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3rd Time Lucky 45p

Deano3

Member
Joined
8 Feb 2012
Messages
2,503
Hi everyone, i have been a member here for a long time however due to lack of time with 2 kids etc i wasnt around and got rid of all my aquarium gear plus the fact i never manged to get the plants growing sufficiently.

I started with a 60f then went to a 60p.

I am now determind to make it work so after a few years away i have been lingering and wanting a tank so i recently purchased a tank from the for sale section from gary nelson and a great price, it was also great meeting gary and getting his advice, the tank is a very nice aquarium gardens optiwhite 45p.

I have since build a stand for it and i am having in my living room instead of kitchen were i had a lot of natural light going into the aquarium.

Equipment will be

AG optiwhite 45p
Twinstar 450e
Oase filtosmart thermo 100w
FE co2 setup with Aquario neo diffuser
Twinstar

I will link my cabinet build below just hope will be ok with the non oil based paint and i will try my best not to get wet.

https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?ur...&share_tid=58571&share_fid=58521&share_type=t

I also have been buying the rest of the things i need bar the plants as i am away next week so wait till i get back think i may have orderd to many rocks but better to have to much i suppose, i am still unsure weather to so a triangle composition with sand in the front and plants on the rocks etc or soil the whole tank and do a carpet etc. Cant make my mind up.

Anyway here is a few pics so far and hopefully this is 3rd time luck , i will make it work and keep you updated.



Thanks dean
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Had a play with layouts, hard in a small tank but tried to go for triangle composition as gets viewed from the left side just worried will be enough planting room but using plants on the rocks and moss and stems at the back hopefully be ok, also will need to add finishing touches like smaller rocks and gravel on sand etc .

Want to use all easy plants like ferns and anubis and swords etc and mosses.

Any opinions welcome.

Do you think hardscape is too small and low down ?

Thanks dean
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I like the hardscape but would add more soil!
(as Josh Sims mentions in the video, even under sand/stones the soil contributes to the plant health (re slow steady release of available nutrients etc))

With a few cm soil under the stone, you’ll get more height, and you can jam MC, grasses etc between rocks and expect good growth

If you increase the stacking and angles of the stones, this will also give you more open planting space and more height

(I’m so jealous of that wood :wideyed:)
 
I like the hardscape but would add more soil!
(as Josh Sims mentions in the video, even under sand/stones the soil contributes to the plant health (re slow steady release of available nutrients etc))

With a few cm soil under the stone, you’ll get more height, and you can jam MC, grasses etc between rocks and expect good growth

If you increase the stacking and angles of the stones, this will also give you more open planting space and more height

(I’m so jealous of that wood :wideyed:)
Thats for the advice alto and i will do that, the wife likes the layout, looks better in person if i am honest and i have added soil under the rocks bit can add more, once sand in and few finishing touches should look good.

Wish had more manzi i had a box full before

Thanks dean

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Wish had more manzi i had a box full before
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When I saw you were selling off all your wood etc before, I thought Nooooooooooo

Follow Filipe Oliveira advice and plant everything, adding sand last - this obviously keeps any dropped soil bits off the sand but also allows you to make some last minute scape changes much more easily
 
When I saw you were selling off all your wood etc before, I thought Nooooooooooo

Follow Filipe Oliveira advice and plant everything, adding sand last - this obviously keeps any dropped soil bits off the sand but also allows you to make some last minute scape changes much more easily
I know that was my bad i was sick of failing and thought thats it never again and also lack of time but kids at school now.

Away this week but be ordering plants when back to plant on my next 4 days off.

Will never sell everything again i will always keep hardscape, maybe i will buy some manzi wood from tom bar at some point. I remember last time there was a group buy and thats how ended up with mine.

Thanks again alto

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Had a little play and tried adding bit more height and removed stone from middle of soil in order to have more planting space only quickly done it in 5 mins i had spare today as getting stuff ready for holiday defently going with triangle as really liked the scape i had last night when was looking at it. Added a stone under the main stone facing the front left corner for height.

What you think, ps sorry about bad pictures

Thanks dean
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Hi.

I like the stone work but the Wood feels an bit flat, could you try to put it UP like the branches of a tree?
Thanks for the input, i am currenetly away i will have a play with it friday, what do you think mate make the wood work face upwards as plan was for it to follow the rock down the slope ? But i could try making it face upwards.

Also any help with easy plants would be brilliant, i want to plant heavy and plant majority easy plants to give me best chance possible.
The list of plants i was thinking was

Cryptocryne wendtii green
Anubias
Bucephalandra
Hygrophila maybe ?
Repens
Java fern
Mini hair grass
Moss or some sort, easiest possible

I was planning to use all tissue culture.tropica 1 2 grow if possible.

Any help on other plants or if these should do would be brilliant, i will plants backgroud heavy the anubias and bucephlandra in cracks in rocks etc and moss on wood and rocks, also any help with quantity for the 45p as dont have a idea how much to go for.

Thanks again for the comments and input.
Dean





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Your plant selection looks great. Also consider some floating plants at set up to help limit light and deal with any excess nutrients that may lead to algae, especially if you are going all 1-2 grow as the overall plant mass will be low initially however densely you plant. Your probably going to want to plant a 1-2 grow cup over aproximately the area of your hand (though denser the better as above -many recomend just the palm of the hand) as a guide for how many cups you need to purchase.
 
If you haven't gotten your filter yet I would up it to the biomaster thermo 250. The filtosmart 100 is rated 600lph but realistically it's not. I started with a 500lph on my 55l 3 months ago and it defenitly wasn't up to the job also there was no room in the canister for puragen or anything else I wanted to put in it. I got the biomaster thermo 250 a week ago and what a difference my water is crystal clear. Also cleaning the biomasters is a doddle compared to the filtosmart, thrust me you won't regret it.
 
Your plant selection looks great. Also consider some floating plants at set up to help limit light and deal with any excess nutrients that may lead to algae, especially if you are going all 1-2 grow as the overall plant mass will be low initially however densely you plant. Your probably going to want to plant a 1-2 grow cup over aproximately the area of your hand (though denser the better as above -many recomend just the palm of the hand) as a guide for how many cups you need to purchase.
Thanks for that, i am unsure what percent to put my light on at start up, also i will be planting the anubias and the bucephalandra in beetween the rock cracks and not into the soil is that correct also no plants in the sand.

What floating plants you recomend ?

Also i already have the filter but if not up to the job i could recommend but its only a small tank so hopefully will do the job.

Thanks dean

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Hi,

Your Wood would suit better in upper position than down on the rocks to me. You could Always try and see what works the best for you ;)

As.for. thé plants, I would add fast stems in the back like hemianthus micranthemoides, rotala sp...

Buces and anubias should be ok between the rocks , should not be planted

In the sand near thé rocks you could add marsilea crenata and/or eleocharis mini, those grow nicely in the Sand and add beautiful détails
 
Thats great thanks and i will try the wood positions when back. Any idea on amound of plants ? I think that list is nice easy plants, what floating plants anyone recommend?

Thanks dean

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