300 gallon set up
- Thread starter the lion who ate the sun
- Start date
Long time no post! Life has been insane lately. I got a promotion at work. Previously I was a student tutor at the University of North Georgia. I am now doing that as well as essentially acting as a teacher's aid for an additional stipend, all while working on my novel! I am also getting my first short literary work published soon! Between all of that and school, I have been busy.
That said, the tank is cycled and substrate has been added. I was hoping for a few opinions on what route to take on the aquascape.
A) A larger version of the aquascape I have in my 180g.
This entails using the large stump somewhere in the aquascape and surrounding it with plants as in my 180g
B) use my large piece of driftwood as the centerpiece, adding rocks and plants all around it. If I do this I will not use the stump, giving my gar and polys more room.
That said, the tank is cycled and substrate has been added. I was hoping for a few opinions on what route to take on the aquascape.
A) A larger version of the aquascape I have in my 180g.
This entails using the large stump somewhere in the aquascape and surrounding it with plants as in my 180g
B) use my large piece of driftwood as the centerpiece, adding rocks and plants all around it. If I do this I will not use the stump, giving my gar and polys more room.
As for the progress I made...
As soon as the filter was running, I cleaned every other tank in the house, dumping the nasty water into the 300. Hence the black water. (Full video update of filter coming soon)
I also crushed up jumbo krill every day and dropped it into my k1 moving bed so that it would rot in my filter. The k1 cycled fairly quickly.
I then waited on the sand to arrive. I ordered crushed garnet from a dealer on eBay called abrasive armory. The guy was really cool and gave me a great markdown-- 160 for 200lbs.
Unfortunately, one of the bags ripped because I pulled it from the box awkwardly. That was frustrating, but I managed to get 99% of it into the tank.
In spite of washing the sand (painstakingly--15lbs at a time), the water clouded up, causing a mini-cycle. I quickly stopped my pumps and did a 90% water change, leaving all of the water in the sump alone. The water wasn't cloudy after a few hours.
As soon as the filter was running, I cleaned every other tank in the house, dumping the nasty water into the 300. Hence the black water. (Full video update of filter coming soon)
I also crushed up jumbo krill every day and dropped it into my k1 moving bed so that it would rot in my filter. The k1 cycled fairly quickly.
I then waited on the sand to arrive. I ordered crushed garnet from a dealer on eBay called abrasive armory. The guy was really cool and gave me a great markdown-- 160 for 200lbs.
Unfortunately, one of the bags ripped because I pulled it from the box awkwardly. That was frustrating, but I managed to get 99% of it into the tank. In spite of washing the sand (painstakingly--15lbs at a time), the water clouded up, causing a mini-cycle. I quickly stopped my pumps and did a 90% water change, leaving all of the water in the sump alone. The water wasn't cloudy after a few hours.
Threw the pothos on top and changed the plants around. Part of me still feels like the stump needs to go. 
Haha, you're second on the list behind my girlfriend. I'm giving her my 180gallon to house her/our axolotl breeding pair. Theyre going to be one of the most spoiled pairs around. She wants me to let them have the stump too.
I'm really feeling an overhanging root structure sort of vibe right now. Suspended spider wood and pothos roots over a rocky bottom. The background seems like it will compliment that well.
I'm really feeling an overhanging root structure sort of vibe right now. Suspended spider wood and pothos roots over a rocky bottom. The background seems like it will compliment that well.
