Complexity's 90g Planted Tank Journal

[barrettsline]

Let me know how the scaping turns out, I'm in the process of moving fish, tanks, man it's gonna be a busy day!


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I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=29.532119,-95.157880

[Complexity]

Hard to get an accurate count of how many fish there are because the labs move too much to count them all and I can't see how many catfish I have in the rocks. But there's somewhere around 35-40 in the tank right now. I may be able to get a count of them when I rescape later today.

Starting the preparation work to do the rescape. I first have to clear off the patio so I can clean the rocks I have been storing. Then I'll pull out the rocks in the tank and clean those off. Then the fun comes of putting the rocks back in the tank. Last time I did it, I put too many smaller rocks at the base so I couldn't pile them up very high. I learned from that. So I'm going to use some of the larger rocks at the bottom and then put the smaller ones on top. I've learned that the sand swallows the base rocks up so they're mostly to hold the top rocks above the sand.

I'm already tired and I've barely gotten started. Today's going to be an exhausting day! I just hope I don't break my tank!

[barrettsline]

Tell me about it, set my sons new 10 gallon for his eel and catfish, and am now clean the 42 do I can transfer everybody out of my 150, gonna be a long day!


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I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=29.531903,-95.157934

[Complexity]

You definitely have a long day planned! But at least it keeps you out of trouble.

Got the extra rocks power washed. Now it's time to pull the rocks out of the tank and get them cleaned up. I almost hate to do it, the water is so sparkling clean, and this will mess it all up. Oh, well, it's for the best in the long run! The fish will love the new rock scape!

[barrettsline]

I wouldn't say it keeps me out of trouble at all.


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I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=29.532041,-95.157860

[Crude]

Haha, good luck to both of you! I did a minor (very minor) rescape while doing my water change and maintenance. I have some green forming on my rocks, which makes me (and the fishies) happy!

Are you using river rock, or the same time of rock you have in their now? I like the look of the harder edges.

[barrettsline]

I used holey rock for my cichlids, my fahaka and tropheus will get black star rock.


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I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=29.531951,-95.157788

[Complexity]

I'm using the same rocks. I just finished power washing the rocks that had been in the tank. My hands are still vibrating from the power washer! I'm going to take a break before I even think of putting them back in the tank.

I've been wanting to rescape for a long time, pretty much since I first scaped the the tank. I didn't realize how much of the rocks would get covered up by the sand. So all my rock scaping got buried. This time, I'll put some larger rocks on the bottom to lift the rock scape up higher. This also gives me a chance to clean the dead and remaining algae off the rocks.

I feel badly for the fry though. I hope they'll make the transition, but they're in the tank unprotected right now except for the plastic plants so I'll probably lose them. Oh, well, I'll have more. I think they're all lab fry.

[barrettsline]

How goes it?? the 42 is done!! looks like a hospital tank though so there wasn't much to have to redo. Which is fine its just gonna be a temp home until the 150 gallon is up and going and I can move the wifes Fahaka, then everybody will move again to the 72, until the 300 is done. With any luck that will be in 3 weeks time!!!!

[Complexity]

It goes slow! You're making more progress than I am. Although, I had a bunch of rocks to wash. Taking a break now. My back is already killing me, and I haven't even begun to put rocks back in the tank!

[barrettsline]

I feel ya on the aching back!! Moving to fast maybe, but it's done.


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I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=29.531894,-95.157698

[Complexity]

Well, I'm no closer to being done. I decided to change the sand. The old sand was so full of snails, I couldn't stand it, and I figured I'd never have a better time than right now to take care of the problem. So I just got the sand out while my husband is running to the store to get sand for me.

My poor fish. They're so stressed from all of this. But they'll be happy once I get done. Shouldn't be too much longer.

I'm filling the tank with fresh water and want to run the filters to clean things up before I start putting stuff back in. That way I won't trap crud under the new sand and rocks.

[Complexity]

Oh, no! My husband went to get Leslie's pool filter sand, and the guy sold him a different brand. I do not like this stuff. Not only is it darker, has larger pieces, has a higher variance in the size of pieces, but it is cloudy as heck when you add water to it. Thankfully, I didn't put it in my tank. I have one old bag of the real Leslie's pool filter sand from before that I can use for now, but I'm not happy that I can't finish the tank tonight!

[Complexity]

Well, it has rocks in it, but I hate it. I will redesign it again later. I'm too tired to mess with it anymore now, and I think my fish have had a day of it, as well.

I have a different idea of what I want to do, but I need to get some driftwood and get it ready so I can scape around it. I also need more sand. What I have will work for now, it's just not to my liking. It's just a pile of rocks. The fish will like it just fine so it'll work for now.

[Crude]

Let me guess... Contour?

I went to a non-Leslies store (thinking it was Leslies... shh), and I bought some PFS... not feelign quite satisfied after realizing I was at the wrong place, I went to Leslies... and they had the same brand sand!

Long story short, I siphoned the whole tank and emptied out 100lbs of sand (gogo shop vac!) and started over... boo! Sorry! I feel your pain!

Lets see what it looks like sans substrate