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Arks 125ltr learning curve now fully planted...

Ark

Member
Joined
15 Oct 2007
Messages
136
Location
Hanham Bristol
Hi my juwel rio 125 was delivered today and i gave it a clean and moved it into position..
this is gonna be my first attempt at a proper planted set up, i had a nano set up which was succesful and i learned alot and made alot of mistakes.

Here is a list of things i have bought -
Juwel Rio 125 beech w/stand- (how should i remove the original internal filter????)
Tetratec ex1200 - arriving next week
original rio lighting t8 - 1.2wpg (gonna buy new t8 tubes what ones shall i get)
100 watt heater juwel standard
14 ltrs of Akadama Bonsai Substrate - coming on Monday 16th
Dennerle class line Co2 for tanks upto 250ltrs - disposable refills - sometime in the next week

For hardscape I have got a large peice of Rooty wood looks like redmoor but from AquaJardin and a large mopani wood.

I am gonna place a large order in a TGM online mainly for tropica plants but also 1 litre of TPN+ and a a set of tweesers.

Plants - i have read alot about plants and lighting levels in larger tanks so i decided to start low light and work my way up.
after browsing the tropica website i have opted for - java fern narrow, variety of crypts inc balansae for the background and do you think it is possible for me to grow pogostemon helferi in this tank with 1.2wpg and pressurizedco2 ?
also just for now im gonna get some stems of hygrophilya difformis as a fast grower to stop early algae growth and slowly replace with the crypts.

Fish - i dont have a clue really what ever they have got at maidenhead aquatics that i like, but definately gonna get a group of atleast 6 cherry shrimp (anyone know any good places to buy from online except AE) im probably gonna go for a shoal of tetras and a few Golden rams as i really like them.

Here is a pic of the tank as it stands over the weekend i cant do alot until i get the stuff i ordered but im gonna give it a good hose down, remove the internal filter, get some new light tubes and position the hardscape. then on Monday after i get back from school its gonna be rinsing the Akadama then placing it in. After i have recieved everything i will order the plant as i dont want the plants to arrive before the co2 or filter.
DSC01218.jpg

I dont like the yellow colour given off by the tubes so what t8 bulbs should i go for? i want a sort of pinky purpley hue.

Thanks for reading comment needed and welcomed
Ark
 
Re: My first real planted tank - juwel rio 125 - Ark

Hi,
Check JamesC's thread regarding bulb types:=> viewtopic.php?f=50&t=555

P. helferi cares more about CO2 than massive lighting so try it and see how it goes. :D

Cheers,
 
Re: My first real planted tank - juwel rio 125 - Ark

Scape advice, don't use both pieces of wood, it won't sit right with both because they're too different, scape's work best if the each element of hardscape is the same, all the same type of rock,wood, sand etc.
 
Re: My first real planted tank - juwel rio 125 - Ark

Garuf said:
cape advice, don't use both pieces of wood, it won't sit right with both because they're too different, scape's work best if the each element of hardscape is the same, all the same type of rock,wood, sand etc.

ime getting a java fer narrow so ill probably go for the rooty wood so i can so i can tie the rhizometo it. thanks

ceg4048 said:
P. helferi cares more about CO2 than massive lighting so try it and see how it goes. :D

well i have stable co2 so do you know where i can get cheaper p.helferi as tropica is 6.50 a pot?

thanks
 
Re: My first real planted tank - juwel rio 125 - Ark

Ark said:
well i have stable co2 so do you know where i can get cheaper p.helferi as tropica is 6.50 a pot?
thanks
Not online, but in London at Wholesale Tropicals in Bethnal Green, they sell each pot for £2.50!! Try calling them up.
 
Re: My first real planted tank - juwel rio 125 - Ark

my dennerle co2 came today but i cant do alot cuz nothing else is here.

londondragon do you know if wholesale tropicals post plants ?
 
Re: My first real planted tank - juwel rio 125 - Ark

Ark said:
my dennerle co2 came today but i cant do alot cuz nothing else is here.
londondragon do you know if wholesale tropicals post plants ?
Check the where to buy forum and see London, give them a call ;)
 
Re: My first real planted tank - juwel rio 125 - Ark

its ok maidenhead can get me p helferi i need for cheaper then the green machine mite even get crypts from them.
managed to take out the internal box today quite tough to get off but thers loads of silicon underneath it is there anyway to get it off without scratching the glass?

gettin two interpet t8 bulbs tommorow so will hook those up...

any comments welcomed
Ark
 
Re: My first real planted tank - juwel rio 125 - Ark

Ark said:
its ok maidenhead can get me p helferi i need for cheaper then the green machine mite even get crypts from them.
Make sure you pick them up the day they arrive, or they will probably end up covered in algae and snails :D
 
Re: My first real planted tank - juwel rio 125 - Ark

Snails my numberone enemy in this hobby, if they do get snails on them how can i get rid off them before i plant them..?
 
Re: My first real planted tank - juwel rio 125 - Ark

Dip the plants in a bleach/water mix a few times. I think people use a 1/20 mix, but you might want to check that, I'm terrible with remembering this stuff :?
 
Re: My first real planted tank - juwel rio 125 - Ark

bleach as in domestos and do i dip the roots in.
 
Re: My first real planted tank - juwel rio 125 - Ark

I have plenty of snails in my tank and they are not a problem, I have trumpets and some other round looking ones lol they dig into the gravel and mix it for me so that can only be good ;) when they start being a nuicance I just hand pick a few ;)
 
Re: My first real planted tank - juwel rio 125 - Ark

decided to go against using bleach just gonna wash each leave and scrubs with my fingers..
substrate came today will rinse tommorow and put in on monday..

buying bulbs tommorow what shall i get 2x aqua glow or 1x aquaglo/1x sunglo..?

Ark
 
Re: My first real planted tank - juwel rio 125 - Ark

Came home at lunch time from school to work on the tank i gave the akadama another rinse however it wasnt enough. the tetrate ex1200 came this morning beast of filter set it up and looks great however it doesnt fit in the cabinet so one of the doors has to rest against it making more vibrations = more noise. so i put my wood in and dumped the akadma into the tank and spread it out. fed the hose through the kitchen window into the Lounge/Dining room placed a plate on the the substrate and turned the hose on, here was my first mistake i have the hose on so the nozzle sprays water in a big circle and water went everywhere, just about missed the tv. then i turned it to straight but i missed the plate and hit the akadama creating a big tank of tea. then to make things worsdt the wood started floating and created more mess so ive put the wood back and im holding it down with a large peice of mopani so far soo good.
im just gonna let the water settle and let the tetratec do the work. will do 1/3 water change everyother day until the water clears.
co2 should come this week then the following saturday i will take a trip to maidenhead to get some plants. Im gonna phone them the week before i go to order me in a selection on crypts and some javafern narrow, and some pogostemon helferi.
i just had a horrible thought, im buying 10 baby cherry shrimp off a friend next month he said by then they will be about 3/4inch big what happens if they get sucked in by the filter intake nozzle ? is there anything i can do to stop that happening maybe create a roll cage around the intake nozzle with some plastic mesh so they cant get sucked in? how have you guys solved this problem?
will post pics when it is cleared up abit
the water looks blue because of the purple lights and the blue dechlorinator, 14ltrs of Akadama gave me a 2 inch substrate bed all around being deeper at the back.

gotta go back to school for last lesson - biology :( , like to hear from you guys buy.
Ark
 
Re: My first real planted tank - juwel rio 125 - Ark

this was the tank at 1pm -
DSC01222.jpg


went out to play football just got home and now it looks like this -
DSC01234.jpg
 
Re: My first real planted tank - juwel rio 125 - Ark

Its so great doing your first one :) reminds me of mine.. waiting for the damn thing to clear, and things not coming all at once!!!

Im about to totally rescape as well.. nothing like the buzz huh.

good luck, be great to see how you go.
 
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