[killerbee]

Hello all,

Here is a journal for my 20g long that is/was my quarentine tank before the fish went to my 125g.. lol. I have kept fish tanks for 15+ years now. Honestly, this is the first time i really am puting effort and $$ to achieve a healthy planted tank. This is more of a trial to me and if it goes my way i will be planting the 125g. I want low tech though (more high tech than my 125g even for a low tech tank- weird).

1ST POST WILL HAVE MONTH BY MONTH PROGRESS

This was a pool filter sand mixed with eco complete at first that i just threw a couple of plants at first to have hiding places in quarentine tank. But then i got the bug to go through and make an official planted tank.

Anyways specs:

DOSE SCHEDULE (all seachem products for now)

MONDAY Potassium, Iron, Excel
TUESDAY Advance, Iron, Phosphorus, Nitrogen, Potassium, Excel
WEDNESDAY Potassium, Iron, Trace, Excel
THURSDAY Advance, Flourish, Iron, Potassium, Excel
FRIDAY 40% W/C, Advance, Flourish, Potassium, Excel
SATURDAY Iron, Phosphorus, Nitrogen, Potassium, Excel
SUNDAY Advance, Trace,Potassium, Excel

Equipment:
Fluval Aqua Clear 30 (2) - Filters at 150x 2= 300 GPH
9w Green Killing Machine UV light
GH Series Aquatop Heater 100w
Current Satellite Freshwater LED+ 18watts 24-36"
Bag of Purigen (Rated for 100g tank)
Petco Powerhead (King 160)160 Gph

Substrate:
1" Petco Black Sand (Top Layer)
1" 1 Bag Eco Complete (Middle Layer)
1.5" Flourite (Bottom Layer)

Plants:
Anubias
Amazon Swords (E. uruguayensis)
Java Fern
Corkscrew Vals
Red Tiger Lotus
Sagittaria
Crypt Wendtii

Fish:
8 Serpae Tetras
8 Rummy nose Tetras
4 Ottocinclus

Had a few fish die (R.I.P.) 1 rummynose tetra, 6 otto's, and 1 rubber pleco.
1 rummynose died for no apparent issue- one day he just ceased- they were all schooling nice.
5 Ottos died due to sickness from LFS when i received, which they replaced. 1 replacement Otto somehow got in the powerhead of my UV and well u know (have pre-filters on all powerheads now).
1 rubber pleco tried to rescue from petsmart but didn't work out.

Water parameters:

Tap 20g
PH 7.6 6.6 ->7.0
Amonia 0.3 0.0
Nitrite 0.0 0.0
Nitrate 5 10
KH 3 3
Phosphate 0.5 0.5


08/12/16



09/12/16



10/09/16






Work in Progres------

Bump:

 

[killerbee]

orinal setup (quarentine)

This was when it was just some plants and poolfilter sand mixed with eco complete. Don't mind the temporary plant holing containers:






Video:

 

[killerbee]

Breaking down current setup

Tank draining with temporary setup while running with previous tank media- no cycle requred:



draining water to remove substrate to add new:



messy:



Bump: Setup temporary aquarium



Bump:

 

[killerbee]

Flourite (1st layer)

Wow, did i underestimate the dirtiness of flourite. Also rookie mistake i should have added all my aqua soil substrates then add water as you will see results in following pics:

washing flourite:



It literally took days to clean this flourite- 4 to five days i think if memory serves me right. I had an extra emp 400 filter filtering the hell out of this 20 gallon. But as soon as you move substrate it would cloud water red- could not see light in tank:

 

[killerbee]

eco complete (middle layer)

Self explanatory Eco complete. 1 bag for 1" middle layer:

 

[killerbee]

Driftwood

Boiling water to cleanse driftwood:



After day 1:



After day 6:

 

[killerbee]

more to come

this is when i first flooded the tank with all the plants:







My red tiger lotus- unfortunately melted after i removed from bulb and planted in substrate. But that bulb does keep producing more pics to come later:

 

[sevendust111]

Looks like a good setup. I too have 2 Aquaclear 30s and a nano power head on my 20 long. I would suggest skipping the top layer of sand though as it is definitely going to sink through both the Eco complete and the fluorite. I find Eco complete especially light and thus prefer fluorite.

 

[waterbearr]

Nice start to your journal killerbee! That friggin flourite!!! yikes!


I like your light. I just might have to consider that for my 20 long. Originally I didn't like how it's 24" instead of 30" but looks like you've got a nice spread in there. No dark spots.

 

[killerbee]

Looks like a good setup. I too have 2 Aquaclear 30s and a nano power head on my 20 long. I would suggest skipping the top layer of sand though as it is definitely going to sink through both the Eco complete and the fluorite. I find Eco complete especially light and thus prefer fluorite.

Yes indeed having two filters helps out because i don't worry too much about beneficial bacteria when i deep clean one. I deep clean them every month and keeps my parameters at healthy levels for fish.

As far as the sand, I already added as you can see above in my edited pics. I find it not only looks astheticly pleasing but it gives a nice contrast when it does go down and you eco mixed with sand. We will see how it works out in years time.

Bump:

Nice start to your journal killerbee! That friggin flourite!!! yikes!


I like your light. I just might have to consider that for my 20 long. Originally I didn't like how it's 24" instead of 30" but looks like you've got a nice spread in there. No dark spots.

Thanks, i must say that i really like this light not too expensive and you have multiple otions- maybe too many. I only use the bright white light for my first 5 hour period and my send photo period i use the light purple for another 5 hours. I will be updating some pics in a bit where water is much clearer.

To be honest the only dark spots in my tank is underneath the driftwood and under the in tank UV- but i am not planting there- besides fish like some dark spots.

 

[killerbee]

side shot after evrything back in tank



Angled Shot:

 

[killerbee]

clearer water

2 weeks after setup:



Red tiger lotus growth:

the earlier pic with just the bulb was taken on 09/10/16 and like i said once i planted in substrate it melted and i had to remove. Check this out, these pics were taken on 09/28/16- leaves:

 

[killerbee]

Close shots

Pics taken 09/28/16-

Left front side:



Center:



you can see some bba (i think correct me if i'm wrong please) but only get them on the roots of the new baby narrow leave java fern sprouting from mother plants:



Right front side:

Here you can see one of the roseline sharks making an appearance during quarentine

 

[killerbee]

October shots

New things: As of 10/9/16
Added 9 Rummy red nose tetras- 1 died- now left with 8
All filter inlets now have pre filters
plants are growing (anubias,narrow leaf java fern, sword, crypt)
plants not growing (vals, sagitarria) - at least that i can see. Time will tell

 

[killerbee]

October video update

 

[killerbee]

Morning shots

All the new baby narrow leaf java ferns cut from mother plants insertrd into driftwood beside them:



Serpae's made an appearance and some otto's chilling on their favorite usual plant:



New leaves sprouting on sword: