# lakeside shore



## bratyboy2 (Feb 5, 2008)

Okay i figured since im bored i will start my new journalon my 125 gallon aquarium.


my plan here is to mostly show off my collection of rainbowfish that i have been collecting and making a natural setup as if is was on the bank of a lake.

plans for the tank are to use pool filter sand as the base.

i will be doing a dense blyxa carpet with a "root" cluster to the left side coming down a slope. some stems of Myriophyllum mattogrossense ,rotala 'red', and vals behind that. ill be adding some purple bamboo in clumps to add to a look of airy weeds and giving a sense of more depth to the already to big of a tank.

rainbow fish will be the main inhabitants of this tank with a few extra fish that i love such as stiphoden gobies, siamese algae eaters, brown bristle nose plecos and maybe a pair of dwarf cichlids. 

im not sure of how much light im going to need just yet but im assuming that i can get away with medium light maybe go more.

well i will follow with more updates soon!


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## wicca27 (Oct 13, 2008)

sounds awsome cant wait to see the start of it


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## bratyboy2 (Feb 5, 2008)

You and me both.

Me when I first got the tank. I was in aw and overwhelmed









I did get the back painted. Made such a difference.









Till I get more work done!


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

I love these tanks! You have so much real estate! It would be nice it they were a little deeper, but it's still good. Not sure that you might need more than medium light for your Rotala. Are you speaking of Rotala macrandra?


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## bratyboy2 (Feb 5, 2008)

Sorry Tex, That's actually supposed to be ludwigia 'red'. I found on ebay a 4 bulb t5 ho 48 inch light and I figured....well that's got to be plenty of light for this tank!


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## Phact (Jul 12, 2011)

The river/lake bank look will be awesome, and rainbowfish are so cool! I can't wait to see your collection of fish.


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## bratyboy2 (Feb 5, 2008)

I was actually working with the wood branches and seeing how I wanted them. Then I got to thinking how I was going to build the slope up and what kinda rock I wanted to use.


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## Bert H (Mar 2, 2004)

Looking forward to pics.


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## bratyboy2 (Feb 5, 2008)

Based on what i got going on this week I may actually have the hardscape done this week and the tank filled.

Im waiting to buy the plants as im super tight on cash but im saving up so I can get everything in one shot.

Up to datr plant list:
Blyxa jap
Hygro vert.
Purple bamboo
Java fern var.
Christmass moss
Fissedens
Jungle vals
Ludwigia red
Myrio matto green

Until I figure more out....see ya


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## bratyboy2 (Feb 5, 2008)

Okay great news today.

I went to get the pool filter sand and they ask me um I know you do fish tanks and I got two bags that are damaged do you want them at a discount? Um duh I would! So I saved about 6 bucks today their.

Tonight me and my friend (jeremy) will be starting to put the tank together. I dont know who is more excited about setting this big of a tank up. Me and jeremy or my parents!  hahaha!


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## bratyboy2 (Feb 5, 2008)

PICTURE!










Still working but a good chunk of is done!


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

Hard to tell but it looks promising!


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## bratyboy2 (Feb 5, 2008)

Yah i swear it looks better in person even though the water is cloudy haha! 

I didn't have time to set the filters up last night and put some carbon in to clear it up. I just got to tired. So I'm setting them up now.


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## bratyboy2 (Feb 5, 2008)

Alright I got the filers all hooked up and sprayers positioned. Added 3 extra power heads. Add some of the myrio that I had on hand and some blyxa and	downoi.

Better picture?


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## mudboots (Jun 24, 2009)

So have you decided only to light up the one side and leave the other shaded?

Hardscape looks nice btw, and yes, definitely a better pic. Makes me miss my old 125 NPT...


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## bratyboy2 (Feb 5, 2008)

Its not supposed to be shaded on the one side. I just dont have the funds yet to buy the light I really want. I do have 3 24 inch lights that I could use all I would have to do is get the bulbs I want. Does anyone know if the corallife fixures are high out put or regular?

Ive decided this is going to be a med tech tank with medium light and no co2. Would cost more to do high.


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## mudboots (Jun 24, 2009)

I have a 48" Coralife fixture over my 55 (48 gallon tank) that is 130 watts PC and seems to be less intense per tank size than my 36" T5-HO fixture that is 78 watts T5-HO over a 36 gallon bowfront (I actually had to unplug one of the bulbs and just run 39 watts over that tank). But the light spectrum may have something to do with that. The PC's are a 50/50 of some kind of plant grow whatever bulb that are nice, but they simply don't compete with the Giesmann PowerChrome Midday 6000K bulbs in the T5 fixture IMHO. The plant growth is how I made this judgement.


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## bratyboy2 (Feb 5, 2008)

These are the fixures they are t5 I just don't know if they are ho or no. 









And im def going with a midday aquaflora combo.


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## bigstick120 (Mar 8, 2005)

Your light is NO t-5. Pretty low light for your 125. Maybe ok for low light stuff.


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## bratyboy2 (Feb 5, 2008)

Alright a update and im sure im going to get hell for this but I strongly believe that you can cycle a tank with any fish as long as its healthy!

So I added fish to the tank starting about a week ago and everyone is doing amazing. So here are some pictures!









































Also added some more plants
Hygro pinnatifolia








Bolbitis but not sure if I'm keeping it








Unknow crypt 








Another unknown








Seems like the myrio is doing good with just two bulbs of t5 ho









I started EI dosing tuesday and things are looking great. Im going to work on the right side of the tank monday to compliment the other side but on a smaller scale


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## davemonkey (Mar 29, 2008)

Brad, your tank looks friggn' awesome!! You did an excellent job on the arrangement on the left. Some Bolbitus (or some other similar texture to what you already have) in the far right will pull the scape together better and balance it out well.

+1 on adding fish right away to planted tanks.  Th only time I recommend not adding fish to a newly planted tank is when Amazonia is used.

Keep up the good work!

-Dave


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## bratyboy2 (Feb 5, 2008)

Thanks dave! 

Still debating on the right side. Not sure just yet that I even like the bolbitis in here but im trying it out.

Im way to impatient not to have fish in my tanjs from the get go lol


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## Shurik (Mar 22, 2008)

... and then what happened?  I think I missed quiet a lot!


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## Cavan Allen (Jul 22, 2004)

Looking very good so far! Got a grounding probe? I think those are good for fish that navigate with electric pulses.


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## Emily6 (Feb 14, 2006)

Did you just use pool filter sand for your substrate or did you layer? Looks wonderful! Thinking of going with a lighter substrate like that- scared of it turning green, though. ;-)


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