Trallen44's True low tech 55 gal. journal. (56K new pics 8/29/10)

[Trallen44]

Hello Everyone, This is the start of my rescaping my 55 gal. It is extremely low tech, and it will stay that way. The only thing I might change in the future, is building a hood to add more lights to it. I enjoy having the plants, and am trying to get a good look that I like. And also a change in the fish in it. I don't know all the names of plants, but am trying to learn. I am going to be getting some new things to add to it, and it will probebly take a month or so to get it rescaped. I thought I would start out posting some pics of it now and then as I change things. These pics are not that great, since they were taken with my cell phone. I hope to get a new camara in the next week or so. Right now it has a UG filter, and a HOB filter. It has a single 48" 32 watt 10,000K bulb. I had to take several pics to get the whole tank. From left to right.









I am planning to have marble hatchets, ember tetras, pacific blue eye rainbows, furcata rainbows, rasbora hengli, and a few cories. I may add a otto or two also. As far as plants go I am thinking anubias, java fern, java lace fern, crypts, vals, and madagascer lace leaf. Probebly a few others too, but that is what I know for sure. I will be adding more gravel, and driftwood and removing the plastic peice from the left side. I also need to find some petrified wood for it. I will also be getting a new air pump for it. Thanks for looking!

Tim

[brion0]

You have some nice looking plants. The reflections are realy bad, Id like to see better pics. Looking forward to seing how your tank comes together.

[Shavemacman]

I agree, some nice plants in there and yes the glare is hard to see through. I always take tank photos at night with all the surrounding house lighting off.

[Trallen44]

Originally Posted by brion0

You have some nice looking plants. The reflections are realy bad, Id like to see better pics. Looking forward to seing how your tank comes together.

Thanks Brion, I took some new pics last night and now have replaced the old ones. They are a little better I think, but still not great. But the best I can do with the cell phone.

Originally Posted by Shavemacman

I agree, some nice plants in there and yes the glare is hard to see through. I always take tank photos at night with all the surrounding house lighting off.

Thanks Shavemacman, That is exactly what I did last night, but didn't get the new pics posted until tonight. Hopefully will have a new camera soon so that I can take good pics for the rest of the post. And if I get it soon enough, to replace these photos with better ones.

Tim

[brion0]

Much better, the lace plant is cool, was it growen from a bulb? How long have you been growwing plants in this tank? The bulb is original eqiptment?

[Trallen44]

Originally Posted by brion0

Much better, the lace plant is cool, was it growen from a bulb? How long have you been growwing plants in this tank? The bulb is original eqiptment?

Thanks Brion,

It is a bulb plant. I bought it growing, then it went dormant and is now out and growing again. I have a larger one in my 40 gal that I am going to redo too. I will be moving it into this tank. I guess I have been growing plants in here for 1 -2 years. Don't remember the exact date. It was plastic, then tried a few plants and then gradually phased out all the plastic plants. I just purchased the light bulb this last weekend for the tank. The old one was going for about 10 months and wasn't as bright. Didn't even say the wattage on it. I hope this is the bulb you are talking about.

Tim

[Trallen44]

Well, there is some good news and some bad news. The good news is that I got a new camera. I was playing with it a little bit. Just took forever to upload the pics onto photobucket. Here are a few better pics of the tank.






This tank has red lizzard whiptails and scarlet badis in it.



These pics are of the first babies I got from my Nigerian Reds. They are young adults now.




I know I need to do some cleaning before I take more pics, but I just had to try the new camera out.

Now for the bad news. I will most likely have surgery next week, so that will delay me on this. But it will give me a little more time to get everything gathered up and planed out. It will give me a week to sit at the house on painkillers, and do lots of searches on the internet. Never know what I might come up with for a scape then!! I am looking for some Petrified wood for this if anyone knows anyone that sells it I would apreciate the heads up. It will give me more time to take pics of different fish I have and post them though. So that is a good thing.

[brion0]

Trallen, the whiptails are neat, how big do they get? Glad you got a new camera so you could share with us. Hope your surgery goes well.

[Trallen44]

Hey Brion,

My oldest ones are only about 4 to 4.5 " long. And I have had them for about a year now. I think that is thier max size from what I have read. Thanks.

[Trallen44]

Well, I had a little bit of a set back. Somehow I have managed to melt most of my crypts. So I am off to do a water changes and then I will update this later this evening or tomorrow evening.

[Starálfur]

I am very interested in this as this is exactly the type of tank I want to set up. I take it you don't inject CO2 right? Do you add fertilizers?

How long have you had this set up, and how big were the plants when you first planted them? Where did you get your plants?

It's beautiful.

[oldpunk78]

Originally Posted by Trallen44

Well, I had a little bit of a set back. Somehow I have managed to melt most of my crypts. So I am off to do a water changes and then I will update this later this evening or tomorrow evening.

i wouldn't worry about the crypts melting. that's what they do. they don't like being moved much. they will bounce back as most are very hearty.

[Trallen44]

Originally Posted by Starálfur

I am very interested in this as this is exactly the type of tank I want to set up. I take it you don't inject CO2 right? Do you add fertilizers?

How long have you had this set up, and how big were the plants when you first planted them? Where did you get your plants?

It's beautiful.

Thanks, I have had it set up for around 1.5 years planted. I have used root tabs, and will when I get it rescped. But I don't use CO2 or add other fertilizers. I did add a little Iron and K20 since a few of the plants were starting to yellow. But that is it. Most of the plants were small, and they have grown a good bit. There have been some plants that I have had a hard time growing, mainly sword plants. I have gotten my plants from lots of different places. Some from the LFS and others from AB. I have been getting some here lately to get ready for the rescape from people here in the swap and shop. I am still in the gathering process before the big rescape and then I will let it grow in. I did notice that the seachums root tabs did make a huge difference in my plants when I put them in the first time. I think they really help in a low tech setup.

Originally Posted by oldpunk78

i wouldn't worry about the crypts melting. that's what they do. they don't like being moved much. they will bounce back as most are very hearty.

Thanks, I wasn't super worried, but was thinking I would have to replace them. I have made a few changes lately, but haven't moved them yet. I am glad to know I shouldn't have to buy all new ones though.

[Homer_Simpson]

That is a awesome looking tank Trallen44. 55 gallon is a good size. Although, I have no direct experience with Wondergro root tabs, I have heard really good things about them and have seen some beautiful tanks where they were used under Soil Master Select.

They may be worth trying and may allow you to successfully grow the swords.

http://www.greenleafaquariums.com/aq...o-tablets.html

[Trallen44]

Originally Posted by Homer_Simpson

That is a awesome looking tank Trallen44. 55 gallon is a good size. Although, I have no direct experience with Wondergro root tabs, I have heard really good things about them and have seen some beautiful tanks where they were used under Soil Master Select.

They may be worth trying and may allow you to successfully grow the swords.

http://www.greenleafaquariums.com/aq...o-tablets.html

Thanks for the compliment, hopefully you like the rescape when I get it done too. Thanks also for the tip on those root tabs. I might try them in my 40 where I will have some swords. In the 55 I am going to use the madagascare lace leafs for the center plants. I know I can grow these good. LOL And I really like them. I can't wait to see the pics of your experiment in a couple of months.