55g low-budget/high-tech planted tank

I tore my 55 gallon cichlid recently and decided to relaunch it as a planted tank after my 35g hex tank that was supposed to be planted completely crashed and never successfully grew anything due to low light.


The tank will be utilize pressurized Co2 but I will impliment cost saving features as well, including two spraybars I made myself for $1.50 each and the use of 3 6500k CFL bulbs I bought from the hardware store for $10 each. I will also be making a suspended fixture for the lights myself, which cost me only $8. The filters were purchased at a Petco on clearance. The Eheim 2232 was just $7 and the 2236 was $40. All told this tank has cost me about $300.


I'm starting off the tank using the dry start method with Hemianthus callitrichoides and Echinodorus tenellus (pygmy chain swords). The tank will stay dry until after I return home from Christmas in January.


Here are some preliminary pictures from the project. Enjoy!


~Scott

 

hey man that tank looks great! you have some nice aquascaping skills there.

 

looks good but does that wood have bark on it??

 

That looks amazing! Wont the plants dry up if you leave it dry though?

 

its called a dry start. it lets plants absorb more Co2 and get a kick start before you fill the tank. or atleast that's how I understand it.

 

looks good but does that wood have bark on it??

I pulled all the bark off before I put it in the tank but the wood under portions was a dull grey color rather than the good lookin red on the reast of the piece

 

I forgot to give any details of my build in the first post. So...

Substrate: (bottom layer) 64lbs of Eco-Complete black, (middle) 5 cups of Fluval Peat, (Top layer) 20lbs of generic (Petco) black sand

Lighting: three GE 6500k Daylight 26w cfl bulbs in ZooMed minI deep dome fixtures running for 10 hours a day on timers. Right now the lights are sitting on the lids but once I complete the diy suspension system they will be 5" above the glass.

Co2: (coming soon) Milwaukee Instruments Solenoid Valve, CO2 Regulator with Bubble Counter, Spio III atomic glass Co2 Diffuser, and a 5lb bottle of pressurized Co2

Filters: Eheim ECCO 2232 and Eheim ECCO 2236 canister filters with diy spray bars

Heater: Ehiem-Jager 250w

Day 2 now and the tank is holding in the moisture really well. I was worried that with such a large volume of air inside and it being the start of the North Dakota winter that it wouldn't hold well. I guess with enough seran wrap and hot water mistings anything is possible.

Here's a pic from this morning.

 

Excellent start! I am glad to see you went with the dry start method.
What method of dosing do you plan to use? Estimative Index?

FYI, if you add ANY plants at all after you fill the tank. Disinfect them and if possible QT them. I added some rotala to my tank after the dry start method and it had some hair algae in it. Hair Algae + HC = disaster. The HC was just choked out. I ended up pulling all the HC out.

I look forward to seeing more pics, this tank has a ton of potential!
Nate

 

My Co2 system should arriving between Jan 3rd and Jan 5th so after that gets in I will be filling the tank and taking more pics. The HC and PCS are 5 weeks old now and doing wonderfully. The HC hasn't carpeted as much as I expected but the root beds are very deep on them and that's more important at this point. The Chain Swords are growing out of control to the point were I have trimmed some in the dry start.

More news next week!

 

nice tank man, I like the idea of dry start method might have to get that done in my next one!

 

Sounds like you have it all under control. Good substrate, etc. Do you plan to use CO2 before emersing w/ water? I hear that works well.

 

Sounds like you have it all under control. Good substrate, etc. Do you plan to use CO2 before emersing w/ water? I hear that works well.

What does the entale? I haven't heard of doing that before?

 

From what I've read, never tried, the CO2 gas is put into the tank during the day and off at night. Here's a link.

 

Okay. This is really similar to what I'm doing right now just on a bigger scale since the whole 55 gallon tank is growing emersed. Once I have water in the tank the Co2 will be on the same timer as my light so 10hrs of light and Co2, 14 hours of darkness and oxygen.

 

Co2 arrived a week early! Just waiting on the regulator now and then I'll be in business!

Ignore the mess please, all the stuff needs to be organized in the stand, I've been putting this off until the tank was filled and I assembled my DIY light suspension bar.

 

Today is the big day. I'll be filling the tank with water in about an hour.

 

Can't wait to see the pics

 

So as I had worried the driftwood in the tank dried out during the 6 week dry start and is now floating in the tank. Also one of the branches that I had attached to the main limb with reef epoxy came off and is now circling the tank in the current. I'll post pics soon. just waiting for the timed lights to come on.

 

Here are some initial pictures. They aren't great because they're from my cell phone but the wife has the camera today. The HC is pearling nicely already and besides the ludwigia constantly coming uprooted, everything is going really well. I'll post more later so :;hurryb

 

looking nice! I haven't heard of the dry start method before gonna try that next time

 

Looks great!

 

Looks great!

Thanks Cletus

 

looking nice! I haven't heard of the dry start method before gonna try that next time

Thanks! Its really easy if you don't mind having a tank sit dry for about 4-6 weeks. Or having to wrap the tank in plastic wrap.

 

That looks really cool! Well done!

Do you have any sort of lid on the tank?

 

That looks really cool! Well done!

Do you have any sort of lid on the tank?

Yes I have 2 generic lids that the lights are sitting on

 

Looks like things held up well scott! I am looking forward to seeing this fill in.

 

This is a great thread!! Best of luck with filling in the plants now that they are under water.

 

Look fantastic!

 

Thanks everyone. I'm really proud of it.

I have 25 cardinal tetras and 25 rummynose tetras on order through my work that should be arriving next Friday, I get them at cost so all the fish are costing me $75 instead of $3/fish. Also, I should be getting my BN pleco back from my coworker who was watching it while I had no freshwater tanks.

 

Ah man I can't wait to see how beautiful those large shoals look in this set up.

Definitely worthy of being called "ScottsBEAUTIFULandAMAZINGTank" imo!

 

How u fill it without disrupting

 

How u fill it without disrupting

I placed a large dinner plate in the corner of the tank and slowly poured the water in on top of the plate. It worked really well.

 

I do the same thing in my 10 gallon except I use a bowl. Otherwise my sand goes everywhere.

 

Rummy-nose and cardinals arrive tomorrow. Pictures by Friday

 

Tetras didn't come in with the betta order so I'm stuck waiting a another week for fish. Might just go get some neons to test the tank or rasboras; idk. I should be getting my bristlenose pleco back tomorrow night so that's exciting.

I'm still trying to think of a good showcase fish for these tank but I'm short on options. I was thinking roseline sharks (denison barbs) but they are $20/each around here and look very similar to rummy-nose. My other thought was a pair of platinum angels. Any suggestions from Fishlorians would be great!

 

I went out today and bought some Denison Barbs (aka roseline sharks, aka torpedo barbs, aka redline barbs aka redline torpedo sharks, etc.). These fish are fairly pricey in the Midwest usually $20 each but I found a half-off sale at Petco, cashed in some Pals Reward dollars and got all of there stock.

 

Tank looks great. I'm jealous .

 

Nice! That a lot of tetras!

 

Your tank looks amazing!

 

Your tank looks amazing!

That is a huge compliment coming from you Catsma