James3200s New Altum... :) Tank - ALTUMS IN

[james3200]

Hello Everyone

Thought I would start a journal off on my tank which has just been torn down and ready for a new scape.. You can see the old setup here and when it looked it's best here..

I decided to take off some of the old aquasoil and topped it up to give the substrate more depth this time round, also on the old scape I had sand to the right of the tank so some ADA PS was also added here.

Here is my first go at a new layout. I am quite pleased by it, but here for suggestions from all.

Substrate is not in its final 'position' yet.. I was thinking of adding some gravel, but I don't think that its needed now

Regarding planting, I am not sure yet, and was waiting to see how the hardscape went in before deciding on main plants. The main idea is to keep it simple, but after setting this up I can see a nice carpet plant all around the hardscap/foreground might be a good idea

Thanks for looking and I plan to plant in around 10 days time

 

[Ady34]

Re: James3200s New Altum... Tank

Hi,
looks awesome to me, plenty of interest yet also plenty of space for the Altums
Although overall the hardscape is quite central the right wood bias and left rock bias maintain a good balance so this isnt an issue.
Will be watching this with great interest.
Cheerio,
Ady.

 

[Little-AL]

James3200s New Altum... Tank

Looks great so far! Will look stunning planted up...!

Slightly envious of the size!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Mike Singh]

Re: James3200s New Altum... Tank

Where have you sourced your Altums from?

MIKE

 

[awtong]

Re: James3200s New Altum... Tank

+1 to the above. Where are you sourcing your fish?

Andy

 

[james3200]

Re: James3200s New Altum... Tank

Although overall the hardscape is quite central the right wood bias and left rock bias maintain a good balance so this isnt an issue.
Will be watching this with great interest.

Hi Andy, thanks for input

Regarding the Altums, I don't have a supplier currently but I am working on a few contacts. If I get them they will not be going in for at least 2 months at least.

 

[Garuf]

Re: James3200s New Altum... Tank

I was trying to find your old tank last night for GEAMS. Good to see your still scaping and all the best with the new setup!

 

[switch01252]

Re: James3200s New Altum... Tank

Hi James loved the tank when it was set up got me into keeping plants and discus together can't wait to see the new set up as I was looking at the Altums aswell but thought I would stick with discus

 

[james3200]

Re: James3200s New Altum... Tank

Hi James loved the tank when it was set up got me into keeping plants and discus together can't wait to see the new set up as I was looking at the Altums aswell but thought I would stick with discus

Thanks very much, hope its going well, I know it's not easy keeping a good planted tank with Discus..

Altums have been sourced.. Got 12 maybe a few more on 'hold'

They are F1s, I had an option of 4 wilds but that would have meant mixing various ones up and I wanted to have them all from the same source, a few photos

They will be ready in a few more weeks which gives me enough time to get the tank ready for them

My plant orders are causing a problem, as I cant find enough of what I want from the usual sources So no date set for planting yet, but hopefully within 2 weeks, I want to plant everything in one hit

That has given me time to properly sort out the tank. The filters which were not cleaned for possibly 18 months, but still ran pretty well needed overhauling, they started to kick up a lot of gunk as soon as they were moved.. So that has been done, RO / HMA filters replaced / pipework changed around, re-routing of cabling, changing PH probes, new lamps, sorting out tank pipework, yesterday was tough!

Will update again soon

 

[Pedro Rosa]

Re: James3200s New Altum... Tank

That's a very nice layout.
If you forgive me, maybe the central rock is to big... maybe a smaller one.

Have you seen eleocharis sp. mini (new form tropica)? Maybe it would be a fine plant for your carpet...

Pedro.

 

[james3200]

Re: James3200s New Altum... Tank

That's a very nice layout.
If you forgive me, maybe the central rock is to big... maybe a smaller one.

Have you seen eleocharis sp. mini (new form tropica)? Maybe it would be a fine plant for your carpet...

Thank you, I do agree with you, but I am hoping that once planted the rock will soften, unfortunately I do not have any others to hand so thats what I have to work with.

No have not seen the mini version, will have a look at it, cheers

 

[Antipofish]

Re: James3200s New Altum... Tank

Really liking the start of this it will look stunning with Altums in. I think it could stand even more Manzy than currently in there. If you dont have any more, I know that gex has a listing for some the same thickness as that for sale on here at the moment. If I had spare cash I would have bought it off him. Lovely big bits he got. Anyway, subscribed and looking forward to seeing this progress

 

[Mick.Dk]

Re: James3200s New Altum... Tank

Nice scape indeed
I'd second the recommendation of eleoc mini and that plant goes fatastic with hydro tripartita ( former 'japan') Only thing to cosider is, maintaining the plants!! I've kep and bred those angels too. ... And they're really not keen on a lot of interruption ( I guess, you already know, they're actually "peruvian altum" ....... Which is really not an altum. .... But feel lucky, anyway, they're not as difficult to breed )
For breeding success you'd put in some big echinodorus, ofcourse!
Lots of luck- yor're in for interesting behaviour
Mick

 

[james3200]

Re: James3200s New Altum... Tank

Thanks for the above suggestions which I looked into but decided on keeping to what I know works well in my setup and with easy maintenance. Regarding those Altums, your right, they are not what I thought, but have since got another reliable source, will just have to wait a 6 - 8 weeks which is fine

Today a lot of plants arrived and after 8 hours of draining tank, planting, refilling and setting up co2, lights re priming the filters, which is not fun with all the inline equipment I can finally sit down and admire my new tank

T5s on only

T5s + Halides

Happy with the coverage of plants and hopefully will see a nice carpet very soon On my last setup I kept adding to the tank and the plants never took off how I wanted, so hoping that this time they will grow in well as last time the v.nana and balansea never took off right. I also added in borders with cut up bits of plastic office water bottles and around the mounds to hold the shape as since filling the first time quite a bit slipped.

Got some ideas of fauna, large shoal of columbian tetras + silver hatchets, L200s (as soon as plants etc are well rooted) and of course the Altums, any other ideas?

Next week I will be cutting down that accicularis and hopefully not replanting too many of the other plants

Thanks for looking and excuse the bluntness of the post, i am knackered!

 

[Polyester]

Re: James3200s New Altum... Tank

Looks great James! Very nice layout, looking forward to see it develop

Wish I had room for a bigger tank, when I see yours... :?

 

[awtong]

Re: James3200s New Altum... Tank

L200's and Altums you may be creating my favorite fish list ever!

I unfortunately lost my L200 and didn't get another one as I have an L128, 5 x L134's and 2 x L270's already.

Love the style can't wait till you get some of these fish in there. Pics are a must!

Andy

 

[minnnt]

Re: James3200s New Altum... Tank

What you have created is stunning!! They're going to fit right in there!!

 

[james3200]

Re: James3200s New Altum... Tank

Many thanks for the kind words. Just checked the water parameters and all looks OK for the introduction of the Columbian tetras later this week Its all cleared up nicely and will take some more photos when they are in

 

[switch01252]

James3200s New Altum... Tank

Looking great James them bits of wood and rock really nice

 

[james3200]

Re: James3200s New Altum... Tank

Thanks Switch

1 week on from planting and the tank and filters have fully cycled, so I was able to add some fish Have gone with Columbian tetras and silver hatchets, which I am very pleased with. They seem to be coping with the CO2 levels well.

Plant wise, they are all settling in well and there is nice new growth from all. I think next weekend all the grasses will have their first trim. At the moment I am just dosing brighty K @ 3/4 dose and from next week I will start with step 1 on a lower dose and monitoring plant growth up to full dosing. The tap water here is very hard, so the RO unit has been working on over time and I have now got the tank to TDI of 60ish, 3kh and ph of around 6.3 which is where I will try to keep it. Lighting is on for 6 hours a day, with a half hour burst of 2*150w halides at 12:30, only on the two left hand fixtures ( the last photos shows this well), I will slowly increase this over the next couple of months up to an hour. The tank has 2 separate C02 sources, one running through the 2262 loop and one through the pro3 on the right. The latter regulator is knackered and has been impossible to keep a constant bubble rate, which has caused the co2 to be very high at times, so today its off until the new reg arrives.The internal filter has purigen inside and will go into the Altum holding tank once they have been sourced

Thanks for looking