Malkore's 75 Gallon Freshwater planted tank

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These are photos of my 75 gallon freshwater aquarium. Photos run in reverse chronology...so the oldest photo is at the bottom of the page.

Capacity	75 gallons
Dimensions	48"Lx18"Wx20"D
Filter	Rena Filstar XP3 - 2 fine sponges, 2 coarse sponges, bio-rings, no carbon
Circulation	Maxi-jet 900 - bare bones, no venturi.
Heating	Hydor ETH In-Line Heater - 300watts
Lighting	2.9wpg = 4x55watt power compacts - 2x9325K GE, 2x10,000K
CO2	Milwaukee regulator, 5lb cylinder, runs 24/7 - approx 30-35ppm CO2. Diffuser is a powerhead/gravel vac type reactor.
Water hardness	10dkh \| 14dGh - pH maintained at 6.8~7.0
Substrate	6.5 bags Flourite (with 15lbs of 'seasoned' pea gravel)
Current Inhabitants	4 Tiger barbs, 3 Labidochromis cerulia, 3 Pseudotropheus acei, 1 Pseudotropheus demasoni, 2 Lodotropheus sprengerae, 2 Pseudotropheus socofoli, 2 Siamese Algae Eaters, 2 Lemon Tetra, 5 Yo-yo loaches, 4 Clown loaches, and 2 Nerite snails. fish in itallics will be removed soon
Current plants	Limnophila aromatica, Cyperus helferi, Ceratopteris siliquosa, Myriophyllum matogrossense, java ferns: broad, narrow and windelov sp, more to come...

Taken May 3, 2006

Long time since I updated. Tank has been a rollercoaster, as I neglect it, then tend to it, then neglect it, then replant it. I've removed the giant java fern attached to the driftwood. I just was so tired of seeing it, and having it take up so much real estate.

New light fixture too, sort of. Scrapped that huge oak thing, and rebuilt a lean, simple box that holds the lights. I plan to add a single actinic bulb too. I've also painted the back a cobalt blue shade.

Everything looks bad right now because the plants haven't had any light since April 29th. That's when I took the old canopy off for a water change, and said "I'm tired of this!". I'll be posting a URL to a simple canopy DIY blueprint and photos of assembly.

Taken July 11, 2005

Big changes! Trying to remove all lemon tetra, paradise fish and corydoras, as I have decided to go heavy on African cichlids. 75% water change yesterday.

Added rockwork, will be adding more, plus some resin cast caves. Moved the Alternanthera reineckii, tore up most of the glosso (sucks to maintain this lovely carpet look), and reworked some other areas of the tank. Also added a powerhead on the left side to see if a little current wouldn't benefit the tank. Both my friends Stuart and Travis have more flow than me, and slightly better looking plants, so I figured it was worth a shot since I had a spare Maxi-jet.

I plan to add some actinic lighting as well, both to enhance the fish colors and to push the plants towards bushier growth. Probably a single 40watt NO fluorescent.

Taken May 28, 2005

Glosso is doing great, no more microsword either. That's ludwigia brevepis in the back left. If you look closely in front, you can see two Pseudotropheus acei swimming by. I've decided to start adding a few cichlids, and see what happens. I had a pair of Labidochromis caeruleus but one turned up dead today. I think he starved.

Taken March 20, 2005

Removed several apongeton sp. and a bunch of java fern from the driftwood. Planted an oriental sword yesterday.

Taken February 17, 2005

Added the following plants today Limnophila aromatica, Cyperus helferi, Ceratopteris siliquosa, Myriophyllum matogrossense

Taken January 10, 2005

I need to post some other photos, but I wanted a current shot up on the tank. It has now been running for just over a year.

Click here to see a shot from January 19, 2004, and compare the size of the java fern wedged in between the pieces of driftwood.

Taken November 03, 2004

Sorry for the lousy photo. I need a new camera!

Taken September 16, 2004

Taken just hours after a 70% water change. I'm really about ready to tear out 60% of the plants, and start with some new species. Things just seem stagnet.

Taken July 28, 2004

Removed a few compacta swords. Removed ALL red foxtail (couldn't see it...too wispy for my liking). Moved the red ludwigia back some, and am propagating the Gymnocoronis spilanthoides again. Pulled out the giant hairgrass as well since it was mostly dead. The narrow leaf micro sword doesn't seem to be spreading quickly. Some deficiency I can't determine. Probably need more root tab ferts. I bought a tab making kit...I guess I should put it to use.

Taken June 26, 2004

Been a while since I updated a photo. I mainly have been letting things grow out, after changing out some plants. The glosso never survived the gouramis. I've now got narrow leaf chain sword growing in the front right corner. I think I need to lower my lights a few inches, to help with intensity.

Taken April 19, 2004

I re-did 90% of my tank, and added about 15 more pounds of flourite along the back. Sunset hygro is all gone, as is dwarf hairgrass. Melon sword also removed, donated to Fish World. I put in ludwigia repens, glosso and giant hairgrass. The glosso really sucks to plant, and my gourami are tearing it up. Not sure how long it'll stay in there. I've found that www.aquariumplants.com is only 2 hours away from me, so priority mail via USPS is quick enough for plants to arrive in good shape.

Taken April 12, 2004

Added some more flourite on the left...felt the substrate was shallow, and I wanted another, different raised area. Both tiger lotus plants have been removed...one transplanted, the other trashed. I didn't care for their growth. My red temple is full of holes too, suspect a potassium deficiency. I've switched to dosing with Plantex CSM +Boron, instead of Flourish as a trace fertilizer. My nitrates have dropped, so I think the plants are using nutrients more efficiently with the addition of Plantex.

I've recently lost an albino tiger barb, and tonight I noticed all my nerite snails are hiding in their shells on the tank floor...or possibly dead. I haven't done a water change since April 3rd, yet its very clear. The tank's just over 3 months old now, and I think it's finally stable.

Taken March 24, 2004

I've allowed the Sunset hygro to get 'bushy'...and the fish seem to like the denser cover, particularly the yo-yo loaches and cory doras. The melon sword has gone crazy with new growth, and most of the original leaves at purchase have withered away and been pruned. I need a taller tank...like a 3 footer, for this plant to truely stretch out. Then it would look amazing.

Marimo balls - gone. Rotala 'magenta' - gone. Half the crypts were removed too, and only 1 java fern remains, on the driftwood. The marimo balls were just falling apart and fouling up the water. There was nothing magenta about the Rotalam 'magenta'...so it was trashed. In its place is bacopa (front right). I have a second tiger lotus...this one seems to have more of a varigated leaf color.

Taken March 3, 2004

All 220 watts are on...too darn bright. Moved rotala macranda to front left corner, replanted top of tallest stem. Most of the green mystery plant (identified as hygrophilia corymbosa) was thrown out last night. Marimo ball 'fell apart'...so now I have 2 tiny ones. The gourami love to rip it up. Another mystery 'PetCo bulb' sprouted...into another tiger lotus.
I'm getting tired of cabomba. I added 3 paradise fish (Macropodus opercularis) today.

Taken February 24, 2004

I removed all the green temple plants, trimmed the red temples tops and replanted them (back right corner). Trimmed back the sunset hygro too, as well as the 'mystery plant' in the front left corner (still waiting to hear from a true plant geek on that one).

Taken February 17, 2004

I tore out most of the rotala magenta...just a little of it's in the back right corner. I moved the baby tears, and thinned out what was sickly. I've also added reflectors, which would be more noticable in this photo if the tank was properly pruned.
I'm beginning to dislike my tiger lotus. The leaves are just too big.

Taken February 3, 2004

Did some pruning back this weekend. Doing better at fertilizing...pearling every day. Nitrates up to 10-15ppm, phosphates still .5ppm.

Taken January 28, 2004

I removed the mayaca completely...and the red foxtail may soon follow, as its being nipped at badly by the gourami. I removed some of the green temple as well.
Here's a shot of my Tiger Lotus, which was grown from a bulb.
I've been working more on the nutrient dosing, as I now have potassium phosphate, mixed to a solution where 1mL adds 0.12ppm phosphate to the tank.
Nitrates are finally up to 10ppm.

Taken January 19, 2004

Some of the plants are really doing well. Others, like the mayaca (back left corner) is dying...the gourami are nipping at it for algae, and taking bits of the fine leaves with them instead.

I also wedged a java fern plantlet where the two driftwood pieces touch.

Taken January 12, 2004

The sunset hygro has really grown, and the melon sword has more leaves. I trimmed and replanted the cabomba too.
The last of the plants I wanted came in: rotala 'magenta' on the left, some rotala macranda, red foxtail, a marimo ball, and dwarf hairgrass (planted around the melon sword).

Taken January 05, 2004

Here you can see brown diatoms covering the rocks. The green temple (right side) has grown as has the cabomba.

Taken December 28, 2003

This is basically right after I got the tank all setup, and the initial plants put in.

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