layout update (suggestions, please)

[Mr Burns]

i felt bad for constantly hijacking jeff's threads, so i'll start a new one.

i've been playing around in photoshop for about an hour. this graphic illustrates what plants are going where, and then i laid over top of that a picture of how the canopy is going to be constructed. everything is scaled, so the representation is accurate. each bulb is an AHS 55w @6700K with AHS reflectors. am i going to have any problems with any of these plants? i tried to put the hygrophila compact and the amazon sword under the brace since they don't need as much light..
TIA

 

[purplestarfish]

Wow. I really don't have the experience to be able to tell you anything about it, except that I've never seen such an in-depth plan! That looks awesome . . . can't wait to see it all put together.

 

[Mr Burns]

thanks purplestarfish. i have to work with a huge 10MB file in photoshop, but it's worth it. before, i was just sketching things out on scrap paper. this method is much easier to change and far more accurate.

here's a little update. for now, lighting is still the 4x55 as illustrated above.

 

[betowess]

Layout

I didn't study it at all Burns, but on the alternanthera reineckii rose. give them plenty of elbow room. They grow fast and wide and love light and three or four can take up 12 x 12 inches easy (half of my 26 bow now and they look great if they have little shading from each other). Also I think plants look best in groups of three or so for big stem plants.

Overall, its a good rule to give lots of growing room. Swords, Java Ferns, even anubias and many others can really get huge etc. Just a thought. keep your sizzors sharp. Bob

 

[Mr Burns]

thanks. it's often difficult finding info on how wide the plants will get. i was thinking about removing the lobelia in front of the alternanthera and replacing the elocharis with echinodorus tenellus. the tenellus is a bit taller than the parvula, but should give a better transition into the plants behind it.

here it is with a little more breathing room for everything. the back right difformis might get replaced with sunset, i'm not sure yet.

 

[Mr Burns]

unless there is a major problem, i think this is final there will be wood and java moss, but those will be after thoughts. i've really fallen in love with the E. stellata and the H. callitrichoides...i only hope i can do them justice once things get up and running.

 

[Talon242]

I think your plan has changed for the better, looking forward to seeing how it turns out.

 

[Mr Burns]

i talked with kim at AHSupply and he said my plan for the 2x55 will be plenty for what i want to do. so i think i'm set with what's above, i just have to decide on how i want to make my canopy. it's between a one piece like this http://photos.msn.com/imageserver/image.aspx?Image=HcZNnT9kkUh7v3gGH5Km4wsM!w77k!NgYozMzjogKbQwtWbpAVG9M8WnOWNHVZBvl3dJU3vjy3tK3UCfbrcpRIf4Mat8zTvSD!pg3G5tJ35TR6d3eqs2fIwbH0k9QhIXR4okf89HKZA$ or a two piece where the front half lifts up on hinges connected to the back half....

 

[Mr Burns]

i'm starting to really like using photoshop for these plans.

[[[ the pictures below are backwards... ]]]

here is what i have in mind for the canopy:
the first attachment (canopy_out) is what it will look like from the outside. the grey sections are going to the be 2" that will be repeated at the top and bottom of the stand as well. it will be more of a charcoal color. the actual height of the canopy will be 8", but it will actually look like 9" because the bottom piece of trim will cover the seam between the tank and canopy.
the second attachment (canopy_in) is like looking through the outer skin. the lights/reflectors are the gold colors rectangles. my idea was to have 4x1/2" running from front to back inside the canopy not only for support, but to attach the lights to. so what you're seeing the lights connected to in the picture is actually the 17x4 strips of 1/2" wood. there will be a series of 92mm cooling fans across the back, but i will also drill some 3" holes in each of the strips to allow for better air circulation.

 

[Mr Burns]

here's a side view....

i should have illustrated the 3" holes that will be in the strips the lights hang from, but i didn't.

 

[jeffs10]

just one question where you getting all these plants at my lfs has a very small selection

look great

 

[Mr Burns]

plants....i have connections that's all i'm at liberty to say.

 

[Mr Burns]

oh man...sorry, i should have been more helpful. i've ordered plants online before and it's a very good alternative if you can't find what you want in your local shops or at the local aquarium club meeting. actually, if a lfs does sell plants, see if they'll order them in for you. if not, check places like aquabotanic.com, aquatic-store.com, floridadriftwood.com, azgardens.com, freshwateraquariumplants.com, etc. etc. there's also an ebay for fish/plants/equipment called aquabid.

 

[betowess]

Burns, what size is your tank... 90? 120? 75 or 80? I can't remember. The plan looks great. I think 4x55 will be more than enuf and that light will spread out nicely in the middle area with four going. I'm going to look up the ones I don't know in my Baench and or Kasselmann and see what you have going. You might consider posting the common names for folks without access to decent reference, though I generally prefer scientific classification. Should be an awesome tank.

When I get my eighty going I am thinking of having a holding 40 gallon to python change water to... then to tweak it to specs then with a Rio powerhead to pump it up to the main tank. It will save me hauling 10 buckets with 4 gallons back and forth.

 

[Mr Burns]

cripes...i just noticed a couple problems...

 

[betowess]

What about Myriophyllum tuberculatum (Red Myriophyllum) or Myriophyllum mattogrossense? Another I like is rotala wallichii. You have Eusteralis stellata on both sides. I kind of miss the ludwigia arcuata and the java ferns and bleheri swords you had in the first plan. The swords and ferns are so graceful to look at from afar. Just a thought.

 

[Mr Burns]

here's the common names as best i could find them:
•Ludwigia repens (primrose)
•Eusteralis stellata
•Limnophila sessiliflora/aquatica (ambulia)
•Hygrophila corymbosa 'Siamensis 53B' (giant hygro narrow leaf..i think...maybe just giant hygro)
•Hemianthus micranthemoides (pearlwee or baby tears)
•Hygrophila corymbosa 'Compact' (compact hygro)
•Alternanthera reineckii roseafolia
•Heteranthera zosterifolia (stargrass)
•Hemianthus callitrichoides

the limnophila sessiliflora may get switched to aquatica depending on how jeff's turns out. if the aquatica gets more bushy and has finer leaves, i'll go with it. i miss the fern and arcuata as well, but i'm just not sure where they would go. i could try putting the narrow leaf java fern between the limnophila and stellata on the right half of the tank, at the back. it would be nice to have a slow grower in there the arcuata would be nice, but i don't want too much red (non-green) in the tank. if i do decide to use it, and you'll have to talk me into it, it would replace the stargrass on the far right. the alternanthera is supposed to be the focal point...the big contrast that pops out from everything else. i would be afraid that the large patch of arcuata would detract from the alternanthera. it might be worth a shot though....

 

[Mr Burns]

i changed a few things with the canopy idea. the problem i saw was that the lid wouldn't lift properly b/c of the 4" strips binding up with the front of the canopy. so i've changed them to 2" wide, and included the 1" circulation holes and a partial mitre cut at the front so there is no binding. i think with the revisions, the lights won't hit the front of the canopy as the lid lifts up either. if you see any probs, let me know.

i've also decided to go with two 2" braces instead of the one 6" brace. that is illustrated in the second picture (the two dark grey blocks near the bottom)

 

[Mr Burns]

i changed my planning method to reflect color and size a bit better. the anubias and java fern in the back would be on driftwood...i'm going to search high and low until i find the right piece...

suggestions?