Emmanuel's 29 Gallon

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emmanuelchavez

Superstar Fish
#1
Feb 22, 2008
1,370
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#1
I wasn't planning on putting this sucker up till after I was done with geologic field camp and my internship next summer, since I won't be home for at least 3 months (I'll definitely be trying to visit at least once during each month though, for water changes and top offs...)... but the scape and idea struck me today while trying to work! Now I'm excited about it. *crazysmil It'll probably be a couple of months before it's even up and running (cycling).

First, I've got to finish cycling the 20 gallon, then move the shrimp there.
Then break down the 10 gallon - selling / giving away the hc and dwarf sag, but keeping the moss for the 29.

I'm going to try to keep this one more on the low-tech. No more than 2 wpg. It's going to have a (thin) sand substrate, which I already have. The hardscape will consists of lots of red scoria (lava rock) in the back, with a bunch of anubias in between the rocks. And for foreground, I'm going to cover a bunch of flat rocks with moss. I'm going to leave some sand for the cories to enjoy :).

What I have:

29 gallon tank
Some java moss
Play Sand
Powerhead - just for extra circulation.

What I need:

Lighting (probably will go with a Coralife 65 watt fixture)
Filter (I'll probably get a HOB, although, I really like canisters!!)
A bunch of anubias
More java moss
scoria
stand


First thing I'll get is the stand (so I can finally take the tank out of my car).
I'll slowly start getting some scoria and anubias plants (that i'll leave in the 10 gallon till they're ready for the 29).


I was debating whether or not to cover the entire back with maybe some type of val.... but I've got time to figure it out.


Suggestions? Comments? Ah, the joys of MTS. :)
 

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Meghan

Large Fish
#2
Feb 27, 2008
201
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Lynchburg, Va
#2
Hey Eman, I am currently cycling my 29g too. Do you have link to the fixture you are interested in? I can't find a 24" bulb in my lfs that is more than 20 watts, but they say they are 18,000K. I'm totally lost when it comes to lighting... Haha, do you have any insight for me?

So when you are done, you'll end up with the 15g, 20g, and 29g?

My tank came with a Whisper 30 hob. It truly is quiet. Of course, I can't comment on how well it filters, since I'm only cycling right now- it doesn't really have anything to filter.
 

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iapetus

Large Fish
#3
Jan 15, 2008
572
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34:09:39N, 118:08:19W
#3
emmanuelchavez said:
I'm going to try to keep this one more on the low-tech. No more than 2 wpg. It's ...

What I need:

Lighting (probably will go with a Coralife 65 watt fixture) ...
Click to expand...
I'm a little confused, eman. You say that you want no more than 2 wpg, but you're looking at a 65-watt bulb. That's more than 2 wpg. :confused:

I like the idea of the vals, but that's just me. I have 'em in my 29G. :)

Meghan said:
Hey Eman, I am currently cycling my 29g too. Do you have link to the fixture you are interested in? I can't find a 24" bulb in my lfs that is more than 20 watts, but they say they are 18,000K. I'm totally lost when it comes to lighting... Haha, do you have any insight for me?
Click to expand...
Are you looking for a light bulb to grow plants? If so, what you found definitely won't do. The 18,000K refers to the spectrum of light that your bulb puts out; for optimal plant growth, you want something around 5,000K or 6,000K. You also want more wattage. For a simple set-up, you probably want to go with at least 65 watts.

Now, for whatever reason, chain stores seem to assume that people do not want to grow live plants, even though they often sell them. :confused: I've never found appropriate aquarium light bulbs at the LCS. Instead, I'd go to a privately owned store (which is what I did) or go on-line to someone like Drs. Foster and Smith. Make sure that your light fixture can handle a bulb of the appropriate wattage.
 

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emmanuelchavez

Superstar Fish
#5
Feb 22, 2008
1,370
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#5
Meghan said:
Do you have link to the fixture you are interested in?
Click to expand...
I don't remember where it is, but I'll find it in a bit.

Meghan said:
So when you are done, you'll end up with the 15g, 20g, and 29g?
Click to expand...
Yup, that's right.

iapetus said:
I'm a little confused, eman. You say that you want no more than 2 wpg, but you're looking at a 65-watt bulb. That's more than 2 wpg. :confused:
Click to expand...
Haha... it's only ~2.25 wpg. I suppose I could get a 55 watt bulb, but the light fixture comes with a 65 watt bulb.

iapetus said:
I like the idea of the vals, but that's just me. I have 'em in my 29G. :)
Click to expand...
By chance, do you know if vals melt with excel dosing?

Meghan said:
Sorry for hijacking, Eman. :)
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lol, no problem - I really don't mind. Good luck with your 29 gallon. Do you know what you're going to stock it with?

the only fish I know I'll be keeping in there for sure are my 2 pygmy and 2 peppered cories. I was considering of keeping one angel with the cories, along with some schooling fish... or a pair of rams, with schooling fish.
 

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iapetus

Large Fish
#7
Jan 15, 2008
572
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34:09:39N, 118:08:19W
#7
emmanuelchavez said:
Haha... it's only ~2.25 wpg. I suppose I could get a 55 watt bulb, but the light fixture comes with a 65 watt bulb.
Click to expand...
What can I say? I'm a scientist by training ... as are you! (Albeit a geologist, yes, but still ... ;))

emmanuelchavez said:
By chance, do you know if vals melt with excel dosing?
Click to expand...
I have heard that vals and Flourish Excel do not mix. But, I've never dared to experiment on my own vals.
 

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emmanuelchavez

Superstar Fish
#8
Feb 22, 2008
1,370
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0
#8
iapetus said:
What can I say? I'm a scientist by training ... as are you! (Albeit a geologist, yes, but still ... ;))

I have heard that vals and Flourish Excel do not mix. But, I've never dared to experiment on my own vals.
Click to expand...
Haha, true.

I almost went high-tech today too.
I went to an LFS to start buying some rock, and I saw they had a 130 watt coralife fixture for what looked like $49... but I'm glad I stared at it for a while, as it turned out it was $149.

I wiped them clean of scoria though. :) At $1 a pound for such a lightweight rock is quite a deal!

Hm, I may buy a few vals this weekend and put them in the 10 gallon, and see how they fare with some excel. I can't decide whether to go with corkscrew or italian though.
 

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iapetus

Large Fish
#9
Jan 15, 2008
572
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34:09:39N, 118:08:19W
#9
emmanuelchavez said:
Hm, I may buy a few vals this weekend and put them in the 10 gallon, and see how they fare with some excel. I can't decide whether to go with corkscrew or italian though.
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Oh! Wait up. I'm not sure I'd recommend vals in a 10G. I guess that you'd be waiting 'til the 29G is ready? Vals are big, almost too big for a 29G (I have to prune mine from time to time), particularly the jungle vals. They're definitely too big for a 10G.
 

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emmanuelchavez

Superstar Fish
#10
Feb 22, 2008
1,370
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#10
iapetus said:
Oh! Wait up. I'm not sure I'd recommend vals in a 10G. I guess that you'd be waiting 'til the 29G is ready? Vals are big, almost too big for a 29G (I have to prune mine from time to time), particularly the jungle vals. They're definitely too big for a 10G.
Click to expand...

Well, they'd only be there a couple of weeks at most. My 20 is done cycling... so I'll be moving the shrimp there withing a couple of weeks - just to give the microsword some more time to root well. Then I've got to sell off some of the stuff in the 10.

I read all about jungle vals some time ago. Those things are monsters!! I kept Italian vals at one point in the 15, they were doing well... up until I cooked them : \

All I need now for the 29 is a stand, lighting, filter... and plants.
 

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emmanuelchavez

Superstar Fish
#13
Feb 22, 2008
1,370
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#13
Woo! One of my lfs' is going to make me a custom stand for $65. I'll be picking it up on Thursday or Friday.

All I'm missing is the lighting and tons more anubias plants (and maybe a small powerhead for extra circulation).
I got an Aquaclear HOB filter.

I can't seem to find a good lighting fixture locally for a decent price within a good WPG range. I'll probably have to order online. Most of the ones I find here are either well over my 2 wpg limit, or they're closer to .5 wpg. If I can find one at 1 wpg, I'll be happy... since I'll only be keeping anubias and java moss. I decided not to go with the val background.


I guess I can start researching what stocking I want, since I've got a while before that happens.

I was thinking:

1 or 2 pair of gbr's
5 otos
2 peppered cories (currently in the 10)
3 pygmy cories (currenly in the 10)
Some cherries - since they're starting to breed like roaches - I figured the gbr's would appreciate a live snack here and there.
 

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emmanuelchavez

Superstar Fish
#14
Feb 22, 2008
1,370
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#14
:( Ike has delayed my plans. I definitely can't get my stand today, especially after spending $117 on plywood.... So I'll have to wait 2 weeks. I ordered my light earlier this week though.
All I'm missing:

Stand
More rocks
More plants
 

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emmanuelchavez

Superstar Fish
#15
Feb 22, 2008
1,370
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0
#15
I'll be picking up the stand some time this week. :)
I decided to go with a pair of angels on this one

I have 4 quarter-sized Koi in my 15 tall right now, until I can get the 29 up this weekend. I have enough Bio-Spira (AKA Safe Start) remaining for a 55 gallon, so I'll add all of that to the 29, and then transfer over the filter from the 15 for a few weeks just for safe measures. Hopefully I get 1 pair out of them. The two that don't pair up will go back to the LFS for store credit. If / when they breed, I'll let them take care of their own... and then off to the LFS the surviving fry go.
 

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emmanuelchavez

Superstar Fish
#16
Feb 22, 2008
1,370
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0
#16
Agh! My stand still hasn't come in... which is fine by me, b/c I can't for the life of me figure out how to scape this tank. It's going to consist entirely of java fern, anubias, and java moss.

I have lava rock, but I don't think I want to use it anymore.

Any ideas as to what I should do?
 

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emmanuelchavez

Superstar Fish
#19
Feb 22, 2008
1,370
0
0
#19
Lotus said:
What are you going to attach the anubias to?
Click to expand...
Right now in the 20, the rocks are close enough to the glass so that I can just put them inbetween the glass and rocks, and the roots are making their way into the substrate like that. I may do the similar for the 29. This'll be all sand, so I don't think it'd be too hard to place the roots in the substrate and leave the rhizome above. I'll probably put weights on them too, I don't want the cories uprooting everything.
 

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