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-   -   My journal on my planted 422 CRS tank (in progress) (http://www.arofanatics.com/forums/showthread.php?t=456127)

patson77 14-03-2011 12:44 AM

My journal on my planted 422 CRS tank (in progress)
 
Hi bros,

Starting on my 422 planted tank, second time at doing this, the first one total failure. :(
http://i924.photobucket.com/albums/a...7/P2130515.jpg

Spent nearly 3 weeks to read up most of the posts and finally decided to have another go. Had gotten a 422 tank from a fellow bro(magic1980) for a good price and he threw me with lots of freebies. This tank will basically be grown with US FissiDen and HC. will also throw in some stem plants to soak up all the extra nutrients.

The tank stood empty in my living room as i go around scouting for the stuff i want(basically gigantic rocks)
http://i924.photobucket.com/albums/a...50567Small.jpg

Actually had wanted to do a mountain/hill landscape with layers of "padi field" cut into the mountain/hill jus like wat you will see when u go to the mountain padi fields in Malaysia or Thailand.
However totally underestimated the vast vol of a 422 and thus can't find the correct size rock even after scouting areas like LCK, Pasir Ris and all the more well known LFS.

No choice but have to discard the idea and think of something else. Thus the following landscape which i got from river banks.
http://i924.photobucket.com/albums/a...30582Small.jpg
The white sands will be the river extending all the way rom the back of the tank to the front. hovering the idea of building a waterfall at the back of the tank to supplement the effect of the river. The black backing will be removed and replaced by a white cardboard with fading orange print to obtain a sunset look)

http://i924.photobucket.com/albums/a...30583Small.jpg
The main "island" will be make up of stones and will try to grow a carpet of HC to cover the whole area. thinking of inserting a bit of glosso to supplement the wild look of a open field.

http://i924.photobucket.com/albums/a...30584Small.jpg
the smaller island(in construction, again underestimate the vol of a 422 and thus not having enuf soil and white gravels. will rectified this tomolo)will be rather bare and cover with US Fissiden so as not to snatch the attention from the main island

Currently my arsenal is as follow
Tank spec : Standard 422
Lights : 6 x 54W 12000k FL
Substrates: Gex soil (green pack) and Ada II
Filter : Atman 1200 with SunSun 3000 wavemaker
1 x 2l CO2
cooling : Currently running on 1 x fan (looks like those use in a CPU)
going to get:
4 x T5 54w lights to replace the old ones
Hailea 300A chiller
Another external canister to go with the chiller.

Have some questions to ask
1. Will my arsenal be good enuf in term of filtration and water movement?
2. Is my lighting enuf as i knw that HC are high light demanding. (Based on 8 x 54W 12000k)
3. What stem plants can be recommended for the background? the stem plants will be removed later when all the HC and Fissiden are blossom.
4. Would like to have a moss wall oso, can the moss wall fit in?


Comments are greatly appreciated and thanks in advance.

EvolutionZ 14-03-2011 11:46 AM

1. Not really, since ur atman is 1200l/hr right? i suggest u get a bigger sunsun wavemaker.

2. My glosso(which is more light demanding then HC) is creeping nicely under 4x54watt T5HO for my 422, WPG rule is no longer accurate, too much light and u might have algae problems if u don't keep up with the Co2 and fert.

3. Since u are gonna remove it, why plant it in the first place? if you want some for nutrient suckers, try those super fast growing weed u often get when u purchase shrimps.

4. Yes, of course it can, but you will need lots of mesh and moss to fill up the back though.


And also, here are some of my own opinion..

1) Your rocks are too small to have any impact on your scape.. find something as big as your head for the main rock and some other smaller rocks as. But while having such a big rock, its gonna be damn heavy, you will need egg crates on the bottom of the tank to distribute the weight.

2) White sand will be VERY VERY hard to maintain, i foresee your sand turning brown when brown algae starts attacking your tank during the initial stage.

3) Use just 4x54watt T5HO or 6x54watt T5 if urs is not High Output, too much light and you need to keep up with the fert and co2, with your co2 tank being only 2l, it will run out very fast.. better change it to a 5l tank at least. And i noticed yours is a manual regulator co2 tank, Based on my personal experience, manual regulator either do not have a needle valve or maybe they have a lousy needle valve since the co2 output fluctuates alot. resulting in inconsistance co2 level and end up with lots of BBA.. i suggest u spend a little more and get a 5L set + solenoid regulator.

My 0.2cents bro.

af2373 14-03-2011 11:52 AM

think you are trying to create something along like this effect?
http://www.littlegreencorner.com/gal...agination.html

if so, dun see the need to do up the stem plants or moss wall.

patson77 14-03-2011 03:12 PM

re
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by EvolutionZ (Post 8322452)
1. Not really, since ur atman is 1200l/hr right? i suggest u get a bigger sunsun wavemaker.

2. My glosso(which is more light demanding then HC) is creeping nicely under 4x54watt T5HO for my 422, WPG rule is no longer accurate, too much light and u might have algae problems if u don't keep up with the Co2 and fert.

3. Since u are gonna remove it, why plant it in the first place? if you want some for nutrient suckers, try those super fast growing weed u often get when u purchase shrimps.

4. Yes, of course it can, but you will need lots of mesh and moss to fill up the back though.


And also, here are some of my own opinion..

1) Your rocks are too small to have any impact on your scape.. find something as big as your head for the main rock and some other smaller rocks as. But while having such a big rock, its gonna be damn heavy, you will need egg crates on the bottom of the tank to distribute the weight.

2) White sand will be VERY VERY hard to maintain, i foresee your sand turning brown when brown algae starts attacking your tank during the initial stage.

3) Use just 4x54watt T5HO or 6x54watt T5 if urs is not High Output, too much light and you need to keep up with the fert and co2, with your co2 tank being only 2l, it will run out very fast.. better change it to a 5l tank at least. And i noticed yours is a manual regulator co2 tank, Based on my personal experience, manual regulator either do not have a needle valve or maybe they have a lousy needle valve since the co2 output fluctuates alot. resulting in inconsistance co2 level and end up with lots of BBA.. i suggest u spend a little more and get a 5L set + solenoid regulator.

My 0.2cents bro.

Tks for the advices.
Hmm the centre piece rocks is actually big, really as big as my head and weighs nearly 3 kilos. went scouting around but cant find exactly what i want. Apart for some big larva rocks, all are abt the same size. Any idea if a big larva rock as center piece can go along well with e other rocks?

Was thinking of the solenoid regulator oso. but burst budget this mth. Mus wait for nxt mth pocket $ from my OC b4 can continue. If i nd to choose btw a solenoid regulator and a chiller, which will come first(limited allowance :( )

As for the flow of the water, i be getting another external canister. The Atman 1200 will be mainly used for filtration with all the filter medias etc, the spare canister(future expansion, nxt mth) will only have filter wools inside and will be connected to a chiller and CO2. Like this workable?

patson77 14-03-2011 03:13 PM

re
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by af2373 (Post 8322461)
think you are trying to create something along like this effect?
http://www.littlegreencorner.com/gal...agination.html

if so, dun see the need to do up the stem plants or moss wall.

Not really la, but me lack of creativeness so here pluck a bit there pluck a bit loh. hope it works out fine. :)

patson77 14-03-2011 03:23 PM

updates
 
Went scouting around for plants and at the same time to buy extra soil and gravels for the landscape.

Bought the following for my tank
http://i924.photobucket.com/albums/a...7/P3140567.jpg

http://i924.photobucket.com/albums/a...7/P3140573.jpg

http://i924.photobucket.com/albums/a...7/P3140568.jpg

http://i924.photobucket.com/albums/a...7/P3140570.jpg

http://i924.photobucket.com/albums/a...7/P3140571.jpg

http://i924.photobucket.com/albums/a...7/P3140572.jpg

Went home with the purchase, veri happy abt the thought of able to start planting, but ALAMAK, rch home then remember forgot to buy the soil and gravels. So stupid of me. Haiz, wat to do, have to wait till tml cos dnt want waste petrol (c328 is on the way to work).

Heuer 14-03-2011 04:17 PM

how much you paid for the HC? i think is too much for a 422 tank.

clearsky2011 14-03-2011 05:41 PM

Wow any big planted tank. Can't wait to see the finish scape. :)

patson77 14-03-2011 06:12 PM

re
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Heuer (Post 8323053)
how much you paid for the HC? i think is too much for a 422 tank.

issit? initially scared not enuf cos read abt planting heavily in the initial stage so that can fight the algae war better.

Paid $4 per pc, total size slightly smaller than a A3

patson77 14-03-2011 06:14 PM

re
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by clearsky2011 (Post 8323166)
Wow any big planted tank. Can't wait to see the finish scape. :)

Took me a lot of courage to proceed. Am veri excited abt it but at the same time worried that the end product not as pleasant.


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