120 Litre Planted

[Flubberlump]

It's superglued. All nice and sturdy.

 

[Flubberlump]

I know I keep saying it, but the cycle really is nearly finished now I've not been dosing right up to 5ppm due to the heavy planting, co2 injection etc. It's just for my own peace of mind.

Just looking into plant fertilisers, and I think I'll probably get Tnc complete and tnc plugs, and see how I get on. Any thoughts?

My original plan has changed slightly, as I now have pressurised co2 equipment rather than DIY yeast stuff.

My plant list hasn't changed too much:

Vallis spiralis/ corkscrew vallis
Amazon swords
Ludwigia arcuata (needle leaf ludwigia)
Alternanthera reineckii
Red tiger lotus
Hygrophila polysperma broadleaf
Crypt wendtii tropica brown
Staurogyne sp.
Anubias on mopani wood (bartei var nana probably)
Java fern (on coconut cave, currently in my existing tank)
Java moss (also on coconut cave, will also be stuck to the Yamaya rock cave)

I'm going to leave the carpet for now I think and see how it gets on. I want to make sure there's still plenty of substrate exposed for the cories to snuffle in!

I've also started a thread in the New World Cichlids section about the apistos, as I've read recently that they are known for attacking cories if they get in the way when they're spawning. Has anyone got any experience of this? If that's the case I may have to find a substitute dwarf cichlid. Could go back to bolivians? Do they really grow to 5"?

I'm going to give the cycle a few more days and then order the plants. The layout and other stocking are still the same. Looking forward to actually setting the tank up now!

 

[JDs4me]

Thanks for that link in your other thread Flubberlump (where on earth did you get that username?! According to urbandictionary its an insult!! Have you been called a flubberlump then, whatever that might be - a local term? I like 'wazzock' myself!! (sorry, digressing badly))

Anyway, this is a good thread for me to read; I am planning in my head for a deep tank which will get planted low-tech...even more determined to do so based on the apparent work involved in a high-tech one!

This is probably daft to mention but do you have a local roofing merchant? I picked up 6 roofing slates (new) for about £7...only used one, but after seeing your cave creation I now have ideas for the rest of it! FishFanatic04 also mentioned that slate was being searched for, so same point to you too, though you have probably both been there already!

Salvinia natans sounds interesting, going to look that up as I want good floating plant cover to reduce light - mattyeatsmatts very generously donated some frogbit through the post which is really looking good and starting to spread, but something else would be nice!

Just bought salvinia natans on ebay...looks good!

I look forward to seeing some green in that tank of yours; my next tank will be deep but larger than yours - I want a 150cm+ as a living room project tank (out with the unused TV)!

 

[Xraymark]

Keen to see some photos once you get those plants in.

 

[Flubberlump]

Haha! My boyfriend calls me it (affectionately) neither of us knew it was actually a slang word! Oh well, he can't take the credit for inventing it now. My dad calls my sister a wazzock all the time (also affectionately). I've made my family sound awful! We're not really. While we're on the subject of user names, do you actually own any jds? Anyway...

High tech planting isn't really all that complicated once you've got your head around it. My tank came with really bright lights as standard, and it would have cost a lot to buy a new lighting unit to do a low tech setup. I've actually bought all of the high tech stuff for less than the cost of a lighting unit! Hopefully once the plants are all established they'll be really lush. I think it'll sort of be a bit of a mix of jungle, Dutch, and 'Jess' scapes taken a lot of inspiration from the jungle and Dutch scapes, but planned it so that there's a good number of fish and plants, rather than steering it in one direction or the other. If it turns out anything like it looks in my head I'll be well chuffed.

As far as I'm aware there isn't a roofing merchant around here. Managed to get that tile for nothing though from my boyfriend's parents as it had broken and they'd had it replaced. Couldn't believe my luck when I spotted it at their house. The only stuff I'd found was about £15 on eBay if I remember correctly.

Salvinia natans seems to be quite a popular floating plant. I want it to provide a bit of cover for the lamp eyes, and a bit of shade for the anubias and such. Ooo I can't believe I'm finally getting the plants! I was beginning to think the cycle would never end!! Almost wish I hadn't gone to Amsterdam that weekend! It's taken about 11 weeks.

A 5 foot tank would fit perfectly on the back wall of my living room. I keep telling my other half that we only need one settee, we never sit on the other one anyway. Any guests that do come round would have to sit on the floor...I don't think he agrees. But this one will keep me busy.......for now

Thanks xraymark! Me too, it's been a long time coming. Love your lido by the way. Are you pleased you went with that model now it's set up? Sorry my thread couldn't have been more help in your decision making.

We're getting the plants from one of my boyfriend's work colleagues, as his wife runs an online Aquatics and reptiles shop. They don't stock everything I want, so most of it will be ordered in for me. Apparently he puts an order in on a Tuesday, and it comes on Friday the following week. I could get them faster from somewhere else, but we promised him the order months (!!!) ago. Won't do my cycle any harm anyway. Only found out today that the delivery takes so long though. Going to ask if we can have whatever he already has in stock to keep me sane lol.

I actually have a little colony of snails in the tank that must have moved across with the seed media. I assume they're living on biofilm and the flake I put in every one and again. They have no light whatsoever, a temperature of 30C, and daily ammonia dosings, but they seem to be doing great! There are also a few wormy things living in the sand. I don't know what type they are, but apparently most are harmless. They must be living in my current tank anyway and aren't causing any problems. They leave little tracks in the sand like you see on the beach! I imagine they'll be eaten fairly shortly.

Any opinions on my apisto/bolivian/gbr dilemma? I love them all, but I'm concerned about my corys with the apistos, the size of the bolivians, and the water stats for the gbrs. May just have to bite the bullet and get a pair of one of them when the time comes. Or start a poll.

 

[Xraymark]

Yeah, the tank is great and fits the size of the room well.
Its nice to get it up and running. I'm thinking about putting cory habrosus in the tank with my apisto's. They grow to about 3.5cm and are meant to be compatible with dwarf cichlids. Plus their super cute.

 

[Flubberlump]

They are very cute! I was considering some Pygmy corys but going to stick to upping the numbers of what I already have. Had a look online and apparently dwarf cichlids are recommended tankmates for habrosus. Think I may be worrying over nothing.

Can't wait to get mine stocked. Very jealous of you, it can't come quick enough lol.

 

[JDs4me]

No JD's but had one for many years, many years ago - he became part of the family, he was a real character, and it was thinking about him several months ago that started me off again! My original intention was to have JD's, but was put off by people here advising that a four foot tank may not have been the right size...in total agreement and so happily putting that plan aside for the next big one...keep working on your man; I personally cannot wait to start on the next tank and am sneakily checking out ebay, aquarists classified etc.! (Who needs more than one couch anyway, and just invite guests in the summer; they can sit outside! )

Poll sounds like a good plan if you are unsure what to have fishy-wise; I did something like that and the advice given was great, got to meet NObody Of The Goat and rob him blind of a dozen Ilyodons ( )...and there we go!

I suppose we just have to wait for photo's then...

My powerhead is 3000 lit/hr - on ebay for £10.99, a steal compared to the same model as far as I can tell, going for around £25 - 320803472604. Might be too strong though for your tank, but there are other capacity pumps on there. (Having just had another look at your tank size, I feel that 3000 lit/hr would have your lampeyes plastered to the far wall, so maybe downsizing on that one would be a good idea!!)

Normani are listed on Aquarists Classified website with one retailer at £1.99, 5 for £8.50...you really can't depend on them keeping their stocklists up to date though...

 

[Flubberlump]

Haha! My thoughts exactly, and it is coming up to BBQ season...

Just been looking at a powerhead on eBay for £9.99, and it's also a 3000 lph one. Think it may be a bit too strong. My filter's turnover is 600lph, so think I'll want something to up the circulation a bit. If I can get one that's somewhere in between the two it should be ok I'd have thought. I don't want to blow the lampeyes out of the water, they jump anyway!

I've seen lampeyes in my LFS recently cheap as chips. Can't remember how much exactly though. It's a p@h. All of my current fish are from there and I've never had any problems with them. The only thing they won't have is the apistos. Actually, last time I went in they had a tank of 'mixed apistogramma' they were all very young though, and I have no idea what they were. I have no doubt that the staff won't know either, never mind what sex they are at that age, so I think it's probably worth getting them from somewhere else, so I know what I'm getting. I may go somewhere else entirely to be honest.

That's if I end up getting apistos. Think I'll start a poll once the plants are in and the co2 is up and running so I can test the water parameters more accurately instead of trying to predict how much the pH will change etc.

So in the meantime I'm on the lookout for a cheap smallish powerhead, and some ferts. Think I'm going to go for tnc complete and tnc plugs.

 

[JDs4me]

can't help you with the apisto/bolivian/gbr dilemma, hopefully your cichlid thread will help you there...exciting times for you now as you get into selection and stocking of plants/fishyfolk!

you seem to have a good idea about plants...any suggestions as to any wispy thread-like varieties that I could put onto mesh and stick on my skeletons head; he needs hair wafting in the current to keep his head warm and look cool? Here he is having a bit of a fish massage...

 

[Flubberlump]

Exciting times indeed!

I don't know a great deal about plants, I've mainly researched the ones I'm getting. I think I'd probably go for flame moss; the strands grow upwards and get fairly long, hence the name. That would look very cool! It's really easy to grow too and grows well on mesh apparently.

Here: http/www.google.co.uk/search?q=flame+moss&hl=en&client=safari&tbo=d&source=lnms&tbm=isch&ei=jFWxT4eoG_GZ0QXo3pCTCQ&sa=X&oi=mode_link&ct=mode&cd=2&ved=0CD8Q_AUoAQ&biw=1024&bih=690

He looks like he's enjoying his massage. It looks like the ilyodon is kissing him, and the hoplo is tickling his chin with his tail! Brilliant! Does he have a name? I've got a skull in my current tank called Graham, but he won't be going in the new tank I'm afraid.

 

[MegaZerino]

can't help you with the apisto/bolivian/gbr dilemma, hopefully your cichlid thread will help you there...exciting times for you now as you get into selection and stocking of plants/fishyfolk!

you seem to have a good idea about plants...any suggestions as to any wispy thread-like varieties that I could put onto mesh and stick on my skeletons head; he needs hair wafting in the current to keep his head warm and look cool? Here he is having a bit of a fish massage...

what type of catfish is that?

 

[JDs4me]

WOW...flame moss looks perfect, will see if it will be happy in my tank and get some, thanks Flubs!

Hadn't thought of naming him...I think he looks a little angry (who wouldn't be after returning from an operation to silicone your head back on, only to get some fish slapping you around the face and another trying to chew your clavicle off)...what do you reckon to Meldrew?

Hey MegaZerino, he's a Megalechis thoracata..

 

[Flubberlump]

Haha! That's hilarious! He's had a bit of an ordeal really hasn't he? Can't blame him for looking a little annoyed. Meldrew it is!

No problem. Moss grows nice and thick and is exactly what you need really. You can cut the mesh so it grows where you want it to. You could make little wigs for him and change his hairstyle! I think I may be getting carried away here. This is actually a fish keeping forum.

Some more relevant news...the plants have now been ordered! Well, a list of what I want has been emailed to the guy we're getting them from, and he'll order them from his supplier tomorrow hopefully.

 

[Flubberlump]

Right, the plants we ordered aren't coming as apparently there's a white fly outbreak in Asia, and the guy we were getting them from can't get hold of what we want as there's a ban on them entering the country. Instead, I was going to order them from Plantedtanks.co.uk, until I realised today that their shop is 20 minutes away from us in Selby. so tomorrow afternoon, we are going to said shop to buy the plants!!! At long last!

This means that........the tank will be planted by this time tomorrow! So I will finally be updating the journal with some progress pictures. I cannot wait to have a planted tank, rather than a box covered with a snuggie. I have no algae though lol.