Hi everyone.I've just started a new plan to set up my lovely new 245l tank and I get so much enjoyment and knowledge from looking at all the other set ups and plans that I thought I would post my build stage by stage. I have two current running tanks, a 40 litre that was medium planted housing 2 rummy nose, 5 neons, 2 white widows, (they are the most efficient platy fry vacuum fish I have ever encountered, I would have a tank full of platy if I didn't have them), 4 cory, 2 albino, two bronze, 3 platy, the orange/yellow ones, 3 glow lights 2 zebra danio and a golden danio. Before someone tells me I'm overstocked, I do know but they were split between two tanks a short time ago and the new tank will be ready in another two or three weeks. The 20 litre tank currently houses about 8 platy fry. Bothe tanks have DIY co2 and are fertilised twice a week with flourish and each day with flourish excel.
I bought a secondhand tank awhile ago and got some sand and some cool rocks and started scaping. I have some sand, the white aquarium type and some eco complete so the idea is to have a terrace section at the back with the plants and the eco complete and a lovely open area with sand for my copies to play in. I'm hoping they might leave the plants alone and stop uprooting them.
So I'm arranging and rearranging rocks, looking at hundreds of pictures, reading everything I can possibly find on plant care and scaping and i have ordered a stack of really cool plants when i read something I wish I had read right at the start. A handy hint to make sure there is substrate under the rocks whilst arranging them. So I have a mini panic attack, take out the rocks then move the sand and sure enough, I've put a hairline crack in the base glass. Well heck. So I put a couple of inches of water in and leave it overnight and do some more reading about aquarium repairs. The next day the tank doesn't appear to be leaking and on checking again, I find the crack doesn't go all the way through. What to do, what to do. Repair the tank and take my chances or a new tank. I choose a new tank. I have a lovely outdoor terrarium now. So off I go to the fish shop and buy a new 4 foot tank. Into the station wagon, onto the wheelbarrow nod down the driveway into the house and on the stand. And the standard 4 foot tank is only 4 by 12 by 18. The original tank was 4 by 18 by 18. Well that's not going to work, nowhere near enough space from front to back. So back in the wheel barrow, up the driveway and back into the car then back to the fish shop. All in very hot weather. I'm a teensy bit cross now and then I find out that the fish shop doesn't stock the size I want and I will have to order it made. Sigh. I do some calling around and find the right size tank but it has a 6 ml base not the 10 ml base I want. As the new tank is right next to my tv and stereo equipment I really want a strong tank. So back to the fish shop and I put in my order.
Then the plants start to arrive. I have a 2 week wait for the tank then cycling has to be taken into account so into the two current tanks go the plants. And the next shipment of plants, and the next until I have 245 litres worth of plants stuffed into 60 litres worth of space. Then I realise that the standard light that came with the 40l isn't going to keep half of the plants alive and happy, the new set up is a high light from a low light, so back to the fish shop for some better lights. The small tank has compact fluoros so it was fine, thank goodness. So now I have a jungle of mixed plants bursting at the seams. The good and bad thing is that between the new lights, the co2 and the ferts, all the plants are doing splendidly. Great that they are growing but they are already stuffed in there on top of each other and no space to prune and replant cuttings. Sigh. So everything is ready for the new tank, I just need to get it and get everything in. Patience is a real virtue in this hobby. I've included some pics of the dry scape and what my rather heavily planted tanks look like at the moment. As things progress, I will post more updated pics. That is when I figure out how to post the pics.........
Happy fishing.
I bought a secondhand tank awhile ago and got some sand and some cool rocks and started scaping. I have some sand, the white aquarium type and some eco complete so the idea is to have a terrace section at the back with the plants and the eco complete and a lovely open area with sand for my copies to play in. I'm hoping they might leave the plants alone and stop uprooting them.
So I'm arranging and rearranging rocks, looking at hundreds of pictures, reading everything I can possibly find on plant care and scaping and i have ordered a stack of really cool plants when i read something I wish I had read right at the start. A handy hint to make sure there is substrate under the rocks whilst arranging them. So I have a mini panic attack, take out the rocks then move the sand and sure enough, I've put a hairline crack in the base glass. Well heck. So I put a couple of inches of water in and leave it overnight and do some more reading about aquarium repairs. The next day the tank doesn't appear to be leaking and on checking again, I find the crack doesn't go all the way through. What to do, what to do. Repair the tank and take my chances or a new tank. I choose a new tank. I have a lovely outdoor terrarium now. So off I go to the fish shop and buy a new 4 foot tank. Into the station wagon, onto the wheelbarrow nod down the driveway into the house and on the stand. And the standard 4 foot tank is only 4 by 12 by 18. The original tank was 4 by 18 by 18. Well that's not going to work, nowhere near enough space from front to back. So back in the wheel barrow, up the driveway and back into the car then back to the fish shop. All in very hot weather. I'm a teensy bit cross now and then I find out that the fish shop doesn't stock the size I want and I will have to order it made. Sigh. I do some calling around and find the right size tank but it has a 6 ml base not the 10 ml base I want. As the new tank is right next to my tv and stereo equipment I really want a strong tank. So back to the fish shop and I put in my order.
Then the plants start to arrive. I have a 2 week wait for the tank then cycling has to be taken into account so into the two current tanks go the plants. And the next shipment of plants, and the next until I have 245 litres worth of plants stuffed into 60 litres worth of space. Then I realise that the standard light that came with the 40l isn't going to keep half of the plants alive and happy, the new set up is a high light from a low light, so back to the fish shop for some better lights. The small tank has compact fluoros so it was fine, thank goodness. So now I have a jungle of mixed plants bursting at the seams. The good and bad thing is that between the new lights, the co2 and the ferts, all the plants are doing splendidly. Great that they are growing but they are already stuffed in there on top of each other and no space to prune and replant cuttings. Sigh. So everything is ready for the new tank, I just need to get it and get everything in. Patience is a real virtue in this hobby. I've included some pics of the dry scape and what my rather heavily planted tanks look like at the moment. As things progress, I will post more updated pics. That is when I figure out how to post the pics.........
Happy fishing.
