CodKing Posted February 15, 2012 Report Share Posted February 15, 2012 I have finally started to put my project together! Equipment: Juwel Vision 180 2x100W Aquaone heaters Fluval 206 Stock 2x35W T5 fixture, no reflectors Substrate: JBL AquaBasis Plus JBL Fert Balls West Coast river sand Livestock: 6-8 Bolivian Rams 8-12 Corydoras Plants: Stargrass Large and small Sword varieties Whorled Pennywort This is all that has been confirmed. I'm hoping for a couple more plant varieties and a larger feature fish/fishes. I'm also thinking a shoal of tetra. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Not a huge effort today but here is the first instalment: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hlu279 Posted February 16, 2012 Report Share Posted February 16, 2012 looks good :thup: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophia Posted February 16, 2012 Report Share Posted February 16, 2012 :spop: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CodKing Posted February 17, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 17, 2012 Here is the tank in it's final position. Nice new 206 and electrics setup ready to go Bracing to stop the stupid shaking from pushing it over. I have one of these on either side. If there's a quake big enough to bust it up I'll have a bit more to worry about than a broken tank! I'm yet to secure the base, will look at reinforcing that this weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikey Posted February 17, 2012 Report Share Posted February 17, 2012 So far so good... Looking forward to seeing the tank as you start filling it with flora and fauna. You going to be using any driftwood in there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CodKing Posted February 17, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 17, 2012 I've got one very nice bit of wood but still not too sure if it will fit with the scheme. I've got some real nice rocks to go in. I'll be posting some shots of my options tomorrow :bounce: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antwan Posted February 17, 2012 Report Share Posted February 17, 2012 Plenty more driftwood here if you want it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CodKing Posted February 17, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 17, 2012 Cheers man. I think things will get a bit cluttered if I go putting more than what I've got planned at the mo. I want to get the plants in and let them fill out a bit then I might think about adding some 'roots' coming in from above the waterline. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antwan Posted February 17, 2012 Report Share Posted February 17, 2012 Sweet as. I can give you a little Barclaya if you want as they are kind of swordy. Asian though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CodKing Posted February 17, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 17, 2012 I'm thinking an Asian(ish) Boesemani tank is next so that'd be cool! :thup: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CodKing Posted February 18, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 18, 2012 Time to scape!! (Please excuse the reflections) Super chuffed with this collection of rocks :happy2: The small rock to the right in the last shot is a deep green with rusty brown/maroon colour marbled through it. doesn't come out in these shots or when it's dry. I might make it a bit more of a feature yet. Substrate is Aquabasis so everything will be lifted up 3cm or so with a dark grey 1mm(ish) gravel. Should make the lighter areas on the rocks really pop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted February 18, 2012 Report Share Posted February 18, 2012 Woohoo! We have lift off! :sml2: Look forward to more pics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CodKing Posted February 19, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2012 :nilly: :bounce: :nilly: Tried to start the 206 but no go. Looks like a bad seal :facepalm: More soon... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Li@m Posted February 20, 2012 Report Share Posted February 20, 2012 Awesome scape. Maybe add a few smaller rocks around the large ones to make it more appeasing to the eye(Im not saying it isn't). Keep It Up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophia Posted February 20, 2012 Report Share Posted February 20, 2012 :nfs: , I mean rocks :spop: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CodKing Posted February 20, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 20, 2012 Awesome scape. Maybe add a few smaller rocks around the large ones to make it more appeasing to the eye(Im not saying it isn't). Keep It Up. I know exactly what you mean! It lets it down a bit huh. I though I had some stones that would work, alas they are a slightly different colour! All good though, means another trip to a river! :nilly: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CodKing Posted February 20, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 20, 2012 First things first, damn the shadow that stupid cross bar casts!! I think I'm going to have to remove it and put in a Perspex one :evil: Right side is going to be reasonably tightly packed with various swords and I will try and keep the one in the front as compact as I can. If it gets too big I will move it behind the two stones. (I have a feeling this will happen sooner rather than later) Something quite tall in the very corner, not too sure what to go with there... Suggestions? (South American only) Left side tall Star grass getting shorter towards the stone. Will have a couple of small clearings that will be quite hidden for the inhabitants. Will also squeeze in 2 or 3 small sword varieties, enough to balance the scape. Center rear, not 100% on this yet. I'm thinking of planting only as far as the two tufts of micro-sword on either side leaving a bare patch of sand. Centre font, That's where the smaller stones will go, only 3 or 4. Depending how the micro-sword does I'll have a go at a couple of patches amongst them. After I've put all that down, I'm looking at the right side and starting to not like it... I think the big guy needs to be the large feature in the back corner at the very least it needs to move to the right about 10cm. Hmmm... Help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antwan Posted February 20, 2012 Report Share Posted February 20, 2012 Will you be dosing any liquid ferts or adding any CO2? Also what kind of photo-period will you be using? I would recommend dumping some weed plants (you know what I mean) in there to out-compete any algae that tries to come along; it's not nice when algae appears right at the beginning of a new tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CodKing Posted February 20, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 20, 2012 Good suggestion bro. I'm using Valray liquid fert and trying to avoid CO2 as I only have a diffuser and at this stage it would be DIY. If I'm going to do it I want it to be nice and stable. I'm hoping to get a few more plants this weekend but they are going to be swords so not the best at taking from the water column yeah? I had a source of some floating plants but it fell through :-? The plan is to change out 60L every 3 days (a bit more than 30%) and keep the dosing reasonably high (1/2ml a day) until the tank is fully planted. Then I will very slowly reduce the water changes and dosing and observe the reaction. EDIT: Oh yeah, photo period is 6hrs a day Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted February 21, 2012 Report Share Posted February 21, 2012 Looks good, but before you stock with any swords think of how big each plant can / will get. Those swords will take the lids off that tank Try a dwarf sword variety. Leopard sword for instance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CodKing Posted February 21, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2012 Thanks for the advice. I've moved those two already I'll put some updates up over the next couple of days. The substrate was really forgiving to move them around. What about Amazon swords? I know they get pretty big in the right environment but what if I plant them in tight clumps of 3 or 4, do you think that could help keep them bushy and compact? I'm happy to trim plants as much as I need to as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antwan Posted February 21, 2012 Report Share Posted February 21, 2012 amazon swords are cool, and yea they can get quite tall but you might be alright with the amount of lighting you have Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CodKing Posted February 22, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 22, 2012 Found a stone amongst my collection which matched the rocks almost perfectly, broke it up and added the bits to the scape. Picked up 2 tall and 1 small Amazons, and a nice little Marble queen from the good folks at Organism. Also remembered I had a tiny sword in a very over-grown dirt tank so that rehoused. Things are starting to look like I had envisioned! Photos not far away... P.S. Happy Feb 22 all you fellow Chchers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rcon021 Posted February 22, 2012 Report Share Posted February 22, 2012 Great looking tank. Can't wait to see the finished project Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CodKing Posted February 22, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 22, 2012 Thanks rcon Looks like I have some dust on my sensor :evil: Water still a bit cloudy too. The sand sinks quickly but kicks up a very fine dust despite all the cleaning I did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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