my 55gal. planted

[SLO-Dean]

here it is up and running........

Filtration: Hagen Powerhead 301 w/filter attachment
and 3 litre DIY CO2 tube feeding into Powerhead

Lighting: 48" 40w fixture that came with tank (set in back on 4hours/day) + 2 more 48" 40w attached to canopy lid 1 bulb is a PowerGlo 18,000K other is Full spectrum (both on 12 hrs/day)

Substrate:
2 (15.4lbs or 7kg)Bags Black Onyx Sand, 1 (15.4lbs)Bag Flourite and 50+lbs gravel mixed with some Laterite
All layered with Onyx on the bottom, then Flourite then Gravel

Decor: Rootwood and Rock from lfs

Fish:
15 Neon Tetras
8 Glo-Lite Tetras
6 Harlequin Rasboras
1 Candy Tetra (or Painted Tetra)
6 Zebra Danios
2 Gold Gouramis (small)
2 Blue Dwarf Gouramis
2 Yo-Yo Loaches
2 Siamese Algae Eaters
1 Julii Cory
1 Spotted Cory
Several Ghost Shrimp

Plants:
Water Sprite (Ceratopteris thalictroides)
Java Fern (Microsorium pteropus) on wood
Red Marble Val (Vallisneria gigantea “Red”)
Dwarf chain broad leaf (Echinodorus quadricostatus)Dwarf chain narrow leaf (Echinodorus tenellus)
Ozelot Sword (Echinodorus “Ozelot”)
Ciliata (Cryptocoryne ciliata)
Dwarf Chain broad leaf (Echinodorus quadricostatus)
Giant Hygrophila (Nomaphila siamensis)
Jungle Val (Vallisneria americana)
Java Fern (Microsorium pteropus)
Subulata Sag ( Sagittaria subulata )
Amazon Small (Echinodorus bleheri)
Wendtii-Red (Cryptocoryne wendtii)
Petchii (Cryptocoryne petchii)
Lilaeopsis- portions (Lilaeopsis novaezelandiae)
(plants came from aquaticplantdepot.com)

 

[SLO-Dean]

picture with flash

this taken with a flash.......

 

[shakedown]

PHAT!

Dude, I have one thing to say, PHAT! I just got a 55 gallon tank about a month ago and you have insipred me! Keep me posted on how everything is going and any changes/additions to that tank! By the way, BEAUTIFUL stand and canopy.

shakedown

 

[AmazonTankz]

Wow that is a really beutiful tank. I have 55g planted that I am still working on rightnow. I hope it looks as great as yours when I'm done! Nice Job!!

 

[jaws2]

i love the shrub like plant in the front what is that

 

[SLO-Dean]

Thanks for the nice comments.
The stand came with the tank, I bought the canopy and stained and polyurethaned to match.

The 2 plants in the front are Lilaeopsis- (Lilaeopsis novaezelandiae) or Microswords

Tank has been running for about 2-1/2 weeks

 

[NJ Devils Fan]

NICE!!, great tank. Just wanted to say though, the power glow bulb is not 18,000K, it is 6700K. An Aqua Glow bulb is 18,000K. I know you have the Power glow 6700K because if it was the aqua glow, the tank would look a lot bluer.

 

[Cyberfish]

you sure? I have an aqua-glo package right in front of me, and it states that both the aqua-glo and power-glos are 18,000K. And I thought the power-glo gave off a blueish tinge since it was meant for marine tanks. I use an aqua-glo in my 20 and it doesn't make the tank bluish, just brightens the colours of the fish.

Tank is looking good, just needs time to grow in

 

[silversp0rt]

hey what plant is that in the very front. the two bushy like plants. i dont know what those r called. i see them all the time

 

[bobrob]

The arrangement of everything is so nice to look at.

 

[SLO-Dean]

Again, The 2 plants in the front are Lilaeopsis- (Lilaeopsis novaezelandiae) or Microswords
they look bushy, but are actually lots of tiny swords, they clump
---------------------------------------

I took the bulb info right off the package...It is 18,000K
so there... ;-P
it might look bluer if that was the only bulb but, I have 2 other full spectrum bulbs.

 

[silversp0rt]

do the microswords grow quickly?

 

[steve535]

very nice set up.post some pics in about 6 mts when everything fills in .

 

[SLO-Dean]

the Microswords grow pretty fast, not nearly as fast as some of the other plants, but they are growing.

However, the loaches are always chasing around them and they do get eaten and uprooted by some of the fish.

I find pieces of the microswords floating at the top all the time.

 

[silversp0rt]

do all swords grow bigger than that? my swords are short, but eventually do they grow pretty large?

 

[mann]

Bigger. I'll try and post a pic of a decent sized sword in a couple of days.

 

[silversp0rt]

do they ever stop growing? seems like my swords never grow or maybe they grow slowly? will co2 help alot?

 

[SLO-Dean]

yes Plants needs co2 like we need oxygen...(and fish need oxygen)

 

[c_paan]

will oscars uproot plants or eat them? Would it be alright to have plants with oscars?