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Dave's 230L Tanks - First Big project

6K views 27 replies 12 participants last post by  David P. 
#1 · (Edited)
Hi,

I finally completed the listing of the equipement i will use for this project... maybe 1 or 2 tweeks in the coming days, but i placed most of my orders!!!
items marked with :icon_idea are those that i will confirm later.

First the tank:
- Blau Aquaristic 36''x20''x20'', 230L
- Blau Aquaristic stand 36''x20''x32''

The CO2/fertilization:
- Milwaukee Regulator with Solenoid Vavle, Needle Valve and Bubble Counter
- 10lbs tank
- Milwaukee pH Controller & Monitor – MC122
- Drop check
- Diffusor
- Fertilization with dry fert, but don't know wich one yet, i still have time befre everything comes together.:icon_idea

The light:
- Maxspect R420R Razor 160 watt 8k
after looking around, the cheapest 4x39w T5HO were 300++$ +4x35$ for giserman bulb, for the difference in price, i decided to go with the LED option hoping for the longterm saving. I did looked at the Blau, ATI and Aquatic life T5HO fixture.
We can change LED on that fixture to reach 6500k instead of 8000k, even at 8000k i saw pretty nice result in showroom.
and i must say that the Razor looks awesome!! and it pass the 'wife test' :hihi:
I also look at the build my led stuff, but not sure...

Filter:
Eheim 2217

Lillypipe:
- Blau Aquaristic Influx and exflux, 13mm

Heater:
- Hydor ETH 300 In-Line Heater - 5/8" - 300 W

Aquascaping / Hardscaping:
My inspiration will be the following:
- Nature's Chaos from the Green Machine

- Green Leaf Aquarium, first picture in their photo gallery:
http://greenleafaquariums.com/planted-aquarium-gallery.html

I really like the effect on the rocks.
I plan on using Dragon stones, i really like the looks of the stones. Maybe a piece of driftwood, but not sure yet. If the dragon stones comes out to dark once wet, i may switch to lighter colored rocks... i really hope i find what i want!!

The Aquascaping makes me nervous, it's my first big projet.

Plants:

- Monosolenium tenerum or Riccardia chamedryfolia, to be use on the main rocks of the scape.:icon_idea probably going with the monosolenium.
- Staurogyne repens
- Alternanthera reineckii 'Mini', for a red touch in the mid-ground
- Pogostemon erectus
- Alternanthera reineckii 'Purple' or Rotala wallichii , a higher red plant for the back ground :icon_idea

Carpet to be decided in the following options::icon_idea
- Utricularia Graminifolia
- Eleocharis sp. 'mini'
- Hemianthus callitrichoides 'Cuba'

I will start with heavy planting with stems plants i have to allow a fish in cycle than remove them once cycled. I will also prime my new filter / filter material in my other tank.

I will post picture when my stuf will arrive :icon_smil​



The fish:
Quantity may change once i see the real size of the tank
- Oto: 6-10
- Cristal Red Shrimp: a bunch... 10-20.
- Panda Cory: 6-10
- a big shoal of micro fish: rasboras or tetra, i must do the math, not sure how many i can stock to avoid over stocking!!
if i have room for more, i would like to had some mid size fish.
 
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#2 ·
This sounds like it is going to be a great build!!!

Can't wait to see it come together!!!

Best of luck to ya!
Drew
 
#5 ·
Hey David, I saw you chose a 5lb tank and I figured I would just bump my nose in a bit.

10lb tanks are only 5$ more to fill (at my fill stop, they charge the same because I come so often) and cost only a little bit more initially but will obviously last twice as long. If you're not peculiar about having a perfectly shiny tank, 10lb tanks new off amazon are ~70$+ shipping. They'll also last twice as long on one fill.

JMO, but if the 30-40$ initially isn't a problem and it'll fit under stand with regulator and the postbody setup, that would be my initial choice.

EDIT** Seeing that you're in Canada may have an impact too, so cost may be different.
 
#9 ·
ok.. now i feel lke Chrismass... i ordered everything and i must wait until my stuff arriveS :icon_bigg

I busted my budget ... but ... why not :icon_mrgr
It had to look great in order to get approval from my wife, thats why i choose that tank/stand/light (that's were i really busted budget)
 
#11 ·
Looking forward to what it all looks like when done!
How was the Razor 8K in person? Very green like the ADA lighting? Or a warmer daylight color?

Couldn't help but think of another scape along those lines you mentioned. :)

WoW :icon_eek: really in the line of my scape!! i hope i can make it as gourgeous

i believe my razor will arrive tomorrow, in the show room i did not notice if it was to green, color seemed 'natural'.
 
#14 ·
Cool, postal service corrected their mistake and i got my light!!




I have to say the build seems robust, pretty much light weight fixture. Nice finish (looks great)
I played a bit with the programs (6 yime points), fairly easy to set up.

I'll play with the light later, i wich i had a larger tank than my 12 gal to show decent picture.
 
#15 ·
Hi,

My project was on hold for a while now... i was waiting for my tank... i got confirmation that next week it should arrive. Shipment delayed because of the Aquarium stand that was BO.

anyway, it gave me time to get all the stuff.
3x9L of Amazonia Aquasoil
1x6L of Power sand (a mix with bacter /turmaline/carbone)
+ the gear for CO2, filtatrion, heating... etc.

also, my plan for the rocks and scape evolved base on what i could get... i had no luck with the dragon stones and i could not find the driftwood i would want for that scape.
But!!!
I could get some descent Seriyou stones... it far from my original plan, but it would have beed my next project anyway, why not do this 1 first.

here's a shot of the stones i just putted on table (the towel is the size of the aquarium:

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

1: Oyaishi
2:Fukuishi
3-4: Soeishi
5:Suteishi

Did not think of something for now... but i think their is potential with what i have.

The fun begins!!:biggrin:
 
#19 ·
First attemp of the night!!
My girl friend can't believe what i'm doing now... spending a saturday night playing with.... rocks!!!

Dave
Stones 4 and 1 in the layout from picture will be real eye catcher. Would love to have something similar!
Do you plan to have them fully moss covered?
Do you mind if I ask how much you had to spend on those 2?
Not sure yet for the plant, i will probably get glosso or HC for the front. i really like riccia and mini-pellia for the rocks. i will get some blixa japonica for midgroud. back groud probably some eleocharis somewhere. I'm still looking for a foreground/midground with red.

These are the lines i tried to follow for this one:





 
#21 ·
Hello.

It looks like you have put a lot of thought into the
placement of the stones. My suggestion if O.K.!
I would spread open the left rocks with the right
rocks so there is a valley in between. Most of the
Iwagumi's I have seen don't depict an island
arrangement.
 
#22 ·
Sup guys, it been a while since i posted something in that tread...
to make a long story short... i ordered my aquarium and stand in early march... i just received it!!!

I almost cancelled my order due to the delay... but i really wanted the 36''x20''x20'' compare to 18''x18'' of ADA, it gives more height and depth.

I started playing around with the rocks here's how it looks:

i used stirofoam to support weight of the big stones and to give an extra 3-4'' in height.


the main 4 stones:


All the rocks:




i realy like the placement of the 4 mains stones and the 3 at the upper right. picture does not give the real scale of it, but it looks great.

I feel the left side of it feels empty... i will sleep on it and move things around tomorrow!

Any feedback or suggestions from you is appreciated... it's my first attempt into aquascaping.

For the plants, even if ihad alot of time to think... i keep changing my mind. i migth go all in on Iwagumi or a hybrid, i like having a little bit more diversity and i want to use the depth of the tank ... i'll keep you posted on my potential choice and probably ask your advices!!

Thanks for reading!

Dave
 
#23 ·
i realy like the placement of the 4 mains stones and the 3 at the upper right. picture does not give the real scale of it, but it looks great.

I feel the left side of it feels empty... i will sleep on it and move things around tomorrow!

Any feedback or suggestions from you is appreciated... it's my first attempt into aquascaping.

For the plants, even if ihad alot of time to think... i keep changing my mind. i migth go all in on Iwagumi or a hybrid, i like having a little bit more diversity and i want to use the depth of the tank ... i'll keep you posted on my potential choice and probably ask your advices!!
Great rocks! Overall, I dig the placement. The dimensions of the tank look really coo!

The only thing thought I has was with the biggest stone, you may want to consider sinking it far enough down, or raising the substrate enough, such that the lower left side isn't above the substrate and overhanging (I would raise the substrate). I think it make give the rock a more "powerful" appearance.
 
#24 ·
The only thing thought I has was with the biggest stone, you may want to consider sinking it far enough down, or raising the substrate enough, such that the lower left side isn't above the substrate and overhanging (I would raise the substrate). I think it make give the rock a more "powerful" appearance.
I had the same thought and I tried it by raising the substrate.. the rocks it self look better but the overall setup does not looks 'natural'. Substrate is way to high.
i may try to hide it with the plants.

Tonight i am placing my order for the plants!!!! Finally!!!!!:icon_smil:icon_smil
I still need to get my ferts. Kinda difficult to get this locally... i'm suprised!

For the fish i'm going for:
8-10 otos
3 siamese algae eater
Shrimps amano or tons of cherry
i would like to have 50-60 Rasboras Harlequin or Espei ... would it be too much ???

With ADA substrate, do i need to ad amonia for cycling ? i read that it Leach a lot of it in the first weeks.
 
#25 ·
Hi,

Finalllllyyyy!!!

After starting this project in march... i completed planting yesterday at 1:00 am after picking my plants at my LFS.

At some point i never thought i would complete this, i had trouble at each step so far. Delay in my delivery of stand/awuarium. My lamp was delivered at the wrong adress. My LFS did not ordered the right plant...

Here's the picture from this evening, water still a little cloudy. i just performed the daily WC.


Uploaded with ImageShack.us

For my first aquascape, i'm pretty happy with the results.

Plants are:
- Anubia barteri var. nana petite
- Alternaktera reineckii
- Blyxa japonica
- Eleocharis vivipara
- Hemianthus cllitrichoide
- Riccia fluitans

Any advice for the coming steps?
I'm affraid of the busrt of algae, i'm reading a lot to limit the algae propagation... but.. it seems we can't escape from it...

Also, i have to say that i'm pretty happy with the LED i got for this... the Razor maxspect is crazy... looking reeaalllly goood... and plants are already pearling!!! :bounce:

I'll get more pictures soon once my water is less cloudy.

Again, any tips for the coming challenges i will face are appreciated
 
#26 ·
Looks great, and I really like your plant selection! This should look great as it fills out.

With regards to coming challenges... Expect diatoms. I've had them with every single new tank I've started (not a lot, but 5 of them). For now, crank your CO2 up since you have no fish or shrimp, and[censored]your soil has to cycle for a while anyway. Dose your ferts as well. Basically promote healthy plant growth as best you can.

If you get diatoms, look into methods to limit it. I'm not an expert, but lots of water changes helped me.
 
#27 ·
I agree with the CO2.
Crank it up. It'll help the plants grow quicker, using up nutrients quicker, which will help eliminate nearly any chance of algae getting established.
I've heard that oto's are great with diatoms, so if worse comes to worse with that... get some otos and keep up daily wc's
 
#28 ·
Hi,
It's been 2.5 weeks now since i started the tank. Algae are every where but since yesterday i can say it's not getting worse when i arrive from work.
I'm doing 50-60% water change daily.
EI dosing with KNO3, K2HPO4 and trace element.
I had a burst of diatoms after ~10 days then hair algae started. I'm removing as much as i can before/during WC.

For the plants.
- Riccia is doing amazing. Pearling and growing!!!

- HC melted in the first days. I expected that due to major change in condition from LFS and my tank. i can see new leaves and roots... i believe it's a good sign. But algae are not helping at all.... i'll figure out in a few days/week if i'll need to get more (i hope not). i also think i split in to small 'portion' the HC making it difficult for the plant to recuperate. I should have use ADA finer substrate as top layer to help the roots.

- For the Alternaktera reineckii, all leaves lost their bright red and many melted. The older leaves are covered with algae... but the new one are bright and groing fast!!!

- Eloecharis, i just crazy.... growing ... growing... love the effect.

- I lost a few anubias, look like the roots are roting. i may have damaged the roots to much while splitting the pots during planting. Roots are not in substrate, all the plants are on rocks.

- Blyxa will be gorgeous. the initial leave are slowly dieing... but the new ones are bright green with a middle red lane. I did not know Blyxa could have red in their leaves.


I introduced my first fished today, tank is cycled. i use filter material from an other tank that greatly helped.
- 3 x Siamese algae eater
- 6 x Otocinclus
- 10 x Yamato shrimp (amano)

i know i have said it already... but i'm in love with my LED... wow... even the algae are pearling .....

i'll post picture tomorrow.

a+
Dave
 
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