WP's 250 gal Plywood Starphire Tank

gmccreedy · 11-03-2009, 07:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wasserpest

12 pages??

User CP --> Edit Options --> Show 40 posts per page

See... only 5 pages.

Ok, then how about this.

Man... talk about dramatics on this. 180 posts , probably a few hundred subscribers... talk about stringing us along. You're worse than Season Finales on prime time TV.

Pictures of kitty litter in a bucket is just wrong. I might just give you an infraction for being fresh.

Wasserpest · 11-03-2009, 08:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gmccreedy

Man... talk about dramatics on this. 180 posts , probably a few hundred subscribers... talk about stringing us along. You're worse than Season Finales on prime time TV.

That's really nothing. You should see the 3 million post journal thread by CL, all before he even has a tank!

Quote:

Originally Posted by gmccreedy

Pictures of kitty litter in a bucket is just wrong. I might just give you an infraction for being fresh.

You just totally flunked your patience-is-virtue test.

Okay, so back to the pitchers. After washing and preparing the substrate, I started with a nice fat layer of peat.

This is somewhat like adding soil, but totally different. Peat has not much in terms of nutrients, but can bind them well. It is also full of humic acids which plant roots seem to like.

To battle the lack of nutrients, I added a couple of Jobes "Ferns and Palms" sticks. Hopefully enough for two or so years of fertile substrate.

I pushed them all the way down, and then covered them well with my fancy ADA replica tool.

CL · 11-03-2009, 11:06 PM

Dang! That's a lot of fert tabs! Haha, you're going to have some explosive growth.
I really like that mix of fluorite. Very nice color.
IMO.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gmccreedy

Man... talk about dramatics on this. 12 pages, probably a few hundred subscribers... talk about stringing us along. You're worse than Season Finales on prime time TV.

Nowhere near as bad as mine with 500 posts or so before I got the display tank

That one really is 12 pages.

gmccreedy · 11-03-2009, 11:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CL

Dang! That's a lot of fert tabs! Haha, you're going to have some explosive growth.
I really like that mix of fluorite. Very nice color.
IMO.
Nowhere near as bad as mine with 500 posts or so before I got the display tank

That one really is 12 pages.

I actually think you need to start a journal for when you actually set the tank up. I am already lost on your journal.

sewingalot · 11-03-2009, 11:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gmccreedy

Ok, then how about this.

Man... talk about dramatics on this. 180 posts , probably a few hundred subscribers... talk about stringing us along. You're worse than Season Finales on prime time TV.

Pictures of kitty litter in a bucket is just wrong. I might just give you an infraction for being fresh.

OMG! Yes, I just used OMG! You two are cracking me up! Wasser - nice pictures of the used kitty litter.

CL · 11-03-2009, 11:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gmccreedy

I actually think you need to start a journal for when you actually set the tank up. I am already lost on your journal.

Don't worry, I was going to do that anyway.
Do you see that? A mod derailing another mod's thread.
Shame

Wasserpest · 11-04-2009, 02:38 AM

Okay, let's get back to my little tank here. Pitchers.

I would like to state that "used" Kitty Litter means used in another aquarium. Not what you might be thinking.

Building up the substrate, I covered the back third with KL from my garage plywood tank.

The middle section was sculpted with regular Flourite, for the front I used my regular/black mix.

So far so good.

Bmonarch · 11-04-2009, 03:57 AM

Man, I am totally with everyone! I can not wait to see this tank fully planted and going! It's going to be amazing! Gives me all these feelings of grandeur, as if someday I'll be able to pull something like this off.

**malaybiswas** · 11-04-2009, 04:53 AM

Hey...where did you get the peat from? Is it somewhere local to Monterey?

Wasserpest · 11-04-2009, 03:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bmonarch

Man, I am totally with everyone! I can not wait to see this tank fully planted and going! It's going to be amazing! Gives me all these feelings of grandeur, as if someday I'll be able to pull something like this off.

Thanks... we are getting there, quickly.

Quote:

Originally Posted by malaybiswas

Hey...where did you get the peat from? Is it somewhere local to Monterey?

I can get it from work.

The peat itself comes from Canada though.

**jmhart** · 11-04-2009, 03:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wasserpest

12 pages??

User CP --> Edit Options --> Show 40 posts per page

See... only 5 pages.

Wasser, you're a godsend

Wasserpest · 11-04-2009, 04:38 PM

I happened to have some sea sand sitting around and figured I could put it to use. Imagine a white sandy beach with some mangrove and palm trees around...

So I siliconed a plastic divider towards the front, going about 1/3 deep into the tank. It wasn't enough sand to fill it up all the way, but I am just testing right now, and if it turns out nice I'll get some more.

Sea sand? Won't that make your tank brackish?
- Nope, I washed it thoroughly.

Sea sand? Won't that increase hardness?
- Probably. I picked some that did not contain visible shells, just round pebbles.

Sea sand? Are you nuts???
- Ya.

Wasserpest · 11-04-2009, 08:50 PM

Time for some water.

To keep the fogginess down, first I siphon out as much water as possible, then fill the tank very slowly.

Initially I added some heaters to get the temperature up, but honestly, adding some scorching hot water from the tap is much more efficient.

I am not expecting this tank to require any heating. In Winter, the warm air from the ballasts will be directed into the stand, and help to keep temps up. Also I will be turning down the fans that pull out air from the canopy.

Look! First plant. Planting some Wisteria around my fake beach. Really close to the divider I put some pearlweed which hopefully will drape over it and hide it.

**malaybiswas** · 11-04-2009, 09:27 PM

Really nice. The pearl weed will help keep te barrier between the substrate and the sand so they don't mix up during clean ups.

Wasserpest · 11-05-2009, 10:36 PM

Thanks M! It could go the other way too... when I have to pull it out when it is overgrown, I might make a mixed mess. I am not sure about the "beach" yet, I'll explain in some future post why.

Planting time...

Planting in Flourite is pure joy. You just stuff the plants in there, and they stay put. Unlike the lighter substrates (like the KL that I am using) where the plants are already floating on the surface before you pull out your hands.

I am using a lot of fast growers, like Hygros, Ambulia, Lagarosiphon, and Lysimachia to get some plant mass to survive the first few algae cycles. Later on the intention is to switch to mostly slower growers like Crypts and Ferns and such, to reduce the need to dive into this pool.

What's that?

The Manzanita looks fantastic under water. I need to remind myself not to cover it up with plants too much.

11-04-2009, 02:38 AM	#187 (permalink)
Wasserpest Born to be mild (View User Tanks) PTrader: (72/100%) Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Monterey, CA Posts: 10,578	Okay, let's get back to my little tank here. Pitchers. I would like to state that "used" Kitty Litter means used in another aquarium. Not what you might be thinking. Building up the substrate, I covered the back third with KL from my garage plywood tank. The middle section was sculpted with regular Flourite, for the front I used my regular/black mix. So far so good. __________________ All my tanks Cheap Autodosing Cheap Water Change Cheap Filter Acrylic Filter Pipes The Wasser-Controller

11-04-2009, 04:53 AM	#189 (permalink)
malaybiswas Amano Fan (View User Tanks) PTrader: (14/100%) Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Fremont, CA Posts: 780	Hey...where did you get the peat from? Is it somewhere local to Monterey? __________________ Patience is the name of the game. DIY LED Light Panel \| Old 80g \| 22g - lost lake \| 22g - river bed \| 22g - keeps changing \| DIY Rimless tank + Stand \| SFBAAPS

11-04-2009, 04:38 PM	#192 (permalink)
Wasserpest Born to be mild (View User Tanks) PTrader: (72/100%) Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Monterey, CA Posts: 10,578	I happened to have some sea sand sitting around and figured I could put it to use. Imagine a white sandy beach with some mangrove and palm trees around... So I siliconed a plastic divider towards the front, going about 1/3 deep into the tank. It wasn't enough sand to fill it up all the way, but I am just testing right now, and if it turns out nice I'll get some more. Sea sand? Won't that make your tank brackish? - Nope, I washed it thoroughly. Sea sand? Won't that increase hardness? - Probably. I picked some that did not contain visible shells, just round pebbles. Sea sand? Are you nuts??? - Ya. __________________ All my tanks Cheap Autodosing Cheap Water Change Cheap Filter Acrylic Filter Pipes The Wasser-Controller

11-04-2009, 08:50 PM	#193 (permalink)
Wasserpest Born to be mild (View User Tanks) PTrader: (72/100%) Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Monterey, CA Posts: 10,578	Time for some water. To keep the fogginess down, first I siphon out as much water as possible, then fill the tank very slowly. Initially I added some heaters to get the temperature up, but honestly, adding some scorching hot water from the tap is much more efficient. I am not expecting this tank to require any heating. In Winter, the warm air from the ballasts will be directed into the stand, and help to keep temps up. Also I will be turning down the fans that pull out air from the canopy. Look! First plant. Planting some Wisteria around my fake beach. Really close to the divider I put some pearlweed which hopefully will drape over it and hide it. __________________ All my tanks Cheap Autodosing Cheap Water Change Cheap Filter Acrylic Filter Pipes The Wasser-Controller

11-04-2009, 09:27 PM	#194 (permalink)
malaybiswas Amano Fan (View User Tanks) PTrader: (14/100%) Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Fremont, CA Posts: 780	Really nice. The pearl weed will help keep te barrier between the substrate and the sand so they don't mix up during clean ups. __________________ Patience is the name of the game. DIY LED Light Panel \| Old 80g \| 22g - lost lake \| 22g - river bed \| 22g - keeps changing \| DIY Rimless tank + Stand \| SFBAAPS

11-04-2009, 03:57 AM	#188 (permalink)
Bmonarch Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Pullman, WA Posts: 12	Man, I am totally with everyone! I can not wait to see this tank fully planted and going! It's going to be amazing! Gives me all these feelings of grandeur, as if someday I'll be able to pull something like this off.

11-05-2009, 10:36 PM	#195 (permalink)
Wasserpest Born to be mild (View User Tanks) PTrader: (72/100%) Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Monterey, CA Posts: 10,578	Thanks M! It could go the other way too... when I have to pull it out when it is overgrown, I might make a mixed mess. I am not sure about the "beach" yet, I'll explain in some future post why. Planting time... Planting in Flourite is pure joy. You just stuff the plants in there, and they stay put. Unlike the lighter substrates (like the KL that I am using) where the plants are already floating on the surface before you pull out your hands. I am using a lot of fast growers, like Hygros, Ambulia, Lagarosiphon, and Lysimachia to get some plant mass to survive the first few algae cycles. Later on the intention is to switch to mostly slower growers like Crypts and Ferns and such, to reduce the need to dive into this pool. What's that? The Manzanita looks fantastic under water. I need to remind myself not to cover it up with plants too much. __________________ All my tanks Cheap Autodosing Cheap Water Change Cheap Filter Acrylic Filter Pipes The Wasser-Controller

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