My Next Venture, 5' Tank Acquired

[JDs4me]

yes, I recall having to drag it the last 20M or so!

Hey HMDD dude, get that wallet out! What do you have planned?

The beast is nearly cycled; NH3 gone in 12hrs, NO2 in <24hrs...going to get the lighting off ebay (german twin T5 unit), already got LED's to stick on for moonlight; and a couple of powerheads (allowed the one on the 4' to burn out due to moss wrapping around the impeller...oops).

Should be ready for first stocking at beginning of august; can't wait! Soon be looking around for a dozen upside-down cats and half a dozen Congo Tetras to start...stock planning as on other thread with help from the experts:

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/401134-order-of-stocking/page__view__findpost__p__3374802

 

[JDs4me]

Tank now ready for fish...I have been looking for an LED low-light set up; one guy told me he could sort a 5' tank for about £700, another showed me a rod of 5050LED's; £140...I like this 3W LED lamp personally; £20. So impressed that I have ordered another for the anubia end of the tank, which will adequately do the job I feel...and this light is coming through the reedmat on top, which gives a nice effect on the sand and java leaves. All plants in here will not be light-dependant, quite happy with ambient so shoudn't be a problem, and all plants will be on the mopani.

What do you think, look good? I am happy with a £40 LED set-up!

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

The Bushfish and ABF are going to love the lurking in the shadows feel, very nice!

 

[JDs4me]

my thoughts exactly! can't wait to get them in there....and the congo tetras should contrast nicely if they turn out anything like the WOW specimens. I might look elsewhere though as I want to be reasonably sure of the right m/f ratio if getting just 6-8.

The powerhead works nicely in the tank...will probably remove the spraybar when stock goes in; just in there for O2ing the bacs...I think the africans I am looking for prefer more placid conditions and low O2 is not a big issue as this will mimic natural conditions, with the fish surfacing for air?

 

[JDs4me]

Now have the final LED lighting set up; added a set of three spots to lift the light level a little...

using pond spotlights but not submerging them as the ripple effect is lost.

The anubias seem OK; a few stems rotted off at the base but seems to be less leaf-loss now, the java seems happy, and the floating salvinia good so far; 10W total light from the pond lights and 2 Boyu led lamps above the reedmat