A planted tank thats possibly an industry first.

**Gbbudd** · 01-07-2009, 10:42 PM

This is my second planted tank, i had others ask to see my other tanks that i had. That there had to be others do to " no knob could create such a tank on there first try" So heres my second attemp. the tank is placed off the wall and i made a water proof shelf basicaly on three sides where all the water from the Water fall, waters all the plants and drains into the fish tank. I never have to water any of the plants above the water level of the tank. Lace rock was used to create the falls and the water is allowed to run anywhere it wants. i know for troical it's lace rock is not recomended but it has not created any issues for me. I aways wanted to place some sort of life around the falls but didn't want to have to feed crickets or meal worms to any of all the standard terestrial creatures kept in padariums. SO and this maybe a first i have two orange cheeked finches. It was just what was lacking and yes there dropings end up in the tank. but with the EHIEM PRO 3 the filter is for tanks up to 350 gallons if my memory is correct. And this tank is only 92 gallons so the birds waste is just some more bio load for the tank as well as the falls act as a anerobic algea scrubber / filter.
Fish
6 Agoo boos, 4 embra tetras, SAE, false SAE, 3 golden pelco. 8 red nose rummies, 12 amano shrimp, 4 kohli loaches, 12 galaxy rasboras

Plants/Invertebrates
dwarf sagatarius, sagatarius,riccia both types" one floats the other does not. wisteria, brown crypt, pellia, foxtail.rotala indica. fisden, the plant in the water fall are common house plants here in america. Sorry i do not know there names but one plant is a bonsai i never water any of the plants the water fall does all that for me.

Filtration
Ehiem Pro 3 and two other ehiems for co2 injection and another for the water fall but only one of the second ehiems has any filter media.

Lighting
2 Aqua Medic metal halide with ADA 8000 standard 150 watt for 300 watts
and one quartz halogen 150 watt that ilumintes the water fall.

Substrate
Cable heater / with 1/2" of laterite and between 3 to 6" of florite

Decor
Yet another tree stump found in the woods here in Ct but this time it's not a hard wood. Again im trying whats not recomended the stump is ceder. i did not boil it i do weekly water changes of 40 to 50 gallons . i do not add any water conditioners or salts. i have a seventy gallon sump in the basement below the main tank where i simply age my replacement water. I have a light switch next to the main tank where after i drain the water from the tank for a water change by means of a siphone hose that dumps out the window. I throw the switch and the water is brough up from the basement and water change is complete. takes me no more then 5 minutes. unless prunning is required.

ok i guess thats a good start for now,if theres any questions feel free to ask.

First tank can be found here
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums...d.php?t=110988

**bettalover** · 01-07-2009, 10:46 PM

omg. that is amazing. sell it to me now!

**DAVIDFBT** · 01-07-2009, 10:47 PM

I love the waterfall with the plants growing all over it!

**sed03f** · 01-07-2009, 10:48 PM

sweet, all I can say

**Born4spd** · 01-07-2009, 10:49 PM

Nice finch

**sed03f** · 01-07-2009, 10:52 PM

That is a pretty finch, you should have more kuhlis, it would be like winning the lotto for them

**Gbbudd** · 01-07-2009, 10:59 PM

I could probably have 50 kuhlis loaches in the tank and see one maybe once a day. they rarely come up out of the forground lawn. it's anywhere from 1 1/2" tall in the front to about 3- 4 inches tall in the back. I keep them to help maintain any snail spawnings. And to get any food that makes it to the bottom of the tank.

**Nolapete** · 01-07-2009, 11:00 PM

Do you plant the plants as full as they are or have they grown in?

I guess getting an amazing planted tank takes stuffing it to the rim with plants right from the start.

**petluvr** · 01-07-2009, 11:04 PM

Amazing

I have though of this but wondered how do you feed the birds? Don't the seed end up in the water?

**Gbbudd** · 01-07-2009, 11:06 PM

Originally Posted by Nolapete

Do you plant the plants as full as they are or have they grown in?

I guess getting an amazing planted tank takes stuffing it to the rim with plants right from the start.

If you look at how most plant there tanks a little here of one plant a little there of another, no thats not how i planted my tank i purchased 5 dwarf sag to plant up the bottom of the tank and it didn't go far it took about 4 months for it to create a nice carpet. But i screwed up one day when i turned on the replacement water pump it blasted a piece of riccia that got blow into the dwarf sag. A nd in only two months the riccia has completely grown in to what you see above i prefered the dwarf sag but i have let this tank go where it may. Some times the best success is due to a mistake.