[5BodyBlade]

Pic problems scroll down

 

[5BodyBlade]

...

 

[5BodyBlade]

This my journal for my 46 gallon bowfront. It's been dirted for a while now, but I never posted a journal on it so there are big gaps between some steps and many changes to flora and fauna.

Fish:
15 Harlequin rasbora
4 Cory Cats trilineatus
3 Oto Cats
2 German Blue Rams
2 Apistogramma Cacatuoides
1 Siamese Algae Eater
Malaysian Trumpet Snails
Pond Snails

Plants:
Jungle Val
Ludwigia repens
Hygrophila difformis
brown Cryp
Ozelot sword
Temple
Dwarf sag
Riccia fluitans
Java fern
Java moss

Here is the before with just sand and gravel. I could never get any carpet plants to grow and did not get much growth out of what I did have.

 

[5BodyBlade]

Complete teardown. Put fish and plants in rubbermaid container with existing tankwater. Used organic topsoil with Seachem root tabs and chunks of clay 3" to 1" sloping back to front.

 

[5BodyBlade]

Capped the soil with the sand/gravel mix from old setup.

 

[5BodyBlade]

Added driftwood and planted after filling slowly halfway.

 

[5BodyBlade]

Filled all the way. Let the filter do some cleaning before putting fish back in.

 

[5BodyBlade]

Took out the guts of my T8 light and replaced with 2 39W T5HO and new ballast. Bright! Getting some good growth.

 

[5BodyBlade]

Not happy with the way things are so decided to do a total rescape. First time doing actual aquascaping rather than just sticking things in open areas. Divided the tank in a 1:1.618 ratio and put the focal point, which is the triangular piece of bogwood at that mark and moving to the right.

 

[sewingalot]

Oh! I really love the rescape! Looks like a stream bank. Very nicely done. It's perfect. Now come visit and fix my planted tanks to look like that.

 

[5BodyBlade]

Thank you, it took a lot of tries to get it where I like it.

 

[AngelfishKid]

One of dustins dirt converts?

 

[5BodyBlade]

Yep. That's how I first found out about dirt.

 

[5BodyBlade]

Built a DIY light fixture hanger from electrical conduit.

 

[5BodyBlade]

Changed the wire and just used hooks. Also painted it black.

 

[5BodyBlade]

Decided to tear down the tank and re dirt it. What the heck right? Got rid of the sand/gravel mix. Just went with gravel on top same as the first dirting.

Species are now:
20 Harlequins
Pair of Apistos
1 GBR (Female committed suicide)
2 Otos
1 Albino Bristlenose
3 Amanos

Ludwigia repens
Ludwigia glandulosa
HM
Crinum Calimastratum
Jungle Val
Rotala sp. "Nanjenshan"
Crypt wendtii brown
Crypt beckettii
Mermaid Weed
Java Fern

 

[diwu13]

Hey! Did you just tear down your tank today? How were you able to fill it up and introduce livestock again so quickly? When I add flourite into my tanks the water is cloudy as all hell for a good 3 to 4 days. Not sure if that's bad but I don't add anything in during that time.

Also, the DW looks a bit bare. What would you think of strapping some moss or something onto it?

 

[5BodyBlade]

I did it on Friday 11/25/11. Only took 1 full day and a water change to have the water clear again. That pic was after the WC. I'm also running Purigen so I'm sure that helps to clear things up.

I saved about 50-60% of the tank water in rubbermaid bins and put it back in after the dirting. So it was just like doing a 50% water change. Livestock go right back in after everything is all put back together. No ill effects and no NH3 spike.

There's a little java moss on there. I've had that covered with java moss and riccia, They grow so out of control though. Give it a month it'll be filled with moss...and all the crap that gets caught in the moss.

 

[5BodyBlade]

New plant from the SnS. Ludwigia inclinata var. verticillata "Cuba"

 

[Daximus]

I love your light hanger, looks great.

Dustin is a funny guy, I watch his YouTube videos once in a while. Good information he puts out.