classic's 72g. prairie (56k) update 12|31|09

7943 Views 50 Replies 17 Participants Last post by yesclassic, Jan 6, 2010

yesclassic

Discussion Starter · Sep 12, 2009 (Edited)

9

This is my first attempt at creating a planted tank. I would really love to get some suggestions for my tank and/or criticisms.

my tank is A 72 gallon oceanic bow front my current filterization system is 2 penguin bio wheels each rated for a 50 gallon aquarium. I hope to soon replace these with a canister filter. Are there any filters that won't break the bank but are also of quality? I was thinking of using an Eheim 2215 classic.

Also I am creating my own topsoil substrate using the recipe I found here http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/substrate/72382-mineralized-top-soil-substrate-pics-updated.html. I had been using that SERA foredepot because a certain aquarium store had told me that it was one of the best substrates out there he also told me that I would only need to use half the bucket (pictured) to fill the bottom of my aquarium and I believed him until later I read the side of the substrate and found out that the whole bucket was only enough for a ten gallon tank. I will not be going back to that unnamed store again (hint: it rhymes with cold norchard maquarium ).

I had bought some plants from the store and I do not know what they are as it is not printed on the bill so could you help me ID them? Will the plants I bought be ok in my aquarium as is until the new substrate is ready.

my lighting is a JBJ 4*65 I have 2 65w 65k bulbs in the front and two 65w 10k in the back. As of now I have no CO2 system but plan to DIY one once I have saved up again after buying the filter. here are some pictures of my tank and the plants I need help IDing

(I hope the images show up ok the process kinda confused me

)
heres my tank

heres the type of soil I'm using

started the minerlization process I covered it just to be safe

heres the substrate I shouldn't have bought

here are the plants sorry about the [STRIKE]2nd one I fliped it on Image shack but it did not transfer [/STRIKE]

here is a bad picture of what I think is duckweed sorry about the angle and the quality.

thanks for your comments and suggestions

one last thing is this actually 56k thought it was but wasn't sure so I played it safe

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Centromochlus

· #2 · Sep 12, 2009

Welcome to TPT, yesclassic!

Great start - it looks nice. You definitely have too much light though. Four 65 watt bulbs over a 72 gallon without co2 is going to cause a lot of algae. Cutting your light output in half would be ideal IMO. It looks like quite a bit of algae is already building up on your Limnophila Sessiliflora stems (the tall, green, fuzzy looking ones).

If you're wanting to do co2 in the future, you'd be much better off going with a pressurized system if it's not out of your budget. You would need a lot of DIY yeast bottles to inject enough co2 into that much water.

A few plant ID's:
- Limnophila Sessiliflora: Tall, green, fuzzy looking stems.
- Amazon Swordplant: Tall green plant next to the driftwood.
- Java Fern: Plant attached to the driftwood.
- Duckweed: Little floating plants.

Not sure what the other plants are, sorry! Someone else will know.

Good luck,
AzFishKid

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yesclassic

Discussion Starter · #3 · Sep 12, 2009

thanks Azfishkid

Great start - it looks nice. You definitely have too much light though. Four 65 watt bulbs over a 72 gallon without co2 is going to cause a lot of algae. Cutting your light output in half would be ideal IMO. It looks like quite a bit of algae is already building up on your Limnophila Sessiliflora stems (the tall, green, fuzzy looking ones).

Thanks I think the algae you see is the
Sera substrate that I shouldn't have bought I had been meaning to brush it off before taking the pics.
also how would I cut down on my lights?

yesclassic

Discussion Starter · #4 · Sep 12, 2009

also do you have a recomondation for co2 thats not to expensive

Centromochlus

· #5 · Sep 12, 2009

yesclassic said:
thanks Azfishkid
Thanks I think the algae you see is the
Sera substrate that I shouldn't have bought I had been meaning to brush it off before taking the pics.
also how would I cut down on my lights?

Does your light fixture have more than one switch?

Pressurized co2 is expensive - a complete system is a little over $400.00 from Green Leaf Aquariums. Don't worry if you can't get it now, you can still have an amazing tank without it.

yesclassic

Discussion Starter · #6 · Sep 13, 2009

yes. I run the 65k for 6 hrs and the 10k for 6

Shipmonkey

· #7 · Sep 13, 2009

The larger plant on the right of your tank appears to be an Anubias. They don't do well at all with their rhizome(the big fleshy root) planted. Use some thread to tie it to a piece of driftwood and it'll do much better.

yesclassic

Discussion Starter · #8 · Sep 13, 2009

Shipmonkey said:
The larger plant on the right of your tank appears to be an Anubias. They don't do well at all with their rhizome(the big fleshy root) planted. Use some thread to tie it to a piece of driftwood and it'll do much better.

I'll make sure to do that. it makes me so mad that the aforementioned did not tell me that

do I need CO2 to grow HC.

I'm going to get within the next 6 months which is better: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=9933 or http://www.greenleafaquariums.com/complete-co2-systems/choice-co2-system.html

also what it that one tall plant on the far left called

yesclassic

Discussion Starter · #9 · Sep 30, 2009

got a new ehiem 2215 and it is amazing how quite it is. also tied up the anubius to some make shift drift wood (a old peace of a siphon) Wednesday I plan to put in my New substrate so I ll post some pictures in the next couple of days

Consigliere

· #10 · Sep 30, 2009

+1 on reducing the lighting. You are going to have an algae tank on your hands very shortly without cutting back on the lights. Also, don't fall into the trap of long photoperiods. I would suggest going to half the lighting (as above) and keeping a 5-6hr photoperiod initially. If everything looks good for a couple weeks, start upping it half hour per week. Once you start to see issues, go back to the previous half hour increment. It's amazing how much difference a half hour can make on some tanks.

If you want to do cheap CO2, you can go DIY yeast no problem All you need is a pop bottle, 1/8" airline and some time. Unfortunately, it is a lot of work to maintain, especially with that size of tank. But its cheap and will get the job done if you have enough. If you introduce CO2, you will likely have to start dosing some ferts too.

yesclassic

Discussion Starter · #11 · Sep 30, 2009

+1 on reducing the lighting. You are going to have an algae tank on your hands very shortly without cutting back on the lights. Also, don't fall into the trap of long photoperiods. I would suggest going to half the lighting (as above) and keeping a 5-6hr photoperiod initially. If everything looks good for a couple weeks, start upping it half hour per week.

I am currently going with just two bulbs lit 6 hrs a day and have been doing so for a couple of weeks. I was wondering if instead of adding more time to my lighting schedule could I add a two hour burst using all 4 lights and up that burst period as the duck weed fills in and blocks out more light to the lower plants?

If you want to do cheap CO2, you can go DIY yeast no problem All you need is a pop bottle, 1/8" airline and some time. Unfortunately, it is a lot of work to maintain, especially with that size of tank. But its cheap and will get the job done if you have enough. If you introduce CO2, you will likely have to start dosing some ferts too.

I do plan on getting a pressurized CO2 system hopefully for an early Christmas present :icon_mrgr

I was wondering what some good carpet plants are for no CO2 just in case:icon_frow

yesclassic

Discussion Starter · #12 · Oct 2, 2009

MY Ehiem was leaking at the gang valves all day while I was at school :eek5: thank god it was only a small leak but my parents aren't happy I that I drained 10 gallons of water on my carpet any tips on fixing it? I turned it off and tightened them but it still is driping

I'm pretty sure its from the gang valves because its only dripping from below them

yesclassic

Discussion Starter · #13 · Oct 10, 2009

14

ok here are some photos of my tank after mineralization I just sorta stuck the plants in willie nilly so they aren't really scaped I am having some leaves die off my plants mostly from the large tall one I also found a small snail with a goldish shell can any one ID it?

and I couldn't resist posting some dog photos since we just got a puppy the golden is tess shes my baby the two black and white ones are my mom the bigger is penny the smaller is either duffy, clay or cash since my family cannot agree on a name

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oldpunk78

· #14 · Oct 10, 2009

that looks like a pond snail to me.

yesclassic

Discussion Starter · #15 · Oct 11, 2009

oldpunk78 said:
that looks like a pond snail to me.

is that bad and thanks for looking

oldpunk78

· #16 · Oct 11, 2009

i don't mind them. the eat a lot of algae. they multiply quickly though.

yesclassic

Discussion Starter · #17 · Oct 11, 2009

How big do they get? how should I control them? I really was not planing on putting any fish or inverts into the tank they came with a plant I think. I was waiting to get my driftwood and get all planted. thanks for the quick response old punk

Green024

· #18 · Oct 11, 2009

I think those are the same snails i have in my 10 gallon tank, Physa acuta, and they do multiply like a sonnofagun. If so they dont get much bigger than a quarter to half inch. If you want to control them yourself you can see if anyone you know wants them, or maybe people on here, if not you can dunk the hand of god in there and give em a squish. But if your looking for a more natural way to cut their population down, (possibly even ridding them from your tank entirely, which is what happened to me) you can get a clown loach or two. Other loaches might be able to do the same job.
http://www.petshop-zoomania.com/Tetras,Rainbows,Killi/Physa acuta.jpg

yesclassic

Discussion Starter · #19 · Oct 11, 2009

Green024 said:
I think those are the same snails i have in my 10 gallon tank, Physa acuta, and they do multiply like a sonnofagun. If so they dont get much bigger than a quarter to half inch. If you want to control them yourself you can see if anyone you know wants them, or maybe people on here, if not you can dunk the hand of god in there and give em a squish. But if your looking for a more natural way to cut their population down, (possibly even ridding them from your tank entirely, which is what happened to me) you can get a clown loach or two. Other loaches might be able to do the same job.
http://www.petshop-zoomania.com/Tetras,Rainbows,Killi/Physa acuta.jpg

those snails do look a lot like mine and I have removed a good number but, Ill remove a few and then later they will be back. as for the clown loach recommendation I had some in this tank before I started to re do it and they get very big very fast they really arent made for any thing but the largest aquarium mine would be good for 1 but they do not like to be kept alone. I was think of using assassin snails does any one have any experience with them? how many do I need? can they be kept with shrimp? how do the assassins reproduce and will I need to control them? I know, I know google them I'll do it now just questions off the top of my head

CLASSIC

· #20 · Oct 14, 2009

I recently had almost the same set up as you, kinda freaky actually, same tank and very close nickname on forums as you lol. Anyhow like you, i had MTS for a substrate in my 72G bowfront. MTS, so far, has gotten the best results for me, i have AS now and really dont like it. I had snails as well, but 4 C. Loaches took care of them down to the last one. The loaches however always tore up my foreground, awesome fish tho.

EDIT---almost forgot to add that my biggest complaint with this tank (72G Bow) is the depth. It was tricky for me to get the light height and photo-period right, without getting algae. Subscribed

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