Ryno's 450L deep setup

[RynoParsons]

Well ive never made a thread of this tank. its a 4ft tank but 85cm deep. have my 8x39w t5 lights on it since im getting my Kessils tomorrow. its a low tech setup for now. would like to raise the substrate at the back about 30cm with big rocks to create a ledge. but still need to get big rock for that. will also get co2 on it going. have a cylinder already will get a reg ect end of February. well enough chatting here is pics, what do you think?

 

[whatok]

Really nice schooling angels. Underrated fish.

It's difficult to create a sense of depth (ha) in such a deep tank. It looks good now, but there is a lot of dead space.

Using epiphytes (root anchored species) like ferns, mosses and anubias attached to large, 'branchy' wood, would be an effective way of increasing the sense of depth and filling space, while also getting the plants closer to the light source. I would suggest doing that rather than creating a ledge would be more appropriate and easier to achieve. Just raise the rear left of the substrate with sand/gravel and supports.

 

[RynoParsons]

cool thanx when i gather enough resources i will try that im looking for about a shopping bag full of mos. even java moss would work. i have lots of wood soaking also tall branches?

 

[whatok]

Yeah, the more the better. You have a lot of room in there.

When I say branchy, I mean like this:

Obviously, these are high tech tanks by very accomplished people. But my point is that the wood is a good way of getting height into the aquarium, without having to grow a huge volume of highly demanding plants, which would be even more difficult to keep healthy anyway in a deeper tank. The less demanding plants that you can attach to the wood (mosses in these examples, but also javas, bolbitis and mosses) will do well because of the flow all around them and the closer lightsource.

Aquariums with mostly rocks or small, dense wood as hardscape are usually better suited to shallower tanks.

This is all in my opinion obviously!

 

[RynoParsons]

i like your opinion haha. i cant see the pics you posted but thanx getting ideas. will for sure do it after the big move

 

[NatureBoy]

awesome depth on that tank! I'd love to see a curtain of vallis / cryptocoryne balansae / echindorus uruguayensis fully grown in there!

 

[RynoParsons]

Thanx. I would like to get a good scape going here. O yes the tank has 2x eheim 2229 filters but water never gets 100% clear?

 

[whatok]

Is the flow even? If so, have you tried purigen? (not suitable with any stress-coats like aquasafe etc)

 

[RynoParsons]

I have good flow yes? Dont know if the problem is that its so deep? Maybe i must get a internal filter with floss at the bottom?

 

[whatok]

The depth shouldn't matter much. If your turnover and flow is good, and your filters are running efficiently, you should have very clear water.

 

[RynoParsons]

Yeah dont know whats up with it. Think im going to use one filter with bio media and the other one just filter floss and see what happensp

 

[whatok]

It's likely that will just strangle one of the filters slightly and lower your turnover over all.