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55g natural style scape journal (update 3-30-11 w/ 100 chili's added)

12K views 67 replies 27 participants last post by  jamntoast 
#1 · (Edited)
TANK DIMENSTIONS/STAND:
standard sized 55g tank from Petco. Stand is DIY as well as the canopy

LIGHTING:
Hagen GLO double T5HO 54w w/ Giesemann bulbs, 1 midday, 1 flora.
LED moonlights

CO2 EQUIPMENT:
10# aluminum tank. Concoa 2 stage reg. Post body kit built by Yikesjason, 3 way manifold w/ 3 NV55's and 3 JBJ BC's, 6 total brass check valves. ISTA CO2 indicator. Rex style reactor. This set up will eventually be supplying my 2 10g's and my 55g.

SCAPE EQUIPMENT:
Slim Line background bought online. Manzanita from PC1

SUBSTRATE:
27L of Aquasoil

FERTZ:
EI Dry dosing and RM root tabs

FILTRATION:
2 Rena XP3'S

FAUNA:
will house RCS and about 100 chili's (not concrete yet)

FLORA:
Still undecided...


Pics:



I also have a build thread on TPT which i'm not sure if i'm able to link to here but if i can i will edit this post and provide it. It shows the stands being built and such. It's pretty pic intensive though, lol.
 
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#3 ·
thanks Dan. I was unsure of any stones but i kind of feel like it does need some, i'm just not sure where. Maybe on the left right in front of the Manzanita? As far as Flora i was going to try to get a full Hemianthus callitrichoides carpet going. Maybe some:
Echinodorus Angustifolia
Anubias barteri 'Petite' (maybe)
Hottonia palustris
Hygrophila polysperma 'Rosanervig'
Limnophila aromatica (i just love the color of this plant!)

maybe a few more but i do not want to have this tank as a collectoritis tank, lol. I will have to narrow down what it is i want from this at the end of the day. thanks for the subscription.
 
#4 ·
#8 ·
You know i had the same feeling. I just really want to use that plant but not sure where to put it. It definitely takes from the look of the wood. You almost can't tell it's coming down from the top because of it. good eye and thanks, i just don't know where i will put it.
 
#18 ·
the tank is fairly new so it's difficult to say. I had both these xp3's on my 125 and it wasn't enough IMO. But, for the 55 it seems like it creates great circulation. I'm still seeing if there are dead spots that will need a power head or something.
 
#23 ·
HC is packaged up and ready to ship. I'll send it out tomorrow.

It's A LOT of HC. Your back is going to hate me. Bahahahaha!
I can just imagine lol. Plus, that canopy is a PITA to take off which i will have to do in order to get closer to the foreground. I really appreciate the great deal on the HC though man. Even if you get the glosso i will hook you up with some down the line so that you can grow it emmersed and give someone else a good deal because Lord knows i can't grow anything emmersed, lol.
 
#22 ·
Hey Rick...I thought I commented on another journal thread for this tank but I guess you started another one? Anyway, great tank and hardscape. To be honest, I didn't really like manzy before this tank but it looks great in yours! I'm also glad you are going to use a foreground plant. I also think that the large plant on the right distracts but I think another alternative spot could be under the piece on the right so that the wood would be shading it a little and visible. Just a thought. That way you could also keep the hygro where it is.
 
#26 ·
you asked and i shall oblige :proud:
Thanks to Anthony my back has been hurting since yesterday. Planting HC is not fun...




I got the HC planted and the Ludwigia inclinata var. verticillata 'Cuba' and i also would have had the Bacopa Caroliniana & Limnophila aromatica planted in there as well but USPS decided to send a package that was shipped no more than 50 miles away through TEXAS!!!.... Go figure.
 
#30 ·
Nice tank! Nice wood!
 
#31 ·
It's really worth agreeing on the wood again. Looks great! Nice backround too.

Seeing this makes me really want a tank with about 3'-4' depth (front-to-rear).

The HC was a pain for me even with the DSM, seperating it as much as possible. If I were ever to plant it underwater, I'm pretty sure it would remain in planter-sized clumps.
 
#32 ·
I've been reading about the start up of a new tank and how it is usually prone to algae. I must say i am experiencing something along those lines. I believe it might be brown diatoms. It literally looks like dirt stuck on the plants. I would introduce Otto's to clean it up but the tank is still having the ammonia spike from the AS. Do i simply ignore it for now?

Also, the manzanita is leaching so bad that after a WC the water changes to the yellowish color within two days! :drool:

I'm still guessing all of this is normal and i hope it will go away. The plants seem to be doing excellent quite honestly. I did have to add 2 powerheads that look super out of place but since they are temporary i really don't mind.

I plan on buying two Koralia's and was wondering if any of you could recommend one that isn't too powerful for a 55g. One of the power heads is so strong that when i came back from work it had created a huge crater in the AS, lol. My HC did not really appreciate it.
 
#35 ·
Rick,
The brown algea most likely is the diatom variety. Between my 1 bristlenose, 1 otto and one algea eating shrimp, they cleaned up all of it in about 2 days and it hasn't been back since. I just wish they hadn't eaten it off of the white pvc tubes for my bottom current! What are your Ammonia readings at? I wouldn't be against putting in 1 or 2 ottos and see how they do.
 
#36 ·
all the plants that i wanted got planted on 2-3-11 except for the downoi. I wasn't able to acquire that as of yet.



and a shot from today. sry but it wasn't the greatest pic due to the reflection. Also, those power heads will not remain there, i will get a couple of koralia's to blend in better:


here are a few shots i took a few days ago showing the L/M/R sides:




 
#37 ·
i just recently started dosing iron chelate 13% and today when i came home i noticed that my tank was super cloudy. i turned on the lights and it wasn't green cloudiness, it just looked like if it was dirt cloudiness. is this normal for start up tanks and/or when dosing iron? I follow EI dry dosed
 
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