58g Planted w/overflow and sump

[myswtsins]

This won't be one of my normal slow build up journals. This tank has to go from being a lake tang tank to a planted tank in the next week.

The plan!!
I am going to have some sort of lighting and uh plants.... Ok, I haven't figured it all out yet! Here's what I have so far though...

Stuff I have
58g Oceanic RR (36x18x21) w/ herbie overflow
Oceanic Stand, which I had to stonecraft cause when it was given to me it was brown with nicotine, yuck!
20g Sump no baffles, with media pads and pot scrubbers
Rio 12HF pump, gives about 620gph after head loss
20lb CO2 tank (needs hydro testing and fill)
Dual stage Victor regulator
Fluval Bubble counter
Fabco NV-55 needle valve (might be broken)
DIY inline reactor with 150w? Jaber heater built in
Black beauty blasting sand or PFS or Safe T Sorb or Oil Dri (not sure which I want to use but I have them)
Drop checker?? Gotta look for that!
Ferts, booster, root tabs, excel and blah blah

Need!
Lights - I'm over buying bulbs for my AH Supply PC kits and then having "used" 55w PC bulbs laying around. Thinking about a Vivagrow 24/7 and a Beamswork to cover intensity, spread and color.

Plants - I have crypts and buce coming next week. I know I want varies hygros, crypts, buces, ferns and blyxa. In the meantime I need to get some fillers so if anyone has extra plants at trimming time please send em my way.

Doser - I am unreliable, I want a doser! lol My schedule is different every day and I stink at remember to do little things like dosing, then forget if I did it or not! I'm gonna get a Jabeo Doser. Need to figure out containers and where I'm gonna fit all this under the tank!

Return Nozzles - Gotta figure out how I want the return setup to distribute the CO2 enriched water evenly without pummeling anything or causes too much surface agitation. While also not being an eye sore!

 

[dougall]

If you are going hi tech, I would suggest using safe T sorb or oil dri, both have a relatively high CEC (as opposed to none from the slag/sand)

read about pre-loading it with nutrients, I think that Barr guy again, and also maybe DIY root tabs (I would look at clay vs Osmocote based)


But good luck, I am following for sure.

 

[myswtsins]

If you are going hi tech, I would suggest using safe T sorb or oil dri, both have a relatively high CEC (as opposed to none from the slag/sand)

read about pre-loading it with nutrients, I think that Barr guy again, and also maybe DIY root tabs (I would look at clay vs Osmocote based)


But good luck, I am following for sure.

Thanks for following.

I unusually use a clay based substrate (safe t sorb, oil dri, soil master select) when planting but I prefer the look of sand. The safe T sorb is a bit too natural color for me and my oil-dri is still IN my 72g so that'd be a process but probably what I will do, and it will be all mature and mulm-y.

I've pre-charged before and like it! Kinda gives the effect of soil (as far as lots of start up nutrients) but after it is exhausted (a few months in a high tech?) there is no mess to deal with for the rest of the tank's life.

 

[myswtsins]

Just ordered 2 36" Vivagrow 24/7 (Finnex knockoffs with slightly less par) for $120 shipped, yay! Early happy birthday to me! Most I've ever spent on lights but I'm excited. Won't be here for a week or two though, no biggie, I can manage till then.

I decided I am going to steal the Oil-Dri from my other tank and put the PFS from this tank into that one, gonna be a big day! (on Sunday I think, should be raining)

Doser went up in price and it's been trending down so I'll hold off on it for a bit and see where the price goes.

Edit: Forgot I wanted to add the link to the lights.https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BX6KLDK/ref=twister_B01BX6KLBM?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

 

[dougall]

Lights look good,

I do have a finnex 24/7 sitting around here I think, was going to use it on my latest tank, but had a BML that I used instead.

Not sure how much you were looking at for the doser, but it looks like $67 on amazon to me, when I was looking a bit over a year ago, they were ~$80-100

 

[Rbishop]

What's that green rock over on the left?

 

[myswtsins]

Lights look good,

I do have a finnex 24/7 sitting around here I think, was going to use it on my latest tank, but had a BML that I used instead.

Not sure how much you were looking at for the doser, but it looks like $67 on amazon to me, when I was looking a bit over a year ago, they were ~$80-100

Yeah they were down to $60 and I don't need it just yet so I'm just watching it for now...maybe it will do a trick!

What's that green rock over on the left?

A new species of rock! I breed it myself! I call it "this little guy needs a temporary home" Considering this tank only has a 13w CFL in the ceiling light and that little guy has been there a long time I am surprised it's alive. lol One of my Julis hang out near it all the time.

 

[myswtsins]

BTW I have NO clue how I am going to scape this tank! Any ideas? These are some of the crypts I am getting next week, usteriana, balansae, hudoroi, affinis 'metallic red' and nurii. So I know I need the balansae to be in the back most likely in the right corner, cause the left has the overflow but that's about it right now. Putting it there is making my return placement more difficult though. I have some wood but it's not water logged so that has to wait....I just have no clue. Guess I'll just wing it, go jungle style-ish.

 

[fishorama]

I can't wait, I love "jungle-style"!

 

[myswtsins]

Well I hope you like messy jungle style cause that's what it will be. I have no artistic sense! I can look at something and tell you if I like it or not but ask me why and I have no clue. hehe