# Doing a 150 gallon tall (incl photos)



## jschall (Apr 13, 2009)

Going to be doing a 150 gallon tall (48" x 24" x 30", 120cm x 60cm x 75cm)
Haven't purchased a light for it yet. Was going to do either dual (108w) or quad (216w) t5ho, depending on plants.

Initial fauna (currently in 75 gallon):
17 congo tetras (current: 1.5-3.5"/4-9cm, max: 4"/10cm)
1 delhezi bichir (current: 8"/20cm, max: 14"/35cm)
1 ornate bichir (current: 6"/15cm, max: 24"/61cm) 
2 senegal bichir (current: 6"/15cm, max: 12"/30cm)
3 ropefish (current: 10"/25cm, max: 20"/50cm)
1 african brown knife (current: 6"/15cm, max: 12"/30cm)
And 1 Ctenopoma acutirostre (current: 1.5"/4cm, max: 6"/15cm)

Obviously, wanting to do an african biotope.

Apart from that, I have no idea what I want. Here's what I don't want:
I don't particularly want to buy a pressurized CO2 system. I DEFINITELY don't want to do DIY CO2. I don't want to dose ferts more than once a week (after my 50% water change.) I don't want an algae farm. I don't particularly want plants that don't fit in with the biotope, although cosmopolitan plants are fine. Congo tetras are eating my anubias. Anubias are the only plants they'll munch on, so I want to move away from anubias.
I understand I might need to concede on some of these things in order to have a workable tank.

What would you do if this was going to be your tank?
What lighting would you buy?
What would you plant it with?
What low-maintenance fert scheme would you use? (I've been doing EI on another tank, it's just too high maintenance.)
I've been using pool filter sand as a substrate. I'm willing to change, but I'm NOT going to a messy clay substrate or a gravel substrate (bichirs can choke on gravel).

Attached: shots of the tank on homemade stand with frame of soon-to-be homemade matching canopy.


----------



## Bert H (Mar 2, 2004)

While I can't answer a lot of your questions, let me comment on the lighting/CO2 issue. It sounds like you're going to about 2wpg. Remember that lighting levels mean different things on differently sized tanks. While 2wpg is low lighting on say, a 10 gal tank, on a 150 gal tank, that won't be the case. I would strongly urge you to consider pressurized CO2. You don't have to have lots of ferts to keep things ok. 

I have 2 50 gal tanks, each in around 2.3wpg range. Lighting is on for 8 hours daily. I do a modified EI scheme where I add macros 2x/wk and micros 3x/wk. The amounts I add are considerably less than what EI suggests you add. 

My point is you can have a fairly low maint tank, with fairly low dosing. Break it in slowly, and be patient with it.

But, as I said, I would urge you to re-consider pressurized. IMO, it will save you lots of headaches.


----------



## ddavila06 (Jan 31, 2009)

thats so kool that you are doing a biotope!! i tried to do a 20L but because of the size of my tank and the availability of the fish i did not succed...some of the plants i found to be african/cosmopolitan include dwarf hair grass, crinum calamistratum, hygrophila odora, nymphaeas sp., crinum natans and anubias. keep posting and add pics to see how it does. i am doing great at growing these plants in medium/low light with no co2.


----------



## Ekrindul (Jul 3, 2010)

If you want to avoid pressurized CO2 and do light dosing, go with your first lighting choice. The lower light is more conducive to your goal. Also, with T5HO, you cannot use the WPG rule effectively. T5HO is more intense than standard T12 lighting, which is what the now obsolete WPG rule was based upon.

My suggestion is do some research on El Natural/Diane Walstad method. A tweak of the method also from Tom Barr: http://www.barrreport.com/showthread.php/2817-Non-CO2-methods

It may not be the method you end up wanting, as there are some sacrifices, but I think you will be more successful knowing what can be done and what results to expect.


----------

