Coralline's 20 gallon rescape

[CorallineAlgae]

Well, I finally got around to rebuilding my old planted tank. I started by removing everything from the inside, spray painted the back of the tank black, added a fine layer of Osmocote Plus to the bottom of the tank, then I put just under two bags of Eco Complete (to replace the Flourite that was in the tank for years).

I used the driftwood on the left but I also have a large stone that matches the smaller ones on the right side of the tank. If you think it would look better with just rock and no driftwood let me know and I'll definitely try it out.

Plants just came in today. I got three pots of HC, some Brazilian Pennywort stems that look rough, 1 pot of 4-leaf clover (Marsilea quadrifolia) that i planted around the base of the Pennywort, a Red Tiger Lotus bulb (Nymphaea zenkeri) that I don't know what to do with so I put it behind the wood.

I also got in some Dwarf 4-Leaf Clover (Marsilea hirsuta) and Cryptocoryne, parva that I put in my 5.5 gallon tank, but I can definitely use them in this tank if some of you think I should. I actually don't know how I could.

The first picture is a full tank shot. The fourth shows where I put a little bit of the old glosso just in case the dwarf baby tears doesn't make it. I'll toss the glosso when the HC starts to grow.

 

[CorallineAlgae]

The first picture is an old pic of the tank with the large rock in it (on the left). I'm not sure if the tank would look better with the wood or the rock in that spot. Any advice on it, or anything else? Sorry about the terrible pictures.

The picture with the SAE shows where I planted some 4-leaf clover (clipped down to the stem base). The SAE is actually on top of the 4-leaf. I planted it at the base of the Brazilian Pennywort which also came in today. The idea is to have it in the back right corner partially separated from the HC by rocks. Bad idea?

 

[Dallascowboys16]

Nice tank!

 

[CorallineAlgae]

Nice tank!

Thank you so much. I'm not sure how it'll end up though. I just started my rescape yesterday by changing all of the substrate and unpacked some new plants that came in the mail today.

 

[mohican]

Was it difficult to paint the back? Did you do it full of water? Love your substrate layers, your plants should thrive. Looks like you want to have an open swimming area on the right, I like that. Maybe once the pennywort takes off, depending how big it gets too, move it directly in front of the driftwood (where there appears to be a half moon). This might hide just a little of the front of the DW, but still allowing some of it to peak inbetween the stems of the PW. U could just surround the stones on the right with HC? Thought . . . or get some other low growing plant there like crypts? Throwing out some ideas. Anyway, love the stone locations too!

 

[Rivercats]

I like it alot. If it was my tank I'd put the lotus bulb right behind the rock and DW right looking straight at them where when the bulb sprouts the plant will literally draw the eye to both the rock and DW. Did that make any sense? But I like the hardscape placement alot!

 

[CorallineAlgae]

I like it alot. If it was my tank I'd put the lotus bulb right behind the rock and DW right looking straight at them where when the bulb sprouts the plant will literally draw the eye to both the rock and DW. Did that make any sense? But I like the hardscape placement alot!

You mean where the rock and wood almost touch in the back middle? Great idea! I'll go plant it there right now. The bulb is huge so that spot would almost cradle it. Hopefully the leaves will cover more of the rock and wood than my plants in that spot. Actually, it may be the best place to grow it without shading the HC. Thanks a ton!

 

[CorallineAlgae]

Was it difficult to paint the back? Did you do it full of water? Love your substrate layers, your plants should thrive. Looks like you want to have an open swimming area on the right, I like that. Maybe once the pennywort takes off, depending how big it gets too, move it directly in front of the driftwood (where there appears to be a half moon). This might hide just a little of the front of the DW, but still allowing some of it to peak inbetween the stems of the PW. U could just surround the stones on the right with HC? Thought . . . or get some other low growing plant there like crypts? Throwing out some ideas. Anyway, love the stone locations too!

Thanks man! I completely drained the tank and kept the fish in a heated aerated bucket, removed all of the old Flourite so the tank was totally empty and taped the top and sides with wax paper before spray painting it outside. When both coats of paint were dry I put it back on the stand and leveled the tank. Then just put the osmocote plus and Eco Complete before hardscaping and planting the few plants I kept from the old scape.

So cool! I did exactly what you said on the right back corner. I used a different ground cover around the Pennywort. I ordered both dwarf and regular four leaf clover and decided to use the regular (not dwarf) 4-leaf clover to go around the penywort near the rocks. I think it'll be a better transition between the HC and the penywort than the dwarf. It was grown immersed so I had to cut all of the leaves off to plant it so it's just tiny stems for now. I actually did get some mini crypts (Parva) but I have them in my 5 gallon planted tank along with the dwarf 4-leaf clover. I could easily put them in this tank if it would look good somewhere.

 

[Rivercats]

Yes, that is exactly what I meant, so it would soften both the wood and rock and yet draw the eye there. I did the same thing with DW and rock but look how big mine got... oh just as it grows be sure to keep the leaves trimmed off that are more roundish and headed for the surface to be floaters. If you keep them constantly trimmed off the plant then tends to grow more under water leaves.

 

[Billbug68]

Looks really good! I think if you were to use the large rock rather than the DW, I would create some large slopes towards the back corners, especially the left where the large rock would be. But that's just my opinion, I'm kinda diggin the "mountain scapes" lately, plus, I love the way HC looks on slopes.

 

[callisto9]

OH YAY! Now to go back and actually read the thread.

Awesome tank. I love where it's going. Can't wait to see the progression.

 

[CorallineAlgae]

Yes, that is exactly what I meant, so it would soften both the wood and rock and yet draw the eye there. I did the same thing with DW and rock but look how big mine got... oh just as it grows be sure to keep the leaves trimmed off that are more roundish and headed for the surface to be floaters. If you keep them constantly trimmed off the plant then tends to grow more under water leaves.

I moved the bulb a little while ago. It's such a great place. I've never grown red tiger lotus so I'll be sure to follow that advice. Thanks again.

 

[CorallineAlgae]

Looks really good! I think if you were to use the large rock rather than the DW, I would create some large slopes towards the back corners, especially the left where the large rock would be. But that's just my opinion, I'm kinda diggin the "mountain scapes" lately, plus, I love the way HC looks on slopes.

I like mountain scapes, too but I decided to go in a more classic direction. My tank actually was a version of that not to long back. I'm just not satisfied with the kind of stones available around my area. Still, I may just put the stone in tomorrow or Sunday and post a pic to compare the two looks and see which one looks better for the tank. Thanks for the advice.

I completely agree about the slopes. It may be hard to tell from the pictures but my substrate goes from about 1 1/2" in the front to nearly 6" in the back right corner.

 

[Billbug68]

I like mountain scapes, too but I decided to go in a more classic direction. My tank actually was a version of that not to long back. I'm just not satisfied with the kind of stones available around my area. Still, I may just put the stone in tomorrow or Sunday and post a pic to compare the two looks and see which one looks better for the tank. Thanks for the advice.

I completely agree about the slopes. It may be hard to tell from the pictures but my substrate goes from about 1 1/2" in the front to nearly 6" in the back right corner.

They always look better in person! The slopes in my 5 gallon crypt tank are really extreme and still hard to see in pictures. Can't wait to see this grow in! Are you injecting co2?

 

[CorallineAlgae]

They always look better in person! The slopes in my 5 gallon crypt tank are really extreme and still hard to see in pictures. Can't wait to see this grow in! Are you injecting co2?

You bet! I use a Red Sea CO2 paintball kit with a Milwaukee sms122 pH controller and an Ista inline CO2 reactor tied to my canister filter. I'm not thrilled with the Ista reactor but I'll eventually adjust it to work a bit better.

A 5 gallon crypt tank? Sounds cool. I have to check your profile for pics!

 

[Billbug68]

You bet! I use a Red Sea CO2 paintball kit with a Milwaukee sms122 pH controller and an Ista inline CO2 reactor tied to my canister filter. I'm not thrilled with the Ista reactor but I'll eventually adjust it to work a bit better.

A 5 gallon crypt tank? Sounds cool. I have to check your profile for pics!

What made you decide on the Red Sea kit? I've been looking into the Aquatek one for my next build. Curious to hear your experience with it.

My 5 is very slooooow growing, but the plants are doing okay. I could use some more plants in there, but I'm just enjoying it for now.

 

[CorallineAlgae]

What made you decide on the Red Sea kit? I've been looking into the Aquatek one for my next build. Curious to hear your experience with it.

My 5 is very slooooow growing, but the plants are doing okay. I could use some more plants in there, but I'm just enjoying it for now.

I got it back in early 2008 and there weren't as many options that I knew about back then. Still, it's run just fine in all that time. I don't have a single complaint other that the reactor which runs well on small tanks but doesn't like to stay put. I changed it out about 5 months ago to make more space in the tank. The needle valve has been flawless and is insanely easy to adjust and never deviates from it's setting. I hear some people have issues with them, though. The best advice I have is simply to use actual CO2 tubing to run pressurized CO2. I only had to replace the tubing once, about 2 months ago. That stuff really lasts and lasts. My next regulator may well be an Aquatek. If that's what you're looking to get I see no reason not to.

 

[Billbug68]

Yeah, I keep hearing mixed reviews on all the regulators, so its nice to hear your experience with it. The Aquatek one is $79 from their eBay store and I've heard some good things about it aswell. Just need to set some money aside for it.

 

[CorallineAlgae]

New idea!

I would create some large slopes towards the back corners, especially the left where the large rock would be. But that's just my opinion, I'm kinda diggin the "mountain scapes" lately, plus, I love the way HC looks on slopes.

I think you gave me a great idea. I'll give the sides more slope, like you did in your Fluval Chi. That may make the scape look a lot less flat. Right now my slope is mostly just front to back with little center-to-side slope.

Another thing... looking at my driftwood I can see at least 2 "cup" like areas in the wood that could easily hold enough gravel to actually grow plants in. Should I give it a shot and fill the spots with Eco Complete and a root tab, then plant some HC on the wood? Or would it be better to grow something different like dwarf 4-leaf clover in the wood cubbies?

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

Wow.. Looking good.. I really like this tank so far!