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Jeffrey's "Big Boy"---120g Planted: Updated 1/24/2022 w/ pictures

52K views 156 replies 55 participants last post by  jmhart 
#1 · (Edited)
Well, it's finally time. I've been talking about it and planning it out for a year(Evidenced: here, here, here, and here ) and now it's finally coming together, my 120g planted. To read a fair amount of background on me and my planted tanks, and especially the details leading up to this 120g, you can check out the link to my blog in my sig.

I've been waiting to put up a journal until things were starting to move a little quicker, and now the speed is picking up. I'm taking my time on this one, doing everything right from the get go, but there should start to be some action in the coming weeks.

For now, a little teaser shot:

 
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#78 ·
Well, I've been more than remiss in my updates. Life got a little busy for a while and I was focusing on other things.


The big items that I haven't updated on are:

*At the suggestion of a lot of people(see previous posts in this thread) I shifted the entire hardscape to the left. I like it a lot better.
*I added a ton more plants, include two Aponogetons, many crypts, and some bolbitis. I also planted a bunch of dward[sic] hairgrass. It was sold to me as E. parvula, but was E. aicicularis.
*I added about 30 olive nerites
*Finally, and this is the big one, I bought 12(received 13) Angels off of Aquabid. They are 50% Wild Peruvian Scalare, 50% blue gene. I'll probably only keep 6 of them depending on how they pair up and how they develop, but I'm going to hold on to all of them for a few more months before I start to thin them out.


Those are the big things. I haven't really focused too much on a scape. It's very jungle-esque, partly to give time for the crypts to grow and spread and partly out of laziness.

I then had to prepare for a 3 week vacation to Europe, so I had to make sure automation was fully up and running. Waterchanges, autodosing, co2....got it all setup, well, kind of. 2 days before we were to leave I had some issues with my macro pump, so the tank went with micros only for the trip.

After the trip, this is what it looked like:



Sorry for the bad picture, it was a quick snap before going to town with scissors. As I mentioned before, that was 3 weeks with no macros, only micros. As it turned out, I didn't know how to use my recently acquired Pinpoint pH controller as well as I assumed, so I set it up wrong and the tank went without CO2 during the trip. Not a big issue, for three reasons: the tank is relatively low light, duckweed QUICKLY took over, and I mix my micro solution with glutaraldehyde, so the tank didn't have too many problems.

After a large LARGE trim(and duckweed removal), this is what it looked like:







I'm having a pretty large detritus issue, but I think two things are going on. One, the filters need to be cleaned. I haven't cleaned them since I turned this thing on. Two, with no macros for 3 weeks, some of the plants struggled and lost some leaves.

I removed all of the dwarf[sic] hairgrass. It just wasn't doing it for me. Too tall and just not the look I was going for. I haven't decided on a new foreground yet but I'm thinking about some form of lilaeopsis, probably brasiliensis.

So far I've only been on 2x54w of light for a breakin period, but I'm thinking about upping that to 4x54w of light, at least for a couple of hours a day. I'll probably definitely need to do this if I go with lilaeopsis to get a good carpet going.

That's about it for the update. For good measure, a couple of rough Angel shots:



 
#82 ·
Well, things are slow going. The A. ulvaceus didn't care too much for the large trim, but it was HUGE. It's doing fine, but it was unhappy there for a minute. Given that most of the tank is crypts and anubias, not much has changed.

I ordered 7 pots of Lilaeopsis mauritiana and 2 Red Melon Swords from Sweet Aquatics. They're hanging out in the tank until Tuesday when I'll have some time to plant them.

I also upped my light. I'm still at 2x54w for 8 hours, but now I've got my other light bay(the 4x54w) coming on for a 2 hour midday burst. I started that a few days ago. So far no issues. The narrow leaf java fern and Nymphaea zenkeri really like the extra light. I'm doing this mostly to help develop the Lilaeopsis lawn once I get it all planted. The fish kind of hate me a little for the bright light, but there's plenty of big leafed stuff in there for them to hide under.

On the fish front, the tank already had about 25-30 otos(I forget), the Angels, and a lone Dojo loach that I've had for YEARS. He's the only thing keeping this from being a full fledged SA tank. I also had 2 Red Phantom Tetras in there.

Well, one of our head honchos in the local club here manages a fish department, so he was nice enough to order some more Red Phantoms for me. I now have a total of 10 in the tank, and 2 more in the QT. I bought them in phases(I don't really have a good reason), planning to buy 10, and then another 10, but when I went back for the second round, they only had 2 remaining. Oh well, guess I'll have to breed them.

I also have 6 Nannostomus marginatus in QT as well.

Anyway, that's where I am now. I'll get some pictures after I plant all the laeliopsis.
 
#84 ·
Well, it's been long enough without an update.

Everything's pretty much growing strong. The 2 hour midday burst is doing wonders for the crypts and narrow leaf java fern. A little gsa here and there. I'm still dialing in co2, and may decide to reduce the 6 x54w midday burst to a 4x54w midday.

I got in those lilaeopsis pots and planted them. They're growing strong, but still a few months away from being a full carpet. Other plants are doing pretty well too.

The overall scape is start to get a little closer to the image I have in my mind.

Current stocking is:

~30 Otos
13 Wild Scalare x Pb Angels
16 Red Phantom Tetras
5 Nannostomus marginatus
1 Dojo loach
20+ olive nerites
and I toss in about 20-30 RCS every 3-4 weeks.







 
#89 ·
The aponogenton crispus on the right side gives me a headache. It's huge. Actually, it's three of them, and they are all huge. I'm not sure I like it. I spread it out recently, but even if I spread it out further, I'm just not sure how I'll like it.

However, the Aponogenton ulvaceus on the left side I love. I'm formulating a way to bring it a little more in to prominence.
 
#93 ·
This looks really nice! You did a great job filling the space. It's something I'm always struggling with on my 105 gallon. Also liking the "tossing 20-30 RCS in per week." I take it some of them get picked off by the angels? ;) I added a few to mine when I had discus thinking they would be great live food but the fish wouldn't touch them and the RCS got bigger and redder than I've ever seen them. Anyhow, great job!
 
#96 ·
Thanks!

Yeah, the RCS mostly end up being a nice snack. I'd love to get a colony started, but with big-and-getting-bigger angels and the dojo loach, I don't think it's gonna happen. I've got a 15g RCS breeding tank going, so I've got a constant supply, so I just keep trying!

You have some very nice looking fish.
Thanks! I'm pretty happy with them. I'm really happy I was able to get some shots that really show off their color.
 
#97 ·
Wow- I am seriously impressed at the amount of thought and detail that you put into the plumbing and automation of your tank (and I thought I was "bad" about over-planning things!) Great tank!

I too will probably be "tossing in" some RCS into my 55g once I get a colony going in my nano. I'm not sure if they'll survive or not, but hey, free live food if they don't :icon_mrgr
 
#100 ·
A quick shot:




Not much changing, just growing. I'm still considering replacing the NL Java Fern with regular.

I've got some old 6700k and 10,000k bulbs in there right now, and they are putting out adequate PAR for me, but I've got some brand new Geissman middays and Aquafloras in a closet that I might slap on there in a few weeks, see how they look.

One of these days I'll clean the glass, bust out the Vortex, and take the time to get some good shots.

Edit: I take that back, a few things have changed since the last FTS. I removed a whole bunch of Bolbitis. I had it, thought it might go in this tank...it didn't. I removed a bunch of Aponogetons too.

I think my number of Otos is dwindling. I haven't seen any dead fish, I just can't find them all. I had 20+, and at any one time I can only find about 10-12. There's a lot of plant mass in there now, so that could be my problem. Who knows! I will say, next time I'm at a place that has $1 otos, I'll probably pick up another 10 or 12 of them.
 
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