" ATHENRY"- 40B UPDATE with pic 12-4-11 (post 40)

[Nate McFin]

Hi there!
After a year of research and saving, the time has come to finally start the journal of my first planned tank. The first tank was a 20G that I originally bought for fish and stumbled upon plants. The fish are ornaments for the plants now. With my first tank I made all the typical mistakes...wrong substrate, wrong lights, no ferts, loads of algae, no co2. It was invaluable as a learning tool however. So on to the new set up!
Equipment as follows-
1.Lighting- 3x39 Catalina Solar T-5 with moonlights. (Only the 2 outside bulbs will be used unless a noon burst is needed) They will be hung above the tank according to Hoppy's helpful info!
2. Substrate- Flourite Black
3. Filter- Rena Xp3
4. Heater-Hydor Inline
5. Pressurized Co2- Sumo Regulator, grigg style in line reactor, drop checker from Orlando (also thanks for Seiryu stone package!)
6. Ferts- EI (also thanks Orlando!)

Fauna plan- Corys, Otos, Cardinals, and a pair of rams possibly

I set up the substrate today and was playing with rock formations. I have HC that should be arriving Monday or Tuesday and I will be growing it emersed to get it going. In the pics to come this looks like it may work well as Iwugami but the plan is more like a Mullet...business in the front and party in the back. Suggestions on plant choices are welcome but here is my initial thought. HC in the foreground, Blyxa Japonica midground (on the sides behind the rocks and possibly up toward the center) Some anubias petite in a few cracks between the rocks or Willow Moss hanging over them. The midground will be to just soften the lines of the rocks. In the background behind the Blyxa I was thinking I would use Rotala Sp. Green for shrubs (maybe some Rotala Sp. Pink if I decide for more color) I may for L. Aromatica or something even lighter like Myriophyllum tuberculatum. Think the red might be too much? Its something I have been wondering.

So anyway...suggestions welcome and here are the initial hardscape pics! I am toying with an idea I had for a sand path made out of plastic which would be coated in silicone and sprinkled with sand. I just cant commit to a sand path and the thought of trying to remove it is horrid. With the "acrylic sand path" I would be able to just remove it when I get sick of it. Cheating?LOL


shot from slightly above...