[lauraleellbp]

Well, I never did get my previous Betta simplex plan for this tank off the ground for various reasons (here's the old journal http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/t...um/75811-29gal-10-20-update-change-venue.html), so I finally have decided to take this tank to my office and set it up. Hopefully it will do 1/2 as well as my 10gal has there... (currently my favorite tank; http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/t...76-10gal-low-tech-shrimpy-jungle-journal.html)

My Big Als order was waiting for me when I got home Monday evening, so today I took some time away from my computer to assemble the new stand. (I decided to get a mahogany stand to match the desks at work rather than take the somewhat tacky open black stand I've had it on at home. It'll also give me a place to hide the filter, which I didn't have with the old stand.)

I've actually got a number of filter options for this tank; Eheim 2215, Eheim Ecco 2234, Rena XP2, and a Rena XP3... I'm going to start with the Ecco (I've never run any but the Classics to date) and see how I like it. I love my Renas, but this tank will be next to a coworker's desk so I'm opting for the complete silence of an Eheim. I also like the convenience of media baskets, especially when having to deal with the very shallow sinks in the bathroom when cleaning filters.

I also have lighting options between a 30" Coralife T5NO (which is what I've been running on the tank) and a new Hagen Glo 1x 24 watt T5HO. I'm going to try the T5HO and compare it to the (2 bulb) NO fixture. I haven't picked out the bulb just yet.

Substrate will be Flourite black, which to date remains my favorite substrate due to user-friendliness.

I also have a 200watt Hydor inline heater, which I will run as needed.

 

[lauraleellbp]

I know I want some Crypts, Anubias nana petite, mosses, and probably some Hygro angustifolia. I really haven't got a 'scape in mind just yet for the tank, though.

I was going to use the same "big honking" piece of Malaysian driftwood I had in the tank before, but I've been having 2nd thoughts, and I may go with some small Manzanita branches and a rockscape instead.

I know I want some dwarf chain loaches, so I may create a slate cave for them and really break from the kind of 'scapes I normally do.

I've gone back and forth a bit with stocking plans, but I'm pretty sure I'm going to stock:

6x Dwarf chain loaches (Yasuhikotakia sidthimunki)
10x Ruby tetras (Axelrodia riesei)
10x Green neon tetras (Paracheirodon simulans)
plus several Nerites (haven't picked sp. yet)

 

[lauraleellbp]

Tomorrow I'm hoping to get the 29gal cleaned out (all the plants and livestock in there will be transferred into either my 90gal or my 46ga) and take the tank to work.

I'm hoping to get the Ecco assembled (I've got all the media I need and also bought the black intake and output kits since I can't stand the green accessories), and perhaps even get my Flourite washed at home and carted to work. If I get to the Flourite, I'll even fill the tank and get the filter hooked up to see how it looks.

I'm planning to set up the media in the Ecco as follows:

Top-
Fine filter pad
filter floss
Purigen
--------
Bio media (coco puffs)
--------
Coarse sponges
Bottom-

Then will come 'scaping, planting, and cycling. I'll probably bring established media from home to cycle the tank.

 

[lauraleellbp]

OK well, some progress;

Got all the plants transferred into my 46gal, and I went ahead and moved all the livestock into my 90gal (about 10x Amano shrimp, 15x P. weitzmani and 1x LF ABN pleco). One of the big male P. weitzmani isn't looking like he handled the transfer too well (he's upside down breathing heavily on the bottom :frown but the rest look good so far. They're so shy they're all hiding in the back of the tank... I was going to wait to add them after I'd gotten a good thicket of Vals going for them to hide in, but I decided it would be easiest to go ahead and move them now rather than 2x.

I also put together the Ecco with all the media, and I'm going to take it and the Glo fixture into the office.

I still need to finish emptying and clean the tank, and also rinse the Flourite. I think I'll go ahead and add the Flourite to the tank here at home and carry it in to work that way; less mess and containers to schlep around.

Looks like I'll be done with the initial setup, and ready to start working on plants come next week!

 

[yikesjason]

I am looking forward to your tank. Your 90 was one of my early inspirations. I am sure this one will be good too.

 

[lauraleellbp]

Thanks, Jason!

I'm excited to finally DO something with this tank... LOL

Here's where the tank's going, and the stand.

I'm quite proud of myself for the assembly job. No leftover pieces. I only had to take it apart 1x (stupid instructions showed the shelf on the wrong side... :hihi: )

 

[Coltonorr]

Nice I can't wait to see this get going!

 

[lauraleellbp]

Here's some sample pics of the livestock I'm planning on:

6x Dwarf chain loaches (Yasuhikotakia sidthimunki)

10x Ruby tetras (Axelrodia riesei)

10x Green neon tetras (Paracheirodon simulans)

Nerite sp (haven't decided)

Oh- I may also add some Tiger shrimp.

 

[Hilde]

OK well, some progress;
Got all the plants transferred into my 46gal, and I went ahead and moved all the livestock into my 90gal . One of the big male P. weitzmani isn't looking like he handled the transfer too well (he's upside down breathing heavily on the bottom :frown but the rest look good so far.

How is he doing? I find dosing with calcium sulfate help my fish when moving them disturbs them.

 

[lauraleellbp]

Well, either he pulled out of it, or he died and was eaten before I got home from work (which is entirely possible with the # of scavengers in the tank...) I didn't see any signs of a dead fish anywhere, at any rate.

Project got put on hold over the weekend as I was sick as a dog. Hope to get some more work done this week, and may even start getting plants.

I probably should figure out my hardscape first...

 

[lauraleellbp]

Well, the tank still hasn't made it into the office yet (hubby's up in Boston for work ATM, and I need his help to move it), but I've been doing what I can from home.

I've carried everything else into work, except for the substrate, which I'm almost done rinsing.

I have quite a bit of Manzanita wood around, so I'm going to play around with that today and see what I can come up with. Also some slate.

I've also ordered some plants:

Assorted Crypts (plus I'll pull some over from my 10gal)
Regular and Windelov Java ferns
Hygrophilia 'kompakt'
Red Nesea Lotus

I'm going to try Lilaeopsis mauritiana and see how it does as a foreground/carpet, I've never kept this one before.

These plants hopefully will arrive this week, so there will be progress to show soon!

 

[henkychif]

Those fish pics are great.

 

[lauraleellbp]

Those fish pics are great.

Unfortunately I can't take credit for them, they're all courtesy of Google, LOL

 

[lauraleellbp]

The tank is cleaned, the Flourite black is cleaned and in the tank, and the tank is in my backseat for the trip into the office. roud:

Some plants are already here, others should be here in the next day or so!

So I've got minimal time now to figure out a hardscape... LOL

 

[Church]

I love those Big Al's stands, for real. I'm sorry that you had to take yours apart 1x though. When I assembled my first one, which was a 20" version, I forgot to add the little cardboard back to it, and once I was all done, and realized this, I just said "fuhgetaboutit" and threw the cardboard piece away. I didn't want to have to re-assemble it.

Anyway, I'm watching this one, because I always love your tanks Laura!

 

[lauraleellbp]

Church, I like the stand, too. Nice clean lines. Only thing is the magnetic latch on the door doesn't seem to work properly?

Well, the tank is set up, filled, and I've started working on the hardscape. I like the way it's shaping up. I'm going to tweak it some more tomorrow, and take some pics once I'm happy with it. I'm mixing manzanita and slate for a bit of a fallen tree/ cliffside look. I'm hoping the chain loaches will like exploring the slate rock faces and little caves.

I'm thinking I may have bought too many plants for this tank, though LOL

I also set up the Eheim Ecco. My first time using an Ecco. I learned that if you fill the canister portion first (which is what I've learned to do on canisters to help purge air), when you move the handle to the other side to latch the top closed, it squirts 2 big jets of water right in your face. I'm glad all my coworkers were already gone for the day. :bounce:

 

[Church]

Church, I like the stand, too. Nice clean lines. Only thing is the magnetic latch on the door doesn't seem to work properly?

LOL, what are you talking about? Did you figure out a way to nullify magnetism or something? You mad scientist, you.

I can only guess that it simply needs to be adjusted. I'm guessing that maybe you screwed the little magnetic/springy thing too far back, so that it doesn't make easy contact with the metal tab on the door?

(I've never had that problem before, so forgive me for saying it, but it was probably an installation error).

I think you can fix it. I have faith in you. roud:

:icon_mrgr

 

[lauraleellbp]

No, I installed the latch part in the pre-drilled holes for it, and it does make contact with the metal on the door.

The magnet seems to be reversed... The magnet will hold to the door only when the door is ajar, not when the door is closed. :frown:

The only thing I haven't tried is to take off and turn the metal piece on the door around, to see if part of the magnet is actually in that little tab and that's what's backwards (I don't think that's the case, but it's the only thing I can think to try)?

 

[Church]

That's very weird... :icon_conf

Try taking the metal tab off the door and holding it directly to the magnet and see what happens?

 

[lauraleellbp]

Not yet. Maybe I'll try it tomorrow if I get the hardscape set like I want it and have time afterwards.

May be a manufacturer error, maybe the magnet got installed backwards in the latch?

Not the end of the world if I can't get it to work right... just the ajar door will probably drive our office manager batty, and the tank is right outside her office LOL