Rickztahone's 55g and 2 x 10g projects (update 02-13-11)

[rickztahone]

Finally got one of my 10g set up. the stand is not yet done, and this tank will mainly be a grow out tank, which is why the plants are just scattered all over the place. I also want to check which plants thrive under these light/co2 conditions.

I have noticed that my bps rate varies, like the NV is floating, but it only happens when the solenoid turns back on. It seems it doesn't go back to the same bps rate from when it was on last. any suggestions on what can be done?

[rickztahone]

update:
I have almost finished my stand for the 55. It's been pretty cold here lately which has made me lazy enough not to work on the stand outside, lol. All i need to do now is install the hinges for the doors and primer and paint it. I had to go with an open top design because i didn't want to pay the extra $50 for the material to close off the top (HD only sells the large 8'x4' sheets). So, i plan to hang the catalina fixture from the ceiling like i did with the 10g lights. Hopefully it can be reinforced somehow. here are the pics of the stand:


front before the doors were cut


back


doors cut (i might add a trim around the doors since i do not have the straightest hand with an electric saw, lol)


some molding added.

now, on to the 10g tank that is currently up and running. I received what i believe a more than generous RAOK from Eden Marel, this is what she sent:
Hygro 'siamensis' (identified) i believe this is the one on the left
hygro 'tiger' (no idea which this is)
e. vesuvius plantlets (identified, but it doesn't seem to be doing that well)
e. tenellus plant lets (identified, has runners already)
Rotala rotundifolia (identified, i already had to trim this stem a few times already)
ludwigia arcuataxrepens (no idea which this is)
HM (not sure)

the ones with the (identified) tag are the ones that i have figured out on my own. for the rest i do not know which is which. can anyone help me out?

i did a good trimming this morning. I'm not sure if i should be trimming the roots that are extending from the plants on the left. it seems they are trying to root to the substrate? But i do not want them to go towards the substrate, do the roots have to be cut? will it hurt the plant?


FTS


i couldn't identify this one. is this the tiger?


glosso was pretty much dead when i transfered it over here. it is doing much better now.


the crazy left side!


again


Top right, not sure which this plant is either.

I just realized that i ask a whole lot of questions which might be the reason i do not get many answers, lol. I'm just a noob who likes to ask 1 too many questions, so i'm sry for that. any help is always appreciated. remember that this is just a grow out tank and that this layout will not remain once the other 10 and the 55 are set up. this tank will ultimately provide the plants to start the other tanks.

thanks for viewing.

That one plant looks like sunset hygro to me. You are quite talented with carpentry. I can't wait to see how this all comes together.

[rickztahone]

Originally Posted by sandie

That one plant looks like sunset hygro to me. You are quite talented with carpentry. I can't wait to see how this all comes together.

Thank you. I asked Eden and that I.d. is correct.

As far as the carpentry goes, while it does look ok from far away you can see small flaws up close like the doors not being cut perfectly straight or what-not. These were the first stands I built and I am kind of proud of them.

As far as finishing everything up, I'm actually almost done. I really thought my discus hobby was expensive buy I have sunk over $2k into this project, and I already had the 55! I always say, if your going to do something might as well do it big.

[rickztahone]

UPDATE!!!
i'm finally done with the stands and it is a breath of fresh air i tell ya. all in all they came out alright. i would have liked for the doors to line up better and that HD would have given me a color that was ACTUALLY black and not a dark gray. anyways, here are the pics.




both painted






the back is not the prettiest but it works! lol.

I was also going to suspend the light but it seems to sit fine right where it is. the only reason i would suspend it would be if i need to raise the light due to algae or something.

FYI, the background is obviously short, it was an error with the vendor and he wanted to send me the right one but i told him not to bother since my substrate will be 4" at the back anyways. He was a really great guy and he paypal'd me back my shipping charge ($18) without me asking. here's the link to where i got it click me



now i just need to plant it :-)

[teah]

Very nice background. Did you make it?

If so, do you mind to share us the process?

Thanks

[rickztahone]

Originally Posted by teah

Very nice background. Did you make it?

If so, do you mind to share us the process?

Thanks

they are distributor made. check out the hyperlink in the second to last paragraph on my post right above yours. hope that helps

[antbug]

Nice job on that stand Rick. It's coming together nicely.

[rickztahone]

Originally Posted by antbug

Nice job on that stand Rick. It's coming together nicely.

thanks Anthony. I'm just waiting on the Manzanita from PC1 and i'm waiting on Francis from ADG to do a special order on some stones and the aquasoil for the 55. I pretty much have everything read to go though. only thing i need is to sell off my fish in the 125! hopefully someone will be interested soon.

[Hilde]

Originally Posted by rickztahone

Mainly because the 125 has some scratches, not huge ones but enough not to make it a show piece IMO. This 55 is also serving as a test tank to see if I can manage a fully planted tank.

I am amazed that you didn't try to get rid of the scratches. So what are you going to do with the 125 G?

So you are going into breeding shrimp? I don't know why but many love the red shrimp. Should be easier to sell than the Discus since you can put them in a small tank.

Originally Posted by rickztahone

only thing i need is to sell off my fish in the 125!

I wonder if you could make more money selling the fish in Spring on AquaBid

[rickztahone]

Originally Posted by Hilde

I am amazed that you didn't try to get rid of the scratches. So what are you going to do with the 125 G?

So you are going into breeding shrimp? I don't know why but many love the red shrimp. Should be easier to sell than the Discus since you can put them in a small tank.

I wonder if you could make more money selling the fish in Spring on AquaBid

i did read that thread on scratches but seeing as some of the scratches i have can be felt quite easily with my finger nail i didn't even want to bother. i will be selling the tank/stand/canopy/lights locally for real cheap.

i'm not going into breeding shrimp per-say but i am definitely setting up all shrimp tanks. I will be leaning more towards CRS's than RCS but i have some really good RCS to work with currently.

I will resort to selling them on aquabid if worse comes to worse. Hopefully someone locally can buy them. I also might have a sale pending if i would be able to ship them. we shall see.

[rickztahone]

LOL, if my wife finds out that i just spent $80 on 3 Ryuoh stones she might very well kill me . Or....the fact that i just spent another $115 on AS she might revive me from the grave and kill me again.

just had to share...

[rickztahone]

Please help me with this Iwagumi-style layout. I'm mainly having problems with my larger stone on the right. Not sure if it "flows" how i want it to as is. Any advise would be greatly appreciated. i think i might not have enough soil, what do all of you think?

[rickztahone]

sry, add kicking in. I buried the left stones more to sort of make the right one look larger and higher up. I tried to put it on a hill but it was just too heavy. i also tried to create a higher slope from left to right but again the right stone was just too heavy:

[robxc80]

sorry to see your discus go but your project looks great. the stand and canopy for the 55 looks awesome.

for the iwagumi, i would try to position the big stone on the right over to the left with the other stones and let it flow at an angle downward from left to right. the background on the tank may also distract from the iwagumi style since it is suppossed to evoke a terrestrial nature scene. just my two cents. i think it still looks nice.

I'm excited to see the finished project. you should check us out on SCAPE. so many of the guys there are super helpful and going to meets is a great way to talk to people, pick their brains, and pick up rare plants. plus, you get 10% off on livestock at Nature Aquarium with a SCAPE membership.