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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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#85 ·
Your altums look really healthy and have grown significantly since you first got them. Not an easy fish to keep alive considering most shipped in are not in the healthiest condition. I would love to see some more pictures of them.
 
#90 · (Edited)
#93 ·
Hey Tom congrats! Tanks look awesome, and trust me folks they look better in person. I really love that Taiwan lilly in the back, I think it makes the tank look so much better. I think that is my new favorite plant.

On a side note how are those assassin snails doing for you?
 
#95 ·
The assassins have been a terrific addition to the big tank. I rarely see any other snails in there - there was a population explosion threatened at one point - and I even saw two assassins jump (?) onto a sinking pellet. I might need to move some into the 75 where the snails are getting out of hand again.

Shawn123, let me know if you need some vesuvius. My 75 has a boom of them right now. I have no secret; they are growing taller than I though possible in the big tank. Awesome plant.
 
#97 ·
I suppose to be a true journal I ought to include the rough with the smooth. It is tempting to only post when one has a good look going, but that will not be the case today. The big tank has been populated for well over a year now and frankly my plant growing efforts have had very poor results. The only plant that thrives is the Taiwan lily (since removing the wisteria). The plan was to have a crypt forest with 3 or 4 swords by now, but the balansae just will not do more than stay alive and only one sword seems to be doing much. I have restocked with plants from the CO2 injected 75g several times just to keep things green. The Byxa japonica failed and I salvaged a few pieces to drop again into the 75 hoping to replant once I have figured out my problem.

I figure that my main problem was the acidity I forced on this tank. I recently let the pH climb up to ~7.2 or so; I no longer add acid in my aging barrel. The altums seem quite happy with all of this - they have been the priority and always will be - their color is full and they feed aggressively and spar with each other all day. Hopefully this more alkaline water will make the crypts more at home. Unfortunately, I am battling algae of two types: BBA and blue green. The BBA could be from the fluctuating CO2 levels from the two 25% water changes each week. I am now dosing a small amount of metricide each day. The Blyxa leaves turned yellow and faded which suggests I need to dose some ferts. I am doing so after each water change.

Okay, a long winded way to warn you that the pictures will show some of this struggle, although I cleaned up somewhat before snapping these. First, the 6g is looking very foresty, with happy bolbitis and subwassertang underneath guppy grass and pennywort. The forest gives the two white clouds places to get away from the betta and the cherry shrimp of course like cover.





See if you can see any similarity from that to the 75g. This one has evolved into a scape I am tempted to call "Victory of the Cyperus". The endlers seem to like the dense plantings and the kuhli loaches definitely like wriggling through the foreground. I kind of like the jungle look if the fauna are okay with it.



I realize the left side and right side look like they are from two different tanks. Left side close up:



Center section with newer Hygrophila pinnatifida adding nice contrast:



The foreground, especially on the right, needs to grow in since I recently hacked it back hard:



Now the 220g.



Detail shots. Note that the crypts, moss, and E. martii swords are all looking barely there. The very green E. vesuvius is fresh from the 75g, the yellowing ones have been here longer. I sure do miss the Blyxa japonica.






Where the crypt forest should be:



Well, at least the tank still has these guys:

 
#99 ·
Early indications are that the problem with the plants in the big tank was lack of nutrients. Some discussion of this is here:

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=428017&highlight=

In any case, it looks like dosing is working so I look forward to a burst of fresh green and will update with pictures when the improvement is more obvious. I even found a small bit of fissidens on one of the driftwood branches, so not all of my original ideas for plants are kaput. There is a fair amount of java fern in there too and getting that a brighter green is really helping. Stay tuned.
 
#101 ·
Phenomenal shots of your tanks. I have enjoyed looking at them and thank you very much for taking the time to share them with us.

My 75g is still a work in progress and I hope to be able to share my tank with you guys in the future. If I get anything near as beautiful as these tanks I would be VERY happy indeed!

Thanks also for giving us updates on the challenges you've had with the 220g, as we all know that even a good tank has bumps along the way! Sharing this info with the community helps all of us become stronger hobbyists in the long run!

Good luck and keep those updates coming!
 
#104 ·
A photo update. The 75 needs a trim:



The algae/nutrient/lighting issues with the big tank are far from solved, but things do look a bit greener. Looking in the left side you see the "balansae forest" has some fresh green.



Left side from the front shows I do have some java fern attaching itself to the driftwood. This should make a nice patch if it fills out and avoids making more blackened bits. I also re-introduced some bolbitis near the top. This came from the 6g tank where it has prospered.



The center has some freshly green java fern at the base of the driftwood. Some aspects of the original design has survived! Brown java moss in back left did not make it.



Right front of the 220 shows that I still have issues. Brown fuzzy algae (diatoms?) is all over the rocks, driftwood and many plants. Blue green algae still shows up on horizontal surfaces; perhaps I need to dose more nitrates?

 
#105 · (Edited)
Catastrophe!

I am still in a bit of a shocked state, but I came to work today to 3" of water in the big tank, the rest having leaked out of a seam (I suppose - can't find the fault) onto carpeting on this floor and the one below. In short, my worst nightmare come to life.

Miraculously I have only found one carcass, a rummynose tetra. All 11 angels were doing sidestroke and are alive. All fauna have now been moved into a very crowded 75g tank which had over 100 endlers to begin with. I have airstones in the 75 and ought to be able to keep everyone alive for a while.

Here is what I was able to rescue:

all 11 altum angels
18 kuhli loach, which took all afternoon to catch, even with 3" of water
22 rummynose
8 amano shrimp; had no idea that many were still there
9 otos
dozens of assassin snails

Building management may not want me to replace the tank and start over (although that is my inclination). I will call Marineland tomorrow to discuss warranty, although my LFS suggested they would not honor a tank warranty when not placed on their stand.

That's all for now. I have a mess here.
 
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