Tropical Fish Forums

[RubberDuck]

Hello!! Its been a while since I've been to the site. I am excited to return to the hobby. I currently still have a 55 Gallon Planted tank with a couple discus. The 55 is running co2 and 102 watts. It is a very beautiful tank and I owe thanks to the community here for the knowledge that made it possible.

What brings me back today is for a new build. Currently where I work is sitting a brand new 220 Gallon Plexiglas tank with rounded corners and an overflow in the back.

I (and the powers that be) would like to set this tank up a Amazon style planted tank, or killifish planted tank. There has been mention of possibly having discus and gouramies as well.

I'm sure there will be a budget for this tank, however I know that they would rather have the tank done right than to try and save a dollar.

I come to the community in search of layout ideas, I have never even thought about doing such a large planted tank before and to be honest I am a little overwhelmed.

My hopes with this build thread is that we can all learn together and the end result will be a beautiful tank like my 55 that everyone here helped me with in the past.

Please chime in, everyone's 2 cents is welcomed.
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"Smooth On The Surface, Fast as Hell Under The Water"

[RubberDuck]

So, I've been watching this thread.. or lack of since I posted it, checking twice a day and no response.. Anyways, I have some of my own ideas that I could share that may spark some interest for conversation. I'm working on this project with another person at work and I've compiled a list of inspirational sites of builds and ideas for the two of us to use (see below for list) and I have also roughly calculated on Drsfostersmith.com the needed tools and supplies for the build..With everything I could think of and most certainly overkill I arrived at a $3200 price tag. That includes the lighting system, Co2 and regulators, reverse osmosis, heater cables for below the substrate, ill also put the list below from the shopping cart..

Inspirational Thoughts

120 Gallon Acrylic Tank Build
http://www.bharada.com/aquaria_120.html

200 Gallon Plywood Tank W/Styrofoam Background
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/?p=vB62265/

DIY Styrofoam Background Instructions
http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/5BbfqS/www.aquariumlife.net/projects/diy-decoration/17.asp/

Discus Tank W/Custom Plant Shelf
http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1nvnpC/www.tropicalfish.site5.com/tfc/showthread.php?t=79757/

An Introductory Guide to Iwagumi
http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/2Je0vb/www.aquajournal.net/na/iwagumi/introduction.html/

DIY Underwater Waterfall (Illusion made with falling sand)
http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/344k0D/www.aquatic-eden.com/2007/10/creating-waterfall-illusion-underwater.html/

Complete Tank Build
http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1YaIak/www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=196108/

Aquascaping Ideas
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"Smooth On The Surface, Fast as Hell Under The Water"

[unissuh]

It *has* gotten fairly quiet around here of late...

Some of those links are quite good - if you're interested in good aquascapes I suggest you have a look at the IAPLC and AGA contest galleries. Should be able to dig these up pretty easily, they are very impressive, especially the former.

If you're looking for an Amazon style tank, I'd suggest to forget Iwagumi and sand waterfalls...the former isn't really suited to having many fish besides small schooling fish, and the latter is hard to maintain long-term. Don't forget a lot of beautiful layouts are set up specifically for that one photo shoot then torn down.

How far are you willing to go to set up the tank and maintain it - DIY backgrounds like in some of your links, weekly or monthly maintainence? Any idea of what you'd like to stock?

I wouldn't worry about diatom or UV filters for now, or undergravel heaters for that matter. Unnecessary expense. If you've got an overflow and a sump, regular heaters & filter material can be hidden out of sight.
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Fishing in the Rivers of Light

[RubberDuck]

Thanks for the reply, to answer your questions, I think weekly to every other week maintenance would be fine. An amazon tank is what I am thinking and with 220 gallons I figured it could be stocked with a good variety of fish from the area.

The ideal tank would be a chunk of an amazon river in a fish tank setting. It would include as much biodiversity as possible. Its possible to even have more rare tank species in this build then usual if there are any??

I was thinking under gravel heating because I currently run it in my 55 gallon planted tank and I understand that it gives better delivery of nutrients to the roots of the plants.

You mention DIY backgrounds.. are those heavy or low maintenance.. and how does algae react to them if there was to be a bloom in the tank??

Thank you for your help!

And others please chime in with ideas, pictures, or suggestions!
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"Smooth On The Surface, Fast as Hell Under The Water"