Author Topic: 5ft Planted Tank Project! (Read 13048 times) 15 replies

Murf · « **on:** September 21, 2012, 01:34:03 AM »

I started this blog on 8th August ......

Ok folks, never done this before but it has always been my dream to create one of those Planted tanks you see all over the interweb, so I really wanted a bigger tank than the 3ft that I already had. After months of searching for a 6ft x 2ft x 2ft and not getting one, I eventually re-thought the idea of having to buy a tank and buying this and that and building a stand etc so I went for a happy medium .... a Jewel Rio 400 with all included. So last friday I eventually bought one

I also wanted to do blog of the project so no better place than here. It is costing me a fortune aswell so I really hope I fulfil my dream!

Here is a pic of my current 3ft tank that I have had since February, I done a fishless cycle for around 4 weeks WITH plants and then decided to add ammonia to speed up the cycle and near burnt all my plants .... you live and learn lol .... alot of them came back though and have done really well ..... I know I didn't plant them in the right places but I know now what I want to do. I will be taking alot of cuttings from this tank as I can and some do need a trim!

In this tank I have -
1 Pleco
2 male & 3 female Swordtails
Pair Kribensis and 30 3 month old fry and 13 3 week old fry
4 zebra danios
4 Bala/silver sharks

Fluval U3 filter, 25w powerglo, root tabs, daily dose of easycarbs, weekly dose of API Leaf Zone, fed twice a day with flake plus every other day frozen live food (brine, bloodworm, daphnia)

My new juwel 400 still has 4 marine T5's. I have ordered 4 new T5's online so expecting anyday now. Here are a few pics of the tank so far ....................

Trying out a few layouts

I got the bogwood on gumtree and the driftwood root from a beach on Lough Melvin, Co.Fermanagh, I had previously picked up some small pieces there for my 3ft

Murf · « **Reply #1 on:** September 21, 2012, 01:35:55 AM »

Wednesday 8th August

........I had to do this on the cheap after forking out more than I thought I would have on the tank so I decided to go with the allponds 1400 uv. I have used Tetraplant complete substrate and black gravel.

Alot of work rinsing 50kg of gravel lol but eventually I got it filled and last night and added some quick start this time to see how it goes .... today I even put in the first of a few cuttings from my 3ft.

Murf · « **Reply #2 on:** September 21, 2012, 01:37:54 AM »

Water is still a bit cloudy and the light colour not what I want but it is starting to take shape ...........

The first plants go in .... will update the names of them when I look them up lol

Chucklett · « **Reply #3 on:** September 21, 2012, 09:28:28 AM »

Looking awesome Fluffter! I absolutely love the sticky-tree bit front-right. Black sand & background will show up the plants & fish 'ansomely

I love to see photo-diaries of tanks taking shape as they're set up. Looking forward to your updates

Murf · « **Reply #4 on:** September 21, 2012, 01:32:23 PM »

Tuesday 14th August

..... still waiting on my new flo. tubes, probably be another week so will have to make do with the marine high-lights. Added some fish from my other tank, 4 bala sharks and my pleco and purchased 10 rasbora harlequins, they all look fab amongst the plants that I have in it so far.

Murf · « **Reply #5 on:** September 21, 2012, 01:37:56 PM »

Saturday 25th August

.......Update on my tank is as follows ..... I have added 3 panda corydoras and moved a few plants over from my 3ft ..... tbh Im waiting on payday at the end of the month before I can do anything more dramatic regards the plants .... gonna make a visit, maybe next saturday to my local lfs to pick up more plants and some rock. I also got my new tubes from iaqautics ... 4 x 54w Tropicals ... pretty good value

Murf · « **Reply #6 on:** September 21, 2012, 01:42:03 PM »

Saturday 5th September

.......So I took a wee trip up the road today and went to Maidenhead Aquatics in Belfast but I didn't really think much of the plants they had for sale .... some sort of gunk floating around the plants and some leaves brown. Decided to move on and try Grosvenor Tropicals, Lisburn and they had much of what I needed and of course they stock Tropica plants so there was no real doubt as to what to go for. I also picked up 4 shrimp, 6 Rumynose Tetras and 20 orange Tetras.

The plants I picked up today were ....

Staurogyne Repens x 5
Bacopa Caroliniana
Hydrocotyle
Hemianthus x 2
... and a nice Anubia on bogwood

Murf · « **Reply #7 on:** September 21, 2012, 01:43:57 PM »

Shrimp

The latest pics 20/9/12

Murf · « **Reply #8 on:** September 21, 2012, 01:46:47 PM »

My latest update of the tank .... just started Co2 so it hasn't made any difference yet .... any growth is just what has occured over the time since my last pics

I've added the latest pic under the last pic to compare the difference

Julia · « **Reply #9 on:** September 23, 2012, 11:00:32 AM »

Very nice tank indeed! I too really like the twig wood on the right. Not always easy to come by nor cheap either.

Murf · « **Reply #10 on:** September 26, 2012, 04:14:41 PM »

Wednesday 26th September ....

Co2 is now flowing everyday and is around 35ppm so looking good for optimal lucious plant growth

Also planted some Eleocharis acicularis as my 3rd carpeting plant (doing this to see what comes up trumps and is easiest to maintain)

My Staurogyne repens are starting to sprout new shoots for the first time since planting, even seen a runner

Chucklett · « **Reply #11 on:** September 27, 2012, 10:13:10 AM »

Really beginning to take shape now Murf - looking truly 'ansome, well done

Murf · « **Reply #12 on:** September 29, 2012, 04:28:39 PM »

Added the first bit of fertiliser today ... about half the weekly recommended dose of API Leaf Zone .... ordered some Easylife Profito aswell

Chucklett · « **Reply #13 on:** September 29, 2012, 09:35:15 PM »

Should notice some lush growth soon then! I love to hear/see peoples success with ferts. I know most folk do fine with plant food. Its just my tanks that dont like it!

Murf · « **Reply #14 on:** October 05, 2012, 04:58:23 PM »

Friday 5th October ........

I have started using the Easylife Profito and no it wont harm the shrimp especially if you spread the weekly dose out into daily doses. Having problems with Black Beard Algae at the moment in both my tanks .... Im hoping the Co2 and the ferts can sort it out but at the moment Im just trimming the worst affected leaves off. Im also losing the bottom leaves of my Bacopa plant on the left :td: Heres the latest weekly pic of the tank ........

Murf · « **Reply #15 on:** December 08, 2012, 06:36:36 PM »

Sorry for lack of updates but have been well peaved off with the Co2 and flow/distribution (problem with setting up big tanks with Co2). I'm using the Co2 supermarket mixer/reactor on my allponds 1400l/h but have lost alot of flow due using the thinner hosing which is why I was considering changing to a UP inline atomizer 16/22mm so I could get rid of the smaller hosing and just connect back to my original hosing, therefore upping my flowrate again and only loosing what the atomizer decreases it by. I have a 5ft tank and use a 2nd allponds 2000l/h on the other side of the tank, so both spraybars are front facing and the 2nd one prevents good distribution of Co2 from the 1st spraybar reaching that side of the tank. Today I got a powerhead in the post and am using that to push the mixed Co2 water from 1st spraybar to reach the other side of tank and the 2nd spraybar positioned at a slight angle is hopefully catching the flow and pushing it further round the side and back of the tank under the 2nd spraybar.

My Tank (gonna do a rescape when I get things going)

Co2/outflow from 1st spraybar and powerhead

Powerhead now pushing flow towards other side of tank

Flow reaches here at my staurogyne repens and meets the 2nd spraybar flow

I have the 2nd spraybar slightly tilted so flow is pushed right

Hopefully these Co2 starved staurogyne repens get some of the action now. Moved the drop checker over here to see if it changes to the magic green

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5ft Planted Tank Project!

5ft Planted Tank Project!

Author Topic: 5ft Planted Tank Project! (Read 13048 times) 15 replies

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