60 Gallon Low Light

[mancin]

I'm currently setting up and cycling a 60 Gallon (48" X 13" x 24"). Filtration is an Emperor 400. I plan on stocking Angels, tetras, and some bottom feeders.
 

 
Arranged drift wood after soaking for a couple of days (sorry for the TV reflection):
 

 
I'm using silica sand as the substrate. I had originally used play sand from Home Depot, but in my area we have a ton of limestone so it turns out there was limestone in my batch and caused my pH to spike far higher than I wanted to deal with. Whoops. Had to completely empty the tank and swap the sand. Wasn't as bad as I thought, used a wet/dry shop vac to get the last bits out. This is what it looked like after adding the new sand:
 

 
As it looks after adding a handful of plants:
 

 
On the left, attached some Java Fern to the drift wood and then one of the Anubias nanas. The other nana is over to the right by the other piece of wood. I then have 2x Anubias heterphylla behind the larger drift wood and 2x Anubias Congensis in the back right.
 
I plan on getting some more plants. So far I have ordered:
 
2x Cryptocoryne Wendtii
2x Hygrophila corymbosa Kompakt
2x Hygrophila corymbosa Angustifolia
10x Vallisneria spiralis
 
I'm also thinking of getting some dwarf sag, at least 2x, maybe more.
 
Comments or suggestions welcome!

 

[Ninjouzata]

Tank looks lovely so far.
 
I suggest a black background
 
What sort of tetras were you thinking on getting? And bottom feeders?

 

[RRaquariums]

Hey awesome looking tank I have the exact same tank size and stand but just wanted to suggest beefing up the stand the one I got I didn't use for my 60 gallon but I put a 20 gallon on it and after a month the stand started to bow in the middle and look like it was going to break hopefully you won't have the same problem but just wanted to let you know.

 

[Ryan10]

Looking good. Nice job.

 

[mancin]

Tank looks lovely so far.
 
I suggest a black background
 
What sort of tetras were you thinking on getting? And bottom feeders?

 

Good idea on the background!

So far I'm planning on doing 8 - 10 Head and Tail Light tetras. If I can find them for a reasonable price, I'd like to get 5 dwarf chain loaches otherwise 5 zebra loaches instead. Also planning on 1 BN pleco.

 

Hey awesome looking tank I have the exact same tank size and stand but just wanted to suggest beefing up the stand the one I got I didn't use for my 60 gallon but I put a 20 gallon on it and after a month the stand started to bow in the middle and look like it was going to break hopefully you won't have the same problem but just wanted to let you know.

Thanks for the heads up! I appreciate it.

 

[mancin]

Added some more plants and a black background. Still waiting on a shipment of plants and then I should be pretty well planted. Will update again on Friday!
 

 

[techen]

Looking real nice too o:

 

[mancin]

Looking real nice too o:

Thanks!

 

[mancin]

Got the rest of my plants delivered a day early. I've been waiting for a couple of weeks for these! Pretty happy with it, but not 100% sure yet.
 

 

[mancin]

Update:
 
I split up the micro sword and added another crypt to the center of the tank. The crypts on the right are sprouting new red leaves.
 

 
Current inhabitants include:
 
5 emperor tetras (more coming)
4 cory cats (more coming)
2 assassin snails
 
In addition to the tetras and cories, I will also be adding some juvenile Angelfish and 1 BN pleco. That will do it for my fish stocking. Plant wise, unsure of future additions... maybe more crypts.

 

[Ninjouzata]

Yay you got the emperors
Would love some up close shots of them.
 
Sounds like a good stocking to me, tank looks good!

 

[mancin]

Yay you got the emperors

Would love some up close shots of them.
 
Sounds like a good stocking to me, tank looks good!

 
I did! It took me awhile to find them (literally the last tank I looked in), but I was so glad I did! I have all females right now. Hoping to track down a male or two. So far they have been pretty hard to photograph. Even tried with my nice camera and wasn't having much luck, but I need to fiddle with the settings. Here's the best one I have so far (from my cell phone so out of focus):
 

 

[mancin]

All of the fish are here. Lots of activity in the tank now. Another tank shot:
 

 
One of the lovely pinoy angelfish:
 

 
A true emperor tetra (these are the palmeri, the original 5 I got are kerris)
 

 
Blue eyed BN pleco. Large enough that I'm pretty sure it's a female as there are no bristles. Was hoping for a male but I'll take what I can get!
 

Edit to add: The Angels are big fans of the Italian Val as are the cories, so I will be adding more of those plants to the tank.

 

[Ninjouzata]

So glad they arrived safely, and soooo jealous of your angel(s?) Absolutely stunning.
 
Love the little blue eye, I have one too!

 

[looking-glass]

looking great fish look happy