My New Seashell 60X18X24 Wdh

[minnnt]

I take full responsibility if this works... However, if it doesn't, then you can have it back.

Never knew you had that many different cories!!

 

[Tizer]

Had a day off work today, last night i decided to go a bit mental and remove all the plants from my tank so today i had to follow it through. At 7:30 i went to a big Tescos near me and picked up 5 bags of kitty litter, then to another Tescos for another 3. I had no idea how much i would need and 8 seemed like a good number! Little did i know it was 4 bags too much

Anyway, i cracked on and siphoned out 80% of the sand via a hose to a bucket then emptied it in the garden.

This drained 50% of the tank water leaving me some to siphon out into a plastic container which i was going to use to keep the fish in.

Caught some fish and put them into the container, my SAEs decided they wanted to jump out, so had to keep the lid on.

I scooped out a couple of dust pans worth of clay / cat litter on the left and carried on draining the water. By now it was a impossible to see anything in there so i just drained it down until nearly empty then caught the rest of the fish. Still not the easiest of tasks.

With all the fish out, i scooped out the rest of the clay and cleaned the tank out, by now it was midday already. Argh!

^^ had to put the hose in the bucket to defrost it...god it was cold today, 1 degree above freezing.

Then it was onto cleaning the cat litter.....3 hours later, i managed to get 4 bags done and decided it was enough. I was also looking after our 7 week old so this was doen between blubs! I've never had to clean anything so filthy in all my life, i swear its not just dust on it, but parts breaking up and making it cloudy too. I think i washed the first bag at least 30 times, stirring it with a wooden spoon and draining it off.

Anyway new kitty litter in and tank filled up:

Fish moved back!

Oh, any my new Ellioti, whos had a mental 24 hours, poor #28###.

Took me 10 hours in total, what a mission.

Plants go back in tomorrow, i dont have the energy tonight, cant decide what to replant and where, i dont want it as overgrown as i had it, i want to see my loaches more! Going to go Crypt mad i think. Have to ponder a scape tomorrow.

Now time for a few beers!

 

[minnnt]

Boooootiful!!! New substrate looks great, may give it a go mate. Ellioti looks good too

 

[Tizer]

Cheers

I'll do a decent pic tomorrow when the tanks not cloudy.

 

[stu40]

8 bags of kitty litter? They must think you've got a lion in the house

If you want any planting advise, ask someone else.
Seriously though, and without being to patronizing, the plants will keep for a few days.Have a good think about where the plants are going rather than just chucking em in anyway like me.

Whatever you do, i'm sure you'll do a good job of it.
Re baby sitting:who says men can't multi-task....

 

[Tizer]

Chucking em in anywhere seemed to work ok last time

Gonna bosh in all the crypts i got and the sag along the front and just see how it goes. In truth, in a few years time i expect my loaches the destroy all the plants anyway, so if i can get the crypts nicely rooted before then, and the tank stuffed full of them, i'll be happy Im not even all that bothered about the vallis grass this time around.

 

[minnnt]

Send me that aswell then...

 

[stu40]

Im not even all that bothered about the vallis grass this time around.

Yea Vallis is rubbish

 

[tribalbrit]

Good luck trying to get the plants to stay put. Pain in the backside with kitty litter. Especially stem plants.

 

[snake007]

You earned them beers mate

 

[fishprotector]

Sounds like a real mission to be honest. Your Ellioti looks gorgeous though

 

[garyspence84]

Cheese-oh! what a read!
Just red over this with my morning tea... but ran out of tea kettle back on!

Tanks lookin real good... and what dedication to 1 tank too... especially with a wean kickin about too, my 10 month old doesnt even let me get on with my water changes without it turning into a 'song and dance'

Good job though... well impressed

G

 

[M0RPH]

never thought of using kitty litter as substrate. spose it's cheaper than sand and gravel
nice tank can't wait to see it finished

 

[pdludbrooke]

Hey, I'm really interested in this Kitty litter substrate idea, I read that it may be difficult to keep the plants in place with the tesco one, how about having a layer of the clay litter and then the tesco low dust stuff on top ? Please Please please, let me know how you get on with this idea.
Also how will the plants get the nutrients they need ?
Will you use the tab things you put in ?

Thanks in advance, all this with the kitty litter is a very interesting, cost effective idea if it works.

 

[Tizer]

I wont put clay in my tank again, sod that for a game of soldiers. Plants get nutients from daily fert dosing so not really a problem. I like the look of this kitty litter now i've had a chance to sit and watch the fish. Im not all that bothered about plants at the moment, i've even turned off my CO2 supply. Keeping my eyes peels for some nice sized lumps of wood i can attach anubias and ferns to. \o/ Need a lower maintenanace tank for a while, plants can be hard work.