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Barb Island. its all over.

Iain Sutherland

Global Moderator
UKAPS Team
Joined
7 Jul 2011
Messages
3,744
Location
Cambridge
First off appologies for lots of photos missing, i hadnt realised that if you move a picture on photobucket into a new album that the url becomes void. Pics start again around page 10/12

Tank as it stands...
IMG_3709_zps82d4e04e.jpg



Hey folks, maybe slightly premature but i need to share :D
After setting up the 55g Bow front i really wasnt happy with it for very long, same old bow front issues i always had. I never felt the co2 distribution or flow were as they should be.
So being a little disheartened i thought the best thing to do was try a marine set up :lol:

IMG_1937.jpg


With the marine going well i started to consider the future of my planted tanks and quickly realised that as nice as marine is, planted is where my heart is and i miss the flexibility of tropical to rescape at will.
So the best way to pick yourself up after a disheartening scape was to buy the tank i always dreamt of!!
So here she is, bought from magpie i collect next week.

tank.jpg


Its a 90x45x75 TGM opti white, 303ltr.

Following inspiration from Toms bucket o mud (my favorite tank at the mo' :clap: ) and a few other tanks i have a scape in mind with emergent plants included, no doubt this plan will evolve as i go along.... but i'm hoping for a high tech, slow(ish) growth scape.

Substrate
Going to try akadama out as a substrate with sphagnum moss peat and osmacote in the bottom.

Lighting
I have bought a new light unit, 150w HQI with 2 x 24 T5's. As i work shifts i regularly miss the light period on my current set up so am hoping i can stretch it to about 8-10 hrs with just the 2 tiny T5's alone for 2-4 hrs of that and a midday blast with the halide..???

Co2
I have decided against the up inline atomiser again, it seemed to do the job but hated the constant misting. This time i am going for 2 beetle style TMC ceramic diffusors.

Filtration
Going with lily pipes for the first time and clear tubing to hopefully get some nice flow. They will be attached to an Eheim 2075 and an Eheim 2025. These together should be adequate for the tank, but if its possible i would like to run just the 2175 for a more gentle flow.

Hardscape
Seiryu stone with redmoor roots or manzanita.

Well thats about all for now, just the big wait until i collect next week. I plan on a very slow start for the tank, with it sitting empty for several weeks until im entirely happy with the plan and ive bought everything from the off.

Watch this space :thumbup:
 
Re: The 90x45x75 optiwhite wet dream...

Sounds promising look forward to seeing it progress :)
 
Re: The 90x45x75 optiwhite wet dream...

Heh, I was thinking that tank would be great for emergent stuff when I saw it advertised. Lighting sounds pretty flexible, should be able to tweak it to suit emergent growth as well. Looking forward to updates.
 
Re: The 90x45x75 optiwhite dream, emergent plants?

Im really looking forward to the emergent growth.. just need to find some plants that will have a fighting chance. I really like the Philodendron that Amano uses but it seems its a tightly guarded secret as to the variety!!
http://www.pbase.com/plantella/image/49374807
Anyone have any ideas..?? or other suggestions would be gratefully received :)

The idea behind the HQI was so it would work for emergent, think i might need to supplement it with a reading lamp if i end up with a triffid like yours!
Your tank has been a real inspiration Tom, so thanks mate :thumbup:
Must be nice to have such a beautiful tank with such low maintenance!!
 
Re: The 90x45x75 optiwhite dream...emergent plants?

foxfish said:
I am doing something along those lines too, have a look at this plant http://www.tropica.com/plants/plantdesc ... x?pid=073E

thanks foxfish, i hadn't really looked at echinodorus as whenever i've tried them before they always dried out. This could be a definite possibility.

Would really like a website with a list of emergent and emersed plants... but that would be too easy :crazy:
 
Re: The 90x45x75 optiwhite dream...emergent plants?

Check out my journal for suitable emersed plants. Or do what I do, find some regular outdoor marginals and see what works indoors. Most, I bet. There's dozens and dozens to choose from, I want to give some Iris a go.

That tank is a fantastic size.
 
Re: The 90x45x75 optiwhite dream, emergent plants?

easerthegeezer said:
Im really looking forward to the emergent growth.. just need to find some plants that will have a fighting chance. I really like the Philodendron that Amano uses but it seems its a tightly guarded secret as to the variety!!
http://www.pbase.com/plantella/image/49374807
Anyone have any ideas..?? or other suggestions would be gratefully received :)

P. Scandens works.

I was going to try various Philodendrons but the best pace to get rare ones is from a german site. Only issue would be whether they adapt to room humidity.
 
Re: The 90x45x75 optiwhite dream...emergent plants?

Morgan Freeman said:
Check out my journal for suitable emersed plants. Or do what I do, find some regular outdoor marginals and see what works indoors. Most, I bet. There's dozens and dozens to choose from, I want to give some Iris a go.

That tank is a fantastic size.

Thanks morgan ill have a look through, went to a garden centre today and saw a few plants that looked like a possibility. I think as soon as my expanded clay pellets arrive ill buy a couple and see if they adapt to emersed life.

The tank holds a lot of possibilities for sure... think a two hill, canyon style would work really well with such depth. Half the reason for choosing this size was the fact it was so versatile.

Morgan Freeman said:
P. Scandens works.

I was going to try various Philodendrons but the best pace to get rare ones is from a german site. Only issue would be whether they adapt to room humidity.

Haha, P. Scandens was one of the plants i was looking at this morning, only reason i didnt buy was because it said it was toxic? not sure if that would effect water or fauna...?
 
Re: The 90x45x75 optiwhite dream...emergent plants?

Peace Lilly is also toxic but is regularly used in plant filtration and emergent set ups. Unless the fish are eating the leaves you're good.

Plants already grown with roots out of water will go through a bit of a sulk for a while, but they'll adapt eventually.

I use this site, Just be careful to check the maximum growing size! :lol:

http://www.lilieswatergardens.co.uk/
 
Re: The 90x45x75 optiwhite dream...emergent plants?

I've ordered stuff from lilies before, they're good. And yeah, as Morgan said, most plants will take a few weeks to adapt to aquaculture, they tend to have to grow a whole new root structure for it. I use peace lilies in the Bucket and everything seems happy.
 
Re: The 90x45x75 optiwhite dream...emergent plants?

For emersed plants I would look at:
- Mangroves
- Draecenas
- Large anubias
- Mondo Grass
- Bacopas
- Cyperus Haspens
- Sygonium's
- Trichomanes
- Fitonias
- Hemigraphis Colorata
- Hygrophilas
- Java Fern
- Ferns
- Cordyline
- Calamus sp.
- Chamaedorea sp.

The list is endless.. :)
 
Re: The 90x45x75 optiwhite dream...emergent plants?

The main problem is the leafs drying out though, I bet loads of us have had plants putting up 'above water foliage' but the leafs very quickly turn brown.
It looks like most swords stand pretty good chance....
 
Re: The 90x45x75 optiwhite dream...emergent plants?

Morgan Freeman said:
Peace Lilly is also toxic but is regularly used in plant filtration and emergent set ups. Unless the fish are eating the leaves you're good.

Plants already grown with roots out of water will go through a bit of a sulk for a while, but they'll adapt eventually.

I use this site, Just be careful to check the maximum growing size! :lol:

http://www.lilieswatergardens.co.uk/

thanks for the link morgan, that'll keep me busy for a while!

ghostsword said:
For emersed plants I would look at:

.....

The list is endless.. :)

thankyou ghost, who needs a emersed website when we have ukaps and members with the knowledge ;)

foxfish said:
The main problem is the leafs drying out though, I bet loads of us have had plants putting up 'above water foliage' but the leafs very quickly turn brown.
It looks like most swords stand pretty good chance....

Hearing that!! I think i am going to go for a household plant and emerse rather than an aquatic one due to this problem... that and i like big green fleshy leaves!

Got a message from Piotr K who gave me some advise on philodendrons after i asked him about Amano's species and i think ill pop to the garden centre tomorrow and buy a couple and start the emersive process to see what takes best. He has said that all Philo's will grow emergent though!

Now need to figure a way to start them off as my tank comes down on thursday..??
I do have a little 30ltr cube.. If i slide the tank along then the window sill is the same height as the tank rim, plant with clay pellets in shower caddy's, A la Tom, and use the natural day light..?? think this should work :crazy:

Little cube is gunna get busy!!! Holding my crypts, 6 cardinals, amano shrimp and RCS in it too.
 
Re: The 90x45x75 optiwhite dream...emergent plants?

Be aware that the old rootstock may well rot away first before the plants grow new ones, which could foul the water if it's in a little nano tank. I'd just stick them in a bucket somewhere with a bit of sun.
 
Re: The 90x45x75 optiwhite dream...emergent plants?

Thanks tom! i just had another very helpful message also from Piotr K who explained how simple it is!
For the same reason as you have said to use a cutting and drop them in a vase or similar and they will grow emersed roots from the off!

Have a habit of over thinking things!!

This will please my cardinals :)
 
The 90x45x75 optiwhite dream...emergent plants?

I had growing on the garden (london) echinodorus, hygrophylas, hydrocotyles , tenelus, parva and bacopas. Also had bog plants, such as cyperus haspens and hairgrass.

Due to our warm winter I still have outside some tenelus, hydrocotyles and bacopas. Cyperus haspens have not died yet. :)

Do you want some emersed plants? Pm me your address and i will send you some.


___________________________
 
Re: The 90x45x75 optiwhite dream...emergent plants?

Thanks a lot ghost, i may well hold you to that. I shant say yes right now as i dont really know for sure what im planning yet :)
If all goes to plan i will get the tank sunday, week of soaking akadama, week of scaping/planning etc then will look to plant up mid/end feb...

So you may get a PM around then ;)
Thankyou for the very generous offer!
 
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