My first tank

[Drayven]

Well I got my first tank ever up and running 2 days ago. It's a 50 gallon breeder. Right now it's cycling with a few live plants and I'm hoping everything goes well. My plants are currently browning a bit but I just replaced my 2 actinic bulbs today with 2x39w 6500K bulbs to go with the 2x39w 12000k bulbs that came with my light so I'm hoping that'll help them recover. I'm curious what you all think of the layout. I can tell I need to trim up some silicone on my rock walls but other than that how do things look? Is there too much ground clutter for things like weather loaches?

 

[spoonman]

I dont know plants but the scape looks cool! And you have lots of places for fish to rest and hide. I like it!!

 

[FishEggs]

looks like a nice cichlid tank to me. what kind of fish were you going to put in it?

 

[Drayven]

I was thinking of a small school of zebra danios/glofish like maybe 5-6. 3 weather loaches and a rainbow shark and possibly a few swordtails if it doesn't get too crowded.

 

[mgamer20o0]

not bad at all. good job. i would think about ditching the rainbow shark since they do get aggressive when they mature.

 

[thominil]

Looks great! Maybe some cories?

 

[dreamsINdigital]

Looks great, I like the rock wall!

 

[Drayven]

Looks great, I like the rock wall!

Thanks, it's actually 2 separate walls that I built to hold the substrate for the plants so I could use the sand everywhere else. I made sure to leave holes in it so I could slide in the 6" long pvc caves and keep them somewhat hidden then I just capped the back of the tube so it only has one entrance.

 

[dreamsINdigital]

Thanks, it's actually 2 separate walls that I built to hold the substrate for the plants so I could use the sand everywhere else. I made sure to leave holes in it so I could slide in the 6" long pvc caves and keep them somewhat hidden then I just capped the back of the tube so it only has one entrance.

Nice thinking! What did you use to hold the rocks together?

 

[FishEggs]

Well I got my first tank ever up and running 2 days ago. It's a 50 gallon breeder. Right now it's cycling with a few live plants and I'm hoping everything goes well. My plants are currently browning a bit but I just replaced my 2 actinic bulbs today with 2x39w 6500K bulbs to go with the 2x39w 12000k bulbs that came with my light so I'm hoping that'll help them recover. I'm curious what you all think of the layout. I can tell I need to trim up some silicone on my rock walls but other than that how do things look? Is there too much ground clutter for things like weather loaches?

looks like he used silicone.

 

[dreamsINdigital]

looks like he used silicone.

I know, I mean specifically what...

 

[Drayven]

Just a standard tube of 100% silicone I picked up at Lowe's. No mildew chemicals or anyting like that in it.

 

[Etunes]

actually i think you have the right idea. I would get a big group of danios. I think that i would get cories for it too. They would fit well in the tank with some loaches mixed in. Actually some black skirt tetras would look nice, along with some hatchets.

 

[bmg07]

im very jelous. thats an aswome tank

 

[meegosh]

Very nice! A lot better looking than my first tank, that's for sure! I made the mistake of letting the wifey pick the decor, gravel, etc. We came home with a hippies nightmare! All psychedelic colored gravel, caves, glow in the dark plants, etc... LOL. Needless to say I've gradually 'replaced' things and now it is sand with live plants and red slate.

 

[Drayven]

hehe, i can see where it'd be very easy to go crazy with decorations. It's been interesting trying to keep it natural looking. Luckily for me the GF has been very supportive, this is actually her b-day present to me so I just drag her around with me and she funds the project while I pick out the pieces I was very happy when she mentioned she knew of a rock place about 40 minutes away. We got there and they had a bunch of different colors of slate for 25 cents a pound. As near as I can tell you can't beat that price! It's hard to tell from the picture but the slate actually has a greenish tint to it. We got some gargoyle statues too to go in the tank but the vinegar test revealed they wouldn't be safe so now they're in the garden

 

[Etunes]

Actually you did absolutly awsome on your tank. You have givin me some ideas for my new 90 gallon i am setting up. Thanks for the ideas.