"Arch Valley" - 90x45x45

[gabriel.basso]

Hey UKAPs,

I'm starting a new tank after a few years away from the hobby. I hope you like it and mainly that you help me with your precious advises!

Tank dimentions: 90cmx45cmx45cm

Filtration: Fluval FX6

CO2: CO2 cylinder with a Cerges reactor

Lights: Ecoxotic e-series

Fert Dosing: EI (with Jebao dosing pump)

Plants:
Limnophila Aromatica
Pogostemon Stellatus
Rotalla sp Green
Hemianthus Micranthemoides
Hygrophila Pinatifida
Hydrocotyle Tripartita
Anubia Nana Petite
Micranthemum 'Monte Carlo
Hemianthus Calitrichoides

Fauna: haven't decided yet but I'm thinking about small schooling fishes and some shrimps after the tank is matured

Took this photos right after flooding the tank.

Sorry for the styrofoam light bracket I've already ordered and it is on its way.

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[Silviu Man]

Hi Gabriel!
Very nice! The root in the shape of an arcade looks great!
There is a nice place for shrimps and neon fish.

 

[gabriel.basso]

Hi Gabriel!
Very nice! The root in the shape of an arcade looks great!
There is a nice place for shrimps and neon fish.

Thanks Silviu, yeah I guess a group of neon fishes would look very nice!

Since it's the first rimless tank I have I'm a little concerned about fishes jumping out... is there any tip to avoid this besides keeping the water parameters at good levels?

Anyway, I have to do a research about it. But I have time, first I want to cycle the tank very well.

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[Silviu Man]

I had many types of neon fishes but never had problems with them. You may use a cover made by glass, with 4-6 plastic clips like those are coming with Dennerle nano tanks. I guess is not difficult to find a supplier for a taylor made glass cover. This kind of cover is elegant and aloud you to fill the tank with water up to very close of the edge of the walls. Nevertheless, water quality should be good anyway. Regarding type of neon, I like very much Black Neon. They are peacefull, tolerating any kind of shrimps and snails or other small fish like Rasbora, Boraras, Galaxy ... This is the kind of fish I have right now in 100 litters together with RCS, Red Sakura, Amano, Atyopsis and, of course, Spiral Horn or Posthorn snails.

 

[gabriel.basso]

I had many types of neon fishes but never had problems with them. You may use a cover made by glass, with 4-6 plastic clips like those are coming with Dennerle nano tanks. I guess is not difficult to find a supplier for a taylor made glass cover. This kind of cover is elegant and aloud you to fill the tank with water up to very close of the edge of the walls. Nevertheless, water quality should be good anyway. Regarding type of neon, I like very much Black Neon. They are peacefull, tolerating any kind of shrimps and snails or other small fish like Rasbora, Boraras, Galaxy ... This is the kind of fish I have right now in 100 litters together with RCS, Red Sakura, Amano, Atyopsis and, of course, Spiral Horn or Posthorn snails.

I guess I will leave it open for now. I like how it looks this way. But yeah nice to know there are alternatives to prevent fish jumping if I need to.

I also like very much black neons. I had some of them in another tank. The are very sociable indeed. I will seriously consider adding them to this tank.

thanks for the tips Silviu!

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[gabriel.basso]

Hello friends, here is an update of how things are doing here...

After 5 days, the plants in general are growing fine, I guess they are adapting to under water life, since most of them were grown emersed.

I'm running 5 hours light period, and dimmed down the lights to 70%.

Since I don't have any fish yet, I'm running CO2 at full throttle. Dropchecker is yellow during light period and light green after a few hours with the lights off. I'm planning to stay on this regime for 3 weeks (2 more weeks to go).

My main concern right now are HC and Monte Carlo. HC is becoming brown and are melting. I haven't done DSM so I guess the transition to immersed form is being hard for these little plants and sincerely I don't know if they are going to survive. As you can notice the plants in the front of the tank are doing better, but the ones in the center pathway are struggling to survive due to lower flow and part of them even worse since the root casts a shadow on them.

I have re positioned the output nozzles and now the flow is significantly better at the center of the tank. The plants are moving gently in that area now. I hope CO2 and ferts reach those HC. Those Fluval FX6 output nozzles are showing to be very good. I can redirect the flow split in 2 different directions. They are really ugly indeed. I've ordered one of those fancy stainless steel outlet and inlet tubes, but I'm not sure if they will be as good to the flow.

You can see below Monte Carlo. They are noticeably melting due to transition but there are some new leaves growing, so I guess they will be fine in a couple of weeks.

Below is the tank cabinet. I've made a Cerges reactor connected to Fluval FX6 outlet pipe. I've filled it with ceramic filter media to help breaking the bubbles and I'm really impressed how this is working fine until now. I've also ordered an Up Aqua CO2 reactor to test it and compare with Cerges reactor. The winner will stay in the cabinet.

Forgive me for the quality of the images and for my Brazilian english

I'll wait for your comments and advises. Thanks!

 

[gabriel.basso]

After almost 3 months:

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