My Xmas pressie this year was the opportunity to upgrade the current 60l planted tank to a new 120-H optiwhite. Some step up but am very excited about it, though probably not as much as the fish!
I've learned a lot from the expertise on this forum and the many excellent and inspiring tank journals so I thought i'd make a modest contribution myself. I expect there'll be some nice mistakes along the way which hopefully will get sorted and just might save someone else the trouble later...
Right: the specs
Tank: 120x60x45 (LxHxD) optiwhite tank from The Green Machine, approx 320l.
Cabinet: grey ADA style modern look cabinet also from TGM (with matting, and holes cut for filter pipes and electrical sockets)
Filter: Eheim 2180 thermofilter, with eheim filter media pack, plus sera siporax and seachem matrix. May upgrade to lily pipes later once I've got a handle on flow etc. will also move the existing allpondsolutions 1000EF filter over to it later for the extra flow and bio capacity.
Lights: Arcadia OT2 4x54w T5 luminaire, probably on just 2 bulbs to start
CO2: TMC v2 pro regulator, fire extinguisher, Aquamedic AM1000 external reactor with scrunchy inside
Substrate: ADA powersand special, ADA Aquasoil Amazonia New and powder, penac p and tourmaline, Nile Sand
Hardscape: red moor root and TGM Blue Stone
Plants and livestock - to be decided
The tank and cabinet were delivered just before Xmas after only about a 2-3 week wait. Awesome service from Jim and everyone at TGM with advice, chat, and mock up aquascapes to help choose the wood and rock pieces remotely. They sat in the garage looking huge until after Xmas, when the wife and I shifted them into the new location in the lounge. Ok, so I'll admit, this tank is so much bigger in the flesh than it looked when measuring it out. It will have a huge impact visually, so no pressure to get it right there then!!
I soaked the wood for 3 weeks in the bath first, then put together the hard scape. More on that next, when I work out how to upload photos via photo bucket.....
Calzone
I've learned a lot from the expertise on this forum and the many excellent and inspiring tank journals so I thought i'd make a modest contribution myself. I expect there'll be some nice mistakes along the way which hopefully will get sorted and just might save someone else the trouble later...
Right: the specs
Tank: 120x60x45 (LxHxD) optiwhite tank from The Green Machine, approx 320l.
Cabinet: grey ADA style modern look cabinet also from TGM (with matting, and holes cut for filter pipes and electrical sockets)
Filter: Eheim 2180 thermofilter, with eheim filter media pack, plus sera siporax and seachem matrix. May upgrade to lily pipes later once I've got a handle on flow etc. will also move the existing allpondsolutions 1000EF filter over to it later for the extra flow and bio capacity.
Lights: Arcadia OT2 4x54w T5 luminaire, probably on just 2 bulbs to start
CO2: TMC v2 pro regulator, fire extinguisher, Aquamedic AM1000 external reactor with scrunchy inside
Substrate: ADA powersand special, ADA Aquasoil Amazonia New and powder, penac p and tourmaline, Nile Sand
Hardscape: red moor root and TGM Blue Stone
Plants and livestock - to be decided
The tank and cabinet were delivered just before Xmas after only about a 2-3 week wait. Awesome service from Jim and everyone at TGM with advice, chat, and mock up aquascapes to help choose the wood and rock pieces remotely. They sat in the garage looking huge until after Xmas, when the wife and I shifted them into the new location in the lounge. Ok, so I'll admit, this tank is so much bigger in the flesh than it looked when measuring it out. It will have a huge impact visually, so no pressure to get it right there then!!
I soaked the wood for 3 weeks in the bath first, then put together the hard scape. More on that next, when I work out how to upload photos via photo bucket.....
Calzone