60 Gallon cube (planted/low-tech)

Tank: Rimless 60 G Cube

Lighting: Kessil 160WE Controllable LED Aquarium Light, Tuna Sun (first time using this light--I usually run budget LEDs but am pretty experienced with planted tanks)

Filtration: Fluval 407 Canister Filter outfitted with clear tubing, in-line heater, and stainless-steel intake/outflow

Substrate: Aquasoil in rustproof bags under a layer of gravel and decently thick cap of naturally colored sand (MD Fish Tanks style)

Hardscape: Driftwood sourced from local river (I've used before), seiryu stone, coyote skull (detail stones/gravel to come)

Stocking: I have two Blue Acaras (natural, not electric) and a large bristlenose pleco from a previous 65 gallon South American tank I had before I moved. Not sure what else will go in here eventually (def want a schooling fish).

Planting: ??? I have plenty of crypts, pogostemon stellatus 'octopus', red tiger lotus, and a nice sword (think it's a red rubin) growing in my 40 gallon.

Interested to see where this one goes. I originally intended to make a South American biotope, but decided to go with a more aquascaped look. Hoping to get planting soon, and I will do my best to post regular updates.

Looking for PLANTING SUGGESTIONS/IDEAS!!!

 

Tank: Rimless 60 G Cube

Lighting: Kessil 160WE Controllable LED Aquarium Light, Tuna Sun (first time using this light--I usually run budget LEDs but am pretty experienced with planted tanks)

Filtration: Fluval 407 Canister Filter outfitted with clear tubing, in-line heater, and stainless-steel intake/outflow

Substrate: Aquasoil in rustproof bags under a layer of gravel and decently thick cap of naturally colored sand (MD Fish Tanks style)

Hardscape: Driftwood sourced from local river (I've used before), seiryu stone, coyote skull (detail stones/gravel to come)

Stocking: I have two Blue Acaras (natural, not electric) and a large bristlenose pleco from a previous 65 gallon South American tank I had before I moved. Not sure what else will go in here eventually (def want a schooling fish).

Planting: ??? I have plenty of crypts, pogostemon stellatus 'octopus', red tiger lotus, and a nice sword (think it's a red rubin) growing in my 40 gallon.

Interested to see where this one goes. I originally intended to make a South American biotope, but decided to go with a more aquascaped look. Hoping to get planting soon, and I will do my best to post regular updates.

Looking for PLANTING SUGGESTIONS/IDEAS!!!

Super cool concept you have here! I am very excited to see how the execution goes!

 

geez, that amazing watching!

 

Been busy, but tonight I tweaked the hardscape/locked it down with superglue gel.

I also ordered from Buce Plant: 1 mini bolbitis (heteroclita difformis) , 1 trident java fern, and the "buce plant starter pack" which should include include five mini clumps of assorted Bucephalandra.

I NEED PLANTING IDEAS ASAP! Besides the Buce order, I have access to java moss, windelov java fern, dwarf sag, hygrophila pinnatifida, anubias petite (and some other small anubias), hydrocotyle 'japan', plenty of crypts (spiralis, wendtii, parva, etc.), pogostemon stellatus 'octopus', red tiger lotus, and some swords (including a large red rubin or ozelot sword.

I am also interested in trying a carpeting plant and maybe even some emersed growth like a peace lily if anyone has any suggestions. Also trying to figure out what background plants to go with.

Again, there is aquasoil under the gravel/sand cap, so root feeders shouldn't be an issue. But this is a non-CO2 tank, and I only have the Kessil light.

 

Been busy, but tonight I tweaked the hardscape/locked it down with superglue gel.

I also ordered from Buce Plant: 1 mini bolbitis (heteroclita difformis) , 1 trident java fern, and the "buce plant starter pack" which should include include five mini clumps of assorted Bucephalandra.

I NEED PLANTING IDEAS ASAP! Besides the Buce order, I have access to java moss, windelov java fern, dwarf sag, hygrophila pinnatifida, anubias petite (and some other small anubias), hydrocotyle 'japan', plenty of crypts (spiralis, wendtii, parva, etc.), pogostemon stellatus 'octopus', red tiger lotus, and some swords (including a large red rubin or ozelot sword.

I am also interested in trying a carpeting plant and maybe even some emersed growth like a peace lily if anyone has any suggestions. Also trying to figure out what background plants to go with.

Again, there is aquasoil under the gravel/sand cap, so root feeders shouldn't be an issue. But this is a non-CO2 tank, and I only have the Kessil light.

As far as carpeting species go, my fav is Pearl weed, it grows so quickly and carpets very nicely with proper light.

 

Nice scape. Watching this one

 

Wow such a fantastic setup already!

 

Love the scape! I’ve never seen a coyote skull used before lol that’s an awesome idea.

 

Tank: Rimless 60 G Cube

Lighting: Kessil 160WE Controllable LED Aquarium Light, Tuna Sun (first time using this light--I usually run budget LEDs but am pretty experienced with planted tanks)

Yeah, you are going to like the Kessil 160. Those lights are awesome!

 

Love the scape! I’ve never seen a coyote skull used before lol that’s an awesome idea.

Thanks! I got it from a local oddities shop (it is a real skull) and it actually went into my first-ever planted tank--a 10 gallon I had back in 2019.

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My Buce Plant order arrived: 1 mini bolbitis (heteroclita difformis) , 1 trident java fern, and five mini clumps of assorted Bucephalandra. I also picked up a pack of Mini Dwarf Hairgrass (Eleocharis acicularis) and Staurogyne repens from Petsmart.

I also ordered several plants from Flip Aquatics tonight:
Pearl Weed (2 cups)
Flame Moss
Ludwigia Arcuata 'Needle Leaf'
Limnophila hippuridoides
Hygrophila Corymbosa "Compacta"
Blyxa 'Red'
Pogostemon Helferi

All of those Flip plants are new to me, but I am excited to give them a go. Hoping that even without CO2 they will grow decently under the Kessil and with all the nutrients in the substrate (I plan to dose ferts as well). Hoping to get planting on Thursday or Friday.

I still have plants from other tanks I could use, including some anubias nana petite, smaller crypts, Hygrophila pinnatifida, a large sword I can use as a focal piece, red tiger lotus, and others mentioned in my previous post. I actually might have too many types of plants at this point though! Haha

 

Absolute DISASTER!

I was so excited to start planting last night after receiving my shipment from Flip Aquatics. I was worried about the wood, but I had taken precautions: I glued the wood to rocks (and used cotton and glue to fill gaps) and had given it days to cure. I felt confident in how solid everything was, but it turns out that I misjudged just how bouyant the main piece of driftwood was (I collected the piece from my local river).

I started planting and then began filling the tank extremely slowly (over the course of hours). But when I came downstairs to check on the progress, I found utter devastation.

These things happen, but I am crushed. Not sure what I am going to do now.

I could try screwing slate to the bottom, draining the tank, and rescaping to re-create what I had.
The other option is to scrap that scape and go with a chunky, monolithic stump I had in my 65 (waterlogged and stays down). I have attached a pic of my former 65, but the stump actually looks cooler from the other side.

Not sure what I am going to do. I want a great scape, but I also want to get this done. I have a ton of gorgeous plants just floating in tanks for now and I want to use them.

 

OHHH NOOOO< that happened to me to setting up my 55, so sorry!

 

I zip-tied a heavy rock to my piece of wood when that happened to me. It looks bad until the wood gets waterlogged, but I didn't have to redo the scape I had worked so hard on.

 

I zip-tied a heavy rock to my piece of wood when that happened to me. It looks bad until the wood gets waterlogged, but I didn't have to redo the scape I had worked so hard on.

Yes this right here. I had to do something similar. The wife hated it but it kept the wood down and I just pulled the rock once it was waterlogged. I did use manzanita though, and that doesn’t seem to take very long. Maybe a week or so until it stopped trying to float

 

Had to do the slate treatment to a piece of wood in my son's 55. Really, once its burried under the substrate only you know its there. That's the way I'd be going to get it moving back along.

 

I glued my wood to a piece of Slate/ a rock I had lying around, and it stayed down! you can easily hide a big flat rock under substrate if need be