# New 150 Gal. 1st planted tank



## giddetm (Apr 30, 2011)

This is kind of my 1st planted tank,I started all the plants in a 10 gal. to see if I could get them to grow before I set up the big tank. I did not get pics of the tank empty or as I was setting it up(rookie mistake) So I will start here, the tank is 48"x24"x30" tall 150 gal. It has 40# of Flourite,40# of Floramix,60# of Eco complete, and 120#of black sand. The Manzita wood I got from PC1 and got a great deal. Some of the plants I got from jrman83,some from Aquabid,and some from LFS. So far for filtration I have a Fluval FX-5. Lighting is the 2- 40 watt strip light that came with the tank and I put plant bulbs in it,and 260 watts of 6500K-PC. This is a pic of the 10 gal. I started with,it looks really bare now it was packed with plants.

Here is a fulltank shot

Left end 

Right side

Left side front

Telanthera

Riccia

front view

This is what I am trying to resemble, I think it may be close with more plants and growth.

This tank will be 2 weeks old Aug 5th I have 20 Dalmation Mollies, 12 otos, 4-2" plecos, 6 Ghost shrimp,and 2 Mystery snails. I am trying the Silent cycle and it seems to be going well so far.*c/p*


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Nice looking tank! Like the wood placement. Tank just doesn't look that big from the pics. 150g is a nice size? No CO2 plans? I'm sure the cloudiness will clear up before too long. Staurogyne repens would look great as a carpeting plant in that tank or about 100 or so blyxa. Just a thought.


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## giddetm (Apr 30, 2011)

jrman83 said:


> Nice looking tank! Like the wood placement. Tank just doesn't look that big from the pics. 150g is a nice size? No CO2 plans? I'm sure the cloudiness will clear up before too long. Staurogyne repens would look great as a carpeting plant in that tank or about 100 or so blyxa. Just a thought.


Thanks Ben,I like the taller 150 over the long because it looks more like a picture and does not take up the space of a couch. After the substrate and the wood it took 110 Gal. RO water to fill. I had DIY CO2 on the 10 gal. but from what I read DIY will do no good on a tank this big. I have contacted the guy at Green Leaf Aquariums about a pressurized system. The cloudiness took about 3 weeks to clear on the 10 gal. I have some Hygro Bold,Sunset Bold,and blyxa coming.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Orlando will set you up right at GLA. I have one of their regulators that has a dual manifold and putting CO2 out at both ends of one of my 125g tanks for more even dispersement. Ordering same type of setup soon for my other 125. They do quality work on their regulators. Only thing I have ever heard negative was about a solenoid, but most can fail within 3-4yrs anyway. If it were me, I wouldn't worry about getting a ph controller controlled system. Just run your CO2 when your lights are on and make it simple. I had 2 ph controllers and sold them both. Your choice though. Good and bad about both ways.

I would caution about putting so much RO water in your tank. Tap water has the calcium/magnesium that your fish need and it will also have some carbonate hardness. The carbonate hardness (kh) is what helps to keep your ph stable and safe. Some RO water will completely strip the kh and gh. Okay to do that if you are putting some back. I would recommend doing just 50% RO.


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## singlee118 (Aug 2, 2011)

Is it saltwater or fresh water,it looks not great...


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## singlee118 (Aug 2, 2011)

The water is not clear.May be you can choose blue light LED bars.


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## giddetm (Apr 30, 2011)

singlee118 said:


> Is it saltwater or fresh water,it looks not great...


It is nfreshwater.

I am not sure why the water is cloudy,the 10 gal. goes threw the same thing. I tested the water today with the API master kit PH-7.6 High range PH-7.4(KIND OF ODD) Ammonia-0.25ppm Nitrite-0ppm Nitrate-5.0ppm*c/p*


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## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

giddetm said:


> It is nfreshwater.
> 
> I am not sure why the water is cloudy,the 10 gal. goes threw the same thing. I tested the water today with the API master kit PH-7.6 High range PH-7.4(KIND OF ODD) Ammonia-0.25ppm Nitrite-0ppm Nitrate-5.0ppm*c/p*


fairly normal parameters. PH will rise to high levels (8.4-8.8 api high range ) in my unfiltered uncirculated planted tanks. The plants consuming the carbon dioxide cause those levels. the ammonia is the lowest of the test kit and I sometimes to measure that for a day on a new tank.

cloudiness will go away by killing the lights for a few days and stop adding food. If it is a new tank with fish you may want to not feed for a few days to a week as the things get settled down anyway.

After the water has cleared then resume with less duration lighting and feeding. The tank should stay clear ofter that.

my .02


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## giddetm (Apr 30, 2011)

Added some new plants today from member Z400. Blyxa Japonica,Hygro Bold, and Hygro Sunset. The 2 Hygros had all the leaves broken off,will these plants grow again? They had new roots growing out of several places up the stem so I cut the stem off at an angle right below the new roots and planted them. I think they will take off again but I am not sure.


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

Hard to say.The leaves are how they respire,or so I have been told.You can try them out and see.

Nice looking tank,BTW.


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## giddetm (Apr 30, 2011)

I talked to the guy I got them from and he says they will,I hope so I really like the pattern on the leaves. If they do come back I will post some pics.


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## Rob72 (Apr 2, 2011)

very nicely done, great job, I like the driftwood and rock layout


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## giddetm (Apr 30, 2011)

Rob72 said:


> very nicely done, great job, I like the driftwood and rock layout


Thanks I am trying to make it look similar to the last picture,we will see when the plants fill in.


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## singlee118 (Aug 2, 2011)

giddetm said:


> Thanks I am trying to make it look similar to the last picture,we will see when the plants fill in.


Well,I am looking forward to your great work.:animated_fish_swimm


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## Brenda (Apr 17, 2011)

Looks great


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## giddetm (Apr 30, 2011)

It has been about 3 weeks since I set up this tank so here are some new pics. The cloudiness has cleared up and I am gradually adding fish.I ordered some micro/macro dry fert and some iron from Aquarium fertilizer and it should be here in a couple of days. Right now I am trying to decide on what plant or plants to put across the back of the tank,it is 30" tall so I plenty of room for tall growing plants. I would like to get some ideas from everyone on here so fire away.*c/p*


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## Pigeonfish (Jun 23, 2011)

Can't believe that's your first planted tank...

Really amazing... Great work.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

You could get some more Balansae and fill up one small area. Ammannia Gracillis, or Ammannia Senegalensis would look good back there - very tall growing plants.


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## giddetm (Apr 30, 2011)

Pigeonfish said:


> Can't believe that's your first planted tank...
> 
> Really amazing... Great work.


Thanks,Going well so far I think start alot of the plants in my 10 gal. first really helped. They have been growing for about 4 months then I pulled them and divided and moved them to the big tank.


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## giddetm (Apr 30, 2011)

beaslbob said:


> cloudiness will go away by killing the lights for a few days and stop adding food. If it is a new tank with fish you may want to not feed for a few days to a week as the things get settled down anyway.
> 
> After the water has cleared then resume with less duration lighting and feeding. The tank should stay clear ofter that.my .02



Thanks for the info I followed your advice and the water is clear.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Want to see those plants really go....fire up some CO2 on them and sit back and watch


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## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

giddetm said:


> Thanks for the info I followed your advice and the water is clear.


thanks for feed back


Wow you mean it worked? *r2

FWIW I waited too long on my 55g and am now in my third week of black out. *old dude

How are fish doing and have you been measuring things?

Tank looks great. congrates.


my .02


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## giddetm (Apr 30, 2011)

beaslbob said:


> thanks for feed back
> 
> 
> Wow you mean it worked? *r2
> ...


I kept the lights off for 3 days and the 4th day the water stated clearing. atahe 6th day I started putting the lights on for 2 hrs,the 8th day I added a couple of hrs.,then every day after that I added an hour a day until I was back at a 10 hr photo period. The fish are doing well and the plants are growing. I have noty tested the water,I will do some tests this weekend and do a water change and probably start the new macro mix fert I got from Aquariumfertilizer.com and I am saving up for a CO2 system from Green leaf so more pics to come. I just hope this tank does not turn out like all of my reef tanks,they look great for a year or so then somthing happens and the whole thing goes down from there.


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## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

giddetm said:


> I kept the lights off for 3 days and the 4th day the water stated clearing. atahe 6th day I started putting the lights on for 2 hrs,the 8th day I added a couple of hrs.,then every day after that I added an hour a day until I was back at a 10 hr photo period. The fish are doing well and the plants are growing. I have noty tested the water,I will do some tests this weekend and do a water change and probably start the new macro mix fert I got from Aquariumfertilizer.com and I am saving up for a CO2 system from Green leaf so more pics to come. I just hope this tank does not turn out like all of my reef tanks,they look great for a year or so then somthing happens and the whole thing goes down from there.


I don't use any fretz or co2.

I have used ferris gluconate from the drug store to dose iron. Just dissolved a capsule in an old soda bottle and add a capful each week.

I personally think Reef tanks only last a year or so because of cyano (red slime) and the lack of plant life. With cyano of kill the lights as well so the cyano dies off and returns nutrients to the corals. Tanks with macro algae (or even truf algae) refugiums seem to last longer. Plus the need for sps type corals and other things for calcium/alk/magnesium.

But I think if you keep it balanced out things will be fine.

Of course I don't do water changes as well. *old dude

my .02


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## giddetm (Apr 30, 2011)

beaslbob said:


> I don't use any fretz or co2.
> 
> I have used ferris gluconate from the drug store to dose iron.
> 
> ...



I got the package of stuff today the Ferrous Gluconate is a big bag of powder(looks like a kilo of heroin) and it says mix 8.5 Tblsp to 1 liter water and add 5 ml. to every 50 gal. for .10ppm This bag will probably last a couple of years.

How do you keep things balanced with no water changes?*c/p*
How do you know if you need iron and how much/often you need it?


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## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

giddetm said:


> I got the package of stuff today the Ferrous Gluconate is a big bag of powder(looks like a kilo of heroin) and it says mix 8.5 Tblsp to 1 liter water and add 5 ml. to every 50 gal. for .10ppm This bag will probably last a couple of years.
> 
> How do you keep things balanced with no water changes?*c/p*


Actually I don't-----the plants do *old dude

Besides water changes will limit but no prevent changes. What happens the tanks builds up to the point where the total change between water changes is removed by the water change. So say 7ppm nitrates build up between 10% water changes. The tank builds up to 70 just before the water change down to 63 after the change and up to 70 before the next change. 1/5 5 times, 1/3 three times and so on.


> How do you know if you need iron and how much/often you need it?


Your guess is as good as any. I have heard plant leaves show some signs like holes or brown spots. Also the iron favors plants of algae especially the black fuzzy stuff. But I went for decades before I used any iron.
I actually started iron dosing fot the macro algaes in my reef tank. So it seemed like a good thing for my planted. Didn't seem to hurt either.


my .02


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Just do a little reading on the plants you'll have to see if they may need or like a lot of iron.


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