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Thread: Jack's 140

  1. #1
    Registered Member Jack L's Avatar
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    Default Jack's 140

    the tank is up and running now. i'll find some older pics, but not a whole lot to show.
    it would just be picks of it filled and empty, filled and empty as i got the plumbing resolved. you can see the sump, i simplied it down from 8 pieces OEM to a flex pvc simplification

    from here though i can post pics as the tank matures and plants stabilize.
    in time the val should make a green wall in back

    i know i'm not following the best advice, but trust me, i'm paying the price, growing in a planted is more work that i remembered. i should have just done BB then set up the planted tank

    i recently removed several pieces of wood and rocks to make maintenance easier.

    JL140Main (1280x1020).jpgJL140sump (1280x951).jpg
    Last edited by Jack L; 08-18-2015 at 11:16 PM.

  2. #2
    Registered Member jmf3460's Avatar
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    Default Re: Jack's 140

    oh wow, this looks like a scene from a north American lake, very nice use of driftwood and tall background plants, I really like how you placed the vals in the center of the background making like a backdrop behind the wood. The contrast of the paler and browner crypts up front also looks great. love the moss balls, love the sand, love it. this tank is spatially correct and very pleasing to the eye. good job!! maybe some tannins to the water to make it look even more natural??
    ~JACKLYN~

  3. #3
    Registered Member Jack L's Avatar
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    Default Re: Jack's 140

    i tried to edit this into first post, but that option is currently MIA...odd?
    anyway.
    pre wood/stone/plants
    the sand is multi purpose sand quickrete, mix of sand and gravel, i like it much more that pfs that everyone recommends
    140-sand (1280x744).jpg


    this area needed more wood
    140-need more wood (1280x917).jpg

    found a nice piece, this wood is crazy hard/heavy. when through 2 batteries with jabsaw notching it out for val growth
    140-double vert wood (1237x1280).jpg

  4. #4
    Registered Member Jack L's Avatar
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    Default Re: Jack's 140

    Quote Originally Posted by jmf3460 View Post
    oh wow, this looks like a scene from a north American lake, very nice use of driftwood and tall background plants, I really like how you placed the vals in the center of the background making like a backdrop behind the wood. The contrast of the paler and browner crypts up front also looks great. love the moss balls, love the sand, love it. this tank is spatially correct and very pleasing to the eye. good job!! maybe some tannins to the water to make it look even more natural??
    thanks!

    the plan is for the val to become the entire background. the overflow in center make a background awkward.
    what i wanted was red vall. i can NOT find red val, i had it 20 years ago, it was thicker and had lots of red, but no luck now. that is how i got the snails, ordered "red" val from a place in florida. i had one of those 3d backgrounds in another tank, it looked great, but in time it was completely hidden by plants anyway.

    you can see some stargrass(huge clump on right) and some other plants on left, but i've been removing them as simpler is is looking better to my eye.and some of them aren't doing as well as others.

    you would like the tannin from the driftwood(since i believe i read you add tea tannin), but it was making things tooo dark and seemed to be blocking too much light to the plants. the tank is a little on the tall side, so getting light to the bottom is already an issue.

    i'm trying to keep it an amazon in spirit. of course as soon as i didn't use wilds it is just a loose tie.

    however i was in the amazon, and the black water is so black, you can't see your paddle. and there weren't pieces of wood, there were entire trees going by.

  5. #5
    Registered Member jmf3460's Avatar
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    Default Re: Jack's 140

    I agree OP that simpler is better in this tank. are your plants in pots back there or just rooted into the sand or is there something under the sand??
    ~JACKLYN~

  6. #6
    Registered Member Jack L's Avatar
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    Default Re: Jack's 140

    there are 100+lbs of the multi purpose sand.
    they are all planted with tweezers in the the sand individually.

    over the years i have tried different substrates, addititives, DIY C02, etc, when i get it just right, it helps, but its more to keep up with and more plants to dispose of.

  7. #7
    Registered Member Jack L's Avatar
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    Default Re: Jack's 140

    more plants
    crypts, they seems to do fine in this tank with lower light, though it seems pretty bright with these LED compared to CFL
    some java too

    (yes, i know they aren't from the amazon basin) though i don't think many of the plants in the trade are.

    they look similar to existing, but a little taller, hopefully won't look hodgepodge

    i plan to soak them in my my city water for a while to help kill off whatever.
    next plant installment (960x1280).jpg
    Last edited by Jack L; 08-20-2015 at 01:26 PM.

  8. #8
    Registered Member rickztahone's Avatar
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    Default Re: Jack's 140

    FYI, soaking them in water will not do much in getting rid of any parasites. There are a few plant drips that are known to be effective. A couple of my favorites are PP baths and bleach baths. Be aware, both treatments can be super harsh on delicate plants and typically melts them. I have always preferred taking that risk rather than the risk of a parasite entering my tank by way of plants.

    Click here to view my 75g Acrylic Tank w/ Bean Animal Overflow with 40g Sump Thread

    Also, click here for my 25 group of discus grow out thread


    http://i3.cpcache.com/product/162117...ht=75&width=75
    Want to look like Al did at his ACA talk with his white Simply Polo shirt?(You can catch Al's awesome Discus talk HERE)
    You can get this and many more items such as T-shirts/Polos/hoodies/cups from our merchandise shop:
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  9. #9
    Registered Member Jack L's Avatar
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    Default Re: Jack's 140

    even city water that reeks of chlorine?

  10. #10
    Registered Member rickztahone's Avatar
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    Default Re: Jack's 140

    Quote Originally Posted by Jack L View Post
    even city water that reeks of chlorine?
    I'm going to have to say yes

    Click here to view my 75g Acrylic Tank w/ Bean Animal Overflow with 40g Sump Thread

    Also, click here for my 25 group of discus grow out thread


    http://i3.cpcache.com/product/162117...ht=75&width=75
    Want to look like Al did at his ACA talk with his white Simply Polo shirt?(You can catch Al's awesome Discus talk HERE)
    You can get this and many more items such as T-shirts/Polos/hoodies/cups from our merchandise shop:
    Cafepress.com

  11. #11
    Registered Member Jack L's Avatar
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    Default Re: Jack's 140

    well, i've done 10% chlorox dips before, i can do it again. i'll google the dip times, it has been a while.

  12. #12
    Registered Member Jack L's Avatar
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    Default Re: Jack's 140

    did bleach dip, but only for 1 min instead of 2.

    3/4 cup bleach to gallon of water. there were about 8 sister plants per crypt pot, better than expected. though i probably killed them all with the bleach ; )

    decent blob on options:
    http://blogs.thatpetplace.com/thatfi.../#.VdenKPlVick

  13. #13
    Registered Member Jack L's Avatar
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    Default Re: Jack's 140

    some setup details

    tanks is a dsa 140, no canopy, since i don't have all kinds of lighting and ballasts to hide anymore, skipped it (and don't miss it)

    light is 48" current USA satellite plus (the higher powered one) (sooooooooo much nicer than lights of old)

    sump is 30 gal ruby, i'm not really using all its bells/whistles, i prefer simpler
    pump is a mag 11 (noisey but works)
    plumbing is herbie with flex pvc
    water runs through sock, then through pinky floss, then through seachem matrix (and sometimes purigen), then through sponge intake on pump and back up

    500 watt catalina heater

    i have a phosban reactor, don't run it. not sure what it would add besides more maintenace

  14. #14
    Registered Member jmf3460's Avatar
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    Default Re: Jack's 140

    jack, impressive set up. the current USA satellite plus is a really good light. ive never owned one but ive heard a lot of great things about it. it has a great spectrum.
    ~JACKLYN~

  15. #15
    Registered Member Jack L's Avatar
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    Default Re: Jack's 140

    man this tank looks barren....

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