Big Tanks >20g #5 St Nermy’s Day Scapes from Scraps

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

Happy St Nermy’s Day!!!

Category 5 - Biggie! 20g +++

Remember this is a NERM positive event, no negative posts, voting is either a heart or passing on the posts, you can leave positive comments for people. Have fun! 

You have until 4/8/22 to vote! 

Edited April 1, 2022 by Beardedbillygoat1975

[Odd Duck]

OK, I’ll start.  I hadn’t planned on entering but this is a category that I’m not in charge of tallying votes, so let’s get this started!  This is literally a brand new scape that is far from finished that I just put water in it last night.  But since you are all being shy, I want to get things rolling.

This is my new 100 gallon tank that in 3-4 weeks or so, will hold gold laser cories (CW010 is their only designation so far since they haven’t been scientifically described and given a binomial designation yet).  It will also have spotfin hatchetfish (Thoracocharax stellatus), some gold mystery snails (Pomacea bridgesii), and of course, some angelfish, hopefully full red kois, plus maybe the Bulgarian seal points I just got a steal on at our local fish association auction (Scalare scalare most probably varietals).

It has mostly sword plants (Echinodorus sp.), all of which I have had for months, we’re leftovers from buying for other tanks, or I grew up myself. You can find out more by going to my 100 G angelfish tank in my signature but that’s not the point of this post so I’ll let those who are interested investigate more on their own.  It also has some Brazilian microsword at the very top left (Lilaeopsis brasiliensis) and some Staurogyne repens just right of center in the foreground (yep, those tiny little things) both of which I bought for this tank recently.  Last, but not least, I used Fissidens geppii that I bought months ago (just because I liked it) for the moss that you can barely see on the wood (don’t worry, I’ll show a closeup later).

I got the tank and stand free, yes, I said free, from very good friends who were getting out of the hobby.  I got the dirt layer free from a farmer in Oklahoma, I had the Osmocote leftover from other tanks (finally used the very last of my first jar), and I had some of the sand leftover but did have to spend about $10.00 on another 50 lb bag of pool filter sand.  I had the heater and one filter from another tank.  I got the wood on the left all “used” for good prices.  I recently bought the 2 large pieces of petrified wood on the right side at the fish auction (also a great price) but I already had all the other pieces of petrified wood and have been waiting to find the right tank to use them.

I had to buy lights (the biggest investment by far) and new glass tops since the tank didn’t come with any.  And $10.00 for the black window film on the back of the tank.  All together, so far, I’ve spent about $400.00 all in, almost all of that for lights, filter, and top, which I think is a screaming good deal for a 100 gallon tank that will be filled with beautiful fish.  This tank sits in my living room right beside the TV on the opposite side from my 100 G nanofish tank.  I’m pleased as punch with and look forward to many years of enjoyment watching my “Angelfish Habitat Tank”.  And I just now spotted a floating plant that’s come uprooted.  😝 😂 🤣  Still posting the pic as is because that’s real life. I’ll stick the plant back down later.

Pic 1: The whole tank

 

Pic 2: The Brazilian microsword.

 

 

Pic 3: The Staurogyne repens.  Look at the texture on that petrified wood!  Don’t you love it!

 

 

Pic 4: My tiny, baby, Fissidens moss.  It’s so adorable!

 

 

Pic 5: My nicest Echinodorus hadi ‘Red Pearl’.

 

 

Pic 6: The biggest sword in the tank currently but others will likely outgrow it in size, it’s a hybrid between 2 other swords then selectively bred for more color, Echinodorus barthii x E. schleuteri ‘Red Flame’.

 

I hope you like my entry, but I hope even more that you participate in the contest.  You don’t have to do any captions unless you want.  You can just post the pics and nothing else at all.  

Edited April 1, 2022 by Odd Duck
Patience while I fit captions between my pics.

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

I love the upcycling and the layout is really cool. Can't wait for this to grow in! What a lovely home for those angels, cories and hatchets (which I know were hard to get!)?!!!

[Jawjagrrl]

On 4/1/2022 at 12:19 PM, Odd Duck said:

I got the tank and stand free, yes, I said free, from very good friends who were getting out of the hobby.  I got the dirt layer free from a farmer in Oklahoma, I had the Osmocote leftover from other tanks (finally used the very last of my first jar), and I had some of the sand leftover but did have to spend about $10.00 on another 50 lb bag of pool filter sand.  I had the heater and one filter from another tank.  I got the wood on the left all “used” for good prices.  I recently bought the 2 large pieces of petrified wood on the right side at the fish auction (also a great price) but I already had all the other pieces of petrified wood and have been waiting to find the right tank to use them.

Maybe your screen name should be lucky duck! (I know, Dad joke!). This is going to be an awesome tank that I'll definitely be following! I've been in love with BSP angels since I first learned about them, can't wait to see yours. Found some we like this past weekend, hope to have in the sideByside or the bedroom 55 "fun angels for patient spouse" setup in progress. 

[Odd Duck]

On 4/1/2022 at 11:21 AM, Beardedbillygoat1975 said:

I love the upcycling and the layout is really cool. Can't wait for this to grow in! What a lovely home for those angels, cories and hatchets (which I know were hard to get!)?!!!

Thank you!

I was going for giant hatchetfish (Thoracocharax securis) which get to an amazing 4”, but despite looking everywhere I could for months, I had zero luck finding any.  These won’t get as big but get to a respectable 2.5” and should be too much of a mouthful to tempt even the dimmest, most gluttonous, angelfish.

I really was glad for everything to come together and find a good place to use all those swords I’ve been accumulating just because I like swords.  Not to mention the petrified wood, some of which I’ve had since before I started keeping fish!  I’m really happy with how it all came together.  😃 

Edited April 1, 2022 by Odd Duck

[Jawjagrrl]

Here's my "entry" in this category 😉 working on too many setups at once, thought I'd have water in it today, but... 

Clean gravel after 2 hours, scrubbed the tank with water, straight up vinegar, scraped with a razor blade for the better part of two hours. Looks great, right?

Wrong. Next up... oxalic acid. Feels smooth to the touch, but bad haze. My old water was liquid rock.

But lookie at all the things ready to go, cluttering up the dinner table!

So, fellow NERMs... show us what ya got! It has to be better than the future Fun Angels for Patient Spouse entry!!

[Odd Duck]

On 4/1/2022 at 11:40 AM, Jawjagrrl said:

But lookie at all the things ready to go, cluttering up the dinner table!

You should have seen the space under this tank.  I had the small pieces of petrified wood all laid out in the pattern I thought I was going to use - sort of a zig zag of pieces that were pretending to be broken, rotting branches from the “tree” that’s clearly off to the left on the edge of the bank with its roots exposed.  😆  They were going to be kind of ‘retaining walls’ that held back the and for a bit of a terraced look to get more dimension and visual depth.  Then I lucked onto the new, biggest pieces of petrified wood and changed it all up and just let it flow when I was installing everything.  I almost can’t believe I had 5 smaller pieces that matched the new pieces so well in color and form.

On 4/1/2022 at 11:30 AM, Jawjagrrl said:

Maybe your screen name should be lucky duck!

I guess I am a very Lucky Duck!  After all, I found this forum and all you wonderful people!

Lots of bits came together so well.  But it was after loads of planning and thinking about how to do things, reading about angelfish habitats, South American plants, learning how to do a dry start with moss, etc, etc, etc.  Luck was a big factor in the final product (this would NOT have been the same in my 46 G bowfront), but it’s taken a bit of patience and quite a bit of time to come to fruition.

Edited April 1, 2022 by Odd Duck
Typo

[Torrey]

On 4/1/2022 at 10:19 AM, Odd Duck said:

OK, I’ll start.  I hadn’t planned on entering but this is a category that I’m not in charge of tallying votes, so let’s get this started!  This is literally a brand new scape that is far from finished that I just put water in it last night.  But since you are all being shy, I want to get things rolling.

This is my new 100 gallon tank that in 3-4 weeks or so, will hold gold laser cories (CW010 is their only designation so far since they haven’t been scientifically described and given a binomial designation yet).  It will also have spotfin hatchetfish (Thoracocharax stellatus), some gold mystery snails (Pomacea bridgesii), and of course, some angelfish, hopefully full red kois, plus maybe the Bulgarian seal points I just got a steal on at our local fish association auction (Scalare scalare most probably varietals).

It has mostly sword plants (Echinodorus sp.), all of which I have had for months, we’re leftovers from buying for other tanks, or I grew up myself. You can find out more by going to my 100 G angelfish tank in my signature but that’s not the point of this post so I’ll let those who are interested investigate more on their own.  It also has some Brazilian microsword at the very top left (Lilaeopsis brasiliensis) and some Staurogyne repens just right of center in the foreground (yep, those tiny little things) both of which I bought for this tank recently.  Last, but not least, I used Fissidens geppii that I bought months ago (just because I liked it) for the moss that you can barely see on the wood (don’t worry, I’ll show a closeup later).

I got the tank and stand free, yes, I said free, from very good friends who were getting out of the hobby.  I got the dirt layer free from a farmer in Oklahoma, I had the Osmocote leftover from other tanks (finally used the very last of my first jar), and I had some of the sand leftover but did have to spend about $10.00 on another 50 lb bag of pool filter sand.  I had the heater and one filter from another tank.  I got the wood on the left all “used” for good prices.  I recently bought the 2 large pieces of petrified wood on the right side at the fish auction (also a great price) but I already had all the other pieces of petrified wood and have been waiting to find the right tank to use them.

I had to buy lights (the biggest investment by far) and new glass tops since the tank didn’t come with any.  And $10.00 for the black window film on the back of the tank.  All together, so far, I’ve spent about $400.00 all in, almost all of that for lights, filter, and top, which I think is a screaming good deal for a 100 gallon tank that will be filled with beautiful fish.  This tank sits in my living room right beside the TV on the opposite side from my 100 G nanofish tank.  I’m pleased as punch with and look forward to many years of enjoyment watching my “Angelfish Habitat Tank”.  And I just now spotted a floating plant that’s come uprooted.  😝 😂 🤣  Still posting the pic as is because that’s real life. I’ll stick the plant back down later.

Pic 1: The whole tank

 

Pic 2: The Brazilian microsword.

 

 

Pic 3: The Staurogyne repens.  Look at the texture on that petrified wood!  Don’t you love it!

 

 

Pic 4: My tiny, baby, Fissidens moss.  It’s so adorable!

 

 

Pic 5: My nicest Echinodorus hadi ‘Red Pearl’.

 

 

Pic 6: The biggest sword in the tank currently but others will likely outgrow it in size, it’s a hybrid between 2 other swords then selectively bred for more color, Echinodorus barthii x E. schleuteri ‘Red Flame’.

 

I hope you like my entry, but I hope even more that you participate in the contest.  You don’t have to do any captions unless you want.  You can just post the pics and nothing else at all.  

I thought we had this coming week to post our photos/entries? Did I write it in my calendar wrong???

Going to have to get back in here tomorrow to love some more entries, I'm ORD

 

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

@Torreyyoure correct you have until 4/8. 

[Torrey]

On 4/1/2022 at 8:09 PM, Beardedbillygoat1975 said:

@Torreyyoure correct you have until 4/8. 

Thank you!

::big sigh of relief::

[Atitagain]

On 4/1/2022 at 12:19 PM, Odd Duck said:

OK, I’ll start.  I hadn’t planned on entering but this is a category that I’m not in charge of tallying votes, so let’s get this started!  This is literally a brand new scape that is far from finished that I just put water in it last night.  But since you are all being shy, I want to get things rolling.

This is my new 100 gallon tank that in 3-4 weeks or so, will hold gold laser cories (CW010 is their only designation so far since they haven’t been scientifically described and given a binomial designation yet).  It will also have spotfin hatchetfish (Thoracocharax stellatus), some gold mystery snails (Pomacea bridgesii), and of course, some angelfish, hopefully full red kois, plus maybe the Bulgarian seal points I just got a steal on at our local fish association auction (Scalare scalare most probably varietals).

It has mostly sword plants (Echinodorus sp.), all of which I have had for months, we’re leftovers from buying for other tanks, or I grew up myself. You can find out more by going to my 100 G angelfish tank in my signature but that’s not the point of this post so I’ll let those who are interested investigate more on their own.  It also has some Brazilian microsword at the very top left (Lilaeopsis brasiliensis) and some Staurogyne repens just right of center in the foreground (yep, those tiny little things) both of which I bought for this tank recently.  Last, but not least, I used Fissidens geppii that I bought months ago (just because I liked it) for the moss that you can barely see on the wood (don’t worry, I’ll show a closeup later).

I got the tank and stand free, yes, I said free, from very good friends who were getting out of the hobby.  I got the dirt layer free from a farmer in Oklahoma, I had the Osmocote leftover from other tanks (finally used the very last of my first jar), and I had some of the sand leftover but did have to spend about $10.00 on another 50 lb bag of pool filter sand.  I had the heater and one filter from another tank.  I got the wood on the left all “used” for good prices.  I recently bought the 2 large pieces of petrified wood on the right side at the fish auction (also a great price) but I already had all the other pieces of petrified wood and have been waiting to find the right tank to use them.

I had to buy lights (the biggest investment by far) and new glass tops since the tank didn’t come with any.  And $10.00 for the black window film on the back of the tank.  All together, so far, I’ve spent about $400.00 all in, almost all of that for lights, filter, and top, which I think is a screaming good deal for a 100 gallon tank that will be filled with beautiful fish.  This tank sits in my living room right beside the TV on the opposite side from my 100 G nanofish tank.  I’m pleased as punch with and look forward to many years of enjoyment watching my “Angelfish Habitat Tank”.  And I just now spotted a floating plant that’s come uprooted.  😝 😂 🤣  Still posting the pic as is because that’s real life. I’ll stick the plant back down later.

Pic 1: The whole tank

 

Pic 2: The Brazilian microsword.

 

 

Pic 3: The Staurogyne repens.  Look at the texture on that petrified wood!  Don’t you love it!

 

 

Pic 4: My tiny, baby, Fissidens moss.  It’s so adorable!

 

 

Pic 5: My nicest Echinodorus hadi ‘Red Pearl’.

 

 

Pic 6: The biggest sword in the tank currently but others will likely outgrow it in size, it’s a hybrid between 2 other swords then selectively bred for more color, Echinodorus barthii x E. schleuteri ‘Red Flame’.

 

I hope you like my entry, but I hope even more that you participate in the contest.  You don’t have to do any captions unless you want.  You can just post the pics and nothing else at all.  

I’ll be very excited to see this tank grow out, lots of updates plz. The assortment of plants sounds so interesting to me . I will say the moss is crazy cute.😁

the root structure looks amazing, such a cool layout, stretching across the tank those are some great pieces 

On 4/1/2022 at 12:40 PM, Jawjagrrl said:

Here's my "entry" in this category 😉 working on too many setups at once, thought I'd have water in it today, but... 

Clean gravel after 2 hours, scrubbed the tank with water, straight up vinegar, scraped with a razor blade for the better part of two hours. Looks great, right?

Wrong. Next up... oxalic acid. Feels smooth to the touch, but bad haze. My old water was liquid rock.

But lookie at all the things ready to go, cluttering up the dinner table!

So, fellow NERMs... show us what ya got! It has to be better than the future Fun Angels for Patient Spouse entry!!

Sounds like a good plan. 

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

Congratulations to @Odd Duckand @Jawjagrrl!