My Cliff Face Journal With Riverbed/path

[Dan-CR4]

Since I will be getting my tank in less than 2 weeks, I thought I would start my journal. Some of you may have seen that I have made my own cabinet and ND Aquatics are supplying the tank. The hood will be made by me once the tanks arrives, if you have not seen my build of the cabinet the link is in my signature. Im upgrading from juwel vision 180 and buying most stuff new, the only stuff I am taking over to the new tank will be the co2 setup but getting a new external atomizer and of course the filter media.

Onto the journal : Heres a list of what I got and what I still need to get


Tank : New ND Aquatics 266 Litres (got)
Cabinet : Built see link in sig (got)
Hood : To be built
Filters : 2x 1500lph probably less with media (got)
Heater : External Hydor 300w (got)
Light controllers : Hagen Glo T5 TWIN LIGHT STARTER 2 X 39w (got)
Bulbs/Lamps : 2x T5 39 Watt Grolux & 2x 39 Watt Philips de Luxe Pro T5 965 (got)
Co2 : DIY 2kg FE setup with external Atmomizer (got)
Substrate : 44 litres of moler clay (got)
Substrate 2 :some kind of shingle (got to get)
Hardscape rock : Want a nice big bit of rock. (got one so far)
Hardscape wood : got one piece with 50% of it covered in xmas moss, want to get some redmoor wood.
Plants : I have got java ferns, and a few others but will be buying more, do want a nice carpet of some sort. ideas?
Ferts : Ei Starter kit from aquariumplantfood.co.uk (got)

I think thats it, until the next time i look around and say could do with one of them.

Design idea :

What im wanting to do is have a hill/mountain on the right with a rock face leading down into a river bed/path sort of thing using pea shingle, then heading slightly uphill to the left with the redmoor wood surrounded by plants and moss. The front of the tank to the left and right of the riverbed I want to do a carpet of the same plant, now I would like you guys to give me some guidance on this plant that you think would work as a carpet.

If you think I have missed something that I need or can give me any ideas to improve my design idea, please let me know as im really wanting this to work and need all the help I can get.

I will keep this updated as it progresses.

TIA

 

[Dan-CR4]

Just a small update a bad photoshop design

Well today my external co2 atomizer arrived, so thats one less thing im waiting on. done a water change today on my juwel 180 and took all the media out of the old filter rinsed it in the old tank water and put it in one of the new filters, and boy did I notice a difference on flow, my old filter never did that after a clean. Im worried now that I might not need two in there, the only reason I wanted two was really for flow and have less stuff in the tank like powerheads. will have to see how the fish like two filters and how the flow is once the new tank arrives.

ok get ready to laugh, photoshop skills are not good so I will tell you that before I go on.

The idea on this design is to get a large rock that will look like a cliff face and the substrate running up the sides and covering the top back part of the rock, then there will be a riverbed/path and to the left again it rising slightly with a nice piece of redmoor wood with xmas moss and java ferns on and surrounding it. Up front I want a nice carpet plant of some sort that you think will work with my lights and setup (see first post for details). please recommend me a few carpet plants that you think will look nice.

If you need anymore info please ask, all comments welcomed (except my skills at photoshop )

 

[minnnt]

Has the making of a great tank imo.

you have more than enough light to grow any carpeting plant you want. Glossostigma or HC would be the obvious choice.

 

[Dan-CR4]

Has the making of a great tank imo.

you have more than enough light to grow any carpeting plant you want. Glossostigma or HC would be the obvious choice.

Thanks for the reply, the lighting was what I was worried about mostly. Think I might go for HC, just got to work out how many pots of the stuff I will need to get a nice start.

Update : Ordered me main substrate - 44 litres of molar clay, 30 litres of large size and 14 litres of fine. Got to get some small shingle and the substrates are sorted.

 

[minnnt]

How about both?

 

[Dan-CR4]

How about both?

Maybe, still not sure on the full layout of plants, but dont want loads of different species, want to keep it simple but nice to look at plus a nice enviornment for me fish.

Another Small Update :

Took Delivery of my 44 litres of molar clay today Started to rinse it and boy is this stuff dusty, after 7 rinses on each half a bucket, the water still aint perfectly clear. The colour of the water on the first rinse, is dark as a strong cup of hot chocolate.

I do like the colour of the molar clay when its wet, so far I have done half the bag of the big stuff, then once all the big stuff is done I got the finer stuff to do. I have taken a picture of it wet and dry and I will upload that later.

I also ordered me lights this morning off lampspecs and yesterday I moved the juwel vision 180 and fish into the bedroom so I could get me home made cabinet into place ready for the tank next thursday. At last its all coming together, but so far thats the easy job, the hardest job is trying to get a good hardscape and then getting the right plants. I know what I want but knowing and getting it to look how I want it will be a different story I think.

 

[Dan-CR4]

As promised heres some pics of the larger molar clay

Here it is dry, very dusty.

Here it is wet.

The rinsing process, lovely colour water for a fish tank

Have half a pint on me

 

[minnnt]

The colour is amazing! Love it! Hurry up with it all, can't wait to see it done! Bet your hating it!

 

[Dan-CR4]

The colour is amazing! Love it! Hurry up with it all, can't wait to see it done! Bet your hating it!

I just want the tank to get here now, the past week has gone so slow. I just hope ND dont phone and say there is a delay on the tank. theres so may ideas on hardscape going through my brain, I keep looking at everyones scapes and think I want it like that, then change me mind when I see the enxt one, but im gonna stick with the one above and see how I like it once its together.

for the rocks I was thinking dragon rock, I have seen some pictures of it and it looks sharp and jagged, and my keyholes scarper if they get spooked and I am a bit worried they might hurt themselves on it. anyone think dragon rock would be ok?

 

[minnnt]

Can't imagine it being a problem. Never used it, but it does look good if you can find some nice big pieces.

Just a thought... Are you sure that when the tank comes you will be able to fill it straight away? Don't want to burst your bubble or anything, but they usually have a sticker in saying 'don't fill until xx/xx/xxxx'

 

[Dan-CR4]

Can't imagine it being a problem. Never used it, but it does look good if you can find some nice big pieces.

Just a thought... Are you sure that when the tank comes you will be able to fill it straight away? Don't want to burst your bubble or anything, but they usually have a sticker in saying 'don't fill until xx/xx/xxxx'

Yeah, I know that sometimes ND have had stickers on thier tanks stating a certain "fill not before date", that will make it even worse, it sitting here and I cant touch it, but at least it will be here and I can get on with making the hood and setting the lights up on the hood.

I wont be able to plant up til the following week at least, as the tank arrives thursday and I will order the plants over that weekend for delivery mid weekish, if they got what I want.

 

[minnnt]

Good mate, as long as you're aware. You could still add the substrate and get it in the right order.

 

[Dan-CR4]

A little update

Now got me second light starter unit. Also got myself a nice rock, still looking for more, cost me a whopping £3.50. So tomorrow is delivery day for the tank but cant get to work on the hood till the evening as the whole street is having a power cut tomorrow from 8am til 4pm I am itching to get the hood done.

Stuuf I still got to get : small bag of gravel/shingle, some plants, some wood and a few more rocks. Had man flu for the last 5 days so not done a thing and not really gone looking for wood or rocks.

will take photos tomorrow when the tank arrives.

 

[Dan-CR4]

Tank arrived this morning at 9.30am, so happy that its here, looks really nice. Now got to wait till the 11th before I can fill it, but thats ok as I got to build the hood first.