OT: My new rimless planted 75G tank

[Tomoko Schum]

Hi y'all,

I just replaced my old Oceanic 75 gallon tank with a new rimless one made by OCEA.

The new tank looks great. The new OCEA did a great job. Their workmanship is great (thanks, Joey!) and so was their price (better than Glasscages). They even delivered it to my house and help me set it up just right

Here's what it looked like before planting:

Here's my hardscape with driftwood:

After the initial planting (Front view):

In an angle:

Sorry about the reflections on the glass. I need to remember to take the photos at night.

The tank is planted to have a triangular arrangement, but it is hard to see right now as the stem plants on the left are cut short. Once the stem plants grow and fill in, it should accentuate the open space above the short grass on the right.

 

[_Alex_]

Very nice! Planted tanks are sweet!

 

[hardimanm]

Wow...very nice. When my tank grows up it want to be like that...lol
What kind of lights are you using. I recently upgraded my 55 for a 72 and need to get some better light...any suggestions?

 

[Tomoko Schum]

Thank you, guys. I hope that the tank will look much better in the near future (about 2 - 3 months).

My current light fixture is 48" Coralife fixture (4 x 65W PC - 6500K). I am ready to replace it with a Sunlight Supply TEK light (T5HO). It has a much higher output than the PC fixture that I have. However, my PC fixture is quite adequate for growing any plants including most light demanding plants. I just want a fixture that I can suspend from the ceiling. If you have a 48" long tank with a lot of stem plants, you can go with a fixture like my current one or a T5HO (2 x 54W) fixture. If your plants are shade loving (sciophytic) plants such as Anubias and ferns, you will need a fixture with less light intensity (like 2 x 65W PC's.)

Tomoko

 

[hardimanm]

I am currently using a coralife 2X65 watt pc fixture. Im looking to upgrade at some point. Im either looking to go to a fixture like yours or a 4 bulb t5 system.
I noticed you compaired a 2X 55 watt t5 to a 4X65 watt pc. So would the two fixtures provide similar light...?

 

[Tomoko Schum]

I don't know what kind of plants you have in your tank. Without knowing it, I can only make a general recommendation.

4 x 65 W PC is considered good lighting for a high-light high-tech tank with a CO2 injection system. 2 x 54W T5HO is also good for such a tank. If you don't have a CO injection system and keep only shade loving plants, they you need to consider a fixture with 2 x 55W or 65W PC's. PC's are not as bright as T5HO's.

Do you have a lot of light demanding plants? If you don't, you not only waste energy but also run a risk of creating an algae garden. The higher light with light demanind stem plants also requires CO2 injection and a good fertilization regimen. You need to match the light to the requirement of your plants. Please tell me what kind of plants you have in your tank. We can go from there.

 

[hardimanm]

As for my plants I dont have much now. Im looking to get it nice and pretty again. After the tank transfer and old bulbs not much left. I would like to keep basic plants again. Amazon swords, scarlet temple, red ludwiga, ect.
as for my tank its 72 gallons with gravel substrate. As for ferts I used to flourish, flourish excel, and flourish root tabs. I have 2 one gallon DIY yeast CO2 reactors.
of course the light is a 2X65 watt 6700k pc fixture.
Any plant, light, or equipment suggestions for a semi low tech planted/community(tetras for now) tank

 

[H@rry]

Wow, that looks great! Maybe I should convert the 190 to a planted tank. Thanx for posting.

 

[Tomoko Schum]

Your current light fixture is generally okay for the plants you listed. However, alternathera reinekii (scarlet or red temple) is a very slow grower although it's demanding for nutrients. It disintegrates easily or gets covered up with algae in a lot of tanks in a less than perfect condition. Although Ludwigia repens (red ludwigia) grows well under a moderate light, it needs a high light (4 x 55W PC or 2 x 54 T5HO) and a good iron supplement to retain its bright red color. If you wish to stay with the current light fixture, I'd look for Anubias, various Cryptocoryne, and some ferns. Amazon swords grows too fast and too big for me. A red one (E. ozelot) took up a half of my 75 within a few months.

If you are going to upgrade it to high light, Rotala rotundifolia (green or reddish rotala) is easy to grow. Sunset Hygro is easy and pretty, Hemianthus gromeratus (baby's tears), and Heteranthera zosterifolia (star grass) are very nice and easy as well. You can see all the pretty stem plants that are available to us here. If you want to check out rossette plants or other types of plants, you can go to plant finder and look for them under Plant Type. They list the easy of grow/hardiness as well.

If you upgrade your fixture, you probably want to upgrade your DIY CO2 reactor eventually to a pressurized CO2 system as well. If you can find someone selling a CO2 regulator and a cylinder (I think Jason and Tammi was selling one not too long ago) inexpensively, it will pay for itself in a few months since DIY CO2 reactor uses a considerable amount of sugar to keep the light demanding plants satisfied. I got mine from a welding shop in Decatur inexpensively.

 

[Tomoko Schum]

H@rry -

You can grow large Amazon swords and valisnellia in your 190 and keep a bunch of Discus for Mary Ruth. She may take over the care for you .

 

[Surf&turf]

Looks very nice, alway's loved planted tanks with angels!!!

 

[pickupman66]

that looks really good. I have thought about doing a planted tank...

 

[Tomoko Schum]

Thank you guys.

I used to have angels in my planted tank. They are beautiful when they are young. They school nicely and look so graceful. But "angel" is definitely a misnomer. When they grow up, they turn into a bunch of hoodlums.

 

[joejoe1055]

wonderful looking tank

 

[Tomoko Schum]

Thank you, joejoe.

I am looking for a different foreground plants to go with the right hand side grassy field. I am afraid that I my need to go online for them. Good aquatic plants are harder to come by locally than corals, it seems.

 

[JR's Reef]

How did I miss this thread I seen it on the other forum but cant really post without getting into trouble.

Your very welcome I had fun building it. It was a nice break from the drilling,trim ect just a nice simple clean build. Thanks again

 

[joejoe1055]

i thought about turning my 55 into a planted tank. any suggestons on what type of substrate to use? all i have in there now is your standard pea gravel. i have to hob filters on it. need to get a new light fixture as well. i want to keep it simple and not add CO2. recomend any websites for me to check it out?