peet Posted February 13, 2012 Report Share Posted February 13, 2012 Finally I have started my planted scape, you may have seen a bit of an intro on http://www.lumersion.co.nz (temporarily taken offline). I'll post some more pics of my plans soon, but was out boating a couple of weekends ago and found this little gem.. well not so little, its almost 6ft long... Its going to stick right out of the top of the open tank, and I hope to grow some bromiliads or similar along the section exposed to air which will merge straight into java fern below the waterline. I have a bunch of glosso growing in a tank outside for carpeting plant in foreground. Planning on having the wood piece "dripping" with java fern, riccia and anubias (in darker sections). Mid ground plants will be crypts and echinodorus. Havn't decided on background plants yet but would love to get hold of some aromatica (posts on this website indicate we might not have the red variety here in NZ &c:ry ... also keen on balansae, but need to do a bit more planning on aesthetics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anthony law Posted February 14, 2012 Report Share Posted February 14, 2012 um doesnt need to be in a tank first :digH: :spop: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peet Posted March 26, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 26, 2012 I've had to take down the lumersion site for the moment, so have transferred my current tank project to this post. Below is the idea in my minds eye of what I want it to look like. Going for a minimalist style, very ADA I guess, but I decided to go with the white cabinet instead of the grey. Tank: 1370 x 500 x 500 (around 320 - 340 Litres) Lights: metal halide shoplights 2x 150 watts in painted metal housing Cabinet: painted MDF on 4x2 timber frame Substrate: Daltons mixed with about 10% pummice sand, Daltons No.2 propagation sand topping Hardscape: DIYsourced rock and wood Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Li@m Posted March 26, 2012 Report Share Posted March 26, 2012 Very cool, How about removing the top white rim to complete the minimalist look. :spop: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peet Posted March 26, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 26, 2012 Tank construction from 19mm MDF with 4x2 timber frame glued and screwed internally. Screw holes were bogged and whole unit was painted with acrylic enamel. And here is the tank as of tonight.. hardscape is complete and looking to do the first bit of planting next weekend. I have a 2ft tank out the back of the house full of glossostigma which I collected last winter and just left sitting out the back... I have crypts and anubius in a temporary tank in the garage. Pics below show the pot plant trays I used to hold down the driftwood, and the daltons aquatic mix and propagating sand topping Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simwiz Posted March 26, 2012 Report Share Posted March 26, 2012 The design looks amazing! With your experience I am sure this will be a great project! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LYNDYLOO Posted March 26, 2012 Report Share Posted March 26, 2012 WOW, that's very Impressive Awesome work :thup: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anthony law Posted March 26, 2012 Report Share Posted March 26, 2012 :thup: very nice.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trinox Posted March 26, 2012 Report Share Posted March 26, 2012 Nice! that is looking awsome, can't wait to see it all up and running Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishy-fish Posted March 26, 2012 Report Share Posted March 26, 2012 :spop: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_irl Posted March 26, 2012 Report Share Posted March 26, 2012 top class!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henward Posted March 26, 2012 Report Share Posted March 26, 2012 i want that piece of wood Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted March 27, 2012 Report Share Posted March 27, 2012 That right hand end reminds me of triffids Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peet Posted March 27, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 27, 2012 The morning of the triffids Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikey Posted March 29, 2012 Report Share Posted March 29, 2012 That is one impressive piece of wood! Looks good thus far in the tank... be interesting to see how you set it up with plants etc... Thanks for sharing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wee2 Posted March 29, 2012 Report Share Posted March 29, 2012 very nice, keep updating your work please Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glennn Posted March 30, 2012 Report Share Posted March 30, 2012 Sits and waits for updates!!! Have you done anything to the wood apart from the plastic? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peet Posted March 30, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 30, 2012 I pulled the wood out of a local river in January and have had it sitting outside the house for a couple of months. I have been soaking it the last couple of weeks in the tank but it was still floating so had to put the lids on the base. I am hoping to get the tank planted with some glosso that is sitting in a tank at the back and transfer across a bunch of crypts and anubius... will take a few months to get my plant stock up but will keep the pics coming Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glennn Posted March 30, 2012 Report Share Posted March 30, 2012 Cool, are you not worried about the wood rotting? Its does look very cool though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peet Posted April 10, 2012 Author Report Share Posted April 10, 2012 Tank update 10/04/2012 The tank is running YAHOOOOOOO!!!. I spent hours planting out the front with Glossostigma. I've also transferred crypts around the rocks, and anubius on wood. The lights are supported on temporary painted timber stands and I still need to make the skirt around the top and around each of the lights... but it can wait till last as setup doesnt look too bad for the moment. I'm now working on the external heater which is almost complete. Then its getting the gas bottle and connecting up. Door setup doesnt work the greatest so need to find a heavy duty hinge system. Also have an auto-top currently in my mind. In answer to previous question, The wood is very dense and has been submerged in a river a long time... possibly years based on the silt build up over it when I discovered it. I think rotting will be minimal and so far there has been no leaching (5 days and counting) Anybody have any of the following plants they want to get rid of or part with at a low price for a great cause?? Acularis eleocharis Echinodorus tenellus Hydrocotyle verticilliata Crypts (all types) Heteranthera zosteraefolia Echinodorus (all types) Vesicularia dubyana Vesicularia montagnei Riccia fluitans Microsorium (all types) Rotala wallichi Rotala indica Ludwigia arcuata Limnophila aromatica (all types) Hygrophila corymbosa siamensis Alternanthera reineckii 'roseafolia' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antwan Posted April 10, 2012 Report Share Posted April 10, 2012 With two halides I think you should jam pack that tank with "weed" plants or else you're going to have algae troubles! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peet Posted April 10, 2012 Author Report Share Posted April 10, 2012 This is the exact same tank and light setup I had in Oz, plants grew like weeds (see pic below) but right balance of CO2 and ferts kept the algae at bay. I will probably shorten the duration to around 8 hrs under the MH and will put on some other smaller lights for the 10 - 12 hr duration. Also looking at LED options but dont have the money for the setup cost right now ..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antwan Posted April 10, 2012 Report Share Posted April 10, 2012 nice tank! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bell Posted April 10, 2012 Report Share Posted April 10, 2012 wow can't wait to see it all filled in Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Posted April 11, 2012 Report Share Posted April 11, 2012 Wow your Aussie layout is awesome! You should post a thread about it with more photos and all the details about plants and ferts etc Have you considered growing Nymphaea lotus 'Red' and Myriophyllum sp. in your tank? Personally I think that those plants will look awesome in your tank and I think you should give them a go We have some very cool native Myriophyllums in NZ - M. propinquum, M. robustum and a couple of others. Also we have some really cool Fissidens - F. berteroi (which looks like the F. fontanus overseas) and F. ridigulus and probably others. I had some of each at one stage but I failed to keep them successfully as I don't have the equipment to grow plants properly so I just have a few species which are easy to care for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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