# My Planted Fluval Spec V



## tekkguy (Jan 28, 2013)

Don't you love awesome camera phone pictures?

I finally got the planting done in my Spec V last night. I'd been putting it off until I had a couple of hours to spare.

Equipment:
Fluval Spec V
Stock (modified) filter
Stock lighting
Hydor 50W submersible heater (in pump chamber)

Flora:
Purple Cabomba
Marsilea Minutia
Hydrocotyle Japan
Flame, fissidens, and peacock moss
"Dwarf" sag
hygrophila bold
1 weepy little crypt
ludiwigia repens x l acurta
rotala green
Anubias petite
rotala r.

Fauna: 
None, unless you count the snail eggs I missed.

I'll take a couple of pictures with a real camera later - I should hopefully be picking up some RCS and PFRs today. After they're established and the mosses have grown out some, I'll be adding a Betta.

"Front" Side:










"Back" Side:


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## fgradowski (Nov 27, 2012)

Nice! Your betta is going to love that play land.


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## aemaki09 (Oct 23, 2012)

That looks great!! I can't wait to change my tanks from gravel to soil and sand.


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## tekkguy (Jan 28, 2013)

I'm using Eco-Complete. It's a little hard to plant in unless you drain the tank, but I don't plan on moving anything around.


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## aemaki09 (Oct 23, 2012)

I would probably use Eco complete if the price wasn't so high. Or atleast high to me, an unemployed tech-school student


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## carbonxxkidd (Oct 30, 2012)

Looks fantastic!


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## NapoleonUWS (Apr 23, 2012)

Looks fantastic!
Enjoy!


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## Fishybitty (Dec 29, 2012)

Looks really good!


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## Otterfun (Dec 31, 2012)

nice


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## Mr2KiEu (Jan 25, 2013)

looks good. where did you buy all your plants from?


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## ILLBETHEJUDGE (Feb 27, 2012)

There is something I don't like about it. I don't like the fact that is not mine. Just kidding looks awesome.


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## tekkguy (Jan 28, 2013)

Mr2KiEu said:


> looks good. where did you buy all your plants from?


I got them from a couple of guys on the PlantedTank forums. 

I've added a big handful of riccia now as well, that came in with my cherry shrimp yesterday. I'll post some pictures of the shrimp as soon as I can find my real camera!


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## Desensitizer (Jan 1, 2013)

What kind of driftwood is that? Where did you get it?


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## tekkguy (Jan 28, 2013)

Desensitizer said:


> What kind of driftwood is that? Where did you get it?


It's wood from Lake Michigan. I bought the really "rooty" piece on Etsy (the picture does NOT do it justice) and the seller threw in a couple more for free. 

I took some up-close pictures of my shrimp last night with a crummy point and shoot camera that really show the worm trails on the rooty wood. I'll try and post one later.


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## tekkguy (Jan 28, 2013)

Here are some additional pictures, including my shrimp and driftwood. Still letting things grow in before adding a betta.

The "rooty" piece of driftwood, crawling with shrimp (you can see some of the super glue used to attach the moss to the wood):









Sniffing around some roots:









Swarming a banana:


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## PaulO (Aug 13, 2012)

lol didn't know shrimp like bananas. I would be worried on how long the banana will stay intact before it starts to...melt.


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## Otterfun (Dec 31, 2012)

Wow nice shrimps, now how do you get the moss to stay on the wood, did you tie it down?


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## tekkguy (Jan 28, 2013)

The banana does ok for several hours. That particular piece stayed in the tank for almost 12 hours (ie WAY too long), and the water got very cloudy. It cleared up within about 20 minutes of removing the leftovers though. 

The moss is superglued to the driftwood. Cyanoacrylate super glue (normal dollar store glue) is completely safe for the aquarium once dried.


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## isochronism (Nov 24, 2012)

Tekkguy, How do you keep the baby shrimp from going into the filter area? There is a small inlet hole near the bottom and one half way up, then the wide grated area at top which extends below the water surface. I thought about cutting small pieces of soft sponge to fill the two small holes. My Spec 2 Gal has this as well. (I also have a Spec V) I do like these Fluvals!!


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## tekkguy (Jan 28, 2013)

isochronism said:


> Tekkguy, How do you keep the baby shrimp from going into the filter area? There is a small inlet hole near the bottom and one half way up, then the wide grated area at top which extends below the water surface. I thought about cutting small pieces of soft sponge to fill the two small holes. My Spec 2 Gal has this as well. (I also have a Spec V) I do like these Fluvals!!


I have my substrate sloped up high on the filter end. The substrate is about half an inch below the intake hole. I wedged a small piece of clear plastic between the substrate and the wall. Suction and the pressure of the substrate holds it in place. Since the plastic is clear, it's nearly invisible. 

The intake at the bottom is only there so the pump doesn't run dry if the water level drops low. I don't let mine drop low. I haven't bothered covering the top intake, though some sponge and fishing line could do it. I figure if they are small enough to get in there at the top, that's where all the good eating is.


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## tekkguy (Jan 28, 2013)

Here's a photo of how I blocked the lower intake.


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## Otterfun (Dec 31, 2012)

so where do you get the piece of plastic?


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## tekkguy (Jan 28, 2013)

It was a piece of the packaging to one of my kids toys...lol


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## isochronism (Nov 24, 2012)

Very good descriptive pic!!! It looks as tho it still gets a bit of intake flow around the edges, also. Nice!! I will have to devise something similar, as I would enjoy shrimp. Maybe some of the smallest Raspora or Tetra types as well.


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## Otterfun (Dec 31, 2012)

tekkguy said:


> It was a piece of the packaging to one of my kids toys...lol


cool, i ordered some RCS that will be coming next week = D
i tihnk my tank is almost done cycling :
has been 0-0-25 Ammonia and Nitrite for a week and 5-10 Nitrate :-D


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