new 80 gallon angelfish home

[forrestcook]

Okay - I'm getting the setup next month... 80 gallon tank with a solid wood stand and canopy, MH lighting, canister filter (I think fluval?), heaters and some formerly "live" rock (dead rock?). I had initially planned on using the tank for a reef eventually, but just got 7 beautiful koi angels... They're still babies and residing in my 29 gallon tank for now.

My question is this: Given the target species of angels, what would you do to a blank slate 80 gallon tank? Huge piece of driftwood? Tall grassy plants and river rocks? manzanita wood? I want to actually get a pretty aquascape with this thing, so I want to have a plan before I start planting stuff. For the plants, I'm considering ordering a setup from azgardens.com, though their "south american" plant set for a tank that size will run me around 75 bucks...

Also, since I have to plant the plants in -something-.... is eco-complete really my best bet? I don't want to spend a crap ton of money, so sand is an attractive option in that sense, though low in nutrients I would gather...

The equipment will all be there, it's just a matter of filling it.

I could always go buy a bunch of doll house furniture and make my tank be a post-flood american household... no substrate or plants, just chairs, tables and well decorated livingrooms etc...

 

[Orion]

What would I do? Tall grassy plants. Angels (and discus) look neat flowing in and out. Vallis, Crypt spirallis and the like are easy to grow, low demand plants. However, with MH lighting your going to have to balance everything out as that's normally a LOT of light (you didn't mention the watts). And lots of driftwood. And some different crypt's in the front, with a lot of light the normal species of crypts (not the spirallis) will grow short in high light and make a nice foreground/midground plant.

 

[tom91970]

Yeah, sand isn't the most fertile substance to grow plants in. I've got a planted tank that has pool filter sand for the substrate (probably about a dollar's worth). I've been dosing Leaf Zone; last week I bought some fert tabs to place under the sand. So, sand in a planted tank can be done.

"post-flood American household"....heh...I like it

 

[sweetpickles7]

I use play sand and my plants grow very well, imo. The plants i have in my tank are water sprite, some water grass, and then something im not really sure about. Once the roots grow into the sand they grow like weeds!

 

[marvin]

Okay - I'm getting the setup next month... 80 gallon tank with a solid wood stand and canopy, MH lighting, canister filter (I think fluval?), heaters and some formerly "live" rock (dead rock?). I had initially planned on using the tank for a reef eventually, but just got 7 beautiful koi angels... They're still babies and residing in my 29 gallon tank for now.

My question is this: Given the target species of angels, what would you do to a blank slate 80 gallon tank? Huge piece of driftwood? Tall grassy plants and river rocks? manzanita wood? I want to actually get a pretty aquascape with this thing, so I want to have a plan before I start planting stuff. For the plants, I'm considering ordering a setup from azgardens.com, though their "south american" plant set for a tank that size will run me around 75 bucks...

Also, since I have to plant the plants in -something-.... is eco-complete really my best bet? I don't want to spend a crap ton of money, so sand is an attractive option in that sense, though low in nutrients I would gather...

The equipment will all be there, it's just a matter of filling it.

I could always go buy a bunch of doll house furniture and make my tank be a post-flood american household... no substrate or plants, just chairs, tables and well decorated livingrooms etc...

you have some exelent ideas river rock, wood, slate is good makes a good tunnel on top of rocks nothing personal but there isnt a plant in any of my 15 tanks are you talking cichlid angles if so the beauty is in the fish think about what the fish require