180 gallon rimless Starfire wood scape thus far

Tom Barr

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Well, slow, but surly(not surely), I'm putting together the pesky tanks I have sitting here.

Front

woodfor1802.gif


Detail

woodfor180detail.gif


Back

wood180setup1.gif


Top side:
sideview1801.gif


The ADA As will cover some of this and have a slope, so the bottom 3 inches shall be covered.

I have a couple of options for the foreground, it'll be a lot of that, most likely HC or Utricularia gammifolia.

Stems will be L aquatica, P stellata narrow, Erio setaceum, Tonia belem or manuas, Rotlata wallichii and Crypt balssii rosanevig.

Not much else.

Fish load will be a community of fish with rare plecos.
The Whimple piranha will be in a 60 gallon instead as the main display.
I do not want Altums, at least not for this tank, I like Amano shrimp too much.

Regards,
Tom Barr
 

Tom Barr

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I like this size of tank, it allows you to do most scapes well.
I am pleased with this wood for this tank, this is rare. I've never said that in over 15 years:mad:

Never been happy with the look.
The back side will look much better than these pics suggest, as well as the front.

I'll post more as the tank evolves and I add the ADA AS, lighting etc.

Regards,
Tom Barr
 
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mrkookm

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Very nice indeed! Where did you get that wood?

Interesting mix of plants, I definitely would like to see the outcome of the scape for sure.....keep us posted :)
 

VaughnH

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Wow! That is very nice wood - an old tree root or roots you found in the Sierra? Will this be a non-CO2 or high tech tank? I'm betting high tech.
 

Tom Barr

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mrkookm;22091 said:
Very nice indeed! Where did you get that wood?

Interesting mix of plants, I definitely would like to see the outcome of the scape for sure.....keep us posted :)

I collect the wood myself.
Always have.

I'm still wrestling with the fish species.

Regards,
Tom Barr
 

Tom Barr

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VaughnH;22093 said:
Wow! That is very nice wood - an old tree root or roots you found in the Sierra? Will this be a non-CO2 or high tech tank? I'm betting high tech.

Yep, CO2 enriched.

No, I found this up near the Eel River.
Sinks well too.

Regards,
Tom Barr
 

Tom Barr

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creighton;22094 said:
Did you drill the bottom? What kind of filtration are you using?

Yes, canister and Wet dry.
I can disconnect the Wet/dry as needed.
It's(over flow) also not built in.

Thus no side tubes coming out of the tank unless I want it there.
I'll use a 1000gph external iwaski pump then a Ocean clear 40sqft with biocore + heater + mazzei hidden return.

The sump is a 30 gallon, w/a micron bag filter, some Zeolite, 800GPH or so.
Regards,
Tom Barr
 
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mrkookm

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The sump is a 30 gallon, w/a micron bag filter, some Zeolite, 800GPH or so

Will you be leaving the Zeolite in the sump to act as a bio media once it has exhausted? How will you add it into the sump, just in a 200micron bag or similar?
 

creighton

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You ought to try some royal farowella's. They would look good on that wood.

What are you thinking about for lighting? I think it would look nice with some hanging lights.
 

Tom Barr

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mrkookm;22108 said:
Will you be leaving the Zeolite in the sump to act as a bio media once it has exhausted? How will you add it into the sump, just in a 200micron bag or similar?

Yep, 300 micron works fine for zeolite, purigen or carbon.

Regards,
Tom Barr
 

Tom Barr

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creighton;22109 said:
You ought to try some royal farowella's. They would look good on that wood.

What are you thinking about for lighting? I think it would look nice with some hanging lights.

Yes, they are on the list.
The wood will be highlighted rather than covered with weeds.
I plan on 5 of them in there.

Here's the fish list:

200 Cardinals
30 Marbled Hatchets
30 Nannostomus espei
5 Apisto ags (red)
5 Apisto borelli (Blue)
5 Apisto Veijta (yellow)

cleaner crew:
150 Amano shrimp
Cherry shrimp

Pleco list:
5 Sturisoma
5 Gold Nugget
4 Mango
5 Gold spot
4 Scribbled

All of these species interact well together.
They also school in their prospective species groups in well defined packs.

Plants:
HC mostly(around entire tank,).
Some moss, most likely Fissedens or Xmas(to hide out/intakes)
Erio setaceum (on right side near back of wood branches)
Rotala wallichii (rear off center)
Crypt blassii "rosanervig"(dark shaded corner on far left)
Tonia(either manuns or belem) (front/middle ground, cut low)
P. dowoni (like tonia)
E stellata*(maybe) (rear middle, with Rwallichii)
L aquatica*(maybe) (rear middle left)
Crypt lucens or gecko*(maybe) (fill in on back side)

That's pretty much it.
I may add some Bolbitus or narrow Java, but only to fill where nothing else might grow.

Plecos have more holes than you can tell here, I drilled out some of the cores of the branches so they can hide. There are a number of hollows.

Regards,
Tom Barr
 

Tom Barr

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Light is a 9x2.5x 72" HQI.

150 w X 3
70 w x 2

I might switch to a 3x150w with 4x 39W T5's.

It's a bigger hood and distracts from the tank, but the advantage is really the spread is better, and temp is somewhat cooler, less $, better light options(low light that's still well spread).

I have a 2x150 HQI + 70W Sexy series light for the 120 Gallon that got broke, but a friend is going to repair it for me. So I'll have to sit and think which type of light will be best here.

I have yet to get the 60 gallon cube lights as well.

I might do the same for those as the 180, use the T5's as well.
One will be 2x24W w 150W, the cold water marine tank will be 250W w 2x24W T5's.

The 120 Gallon will be a Tangy rift planted tank.
The 60's will be a cold marine and them the Whimple piranha, P leopardus panda cory, and oddly, Amano and cherry shrimp which the whimples leave alone and have for months.

Regards,
Tom Barr
 

Tom Barr

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I'm still debating whether or not to use the worm drive and move the lights very slowly.

I can add that function later.
I really have less need if I use the T5+ HQI, the spread is already there.
Moving it say 4" back and forth would help I'd think, but with the Sexy series AM lights, the travel would be about 12".
More critical there(movement) with the Sexy series to get even lighting.

I also have a Eco Tech Vortex powerhead wave maker for the 60 Cold water marine and the chiller.

They ain't cheap, but they are cool.

Regards,
Tom Barr
 

Tom Barr

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I'll be posting the fish list for the 120 gallon as it's repaired etc (Feb most likely).

Few folks attempt such tanks, ADA included, Travis and few others have.

I'm trying to leave the tank more in the Biotope state(fish especially, with a few plants from that region with a few liberties, but also the rock and other critters.

I have some really nice rock and will use the Vals and Pondweeds really aesthetically.

Such a tank is a challenge, both from a gardening and stocking perspective.
But the tank will look really neat once it's done and something unique(which I like to do).

I could have copped out and done a West African, or SEA biotope, but naw..........

Those will have to wait.

Fish list:

6 Opthalmotilipia ventralis
4 Lamp lelupii
4 Lamp Calvus
4 Julidochromis regani kilpilli
7 Tang. irsacae
12 Tropheus moori super red

5 Synodontis perticola

Regards,
Tom Barr
 

rthomas

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A quick one about tank with overflow. I am assuming that the filtration will be done in the sump (?) .

1) will we loose alot of CO2 when the tank water flow into the sump?

2) which is better? This method of filtration or thru cannister filter ?
 

Tom Barr

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No, I have dual filtration system for each tank, the overflow/sump is optional though.
correctly set up, 3 aquarists(I was one of them) showed independently that wet/drys(as long as they are sealed, no air ports open), and a higher level in the over flow area, has little impact on pH.

Thus little impact on CO2 loss.

Now if you add air, have huge waterfalls and other things that disturb the surface, aerate a lot etc, yes, that will drive CO2 out.

I also seal my wet/drys up, so they are air tight, thus all the bacteria consumes O2 and gives off?
CO2.

So the wet/dry is actually a CO2 producer, like canister filter is.

The over flow loses a little, not much if done right, so the net effect is no change in pH.

I like both methods and canisters are very quiet.
I use bag filters on most sumps so I get excellent mech filtering as well and it maintains constant in tank water levels/surface skims etc.

Each filter method has a TRADE OFF and advantage.

Regards,
Tom Barr
 

Tom Barr

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Some lights are coming in this weekend.

I'm building the light hanging system, I have something that looks better than the DIY ADA threads.

I'm still using conduit, but painting it, and using a nice cable suspension that's not ugly or bulky.

The weight on the 72" is 54 pounds, and the 24's are 23 lbs, so I've moved to 3/4 pipe. For the 32 gal cube ADA, I'm going with the 1/2".

I'll detail out how to make them.
Much cheaper than ADA and can fit into most tank designs, layouts that folks can dream up.

I did get the wood where I wanted.
Time to silicone it in place.

Regards,
Tom Barr
 
M

mrkookm

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Some lights are coming in this weekend.

I assume you are sticking with the 150watt HQI's with PC's...right? Why did'nt you opt to use T5's over the PC's?

I'm building the light hanging system, I have something that looks better than the DIY ADA threads.

I'm still using conduit, but painting it, and using a nice cable suspension that's not ugly or bulky.

The weight on the 72" is 54 pounds, and the 24's are 23 lbs, so I've moved to 3/4 pipe. For the 32 gal cube ADA, I'm going with the 1/2".

I'll detail out how to make them.
Much cheaper than ADA and can fit into most tank designs, layouts that folks can dream up.

I did get the wood where I wanted.
Time to silicone it in place.

Can't wait to see some pics