Updated and Redone! 225 Gallon Planted Tank Build

[Hamsnacks]

Is the floor concrete?

It's on laminate, which is sitting on top of concrete. I'm curious if it'll do anything to the laminate over time. It's up against the wall so if in the future have to replace some board, not that hard.

Will be posting new photos soon, waiting for the tank to clear up.

 

[Fishmanic]

it may settle into the laminate with time but should settle in evenly (we hope)

 

[Hamsnacks]

Some new photos on the tank with plants.
Disappointed, I took pictures when it was first planted and how empty the tank looked but for some reason they did not save, so can not show the amount of growth of the plants, but it's been incredible how fast they are growing and spreading, did not expect this rate of growth. Still tweaking a few things, starting to see a bit of algae on the glass and rocks, but nothing too serious.

Plant List:

Dwarf Grass
Alternanthera Renicki Mini
Helanthium Quadricostatus
Staurogyne Repens
Ranunculus Inundatus
Weeping Moss

Currently injecting CO2 into the sump right next to the Pump, will be turning it off once fish arrive.
For fertilization, just used tabs in the sand.
The light stays on for 7 hours per day.

 

[Hamsnacks]

 

[Hamsnacks]

For the sump.

Water flows through Filter Floss, then into 2 more stacks of filter floss and sponge, into Seachem Matrix, then some bioballs floating and on the ground, into one more stack of floss and sponge then the pump.
Working on building a lid as evaporation is a bit too much, need to clean up the wiring as well, may also set up the ATO as I have a chamber for it.
Currently using 2 Gyre 230s to move the plants, do believe I'll need to adjust once the fish are in.

Wish the pictures were a bit nicer, don't know how you guys take some pro shots haha.

 

[Hamsnacks]

Fish Stock List:

FOR SURE GOING IN THE TANK:

50 x Cardinal Tetras
50 x RummyNose Tetras
20 x Ottos
10 x Juli's Corys
10 x Panda Corys
10 x Nerite Snails
5 x 4-6" Different Catfish
2 x BristleNose Pleco

Option 1)

4-5 x Discus
Would love to have them. I know many owners have them with Tetras but speaking with an experienced Discus hobbyist, he states there's no way you can give them a proper temperature without putting the other fish in stress. They simply like hotter water.

Option 2)

20 x Different Rainbowfish, probably 4 or 5 different kinds.

Option 3)

15 x Black Ruby Barbs
15 x Odessa Barbs

Would love to hear your opinions and comments on the list, what should I change, add, or get rid off. All criticism is welcomed.

Thanks

 

[Colin_T]

Corydoras and discus aren't the best tank mates due to the high temperatures required for the discus (28-32C). Cories like it much cooler, as do most barbs.

Dianema and Hoplosternum catfish grow to 4-6 inches and are fine in warm water. Both have small mouths and are very peaceful. Males have a longer, thicker pectoral fin ray compared to females. It is usually a different colour too (orange or brown).

Black Lancer catfish (Bagrichthys macracanthus) and bumblebee catfish (can't find the scientific name) grow to 6-8 inches and are also fine in warm water. The black lancer catfish has a smaller mouth, whereas the bumblebee catfish might knock off the tetras at night.
Male black lancer catfish have a penis just in front of the anal fin.

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Instead of getting bristlenose catfish, why not look at some of the more unusual suckermouth catfish like Whiptails (Loricaria sp), Twig catfish (Farlowella sp), Peckoltia sp, or even some of the different coloured bristlenose (zebra ancistrus or peppermint plecos). They are much more interesting and would probably breed in the tank (due to the tank size). They are a bit harder to find but most shops can get them, they just don't. Any young you produce can easily be sold.

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Big rainbowfish will eat small narrow tetras so avoid mixing them together. Smaller rainbowfish will be fine with tetras and warm water.

Ruby, rosy and Odessa barbs will be fine with rainbowfish.

The following link has information about rainbowfish.
http://rainbowfish.angfaqld.org.au/Melano.htm

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If you are going to keep discus, either get 1, or get 6-10. If you have 4 or 5, then 2 will pair up and bully the others. It will be less of an issue in your tank due to the tank size, but it will still happen. Having more fish will spread the aggression out over all the fish.

Discus generally prefer soft acid water (GH below 150ppm and a pH below 7.0), whereas most rainbowfish prefer harder alkaline water (GH above 150 and a pH above 7.0).
Iriatherina werneri and Rhadinocentrus ornatus will be fine in soft acid water and some of the other bigger rainbowfish will be too, but Melanotaenia boesemani, Glossolepis incisus and a few others come from hard alkaline water and won't do well in soft acid water.

 

[Hamsnacks]

I think I have decided on my stocking list:

Plan on keeping the tank at 82F

6 x Discus
40-50 x Cardinal Tetras
40-50 x RummyNose Tetras
20 x Ottos
10 x Blackfin Corys
10 x Sterbai Corys
10 x Nerite Snails
4 x 4-6" Different Catfish
2 x Zebra Ancistrus

Still deciding if I have the room for 50 Cardinals/Rummy, might reduce the number to 40 each as the rocks do take up a lot of space. Switched the Corys to types that can handle 82F as well.

 

[Colin_T]

I would drop half the Otocinclus catfish, 20 is too many, 10 would be better so there is more food for them.

 

[Hamsnacks]

Just some updated pictures and some new friends.

50 x Cardinals
20 x RummyNose
10 x Ottos
5 x Nerite Snails
6 x Discus

Still an empty tank, waiting on the shipment for the remaining fish, but the Discus have arrived and they are doing well.

 

[Hamsnacks]

Decided I just wasn't happy with the tank, not enough going on for my liking. So I did the crazy and took it all down. Was a complete disaster initially, lot of yelling involved haha.

But I think it was all worth it in the end.
Not the cleanest pictures, still have some tidying up to do. Plants still need to be replanted, sand sorted out and filled, and then water filled up and fish back in the tank (they hate me right now)
Decided to take pictures now, just cause I know once the water is in, it's going to be a cloudy mess for a few weeks for sure.

Very happy with the results and potential, looks a lot better in person.

Thoughts? Better or worse.

 

[Ingrid]

So far I think the first tank was better but am ready to be persuaded otherwise. I am waiting with excitement for the new pictures

 

[Hamsnacks]

Tanks is up and running now, need to invest in an actual camera, the pictures are coming out horrible.

Big issue right now are the plants, with the initial build, the plants were in colder waters a few months before the Discus arrived so they established strong roots and were doing just fine with the heat increase. After redoing everything the plants were either ripped apart or dead, and after planting them, they have not recovered just yet.

Overall must say I like the new look more, the initial look was clean and I was happy with it, but this style has a bit more character and the driftwood along side the rocks have really helped with fish that need a place to cover. Just need the plants to fill in all the areas.

Discus have been very calm and don't seem to be bothered by the Tetras at all. Got lucky, the Yellow and Darker Blue Discus have paired up and have fertilized eggs, but they haven't survived longer than the wiggler stage.
Bristle Nose Plecos have successfully had babies, and I don't know how, but the Shrimp community keeps on growing, baby shrimp all over the driftwood.

 

[Ingrid]

Discus have been very calm and don't seem to be bothered by the Tetras at all. Got lucky, the Yellow and Darker Blue Discus have paired up and have fertilized eggs, but they haven't survived longer than the wiggler stage.
Bristle Nose Plecos have successfully had babies, and I don't know how, but the Shrimp community keeps on growing, baby shrimp all over the driftwood.

Beautiful discus what species are your shrimp

 

[Retired Viking]

Wow, That was a major project, really looking nice. I like the hiding places you set up for the fish.