Colorado - 140Ltr Opti-White

[SuperColey1]

Technical Specs:
140 litre Opti-white aquarium (L 80cm, H 45cm, D 40cm)
Eheim 2224 external cannister filter
DIY 18 x 3W Luminaire (8 hours per day)
CO2 - Pressurised with UP inline atomiser

Fertilisation 5ml Lush Max daily
Plants: Micranthemum 'Monte Carlo', Hydrocotyle Tripiarta, Ammania Bonsoi, Staurogyne Repens, Anubias Barteri v Nana, Microsorum Pteropus 'Needle', Rotala Rotundifolia, Rotala sp Green, Ranunculus Inundata.
Substrate: Akadama
Hardscape - Manzanita Wood 
 
Long time since I've done a larger sized scape.  In fact this Optiwhite has been waiting in my lounge since I bought it in April 2012 

  I am finally scaping it though.
 
I got my hardscape sort of decided and had a play and came out with the setup below.  It is all the same setup from 3 differing angles.  Ignore the Lava rock.  I used it just to 'emulate' the height I will have in the rear of the tank.  This scape will be purely Manzanita with Greenery hiding most of it apart from the 'sticky out' bits.
 
You'll also have to ignore the cable ties.  they were just there to play.  the pieces will be screwed together for the final setup.
 
I am aiming for 2 large mounds in the rear corners, sloping to a valley in the centre and front areas. There will be no visible substrate on this scape and much of the wood will eventually be hidden by the Needle Fern. With this in mind the actual hardscape may look a little overpowering on it's own but I am having to envisage which sections will be visible once it is grown in.
 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 

The basic plan of which plants I want and where.  For Rhizome plants I've just marked where their rhizomes would be as if I put where their leaves will be you wouldn't see much of the rest of the plan 

  A couple of 'undecideds' yet but here is the provisional plan:
 
 

I've added a few bits of wood to the initial arrangement because once grown in it was going to look a bit empty (IMO) in some areas.  Might look a bit busy at the moment with no plants in.
 
 
I've also added in some substrate.  Not all of it because I've got to stick supports in before adding more as it will just slide down.  I haven't finished the light for this tank yet so just the brackets are on the tank.  The cabinet is finished though 

 
 

After another 10 months of laziness this aquarium was left with just the substrate and hardscape until today, when I finally decided to force myself to get on with it. Motivation has been a huge problem for me over recent years due to many things as well as general finances being tight since the recession hit.

So I decided to flood the aquarium gradually a couple of weeks ago. This was so that the wood wouldn't float up. Then I left the aquarium full for a week to let the wood fully soak before draining it today right down to the foreground substrate level (and test for leaks.)

Initially I only have the 'monte carlo' and some Hydrocotyle Tripiarta to hand so I laid the monte carlo down and then planted some small groups of Tripiarta.

I am using the dry start method (DSM) for this aquascape so for the next 4 weeks it will be emersed growth.

I have the Staurogyne, Ammania and Ranunculus on order so as they arrive they will be planted and will get 3 weeks or so of the emersed period.

Once the 4 weeks are up I will attach the ferns and anubias before flooding the aquarium at which point I will plant the Rotala Rotundifolia and sp Green in the rear corners.

I have also ordered 2 pieces of 12mm thick clear acrylic to make a 'lid' for the tank. I love the open look on a tank but with a 3 year old in the house that is just too tempting for toys getting swimming lessons. The acrylic has to be thick because it does warp quite easily. The acrylic will be routed so that it rests securely on the rim of the aquarium.

The final item I need to get is a new Fire Extinguisher for CO2.

The last part of this update is that I am considering going shrimp only with this aquascape. I am thinking of letting Crystal Red Shrimp take the aquarium over which will also mean leaving the aquarium at ambient temperature. I might get some coldwater fish to go in with them but haven't decided on that yet.

I will post up an update after each plant arrives and is planted. 

I not only have to fight a lack of motivation to keep on top of this aquarium. I also have to fight my way past a 40kg greyhound!!! His name is Louis and doesn't like being disturbed from his all day sleep.
 

 

 

 

 
 
I not only have to fight a lack of motivation to keep on top of this aquarium. I also have to fight my way past a 40kg greyhound!!! His name is Louis and doesn't like being disturbed from his all day sleep.
 

 

 

 
 

 

[AquaPit]

Wow! I love the lights! Love the wood! Love the tank! Love it!

C'mon! Get motivated! hahaha.. I am sure this will turn out gorgeous!

Cant wait!

 

[Ch4rlie]

Sweet set up.
 
Love the dog pics
 
Liking it, whats the plans regarding stocking?

 

[SuperColey1]

Liking it, whats the plans regarding stocking?

 
Not sure whether it will be shrimp only or if it will have fish as well.  Going to run it ambient so approx 21C so if I do add fish they will have to be lower temp ones.

 

[SuperColey1]

A quick update. The 'monte carlo' and Tripiarta has had 6 days of the DSM and now I have planted Staurogyne Repens, Ranunculous Inundata, Ammania Bonsoi and a couple of other plants I impulsivley added just to try which are Proserpinaca Plustria and Hemianthus Micranthemoides. Will update again after week 2.
 
The dog thinks that its a sunbed.
 

 

 

 

 

 

[SuperColey1]

The aquascape has now completed 3 weeks of the dry start method. All the plants that are actually planted in the substrate are in place now.
 
All that is left to do when the DSM stage finishes is to attach the ferns and anubias.
 
It will probably end up being a 5 or 6 week DSM because I haven't bought the CO2 yet and have yet to route the perspex lid which is vital to stop little children giving their toys the float test.
 
The dog is trying different positions all the time to block access.
 

 

 

 

 

[LyraGuppi]

Following.
Love your dog, BTW.

 

[Ch4rlie]

Tank turning out real nice
 
Does that dog ever go anywhere else?

 

[Flash_Fire]

Lovely tank! Lovely dog as well!

 

[SuperColey1]

Tank turning out real nice

 
Does that dog ever go anywhere else?

Thanks for the comments guys
 
He goes somewhere else only when he is being walked twice a day for 20 minutes and when he hears the food coming out.  The rest he sleeps  Thats what greyhounds do.  Skinny legs supporting 40kg must be tiring.
 
I'll try and take a pic when he isn't there

 

[Zikofski]

love this tank, i am very interested in this DSM you are doing, how are you doing this, is there any maintenance on the plants doing it this way, is there any special equipment i have seen people grow plants emersed using a mister? also will these plants not melt or die back once emersed? 
 
sorry for the amount of questions, i do love your LED lights as i said in your other post I'm making my own similar but not the same, using MDF wood in the middle instead of acrylic and more of a boxy sure design than curved like yours, my skills far lack i think at the moment good learning curve tho and it is interesting i will paint mine white as well and my heatsinks are copper in colour so should be interesting again thank you for the inspiration great work

 

[daizeUK]

Great to see you posting here again, SuperColey!    Tank looks very promising!

 

[SuperColey1]

love this tank, i am very interested in this DSM you are doing, how are you doing this, is there any maintenance on the plants doing it this way, is there any special equipment i have seen people grow plants emersed using a mister? also will these plants not melt or die back once emersed? 
 
sorry for the amount of questions, i do love your LED lights as i said in your other post I'm making my own similar but not the same, using MDF wood in the middle instead of acrylic and more of a boxy sure design than curved like yours, my skills far lack i think at the moment good learning curve tho and it is interesting i will paint mine white as well and my heatsinks are copper in colour so should be interesting again thank you for the inspiration

great work

Its pretty simple.  The whole tank was flooded with tap water for a day.  The Akadama soaks up all the nutrients and everything else virtually in the water.  Then water siphoned out and planting commenced.
 
Then lights on for 14 hours a day and covered with clear poly taped in a few places so a teeny bit of air can get in.
 
The monte carlo wasn't really planted.  It was just laid on the substrate and gently pushed into contact.  The rest was planted as you normally would.
 
Its nearly 4 weeks now since the original monte carlo was planted and there are yellowy bits.  That is because I bought this off someone who had it underwater so I am reversing that process.  Much smaller leaves are appearing and it is looking very lush now.
 
The rest of the plants are fine too.  Wood has some white beardy fungus / mould growing on it but fish and shrimp will eat this.
 
Will probably be another 2 weeks yet because I still haven't bought the fire extinguisher and am awaiting a new router to do the lip of the acrylic lid(s)
 
Nothing special been done.  Just sprayed it once a week with a mister and then covered it up again.
 
They will probably melt or die back but will have established a very good root structure so should pick up very very quickly.
 
 
 
 

Great to see you posting here again, SuperColey!    Tank looks very promising!

Been a while.  Motivation is not something I'm good at maintaining

 especially if things slow me down...like money..........or family needs......or countries economies in crisis. lol

 

[SuperColey1]

Well so much for the 4 or 5 week dry start plan. As usual my laziness and motivation played a factor here but about a week ago I finally decorated behind the aquarium which then left me free to get on with things.
 
So finally the DSM ends and the aquarium is flooded after 9 weeks and 2 days of emersed growth.I finally introduced water to the scape.
 
Just a couple of pictures to show here before I flooded. I will update with pictures post flooding later this week.
 

 

 

[SuperColey1]

On the 19th I filled this tank. Before filling I glued some anubias and microsorum pteropus var narrow onto the branches. I am always extremely tight with ferns at the startup. The anubias came from my shrimp tanks and I bought the narrow fern from Aqua Essentials
 
There is no need really to put loads in. I find it better to add it sparsely, which in turn lets everything else that will eventually have some shading, get enough light at the beginning. So in this setup there has been one single pot added. Over the next couple of months it will find it's way along the branches and thicken up into a nice bushy mass.
 
So 2 days after I took these pictures. There is purigen in the filter and the CO2 is only on 1bps or so but the DC is yellow through most of the photoperiod and the monte carlo pearls like champagne for most of it too.