My real name is Kevin, and I'm not new to aquaria; my wife and I have kept freshwater community aquaria off and on over the last 33 years or so (most of the interruptions were due to my overseas US Navy assignments). However, all of our setups have been low tech, and I'm planning a new tank to add a little life to my otherwise dull office.
The aquarium I have in mind will be a sort of South American blackwater biotope. I say "sort of" because although it will use soft, acidic water, and appropriate fish, it will be more densely planted than is typical of that biotope. Here's what I'm planning:
A quasi-blackwater biotope:
- community, consisting primarily of small (i.e. ≤ 2cm) tetras such as Ember Tetras (
Hyphessobrycon amandae), small Corys, a small Plec, etc.
- RO/DI water, reconstituted
- pH ~6.0 - 6.5 (I haven't decided exactly what pH)
- fairly soft water (dH ~10-15? I haven't decided exactly what dH)
- slow currents
- planted, with bogwood
- Eco-Complete substrate
- Pressurized CO2, with a pH controller
The aquarium (it's likely to be an Oceanic BioCube 29 or something very similar):
- 29 USG (110 Litres)
- Integrated wet-dry filtration
- 2.48 watts/USG compact fluouescent lighting
- either fishless or "silent" cycling... I haven't quite decided
In fact, I found this site while researching silent cycling. But I have tons of other questions related to setting up the CO2, stocking, and so forth. So stand by for lots of questions (unless I find them already answered... I just got here, and haven't done much reading yet).
Cheers, and a
Happy Indepence Day! to any who celebrate it!
My Tanks
If you put off what you can do today until tomorrow it will never get done cause tomorrow never comes. It's always today. 
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