# New 90 Gallon Planted Project



## Sunny (Aug 26, 2009)

I have been asked to start a thread about my quest to start a planted 90 gallon tank. So this is step by step of how I am putting my 90 gallon planted tank together. This is my first attempt at a planted tank so please feel free to comment and give advice.

Tank is a 90 gallon tall 48x24x18 with a hole drilled in the bottom with an overflow pipe. The water drains to a 35 gallon wet/dry sump filled with the usual bio balls and lava rock where I will keep all my equipment such as pumps, heaters,CO2, etc. The pump is 250 gph but at the amount of head that I have I figure it's probably pumping 100 gph. Heater is a 200 watt Ebo Jager with plans to add another as backup. Lights so far are Coralife Dual Strip Freshwater T5s with 1 full spectrum and 1 6700K bulb. Not sure I need more light as the tank is in our family room under two skylights and part of the tank is always in full sun. I will continue to add to this post as things are added to the tank and changes are made.


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## Sunny (Aug 26, 2009)

So I went to the local fish store for substrate and they had cleaned out a tank and were bagging up some gravel ( in the right color I might add ) and selling it for $9.99 for 30 lbs so I purchased 4 but only used 3. I'm hoping the tank will cycle a bit faster with the used gravel. My wife saw a piece of driftwood that she liked so we purchased that too. The tank is on a metal stand so I built a cabinet that my wife stained yesterday and I think it turned out pretty good. I just have to put some doors on the back as you can see in the photo.


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

Any particular reason you have the drain line in the side of the tank in the middle of the room and not on the side against the pillar?

Is it because the return line comes out the other side of the sump? Why not route it back and over the lip on the same side as the drain line - if getting flow across your tank is a concern, I'd add a powerhead, as your return from your sump shouldn't be te main source of flow in the tank. Alternatively, if you want it to be the only flow, you could run the return line (looks like 1/2"?) just inside the trim of the tank under the glass lid to the front end of the tank, so it looks cleaner an still pushed flow from one side of the tank to the other.

I like the placement of the tank though. Should be nice viewing when it's all planted and grown in.


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## Sunny (Aug 26, 2009)

Plants will be picked up on Friday night, I saw an add online were the guy is selling his tank and everything separately. Here's what I 'm getting from him.

2 Amazon Swords 18' to 20" $4 each
10 Crypt Wendtii $1 each
7 Anuba Barteri Nana $4 each
1 Tiger Lotus $6
8 Jungle Val $1 each

I am also looking for some Echinodorus Tenellus ( Pygmy Chain Sword ) and some Glossostigma Elatinoides, or Hemianthus Callitrichoides. If anyone has some it would be much appreciated thanks.


P.S. The seasoned gravel from the LFS I have now come to find out that it was full of snail eggs!...They are too small right now to tell what kind they are.


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## Sunny (Aug 26, 2009)

ameekplec. said:


> Any particular reason you have the drain line in the side of the tank in the middle of the room?


Yes!, I wanted the return line at the opposite end of the tank but didn't want it sticking out on the end. At least now it is between the tank and the wall. And my wife wouldn't have liked it sticking out anyway. Gotta keep the missus happy!


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## KnaveTO (May 13, 2007)

Looking forward to watching this progress.


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

Sunny said:


> Yes!, I wanted the return line at the opposite end of the tank but didn't want it sticking out on the end. At least now it is between the tank and the wall. And my wife wouldn't have liked it sticking out anyway. Gotta keep the missus happy!


How about this?


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## Chris S (Dec 19, 2007)

A work of art Eric.


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## KnaveTO (May 13, 2007)

In some ways I think FW keepers could learn someting about water systems from SW keepers, especially with regards to sump and sump like systems.


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

Chris S said:


> A work of art Eric.


Thanks. Paint is a tough canvas, but I've almost mastered it.



KnaveTO said:


> In some ways I think FW keepers could learn someting about water systems from SW keepers, especially with regards to sump and sump like systems.


For sure. I've seen some pretty crafty stuff out of the SW camp that puts FW systems to shame. Opened my eye to design certainly.

Sunny, if that 90 is less then 5 years old, chances are it has a center brace - you can use that brace to help support the plumbing halfway. On the other end of the tank, I'm sure you could make a mini-ledge out of a strip of glass (or one or two small squares of glass or ceramic should be sufficient - think a small bathroom tile if you don't have spare glass) just to hold up the spraybar/outlet assembly, as full of water, it'll weigh a few pounds.

Also, with that upper trim, you should have about 1 1/4 - 1 1/2" of space were the trim overlaps the glass under the lip of the trim where your glass lids rest - this should easily hide any of the pipe work - you'll only see where it goes over the rim, then it disappears.

In the short term it might seem like a lot more work, but in the end will be well worth it. With that pipe out there it looks like a fish tank at a Chinese grocery store, but against the wall, it won't be nearly as noticeable and probably easy to plant around with some tall plants to hide it, which will look much better than trying to accomplish the same thing on the open end of the tank.


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## Mr Fishies (Sep 21, 2007)

ameekplec. said:


> Thanks. Paint is a tough canvas, but I've almost mastered it.


It's good to have goals in life. 



ameekplec. said:


> With that pipe out there it looks like a fish tank at a Chinese grocery store...


LOL! I just snorted trying to not laugh and scared the woman who sits behind me at work!


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## KnaveTO (May 13, 2007)

ameekplec. said:


> Thanks. Paint is a tough canvas, but I've almost mastered it.


Downloaded the Google rendering program. One of these days going to try and learn it. Supposedly is easy to work with.


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## gucci17 (Oct 11, 2007)

Nice to see planted tanks with sumps. Should be good!


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

KnaveTO said:


> Downloaded the Google rendering program. One of these days going to try and learn it. Supposedly is easy to work with.


Sketch up? Yeah, pretty easy, but paint is just so much faster for me.


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## KnaveTO (May 13, 2007)

Yeah... but there is so much more you can do in Sketch Up


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## Sunny (Aug 26, 2009)

So I picked up the plants off Harry on Friday night ( thanks Harry ) and installed them on Saturday along with a DIY Co2. You can see the Co2 in the sump photos along with the DIY Co2 diffuser.


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## gucci17 (Oct 11, 2007)

I really like the how the stain worked on your stand. Would you mind sharing what type you used?


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## mr.sandman (Mar 22, 2007)

Watch out for algae since the tank will be exposed to sunlight.


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## Sunny (Aug 26, 2009)

gucci17 said:


> I really like the how the stain worked on your stand. Would you mind sharing what type you used?


Yes the stain was purchased at Canadian Tire, it's Minwax "Polyshade" stain and polyurethane in one step. The colour is "Bombay Mahogany.


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## Sunny (Aug 26, 2009)

mr.sandman said:


> Watch out for algae since the tank will be exposed to sunlight.


Yeah gonna keep my eye on it for sure. Right now I have my lights on for 12 hours but if I get too much algea I'll cut them back until I can maintain control.


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## Consigliere (Jun 11, 2009)

With those plants in there I think I would start out at a lower photoperiod, like 7 or 8 hrs and work up if you have no problems. I fell into the trap of starting long with slow growers and ended up with an algae disaster. With DIY CO2 this will only compound the algae/light problem. Of course, I could be wrong but sometimes its better to start out easy and work your way up as the plants take root and start to grow.


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## gucci17 (Oct 11, 2007)

Sunny said:


> Yes the stain was purchased at Canadian Tire, it's Minwax "Polyshade" stain and polyurethane in one step. The colour is "Bombay Mahogany.


Thanks for sharing Sunny.



> With those plants in there I think I would start out at a lower photoperiod, like 7 or 8 hrs and work up if you have no problems. I fell into the trap of starting long with slow growers and ended up with an algae disaster. With DIY CO2 this will only compound the algae/light problem. Of course, I could be wrong but sometimes its better to start out easy and work your way up as the plants take root and start to grow.


I would definitely have to agree with Consigliery. In my experience, 12 hrs of light + sunlight will result in algae issues. Everything will appear to be fine and then out of nowhere, your tank will get ambushed by some type of algae and thats when the war begins.

Forgive me if you already mentioned this but are you dosing ferts?


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## Sunny (Aug 26, 2009)

gucci17 said:


> Forgive me if you already mentioned this but are you dosing ferts?


No I'm just using CO2


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## Sunny (Aug 26, 2009)

So here's a list of the plants so far.

Aponogeton Crispus
Cryptocoryne wendtii
Anubias barteri var. nana
Vallisneria americana (gigantea)
Limnophila sessiflora
Limnophila aromatica
Rotala Rotundifolia
Vesicularia Dubyana

Nymphaea lotus (zenkeri)

Thanks to Harry and Ian, I also increased my Co2 from 4 litres to 12 litres but I will cut back on the amount of time the lights are on.


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## Consigliere (Jun 11, 2009)

Not sure how much sunlight you are getting on the tank but that 2nd photo has me worried for you. I would try and get it out of direct sunlight like that as much as possible. The 4th photo looks like there is the start of a BBA outbreak on your anubias.


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## Sunny (Aug 26, 2009)

Consigliere said:


> The 4th photo looks like there is the start of a BBA outbreak on your anubias.


Actually the anubias were like that when i got them


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## Sunny (Aug 26, 2009)

*Aponogeton Crispus Flower*

Here are some pics of the Aponogeton flowering.


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## Sunny (Aug 26, 2009)

*Silver Dollars!*

Okay my Silver Dollars are eating up all my plants. They are outta here!


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## Sunny (Aug 26, 2009)

*Bye Bye Silver Dollars Hello Rams?*



Sunny said:


> Okay my Silver Dollars are eating up all my plants. They are outta here!


Well my tank is looking better now that the Silver Dollars are gone and not chewing up my plants. I bought two German Blue Rams from Petsmart the same day I bought the Silver Dollars and what are the odds that they pair up and lay eggs after only having them two weeks?


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