Hi everyone, newbie time (620T)

[eternal optimist]

Hi everyone, please feel free to comment on my 620t effort....

Tank specs:

Aqua One 620t with added mods: removed plastic trim and silicone at top and sides, shortened filter intake and changed outflow to direct it mid water rather than across the surface.

Filtration: Trickle filter with filter pad (coarse and fine) and noodles. Seeded with live bacteria.

Lighting: Was Aqua One luminaire 3 x 24 until it broke last night. Now standard hood with 2 x 18 compacts until I can get it replaced. Both lights on for 12 hours.

Substrate: Sphagnum moss with osmocote scattering and akadama on top, going higher toward back of tank.

Hardscape: random rocks which I searched all of Yorkshire for. Saw some dragon rock at the bonsai place - very cool, but not for sale. not cool.

Plants: Green Cacomba as background and not sure about the other. I wanted to go for an epic style with little leaves and dramatic scenery, but alas the lfs doesnt have a great deal of choice. Looking out for some cuba though, which I will plant heavily once Its here.

No CO2 at the moment, but will pick up some bits to go homemade on that. I have drill the intake on the filter to take a n airline, will the co2 be mashed by the propeller and work better? Or will it be pointless as its a trickle filter (probably a stupid question but hey ho)

Only a red male fighter at the minute for movement, as looking every 5minutes for plant growth is painful to watch.


Really looking forward to being part of the community and hope my efforts can improve to one day produce results like I've seen here. Steve

 

[eternal optimist]

could anybody pls tell me what the lighter green plant is called? background coming soon (diffused set off the back with spacers to give depth effect when midnight lights are on)

 

[eternal optimist]

will start using easycarb from tonight (going to buy some soon) and watching a few koralias for movement.

 

[alan_uk]

that looks really good you have the same tank as me and i struggled to come up with something i was happy with

this is what i have now

looking forward to see how yours goes

 

[eternal optimist]

cheers. kind of awkward tank, especially when you fill it to the top and plunge your hand, arm and shoulder to the bottom..

i originally bought it second hand for marine, which it would have been ideal for, but came over to the light side at the last minute.

what have you got at the front (little plants), and in the net? on the rhs.

 

[alan_uk]

yea is a bit of a pain when you have to dunk in there lol

ive got dwarf hair grass at the front which now has riccia stones in front and the rocks have weeping moss on them and there is a large 1 at the rear with riccia on now too

are you running co2 ? if so what type you using

 

[alan_uk]

not sure if your interested but i have a plain black background if you want it fits exact i just prefer it open

 

[eternal optimist]

im going to get a plain shower privacy screen/tile and stand it off the back with spacers. then put my midnight lights to shine on the wall behind, but thanks for the offer m8.

 

[alan_uk]

no worries that sounds good

 

[eternal optimist]

just started running diy co2 using white sugar and bakers yeast. getting about 2bubbles per second. i have changed the trickle filter outlet to a curved once which doesnt agitate the surface. i have put my co2 line through this, whacked an airstone on it then pulled it back in to the outlet. i am getting tiny bubbles which are being shot across the tank.

also got a new plant today on a mat. do you know of any special requirements for these seeing as though they arent planted direct into the substrate? looks cool imo, will get a new shot.

oh, also got 5 penguin tetras and 2 un-id'd shrimp (one full of eggs). they are brilliant!

 

[eternal optimist]

 

[alan_uk]

getting there mate i tore mine down today and just finished replaced the sand for soil substrate and had a change around

still cloudy

im after a tall jungley plant for the right side behing the blyxa and some pogostemon helferdi i think its called for far right front then just let it all grow

 

[eternal optimist]

i finally got round to buying a koralia nano for the tanks water movement. very impressed, it is perfect.
only a couple of plants have uprooted, and growth is really good, fish healthy and happy and no algae.
hours are on for 10 hours per day, total 36w for a 30g tank.
water changes every few days to reduce high ammonia as a result of osmocote balls (put quite a few in the sphagnum).

 

[eternal optimist]

Hi folks, just a quick tank shot update...Pls let me know what you think so I can improve for the future

 

[NeilW]

Looks lush, clean, healthy and green Great job!

On the 'scaping side you could try breaking up the divide between the soil and sand with graded gravels, carpeting plants, moss etc if you wanted a more natural look. One thing thats nagging me is the 'squareness' of the area of soil on the left of the picture, if you just cut the corner off so it ran parallel with the face of the big rock I think it would draw your eye into the 'scape with the 'path'. Just a suggestion of things you can look at if the feeling takes you.

Nice tank though

Cheers,
Neil

 

[chrisfraser05]

your cabombas really taken off! looks good bud