# Aquiring a 4ft tank - Need ideas!



## Steve Smith (21 May 2008)

I will be aquiring Gill's 4ft tank soon (his Vallis Jungle tank) and I'm wondering what to do with it.  It's approx dimensions (don't know precise measurements) are 4ft x 1.5ft x 1.5ft or there abouts.

Lighting is still unknown, possibly 2 T5 tubes of whatever length (55w?).  I would like to set this up as medium light I think.

I'd like to do this a little on the cheap.  I have a pressurised CO2 setup for it so that's covered.  I have several bits of redmoor and some nice big slate lumps, so I have a bit of hardscape to choose from.

I was thinking along the lines of either an iwagumi setup, with just Eleocharis Acicularis and maybe some glosso, and Eleocharis vivipara at the back.  Using the slate I have, and maybe some other bits.

Other thought is to emulate the gorgeous long tank at TGM which is a sort of a landscape.  I really do love that tank and I think it would look great.  For this I would consider getting hold of some different hardscape, ie fossilised wood or whatever.

Again, trying to do this fairly cheaply.  I have a lot of the stuff I need, its just plants and hardscape, and substrate that'll cost.  Oh and maybe lighting!

Its all a bit vague at the moment but I'm just after ideas!


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## Martin (22 May 2008)

Hi Steve, if you are wanting do this tank on the cheap, then unfortunately you may have to avoid the fossilized wood. I agree that it is possibly one of the most beautiful hardscaping materials to use but it is also very pricey @ Â£5 / Â£6 per kilo. Now I'm guessing to do a 4ft tank justice you will need 20/30 kilos worth!   I was going to buy some from TGM until I worked out the price, I opted for the other imported rock that they stock which is also beautiful but a quarter of the price. Maybe if you can keep the costs down elsewhere, you could splash out on some fossilized wood and make everyone else envious. I may buy some one day if ever I do a nano tank.


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## Steve Smith (22 May 2008)

AE have Stone wood which looks quite interesting, and it's Â£2.99 per KG:

http://www.aquaessentials.co.uk/index.p ... ts_id=1869

I'll see what happens I think


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## Arana (23 May 2008)

that is very nice rock steve, it would look stunning in a 120cm


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## Steve Smith (10 Jun 2008)

I've been sitting having a play in Photoshop this afternoon. I've "borrowed" some rocks from photos I took at TGM.  This is the sort of thing I'd like to achieve:







I like the idea of a thin group of stems.  I thought it looked good in the TGM long tank   The stems will probably be Ludwigia Arcuata.  Also some C. balansae around the fossil wood, or maybe Cyperus Helferi.  Ground cover will be eleocharis acicularis and Glosso, with Hydrocotyle sibthorpioides poking through all over   I may also complete the rip-off and have some frogbit floating on top!


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## JamesM (10 Jun 2008)

Looks great, love the photoshopping idea, might have to 'borrow' that 

Have a think about using parvula and glosso for most of the ground cover, as parvula is much shorter. Use the acicularis around the stones and toward the back.


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## aaronnorth (10 Jun 2008)

looks good, it will be great if you can pull that off.


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## Steve Smith (10 Jun 2008)

JAmesM said:
			
		

> Looks great, love the photoshopping idea, might have to 'borrow' that
> 
> Have a think about using parvula and glosso for most of the ground cover, as parvula is much shorter. Use the acicularis around the stones and toward the back.




No probs 

I'm finding the Acicularis I have in my little tank grows to what I'd call and "acceptable" height   Not growing too tall really.  I might perhaps mix parvula with acicularis and see what happens   Thing is, I have enough acicularis growing outside in a bucket to do most of this scape, when it's all been seperated off into plantlets! (Tedious is not the word for it!)


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## Dave Spencer (10 Jun 2008)

I prefer E. parvula because it stays lower than E. acicularis, which can grow quite tall when it is thriving.

The E. parvula does need thinning out from time to time, though. Once its growth becomes dense, it is forced upwards and looks more or less like E. acicularis.

Dave.

PS like the Photoshop work. 8)


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## Steve Smith (10 Jun 2008)

Thanks for the info Dave.  I may well consider parvula in that case.  I might use the Acicularis for trading purposes


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## Steve Smith (10 Jun 2008)

Do you think dual T8 38w would be enough for this tank?  I realise flow is very important, hence me looking into a fluval FX5   Still unsure on lighting...


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## Steve Smith (28 Jul 2008)

Well, decided to go for an EX1200 as I managed to find somewhere selling them very cheap compared to other places (Â£63.95 with free shipping).  I'm in a quandry though.  I'm starting to think I might just go back to the Rio 180 as I haven't managed to sell it yet.  Also I have light units for it, and it's in fairly good shape still.  Another reason would be that the EX1200 is pretty well suited to the 180 for over filtration.

Another quandry is the amazing chunk of bog wood I just found at a not so LFS yesterday.  I'll post some pics later!  I thought I was over the wood thing, but having never really got a decent wood scape under my belt (or any real decent scapes to be honest) I might give it a go.

Now all I need to do is sell the 4ft tank


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## Steve Smith (2 Aug 2008)

I've decided to try and sell on the 4ft tank now.  The dimensions are ok, but it's a little thinner and shorter than the Rio.  It's only 4 gals larger but it takes up more space with the additional 20cm on the end.  I'm also not overly keen on the style.  It has a lot of bracing built in with sliding panels which aren't my taste.

I'm going back to the rio   I'll get a journal up and going in the next week as I start to put it all together


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## Dave Spencer (2 Aug 2008)

I am currently setting up a 240l 4 footer, and will be using two Tetratec 1200s with 3 x 38W T8. I really wanted to do an Iwagumi, but it is for someone else and they are sold on the Nature Aquarium look.

Dave.


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