James' Aqueon Evolve 8G - Start Date: 2/24/12 -

[jamesyu]

I'm breaking down my 5 gallon office tank and will be upgrading to a 8Gal Aqueon Evolve.

Can't wait until tomorrow, will have pictures then on this post as my first setup journal.

Here's the equipment so far:

Aquarium:
Aqueon Evolve 8G

Filter:
Stock Filter
(since i'm breaking down the previous tank, water and HoB filter will be placed into the new tank to keep the tank from cycling, this will be temporary for the next 2-3 weeks)

Lighting:
3x Fluval 13w CFL

Substrate:
- Layer 1 -
API - Pure Laterite
Osmocote Plus spread + DIY capsules

- Layer 2 -
20lbs bag of Black Eco-Complete Substrate

- Top Decor -
1x M Manzanita Driftwood
1x XS Malaysian Driftwood
Several Riverstones (white and rust colored, striped - don't know the real name for it)

Fauna:
[Not too sure if I should transfer the fish or trade it in with my LFS so I can get some other fish but here's what I have]

6x Flame Tetras (didn't want these, rather have rasboras)
1x Honey Gourami (Yellow + Red in color)
2x Otocinclus Affinis (Need 1 more)
2x Snail I cannot Identify

Flora:
Dwarf Sagittaria (Sagittaria subulata)
Ludwigia Repens X L. Arcuata (Ludwigia Repens X L. Arcuata)
Staurogyne Repen (Staurogyne Repen)
Cryptocoryne lutea (Cryptocoryne walkeri 'lutea')
Cryptocoryne Wendtii (Cryptocoryne wendtii)
Cryptocoryne spiralis (Cryptocoryne spiralis )
Amazon Sword (Echinodorus amazonicus)
Java Moss (Taxiphyllum barbieri)
Java Fern (Microsorum pteropus)
Anubias minima (Anubias minima (Anubias minima))
Water Primrose (Ludwigia palustris)
Pogostemon Yatabeanus (Pogostemon Yatabeanus)
Limnophila sp. 'mini' (Limnophila sp 'mini')

Ferts and Dosing:
Osmocote Plus
Microblift Bloom & Grow Liquid Ferts
SeaChem Excel [paintball pressurized Co2 after I get my equipment] For now I think Excel will do nicely until I can get the tank more established.

==============================
-Pictures Of the Initial Start - 2-24-12 -
==============================
[Pictures Are Click-able]

Original 5Gallon Standard Aquarium


Fitting The manzanita wood in the aquarium - Very lucky it fit, I estimated the size without the aquarium present to test


Added Laterite and Osmocote Plus and Propagated Java Fern and Anubias nana (I think i killed this one)


Added Osmocote Plus DIY Gelcaps


Added Eco-Complete Substrate


Shaped the Substrate a bit


Propagated Plants, Filled with Water and added "EasyLife EasyStart" bacteria booster
Also Installed 3x Fluval 13watt Lights on a 12 hour timer -- will knock it down within 1-2 days to 8 hour sessions


Lights off:


Tank Cleared up a bit for more pics:







Was greedy, went to LFS (Dolphin Pet Village) and picked up 6x Ember Tetras:


Final Setup w/the Ember Tetras, and added a whole large bottle of Tetra Safe Start:


Let me know what you think of the setup.

[Pooky125]

I'm curious to see how this turns out. Looking at that very long list of plant species, and comparing it to my tank, I've gotta ask. Will you be able to get more then one stem or plant of each in there?

[xjasminex]

Yea, im wondering the same, with my own you have a limited amount of space... good luck to you!

[jamesyu]

I'm glad to walk into my office Saturday mid-day and find all the water cleared up and the tank crystal clear.
There are some white residue that is sitting on the plants that I would like to know what it is. [Will have pictures of it below]
I ended up giving plenty of plants away, only ones that I had multiple of - got a discount for my ember tetras

Video of the Tank:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0BqIf2rxuc

Video of Feeding the Fish:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BJb-B3Dbzo

Left Side


Center


Right Side


Center w/o Lights in the shot



Back Right Stem Plants and Java Fern - [If anyone can ID the one that has a narrow leaf and also one that looks like mint that would be great]


Staurogyne Repens

[You can see there are some white residue that sits on these leaves, not sure why, but it's all over the aquarium.]


Crypts, Dwarf Swords, and a Dwarf Sag


Full Desk Picture from a distance


Tell me what you guys think. I'm fairly proud of this tank, just because it's the first time I've taken the tank to do all this.

[BlueJack]

cool little tank!

[jamesyu]

Got my Pressurized Co2 Kit:

Pics of it installed -- My Hands now are in pain and the skins on my fingers are raw, but glad there's no leaks (tested).

The ASA on/off valve got scratched up but that was my fault -- besides that, I was totally stoked when the co2 went through the glass diffuser, I don't have a check valve yet but i plan to get one.

The paintball canister is a 20oz canister, I'm happy with it.

View of the gauge:


View of the needle valve:

[depech]

Good job James. Would love to see it in person one day

[GMYukonon24s]

Your tank looks good. I like the three light fixtures. Nice fish.

[jamesyu]

Originally Posted by depech

Good job James. Would love to see it in person one day

Thanks, heh if I take it home i'll let you take a look at it.

Originally Posted by GMYukonon24s

Your tank looks good. I like the three light fixtures. Nice fish.

Thank you for the compliment =) I got the idea of these 3 fixtures from another person in this forum. Credit goes to him!

[jamesyu]

There has been some changes to the aquarium.

1 - I ripped the java moss out since it was somehow browning out. I don't know why it would be browning out, could it be light? ferts? co2? no clue, but it's gone now.

2 - I am absolutely amazed at how fast these things are growing. These pictures are just 1 week old. I have seen my Ludwigia Repens X L. Arcuata Grow so fast I have to cut them soon (once they reach the top of the aquarium). All my plants have been growing and pearling since i've introduced pressurized Co2. Very very satisfied.

I've been upping the dose of this fert to 1 1/2 capfuls per day almost 2 capfuls:
http://www.microbelift.com/products/...ow-all-in-one/

3 - quite happy with the outcome, I will be obtaining some flame moss to propagate these bare limbs, the anubias nana's are not bouncing back as fast as I would like them to, but that's to be expected. I'm waiting for them to come back, they are not all out yet but they are fading for the time being.
================
Here are the pictures
================
LEFT: (the tall crypt have grown at least 1-2 inches in height since)


MIDDLE: Very happy with the 1 week milestone results
An addition to the tank -- Here's a picture of Gordon, my aquarium guardian.


RIGHT: You can really see the progress of the Ludwigia repens here, along with the L. Repens x L. Arcuata


My Staurogyne Repens have been strong, roots are forming quickly


A shot of the crypts


Close up of the L repens and some other plants (forgot the name)


Dwarf Sagg recovered as well as some of the baby java ferns with amazon dwarf swords


Another Full Shot as a summary:





As a comparison
[Day 2]


[Day 7]


Best Complement I got today was a colleague dropped by and his jaw dropped and said "That is one sick looking setup!!!"

Made me proud of spending 6-7 hours the week before setting this up.

Let me know what you guys think. Critiques are always welcome.

[jamesyu]

[Day 10]
Over the weekend, I adjusted the Co2 output a bit more. This ended up gassing all the fish

All except Mr. Honey Gourami.

water changed done (30%) dumped some more bacteria booster in to even out the load, will dump in a bottle of Tetra safe start, and put in some more fish, will be testing different fish at this point. I will still be using tetras, but will be looking for some schooling fish and otocinclus' again.

15% water change afternoon
added 6 harlequin rasboras and 3 ember tetras and 1 nerite snail

dosed large bottle of tetra safe start and 1/2 bottle of easylife easystart
agitating water surface aggressively -- adding only excel for 1 week, will start Co2 injection week after.

[jamesyu]

[Day 11]
Water was still cloudy, constantly stirring up stuff so the filter can catch it and it won't stay in the tank. New fishes acclimated well -- took the food when I fed them willingly and easily.

Counting down until I can add more fish, there's a bit of an algae issue now since the fish death. Ludwigia Repens X L. Arcuata took well, had to prune them a bit, planted the new stocks somewhere else. Tank is filling in nicely for plants, but still waiting for the aquarium to stop it's cloudiness.

I need 2 otos =)

[jamesyu]

[Day 12]
Tank is clearing up nicely, need to vacuum some more and push the debris into the water column.

added 3 otocinclus to clean up the algae growth in the tank, the snails are not doing the job.

no more new stock for the time being

6x Harlequin Rasboras
3x Embers
3x Otocinclus Afinis
1x Honey Gourami
1x Nerite Snail

Got my Flame Moss and propagated it today, but I need to propagate the rest of it.
Got some floating plants in, not what I was expecting, probably going to end up tossing the bag.

[kwheeler91]

Word of advice... probably not a good idea to put fish like tetras in if your tank isnt cycled and you have to rely on safe start .
And I hate to be the bringer of bad news, but those are not ember tetras, they are flame tetras I believe.

[jamesyu]

Originally Posted by kwheeler91

Word of advice... probably not a good idea to put fish like tetras in if your tank isnt cycled and you have to rely on safe start .
And I hate to be the bringer of bad news, but those are not ember tetras, they are flame tetras I believe.

I know what I got in the aquarium. It's embers. I don't have and updated pictures. Tank is cycled already. Please go through the posts carefully.

I had 6 von rios(flames) and 6 embers. I don't have flames anymore. Fish didn't die due to any cycling issues. I gassed them on accident.

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