Mark.A
Member
This is the journal for my 6ft x 2ft x 2ft (680 Litre) planted tank, which I haven't got yet but I will be getting, hopefully, in the next month or two. I'm starting the journal now to keep track of my decisions prior to buying the tank.
I intend to buy the tank and cabinet from AC Aquatics and get the Opti white front and side panels.
I had a lengthy discussion here going over EI dosing until I could finally understand it all. I also had a discussion here when I was trying to decide whether to actually go high tech or not. I have decided in the end to go low-med light and high tech but with a caveat. I'm still going to use the EI mix for dosing and will be using pressurised CO2 but both will be at a much lower level than in a normal high tech tank and I won't be doing weekly water changes. In fact, I won't be doing regular water changes at all, just as and when I feel the tank needs one which could be just once or twice a year.
The tank is going to be open top with the hardscape wood coming up out of the tank and I will be having plants growing above the tank, either on the wood or at the back of the tank or maybe both. I'm undecided on which plants and how they will be situated yet. I'm still researching that part at the moment, so if you have any suggestions or advice please let me know.
Here is what I have planned for the build so far:
Substrate - Aquatic Compost and Peat mix capped with black sand.
Rocks - Black Lava rock.
Wood - Mopani wood with some Spider Wood roots for detail.
Lighting: 4 x Fluval Plant 46w LED Lights
Filtration, heating & surface skimming - Oase BioMaster 2 Thermo 600 x 2 and an Oase Crystalskim 600
CO2 equipment - 2Kg CO2 Fire Extinguisher, CO2Art Dual Stage Regulator with Solenoid, Aqua Medic Reactor 1000
Dosing equipment - D-D P1 Dosing Pump
Monitoring and control - Neptune Apex 3 Junior
Plants:
Anubias barteri v. coffeefolia
Anubias barteri v. nana 'golden'
Anubias barteri v. nana 'petite'
Anubias barteri v. nana 'pinto'
Aponogeton madagascariensis
Bucephalandra - several species
Christmas moss
Crinum calamistratum
Cryptocoryne crispatula v. balansae
Cryptocoryne spiralis 'red'
Cryptocoryne nurii
Cryptocoryne parva
Cryptocoryne wendtii 'flamingo'
Cryptocoryne wendtii 'green gecko'
Echinodorus 'Red Diamond'
Echinodorus 'Red Flame'
Echinodorus 'Reni'
Eleocharis acicularis
Hydrocotyle tripartita
Hygrophila Pinnatifida
Java Fern mini
Java Fern
Ludwigia sp. Super Red
Nymphaea micranthra
Nymphaea rubra
Nymphaea tiger lotus red
Nymphaea tiger lotus green
Inverts:
Amano shrimp
Horned Nerite Snails
Malaysian Trumpet Snails
Ramshorn Snails
Fish:
2 Apistogramma cacatuoides (Pair)
150 Cardinal Tetra
15 Cherry Barbs
2 Honeycomb Bristlenose Pleco (Pair)
12 Kuhli Loach
6 Manacapuru Angelfish
18 Orange Venezuela Cory
30 Otocinclus
If anyone has any questions, comments or feedback please feel free to join in.
I intend to buy the tank and cabinet from AC Aquatics and get the Opti white front and side panels.
I had a lengthy discussion here going over EI dosing until I could finally understand it all. I also had a discussion here when I was trying to decide whether to actually go high tech or not. I have decided in the end to go low-med light and high tech but with a caveat. I'm still going to use the EI mix for dosing and will be using pressurised CO2 but both will be at a much lower level than in a normal high tech tank and I won't be doing weekly water changes. In fact, I won't be doing regular water changes at all, just as and when I feel the tank needs one which could be just once or twice a year.
The tank is going to be open top with the hardscape wood coming up out of the tank and I will be having plants growing above the tank, either on the wood or at the back of the tank or maybe both. I'm undecided on which plants and how they will be situated yet. I'm still researching that part at the moment, so if you have any suggestions or advice please let me know.
Here is what I have planned for the build so far:
Substrate - Aquatic Compost and Peat mix capped with black sand.
Rocks - Black Lava rock.
Wood - Mopani wood with some Spider Wood roots for detail.
Lighting: 4 x Fluval Plant 46w LED Lights
Filtration, heating & surface skimming - Oase BioMaster 2 Thermo 600 x 2 and an Oase Crystalskim 600
CO2 equipment - 2Kg CO2 Fire Extinguisher, CO2Art Dual Stage Regulator with Solenoid, Aqua Medic Reactor 1000
Dosing equipment - D-D P1 Dosing Pump
Monitoring and control - Neptune Apex 3 Junior
Plants:
Anubias barteri v. coffeefolia
Anubias barteri v. nana 'golden'
Anubias barteri v. nana 'petite'
Anubias barteri v. nana 'pinto'
Aponogeton madagascariensis
Bucephalandra - several species
Christmas moss
Crinum calamistratum
Cryptocoryne crispatula v. balansae
Cryptocoryne spiralis 'red'
Cryptocoryne nurii
Cryptocoryne parva
Cryptocoryne wendtii 'flamingo'
Cryptocoryne wendtii 'green gecko'
Echinodorus 'Red Diamond'
Echinodorus 'Red Flame'
Echinodorus 'Reni'
Eleocharis acicularis
Hydrocotyle tripartita
Hygrophila Pinnatifida
Java Fern mini
Java Fern
Ludwigia sp. Super Red
Nymphaea micranthra
Nymphaea rubra
Nymphaea tiger lotus red
Nymphaea tiger lotus green
Inverts:
Amano shrimp
Horned Nerite Snails
Malaysian Trumpet Snails
Ramshorn Snails
Fish:
2 Apistogramma cacatuoides (Pair)
150 Cardinal Tetra
15 Cherry Barbs
2 Honeycomb Bristlenose Pleco (Pair)
12 Kuhli Loach
6 Manacapuru Angelfish
18 Orange Venezuela Cory
30 Otocinclus
If anyone has any questions, comments or feedback please feel free to join in.
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