Hi all, just getting back into the hobby from when I was a kid. I'm rounding out my 40th year now, got a bunch of kids running around, and the thought of reliving the excitement of aquariums through them is really cool!
I started researching tanks a couple years ago, and figured I would wind up doing a 55 gallon tank or so. To save money I searched and searched on craigslist, when I finally came across someone selling a rimless reef-style cube - a JBJ 45RL along with the stand,pumps, and a crappy LED light. Picked it up for around $300 used it was in really good condition, and seemed like a great deal to me. I filled it up right after I got it for a few days, no leaks after which it sat in my garage for a year and a half.
Finally got around to pulling the tank out of the garage, gave it another leak test which passed again and began to plan how to set it up. I always seem to challenge myself with shoestring budgets for different hobbies (at least in the beginning lol) and the tank was no different. I wanted to do a planted tank and somewhat aquascaped. Some of the aquascaping tank images out there are stunning, and really resonated with my artistic side. Manufactured substrate is expensive, store bought dirt is not.
I read an awful lot about substrate, dirt, plants light CO2 etc etc. Decided on doing a dirt tank with a black sand and gravel cap. This tank will not have CO2, but a good light. Try to put together an aesthetically pleasing hardscape using rock and wood. Plant as heavily and I can justify in $$. Figure out the livestock after I get the tank up and running. I can't provide much of a summary on why I made all of these choices, I made my decision based on budget, and averaging the information I read. The main concession in the end was no CO2 - which seems nice to have, but more expensive than I was willing to fork out. Also a low tech CO2 system seems like alot of maintenance. Even given the fact that I brew beer, understand yeast and have lots readily available. It still seems too much of a pain.
Equipment and Hardscape:
Tank: JBJ Rimless 45RL
Filter: Built in sump - ie "All in one"
Light: 24"-36" Current Satellite Plus Pro
Heater: Aqueon Pro 100 (x2)
Dirt: Local Organic Potting Soil from Home Depot (had perlite in it, no big deal though)
Rocks: Found a large rock upstate new york in the woods. Had some old rocks from my father's fishtank days. Seems like slate or shale or something.
Wood: None - Thought I would be able to forage some upstate on the river, never had the time to do so. Maybe next tank.
Sand: Imagitarium - fine black
Gravel: Pea gravel for landscaping from Home depot
I wanted to create something of an aquascaped tank, I have zero experience with hardscapes, planting etc. but I wanted to create a scene that looks something like the bottom of a rocky hill as it would look at the floor of a river. Lot's of research went into looking and reading about aquascaping before I began. In the end nothing substitutes actually working with the materials ,and giving it a shot. Here is a progression:
After battling with dirty water for awhile, I removed the gravel, and capped entirely with sand. I think the gravel was too large, and letting the dirt through. There were also the "emergency" holes in the rear wall of the sump, which allow water through in the case that the overflows are stopped up. The rear slope covers these up and they were letting dirt back into the filter area. I stopped these up with those foam ear plugs people wear to concerts.
Ordered some plant off ebay, after another period of major research.
Plants:
Ludwigia Repens
Micro Sword
Staurogyne Repens
Bacopa Caroliniana
Anubias Barteri Nana
Rotala Indica
Java Fern
Cryptocoryne Spiralis
Rotala Rotundifolia (Which I think was actually indica, there is alot of mixup between these 2)
Thereafter I cycled the tank which took awhile, and began to add livestock - one species at a time for the most part.
Current Livestock:
6 x Glowlight Tetra
15 x Neon Tetra
1 x Gold Dust Molly
1 x Dalmatian Molly
3 x Otocinclus
8? x Mixed (RCS and blue) dwarf shrimp (2 perished by getting into the filter area. I have since covered the overflows with coarse filter sponge. They are shy, so not sure how many left)
1 x Black Racer Nerite snail
2 x hitchhiker baby snail - not sure what type yet. Too small to tell.
The tank has been up and running with plants now since 8/3/18. Here are some current pictures:
I started researching tanks a couple years ago, and figured I would wind up doing a 55 gallon tank or so. To save money I searched and searched on craigslist, when I finally came across someone selling a rimless reef-style cube - a JBJ 45RL along with the stand,pumps, and a crappy LED light. Picked it up for around $300 used it was in really good condition, and seemed like a great deal to me. I filled it up right after I got it for a few days, no leaks after which it sat in my garage for a year and a half.
Finally got around to pulling the tank out of the garage, gave it another leak test which passed again and began to plan how to set it up. I always seem to challenge myself with shoestring budgets for different hobbies (at least in the beginning lol) and the tank was no different. I wanted to do a planted tank and somewhat aquascaped. Some of the aquascaping tank images out there are stunning, and really resonated with my artistic side. Manufactured substrate is expensive, store bought dirt is not.
I read an awful lot about substrate, dirt, plants light CO2 etc etc. Decided on doing a dirt tank with a black sand and gravel cap. This tank will not have CO2, but a good light. Try to put together an aesthetically pleasing hardscape using rock and wood. Plant as heavily and I can justify in $$. Figure out the livestock after I get the tank up and running. I can't provide much of a summary on why I made all of these choices, I made my decision based on budget, and averaging the information I read. The main concession in the end was no CO2 - which seems nice to have, but more expensive than I was willing to fork out. Also a low tech CO2 system seems like alot of maintenance. Even given the fact that I brew beer, understand yeast and have lots readily available. It still seems too much of a pain.
Equipment and Hardscape:
Tank: JBJ Rimless 45RL
Filter: Built in sump - ie "All in one"
Light: 24"-36" Current Satellite Plus Pro
Heater: Aqueon Pro 100 (x2)
Dirt: Local Organic Potting Soil from Home Depot (had perlite in it, no big deal though)
Rocks: Found a large rock upstate new york in the woods. Had some old rocks from my father's fishtank days. Seems like slate or shale or something.
Wood: None - Thought I would be able to forage some upstate on the river, never had the time to do so. Maybe next tank.
Sand: Imagitarium - fine black
Gravel: Pea gravel for landscaping from Home depot
I wanted to create something of an aquascaped tank, I have zero experience with hardscapes, planting etc. but I wanted to create a scene that looks something like the bottom of a rocky hill as it would look at the floor of a river. Lot's of research went into looking and reading about aquascaping before I began. In the end nothing substitutes actually working with the materials ,and giving it a shot. Here is a progression:
After battling with dirty water for awhile, I removed the gravel, and capped entirely with sand. I think the gravel was too large, and letting the dirt through. There were also the "emergency" holes in the rear wall of the sump, which allow water through in the case that the overflows are stopped up. The rear slope covers these up and they were letting dirt back into the filter area. I stopped these up with those foam ear plugs people wear to concerts.
Ordered some plant off ebay, after another period of major research.
Plants:
Ludwigia Repens
Micro Sword
Staurogyne Repens
Bacopa Caroliniana
Anubias Barteri Nana
Rotala Indica
Java Fern
Cryptocoryne Spiralis
Rotala Rotundifolia (Which I think was actually indica, there is alot of mixup between these 2)
Thereafter I cycled the tank which took awhile, and began to add livestock - one species at a time for the most part.
Current Livestock:
6 x Glowlight Tetra
15 x Neon Tetra
1 x Gold Dust Molly
1 x Dalmatian Molly
3 x Otocinclus
8? x Mixed (RCS and blue) dwarf shrimp (2 perished by getting into the filter area. I have since covered the overflows with coarse filter sponge. They are shy, so not sure how many left)
1 x Black Racer Nerite snail
2 x hitchhiker baby snail - not sure what type yet. Too small to tell.
The tank has been up and running with plants now since 8/3/18. Here are some current pictures:
