# Roccov12345's 75 Gallon Planted Piranha Tank Journal



## roccov12345

I figured I'd just turn this into my planted tank journal. I often snap pics from time to time and I usual upload when college and work are just overload. Gives me a chance to step out of it for a few minutes.....

Enjoy..

Tank Equipment
75 Gallon Standard AGA 
Fluval 404 Canister Filter 
Eheim 2217 Canister Filter
5lb CO2 Tank with Azoo Regulator
Twin Coralife 130 Watt 6700K Fixtures 260 watt total
Coralife Turbo Twist 9Watt UV Sterilizer
Just added the ADA bubble counter, glass check valve and diffuser

Fauna:
3 Red Belly Piranha (Pygocentrus Natteri)
1 tank raised mutt cichlid (I give this fish all the respect in the world - he's in the tank 7 months to the day)

Maintenance:
1 50% weekly water change adding water conditioner, one table spoon seachem equilibrium
No gravel vacuuming (Fortunately I've just never had to do it despite the many times I've seen people say its necessary)
Estimative Index (Fertz) - With the exception of Monopotassium Phosphates
Root tabs approximately every 4 months


----------



## maknwar

can we get a front shot of the tank?


----------



## Piranha Guru

I would slowly get rid of the stem plants since the rooted groundcover and background plants appear to be going pretty good. I really don't like the long term maintenance of stem plants, but they do look good if you wanted to replace your background plants with them. You need some color in there (too much green), so I'd go with some large red crypts in the midground. Maybe one really large centerpiece and two medium plants to go on either side. Crypts do real well with carpet plants as they are easy to remove or you can let them take over (it will take a long time though). You really could get rid of the background plants altogether if you have a nice background...I hated when my vals started winding all over my 75g because they got too long and constantly needed trimmed.

I like to keep it simple. Short tanks (40g and 50g breeders) do well with a good background (black or rock print), a centerpiece (plant or driftwood), and just groundcover plants with maybe a medium accent plant or two. Standard tanks (75g, 125g) seem to look best with a good background, taller midground plants in the rear, some midground centerpiece and accent plants or driftwood, and a good groundcover (I actually am beginning to like my all melon sword 75g...still need to get a centerpiece though). Taller tanks (65g, 90g, 150g) are the ones that seem to do best with true background plants combined with midground and carpet plants. It is a lot easier though to get creative and landscape the heck out of a tank if it is the only one you have to deal with!


----------



## roccov12345

maknwar said:


> can we get a front shot of the tank?


I'll grab one tonight....


----------



## roccov12345

Thanks for the abundance of info.... I responded to certain questionable things throughout the post in blue.....



BioTeAcH said:


> I would slowly get rid of the stem plants since the rooted groundcover and background plants appear to be going pretty good.
> I actually dumped off a huge amount of my stem plants. The 55 gallon tank they came from was loaded with D Diandria and just could not keep up with the constant trimming. In a week they were stretching all over the surface of the water. Now I just have the two bunches in the corners only for the sake of not wanting to get rid of 100% of my stock. If I find a better spot or idea, I may get rid of them entirely.
> 
> I really don't like the long term maintenance of stem plants, but they do look good if you wanted to replace your background plants with them. You need some color in there (too much green), so I'd go with some large red crypts in the midground.
> Right now mid tank there is a large group of rotala walichi that seemed to have gone through a little shock from the transplant. I'll see if I can get those back up to snuff as they offer a great offset to the green. I might actually look for some red crypts, good idea....
> 
> Maybe one really large centerpiece and two medium plants to go on either side. Crypts do real well with carpet plants as they are easy to remove or you can let them take over (it will take a long time though). You really could get rid of the background plants altogether if you have a nice background...I hated when my vals started winding all over my 75g because they got too long and constantly needed trimmed.
> I do have a background although it's just a black color. I liked the black because it seemed to add depth to the tank if it was sparse, sort of how it is right now. I definitely hear you on the trimming. They've only been in the tank for about a week and already need to be trimmed. Some of them are about 3 feet long.
> 
> I like to keep it simple. Short tanks (40g and 50g breeders) do well with a good background (black or rock print), a centerpiece (plant or driftwood), and just groundcover plants with maybe a medium accent plant or two. Standard tanks (75g, 125g) seem to look best with a good background, taller midground plants in the rear, some midground centerpiece and accent plants or driftwood, and a good groundcover (I actually am beginning to like my all melon sword 75g...still need to get a centerpiece though). Taller tanks (65g, 90g, 150g) are the ones that seem to do best with true background plants combined with midground and carpet plants. It is a lot easier though to get creative and landscape the heck out of a tank if it is the only one you have to deal with!
> Well I do have one other tank but this is the show piece, the other one is a piece of cake so really, the only thing holding me back is imagination. I guess my biggest problem was finding the right centerpiece. None of the LFS' here have any pieces worth talking about. I've been looking for a branchy style piece to run from maybe one side of the tank but I cannot get my hands on a piece. My area is really bad for quality LFS. I'm usually limited to petco and petsmart


All in all, I'm not against changing one, many or everything in this tank. Like I said earlier, it was a sporatic plant job just to get everything in the tank and cleaned up.


----------



## DiPpY eGgS

IF you want my opinion on this tank, I don't think you need much here, and I think all green would work ok too

I like the simple approach, and maybe sloping the gravel off center with maybe 3 big rocks made to look somewhat burried, and jutting, with your short grass all around it would look stunning with your pygos.
Sort of an 'Iwagumi' style
Or you could do the same style with a shorter plant all around the front and midsection, like glosso, or a shorter grass like micro sword, and your grass behind the rocks.

You could do something in the background, or not with that scape. It would be simple, green and bootiful!

Not that it doesn't look good now hah


----------



## No0dles

hey very nice and good info from the contributors


----------



## roccov12345

maknwar said:


> can we get a front shot of the tank?


Here ya go....


----------



## EZmoney

Your tank looks sick! When I see a planted tank such as yours, I get real excited about planting mine.

As for improvements to your tank, I think some nice river rocks would give a good contrast to the plants. Maybe use a nice medium sized rock with some smaller ones scattered around it.


----------



## maknwar

I think it looks fine. Maybe like BioTeach said, a crypt or two in the middle. Other than that, keep it the same.


----------



## jacks

roccov12345 said:


> can we get a front shot of the tank?


Here ya go....

View attachment 182042

[/quote]
looks really good


----------



## roccov12345

Went through a couple changes since these pics....

Before I sold off the background plants...








Latest before some colorful plants....








Added glosso for the 2nd try and some other rarer plants....Now I'll just play the waiting game....


----------



## nixrsix

super sick man!


----------



## jacks

roccov12345 said:


> Went through a couple changes since these pics....
> 
> Before I sold off the background plants...
> View attachment 184423
> 
> 
> Latest before some colorful plants....
> View attachment 184424
> 
> 
> Added glosso for the 2nd try and some other rarer plants....Now I'll just play the waiting game....
> View attachment 184425


looks extra good with the drift wood and the fish, they look really dark 
excellent


----------



## CLUSTER ONE

i think it deffinitly need some hardscape with a nice piece or driftwood somewhere with rocks too. I would also add some plants that arnt totoally green and mayby some moss and ferns on the driftwood. I would also try to make the plants flow a bit more. They probably will when the tank grows in, but right now the background plants IMO dont look like they should be right beside eachother.

I just saw your changes and i would add another piece of driftwood.


----------



## notaverage

lookin good


----------



## roccov12345

sean-820 said:


> i think it deffinitly need some hardscape with a nice piece or driftwood somewhere with rocks too. I would also add some plants that arnt totoally green and mayby some moss and ferns on the driftwood. I would also try to make the plants flow a bit more. They probably will when the tank grows in, but right now the background plants IMO dont look like they should be right beside eachother.
> 
> I just saw your changes and i would add another piece of driftwood.


Yah, it's kind of in the works. I added more than a few red plants to the mix to set off the green, they just aren't up to par yet. I would add another piece of driftwood but I'm sort of at a loss with the P's. As the tank grows in, there is less and less swimming room for the 3 guys in this tank so I have to try to keep hardscape to a minimum. I'm sure others will understand, pygos plus plantedtanks = difficult time keeping things in order. From tearing out the plants to outright destroying things, it keeps maintenance full time.

I didn't realize the pics were so dark...these may give a better idea of the reds.....


----------



## Winkyee

I think it needs a new home..
Are you close enough for me to pick it up?
lol
Nice !!


----------



## Trigga

I like the first pic you posted august 15th... I would have stuck with that. But I have absolutely no skill when it comes to aquascaping so take my comment for what it's worth.


----------



## roccov12345

Trigga said:


> I like the first pic you posted august 15th... I would have stuck with that. But I have absolutely no skill when it comes to aquascaping so take my comment for what it's worth.


Yah, that's sort of my fav too but we'll see what happens with this one. It never looks that great on a first tear down. I'm in the same boat, I can grow plants, I just can't put it together


----------



## CLUSTER ONE

I get what you mean about plants being a pain with p's. Mine practically butcher my swords and vals and probably tim more then me. The swords will probably be taken out soon as whole stems are getting bit in half. At least their leaving my of crypts alone. I eould still add some more wood then there would be less plants as right now the p's still have plenty of height to use.


----------



## ryanimpreza

do not have a clue...looks great no changes in mind.


----------



## roccov12345

I think I'm seeing pretty nice growth since my last update on the 15th. Had a nasty nitrate/ammonia spike this morning (little guy thought it was a good idea to throw up last night's dinner). Anyway, after the cleanup and water change I snapped a few pics.

Enjoy - It's a little more unorthodox than the original setup, but I sort of like it that way....

Was able to get my hands on a nice array of different plants.....


----------



## maknwar

Third pic down, would that be ludwiga inclinata? Also your going to get real tired of trimming a few of those plants, or at least I did. Looks sweet man, it came together awesome.


----------



## roccov12345

maknwar said:


> Third pic down, would that be ludwiga inclinata? Also your going to get real tired of trimming a few of those plants, or at least I did. Looks sweet man, it came together awesome.


Ahh if its the 3rd pic down, the single stem near the driftwood is limnophila aromatica.

Tell me about it, I'm already tired....


----------



## maknwar

That limnophila aromatica will get really nice once it gets towards the light. They get pink at the ends, and look awesome.


----------



## serrasalmuss

now for a stupid question...how do you clean the bottom with all the plants, cant use a gravel vac or anything that i know of or do you just very carfully?


----------



## Piranha Guru

serrasalmuss said:


> now for a stupid question...how do you clean the bottom with all the plants, cant use a gravel vac or anything that i know of or do you just very carfully?


You use a gravel vac, but you just skim the substrate surface in and around the plants.


----------



## roccov12345

Piranha TeAcH said:


> now for a stupid question...how do you clean the bottom with all the plants, cant use a gravel vac or anything that i know of or do you just very carfully?


You use a gravel vac, but you just skim the substrate surface in and around the plants.
[/quote]

^^^^what he said....


----------



## the_w8

it gets annoying thats why i dumped my live plants. Plus mine jus grew like crazy or kept dying. Thats why i just went back to fake plants and I still think they look really nice. but thats my opinion. On the other hand ur tank looks stellar and I love the color transitions. Much better then i could ever do. Plants are definitely my weakness is this hobby.


----------



## roccov12345

Newest......

I needed to make room for the fish. When it gets overgrown, they tend to get a little aggressive with each other. It becomes difficult for each fish to mark real estate. Maknwar was also kind enough to send over some of his E. Tennellus which I hope recarpets the front. (Thanks Makn!)


----------



## His Majesty

tank is looking super slick. great setup overall.


----------



## maknwar

That looks so sweet.


----------



## Wide_Eyed_Wanderer

best 75 gallon p setup


----------



## Demon Darko

^x2


----------



## roccov12345

Snapped a pic yesterday....updated piranha jungle lol


----------



## Ba20

Tank looks great hard to believe there is piranhas in there, you should try adding some Cardinal tetras.


----------



## roccov12345

Ba20 said:


> Tank looks great hard to believe there is piranhas in there, you should try adding some Cardinal tetras.


I know, everytime I bring out the camera they go hide. That's not a bad idea (tetras), I had a few at one point but they only lasted about two or so weeks. I was trying to find some exodons to try but had no luck. Maybe I'll grab a few of those tetras this weekend......


----------



## His Majesty

Quite the amazon rainforest you have going on. looks real lush

i reckon you should buy a buidling ornament and have it nestled in the large plants with just a corner of it poking out. it would look well cool


----------



## Ba20

i couldnt keep any either till i added moon lights, since then havent lost one yet.


----------



## Winkyee

Your tank looks great.









I need another planted solitary serra tank


----------



## roccov12345

Ba20 said:


> i couldnt keep any either till i added moon lights, since then havent lost one yet.


That's a good point......Thanks!


----------



## roccov12345

Quick update, the tank is currently in a transition stage. I just finished up a tough grad session in which I just didn't have enough time to take care of the tank. Stopped fert dosing, co2, blah blah. Anyway tore it down and went at it again. I'll snap some better pics when I finally have it laid out the way I want it.

The grass on the right is going to come out and I may change up the hardscape a bit...


----------



## roccov12345

Few pics of Raekwon (Nick G's RB). My wife calls him Mr. Snuggles :laugh:


----------



## His Majesty

ive always loved the look of your tank. you have a nack for planted setups









i prefer this hardscape with the plants rather than the driftwood. 
if it were me id build up the rockwork a little more. looks really good with the plants growing around it


----------



## roccov12345

Trigger lover said:


> ive always loved the look of your tank. you have a nack for planted setups
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> i prefer this hardscape with the plants rather than the driftwood.
> if it were me id build up the rockwork a little more. looks really good with the plants growing around it


Thanks Trig, I always appreciate your encouragement. When you say build up the rocks, do you mean more, or in different locations, bigger rocks? I'm still trying to find the right layout so all opinions are welcome....


----------



## His Majesty

as in have the rocks taller. so either gets bigger rocks or try securing a couple on top of each other so its higher. or turn the rocks on their side so they stand up taller.

at the moment they are short so the plants will grow over them and cover them up.


----------



## Genesis8

BEAUTIFUL!!!


----------



## DiPpY eGgS

THat's almost exactly what I wanted to do with my tank

Great job, looks great.


----------



## thedude8

great looking tank looked good in each transition.

what is the "grass" you use for ground cover? HM is taking too long and seems like too much effort to get a good ground cover may switch over.


----------



## TJcali

man thats a bichin set up


----------



## roccov12345

Was a little late on my weekly water change as I usually get it done over the weekend. Took two pics of the ugly side of my tank.......









It's getting a little out of hand again with the plants but I'm having trouble finding the motivation to redo it again.


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

haha... it looks like a solid mass of plants

that tenellus is huge, i wish mine would get that big


----------



## His Majesty

haha looks like a huge plant stew of some description


----------



## roccov12345

Well I finally found the motivation to do an annual cleaning on the tank. I removed all the plants and couldn't believe the amount of buildup on the substrate underneath the ground cover.

Anyway back to square one with a new layout thanks to Ryanimpreza.......


----------



## His Majesty

keep us posted on its development

also, are there any piranha's in this tank anymore? all i see is one little fish in both the pics. looks like a puffer maybe not sure.


----------



## roccov12345

Yeah my 3 piranhas are still in there. Hard to see because it was so cloudy after stirring everything up. The little guy is the last of 15 exodons....


----------



## ryanimpreza

you got those clovers laid out just like I described, sweet job. Use fert tabs and they will grow like mad. Keep us updated and I will post pic's when I get your plants. Glad it worked out and keep in touch.


----------



## roccov12345

ryanimpreza said:


> you got those clovers laid out just like I described, sweet job. Use fert tabs and they will grow like mad. Keep us updated and I will post pic's when I get your plants. Glad it worked out and keep in touch.


I separated each one individually so it looked like a T just like you mentioned. I actually have a few tabs left over so I'll put those in there as well. Hopefully the plants make it in the same condition I sent them.

Thanks for everything!


----------



## ryanimpreza

roccov12345 said:


> you got those clovers laid out just like I described, sweet job. Use fert tabs and they will grow like mad. Keep us updated and I will post pic's when I get your plants. Glad it worked out and keep in touch.


I separated each one individually so it looked like a T just like you mentioned. I actually have a few tabs left over so I'll put those in there as well. Hopefully the plants make it in the same condition I sent them.

Thanks for everything!
[/quote]
Im just glad it worked out. If they dont make it no hard feeling, it happens. I will let you know when I get them.


----------



## roccov12345

ryanimpreza said:


> you got those clovers laid out just like I described, sweet job. Use fert tabs and they will grow like mad. Keep us updated and I will post pic's when I get your plants. Glad it worked out and keep in touch.


I separated each one individually so it looked like a T just like you mentioned. I actually have a few tabs left over so I'll put those in there as well. Hopefully the plants make it in the same condition I sent them.

Thanks for everything!
[/quote]
Im just glad it worked out. If they dont make it no hard feeling, it happens. I will let you know when I get them.
[/quote]


----------



## thedude8

really your going to leave us hanging like that? more pictures!!


----------



## Killabee

this set up is awesome but it looks like a lot of work. I had a Humongous hornwort floating in my tank but that thing would not stop shedding into my filters so i just dumped it. I need to find a nice solid floating plant for my tank.


----------



## roccov12345

thedude8 said:


> this set up is awesome but it looks like a lot of work. I had a Humongous hornwort floating in my tank but that thing would not stop shedding into my filters so i just dumped it. I need to find a nice solid floating plant for my tank.


I heard a couple people mention that hornwort was a pain. There's another type of floating plant but the name has escaped me........


----------



## thedude8

roccov12345 said:


> this set up is awesome but it looks like a lot of work. I had a Humongous hornwort floating in my tank but that thing would not stop shedding into my filters so i just dumped it. I need to find a nice solid floating plant for my tank.


I heard a couple people mention that hornwort was a pain. There's another type of floating plant but the name has escaped me........
[/quote]

not at all keep them coming


----------

