# The Fish Man's High-Tech 72G Planted Bowfront - will have LOTS of large pictures



## The Fish Man (Apr 1, 2011)

I got my 72G up and running in early September after having torn it down over 6 months ago. Moved into a house, had renovations to do and got married - no time for a planted tank during that period. All that is pretty much done so got the tank running again. This is a 72G bowfront, running pressurized CO2 and using a Reefkeeper Lite Controller for CFL lights (2x55W and 1x96W 6500K) and other things. This will be a picture intensive journal

Here is the tank on Sept 8th. Still cycling and a little cloudy. This is shortly before adding some plants I got from a forum member.


Here we are on Sept 18th, 10 days after adding plants and it is starting to fill in a bit.


Close up of Riccia pearling nicely.


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## The Fish Man (Apr 1, 2011)

I ordered some plants online from a guy in Winnipeg and got them on the 18th. I was not happy with the quality of the plants when they arrived. The Pogostemon stellata and Echinodorus 'Vesuvius' are pretty much unable to be salvaged but I think I can get the rest to come back. I also ordered Bacopa australis (doesn't seem to be doing too well), Hydrocotyle leucocephala, Hygrophila 'Compact', Ludwigia Peruensis and Heteranthera zosterfolia.

Here is the new scaping from the 18th.


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## The Fish Man (Apr 1, 2011)

And here we are from Sept. 27. Plants I ordered online are coming back except Pogostemon stellata and Echinodorus 'Vesuvius' which I am leaving in there in case they catch a second wind and come back to health. 


Stargrass is coming back nicely. Once it grows out a bit I can trim and replant to get rid of the root runners and lower leaves that are turning black. Probably another two weeks or so. Like I mentioned the Bacopa australis is not showing lots of new growth and lower leaves are getting a bit of algae now.


A lot of new shoots coming out on the Ludwigia Peruensis and color is looking decent.


The large leafed Hygrophila I got from Reckon is doing extremely well. The leaves are about 8 inches long and 3-4 inches wide. A bit of algae on them, but I don't have a cleaner crew other than one lone SAE in there and the tank chemistry is still settling. Edit - you can see some dead dried out java moss that was left on the rocks from 6 months ago - it seems like it might be coming back to life.


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## The Fish Man (Apr 1, 2011)

Going to pick up some cleaner crew fish today as ammonia has been zero for the last week. Another check today to be sure and then I am planning on picking up a few smallish clown loaches (snail patrol), 10 or so Otto's, maybe one or two more small SAE's and a bristlenose or similar type. I'll let the tank settle with those for a couple of weeks and then the pretty fish are to come - not entirely sure what yet, but most likely medium sized schools of rummy-nose and cardinals. Maybe a few Apisto's or exotic Betta's for variety and interesting behaviour.


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## Reckon (Jul 25, 2012)

Hey that tank is looking great Dan. Riccia is a good indicator of appropriate CO2 so I'm glad to see it pearling. Weird that the B. Austraulis isn't making a come back. Post some closer shots of it?


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## Foxtail (Mar 14, 2012)

Just a heads up about the SAE's they will eventually start eating plants. I had 2 large ones about 4" and all of a sudden one day decided that hornwart and all my moss was tasty... It was all mowed down in a few days.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2


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## The Fish Man (Apr 1, 2011)

Reckon - thanks. B. Austraulis started getting covered in algae pretty quickly in my tank since I don't have cleaners and my chemistry is still gaining equilibrium. Most of them took a nosedive pretty quick. I kept one that is on the far left and it is two headed. I will keep it until it is no longer viable, but it is starting to show signs of improvement. I think some cleaners on it will make a big difference. On my way over to Fins in Surrey since I have never been there before and their website shows some really interesting fish I have never seen before - hope they actually have them in stock today. 

Foxtail - I really haven't come across that with SAE's before and I have kept them for many years. The only time I saw them doing that was with some fine leaved Rotala and some Myriophyllum.....aka Foxtail lol. Larger SAE's pretty much stop eating algae though, so I generally cycle them out when they start to get older and larger. Maybe that is why I haven't come across that issue with mine.


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## Reckon (Jul 25, 2012)

Say hi to Kevin for me, and ask him about the Bacopa issue, he might have a couple ideas. Otherwise you can increase the CO2 a little and see if that helps.


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## The Fish Man (Apr 1, 2011)

OK, it's been a while and tank has filled in a little bit. lol. Actually time for some pruning and a bit of 'scaping tomorrow.

Added 20 Rummynose, 12 Serpai and 3 Clown loaches. Snails are almost gone now.










I'm loving this Echinodorus vesuvius. This is the first time I have had it in a tank and it is a beautiful little plant. It was pretty sad when I got it from an online retailer but I was able to bring it back to life. It's shooting off runners now and starting to spread.


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## Reckon (Jul 25, 2012)

WOW! That is now a very lush tank! Great work! I'm impressed that your Erio Setaceum is doing well. Congrats!


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## The Fish Man (Apr 1, 2011)

Thanks! Your E. setaceum has come back nicely after some cutting back and replanting new stems - the new growth is adjusted to my tank's parameters now. Lower leaves turn darker green but don't melt much. I'm not getting enough light down there with the plant canopy above them - I must be more diligent with pruning above.  Haven't done a water change or pruning for almost three weeks now. Probably get to it later today or tomorrow...


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## Reckon (Jul 25, 2012)

The Fish Man said:


> Thanks! Your E. setaceum has come back nicely after some cutting back and replanting new stems - the new growth is adjusted to my tank's parameters now. Lower leaves turn darker green but don't melt much. I'm not getting enough light down there with the plant canopy above them - I must be more diligent with pruning above.  Haven't done a water change or pruning for almost three weeks now. Probably get to it later today or tomorrow...


Yup, I noticed they don't like being shaded. I moved mine to a corner to fill in a few gaps and they stunted their way into nothing.

Maybe for the right side look for some java ferns on small stumps to put as your mid ground plant? Or Anubias on small wood hardscapes?


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## Diztrbd1 (Apr 21, 2010)

Very nice set-up! Love densely planted tanks!


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## The Fish Man (Apr 1, 2011)

Thanks for the compliments.

I have a hard time with mid-ground plants as my tank is not very wide. The mid-ground plants usually just end up growing so fast. 

I'm going to try to get into it tonight. I'll probably do quite a bit of hacking.


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## shift (Dec 21, 2012)

It's filled in very nicely.


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