L190
Well-Known Member
Recently i received an 55 acrylic tank and a stand for FREE!!! I was going to flip the tank but I recently found someone who is willing to sell me rarer crypts. Problem is that they are emersed grown, so instead of buying them and trying to convert them to aquatic life I decided to start a tank just for them.
This is what the tank and stand looked like when i received them.
The stand was in pretty bad shape so I decided to reinforce it. I used 2x4 to do so. At the time I thought it was a good idea but after finishing it, I should of went with thinner pine planks instead. Using 2x4, I made the tank 5 times heavier. I also painted the stand per my wife's request.
For lighting I consulted Seattle aquarist, a fellow member on wafishbox, TPT, APC... He told me that growing plants emeresed doesn't require "aquarium lights" and i could use shop lights with "daylight" bulbs, which would be cheaper. I decided to go with this and bought a 4 lamp t8 light fixture. I knew i wanted to go with LED since LED are the rage right now. I wanted to get 6500k bulbs but they didn't make bulbs that you can put right into the fixture. They sold 6500k bulbs which required you to pull off the ballast and rewire the fixture, something I can do but I am too lazy to do it. I had to settle for 5000k bulbs which i am pretty sure can grow plants.
To hang the lights I bent some 1/2" conduit pipe to make light hangers and hung the light. Here is what it looks like right now, I am happy with the look and brightness..
Lights off:
lights on:
I'm not sure how i am going to scape the tank yet. I am thinking of doing a river manifold in the front and make a bank in the back to grow the plants. I also plan to make an automated mister to mist the plants daily so i don't have to do it. I'll update you guys on what I build for this tank.
This is what the tank and stand looked like when i received them.
The stand was in pretty bad shape so I decided to reinforce it. I used 2x4 to do so. At the time I thought it was a good idea but after finishing it, I should of went with thinner pine planks instead. Using 2x4, I made the tank 5 times heavier. I also painted the stand per my wife's request.
For lighting I consulted Seattle aquarist, a fellow member on wafishbox, TPT, APC... He told me that growing plants emeresed doesn't require "aquarium lights" and i could use shop lights with "daylight" bulbs, which would be cheaper. I decided to go with this and bought a 4 lamp t8 light fixture. I knew i wanted to go with LED since LED are the rage right now. I wanted to get 6500k bulbs but they didn't make bulbs that you can put right into the fixture. They sold 6500k bulbs which required you to pull off the ballast and rewire the fixture, something I can do but I am too lazy to do it. I had to settle for 5000k bulbs which i am pretty sure can grow plants.
To hang the lights I bent some 1/2" conduit pipe to make light hangers and hung the light. Here is what it looks like right now, I am happy with the look and brightness..
Lights off:
lights on: I'm not sure how i am going to scape the tank yet. I am thinking of doing a river manifold in the front and make a bank in the back to grow the plants. I also plan to make an automated mister to mist the plants daily so i don't have to do it. I'll update you guys on what I build for this tank.
