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BeachBum's Townhouse Garden (Mr Aqua 17g)

13K views 81 replies 20 participants last post by  BeachBum2012 
#1 · (Edited)
Well, its getting close to time to get this bad boy up and running. I said I'd post a journal and here I am. Follow me!!!

Tank: - Mr Aqua MA-720 (17.1g)
Filtration - Eheim 2213
Lighting - Finnex Ray II 7000k model
co2 - Victor Dual Stage custom build setup, cerges reactor
Substrate - ADA Amazonia New with Africana underneath
Misc. - Hydor 200w inline heater, cooling fans???

Parameters:
I don't have any yet. There's no water. You need water to have water parameters.

Flora: As soon as I can find it all
Utricularia graminifolia (UG)
Staurogyne repens (Tropica 049)
Pogostemon helferi (Downoi)
Pogostemon stellatus broad leaf
Blyxa Japonica
Anubius barteri var. nana 'Petite'
Anubius barteri var. nana 'Micro'
Rotala sp. 'colorata'
Rotala macranda var. 'Variegated'
Ludwigia inclinata var. verticillata 'Pantanal'
Fissidens nobilis (mini fissidens)
Vesicularia montagnei (Christmas Moss)

Fauna When everything is stable and suck
PFRs - After the tank is cycled for a while. I'm thinking mid December
Schoaling fish - after the PFRs have taken hold and started breeding well. January-April or so.
GBR Pair - After everything has been established for 6 months - April at the earliest.
Ottos - Cant forget the ottos. Maybe zebra ottos if I can find them down the line.

This is about where I am now. I still have to figure out how I'm going to hang my light, I have to build my regulator and solenoid(with photos of course), build my reactor(also with photos) and decide how I am going to do cooling fans for next summer. It gets hot in my house.

On to the pics!!! What took so long?

Box o' fun


Gathering equipment


First attempt at hardscape layout





I could use some help on this part. My layout has always been my weakest point. That and my crappy iPhone photography that is.

I guess this is where I stand for now. I've got some equipment to build and some plants to hunt down. I'll probably fill some time late October.
 
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#66 ·
Now on to my shrimp friends. My order from Nick came in looking great. I drip acclimated them for 6 hours before introducing them to their new home. They're in and looking happy. I even found a berried momma while taking photos. Fast forward a few days and I've found a second berried momma. Enough talking about them, here they are:






Thanks again Nick, for the awesome shrimp!
 
#67 ·
Now onto some plant photos, in and out of the tank!
Nice shot under the driftwood arch:


Top down on the Downoi


Top down in the back


My little forest


Super secret 5g


FTS


and some plants that I picked up and have no idea what they are. Anyone out there in internet land have any ideas?
 
#70 ·
Well, she finally noticed it. The super secret 5g isn't so super secret any more. Here is a crappy pic of it along with a crappy pic of the main tank and of my whole garden area.




I have a few questions for all of you.

There is one spot that I'm not quite happy with right now. If you look in the previous crappy cell phone photo above, the spot I am referring to is on the far right just above the stone. In time the UG should fill the area in front of the stone and the fissidens should grow up the wood to the left of the stone. The problem I have is right above it. All I can see there is the lower part of the stems above. Lots of roots hanging down and it just doesn't look good? The question is, what do you thing I should do about it? The only though that I have right now is to place a larger piece of A. Nana there. Maybe 'Gold', 'Snow White', or 'Marbled' if I can find one of them. Any other ideas?

Question 2 is about the breeder box on the right that you can't even see in the crappy cell phone pic. I'm going to be holding my Speedie order in there until my other tank is cycled. Should only be a couple of weeks at most. What should I put in there? Moss for sure, but should I put anything else?

Other than that, I promise I'll snatch the real camera back from my better half and update with nice photos soon.
 
#71 ·
I did a big water change after a local club meet yesterday(like I do every Sunday,) planted some Anubias that I picked up and messed around in the tanks a bit. I did a bit of thinking. It hurt at first but then my brain got back into motion. I'm thinking of removing the stem plants in the back right. Pretty much everything from the middle of the wood arch over. Maybe just bunching them up tighter and more over to the left. I've gone a bit overboard on mosses lately and was thinking about a mosaic of mosses growing on SS mesh hanging down the back right side and maybe a crypt or two in place of the stems back there.

I'm just thinking out loud, but let me know what you guys think. I'll try to get pictures up of the tank as is later tonight if I can find the camera.

Obligatory crappy cell phone pic:
 
#75 ·
Thanks. I'm really hoping that the stems get bushier. I'm really thinking about pulling them and replanting all of the stems to the far left. Not sure yet. As for the 5g, it'll be just shrimp and a couple of ottos. Don't know what kind yet. I'll see where the tank parameters settle and decide from there.

Awesome Brian! Keep up the good work brother!

Since the secret tank aint so secret anymore, you should do up a new secret tank lol. ;)
Thanks Nick. Its the shrimp that make the tank :icon_wink

I was thinking the same thing. I have a few tanks kicking around. Any idea how to hide a 125 or 80 tall?
 
#77 ·
Hanging Ray II

Love the tank man! I'm looking at getting the 60-p (same as your tank, right?) and hanging a Finnex Ray II above it. Not sure what it is, but hanging a light above a rimless looks so much nicer than plopping it on top! What do you think about the light so far? It seems to grow your plants well, and no "OMG algae" posts so far :icon_lol:
Love the tropica 049, I was thinking of using that or HC as a foreground. Think the Ray II suspended at your height (looks like ~6in?) would handle HC and maybe some red plants?
Keep the posts coming!
 
#78 ·
Love the tank man! I'm looking at getting the 60-p (same as your tank, right?) and hanging a Finnex Ray II above it. Not sure what it is, but hanging a light above a rimless looks so much nicer than plopping it on top! What do you think about the light so far? It seems to grow your plants well, and no "OMG algae" posts so far :icon_lol:
Love the tropica 049, I was thinking of using that or HC as a foreground. Think the Ray II suspended at your height (looks like ~6in?) would handle HC and maybe some red plants?
Keep the posts coming!
Thank you for the kind words.

Yes, my tank is the Mr. Aqua equivalent of the 60-p and I agree that a hanging light looks much better on a rimless tank. I'd say that with this light and position I'd have no trouble growing HC and/or red plants.

I've been neglecting the tank a bit as I prepare for for the arrival of my first daughter. As soon as the I finish the nursery I'll get back to work on the tank and post some new pictures.
 
#80 ·
The tank is going. Very over grown and under maintained at the moment. I've been really busy getting the house and my life ready for the baby to get here. less than 6 weeks to go :eek:

This has been an odd tank. Its the first time that I've had really no algae at all. I haven't dosed or done a water change in well over a month. I top off every couple of days and that's about it. Grows like crazy.

As soon as I get settled down with house projects, I should have a bit of time to focus on the tank before the baby arrives. I'll post up some pictures then.
 
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