[Morgan Freeman]

After four years, I'm finally returning to freshwater! Bigger and better than ever!

Equipment

Tank: 32g AquaMaxx (24x18x18")

Stand: Imagitarium White Gloss Stand (36x18x30") ~> do NOT recommend, terrible quality

Filtration: Eheim 350/2215 Classic Canister Filter

Lighting: Current USA Sat+ (2) ~> replaced one with a cheap 15w NICREW plus light

Hardscape: AFA Dragon Scale Stone w/driftwood

Substrate: Amazonia Soil (9L Normal & 9L Mini)

Heater: None (Average 75F) ~> 150w Jager during winter

CO2 System: Milwaukee Regulator with 5lb Cylinder and DoAqua Pollen Diffuser

Other Glassware: Lily Pipe Surface Skimmer Intake ~>Broke

Additives: Power Sand Advance (Small)

Plants (via GLA)
Rotala HRA & macandra
Bucephalandra red mini (TC) Melted from transfer shock
Bucephalandra velvet
Bucephalandra kedagang
Cryptocoryne yujii (TC)
Micranthemum 'Monte Carlo' (TC)
Piptospatha ridleyi (TC)
Staurogyne repen (TC)

Fish
12x Bloodfin tetra
1x Pygmy Tetra (lone survivor after shipping...)
_

FTS after two weeks...

FTS after three months...

FTS at take-down...

 

[rwong2k]

Cant wait to see the progress and I love your acting

Sent from my SM-G973F using Tapatalk

 

[[email protected]]

Welcome back sir!

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

 

[Morgan Freeman]

Do you guys feel strongly about heating the tank? I keep my apartment at like 74F and I feel like that should be sufficient. Noticeable growth reduction between 78 and 74F? (25.56C vs. 23.33C)
What I would buy [link] 200w, 1/2".

 

[somewhatshocked]

Depending upon the livestock you plan to keep, you can avoid a heater. There are lots of fish that will do well at those temperatures. Plants should also be fine.

I only use heaters when they're absolutely necessary.

 

[Morgan Freeman]

Depending upon the livestock you plan to keep, you can avoid a heater. There are lots of fish that will do well at those temperatures. Plants should also be fine.
I only use heaters when they're absolutely necessary.

Yea, I'm not creating a discus tank. Happy to avoid heater.

Coming together: https://flic.kr/p/2hhYTMU

How do you guys embed pics?

 

[somewhatshocked]

Click 'Share' on the photo at Flickr and copy the BB Code option. It'll look like this, depending upon the size you choose:

Photo removed since you now know how it works

You can remove some of that text at the bottom so it looks more clean:

Photo removed since you now know how it works

 

[Morgan Freeman]

Starting to play with materials. Might need to order more horn wood so I don't have to mix two types. I was hoping to create more of a rock-heavy valley but I feel like they might've been a little light on the "20lbs".

I would like to give myself a lot of room for mid-ground plants.









I will have a white background.

 

[Morgan Freeman]

To confirm: if I buy a 20oz paintball CO2 tank for ~$30, I should be able to hook up my Milwaukee regulator via one of these adapters, correct?

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=CO2+adapter&i=pets&ref=nb_sb_noss_2

Do you guys have a preference? Plastic one is rated better than the metal ones (ppl recommend teflon tape).

 

[Mr.Shenanagins]

Honestly, you might as well get a 5lb CO2 tank which you could find easily and for a similar price used. That paintball tank is not worth the trouble and you’ll be refilling it constantly. Just my .02

 

[Morgan Freeman]

I have a 5lb tank back home. Haven't seen many used CO2 tanks for sale in Huntsville.

I live across the street from a Dick's so refilling wouldn't be that crazy. In fact, idk if they could fill a 5lb tank that didn't have paintball fitting (so that could be a hassle).

Edit: Do you guys believe/trust this?
https://www.kikoutlet.com/with-tank--new-co2-valve-cylinder-5lb-cga320-aluminum

 

[Mr.Shenanagins]

Seems a little too cheap, could be that it’s not “certified” or out of cert date. Do you have local beer stores or gas supply stores? They will normally rent you a cylinder and you can return it and just get another refilled tank and so on. You could just go back and forth to dicks but that may get annoying. Once every couple months is better than every week or two IMO.

 

[Morgan Freeman]

Shipping my tank from home ended up only being $25! It should arrive today.

I just ordered my plants from GLA! I will post some pics and a map of the planting layout once they arrive. I'm excited to have a lot of midground plants and to try Bucephalandra. If anyone has any special tips, I'm all ears. I'm sure they'll like the substrate system I've set up (and I'll have CO2 and be dosing Flourish essentials).

 

[Mike00726]

Loved you in Shawshank. Looking for to this build.

 

[Streetwise]

"Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies. I find I'm so excited, I can barely sit still or hold a thought in my head. I think it's the excitement only a free man can feel, a free man at the start of a long journey whose conclusion is uncertain."

 

[Janci]

Looking forward to see the plants in the tank.
It looks very promising.

 

[edothas]

Nice hardscape design! I can't wait to see the planted pics

 

[Black Hills Hillbilly]

That stone is GORGEOUS! Almost makes me glad I couldn't get my 12 tanks down here..."I'll take 5000 lbs of that, please." >

 

[Morgan Freeman]

GLA plants came yesterday -- I ordered too many! CO2 running at ~0.5bps for now. Algae bloom will be on its way.

I really like the Buceph godzilla -- gave it a prime spot.

 

[Vadim Shevchuk]

Great start! If you are ever in Chattanooga, I have some plants that we can trade ha.