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Gang,

After quite a few weeks of getting the equipment together, not to mention the additional weeks of planning, it is time to start my 40G long breeder tank.

Basically the same rules of entries and what not that I established in my 125G log apply here as well, I do not have too much time to elaborate on it right now.

As I am writing this, the pictures taken reflect actions no longer than an hour or even less ago. You are pretty much following the setup live, with all the issues that may happen. So if you are bored, check into the log during the day/night for more updates. The Laptop and Camera are with me in the basement and we are ready to rumble .

I hope you all will enjoy this log

Ingo

Here is the tank just before the start, filter intake and spray bar, and the heater are already in place

Attached Image:

Naked Tank

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Next, I added the first two bags of Eco. It is amazing to me how wet this stuff is. I already get the feeling that forming hills with it is going to be a challenge. No doubt will the substrate even out its level in no time if I cannot manage to hold it back with rockwork and such.

Attached Image:

First 40lbs of Eco filled in

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

After spreading out the first 40lbs of Eco Complete I decided that I will need another 20lbs to form a base from which I can start to build up the hardscape.

Here is the tank with 60lbs of Eco flattened out:

Attached Image:

60lbs of Eco

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Now I am going to rinse of the rocks that I purchased a few weeks back. They are intended to become the base/border for the hills that I plant on creating. Not sure if that will work though, I will keep you posted.

Attached Image:

Introducing the Rocks

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

The next step was to outline the possible hills with rocks. Here is the first attempt of trying to create this border setting.

Attached Image:

With Rocks

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Then I started to add some wood, trying out all kinds of combinations. It appears as I will have a few problems along the way.

For one thing, I probably got more wood than the tank can handle without being wood only.

Also, it doesn't look like my rock arangement is working too well. They seem to be too big.

Attached Image:

With Wood, first of probably many attempts

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

And for the people who had not read my preparation thread for this tank:

The tank is open all around, every side is basically a foreground and viewable.

As such, here is a shot from the other side of the first try.

Attached Image:

Other Side, First Try

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Ok, so I tried to change the arrangement.

First of all, I layed the rocks on their sides, this makes them overall lower.

Then I rearranged the wood some more. The wife likes it, but I am not so sure yet.

Here is the main view

Attached Image:

New Main View

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

And here is the back view.

I don't think I have to finalize it today, this wood, unlike the one in the 125, can be moved and removed.

Now I have to take a cigarette break (I hope Lindy does not read that)

Attached Image:

New Back View

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Great starting out pictures of your tank. Things look like they are off to a great start!

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

Thanks Wings,

Great start, weak ending

Maybe I should leave the tank like this and put a frog in there. It is amazing how nice a tank can look like when it is empty, meaning no water, plants, fish, and algae

Here is the next step. Out with all the wood and filling up the hills, the area within the rock groups.

Attached Image:

Hills Filled

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And here is a closeup of the slightly larger hill. Does anyone have any ideas why the pictures are so blue? The tank light is 6,700K Is it the glass itself?

Anyway, next I will add the wood back in, play just a little, and then call it a hardscape.

Attached Image:

Taller Hill

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

So far, so good. What are you planning on breeding in the tank?

Untitled No. 4,

"So far, so good" - Yeah, that was the easy part. The hard part is actually making it work as a tank.

I am not planning on breeding anything in particular in this tank, it is the specific shape of the tank that is called a breeder (like a 20G Long). It is 36" long x 18" deep x about 16" tall.

Well, I got the wood back in, of course it doesn't look like it did before, the hills required a different layout.

I guess the next step should be to add water and the warm-up plants.

On a side note: all my running around down here seems to have made the Espei very nervous. I have never seen them school so well (all 70 or what not of them). Awesome

Ingo

Attached Image:

Wood is back in

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Well,

Here is the first set-back. When filling the tank, about half the wood lost its position and fell over. I somehow thought that this may happen, but I wanted to give it a try. Now I will try to anchor the mostly upright pieces with other pieces that are lying rather flat in the tank.

We will see how it goes. No yelling yet though.

Attached Image:

Wood fell over

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Ok,

I rerganized the pieces, this way they are more stable. That doesn't mean that you can bang your hand against them and they would not move, but at least they withhold the filling.

All this, and the fact that it was the initial filling, made the water rather gunky, so I drained the tank almost completely and refilled it again.

The next step is to set up the CO2 and turn on filter and heater.

Here is the tank after the refill

Attached Image:

All Filled Up

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Looks great! Where do you find your wood...at the LFS or do you find it outside? Those are some great pieces./:'

*Kristin*

Ingo,

A couple of quick comments.

Wood
It does look like their is too much of it for the tank and their is no separation of the hills. Maybe some of it could be arranged under the eco in conjunction with the rocks that would help support the hills.

Rocks
Any substrate will need alot of support whether it's sand, gravel, etc. As I mentioned with the wood, sometimes you could put some rock under the eco (hidden) that will shore up the hill more and then work the other rocks in above the substrate level.

My Scapes

Kristin - Check out This Thread. It explains in detail where the wood came from. And thanks for the compliments

Tetratech - Thanks for the input. I hear you on the too much wood to keep it separated. For now, I will leave it like that as time is beginning to become short, I still have to trim and water change the 125G.

I have rock surrounding the hill groups, so I hope this will shore it up enough.

Tankwise: I am ready to add plants, all is hooked up and humming.

Here is a shot from the back side, showing the CO2 diffuser expelling its bubbles into the current of the spray bar.

Attached Image:

Back View

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

If you looked carefully at the last picture you see that the 125 behind it is in desparate need of trimming.

Anyway, here is the tank from the main view.

Attached Image:

Main View

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