ATG
Banned
+5,233|6500|Global Command
I used a mineralized topsoil substrate according to this m3thod.

Over the course of five weeks I soaked and dried 20lbs. of topsoil four times. This part took the most restraint as I wanted to get this sucker growing again after the Great Snail Debacle of 2008.


https://i41.tinypic.com/4h9noo.jpg


Over the last few days leading up to the planting me and the misses took turns stacking the driftwood in various manners trying to pre-plan as much as possible;
https://i39.tinypic.com/dqkv4k.jpg

2:30 PM Friday afternoon.

Finally the plants I ordered from Florida arrived on Friday. All was in place. I took my light apart and cleaned and oiled the fans. I painted the back of the tank black. I decided to go with one white light bulb and one mixed sea-sun and corral in my dual fixture sub-compact lamp. All the rocks and wood had been soaking in water to leech any tannins or toxins out. I had dissolved mexican potters clay and mixed one pound of that with uber fine beach sand and this mixture was ready to mix with my sterilized soil.

https://i41.tinypic.com/6z7xhx.jpg

I opened the plants up to get them in water and determine the ones I would select for the tank. This is about 15% of my order:

https://i44.tinypic.com/21n08dy.jpg

The rest waiting in bags;

https://i43.tinypic.com/343gifo.jpg

First went down a mixture of Dolomite Lime and Muriate of Potash.

https://i41.tinypic.com/1551hdd.jpg

https://i44.tinypic.com/kevw5j.jpg

Here is where I deviated from the Greater Washington Aquatic Plant Associations article; I wanted the edges of the tank to remain open, and especially the middle front. I used a dense sand to line the edges and define where I wanted plant growth to remain light.

https://i41.tinypic.com/ohsd5c.jpg

Now I added the mineralized soil mixed with the potters clay and sand;

https://i43.tinypic.com/23t0ay8.jpg

This was covered by black pea gravel. The bowl is in position and the tank is ready for water. This is where it began to get difficult. You have to be patient and fill the tank very slowly or the hose will escape the bowl and blow apart the surface of the gravel covered soil.
https://i42.tinypic.com/mt9ut0.jpg

The first of the plants go in. I realize that with the fine silt bleeding out of the soil I can't see jack shit. The plants are placed by braille. The camera flash lights it up but as I plant I am working in a fog.

https://i42.tinypic.com/29y34vt.jpg

I get in everything that I can and finish filling the tank and set up the new filter system and connect hoses for the undergravel aeration lines. After I finish cleaning up it is 12:30 AM. I am drunk and exhausted.

https://i41.tinypic.com/15yhvtt.jpg



I have many plants left over as they usually give you a lot more than you order.
https://i43.tinypic.com/154u784.jpg

I use a small 6 gallon tank to try and save some of the extra plants. I think I'll throw a Betta in there.

https://i43.tinypic.com/1iojua.jpg

The finished project sans fish which will come in about 2 weeks after the water chemistry becomes stable.

https://i44.tinypic.com/2itt2di.jpg

https://i43.tinypic.com/34docqg.jpg

https://i44.tinypic.com/167p8v8.jpg

Using this method the tank, even though heavily planted will require no fertilizer for 10 years or more. After about three weeks the plants should recover from the shock of shipping and planting and the tank should go nuts to the point where I have to prune the plants once a week to keep them from blocking out the light. I have a dyi CO2 system that I may incorporate. All I lack atm is good timers for the lights.

Fresh water planted aquaria can be as beautiful as the most elaborate salt water reef tanks. The cost of a fresh water system is a fraction and with care and patience exotic, rare and seldom seen species of fish can be kept. Here is a nice mix of pictures of fresh water tanks;

Superior Mind
(not macbeth)
+1,755|6663
Very nice. I don't have the patience for that sort of stuff. Not now at least. Have fun.
m3thod
All kiiiiiiiiinds of gainz
+2,197|6642|UK
i'm a fucking god around here.
Blackbelts are just whitebelts who have never quit.
ATG
Banned
+5,233|6500|Global Command
Easily flattered I see.
Pochsy
Artifice of Eternity
+702|5514|Toronto
Neon tetras, put neon tetras in the tank! I don't know why, but since I was a little kid they've always been my favorite. Absolutely gorgeous!
The shape of an eye in front of the ocean, digging for stones and throwing them against its window pane. Take it down dreamer, take it down deep. - Other Families
S3v3N
lolwut?
+685|6489|Montucky
needs some fish.
Mekstizzle
WALKER
+3,611|6592|London, England
Remember that topic you made about growing your own biofuels or something, whatever happened to that scheme of yours

Or was that Kumarion, It might have been him, but I'm sure it was you

Last edited by Mekstizzle (2009-05-17 15:37:21)

Switch
Knee Deep In Clunge
+489|6434|Tyne & Wear, England

Pochsy wrote:

Neon tetras, put neon tetras in the tank! I don't know why, but since I was a little kid they've always been my favorite. Absolutely gorgeous!
If you like Neon Tetras I would suggest Cardinal Tetras as an alternative.  They have the same colouring but are a lot more vibrant and slightly bigger.
Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known.
Mekstizzle
WALKER
+3,611|6592|London, England
whats a tetra

Oh, it's a species of fish

Last edited by Mekstizzle (2009-05-17 15:40:57)

ATG
Banned
+5,233|6500|Global Command

S3v3N wrote:

needs some fish.
White flies and affids killed my corn.
Switch
Knee Deep In Clunge
+489|6434|Tyne & Wear, England

m3thod wrote:

i'm a fucking god around here.
Mohamed won't be very happy with you saying that.
Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known.
ATG
Banned
+5,233|6500|Global Command

Switch wrote:

m3thod wrote:

i'm a fucking god around here.
Mohamed won't be very happy with you saying that.
Muhammid is a man and if m3thod is fucking god that means he is https://www.mysmiley.net/imgs/smile/adult/homoswitch.gif
ghettoperson
Member
+1,943|6620

Alex that looks really fucking good man. Nice work.
m3thod
All kiiiiiiiiinds of gainz
+2,197|6642|UK

ATG wrote:

Switch wrote:

m3thod wrote:

i'm a fucking god around here.
Mohamed won't be very happy with you saying that.
Muhammid is a man and if m3thod is fucking god that means he is http://www.mysmiley.net/imgs/smile/adult/homoswitch.gif
Ya, only a bender would do to all that trouble for some wanky pokey fish.

sheesh wtf ever happend to a goldfish and a goldfish bowl.
Blackbelts are just whitebelts who have never quit.
ATG
Banned
+5,233|6500|Global Command
This tank is not about fish. It's about the science of a planted tank.
ghettoperson
Member
+1,943|6620

Alex how did you acquire that tank, if you don't mind me asking? Or have you had it for years? Going on the size it must have cost a fucking fortune!
Zimmer
Un Moderador
+1,688|6727|Scotland

ATG wrote:

This tank is not about fish. It's about the science of a planted tank.
That's cool. I thought it was about the fish until I read that.
krazed
Admiral of the Bathtub
+619|6750|Great Brown North

ATG wrote:

Great Snail Debacle of 2008.
details
ATG
Banned
+5,233|6500|Global Command

ghettoperson wrote:

Alex how did you acquire that tank, if you don't mind me asking? Or have you had it for years? Going on the size it must have cost a fucking fortune!
It's only 45 gallons. I actually got it for free from a buddy who's fish had died. I had a 29 gallon before but a combination of bad chemistry and snails ruined it. I did spend a lot on the light and filter about $450.00, and about $85.00 on the plants and $60.00 making the soil.

old setup before tank was infested with 1000's of snails.

https://i18.tinypic.com/2uiahd0.jpg

I kept discus fish for a while but they require expert husbandry and I failed.

I started off keeping fish and setting the tank up for certain requirements. As time went on I realized that the plants are the best feature and the one thing I didn't do right is change the water chemistry for the plants, so when I started over I decided to go about it from the get go about the plants and fish are a distant second. I will eventually add a dwarf clown loach and a small school of minnows or tetras.
san4
The Mas
+311|6659|NYC, a place to live
ATG is playing with lime, potash and bleach. I don't know much about homemade explosives, but I am going to stay away from government facilities for the next few weeks.
Reddhedd
trolawlawl
+188|6416|EE Chat
ATG, I definitely give you props for this, well done.
Kmar
Truth is my Bitch
+5,695|6571|132 and Bush

I used to have a 300 gallon saltwater tank.. talk about a nonstop headache .. I downsized to a 150 tank and threw some freshwater stingrays in there and tried some plants.. but the plants never "stuck". Nice job ATG, it will be relaxing once it settles.
Xbone Stormsurgezz
S3v3N
lolwut?
+685|6489|Montucky
https://www.craigcentral.com/images/shark1.gif


Thats what'll complete that beautiful tank.
Laika
Member
+75|5914
That's a nice tank. I'd like to keep jellyfish someday.
ATG
Banned
+5,233|6500|Global Command

Kmarion wrote:

I used to have a 300 gallon saltwater tank.. talk about a nonstop headache .. I downsized to a 150 tank and threw some freshwater stingrays in there and tried some plants.. but the plants never "stuck". Nice job ATG, it will be relaxing once it settles.
300 gallons, wowzers.

Freshwater stingrays are rumored to be hard to keep, is this true?

And, wow they can be large;

https://i42.tinypic.com/sc9swh.jpg

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