Start of a long relationship (planted tank journal)

[Joyler]

And me!! Lol...if my male cockatoo ever works up the courage to ask for her number...lol! The little wimp

 

[Crepe]

I don't know if I missed this, but have you gotten rid of your BBA yet? I've got a small outbreak but it's nothing I can't fix with time, just like to know your experience with the stuff. Now these DIATOMS oh lord help me they won't go away. And it's not brown coating diatoms. It's colonial diatoms, wisps of baby poo that turn into nothing when you try to brush it out.

 

[mfdrookie516]

I've got a little of this, a little of that, a few undiscovered types, but finally no hair algae. I have a few spots of BBA, but nothing big. I've been doing daily excel spot treatments which have helped tremendously. I'm having the worst luck with glosso. There's not a single leaf that doesn't have algae of some kind on it. Everything else looks fantastic, except the glosso. I'm hoping that with my new light that will be here tomorrow, it will accelerate the growth and get rid of some... but with my luck, it will make it worse.

 

[mfdrookie516]

I just got my new fixture in today. Got it set up on the tank. Man, it is very bright now. I'm hoping that having 4x39w will really make the plants grow.

 

[TraceyB4602]

Tout tank looks great. Still love the kerri's they are so pretty.

So question. What did this all cost. Just wondering because I plan on turning my 45 into a planted.

 

[mfdrookie516]

Thanks!

So, if I were to set it up as is, it would be a little cheaper, since I've experimented, changed, etc.

But, here's the breakdown:

Tank, Stand, Glass lids (not ever used)- $325 (this was ridiculously priced, but the only 40 breeder I could find locally)
Canister- Already had it... new would be about $150
Co2 System- $175
Autodosers- $66
Ferts- $34
Floramax and Flourite- about $50
Lights- $168 (could have done cheaper by going with a 4x39w to begin with)
Timers- $20
Plants- Probably somewhere around $100, though many were just for the cost of shipping
Fish- about $150, though would have been cheaper had I got them all at once (shipping adds about $30)
I'd add another $50 for misc. items like root tabs, silicone tubing, etc

So, we'll just say somewhere in the vicinity of $1300.00

 

[TraceyB4602]

Pretty much what I thought. I guess I will be buying things here and there till I have everything I need.

I like that driftwood with the branches it that in your tank yet?

 

[mfdrookie516]

Not yet. It's currently in the bath tub soaking/sinking

 

[bsdryder7]

man i tried buying that 4x39 at fishneedit.com and there out of stock till june so i think im going to switch to pfs when i do it since i love the way it looks on your tanks(before u switched your 40) ......

i lost half my fish today cause my airstone crapped out 4 of the 6 kerris len got for me

sorry for posting on your page just had to vent lol

how small is that substrate u just got ??and is it hard to plant small stuff in it?? and do you notice a difference from your pfs and your new sub??

 

[mfdrookie516]

I think this substrate is easier to plant in than PFS... and the plants have really started showing more color since changing over. Not sure if its the clay in the flourite or just seeing them better with the darker color.

Oh, and I posted on your thread. Sorry to hear about that man

 

[mfdrookie516]

Here's a video I just took. Notice the pearling

YouTube - 40 breeder with upgraded lighting. 4x39w T5HO

 

[Marconis]

Lovely

 

[roydooms]

Awesome tank

 

[bsdryder7]

i cant wait to see that on my tank looks great

 

[mfdrookie516]

Thanks everyone. It's still a work in progress, but I'm loving it more and more every day.

 

[bsdryder7]

LOL... if you like rainbows, you need these:

Melanotaenia kamaka. These are juvies and have not reached their full blue potential.

how big do those rainbows get ??

 

[roydooms]

Do you have a cover on this tank? In 2 separate occasions 2 of my boesemani jumped out of the tank.

 

[mfdrookie516]

I dont have rainbows in here anymore... they're in my 125... but no, no lids on any of my tanks

 

[Crepe]

Looking good man. Are you still dosing pps? How's that working for you? I'm switching back to EI myself. I'm finding that I have to dose 3x the amount pps suggests to keep my plants from going deficient actually.

 

[mfdrookie516]

I'm still doing PPS... I do need to start dosing PO4 though I'm sure. I dont have a phosphate test to know for certin though. Those stems you sent me are growing very well now that I have light almost directly over them. I've seen a good inch of growth over the past 2 days alone. And the blyxa was pearling today. So exciting.