I think the underwater area needs more work than the riparium portion. Can you get a couple Amazon swords or something like that for the underwater area? 

There is no more extra _P. grandifolia_ around here. Couldn't you put some aluminum plant in that area?


----------



## laxcoach18

AzFishKid said:


> Updated picture... sorry about the poor quality, had to take it with my iPhone since my camera isn't charged.
> Doesn't look much better and i'm kind of getting discouraged... could really use some guidance.
> 
> (By the way, i'm thinking about replacing the Staurogyne repens with some belem hairgrass or glosso. Opinions?)


If you replace it, I want it and I will give you glosso. Dibs!

Sent from my Samsung Infuse 4G via Tapatalk.


----------



## Centromochlus

More aluminum plant and Pilea grandifolia are on the way from Devin. roud: Woo-hoo!

Also, i just ordered an ultrasonic fogger with a raft from eBay. I plan on keeping the fogger on at night and part of the morning mainly for aesthetics, but it'll also slightly raise the humidity which should be beneficial for the riparium plants.

On a side note, i need help figuring out which fish i should rehome. I have WAY too many! Right now i'm thinking the gobies, a few of the honeycombs and maybe a few cories... any thoughts? Keep in mind that the riparium has about 40 gallons of water in it.
- 30+ cardinals
- 11 marble hatchets
- 12 black shultzi cories
- 7 honeycomb catfish
- 5 full-grown L144 Blue Eyed Yellow Bristlenose Plecos
- 4 peacock gudgeon gobies
- 5 otos


----------



## RipariumGuy

A fogger? NICE! Your fish list sounds fine to me. Really cool actually. Peacock gudgeon gobies and honeycomb. How could you go wrong?


----------



## zachary908

AzFishKid said:


> - 7 honeycomb catfish


Dibs! :biggrin: I could have an army!!


----------



## Bahugo

AzFishKid said:


> More aluminum plant and Pilea grandifolia are on the way from Devin. roud: Woo-hoo!
> 
> Also, i just ordered an ultrasonic fogger with a raft from eBay. I plan on keeping the fogger on at night and part of the morning mainly for aesthetics, but it'll also slightly raise the humidity which should be beneficial for the riparium plants.
> 
> On a side note, i need help figuring out which fish i should rehome. I have WAY too many! Right now i'm thinking the gobies, a few of the honeycombs and maybe a few cories... any thoughts? Keep in mind that the riparium has about 40 gallons of water in it.
> - 30+ cardinals
> - 11 marble hatchets
> - 12 black shultzi cories
> - 7 honeycomb catfish
> - 5 full-grown L144 Blue Eyed Yellow Bristlenose Plecos
> - 4 peacock gudgeon gobies
> - 5 otos


Dibs on the peacocks! lol, I would say loose the cardinals. That's just me though.


----------



## zachary908

Phillip, are you still considering shrimp? If so I would re home at least some of those cardinals. That and the honeycombs are probably the biggest threat. I need more honeycombs... :biggrin:


----------



## Centromochlus

Nope, i ditched the shrimp idea. 

The cardinals are sorta the centerpiece fish (although that's not exactly obvious if you look at my FTS's, LOL), so i'm reluctant to get rid of all of them... they seem to hide a lot though, probably because there's so many other fish in the tank.


----------



## zachary908

AzFishKid said:


> Nope, i ditched the shrimp idea.
> 
> The cardinals are sorta the centerpiece fish (although that's not exactly obvious if you look at my FTS's, LOL), so i'm reluctant to get rid of all of them... they seem to hide a lot though, probably because there's so many other fish in the tank.


If you ditched the shrimp idea then I'd keep the Cards for sure! What's the reason you are getting rid of things for anyway? Tank look too busy?


----------



## Bahugo

zachary908 said:


> If you ditched the shrimp idea then I'd keep the Cards for sure! What's the reason you are getting rid of things for anyway? Tank look too busy?


Probably because he has 70+ fish in 40g's of water lol. 

If you do decide too send off the peacocks though I would be seriously interested.


----------



## Centromochlus

Just stole my brother's iPhone 4S and took a video of the tank to prove that fish actually do live in this thing... since you can never see any of them in the photos! Uploading it now...

And yes, i need to rehome some of them because i simply have too many fish in such a confined space. The problem though is that i like all of them!


----------



## Centromochlus

Here's the video. Please excuse all the random noises in the background. My mom was making dinner. 

http://s370.photobucket.com/albums/oo149/inotacarnivore/?action=view&current=5a4e60fb.mp4


----------



## zachary908

Sweet video, man! I LOVE those corys, if you happen to sell any let me know, I'd definitely be interested. Glad you got the cats in the video as well! I'm going to have to get more ordered at work for me sometime. Everything looks really nice. Also see you got the softwater tank cleaned up!

So.. what's for dinner? :hihi:


----------



## Centromochlus

zachary908 said:


> Sweet video, man! I LOVE those corys, if you happen to sell any let me know, I'd definitely be interested. Glad you got the cats in the video as well! I'm going to have to get more ordered at work for me sometime. Everything looks really nice. Also see you got the softwater tank cleaned up!
> 
> So.. what's for dinner? :hihi:


Thanks!
The 60P doesn't look very good right now but at least it's no longer a death trap for plants... everything seems to be growing well for a change. Now it's just time to get the scape worked out. I'm planning on ordering some ohko stone from AFA within the next week or two. I decided that i need some sort of hardscape in that tank. :hihi:

Yeah the cories are really cool. I actually thought of selling 6 of them and getting 6 orange laser cories, but that defeats the point of limiting my stock for this tank! 

Dinner was chicken over linguini with cherry tomatoes and parmesan cheese. It was quite tasty!


----------



## zachary908

AzFishKid said:


> Yeah the cories are really cool. I actually thought of selling 6 of them and getting 6 orange laser cories, but that defeats the point of limiting my stock for this tank!
> 
> Dinner was chicken over linguini with cherry tomatoes and parmesan cheese. It was quite tasty!


6 would be a perfect number for me... although if you sell the honeycombs I'd have to pick them instead!

Wow, that sounds great! I need to go find something to eat...


----------



## Cardinal Tetra

Wow I love those cories! Too bad my UG would hate them.


----------



## Centromochlus

So i think i finally figured out a good way to make a rain system. 
Why not use a soaker hose? I could lay it on top of a screen top. My only issue is how i'm going to get pressure to build up inside of the tubing without a faucet. Could i somehow connect it to a pump?

Examples:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xain5VhFujw&feature=channel_video_title
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEiKb9jhqac&feature=related


----------



## 150EH

The first one was drip irragation nozzles, and no coment on "my soaker hose" that might work but they degrade quickly but could do better inside.

I found these pvc sprinkler nozzles just follow the links when you get there. But just connect the white tee's with some 1/2" pvc and screw in the red sprinkler heads and find a way to hide it all and your good to go.


----------



## hydrophyte

Wow that is all looking great. I love those fish! I really want to do a setup with cories.


----------



## Centromochlus

150EH said:


> The first one was drip irragation nozzles, and no coment on "my soaker hose" that might work but they degrade quickly but could do better inside.
> 
> I found these pvc sprinkler nozzles just follow the links when you get there. But just connect the white tee's with some 1/2" pvc and screw in the red sprinkler heads and find a way to hide it all and your good to go.


I like that idea but i don't think it would give me the "rain drop" look that i'm going for, unfortunately. It looks like the drip irrigation would be my best option.

However, i'm kinda confused as to how i would get water to pump through such a small tube. Ideally, i'd like to actually use the tank water for the rain since i'd like to have the rain system on for longer amounts of time than would be possible if i were continually adding water via the rain. Or could i maybe even hook into my filter outflow to pump water through the tube??? Can anyone give me some information on how i could go about doing this?


----------



## hydrophyte

if you get a mist or rain system going in there you could start adding some other really cool plants that require higher humidity such as some of the larger crypts and _Anubias_ and Java fern. Java fern and _Anubias_ both grow really well on the trellis rafts. 

_Crypt. pontederiifolia_ grows into an especially robust and cool-looking emersed plant in the riparium planters, especially if you feed it good with a little bit of real topsoil in the planter


----------



## Centromochlus

Got the fogger today... adds a REALLY cool effect to the tank. I had trouble hiding it since it has to float in a giant 4" wide circle raft, but i think that once the plants grow in around it, it won't be too noticeable. 

Still looking for some information or suggestions about the DIY rain system. Any ideas?


----------



## Capsaicin_MFK

That driftwood is so beastly.


----------



## hydrophyte

Capsaicin_MFK said:


> That driftwood is so beastly.


I agree that manzanita worked out really good with the plants....



AzFishKid said:


>


----------



## 150EH

The drip irrigation is good and you might be able to find a small kit because quality DI is just roll of tubing and emitters but you need a couple of tools you may never use again, but I would get the smallest pump you can find, if you reduce the tubing right out of the pump you won't need much power to push the water up hill and through the emitters.

But you could use a Rio 50 and sit it right in the tank and hide it with plants, look at the replacment parts they sell recucers, etc. Also look at the "needle wheel convertion kit" it's for CO2 but you could cap the 1/2 line and use the small tubing connection for your DI line.


----------



## Centromochlus

150EH said:


> The drip irrigation is good and you might be able to find a small kit because quality DI is just roll of tubing and emitters but you need a couple of tools you may never use again, but I would get the smallest pump you can find, if you reduce the tubing right out of the pump you won't need much power to push the water up hill and through the emitters.
> 
> But you could use a Rio 50 and sit it right in the tank and hide it with plants, look at the replacment parts they sell recucers, etc. Also look at the "needle wheel convertion kit" it's for CO2 but you could cap the 1/2 line and use the small tubing connection for your DI line.


Perfect, thank you for all the information! I think the rio 50 pump + conversion kit would work well for what i'm trying to accomplish. 

Would i just poke little holes into the DI tubing, or is there some sort of fitting that i should use? I'm not too familiar with drip irrigation.


----------



## 150EH

They do use emitters or the part that drips and they come in different sizes, you also need a tool similar to pliers to attach them to the tubing. I would try just using some good tubing and see what you get poking or drilling tiny holes in it, I have drill bits that are smaller than a sewing needle, and GLA has some thick CO2 tubing that would work good if you could figure out how to cap or plug the end, you could use a manifold type splitter and have several lines over head depending on how heavy you want the rain to be.

I guess on the other hand were you live would be the ideal area for DI use and you most likely have ever brand ever made at a store near you, being zero scaping was invented for places like Arizona.


----------



## Centromochlus

New FTS: November 26, 2011
Some of the plants still have some growing-in to do, but overall i'm very happy with how it looks!
Yes, i know the water level is a little too low... the fogger uses up a lot of water when it's on at night. D:









With new fog machine turned on (usually only on at night):


----------



## hydrophyte

Hey that looks cool. Can you get any pictures closer of the fogger?


----------



## jkan0228

That's a tight Fogger you got there.


----------



## Centromochlus

hydrophyte said:


> Hey that looks cool. Can you get any pictures closer of the fogger?


You're so needy! Just kidding.  Anything for you Devin!

I bought it on eBay. I think this specific type is usually used for hydroponics but it works well for what i was trying to accomplish. It came with a raft that it sits in, so all i had to do was hide it behind the driftwood and some riparium plants and it's nearly out-of-sight. 

Sorry about the bad pic...


----------



## hydrophyte

That's pretty cool. It looks like it's only three or so inches across. It is handy that it doesn't require extra plumbing or complicated installation.


----------



## Centromochlus

hydrophyte said:


> That's pretty cool. It looks like it's only three or so inches across. It is handy that it doesn't require extra plumbing or complicated installation.


For sure. Super easy to install... hiding it was another issue but it was easy enough to find a spot for it. The raft is actually 4" wide, which is a little large considering that the actual fogger is only like 1" wide, but it was really the only way that i could use it in this tank. The raft is also handy because it adjusts to the water level, so the fogger will never run dry.


----------



## Geniusdudekiran

Hey Philip, you should really make a video of the fogger in action -- does the tank have like a moving, active cloud of fine mist when it's on? It looks amazing! I think you should get a tree frog or something to go in the non-aquatic part of it. Then again, I know nothing about frogs


----------



## Centromochlus

Geniusdudekiran said:


> Hey Philip, you should really make a video of the fogger in action -- does the tank have like a moving, active cloud of fine mist when it's on? It looks amazing! I think you should get a tree frog or something to go in the non-aquatic part of it. Then again, I know nothing about frogs


Thanks man! I'll take a video of the fog in action soon. The fog pretty much stays in place except for the section that's over the outflow of the filter. When i wake up in the morning, the whole tank is filled with fog since there's no heat from the lights keeping it down low (i guess?). It's pretty cool.

I'm actually looking into getting some reed frogs, though at $15/per it's gonna be expensive to get 10. They're super small so i don't think just a few would add much to the tank...


----------



## Geniusdudekiran

Cool! Do reed frogs do well in a nano-riparium?


----------



## Centromochlus

Geniusdudekiran said:


> Cool! Do reed frogs do well in a nano-riparium?


I've only done brief research on their care requirements but they're no more than an inch so i'm sure they'd do fine in a smaller riparium. I talked to an employee at one of my local pet shops and he said they're really easy to take care of and can live in many different conditions, which is why i think they'll be a good candidate for ripariums. I specifically showed him a picture of my riparium on my phone and he thought that they would do fine in such type of tank.

Hydrophyte originally recommended this sp. to me. I had never even heard of them before.


----------



## hydrophyte

Have you seen pictures of the kind of reed frog that you might be able to get? I understand that there are actually a number of related species. Some of them are more colorful or showy than other.


----------



## Centromochlus

hydrophyte said:


> Have you seen pictures of the kind of reed frog that you might be able to get? I understand that there are actually a number of related species. Some of them are more colorful or showy than other.


I would be ordering them through my local LFS/pet shop so i'm not sure. I doubt they'd be able to order specific variations but maybe I could see them before i buy them? They had one in stock when i was there and it was peach-colored with no pattern and i still thought it looked cool. They're pretty cute.


----------



## hydrophyte

Like you mentioned I have also heard that they are pretty easy to keep. You'd probably just need to make sure that you can button everything up tight to keep them inside.


----------



## orchidman

i heard you are taking your turtle pond down? coule you use some of the plants you have in it in this? riparium section of course


----------



## Centromochlus

hydrophyte said:


> Like you mentioned I have also heard that they are pretty easy to keep. You'd probably just need to make sure that you can button everything up tight to keep them inside.


Unfortunately the pet shop where I was going to get the frogs is suddenly going out of business. Looks like I'll have to find another source.


----------



## Centromochlus

orchidman said:


> i heard you are taking your turtle pond down? coule you use some of the plants you have in it in this? riparium section of course


Yup, I am. I probably could transfer some to the riparium but I already have umbrella-palm-like plants, and the other one might be too large. Might be cool experimenting with though. The unknown plant that i have in that pond with the big wide green leaves has a beautiful yellow flower in the summer. I wonder if it would flower in a riparium?


----------



## zachary908

AzFishKid said:


> Unfortunately the pet shop where I was going to get the frogs is suddenly going out of business. Looks like I'll have to find another source.


That's a shame, was looking forward to seeing the frogs! Maybe you should post some pics of your honeycombs to make me feel better! :hihi:


----------



## Centromochlus

zachary908 said:


> That's a shame, was looking forward to seeing the frogs! Maybe you should post some pics of your honeycombs to make me feel better! :hihi:


Baby honeycomb? :3


----------



## zachary908

Nice try, but I've seen that picture.  Still he's a cute one. 

I meant some NEW pictures, Phillip!  By the way, figured out anything on your emersed yet? My stuff is growing good, so let me know when you are ready.


----------



## hydrophyte

That is fantastic. Nice work with those fish! 

What have you been feeding the babies?


----------



## Centromochlus

zachary908 said:


> Nice try, but I've seen that picture.  Still he's a cute one.
> 
> I meant some NEW pictures, Phillip!  By the way, figured out anything on your emersed yet? My stuff is growing good, so let me know when you are ready.


I know, but the lights are off, I'm too lazy, and that's a friggin adorable picture anyway. 

I'm waiting on the necessary funds to get the lights, unfortunately. That's really all I need to get started besides the soil, but that's pretty much dirt cheap. They're $90/shipped per fixture and I'll need two. Hopefully I'll be able to get them soon.


----------



## Centromochlus

hydrophyte said:


> That is fantastic. Nice work with those fish!
> 
> What have you been feeding the babies?


Well I wish they would breed but no luck yet. Those pictures are of my adults when they were young. Sorry for the confusion!


----------



## hydrophyte

Oh yes I was going to go back to check. I don't remember if I read exactly what was in the breeder box. What were you keeping in there?


----------



## Centromochlus

hydrophyte said:


> Oh yes I was going to go back to check. I don't remember if I read exactly what was in the breeder box. What were you keeping in there?


Baby L144 blue eyed yellow plecos. I grew 10 out to about 3/4" then sold them all. I got tired of looking at that bright blue breeder box! :hihi:


----------



## zachary908

AzFishKid said:


> I know, but the lights are off, I'm too lazy, and that's a friggin adorable picture anyway.
> 
> I'm waiting on the necessary funds to get the lights, unfortunately. That's really all I need to get started besides the soil, but that's pretty much dirt cheap. They're $90/shipped per fixture and I'll need two. Hopefully I'll be able to get them soon.


I suppose you are right.  
Tell you get new honeycomb pics up sometime, and I will too! 

I forgot, what fixtures are you going with this time around?
Feel free to shoot a PM if you'd rather not clutter your thread further.

Sorry for the derail!



AzFishKid said:


> Well I wish they would breed but no luck yet.


Same here, it would be uber cool if they did breed. I may start feeding them fish row to see if that helps. When we feed it to clownfish at work the start laying, so maybe it will work with honeycombs?


----------



## 150EH

The fogger is really nice and I liked the way it just laid over the waters surface too. The plants & wood look very nice too with the underside being very dark and the fish reflecting light ir very nice.


----------



## orchidman

aww! cute honeycomb!


----------



## Centromochlus

zachary908 said:


> I suppose you are right.
> Tell you get new honeycomb pics up sometime, and I will too!
> 
> I forgot, what fixtures are you going with this time around?
> Feel free to shoot a PM if you'd rather not clutter your thread further.
> 
> Sorry for the derail!
> 
> 
> 
> Same here, it would be uber cool if they did breed. I may start feeding them fish row to see if that helps. When we feed it to clownfish at work the start laying, so maybe it will work with honeycombs?


No problem, i'll need to PM you the link anyway since it's on eBay. PM incoming!

Apparently honeycombs aren't too hard to breed but i haven't done a whole lot of research on the topic. 



150EH said:


> The fogger is really nice and I liked the way it just laid over the waters surface too. The plants & wood look very nice too with the underside being very dark and the fish reflecting light ir very nice.


Thank you! I was a little concerned with how the fog would look but i'm very pleased with it. I'm glad that you guys like it as well. roud:



orchidman said:


> aww! cute honeycomb!


Is there such thing as an ugly honeycomb?  :icon_mrgr


----------



## zachary908

AzFishKid said:


> Apparently honeycombs aren't too hard to breed but i haven't done a whole lot of research on the topic.
> 
> 
> Is there such thing as an ugly honeycomb?  :icon_mrgr


Yeah, I haven't really actually done anything special to try yet. Just been feeding them lol

No way!


----------



## jkan0228

That honeycomb is so cute!! But I want more pics!!!! Hehe


----------



## hydrophyte

Any more updates on this baby?


----------



## Centromochlus

hydrophyte said:


> Any more updates on this baby?


Nothing much really... everything seems to be growing well. The _Colocasia fallax_ is constantly sending out new leaves and i've even seen a few stalks that look like flower buds, but for some reason they always shrivel up and die before opening. The _Pilea grandifolia_ is also doing extremely well.

I've been messing with the idea of taking this tank down, selling all the equipment except for CO2, and doing a smaller riparium similar to your Mr. Aqua 11.4G old scape. I think it would be really cool to do a similar setup with just honeycomb cats. I'd like to try to get these guys to breed since they seem to be growing increasingly challenging to find and they're somewhat popular (but of course, why wouldn't they be?!). :hihi:

And, with the extra money from selling the whole setup and some extra money, i could maybe get a 75P or 90P to do something else with. 

In reality though, all of this probably won't happen since i really like how my 90G is set up and i doubt my parents would like the idea of swapping tanks again, even if it is a huge downsize. I just like to dream about the endless possibilities of what i could do with my tanks. roud:


----------



## hydrophyte

Yeah I never understood about those _C. fallax_ spathes either. Every time that I get them they stay closed up and I think that maybe that is just how they are. Maybe they are pollinated by beetles that crawl inside or something.

If you ever do a nano riparium you should consider baby panda bamboo as the main background foliage. It takes a lot of patience (months), but looks fantastic once it fills out. Fine-leaves emersed stems like _Bacopa_, _Hygro._ sp. "Aragaiua" or _Limnophila aromatica_ are other good choices for open-top, nano setups.


----------



## Centromochlus

Last night i cleaned out the filter for the first time since setting up the riparium, and man... did it need a good cleaning! 

And it was raining outside so that made it even more fun... the things I do for my aquariums... haha.


----------



## Da Plant Man

AzFishKid said:


> And it was raining outside so that made it even more fun... the things I do for my aquariums... haha.



I said that exact same thing two nights ago when I was washing my sand and aquarium for my new riparium. I almost felt like I got hypothermia because I was puting my hands into a bucket of water thats 33*f and its 15*f outside. 


PICTURES.


----------



## orchidman

i hate rinsing sand! especially if its not 90 degrees!


----------



## Centromochlus

I just spent about 6 hours making a DIY rain system. I've got it all put together, now i just have to attach it to the canopy and see if it works. Crossing my fingers!


----------



## 150EH

Got any pics of the new system, it's funny how you can spend a lot of time planing and gathering materials for months and in the middle of the install you question if it will be worth all the trouble while your up to your pits in water, but it is worth the effort almost every time.


----------



## Centromochlus

SUCCESS! It's raining in my bedroom! I'll take some pics soon.


----------



## Da Plant Man

AzFishKid said:


> SUCCESS! It's raining in my bedroom!



Under normal circumstances, this would be bad. :biggrin:


PICTARRSSSS


----------



## jkan0228

Da Plant Man said:


> Under normal circumstances, this would be bad. :biggrin:
> 
> 
> PICTARRSSSS


Nothing is normal with Phil... Hahaha pics bro! How did you even make it?....


----------



## SearunSimpson

AzFishKid said:


> New FTS: November 26, 2011
> Some of the plants still have some growing-in to do, but overall i'm very happy with how it looks!
> Yes, i know the water level is a little too low... the fogger uses up a lot of water when it's on at night. D:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> With new fog machine turned on (usually only on at night):


Dude, I haven't been on this site very much lately, but man, that tank is SICCCKKK! Now I wanna turn my 90gl into something similar!
Keep rockin!


----------



## hydrophyte

I look forward to seeing the rain system. Can you make a video of it?


----------



## Centromochlus

Here's a few pictures of my DIY rain system. It cost me about $65 to build (including pump), but a lot of that money was spent buying replacements for what i broke while making it. :hihi: I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out. It doesn't look 100% natural since the drops fall in the same place every time, but I couldn't come up with a way to avoid this. I thought about using a soaker tube to try to get a more natural drip, but i was told that they break down relatively quickly and didn't want to risk it.

I made this system based off of a similar build that i saw on youtube. I used 10 drip heads (?) per circle, and connected them together. I then used a T-fitting in-line with the connecting tube to add an additional tube for the pump. I tied the completed tube circles to 12" metal wreath templates ($2.50/ea at Michaels!) for greater stability. I then used wire to hang it from the top of my canopy.

This system is running off of a Rio 600 submersible pump (200GPH). I originally tried it with a Rio 50 but it didn't produce enough flow to reach both circles. I connected the tubing to the pump via the small outflow on the top of the discharge adaptor and used a lighter to melt the plastic over the larger end (where the water would have normally came out) to close it off. I thought about plugging it up with silicone but melting it down worked really well.

The system was on when i took these photos, but obviously you can't tell. I'll be making a video soon, so stay tuned!

Left side:









Right side:









FTS:


----------



## zachary908

Looks great, Phillip! The foreground has filled in super nice. Can't wait to see the rain system in action.


----------



## jkan0228

Awesome! Very creative. Its like the amazon now...  Or whatever famous river


----------



## oldpunk78

Sick.


----------



## hydrophyte

Wow that is aweseom DIY.


----------



## orchidman

nice! i want to see a video!


----------



## Da Plant Man

jkan0228 said:


> Its like the amazon now...  Or whatever famous river



Is there a river with all the plants he has, and honeycombs, cardinal tetra, and hatchetfish? I want to go collecting there... roud:


Looking good! I saw it in action via skype and I have to say, its making me want to do one.


----------



## dewalltheway

Great job man! Looks awesome with the fog and rain and the driftwood is perfect. Your setup inspires me to want to restart mine. roud:


----------



## shrimpnmoss

Fog? Rain? Riparium? Freaking awesome! Man, that is mysterious looking with that surface fog. Great work. What is the plant that you're using for carpet? The carpet looks pretty lush, I would think the top plants would block the light for the carpet..but apparently not...


----------



## mountaindew

Well done!
mD


----------



## hydrophyte

This setup would be a good one for a magazine article, especially if you could get some good shots of fish. You really set everything up well.


----------



## nonconductive

wow!


----------



## hydrophyte

I wondered has your _Panandus_ plant started to grow prop roots yet? I think that you might have ended up with a _P. utilis_, not _P. tectorius_. I think your plant has read leaf margins is that right? If it has read on the leaves then it is _P. utilis_. I would be interested to know how it's doing in there.


----------



## !shadow!

AzFishKid said:


> New FTS: November 26, 2011
> Some of the plants still have some growing-in to do, but overall i'm very happy with how it looks!
> Yes, i know the water level is a little too low... the fogger uses up a lot of water when it's on at night. D:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> With new fog machine turned on (usually only on at night):


+1 I can't believe I've missed this. Good job Phillip! Trully an inspiration to us all looking to do a riparium in the near future. The design of the manzanita really stands out and I think flows well with the overall look.


----------



## Geniusdudekiran

AzFishKid said:


> Yes, i know the water level is a little too low... the fogger uses up a lot of water when it's on at night. D:


Well then I have another DIY for you -- a DIY ATO system. It's easier than it sounds, all you really need is a float switch and an air pump.


----------



## Chaos_Being

Wow...that is simply incredible. Good job!


----------



## Centromochlus

Thank you all for the positive comments! I'm glad that you like it as much as I do. 

I've thought about making an ATO system, but i don't know if i have any more room in my stand... argg. Even just putting a reservoir with a pump and tubing to the tank would help, so i could turn the pump on and top off the tank within 30 seconds.


----------



## 2in10

Fantastic tank and DIY work.


----------



## Geniusdudekiran

Hey guess what?! It's update time!


----------



## Centromochlus

I need a new plant to replace the Pilea cadierei with... it doesn't seem to be doing too well with the new rain system. I don't think it likes being wet for a long amount of time. The other plants though seem to be doing fine. Any suggestions? I'd like some sort of grassy plant but i don't know what type. It needs to be able to tolerate low light and can be planted in the trellis rafts (if such plant exists).


----------



## hydrophyte

Does the P. grandifolia still look good? You could just keep cutting and re-cutting that. 

What about Anubias barteri nana? It's not grassy, but it would otherwise be perfect for those conditions. So would Java fern.

The only real grassy plant that I have grown on the trellis rafts is Oplismenus, but that is probably better for an open-air setup.

Bucepahalandra should also grow well on those trellis rafts in wet conditions, but you'd probably have to rob a bank if you want to buy enough to fill much space.


----------



## dewalltheway

Look up Miniature Cattail. I purchased some for my outside pond but a Riparium is basically doing the same thing. It stays short (18") and produces small cattails. Not sure if that is too tall but just a suggestion.

I will say again that I just love this setup. I so want to setup another riparium but money is an issue right now so I will just look at yours. Thx for sharing!


----------



## inka4041

This is a ridiculous setup. The submersed portion looks mysteriously intriguing with that fogger on. You've really gone all out on this thing, dude! That driftwood piece is just fantastic. Can't help but picture a couple strategically placed epiphytic orchid clumps on it though.

Hydro, how do ophiopogons tend to do in the riparium setting? Seems like it'd fit the grassy requirement pretty well.


----------



## hydrophyte

_Ophiopogon_ can do well in a riparium, but I believe the OP wants something for trellis rafts, and _Ophiopogon_ should go in a planter. 

I have tried the real common black _Ophiopogon_ and it grew pretty well, but it looked small and dumpy in the riparium. I have seen a larger one that is a real dark green and with leaves about 12" that would be a better one to try, but I haven't found it for sale.


----------



## Centromochlus

Ugh... i wish more plants were suitable for the rafts. There really aren't many options. The Pilea grandifolia is doing VERY well so i guess i'll just try to propagate that. However, i need a tall plant to go in front of the Colocasia fallax/behind the driftwood. Any suggestions? I was thinking a grass-like plant would look nice but it doesn't sound like there are any viable options, as they would need to be planted on rafts. 

And sorry Devin, i forgot to reply to your earlier post. The Pandanus does have "prop" roots now and it does have red edges. It looks a lot like Pandanus utilis.

Also, are there any other good "filler" plants besides peace lilies?

Thanks for the comments, inka4041 and dewalltheway.


----------



## hydrophyte

_Pilea grandifolia_ will grow pretty tall to 16" or so if you let it. So will aluminum plant.

Yep the reason there are few plants that go on the raft is that most of the good riparium plants need more nutrition and so they need to root in the planters with the gravel and more nutrients in the root zone. 

I just got these very intriguing _Aglaonema, A. simplex_ and _A. minima_. They are more interesting that peace lily but it should be possible to use them the same way.


----------



## Centromochlus

I got a MistKing system for christmas! I'm going to pick up a bucket tomorrow and get it all installed. Should be awesome combined with the rain. 

Oh, and i also got a mini-M, solar light, aquasoil, and a GLA atomic disposable cartridge system! Journal will be up soon.


----------



## hydrophyte

That sounds like fun!

If you can maintain the humidity in there another great plant to try is Java fern on the trellis rafts. It takes a couple of months to convert to emersed, but once it gets going it looks really nice.


----------



## Centromochlus

Java fern would definitely be fun to try. Maybe even on the driftwood?

I got the misting system all set up, and i'm VERY happy with it! The pump is pretty quite and the mist is super fine. By itself it looks awesome, but combined with the rain it's a little much. Maybe i'll save those "super storms" for the "rainy season". :hihi:

I'm going to see if i can borrow my boss's camera tomorrow to take a video of everything in action.


----------



## fishykid1

AzFishKid said:


> Java fern would definitely be fun to try. Maybe even on the driftwood?
> 
> I got the misting system all set up, and i'm VERY happy with it! The pump is pretty quite and the mist is super fine. By itself it looks awesome, but combined with the rain it's a little much. Maybe i'll save those "super storms" for the "rainy season". :hihi:
> 
> I'm going to see if i can borrow my boss's camera tomorrow to take a video of everything in action.


Philip, I have some java fern sitting in the 55 not really doing anything... lemme know if you want it. You've helped me, it's my turn to return the favor. (Granted it's not perfect, it still has growth and good roots)


----------



## Centromochlus

fishykid1 said:


> Philip, I have some java fern sitting in the 55 not really doing anything... lemme know if you want it. You've helped me, it's my turn to return the favor. (Granted it's not perfect, it still has growth and good roots)


Hey Martin, that would be great if you don't mind! I'd really like to try some on the driftwood since i think it would look cool with the roots hanging down. I hope the humidity will be high enough. Just need a few small plants to experiment with so let me know when you're ready.


----------



## Centromochlus

Btw, here's a quick updated FTS. Video will be uploaded soon!


----------



## orchidman

looks great!


----------



## hydrophyte

Wow your plants are looking really good. That _C. fallax_ looks awesome.

If it were me I think I would be disinclined to plant much on that manzanita. It looks cool the way it contrasted against the foliage in the background.


----------



## sayurasem

this is awesome!


----------



## orchidman

Still waiting for that vid roud:


----------



## hydrophyte

I'd love to see more close up of those plants. It looks like they are happy in there.


----------



## tharsis

wow...really awesome set-up, nice lush growth below and above the water. That FTS is really stunning with the fog. Very very nice job.

You need to rig up some simulated lightning for your super storms!


----------



## Da Plant Man

tharsis said:


> You need to rig up some simulated lightning for your super storms!


He has already talked about it. It would cost around $800 for the lights he needs. Don't give him any ideas :hihi: He needs to set-up his mini-m, plant his 60-p more, and start his emersed plant project :icon_roll


----------



## tharsis

lol crack that whip!!

It can't be that expensive to set-up is it? It seems to me a cheap DIY LED unit on a timer would do a great job... but maybe I am missing something.


----------



## orchidman

tharsis said:


> wow...really awesome set-up, nice lush growth below and above the water. That FTS is really stunning with the fog. Very very nice job.
> 
> You need to rig up some simulated lightning for your super storms!


that would be so cool! you need to get something that send real lightning bolts though! not just flashes!!!!   dony electricute your fish though. .olololololol


----------



## thrak76

This is a beautiful setup. It must be an absolute joy to sit in front of it.


----------



## Centromochlus

Thanks guys!

Yeah, i've looked into getting LED fixtures that have a storm feature built-in, but it would cost me around $800 for two panels and $200 for the controller which enables the lightning feature. Although it would be awesome, it's not worth it right now considering that i'll have to take down all of my tanks before i head off to college (which is about a year and a half away). 

I was thinking that maybe i could do some DIY work with some cheaper LED's. I like my T5-HO fixture and wouldn't really need the LED's for growing plants, so if i could get some moonlights and somehow rig them up to a controller/computer, i could probably get the same effect. I keep the DIY rain system on at night and that's when i'd like to have some lightning action to stimulate a rainforest storm. During the day when the T5's are on it probably wouldn't work too well but that's alright.


----------



## Centromochlus

Hey guys, i finally finished the video and uploaded it to YouTube. The quality isn't great, but i'm happy that i'll at least be able to show you guys the DIY rain system, fogger, and mist system in action. Enjoy. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryZpGXAsAzM&feature=youtu.be


----------



## zachary908

Awesome stuff, dude! The video is great. Thanks for sharing.


----------



## hydrophyte

That is amazing!


----------



## Crispino L Ramos

Wow!


----------



## IWANNAGOFAST

That is pretty dang awesome!


----------



## CL

I love the look of that fog rolling out over the water. Great looking tank man.


----------



## Capsaicin_MFK

Jeebus! That storm/rain effect certainly adds beauty to an already perfect tank.


----------



## Crispino L Ramos

Would you allow my Aridarum sp 'Batang Lemanak' to have fun in your riparium for awhile?


----------



## Centromochlus

Thanks for all the comments guys! I really appreciate it. 

And it's about time you stopped by Cris! Of course i'd let your Aridarium "have fun" in my riparium.  Definitely would be an interesting plant to try. 


After watching the video a few times, I think it's time to give the Staurogyne a good hacking in some spots-- it's getting a little clumpy.


----------



## oldpunk78

It's really cool seeing your tank in action. Thanks for sharing!


----------



## kwheeler91

Thats freakin awesome. Its zoo exhibit quality.


----------



## Da Plant Man

It's so beautiful, I cried tears of joy.

roud:


Sent from TapaTalk


----------



## hydrophyte

I'm going to copy you. I think that fog would look really cool in my 56 Column setup. Where did you get the mister?


----------



## orchidman

So cool


----------



## chad320

That is pretty freakin awesome! I was setting up to do the same type tank. Now I just look like a copy cat. Great job!!!


----------



## dewalltheway

So Awesome! You have done a spectacular job! Great Work! The video is awe inspiring!


----------



## IWANNAGOFAST

now all you need is the LED lights to do lightning effects too


----------



## hydrophyte

Wow look at this one...

http://pondusa.com/fogger.htm#FOGGER

It's only 1.5" diameter. It would probably be easy to just hang it by the cord in the tank or one could also stick it in an empty riparium planter.


----------



## orchidman

That ones not expensive either!


----------



## Centromochlus

Thanks again guys! 

@Devin - I got the misting system from MistKing. The fogger that you linked is very similar to the one that i'm using, if not exactly the same. The thing about the ultrasonic foggers is that they have to be in a horizontal position to work best, so i don't think you could just hang it in the water. They're pretty sensitive to water levels too so that's why i opted to go with the floating raft. An empty riparium planter would definitely work if you maintain a constant water level, but if you're like me who will let it drop an inch or two before doing something about it, then the raft is probably your best option.


----------



## speedie408

DOPE!!! 

Props for such an awesome setup.


----------



## ua hua

Amazing! You have done a great job with this tank.


----------



## Geniusdudekiran

AzFishKid said:


> I was thinking that maybe i could do some DIY work with some cheaper LED's. I like my T5-HO fixture and wouldn't really need the LED's for growing plants, so if i could get some moonlights and somehow rig them up to a controller/computer, i could probably get the same effect. I keep the DIY rain system on at night and that's when i'd like to have some lightning action to stimulate a rainforest storm. During the day when the T5's are on it probably wouldn't work too well but that's alright.


Is there anything you could do with like one of the big flash bulbs on a professional camera?


----------



## Hyzer

Wow man... just wow. Epic scape and equipment.


----------



## hydrophyte

I've never really thought much about using foggers before, but this looks so cool I think I will try to set one up for my 56, as well as the viv that I put together over at the children's museum. That setup could look real nice with fog rolling in and out...


----------



## Da Plant Man

I know you got a new riparium plant. SHOW US SOME PICS!

-Caton


----------



## hydrophyte

I wonder what kind of plant he got(???).


----------



## Da Plant Man

Lucky bamboo! I gave it to him because it was too big for any of my tanks. At over 24" tall, it needed a good home.

-Caton


----------



## Centromochlus

Da Plant Man said:


> Lucky bamboo! I gave it to him because it was too big for any of my tanks. At over 24" tall, it needed a good home.
> 
> -Caton


Yup! I wasn't sure about it at first, but i REALLY like how it looks. I put some in the left corner and the rest in the middle (right in front of the _Colocasia fallax_). Because the lucky bamboo was 24" tall, i could plant the roots in the aquasoil while still having most of it out of the water. It was the perfect solution for the "grassy" plant that i was looking for to put in the middle of the tank. 

Unfortunately i left my camera at school, but i'll take a picture of the tank when i get home on Tuesday.


----------



## hydrophyte

Lucky bamboo can look pretty good if you put several of them together.


----------



## Centromochlus

Incase you guys didn't see the post on my mini-M journal, i imported 6 _Centromochlus reticulatus_ from Oliver Lucanus in Montreal, Canada. They arrived last Friday and are doing great so far. The original plan was to put them all in the mini-M because i thought their max size was 1", but these guys are 1.5"! You can imagine how surprised i was to see these "massive" fish when i was expecting them to be nearly 1/3 of their actual size (i wasn't expecting them to be even close to full grown). Apparently, Planet Catfish doesn't know what they're talking about. :hihi:

They have a really cool pattern and are a nice addition to my quickly growing "Honeycombs and Friends" collection. I'm still looking for _Tatia musaica_, _Tatia simplex_, and _Tatia gyrina_.

Right now they're in a specimen cup; i want to make sure they're all healthy and eating well before i release them into the tank, because i know i'll never be able to get them out again! 

So without further ado, i present to you... "devilcombs©"!



















Momma pleco saying hello... nah, i lied. She just wants the food!


----------



## Da Plant Man

DEVILCOMBS! I hope that the named I coined and copyrighted sticks. :hihi:

Those fish are freaking sweet. Oliver is really funny and nice, I had dinner with him a couple months ago.

Any chance of a FTS now?


----------



## zachary908

Super sick, dude! Glad to see they are doing well. What are they eating so far?


----------



## hydrophyte

Wow those are cool. Where are they from originally?


----------



## Centromochlus

Da Plant Man said:


> DEVILCOMBS! I hope that the named I coined and copyrighted sticks. :hihi:
> 
> Those fish are freaking sweet. Oliver is really funny and nice, I had dinner with him a couple months ago.
> 
> Any chance of a FTS now?


Devilcombs© for the win!

I'll take a FTS later tonight (i promise!). I need to get the glass all cleaned... it has a TON of hard water stains. 



hydrophyte said:


> Wow those are cool. Where are they from originally?


Thanks Devin! They're native to Guyana. 



zachary908 said:


> Super sick, dude! Glad to see they are doing well. What are they eating so far?


Thanks Zach! I've been feeding them bloodworms and some sort of pellet food that i received as a freebie in a RAOK from somewhatshocked. They seem to love both foods.


----------



## zachary908

Cool! Get those bad boys (And girls) Breeding, and sell me some babies. :biggrin:


----------



## Centromochlus

zachary908 said:


> Cool! Get those bad boys (And girls) Breeding, and sell me some babies. :biggrin:


Most definitely! I really hope i can get them to breed. Oliver said he wouldn't be surprised if i was the only one in the US with these guys since they're rarely exported to the US. I bet there's at least one other person with these wonderful fish but i'd like to think that i'm the only one in the country.


----------



## Da Plant Man

AzFishKid said:


> I'll take a FTS later tonight (i promise!).



Why did you just lie to me? Now get up, and take some pictures, please. :icon_mrgr


----------



## zachary908

AzFishKid said:


> Most definitely! I really hope i can get them to breed. Oliver said he wouldn't be surprised if i was the only one in the US with these guys since they're rarely exported to the US. I bet there's at least one other person with these wonderful fish but i'd like to think that i'm the only one in the country.


I've never heard of anyone else keeping them! I'm still checking my lists at work when I get the chance... would love to get a hold of the other Tatias. If I find them I'll be sure to share with you. We can have our own Honeycombs and friends club! :bounce:


----------



## orchidman

Cuuuuttteee


----------



## Centromochlus

Someone went a little overboard with the bloodworms...


----------



## zachary908

HOLY!! He's a fatty, but so cute!!!  Looks like mine when they eat mysis! Actually it looks like a she! Can't tell for sure though. Hard to see the fins in that pic.


----------



## orchidman

hahah CUTE!


----------



## Centromochlus

zachary908 said:


> HOLY!! He's a fatty, but so cute!!!  Looks like mine when they eat mysis! Actually it looks like a she! Can't tell for sure though. Hard to see the fins in that pic.


Yup, it's a she. As far as i know i only have 2 males, but i can never get an exact count since they're always hiding or moving around like little torpedoes!


----------



## Da Plant Man

It looks like it can't breath, lol.

I want one. :hihi:


----------



## Centromochlus

Here's an updated FTS while i'm in the picture-taking mood.

The plants on the right side glass aren't permanent, they're there because i don't have room for them. I might just give them away to someone local who might be interested in starting a riparium.

Caton sent me some 24" tall lucky bamboo so i put some on the left side and in the middle. Does it look to crowded?

Let me know what you think...


----------



## zachary908

Looks great, dude!


----------



## chad320

Looks fantastic Phillip! I love the honeycombs too. Nice to see you collecting different kinds


----------



## hydrophyte

AzFishKid said:


>


That's looking great to me. It still woudl be cool to see some closeups of plants they look really happy in there.


----------



## Da Plant Man

YOU DIDNT LIE! YAYYYY! 

Looks superb, Philip!


----------



## orchidman

looks awesome!


----------



## Geniusdudekiran

Can you take a picture of the staurogyne closer up?


----------



## Centromochlus

So i need some recommendations on a new canister filter... the Fluval FX5 isn't really keeping the water as clean as i had hoped it would (yes, it HAS been recently cleaned). I'm thinking about a Nu-Clear Canister Filter. Any thoughts?


----------



## cableguy69846

This tank is sick! Very nice and those fish are awesome.:icon_smil


----------



## jkan0228

Go with an eheim 2262. :hihi:


----------



## monkeyfish

This is such a great tank, subscribed. 
Eheim 2217, I have two on my 90G and the tank is always clear.


----------



## Msouza91

Sweet tank!


----------



## Da Plant Man

AzFishKid said:


> So i need some recommendations on a new canister filter... the Fluval FX5 isn't really keeping the water as clean as i had hoped it would (yes, it HAS been recently cleaned). I'm thinking about a Nu-Clear Canister Filter. Any thoughts?



I agree, ehiem 2262 :hihi:


----------



## hydrophyte

Any more new updates for this baby?

I am making a little more headway on the larger riparium project at out local children's museum and I think I might model it after this setup, but I am gong to use Wisconsin-native fish and try to make the planting look like native plants too more or less. You sure got good results with this tank.


----------



## Wy Renegade

Tagging in for some research ideas. Nice tank!


----------



## atom

This is so amazing I kind of love and hate you at the same time.


----------



## Da Plant Man

We need updates.


----------



## Geniusdudekiran

^ +1,000,000 because I am a boss. :hihi:


----------



## Centromochlus

I suppose i should update this thread with everything that's happened within the past month or so.

I decided to take down the riparium and fill the tank all the way again. The riparium was a lot of fun while it lasted, but i was ready to move on. I really do appreciate all of the support/praise/comments/help/etc that i've received for my riparium while it was running. Special shout out to Devin for really helping me out with getting all the plants and equipment! He's a great guy to work with. I hope that in the future when i have my own place i'll be able to set up another riparium.

I considered selling the whole tank setup but no one local seemed interested. I was going to replace it with a used 120-P but i decided not to since it would be a huge hassle and i'm just going to have to sell everything in a year when i go off to college anyway. I also thought about doing a 60g long for growing out plants, but with the way my 60-P has been going in terms of growing things, i decided that a grow-out tank would probably be a huge failure. :hihi:

Anyway, i sold all of the riparium plants to a local friend who seemed very excited to add them to his new riparium. I moved the misting system to my emersed grow-out tanks. I sold all of the marble hatchetfish and black shultzi corydoras as well. 

The tank has been completely filled for the past week or so. The fish seem to be really liking the added space, especially the plecos. They have much more driftwood to graze on now and more hiding spots. It took the cardinals a while to realize that they could swim upwards, but they seem to be liking the extra space as well.  I forgot how dramatic a 90G looks when it's filled all the way. I also don't think that the riparium gave the driftwood centerpiece the full justice that it deserves. 

I have a HUGE plant order coming in from Manini that should be here mid next-week, including lots of java fern 'red' and anubias 'petite'. I will be buying all of the mini bolbitis at my LFS.

I plan on getting a group of 5 discus for this tank, probably Alenquer. Just need to save up a bit after sending manini my life savings, and i definitely need to do some more research before i invest in these fish. 

Here's my planting idea. Let me know what you think!


----------



## jkan0228

The riparium was awesome. Can't wait to see how everything turns out. Please keep us updated more often!


----------



## Da Plant Man

The lightly shaded black lines on the left side are the sizes of discus, correct? 


I can't wait to see it!


----------



## discuspaul

AzFishKid said:


> I suppose i should update this thread with everything that's happened within the past month or so.
> 
> I decided to take down the riparium and fill the tank all the way again. The riparium was a lot of fun while it lasted, but i was ready to move on. I really do appreciate all of the support/praise/comments/help/etc that i've received for my riparium while it was running. Special shout out to Devin for really helping me out with getting all the plants and equipment! He's a great guy to work with. I hope that in the future when i have my own place i'll be able to set up another riparium.
> 
> I considered selling the whole tank setup but no one local seemed interested. I was going to replace it with a used 120-P but i decided not to since it would be a huge hassle and i'm just going to have to sell everything in a year when i go off to college anyway. I also thought about doing a 60g long for growing out plants, but with the way my 60-P has been going in terms of growing things, i decided that a grow-out tank would probably be a huge failure. :hihi:
> 
> Anyway, i sold all of the riparium plants to a local friend who seemed very excited to add them to his new riparium. I moved the misting system to my emersed grow-out tanks. I sold all of the marble hatchetfish and black shultzi corydoras as well.
> 
> The tank has been completely filled for the past week or so. The fish seem to be really liking the added space, especially the plecos. They have much more driftwood to graze on now and more hiding spots. It took the cardinals a while to realize that they could swim upwards, but they seem to be liking the extra space as well.  I forgot how dramatic a 90G looks when it's filled all the way. I also don't think that the riparium gave the driftwood centerpiece the full justice that it deserves.
> 
> I have a HUGE plant order coming in from Manini that should be here mid next-week, including lots of java fern 'red' and anubias 'petite'. I will be buying all of the mini bolbitis at my LFS.
> 
> I plan on getting a group of 5 discus for this tank, probably Alenquer. Just need to save up a bit after sending manini my life savings, and i definitely need to do some more research before i invest in these fish.
> 
> Here's my planting idea. Let me know what you think!


As you know, Philip, I've seen your tank before, and I think it's going to be a superb discus tank when you get it set up the way you're intending.
Is that a Hydor Koralia circulation pump I see in there ? If so, great move - the discus will love the gentle flow, and it will do wonders keeping any algae off the glass, as well as moving wastes to one side for easier, better clean-up in your discus tank.
Can't wait to see the finished product with those Alenquers in it !


----------



## Centromochlus

discuspaul said:


> As you know, Philip, I've seen your tank before, and I think it's going to be a superb discus tank when you get it set up the way you're intending.
> Is that a Hydor Koralia circulation pump I see in there ? If so, great move - the discus will love the gentle flow, and it will do wonders keeping any algae off the glass, as well as moving wastes to one side for easier, better clean-up in your discus tank.
> Can't wait to see the finished product with those Alenquers in it !


Thanks Paul! I appreciate it.
Yes, that is a hydor koralia. I've had it for several years and no problems yet!



So i don't know if mini bolbitis is going to work out for this tank after all... apparently it can get up to 6" tall?! I was hoping to find something that would stay 3" or so... And i don't know if i'm going to be able to find enough of it anyway... any recommendations on what i could put in the same spot?


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## discuspaul

I've got some bolbitis (blyxa japonica) in a smaller tank, which stays only about 4" tall.
If you can get them, I'd suggest considering some Crypts - either parva, walkeri, or willisii.
Dwarf swords would be good too - (Echinodorus quadricostatus- var.xinguensis, or tenellus).
If you don't mind some variation of red coloration, and you keep them well-trimmed,
Nymphaea Lotus (tiger lotus) would look great, or Nymphaea nuphar.
Just a few thoughts.


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## zachary908

I think the yellow circle on the left should be a Barclaya Longifolia 'Red'! :biggrin:


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## Centromochlus

discuspaul said:


> I've got some bolbitis (blyxa japonica) in a smaller tank, which stays only about 4" tall.
> If you can get them, I'd suggest considering some Crypts - either parva, walkeri, or willisii.
> Dwarf swords would be good too - (Echinodorus quadricostatus- var.xinguensis, or tenellus).
> If you don't mind some variation of red coloration, and you keep them well-trimmed,
> Nymphaea Lotus (tiger lotus) would look great, or Nymphaea nuphar.
> Just a few thoughts.


Those would be great options but i was hoping to find something that i could attach to the driftwood. If all else fails i suppose i could plant some Blyxa japonica there. 



zachary908 said:


> I think the yellow circle on the left should be a Barclaya Longifolia 'Red'! :biggrin:


Hmm never even thought about using that plant... now you're giving me ideas. :biggrin:


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## discuspaul

AzFishKid said:


> Those would be great options but i was hoping to find something that i could attach to the driftwood. If all else fails i suppose i could plant some Blyxa japonica there.
> 
> 
> 
> Hmm never even thought about using that plant... now you're giving me ideas. :biggrin:


Yes, I agree, the barclaya longifilia 'red' would be a good choice - if you can find it. If not, any colored lotus (nymphaea) would look good - 'red' or 'tiger' - I keep mine trimmed to no more than 4" in height.
As for driftwood attachments, it's easy to keep Java Fern trimmed down to 3" or 4".


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## Centromochlus

Do you think i could keep normal Bolbitis trimmed down that short? I thought that the mini Bolbitis would be a good choice because it's much darker green than the java fern 'red' and would give some nice contrast. I guess i didn't realize how hard mini bolbitis is to find, especially in large amounts like i need for this tank.


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## zachary908

AzFishKid said:


> Hmm never even thought about using that plant... now you're giving me ideas. :biggrin:


Let me know if you want one, and I can get you one. Unless you can get them from work, then you can just grab it from there. :biggrin:


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## Centromochlus

zachary908 said:


> Let me know if you want one, and I can get you one. Unless you can get them from work, then you can just grab it from there. :biggrin:


BAHA nah... never seen that plant at work as long as i've been shopping there. I'll let you know if i'd like to try it out. Thanks Zach!


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## zachary908

AzFishKid said:


> BAHA nah... never seen that plant at work as long as i've been shopping there. I'll let you know if i'd like to try it out. Thanks Zach!


Cool, I'm going to grab a few for myself tomorrow, so I can always grab an extra in case.


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## Centromochlus

I got a huge shipment of plants in from manini last Thursday. I just got around to planting them today. Man, it took for ever to tie all the red java fern and anubias onto the driftwood/rocks!

So far, i'm very pleased with how it looks. The large driftwood chunk on the right will be covered in mini bolbitis, as well as the skinny driftwood pointing back to front as well. 

I'm considering getting more red java fern and covering the left side as well. I would place rocks in front with petite anubias (i still have a TON left!) in between the rocks, just like on the right side. Any opinions? Should i go ahead and follow through with that plan or should i just get more Staurogyne to plant on the left and keep it open? My main concern with filling the left side is space for the fish. I'm still hoping to get a school of 6 discus and i'm afraid that if i fill the left side with java ferns and rocks, they won't have enough swimming room.

I also got a 530GPH sunsun canister filter last Thursday. It's been running for the past few days and it's really helped cleared the water up. So far i'm very pleased with it (and it was a great price too!).

Let me know what you think! 
(By the way, i know the huge marimo moss ball looks really random. Not quite sure what to do with it right now. :hihi


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## jkan0228

Is that all A. Petite behind the S. Repens? Looks pretty nice! Although a bit too much green IMO. Maybe add a few red stems? Lotus?


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## Centromochlus

jkan0228 said:


> Is that all A. Petite behind the S. Repens? Looks pretty nice! Although a bit too much green IMO. Maybe add a few red stems? Lotus?


Yes it is. roud:

I'm planning on keeping just plants of different shades of green. I don't think red plants would work very well with what i'm trying to accomplish. The mini bolbitis will help add some contrast because it's a much darker green.


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## jkan0228

AzFishKid said:


> Yes it is. roud:
> 
> I'm planning on keeping just plants of different shades of green. I don't think red plants would work very well with what i'm trying to accomplish. The mini bolbitis will help add some contrast because it's a much darker green.


Dang... Good thing my scape doesn't require THAT much :hihi: But I think that'll create an awesome barrier between foreground and background. 

What other plants will you be using?


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## Centromochlus

jkan0228 said:


> Dang... Good thing my scape doesn't require THAT much :hihi: But I think that'll create an awesome barrier between foreground and background.
> 
> What other plants will you be using?


Yeah the plants are definitely costing me a lot of money, but i think it'll definitely be worth it.

I'm trying to keep this simple so i'm just going to stick with Java fern 'red', Anubias 'petite', Mini bolbitis, and Staurogyne repens. I might add discus to this tank in the future so i want to make sure that all the plants i use can tolerate warm temperatures. If the discus idea doesn't work out i'll probably get a school of 6-7 roselines for my centerpiece fish.


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## crazydaz

Phil---I think that it looks pretty radical! Especially when you add the mini bolbitus to the driftwood, it's going to look killer. Still, I think that something needs to go on the left side. Nothing "major," but it just looks too empty. I think that you could do something small over there and still have enough swimming room for your discus.


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## jkan0228

AzFishKid said:


> Yeah the plants are definitely costing me a lot of money, but i think it'll definitely be worth it.
> 
> I'm trying to keep this simple so i'm just going to stick with Java fern 'red', Anubias 'petite', Mini bolbitis, and Staurogyne repens. I might add discus to this tank in the future so i want to make sure that all the plants i use can tolerate warm temperatures.


They will eventually pay you back don't worry :hihi: especially with your mad skills. 

Ever thought of some Angels?


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## Centromochlus

crazydaz said:


> Phil---I think that it looks pretty radical! Especially when you add the mini bolbitus to the driftwood, it's going to look killer. Still, I think that something needs to go on the left side. Nothing "major," but it just looks too empty. I think that you could do something small over there and still have enough swimming room for your discus.


Thanks man! I'm hoping that once i have everything planted it'll all come together and look just like how i'm hoping it will. I think i probably will end up adding a small/medium clump of red java fern on the left just to balance it out a little. I'm very low on cash right now though so i need to save for a while! All the java ferns and petite anubias alone cost me $240... mini bolbitis (10 pots) is going to be $150 and the added java ferns are probably going to be another $100. 



jkan0228 said:


> They will eventually pay you back don't worry :hihi: especially with your mad skills.
> 
> Ever thought of some Angels?


True. I wanted to have a very simple scape but still have rare plants. Although the red java fern looks very similar to normal java fern, it's pretty rare and the new leaves turn read which is pretty cool. The anubias petite are also pretty uncommon and the mini bolbitis is rarely sold. 

I thought about maybe a school of altums but i'm not sure if i want to go that direction. I do a lot of traveling especially over the sumer and my main concern with having discus/sensitive and expensive fish is their sensitivity to a lack of water changes over long periods of time. That's why i'm tempted to just go with a school of roselines since they're generally pretty hardy.


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## jkan0228

AzFishKid said:


> True. I wanted to have a very simple scape but still have rare plants. Although the red java fern looks very similar to normal java fern, it's pretty rare and the new leaves turn read which is pretty cool. The anubias petite are also pretty uncommon and the mini bolbitis is rarely sold.
> 
> I thought about maybe a school of altums but i'm not sure if i want to go that direction. I do a lot of traveling especially over the sumer and my main concern with having discus/sensitive and expensive fish is their sensitivity to a lack of water changes over long periods of time. That's why i'm tempted to just go with a school of roselines since they're generally pretty hardy.


Lol, for some reason, you're the exact opposite of my 95G :hihi: Cheap but good looking crypts is the way to go for me. They're also pretty much no maintenance except for the occasional water change to keep things in balance even if unnecessary. Yea how's the quest for finding mini bolbitis? Never seen that stuff sold. 

Yea I guess with being a teen(like me), summer gets in the way with taking care of your tanks unless you're going to be staying at home going to SAT tutors :hihi: I think a school of roselines w/o anything else in there would be superb considering how much open space you have for them to swim in. Especially with that Petsmart sale going on right now. Just remember to have a QT tank to fatten them up if you go that route


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## Centromochlus

jkan0228 said:


> Lol, for some reason, you're the exact opposite of my 95G :hihi: Cheap but good looking crypts is the way to go for me. They're also pretty much no maintenance except for the occasional water change to keep things in balance even if unnecessary. Yea how's the quest for finding mini bolbitis? Never seen that stuff sold.
> 
> Yea I guess with being a teen(like me), summer gets in the way with taking care of your tanks unless you're going to be staying at home going to SAT tutors :hihi: I think a school of roselines w/o anything else in there would be superb considering how much open space you have for them to swim in. Especially with that Petsmart sale going on right now. Just remember to have a QT tank to fatten them up if you go that route


I have a seller for the mini bolbitis, it'll just take me a while to save up for all of it. 

Ideally i'd like to get discus but i'm just afraid that i wouldn't be able to give them the proper care and attention that they deserve. Roselines would be pretty cool as well so i may just go with those. We actually have some HUGE ones at work that i could buy. Most of them are 5-6" long, 2 of them are probably pushing 7". With my employee discount, it wouldn't be too much more to go with the big guys compared to the smaller ones.


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## jkan0228

AzFishKid said:


> I have a seller for the mini bolbitis, it'll just take me a while to save up for all of it.
> 
> Ideally i'd like to get discus but i'm just afraid that i wouldn't be able to give them the proper care and attention that they deserve. Roselines would be pretty cool as well so i may just go with those. We actually have some HUGE ones at work that i could buy. Most of them are 5-6" long, 2 of them are probably pushing 7". With my employee discount, it wouldn't be too much more to go with the big guys compared to the smaller ones.


Yea discus need lots of attention when they're little for proper growth, development and what not. Roselines are much easier I'd say, how many would you go with?

I think the joy of fish would be to raise them from their juvi age. 5-6" is already pretty big, don't they get even larger with the proper care and parameters?


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## Centromochlus

jkan0228 said:


> Yea discus need lots of attention when they're little for proper growth, development and what not. Roselines are much easier I'd say, how many would you go with?
> 
> I think the joy of fish would be to raise them from their juvi age. 5-6" is already pretty big, don't they get even larger with the proper care and parameters?


I'd probably get 5-7 of them. I agree that it's fun raising fish, but it's either that i go with the really small ones (1"-1.5") or the larger ones, unless i can find a source for some that are maybe 3" or so.

I don't think roselines get much bigger than 7", but i might be wrong. I hope they don't, at least. :hihi:


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## jkan0228

AzFishKid said:


> I'd probably get 5-7 of them. I agree that it's fun raising fish, but it's either that i go with the really small ones (1"-1.5") or the larger ones, unless i can find a source for some that are maybe 3" or so.
> 
> I don't think roselines get much bigger than 7", but i might be wrong. I hope they don't, at least. :hihi:


Get the roselines at petsmart right now! I saw the roselines at my petsmart today and they were around 1.5-2" 

Roselines max out at 6" I think, according to what I find on google anyway. I wonder if clean water and a healthy diet will allow them to get even bigger?


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## radioman

I personally like all the green. Looks good.


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## ua hua

AzFishKid said:


> I'd probably get 5-7 of them. I agree that it's fun raising fish, but it's either that i go with the really small ones (1"-1.5") or the larger ones, unless i can find a source for some that are maybe 3" or so.
> 
> I don't think roselines get much bigger than 7", but i might be wrong. I hope they don't, at least. :hihi:


They have some at the Omaha's zoo in the rainforest that are all between 8-10". I have never seen ones in peoples aquariums that have got this big so I don't know if it's because they are in a huge volume of water that is allowing them to get this big but mine are at the 6" mark now and have had them for a little over a year and a half now. By the way I'm really liking the new layout on your tank. Very curious to see that java fern 'red grow in. Post pictures of the new growth on that because I'm curious to see if the new leaves are red when it's grown submersed.


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## wabisabi

Tank looks great Philip. All that anubias petite looks like it was growing for a year!


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## Lil' Swimz$

I'm really glad you turned it back into an aquarium!! I liked it both ways but it looks more complete as an aquarium.


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## Centromochlus

Mini bolbitis is on the way... should be here on Thursday. Still trying to figure out exactly how i'm going to manage to tie it onto that thick driftwood stump... any ideas? Fishing line would be a pain since i'd have to wrap it around the whole stump, but i suppose i could always do that.

Waiting for Kenny Cheung to get in some more Alenquer cross discus. Once he gets a shipment of them in, i'm going to order 6.


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## jkan0228

Super glue? Of course that'd involve draining most of the tank.


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## Centromochlus

jkan0228 said:


> Super glue? Of course that'd involve draining most of the tank.


That might work. I can remove the stump pretty easily so i don't think i'd need to drain the tank at all.


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## CL

I love the tank! One of the best I've seen on this forum in a while. Nicely done :thumbsup:


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## Centromochlus

CL said:


> I love the tank! One of the best I've seen on this forum in a while. Nicely done :thumbsup:


Thank you! It really means a lot coming from a guy like yourself. 

This tank still has a long way to go until i'm completely satisfied with it, but i'm very happy that i decided to stick with this tank instead of selling it and potentially purchasing a 120-P.


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## zachary908

Any updates, Phillip?


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## Centromochlus

Found one of my male L144 blue eyed yellow plecos dead this morning... i've had all 5 plecos for about 4-5 years so i think it was just his time to go.  I thought that maybe the other male placo had killed him, but there were no wounds on the corpse. 

I'll take an updated FTS later today.


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## Centromochlus

Time for a very well-needed update...
I spent the last 2 months in Coronado, CA with my family, meaning all of my aquariums took some major abuse while i was gone. This tank was pretty much infested with every single type of algae that you could ever think of. Thankfully i was able to remove a lot of it, but there is still tons of BBA on the driftwood, rocks, and java fern. The algae outbreak was mainly due to several CO2 issues that happened while i was gone. It was very inconsistent since the tank kept running empty and i had to get a local friend to refill it, and then it would be empty 5 days later... i figure there is probably a leak somewhere, so i'm using a different regulator from my other tank for now. Long story short, the tank went without CO2 for quite a while.

When i came home i cleaned it all up and gave the _Staurogyne repens_ carpet a big trim since it was very thick. Now it's looking back to normal... sort of.

Algae aside, i think it's looking pretty good right now... i'm just trying to figure out what to do next. I want to put a plant behind the _Staurogyne stolonifera_ on the left side, but i'm not quite sure what would look best there. I was thinking either _Cyperus helferi_ or just a bunch of _Cryptocoryne wenditii_. Maybe more java fern? Or maybe i should just put more _Staurogyne stolonifera_ there to keep it simple. Thoughts?

Also, i'm thinking about covering all of the rocks in taiwan moss, and parts of the driftwood in weeping moss. Maybe i'll even attach some small Windelov java ferns to parts of the driftwood and keep them trimmed so they stay miniature. 

In terms of fish, i definitely need more. I think i'll probably either end up adding a lot more cardinals, or maybe just a few more then a nice school of 8 or so roseline barbs. Or maybe i'll just get a bunch of neon blue ricefish and rehome the remaining cardinals. I DONT KNOW, i need some help with this one guys!


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## jkan0228

How many cardinals do you have in there? I might be willing to take them in a few weeks. 

Everything looks pretty good as it is right now! Wanna show us some close ups? :hihi:


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## Da Plant Man

Its looking pretty good. Aside from the BBA that is. I have had plenty of trouble with it, and I have found draining the tank and spot dosing some H2O2 on it so it doesn't go into the tank too much and then letting it dry out overnight works wonderfully. Or you can just try to beat it with lots of CO2 and current  

Personally, i think the Denisonii would put the tank out of proportion. I thought about getting some for my 210g, but they get so big, they dwarf the tank practically. Maybe if you just continually switch them out for younger ones? It does take awhile for them to get to full size... Idk, discus are going to look SWEET though. 





AzFishKid said:


> I was thinking either _Cyperus helferi_ or just a bunch of *Cryptocoryne wenditii*


First time I have ever heard you say Crypt in a positive sense.


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## Chrisinator

Any updates on this tank?


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## Centromochlus

Chrisinator said:


> Any updates on this tank?


I took this tank completely down last night. It is now sitting empty outside on my patio, looking for a new home. I'm selling all of the equipment as well. 

I was hoping that i would be able to keep it up longer, but i thought about putting more money into it and figured it wouldn't be worth it since i would have had to take it down before i go to college in August anyway. It was sad to see it go, but it has now given me the opportunity to focus more on my mini-M and to (hopefully) give me some extra spending cash to expand my Bucephalandra/Schismatoglottis/Aridarum/Hamalomena collection. I also had to sell my honeycomb catfish to a friend of mine--which was REALLY hard to do since i love them to death--but he plans on breeding them, so at least i'll know where to get more when the time is right.


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## Capsaicin_MFK

AzFishKid said:


> I took this tank completely down last night. It is now sitting empty outside on my patio, looking for a new home. I'm selling all of the equipment as well.
> 
> I was hoping that i would be able to keep it up longer, but i thought about putting more money into it and figured it wouldn't be worth it since i would have had to take it down before i go to college in August anyway. It was sad to see it go, but it has now given me the opportunity to focus more on my mini-M and to (hopefully) give me some extra spending cash to expand my Bucephalandra/Schismatoglottis/Aridarum/Hamalomena collection. I also had to sell my honeycomb catfish to a friend of mine--which was REALLY hard to do since i love them to death--but he plans on breeding them, so at least i'll know where to get more when the time is right.


You will miss the 90g a few months after you sell it, trust me. The riparium scene was the best look for this tank. Have fun in college!


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## Centromochlus

Capsaicin_MFK said:


> You will miss the 90g a few months after you sell it, trust me. The riparium scene was the best look for this tank. Have fun in college!


Oh i'm sure i will, but leaving it empty at home isn't an option according to the parents, and paying $75-$100 a month for climate-controlled storage just wouldn't make sense. I wish i could keep it. 

I do have to agree that the riparium setup was my favorite out of everything that i've done with this tank. The video that i posted of it on youtube just recently hit 6k views, which is more than i had ever imagined it would get. I miss the riparium a lot. I hope to do something similar on a larger scale in the future.


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