Squirrel's 72 Gallon Planted Tank

[Squirrelbuddies]

Well, as I say good-bye to my 29, 38 & 55 gallon planted tanks, I say hello to a beautiful 72 gallon bowfront! This is where I'm at so far:

72 US Gallons
48X18X22 inches
Lighting: 170 watts, 6700K bulbs
Filtration: Eheim 2026 Pro II, Eheim Classic 2213
Substrate: 3mm black gravel, with laterite underneath
CO2: pressurized (regulator w/solenoid being delivered tomorrow...)
Fertilisation: Haven't started yet.

Plants:
Anubias hastifolia
Anubias nana
Cabomba carolina
Echinodorus bleheri
Echinodorus tennelus
Hydrocotyle leucocephala
Hygrophila difformis
Microsorium pteropus
Rotala Indica (roundifolia)
Nymphaea lotus Zenkeri
Sagittaria platyphylla
Vallisneria spiralis

Decor:
3 pieces of bogwood

Fish:
8 Congo tetras
2 Pearl gouramis
3 Boesmani rainbow fish
1 red velvet swordtail
5 Otos
8 cories
7 neon tetras
1 white cloud mountain minnow
1 kribensis (male)

The filters, fish, decor and plants were all taken from other tanks (which saved me a ton of $$$$ !) I'll post pics later tonight. The water is still pretty hazy (and probably will be for a couple of weeks due to the new substrate.)

Two great discoveries: Ocean Visions self-adhesive background and Eheim installation sets!!

This is the largest tank I've ever had! The stand is really nice - it's an Oceanic and it's pretty tall. I need a step ladder now to plant the tank!!

 

[lljdma06]

Yeah, me first, me first!!! Whooopie!!!!!!!!!!! I'm the first to post in your NEW THREAD! Congratulations! I do the fishy dance for you in celebration.


Whoa! A bit too much caffiene there, I'll tone it down a bit.
Great, I'm glad you were able to setup already. What did you do with the 4 female kribs?

Can't wait to see pictures! Where did yo find 3mm black gravel? Need to know!

 

[Squirrelbuddies]

Both of the fish stores I go to carry the black gravel. On average, it's 3mm --depending on the bag, sometimes it's smaller sometimes larger.

Once it's dark, I'll take a few pics of the tank!

I still have the female kribs. I have the male in the big tank and the four girls in the 38 gallon. I raised them so I'm somewhat attached -- but I can't put them in with the male - otherwise, it will be chaos and I'll have a zillion little kribs! I'm hoping my daughter will want the 38 gallon tank and the four kribs and five cats to go with it!

 

[Themuleous]

I'll join Llj and FKNM by saying 'wooohooo' and a big to the new tank. 72g is a hell of a tank, you'll have so much space you'll not know what to do with it all! You gonna put a stonking great piece of bogwood in it?

You doing EI? That'll be a mission, 36g water change each week!

 

[JArtiles305]

Hey Squirrelbuddies, congrats on the tank. I hope your tank is a complete sucess.

What sort of lighting system do you have overhead?

Pics? We need pics!

Give us more info on where you plan to head with this tank.

 

[Squirrelbuddies]

Thanks for the replies! Pics will have to wait until tomorrow, though. Batteries need a recharge. Hopefully, the tank will be less hazy, too.

Llj -- thanks for the fishy dance!

Sam --Hmmm....EI with a tank that size - yeh, that's a lot of water to change each week. I think I'm just going to start off with Trace only at this time and see how it goes. I have the ferts ready though, just in case I go that route. (I think I'd probably get a Python at that point!)

Regarding the driftwood -- I have three pieces in there all touching so it looks (kind of) like one long piece.

JArtiles -- I have two lights. I have a 130 watt fixture and a 40 watt fixture (I scarfed from the 55 gallon tank.) Both are 6700k. I honestly don't know if this is enough light or not. It looks quite bright. I ran my other tanks between 2 and 2.5 WPG and the plants I had all did fine. I tend to go with easy care, low to moderate light plants.

FKNM -- I hope to not fall in!! What a sight that would be!

 

[Luke_e]

Wow, a 72g planted tank.. this is going to be amazing with so much choice and room to play with!
I bet the costs will be multiplied though lol.

 

[JArtiles305]

JArtiles -- I have two lights. I have a 130 watt fixture and a 40 watt fixture (I scarfed from the 55 gallon tank.) Both are 6700k. I honestly don't know if this is enough light or not. It looks quite bright. I ran my other tanks between 2 and 2.5 WPG and the plants I had all did fine. I tend to go with easy care, low to moderate light plants.

Is there any chance you can get a pic of your light set-up? I'm going through some trouble figuring out how to light this thing, lol. There are really so many combo's/options it's exhausting.

Thanks.

 

[Squirrelbuddies]

Here's a pic of the light setup. The black fixture is a standard issue All-Glass with a 40 watt Life-Glo bulb (6700K). The fixture behind it is a Coralife with two 65 watt power compact bulbs (also 6700k). Total of 170 watts.

The Coralife will sit up a little higher once the legs are mounted. Right now I have it sitting on shims so it's not setting directly on the glass.

The tank is actually pretty bright although it doesn't look it with this angle.

I took other pictures of the tank but since it's still daylight here, there is too much glare. Will try again tonight (during the commercial breaks of the final episode of "24"!!)

And, hooray!! My CO2 regulator arrived today! I still need to order a glass diffuser. Can I use one of my Nutra fin ladders in the meantime??

 

[Squirrelbuddies]

ok, here's a couple of shots. Water is still rather hazy.

I look forward to the background plants growing tall. They fit just right in the smaller tanks but look a little lost in here. And yes, that's a lamp reflection in the first picture. I forget that total darkness is needed for these to come out right!

 

[James40]

WOW, looks great

 

[[email protected]]

Very nice! I was just about to ask you to post some more pics. Congrats on the new tank.

Enjoy!

 

[Luke_e]

Cracking tank Squirrel, substrate and palnts go well together like yours!

 

[JArtiles305]

Very nice tank. It's going to look even better once it fills in a bit.

What's in the background? Cabomba, Wysteria, and Vallis?

 

[Puffer punk]

dont think its cobumba i think its ambula......


very nice tank