Author Topic: First Ever Planted Tank  (Read 21689 times)

Offline Ron

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First Ever Planted Tank
« on: October 31, 2015, 03:49:42 PM »
I've been growing bored of my living room display tank. It's the only upstairs tank I have and isn't nearly as easy to do water changes on as my fishroom setup or my big display tank downstairs. I had some tangs, cyps and sand sifters, but being next to the hallway, I'd occasionally freak out a fish in the tank on accident and I swear they'd have a heart attack or something.

So I switched it back to malawian haps, but as a grow out:


A few months later, I found it not as interesting as I'd hoped and with the MCA auction coming, up, I found space for those fish in the fishroom and wanted to do something different. Anything *new*, just to do something different.

Come the day of the auction, it seemed like there might be enough plants there to make something happen. I'd considered doing a reef tank, but didn't want the high prices and more strict management potentially associated with it. A freshwater planted tank was similar perhaps, but more forgiving perhaps. But it's still unknown territory, as my previous attempts with a few anubias here or there typically failed. Plants didn't really grow and eventually algae took over.

So, I came home with a handful of anubias, but didn't really have a full plan in action just yet. I just attached them each to small rocks, recorded which were which types, and treated the tank for algae with H2O2. As a result, all fish were pulled. I'd had bad BB algae prior on the rockwork in the tank and on the filter, so I figured this was best to insure a good start. I'm also not sharing any nets, buckets, etc, with any fishroom tanks that have algae in a hope to limit any spreading to this tank.



So then I gave it a couple weeks to make sure the plants would make it before I went full scale into setting up a nice tank. Overall, they did alright. Some started to yellow. Doing more research, I hadn't ever previously realized that iron is necessary for plants - adding a liquid fert helped the plants shape up.

So I picked up a few more plants a couple weeks later and a pile of driftwood.





I was originally going to use rock instead of driftwood, but lacerock looks best IMO, covered with algae. Otherwise it looks a bit too much like concrete. I went with malaysian driftwood specifically, because in the past it's the only wood i've never had a problem getting to sink.



After hours of aquascaping I ended up with this:


"All men are equal before fish."
- Herbert Hoover
Planted 100 Gallon Tank
550 Gallon Hap Tank

Offline Ron

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Re: First Ever Planted Tank
« Reply #1 on: October 31, 2015, 04:09:38 PM »
Having not presoaked the driftwood for a period of weeks, lots of tannins leached into the water. The next morning it looked like this:


After a week, the tank was really, really dark. I brought in the big guns for water changing. Doing a 70-80% water change on a 6' tank, I'm not using buckets...



Refilling


I've done this once per week for a couple weeks now.

So next, I decided to increase my lighting a bit. I'm trying to keep it a low-tech tank (no extreme lighting, no soil or extensive fertilizers, and no CO2 generation), so I decided to just double-up on the 48" fluorescent fixtures instead of just a single. (Shown is a mix of T12 and T8 ... intentions are to replace all T12s with T8s shortly.)



The photo doesn't show it well, but the difference was notable. I just did this last night, so the verdict is out on how significant of an impact it will have on the plants.

"All men are equal before fish."
- Herbert Hoover
Planted 100 Gallon Tank
550 Gallon Hap Tank

Offline Ron

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Re: First Ever Planted Tank
« Reply #2 on: October 31, 2015, 04:22:09 PM »
Goals for the tank include reduced need for water changes and reducing noise, while providing an natural appearing environment. HOB filters have pros and cons, and I love my Emp 400s overall, but I decided it was time to do what I've wanted to do for years ....

I picked up a 18" long, 1/2" drill bit  the other day to run airlines from my fishroom to the tank upstairs through the finished ceiling/walls. I'd tried briefly to measure and drill on 2 sides to achieve this, but what a PITA. Getting a big bit, it was so simple. So now I've got 3 lines,with room perhaps for a 4th, carrying air up through the floor, into the tank stand, and up behind the tank. 2-3 weeks from now, the HOBs will be turned off permanently.

For the air-driven filtration I was originally planning on sponge filters. Then I considered doing some DIY sponge filters larger than Hydro V-sized sponge filters. And then I remembered that I had a full sheet of black Poret foam I'd ordered some time back,which I hadn't used. Subsequently I'd posted it for sale - glad no one bought it because it was just the ticket!

In the end, I added a Hamburger Mattenfilter. They've worked great on my fry tanks - why not on this tank?!

Installed


I added 2 uplift tubes to get more flow. The filtration volume is large enough that this should actually work out better than just the typically single uplift tube. I also put it at an angle so I could fit the heater behind it too.


And running ... the tank was still filling up.
"All men are equal before fish."
- Herbert Hoover
Planted 100 Gallon Tank
550 Gallon Hap Tank

Offline Ogre44

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Re: First Ever Planted Tank
« Reply #3 on: October 31, 2015, 04:42:40 PM »
I've wanted to try a mattenfilter as well, the tank's looking nice.

Offline Ron

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Re: First Ever Planted Tank
« Reply #4 on: October 31, 2015, 05:21:21 PM »
I've wanted to try a mattenfilter as well, the tank's looking nice.
Thanks.

I tried looking up my past thread on my mattenfilters to share a link, but couldn't find it. Maybe it was on the older forum that crashed. I've been running 6 10 gallon fry tanks for years and on those, it works great. The only time I think something else is better, is when you have larger fish, with larger waste, that requires a higher flowrate and removal from the tank before it all breaks down.
"All men are equal before fish."
- Herbert Hoover
Planted 100 Gallon Tank
550 Gallon Hap Tank

Offline Ron

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Re: First Ever Planted Tank
« Reply #5 on: November 01, 2015, 09:18:20 PM »
Today changed up the lighting a bit again. I added 2 6500k T8 bulbs to replace a couple of 5000k T12 bulbs (more output for less wattage) and also swapped in a 50/50 T8 I had laying around. Now all bulbs are T8, with 3 being good for plant growth and 1 nice for blue/red human viewing.  8)

Here's a look at the side with the Mattenfilter:


and the other 1/2:


I also was in the area, for I finally had a chance to stop in at [ur=http://michigancichlid.com/simplemachinesforum/index.php?topic=10.0]Fantastic Fins[/url] again in Livonia. Oh man, I spent my first hour just looking through all the tanks to see what they had available. In the end I left with a few more plants and some cardinal tetras for this tank:




This didn't show well, but it's a crypt with green leaves on top, which are red underneath, and pretty good size:


Overall, I'm about out of space for plants and need some patience to watch what I have grow. I'm hoping it turns into a jungle.

Current tank stock:
8x Cardinal Tetras
9x Serpae Tetras
6x Congo Tetras
3x Red-eye tetras (I've had these for around 3 years now and they are HUGE for tetras)
3x SAEs
3x Netrite snails
1x Red-tailed black shark
3x Calico, long-fin BNPs

... and in soon, a small group of 5-6 petricolas. And then that's it!
"All men are equal before fish."
- Herbert Hoover
Planted 100 Gallon Tank
550 Gallon Hap Tank

Offline xzackly999

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Re: First Ever Planted Tank
« Reply #6 on: November 07, 2015, 12:13:24 PM »
Tank looks great. Nice stock list.
Telanthera is an easy plant that has some reds in the leaves if you're planning on adding anything else.
« Last Edit: November 07, 2015, 01:36:25 PM by xzackly999 »

Offline GrizzlysDad

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Re: First Ever Planted Tank
« Reply #7 on: March 12, 2016, 04:06:20 AM »
So Ron, since we discussed this exact tank the other day when you were here how about an update on the progress.
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Offline Ron

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Re: First Ever Planted Tank
« Reply #8 on: March 12, 2016, 02:27:16 PM »
So Ron, since we discussed this exact tank the other day when you were here how about an update on the progress.
I'd love too ... new more time, LOL. Once I find some, I'll come back to this. And I believe I still owe Steve an update on the big hap tank. And I've got a new, cool, pleco tank. Plus another smaller setup with some peacocks (and a couple other hap species) that are turning out quite nice - a big step for me since I don't typically keep peacocks or albino fish.  ;D
"All men are equal before fish."
- Herbert Hoover
Planted 100 Gallon Tank
550 Gallon Hap Tank

Offline Ron

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Re: First Ever Planted Tank
« Reply #9 on: March 16, 2016, 11:31:37 PM »
Here's an update...

Stock list has changed a bit...

Current tank stock:
1x Cardinal Tetras - had little heart attacks after water changes and I gradually lost a few at a time, but this last one is hanging on :(
12x Serpae Tetras - added 3 more
6x Congo Tetras - too boring for me
1x Red-eye tetras (I've had these for around 3 years now and they are HUGE for tetras) - added 1 lonesome one I found at the LFS, then my 3 others died of old age
3x SAEs
1x Netrite snails - only ever see 1 these days
1x Red-tailed black shark
6x S. petricola
1x Calico, long-fin BNPs - 1 turned into a toothpick when driftwood was removed from the tank, only ever see 1 these days
2x L333
6x Turquoise rainbowfish
5x Apistogramma cacatuoides "Double Red"

I'm in the process of building a fish trap to get the petricola out - they just don't fit in as well as I'd hoped. It'll also help lower the fishload, which is a bit high overall.

I've since purchased a copy of Diane Walstad's book on planted aquariums and wish I would have dirt'ed the tank prior to setup. As a workaround I've added some dirt ice cubes to the substrate around some of the rooted plants (crypts, sword, etc).

I also moved from liquid ferts to dry frets, with an Estimated Index (E.I.) approach. I dose weekly at a reduced rate compared to a CO2 tank and tend to skip every 3-4 weeks or so. It's really just a rough approximation of how well the plants look verses how much algae I see. Too much frets = algae; while not enough plant growth = algae. I approach it as a bit of an art, while it can still be argued more of a science.

In the end, plants are growing and it's a nice looking tank that gets compliments from non-fishy guests who see it in the living room. I'm happy with it.

And now for some pictures!  ;D











Cheers!
« Last Edit: March 16, 2016, 11:33:45 PM by Ron »
"All men are equal before fish."
- Herbert Hoover
Planted 100 Gallon Tank
550 Gallon Hap Tank

Offline Kulasik

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Re: First Ever Planted Tank
« Reply #10 on: March 17, 2016, 07:14:16 AM »
wow that has really grow in, looks great !

Offline xzackly999

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Re: First Ever Planted Tank
« Reply #11 on: March 17, 2016, 10:39:23 PM »
Great choice with the apistos IMO.
Are you having any issues with the rainbows being too boisterous for the other fish?
I briefly added a few boesemani rainbows to my tank and 3 cardinal tetras died overnight so i got rid of them.

Offline Ron

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Re: First Ever Planted Tank
« Reply #12 on: March 18, 2016, 07:06:13 AM »
Thanks for the compliments!

Are you having any issues with the rainbows being too boisterous for the other fish?
I briefly added a few boesemani rainbows to my tank and 3 cardinal tetras died overnight so i got rid of them.
Honestly, I got them because I was hoping for a little more action in the tank and fish that would be in the upper region of the tank. They do hang around up top, but they are really quite calm and spend more time hanging out in one place than they do cruising the tank. I wouldn't consider them boisterous at all.

The most boisterous fish in the tank is the red-tailed shark. Normally he's cool, but every now and then he chases the other fish a bit. Having all of the structure in the tank, he's not really picking on anyone too much or for too long. No other fish in the tank are anywhere close to boisterous IMO.
"All men are equal before fish."
- Herbert Hoover
Planted 100 Gallon Tank
550 Gallon Hap Tank

Offline Kulasik

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Re: First Ever Planted Tank
« Reply #13 on: March 18, 2016, 07:34:07 AM »
I would second that in a way in my 90 tall with German reds, Zrocks, bozmani and turquoise. the Red male is running the tank 90% of the time and the rainbows are just having sex at the top.

I know its a little different in my case but I think rainbows are generally pretty chill

Offline xzackly999

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Re: First Ever Planted Tank
« Reply #14 on: March 18, 2016, 08:13:07 AM »
Interesting.
I ended up going with Furcata Rainbows, they hang out at the top and are very energetic.  My cardinals and rasboras stay in the middle and don't seem to mind.  When I get my 125-180 gallon aquarium maybe I'll experiment with some of the bigger rainbows again, I really like the Chilatherina Wapoga and Boesemani.