Vista 23 gal. noob Build

I have a 1 month old 2.5 gal Spec going now, but this is my first "regular size" aquarium.
The goal is an aquarium I enjoy peering into and where its inhabitants enjoy living.

the Vista 23 comes with:
Aquaclear 50
10.3 watt LED

30x12x18"


Current inhabitants:
-betta crowntail
-golden dojo loach
-1 Amano

I have some plants on the way and it's currently holding only Christmas Moss.

-Java Fern
-Crypt Balansae
-C. Petchii
-C. Spiralis
-C. Wendtii

Substrate is a layer of Ecocomplete capped with a layer of Super Naturals Tahitian Sand, about 2 full bags total

//**going to update this further**//

Tank at 08/08 (stitched a panorama shot as experiment)






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Not planning on CO2 yet, from my understanding the crypts might be able to survive without it. I do have Co2 going into my 2.5 gallon but that tank is a headache... I crank up the Co2 and feel like I'm drowning my fish. I turn it off and it seems the plants die.

8/4



Today I did a half dose of Leaf Zone and placed 3 Flourish root tabs in the substrate. Also added 1 Amano that didn't like my other tank.

8/4
Ordered a 16 Watt LED (TrueLumen Marine Fusion) and will put it on this weekend.

 

Bumping this up for you

 

I wouldn't worry about the Crypts. They are hardy and survive well in lots of conditions. Mine starting sprouting new leaves within a couple days in my tank and I'm not running CO2 and at the time wasn't using Excel.

Do you have more information on that LED light? What are the tank dimensions?

 

Bumping this up for you

thx!

at the time wasn't using Excel.

Do you have more information on that LED light? What are the tank dimensions?

Afraid to use any liquid CO2 anymore...

30x12x18"
just checked and light is 8.4 watts, now I realize that's pretty low for 23 gallon.
I am guessing I need at least another 10 watts...

here's before adding the plants




After pic included in OP

 

reserving this post

 

The plants are degenerating way faster than I expected. I checked the Co2 by measuring KH (5) and pH (7.6-7.8) and I'm sitting at less than 10ppm!!!

I just yanked the co2 diffuser out of my Spec III and it's going about 2 bubbles/second in the Vista now. I know the Co2 is kind of blasting right now but these plants are going to melt and I really don't trust the API Co2 Booster (Excel).

I'll see how the plants do through tonight and tomorrow.


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Also discovered a white fuzz assuming it is Fungus... Going to remove all that I can and see if I can contain it that way.




edit: Ended up taking out the blue tree thing and going to clean it

 

Does the led setup equal out like the t8s and t5s? I thought there wasn't a good rule of leds wattage per gallon since the light works so much more different depending on angle, led size etc.

 

With LEDs, you don't go by watts. You need a PAR reading from the light. What brand/model is the light? Sometimes you can find a par rating online that someone else has already done.
Also, look up some info on growing aquarium plants with leds. I learned a ton that way!

 

I was meaning with the OP as he seems to have a certain wattage in mind with his setup. I conceptually understand the fundamentals, not enough to be smart on them though. I knew most people seemed to have thrown all the old light rules out the window since par is the only true reflection of light at a given level.

 

With LEDs, you don't go by watts. You need a PAR reading from the light. What brand/model is the light? Sometimes you can find a par rating online that someone else has already done.
Also, look up some info on growing aquarium plants with leds. I learned a ton that way!

I was meaning with the OP as he seems to have a certain wattage in mind with his setup.

Not too worried about exact wattage to be honest--I am going for only low/moderate light plants and I'll adjust the Co2 according to that. I just knew that the light coming with the tank was not going to cut it.

1 question... is it better to keep updating the original post or for me to add a reply when I do any updates?

8/06 Update

TrueLumen LED arrived today and I've installed it.
I drilled 4 holes in the hood and used zip ties instead of the screws that came with it.








On a fish related note, the betta has 2 scales torn off that must have occurred today. I think it got caught on the lava rock... I'm not considering removing the rock so I hope the betta gets used to navigating it. It could also be because it's so fat right now, I am having a hard time feeding the Dojo Loach and Cory without the Betta sniffing its way over and expropriating the food. The betta's swimming is impaired when it eats too much so I am thinking I will get some kind of breeder thing to contain the betta when I feed the others.

Also I took out the two stalagtites I got from Petsmart. They seemed to be growing the fungus also... I am thinking anything that I painted with Krylon Fusion is prone to collecting the fungus... really weird

 

So do you have the original light in there plus the TrueLumen? I'm interested in seeing how it does. I have a light that needs to be replaced and I've considered truelumen. What light specifically did you get (6500k)?

 

So do you have the original light in there plus the TrueLumen? I'm interested in seeing how it does. I have a light that needs to be replaced and I've considered truelumen. What light specifically did you get (6500k)?

Yeah both are in there right now on an external timer, the light I got is actually two LED sets on one strip, 12k and blue. So there really isn't much warm light which concerned me at first but the price was too good to pass up; 60 for dimmer adapter and 24 inch strip. It's called Marine Fusion (Arctic/12k). I couldn't find a 6500k or 8000k 24inch for around the same price that would fit into the hood

One of the things I like most about blue light is that I am accenting the tank with yellows, so blue light really makes the yellow pop

Also, I have been noticing some new growth in both my spec III and the Vista. After dosing the leafzone my anubias in the spec is growing a new shoot and I am seeing some stabilizing of new shoots in the Vista across all the plants except the Crypt Wendtiis

Oh yeah, and my recommendation is to get the kits if you buy a truelumen light. The kits come with the adapter and everything you need and it saves at least 30 bucks than buying everything individually. only challenge is finding a kit available that has your size and temperature.

 

8/08

Took out the stupid fake bonsaI because the fungus kept coming back. I took the moss from it and attached to slate that I've now sunk into the substrate. Also, put in this ceramic piece I got from walmart and painted black.

I went ahead and moved my Corys from the Spec into the 23 gallon. Now all that's in the Spec is 1 small pleco and 4 shrimp. I may move the betta back into the Spec eventually, but not for at least a month.

The Vista now has:
-Golden Loach
-Betta
-1 Amano
6 Corys:
-a Panda
-an Aeneus
-an Albino Aeneus
-a Longfin Aeneus
-a false Julii
-an Elegans

I held the Corys (except the Elegans) in the nano tank first, so they got used to schooling together. After I introduced the Corys, the Dojo loach came over and said hello. They are doing well together in the 23 gallon now, except for the Elegans keeping to itself.

Next Cory will be either a SterbaI or an Emerald

Tank Currently



Bud that came with the Crypt WendtiI (seeing growth upwards since planting) I don't really know what's the point of a bud or if it flowers or what... just interesting to see.



The cories enjoying themselves... (Elegans is not around)




growth on one of the Pechtii

 

well the plants are all doing swimmingly (for the most part). the wendtiI bud keeps growing upwards, but it has a long way to go if it's aiming for the surface.

I ordered 10 neon yellow neocardinia today--had been wanting these for a long time and they will be perfect for the tank theme. I have 2 main concerns...

• the betta already picked apart the Amano and it's now dead (I really should have noticed this sooner considering it would just hide and stick to the suction cups). I took it out of the tank to put in the "shrimp tank" (spec 2.6) and although it showed a little life, it didn't make it. one of the tail fins, both of the antenna and possible a leg part were all missing. Really mad at the betta, but that's what it's going to do. SO...
• point 2: I need to be sure I have a really good "betta free" zone in the tank, or at least a place the shrimps can hide and thrive... first comes to mind is a bunch of moss formed into a bush, but I'm not sure if I have enough moss to do that right now. The spec III has a cluster of Flame moss that I could harvest, but I don't want to take too much out of that tank to harm the Shrimps in there currently.
  
  Do you have any recommendations on a 'economical' and fast way to set up a Shrimp Safe Zone in my tank?

 

Your betta is very likely to go after your yellow shrimp, especially because they are so brightly colored and will not be camouflaged. I would try to have lots of tiny structures for the shrimp to hide in where the betta won't fit. Check out shrimp shelters (I think that's what they're called). Moss is a great idea as well.

 

Thanks Kanders, I took your advice on it-the shrimp came in and I ended up sticking them in the 2.5 gal for safe keeping. Maybe once I get a throng of Moss going in the 23 gal, I can have a higher population of neocaridina to put in there.

I did end up kicking out the 3 Amanos from the 2.5 gal because the things shredded one of my weak CPD babies that was having a hard time swimming. I also saw the remnants of a yellow shrimp on the gravel (it wasn't just the shell), so ya as punishment the Amanos were transferred into the 23 gal. They are big enough to fend for themselves, just hoping they get over the water parameter differences.


I have flame moss planted near the left side (its not growing very fast I am hoping they will respond to my new light) I also have some "dry" Spiky moss over on the right side, the lava rock. I say "dry" because it doesn't seem to be growing and when I purchased it, it seemed to be old in the cup.

 

Give the dry moss a chance, it may come around. My "pellia" came like that and now it looks great. I put quotations because I'm not sure that's it's actually pellia. Otherwise, things are looking good! The shrimp will be much mire active and fun to watch in a species only tank