A little background: From the very beginning I wanted a planted tank...my dad had 100G planted. After college I got my first tank a 55G. The first 4 years I killed every plant I put in there except java fern. My dad kept saying he couldn't understand why I was having so much trouble....I gave up and just let the java fern go and maintained the fish. Four years later one light burnt out. It was the first time I looked at the actual bulbs because I used the ones that came with the USA current light fixture....well they were 460nm Dual Actinic! After some reading I realized why I could never grow plants!! After I got new lights my excitement returned...now the 55G is growing like crazy. I even got my Husband excited about the hobby and he said if we are going to have a planted tank at least we can have a "sweet one." Hence the 180 gallon purchase.... I'm seeing hours of researching coming my way....(thanks to this forum!)
Figure I should get this journal going so I can get some of your guys input/help along the way.
This is my first large planted tank....moving up from 55G low tech tank.
My plans for the tank:
Eco complete 18 20lb bags
4- 96watt CF 10,000K and 6,700k coralife
CO2: 20lb Pressurized diffused with Cerges Reactor
Fertilizers: EI 2x a week
Filtration: Eheim 2262 Canister, AC110 (HOB)
Current: Eheim 2260 pump (running Cerges Reactor, UV and heaters)
2- Hydor ETH 300 In-Line Heater
1- 18w turbo twist sterilizer
Plants:
Star grass
Green Cabomba
Ambulia
Broad Ludwigia
Dwarf Lily Bulb
Moneywort
Red Tiger Lotus
Limnophila Aromatica
Rotala Rotundifolia
Polygonum sp. Kawagoeanum
Anubias nana var. 'Petite'
Needle Leaf Java Fern
Java Fern 'Trident'
Java Fern
Amazon Sword
Brazilian Pennywort
Red Wendtii
Micro sword
Lutea
Crypt
Fish plans for this tank:
5 Red Turquoise Discus (Born June 7 2011)
4 Aqua Green Scribbles Discus (Born June 7 2011)
Rummys 11
Clean up crew:
10 Ottos
10 Julii Cory Cats
Cherry Shrimp
Here is the tank. Picked it up from craigslist 3 years old with stand lights filter $700 gotta love craigslist!! It's all-glass aquarium and stand.
First things first. We repainted stand and canopy to get it like new again!
Next my husband "beefed up the supports in the crawl space." Here's how it turned out. Now when you walk across the living room the water doesn't move everywhere on the top of our 55G like it use too.
Next project... for my husband.... running hot and cold plumbing to the tank and piping water into the filter so we can drain the tank and refill using the canister filter for a semi automatic water change. Anyone with experience doing this your input would be appreciated. We still need to determine the proper filters to remove chlorine from the water before it enters the tank.
Right now pricing out eco complete...Found out today my LFS will match petco's online price of 16$ per 20lb bag. Anyone find a better deal out there let me know!! This stuff adds up!
Figure I should get this journal going so I can get some of your guys input/help along the way.
This is my first large planted tank....moving up from 55G low tech tank.
My plans for the tank:
Eco complete 18 20lb bags
4- 96watt CF 10,000K and 6,700k coralife
CO2: 20lb Pressurized diffused with Cerges Reactor
Fertilizers: EI 2x a week
Filtration: Eheim 2262 Canister, AC110 (HOB)
Current: Eheim 2260 pump (running Cerges Reactor, UV and heaters)
2- Hydor ETH 300 In-Line Heater
1- 18w turbo twist sterilizer
Plants:
Star grass
Green Cabomba
Ambulia
Broad Ludwigia
Dwarf Lily Bulb
Moneywort
Red Tiger Lotus
Limnophila Aromatica
Rotala Rotundifolia
Polygonum sp. Kawagoeanum
Anubias nana var. 'Petite'
Needle Leaf Java Fern
Java Fern 'Trident'
Java Fern
Amazon Sword
Brazilian Pennywort
Red Wendtii
Micro sword
Lutea
Crypt
Fish plans for this tank:
5 Red Turquoise Discus (Born June 7 2011)
4 Aqua Green Scribbles Discus (Born June 7 2011)
Rummys 11
Clean up crew:
10 Ottos
10 Julii Cory Cats
Cherry Shrimp
Here is the tank. Picked it up from craigslist 3 years old with stand lights filter $700 gotta love craigslist!! It's all-glass aquarium and stand.
First things first. We repainted stand and canopy to get it like new again!
Next my husband "beefed up the supports in the crawl space." Here's how it turned out. Now when you walk across the living room the water doesn't move everywhere on the top of our 55G like it use too.
Next project... for my husband.... running hot and cold plumbing to the tank and piping water into the filter so we can drain the tank and refill using the canister filter for a semi automatic water change. Anyone with experience doing this your input would be appreciated. We still need to determine the proper filters to remove chlorine from the water before it enters the tank.
Right now pricing out eco complete...Found out today my LFS will match petco's online price of 16$ per 20lb bag. Anyone find a better deal out there let me know!! This stuff adds up!