[Italionstallion888]

The eheim was on the 10g, it. Cycled when I moved it downstairs. Seemed like a good time to start over.

 

[Italionstallion888]

Here is my meditation corner

Cleaned up the 8.7g, its bouncing back from a cycle as well. The tanks didn't take well to the move.

20g has the ammonia "haze" I'm off to a good start. Bacteria bloom in less than 24 hours.

 

[Italionstallion888]

Its been 3 days, no water changes and as of 3pm the ammonia has dropped on its own down to 4ppm. Nitrite is showing 1ppm. On the right track. Water change later today, test and then add ammonia to raise it back to 4ppm. 2 more days and I should be into the nitrates.

 

[Italionstallion888]

Some quick progress pics of the 55g, im pretty cramped for space.

Looks like hell. I'm having to regrow out most of them. I managed to save 3-4 stems of each during the move. My plants took a beating. They are all showing new growth. Once this raok is done and I remove all the floating they should bounce back quicker. I've increased the co2 levels a bit and started dosing a bit more aggressive now that the tank has stabilized.

 

[BayazGouramiz]

That new 20 gallon hardscape is so cool. Bump on the whole jealous thing. Girls are great my lil one is now 9. Dad is still super cool and shes still my lil cuddle bug. Got to soak it up before she hits her teens... Anywho I usually don't offer suggestions but you may want to look up what lily species that is. Here in the Pacific NW I believe that water lily is a noxious weed. If that's the case I would not move it to another pond. I've seen it take over and ruin ecosystems. It can and will take over everything. Its hard to kill water plants with herbicide, because of how sensitive the other fauna and fish can be too reach the necessary levels of herbicide to make a difference.

Your tank room is ideal! Such a nice big yard, and I too can move and live there if need be. We can have like a planted tank commune in ur backyard lol

Bump: I also really like how you have decor around your tanks, and grow lights for house plants. I was thinking about doing the same and I havent seen anything online like what I was dreaming up until I seen yours. Its nice to see that it can be done. I actually went as far as looking up those cabinet lamps for bookshelfs. They have some at IKEA, not sure if they would grow plants though. Since then I have found planted tanks, now I need to setup my tank first. Then i will use nano tank LED's and clamp them above shelves that have house plants. End game is going to be like a nature corner in the living room, with a LED moving nature picture above my 75gallon planted tank and black IKEA shelves staggered to each side with house plants that have nano tank LEDS neatly placed above them. Long way out but one can dream.

 

[Italionstallion888]

Thinking about the light on the 20g. It might not be enough to keep the plant nodes short. I might look into another finnex planted+ for it. I cant wait to finish this cycle and get the plants in. I've decided on apistogramma ca. Double red for the stock. 1 pair if I can find them. Maybe some shrimp if I keep the apistos fed.

Finnex planted+ on only.

I'm in kansas, the pond on the farm is pretty large, there are 2 actually. My mother in law has a much bigger green thumb than I. She said she wanted them, I need to pull them lol.

I have an ikea 1.2 miles from me. I feel ya. My next step is the diode strips from them under shelves. I will give them a test run. They may not be bright enough. If not I'm going to build a rig to hold 5-6 brooder lamps across the wall. by the bookshelf is the only socket on that side of the room. Built in 1976 baby. My only issue is wire length on the brooder lamps. I'm not sure if I could or should at that add length to them. Basically poor man's track lighting lol.
For these

I have a wall o marvel, just started my iron man wall

I build this room around my rocking chair. Its perfect. I'm going to put some shelves up and put some pothos above the tanks.

I love house plants. Here are a few at work I've had going for awhile. They love the lights we have.

My lilac bush in the back yard, its a mess. I gave it a good thinning once the blooms dropped.

My little lady

 

[BayazGouramiz]

Wow so cool man, Im envious. All kinds of fun lil projects. Lilac is my favorite sent, its amazing, and those house plants are so healthy. I cant wait! I need more money pronto... Cant wait till my wife is done with school so I can buy more toys.

 

[Italionstallion888]

All of my house plants started as a few cuttings from places that would let me cut their plants. I traded with local hobby friends for everything else. Diy isn't about how much you spend. Its how you put it together with what you have. Which makes it more unique. I want her to have a fun, educational play area when she gets older. Fun Lil projects keep me sane right now. I get about 3 hours of sleep from her, then she's up for 2 hours, 24 hours a day right now. I just work on stuff I can start and stop on. I'm trading my mother in law the lily bulbs for house leak and habiscus bushes. I need to give the stream bed some shade. The house leak will look great in front in the red mulch area. Previous owners did dick with the landscape. We have a lot of weeds to pull. They just let stuff run wild. I have vinca EVERYWHERE

 

[Italionstallion888]

I've had Sebastian for over 2 years. My favorite fish.

 

[Italionstallion888]

Quick trip to home depot and I've got some adequate lighting.

These plants came home with the wife from work while she's on maternity leave. Once they go back I will replace them with more variety and color.

13w 6500k bulbs all around

Bouncing back after being in a low light situation for about 2 months

 

[Italionstallion888]

7 days into the cycle, ammonia is sitting at 4ppm, my nitrites are now a deep purple. Another 50% water change and we should be done in 3-4 days. I'm going fish prospecting tomorrow.

I would like to take a moment of silence here. Yesterday, one of you most popular and overly appreciated pet stores in Lawrence, KS caught fire. The store was closed for the holiday. The inside is a total loss. Many animals lost their lives yesterday, and the community lost a gem.

RIP

Updated photos to give you something to look at. Enjoy!

Some of the plants coming back

My planted bowl project, finnex sting ray for the light source

 

[Lowe]

Beautiful all around. How do you have time for all this with a newborn??

 

[Italionstallion888]

We take shifts right now. Ridley sleeps for about 3-4 hours at a time on average. I've been on paid leave since may 5th, went back today. I really spend less than 15min a day working on them (feed and dose) an hour or two on sunday mornings. We've got a pretty chill non fussy baby. She will rock out with me in her bounce chair while I work on the room. Mom feeds, I change and we both entertain her.

 

[Italionstallion888]

New growth that just popped up since the addition of the 2nd brooder lamp

 

[Freemananana]

The jungle look is amazing. Definitely like the look a lot!

Congrats on the baby. I'm super jealous of the 3 weeks of paternity leave! I was allowedto take a week of my vacation time when I had my first haha.

It only gets better. My daughter sits and watches the fish swim now (1 year old).

 

[Lowe]

The jungle look is amazing. Definitely like the look a lot!

Congrats on the baby. I'm super jealous of the 3 weeks of paternity leave! I was aloud to take a week of my vacation time when I had my first haha.

It only gets better. My daughter sits and watches the fish swim now (1 year old).

Jealous of the paternity leave as well! I too have a 1 year old like freemananana (this June) and looking back his early months ...my goodness I had no time to do anything!

 

[Italionstallion888]

I got 2 weeks at 100% pay starting on May 5th, I came back and worked (I'm a branch manager for a bank) may 15th so a few employees could take a vacation. I had the following Monday and tuesday off, was suppose to go back last Wed. Well, last tuesday night I ate a banana instead of a pop tart for a nightly snack, and ended up going into anaphylactic shock shortly after finishing it. Wife with newborn in the back seat rushed me to the hospital, which is only 2 miles from our new house. Due to that (having a very understanding boss, as I almost suffocated by the time we reached the hospital), I ended up with the rest of the week off to recover. Yesterday was my first day back, bit of anxiety when I arrived that I puked in the parking lot as I was pulling in lol. I'm doing better now on my second day back. I work 4 miles from home, so I can run home over lunch and check on them. My wife and I both understand in order for us to stay sane and not kill each other, we both need our own time to clear our heads and emotions. She understands if I come home and head straight to the den, it's been a long day and she will give me an hour or so then bring Ridley down and take her time. She sat on my lap last night as I played xbox for a few hours while mom took a nap. We've been together for 10 years, got married in 2008.

Bump: I think I have decided on the aquatek mini co2 regulator and 2 24oz paintball tanks. I hope the dicks down the street can fill them for me.

I'm not sure the finnex clip on will be enough light. I'm only going to grow stargrass, dwarf sag and maybe some fissdens. I have a 24inch dual t8 light I could suspend above the tank if need be, I might just order a 36inch finnex planted+ for it. Undecided.

 

[Italionstallion888]

3 weeks as of yesterday

My wife says they will be green, I say blue

Sneek peek from out newborn session with our birth photographer. I had an epic beard but baby didn't like it one bit. Takes me 2 weeks to go full beard.

 

[Italionstallion888]

Ammonia has dropped to .25ppm - trace amounts, nitrite is holding at 1ppm. I'm going to test for nitrates tomorrow. Getting closer!

 

[AquaAurora]

I hate waiting for nitrites to go down.. always seems like it takes for.ev.er.