[TactusMortus]

Current FTS 10/18/11:

This is only the third aquarium I have ever owned. So I may have made a few mistakes please let me know if you see anything that you would do differently. However everything at this point seems to be going pretty well. The tank is primarily all Crypts and low tech. Once every two week water change. No dosing of any ferts just oscomote plus root tabs and flourish root tabs. Sprinkling of peat underneath substrate to soften my liquid rock just a hair. Tank has been running for about 4 months now. So on to the specs of my tank.


Equipment:
120 Gallon High Marineland Tank and Stand
Sunsun 404B Canister Filter
Sunsun 304B Canister Filter
Odyssea CFS500
Hydor 300 Watt Inline Heater
Odyssea 60" T5HO Quad Bulb (Only Running Two Bulbs)
Hydor 1050gph Powerhead


Hardscape/Substrate:
Manzanita Branches
Black Sandblasting Sand/Aquaflora Mix
Seriyu Stones

Flora:
Crypt Wendtii Red
Crypt Wendtii Green
Crypt Wendtii Bronze
Crypt Spiralis
Crypt Balansae
Crypt Blanasae 'Red'
Crypt Undulatus
Crypt Lutea
Crypt Parva
Crypt Ciliata
Crypt Wendetii 'Green Gecko'
Crypt Usteriana Walkeri 'Alexi Hybrid'
Crypt Nurii
Crypt Nurii 'Puhang Mutated'
Crypt Lucens
Crypt Willsi
Crypt Affinis
Crypt Cordota Hybrid
Fissidens Fontanus

Fauna:
5 Roselines
30 Neon Tetras
11 Rummy Nose Tetras
12 Glo-Lite Tetras
3 Marigold Swordtails
4 Bristlenose Longfin Plecos
2 German Blue Rams
3 Peacock Gideons
12 Kuhli Loaches
1 Reticulated Hillstream Loach
12 Celestial Pearl Danios
8 Bronze Cory
8 Albino Cory
2 Longfin Peppered Cory
2 Peppered Cory
1 Bamboo Shrimp
6 Fire Ring Danios
100+ Cherry Shrimp

At Setup Tank Shots 8/18/2011:
Left Side of Tank

Right Side of Tank

 

[roadmaster]

I very much like the tank and have 80 gallon tank full of many of the crypt's you list.
My only concern would be with the Raphael's. They will prolly gobble up shrimp and or khuli loaches as they grow larger (approx 5 inches).
They could also snatch smaller fishes at night, while fishes are resting.
Good Job!

 

[looking4roselines]

Looks awesome. This is my kind of tank.

 

[BoxxerBoyDrew]

REALLY REALLY NICE TANK!!!

I LOVE all the Crypt you have! I didn't realize how much I liked crypts till I got a few, and now I am thinking of setting up my 55g similar to this!

What are the dimensions of the 120H? I once had a 110 extra high, and IIRC it was 30" deep. which was cool until I tried to plant it or reach the substrate!!! The stand it was on was 36", and I am only 5'9", so You see the problem I had! LOL

Anyway I can't wait to watch this tank mature!!! Please keep the pics and reports coming!
Drew

 

[TactusMortus]

Looks awesome. This is my kind of tank.

Thanks for the kind words. I have to say that I am digging the hardscapes on all of your tanks. Your username cracks me up as I have been endlessly looking for some roselines. I finally found some locally and the guy has them setup in his display tank in his store and sure enough they are the only fish that is not for sale. So I decided to go with Rummynose Tetras instead.

 

[TactusMortus]

I very much like the tank and have 80 gallon tank full of many of the crypt's you list.
My only concern would be with the Raphael's. They will prolly gobble up shrimp and or khuli loaches as they grow larger (approx 5 inches).
They could also snatch smaller fishes at night, while fishes are resting.
Good Job!

Do you have a journal setup yet? I was wondering if the raphael's would do that. However I figured they wouldn't mess with the fish unless they were fry. Maybe that explains the nice plump belly on my spotted raphael however I haven't noticed anyone missing.

 

[TactusMortus]

REALLY REALLY NICE TANK!!!

I LOVE all the Crypt you have! I didn't realize how much I liked crypts till I got a few, and now I am thinking of setting up my 55g similar to this!

What are the dimensions of the 120H? I once had a 110 extra high, and IIRC it was 30" deep. which was cool until I tried to plant it or reach the substrate!!! The stand it was on was 36", and I am only 5'9", so You see the problem I had! LOL

Anyway I can't wait to watch this tank mature!!! Please keep the pics and reports coming!
Drew

Thanks, the tank dimensions are 60x18x26. I am 6' 4" though so it really isn't a problem for me. The only thing that bothered me was when I was aquascaping it is just too tall of a tank to be able to view it from the front as you are placing your plants in the substrate.

 

[2in10]

Tank looks great. The Rafaels will eat your shrimp, Tetras and Danios. The Kuhli Loaches could be on the menu also.

 

[roadmaster]

Do you have a journal setup yet? I was wondering if the raphael's would do that. However I figured they wouldn't mess with the fish unless they were fry. Maybe that explains the nice plump belly on my spotted raphael however I haven't noticed anyone missing.

Nope, no journal ,Just waiting for everything to grow out and then I'll post a photo or two.
Is looking more like a jungle each day, which is what I was after.
Need some more Balansae and spiralis and am working on it.

 

[TactusMortus]

Tank looks great. The Rafaels will eat your shrimp, Tetras and Danios. The Kuhli Loaches could be on the menu also.

Well thank you for the advice that is why I am glad for this forum. I would have never known. I am going to have to pull them from the tank. I have a 20 gallon long with there names on it.

 

[demonr6]

I see Celestial Pearl Danios in there, pic #2. How many of them do you have, I did not see them on the list unless those are the Crystal Pearls you have listed. If so, you have them listed incorrectly. Nice tank!

 

[TactusMortus]

I see Celestial Pearl Danios in there, pic #2. How many of them do you have, I did not see them on the list unless those are the Crystal Pearls you have listed. If so, you have them listed incorrectly. Nice tank!

Oops, Thanks for pointing that out. I guess that is just my dreams of owning a fleet of crystal red shrimp showing. I have 20 CPD's though thinking about adding another batch of 8 or so. Everyone I have ever seen who owns them says there shy. However my school of 20 are constantly out and about around the tank so I think the larger the size of there school the more comfortable they are.

 

[150EH]

That's a very nice tank and I like some of your choices, I love Crypts & some of the oddball loaches, like the Kuhli and Hillstream.

We do need more pics!!!!

BTW they are easier to view if you stack them on top of each other.

 

[TactusMortus]

That's a very nice tank and I like some of your choices, I love Crypts & some of the oddball loaches, like the Kuhli and Hillstream.

We do need more pics!!!!

BTW they are easier to view if you stack them on top of each other.

Thanks, yeah I am looking to add more kuhli's and hillstreams soon to add a bit to there groups so they are a bit more comfortable. The loaches are by far my new favorite group of fish. I will definitely stack the photos from now on more photos to come in a bit.

 

[TactusMortus]

Just messing around with my camera trying to figure out all the settings. Can anyone tell me what sex my blue rams are?

 

[jkan0228]

How do you think your plants are holding up with just root tabs? I know crypts are root feeders but would like to get some questions answered since I'm about to start a 11.4g Mr. Aqua and I wanna keep it low tech so I'd rather just dose the substrate.

 

[TactusMortus]

From what I have read most Crypts are big root feeders. I have noticed great growth in all of my crypts in the few months I have had my tank setup with only root tabs.

 

[TactusMortus]

No blue ram experts around here?

 

[TactusMortus]

Got my Magnum HOT and Cichlid Stones in today photos to follow later. The Magnum really makes a big difference as far as water quality goes. Also got a water hardness test in today tested my water and it says I am at about 196ppm what does this equate to? I have never heard people throw numbers that large out typically it is something under 10 I thought?

 

[2in10]

Divide it by 17.86 to get your hardness.