# My setup



## Ghazanfar Ghori (Jan 27, 2004)

I figured I'd post a picture up of my crypt setup. I'll try to describe as much as I can, though its
fairly simple. This picture is from about 3 weeks ago.










I've got 4 aquariums. The two on the left are blackwater setups and the two on the right
are freshwater setups. As you can see - I'm running out of space in the freshwater setup.
Top row is 30G breeder style tanks. Bottom row is 40G breeder style tanks.
All tanks have glass lids on them covering up 100%. Some have just a tiny gap for air cirulation.
2"-2.5" of water in the setup, circulated by a small powerhead placed in the middle of the tank.
Lighting is via a 2 x T5 striplight. Initially I thought it may be too much light but I think its ok.
Temperature is around 74-76F - the heat generated from the lights is enough.
I fertilize using Miracle Grow for Acid loving plants and ADA Iron Bottom fertilizer sticks.
No real science in fertililzing - kinda just add some every few weeks - roughly 3 week - 4 week
intervals for the Miracle Grow and once every 3-4 months with 1/3rd of a fert stick.

Besides these tanks, I also have a few plastic tray w/ dome setups - the kind used for starting seeds.
Those are mainly used for plants that I have excess of and want to keep for sharing / trades.
I need to share/trade more - I'm running out of space.


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## Yoong (Nov 26, 2007)

Ghanzafar,
Impressive collection and set up you have there. There is no way I will have enough space for that setup in my apartment. The rate I am going, I think I need to set up something like yours in my parents house. 

Hopefully one day I will have good collection and can trade with you.

Current collection:
-C. Minima "Kota Damansara"
-C. Minima "Tanjong Malim"
-C. Affinis "Selangor"
-C. Griffithi "Pekan"
-C. Bullosa "Kijang"
-C. Elliptica
-C. Wendi Green
-C. Wendi Tropica
-C. Wendi Brown
-C. Wendi Mi Oya
-C. Cordata
-C. Lingua
-C. Lucen
-C. Parva
-C. Balansea

and a couple of unnamed crypts


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## Xema (Mar 24, 2004)

I love your set up... really nice... I want something like that for me 

So, do you move water in your black water set up??? ... I had problem with that.

I am planing start to enlarge my set up. I am planing some DIY vivariums no so high and more wide, to use whole area of the shelf. My shelfs have 100x50 cm, and I am planing lighting with T5 840 39w per shelf. But I am not clear about how to do the glass-dome, I am thinking to do it front-opening as Piet set up. Needing think about...


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## Ghazanfar Ghori (Jan 27, 2004)

Yes I do have a powerhead in the blackwater setup too. The only problem I have is from time to time it gets clogged up and I have to go in there and clean it out.

Xema - hopfully Jim reads this thread - I think his new setup is similar to what you're thinking about setting up.


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## DelawareJim (Nov 15, 2005)

Xema;

My set up is two shelves, approximately 127 cm wide x 60 cm deep x 127 cm high. It has polycarbonate panels for greenhouse construction for the sides and front doors. I use 2 122 cm (48 inch) 2 bulb shop lights for each shelf. This growing chamber does not maintain a high enough humidty, even with water standing in the nursery flats I use to hold the pots. I think it is too big to elevate the humidity enough and I've had to buy seed starting humidity domes for the nursery flats.

I need to build a new shelf system for my expanding collection, and I'm planning to build something exactly like Ghazanfar's setup above; 2 simple shelves to house 2 30-gallon breeder tanks approximatly 91 cm wide x 46 cm deep x 30 cm high. This will also allow me to use aquarum heaters in the water which I currently do not do. Since my basement and current setup is about 15-18'C, I need to raise the temp for my plants.

Ghazanfar - What height did you set your shelves?

Cheers.
Jim


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## Ghazanfar Ghori (Jan 27, 2004)

Jim - did you try sticking an airstone/bar into the standing water? That should help elevate the humidity fairly quickly.


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## DelawareJim (Nov 15, 2005)

Xema;

Here are a couple of pictures of my Crypt. growing chamber that I currently use. The doors were removed so you can see inside better.


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https://flic.kr/p/2247042503


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https://flic.kr/p/2247044717


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https://flic.kr/p/2247047441

Cheers.
Jim


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## Ghazanfar Ghori (Jan 27, 2004)

DelawareJim said:


> Xema;
> 
> Here are a couple of pictures of my Crypt. growing chamber that I currently use. The doors were removed so you can see inside better.
> 
> ...


Tiny plants! I cannot even see them. Comon man - post up some recent pics!


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## ts168 (Apr 13, 2004)

DelawareJim said:


> Xema;
> 
> Here are a couple of pictures of my Crypt. growing chamber that I currently use. The doors were removed so you can see inside better.
> Cheers.
> Jim


Hi Jim, That a very neat setup.


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## ts168 (Apr 13, 2004)

Hi Ghazanfar very nice setup.


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## DelawareJim (Nov 15, 2005)

Ghazanfar Ghori said:


> Tiny plants! I cannot even see them. Comon man - post up some recent pics!


Yeah, yeah, I got to get some new pics. I think that's right after I finish my article on the ECS meeting from last October. Just one more thing on my ever growing list of stuff to do.

Cheers.
Jim


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## SCMurphy (Jan 28, 2004)

Jim take your time on that article, you are just making me look good. \\/

:focus:


Having seen GG's setup, up close and personal like, I can tell you he has got the hang of it. Except for those little flies that buzz up into your face when you lift up the lids. :mrgreen:


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## Ghazanfar Ghori (Jan 27, 2004)

Hey - I like those flies. Who knows, they may pollinate one of the plants for me.


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## Xema (Mar 24, 2004)

DelawareJim said:


> Xema;
> 
> My set up is two shelves, approximately 127 cm wide x 60 cm deep x 127 cm high. It has polycarbonate panels for greenhouse construction for the sides and front doors. I use 2 122 cm (48 inch) 2 bulb shop lights for each shelf. This growing chamber does not maintain a high enough humidty, even with water standing in the nursery flats I use to hold the pots. I think it is too big to elevate the humidity enough and I've had to buy seed starting humidity domes for the nursery flats.
> 
> ...


Jim,

I am going more in the way to improve my set up. I am calling to the glassware to get the material for making my new larger and wider glass-dome this weekend.










The picture above shows my set up a year ago, basically now is the same. My plan is building a new glass-dome -wider and larger- where I will placed my neutral plants -the upper tank-, in the old tank of the neutral plants, I will placed the back water ones. 
I have large experience making glassworks -I built my whole shrimp room-, but I am doubting if make it front-opened (as a terrarium) or up-opened (as an aquarium)...

I will let you know in the following days....


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## DelawareJim (Nov 15, 2005)

Xema;

From what I remember of Piets setup with the front opening sliding doors, you could only open about 1/2 of the front at a time. Also because of the need for the tracks for the sliding doors, you also need to have a top piece on the front to attach the tracks to which with the bottom piece really limits working space in the front. I'd be afraid of damaging plants taking them out and putting them in. What I really liked about Piets setup was how he has each tank drain into the next one down and an Eheim filter taking water from the bottom tank and returning it to the top tank.

At one point I was thinking about a setup like an Exo-Terra tank and replacing the screen with glass.
http://www.exo-terra.com/es/products/glass_terrarium.php
Unfortunately I don't have the glass cutting tools or materials to do it myself and buying an Exo-Terra or having someone custom make tanks for me was too expensive.

I've given this a lot of thought for myself and my plant expansion and I think I will use standard aquariums with glass tops that I can completely remove. It gives more working space if nothing else. I don't know how you are fertilising your plants, but occasionally I use Miracle Gro liquid and I found it hard to get a small watering can in and out of a front opening tank without banging into plants and pots and knocking things over.

If you decide to go with a front opening though, you can get the glass track material from a kitchen and bath store or home improvement store for reparing medicine chests.

I like your shrimp setup by the way. I've seen it before at Shrimp Now if I remember.

Cheers.
Jim


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## Khamul1of9 (Oct 25, 2005)

Hi Ghazanfar Ghori,

I have pretty much the same setup, but I never thought to fertilize artificially. I thought the clay and the leaf mold mix I used as substrate would be enough for a good year???? 
I also have a healthy snail population to fertilize the water weakly daily. And I put in a_ Betta splendins _last week, seems to really enjoy it there.


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