Jubilee Creek

[Schalk]

Hellooo!

This will be my first journal on this site although I have been stalking the journals for years now!

Anyhow! On to the tank! Its a very simple lowtech tank with a bunch of slow growers and Its my only aquarium at this stage in time. The name comes from one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. I have visited it a few times and have done a 8 day hike in the surrounding mountains as well and my wife and i returned to it last year on our honeymoon and since then I just had moss and ferns on my mind and wanted to create something that reminded me of it!

Dimensions: 80cm x 45cm wide and 50cm high.
4 x 24w t5's but I'm blocking out some light.
Ferts all Seachem: Flourish, potassium, excel and nitrogen.
No pressurised Co2 on this tank.
Ada Amazonia New

Plants: Mini Java Fern, Tennelus, Quadricostatus, Christmas Moss, Vallis Nana and some Crypts.

I'm still looking for a few more Crypts to break the green and mybe some Pinatifida in there somewhere as well! Oh and the carpet must obviously fill the whole front aswell. Please excuse the horrible photography from my side!

The start of this tank, 25 December 2014
IMG_1605 by SchalkVan, on Flickr


What the tank looks like today, 15 February 2015
IMG_1613 by SchalkVan, on Flickr

IMG_1612 by SchalkVan, on Flickr

IMG_1611 by SchalkVan, on Flickr

IMG_1610 by SchalkVan, on Flickr

Its doing good for a lowtech but I might add Co2 in the near future but I'm still in two minds about it.

Regards

Schalk

 

[nduli]

Like the wood, be interested to see how this develops. I have a similar scape In mind.

 

[Rob Dahl]

Nice layout. It will be interesting to see how your scape develops.

 

[Schalk]

Ok so small update.

Looks like I might add pressurized co2 after all. I'm doing a very basic co2 setup like the one on this forum using a regulator intended for disposable welding cylinders. I am however not using the disposable cylinders as they are very expensive in my country. I am a cnc programmer and have access to cnc lathes and 4 axis cnc milling machines. I machined an adapter to fit the reg on a paintball cylinder. I replaced the pin valve on the cylinder to one with a on/off valve that you can open and close. you get these valves with a gauge to tell you how full the cylinder is but no one had stock. I will be buying another cylinder when I can find a valve with a gauge and then use this one as a backup only.

Now the only thing left to do is fit a decent needle valve. Thinking about getting the SMC needle valve from Co2 art, they are supposed to be very good and then I might add a inline solenoid at a later stage.

Building a new mini pressurized Co2 system. by SchalkVan, on Flickr

Paintball thread in adapter by SchalkVan, on Flickr

Paintball thread in adapter by SchalkVan, on Flickr

With some black paint by SchalkVan, on Flickr

I think it looks pretty nice. The adapter was machined from 316 stainless steel but I decided to spray it black. I feel it looks better with everything like that.

Regards

Schalk

 

[Schalk]

Also added 8 more otto's! Now I have 12 in this tank!

They are pretty awesome fish!

 

[Rob Dahl]

Very nice job and your otoos should do one as well.

 

[alto]

Well done!

You may need to consider the operating pressure that will be "hitting" the needle valve as it comes out from your regulator, definitely talk with CO2Art rather than just ordering.

 

[banthaman.jm]

Great job and lovely tank, you gotta love ottos.
Jim