60 gallon Acrylic Tank Build and ….The Bowl!

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

Well I want to start a sort of Pinterest board but with my Nermy friends. So here goes. 

This is my new baby 

A 60 gallon acrylic Clear For Life tank, dimensions- 48x15x18”. I got the Planted 3.0 as an open box 20% off. The stand in an oak piece that weighs about 250-300 lbs and stands about 4’ high. 

Design ideas 💡! I was thinking of a Corner Mattenfilter along with a canister for flow. I’d been kicking around some ideas but so far what I have is on the left where the corner mattenfilter will be there will be a collection of rocks and caves built up to create a planter. In this planter I’ll put aquasoil and planted substrate mix and a large group of crypt balansae. This area will probably take about 1-1.5 feet of the tank - my goal is to have the balansae sort of waving over the whole tank. It will then transition into a stone/pebble area.
Here are some Pics from LRB of his sons new tank which really got my wheels turning in this direction. 

At about the 3 foot mark there will be a collection of sticks and stones in a very wabi sabi sort of way that will cross and connect somehow to the planter but this will not reach a height greater then 2/3 the depth of the tank. I’ll want a lot of swimming room for the fish. Under these stones I plan to put some light dusting of organic soil, topped with aquasoil and gravel which I’ll plant crypts into. The gravel as best I can will match the river rock. The wood will be Malaysian driftwood. I’ll probably use some different types of Java Fern and Buce in the wood. 

Now as I always dig the holes in my life too deep I have another project - 

The Revenge of the Bowl 

I pretty much swore I’d never do one again after that last one broke but then we unpacked the stand/light. My wife talked about how she missed the bowl. She then started stocking the bowl. I read the tea leaves and bought a bowl. This began an internal dialogue which has been kind of funny.

Me: No clue (subconscious- this isn’t true) what I’ll do with it (so those sketches you’ve been doing what’s the story there?). Also no Clue what I’ll stock it with (your wife already told you what’s going in it, are you dense?):)> 

[TheSwissAquarist]

On 10/18/2022 at 9:45 AM, Beardedbillygoat1975 said:

Well I want to start a sort of Pinterest board but with my Nermy friends. So here goes. 

This is my new baby 

A 60 gallon acrylic Clear For Life tank, dimensions- 48x15x18”. I got the Planted 3.0 as an open box 20% off. The stand in an oak piece that weighs about 250-300 lbs and stands about 4’ high. 

Design ideas 💡! I was thinking of a Corner Mattenfilter along with a canister for flow. I’d been kicking around some ideas but so far what I have is on the left where the corner mattenfilter will be there will be a collection of rocks and caves built up to create a planter. In this planter I’ll put aquasoil and planted substrate mix and a large group of crypt balansae. This area will probably take about 1-1.5 feet of the tank - my goal is to have the balansae sort of waving over the whole tank. It will then transition into a stone/pebble area.
Here are some Pics from LRB of his sons new tank which really got my wheels turning in this direction. 

At about the 3 foot mark there will be a collection of sticks and stones in a very wabi sabi sort of way that will cross and connect somehow to the planter but this will not reach a height greater then 2/3 the depth of the tank. I’ll want a lot of swimming room for the fish. Under these stones I plan to put some light dusting of organic soil, topped with aquasoil and gravel which I’ll plant crypts into. The gravel as best I can will match the river rock. The wood will be Malaysian driftwood. I’ll probably use some different types of Java Fern and Buce in the wood. 

Now as I always dig the holes in my life too deep I have another project - 

The Revenge of the Bowl 

I pretty much swore I’d never do one again after that last one broke but then we unpacked the stand/light. My wife talked about how she missed the bowl. She then started stocking the bowl. I read the tea leaves and bought a bowl. This began an internal dialogue which has been kind of funny.

Me: No clue (subconscious- this isn’t true) what I’ll do with it (so those sketches you’ve been doing what’s the story there?). Also no Clue what I’ll stock it with (your wife already told you what’s going in it, are you dense?):)> 

Can’t wait to see how it turns out!

Stocking ideas?

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

I did a thing last night. My wife is out of town. I’ve been single parenting with some help from my parents. So my folks and the boys went to an indoor activity park for 3+ hours and they were all exhausted and in bed before 8pm which gave me a lot of time. 
 

The 60 g hasn’t gotten a permanent placement. With my wife’s plan for the daylight basement shifting a bit I’m waiting on that project. So that left the bowl gleaming and calling to me….

“You know you want to scape me….” 
“why yes, Yes I do want to scape you!”

I gathered the equipment with a plan to get the substrate system in along with an underground filtration system of some sort. I have seen commercially available UGFs for bowls but I DIY’d my last one. One of concerns was that the hardscape was heavy and needed some additional cushion. I didn’t want to just use egg crate or styrofoam as they wouldn’t fit right in the bowl. So I settled on an idea of using some 30 ppi sponge, taking my old sponge filter

With those sponges removed and the 2 arms pushed into horizontal position I pushed the large chunk of sponge over both intakes. I put down laterite, then some substrate from my old bowl including a mix of aquasoil, crushed coral, lava rock and gravel. Over that I put some aragonite sand and more lava rock. Then I put my sponge filter over that. Then I filled with aquasoil. As I went through the different configurations of the hardscape some of the sponge emerged from the aquasoil as it settled so I’ll be hitting a big box for some black sand and gravel. I placed a heater behind the output of the filter. I setup the light timer and here it is. 

I have an order of plants coming in - all crypts of various sizes as an online purveyor had a sale. I’m consider some stems as well and potentially co2. 

Stocking is probably controversial but hoping the puffer mafia don’t get me for a trio of pea puffers and gaggle of kuhli loaches with a goby for algae control. 

[Patrick_G]

On 10/20/2022 at 2:19 PM, Beardedbillygoat1975 said:

Stocking is probably controversial but hoping the puffer mafia don’t get me for a trio of pea puffers and gaggle of kuhli loaches with a goby for algae control. 

Ha, I think they’re afraid of Cory. It’s like how the dementors can’t get into hogworts 😁

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

@Patrick_Gits nice to have our little corner of the internet where a little experimentation by caring and experienced aquarists can be done without too much judgment. My goal is a wonderful aesthetically pleasing jungly tank. Here’s to trying out new things!

[TheSwissAquarist]

On 10/20/2022 at 11:19 PM, Beardedbillygoat1975 said:

I did a thing last night. My wife is out of town. I’ve been single parenting with some help from my parents. So my folks and the boys went to an indoor activity park for 3+ hours and they were all exhausted and in bed before 8pm which gave me a lot of time. 
 

The 60 g hasn’t gotten a permanent placement. With my wife’s plan for the daylight basement shifting a bit I’m waiting on that project. So that left the bowl gleaming and calling to me….

“You know you want to scape me….” 
“why yes, Yes I do want to scape you!”

I gathered the equipment with a plan to get the substrate system in along with an underground filtration system of some sort. I have seen commercially available UGFs for bowls but I DIY’d my last one. One of concerns was that the hardscape was heavy and needed some additional cushion. I didn’t want to just use egg crate or styrofoam as they wouldn’t fit right in the bowl. So I settled on an idea of using some 30 ppi sponge, taking my old sponge filter

With those sponges removed and the 2 arms pushed into horizontal position I pushed the large chunk of sponge over both intakes. I put down laterite, then some substrate from my old bowl including a mix of aquasoil, crushed coral, lava rock and gravel. Over that I put some aragonite sand and more lava rock. Then I put my sponge filter over that. Then I filled with aquasoil. As I went through the different configurations of the hardscape some of the sponge emerged from the aquasoil as it settled so I’ll be hitting a big box for some black sand and gravel. I placed a heater behind the output of the filter. I setup the light timer and here it is. 

I have an order of plants coming in - all crypts of various sizes as an online purveyor had a sale. I’m consider some stems as well and potentially co2. 

Stocking is probably controversial but hoping the puffer mafia don’t get me for a trio of pea puffers and gaggle of kuhli loaches with a goby for algae control. 

I love the idea of a puffer bowl! It’ll look great with plants.

[Odd Duck]

It’s beautiful!  Love your choice of rock and with all that for sight line breaks you may be OK with peas.  Try to get them all as close to the same size as possible and raising them together seems to be key.  Can’t wait to see it planted!

Edited October 24, 2022 by Odd Duck
Typo

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

I have a bit of melt going on but it’s planted. More to come! @GuppysnailI did reverse respiration but the crypts still melted. 

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

Updated pics, planted some bacopa, more crypts and rotala. 

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

 

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

The bowl looks amazing my friend!!

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

I think I’m a water change or two away from cycled and especially if I used some of my media to put some bacteria in. I want the plants to really set roots before I put the first inhabitants in - for some that may be a hint which way I’m going on this. 

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

Update on the bowl! 
 

We are fully cycled low and slow won this race. Not to mention to was shooting for letting some of the girls plants really taking root before introducing stock. 
 

I did some further cleanup last night but these are the shots from before I stocked it. 
 

I also just got an ISTA CO2 easy setup for this as well - kind of uses the same system as diy where they use a Gatorade bottle and let it diffuse naturally. 
 

Tonight I’ll do some videos and pics of the new inhabitants.

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

Well hello everyone in reading my last post I am extremely tardy in updating - I need to get some footage of The Bowl but haven’t had time as I’ve been working on the…

The 60 - it’s been in my basement for about 1+ months. My wife noted that the side board in our living room has been accumulating “stuff” essentially toys and other detritus our boys leave around that then gets picked up by us and then ends up there semi-permanently. She hates this and her solution which is why I love her was to setup the 60 gallon on this piece of furniture. It’s a very robust piece - hardwood, 300+ pounds, big feet and just perfect to accept a heavy aquarium. 

I started some sketches, procured plants and hardscape, substrate, an open box Fluval 3.0, and some UGF plates. 

My goal with this build is to create a subtropical hillstream tank for Australasian fishes. I’ve accumulated about 15 Rhadinocentrus, 8 Odessa barbs, and plan to add in some other fishes that would appreciate this type of setup - hillstream loaches or similar, maybe some gobies, and probably more rainbows as many appreciate high 60s to low 70s. 
 

This is the right side of the tank. This piece of Malaysian drift wood is the anchor for the right side of the tank along with a large chunk of a giant Thunder Egg. 
On the left there’s some large lava rocks and a thunder egg. 
The substrate is the “lasagna” recipe some of us have been kicking around. First layer is organic potting soil a very thin layer 1/4”-1/2” max. Then Fluval Stratum a full 18 lb bag. Next was a mix of some different “river stone” gravels to cap I made this about 1.5-2”. This was followed with pool filter sand. 

I used some river stones and some of the gravel for accent pieces. 
 

I filled it and as I did so I planted it. In the foreground is Crypt jacobsonii, mid ground bacopa, Madagascar lace, Bolbitis and Java fern. In the background are crypt spirals green and red, Val both corkscrew and gigantea. 
Here’s a video of the completed project. Hoping by the AM it’ll clear a bit. 

Have fun everyone! Feel like this was a great way to end 2022 in terms of scapes and builds. More to come so I’ll keep posting here until I stock it. 

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

My wife overall likes the tank design but wants the branch pointing toward the front acrylic moved. It’s cleared up enough to define the scape a bit better and I think she’s right.

Always work to do. Tonight was removing the crypt melt. Tomorrow will be removing the branch, using a rock to secure the wood and then placIng it better. 

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

Yeah she's right, different position- but overall going to be a great tank!

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

Tonight was all about maintenance and moving around the scape in the 60 g. To get to the level of the wood I needed to drain about 70% of the water - I dared not go farther as I’ve just gotten this thing cycled and I’d hate to crash it. My wife’s main criticism was that I’d done a good job with procuring hardscape and she wanted to see it. She felt the branch up front drew her eye and then the cluster of plants there was just too muddled and needed some help to better define the plants and scape. So here’s the before: 

And here’s the after:

I added a sponge from one of my tanks tonight to give back some of the bacteria I may have lost with that big water change. I’m excited as the next inhabitants for this tank are due here tomorrow. More to come on that. I’m really happy with the danios and barbs. My Australasianish Riverine Tank is coming along nicely. 

I am seriously thinking about getting some S. repens pots and putting it in the foreground. Im also thinking about grabbing 10 Amano shrimp and some Bertie’s as the cleanup crew. This is seriously fun 🤩 I am so lucky and I’m full of gratitude every day. 

[nabokovfan87]

This rock is awesome, lava rock?



 

On 11/30/2022 at 11:57 PM, Beardedbillygoat1975 said:

I am seriously thinking about getting some S. repens pots and putting it in the foreground. Im also thinking about grabbing 10 Amano shrimp and some Bertie’s as the cleanup crew. This is seriously fun 🤩 I am so lucky and I’m full of gratitude every day. 

JUST 10!? hahaha.... I say you can fit 50 in there easy.

I kind of like the idea of the S. Repens in the left corner and just seeing how it does up front.  There was this one plant I found and it might be PERFECT for a background in this tank.  It's a version of hairgrass but it gets 18" long.  I would love to see it in a dutch style aquascape, but I've only ever seen it in a tank like this as a river type of setup.

Eleocharis vivipara (Tall / Umbrella Hairgrass)

This may or may not be it, but very similar behavior and plant appearance.

 

[nabokovfan87]

On 11/27/2022 at 12:44 AM, Beardedbillygoat1975 said:

The side that is facing the back in this shot. WHAT A BEAUTIFUL face of mopani.  It's a big wide flat piece and it has such a great aesthetic to it.  I really think so many can underestimate how pleasing mopani can be in a tank.  Especially if you get a few pieces with such nice grain and texture to it.

It'll be very awesome to see this tank progress.  I'll try to grab a shot of my mopani tank.  I had an old piece that was about the size of the one you have, plastered some moss on it and called it a day.  it was like a little hobbit hill by the time all the plants crashed on me.  The moss was the first thing I lost, but that big face full of moss was just perfect for shrimp and fish eggs.

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

@nabokovfan87i have a tall hairgrass in my fishroom I could try it in there it is an Eleocharis I got as a throw in from Dustin. I’ll take a pic and see if it’s the right one.

Id always been told if you see a piece of hardscape you like grab it. So yeah that is lava rock, it’s from central Oregon. We lived in a a community called Lava Ridges and indeed we were surrounded by lava flows so I would keep interesting pieces for scapes. This one traveled to Seattle with us. 
 

The Mopani was found at a big box shop from Zoo Med. It was so cool and the price was ridiculously cheap. I’m have a ton of unused Manzanita but this scape just screamed for something different. Thanks for noticing the details. I really tried to consider these things in the planning. 

[nabokovfan87]

On 12/1/2022 at 1:10 AM, Beardedbillygoat1975 said:

@nabokovfan87i have a tall hairgrass in my fishroom I could try it in there it is an Eleocharis I got as a throw in from Dustin. I’ll take a pic and see if it’s the right one.

Very likely, he does have a video on it. 🙂

On 12/1/2022 at 1:10 AM, Beardedbillygoat1975 said:

Id always been told if you see a piece of hardscape you like grab it. So yeah that is lava rock, it’s from central Oregon. We lived in a a community called Lava Ridges and indeed we were surrounded by lava flows so I would keep interesting pieces for scapes. This one traveled to Seattle with us. 
 

The Mopani was found at a big box shop from Zoo Med. It was so cool and the price was ridiculously cheap. I’m have a ton of unused Manzanita but this scape just screamed for something different. Thanks for noticing the details. I really tried to consider these things in the planning. 

That's awesome. It's one of those things. I want to stick my head on the sides and see all the little hidden interesting bits 🙂

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

The 60 gallon tank has now been stocked with some new inhabitants. Roseline17 on Aquabid is Marcel and he’s a beast of a rainbowfish and pleco type fish breeder. I received my order from him 2 days ago…..

 

I am not sure if the phone camera is picking up the color on the rainbows but I can already tell it will be pretty awesome when they mature and get their adult color. They’re a year old. The hillstreams im worried about - may not have enough food in there for them so I’m adding some iron to help out the algae growth. The wood was all In other setups and has biofilm as does the plants but they’re little, some surprisingly so. 

 

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

The bowl Has been suffering through some growing pains. I’m planning to buy a big group of Amanos for this tank and the 60 g. I’ve reduced the light time but not intensity. The other idea would be to switch from the bell type CO2 to a regulator as I do have a nano Fluval setup. The peas are great. The habrosus corys are awesome. The otos and Amanos good although a smaller amano who moles got eaten so not out of the woods in this shrimp and puffer issue. 

 

[Patrick_G]

Sierra pets often has jumbo Amanos. Besides being really cool, they’re probably less likely to get picked on by the puffers.   
I know you’re like 30 seconds from Aquarium co-op (lucky!!) but they rarely seem to have the jumbos. 

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

Yeah it’s so easy to stop in there and grab them but they often have had larger ones lately. Mixed bag.