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Low Tech 55 Gallon

9K views 34 replies 16 participants last post by  Waterski 
#1 ·
Newbie with first attempt at a larger, proper planted tank. Very low tech; low/medium light. Reading this forum has given me a lot of help as well as inspiration. Very excited to start this project!


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EQUIPMENT:

Tank: Aqueon 55 gallon (48x12x20)
Light: Finnex Planted Plus 24/7 (48")
Filter: AquaClear 70
Heater: Aqueon Pro 200 watt
Substrate: Eco-Complete w/root tabs

Shelf Shelving Wood Rectangle Hardwood



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Hardscape is consisted of Malaysian driftwood as well as small pieces of petrified wood (lower left corner).

Brown Wood Beige Art Natural material

Plant Wood Natural material Terrestrial plant Twig

Plant Wood Grass Tree Groundcover



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Playing with black backdrop vs none (white wall). Like the contrast black brings, but don't like the shiny plastic material.

Vertebrate Wood Pet supply Aquatic plant Plant

Water Vertebrate Plant Green Pet supply



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Not impressed by Aqueon's glass Versa-Tops. Quality seems cheap. Plus, the dark plastic seam/hinge sits right in the middle and obstructs the light too much. Looking into other options. Would appreciate any suggestions.

Automotive parking light Automotive lighting Grille Automotive tire Bumper



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Also, the Finnex 24/7 on full blast does not seem as bright as I have baselessly imagined. Let's wait and see how the plants do.

Food Wood Recipe Plant Tints and shades



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These fern-looking plants came unidentified. Anybody can help name it?

Plant Water Wood Terrestrial plant Leaf vegetable



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Still want to add a number of plants. Want something taller on the right third area. Possibly Java Fern or even vals. Or propagate the baby Amazon Swords and wait for them to grow. (Doubt I'll have that patience :) Also want something maybe with a hint of red for the lower right corner. Not certain what that can be yet.

Started day one of Stability today. Thinking about moving three zebra danios over soon from a smaller overcrowded tank. But will hold off on additional stocking until tank settles.
 
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#3 ·
Might be more involved in a larger tank. I only have 10g tanks/w this.
I get glass cut to fit the top. I allow one inch at each end to allow access.
Like heater cord/air line. On a tank that long, I'd do it in two pieces. Doesn't hurt
anything to have an inch gap in the middle either so it's easy to remove.
Nice wood. Good direction on the slant of the petrified wood. Seems to go/w the
other wood very well like that.
Might want to try one or two Flamingo Crypts in back of the petrified wood.
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/153-sale-trade/1046809-fs-plants-rotala-mini-butterfly-more.html
 
#7 ·
Thanks everyone for the comments and suggestions.

I love that piece of wood. Took a while to find, but was super happy when I saw this one. Just added a smaller piece on the right side for balance. The wood also has tons of little nooks and crannies, including a fairly large hollow section like a caves. Little fishies are going to love it. (Sorry about the bad cell phone pics. Will take some real photos in the future.)

Plant Terrestrial plant Grass Terrestrial animal Aquatic plant

Botany Terrestrial plant Reptile Plant Iguania


The rocks were in a 5.5g I'm taking down. I think they add a nice visual anchor to the whole layout. Hopefully the micro swords survive and do well.

Overall, still want quite a few more plants. Having a hard time finding what I want for good prices. Local stores don't have much selection. Some online retailers charge more for shipping than they do for plants.

Bump:
I get glass cut to fit the top. I allow one inch at each end to allow access.
Like heater cord/air line. On a tank that long, I'd do it in two pieces. Doesn't hurt
anything to have an inch gap in the middle either so it's easy to remove.
I'm thinking about taking the VersaTops back and just cut pieces of plexiglass. The hardware store has a 24x18 piece for $16. If I make two 23x9 pieces, that's pretty much the exact footprint of the VersaTops.

Only reason I even want covers is to protect the light. Otherwise I wouldn't mind going no top at all.
 
#4 ·
absurd wood

That wood is absurd, looks like a wooden lobster or shrimp!!!

Newbie with first attempt at a larger, proper planted tank. Very low tech; low/medium light. Reading this forum has given me a lot of help as well as inspiration. Very excited to start this project!


***********
EQUIPMENT:

Tank: Aqueon 55 gallon (48x12x20)
Light: Finnex Planted Plus 24/7 (48")
Filter: AquaClear 70
Heater: Aqueon Pro 200 watt
Substrate: Eco-Complete w/root tabs

View attachment 636473


***********
Hardscape is consisted of Malaysian driftwood as well as small pieces of petrified wood (lower left corner).

View attachment 636489
View attachment 636497
View attachment 636505


***********
Playing with black backdrop vs none (white wall). Like the contrast black brings, but don't like the shiny plastic material.

View attachment 636521
View attachment 636529


***********
Not impressed by Aqueon's glass Versa-Tops. Quality seems cheap. Plus, the dark plastic seam/hinge sits right in the middle and obstructs the light too much. Looking into other options. Would appreciate any suggestions.

View attachment 636537


***********
Also, the Finnex 24/7 on full blast does not seem as bright as I have baselessly imagined. Let's wait and see how the plants do.

View attachment 636545


***********
These fern-looking plants came unidentified. Anybody can help name it?

View attachment 636553


***********
Still want to add a number of plants. Want something taller on the right third area. Possibly Java Fern or even vals. Or propagate the baby Amazon Swords and wait for them to grow. (Doubt I'll have that patience :) Also want something maybe with a hint of red for the lower right corner. Not certain what that can be yet.

Started day one of Stability today. Thinking about moving three zebra danios over soon from a smaller overcrowded tank. But will hold off on additional stocking until tank settles.
 
#10 ·
Thanks!

No algae so far. But it's only been three days and there is quite a bit of tannins in the water. I kind of don't mind the natural look of the color, but it is certainly cutting down on the light. Once the tank is cycled and settled, I will probably use Purigen to help clear up the water.

The way things are currently, I'm not sure the 24/7 mode offers enough light. I might at some point switch to full sun mode and put the light on a timer with two photo periods.

The fixture itself also seems to run fairly hot. Not sure if that's a function of it being actually on 24/7 or not.

Added two long fin leopard danios last night. Was going to wait longer, but they were not only in stock, but on sale for a dollar! So I couldn't resist. Hoping that Stability works as advertised.
 
#13 ·
I'll be Johnny rain cloud.

The 24/7 will grow algae sooner or later. By week 2, I imagine you'll have major algae on the glass and substrate if you do not scrub it regularly. Nothing really against the plant choices, but they won't out compete the algae. As far as the top goes, the plexy glass will sag soon too. I suggest glass lids. I do cheap DIY sliding glass lids that I would suggest looking at for ideas. The hinges on those lids you had before are annoyingly placed.

The finnex 24/7 will run hot. It has no exterior fans and basically no cooling functions aside from dissipating the heat out of the back side.

The driftwood is beautiful by the way and I wish you the best of luck. I have a 24/7 on my 55g tank and it produces a lot of algae even on 24/7 mode (only 4~ hours of full power light). I introduced floating plants to my tank to cut the light intensity and absorb nutrients. I'm still doing my fishless cycle, approx. 3 weeks in.
 
#14 ·
Thanks everybody for the ideas/suggestions.

Slim, thanks for sharing the info on the 24/7. Appreciate it.

Free, thanks for the heads up on the algae issue. I suspect I will need to tinker with the lighting to get to a level that works. The tannins are acting as a neutral density filter right now and I think they cut the light by at least a full stop at substrate level, if not more. That might help with algae control, but I'm not sure if it'll be enough for the plants. Though most of the plants have perked up nicely since being placed.

As far as plant selection that outcompetes algae, any specific suggestions? So far, I've mostly gotten stuff from local stores that have limited options. Didn't see any low tech fast growers that I like. So any suggestions on what to get and even where to get them would be super appreciated!

I have five danios in there now, three of them veterans that have helped cycle tanks before and done very well. I'm going the 7 days of Stability route. But so far, very unexciting parameters. Has anyone successfully cycled with Stability and can share some insights? I'm very impatient and this part will be hard for me. :)
 
#16 ·
Fast growing plants such as stems, vals and floating plants are all good choices. Wisteria comes in a lot of varieties and may suit your fancy. There is a for sale section and a freebie section on this forum you can check out for plants.

As for cycling, I've always done a fishless cycle with ammonia. It takes about 3-4 weeks, so I can't help ya there.
 
#18 ·
Did a 20% water change today. The tannins are making the tank look like 55 gallons of green tea. Actually is kind of soothing to look at.

Afterwards, I noticed that the baby amazon sword plantlet is releasing a single stream of small bubbles, at a good steady pace. Looks like it's coming from the end of a short and thick root. Any one know what's happening? Oxygen? Broken root from wc?

Plant Wood Terrestrial plant Grass Tints and shades

Brown Plant Water Fish supply Terrestrial plant
 
#22 ·
Ordered some fast growing stems from a member here. Will be getting and planting them early next week.

The wood is taking up most of the mid ground space, so I'll have to figure out exactly how to lay the new plants out.

Would like to keep some sense of negative space on left side by the rocks, so it might be a bit tricky.
 
#23 ·
Some of the plants might not be doing too well.

The Amazon sword's older leaves have yellowing edges. Pretty sure those leaves were grown emersed, but they were in water for quite a while at the store and also for another week or two in my other tank. Didn't start yellowing edges until put into the new tank. There does seem to be some new growth though, and the baby plantlets have been growing new roots.

The red ludwigia is also showing a bit of new growth at the top, but the stems are all curly and leaves kind of withered looking. Some minor brown/hair algae on leaves as well.

There are root tabs (unbranded from LFS) under these. Wondering if I have a Nitrate problem. The past three water tests showed almost no readings for anything. There are the five danios in there right now, seemingly happy and active.

Any tips would be appreciated!
 
#24 ·
Nice looking tank. Also, I recently started a new tank as well. An newly established tank, from what I've read and experienced can just be hard on plants. My swords have dying leaves, a good portion of my stem plants have the same issues you're experiencing, etc.. as well as the same deal with hair algae. I'm just removing dead plants/plant matter, scrubbing and cleaning once a week and adding more fast growing stems weekly that will later be removed. I have anachris in there that's growing wild. Anyways, just mentioning that as it's not uncommon and to hang in there.

Are you dosing any ferts at all? Also, I'm no expert, so hopefully someone else can chime in. Good luck!
 
#26 ·
That's exactly how I was/still am dosing, except with excel. I just ordered full macro and micro, and iron ferts from NilocG Aquatics to move to a more comprehensive dosing regimen.

I'd look towards doing the same, or at least adding some of the other flourish products as well for the time being, iron, potassium, etc. Especially with only five danios supplying waste as nutrients.
 
#27 ·
I'm at battle with my plants and algea with my 55g.. my tank was already established but when taxes came in, I decided to turn it into a planted take. Bought the 24/7 lighting and a 50 pack or plants on amazon... I've already had 2 major green water blooms. Plus I think when plants are adjusting to water, they shed the old leaves. So for me a tank full of decaying plants was bad for my fish. They started dying. I moved them to another tank til I can get the issue sorted out. I removed my co2 and quit dosing cause I felt like I was mostly feeding the algae since my plants were lacking on leaves.... I also bought a plant package for my 38 gallon. It has a cheap 10$ t8 plant bulb on it, no co2, no dosing, very low tech. my water is crystal clear and plants are very healthy, plus I had less leaves to shed during the adjustment period.... so maybe just cutting back on lighting and dosing til the plants adjust better can help. That's what I'm trying now since my second algae bloom.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk
 
#28 ·
Random question going back to your original post...did you place your driftwood directly on the glass? If you did did you place thay first then the substrate on top/around it? I'm curing my malaysian driftwood now and waiting until it sinks in the tub before putting my tank together and just wondering the best method. The wood resembles yours slightly
 
#30 ·
Plants seem to be doing pretty well. With the exception of the red ludwigia.

Much to my delight, the Pygmy Chain Swords are shooting off runners already. I was just hoping that they won't melt! These are literally growing in front of my eyes. They also have these seeds that I'm not sure what to do with. I buried portions of it in the substrate. Maybe should bury the seeds entirely? Anyone have experience with these?

Plant Grass Terrestrial plant Bedrock Wood

Plant Terrestrial plant Grass Terrestrial animal Soil



The big Amazon Sword is growing new leaves. I trimmed a few of the emersedly grown leaves. Also cut off two baby plantlets and replanted them.

Flower Plant Terrestrial plant Aquatic plant Leaf vegetable



The E. Cordifolius (I think that's what it is.) is also growing a number of new leaves. Though a bit curled. I did not realize that this may become a large plant and likely did not give it enough space.

Plant Terrestrial plant Groundcover Flowering plant Trunk



Added a small circulation pump yesterday. The half of the tank without the filter seemed too stagnant.

Vertebrate Plant Water Pet supply Wood



Seeing a bit of algae on some leaves. Saw an Albino Bristlenose on sale today and couldn't pass up. Also started using a timer for the light to get two photo periods - morning and night. Stopped using the 24/7 mode because it was not giving me good visibility after work during the week.

Been monitoring the water very closely but seeing no spikes in ANYTHING. Ammonia is almost zero and Nitrite is also zero. Is it possible that the tank is somehow silently cycling?
 
#31 ·
Plants seem to be doing pretty well. With the exception of the red ludwigia.

Much to my delight, the Pygmy Chain Swords are shooting off runners already. I was just hoping that they won't melt! These are literally growing in front of my eyes. They also have these seeds that I'm not sure what to do with. I buried portions of it in the substrate. Maybe should bury the seeds entirely? Anyone have experience with these?

[iurl="http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=639609&d=1465098611"]
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[iurl="http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=639617&d=1465098633"]
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The big Amazon Sword is growing new leaves. I trimmed a few of the emersedly grown leaves. Also cut off two baby plantlets and replanted them.

[iurl="http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=639625&d=1465098667"]
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The E. Cordifolius (I think that's what it is.) is also growing a number of new leaves. Though a bit curled. I did not realize that this may become a large plant and likely did not give it enough space.

[iurl="http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=639633&d=1465098720"]
[/iurl]


Added a small circulation pump yesterday. The half of the tank without the filter seemed too stagnant.

[iurl="http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=639641&d=1465098747"]
[/iurl]


Seeing a bit of algae on some leaves. Saw an Albino Bristlenose on sale today and couldn't pass up. Also started using a timer for the light to get two photo periods - morning and night. Stopped using the 24/7 mode because it was not giving me good visibility after work during the week.

Been monitoring the water very closely but seeing no spikes in ANYTHING. Ammonia is almost zero and Nitrite is also zero. Is it possible that the tank is somehow silently cycling?[/QUOT

I actually have a very similar setup to yours. I have a 75g with eco complete and a planted + 24/7 as well. I did have quite a bit of algae at first but from what I understand that is to be expected with any new tank. I still have a little bit of an issue with gsa. I believe that is due to low phosphates so I'm currently working on that.

As far as the cycling my tank cycled very very quickly. With the eco complete and a good number of swords I saw a slight rise of ammonia and nitrate within the first week. The nitrate and ammonia quickly disappeared and had a nice reading of nitrate. Was very surprising to me how quickly the tank cycled. I also had a few tetras in there to help it along. They are still going strong now several months later.

The pygmy swords will grow like crazy. I started with a bunch of them but eventually took most out and left a couple. Those couple multiplied like crazy and filled a whole corner of my tank.

With my algae I double dosed excel and it went away very quickly.

I am currently using the seachem line of ferts along with their 7 day dosing schedule. I do have co2 as well.

Good look tank looks great. Love that piece of drift wood

Also I found a pleco did very little for algae. Grab some otos. Those little guys eat algae 24/7.
 
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