63L replacement tank

[Jitsz]

Recently decided to update the living room tank which currently houses 1 flame dwarf gourami and a handful of harlequin rasboras. We have another cobalt blue dwarf gourami in another tank which I’d like to move into this tank also once set up, but the flame gourami is a bit of a wild child so may not allow it maybe it will be ok with a lot of hiding spots though - we’ll see how it goes!

I ended up ordering a 63L tank from NACD aquariums, they have an awful lot of custom sizes as well as totally custom builds so we went for a tank that will fit the cabinet it’ll be housed on. It’s a 63L tank sized 600x300x350 with 5mm glass, clear silicone and a lid. I would like to run it without a lid as aesthetically I prefer the look, but I’m too nervous of contaminants/escapees whatever else my mind can worry about.. While the reviews online for NACD were a bit mixed, delivery was early, 4 days before the 20 days stated and the silicone work is actually really nice. Looks very high quality compared to my other tanks which are all mostly store bought so I’m very happy!

For the substrate I have 9L of Tropica aquarium soil as well as 3L of Tropica plant growth to layer underneath. I also have some Seachem root tabs to supplement with as well as liquid ferts for once everything settles.

Lighting wise I've got an 18w Hygger I'll be using which has a 24/7 mode as well as various different colour profiles and a timer built in. I suspect I'll end up using a smart plug on it so I can just control it all via Google Home but I'm interested to see what the 24/7 mode will be like. I feel it might be too much light, but I’m interested to find out! The PAR rating isn’t crazy so I think it should be alright.

I’ve decided to jump into CO2 fully with this tank as well using the FZONE CO2 Reactor Kit which is like a poor man's Colombo. I’m currently using Excel in another tank with good results so look forward to giving this a go. I will certainly be controlling this via a smart plug and Google Home so the CO2 comes on as the intensity of the lights ramp up.

Filtration.. I’m still undecided here. Originally I was going to just stick a sponge filter in and be done with it, I know they’re not to everyone's preference but I do like them. I have read that the aeration from the bubbles however can interfere with CO2 which has led me down a bit of a research hole. Seems like it may just be a case of having to supplement more CO2 which with the reactor isn’t really an issue but also doesn’t really feel optimal. I’m currently looking at some external filters, so I might go that route and tuck it away in the cabinet under the tank. If I do get an external filter though I’d like some glass inlet and outlet pipes so I might save that for a little later down the line so it's a bit easier on the pocket. I have a feeling I will eventually go with a canister and hide it in the cabinet below, it seems inevitable, but for now I will use the sponge filter and see how things go. I’m open to ideas here as long as it’s not a HOB anyway

I didn’t grab many snaps in all my excitement but did get one while the tank was leak testing (Woo no leaks!)

Late last night I drained the tank fully and applied a frosted look ‘privacy’ film to the back of the tank, this stuff was dirt cheap and looks really decent. Makes the tank look much brighter. Also for the record the heater the tank is situated near is never turned on, so that won’t be any concern for the fish

Today I’ll start playing around with some hardscape and hopefully post some more updates later. I have a rough idea of the plants I want to go with but I’ll see how the hardscape layout goes first.

 

[Wills]

This is looking really cool and a great start! I would definitely go with external filter as the sponge filters dont really fit with the aquascaping look you are going for, glass pipes are cool but they only look cool when they are clean and a few days after cleaning they look pretty gross! I have stainless steel which is a nice middle point between the clunky plastic standard fittings and the glass - still have to clean them but not weekly. For me the Oase ones are the best options for this size tank because of the external heater and easy to clean pre filter - but they are expensive...

In terms of your Co2 and lighting just be careful with changing things too much I think 18 watts could be ok for a low dose of Co2, do you have a drop checker? Make sure you get used to getting your drop checker to a nice grass green through the day and back to blue on a night before you add fish.

Wills

 

[Colin_T]

No to putting the 2 gouramis together. They are probably both males and will fight if put in the same tank.

 

[Jitsz]

This is looking really cool and a great start! I would definitely go with external filter as the sponge filters dont really fit with the aquascaping look you are going for, glass pipes are cool but they only look cool when they are clean and a few days after cleaning they look pretty gross! I have stainless steel which is a nice middle point between the clunky plastic standard fittings and the glass - still have to clean them but not weekly. For me the Oase ones are the best options for this size tank because of the external heater and easy to clean pre filter - but they are expensive...

In terms of your Co2 and lighting just be careful with changing things too much I think 18 watts could be ok for a low dose of Co2, do you have a drop checker? Make sure you get used to getting your drop checker to a nice grass green through the day and back to blue on a night before you add fish.

Wills

Thanks! I think you're totally right, it doesn't really fit the look at all and it almost seems criminal to use a sponge filter in this tank. I do have an indicator for monitoring. I was planning to run this tank for a few weeks submerged with a dry start for a few weeks prior to that to let some growth occur. I will use that time to get my Co2 dialled in properly as well

I did actually wonder about the glass fittings and cleaning so I'm glad you brought that up. I think I will follow suit and go with stainless steel as well then. I think both materials look really nice in the tank and better than the standard plastic inlets. Those Oase Thermos do look cool, I like the fact the heater is integrated too. That would be one less thing to worry about. The Oase FiltoSmart Thermo 100 looks like it would be a good fit, I will do a bit of research through today. Really appreciate the recommendations!

No to putting the 2 gouramis together. They are probably both males and will fight if put in the same tank.

Thanks Colin, you're right they are both males! I will avoid any upset and just scrap that idea then. If anything it's a good excuse for another project after this one

 

[Jitsz]

I've been playing around with the hardscape today, have had a few various arrangements left sat throughout the day and think I've decided on something like this. I've not added the substrate yet so it will change slightly and slope towards the front. The rocks are welsh slate which I really love the look of, it reminds me of hiking over in Snowdonia

I think I will attempt to grow some moss over the driftwood, on the far right maybe wedge something between the 2 slabs. Think center back I will have an Alternanthera reineckii, thats been a plant I've had my heart set on for a while then have a bit of green either side. I haven't yet decided on a carpet, I'm thinking monte carlo though

 

[Jitsz]

Was a bit of a busy week so theres been quite a lot of updates but I've just not had time to write them up yet

Added a layer of plant growth and the aquasoil on top, altered the arrangement slightly raising the stone on the right slightly more upright and turning the driftwood so the central V shape is a bit more pronounced. After looking at this layout for a good 3-4 days I was happy with it and ready for the plants to go in so I submitted another order at Pro Shrimp.

Typically the lucky dip plants were out of stock… again… I did grab an Oase Thermo 100 after watching some reviews along with @Wills recommendation as I really did want to try to keep it as clean as possible.

Plant list as follows from foreground to background plan wise, I suppose it’s somewhat asian inspired but I didn’t want to let that totally dictate what I planted

• Eleocharis acicularis mini (Dwarf Hairgrass)
• Taxiphyllum Taiwan Moss (for between the rocks and on the driftwood)
• Cyperus helferi
• Alternanthera reneckii
• Hygrophila compact

I do also have some Alternanthera reneckii mini in another tank which is dosed with Excel, I will also transport some of that over to fill out the back a little between the green with some shorter clumps of red. I am a little wary of adding too much colour and potentially ruining the effect so maybe I'll move it once it grows out a bit I'm not sure yet.

Everything sort of stopped here for a day or 2 as I was at Wimbledon on Monday watching the tennis and was back so late I didn’t get round to planting till Tuesday.

Filled the tank slightly to plant, making sure all the soil was sodden I’ve never had any floaters so far doing it this way so being superstitious I did the same again I did however wait till the tank was filled before adding the moss to the driftwood. I don’t want to use any glue on this piece of wood and string wouldn't really work for where I wanted to add the moss so after filling I ended up wedging it in place and won’t trim or touch it for a good 4 weeks or so till I’m sure it’s attached.

The Alternanthera reneckii I ordered ended up coming a little beat up with the majority of the stems snapped which is a shame but it will recover in no time I’m sure.

I will post the next bit of this update a bit later on today with the filter and CO2 setup