# Tress' 15g Tank Revival



## Tress (Jun 6, 2014)

I've had a 15g tank sitting in my basement for years. It used to house goldfish till it's leaking problem became worse. Now its full of junk, dirty, and just taking up space. Till now. 

As a project "to avoid cabin fever" during the long (boring) winters here, I'm going to be taking her apart, redoing the siliconing, fixing the light hood, sanding & repainting the stand and just giving her some TLC! This baby is _old_, I bought it like 10 years ago second hand and its old then. It used to be a turtle tank and I used it for the many goldfish I've had over the years. It's glass is in good shape at least lol.

But I'm gonna need some help along the way, that's why I decide to make a journal. I hope those who read will pitch in with ideas, advice, and knowledge. I don't have a whole lot of money, but I have plenty of time to work on things and my mother is an expert DYIer. 

I'm not sure what I'm gonna do with it, stock in it, etc. I was hoping on doing a NPT community, but I want to do it right the first time and get everything. 

These are the best pics I can get of it atm, till I can find somewhere else to throw all the junk in it. There is an old filter I refuse to use anymore (despite mother's insistence). It was old when we got it and was a pain the whole time I used it, I'd rather a new one. Despite the look of the lid, there is a cover for that part, it's inside the tank. I know I'll have to find something to cover the large gap at the back, but that's easy.

The light hood looks worse than it really is (we think). The sockets are actually in great shape, but the white thingy (reflector?) is obviously toast. I think we were accidentally using too high a wattage. It says "Type T Maximum 25w". Is it worth keeping the sockets? What kind of lights can I put in it if I do use it? I think mom said we would need to rewire it anyways.

(more posts coming, just needed to get these pics uploaded)


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## kjg1029 (Jun 14, 2014)

nice! What a fun project and you'll sorta be recycling too! Can't wait to see it up and running. Goodluck!


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## Tress (Jun 6, 2014)

BUT! This is not the only project I have in mind. I have a side project of building a tank. 








As you can see it used to be a flower pot with removable metal bottom/rim. (it's all washed now lol)








My mom is fighting with me on keeping the metal pieces after I make a bottom on it. I agree with her that the tank will need some support pieces, but I keep telling her we can't use the metal. :I she so stubborn.

If I remember correctly, it's around 12" x 12" x 11.5" and someone estimated it at 5g full, but suggested I keep it to 3g (which I would have anyways). The glass goes from 1/4cm to 1/2cm. As for the bottom, I have a piece of plexiglass that is 1/2cm thick. But here's some questions... do I cut the plexi to put it inside of the glass, or as more of a base, or a square base? Should I put it on the thinner end (inside) to give more support? What can I do to give the thinner part the most support I can?

I know I'll have to make a lid for it, and I want a decent (non LED) light for it so that maybe eventually I can grow live plants in it as well.


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## Tress (Jun 6, 2014)

SO. To sum up all my questions for you wonderful and intelligent people, I shall list them here:
- What are some types of aquarium safe silicone? I know aquarium sealant is an obvious, but I need some alternatives since I'll need a lot.
- For the light hood, is it worth salvaging the sockets? would they even be worthwhile for a planted tank (25w max)? I have to remove that plastic, and under that looks to be metal, will it be ok like that or should I find/make a new reflector?
- I'll likely get a Hydor Theo Heater for this tank as I've heard good things about it AND I have one in my 5g. What wattage is best for this size? or do you feel a different heater might be better NPT wise?
- Filter. I need a whole new one so what would be best to use?
- Any other issues you think I might have with that lid? I will be closing up that gap at the back, suggestions for that are welcome too
- I will be on the hunt for driftwood and rocks, I know you need to avoid rocks with metals, but what are some woods to avoid? How do you prep either, test for metals (vinegar test?), etc.
- Plants.. I've been looking online for stores in my area that carry plants, as far as I can tell only Petsmart carries a few that I've heard used with bettas (java fern, anubis, ludwigia, cabomba, and hortwort. I'll also look for someone local who grows plants, but I'm not holding my breath on that. I'm pretty good at gardening, and my mom drives me nuts with her tons of plants we do have, but I'm still nervous about how they will fare here. Lately our winters have been extra harsh, and even though my basement is usually the warmest (thought I might move the tank to my room if I find the space to do so), we've been having issues keeping our plants alive and well. Are there any plants I should avoid or should I be ok to plant most (depending on my light amount of course)?
- What kind of bulbs do you suggest? I hear so many different things suggested around the site. I'll also need to see what I can do socket wise...

I don't plan on stocking the tank for a few months yet (plus it will be winter soon, not a good time to bring fish/plants home), this is more just getting all my ducks in a row first before I take the leap into it. Thank you greatly for any help you can give


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## Tress (Jun 6, 2014)

kjg1029 said:


> nice! What a fun project and you'll sorta be recycling too! Can't wait to see it up and running. Goodluck!


Thanks  
Haha yea, it was so sad seeing the poor old tank just sitting there. Mom kept stuffing junk in it and I was afraid it was going to get broke. Plus I can't really afford to buy one brand new, gotta make do with what I got. It will be a few months till I get it going, I need help to do it and my mom's job will be ending in a few weeks so we will have some time to work on it soon.

---

I will be removing some furniture in my room and switching things around, I'm considering moving the 20g up here so I have more time to work on it. But my room is horribly tiny, so managing my space will be a lot of _fun._

If I were to get a shelving unit, what should I look for material wise? I want something that could hold a few 5g/10g tanks, and maybe a new stand altogether for the 20g. I could also get some wood and make something... finally put all those woodworking classes to use.

Warning: I ramble a lot. Welcome to my journal <3


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## kjg1029 (Jun 14, 2014)

for the silicone I went to WalMart and got a tube for about 4$ just make sure its 100% silcone with no mold or mildew additives.


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## Tress (Jun 6, 2014)

Um.. some awkward news here... 

>3> it's a 15g, not a 20g. 20" x 12" x 12"


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## Tress (Jun 6, 2014)

Oh my gosh I am full of mistakes today.
The tank is 24" x 12" x 12". Aqadvisor.com says that's about 15g. 
So I'm scrapping the idea to divide, I'll just do 1 betta in a community. If possible, could someone list the species that are ok to keep in a community with a betta? I know it depends on the betta, tank size, how planted it is, etc. But a list would give me a foothold in researching. For some reason I can't seem to find just a simple listing.


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## kjg1029 (Jun 14, 2014)

I've heard people having luck with a few Corey cats 4-6 since there bottom dwellers and bettas mostly stay at the top. Or African dwarf frogs. if you have a heater then it won't matter if the winters are harsh because the plants and fish will be in the warn tank. The most importaint thing for plants is the light source, I use a comapact flourecent, I think the brightness is about 6500k. For plants I have water wisteria, water sprite, duck weed, water lettuce and anubis. All is well so far my plants are growing every day


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## Tress (Jun 6, 2014)

Mhm, I finally found some solid(er) info. I'm thinking cories for sure, so cute. I can only find Peppered cories in my area (only ones at petsmart that I hear are compatible with bettas), but I'm going to do some calling tomorrow to find out what is and isn't available. I'm also considering Pygmy cories. More research first though. I can tell that bettas in community tanks are a highly debated topic in the internet.

Of course I'll have a heater, would a 50w do fine? I already have one, but I'm planning on getting 25w for my other tanks.

I'm still not sure what the lighting situation is atm. I'll be asking about plants as well when I do my calling around, but I wont hold my breath.

I'm probably gonna end up having to do a lot of online shopping fish/plant wise, I was trying to avoid it. Know any Canadian sites that are reliable?


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## MattsBettas (Dec 18, 2012)

Tress said:


> SO. To sum up all my questions for you wonderful and intelligent people, I shall list them here:
> - What are some types of aquarium safe silicone? I know aquarium sealant is an obvious, but I need some alternatives since I'll need a lot.
> 
> *I've heard of people using GE silicone 1 for windows and doors. Honestly, though, if you can find something you know is safe I would bite the bullet and pay for the aquarium sealant- a few bucks now could save some future disaster.*
> ...





Tress said:


> Mhm, I finally found some solid(er) info. I'm thinking cories for sure, so cute. I can only find Peppered cories in my area (only ones at petsmart that I hear are compatible with bettas), but I'm going to do some calling tomorrow to find out what is and isn't available. I'm also considering Pygmy cories. More research first though. I can tell that bettas in community tanks are a highly debated topic in the internet.
> 
> *All cories should be compatible with bettas (unless the betta makes it a problem, and tank size permitting of course). Bettas in a community setting can be very successful- honestly, I would MUCH rather people be keeping their bettas in well planned communities than in sororities. *
> 
> ...


Hope I helped


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## Tress (Jun 6, 2014)

Ahh Thanks so much Matt!

I'll think I shall just have to go with the sealant, hopefully I can find some at another store for a better price though. 

I'm pretty sure the sockets work fine, if the haut is fine I'll just clean it up as best I can and let it be ugly. I will also hunt down those bulbs.

100w heater and Aquaclear it is then  

Haha yea, I think I was just being paranoid about the cold. 

Glad to hear that, the more pictures of cories I'm looking at the more I fall for them! Is there any other creatures I could add to the tank?


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## Tress (Jun 6, 2014)

Successful day of shopping locally 
Gonna list what I got an how much so I can look back and kinda calculate what I spent.
- Aquaclear 30. $50
- Silicone with "Safe for Aquariums" written right on it. $5
- 2, 11w Daylight CFL bulbs. It doesn't say the kelvin(?) range but the guy looked it up and said it should be 5000+. They were the closest I could find and were like $9 each x.x
- Organic "moisture" soil, Greenworld brand. Sphagnum peat moss, coir, lime, composted turkey litter, yucca meal. $5
Total: just over $80

Can anyone tell me if that soil is ok to use? It was all they had there but I could try the greenhouse/nursery just outside of town.

Also I discovered my lps carries cories  
I've hardly ever paid attention to the tanks and lately they've had almost no stock, and the tanks are badly labelled and some fish aren't even labelled at all .-.
They had/stock:
- Pandas (none there)
- Albinos (saw 2, weren't labelled)
- Julii (one lonely one)
- Peppered (one again)
- .. those greenish ones. (Lots of those and some were pretty big.)

As for the bettas, my store has the elive system so they are a little better, but the air is far too powerful and even the staff are upset that they can't turn it down any lower. I seen that the usual pop eye and fin melt has started setting into this stock, but I also notice some new ones among them. The silver double tail I saw weeks ago is still there but is starting to degrade. And a plakat that I'm sure I saw when I got Lux - a month ago! Poor guy, he's so pricey. He's a cambodian too. They have him marked as "Betta OMG"?

----
On a not so good note..
Puma, one of my two 2 month old kittens, fell from my upstairs hallway (probably a good 10ft drop). Mom almost caught him. He landed on all fours but it was a hard landing. I think he thunked his chin or nose on the floor. He was sneezing a bit, no blood though, and I couldn't feel anything broken. He yawned but I think his jaw is sore. He seems ok though, currently purring and being adorable in my lap - sneezing now and then. 

I really don't need anymore scares animal wise. My anxiety is bad enough as is.
----
Anyways, I think when it comes time to get some cories, I'll talk to the store and see if I can get them to order me some and how much it would cost. Then I'll see what other places carry them and the cost if I get some shipped to me.
I'm thinking about 6 or 8 of one of the following:
- Panda
- Peppered
- Julii

Snails I'll likely order, but I'm not sure what to get. I heard Trumpet snails were good for the soil, but what are some other possibilities?

Annnnnd I just realized I forgot to look for sand. ack.


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## Tress (Jun 6, 2014)

Last night I cleaned up the light hood and the lid, I'll be testing the lights later. Sadly the glass is permanently scratched and covered in hard water stains. I did the best I could, it will have to do. I also noticed that the flip up lid has a crack in it, easy enough to fix. I'll also be repairing the lid itself as the last patch job is getting loose. No big deal there. 

Apparently mom might have the weekend and monday off, seeing as her job is seasonal (golf course kitchen) and it's almost time to close up. So we have many things to do to catch up on. I'm somewhat hopeful at tempting her to go to the city so I can finally get a master test kit and better pellets at least. And maybe I'll get in contact with the person I found who is selling 5 clippings of Water Sprite for $10. 

-----
Also, my kitten is fine now, in case you were wondering  
-----

Another thing I'd like some help is that smaller round tank I was planning on making... there is still a big question up in the air that I need answered before I start working on it.

"The glass goes from 1/4cm to 1/2cm. As for the bottom, I have a piece of plexiglass that is 1/2cm thick. But here's some questions... do I cut the plexiglass to put it inside of the glass, or as more of a base, or a square base? Should I put it on the thinner end (inside) to give more support? What can I do to give the thinner part the most support I can?"

Any suggestions?


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## Tress (Jun 6, 2014)

Lettuce posted this on another thread and I thought it was a good idea
http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=460218&page=0#post5138162


> http://i.imgur.com/pWRPbVw.jpg
> 
> I read about people who have used the same coconut for _years_ without problems and decided it would be a good idea. I just drained the milk, carved it to the right shape, then removed all of the meat from the inside.


Could you imagine how awesome that would look with some like flame moss growing on it? I'm really considering it, I hadn't thought of any cave ideas yet other than the flower pots I already use.


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## blueridge (Jul 1, 2011)

Can't wait to see how your now 15gal works out for you. Not too sure if this will help you or not but as for your smaller tank it might work best if maybe you did both of your suggestions; put plexiglass inside and as a base. That way the less thicker area of the tank would have support and the tank as a whole would have a steady support to sit on.


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## Tress (Jun 6, 2014)

Blueridge - We've decided to make the thicker side the bottom since it will be taking the most of the weight (gravel, etc). But I know what you meant and I had thought about that too.
---
So today I did battle against grime, hard water stains and old silicone.








That was *after* rinsing the worst out.








As you can see the plastic on the one side is cracked, and someone apparently tried to glue/silicone it back down. We'll clamp and fix it this weekend.
















I must say.. there is one good thing about old silicone.. it comes off way easier. Who ever did the siliconing job the first time sucked. Oh and there was silicone on the outside corners and along the top edge in some places too. 
















Upon flipping the tank over I discovered this. An almost 1/4 inch spot where the glass was out of place. It was like it wasn't put in place quite right. So we'll have to loosen the whole bottom piece to get it back in place. Much fun.








Here is the crack in the lid (and a dirty paw print :< I had just washed it..). Easy job, glue a support on the back.








This on the other hand... this has really weakened the lid's frame. Gotta redo the old patch job. And scrub more grime (mostly stubborn hard water stains).








Two hours later and I'd gotten pretty much all the silicone out. And I took off the on tank thermo sticker thingy. I'll get a normal one that goes in the tank.








Here's the lid.








And here's what the tank looks like now. Not half bad. I'm rather proud of myself today. 

My mom has 3 days off, and among the list of shizz to do I'm hoping to get the tank prepped for siliconing at least, and work on the horribly rusty stand and get it repainted. Maybe I'll even get my room reorganized (not likely xD) so I can figure out where I'll be putting the tank. If I'm lucky we'll work on the other tank too. Hopefully. Maybe.

It's storming at the moment, and will be all day, so I don't expect us to get all the outside work done. But today (seeing as it's 1:30am already) we have to pick up my cat, Monster, from the lady we got to bring her down to the cheap spay clinic. I'm hoping all went well, seeing as I didn't hear anything from anyone I'm guessing/hoping so. Pudge would murder me if anything happened to her sister. For clarity, I'll add I pic of the girls to the end here :3 
Monster on the left, Pudge on the right. These are my girls, half sisters (same father), that we took in from a friend's farm. Monster is 3, Pudge 2. Bonded like glue.


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## MattsBettas (Dec 18, 2012)

I'm really too tired to talk about fish and answer questions, I just wanted to drop in and tell you that that's probably the most adorable picture of two cats I've ever seen .


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## Tress (Jun 6, 2014)

Aww well I'm honored that you took the time to 
You should see all the pictures I have of these two cuddling. I'm constantly catching them snuggled up. I take way too many cat photos of my way too many cats.


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## blueridge (Jul 1, 2011)

Your tank is looking good now! That old silicone job was horrible :O 
Pudge and Monster are so cute sleeping together! I wish my two cats would do that.


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## Tress (Jun 6, 2014)

Thanks, maybe today I'll work on it and get it and the other one ready for silicone. After this headache clears up x.x

I think it's something to do with them being related. My two kittens are brothers and snuggle up too.


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## Tress (Jun 6, 2014)

Deciding to return the soil (and maybe the play sand) I bought and order the Miracle grow organic choice potting mix over amazon. Also will be looking for the black diamond sand stuff, might call ahead though to be sure. Kinda mad at myself for straying from my original plan of what I wanted, but I think it's cause mom kinda hovers over me impatiently while I'm trying to get stuff >.<

But yea.. planned order: 100w Hydor Theo, miracle gro organic choice potting mix, and API Master test kit. I tried to order the test kit before but after a month and a half of waiting it still hadn't sent so I cancelled the order. This time it's available directly from Amazon so I feel more confident in buying it.

Mom should be off all this coming week so I can finally make her sit still long enough to help me with doing the siliconing of the tank(s).

Hopefully.


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## Tress (Jun 6, 2014)

Tank was siliconed last night, not the best job and I'll have to fix it once it's cured. But mom said it was pretty good for my first time.. 

I also spent 4 hours yesterday helping someone move, and earned $60  

and when we got home I dropped a big can on my foot... of all the things I'd carried that day.. a can. Gonna leave a lovely bruise..


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## Tress (Jun 6, 2014)

apparently my heater came like 4 days early. Going to pick it up in a few hours.

I still need to get the sand and plants. Problem is that I'm down to $40...


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## Tress (Jun 6, 2014)

Soil was picked up earlier today, and I bought better bulbs. I also cleaned up the excess silicone and filled the tank up to check for leaks. Progress finally!

Or so I thought...

When I tried to screw in the bulbs I discovered a problem that might derail me for even longer (or permanently as I'm so frustrated with it and mom is only causing more frustration). The way the socket is attached to the haut causes the bulb to not screw in. There are NO other bulbs around here that could even get into the 6500 kelvin range. So unless I find a way to make a different haut (which will probably end up getting replaced anyways), I'll have to completely change the socket. And now mom has a grandiose idea about changing it to a florescent tube SOMEHOW. Like... no. Not only will that be even more of a pain, who knows if it will work or how much it will cost!

I just for once I would like a goal in my life to work out. I have never achieved any goal I set out for myself because other people or situations have always gotten in the way. This is far more than just setting up a tank to me. I want to prove I can set a goal and achieve it - if just to motivate myself to do something other than vegetate in my room feeling like I'll never get anywhere in life.


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## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

Sometimes there are obstacles that require reworking of original goals. Don't let that stop you. Sometimes it's easier to make your road around the hill instead of digging a tunnel.


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## Schmoo (Oct 3, 2014)

+1 ^ c:


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## Tress (Jun 6, 2014)

Tank is so far holding water good. The silicone looks good now and so long as you don't look close is fairly smooth and even. Epoxied the cracks in the lid and flip lid and will be doing the crack in the plastic edging tomorrow.


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## Tress (Jun 6, 2014)

hrutan said:


> Sometimes there are obstacles that require reworking of original goals. Don't let that stop you. Sometimes it's easier to make your road around the hill instead of digging a tunnel.


Yea but when every single goal I've set out has been ruined by issues far beyond my control, it's harder to keep any sort of motivation. I can handle bumps in the road, but not mount Everest suddenly being dropped in front of me. That's just how my life is.


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## Tress (Jun 6, 2014)

Returned the overly expensive and stupid bulbs I'd originally got, so that's $20 back to me. All that's left for me to get is plants. But with my lighting hood needing... adjustments/replacing/_something..._ I will put that on hold.

Mom bought me a clamp lamp (60w) and the thing is lovely  sadly it wont safely hold it's weight up while clipped to the edge of the 5g, so I will be attaching it to the side of my new cabinet.

_New cabinet?_ Yup! When I say new I mean _new_ to me. Someone had it at the curb with FREE signs on it  so in the van it went. It's got a bracer on the middle shelf, and it was able to hold my weight so It might hold the 15g. But just in case we will be adding more bracers for support. MUCH better looking than the other homemade shelf I was planning to use. There are 2 removable shelves, but I don't need them atm so they are just sitting on the very top, out of the way. It also had a random little light fixture screwed into the top, I removed it since I didn't want to break it and I didn't need it. *shrugs*

I plan to move the 5g to the top shelf once I have my light hood fixed (or buy more clamp lamps).

Yesterday I found out that my lps sells plants and that they order any needed stock weekly. I saw what I'm sure was wisteria in one tank, and the lady pointed to a plant that was hornwort while I was asking her. There was a really pretty plant that I think might have been a Purple Waffle plant? But I heard they are not fully aquatic. I'll have to point that out to them next time. My lps always stocks things that they obviously know nothing about. Heck the employee that's been there the longest keeps her betta with *goldfish.* 

Anyways. This means that, depending on just _how_ _much_ they want per Panda cory, I might just order from them. I was told that plants were $4 each for anything. Annoying thing is that to order anything, I'll have to deal with the employee I mentioned before. She is arrogant as all hell and is just one of those people that irritate me. Maybe I'll check it out by phone.... >.> 

But I was wondering... is it fine for me to set up the tank without adding plants yet? Feels like a dumb question... but I wasn't sure if it would be better/easier to just wait till I had plants to plant in the soil.


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## logisticsguy (Sep 7, 2012)

This is an interesting thread. Considering the bumps in the road, I really admire you for sticking to it. Hornwort is terrific plant for betta. Not really pretty but highly effective and betta love the stuff. Its a floater. I don't think you need to wait for plants they can be added later and as you go. Good luck Tress!


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## LadyNightraven (Jun 30, 2013)

I see progress being made! So exciting! It looks like it's been frustrating at times, but I admire how you keep at it.


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## Tress (Jun 6, 2014)

Gah, you guys  *hides face*

Thank you guys >.< I get overwhelmed easily when it comes to bumps in the road, I figured if I made a journal I could make myself more committed. What would look worse than starting a journal then ducking out just because things got hard for me to handle?

Anyways, I will be fixing that broken edge today and once it's set and dry I'll add the soil and sift through it. I can't decide if I should just do it all perfectly flat or make it a little more ... aquascapey? haha maybe I've just been looking at too many fancy planted tanks.

Once I have the hang of this I will be turning my 5g (and any future tanks) into them. I have always admired planted tanks, and until learning more about them, thought they would be more work.

Random thing... Me and mom were talking about our past pet fish, mainly goldfish. I found it funny that in all the years... I don't think we EVER added water conditioner to our tanks. Never had much in the way of issues with my fish. Most issues came up cause we rarely changed the water and just relied on the filter (something I'm still trying to educate my mother on lol). 

This makes me really interested to test my water - but my test kit is on back order. We have well water, it has lots of iron and other minerals. We live in an area of mostly clay and sandy loam cause it used to be swamp here. Actually the water table is so high here that you dig down a few feet and the hole fills with water. We also used to have a spot in the backyard where water was boiling up from underneath (basically a natural spring). Farmers here have to use lime cause the ground is rather acidic.

I'm gonna guess that when I do test it, I will have somewhat acidic water. When we had our well dug and water tested they told us we had really hard water and that we didn't have e-coli in it... that's all. Lol great service around here


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## Tress (Jun 6, 2014)

*Update: Let the scaping begin!*

Last night I finally got my butt in gear and finally made some progress. Still don't have plants but I did some calling around today to get prices (2 out of 4 places answered and sell panda cories [both $4.99 - the one in town wants like $8 each] and plants [LPS: $4 - $12][Petsmart:$1.99 - $7.99]). 

Soil: Miracle Grow Organic Choice Potting Soil
Sand: Premier Play Sand
Hardscape: Mopani Driftwood, Large river rock, small river rocks
Filter: Aquaclear 30
Heater: Hydro Theo 100w
Lighting: (temporary) Clamp lamp with a 6500k CFL bulb
Plants: N/A

Let's begin.
















Cleaning the sand. Seeing as it was night and temp here even in the day is in the single digits, I had to do this indoors. Plus that way I could use hot & cold water, since working in cold water can have effects later in life (and I have enough wrist pain as is). Gonna avoid this brand in the future.. so much fine sand in it. Took forever to clean.








Also realized I never showed my silicone job. Had to cut it and clean it up which left little chunks of silicone that I vacuumed out. Not too bad, and looks better when filled with water.
















Mudscaping. I decided to give it a sloping look, might change it though. I got so many slivers sifting this soil, little itty bitty ones that were hard to see to remove. Afterwards it was nice to work with. Saved the sifted stuff for mom's plants.
















I love this driftwood. I thought of this propped up look right away, I'm kinda happy with how that turned out, but I might dig it up and shift it. We'll see. Probably going to slide the filter to the middle. Heater had to be on the low end cause I forgot it was long xD
























May or may not be keeping the smaller rocks. I tried to kinda make a ~ gradient from big rock's colour to red. Will probably get changed when I add plants. 

So this is as much as I've done. In a bit we will be adding some wood to support the shelf more just in case. Better safe than sorry. Then I will add water, let it settle, and then start up the filter (once I add the medias). In all this I realized just how low this tank is. 

Next challenge? Find a way to keep the cats OFF the top of the tank, cause it's not overly strong and they WILL break it. Monster already broke our previous fix on the lid. Any Suggestions?


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## LadyNightraven (Jun 30, 2013)

It's looking good, Tress! I love that driftwood! I can't wait to see it with plants.

I'm afraid I won't be any help with suggestions on keeping cats off tanks. My cats barely know my two little tanks exist. Socks would happily eat the fish food if I let her, but she couldn't care less about the aquariums themselves. Spaz finally realized for the first time a couple nights ago that there's something alive in at least one of the tanks, but she got bored after watching Yurei glass surf for a few minutes. I think he was much more interested in her than she was in him.


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## Tress (Jun 6, 2014)

Haha all 4 for my cats watch my fish, mainly my kitten Puma though. I'm constantly chasing him off my dresser cause he paws at Lux's 1g and it gets him all upset. Aris gets curious and watches Puma unless he startles him. But really my issue is with my adult girls. Monster and Pudge are horribly curious and _love_ to get into/onto things they shouldn't. Monster already tried to get onto the lid and caused some damage.

It's just like with kids. So hard to teach them to look but no touch!

















Anyways the tank is now filled up. I had to move the driftwood and add more sand to stabilize it and recover the soil. Still not totally happy with it. Might switch it and the rock to the lower end so I have more room on the high end. Slope was not so much a good idea now >.< Aw well, live and learn. It would help if I had plants already...

Speaking of plants, I'll be calling my LPS to ask about what plants they can order in and how much they want. Might just have to wait till we take a trip to the city. Hard on money atm though, so everything is running on "we'll see"'s. If you know what I mean.

I really want to get an anubias, water sprite, java fern, and maybe some pennywort or some other nice looking stem plant. I haven't seen or heard of any floaters from anyone and honestly the people I called earlier were half clueless and just told me to come in and see what they have. Gee thanks, I'll just hop in my teleporter now and be there in no time. Seems like no one considers the fact that a lot of people don't live _in _the city...


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## Tress (Jun 6, 2014)

Since my CFL's could not fit properly because of my hood's old plastic haut/reflector (socket was close to one side) we decided to find some tin and just make a new one. So when we were visiting a friend in town I asked him if he had any chunks of tin sitting around. After a little searching he gave me a perfect piece that was even white on one side! And let us borrow some tin cutters.

We removed the old haut and used it to get an idea of size and shape.








Then we cut it out, shaped it, and punched holes for the screws.








And after rewiring the socket and MUCH fiddling with it.. Tada!









So here is what my tank looks like now. You can't see it but there are actually 4 rocks under the driftwood keeping it steady so that it give that nice cave like feel. I will be raising the water level to the bottom of the rim, that way the filter output is quieter and causes less surface agitation. That leaves a good 2" above the water. Now all I have to do is make a cover for the open back of the lid.









Its still pretty barren but I picked up some Moneywort and Wisteria (not 100% sure it's actually wisteria). I'm kinda peeved cause I had also asked for them to order a Java fern and Crypt, guess they couldn't get it in. The lady there wasn't the same one from yesterday so I couldn't exactly ask her about it. But I saw someone on Kijiji selling java ferns (normal and lace) and water sprite for $4 so I might call them tomorrow.

The Wisteria was not too well cared for, it was obvious stuck in water and tossed on some shelf to collect dust. It's grown bent half way and has a lot of leaf damage. Actually it was so bad that my lps that ordered it for me gave me a second bundle free cause she removed a lot of its rotten parts. 
















These pictures are just after I got it home, it's since been cleaned and stripped of all bad chunks. All pieces had like half the leaves broken >.<

The moneywort on the other hand was in good shape and even throwing out roots already.









Currently I am gonna let the plants float in a jar of tank water under my clamp light for the night and figure out what I'm doing with them tomorrow. No snails on them (didn't even see eggs).

The lps said they should have a stock list from their other seller in Tuesday so I could swing by and see what it offered. Though hopefully next week when the weather is nice we might take the hour drive to Sudbury and I'll check out the local stores and see if I can get more plants, ferts, and maybe even a water test kit. Not getting my hopes up though.

Lets just hope I don't get puppy dog eyed by another betta. That's the last thing I need x.x


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## Tress (Jun 6, 2014)

*Update: Planted and growing*

Hey, sorry I haven't updated in a long while. The tank has been planted for over a week, and I started seeing growth within a few days. Ended up moving them around after planting them, especially the moneywort, since it was planted first while I ID'd the wisteria (never seen its immersed form).
















The Wisteria has dropped most it's large immersed leaves and started growing new submersed ones, it's also starting to straighten out. Most the moneywort is perking up but some are not doing as well. Might just be a bit of shock from different water types. It's funny because it looked way better than the wisteria did at first. I'm mostly keeping up with removal of dead or dying leaves and clipping off rotten parts. 

Waiting for some of the wisteria to grow out more so that I can clip and replant the ones that are bent. Lol it's really bothering me to have crooked stems (some are almost at a 90 degree but the leaves are growing up >.<). 

Talked to my LPS again, sadly she can't get any of the other plants I want, as most would cost her almost $5 to get in, which would be like $15 for me. So I'm back to scanning the web and hoping we'll have a chance to go to sudbury soon. They have a petsmart and a few small pet stores that apparently sell plants. But there are also a few people selling plants in that area so if I get an idea of when I can go, I'd get in touch with them.

Sometimes it really sucks to live up north. Most stores don't even have/can't get in products that are easily available in the rest of Ontario. When I've talked to stores about getting an API Freshwater Master Test kit, they tell me that they have tried to get those items before, but when they talk to the sellers they say "sure, but you'll have to meet us down in Barrie cause that's as far as we go".

It drives me nuts when people question why we don't just get this or that, I tell them that it's simply not available up here and they accuse me of just not looking in the right places. Not talking about anyone here, more just things in general. Northern and southern Ontario might as well be different countries with the way our lifestyles, environment, and challenges differ.

No offense meant to anyone, I just think it's interesting.


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## kjg1029 (Jun 14, 2014)

wow! i havnt checked on this thread since the begining! nice job on the silicone!
i like your driftwood piece too! 
goodluck!


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## Tress (Jun 6, 2014)

Lol nice to see you again  
Thanks, I've still got a month or so before I stock it (not counting snails.. if I ever find any x.x).


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## LadyNightraven (Jun 30, 2013)

It's looking so pretty! Nice job!


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## Tress (Jun 6, 2014)

It's really enjoyable to look at, I can almost imagine little cories zipping around along the bottom :3


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## MameJenny (Jun 11, 2012)

Subscribing. :-D This looks like a fun project.

Also, that betta in your avatar is/was gorgeous. @[email protected] Is he actually pink, or just an opaque with light shining through him? :-D


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## Tress (Jun 6, 2014)

Haha thanks :3 it is, it's really enjoyable (though this moneywort is driving me bonkers, first it's fine, then it's not, then half of them are ok while others aren't x.x)

That's Lux back when I'd just got him. Looks a lot different now (tail issues aside).








So yea, I guess he's rather pink


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## Tress (Jun 6, 2014)

*Update*

So I've been battling methane bubbles, cap leaks and moneywort issues. Some of the moneywort has had to have all of it's leave stripped, but the stem is not rotting and has a large mass of roots. But I think I found the problem. Some of the ones having issues were in the spot where I originally had that large rock buried, so there isn't much soil there. The others were getting tall and too much light and algae was growing on them. Since I moved the ones in the bad spot and cleaned up the other ones, it's not been too bad. I need to clip the taller ones shorter and let it fill in more.

The wisteria has been good, a few of the bottoms that I didn't cut right (newb here lol) rotted but it rooted above that. This lead to a lot of little shoots getting clipped off so I could rebury them. So I thought, what the heck I've got nothing to lose, and planted them among the rocks to hold them down. So far all but one have started rooting (it was too short). I also notice they are getting narrower leaves and much greener  So I must be doing something right.

The driftwood, for the most part, has stopped growing so much fungus. 

I'll be taking most of the water out to fix some of the cap and clip the moneywort and wisteria down some more. I'll also try and get most the bubbles out while I'm at it.

In other news, I will be receiving some plant clippings, I know at least from rotala, possibly some others. Post office was closed for Remembrance day, and the tracking says it should be here on the 13th :/ I hope it makes it ok, it's cold and nasty up here.

Also, this is, I think, what I will end up stocking.


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## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

Tress said:


>


I'd like to give my opinions on your envisioned stocking list. I hope I don't come off sounding too critical.

I was a big fan of otto cats but soon realized how overrated and sensitive they are. They aren't very active and just hang on the glass. Even in a mature and heavily planted tank, mine died within a few days. I would be lucky to have a 25% survival rate.

I don't think purposely introducing MTS is a good idea. Most find them as pests. Your initial three will potentially turn into hundreds. They crawl up on glass in large numbers at night and can be unsightly.


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## Tress (Jun 6, 2014)

I still would like to try Otos, but I have been thinking of not doing the snails. We'll see. It's also about availability.


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## Tress (Jun 6, 2014)

*Upgrade!*

Thanks to a certain user's generousity my tank is now looking like a real planted tank! I, on the other hand, am still learning how to scape, so once these guys show some growth, I'll fix things a little more. 

















Needle Leaf Java Fern, with moss and Limnophila Sessiflora








More Limnophila Sessiflora, Rotala, and Hygrophila Angustifolia (left to right)

What can't be seen is the bendy straw triangle protecting the like 10 bits of duckweed from getting sucked under and stuck to the driftwood.


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## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

Welcome to the wonderful world of planted tanks. I like the new look a lot better. It was so bare before.

You must've had a fun-filled day doing all that planting. I hope it was distraction-free and you were able to get in the zone. It can be frustrating and back-breaking at times but a pair of planting tweezers go a long way. Those things do wonders.

I am not the best aquascaper but I love playing with bare set-ups. I wish I could play with your tank, not that you didn't do a good job. I would've laid things out differently. The overall layout looks a bit unbalanced right now. Planted tanks are never permanent, you'll eventually move things around and find a look that will work out well.


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## Tress (Jun 6, 2014)

Yea it was a pathetic excuse for a planted tank xD My LPS kept leading me on saying they would get this or that in for me... but didn't.

Amazingly my kittens left me alone for once so I was able to plant it without too much trouble. But I must say... It would have been a good idea to move the tank out of the shelf... I have a killer headache from whacking my head multiple times.

I will someday invest in planting tools, I can definitely see how much easier they would make my life xD

I'm not happy with the look, but it was more like "oh god I still have more to plant" and was getting tired, well my back was. I'll give them a few days to get a chance to perk up, and them I'll work on making them look better. Going to spread the rotala out much more, too thick atm.


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## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

I just read through your earlier posts and saw the effort you put into this tank. Great job!

I would suggest you save your money and not buy a water test kit. They are in my opinion very useless. If you treat your water with conditioner and keep up with water changes, all should go well. They don't test for the stuff that's truly harmful, like bacteria, fungus, parasites, etc.

It's a good idea to spread out the plants to prevent choking.

I was worried about your lighting, but seeing how your wisteria is bouncing back with new growth, you might be okay. All of your stem plants are fast growers. If they take off, you're gonna have a jungle. That's when the real fun begins.

I will try not voicing my opinions too much into your scape because it's always more fun and personal doing it yourself. There is one thing I would like to point out though. That variety of java fern is too tall and looks out of place on the driftwood the way it is now. Maybe you can try turning the driftwood upside-down or on its side. Another good option is to tie them onto small rocks and tuck them behind the driftwood.


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## Tress (Jun 6, 2014)

I have 2 6,500k CFLs 10" above the substrate, I was told it was kinda in the moderate range. Fast growing is fine, I have 2 other tanks to convert to planted, and hopefully 2 more coming. I might just borrow some money and get them before they're gone. The Marina heater is working great in the tank, just so you know  I'll test the others tomorrow.

As for the test kit, I still think I may buy it when I have the chance, I'd like to cycle my tanks properly and I don't want to stock my plant tank till the soil has stopped leeching ammonia. Just gives me peace of mind. So far everything is preventing me from getting it anyways, just got an email from amazon, "we're still trying to get it in" it's been over a month, and they did this to me last time as well. Yay for products that never get in stock.

Thing is that I placed them right in the spots I've been waiting to attach something to, and the rocks are helping hold small wisterias down since I had to remove them so small. I have the driftwood purposely propped like that, it makes a little cave - it's also why I bought it. It is kinda big for this tank but I never expected to be able to get a lot of plants in the first place haha. But I'll think about it.

I don't mind ideas or criticism, just don't be surprised if I turn them down  I'm a stubborn fool.


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

+1 about the Otos as far as sensitivity. If you don't already have them it would be best to wait until the tank has been set up and running long enough for parameters to be stable. I didn't have much luck with them until the 20 had been set up for about six months. This time around they are much more active and flit from plant to plant.

Most people know shrimp don't do well in newly-established tanks but there are also fish that don't, either. Pygmy Cories, Otos and Neons come to mind.

I also agree on the planting tongs. I know you're in Canada and can't buy from this person but this gives you an idea of cost:
10" Stainless Steel Straight Tweezers Aquascaping Tool Aquarium Plant | eBay

I don't think yours is a pathetic excuse for a planted tank and you shouldn't, either!

I do believe it will look much more balanced when the plants grow in across the back. If you could find a smaller piece of wood that you could tuck it behind the plants on the left to give some "color balance." Just have it sort of peeking out. I don't aquascape; my tanks are all jungles so take what I suggest with a grain of salt (or sand). 

I do like the thickness on the left; in my mind that's much more natural that spread out. But, like I said, Jungle Jane, here. ;-)

Good job!!!


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## Tress (Jun 6, 2014)

I know otos and the like are sensitive, hence my not wanting to stock it until I want be sure my cycle is finished.

I only thought it was pathetic when it was just a bit of scraggly moneywort and wisteria 

The rotala is a bit close, I'll be moving some a little closer to the intake to fill in that empty space.

Random thing here but.. would it be possible to have some kind of moss or something drooping over the driftwood to make a kind of curtain for the open space there? or is that not possible? Just an interesting little idea I had last night.

The plants have really perked up, I'll take a another pic


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## Tress (Jun 6, 2014)

Perking up nicely 

I think I might move the hygro to the corner, and move some rotala where it was.


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## Schmoo (Oct 3, 2014)

It's coming along quite nicely. c:


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## Tress (Jun 6, 2014)

Thank you, Schmoo :3


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

Nevermind. ;-)


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## Tress (Jun 6, 2014)

hehe, it's no problem, I like hearing from others  

I chose the driftwood specifically because of it's shape to create that nice shaded hiding place.


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## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

It looks like you're trying very hard to savage the money wort. They look rather scraggly. If these are anything like your typical stem plants, you're better off clipping off the top half and replanting them. I am almost certain they will recover better that way. You can even leave the bottom half in, they will sprout new growth if they survive. Promoting new growth is always better than letting a plant repair itself.

I have a tank full of hygrophila starting with just a few leaf-less stems.


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## Tress (Jun 6, 2014)

I was thinking about that earlier when I was redoing everything and adding the plants in, but I was more focused on getting the new stuff in. I think tomorrow I will tackle it. But yes I am trying my best to save the moneywort. I don't know why the leaves keep rotting off. When I had had them going better, they then got too much light and struggled with algae so I reduced the amount of lighting. 

I think about 40% of them have had to have almost all leaves stripped, a few lost a chunk on the top, but most are showing the start of growth. I think I've had it planted for a month? I'd REALLY like it to stop being such a pain in the [censor]. 

I think I may have to clip a lot of leaves off the wisteria, they got a little dried out during the redo and aren't looking too hot now. Took longer than I had expected to fix the cap. Oh well. They bounce back really fast.

So tomorrow:
- Clean up wisteria
- Trim and replant moneywort
- Move Hygro
- Spread out Rotala
- Create proper ring for the floaters and attach to side of tank near lights

Btw, that marina heater is lovely <3 I set it to 79, and it damn well stays at 79~80 even with the lights on. Being too lazy to test the others atm.

Oh, sidenote. My LPS got ghost shrimp in, thoughts on getting some? I know I'd need some moss and a cycled tank. They're cuter than I thought they would be, and I had already considered getting into shrimp when I had gotten the hang of planted tanks. They're so interesting


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## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

Sounds like a fun-filled day tomorrow. You must have insomnia like me.

It's a good idea to move your plants around. That limnophila has really weak stems. The down pour from the filter might snap them.

I personally think ghost shrimps make good snacks for any betta. Others will give you differing opinions. If you decide to get them, I hope your store isn't overpricing them. They are often sold as feeder for dirt cheap.

If you ever see bristlenose plecos, pick up a couple. They don't grow too big and are a million times better than ottos when it comes to cleaning. I put a few in my main tank a few days ago and they completely stripped away all the gunk off my equipment and driftwood.


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## Tress (Jun 6, 2014)

I do have insomnia, I'm usually up till 5am before I finally join my cats in bed. I usually wake up around noon - 3pm and eventually start moving. I don't think I'll ever get on a normal sleep cycle at this point. According to my mom I was like this even as a kid.

Actually the limnophila is in an odd safe zone from the flow, one has to be moved though cause Its stuck under the driftwood atm lol. 

My store always over prices things, I wouldn't be surprised if they were $1 or more. They want $8 for a panda cory - not that I've ever seen them in the store, just the price tag. If I drive an hour, two stores have pandas at $5 each, and according to petsmart's website I think it's $0.50 a ghost shrimp? All I know is my god do we ever pay more for EVERYTHING here in Canada....

Eh... not a fan of plecos, most grow bigger than I'm comfortable with handling and I heard they poop a lot.


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## BettaMummy87 (Jul 26, 2014)

Reading back I would like to chip something in for Ottos. 

I bought seven when my main tank had been running for a month or so a I started having a brown diatom issue and they are one of the few things that would eat it. They have gone through two complete substrate changes (each one doen over 2-3 days for the benefit of all the fish) and I have only lost one, which was last month. Not sure what did it, tbh, no interferring with that tank other than maintenance in months now. 

I think they are great. All but one of mine shoals (Dutchy likes to be alone... ) and the others (Jones 539, Jones 716 and the three remaining Jones's - bonus points for anyone who gets this reference) are constantly chasing each other around the tank. They even 'chase' the female bettas occassionally; they tanke it in turns to swim up to teh surface right next to them really fast, like a realy team..... but this is always right next to a betta, and not when food is around... can only assume they enjoy it.  Bettas look pretty offended though. XD

I have seen a lot go with high TDS levels though, and they are moderately senitive to nitrates (below 20ppm they all seem happy in my tanks).


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## Tress (Jun 6, 2014)

Thanks for your input


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## Tress (Jun 6, 2014)

I moved the Hygro along the back, thinned out the rotala and moved some near the heater and end of the driftwood. Trimmed, replanted and removed some leafless moneywort stems. Cleaned up the wisteria's melted leaves and moved them around too. 

I find the tank really has some depth now, and It'll look even better when the hygro grows in. I had to split some of it up cause the stems got bent in the bag. Thats why it looks shorter. It actually goes right back to the corner, behind the rotala










Then took a gallon jar, threw in some soil and sand, and stuffed all the moneywort stems (and a random wisteria) into it. Right now it's sitting on the bottom shelf of my stand with a clamp light on it. Same bulb I use in the tank. If I don't see any growth I'll be moving it onto my desk and adding a small heater. If it does fine like this it and I see growth I'll add in the floaters I have sitting in a container floating in the 15g. I lost a bunch last night cause the container was too near the filter and bubbles built up underneath and tipped them out. I had a dozen but could only find half of them. 

So now I wait...


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## Tress (Jun 6, 2014)

... Apparently my 15g has some sneaky inhabitants after all..judging by the shape of their shells, ramshorns . So far two babies spotted nomming on the algae growth I was trying to deal with, so they are welcome to stay for the time being.

It's funny cause I checked over the java fern  I guess they were hiding real well. Odd that this is the first time I've seen them too. The java has been in there for 11 days.

Anyways the plants are doing well, going to have to trim back the Limno. It's actually standing up to the filter rather well, one stubborn stem is right where the outflow meets the water. Some of the rotala behind the driftwood is losing leaves, I figure it doesn't have quite enough soil under there. So I'll be cleaning it up a bit.


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## Tress (Jun 6, 2014)

*Trim and Snails*









So it turns out there are 3 snails, one is a smidgen bigger than the other two so that clued me in, plus two were on the glass and on was on the driftwood. There are little "snail trails" through the diatomes on the glass and what I think are nematodes, the little white thingies? Sorry for the water marks on the glass, been a bit busy.

I'm not worried about the snails if they are ramshorns. I know they reproduce fast, but I like snails in my tanks. If they get out of control I'll spread the bigger ones around my other tanks (less chance of the bettas eating them), see if anyone wants to buy some on Kijiji, and talk to my lps to see if they'll buy them/give store credit. 

Anyways I had to do my first big trim on the Limnophila and Rotala, both are doing great. The Hygro had to be trimmed when added due to a bit of shipping damage but it's growing in great and lots of new leaves. The other two are starting to come out my ears so I planted some of the clippings in the 20g to see how they would fare in a sand/low light tank. So far so good 









I have them up at the front for a couple reasons. More light (ceiling & sunlight), Easier to monitor, and to give more privacy from my cats pestering them. I had to push the gravel against them to hold them down since I don't have a lot of sand in there (ran out .-.).

I am seeing too much algae growth in the planted tank, so I am cutting back the time to 5-6 hours and so far it's helping (plus the snails are munching through it) and the plants are still growing. The moneywort clippings are growing great, the wisteria started growing broad leaves due to the drying out accident, but newest growth is coming in more pinnate. 

I might remove the java ferns and attach them to rocks in my other tanks with lower lights.

Here's what the tank looks like after the trim. I moved some more rotala behind the driftwood.


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## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

I like this new scape. It's much cleaner looking. 
Sorry to hear about the snails. They must've hitchhiked in the form of eggs. Once, they're there, there is absolutely no way of eliminating them.


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## Tress (Jun 6, 2014)

Thank you, its a work in progress  learning as I go.
I thought I'd checked the java really well, even floated them in a jar for a while to look for movement, but obviously not lol. It's fine, I like snails. They are helping with algae control and clean up the plants without eating them. I'm pretty sure they are ramshorns, which were a kind I had looked into anyways. If they were mystery/apple snails I'd not be so open to them.


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## Tress (Jun 6, 2014)

*A month later*

Wow a month already, on the eve of christmas no less haha. I guess this will be my gift to you  

So quite a bit happened in this time. 

I added Lux to the tank, but I've decided he needs to be removed as he is managing to find fin damaging spots (I've filed any rough spots on the driftwood and covered others with moss, I'm throwing in the towel).
















My friend (<3) sent me a ton of plants: More Hygro & Rotala, Ludwigia Red, Corkscrew Val (which slowly died off), Wendtii Brown (?), Baby Java Ferns, and a big clump of java moss. And two (dead) nerites. 
















Changed shelves as I felt the other was not strong enough. Now I have 3 tanks set up on it (moved the baby snails to my computer desk).









So, what does the tank look like now? (forgive the cloudiness, I was cleaning it).
















I wish I had of planted the crypt more forward, but oh well..


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## LadyNightraven (Jun 30, 2013)

Merry Christmas, Tress! The aquarium is looking lovely as ever. Sorry to hear that it isn't working out so well for Lux to be in it.


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## Tress (Jun 6, 2014)

Merry Fishmas to you too  
I seriously need a bubble for him, he's too interested in everything. I'm trying to decide who might go there.


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## kjg1029 (Jun 14, 2014)

your tanks looking great! .I love the tall plants in the back, it really adds some needed depth to the aquarium!


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## Tress (Jun 6, 2014)

thanks, I'm going to add more of them along the back once they grow enough to be clipped again


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## DaytonBetta (Feb 4, 2014)

It's looking good! I like the big driftwood, I'm starting a new tank and will be on the look out for something like that.


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## Tress (Jun 6, 2014)

Thank you  
Heres a tip with picking them. Pick up the piece and view it from every possible angle. Try to find spots where you might anchor rhizome based plants or cram moss into - but watch for areas that a fish might get stuck in or rip fins on. Envision the tank set up, try to think how to make it look the way you want with the plants. Don't forget about the placement of your equipment. I like putting the filter where it will hit the driftwood to break the strength of the flow so it doesn't push the sand around much. Oh thats another thing to think of, if it will it be sitting on top or partly buried in.

Haha sorry for that blurb, I'm in a rambly mood.


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