Jen's 90 Gallon Tank

[Jen]

My other thread was burried like 6 pages back, and there were issues with old photos, so I decided to start a new thread journal thing. Since the tank is finally coming together, I think is it quite deserving of a new one.

The co2 is steady at 30ppm - pH at 6.8, and kH at 6.

I've got the EI going strong. I'm finding most of the nitrates are used up when i top up... I'm putting in 15ppm, and getting just under 5 two days later. The phosphates are depleating much slower; between 0.5 and 1 ppm. I should probably test my tap water to see what level it has.

My fast growing plants are going just that. I picked up some Cabomba last week and it had at least doubled. The back right corner is really filling in nicely now. My val is getting to the top of the water and growing over incredibly fast. I just trimmed it on Sunday, and it has to be a good 8 inches longer. My penny wort is nicely crawling across the front. When I change the water on Monday I'm going to pull the 2 big clumps I have and spread them out, now that I know it's going to do what I want it too.

So here it is as of today, which is officially 5 months old. It feels like I have had it for ages.

Any suggestions?

 

[pseud]

I think it looks great. How do you go about trimming vals?

If I would do anything, I'd move the wood over to the left - but not too much! I'd probably move the whole structure over so that the center of the arch is where the left sticky up bit is now. Maybe not quite that much if it looks a little weird... but then, I know you're big on symmetry.

Anyway, it looks awesome. nice work Jen!

 

[Ethos]

Looks very nice.
Is it just me, or does it look alittle full?
I dunno, If I were you, I'd be very proud, you did a fantastic job.

Does the water look alittle cloudy?

 

[Jen]

Thanks guys.

I trim the val with a pair of sharp scissors. It seems to work on the giant val. I just cut it on an angle. The thinner stuff hasn't needed a trim yet.

Even if I wanted to, I couldn't move the wood. They are screwed to pieces of slate. If I were to move it, the val on the left would have no place to grow.

I know it looks full Ethos, but it really isn't. I wouldnt add anymore plants on the back or sides. The tank is 18 inches deep, and gets squished in pictures. You'd be surprised at the amount of stuff I could still put in there, not that I will be. Maybe just some moss on the wood or something.

The water is cloudy... but it is getting better.

 

[lljdma06]

Tank looks great! Right now mine are dinky, I can't wait to get a larger tank.

 

[pseud]

Mmm.. I really do like that driftwood structure.
You know that imitation is the greatest form of flattery don't ya?

 

[Jen]

Thought it was time for a brief update. I've been slacking a bit on the EI lately, due to my crazy work schedule, and honestly, me just being to tired to remember if I'd already dosed. I'm leaving for a well deserved vacation for 2 weeks, so I figured that if I slipped up a bit now, it wouldn't really matter since it won't be getting any while I'm away.

Here is a pic as of today, and I'll post one when I get back before I do any trimming to see how much has changed. There was a huge change the last time I was away, so I'm hoping all goes just as well.

As usual, all coments and suggestions are welcome... only I wont be able to do anything for 2 weeks.

 

[prankster705]

I don't know what to say... ...except beautiful I don't know what you could wan't to change. It looks just soooooooooooo natural

 

[RYO]

Another very good tank, very realistic. To be hypercritical the only distracting bit is the red plant top left, is it floating?

 

[AndyTaylor]

THat's one gorgeous tank... I agree about the red plant as RYO said but it's still beautiful, the bogwood looks great
ANdy

 

[Jen]

The red plant is a stem, and unfortunately, the name escapes me at the moment. It's been growing like a weed, and I'm hoping that when I get back I'll give a so at selling at bit of it on aquabid, but now that we've had our first frost, I'm a bit weary of doing that.

I'm not going to trim anything before I go... or maybe I should. I don't know. I'm just about to do a water change, so I'll see what I feel like.

 

[Walt]

It looks AWESOME canoechiq!!

Id recommend lowering the light to 1wpg or less while youre gone and unable to dose....otherwise you may come back to a algae attack...

 

[Jen]

It's currently at half strength... 1.2 wpg. I can't get it any lower, but i am going to decrease the photo period to only 6 hours.

 

[simonbrown403]

Wow its looking really nice, its like you've cut a chunk out of a river or something and put it in your tank

Its a pitty some one cant invent a automatic doser, something like a feeder with little cups that you can put your ferts in.

Mind you if you did that the fert mix would probably dry up, with the heats from the lights, but you never know necessity is the mother of all invention

 

[nino]

Looks great. I need to find larger and more driftwood for my 55. It's such a great asset to a tank.