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65 gallon planted tank - setup journal

27K views 121 replies 13 participants last post by  magpie 
#1 · (Edited)
Hi there,

I'm going to show the progress of my tank setup, and would LOVE any feedback from anyone. It's a 65 gallon, 3-ft long by 24 high. Substrate is Flourite mixed with what my LFS calls "mesh" which is a slightly larger grain sand as far as I can tell. I have an Eheim 2217 external canister filter.

I set up some rocks and a couple pieces of small wood yesterday, and here's what I started with.















Sorry - phone photos. The SLR will make an appearance later on. ;) The water's a bit cloudy as I was stirring things up, and there's obviously some aeration going on with the spraybar. The water level is low because I am scheduled to get 20 plants delivered today and it's easier in a tall tank to plan in lower water.

I think I might need to move or remove a few rocks as I'm not sure how the plants will all work out. I may need to do a major redesign. I'm not sure where to put the planted driftwood yet, right now it's just there because I'm not sure where it needs to go to help balance after I get more things in the tank.

I have a larger branchy piece of driftwood coming via mail also, which I plan on having spread lengthwise but also reach up into the higher levels of the tank - we'll see how it works out when it's here.

The one lighter speckled round rock in the right pile is temporary and is just holding down the small forked piece of driftwood until it wants to hang out there on it's own, probably tipped upwards a bit more.

PLEASE throw your suggestions at me - it's been a long time and I very open! Where future plants should go, if I should move things around, etc. etc.

I'm very excited!
 
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#29 · (Edited)
Thanks so much!

They are Ricefish- most sources I've read call them Daisy's Ricefish, but there's not a lot of info out there, as they are newer to the trade I guess. Scientific name is Oryzias Woworae.
Daisy's Ricefish (Oryzias woworae) - Seriously Fish

They were definitely more intensely colored in the LFS - pretty little things with blue, red, and yellow, and their eyes flash blue, too. So far, I really like them - very cute, curious little guys.

The SF profile says this:
...adults have also been observed grazing from solid surfaces, so the natural diet may also contain an algal component.
and I have already seen them poking around at the surface of some of the plants. They took tiny pieces of flake readily. Today I might try a bit of thawed frozen brine shrimp cubes for them.


I have to be careful in my feeding right now, I believe? Don't want too much waste in a new tank?

Are there any good compiled resources on feeding - what to feed and how to be certain all of your fishes needs are being met?
 
#30 ·
Instead of swimming away when I walk by, (and stare at them, which I can't help but do frequently LOL) they come toward me now. :)

Thanks for recommending the Brazilian Pennywort - now that I've snipped it up and set it up top nicely, it looks great. I'm sold on floating plants!

When should I start the root tabs for the plants?
 
#31 ·
I would go ahead and put the root tabs. Are you asking what to feed or how much? If its what I feed a variety of Omega One Flakes, Frozen bloodworms, daphnie, brine shrimp, algea wafers and an occasional veggie like squash, lettuce, or spinach. I use to feed every other day but now I feed a smaller amount everyday except Sunday.
 
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#32 ·
I guess when I have more fish I'm not sure how much to know how to feed, without overfeeding, and making sure everyone's getting some.

It was easier in a 30 gallon to see everyone and be sure all were getting food...

I have the Omega One flakes, and then some frozen cubes - brine shrimp, bloodworms, and two mixes of various things. I can get live blood and black worms and brine shrimp from time to time. I'm sure i can get the daphnia, have read about that but never fed it before. Algae wafers/pellets I'll wait for a bit. I also used to use shrimp pellets I think for kuhli loaches? They loved bloodworms too. I've never done the veggies but have read a lot on it.

Should I use cichlid flakes/pellets when I get the Rams or is that marketing do you think?

Do you do something different everyday, or just a smidge of a couple things? Or do the flakes as a staple and use the others a couple times a week to switch it out?
 
#33 · (Edited)
I give them something different each day and I use to have rams and feed them the same way and they did fine on it. I feed them enough so that they finish it within 5 minutes when its falling to the bottom and nobodys going after it then you have fed to much.
 
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#34 ·
Ok, so the same as the 30 gallon, just on a bigger scale. ;)

Wanna be sure I'm doing it all right... thanks for your patience!
 
#36 ·
Ok, the tabs say to plant every 6" - is there a certain distance they should be from the plants? Any worry of burning roots?
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#37 ·
I actually plant them about 3 inches from the bottom of each sword plant because they really need the root tabs.
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#38 ·
Thank you!

Last night's water testing:
pH 6.8 (finally got down to where I know it likes to be)
Ammonia/Nitrite/Nitrate 0/0/0
 
#39 ·
They are coloring up already! (I love my little guys.)
 
#41 ·
All tests are still 0/0/0. When would I expect any ammonia or nitrites to show? Or is it likely that it won't at all if I go slowly?

Ill put the root tabs in tonight. I'll do a partial water change when I get the driftwood. At the same time I'll clean my filter sponges of Flourite dust and replace the carbon pad with Purigen. I think the instructions said to take the carbon pad out after 2 weeks anyway.

Makes me really happy that the fish seem happy and are coloring up so quickly. And they are definitely looking for algae on the leaves, but have also gobbled up anything I give them.
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#42 ·
Tank looks amazing! I love the substrate. I also went with a mixed substrate. I already had sand so I did a 50/50 floramax. The floramax I have has a more reddish tint to it, I wish I would of went with the flourite, love the natural look to it. Great job!
 
#43 ·
Thanks so much!
 
#44 ·
OK, today was a partial water change, and I did a quick cleaning of the Eheim - SO happy I did - there was so much brown dust gunk from the Flourite. Put the Purigen in the Eheim in place of the carbon pad. Added more liquid Flourish to the tank, and the root tabs went in Tuesday night.

Fish still happy and cute and come running to the front of the tank whenever I walk by.

No driftwood yet - emailed the guy to see what was up, as the USPS tracking seems to have stalled out.

Tests still 0/0/0. Which would show first if there was a spike? Ammonia?
 
#46 ·
OK, then if I want to be lazy, can I just check for ammonia, or should I be testing for all three every day? Not that it's that hard or time consuming...
 
#47 ·
Now that I am not sure about I have always just done it all at once, but I guess you could and then once you see the ammonia start checking the others someone else may know of a reason not to do it that way but I can't think of one.
 
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#48 ·
If this is the tank shown in the photos in post #27, you will not see spikes in ammonia or nitrite, and probably won't see nitrate or if you do very low. I wouldn't waste time testing for these, I never do with new tanks that are planted. Those plants will grab any ammonia from the fish, and when the organics start building in the substrate, they will grab that ammonia too. Nitrifying bacteria don't have a chance with so many plants.:fish:
 
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#52 ·
Yep, that's the tank. I have read that before about planted tanks, however I've also read about new tanks with spikes of things that kill fish and I'm already attached to my Ricefish. ;-) Maybe I'm too much of a worrier. But better to play it safe I guess.

So now even though I don't have to worry about ammonia and nitrites, I still need to wait until the tank has "settled down" and stabilized more before adding fish like Bolivians, Pencilfish, or Kuhlis, yes? And if so, how long to be safe?

What a great bonus of planted tanks... I have always loved them but now I love them even more.

Thanks for the info as always!
 
#49 ·
Thats what I was thinking to but was afraid to say it because I was not 100% sure, I have set up tanks with lots of plants but I have also always seeded the filters so now I know.
 
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#50 ·
Yes, there will be some nitrifying bacteria, I should have been careful to not imply none previously. But they are minimal because they honestly do get out-competed by the plants for the ammonia/ammonium. I usually have wood from existing tanks that goes into a new setup, and the plants are from existing tanks so some bacteria would be on their leaves. I have never deliberately seeded a new tank; the filter media will be either new or thoroughly washed under hot tap water, and same with the substrate.
 
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#51 ·
Thanks for clearing that up for us Byron. You amaze me with your wealth of knowledge I could never remember all the stuff you know but I do feel like I am learning alot from you. ; )
 
#54 · (Edited)
Perfect, thanks. I was under the impression that you shouldn't siphon planted tanks anyway... I just did my water change from the top of the tank.

I have my lights timed for 8 hrs / day as I read that that would help keep algae down but I do expect it some. Not sure when to go to 10 and then I think 12? I would assume that also should be gradually increased as all gets more stable.

Thank you!

EDIT: What about Amano shrimps? Are they good to have in general? I've read a lot about them. Maybe I could add them now. I think if I get ones that aren't babies they'd be large enough to be left alone by the Bolivians (?)

Unfortunately many of the fish I'm interested in want a more established tank, and I don't want to get fish I don't want, just to have fish in there. It's an odd dilemma. I was going to get the gertrudae rainbows, but there weren't enough in the store, and they are growing babies out now that won't be quite ready for another week or two I guess. (Being patient, paaaaatient.... ;) )
 
#55 ·
I had rams a little while back - added some red cherry shrimp to the tank and the shrimp didn't last long. The amano shrimp, I believe are a little bigger, and maybe with their less conspicuous coloring and having more space than what was available in my setup they may stand a better chance, but I wouldn't be surprised if the rams snapped them up.


Algae shouldn't be a problem, you may have to fine tune things such as the photoperiod, but you shouldn't see a huge outbreak unless something is out of balance. I looked through the thread, but didn't see a mention or your light (maybe I missed it). I think this is the most important consideration regarding algae. High output lights will require more attention in order to maintain the balance.
 
#56 · (Edited)
I have a dual-fixture T5.

It's the 36" freshwater version of this:
http://www.aquaticlife.com/products/277#1

It has
(1) 36" 39W T5 HO 6000 K Lamp
(1) 36" 39W T5 HO 650 nm Lamp

I don't know a ton about lighting, so am open to any advice in regards to the tubes in the fixture.
 
#57 ·
I have a dual-fixture T5.

It's the 36" freshwater version of this:
Aquatic Life

It has
(1) 36" 39W T5 HO 6000 K Lamp
(1) 36" 39W T5 HO 650 nm Lamp

I don't know a ton about lighting, so am open to any advice in regards to the tubes in the fixture.
That is bright light. T5 HO is more intense than the regular T8 light, when comparing the same type and size tube. Roughly speaking, a T5 HO is 1.5 times more intense (bright) light than the same in T8.

I think you will not manage with longer duration than 8 hours, and you may have to reduce that. It all depends upon balance between nutrients and light. And carbon (CO2) is generally the nutrient in least supply, and the one we do not add via fertilizer, so the light has to be brought into balance with the CO2. There is no formula, each tank is different due to the differing biology. If this were me, I would start with 8 hours but be prepared to cut back.

And definitely have lots of floating plants. The fish mentioned do not appreciate overhead light at all, and the brighter it is, the more it will stress them. Water Sprite works great here, it can get so thick the tank will almost dim to darkness, so it is controllable.
 
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