Hi all!
Thought I'd have a go at TOTM too.
Here's my 200l/ 55g jewel Lido. It's 70 x 60 x 50 cm and has a large piece of driftwood taking out some capacity in the middle.
Set up in February. Parameters ammonia 0, nitrates 0, nitrites 0-2.5. PH 7.5
I use the internal jewel filter and lighting but have added an All Pond Solutions 1000l EF - I wanted to overfilter for my impending fry issue and I'm not brave enough to take the internal out.
I also added a small airstone as I think the depth risks issues with oxygenation, but at a lower flow than this size of tank would reccomend.
Plants include elodea, amazon sword, some cryptocoryne, althernantha, a couple of types of hygrophila, java fern and a little salvinia on the surface (which survives rather than thrives).
Understocked at the moment - 2 adult female mollies, 6 x 8 week old fry and about 8 x 4 week old fry. The boys were evicted a few weeks ago to control fry and I'm waiting to be able to identify the sex of the fry. No plans to expand until I know we wont have babies every 2 weeks.
I was using the aquascaper complete - probably not as reliably as I should. Noticed pale plants and some holes in leaves, so switched to seachem flourish a couple of weeks ago and the plants are much happier. Thus may represent me doing a better job rather than fert effectiveness.
Plant wise I'm still learning. The fish like to nibble through the stalks of some, I just replant the floating tops in one of the tanks so the aquascaping is very accidental. Micorcanthenum has not survived my tender touch ha ha!
I do a 20- 40% water change a week depending on time. I've just got confident enough to test only once or twice a week after doing alternate days for a while to make sure I didn't mess anything up. Glass cleaned by my 5 year old so probably variable in standard!
I feed twice a day, I suspect I'm overfeeding but when I feed less more plants get eaten so its a balance I am learning. I use tetra micro granules, plec spiralina wafers, tetrapro algae, frozen bloodworm, and fresh veggies 3-5 x week as available so I mix the variety up.
No big changes planned. I'm just getting used to running the big tank, and waiting on properly segregating boys and girls. Once I feel like I've learned my craft I may consider adding other types of fish.
We are enjoying being learners right now, can't believe how much the plants have changed already!
EDIT: Ive been reading tank cleaning thread, Upping water changes to 40% twice a week ......