# WaterLogged's 29 Gallon Journal.**New FTS 3/7**



## WaterLogged (Feb 2, 2011)

This is my first journal and I'm pretty excited to get it going! 

Friday evening I picked up a tank off good 'ol CL. It was posted as a 30 gallon tank so I assumed it was a bit longer than it is but it turned out to be a 29 gallon and is 30" long. So that kinda screwed up my plans of using an old AH supply 96 watt bright kit I had laying around from an old tank. 

The tank is 30"X12"x18". It came with a pine stand, crappy standard hood and light strip, a decent bio wheel filter, and decent submersible heater. All this for $50!!! Hellz to da yeah! 

Here is the tank exactly as it was when I got it home. Groovy gravel eh? Makes me want to totally vomit.









I cleaned the tank up good and got that hideous gravel out my sight as fast as I could. I almost can't believe I did it without a gas mask it was so STANK. 

Then I taped the tank off and prepped it for paint.









I sanded the stand down next. Here it is before paint-









And after-









I went with black instead of a nice dark stain because I don't really like the style of the stand. I prefer _much_ more modern furniture and I just wanted the stand to "disappear" as much as possible. The last thing I want to do is stain it some gorgeous color and draw attention to it. I might build a shell on the exterior of the stand and add a new door at a later time I just didn't feel like it today. 

Here is the tank after I painted the back and the hideous fake oak trim black-









I also painted the plastic lid and strip light in case I ever loose my mind and decide to use them. 

While I was out and about this afternoon I stumbled upon these little gems-


















These are under cabinet lighting. They came with all the mounting brackets, light strip, bulbs, and plug and play wires for $8!!! I think its kind of funny how the packaging boasts "75 watt light output with only 17 watt power consumption" that seems a little far fetched. LOL. I will just be calculating my light output based on the 17 watts printed on the bulb. :icon_wink

I could not find a K rating on the packaging at all so I got one of the lights labeled "grow light" and 2 of the "daylight". The grow light one is garbage. The bulb burns purple and basically throws no light at all. The other two are VERY bright however. I'm taking the plant one back and getting 2 more "daylight" fixtures tomorrow.

That should put me at about 2.3WPG.

Here is what they look like out of the package-









I decided to go ahead and start building a canopy for my new lights this afternoon.

Here are all the pieces cut- 









I went with 1/4" ply to keep it as light as possible. Not an easy task to screw into this stuff but I thought the weight was important since the canopy will be sitting on the rim of the tank. I also wanted to keep the option of hanging it above the tank as a possibility.

Here it is being assembled-


















And getting the first coat of white paint inside-









That's where my progress for the day ended.

I was able to make the entire hood from one 2x4x1/4 piece of ply that I picked up for around $6. So my total for the light setup including the 2 new lights I'm getting tomorrow is roughly $37. Pretty good if you ask me.

Tomorrow the plan is to finish up the canopy. Get it painted black. Pick up my 2 new fixtures and get them installed. Then dig out my filter grave yard I keep in a giant rubbermaid tub and piece something together. Also wash some PFS and get it in the tank to start cycling! I'm going to be using AS as well but I still need to order some...

My plans for this tank are a little wishy washy at this point. I originally wanted to keep it straight up low tech but as today has progressed I have considered CO2 more and more...

My FORE SURE plant list is-
Anubias coffeefolia
Anubias Nana
Anubias Nana "petite"
Needle leaf Java fern
Vallisneria Americana

The rest of my choices are kind of up in the air until I make up my mind about CO2. If I do add CO2 I want to try a Crinium Calamistratum and some Blyxa Japonica.

Fish are also up in the air at this point. But I do know for sure I want shrimp! 

I'll keep this updated each time I make progress. At times it may be slow because I'm on a VERY tight budget. Right now I'm just working on getting the AS and a few plants to grow out and hopefully make some trades. :hihi:

Thanks for reading! 
WL


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## WaterLogged (Feb 2, 2011)

Ok, so I found a K rating on the bulbs and I'm a little nervous I have already made a mistake... They are 4200K. Someone please tell me these will work decent.

Here are a few more pics-

Here is the second coat of white inside the hood-









The freshly painted tank in it's final resting place-









And here is a snap of the tank with 2 of the lights turned on and resting on top- 








Sorry, the glass needs to be wiped down.


I'm off to get busy on the canopy! 
Thanks for reading!
WL


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## Gatekeeper (Feb 20, 2007)

Very nice conversion and I like the hood.


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## WaterLogged (Feb 2, 2011)

Gatekeeper said:


> Very nice conversion and I like the hood.


Hurray! My first reply! Thank you very much GateKeeper! Hee Hee!


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## etbarry (Feb 22, 2009)

Nice paint job! What did you paint the inside of the canopy with? Also sadly the 4200 bulbs are not the best you should shoot for between 5k and 10k in temp. Looks like a good start tho.


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## WaterLogged (Feb 2, 2011)

etbarry said:


> Nice paint job! What did you paint the inside of the canopy with? Also sadly the 4200 bulbs are not the best you should shoot for between 5k and 10k in temp. Looks like a good start tho.


Thank for the response! That totally sucks about the lights. I guess I'll just use them until I can find a low cost replacement. :icon_sad: I used a white rattlecan I had laying around that was marked for use on appliances to paint the inside of the hood.


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## Betta Maniac (Dec 3, 2010)

Luckily it wasn't a hugely expensive mistake. Plenty of those lurking around the forum, LOL!


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## etbarry (Feb 22, 2009)

What is the length and size of the bulb maybe you can just replace the bulbs? I agree with beta maniac dodged a bullet here tho. Haha.you could alway just get a solarmax t5 strip they are cheap decent lighting. I think pet blvd.com. T5no would keep you in the low light range.


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Nice DIY on the hood!

I think the bulbs you have will work, just the tank will look really yellow and probably appear dim to your eye.

If you aren't set on ADA AS, check out the substrate forum for some cheaper alternatives that would still provide lots of nutrients. Mineralized topsoil (see the sticky at the top of that forum) or Miracle Gro Organic potting soil capped with a heavier substrate (sand, Eco Complete, Flourite, etc) would all put some $$ back in your budget... (It's the shipping, really, that sends the cost of ADA substrate through the roof for us.)


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## WaterLogged (Feb 2, 2011)

Betta Maniac said:


> Luckily it wasn't a hugely expensive mistake. Plenty of those lurking around the forum, LOL!


You got that right! LOL!



etbarry said:


> What is the length and size of the bulb maybe you can just replace the bulbs? I agree with beta maniac dodged a bullet here tho. Haha.you could alway just get a solarmax t5 strip they are cheap decent lighting. I think pet blvd.com. T5no would keep you in the low light range.


They are standard 24" double pin bulbs. I will be able to swap them out no problem. I will do this later on. :smile:



lauraleellbp said:


> Nice DIY on the hood!
> 
> I think the bulbs you have will work, just the tank will look really yellow and probably appear dim to your eye.
> 
> If you aren't set on ADA AS, check out the substrate forum for some cheaper alternatives that would still provide lots of nutrients. Mineralized topsoil (see the sticky at the top of that forum) or Miracle Gro Organic potting soil capped with a heavier substrate (sand, Eco Complete, Flourite, etc) would all put some $$ back in your budget... (It's the shipping, really, that sends the cost of ADA substrate through the roof for us.)


Thanks! Yeah I think the bulbs will be ok for a little while but I'm definitely going to swap them for 6500k before I spend serious $ on plants. I am pretty certain that I'm going with AS. The other options you mentioned are right up my alley as far as cost goes but the thing keeping me from going that route is I really don't care for the look of the largeish gravel/flourite I would have to cap it with.

Update time!

Ive been busy today! First I finished assembling the hood. I was going to leave the back piece off in case I change filters to make sure I had room for different sizes. But I test fit the hood on the tank and the light spill out the back was horrendous so I opted for the back panel after all. here is the back panel before assembly-









And here is the hood all glued and screwed-









Then I filled all my screw holes and cracks with putty-









Next I turned my arms into Jell-O sanding it all smooth and purdy-









The back view-









Here it is after totally soaking up the first coat of paint. ARG!-









Hopefully after 1-2 more coats the grain will disappear a bit more and help lessen the cheap look of it! 

While I waited for the paint to dry I busted out my PFS. Check out the bold faced LIE printed right on the bag-









Pre-cleaned eh??? We'll just see about that!:icon_roll

Yup-









Completely filthy! I knew they were lyin' to me! 

I swear with all the tanks I have set up over the years rinsing the freakin' sand is ALWAYS the most annoying part. I have probably rinsed enough sand in my lifetime to fill an olympic sized swimming pool. :confused1:

Next I plopped the sand in the tank and filled 'er up!

WE HAVE WATER! 









I just slapped a second coat on the hood while waiting for pics to upload to the 'bucket and as soon as it's dry I'll be installing the lights! I can't wait to see it lit up! 

*ETA:* I just added the final coat to the hood and THANK GOODNESS it evened out nicely! I added a coat of high gloss auto paint as the last coat to try and cover the grain and it worked pretty well! Here is the finished paint job on the hood-









I just spread the sand out for now but I will be moving it all to the front to make room for the AS when I get it. 

I also chose a filter from my filter graveyard today. I am going with a penguin 330 biowheel. The biowheel part is pretty unnessesary for this tank so I will most likely take the wheels out if I see any improvement in flow without them(doubtful lol). Although I REALLY love being able to just throw away my filter media instead of having to clean and re-use them to save the bacteria, so having the wheels is a great perk! 

I chose this filter over my mountain of aqua clears because it takes 14" of the length of the tank and will give me really good flow and airation throughout the length of the tank as opposed to the narrow strong stream of flow focused in one spot that the Aqua clears provide. I'll probably upgrade to a canister at some point because the intakes of HOB filters are so obvious and piss me off. I'm going to get cleaning it and doctor up some filter pads out of some quilt batting when I finish typing this. LOL!

I'll post a pic of the finished hood as soon as I get the lights installed!

Thanks for reading!
WL


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## WaterLogged (Feb 2, 2011)

Quick update!

I'm all done working for the evening.

I installed the lights. Only 3 because there was only one left at the store. :icon_sad: I left room for a 4th light as soon as they restock them. Here is the inside of the canopy-









And here it is on the tank-









Notice the cute little handle I attached to the door of the stand today.

And here it is with the lights on!-









They DO look yellow! I also need a surge protector with a longer cord! Man all those wires are unsightly!

All done for the night! Thanks for reading!
WL


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## G1ll (Mar 21, 2006)

I am starting a low tech 29g myself and will be keeping tabs on your progress! I have very little experience with planted tanks/aquascaping other than a moderately successful attempt with a 10g cut short by a combination of a weekend away and a surprise heatwave with ambient temps at 105F+.

I bought a beautiful piece of driftwood today which has me doubly excited over some of the equipment I ordered arriving in the mail this week. I have it fizzing in H2O2 as I speak as it is too large to boil and I don't have the testicular prowess to stick it in the dish washer.

Best of luck!


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## drlower (Dec 14, 2010)

nice job so far. i have a 29 g set up sitting empty that is identicle. black stand,black hood that i built that is exactly the same, and believe it or not the same 17 watt "plant grow lights" that set up actually worked great. i had good growth with those lights and not a speck of algae in 2 years. i used a diy co2 and minimal dosing. the only reason i stopped using it was i switched to a bigger tank. my 8 year old son currently has a 10 gallon and asked if he could switch to that 29, so i will be setting it back up soon. i love his interest in the hobby, but it all takes $$$. anyway, looks good and ill be following


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## WaterLogged (Feb 2, 2011)

G1ll said:


> I am starting a low tech 29g myself and will be keeping tabs on your progress! I have very little experience with planted tanks/aquascaping other than a moderately successful attempt with a 10g cut short by a combination of a weekend away and a surprise heatwave with ambient temps at 105F+.
> 
> I bought a beautiful piece of driftwood today which has me doubly excited over some of the equipment I ordered arriving in the mail this week. I have it fizzing in H2O2 as I speak as it is too large to boil and I don't have the testicular prowess to stick it in the dish washer.
> 
> Best of luck!


Thanks for the luck! Fizzing in H202? Never have I heard of such things. Tell me all about it plz! It's always fun to come back to the hobby after stepping away for a while and learning all the new stuff that has evolved since you last visited! Good luck with your tank and your DW. I haven't made up my mind yet but I'm leaning toward a rock scape. 



drlower said:


> nice job so far. i have a 29 g set up sitting empty that is identicle. black stand,black hood that i built that is exactly the same, and believe it or not the same 17 watt "plant grow lights" that set up actually worked great. i had good growth with those lights and not a speck of algae in 2 years. i used a diy co2 and minimal dosing. the only reason i stopped using it was i switched to a bigger tank. my 8 year old son currently has a 10 gallon and asked if he could switch to that 29, so i will be setting it back up soon. i love his interest in the hobby, but it all takes $$$. anyway, looks good and ill be following


Thanks! Identicle eh? That's kinda cool. I'm actually not using the grow light I bought. I took it back because I couldn't really even tell if it was on or off it was so dim. I'm using 3 soon to be 4 of the ones labeled "under cabinet". They were much, much brighter. I'm replacing the bulbs anyway though so it really doesn't matter which ones they are. lol! Good luck setting your tank back up!


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## seadreamer (May 6, 2007)

Really nice job! I've used those same lights in a low-tech 29-gallon setup. Hubs rigged them up inside a stripped out AH Supply hood. I did end up adding more lighting due to not liking the yellow tone, but I think my plant growth was satisfactory (it was a few years ago so am not sure on details). 

I've also washed out way too much of that "cleaned" sand, lol. 

Anyway, I like all the black. It's going to look good.


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## G1ll (Mar 21, 2006)

WaterLogged said:


> Thanks for the luck! Fizzing in H202? Never have I heard of such things. Tell me all about it plz! It's always fun to come back to the hobby after stepping away for a while and learning all the new stuff that has evolved since you last visited! Good luck with your tank and your DW. I haven't made up my mind yet but I'm leaning toward a rock scape.


H2O2 can kill many species of algae and the particular piece of driftwood I picked had some small patches of blue green algae. BGA has thin cell membranes/walls so H2O2 easily penetrates and oxidizes the cells (this is what causes the pleasing fizzing sound). Or at least that's the theory. Some folks add a small amount of H2O2 directly into their tanks to prevent or attack algae; it's far more harmful to algae than it is to fish/plants at low concentrations. We'll see if my treatments worked over the next couple months.


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## WaterLogged (Feb 2, 2011)

seadreamer said:


> Really nice job! I've used those same lights in a low-tech 29-gallon setup. Hubs rigged them up inside a stripped out AH Supply hood. I did end up adding more lighting due to not liking the yellow tone, but I think my plant growth was satisfactory (it was a few years ago so am not sure on details).
> 
> I've also washed out way too much of that "cleaned" sand, lol.
> 
> Anyway, I like all the black. It's going to look good.


Thanks! 
I am not liking the yellow cast either! Thank goodness these things take standard sized bulbs! It's good to know people have had success with this setup though!!!

Thanks again for the compliments! I love all the black too! 



G1ll said:


> H2O2 can kill many species of algae and the particular piece of driftwood I picked had some small patches of blue green algae. BGA has thin cell membranes/walls so H2O2 easily penetrates and oxidizes the cells (this is what causes the pleasing fizzing sound). Or at least that's the theory. Some folks add a small amount of H2O2 directly into their tanks to prevent or attack algae; it's far more harmful to algae than it is to fish/plants at low concentrations. We'll see if my treatments worked over the next couple months.


That is really cool and interesting! Reading that rang the tiniest of bells but I'm pretty sure it's new to me! Thanks for the info. roud:

No updates today guys. Gotta wait for some cash flow to free up so I can buy my "before I get plants shopping list" I am itching so BAD to get plants it's driving me nuts to see the tank empty! Actually I did hook up the filter and heater today. Set the temp to 80 and now I wait...

My shopping list looks like this-

a jug of ammonia
AS
1 more light kit
4 20watt 24" 6500k t8s

_Then_ I can get some plants. This waiting is going to kill me. I am WAY too impatient for this hobby. lol!

Thanks for reading!
WL


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## Tuiflies (Jan 14, 2010)

I wouldn't bother rushing to get those new lights. People have been growing aquatic plants for years using cool white lights. (3400K) I use two 6500K and two 4100K spiral CF bulbs over my 29G.


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## WaterLogged (Feb 2, 2011)

Tuiflies said:


> I wouldn't bother rushing to get those new lights. People have been growing aquatic plants for years using cool white lights. (3400K) I use two 6500K and two 4100K spiral CF bulbs over my 29G.


Thanks for the info. I'm a lot less nervous about getting a few plants before I swap my bulbs out with so many people saying it's ok. :fish:

Small update! 

I started my fishless cycle last night. Dosed the tank with ammonium hydroxide until the level reached 5ppm. Got the temp set at 80 degrees.

I think I have made the decision to skip spending $45 on 9 liters of aqua soil and I'm going with the more cost effective option of spending $16.99 on eco-complete! I am not happy about it as I REALLY wanted to use AS but I just cant go throwing money at things I can't afford when I have so many other things on the shopping list! I have also read good things about forming hills with eco and I like the color so it's my second best choice!

I plan on dosing with flourish, excel, and traces also. I'm sure I will need help with this as it will be my first time using ferts with purpose and not just dumping random crap in tanks when plants look bad.:redface: So hopefully some of you will be willing to help me when the time comes to figure out dosing etc.

This weekend I'm going rock hunting at a few local creeks that have paid off in the past. If I don't find what I'm looking for then it's off to the stone yard! I'm hoping to pick up my eco and rock and get my hardscape all laid out and photographed by the end of the weekend. I'M SO EXCITED!!! 

I have a very specific final 'scape pictured in my mind and I simply cannot wait to start making it a reality!!!

Thanks for reading!
WL


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## WaterLogged (Feb 2, 2011)

Update!

I picked up some new stuff today! I got my substrate, new bulbs, and a timer for my lights. 

I decided to settle for eco complete instead of aqua soil due to cost issues. Then I realized the only place I can get Eco is online after scouring my local stores. Petco.com has it for a GREAT price, it's on sale for $16.99 for a 20lb bag until the 17th but the estimated shipping time is 2 freakin weeks! No thanks! So, I had to settle _again_ for black flourite. Whatever, I guess it will be fine. 

Here is the timer I picked up at wallyworld for $10-









I plugged a surge protector into it so all my lights can be on the timer. I set it from 7am to 11pm for now. 

I wasn't planning on replacing my 4200k bulbs quite this soon but while I was searching for Eco Complete today I stumbled on a pretty good deal. 









These were in the reptile section, on sale from $17.49 to $6.97!!! They are 6500k. That was enough to seal the deal for me! I had already looked at walmart, Ace, Lowes, and home depot for replacement bulbs just to price check them and NOBODY had 24" T8s above 4100k! Annoying! I think I might pick up 2 more bulbs at that price as backups! I found them at petsupermarket if you want to get this deal too.

The dumb thing is that if I had known what I know now I could have skipped building a hood, buying these fixtures and replacing the bulbs and gotten a nice rim mountable fixture for about the same amount of $. :iamwithstLive and learn! 

Here is a pic of the 4200k bulbs compared to the 6500k-









And here is the hood all finished-








(I left space for 2 more fixtures in case I ever want to up the "tech" on this tank)

And finally here is the tank with the new lights installed-









*Please pardon the hideous film on the glass! I'm mid cycle.* :icon_wink

These new bulbs are 18 watts so I'm at 2.48WPG.

So, I'm about to go start rinsing my flourite (FUN!) and tomorrow I'm picking up my rock. I'll have the hardscape done and the new substrate in by tomorrow evening and will post pics as soon as I'm done.

Here is a quick cost breakdown for anyone interested in that sort of thing. (I know I always am!)

-Tank/stand/heater= $50
-Canopy wood= $6
-Light fixtures= $8 x4= $32
-6500k T8s= $7 x4= $28
-Play sand= $3
-Flourite Black= $22.50
-Timer= $10
-Paint/woodglue/screws- had it onhand
-Filter- had it onhand

Total so far= $151.50

Thanks for reading!
WL


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## WaterLogged (Feb 2, 2011)

Update!

I did my hardscape this morning. I chose a rock called "greenstone". Not sure if that is just a nickname the rock yard I went to uses or what. I have used this rock before and I LOVE how it looks wet. Its also super pretty up against plants.

I used a bunch of plain black gravel in the bottom then added a layer of root tabs, then flourite black. In the end none of the flourite will be visible, and it will just look like a sandy bottom.

Here is a photo of the finished 'scape-










Left side-









Right side-









A shot from further away-









Yeah, it's a LOT of rock I am aware. But that is on purpose! Once this tank is planted and fills in I want some of the rock to actually SHOW. Not be totally covered by the plants. 

The incredibly unsightly meeting of my focal point rock on the left and the rock beneath it will be covered by plants once planted. *(picture below of what I am talking about)* I had to set it up that way. The top rock is super heavy so I had to "sure it up" a bit by placing it on another rock instead of just setting it on top of 5" of loose substrate. lol! 










You can see it does not look like there is any room to plant but that is on purpose too! At least 85% of the plants in this tank will be epiphytes, so a lot of planting space isnt needed or wanted. There will only be 2-3 types of rooting plants in this tank anyway.

I am pretty happy with how this came out. The right side is 100% spot on as to what I had pictured but I really wanted to get a bit more height on the left side. I might try to find a small flat rock to place under my focal rock to try to raise it up more.

I tried to start filling it up but I somehow managed to break our hose so I have to wait for my SO to come home and save me before I can fill it.

I went ahead and bought some plants over the weekend. I decided to go ahead and buy some bylxa japonica to see if it will work in this tank. I hope it will! I also got some anubias. They should come sometime this week. At least if the bylxa wont work I will know right away and can try to find something to replace it. 

Comments welcomed!

Thanks for reading!
WL


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## Karackle (Dec 11, 2007)

Very cool (and cost effective) DIY!!! If i had the right wood cutting tools, I'd love to do a lot more of that kind of thing! 

I also really like the the way you've set up your hardscape, looking forward to seeing it planted!


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## Aidan77 (Sep 17, 2007)

I like it. Having rock show isn't a bad thing in an aquascape. Im curious to see the "green stone" wet. Great work so far


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## WaterLogged (Feb 2, 2011)

Karackle said:


> Very cool (and cost effective) DIY!!! If i had the right wood cutting tools, I'd love to do a lot more of that kind of thing!
> 
> I also really like the the way you've set up your hardscape, looking forward to seeing it planted!


Thanks for the kind words. It was not all that cost effective though...After I was done I added it up and I could have gotten a nice ready made fixture with more wattage for LESS money. Kinda ticked at that but oh well, can't go back now! lol! 

I am liking the hardscape too! I am surprised anyone else likes it though, I don't usually see tanks with a lots of rocks on here. Hee Hee. Thanks! I can't wait for plants either!!! 



Aidan77 said:


> I like it. Having rock show isn't a bad thing in an aquascape. Im curious to see the "green stone" wet. Great work so far


Thank you very much. Yeah rock is definitely not a bad thing! I'm guessing about 1/3 of the exposed rock will remain visible after planting. 

You can see the wet stone in the pics above, the substrate got the bottom of a few rocks wet. 

------
Sooooo, I decided I need more height in the gravel on the left. That means I have to scoop out a few inches of flourite (FUN!) and then add more cheap black gravel, then add back the flourite on top. I'm not looking forward to that crap! 

I really think it needs more height though. I need the height in order to create more usable space at the top of the left mound so I can add a few small "hill shaped" rocks around the large focal rock. I like it the way it looks now, but I think adding height and some smaller rocks will look better.

The next plants on my shoping list are a largish bushy needle leaf java fern ( thats going in the red circle in the photo above), about 30 vallisneria americana, around 10 anubias coffeefolias, and either a big crypt ballansae or crinium Calamistratum.

*Oh yeah. I forgot to mention I just spent 2 hours schlepping back and forth with an iced tea pitcher to fill up the tank. lol! I was way too impatient to wait for my SO to get home and fix the hose! Here is a pic with it all filled-









Thanks for reading!
WL


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## AquaStudent (Jan 4, 2011)

I subbed to this thread when you first posted it and kept checking back for updates. The DIY hood really interested me  I really like where this tank is going too! Keep up the great work.

I think the little extra height you gave the tank really helped it out. You made an awesome hardscape even better. This Green Stone looks pretty cool. Have you checked it for alkalinity (whatever the vinegar test is)? I don't think that's limestone but you never know. I don't want it to mess up your pH.

I can't wait to see what this tank looks like when you get the plants in it.


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## WaterLogged (Feb 2, 2011)

AquaStudent said:


> I subbed to this thread when you first posted it and kept checking back for updates. The DIY hood really interested me  I really like where this tank is going too! Keep up the great work.
> 
> I think the little extra height you gave the tank really helped it out. You made an awesome hardscape even better. This Green Stone looks pretty cool. Have you checked it for alkalinity (whatever the vinegar test is)? I don't think that's limestone but you never know. I don't want it to mess up your pH.
> 
> I can't wait to see what this tank looks like when you get the plants in it.


Thanks!!! I still need to add gravel and some small stones but thanks for the compliments! The rock isn't limestone. I'm pretty sure it's a type of granite. It's one of the heaviest most dense rocks I've ever used. I'm not too sure how I'm going to break up the piece I have into small ones for the tank... I have tried a hammer and chisel, launching it at my concrete driveway, a sledge hammer...LOL!


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## AquaStudent (Jan 4, 2011)

neither of those worked for breaking it up?


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## WaterLogged (Feb 2, 2011)

AquaStudent said:


> neither of those worked for breaking it up?


Nope! I need to figure it out though, I have some plants coming tomorrow!


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## AquaStudent (Jan 4, 2011)

throwing it out of your window onto the concrete. Rent a jackhammer .

are you sure a regular hammer won't break them?


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## astrosag (Sep 3, 2010)

Screwdriver + hammer will fracture it.

Great job so far! Can't wait till its planted!


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## WaterLogged (Feb 2, 2011)

AquaStudent said:


> throwing it out of your window onto the concrete. Rent a jackhammer .
> 
> are you sure a regular hammer won't break them?


Lol! Throwing it out the window comment makes me think of my fantasies of destroying my laptop by hurling it out a window when I can't get pics to upload. LOL! 

_Yeah_, I'm *sure* a hammer won't break it. I'm also sure a hammer and chisel won't break it, also a metal drill bit driven through the center then smashing it with a hammer won't break it, a concrete driveway and throwing it from 20 feet high wont either. A car jack wedged between my garage work bench and the rock against a wall and cranking the jack until it won't go any further won't crack it. Heating it up with a kitchen torch for creme brulee then smashing it won't do it either. Duct taping it to the tip of a metal car jack stand so the center is over the sharp metal lip, then hitting it in the center won't split it. A diamond tipped circular saw blade just sends shards of rock flying through the air and into my cheek at the speed of light.

Mind you I'm only one person, experiences may vary.

*Now*, I'll tell you what WILL break up "green stone" effectively. An aggrivated 30 something year old man freshly home from a long days work weilding a 20lb sledge hammer, wearing a good pair of work gloves, as his woman sits on the front porch shaking her head and snickering, telling him it can't be done. 

This is the only way.



astrosag said:


> Screwdriver + hammer will fracture it.
> 
> Great job so far! Can't wait till its planted!


A screwdriver + hammer only sent small fragments and pieces of dust flying. There is only 1 way to break "green stone". I explained it above.^^^ LOL!

------

Gonna finish up the hardscape in a minute and post some pics.


----------



## SpankyMR2 (Nov 11, 2010)

Looks great. Can't wait to see the progress.
Patti


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## Karackle (Dec 11, 2007)

WaterLogged said:


> A diamond tipped circular saw blade just sends shards of rock flying through the air and into my cheek at the speed of light.


This made me laugh a lot....i think it was the speed of light part :hihi:..........though I hope your cheek is ok!!!

I also really like the mental image you conjured regarding how you finally did get the stone to crack! 

Can't wait to see the hard scape and then eventually the planting!


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## AquaStudent (Jan 4, 2011)

hey whatever works. I'm glad you were able to break it up though


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## WaterLogged (Feb 2, 2011)

Karackle said:


> This made me laugh a lot....i think it was the speed of light part :hihi:..........though I hope your cheek is ok!!!
> 
> I also really like the mental image you conjured regarding how you finally did get the stone to crack!
> 
> Can't wait to see the hard scape and then eventually the planting!


Yeah my cheek is fine. I'm lucky to be alive! There is no doubt in my mind that I was probably close to death several times today screwing with all those tools! LOL! There is also no doubt that I was doing it wrong. I'm sure any of the methods I tried would work for someone that knows what the hell they are doing! 

My strapping fiance was actually the one who broke the rock. I was playing the part of the nagging girl on the porch...LOL! It's a recurring role for me, I expect a nomination for an award any day now.:icon_wink

WL


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## WaterLogged (Feb 2, 2011)

Update!

I finished the hardscape! I added more substrate in the back left corner, then added a few more small stones. I also added another rock on the right.

Hurr it iz-









Plants will be here any minute!!! I can't wait!!!!!

Thanks for reading!
WL


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## EntoCraig (Jun 7, 2010)

Looking good. Im anxious to see how it turns out. I have some of the same lights (from walmart) but I use them for grow lights for terrestrial tropical plants.


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## WaterLogged (Feb 2, 2011)

EntoCraig said:


> Looking good. Im anxious to see how it turns out. I have some of the same lights (from walmart) but I use them for grow lights for terrestrial tropical plants.


Thanks! I'm hoping it works out well. 

---------

Update!

I got some plants in the mail! I was supposed to get 2 packages but only one came. :icon_frow At least the one that came was the one I was looking forward too the most! 

Man it took forever to tie up all these anubias!!!-










So, I put in a crap ton of nana and a few petites. This isn't the exact layout that the anubias will be in but its close. It just looks like a mess at the moment. Pretty much everywhere that black gravel is exposed will be filled with Blyxa with the odd anubias coffeefolia sprinkled in. Except for a large narrow leaf Java Fern at the base of my focal rock. The background will be 3 sections of vallisneria americana. I am toying with the idea of a little moss for some of the pebbles strown around on the sand. Where the sand "pathway" meets the back glass there will be one red lilly type plant, Probably a lotus, then behind it either a crinium call or a big crypt ballansae.

I am hoping that the new anubias will fan out some as they adjust. I can't wait to see the contrast between the blyxa and the nanas!

The planting aftermath is horrendus! My living room rug is SOAKED! There is sand and water everywhere and my dog is dripping wet eating an anubias leaf in the corner...The entire right side of my body is drenched in tank water and my fingers are pickled. There are tiny bits of wet green thread stuck to everything in sight from tying the anubias and I have not even begun my housework for the day. LOL!!!

Oh yeah, I threw a tiger lotus bulb in the tank a few days ago and it's still floatin'. That means its a gonner correct?

Thanks for reading!
WL


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## WaterLogged (Feb 2, 2011)

Update!

My Blyxa came today. It was kinda melted and slimy so I hope it makes it. Here it is in the tank-









A shot from further away-









Thanks for reading!
WL


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## RickRS (Dec 31, 2010)

It's already done, so this suggestion's a little late. While the standard advice is to tie anubia to wood or rocks, I have them do fine if the rhizome is kept above the surface of gravel and the roots partially buried. I use a bent solid wire to pin the plant into position until root growth into the substrate has anchored it. Hair pins bent into a broad U shape work well and can be removed when no longer needed.


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## WaterLogged (Feb 2, 2011)

RickRS said:


> It's already done, so this suggestion's a little late. While the standard advice is to tie anubia to wood or rocks, I have them do fine if the rhizome is kept above the surface of gravel and the roots partially buried. I use a bent solid wire to pin the plant into position until root growth into the substrate has anchored it. Hair pins bent into a broad U shape work well and can be removed when no longer needed.


That's a great idea! I've used zip ties before to make the attaching process g quicker but this time I just used thread and weights. I might try your idea!


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## EntoCraig (Jun 7, 2010)

Dig it!


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## Karackle (Dec 11, 2007)

Wow I LOVE the way it looks planted! I love the simplicity of it  Looks beautiful!

Also, RickRS, GREAT idea for planting rhizome plants in substrate! I'll have to use that from now on!


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## WaterLogged (Feb 2, 2011)

Karackle said:


> Wow I LOVE the way it looks planted! I love the simplicity of it  Looks beautiful!
> 
> Also, RickRS, GREAT idea for planting rhizome plants in substrate! I'll have to use that from now on!


Thanks! I agree! He did have a great idea!


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## studentZ (Sep 22, 2010)

The layering of your hardscape is looking awesome, I really like the depth and height you created with the rocks!


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## cervantesmx (Feb 16, 2011)

Maan, I have to say, it is looking great!


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## WaterLogged (Feb 2, 2011)

StudentZ said:


> The layering of your hardscape is looking awesome, I really like the depth and height you created with the rocks!


Thank you so much! 




cervantesmx said:


> Maan, I have to say, it is looking great!


Thanks!

------------

Update!

My blyxa is looking aweful. All but one plant is mostly melted. I am hoping for a miracle! 

In other news I got some :fish:yesterday! I got 3 Corys that I am currently trying to ID and 3 silver tip tetras. I'm going to try and build a school of at least 12 of them to help minimize their evil streak...LOL! I knew these guys were buttholes but WOW. They are REALLY mean! They are just so awesome how they flare their little fins I had to give them a try.

Thats it for now.
WL


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## EntoCraig (Jun 7, 2010)

Post a pic of the Corys I bet someone can ID them.


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## WaterLogged (Feb 2, 2011)

EntoCraig said:


> Post a pic of the Corys I bet someone can ID them.


:thumbsup: Here is a quick snap of Travis. Actually I have been calling them all Travis since I can't tell them apart... I'll try to get some good photos of everyone once they are a little better settled in.


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## EntoCraig (Jun 7, 2010)

I just bought 2 of these today! These are Corydoras trilineatus which are often mistaken as Corydoras Julii. I like them a lot


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## WaterLogged (Feb 2, 2011)

EntoCraig said:


> I just bought 2 of these today! These are Corydoras trilineatus which are often mistaken as Corydoras Julii. I like them a lot


Thats a cool coincidence! I'm picking up 5 more silver tips tomorrow, I cant wait! Thanks for the ID.


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## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

this is going to be a good looking tank. i like it!


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## WaterLogged (Feb 2, 2011)

oldpunk78 said:


> this is going to be a good looking tank. i like it!


Thanks so much! I really like your tank too! (The one you have a low tech journal for) :icon_mrgr


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## WaterLogged (Feb 2, 2011)

Update!

I've got some algae showing it's ugly face. Diatoms and green spot algae are starting to get on the anubias leaves. I'll be getting some nerites, ottos and shrimp in a while. I'm also thinking about starting up diy Co2. But overall I don't mind a little algae as long as it's in check.

My 5 new silver tips are doing awesome, so now I have 8 total. I'll be adding to the school after I get more plants. The corys are the cutest things EVER! I'm still working on pics of them. 

I do have some good news on the Blyxa! I thought it was a gonner for sure but I just noticed some nice red new growth on all but 2 of the plants! YES!!! Pictora evidence-









You can see how badly melted these were! This plant was almost totally gone!

The Anubias are doing fantastic! I have new leaf shoots popping up everywhere! 

As far as progress on this tank goes its probably going to be super slow from here on out. I'm really broke so I wont be able to afford to get the rest of my plants for awhile. I am so impatient, the wait is going to kill me!!! I want the rest of my plants soooooooooooo bad! 

Thats it for now. Thanks for reading!
WL


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## WaterLogged (Feb 2, 2011)

Update!

My algae collection has filled out quite nicely. So far I have been successful in growing hair algae, diatoms, some sort of black algae, blue green algae and green spotty algae. :thumbsup:

I just finished hooking up my first DIY CO2! I'm so proud of myself! I mixed up my culture and hooked it up to the tank about 20 minutes ago and there is already a steady stream being produced! HURRAY!

I used a 3 liter soda bottle for my culture. I'm hoping that by using a larger vessel with the same recipe used for a 2 liter bottle it will take longer for the yeast to be killed by the alcohol production and the culture will last a bit longer.

My recipe (I just copied the recipe I saw repeated on this site the most often) was, 2 cups sugar, I subbed in 1/2 brown sugar, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp yeast and warm water. 

My vessel is in my stand, then my airline goes to a fine mist airstone that is suction cupped directly below my filter intake where it gets sucked up and then blown around the tank. I did not realize how CLOUDY the tank was going to look with all the fine mist being blown around. :icon_roll

As far as my fish go I am feeling a lot of regret for moving so fast with stocking the tank. I had a concrete stocking plan when I started this tank and all it took was one trip to the lfs before I deviated and bought fish that were NOT in the freakin' plan. So, I'm going to suck it up and take my new babies back to the lfs tonight and try to stick to my plan from here on out.

I really love the fish I have but they just wont play well with the fish I wanted in the first place. The silver tips are FAR too nippy and the corydoras simply get too large for my tastes in such a confined space. I'm pretty sad as I'm already really attached to them. :icon_cry:

I did buy some fish yesterday that ARE in the original plan. 4 ottos and 10 ghost shrimp. I got these to test the tank for invert safety as its a used tank and who knows what type of copper based medications the previous owner could have used that might have leached into the silicone. The shrimp are doing great as of now. 

If you were wondering, my original stocking plan for this tank was mostly natives. Darters, pygmy sunfish that I'm going to collect myself, shrimp, snails, and P. gertrudae. Maybe a few others I'm not sure about yet.

Hopefully I will be getting some more plants soon. I have been stalking the s&s. lol!

Thanks for reading!
WL


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## AquaStudent (Jan 4, 2011)

I'm glad to hear about your successful algae growing experience  The Co2 will help with that and soon enough you'll be back to growing a masterpiece.

I'm sorry to hear about the fish not working out. At least you have a plan and will be sticking to it. I'm working on concreting my plan for my new 5 gallon  but as you probably know it's harder to stick to a plan than it is to make one


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## WaterLogged (Feb 2, 2011)

AquaStudent said:


> I'm glad to hear about your successful algae growing experience  The Co2 will help with that and soon enough you'll be back to growing a masterpiece.
> 
> I'm sorry to hear about the fish not working out. At least you have a plan and will be sticking to it. I'm working on concreting my plan for my new 5 gallon  but as you probably know it's harder to stick to a plan than it is to make one


Yeah the co2+ottos should have me back on track fairly quickly! :fish:

Lol! Yeah it's one thing to make plans and an entirely different thing to follow a plan. It's SOOOOOOOOOO hard to resist buying fishies when you have an empty tank at home!!! 

It was not _entirely_ my fault just so you know! I had seen the silver tips at the lfs and went nuts over them in front of my fiance...before I knew it I had a bag of fish in my hand after a bad day instead of flowers!!! Then I had no choice but to buy more silver tips to keep the aggression down. LOL! 

The corydoras however, WERE my fault. :icon_roll

WL


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## Hilde (May 19, 2008)

I started like you using the same under counter lights. I too swapped out the bulbs. My favorite was the aqua-glow. When you bulbs need changing check out LNT.com, for the shipping charge is $0. Here is the aqua-glo Fortunately you have low light plants so your lighting works.

Where did you get all of those anubias?


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## WaterLogged (Feb 2, 2011)

Hilde said:


> I started like you using the same under counter lights. I too swapped out the bulbs. My favorite was the aqua-glow. When you bulbs need changing check out LNT.com, for the shipping charge is $0. Here is the aqua-glo


Thanks for the link!



Hilde said:


> Fortunately you have low light plants so your lighting works.


Um... What do you mean by "fortunately"? I did a lot of research before I started this project. 


Hilde said:


> Where did you get all of those anubias?


 I got the anubias from BigStick120 over at APC. :icon_cool


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## Hilde (May 19, 2008)

WaterLogged said:


> Um... What do you mean by "fortunately"? I did a lot of research before I started this project.


Unlike you I didn't research I just bought cheap stem plants from LPS. Thus had to upgrade light. Fortunately I got a T5NO light at an auction for $18. It doesn't have a good reflector so I have a Life-glo in addition over the tank. 

Aren't those lights shorter than the tank? I used metal gutter as a reflector and didn't get the amount of light you have. In fact had shadows on the ends. 

If you ever want to upgrade, the next light for low tech, which has a good reflector, is a SolarMax dual T5 from PetBlvd. Then there is also Coralife T5NO which has a nice pink bulb.


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## WaterLogged (Feb 2, 2011)

Hilde said:


> Unlike you I didn't research I just bought cheap stem plants from LPS. Thus had to upgrade light. Fortunately I got a T5NO light at an auction for $18. It doesn't have a good reflector so I have a Life-glo in addition over the tank.


I did the same thing on my first planted tank. I think we all did. But this _isnt_ my first planted tank, so I chose plants accordingly. I did take a risk with the Blyxa but that is how we got a list of low light plants to begin with. People taking risks and reporting their results. 



Hilde said:


> Aren't those lights shorter than the tank? I used metal gutter as a reflector and didn't get the amount of light you have. In fact had shadows on the ends.


Yes they are shorter. The tank is 30" and the bulbs are 24". I have 4 of them so I get plenty of light. I just used white paint as a "reflector". I don't have any shadows, actually I might need to set up my fourth bulb on a separate timer for a 4 hour burst because I think I might be getting a bit too much light.



Hilde said:


> If you ever want to upgrade, the next light for low tech, which has a good reflector, is a SolarMax dual T5 from PetBlvd. Then there is also Coralife T5NO which has a nice pink bulb.


I'll keep that in mind.


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## WaterLogged (Feb 2, 2011)

Update!

I added some new plants today! Some vallisneria americana, narrow leaf java ferns, blyxa, frogbit, and I have some x-mass moss to add but I haven't done it yet. The A. nanas and petites are basically in their final resting spots now, they were just sort of scattered before.

I'm battling algae pretty hardcore. I have reduced my photo period to 8 hours, added co2, and have some olive nerites on the way. 

Inhabitants are now just 4 otos and 8 ghost shrimp. 

Here is a FTS-









I'll update again once I get the moss in. Basically all thats left to add are crypt balansae, a red lotus and more narrow leaf java fern. 

Thank for reading!
WL


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## rballi (Mar 4, 2010)

that scape turned out really well! What do you plan on stocking this with? 29 is a nice size, but i think it is hard to scape for the shape, you did a great job.


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## WaterLogged (Feb 2, 2011)

rballi said:


> that scape turned out really well! What do you plan on stocking this with? 29 is a nice size, but i think it is hard to scape for the shape, you did a great job.


Thank you very much! :icon_cool There is still a lot of work and growing to do though!

As far as stocking I'm a little torn about my upper level stocking. For general stocking I'm going native baby! I'll be collecting darters, most likely the swamp darter (_Etheostoma fusiforme)_ is the only one I'll find locally. Next I'm hunting down pygmy sunfish. I'm not sure if the ones I have caught here in the past are okefenokees (_Elassoma okenfenokee) _or gulf coast pygmys (Elassoma gilberti) though. I've attempted keeping pygmys before and I really want to try my hand at breeding them.

The thing I can't decide on with the upper level schooling fish is if I should go all native and find an interesting florida species or deviate and go with the fish I REALLY want, blue eyed rainbows (_Pseudomugil gertrudae)_.

Unless I see something totally amazing when I'm collecting I'll most likely go with the gertrudes. 

Oh yeah! And Shrimp! Lots of shrimp! I'll need to get a good breeding population going before I put the WC natives in.

WL


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## AquaStudent (Jan 4, 2011)

Awesome job WL! This scape turned out great! I can't wait to see it stocked


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## WaterLogged (Feb 2, 2011)

AquaStudent said:


> Awesome job WL! This scape turned out great! I can't wait to see it stocked


Thanks! I cant wait until the rest of my plants come! And especially my olive nerites! Geeze this algae is annoying! LOL! 

Glad you like it. 

WL


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## Hilde (May 19, 2008)

WaterLogged said:


> I added some new plants today! Some vallisneria americana, narrow leaf java ferns, blyxa, frogbit.
> 
> I'm battling algae pretty hardcore. I have reduced my photo period to 8 hours.
> Inhabitants are now just 4 otos and 8 ghost shrimp.


Wow!! What a change. It is just missing a little color, otherwise fantastic! :eek5:. How about a dwarf lilly. You can get the bulbs at Wal-mart. 

How about having a siesta period (lights on 4hrs/ off 4hrs/ on 4hrs).


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## WaterLogged (Feb 2, 2011)

Hilde said:


> Wow!! What a change. It is just missing a little color, otherwise fantastic! :eek5:. How about a dwarf lilly. You can get the bulbs at Wal-mart.
> 
> How about having a siesta period (lights on 4hrs/ off 4hrs/ on 4hrs).


Thanks! It's funny you should say that about the lilly, I already have a lotus coming in the mail! I have been planning on just one splash of red in the tank and I can't wait to see how its going to look! I also bought a bulb at walmart a few weeks ago and I couldn't keep it sunk so I tossed it.

Its amazing how much the valls change it huh? The change Im really looking forward too is when my narrow leaf java fills in behind the clump'o'nana on the right and also in 3 other spots. I think the contrast between the java leaves and the valls behind them and the nanas in front of them is going to look good! I'm hoping it does anyway! 

For my photo period I'm not sure what I'm going to do yet. I'm basically waiting to see how effecting the DIY co2 is before I make a choice. It will most likely endup being either 2 or 3 of the lights on for 10-12 hours and the last 1 or 2 on for a 4 hour burst. I'm not sure yet. The 8 hour thing is deffinitely only short term though.

Thanks again for the compliment!
WL


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## AquaStudent (Jan 4, 2011)

Awesome! What kind of lotus? I have 2 Red Tiger Lotus coming in that I'm really excited about.


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## WaterLogged (Feb 2, 2011)

AquaStudent said:


> Awesome! What kind of lotus? I have 2 Red Tiger Lotus coming in that I'm really excited about.


Red tiger lotus too! 

WL


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## AquaStudent (Jan 4, 2011)

Awesome! Where do you plan on placing it? Also are you going to try to keep it short or let it grow to the surface?


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## WaterLogged (Feb 2, 2011)

AquaStudent said:


> Awesome! Where do you plan on placing it? Also are you going to try to keep it short or let it grow to the surface?


I'm going to_ try_ to keep it low! as long as I can keep 2-3 low leaves consistantly I'll be happy.

Right now I have anubias as placeholders where my narrow java and lotus will go. Im gonna move the nanas once they come. Here is a pic to show where the new stuff will go-









And here is the "plan" for where the rest of the plants I have coming will go-









Purple= crypt balansae
blue= anubias petite
pink= x-mass moss (doing this today)

After this last addition I will be done adding new plant species. Unless of course I kill my Blyxa (highly likely) then I will need to find a replacement plant. I really like the grassy look of the Blyxa against the broad anubias leaves so it's going to be a tough choice!

-------
Algae update!

It looks like the CO2 and just one day of an 8 hour photo period has eradicated about 90% of the hair algae. Diatoms are nearly gone. BBA is sill rimming some of the anubias leaves. :thumbsdow But the only one that is still *raging* is the green spot algae. Green algae is ok by me! I really like how it looks on my rocks, the otos love it, and as long as it keeps its little butt off my sand I'm cool with it! 

I'll keep the photo period at 8 hours for 2 more days then bump it back up and wait and see...

Thanks for reading!
WL


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## AquaStudent (Jan 4, 2011)

That looks like a great place for a TL. When are the additional plants expected to arrive?

I can't wait


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## WaterLogged (Feb 2, 2011)

AquaStudent said:


> That looks like a great place for a TL. When are the additional plants expected to arrive?
> 
> I can't wait


Um, I'm not 100% sure. I ordered them from bobs tropical plants and she is on vacation right now so I'm guessing about 3-4 days after she gets home.

I can't wait either!

WL


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## Hilde (May 19, 2008)

I once had a crypt v balance. It took up a lot of space. I think it would be best to put it behind the rocks on the right side. The vals could be used as a wall going from the left to the crypt. The tiger lotus I would put in front of the rocks on the right. Having the crypt in the middle as planned would distract the vision. Golden rule, which applies to directing the eyes, explains why.

Love those rocks. Where did you get them? How much did they cost? 

Why don't you have the state you are in under your avatar? I like to keep a log of members with the state they are in.


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## WaterLogged (Feb 2, 2011)

Hilde said:


> I once had a crypt v balance. It took up a lot of space. I think it would be best to put it behind the rocks on the right side. The vals could be used as a wall going from the left to the crypt. The tiger lotus I would put in front of the rocks on the right. Having the crypt in the middle as planned would distract the vision. Golden rule, which applies to directing the eyes, explains why.
> 
> Love those rocks. Where did you get them? How much did they cost?
> 
> Why don't you have the state you are in under your avatar? I like to keep a log of members with the state they are in.


I am familiar with the golden rule, lol. I agree about the crypt breaking the rule, but I have never been much of a rule follower... I am also aware that one of the aquascaping tips given by Takashi Amano in his lectures is never to place a red plant in the center of a layout, but I am doing it anyway. 

The reason I want to put it there is I want it to get your attention. Same as the lotus. I am hoping the eye will be drawn to the lotus first since it's the only red plant in the tank then to the balansae then hopefully the eye will follow the "v" path of the nanas across the back, then up the slopes, and eventually to the rocks and rock rubble in the front. The only thing I don't like about the balansae in that spot is it messes up the "v" I have going. 

The back right corner would be a good spot for the balansae if a large narrow leaf java fern wasn't going there. The balansae behind the java fern would have no contrast.

I drew this plan out on paper about 3 months ago and have been trying to stick to the original plan. If the Balansae does not work in that spot how I want it to, I will move it. 

I got the rock from a stone yard I think it was .29 a lb? I can't remember. The whole lot of it was $28. I'm quite sure it's granite.

I used to have my location there, but I just thought "in mah tank" was cuter than, "FL". LOL!

WL


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## AquaStudent (Jan 4, 2011)

Hey WL. How large of a footprint does the Red Tiger Lotus usually have? I'm trying to plan out my tank (5 gallon). I know they can get big but I was planning on trimming it often. I'll be doing my best to keep it down and the leaves small.

It's still hard to plan for.


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## WaterLogged (Feb 2, 2011)

AquaStudent said:


> Hey WL. How large of a footprint does the Red Tiger Lotus usually have? I'm trying to plan out my tank (5 gallon). I know they can get big but I was planning on trimming it often. I'll be doing my best to keep it down and the leaves small.
> 
> It's still hard to plan for.


Thats a good question. I would think if you keep the leaves low a good amount of space would be soft ball sized. Thats about how much room I have so at least if I'm wrong we can screw it up together! LOL!


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## AquaStudent (Jan 4, 2011)

Softball size is exactally what I'm hoping it will be. That would fit perfectly into my scape...if it's a lot larger than t hat then...well I'm screwed lol

when does yours come in? I won't be able to plant mine until Mid March


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## WaterLogged (Feb 2, 2011)

AquaStudent said:


> Softball size is exactally what I'm hoping it will be. That would fit perfectly into my scape...if it's a lot larger than t hat then...well I'm screwed lol
> 
> when does yours come in? I won't be able to plant mine until Mid March


I'm not sure of the date yet. The place I ordered from is not shipping until the owner is back from vacation. Bobs tropical plants.


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## AquaStudent (Jan 4, 2011)

Oh I'm sorry...I already asked that question...
It's been a really long day if you couldn't tell lol.

I don't understand why there was that "rule" about not making a single red plant the centerpiece...I think its a really good idea (and exactaly what I'm trying to do)


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## WaterLogged (Feb 2, 2011)

AquaStudent said:


> Oh I'm sorry...I already asked that question...
> It's been a really long day if you couldn't tell lol.
> 
> I don't understand why there was that "rule" about not making a single red plant the centerpiece...I think its a really good idea (and exactaly what I'm trying to do)


It's not a rule, it was just a tip, in other words it was his personal preference. Don't let anyone tell you there is a rule against what you think looks good! If it's your tank, YOU make the rules!


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## problemman (Aug 19, 2005)

if you kill your blyxa i think a great replacement would be dwarf sag! btw the tank is looking nice dude!


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## WaterLogged (Feb 2, 2011)

Update!

Still battling algae hardcore.

The 8 hour photo period reduced hair algae to trace amounts but now I have blue green algae in addition to all the other types. Other than reducing hair algae I didn't notice anything beneficial. I ripped all the anubias out yesterday and gave the leaves a short h202 dip. I can see tiny tufts of bba on a few blyxa leaves and on one anubias leaf. GSA is running rampant. It is going totally unchecked. :angryfire

My CO2 is at 1/2 bps. I'm not dosing anything. I am going to start doing a small water change and vacuuming out all the leftover shrimp food every other day. I think I may have been overfeeding.

I have now turned off 2 lights and I'm going to try a longer photo period of 12 hours only running 2x17 watts of t-8. We will see what happens. The 8 hour photo period was making me really nervous anyway as I am running my CO2 24/7.

I am still waiting on my order of nerites and the rest of plants to ship out but I am getting really impatient as I really need those snails!!!!

I will just keep tweaking until something works! :icon_wink

Fauna is doing well. My ottos are super FAT and pooping nonstop. I also went dipnetting and caught some more Ghost Shrimp. The new shrimp have been in the tank for about 4 days and I already have 5 burried females! 

My new valls seem to love the tank. The upper 1/3 of most of the leaves are a nice bright pinkish red and they are pearling like crazy everyday. I have never seen a vall pearl before? Maybe its just CO2 bubbles sticking to them? lol!

I added my x-mass moss last weekend and hated it to death. So I ripped it all out and its going in my new 10 gallon project. I am going with fissidens fontanus for this tank now.

Blyxa is still looking like crap. Lots of new growth but it's all red and I hate how it looks. I want that vibrant lush green everyone else has! 

I'm not adding fish until after I get my algea battle over with. So that's it for now!

Thanks for reading!
WL


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## AquaStudent (Jan 4, 2011)

wow it sounds like you've been having a rough time :/ I hope you get it to turn around. It'll be like chopping wood. Just keep chopping until the tree comes down. Stick with it and it'll happen.


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## WaterLogged (Feb 2, 2011)

AquaStudent said:


> wow it sounds like you've been having a rough time :/ I hope you get it to turn around. It'll be like chopping wood. Just keep chopping until the tree comes down. Stick with it and it'll happen.


Yeah I definitely stepped in sh*t.

I made some stupid mistakes and now I'm paying for them. I should have started my CO2 right away for one, and the other was I put some plants in the tank and then noticed they had a few little traces of algae on them. Then I was lazy and just left them there. :iamwithstSo then the algae spread like wild fire and now I have to try and reverse my dumb mistakes.


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## AquaStudent (Jan 4, 2011)

at least you have something to do...it's better than sitting there being bored.


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## WaterLogged (Feb 2, 2011)

Update!

It looks like I'm starting to win the battle! 

Tank water is crystal clear. The various algaes on my anubias leaves are starting to disappear. Diatoms are gone. The thread algae and bba on my blyxa is fading away. Algae is no longer growing on my substrate and is basically only thriving on my rocks at this point. I expect the mixture of less light, co2 and algae eating fauna will have that gone soon as well!

My blyxa is finally finding it's happy medium in my tank! The plants still look *horrible* but nice bright green new growth has appeared on every singe plant!!! YES!!! :bounce:


Here is a FTS as of 10 mins ago-










In other news I was out collecting this weekend and I caught what I thought was some sort of darter. Turns out its a fat sleeper goby AKA jade goby. YIKES! These things get giant! He is only about 1.5" at this point. Since I can't keep him or release him I'll be looking for a new home for him...

Thank for reading!
WL


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## Hilde (May 19, 2008)

Getting ready to set up a 29g tank I was searching for ideas and came across your tank. Was wondering what has become of it?


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