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Stocking tank

Quick update on this project, I ended up adding shelldwellers, and unsurprisingly regretted my decision almost instantly.

So, after stripping the tank down once more, I've decided to plan this out properly and gather the necessary materials, I'll be going for the zetlight lancia led with dimmer, unless anyone can suggest a cheaper alternative that will do roughly the same job.

I also realise from looking at the great tanks on here for inspiration, I have seriously neglected hardscaping in my past tanks, so that's going to be the special focus this time, I want a really nice combination of rock, wood, gravel and sand, plants are almost my last consideration.

White cloud minnows or wild green neon tetras will be the stock, of that I am pretty much 100% certain.

Watch this space! I'd also really appreciate suggestions on which combos people would think would work well in terms of say seiryu stone, dennerle gravel and unipac sand.

For example seiryu stone, river s gravel, unipac Kivu. So many different options, think I need some experienced input :)
 
I like the Idea of the Minnows, why not see if you can hold of all the colors they have been bread in now. So Standard, Gold, Marble Gold, Albino, Leucistic and Longfin. Would look very interesting.
A nice long twisty peice of branchy wood, with anubias, buce, bolbitis, moss, attached sporadically. a carpet of mini hairgrass with HC With Hydro Trip in the far left corner creeping its way in around and on top of the wood.
substrate wise, whatever you like to go with your scape. River sand would look nice. A few peices of Small Seiryu to compliment the wood and plants.
Lighting wise, you have the new Dimmable fluval range of LED lighting. Chihiros LED, Strip LED Submersible tubes,
I Like these ones, and have used them in the past with sucess >> https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Aquarien...hash=item2cc66778c3:m:mUYXifJDXltIIdSmMwIg7GA
 
I agree these days there are a lot of brands from even china / taiwan to consider for LED...

A different model of zetlight has served me well and on a shallow tank should be more than enough light to grow plants quite well i'd imagine...
 
White Clouds look amazing when you give them lots of space, so much better than squeezed into a nano. Colourful and lively, always on the move.
 
I agree these days there are a lot of brands from even china / taiwan to consider for LED...

A different model of zetlight has served me well and on a shallow tank should be more than enough light to grow plants quite well i'd imagine...

I'm looking forward to sitting on the couch changing the lights via remote, lazily lol.

Given the dimensions, right now I'm envisioning creeping wood from the left and right, with a relatively open space in the middle, with some smaller rocks interspersed, i'll try and mock up a drawing or get a pic closest to my vision for reference
 
Yeah, i recently got the wifi unit for my zetlight and been tinkering with the settings from my phone till i got it just right... definitely addicitve and a bit dangerous coz you just cant help playing with them...
 
Wcmm really are such a versatile fish, and honestly do very well in smaller tanks.
The now stable longfin variety also look very nice once the yellow and red finnage matures.

Smallest tank I ever kept them in was 10litres and thrived with active breeding. And just used a simple sponge filter.

Sent from my SM-T280 using Tapatalk
 
Wcmm really are such a versatile fish, and honestly do very well in smaller tanks.
The now stable longfin variety also look very nice once the yellow and red finnage matures.

Smallest tank I ever kept them in was 10litres and thrived with active breeding. And just used a simple sponge filter.

Sent from my SM-T280 using Tapatalk

nice job on the breeding! I've got 8 in my 25l long, (24x8x8), they are quite active and don't look too out of place, it's a mostly hardscape tank with rock, so I don't expect any breeding tbf.
 
Playing around with some azalea (finger wood), I may add sand and gravel to see how this will look before I go any further! Feels like there is a large divide in the middle like this, not sure it works

IMG_20180313_200642.jpg
 
Here's an update, I'm actually pretty happy with this hardscape, once I add plants heavily to the left hand side and light it properly, I think this could look good with the white cloud shoal :)

Now I have to wash everything, and try and silicone the wood into place

Ps nobody judge my dvd collection haha

IMG_20180314_222741.jpg

IMG_20180314_232304.jpg

IMG_20180314_232311.jpg
 
From the pics it looks like the wood doesn't extend across, but it does quite a bit, in person! Anyway, need to think of room for plants on the left to fill out lol
 
Looks good. Will tank have a cover? It would be nice to have left hand even higher with wood breaking the water surface.

Also you could get some gravel and small stones to mix/scatter on the substrate so it's less uniform and more natural looking, doesn't matter where it will be covered in plants obviously!
k
 
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Looks good. Will tank have a cover? It would be nice to have left hand even higher with wood breaking the water surface.

Also you could get some gravel and small stones to mix/scatter on the substrate so it's less uniform and more natural looking, doesn't matter where it will be covered in plants obviously!
k

I do have a cover, removed it for messing around with, but you make a good point about how it would benefit breaking the surface.

I've also got gravel and smaller stones to add, but I've refrained thus far, as I now need to wash everything in there :(
 
Love it, and a fellow trekkie - Voyager and DS9 my all time fave. Q fave character and Gianan from TNG
 
Love it, and a fellow trekkie - Voyager and DS9 my all time fave. Q fave character and Gianan from TNG

Haha caught me! Have you seen the new series? I wasn't a fan, but I persevered and I'm warming to it
 
Haha caught me! Have you seen the new series? I wasn't a fan, but I persevered and I'm warming to it

Yeah was a slow starter for me, but as you say warmed to it. Will be interesting to see how it will progress. There is so much Star Trek Canon that can be used. Wonder if they will tie into DS9 and Voyager timelines with Section 47. Lol could chat about trekkie canon for hours/days. I am not sure though, did spock ever mention michael ????

I like how you have created the amount of open space in the scape.
 
Yeah was a slow starter for me, but as you say warmed to it. Will be interesting to see how it will progress. There is so much Star Trek Canon that can be used. Wonder if they will tie into DS9 and Voyager timelines with Section 47. Lol could chat about trekkie canon for hours/days. I am not sure though, did spock ever mention michael ????

I like how you have created the amount of open space in the scape.

I think the show runners mentioned they won't be showing Spock, which is strange given the series ending, but I won't post spoilers lol.

I'm hoping it works out well, I'd hoped to do all the washing and cleaning of materials today, but am now busy so quite likely to wash them at the weekend, then let the rocks and wood try to silicone together, can't be bothered with waiting for it to sink, very impatient that way.

Ideally hoping to have flooded before long, but I need to establish suitable plant list too!
 
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