# James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 26/06/09



## james3200 (29 Nov 2007)

Hi all,

Thought i would share my new tank, which has just turned a week old today 

Setup - 


















Back of the tank ( in the office / warehouse ) where you can see at the top right of the picture the waste from the overflow in the tank which attaches to the warehouse waste pipe and in the middle the copper pipe to the RO/HMA filters in the stand. 





Day 1 - 





Taken today ( with just t5s running) -






















Here is some info on it

800lt ish, 6.5'x2x2'
ADA PS + AS + bright sand
ADA ferts to start, currently just Brighty K
Pressurised co2
Eheim 2260, UV, inline heaters & aquamedic 1000 reactor + il be adding a fluval 4 with lots of purigen in there today for a month or so
4x 54w Dimmable HOT5 6500k osram lamps & 3 x 150w 8k HQIs, currently running a 7hr photoperiod, HQIs for 2.5hrs
Automatic water changing system, 100lt / day getting changed at the moment. This is done by the stand housing an RO & HMA filter which gets controlled by solenoids to change the required amount of water, and the excess drains off at the other end of the tank.
Aquatronica computer to control all the above really + automatic dosing via a dosing pump

Plants have a long way to go, but already growing rapidly, they are - 

E. Tenellus
E. Uruguayensis
C. Balansea
Phillipine Java Fern
Dwarf Sag

Decor - 

Driftwood which i got from the states
Pagoda Stone from aquaessentials

Its going to be a discus tank + lots of cardinals, in a few months when its ready for them, wilds of some sort

I am happy with the overall look, i think it needs tweaking here and there, which i will do once the tenellus have grown up and around the stones which is the look i am going for, and the java fern should look better once rooted properly.. And that eheim intake pipe is only temporary

Hope you enjoy the journal, i will 

James


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## daniel19831123 (29 Nov 2007)

nice tank. That's a lot of phillipine java fern. Did you get them from aquaticmagic? How come you decided to get the driftwood from the states? Wouldn't it be cheaper to get it locally? Where did you put the crypt balansae? Can seemed to find it anywhere in the tank.


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## james3200 (29 Nov 2007)

Thanks,

Yea, i got it from aquatic magic, its 20 portions worth. I got the wood in the states as i like the look of it and could not really find anything locally, i paid Â£80 delivered for both bits, which is not bad when you compare it to ADA wood or similar, and with that it is pot luck.. Got the balansea from http://www.aquaspotworld.com along with the dwarf sag and echinodorus, delivered in 2 days   

James


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## Themuleous (29 Nov 2007)

Man thats crazy big!  Lovely scape, the discus will love it.  Nice to have it hard plumbed in as well I bet, esp with the water changes!  I bet it cost a few quid thou!  If something is worth doing...

Will watch this tank develop for sure 

Sam


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## daniel19831123 (29 Nov 2007)

20 portion worth of java fern???!!! They were quite generous with me the last time. I bought 2 portion from them and there were nearly 100 leaves of java fern in it. I couldn't even count the rhizomes because some had broken off during the delivery and some rhizome only had 1 leave attached to it. But nevertheless, it's still quite a lot of plants for my 50gallon tank even after I discarded the ugly looking bits. I'm surprised that you bought from aquaspot. They are notorious for small amount of plants and expensive delivery. I used to buy from them but then I stop once aquaticmagic started going.


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## JamesC (29 Nov 2007)

Spectacular setup. If I could just add you may wish to have the inline CO2 reactor on the outflow side of the filter rather than the inflow to prevent it from clogging up.

James


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## james3200 (29 Nov 2007)

Thanks Sam,

I have sacrificed 3 other tanks for this tank, sold alot of equipment and have been buying the bits and pieces for the tank since June.. The auto wc system is the best thing i have done on a tank, changing 100lt per day takes 4.5 hrs and hopefully should minimise early algae issues. Have only lifted a bucket once to clean up the sand  

Not had a problem with aquaspot, have ordered regualry from him and the quality and quantity was very good.

Thanks for the comments James, The picture does not show the filter setup well really, the heaters and co2 reactor are on the outflow  Actually looks a little different in there now, as that was when i had just glued all the pvc pipes together and took a quick snap, il get another picture soon showing all the electronics too 

James


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## Ray (29 Nov 2007)

Nice tank, I look forward to seeing it grow and gain fish (its nice to live vicariously in journal threads!).  Does putting it in the office make it tax deductable   

Please show more pics and details of the automatic water changer, I'd love to understand exactly how you did that.  Could make a good "How to" in the cookbook section.


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## james3200 (29 Nov 2007)

> Does putting it in the office make it tax deductable



Oh yes 

Il get some pictures of it soon. It is fairly simple to be honest. I have the tank drilled at the top left of the tank above the echinodorus. The bottom of the hole sits at the water level, when fresh water from the ro and hma filters is added at the other end of the tank, the excess drains off through the hole. I have set this up automically by using some RO solenoids that i got from ro-man for Â£9.99 each, then i worked out the flow rate and how much of RO and HMA i need. It is then set on a timer to turn them on and off accordingly. 

James


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## beeky (29 Nov 2007)

Apologies for appearing a bit dim, but what's HMA?


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## daniel19831123 (29 Nov 2007)

heavy metal axe


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## George Farmer (29 Nov 2007)

Great set up, James.  Well done.  I can see this making nice future PFK feature...

The cabinet looks lovely.  Better without the handles. 

Do you anticipate needing a cooler with the halides etc. under cover?  How far about the water are they?

What photoperiod technique are you running?

How did you get your wood over from the US?

I like the 'scape so far.  The sag will need thinning quite regularly, it spreads like mad once established.  

Heckels would be awesome in there.


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## daniel19831123 (29 Nov 2007)

I'm fine with the discus tank idea but I'm quite doubtful about the cardinal bit. I know it would look brilliant with cardinal in it.... but you sure it won't be snack by the discus? And for the tank that size, how many cardinals were you thinking of getting? I say import them directly from brazil since you will need thousands of them to look impressive lol


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## james3200 (29 Nov 2007)

Many thanks George 

I hope i dont need a cooler.. mainly lack of space, would be a nightmare.. The office though has aircon, so hopefully that will be enough, and i will probably run the fans constantly. The halides are just over 30cm above the surface, which i hope should be a good level. I am really supprised with the T5s though, the light they give off is really good, the w reflectors are very impressive.

At the moment, the photoperiod is 10.30 - 12 T5s, 12-2.30pm 2 of the halides, the one above the sand is only on for an hour, then T5s back on from 2.30 - 5. I have the dimmable ballasts and the dimming modules, but have not got round to setting it up yet. They would come on at around 10% power and build up to 100% in an hour or so, and then dim back down over the last hour.

Getting the wood was no problem, came over without any hassel, same as the plants, i was worried by that though..!

I was going to go for hairgrass, but chose sag as its going to be easier to thin out due to the size, i may get some plastic border in the substrate too in the next few days.

At the moment this is my only planted tank, so i dont care how much time it takes me  Heckles are an option, Chris at plymouth discus has got some nice wilds coming in very soon, and should fit my timescale once he has quarentined them for a month or so.

I have about 20 cardinals in my 200lt discus tank, and they get on fine, neons would be another story though.. That would go up to 50 to see what that looks like and if it looks like more would work then il add some extra

James


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## Ed Seeley (29 Nov 2007)

Fantastic James.  Love the big expanse of shorter plants.


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## james3200 (30 Nov 2007)

Cheers Ed


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## planter (8 Dec 2007)

Hey James,

Tank is Very impressive.

Hows the tenellus doing? looks like it still has its emersed leaves at the mo?

wouldnt mind seeing this in the flesh once its complete if that would be possible?

All the best 
You know who!


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## james3200 (9 Dec 2007)

Alright Chris  Thanks

Yep in the last pictures it was just starting to transform, i would say that now its 80-90% changed to submersed and just a few of the old leaves are left. I was worried it was going to be a different tenellus strain, but its the one i was after and has got a nice red hue to most tips, its spreading nice and should be pretty dense in a couple of weeks 

Sure no worries about coming to see it, i should get the discus in the first week of January i think, getting some nice heckles, probably some larger ones similar to these guys

http://www.plymouthdiscus.co.uk/product ... 5330573967


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## Graeme Edwards (9 Dec 2007)

Nice intillation James, be nice to know more about the technical set up of it all, how you decided on the plumbing and the auto functions you have.

One question though, how on earth did you persuade your boss to let you set up such a huge tank up in the office,and pay for the running cost of it? Your going to say, you are the boss arnt you?? lol Of what business too?

Graeme.


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## james3200 (9 Dec 2007)

Thanks Graeme,

As the tank is in the office, i wanted as little maintenance as poss really, and cant carry buckets up and down the stairs, so got some advice from a discus breeder on setting the basics up. The original plan was to have a reservoir in the stand which pumped 150lt of water into the tank, but that idea was scrapped luckily as i would have not been able to fit in the hardware.. Then we got the idea of basically setting up a trickle system, by drilling the tank and getting water from the RO to fill it up at one end of the tank and any excess just drains off. I then added a HMA also so i can get the right TDS etc also.

Plumbing was easy, i got it all from these guys, just glue it together and get the pieces you want in there. At some point i will probably modify it a little, i will also upgrade the pump in the eheim 2260 from a 1262 (which i added, standard is 1260 which has a flow rate of 1000lt less/hr) to the 1264 when it comes out in the UK which has a turnover of 4500lt/hr, the 1262 is 3400lt/hr. Luckily it is a straight swap, 5 minute job. The RO & HMA are connected to two taps in the stand so i can control them individually, then they have a solenoid each and one just before it goes up to the tank as a safety precaution to stop and start the WC. All the electronics and ballasts are in IP rated boxes to protect them from moisture too. Il get some photos of inside the stand up tomorrow too

Well im not the boss, but its a family business, so that helps  We are electrical engineers, supply electrical distribution equipment for rural electrification in Africa and Middle East mostly


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## Graeme Edwards (9 Dec 2007)

Thats sweet, if a little confusing, for me anyway. 
So you have RO running into the tank perminantly? And it just over flows at the other end of the tank?
Im cofused about why you have solinoids on your pipes / 
Do you have a sump or barrel of RO water, so when the solinoids trip, they pump out and in at the same time?

Sorry i must sound so thick, just trying to understand how youve rigged it all up to work.

Cheers.


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## james3200 (9 Dec 2007)

No prob

Pretty much, the RO and HMA is on for about 4.5 hours per day which is how long it takes the filters to produce 100lt of the right TDS which goes directly into the tank, no reservoir. I have the solenoids, these just after the tap (which is always open) before it reaches the RO / HMA unit. So when my aquatronica computer turns the plug on for the solenoid, the solenoid opens and water goes through the filters and into the tank.

I just had to work out the flow rate of each filter and get the right mix of water and then time how long each solenoid needs to be opened to get the right amount and mix. The reason why i have the third solenoid just before it goes to the tank is just in case one fails 

The tank is drilled at the max water line and when fresh water goes into the tank, the excess drains off, so it always stays the same level

Dont sound thick mate, took me ages to get my head round it all too


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## Graeme Edwards (9 Dec 2007)

Cheers mate fully understand. Must of been a real brain puzzle working out all the water stats etc, and then match that to your Flow rates and volume, fair play !


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## james3200 (21 Dec 2007)

Time for an update, 3 weeks in yesterday

Had some diatom issues, but these have now passed and il be moving my discus in. Got 60 cardinals in there at the moment and a few otos, will be adding another 20 or so in the new year.

I also finally got rid of the eheim pipe and got myself a ADA 20mm intake pipe, very sexy 

Swapped the cheapish MH lamps for the ADA green 150w ones, and WOW is all i can say, if your debating buying one, do it, you will not be dissapointed.. Have not played with the colours on the photos, the plants are really that green 

The balansea has finally taken to the tank and its bulking up and looking nice and healthy, a few more weeks and they should finally be visible behind the wood and echindorus


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## Dave Spencer (21 Dec 2007)

It`s shaping up to be very nice James. It reminds of my favourite all time scape by TA.

Personally, I am a little unsure about the rocks that separate the sand from the planted area. It doesn`t look like a natural barrier.

Are you using PM Glass lily pipes? If so, what do you think of them? I have two pairs sat waiting to go in to a future 120cm project.

Dave.


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## james3200 (21 Dec 2007)

Cheers Dave

Many thanks for the critique. I have never been 100% pleased with them.

I am visualising it without the stones and it would look allot more natural. I just wanted to do a good barrier between the AS & Bright sand as the discus will be messy.. But.. overall i think that it is worth removing them and the extra work wont be too much of a problem. The stones are holding the AS back, so it should just fall nicely without too much mess   Who knows the AS may even keep its shape well if i am careful, which would be nice.



> Are you using PM Glass lily pipes?



Whos that? I cant actually remember who i got them from as it was a year or so ago, but it was through ebay.

James


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## George Farmer (21 Dec 2007)

Coming along nicely.

Any algae issues yet?  

Water temp staying ok?


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## Ed Seeley (21 Dec 2007)

Looking awesome James.  

Maybe the rocks might look better if the sand was higher?  They kinda look like they're perched up a little bit.  How deep is the Aquasoil?


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## james3200 (22 Dec 2007)

Thanks,

the rocks will be going tomorrow / Monday. As for algae, only diatoms and a tiny bit of green spot on the glass.. Only running the halides for 1 hour a day at the moment

The temp is pretty stable, got it at 27c, will be moved up 1- 1.5 when the discus are in. Il post the graph from my AQ when i get a chance

EDIT: AS is pretty deep towards the back, il get a picture of the slope, prob about 6", got 18lt of power sand special under it all too

James


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## Themuleous (22 Dec 2007)

The discus will love it


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## Tom (22 Dec 2007)

Have you thought about softening the look of the rocks with moss?

Tom


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## james3200 (22 Dec 2007)

Thanks Sam,

Not sure about the moss.. would go all over the place, id prefer it in a smaller tank

I think Dave has hit the nail on the head..


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## james3200 (23 Dec 2007)

Well i got the stones out without too much hassle. Had to add a little extra AS. Tomorrow il be thinning out most of the tenellus and replanting it as its already a little thick as the emersed bunches are pretty big. I also have to level the front of the substrate where the AS meets the sand, have to adjust the front 'headland' and round it off nicely, if you see what i mean. Then clean up again and lay some fresh sand down and sort the edges out

I am happy with it, let me know your thoughts.


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## sks (30 Dec 2007)

well james I'm jealous - of your lawn. I've never managed to create a tennelus lawn. It's always the algae that get to it first before it comes into fruition.   If I could get a lawn like that I'd be a happy man.

Regarding your water change method, you say you dump in 100 litres a day. The funny thing is, because of the mixing, 100 litres is not actually changed. If you think about it, and if we assume immediate mixing when the water enters the tank, and assuming your tank volume is 625 litres (allow for thickness of glass and slight displacement), when you push 100 litres new water in to do the WC, you've effectively also drained about 7.5 litres of it as well through mixing in the tank. So a 100 litres implicit WC by the method that you use is only a 92.5 litre explicit water change. Makes you think doesn't it?


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## cousin it (30 Dec 2007)

Without the stones it looks much nicer, replacing the sag with more tennellus would help to improve the look again.


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## james3200 (30 Dec 2007)

Cheers, yep, decided to take it out not long ago, got some more scaping to do tomorrow..


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## james3200 (12 Jan 2008)

So i took all the stones out and have exteneded the sand foreground, i will need a little more to bulk up the right side, another AE order   

Tank took a bit of a hit when i ran out of co2 over the new year, but its recovered now and just have a tiny bit of BBA / green stuff on the wood that is turning red after spot dosing with excel. Only just turned the halides on really, so that tenellus should go a bit more red soon 

Added the anubias coffeefolia, should be able to keep this under control, some aquatic bonsai may be needed 

Trimmed the ferns right down and got rid of most the old leaves, just new growth is left, should hopefully promote some more shoots soon, have to trim those roots.. The urugyanesis was also trimmed and got rid of all the emersed leaves, and the balansea is growing nicely, shame its not in view yet. And the tenellus needs to bulk up also on the rear headland as its newly planted.

No more discus in this tank due to the layout, i am hopefully getting some Orinoco Altums in the near future, which should be kinder on the scape..

Tank is still a little cloudy as i did most of the trimming and topped up the sand yesterday, and you can see the bracing because its having a water change at the moment





















Cheers,
James


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## cousin it (12 Jan 2008)

Looks much cleaner now without the sag, a vast improvement in my opinion


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## james3200 (12 Jan 2008)

Cheers


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## Garuf (12 Jan 2008)

Agreed, but there still seems to be something missing and I just can't put my finger on it...
some variation in plants in the grass area maybe?


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## cousin it (12 Jan 2008)

possibly moving the anubias in the recess at the heart of the wood and a smaller species where they are currently, but the vast expanse of the lawn makes the tank look very clean and uncluttered.


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## james3200 (12 Jan 2008)

perhaps.. Once the background plants have grown in it may improve that, the anubias, balansea, ferns & uruguayensis still have a long way to go

Thanks for your input, always helps


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## Garuf (12 Jan 2008)

I know what it is, I'd like to see a line of giant hairgrass along the back starting where the grass plants are and finishing in the left corner, I'm almost certain amano does something similar.


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## james3200 (12 Jan 2008)

Yea thats an option. I can grow them on where they are atm and move them when the outgrow the area


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## james3200 (12 Jan 2008)

> I'd like to see a line of giant hairgrass along the back starting where the grass plants are and finishing in the left corner



Thats what the balansea is for


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## Garuf (12 Jan 2008)

The man's a Genius, in that case I'll sit back and enjoy watching this grow out.


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## james3200 (12 Jan 2008)

Hmm, not sure about that   

Thanks very much, cant wait to get the Altums in there..


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## cousin it (12 Jan 2008)

with the current plant choice that tank will just keep looking nicer the older it gets, just need to get used to trimming the runners from the tenellus.


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## Garuf (12 Jan 2008)

:O Altums! My current favourite fish. How many are you expecting to be able to keep? Isn't this tank a little bit bare for Altums? I have always been under the impression they like tangles of wood and plants to hide and move through.


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## james3200 (12 Jan 2008)

Around 10 or so, F1s, so should be a little more use to tanks. I see you point, but they will adapt and once the background has grown in it should help


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## Lisa_Perry75 (12 Jan 2008)

The tank looks stunning and is crying out for altums/discus. Then it will be just mwah! *smacks lips with fingers, french style*


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## james3200 (13 Jan 2008)

why thank you


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## George Farmer (13 Jan 2008)

I've missed this for a while.

Looks really nice, James.  

C. balansae is a good idea.

How are you maintaining the lawns?  Have they needed thinning out yet?

Temp running ok?

Altums or wild scalare would be awesome in there, better than discus IMHO.  You have good taste....


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## james3200 (13 Jan 2008)

Thanks George,

So far i have not thinned the lawn much, i think in a about 6 weeks i may have to. At the moment not many runners are growing off the substrate, so, so far so good

Temp is stable, dropped it now down to 25.5c, il post my graphs from the aquatronica one day soon

Yep i think the Altums would be a much better choice for the tank, thanks for the vow of confidence 

James


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## Ed Seeley (13 Jan 2008)

Looking great James.  Really like the lawn, just make sure you use a cylinder mower to trim it to get a nice clean cut...     Striping will look good too!

On the angels, don't just rush for Altums.  There are some gorgeous wild scalare coming in now too.  Mine have a few red spots, but there are some that come in with lots of red spots on the sides and shoulders.  There are some lovely wild angels pictured on this site, finarama, like this one of a red-spotted Peruvian angel,
http://www.finarama.com/tba/al26.htm


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## james3200 (13 Jan 2008)

Cheers ed,



> just make sure you use a cylinder mower to trim it to get a nice clean cut...



If only it was that easy 

That is a stunning angel but.. i have had my eye on altums for a long time and if i can get them il snap them up. All depends on how patient i am really 

James


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## Ed Seeley (13 Jan 2008)

james3200 said:
			
		

> That is a stunning angel but.. i have had my eye on altums for a long time and if i can get them il snap them up. All depends on how patient i am really



Fair enough, I love Altums too!  You might get lucky as we're at the tail-end of the main time for exporting Amazonian fish still.  They should certainly enjoy the tank and conditions.


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## james3200 (13 Jan 2008)

yea fingers crossed, i have got the feelers out using as many contacts as possible, hopefully should not be too long..  :?


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## sks (14 Jan 2008)

just for us to be totally clear on the score james: all you use is ADA ferts and do according to the instructions? Am I right in this? If so, I'm planning a 10' x 2' x 2' ADA based tank some time in the future, and all I want is vast lawns of Blyxas, Sags and Tenellus like yours.


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## james3200 (14 Jan 2008)

Yea i use the ADA ferts, i got the 5lt bottles and dose around 30ml of brighty k daily and the same of step one 3 times per week, i don't dose step 1 for the first couple of weeks though.

EDIT: I also use ECA once per week,  & Green gain after a trim and sometimes dry ferts if there is anything i need to target specifically.


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## ceg4048 (18 Jan 2008)

OK guys, please...we do have a bar room brawl section called "The White Room" where we can initiate specific threads to either extol the virtues of  Brighty/ PFK/Whatever, or to defame them.  It's very disrespectful to the original poster to do that here so we'll issue our collective apology to James3200 and commit to restricting the content of our posts to include only comments appropriate to his journal, Agreed? 

Cheers,


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## Ray (18 Jan 2008)

Hear Hear Clive!  I suggest Admins drag drop the irrelevant discussion (very interesting in its own right) to a separate thread so James's Journal remains just that.


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## ceg4048 (18 Jan 2008)

Acknowledged Ray. The thread has been split. For future reference, posts submitted from 14 Jan 2008 8:07 PM to date have been split to a separate thread. The fascinating discussion can be found at http://www.ukaps.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=761

Thanks,


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## Martin (18 Jan 2008)

I was actually enjoying the brawl,  ,Sks just wouldn't go down and kept coming back for more punishment, I think George won with a technical knockout, it's good to have a healthy debate and hear different opinions!


EDIT by CEG4048: Martin please lets move on. Follow the brawl and respond to it on the link provided.


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## james3200 (18 Jan 2008)

Anyway, back to business

Here is the view from my desk  I think this is my favourite angle, you can also just see the balansea there! Needs a little trim to keep that headland look and waiting on that bright sand from AE to top up the foreground and clean up day tomorrow.

Tomorrow a few more fish will be going in, not the angels yet though..


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## johnny70 (18 Jan 2008)

very, very nice. Beautiful tank, when do you plan on putting the bigger fish in?

JOHNNY


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## George Farmer (18 Jan 2008)

My LFS has some 10" tall altums in a big 30" H display tank.  But I think they'd dwarf even this tank.

Coming along great, James.  You must be very happy with the progress.

Is it developing how you'd expect?  How long do you think you'll stick with this layout?  I get bored after a few months...

Keep it up mate.


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## james3200 (18 Jan 2008)

> very, very nice. Beautiful tank, when do you plan on putting the bigger fish in?



Cheers, they wont be going in till the first week of March as i am on going on holiday at the end of feb and want to be around when they are adjusting + they are wilds and need to be quarantined by the supplier for around a month and wormed, so not for a while 



> My LFS has some 10" tall altums in a big 30" H display tank.



Dont suppose they need a new home 

I am happy with the progress so far, apart from the swords which are still adjusting but the new growth is promising. 

This layout is here to last as long as possible, the only thing that may change is the tenellus to another carpet plant, but that's a long, long way off. 




> I get bored after a few months...



Thats what  a new tank is for, im setting up my home tank in a few months to try something new out


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## james3200 (20 Jan 2008)

Added 6 checkerboards yesterday, about 1", all doing well and doing lots of exploring


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## Ed Seeley (20 Jan 2008)

Great choice of fish James.  There's so much space I bet they think they're back in the Amazon!!!


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## fishgeek (20 Jan 2008)

are the checkerboards local james?
and do you know whether maculatus or filamentousos?

andrew


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## james3200 (20 Jan 2008)

Cheers,

Yea i got them at maindhead in Morden, there are probably a couple left

I think they are filamentousos, not 100% sure though.. Joe or Chris there will be able to tell you though


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## james3200 (27 Jan 2008)

Small update

Have thinned out the ferns lower down and have started to fill up the top branch, the plan is to fill that up.

I got some more balansea from George's old tank, which is still a little deformed, but should straigten up in a week or so, mine acually has started to grow quite quick now i have the MHs on. The otos have been damagin the urugyanesis, so hopefully those should distract them

Altums have been sourced, and will be going in in just over a month 

























Cheers


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## Ed Seeley (27 Jan 2008)

Looking very lush James.  Once that balansae fills in it will really set the other plants off.

Was just wondering why the Fluval's in there?  Is it just for flow or is there some filtration reason?


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## james3200 (27 Jan 2008)

Cheers,

Yea it has purigen in it, and i also use it to create some flow lower down/substrate, but that will be getting swapped for a hydor koralia soonish


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## .jaap. (27 Jan 2008)

I am impressed with this setup. Would'nt mind having something like that next to my desk.

About the CO2 diffusor: From the picture it appears to be mounted upside down, also water through it is flowing bottom to top which is usually top to bottom. Is that intentional ?


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## Themuleous (27 Jan 2008)

That is a sweet tank, very lush.  As Ed says should look even better once the balansae fills out a bit.

Its interesting to see the neons only around the plants, just goes to show how good plants are for fish.

Sam


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## james3200 (27 Jan 2008)

Many thanks

Yep, it is upside down, that picture was taken just after i glued it all up, it has since been switched around. When i get the chance i will be changing the filtration setup and adding another diffuser, about flowing bottom to top, thats just how i fitted it, not done intentionally 

Yep the carindals rarely move from the left of the tank, the checkerboards do though.. But i am sure once the 10 Altums are in there they wont be so stationary


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## TDI-line (27 Jan 2008)

Looks a stunning tank, very nice work with the whole thread.

So what made you change your mind from discus to angels?


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## james3200 (27 Jan 2008)

Thank you 

I have never kept altums and alway wanted to + i felt the discus would have been harder on the scape as they are pretty messy


----------



## TDI-line (28 Jan 2008)

Agree with you there.

Have you any pics of the Altums?


----------



## George Farmer (28 Jan 2008)

TDI-line said:
			
		

> Agree with you there.
> 
> Have you any pics of the Altums?



You've seen some in our LFS. 

You won't see much better than them in the UK.  I must take my camera next time I visit.


----------



## George Farmer (28 Jan 2008)

james3200 said:
			
		

> Yep the carindals rarely move from the left of the tank, the checkerboards do though.. But i am sure once the 10 Altums are in there they wont be so stationary



lol.  Shoaling nicely - they will...


----------



## zig (29 Jan 2008)

This looks very nice James, although I can't help but feel it needs the grass area to be broken up somehow either with the use of a suitable piece of branch wood about a third of the way down the grassed area, or I would also consider the use of 2 rocks at the very end of the grassed area, one in the grass and the other at the edge of the grass and the sand. The rocks could balance up the scape a bit better IMHO. It looks balanced now but there is too much open space, again only IMHO.

Very nice though


----------



## james3200 (29 Jan 2008)

> lol. Shoaling nicely - they will...



Cheers Yoda 

Thanks Zig,

I see your point being rather empty, but there are no Altums in there yet, which should reduce the open space look when they have grown some.. I have thought about taking the branchy wood out, cut off the lower branch which is hidden under the tenellus and stick that further down with some more ferns on it so there would be 3 levels of ferns which would just give that tiny bit extra to the right


----------



## Themuleous (10 Feb 2008)

Just wanted to say I popped into see James on Fri and the tank (as always) looks even more stunning in really life.  All the plants are ultra healthy and the set up (filter, dosing, etc) looks like its a military operation.  It sure is the way to do it!

Thanks for the AS James 

Sam


----------



## james3200 (10 Feb 2008)

No probs Sam

Altums are now under a month away    plants growing nicely, not much to update really, the urugyanesis have finally started to settle in and growing well, and the background is filling in, once that's right and the fish are in it should be quite different

Here are some stand shots for you tech freaks 

The Aquatronica computer and 500GPD RO & HMA filters and in that box are the T5 ballasts and the plug bars of the AQ, above are the transformers for the RO solenoids which are at the top of the picture






Here is the left side of the stand, with the filtration and Dosing pump + Ferts, and if you look to the right there is another IP box which holds the MH ballasts


----------



## planter (13 Feb 2008)

Hi James,

Thought i'd stop by to see how you were getting on. The tanks come on a treat. Really looks  the business. Well done.  

Checker boards looks great too.    (Dicrossus filamentosus)

speak soon


----------



## TDI-line (13 Feb 2008)

Hi James,

tank and setup look spot on, nice work.

I notice you have an Aquamedic 1000 co2 reactor, how do you find it, any good, does it restrict the flow at all?

Thanks,

Dan.


----------



## Aqua Essentials (13 Feb 2008)

I love this set up and it is very military like 

Re. the altums, are you going to quarantine them first?  Tis a big tank to treat if they get white spot!


----------



## George Farmer (13 Feb 2008)

I love the inside cabinet shot with the big bottles of ferts.  You could work in my aircraft weapons system workshop with that attention to detail and tidyness!

Any recent full-tank shots to share, please?

Re. the altums.  Is the importer holding them for a while first?

I'm off to my LFS tomorrow evening.  I'll try to get some shots of some 8-10" bad boys.  They make a 30" tall, 8' tank look small!  Awesome fish - they are...  8)


----------



## james3200 (13 Feb 2008)

Cheers guys,



> I notice you have an Aquamedic 1000 co2 reactor, how do you find it, any good, does it restrict the flow at all?



Yea i do, have had it for a few years now, and have always found it to be reliable, i may have to put another in to get better diffusion but i do a 36kg co2 cylinder so that helps  

The organisation was because i had 6 months of planning and alot of time between seting up the next stage, so had plenty of time to plan each step.

I am actually getting the Altums form The Green Machine, they are coming in next week and have reserved 10. They are holding them for 3 weeks and then im off to pick them up. 



> Re. the altums, are you going to quarantine them first?



Yea i am going to setup a 180 lt tank i have spare next to the main tank, fill it half way with tank water the previous day and add the fluval 4 with purigen in there. I will keep them in there and slowly drip in the main tank water over a couple of days, so they get use to the co2 levels and conditions.

The real test comes next week, im on Holiday for 2 weeks and hopefully the palning will pay off..

Please post some of the pictures George, always nice to see pictures of Altums 

James


----------



## TDI-line (13 Feb 2008)

james3200 said:
			
		

> Cheers guys,
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Thanks James. 

That opens another question, the 36KG co2 cylinder, i take it you probably rent the bottle from a local company (BOC?), where is this located in relation to the tank, or are you decanting to a smaller bottle.


----------



## james3200 (13 Feb 2008)

NP

Yea i do, i paid Â£95 for the years rental and first fill. I think it should last for at leat 8 months. I had a 5kg extinguisher, but when i came to refil, i had no luck in getting it done, and it was over the new year and needed it ASAP. The CO2 cylinder is 5' tall, so i cant exactly keep it in the stand! So i got 25m of CO2 hose and i have the cylinder in the warehouse and then the hose comes up into the back of the stand. I then have the wikai (sp) reg on it, works great.

James


----------



## Vase (14 Feb 2008)

James, loving the setup, looks awesome. I especially love the detail of the equipment and how its set up.

Quick question if I may? Did you have the cabinet built or did you make it yourself?


----------



## james3200 (14 Feb 2008)

Cheers,

I got the cabinet made with the tank and hood from Aquariums ltd, i gave them drawings and examples of ADA stands to get the style & design i wanted. It is very well made, well worth it


----------



## John Starkey (16 Feb 2008)

*james 3200 setup*

Hi james, well what can i say thay hasnt allready been said brilliant just brilliant, i like every thing about it very well mate,regards john


----------



## james3200 (20 Feb 2008)

Cheers John

I had a bit of a disaster recently with the tank.. i got my brother to lift the hood up as we have done previously and it slipped and the both the lily pipes got smashed.. water everywhere.. Anyway, that was only the start, it took me probably 4 hours to prime the system and almost a nervous breakdown. I am now adding a spare 2128 i have which will run the heaters / diffuser & UV in one loop and the 2160 just filtering. Thats not getting done for a few weeks as im off to Cuba tomorrow, so there should be quite a nice improvement when i return  + The Altums will be ready to pick up when i return, fingers crossed.

James


----------



## alexandre (20 Feb 2008)

Very nice, tank, aquascape and healthy plants. Sorry to ear about your pipes, I broke mine at 3am one day coming back from the pub, not the best time   .
Cuba, very good, wish you a nice trip


----------



## james3200 (20 Feb 2008)

Thanks Alexandre, 3am.. dangerous lol I have broken 4 probably 2 ada ones  , don't know why eheim just don't supply clear perspex ones, problem solved. I wont be going back to glass on this tank, too much risk.


----------



## TDI-line (20 Feb 2008)

Are these glass pieces really delicate or you guys just heavy handed (like me).


----------



## sks (20 Feb 2008)

james3200 said:
			
		

> Thanks Alexandre, 3am.. dangerous lol I have broken 4 probably 2 ada ones  , don't know why eheim just don't supply clear perspex ones, problem solved. I wont be going back to glass on this tank, too much risk.



I hinted at perspex ones in another thread, you can actually make them yourself, but I don't know if you can get decent enough acrylic cement to do this. For Eheim to commit to making clear perspex walking sticks/90 bends etc will cost them a lot of money in terms of moulds.

Your accident is one of the reasons why I'm wary of using glassware.


----------



## james3200 (20 Feb 2008)

Yea they are delicate, but being honest if you handle them with care there is not a problem. I just had alot of weight crash onto them, i might go for the metal ones mindue

James


----------



## sks (20 Feb 2008)

james3200 said:
			
		

> Yea they are delicate, but being honest if you handle them with care there is not a problem. I just had alot of weight crash onto them, i might go for the metal ones mindue
> 
> James



All it takes is for a nosy cat/child to mess around and things might happen . . . 

I had a look at the metal ADA pipes too, but I don't know if they could accommodate the bracing on my tank.


----------



## Dave Spencer (21 Feb 2008)

I was doing a total rescape on my 60cm yesterday and broke my Cal Aqua inlet pipe.  

I thought I was going to be looking at a crappy Eheim inlet for ages, but I ordered a replacement from Aqua Essentials and it arrived this morning. Quality service.  

Yes, they are very delicat and yes, I am a clumsy pillock. Still, it lasted a year.

James, are your Altums coming from The Green Machine?

Dave.


----------



## james3200 (7 Mar 2008)

> James, are your Altums coming from The Green Machine?



Yep, been a delay but that is no surprise really in trying to get these fish..


----------



## nickyc (8 Mar 2008)

Not seen any pics for a while...


----------



## james3200 (8 Mar 2008)

Il have some later next week. I just did a trim after going away for 2 weeks on holiday. Tank was in good shape, just needed a clean up, the auto system seemed to have worked pretty well

Here is a pic i took with my mobile, came out rubbish, but it gives you and idea of the current growth and layout






Swords are growing nicely now and the balansea is filling well, just need to arrange them a little better, and re-lay some fresh sand which i took out at the front when thining the tenellus. Other than that its looking how i want it, bar the Altums


----------



## Arana (8 Mar 2008)

looking great James it's growing in beautifully


----------



## nickyc (8 Mar 2008)

Does look great!  Can't wait for the proper pics


----------



## TDI-line (9 Mar 2008)

James, what other fish/inverts will you be keeping with the Altums? I notice you have some cardinals (i think) in your tank.

Only asking as i have cardinals, and was thinking about adding Altums too.

What other stock do you have?


----------



## james3200 (9 Mar 2008)

Yea i have about 60 cardinals which have now become lost in the growth.. might add 20 more. Then i have 6 checkerboards, il add 10 altums eventally and it will be stocked. May add something else in the future, but need to find altum proof fish, they can snack on adult cardinals when big  :?


----------



## kieran996 (12 Mar 2008)

wow looks fantastic.I joined this site to get inspiration as for years i've had large catfish and other destructice fish and yours is definitely an inspirational setup. If you don't mind answering how much has the setup cost so far?


----------



## james3200 (13 Mar 2008)

Cheers mate, much appreciated.

Well, yea, i have kept an excel sheet which i have put everything i have bought for the tank since the setup, which i keep hidden from my girlfriend!









Ive got the VAT back on most though


----------



## vauxhallmark (13 Mar 2008)

Now THAT is impressive!!

(So's the tank, of course. Can't wait for updated pics!)

Mark


----------



## johnny70 (13 Mar 2008)

Impressive list!

Can I ask where you got the Eheim 2260 from for that price, i can't find it for under Â£170  

JOHNNY


----------



## james3200 (13 Mar 2008)

Here are some updated pictures

With just T5s on









With the ADA 8K 150W green lamps 













Should have really cleaned the glass a little   

I plan on moving the branch wood up a little so its in view more by placing something under it so the bottom branch is a little more visible, it also needs a scrub with a tooth brush as i have not done that since i put it in. THe balansea is also settling well, the new growth is looking very nice and should soon fill the background in. I am starting to dose step 2 now also, which will be interesting to see the plants reaction.
Other than that and the missing Altums i am pretty happy with it


----------



## Moss Man (13 Mar 2008)

The growth of the E. tennelus is just amazing, so dense and tall.

The whole tank would look better with a group of Altums.


----------



## Garuf (13 Mar 2008)

Why do you run this tank so full of water? I was under the impression water shouldn't cover the braces?


----------



## james3200 (13 Mar 2008)

Yea the altums are definately needed..

The tank water is at its highest level as its the afternoon and thats when the water change happens, then by morning it sits under the braces.


----------



## Garuf (13 Mar 2008)

How does that work then?  :?  If its a water change should the water not be much lower than the braces?


----------



## Steve Smith (13 Mar 2008)

I'm guessing this is post water change, and by tomorrow with those hot lights etc there will be some evapouration...

Awsome tank James


----------



## plantbrain (14 Mar 2008)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank*

5000 pounds?
Oh lordy.........


Regards, 
Tom Barr


----------



## TDI-line (14 Mar 2008)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank*

So does Mrs James read this forum....*Â£5000!!!!!*


----------



## Themuleous (14 Mar 2008)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank*


----------



## james3200 (14 Mar 2008)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank*



> I'm guessing this is post water change, and by tomorrow with those hot lights etc there will be some evapouration...



Yep thats right, until about 1pm when it refills again

Yea, the tank was an expensive setup but il be very happy when i get the Altums, & no My girlfriend does not read this forum   

Cost me more like half that, from selling loads of supplies + VAT and the computer was from my last setup


----------



## Garuf (14 Mar 2008)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank*



			
				plantbrain said:
			
		

> 5000 pounds?
> Oh lordy.........
> 
> 
> ...



So how much would this tank cost state side Tom?


----------



## plantbrain (15 Mar 2008)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank*

My 180 gal which a few cm shorter, ran about 3000$ total. 
About Â£1500 with the conversion rates.

Seems like everything there is 2x as much.
I do not pay for plants and if so, wholesale, same for fish and most items.
Dry goods I do not get quite as good deals on though. 
But I try and get the nice stuff and have it look decent.

Yes, selling off some of the stuff you later realize you never needed is part of the deal.
Some things you try and decide against.

But I blow my $ on CO2 meters, PAR meters O2 meters, Spects, micropippetters and reagents  

I must have 20k$ in stuff like that.
Larger tanks like this are good sources of income for plants.
You can make a good amount selling to the clubs and then make more friends by trading among the plant club members. Then you can use plants rather than money, just like the old days

Regards, 
Tom Barr


----------



## Aqua Essentials (16 Apr 2008)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank*

Is there an update on this tank?  I wondered how the altums are and if you have any shots of them 'in action'


----------



## George Farmer (16 Apr 2008)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank*



			
				plantbrain said:
			
		

> Seems like everything there is 2x as much.



That's about right for most US vs. UK stuff.


----------



## daniel19831123 (16 Apr 2008)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank*

Yeah you guys keep getting the good deal. Not only the price is half of what it cost to buy it here, the portion offered is doubled!


----------



## james3200 (16 Apr 2008)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank*



> Is there an update on this tank? I wondered how the altums are and if you have any shots of them 'in action'



Il have an update some time next week when i get the fish. Unfortunately, i have had enough of waiting for them, i have tried so many channels but no one can supply at the moment 

The tank is going to be treated with some wild discus as originally planned

Appart from that the tank is now on step 2 and the plants have responded very nicely, will have some updated pictures soon.


----------



## TDI-line (17 Apr 2008)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank*

Sounds great, wild discus. 

What kind are you getting?


----------



## james3200 (17 Apr 2008)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank*

Tefe Greens

Might even get them at the weekend


----------



## TDI-line (17 Apr 2008)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank*

Stunning James, i used to have a couple of Tefe green spotted a few years back. Bought them as a breeding pair, sure they were males though.


----------



## james3200 (17 Apr 2008)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank*

Il be gettting 7 of them so should finish the tank of nicely


----------



## Themuleous (18 Apr 2008)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank*

They are gonna love that tank!  Lets hope you get some spawning.

Sam


----------



## Ed Seeley (18 Apr 2008)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank*

My favourite form of discus - great choice.  Think they will look awesome.  Can't wait to see the pictures.


----------



## daniel19831123 (18 Apr 2008)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank*

any idea where you will getting the discus from? and what size they're gonna be?


----------



## james3200 (19 Apr 2008)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank*

Yea spawning them would be awesome.. I am getting them from a popular source   they are about 6" and his personal fish 

Off to pick them up tomorrow morning, so watch this space!!


----------



## james3200 (20 Apr 2008)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank*

Made my way up to Chens discus today, nice bloke and some great stock

They have now got use to the co2 levels and seem to be happy. Obviously they have to colour up alot and i did not have the hallides on,im really happy with them 































You might have noticed i have no cardinals.. I lost 60 of them ifor a unknown reason, water was perfect, no ich. I did add some from MA and they must have had something and i only have 2 left.. Checkerboards perished too, i will be replacing them with rummies soon and quarentine them.. thats what the fluval is for

Gave the tank a trim yesterday and got rid of some of the balansea, ferns and tenellus. I am almost happy with it, as soon as the swords and the balansea fills in i think it will be 'finished'


----------



## TDI-line (20 Apr 2008)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - Discus now in*

They look great James, and they seem to be shoaling very well.

I had a feeling you were going to see Francis, he really does know his discus.


----------



## Arana (20 Apr 2008)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - Discus now in*

The tank is looking fab james and the Discus suite your scape perfectly, well done mate


----------



## Ed Seeley (20 Apr 2008)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - Discus now in*

They look great James.  Sorry to hear about the losses.  Any idea what did them in?  What were the symptoms?


----------



## LondonDragon (20 Apr 2008)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - Discus now in*

Love the Discus  tank looks awsome


----------



## james3200 (20 Apr 2008)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - Discus now in*

Cheers, they are beautiful fish



> Any idea what did them in? What were the symptoms?



No idea, no symptons, in about 48 hours they all died, they were not even off colour


----------



## a1Matt (21 Apr 2008)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank*



			
				james3200 said:
			
		

> will be replacing them with rummies soon



Shame about losing the cardinals, but a big school of rummies will look absolutely fantastic


----------



## Themuleous (21 Apr 2008)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - Discus now in*

That's very odd, to lose to many in one go, something must have been up, not that I need to tell you that.

Discus are b.e.a.utiful 

Sam


----------



## Steve Smith (21 Apr 2008)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - Discus now in*

I've never been a discuss fan, but they look gorgeous   Congrats


----------



## Joecoral (21 Apr 2008)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - Discus now in*

looking good mate, chens really do have some fantastic discus!
infact the LFS i work at is soon to be a distributor of Chens discus, can't wait!


----------



## Ivan (23 Apr 2008)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - Discus now in*

Well, that is pretty! Only thing I'd say is for a tank that size you could double the amount of discus, though that might not be the best for the overall balance. I'd definately get 4 more myself. 

Congrats though!!!


----------



## tanker (24 Apr 2008)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - Discus now in*

wow, impressive tank... i'm impressed James.. the set up, lay out, the tech involved, and the discus look really nice. i'll be following this tread nicely


----------



## Themuleous (25 Apr 2008)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - Discus now in*

I hate to say it but thats not white spot on some of them is it?  Could just be bubbles I guess.

Sam


----------



## jay (20 Aug 2008)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - Discus now in*

Wow!Just read through this whole thread and I can't believe its ended like this.


----------



## TDI-line (20 Aug 2008)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - Discus now in*

Any update pics James?


----------



## james3200 (30 Sep 2008)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - Discus now in*

Hi all.

Yea there will be soon, recently re planted the lawn..

Have not been around on forums for quite a few months for a number of reasons, but will try and get a nice update of the tank once the lawn is filled in again.

Here is a teaser ( branch is over 3')  





James


----------



## Dan Crawford (30 Sep 2008)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - Discus now in*

NICE! good to see you back again. I found that the tree from "Route to Wilderness" looked better out of the water


----------



## james3200 (30 Sep 2008)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - Discus now in*

Thanks

Nice to be back, lots to go through though!

James


----------



## joyous214 (30 Sep 2008)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - Discus now in*

wow nice more pics needed


----------



## vauxhallmark (30 Sep 2008)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - Discus now in*

Wooh-hoo!

Great to see this thread back up!

Mark


----------



## mick b (30 Sep 2008)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - Discus now in*

Hi James,

Looking good!

I'm glad you went for Discus, but I'm biased  

IMO/E Cardinals are prone to sudden shifts in water parameters :?: , I have 200+ in my display tank, with 21 Discus, no problems, providing the Discus are well fed!    

Also impressed with your auto WC, the only way to go (IMO/E) with the WC schedule of a large Discus tank 8) 

Cheers,  Mick B


----------



## oldwhitewood (30 Sep 2008)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - Discus now in*

Blown away mate, the layout looks absolutely awesome!


----------



## mick b (30 Sep 2008)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - Discus now in*

Hi James,

Just a thought?  

Wonder if, with all those Discus, you may be visiting the British Discus Show @ Bristol in November??
(Not too far from you!)
www.british-discus-show.com


Cheers,  Mick B


----------



## jay (30 Sep 2008)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - Discus now in*

Thats a lot of java on that wood  
Tasty hehe
Cant wait for new pics, Remember this was one of the first tanks I saw on this site


----------



## james3200 (1 Oct 2008)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - Discus now in*

Thanks all for the comments

I am on the hunt now for the next 4 or 5 tefes to go in.. not easy, but I think I may have a source.



> Wonder if, with all those Discus, you may be visiting the British Discus Show @ Bristol in November??



Just looked at the dates and its on my Birthday wknd, so don't think I can make it unfortunately



> Thats a lot of java on that wood



Yea a bit too much now.. i also have the other branch looking like that also, will get a thinning out at the weekend 

James


----------



## james3200 (23 Jan 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - Discus now in*

Hi,

Its been a while since I have been on the forums, 

Here is a picture I took today, it will be getting a trim soon (fern) and the v.nana that I planted a few months ago is starting to get how I want.

Tank is now approx 14 months old and the tenellus has been replanted once and in a few months it will need it again

Getting quite a few more discus soon (others a camera shy?!), hopefully by end of feb when il take plenty of pictures with a decent camera after the vallis has grown and it will finally have the look i have been going for. I think the draping vallis background will finish it nicely. Its also a bit cloudy as i got rid of some dwarf sag which kicked up some dirt just before I took pictures   










I also added a spare eheim 2217 with an external co2 reactor on the other side of the tank which has helped lots with some minor algae issues on the sand area. Other than that it has been a nice easy tank to look after


----------



## Joecoral (23 Jan 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

Looking great James, this is probably one of my favourite setups, like it a lot
What discus will you be getting, more of the same?


----------



## james3200 (23 Jan 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

Many thanks, 

Yep, more tefe greens


----------



## TDI-line (23 Jan 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

Looking good James, those tefe greens are lovely.


----------



## steve2tanks (23 Jan 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

Tank looks great,plants look nice and healthy and discus look great in there


----------



## Vase (23 Jan 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

Thats looking awesome mate. How do the Discus get on with the halides and ferts? Do they hide a lot or stay in the open?


----------



## james3200 (24 Jan 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

Cheers, the tefes are lovely, allot of personality. 

I haven't been using the halides for the last few months, it caused a few algae problems and melting as soon as the ferns reached the surface, and I found this tank does not really need it. The discus seem fine with the ferts, i am still using the ADA step system but dosing pretty lightly, when i replanted the tenellus i added a couple of inches of ADA substrate and root tabs so that's helped.


----------



## Ray (24 Jan 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

Still looking lovely, which says something after 14 months.  This has always been the ultimate tank, with as many labour saving devices as possible mixed in.  I'm curious about a couple of things:

- How long is your 32kg CO2 canister lasting you?
- How much maintenance time do you spend a week.  I'm assuming with the automatic water changes all you really have to do is wipe the glass, feed, vac the sand and trim any plants that need it - an hour?!  Do you mow the _e. tenellus_ too or just let it run rampant?

Cheers,


----------



## james3200 (24 Jan 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

Thanks Ray

That was always the plan, its in the office so cant have any stems in there!

The BOC Cylinder is still going strong, got it Jan 08, i have about half left. No word from BOC yet on the yearly rental.. 

Yep, just feed, syphon any left over bits from the sand and trim, which is usually done twice a month. I just let the tenellus go and do its thing, i will trim the runners that go onto the sand though. I basically know when its ready to rip up and replant when the runners start going vertical and are easy to move when i run my fingers through the lawn, so far so good.. 

Only thing i would have changed is the filtration, to prime ,its is a nightmare


----------



## Tony Swinney (25 Jan 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

Hi James

Just wanted to say thats a great tank !  I'm sure i've seen it before somewhere - maybe a discus forum  :?:

 My 5ft discus tank has a similar setup in terms of water change and auto-dosing, but its not really been 'planted', other than a wall of vallis across the back.  However seeing your setup might just change that - the tennelus is beautiful.

Cheers

Tony


----------



## james3200 (25 Jan 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

Cheers Tony

Its well worth it! yep its on uk discus forum, posted some pics when i got the discus in.

If you want some tenellus i will have some in 5 - 6 wks, look out in the classifieds. 

Cheers,
James


----------



## Tony Swinney (25 Jan 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

Sounds good James - I'll keep an eye out.

Cheers
Tony


----------



## LondonDragon (25 Jan 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

This always been one of my fav tanks due to its size and how its scaped simple yet with an impact.
This is the sort of size tank that I like seeing Discus in, anything smaller than and I won't like the Discus, large shoal and lots of space is great, the vallis will be great for them too so they can hide from the light when they want 
Keep up the good work James looking forward to seeing the larger shoal of Discus.


----------



## james3200 (25 Jan 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

Thanks Paulo!

Yep the vallis has just started to grow strong, it had a hard time getting established in the corner because of the ferns blocking light, but its reaching the surface now so should not be too long.. The discus will surely appreciate more shaded areas, it was always the plan with the balansea i added originally, but that did not work out

I am itching to get more discus! Been far too patient!!!


----------



## james3200 (2 Feb 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

I have got my deposit on the new wilds    Will have a total of 10 when i pick the others up in around 2 weeks time, they are in quarentine at the moment. I plan to have a total of 12 - 14 but will see how 10 looks

Here is a picture i took today, i am useless at taking pictures.. If anyone lives near me and wants some tenellus in exchange of taking some decent pics please let me know!!


----------



## LondonDragon (2 Feb 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*



			
				james3200 said:
			
		

> Here is a picture i took today, i am useless at taking pictures.. If anyone lives near me and wants some tenellus in exchange of taking some decent pics please let me know!!


Get a tripod and don't use the flash  try various manual settings, up the ISO for faster shooting 
If you lived a bit closer I could come down and try, although I am not that good myself anyway lol


----------



## GreenNeedle (2 Feb 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

Must say that is looking lush   Must be great to have that amount of room to let thins just grow.

AC


----------



## John Starkey (2 Feb 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

Hi James,i absolutley love your setup,well planted and thought out with discus in mind,when my 5x2x2 is ready for a rescape i may consider something similar to your setup,well done regards john.


----------



## james3200 (2 Feb 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

Cheers, it is nice to let it grow on its own accord 

Thanks John, its by far the easiest tank i have ever looked after, even compared to my Nanos

The sad thing is i used a Nikon D80, which is the office camera, but no one knows how to use it to put it to justice


----------



## Ray (3 Feb 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

I have a D40 and asked similar question of Saintly.  I'll tell you what he said, it might help, helped me.  You do need to get your instruction book out set all the manual settings mind, but your tank is in the office so you can always have a play at lunchtime - handy that 



			
				saintly said:
			
		

> Firstly, do you shoot raw OR J PEG? SHOOTING raw gives you much more room for error regards exposure and much more control over white balance.
> 
> I always shoot 2 stops under -2EV white balance, so i don't loose any detail in the highlights.
> 
> ...



I'd add, no flash and use a tripod.  Might be worth putting your halides on just for the shoot.


----------



## Mark Evans (3 Feb 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

yep, i said that. also just to make clear. when i say iso is lens dependent i mean at smaller F-stop numbers. obviously f1.4 means ISO 100 all the way    but F4.5 means iso 400. that's what i mean by lens dependent before i get shot.     f8-11 iso is not governed by the lens so much...only in quality of image


----------



## james3200 (3 Feb 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

Thanks!

Putting the halides on is a good idea..

I will try and get my head around it all


----------



## George Farmer (3 Feb 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

Tank is looking very nice, James.  

How often do you thin out the ferns and tenellus?

Regarding photography, for full tank shots, try going near as wide as possible (lowest end of focal range) if you have a zoom lens.  

Use aperture priority ("A" on the Nikon dial), dial in f/5.6 or higher, ISO 800 with all your lights on.  

This should hopefully give you a good balance of depth of field and fairly fast shutter speed to capture the fish.  You can up the f/stop for more depth of field but your shutter speed will slow.

In Aperture Priority mode you can mess around with your f/stops and ISO and the camera will sort out the shutter speed for you.  With slow moving fish you can get away with 1/50th shutter speed or slower sometimes.

A tripod is generally a must with shutter speeds less than 1/100th with regular lenses.

I hope that helps.  I'm no expert, but know what works ok for me.


----------



## Dave Spencer (3 Feb 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*



			
				Ray said:
			
		

> I'd add, no flash and use a tripod.  Might be worth putting your halides on just for the shoot.



Flash used directly above the tank, or used to illuminate the background works well. I have two flash guns I can fire remotely, but have yet to try this out (too many other things to photograph).

The underexposure Saintly mentions is important too. Post processing can pull a tremendous amount of detail out of the shadows, but burnt out detail is gone forever.

Dave.


----------



## james3200 (3 Feb 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

I have a tripod available and will give it a go.

Thanks for the feedback and help regarding the photos, I am going to give it a good go once the cover is off the tank (having a 3 day blackout up to tomorrow)



> Tank is looking very nice, James.
> 
> How often do you thin out the ferns and tenellus?



Thanks, the tenellus has been done once, and will probably need it in the next few months, its still growing sideways rather than up. It starts to go like a big mound of riccia and starts lifting off the substrate, but so far that has not happened. Ferns just get done when they are getting to near the surface, id say probably every 2 - 3 months, but i haven't really kept an eye on it tbh.


----------



## George Farmer (3 Feb 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*



			
				Dave Spencer said:
			
		

> Ray said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



You'd need softboxes or lots of flashes, or both to get a decent spread over James's bad boy!

Salient point on the underexposing.  Look out for 'blinkies' on the histogram.


----------



## George Farmer (3 Feb 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*



			
				james3200 said:
			
		

> Thanks, the tenellus has been done once, and will probably need it in the next few months, its still growing sideways rather than up. It starts to go like a big mound of riccia and starts lifting off the substrate, but so far that has not happened. Ferns just get done when they are getting to near the surface, id say probably every 2 - 3 months, but i haven't really kept an eye on it tbh.



Nice one!  Nice and low maintenance then.  

Do you anticipate more algae with more discus and their feeding requirements, or do you think it'll be ok?

My main concern when considering these awesome fish is trapped food amongst planting, leading to potential algae issues.

BTW what do your colleagues make of it?   I bet they love it!


----------



## james3200 (3 Feb 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

Yep, nice and easy to look after, other than when I need to clean the main filter   

Regarding Algae, we shall wait and see.  :?  I haven't tested the tank for anything other than TDS in ages, the only algae I have had with this is this current hair stuff and some BBA when i ran out of co2 before i got the big BOC cylinder.

Trapped food is a problem i suppose, but I always feed over the sanded area, and they are pretty quick to scoff it down + the rummies do a good job picking and hunting the left overs   However, I do need some good algae eaters, and I am trying to decide on what would work best, any thoughts anyone?

My next addition (other than the wilds) is going to be 15 or 20 Nannostomus bekfordi for some action up by the ferns



> BTW what do your colleagues make of it? I bet they love it!



Generally they do yea, they all thought I was mad when I set it up lol The main question i get asked though is when are you going to add lots of different fish or why don't you add some red plants in there..


----------



## Tony Swinney (3 Feb 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

Hi James

Just a thought on the trapped food situation - I find the cory sterbai and the amano shrimp do a great job of cleaning up in amongst the bases of plants - they're like fairys that come out at night and spring clean the place   

Cheers

Tony


----------



## George Farmer (3 Feb 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

I'm a recent convert to bristlenose.  Awesome algae eaters and scavengers.


----------



## james3200 (3 Feb 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*



> Just a thought on the trapped food situation - I find the cory sterbai and the amano shrimp do a great job of cleaning up in amongst the bases of plants - they're like fairys that come out at night and spring clean the place



Shrimps are an option, i may get some amanos before the wilds arrive. I don't really want corys, i actually got rid of a breeding group of Adolfi just before I set this tank up as I wanted to keep my sand, sand, and not sand and aquasoil 

I do like Bristlenoses, I have got my local maidenhead aquatics in Morden on the hunt for a sturisoma aureum, but no news yet


----------



## Dave Spencer (3 Feb 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*



			
				George Farmer said:
			
		

> You'd need softboxes or lots of flashes, or both to get a decent spread over James's bad boy!



That`s what I get for not reading the thread and realising the size of the tank.  

Dave.


----------



## Themuleous (3 Feb 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

Tanks looking properly great James, bet it looks quality in the flesh.

Sam


----------



## james3200 (3 Feb 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

Thanks Sam, if your around these parts your welcome again 

James


----------



## jb92 (3 Feb 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

hi amazing looking tank
jb


----------



## Themuleous (4 Feb 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

Cheers, no doubt I will be at some stage!  I'll give you a shout.

Sam


----------



## John Starkey (4 Feb 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

Hi James,just a thought on the issue of your e-tennelus and algae issues,a plant that would be a good replacement and would suit your discus as well (tempreture and so on)is Echinodorus quadricostatus,it spreads really fast,does not grow together too tightly,it would be easier to keep clean,and i think it would look superb in your setup,regards john


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## james3200 (4 Feb 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

Thanks for the suggestion John,

I might try something after the next replant, not sure yet.. I originally was going to use Glosso, i must have been drinking that day


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## LondonDragon (4 Feb 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*



			
				james3200 said:
			
		

> I originally was going to use Glosso, i must have been drinking that day


Hahaha unless you have a full 24 hours a week to trim it  and replant it every 3-4 months  
Its hard work on my Rio 125! so I can't even try to imagine it on your tank


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## james3200 (4 Feb 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

LOL true, it was a bad idea


----------



## james3200 (8 Feb 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

Slight update

I have got myself 4 bristlenoses (3f, 1m) and 20 bekfordi pencils in a friends QT tank, they will be going in soonish.

I took a picture of the left side of the tank which is one of my favourite views, prob because i don't see this from my desk at work   










You can see that the vallis is starting to creep up at last..

The koralia pumps i added to improve circulation have really helped and the tank looks allot better for it. The algae prob i had so far has not returned after i trimmed the effected areas and blacked out the tank for 3 days. Still early, but its a good sign as it use to grow rapidly. Found out that the tenellus can cope with a trim once in a while too.

Discus will be going in on the 21st


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## Themuleous (8 Feb 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

Those java fern are huge!! Love it 

Sam


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## james3200 (15 Feb 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

Cheers 

Well i got a big surprise today, the 180lt QT tank i am using in the pic bellow for the new arrivals has had a few inches of water in it since September / October with no filter, just cold cold water, and while i was clearing it out, there were 5 big amanos in there! Unbelievable that they have survived so many months in such cold water, thought id fish them all out before   





Added a fluval 4 in the main tank to mature, and on Friday when I get the new discus I will be moving the intake/outlet of the 2217 I have from the main tank over into the QT tank, with some aged water. I have an inline co2 reactor though on this loop so i am going to have to get it in there another way for a few weeks  :? 

Now I have to try an persuade others in the office to let me keep the QT tank going for a bit longer as a pair I have  in the main tank have become more dominant and are displaying at each other over the last week or so


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## aaronnorth (15 Feb 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

I cant believe the size of that tank   Excellent comparison shot!


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## Thomas McMillan (15 Feb 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*



			
				aaronnorth said:
			
		

> I cant believe the size of that tank   Excellent comparison shot!



Forget that, if the tank is that big imagine how large those ferns must me!


----------



## aaronnorth (15 Feb 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*



			
				Thomas McMillan said:
			
		

> aaronnorth said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



haha


----------



## Mark Evans (15 Feb 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

i'd love to photograph it


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## Tony Swinney (15 Feb 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

So the new wilds arrive on Friday James (are they from Chens?) ?  Goes without saying, we want pictures asap


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## james3200 (15 Feb 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

Guess it is a good comparison shot, didn't think of that 

The ferns are big, had to trim not long ago



> i'd love to photograph it



Your more than welcome to, let me know when  



> So the new wilds arrive on Friday James (are they from Chens?) ? Goes without saying, we want pictures asap



Yep, taking the day off and going down in the morning to Discus south in Southampton to pick them up, apparantly they are pretty large  Might be working late on Friday  

Here is a picture of the fish


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## Tony Swinney (16 Feb 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

Sounds like a nice way to spend your Friday !  I've heard good things about Discus South, and those discus look great !

Good luck with it   

Tony


----------



## Aeropars (17 Feb 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

Wow. that pipework is very neat and tidy. What are the bits you used for cornering the pipework? I was hoping to do something like this myself.


----------



## james3200 (17 Feb 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

Thanks,

Here is where i bought the lot 

http://www.fishfurfeather.com/plumbing- ... 0_121.html

You need elbows, pipe and hosetails any other bits, i did a drawing and spent a few hours working out what bits i need

Glues together in seconds with the adhesive


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## Tony Swinney (17 Feb 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

Hi James

Did you use the hard pipework to route the eheim hoses through, or did you replace the eheim hoses all together with  hard pipe ?  If you replaced the rubber hosing, how did you connect to the filter and other bits ?  Also what diameter hard piping have you used ?

Cheers

Tony


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## Themuleous (18 Feb 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

I take it also that the shrimp weren't being fed then either?  That's madness!

I'm sure you can persuade them to let yo keep the second tank, another planted tank would just finish the office of nicely  or dare I say it...a marine tank?

Sam


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## james3200 (20 Feb 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

Hi,



> Did you use the hard pipework to route the eheim hoses through



Yes, the only flexible pipe was used in between the hosetails and between the heaters & co2 inlet/outlet.



> If you replaced the rubber hosing, how did you connect to the filter and other bits



The eheim universal 1262 has a thread at the top and comes with a connection onto normal pipework.

http://www.eheim.de/eheim/inhalte/index ... 27591_ehen

Where I bought the pipework they supply the same size thread with a 20mm plain connection on the other side for gluing onto the pipe work.



> Also what diameter hard piping have you used ?



20mm



> I take it also that the shrimp weren't being fed then either? That's madness!
> 
> I'm sure you can persuade them to let yo keep the second tank, another planted tank would just finish the office of nicely  or dare I say it...a marine tank?



Nope shrimps had nothing!

Perhaps, ill try my best 

New discus are in my QT tank now, just letting them settle down before i get the camera out

James


----------



## james3200 (20 Feb 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

Here they are!

All looking great and the trip from Southampton was quick so they have settled in well 

I am now deciding who is the new favourite


----------



## TDI-line (20 Feb 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

Wow, there all lovely James.


----------



## Ed Seeley (20 Feb 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

Fantastic fish James.  What are they, Royal Blues?


----------



## james3200 (20 Feb 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

Il pass the complements on    

They are a bit ragged atm, but that should pass by the time they are ready to leave QT

They are tefe green 'semi royal' apparently, the blue comes up allot more under the lights I have on the QT tank, under the daylight tubes in my main tank they should look very similar to my existing ones.


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## Tony Swinney (20 Feb 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

Great looking discus James - how long will you QT them for ?

I wonder if theyll all gather at the left of the QT tank, drooling in anticipation at the BIG tank   

Tony


----------



## Thomas McMillan (20 Feb 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

Nice fish, how many did you get? How long do you QT them for?


----------



## samc (20 Feb 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

nice! iv allways liked discus there so gracefull


----------



## LondonDragon (20 Feb 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

WOW they look great mate  this is the only kind of discus i like, hate all the colourfull ones, wild all the way.
congrats mate, looks like i will have to bring the shrimp to you instead to have a look at this great tank hehe


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## james3200 (21 Feb 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

Cheers!



> Great looking discus James - how long will you QT them for ?



If all goes well, no health issues, eating lots, then it will be around 4 - 5 wks

Worth it though as it should minimise any future health problems.

I have noticed that the existing stock is keeping a close eye on them, did not take them long to realise something was happening  



> Nice fish, how many did you get?



thanks, got 5



> nice! iv always liked discus there so gracefull



Cheers Sam, they are 



> WOW they look great mate  this is the only kind of discus i like, hate all the colourfull ones, wild all the way.
> congrats mate, looks like i will have to bring the shrimp to you instead to have a look at this great tank hehe



My plan has worked  Thanks Paulo, sure, come down if you like


----------



## james3200 (1 Mar 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

The discus are still doing well and are in QT, so tempted to get them in  Must be patient!

Been a few weeks since a last shot of the tank, since then I added a few extra pots of v.nana to help the layout out a bit as I don't want to be planting when the new ones are in there. 

After my algae outbreak, of a green hair like algae, which has now not returned after a month or so, i trimmed the tenellus. This did not go as well as i thought and some of it started to die off and get fuzz like algae on it. I pulled out the effected bits and its looking good again. Thankfully its so dense you hardly notice I pulled them out  I also trimmed heavily the ferns and re arranged the plantlets and trimmed the largest of leaves, so hopefully in a few weeks it should be back to normal.

Also my only male bristlenose somehow got caught inside a koralia 1 pump, i got it out, but unfortunately it died the next day, have not got a clue how it got in there.

I have also now been using the halides again for the past week for 45mins which has speeded up growth and lights the tank up much better (hence the pearling), the last picture is of just using the T5s





























And at the moment all the action is to the right of the tank


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## LondonDragon (1 Mar 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

Tank looks amazing James, when you moving the Discus from quarantine? If that going to be your cherry shrimp tank afterwards??? hehehe good work, I really have to come down and see it.


----------



## james3200 (1 Mar 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

Thanks Paulo

They will be in there by the end of March, in about 2 weeks time i will add one of my existing discus into the new group and if it does not get ill it should mean the new ones are disease free, discus keepers call it the 'sacrificial lamb' way.. if done correctly though its a good way of doing a QT.

I am not sure about plans for the QT tank, as i might leave it running for a bit longer incase anything happens with the stock, and as i have a pair in the big tank, i might move them over to help hopefully spawn them  Just trying to persuade the Mrs to let me have a small shrimp tank at home now


----------



## Tony Swinney (1 Mar 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

Looks lovely James - bet the new discus cant wait to get in the big tank   

Cheers

Tony


----------



## james3200 (1 Mar 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

Thanks Tony,

They are not the only ones


----------



## james3200 (12 Mar 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

Got into the office early and had a shock, my QT tank was leaking at the rear base, about 50lts of water on the floor and was still going when I got in. Have done very little work today because of it. Have not got a clue how it happened, but it was a cheap oldish one supposed to be for a sump, and has been moved about allot, on the skip now. Anyway, after going to HSS hire and getting a wet vac I put the discus in a poly box getting drip fed with the main tank water for an hour or so.

So earlier than planned I put them in today, here they are;





















They seem good and happy, still need to colour up a fair bit though and getting used to the light..

Happy, but a stressful day also..


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## Tony Swinney (12 Mar 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

Bloody hell James - thats not good. At least the leak was slow enough not to drop all the water out.    

They look great in the big tank, and seem to be shoaling with the others already.  Time to have a breather, and sit back admiring them I reckon


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## hellohefalump (12 Mar 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

wow I'm glad you didn't lose them from lack of water!  They look wonderful swimming about with the others.  This really is a fantastic tank!


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## a1Matt (12 Mar 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

wow! I bet stressful is an understatement. They look stunning in their new home.


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## Thomas McMillan (12 Mar 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

Well at least it means they're in the main tank now.


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## james3200 (12 Mar 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

Yea, I am so glad that no more water came out or it gave way.. it was a trickle, but about a 3rd of the tank water went on the floor. Hopefully it has not ruined the cabinet bellow also. 

No breather yet.. i am still drying up the floor, but at least I get to watch the discus 

No more tanks in the office!


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## Steve Smith (12 Mar 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

They look amazing James   I bet you're loving watching them!


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## Themuleous (12 Mar 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

Absolutely love the discus, they are beautiful.

Sam


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## Tony Swinney (7 Apr 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

Hi James

How are the new wilds doing ?  Hope all was OK after your leak.

Tony


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## plantbrain (8 Apr 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

Nice tank and group of discus.

Are they all eating well?

Regards, 
Tom Barr


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## james3200 (8 Apr 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

Hi Tony,

They are doing good, many of them are now dominant in the tank   

Thanks Tom,

Yes they are eating well, all they want to do is eat at the moment, any time you are near the tank or open the hood they are there 

First issue with the tank at the moment is for the last month or more i have had a bacterial bloom:






I will be swapping my 2217 with an inline reactor for a 2280 with a larger aquamas reactor later this month to add to filtration as the 2217 is a bit of a dribble..

Second issue is melting vallis nana. It gets to about 40cm then the tops melt. New growth is strong, dosing step 3 & brightk k, any ideas?

Thanks,
james


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## james3200 (8 May 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

Hello All,

Been a month since the last update & had a quieter day at work so took some pictures 

The tank is starting to almost run itself now. I have halved the co2 and this has seemed to have stopped the last algae problems i had, lighting on from 9am to 4pm, halides for 30 mins at noon. I dose about 60ml of step 3 / brighty k per week and its ticking over nicely. Have not touched it for a month or more (except to feed the ravenous discus ) hence all the AS over the sand and overgrown ferns / tenellus. In my last post I said about the vallis melting, I read on ukaps that vallis does not like excel, so stopped that and you can see it growing in nicely now, next update in a month should see the background I have always wanted in this tank. 










































b. regards
James


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## LondonDragon (8 May 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

Looking better all the time James! Those ferns grow like crazy


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## Themuleous (8 May 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

Lovely tank James.  The discus are especially nice, worth every penny Im sure   The java fern is also mad!

Sam


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## james3200 (8 May 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

Cheers Guys

The ferns do grow madly, new plantlets just get pushed into the bunches  

Still cant shift the cloudiness to the tank, been a few months now like this, an eheim 2280 will be added soon instead of the 2217 and il be getting rid of the 13mm external reactor for a bigger one to see if that helps.


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## Dave Spencer (8 May 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

I reckon Discus must be the kings of the planted tank. Looking good James.

Dave.


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## aaronnorth (8 May 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

the most amazing java fern i have ever seen!
Excellent scape.


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## james3200 (8 May 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

Thanks 



> I reckon Discus must be the kings of the planted tank.



I think so, they eat like kings too


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## LondonDragon (8 May 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*



			
				james3200 said:
			
		

> Still cant shift the cloudiness to the tank, been a few months now like this


Hi James, just out of interest which type of ADA Soil did you use?? Has I had similar problems with ADA Amazonia II after the tank had been setup for a while.


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## james3200 (8 May 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

Hi Paulo

I used powersand and amazonia I, it happened after i added the new discus and cleaned a filter i think, so think its a filtration issue..? Has happened once before but it cleared up after a few weeks, been 2 or more months now


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## John Starkey (8 May 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

Hi James,amazing setup,worth all the effort and cash spent,the choice of discus is perfect Imo,
Regards john.


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## james3200 (8 May 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

Cheers John, will be getting a few more tefes next spring or earlier perhaps, if some come up for sale.


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## LondonDragon (8 May 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*



			
				james3200 said:
			
		

> it happened after i added the new discus and cleaned a filter i think, so think its a filtration issue..?


Could it be the extra fish?? Since Discus can be a little messy eaters.


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## james3200 (8 May 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

It could well be.. i might give them a week or 2 on granules and frozen food and miss out the beefheart, see what happens..


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## John Starkey (8 May 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*



			
				james3200 said:
			
		

> Cheers John, will be getting a few more tefes next spring or earlier perhaps, if some come up for sale.


Hi James,how many do plan to have in total?,I agree with ld ,when I had discus years ago beef heart always made the water cloudy.
Regards john


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## Tony Swinney (8 May 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

Hi James

Tank is looking great - I love the wilds !  My discus are on beefheart every morning but I've never had cloudy water.  20 % water changes early every morning.

I hope it stays clear for you.

Cheers

Tony


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## james3200 (9 May 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*



> Hi James,how many do plan to have in total?



Not sure atm, maybe 3 or 4 more. I hoping that some may start to spawn soon though.. wilds take a long time to settle in, but hopefully soon that may happen, that's the dream anyway 



> Tank is looking great - I love the wilds ! My discus are on beefheart every morning but I've never had cloudy water. 20 % water changes early every morning.



Cheers Tony. Yea, never had an issue with feeding beefheart in other tanks, so makes me suspicious..Going to give it a miss though for a couple of weeks to test that theory out. It is clearing up slightly, so hopefully the extra filtration will help + its a good fail safe in case the 2260 packs in at anytime.


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## Steve Smith (10 May 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

Stunning James!  You must be particularly proud of it


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## james3200 (10 May 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

Thanks Steve, I am yea, more so as its been my only tank for over 2 years, would love to move it home mind due, however, I cant see the Mrs letting me move it into our terrace house!!


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## james3200 (26 Jun 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

Hi all, 

Did some work on the tank today, cleaned the sand foreground up, and moved some of the vallis to the back, ferns have not been trimmed though..   

Everything is running smoothly, just feeding the fish!


























Still need to work on my Photography though!!

Cheers
James


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## Mark Evans (26 Jun 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

that microsourum is STUNNING!

where you live?


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## John Starkey (26 Jun 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

Absolutley stunning,best Uk planted discus setup I've seen,

Regards john


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## james3200 (26 Jun 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

Cheers guys, means allot 

I live near Croydon, but the tank is in the office I work at on the Purley way, Croydon.


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## samc (26 Jun 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

have to agree its an awsome tank that not many of us would have the patience to wait for it turn out like this


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## Mark Evans (26 Jun 2009)

*Re: James3200s 6.5x2x2' planted tank - UPDATE - 23/01/09*

mmmm, thats a long way. I'd of loved to snap this puppy.


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## james3200 (26 Jun 2009)

Thanks Sam, helps only having one tank..  

Saintly, If your ever around this way, let me know!


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## Joecoral (26 Jun 2009)

Looking amazing as ever James! One of my favourite tanks ever, when I have the time/space/money I might have a go at recreating something like this, albeit on a slightly smaller scale (4x2x2 most likely)
Again, looking amazing!


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## Steve Smith (26 Jun 2009)

That must be a joy to look at when you're in the office James!  How old are the discus now?


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## james3200 (26 Jun 2009)

Thanks again 

I have had the original group of discus since April 08, they must be about 3 years old, the rest were bought Feb 09, a few are dinner plate size, so at least 3-4yrs old i recon, maybe more as they are all wilds..  :?:


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## LondonDragon (26 Jun 2009)

Great stuff James, I need to organize a day to come and see this in the flesh


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## rawr (26 Jun 2009)

How long do Discus normally live?


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## TDI-line (26 Jun 2009)

Looking good James.

Are the discus shoaling?


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## james3200 (26 Jun 2009)

Cheers,

Sure Paulo, let me know when your down this way

If kept well they can live 10+ years

They do shoal, when they feel like it mainly or when foods about to be dropped in  They tend to shoal more when the lights are out though.

James


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## Steve Smith (26 Jun 2009)

I sense a UKAPS mini trip to come see this gorgeous tank


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## james3200 (26 Jun 2009)

Could be done.. couple of people have asked before but have never got round to organising something concrete, no problem in coming down here, I need a hand pruning the ferns   

Will post something up this weekend and see what feedback is like


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## a1Matt (26 Jun 2009)

james3200 said:
			
		

> Could be done.. couple of people have asked before but have never got round to organising something concrete, no problem in coming down here, I need a hand pruning the ferns
> 
> Will post something up this weekend and see what feedback is like



I was one of those people and believe it or not, I was actually thinking about it this week, and was going to ask you how you are fixed for next weekend! (sat AM).  If you are going to do a meetup though I'll happily hold fire and work around whatever day you decide on for that  8)


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## Mark Evans (26 Jun 2009)

a meet and a photo shoot!


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## james3200 (26 Jun 2009)

Sounds good people 

See here - viewtopic.php?f=8&t=6711


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## Mark Webb (21 Nov 2009)

Just read this from start to finish - stunning tank James, any current pics?


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## Rainbow Tank (21 Nov 2009)

Nice love discus they just look so dosile amount the foulage


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## Joecoral (2 Dec 2009)

Any new pictures / updates for us? It's been a few months!


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## mzm (8 Feb 2010)

Great tank James!! Really Impressed!!   

You inspired me to change my setup into something that resembles yours   

Discus are amazing too.

Please keep updating us on this beauty.


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## a1Matt (26 Apr 2010)

Any updates James?

I'd love to pop buy on a weekend and see this tank again....


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## LondonDragon (26 Apr 2010)

a1Matt said:
			
		

> I'd love to pop buy on a weekend and see this tank again....


I would not mind seeing this again in the flesh either hehe  Hope all is still doing well


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## REDSTEVEO (14 Jul 2020)

Thread Bump. Apologies, I know its 10 years ago, but I wouldn't mind knowing how this ended up. Did James manage to sustain this tank with the plants and the Discus?

When was it broken down, did the Discus spawn etc......


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## LondonDragon (14 Jul 2020)

REDSTEVEO said:


> Thread Bump. Apologies, I know its 10 years ago, but I wouldn't mind knowing how this ended up. Did James manage to sustain this tank with the plants and the Discus?
> 
> When was it broken down, did the Discus spawn etc......


It turned into an Altum tank a couple years later!!

https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/james3200s-new-altum-tank-altums-in.21969/


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