Shambhalove's 75 :)

[shambhalove.]

Hello community! I'm in the process of setting up my first planted tank and have been reading up on the basics on this awesome site. I figured i would set up a journal to ask any questions as they come up.



Equipment!
-75 gallon tank
-4 bulb shoplight 32w 6500k t8's
-Eheim 2217
-Hydor ETH 300w
-Koralia Nano 425
-Pool filter sand (Flourish root tabs)
-Flourish Comp., Nitro and Aquavitro Activate

Plants!
-Anacharis
-Pennywort
-Cryptocoryne Wendtii (Brown)
-Dwarf Sagitteria Sublata
-Wisteria
-Anubia Barteri var. nana
-Vallisneria spiralis
-Amazon Sword
-Bacopa
-Amazon Frogbit

Critters!
1 Opaline Gourami
2 Zebra Nerites
5 Horned Nerites
Amano Shrimp
Cherry Shrimp
MTS, Bladder and Ramshorn snails

Updated 16/04/13

[shambhalove.]

Got pics with the driftwood and a bunch of free rocks from Burnco!

Still not sure how i want the rocks in. I got alot of larger ones that i dont think i'll end up using haha but oh well. I am very open to suggestion on placement or any tips so i dont break my tank or crush my fish

Also, i was thinking on hiding the heaters at the back behind plants. How close can i put plants to heaters? I'm thinking it would cut down the circulation a bit but i was more worried about the plants getting cooked.

[stanzzzz]

That dw looks nice, cover the dw base with all the stones n can then plant needle java fern etc, play with it n go for the best layout u like

Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2

[shiloh]

I like to just put the heaters next to the inflow/outflow. It maximizes the efficiency of the heater and it groups all the ugly stuff in one spot so you don't have to work as hard to hide it.

[shambhalove.]

I am still wondering if i should put a layer of something under my sand for the plants but i dont want it mixing to the top really...can this be done?

I have a feeling i will be changing stuff around alot at first so maybe i should stick with root tabs?

[owens81jw]

Originally Posted by shambhalove.

I am still wondering if i should put a layer of something under my sand for the plants but i dont want it mixing to the top really...can this be done?

I have a feeling i will be changing stuff around alot at first so maybe i should stick with root tabs?

if you plan on having red plants put laterite under your sand

[BoxxerBoyDrew]

First off, WELCOME!!!

This is a GREAT PLACE with AWESOME PEOPLE!!! I would have given up on planted tanks long ago if it wasn't for the help I received here!!!

That is some AWESOME WOOD and ROCKS!!!! They will make a BEAUTIFUL hard scape! I too usually place my heater next to the intake of the canister filter, and it has always worked out well! Do you plan on using a temp controller for the 2 heaters? The reason I am asking is that it is very difficult to set 2 heaters to the exact same on and off point, and usually 1 of the heaters runs most of the time while the other does nothing. Then the overworked heater fails quickly, and can either just stop or the worst case scenario is it will stick on and cook your tank! I just read a article about this exact thing, but I can't remember where I read it! I will try to find it and let you know where to find it! So my advice would to be get 1 good heater of the proper size and save the smaller heaters for other tanks! My FAVORITE heater of all time is the Otto Computherm!!! They are hard to find, heck I don't even know if they are still being made or not, and somewhat expensive, but they work!!! The one I have now has been going for over 8 years and holds the temp +/- .2* of where it is set! It has a external thermostat with a temp probe that mounts in the tank with the heater. I got them at my Friends fish shop, but he has closed it down, so I don't know where to get them! Anyway I just hate to see people use cheap heaters and wind up loosing their fish and plants! I have done it myself, so lesson learned here!!

On you r substrate if you ask 10 different people you will get at least 10 different answers! in my experience I have used Flourite, and while ok at first I had problems with BBA growing on it as it aged. So now it is in my flower beds at the front of the house waiting to get tilled into the soil this spring!!! I "dirted" my 55g this time around, and it has been growing plants very well! I used Miracle Grow Organic Choice Potting Mix (Orange Bag) covered by Black Beauty "sand" blasting mix. The Black Beauty is actually Coal Slag, but it is non toxic and cheap!!! $7 for a 50# bag at Tractor Supply! My only complaint about it is there is a bit of a oily film that you will see when you are rinsing it, and you can't rinse it all the way off, but it goes away in a few days after being in the aquarium from filtering and aeration! There are MANY people that have used it here and to my knowledge no one has had any problems! My tank was "dirted" in October IIRC, and it is growing great guns, and all of my fish are very happy! Even my Albino Corys who have spawned 3 times now!!!

I plan on making some root balls to add a bit of ferts to the dirt though, as I have noticed some of my crypts have holes in their leaves, but the rest of my plants LOVE the dirt! However if you are one who likes to move things around allot dirt tanks might not be for you, because it can get messy when uprooting plants that have been there for a while! You will pull some of the dirt up in the roots, and that can cause problems! BUT you will pull up root tabs sometimes too if you use them, so there are problems with all substrates! You just have to figure out what you like best and try it! If it doesn't work out you can always change it later on!

Your lighting choice should be good, though you will need to watch your photo period length if you are not using CO2 of some kind! 4- T8 bulbs can still put out pretty good light, so you will need to watch out for algae!

You will probably need a little bit more circulation too, but that is a easy fix with all of the different type of power heads that are available! You just want to make sure there are no dead spots that can lead to algae!

I can't wait to see how you get it all setup! I love 75g tanks!!! You are off to a good start too, so keep us in the loop, and we will help ya however we can!

Best of luck to Ya!
Drew

[shambhalove.]

Thanks for taking on all my questions at once like that brother! I appreciate everyone's input

I decided to just go with the sand for now, I've already moved stuff around and its been set up for a whole 8 hours haha. I'm reading more into dirted tanks and i have a 29 that i can tear down and play with. It's funny because using "dirt" makes more sense to me, I've grown lots of different plants and trees but non aquatic.

I understand what you mean with the heaters, they are more temporary than anything. I would like something more hidden/out of tank anyways but have to do some research on my options there.

Found myself a decent 4 bulb T8 fixture at HD for around 50 bucks, just needs some black paint. I put it right on the glass top for some pics and it lights it up real well haha. Thinking I'll have to hang it from the ceiling so i can control that a bit, plus i cant open the top when its on it.

As for co2, still kinda overwhelmed on that one. So much simpler out of water . I just wanted to start simple until i figure everything out a bit more. Would dosing excel on a 75 be worth it? Thinking more like as a supplement, don't need to watch my plants grow.

Anyways heres some pics. The sand is alot more natural looking in real life and i gotta clean the glass but you get the idea. I was thinking of planting the right side too but wanna keep a decent sized open spot.

[GMYukonon24s]

Nice! I like the hardscape.

[Dx3Bash]

Sweet looking branches. Where did you pick them up from?

[Rush3737]

Like how you put the branch and stones together, looking awesome so far.

[shambhalove.]

Originally Posted by Dx3Bash

Sweet looking branches. Where did you pick them up from?

Big Al's actually haha, I would like to just collect my own but everything is frozen solid right now.

[HybridHerp]

Very nice hardscape.
What are you thinking about for fish and plants in this thing?

Little tip btw, if you ever did want to do pressurized co2 on this tank.....get that going first, THEN get higher lighting. Just take my word for it lol

[discuspaul]

Your scape is looking very natural - simple, minimalist - VERY NICE !
That tank would be just superb as a single strain discus tank - it would be quite dramatic with 6 to 8 discus of your color/pattern choice !

[HybridHerp]

^That idea sounds solid

or a single strain of some wild variation of angelfish would work well too.