Rockwood's 75g - Updated 4/25/12

[rockwood]

Progression Shots




Previous shots when the tank looked good:



Current Equipment
75g All-Glass Aquarium with glass canopies
Black All-glass stand
2x Hydor 200w ETH Heater
2x Ehiem 2215 w/ 2217 impellers
120 lbs. Eco-Complete Black
GLA Ultimate Regulator w/ NV-55 and bubble checker
GLA drop checker
Cerge's style CO2 Reactor
Catalina Aquarium T5HO 4x54w Solar fixture (all 6700k)
Coralife 9v TurboTwist UV

Current Fauna
3 Boesemani Rainbows (2 male/1 Female)
1 Yellow Rainbow (Male)
2 Turquoise Rainbows (1 Male/1 Female)
2 New Guinea Rainbows (1 Male/1Female)
1 Rubberlip (L187b) Pleco
8 Julii Corydoras
3 Clown Loaches
10+ Rummynose Tetras

Current Flora
Amazon Sword
Amazon Sword Compact
Crypt Walkeri
Crypt Wenditii
Sunset Hygro
Hygro Corymbosa (Compacta)
Red Tiger Lotus

[rockwood]

Everyone who's been following my thread lately knows the trouble I'd been having.

After personal issues caused me to move away from my parents house and leave the tank behind. During that time the tank more or less crashed. The fish survived (I still don't know how) and not much else did. I know when I went to break it down, I had a layer of decaying/dead leaves and fish poop sitting on the surface of the substrate. I was actually clogging my python over and over trying to clean the muck off.

Ever since I set the tank back up its been a battle with algae and just general crap all over the place. I've done everything I could to get it back in order and nothing was working. I upped CO2, raised my lights (which I never needed to do before), added flow, etc. and none of it made a difference. Then I had a light bulb turn on upstairs. I never rinsed the substrate out. I was in such a rush to get everything back together that I never even thought of rinsing the substrate and what kind of filth was in there.

Well yesterday I decided enough is enough. I'm tired of having a crappy looking tank. I broke down and pulled all of it out and rinsed it. The funk that was coming out was ridiculous. The water that was rinsing through it basically looked like mud. I'm fairly positive parts of it were going anaerobic. Its no wonder I couldn't keep crap off my plants. I also had this cool stump sitting around that I had been toying with putting in the tank. I went ahead and pulled the trigger on it. I'm still having to hold it down to keep it in place (using extra ehiem tubing I had laying around haha) while it soaks. I've also brought back some of the slate rocks that some of you might remember.

I was really, REALLY wanting to do a manzy scape and had been eying a couple pieces from Mr. Barr, but it doesn't make sense to drop $150-$200 on some wood right now. Plus when I do that I really want to go the AS route. Plus EVERYONE is doing a manzy scape. I wanted to do something a little different.

So here it is...... hopefully everyone likes

[2in10]

Good looking restart.

[rockwood]

Thanks. I need to get a new camera because phones just don't cut it. It looks a LOT better in person.

I couldn't believe how quickly the water cleared up and how nice it looks. I had forgotten what a tank is supposed to look like lol. If Justin will ever get me my root tabs (I ordered 2 complete+ packs 2 Fridays ago) I can get the amazons and vals kicking back up again. I've got 3 amazons in there behind the stump but I'm going to kick all but which ever one is doing the best out in short order. I want it to get big like my last one and kind of anchor the scape/help soften the vertical look of the trunk.

I've got some plans still yet to execute. Equipment wise I need to get a Koralia (not sure on size yet.) I want to add in one of those Current USA Subcurrent filters to break the surface and allow me to add things like Purigen, peat, or w/e I decide necessary. Much like Craigthor does. I want to change 2 of the 6700k bulbs out with a plant grow (4000k I think?) and a 10,000k bulb. I'm going to build custom spray bars that bring both the 2215 outflows into one and then Y back out across the top. It will help keep the CO2 even across the tank without needing to go dual valves and build another reactor. I also need a new bulb for the UV.

As far as plants, I want to add some of that sexy Red Ludwiga Tom has as well as get a bunch of his Staurygone stems. I'm thinking some Rotala colorata and Ludwiga Glandulosa. I really want a lot of color variance. I'm going to look into a grass type forground also like DHG, micro sword, etc. Something a little different than the Staurygone foreground everyone seems to be doing now.

I kinda want to go against what's popular right now.

[rockwood]

Just ordered 3 portions of DHG from PhishingforFish from the SnS.

Now, does DHG do well with EI dosing or should I hit the substrate up with tabs around it?

[Kathyy]

Glad things are looking up for you.

My DHG is in 1" of 10 year old dirty Schultz's Aquatic Soil topped with 2" of clean pea gravel and only dosed with EI and doing fine.

[rockwood]

Awesome I'm glad EI will take care of it.

The Rootmedic tabs shipped yesterday so I'll probably still stick a few in sporadically where I plant it just for good measure.

[rockwood]

Rootmedic caps showed up Saturday. Got them put in today. The amazon swords are already bubbling. Meanwhile the Sunset Hygro is looking great. Tops are pinking up. Despite being on 4 bulbs the tank seems to have algae under control, which is very exciting!

The Blyxa was all floating around the top of the tank when I got home, and looks like its been munched on. I think my tigers got hungry and ate it/pulled it up. Had to replant and feed them well lol.

DHG and some Rotala Colorata ship out on Tuesday.

[rockwood]

I'm beginning to get fairly frustrated that I don't have a decent camera to get good pictures anymore (I ganked mom's from her when I was getting my original shots.)

Of those of you actually reading/lurking this thread, what camera would you suggest. I don't want anything crazy like an SLR or w/e; something decent and cheap (like $150ish?)

[rockwood]

I think I have my Blyxa in finally where it will stay. It kept coming up out of the substrate. Hopefully I don't have this problem with the DHG when it gets here.

The DHG and the R. Colorata shipped today so hopefully they'll be here around Thursday.

[rockwood]

DHG and Colorata came in today. I've got the R. Colorata in and I'm working on the DHG. Sheesh I didn't realize how tough this stuff would be to plant....

I'll try to get pictures after I plant it and do a water change.

[rockwood]

Updated pictures after Colorata and DHG planting. My tank looks like it has hair plugs, heh. I'm thinking the Vals on the left are going to get replaced... maybe with some L. Glandulosa or L. Aromatica. Not sure yet.

I had a scare today also. My lights didn't come on this morning on time. My timer is running behind which leads me to believe I need to replace the batteries in it. However, the CO2 came on just fine. Interestingly enough, the fish are fine, and weren't showing any signs of issues. I have a feeling its because I'm running an airstone right now. I might have to make this a permanent fixture as my CO2 can go WAY up in relation to the amount of surface agitation the small bubbles are causing. If it keeps the fish healthy while smacking around the algae I'm good with it.

Current full tank shot:


Right Side


Left Side

[beastoise]

Lol, I'm having the exact same problem with my blyxa. When it came in the mail, it was already looking ragged, now my darn tigers won't leave it planted. Which is weird cause I've never seen them mess with any other plants. Looks like you're off to a good start, I'll have to keep an eye on it.

[rockwood]

I think I finally have it pushed down in there far enough they'll leave it alone. Two pieces came up to day but the majority is staying down, and I'm noticing the pieces that came up are sporting some new roots so it is recovering.

I'm getting a pretty nice baby bubble storm tonight in appreciation of the increased CO2 I'm assuming. It's nothing like what used to happen in this tank but it's an improvement.

Things are looking up

[rockwood]

I'm insanely frustrated right now. I'm at the point now where I'm seriously considering tossing it all out the window and tearing the tank down.

When the lights turned on today I noticed that the swords aren't doing spectacular like I thought they would, the algae problem growing on the leaves is still persisting. I've spent $20 on 40 pieces of Blyxa and the only thing remaining from that is maybe 15 or so nubs. The leaves aren't healthy, mainly because they keep getting pulled out by the Tiger Barbs. The $20 worth of DHG that I just purchased also is looking fairly sickly. It looked green and healthy when it arrived, but now its down to looking like the rest of the tank. Has the weird brown sh*t growing amongst it already and just looks bad. That doesn't include the $20 of Staurygone Repens that I put in and it just melted to nothing.

The only thing I'm managing to grow are things like Hygro, especially the Sunset Hygro which is considered an invasive species. So it will grow anywhere.

I'm beginning to think the first time I set this up and had success it was a fluke. I couldn't really do anything wrong. Sh*t just grew and it was awesome.

After the tank crash nothing works. I've raised the lights higher than they ever were, cranked the CO2 to the point where I need an airstone in the tank to keep the fish from floating, pulled all the substrate out and cleaned it, added a second 2215, started dosing Excel, and guess what nothing changed!!!

The only difference from the first go around at this point was a UV and everyone says they don't really do anything in planted tanks.

At this point it will serve me better in the garbage and I'll have a lower water bill. I'll also not be spending money to kill plants.