# 54 L tank



## FazTeAoMar (Jan 2, 2005)

Hi there.

Happy new year of 2005 from Portugal. It´s my first post here though i´ve been visiting this forum for a while now.

Here´s my 54 L tank ( 60*30*30) that i´ve set up two days ago. i´m waiting for Heteranthera zosterifolia to plant behind the driftwoods. I´m still a rookie in tank keeping and specially in growing healty and beautiful plants but i´m learning and this forum is a great help to evolution. Critiques and suggestions are welcome and i hope you enjoy as much i did in setting it up.

"Aggies Old river" Setup:

Setup date: 01-01-2005
Dimensions: 60*30*30 
Volume: 53 Liters
Lighting: Lifetech fixture with 2 * 36 W Power Compact ( 1 * 5000K + 1 * 10 000K/red) on 10 hours/day
Heating: 50 W Tetra
Filter: Fluval 203
Substract: river substract of 3 mm + river sand 
Decoration: driftwoods; rocks
CO2: DIY with two bottles ( Hagen + 1.5 L); micro-bubbles diffusor 
Temperature: 26º C
pH: 7.1
kH: 6
Fertilization: Perpetual Preservation System by Edward with individual aplication of: Nitrates ( KNO3); Potassium ( KH2SO4); Magnesium ( MgSO4) daily; Iron ( when needed)

Flora: Heteranthera zosterifolia; Cryptocoryne willisii; Glossostigma elatinoides

Fauna: Apistogramma agassizii " double red"; Crossocheilus siamensis




























Best regards,

André


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## Sir_BlackhOle (Jan 25, 2004)

WOW that is deffinately interesting! I love the little valley thats created by the terracing.


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## Mortadelo (Mar 14, 2004)

Very nice tank!, If you allow suggestions I would leave the base of the "valley" bare as if the flow of water had eroded it. :wink:


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## pineapple (May 4, 2004)

I like the topology a lot. But I wonder if the 'gravel' substrate is going to flatten out over time. I can see you have some rocks in there to hold back the valley walls, but possibly the gravel will end up spilling down the front. Maybe you should try and stabilize it quickly by adding a lot of low level plants such as Eleocharis sp. The roots will hold the shape together.

Look forward to seeing more of this aquarium as it grows up.

Andrew Cribb


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## tsunami (Jan 24, 2004)

This aquascape has great potential.

Carlos


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## FazTeAoMar (Jan 2, 2005)

Sir_BlackhOle said:


> WOW that is deffinately interesting! I love the little valley thats created by the terracing.


Thanks Kevin.



Mortadelo said:


> Very nice tank!, If you allow suggestions I would leave the base of the "valley" bare as if the flow of water had eroded it. :wink:


Thanks Mortadelo. You know, before planting the glossostigma, i had already considered that idea because i like it too. I will wait for the glosso to spread even more and then i´ll decide how it looks better. Thank you again for the suggestion.



pineapple said:


> I like the topology a lot. But I wonder if the 'gravel' substrate is going to flatten out over time. I can see you have some rocks in there to hold back the valley walls, but possibly the gravel will end up spilling down the front. Maybe you should try and stabilize it quickly by adding a lot of low level plants such as Eleocharis sp. The roots will hold the shape together.
> 
> Look forward to seeing more of this aquarium as it grows up.
> 
> Andrew Cribb


Hi there Andrew. You are right when it comes to future flattness of the valley walls. Although i´ve placed rocks under the sand and above it ( the ones that are visible) i too think it´s not enough. That´s why i placed some cryptocorynes in there so the roots hold the sand and prevent flattness. Maybe, for now, it´s still not enough but when that area is covered with Heteranthera, her roots will help a lot holding on those " mountains". Thanks for the tips and i promisse updates as soon as i recieve the missing plants.



tsunami said:


> This aquascape has great potential.
> 
> Carlos


I hope so Carlos, because it´s very incomplete for now and much too " green".


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## Black oranda (Dec 28, 2004)

Very nice tank, i love how you set it up!


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## Black oranda (Dec 28, 2004)

Very nice tank, i love how you set it up!


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## FazTeAoMar (Jan 2, 2005)

Finally i received the missing plants. Here are some shots after planting them. The fauna is a couple of Apistogramma agassiizii " Red Tail"




























Male









Female









Best regards,

André


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## livionakano (Aug 6, 2004)

Hi Andre!

Very nice setup

Your fishes are seeming to be very healthy too!

How is your fertilization and water changes routine? Do you have only liquid fertilization, or also use some kind of undergravel fertilizers?

I hope you keep posting new pictures of your tank too, to allow us to follow its development, what would be very interesting

Best regards,

Livio


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## trenac (Jul 16, 2004)

Very nice & interesting tank, like the fish to. Keep us updated with pics as the plants fill in. [smilie=t:


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## FazTeAoMar (Jan 2, 2005)

Thanks Black oranda. 



livionakano said:


> Hi Andre!
> 
> Very nice setup
> 
> ...


Thanks Livio. Yes the apistos are very healthy not just because of the water conditions but also because they are treated like kings. 8) For now i´m not fertilizing in any way as the setup is very recent and the nutrientes should be enough for now. The fertilization methood should be something like the PPS by the moderator Edward. The tank is almost 100% cycled because i used the external filter with the same water that had been used for the previous layout, wich was set up 4 months ago. So the water changes are made three times a week, 10% each time. In the future it will be 20% once a week. I have no undergravel ferts nor rich substrate. Only river substrate and river sand.



trenac said:


> Very nice & interesting tank, like the fish to. Keep us updated with pics as the plants fill in. [smilie=t:[/quote]
> 
> Once again i appreciate the complemments trenac and i´ll post further updates in the future regarding to this tank.
> 
> ...


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## FazTeAoMar (Jan 2, 2005)

Hello again.

Here are some updates. The glossostigma is begining to spread and the Heteranthera is growing at full throttle.




























Critiques/suggestions are welcome.

Cheers,

André


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## Phil Edwards (Jan 22, 2004)

Very pretty! That aquascape looks perfect for Apistogramma, good choice of fish and plants.


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## ScottH. (May 13, 2004)

I like this tank alot. It has a real natural, wild look to it. Perfect plant selection for this tank I think.


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## FazTeAoMar (Jan 2, 2005)

Thanks Phil. I´m glad you´ve liked it. Much more has to be done so it becomes as i imagined. For now i´m very pleased with it as it takes form.

Thanks Scotth. It´s nice i have passed on the idea of a natural layout.

Best regards,

André


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## depthc (Mar 7, 2004)

Id agree with Phil. Great looking and tank and the apistos work out well in the tank. 

Have they spawned yet?

Andrew


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## FazTeAoMar (Jan 2, 2005)

Hello Andrew.

Thanks for the comments. The apistos are the ones who are having problems in fertilizing the eggs. They havn´t spawned yet since the last fertilization failure. Someday it will happen. Its just a matter of when...


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## naysel (Jan 4, 2005)

Fazteaomar agassizii's had had the sixth spawning of fishes, good luck andré


PS- sorry my English


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## Maran (Sep 8, 2004)

Very Very nice aquascape
Could you tell me what light do you use in this tank?


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## turtlehead (Nov 27, 2004)

yes very nice indeed. can you list your tank specs?


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## tcy81 (Sep 12, 2004)

hi, this is a very nice setup. looking forward to your updates for your tank.

cheers,
chee yong


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## FazTeAoMar (Jan 2, 2005)

Hi again.

Here goes some updated pics. Tank setup will be edited in the first post.



















Regards,

André


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## depthc (Mar 7, 2004)

Looks as if the plants are growing nicely. Looking good, starting to get that jungle theme going  .

Andrew


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## pineapple (May 4, 2004)

I can see the why some designers use Rotala sp. green, which has a finer leaf and tends to make the aquarium-scape look bigger. Large leafed plants make smaller aquariums look smaller.

Andrew Cribb


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## FazTeAoMar (Jan 2, 2005)

depthc said:


> Looks as if the plants are growing nicely. Looking good, starting to get that jungle theme going  .
> 
> Andrew


They are growing well but to achieve the desired layout, i have to engage my prunning skills. Still needs some prunning to make it more bushy. Thanks Andrew.



pineapple said:


> I can see the why some designers use Rotala sp. green, which has a finer leaf and tends to make the aquarium-scape look bigger. Large leafed plants make smaller aquariums look smaller.
> 
> Andrew Cribb


True, though the idea here is not to make the aquarium bigger or smaller, but rather make it with the scenery initially planned, giving it the effect that Rotala sp. green can´t give. The look of seeming bigger is a bonus. 

André


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## Jdinh04 (Oct 7, 2004)

Looking good man, can't wait to see that glosso. when it starts to carpet.


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## FazTeAoMar (Jan 2, 2005)

Hello.

Thanks Jdinh04.

Here goes another update. Heteranthera zosterifolia is begining to take form but more trimming is necessary. Glossostigma is a slow growing plant in sand substrate. I can see that now.

Anyway, here are the pics.



















Regards,

André


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## tsunami (Jan 24, 2004)

VERY well done, Andre. Keep at it! I think you might have a winner forming here. The combination of hardscape, vibrant greens, and cardinal tetras is perfect.

Carlos


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## Jdinh04 (Oct 7, 2004)

Nice, whats the plant in the background? It looks nice.


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## dennis (Mar 1, 2004)

Vey nice ideed Andre'. I hope you are planning to enter the ADA in April and the AGA(in Sept) contests.

Oh and Jdinh04...


FazTeAoMar said:


> The glossostigma is begining to spread and the Heteranthera is growing at full throttle.


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## Paul Higashikawa (Mar 18, 2004)

Very minimalistic. I like it! Even though the plant choice is low, it doesn't strike me as being monotonous at all. 



Paul


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## FazTeAoMar (Jan 2, 2005)

tsunami said:


> VERY well done, Andre. Keep at it! I think you might have a winner forming here. The combination of hardscape, vibrant greens, and cardinal tetras is perfect.
> 
> Carlos


Carlos thanks! As usual, your supporting words let me know that i´m on the right "track". As i said, more trimming is necessary and glossostigma needs more time to spread. I would consider this stage of the layout as 70% completed.



dennis said:


> Vey nice ideed Andre'. I hope you are planning to enter the ADA in April and the AGA(in Sept) contests.


Thanks dennis. Honestly I didn´t thought in enter those contests because the level is so high. I don´t think I am up to it. What i´m planning to do with this tank is to compete in a local event that is taking place here in Portugal next week ( 19 and 20 th March) that celebrates the second anniversary of the number one portuguese forum ( about aquariums) in wich Mr. Takashi Amano has been invited and will give a workshop and be part of the planted tank contest juri. After that i´ll give more thoughts into participating with this tank in AGA or ADA contests.

Jdinh04 Glossostigma elatinoides is the foregrund plant and Heteranthera zosterifolia is the background plant, as dennis already answered too.



SurWrathful said:


> Very minimalistic. I like it! Even though the plant choice is low, it doesn't strike me as being monotonous at all.
> 
> Paul


Hello Paul. Thanks, that´s the idea, minimal and natural. Though the layout needs more work/maturation, it is turning as I wanted.

Regards,

André


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## Magnus (Feb 4, 2004)

Andre, that's one beautiful tank! It looks very natural and the growth is vibrant. IMHO, the scape is very much done. I don't think a more mature Glosso carpet would make it more "natural". A fully mature Glosso carpet would look too forceful. I think it looks best the way it is right now. I also feel like the _lower_ gap between each stargrass bush needs to be displayed better. Perhaps a lighted light-blue/white black ground to show more depth or some growth to link/hold the composition together would make it better. Just some of my opinions/suggestions, be aware that I have no scaping-talents to back them up,







.


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## depthc (Mar 7, 2004)

Looking real good. Looks like you put in some cardinals ... did you swap out the A. agassizii or are they still in there?

Andrew


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## FazTeAoMar (Jan 2, 2005)

Magnus thanks for your comments. Glossostigma will look more natural when she´ll limit the rocks, giving a wilder look. My intention is not to cover everything with glosso but rather cover the rocks and a few other open spaces. As for the gap, you´re right. It needs more trimming on the Heteranthera to give more form and expose the gap a little bit more. Thanks for your suggestions and don´t be too modest, i´ve seen your website and those tanks look awsome! But what catched my attention were the "nature" photos. The quality is superb and the objects photographed are so nice. Beautiful scenarios to apply in an aquascape tank.

Andrew yes, I inserted the cardinals to give more contrast with the "greens" of the layout. The agassizii are still there but I intend to put them in a breeding tank with the right conditions. In this tank I´m more worried in finishing the layout than to give the apistos the proper breeding conditions. Thanks for the feedback.


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## Wö£fëñxXx1 (Feb 10, 2005)

My male Double Red looks exactly like your's. Nice!
http://www.triplexclan.com/Aqua/5354.jpg


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## Maran (Sep 8, 2004)

Hello Andre !
I'm very interesting what it's happend with this tank ?


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## soniacbt (Feb 15, 2005)

That's one beautiful tank. I'm just surprised that the glosso is growing and spreading (albeit slowly) in such low light. I've always thought that it is a high light and high CO2 to grow well. You've not changed your lighting or CO2 methods from your first post, have you?.


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## FazTeAoMar (Jan 2, 2005)

Hello.

Maran I have entered this tank in a local contest and after that I dismantled it to setup a new tank, cube form with 140 L. The last picture in this post shows how the tank went to contest. I dismantled it because I didn´t have the time to take care for two tanks so I preferred the bigger tank. Soon I´ll post an even bigger tank that I´m planning to setup with discus ( a cube with 216 L).

soniacbt thank you. The glossostigma was spreading in 55W wich was more than enough to the plant development. What was making it two slow was the sand substrate and the lack of CO2 that I sometimes forget to do. 

Regards,
André


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