Hello Ladies and Gents, I have dabbled with high tech tanks and low tech tanks and finally decided to set up a "show tank" for our living room at our new condo!
Two days ago we began our 12 gallon long journey!
This is going to be a very simple high tech tank using plants that are hardy, and somewhat beautiful (so that when I'm away my girlfriend can easily take care of them)
celestial pearl danios, and red cherry shrimp will be the center piece!
Equipment:
Tank: Aquatop 12gal long
Filter: Eheim 2213/Viv Aqua glass outflow
CO2: Diy paintball Co2/Cheap disc Co2 diffuser(I bought the wrong reactor for the hose size I have and will be using a reactor once i receive it)
Lighting: Fluval Fresh and plant 2.0(unsure if this will be permanent)
Substrate: Fluval shrimp stratum capped with black Flourite sand
Flora:
Pearl weed carpet
Java Fern bush entwined with driftwood
(possibly Blyxa Japonica)
Fauna:
large school of Celestial Pearl Danio's
as many Cherry red shrimp as possible
a few otto's
I used a solid wood "Hemnes secretary add on unit" form ikea for the cabinet part of the stand, then I used cedar 2x4's with pocket hole joinery for the top,
I burned the wood with a propane torch to bring out the grain of the wood, and to darken it a bit to go along with our dark furniture
here is a very brief picture summary of the stand
I joined these cedar 2x4's with a kreg pocket hole jig from Kreg tools, I used the R3 model
here it is solid jointed together
before I mounted it to the stand I used a small bernzomatic propane torch to burn the surface lightly, then used helmsman satin finish urethane to seal it
the equipment in the cabinet
The Tank!
I used osmocote + under the substrate to help with fertilization to minimize dosing
the initial hardscape with the fluval shrimp stratum
final hardscape with flourite cap
pearl grass and java fern in place
flooded and cloudy, it cleared up overnight but I have forgotten to take a picture since it has cleared up, I will do so probably tonight when I get home from work, the lights are REALLY bright, my living room lights were on and you can't even tell!
and... here is my 5.5 CPD and RCS low tech bathroom tank
hope you enjoy! and any tips/advice would be appreciated
-Brandon
Two days ago we began our 12 gallon long journey!
This is going to be a very simple high tech tank using plants that are hardy, and somewhat beautiful (so that when I'm away my girlfriend can easily take care of them)
celestial pearl danios, and red cherry shrimp will be the center piece!
Equipment:
Tank: Aquatop 12gal long
Filter: Eheim 2213/Viv Aqua glass outflow
CO2: Diy paintball Co2/Cheap disc Co2 diffuser(I bought the wrong reactor for the hose size I have and will be using a reactor once i receive it)
Lighting: Fluval Fresh and plant 2.0(unsure if this will be permanent)
Substrate: Fluval shrimp stratum capped with black Flourite sand
Flora:
Pearl weed carpet
Java Fern bush entwined with driftwood
(possibly Blyxa Japonica)
Fauna:
large school of Celestial Pearl Danio's
as many Cherry red shrimp as possible
a few otto's
I used a solid wood "Hemnes secretary add on unit" form ikea for the cabinet part of the stand, then I used cedar 2x4's with pocket hole joinery for the top,
I burned the wood with a propane torch to bring out the grain of the wood, and to darken it a bit to go along with our dark furniture
here is a very brief picture summary of the stand

I joined these cedar 2x4's with a kreg pocket hole jig from Kreg tools, I used the R3 model

here it is solid jointed together

before I mounted it to the stand I used a small bernzomatic propane torch to burn the surface lightly, then used helmsman satin finish urethane to seal it

the equipment in the cabinet
The Tank!

I used osmocote + under the substrate to help with fertilization to minimize dosing

the initial hardscape with the fluval shrimp stratum

final hardscape with flourite cap

pearl grass and java fern in place

flooded and cloudy, it cleared up overnight but I have forgotten to take a picture since it has cleared up, I will do so probably tonight when I get home from work, the lights are REALLY bright, my living room lights were on and you can't even tell!

and... here is my 5.5 CPD and RCS low tech bathroom tank
hope you enjoy! and any tips/advice would be appreciated
-Brandon