# d2's Planted Tank Adventurama



## d2creative (8 Aug 2019)

Hi all!
After more than a decade and several successful builds in the Saltwater Reef hobby, I've decided to jump ship and try my hand at this planted tank thang. I need something new to learn but still need to have a tank in the house, so I figure let's try something a little different and *go green*! Isn't that what all the cool kids are doing these days? :grin2:

I took down the reef a few months back. Meanwhile, I set up a little 7g cube that I've been fooling around with to kind of dip my toe in and start familiarizing myself with freshwater planted practices. But it's really just scratching the surface. For the big tank, I'm going all in! And I'm going to need some (lots) help along the way. I hope you all will be patient with me as I fumble my way through. I do understand the basics of fish keeping and growing things underwater. I just need to mentally let go of some things and pick up new ideas/practices if that makes sense.

Anyway, let's get on with the show, shall we? 

Here's a quick rundown of some of the basics of this build.

*Tank:* WaterBox Clear Pro 6025 - 143 gallons (541 Liters)
*Lighting:* (3) GHL Mitras 7004 
*Controller:* GHL Profilux 4
*Doser:* GHL Doser 2.1  <--- will be implemented later, but I have it from my Reef tank

Those are the current "knowns".

Now to the "unknowns" and "leaning towards" items...

*Filtration:* Thinking of starting with a Fluval FX6 and possibly adding a second one later if needed
*Co2:* 10lb tank? And Dual Stage Regulator needed. Suggestions welcome.
*Heater:* Possibly something in-line?
*Water Changes:* Leaning towards setting up some sort of Auto Water Change system

*Fish, Plants and Scape style:* Going for more of a nature-scape, Amano type of thing but maybe not so plant heavy. A good amount of hardscape with large branch. I'm not really sure. I think I'm just going to have to feel it out. I'd really like to try Discus. But I know they prefer warmer water which limits plant selection. So I'll be talking with the guys at ADG here in Houston to help figure that out. 

It will probably have a pretty asymmetrical setup, partly to help hide equipment in the tank, and partly because the tank is being located close to a corner of the room.

Which brings me to the final part of my first post of this build... the tank location.
The tank will be located on this empty wall, next to the large sliding glass doors, behind the sofa.















That's it for now! Comments and suggestions appreciated. I'm here to learn and share ideas. 
There will be more coming next week as the lights and hopefully the tank arrive!
Thanks!


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## alto (8 Aug 2019)

You’re in the US so I’d absolutely go with GLA regulator 
(I don’t know what ADG uses in their shop tanks, likely they’re using decent kit)

Discus vs Planted
I don’t know how much ADG has done in this regard (the discus tanks I've seen on their website tend to be hardscape dominant with few to no plants), but Takashi Amano featured several large planted tanks with discus (not sure how many are still available online, especially with running details) 
Adrie Baumann has done several planted discus tanks for clients, most recent (so worth raising any questions in comments) 
FB link


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## alto (8 Aug 2019)

For filter, I’d likely go with Oase 600 x 2 for more even flow rate through the aquarium (I prefer this sort of heater over the Hydor Inline which has always been subject to the same overheating failure (while Hydor claims to take these events seriously, nothing has changed significantly in the heater design to  prevent the flaw)

The prefilter design makes it very easy to clean daily or weekly

Im a great Eheim fan, but I don’t believe they’re offering any thermal filters for the NA market - you might look at how Green Aqua is filtering their 650liter tank


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## d2creative (8 Aug 2019)

Great, I'll check out the GLA reg.

I had looked at Oase early on but reviews seemed to be mixed... enough to make me hesitate on purchasing.
I'll take a look again.

And that discus tank looks amazing!


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## Ed Wiser (8 Aug 2019)

Dennis yes GLA Co2 regulators are great that is what I use. 
I am doing a sump on my 120p as I don’t want to crawl around on the floor any more. 
Might look at Rainbow fish too as they put on quite a show with their colors.


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## alto (8 Aug 2019)

d2creative said:


> had looked at Oase early on but reviews seemed to be mixed... enough to make me hesitate on purchasing.
> I'll take a look again.



George Farmer’s detailed video

ADG should have some up and running they can demonstrate/allow you some hands on 
Oase has been working through some issues (likely as production has increased) but their customer service has been excellent 
(I love my Eheims BUT they have zero customer service in Canada, not sure the US is much better - though  specific retailers may provide replacements/parts etc)


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## d2creative (9 Aug 2019)

Thanks for George's vid. I missed that one! I'll look at them again. Good to know about their customer service, and I see they have a USA store.
ADG has them in stock, not sure if any are running. They were running a lot of those polished stainless canister filters.


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## alto (9 Aug 2019)

FB link
Look for this display aquarium


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## alto (9 Aug 2019)

btw Gorgeous Home


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## d2creative (10 Aug 2019)

alto said:


> FB link
> Look for this display aquarium


Ah-ha! Nice. I haven't been there in like 2 months. Will check it out.



alto said:


> btw Gorgeous Home


Thank you.


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## d2creative (13 Aug 2019)

So TODAY IS FINALLY *NEW TANK* DAY! 
UPS Freight should be swinging by the house later this afternoon.


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## Jayefc1 (13 Aug 2019)

Cant waite see the tank


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## CooKieS (13 Aug 2019)

This living Room has the size of my house 

Perfect place to fit an aquascape, curious to see the tank too


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## Jayefc1 (13 Aug 2019)

And mine mate


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## Kalum (13 Aug 2019)

Your house looks awesome mate and love your style going big after you had a smaller trial tank

Getting something plumbed in to help you with water changes as you mention would definitely be the way to go with such a big tank and since it's right next to an external wall


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## d2creative (14 Aug 2019)

LOL, thanks guys. 

IT'S HERE!!! 

I've got a vid I'm working on but here's a few pics after I dug into it to make sure it made the trip in one piece.

One thing I've got to say... it's a lot bigger in person than on paper!!!


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## d2creative (14 Aug 2019)

First vid for the new build! Had a little help with this one.


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## d2creative (14 Aug 2019)

I need to make a decision on the filter.
I'm down to two.
Fluval FX6 and Oase Biomaster 600 Thermal
One major concern is the power. The fluval is rated much higher, but how accurate are these number? I read somewhere that the Oase rating is much closer to reality. Maybe the two aren't that far apart???

Pros for Fluval:
Stronger Flow
Self starting
Auto air evacuation
Can probably get away with one for awhile

Pros for Oase: 
Integrated Heater
Easy clean pre-filter
Smaller diameter tubing fits Lilly Pipes
Customer service

Probably going to need two of the Oase right away or fairly quickly. Or at least one plus a power head?

Interested in what everyone else thinks.

Thanks!


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## alto (15 Aug 2019)

Oase

Do you need a heater in Texas?


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## alto (15 Aug 2019)

Though Fluval series 7 is rumoured to have sorted a lot of their issues, I’ve not gotten an update from users

Obviously FX6 is still older series - if you add fittings to allow use of lilypipes, inline heater, CO reactor etc, FX6 flow will reduce significantly - motor depends upon minimal backpressure to maintain “promised” flow rate 

In contrast, Eheim Professional series is designed to maintain flow despite increasing back pressure 

I don’t know how Oase performs against back pressure, but a weekly rinse of the prefilter should certainly maintain clean flowing media


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## d2creative (15 Aug 2019)

alto said:


> Oase
> 
> Do you need a heater in Texas?


Homes are fully temp controlled. As long as the house has power, interior temp is a constant 72-ish give or take depending on time of day.


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## d2creative (15 Aug 2019)

Started building the stand last night. Going to try to put a bit of a time-lapse vid together but for now, here's a few pics...

Hardware...






All the things...





And the base. Tons of leveling feet. 
The exterior of the stand is white, but the interior is black now.
I'll try to show it in the vid, but the instructions are lacking. They are illustrated steps, nice and clear but almost zero mention of any of the hardware.
If you've put IKEA together before, it shouldn't be a problem. Has been pretty straight forward so far.
And there are some good videos for reference, even if it's not this specific stand.
https://www.waterboxaquariums.com/manuals/


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## leedsrhinojohn (15 Aug 2019)

Coming from the salty side have you considered using a sumped system?


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## d2creative (15 Aug 2019)

leedsrhinojohn said:


> Coming from the salty side have you considered using a sumped system?


I did! Looked at a few different options.
But I think after having sumps in all my reef tanks over the years, I just wanted to try something different this time.


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## d2creative (15 Aug 2019)

Well, I just pulled the trigger on TWO Oase 600 Thermo canisters.
The integrated heater, prefilter and ability to easily use glass pipes won out. 

Next I probably need to be looking at c02 and how best to hook that up.
Seems like inline would be most efficient. GLA has regs with multiple outputs so I could run one line to each return.


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## alto (16 Aug 2019)

Just saw that ADG has these instore

Parambassis pulcinella

https://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/parambassis-pulcinella/


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## alto (16 Aug 2019)

That’s a lot of screws and whatnot 

Shame they switched to a dark interior on the white stand, I much prefer paler color inside for light effect
(I looked at Waterbox site)


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## d2creative (16 Aug 2019)

More work completed on the stand last night. Only thing left is doors.
There has been some concern about the black interior but the side walls are white.
At this point, I'm not seeing much of an issue with it being too dark inside. Plus I'll be adding a light anyway.

There are just two things I'm a little disappointed with. Disappointed may even be a little strong... more like "not as impressed with".
1. It's obviously the same stand used for their reef-ready tanks. A cutout in the top panel and huge opening on the rear wall for all the plumbing coming down from an overflow. You're selling a new line of NON-DRILLED tanks, specifically marketed for freshwater. There should be a stand specifically for that. I have an email into support just to confirm it wasn't an oversight. If I was sent the correct stand I'll be offering some "advice" on that.

2. The white exterior panels are... "OK". They are glossy but from what I can tell they are powder coated or lacquered or something. Comparing them to my previous Elos stand, the finish is not going to be as durable. The Elos had a strong laminate that was glossier and could really take a beating. I've drilled through it, it's thick. And even though the interior was some sort of man-made pressed wood, overall it was impervious to water and wear, and very strong. I'm worried about how the finish on the Waterbox stand is going to hold up over time. The interior plywood construction is nice from a water damage standpoint, but I can tell by the edges and corners that the outer layer is not nearly as strong. It's definitely wayyyyy nicer than the new Planet Aquariums stands. Those things look like a home spray job. On a scale of 1-10, with Elos being a 10, I'd rate the finish of the white panels around 8.5, and the Planet tanks a 4-5 at best.

That said, the stand seems very sturdy. I like the finish of the black panels which has a bit of a texture to it and feels more durable than the white panels. I like that it actually has a floor (the elos is designed without a floor, so vibration from equipment is not transmitted/reverberated through the stand), and the floor is raised which is kind of nice, even though it technically does eat up a little interior space. I think I mentioned earlier that there are tons of leveling feet. There are some good cutouts, plenty of room for cables and hoses. Although in my case, I do kind of wish there were cutouts on the right like there are on the left. Again, this is an issue that it's a reef stand, not freshwater. ADG makes some custom stands that have hose cutouts on the side panels. I waiver back and forth on that vs the rear placement, but at least there are provisions for multiple canister filters or a choice of placement if just running one.


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## d2creative (17 Aug 2019)

Stand construction is complete.

I did hear back from Waterbox on the stand being "reef ready". It's not one of their reef stands because the tank itself is 1" smaller than their closest size reef tank.
So apparently the stand was specifically designed like this, which doesn't make much sense to me. They say it's so you'd have the option to run a sump if you want.
But why would I buy a non-drilled tank and drill it, when they sell reef ready tanks? 
Anyway, doesn't really matter, just seems odd to me. If it was me I just would have duplicated that left panel with the two large holes in it on the right side.
No need for the large center opening on the back wall. That's space that could be used for mounting equipment. And of course no need for the cutout on the top panel.

Heavy duty drawer slides are on order. I think i'm going to put both canister filters right in the center, on a slide out shelf.
Will make maintenance easier.
Thinking of having the co2 equipment on the right side, and then using the separate compartment on the left for electronics.


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## Matt @ ScapeEasy (17 Aug 2019)

I don't want to distract too much from your thread here... but it always surprises me that cabinet manufacturers don't do more to insulate their cabinets.  Mainly for noise but also from the point of view of energy efficiency, keeping the heated tank water from looking heat on its way too and from the filter.


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## d2creative (17 Aug 2019)

Matt @ ScapeEasy said:


> I don't want to distract too much from your thread here... but it always surprises me that cabinet manufacturers don't do more to insulate their cabinets.  Mainly for noise but also from the point of view of energy efficiency, keeping the heated tank water from looking heat on its way too and from the filter.


I don't know how much you could really do though as far as insulation. You can't have a sealed cabinet because that leads to humidity issues. I made that mistake once with a custom stand.
Soundwise you can add some insulation panels but most pumps these days with the advent of DC has made things pretty much silent. My last pump that was rated for well over 3000 lph was completely silent when running.
Temp shouldn't really be an issue. If it is you could put pipe insulation around your tubing. But if its that cold or that warm in your house I wouldn't want to live there. LOL


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## Matt @ ScapeEasy (17 Aug 2019)

I really need to replace my impeller then!!


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## alto (17 Aug 2019)

The top panel cutout is certainly unusual for a rimless tank - complete even bottom panel support is seemingly industry ”standard” 
I’d take system photos (tank, stand, tank on stand etc) and write a formal email regarding this cutout and possible longterm consequences (read the fine print re warranties - it’s not unusual for one item to be warrantied for 3-6 months, while another is done for 1-2 years (which then becomes the advertised warranty))
(formal as in cc to company executives, customer support, sales etc)

(This may not be a reef tank stand, but it has certainly been built with reef design in mind ... I suspect they took their standard reef kit and just adjusted the size)

Keep photos and records of your concerns re the odd finish as well (not expecting issues but why not be prepared)

I’ve finally gone over to stands with side cut outs for filter hoses (back option is also included) and can’t believe I resisted for so long    
When looking at the tank, they somehow disappear in a way that the back hoses do not (I add tank backgrounds to block cords, hoses) - some trick of lighting? (they’re still the same green/grey Eheim hoses)

I’d encourage you to add some cutouts (as shown in the ADA style DIY stand threads) BUT if there are any issues with the stand or tank, I suspect Waterhome would insist the issue resulted from your modifications 
(most warranties include this sort of rider)

Does the stand glide fairly easily given the leveling “feet”?
(and no carpet)


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## d2creative (17 Aug 2019)

@alto Yes, a buddy has one of the reef tanks and other than slight size difference our stands are identical.
I do have a conversation with customer support re my concerns about the stand, along with my suggestions.
Not from a standpoint of anything being "wrong" with it, just some odd decisions for a freshwater, non-drilled tank line.
The cutout shouldn't pose any problems. You should see how Elos tanks are supported on the stand. The entire weight of the tank is supported purely by the sidewalls of the stand and the two front corners.
See pic below. You can see the sidewalls and two front corners are slightly raised over everything else.

The finish is nice, just not as nice IMO as the Elos due to it being a coating and not a hard laminate.

ADG here in Houston makes custom stands with those side cutouts.
My only problem with that is the left side in my particular case because of the way the tank is oriented in the room. You basically walk into the house staring at that side of the tank. Hoses running up the side will be right in the middle of your view. I think I'm going to have the hoses run up the rear on that side of the tank. The other side is fine because it's facing the wall.

Yes, right now with no weight, the stand glides fairly easily. Although the tile is textured (plus the joints) so once the heavy tank is on top it may not glide so easy.
But even now, the stand itself is quite heavy! Total shipping weight of the stand and tank was over 700 lbs.


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## d2creative (22 Aug 2019)

TWO Oase BioMaster 600 Thermo canister filters arrived this week. 

Last night I spent playing with about 30 (yes, thirty... give or take) leveling feet.

They are all around the perimeter and on the cross braces.
I worked on all the perimeter ones first, then flipped the tank up on one end and used a straight edge to get all the center ones at the correct length to match the perimeter ones.
I've basically got it perfectly level but will re-check before the tank goes on. I'll be moving it around quite a bit between now and then as I install various things I'd rather do without the tank on top.

Here's one end of the stand showing the leveling feet.






And now I'm in the middle of drilling and test fitting the GHL "Flex Mounts" for the lights.
I've got two of the three installed. Need to add an extra brace in back for the third due to the large opening in the back wall of the stand.


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## d2creative (23 Aug 2019)

Extra brace added for the center light mount.
And the heavy-duty sliders came in so I can start working on the pull-out shelf for the filters.


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## Deano3 (23 Aug 2019)

Great updates, coming together nicely and that cut out has caused a few small problems for you but looking great keep the updates coming.

Dean

Sent from my SM-G970F using Tapatalk


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## d2creative (25 Aug 2019)

Well this should make maintenance easier.


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## CooKieS (25 Aug 2019)

Good Idea!


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## d2creative (2 Sep 2019)

Hope everyone is enjoying their labor day weekend (in the USA).
Had a heck of a week last week with the biggest bummer being getting caught in a flash flood with my brand new 6 week old car, stalling out and completely seizing the engine. 

But meanwhile, Slow Build must continue.
This weekend I'm working on the electronics side of the cabinet.
Two 1/2" pieces of plywood against the walls give me a support for a shelf to hold the controller and doser.
The black plywood on the right covers the complete right side, which should give me a good spot to mount the controllable powerbars and other electronics without having to drill a bunch of holes into the stand itself. Just two screws hold each support wall to the stand.


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## alto (3 Sep 2019)

d2creative said:


> flash flood


How deep was the water?

That’s bad luck for certain


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## d2creative (3 Sep 2019)

alto said:


> How deep was the water?
> 
> That’s bad luck for certain


Enough to cover the median. Not all that deep, but I got pinned in traffic and was just sitting there.


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## jimi (4 Sep 2019)

Looking good, hope it all comes together well for you.


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## Paul Lane (4 Sep 2019)

Going to look great when done, very nice setup, looking forward to seeing the finished product.


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## d2creative (7 Sep 2019)

Supplies are in for the Auto Water Change upgrade!
3/8" tubing and connectors to get it hooked up to an old Cole Parmer Masterflex pump with dual heads.







And starting to route the tubing and ethernet cable for the controller's powerbar. You can see the tank behind the cat. lol
Tubing will enter through the wall down low.
Water storage tanks are off camera on the left.


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## d2creative (8 Sep 2019)

Annnnd we're through. 
Thinking I'm going to run these into the stand and then figure out a more elegant solution to run the lines up the back of the tank and over the top.
And I need to work on the opposite side... getting these hooked up the pump and water storage tanks.


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## Deano3 (8 Sep 2019)

Very nice all this hard work will pay off, will look great.

Dean

Sent from my SM-G970F using Tapatalk


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## Janci (8 Sep 2019)

d2creative said:


> Annnnd we're through.
> Thinking I'm going to run these into the stand and then figure out a more elegant solution to run the lines up the back of the tank and over the top.
> And I need to work on the opposite side... getting these hooked up the pump and water storage tanks.


Nice.
I am interested to see how to bring these nicely over the rim to the tank.
Using a small U-glass pipe would be an option.


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## d2creative (8 Sep 2019)

Janci said:


> Nice.
> I am interested to see how to bring these nicely over the rim to the tank.
> Using a small U-glass pipe would be an option.


Going stainless. Cleaning 3 glass ones would be a pain. I'll leave the glass to the filter pipes.


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## Janci (8 Sep 2019)

d2creative said:


> Going stainless. Cleaning 3 glass ones would be a pain. I'll leave the glass to the filter pipes.



Oh right. This is water change, not ATO.
Understandable to go stainless.


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## d2creative (8 Sep 2019)

Janci said:


> Oh right. This is water change, not ATO.
> Understandable to go stainless.


Both. ATO and AWC.


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## d2creative (11 Sep 2019)

Stand is leveled, lights are installed, and the tank is finally getting moved in this weekend! 

Also started getting electronics mounted inside the cabinet.


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## Deano3 (11 Sep 2019)

That is some fancy gear looking forward to this 

Dean

Sent from my SM-G970F using Tapatalk


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## CooKieS (11 Sep 2019)

That is one professionnal.setup, neat job! Congrats


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## d2creative (14 Sep 2019)

Finishing up the water delivery system for auto water changes and auto top-off today.

Here's the Masterflex pump that will be performing the AWC's.
One head will be pumping water out while the other head is pumping water in simultaneously.
I will probably run the two lines to opposite sides of the tank.






And here is the plastic shed (it has seen better days) that holds my storage tanks and the pumps.
An ethernet cable runs from the tank to the shed where it plugs into a GHL powerbar.
This allows the controller to run the ATO and AWC, as well as mixing pumps, and heater if I were to need it.
The small pump is for the ATO.
I prefer to use all peristaltic pumps because it prevents backflow.
And these Cole Parmer Masterflex pumps are meant to run 24/7 in the medical industry. The pumps have stainless steel rollers.
Other than changing out the tubing periodically, they run forever.









P.S. - Can you find the lizard? lol


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## d2creative (14 Sep 2019)

Also, here is an unboxing and bit of rambling for the GHL Mitras LED....


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## alto (14 Sep 2019)

d2creative said:


> changing out the tubing periodically,


Don’t wait on this 
tubing tends to quietly split so better to just replace at recommended intervals (taking time and use into account, just sitting quietly in the pump also stresses the tubing) 

I was going to ask which lights


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## d2creative (15 Sep 2019)

alto said:


> Don’t wait on this
> tubing tends to quietly split so better to just replace at recommended intervals (taking time and use into account, just sitting quietly in the pump also stresses the tubing)


Yes, every 6 months or so seems to be a good timeframe for me.  It costs more than your standard tubing but still pretty cheap.
But i let that small ATO pump run for like 2 years straight... tubing was still in one piece! lol


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## d2creative (15 Sep 2019)

The tank is finally on the stand!


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## Ed Wiser (15 Sep 2019)

My wife says she likes the lights. 
Have you found a good schedule?
Did you use the GHL mounting kit?


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## CooKieS (16 Sep 2019)

I'm not an huge fan of the black background, but nice setup, curious about these lights.


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## Costa (16 Sep 2019)

Beautiful home and tank. Pisses me off.


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## Deano3 (16 Sep 2019)

Costa said:


> Beautiful home and tank. Pisses me off.


 tank looks great and looks huge. Cant wait to see if filled and planted,lots of work went into this cant wait.

Thanks dean

Sent from my SM-G970F using Tapatalk


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## d2creative (16 Sep 2019)

Ed Wiser said:


> My wife says she likes the lights.
> Have you found a good schedule?
> Did you use the GHL mounting kit?


I just set them to around 7200k for now, at midday. Will see how it goes.
And yes, those are the GHL Flex Mounts.



CooKieS said:


> I'm not an huge fan of the black background, but nice setup, curious about these lights.


Yes, I was going to go with the soft white background originally but then got worried I was going to see distracting shadows from those support bars for the lights, plus other stuff I plan on running up the back of the tank. So settled on black for now. It's just a vinyl background so I could peel it off and try white next time if I want. Guess we'll see how it goes! 



Costa said:


> Beautiful home and tank. Pisses me off.


LOL!!!  Thanks... I think. 


Deano3 said:


> tank looks great and looks huge. Cant wait to see if filled and planted,lots of work went into this cant wait.


ha, yeah... it's big. <that's what she said>
Now to figure out what to do with all that space.


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## d2creative (17 Sep 2019)

Just delivered.... 3/8" stainless steel u-bend tubes for the ATO and water change lines.


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## d2creative (17 Sep 2019)

I have a vid up now that shows the GHL Flex Mounts... that's their hanging system. They're pretty nice. Good looking, sturdy and functional.


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## MWood (18 Sep 2019)

Extremely classy build, any more thoughts on the scape and livestock?


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## d2creative (19 Sep 2019)

MWood said:


> Extremely classy build, any more thoughts on the scape and livestock?


Thanks!  I've got a general idea for the scape, but livestock i've put on the back burner for now.


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## d2creative (20 Sep 2019)

I just dropped over $500 at ADG today on some gray mountain rock, river wood, and 3 bags of ultum soil, and I'm not even sure if I like what I got or how I'm going to make this turn out like what I have in my head. #AquariumProblems


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## alto (21 Sep 2019)

Not to worry

Post some photos and we’ll responds with the “likes” and _constructive_ criticism 


(I suspect More Soil will be on the list - unless you’re planting very little area ... which doesn’t correspond with the lighting )

Filipe Oliveira’s advice - take your time collecting hardscape etc, then scape the tank, and wait again for next budget instalments for plants ... and then livestock

Large tanks easily consume large budgets 
And it’s much easier to grow plants “algae free” when there are LOTS of plants


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## d2creative (21 Sep 2019)

alto said:


> (I suspect More Soil will be on the list - unless you’re planting very little area ... which doesn’t correspond with the lighting )
> 
> Filipe Oliveira’s advice - take your time collecting hardscape etc, then scape the tank, and wait again for next budget instalments for plants ... and then livestock



Yep, i definitely may need more soil but will see how it goes. Planning on building up a hidden base of lava rock on the right where it's going to be really high to help stretch out the soil.

And yes, the plan is hardscape first, then plant right before i'm ready to fill it.


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## alto (21 Sep 2019)

Look for a porous stone similar in size to ADA Power Sand L for better flow/oxygenation/biological activity in that base 
(I suppose ADG won’t have this any longer but they may have something comparable)


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## d2creative (21 Sep 2019)

alto said:


> Look for a porous stone similar in size to ADA Power Sand L for better flow/oxygenation/biological activity in that base
> (I suppose ADG won’t have this any longer but they may have something comparable)


I was thinking of crushing the lava rock. Would that work? I don't know of any stone more porous looking than lava, outside of a filter media.


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## CooKieS (21 Sep 2019)

d2creative said:


> I was thinking of crushing the lava rock. Would that work? I don't know of any stone more porous looking than lava, outside of a filter media.



I use thights filled with pouzzolan to create slope under the soil; cheap and very effective.


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## d2creative (21 Sep 2019)

CooKieS said:


> I use thights filled with pouzzolan to create slope under the soil; cheap and very effective.


I had to look up "pouzolan" and then i had to translate from french to english. lol
Looks to me like its a crushed lava rock of some sort? 
We have this I can go pick up today...
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Vigoro-0-5-cu-ft-Decorative-Stone-Red-Lava-Rock-440897/100427379


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## daa13157 (21 Sep 2019)

WOW!


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## d2creative (22 Sep 2019)

Oh man, wouldn't you know it... the GHL Mitras are now on sale! Too bad I got mine months ago. lol
Oh well, heads up for anyone on the fence!
https://www.aquariumcomputer.com/products/ghl-illumination/mitras-lx-7000-series/


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## Ed Wiser (22 Sep 2019)

In the cart


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## alto (23 Sep 2019)

d2creative said:


> Oh man, wouldn't you know it... the GHL Mitras are now on sale! Too bad I got mine months ago. lol
> Oh well, heads up for anyone on the fence!
> https://www.aquariumcomputer.com/products/ghl-illumination/mitras-lx-7000-series/


Well send them an email with your story and photos of your tank (& link to this topic) and they may just send you some nice kit


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## alto (23 Sep 2019)

I thought this was a great blog from the nice folks at Glass Aqua

http://glassaqua.com/guide-to-planted-aquarium-aquascaping-rescaping-and-replanting/

(note the Ultum Soil vs Tropica Soil observations)

(though Felipe Oliveira often mixes various branded soils in their second go-round ... when tanks are broken down, soil is washed, then dried and used again)


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## d2creative (23 Sep 2019)

Very beginning stages of my hardscape. 
Pile of lava rock in the corner to reduce the amount of soil I'll need in that area. 
Three pieces of River Wood. And starting to add the Gray Mountain Stone. More stone and Ultum Soil is next.


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## d2creative (23 Sep 2019)

alto said:


> I thought this was a great blog from the nice folks at Glass Aqua
> 
> http://glassaqua.com/guide-to-planted-aquarium-aquascaping-rescaping-and-replanting/
> 
> ...


Fantastic, thank you.


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## alto (23 Sep 2019)

Grand wood 


I’d leave the soil for a bit
Practise some layouts first ... they’re easy to change until you dump in the soil and then everything starts mixing 

If you place the lava rock (slightly loose) in some tights/nylons, it’s easy to change things about - the looseness lets you mold/shape the lava “bench”

Once you’ve got a scape you like, let it sit a couple days, look at it in different lights and various angles (& moods)

The disadvantage of a bigger tank is if you decide you’re not really that keen on the scape in a few weeks/months, it’s a major job changing it - another reason to take your time with just growing in the plants, no livestock to worry about during partial rescapes 

Depending how much scaping you’ve done or how particular you might be, fill with water at the wood/stone/NO soil stage - underwater and lighting can dramatically alter perceptions 

Mark Evans journals are excellent examples of playing with scapes “in tank”  ... and then settling on some very different paths


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## Costa (23 Sep 2019)

rage unfollow


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## d2creative (23 Sep 2019)

alto said:


> Grand wood
> 
> 
> I’d leave the soil for a bit
> ...


That all sounds good and great advice. But it's not my style. ha! 
I research and sketch beforehand and then attack with a solid plan, making minor changes as needed as I go. 
Maybe it's because my day job as a graphic designer requires me to literally spend days solving the same problem as many different ways as I can. In my personal life, screw that. I figure out what I want and then go for it. lol 
But I'm definitely going to need help when it comes time for planting! I'm clueless in that respect. 



Costa said:


> rage unfollow


LOL!


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## alto (23 Sep 2019)

It’s easier to hide lava in tights


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## d2creative (24 Sep 2019)

alto said:


> It’s easier to hide lava in tights


Ugh, agreed.... I really don't want to go to Walmart.


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## d2creative (26 Sep 2019)

Moving along... all the rock is in. 
Soil too, but I think I still want it higher on the right? 
How close to the top do I need it to be if I want plants that grow out of the water?

The front left is supposed to be sand. 
The plan is for the right to have a heavier amount of plants, and less plants and more open as you get to the left.


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## Janci (26 Sep 2019)

Wow, gorgeous scape, Dennis.
Did you add any substrate?
I think the height of the right slope will depend on the type of plants you intend to use for emerged growth.
If you have time, check this video from Green Aqua where they hid the overflow with a slope for emerging plants (around 5:20)


Seems like the water level is about 4-6".


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## Costa (26 Sep 2019)

I think the arc of the left hand side wood piece is a little unnatural, one would expect that in nature it would have fallen to its side. If you like it that way I would suggest you attach it to the root  on the right so it looks like a branch.


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## Tim Harrison (26 Sep 2019)

Great looking project,


d2creative said:


> How close to the top do I need it to be if I want plants that grow out of the water?


Depends on the species, most stems will grow out of the water at the height you've got so far. But if you really want that emergent growth look the higher the substrate the better.


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## d2creative (26 Sep 2019)

Janci said:


> Wow, gorgeous scape, Dennis.
> Did you add any substrate?
> I think the height of the right slope will depend on the type of plants you intend to use for emerged growth.
> If you have time, check this video from Green Aqua where they hid the overflow with a slope for emerging plants (around 5:20)
> ...





Costa said:


> I think the arc of the left hand side wood piece is a little unnatural, one would expect that in nature it would have fallen to its side. If you like it that way I would suggest you attach it to the root  on the right so it looks like a branch.


Thanks! And yes, right now it is a bit unnatural. The thought is to cover that area with some plants to help blend where the two pieces join so it looks more like one long branch.


Tim Harrison said:


> Great looking project,
> 
> Depends on the species, most stems will grow out of the water at the height you've got so far. But if you want really want that emergent growth look the higher the substrate the better.


Thank you.


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## alto (26 Sep 2019)

When plants produce emergent growth, submerse growth is often “neglected” so the overall effect is the loss of underwater leafs - by planting closer to the surface, everything looks prettier


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## d2creative (26 Sep 2019)

alto said:


> When plants produce emergent growth, submerse growth is often “neglected” so the overall effect is the loss of underwater leafs - by planting closer to the surface, everything looks prettier


Thanks!


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## d2creative (3 Oct 2019)

Well... i think my hardscape is basically done!
Added a 6th bag of soil today. The sand went in last week, with a styrene plastic border wall.
I used the same stuff to create some substrate supports within the soil as well, especially on the right side.
The only thing I may add is some small gray rubble haphazardly along the substrate division.

I cut and screwed the long skinny branch into the main branch right where it seemed that an old branch used to be. 
Stainless steel screw with a little wood filler to cover the head.
Hopefully with some plants covering that area it will look pretty natural.

Also started running the tubing from the canisters to the glassware.





And finally, the Auto Top-Off and Auto Water Change are both fully functional.
The AWC changes out equal amounts of water. I haven't officially timed it yet but I think it's moving around half a liter per 30 seconds.
That will run automatically many times per day. I have yet to calculate an approximate amount I want to change over the course of 24 hours.
ATO and AWC Input are on the right and AWC Output is on the left.

Here's the ATO and AWC input lines as I was connecting them to the lines coming in through the wall.









So it's just about time to start looking for plants!
I guess that's the next discussion and where I'm really going to need help.
And I do need to finish gathering Co2 gear.


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## Bon MotMot (3 Oct 2019)

This tank is going to be so amazing! can't wait to see it planted


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## d2creative (3 Oct 2019)

Bon MotMot said:


> This tank is going to be so amazing! can't wait to see it planted


Thanks, me too! haha


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## Deano3 (4 Oct 2019)

Me 3  looks great

Dean

Sent from my SM-G970F using Tapatalk


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## d2creative (4 Oct 2019)

OK ALL.... TIME FOR PLANT SUGGESTIONS!!!!
This is the point where I'm really a NOOB and haven't much of a clue. Need some serious guidance.

One thing I know is that I'm going to go with Monte Carlo for some ground cover. Which is a higher light plant. 
So I'm assuming that since this is the plant that will be farthest from the light, the rest of my plants are going to have to be of the higher light variety, except maybe out in the corners.
This leads me to my first dilemma... what to put on the branches that is not moss. I need something for the horizontal arching branches. And then something to kinda grow up/out from the vertical?

Thoughts?


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## Edvet (5 Oct 2019)

Just a tiny warning: with high light you will be tinkering and trimming all the time, be prepared to spend a lot of time with your hands in the water.


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## The Accidental Aquascaper (5 Oct 2019)

Looking good!
My feedback would be, the more height the better and the right hand vertical branch might look a bit better tilted to the left or right.
Good luck with the planting


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## Michoel (8 Oct 2019)

I'm curious to see if your Oase filter has any problems with purging air. The Oase 600 I have that's been in use for two weeks as started to purge air like every 5 minutes. Seems like a known issue.


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## d2creative (13 Oct 2019)

Starting to plant!
Picked up some Monte Carlo locally (see why below the pics) so added some water to the tank and got to planting.
It's a mix of tissue culture and submersed potted. The potted was actually easier to work with because there was a distinct root system.
The tissue culture was much thicker/more lush, but I had a heck of a time trying to find the roots as they were just kinda all mixed up within the leaves.
So I did what I could but i know I planted a bunch of healthy leaves. Hopefully that is ok.














So first thing LAST monday morning (6 days ago now) I ordered approx $300 worth of plants from BucePlant.com
I never got shipping info so i finally contact them Thursday to ask when they would be shipping. I get an email back saying they had been trying to contact me (I received no emails or phone calls) because the Monte Carlo they had left wasn't up to par. Well that's good they didn't want to send out subpar plants but how long was that going to go before they picked up the phone? So i had them refund me for that portion which they did immediately. Never got an answer to the shipping. Asked again on Friday and have still not heard anything. So tomorrow will be a week and still no plants have shipped. Not a good experience so far.

So for now, this is all i have to plant, and why I picked up the MC locally yesterday. Which was hard to find.
Any tips as I wait for the rest? I planned on at least spraying down the Monte twice per day. Or should I flood the tank more, to cover most of what I planted?


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## Deano3 (14 Oct 2019)

I think keep it dry start until have more plant loads to combat the algae. And the plants have jnlimited co2 and can have high light, Experience with the plant company you mention doesnt sounds good but hope it all arrives soon.

Dean

Sent from my SM-G970F using Tapatalk


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## Janci (15 Oct 2019)

It looks like you already started the dry-start-method more or less.
Keeping the leaves of the MC moist and humidity high will be the biggest challenge in such a big tank.

I hope you received an update from Buce by now with the shipping info of the order.


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## Simon Courtney (15 Oct 2019)

This is awesome dude. Makes me want a bigger tank!


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## d2creative (15 Oct 2019)

I ended up flooding the tank just enough to cover the MC. 
So far so good, nothing floating! lol 

And no... still nothing shipped from Buce and no response to my email conversation with them. What a crap vendor.


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## d2creative (20 Oct 2019)

First batch of plants and water is in! 
Both Oase Biomaster 600 filters are running, and they are completely silent. I can't tell the tank is even running. A little bit of a change for me after running a reef tank with a sump and skimmer. lol

Ammonia is sitting steady at 0.5
Water has gotten a little cloudy.
Starting points for kh is 2, gh is 4, ph is 6.4
Mixing up my first batch of remineralized ro/di water now.


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## d2creative (28 Oct 2019)

First fish went in friday... 8 Ember Tetras. 
Everybody is OK so far! This bunch of 8 was a test. I'll go back for another 16 probably if they are running the same deal of 8 for $26. 

I also have some more plants on the way this week.
The current ones are mostly doing ok. A few things have melted but some are showing new growth.
Finally got the auto water change fully functional this weekend.

And yes... i need a surface skimmer.


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## JEK (28 Oct 2019)

Is it a big batch of plants coming up? I would be a little worried if I had such a small plant biomass at the beginning. Maybe add some floating plants? Ember tetras look great!


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## d2creative (28 Oct 2019)

JEK said:


> Is it a big batch of plants coming up? I would be a little worried if I had such a small plant biomass at the beginning. Maybe add some floating plants? Ember tetras look great!


Thanks! It's another pretty decent sized batch.
Being a newbie, I'm a little unsure of how much to buy and how far it will go once in the tank. So I'm just doing it in smaller batches I guess. lol


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## Conort2 (28 Oct 2019)

d2creative said:


> Thanks! It's another pretty decent sized batch.
> Being a newbie, I'm a little unsure of how much to buy and how far it will go once in the tank. So I'm just doing it in smaller batches I guess. lol


You’re best off to cram the tank with as many plants as you can, they’ll compete against algae and provide a more stable environment.

lovely scape by the way!

cheers

conor


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## Craig Hill (28 Oct 2019)

looking Great


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## d2creative (28 Oct 2019)

Conort2 said:


> You’re best off to cram the tank with as many plants as you can, they’ll compete against algae and provide a more stable environment.
> 
> lovely scape by the way!
> 
> ...


I'm working on it as fast as I can!!!


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## d2creative (3 Nov 2019)

Swapped out one of my intakes for this... Cleared the water surface within 20-30 minutes!


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## d2creative (4 Nov 2019)

New photos since i added some more plants this week.


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## Janci (4 Nov 2019)

Great pictures as usual.
I love the detail on the corys.
With some Otocinclus and cuc, you can control the small patches of algae that will pop up soon.

What is your CO2 rate and daily water change volume now?


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## Costa (4 Nov 2019)

8 Ember tetras for $26??! That is way too much.


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## Deano3 (4 Nov 2019)

Looks much better with more plant mass and fish look great.

Sent from my SM-G970F using Tapatalk


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## d2creative (4 Nov 2019)

USA and big city prices I guess. 
And that's on sale for buying a bunch vs 1.



Deano3 said:


> Looks much better with more plant mass and fish look great.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G970F using Tapatalk


Thanks, and I still need more stems on the right side. And probably more buca or something on the wood. 


Janci said:


> Great pictures as usual.
> I love the detail on the corys.
> With some Otocinclus and cuc, you can control the small patches of algae that will pop up soon.
> 
> What is your CO2 rate and daily water change volume now?


Thanks, been having problems finding good Octos. Just bad timing. lol
I don't know what the c02 rate is, still need to get a meter. Using the drop checker as my guide right now to make sure it's not too much.
pH has been on a steady rise, and I'm currently dropping it less than 1.


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## d2creative (8 Nov 2019)

My first RAINBOWS in da HOUSE!!!! 
I got 6 Boesemani's from ADG here in houston.

And I already lost one! 
I had all 6 acclimating in a small bucket. I turned my back for 5 minutes. When I returned, one was on the floor, not moving, with my two cats standing over it.
I put him back in the bucket and was able to resuscitate him, but he never swam quite right after that. He didn't make it through the night.
One fish and 30 bucks down the toilet. 

But the other 5 have settled in and are doing ok!



















And some of my Schwartzi Cory Cats hanging out...


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## Deano3 (8 Nov 2019)

Them rainbows are beautiful first time really seem them. Looking good.

Dean

Sent from my SM-G970F using Tapatalk


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## cbaum86 (8 Nov 2019)

Enjoying following this journal, love a bit of gadgetary behind a tank.

Sorry to hear about the loss of one of the rainbows, can't believe how expensive the livestock seems over there, but they are very beautiful.

Quality of the fish photography is great! I bet there were a few to delete from the camera roll.


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## Ed Wiser (8 Nov 2019)

Sorry that one of them jumped already 
Have you thought about talking to Clearview lids about making a lip for you tank. 

https://www.clearviewlids.com/

I bet they could make one that would take in account the wood coming out of your tank.


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## d2creative (8 Nov 2019)

Ed Wiser said:


> Sorry that one of them jumped already
> Have you thought about talking to Clearview lids about making a lip for you tank.
> 
> https://www.clearviewlids.com/
> ...


Thats the lid i had over my reef. 
But no, impossible. Between the wood and future plants growing out the top, not gonna happen.


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## MrStoffel (8 Nov 2019)

Beautiful fish! What a shame you already had a carpet surfer. They really are expensive over there, at my lfs they are 7€. 
Hope they settle in quickly and dont jump anymore.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## d2creative (8 Nov 2019)

MrStoffel said:


> Beautiful fish! What a shame you already had a carpet surfer. They really are expensive over there, at my lfs they are 7€.
> Hope they settle in quickly and dont jump anymore.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Thanks!
Guess I'm just used to the prices of nice fish. On the saltwater side, a common yellow tang will sell for $30 but a decent sized Purple Tang will go for $100-150 usd.
When I see small fw fish for a few bucks a piece that seems like the deal of the century. LOL


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## MrStoffel (9 Nov 2019)

d2creative said:


> Thanks!
> Guess I'm just used to the prices of nice fish. On the saltwater side, a common yellow tang will sell for $30 but a decent sized Purple Tang will go for $100-150 usd.
> When I see small fw fish for a few bucks a piece that seems like the deal of the century. LOL



Tell me about it! I’m a saltwater convert myself. 
You can see some pics of my last tank in my journal, first post has a link.
I have seen your tanks on reefcentral over the years. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## d2creative (19 Nov 2019)

Went to my LFS to pick up a few more plants but couldn't resist getting a few of these Albino Rainbows while I was there.


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## MrStoffel (20 Nov 2019)

Throw them in a reef tank and you've got some nice anthias. 
Cool looking fish!


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## d2creative (20 Nov 2019)

MrStoffel said:


> Throw them in a reef tank and you've got some nice anthias.
> Cool looking fish!


HA!
Just yesterday I was joking with a friend about acclimating a Purple Tang to freshwater. Because that would be awesome. lol


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## MrStoffel (20 Nov 2019)

d2creative said:


> HA!
> Just yesterday I was joking with a friend about acclimating a Purple Tang to freshwater. Because that would be awesome. lol


I'm sure your plants and mosses would disagree :'D


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## CooKieS (20 Nov 2019)

Superb pictures and fishes!

Saw some beautiful rainbows in my LFS this Morning, they're cheap in France, from 5€ to 10€ depending on the sp.


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## d2creative (21 Nov 2019)

Here's a new FTS after adding more plants...



 


And my Buce Red has a new bud that looks like its about to open...


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## MrStoffel (21 Nov 2019)

This is starting to look very nice. It'll look lush once grown in


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## d2creative (21 Nov 2019)

MrStoffel said:


> This is starting to look very nice. It'll look lush once grown in


 GROW, BABY! GROW!


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## d2creative (22 Nov 2019)

That Buce bud is opening!





And another Bow pic.


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## MrStoffel (5 Dec 2019)

How is the tank progressing Dennis? Curious to see a FTS


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## d2creative (6 Dec 2019)

MrStoffel said:


> How is the tank progressing Dennis? Curious to see a FTS


It looks exactly the same as that last FTS, except for some blue green cyano in the moss.  
My nitrates dropped to zero. I've gotten them up to 20-25 now. The cyano seems under control. I've been trying to suck out what I can with a turkey baster.
And I was JUST wondering when I could start increasing light intensity. LOL


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## d2creative (21 Dec 2019)

WOW, 30 days since my last update! It's been a busy month. Work, freelance, holiday shenanigans... 

So some things have been happing.
For one... GROWTH!  It's really starting to fill out. Yesterday I actually trimmed a few things.

Something not so good that has happened since my last post was blue/green cyano. It popped up all in the moss, and two small patches on the wood. I tested and realized my nitrates had dropped to zero. I was able to halt its growth by dosing potassium nitrate and sucking out what I could daily with a turkey baster, and then after a week of that and seeing it wasn't spreading anymore, I got my hands on some UltraLife Blue-Green Stain Remover and the cyano was completely gone in about 3 days.

Something else not so good is I lost two of my Boesemani Bows within about a week of each other. One jumped. I found him about 20 ft from the tank. Must have been a cat toy for a bit. The other body was never recovered. So I'm down to 6 bows total. Maybe I can pick up some more over Xmas break.

Once the cyano disappeared, I finally started increasing my light intensity! I've had it coming on early in the morning but at a super low intensity, with a spike late in the afternoon. So I've just been upping the intensity overall for the entire photo period.
I've also been decreasing my Co2 a bit. My only guide is the glass c02 drop checker. I was originally trying to get a 1 degree drop in pH but anything close turns the drop checker liquid to a more yellowy green. I've now got it to a dark green. my Ph current runs between 7.3-6.7

The only thing I've been adding the tank occasionally is a little potassium and some Flourish micros.

So some questions based on some observations.... mainly being growth related.
1) My Monte Carlo still isn't taking off. I'm assuming this is due to the lower light levels?
2) My stem plants grow tall and thin/wispy. Lots of space between sets of leaves, and even the leaves will change shape from almost round to long/skinny. Again, I'm assuming it's a light intensity issue? 
3) When trimming stem plants, what happens at the point of the cut? Will it sprout new branches there or just continue growing straight up?
4) How do I need to know if I need additional flow in the tank? All I have right now are the two Oase 600 filters and their outputs are at the surface. The good thing is the sand bed has stayed clean other than fish poo! No problems with soil mixing in or anything like that. lol

Thanks! Here's the pics!


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## MrStoffel (26 Dec 2019)

2) Plants often have different shaped leaves when grown submerged, so longer leaves vs rounded ones on stem plants are normal. 

3) when cutting stem plants, you should replant the cuttings to create a more dense plantmass. The trimmed stems will get new shoots, most of the time more than one.

Tank is looking great!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## d2creative (26 Dec 2019)

MrStoffel said:


> 2) Plants often have different shaped leaves when grown submerged, so longer leaves vs rounded ones on stem plants are normal.
> 
> 3) when cutting stem plants, you should replant the cuttings to create a more dense plantmass. The trimmed stems will get new shoots, most of the time more than one.
> 
> ...



2) Oh ok, cool. I got them from my LFS where they were submerged but who knows where they came from originally and I don't think my LFS had them very long.
3) Great, that is exactly what I have been doing. 

Thanks!


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## d2creative (11 Jan 2020)

Doing a little maintenance this morning.
Loving how easy it is to work on the Oase Biomaster filters. That pre-filter is the shiz. 











Got a little battle I'm going through right now with Staghorn algae growing everywhere.
Trying to get some more algae eaters but would rather find/fix the cause. 
I probably need more flow so will probably add a powerhead. Love the oase filters but they do not have a strong flow.
I was trying to increase my light, still having a problem with the Monte Carlo not growing but I guess I'll have to decrease it for a bit.
Is short periods of high light better than long periods of low/medium light?

*Current parameters:*
GH 11, KH 4.5 (was going to lower these two a bit)
Temp 76.3
pH 6.5-7.2 daily
No3 15ppm

Only thing I'm currently dosing is a little Seachem... Flourish Comprehensive and Potassium.

Finally got my Dwyer CO2 meter and hooking that up this weekend.


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## d2creative (16 Jan 2020)

Just a couple pics from this week after some maintenance. 
I removed the moss from the arching branch. I felt it was throwing of the balance of the overall composition and blocking a lot of the better looking plants behind.
It was nice to have while everything else was growing in, but don't feel it's needed any longer.
Going to head to my LFS this weekend and see if I can find some more fish.


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## Iain Sutherland (16 Jan 2020)

It's a great looking tank, shame about the jumpers!

In answer to your questions... drop checker should be lime green, just to confuse people it should be like the inside of a lime not the skin (dark green) so edging towards yellow is normal.

I didn't see how long your light were on for but I'd think at this stage you wouldnt want more than 6 hours with maybe a 30 minute ramp up and down if you wished.  Long light periods are your enemy. Just set the light period for when your home most.

Get a complete fertiliser and dose well. Given the size of tank you may find EI dry powders are the most economical.

Staghorn... often appears in newer tanks, often triggered by a lack of maintenance.  Spot dosing during water change is good but increased maintenance is better and generally resolves it.

Dont be too hasty with increasing light, if your confident your flow, co2 and nutrients are good then tweak it a little and leave it a week or two.  Monte carlo will happily grow low tech so it's pretty undemanding in regards to light, id suggest flow and nutrients first. Just tweak one thing at a time and observe!

I look forward to watching this come along 

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk


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## d2creative (16 Jan 2020)

Iain Sutherland said:


> It's a great looking tank, shame about the jumpers!
> 
> In answer to your questions... drop checker should be lime green, just to confuse people it should be like the inside of a lime not the skin (dark green) so edging towards yellow is normal.
> 
> ...


Thanks so much!
I have cut back on the light period. 
And i forgot to mention above but I added a big Tunze powerhead I had laying around from my reefing days. It's dialed way back but I've got lots of plant movement now. Even noticed that all my cory cats and such all seem much more active and out and about.
We'll see how it goes! The algae doesn't seem to be getting any worse so hopefully i nipped it in the bud.
Thanks again!


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## d2creative (18 Jan 2020)

Time for a long overdue overview of how I set up my Auto Water Change (AWC) and Auto Top-Off (ATO) systems!

First, let's start off with the major components.

Number one is the heart of my system, the GHL Profilux Controller, seen here on the right.





In the case of the AWC, I created a Timer. 8x per day, the Profilux turns on the AWC pump for a specified amount of time.
It's also controlling ATO. The water level in the tank needs to be monitored, so I installed an optical level sensor.
The level sensor is seen here on the right.





It's held in place by my magnetic probe holder attached to the back glass, along with my pH and Temp probes.
All three sensors are connected to the Profilux.
When the water level drops, the Profilux turns on the ATO pump, and then shuts it off when the original water level is reached.

The next major component is my water storage and mixing station.
Our tap water from the city is pretty bad. Full of chlorine/chloramines and high TDS.
So I prefer to start with a clean slate and make my own RO/DI water. This also makes things easier IMO to always have stable parameters and easier to adjust levels when needed.
Our weather is more mild here in the south so I have everything outdoors in enclosures just to provide some protection from the sun and weather in general.
Here's my RO/DI...









The RO/DI cabinet is mounted on the wall next to my plastic shed that houses my two 60g water storage tanks.









The RO/DI creates the water and sends it to the tank on the left. When this side is full, I turn valves and turn on the mixing pump and send the water to the tank on the right. Once the right tank is full, I turn valves so that water is circulating out from the bottom, through the pump and back into the top. While that is running I throw in my salts for GH/KH/MAG and let it mix for a few hours. Meanwhile, the tank on the left is refilled by the RO/DI, which shuts off automatically when the tank is full. There is a mechanical float valve inside the top of the tank which creates backpressure in the RO/DI and shuts it down.

I needed a way to push and pull water to and from the aquarium. Reliability is key! So I went with the pumps that are used in the medical and scientific industries, able to run 24/7/365... Continuous duty. Cole Parmer Masterflex peristaltic pumps. These can be regularly found on Ebay. The Masterflex (big one on the right) typically runs in the $400 range for the noisier brushed motor models, if you are lucky it will come with an Easy Load head. The brushless models are quiet but more expensive. In my case, a little noise is fine since they are outside. The smaller unit is a cheap, steady flow rate model with standard head found for about $99. This is the one I use for my ATO, which pulls water from the RO/DI tank on the left. The larger MasterFlex is running my AWC using two Easy Load heads. When it turns on, both heads run simultaneously but I have them set up in opposite directions. So one is pulling water out while the other head is pushing water in. They are identical heads, with identical size tubing, running at identical speeds. So the amount of water pulled out, is the same amount of water pulled in. This pump is pulling remineralized water from the tank on the right. The two best things about using peristaltic pumps like this is they pump far, and you don't have to worry about back-siphon so they don't need to be mounted higher than the aquarium.

Now that all major components were in place and ready to go, it was time to get water from the storage tanks to the aquarium.
I ran 3/8" semi-rigid tubing from the shed, up under the eve of the house, passed the sliding glass doors, down the other side to the base of the wall, where I punched a hole to get inside next to the aquarium.

In this pic here, you can see the water storage shed at the bottom left of the pic (the smaller one on the other side holds some pool equipment). And the aquarium is right behind our cat Pigeon (his foster mom gave him that name and we kept it, LOL) at the top right side of the pic.









Here you can see the water lines coming in through the wall right next to the tank.
And FWIW, I have run this type of tubing (usually the 1/4") through attics, behind baseboard molding, etc.
In order for the Profilux controller to talk to the pumps in the shed, I had to run a Cat5 cable as well and install a GHL Powerbar in the shed that the pumps could plug into. The Cat5 runs from the controller to the PowerBar which has 6 sockets. Now the controller can turn sockets on and off as needed.









Once inside the house and near the tank, I switched to a more flexible tubing so it was easier to work with and much more flexible.
This is some silicone tubing. Stretches right over the ends of the rigid stuff and is held in place with a ziptie for safety.





Now normally, I'm running these lines to my sump, but this aquarium doesn't have a sump.
So I needed to figure out a way to get the water into the display tank and not have it look terrible.
After some searching online, I came across some stainless steel u-shaped barbed tubes used in the refrigeration industry.
They come in a 3/8" size so it was perfect. And they sit right over the glass!









Here are the current locations.
In this pic, this is the line that pulls old water out of the tank on the left side. (that's my powerhead cord next to it)





I had some black flexible tubing laying around that I used as a coupling between the u-shaped tube and a short piece of 3/8" semi-rigid to extend it down several inches into the water.





On the right side of the tank is where I have the new water line and the ATO line.





Since this is where water is being pushed in, I didn't want it entering straight down, especially since my soil comes up pretty high on this side of the tank.
So i used some more of that black flexible tubing as a coupling between the stainless u-tube and a piece of the 3/8" semi-rigid tubing. I heated up the semi-rigid tubing until it was soft enough to bend and dunked in cool water. Now the water shoots out at an angle away from the rear corner of the aquarium. I did this for both lines.





And that's basically it!
This system has been working flawlessly for a couple of months now. And all components are pretty much invisible to anyone looking at the tank.
As I mentioned earlier, the Profilux turns on the Masterflex pump 8x per day. It's running at 500 ml/min and is running for 5 min each time. So approximately 5.25g per day or 37g per week. That's only 25% tank volume so I may increase it at some point but I wanted to see how it goes. I also plan on doing a regular large water change every few months.

I know this may not be the simplest way of doing this but it works great.
The use of the Masterflex with dual heads ensures that the same amount of water pumped out is replaced so no change in water level in the aquarium.
There are also some nice advantages to doing small incremental changes throughout the day, seven days per week instead of one large change every week. Parameters do not shift. I don't have to worry about water temp. Dosing is always the same.

Feel free to ask questions if anything isn't clear.
Hoping this might be able to help someone set up a similar system or at least give you some ideas for creating your own.


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## d2creative (19 Jan 2020)

Some pics of the new additions... Threadfin Rainbows and Blue Ram Cichlids.  
Was originally worried about the Threadfins with feeding but they swim high and don't seem to have an issue.
The Rams on the other hand... low swimmers and very chill personalities. May be a challenge.


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## Janci (20 Jan 2020)

Lovely additions.
How many of each did you add?


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## Kezzab (20 Jan 2020)

Your tank build is insane! I'm impressed and kind of intimidated. Makes my buckets and garden hoses seem a little neanderthal....


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## dw1305 (20 Jan 2020)

Hi all,





Kezzab said:


> Your tank build is insane! I'm impressed and kind of intimidated. Makes my buckets and garden hoses seem a little neanderthal.


Just what I was thinking.





d2creative said:


> Was originally worried about the Threadfins with feeding


They like really small food items. I kept them with _Corydoras pygmaeus/hastatus, _and they both used to go mad for micro-worms. 

cheers Darrel


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## d2creative (20 Jan 2020)

Janci said:


> Lovely additions.
> How many of each did you add?


Thanks! 7 of the Threafins... a mix of male/female, and 4 of the Blue Rams.



Kezzab said:


> Your tank build is insane! I'm impressed and kind of intimidated. Makes my buckets and garden hoses seem a little neanderthal....


LOL, thanks 
Coming from the saltwater reef side... i can't help myself. haha



dw1305 said:


> Hi all,Just what I was thinking.They like really small food items. I kept them with _Corydoras pygmaeus/hastatus, _and they both used to go mad for micro-worms.
> 
> cheers Darrel


Hmmm... will have to look for these micro-worms. I have frozen cubes I thaw in a bottle and squirt into the tank. There's always a big variation in particle size so everyone seems to be able to get something.
And then flakes I crush between my fingers as I feed, again to provide a better variety of size. Hopefully that works well enough.


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## Chris25 (21 Jan 2020)

Hi,

This is absolutely incredible and the tank looks amazing!

I have a couple of questions about your AWC and ATO if you don't mind?

For the AWC if the pipe pumping water out of the tank got blocked for any reason, would the system realise this and stop pumping water into the tank or would it overflow it?
Also, could you not have the AWC just have the pipe sucking out the water and then the ATO would kick in and top it up? May alleviate the risk (if it exists) of flooding if the water removal pipe did become blocked somehow?

Thanks,
Chris


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## d2creative (21 Jan 2020)

Chris25 said:


> Hi,
> 
> This is absolutely incredible and the tank looks amazing!
> 
> ...


Thanks!

Technically, yes I suppose it is possible for something like a dead fish maybe to block it. In my case it would probably have to be blocked for at least a couple of days before it filled enough water to overflow. I'm around enough that I'd catch the rising water.
I could install a second level sensor that could be set to disable AWC and ATO if the water got that high.
You do need to occasionally give things like that a visual check, clean your ATO sensor, replace the tubing on the dosing pumps periodically, etc. 

My ATO water is straight RO/DI, since evaporated water leaves the salts behind. The AWC is using the remineralized water.
If you were just using tap water for both, then sure, I don't see why you couldn't just do what you said.


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## Gill (23 Jan 2020)

Threadfins are great fish. And once you get dominance you will really see a difference. That male has vertical stripes and a large silver nuchal type lump on its lower jaw. And when they spare it's so nice to watch. 

Also those red rainbows look very nice.

Insane amount of planning as gone into this tank, which in the long run will aide you in its upkeep.

Sent from my SM-G970F using Tapatalk


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## d2creative (23 Jan 2020)

Gill said:


> Threadfins are great fish. And once you get dominance you will really see a difference. That male has vertical stripes and a large silver nuchal type lump on its lower jaw. And when they spare it's so nice to watch.
> 
> Also those red rainbows look very nice.
> 
> ...


Very cool! Thanks!


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