# Could not resist



## easty1 (Nov 9, 2008)

Thursday night was sale night at my local petzco outlet and and not wanting to buy any thing in particular but just to have a sticky beak i went along . 
Anyway to cut the story short they had a Aquaone Eurostyle 120 bay tank with built in lighting + cabinet + 1500 lph canister + 300wt heater reduced from $1400aus to $759aus with a further reduction of 20% total cost $597aus for that night only . After a quick word with her in doors (love her) the old credit card took a battering and I now own 1200x480x600 aquarium package and the old aquarone 980 is being replaced in the office







Now the one condition that the tank swap was agreed to was that it had to be done in a week end so that come monday the office would be a office and not a tank demolition yard. So with the help of my oldest son we made a start early saturday morning. Its now sunday after noon and its just about in and finished (apart from all the fun bits like getting the aquascaping right and stocking with fish )








the above photo was saturday afternoon after the 980 had been decomitioned and the new set up was in place The light fitting in the picture is not the one that came with the tanks I've dispensed with that and refitted the existing unit I used with the 980







late saturday afternoon substrate in and filling
by this time the old tank had been cleaned Thanks to the lad and put in the garage ready to be sold on Ebay
I decided to use the existing canister filter from the 980 (1500 lph)as it was plenty big enough and allready matured and i used the original substrate lightly washed with tank water and a fresh layer of fine gravel on top. I was suprised how clear the water was when I refilled it. The 980 had a heap of plants in itand as I had no spare tanks to put them in they are roughly put into the new set up untill I can catch my breath and decide how I like the new set up to look





































After one week the plants seem to have survived the change over
























Sorry about the quality of photos new camera and still getting used to it
Easty 1 from oz


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Mar 7, 2008)

Hi easty1,

Nice tank! I really like your use of different plant textures and the accent "reds". You did a very nice job!


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## easty1 (Nov 9, 2008)

Thanks Roy as you would know if you have read my post on the 980 I favor the Dutch /jungle look ie: densely planted out tanks with low fish stocks and I'm hoping this tank is going in that direction although theres a lot more growing to do I'm fairly happy with the results so far. More photos
























If theres any interested members I will up date the tanks progress as it develops

Easty1 from oz


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## Tobias (Apr 8, 2007)

Nice tank and beautiful arrangement.


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Mar 7, 2008)

Hi easty1,

Although it seems that I am in the minority at times, I too prefer the "Dutch" lush jungle/forest look. I can appreciate the minimalist look of the "Iwagumi" layouts, especially the visual impact of hardscape material in those designs. The "Dutch" designs seem to use more use of contrasting plant leaf textures and colors and has more visual variety which I enjoy. Please keep us updated, subscribed!


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

Looking so nice. Glad you got such a deal. Way to go!


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## eco-mod (Oct 19, 2007)

Looks great! I'm really impressed with the whole setup! Keep us updated with how it continues!


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## BryceM (Nov 6, 2005)

Nice find. It's just like a kid with a new toy isn't it.


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## easty1 (Nov 9, 2008)

BryceM said:


> Nice find. It's just like a kid with a new toy isn't it.


and we all like our new toys dont we .I just love the start of a new set up with all its successes and dissapointments ,the battles with different types of algae and the rewards of seeing plants thrive and reproduce and the satisfaction of a job done to the best of ones ability when at last you achieve the scape you were hoping for if not the scape you dreamed of. My better half (love her) says its like watching a kid let loose in a toy shop when I start a new project.Me I just like the planning ,researching ,collecting all the parts and putting it together and with luck creating a living piece of art

easty1 from oz


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## Steven_Chong (Mar 17, 2005)

I don't get how "jungle" and "dutch" can be put into the same category. Dutch is after all, the most disciplined and rigid style of aquascaping. 

When I think of "jungle" I think of those who keep tanks with just lots of plants growing wildly, like one of those collectoritis tanks or ones just letting plants go crazy in any case. That seems to be the exact opposite of a dutch flower-garden style layout.


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## easty1 (Nov 9, 2008)

Steven_Chong said:


> I don't get how "jungle" and "dutch" can be put into the same category. Dutch is after all, the most disciplined and rigid style of aquascaping.
> 
> When I think of "jungle" I think of those who keep tanks with just lots of plants growing wildly, like one of those collectoritis tanks or ones just letting plants go crazy in any case. That seems to be the exact opposite of a dutch flower-garden style layout.


Of course you are perfectly right in what you say steven but what I was trying to convey is I like the dutch feel (lots of lush growth)but not the rigidness of a true dutch aquascape which I fear would take more time than I can spare ,I have lots of time commitments, Family,work,fish house in which I breed discus and angels and a classic motorcycle to keep in running order but I still like to have a display tank that give that lush Dutch feel be it a little less structured. I tend to take a elements from all the styles of aquascaping and marry them up into a scape that reflects how I feel a tank should look and pleases me I never was one to stay within rigid rules set by others I like to step out of the square its so much more fun


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## BryceM (Nov 6, 2005)

easty1 said:


> I tend to take a elements from all the styles of aquascaping and marry them up into a scape that reflects how I feel a tank should look and pleases me I never was one to stay within rigid rules set by others I like to step out of the square its so much more fun


This, IMO, is by far the BEST form of aquascaping.


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## intothenew (Aug 1, 2008)

The "rules" should be used to keep you out of the ditch so to speak. We do need to maintain a sustainable eco-system, which from this read you seem to be well aware of. 

As for the artistic side, what rules? I'm with ya, dance to your own beat.

But;

Never a tank yet have I met that there was not something I could learn.



Thanks for sharing, I'm looking forward to the progress reports.


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## NowMed (Feb 10, 2009)

Sweet!


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## easty1 (Nov 9, 2008)

Thanks for your imput guys I will up date in a few weeks .At the moment I've got a bit of snail problem but I dont want to put a loach in the tank as they are a pain to catch when you want them out so I'm making up a snail trap to catch them in the hope that I can eradicate them before it becomes a real problem


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## Peter16 (Jan 12, 2009)

easty1 said:


> I'm making up a snail trap to catch them in the hope that I can eradicate them before it becomes a real problem


Are you using the strawberry punet idea?


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## Bert H (Mar 2, 2004)

Nicely done, and imo, in near record time. :thumbsup:


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## easty1 (Nov 9, 2008)

Its been three weeks today that the tank was changed over and apart from a bit of hair algae its looking great the stem plants are growing madly and after a bit of a set back the blyxa japonica is greening up and doing well ,I've opened the center up by removing some japonica and planting some low growing crypts and tonina belem in their place 
















I've got a shoal of about 50 neons ,I always buy more than i need because I usually lose about 10% to 20% of the small neons in the first few days but not this time all the little bu##ers survived
15 rummy nosed tets
6 panda corries
4 similis corries
4 julii corries
4 otos
30 cherry red shrimps

The neons tend not to shoal (to many of them)but the rummies stay in a tight shoal and just look great with thier bright red noses and striped tail as they patrol the mid water areas .I got the otos to keep the algae down a bit but to be honest the cherries seem to be doing a better job.The stems do need sorting out a bit (trimming and shaping)but I'm giving them a bit of time to settle in before I start to hack into them.Any way so far so good no major problems


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Mar 7, 2008)

Hi easty1,

It is looking very healthy and it certainly is filling in well! You have lots of finer leaf plants, you may want to consider one or two broader leafs plant like a sword or anubia for some visual impact.

I see you suffer from the same disease that I do "collectoritis"! LOL When I first started planted tanks I wanted to have one of everything just to see if I could grow them and each new type was a challenge. Lately I have been experimenting with scapes where I use fewer species. I think my scapes have more impact when I use fewer species, plant in groupings or "sweeps", and do repetitions of a species in a tank. Pretty much the same design principles for gardens and landscaping.


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## easty1 (Nov 9, 2008)

Seattle_Aquarist said:


> Hi easty1,
> 
> It is looking very healthy and it certainly is filling in well! You have lots of finer leaf plants, you may want to consider one or two broader leafs plant like a sword or anubia for some visual impact.
> 
> I see you suffer from the same disease that I do "collectoritis"! LOL When I first started planted tanks I wanted to have one of everything just to see if I could grow them and each new type was a challenge. Lately I have been experimenting with scapes where I use fewer species. I think my scapes have more impact when I use fewer species, plant in groupings or "sweeps", and do repetitions of a species in a tank. Pretty much the same design principles for gardens and landscaping.


I agree with that comment although I like the forground and midground I think the right hand side is a mess .I usually play around for months before I get it to my liking but hey thats half the fun ,just as a aside i have a discus grow on tank (60insx30insx30ins ) inthe fish house that is very mono plant themed and I think it has a charm all of it own


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Mar 7, 2008)

Hi easty1,

Wow, it may be a "mono" plant tank but it sure makes the hardscape "Pop" doesn't it? Keep up the good work!


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## easty1 (Nov 9, 2008)

Well its been two months to the day that I set up the tank ,I've had the normal battles with algae and I've still got problems with thread algae but apart from that the plants are thriving. The blyxa is going mental I'm thinning out at least one a fortnight the cryps originally melted but have grown back strongly .i've now have 30 or more cheery shrimps to help keep the thread algea at bay and they seem to be doing a reasonable job

















































Not the best of photos but enjoy any way


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## Darksome (Feb 15, 2009)

Your tanks are amazing! I never understood how some people can make a great aquascape with a finished look in a matter of hours. I especially like your discus tank.


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Mar 7, 2008)

Hi easty1,

Wow, it filled in great! BTW, those are some fat neons, what do you feed them?


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## thurmy (Aug 27, 2007)

nice


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