lpiasente Posted January 5, 2009 Report Share Posted January 5, 2009 I have had a 4x2x4 tank sitting on my lounge floor for about 3-4 months waiting for a very busy husband to make me a stand. He finished it on Sunday. I added gravel, driftwood and rocks last night and was waiting until this morning to add the plants. I woke up very excited to do a little gardening and all the driftwood was floating. I forgot to soak it. I have not really planned the layout but as it is for my beautiful discus I have set it up suitable for them. I will add some pics on the weekend when I have added the fish. Im so excited I just can't hide it I'm about to lose control and I think I like it Oh Yeah :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jess Posted January 6, 2009 Report Share Posted January 6, 2009 Great singing... Woooo! You can tie the driftwood down, with a brick. I have one 4ft piece that is half buried under the sand and another piece that is tied down to the 4ft piece with black cable ties. It has been months!, but slowly getting there. Here is something that might give you ideas for a set up Aquarium Design Group ,they have wonderful galleries to draw inspiration from. Would love to to see the progress of this tank :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghengis Posted January 6, 2009 Report Share Posted January 6, 2009 PICS, or... Hope that wasn't a link to another Forum, fae... Tsk, tsk, you'll get in trouble! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lpiasente Posted January 6, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 6, 2009 Oh My God, they are amazing. Mine wont look anything like that. I do want to make it more about the fish than the plant though and some of those simple ones are totally classy. Thanks sooooooooo much for the link. That has given me food for thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lpiasente Posted January 6, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 6, 2009 I've already decided to get rid of the big chunk of driftwood and use the two long pieces and the large rock. Currently loving the dwarf rush and i'll try and tie the driftwood down and start planting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jess Posted January 6, 2009 Report Share Posted January 6, 2009 Cool! Those Crypts are huge!!! It is going to look awesome Yeah, I love that site, gives you plenty of ideas. I would substitute the harder plants for something more easy going. Their outlines for aquascaping is a good start. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lpiasente Posted January 6, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 6, 2009 Thanks to Jess' inspiration from that website, i'm going with river pebbles which have just come for free from the local garden supplies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lpiasente Posted January 6, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 6, 2009 Basic planting completed. I will add the filter tonight so I can clear up the water and see what it really looks like. Then I will need some help with the final lay out if y'all don't mind. I will be looking to put fishies in on Saturday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuckie Posted January 6, 2009 Report Share Posted January 6, 2009 Hey, that's looking good! Really clean and understated. I can't wait til it clears up. Hope that wasn't a link to another Forum, fae... Tsk, tsk, you'll get in trouble! Firstly, faewyn is one of the admins, so she kind of wrote the rules. Secondly - the rule re linking to other forums was amended last week, please check the Rule of the Day thread. (thirdly, it's not a link to forum) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lpiasente Posted January 6, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 6, 2009 This is the right side of the tank. Do you think I should replace the swords up the back with some bigger rush or do you think the swords give it some softness? I planted out the other side with crypts and anubius just to see the difference and i do like the rocks and rush better. It looks nice and neat and the benifits of not having to worry so much about the plants. I will have to try and get another nice bit of rock like this one but smaller for the left hand side and will continue on with the dwarf rush. I might also add some white pool filter sand in the open part in the front. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jess Posted January 6, 2009 Report Share Posted January 6, 2009 Those swords will grow huge and bushy if happy and you can also group them together for a bushier effect. Hopefully they'll lean forward a bit. I LOVE how the driftwood bows over like that too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuckie Posted January 6, 2009 Report Share Posted January 6, 2009 It's going to look great. Can I suggest even some cardboard for the back of the tank, so you can't see those cords running down the back? They distract from the general impression a bit, which would be a shame! Are you leaving it bare in the middle? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lpiasente Posted January 7, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2009 Those cords aren't staying. I have 4 small heaters and partime filter in there cleaning the water and I will remove it all tomorrow when I can take everything out of my existing tank. I will tape the cords to the sides of the tanks so you can't see them. I may add some pool filter sand but for now it will remain bare. I have some young discus that need feeding 6 times a day and to be able to keep it all clean it is best to stay bb. The discus are in a complete bb tank at the moment. When they are bigger I will fill it in. I am used to the bareness from looking at the other tank. Did you have a suggestion? I'm up for them. Those swords will grow huge and bushy if happy and you can also group them together for a bushier effect. Hopefully they'll lean forward a bit. I LOVE how the driftwood bows over like that too. I can plant them so they lean forward. I wondered if they will fan out more when they settle in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuckie Posted January 7, 2009 Report Share Posted January 7, 2009 No suggestion, I was just wondering if it was officially a (quasi) bare bottom tank, or if you were going to add substrate later. I can't wait til it clears up, it will look really good! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bettarazzi Posted January 7, 2009 Report Share Posted January 7, 2009 I think that side is looking good. More piccies!! :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lpiasente Posted January 7, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2009 Thanks. I will add some more pics tomorrow when it has cleared. I can't finish the other side yet as I have to go to Melbourne to get the rush and find another piece of rock. I will add the fishies tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lpiasente Posted January 7, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2009 Full shot (obviously) I could add this driftwood off centre to the left. I did take a pic of the ugly side it is quite an interesting piece from the other side. It houses my lovely knife fish. It could be a bit big???? Should I give it a go or do you think it will be too clunky? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lpiasente Posted January 7, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2009 Jess I forgot to say I looooooooove you blue diamond. How many discus have you got? And what r they? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jess Posted January 7, 2009 Report Share Posted January 7, 2009 I think it is too chunky (only me though!) The way you have it now is perfect. Some higher plants on the right side at the back would be great.. and the other will grow too. That leaves a nice open space for the discus to swim in. You can leave the middle bare if you want for now as it still looks good, how big are the discus? And depending which way the filter is installed, you could try to angle it so the mess ends up in the middle so it is easy to get to and easy for the discus to find the food, opposed to drifting behind some plants up the back or side. I just started planting my 5ft as I grew my discus for 6-7 months BB. They are fairly messy, I use pool filter sand, easy to siphon the leftovers and poop from the bottom. I feed my swords root tabs and DIY CO2. I have 5 Discus, one is a runty and has eyesight problems , not sure if he will keep thriving.. will see how he goes. 3 are Blue diamonds, nothing flash. The other 2 are from Phil, one is sort of a Marlboro Red and the other is sort of a Red turquoise mixed with something else, not sure on what it is crossed with, but she is metallic and sometimes is pink/purple. I think Phil said they came in as Pastel Metallics. My mixed lollies I call them.. I am by no means a Discus fanatic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lpiasente Posted January 7, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2009 Funny I call mine a bag of mixed lollies as well. I do have some nice ones but I usually get the ones from the chuck out tank that are small, skinny or not eating right and bring them home and fatten them up. I will leave the tank how it is, thanks. I have one large fish and the rest are about 6 months old. I can't add the fish yet, that bit of driftwood at the back is from the beach. I have had it drying out on the shed roof for about 4 months but it is leeching salt into the tank and causing the ph to rise. I will be doing lots of water changes for a while before the fish go in. Gotta get it right. Look forward to seeing your set up. ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuckie Posted January 7, 2009 Report Share Posted January 7, 2009 are you sure it's not one of the rocks causing the pH to rise? There is one in there that looks like it is sandstone or similar that might be leaching carbonates or similar into the water (the large ragged one on the left) It's a gorgeous rock! I love how it's looking now it's clearing up ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lpiasente Posted January 7, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2009 No the large one is from my brother and has been used in aquariums for the last 20 years. The river rock was in my cichlid tank for about a year so I guess they will have absorbed some of the salts as well. I have emptied it this morning and doing a refill now so I see how it goes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lpiasente Posted January 9, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 9, 2009 I soaked another bit of wood in a tub overnight and the ph went up as well so I guess it is the driftwood. The ph wasn't so high in the tank this morning so I emptied half and topped it up again. Bit of a pain really. :P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jess Posted January 9, 2009 Report Share Posted January 9, 2009 At least it has some buffering capacity It will come down eventually as the water absorbs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lpiasente Posted January 9, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 9, 2009 I got too impatient and took it out to soak it in the bath. I am putting it all together with filters and adding the fish tonight. I can add the wood back in later. I will post pics later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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