Well iv wanted a true planted tank for a while but my roommates being typical jocks and *******s want the big aggressive fish ( gar, catfish, bichirs, etc.. ) with all that its kinda hard to run a nice planted setup. So now my new idea is turning my now saltwater micro-algae / seahorse tank into a planted beauty for my room. Im in college up in Huntsville so im basically kinda stranded up here with no close (worthwhile that is) LFS to get constant supplies from so im setting up this post from beginning to end so i can bounce ideas off of fellow members so as not to forget anything that leads to another 100 dollar trip down to H-town. So far im at the point where the bio-cube is still being inhabited by my pair of snowflake clowns micro algae and display cleanup crew, iv got to sell off a few fish from my reef tank to be able to move them all over (Big female maroon clown, majestic rabbitfish, Rabbitfish, Saddleback puffer). When thats done ill be ready to make a move to planted.
Now that the intros out of the way this is what im looking at so far as mods wise to the cube itself.
1) New fans, old ones are crap and i know it they need to be replaces
2) New bulbs switching out the 50/50 for a 6700k or something along those lines (would love some input) plus the old 10k is about done. Iv noticed a drop off of algae growth so im pretty sure its needed.
3) Im thinking a dirt / sand substrate but im currently doing research on whats best (Thickness, grain size, type, or combination)
4) Co2 - i know a pressurized system is ideal but im a college student on a budget so im thinking DIY Jello method
5) Co2 Diffusion - iv got a glass diffuser laying around however, iv found a thread that says i can take a little 10 dollar eclipse and turn it into a super efficient reactor/ diffuser that works better apparently.
6) Filtration - Bioballs and carbon filter etc all taken out same with drip plate. Per saltwater standards iv got LR with a light on the back so thats gotta go. I was thinking 2 different size filter sponges with some sort of chemical filtration wedged in bags between layers.
7) Background - I love the idea of having a moss wall as a background but i also saw someone have one of those fiberglass textured rock backgrounds and it looked great i was thinking a possible combination of both.
8) Pump- Iv got an upgrade as is but i feel like its too slow but idk (more research nessisary)
9) Stocking - some shrimp, snails, ottos, small nano type tetras, possible beta, elders, something lively yet zen and peaceful. (havent checked the compatibility of my choices so dont hate on my for that im currently looking around for a nice combo)
Its going to take some time for me to piece everything together on a budget so im really in no hurry. Im also interested in the idea of fixing my outflow pipe to curve around (hidden by my hood) to the front i remember something about flow from front to back from one of Takashi Amano's videos idk though. Also since im wanting shrimp their going to breed i hope and i need a way to fix the inflows to not allow them to slip through.
In the end its still all up for debate, id love input on any and everything thanks for reading!
Now that the intros out of the way this is what im looking at so far as mods wise to the cube itself.
1) New fans, old ones are crap and i know it they need to be replaces
2) New bulbs switching out the 50/50 for a 6700k or something along those lines (would love some input) plus the old 10k is about done. Iv noticed a drop off of algae growth so im pretty sure its needed.
3) Im thinking a dirt / sand substrate but im currently doing research on whats best (Thickness, grain size, type, or combination)
4) Co2 - i know a pressurized system is ideal but im a college student on a budget so im thinking DIY Jello method
5) Co2 Diffusion - iv got a glass diffuser laying around however, iv found a thread that says i can take a little 10 dollar eclipse and turn it into a super efficient reactor/ diffuser that works better apparently.
6) Filtration - Bioballs and carbon filter etc all taken out same with drip plate. Per saltwater standards iv got LR with a light on the back so thats gotta go. I was thinking 2 different size filter sponges with some sort of chemical filtration wedged in bags between layers.
7) Background - I love the idea of having a moss wall as a background but i also saw someone have one of those fiberglass textured rock backgrounds and it looked great i was thinking a possible combination of both.
8) Pump- Iv got an upgrade as is but i feel like its too slow but idk (more research nessisary)
9) Stocking - some shrimp, snails, ottos, small nano type tetras, possible beta, elders, something lively yet zen and peaceful. (havent checked the compatibility of my choices so dont hate on my for that im currently looking around for a nice combo)
Its going to take some time for me to piece everything together on a budget so im really in no hurry. Im also interested in the idea of fixing my outflow pipe to curve around (hidden by my hood) to the front i remember something about flow from front to back from one of Takashi Amano's videos idk though. Also since im wanting shrimp their going to breed i hope and i need a way to fix the inflows to not allow them to slip through.
In the end its still all up for debate, id love input on any and everything thanks for reading!
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