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my tank installation
Here are the initial installation steps I took to create my tank. As time has gone on the tank has changed, though these steps would remain the same if I were to re-start in the future.
step 1: hardscape and substrate
First I started with Dasz soil. I added a few nice rocks I found on Tung Choi street and, along with a nice piece or two of driftwood, came to the completed hard scape.
Remember to wash all your rocks (with toothbrush!) and soak, or better yet boil the wood soak a few times for a few hours otherwise the tannins will leak into the water as a yellow liquid which, though harmless to the fish and actually helps lower Ph, looks awful in the tank.
step 2: adding sand to the hardscape
I also added some reef sand for a bit of contrast in colours - remember also to rinse the sand whenever possible.
I used cardboard in order to keep the sand and soil separate - mixing these together can look a little ugly (it's going to happen in small bits - accept it, but without preparation it'll look pretty messy right from the start.
You can use things like gravel or pebbles/rocks - either way, rinse them. The sand I picked does make a great colour contrast, though if there is detritus such as dead leaves or fish waste visible, it's REALLY visible and means you may have to clean the water more often if it's annoying you. Gravel made hide this a little better.
step 3: planting
I separated the roots of the different plants to allow them to be better spread out in the soil. This gives them the chance to get more light and take in more nutrients.
I added a bowl weighed down by a rock to the front right of the tank - this ensures that the water added doesn't disturb the sand too much.
I added enough water to make the lower soil moist, then planted my foregrand grasses and plants. From there I added more water to allow the medium, then background plants to be inserted.
This image was taken before the water was high enough to plant the tall background plants.
step 4: final touches of initial installation
Finally I filled the tank. I had to change the water a few times to lose the brown colour from the soil, but the end result looked like this one.