ukco2guy - Tank No2 - 60ltr Planted

[ukco2guy]

Hi,

I have got myself an Aqua One Horizon 60 which is a 60ltr tank, 2ft wide. I am intending to get this up as a fully planted tank and it will be my first attempt at a kind of Iwagumi aquascape on a fairly limited budget. So far my parts list is:

Kit:
1x Aqua One Horizon 60 tank - £10 (ebay, local collection)
1x Koralia 1 - for extra flow/movement - Yet to find, found a nano version for £15 retail
1x Eheim Ecco 2234/2236 (depending on price)
1x Hydor ETH300 inline heater (i just love these) (thanks for the correction Themuleous) - £9 (ebay)
1x 12mm Eheim spray bar - I use this method as per Clives advise and i love it, works very well so far - £free (donation)
1x Arcadia 4x 24w T5 - Probably just get regular Daylight T5`s from plantspecs.co.uk - 10hrs / day - £26 (ebay, local collection)
1x 2KG FE co2 split from my main tank with two needle valves, set to 2-3 bubbles per second until 30ppm hit, drop checker for monitoring. - £28 for 2x2KG (courtesy of UKAPS Forum), £87 for reg, 500g cylinder, solenoid, needle valve (all bioplast branded) (ebay), Needle Valves £5.99 each (ebay)
1x Aquarium CO2 Nano Air Atomizer Diffuser Regulator-AT95 - £6 (ebay, Hong Kong)

Plants / Substrate / Decor:
10l Oliver Knott black Substrate - £30 / 10Ltr bag (Water Gardens Swindon)
6x Hemianthus callitrichoides - foreground - £10 expected (Water Gardens Swindon)
6x eleocharis acicularis - mid ground and to form around the rocks - £10 expected (Water Gardens Swindon)
3-4 Rocks of some kind, looking about for some nice square, dark type (unknown at this point)
1-2 Anubis or something maybe a little taller like 8x Cambomba - (Water Gardens Swindon)

Fertilisation:
EI Dosing - macros`s Mon/Wed/Fri - Trace (CSMB+) Tues/Thurs - Around £20 (All from Aqua Essentials)

I`d like to know what others think of this list and am i aiming in the right direction for this type of tank. I am going to use some of the mature filter media from my existing tank to get this going and i might add some small tetras as it matures. I would still class myself as new to this and i understand the time and effort that the plants i have chosen will take but if i don`t do it now i never will 🙂

Any advise would be appreciated, i have not ordered any of the plants, kit yet, i alerady have the tank sat here empty and ready to start.

Cheers,

 

[Themuleous]

All sounds about right. Would you use all 4 of the 24w tubes? Seems quite a lot, esp for 10hr a day.

Whats the Hydor CT300? I've got a Hydor ETH300?

Sam

 

[ukco2guy]

Oops my mistake 🙂 The heater is a ETH300. Sure, on the lighting front i got a great deal on the unit (£26), it comes with 4x24w lights but i expect to only use 2 for now, i could switch the other on later or i was thinking about putting a blue light in one for `night time viewing`.

I guess on the advice front i`m after any tips, hints etc. I`m going to try Oliver Knotts method for filling it up with newspaper etc and it will all be planted from day one so as long as the co2`s good, flow is good and i keep it within a strict regimen i hope it`ll grow quick and form a good scape. My only concern is the scape itself and placement of rock, plants and equipment, i will go with the 12mm spray bar at the back for now but i keep looking at those lovely lily pipes as most smaller tanks i see have that instead of larger tanks with spray bars.

I`ll run with it for now, i`m looking at starting the setup next weekend as the substrate and plants are being ordered for delivery Thursday. I will also try to get a Journal up as i go along, at least then you guys comment on any thoughts or ideas.

Cheers,

 

[Garuf]

You did get a bargain indeed! Ebay I'm guessing?

 

[ukco2guy]

Might be.. Ahem 😉 I`m off to Weston Supermare tonight to go pick it up. I`m also getting a Bi-Orb off the seller, part bribe with the wife, she gets Betta`s and i get some new lighting 🙂

Cheers,

 

[Piece-of-fish]

Hi, your equipment and plant list is spot on. Have a read here about iwagumi and especially rock types and placement. This will help if you havent read that before.

http://www.aquajournal.net/na/iwagumi/

I'd vote for a 2-3 hours midday burst with 4 bullbs and 2 for the rest of the time. Starting with 6hours and going longer steadily. Not sure about the night bulb, it will give you 1wpg (the blue bulb pruduces the same ammount of light its just that you see it dimmer due to different wavelenght) of light which is enough for photosintezis so you'd have 24 hour period which is a no no. Correct me here if i am wrong.

Be careful with anubias. It has a hard texture and has to be used is small ammounts otherwise it will overpower/distract such a small tank quickly. I think few nana petite rhyzomes could look beautiful and not overgrow though. It might be just me but i am scared to use anubias unless in the shade for there algae magnet habit Will consider myself a plant grower only when my anubias plants under light will look like Mr.Saintly's 🙄 If you give me the same equipment and plant list i'd change anubias for something else completely but its just me :? Something with a faster growth which you are after.

 

[ukco2guy]

@ Piece-of-fish - Thanks for that, i`ll certainly take all the advise i can get on starting up, establishing the tank. I`ll have a good read tonight as i have bought a couple of ADA magazines and have alot of good links from the guys here on UKAPS.

Originally i wanted to try and re-create a scape that i know well in Lulworth Cove Dorset (brought up there) but since looking about i really am impressed with so many that it might take me longer to place the rocks/plants than it will actually growing it!

Oh also a very good friend of mine goes to Japan alot with work (proton accelerator project, like CERN) and i`ve asked him if he can get to Nijata to have a look about for some ADA bits. If he does would anyone else be interested? I`m after some lily pipes etc but i`m guessing it won`t be that much cheaper!

* Updated first post to reflect pricing, sources etc to maybe help others *
Cheers,

 

[Piece-of-fish]

Mmm, i am having the same issue at the moment with to many different ideas constantly finding the way to my head and changing plans completely. Setting up a 300l now. I'd better not ordered amanos latest complete works book. There are so many beautiful scapes there. They are trying to get me to change something again
Good luck with the planning...