# Im getting a new tank tomorrow!



## grogan

So I was at the lfs picking up more neon flame goby's (I cant stop buying these things) and I was asking around about a 20 long. We went into the back of the store and looked through the piles of old tanks with no luck. The owner of course was like "Hey I have a used 180 for $400." After I got done giving him the meanest scowl of the century we went back up to the counter to cash me out for my fish. I looked behind me and sure enough, somebody had brought in a used 20 long that had been used for a salt tank..(dumb I know) It still had the sand in it and a power head but looked ok. After hinting at getting me to go salt I managed buy it for $20. They are going to clean it up for me tonight and I'll pick it up tomorrow. 

The plan is to do a mountain scape planted tank like this:

http://www.aquascapingworld.com/aquascapes/full_view_aquascape.php?item_id=150&plant=

Flora: Hemianthus callitrichoides (dwarf baby tears)
Flauna: 7-10 Paracheirodon axelrodi (cardinal tetra)

Light: Dual bulb t5 6700k mounted 8-12 inches above the tank
Co2: Excel, at least until I get a new dual outlet regulator

I will post pics tomorrow night.


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## Only One Haze

man grogan thats gonna be sick! cant wait to see it!


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## funlad3

Jeez, when you said 180 gallon, I was excited for a second. Just a twenty? Oh well...

Mountains are cool, I guess...


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## grogan

shush you! the 180 is still in the works. But until that day my tank needs must be satisfied!


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## grogan

*ended up getting it for free*

So I woke up early this morning and drove over to the lfs before they opened. Their planted tank is an eye sore so I volunteered to go in and clean it up for him. The first pic is the awesome sun rise I saw on my way there. The tank work ended up taking me a for ever and pretty soon the store was open and there were customers coming in. The owner was there by himself running around so I ended up helping him out for a few hours. Netting fish, talking plants, avoiding the salt water people, and chatting it up with fellow fish fiends. Turned out to be an awesome fish day for me. When I was getting ready to leave he tells me that the tank was free and he also gave me a sumo loach. Then I just had to buy the canister...


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## grogan

A few more pics. The tank was really cloudy so its hard to get a good idea of how it looks. Sorry about the picture quality, they are from my phone.


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## Betta man

Doing a mountain scape is cool! PUT BETTAS IN IT~!!!


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## snyderguy

Mountain scape huh? How does that work. Are the rocks a pre-made background?


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## Only One Haze

Nice pics. Tank is gonna be sweet. 

Off Topic: How'd you get your hands on a MW3 360 already? haha


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## Guest

Only One Haze said:


> Nice pics. Tank is gonna be sweet.
> 
> Off Topic: How'd you get your hands on a MW3 360 already? haha


Lol, I'm guessing ppl who pre order it got them first.
I got my mf3 copy month ago.


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## grogan

snyderguy said:


> Mountain scape huh? How does that work. Are the rocks a pre-made background?


I guess you could do that but my plan is to just take rocks ant arrange them in a mountain way. I usually pull them out of local rivers but with the snow and ice its gona be kinda hard. I have a few extra but I don't like them. Still working on the rock situation. 

Yup I pre ordered mf3 cuz I'm cool like that


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## grogan

Betta man said:


> Doing a mountain scape is cool! PUT BETTAS IN IT~!!!


I don't like betta's...just not my style. Im stuck on deciding substrate. Im really leaning towards a mud tank, or Ada amazonia. This tank is going to take me awhile to fill.


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## lohachata

i think a mountain tank is a great idea...but in a bigger tank than a 20 long...

fish like aspidora albater and other dwarf cories...tetras...barbs...danios...and rasboras will give you a lot of great fish to choose from...


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## grogan

lohachata said:


> i think a mountain tank is a great idea...but in a bigger tank than a 20 long...
> 
> fish like aspidora albater and other dwarf cories...tetras...barbs...danios...and rasboras will give you a lot of great fish to choose from...


Lohachata are you doubting my aquascape abilities!? Mountain scaped nano tanks are done often and I'm going to have one! And its going to be awesome.


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## Betta man

Tetras and corys in mountain scape would be cool! get a sand substrate with a little dark colored gravel.


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## snyderguy

I might just have to try this out for myself. I'm really interested in this mountain scaping now. I've never gone all out on aquascaping but I'd really like to try it. Any tips?


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## grogan

Well I ended up selling that 20 long to a bud and picking up a 29. It fits on the same stand so why not go bigger. I traded the ehime 250 in for a 350..might as well have more filtration. I also bought my substrate today. I bought 3 bags of Activ Flora black (I always go with black, I cant help it lol). 

@snyderguy: I like to look at other planted tanks to get an idea of what I want to do. Im on the Planted Tank forum to and that gives me a good photo library to view. For the most part its about finding good rocks and knowing how to place them in a natural formation...its actually really difficult. Im going to document this whole tank build so people see what goes into it. Her is a pic of my new stuff:


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## snyderguy

Sounds great. I look forward to seeing how you set it all up and everything.


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## ZebraDanio12

I cannot wait to see! Sounds like a cool/pretty idea. i'd love to try that sometime.


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## Mikaila31

Good Luck on your new tank. I can kinda aquascape, at least initially when I first start a tank. My plants grow way too much though and I'm too lazy to do the maintance required to maintain a set scape. In the end they all get buried in the swamp.


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## grogan

Looks like I'm going to be getting a start on it tonight. The plan is to get the gravel in it, put what rocks I have in it, and plant the baby tears. Pics coming as I go


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## grogan

Okay guys so this is what I've done so far. I added the substrate and the rocks. I positioned the rocks where I felt they looked best. Then I filled in the spaces with more substrate and began to plant. The baby tears come in your standard plant clusters and have to be broken down. I bunched 2-3 plants together and added them with tweezers. I used 4 bunches and quickly found out that I didn't have enough. The planting is on hold for the night. Im going to cover the tank with clear cooking plastic to trap moisture and keep it from drying out. Tomorrow I will pick up more plants and finish. Enjoy the pics


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## grogan

second batch of pics


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## grogan

I need bigger rocks


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## Amelia26

looks awsome grogan!!!! i look forward to keeping up with ur project!!!


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## Only One Haze

Looks great, but I was thinkin the same about the rocks...either that or something underneath to raise them up higher.


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## snyderguy

Bigger? Nahh, I think they look pretty good.


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## funlad3

Those are the right size, but it needs more pizzazz. Try incorporating a broken arch. Start with a full arch, and remove some of the rocks. Aquarium silicone would let you do some very cool things!


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## grogan

So 3 for a change and one for keep it. Any others?


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## ZebraDanio12

Keep the rocks that way. Personlly, i like smaller rocks than big fat ones that get in the way. I love it!


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## funlad3

Don't change what you have, just add to it! It needs to be slightly more dynamic, in my opinion.


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## grogan

funlad3 said:


> Don't change what you have, just add to it! It needs to be slightly more dynamic, in my opinion.


Thanks for the idea. Im toying around with this arch idea. Im going for a minimalist look..so I don't want something to dramatic. However, it is missing something. Im in no hurry to fill it.


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## Only One Haze

After looking at this more, I really like it. I would just add some kind of false bottom to raise the rockscape up a few inches. But it looks great!


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## lohachata

maybe some flat rock to raise it up a bit..


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## grogan

Well I just got home from one hell of a long day. Didn't make any changes yet but I like the idea of raising things up. Instead of adding a rock base Im thinking about just adding another bag of gravel. This is an update pic. Looks like my moisture trap is working. Versa top sealed with tape lol. This is actually a very common method for getting baby tears to carpet the tank faster.


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## bmlbytes

Its also a common method of growing mold. lol


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## grogan

It's a common method that I'm new to. I just started a new thread on the planted tank about the finer details of how its done. I think a heat light is installed on the inside of the tank to burn of excess moisture. The tank is then constantly misted to keep from completely going dry. Thanks for bringing this to my attention and I will share the results. Mold would be a great way to ruin a good scape.


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## snyderguy

What kind of light do you have on there?


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## grogan

Currently its a dual bulb t5 coralife fixture.


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## snyderguy

Alright, I'm looking into a fixture for a 20 gallon long.


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## lohachata

snyder...try this place....

http://www.aquatraders.com/24-inch-2x24W-T5-Aquarium-Light-Fixture-p/52121p.htm

or

http://www.aquatraders.com/24-inch-4x24W-T5-Aquarium-Light-Fixture-p/52303p.htm

that's where i got some of my lights from...great price and they work freat as well...


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## grogan

Make sure when you are shopping to pay attention to the reflector. The cheap ones they have at petsmart are poor quality. The bulbs are bunched up right next to another and have very poor reflectors. The zoo med ones at petco have good reflectors but poor bulb selection. They use 22" bulbs which pretty much locks you into their brand of bulbs. Try to find ones that have brackets for hanging because you don't want it sitting directly on top of the tank. Ideally with a 12" tall tank you will want your fixture 12" above the top of the tank. To close and you will soon have problems with algae.

Check this out:
plantedtank.net/forums/lighting/105774-par-vs-distance-t5-t12-pc.html


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## snyderguy

Wouldn't that first link be pretty good for a 20L? I would think 90 something watts would be a lot for only 20 gallons, no? You recommend 10" above the tank? Interesting. I have an aquatic life T5 HO over my 72 long and I've never had major algae problems.


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## grogan

*Update!*

So I did a buch of research on the dry start method and as it turns out mold is a big issue. Considering the substrate Im using already has water in it so the whole "dry" thing is out of the question. In the end I decided that I was happy with the scape (sorry guys) and went with it. I filled the tank, added necessary chemicals, installed the heater, and got the filter ready. I have been running a rena xp3 that I scored on clearance at petsmart for about a month now on my 56g. I also have a cycled fluval 205 running on the tank for surface aeration and as a back up biological filter until the xp3 was established. Now that it cycled I removed the 205 and installed it on my 14 gallon (removed the 2x marineland 100's). This made my 14 look super clean and WAY over filtered. With the extra space under my 56g I place the Ehime 350. Now the canister filters for both tanks are housed under the 56g. There are no visible filters. I added one of the 100's to the 29 gallon to jump start the cycle process. Hypothetically the one filter should be able to support a few fish tomorrow to help get the Ehime established. Here are some pics guys...


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## grogan

snyderguy said:


> Wouldn't that first link be pretty good for a 20L? I would think 90 something watts would be a lot for only 20 gallons, no? You recommend 10" above the tank? Interesting. I have an aquatic life T5 HO over my 72 long and I've never had major algae problems.


There are so many variables when dealing with a planted tank. Are you planing on using co2? Trust me when I say that the guy that wrote that post knows his stuff. This info helped me fight back bba and defeat it. BBA the anti-christ of planted tanks....I hate the stuff. But honestly it was a good learning curve for me. I guess it all depends on how you are going to set your new tank up. With my new 29 Im not using co2 for now. So to counteract this Im only running one bulb in my fixture and will be elevating it according to the chart. The whole point in elevating deals with how much co2 the plants will need to compensate the growth from high light. To much light an you wont be able to pump enough co2 in without killing fish...I have tried, and failed. 

http://www.fishforums.com/forum/aquatic-plants/32484-caution-new-lights-might-make-you-jealous.html

Oh and Mikaila31: you were right lol


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## snyderguy

Sorry, what is BBA? I've never used CO2 before and I'm successful with the plants I have now.


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## Only One Haze

No need to be sorry grogan, that scape looks great.


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## grogan

snyderguy said:


> Sorry, what is BBA? I've never used CO2 before and I'm successful with the plants I have now.


Black beard algae


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## snyderguy

Ahh duh. Hmm.. Here's a question. I've never had a problem with black beard algae but I do have a problem where my taller plants get this silky mud looking stringy stuff on them. I know it's not bba because it's longer than bba usually is. Another thing is that these plants accumulate right where the water spout is for my canister filter. I thought it might be like a build up of grime but idk, what do you think? I'll try to find a picture on google.


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## snyderguy

Ok so I found some severe pictures of it but my bba doesn't look as thick as the pictures. It's more like... hmm, I don't know exactly how to describe it. It's just not as bunch upped, though I also don't use CO2 so I guess it is still a possibility.


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## grogan

Copy and paste a pic of what your algae looks like. Now I'm curious. When I had bba it grew the heaviest in areas of the tank with high current (Canister spout, power heads, ect.) It can actionually get quite long. One time I went on vacation and my buddie who was watching my tank left the lights on for 3 days. The bba on some of my plants was 3". He had flipped the override switch on my timers and forgot to switch them back.


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## snyderguy

I'll get a picture when possible. Maybe tomorrow.


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## ZebraDanio12

I like what you've done grogan....I want to do this now.


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## snyderguy

Here's what I was talking about. I don't think it's BBA but I don't know... What do you think? This is right by the output of my canister filter.


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## grogan

Okay so Im thinking its ether Thread Algae or Staghorn Algae. Thread Algae is caused by to much iron in the water. Staghorn is from high ammonia and low co2. Check out this link, its what I use to identify algae:http://www.aquahobby.com/articles/e_freshwater_algae.php


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## snyderguy

Wow, that's tough. It could be either. I just use tap water and it most likely is high in iron, though I'm on city water, not well water. It could also be the staghorn too. I don't use CO2... Hmm, looks like I might have to put together my old CO2 diffuser again.

When I think about it, this is right near the glass hood, so it's most likely the staghorn I'm thinking. None of my other plants have this but they're also not as close to the surface.


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## grogan

Good luck with it it. Yeah I looked at the two for a while and couldn't decide which on it was.


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## snyderguy

How's your rockscaping coming?


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## grogan

Its on hold. The tank is cycling for a few more weeks. Im waiting for the plants to fill in and more baby tears to arrive at the lfs. Its a waiting game now. Im trying to think of a good bottom feeder that wont destroy the baby tears.


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## snyderguy

Ahh, I always hated the waiting game


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## grogan

Update:
So the dwarf baby tears are dying due to a lack of a pressurized co2 system, and Im getting really tired of dosing flourish everyday. So I ordered another co2 system . With that in the mail I now have the option of adding more light to the tank. So I went to the lfs today and picked up a new light for my 56 gallon and will be taking the old strip light off of that tank and adding them to the 29 gallon. Both tanks will be running dual bulb t5's and have separate co2 systems. Here is a pic of the tanks and you can see the new light on the 56 gallon. It is using the same bulbs but has a much better reflector.


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## funlad3

You just keep spending! Then again, so do I...

Can't wait for the carpet to grow! (Anyone in a different hobby would think that that statement was pretty funny...)


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## grogan

funlad3 said:


> You just keep spending! Then again, so do I...
> 
> Can't wait for the carpet to grow! (Anyone in a different hobby would think that that statement was pretty funny...)


+1 hahaha! This is why I keep telling people that a true planted tank is similar to a reef tank. Kiss you $$$ goodbye


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## grogan

Update:
So I recently picked up 5 scarlet badis, 5 galaxy rasporas, and 8 cherry shrimp. The co2 system is still in the mail and my tank is getting ready for the next planting. I also scored some new rocks to add into the scape. On of them is big so it will probably mean a complete rescape. Ill post some pics tomorrow, im to tired tonight.


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## blindkiller85

Looks great thus far, can't wait to see the final product.

But what about that 180 for $400??? lol


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## grogan

[yt]Irfg-D2U568&feature[/yt]

 blindkiller. I wish It could have been. The big tank is on hold for now. It will happen eventually but not now. Until then I have to settle with this 29gal. Fyi, my office chair is ridiculously squeaky lol.


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## giggitygiggity

Looks good man. Im jealous lol


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## grogan

Well my regulator finally came in today. It is far superior piece of equipment compared to my old one, and is easy to use. I also upgraded from a 5lb co2 tank to a 20lb:

















Sadly (cough) I still want more! My boss and I at the lfs worked out a deal. Im going to bring this regulator and my old regulator in, and then order this!








when I say order I mean...the guy fabricates them and his is already building it for me. With this regulator I will be able to supply co2 to both of my tanks from one co2 regulator. Im about to be a very happy plant boy


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## snyderguy

Wow, that's impressive. How much is that costing?


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## grogan

He quoted me at $380 including shipping.


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## snyderguy

Holy cow, that's expensive


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## grogan

I know right! Actually its fairly cheap when compaired to similar regulators. Cheap ish lol


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## Mikaila31

grogan said:


> +1 hahaha! This is why I keep telling people that a true planted tank is similar to a reef tank. Kiss you $$$ goodbye


I greatly disagree with this, but thats just me... 

$380 is a crazy price for that reg. My reg cost less then half of that and can run 3 separate lines easy. You could even throw the cost of my paintball system in there and its still wayyyy less.

Why are you getting a entire new reg to get dual functions? You could just modify the reg you got pretty easily to give it dual functions or more. On the reg I bought I had him put the normal single port on it. Then bought a $5 splitter from him that gives it 3 ports and is a direct replacement for the single port. The guy that assembled my reg also has similar parts to run 4,6,8, and 12 lines off a single reg. 

This is my reg. It was about $160 shipped and semi-custom built. I've had it for 3 years. It just runs two lines ATM. The port for the 3rd line is on the other side. I prefer inline equipment since its universal and I don't care to have all that weight on the reg. Needle valves and bubble counters are at their respectable tanks. 









In the end I just prefer what gets the job done, does it good, and is reliable.


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## grogan

a-its a stainless steel dual stage regulator
b-it has dual integrated bubble counters 
c-it has dual independent solenoids
d-I like a big flashy regulator with all the equipment on the regulator not inline.
c-it looks like a co2 rocket ship and im getting it 

But hey makaila its good to know other people are doing co2 on here. btw I like your regulator.

As with saltwater you can save alot of money by doing research and shopping around. That statement I made was more towards my own personal equipment habits. I like high dollar quality equipment. Im not saying that your stuff is by any means 'bad'. A co2 regulator is based on personal preferences. Its like a custom built sump for a salty. They have specific features they want it to do and modifications are what makes it fun. Keep in mind that I work at the lfs for equipment. Im trading in my 2 regulators and realistically only spending $150 ish store credit.


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## Mikaila31

grogan said:


> a-its a stainless steel dual stage regulator
> b-it has dual integrated bubble counters
> c-it has dual independent solenoids
> d-I like a big flashy regulator with all the equipment on the regulator not inline.
> c-it looks like a co2 rocket ship and im getting it
> 
> But hey makaila its good to know other people are doing co2 on here. btw I like your regulator.


Yes and all those things are great, but you don't really need any of them lol. I could careless about shiny, my reg is lucky if I look at it once a month. Other then that is in the cabinet and the only thing that sees it is spiders and they don't need shiny. I've found the more equipment attached to the reg the more things get knocked around. Also its all specific parts you have there. I never have major problems with CO2 equipment, but if one of those parts breaks or acts up its a PITA to wrench things apart to replace or fix it. Its also all pretty specific to whatever threads they are using. Meaning you can't just swap equipment around as you please. My needle valves and bubble counters can work on any reg. The paintball one is in storage since I have no use for it ATM but its about 4 years old. Even the solenoid on the paintball reg can run attached directly to the paintball reg, or it can run inline attached to any reg. Single stage brass regs are commonly used and certainly get the job done. I always run both setups to empty. 

I simply prefer function over form I guess lol. Like the line on my smaller 20 gallon that comes off the reg goes through a needle valve then straight to the diffuser. The bubble counter and check valve have been lying on my desk for over a month and I can't remember why I removed them lol. I don't care much for bubble counters honestly. 

In the end all I want to do is grow some damn plants lol. To hell with all the pointless stuff.  I don't mess around lol. 

The reg I have was actually pretty highly recommended on PT.net once upon a time. Unfortunately a quick search just now reviled that the maker of my reg has not been active online at all for most of this last year. Not at TP.net or his own site or forum. No one knows where he is or whats become of him.


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## grogan

lol! Im not trying to convince you of my ways! The seller is top notch and can supply parts. And yes I do need them. My tanks get the best equipment regardless of what you might call "overkill". We like a different style but in the end we are both growing some "damn" plants. My equipment is as much a show piece as the tank itself. I take alot of pride in my whole tank system.


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## grogan

The builder is almost done with my regulator. He is waiting for the custom knobs I added to arrive in the mail. It is taking me so long to fill this tank with plants lol. Im thinking of switching the hc over to micro swords.


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## grogan

Update! So finally I received confirmation of my new regulator being shipped. The total came to $405. It included 10' of pvc co2 tubbing and 2x aluminum check valves. It seems like alot but to me...its a great deal. Anyways this is the last video of my 29 before it is injected with co2 and moved to my new home. 

My land lord is selling my duplex and the new owner wants the lower unit (where I live). It all worked out in the end because my new roommate is the manager from the lfs. No more issues with to many tanks. Although there will be a saltwater tank in my house 

[yt]g00V-DAW9MY&feature=youtube_gdata_player [/yt]


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## snyderguy

So it's time to move?


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## grogan

Yeah my last day is the 10th. Most of my stuff is packed away. Im planing on tearing down my 56 and rescaping it again and starting with new fish. Mostly I will be doing this because its near impossible to net them with all the plants.


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## funlad3

grogan said:


> Although there will be a saltwater tank in my house


Oh, boo hoo! :lol: It'll keep the house temp nice and warm, and the crazy evaporation will keep your house comparatively humid to most of Alaska!

Seriously though, good luck with the move, and try not to break anything important. Okay?


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## snyderguy

Ahh, I hate moving fish. Definitely time consuming and stressful. Good luck though!


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## grogan

My regulator came in the mail....Its a bad day. Usps you suck!!!! Thanks for destroying my uber expensive regulator. The manufacturer shipped it in bubble wrap and wrapped the regulator in foam which should have been enough. Some disgruntled postal worker must have wanted to play football...Well anyways I contacted the manufacturer and he is going to repair it and pay for shipping.


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## snyderguy

Wow, that would piss me off more than anything. Haha, then again.. With something so fragile and expensive, I would have put it in a box rather than just a bubble wrap envelope.


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## funlad3

Oohhh.... That's damaged... At least the seller is volunteering to repair it!


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## bmlbytes

The seller just learned the value of buying shipping insurance on expensive things. If he had it, he will get the money for the broken parts, and money for shipping it.


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## Mikaila31

Sorry your reg. didn't make it. I would seriously question the seller about those joints. Both joints coming out of the center manifold block look really bad IMO. They shouldn't have that light colored material(looks almost like JB weld). It makes it look as if the pipe wasn't even meant to fit that socket. Can you tell how thick the wall of that connection is? The pics make it look really thin there, especially considering the weight on those joints. That would bother the #@!! out of me. For what you paid for it that reg should not have any rigged or DIY joints IMO. If they must they should be properly welded. I've read many DIY regulator builds and no one has ever suggested or used a connection like that. Its very concerning that it broke that easy. Regulators should be able to take some beating, they are not meant to be fragile.


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## grogan

Some very good points Mikaila. After I send it back he is sending me pics of the repair before shipping to make sure I approve.


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## grogan

The temporary setup. My regulator is in the mail. This tanks is taking forever to get dialed in!!!!!! there have been some serious hiccups in my plans.


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## grogan

Im finally done moving!! WOOOHOOO! And Im finally able to aquascape this tank with a permanent scape. Its mostly anubias and micro swords. I have to admit that anubias is slowly turning into my favorite plant. 
















My new tank viewing chair. The beers go down rather smoothly here


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## bmlbytes

Awesome. Did you get your regulator yet?


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## grogan

nope  Its being shipped back to me on monday. So I should have it by friday. Lol its funny because the tanks are not next to each other anymore. Looks like I will be running co2 tubbing over 15ft.


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## snyderguy

That is a monstrous CO2 tank. Wow... How long does that last you?


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## Amelia26

glad to here u got moved in one piece. ur tank i awesome!!! i hope when i finally get mine going good, it looks as good as urs!!


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## grogan

Amelia26 said:


> glad to here u got moved in one piece. ur tank i awesome!!! i hope when i finally get mine going good, it looks as good as urs!!


Thanks. Now all I need is more micro swords and anubias nana petite 



snyderguy said:


> That is a monstrous CO2 tank. Wow... How long does that last you?


Its a 20lb tank. Im not sure on how long its going to last. My 5lb tank lasted three months so Im thinking it should last over a year! When I took my 5lb in to refill they told me I could trade my tank in for $80 and then put that towards the 20lb which was $116. There was no way I could turn that deal down.


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## snyderguy

No kidding, that's a great deal!


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## Mikaila31

grogan said:


> Looks like I will be running co2 tubbing over 15ft.


At least its cheap .


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## grogan

Mikaila31 said:


> At least its cheap .


Agreed. I switched over to being a paid employee at the store so now I cant take home what ever I want. Its back to having to research and shop for cheap prices like everybody else 

update: I added 6 more galaxy rasbora's to the tank bringing my total count to 32! Very impressive fish in large schools. I also have been adding glossostigma to the rock wall in the foreground. If I can keep them trimmed it should be a nice addition to the aquarium. More pics coming


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## grogan

Update: 
Just a quick video of the aquarium. 
[yt]DGEMlwNCCGU&list=UUJUGlP7CDP1F5BHlt0nLa8Q&index=1&feature=plcp[/yt]


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## snyderguy

Looks great! What's the red-finned guy on the bottom?


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## grogan

That is a double red cockatoo ciclid. There is a female in with him but she is shy.


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## snyderguy

Interesting, how are they as far as aggressiveness? They won't eat your plants?


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## grogan

Nope, they are a south american dwarf species similar to rams. Great colors and less common than rams. They do have that annoying ciclid habit of rearranging my gravel.


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## snyderguy

ahh, that is annoying.. Hmm maybe I won't consider getting some


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## grogan

Of course if you have a larger grain substrate I don't think this would be so much of a problem. They are quite small so a larger grain might give them a little trouble.


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## grogan

Update!!!!!!!
At long last my new regulator has arrived and its undamaged....HOLY @#$$ this thing is awesome. (couldn't hold it in lol) As with any new regulator it is going to take some tinkering with to get it dialed in. I still have some questions im working out with the manufacturer but so far I am happy. So happy Ill be making another thread just to showcase this beauty


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## giggitygiggity

Nice! That thing looks sweet!


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## grogan

Update:
Well I raised the light up higher to help with some algae problems I have been having. I also brought home some nice colorful plants.


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## grogan

update:
finally happy with this tank and have let it be. Sometimes its better to stop tinkering and just let it grow.


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## Fuzz

Nice red tiger lotus! When I had mine, it laid flat on the substrate because my lights were too bright. I pulled it when I did the dirt conversion, but kind of regretting it now that I barely have red in my tank anymore. 

I picked up some L. Repens and Myrio Tuberculatum recently as well as stealing some R. Indica from the fiance's tank. If I get that R. Wallichii to grow better, then I'll have some amazing pink/orange/red in my tank.


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## grogan

Thanks fuzz. The lotus is growing out for a customer but I think im just going to keep it. I like how it gets red without massive amounts of iron.


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## grogan

Update:
I know its an old thread but this tank is finally taking off. The dwarf chain sword carpet is slowly spreading. 

Recently there was a sword at the shop that breached the surface and started growing out of the tank. This all happened over night and instantly caught my eye. I pulled the plant and quickly remembered where it came from. The plant is one of those sword plants you buy in the tubes at Petco. I purchased it over a year ago and grew it out in my 56 gallons original setup. When I tore it down I brought all of my plants into the shop and sold them...except one. I forgot about it for 5 months and this is what happened:


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## grogan

R.i.p this tank has been torn down and sold. I needed to downsize and focus on my new project. Lets just say im going all out on this next one.


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