Fly's 75 gallon planted adventure!

**flyfshrmn98** · 04-29-2012, 01:39 AM

Although this tank will not be set up for another month, it has been in the works for several months and still has some work to do with it. It will be a fully planted tank with mineralized top soil as the substrate.

It started off as just a boring standard 75 gallon tank and stand. We ripped down the stand and sanded the stain off. Next we added some trim to the top of the stand to cover the bottom trim of the tank.

Sorry for crappy pics, most have been from the phone thus far. Will get better in the future!

Next was building the canopy...The canopy is made of all pine wood and crown molding around the edges

My neighbor owns a cabinet company and was kind enough to take the canopy to his shop and cut the top and install hidden hinges on the inside for me.

We then stained everything a dark espresso brown color. We first tried an oak stain but didn't look very well and the fiance didn't approve!

Today we retrofitted the inside of the canopy with a workhorse 7 ballast which will be driving 3x54 watt T5HO bulbs. Inside was painted white to add to the reflectiveness and then sealed to prevent moisture damage.

Next step is to paint the back glass black. I also have some manzanita driftwood ordered from tom barr that should arrive any day! Then wait 3 long weeks until I move to the new house to set this project up!

2in10 · 04-29-2012, 01:55 AM

Sweet looking work

Aquarist14 · 04-29-2012, 01:59 AM

Awesome job on the canopy!

Can't wait to see it once you get it running

xxUnRaTeDxxRkOxx · 04-29-2012, 04:28 AM

Looking good so far, I think I'll subscribe to this thread

**flyfshrmn98** · 04-30-2012, 12:48 AM

Painted the back today with a little over 1 can of flat black spray paint. Being spray paint, there are no brush strokes so it looks good! Sitting full of water now to test it out. The lighted pic only has one bulb in it so not that bright.

aXio · 04-30-2012, 01:32 AM

Great start. Nice handy work too.

fnkxican · 04-30-2012, 04:05 PM

That stand and canopy look really good. I think that dark espresso was a good choice.

Brownthumb07 · 04-30-2012, 05:51 PM

I agree that dark stain looks fantastic

Mr.Desert_scape · 04-30-2012, 10:28 PM

You want to come build me a canopy and stand? =) looks great!

**flyfshrmn98** · 05-27-2012, 01:00 PM

Ah the time is finally here! All moved and the driftwood finally came in! Will be trying to get it all set up this evening and in to tomorrow if needed.

Here was the driftwood that I ordered from Tom Barr on planted tank. Well actually the 2nd batch he sent me since the first batch never got to me.

And after I broke it all up and put it back together. Think it will look much better this way. Disregard the rocks and wood on top of the tank. This is going to be my main piece and might add some roots or a couple of other pieces on the ground.

Tank with the black diamond border and a base of dolomite and muriate of potash

MTS added on top

And with the black diamond cap. Still needs to be sloped in the back and sides. Too tired for tonight, will continue tomorrow!

2in10 · 05-27-2012, 01:08 PM

Looks good so far.

**flyfshrmn98** · 05-27-2012, 03:33 PM

Hard scape

**flyfshrmn98** · 05-28-2012, 02:51 AM

Finally planted! Will be adding more plants in the coming weeks. Some dwarf baby tears carpet, more midground plants and some taller background. Comments and critiques are appreciated

2in10 · 05-28-2012, 03:02 AM

I think that is a great looking start.

**flyfshrmn98** · 06-15-2012, 04:16 AM

update time! Been about 2 and a half weeks since the tank was started up. Added several new plants and fish. Have unfortunately run into some algae issues most likely due to fluctuating water parameters and high light. Hopefully with the new CO2 reactor I can keep more consistent dissolved levels and fight the algae. Added 7 corries and 1 week in and they have already spawned! 6 juvie angels of various colors. Got rid of all the swordtails

and added some more pristella tetras. Planning to add a couple german blue rams I think. As for the plants, have added downoi, erio parkeri, limnophila aromatica, more ludwigia cuba, a melon sword, and got rid of some of the older large crypts. Going to be adding some red plants (ludwigia glandulosa, rotala macarandra, and a. reinekii) in the next couple of weeks. Amazing how fast roots grow with the MTS substrate

downoi

erio parkeri

04-29-2012, 01:39 AM	#1
flyfshrmn98 Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (20/100%) Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: kansas city, mo Posts: 137	Fly's 75 gallon planted adventure! Although this tank will not be set up for another month, it has been in the works for several months and still has some work to do with it. It will be a fully planted tank with mineralized top soil as the substrate. It started off as just a boring standard 75 gallon tank and stand. We ripped down the stand and sanded the stain off. Next we added some trim to the top of the stand to cover the bottom trim of the tank. Sorry for crappy pics, most have been from the phone thus far. Will get better in the future! Next was building the canopy...The canopy is made of all pine wood and crown molding around the edges My neighbor owns a cabinet company and was kind enough to take the canopy to his shop and cut the top and install hidden hinges on the inside for me. We then stained everything a dark espresso brown color. We first tried an oak stain but didn't look very well and the fiance didn't approve! Today we retrofitted the inside of the canopy with a workhorse 7 ballast which will be driving 3x54 watt T5HO bulbs. Inside was painted white to add to the reflectiveness and then sealed to prevent moisture damage. Next step is to paint the back glass black. I also have some manzanita driftwood ordered from tom barr that should arrive any day! Then wait 3 long weeks until I move to the new house to set this project up! __________________ 5.5 Planted Rimless 75 gallon planted adventure

04-29-2012, 01:55 AM	#2
2in10 Planted Tank Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (4/100%) Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Sparks, NV Posts: 2,585	Sweet looking work __________________ *2in10's 75 Gallon Jungle part duex* *2in10's 75 Gallon Jungle part 1* 8 Gallon Biocube Canon Pimp Club #041

04-29-2012, 04:28 AM	#4
xxUnRaTeDxxRkOxx Planted Tank Obsessed (View User Tanks) PTrader: (3/100%) Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Denver, CO. Posts: 422	Looking good so far, I think I'll subscribe to this thread __________________ You can check out my tanks here http://mikesaquariums.webs.com/

04-30-2012, 12:48 AM	#5
flyfshrmn98 Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (20/100%) Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: kansas city, mo Posts: 137	Painted the back today with a little over 1 can of flat black spray paint. Being spray paint, there are no brush strokes so it looks good! Sitting full of water now to test it out. The lighted pic only has one bulb in it so not that bright. __________________ 5.5 Planted Rimless 75 gallon planted adventure

04-30-2012, 01:32 AM	#6
aXio Planted Member (View User Tanks) PTrader: (1/100%) Join Date: May 2011 Location: Atlanta Posts: 190	Great start. Nice handy work too. __________________ Jakub Lapinski - Premier Aquatics Freshwater Manager aX·i·om·at·ic: Self-evident, unquestionable, or taken for granted. - 29 and 55 Gallon - Do!aqua Mini-M and ADA Mini-S

04-29-2012, 01:59 AM	#3
Aquarist14 Planted Member (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Meredith, NH Posts: 292	Awesome job on the canopy! Can't wait to see it once you get it running

04-30-2012, 04:05 PM	#7
fnkxican Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (19/100%) Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: kansas city, MO Posts: 21	That stand and canopy look really good. I think that dark espresso was a good choice.

04-30-2012, 05:51 PM	#8
Brownthumb07 Planted Member (View User Tanks) PTrader: (4/100%) Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Princeville, IL Posts: 203	I agree that dark stain looks fantastic

04-30-2012, 10:28 PM	#9
Mr.Desert_scape Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (2/100%) Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Albuquerque, NM Posts: 143	You want to come build me a canopy and stand? =) looks great! __________________ K's High Tech - 55gal

05-27-2012, 01:00 PM	#10
flyfshrmn98 Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (20/100%) Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: kansas city, mo Posts: 137	Ah the time is finally here! All moved and the driftwood finally came in! Will be trying to get it all set up this evening and in to tomorrow if needed. Here was the driftwood that I ordered from Tom Barr on planted tank. Well actually the 2nd batch he sent me since the first batch never got to me. And after I broke it all up and put it back together. Think it will look much better this way. Disregard the rocks and wood on top of the tank. This is going to be my main piece and might add some roots or a couple of other pieces on the ground. Tank with the black diamond border and a base of dolomite and muriate of potash MTS added on top And with the black diamond cap. Still needs to be sloped in the back and sides. Too tired for tonight, will continue tomorrow! __________________ 5.5 Planted Rimless 75 gallon planted adventure

05-27-2012, 01:08 PM	#11
2in10 Planted Tank Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (4/100%) Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Sparks, NV Posts: 2,585	Looks good so far. __________________ *2in10's 75 Gallon Jungle part duex* *2in10's 75 Gallon Jungle part 1* 8 Gallon Biocube Canon Pimp Club #041

05-27-2012, 03:33 PM	#12
flyfshrmn98 Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (20/100%) Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: kansas city, mo Posts: 137	Hard scape __________________ 5.5 Planted Rimless 75 gallon planted adventure

05-28-2012, 02:51 AM	#13
flyfshrmn98 Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (20/100%) Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: kansas city, mo Posts: 137	Finally planted! Will be adding more plants in the coming weeks. Some dwarf baby tears carpet, more midground plants and some taller background. Comments and critiques are appreciated __________________ 5.5 Planted Rimless 75 gallon planted adventure

05-28-2012, 03:02 AM	#14
2in10 Planted Tank Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (4/100%) Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Sparks, NV Posts: 2,585	I think that is a great looking start. __________________ *2in10's 75 Gallon Jungle part duex* *2in10's 75 Gallon Jungle part 1* 8 Gallon Biocube Canon Pimp Club #041

06-15-2012, 04:16 AM	#15
flyfshrmn98 Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (20/100%) Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: kansas city, mo Posts: 137	update time! Been about 2 and a half weeks since the tank was started up. Added several new plants and fish. Have unfortunately run into some algae issues most likely due to fluctuating water parameters and high light. Hopefully with the new CO2 reactor I can keep more consistent dissolved levels and fight the algae. Added 7 corries and 1 week in and they have already spawned! 6 juvie angels of various colors. Got rid of all the swordtails and added some more pristella tetras. Planning to add a couple german blue rams I think. As for the plants, have added downoi, erio parkeri, limnophila aromatica, more ludwigia cuba, a melon sword, and got rid of some of the older large crypts. Going to be adding some red plants (ludwigia glandulosa, rotala macarandra, and a. reinekii) in the next couple of weeks. Amazing how fast roots grow with the MTS substrate downoi erio parkeri __________________ 5.5 Planted Rimless 75 gallon planted adventure

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