Drew's 20 Long

Evening all!

So I went to petco and it's dollar per gallon sale time and well yea I had to...I've been dying to put a tank on that breakfast bar since I moved in here 4 years ago...it must be done!!!!!!!!!!

I'm spinning plans in my head and have it pretty well worked out what I am going to do with it, and I will have more details. But I wanted to document this tank from step 1 to done

So tonight I'm starting the rock boiling process. I got these rocks from New York (where I grew up) while I was on spring break. I actually grabbed a box of them. Right now I'm not sure what of these rocks I will use so I'm boiling them all and whatever I don't use I will start growing mosses on here soon enough.

My rock boiling process is the same. Boil them for an hour, drain them, boil them, drain them...until I don't get the floaty stuff at the top. These are the same rocks I use in other setups, but I will be using them in this setup completely differently



I will more than likely be boiling these once more tonight, and then more tomorrow while I work on my English paper. I'm hoping to have them done and testing for PH swings (I still check them) over the next week, hopefully starting my build the first week or so of May

Here's a picture of what I consider the "floaties"



I'm sure it's the layer of clay from the soil up there that's just boiling off and that it wouldn't hurt my tank but IDK I just don't want to run any risk of introducing something

Can't wait to see what this turns into!!

Sam_G wrote:

Can't wait to see what this turns into!!

unlike my 55, tens or moss growing setup this tank has been rolling around in my mind for the last 4 years! I don't want to give too much away it will def be a work in progress

Right now I've made a decision on the following:
20 L
Immersed filter
Paintball co2
Lights may change to lower tech so I'm not in the high light region

Finalizing:
Substrate
Flora
Fauna
Exact tank position

The flora and fauna I'm almost 100% on I'm just figuring out who to order it from since what I'm looking for isn't avail around here with (some is but 99% of the plants from lfs around here come algae saddled) the exception of one species that I may pull from a local pond

keep it up man

I just wish I had some more time tonight, still need to write at least 6 pages and work a presentation out

man thats what video is for

Lol no it's rather simple I just need to send some points. The tank has now been in my car for two days lol eventually ill bring it in

put in ur room thats what i did wiht mine

LOL but it looks awesome in my back seat....and makes me feel better about carrying around a few towels all the time for the "good deal/free" tanks although after this the only tank I'm going to remotely build until I get a larger apartment or house is the pico

agreed on that drew

So yes, I really do have a 20L roaming the back seat of my car...I'll take it in tonight I promise....well if I'm not obliterated from work I guess....

NOOOO upside down tank picture!!!!

trust me happens all the time but mine is the 55 gallon version of that

I'm literally going nuts trying to figure out where this tank is going. But I think that I will get it set up and cycling here soon (first week of May)

hey man im gonna start setting up 55 gallon reef tank next week

Nice start a showcase

im working on it

Nice pictures are awesome

yeah trust me if i can get my nikon to work with me they will be really nice

Substrate came in!

I'm using Floramax -- Same thing as eco complete only it's not wet with that bacteria which really doesn't do anything anyway... (I know a lot of people have given it a bad wrap, however my two 10 gallon tanks run well on it and since I won't be going crazy heavy rooted I won't need something like ADA or to make a soil tank) for my purposes it will work excellently



I have some things on order now that should be coming in over the next week or so and yes I know that's a lot of substrate (each bag is ~15lb) but I got such a good deal on it I couldn't believe it...it was more than half off

sweet man we need pics of the substrate in the tank tho LOL

loganjonathan wrote:

sweet man we need pics of the substrate in the tank tho LOL

Baby steps....baby steps LOL I won't even start setting up the tank until after the first, I'm just getting everything together now so I can get it goin

hey i understand fully altho im excited to see where this one goes and idk y u dont just convert that one to salt or get like a 20 and convert it

I need to do this one fresh....trust me when you see what I'm up to you'll understand