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3 Foot Planted Tank - Journey

Ste.Baker80

Member
Joined
17 Nov 2009
Messages
31
Location
Knowsley, Liverpool
Hi All

My name is Stephen Baker, This is my first posting since joining the site, this is not how my tank looks now, but i thought i would start with how my tank looked about 5 years ago. Before this pic I had a set up with Goldfish before I swapped over to tropical community tank.

Early set up was still with the plastic plants and cheesy accessories.
firsttanksetup.jpg
I got into Tropical fish, never looked back. Early set up was still with the plastic plants and cheesy accessories.
newsetup.jpg
 
Re: First posting

I’m new to the site and checked it out a few weeks back thanks to Robert from Maidenhead Aquatics in Liverpool (thanks Rob) after showing him some pictures of my tank on my phone (sad I know) so I thought I would have a look and see how other people set up there tanks and find some inspiration and advise on planted tanks. I have been on nearly every night since.

I’ve got a 36” x 15” x 17.5” tank that I have had since I was around 13 years old. Like most people I started of with a Goldfish I won at the fare which came with a small bowl. (I know it cruel but I was young, anyway the fish or Goldey lived to a ripe old age of 11) and was my inspiration was to give him some more space an introduce him to some fish friends. I talked my dad into getting me a tank for which I started of introducing him to some other common goldfish, comet’s and some fancy Veiltails. I decorated the tank with plastic plants, castles and a cherub that looked like he was weeing bubbles.

However I started to add real or live plants about a year ago, starting off with Java ferns,Java Moss,Crypt various,Red Tiger Lotus. I have read various books and on occasions PFK to seek out how to setup tanks and displays. I always wanted a planted tank since I saw the Dutch style scapes but was a bit scared of the prospect of all the technical equipment I would need (CO2, fertilisers etc) and with my lack of imagination.

Started to add more live plants

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I have been a regular customer in Maidenhead Aquatics for about 8 months now and started to slowly convert over to the dark side (or should that be the green side) with growing plants with a Flora-Grow CO2 (aerosol type) and somehow managed not to kill all my plants.

Added some new bogwood to the left of the tank
[url=http://img134.imageshack.us/i/pb150004.jpg/]pb150005.jpg


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Re: First posting

As you can see i have gone for the natural and jungle feel. Still early days on the planting side of things. I would love to buy some more plants but they can be expensive and with Christmas around the corner, after all we are in a credit crunch. lol :crazy:
 
Re: First posting

My Angle fish was one of a pair, however the female dired a year ago, since adding the new bog wood to the left hand side of the tank he has become more aggresive and launching at the smaler fish. I have since swapped my Angle fish for some Pearl Gourami. Now with the Angle gone my platties are not confined to the only large plasic plant on the right hand side, i have now removed the plastic plant from the tank
lastplasticplantremoved.jpg

This has left me with a really big hole to fill, thefore i have moved the bogwood around and replanted quite a few plants, lost a few Crypts this way. I quite pleased with the new layout, the fish are more happy and relaxed now they are not getting bullied.
Tank with lighting effect
lightingeffect.jpg

will hopefully start to plant some more plants in the background as there are big open spaces to fill, and also cover the CO2 unit in the left hand corner.

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Re: First posting

Hi Superman

Sorry about the sizing, I don’t know how to do that yet, only figured out how to post a picture the other day.

When I next attempt to put some new photo’s on I will have ago at changing the size. :?

Stephen
 
Re: First posting

Ste.Baker80 said:
Hi Superman

Sorry about the sizing, I don’t know how to do that yet, only figured out how to post a picture the other day.

When I next attempt to put some new photo’s on I will have ago at changing the size. :?

Stephen

Most hosing sites like photobucket allow you to resize when uploading. I'm not sure the site you did as I don't use it.
 
Re: First posting

For a Christmas present I got a new cabinet for my tank. I have needed to completely empty the whole tank to allow me an my dad to lift and move the tank onto the new stand. I was a little sad at first of the thought of having to gut the current scape, but on second thoughts it will allow me to be given the chance to remove all the gravel and replace it with Aquarium Sand – B.D.Trading 2x5KG to give the scape a more natural and mature feel, also to make a few changes to the layout.

pc310070.jpg
I started to sift out the gravel to leave behind the gravel I already had in the tank and topped it off with some new stuff.


I tried a different approach and added all the bog wood to one side of the tank to create a dark corner due thanks to the help of Red Tiger Lotus and added the shade loving plants (Anubias, Java Ferns).
pc310072.jpg


Slowly started to add the stem plants and the Amazon Swords, various Crypts and then the water.
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During the move, I had to house my fish over night in a bucket(unfortunately I did not have a filter in there and as a result I lots all my Rummynoses and Cardianls. I have heard these types of fish are more susceptible to these conditions.
 
Re: First posting

My lotus plant and other floating plants I had started to block out the light which as a result started to have a effect on my other plants and they started to die. However i needed to leave the floting plants as they where due to the fact they were acting as a nusery for my baby platties, which at the time was my priority.
 
Some slight changes to my layout, due to budget problems and bit of neglect.. How its looking now..

gFseo6j.jpg
 
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