# New tank



## cableguy69846 (Apr 19, 2011)

Ok, so I have this 2 gallon hexagon tank sitting around, and thought I would try to plant it and have a betta in it. It is one of those PetCo kit tanks with everything in it. It came with an under gravel filter that I am not going to use. I will be putting a Hagen Elite Mini in it. It also has a 5 watt incandescent light that I am going to keep on it. The substrate is going to be potting soil with a black gravel cap. Not sure on plants yet, but I will be looking around. This is what I have so far. I painted 3 of the panels black to act as a background.


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## bettafish15 (Oct 3, 2010)

I don't really know if incandescents are going to make your plants grow, flourescent is better from my understanding


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## cableguy69846 (Apr 19, 2011)

bettafish15 said:


> I don't really know if incandescents are going to make your plants grow, flourescent is better from my understanding


Fluorescent is much better. There is no doubt of that. I really wanted to try this due to the fact that I have some plants growing under incandescent at the moment, and I wanted to try different plants. I am sure something will grow, it is just a matter of finding which one. If it does not work out, I will upgrade the lighting, and see what happens.


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## Sweeda88 (Dec 6, 2010)

I agree, you want fluorescent lights if you have live plants. Also, it shows off the fish's colors better. Make sure you get a heater! Bettas NEED warm water (78-80 degrees).


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## Littlebittyfish (Jan 5, 2011)

I agree with what everyone ahas said about the florescent light...Not only is it better for plants, but I think the florescent make the plants and fish look nicer.You may be able to find a light bulb that can fit in there..or.. you could try doing a mix of natural light...But then you have to watch out for algae... I would start off with some anubias, mosses and maybe some crypts or java moss.....When you use potting mix do you have to mix it with anything else? or do you just rinse it and then add it in and cap it..I am sort of wanting to do this with my smaller tanks but I am not sure exactly how to set it up...wouldn't potting soil cause my tank to spike in ammonia? definitely take photos once its all set up I would love to see it.


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## cableguy69846 (Apr 19, 2011)

Littlebittyfish said:


> I agree with what everyone ahas said about the florescent light...Not only is it better for plants, but I think the florescent make the plants and fish look nicer.You may be able to find a light bulb that can fit in there..or.. you could try doing a mix of natural light...But then you have to watch out for algae... I would start off with some anubias, mosses and maybe some crypts or java moss.....When you use potting mix do you have to mix it with anything else? or do you just rinse it and then add it in and cap it..I am sort of wanting to do this with my smaller tanks but I am not sure exactly how to set it up...wouldn't potting soil cause my tank to spike in ammonia? definitely take photos once its all set up I would love to see it.


I am thinking of doing a fluorescent light in the desk lamp I have. It may work better. And as for a heater, I am not going to run one until the summer is over. The other 2 tanks I have have done fin without them, especially when they room they are in averages 80-85 degrees in the summer. So that will not be an issue at the moment. I have some Apontogen growing under incandescent lighting, and it is doing really well. So I will see. I am probably going to start with some Java Fern on a rock or something like that. And as far as the substrate goes, I am not going to add anything. I am just going to cap it with black gravel and see how it goes. If everything fails, then I will do the necessary changes and I will make sure it is all stable before I put any plants in the tank. I will be taking pictures and explaining everything as I go. And I am going to see what I can do about a different light fixture. I will keep you all informed, and thanks for the feedback.


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## Oldfishlady (Mar 1, 2010)

With soil based tanks it is important to start out with the right number and species of live plants or the tank may crash on you really fast.....Soil is a lot different than gravel since it is basically alive or will be soon...lol.....

The wrong lights is the biggest reason live plants fail so it is important that you start out with the right kind of lights....look for 6500k range bulbs to get best growth....the active growth of the right kind of plants is what keep the water safe for livestock

Plants-you want to start with lots of stem plants at least 75% of the floor planted with stems..add your other species of plants too and hard scape.......once the tank matures and stable (3mo) you can start removing some of the stem to give the other species room....you also want to have floating plants 20-25% water lettuce, frogbit, duckweed work well for this

In the first weeks to month you either need to start out with trumpet snails to help aerate the soil or poke the soil every couple of days until the stem plants send enough roots with oxygen into the soil to prevent anaerobic areas.....

Soil based tanks are great and care free once they are stable provided that you start out right......

Look forward to seeing your natural planted tank grow.....


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## cableguy69846 (Apr 19, 2011)

Oldfishlady said:


> With soil based tanks it is important to start out with the right number and species of live plants or the tank may crash on you really fast.....Soil is a lot different than gravel since it is basically alive or will be soon...lol.....
> 
> The wrong lights is the biggest reason live plants fail so it is important that you start out with the right kind of lights....look for 6500k range bulbs to get best growth....the active growth of the right kind of plants is what keep the water safe for livestock
> 
> ...


Thanks for the tips. I am thinking it will be a few months before there are any fish or shrimp in it, but I will take into account what you told me. Would some anacharis be sufficient for the stem plant, and I am pretty sure I can get away with some duckweed as the floater. I am hopefully going to get it running this weekend. That is, if I can find some plants and decide on a hardscape. I will keep this thread updated.


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## Oldfishlady (Mar 1, 2010)

Thats not that greatest plant unless you have had success with it before planted and have a good place to get it.....better stems....naja, hygrophilia's, rotalas, ludwigia, wisterias....are all good species..fast growing...low-mod light needs.....


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## cableguy69846 (Apr 19, 2011)

Oldfishlady said:


> Thats not that greatest plant unless you have had success with it before planted and have a good place to get it.....better stems....naja, hygrophilia's, rotalas, ludwigia, wisterias....are all good species..fast growing...low-mod light needs.....


I have had success but I hate that plant as it easily comes uprooted and takes over a tank too quickly. I like Hygrophila difformis and Rotala rotundifolia. And was thinking of using one or both between this tank and my 10 gallon.


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## Oldfishlady (Mar 1, 2010)

Both of those would be good...here is a pic of my 2gal soil based sand cap....its about 3 years old
My biggest problem is the massive plant growth...lol......it gets or needs water changes about every 3 months...as you can see it needs a trim right now...lol......no filtration, no added ferts or CO2......RCS, trumpet snails, common snails and a single male Betta.......


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## cableguy69846 (Apr 19, 2011)

Very nice. I am planning on running a small filter though. I am going to use a Hagen Elite Mini. I have one in my 2.5 gallon and I love it. I am also thinking the only thing I will have to dose is some sort of CO2, but I can use Excel for that.


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## Tisia (Mar 15, 2011)

every 3 months, wow, that just seems crazy. may have to try that someday, lol


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## Oldfishlady (Mar 1, 2010)

As the soil based tanks mature you have natural or normal decomp that goes on and this decomp process create CO2, the livestock also make a small amount of CO2 as do the plants with lights out.....

I have filters on some of my bigger tanks-but more for water movement...I found on the smaller tanks-not needed, however, I do use a filter sometimes when I set a new one up for the first 30-60 days...by then it is usually clogged and I remove it...lol.....

You think water changes every 3 months is wild....on my big tanks....water changes are 2-3 times a year at best......water change needs are different on natural planted tanks...its part of the design........you can't do this with regular gravel based tanks or tank with just a few live plants.....it takes lots and lots of plants and live soil for the soil based ecosystem to work together....plants function as filtration and use ammonia for food-they also use the DOC's which is also harmful to fish/livestock...its a balance.......and it doesn't take much to get it off balance.....overstocking can be a big issue since they are closed systems.......but once mature and balanced......awesome tanks to keep........
I have more pic in my album if you would like to see more of my natural planted soil based tanks....


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## Tisia (Mar 15, 2011)

your tanks are amazing (cute kitty too)
I may just have to experiment with it a bit. I'm kind of concerned because I seem to have a bit of a brown thumb, lol


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## cableguy69846 (Apr 19, 2011)

Went hunting for plants the other day and could not find what I wanted. Also am thinking of using the FLuval Stratum instead of the soil for this one. We will see. Going to try looking for plants again this weekend.


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## cableguy69846 (Apr 19, 2011)

Ok. So, I decided on a different light fixture. I had one of those reptile clamp lamps lying and a 13 watt CFL bulb lying around. Can you see where I am going with this? I think I am going to use that instead along with the soil and gravel cap. The soil is Ferti-Lome Ultimate potting soil and the gravel is just regular black fish tank gravel. I put about an inch of the potting soil and I will cap that with the gravel. Here is what it looks like without the soil.










Here it is with the dirt.










Do I need more? Maybe less? Let me know. And I also need to come up with a plant list. I think I want to use some Glosso as a carpet plant, but I have no idea on anything else at the moment. Give me some feedback. Thanks guys.


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## Oldfishlady (Mar 1, 2010)

Nice light..whats the kelvin on that and how old is the bulb...this isn't the bulb you used for heating the reptiles...if so, it may be too much and you will end up with an algae farm....

Soil looks good.....the white stuff vermiculite or perilite....is not harmful...but it sometimes will float...just net it out when it does....I can't really tell how much soil you have...but I would use about 2 inches..it will compact some once you cap with gravel and add water too and you want enough soil for the plant roots.....

Look for water wisteria, hygrophilia species, ludwigia natans, rotala indica, vals, sags, naja grass and good floaters like water lettuce, frogbit, duckweed and adding some driftwood with java moss attached looks nice too....

If you have a sprayer on your sink...use that to spray water over the soil like you are watering it...add just enough water to cover to start the soil on its road to its submerged life while you are waiting on the plants....once it is water logged...day or so...add a couple of inches more of water and the perilite will float and you can net it out...

Once you get your plants-remove as much water as you can-plant the stem plants then cap with the gravel to help keep them in place-fill half way with water-drain-repeat until the water is clear...be sure and add the dechlorinater on the finial fill....gotta be really careful with filling with water so not to disturb the soil bed....

If you get any rosette type plants...vals, sags, swords...be sure and keep the crown above the gravel layer some for best growth....I like to lay the root on top the soil and then cover with the sand or gravel cap...too shallow is better than too deep for them

Glosso-may or may not work/grow since they tend to do best in high light CO2 tanks...it may not cover like you want and grow more upright...a good lawn would be micro swords.....


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## Bettawolf19 (Jul 15, 2010)

First may I say you guys are my heroes right now.  and second I can't wait to see how this turns out. I'm doing a simular thing as well cept using sand instead of gravel for my Cories. should look amazing when and if I ever get it done (working on getting the lighting right now..Do you need a hood for it? I have a 10 gal right now)


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## cableguy69846 (Apr 19, 2011)

Oldfishlady said:


> Nice light..whats the kelvin on that...this isn't the bulb you used for heating the reptiles...if so, it may be too much and you will end up with an algae farm....
> 
> Soil looks good.....the white stuff vermiculite or perilite....is not harmful...but it sometimes will float...just net it out when it does....I can't really tell how much soil you have...but I would use about 2 inches..it will compact some once you cap with gravel and add water too and you want enough soil for the plant roots.....
> 
> Look for water wisteria, hygrophilia species, ludwigia natans, rotala indica, vals, sags, naja grass and good floaters like water lettuce, frogbit, duckweed and adding some driftwood with java moss attached looks nice too....


Thank you. That is not the same bulb that I used for heat for the reptiles. I took that one out. I will for sure have some moss in this tank and I am thinking the wisteria as well. Now to find it all. And as far as the soil, I will add some before I cap it. I have about an inch in there now, but it is bone dry at the moment. After a quick search, I am going to use the Glosso, Hygrophila difformis, and some type of moss. Probably Java moss.


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## cableguy69846 (Apr 19, 2011)

Bettawolf19 said:


> First may I say you guys are my heroes right now.  and second I can't wait to see how this turns out. I'm doing a simular thing as well cept using sand instead of gravel for my Cories. should look amazing when and if I ever get it done (working on getting the lighting right now..Do you need a hood for it? I have a 10 gal right now)


Thank you. I use glass tops for my tanks to keep the humidity in the room to a minimum and to keep the cats out. You don't have to have a hood, as long as the light fixture has some type of splash protection over the bulbs and electrical components. I will probably get a piece of plexiglass cut to fit the top of the tank, but not sure yet. Do you have a thread on your tank at the moment?


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## cableguy69846 (Apr 19, 2011)

Got a plant list, here it is.

Hygrophila difformis - Water Wisteria - Background
Glossostigma elatinoides - Glosso - Carpet
Taxiphyllum barbieri - Java Moss

Let me know what you think. And thank you to OldFishLady for helping me come up with this list.


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## Bettawolf19 (Jul 15, 2010)

cableguy69846 said:


> Thank you. I use glass tops for my tanks to keep the humidity in the room to a minimum and to keep the cats out. You don't have to have a hood, as long as the light fixture has some type of splash protection over the bulbs and electrical components. I will probably get a piece of plexiglass cut to fit the top of the tank, but not sure yet. Do you have a thread on your tank at the moment?


Luckily I don't ahve to worry about cats much until Aug when i babysit my sisters cat for a week. Any idea where's a good place to get pexiglass and get it cut?

Yep here's my link a couple days old but still good  and I already bleached and disinfected my tank so no worries on that.. http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=72522


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## Oldfishlady (Mar 1, 2010)

Your going to need more stem plants to start and then you can remove some once the other plants start to grow and also floating plants.....with soil based tanks it is important to keep the water safe for the livestock and those plants may not do that and the tank could crash.....

Make sure you start out with the right light and photoperiod to get best plant growth.......proper lights, plant number and species are the driving force behind soil based tanks success and failure.....


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## cableguy69846 (Apr 19, 2011)

Bettawolf19 said:


> Luckily I don't ahve to worry about cats much until Aug when i babysit my sisters cat for a week. Any idea where's a good place to get pexiglass and get it cut?
> 
> Yep here's my link a couple days old but still good  and I already bleached and disinfected my tank so no worries on that.. http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=72522


Thanks for the link. I subscribed. As far as the Plexiglass, I would say Home Depot or Lowe's. I have gotten stuff cut at Home Depot before. You could always just cut it yourself too.


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## Oldfishlady (Mar 1, 2010)

You can also get safety caps for the tube ends and have open tops....I don't use them for my lights but I also don't use filtration on most of my tanks and the ones I do have filtration the splashing has never cause any problems with my lights......and the cats have never been a problem for my tank either.....the tanks on the lower rack..the cats drink from...lol....


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## cableguy69846 (Apr 19, 2011)

Oldfishlady said:


> You can also get safety caps for the tube ends and have open tops....I don't use them for my lights but I also don't use filtration on most of my tanks and the ones I do have filtration the splashing has never cause any problems with my lights......and the cats have never been a problem for my tank either.....the tanks on the lower rack..the cats drink from...lol....


Lol. I wish my cats were that well behaved. They try to rearrange my tanks for me, and they like to go fishing.


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## Oldfishlady (Mar 1, 2010)

My tanks are too big for them to move around-but I do have about 18 1gal setup...lol....and I have had a cat fall in a few of my tanks from time to time...kinda funny...except they take the lights in with them....so far it has never damaged the lights or tripped the brakerbox.....and I have 29 cats...lol....I live on a cattle ranch and have big hay barns...lol.....

Its funny watching the cats lap the water and about 30-40 juvies go after their tongue and paws sticking in the water...lol...I think they drop cat food that is stuck on their mouth in the tank and feed them sometimes...lol.....because when they see the cats coming to the tank they all swim over and gather under them...laffs.....


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## cableguy69846 (Apr 19, 2011)

Oldfishlady said:


> My tanks are too big for them to move around-but I do have about 18 1gal setup...lol....and I have had a cat fall in a few of my tanks from time to time...kinda funny...except they take the lights in with them....so far it has never damaged the lights or tripped the brakerbox.....and I have 29 cats...lol....I live on a cattle ranch and have big hay barns...lol.....
> 
> Its funny watching the cats lap the water and about 30-40 juvies go after their tongue and paws sticking in the water...lol...I think they drop cat food that is stuck on their mouth in the tank and feed them sometimes...lol.....because when they see the cats coming to the tank they all swim over and gather under them...laffs.....


Lol, that is too funny. I am glad none of them have gotten hurt with the lights and all that though.


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## cableguy69846 (Apr 19, 2011)

Got the potting soil in with the gravel cap. Now I just need a filter and plants.


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## cableguy69846 (Apr 19, 2011)

Ok, so got the water in it today, and I am going next week as soon as I get paid to find some plants and get the filter for this tank. It is going to be a Hagen Elite Mini, and I think I changed things up on the plants a little bit. Here is my revised, will added-to, list:

Hygropholia difformis - Water Wisteria
Hygropholia polysperma - Dwarf Hygropholia (?)
Glossostigma elatinoides - Glsso
Vesicularia dubayana - Java Moss
Ceratopteris thaliictroides - Water Sprite (?)

The ones with the ? I am still undecided on. Any feedback would be great.


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## cableguy69846 (Apr 19, 2011)

Ok. An update. The tank has been empty for a while as I did not like the dirt I had in it. I went and got some different stuff today.










Want to know if this will work or if I need to get something different.


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## Oldfishlady (Mar 1, 2010)

I wouldn't use that in the aquarium due to the added ferts......you could end up with an algae farm or even green water.....look for potting soil that is organic without any type of additives or top soil is good too....be sure and sift it first to get any big chunks of debris out before use....


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## cableguy69846 (Apr 19, 2011)

Oldfishlady said:


> I wouldn't use that in the aquarium due to the added ferts......you could end up with an algae farm or even green water.....look for potting soil that is organic without any type of additives or top soil is good too....be sure and sift it first to get any big chunks of debris out before use....


Got ya. I am going to put some of this in water and see what it does to parameters for a few days. But I am for sure going to go get some regular top soil.


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## cableguy69846 (Apr 19, 2011)

So. After a long absence, I finally got some stuff to get this tank back up and running (sorta). I got some different dirt and a new bulb the is a 15watt 6500K spiral fluorescent. I like the look of the light much better. The other one was not right and I think this one will make plants explode. This tank was empty for far too long, but not anymore.









Same soil as in my emersed set-up.









Just dirt.









Here it is in all its glory. Only a little bit of water at the moment. I am going to rinse it later, but I am letting the dirt soak up some of the water first to make sure it is good and water logged before I add plants and things. Hopefully that will happen tomorrow and sat. Progress, finally!


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## cableguy69846 (Apr 19, 2011)

Ok, first I want to say, thanks to Bahugo for hookin me up the other day. He gave me tons of plants for a good deal. That being said, here is what I got yesterday.









$25 worth of plants from Golden Aquarium.









$40 worth of plants from Bahugo.

Does anyone see the problem here, lol.

I got some HC, moneywort, 2 types of crypts, and some red stem plant I already forgot the name of. That was all from Golden Aquarium.

I got Java Moss, Flame Moss, Guppy Grass, Glosso, and a bunch of stem plants from Bahugo.

Now that my goodie list is up. On to the good stuff.


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## cableguy69846 (Apr 19, 2011)

OK. Finally got the soil, plants, gravel, and water in this thing. I threw some moneywort, water sprite, and some other stem plant in here. I still have moss to add but I need some rocks or something to tie it to first, which, I may have. But on to the pics.



















The water is a bit cloudy and I still need a filter. But I Am happy with it so far. Hopefully the filter will get ordered today, and then I will be in good shape.


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## Oldfishlady (Mar 1, 2010)

I would start making some water changes to get the water clear-this can effect light penetration.....you need a lot more stem plants too before you add any livestock......


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## cableguy69846 (Apr 19, 2011)

Oldfishlady said:


> I would start making some water changes to get the water clear-this can effect light penetration.....you need a lot more stem plants too before you add any livestock......


Yeah, I am gonna do one in a little bit and hopefully get some more plants this week. I have some moss I plan on adding later today too. Just need to break a rock to attach it to. And thanks for the help, OFL.:-D Always good to see your comments on my threads. I appreciate the knowledge sharing.:-D


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## cableguy69846 (Apr 19, 2011)

Ok. Added some moss today, but still no filter. DOH! Hopefully in a week or so I will have one. The water cleared a little bit too, but going to start more water changes tomorrow. Also going to take a stem plant out of my emersed setup and put it in this tank tomorrow. As it is now.










I have Flame Moss and Java moss in there. I had a rather large lava rock that was from my 2.5 that I smacked with a hammer a couple of times and there are the fragments. Sorry about the blue thread, didn't have any green. But I am sure it will still work.


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## cableguy69846 (Apr 19, 2011)

Did a water change today, finally, and added the stem plant. Pulled up one bunch of water sprite and trimmed the dead crap off the other one. Also cut the stem plant in the middle back. Hope that will come back. Forgot to get water parameters though. That will be tomorrow. I also dosed with Excel. Not sure what that is gonna do though. Any way, here it is.









The water is much clearer.









Does anyone know what that little node is? I have one on another stem of the same plant too. I am pretty sure that is the moneywort. It looks like new growth to me.


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## Bettawolf19 (Jul 15, 2010)

Ya thats new growth. It sprouts into 2 new leaves I believe.


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## cableguy69846 (Apr 19, 2011)

Bettawolf19 said:


> Ya thats new growth. It sprouts into 2 new leaves I believe.


That is what I thought, but was not sure. Thanks. I think I need to do a daily photo journal of those sprouts.


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## cableguy69846 (Apr 19, 2011)

Finally did a water test today.

Ammonia - 0ppm
Nitrite - 0ppm
Nitrate - 0ppm
PH - 7.6
Phosphate - 10ppm
KH - 7

Doesn't look too bad to me. I will probably test it all again tomorrow.


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## cableguy69846 (Apr 19, 2011)

So. I am seeing a lot of plant growth now. It is pretty cool. I put a cheapo sponge filter in until I get a filter for the 2.5 gallon and can put that filter in this one. I didn't want the water to sit still and be all nasty. And I am too lazy to change water every day. So this is my solution for the time being.


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## cableguy69846 (Apr 19, 2011)

Added two moss walls today. I also popped in my sponge filter until I get the one I want next week. I just did it for some water movement. But here it is. The moss walls are a mix of Flame and Java moss.









Left side.









Right side.


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## cableguy69846 (Apr 19, 2011)

Did water changes yesterday, and snapped this.










Enjoy.


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## Bettawolf19 (Jul 15, 2010)

Looks pretty neat though You might have to add more plants.


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## cableguy69846 (Apr 19, 2011)

Bettawolf19 said:


> Looks pretty neat though You might have to add more plants.


Thanks. I was thinking that too. I am going to an auction this weekend. I may try to get more stem plants while I am there.


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## ollief9 (Mar 16, 2011)

I had that filter. It kept the water crystal clear however defeats the object of biological filtration (it's got zeolite in it)


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## cableguy69846 (Apr 19, 2011)

ollief9 said:


> I had that filter. It kept the water crystal clear however defeats the object of biological filtration (it's got zeolite in it)


That filter is not staying in there. It is either going to get a Hagen Elite Mini or a Red Sea Nano.


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## Trobar (Aug 29, 2011)

Oldfishlady said:


> My tanks are too big for them to move around-but I do have about 18 1gal setup...lol....and I have had a cat fall in a few of my tanks from time to time...kinda funny...except they take the lights in with them....so far it has never damaged the lights or tripped the brakerbox.....and I have 29 cats...lol....I live on a cattle ranch and have big hay barns...lol.....
> 
> Its funny watching the cats lap the water and about 30-40 juvies go after their tongue and paws sticking in the water...lol...I think they drop cat food that is stuck on their mouth in the tank and feed them sometimes...lol.....because when they see the cats coming to the tank they all swim over and gather under them...laffs.....


29 cats??? Dear heavens, I thought my 4 were bad enough. I think the goldfish my grandaughter won at a carney died due to a cat licking it... That fish died and got replaced by a CT Betta. Now I am soaking up all the info I can about a naturally planted tank. 

My goal is a fully running 20g live plants and several fish.

If I don't 'need' a glass/plexi cover and can use a screen covering to keep the cats out, eventually if the 20g goes well I will do the 56g tank


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## cableguy69846 (Apr 19, 2011)

Trobar said:


> 29 cats??? Dear heavens, I thought my 4 were bad enough. I think the goldfish my grandaughter won at a carney died due to a cat licking it... That fish died and got replaced by a CT Betta. Now I am soaking up all the info I can about a naturally planted tank.
> 
> My goal is a fully running 20g live plants and several fish.
> 
> If I don't 'need' a glass/plexi cover and can use a screen covering to keep the cats out, eventually if the 20g goes well I will do the 56g tank


The planted tank will be easy. I would go with a glass top. Keep the cats out and the humidity in. It will help in how much you need to top it up on a regular basis.


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## cableguy69846 (Apr 19, 2011)

Got something today.










Install will be tomorrow.


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## cableguy69846 (Apr 19, 2011)

Got the Tom Mini Filter in the tank. I opened the filter and emptied the carbon compartment first. I also am going to use the spray bar on this tank. Here is how it looks. Excuse the cloudy water. I stirred up a bunch of stuff putting the filter in.









It is a little larger than I would like, but the black background hides it pretty well.









The top plastic rim of the tank hides the spray bar from view pretty well. I will wait to pass judgment on it until a later date. Going to give it a few days and see how it does.


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## cableguy69846 (Apr 19, 2011)

So. Fish club auction was a success. I didn't get anything for this tank, but it got some plants from the emersed. And a water change. Added two stems of Hygro difformis to it that were wilting.









Obligatory FTS. No CO2 setup yet. Maybe tomorrow.



















A couple of cool snails. I found one of them in another tank and dropped it in this one.


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## Bettawolf19 (Jul 15, 2010)

Watch out for those snails..i think one of them got at my tank..and destroyed the whole thing..


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## cableguy69846 (Apr 19, 2011)

Bettawolf19 said:


> Watch out for those snails..i think one of them got at my tank..and destroyed the whole thing..


Yikes. Good to know.


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## cableguy69846 (Apr 19, 2011)

I have not done much to this tank over the last few days, just regular maintenance. But I got some pics.

A couple of FTS for ya.



















I also got some moss growth shots.



















And already some growth on the Hygro difformis.












Enjoy.


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## cableguy69846 (Apr 19, 2011)

DIY CO2 is hooked up and running like a champ. Got it plumed into my filter so it will diffuse the CO2. If anyone wants to see how I did it, let me know, I have some detailed pics of the setup.

Reactor









CO2 bubbles out of the spray bar.









FTS


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## Bettawolf19 (Jul 15, 2010)

Looks good reminds me of an underwater view of a river


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## cableguy69846 (Apr 19, 2011)

Bettawolf19 said:


> Looks good reminds me of an underwater view of a river


Thank you. :-D There really was no plan with it. I just sort of threw plants and stuff in the tank.


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## cableguy69846 (Apr 19, 2011)

Yanked the CO2 today. Not doing that on the small tanks again. Gassed them both. Got a few sprigs of water sprite in a big plant package I got today. Tossed one in here and did a water change. That is about all.

FTS









New plant.


















Maybe one of these days I will actually get a betta in it. Lol.


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## Miyazawa (Sep 14, 2011)

i love your thread  i just spent like 20 minutes reading every single comments/posts  i wish someday i can do something like this


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## cableguy69846 (Apr 19, 2011)

Miyazawa said:


> i love your thread  i just spent like 20 minutes reading every single comments/posts  i wish someday i can do something like this


Thank you. It is not hard at all. It is just sorta time consuming and I did mine really slow. Just give it a try, you will be amazed at what you can do and not even know you can do it.;-):-D


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## Miyazawa (Sep 14, 2011)

cableguy69846 said:


> Thank you. It is not hard at all. It is just sorta time consuming and I did mine really slow. Just give it a try, you will be amazed at what you can do and not even know you can do it.;-):-D


i would love to do a NPT if im not a college students that move across the globe once a while  I'm gonna continue to stalk your thread/tank lol


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## cableguy69846 (Apr 19, 2011)

Miyazawa said:


> i would love to do a NPT if im not a college students that move across the globe once a while  I'm gonna continue to stalk your thread/tank lol


Hmmm, you may have a point there. Maybe give it a try once you are done with school.

And feel free to stalk away. I think I am going to start looking for some shrimp then a betta for this tank.


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## Miyazawa (Sep 14, 2011)

cableguy69846 said:


> Hmmm, you may have a point there. Maybe give it a try once you are done with school.
> 
> And feel free to stalk away. I think I am going to start looking for some shrimp then a betta for this tank.


I like Amano shrimps. They are great


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## cableguy69846 (Apr 19, 2011)

Miyazawa said:


> I like Amano shrimps. They are great


That is what I am thinking as I am having some algae issues at the moment. I think I am also going to toss some snails in the tank and let them do their thing.


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## Bombalurina (Oct 10, 2011)

Red cherry shrimp = prettiest things and super easy to breed.


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## Miyazawa (Sep 14, 2011)

I used to love red cherry shrimp until they all disappeared .....I wonder why


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## cableguy69846 (Apr 19, 2011)

Miyazawa said:


> I used to love red cherry shrimp until they all disappeared .....I wonder why


What kind of tank did you have them in and how big were they when you put them in?


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## Miyazawa (Sep 14, 2011)

cableguy69846 said:


> What kind of tank did you have them in and how big were they when you put them in?


i have the 2.5 minibow tank, and they were tiny....well my ghost shrimps survive.....i think my betta can see RCS but not the ghost shrimps


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## cableguy69846 (Apr 19, 2011)

Miyazawa said:


> i have the 2.5 minibow tank, and they were tiny....well my ghost shrimps survive.....i think my betta can see RCS but not the ghost shrimps


Ghost shrimp are good at taking care of themselves. They can be mean when bothered. The one I have in my 10 gallon runs the tank.

As far as cherries, I have a dedicated 10 gallon tank for them. They will survive in a bigger tank that is heavily planted if given enough time to start before you put the betta in the tank. Then they will be ok and the betta will act as population control. Something to think about for a future tank.:-D


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## Bombalurina (Oct 10, 2011)

I wish my bettas would act as population control. I have 5 in my 5 gallon, which are apparently reproducing as my betta, like all my previous bettas, is completely ignoring them. I used to have 5 in my 16 gallon, too - now I have in excess of 30. You'd think with 6 bettas in there I'd lose one now and again, but nope. They just keep makin' the babies. And the poop.


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## cableguy69846 (Apr 19, 2011)

Bombalurina said:


> I wish my bettas would act as population control. I have 5 in my 5 gallon, which are apparently reproducing as my betta, like all my previous bettas, is completely ignoring them. I used to have 5 in my 16 gallon, too - now I have in excess of 30. You'd think with 6 bettas in there I'd lose one now and again, but nope. They just keep makin' the babies. And the poop.


Lol. That happens sometimes.


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## cableguy69846 (Apr 19, 2011)

Tons of algae, and lots of dead leaves. Got rid of them all and did a 90% water change. Need to get some snails in the tank to help with the algae, and need to get some Excel.

Pics.










Looks like a lot of algae on the moss on the rocks. Need to do water changes and shake it off till I get some Excel.


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## cableguy69846 (Apr 19, 2011)

Haven't updated in a while. The tank irritated me so much. I am now finally ahead of the algae, I think. Daily Excel and ferts in the water column every other. Also raised the light and got some new stuff.

*11-20-2011

*Took out all the stems and added some DW that I got from Chad. Cleaned up the sides a lot and cleaned the gravel as much as I could. Added some Java Fern, Anubias, Mini Rose Moss, and Notocyphus. Hopefully it will all do well in this tank. The moss walls are growing like crazy, as are the Java Moss and Flame moss rocks that have been in there. Thinking of adding a glosso carpet to this tank now.

FTS









Notocyphus









Mini Rose Moss









Java Moss Rock









Flame Moss Rock









Anubias









Java Fern







*

11-24-2011

*Took out the other two mosses and replaced them with Pellia and Taiwan moss. The other ones don't do well with Excel.




























*12-01-2011

*Got some DHG 'Belem' and started a carpet of it in this tank.

FTS









DHG 'Belem'


















That pretty much brings me up to speed with this tank. I promise I will keep up with it better in the future.


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## cableguy69846 (Apr 19, 2011)

I think I finally beat the algae in this tank. Definitely better than it was. I am dosing ferts, excel, and the light is about 6 inches off the top of the tank. I think it is finally in some sort of balance. No plans on fauna yet. Suggestions?

FTS









Anubias, Java Fern, and DHG 'Belem'









DHG 'Belem'









Flame moss is growing like crazy. I think it is time to put some in a jar.









Pellia









I wonder if I will ever get a betta for this tank. Lol.:lol:


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