Journal Low and Slow

[Phish Tank]

Finally a journal.

I’ll soon be setting up two new tanks, a UNS 90p and a 50c. (Not so!) Patiently awaiting tanks and stands delivery.

They will both be middle energy tanks. I have lengthy periods of busy time and travel that mean the tanks need to survive without human intervention here and there. So plenty of automation is needed, and slow and steady wins over high energy. Or in BBQ smoking terms: low and slow.

Plans:

• Injected CO2, but less than 30ppm
• Inert gravel
• Tidal HOB filter and partial UGF plate.
• Less than EI ferts, but more than PPS pro.
• Tap water (my tap is 50 TDS and only 10ppm Ca) remineralized to 30ppm Ca and 3-4 dKH .
• Lower light levels: Week aqua L on 90p and Chihiros wrgb 2 slim on 50c.
• Easy slow growing plants, and a few fish. Thinking the 50c will be a shrimp tank.
• Some hardscape but nothing crazy

My last tank has had a rough year. Hurricane Helene meant two weeks with no electricity, and much longer without decent water changes.

Then last summer the tank developed a slow leak while I was out of town (ugh!). Had to fly home for a week to triage. Fish and plants have been in temporary tanks. Plants are struggling. Photo is when they had already been in temporary bin for over 6 weeks, I was surprised it didn’t look like an algae infested swamp.





Sooo ready for my new tanks! These are my first really nice tanks, I’ve only owned petco specials before.

For the new tanks I'm planning on over ordering plants since my surviving plants are clearly pretty weak at this point.

 

[Phish Tank]

Finally going rimless.

My only experience with rimless was a small aqueon cube I picked up with glass that is way too thin. The thin glass made me uncomfortable.

I was planning on a rimmed tank, a 60 breeder. But I was struggling to find a decent stand.

Recently on a trip to Portland I saw a really nice rimless tank with a nice custom lid. Somehow seeing it up close and in person filled with plants let me get comfortable with rimless. I can watch all the YouTube videos in the world with cool rimless tanks, but seeing it in person really helped.

And seeing a lid that works on rimless made me take the leap. My tank lives in the humid basement that really doesn’t need additional humidity. So I need a lid.


The lid I saw was split in half, which makes it more manageable. It had holes that could function as finger holds or as an easy way to drop food in. Corner cutouts for airline tubing/cords to enter the tank.


I'll wait a bit before getting a cover for mine, waiting until I'm more confident where the cutouts need to be. And not sure if it should be acrylic or polycarbonate, or how thick it needs to be.

 

[techman81]

The problem is, once you go low iron rimless, you never want to go back to the much more affordable rimmed non-low iron tanks. Ask me how I know.

 

[Phish Tank]

The problem is, once you go low iron rimless, you never want to go back to the much more affordable rimmed non-low iron tanks. Ask me how I know.

I have a feeling you are right.