55gal setup

[ejaramillo01]

Beautiful tank, and video Max.

I have been following this thread since some time ago, and the tank is looking great.
I have a question. How do you clean your gravel? I don't have live plants in my tank, I'm planning to upgrade to a bigger tank later on the year, but today is always hard to properly vacuum the gravel just with ornaments, meaning I need to move out my fake plants, rocks, etc to properly clean.
I guess my question is in a heavy planted tank how is it work?

 

[maxst2]

Well in this tank its not really gravel. Its more of a dirt/sand. Its a special substrate that pretty much caters to planted tanks.

On my 5 gal - which is natural color gravel - I gravel clean it, but I just go around what is there for cover.. a Skull and fake rock arch with some fake plants,and some java fern.

On the 55 gal, this journal/build... I don't bother unless its noticeable. The way the substrate is it's like cleaning up super fine sand....meaning you take alot with it.

In short, unless its terrible cluttered, clean around the items in the gravel working slow and go to the bottom. You really dont want to completely clean your gravel anyway. That is where alot of your good bacteria live. So doing spots isnt going to really hurt it. My 5 gal, until recently since it tore it down to make room for a 10g nano reef setup, for 9 months was a great tank and was always clean and healthy.

 

[maxst2]

Done some trimming... then just jammed the trimmings back into gravel... hope it grows.

 

[Jason7894561230]

Hey Max you know you have siamese algea eaters.
I just did a profile on them go check it out to see i ahve picture there too

 

[maxst2]

Nope it is an Oto... Look at zigs. They are the same critter

I need to pick up some more. I need adult oto's. Young ones don't seem to survive my tank

 

[maxst2]

Got couple more oto's 6 more neons and 6 more black neons. FINALLY got my ferts for the tank. Hope that clears out the hair algae fast... rather unsightly.

Think I am done on stocking fish... just going to get some shrimp once the plants take off abit more.

 

[maxst2]

Well i battled with the hair algae for a month. it just wouldnt go away, fact got worse!. I've pulled the plug on planted tank for the time being. Pulled mostly all the plants out and turned off the CO2 and the LED lighting - just have the T8's on now.

Livestock - 9 tiger barbs, 1 neon tetra, 1 black neon tetra, Clown Pleco.

Planning a re-scaped and massive water change - nearly a complete drain. Going to move everything into the old 5 gal so they wont get shocked from this, they'll be ok for the day or two while the 55 gal settles and make sure that the parameters are ok.

Oh... going to get another heater. During the winter months I liked it kinda on the warm since and the air temp kept the tank warm enough where the heater didn't have to work much... i notice now that i have the heat down much lower - 71-72, so its on all the time to keep the tank in the 77-80 range.

Lastly, I'll stock more barbs. Odessa and green barbs likely. Petsmart sale specials likely.

Now... just need some time to do all of this!

 

[maxst2]

OK... figure i'll give this an update:

Rescaped, got rid of all plants minus a couple java ferns and onion plant.

Some java moss survived and is spreading on back driftwood - really awesome looking IMO. Had another onion plan show up from no where... so i moved it into the substrate and its realllllllly taking off now. LED's just freaking ROCK.

Fish : 21 or so Tiger barbs, 2 peppered cory cats (should be 3 but i only ever see 2) , 1 clown pleco, 1 black neon tetra, 1 neon tetra (had a dozen of BOTH... but they dropped like flies ... but those two. lol)

 

[Ziggy953]

Nice!

I am doing a complete redesign as well on my tank!

 

[andresdeo]

Hey, love the tank, why did the neons drop? Barbs got to them?

 

[maxst2]

This tank is likely not going to get built when I move. I'll likely make it into a 55gal fowlr tank as freshwater is kinda boring me.

Going to new store soon and see about a store credit for the 20+ barbs i have, the clown pleco, and cory cats. Plus the large chunks of driftwood and plants that i have growing.

 

[maxst2]

Current shot

 

[andresdeo]

Nice shot, tigers are so active!

 

[Ziggy953]

Looking good buddy! Have you looked at my updates??