# My 55G Setup - First Planted Tank (Pics, 56k beware)



## Corigan (Mar 15, 2004)

I thought I might as well post this up here. My tank is still in a setup period and this is my first planted tank. This tank is about 40 days old when these pics were taken a few days ago. I'm a little embarssed by it, as it has no background, it isn't completed, and I have some bags over the filters to try to save my jellybean tetras. I had just added in the ludwigia, tropic sunset, Dwarf Sag, Red Tiger Lotus, corkscrew vals, cofee anubias ,and the Moss Balls. I want to add some more equipment to it. Here are some specs of the aquarium:

55G
Eheim 2213 w/ Surface Extractor
Topfin 60 OTB filter turned down to lowest setting
2 200w Heaters for redundancy
Powerhead 802
Substrate is Flourite/Laterite/and some small gravel, and large stones just for top look. 
2 Hagen Systems on it (3rd on the way)
2x65w 48" coralife aqualight fixture 6700k bulbs
2x15w 24" 6700k bulbs 

I want to remove the OTB and add an Eheim 2215 to work with the 2213 so I can have the spraybars underneath at both ends of the tank and remove the excess surface movement from the OTB to help with my Co2. I also would put the Surface extractor on the 2215. I will eventually get a ph monitor/or controller as I am looking to go pressurized co2 in the near future.

Plants in the Tank:

Cabomba
Bacopa
Pennywort
Anarachis
Ludwigia Repens
Fishtail Fern
Anubias Nana
Coffee Anubias
Dwarf Sag
Red Tiger Lotus
Tropic Sunset Hygro
Wysteria
Amazon Swords
Red Rubin Sword
Moss Balls
Corkscrew Vals

I still want to add in some more foreground plants, trying to get some glosso for the right side, also going to rip out alot of the stems and replace with alot cooler plants now that the tank is a little more established. I am developing some green hair algae on the driftwood. I really have nothing that will eat it, so I'm hoping now that I've turned down the levels of my surface movement on the OTB and add another Co2 my Co2 levels will be better and the plants will outgrow the Algae. My PH is a little high at the moment (7.4) because I have to buffer my water with epsom salts and baking soda. My water is super soft, about 1 GH and 2 KH out of the tap. I have it sitting at about 4 KH and 5 GH right now, phosphate 1.0 nitrate 10.0 and I am dosing potassium and TMG through an eheim liquidoser on a daily basis. I am dosing a tad bit under the weekly recommended dosing on both in a mixture in the liquiddoser. Phosphates are added manually via fleet enema. I am using flourish tabs as well as jobes sticks to fertilize the substrate/root feeding plants. I also add the baking soda/epsom salts when doing water changes to buffer. The co2 at this moment hasn't been driving down the PH (caused by the baking soda) due to too little co2 being injected or too much surface movement, or both. I am hoping adding another hagen and cutting back on surface movement will help. Onto the fish:

7 Jellybean Tetras (These are why I have those stupid bags on the surface extractor and powerhead. 2 perished, as well as a female dwarf african frog, in my powerhead . So I'm trying to keep these small tetras alive till they get bigger. They are growing immensly.)
6 Redfin African Barbs
5 Ottos
2 Brochis Green Hump Cory's
2 Black Skirt Tetras
3 Gold Skirt Tetras
1 Candy Stripe Goby
5 African Glass Catfish (eutropeilius debawi)'s
and a Pair of Pelvicachromis taeniatus "Moliwe"

I'm hoping to add a few loaches (either yo-yo or zebra to combat snails, as I have many.. . I also hope to add one more school of some kind of fish, maybe white clouds or rainbow tetras or something.

So this is still in building stages by far, but any suggestions, comments, etc. would be greatly appreciated. If you have any questions about the fish (as some of these are extremely unusual as I am having problems locating much information on jellybean tetras, nor redfin african barbs) or plants please let me know and I will try to tell you as much as I can about them. I also have pictures of all the fish if anybody is interested in seeing any pictures of any of them. 

Matt


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## Sir_BlackhOle (Jan 25, 2004)

I like your tank! All the plants look very healthy too! Lets see some fish pics also please.


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## tsunami (Jan 24, 2004)

Since you posted this in the aquascaping forum, are you interested in obtaining some aquascaping tips/suggestions? A full shot view of the aquarium would be very helpful.

Carlos


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## Corigan (Mar 15, 2004)

Sure Thing SirBlackhole, here are some pics of my redfin african barbs, jellybean tetras, and moliwe's. 

Tsunami: I would definately like to have some aquascaping advice. Since I'm at the point now where I can start ripping out some of these stem plants and making things more orderly. I didn't realize though that this was the wrong forum to be posting this up in. If it is please move this to the proper forum as I have just made a mistake. I would very much so like any suggestions though that anybody could provide as I am still trying to learn the ropes. I was finding it hard to get all of my tank in one picture and still make it half way visible as to what you are looking at. Please let me know if this one is ok or if I should delete it and try to get something better done.

Matt


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## Corigan (Mar 15, 2004)

Here's the full aquarium.


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