Yay another Brit!!! Were abouts you from??
Also The tank looks great! My uncle has the bigger sw version.
Goodluck.
-Dec-
Also The tank looks great! My uncle has the bigger sw version.
Goodluck.
-Dec-
Vix's 1st Journal! ~ Sleepy Hollow ~ 56k Warning (Will be lots of pix!)
3
Ok this is my first journal so please bear with me as A: I'm a Brit so will have to convert every measurement :confused1: 
and B: this is my first proper planted tank and journal
Will be setting up tomorrow as have most of the bits in place now and its the only chance I will get before Christmas due to work and various other commitments.
The specs:
Tank: 50 US gallons-ish, it measures 100cm x 40cm x 50cm (Approx " 39 x 16 x 20)
Cabinet is solid oak, made the mistake of taking my chap into a local fish store that sells these and he decided I could only have another tank if it came with a nice cabinet!
Lighting: Twin T5HO 2x 39w (runs 24 or 39w but shop only had 39w bulbs in stock!)
Bulbs: 1x Arcadia T5 Plant Pro 34" & 1x Arcadia T5 Original Tropical Pro 34"
Filter: Eheim 2224 External (eBay special) but for starting up tomorrow I will be using a spare internal that I have due to some of the Eheim parts not arriving in time, they should be here soon.
Substrate: Gravel & sand with cat litter underneath supplimented with some root tabs, I've skimped on this to start with and its probably a bad idea but I'm hoping it works ok, people here seem to have alot of success with this method.
Decor: Wood (2 bits of mopani currently soaking), pebbles and rocks (can't be more specific as I've no clue what they all are but they're aquarium safe)
Planned green stuff: Java fern & moss, various crypts, some twisted vallis, various anubias, this will all be brought tomorrow as I'm making a trip to my lfs first thing
Planned inhabitants: 20 Cardinal tetra, 6-8 Julii corys and possibly a pair of rams but I need to check my water compatability first.
I'm not brave enough to try CO2 out just yet so lighting period will have to be fairly short as I don't want the dreaded algae to take hold, but I have it in my plans so my tank would be more medium tech than low tech in the future.
Here's a few pix of the tank and stand and a couple of plants that I'm liberating from our community tank.
The tank and stand:
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Java fern:
![]()
A crypt, there are 2 of these that I'm relocating (if someone can identify it that would be good )
![]()
I hope my pix aren't too big, I've hopefully made them small enough.
Will update tomorrow when everything is (hopefully) started!
and B: this is my first proper planted tank and journal Will be setting up tomorrow as have most of the bits in place now and its the only chance I will get before Christmas due to work and various other commitments.
The specs:
Tank: 50 US gallons-ish, it measures 100cm x 40cm x 50cm (Approx " 39 x 16 x 20)
Cabinet is solid oak, made the mistake of taking my chap into a local fish store that sells these and he decided I could only have another tank if it came with a nice cabinet!
Lighting: Twin T5HO 2x 39w (runs 24 or 39w but shop only had 39w bulbs in stock!)
Bulbs: 1x Arcadia T5 Plant Pro 34" & 1x Arcadia T5 Original Tropical Pro 34"
Filter: Eheim 2224 External (eBay special) but for starting up tomorrow I will be using a spare internal that I have due to some of the Eheim parts not arriving in time, they should be here soon.
Substrate: Gravel & sand with cat litter underneath supplimented with some root tabs, I've skimped on this to start with and its probably a bad idea but I'm hoping it works ok, people here seem to have alot of success with this method.
Decor: Wood (2 bits of mopani currently soaking), pebbles and rocks (can't be more specific as I've no clue what they all are but they're aquarium safe)
Planned green stuff: Java fern & moss, various crypts, some twisted vallis, various anubias, this will all be brought tomorrow as I'm making a trip to my lfs first thing
Planned inhabitants: 20 Cardinal tetra, 6-8 Julii corys and possibly a pair of rams but I need to check my water compatability first.
I'm not brave enough to try CO2 out just yet so lighting period will have to be fairly short as I don't want the dreaded algae to take hold, but I have it in my plans so my tank would be more medium tech than low tech in the future.
Here's a few pix of the tank and stand and a couple of plants that I'm liberating from our community tank.
The tank and stand:
Java fern:
A crypt, there are 2 of these that I'm relocating (if someone can identify it that would be good
)
I hope my pix aren't too big, I've hopefully made them small enough.
Will update tomorrow when everything is (hopefully) started!
1 - 20 of 37 Posts
:icon_bigg still got snow?
Yup
need some wine to fill it though but spent all my £'s on tank and stand 
Now that is a stand: wine and fish in the same area. You should post in whatever measurements that are more comfortable for you. It'll be good practice for lazy Americans like myself. The max size of pictures is 1024 wide by 768 tall, so you are more than fine. Can't id the crypts, sorry. I am looking forward to seeing the progress of your tank.
The max size of pictures is 1024 wide by 768 tall, so you are more than fine. Can't id the crypts, sorry. I am looking forward to seeing the progress of your tank.
7
Planted and filled up today, the crypts and anubias plan went out the window but I'm fairly happy with what I've done roud: fell in love with a large piece of wood that had 2 fairly large narrow java ferns attached
Hopefully when the background fills in it will look alot better.
Cat litter in with some slow release fertilizer mixed in.
![]()
Some of the plants
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Planted but not filled
![]()
Filling...
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From above
![]()
Filled
![]()
The java fern piece that made my plans change
![]()
Everything is a bit messy at the moment, wires need sorting out, internal filter needs to go once my external is ready and obviously its lacking fish ;-) its not too murky though so my rinsing must've worked, I gave up rinsing the sand!
Once stuff starts to fill in I can add more and also see what works and what doesn't. :icon_bigg
roud: fell in love with a large piece of wood that had 2 fairly large narrow java ferns attached Hopefully when the background fills in it will look alot better.
Cat litter in with some slow release fertilizer mixed in.
Some of the plants
Planted but not filled
Filling...
From above
Filled
The java fern piece that made my plans change
Everything is a bit messy at the moment, wires need sorting out, internal filter needs to go once my external is ready and obviously its lacking fish ;-) its not too murky though so my rinsing must've worked, I gave up rinsing the sand!
Once stuff starts to fill in I can add more and also see what works and what doesn't. :icon_bigg
What fun; a thread dominated by Brits :hihi:
I've seen those tanks in our local Maidenhead Vix. The wife wanted one til I bought an ex-reef 880 litre for a tenth of the price.
Looking forward to seeing this one progress. Subscribed.
BTW weluvbettas, your sister should know better unless she's 10
I've seen those tanks in our local Maidenhead Vix. The wife wanted one til I bought an ex-reef 880 litre for a tenth of the price.
Looking forward to seeing this one progress. Subscribed.
BTW weluvbettas, your sister should know better unless she's 10
When I've got some spare cash I'm looking at getting some crypts to fill all the gaps in, might the sandy area fairly open area cos i want to stock some corys eventually
Water has cleared really well with just the small filter thats in there, new bits for the external arrived today so hope to get that set up soon
Water has cleared really well with just the small filter thats in there, new bits for the external arrived today so hope to get that set up soon
Picture taken today, ignore cable tidy behind, taken out mopani wood for time being cos as always with that stuff it gets a load of fuzz on it which spreads so I think it needs more boiling.
![]()
I think I need more plants & gotta take one of the bulbs back as it appears to be partly broken but as we've had a pathetic amount of snow thats brought the entire country to a standstill I'm not going anywhere for the moment
Internal filter seems to have done a reasonable job of clearing the initial cloudiness, external will be fitted when I have some more parts for it.
I think I need more plants & gotta take one of the bulbs back as it appears to be partly broken but as we've had a pathetic amount of snow thats brought the entire country to a standstill I'm not going anywhere for the moment
Internal filter seems to have done a reasonable job of clearing the initial cloudiness, external will be fitted when I have some more parts for it.
I will try that, after boiling it I might try chucking it straight into the snow outside
Mopani wood is the only stuff I have had this problem with and it is just a fuzz but it does spread onto substrate etc if not dealth with.
Mopani wood is the only stuff I have had this problem with and it is just a fuzz but it does spread onto substrate etc if not dealth with.
Picture update:
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Not much has happened internal filter has gone, got the external in place now, few more rocks n pebbles.
Just playing the waiting game now growth wise and hopefully tomorrow I will get some fish for it as have people coming Christmas Day and it would be cool to partly complete the picture the plan is for 12 cardinal or glow light tetra or maybe 6 of each for the time being.
Not much has happened
internal filter has gone, got the external in place now, few more rocks n pebbles.Just playing the waiting game now growth wise and hopefully tomorrow I will get some fish for it as have people coming Christmas Day and it would be cool to partly complete the picture
the plan is for 12 cardinal or glow light tetra or maybe 6 of each for the time being.1 - 20 of 37 Posts
