Keith's New Tank

Hi,

I am in the process of converting a 4' reef tank into a planted aquarium and will be using as much of my present equipment as possible.

The halide lamps will be downgraded to Geisemann 150w 54ook.

The sump will become the top up reservoir.

The actinic tube will be used for a dawn and dusk effect coming on for half an hour before the main lights and half an hour after they go out.

The overflow weir outlets will be used for the inlet and outlet of the Tetratek x1200 filter and a dry tube for electrical cables so they can be passed under the tank.

I have CO2 guages that I once used on a DIY calcium reactor and a DIY bubble counter made from a test kit tube. I had to buy a solenoid for the night time cut off and will probably use a modified Maxijet 1200 as a diffuser.

So far I haven't spent any of my hard earned cash as I raised £260 from the sale of live rock and a few corals.

My aim is a high tech planted tank using plants suitable for beginners and although I have now set up the hardscape I am going on holiday in two weeks for a couple of weeks so will not be doing any more till I get back.

I have uploaded some pics using the browse button so hopefully you will be able to see the progress so far.

sounds like you have it planned out....

just a note i find our reef tank easyer to look after than my planted tank

Hmm,

I exceeded my limit on uploads for one post so here are a couple more showing the attachment of the vines to slate to stop them floating with the slate mounted on egg crate to stop any unintentional pressure points underneath, and one of the work so far. You can see the guide lines I marked on the glass to determine the Golden Rule placement of the two vines.

Any comments and suggestions will be gratefully received.

Nice wood!

Ian,

I can't say I am surprised. I am running a 6' reef as well and it is now very low maintenance.

Like your planted tank by the way.

The theme is a beach I once saw on Zanzibar after a tropical storm which wrecked some local fishing boats. White sandy beach with a backdrop of palm trees and lower vegetation and with a path leading to my room.

Right, my planting plan is as follows

A gravel path will wind from front to back in a curve to the left and going through the vine.

Background

Behind the vine Rotala rotundifolia for the red colour.

To its left and extending somewhat forward E.densa.

To its right Hygrophyla difformis

Midground

To the left of the vine and partially growing through it Hygrophila corymbosa Stricta

Beside the weir Echinodorus Rubin for its colour and leaf shape.

Between the E. Rubin and the vine some Bacopa monnieri

Foreground

Either side of the path and right across the front of the tank Marsilea hirsuta.

A couple of questions

First what do you think of it?

Second will there be enough fast growing stem plants at the beginning to restrict algae growth or should I use more stem plants and replace them with the midground and foreground plants later?

My suggestion is to get your final hardscape done but don't plant with your final layout yet, especially if your system is high-tech. Rather cover 75% of the substrate with fast-growing weeds (the hygro, Egeria, bacopa, and rotala are fine choices for this). Get your dosing regimen and CO2 levels stabilized and allow the tank to run for about 3-4 months in that state. Not pretty, I know, but you'll save yourself from a lot of the algae issues that creep up and if you do get algae, you won't have to bin expensive ground covers and slow-growers. Then, once the tank is stabilized, gradually switch out the weeds to the plants you want and then work on your final scape.

That being said, I think your scape sounds like it will be very lovely. You have a lot of weeds already, which is wonderful. Can I suggest Egeria najas to you? It has a finer leaf shape than E. densa and the edges are serated. The effect is pretty impressive when grouped and the green is an absolutely brilliant color. It is also more tolerant of warmer temps than E. densa, which looses it's deep dark green in tropical tanks.

This is going to be a great jungle scape when done.

llj

Many thanks LLj for your helpful comments - just what I was hoping for.

I will certainly look for the E. najas and see if it is available in England.

At what stage would you recommend adding fish? I am looking at 8 Otocinclus, a couple of Dwarf Plecos and a shoal of 40 neon tetras added incrementally in eights.

if you find a supplier selling otos will you let me know as leicesters not to far from me & none of my local places stock them

Suz

Will do Suz.

Suz,

I have just remembered that Leicester Aquatics, on the Welford Road, had some last time I was in.

Regards

keith00 said:

Many thanks LLj for your helpful comments - just what I was hoping for.

I will certainly look for the E. najas and see if it is available in England.

At what stage would you recommend adding fish? I am looking at 8 Otocinclus, a couple of Dwarf Plecos and a shoal of 40 neon tetras added incrementally in eights.

Click to expand...

How many gallons is this? Right now the stocking plans seem well and good to me, but I'm bad and tend to overstock. I personally would omit the dwarf plecos and opt for a nice-sized school of corydoras, but that's just me. That'll give you increased activity in the bottom strata, which is a little sparse with your current stocking. In addition, if I may be so bold. Reduce your neon school by 12 and add a larger group of marbled hatchets. That would look totally cool. I wish I had a big tank.

What is your substrate again? Some nutrient-rich substrates release ammonia as they settle and it is not advised to add fish to these tanks until the ammonia and Nitrite levels are at zero. I use inert substrates so, once I plant and check to see if everything's ready, it's off to the LFS for me. Some people add their whole stock at once, but I like to build the excitement and add a small group at a time. But I started with this hobby way back in the dark ages when cycling with fish (zebra danios anyone?) was still popular and I still tend to add stock in that fashion, though I technically haven't needed to cycle a tank in a long, long time. Densly planting avoids that sticky issue. But I've rambled long enough!

llj

Don't worry about it your "rambling" is very interesting.

The tank will be about 60 gallons (UK) after allowing for the substrate which is 21 kilos of Flourite covered with 25 kilos of fine gravel.

I like the idea of a school of Corydoras but am not sure about the Hatchet Fish as according to Baensch they need a lower pH than neons and a higher dKH

keith00 said:

Don't worry about it your "rambling" is very interesting.

The tank will be about 60 gallons (UK) after allowing for the substrate which is 21 kilos of Flourite covered with 25 kilos of fine gravel.

I like the idea of a school of Corydoras but am not sure about the Hatchet Fish as according to Baensch they need a lower pH than neons and a higher dKH

Click to expand...

Thanks, I'll continue to ramble then That tank size is more than sufficient for your plans. There are going to be a lot of fish in that tank. If you find hatchetfish in your LFS, and if they're healthy, chances are they've already been acclimated to the pH in your area. Baensch is an excellent guideline (I have volumes 1-3), and describes well the ideal conditions fish should be kept in, but many fish species are now farm-raised, and therefore accustomed to different levels than their wild counterparts would experience. If I can keep Angelfish and cardinal tetras in Miami, FL's liquid rock, you may be able to keep a nice group of hatchets. Pencil fish are pretty cool too. Another random note.

I did wonder about Baensch especially as my copy is the 3rd revised edition of 1991 and things do move on.

This morning I am off to the LFS so I will have a good look and ask lots of questions.

That's about it for now as I am off diving in Indonesia next week and knowing me I will take about 800 pictures which will all need processing. Still if I plant the tank when I get back it can mature while I do the processing.

lljdma06 said:

keith00 said:

Don't worry about it your "rambling" is very interesting.

The tank will be about 60 gallons (UK) after allowing for the substrate which is 21 kilos of Flourite covered with 25 kilos of fine gravel.

I like the idea of a school of Corydoras but am not sure about the Hatchet Fish as according to Baensch they need a lower pH than neons and a higher dKH

Click to expand...

Thanks, I'll continue to ramble then That tank size is more than sufficient for your plans. There are going to be a lot of fish in that tank. If you find hatchetfish in your LFS, and if they're healthy, chances are they've already been acclimated to the pH in your area. Baensch is an excellent guideline (I have volumes 1-3), and describes well the ideal conditions fish should be kept in, but many fish species are now farm-raised, and therefore accustomed to different levels than their wild counterparts would experience. If I can keep Angelfish and cardinal tetras in Miami, FL's liquid rock, you may be able to keep a nice group of hatchets. Pencil fish are pretty cool too. Another random note.

Click to expand...