"Finally" (DIY LED-lit 57g) New pictures for January

[sns26]

**UPDATE** Solved my surface scum problem and let things grow in a bit. I'm pretty happy with it, but still need to sort out the right side of the tank. Local club members are recommending pulling the stems there and replacing with a crypt or two.

----------
Hi all,

I've been cluttering the DIY forum with posts about this build for the last few months. But after a few days of leak testing, it's time to stop procrastinating and get ready to put some plants in this tank. This is a bit scary for me, because I put a lot of work into the physical build and I'm generally more comfortable with table saws than planting tweezers.

I bought a reef-ready rimless Oceanic tank (57 gal, 36x18x21), a Hydor 300w inline heater, and an Odyssea CFS-500 filter. The stand, light, CO2 rig, and plumbing are all DIY. More details at my build thread.

Light comes from a mix of warm, neutral, and cool white Cree XP-G LEDs (27 in all, dimmable drivers running at 1300mA max). CO2 comes from an inline reactor. And for substrate, I already have 3 big bags of aquasoil standing by. This will be my first time using it.

[NJAquaBarren]

I don't think it is too much driftwood. In fact it may be too little as it looks a little lonely. You may want to balance it with smaller driftwood or rocks on the other side of the tank.

[sns26]

Yes, that is my plan. This wood may be hard to match - I was coming down the Potomac after a flood and saw it from my kayak. I must have looked pretty funny paddling a teeny whitewater boat with a 25-lb stump on my deck.

Alternative #2 is to take this piece to the bandsaw and make it into two pieces...

[Zerocon]

This looks like it's going to be really cool, Subscribed!

[sns26]

Hi all. I've finally gotten around to getting started. My wife said if I didn't get this thing going soon she was going to put an iguana in it. And I hate reptiles. So here is the hardscape: COMMENTS WELCOME!

Here is the planting plan:
1. glosso foreground up to the white sand
2. java "trident" all over the base of the DIY "stump"
3. java moss on some of the branches
4. echinodorus tenellus just in front of the rock retaining wall
5. Crypts behind that.
6. stems behind that - rotala and some red stuff to provide some contrast.
7. Still looking for an idea of how to plant something fun on the emersed bits of driftwood.

[2in10]

Very good scape. Epiphytes would go on the emersed parts of the wood. They will need to be misted daily though.

[sns26]

...god this took forever. Plants are java fern, regular and trident, some fissidens, java moss, a few small crypts, and a ton of green rotala and ludwigia arcuata in the back (that will hopefully grow up high above the trident).

Substrate is aquasoil, but I had absolutely NO problems with cloudiness. Obviously. This is without any water changes. I just trickled things in real slow through my plumbing system and it dribbled out the loc-line fittings over the course of a couple of hours.

My biggest worry is about the glosso. I got it online and the quality SUCKED. Though I bought four pots, I only got about one pot worth of teeny tiny plants. I'm hoping they root. Worst case scenario is that I just plant again, so no big deal.

[2in10]

Great work, hope the glosso makes it.

[150EH]

A job well done, but I guess it's not over yet. Your tank is so nice from the light to the tank and cabinet it seems great care has been taken in every detail and I think you should post photos to show it from head to toe.

Is there going to be any fauna???

That always remends me of FZ, "hey fauna, ya wanna" lets see who knows?

[DogFish]

REALLY NICE!

I like how you use the same type of rock, they are there but, understated.What a smart idea!

[monk E]

wow looks great man, nice job!

[sns26]

Originally Posted by DogFish

I like how you use the same type of rock, they are there but, understated.What a smart idea!

Glad I thought of it.

There will be fauna--shrimps and fish. Maybe some dwarf cichlids. And some corys--that's what the sand is there for. But I gather that with aquasoil I'm best off waiting a few weeks before I do any of that. Right? Also, I have some random fast-growing stems in the bottom right to help eat nutrients for the break-in period.

And for the person who wanted the "full length" shot:

Yes. Still no knobs.

[150EH]

sns26, as the norm one thing here leads to the next, so I read the filter review. That said I can see you are a very neat person and it looks like you have an eye for nice things, plus the tools and skills to do it all.

With Eheim canisters at $129 for a 2217 the piece of mind alone over the Odessy is worth it, I read the Eheim noise post on the 2215 too, send it back they are silent. I wish you all the luck with this filter and the tank, light, & stand are a work of art.

BTW are you going to the GWAPA meeting??? Thanks for the shot, it looks nice all in the frame.

[sns26]

Originally Posted by 150EH

With Eheim canisters at $129 for a 2217 the piece of mind alone over the Odyssea

Yeah, but I liked the higher flowrate of the Odyssea. I wanted to avoid having to put a powerhead in this tank.

[Rockhoe14er]

great looking tank. And again great led build. I wish i had your carpentry talents.