72G FW Adventure - Want to come too...?

[Autumnsky]

So can hardly believe I have a tank this big! For me it is big!

It is such a beautiful tank, I feel an obligation to do an amazing job on it for the fish and those who will observe it!

Seeing the vast array of competition worthy tanks on the internet, I feel inadequate at the task I am taking on, lol.

So overall I generally like what I come up with but I realize due to my budget limitations my tank won't look like those!

But.....I am jumping in so here goes!


This will be my journey into a real bottom to top, planted tank.

[/IMG]

Quick Basics

New to me, excellent condition 72G Oceanic bowfront clear glass top center brace, 48" long,

Fluval FX-5 seeded media stars and O's, Seachem Pond Matrix and cut your own (4) filter pad seeded pads and some new unseeded.

One undersized single bulb 40W T8 Aqueon 7000K light bulb (working on upgrade)

Was given a little UV sterilizer and a Koralia powerhead, never used either so looking into that, probably for sure the powerhead.

Tank has 5 bags of Eco-Complete (100lbs) and appx 20lbs of black Petco sand. Planning to add some very coarse Garnet sand if I can find the kind/color I am looking for. If not I might add more Eco.

I will get into the plant (open) and stock (pretty much complete) lists later. Low to medium light plants, no co2 and daring community fish.

This is the starting point.

[/IMG]

Will be adding Petrified Wood stones and more plants, as well as making little trees maybe out of the driftwood "trunks", will have to see how it looks!

It is now filled with water 4/5 of the way and the filter is running.

I apologize in advance for the photo's quality, hoping to soon have a new phone.

 

[Hholly]

Lucky you! Will be following.

 

[Convict2161]

Along for the ride...

 

[Saucy840]

I really like the wood setup you have its really nice and i have a 75 an plan to be doing a planted take as well. ill be watching your thread!!

 

[GodFan]

So can hardly believe I have a tank this big! For me it is big!

It is such a beautiful tank, I feel an obligation to do an amazing job on it for the fish and those who will observe it!

Seeing the vast array of competition worthy tanks on the internet, I feel inadequate at the task I am taking on, lol.

So overall I generally like what I come up with but I realize due to my budget limitations my tank won't look like those!

But.....I am jumping in so here goes!

This will be my journey into a real bottom to top, planted tank.

[/IMG]

Quick Basics

New to me, excellent condition 72G Oceanic bowfront clear glass top center brace, 48" long,

Fluval FX-5 seeded media stars and O's, Seachem Pond Matrix and cut your own (4) filter pad seeded pads and some new unseeded.

One undersized single bulb 40W T8 Aqueon 7000K light bulb (working on upgrade)

Was given a little UV sterilizer and a Koralia powerhead, never used either so looking into that, probably for sure the powerhead.

Tank has 5 bags of Eco-Complete (100lbs) and appx 20lbs of black Petco sand. Planning to add some very coarse Garnet sand if I can find the kind/color I am looking for. If not I might add more Eco.

I will get into the plant (open) and stock (pretty much complete) lists later. Low to medium light plants, no co2 and daring community fish.

This is the starting point.

[/IMG]

Will be adding Petrified Wood stones and more plants, as well as making little trees maybe out of the driftwood "trunks", will have to see how it looks!

It is now filled with water 4/5 of the way and the filter is running.

I apologize in advance for the photo's quality, hoping to soon have a new phone.

I will be following but I cant see the photos....

 

[DanTheGuppyMan]

I cant wait to see the pics of it up and running! Love that DW! And Hholly,you and me seem to have the same looking angels in our avatars lol!

 

[Hholly]

I cant wait to see the pics of it up and running! Love that DW! And Hholly,you and me seem to have the same looking angels in our avatars lol!

Lol, yeah! Maybe they're related, lol.

 

[Autumnsky]

I see the pics, idnk? Are you on your phone?

Put the filter media in and the filter made some noises different than last night so I unplugged it and plugged it back in and now there is no flow.

Maybe I stuffed too much in it so I may have to take it apart and repack it. Hoping it just starts running hahahaha!

Added a few guppies and some snails.

 

[GodFan]

I see the pics, idnk? Are you on your phone?

I put the filter media in and the filter made some noises different than last night so I unplugged it and plugged it back in and now there is no flow.

I am wondering if I stuffed too much in it so I may have to take it apart and repack it. I am hoping it just starts running hahahaha!

Added a few guppies and some snails.

I an on the phone. There is not even a box for pics.

 

[Hholly]

I an on the phone. There is not even a box for pics.

I'm on the app and don't see them either.

 

[_skyla_]

I'm on the app and don't see them either.

I'm on the app too what you do is click on her post just anywhere on the text and it will come up in full so you'll be able to see the image links.

 

[Hholly]

I'm on the app too what you do is click on her post just anywhere on the text and it will come up in full so you'll be able to see the image links.

Ah, groovy! Thanks!

 

[GodFan]

I'm on the app too what you do is click on her post just anywhere on the text and it will come up in full so you'll be able to see the image links.

Wouldnt work on mine....

 

[_skyla_]

Wouldnt work on mine....

Hmm I don't know why weird

 

[GodFan]

Hmm I don't know why weird

Oh well. Cp later

 

[_skyla_]

Anyways I'm in! Can't wait to see it progress!

 

[Mrs.h2012]

Definitely following! That is one AWESOME piece of wood in your tank, that will look amazing once plants grow and fill in more.

 

[Autumnsky]

Pulled a newb move.

Unhooked the outflow tube in the open position, whoops, THAT made a big mess. I plugged it and snapped it back quick enough but had to sop up 4 bath towels worth of water, plus one to dry well. Thank goodness they snap in not just screw on!!!

Problem on the driftwood is they had a lovely coating of algae from soaking in the pond, then in the freezing weather, it killed most of the algae, now it is mainly brownish fuzz, making a mess, I might need to pull it out and give it a light scrub.

 

[Mrs.h2012]

Pulled a newb move.

Unhooked the outflow tube in the open position, whoops, THAT made a big mess. I plugged it and snapped it back quick enough but had to sop up 4 bath towels worth of water, plus one to dry well. Thank goodness they snap in not just screw on!!!

Problem on the driftwood is they had a lovely coating of algae from soaking in the pond, then in the freezing weather, it killed most of the algea, now it is mainly brownish fuzz, making a mess, I might need to pull it out and give it a light scrub.

I would definitely scrub it for sure.

 

[Autumnsky]

Finally!!!

So after several attempts and some reading and education, on the FX5 I now know it all LOL

I have spilled gallons of water, and had to open and close and reset it numerous times and several days, repacked and read everything about it, and had to take the motor off and clean what looked like an almost spotless impeller housing unit. I went from to today, FINALLY!!!

Also i found this

[/IMG]

Since I have Mystery snails and Golden Apple snails, I am not sure who did it! Since they aren't pink I think maybe the Golden?

Also, Can one of those snails grow a half inch in a week? I swear one of them has grown a half inch!!! I can see a dent in the shell where it appears to have grown SOOOO much!!!

All of them have grown like crazy in just a week eating dead algae from the driftwood.

I threw in a dozen young guppies about 5 days ago to keep up some ammonia and of course the snails, I ran out of time to test the water, the Guppies were charging into the out flow, and getting blown 1/3rd way across the tank and going back again, like they were playing. Very curious!

Notice the water clarity in the snail pic.

Then below after the filter started to rip

I kicked up a little more sediment after the pic to get it cleaned up. Less than an hour later it was almost clear again.

Thanks for your patience. The filter was causing all kinds of trouble in getting everything going, but now we are on the way!