Zim's first Build (30 gals)

[SteveZim1017]

So I started my FIRST tank this weekend and I'll give the exciting details for everyone to read. lets start with all the expensive equipment.

thats my:
- 2 bags of gravel
- bag of plant specific substrate
- 1 bag of large and 1 bag of small stacking stones (for my wall)
- seachem prime
- Tetra whisper 40 with air stone and tubing
- fish net
- Aqueon Pro 100 heater and thermometer
-API Master test Kit
- Black 2 inch PVC joints for tunnels
- Driftwood Pieces

and the tank

Aqueon 30 gal tank 36X18X12
Aqueon full cover with light
Marineland Bio-wheel 200 filter

next up, the build....

 

[SteveZim1017]

The Build
I started by sticking all the rocks and driftwood into my dishwasher on friday night and ran them through on the hottest/longest setting twice. With the tank, I started by laying the lighting eggshell stuff on the bottem on my tank to prevent rocks from cracking or scratching the tank.

then after a thorough washing in the cold outside (that was fun) I added my base layer of gravel

I wanted a little bit of a layered effect to my tank to I wanted to build a little upper level with alot of plants, so I started with a few caves made of PVC pipe

and added the heater and airstone...

part 3 of 3 in next post

 

[SteveZim1017]

final post

here is the wall withthe stones and substrate in place

heres the whole tank with the driftwood in place (being weighed down by rocks)

and lastly and sadly really cloudy so hard to see, is the completed tank with plants and light etc.

now the cycling begins!

 

[skiweeangel]

Look sweet! Good luck to you! Keep us posted on how it goes.

 

[SteveZim1017]

My ace hardware doesnt carry the ammonia everyone loves so I currently have some nice uncooked shrimp sitting in a little bowl in my tank preparing to rot.

my initial baseline showed
ammonia between 0.0 an .25
nitrites at 0.0
nitrates at 0.0 and Ph at 7.5

which all seems pretty standard for starting out.

my plan is to let the ammonia build up above 2 ppm then add the Tetra Safe start. follow up from there.

 

[Wy Renegade]

Looks like you're off to a good start. Is the Tetra Safe some type of bacteria starter?

 

[SteveZim1017]

yes, the tetra is one of the few that have bacteria in them that seem to have a very positive review on most aquarium sites (and amazon). I got it at my local fish store and dug all the way in the back and found one that doesnt expire until 9/2012 so its a newer bottle too.

 

[FreshwaterTropical]

Nice tank.
I really like the rock wall!