Smoq's 75g planted tank

[smoq]

Since there's finally a freshwater section here (thanks Kathy) I thought I'll share some info on my planted tank. It's a 75g standard AGA glass tank, here's specification:

Tank: 75g AGA glass with custom made stand (that's on me)
Filtration:Eheim 2217 + Eheim 2028 running with sponges, eheim bioballs and pillow stuffing, also there are three gazylion shrimps inside the filter living hapily lives in complete darkness after being sucked up by the intake. Both filters have sparybars located just under the water level and additionally Eheim 2028 has surface skimmer
Heater: inline Hydor 300W heater plumbed on the out of 2028
Lighting: 4x 54W T5, currently using only 2 bulbs
CO2: pressurized, 20lb tank and Matheson Dual stage regulator, diffusion by DIY reactor plumbed in the out of 2217
Other equipment:
-Reefkeeper Lite controlling pumps and fan/heater
-ATO

Inhabitants:
-6x Discus fish
-5x Ottoclinus Affinis
-2x Gold Ram cichlids
-15x Rummynose tetra
-8x panda Cory catfish
-2x blue neon goby (the freshwater one from Sumatra of course)
-6x peacock gudeon
-2-3 Amanno shrimps
-ten million of red cherry shrimps (seriously, I've lost track counting them)
-some assassin snails and freshwater nerite snails

Plants:

It's difficult to say as the tank changes often. I'm leaning more into low-tech now as with high-tech tank it's just too much maintenance (belive me, much more than with my SW tank). The plants I currently have are christmass moss, dwarf hairgrass, rotala sp. "green", rotala macandra "green", dwarf sag, hygrophila polysperma

Here are some pictures of how the tank changed since I started it a little more than a year ago:

First ideas:

A week after filling the tank with water June 2009

August 2009

October 2009 that's when the tank looked at it's best

May 2010 most recent FTS

Some pictures of the fauna and flora in the tank (some of the fish are no more unfortunately and I still didn't take pictures of my new discus. Maybe today?

The red cherry shrimp

Discus

Other fish

Shrimps/other inverts

Some plants I have/had

I made a video of my tank too, here's a link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXVLjFp9tIE

 

[richardhmc]

Oh wow that is an amazing tank!!! It's planted tanks like these that make me wanna get back to freshwater haha

 

[KathyC]

Wow, super tank! Takashi Amano has nothing on you!

I like the idea of using a Reefkeeper on there to control the heating/lights. I have to admit, that thought never occurred to me..lol

T5's huh? Are you finding they make a big difference in plant growth? What bulbs are you running in there?

 

[Og Drogon]

Now that's a freaking nice tank ! I have a question, I want live plants in my tank but nothing like that just about 4 of them like bamboo ones , do I have to use c02 ? Are there any live plants that are hardy enuff that don't need c02 ?


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[KathyC]

Now that's a freaking nice tank ! I have a question, I want live plants in my tank but nothing like that just about 4 of them like bamboo ones , do I have to use c02 ? Are there any live plants that are hardy enuff that don't need c02 ?


Sent from my iPhone using Reefs

I know you are asking Smoq (that tanks is really something isn't it?!!) but there are many FW plants that will grow well without using cO2. Like a reef, they are happiest with the correct tank parameters and lighting (T8's - the typical bulbs you find over FW tanks are fine). They can be grown directly in gravel as well.

 

[ming]

Those dwarf hairgrass looks nice. Careful that the dwarf sags might take over though.

 

[daisy]

Your tank looks wonderful!

I did fresh water for about 15 years before I got into salt, and I agree, it was MUCH more labor-intensive than salt!

You've done a great job with this tank. I love the driftwood and the black gravel. Very nice effect!

 

[L reefer]

Super nice tank Smoq

 

[smoq]

First of all, thanks for all your comments. You put a smile on my face when I came back from work and saw the thread. I'm really glad you like my FW tank. If not this, I would probably never thought of going SW (reef is like a salty garden for me).

Wow, super tank! Takashi Amano has nothing on you!

I like the idea of using a Reefkeeper on there to control the heating/lights. I have to admit, that thought never occurred to me..lol

T5's huh? Are you finding they make a big difference in plant growth? What bulbs are you running in there?

Thanks Kathy, I wish my tank would look like Amano ones. He is a magican when comes to planted tanks, for those of you who never heard of him, just google his name

The reefkeeper idea was stolen from my reef tank actually. It was money well spent. Before I started a SW tank I didn't know about controllers like that at all and I wanted to buy a temperature controller. I'm glad I never did as it is a waste of money compared to reef controllers- reefkeeper lite costs same money as temp controller but can do much more.

About the light- believe me or not, but T5's are a standard in planted tanks now as you can do lower wattage for better results. I used to have CF on my first planted tank and when I switched to T5's, my plants went crazy. T5 is the way to go in underwater gardens IMO. I'm thinking of building a led light for my discus tank in the future, I yet have to find the correct spectrum using leds.

Now that's a freaking nice tank ! I have a question, I want live plants in my tank but nothing like that just about 4 of them like bamboo ones , do I have to use c02 ? Are there any live plants that are hardy enuff that don't need c02 ?


Sent from my iPhone using Reefs

ThNKS buddy. You don't have to dose CO2 to a tank if you choose the correct plants. Here's a great list of low-light plants from my FW forum http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/low-tech-forum/56042-excellent-list-low-light-plants.html
The thing with CO2 is that it helps controlling algae (believe me, issues with algae in planted tanks are nightmare compared to reefs) and help plants growing quicker. I always had some kind of Co2 supplementation (DIY yeast reactor, Saechem Excel or pressurized) but it is not neccesary. The only thing to avoid is trying to have a high-lighted tank without CO2- algae guaranteed.

Those dwarf hairgrass looks nice. Careful that the dwarf sags might take over though.

Funny thing Ming, I always want to get rid of it, but every time I'm pruning old plantlets I fall in love with this plant and decide to keep it. It sure is fast grower though

 

[jerl77]

man i am going freshwater baby very nice

 

[ReeferGirl]

wow, that is GORGEOUS!

 

[rstimeout]

GREAT TANK i miss my plant tank you keep the pics coming

 

[qckwzrd]

Really nice looking tank, where did you get the peacock gudeons from? I recently lost my females and want to breed my male again.

 

[smoq]

Really nice looking tank, where did you get the peacock gudeons from? I recently lost my females and want to breed my male again.

I got it from a fellow reefer actually. His screenname is George, PM him for info. Do you know how to prepare them for breeding, I might wanna jump into that?

 

[anthony27]

that tank looks amazing. How do you keep the plants alive.

 

[smoq]

that tank looks amazing. How do you keep the plants alive.

Thanks. Well, keeping plants alive is not that much of a hassle, but having them looking good is a little bit harder. I don't know how much would you like to know, but long story short, you need three things to keep planted tank in good shape- frequent water changes, fertilization and Co2.

 

[qckwzrd]

I got it from a fellow reefer actually. His screenname is George, PM him for info. Do you know how to prepare them for breeding, I might wanna jump into that?

I conditioned my female in a 5.5 tank with some pvc tubes live, plants (to help keep water clean and get some daphnia growing) and fed her live tubifex worms for about a week. I performed frequent water changes and then introduced the male. after a few days you'll see some eggs inside the tube with the male fanning the eggs. I removed the female back to the main tank and let the male take care of the eggs till they hatched. After they hatch I remove the male and put him back into the main tank and fed the babies micro worms and let them grow out in the 5.5, while still performing the water changes.

 

[FrostyNYC]

Smoq, check my 10 gallon journal thread on plantedtank. I was breeding peacock gudgeons and I have lots of pics posted. Breeding was super easy after I added PVC caves. The fry grow painfully slowly tho. I sold my breeders and colony to another pt member.

Great tank. I broke down my reef tank recently. Going back to planted fw. I can't wait. . Thinking of doing a CPO breeding tank since so few people do crays.


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[pauliwalnuts]

Amazing tank. +2 fresh or salt, planted or reef, they are like underwater gardens. Nice work

 

[qckwzrd]

I didnt know you were on MR FrostyNYC! not that I've been on here lately.