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Big Tank, what would you do?

33K views 209 replies 50 participants last post by  Freemananana 
#1 ·
I got a large hand me dowm tank. previous owner figured it to be about 88 gallons. it came with one florescant light. a duel bio wheel hang on the back filter, and air pump and under gravel system.
I can just barely reach the bottom of the tank using a step stool, so I want to keep the plantings simple. and I want to keep the lighting as is though I can up grade the bulb.
so given what I am starting with what would you do with it and what would you house it with as far as flora/fauna?
 
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#29 ·
Neatfish that does look about the same, but MUCH cleaner than the one I procured! I am still working on getting the glass clean!

I really like the look of this,
http://youtu.be/gNYJMuX7LAA

or this one with the plantings being all on the drift wood...
http://youtu.be/tPVjxtVQJgU
 
#31 ·
wow - so much negativity and lack of creativity! I think it's a really cool tank - not everything has to be high tech, etc. My own tanks are all low tech. The Diamond Plate 48" double bulb (you supply your own bulbs) T8 fixture from Home Depot gives very good medium par light per Hoppy's par tests. I use it on a 22" deep 125g tank and the light is so intense that for a low tech tank, I should raise the light several inches! She could use some fantastic complex driftwood as her focal point, and cover it in various anubia, bolbitis, java ferns (all kinds - needle-leaf would flow beautifully with the use of Koralias or similar circulation pumps) and whatnot, mid way in the tank or so. Those plants feed from the water column, and there's no need to plant at the bottom at all if she doesn't want to. It could be a bare bottom tank, making it easier to siphon debris & mulm up - I know my siphons come with all sorts of extensions.

The more I look at it, the more I wish I had a tank like that!
 
#34 ·
wow - so much negativity and lack of creativity! I think it's a really cool tank - not everything has to be high tech, etc. My own tanks are all low tech. The Diamond Plate 48" double bulb (you supply your own bulbs) T8 fixture from Home Depot gives very good medium par light per Hoppy's par tests. I use it on a 22" deep 125g tank and the light is so intense that for a low tech tank, I should raise the light several inches! She could use some fantastic complex driftwood as her focal point, and cover it in various anubia, bolbitis, java ferns (all kinds - needle-leaf would flow beautifully with the use of Koralias or similar circulation pumps) and whatnot, mid way in the tank or so. Those plants feed from the water column, and there's no need to plant at the bottom at all if she doesn't want to. It could be a bare bottom tank, making it easier to siphon debris & mulm up - I know my siphons come with all sorts of extensions.

The more I look at it, the more I wish I had a tank like that!
ok I REALLY am liking this !
Needle leaf? go to look that up. and I did not think of a circulation pump, those are the ones with just a power head right?
and I am thinking a simple sand bottom and an Earth Eater or two to keep it nice and turned
move my Tourquois Rainbows into it and a bunch of headlight tail lights.
 
#35 ·
This is a piece of needle leaf java fern in my tank. When you google it you will see some incredible scapes done with it!



As for circulation, I use Koralia nano 425s, but that's because I use Hamburg Mattenfilters and I don't want too strong/fast of a current. I love them because they are small, very effective, and silent.

I love turquoise rainbows in the fish store - do you have any pics of yours in a tank? I'd love to see them!
 
#36 ·
they are young yet and still developing color. I only have three and think I will eventually have a few more. their color shades changed depending on the angle they are viewed right now. I believe it will become a more deep and stable blue as they age?




I do understand the negitivity of the post made by some. it is a horribly deep tank to think about working with, but there is more than one way to skin the cat!
 
#37 ·
Oh, they are beautiful! Great pics!

I get the negative comments too, but I can't help but rise to a challenge - lol. I love things that are different & unique, like that tank. I think all the ideas are interesting, it would be hard to decide between a standard tank and a riparium...I can't wait to see how it develops!
 
#38 ·
Oh, very unusual.

You could tear it apart, have all the sides cut in half (heightwise), buy an extra bottom piece and make two tanks. But yeah, they'd be two everyday tanks.

I applaud that you take up the challenge. For a fully submerged planted tank, a great opportunity to use plenty of crypt balansae and vallisneria nana.

LEDs with 30º optics would help.

Cheers.
 
#39 ·
I love this tank! How fun!!! It could be done like Driftwoodhunter suggested. It would be super fabulous to have Anubias petite growing up a twisted, unusually tall dw. You could find some dw that has arches in it and place them so that there are "passageways" between the diferent dw as they come together and cross over eachother.

Or you could add some cool tall stones at the base of manzanita branches that are long and spindly and attach Anubias petite to the branches in a way to creat a tree leaving an open area for swimming room beneath the tallest branches...if you could find something that was tall and had long side branches...oooo how exciting!

Something else that would be pretty sweet would be to add a the same type of stones in a variety of sizes to create the illusion of depth from front to back and then use some of that Fern Driftwoodhunter shared a pic of. Then to get really creative, add some twisted roots to the scene but in reverse appearing to be growing from a bank into the water. 2 or three pieces coming from the back wall reaching towards the front.

Wow! I would have a ball with this unique tank!
 
#42 ·
You could drill a hole in the bottom, and have plumbing through bottom of tank. Raise the hieght off the bottom with a supported cut to fit plastic mesh. Cover the lower portion so this would not be seen. Then build on top of plastic mesh, thick lava rock to not go through mesh, etc...
This would allow you to reach bottom easier to maintain a clean tank. I would still go with nice tall/narrow piece of driftwood angled downward to add character to go with jungle val, grasses, and mosses.
Fish def schools that swim at different height levels would be ideal. Low/medium/high swimming schools would be great! Really to many options to list when it comes to the fish... But good luck with whatever decision you choose to go with! If you have any questions feel free to PM me, be glad to help.
 
#43 ·
Substate goes up to 4-5" on the sides and lower in the middle.

Get a nice stump, that you can turn upside down, and have it reach almost half way or more. If you had to, you can cut the stump in half and just put the cut end against the back.

Make it a java fern paradise? Not light demanding, and you could get a wicked look with upside-down stumps... just have to find that right one...
 
#52 ·
Substate goes up to 4-5" on the sides and lower in the middle.

Get a nice stump, that you can turn upside down, and have it reach almost half way or more. If you had to, you can cut the stump in half and just put the cut end against the back.

Make it a java fern paradise? Not light demanding, and you could get a wicked look with upside-down stumps... just have to find that right one...


ooooooh! I like this idea a lot!!!!! I second the stumps and java fern paradise!
 
#45 ·
straight...thanks for the offer, never know I might take you up on it. but I dont think I want to go through the tanks bottom. Still, good to know I can pick your brain!

Half frozen, is that an upside down stump in the tank you have pictured with the little tot watching the fish. I have not seen that done before or perhaps if I have I did not realized it was a stump up ended...interesting
 
#46 ·
Half frozen, is that an upside down stump in the tank you have pictured with the little tot watching the fish. I have not seen that done before or perhaps if I have I did not realized it was a stump up ended...interesting
It was just a piece of wood I found in a local wash, like a branch, nothing crazy unfortunately.. haha it DOES have a nice bowl shaped area on it when angled right that has produced 3 spawns in it though! :D

I have seen some VERY nice setups with upside-down stumps!

I would look for it being thick on the base(that's what she said) and have alot of branches on top that go all crazy.

But you could go for nothing on the substrate, and just attach the hell out of java's to the branches, to make it a huge solid looking lush tree.

And then have Butterfly fish!
 
#51 ·
#54 ·
I heard you were needing some ideas on this tank and with it being so tall, you will have problems getting light to the bottom of the tank so you will need some low light plants such as Narrow Leaf Java Fern, Anubius Nana, etc.

I was inspired, in a huge way, when I saw this video from Aquarium Design Group and your tank would be perfect. Contact Frank Wazeter, and he can help you out greatly, great guy! Here is a YouTube link to the video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQO7siUESYA

Let me know if I can help in any way!
 
#57 ·
That's a great video. I saw it a few months ago and it's also influenced how my tanks have evolved. The only thing I would add is that I wouldn't bother with substrate plants at all. I would get some long pieces of wood, or a big piece and screw or tie other pieces to it and then tie and wrap Anubias in strategic places along the limbs and keep them trimmed so that they only grow along the branches so that it looks like a tree. That would provide wonderful shadows down below and if you go LED with the lighting, give you wonderful shimmer yet still remain low light with no algae problems. Having large angels like Altums or Discus would be great in this tank.
 
#55 ·
and to think I worry about putting rocks in my tanks because of the weight - lol

that's a beautiful tank - I didn't even realize it didn't have any plants until I read the comments - I was too swept away by the tree...
 
#58 ·
yes Amamnda I saw dewalltheway's tank! beautiful
and dewall, thanks for the link! I had not seen that wonderful scape before! the shimmer and shadows down the trunks is beautiful! and I see inspiration from it in your tank!
 
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