Fishenthusiast's 30 Gallon Planted Odyssey

[fishenthusiast]

Activated carbon is the way to go in order to get rid of tannins. It cleared my tank in one night! I'd keep it in the filter full time if it wasn't for the carbon's ability to remove nutrients and trace elements. I spent about 2 hours cleaning the driftwood and I got most of the BBA and other algae off. For the smaller pieces, I set them out in the sun for a day since they are easy to waterlog.

After the tank is settled with plants and the new filter is set up, I want to add some fish. I'm thinking about adding some Corydoras (instead of Oto Cats), some additional Cherry Barbs, and some type of centerpiece fish--most likely Chocolate Gourami or Bolivian Ram.

 

[DaleV87]

I like rams but I will have to say I am partial to the GBR's....
I love the flashy coloring.

 

[fishenthusiast]

Plants are coming! This go-around of plant shopping brought about some surprises. I took a mini trip to Cincinnati to see the Reds v. Yankees series, and while in Cincinnati, I found a mom and pop fish store--a rarity nowadays. I walked out with some Crypts and Dwarf Sag, all submersed growth. From other hobbyists, I've ordered Buces, a couple Crypts, and plenty of Java Fern. The tank should be fully planted by the end of next week. Here's the plant stock:

Microsorum pteropus var. "Thor's Hammer"
Microsorum pteropus "Needle Leaf"
Microsorum sp. Thunder Leaf
Microsorum sp. Ishikawa Island
Microsorum pteropus "Trident"
Anubias nana "pinto"
Anubias nana "petite"
Bucephalandra sp. Apple Leaf
Bucephalandra sp. Green Wave
Bucephalandra sp. Emerald
Bucephalandra sp. Brownie Hermes
Bucephalandra sp. Hades
Bucephalandra sp. Royal Blue
Dwarf Sag
Crypt parva
Crypt wendtii "Green Gecko"
Crypt nurii "Rosen Maiden"
Crypt wendtii "Bronze"
Crypt pontederiifolia
Unknown variety of Crypt wendtii

This will be a fun one.

 

[Delapool]

Wow, been busy! Looking forward to this getting planted out. No problems transporting plants back?

 

[TMaier]

That's a long list of plants. But I'd like to see some pics soon.

 

[Fresh2o]

Baseball and Plants!
That's is a lot of plants. At the peak of my "jungle" phase I had less than a dozen types. Then again, the buces don't (usually) take up a lot of real estate.

 

[fishenthusiast]

That's a long list of plants. But I'd like to see some pics soon.

Expect some pics by next Thursday! Everything should arrive by then.

Wow, been busy! Looking forward to this getting planted out. No problems transporting plants back?

Luckily I live 2 hours away from Cincinnati, so there was no issue. I wasn't expecting to get the Ishikawa Island Java Fern, Thunder Leaf Java Fern, or the Crypt nurii "Rosen Maiden". I found a seller who sells rare plants and happened to have a sale on a few.

Baseball and Plants!
That's is a lot of plants. At the peak of my "jungle" phase I had less than a dozen types. Then again, the buces don't (usually) take up a lot of real estate.

I only got the Buce sp. Hades in clump form, so there will be a nice variety! The Emerald, Green Wave, and Apple Leaf should be mostly green, as the others will have a shade of red and blue. It is my goal to make this tank look as natural as possible, so I'm trying to combine the randomness of nature and the careful placements of aquascaping as well. No large Anubias species or Echinodorus this time around!

 

[DaleV87]

Expect some pics by next Thursday! Everything should arrive by then.




Luckily I live 2 hours away from Cincinnati, so there was no issue. I wasn't expecting to get the Ishikawa Island Java Fern, Thunder Leaf Java Fern, or the Crypt nurii "Rosen Maiden". I found a seller who sells rare plants and happened to have a sale on a few.




I only got the Buce sp. Hades in clump form, so there will be a nice variety! The Emerald, Green Wave, and Apple Leaf should be mostly green, as the others will have a shade of red and blue. It is my goal to make this tank look as natural as possible, so I'm trying to combine the randomness of nature and the careful placements of aquascaping as well. No large Anubias species or Echinodorus this time around!

Sweet! I am anxious to see this all go down.
And what a list of plants...Hory Sheet!

 

[fishenthusiast]

Since I've purchased the plants, I've been focusing on the filtration upgrade. In my research, I've found that instead of the classic Eheim filters, the Eheim Pro 4+ 250 (which has a maximum flow of 250 GPH) has an adjustable flow rate. The classic models are not adjustable for the most part, and my current classic model (Eheim 2213) only pumps out 116 GPH. More flow, and the ability to reduce flow, is huge. I found the Pro model on sale for $140 on Amazon. I may jump on this!

 

[Fresh2o]

Sounds like a good move. Big question is ease of maintenance. When I was using an HOB, I would swap out the polyfil every 3-4 weeks and give the ceramic media a rinse. Pretty simple. With a canister, I ran it about 3 months before it's first cleaning. It's due for it again. I know that it does not require frequent cleaning, but IMO the idea of being able to easily remove accumulated waste is important.
I spent about a third of your Ehiem budget and got a SunSun 302b (265 gph). Yes, heard horror stories about the seals so it is housed in a decent sized trash bin next to the tank.

 

[fishenthusiast]

Sounds like a good move. Big question is ease of maintenance. When I was using an HOB, I would swap out the polyfil every 3-4 weeks and give the ceramic media a rinse. Pretty simple. With a canister, I ran it about 3 months before it's first cleaning. It's due for it again. I know that it does not require frequent cleaning, but IMO the idea of being able to easily remove accumulated waste is important.
I spent about a third of your Ehiem budget and got a SunSun 302b (265 gph). Yes, heard horror stories about the seals so it is housed in a decent sized trash bin next to the tank.

https://youtu.be/t2YoPJxqo2A

It appears that some filter cleanings will be easy (just the coarse media pad) and others will take longer. This filter will be great for flow and the CO2 reactor.

I've actually decided to go a model higher and get the 350 model, just since it has one more basket. After using the Eheim 2213 for 9 years, why not? The water should have no particles and it should be cleaner than before.

Tank photos will have to wait a little while longer. I have all of the plants, but a lot of them are not glued down. I'm just waiting on the glue, and once it's here, the tank will be complete. I'm thinking it should be here by Saturday, if not Monday at the latest. All of the Crypts and Dwarf Sag have been planted. There is some Crypt melt, but that was expected.

 

[fishenthusiast]

Change of plans with the filter again. I decided that the Eheim 2217 would be the best for me and this tank. I can adjust flow from the outtake with the provided valves. I also have ordered a CO2 reactor, so things are starting to come into place.

 

[Bert2oo1]

Change of plans with the filter again. I decided that the Eheim 2217 would be the best for me and this tank. I can adjust flow from the outtake with the provided valves. I also have ordered a CO2 reactor, so things are starting to come into place.

What reactor did u end up getting? Ista? I'm considering getting one for my new setup. I've got a cerges DIY on my 60g but it's abit large for a 2 foot cabinet lol is yours more slim line?

 

[fishenthusiast]

What reactor did u end up getting? Ista? I'm considering getting one for my new setup. I've got a cerges DIY on my 60g but it's abit large for a 2 foot cabinet lol is yours more slim line?

Haha, been there, done that with the Ista Max Mix. It killed my filter flow and wasn't efficient anyway--it was also leak prone. If I was you, I'd steer clear from Ista. I'll note that I haven't used their pricier reactors though. I got my Rex Griggs reactor from nilocg.com. It'll be 20" long, but with the 2217 flow and amount of CO2 I'll be using, things should be fine. My stand doesn't have cabinets so there will be plenty of space.

Direct link: http://nilocg.com/rex-grigg-style-co2-reactor-standard-version/

 

[Bert2oo1]

Haha, been there, done that with the Ista Max Mix. It killed my filter flow and wasn't efficient anyway--it was also leak prone. If I was you, I'd steer clear from Ista. I'll note that I haven't used their pricier reactors though. I got my Rex Griggs reactor from nilocg.com. It'll be 20" long, but with the 2217 flow and amount of CO2 I'll be using, things should be fine. My stand doesn't have cabinets so there will be plenty of space.

Direct link: http://nilocg.com/rex-grigg-style-co2-reactor-standard-version/

Ahh yes I tossed up between a Griggs and cerges and end up going the cerges. I've got an inline diffuser so I might have to settle for that on the new build. I'll be very tight for space especially if I get an inline heater.

I also heard the Ista is very flimsy in design and a lot of people found that over time they cracked.

Cheers for the link [emoji106]

 

[fishenthusiast]

I got the plant glue and glued down the Anubias, Buce, and Java Fern to the driftwood. I used up both tubes of Flourish plant glue. Besides setting up the new filter (when that will happen, I'm not sure, but it should be before July), this tank will be on cruise control. The CO2 has been turned back on, and I'm dosing PPS-Pro every other day. Everything has been planted, and I can't really see changing anything for the foreseeable future. Maybe a plant will be changed here and there, but massive overhauls are not in the cards. I also have some activated carbon in reserve in case any tannin issue ever occurs again. From here on out, I think weekly maintenance will be 30 minutes or so (scrubbing algae off the glass, cutting a couple leaves here and there, and doing 30% water changes). It's going to be nice with work, summer activities, and other recreational activities. Dwarf Sag will be the fastest growing plant. I'll do a water change on Saturday, and I'll post pictures afterwards. Happy tanking!

 

[Bert2oo1]

I got the plant glue and glued down the Anubias, Buce, and Java Fern to the driftwood. I used up both tubes of Flourish plant glue. Besides setting up the new filter (when that will happen, I'm not sure, but it should be before July), this tank will be on cruise control. The CO2 has been turned back on, and I'm dosing PPS-Pro every other day. Everything has been planted, and I can't really see changing anything for the foreseeable future. Maybe a plant will be changed here and there, but massive overhauls are not in the cards. I also have some activated carbon in reserve in case any tannin issue ever occurs again. From here on out, I think weekly maintenance will be 30 minutes or so (scrubbing algae off the glass, cutting a couple leaves here and there, and doing 30% water changes). It's going to be nice with work, summer activities, and other recreational activities. Dwarf Sag will be the fastest growing plant. I'll do a water change on Saturday, and I'll post pictures afterwards. Happy tanking!

I'm excited to see the new tank pics! Your last one was amazing! still can't find buce anywhere down here glad it's all coming together for you [emoji106]

 

[fishenthusiast]

I'm excited to see the new tank pics! Your last one was amazing! still can't find buce anywhere down here glad it's all coming together for you [emoji106]

Thank you! Look at Han Aquatics (http://www.hanaquatics.com/sale-buces/). He has some inexpensive Buces that won't break the bank, and look nice too. Junglefowl, a member here, also sells Buce clumps that are really nice (look at http://jungleaquashrimp.com/aquatic-plants-and-supplies/bucephalandra/). Those two have sold me really nice Buces. My advice is to buy them in the spring/summer/autumn months when the temperature is above 50 degrees. I've bought Buce in the winter on two occasions and have had a large amount of melting.

 

[Bert2oo1]

Thank you! Look at Han Aquatics (http://www.hanaquatics.com/sale-buces/). He has some inexpensive Buces that won't break the bank, and look nice too. Junglefowl, a member here, also sells Buce clumps that are really nice (look at http://jungleaquashrimp.com/aquatic-plants-and-supplies/bucephalandra/). Those two have sold me really nice Buces. My advice is to buy them in the spring/summer/autumn months when the temperature is above 50 degrees. I've bought Buce in the winter on two occasions and have had a large amount of melting.

Unfortunately I'm on the other side of the world I'm in Australia and it's proving hard to find here. Although I did just get some mini bolbitus cheers for the advice and links though I appreciate it

 

[fishenthusiast]

Unfortunately I'm on the other side of the world I'm in Australia and it's proving hard to find here. Although I did just get some mini bolbitus cheers for the advice and links though I appreciate it

Maybe it's due to the popularity of the hobby in Australia? I've always thought that the British were a leg up on the Americans in terms of planted tanks. In other words, they have more plants available that are easier to find. When I go to a Barnes & Noble, I always hunt for the Practical Fishkeeping magazine, which originates from Britain. I'm always astounded by the tanks that I see, especially the planted variety. Planted tanks are increasing in popularity in the United States though. It just takes longer for certain genetically crossed, or modified, plants to appear, as well as new plants such as Bucephalandra.