# 84 Looooong



## 2in10 (Feb 8, 2011)

Very cool tank, it will be interesting to see what you do with it.


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## Walleye (May 14, 2012)

Cool dimensions for a tank! Take your time coming up with a great aquascape as this tank could be very amazing!


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

This is going to be a gorgeous tank!

Would look amazing with a huge school of Corys and a bunch of Rasboras.


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## NWA-Planted (Aug 27, 2011)

I like those low height tanks for some reason, looking forward to seeing the rest of the scape!

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2


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## GMYukonon24s (May 3, 2009)

I've been really liking the 12g's I see on this forum. It's nice that this is basically a big version of the 12g. I can't wait to see what you do with it.


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## Da Plant Man (Apr 7, 2010)

Very nice! You say your in Washington... I know the Librarian of GSAS has a tank of the same Dimensions. Did he take his down or did you just happen to find the same size? Once I move, I really want a tank like this. Maybe even longer :O


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## blt (Apr 1, 2012)

Da Plant Man said:


> Very nice! You say your in Washington... I know the Librarian of GSAS has a tank of the same Dimensions. Did he take his down or did you just happen to find the same size? Once I move, I really want a tank like this. Maybe even longer :O


No, I just happened to find it on Craigslist while I was down in Oregon. Something around a 96wx18dx22h would be my dream tank. Can you really go to long?


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## Da Plant Man (Apr 7, 2010)

Ah, okay. Good. I was hoping he didn't tear his down. It was beautiful. 

You can never have a tank too long! If I had my way, I would have a tank wrap around the inside of my house and even have it go over or under my doors.


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## blt (Apr 1, 2012)

Playing with the aquascape a bit. I'm thinking heavily planted to the right of the wood and more open with lower height plants to the left. The rest of my toys come Tuesday, so I should have it setup and very lightly planted by next weekend.


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## izabella87 (Apr 21, 2012)

waw love the branch.... yes we aquascapers love.... branches lol


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## Da Plant Man (Apr 7, 2010)

Great start! I gotta get my self one of those. I hear they are a pain to heat and have enough co2. The guy in Seattle says there is a 2*f temp difference on either side of the tank.


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## ~~~ (Apr 2, 2012)

I use powerheads and dual-heaters to solve stuff like that. Ugh.
I actually saw one of these tanks at my LFS for 90 bucks or so. I really want one.


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## blt (Apr 1, 2012)

For heating I'm going to start out with a single 200 watt and hope there is enough flow to keep the temp fairly even throughout. If not, I'll add another heater. I also thought about the possibility of running two separate co2 lines in for better distribution.


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## pandacory (Apr 18, 2011)

This tank screams rainbowfish!!! Put some fast movers in there in a 1:2 male:female ratio and it would be epic! Turquoise are my favorite. It is hard to describe rainbows in breeding condition, they flash more color on a whim than most fish can carry. Big school of cories and harlequins and call it a day! The rainbows charging around courting and flashing is sure to keep the rasboras in a tight formation.


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## blt (Apr 1, 2012)

I tore down an overgrown 10g and moved all the plants into the 84. Dwarf Sag and crypts in the front, with various stems in the back. I'm going to put a sword in front of the eheim intake, and maybe some more anubias on the wood. Can't seem to get a decent pic with the glare from shop lights. 








Current fauna:
1- blue gourami
3- Apisto cactuoides "super red"
7- panda corys, with 11 more in quarantine 

The corys are in heaven in this tank. Still pondering what shoaling fish to put in, I want 20-30 of something in the 2-3 inch range. Rasbora borapetenis and bloodfin tetras are the top of my list right now, if anyone has any other suggestions I'd love to hear them. 

Thinking about picking up a catalina 72" 3 bulb T5HO with 2 cords and switches, the ability to have 1,2, or 3 bulbs on coupled with adjusting the height above tank should cover anything from low light to way too high.


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## radioman (Oct 29, 2007)

Those are amazing dimensions. I don't usually subscribe to threads but I really want to watch this one. Keep us updated.


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## WoodRiverTroutBum (Jun 15, 2012)

Wow, talk about perfect dimensions! I would LOVE to find a tank like this!


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## Kathyy (Feb 22, 2010)

Looking great, love the wood and plantings and of course the Corydoras. Nifty fish those. It would be nice to have a clean looking light fixture. I had no idea a 4:1 aspect was so cool when I got my 8' tank now I am hooked. Am watching to see what I can learn from you.

Bloodfins would love the running room. I don't remember if the long bodied rasboras I had liked zooming from end to end in the 5' tank, suspect so. You are definitely on the right track with those two. My Black Neon Tetras love lots of room too even though they are small fish. Just stay away from the deep bodied tetras that just shoal in one spot like Black Phantom, Bleeding Heart, Emperor if you want zooming fish. The only time the Congos zoom is when one is frisky and wants to play chase.

I chickened out on rainbow fish as it was extremely important that my fish leave plants alone and there are reports of rainbows being plant eaters. Same for Congos but mine apparently were well raised and haven't done more than wonder if the Hydrocotyle sibthorpioides whipping in the return water flow was a worm or not.

I am a recent convert to rocks, just put in 2-5 gallon bucketfuls last week which doubled the rocks in the tank from December 2011 when I first put in a bucket of them. Otos and BNP are on them all the time. Plants look great in front of and draped over them. Mine were collected from my yard, tested with nitrate test solution #1 for leaching hardness and scrubbed. A wandering line of them could hold up your hill and anchor your nice wood emphasizing the length of the tank.

I straighten then crop my lousy photos. That alone makes the photo look better. Then I adjust the color as close as I can to what I see then adjust contrast, shadow etc to what the tank really looks like. When I move the photos to photobucket the contrast and whichever seem to go right back to whatever they were before. At least I got rid of the glare from lighting and the tank is more or less level in the photos.


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## driftwoodhunter (Jul 1, 2011)

wow - love the tank, first time I've seen one that shape/size. The way you have the left side sloped really balances out the scape. Very nice!


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## sayurasem (Jun 17, 2011)

This is beast!


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## blt (Apr 1, 2012)

Starting to get some noticeable growth in both the plant and algae department. I'm fighting lots of algae on the crypts and dwarf sag, but very little in the rest of the tank. Fighting it with excel and lighting changes.

No real changes except the addition of an Amazon Sword and upped the number of Pandas to 15. Going to get a bristlenose or two to help with the algae once temps cool down and I can get some fish shipped in. The rainbowfish suggestion has got me thinking about going with 6-8 medium sized rainbows and 15 or so Blackline Rasboras to finish out the stocking. Need some activity in the upper portions of the tank, right now the substrate is aflutter but the rest of the tank feels pretty dead.


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## pandacory (Apr 18, 2011)

You could do 8 rainbows in a mixed group, 3males, 5females. 6 may be risky since 1 male will have to be both betta and gamma. Just be sure to get them young and keep them well fed. Rainbows that eat plants tend to be ones that took to it after not being fed, imo. after rainbow intro, your gourami will probably stick to the thick weeds since he probably can't keep up in the fast lane on the autobahn. You will notice the rainbows get in on the cucumber or whatever else you leave for the plecs and cories.

One of my favorite communities was turquoise rainbows, panda cories, rasboras, couple of otos and 1 honey gourami. Seemed to all get along and compliment each other in behavior and tank position/feeding habits.


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## togified (Apr 24, 2012)

get a school of 3-4 angels and 15+ cardinals.


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## blt (Apr 1, 2012)

pandacory said:


> You could do 8 rainbows in a mixed group, 3males, 5females. 6 may be risky since 1 male will have to be both betta and gamma. Just be sure to get them young and keep them well fed. Rainbows that eat plants tend to be ones that took to it after not being fed, imo. after rainbow intro, your gourami will probably stick to the thick weeds since he probably can't keep up in the fast lane on the autobahn. You will notice the rainbows get in on the cucumber or whatever else you leave for the plecs and cories.
> 
> One of my favorite communities was turquoise rainbows, panda cories, rasboras, couple of otos and 1 honey gourami. Seemed to all get along and compliment each other in behavior and tank position/feeding habits.


Good to know on the rainbows, I haven't done much research on the various species or male/female ratios yet. Interesting about the gourami, right now he's constantly scouring every inch of the tank for food and bulldozing any fish in his way.


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## blt (Apr 1, 2012)

togified said:


> get a school of 3-4 angels and 15+ cardinals.


I'd thought about angels, but I feel they're just to tall for this tank. I like cardinals, but really want something a bit more active that will occupy the upper portions of the tank more.


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## Sneasle (Jun 10, 2008)

Wow, that is a really nice tank. I wonder if anyone makes one similar, maybe 72x24x24?


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## blt (Apr 1, 2012)

Added 20 rasbora boraptensis and 2 bristlenose plecos. Here are the rasboras in action during the water change today:

http://youtu.be/mddnu9ekV-s


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## blt (Apr 1, 2012)

Progress shot 9-3-12:








Most of the plants are doing well, there was only some stargrass that slowly withered away. The rasboras have been a fantastic addition to the tank and really brought it to life.


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## Walleye (May 14, 2012)

Your tank is looking real good! Can't wait to see it with the plants grown in


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## NQuaday (Jul 14, 2011)

Love the video of the rasboras schooling! Great job!


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## micr0 (Aug 27, 2011)

very natural looking. Love the dimensions!


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## Obakemono (Dec 23, 2011)

I like the size of this tank, not quite a 125 but the same length. The only other tank i ever wanted size wise was an 80 tall, but seeing this I like it better.


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## blt (Apr 1, 2012)

I've been running my $40 diy CFL fixture for about a month now. It has 4-23 watt CFLs hanging 22" above the substrate. I was worried this would be insufficient light, but have had plenty of growth to prove otherwise.


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## KenRC51 (Oct 13, 2011)

blt said:


> I've been running my $40 diy CFL fixture for about a month now. It has 4-23 watt CFLs hanging 22" above the substrate. I was worried this would be insufficient light, but have had plenty of growth to prove otherwise.


23watt CFL equal to 100watt regular bulb right? If so then you do have sufficient light.

BTW, very nice tank. I wish I had room for a tank this size. How much substrate did you use?


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## blt (Apr 1, 2012)

KenRC51 said:


> ... How much substrate did you use?


About 3 50lb bags of pool filter sand.


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## Obakemono (Dec 23, 2011)

KenRC51 said:


> 23watt CFL equal to 100watt regular bulb right? If so then you do have sufficient light.
> 
> BTW, very nice tank. I wish I had room for a tank this size. How much substrate did you use?



Dude you just saved me about 750.00 in lights. I could not find a good lighting choice for my upcoming custom tank (you also inspired the desire for a looooooong tank) but if I use these 8" reflector lights (I used them before on my 20 long and worked great) in a matching plywood DIY fixture it will save me a ton of cash. Thanks man! Good growth as well in your tank, coming along great!


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## nerdariostomp (Aug 23, 2012)

man, i love this tank more and more every time i see it. can't wait to see how the stocking goes


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## mountaindew (Dec 10, 2008)

I like this, you have done some nice work here and your diy light has a style and flare of its own. Inspired to do something like this with a glosso carpet.
md


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## DogFish (Jul 16, 2011)

What great tank size to work with for plants. I like how you have demonstrated one does not need to simply toss $$$ at out hobby to have a nice system.

I would dedicate the tank to the 20 rasbora boraptensis and do that by removing every thing else but the Plecos and adding another 20 rasbora boraptensis. I also add in 20-30 Amano shrimp. 

Very nice job so far.


HomeDepot has 4' & 8' powerstrips that are used in office cubicles and on walls behind work tables. They are only 2" wide and maybe 3/4" deep. You might be able to mount one in your canopy and cleaning up the wiring. That might work better than wiring the lights in series as you can still remove individual lamps.


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## Obakemono (Dec 23, 2011)

KenRC51 said:


> 23watt CFL equal to 100watt regular bulb right? If so then you do have sufficient light.
> 
> BTW, very nice tank. I wish I had room for a tank this size. How much substrate did you use?


Yes, I checked the lumen output of a 100watt incandescent vs a 23watt CFL and the CFL is about 10-20% higher. So with my 96"x18"x22" tank that I am planning I want to use 15 of these lights, or about 9 watts per gallon but I think that figure is high, given the reflector style and variability of the lights.


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## Mark13 (Mar 11, 2009)

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful.

Well, maybe it could be 8ft long, instead of 6 (half kidding---but only half!).

With a tank this long, you could put a second large driftwood in, about 2.5 feet from the first one. One pair of Angels would take over each as their egglaying spot, and the schools of "dither" fish would be flying in between.


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## Obakemono (Dec 23, 2011)

Mark13 said:


> Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful.
> 
> Well, maybe it could be 8ft long, instead of 6 (half kidding---but only half!).
> 
> With a tank this long, you could put a second large driftwood in, about 2.5 feet from the first one. One pair of Angels would take over each as their egglaying spot, and the schools of "dither" fish would be flying in between.


Yeah, that would look really nice. I'm planning 250 Ember tetras for my tank, just the drift wood setup is still in the planning-what-do-I-want-stage.


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## rainbuilder (Sep 21, 2011)

Beautiful tank! The dimensions of this tank are awesome. Is there going to be more carpeting or plant bunches on the left side or is it going to be left just about the same?


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## blt (Apr 1, 2012)

rainbuilder said:


> Beautiful tank! The dimensions of this tank are awesome. Is there going to be more carpeting or plant bunches on the left side or is it going to be left just about the same?


Thank you, and yes I'm planning to let the dwarf sag take over that entire front left area. It had a bad start, but once I sorted my lighting out the new growth started. Stems and swords will fill the back up on the left.


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## blt (Apr 1, 2012)

Mark13 said:


> Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful.
> 
> Well, maybe it could be 8ft long, instead of 6 (half kidding---but only half!).
> 
> With a tank this long, you could put a second large driftwood in, about 2.5 feet from the first one. One pair of Angels would take over each as their egglaying spot, and the schools of "dither" fish would be flying in between.


I'd love to do some Angels, but the tank is just not tall enough.


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## blt (Apr 1, 2012)

Long overdue update: More jungle taming than aquascaping at this point. This was after I removed a ton of floating plants, and hacked back some of the stems. The dwarf sag hasn't been doing that great, but the crypts have been multiplying nicely. I'll probably end up removing the dwarf sag as the crypts slowly fill in the foreground. The Mexican Oak Leaf has decided it prefers being emmersed, and has been going nuts. Algae is almost a non issue at this point, even with the south facing window behind the tank I leave open at times. Barely dosing, just twice a month water changes at this point.


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## shift (Jan 7, 2013)

The jungle is looking good. It's the extra long looks pretty cool!


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## blt (Apr 1, 2012)

Letting a little daylight in...








I've been letting a fair amount of daylight trickle in, and no algae whatsoever. This tank has become really low maintenance, just water changes every 2-3 weeks with some light fertz added afterward and a big trim every couple months.


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## CoffeeLove (Oct 31, 2012)

Love the tank, man. 

I've been thinking about a tank around that size too. 

---
I give my fish coffee


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## sdm (Jan 9, 2007)

Is that pool filter sand? Is the picture representative of its color? Any darker or lighter in real life? I've been wanting a black substrate, but I really like the look of yours. I've got the EC waiting on me to make the switch, but I like Corydoras and I'd rather keep them on sand.


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## blt (Apr 1, 2012)

sdm said:


> Is that pool filter sand? Is the picture representative of its color? Any darker or lighter in real life? I've been wanting a black substrate, but I really like the look of yours. I've got the EC waiting on me to make the switch, but I like Corydoras and I'd rather keep them on sand.


Yeah, it is pool filter sand and the color is pretty accurate in picture. A lot of the pool filter sand has that white color I don't really care for, but this stuff is a nice natural tan. I could track down the exact brand if you want.


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## sdm (Jan 9, 2007)

blt said:


> Yeah, it is pool filter sand and the color is pretty accurate in picture. A lot of the pool filter sand has that white color I don't really care for, but this stuff is a nice natural tan. I could track down the exact brand if you want.


If you look at my avatar picture I've played with the real light stuff. I don't know if I can get it here but if you have a name that'd be great...thank you.


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## Indychus (Feb 21, 2013)

sdm said:


> If you look at my avatar picture I've played with the real light stuff. I don't know if I can get it here but if you have a name that'd be great...thank you.


The quikrete brand pool sand is a nice tan color, that's what I'm running in several tanks.


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## blt (Apr 1, 2012)

sdm said:


> If you look at my avatar picture I've played with the real light stuff. I don't know if I can get it here but if you have a name that'd be great...thank you.


The brand is Target (not the store) and it appears they're owned by Quikrete, so that may be the same.


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## jhays79 (Mar 28, 2012)

What are the plants growing behind on the back of the tank? I love the entire tank, but these caught my eye.


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## blt (Apr 1, 2012)

jhays79 said:


> What are the plants growing behind on the back of the tank? I love the entire tank, but these caught my eye.


Thanks, the plants growing emersed are pothos on the sides and mexican oak leaf in the middle.


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## Saxtonhill (Dec 28, 2012)

Really like the low & long dimensions of this tank and the lovely planting. Subscribed


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## dr3ww3rd (Aug 29, 2011)

Dang that is a long tank.


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## Rbp917 (Dec 9, 2012)

that tank is screaming for some neon cardinals and corys, the dimensions are fantastic.


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## rowdaddy (Jan 20, 2012)

blt said:


> Has more scratches than gallons.


LMAO


Love the driftwood!

Any chance we could get a 4 or 5 picture set? That way we could appreciate everything we're seeing in the FTS. 

Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2


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## STS_1OO (Nov 28, 2012)

Excellent work with that tank! I would add a very large school of otos, a large school of cardinal tetras and one of rummy nose tetras. Cap it off with one or two large, docile fish. Tank is awesome!


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## Saxtonhill (Dec 28, 2012)

Any updates on this tank project?


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## mopani (Oct 29, 2013)

this is EPIC


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## blt (Apr 1, 2012)

Long overdue update. Besides some minor algae issues, all is well. Tore down my 17gallon and put everything in here. Been an overgrown mess for awhile, but I'm starting to tame it a bit.


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## mopani (Oct 29, 2013)

it looks as the output is green, did i miss it you saying you changed it to a ehiem. i have a 96x18x18 and was gonna run a 2217 and maybe a xp3 or 4


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## blt (Apr 1, 2012)

mopani said:


> it looks as the output is green, did i miss it you saying you changed it to a ehiem. i have a 96x18x18 and was gonna run a 2217 and maybe a xp3 or 4


Good eye, the old xp3 was getting a bit noisy so I switched it out with an Eheim 2215.


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## mopani (Oct 29, 2013)

nice, I am 10000% ehiem all the way but a few of my friends said the 2217 didnt push like my big 2262 did. lol a 2262 is to much flow for that tank and my angels, so I may go with ehiem for bio and a xp3 or 4 full of blue pads and fine filter floss.


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## rdmustang1 (Oct 20, 2013)

In a way I would rather have this tank than my 190. I love long tanks. Unfortunately I don't have the room so I had to settle for wider and taller. In other words, I'm very jealous


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## blt (Apr 1, 2012)

rdmustang1 said:


> In a way I would rather have this tank than my 190. I love long tanks. Unfortunately I don't have the room so I had to settle for wider and taller. In other words, I'm very jealous


I got lucky when I found this and it just happened to fit perfect in a nook in my house. My dream tank would probably keep these same dimension ratios, but in an 8ft tank.


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## Adri. (Sep 6, 2012)

Wow! That tank is beautiful and the dimensions are fantastic.


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## blt (Apr 1, 2012)

Bonus giant pic.


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## Adri. (Sep 6, 2012)

So beautiful...what is that tall cluster of reddish-green plants on the very left?


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## blt (Apr 1, 2012)

Adri. said:


> So beautiful...what is that tall cluster of reddish-green plants on the very left?


Thanks! It's just good ol' red ludwigia, I'm amazed by the variety of colors and leaf density/size I've gotten from it in various tanks and growing conditions.


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## johnson18 (Apr 29, 2011)

Wow! This is an awesome tank! Just read through this journal from the start. Nice looking tank, seems pretty low maintenance too!


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## blt (Apr 1, 2012)

*Back from the Dead*








As you can see the scape went to crap over the last year, and I've just been doing minimal maintenance to keep the fish happy. Finally got around to a complete rescape. I pulled everything out except the substrate, and actually got an accurate count on the livestock for the first time in a year or so(still had some healthy otos in the tank much to my surprise). Threw away plenty of plants, but salvaged far more. My anubia nana that started from a single 10 leaf rhizome is now 10 separate 15-30 leaf plants. I have a bunch of various crypts in pretty sad shape, but they should bounce back now that they're getting proper nutrients again. I added about 50 osmocote gel caps to the substrate before replanting, and I'll be doing a low tech scaled down EI dosing and daily metricide. Also added some new fish, and this scape is much nicer for fish viewing than any of the previous incarnations. Hopefully some better pics in the near future when the plants start bouncing back and I have an actual camera. Here is version 2.0:








Current livestock:
18 - Rasbora Borapetensis
10 - Harlequin Rasbora
14 - Panda Cory
6- Parkinsoni Rainbowfish
6- Bolivian Ram
4- Otos
2- Bristlenose Pleco


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## PhysicsDude55 (Oct 24, 2011)

Love the tank revive! Looks really good. I picked up a tank with very similar dimentions (84x18x18), I love how the long tanks look, very majestic to watch a school of fish swim from one side to the other.

I'd love to see a short video of the tank and watch the inhabitants roud:


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## blt (Apr 1, 2012)

PhysicsDude55 said:


> Love the tank revive! Looks really good. I picked up a tank with very similar dimentions (84x18x18), I love how the long tanks look, very majestic to watch a school of fish swim from one side to the other.
> 
> I'd love to see a short video of the tank and watch the inhabitants roud:


Thanks, hopefully picking up a DSLR soon for better pics and video.


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## Hetzer (Sep 23, 2012)

Wonderful tank bit, thanks for the update!


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## Blackheart (Jul 5, 2011)

Nice tank  Really cool dimensions too!


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## yondertank (Sep 7, 2009)

Have you changed out your CFL bulbs since you got them back in 2012? I am wondering how the long those are supposed to be used before replacement.


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## andrewss (Oct 17, 2012)

looks good after the revive


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## blt (Apr 1, 2012)

yondertank said:


> Have you changed out your CFL bulbs since you got them back in 2012? I am wondering how the long those are supposed to be used before replacement.


I believe I've changed them twice, last time being a month ago with the rescape. I think I read something about the spectrum weakening over time, and it doesn't hurt to swap the bulbs when I can put the old ones to use.


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## Blackheart (Jul 5, 2011)

More updates? Also sorry if I've read over it, but does this tank have a center brace?


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## blt (Apr 1, 2012)

Blackheart said:


> More updates? Also sorry if I've read over it, but does this tank have a center brace?


Yes, it does have a center brace.

One month post rescape update:

The plants are bouncing back nicely. All the crypts are throwing up nice looking new leaves, so the foreground should fill out nicely in coming months. Had a series of 6-8 weird deaths the two weeks after the rescape, mostly with the harlequin rasboras. Healthy fish one day, then dead the next, never did figure it out. Going to add 6 more Parkinsoni Rainbows or a 6 pack of a different rainbow. Got a new camera, just have to learn how to use it now:









Bump:


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## blt (Apr 1, 2012)

Bolivian Ram 6 pack, best friends all day, mortal enemies come feeding time:


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## blt (Apr 1, 2012)

Monthly update: 2 months after overhaul, and all is well. Seeing little to no new algae, and plenty of growth. Going to add some more rainbows at some point, but pretty happy where this tank is at both flora and fauna wise. 

Post trim and water change pic:









Tip for those that may imbibe during tank maintenance: Don't set your fert mix next to your mojito. Had a close call there:


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## MadRiverPat (May 3, 2013)

The mojito joke might just be one of funniest things I've seen on this site.

I am really liking the length of this tank and the most recent photo really does it justice. Would really love to see some close-up shots to get a better look at the fish and plants.


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## andrewss (Oct 17, 2012)

yeah the tank is looking great in the last few photos! but yeah I agree give us some close ups


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## blt (Apr 1, 2012)

Closer ups:


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## Freemananana (Jan 2, 2015)

The tank has come together nicely. You keep 6 rams? Have they started to pair off and breed by chance? I'm in love with your lighting. I'm doing something quite similar with my tank, but in a hood to hide the domes. Very impressive all around! I like the scape and the whole project just looks good to me.

Keep it up! Don't let the tank run away from you


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## Phil Edwards (Jul 18, 2003)

Love it! What awesome dimensions for schooling fish. This is one of the best planted fish tanks I've seen in a long time.


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## Okedokey (Sep 2, 2014)

subscribed


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## blt (Apr 1, 2012)

Freemananana said:


> The tank has come together nicely. You keep 6 rams? Have they started to pair off and breed by chance? I'm in love with your lighting. I'm doing something quite similar with my tank, but in a hood to hide the domes. Very impressive all around! I like the scape and the whole project just looks good to me.
> 
> Keep it up! Don't let the tank run away from you


Thanks, the rams are still hanging out as a group mostly, no pairing yet.


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## andrewss (Oct 17, 2012)

great close ups! This tank really is well done, I really love something about it I cannot really explain why haha... everything fits really well together, I especially like the anubias corner, often times I think rocks arent so well used, dw seems easier to arrange but your color/type or rock works really well with the plant layout and substrate color - has a very natural and totally not contrived look to it


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## blt (Apr 1, 2012)

Montly update: Had a nice nitrate spike and had to cut way back on the KNO3. I forgot to figure in my high bio-load when I started my dosing regime. Fish didn't seem to mind, but I don't think it ever got over 80-100ppm. All is well now, both fish and plants seem happy. Need to shape the stems a bit and reign in the tiger lotus, but I'm really happy with how it's looking.


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## Zoidborg (Jan 29, 2014)

Wow fantastic job! 

subbed.


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## Freemananana (Jan 2, 2015)

I have forgotten what your dosing regiment is. Could you elaborate? Your tank is looking great!

I have a pair of rams in my tank but I don't think they have_ paired up_. They just hang out together mostly. Strangely lax fish compared to what I had imagined.


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## brooksie321 (Jul 19, 2014)

Sweet tank!! Looks great! The bolivians must be a happy troop.with all that space!


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## Exceliber (Feb 1, 2012)

Oh man, I'm loving this tank. I'm getting ready to make a big move with my husband to Cincinnati, and these are kind of my dream dimensions. For the DIY light fixture, I'm just assuming you got a few pieces of plywood together, drilled holes for the lights, and then wired it? 

I've been considering getting a custom build of 48"L x 20"W x 14" H. I love the feel of shorter, long tanks, and I know yours is a little longer but only a little taller. Also, how do you feel about the depth on your tank?


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## rebelbuck1993 (Sep 3, 2014)

Exceliber said:


> Oh man, I'm loving this tank. I'm getting ready to make a big move with my husband to Cincinnati, and these are kind of my dream dimensions. For the DIY light fixture, I'm just assuming you got a few pieces of plywood together, drilled holes for the lights, and then wired it?
> 
> I've been considering getting a custom build of 48"L x 20"W x 14" H. I love the feel of shorter, long tanks, and I know yours is a little longer but only a little taller. Also, how do you feel about the depth on your tank?


I have a 33long 48"x12"x12.5" and with my sand it sits about 11" to the surface with just a cheap led fixture by fluval 36" (I had on a saltwater tank for viewing when the T5HO was off) i am getting pretty good response from crypts and rotala directly under the light and with it being so short it is easy to move small plants around and grow out cuttings of the rotala


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## Hetzer (Sep 23, 2012)

Looks great! Love this tank, one of my favorites.


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## blt (Apr 1, 2012)

Thanks for all the kind words.



Freemananana said:


> I have forgotten what your dosing regiment is. Could you elaborate? Your tank is looking great!
> 
> I have a pair of rams in my tank but I don't think they have_ paired up_. They just hang out together mostly. Strangely lax fish compared to what I had imagined.


I was dosing the following every week or two after a large water change:
3/4 tsp KNO3
1/4 tsp KH2PO4
1/4 tsp K2SO4
1/4 tsp CSM + B

After the nitrate spike I stopped the KNO3, and I'm slowly adding it back until I figure out the proper amount.



Exceliber said:


> Oh man, I'm loving this tank. I'm getting ready to make a big move with my husband to Cincinnati, and these are kind of my dream dimensions. For the DIY light fixture, I'm just assuming you got a few pieces of plywood together, drilled holes for the lights, and then wired it?
> 
> I've been considering getting a custom build of 48"L x 20"W x 14" H. I love the feel of shorter, long tanks, and I know yours is a little longer but only a little taller. Also, how do you feel about the depth on your tank?


The light fixture is just a 4x4 ripped into an L-shaped profile with holes drilled for the shop lights. No special wiring, just ran all four plugs to a timed power strip.

I'm happy with the depth, wouldn't mind another 1" or 2". If I were going custom in the same length, I'd probably do 16"d x 16"h or 18"d x 18"h. The dimensions you listed for a custom would be pretty sweet.


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## blt (Apr 1, 2012)

The tank has been rough on the bottom dwellers. Had nearly all the panda cories and 4/6 rams die off. Best guess is the tank just got to warm for the pandas this hot summer, and the rams started picking each other off. The problem is I rarely find dead bodies in this tank so it's hard to know. 

All the other fish seem to be doing great and the Parkinsoni Rainbows are really starting to color up nicely:


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## RomansFiveEight (Jun 21, 2012)

I love long tanks, how cool!


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Sorry to hear about your loss of critters but this tank is just too great. You know thins will bounce back in no time. 

Always love checking in to see the new photos. Can't wait to see what's next.


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