Dave's 65 Gallon Tank

[Dave Pauls]

Ok well I am almost ready to plant this tank. The measurements are 48"x 18"x 18". I have four 4 foot flourescent tubes over it - 2 grow lights, 2 day lights. I have an aquaclear 500 filter, and a CO2 regulator, bubble counter, needle valve etc in the mail. I used eco-complete as a substrate, and I have a few nice pieces of bog wood in there. I filled it up with water two days ago with no lights to try and cycle it before I add any thing. I added a piece of sponge from a goldfish aquarium I have to get it started. the water got really cloudy from the substrate, so I am waiting for that to settle. it is doing good I think. I did a couple of 50% water chainges to help it along. it is mostly clear now. I did some tests on my water and found out that:
PH = 7.5
GH = 25
KH = 17
NO2 = <0.3mg/L
NH3,NH4 = 0mg/L
I am on a well, which is why my water is soo hard. any ways, I am planning on ordering plants and ferts online from AquariumPlants.com I have a plant list that I will post tomorow when I have more time. maybe I can get some pics too.
DAVE

 

[nry]

EcoComplete can cloud the water initially but it does clear, not usually the need to do a water change.

With enough plants (plus EcoComplete suggests it removes the cycle process) you probably won't see any ammonia or nitrIte, the plants will take it up as quick as it appears (unless, obviously, you dump two gallons of it in the tank!).

If you are planting heavily the suggestion from many is to add a small number of algae-eating creatures, amano shrimp, otocinculus etc. These will help keep algae break-outs down.

 

[Dave Pauls]

ok so the list of plants I am planing on ordering are:

Java Fern (Microsorium pteropus)
Java Fern, Lace (Microsorium pteropus v. ‘'Windelov')
Vals, Corkscrew (Vallisneria americana)
Sword, Red Melon (Echinodorus Barthii v. "red melon")
Sword, Amazon Compacta (Echinodorus bleheri 'compacta')
Coffeefolia (Anubias barteri v. ‘Coffeefolia’)
Tiger Lotus, Red (Nymphaea zenkeri)
Riccia Fluitans (grown on Lava Rocks)
Wendtii, Green (Cryptocoryne wendtii)
Wendtii, Red (Cryptocoryne wendtii)
Telanthera Rosefolia (Alternanthera reineckii)
Wisteria (Hygrophila difformis)

Please let me know if any of those will not make it in my tank. I know the crypts and the anubias will grow pretty slowly, but I think most of the others will be fast growing enough to keep the algae down. I am fully open to suggestions. I figure I will put my order in on monday. the plants ship a week from tuesday. thanks
DAVE

 

[lljdma06]

Java Fern (Microsorium pteropus)
Java Fern, Lace (Microsorium pteropus v. ‘'Windelov')
Vals, Corkscrew (Vallisneria americana)
Sword, Red Melon (Echinodorus Barthii v. "red melon")
Sword, Amazon Compacta (Echinodorus bleheri 'compacta')
Coffeefolia (Anubias barteri v. ‘Coffeefolia’)
Tiger Lotus, Red (Nymphaea zenkeri)
Riccia Fluitans (grown on Lava Rocks)
Wendtii, Green (Cryptocoryne wendtii)
Wendtii, Red (Cryptocoryne wendtii)
Telanthera Rosefolia (Alternanthera reineckii)
Wisteria (Hygrophila difformis)

Dave, if you are trying a high-tech tank, can I suggest that you reduce the number of slow growers on your list? You have quite a few. Your only fast growers are the Wisteria, and perhaps the vallis. The rest are either medium growers,slow-growers, or rootfeeders, which won't out-compete algae for nutrients in the water column. I suggest an initial planting with hardy stemplants, the resident algae busters (Egeria, rotala, wisteria, hygrophila polysperma, etc). These plants take their nutrients directly from the water column and are much better at competing with algae. Cover at least 60-75% of the substrate with these weeds. For sanity's sake, you can add a spattering of the slower growers and root feeders, but the primary planting should consist of mostly the weeds. This heavy planting will give you an edge over the algae.

This type of planting should be maintained for the first 3-6 months, while you sort out CO2, lighting, and fert issues, stocking, and tank maturation. Once this is finished, you can then gradually swap out the weeds for the plants you actually want (lawncovers, fine-leaved plants, slow-growers, etc). Layout, IMO, other than the hardscape is not important for the first 3-6 months of your tanks life, especially if this is your first high-tech.

Good luck. I look forward to seeing pictures when the tank is setup.

llj

 

[Castellop123]

 

[Dave Pauls]

Awesome. thanks for the tip llj. I kinda thought the swords would do more... I had them in my last tank, and they did AMAZING shooting out a couple of leaves every week. sooooo I scraped the big swords and lowered the numbers on the little ones. I scraped the Crypts, and added some more stem plants. the new list is....

Java Fern (Microsorium pteropus)
Java Fern, Lace (Microsorium pteropus v. ‘'Windelov')
Vals, Corkscrew (Vallisneria americana)
Sword, Amazon Compacta (Echinodorus bleheri 'compacta')
Coffeefolia (Anubias barteri v. ‘Coffeefolia’)
Tiger Lotus, Red (Nymphaea zenkeri)
Riccia Fluitans (grown on Lava Rocks)
Telanthera Rosefolia (Alternanthera reineckii)
Wisteria (Hygrophila difformis)
Rotala Magenta (Rotala macrandra v. 'narrow leaf')
Anacharis (Egeria densa)

oh ya, the numbers on the stem plants are way higher than on the others, so I figure I should have about 60% of the tank covered with them.... the drift wood is pretty big, and shades the front corner pretty well, so I am gona stick with the anubias in there and see what happens. I will draw up a planting plan soon.
DAVE

 

[lljdma06]

Awesome. thanks for the tip llj. I kinda thought the swords would do more... I had them in my last tank, and they did AMAZING shooting out a couple of leaves every week. sooooo I scraped the big swords and lowered the numbers on the little ones. I scraped the Crypts, and added some more stem plants. the new list is....

Java Fern (Microsorium pteropus)
Java Fern, Lace (Microsorium pteropus v. ‘'Windelov')
Vals, Corkscrew (Vallisneria americana)
Sword, Amazon Compacta (Echinodorus bleheri 'compacta')
Coffeefolia (Anubias barteri v. ‘Coffeefolia’)
Tiger Lotus, Red (Nymphaea zenkeri)
Riccia Fluitans (grown on Lava Rocks)
Telanthera Rosefolia (Alternanthera reineckii)
Wisteria (Hygrophila difformis)
Rotala Magenta (Rotala macrandra v. 'narrow leaf')
Anacharis (Egeria densa)

oh ya, the numbers on the stem plants are way higher than on the others, so I figure I should have about 60% of the tank covered with them.... the drift wood is pretty big, and shades the front corner pretty well, so I am gona stick with the anubias in there and see what happens. I will draw up a planting plan soon.
DAVE

It's not that swords are bad, it's just that they are root-feeders and will primarily uptake nutrients through the substrate via the roots. They are not as effective in combating with algae against nutrients in the water column. At least not at the same level as the algae-busting stemplants I mentioned, which absorb nutrients directly from the water column.

Switch out Rotala macrandra with Rotala rotundifolia. R. macrandra is a beautiful plant, but it can be really twitchy and is really best for a tank where the fert regimen is settled. It also doesn't take well to the rigors of pruning (stems are fragile) when it is getting established and will respond with slow growth. R. rotundifolia is much hardier for the initial planting. There is, however, no reason why you can't later switch to R. macrandra when the tank matures. Egeria densa is a cooler temperature plant, a really good option, since you're getting plants from Aquariumplant.come anyways is Egeria najas (E. densa's slender-leaved cousin). Has the same growth rate, and hardiness, but it does much better in the warmer temperatures of the tropical aquarium.

We at the planted tank section always love looking at little drawed-up planting plans! We are experts in Microsoft Paint.

llj

 

[Dave Pauls]

thanks llj, I switched the rotala to the rotundifolia, but they seem to be sold out of the E. Najas. soooo I guess I should scratch the egeria and go for something else. any more suggestions for a cheap fast growing weed that likes really hard water? ha ha
DAVE

 

[Castellop123]

You can't go wrong with Hygrophila Polysperma... It probably does does better in soft water, but it can addapt and thrive in so many conditions...

 

[lljdma06]

You can't go wrong with Hygrophila Polysperma... It probably does does better in soft water, but it can addapt and thrive in so many conditions...

H. polysperma will not be available in Aquariumplants.com, unless things have changed. It's achieved noxious weed status and there are states that won't allow it's distribution, so at least when I was buying, it was not available. Other options are Hygrophila difformis, which grows fast as well and will appreciate your high lighting. Limnophila either aquaticum or sessiliflora are good choices too.

 

[nry]

thanks llj, I switched the rotala to the rotundifolia, but they seem to be sold out of the E. Najas. soooo I guess I should scratch the egeria and go for something else. any more suggestions for a cheap fast growing weed that likes really hard water? ha ha
DAVE

I bought the last pot of nanjenshan, sorry

 

[Dave Pauls]

sooo my final list of plants is this

Java Fern (Microsorium pteropus)
Java Fern, Lace (Microsorium pteropus v. ''Windelov')
Sword, Amazon Compacta (Echinodorus bleheri 'compacta')
Vals, Corkscrew (Vallisneria americana) (10 plants per order)
Riccia Fluitans (grown on Lava Rocks)
Coffeefolia (Anubias barteri v. 'Coffeefolia')
Telanthera Rosefolia (Alternanthera reineckii)
Tiger Lotus, Red (Nymphaea zenkeri)
Wisteria (Hygrophila difformis)
Rotala Indica (Rotala roundifolia)
Cabomba Green (Cabomba carolina)

I duno if the cabomba will like my hard water, but I hear it is better than the other cabombas, and I like it so I'll try it. hopefully it will work out. I am getting my CO2 tank tomorow, but my regulator still isn't here. I ordered it from the states like 3 weeks ago, and still nothing. I'm starting to get worried. my plants will arive next wednesday or thursday.

 

[Dave Pauls]

ok so my plants got here on friday... 3 days after they were suposed to come, and with a huge head ache.... they decided I lived too much in the middle of nowhere to deliver the plants all in one day, so they put me on the 2 day delivery program... 2 buisness day that is.... so they were going to hold the plants till monday . luckily, my girlfriend was able to retreive the package with no harm done.
soooo I stuck them all in there. the Rotala roundifolia kinda took me forever. I ordered 4 bunches, and there were like 25 stems per bunch.... so several hours later, I had it all planted. I think it is going to look really good.

I don't much like the Rotala roundifolia, and I plan on replaceing it with something else in the future. I'm not too sure what yet, but for now it will keep the algae away... I hope. I don't have any fish yet. I think I might pick up a few ottos, and a couple of bristle nose pleco tomorow to help keep the tank algae free, and go from there. I also have to figure out this wonderfull art of aquarium photography. I got some riccia too, but it looks 3/4 dead. I am going to try and revive it by floating it in a little tub I guess.
I am runing the 2 of the lights for 8 hours, and the other 2 for 6 for now. I have the CO2 in the green, and I am doseing with a cap and a bit of flourish twice a week. I got some potasium phosphate, but I have to figure out what I am doing with it first. but I think soo far, so good.
DAVE

 

[lljdma06]

I don't much like the Rotala roundifolia, and I plan on replaceing it with something else in the future. I'm not too sure what yet, but for now it will keep the algae away... I hope. I don't have any fish yet. I think I might pick up a few ottos, and a couple of bristle nose pleco tomorow to help keep the tank algae free, and go from there. I also have to figure out this wonderfull art of aquarium photography. I got some riccia too, but it looks 3/4 dead. I am going to try and revive it by floating it in a little tub I guess.
I am runing the 2 of the lights for 8 hours, and the other 2 for 6 for now. I have the CO2 in the green, and I am doseing with a cap and a bit of flourish twice a week. I got some potasium phosphate, but I have to figure out what I am doing with it first. but I think soo far, so good.
DAVE

Give the rotala time. It usually comes in really pink from the vendor, which I personally think looks aweful. They grow these things under really bright metal hallides and everything is either too red or too pink. I much prefer the home aquarium look, which is much more sedate; predominantly green with a salmon-pink blush towards the top third, if the lighting is good. Much nicer. The leaves and stems also acquire a slightly thicker texture, which IMO, looks better too.

Hey, I noticed your photo link, are you on Facebook? I am.

 

[Dave Pauls]

Yea im on facebook. http/www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=515986040 thats me.

I'm glad the rotala will get less pink.... cuz well.... its pretty ugly. I was going to wait an other week to I got some swimmy fish, but I think I'm gona do it today. the tank has been runing for like 3 weeks now, 2 of them with no lights, I used eco complete as a substrate, and now it is 75% planted with fast growers.... so I figure tossing 20 neons in there along with 4 or 5 ottos, and 2 bristle nose cats won't do it any harm. maybe I am being impatient.... someone let me know in the next hour..... or it will be too late.... hmm. yeay fish.
DAVE