55gal Planted Build Log Thread

[irmuddled]

Hi all and welcome to my build log! I've had this tank set up and cycled for a few weeks using elements from my old tanks, so I've got the basics going on...

Here's what he tank looks like right now. :crazy: The very few low light plants I plopped in there unimaginatively are dying, I need a background, lots and lots of more plants and driftwood, brushing up my photography skillz wouldn't hurt... but it's a start:

My goal is to make it a heavily planted aquarium... so I have a long way to go and I NEED help/tips/critique. Plus I've always wanted to make one of these logs :grinyes: Next week hopefully I get more plants, a CO2 system from GLA, driftwood... so this is srs bsns.

EQUIPMENT (so far):

• 55 gallon glass tank, stand, canopy
• Coralife 48" FW Aqualight (giving about 2.4 wpg)
• Marineland 400B Emperor HOB filter
• 200 watt heater
• EcoComplete Substrate

STOCKING:

• 2 Angelfish
• 4 Cherry Platys (3 girls, one boy)
• 2 Sterba's corys
• Fauna: anubias, java fern, java moss, baby amazon swords, maybe some other plant I forgot, and a bit of malasyian driftwood.

I used to have zebra danios but they tore my angelfish's fins up really bad, so after a few days of torture they were moved to my coworkers 40gal. Bad danios. :nono:

Next post is a recap of how it got that way! :woot: *add game show music* Also I promise to make the next posts much shorter...

 

[StarStruck8]

I bought my CO2 system from GLA when I was setting up my 75 gallon...you can't ask for faster service! I ordered mine late Tuesday night, and I had it Thursday. I bought a drop checker and diffuser from them as well.

If you are going the CO2 route I would suggest looking into a canister filter. Less surface movement=less co2 lost. Plus, I diffuse co2 into my canister's intake.

I love build logs!

 

[Rbishop]

A great beginning...

 

[Arturo]

Sounds good, I will keep tabs for any updates.

 

[irmuddled]

Thanks very much!

If you are going the CO2 route I would suggest looking into a canister filter. Less surface movement=less co2 lost. Plus, I diffuse co2 into my canister's intake.

Yeah, I realized that after I had set up and cycled the whole tank. Orlando told me that it's doable with a HOB but I have to keep the water level high so there's not as much current, so we'll see. If it doesn't work out then I guess next big expense is a eheim or something. Lesson learned the hard way :X

Andd, as promised here's a recap.
​

Filling up the tank with water and bleach, to clean up after the mess it had. Actually build a thread asking for help as to how to clean it the day I did this. So this site has been helping me all along

Transferring eco-complete from my old tank, with lots of mulm for super speedy cycling

Some low-light plants and a little ornamental jar from my old tank... pretty much all I have still other than a nice baby sword plant from the nice gentleman who bought my old tank

After a couple of times filling it up and emptying it, it was still cloudy so I gave up and let gravity do its work

The danios that I had... for historical purposes. Rude and super hyper... they were picking on everyone, even the cories

And more current tank pics... I love my angelfishies <3

I'm expecting more plants on thursday so an update on that coming soon!

 

[BreezeRuehls]

nice!

 

[jpappy789]

cool layout!

 

[irmuddled]

Thanks! It's a start at least. =) My plan is to make it big and grassy on the left side and a big piece of manzanita on the right with moss tied up, resembling a tree. I still need to figure out what kind of foreground to get, I'm thinking glosso...

 

[tbonedeluxe]

Very nice tank and start!!
I have a 55g fully planted tank with angels also.Love them!
If you could've used the other end of the syphon to fill the tank
you would've had less cloudiness to start.You just anchor the syphon into top or middle corner and you get less disturbance to substrate.
Good luck with your tank and occupants!! ;-))

 

[irmuddled]

I agree I was filling up anxiously because I wanted to finish AND I was attempting to take pictures of the same time so I made a really big mess in there. XD I love my angels!

Aaand, here's a quick update I got my new plants yesterday, and most of them are in the left background so once they grow they're going to look really awesome! There's a lot of different plants and I can't remember their names, but here's my favorite new additions:

I also put a black background, but I don't like it too much since it's reflective... I don't want my mug to come up each time I look at the fish so I'm going to look into either painting it or getting something else. Full tank shot:

FINAL note, I ordered the primo co2 system from green leaf aquariums, their diffuser and drop checker (I hope it's going to be enough since my tank is larger and has an HOB...) aand their green fertilizer package. :woot:Grand total came up to be $418.57, the most I've spent on fish in one shot fo sho. Then on ebay I also got a little pocket scale to weigh the dry fertilizers.

That's all coming early next week so I'm going to post pictures of the box and all when I get it. After I get the CO2 system and test it out for the week I'm going to start working on the carpet on the right side, either glosso or four leaf clover. Stay tuned!