Amanda's 55g ~~tons & Tons Of Pics!

[ICEEGRL]

Thanks for the info! I am about to check out aquariumplants and aquariumgarden.

I just got my substrate and stuff ordered from bigalsonline. I got 2 med and 1 large branchy pieces of wood. (among other things...)

Will post more later, and let you know what I ended up getting.

 

[ICEEGRL]

I need some info...
How do you get the sand path to stay in place like this?
View attachment 44902
I love the way this looks and would love to try to do something similar.

 

[wendywc]

Wow, your tank is looking great Amanda. Don't worry about the 60 gallon; I haven't forgot you!

EDIT: FYI... the 60 gallon is 48" long X 12" wide X 24" tall.

 

[Squirrelbuddies]

First of all -- your tank looks really nice!

You asked a couple of times about the plastic brace. I have this on my 55 gallon and 72 gallon tank. On my 72 gallon, I use mounting legs for the light so it's perched over the tank. But on the 55, I have the light sitting right across the tank. Not exactly an ideal setup (as the light does not sit perfectly flat because the brace sticks up slightly. I havent' had any problems with the plastic melting -- but it's only a 56 watt light and does not get as hot as the light on the 72 gallon.

Also, as llj mentioned, aquariumplants.com is a good place to order from. I purchased plants twice from them (once was in the dead of Winter which is wicked cold here) and they arrived in great, healthy condition. Definitely, overnight is the way to go as they will not guarantee them otherwise.

And regarding, the cool looking sandy path in the picture -- I'm guessing it does not stay that way for long -- especially if you have active fish and good filter circulation! It looks like they have small rocks (pebbles) lined up on one side. That might help a little.

-sondra

 

[john starkey]

Hi there i think your setup would benefit from some java moss "vesicularia dubyana" (most common name) but incorrect name, true scientific name Taxiphyllum barbieri but still sold as vesicularia dubyana this moss would suit your setup really well, it is not too fussy on requirments and will does well with no co2 but seachem flourish excell will be fine as plant food, you will be able to trim this plant to any size you wish and create a nice lookin tank. good luck regards john.

 

[john starkey]

I need some info...
How do you get the sand path to stay in place like this?
View attachment 44902
I love the way this looks and would love to try to do something similar.

Hi ICEE what you need to do is get some flexible plastic and tape it to the tank floor to the shape you want, you have to buy some type of bright sand then you just pour in your planting media either side of the plastic then your bright sand in the middle, when you take out the plastic you should have a nice clean divieded substrate. regards john

 

[ICEEGRL]

Thanks tons everyone! I looked at that site, but the prices were a bit high and with the shipping too...I don't have enough to make it worth it right now.
I ended up ordering from aquariumgarden and aquadisestore. I may regret it later, but it was the only way I could get most of the plants I was after. Neither one had mosses or anubias nana petite. I am still hunting them.
I ordered all my other stuff from big al's. I got some more substrate, filter stuff, food, air pumps, and all kinds of other stuff. I got 1 large and 2 medium pieces of what they called "branchy wood". I really hope it looks good! In the example it looked similar to what is in the picture above. I hope it is at least close enough to fake it.

Can you use suran wrap or something to line the path to keep it from mixing? Then I could line it with some rocks to cover the top and keep the fish from getting to the plastic. Would that work? I have eco-complete as the substrate. Would it work better if I used a light color gravel instead of the sand?

Thanks!

 

[Dave Spencer]

A piece of good old card will work as a divider for when you pour the sand in. Using gravel for the path could work, as long as it contrasts sufficiently with the rest of the substrate, and it may well be easier to keep than a sand one. Like Sondra said, there are stones lining the path to keep the sand and gravel from mixing. I dare say that for the purpose of this photograph Hoang Quan would have sucked up the top layer of sand and put in some fresh. The path should be easy to maintain, but will just need a little sorting out prior to the knockout pictures you are going to post.

To answer your earlier question about wood, I just pick up interesting looking pieces on my travels. I make sure the wood has been dead for a long time ie. all or most of the bark has fallen off. Make sure that the wood is not rotting either. I give it a good shake to get rid of any critters before I take it home especially if it is winter time when the central heating in my house would bring all sorts of insects out of hibernation. Then I bake it in the oven to kill off anything living I don`t want introduced in to the tank. Unfortunately, bigger branches have to be cut up to fit in the oven, but they can be put back together. Usually, I scrub the surface of the wood with a scourer and water to remove as much of the tannin as I can, but I soon get fed up with this. You can buy wood mail order, but you never know what you are going to get.

Dave.

 

[ICEEGRL]

Thanks everyone!

What kind of plastic would you use that will curve so the path wouldn't have to be streight?
If the divider doesn't stay in it would allow them to mix too much. I may check out the gravel colors, and try to find some rocks. I have some sand, but I am afraid that I won't be able to keep it in place and the other stuff out of it. There will be a lot of corys in this tank.

What kind of card?

I ordered 3 pieces of wood that I hope will look something like what is in the picture. The example picture on the site did. I guess I will see when it gets here.

 

[ICEEGRL]

With eco-complete substrate what color would the path need to be?
Would you do light brown, off white, or white?
If I do go with gravel, would I still need a divider in the substrate or would it stay in place?

Thanks

 

[lljdma06]

With eco-complete substrate what color would the path need to be?
Would you do light brown, off white, or white?
If I do go with gravel, would I still need a divider in the substrate or would it stay in place?

Thanks

I doubt the substrate would stay in place. Have you seen the plastic dividers used to divide fish tanks, the type with the little holes? It is a flexible plastic and cutting it to the size you want may be a good solution, though I think there are better options. I've never tried not mixing substrate, I've always mixed it.

A dark substrate with a white path would look a little strange to me, but that's just my opinion. A path through the tank doesn't give me the impression of duplicating an aquatic environment, but a terrestrial one. The tank picture you've shown, looks like an environment I'd find in some of the Beaches in the Caribbean, moss or epyphite-covered trees, broad-leaf plants with red markings, a sand path, philodendrons and ferns on the bottom. It looks very tropical to me. Many times in that situation the substrate can also look quite different. Where the plants are growing, it tends to be darker because of the decaying vegitation and the path wil then be pure sand.

An aquatic substrate with a mixed substrate would usually have substrate mixing in an area. You'd have sand on one side, an area of then sand with smallish gravel, and then another mix with larger stones. Or, you'd have a sand substrate with spatterings of larger pebbles that then would then concentrate in a area. The color change would be then much less dramatic.

These are however, just my impressions on the subject. Others may have better opinions.

llj

 

[ICEEGRL]

Ok... I must be having a duh moment...
Please explain that again. What are you suggesting? Do you mean to use a dark color and let it mix and add some rocks on one side or what?
Sorry. I have these moments when my brain seems to go on vacation without me sometimes.

Thanks

Here are a few pics of what the tank looks like right now.





Look at the water level... does it look like it may be off level to you?

I will update when my new stuff gets here. That is when the changes will start.

Thanks

 

[ICEEGRL]

Some of the plants I have ordered are...
contortion and corkscrew vals, rotala wallichi and indica, ludwigia repens and arcuata, narrow leaf java fern, echinodorus rose and tenellus, bacopa monnieri and caroliniana, anubias nana, and alternanthera reineckii roseafolia.

Out of all of those I should find at least a few that likes my tank... I hope.
I can't decide on moss. I really like weeping moss, willow moss, and flame moss a lot. There are others that I like too, but I am trying to narrow the list to the ones I like the very best. It is so hard to decide!

I have to get some rest now. I have got to get up in 6 hours to get ready to go see my son. It is family day. He is in a military program. We don't get to see him much. He graduates next month! Then he says he is signing up for another one for job training. I am really proud of him and what he has accomplished, but I miss my boy.

I will post again tomorrow evening.

 

[nry]

I would be tempted to move the wood around a bit. You have an almost mirror effect with the left of the tank pretty much matching the right of the tank which, whilst it seems balanced, doesn't look quite right. I'm wondering if you could move all of the wood together and arrange it as a single patch of wood, 1/3 into the tank from either the left or right side?

 

[ICEEGRL]

I have some more substrate on the way. It is due to get here on the 7th. I am planning on playing with it a bit then. I have some new wood ordered for it that (I hope) will work better. It should be here the same time.
I am going to be busy either Thursday or Friday.(depending on what time they deliver my stuff)
I am so ready for it to get here. I love getting stuff for the tank! It is almost like Christmas.
I don't like the way the wood is sitting either.
I will update when the stuff gets here.