My Aquaqube 40

[arif_93]

hi all.
i got this aquaqube off ebay but it has just sat there for a few weeks ive been really busy but i set it up yesterday and heres a few pics
sorry for the cloudiness of the water will clear up as the week goes on hopefully.
in there is 2.8kg of tetraplant substrate, 2k of black beach gravel and 2.5kg of pea gravel mixed with a bit of flourite( the pea gravel was only added cuz i didnt have enough gravel for the plants .
the filter is an aqua flow 1 that came with the tank.
heating is a yinsheng 50 watt heater off of ebay
and the lightin is a 18 watt clip on light that also came with the tank. ( 2.2 wpg and im not gonna use co2)
the plants are 3 amazon swords including a huge ruffled sword which i mite take out.
7 of 8 val.
and 3 or 4 other stem plants.
my budget for this tank without fish was 100 pounds im currently on 84 pounds.

but i am, gettin these thing all for free
a 5 inch bogwood with anubius nana attached to it (this will be my centre peice)
riccia
5 stems of wisteria
4 micro/carpet saggitaria
4 saggitaria natans
i hope to make a kind og grass carpet with the micro saggitaria once it arrives
and with the riccia i will cover to slate to make a riccia carpet
i am also gettin 2 clumps of hc from a frie dwhich i hope to make carpet with that
so after all this my total sending on this tank is exactly 100 pounds including all the delivery costs bang on target
and also i will buy 4 cherry shrimp and 6 ember tetras but as it is my birthday on may 7th monday, i think i will be abe to buy these.
heres the links to veiw pics of the tank 1 day old :
sorry for cloudiness in tank and my phone camera quality doesnt help
http/i154.photobucket.com/albums/s266/ar.../DSC00078-1.jpg
http/i154.photobucket.com/albums/s266/ar.../DSC00077-1.jpg
http/i154.photobucket.com/albums/s266/arif_93/DSC00076.jpg

advice and critism alike welcomed

 

[nry]

In a small tank like this, 2.5wpg is actually low light, so less need for CO2. I've been running 18w over 5.5 gallons and plants do nowhere near as well as they do in my 15 gallon with 36w even though both technically have very similar wpg ratings (I use Flourish Excel in the 5.5 and CO2 in the 15).

 

[arif_93]

In a small tank like this, 2.5wpg is actually low light, so less need for CO2. I've been running 18w over 5.5 gallons and plants do nowhere near as well as they do in my 15 gallon with 36w even though both technically have very similar wpg ratings (I use Flourish Excel in the 5.5 and CO2 in the 15).

so what if i used 38 watts in my cube my cube is actually 40 galls 8.8gallons so it will work out as 4.3wpg or is this too much i dont want to use co2 cuzill go vover budget

 

[nry]

I'd stick with the original light initially and see how things go. If I was not concentrating my efforts on moving to EI on my 15 gallon I'd be looking at upgrading lighting and adding CO2 to the 5.5 gallon but for now I can't do both.

 

[nielsamd]

Cool. I'm also setting up an Aquacube 40. Will probably add another 11 watts light (Arc Pod) or more to the 18 watts it comes with. Have an old 1970s era huge HOB filter case that I will build into a one-stop flitration/CO2/heating/refugiuum* unit to reduce in-tank clutter. Also found a Dennerle 4 watt substrate heating cable I will try `beacuse its there'. Would like to try a sort of mini-trench effect with aquascaping..i.e. twin mini-towers of planted wood or rock and a carpeted trench between the two and crypts all round. Would like to try to stock with cherry shrimp and Dwarf/Chain (sidthimunkii) loaches and see if I can get baby shrimp to survive if not in the tank then sucked into the filter i.e. *refugiuum.
That is the plan. Just waiting for some parts...