4 weeks to go - advice for 4 ft tank

[anakin]

Hi pple, I'll be setting up my tank in a month's time. So need some urgent advice before I plunge headlong into in.

Tank setup:
Tank: W120 x D45 x H60
Filter: Jebo 5-tier canister filter
Fans: 6
CO2: 5 liter tank + solenoid + external reactor
UVC: UVC 500
Light: 216W (36W PL x2 x3 + e-ballast)

Plants intended to grow:
Glosso
Java Fern
Vallisneria spiralis
Nana
Red Cabomba
Ah Pek plant
Xmas moss wall
some HG & Riccia

Substrate:
3 bags of JBL base fert

pls comment freely [] - e.g. how much gravel should I get? does Teo carry these plants perenially?

P/S: how do I tie Xmas moss to a awkward driftwood? Mine's a half trunk/ root that has got a twisted hollow in the center. how to tie Xmas moss to the hollow part?

Thanks again guys - maybe I'll learn more at Teo's this Saturday.

[anakin]

Hi pple, I'll be setting up my tank in a month's time. So need some urgent advice before I plunge headlong into in.

Tank setup:
Tank: W120 x D45 x H60
Filter: Jebo 5-tier canister filter
Fans: 6
CO2: 5 liter tank + solenoid + external reactor
UVC: UVC 500
Light: 216W (36W PL x2 x3 + e-ballast)

Plants intended to grow:
Glosso
Java Fern
Vallisneria spiralis
Nana
Red Cabomba
Ah Pek plant
Xmas moss wall
some HG & Riccia

Substrate:
3 bags of JBL base fert

pls comment freely [] - e.g. how much gravel should I get? does Teo carry these plants perenially?

P/S: how do I tie Xmas moss to a awkward driftwood? Mine's a half trunk/ root that has got a twisted hollow in the center. how to tie Xmas moss to the hollow part?

Thanks again guys - maybe I'll learn more at Teo's this Saturday.

[anakin]

Hi pple, I'll be setting up my tank in a month's time. So need some urgent advice before I plunge headlong into in.

Tank setup:
Tank: W120 x D45 x H60
Filter: Jebo 5-tier canister filter
Fans: 6
CO2: 5 liter tank + solenoid + external reactor
UVC: UVC 500
Light: 216W (36W PL x2 x3 + e-ballast)

Plants intended to grow:
Glosso
Java Fern
Vallisneria spiralis
Nana
Red Cabomba
Ah Pek plant
Xmas moss wall
some HG & Riccia

Substrate:
3 bags of JBL base fert

pls comment freely [] - e.g. how much gravel should I get? does Teo carry these plants perenially?

P/S: how do I tie Xmas moss to a awkward driftwood? Mine's a half trunk/ root that has got a twisted hollow in the center. how to tie Xmas moss to the hollow part?

Thanks again guys - maybe I'll learn more at Teo's this Saturday.

[anakin]

Hi pple, I'll be setting up my tank in a month's time. So need some urgent advice before I plunge headlong into in.

Tank setup:
Tank: W120 x D45 x H60
Filter: Jebo 5-tier canister filter
Fans: 6
CO2: 5 liter tank + solenoid + external reactor
UVC: UVC 500
Light: 216W (36W PL x2 x3 + e-ballast)

Plants intended to grow:
Glosso
Java Fern
Vallisneria spiralis
Nana
Red Cabomba
Ah Pek plant
Xmas moss wall
some HG & Riccia

Substrate:
3 bags of JBL base fert

pls comment freely [] - e.g. how much gravel should I get? does Teo carry these plants perenially?

P/S: how do I tie Xmas moss to a awkward driftwood? Mine's a half trunk/ root that has got a twisted hollow in the center. how to tie Xmas moss to the hollow part?

Thanks again guys - maybe I'll learn more at Teo's this Saturday.

[vinz]

Whats the flow rate of your filter?

Is UVC a UV steriliser? Why do you need a UVC if it's a planted tank?

3 bags of JBL may not be enough. Your base is 120x45. If you intend an average of a 3 inch thick base fert, then you'll need (120x45x7.5)/1000 = 40.5 litres of base fert. At 5 litres per bag, you'll need 8 bags of JBL AquaBasis.

For gravel, you'll need an inch thick of gravel... so about 13.5 litres. Not sure if lonestar goes by litres. Sherwin is setting up a 4 footer too, he can tell you how much gravel in kg or bags.

[anakin]

8 bags of base fert - [:0] - am I off or what! Ok better call Chan to place more. Siong, man []

As for the flow rate, will find out once I go home this evening.

BTW, how do I find threads posted by Sherwin or any members for that matter?

Anyone tried the JBL tester kit set - I think 5 in 1 packaging.

Thanks, Vinz, you're always very helpful. see u this Sat and we will discuss more.

[vinz]

Click 'search' on the menu bar under the AQ logo. Btw, it'll only find threads that the forumer started, but not those that they replied to.

[ach]

go here to get rough estimate ->Dennerle

[spilopterus]

For your xmass moss wall, I recommend you use a wire mesh. They are firm. Better than plastic ones actually cause they hold the shape better.

try to be a little creative, you can make in such a way where the moss seems to flow from background to the foreground with a few connecting driftwood.

Just my suggestion.

As for my xmass moss wall, turning out well. Still waiting for it to fill the entire back.

[vinz]

Spilo,

Pictures! Pictures! Pictures! []

[anakin]

Ya, Spilo, pictures please! I am so glad I found this forum - the pple here never fail to impress me with their helpfulness. I will try to take pic of the various stages when I set up my tank too. How about tying Xmas moss to black styrofoam background - thinking of doing that...

Ok, Vinz, found out its 1200l per hour - think should be ok right? Chan said the supplier for JBL base fert is running out of stock, so he can't promise that he will have any more for me - so I went down to Keong Seong 88 (right?). bought the base fert - but a bit more pricey then Chan's.

Thanks.

[anakin]

Reading this book which is advising on substrate for planted tanks. Says the ideal substrate should have 5cm thick of fine/silver sand to encourage growth of anaerobic bacteria to keep nutrients (esp Iron or Fe) in the bivalent form (Fe2) - the form which plants readily uses. Obviously once oxydised, trivalent (Fe3)nutrients are not absorbed by plants.

Followed by a layer of base fert.

and finally topped off with another 5cm of gravel.

What do you think?

BTW, if I think a LFS is not too ethical should I say it here? []

[vinz]

Should be ok... personally, I'll go lower, but there are many views about this.

[vinz]

Which book is that?

[hwchoy]

anakin, some people do subscribe to the view of laying a layer of gravel below the base fert. And I personally experience base fert going anaerobic, luckily it was in a plastic cup (temporary planting) and you can actually see the base fert turning black. When I took it out and dig open the gravel, the fert smells exactly like walking through a swamp in USA (ulu sembawang area [:]

however, many people do simply dump base fert with gravel on top, should be quite OK.

[setiardi]

U will get this result ,



with horti fert at $3 per kg bag. Use 4 bag , top up about 2 cm gravel. Then sprinkle all-over tank with root monster pellets before topping of with gravel.Bought 2 bags of the 22kg gravel.
Please, no need for JBL or dennerle base fert. Already overhaul the tank and using Dennerlle base fert (2 buckets).The result a bit poor thats why paiseh to post new setup pic.

[anakin]

Vinz, it's a book by TankMaster called "Water Quality" available from MPH. I'll show you on Saturday. In fact, if you don't mind, we can drop by my place after Teo's and I can show you my tank, books and equipment. (But not much yet).

Setiadi, can't see the pic, am I the only one facing this problem? Maybe if I view it at home, may be able to see Is terrestrial horti soil ok with aquaria? wow, didn't know that. [:0]

Hwchoy, thanks. I'll do that. Anyway, the book also suggest that we need a heating cable for the anaerobic portion so there's some form of circulation - perhaps to prevent creating a totally anaerobic condition.

Thanks again[]

[Simon]

click this for the image

[vinz]

Simon, link also don't work. I think the Fuji site checks the referrer. Copying and pasting the URL works.

http://www.fujifilm.com.sg/storage/p...80-lastpic.jpg

[anakin]

Just a question: I intend to end my filter outlet in a rainbar unit near the substrate. should I face the "holes" upward, laterally or downwards?

still can't view the picture, simon, maybe it's my company's firewall. I'll try again tonight. BTW, I've seen your moss wall from your website - is that the one you're trying to send? Where did you find such a nice rocky background? any available in the market? I saw a 50x60 black condensed styro background from Sam Yick. But pricey - abt $40 each. Anyone know any lobang?

Die, haven't been working the whole day [] lucky this is the "lull" period of my work.