blue33's first Planted Tank

[blue33]

Hi there,

This is my first experienced on planted tank.
Tank size 1.5X1.5X1.5 (front is curve, not an ideal for planted tank though), got it from a Bangladesh cleaner, he was about to dispose it to the rubbish bin. Looking forward a bigger tank. Current one is for experiment. Hee...
Plants, only know few names, especially glosso, Jap hairgrass, Rotala sp green, etc... For right hand side is still empty, cos one of the plants still growing, too small to cover up.
Tank setup since end Feb08.
Alot of wiring, filter pipes etc, did not remove during photo taking. Just want to share with you guys.

Before trim.



After trimming today. Notice there's a leaded on the rock, is for attach my moss that i got it from the road side, singapore moss. Part of my experiment.



Most of it is my research on setting up a planted tank before i invest in bigger tank. Currently this tank is still under going construction. Hope you guys like it!


Cheers

[torque6]

This shows you dont need an ADA to make a tank look good. Great effort. Absolutely love the plant mass and growth.

[blue33]

This shows you dont need an ADA to make a tank look good. Great effort. Absolutely love the plant mass and growth.

Thanks alot for the comments. Didnt use any ADA product. Fake ADA yah...

[spgan]

How long have you established this tank? Glosso looks growing well. But i guess maintainence will be high as you may need to trim the stem plants in the background now and then.

Well done for the first time. Keep us posted of your progress!

Cheers,
Joegan.

[blue33]

How long have you established this tank? Glosso looks growing well. But i guess maintainence will be high as you may need to trim the stem plants in the background now and then.

Well done for the first time. Keep us posted of your progress!

Cheers,
Joegan.

Thanks! Infact less than 3months, and i've rescape few times to get current shape, also as a first timer, i've experienced the ferts, lighting, water, algae etc... problems like everyone have experienced before. I've removed glosso for about 5 times already. Current glosso is about one month plus only.

Cheers

[Fei Miao]

Nice tank, I like the colours, for a cube tank of your dimensions, you can go for "island" layout, ie, creating an island of rocks or wood and plant in the center with open space of glosso around it, with small schooling fish for fauna.

[Mizu World]

Nice plant growth. It's a very good report card for a first setup.

Try experimenting with hardscapes (wood and stones) next. It does make a world of difference.

[zenscape]

You must say thank you to the Bangladesh worker if you see him again. If not for him you wouldn't have started this fabulous looking and lushy planted tank. Well done.

By the way, the 2 foreground plants will over run each other in no time, unless this is intended.

[blue33]

Nice tank, I like the colours, for a cube tank of your dimensions, you can go for "island" layout, ie, creating an island of rocks or wood and plant in the center with open space of glosso around it, with small schooling fish for fauna.

Thanks! Good idea! Will try it out next time. Was trying to test whether i can grow all sorts of plants in the beginning, didnt think of that from the start before i go for the bigger tank layout. Will take note of it. Maybe i'm too greedy for so many beautiful plants when i'm shopping for plants. I was playing with the parameters, like having algae, water condition, ferts over/under dose, lighting(bought alot of lights, wife very ANGRY ), external reactor and diffusor, etc... As a first timer this forum has really helped me gather alot of info starting this hobby which i wanted to do long time ago, i've learned alot from this forum. I feel bad there's one time almost all my fish was wipe out by ammonia strike.

Cheers

[blue33]

Nice plant growth. It's a very good report card for a first setup.

Try experimenting with hardscapes (wood and stones) next. It does make a world of difference.

Thanks! Was very last minute to start this hobby and by chance got the tank. Will try the hardscape in future. Currently experimenting the moss(on the rock) that i gather from the road side.

Cheers

[blue33]

You must say thank you to the Bangladesh worker if you see him again. If not for him you wouldn't have started this fabulous looking and lushy planted tank. Well done.

By the way, the 2 foreground plants will over run each other in no time, unless this is intended.

Yes you're right! And he told me although the corner there's a chip off, still very good. Was afraid that it might leak, so the tank was under test for water leak for a week and later use silicone to seal the corner. I wanted to start this hobby for quite sometime, till now have spent more than a K, getting addicted.

Oh ya! the foreground plants now fighting at the border , currently glosso the winner, every week will have to drag them back in place. Was testing which foreground i want to plant in future and the maintenace. Wife loves the Jap hairgrass, but i prefer the glosso. So she's happy!

Cheers

[zenscape]

Oh ya! the foreground plants now fighting at the border , currently glosso the winner, every week will have to drag them back in place. Was testing which foreground i want to plant in future and the maintenace. Wife loves the Jap hairgrass, but i prefer the glosso. So she's happy!

Cheers

Go set up 2 tanks with each either glosso and jap hairgrass exclusively so that you and your wife will both be happy

You are beginning to get infected with what we called 'The Planted Tank Syndrome' and sooner you will have more and more tanks!

[blue33]

Go set up 2 tanks with each either glosso and jap hairgrass exclusively so that you and your wife will both be happy

You are beginning to get infected with what we called 'The Planted Tank Syndrome' and sooner you will have more and more tanks!

I guess you're right! Having 'The Planted Tank Syndrome'! Each time when i came back from work i would just stared at the tank checking every single thing inside the tank. EMPRESS is not happy although she didnt said anything yet, still waiting for her to give signal for the big tank.

[troyz]

Nice scape bro, ya when the planted tank syndrome sets in...
you will get more and more tank I started with 1 tank now ended with 6 tanks

[ongtw]

wow the growth looks amazing. kind to share your tank specs?

[blue33]

Nice scape bro, ya when the planted tank syndrome sets in...
you will get more and more tank I started with 1 tank now ended with 6 tanks

Thanks! Hope the "planted tank syndrome" dont set in yet, if not, the EMPRESS will STEP in and stop the "planted tank syndrome".

[blue33]

wow the growth looks amazing. kind to share your tank specs?

Tank Dimensions (LxWxH, specify units): 1.5X1.5X1.5 (infront Curve)

Gravel : Gex with JBL base fert
Number and type of Lighting (FL/PL/MH) : 2XT5/24w each/placed in front, 1XPL36W/placed in background
No. of hours your lights are on : 5hrs in the morning, 7hrs in the evening , total 12hrs

CO2 Injection Rate (bps) :3-4bps
Type of CO2 (DIY/Cylinder) : Cylinder
Method of Injection (e.g. Diffusor/Reactor) : currently using ANS diffusor, still prefer external reactor

Liquid fertilisers Used (Product name. E.g. Seachem Flourish) : Dr Mallicks - Lushgro-aqua liquid / micro / K2SO4 / KH2PO4 / MGSO47H2O /// Seachem - Iron / Excel / Potassium
Fertilization regime (Frequency and amount per dose) : twice per week, using EI methods, except Excel after changing water

Other fertilisers (Product name. E.g. Root Monster) : -

Other additives (Product name. E.g. Seachem Prime) : Nutrafin Anticholrine when changing water

Type of Filter (overhead/internal/canister, Product name/model if possible) : Ehiem 2213 and Eheim powerhead Compact 600
When was the filter last washed : once a month depending on the fish poo's
Filter media used : biohomes, ceramic rings, eheim blue sponge, and normal sponge i think
When was the media last changed : once a month change the normal sponge, the rest rinse with tank water
What was changed : -

Age of setup (i.e. since initial setup or last major re-do ) : about 3months

Water change frequency : new started up, every 2-3 days now once a week
Amount changed : 50%, sometime 70%

Water surface movement (None/gentle/turbulent) : gentle
Circulation (None/gentle/turbulent) : turbulent

Tank Temperature :27-28.5

Chemical Properties (Fill what you can) - I only start to monitor when just setup, now look at the plant/fish to gauge, only PH, KH once awhile
-------------------------------------
KH (dKH): 5
GH (dGH): -
pH : 6.8
NH4 (ppm): -
NO2 (ppm): -
NO3 (ppm): -
PO4 (ppm):-
Fe (ppm): -

*Note: Above setting changes base on the feeding to the fish and plants need.

[ongtw]

wow that's a lot of lights and a ferts! but seriously nice looking tank and lush growth

[blue33]

wow that's a lot of lights and a ferts! but seriously nice looking tank and lush growth

Some of the ferts i dont use that often.

Cheers

[Cpark188]

Hi bro, I think you will get a green light from the EMPRESS though for a bigger tank, if not, what a waste of your talents and skills which appreciate by us that your good work for your first beautiful planted tank.