29 gallon standard
DIY background using the Greatstuff, styrofoam, and drylok method.
Eheim canister filter
non heated
Playsand substrate, root tabs, ecocomplete and laterite bottom layer.
that looks awesome!! and done' worry about those little holes. once the plants grow in, you'll barely see them. are you planning on sealing this in any way? like spraying it with clear coat? which, btw i don't really like doing, but sometimes is a necessary evil.
I have never sealed any of my BG. I have gone back and forth for years......looking into the west marine epoxy sealant and several others. I have read just so many others who have had no problems with the materials we all are using that I think I will let the drylok be the end game. What clear coat have you used in the past? The only time I have ever had an issue is in my salmon tank. The unidirectional current is just blasting thru that tank and has worn off a little bit of the drylok on the far side of the BG. My salmon eggs and soon to be aelvin dont seem to mind. I want a 125 like your so bad!
Hopin you guys can help me out. I jsut got a shipment of plants for the tank and they were all a melted waste. Looks like I am stuck with the few things that out new petco can get and what is already in my tank.
Hygro cory will grow emmersed right? How humid does it need to be in order for that to take place?
I wasnt planning on running a drip system or a fogger, but could probably get one if necessary. I was hoping for a tight seal on my versa top and manual spray bottle a few times a week to add moisture in the air.
What are some very common plant options that a guy like me in the north woods could get a hold of? I am only going to have about 8.5 inches of water and 2.5 inches of substrate. Not the greatest I know (wish i was building a 90g).
I am also starting to think about ferts for this set up. I want lush plants and am wondering if I will be using my dry ferts or not. I have a T5 Odyssea fixture 2 bulb model with fair reflectors at best. Am I gonna have problems without CO2? I am not going to ever do a DIY yeast set up again so I guess its low tech all the way. I have no idea how to fertilize a low tech tank. I am getting a little ahead of myself but would love any advice you guys may have. What should I do here??
Here is what I'd recommend from Petco for a cooler-water set-up:
If they have those plants in tubes, there are a few good choices. All of the Anubias that I've gotten there have done really well for me. I grow them both fully submerged and with just the roots under water. They also have some nice java ferns that will probably die back but then sprout new leaves. The water wisteria has done really well, too, though you'll probably have to wait a bit for it to transition from emersed to submersed forms.
For terrestrial plants (that don't mind being really wet), you can try the Bolbitis heteroclita - also in tubes. It never worked well for me as an aquatic plant, but I have it growing in my swampy paludarium on land. Just make sure you separate the stems when you take it out of the package.
Honestly, the little plastic-baggie-packaged crypts have grown really well for me, too. You get a lot of tiny ones for a pretty good price.
thanks a bunch......inspiration comin form all over the place...fishies in philly has set the bar too high for me I'm afraid, but I gotta start somewhere. lol
I picked up some of those tiny crypts from petco and will be trying them out. I have no rare plants so I am just going to go for it and see what happens. I do love experimentation.
i would grow some of my crypts, like wendtii and petchii in cooler water, but i would be terrified to grow some of my rare ones in that cold of water. but then again, i am very over protective of my crypts....LOL
Agreed - don't put anything super rare or expensive in there. I have a bunch of different kinds - not sure what species - but nothing that cost more than $6 or so at my LFS.
Got it. Hey, my newts are no longer showing any breeding signs. Has something changed in my tank possibly or did the courting and aggressive hugs just not work out for him?
So I finally got around to putting on my third and fourth layer of drylok onto the BG. Coloration and detail was tricky and just didnt turn out according to vision, but overall I am still content with the colors.
I need your guys' help with the final little touches to make it look better.
I used titebond for the coco fiber on the walls and I would like to use some of it below the water line (right now it is all above the 9 inch water level). I am however afraid of tannins leaching thru the titebond and into my water. I want clear water for this build. Do you think the waterproof titebond will keep it from leaching??
I would also like some moss on the walls as well. I have used silicone and gorilla glue in the past with the moss from LFS. It of course turns brown in less than a month and often breaks off. Any other thoughts or ideas?? I know with lush plant growth, the BG will be masked a great deal and look much more realistic. I am also not quite done with the detailing just yet.
Anyways, heres the time for critiques. Dont be shy, your only making me and my build better. We spend so many hours working on these things and staring at them, that sometimes its hard to step back and be as objective as we should.
Oh btw, I am almost out of room for attachments. Not sure what I should do.
Cheers mates
Don't worry about tannins in the water. If you mix the titebond and fiber together, the titebond will actually seal the fiber in. And if you do get any tannins in the water, it will be nothing that some charcoal in a filter can't handle.
And i seriously wish i could make my backgrounds as detailed as yours. I just prefer to cover my shoddy craftsmanship with plants......lol
Your crazy! the builds you have gone thru this year are epic. I cant wait for Madagascar to be finished so we can start on the buttress tree build!
as you can see I went with some more titebond under the waterline and added some more details. So glad to hear you havent had tannin issues. I am jsut about finished with the BG and can hardly wait to plant it and get it growing. Forcing myself to be patient and do it right. I want everything cured and set before I add substrate. I am gonna try and silicone the pieces in the tank within the next couple of days. Whaddya think......2 weeks for the silicone to cure completely before adding life?? I will probably wait 3-4 days and then add some water + pump + charcol. Any thoughts or critiques welcomed
Thanks for showing the pic of titebond, too. I had wondered what that was since it was mentioned a number of times. I'm guessing it is obviously water resistant?
Color is once again off. The rock looks much darker and realistic than my iphone shows. I think the green from lush plant growth is going to compliment the build and really finish it off. Planning on trying to get java moss to crawl up the tree roots and areas of the BG adjacent to the waterline.
That looks incredible. Extremely naturalistic. you did an amazing job with it. I think 2 weeks would be overkill. But, when it comes to our little friends, 2 weeks is a pittance to ensure their safety. I would give it 3-4 days before i would start working on the aquatic section. As long as there is no silicone smell, then you're good.
Do you have pics of the little creatures going in this home?
And thank you for the kind words, but they're just tanks. madagascar is about a week away from the start of planting and i think the collaborative efforts of the buttress tank are going to make that one a sight to behold. that's why i love the forums so much!!
thanks bill!!! I am down to 4 newts now which is a bummer. I took the top off to do some maintenance and got going on a WC with another tank and one must have made a break for it. Lesson to be had. I'll get some pics tomorrow although their tank has been quite neglected. BG goin in tomorrow if I have enough silicone..may have to go into town and get some more. Keep ya posted
i really know how that feels. i hate losing critters. i have been fortunate though, that they returned, on their own. one after 2 months...lol but i have a feeling that a newt won't last long
please do keep us posted, and snap some pics when the BG is in btw....i had this really cool idea, about a real collaboration. i'll shoot you a pm later, my clay is done in the oven
I'm in for the collaboration......you know that. Let me know whatever you need and we'll make it happen. BTW, I have decided to tear down and redo the waterfall hex tank after the newt build. Will be pickin your brain soon enough on that one! I wanna do something crazy!
Here are a few of the little guys going into the new build. Sorry for the low quality pics.
All pieces are glued in the tank and the plumbing seems to be fitting nicely in the corners. I was a little thin on the BG in the left corner and the shadow cast by it doesnt quite cover up the intake as I wanted. Overall I am happy.
Water went in and I am running a small filter pump with charcoal to rid the BG and water of any nasty chemicals. I am going to perform a few 90% WCs before I start planting just to make sure.
Jake, that looks awesome!! you kept showing us the background, but never the side panels!! great job!! those adorable little critters are going to love their new home!! any plans for flora now that you got everything together? and see? no tannins
Thanks a bunch Bill, I appreciate it. The side panels were just kind of going along with the build. I just went back and looked, I guess I totally overlooked taking pics of them. I have never kept newts before but I love these little guys, they are a blast to watch; up and mobile during the day, easy to take care of and easy to feed.
Flora...........hmm what a good question. As you know because we've talked about it..............plants are so hard to get a hold of up here. I am quite limited. I have some terrestrials that I am looking at putting in there but nothing special at all. I wanted a bunch of fern species for the land to mimic their natural biome but I could only find one scraggly specimen in an area the size of Wisconsin! Kind of bummed. I have anubias and hygrophilia for the water along with some java moss and a couple of emmergent tropicals that will have to fill the voids. Maybe this summer I will look to get a bunch of new plants when I am in Minneapolis. No idea of how I will get em back up here but it would be worth the effort if it works!
thanks again Bill for keeping tabs with the build. And I will let you know tomorrow if there are tannins......havent seen the tank since I filled it on Saturday.
Well, ya never know, you might just get a nice care package from the lower 48 in the spring besides, by that time, i'm probably going to need to rid myself of some extra plants
Rock On Bill! Maybe I can tie ya some flies for your local fishies because lord knows my plants arent gonna be somethign worth trading! I look forward to your kind gesture. thanks again brother
Very cool! That came together real nice, I'm sure the newts will love their new home. The moss growing up and around the bottom should look really cool. Looking forward to seeing it with plants and newts.
thank you! Hopin it plants nicely. The water has a weird look to it so I did a 100% WC and am going to check it out tomorrow. Bill was 100% right (not that I ever doubted him), the titebond III sealed the coco fibers and they have released ZERO tannins into the water. Im running some charcoal in a small filter so I hope any impurities will be taken care of shortly. I am dying to plant!
Hey, no prob bud. We paludarium geeks gotta stick together. I haven't slung a fly in about 2 decades now. Lol i do still have my fly rod though. I now prefer the laziness of fishing for catfish. Toss the bait out, sit and wait. Gives me time to plan new builds
And if you are running charcoal in your filter, you need not worry anout tannins anyway. The charcoal will absorb them.
We paludarium geeks gotta stick together.
WORD....lol
I haven't slung a fly in about 2 decades now.
WE MUST REMEDY THIS
I now prefer the laziness of fishing for catfish. Toss the bait out, sit and wait. CANT ARGUE WITH THE FUN IN THAT! I SURE MISS CATS...NOT MANY UP HERE
And if you are running charcoal in your filter, you need not worry anout tannins anyway. The charcoal will absorb them.[/QUOTE]
The water doesnt seem to be tannin stained. it seems almost a cloudy, light yellow and the tank still has a scent of silicone. Its been plenty of time for the GE II to be cured..........this lingering smell has happened before in my salmon tank (which didnt turn out good). The silicone was good in both tanks, I tested it before hand and it cured nicely (so it wasnt a bad batch). I have done 4 100% WCs in the newt build and still the cloudiness and yellow tint are back within 24 hrs. I am gun shy after losing all my salmon. whaddya think? should I just go ahead and plant or wait it out a bit longer.
On a side note: I am getting some more coho eggs for my salmon tank. I have been doing massive WCs and running charcoal in the tank since the devastating lose to the last batch of eggs. I am not sure what killed them but I know they are quite sensitive. My pH, temp, and D.O. were perfect. Is there something I should test for? I am again gun shy to add eggs without knowing exactly what killed em. What would you do? ps I dont mean to hijack my own thread.
I would wait until the smell is gone completely before planting. For no other reason other than you'll know the silicone is 100%.
Sounds like you did everything right on the salmon tank. I would do a couple water changes of about 75% before i added new eggs. Say 75% every couple days for a week. Then go for it. But then again, i know nothing about rearing salmon.....lol
Good luck and keep me posted. Btw, got a pic of the salmon tank?
Yeah, I'll get a pic on monday of the salmon tank. Was thinking of starting a thread since its something kind of different. More or less for myself I guess since the progress will be pretty slow and mostly uninteresting until they hatch into aelvin. PLus I wont have any plants in the tank since I have to keep the tank at about 4 degrees C (43 F). Salmon development is completely dependent on accumulated thermal units of the river bed so I cant speed things up too much without mucking it up. Will keep ya posted.
Sounds similar to some of the trout growout programs that are going on in our area. Lots of fish and little tank (compartively speaking), lots of them I've seen end up with issues. I haven't jumped on board at this point, as I don't have the time or student interest.
Lots of fish is right! I end up doing different experiments on most the eggs testing teratogens and toxins. I still usually end up with more than I want and keep the tank from getting overcrowded by feeding the aelvin to other fish until I have a good balance. The rest get stocked locally and keep my annal ice fishing tourney for Kokanee up an running. I want to raise arctic grayling but still waiting on permits.
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