Jhereg10
08-01-2003, 12:57 PM
VERY LARGE (2MB avg size) hi-res picts can be viewed at: http://www.dscworld.org/aquarium.html
Enjoy! (Wouldn't go there if you don't have a fast connection tho).
75 GALLON
-Substrate Upper Layer (1")
Mostly gravel (1-2mm, actually pool filter media)
-Substrate Lower Layer (2")
50% Schultz/Profile Aquatic Potting Soil (similar to laterite)
25% gravel (1-2mm, actually pool filter media)
25% sand.
-Water
Dechlorinated tap water. Tap Water specs to be posted.
Aquarium water averages:
79 F (no heater with top open....go figure)
7.2 pH
0 ppm NH3/4
0 ppm NO2
<20 ppm NO3
GH/KH to be posted
-Filtration
Cascade 1000 canister filter with filter floss (no carbon)
-Lighting
2x55W CF (6700K and 5300K bulbs)
1x18W NF (Bulb to be posted)
-CO2
Carbo-Plus (?) carbon bar-type on level 3
-Plants
1 Swordplant (Echinodorus cordifolius)
Lots of Anacharis (Elodea densa)
1 Scarlet Hygrophila (Hygrophila spp.)
3+ Java Fern (Microsorium pteropus)
A tangle of Hornwort (Certophyllum demersum)
2+ Water Primrose (Ludwigia repens)
1 Frill (Myriophyllum aquaticum)
4 Anubias (Anubias barteri var nana)
6+ Lutea (Cryptocoryne walkeri)
1 Spike Rush (Eleocharis montevidensis)
12+ Micro Chain Swords (Echinodorus tenellus)
A multitude of Duckweed (Lemnaceae spp.)
4+ Corkscrew Val (Vallisneria spiralis var. tortissima)
-Invertebrates
1 Apple Snail (Pomacea Bridgesii)
Tons of Malaysian Trumpet Snails (Melanoides tuberculata)
Lots of Ramshorn Snails (Marisa cornuarietis)
-Fish
1 Ancient Rosy Barb (Barbus conchonius)
5 Adult and 3 Juvenile White Cloud Mountain Minnows (Tanichthys albonubes)
6 Broken Line/Ulreyi Tetras (Hemigrammus ulreyi)
1 Head-n-Tail Light (Hemigrammus ocellifer)
1 Common Pleco (Hypostomus plecostomus)
This was an upgrade from a 20G Long. I had kept that tank for almost a decade and was down to one fish (the Rosy Barb) and decided to upgrade and restock.
On water specs, my local utility company was kind enough to immediately fax over testing specs the hour I called and asked about them. Mine uses chlorine, not chloramine, and is generally slightly alkaline and slightly hard. I have not been able to get the temps below 78F, primarily because our AC is set on 75F, even with the top open and no heater.
Lighting is a hodgepodge. Original hood with a retro-kit from AHSupply for the 2x55's. Originally it had a single 40W NF. The other hood is from my old 20L, and only has an 18W NF. I'm in the process of building a custom hood, and will add another (at least) 55W CF.
CO2 Injection and upgraded lighting have done WONDERS for plant growth, along with regular liquid fertilizer WITH EACH water change (recommended by LFS). Frankly, unless I start pruning every other week, there won't be room for fish in the blasted tank (grin).
On plants, the duckweed is a mixed blessing. I've been told it's a heck of a purifier/nitrate processor, but periodic thinning is needed or it covers the entire surface (oops!). Also, it has become an ecosystem all its own, with numerous insects making their home on it (which I have seen the fish feeding off of....bonus!) Frankly, my conclusion is despite the serious need for weekly thinning I really like it in my tank. Hornwort is another matter. It grows explosively, then crashes, then explodes again. And it's impossible for me to mold, train, what have you. It's only use for me has been as an "anchor" to keep the duckweed in strategic locations. In fact, I have placed a bit of fishing line across a portion of the tank to create a "zone" of calm, hornwort/duckweed rife surface area. The juve White Clouds love it.
The remaining plants have gone completely nuts, except for the spike rush aka giant hairgrass. Nothing I do seems to encourage it to grow, but neither is it dying off. Ho hum.
On invertebrates, I frankly love the snails. I have not noticed ANY consumption of healthy vegetation (though that may because there's always some dying leaf, mulm, surface scum, or algae film to munch on). I've heard that if they get hungry enough, especially the apple snail and ramshorns, they will go for the healthy plants. The apple snail, I've heard, is the most likey culprit, and thankfully I only got one of those (so no breeding to worry about).
On fish, everyone seems to be thriving. The barb is years old, and too self-absorbed to bother with pestering the smaller fish. The white clouds and ulreyi tetras are most recent and co-exist nicely. The pleco...well, does what plecos do....and often comes out in the daytime to feed (thought they were more nocturnal than that).
The H-N-T Light was a "gimme" with the Ulreyi Tetras. The 3 Juve White Clouds hatched in the tank about 2 weeks after the White Clouds were introduced...talk about prolific! The Pleco was purchased before I was aware of exactly how big those babies get. Oh well.
5.5 GALLON
This is actually my quarantine tank. HOT filter, sand substrate, duckweed, and snails.
Pictures to come of both tanks.
Enjoy! (Wouldn't go there if you don't have a fast connection tho).
75 GALLON
-Substrate Upper Layer (1")
Mostly gravel (1-2mm, actually pool filter media)
-Substrate Lower Layer (2")
50% Schultz/Profile Aquatic Potting Soil (similar to laterite)
25% gravel (1-2mm, actually pool filter media)
25% sand.
-Water
Dechlorinated tap water. Tap Water specs to be posted.
Aquarium water averages:
79 F (no heater with top open....go figure)
7.2 pH
0 ppm NH3/4
0 ppm NO2
<20 ppm NO3
GH/KH to be posted
-Filtration
Cascade 1000 canister filter with filter floss (no carbon)
-Lighting
2x55W CF (6700K and 5300K bulbs)
1x18W NF (Bulb to be posted)
-CO2
Carbo-Plus (?) carbon bar-type on level 3
-Plants
1 Swordplant (Echinodorus cordifolius)
Lots of Anacharis (Elodea densa)
1 Scarlet Hygrophila (Hygrophila spp.)
3+ Java Fern (Microsorium pteropus)
A tangle of Hornwort (Certophyllum demersum)
2+ Water Primrose (Ludwigia repens)
1 Frill (Myriophyllum aquaticum)
4 Anubias (Anubias barteri var nana)
6+ Lutea (Cryptocoryne walkeri)
1 Spike Rush (Eleocharis montevidensis)
12+ Micro Chain Swords (Echinodorus tenellus)
A multitude of Duckweed (Lemnaceae spp.)
4+ Corkscrew Val (Vallisneria spiralis var. tortissima)
-Invertebrates
1 Apple Snail (Pomacea Bridgesii)
Tons of Malaysian Trumpet Snails (Melanoides tuberculata)
Lots of Ramshorn Snails (Marisa cornuarietis)
-Fish
1 Ancient Rosy Barb (Barbus conchonius)
5 Adult and 3 Juvenile White Cloud Mountain Minnows (Tanichthys albonubes)
6 Broken Line/Ulreyi Tetras (Hemigrammus ulreyi)
1 Head-n-Tail Light (Hemigrammus ocellifer)
1 Common Pleco (Hypostomus plecostomus)
This was an upgrade from a 20G Long. I had kept that tank for almost a decade and was down to one fish (the Rosy Barb) and decided to upgrade and restock.
On water specs, my local utility company was kind enough to immediately fax over testing specs the hour I called and asked about them. Mine uses chlorine, not chloramine, and is generally slightly alkaline and slightly hard. I have not been able to get the temps below 78F, primarily because our AC is set on 75F, even with the top open and no heater.
Lighting is a hodgepodge. Original hood with a retro-kit from AHSupply for the 2x55's. Originally it had a single 40W NF. The other hood is from my old 20L, and only has an 18W NF. I'm in the process of building a custom hood, and will add another (at least) 55W CF.
CO2 Injection and upgraded lighting have done WONDERS for plant growth, along with regular liquid fertilizer WITH EACH water change (recommended by LFS). Frankly, unless I start pruning every other week, there won't be room for fish in the blasted tank (grin).
On plants, the duckweed is a mixed blessing. I've been told it's a heck of a purifier/nitrate processor, but periodic thinning is needed or it covers the entire surface (oops!). Also, it has become an ecosystem all its own, with numerous insects making their home on it (which I have seen the fish feeding off of....bonus!) Frankly, my conclusion is despite the serious need for weekly thinning I really like it in my tank. Hornwort is another matter. It grows explosively, then crashes, then explodes again. And it's impossible for me to mold, train, what have you. It's only use for me has been as an "anchor" to keep the duckweed in strategic locations. In fact, I have placed a bit of fishing line across a portion of the tank to create a "zone" of calm, hornwort/duckweed rife surface area. The juve White Clouds love it.
The remaining plants have gone completely nuts, except for the spike rush aka giant hairgrass. Nothing I do seems to encourage it to grow, but neither is it dying off. Ho hum.
On invertebrates, I frankly love the snails. I have not noticed ANY consumption of healthy vegetation (though that may because there's always some dying leaf, mulm, surface scum, or algae film to munch on). I've heard that if they get hungry enough, especially the apple snail and ramshorns, they will go for the healthy plants. The apple snail, I've heard, is the most likey culprit, and thankfully I only got one of those (so no breeding to worry about).
On fish, everyone seems to be thriving. The barb is years old, and too self-absorbed to bother with pestering the smaller fish. The white clouds and ulreyi tetras are most recent and co-exist nicely. The pleco...well, does what plecos do....and often comes out in the daytime to feed (thought they were more nocturnal than that).
The H-N-T Light was a "gimme" with the Ulreyi Tetras. The 3 Juve White Clouds hatched in the tank about 2 weeks after the White Clouds were introduced...talk about prolific! The Pleco was purchased before I was aware of exactly how big those babies get. Oh well.
5.5 GALLON
This is actually my quarantine tank. HOT filter, sand substrate, duckweed, and snails.
Pictures to come of both tanks.