[evil8]

I've taken the stickers off and tweaked the wood just a bit. Also raised the rocks on the right another inch. I've haven't made it to the store for glue and additional supplies yet. I'll bag up some used eco complete I have to build height in the back right side. This big snow event that starts tonight and will give me a snow day the opportunity to get the background on and things glued so I can get substrate in this weekend.

 

[evil8]

I had a bag of pea gravel and several media bags so I used them here in the corner to build height. I hope it's enough... There is some used eco complete to fill up the voids around the bags. I've also started locking the wood to the rocks. I should have the substrate in by Sunday. Considering a dry start on some crypt parva and moss? I've never done dry start before.

 

[evil8]

The wood has been glued. I put in one bag of Fluval Stratum, but will need to put something in as a barrier between the Stratum and the sand. I think I'll cut and use some black plastic poster board I have laying around. I won't need much. I'll cut it and silicone it in place. Then I can add the rest of the Stratum and sand. I'm hoping to figure out my filter and light situation after the holidays.

 

[evil8]

The substrate is in. Next is filter and light, then plants. I’d be happier if/when I can find some pebbles and rubble that matches my big hardscape rocks.

 

[minorhero]

The substrate is in. Next is filter and light, then plants. I’d be happier if/when I can find some pebbles and rubble that matches my big hardscape rocks.


View attachment 1049573

Your sand/pebble/small rock substrate looks awesome!

 

[evil8]

Your sand/pebble/small rock substrate looks awesome!

thanks. I had a 5g bucket of sand with some red flurite that was used before. The sand is actually from a home improvement store - Sand In A Tube - for weight in cars during the winter. It has different grain sizes to it looks really natural. I like it so much I almost stared pulling out all the Stratum. In the end I don’t think we’ll see much of the stratum after the plants grow in.

 

[minorhero]

thanks. I had a 5g bucket of sand with some red flurite that was used before. The sand is actually from a home improvement store - Sand In A Tube - for weight in cars during the winter. It has different grain sizes to it looks really natural. I like it so much I almost stared pulling out all the Stratum. In the end I don’t think we’ll see much of the stratum after the plants grow in.

Nice! How much washing does Sand In A Tube require? I like 5 dollar play sand but the washing... that I could live without.

 

[evil8]

Nice! How much washing does Sand In A Tube require? I like 5 dollar play sand but the washing... that I could live without.

I’m lazy and don’t really do too much. It is a little dusty and a little rinse is good, butI’ve not had as much clouding with this stuff as I did with pool filter sand.

 

[minorhero]

I’m lazy and don’t really do too much. It is a little dusty and a little rinse is good, butI’ve not had as much clouding with this stuff as I did with pool filter sand.

Totally going to buy some next time I'm at a hardware store.

 

[evil8]

Totally going to buy some next time I'm at a hardware store.

I picked up another bag ($9) and capped the Stratum - it seems more sandy than I remember. Not as fine as the pool filter sand, but not as pebbly as the older stuff. That could be from months of water siphoning and water changes pulling a lot of the finer particles out too.

 

[evil8]

I was bored yesterday so after I capped the Stratum with more sand, I put in my new wireless headphones my son got me and just started moving the pebbly/gravely bits closer to the rock for a more natural look. I also ordered a box of small and medium pagoda stone this morning. My wife said she would pay for half the cost of a new light. I'll probably wait on that until the end of the week and see what I get in my year end bonus. I think I'll get the 48" Fluval 3.0 and I'll have them on every tank except one and I'll hang it over the tank to maximize light spread. I still have no idea how to plant this... LOL! I have a bunch of crypts in the 40s that need to be thinned so they will go in. I think the big arch of wood should get moss covered. I'd love to do it in mini pellia or maybe fissidents, but that would stretch the budget. I was thinking of maybe something that would grow beyond the rim in that back right corner maybe?

 

[minorhero]

A lot of stems will breach the surface eventually. Bacopa, ludwigia, and rotala immediately come to mind, but they end up looking ugly at the transition point where leaves will wither and you just get bare stem. Much easier to grow a plant emersed instead in a basket or wire loop over the side.

 

[evil8]

A lot of stems will breach the surface eventually. Bacopa, ludwigia, and rotala immediately come to mind, but they end up looking ugly at the transition point where leaves will wither and you just get bare stem. Much easier to grow a plant emersed instead in a basket or wire loop over the side.

That's been what I've seen in my limited experience. I've seen a lot of nice riparian style tanks and stuff and someday I'll get there. I have hope - so far the monstera and pothos jammed in the office 6g are still alive.

 

[evil8]

Picked up a Fluval Plant 3.0 light last night. The filter, an Oase Biomaster Thermo 600, is due to deliver tomorrow (Saturday). Additional rock will be in on Tuesday. I can finally see things starting to come together!

 

[minorhero]

How are you liking the fluval light?

The oase is a cool filter, but it's probably going to be underpowered for a 75 gallon. I have an fx4 on my 75 gallon and could not imagine going less.

 

[evil8]

How are you liking the fluval light?

The oase is a cool filter, but it's probably going to be underpowered for a 75 gallon. I have an fx4 on my 75 gallon and could not imagine going less.

I have the Oase 250 on one 40g and the 300 onthe other 40g. Everything seems to be going well in those so I expect the 600 to do as well.

I just came back from the hardware store with some decorative chain to hang the light above the tank. I have Fluval 3.0 lights now on all my tanks except one. I like the lights. I have a nice light recipe with a ramp up and down. The only thing I don’t like is they can’t correct for time after a power outage on their own. They have to connect to app to do that.

 

[evil8]

Got the filter earlier than anticipated so now there is water in the tank. I tossed all my big anubius plants and some of the bigger buce plants. CO2 still needs to be hooked up, but it will wait until tomorrow.

 

[evil8]

Yesterday I did a water change. There was some tannins from the wood and the slight yellow color wasn't appealing. I also started planting by pulling a large bunch of crypts from the German Blue Ram 40g for here. There are also some buce including all the catherine mini that was in the shrimp tank and 2 big bunches of anubius nana. I found a red tiger lotus with the ground lily in the 40g forest tank and put them both in the back. There is a small cluster of tripartita next to Bones there and some money wort across part of the front and some narrow leaf java fern on the left end of the hardscape. A batch of Christmas moss is weighted down on the top front branch. I'll need to tie it down tonight. I want to pick up some stems for the back middle to round out the build. I think maybe a couple of different rotala maybe.

The little guy I'm calling Bones for now came from my sister. She has a 3D printer and was playing around over the weekend using glow in the dark material. I had to put a few plant weights on him to get him to not float.

A box of medium size pagoda stone will be delivered sometime tonight AND I still need to add the CO2.

 

[evil8]

The new rock finally arrived late last night after being rescheduled due to a snow storm. The pieces are larger than expected so I'll have to break some up. When putting the rock down by the tank I noticed some of that white bio-film on the largest of the wood. I know it's normal for new wood. I'm also still getting some minor tannin leaching but the cloudiness has not returned after the last water change.