Thanks Dustin my second aquarium ever, and my first dirted aquarium!

Hello all,

My second tank and dirted thanks to Dustin

55 gallon tall and skinny
130$ light bar 48-inch 1x t5 6000k and 1x 650nm Roseate T5 HO http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002BHBQ30/ref=oh_o05_s00_i00_details

filter Marineland Penguin 350 (not super happy, no flow control and it moves fast) http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009IMDQM/ref=oh_o04_s00_i00_details

fell malaysian driftwood http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000O3ENGU/ref=oh_o03_s00_i00_details

not using this yet but I have a tetra whisper air pumphttp://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000V7KM32/ref=oh_o01_s00_i00_details

Thanks to Dustin recommendations. I have seachem prime/flourish and flourish excel. Although I don't want to use the regular flourish any longer it made my tank a hazy green for a day and I did a water change.

aqueon 200W heater for 50-75 gallon (running at 76-78 any suggestions here)

The light bar confused me on how i was going to have a lid. I went to home depot and bought screen frames and 90 degree corners and used this http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/store/clear-1-4-screen-netting-7-x-3.... I am stoked about it, in one side of one screen i just cut a big chunk out of hte middle than filter kind of holds it in place.

Last but not least, I bought a beginner plant kit t and some red clay from dustin.. I was easy with the clay spacing it out in marble sized chunks. I bought some miracle grow organic choice and didn't do anything but get it wet and throw it in. Was careful putting the first layer of rock in and put 1-1.5 inches on top of 1-1.5 inches of dirt I think.

This is a fun project and I plan on now keeping up wiht the 70-80% water changes weekly and waiting a full 30 days to add fish then switching to 25% every two weeks.

Dirt I used

Layer.

First I filled it and it was kinda dirty, some dirt was creeping up. drained it, put more rocks and filled again to the top this tim putting in recommended dosage of PRIME , FLOURISH, AND FLOURISH EXCEL.. It was this cloudy green color and was even more cloudy the next morning.

Okay, I then drained as low as possible and filled again and here is the result.. I am afraid to add the green regular flourish stuff again as I think maybe that's what caused it?? Or was it the plants/duck wheat??

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Permalink Reply by Jeremy I on March 16, 2012 at 8:20pm

it looks awesome, dude. lots of promise for future radicalness.

The substrate layer might be a bit thick, so you just have to make sure to plant with the roots deep down, nearly touching or into the dirt.

it's completely natural for it to be cloudy after setting it up. In fact, it would be strange if it wasn't. It will continue to leech murk and brownness tannan-ish colored things into the water for several weeks after setup ( it varies greatly depending on a number of factors.) People usually do several 100% water changes after setting up a new dirted tank, and then 50% usually once a day or every other day of the first week or so. I find it helps to not fill up the tank all the way, as it will really be about the same substrate settling and water chemistry if the tank's not completely full. I wouldn't add the chemicals so early, is it's nowhere near stabilizing or even settling, but after the first few days it would be fine. You just do so many water changes in the initial stages of dirt tank setups that most of them (if not all) will be completely flushed out of the system.

Good luck, and don't get discouraged if things don't work out. Everyone has a few setbacks that you can only encounter through experience, and the final effect is definitely rewarding enough to be worth it. I can't wait to see what this tank brings in the future.

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Permalink Reply by Patrick Misner on March 16, 2012 at 8:30pm

COOL! thanks Jeremy!!!! I thought it was a little thick and i made sure when i was planting to get the roots down to the dirt.. So It's okay then? I was nervous to have to re-do it...

Here is a photo of my first tank given to me and girlfriend by her dad that got me started on this weird hobby. I'm doing good adding tablespoon of salt every 5-6 gallon water changes every two weeks.. and i was using tetra aquasafe with this tank.. OH, I know you are supposed to have 5-6 tetras miinum, 3 months ago when i got htese fish they got ich and i ended up using the blue tablets... the first dose was too much and killed 4 of them =(...... I don't want to get more until I get a quarantine tank (now this will be my random goldfish/quarantine tank)

Here is my Betta for Jeremy and others who were asking.. his fins are kind of thin and i was using pellets and started feeding him bloodworms the other day.

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Permalink Reply by J B on March 16, 2012 at 11:52pm

hows that light working for you, im torn between that one and the odysea 48" 3x with the timer.... and adding the links was pretty sweet...... good luck !!!!

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Permalink Reply by Patrick Misner on March 17, 2012 at 1:02am

Hmm. I looked at some Odysea as well. I think the one i was looking at had 4x lights and I thought that would be too much... I like that the 48 in. aquatic life 2x doesn't have fans or a timer actually.. Less things to break and I saw some bad reviews on the Odyssea equipment. Also if I get another one of these lights I can link them together.. that's cool!! Also this aquatic life has mega good reflectors! and even with no fans it really doesn't get any hotter than a normal aquarium light.

Although I have a lot of bad luck on the internet it would probably a freaking nice light... this one?

http://www.aquatraders.com/48-inch-3x54W-T5-Aquarium-Light-Digi-Tim...

Another huge reason is not wanting to deal with new dealers on the internet. I like amazon if I have a problem I get a refund or a return easily. Can't find any odyssea on amazon.. just this

http://www.amazon.com/Odyssea-Aquarium-Light-Fluorescent-Fixture/dp...

which is a 36".. what a weird size.

EDIT: Yes just confirmed the aquatic life is a higher quality light with less silly features... The reflectors are better. which means you might even get more light out of just 2. I think 2x HO t5s is enough too.. Even with 2 im probably risking an algea problem with the amount of plants I have. and it's still cheap!! I looked at some 400$ lights what a rip off.

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Permalink Reply by Robert Jango on March 17, 2012 at 3:58am

Dustin provides general guidelines and, in my opinion, excellent ones. You're right to wait awhile before adding fish, but, I must admit, if it was me I wouldn't even wait a week! Also I don't think you'll need any fertilizer anyway for at least the first year with your substrate. But the plants will let you know when they want it.

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Permalink Reply by Patrick Misner on March 17, 2012 at 6:15pm

Thanks man. I plan on leaving that stuff alone and just using the prime for now. I've just been kind of reading up.. Nobody recommended I use that stuff with my current setup. I just thought it would make my plants even more happy.

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Permalink Reply by Patrick Misner on March 18, 2012 at 8:45pm

Okay, this is day two of the tank after the 3rd big water change. Was looking clear and I turned on the filter last night.. I have a duckweed problem. Clogging my filters and dying my tank a hazy green color....

Here is my solution.. I cut a chunk of blase and wedged it up top and will move all the duckweed to the other side away from the filter's side.

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Permalink Reply by Patrick Misner on March 18, 2012 at 9:49pm

sorry, balsa wood....

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Permalink Reply by Patrick Misner on March 29, 2012 at 4:00am

Okay,

Just did my last big water change.. water definitely smelled like the potting mix... While I was away on vacation for 5 days the water level dropped below my barrier and some duckweed got over to the filter side.. UGHH.. anyway changed the filters and got it going again.. sticking to dustin's recommended 70-80% weekly water changes..

A photo of the tank after almost 2 weeks already noticing some growth on the plants on the right.. I have the lights running 7 hours a day from 6PM to 1AM.. (so i can enjoy the tank while I am awake)

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Permalink Reply by Patrick Misner on March 29, 2012 at 4:04am

Note: I could see bubbles popping up from the rocks here and there every 5-10 seconds.. gases are leaching out as I expect.. I've got my calendar marked for 30 days after setup to add fish!

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Permalink Reply by Patrick Misner on April 13, 2012 at 8:30pm

Okay, was lazy last week but i did take a photo..

04/05/2012

04/13/12

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Permalink Reply by Patrick Misner on April 27, 2012 at 11:49pm

HELLO, been lazy again! woot, but i did snap a photo

04/19/12

Then, fishies have been added too

04/27/12

then tried my best to get all my fish

pretty excited!!! right now I have

8 neon tetras

1 betta

4 australian rainbow fish

would love some suggestions on what else I could add.. probably going to move my betta out I've caught the tetras nibbling his fins.....

Another side note.. I don't know if it came from the plants in my beginner package I bought from Dustin or the organic potting mix he recommends BUT..