My 75 Gallon Is Started!

 
I have been so patient in getting this tank started. I put it off to do the DIY background.  Then when I decided to not use that, I just got a black background and I started putting it all together today.
 
I don't have everything that is going to be going in it. I have some driftwood branches that won't be here until  next week. I also want so rocks or maybe some slate if I can find it. But I have it at least started.  
 
I had no idea that the piece of mopani wood would have been that large, but I like it.
 
 

looks really good so far, so what's your design plans for it? Im guessing its planted (I mean what's your planted design for it lol sorry confusion) honestly ive been waiting for you to start your tank XD just so I can see the journal!

I didn't think much about a journal. hmmm  That is a good idea I guess. LOL   
 
Yes I plan on having a lot plants.   The only thing is, I can't really fill it with water until after I get back home from a trip I am taking. I don't want to be in the middle of it and then leave.  So I don't know if I will add water after I get the other drift wood or not. I am still in the thinking phase on that. But I know I won't start cycling it until I return from the trip.
 
I don't have a thought really as to a aquascape for it. I am not very good at such things.  I will probably do quite a bit of looking around and see what ideas I can get. I pretty much know what plants I can find around here. I have  not had good luck with plants I have ordered. So I will probably just stick with the ones I can get at Petco. They seem to do good for me.  Some of the ones I have ordered did survive the black algae bloom. So I might try to order some for this tank just once and see what happens.

I think it could look really nice. I'm interested in what your DIY background was going to be/look like. 
 
What fish are you thinking of stocking? 

I decided against using the background. I just don't want to have to worry about black algae getting on it and then making such a mess I have to take it all apart.  So I just got a black background.  
 
As for fish, I want a school of pictus catfish. Other than than, I am not sure yet.

 
Here it is so far.  I am not finished, I still I am not sure if I will leave the smaller piece of mopani driftwood in there or not. I have another piece of the branchy driftwood that I might add.  But when I was messing with it last night it just seemed over kill with it in there.  So I might use it in my 55 instead.  Then again, I might used the smaller piece of mopani in the 55 ....I just don't know.   But I do know I am on the look out for some slate, haven't found a place to get it yet. And I also am soaking some rocks right now.  
 
So the look will change, but this is what I have so far.

 
Here is a pic of the 75 gallon.  I am not sure about the crystals in it as yet,. I have them in my other tanks, but not sure they will stay in this one. The big hunk in the corner will stay somewhere in it. Just not sure where yet.
 
I am on the hunt for some slate.  A friend of mine thinks she knows where some is, so we are going to go hunting for it soon.   After I get some of that and arrange it I will fill it with water and start on the plants.  I want to get the plants growing, like I did with the 10 gallon, and get it cycled before I add any fish. 
 
(edited to add, I am not sure why the pic is showing up twice)

I may have too much drift wood in it. I am not sure. I like the look, but I know to have pictus catfish I need hiding places, and with all this wood that leaves little room for building caves and such. So I am sure the look will change over time.

I finally got some rocks from the river. Some flat ones, non-flat ones and some that look like pieces of slate, however I am not sure about that. But I like the slatey look anyway.

I took the small piece of mopani driftwood out of this tank and I have it soaking in a bucket of water. I plan on putting it in my 55 gallon. I am still not sure about all 4 pieces of the branchy driftwood either. I am considering taking one of them out as well. I think it will depend on what I come up with with the rocks I found.

I have the rocks soaking in a bucket of water with AquaSafe. I soaked them overnight in bleach water, rinsed and scrubbed them this morning, and put them in the AquaSafe water. I will let them soak until tomorrow or the next day and then start trying to figure out how I want them in the tank.

Okay, made some changes. The small piece of mopani driftwood is not in the 55 gallon. And I have added my gravel and rocks. Along with a piece of Amethyst that came from the Diamond Mine a few miles from my house. And some Quartz Crystals that came from the Crystal Mine about an hour away. ( I wanted to go all river rocks, but I just wanted to add these pieces just because... )


This is before I added the water and also before I added the Amethyst and all the crystal.


This one is immediately after filling with water. The Amethyst and crystals are all in there now. The large rocks that you see on top of the large piece of mopani wood and one on each of the branch type wood, are actually holding the wood in place as it was going to float around the tank if I didn't do something. I do not plan on leaving them there forever. Just until the wood is soaked up enough to stay where I want it without floating away.


The tannin's have started to leach.


This is with the tank lights off. It is so brown!!


This picture was taken through the end of the tank. And that dark spot is not a camera flaw, that is really there. It is hovering in front of the large piece of mopani.


After a water change.

The water change was yesterday and now it is pretty much exactly like it was before the water change, if not worse. I don't know how long it will be before the tannin's dissipate , but I will wait to add plants until it clears up some. I don't plan on trying to cycle it until it clears up some as well.

Also, the sand is ever changing. The flow from the canister filter is slowly changing it. I think it is kinda neat really.

A black water tank? Oh I like.

I didn't really intend to have a black water tank. At least not this "black waterish" LOL I knew the driftwood wood would darken the water, but I had no idea that it would be this dark.

I really want to go ahead and add plants, but I want to attach some of the plants to the branches. At this point I am having to use those large rocks to hold the branches down. So, I don't know if plants are good idea just yet.

I am wondering how long it takes for the wood to soak up enough not to float?