# Update on 75g Rhom tank



## DiPpY eGgS (Mar 6, 2005)

This is how my tank is progressing.. not what I origionally had in mind. I had to add way more plants because I planted too sparse in the beginning, trying to grow in my scape idea from the start.

The left side of the tank hopefully will have more of a scaped look, instead of jumbled plants..


----------



## Sheppard (Jul 8, 2004)

That's amazing!!!

You have one lucky fish!


----------



## BigChuckP (Feb 9, 2004)

What kind of substrate are you using, lighting, co2, ferts, etc? Also what kind of plants are in there?
Looks top quality as always. My 75 has been over-run by bba so I am scrappin' it and trying my hand at a smaller tank, my 38 brandtii tank when I find a damn co2 tank, they continue to elude me.


----------



## DiPpY eGgS (Mar 6, 2005)

Thanks sheppard! I try to give him a good home









Chuck--I am using established Flourite, 25% Onyx sand, mixed with about 10% regular gravel.. I would rather 100% flourite & Onyx sand. Or 1 or the other..
I have 110w PC lighting w/ reflector (2x55w bright kit from AHSupply)on from 12noon to 7:30pm. The 2nd 110w. comes on @ 2:30pm to 10:00. I am thinking of shortening the intense photoperiod by another hour.
I run pressurized CO2 @ around 30ppm. I have a KH of about 4.5 or 5 with a pH of 6.6.
I dose everything daily now. I mix everything 1Tblsp per 250ml distilled water. About 7mls Plantex CSM+B, 10ml Fe, 7ml NO3, 2-3ml PO4, and roughly 10-12 mls K 2ce a week. Everything else is daily. I only change my dosing when there is a problem, or something is high. I test the water maybe 1ce in 2 weeks or so. Only if I see a problem.

I've had to do a lot of work on this tank. Being that it is a Rhom tank, I can't keep many algea eaters in there







although there is 1 SAE in there that he lets live, because I feed him a lot.. (I had 5) 
This tank really needs to get established well before it will equal out. I have to find that happy medium before the algea is totally at bay.

If you ever get bad BBA, try a 1 to 20% mix of bleach and water dip. Hold the plants under (not roots) for about 1-2 mins, and put in another bucket with fresh water, and chlorine remover dosed heavy. Some of my plants had BBA, and this did the trick so I could try and straighten out my problem once more.. lol 
thanks for the comments!!


----------



## thornton_851 (Jan 2, 2005)

if only my rhom tank looked like that


----------



## spree_rider (Mar 20, 2004)

what is the tall plant at the back? and the one in the right corner that is slightly brownred?


----------



## DiPpY eGgS (Mar 6, 2005)

oops, I forgot to tell the plant spiecies.

Spree, the tall grassy plant in the back center is Eleocharis vivipara, and the reddish brown plant on the right is Ludwigia repens-rubin, a pretty hard plant to find!

The rest of the plants are:

Glosso
eleocharis acicularis 
Eleocharis parvula 
Heteranthera zosterifolia
Bacopa caroliniana
Rotala rotundafolia
hygrophila angustafolia
marbled vals
Nymphoides sp. 'Taiwan'
Nymphaea micrantha 
Echinodorus amazonicus
Echinodorus tenellus 'micro'
Cabomba furcata
Limnophila aromatica
Blyxa japonica
Cryptocoryne wendtii
Cryptocoryne walkeri
Cryptocoryne parva
Cryptocoryne beckettii
Cryptocoryne crispatula var. balansae
and the last one I cant think of the name lol..


----------



## 33truballa33 (Oct 18, 2004)

dayamn~~!! hope hes not claustrophobic.


----------



## rchan11 (May 6, 2004)

No need to do anything else, it's perfect.


----------



## Ex0dus (Jun 29, 2005)

rchan11 said:


> No need to do anything else, it's perfect.










Agreed. THIS is what I hope to achieve with my irritans tanks. Question tho, does your guy ever swim around or is he mostly hiding? Im really not to sure how my guys will take to the intense light. And with all the cover not to sure if they will just sit and chill or they will still be somewhat active. BTW, how do you gravel vac? It must be a bitch to clean that after feeding time. I assume your feeding bite sized meat so you dont get the crap all over. Fill us in how we can have a heavily planted piranha tank like that


----------



## rocker (Aug 12, 2005)

wow awsome








ya i agree too no need to do anyhitng else IMO

how much did this all cost u?
(just the plants)


----------



## Ex0dus (Jun 29, 2005)

rocker said:


> wow awsome
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Hes a member of the local aquarium plant club. I think dippy is able to get alot of his plants from clippings from other members. Plants arnt cheap man. LFS will stick it to you. Aquabid is pretty decent place to score some plants for your tank.


----------



## DiPpY eGgS (Mar 6, 2005)

Exodus, I am a member of my local aquarium plant club. I wanted to share with you that therre is a GREAT club for as well, for South Western Ohio as well. the members are generous, knowledgeable for sure, and nice people.
Ya, my plant club offers plants now @ $1 a bag, or if others want it, we auction it off. Plus we help each other out on what to do with our tanks, dosing, algea troublshooting, and stuff. It's worth it to me. I did have to buy some plants totalling about $20. I needed some plants to fill in the tank quick and we meet only 1ce a month.. bad planning on my part...

Thanks for the comments! I seriously put a lot of time and effort into this tank! I am estatic to hear some positive feedback! The overgrowth from this tank will be used in my 75g low light experiment tank (no CO2, no waterchanges) and 1 sanchezi







I have to share this article with you guys, AWESOME info for low light setups!! READ THIS, VERY HELPFUL
I already have a ton of anacharis that I have, and tons of Crypts for it. Plus I have tons of baby Amazon swords growing ATM. Oh, and vals.. and bacopa, and rotundafolia.. LOL

To answer your questions, Exodus, I have a super intense light period for only about 4.5 hrs at the moment, in which he mostly takes to the shade of the plants. He comes out in the easier lighting, he is getting used to it very well! It sure doesn't effect his apetite, he eats like a pig (yes, I use pieces that are smaller so he doesn't make too much of a mess) 
He is used to me coming close to him with food in my hand. I get close to him and release his food 1 piece at a time, so it doesn't get stuck everywhere.. 
I don't truly gravel vac. I use very fine substrate, so stuff doesn't get under the gravel. A lot of stuff accumulates tho, so I just stir up the sediment by using a tight circular motion just above the substrate to get the extra 'stuff'
I already wrote my dosing routine, and all my equipment so, I hope to see some more planted tanks out there..


----------



## nick007x (Sep 9, 2005)

well, well done. your hard work is evident. i imagine the Eleocharis vivipara is not a low light plant--do you know of any grassy-looking plants that are?


----------



## DiPpY eGgS (Mar 6, 2005)

Thanks Nick! I appreciate that comment









vivipara just might do well in lower light, because the stuff grows super fast! I planted it pretty sparse, and it got out of hand in a week or so. 
I had to throw a bunch out already LOL

The thing about that particular plant is that it propogates by runners, and by making new plants halfway up the needle-like leaves... Roots and all. It looks a bit unruly, but I like it..

If you know how to run a lower light tank with adequate low light, and know what nutrients to add, and not to let them hit '0,' and don't overstock your tank with fish... LOL, you can grow a bunch of grassy plants! Any Val, Sagitaria subulata, Echinodorus tenellus, acicularis.. They will just grow much slower rate.
Hope that helps


----------

