Getting a 15 Gal. Column Tank!!!

I've been waiting and waiting for us to move to our newly bought house until I got bored and get to the point that I decided to purchase a 15 Gallon Aqueon Column Tank W/O STAND :(tomorrow from someone.

Set-up - It will be basically a Semi-planted but mossy set up.

Decor piece - I have a mopani wood that I am planning to add in the plane. Any idea on what moss would look best? I will post pic later.

Community - will be just my Black Moscow Guppy Breeding Stock and a colony of RCS or maybe a diff. mini shrimp.

Substrate will be - CaribSea Midnight Black Floramax Premium Aquarium Substrate mixed with black 30/60 Ratio 60/40 in favor of Floramax.

Light will be - RC Hagen A1623 8W Power-Glo Fluorescent Bulb, 12 in (which is advertised as good light for Plants and Invertebrates.

Water will be cycled for a week or two.

Any thoughts?
Maybe the compatibility of the two species?
Lighting??
OR whatsoever I may be planning that may cause some disaster.

Suggestions are more than welcome.

Any other personal business just PM me

Thanks!

Guppies will eat juvenile/ baby shrimps.

Another person getting a 15 column?  Can't say I blame you, they are pretty great tanks!  FYI- the Aqueon stands for their 15s are availble at a lot of Petcos.

I'm using two of these LED strips in my 15: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
PokeSephiroth is using these too for his.  Works great!  Perfect size if you remove the light built into the hood of the tank.  Or just replace the hood altogether (I'm using a glass chessboard I got at a thrift store for $2)

Yes, the guppies will eat the shrimp fry if they see them, but if you have a large enough shrimp population and plenty of hiding spots and java moss, you'll probably be ok.

Moss: for the purpose of aesthetics, I love Phoenix Moss. For practicallity, Java Moss for the shrimp fry

SiRWesDragon wrote:Guppies will eat juvenile/ baby shrimps.  

Let's say i'm okay that the juvenile could be part of the food chain? Survivors will grow and join the colony? Does that sound bad at all? I really want to relocate my guppies to a show tank. Plus i want a show tank to have plants,shrimps and basically my show guppies.

Lamental Jester wrote:Another person getting a 15 column?  Can't say I blame you, they are pretty great tanks!  FYI- the Aqueon stands for their 15s are availble at a lot of Petcos.

I'm using two of these LED strips in my 15: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
PokeSephiroth is using these too for his.  Works great!  Perfect size if you remove the light built into the hood of the tank.  Or just replace the hood altogether (I'm using a glass chessboard I got at a thrift store for $2)

Yes, the guppies will eat the shrimp fry if they see them, but if you have a large enough shrimp population and plenty of hiding spots and java moss, you'll probably be ok.

Moss:  for the purpose of aesthetics, I love Phoenix Moss.  For practicallity, Java Moss for the shrimp fry

I actually reviewed your thread about you and pokes 15s. They look great!!! I can say i'm jealous. Not planning to get into the act but i really like how the tank looks. Most people do not appreciate it. But I do. Yes it may be hard to work on. But heavy work will pay off as a good art. I'll check on LED ing the tank. Since the tank i'm getting has a busted t5 "weak" bulb. 

Okay like i said it will be a mossy tank. Maybe a cloud of java moss. And a bamboo coal  covered with java moss.

I'll check that phoenix moss you talking about :)thanks LJ

Let's say i'm okay that the juvenile could be part of the food chain? Survivors will grow and join the colony? Does that sound bad at all? I really want to relocate my guppies to a show tank. Plus i want a show tank to have plants,shrimps and basically my show guppies.

Post pics when youre done. Cant wait that stuff. Btw congrats on the new home. Welcome to home owning, best  lawn and front yard neighborhood competing and paying mortgage lifestyle. Jk.

SiRWesDragon wrote:

Let's say i'm okay that the juvenile could be part of the food chain? Survivors will grow and join the colony? Does that sound bad at all? I really want to relocate my guppies to a show tank. Plus i want a show tank to have plants,shrimps and basically my show guppies.

Post pics when youre done. Cant wait that stuff. Btw congrats on the new home. Welcome to home owning, best  lawn and front yard neighborhood competing and paying mortgage lifestyle. Jk.

Will do. Thank you. and yeah It's very exciting! Corner Lot  Which hase huge Front yard coverage that really needs to be rebuilt. Paying mortgage is not that exciting thou XD...

The 15g columns are cool looking tanks.

Looking forward to the pics, then we can do the showdown.

Put all the 15's against each other and vote....

DMD123 wrote:The 15g columns are cool looking tanks.

Looking forward to the pics, then we can do the showdown.

Put all the 15's against each other and vote....

They are!! Very modern looking tanks.
And good idea.. I'm in!!

I want to BUMP this since I am planning to set the tank up this weekend.

Any suggestions?

Lighting wise I don't have anything in mind. I got a 2 piece LED strip that is very very small . so it will act as my night light. I will buy a power glo by RC Hagen if I really want to rush the set up. But I'm looking to go pure LED since this will be a Semi-planted Shrimp set-up. I might dose it with diy Co2 ATM until I get my own co2 system. I also have another option Using a pair of CFL(Compact Flourescent Light) as an addition to the small LED and power glo. But having 3 different power plugs are not safe and not very pleasing in the eye unless I tuck it.

I know LJ and Poke uses X2 Ecoxotic Panorama LEDs for their set up. But I can't just put out that much money just for lights at least ATM. I hope no one trips about me complaining about costs. "I Just Commited on a 30 or less YEARS of future Bills"LOL

Substrate I will stick with CaribSea Midnight Black Floramax Premium Aquarium Substrate mixed with black 30/60 Grit
Ratio 60/40 in favor of Floramax.

Thanks,
Jeth

It seemed that the other two columns needed a bit of modification for upgraded lighting. Why not look into the Beamsworks products? How about this: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

DMD123 wrote:It seemed that the other two columns needed a bit of modification for upgraded lighting. Why not look into the Beamsworks products? How about this: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

I think LJ used a glass chessboard and Poke kept the hood.

Do you think 1 is enough for the Tank? Well i should research about this myself but i just want to get your opinion since the link came from you.

Thanks DMD!

That one was listed for plants. Beamswork makes good stuff for cheap. Im not a plant guy so I dont know for sure if it is enough, might google reviews on the light fixture and see what people say. Could always go to a reef type light if you need more power....

Woohoo!! Yet another member that owns a beautiful 15gallon column tank! Nice!

If you're going for a mossy look, I wonder if you could just skip the whole gravel/substrate part, and just rip up a couple Marimo Moss Balls and use that as your base. It would look awesome to have a Marimo Moss Carpet!!

As for the lights that LJ mentioned, I'm totally happy with them. My fish look colorful, and the plants look vibrant! I had to modify the lid of my tank though, and had to use legos, for everything to fit, but I think it was all well worth it.

Goodluck with that tank of yours! Can't wait to see some awesome progress pictures!

PokeSephiroth wrote:Woohoo!! Yet another member that owns a beautiful 15gallon column tank! Nice!

If you're going for a mossy look, I wonder if you could just skip the whole gravel/substrate part, and just rip up a couple Marimo Moss Balls and use that as your base. It would look awesome to have a Marimo Moss Carpet!!

As for the lights that LJ mentioned, I'm totally happy with them. My fish look colorful, and the plants look vibrant! I had to modify the lid of my tank though, and had to use legos, for everything to fit, but I think it was all well worth it.

Goodluck with that tank of yours! Can't wait to see some awesome progress pictures!

I have a couple Marimo, Even tho its called/looked like a moss it is not a moss but algae. If I will use Excel I will damage the algae/marimo because of Excel has a Algaecide. But anyways when you said "skip the whole gravel/substrate part" does that mean. Go do a bare tank or still use substrate but just regular substrate? I wanted it to be a Semi planted with Java for shrimps to lay eggs on. and save babies from adult or guppies (if i decided to risk it).

Light wise. I'm still on a hunt for maybe a cheaper deal of LED Light I can rig on the Cover. If not I'll save up for at least 1 Panorama.

Thank you and keep suggesting hahah. 

by skip substrate, I meant go bare lol.. then cover the bottom with the marimo moss carpet

You could still plant java moss or java fern even with a marimo carpet (you could even plant other plants onto the carpet, really) ... as for the shrimp don't lay the eggs anywhere. Females will clutch the eggs until they are ready to hatch

And as for the moss balls being a form of algae, yes you are correct.

Oh yeah i just remember they kept their eggs haha.

I don't think i have enough to cover up a 13x13 inches ground. But I'll see since my marimos moss balls starts floating. soo. i have no use for them. I can always buy more. I have a mopani wood that i might just end up Adding to the set up. I'm eager to set the tank up since I have less than two week to leave the old house.

Talk to you later I will run to the LFS and check what i can get and try to set up the tank somehow. It will be completely bare atm. Just so i could get the water circulated and ready bye a week or two.

Thank you.

.............if you ever feel like giving away them marimo moss balls... I'd gladly take em off your hands! hahahah

enjoy the rest of the weekend Jet!

I highly recommend having substrate, if anything just for the benificial bacteria that grows in it

LJ: Hmmmm... perhaps. I'll see if I can do a portion of it with substrate. Good call on that.