240 Gallon Planted Tank with new pressurized CO2

[TexasEngineer]

I went from a medium light tank with semi regular fertilizing and excel to a pressurized one with more consistent fertilizing. This is what it looked like before the major trim and addition of new red plants and swords (ocelot, amazon, flame, oriental) I have also added some different types of ludwigia.

http://imgur.com/a/8MM5O

[TexasEngineer]

Tree "roots" made from driftwood and manzanita that I cleared from a buddy's property in California. I brought a massive suitcase full of the stuff home.

[TexasEngineer]

[TexasEngineer]

[TexasEngineer]

5# CO2 bottle is going to be switched out for a twenty pounder when I go to refill. I have a praxair custom CO2 dual stage regulator (having a welding supply salesman as a friend is a plus) and I use a welding wire feeder for the solenoid.

Using the Ehiem to power the ista turbo reactor.


I will update this thread weekly to show progress since adding the CO2.

[TexasEngineer]

The outflow is connected to a spray bar at the bottom of the tank on the left side back wall. I have an 800 GPH powerhead towards the top of the tank pushing water across the tank.
CO2 comes on an hour before the lights come on and shut off an hour before they go off. I have air pumps that come on at night and run until about an hour before the CO2 comes on.
A Fluval 406 pulls water from the side of the tank with the outflow from the CO2 and outflows to the side of the tank without the CO2 outflow.
I have a Fluval FX6 that pulls water from the farthest away from the CO2 outflow and outflows to the CO2 side and the middle of the tank.
I also have another smaller powerhead that flows from the non CO2 side downward and to the middle.
Lighting is four 30" Finnex planted+ and three 30" Finnex Ray2. The lights are anywhere from 18" to 24" from the light to the substrate. The lights are about 3 inches above the water. The Ray2's are over the deeper sections and the planted plus over the shallow sections and the tall broad leaf plants.
Lights are on 7 hours a day.

[mredman]

Great information! Can you tell us more about your fertilizer dosing? Your tank looks awesome. I am running a 135 gallon that is about six weeks old. At this time, the tank is sparsely planted with some small fish. I plan to buy a CO2 system from Greenleaf after getting the rest of the tank in order.

Mike

[ptran]

Awesome!

[TexasEngineer]

Great information! Can you tell us more about your fertilizer dosing? Your tank looks awesome. I am running a 135 gallon that is about six weeks old. At this time, the tank is sparsely planted with some small fish. I plan to buy a CO2 system from Greenleaf after getting the rest of the tank in order.

Mike

I am using Seachem fertilizers, nitrogen, phosphorus,potassium, iron,flourish,and metricide (excel substitute). I dose metricide daily, and alternate between flourish and the rest of the fertilizers on alternating days with the exception of the iron which is every three days.

I just ordered a lot of dry frets and will start to EI dose starting next week. I am going to lower the amount though as I only change 1/3 of the water a week.

I am trying to figure out the best schedule and then I will start using a dosing pump from a marine tank to autodose.

This is my first big tank and I have no clue what I am doing sometimes lol. I read the forums like crazy and learn as I go.

Small fish is the way to go in a big tank! I have 2 of my angels in here while their 90 gallon is cycling after a tear down. Other than that I have boatloads of endlers and endlers guppy hybrids, serpae tetras, rummynose, and true siamese algae eaters. The serpae are the best schooling fish and it is awesome watching 25 of them schooling together.

[TexasEngineer]

https://youtu.be/7QJRmwn5EnA

Updated Video of tank with new white sand area

[Ballinxalex]

stunning tank

[TexasEngineer]

Thank you! I am now EI dosing using dry fertilizer from Nilocg Aquatics plus GH booster after water changes. I also use Osmocote and Seachem root tabs.

Huge explosion in growth, I have to trim like crazy now.

[Crush]

Very nice

[ptran]

Sooo nice! Thanks for the video.

[mredman]

Looks terrific! What is the pH of your tank? With CO2, I would think it would be no higher than 6.8.

Mike