The Planted Tank Forum banner

Noah's 40B Rainbow Garden

64K views 228 replies 44 participants last post by  rballi 
#1 · (Edited)
I figured I would start a journal for this tank, even though it will be quite a while (hopefully within 6 months) before setting the tank up. This first post will also serve as a storage area for my plans lol.

The 36g I currently have running will be torn down and parts sold off after the 40g is setup. This will be my 5th planted tank, and I will be focusing more on the actual scape than growing plants. I have tried just about every stem I could get my hand on, and have certainly decided on my favorites.

The tank will have a mixture of stems and other plants. I do not mind the maintenance its very calming and relaxing to do.

Tank: 40 Gal Breeder
Filtration: Aquatop CF400uv
Lighting: 36" Aquasun dual T5HO fixture.
CO2: Pressurized system custom built by OldPunk w/ a 5lb tank. Diffused through an inline diffuser.
Substrate: Black Diamond blasting sand w. Rootmedic root tabs.
Fertilizer: EI dosing modified to meet the plant density's need.

Plants: TBD

Fishy Friends: Several small to medium sized Rainbowfish species.

will certainly keep
Melanotaenia Herbertaxelrodi (4) (will move from the 36g)
<del>Melanotaenia Kamaka</del> (4)

optional species
<del>Melanotaenia Gracilis</del> (may be about impossible to find, but I will try)
<del>Melanotaenia Maccullochi</del>
<del>Melanotaenia Solata</del> (another that may not be available at all in the us)
<del>Melanotaenia fluviatilis</del> (goulburn or murray river)
Melanotaenia Nigrans (found a couple people I might be able to get these from)
Pseudomugil Frucatus (decent sized group of these little guys)

I might add a few small bottom dwelling fish as well, hopefully from the same part of the world as the Rainbows (around Australia or New Guinea) I am currently doing research.

There will be a few holdovers that have been with me for years, which include several glowlights. All of my endlers, I mean ALL will go to the LFS lol I have way to many of them.


The plan for the aquascape is to create a fairly large open area with low stem bushes at the rear. A tree stump is planned for the far right with some random stones to add flavor. I currently am looking for the tree stump (6"-8" diameter with horizontal root structure intact, and 16-18" tall.) I might go for a thick carpet of dwarf hair grass (have not done that one in a very long time) with patches of Staurogyne 049 among a rock outcropping in the left side of the tank.

the objective is for as much open space, while keeping a very heavy plant density for the rainbows to play in.

I will probably be adding some pictures of inspiration as I plan this out more.

:hihi:
 
See less See more
#2 ·
#4 ·
Thanks, I love rainbows, unfortunately I cannot set up a large tank to keep some of the bigger species. But I figured I could do some medium and small rainbows to curb my appetite for a larger tank for now lol

The time frame for getting the tank up and running is a moving target. My office slowed down a gain so I am back down to 3-days per week for the time being, hopefully its temporary.

I hope to have the filter ordered, and substrate within the next month to month and a half. I will order my atomic diffuser when I order my next fertilizers in a few months.

Currently my wife and I have set aside a small amount for "fish money" and with sticking to our budget I only have that money to work with. So... things are going to trickle in lol
 
#7 ·
Nothing quite yet, I will be ordering the filter here as soon as the store gets them back in stock. The. It's on to saving for the light. It will be a while yet. The rim was also back ordered so hopefully soon for getting the tank re-rimed
 
#11 ·
not quite sure yet, I will take a PAR meter to it when I get to that point. the tank itself is 18" with ~3" substrate, 15" to the top of the tank. If I use the same distance my current 36g is at it would be a close bet I will have high medium / high light at the substrate. I will probably back off a little bit from there since you can really grow most plants at medium light.
 
#13 ·
I am using an Aquasun 36" T-5HO fixture from Petco. They are good lights for the price. I have had one over my 36g for the past couple years and It has worked perfectly. It has a single reflector, so there is a little lower par than similar lights with independent reflectors, but I can get the perfect light level out of my 21" tall tank.

It comes with suspension cables which are a nice touch so I can adjust the light level as needed
 
#14 ·
Noah, its all good. I havent had a chance to move my 55 yet! got the 20 moved and planted for the most part, Shrimp moving in soon. Looking forward to this build. If you need help with the stand let me know I am hopeing to get my band saw for christmas, so we could build something if ya wanted.

Curt
 
#22 ·
I cannot wait either... I have to move at a pace that will not tick off my wife lol. I am allotted a small amount per month for my hobbies. So far this is the only one that is active lol. Next up is saving for the stand, most of the other equipment will come from my 36g which this one is replacing. Hopefully soon!!

Huge is good I think!
Have you thought at all about what height this tank should be displayed at?
It will be at a standard pre-built stand height, its perfect for viewing from my couch and chair in the living room, if it was in any other location I would get a taller stand, but I think the height will be perfect.
 
#24 ·
When I have the funds together to get one lol, I also have to save up quite a bit to get ahold of the plants, substrate, and I have to get ahold of the hardscape for the tank to set it up. It will probably be around Feb or March when I am really ready to set it up if things go as planned. The stand has to be nice since the tank is in the living room and my wife would have to look at it every day lol. The one I had my eye on is for the 50/65 gal tank at petco. It matches what I was envisioning for the tank. I hope to keep my 10g quarantine tank inside the stand, along with he filter, co2 equipment and my food and fert storage tubs.
 
#28 ·
that stand is large enough I should be able to get my filter, co2 equipment, storage bins and the quarantine in. The tank is going to be sitting in the corner of the living room at a 45* angle, there is some area behind the tank for items as well. It has worked out great for my 36g for the past couple of years minus the quarantine tank
 
#29 ·
I can tell you right now I cant compete with that price! But I am not a fan of those prefab stands personally. I have one that came with a wedding present and it is mediocure at best, and getting relegated to a plant shelf once the 55 is moved. It looks ok but I dont trust it to hold that kind of weight much longer. They are made from a coated MDF product which over time in High mosture enviroments breaks down (mdf is saw dust mixed with glue and compresed under high preasure to form the sheets).

I could get something built for around $200-250 for solid 2x4 frame, Panneled with Baltic Birch Ply, and trim. Could be stained or painted your choice. An I would bet the stand would outlast the silicone on your tanks. Let me know If it is something you would be intrested in.

Curt
 
#31 ·
UPDATE:

Tank rim is almost off, I have been doing it very slowly as to not destroy the tank lol, I did put a few little scratches in the top of the glass as I cut through the rim, but its nothing I think I should be concerned about.
Hopefully the rim will be on and curing by weekends end.


There is a very big road project going on in the area, in which they are adding two lanes to a highway, and re-aligning a major road. So the land they are moving the road through had some very old dead deciduous trees so I stopped by and grabbed a few branches. I am pretty sure they are a safe hardwood, no odor except when submerged, where they smell like other hardwoods I have had the opportunity to smell lol I might run back and grab a few more for some variety and hope to get something going. I have sort of given up on the smaller tree stump, and have changed directions. We will see how it turns out lol

 
#33 ·
I have a replacement rim, I need to run a top on this tank because of the species of rainbows I plan to keep (they are big time jumpers) The rim on the tank cracked so it needed replacement. I would LOVE to run this full rimless, but I do not think its an option. I had heard great things about the filter, I test ran it just to check it out, I cannot wait to get it on this tank!
 
#34 ·
Rim removed!! I just need to clean the edges a bit and get some silicone and attach the new rim. I started playing around with some of the wood placement, and potential areas for the rock outcropping. I could not find a suitable tree stump so I did find some wood. I am thinking the far right will have a noticeable rock slope to the back right corner (the right side of the tank will be facing away from the traffic flow of the room, thus low viewage (sometimes being an Architectural designer brings out the OCD in me) So all of my tanks are set to the traffic flow in and out of the room. I will leave the wood open mostly underneath with crypts along the bottom of the rock hill. I will attempt to leave some planting areas built into the rock hill so I can place some substrate and plant some various small stems or crypts up the hill. I would like some Fissidens fontanus to grow along the middle branch where the cut in the wood, and possibly some flame moss in other areas. I want to do java fern or the trident variant in the upper portion of the rock hill where the wood will meet (seemingly growing out of or pinned inside the rock) The far left half of the tank is most likely going to be just a carpet with a few small rock outcroppings, and some of my larger stems in the very back, I will probably keep a well shaped bush of ludwigia 'cuba' in the back far left, with some of my sunset hygro near by. I will also keep some hygrophila pinnatifida
somewhere along the rock hill as well, that stuff will grow on ANYTHING, right now in my 36g its anchored in the substrate, burrowing into the stone, and in other tanks growing along some wood. (one of my favorite plants) The rock is going to be a volcanic based lace rock (should not modify the water params much)

I am open to suggestions as well. There are so many plants I have not tried yet. And I want to keep this more of a nature scape instead of the colectoritis tank my 36g has more or less become lol.


Here are a couple of pics of the wood layout (don't mind the cups, I needed them lol)




 
#36 ·
out of curiosity why do you think the Furcatas would stand out? Tiny guys, same area of the world as the other rainbows planned. They technically are a "blue eye"

I cannot wait to get this sucker up and running!!!
 
#38 ·
I will certanly contact you once the thing is flooded. I have a couple of crypts right now in my 36g (green gecko and some other wendtii variant) There are a couple more I want to add.

I think the red cup is fitting... brings a focal point to the scape :icon_eek: lol
 
#39 ·
I was able to finally get a decent picture of one of my male M.Herbertaxelrodi that will be moving to the 40b with his other friends. I am not sure what was up with them. They usually do the breeding thing right as the lights come on as with other rainbows, but tonight they decided to do the dance after feeding time, maybe there was something in the mosquito larva lol

the two males were flashing at each just before he went for the girls. This guy used to be the sub-dominant male, but over the past month he has overthrown the older male and now the older guy goes and hides in the plants (you can see him in the lower left behind the ludwigia) eventually I think power will change hands again lol

Here he is.
please excuse the dirty glass, it was a quick water change this week, and I did not get around to cleaning it lol
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top