major tank overhaul!

[crazycat]

it was time. cat's tank 1.0 needed an upgrade. with the help of some expert critiques from some aa'ers, i took the bull by the horns and did it. not just moving a few things around mind you--i ripped everything out, plants driftwood rocks--changed the substrate--and redesigned!

below is a short diary on the creation of cat's tank 2.0. (ps--sorry some of the photos are really blurry--my new camera SUCKS!)

short of telling me i need a carpet (which is in the works--version 2.5), comments and suggestions are most welcome! (and don't forget--the tank needs time to "fill in".

tank specs: 72" L x 24" D x 17" H
4wpg
pressurized co2
ph: 6.9
kh: 10dkh
no3: 20ppm
po4: 2ppm

version 1.0--aka the one dimensional jungle.
full tank


left


middle


right



my tools.
who could have predicted that my son's beach tools would come in SO handy!



no plants. who knew there was so much driftwood under there?



changing out gravel and creating the slope.
this is where the hot pink sifter REALLY came in handy. i used it to filter out all the pea gravel, while the eco-complete sifted back into the tank. after i had removed most of the pea gravel, i laid in a combination of flourite and eco-complete that had been in a pre-existing tank (the hoe was a godsend!), as well as a new rock (which you can't see right now )



new rock. (named red phantom's redoubt--b/c they like to hang out in it)



and voila! version 2.0


left


midleft


middle


right


whaddaya all think?

ps MAJOR kudos to travis simonson for being the inspiration to do this!

 

[rich311k]

I think it looks great. Thank you for sharing your construction photos with us.

 

[TankGirl]

Great work! I know what a huge job that was and sometimes it just has to be done. It is worth the effort though.

 

[BrianNY]

Well I'm proud of you cat. I know how much work that was. I think it's a definite improvement and once the plants fill in should be something you can take alot of pride in.

 

[QTOFFER]

Fantastic job! It looked nice before (just a little overgrown ) and it looks very nice after.

I think a huge part of the fun of having an aquarium is tearing it up once in a while and redoing everything. I know that it was alot of work, but I bet it was fun. C'mon, admit it!

Also, I've rarely seen fish that look so happy - especially the roseline sharks. Where did you get them...New World Aquarium? I've never seen them anywhere in Queens or on LI.

 

[crazycat]

thanks qtoffer!

the older denisonii i actually bought from a guy on aquabid--who has since disappeared of the face of the earth. the 3 smaller ones i did get from new world. i'm planning to write a profile on denisoniii since i love them so much! and yes, their colors are the most vibrant i've ever seen, which means they are indeed happy

 

[sherry]

Guys,

You should see this thing in person.. The pictures don't even do it justice. Cat has 24 inches of depth (back to front) and suddenly you have all of it aquascaped. it looks like a place you'd like to live. It truly is breathtaking.

Also the fish are just incredible to watch now, everyone kind of comes out to play .. and they really are moving into ALL of the space.

It is an incredible effort and truly beautiful. Cat I bow to you!!!

 

[czcz]

Very attractive tank. Your plants look great. What is the stem plant in the mid-ground of right.jpg?

 

[crazycat]

i'm not sure exactly--i know it's a type of aponogeton. i've had it for almost a year, and it' really taking off--very slow growing though. or are you talking about the tonina fluviatalis--the bright green dense-ish plant next to the driftwood?

 

[czcz]

The Tonina fluviatilis -- you are growing it in much higher KH than anyone I know of, and so thought it may be something different. Very impressive. That is a hard plant to grow, and I can only grow it in a specialized (low KH, very low pH) tank. Have you tried sp. Belem? How does it do?

 

[crazycat]

well--it's only been there for a few days. so we'll see if it survives. i didn't know it needed a lower kh. as always, i'm hoping for the best...you never know unless you try

i'll let you know how it progresses...

 

[sherry]

czcz how low a ph for the Toninia Fluviatalis.? . I'm trying it too...

 

[crazycat]

sherry:

here's a good resource
http://www.tropica.com/go.asp?plant=091A&languageguid=EN

 

[Wizzard~Of~Ozz]

That looks like it was quite the undertaking, but it does look far more planned now (less jungly)..

Did you buy all new plants? or reuse what you could and just add a couple new ones?

Those roseline's look amazing, the colour is fantastic. apparently they are either endangered or extinct in the wild now.. odd I keep seeing so many in the stores.. nice colourful fish too

 

[crazycat]

i reused almost all of what i alreeady had--but majorly pruned (that ludwigia repens just takes over if not pruned regularly). in addition, i added a few new species: tonina fluviatilis, microcarpaea minima, hydrocotyle verticillata, ludwigia glandulosa, and myriophyllum aquaticum. i'm also waiting on some other plants to arrive so i can begin to develop a carpet. i'm still trying glosso in one area, but i have little hope b/c my loaches keep digging it up. but i just keep replanting it, so we'll see.

i really like the look of many different species of plants co-existing...just need to keep the "jungle" under control

yeah--the denisonii are doing REALLY well. i've also heard that they're endangered in the wild, however they've recently become VERY popular in the aquarium trade. i'll certainly research that for the profile i'm writing.

 

[czcz]

Sherry -- I grow it in KH 2 pH <6.2 (below my test). I failed in KH 5.5-6.0 pH 6.6-6.8, as I did with Tonina sp. Belem. Newest growth would look good for a couple days, then would turn transparent before dying or being consumed by animals. I have some pics of mine, links, and advice from favorite gurus if you want to start a new thread. (I do not mean to hijack.) I am very interested in yours and crazycat's experiences. HTH

 

[travis simonson]

I think it looks just "capital" Cat I know that, given a little time, your Glosso carpet will make the foreground amazing. I'm sure there are a few more plants that may arrive in the mail to make it even more spectacular. I'm anxious to see this tank in a month or two

 

[travis simonson]

Just a note, for anyone who is not familiar with Cat's fish, she has the most amazing collection of rare plecos you have ever seen (although even Cat doesn't get the chance to see these reclusive fish that often). If we're lucky, we'll get to see a pic of Mr. Green on the wood next to the jungle that is currently growing in her 125. He's a beauty

 

[crazycat]

ask, and ye shall receive

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/viewtopic.php?t=69846

 

[Zezmo]

I really like your tank Nice lush plants, and your fish look great. Lots of species i like... YoYo's.. Roseline's...Bloodfins... and it even looks like a Golden Algae Eater hiding in his little cave Very nice