Getting back into planted tanks!!!

[xxUnRaTeDxxRkOxx]

So let me start off with telling you about the tank... This summer I got the tank from an older couple who decided to move to Arizona, and didn't want to keep their tanks so they were giving away a 65 gallon full setup and a 30 gallon full setup. Of course I tried to get both setups, but they had already promisedthe 65 gallon setup to someone else, so I took the 30 gallon tank. It came with matching wooden stand and canopy, submersible heater, and 2 of those Whisper internal filters, and a stock 36" T8 light.

So I got a glass canopy top for the tank, bought a SunSun 302b Canister Filter, and earlier this month ordered a 36" T5HO dual bulb light fixture.

Tank - 30 gallon long 36"x12"x16"
Lighting - 36" T5HO 2x39w (6500k bulb, ultra growth wave bulb)
Heating - 100w Ehem Jager submersible
Substrate - 2" Mineralized Topsoil capped by 1" Fluorite
Co2 - DIY Co2 system for now
Fertilizing - EI dosing regime + Osmocote Plus root tabs

This will be a slow progression over the next few months...

 

[xxUnRaTeDxxRkOxx]

So I'll be trading in the male RT for some store credit at a local fish store, and once I get the tank set back up I can use the store credit towards some plants. Once the RT is gone I can drain the tank, clean it up, add in a certain piece of driftwood that spans the entire tank, and get started on mineralizing the topsoil.

Here's my plant list for the tank...

2 - Amazon Swords
2 - Cabomba Carolina (these I can get from a local lake)
3-4 - Anubias Nana
5 - Hygro Corymbosa
5 - Broad Leaf Sag
5-6 - Aponogeton Plants
10 - Jungle Vals
20 - Dwarf Sag

 

[xxUnRaTeDxxRkOxx]

So I ordered a huge assortment of aquarium plant seeds, yes plants seeds. I ordered around 1,300 different kind of aquatic plants seeds which will arrive middle of next month!!!

 

[xxUnRaTeDxxRkOxx]

So I decided to go somewhat of a different route with this tank, I'm going to set it up using mostly fake plants, and a couple areas will have live plants. It's be a grow out tank for juvenile Green Sunfish, they will be wild caught 3"-4" small ones!!!

 

[Spiritofthesoul]

Nice, looking forward to some pics!

 

[xxUnRaTeDxxRkOxx]

Well the plans for this tank are put on hold for now... Because the Odyssea CFS 500 canister filter on my 45 gallon tank the input/output valves starting leaking big time, water all over the floor, my socks and pants we drenched... Tried to fix them to no avail, so I ordered new ones... So until I get this resolved the 30 gallon plans are paused for now...

 

[xxUnRaTeDxxRkOxx]

So I ended up ordering new connection valves that connect the hoses to the in flow and out flow ports of the filter housing, so far everything seems to be solved, no more leaks!!!!

 

[Manu8__too]

So I ended up ordering new connection valves that connect the hoses to the in flow and out flow ports of the filter housing, so far everything seems to be solved, no more leaks!!!!

What are your up-to-date plans with the tank? If it was me, I'd do a high tech planted tank. With a T5HO fixture on that set up, you'll already be in the high light/par category. Would just be a matter of setting up pressurized Co2 and dialing in your ferts. Nothing like having a clean/empty tank to start from scratch!

 

[xxUnRaTeDxxRkOxx]

Well I was going to set it up as a native species grow out tank, but because my pair of True Festae cichlids seem to have a steady growth rate I need to finally re-seal my 100 gallon tank (72"x19"x19") so I can get it ready for them to go in there. They're currently in my 45 gallon long tank (48"x12"x19"), I got them a month ago at 2" male and 1.5" female well now the male is 3.5" and the female 2.5" so they're growing fast.

Then I can set up my 45 gallon long tank as a native species grow out tank, and then turn the 30 gallon back into a high tech planted tank. Dialing in the ferts is no issue since it was already setup as high tech in the past. But I do need to get another automated co2 system since I sold my last one.

My 45 gallon long tank has a cheap 0.5w LED light fixture I bought from evil bay for $30, so I can just keep that for a native species tank but the filter is a Odyssea CFS-500 canister filter which will go on the 100 gallon when I move my Festae pair into it.


Now on the 30 gallon, the stand is about 1/2" off on the left side so I just tear the tank down and readjust it for the 2nd time... When I first got the 30 gallon setup it was off on the right side, and was leaning back so I used 2x4's to build a new bottom for the stand, but again it's now off by 1/2" on the left side lol. So I'll fix that by removing some of the screws so I can work on getting it leveled out, and put the screws back in.

 

[xxUnRaTeDxxRkOxx]

So I'm about to get started tearing this tank down so I can clean it up, and get started on mineralizing some topsoil for it. I'll move the filter onto my 45 gallon long to keep the bacteria alive in it, it'll be set back up in 2 weeks because minerlizing topsoil takes some time...

I'll get started on the first soak of the topsoil today, let it sit over night, drain the water and soak it again over night, then lay it out to dry and repeat this process 3 more times then do the same for the next half of the topsoil. I want a 3" depth of minerlized topsoil capped with 1/2" of Flourite natural plant substrate.

I have a few different pieces of driftwood I want to see how each of them look in the tank, then I'll make my final selection of the best looking piece for the tank. So off we got to start draining the tank....

>_<