Ex reefer turned planted

[andy]

I've now left the salty side of the hobby and gone back to my first love....where it all started over 50 years ago with my old 2 x 1 x 1 angle iron tank.

I've been blessed with having a few tanks at my disposal....13" aqua one cube, !8" Red Sea nano cube, Red Sea 170 with sump or a 100cm x 50 x 45.

I've decided to go for the red sea nano purely as it's practical and fits in the space I have.

For the last 3 weeks, I've been doing a fishless cycle in my 13" aqua one cube with just a few potted crypts. Nitrite and ammonia fell to zero but didn't get any fish as I didn't want to put them through the stress of moving them to the bigger tank

So I transferred everything over to the new tank yesterday (14/12) with the following set up. I retained some of my old reef stuff so have used this

Red Sea nano with built in rear filteration.
Twinstar 18" G line light (with built in sunrise/sunset) set for 9 hours a day
Red Sea stock return pump
D-D 150w titanium heater with external thermostat and a bank of 4 fans to prevent overheating...temp set at 26 C with a +/- .3 degree difference
Alphagrog and ceramic tubes for biological filteration
Enough ericacious potting compost to just cover the base
Topped with approx 3" black sand.
CO2 will be added via a diffuser linked to a solenoid valve

I also have a D-D pro dosing pump that could be used to dose nutrients in small but frequent doses and a red sea auto top up. I also have RO water when and if needed.

Plants....all bought from Java

3 x small Crypts
3 x slightly larger crypts
2 x Pogostemon helferi
2 x Altenanthera 'mini'
2 x Hygrophylla pinnatifida
1 x Nyphaea lotus
3 x Pogostemon erectus
3 x Rotala rotundifolia
3 x Heteranthera zosterifolia

Fish stock will probably be Harliquins, Ottos and pygmy corries

I'm a bit concerned that the stock powerhead is too powerful. I don't really want to shell out for an expensive return pump so if anyone has any suggestions.

As soon as the tank water clears, i'll get some pics and my journey will begin.

 

[Little]

Suggestion for your pump question:
Could you add a T junction and divert some of the flow back into the rear sump.
Perhaps the extra water flow in the rear sump could be used for an internal co2 reactor.

 

[Ratvan]

In regards to the stock pump being too powerful if you have this connected to a loc line/air line tubing you can drill/poke holes into this so that the velocity of the water leaving the pump is lessened as it will divert back into the AIO chambers.

Alternatively aim the output of the tank at either of the tank glass or some hardscape so that it naturally baffles the flow

 

[andy]

Settling down. Need to add some carbon and do a 50% water change.
Nitrite and ammonia on the high side so will refrain from adding fish.

 

[Connswater]

ericacious potting compost

I have never used this in the aquarium though I had occasionally contemplated, will be intrigued how you get on with this.

 

[Connswater]

with built in rear filteration

I really like the absence of external filters, honestly, as I age I think I hate externals. I found Juwel tanks with their built in filter easy to maintain, though the filter is hardly discreet and the cabinets are a bit naff to be honest. I think I have maybe 5 extra years compared to you in the hobby, so great to follow you on this, my fish keeping mate converted his 8 foot marine to freshwater partly for reasons of manageability, but he runs three externals on his tank which honestly would break my heart, if not my back! Always fancied using one these tanks as a freshwater system with CO2 injection. Again good luck and keep us all posted.

 

[andy]

Been tweaking a few things…added some Rotala macranda which is still alive
Put a new spiral CO2 diffuser in and added a fluval nano light for the red plants.
Nitrites and Ammonia through the roof as expected until last night when both were a flat zero. Typical that I now have to wait until Friday to add a few fish.
Plants doing well, particularly Heteranthera zosterifolia which is growing like mad.
Hope to add half a dozen harlequins to start.