Tank Of The Month Winners Gallery

[backtotropical]

October 2009 Winner

Member's Name: Jennybugs

Self-Entry / Nomination: Nomination by Seffieuk

% of votes: 41%

Photograph(s):

Member's Write Up:

This is my Osaka 155 and has been running since the end of June '09.
It was an upgrade for my D-D 90L nanocube so alot of the live rock and corals came from that tank. Thank you for voting for my tank!

I stripped down the old tank and set this up all in one day which was backbreaking work but so worth it as the tank was perfect for the space where the D-D had been.

The tank is very basic. It runs with 4 24W T5 bulbs, a double moonlight led flexi strip, a Deltec MCE600 skimmer which hangs on the back of the tank, 2 Koralia 1 pumps and a Fluval 204 external running with the stock sponges (rinsed out every other day) and Seachem Seagel and Purigen.

It has just under 15kg of live rock and i perform weekly 10% water changes.

Stock consists mainly of small fish - tank bred percula clownfish, blue eyed cardinalfish, a possum wrasse, a pair of watchman gobies, 3 different coral gobies, a hifin banded goby and pistol shrimp pair, a cleaner shrimp, a dwarf boxer shrimp, a black and white brittle starfish, a sand conch, a mythrax crab, dwarf hermit crabs and various snails.

Corals are a mix of LPS,SPS and soft corals all of which are growing very well.

I once said I'd never upgrade, but I can't promise it won't happen again one day!

 

[backtotropical]

November 2009 Winner

Member's Name: BigFairy

Self-Entry / Nomination: Self-Entry

% of votes: 39%

Photograph(s):

Member's Write Up:

My Tank..

It's 5 foot, and it measures 60'x18'x20, Approx 400L
Lighting is a 48' (4foot) t5 4x54 watt, using 2x 8500K groloux tubes and 2x 9000K plant pro tubes.

Filtration is an eheim 2228 pro external, and a Shark 3 internal (which as of yesterday has been replaced by a Fluval U4 to
provide with more circulation)

Gravel substrate, with 3kg of Laterite mixed in. Homemade CO2.

Plants:

Val, 8x crypts, 1 giant sword, lots of Anubias, cabomba, wysteria and ludwiga, and hairgrass

Fish:

1x Bristlenose (approx 4 years old)
5x Bronze Cory's
2x Kribenesis
2x Golden Ram
3x Serpae Tetra
4x Congo Tetra
1x Cuciuos Blue Tetra
2x Harlequin Rasbora
8x Unknown Purple and Red tail Tetra
8x Neon Tetra
2x Cardinal Tetra
1x Black Neon

Tank has been set up since late april. Tank will be left to overgrow for another 4-6 months, and after that will be rescaped.
Possibly may look at a proper CO2 setup in the future.
Thanks to everyone that voted in the poll.

 

[backtotropical]

December 2009 Winner

Member's Name: TetraUk

Self-Entry / Nomination: Self-Entry

% of votes: 40%

Photograph(s):

Member's Write Up:

TBA

 

[backtotropical]

January 2010 Winner

Member's Name: Snowflake311

Self-Entry / Nomination: Self-Entry

% of votes: 33%

Photograph(s):

Member's Write Up:

36 us gal bow front = 136 Liters
playground sand substrate, 65 watt t5 light, NO co2, ferts flourish tabs excel, and iron, filter aquaclear 70 (IMO best HOB filter you can buy.)

plants: watersprite, onion plant,Crypt retrospiralis,Crypt pontederifolia, dwarf sag, Anubias barteri, and hidden in the corner is a small Anubias coffefolia.

Decor: Localy found rocks, 2 chunks of mopani wood, and one fake thing being a bubbleing shipwreck.

Fish: clown pleco, BN pleco, 6 Pristella tetras, 3 OLD redtail rasabora (that will never die), 2 bolviana rams, 1 keyhole, 1 blue acara ( only temp) and yes 1 male betta was going to just be temp but is doing great.

This tank has been running for 3 years and has has been totaly redone from gravel, fake plants, and cheap waltmart decor to this.

 

[backtotropical]

February 2010 Winner

Member's Name: AdAndrews

Self-Entry / Nomination: Self-Entry

% of votes: 87%

Photograph(s):

Member's Write Up:

This is my 40cm arcadia arc tank, it has been set-up for around 3 months now. I have had a few algae issues, some bba and hair algae, which I have managed to get ontop of to some extent. The key to a high tech planted tank is having all of the right components, and not "making do" on something that just isnt as good. I had to save for a while to gather the equipment, but its all worth it, one of the most expensive single products was the Oliver knotts nature soil- at £50 a bag but, the plants seem to thrive in it.

Specs:
Tank:
35litre
40cmx28cmx32cm(high)

Lighting:
3 x 8w T5
7 hour photoperiod

Filtration & circulation:
Tetratec EX600 (600lph)
Eheim 1048 (600lph)
With glass lilys-cal aqua and cheapo ebay ones.

Co2:
600g pressurized system- ran on a solenoid 5 hours before lights on.
drop checker with 4dkh kept at lime green.
Boyu Inline diffuser

Heating:
25C
Hydor ETH 200w in-line

Fertilisation:
JamesC's all in one solution 2ml Daily
AE Carbon 2ml Daily

Maintenance:
1 x 50% water change weekly

Hardscape:
Seiyu Stone
Oliver Knott's Nature Soil(fine)
ADA Xingu Sand

Flora:
Mosses- Peacock, Fissidens and Spikey
E.tenellus
E.parvula
Rotala Rotundifolia
Rotala sp. Green
Lilaeopsis Brasiliensis
added: crypt wendtii green and mi oya

Fauna:
10 White cloud mountain minnows
1 nerite snail
approx 30 cherry shrimp

 

[backtotropical]

March 2010 Winner

Member's Name: Shred

Self-Entry / Nomination: Self-Entry

% of votes: 21%

Photograph(s):

Member's Write Up:

TBA

 

[backtotropical]

April 2010 Winner

Member's Name: Hunterprey

Self-Entry / Nomination: Self-Entry

% of votes: 53%

Photograph(s):

Member's Write Up:

TBA

 

[backtotropical]

May 2010 Winner

Member's Name: MrPurplePickle

Self-Entry / Nomination: Self-Entry

% of votes: 33%

Photograph(s):

Member's Write Up:

Tank:
This is my Juwel Rio240 tank 240 ltrs (just over 60 USG).
It has been setup and running since May2009.
Juwel filter was removed and a Eheim ProII 2026 cannister filter added, also added a Hydor Koralia 2 for extra circulation.
Lighting consists of 2x54W T5 fluorescents.
On for 1.5 hrs in the morning and 5 hrs in the evening.

Plants:
Nothing fancy just nice and easy growing plants
Java Moss attached to a couple of pieces of driwftwood.
2 amazon swords
1 Java fern
Some Limnophila sessiliflora (Ambulia) and Hygrophila polysperma with a little bit of hair grass for good measure.
Standard gravel with semi regular additions of Seachem Excel and Flourish. Growth is generaly pretty good especially the amublia needing trimming every 2-3 weeks.

Fish:
2x Angels ( both female, recently discovered)
11x Serpae Tetras
10x Harlequin Rasboras
4x Dwarf Chain Loaches
1x Bristlenose

I do awater change once a week (about 30-40%).

Its certainly been an enjoyable experience watching the tank and all its inhabitants mature over the last 12 months and I would like to thank all who voted, not just for my tank but all the tanks entered.

Cheers

 

[backtotropical]

June 2010 Winner

Member's Name: Gaz_S

Self-Entry / Nomination: Self-Entry

% of votes: 80%

Photograph(s):

Member's Write Up:

Thanks for voting

Tank is a 125L Community with gravel subrstrate, went for the community setup but after buying rams which are now spawning i have become more interested in Cichlids and would like to set up a Cichlid tank in the future.

Plants - Not sure what plants are in there apart from 1 x amazon sword and 3 x crypts(More planted since this picture).

Decor - 5 x Driftwood, 1 x Coconut Cave, Piece of Roof Slate (Rams Spawn On It)

Fish - 10 x Hengel Rasbora, 6 x Rummynose Tetra, 4 x khuli Loach, 3 x Panda Cory (1 Recently died), 2 x Blue Rams, 1 x Clown Pleco and 1 x Synodontis Granulosus (Bought this from a shop which is know for getting rarer catfish in and oddballs so whether it is a hybrid or not i can not tell, paid £9 for it when it was about an inch. They were also selling in the tank next to it a full grown one for just under £200 so who knows!)

 

[backtotropical]

July 2010 Winner

Member's Name: Bricko

Self-Entry / Nomination: Self-Entry

% of votes: 43%

Photograph(s):

Member's Write Up:

The tank is from MHA and is 380 litre tank with oak cabinet. Its been set up for around 3 months now. The substrate consists of a bottom layer of Aquaclay then topped with Caribsea instant aquarium sand. The plants in the background from left to right are, amazon sword, vallis spiralis and a species of echinodorus which I cannot remember! Lots of various anubius and microsurium on rocks and wood make up the midground plants. The foreground is made up of a smaller species of sword which again i cannot remenber the name Sagitarria Platyphylla.

The fish stock consists of 1 Festivum, 7 Deisoni barbs, 7 Australian rainbowfish, 2 Keyholes, 1 curvicep, 1 False algae eater, 2 Bristlenose plec plus 3 juvenile which were spawned in my previous tank, 7 various cories, 2 Botia strata, 2 African fan shrimp (which I hardly ever see!) and 6 nerite snails (plus some hitchhiker trumpet snails).

I dose the tank with pressurised CO2 and dose nutrients daily with Aquatalizer by ferka. I perform 2 x 20-25% water changes weekly and vac the gravel (where I can get at it)

The lighting consists of 2 x Twin arcadia light units with 2 x 80 Powerglo tubes and 2 x 80w Plant Grow tubes. The lighting period is eight hours for the first set of tubes which come on around an hour after CO2 starts and then an hour later the second set turn on for around six hours. CO2 is ceased around 1 hour before these turn off.

The filtration on the tank consists of 1 Eheim pro3 thermo 2180 with around 1500l ph turnover and 500w built in heater and 1 Aquael Unimax 500 with around 1100lph and a built in UV steriliser. The unimax also powers the Aquagrow reator for Co2 injection for a better dispersal into the tank.

The plants and fish are doing really well in their new home. How do I attach some recent pictures to compare plant growth etc for inclusion in this review. Hope you enjoy my tank half as much as I do.


Regards,

Mark

 

[backtotropical]

August 2010 Winner

Member's Name: MewMew42

Self-Entry / Nomination: Self-Entry

% of votes: 27%

Photograph(s):

Member's Write Up:

TBA

 

[backtotropical]

September 2010 Winner

Member's Name: Ianho

Self-Entry / Nomination: Self-Entry

% of votes: 42%

Photograph(s):

Member's Write Up:

firstly i'd like to thank everyone for voting for my tank.

This is my main tank, which is situated in my lounge. Its been running now for 10 months. It has been planted from the begining, however it has had 3 diferent scapes. This one being the most pleasing to me.

Tank - Juwel Trigon 190, still running the Juwel filter as its main filtration with an upgraded powerhead (1000lph). I'm also using a Koralia 1 to give me just above 10x turnover an hour. Lighting consists of the normal T5's that come with the Juwel tanks, i'm also using reflectors and the lights have been replaced with JBL nature T5's. This gives it more natural daylight.

Substrate - Aquabasis plus, sand and gravel

Ferts - Easylife fert range, Flourish Excel, C02 JBL proflora 602

Plants - Nymphaea stellata, Microsorum pteropus 'Windelov', echinodorus cordifolius, E. tenellus, cryptocoryne wendtii red, Alternanthera reineckii, Cryptocoryne willisii, Hygrophila corymbosa, Bacopa caroliniana, Riccia, Hydrocotle, HC 'cuba'.

Livestock - 12 Melanotaenia Praecox - 6 Cardinals - 4 otos - 5 Cory's - shrimp and snails.

water changes consist of 2x 20% a week.

a few more pics...
at the begining of the scape

 

[Ludwig Venter]

October 2010 Winner

Member's Name: Mattlee

Self-Entry / Nomination: Self-Entry

% of votes: 71%

Photograph(s):

Member's Write Up:

TBA

 

[Ludwig Venter]

November 2010 Winner

Member's Name: Andy-lee

Self-Entry / Nomination: Self-Entry

% of votes: 62%

Photograph(s):

Member's Write Up:

Specs:

Bought the tank for £100 off a freind of a friend first scape was all fake plants or ornaments, but after a bristing nose death in the ornament i decided to change to real plants and hardscapes,

How it started

Decied to go planted

Winning Pic

How it is now

Not lookinmg its best atm but im starting to does new ferts and easycarb so hopefully it should pick back up soon

Tank:
180litre

Lighting:
2 x 30w T8
On for 6.5 hours

Filtration & circulation:
AquaOne 1050 External filter (1050 lph)
Koralia 900 Powerhead (900 lph)

Co2:
None at the time of win but now doesed with liquid EasyCarbo

Heating:
AquaOne 200w heater

Fertilisation:
Under gravel pond sticks spread around the tank
Dosed with 20ml API Leaf Zone once a week

Maintenance:
30% water change every week

Hardscape:
Redmoor wood
Bog Wood
2 black stones (not sure on type)

Flora:
Unsure on alot of the plant names im affraid,
Java Moss
Riccia

Fauna:
2 Angel fish
2 Bolivion Rams
10 Harlequin rasbora
1 Bristlenose
1 L018 Golden Nugget Plec
5 Albino Cory's
7 Amano shrimp
2 Armourd Shrip
2 Zebra Snails

 

[Ludwig Venter]

December 2010 Winner

Member's Name: Jamepsss

Self-Entry / Nomination: Self-Entry

% of votes: 30%

Photograph(s):

Member's Write Up:

This is a low-tech set-up Fluval Roma 200. All the plants are fairly easy and fast growing species in order to get the jungle effect I was looking for. The tank is primarily for Rainbowfish with a few other species mixed in.

Specs at the time of the entry were as follows:

Tank: 200 Litre/53 US gallon

Lighting: 2 x 30w T8 (8 hours per day)

Filtration: Fluval 305 external

Substrate: JBL Aquabasis capped with Argos Playsand

Ferts: None

C02: None

Hardscape: Redmoor/Sumatra/Mopani woods

Plants: Hygrophila Difformis, Hygrophila Angustifolia, Java Fern, Christmas Moss, Dwarf Sag

Fauna: 7 Assorted male Rainbows, 5 Congo Tetras, 10 rummynose Tetra, 1 Angelfish, 1 Bolivian ram & some cories.

This tank has had it's fair share of algae issues/rescapes/stock changes/equipment changes etc etc. You can follow it on my journal in the planted section My 200L Journal