# The Fishless Micro Tank Challenge!



## Aus (Feb 3, 2012)

As I've roamed around this forum, I've found several folks (particularly Mo and Aokashi, who are great at these..) making some very charming little (FISHLESS) planted tanks in a gallon or less of water. These inspired me to make a "micro-tank" of my own, out of one those nasty little half gallon betta bow things, and it's coming along very nicely. 

So as there's threads for planted tanks, small planted tanks.. how about one for micro-tanks of a gallon or less? And if you don't have one -- why not try making one? All you need is a clean jar/bowl/dinky betta bow  and some cuttings off your tank plants, a handful of substrate, a nice bit of indirect window light or a little LED lamp...

If you have one or make one, please post here:

Container
Water Volume
Plant species
Substrate
Lighting
Water Change Schedule
Decorations (wood, stones, etc)
Age of Tank

And while I really (personally) cannot one bit approve of tanks under (at the very _least_) one gallon for a fish (and thus am asking for these micro tanks to be fishless, please..), do list any livestock (snails, a shrimp or two?) if any.

I'll post pics of my tiny NPT after tomorrow's overhaul. :-D


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## CharStarr (Jul 3, 2012)

*Aus, I was just looking at the first bow that Kudo came in and wondered how I could reuse it. This is a perfect idea! Also, since Kudo can't be with shrimp I was wondering how I can have shrimp without running the risk of having them become a betta snack. Maybe have like one or two shrimp in my little bow that I will make planted! Though I wonder if mine is too small? Will post pics later!*


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## Aus (Feb 3, 2012)

Shrimp have very low bioloads and I don't see why one or two rcs or a couple of baby snails or a pond snail could not be kept in a very small 'betta-bow' (don't get me started on how stores encourage people to stuff fish in those..) as long as there's adequate water changes/temps kept for the species..

Looking forward to seeing what you can do with your former tank!


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## CharStarr (Jul 3, 2012)

*I must do some serious research before I begin an attempt at a planted bow, however I must ask no matter how ridiculous it sounds, rcs is short form for what exactly? Is it a kind of shrimp?*


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## mattoboy (Feb 4, 2012)

RCS = Red Cherry Shrimp

Aus, just a suggestion, but why don't we change it to like 2 or 2.5 gallons instead of a gallon or under? Just a suggestion because i'm hopefully going to be starting something like that soon with shrimp for growing and selling plants.

In about an hour or so, I will be trying my hand at a like .5 gallon NPT. Hopefully everything goes well!

Matt


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## Aus (Feb 3, 2012)

There's already a thread for "small planted tanks" - this one's just for under a gallon and a bit of fun..

Char, the planted bow was pretty easy - major challenge was getting the tiny plants planted with my (relatively) big fingers. My eyebrow tweezers proved very handy, lol!! Also, picking the right species with small/slow growth. The dwarf baby tears is awesome! I'm planting a little hydrilla in mine tomorrow..


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## mattoboy (Feb 4, 2012)

Alright, sounds good!


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## PaintingPintos (Dec 27, 2011)

Sounds absolutely adorable!!!
I have a 1 gallon tank that is in a triangular shape, with a purple sparkly top that my sister got for her first betta (this was when she was 10) and when Omelette was in there in the beginning, I decorated the top with adorable strawberry patterened tape trim, alone with lots of nail art nailpolish that looks absolutely adorable....since Ash the poor shrimp is being constantly forced into hiding by vicious Omelette, I'm considering planting the tank with itty bitty plants and a moss ball or two for Ash. Also the fake plants that are too sharp for Om's fins. Ash is a ghost shrimp.
The only problem is that my mom HATES it when I have another tank or cage to take care of. "Why not just LEAVE the shrimp in the betta tank?? It's just another pet to take care of and a tank and it's just more stress for you!!"
Anyway, I'll probably do the micro tank despite my mom's yelling because she rarely goes into my room, and I just cleaned it (Where am I??? LOL) so I can just say that I've had a separate tank for months....she'd never know!! hahah and if the tank doesn't work, I can just pop the shrimp and plants back into the old tank. Or if I have too much school work (homework usually lasts 6-7 hours daily at the high school where I'll be attending for the next 4 years) I'll put Ash back and make it a plain mini planted tank.


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## mattoboy (Feb 4, 2012)

Never really re-searched shrimp... but do they need filters? I know the minimum tank space is like 1 gallon and I wanna get a few Ghost Shrimp.


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## Aus (Feb 3, 2012)

I think it depends on the species. Wood shrimp will die without filter flow. I think a couple of rcs would be okay in a filterless tank - with perhaps a little airstone/regular water changes. As long as the water's left out for a day to stabilise the ph as they tend not to like fresh from the tap water and in a very small tank I can imagine it makes a bigger difference than in a big one.


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## mattoboy (Feb 4, 2012)

Alright, I cant find anywhere that says if they do or do not need a filter. What do you think Ghost Shrimp?

BTW, pics of my new micro up soon


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## Aus (Feb 3, 2012)

All shrimp are sensitive to water quality. I think that if not overstocked and with regular water changes (with aged water) and a few stem/fast growing plants + moss, they'd be okay. RCS would probably fare better than ghosts.


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## Mo (Mar 15, 2012)

I set up this one for you guys... 
The bowl I chose.. A 32 oz. "fish" bowl










Picking out the plants from the sorority full of tannins










The Selected Plants. Anacharis, hornwort, Eurasian milfoil, and Java Fern Babies










Piece of IAL










Sand from a mature tank










Slowly filling up the bowl










Dechlorinating the water










Putting the plants in

























The Selected Stock 3 small Ramshorn Snails










Final Product ) the IAL is under the sand


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## mattoboy (Feb 4, 2012)

OMG so nice! Makes mine look like poop  I need more plants and maybe a snail or two.

Looks great!

Matt


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## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

I'll soon have two free half gallon cubes left! they can apparently be mounted to the wall. and if I can find a lighting solution I think I want to make some very cute little wall decorations with cherry shrimp 

@ mo, you should totally fit a lamp on top of yours and use it as a lamp stand!


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## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

Mini duckweed pond!!
Just a joke, it happened when I was taking out the duckweed from my tanks.
But I did think it looked pretty good :O










Duckweed, salvinia
1/2 L water (not even)


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## Aus (Feb 3, 2012)

I just love you guys. 

I had a ton of snails arrive in the post today :shock: so I'm juggling interesting mollusks and therefore my microtank must wait til later. But I'm so on it!


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## Spazzfish (Feb 12, 2012)

I have some epty jars and vases... Chalange excepted....


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## Aus (Feb 3, 2012)

Sorry for the terrible pics - Iphone, with the sun behind the tank..and a little cloudy after replanting today. But you get the idea. 

The first two pics are the tank as I got it (minus spiky orange plant) and the first attempt at making something out of it. It's kind of evolving very slowly...

*Container:* Meet the .25 gallon 'Betta Arc', complete with funky flashing LED bubble in the floor and obligatory spiky plastic plant. 










Of course, its former occupant _died_ quickly, and thus the tank came to me. :| And yeah - IMO this is all it's good for..

*Water Volume:* I keep calling this a half gallon but it isn't -- it's closer to 0.25 G (is that a quart??) or about 1 L of water. Less, with the substrate. 

*Plant species:* Dwarf baby tears, cryptocoryne, hygrilla, some tiny substrate creepers that hitched in on a ball of moss, riccia (in the very fail moss tree, wow that needs work..), bacopa, peacock moss and a very tiny java fern.

*Substrate:* Bottom layer is propagating sand mixed with organic soil activator, topped with river sand.

*Lighting: *Filtered/indirect sunlight, sometimes an LED clamp lamp.

*Water Change Schedule:* Oh um.. I top it up when necessary. Freshen the water maybe.. once a fortnight. 

*Decorations:* Small pieces of goldvine, some rocks. 

*Age of Tank:* A couple of months? It's been a bit neglected, though..

No occupants, but I'm putting a couple of baby ramshorns in to help keep algae down.


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## Aus (Feb 3, 2012)

LOL, Mo! I just looked at your pics again - and spotted that cute little betta staring at your hand, "So what do you think YOU'RE up to, _eh_?!" :lol:

And I found a wider-view pic of the betta bow, sorry - forgot to add it last post.


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## Mo (Mar 15, 2012)

You did an amazing job with that bowl.. And ah jewel. She isnt the smartest Betta.. -.- she thought I was about the feed her


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## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

Aus said:


> LOL, Mo! I just looked at your pics again - and spotted that cute little betta staring at your hand, "So what do you think YOU'RE up to, _eh_?!" :lol:
> 
> And I found a wider-view pic of the betta bow, sorry - forgot to add it last post.


so cute! I went looking for dwarf baby tears today D: couldnt find any.


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## kfryman (Nov 7, 2011)

I want to do one, but I am tempted to do an emersed setup, can I still post it if I do lol. I am gonna find my fish bwel I got that I was gonna use to plant terrestrial plants, but I wanna aquascape mine! I need to find a square glass container as well...


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## Destinystar (May 26, 2012)

These are lovely now I want to make one ! My Anacharis seems to love my water cause I have new growth in only a couple of weeks and my Hornwort looks awesome and hardly any shedding to speak of. Perseus loves to sleep in the Hornwort now which I am so pleased with ! Here is a picture of the Anacharis with the new growth, its like it happened over night almost I was so surprised !










My plants btw came from Mo...thanks Mo. the best thing I have brought for Perseus`s home !


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## kfryman (Nov 7, 2011)

The picture isn't showing...

I just need to find a spot where I get enough light. I want to do Rotala or ludwigia and maybe some dwarf sag or something maybe hairgrass?

I want it to look like a nice scape, more of just plants.


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## Destinystar (May 26, 2012)

Thanks...tries again


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## bettasloveme (Jul 24, 2012)

Here is my "tank" someone got me for a bday present. Before I knew better, I housed a betta in here. *cries from that*

Anyways, here is the cube. Only has sand and some De-chlorinated water. Thinking about drift wood, drawf baby tears, a moss ball, and a snail.

Sorry is the picture is dark, here is a better photo of the product:
http://www.google.com/imgres?q=mari...67&start=25&ndsp=15&ved=1t:429,r:7,s:25,i:186


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## Destinystar (May 26, 2012)

That would make a cute plant tank I really like it might have to get one myself, I am really loving everyones ideas !


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## kfryman (Nov 7, 2011)

bettasloveme said:


> Anyways, here is the cube. Only has sand and some De-chlorinated water. Thinking about drift wood, drawf baby tears, a moss ball, and a snail.


Remember that dwarf baby tears may need a CO2 supplement and higher light to grow as it is originally a terrestrial prowth will be slow or it may die in low light.


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## bettasloveme (Jul 24, 2012)

kfryman said:


> Remember that dwarf baby tears may need a CO2 supplement and higher light to grow as it is originally a terrestrial prowth will be slow or it may die in low light.


I am planning on getting one of those clip on lights... I am worried as well that CO2 may make it grow too quickly.


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## kfryman (Nov 7, 2011)

All you will have to do is trimmings, I think someone on here has baby tears but they grow super slow.

Check out this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8ESgEJvzEo&list=UUq7wsWARrrggtfLmiNEVecw&index=2&feature=plcp Thats how baby tears should look.


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## SpookyTooth (Dec 23, 2011)

I LOVE what I've seen so far! I can't wait to see what others come up with!!


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## bettasloveme (Jul 24, 2012)

I see. I just got a idea on how to do this.


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## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

kfryman said:


> I want to do one, but I am tempted to do an emersed setup, can I still post it if I do lol. I am gonna find my fish bwel I got that I was gonna use to plant terrestrial plants, but I wanna aquascape mine! I need to find a square glass container as well...


Awesome. I'm planning to grow dwarf baby tears in an emmersed set up too  using natural sunlight


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## PaintingPintos (Dec 27, 2011)

You guys make me so JEALOUS!!!!!!!
I love shrimp so much....
seeing you make these adorable little tanks makes me want to kill you all (JOKING!!!!) .....
But seriously, I have to get my act together. Saturday I'm going shopping with my sister, hopefully I'll be able to convince her to drive over to Petsmart or something and wait in the parking lot while I feverishly pick out any shrimp or plant that I see ;D
This is my idea....
*Tank:* 1 gallon corner/triangular tank
*Substrate:* Pool sand, baked in oven to kill bacteria OR black gravel mixed with black sand
*Plants:* Moss ball (maybe I'll take it out of the betta tank? It's the only live plant in there, so I guess I'd feel bad about doing that), java moss, Anacharis, duckweed
*Decorations:* Basalt rock, "primitive" looking picked from backyard stone wall :lol:
*Filtration:* None
*Aeration:* None
*Water Changes:* 2x a week (or what???)
*Inhabitants:* Rams-horn snail, OR ghost shrimp x1(or x2), OR Red Cherry Shrimp x3

So those are just my ideas....correct me if I am about to do anything wrong, please!


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## SpookyTooth (Dec 23, 2011)

That sounds great PaintingPintos!

I had an epiphany this morning. Yesterday I had intended on re-dividing and rescaping one half of my divided 14gal aquarium but everything went to er... poop (for the want of a more ferocious term but keeping it family friendly) and I'm now in a situation where one betta is in his old 5gal whereas my other is in the 2.5gal quarantine tank awaiting a new 5gal of his own and the 14gal is sat in our back yard.

My 14gal was situated on a table at the end of my bed, currently on one half I have Kaze's 5gal and the other half will house Echo's once I pick it up hopefully on Saturday... that's going to leave a space BETWEEN the tanks... conveniently UNDER my plant lighting. Hmmm!!!

I'll measure up the space and see if there's enough for a 1gal mini planted tank. I'd love to put some cherry shrimp in there but our winters are rather chilly and I wouldn't be able to fit a heater in a 1gal so I may just use it to breed microfauna for my boys.

I have a feeling I'm going to come home with more than just a tank on Saturday... let's hope they have live plants -- if not then there's another local aquatics store that _does_! Mwahaha!


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## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

SpookyTooth said:


> I'll measure up the space and see if there's enough for a 1gal mini planted tank. I'd love to put some cherry shrimp in there but our winters are rather chilly and I wouldn't be able to fit a heater in a 1gal so I may just use it to breed microfauna for my boys.


1 gallon heater... here U'll need a step up voltage adapter i think... I just bought one today for $4


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## SpookyTooth (Dec 23, 2011)

Thank you aokashi  unfortunately though it's in the USA. I don't really have another plug socket spare for a third heater either so I may just stick to a tiny planted, shrimpless bowl.


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## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

SpookyTooth said:


> Thank you aokashi  unfortunately though it's in the USA. I don't really have another plug socket spare for a third heater either so I may just stick to a tiny planted, shrimpless bowl.


it doesnt ship to where you are? it shipped to Australia :O there are different sellers selling the same thing.


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## Aus (Feb 3, 2012)

Dwarf baby tears doesn't really need co2 or particularly high light, in my experience.. it just gets leggier without all that, rather than growing in those nice neat compact and evenly-growing lawns the scapers like so much.


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## SpookyTooth (Dec 23, 2011)

When it comes to heaters and glass things I tend to order from within the UK just in case something goes wrong. I'm sure there's a similar if not identical brand over here somewhere... must start digging!

I measured the space that'd be between my two tanks and I don't think it's large enough, but I'll still take a look at what containers are available!


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## Aus (Feb 3, 2012)

Well, since people seem pretty enthusiastic on this topic, here's some inspiration via Rony Suzuki and Fabia Yoshida, who have made some truly stunning miniature aquariums.. like this one:










Here's a link to a site where you can see a few more:

http://www.aquahobby.com/tanks/e_tank0603.php

Truly inspiring, and very do-able. I just love that cracker-box paludarium! I can't go to a homewares store now without looking for potential tanks, ha.


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## bettasloveme (Jul 24, 2012)

I am having the same problem. Found my other bowls and started to think about what I can use.

Also, I am still looking around for a light better then this:
http://www.amazon.com/Marina-Betta-Kit-LED-Light/dp/B001B5CQA0


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## mattoboy (Feb 4, 2012)

Any tips on heating a micro? :/


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## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

mattoboy said:


> Any tips on heating a micro? :/



I just remembered that I have a little heat mat thing :O


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## Aus (Feb 3, 2012)

I don't bother to heat the microtank I currently have - but I do have a small circular undergravel heater that would take the chill off in winter. It was sold as a betta heater, lol- be lucky to stop a shrimp shivering in this weather, I think I'll never use it for bettas. But for a nice bowl of shrimp..


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## kfryman (Nov 7, 2011)

Aus said:


> Well, since people seem pretty enthusiastic on this topic, here's some inspiration via Rony Suzuki and Fabia Yoshida, who have made some truly stunning miniature aquariums.. like this one:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


It looks all tranquil and all that, but it is a rock and val. Looks nice with how the glass and stand, but that is so easy lol.

I made my mind, I am going to get a light and go Emersed with hairgrass and ludwigia.


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## PaintingPintos (Dec 27, 2011)

Aus said:


> I don't bother to heat the microtank I currently have - but I do have a small circular undergravel heater that would take the chill off in winter. It was sold as a betta heater, lol- be lucky to stop a shrimp shivering in this weather, I think I'll never use it for bettas. But for a nice bowl of shrimp..


I think I have the very same one for my 3 gallon Kritter Keeper. I bought it for $12 I think......says it heats 2-5 gallons, so my 3 gallon was perfect.
It does a really nice job heating in the winter, though. And if my fish and shrimp get chilly, they just move closer to the heater.
It's a circular rubber mat with the cord sticking out of the top/side and it came with a suction cup so you could stick it to something (i.e. the tank wall in case your gravel isn't heavy enough as in my case).
I love it though!


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