Cliff's 90 Gallon Planted Tank Journal

**Cliff** · 03-16-2013, 03:34 AM

I’ve decided to step up my game a little here. This is my journal for my first attempt at a high demanding planted tank. I have always wanted to do this, for a very long time now. The only thing that has held me back in the past was the fact the LFS around here have very poor quality plants and ordering them on line is not a option for me with all the travel and time away from home during the week days. I always kept my planted tanks very basic with low demanding plants just for that reason. Here’s a pic just before I removed all the vals and gave them to my dad for his tank.

Now that one of the small privately own stores here in town have found a new supplier, I can order a very wide range of plants and the quality of them is very impressive. A few weeks ago a got just a few plants from him and now I want more, LOL. I ordered a 5 lb pressurized CO2 system and set it up an installed it today. Nothing fancy, just a regulator, solenoid on a timer, and a bubble counter with needle valve.

I found a diffuser that fits on a canister return line. It has a internal ceramic diffuser followed by a curved thingy (which is the technical name for it). After the mirco bubble get through the initial ceramic diffuser, the movement of the water dissolves the small bubble as it hits them against the “thingy”

**Cliff** · 03-16-2013, 03:36 AM

I also got a drop checker from Cal Aqua Labs. I like this one the best as it has a refereance liquid (bottom bubble) to compare the test liquid to (top bubble). So far I’m only adding 1 bubble per second which had not change the color in the bubble counter even after 6 hours. Once I get more plants in there, I will increase the CO2 and start adding more ferts to the tank.

For lighting I have a four bulb T5HO fixture with 6700K bulbs. I’m only using two of them right now, but I will use all for once I have some high light demanding plants in there. The below pic was taken just after I added some more plants. Should make a nice starting point pic for me.

This should be a really fun learning experience for me.

**steeler1** · 03-16-2013, 03:44 AM

Love those Congos's Cliff, I've been in the hobby for so long, I remember when they were called "the Feathertail tetra". Very nice overall tank.

**genocidex** · 03-16-2013, 03:50 AM

nice looking tank. how deep is it?

**Cliff** · 03-16-2013, 03:52 AM

Thanks guys

It's a standard sized 90 gallon tank, 48" long X 24" high X 18" wide

**mrramsey** · 03-16-2013, 04:28 AM

Very nice tank indeed cliff!

**CrunchyLeaf** · 03-19-2013, 06:54 AM

Beautiful tank Cliff. I love those congos. Can't wait to see this grow out.

**Cliff** · 03-19-2013, 12:35 PM

Thanks guys

The severum is around 6 to 6.5 inches long and the firemouths are around 5 to 5.5

**talldutchie** · 03-19-2013, 01:00 PM

Curious to see what this will turn out to be. Admire your courage to go the high tech route. Even with high tech it will still take some weeks to get a real picture of what it will be like.

. At first glance it does seem a rather busy tank but if this has worked for so many years it's obviously not too busy.