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Here are a selection of photos showing a step by step progress in resetting up the 5ft tank using only the existing Anubias and buying an extra nine pieces of drift wood. Even after the second day I still had to do a few minor alterations RH end the next morning. I also bought 5 medium sized Opaline gouramis total now 10, I am also on the look out for a few Bristlenose. I did discover that I had three Pictus I knew I had two but now I have three and he/she is rather large, and swimming in the open more. The main reason for all the alterations was to open up the front and remove that huge rock. I also moved the big cave RH end closer to the end of the tank and back a little.
All Anubias tied to DW and rocks using 15lb nylon fishing line altogether I used about 15+mt. This will be removed when the Anubias takes root in about 12 months time. The total time in doing all the alterations was too long but well worth the effort.


Here are the links leading up to the big alterations. As you can see it was very close to a full pull down. At the end of each day I would add a good dose of Melafix to reduce any stress and a good dose of GEO liquid this cleaned the tank up very quickly. I am letting the tank sit for a few days then it is the full Eheim Pro11 cleaning I am expecting to find it full of gunk from all the substrate cleaning. The cave at the RH end is still a concern as it is too light, I have a few ideas of what to do nothing major. I priced a few tall Anubias at the LFS and they were $18.50 for three stems naturally they are still there.

Part 1

Part2

Part3

Photo 1
All the anubias removed and placed in an open tank (old terrarium) waiting to be redone. I had wet newspaper on the bottom and also a spray bottle to keep the plants moist. I only used tank water; I did not want to take the chance of introducing any problems into the tank from the tap water. I also syphoned 25lt of water to reduce any splashing, this was kept warm in the laundry trough of hot water.

Keith

Have a look in [link=My Profile] http://www.fishprofiles.com/forums/member.aspx?id=1935[/link] for my tank info

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Photo 2
The old card table came in handy here to give me extra working space, all the removed small rocks and the DW ready to use.

Keith

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Photo 3
Three new pieces of DW in their approximate positions

Keith

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Photo 4
LH end small leaved Anubias tied to rock to create a new small cave. The Anubias on top of the cave is already growing on top of a rock this form the roof of the cave.

Keith

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Photo 5
Large Anubias tied to first piece of DW to go up and behind the cave this hides the heater, filter inlet, and the UGF riser. You can see the coloured plastic pieces that are the air stone. These screw apart washed and put back together again. Never require replacing and never block up like the old stone type.

Keith

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Near enough is not good enough, therefore good enough is not near enough, and only your best will do.
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Photo 6
Open centre space DW very close to back of tank you can see the two 4ins ceramic air stones also never require replacing and very little maintenance they are well over 15yld.

Keith

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Photo 7
Clown Loach on an inspection tour at the entrance to the cave RH end.

Keith

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Photo 8
Last piece of DW in place to fill the gap in at the left side of the RH cave.

Keith

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Near enough is not good enough, therefore good enough is not near enough, and only your best will do.
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Photo 9
Centre now filled in the front piece of DW has the smaller leafed Anubias tied on all this came off one piece on top of the RH cave.

Keith

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Near enough is not good enough, therefore good enough is not near enough, and only your best will do.
I VOTE DO YOU if not WHY NOT?
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Photo 10
Close up of the centrepiece of DW small leafed Anubias.

Keith

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Near enough is not good enough, therefore good enough is not near enough, and only your best will do.
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Photo 11
All finished now the RH end cave just a tidy up and lift a little bit higher for the largest CL.

Keith

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Near enough is not good enough, therefore good enough is not near enough, and only your best will do.
I VOTE DO YOU if not WHY NOT?
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Photo 12
Next morning, I decide I don’t like the big gap RH end (it was originally to be filled in with a few big pieces of Anubias tied to small rocks)

Keith

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Near enough is not good enough, therefore good enough is not near enough, and only your best will do.
I VOTE DO YOU if not WHY NOT?
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Photo 13
A general view of that area and what to do with it. I decided to move the cave as far as possible to the right but still allow for water circulation and fish movement.

Keith

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Near enough is not good enough, therefore good enough is not near enough, and only your best will do.
I VOTE DO YOU if not WHY NOT?
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Photo 14
Back from LFS with three pieces of DW to fill in the big gap. There were a few concerns as the top piece Photo 15 is touching the spray bar and blocking some of the water movement. Spray bar taken out and outlets rotated to a different direction. The Eheim pro11 has the spray bay in three sections that can be easily rotated. The front one now goes deep the middle across the top and the back one about 45degrees deep.

Keith

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Near enough is not good enough, therefore good enough is not near enough, and only your best will do.
I VOTE DO YOU if not WHY NOT?
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Photo 15
The pyramid piece of DW is to hide the rock supporting the cave it now has an Anubias tied to it. The piece on the substrate is a piece of petrified wood and for some reason the larger CLs like resting their head on it.

Keith

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Near enough is not good enough, therefore good enough is not near enough, and only your best will do.
I VOTE DO YOU if not WHY NOT?
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Finally the last photo
Photo 16
An overall photo of the tank it still retains the natural look, the centre is now open, the RH cave moved closer to the RH end also giving more open space. At a guess I am saying it will take about two years for the Anubias to grow over the DW to give it that final touch.

Keith

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Near enough is not good enough, therefore good enough is not near enough, and only your best will do.
I VOTE DO YOU if not WHY NOT?
VOTE NOW VOTE NOW

very nice work! /:'

I like how you opened up more swimming room in the front. Nice work.

Very nice work, it just needs......ummmm I cant think of anything. GREAT JOB!

btw where do you find the none clogging air stones? Just look for Ceramic ones?

mts.gif" border="0"> I vote do you?
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FKJ

If I remember correctly they were made by Tetra, ask that question in Technical as some one who works in a LFS would have some idea. The little plastic coloured ones seem to be very common.

Have a look in [link=My Profile] http://www.fishprofiles.com/forums/member.aspx?id=1935[/link] for my tank info

Look here for my
Betta 11Gal Desktop & Placidity 5ft Community Tank Photos

Keith

Near enough is not good enough, therefore good enough is not near enough, and only your best will do.
I VOTE DO YOU if not WHY NOT?
VOTE NOW VOTE NOW