Kwheeler's 55 Gallon "Franken~Tree"

[kwheeler91]

After losing all but one species of stem plants, I decided to go a different route with my 55. Not that I had much choice. Yesterday I got a box of dead fish and my center brace broke causing a small leak in the bottom left corner. Luckily I had an empty 55 in storage which I had to go pick up and swap all the contents of the leaking tank. After all that was said and done, my bed frame broke. What crappy day.

However, I did get to do a rescape that I was planning on for a couple months now, if a little prematurely. I will probably tweak I little here and there, and I still have more crypts im trying to decide if I should/could use, but not bad for something thrown together in such short notice. The fissidens needs to grow in more before I remove the thread. That was the only color I had, even if it stands out like a sore thumb. I wish I could afford a new substrate but it is what it is for now.

55 gallon
pb angels
Sid loaches
Danios and rasboras
Twig cats
C. melanistius

Java ferns
Anubias
Crypt keei maybe some others
L. brevipes x lacustris
Fissidens

Malaysian driftwood
Locally collected stones

I was going for a fallen tree look, epiphyte laden and such. Looks better in person, but then again so does everyone's tank. I think it look awesome if there was a carpet, but im not set up for growing anything that typically is used as a carepet plant. Maybe some type of stem like hygro compacta or rotala or something could be used.

Crappy phone pic, gonna get some better ones today.

[andrewss]

like the scape! get some better pix on soon

[c_gwinner]

Awesome layout and scape. Love the piece of driftwood as well. Very unique

[kwheeler91]

Thanks for the comments.

Decided to change it just a little. This is more what i had been visualizing. not sure if i want the java ferns in there or not, leaning towards not. Its hard to make a 55 look good. The dimensions are aggravating to say the least so I'm trying to keep things simple. Once the moss grows in fully it will look more complete, but I am liking the simplicity of it, even if it wasnt so simple to get together. The "arch" is two pieces shoved together so hopefully it will hold.

The water is still cloudy, partly because of moving stuff around and partly due to a mini cycle. The spare tank had the same substrate so i didnt do a complete swap. Only took maybe 10 quarts of cycled substrate and added it to the new tank, along with all the old filters, rocks, and wood. The plus side is I left 10,000,000 mts behind in the old gravel.

FTS


From the right


From the left


Quick vid.
http://s869.beta.photobucket.com/use...15ead.mp4.html

[johnson18]

I like your new scape. I think it'll look really nice once all the moss fills in!

[kwheeler91]

Thanks

I actually changed it a little a couple days ago, but looks pretty much the same. I opened up some space for plants with the tweaking. The moss is coming around, I accidentally killed almost all of it on the main arch with excel because it had a little algae. A few little fronds survived and are making a comeback. So taking longer than expected for what I envisioned but i hooked up some diy co2 and replaced one of my bulbs (they are like 3-4 years old lol) to help speed up the growth. Probably take another month or so to really get going on that piece unless I stop being lazy and tie some more on it.

I will try to get some pics up by the end of the week.

[LyzzaRyzz]

I like the java fern there...Have you thought of getting more? A java fern 'bush' would look great on that side of the tank!
Your driftwood is awesome! =]

[kwheeler91]

You know I just dont like the java fern in this scape for some reason. I have plenty to get her going but ive tried to put some in a couple times and it just doesnt look right. I really want to emphasize the hard scape with this one and the ferns would cover it up for the most part. I want to try some rotala green around the focal points, something to give it more life but not too bulky like a java bush would be.

[Hilde]

Originally Posted by kwheeler91

I wish I could afford a new substrate but it is what it is for now.

Maybe some type of stem like hygro compacta or rotala or something could be used.

Add some seachem root tabs for the cyrpts. They are cheapest at LNT

Stick with hygro plants like hygro difformis you will not have any problems. It is actually a weed.

[PinkRasbora]

wow you have quite the collection of angel fish. Any breeding pairs?

[kwheeler91]

I actually have some EI clay root tabs from nilocg. Seachem tabs are WAY pricey. I want to try some sand but would like an mts base layer For root feeders. The stuff I have does pretty good as far as low tech goes but soil would be a lot better.

No breeding pairs, or pairs at all for that matter. I keep my tank pretty cool though, generally between 70-75 which could have something to do with it. Either that or they are all males... Fine by me either way because am not set up to care for angel babies and the lack of serious aggression keeps them in my tank. I would like to sell them when the weather warms up though, just want to try somethng different.

[kwheeler91]

some crappy phone pics



Dont mind the rogue anubias... or the piece of wood standing on the left, its only sitting there because i couldnt use it but i dont want the moss attached to die...

Below kinda shows the pockets opened up this way so i can shove some more plants in this thing. What i would give for more depth in this stupid tank... oh well.

On the plus side, the fissidens has really perked up since i started diy co2 and replaced one of the bulbs.



I think it will flow better this way. And it gives me more room to plant. I had originally thought to not use a lot of plants and focus on the hardscape with moss, but then i thought to hell with that lets plant this baby! I guess losing all my plants left me a little disheartened because it used to look like this-



Im over it now(took a while) I will just have to make it look better this time around I havent had time to work on the planting yet. The tank is at my moms so it makes it hard to find the time and i still need to order some plants.

When i get it all planted i will get some better pics

[BoxxerBoyDrew]

WOW,

You have done a AWESOME job scaping a 55g!!! I FEEL YOUR PAIN on trying to scape a 55g! I just wish I could add another 55g to the front of the one I have now to get a great depth, but I am not going to chance anything like that! I have learned the HARD WAY a little water goes a LONG LONG LONG way on Carpet!!! I wish I could get some Fissidens to go in my tank! I don't know why, but it is one plant I have always had trouble with! Usually it gets covered in some kind of algae, even if there is no algae anywhere else in the tank!!!

Well I can't wait to see how it fills in for you, and I am for sure subscribed!
Drew

p.s. are those loaches in the middle pic in post #12? They look almost like African Julies!

[kwheeler91]

Thanks for the kind words drew.

What kind of lighting is on your tank? I think fissidens does really well with strong light, not as good with low light like java moss. If you look at the old pic of the tank I had it growing on the stump just under the surface and it thrived without algae. Only a litte diy co2 but only one two liter bottle and that wasnt very much at all. Even just a few days after I changed one of my extremely old bulbs my moss took off.

[A.D.D.i.c.t.]

I think they are sidthimunki loaches, aka dwarf chain loach. Prefer to be in schools more than others.

Love the wood scape! This is nice, much different than before, even after plants grow in. The wood pieces are incredible, and it will be nice to do something besides angels if you go that route. Glad you decided to give it another shot.

the addiction continues...