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It's a beautiful day. I lucked up last week on a 40 gallon tall for my 3 misfit Angels. I don't plan on putting much in with them. The co-worker that gave it to me included the cover, stand, light, undergravel filter, background cover and heater. I've water tested it and bleached it out. (the night I got it home) No leaks! Yah. I think I want to go with a thin layer of florite black on the bottom and then natural pea gravel on top. Would it be okay to mound along the back of the tank about 1/2-1 inch higher than the front? Since I'm short, I don't want to have a lot of stem plants that have to be regularly trimmed and replanted. I may actually go with a small piece of driftwood in this tank. I mostly want crypts and anubias. I was looking at some grassy like plants. I found out that Kyoto grass is not aquatic. (bummer) I hate when the stores market non aquatic plants for aquariums. Any ideas for low light, grassy like plants?

Anywho, for a quick cycle can I just use 1/2 of my 55gal water and one of the sponges from my existing 55gal filter (top it off with straight from the tap hot)? I think I will not be going with the undergavel. I like the ease of maintenance with the 50-70 gallon Aquaclear HOB that I have. I will get another one of those.

TTFN --->Ta-Ta-For-Now
Kelly ;o}

wooo 40 tall sounds perfect for those three! I'm sure they'll be really happy!

The tall I had didn't have much surface area, so if yours is like that keep the stocking to half. I think the 3 angels by themselves is a pretty good idea...might go for a snail or a few shrimp for the bottom but nothing too big.

Make sure you quadruple rinse the tank out after the bleaching, then another rise, leave it in the sun for a day to break down the bleach and rinse again!

Quick cycle idea sounds fine to me, we've done it that way before. If it's just the three angels going in at first you should be fine with the light stocking.

Hmmm florite I've never had, but I did use shultzes aquatic plant soil which I'm guessing is similar, it was VERY light and would always float to the surface of the substrate when doing gravel vacs. If you're going low light why bother with florite? Why not just get a dark substrate?

Low light grassy, nothing really comes to mind. You could try java moss but I find it tends to make a mess I really hate LFS selling non aquatics as aquatics too happened to me on my first plant buy !


^_^

Tried java moss in the other tank. It grows like crazy and is always breaking off. Every other day I'm pulling pieces of it off the filter intake.

I figured I should probably go with a little flourite (nourishing clay) since I don't intend on gardening alot in this tank. I thought the black would blend better with the pea gravel and any beard algae that might pop up. I'm not too sure on the stress on the bottom if I have more substrate on the back than the front. Maybe I should have a wooden shelf under the tank?

TTFN --->Ta-Ta-For-Now
Kelly ;o}

I don't think mounding the gravel will make that big of a difference. The last way I had my 55G set up the gravel was mounded to the back and then large rocks were in the middle area.

This time around I mounded the back left and right corners. I have my mound of rock work holding the mound up.

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

Hi,
Mounding, or sloping, of the substrate used to be THE
recommended way to scape tanks. Generally, they were
sloped from the back, with a high of 3-4 inches to the
front with a depth of one to two inches.
The idea was that any solid debris such
as fish poop and excess food, and broken off plant leaves,
would work their way to the front of the tank where it
would be easily siphoned off during the weekly water
change.

You should have no problem with stress on the tank bottom
due to the depth of the gravel.

Frank

-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

just get a substrate color you like and get some gravel fertilizer tabs or stakes, they will work just as well and are easy to use *the tabs just dissolve and get replaced once a month and the stakes last a year but you have to take them out and put new ones in)... as for low light grassy you could see if hair grass will work for you (its a gamble some times it works other times it doesn't, depends on the nutrients and light and etc... its never a constant as far as I have seen...)

Good Luck,
-Brandon

\\\\\\\"an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of the cure\\\\\\\"

Today I purchased a great piece of driftwood for the new (used)tank. I'm looking into finding a good price for the flourite. Do I need to rinse the flourite when I get it (like gravel)?

TTFN --->Ta-Ta-For-Now
Kelly ;o}

Do I need to rinse the flourite when I get it (like gravel)?

For sure rinse the flourite! If you don't you will have a chocolate milk looking mess in the tank. The best way I have found to rinse the stuff is to put a couple of hand fulls of flourite in a large fine mesh net and then run water over it until it runs clear. Probably best to do so out side so you don't put all the dust/sand down the drain.



55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

Thanks, I got the flourite today. (Chain store had it on sale $19.99 for 15 lb. bag. It wasn't the black flourite I wanted... but what are you gonna do?) I found a couple of places with it for a cheaper price on the internet but they were charging the same or more for shipping. That would have doubled the price! I also found a nice piece of driftwood and a couple of plants for a good price, yesterday too. I think the 2 plants are echinodorus but I'm not sure. I'm slowly gathering what I want for my tank this time. I got the pea gravel from Home Depot and my husband nixed it. Back to the drawing board...

I think I will re-enforce the seals on the tank this week also. The tank was tested and cleaned when I got it home but I don't know how long it's been stored dry.

TTFN --->Ta-Ta-For-Now
Kelly ;o}

Hi,
Generally, provided one can afford it, one uses
Sea Chem's Flourite as the only substrate and
don't mix it with other material.

With the Flourite, you should wash it at least once
and probably twice. That is to get rid of the bulk of
the dust and any twigs or other material that might
also be in the bags. However, it is clay. The more
you wash it and rub the grains against each other, the
more dust you will be creating. The best thing to do,
once the Flourite is added, is to buy, or borrow, a
diatom filter. http://www.diatomfilter.com/products/diatom_d1_filter.htm

This filter will turn the water crystal clear in 2-3 hours
of operation. Check with a local fish club as someone
should have one that you might borrow. Or, invest in one
for now and the future. With Flourite, you will need it
eventually.

Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

Also when you fill the tank for the first time, use a plate on top of the substrate and fill it really slow. This will help keep your water clear.

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

Thanks for the info on the flourite. I found out the 2 plants are indeed (by the LFS guys guess) echinodorus. By his guessin' it would be Brazilian or Amazon sword.

TTFN --->Ta-Ta-For-Now
Kelly ;o}

Rinsed the flourite yesterday. OMG, no-one told me how dark the water gets. It was like looking at chocolate milk! I found a brute of a piece of driftwood at a decent price. That was another shocker... Trying to figure out how to boil that big, a$$ trunk of wood... If you haven't figured it out. I was cussing like a sailor on shore leave. My wrist gave out as I was trying to "slowly" pour the water onto the back of a bowl. Now I have a murky mess. I can't find a diatom filter to rent yet. And for sure, no funds to purchase one either. I think I've found a cheap (Kelly) solution. I'll let you know if it works out.

Wish me luck!

TTFN --->Ta-Ta-For-Now
Kelly ;o}

Good luck!

a large trash bin with lots of hot water would work to soak for a good long time. I've heard of people using outdoor cookers and metal trash bins as well.


Uh, yeah, we kinda wanted to keep the florite thing from you just in case it made you shy away from it . Hope you managed to get it all rinsed now.

Some carbon in the filter will help pick up any of the florite dust you may have missed, though some people prefer to not run carbon on planted tanks.

^_^

Hi Kelly,
Where in the States are you located?
Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

Carbon isn't very good at mechanical filtration, use some filter wool to catch the dust instead. I usually rubber band it around the intakes on my filters, makes it quick and easy to remove and rinse out.

Detroit, Michigan. I called the LFS that I go to the most, and was told, "No-one rents them unless they are desprate for cash." (This one was privately owned) I also checked with 2 chain stores. They don't rent either. I have 2 more privately owned stores to try. I went ahead and drained the water and will start fresh, since my husband purchased additional polished pebbles to go on top of the flourite. (He and the kids didn't like the look of just flourite.)

I managed to break my extra themometer. (It wasn't in the tank, but don't ask.) So I've go to get a new one. My other half needed my vehicle today, so I will have to wait until tomorrow to pick up the plants and themometer. I have a major migrain today, so this works to my benefit.

Frank, would it be okay for me to transfer a seedling crypt from my old tank to the new one? It's the one that just "popped" up on the opposite end of the tank. It's a about 1/2 a finger big... maybe a little less. But it's sooo cute, I'd like it to have the new tank with flourite. So it can grow big and strong! What would be the safest way to uproot it? It's almost under a boulder in the old tank.

Ira thanks for the tip. I'll try that.

Bablefish, I finally did get it boiled. I took 2 pots. First I had to boil the bottom half in a roaster with the trunk sticking out. Then I flipped it over and boiled the trunk half in a stock pot with the bottom sticking out. I did think of the bucket soaking but, I didn't want to have mosquitos driving me nuts. I also thought of the metal wash can/pan, but didn't want to spend money on something I would only use once or twice. (I bought my hubby a plastic ice bucket for beers to keep him out of the fridge in the summer. It now holds dolls in the girls room)

TTFN --->Ta-Ta-For-Now
Kelly ;o}

Hi Kelly,
Honestly, I'd wait until the crypt was 3-4 inches large.
The tank it is in, had enough nutrients for the plant to
send out a baby. I'd let it mature a little while longer
in the parent tank, and then transfer it after the new
tank has seasoned - at least 6 months.

Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

The experiment worked. I took a 1/2 plyboard 1 foot by 1 1/2 foot long perpendicular(spelling?) on the top of the tank; filled my bucket with water. Then put the bucket on top of the board. Got the gravel vac going in the bucket with the other end in the tank. The water gently glided into the tank without disturbing the flourite. TA-DAH! It was long and slow but worth it. I had time to notice how the plants were sitting in the tank and make adjustments without making it too cloudy.

The tank is still cloudy but that's mostly from the driftwood. I don't think it boiled long enough. Ah well...

TTFN --->Ta-Ta-For-Now
Kelly ;o}

According to the package... I just purchased 4 inch Gold Ribbon Plants (Dracaena varigatus). Has anyone had any experience with this plant? There's no profile for it that I can see. It's nice looking (for now). I'm wondering if I should keep it or return it.

TTFN --->Ta-Ta-For-Now
Kelly ;o}