30G Planted Barb Tank - Build Thread

[taylorodw]

Hello all,
Please follow along while I take this journey

Here is a video of my tank, narrated by yours truly.

Tank Video

And some pics:


Full Tank Shot


My DIY CO2, which was super easy. It runs into a bubble wheel...


Which I made by cutting my impeller blades. This distributes CO2 much more effectively, or so I have read.

So here's the down and dirty.

Tank - 30gal
Stock - none yet, but will be 11x Gold Barbs, 9x Tiger Barbs (5 green 4 regular). I put the order in at my LFS today.
Plants - from http://www.bobstropicalplants.com - 3x Java Fern, 1 bunch Water Wisteria, 2x anubias nana and 3x anubias petite, 1 clump willow moss, 4 crypts
Lights - T5HO, 39w 6700k plant bulb, 39w blue actinic bulb
CO2 - DIY
Other Ferts: KNO3, KH2PO4, CSM+B, Flourish Root Tabs

Now here's what still needs to be done:
Set up (and possibly plant/decorate) my QT
CO2 - set up another bottle, and join them at a middle bottle to prevent yeast in tank
Figure out best dosing practices (and buy small measuring spoons to dose with)
Stock

So all, tell me what you think! I've been posting forever and finally getting this tank together.

 

[dkpate]

Is that a worm in there? I see something squiggling around in the video. EEK!

 

[Big Dog]

Welcome. Aquarium is looking real good. Keep up the good work.

 

[Bobz]

What is your tanks primary purpose? Why all the CO2 stuff? Are you keeping plants or fish?

 

[maxima423]

What is your tanks primary purpose? Why all the CO2 stuff? Are you keeping plants or fish?

plants with barbs? co2 for the plants? hes doing both...

cant wait too see the barbs, what kind?

 

[Crepe]

What is your tanks primary purpose? Why all the CO2 stuff? Are you keeping plants or fish?

At a certain lighting level, plants can attain a higher metabolic rate than usual. However, algae can also do the same and with great efficiency. It is only by the addition of CO2 can we get plants to grow well at a faster rate and also out compete algae.

The CO2 unless at super high concentrations (40ppm+) doesn't hurt the fish.

Great looking tank btw. I'm just curious, what brand of yeast are you using? My yeast mixture is a milky white and to my pleasure smells like old bread and alcohol after awhile.

 

[mommytron]

looking great!! following along. tell sampson i say hi!!

 

[taylorodw]

At a certain lighting level, plants can attain a higher metabolic rate than usual. However, algae can also do the same and with great efficiency. It is only by the addition of CO2 can we get plants to grow well at a faster rate and also out compete algae.

The CO2 unless at super high concentrations (40ppm+) doesn't hurt the fish.

Great looking tank btw. I'm just curious, what brand of yeast are you using? My yeast mixture is a milky white and to my pleasure smells like old bread and alcohol after awhile.

Thanks! I just used whatever my mom had on hand - it's Fleischmann's ActiveDry. I can see lots of bubbles coming from my airline I hope it is CO2 since it has been "fermenting" for less than 24 hours now.

My mix is just 2cups sugar, fill almost all the way with tank water (figure it can't hurt to feed the yeast) and 1/2 tsp yeast. I will fine-tune it eventually.

Is that a worm in there? I see something squiggling around in the video. EEK!

I noticed that too! That's just a trimming. I like to throw in all the little pieces and see - sometimes something little will really take off!

cant wait too see the barbs, what kind?

9 Tiger Barbs
4 regular

5 green

11 Gold Barbs

Thanks for the replies!

 

[maxima423]

thats a lot of barbs, cant wait for it =] you should try adding a school of cherry barbs ^_^

 

[Aquarium1]

Lookin sweet so far! Can't wait to see it stocked lol

 

[taylorodw]

I figured I'd make a post about my hitch hikers:



I think this is a Clithion corona Nerite. Bobs Tropical Plants
For reference, that is the tip of my thermometer there this guy is TINY.


I can't tell if this one is an MTS or a rabbit snail. Help? He's even smaller than the nerite.

 

[Crepe]

We won't know until it gets bigger. Is the 'snout' of the snail really long? That's a characteristic of MTS.

 

[logansmomma1228]

following.

The bottom one looks like MTS to me, but I dont think I have even seen rabbit snails before

After seeing a rabbit snail, I really think it is an MTS

 

[krap101]

+1 for mts.

I'm wondering how he got the nerites to breed, as I don't think I've ever heard of them breeding in fw?

 

[logansmomma1228]

Hmmm... I am starting to not be sure of the snail now. It seems to have a rounder 'tip' like a rabbit. Like crepe said, MTS have longer snouts. When I get my camera back tomorrow I will get a pic for you to compare.

 

[krap101]

I've had cases where the tips of MTS get chipped off due to lack of minerals (namely calcium) in the tank, or just they got roughed around. Having a picture of the face should settle any uncertainty though. (I think..)

 

[logansmomma1228]

Aw, I didn't know that could happen to them Yes, taylor maybe a better pic? lol.

 

[taylorodw]

Well it's just slightly larger than a grain of rice

Lemme see what I can do tomorrow. For tonight, he's only faced away from the camera and gone around a small section (never left that piece of DW). The Nerite, on the other hand, has explored the entire left pane of glass, and really likes the thermometer there.

 

[krap101]

Mgamer might have a better time when he gets here. I assumed it was normal mts size (about an inch), and I totally underestimated your camera skills. I apologize

I'm beginning to think that it might actually be a rabbit snail. I failed to notice that it is not in your substrate yet

 

[logansmomma1228]

This is true, although I do have some MTS that like to hang out on the DW, plants, etc... We shall see if he doesn't move to the substrate eventually lol. Sorry taylor, didn't know he was that small!