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[Evolved1]

If I'm interested in starting my own tank, what's a good "beginner" size to work with? This is all crazy inspiring!

E: Also, is it true that I need to let the tank sit for 3-6 weeks for the Nitrogen cycle to play out before I can add fish? I just want to know so I can start looking soon!

Proper tank cycling begins with prepping the tank -- making sure it's properly cleaned. Next step in the cycling process is getting your water ready and adding the substrate, live rock (if applicable) etc... and yes, this is when you get the nitrogen cycle going. There are lots of ways to do it, and if you wait long enough, these cycles will occur naturally. Some choose to spike the tank with a bit of dirt. (I don't do this) And others will buy an all-in-one spike from an aquaria store.

I recommend getting the product from the pet store... just add it to the water and the tank could be ready in as little as 24 - 48 hrs.


edit: if you're making your own stand, make sure it's really stable and reinforced... water is heavy (roughly 8lbs per gallon iirc) and larger tanks can be really heavy. Also... be careful with your outlets and things. There are handy guides online to demonstrate how to keep your wiring safe, but basically you want to make sure any water that might drip on and run down along the cords wont make its way into the outlet! That's why most labs have outlets running along the walls at waist height.

 

[nicoga3000]

Proper tank cycling begins with prepping the tank -- making sure it's properly cleaned. Next step in the cycling process is getting your water ready and adding the substrate, live rock (if applicable) etc... and yes, this is when you get the nitrogen cycle going. There are lots of ways to do it, and if you wait long enough, these cycles will occur naturally. Some choose to spike the tank with a bit of dirt. (I don't do this) And others will buy an all-in-one spike from an aquaria store.

I recommend getting the product from the pet store... just add it to the water and the tank could be ready in as little as 24 - 48 hrs.


edit: if you're making your own stand, make sure it's really stable and reinforced... water is heavy (roughly 8lbs per gallon iirc) and larger tanks can be really heavy. Also... be careful with your outlets and things. There are handy guides online to demonstrate how to keep your wiring safe, but basically you want to make sure any water that might drip on and run down along the cords wont make its way into the outlet! That's why most labs have outlets running along the walls at waist height.

Interestingly enough, I work with water on an everyday basis designing containers for them (my latest is a 2 million gallon water tank in Texas, lol). Weight of water is no stranger to me!

That being said, I was going to do a two level steel frame with cross bracing on the sides and backs. For shits, I can actually size it to check, but I'm sure I'll come up with something that will a) hold and b) be portable. I just need to know the dimensions of the tank I want to get.

Actually, about that...I have two spaces I can put it. One has potential to get more direct sunlight (if I go bigger) whereas another is more in the middle of the room (by an island near the kitchen). Is direct sunlight a good/bad thing?

Also, are pet store personal reliable? I'm worried about going in with minimal knowledge (well, I'll know sort of what I'm doing thanks to GAF links and posters!) and being told to buy the most worthless shit ever.

 

[smokeandmirrors]

Well I've been doing a ton of reading since getting out of work today. I don't know exact size, but somewhere around the 25-30 gallon range is probably a fair start. I would like to do some live plants, too...so if I need to go slightly larger, I can. I'm actually going to have the shop at my office weld me a metal tank stand out of some scrap we have. A+

In terms of how much I want to spend, I think that is more a product of the complete initial cost. One thing I'm having a hard time finding is a good page of "What to buy" that doesn't look like it was made in Windows Webpage Maker or something. I'm trying to find a good and reputable site to work off of.

I'd like to get a reasonable sized tank, the necessary tools/equipment, substrates, some live plants, and a few cycle fish to get everything going. Is there a good spot to find relatively newbie friendly options?

You can ask away here, or I usually go to reddit.com/r/aquariums, they are a friendly bunch over there. I'm still learning so we'll see how this goes.

As for tank size, my 'first' real tank is a 30 gallon, from a kit from Petsmart. I replaced the filter though, with one meant for 50 gallons. But anywhere from 30-55 gallons is a safe bet. Some of the big stores tend to have sales on tank kits, which can be a good starting point, but definitely upgrade the filter. I got my 30 gallon for 100 bucks, for reference.

As for substrate, especially with live plants, you can't go wrong with sand. On the plus it's usually cheap for 50lbs of it, and plants have an easier time establishing roots.

Probably not the best advice, but search and see if there is a dedicated fish/aquatic store in your area. They usually can help, especially with plants and such.

Also don't put it near sunlight. It will cause problems with algae early on and very often.

 

[nicoga3000]

You can ask away here, or I usually go to reddit.com/r/aquariums, they are a friendly bunch over there. I'm still learning so we'll see how this goes.

As for tank size, my 'first' real tank is a 30 gallon, from a kit from Petsmart. I replaced the filter though, with one meant for 50 gallons. But anywhere from 30-55 gallons is a safe bet. Some of the big stores tend to have sales on tank kits, which can be a good starting point, but definitely upgrade the filter. I got my 30 gallon for 100 bucks, for reference.

As for substrate, especially with live plants, you can't go wrong with sand. On the plus it's usually cheap for 50lbs of it, and plants have an easier time establishing roots.

Probably not the best advice, but search and see if there is a dedicated fish/aquatic store in your area. They usually can help, especially with plants and such.

Also don't put it near sunlight. It will cause problems with algae early on and very often.

The sunlight will be avoided!

I'll head to Uncle Bill's (local petstore) tomorrow to take a peak at some of the options they have. Are the stock tank lights OK, or do I need to invest in a better/nicer light? And I've read to oversize the filter, so I'll hunt down a larger tank filter.

I'm making a shopping list.

Tank (probably around 30 gal - $90 on sale for Aqueon starter ktis)
Filter (for larger than 30 gal)
Pump (not sure on this - size/style/etc.)
Sand (probably don't need a huge bag)

What else do I need for the weekend startup? Water testing to watch levels? Additional substrate to layer with the sand? Any sort of special chemicals? I know I probably need to buy distilled water from the grocery store, so that will also be on my list.

Oh, and what about plants at the start? Do I want to get them in as I set everything up, or do I want to wait for a bit?

 

[Snytbaggen]

So I'm going to get some plants tomorrow and try to get the cycling going. My goal is to start putting fish in on Thursday, at earliest. Will just plants be enough to get the tank ready in that time, or should I get some all-in-one spike from the store? It's an 180L/47gal tank.

 

[Hazaro]

The sunlight will be avoided!

I'll head to Uncle Bill's (local petstore) tomorrow to take a peak at some of the options they have. Are the stock tank lights OK, or do I need to invest in a better/nicer light? And I've read to oversize the filter, so I'll hunt down a larger tank filter.

I'm making a shopping list.

Tank (probably around 30 gal - $90 on sale for Aqueon starter ktis)
Filter (for larger than 30 gal)
Pump (not sure on this - size/style/etc.)
Sand (probably don't need a huge bag)

What else do I need for the weekend startup? Water testing to watch levels? Additional substrate to layer with the sand? Any sort of special chemicals? I know I probably need to buy distilled water from the grocery store, so that will also be on my list.

Oh, and what about plants at the start? Do I want to get them in as I set everything up, or do I want to wait for a bit?

Anything else you add with sand will slowly rise over time as the sand falls inbetween the spaces of another substrate.
I'll shill Fluval Stratum substrate or ADA Aquasoil if you can find it. It's the higher end stuff, but it is quite fantastic. No nutrients in sand and unless you adopt a dosing plan your plants won't do as well. I think.

Also LOTS of plants right from the get go if you want heavily planted as more plants = less algae.

For plants you want macro and micro nutrients with a carbon source.
Seachem: Flourish and Excel for micro + Carbon, then a N P K source for macro (Nitrogen, Phosphate, Potassium) Seachem sells those too.

So I'm going to get some plants tomorrow and try to get the cycling going. My goal is to start putting fish in on Thursday, at earliest. Will just plants be enough to get the tank ready in that time, or should I get some all-in-one spike from the store? It's an 180L/47gal tank.

Plant you can toss in whenever.

Here is my setup. Cheapo style! All plants are freebies that have grown. Wood was free, filter was $20, light is CFL hood ($12 hood, $4 bulbs), tank was $40, heater was $12, substrate was $40. Shrimp I got some CBS, then bought 40 yellows.
Needs some care and direction atm, but I do like my tank.

Next jump is getting a real light and dosing macros, putting in some more shrimp friendly stuff like mini pellia. I even have a CO2 reg, but have been holding off a long time just because of my hate of algae and what balance I could mess up.

 

[DonMigs85]

Really nice video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrfOmfQwhG8&feature=related

 

[nicoga3000]

Thanks for the tips Hazaro. I'm actually going to get a 55 gallon tank now (found one for a really great price). For doing a live tank, do I need to grab a CO2 system now as well?

 

[Hazaro]

Thanks for the tips Hazaro. I'm actually going to get a 55 gallon tank now (found one for a really great price). For doing a live tank, do I need to grab a CO2 system now as well?

I'd start with a carbon additive (It's cheap) first, then work your way up as you get a better understanding. It would be bad if you flooded CO2 and killed everything but your plants because there was some pressure release, or you didn't acclimate your livestock correctly, or too much variance is causing a large algae bloom, etc.

Same reasons I haven't started. For me the amount of time to have it up correctly and maintained (don't let it sit without CO2 off for too long), and acclimating shrimp in a small tank that might not be in ideal water parameters, pH fluctuation as well is a concern if you have a CO2 system and you should get a solenoid as well.

There's lot to consider about it. The benefits are pretty fantastic though. Absolutely INSANE growth.

 

[nicoga3000]

I'd start with a carbon additive (It's cheap) first, then work your way up as you get a better understanding. It would be bad if you flooded CO2 and killed everything but your plants because there was some pressure release, or you didn't acclimate your livestock correctly, or too much variance is causing a large algae bloom, etc.

Same reasons I haven't started. For me the amount of time to have it up correctly and maintained (don't let it sit without CO2 off for too long), and acclimating shrimp in a small tank that might not be in ideal water parameters, pH fluctuation as well is a concern if you have a CO2 system and you should get a solenoid as well.

There's lot to consider about it. The benefits are pretty fantastic though. Absolutely INSANE growth.

Wow, that's GORGEOUS. I'm actually going to try and get a bag of black Flourite versus sand with other substrate + tabs. I imagine it'll be slightly easier to manage with just one substrate for now, too.

What are your thoughts on lighting? I was thinking of doing a glass top, so a setup that I could put on top of there would be nice. If I needed to do a hooded setup, that's acceptable, too. I just don't want to have to be filling the tank due to evaporation every few days.

Lighting is the only other area I'm SO clueless about since it's a pretty huge factor for planted tanks.

 

[Hazaro]

All depends on how much you want to spend and what you are growing. Generally you want a good amount of stem type plants that grow fast so they keep algae in check. Some plants are high light only. High light causes plants to branch out more instead of up. I'd start with 'Medium' light. You have to see light levels in person, but a good basic idea would be:

Low: Less bright than sunlight coming into a room
Medium: About that
High: Focused sun death on tank

Cheap: Glass top + CFL clamp lights = $25 http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/lighting/153195-my-inexpensive-cfl-light-solution.html
Mid: Power Compact fixture = $60+
T5HO Setup: $100+

If you have a glass top stuff still grows great under clamp lights, plus you get to change bulbs to wattage that works for you.

Light balance with nutrient load is very very important, but becomes a lot easier if you have a TON of plants (plants eat food faster than algae is what I was told). I mean a lot a lot. A lot of plants.

 

[nicoga3000]

E: Bought a 48" fixture with 2 6500K T8's. From what I gather, it should be a good start. Thinking of doing an eco-complete substrate. Is this relatively easy to move around for "redecorating"?

Also, the ultimate newbie question - how do I fill the tank and with what kind of water? Do I put things (plants) in place first or do I fill it and than start orienting? I know that's incredibly beginner, but I really don't want to screw this one up since my frame should be done mid week!

 

[Nostalgic Nightmare]

Some really nice stuff here all great work.
Here is a so so pic of my tank (150gal African Cichlid)

Here is a video as well with the details.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WR-AplXLXY

I really need to get a better camera, especially to shoot video.
Glad there are people on GAF that are into the hobby.

 

[smokeandmirrors]

E: Bought a 48" fixture with 2 6500K T8's. From what I gather, it should be a good start. Thinking of doing an eco-complete substrate. Is this relatively easy to move around for "redecorating"?

Also, the ultimate newbie question - how do I fill the tank and with what kind of water? Do I put things (plants) in place first or do I fill it and than start orienting? I know that's incredibly beginner, but I really don't want to screw this one up since my frame should be done mid week!

Make sure you get some kind of water conditioner, anything that will remove chlorine and other harsh minerals, otherwise everything will die.

To fill it (depending on location) but if you can you can fill it with a normal hose, or fill it bucket by bucket. I do recommend going to home depot or something and getting a 5 gallon bucket for cheap and using that for fish only things, water changes primarily.

I usually put water in first, about halfway and then put plants in, and further top it off. Anything else like rocks and whatnot I usually put in before water.

And don't feel bad, everyone's gotta start somewhere!

 

[nicoga3000]

Make sure you get some kind of water conditioner, anything that will remove chlorine and other harsh minerals, otherwise everything will die.

To fill it (depending on location) but if you can you can fill it with a normal hose, or fill it bucket by bucket. I do recommend going to home depot or something and getting a 5 gallon bucket for cheap and using that for fish only things, water changes primarily.

I usually put water in first, about halfway and then put plants in, and further top it off. Anything else like rocks and whatnot I usually put in before water.

And don't feel bad, everyone's gotta start somewhere!

I'm going to start looking for various water conditioning information, too. Thanks for the info on filling and such. I'll start getting basic layout ideas ready so that I can spend an evening doing the full fill and setup.

I'm sure I need to test the chemicals in the water to determine if I can use tap water or not, no? I recently discovered a local group of aquarium folk here in Indy, so I'll try and ask some of them their experiences, too.

I have another question regarding the actual fish I'm going to introduce. Truth be told, I'm mostly interested in the plants. My fiance, however, is excited to pick out "colorful and pretty" fish. Me, I don't particularly care - I just want them to have a lush home. What sort of vibrant/colorful options do we have for a mid-heavy planted tank?

 

[Baraka in the White House]

I always thought a school of neon tetras looked great in a really green tank like what you're looking for. Otherwise you could look into Gloflish, they're genetically modified zebrafish that come in some pretty stunning colors.

 

[nicoga3000]

I always thought a school of neon tetras looked great in a really green tank like what you're looking for. Otherwise you could look into Gloflish, they're genetically modified zebrafish that come in some pretty stunning colors.

She actually linked me to some tetras that she liked, so that's promising. Thanks!

 

[smokeandmirrors]

I always thought a school of neon tetras looked great in a really green tank like what you're looking for. Otherwise you could look into Gloflish, they're genetically modified zebrafish that come in some pretty stunning colors.

That's exactly what I want to do. I plan on at least 12-15 in my 30 gallon. Gotta get more plants now though.

 

[Horse Detective]

Had an octopus when I was 9.

 

[Hazaro]

Shrimp tank is the clear winner.
Fish are dumb.

 

[DonMigs85]

While not so flashy, I loved my Congo and Red-eye tetras. Very peaceful and extremely hardy. The neons and cardinals are pretty sensitive to water quality.

 

[smokeandmirrors]

My plants don't look too healthy. I'm afraid my light not be enough for them... Yellow spots are starting to appear.

 

[nicoga3000]

Turns out there's a pretty active community of aquarium and aquascaping people nearby here in Indy. They're going to hook me up with some of their plants, too. A+

 

[AMUSIX]

OK, posting here to remind myself to post here later

Set up a coral tank a few years back....a poorly shot 3 min video of it can be found here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpREWH1W6gE

It's incredible to see this video now as a lot has changed...I'll try to dig up old and new shots later and post them.


I am, however, in the middle of a remodel, and in it I'm building a 200gal tank, so in a few months, I might have much better shots

 

[nicoga3000]

After I take care of this freshwater tank for a while, I'd like to start a saltwater. The fish, plants, coral - SO gorgeous and vibrant! Love that video AMUSIX.

 

[WDJay]

This thread got me into researching fish tanks... (total aquarium noob, no experience)

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005WEDVIM/?tag=neogaf0e-20

I was wondering if anyone can give advice on this particular tank. The aesthetics are beautiful, but I know the top opening is small which would make for tougher cleaning. How much maintenance do you think a small tank like this would require (how often to clean, nutrients, etc.)?

Also, would different types of mosses work well in a tank like this? I like the open grassland look of some of those earlier images, but the opening for lighting, again, seems a bit small and I have concerns it wouldn't produce enough light for mosses.

Finally, how much would a tank like this take to operate per month, after initial investment (food, materials, electric bill)?

 

[nicoga3000]

I've gotten some suggestions to avoid Flourite and Eco-complete, saying turf-soil and mineralized top soil are better options. I don't' know though...The mud scares me a bit for rescaping and keeping clarity.

 

[Baraka in the White House]

This thread got me into researching fish tanks... (total aquarium noob, no experience)

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005WEDVIM/?tag=neogaf0e-20

I was wondering if anyone can give advice on this particular tank. The aesthetics are beautiful, but I know the top opening is small which would make for tougher cleaning. How much maintenance do you think a small tank like this would require (how often to clean, nutrients, etc.)?

Also, would different types of mosses work well in a tank like this? I like the open grassland look of some of those earlier images, but the opening for lighting, again, seems a bit small and I have concerns it wouldn't produce enough light for mosses.

Finally, how much would a tank like this take to operate per month, after initial investment (food, materials, electric bill)?

From my experience the smaller the aquarium the more difficult it is to get it up and running, which of course runs contrary to what you'd expect. Small to me is anything less than 10 gallons. There's just zero wiggle room in terms of chemical balance and bio load (fish shit). If this is your first rodeo I wouldn't go any smaller than 10.

 

[Hazaro]

After I take care of this freshwater tank for a while, I'd like to start a saltwater. The fish, plants, coral - SO gorgeous and vibrant! Love that video AMUSIX.

If you have 2 grand to drop, have fun

This thread got me into researching fish tanks... (total aquarium noob, no experience)

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005WEDVIM/?tag=neogaf0e-20

I was wondering if anyone can give advice on this particular tank. The aesthetics are beautiful, but I know the top opening is small which would make for tougher cleaning. How much maintenance do you think a small tank like this would require (how often to clean, nutrients, etc.)?

Also, would different types of mosses work well in a tank like this? I like the open grassland look of some of those earlier images, but the opening for lighting, again, seems a bit small and I have concerns it wouldn't produce enough light for mosses.

Finally, how much would a tank like this take to operate per month, after initial investment (food, materials, electric bill)?

Cleaning would be a pain, but the light in that tank is a low light one iirc. If you stuff it full of plants you shouldn't have to clean the sides very often at all. You can also invest in a magnetic scraper.

All mosses work great in everything undemanding and just great they basically need the least light of all plants. Dwarf hair grass is a different matter, planting would probably not be fun.

If you just keep your livestock to <6 fish or a lot of shrimp along side lots of plants you shouldn't have problems.

I've gotten some suggestions to avoid Flourite and Eco-complete, saying turf-soil and mineralized top soil are better options. I don't' know though...The mud scares me a bit for rescaping and keeping clarity.

Like I said before Fluval Stratum (or ADA Aquasoil) would be better for a planted tank.
Dirt is cheap and grows nice, but something is keeping me away from trying those.

 

[Baraka in the White House]

If you have 2 grand to drop, have fun

There's a professional aquarium shop where I live that offers complete saltwater setups (tank, custom stand, filter/sump system, protein skimmer, chemicals and basic deco) for roughly two grand. They come to you to set it up, cycle it and everything. I'm seriously considering it once I move into a house.

 

[Hazaro]

I'm not sold on salt-water.

It's neat and I like corals and anemones, but I dislike the blue/UV color slant and they feel more sterile to me than freshwater.

Plus it feels like freshwater is more alive with the colors I can have in it.
Also it's a lot cheaper.

 

[nicoga3000]

If you have 2 grand to drop, have fun

Like I said before Fluval Stratum (or ADA Aquasoil) would be better for a planted tank.
Dirt is cheap and grows nice, but something is keeping me away from trying those.

Seriously? 2 grand? Why so expensive??

And do I need to wash Fluval or Aquasoil? And as long as I can put fish in as well, I'll take user recommendations to heart.

 

[Hazaro]

Seriously? 2 grand? Why so expensive??

And do I need to wash Fluval or Aquasoil? And as long as I can put fish in as well, I'll take user recommendations to heart.

You don't need to wash them. They both leech a bit of ammonia at the start that helps your tank cycle though. Hardier fish and shrimp you can put in immediately if you like.

Just put in water gently have have enough you can put in at least 1.5" of substrate

 

[nicoga3000]

You don't need to wash them. They both leech a bit of ammonia at the start that helps your tank cycle though. Hardier fish and shrimp you can put in immediately if you like.

Just put in water gently have have enough you can put in at least 1.5" of substrate

Cool, thanks!

Hey, I've seen crazy cool aquascapes with neat mountains of substrate...Is that legit to do with this stuff? Or does that cause some weird chemical imbalance/buildup in the voids? What would be the best substrate to allow for shaping?

 

[Hazaro]

Cool, thanks!

Hey, I've seen crazy cool aquascapes with neat mountains of substrate...Is that legit to do with this stuff? Or does that cause some weird chemical imbalance/buildup in the voids? What would be the best substrate to allow for shaping?

You can just place some kind of raiser on the bottom of the tank, I don't know exactly what you are talking about? It's fine to do.

 

[nicoga3000]

You can just place some kind of raiser on the bottom of the tank, I don't know exactly what you are talking about? It's fine to do.

Well stuff like this:

Shows off a lot of levels and such.

This whole site, for people interested, is amazing for inspiration:

http://www.aquaticscapers.com/en/contest-gallery

 

[Hazaro]

Yes, you can slope your substrate like that.

Often people will put 1-3" higher in the back making a nice looking forward slope. It evens out over time so make it aggressive when you first do it.

 

[AMUSIX]

After I take care of this freshwater tank for a while, I'd like to start a saltwater. The fish, plants, coral - SO gorgeous and vibrant! Love that video AMUSIX.

Thank you....


Salt's a whole new level of maintenance, but, yeah, the vibrancy can't be beat. You have to choose if you want to do a coral tank or a fish tank, though (Coral tanks can have a few fish of specific types). With the new tank, I'm going to try to do part coral and part open, but I know I'm just asking for more trouble with that....

Unfortunately, I got home too late today, and the lights in the tank had already shifted to 'evening' so really couldn't get any decent shots. Will take pictures tomorrow and post.

 

[nicoga3000]

So the frame is built, welded, and smoothed. The guy in our shop who built it for me is going to run it through the wheelabrator today or tomorrow and then get a zinc primer on it for me.

 

[Snytbaggen]

Today I finally added some fish to my tank. Started out small with three guppies, two male and three female. One male and the females started schooling immediately and after a short time they were a tight bunch. The other male doesn't really mesh with the others, most of the time he's just chilling around doing his own thing and is only occasionally hanging out with the others. He's also the only black guppy among them. GAF, are my fish racist?

 

[nicoga3000]

I was waiting for someone to bump this so I could post my new picture.



I'm going to put a thick piece of weather striping around the base to eliminate that gap you see. I may need to upgrade to 10000K bulbs at some point (I'm sitting at ~1.3 WPG right now with 2x6500K T8's). I plan to get the substrate, rock, and driftwood in there next week. I have a local guy who is going to hook me up with plants and a carpet moss.

A+ excited

 

[Hazaro]

I was waiting for someone to bump this so I could post my new picture.



I'm going to put a thick piece of weather striping around the base to eliminate that gap you see. I may need to upgrade to 10000K bulbs at some point (I'm sitting at ~1.3 WPG right now with 2x6500K T8's). I plan to get the substrate, rock, and driftwood in there next week. I have a local guy who is going to hook me up with plants and a carpet moss.

A+ excited

You might want to get 1/4" inch of foam padding for the bottom so the weight is distributed evenly. Looks like more weight is on the corners right now.

Also 6500K is the best for plants / color IMO, it's 'daylight'. Lower shifts to Red, higher to more blue. 6500K nice white and brings out the green in your plants and lets them grow nice.

Watts/Gal is outdated, it has much more to do with light intensity and how far PAR reaches. Low light can be totally fine and viewable and can help cut down algae growth so see where you start off at.

 

[nicoga3000]

You might want to get 1/4" inch of foam padding for the bottom so the weight is distributed evenly. Looks like more weight is on the corners right now.

Also 6500K is the best for plants / color IMO, it's 'daylight'. Lower shifts to Red, higher to more blue. 6500K nice white and brings out the green in your plants and lets them grow nice.

Watts/Gal is outdated, it has much more to do with light intensity and how far PAR reaches. Low light can be totally fine and viewable and can help cut down algae growth so see where you start off at.

More weight IS on the corners right now - the frame itself is not perfectly level. It's built out of 1" angle (which is quite thin), so I'm thinking it warped slightly due to welding and it's trip through the wheelabrator. I figured that the striping (or foam in this case) would help distribute and seal the gap accordingly...We shall see.

Also, thanks for the info on lighting. I didn't know WPG wasn't the way to judge things anymore. I'll keep that in mind.

I've also decided to go with Eco-complete for my substrate. I've heard that it's expensive, but it allows for rescaping with less mess AND it provides nutrients to my plants (from what I read). With some basic fertilizing as well, I should be able to get a nice green aquarium going relatively easily.

 

[Hazaro]

Current Eco Complete (I think they changed it) does jack for nutrients I'm pretty sure (It's in my 10 gallon tank). If you want something to grow your stuff get Fluval Stratum. Yes it will cloud for a bit and stirring it will make it muddy for a bit, but if it's similar to Aquasoil it's good stuff.
Flourite might do fine too, my plants did good with it until I changed to ADA Aquasoil

Again, how deep are you going to go into this? Get some liquid fertilizers NPK (Macro), Micro, and Flourish Excel for your Carbon

 

[nicoga3000]

Current Eco Complete (I think they changed it) does jack for nutrients I'm pretty sure (It's in my 10 gallon tank). If you want something to grow your stuff get Fluval Stratum. Yes it will cloud for a bit and stirring it will make it muddy for a bit, but if it's similar to Aquasoil it's good stuff.
Flourite might do fine too, my plants did good with it until I changed to ADA Aquasoil

Again, how deep are you going to go into this? Get some liquid fertilizers NPK (Macro), Micro, and Flourish Excel for your Carbon

I was going to do dry ferts since they are significantly cheaper in the long run.

One thing I'm confused about...I'm sitting here trying to figure out the "best" substrate, but if I get an inert substrate, as long as I use root tabs for root feeders and ferts for stem feeders, my plants should be OK, right?

 

[Snytbaggen]

Okay, I'm starting to get a little bit worried about my fish. At first everything seemed fine, but for the last hour or so they have been standing still right at the surface, and doesn't move from there. Is this just stress from being in a new, previously uninhabited tank or might there be something wrong?

 

[smokeandmirrors]

Okay, I'm starting to get a little bit worried about my fish. At first everything seemed fine, but for the last hour or so they have been standing still right at the surface, and doesn't move from there. Is this just stress from being in a new, previously uninhabited tank or might there be something wrong?

Stress. Give it a day or two for them to adapt.

Nicoga that stand is real nice. Have you considered some wood paneling to hide the metal? Think it would make it look more permanent.

 

[Davedough]

Last night, my Jack Dempseys decided they wanted to be parents and started mating. This morning, there are eggs stuck all over their favorite rock.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COowKDt_MLk

 

[olore]

This whole site, for people interested, is amazing for inspiration:

http://www.aquaticscapers.com/en/contest-gallery

Simply, wow.

I`m gonna pick up a pair of tanks next week. Reading up on maintaining a tank makes me think that I might have bitten of more than I can chew.

One is 30 litres, the other 90.

 

[nicoga3000]

Nicoga that stand is real nice. Have you considered some wood paneling to hide the metal? Think it would make it look more permanent.

Thanks, I'm really happy with the way it turned out. I've considered it, yeah. I think I'm going to wait to panel and finish it until I get everything figured out. I'm going to put a spot to brace a CO2 tank eventually, too.

I'll be moving in ~1 year, which means the tank will be taken down for a bit. I'm thinking I'll do some work on it more intensively when I have my own garage and space for it.

I gotta sort out my substrate tonight so I can order the ferts. If I go with flourite, I can make up for the fact that its inert (I think) via tabs and ferts, yeah?