First, I need some moon lights. My current light fixtures currently have them built in. However, a single power cord goes to each fixture, and there’s a switch for regular lights, and a switch for moon lights. There is no way to automate switching between day and night. What do you expect from cheap low light fixtures? So I want to pick up some stand alone moon lights. I found a nice looking moonlight LED strip on ebay. It has a dimmer on the power supply, but I don’t know if it’ll keep the dimmer setting if this is put on a timer. I sent the seller an email. Hopefully I’ll hear back soon.

I’d really like to have my sump connected to this tank, mostly to conceal the heater, pH probe, thermometer, etc. But I’d also like to have the extra area for beneficial bacteria, and also for automatic tank top-offs. I already have an eshopps sump for this tank. I need to get a hang-on overflow, and a return pump.

Speaking of automatic top-offs, I need to get a water container and a top-off system. This will just make my life so much easier.

I can’t think of anything else for my list right now. I’ll update this post if I add anything.

In the meantime, I’m planning on filling the 75 up with water, and draining it a few times, just so I can get most of the dust out of the soil. That won’t be until my next couple of days off though.

I’m thinking about doing the dry start method.

Equipment

Tank: 75g standard
Substrate: AquaDurt Black Diamond, Tahitian Moon black sand (for sand bank areas)
Lighting: 2x Solarmax HE T5 double lamp light system 48″
Filtration: Rena Filstar XP3
Heat: Hydor ETH In-line 300 watt
Controller: Reef Keeper Lite Net (What happened to low tech?!?)
Cover: glass top (I’ll change to clear netted before fish are added)

Flora (To Be Ordered)

Myriophyllum Aquaticum (Parrots Feather)
Red Java Fern
Sunset Hygro
Micro Crypt
Anacharus

Fauna (To Be Ordered)

5x Otocinclus vestitus
20x Chili Rasbora
20x Neon Tetra
20x Ember Tetra
20x Harlequin Rasbora
20x Amano shrimp
20x Red Cherry Shrimp
10x various Nerite snails

I’ve already got the manzanita wood and AquaDurt in the tank, along with the sand banks, although, since I haven’t finalized where I’m leaving the sand banks, they aren’t in any of the photos yet.

I need to get so e more equipment, such as a sump, overflow, return pump, heater, power heads, LED lighting, and various meters.

It’ll take some time to get everything together, but I’m very excited! I’ll definitely post progress updates as I put everything together.

My red cherry shrimp have been breeding like crazy!  I have tons of shrimplets!  Anyway, I hope I can become a bit more active around here.  Until next time!

I’d still like to upgrade to a larger tank, but that’s on hold for a while longer.

Anyway, that’s the latest update.  Until next time.

26 Gallon Planted Aquarium

I figured I’d give an update on my 26 gallon planted aquarium.  I’m down to a single fish (neon tetra).  I’ve only had two neons for the last year or so.  The last one to die died from old age (I believe).  I still have a ton of algae, but now that my red cherry shrimp just gave birth, I think they’ll get better at cleaning.  My amano shrimp are still doing well.  Some of them are getting fairly large.

I’m still injecting CO2, and have a pH of around 6.9-7.1.  It varies very little.  I’m off on vacation to Montana for a week, but when I get back, I’m going to setup a small 10 gallon quarantine tank and buy a couple more neon tetras.  I’ll keep them in quarantine for about 30 days or so, just to make sure they’re not sick.

Anyway, more to come later.