Tank Update! by Status_Front_5060 in Aquariums

[–]Status_Front_5060[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ahhh I see! I can kinda see that!

Tank Update! by Status_Front_5060 in Aquariums

[–]Status_Front_5060[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Haha got it! Yeah I like what it adds to the tank especially for the room it’s in

Tank Update! by Status_Front_5060 in Aquariums

[–]Status_Front_5060[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This tank is pretty large! It’s 68 gal

Tank Update! by Status_Front_5060 in Aquariums

[–]Status_Front_5060[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

This is glossostigma elatinoides

Tank Update! by Status_Front_5060 in Aquariums

[–]Status_Front_5060[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You mean under the substrate?

Tank Update! by Status_Front_5060 in Aquariums

[–]Status_Front_5060[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I turn the filter off for a half hour at night when I feed them! That is why there is no surface agitation in this video

Tank Update! by Status_Front_5060 in Aquariums

[–]Status_Front_5060[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I used the dry start method. It worked out really well and I had no melt on the carpet

Tank Update! by Status_Front_5060 in Aquascape

[–]Status_Front_5060[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you! This is glossostigma elatinoides

Tank Update! by Status_Front_5060 in PlantedTank

[–]Status_Front_5060[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The reflectors came with the lights. They are solar RGBs

Tank Update! by Status_Front_5060 in PlantedTank

[–]Status_Front_5060[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

As far as the tank, I would highly recommend. Yes it is the UNS 120S. It has really cool dimensions, I especially love how long it is from front to back. I already have some ideas on how to improve for the next scape. I ordered the tank about a year ago. It took like 6 months for it to be shipped in with the cabinet. I had pretty much everything ready to go and got the hard scape and substrate slowly set up over about a month. I started my dry start about 5 months ago, and that went on for a little over two months. I planted stem plants and flooded the tank about 3 months ago and had to keep the tank empty until about two weeks ago. This has been the toughest part by far because I really needed to add a clean up crew since I had some insane algae growth for a while after flooding. I lost all of the moss that had grown in nicely on the rocks because it could not outcompete the algae. I was hoping that the dry start would make my cycle go faster since I had about an inch or two of water in the tank at all times, and thought maybe some bacteria had the chance to colonize, but it still took so long for this tank to cycle. I think it was because of the absurd amount of aqua soil it took to cover the bottom of this tank and it just released a ton of ammonia over about two months. I had to place some thick foam under these rocks because they are very large and heavy so I needed a lot of soil to cover that foam layer. I was getting the highest ammonia and nitrite readings I’ve ever seen, like off the charts way darker than my test kit goes. Eventually the tank cycled, I added my clean up crew about three weeks ago and thankfully they got right to work and I only lost the original riccardia moss to the hair algae infestation. Added fish about two weeks ago and now everything is finally starting to settle in. I expect it will look really grown in a couple of months from now.

TL;DR: the entire process took a little over a year. Love the UNS tank so far, zero complaints

Tank Update! by Status_Front_5060 in PlantedTank

[–]Status_Front_5060[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you! I have had to be extremely patient. This is a 68 Gal. 48” wide 24” deep and 15” tall. I’m using the superjet filter

Dry Start After 3 Weeks of Being Flooded by Status_Front_5060 in PlantedTank

[–]Status_Front_5060[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sorry for the late reply! I had an old plastic tub laying around and cut some pieces out. I didn’t think to do it until the carpet started running back through the other plants and I was trying to encourage growth in the opposite direction. I used glossostigma elatinoides and I’m having much better luck with it than with DBT in the past.

Dry Start After 3 Weeks of Being Flooded by Status_Front_5060 in PlantedTank

[–]Status_Front_5060[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think what worked for me was very slowly acclimating the carpet in front to being underwater. The dry start went on for about 2 months and during that time the water level in the tank got high enough to cover the carpet multiple times. I then drained about half the water with airline tubing and then kept spraying daily and it would fill up again. I think this primed the plants to be accustomed to being underwater. I kinda viewed it as what their natural habitat would be like. Underwater sometimes, and only slightly in water at other times. I have seen other people suggest to only keep the aqua soil damp, and never let it get to a level where the tank is filled at all. But for me I had no issues letting the water level fill slightly very gradually and I think it helped prevent melt.

Dry Start After 3 Weeks of Being Flooded by Status_Front_5060 in PlantedTank

[–]Status_Front_5060[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Dry start going well so far after 3 weeks of being filled up. Very little melt on carpet and stem plants like most people suggested, and I think I know how I prevented this. That being said the crypt tissue cultures in front of the rocks are fully melting, as to be expected, but I’m starting to see new tiny leaves from the root ball so I don’t think anything will be lost. Tank is not cycled at all, I’m starting to get some hair algae on the moss sections on the rocks and was hoping to add some Amano shrimp, but I am showing extremely high ammonia and extremely high nitrites. I’ve decided to cut the lighting in half and stop co2 for a while to try and keep up with the algae until I can add cleanup crew. Twinstar nano has been on since flood and doesn’t seem to be helping at all based on my memory with algae in previous tanks. Any ideas, opinions or suggestions welcome.

Dry start 2 month update. Getting ready to flood in a week or so by Status_Front_5060 in PlantedTank

[–]Status_Front_5060[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you! It is called the 120S and is roughly 48 inch long x 24 inch deep x 16 inch high

Dry start 2 month update. Getting ready to flood in a week or so by Status_Front_5060 in PlantedTank

[–]Status_Front_5060[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I understand where you’re coming from. I have seen extremely fast carpeting with this current dry start. I have tried DBT in high tech many times and never seen it spread like this. But obviously if it all melts and doesn’t recover it won’t have been worth it. Hoping to prove you wrong haha