I have been feeling like my 15 gallon tank is a bit of a space waste, and that I'd like it to be lower light. I've decided to replace it with a 20g tank, which is the same width but taller. this will give me a little more vertical space to play with, and raise my light from the bottom about 6" or so.
I'm making a big hardscape, sort of a larger version of the paludarium I made recently, (but not a paludarium, a fully filled tank) using cork bark to create cliff walls and filling the cliffs with substrate. I want to create multiple platforms, and zones. The plan is to cover a lot of it with the many many java fern shrubs I've got going in the 15gallon, creating overhanging leafy areas and exposed cork cliffs. I'll be using flourite black to fill in the cork planters, and flourite black sand on the actual tank bottom. There is also a false bottom under the tall, big cliff, so I don't need 9" of substrate, and so I can keep things circulated. The trunk that rises on the back right houses the heater, a small pump to push to the nozzle in the front and under the false bottom, and the filter return and intake pipes for the mini cannister. the intake is almost totally hidden in a box behind the cork, but I can see/change the strainer sponge easily.
a couple of pics from yesterday... I've now built the false bottom area too, which is not shown here.
I'm making a big hardscape, sort of a larger version of the paludarium I made recently, (but not a paludarium, a fully filled tank) using cork bark to create cliff walls and filling the cliffs with substrate. I want to create multiple platforms, and zones. The plan is to cover a lot of it with the many many java fern shrubs I've got going in the 15gallon, creating overhanging leafy areas and exposed cork cliffs. I'll be using flourite black to fill in the cork planters, and flourite black sand on the actual tank bottom. There is also a false bottom under the tall, big cliff, so I don't need 9" of substrate, and so I can keep things circulated. The trunk that rises on the back right houses the heater, a small pump to push to the nozzle in the front and under the false bottom, and the filter return and intake pipes for the mini cannister. the intake is almost totally hidden in a box behind the cork, but I can see/change the strainer sponge easily.
a couple of pics from yesterday... I've now built the false bottom area too, which is not shown here.
Can't wait to see this progress.
