Captivate's 29g "Fresh Start"

[Captivate05]

I'm BAAAAAAAACK!!!

My tanks never recovered from the move over a year ago, and now the 29g is a MASSIVE eyesore in our new livingroom.

I refuse to put it away and forget about it. While I had a falling out with planted tanks (largely due to lack of funds), I wanted to get back into someday.

Today is that day!

Here's what I have right now:

Tank: 29g tall
Lights: 2x Coralife T5-NO (6700K) (not sure it's enough, but I can add more if need be)
Fliter: Eheim 2213
CO2: Pressurized w/reactor
~I also have a Koralia Nano powerhead

As far as substrate, I have Flourite. I'll probably use it in the back on the tank, but I'm thinking of putting some sort of sand or fine gravel "lawn" in the front. Not sure yet...

As far as flora, I'm thinking of sticking to fairly easy. Here's the initial list:

Blyxa j
Rotala rotundifolia
Java Fern
Anubias
Christmas moss
Maybe crypt parva/ marsilia/ pygmy chain sword

Fauna? Not sure yet. I think I'll stick with basic here too. Some sort of common tetra (Cardinal or Rummy Nose), otos (of course), and *maybe* corys. Probably some amano shrimp. I loved my RCS but they really limited my fish selection.

My tank needs some work before I can put anything into it. There's petrified duckweed and hard water scale covering almost ALL the glass. I've also decided to remove the stupid top rim. Because I can. The bottom rim I don't care about, but the top rim bothers me. I'll test it and see how badly it bows, but I really feel it isn't doing much to support the tank structurally. I also need to put some sort of background on it.

I'll post pictures after I work on it a bit.

The link to the tank before it was torn down: http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/sh...d.php?t=121831

[GMYukonon24s]

Welcome back. I like the plant list.

[Captivate05]

The tank after I removed the driftwood and substrate:



Yeah, it's pretty nasty.

Here it is after I attacked the front pane with white vinegar and a lemon:


Lemons are beasts when it comes to hard water marks. I use them to clean water marks in my bathrooms every week. I'm not sure how well this will work out in the end, but if I can get most of the haze off the glass, I'll be happy.

I also don't know if my filter still works. It ran dry for a while (my kids hit the power button on the powerstrip and turned it on), so I'll have to mess with it. Hopefully it will still work...

[Captivate05]

GMYukonon24s

Thanks!

[Captivate05]

Lemons did the trick! Not perfect, but it works.

I decided to not remove the rim- if I break the tank, I'll be SOL.

My husband broke a quick connect on the filter (in his defense, I couldn't get it undone and asked him to help), and my heater was also not working when I tested it, so I had to order a few things. I got a Jager 100w heater because it was recommended and Doctor's Foster and Smith had it on a decent sale and free shipping on orders $49+.

I put some more thought into the fauna I want to put in this tank. My list pretty much maxes out the capacity, but I figure I have a couple weeks until I start stocking my tank. My mind could change a hundred times before now and then.

Potential List:
10-15 Cardinal or Green Fire tetras
4-6 Otos
4-6 Habrosus Corys
A pair of German Blue Rams
A handful of Amano shrimp

Ever since getting started into the planted tanks, I would go to my LFS and stare at the GBRs because they are so fascinating. I've decided it's time to try them out

[Captivate05]

I can't leave this thing alone and I'm going nuts waiting for my stuff to come in, so I decided to start playing with potential hardscapes. I'm in a tough place because I don't have a bunch of money to spend and I would rather spend what I have on plants. BUT, I also want to make a quality hardscape. No amount of plants are going to look nice if the hardscape is crap.

Anyway, I posted this picture in the aquascaping area, but I'm posting it here too, since it's the best I have so far. I'll probably make some changes...

[GMYukonon24s]

I like this hardscape!

[MABJ]

That's a real nice hardscape, but I think the rams would appreciate no extra swimmers in their territory, ottos, Cory's could be bumped up, but why not just enjoy the low maintence of have just a few fish?


MABJ's iDevice used for this message :p

[Captivate05]

Thanks

I change my mind about a million times a day about what I want to put into the tank. Now I'm leaning towards a small school of ember tetras, a handful of otos, and some cherry shrimp/amano shrimp. I love corys and I really like the look of GBRs, but I think I'll hold off on them until I can get a large tank...

[MABJ]

That's the spirit.

I'd get Pygmy cories! Plus supreme reds from Speedie. Man you'd have lots of activity!!


MABJ's iDevice used for this message :p

[tex627]

Wow, this hardscape is really dynamic, feels almost like an octopus!

[Captivate05]

Ok, don't laugh *too* hard at this, I'm not a graphics person and this is Microsoft Paint.

In every tank I've done in the past, I basically just threw things in when I got them, to varying success. I made this as kind of a guild line so that when I get the plants, I'm not staring at the tank trying to remember what I thought when I *was* being creative. Please forgive any misspellings...



I kind of want to put some pool filter sand in the front. Something pale. I've always used dark substrates, but the tan towel there it looks pretty neat...

[Dempsey]

Welcome back!! I just got back also!!

Off to a great start! (you, not me)

[Captivate05]

Originally Posted by Dempsey

Welcome back!! I just got back also!!

Off to a great start! (you, not me)

Welcome back too!

Off to a slow start, but over all I think I'm pretty happy with what I have going on

So I visited my parent's house today to help them chop wood and it JUST occurred to me after looking at it that my mom has a little planted tank still. Everything is overgrown. I offered to trim up her plants if I could "steal" the trimmings. She told me go for it, and to take the Amano shrimp and the fish that still occupy the tank. She wants to redo it and put a fancy male betta in it. She has a cardinal tetra or two and possibly an oto left in the tank. So I'll probably set off to do that tomorrow

[Captivate05]

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Finally decided to get off my tush and rinse out the substrate.

Here's what it looks like with substrate:


The hardwater marks are starting to resurface on the bad places. Go figure it starts that up AFTER I start putting in the substrate.

With any luck, I'll have a good chunk of the plants tomorrow. My package is also in Michigan, but with the New Year, I don't know exactly *when* it will get to my place. I figure I can plant the tank and use the powerhead to create water movement/co2 diffusement.