totally obsessed

[tlyons01]

I have been a member for just a short time, and I have had lots of great advice and already received great plants from the S and S. I has suggested starting a journal to a new local member and thought I should take my own advice and start my own.

My beast tank is a 46 gallon bow front, I actually had thought it was 42 but I stand corrected, I think. I started off a really long time ago with standard goldfish, that survived our outdoor pond and were brought inside when we were given this tank. That was 4+ years ago. I have learned so many things in just the last 18 months. I decided that this would have plants nearly a year ago.

I broke everything down and started with new substrate and decorations as well as my stock. I have gone through about 3 types of substrate in the last 8 months, finally deciding to stay with PFS, for my cories. I have kinda built my tank around them.

So, now I have 2x39 T5HO lights
PFS
running 2 HOB filters
fluval heater
yada yada basic stuff
liquid co2 booster
flourish comp
wanting to do dry ferts, money is too tight right now to get them, so I am taking my chances here and learning as I go.

I recently added from Gordon Richards big order, dwarf sag, banana plants, jungle and corkscrew vals. I also have brazillian pennywort, wisteria, anubia nana, amazon swords and anacharis.

I have 6 peppered corydoras, 5 otocinclus,7 rasbora het, 3 guppy fry, and 3 black rasboras as well as 1 cardinal tetra.

I started out with the idea that I would just be adding plants for the happiness of my fish. We will see how it goes. Here is what it looked like when I first joined the forum

[tlyons01]

That was taken 12-06-11. I don't know how to add text in between pics so I guess I'll just add them in separate posts

Here is my tank as of 1-14-2012. I have all my nice new plants in there. I have some melting going on, but also pearling. I expect these are normal and I'm not too worried. My banana plants have put out all new leaves and I am so pleased with that!!

I'm so excited

[tlyons01]

Without the blaring lights

and a guppy fry getting to know its mom, before she tried to eat it!!

[aXio]

Very beautiful tank and plant setup. Ugly background.

[tlyons01]

Thanks, I know about the background, and I totally agree. It had never occurred to me to change it until recently. It is on my list, that's for sure. What would you suggest??

[BlazednSleepy]

try it with no background. It looks like the back wall is white?

Give that a try and if it doesn't work out definitely go black.

[DarkCobra]

Looks to be off to a good start!

You may find that you need to add CO2, or lower the lighting intensity. Depending on the quality of the reflectors and fixture in general, 2x39W of T5HO over a 46G bowfront can reach high light. I have the same tank and lighting, but in a good DIY fixture, and it reaches high light easily if I want.

Some of the melting may be due to the liquid CO2 Booster, to which certain plants are sensitive. Vals initially melt, but usually adapt and recover in time. Anacharis doesn't adapt well at all, and usually ends up dying instead.

[ADAtank]

get rid of the petco decorations and the blue background if anything mybe a black background. Consider some branchwood or driftwood or even stones

[tlyons01]

Hmm interesting idea on the background blazed, I may try that. I think that it might be too much light bouncing off the back wall though. It will be easy to try that, so I am going to..

Darkcobra, yes indeed it is too much light. How I ended up at that end of the spectrum I can only say, that I was so worried about NOT having enough light that I went with my gut before truly understanding what I was reading. I have a siesta time setup up for 2 hours , I think, to help with reducing the intensity. I am also looking into using something over the splash guard lens, to reduce it. I brought home window screen to use, and my husband had me take it back to the store. He has no clue really... I think that I am going to try some wax paper, first. It's cheaper and would be easy, I think. If that isn't enough, then I will try the screen material without telling him. I was also looking for some brackets to raise it from the frame, I am no longer using the glass canopy, but I have not had any luck so far.. How is yours set up?

Thanks for the advice everyone. I haven't been using the booster everyday, so that the vals will acclimate slowly. I did see some of them pearling last night, some that I got from a local buddy here in town that are huge compared to the new ones I bought. So I was feeling like I am doing something right. I did not know anacharis would not survive with he co2 boost. I thought it was just Excel that did that? So is it ANY type of liquid co2 that has the effects you described?

Thanks again

[tlyons01]

Originally Posted by ADAtank

get rid of the petco decorations and the blue background if anything mybe a black background. Consider some branchwood or driftwood or even stones

Yes, yes. I have that on my list too. I only kept the cave so that the cories could escape the bright lighting if they wanted to. I have been looking at wood for a few weeks, but was only able to get either plants or that, and I went with plants first. I was thinking black too, for the background. I am going to test that out today. Thank you

[tlyons01]

test

[touch of sky]

Your tank looks very lovely. Once things get going, you won't notice your little cave and the cories probably enjoy it! I generally use a dark background on my tanks, either dark brown or black.

As for diffusing the light, I have used a piece of frosted glass on top of the clear glass. Same idea as the waxed paper. I have even used a piece of glass and lightly spray it with a bit of white acrylic paint, you could even smear a bit of paint, sort of like whitewash

I think the main thing is to remember that this is your tank, and you should decorate it to please you!

[tlyons01]

Awe, thanks for your positive outlook!!

I am easy to please when it comes to how the tank looks, I have become pretty conscious of how things are for my cories. Funny how I am that way, I really didn't think they were all that cute when I first brought them home. Now everything I do is for their benefit

I have removed the glass canopy, do you think the wax paper idea would work on just the acrylic lens that came with the light, or would it get too hot?

I am going through my fabric as I type to see what I think about different options for the back of the tank.. Hopefully today I will have something different and I will post pics. Thanks so much for stopping by, I love that my little project has gotten so much attention and advice, I totally respond well to constructive criticism

[touch of sky]

The wax paper may get too hot on the fixture. You could tape the window screening directly onto it, though. Maybe you could go back and buy a bit again

I absolutely love cories. They are one of my favourites. I have had some that have lived over 13 years for me. I got very attached to them. I even had them spawn once when I was on holidays. I think the house was a bit cooler, and I had the light on fewer hours when I was away. When I returned there was a tiny cory kitten in the tank! He has now grown to a big boy, but I can always tell which one he is.

I have used fabric, tissue paper, and construction paper on the back of tanks. I have also painted them. Whatever you have and like will work.

I look forward to seeing pictures.

[psalm18.2]

I like the rock cave. Window tint may work on the glass top. Looks good! I use CO2 booster and my plants are fine. Plants can melt when they're moved, but should bounce back.