# 75 dirt w/ STS cap first tank returning to the hobby



## Bbroush (Dec 17, 2012)

The end of medical school, moving across country and intern year caused my old 20H tank to be retired. With life having a bit more time now I finally decided to get back into the hobby! I was waiting for a good deal on a larger tank and picked up some free supplies and hardscape recently.

I got lucky with a CL post that was $100 for a 75 gallon tank with a custom made wood stand and the guy gave me all of his equipment for free. The one issue is it was a saltwater tank. So we'll see what I can actually use between old tank equipment and new stuff from CL. 
I resealed the silicone as it was stored in an un/under heated garage.

Tank: 75 gallon
Soil (TLDR: 1" 50/50 MGOCPM/Scotts lawn soil + 2" STS cap)

50-60% MGOCPM (w/ perlite, pretty sure i ordered the one without from HD :/)
0.15 - 0.13 - 0.15

40-50% Scotts turf builder lawn soil 
0.08 - 0.03 - 0.02
Nitrogen breakdown (.02% ammoniacal & .06% Nitrate)

I ended up adding the scotts for multiple reasons, one being that i hated the perlite and it allowed me to add another 'layer' of dirt to hold down the perlite, it also hopefully decreases the overall nitrogen to something closer to 0.11 - 0.8 - 0.8, better, right? 
+ 3 qts of red lava rock, for iron.

Cap:
soaked and rinsed in a bucket. I should have sprayed it through a colander because there was still a decent amount of silt. 
~2" with a slope from back to front left to right.

Hardscape:
Combination of driftwood I got for free on CL, manzanita i had in my old 20g and stone i bought with my tank.

Plants: 
Ludwigia Super Red, Dwarf Echinodorus Parviflorus, Cryptocoryne Balansae, Echinodorus Kleiner Prinz, Bucephalandra Alamanda Blue, Dwarf Sagittaria Subulata, Cryptocoryne wendtii 'Brown', Cryptocoryne Lucens

Equipment:
Filter:
Eheim 4+ 350, 10 ppi poret at the base, pot scrubbies in the other trays, the top tray with white fine foam is replaced with a 20 ppi poret with Eheim Prefilter.
Heater: Hydor 300W in line heater with inkbird controller.

Lighting:
Currently, two 25W RGB LED floodlights but didn't like the shadows so I threw on my old 24" finnex across the middle.

I don't love the look so I saw a deal on the hygger 48" HG-957 that ended up under $60. This model seems newer & I don't see anything about it here on the forums. It may be the same as the model in the recent hygger v NICREW thread.

For comparison this photo is of the two floodlights plus 24" finnex and where things currently stand.

I've checked the parameters a few times which I can share soon.

Updates to come. 









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## Chickinpic (Dec 6, 2016)

It looks great! After doing a 75 dirted tank myself, that’s the only way for me. My plants are doing well and no co2. I’m looking forward to updates. 
I’m going to dirt my other 75 but it’s such an ordeal to change it over. 


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## Bbroush (Dec 17, 2012)

Chickinpic said:


> It looks great! After doing a 75 dirted tank myself, that's the only way for me. My plants are doing well and no co2. I'm looking forward to updates.
> I'm going to dirt my other 75 but it's such an ordeal to change it over.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I did a changeover on my old 20 gallon and it was tough. I need to figure out what I'm doing with the fish less cycle. I read EoTPT but it was before medical school and intern year so I honestly remember maybe 5%. :/

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## Michael (Jul 20, 2010)

Welcome back!

If you need any reminders about Diana Walstad's book, this is the place. A few suggestions for your set-up:

1. If the drift wood covers a sizeable area of soil substrate, you may have problems with anaerobic conditions under the wood.

2. You need more plants, a mix of fast growing species (stems or floaters) and strongly rooted species. Planting heavily from the start gives a Walstad tank stability and makes the typical "cycle" unnecessary because the plants absorb the ammonia.

3. You probably do not need the biofiltration media in your filter, and it might be counterproductive. If you have enough healthy plants, they take over that function. Heavy biofiltration may actually compete with plants for ammonia and other nitrogen compounds. I have an Eheim on my 75, and I use only mechanical filtration media in it.

Please keep us posted and show us more photos.


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## Chickinpic (Dec 6, 2016)

Michael has some very good points. I get some bubbles off gassing once in a while but never a problem. 
If you or someone you know has a filter that needs cleaning, squeeze the dirty sponge into your tank. It will cycle it immediately and your filter will clean up the mess. 


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## Bbroush (Dec 17, 2012)

Michael said:


> Welcome back!
> 
> If you need any reminders about Diana Walstad's book, this is the place. A few suggestions for your set-up:
> 
> ...


Thanks Michael! Great points re:
1. I had thought about this and I tried to plant a sword or two + crypts surrounding the hardscape with the theory that the strong rooting system will help.
2. I ordered some more plants from APF but they're more crypt wendtii green and more parva plus a Barclaya longifolia and more buce and some flame moss on slate, but I do need some more stems. I may look for a good trim package from a fellow hobbyist.

3. I have read a lot about this and figured a low PPI poret foam would be the mechanical filtration but that pot scrubbies would also do that to some extent but at a minimum they'd do that more than the eheim media that came with the canister. I know this has been discussed as nauseam here and elsewhere. My thought was with a 10/20 ppi poret foam I would have good quality mechanical filtration that won't require frequent canister cleaning and the pot scrubbers would just be a stable bio reservoir. Or something.



Chickinpic said:


> Michael has some very good points. I get some bubbles off gassing once in a while but never a problem.
> If you or someone you know has a filter that needs cleaning, squeeze the dirty sponge into your tank. It will cycle it immediately and your filter will clean up the mess.
> 
> In the age of Covid and being in northern New England I don't have local fellow hobbyists currently + social distancing.  I wish!
> ...


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## dwalstad (Apr 14, 2006)

Big challenge here. It will keep you busy for sure. 

That's a very rich substrate, so you will definitely need more plants. How about some floating plants? 

Also, water hardness may be a big factor, because STS tends to remove key ions (e.g., calcium) from the water when first submerged. It will also drive down the KH.

Tell us about your water source. pH? GH? KH? Any household water softeners?


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## Bbroush (Dec 17, 2012)

dwalstad said:


> Big challenge here. It will keep you busy for sure.
> 
> That's a very rich substrate, so you will definitely need more plants. How about some floating plants?
> 
> ...


Thanks Diana,

I have floating plants on the way from a fellow hobbyist. 
I have been filling from the tap so far.

The pH was <6.0 last week and I added 3 tsp of baking soda.

These are the readings from my tank today. (I need a new test kit since these I got secondhand and are expired.)
PH: 7.0 kH: 40 GH: 120 nitrates: 5 ammonia 0.25 ppm. No idea if these are accurate.

This is my tap from a strip test:
~7.35pH ~60kH ~150GH nitrates ~20 nitrites ~0.5

My TDS meter is in an unknown location after the move so I have a new one coming monday. The good news is I have seen some growth in some plants in the last week. The crypts and a few of the swords especially. The Ludwigia is not losing leaves and appears to be growing as well.

I had intermittently put in some fertilizer in the water column but I'm unsure it's necessary. Otherwise there are some diatoms/ light brown fungus on some driftwood.

Here are some pictures: (the lead weights on the buce are holding down the manzanita, so ignore the jankyness.

Also one of the swords which I imagine were all grown emerged had a stem of. Flower which now appears to be opening.

Any advice appreciated! 






























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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

You will never regret it if you read https://www.amazon.com/Ecology-Plan...59&sprefix=diane+walstad,undefined,252&sr=8-1

You can read it for pleasure, or you can read it like a textbook for learning.


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## Bbroush (Dec 17, 2012)

hoppycalif said:


> You will never regret it if you read https://www.amazon.com/Ecology-Plan...59&sprefix=diane+walstad,undefined,252&sr=8-1
> 
> You can read it for pleasure, or you can read it like a textbook for learning.


Thanks!
So I did read it about 6 years ago, but that was before kids or medical school, residency, and COVID, even being away from the hobby for 3 years, 2017 feels like a lifetime ago! It's on my bucket list to re read some day. Until then I appreciate the forum and everyone's suggestions.

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## dwalstad (Apr 14, 2006)

Bbroush said:


> Thanks Diana,
> 
> I have floating plants on the way from a fellow hobbyist.
> I have been filling from the tap so far.
> ...


All sounds good! I predict that you are going to have a spectacular planted tank. If your swordplant is flowering, it must be very happy. 

A few minor suggestions: I don't think I would add any water fertilizers unless I saw symptoms of nutrient deficiencies. For now, tank has plenty of nutrients and adding more may just stimulate algae.

To avoid even the possibility of future problems for fish, I would remove the lead weights. Lead (Pb) may leach into water.


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## Bbroush (Dec 17, 2012)

dwalstad said:


> All sounds good! I predict that you are going to have a spectacular planted tank. If your swordplant is flowering, it must be very happy.
> 
> A few minor suggestions: I don't think I would add any water fertilizers unless I saw symptoms of nutrient deficiencies. For now, tank has plenty of nutrients and adding more may just stimulate algae.
> 
> To avoid even the possibility of future problems for fish, I would remove the lead weights. Lead (Pb) may leach into water.


Great point regarding the lead weight and fertilizer.

Thanks! I'm hoping the growth will continue and in a few weeks I can add fauna.

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## Bbroush (Dec 17, 2012)

Updates! Additional plant package from APF arrived. Removed the majority of metal weights I could get to on plants and tied or crammed buce on wood/rock. Added the new larger buce, additional crypt parva & wendtii green and some Christmas moss on slate. 
Still waiting on floaters and blyxa.

My new HG-957 hygger light came! I need to figure out the settings on the thing but it looks great. Trying to decide whether it's enough light on its own for low-medium light (or Whatever will keep my red plants looking nice). I'm considering keeping my finnex 24" along the back for the stem plants. 
I took a picture of it with and without the 24".

Otherwise there is good growth in the swords, a couple smaller ones have melted slightly and I think everything is growing. Now that I have a stable lighting regimen I imagine it should continue to improve.

I also got the TDS & pH meters which measured 220 & pH of 6.5 respectively.

My gh/kh kit arrives tomorrow. When I have a chance I'll retest everything with my master kit. 
















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## davemonkey (Mar 29, 2008)

Keeping the 24" light for stems can help, but it can also hurt...depending on whether you will be feeding the stem plants to keep up with the extra light. I would keep it, personally. It can give you some good variety of light situation, keeping a few higher-light-requirement plants in the "hot spots".


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## Bbroush (Dec 17, 2012)

davemonkey said:


> Keeping the 24" light for stems can help, but it can also hurt...depending on whether you will be feeding the stem plants to keep up with the extra light. I would keep it, personally. It can give you some good variety of light situation, keeping a few higher-light-requirement plants in the "hot spots".


Good to know! It probably doesn't matter if I have my daylight cycles "synced" between the two lights, right? Also of the plants I have listed what would have the highest light requirement? I don't think my carpet plants in the front like crypt parva or sag. Sublata require higher light

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## Bbroush (Dec 17, 2012)

Hi everyone!

Quick update. 
Life got busy, and the tank has been pretty self sustaining with top offs and throwing food in. The RCS population exploded. The pleco and sail fin molly my daughter wanted have done well, and the white cloud minnow mini school has done great. The amanos I bought from two sources are most likely not amanos, some of them at least, and I lost about 50% of them within a month, but still have ~8-10. Nerites are also seen intermittently.

I've had zero algae which actually made me worried so I've increased my day cycle from 11 to 12 hours on my light. I'm worried that whatever these shrimp are they've been eating some of the sag and swords, but everything is growing. It probably needs a trim but here's a spur of the moment set of pictures!









































































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## dwalstad (Apr 14, 2006)

Looks like the tank is taking care of itself. Mother Nature at her finest!


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## jatcar95 (Oct 30, 2019)

This looks amazing! And really makes me want a bigger tank 8-[


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