My first Planted Tank - Waterbox 3620

[algae]

Hello everyone, I've been browsing the forums for some time so I wanted to share my first attempt at setting up a freshwater tank. My only experience with aquariums has been saltwater so I'm excited to set this up. Here is the equipment list :

• Tank - Waterbox 3620. : 900 x 500 x 450mm (35.4"×19.7"×17.7").
• Volume: 186 L/49.1 gals
• Lighting - Chihiros WRGB II Pro
• C02 – C02 Art Pro-Elite Series with an Inline defuser and a 5lb tank.
• Filtration – Oase Biomaster 650 with Aqua Worx Flux 16/22mm Stainless Steel Lily Pipes
• Heater - OASE HeatUp 300w
• Substrate – ADA Amazonia v2, ADA La Plata sand, and ADA Aqua Gravel
• Doser- Aquavitro Sentia with 2 heads
• AT0 - Tunze 3155 - it's new but an older model I had stored away.

 

[algae]

Here is the tank prior to me painting the background

 

[algae]

I finally painted the background and completed the aquascape last night. Please let me know if you have any suggestions.

 

[richardcunliffe]

That is a great piece(s) of wood! I think your hardscape looks great. Hopefully the slope will be ok with the gravel to retain it but it's always a risk if you don't fully retain the soil.
Don't hate me, but you might want to pull the wood away from the back wall a bit to make room for stems (assuming you're doing that that with dosing and CO2 and all) If it was me I'd aim to have it somewhere near the middle front-back-wise.
Look forward to seeing it planted in though. Nice job scaping.

 

[FrozenShivers]

Some nice kit you have for your first freshwater, looks like it's in a lovely room also. Scape is looking good, as @richardcunliffe mentioned, if you plan to plant things in the background plant just make sure you've left enough space from the rear glass panel. Any idea what you're going to plant in it yet?

 

[algae]

That is a great piece(s) of wood! I think your hardscape looks great. Hopefully the slope will be ok with the gravel to retain it but it's always a risk if you don't fully retain the soil.
Don't hate me, but you might want to pull the wood away from the back wall a bit to make room for stems (assuming you're doing that that with dosing and CO2 and all) If it was me I'd aim to have it somewhere near the middle front-back-wise.
Look forward to seeing it planted in though. Nice job scaping.

Thanks Richard. This is my first tank so i have no experience and just relying on a lot of reading so I appreciate your insight .We have been painting the rest of the house so things are on hold for the time being. You are right, I don't think i have enough room in the back to plant stems so i am going to need to bring this more towards the front. I didn't consider the slope but that is something to figure out now. i have tons of gravel left over so I will post more pics once I get back in to adjust the scape. Its 4 pieces but i haven't glued anything yet because i keep changing things lol

 

[algae]

Some nice kit you have for your first freshwater, looks like it's in a lovely room also. Scape is looking good, as @richardcunliffe mentioned, if you plan to plant things in the background plant just make sure you've left enough space from the rear glass panel. Any idea what you're going to plant in it yet?

Thank You! I have been researching a ton before buying lol. I really like stem plants so i am going to try and get a variety of them. I am looking for some nice moss to grow up the driftwood but I am undecided. Corals are so much easier to identify! I didn't realize how many varieties there were to consider and then there is the choice of tissue culture vs potted.

 

[PARAGUAY]

Moss on wood will give it that aged natural look

 

[megwattscreative]

Nice stand! That's going to be a lush centre piece. The wood is also gorgeous, although I agree with the others about leaving room for stem plants. On the flip side, make sure you leave enough room for your hands to get in the front of the tank - useful for cleaning/maintenance/ netting if needed! I made that mistake with my first aquascape and had to rearrange everything to make maintenance easier. The pebbles are lush too, think this will look really nice with the moss.

In terms of choosing moss, have a look at what will attach to the wood. some mosses will cling quite happily, whereas others prefer to be free roaming. I've sorted of given up on keeping my weeping moss contained, it's been in for 6+ months now but still seems to release mobile strands every now and then to wander across the tank. Christmas or flame moss would look really nice growing upwards, and you might get some nice gentle movement in the flow. Java moss is also always a good choice in my book 🙂

If you're looking for ideas, why not check out some journals and have a look at your favourite plants on their lists? Then it's worth checking the parameters they need to grow.