Starry

trying to delete that post but wont let me. ok nix the loach then. pretty sure cories wont eat adult shrimp. Ottos will also eat zucchini, cucumber nori or algae wafers. Foe snacks they can eat what ever algea the can find in the tank. Further fish additions are a few weeks off anyhow.

Putting this here as I don't know how to start a journal thread and would also like some input. Tank is a jbj 24 with a aquaclear 70 just running foam (until I get an eheim classic canister). lighting is stock reef light with expired 105w quad pc. light is old so has shifted out of the blue spectrum slightly and is more yellowish. I have a 18" Sunblaster with reflector on order .So picked up 2 bags of flourite, covered that with pool filter sand. Got a few nice pieces of wood, one is the Malaysian wood, no sure about the bigger piece. The Malaysian has some anubias on it while I covered the larger branchy piece with java fern. There is also 2 different types of crypt, some H. polysperma, 1 stem H. Difformis, a little bit of jungle val, 2 little pieces of corkscrew val (all lfs had left) 4-5 micro sword in front till I find something better.also 1 Rose Sword. 1 plant I don't know what it is, nor did the guy at the shop. will post pic of it in future. someone gave me some ricca that I have floating in a guppy breeder cage till I decide what to do with it. Dosing flourish excel and flourish untill I make a diy co2 system using the sodas and citric acid method Only fish atm is a blue and red dumbo betta. Once tank is stable I will be adding: 6 panda cories, 8 cardinal tetras, 3 Ottos 10 cherry shrimp 1 Sidthimunki Botia Loach Anyhow here is what I have so far:

Started a thread in the planted forum.

Thinking south american with a sprinkling of asian. 8-10 Pygmy cories or 6 Juli cories, shole of rummy nose, shole of Cardnials. 2 hatchets, 1 betta for the wife. as for plants, am thinking corkscrew Vals, Anubias, 1-2 crypts (depends what I can find) java fern, water wisteria, red ludwigia, and havent desided on carpet yet, either hairgrass or glosso. All in pool filter sand with root tabs Has been a temporary change of plans, am going to set up a 28 gallon cube for now, 2 23w cfl I will do the 40 towards end of summer. (I have a spare cube left from a mini reef I did) Will Post pics as things progress. Starry

Google search brought up dozens of plans and pictures, here's one. http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/diy_canopy2.php I wonder if the down swing in the economy plays a part in lack of board activity? Lack of funds = lack of hobby play money.

Do you think 1 Finnex would cover the 36" by 18" footprint? If I were to do the LED flood I think I would go with 2 30w in a homemade plywood canopy. with 120 Degree spread I should get full coverage. I like the idea of a 36x18 tank, will take whatever depth I can get, either a 40 breeder(16" deep) or a 50 if I can find one(18" deep)

What would be the best bet, the finnex 24/7, the Current usa Sat, or led flood light? Low-med plants, fairly heavily planted diy co2. Cories and tetras for fish. Thanks

I'm looking forward to getting back into freshwater. I used to keep planted tanks and was hobby breeding angels on a pretty large scale several years ago. The last 10 years or so I have been keeping reef tanks but have broken down my 180 gallon reef in favor of a future 40 breeder planted tank. Tech has changed alot in last 12 years or so, I look forward to catching up!