# Planted Tanks > Aquascaping >  4ft planted tank

## hann

Just moved to a new house and this is my first try on aquascaping on a 4ft tank. Prior to this, I had a 2ft tank. Got the tank from East Ocean (120 by 45 by 45) with crystal glass on the front side and the cabinet is sponsored by my contractor. Finally, the contractor managed to deliver it last night, but the cabinet doors are still not done yet. The LED lightset I got it shipped from Shenzhen and the brand is LEDZeal. Pretty interesting light which can be controlled by a smartphone. 

These are part of the hardscape (rocks) I had.

Tried my hand on the driftwoods arrangement

This is the initial setup with driftwood and the rocks I had. 

Planting and setting up of my filter equipment will start tomorrow.

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## limz_777

good start for a new year , no intention to put sand at the front ?

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## popimac

great potential, nice hardscape! but no door on the cabinet? and I didn't see any solid wood anchor, concern for you if it can withstand the weight once the water is in. 

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## hann

> great potential, nice hardscape! but no door on the cabinet? and I didn't see any solid wood anchor, concern for you if it can withstand the weight once the water is in. 
> 
> Sent from my ONE A2003 using Tapatalk


The solid woods are hidden below. The doors will be up by next week. After flooding, some of the driftwoods floated and I used some rocks to hold them down. Not so ideal scape for now. Will post more pictures tomorrow. Now in need of plants. Hahahahahaha. 
Any bro use ista glue. Don't know why it turns white after it dried up. Looks like mouldy

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## popimac

maybe you can consider silicone glue. 

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## hann

Finally got time to post some pictures. 
Final setup 
The base I have penac P and W before adding tc, bacter100 and super clear. 
4 9L ada normal soil and 4L of ada powder soil. 
I used 2 filters for this tank as my eheim 2075 might not be able to drive enough flow after connected to artica 1/5hp. The other eheim 2071, I used it to connect to my CO2 with an inline diffuser. 


Left side close up


Right side close up


Went to polyart and back to grab some plants to plant tomorrow. Need more plants to suck up the nutrients. Need more. Anyone has other plants to give away? I would love to have more for the initial startup. 

Bro popimac, I took a picture of the solid wood that is support the tank


Do I need to change water tomorrow? What is the change water regime for the initial start up.

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## tetrakid

It's good to see that solid wood support for the cabinet for your 4ft tank. It gives peace of mind.

The newly-filled water should appear cloudy. Changing with more clean water will not help much. Need to wait for the bacteria bloom to subside and stabilize and the water will be beautifully clear soon. Then you can start water-testing to determine the various water parameters.

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## Ivan Choo

Try to get some floaters. They are dirt cheap, non co2 limited hence sucks nutrients well, and easy to remove.

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## hann

I missed out the following two pictures yesterday. 

After emptying the bacter100 and the recommended dosage of the rest, this is how it looks like


Bought more plants this morning and got some complimentary japonica from bro Jackychun this evening. 

Also, did some minor change to the driftwood at the left. Now looks more branchy. 

Right side: the top driftwood did not float up at least after removing 2 out of 4 slabs from the top. Hopefully I can remove the slabs after a few more days. 


I also noticed that the white substance left behind by the ista glue is slowly disappearing.

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## popimac

the wood structure in the picture is for the cabinet platform/base. how about the supporting stands? I'm genuinely concerned, nothing more. 

as for cycling with amazonia, my water change regime usually are: 1st & 2nd day-change out all the water if possible. 3rd day and every other day for the first week-change out 50%. 

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## jackychun

The scaping in your 4ft tank looks great bro! Soon it will be gorgeous when plants catch up! 


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## hann

> the wood structure in the picture is for the cabinet platform/base. how about the supporting stands? I'm genuinely concerned, nothing more. 
> 
> as for cycling with amazonia, my water change regime usually are: 1st & 2nd day-change out all the water if possible. 3rd day and every other day for the first week-change out 50%. 
> 
> Sent from my ONE A2003 using Tapatalk


Bro thanks for pointing out the support of the cabinet. Will be tearing the tank down after consulting tank cabinet maker

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## popimac

if the maker can assure you that it can withstand 300-400kg, then there is no problem. better to be safe than sorry.. good luck! 

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## hann

> if the maker can assure you that it can withstand 300-400kg, then there is no problem. better to be safe than sorry.. good luck! 
> 
> Sent from my ONE A2003 using Tapatalk


Totally agreed. Better be safe. Looking at the positive side, at least we identify and eradicate the issue before it really gives way and becomes a hazard

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## tetrakid

> the wood structure in the picture is for the cabinet platform/base. how about the supporting stands? I'm genuinely concerned, nothing more. ...


From that picture I saw earlier which is turned sideways, I had thought the wooden supports are vertical. Very confusing picture.

I completely agree with shifu you that it is cause for concern not to have good support for such a heavy 4ft tank. I have even come across at least one hobbyist who put 2x 4ft tanks vertically on a DIY angle-iron stand, which I think is dangerous too.

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## hann

> the wood structure in the picture is for the cabinet platform/base. how about the supporting stands? I'm genuinely concerned, nothing more. 
> 
> as for cycling with amazonia, my water change regime usually are: 1st & 2nd day-change out all the water if possible. 3rd day and every other day for the first week-change out 50%. 
> 
> Sent from my ONE A2003 using Tapatalk


The wood structure in the picture is the top and the bottom is also this structure but covered up already. The sides are 15mm with centre vertical piece at 30mm thickness.
Any expert to advise if this is okay? Saw some cabinets online is also the same designs.

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## popimac

better to validate this with your carpenter since he is the one who built it for you.. 

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## hann

> better to validate this with your carpenter since he is the one who built it for you.. 
> 
> Sent from my ONE A2003 using Tapatalk


Yes. He told me can support. He used iron wood for the top and bottom structures. Sides and centre vertical are solid plywoods. 
Just that when u said your concern, from the picture, visually it looks thinner at the sides relative to the rest of the wood pieces and I started to think of what happens if....
However, after looking at some other cabinets both online and a few displays in fish shop, they have also vertical side woods like mine with no vertical beams internally. 
My tank is 120cm by 45cm by 45cm.

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## popimac

good to hear this info. then you can rest assured.  :Smile:  

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## jermseah

nice scape... need more plants now!! 

what carpeting plants u intend to put?

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## hann

> nice scape... need more plants now!! 
> 
> what carpeting plants u intend to put?


I have some Japanese hairgrass which I transferred from my old 2ft tank. They are at the front of the tank. Not so closely planted so cannot see from the picture. I am intending to get more Japanese hair grass to fill up the front.

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## Goalkeeper

Nice setup. Keep us posted on the LED light. Looks nice and high tech!

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## SGDiscus

Cool! Following!

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## hann

Days 1 to 3: did 90% water change 
Day 4: no water change
Day 5(today):did a 50% water change. 
My readings before water change 

NH3 and NO3 have some readings while NO2 is zero. 
I have ada brightly k and step 1. When do I start dosing them?

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## hann

Looking at others' blogs, I noticed that their NO2 has readings, however, mine is at zero. Is this normal?

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## jackychun

> Looking at others' blogs, I noticed that their NO2 has readings, however, mine is at zero. Is this normal?


It is totally normal in my view. 

Currently Ammonia level in your tank is very high. Beneficial bacteria that "eat" Ammonia to convert it to Nitrite (NO2) has still not developed enough to transfer all Ammonia to Nitrite. Whatever Nitrate converted was "eaten" by beneficial bacteria and transfer to Nitrate (NO3). Hence, it can be seen the Nitrite (NO2-) level is at 0 and Nitrate (NO3-) is a little currently. 

Slowly, once the beneficial bacteria gain the quantity, Ammonia level will be reduced gradually and Nitrite level will increase as well. 

Once tank cycled, Ammonia and Nitrite will reach 0ppm and Nitrate will be at higher level. 

Having said that, every tank will develop differently. However, it will come to the cycled point in the end. 


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## hann

Seems like I am still in the phase 1 of the fishless cycling process according to the graph. Ammonia has yet to convert to NO2. I thought my eheim 2071 which I brought it from the old tank can help to expedite the process, but looks like it iss a wishful thinking of mine. Lol.

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## Dscheng

Yes if you use the old media and canister filter from your previous tank, it can instantly kick start the cycling. Since you have new tank and soil, let it run a week or so. Test the water parameter again. Most importantly the water parameter must be stable.

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## SGDiscus

You can consider adding airstone to increase aeration. Just get a cheap pump. Oxygen helps to enhance the growth of nitrifying bacteria. 

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## hann

> You can consider adding airstone to increase aeration. Just get a cheap pump. Oxygen helps to enhance the growth of nitrifying bacteria. 
> 
> Sent from my SM-N910G using Tapatalk


I see. Thanks for the recommendation. 
What I did was push up the outlet slightly near the water surface for aeration.

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## hann

Finally the doors are up. All cover up.

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## aquanick

Sweet...!!!

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## SGDiscus

Nice!

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## popimac

looking great! 

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## Danny Archer

Very nice set up, thanks a lot for sharing your start up. Lucky you found such nice driftwood

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## hann

> Very nice set up, thanks a lot for sharing your start up. Lucky you found such nice driftwood


Actually there are a total of 6 pieces of driftwoods.

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## Danny Archer

I see, nice art work you did combining them, did you use a type of glue or tied them?

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## hann

> I see, nice art work you did combining them, did you use a type of glue or tied them?


No glue to stick them together. Just the arrangement with some soil, rocks and wood structures' help. Some of the branches can hook to the other driftwood.

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## hann

The 10th day update. 
More hairgrass(courtesy from bro goalkeeper)and plants added since the last update
Lobelia cardinalis mini
Ludwigia white
Rotala mexicana goias
Bacopa caroliniana
Pogostemon erectus
Cryptocoryne wendtii 'Kompakt'
Hygrophila 'araguaia' and rotala bonsai (hidden behind the rock) will shift them after they stablise. 
Hornwort
Dwarf water lettuce (floaters)
Front view

Left side close-up

Right side close-up

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## hann

Day 11
Ammonia decreases from the last measurement (a week ago). However, NO2 is still zero.

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## Just

very nice set up... the driftwoods look awesome, very nicely placed

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## hann

Finally the ammonia is zero and nitrate is still low. 

Latest update with 6 otos, 10 rummy noses and 10 Yamato

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## hann

All ready for Chinese New Year. Chiller in operation at 27.5C with many bps of co2. Light set on for 6 hours daily. 
Added some livestocks. 31 pieces of platinum rummy nose, 10 Cory Pygmy, 11 otos, 4 roseline torpedo and a few Yamato. 
The plants are slowly stabilizing in the tank. Just did a trim on the Japanese hairgrass and erect moss. 



All comments welcome.

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## Xiaozhuang

Nice work man ~ must post updates when it grows in

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## fireblade

Nice setup!
like the left side , feel that the right side is a bit heavy... maybe can soften it with plants?
love your gujings too!!
may I have a close up look at your erect moss?!! 




> All ready for Chinese New Year. Chiller in operation at 27.5C with many bps of co2. Light set on for 6 hours daily. 
> Added some livestocks. 31 pieces of platinum rummy nose, 10 Cory Pygmy, 11 otos, 4 roseline torpedo and a few Yamato. 
> The plants are slowly stabilizing in the tank. Just did a trim on the Japanese hairgrass and erect moss. 
> 
> 
> 
> All comments welcome.

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## hann

> Nice setup!
> like the left side , feel that the right side is a bit heavy... maybe can soften it with plants?
> love your gujings too!!
> may I have a close up look at your erect moss?!!


The close up of the erect moss is as follows. Trim them till quite short. 


Actually the intention for the right side is to have all buceps at the driftwoods but most of them melted during the setup. Also, the only rock placed erected in the set up is conspicuously seen at the right side and that gives the heavy look feel. On the left side, erected moss on the branches and mini nana and mini bolbits at certain parts of the driftwoods.

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## hann

Finally have some time to upload some pictures of different plants. Be warned, picture intensive. Haha. 
Starting with the livestocks. First up is my ever hungry and active platinum rummy nose. Also in the shot, you can see the roseline torpedo, a fish which I love a lot. 

Next sundodanio axelrodi which do not school or shoal much, yet they don't hide. However, they are terrorized by the bullies, platinum rummy nose. Apologies for the lousy shot. Bought a total of 3 batches of 10 pieces and lost about 7 pieces. Nice little fish. 

My Japanese hairgrass is getting more lush. 

Blood vomit gujings and lobelia cardinalis mini. I split the gujings from the mother plants and these are all plantlets. Like the red in their centre. Growing well. 

Starting from the back, downoi flanked by reckecill mini at their front left and staurogyne sp brown at the right. 2 lonely staurogyne purple between blood vomit gujings and staurogyne sp brown. Hope my orientation of the plants is not too confusing.

2 healthy and bushy gujings which are one of the focus in my tank. 

Eriocaulon goias recovered after a major melting and young crypto wendii kompakt

A crop of ammonia crassicaulis(front), ludiwigia white (middle), ludiwigia senegalis(back)

What are on the right driftwood? Of course, buceps. It cannot go wrong with these colourful plants thought they melted on me during the initial setup. 

Last but not least, left driftwood. Mini nana, erect moss and mini bolbit.

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## fireblade

wow your tank is full of bubbles!
I like your big gu jings!! where did you get them?

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## hann

> wow your tank is full of bubbles!
> I like your big gu jings!! where did you get them?


I am using an inline atomizer so you can see all the bubbles like sprite. Some like it while some don't appreciate it. Hahahahahaha. For me, I like it because I can see the area which the co2 is carried to. 
I got the gujings from someone in carousell. He grew them from seeds according to him.

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## fireblade

care to share who the person is for the gujing

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## hann

> care to share who the person is for the gujing


Shared via pm

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## fireblade

thanks! looks like too far for me...

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## hann

The following pictures are taken today. Almost 90 days.

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## popimac

FTS looks great! thanks for the update. I noticed that there is a depression/crater in the middle where the dwarf hair grass are. was the soil depression intentional? 

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## hann

> FTS looks great! thanks for the update. I noticed that there is a depression/crater in the middle where the dwarf hair grass are. was the soil depression intentional? 
> 
> Sent from my ONE A2003 using Tapatalk


Yes it was intentional to give the impression of depth if one looks from different perspectives (left, front, right)

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## popimac

cool! 

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## Kel118

> The following pictures are taken today. Almost 90 days.


Awesome 


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## Dazdaniel

👍

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## hann

New addition to my tank. 
Beautiful pair




Another nice and uncommon one, Sahyadria denisonii (Xanthic)
Picture taken with Sahyadria denisonii

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## hann

Just short of a few days to a year from the date I started. Thought of posting the latest update of my tank. Slight change to the wood at the right side. Prefer this to the initial one. 
No carpet plant now coz they are either algae infested or dug out by the naughty fish. I still want to plant something at the bare patch but nothing in mind yet.

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## hann

Got myself some tucano tetra. Very nice fish indeed. 
Now I understand why some are willing to part their money for this fish.

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## popimac

Nice tucano tetra! Expensive taste. Hee. 

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## TTerry

Nice  :Well done:

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## mdm

congrats for your nice tank's 1st birthday  :Grin:

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## BFG

Maybe a carpet of parva to cover the soil ? Saw a video in youtube with this plant , looks nice but I guess it took years for that to happen in a large tank . If you are having algae on your carpet plant , consider adding a wavemaker to your tank . It would help churn up stuff from settling in the gaps of the plants to rot and feed the algae . The wavemaker would agitate the water column to prevent stuff from settling out and the filter would remove these solids out from the display tank .

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## hann

Time to update my tank since AQ is finally up.

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## rogerlim

Any rust from the stainless steel pipes?

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## hann

> Any rust from the stainless steel pipes?


No rust. I am using borneowild stainless steel inlet and outlet.

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## fireblade

how come I cannot see the pictures?

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## rogerlim

Are they true stainless or just 555 grade?

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## hann

> Are they true stainless or just 555 grade?


Not sure. I was told it was stainless steel. So far so good. No sign of rust and the fact that i am using them for longer than 1.5 years.

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## torque6

Stainless steel pipes do not rust. I am using them as well. Just make sure you do not scratch the coating.

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## hann

Yes I am using the brush and not those which are too abrasive. So far, the coating looks okay at least with the flexible brush I got them from the LFS.

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## torque6

> Got myself some tucano tetra. Very nice fish indeed. 
> Now I understand why some are willing to part their money for this fish.


Didn't know they were $14 at c328 until I saw a post on facebook. Hahaha. Lucky I don't keep exotic fish.

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