[Camm1252]

G'day!

A week ago I signed up and posted an introduction which was day I bought this tank, and it was delivered two days ago. 🥳
I've done very little to it other than set it up as it's been 4-5 years since my last (which was also my first) planted tank, so I'm taking my time with it - and finding it impossible to decide on a hardscape to do.

Tank: Waterbox 3620
Size: 900 x 500 x 450mm / 35.4" x 19.7" x 17.7"
Volume: 186L / 49.1 gal

EQUIPMENT:

• Filter: Aquael Ultramax 2000
• Lights: 2x Ecotech Marine Radion XR15 FW
• Heater: Hydor 300 Watt Inline
• CO2: Huey Hung Classic Solenoid Regular (Single Outlet) / 1.0L Bottle

SUBSTRATE:

• ADA Powder Sand Special & Additives (Bacter 100, Clear Super, Penac-P/W, Tourmaline BC, Multi Bottom Plus)
• ADA Amazonia
• ADA Amazonia Powder Type

ACCESSORIES:

• Up Aqua Lily Pipe (Inlet & Outlet)
• CO2 Art Drop Checker Kit
• Dymax CO2 Glass Atomizer (w/ Bubble Counter)
• ADA NA-Thermometer J-10 WH
• Various scissors, scrapers, etc.

Here's a few photos of the tank (with/without the lights). I am really happy with the quality of the tank & stand, it was quite simple to assemble, too.

Spoiler: Photos (Large)

I'll definitely be posting updates/photos when all equipment is set up, when I do some different layouts, etc. I'm planning to do a dry start for some good carpet, then flooding after ~4 weeks. But first, the hardscape!
I've made a small album of tank designs I like, I really think I'm going to get some sand and make a small sand area at the front with a path going towards the back of the tank.

Cheers for reading!

 

[Plinkploop]

interested in seeing what you come up with!! New set ups are so much fun!! GL!!

 

[mourip]

Great start. I have a Waterbox 4820 and what looks like a similar stand.

 

[Camm1252]

interested in seeing what you come up with!! New set ups are so much fun!! GL!!

Cheers mate!

Great start. I have a Waterbox 4820 and what looks like a similar stand.

Oh neat. I just checked our your recent photos from a few days ago, liking the setup! How did you go with keeping the top of the sand clean/algae free? Was worried about sand at the front due to algae build-up in front of it and risk of scratching the glass when cleaning it.

 

[mourip]

Oh neat. I just checked our your recent photos from a few days ago, liking the setup! How did you go with keeping the top of the sand clean/algae free? Was worried about sand at the front due to algae build-up in front of it and risk of scratching the glass when cleaning it.

A combination of luck and some learning from my last tank has kept the Algae Monster at bay for now. Plan A is to not let it start. I planted heavily from the beginning and have tried to show restraint with my fish load. I have mostly low to medium light plants and so can keep the light down and the photoperiod short-ish. I use CO2 but just enough to drop the pH my 1.0 during the day. The biggie is that I only feed every other day and try to keep the food on the sandy "beach" so that I can use a Python to clean it with my weekly 50% water change. I use a credit card to scrape the algae of of the glass below the sand on the front glass using only a downward motion. I also have a doser on this tank. From reading and watching online videos it seems that consistent dosing helps a lot. Periodic and irregular dosing not so much. I also add Seachem Excel or some Easy Carbo along with my ferts.

So far so good!

 

[Camm1252]

Just a small update, went and purchased 16kg of Seiryu Stone and a few pieces of wood. Lined up all the substrate for today as I think I'm going to start the layout today, and just attached a magnetic strip for the tools to hang on.

 

[Camm1252]

eeek, double post 😰

Just finished laying the base substrate & one bag of Amazonia. Given that I want to utilise a (2L) bag of sand in this scape, but also need to lay more soil to be able to create mounds/play with the seiryu & driftwood, I'm unsure if I should add all the bags now and just make a "pathway" at the end for the sand, or define the sand area now with cardboard and try to keep it clear.

 

[brooklyntankster]

Very nice and looking forward to more of this build. I am considering upgrading to either this size waterbox or the next level up.

 

[Camm1252]

After over a week of playing around, I came to be happy (enough) with the layout of the wood & stones, so I laid the sand just now.

Still going to fill up the front right with some smaller stones behind the "wall", and then scatter some more smaller ones through the aquarium and at the base of the larger stones.

Will be ordering plants tonight, and thinking I'll go with a dry start using monte carlo at the foreground leading towards the back, and some moss throughout the driftwood & at the tips of some higher stones.

Have no idea what other plants to use yet, after the dry start is completed. 😅

 

[Chizpa305]

There is something about new, clean, and empty tanks with the hardscape set up in place, that looks very appealing. What type of wood are you using?

 

[Camm1252]

There is something about new, clean, and empty tanks with the hardscape set up in place, that looks very appealing. What type of wood are you using?

You couldn't be more right. It's appealing to look at, but definitely challenging to imagine plants in there, haha.
The wood is Gold Vine Driftwood, four pieces but adjusted a few slightly with a dremel.

 

[gjcarew]

Have no idea what other plants to use yet, after the dry start is completed. 😅

I think some grassy background plants could look fabulous. Something like cyperus helferi, valliseneria, or even eriocaulon "feather duster."

 

[Camm1252]

I think some grassy background plants could look fabulous. Something like cyperus helferi, valliseneria, or even eriocaulon "feather duster."

Cheers, I'll check them out.

I received my plants yesterday! In total I bought 12 pots of Monte Carlo for the dry start, 5 Anubias Nana, and 3 pots of Dwarf Hairgrass.

I also had a small bonsai tree that wouldn't work in my big tank, and with the Hairgrass, I decided the only logical thing to do was to buy another tank. 😂
I was going to get a small Waterbox Cube 4, however, given that it didn't come with a filter sock or a pump, it was cheaper to buy the next size up (/available), which is the Waterbox Cube 10:

​

I've ordered some Christmas & Peakcock moss for both aquariums, will be putting the Hairgrass in this small tank, and the only thing I'm unsure of is the Anubias Nana. I'm not sure if it would be best to just have it in the soil of the small tank as it will be getting CO2 after I plant the Hairgrass today, or (where I intend to have it eventually) in my large tank tied to the driftwood. I'm under the impression (and I could be totally wrong) that if I was to just have it in the large tank tied to driftwood & dry start it, I would need to mist with a fertiliser mix due to the Anubias not being in the soil? Or could I just "dry start" it by planting it in the soil?

Very excited, and nervous, for this next stage!

 

[gjcarew]

I wouldn't do either. Anubias dries out very easily unless it's in close to 100% humidity, so I wouldn't dry start it. You probably don't want to bury the rhizome in soil either, since that can lead to rhizome rot. I'd recommend floating the anubias nana in the small tank until you're ready to plant it in the large tank.

 

[Camm1252]

I wouldn't do either. Anubias dries out very easily unless it's in close to 100% humidity, so I wouldn't dry start it. You probably don't want to bury the rhizome in soil either, since that can lead to rhizome rot. I'd recommend floating the anubias nana in the small tank until you're ready to plant it in the large tank.

Cheers for the advice. I completely forgot about the rhizome of Anubias (still slowwwly remembering things as I get back into it lol). I'll be sure to float them. 😄

 

[Camm1252]

G'day!
Sorry for the lack of updating this, two months ago, a week after I planted my tank, I had to go under general anaesthetic to have my wisdom teeth removed - and have been battling with post op infections and other dental issues due to it ever since.

Granted, given its now been 8 weeks since I initially planted, it's definitley time to flood the tank.

This is the tank a few days after I planted it:

and this is the tank as of 10 minutes ago:

The Glosso at the front has gone really well over this time, I did have a lot more than I needed so I planted some mid ground, which even though it's rooted, its failed to spread out - so either the light was simply to much, or i wasn't misting it near enough as i should have?

There's also been a fair few shoots of Glosso just going straight up which I intend to cut back, and hopefully it won't continue doing that and just spread haha.

The wood has some slight staining(?) from an initial mould outbreak, so I'm considering spraying some hydrogen peroxide on it, and on a few other places where some algae/mould has built up, such as on the empty soil at the back:

All in all it's been awesome to watch the tank mature over the past two months (when I haven't been out of it on pain medication). I'm really not sure what plants to put in there yet, I do have some Anubias Nana that I plan to tie to the driftwood in "shadow" parts, and I'll definitley get some moss to wrap around the wood. Any recommendations are welcome!

I just need to hit up my LFS to buy a large tank of C02 and all the other gear, but other than that I think I'm ready to go. 🤯

 

[EmotionalFescue]

Looks great!

I'm curious - did you mount the wood to slate or something like that?

 

[Camm1252]

Looks great!

I'm curious - did you mount the wood to slate or something like that?

Cheers!
Nah I didn't, unfortunately. I do have some stone I will be able to weigh it down with, it doesn't take this wood long at all to stop floating.