# New guy



## niko (Jan 28, 2004)

This is an e-mail that we received in the club e-mail. I decided to post it here because here we discuss things much better than the e-mail list:

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Hey DFW APC,

I'm new to the Hobby, and I was looking for some tips or friends who have the same type of setup. I just got my tank up and running this weekend, I've got a 27 gal Hex, and a few small plants in it. I put some fluorite down and pea gravel on top of it, ran the tank for a day, then changed the water completely due to too much silt that was impossibly fine (fluorite). All the levels are looking good (Ph, etc.) Water is kinda hard, but the pH is 7.0 or a little above that.

I'm interested in creating an Amazonian-type tank, and I am sort of following the directions in this aquatic plants book... but any help or references to people who have this sort of setup would be very helpful. 

Anyway I really want to find a tall tree stump to fit my tank, something like a mangrove with gangly roots. I also need some surface plants. The tank measures 17.5 inches max in diameter at the center of each glass pane, and I think they are probably 12 inch pieces of glass by maybe 2 feet or so. Can you give me some tips on where I can acquire one of these? Obviously I'm willing to buy it, but if somebody has a free one that would be good too. The pet stores just don't have big enough pieces for me.

Basically what I have currently are Elodea and Hornwort(?) and something that requires lots of light and is red, kinda tall that may end up dying. I also have a rooted plant that has very fine leaves that also is able to float and grow down, but these last two may end up dead or not in my tank, they didn't fare too well since I kept them out of the tank a little too long. 

There is no other life in the tank besides bacteria and plants, and I have a pretty amazing filter, which I upgraded with an entire box of polishing pads (due to their small size and my filters large surface area) I also added some of those nut shaped clay pieces for the algae to grow on called "pre-filter" or something, and I'm just starting to get them going. They took to those clay pieces very quickly, about 3 hours and they had a slimy brown coat growing on them which is good.


I'm a 22 year old student with not much time, I work about 25 hrs a week usually, and I'm also a fossil collector, etc... so I may not actually join the society until maybe the Fall when I graduate and have actual time to have fun. It sounds interesting and I definitely want to check it out. I'm a member of the Native Plant Society of Texas also, I'm in the Geological Society of America, the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, the Dallas Paleontological Society, etc., hence my apprehension at joining... I barely make those meetings and events! 

So if you can help with giving me advice on where to get the stump, and maybe introduce me to somebody who has this type of setup that I can learn from, that would pretty much answer all my questions at the present time.


Thank you,

Tyler J. Hargrove


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## Vivarium Concepts (Sep 6, 2006)

*Tyler, 
I have some pieces of Malaysian driftwood that might work.*


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## MacFan (Jul 30, 2006)

I've read of people buying driftwood online with some success. Locally, Fish Gallery has some good stuff on occasion, though expect to pay a lot for it. Odyssey Pets on Preston near Frankford (in parking lot with La Hacienda Ranch) gets good driftwood in and sells it for great prices. After spending close to $100/piece for several pieces at Fish Gallery for my 240g tank, I found my centerpiece at Odyssey Pets for like $25! 

There is a slowly growing offering of fake stuff online, but it's still hit or miss. Some people have done some great fake stuff themselves, but that requires lots of time and artistic talent. 

Michael


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## northtexasfossilguy (Mar 6, 2009)

Hey I am that new guy...

I would love to get in touch with you guys if you have extra driftwood. Thanks for the responses, I finally signed up in here. 

Thanks,

Tyler


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## Vivarium Concepts (Sep 6, 2006)

*Welcome to the forum Tyler!
Anytime you can get out this way, give me a call. I've got a few hundered pounds of wood we can look through.*


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