# The 240 gallon photo Journal Begins. 56k beware!



## Ðank (Dec 29, 2005)

I have two monitors, one of them is a widescreen so I enjoy the huge pictures. Others might not be as happy. 

I would have a hard time getting to sleep at night in anticipation of starting this tank up. Looks like you found a nice spot on the wall for it as well. Not an easy thing to find a good spot for a tank that big. 

I am subscribing right now, you better keep the people happy with frequent and pictureful updates:thumbsup:


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## Saints1804 (Oct 27, 2005)

I work from home and have lots of free time so every single thing I do will be documented and photographed. I am lucky and happen to be a 23 year old single homeowner. So I decided my formal dining room would be for this aquarium. The wall is 8 feet 6 inches I believe so an 8 ft tank was perfect. I also have 2 20 inch monitors so its no biggie but I need to get them resized for those 15 inchers out there!...


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## jade_dragon71 (Dec 2, 2005)

Great start- what a huge tank!

Love the beagle! My Bailey is a tri-color terror....but I love her dearly.


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## Saints1804 (Oct 27, 2005)

I have another one also. The one in the picture is Cajun, I've had her since I was 17 and im 23 so that makes her around 9. I also have another one named Gumbo who is about 3 years old and shes a little too obnoxious to get caught on camera. Im from Louisiana in case your wondering about the references to it in the names of my pets. I live in Dallas now.


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## medicineman (Sep 28, 2005)

Goodie.... Lets see how this fellow big tank turns out.

A nice thing you have more length and less height than mine (so you will not end up swimming when doing the tank).

You might want to sticker the back of the tank with some black ones since the tank is stuck next to a white wall (but it is a matter of personal preferrance... you decide it). See-through tanks are different case though.

Btw, nice method of anchoring down new, unsoaked driftwood. Just make sure you have pre-treated them by boiling to remove excess tannis.


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## JED (Nov 10, 2005)

Very impressive. I look forward to following this thread and it looks like you're off to a great start. Are you planning to use a background? Thank for sharing!!!


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## Perfectblue (Jan 11, 2006)

Looks great. Have you even thought about what fish you would like to house in this huge tank?


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## Saints1804 (Oct 27, 2005)

I do plan on putting background. I ordered a roll of black vinyl just waiting for it to get here. 




> Perfectblue
> Looks great. Have you even thought about what fish you would like to house in this huge tank? QUOTE]
> 
> The planned species list is as follows:
> ...


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## Saints1804 (Oct 27, 2005)

*** Update ***

Ok so I added substrate. First I put some floor planks and a box down so I could divide my sand beach from the blasting gravel as shown in these photos:




























After I did this I started washing flourite. wow that stuff is nastier than the gravel in the Oscar tanks at walmart. I have 8 bags of it to do. I got 4 of them done. I I was able to cover the sand blasting gravel completely with the 4 bags of flourite. I still have 4 bags to go. Im going to end up with a very nice deep substrate I am pleased. Without having to mix the 2 together all that much. Here are some of the photos after adding the flourite. 




























Tomorrow im going to get the rest of the substrate layed down. Then im going to go and purchase some river rocks so I can use it as a visual border between the sand bed and flourite. Its also going to be a divider im going to use to keep some of my different foreground plants seperated. I havent figured out exactly how im going to do it but as soon I as I know so will all of you. 

This weekend I should be working on the lighting and possibly the filtration. I'll keep you guys posted!


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## jimmydrsv (Apr 8, 2005)

Wrong thread. Sorry.


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## Saints1804 (Oct 27, 2005)

*** Update ***

Ok I got all of the substrate in. I also put some river rocks in to seperate the sand from the flourite. I also created some "rockbeds" that i'm going to use to seperate different types of foreground plants from running into each other. I also buried half of a coconut shell in the sand bad you'll see in one of the pictures. I'm to place 5 of them through the tank to try to provide breeding territories for apistos so I can kind of control the areas they claim. Here are a few pics of the sandbed and river rocks...




























Here is a pic of the hole with the buried coconut shell...










If you guys have any suggestions regarding different plant species feel free to comment. I have put way too much thought into the fish than the plants so im very open to suggestions.


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## Clayton (Jan 31, 2006)

Looks great so far. Can't wait to see the finished product. ^_^


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## kzr750r1 (Jun 8, 2004)

*Looks Good*

Impressive hardscape. That is a load of fish even in a 240, is the whole list going in at the same time??



> _I am also expecting a Rex Grigg custom Reactor as well as high and low pressure regulator. Many thanks to Rex for all of his help and advice. I also ordered a Milwaukee Ph controller that should be here in the next few days. I am going to use the new Fluval FX5 filter for filtration. Its rated for 500 gallon tanks and it also has an easy water change feature built in allowing you to change water without turning it off and I think thats wonderful givin the size and amount of water changes I will be doing.[_QUOTE]
> 
> I had origionally not read what your filteration plan was then re read the post.  Sounds like a great filter.
> 
> ...


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## Saints1804 (Oct 27, 2005)

The filter im using has a valve down at the bottom that allows you to do a water change and leave the system running. The fish load is the eventual bioload. I dont plan on doing it all at once. its going to be gradual. Its definately not excessive for an 8 ft tank. I can put 150+ fish in a tank that size with filteration and the water changes i plan on doing.


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## fosteder (Apr 8, 2004)

Saints....it's going to look amazing. I am so jealous. If I was single I would definitely be putting up a huge tank like yours. Enjoy the financial freedom while it lasts man.

Not that I would give up my wife and baby boy for a huge tank. :hihi:


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## Saints1804 (Oct 27, 2005)

I don't think i'd give up a wife and a baby either but since I already have it when I do get married and have kids it gets to stay!


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## Saints1804 (Oct 27, 2005)

I took 4 pictures of my 240 gallon tank. So they cover the whole thing. I also circled and numbered areas of the pictures. If any of you could make some suggestions as to what plants to put where and what you would do if you were me would be wonderful. I know much more about the fish than the plants. I have 4x150 watt metal halides and a pressurized Co2 system. so feel free to recommend anything. 





































On numbers 2, 4, and 7 I want recommendations for different foreground plants. other than that feel free to let me know what you think.


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## oceanaqua (Nov 24, 2005)

My Recommendation. I own a 200 gallon myself and planting can be fun. The sky the limit.

#1-Either L. Cuba, Limnophila Aromitica, Cyperus helferi.
#2-glossos or HC
#3-Some type of Crypt or Bacopa. Maybe even a lotus.
#4-Downoi
#5,6,8(the corner, #7 was typo)-Any of Heteranthera zosterifolia,Cabomba furcata, Polygonum K., Luwig Species, Rotala, Hygro Sp( I like Balsimica). Re-arrange them until you get good contrast.
#7-Lobelia cardinalis or Hydrocotyle verticillata
Finally I suggest you tie some riccia, moss, pellia, java fern on to the wood before you put water in. I made a big mistake not too and getting in to the tank and tying them wasn't easy.  Good luck.


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## Saints1804 (Oct 27, 2005)

Thanks for pointing that out. Im going to google those species, I appreciate it. Im going to put java fern on the wood for sure. Not sure which pieces though. I like the thought of moss on the one near 7 and 8. We'll see how it plays out, I'm going to google those species and see how they look and figure it out. Thanks man.


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## oceanaqua (Nov 24, 2005)

You can find them here too:
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/plantfinder/all.php


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## mrbelvedere (Nov 15, 2005)

Those river rocks look a little too unnatural. They look like they were polished by a tumbler. If it were me, I would replace them with something a little more realistic.


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## Lorenceo (Jan 29, 2004)

mrbelvedere138 said:


> Those river rocks look a little too unnatural. They look like they were polished by a tumbler. If it were me, I would replace them with something a little more realistic.


I second that.
The tank looks great and I cant wait to see it set up, but you need to do something about those rocks. They just look out of place IMO.


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## Saints1804 (Oct 27, 2005)

once the tank gets set up and algae starts to develop they will look fine. Ive used them before. They only look that way when they are new so to speak.


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## Saints1804 (Oct 27, 2005)

But we'll see once it gets up and running it wont be hard to replace them so i wanna worry about more pressing issues.


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## oceanaqua (Nov 24, 2005)

Beach pebles at Home depot, they loook really natural. Look it near the gravel section.


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## triple red (May 27, 2005)

1)echinodorus "red melon" or crypt balansae 2)e tenellus or crypt willisii 3) crypt wendtii red, bronze or green or hygro corymbosa 4) glosso 5-6-7-8) valls, bacopa,stargrass,a reineckii, rotila and some big java fern on that driftwood on the right side
i have those river rocks in my tank and they dont look polished anymore.... 
cant wait to see it when theres plants and fishes...good luck


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## Saints1804 (Oct 27, 2005)

*** Update ***

Ok I picked up filter and my lights today. I just finished working on the filter so im going to do that first. I bought a Fluval Fx5. Its rated for 400 gallon aquariums. Its a very nice filter. It has a valve built into the bottom to do automatic water changes. I recommend this filter for anyone with 150 plus gallon aquariums. Here are some shots of it...


















Notice the valve at the bottom so you can hook a hose up and open it to do water changes. I'm going to use this method bi weekly and then go inside the tank on the odd weeks. 


















I installed it on the front of the tank because the hoses dont come precut. Once I got it all set right im going to unhook it and put it on the backside. It was just much easier to do it this way. 









Heres a shot of it under the tank!

I'm going to unbox the lights and then take pictures. Im trying to figure out a way to mount them. Similiar to that of Medicine mans 260 gallon tank.


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## Saints1804 (Oct 27, 2005)

*** Update ***

Here are some shots of my lights. They are PFO ballasts with HQI pendants. I have 4x150w pendants. 2 ballasts and each one pushes 2 of the lights.


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## Lorenceo (Jan 29, 2004)

Thats some nice equipment! roud:
What kind of bulbs are you going to use?


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## Saints1804 (Oct 27, 2005)

Im not sure yet. I am definately going to use 10k. I just dont know what brand im going to use yet. I like the look of superwhite tanks. Not a big fan of the 6700k yellowish look. I think its from my days as a reef enthusiast. If anyone has recommendations as to bulb brands i'd greatly appreciate it. I dont know that it matters all that much like it does with reef tanks but any input would be appreciated.


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## oceanaqua (Nov 24, 2005)

HOly cow thats a huge filter. I hope I can upgrade someday, I use a Eheim 2217 for my 200. I thought that my plants will be enough to cover the extra filtration. TRY to get a UV sterilizer, green water in large tank is a huge pain! I had one last week. I must have change over 1000 gallon of water in one week.


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## Saints1804 (Oct 27, 2005)

How does a uv sterilizer effect a planted tank? good bad at all?


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## medicineman (Sep 28, 2005)

Saints1804 said:


> ..I'm going to unbox the lights and then take pictures. Im trying to figure out a way to mount them. Similiar to that of Medicineman's 260 gallon tank.


Ok.... I'm flattered if it is some form of copy :thumbsup: 

Did you get shoplight/industrial halides? I love the reflectors, much better than my cheapo one.
Just be sure to plan and think it well before you tear them up. A good electrical skill is a big plus because you have to do it properly. Learn from my mistakes (look at my documentation on what happened) and dont get yourself or someone/something electrocured.

Things are going well so far.



Saints1804 said:


> How does a uv sterilizer effect a planted tank? good bad at all?


A UV sterilizer, as far as I know works by passing trough green water that contains spores as well as water borne algae, damage their cells. Eventually many will be dead and you end up clear water. You will only run UV sterilizer once in a while for several hours each. Running for too long is said to reduce beneficial microbes as well as degrading chemicals (ferts) dissolved in water.


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## Saints1804 (Oct 27, 2005)

I know what a sterilizer does, I was just curious about the ill effects of running it in a planted aquarium. As far as suspended things in the water column that are beneficial to plant growth. I know its a bad idea in a reef tank so I was just wondering if the same thing applied...


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## triple red (May 27, 2005)

its supposed to negative reactions with iron in the water column...
and it will destroy flourish excel....
i run mine the night after my water change.....then i dose my ferts


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## Saints1804 (Oct 27, 2005)

I see. I am going to look into getting one.


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## triple red (May 27, 2005)

heres a past link if ya wanna read more.....http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/equipment/25003-uv-sterilizer.html?highlight=filter+iron


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## Saints1804 (Oct 27, 2005)

medicineman said:


> Ok.... I'm flattered if it is some form of copy :thumbsup:
> 
> Did you get shoplight/industrial halides? I love the reflectors, much better than my cheapo one.
> Just be sure to plan and think it well before you tear them up. A good electrical skill is a big plus because you have to do it properly. Learn from my mistakes (look at my documentation on what happened) and dont get yourself or someone/something electrocured.



To answer your question I got them from a pet store. They are widely soldin this area for reef aquariums. I paid $950.00 plus tax for the 4 hqi pendants and the 2 ballasts. They are 2x150w ballasts. I love the way these look when on the reflectors are awesome. They are made by PFO lighting.


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## Betowess (Dec 9, 2004)

Saints1804 said:


> I know what a sterilizer does, I was just curious about the ill effects of running it in a planted aquarium. As far as suspended things in the water column that are beneficial to plant growth. I know its a bad idea in a reef tank so I was just wondering if the same thing applied...


This is going to be a cool big one Saints. Good research and planning. I think its great to have a UV plumbed in-line, just for GW control. But I never use mine, but its there just incase of green water, or, dare I say, Ich. That way if GW is an issue, you can just plug it in. I think the Current USA T5s probably have more zap power than the Coralife PC style. Both have the twisted current around the bulb/tubes. But the Current USA takes up a lot of space... then again, you have alot of space under there. 

BTW, I saw a Hagen distributor making a presentation of that filter to a LFS. That is a very impressive filter, especially if you can see it in person. PFOs are terrific MH lighting.Goodluck!


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## Saints1804 (Oct 27, 2005)

I am about to start mounting the shelving over the tank that im going to use to mount the lights. I am so stuck on open tops this seemed like the best way to go. Its also going to allow me to utilize shelf space over the tank to put indoor plants etc. Stay tuned...


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## A Hill (Jul 25, 2005)

the tank looks uterly amazing now. when you get ur fish and plants in there im probably going to be speachless.... looking AWSOME 

-=- fish newb -=-


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## Betowess (Dec 9, 2004)

Saints1804 said:


> I am about to start mounting the shelving over the tank that im going to use to mount the lights. I am so stuck on open tops this seemed like the best way to go. Its also going to allow me to utilize shelf space over the tank to put indoor plants etc. Stay tuned...


Have you checked out the grip lock systems airline cable hangers? You can see them in Scolley's or maybe Ibn's post's on the TEK lights. They are perfect for open top tanks, IMO. Alot of gallerys and museums use them for shows. I love mine. Just food for thought...


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## Saints1804 (Oct 27, 2005)

I went ahead and went with a shelf. Im going to hang the lights underneath it. It will give me better use of the space above the tank. I didnt go with hanging them from the ceiling for reasons like where to place ballasts, I didnt want to put the ballasts under the tank if I was hanging the lights from the ceiling. I couldnt place the ballasts in my attic because it gets like 200 degrees here in the summer. I live in Texas. I went with the shelf idea so I can put some house plants and things above the aquarium. I'll post pictures later this evening.


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## Saints1804 (Oct 27, 2005)

*** Update ***

Ok so I installed a shelf. It was my last resort but when its all done I know I will have it looking like I want. I am going to hang the metal halides with hooks and ibolts from the bottom of the shelves tomorrow when i get my bulbs in and I can adjust them accordingly. They will hang about a half inch from the edge of the shelf. The shelf sticks out 15 inches from the wall and my tank is about 3 inches give or take a 1/4 from the wall leaving my lights to be mounted at the midpoint of my tank. 

















Construction...


















Finished product...

What I plan on doing is putting some potted plants over the tank and in other places in the room to give it more of a botanical feel if you catch my drift.


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## medicineman (Sep 28, 2005)

Get some creeping low light plants and put them in pots on that shelf. Something vine-like so most of the leaves will creep down in search of MH light and cover up some of the top of your aquarium. Alternately inbetween the vines, go for some low light house plants that you can swap from your garden every 2-3 days. That way you also can have a nice display without killing the plants. I have done this in my tank #1 using some creeping plants, and they do grow very well, getting benefit from aquarium lighting and its nutritious water. All done indoor, far away from windows and sunlight. For maxed effect, once they grow long enough I manually entangle the whole mass to my lighting bracket. I dont know the name of the plant, but it has CD sized heart shaped light to dark green leaves and it grows long and thin like a rope. It has climbing roots that stick and when planted outside under good conditions it will grow massive and fill a whole tree in several months.


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## Saints1804 (Oct 27, 2005)

I plan on doing something like that. I just didnt like the idea of hanging the lights with no real place to conceal the wiring etc. This way I can run an "open top" and I can optimize the space over the tank. I need to think of some kind of system to keep jumpers from hitting hte floor. Like Marble Hatchets. We'll see...


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## A Hill (Jul 25, 2005)

lookin great so far... as for the jumpers... why not a screen top or something? you wont even be able to notice its there and you can keep those jumpers in?

just an idea

-=- fish newb -=-


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## Saints1804 (Oct 27, 2005)

*** Update ***

I added media to the filter today. I bought some of the micro polishing pads as well as the bio media. I also bought some fluval peat fiber that I put in the middle container of the fluval. I put a micro filter on the bottom and the top then put the bio media stuff over it. The reason I did it this way as you'll see in the pictures is to keep the peat from coming up into the tank. I washed it pretty good but Im trying to make it easy to replace it and the filter pads every couple months. I also picked up the rest of my coconut shells you'll see in the pictures. 


Starting to take it apart to add media...



























Adding the peat fiber here.









Added another micro filter then media on top










Here are the coconut shells I bought to use for breeding my apistos etc.













































I should be getting my bulbs in today or tomorrow. Im waiting on my regulator and reactor to get here from Rex Grigg and my milwaukee ph controller then I pick up my co2 and here comes the water!!!!


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## Rex Grigg (Dec 10, 2002)

Hmm.. I show the regulator was delivered on Saturday.

Insured # VG 257 273 316 US

Your item was delivered at 10:57 am on February 18, 2006 in FLOWER MOUND, TX 75028.

DC numbers

420 750 289 101 038 555 749 622 658 235
Your item was delivered at 10:57 am on February 18, 2006 in FLOWER MOUND, TX 75028. 

420 750 289 101 038 555 749 601 809 580
Your item was delivered at 10:57 am on February 18, 2006 in FLOWER MOUND, TX 75028.


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## Saints1804 (Oct 27, 2005)

can someone recommend a plant for the back left section of my tank thats really really really leafy and bushy. I just want a mass of something in that corner. Im going to mix things uip in the middle and to the right. I just want something that will look nice and full in that area back there.


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## medicineman (Sep 28, 2005)

Saints1804 said:


> can someone recommend a plant for the back left section of my tank thats really really really leafy and bushy. I just want a mass of something in that corner. Im going to mix things uip in the middle and to the right. I just want something that will look nice and full in that area back there.


You have to match the selection back there with the surrounding plants. If you are looking for something that has lots of leaves, close together, compact and fills up much of space while easy to grow, there are several choise. I keep in mind that you may want something fast growing for the first few months to keep up with new tank sickness (unbalance in water param). These plants are cheap as a plus:

-Hygrophylla difformis (nice light green for contrast) 
-Water sprite (beware that these will propagate and floats - you will have to re-plant them)
-Cabomba caroliana (for fine texture and tight bushy look). Plant in a bunch of many to create a very thick looking clump.

Maybe others can come up with something else.


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## Saints1804 (Oct 27, 2005)

*** Update ***

I got my reactor and regulator in finally. I also got my PH controller and bulbs. Im going to add the background tonight as well as hang the metal halides and tomorrow I pick up the Co2 tank. Here are some photos of the metal halides after I hung them and turned them on...


























I really had no scientific method for hanging them. I turned one on and then moved it around til I got good coverage on the ends and then I hung them. And the middle 2 I made them symetrical to the outter ones. As far as front to back goes I did it by eye and they came out almost perfect I was amazed. I have a bad problem with over engineering things so I decided to wing it on this one. Here is a picture of the hi/lo pressure regulator I purchased from Rex Grigg:









Thanks for everything Rex. Its all good quality stuff I appreciate it!

I have gotten lots of input on plants and such when the tank is completed. What do people recommend me to get for now thats fast growing and will prevent new tank syndrome. I plan on adding water tomorrow and adding water saturday and plants on sunday. I just need some suggestions so I can call around local LFS and make sure they have it and have enough of it for my size tank. Thanks guys.


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## Stealthy Ninja (Feb 16, 2006)

DUDE! YOU FORGOT THE WATER!! LOL

Looks awesome. Can't wait to see it finished!


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## turbosaurus (Nov 19, 2005)

Dude- you must have invested a downpayment on a mercedes on that tank- It is stunning, and I am green with envy- 

Maybe some giant hygrophellia for the back corner. It kinda has bigger leaves than the frilly watersprite or Cabomba, almost like the look of a large mass of java fern, but its a stem plant that will grow up and grows in MUCH faster. 

I do have one sugestion. Do something with that shelf! Get a wider one, put a front on it and maybe some crown molding along the top, or screw the hooks into the celing and hang the lights on cable from the ceiling... something. You can't spend a thousand dollars on lights and hang them from a pressboard shelf with exposed brackets. Its like buying an Brooks Brothers suit and wearing it with your sneakers. Its gucci pumps with a k-mart handbag. Its something I would do! 

I can't wait to see it with water. Those lights should really reflect a beautiful sparkle all around the room, its going to be spectacular-


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## Saints1804 (Oct 27, 2005)

I'm going to think of a permantent solution. As far now thats how its going to be. I am going to take some measures to hide the shelf but I need to get the tank up and running and then i'll brainstorm later on. I already have to figure out a place to put my co2 tank cuz its going to be too tall for the stand. My washer and dryer are in the room behind that wall so im thinking about putting it in there and drilling a hole through the wall and just running the airline through it and the Ph Controller plug so we'll see what I do.


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## Saints1804 (Oct 27, 2005)

Do you have a scientific name for this giant hygrophellia ?

Also if anyone has more suggestions for new tank plants please leave them soon. Im going to add water tomorrow and probably get plants tomorrow evening or Sunday. 

Will Pennywort or something similiar be ok in a new tank? How about glosso?


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## mrbelvedere (Nov 15, 2005)

Saints1804 said:


> can someone recommend a plant for the back left section of my tank thats really really really leafy and bushy. I just want a mass of something in that corner. Im going to mix things uip in the middle and to the right. I just want something that will look nice and full in that area back there.



My vote would be asian ambulia, or L. Sessiflora. My personal favorite plant. With all that light, growth would be astonishingly fast. Plus I just love SE asian plants. Also, I believe the scientific name for giant hygro is nomaphila stricta. I could be wrong, however. I must say, though, that you are off to a great start. I wouldn't worry too much about jumpers, I have 3 tanks, all open top, and in the last 6 months the only thing I have lost is a single amano, which happended Tuesday.


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## mr.gaboozlebag (Feb 22, 2006)

Hi, I have 0 answers to your question ( My brain gets all muddled with scientific names:bounce. But I do have a question: What fish are you going to put in it?


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## Saints1804 (Oct 27, 2005)

If you look back a few pages you'll see the fish list im going to have. 

I will look up some of those species and try to take a list with me to the lfs on Sunday.


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## Saints1804 (Oct 27, 2005)

I think im going to put L. Sessiflora in that back corner.I know it tends to go wild but with the structure of the wood I think I can keep control of it nicely. Now just to find it.

How does everyone feel about sword plants? dont seem to hear much about them around here...


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## mrbelvedere (Nov 15, 2005)

Saints1804 said:


> I think im going to put L. Sessiflora in that back corner.I know it tends to go wild but with the structure of the wood I think I can keep control of it nicely. Now just to find it.
> 
> How does everyone feel about sword plants? dont seem to hear much about them around here...



Fantastic, I love that plant! Swords are a personal choice, some like them and some don't. I am not a big fan since my tanks are predominately SE Asian, but I really like Kleiner Bar swords. Great little plants. With such a big tank, though, the full beauty of a mature sword can be appreciated, so I would say go for it. Just find the right spot for them, they can look really out of place in the wrong area.


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## TheOtherGeoff (Feb 11, 2003)

sweet you got one of the new FX5s. you'll have to let me know how it does cause we are considering getting in a few at work. i know they arent cheap but they do like what... 900 pgh or soemthing crazy like that


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## Saints1804 (Oct 27, 2005)

Ya its rated for 900gph I believe. Im about to fill the tank up with water here in a little while so i will let you know what the flow is like!


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## turbosaurus (Nov 19, 2005)

The giant hygro I thought would be good for that back corner is Nomaphila siamensis, but I probably should have asked what kind of scape you are going for- will you plan it high at the sides and low in the middle, big in the middle sloping down to the sides, or tall across the back and little up front? Okay- truth is I CANT wait for the pictures.. Its going to be beautiful, so I am going to try to imagine it now.. 

As for swords, I am a big fan of them in a large tank. I think the leaf shape contrasts nicely with most stem plants and they will make a nice midground plant in between your stems, which I imagine will end up around 2' high in that tank and your foreground.


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## Saints1804 (Oct 27, 2005)

*** Update ***

The tank has water. I am trying to get some minor things worked out with my co2 system and I will post pictures. I had to use tapwater to fill it because my membrane on my RO is shot. Here are the initial water test parameters I got after testing tonight

Ph:7.5-.8 area
Gh:7dgh or around 125ppm 
Kh:2dkh or around 36ppm

Now I have never tested tap for Kh Or Gh but do these readings seem inline with each other?


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## Architect1 (Feb 19, 2006)

wow I love the ideas you have put into the tank the coconuts barried for breeding fish. like wow I wish i had the house and the money to do that. Vary beautiful and extreamly beautiful enginuity in your tank.


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## esarkipato (Jul 19, 2005)

KH seems low for that pH. How long did the tapwater sit before you tested it? 24 hours is suggested.


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## Suzanne (Jan 14, 2006)

What a great adventure! 
IMO you should put the plants in before you completely fill the tank!
Leave them wherever you plant them for at least a month - then you
can move them around once the roots are established - do a silent cycle -
add plecos after about 3 weeks - and bio spira when you're ready to add fish.

http://www.aquabotanic.com/dutchsecrets.htm


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## Saints1804 (Oct 27, 2005)

Suzanne said:


> What a great adventure!
> IMO you should put the plants in before you completely fill the tank!
> Leave them wherever you plant them for at least a month - then you
> can move them around once the roots are established - do a silent cycle -
> ...


The water is in the tank with no lights on. Once I actually get plants im going to take it down halfway. PLant it and fill it back up. Im going to then wait a week and then add bio spira and about half of the fish load I plan on using. A month with no fish is too long imo. 

The tap water was sittting in the tank for 2 days before I tested. Im going to test it again today and see.


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## Suzanne (Jan 14, 2006)

No lights no plants no fish... what are you testing for?


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## Saints1804 (Oct 27, 2005)

I was testing the initial parameters. I am installing the Co2 system today so I needed initial testing.


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## Suzanne (Jan 14, 2006)

Some great advice here

http://aquaticconcepts.thekrib.com/Start/


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## Saints1804 (Oct 27, 2005)

Thanks for the link. Good stuff for someone whos just starting out, I have done most of that research though. I am ordering plants today and hopefully will get them here by Thursday. I hooked up my reactor last night, Im going to calibrate my Ph controller today and get it set up. I'll post pictures later on.


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## Adrian (Aug 17, 2005)

Can't wait!


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## Saints1804 (Oct 27, 2005)

Alright guys, sorry for the lack of posts recently. Just working out some kinks. I was having issues getting my diy reactor to dissolved Co2 at the rate I needed to to be able to control my ph in a tank of this size. I went and bought an Aqua Medic Reactor 1000 and its great. Does the job very well. I have the background put on and tomorrow I am making my rounds to pick up plants. The only thing left to do is get plants and put my lights on timers. I promise I will post a ton of pictures tomorrow so stay tuned.


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## Wingsdlc (Dec 9, 2005)

I can't wait to see how things turn out. It looks like you really did a lot of planning. Something I never seem to do... I just start throwing things in and seeing if I like it.


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## fedge (Mar 4, 2004)

What is your background going to be.. should have pry done that first.. it is much easer to do when the tank is not installed (if doing a vynl application or even painting).... Also I would be concerned about the coconut rotting after some time..(less than 3 months)..but faster than bog wood. Esepcaillly when it is burried in silt and gravel.


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## chinchek787 (Aug 28, 2005)

This is going to be great!


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## Saints1804 (Oct 27, 2005)

Used coconut shells for this for years, even with some rotting never noticed ill effects especially in a tank of this size. I used just regular vinyl black background. If the tank wasnt so heavy I would of painted it but it takes too much man power to move around. Camera batteries are charging at the moment. I added a bunch of plants today and im adding more tomorrow and the pictures will come.


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## Saints1804 (Oct 27, 2005)

*** Update ***

First let me apologize for the lack of posts and updates. Work has been hectic lately and I started baseball up again this weekend so its just been tough. I did manage to get some plants and some fish in the tank over the past 5 days or so. I added some water sprite, wisteria, rotala indica, asian ambulia, foxtail and some cabomba. I also have a dozen Zebra Danios, 6 cherry barbs, 6 tiger barbs and 6 red eye tetras. I put bio spira in the tank as well. Here goes some pictures. 























































The pictures arent great because my digi cam is old school. I have a sony cybershot coming in soon and once I figure it out I will post much better pictures. I've been leaving the lights on 10 hours a day with my ph hovering around 6.6. I have noticed some diatom growth on the wisteria and watersprite but no other algae so far. Plants have shown noticable growth since sunday and seem to constantly be pearling. So far so good. The arrangement now is just to get the tank established the only thing I really like is the Ambulia in the back corner. I think its going to fill it nicely. Let me know what you guys think.


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## Lil boy blue (Jan 26, 2006)

Its looking good One question though.....did the cocount shells sink right away or did you have to soak them or weight them down some how???


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## Saints1804 (Oct 27, 2005)

They sunk right away.


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## esarkipato (Jul 19, 2005)

All that hard work is now paying off!

Got a full tank shot perhaps?


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## Saints1804 (Oct 27, 2005)

I'll get a full tank shot as soon as the timers kick on.


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## fosteder (Apr 8, 2004)

Beautiful. I have really enjoyed seeing this tank come together. You have done a great job so far Saints....


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## turbosaurus (Nov 19, 2005)

Looks very good. Where did you get the plants? They look very healthy and they're decent size.


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## Saints1804 (Oct 27, 2005)

I got them at a store down in Dallas. www.thefishgallery.com They have a real nice selection at all times. Im still trying to find some giant or sunset hygro locally but so far no luck.


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## mrbelvedere (Nov 15, 2005)

Good luck finding the sunset hygro, it's a federal noxious weed I believe. You still might be able to get it off a fellow member.....but that would be illegal to ship it across state lines wink wink. You were right about the polished rocks looking good with a little time, everything looks excllent. A nice foreground plant and you are set my friend. Speaking of which I just ordered some Echinodorus latifolius from niko in the Swap and Shop, it's a really cool foreground that he is practically giving away. 5 plants for 2 bucks. You might want to check it out. The best of luck to you, and I look forward to seeing updates in the future.

P.S. Might I suggest some epiphytic plants for the driftwood? I'm sure you already had planned to, just throwing the idea out there.


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## Saints1804 (Oct 27, 2005)

Well how long should I wait before I starting doing foreground plants. I want to put HC in front of the piece of wood on the far left. And I want to put some short grasslike plants in the rest of the foreground areas. I was planning on putting Java fern on the piece of the wood on the left aht gets real flat at the top and I was still up in the air about what do to with the piece of wood on the right. I planned on either putting moss on the piece of wood in the middle or just leaving it bare. I do like the look of wood without plants so im trying to determine which ones I want to put plants on and which ones not to put plants on. Im trying to give it a little time so i can get whatever algae under control. I plan on adding some anubias and other similiar things but i'd hate to have them and fight algae at the same time. Here are some pictures of the whole tank...



















The plants are growing fast, at least 2 inches since sunday. I am pleased so far. Im still trying to get my ph and reactor configured correctly. My ph is staying down around where I need it to but not without spitting undissolved Co2 into the tank. It has been only a couple of days and I just added a rio 1100 to the reactor from a 600. So i will give it a little time and see if it starts to dissolve the Co2 better. The bubbles seem to get smallar each day so I guess progress is a slow process.


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## organic sideburns (Dec 22, 2005)

Wow!, awesome tank and set up. Its really natural looking, I can't wait to watch it all grow in.


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## medicineman (Sep 28, 2005)

You did learn your lessons. It is wise to add the slow growers like anubias later in the progress as they tend to be revaged by algae when added too soon. Try something like 4th or 5th week before adding them as you add more bioload and the tank matures.

I agree with more colours like H poliserma "sunset" as this weed is growing nicely in my new setup tank. How about some tiger lotus and some rotalas? (my taste for colour, huh?  )


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## mrbelvedere (Nov 15, 2005)

Add foregrounds whenever you feel like it. Most are fast growing, and more plants will only make your tank look better. I do not suggest glosso, as planting would be oh so tedious in such a large tank. I like Hemianthus micanthremoides aka pearlgrass. H. Callitrichoides would be good too.


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## Saints1804 (Oct 27, 2005)

I am going to put a red tiger lotus in there for sure. I am looking at the different species of red plants available. Im going to put HC on the left, and some type of hairgrass type foreground plant throught the other area. I plant on putting anubias nana in the rock beds. Im going to move some rocks around and place them right in the middle of the 2 different rock patches. It will look cool I think but we shall see. I'll keep everyone posted. If anyone has recommendations for stem plants with real nice "red" coloration that would be awesome.


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## dan888 (Jul 27, 2005)

Very nice work in progress. This will turn out to be a great planted tank.


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## Lil boy blue (Jan 26, 2006)

I cant think of any off the top of my head but this place has a lot of red plants....
http://www.aquabotanic.com/abstore/index.html
hope it helps


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## Saints1804 (Oct 27, 2005)

*** Update ***

Hey guys its been a week or so since my last update. I have been fighting brown hair algae. Its a pain in the butt. Its taken over my ambulia and foxtail. Its also in my foreground plants. I am doing what I can to remove most of it. It seems to have slowed down a bit but im going to just remove the plants that it took over and replace them with other stuff. I added a trio of Bristlenose Plecos yesterday, tons of green algae on the back glass and growing on the wood. I also added a pair of Kribensis. Well I say its a pair its a male and female who had never met until last night. I went to take pictures of them today and it appears that they have become quite cozy in one of the coconut shells. My guess is they are getting ready to spawn. They are both adults the male is around 3 inches long. I have pictures of him guarding the shell and I have only seen her once since this morning. Here are some pictures. 


















Those are pics of the male. Here are some pics of my tank right now and some new plants that I added. 










Here are some new pics of plants. 


















Things are growing in thick. Once I get my tank settled and get my dosing on a normal schedule I will start to prune and move some of the plants around. I am putting sunset Hygro in the right corner and im replacing the foxtail.


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## Livebearer101 (Feb 7, 2006)

It's looking great, someday il own a tank as big as that  

Any chance of a more zoomed out shot of the whole tank?


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## Saints1804 (Oct 27, 2005)

*** Update ***

OK today is exactly 2 weeks since I first added plants. Wednesday and Thursday were pretty crappy considering i had a green water outbreak. Today was the most visible day I have had. I added a Coralife Turbo Twister uv sterilizer today. I took some pics and you can see the clarity of the water. However the fish are all doing fine. My Ambulia was covered in that brown hair algae you will see in the picture of my foxtail down below. The Ambulia has fought it off and is starting to sprout up nicely. Im replacing the foxtail with sunset hygrophilia so I am letting the brown algae stay on it so I can just remove it all at once. Here are some pics...

This is the nasty stuff that was giving me problems earlier this week:









Here you can see my ambulia is starting to grow. 









Here you see my Cabomba has reached the surface and then some. It hasnt been in the aquarium but about 10 days talk about fast growing. Refer to older pictures to see how tall it was before. I'm also thinking about putting Annubias Nana right in front of the piece of wood in this picture. Im gonna move one of the rocks and plant it right in the middle of the rock pile what do you guys think?









Heres a picture a little further out of it and the Rotala









The Gw sucks but the plants are healthy and the fish are fat: 

















Another plant I added the other day:









I promise I will do this photo shoot all over again once the GW subsides but I figured I'd show you guys what im going through at the moment!


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## TheOtherGeoff (Feb 11, 2003)

wow green water is crazy. i **knocks on wood** have never had a problem with it in any of my tanks. it does really show the nice shimmer effect of halides though. haha


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## Saints1804 (Oct 27, 2005)

Oh man when the water is nice and clear, you can see the shadows of the fish on the substrate its awesome. Not to mention the cool shimmering effect it puts on the ceiling. But the coolest thing by far is the shadows of your fish on the substrate.


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## A Hill (Jul 25, 2005)

i get green water alot :icon_roll i have some problems but i guess you just get used to it. try cutting the mh down... use like 3 instead of 4 or something... maybe get rid of the two outer ones for the time being... also cut down on photopierid? not sure in a tank that big...

good luck tho!

-=- fish newb -=-


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## Saints1804 (Oct 27, 2005)

Im definately not removing lights. I will cut down on the time they are on. I also added a Uv sterilizer so that should help out a lot too.


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## niko (Mar 8, 2006)

Saints1804,

The brown fluffy algae that you had or still have are diatoms. Their appearance is completely normal in the first few weeks of the tank life. Otos eat them very well but you will need a lot of otos for that big tank, think several hundred 

It's easier to add as many otos as you can and help them out by sucking the diatoms every day with a small size hose. About week 3 or 4 these algae should dissapear by themselves anyway.

For the GW the best approach is to use a diatom filter. The Vortex XL would be best for your tank. Blackouts or UV don't always get rid of the GW. I think that in your new tank you need to let the bacteria develop propperly and using a UV may harm them. The diatom filter mechanically removes the algae that causes the GW and the XL model can be run continuously. The water will be sparkling clean in about 3 hours with the XL.

Diatom filter, UV or blackouts will be innecessary if your plants grow well as you say. Maybe you just need to let the tank run its course.

--Nikolay


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## endparenthesis (Jul 13, 2004)

Or you can get some filter-feeding shrimp. I have no idea how many you'd need for that much green water, but it's a nice way to go natural when fighting free-floating algae.


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## Saints1804 (Oct 27, 2005)

The gw is virtually gone. Its getting better and better every day. The diatoms have all but died off. I figure by tomorrow or the next day it should be back to normal. I can actually see through the tank end to end. So its definately getting better.


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## naX (Jun 15, 2005)

WOW! How'd I miss this thread from the beginning? I'm subscribed now though!!! :thumbsup: 

One question: Are there any decent fish stores in your area? I'm just around the lake from you in The Colony (only been here a few months) and I've yet to find any decent stores in the general area. I'm thinking I'll just have to go visit the fish gallery after work one day (I work in Richardson)...

Thanks, and awesome tank!!!!


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## Glostik (Dec 25, 2005)

Nax,

Fish Gallery in Dallas - Greenville and Park LN
Dallas North Aquarium in Carrollton - Trinity Mills near Marsh
Aqua Traders in Richardson - Jupiter and Arapaho
SP Aquarium in Garland - Jupiter and Walnut
Plano Pets in Plano - Spring Creek and Alma
Exotic Aquatics in Plano - Parker and Custer
Fish City in Plano - Spring Creek and Ave K

Those are the places I usually go check out.


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## TheOtherGeoff (Feb 11, 2003)

i know what i wanted to ask you. how are you liking that giant fluval so far? seem to push enough water around?


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## fedge (Mar 4, 2004)

actually the green water maybe a God-send. Since it is really the most unobtrusive algea...in that it is really easily removed (filter--or--uv). It maybe will keep the other more invasive algeas at bay. 

I would invest in a diatom filter though instead of a uv... it is good for clean up when you rescrape..and stir up all that substrate.


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## Saints1804 (Oct 27, 2005)

*** Update ***

I just wanted to post some newer pictures. Heres a picture of the whole tank after the green water has subsided. 










Here are some annubius I got that came on the piece of wood. 










I also got the LFS to snag this plant out of a display tank for me but i'm not sure what it is. Can anyone figure it out?









I got some plants from Wasserpest here are some pics. 










I got Sunset Hygro and some java fern you'll see on the wood. Theres some more on the other side but I forgot to take pics. 

Here are some pics of my Krib pair:


























The tank looks 100 times better I am pleased. Im getting some green algae here and there but nothing major. Im going to prune the plants tomorrow or friday and then start dosing over the weekend. I bought everything I need from Greg Watson and its here I just need to get some bottles to mix everything and i'll be good to go.


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## Saints1804 (Oct 27, 2005)

TheOtherGeoff said:


> i know what i wanted to ask you. how are you liking that giant fluval so far? seem to push enough water around?



So far so good. Its a great filter, if it gets too much backpressure from the media being too thick like I ran into the pump won't run. It basically prevents it from burning up. It shuts off every 24 hours for a few seconds to self test. Fluval took good measures in making sure the thing doesnt burn up cuz its not cheap. I definately like the performance thus far. It moves a great deal of water and aside from algae causing cloudiness the tank is nice and clear.


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## TheOtherGeoff (Feb 11, 2003)

Saints1804 said:


> So far so good. Its a great filter, if it gets too much backpressure from the media being too thick like I ran into the pump won't run. It basically prevents it from burning up. It shuts off every 24 hours for a few seconds to self test. Fluval took good measures in making sure the thing doesnt burn up cuz its not cheap. I definately like the performance thus far. It moves a great deal of water and aside from algae causing cloudiness the tank is nice and clear.


good deal im glad to hear that. i know they arent expensive and i wont say how much they told me to keep you covered. just glad they work good for that kind of money.


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## Saints1804 (Oct 27, 2005)

I got mine for not much over wholesale because my buddy owns a store. But he sells them retail for 250 and I see them online for 300 and sometimes more. So for the average joe they are expensive.


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## TheOtherGeoff (Feb 11, 2003)

wow even then thats pretty cheap!! i was told they were gonna be close to 500 bucks.


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## Saints1804 (Oct 27, 2005)

Well if you want one I can get you one for around $250


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## TheOtherGeoff (Feb 11, 2003)

now i dont need one yet. haha. i talked to my boss today and he could get me one for the same price too. what is the name of your friends store by chance?


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## Saints1804 (Oct 27, 2005)

Its a Petland store.


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## bastalker (Dec 8, 2004)

Nice job Saints!! Tank is lookin really good!roud:

You could definately use some more midground, an foreground plants. Hairgrass would look awsome in yer tank. A couple more fish maybe?:wink:


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## Saints1804 (Oct 27, 2005)

bastalker said:


> Nice job Saints!! Tank is lookin really good!roud:
> 
> You could definately use some more midground, an foreground plants. Hairgrass would look awsome in yer tank. A couple more fish maybe?:wink:


Im letting things grow in. And then i'll move some stuff around. The front left side of the tank is going to have HC that I will be getting in the near future. I put some annubius nana in there but its still small. Once the stem plants start to take shape and I start to cut them down and figure out where I want them I will start putting more foreground plants. 

As far as fish there are already a bunch. Just small ones and in a tank that size they are easy to over look. As of right now I have:

12 Zebra Danios
12 Rummynose Tetras
3 Red Eye Tetras
5 Tiger Barbs
6 Cherry Barbs
3 Kribensis (1 male 2 fem)
3 Bristlenose Plecos (trio)
10 Ottos
2 Sae's
1 Dwarf Powder Blue Gourami

So its already got a good number. Im going to add some Harlequin Rasboros, Congo Tetras and some Cardnial tetras pretty soon. After I get my HC in and get it growing im going to add some Corydoras. My local cichlid club is having an auction this weekend so hopefully I can get some cool plants and apistos or other dwarf cichlids. Once the tank is how I like it and all thats left is pruning i'm going to add 6 Turquoise discus. But I want to wait until i'm satisfied with the scaping.


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## Adrian (Aug 17, 2005)

And I though my tank was too much to handle:icon_eek: 

Good stuff!


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## Architect1 (Feb 19, 2006)

wow I love your cribs vary beautiful. I love what you have done with the tank.


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## JenThePlantGeek (Mar 27, 2006)

> I also got the LFS to snag this plant out of a display tank for me but i'm not sure what it is. Can anyone figure it out?


Great tank! I think this stem might be Alternanthera reineckii. What do you think? http://www.tropica.dk/productcard_1.asp?id=023


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## Saints1804 (Oct 27, 2005)

JenThePlantGeek said:


> Great tank! I think this stem might be Alternanthera reineckii. What do you think? http://www.tropica.dk/productcard_1.asp?id=023



That looks awfully close to it. I think your right.


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## Saints1804 (Oct 27, 2005)

*** Update ***

I went to a fish auction yesterday and picked up some albino bristlenose plecos and a Pair of Pelvichromis Humilus. No worries they won't crossbreed with Pulcher in fact the ignore each other whenever they come across each other so far. 

Now that my stem plants have tripled in size I am thinking about moving soem things around to try to find a more permanent solution. If people could make suggestions as to what to move and where to put it I would appreciate it. My cabomba and Rotala indica are all over the place now. I want to find a good place for them so that I can prune it easily and it looks good with everything else I have. I do like my Ambulia in the left hand corner of the tank. But as far as everything else I would like some suggestions. Heres what I have in the tank right now:

Water Sprite(in the middle)
Rotala Indica (next to the water sprite)
Cabomba (behind the rotala)
Sunset Hygro
Giant Hygro
Corkscrew Valineria that I picked up yesterday. 

Thats the area I want to focus on rescaping. If you look at the pictures its the middle of the tank and down to the right corner. I wanna find a good way to rearrange them so that the tank has some balance to it. Please feel free to make suggestions.


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## A Hill (Jul 25, 2005)

hey i cant help you with your scaping :icon_roll it just looks too good as it is lol. but i do have a semi off topic question and dont want to hijack the thread but how do you sex kribs? my lfs has a breeding pair in their display tank and they always have nice healthy stock for sale. the pair is a albino female and a regular male i think..could be opp. but im wondering how the heck you tell which is which? 

thanks! 

-=- fish newb -=-


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## bastalker (Dec 8, 2004)

Saints1804 said:


> Now that my stem plants have tripled in size I am thinking about moving soem things around to try to find a more permanent solution. If people could make suggestions as to what to move and where to put it I would appreciate it. My cabomba and Rotala indica are all over the place now. I want to find a good place for them so that I can prune it easily and it looks good with everything else I have. I do like my Ambulia in the left hand corner of the tank. But as far as everything else I would like some suggestions. Heres what I have in the tank right now:
> 
> Water Sprite(in the middle)
> Rotala Indica (next to the water sprite)
> ...


There is no permanent solution with stem plants!!:wink: :biggrin:


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## awrieger (May 12, 2005)

It's looking great so far! Excellent step-by-step setup thread too btw!

For such a big tank, I'd personally go for more rooted plants as all the constant stem trimming and replanting would become a big chore after a while.


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## Saints1804 (Oct 27, 2005)

*** Update ***

Hey guys sorry for the lack of posts. My piece of crap camera stopped working and I finally got a new one. A pretty good one actually. Anyways alot has changed since my last post. I got rid of the Watersprite and replaced it with Pennywort and Stargrass. I also added some Blue Rams, an African Butterfly fish that is really cool and I also moved some things around. So here are some of the pictures. 

Fish first:















































Pelvichromis Humilus I got an at Auction.


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## Saints1804 (Oct 27, 2005)

*** Update ***

Ok so that was a bunch of the fish here are some shots of the plants and the tank itself. 

























































































http://usera.imagecave.com/Saints1804/Newfloating****1.jpg

http://usera.imagecave.com/Saints1804/Newfloating****.jpg


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## TheOtherGeoff (Feb 11, 2003)

looks really nice now man. not that it didnt before, just starting to come together now. i really like how you did that gravel and hairgrass feild up[ in that log section, that is a nice touch


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## zero9046 (Jul 6, 2005)

i really like your tank. i wish i could get my plants to grow like that. out of ignorance, since i've never been do the two fish stores off of jupiter you listed a while back have much planted tank related stuff? the only fish store i bother visiting right now is the fish gallery because there aren't any good ones in arlington.


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## Saints1804 (Oct 27, 2005)

Most of the plants I have in the tank came from the Fish Gallery. Its where I mainly go. I got some of the stuff from AquariumPLant.com and I was pleased with the quality. I havent started dosing the tank yet with ferts so it's going to start looking better. I am waiting on a digital gram scale to arrive from ebay and then I can start dosing greg watson ferts.


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## awrieger (May 12, 2005)

You've got an African Butterfly fish in with all those small fish? Yikes!


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## Saints1804 (Oct 27, 2005)

awrieger said:


> You've got an African Butterfly fish in with all those small fish? Yikes!


Hes very small for an african butterfly fish. The only thing I initially worried about was the Danios because they sleep at the surface at night but he ignores them. I have him eating 3-5 crickets every other day so thats what he likes. Im not worried about it. If I have to replace a fish every so often no big deal I like him.


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## awrieger (May 12, 2005)

My lfs had a tank of them when I last visited. They're very unique and striking looking fish. I was tempted to get one (or three) myself. If only they weren't so carnivorous. And I've got too much surface water circulation anyway. Maybe if I ever get some space to set up a species-only tank for them one day!

Your tank's looking great, btw.


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## Lil boy blue (Jan 26, 2006)

any updates soon??


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## Mikee (May 11, 2006)

One word, WOW. Amazing work and progress. I once had a 250 gal that my dad had bought and set up but it was an awful large amount of work and money so we sold it  back to the 65, 50, 33, and 10 gals!  awesome job keep it up


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## Saints1804 (Oct 27, 2005)

Update will come soon. Stupid dog ate the camera cable. Gimme a couple days and we'll have an update.


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## Saints1804 (Oct 27, 2005)

***Update** Total tear down and rescape!*

I had an issue with the other image hosting company so im going to post the latest picture before I changed the scape. 

Here is a couple of the last pics I posted before my bba plague took over. I have since tore everything down. Changed the wood and went with swords instead of bunch and stem plants. 




Here are some new photos of the tank. Some of the swords came in damaged you'll see but the amazons all look good. I just wanted to get some plants that would look great in a tank my size. The bunch plants were alot harder to maintain and I like the simplistic look my tank has now. Here are some pics:




















If you look close you can see my male Nannocara Anomala

Im waiting on some more round stones to come in to fill in around the larger one in the center. Im also going to get some glosso or some HC for some of the open gravel areas. Let me know what you guys think.
Also the net breeder has moss in it im trying to grow a little bit in case you were curious.


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## Betowess (Dec 9, 2004)

You probably know this. Echinodorus sp. can get really huge. I had one pretty much cover a 26 bow, so one has to root trim and top trim them to keep the size you want. Should be fun to watch it grow in. I love swords and recently bought a compacta to move towards keeping things simpler in one tank. Once it has babies, I'll move one over to another 90 gallon, at least that's a plan. Good luck . BTW, BBA can attack the swords too, so keep the CO2 up.


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## Saints1804 (Oct 27, 2005)

I have the Co2 pumping in there now. I went away from a reactor and im using airstones and powerheads. There are tons of bubbles in the tank now but at least I can seee the amount thats in there. I also went away from the ph controller. The probe was too unreliable and it was causing problems. I am waiting on excel to get here so I can spot treat a few spots on my wood but im not gonna let it take over this time. 

I know swords get super huge but that was the plan. My tank is 8x2x2 and I wanted something to grow as big as the swords do to try to give the tank a bigger feel. I love the look of huge tanks huge plants and small fish.


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## Betowess (Dec 9, 2004)

Saints1804 said:


> I love the look of huge tanks huge plants and small fish.


I totally agree!


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## turbowagon (Dec 30, 2005)

Any updates? Looks like you're selling all your equipment. Moving to low-tech?


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