# 8G Nano Aquascape - The Oasis



## RobMc

Hey guys, this was my first time putting together a planted tank and it was a heck of a lot of fun...but I think it gave me full fledged multi-tank syndrome. :razz:

Tank: Fluval Ebi/Flora
Substrate: Fluval Stratum / Petco Sand
Hardscape: Found driftwood / rocks
Filtration: modified Magnum 350 canister - recirculation gate / valved 
Other Tek: 2x 13W 6500K CFL (~3 W/G), Nano CO2 diffuser

Flora: Anubias / Crypt / Micro Sword / Windelow Fern / Wisteria / random betta bulb (water onion?)

Oct: 15


















Some of the micro-sword uprooted in the first week or so.

Here's the tank now Oct 31: (Amonia-0ppm, Nitrite-0ppm, Nitrate-20ppm)


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## mkayum

Whoa! What a gorgeous betta and the tank too! I wish I had like this one!


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## kfryman

That's a killer piece of wood! Great scape!

I l want a cube and make it high tech...I see a Mr Aqua cube in my future...


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## LittleBettaFish

That's a really nice set-up and your photos are gorgeous too. Lucky fish is all I can say. 

Are they the fluval lights? I like how they look and they seem to do well in smaller set-ups.


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## tromboneplaya

OMG your tank is gorgeous!!!! I wish I could get my tanks to look that amazing!


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## RobMc

Thanks for the kind words, this is my first planted tank but definitely not my last. Way too much fun.

kfryman - The wood came right out of a pond near my home. Chopped it up to fit and boiled the whole of it for a few hours.

LittleBettaFish - They are the stock fluval lights. Each is 13 watts. A single light could support low-tech plants like anubias / anacharnis / crypts / mosses. To grow the fancy stuff you definitely want 2.

tromboneplaya - You can! Just make sure you have the right equipment (enough light, specialty substrate) and then the right balance of food for the plants (Carbon / NPK).

I'll post some more updates in a week or two once the tank has filled in some more ;-)


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## prosthetik

Omg that looks amazing! Wish I had the patience to do that!


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## RobMc

kfryman - Those Mr. Aqua tanks look great. I'm dying for the long 12g (MA-730). It'd make an awesome nano-river or reef tank.


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## LittleBettaFish

A 12 gallon MrAqua tank would be brilliant to scape in. I've got the Do!aqua 60 and 45cm tanks and they offer a lot of scaping opportunities. Always wanted to do a wabi kusa style set-up in one.

Just curious, what kind of CO2 are you running on this? I didn't even notice you had any until I saw the drop checker.


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## RobMc

LittleBettaFish said:


> A 12 gallon MrAqua tank would be brilliant to scape in. I've got the Do!aqua 60 and 45cm tanks and they offer a lot of scaping opportunities. Always wanted to do a wabi kusa style set-up in one.
> 
> Just curious, what kind of CO2 are you running on this? I didn't even notice you had any until I saw the drop checker.


Those Do!aqua's are beautiful tanks. Also, I was just looking at wabi kusa styled tanks and fantasizing about creating one as well. When I was a kid I had so many sticks in jars with moss and bugs...I didn't know we could still do this as adults until recently - and it's so much more awesome.


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## kfryman

The good thin about Mr Aqua tans is they are rimless, pretty good quality, and cheaper than other rimless tanks. They might not be as much quality, but they are still good. I plan on getting this bad boy http://www.marinedepot.com/Mr._Aqua...ular_Aquariums-Mr._Aqua-AZ1119-FIAQRA-vi.html I like it because I get more room to play with depth, the only hard part is finding a light and a stand. I may build my own stand and may build my own LED fixture. Not sure but I have access to a par meter so I can get exactly the PAR I need for about 55 PAR which would be in the medium light range.

Nice to have places to get wood. The plant club I am in (SFBAAPS) a guy that I would guess was in it and drove all the way from Reno to the Bay Area brought tons of manzanita, best part, it was free! I got some great pieces.


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## ao

ahhhh nice to see you here  though I still havent forgiven you for choping up your poor unfortunate ammonia source.


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## RobMc

Went to a good cause ;-) cycled in 2 weeks.

Also - good to see you here mate.


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## kfryman

Are you planning on replacing the CO2 system entirely? I know that it is super expensive to just keep buying those cartridges, I believe it would actually cost tons of money over time, probably better off getting a cheapish paintbal setup.


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## RobMc

Those tiny CO2 canisters came with the tank, figured I might as well use them up; but you're absolutely right - it's not sustainable. The next step is to upgrade to a ~5lb tank + regulator with a solenoid http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=9895 then I'll just run the tank on the lighting schedule and have it shut off at night.

Hoing to do it all used below 70.


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## kfryman

Yeah, I guess you might as well use it. I would have gone for paintball, but I guess 5lb may be easier. I am having a dual stage regulator built by a local enthusiast for free. He gt me a great deal on the DSR as well. Just will be like a year till I can actually use it...


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## ItsKourtneyYoC8

That is.gorgeous! What kind of grass is that? And awesome piece of wood!


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## RobMc

Thanks ItsKourtneyYoC8 the foreground grass is "Micro Sword". Seems to be pretty easy to grow - needs high light to stay low but will grow under low-med as well just longer and slower.


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## ao

XD did you raid petsmart by anychance? the ones here dont sell those nice plants. sigh


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## sandrac8388

Your tank looks AMAZING!!! I want mine just like that! I am going to buy supplies for my first NPT next weekend!! I'm so excited. Do you have any tips? How do you keep the water so clear? Where did you buy all your supplies? Filter or no Filter? 

Sorry for all the questions, I'm so scared of screwing up!


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## ao

sandrac8388 said:


> Your tank looks AMAZING!!! I want mine just like that! I am going to buy supplies for my first NPT next weekend!! I'm so excited. Do you have any tips? How do you keep the water so clear? Where did you buy all your supplies? Filter or no Filter?
> 
> Sorry for all the questions, I'm so scared of screwing up!


He runs what we would call a high tech set up. it is very different in concept from the popular low tech npt on this forum. The water looks clea due to the bright lighting. actuall all water in good established clean tanks should look be clear.

I recommend starting with a low tech before you throw yourself into high tech tanks  especially if you are just starting off. and really, it's not hard to transform a low tech into a hightech tank later on ^____^


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## sandrac8388

Ok good thanks for telling me. I might have been way over my head. Lol. 

What is the difference of a high tech and low tech? 

I'm so impressed by everyone on this forum! I love checking in daily and finding awesome stuff like this!! XD


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## ao

sandrac8388 said:


> What is the difference of a high tech and low tech?


low tech is basically non high light tank. no CO2, maybe dosing some liquid fertilizers/root tabs

High tech is a high light CO2 dosed tank. may be dry dosing ferts etc...

it's really just a name...
For me, I have a high light tank with no CO2 injections, is that a "medium tech?" lol.


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## kfryman

That is crazy Aokashi, because if you truely have high light with no co2 things can get severely out of wack. Good thing it is going good for you.

I found it that high tech usually you should have the tech part. I have a hair algae farm, but I don't want to put amanos in yet because I'm unsure they will be eaten. Gotta get some ghost shrimp.


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## ao

kfryman said:


> That is crazy Aokashi, because if you truely have high light with no co2 things can get severely out of wack. Good thing it is going good for you.
> 
> I found it that high tech usually you should have the tech part. I have a hair algae farm, but I don't want to put amanos in yet because I'm unsure they will be eaten. Gotta get some ghost shrimp.


Well... I realized that things dont always go by the book. I read about it everywhere, gave a weak attempt at CO2 and gave up due to the hassle....

but strangely there's not a spot of algae in the tanks or on the plants (a bit on the tank walls which I can only see with a magnifying glass)

and I'm pretty sure having a 6500k 23w CFL over a 2.5 gallon at zero distance is considered high light  I think it's mostly due to the amount of plants i stuff in that tank that I havent been overrun by algae yet. 

I also dose flourish every second day >.>

the other tank by the window is subjected to natural light, which is weaker, but there is a significant amount of spot algae growing in the wall closest tothe window. no other algae inside the tank however.

The only other algae I have only grows on the HOB, under high current and grows in a film. I love the stuff and use it to feed my scuds and seed shrimps.

Amanos work great for hair algae. but do make sure that you arent feeding them anything else, or they will ignore the algae and go for the better foods.

I need to start giving away some of my H formosas. I currently have 5 adults and 3 fry in the windowside 2 gallon, and two more in the poland spring DIY breeder bottle in Kuro's tank.

And I cant bring myself to feed them to Kuro...


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## RobMc

The trick with any NPT is to not skimp on the P. The more plants you start with the more natural filtration you'll have for Amonia and Nitrates. It might cost you $50 in plants up front but it's completely worth it. My tank has quite a large filter filled mostly with biological media. Once the tank is fully established and the plants are growing strong I'll likely swap this out for a very small corner filter mostly for water circulation.

Aokashi is right on all points, this is a high tech setup where the plants are given every conceivable advantage.

If you're interested in low tech aquariums, I suggest reading up on the Walstad method. It's a highly detailed methodology of balanced aquatic setups focusing on soil microbiology and flora / fauna balance. Really cool stuff.

http://www.theaquariumwiki.com/Walstad_method


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## Lady Courage

Your tank is stunning. Absolutely stunning. I love the style and the plants and the wood and everything. Wow. You did a fabulous job. First planted tank!? I don't believe you. lol 

Plus your pictures are amazing! What camera do you use?


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## kfryman

Haha, I know all about lowtech and the Walstad Method, I have one of my tanks using her method. I like the ability to grow plants super fast, but with higher light it starts to exhaust it self much faster. I wanna try ADA Aquasoil for the tank I am planning, seems like it is really good and grows plants well.

Unless the CO2 is in a painball tank or higher, it is so much more of a hassle, plus DIY isn't that effective, it doesn't add enough CO2.


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## Juicebox

lovin that tank,looks super good,youve done good work there sir,keep it up!


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## RobMc

Why thankya juicebox.

Just ordered the goods for a long term CO2 solution.

Grabbed a C.A.P CO2 regulator on E-Bay for $50 shipped (coming friday!)
Picked up a filled 12.5 lb CO2 tank (Craigslist) for $60

I'm lucky that I have a girlfriend instead of a wife.


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## RobMc

Here's a shot showing the growth over 4 weeks


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## LittleBettaFish

I will say it again. That is one lucky betta! 

Beautiful tank and amazing amount of growth you have had in one month.


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## RobMc

And a few more:

Love this snail, he's the life of the party





























This last week I got tired of the wisteria, so I ripped most of it out and replanted with some red ludwigia and some other random trimmings I grabbed from a member of another forum. Hoping they start to fill in the back soon


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## RobMc

Why thank ya little.

I stocked the tank with RCS - some of which ended up as food for Angelo but look...

Someone's preggers!









As far as the tech part - for a while I got away with 26 watts on this 7.8g with 3 weeks of minimal CO2 (the fluval passive kit) and one week without.

I've added a 25 watt CFL for a total of ~50 watts now and have also installed a solenoid regulated 5lb CO2 tank. It's hooked up to a nano diffuser and pumps CO2 1 hour before the lights come on through their turn-off time.

As you can see in the pic above, I've had a little bit of algae growth and may have to dial it back a bit.

Lighting wise, my next plan of action is to keep the original two 13W'ers on for the 8-10 hours a day, with the 25 watt turning on for 4 hours in the middle to simulate a high noon effect.


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## blueridge

Your tank is so pretty. I could spend all day looking at it. Keep up the good work!


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## Lady Courage

It looks. Stunning. Absolutely stunning. I am so jealous of your tank! But not like "I wanna steal your tank" jealous, because you've worked really hard to make it that beautiful. More like "I wanna make a tank that looks like yours" jealous.


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## Juicebox

has your snail been eating any of the plants? its a mystery snail right?


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## ItsKourtneyYoC8

Juicebox said:


> has your snail been eating any of the plants? its a mystery snail right?


I'm pretty sure that is a apple snail and mine never really eats the plants unless they are dead/dieing but they like to climb them. If you like them and have a tank more than 2.5 gal. I'd get one (but still research them)! They are awesome and so funny! If the temps are warm they can get big fast but shortens their life I think, but in colder temps they have a slow metabolism so don't do much and live longer. They are pretty interesting though!


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## Rcguerra

Really good thread. I am in the process of doing something very similar. Here is the thread on another forum


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## Mashiro

That's really nice for a first try.


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## a123andpoof

Beautiful!


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## carbonxxkidd

I really want your tank! So beautiful!

Also, your camera takes amazing photos!


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## strangelove

Oh wow, I am in love! I need some new plants for my tank, you're giving me serious ideas!


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## RobMc

Update: color keeps changing, fins getting even longer.


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## RobMc

I let the tank grow out pretty wildly. But ran out of CO2 about 5 weeks ago.

Shots taken Jan 9th


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## RobMc

Major trim back + replaced the CO2.

















Betta is on vacation in my sump.


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## Otterfun

Wow, we should start having "Like" buttons, very very nice, it would be a dreamscape for my Fred = D


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## Rin9

I kinda liked it all grown out and crazy! Although the last pic is my favorite...


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## Trackpadtactics

What is the grass like plant? i want some for my tank.


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## Lady Courage

Woooow... So, so, pretty. I love your tank! That is one spoiled betta. lol Did you cut it so that you could use the trimmings elsewhere? Just curious.


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## BearMitten

Beautiful tank, what kind of camera are you using?


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## eemmais

It looks awesome!! Your betta must be super happy!


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## lillyandquigly

*That. Is. Amazing.*


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## RobMc

Thanks -
Trackpadtactics The grass like plant is "microsword", it grows very quickly - and as long as you can avoid algae, it will carpet easily. Grows short and flat under high light, and a bit taller under lower light.

Lady Courage My friend started a tank. I decided to help him get going 

BearMitten I was using a canon SD790 IS up until january. Now I use a canon rebel T3 - mostly with the canon 50mm 1:1.8 lens.

Yes, my betta is spoiled - he's a little prince.


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## deesseau

I just bought a Fluval Ebi for a future betta. Yours is extraordinary! I hope mine gets half as good looking as yours


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## RobMc

With the betta on vaca - the shrimps come out to play


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## Mr2KiEu

Wow amazing tank! I just bought a Aqueon Evo 4 today, but your tank is making me reconsider my purchase. What kind of filter are you using?


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## deso

Stunning tanks you've got here, RobMc! Really impressed and more than a bit jealous


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## RobMc

I'm using a magnum 350 canister filter - dialed way back.


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## BulletToothBoris

Beautiful betta.


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## NapoleonUWS

FANTASTIC tank!


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## Fishybitty

What a stunning tank!


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