I originally had 3 different threads going. Now that all of the tanks are in the same room, I have had those threads merged. This thread is a timeline from my first introduction to the planted tank world, to current. I try and update on a weekly basis with photos and information about the tanks. As you will see, my main tank has gone through a pretty extensive change.
Currently this thread will track
55g-Mopani Mantle
The old 55g started leaking. I started fresh 5/16/14
55g as of 8/1/14
12/8/14
12/21
29g-
8/1/14
8/17/14
Starting over, making this a betta home now. 9/21/14
10/19/14
12/8/14
12/21
10-grow out
8/1/14
12/21
truaqua 8.7g
8/1/14
10/19/14
12/21
Please take a look, enjoy the photos and feel free to ask any questions. I believe in open source, sharing knowledge baby!
Below is the original start of the Mopani Mantle Thread.
Enjoy
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hello everyone, I made an into in the GD area down below. My name is Joe and I live in Olathe, KS, which is not to far from Kansas city.
I've had a 55 gallon tank for a pretty long time. At the start it was really just a ooooh looks cool type of tank (lots of plastic) My tank started to leak so I decided to take it down and start over. I picked up a solid glass tank on craigslist dirt cheap. So my rehab began.
This is what the tank originally looked like
Your basic run of the mill petsmart set up.
I was really really really really really tired of fighting hard water build up on the tank. I wasn't going to put up another tank and deal with it again. We have decently hard water here in Olathe. My first step was to pick up an R/O system. Amazon had a coralife system at a price I couldn't pass up. I put together a little frame to hang it on.
After some serious thought and debate with the wife over "our" new decor I decided it was cheaper to build what I want vs paying retail price. I searched out some local businesses and found some cheap, like .90/lbs cheap slate and rock.
so it went in first
1 inch of old gravel that just had to much bio to let go, 3 inches of eco complete and the rest is fine black and blue sand. I built all of the rock structures with some putty from petsmart. Not the best, but I'm happy with it for my first attempt.
Suspended the light bar from the ceiling, this light bar was on amazon for 137 and I think I got the last one, b/c they came off the site after I did my purchase. 3 plugs, 3 on/off switches 2 12k, 2 anatic and 4 moonlight leds.
Looked empty so I picked up some plants from liveaquaria (place is awesome btw)
And plants
(march 27th)
2 ruffle plants, 3 hyprophilas and 2 dwarf hairgrass (which have not taken off yet)
Here is a more recent picture, I built and added a rock cave to the left side of the tank and moved a few things around b/c the fish didn't seem to like how it was designed lol.
Here are my babies
6 convicts
9 penguin tetras
Albus the defender (albino pleco)
I got the convicts from a friend, they were super small and only about 4 weeks old when I got them. (march 27th)
I don't have pictures of them all yet, but here are my best shots
Alpha
my alpha female
sup
The current set up is as follows
Fluval 305
50w heaters
wonderful no name light "260w reef marine led light bar" with 2 65w CF coralife 6700k bulbs
whisper 40 air pump
I dose with Seachem flourish (5ml 2x a week)
flourish excel (3ml daily) and root tabs
Marcos get 2-3 x weekly.
Thanks for taking a look. It's not where I want it just yet, but since we are renting I'm not going to do much more until we buy a house at the end of the year. I've been fighting my Hygrophlia corymbosa, trying to get the correct ferts into the tank to get it growing again. Seems to be making a turn around now. I need to grab some newer pics, those are about 2 weeks old and my ruffle is almost to the top of the tank now.
Thoughts, opinions, suggestions, criticisms
Currently this thread will track
55g-Mopani Mantle
The old 55g started leaking. I started fresh 5/16/14
55g as of 8/1/14
12/8/14
12/21
29g-
8/1/14
8/17/14
Starting over, making this a betta home now. 9/21/14
10/19/14
12/8/14
12/21
10-grow out
8/1/14
12/21
truaqua 8.7g
8/1/14
10/19/14
12/21
Please take a look, enjoy the photos and feel free to ask any questions. I believe in open source, sharing knowledge baby!
Below is the original start of the Mopani Mantle Thread.
Enjoy
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hello everyone, I made an into in the GD area down below. My name is Joe and I live in Olathe, KS, which is not to far from Kansas city.
I've had a 55 gallon tank for a pretty long time. At the start it was really just a ooooh looks cool type of tank (lots of plastic) My tank started to leak so I decided to take it down and start over. I picked up a solid glass tank on craigslist dirt cheap. So my rehab began.
This is what the tank originally looked like
Your basic run of the mill petsmart set up.
I was really really really really really tired of fighting hard water build up on the tank. I wasn't going to put up another tank and deal with it again. We have decently hard water here in Olathe. My first step was to pick up an R/O system. Amazon had a coralife system at a price I couldn't pass up. I put together a little frame to hang it on.
After some serious thought and debate with the wife over "our" new decor I decided it was cheaper to build what I want vs paying retail price. I searched out some local businesses and found some cheap, like .90/lbs cheap slate and rock.
so it went in first
1 inch of old gravel that just had to much bio to let go, 3 inches of eco complete and the rest is fine black and blue sand. I built all of the rock structures with some putty from petsmart. Not the best, but I'm happy with it for my first attempt.
Suspended the light bar from the ceiling, this light bar was on amazon for 137 and I think I got the last one, b/c they came off the site after I did my purchase. 3 plugs, 3 on/off switches 2 12k, 2 anatic and 4 moonlight leds.
Looked empty so I picked up some plants from liveaquaria (place is awesome btw)
And plants
(march 27th)
2 ruffle plants, 3 hyprophilas and 2 dwarf hairgrass (which have not taken off yet)
Here is a more recent picture, I built and added a rock cave to the left side of the tank and moved a few things around b/c the fish didn't seem to like how it was designed lol.
Here are my babies
6 convicts
9 penguin tetras
Albus the defender (albino pleco)
I got the convicts from a friend, they were super small and only about 4 weeks old when I got them. (march 27th)
I don't have pictures of them all yet, but here are my best shots
Alpha
my alpha female
sup
The current set up is as follows
Fluval 305
50w heaters
wonderful no name light "260w reef marine led light bar" with 2 65w CF coralife 6700k bulbs
whisper 40 air pump
I dose with Seachem flourish (5ml 2x a week)
flourish excel (3ml daily) and root tabs
Marcos get 2-3 x weekly.
Thanks for taking a look. It's not where I want it just yet, but since we are renting I'm not going to do much more until we buy a house at the end of the year. I've been fighting my Hygrophlia corymbosa, trying to get the correct ferts into the tank to get it growing again. Seems to be making a turn around now. I need to grab some newer pics, those are about 2 weeks old and my ruffle is almost to the top of the tank now.
Thoughts, opinions, suggestions, criticisms