Hi Guys, I've been on here for over a year but never really an active poster. I've recently purchased a Juewl Rio 180 and i'm about to start my first real aquascape. Last year I made a DIY Co2 planted aquarium but that was a disaster (yeast leaked into tank while on holiday, came back to a green algae mess) But anyway, I'm about to try again!
Apologies for the size of this post but my aim is to create a kind of blog that people can follow, offer assistance, advice and maybe even see their suggestions in the final aquascape. I'm a relative beginner so it could also be helpful to other newbies, to prove it can actually be done.
Tank Information
Juwel Rio 180 (180 Litres)
2 x 45W T5 (Stock yellow and white juwel tubes)
2x 39W T5 (Sylvania Grolux (pink) and Phillips (white))
Tetratec EX 700 External Filter (700l/h)
Small pump from wall mounted tank for extra flow (200l/h)
2kg Pressurised Co2
Azoo regulator and solenoid (On its way)
Medium size co2 diffuser (ebay)
TPN+
1x Black Gavel Base Layer
3x Flourite Black Top Layer
Tanks Current State
So far I have added the gravel, and that is about it. Im making sure the tank is cycled before planting as I think i killed off a lot of the bacteria in the filter when I swapped from my old tank to this. Water is still a bit cloudly (not sure if its bacterial bloom or flourite) I've done 50% water changes, yesterday and today. I'm not dosing co2 yet and the plants in there are just because I had them left over, they'll be removed when I start aquascaping.
What I would like the final tank to look like
I really like the following images and would like my aquascape to look simillar. I especially like the way the 2 parts are seperated with a kind of "path", located using the 1:1618 ratio that is oh so important
Questions
a) Will my layer of flourite be sufficient for plants to roots efficently and to create an effect of depth. It's 2.5 inches at the front and 4.5 inches at the back. (I can't afford anymore so its irrelevant, but nice to know anyway!)
b) I have 4 T5 lights, i was thinking about 10-12 hour lighting. The 2x 45W juwel lights on from 12:00 til 22:00. And the 2x 39W Sylvania/Phillips on from 16:00 til 19:00 as a 'midday' blast. I chose this time because its when I get home from college and i prefer the extra lighting to view the fish. Is this okay?
c) Seeing as I have 3 different coloured bulbs (2x white, 1x yellow and 1x pink), should I put these in a certain arrangement e.g pink at the front so that the low growing carpets get the most useful light? Or is it irrelevant?)
d) I'm presuming the usual 30 minutes before lights on an 30 minutes before lights off applies to the co2?
e) Will the filtration be sufficient providing I do the weekly 50% water changes planned? I don't have any money to upgrade this but it's nice to know if its severely lacking?
f) Will TPN+ be okay and what dosing would you recommend based on my lighting, substrate etc?
g) At the moment I have my spray bar above the water line, hidden, blowing water into the top of the tank. Is this sufficient or should it be at one end of the tank, or under the water - This is my first external filter so I don't really have a clue.
h) This is the main reason I started this topic. I'd like the users here to post their ideas of how I should arrange the tank, which species of plants to use etc. I was hoping members would post a top view plan, and using these plans I could create a group plan encorporating all the features I like and then blogging the progress? This would help me as i'm not the most imaginative and I thought it would also be nice for members here to be able to see their ideas take shape and follow the progress. I'm sure loads of you have ideas but not enough tanks to try it out on! If any of you have spare time I'd really love some ideas, including the names of the species used. Hopefully this could turn into a huge topic and a real diary, showing the problems, as well as the solutions to the problems many face when creating their first planted aquarium.
I hope I haven't bored you, and you're still reading. I'd really like this topic to take off. I'll probably think of more questions throughout the process but that is all for now
If anyone has any suggestions about anything or needs anymore information on my setup, please let me know. You guys are way more experienced than I am and i'd appreciate your guidance and advice.
Yours, Andy
Apologies for the size of this post but my aim is to create a kind of blog that people can follow, offer assistance, advice and maybe even see their suggestions in the final aquascape. I'm a relative beginner so it could also be helpful to other newbies, to prove it can actually be done.
Tank Information
Juwel Rio 180 (180 Litres)
2 x 45W T5 (Stock yellow and white juwel tubes)
2x 39W T5 (Sylvania Grolux (pink) and Phillips (white))
Tetratec EX 700 External Filter (700l/h)
Small pump from wall mounted tank for extra flow (200l/h)
2kg Pressurised Co2
Azoo regulator and solenoid (On its way)
Medium size co2 diffuser (ebay)
TPN+
1x Black Gavel Base Layer
3x Flourite Black Top Layer
Tanks Current State
So far I have added the gravel, and that is about it. Im making sure the tank is cycled before planting as I think i killed off a lot of the bacteria in the filter when I swapped from my old tank to this. Water is still a bit cloudly (not sure if its bacterial bloom or flourite) I've done 50% water changes, yesterday and today. I'm not dosing co2 yet and the plants in there are just because I had them left over, they'll be removed when I start aquascaping.
What I would like the final tank to look like
I really like the following images and would like my aquascape to look simillar. I especially like the way the 2 parts are seperated with a kind of "path", located using the 1:1618 ratio that is oh so important
Questions
a) Will my layer of flourite be sufficient for plants to roots efficently and to create an effect of depth. It's 2.5 inches at the front and 4.5 inches at the back. (I can't afford anymore so its irrelevant, but nice to know anyway!
)b) I have 4 T5 lights, i was thinking about 10-12 hour lighting. The 2x 45W juwel lights on from 12:00 til 22:00. And the 2x 39W Sylvania/Phillips on from 16:00 til 19:00 as a 'midday' blast. I chose this time because its when I get home from college and i prefer the extra lighting to view the fish. Is this okay?
c) Seeing as I have 3 different coloured bulbs (2x white, 1x yellow and 1x pink), should I put these in a certain arrangement e.g pink at the front so that the low growing carpets get the most useful light? Or is it irrelevant?)
d) I'm presuming the usual 30 minutes before lights on an 30 minutes before lights off applies to the co2?
e) Will the filtration be sufficient providing I do the weekly 50% water changes planned? I don't have any money to upgrade this but it's nice to know if its severely lacking?
f) Will TPN+ be okay and what dosing would you recommend based on my lighting, substrate etc?
g) At the moment I have my spray bar above the water line, hidden, blowing water into the top of the tank. Is this sufficient or should it be at one end of the tank, or under the water - This is my first external filter so I don't really have a clue.
h) This is the main reason I started this topic. I'd like the users here to post their ideas of how I should arrange the tank, which species of plants to use etc. I was hoping members would post a top view plan, and using these plans I could create a group plan encorporating all the features I like and then blogging the progress? This would help me as i'm not the most imaginative and I thought it would also be nice for members here to be able to see their ideas take shape and follow the progress. I'm sure loads of you have ideas but not enough tanks to try it out on! If any of you have spare time I'd really love some ideas, including the names of the species used. Hopefully this could turn into a huge topic and a real diary, showing the problems, as well as the solutions to the problems many face when creating their first planted aquarium.
I hope I haven't bored you, and you're still reading. I'd really like this topic to take off. I'll probably think of more questions throughout the process but that is all for now
If anyone has any suggestions about anything or needs anymore information on my setup, please let me know. You guys are way more experienced than I am and i'd appreciate your guidance and advice.
Yours, Andy
This is good. I am desparate to rescape my 8g, but my Italy tripped wiped me out and I need to recover a bit financially before I make the investment. 
