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55 Gallon Blackwater

6K views 26 replies 14 participants last post by  kwheeler91 
#1 ·
I wanted something low-tech and since I've really enjoyed my 20 gal QT that turned into sort of a blackwater by accident, I thought I'd devote another tank to that style.
Tank specs:
55 gallon, back spray-painted black, temp will be kept in the low 80's
Filtration:
Cascade 1500, currently running new filter floss, old filter floss from the 20 gal and carbon. (Will be replacing the carbon with peat once the wood clears up).
Hardscape:
Pool filter sand, 2 large manzanita branches, couple of rocks and dried oak leaves
Flora:
Eventually looking to stock crypts (not sure which species), pennywort, duckweed, and possibly Hygrophilia angustifolia, Hygrophila difformis, or Aponogeton natans.
Fauna:
Currently 6 ramshorn snails and 10 green neons cycling; eventually (still deciding) 1 mated pair of german blue rams, marbled hatchets, and some eques and/or purple pencilfish.
Here it is right after set-up:


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Here it is currently, after adding oak leaves, snails and neons:


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#6 ·
I'm on top of it! I was planning to transfer some from my 33 gallon, but a bunch came with the aponogeton natans that I picked up today :smile:

I agree that I might lose my gamble with the hatchets. I'm hoping that floating plants will be enough deterrent but if they are dead set on carpet-surfing, I do have two fitting hinged glass tops that I can use. I might go that route anyways, just to cut down on evaporation.

I also picked up 6 Habrosus cories today and they are settling in nicely.

Thanks for all of the positive feedback! :D
 
#8 ·
Thanks, it was either them or the pygmy's but these guys seemed to stay on the substrate a little more. I actually added my first plant today (second if you count duckweed) but the tank definitely still looks a little bare. I can't decide if I want to use the abundant ferns, anubias and crypts that I have in other tanks or try something different. Since all I added for substrate was inert pool filter sand I feel like I am pretty limited as to what I can grow without a lot of additives.
If anyone has suggestions I would appreciate it! :smile:
 
#11 ·
That's a really great hardscape. Glad to see you using the height of the tank.

I've never had luck with hatchets when it comes to them being in tanks without cover. Not even floating plants have worked. If you can do glass tops, you should definitely consider it. Or at least some sort of mesh to prevent jumpers.

Really looking forward to see what you do with this once you decide upon plants.
 
#12 ·
Where did you get your manzanita branches? They lok awesome!
 
#14 ·
Thanks again for all of the input! :)
Cinbos, I bought the manzanita branches off a guy on [Ebay Link Removed] I am very happy with them, though I don't think that they were completely dried out when I received them because there is quite a big of fungus/mold growing on the wood.
I added more sand near the branch bases and some Heteranthera zosterifolia today to see what it would look like and I'm about 70% happy with it. The aponogeton natans on the far left looks goofy but the plant itself is so cool I think I'll keep it until I can move it to another tank.
If anyone has plant/scape suggestions I would love to hear them!
Here are some pictures of the tank after today, still a little cloudy from planting and the recent bacteria bloom.


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Neons enjoying the H. zosterifolia


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Finally got a picture of the cories


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Leaves of the aponogeton natans reaching the surface


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#21 ·
Thanks a lot! I guess in my mind I did picture this being sort of SA biotope, (I even had a moment, in my planting bliss, where I thought that crypts were native to SA.. Thanks for bursting my bubble! :p). I have such an abundance though, and they do so well in low light that it's hard not to use them.. I was also toying with the idea of keeping Sphaerichthys osphromenoides, so that would kind of defeat the idea of keeping it to one location.
Just for my own reference, the current stock list is:
Plants:
Heteranthera zosterifolia
Aponogeton natans
Nufar stellata (came attached with the a. natans)
Cryptocoryne (not sure which species)
Mix of large & small duckweed

Fish:
6 ramshorn snails
6 Corydoras habrosus
10 Paracheirodon simulans
*considering*
6 Nannostomus rubrocaudatus
6 Poecilocharax weitzmani
6 Sphaerichthys osphromenoides
1-2 Bunocephalus coracoideus
Some undecided smaller SA pleco

(thinking about adding Eleocharis acicularis)
 
#22 ·
Thank you! I'm starting to think I should get more branches like these for my next tank :D
I do have some xmas moss that I've been wanting to use, but I kind of like the look of the wood as it is now... On the other hand we just got back from a drive up through the Mt Baker National Forest (which has AMAZING mossy trees) and now I'm thinking about setting up a new tank to imitate that landscape. :icon_mrgr
 
#25 ·
Bad news.. I've watching my tank the last few days and noticed a couple of the cories scratching their gills on the tank decor. I've had several encounters with a very resistant strain of gill flukes from my lfs and still somehow decided to forgo quarantining my new livestock before adding it to my tank :frown:

I pulled the snails and added curpamine to the 55 and my 33 gallon as it's the only med that I've been able to successfully eradicate the flukes with. I realize that gill scratching can be cause by any number of things (my rams will sometimes flash for a little while after I perform a water change) but I'd rather play it safe this time around.
 
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