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one office, three tanks

37K views 151 replies 68 participants last post by  AquaAurora 
#1 · (Edited)
INDEX of Full Tank Shots (by post number):
6g: 1, 18, 75, 97
75g: 1, 18, 48, 50, 51, 64, 75, 97, 104, 113, 117, 119
220g: 18, 19, 23, 36, 41, 51, 66 , 75, 97, 113, 117, 119, 120, 126, 127, 142, 146

I've had a 75 gallon tank in my office for maybe 8 years, but when I moved to a new and larger office two months ago, it was time to add some tanks. Surely a Fluval Edge would not look out of place. And oh, maybe that wall could have a 220 with altums!

This journal is really about setting up the 220, but that process is effecting the other tanks - plants are being moved around - so this journal will be about the whole menagerie.

So here is the original 75, two months into a fresh design. This is the only tank of the 3 with C02 injection. It currently houses a mated pair of angels, a school of rummy nose tetras, some Amano shrimp and 6 kuhli loach.



The C. balansae and java ferns will be coming out for the 220, while the Myriophyllum mattogrossense is being encouraged to fill the entire back corner to hide equipment. The hair grass needs a trim I know. The school of tetras will likely be enlarged and move to the 220

Here is the 6g Edge on top of a file cabinet near a window:



It has cherry shrimp and white cloud minnows. The java fern in there will be moved and I need a background plant. Maybe Blyxa japonica? Flame moss on the rocks is beginning to fill in. This tank has an LED lighting upgrade, but it is still a low light tank without heat. The window is north facing, so no direct sunlight.

And the elephant in the room as viewed from the desk:



The walnut stand build is documented here: http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=182000

The other view, from the corner you just looked at:

 
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#61 · (Edited)
The lighting is two 36" four lamp fixtures, T5 HO, and uses the lamps that came in the package. It was marketed for freshwater plant growing and to be honest, I am not sure the lamp combination is perfect.

Each fixture came with:
(2) 39W 420/460 lamps
(1) 39W 10,000k lamp
(1) 39W purple lamp

This turned out to be too much light (PAR @ 70-80) for a non-CO2 tank, so I have cut it ~40% using black screening on two or the three glass tops. I have the main lights on ~ 7 hours per day and the blue ones for ~10 hours. Plant growth has been slow, but I am spoiled by the CO2 injected 75g tank. Algae has been controllable, partially by the water sprite in the upper half of the tank.

I do like the programmable aspects of these lights and the night light LEDs are cool. The fans make some noise though.

This is a long winded way of saying that these are the nicest lights I have owned but they may not be the best I can possibly have. Perfection is difficult.
 
#63 ·
Thank you for asking jamntoast. The 3 musketeers (D'Artagnan is looking right at you):



While I am at it:





Here is a fresh look at the center of the tank. A trend is emerging of using the 75 CO2 enhanced tank to grow plants that get moved into the big boy. Hygrophila difformis has been added. Blyxa japonica is now the foreground (after the failure of several other species).



The right side has also been shuffled. The vesuvius has been doing well in this tank and I pulled some more form the 75 and made a more concentrated area of it on this side. The Taiwan lily is also being asked to become the background plant that my swords so far are refusing to become.



Here is what my swords are doing:

 
#66 · (Edited)
I brought in 7 altums that came in larger than the other four, so the tank suddenly lurched much closer to the dream. Turns out one thing missing was the presence of the lead actors. I have continued to bring in plants from the 75g tank too.

FTS 220g:



The new kids. The original four (from Rio Inirida) are smaller than the new 7 (Rio Atabapo):



 
#73 ·
New photos coming soon.

The angels are doing splendidly. They now come to meet me at the glass instead of skittering away. Still, no sudden movements please.

The "Taiwan" lily has really filled in the upper half of the tank, almost too much. I'll let you decide if it is too much, but the light green of that plant is pretty striking. Frankly, I think the tank looks good, but it it looks almost nothing like my original design.
 
#75 · (Edited)
Photo barage, starting with the 6 gallon jungle with one betta, two white clouds and numerous cherry shrimp and snails.





The 75g is not looking its best right now:





Hard to see, but two female endlers were wrestling each other (center of photo) and picking at the other's back like I had not seen before:



Last but not least, the 220:







Closeup, right side:



Left side:



More altum shots:









 
#80 · (Edited)
.... How do you trim and maintain the 220? Do you have extra large tools or do you have to stick half your body in? Subscribed!
Thank you for thinking I might be smart enough to purchase long handled tools, but the fact is I am not. The substrate in center back is a looooong reach, to be attempted only with the water level down. I get wet. Once, I am not sure how, my nose got wet.

WOW!!!

Just FREAKIN' WOW!!!

I LOVE THE 220!!! The Layout, plants, and especially the Altums!!!

The hard scape is PERFECT!!! One of the best on TPT!!! Where did you get your wood at? They are very, very beautiful pieces! Everything is placed very well, and goes together naturally! Even the Flourite looks good here! I am not a big fan of Flourite after using it for many years, but it works nicely. The Taiwan Lily looks great all filled in, but I wouldn't let it get to much bigger, or it will become a distraction.

AGAIN this is a AWESOME TANK! It is my favorite tank here now! I am subscribed 4sure, and I hope it only gets better for you!!!

THANK YOU for sharing it with us! You have done a AWESOME JOB!!!
Drew
:smile: Thank you Drew. Now please I want you to calmly step into this rubber room and sit down a while and listen to your self breathe. Nice and easy now.....
 
#79 ·
WOW!!!

Just FREAKIN' WOW!!!

I LOVE THE 220!!! The Layout, plants, and especially the Altums!!!

The hard scape is PERFECT!!! One of the best on TPT!!! Where did you get your wood at? They are very, very beautiful pieces! Everything is placed very well, and goes together naturally! Even the Flourite looks good here! I am not a big fan of Flourite after using it for many years, but it works nicely. The Taiwan Lily looks great all filled in, but I wouldn't let it get to much bigger, or it will become a distraction.

AGAIN this is a AWESOME TANK! It is my favorite tank here now! I am subscribed 4sure, and I hope it only gets better for you!!!

THANK YOU for sharing it with us! You have done a AWESOME JOB!!!
Drew
 
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