Hi All,
First I want to thank everyone for the advice I got over the past 7 to 8 months which helped me to make this tank a reality. My goal was to make a nature scape, I hope that’s what I achieved. Second, I want to apologise for the poor quality of the video and pictures, they were done from my phone.
It’s a 125G tank (72long x 18wide x 22deep). The Substraight is soil capped with black diamond blasting sand.
View attachment 3631
View attachment 3633
View attachment 3632
View attachment 3634
CO2: Pressurized 20# tank with a cheap single stage reg (looking for something better). On about 2 hours before lights on and off about 1 hour before lights off.
Lighting: 2 x 54w T5HO on for 7 to 8 hours. 2 x 39W T5HO and 1 x 96W CF on for about 5 to 6 hours.
Filtration: Fluval FX5 (about 400gph) and BeanAnimal Overflow (about 1500gph). The 1500 gph comes from a Mag 1800 and a Mag 9.5 with needle wheel for CO2. Right now I’m not very happy with the CO2 diffusion method and the 2 mag drives a creating too much heat.
[video=youtube;xGlsbP4b2QM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGlsbP4b2QM&feature=youtu.be[/video]
Ferts:
KNO3 solution that gives me 7.5 mg/l of NO3 3 time as week
KH2PO4 solution that gives me 1.0 mg/l of PO4 3 times a week
CSM+B solutiont that gives me 0.5 mg/l of Fe 3 times a week
As you’ll see in the video, my biggest mistake with the overflow was not going with black glass for the in tank overflow. I instead painted the glass with black Krylon Fusion paint but it peeled off within a week. I will either cut out the front glass and put a black glass or just get the thinnest black glass I can find and silicon it to the front of the glass that’s already there. I also want to change the location of my mag returns. Right now they are all on the right side of the tank which I find makes too much flow. I’ll probably split the 3/4 returns into two half inch returns going to each side. As for my CO2, I may try what Gerry is doing, which is to use a small Rio pump with needle wheel and diffuse the CO2 in the sump just by the return pump.
As for plants, this is what I have in there now:
Hygrophila Rosae (Several Stems)
Rotala Indica (Several Stems)
Anubias nana (3x) / barterie (1x) / coffeefolia (2x)
Java fern (3x)
Sward Plant (1x)
Vallisneria twisted (several)
Cryptocoryne wendtii
sagitaria
Cryptocoryne pontederiifolia (I think... I know it's a crypt but not 100% sure of the type)
Flame moss
Christmas moss
Marsilea quadrifolia
Glossostigma
I have some Egara Densa in there now but that is just for about one month. I will replace it with some Hygrophila Difformis.
My intention for fish is as follows:
Cardinals (50-70),
Ottos (20 – 30) (12 in ther now)
Amano Shrimp (20) (10 in there now)
Angels (12 - 15)
Livebearing fish (already have about 30 so who knows where it will go from there)
Things I like about my 125 are the BeanAnimal overflow, the scape, which is still a work in progress, the amount of flow I have.
Things I want to change are my CO2 diffusion (way too may bubbles), spread my returns around more and lower the heat created by the mag pumps.
I'm still trying to figurout what plant to put right behind the drift wood on the right, I wanted something red but I'm not sure what will do well and stay red. I don't have much luck keeping red plants red.
I also have a diatom algae problem. I haven't changed anything with my ferts or lighting, I'm hoping it's just a cause of the new tank set-up with the soil substraight. For now the ottos are keeping it in check.
Mike
First I want to thank everyone for the advice I got over the past 7 to 8 months which helped me to make this tank a reality. My goal was to make a nature scape, I hope that’s what I achieved. Second, I want to apologise for the poor quality of the video and pictures, they were done from my phone.
It’s a 125G tank (72long x 18wide x 22deep). The Substraight is soil capped with black diamond blasting sand.
View attachment 3631
View attachment 3633
View attachment 3632
View attachment 3634
CO2: Pressurized 20# tank with a cheap single stage reg (looking for something better). On about 2 hours before lights on and off about 1 hour before lights off.
Lighting: 2 x 54w T5HO on for 7 to 8 hours. 2 x 39W T5HO and 1 x 96W CF on for about 5 to 6 hours.
Filtration: Fluval FX5 (about 400gph) and BeanAnimal Overflow (about 1500gph). The 1500 gph comes from a Mag 1800 and a Mag 9.5 with needle wheel for CO2. Right now I’m not very happy with the CO2 diffusion method and the 2 mag drives a creating too much heat.
[video=youtube;xGlsbP4b2QM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGlsbP4b2QM&feature=youtu.be[/video]
Ferts:
KNO3 solution that gives me 7.5 mg/l of NO3 3 time as week
KH2PO4 solution that gives me 1.0 mg/l of PO4 3 times a week
CSM+B solutiont that gives me 0.5 mg/l of Fe 3 times a week
As you’ll see in the video, my biggest mistake with the overflow was not going with black glass for the in tank overflow. I instead painted the glass with black Krylon Fusion paint but it peeled off within a week. I will either cut out the front glass and put a black glass or just get the thinnest black glass I can find and silicon it to the front of the glass that’s already there. I also want to change the location of my mag returns. Right now they are all on the right side of the tank which I find makes too much flow. I’ll probably split the 3/4 returns into two half inch returns going to each side. As for my CO2, I may try what Gerry is doing, which is to use a small Rio pump with needle wheel and diffuse the CO2 in the sump just by the return pump.
As for plants, this is what I have in there now:
Hygrophila Rosae (Several Stems)
Rotala Indica (Several Stems)
Anubias nana (3x) / barterie (1x) / coffeefolia (2x)
Java fern (3x)
Sward Plant (1x)
Vallisneria twisted (several)
Cryptocoryne wendtii
sagitaria
Cryptocoryne pontederiifolia (I think... I know it's a crypt but not 100% sure of the type)
Flame moss
Christmas moss
Marsilea quadrifolia
Glossostigma
I have some Egara Densa in there now but that is just for about one month. I will replace it with some Hygrophila Difformis.
My intention for fish is as follows:
Cardinals (50-70),
Ottos (20 – 30) (12 in ther now)
Amano Shrimp (20) (10 in there now)
Angels (12 - 15)
Livebearing fish (already have about 30 so who knows where it will go from there)
Things I like about my 125 are the BeanAnimal overflow, the scape, which is still a work in progress, the amount of flow I have.
Things I want to change are my CO2 diffusion (way too may bubbles), spread my returns around more and lower the heat created by the mag pumps.
I'm still trying to figurout what plant to put right behind the drift wood on the right, I wanted something red but I'm not sure what will do well and stay red. I don't have much luck keeping red plants red.
I also have a diatom algae problem. I haven't changed anything with my ferts or lighting, I'm hoping it's just a cause of the new tank set-up with the soil substraight. For now the ottos are keeping it in check.
Mike
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