# Mr. Aqua 7.5G Cube



## ddtran46 (Jul 8, 2008)

What is the manufacturer of the lighting? It looks nice.


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## dj2005 (Apr 23, 2009)

ddtran46 said:


> What is the manufacturer of the lighting? It looks nice.


Current USA: http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_viewi...gn=mdcsegooglebase2&utm_content=CU01001&tab=0

I paid $15 shipped for it. I actually got two at the time and have one used over my Mini M. I like how the moonlight has its own dedicated cord/plug so that it can be added to its own timer.


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## McGillicutty (Aug 31, 2010)

dj2005 said:


> Current USA [link]
> I paid $15 shipped for it. I actually got two at the time and have one used over my Mini M. I like how the moonlight has its own dedicated cord/plug so that it can be added to its own timer.


That looks like a nice light. Too bad they've discontinued it. :icon_cry:


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## dj2005 (Apr 23, 2009)

McGillicutty said:


> That looks like a nice light. Too bad they've discontinued it. :icon_cry:


The good stuff always gets discontinued.


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## dj2005 (Apr 23, 2009)

Moonlight. The LED is actually white rather than the blue that my camera produces.


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## deleted_user_6 (Jun 19, 2010)

Very nice. Glad to see it with stuff in it finally


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## VincentK (Dec 16, 2009)

Haha! You got one too! This will look awesome.


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## dj2005 (Apr 23, 2009)

onefang said:


> Very nice. Glad to see it with stuff in it finally


Feel free (pun intended ) to send me your 11.4G and I'll put it to use.



VincentK said:


> Haha! You got one too! This will look awesome.


Your cube definitely made me want one after I saw it all those months ago. After playing with this one, I am now a fan of cube tanks.


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## thatgmc (Jul 4, 2010)

is that a rainbow i see?




dj2005 said:


> *Fauna*: None and there may never be any. I'm tired of having to fix my slopes in other tanks due to the inhabitants.
> *Ferts*: EI + Excel + RootCaps.
> *Filter*: Hagen Mini Elite.
> *Flora*: Mini micro sword; Blyxa japonica lining back wall.
> ...


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## deleted_user_6 (Jun 19, 2010)

thatgmc said:


> is that a rainbow i see?


no, that's a ghost.. didn't you see sixth sense? :biggrin:


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## dj2005 (Apr 23, 2009)

onefang said:


> no, that's a ghost.. didn't you see sixth sense? :biggrin:


True. Ghosts exist unlike silly rainbows.


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## ddtran46 (Jul 8, 2008)

If only it were a Double rainbow... going all the way.


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## msnikkistar (Mar 23, 2010)

dj2005 said:


> Feel free (pun intended ) to send me your 11.4G and I'll put it to use.


Too late, he already did that....to me.


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## dj2005 (Apr 23, 2009)

msnikkistar said:


> Too late, he already did that....to me.


I'm counting on seeing a journal of it when you set it up!


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## msnikkistar (Mar 23, 2010)

You can bet on that! Now to figure out what shrimp to put in it. lol


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## thatgmc (Jul 4, 2010)

ddtran46 said:


> If only it were a Double rainbow... going all the way.


Yea but what does it mean? The double rainbow.. almost triple rainbow


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## dj2005 (Apr 23, 2009)

msnikkistar said:


> You can bet on that! Now to figure out what shrimp to put in it. lol


Dwarf shrimp come in so many flavors. Gotta try them all. :smile:



thatgmc said:


> Yea but what does it mean? The double rainbow.. almost triple rainbow


It means that there may be a pot of gold guarded by evil leprechauns somewhere in my tank. :icon_eek: Or worse, guarded by underpants gnomes!

But to be more serious, the rainbow was likely created by the small beam of sunlight hitting the tank.

9-6-10:
Bubbles are gone.


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## dj2005 (Apr 23, 2009)

9-10-10:
Added a Hagen CO2 kit using my Mini Elite as the diffuser. So far, it's working great. This is my first time using actual CO2. :smile:

I also added a small amount of Fissidens. Not sure if I'll keep it but I'm going to wait to see how it grows in.

Quite a bit of tannins in the water from the AS. If I do a lot of water changes would that remove it quickly?


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## ddtran46 (Jul 8, 2008)

Woah... nice:thumbsup: You can see the fine mist of co2:icon_smil


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## dj2005 (Apr 23, 2009)

ddtran46 said:


> Woah... nice:thumbsup: You can see the fine mist of co2:icon_smil


Yeah, the CO2 bubbles are everywhere.


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## ddtran46 (Jul 8, 2008)

Now you can breed CRS and I can "buy" some:hihi:


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## dj2005 (Apr 23, 2009)

ddtran46 said:


> Now you can breed CRS and I can "buy" some:hihi:


I've been thinking about this prospect since adding the CO2. I still need to test my KH though, and I do not have a test kit for that.  I also need to test my pH Sunday and see if it's fitting for CRS.

If I do manage to keep a successful colony of CRS then you can certainly have some for free. Do you know if jojos sells CRS?


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## ddtran46 (Jul 8, 2008)

dj2005 said:


> I've been thinking about this prospect since adding the CO2. I still need to test my KH though, and I do not have a test kit for that.  I also need to test my pH Sunday and see if it's fitting for CRS.
> 
> If I do manage to keep a successful colony of CRS then you can certainly have some for free. Do you know if jojos sells CRS?


I don't think Jojos sell Crs. I remember them selling some before...it was a low grade and the price was high..

This guy is selling some pretty nice shrimps but a little expensive for his female ones.:
http://sacramento.craigslist.org/for/1947007241.html


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## dj2005 (Apr 23, 2009)

ddtran46 said:


> I don't think Jojos sell Crs. I remember them selling some before...it was a low grade and the price was high..
> 
> This guy is selling some pretty nice shrimps but a little expensive for his female ones.:
> http://sacramento.craigslist.org/for/1947007241.html


A _little _expensive? Thanks for the laugh.

I think I'll go bug greenisgood again after I check my parameters. $60 shipped for 20 decently high grade CRS is hard to beat.


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## ddtran46 (Jul 8, 2008)

dj2005 said:


> A _little _expensive? Thanks for the laugh.
> 
> I think I'll go bug greenisgood again after I check my parameters. $60 shipped for 20 decently high grade CRS is hard to beat.


Haha. 60 shipped is a great deal for high grade crs.


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## msnikkistar (Mar 23, 2010)

Sooo, my husband yelled at me as soon as he say the UPS guy come at 6:30 pm and drop off the 11.4.  You might be getting a new tank if I can't sweet talk him into letting me keep it


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## dj2005 (Apr 23, 2009)

msnikkistar said:


> Sooo, my husband yelled at me as soon as he say the UPS guy come at 6:30 pm and drop off the 11.4.  You might be getting a new tank if I can't sweet talk him into letting me keep it


Sorry to hear that, Nikki. Did you try to bribe him with a new gadget? Usually that works on us guys.


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## msnikkistar (Mar 23, 2010)

dj2005 said:


> Sorry to hear that, Nikki. Did you try to bribe him with a new gadget? Usually that works on us guys.


I think it came just at the wrong time, to be honest.

His pc I built for him for xmas of 2009, randomly died 1 1/2 months ago. After getting a warranty replacement on his video card, then his RAM, and this his motherboard. His new motherboard arrived today, and it is still posting an error code of 2A, and he was frustrated cause it didn't fix it. lol Poor guy, our last thing we can replace is his PSU. So here is hoping that I can just hide it, until his pc is fixed and he is in a better mood. LOL


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## dj2005 (Apr 23, 2009)

msnikkistar said:


> I think it came just at the wrong time, to be honest.
> 
> His pc I built for him for xmas of 2009, randomly died 1 1/2 months ago. After getting a warranty replacement on his video card, then his RAM, and this his motherboard. His new motherboard arrived today, and it is still posting an error code of 2A, and he was frustrated cause it didn't fix it. lol Poor guy, our last thing we can replace is his PSU. So here is hoping that I can just hide it, until his pc is fixed and he is in a better mood. LOL


I feel his pain. I recently had to RMA a few components from my PC and had my beloved PVA LCD die on me.

What PSU is he using? If he abruptly had his motherboard, RAM, and video card die on him then it sounds like the PSU is the culprit.


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## msnikkistar (Mar 23, 2010)

It's a 950W Rosewill Extreme PSU. We are thinking it is the PSU as well. It fried the memory on his Video Card, one of the stick of Ram that is a set, and one of the RAM slots on his mobo. It has to be the PSU.


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## dj2005 (Apr 23, 2009)

msnikkistar said:


> It's a 950W Rosewill Extreme PSU. We are thinking it is the PSU as well. It fried the memory on his Video Card, one of the stick of Ram that is a set, and one of the RAM slots on his mobo. It has to be the PSU.


Yes, Rosewill PSU vary greatly when it comes to quality and there have been reports of the Xtreme 950w causing similar damage to what you described. Even though brands such as Corsair and Seasonic are more money, I think they are worth it since the PSU can take out a whole PC if it so chooses. Plus, a stable PSU can mean a higher CPU overclock!


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## msnikkistar (Mar 23, 2010)

Oh, we aren't gonna overclock. Funny part is, the Xtreme got really good reviews when I purchased it in Dec 2009. I should go look into that now that you say something, but I wonder if they corrected the issue with it in the newer stock.


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## dj2005 (Apr 23, 2009)

msnikkistar said:


> Oh, we aren't gonna overclock. Funny part is, the Xtreme got really good reviews when I purchased it in Dec 2009. I should go look into that now that you say something, but I wonder if they corrected the issue with it in the newer stock.


Well, Newegg has a lot of recent reviews stating that the unit has either died, or sparked and died, or sparked, died, and took a few components with it. Of course, Newegg reviews, for the most part, are not a good thing to base the quality of anything on. I was hoping to find a review of the PSU on either jonnyguru, hardocp, or anandtech but couldn't. 

The Xtreme lineup is generally reliable, but again, Rosewill varies so much. If you can get a RMA from them then I suppose it is worth a try since it may not be the PSU afterall (best to spend $10 to ship than $1xx on a new one), even though it seems highly likely it is. Remember, I'm judging this without knowing what the A2 error code refers to and what troubleshooting you two have already performed. Hopefully all ends well and that you get to keep your 11.4G tank. I was, and still am, looking forward to seeing some Cardinals in it.


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## ddtran46 (Jul 8, 2008)

Jojos have the same rocks in your tank for $2.50/lb. I just went there today and saw 2 box full of em.


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## dj2005 (Apr 23, 2009)

ddtran46 said:


> Jojos have the same rocks in your tank for $2.50/lb. I just went there today and saw 2 box full of em.


Did you find out the name of the stones?


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## ddtran46 (Jul 8, 2008)

They just label them as China stones...haha


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## tougefury (Sep 20, 2009)

dj, is the tank on the floor next to a larger tank? haha, gotta show that bad boy off on a nice elevated stand/table!


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## dj2005 (Apr 23, 2009)

tougefury said:


> dj, is the tank on the floor next to a larger tank? haha, gotta show that bad boy off on a nice elevated stand/table!


 Yes, it is on the floor next to the stand holding up my Mini M.  I would like to build a two-tier stand for the two tanks. Somewhat like this design: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/20135300, though using three larger cubes and two doors.


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## tom855 (Jan 31, 2006)

Re. the tannins, from my experience only water changes will help. You change it, they leach out, you change it they leech out. If you don't change it, they still leech out and make this tea like tank water, then the light doesn't pass through as well, and then there are more problems. The problem will pass in time.

Nice to see you starting up another one. A bit surprised about the CO2 though. You do such an awesome job on your other tanks without it! Guaranteed my next tank (you know, the legendary Mini-M) will not have it. Trying to simplify things a bit..... or a lot.

Please keep the updates coming!

Tom 

.


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## dj2005 (Apr 23, 2009)

tom855 said:


> Re. the tannins, from my experience only water changes will help. You change it, they leach out, you change it they leech out. If you don't change it, they still leech out and make this tea like tank water, then the light doesn't pass through as well, and then there are more problems. The problem will pass in time.
> 
> Nice to see you starting up another one. A bit surprised about the CO2 though. You do such an awesome job on your other tanks without it! Guaranteed my next tank (you know, the legendary Mini-M) will not have it. Trying to simplify things a bit..... or a lot.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the information, Tom. I just did a WC a few minutes ago so I decided to snap a picture before the water yellows up.

I've been impressed with what I've seen concerning DIY CO2 and plant growth on these forums so I wanted to give it a try. I've also read that Blyxa japonica is sensitive to Excel, too, though I'm not sure how valid that statement is. It grew great in my Mini M.

I can't wait to see what you come up with in the Mini M. The wait better be worth it. 

9-14-10:
Just completed WC, hence the bubblyness.










And cropped picture for easy comparison of growth: http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o22/98LS1TA/IMG_1792s.jpg


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## tom855 (Jan 31, 2006)

Worth it? No way after all this time. LOL.

BTW, I sure hope the Excel Blyxa info is wrong. Haven't you had great success with it in your Mini-M?

Tom 


.


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## dj2005 (Apr 23, 2009)

tom855 said:


> Worth it? No way after all this time. LOL.
> 
> BTW, I sure hope the Excel Blyxa info is wrong. Haven't you had great success with it in your Mini-M?
> 
> ...


Yeah I did. I guess you read my post before I added the line describing that my Blyxa did great in my Mini M.

I'm just going by what I've read on this forum a couple times. IME, Blyxa does fine with Excel and I use 2x the dose.


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## tom855 (Jan 31, 2006)

Thanks Dan. Yeah, I'm a 2x Excel guy myself. Just like a vitamin pill. LOL

There may be some things that Excel doesn't do well with, but I think most things are fine.

Keep those updates coming!

Tom 

.


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## dj2005 (Apr 23, 2009)

tom855 said:


> Thanks Dan. Yeah, I'm a 2x Excel guy myself. Just like a vitamin pill. LOL
> 
> There may be some things that Excel doesn't do well with, but I think most things are fine.
> 
> ...


Here are my findings:
Mini Pellia is very sensitive to it.
Fissidens also seems to do better with the recommended dosage, at the most. It does grow with 2x the dosage, however.
I think mosses are a bit sensitive to it.
Java Fern may not like it.

Besides those plants, I've had good luck with Excel at 2x the dosage.

9-15-10:


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## dj2005 (Apr 23, 2009)

9-18-10:
Added Ember Tetras and Albino Red Ramshorns. I plan on adding some Snowball shrimp too.
Still plenty of tannins as can be seen in the pictures.


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## dj2005 (Apr 23, 2009)

9-23-10:
Shortly after WC.
New CO2 mixture.


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## tom855 (Jan 31, 2006)

Love those snails. Awesome pix!


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## deleted_user_6 (Jun 19, 2010)

looking good. Snowballs would be a good contrast to the other fauna. I am glad the tank is working out for you! roud:


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## dj2005 (Apr 23, 2009)

tom855 said:


> Love those snails. Awesome pix!


Thanks Tom. I like snails as they aren't demanding and are usually free/cheap.



onefang said:


> looking good. Snowballs would be a good contrast to the other fauna. I am glad the tank is working out for you! roud:


I am definitely enjoying the tank.

I hope the Snowballs don't provide contrast with the fauna. I'm going with a bit of a light colored theme with the white snail shells, light gray rocks, and Snowballs. The dark coloring of the AS provides the contrast. The tetras are in the tank since they prefer it to my Mini M.

9-28-10:
Right after WC. It's the only time I can take a picture without the water being yellow.


















9-29-10:


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## dj2005 (Apr 23, 2009)

10-7-10:
New CO2 mix.
Added some Cherries from my 10G.
The Ramshorns like laying eggs on the mini micro sword.


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## dj2005 (Apr 23, 2009)

10-15-10:


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## Cocobid (Feb 25, 2007)

Great Tank.....Great !!!!


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## garuf (May 30, 2007)

What are the dimensions? It's a lovely little setup you have.


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## dj2005 (Apr 23, 2009)

Cocobid said:


> Great Tank.....Great !!!!


Thanks Cocobid.



garuf said:


> What are the dimensions? It's a lovely little setup you have.


Thanks. It is a 12" cube.


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## dj2005 (Apr 23, 2009)

The tank has a lot of baby Ramshorns now. The white shell coloring does get passed down via genetics, which is a pleasant surprise for me.


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## ddtran46 (Jul 8, 2008)

dj2005 said:


> The tank has a lot of baby Ramshorns now. The white shell coloring does get passed down via genetics, which is a pleasant surprise for me.


Awesome snailroud:


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## dj2005 (Apr 23, 2009)

11-19-10:
Have I already mentioned that there are a lot of baby Ramshorns? :icon_eek:


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## tom855 (Jan 31, 2006)

That's got to be one of the Top 10 tank shots I've ever seen. How cool looking!!!!!

I have to ask though. I know this is one of the tanks that you run CO2 in and that you have a naturally high pH. Do you have any idea how low you are pushing your pH? I've tried to keep Ramshorns in my 58G, and they just die off. IF the pH meter is right, I'm pushing it down to about 6.0 from a "non-CO2" level of 7.8. I've assumed it was the CO2 that was doing them, but clearly you aren't having any problems with them! You've raised them in an Excel tank as well, right?

I guess it's always possible that the few Pencilfish I have are chomping them, but they sure don't seem like the aggressive type. Any guess what could be up?

Again, awesome tank!

Tom


.


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## McGillicutty (Aug 31, 2010)

dj2005 said:


> 11-19-10:
> Have I already mentioned that there are a lot of baby Ramshorns? :icon_eek:


If you're willing to sell some of those baby snails, pm this guy. roud:

EDIT: Oh, and your tank is amazing. FYI.


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## dj2005 (Apr 23, 2009)

tom855 said:


> That's got to be one of the Top 10 tank shots I've ever seen. How cool looking!!!!!
> 
> I have to ask though. I know this is one of the tanks that you run CO2 in and that you have a naturally high pH. Do you have any idea how low you are pushing your pH? I've tried to keep Ramshorns in my 58G, and they just die off. IF the pH meter is right, I'm pushing it down to about 6.0 from a "non-CO2" level of 7.8. I've assumed it was the CO2 that was doing them, but clearly you aren't having any problems with them! You've raised them in an Excel tank as well, right?
> 
> ...


Thanks Tom. 

I think the lowest my pH has gotten was 6.8. I have a high KH (~13-15 degrees), and likely also have a high GH since my water has a lot of calcium in it. I have been dosing 2x Excel in this tank for the past 1.5 months, too.

You told me that your dead snails don't have shell deterioration, right? I'm not sure what could be wiping your snails out without causing harm to their shells. Might be the low pH but I can't get my pH that low to test it out.



McGillicutty said:


> If you're willing to sell some of those baby snails, pm this guy. roud:


You're the second person who is interested in these albino Ramshorns. If I get a few more people who are interested then I'll probably unload some.


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## tom855 (Jan 31, 2006)

The only shells I've ever found have been kind of white and transparent. Kind of like they were dissolving. .....which leads me to wonder about the CO2 concentration being too much for the cute little suckers......

We'll see what happens in my non CO2 Mini-M. :icon_mrgr If they live there and the main difference is CO2, then that's going to be my assumption.

Tom 

.


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## dj2005 (Apr 23, 2009)

tom855 said:


> The only shells I've ever found have been kind of white and transparent. Kind of like they were dissolving. .....which leads me to wonder about the CO2 concentration being too much for the cute little suckers......
> 
> We'll see what happens in my non CO2 Mini-M. :icon_mrgr If they live there and the main difference is CO2, then that's going to be my assumption.
> 
> ...


The snails in this tank had their shells become more transparent when they were first introduced to the CO2, so you may be correct. The fact that I only use DIY CO2 instead of pressurized may be what saved them.

By the time you set up your Mini M, Ramshorns will have become an extinct species.


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## ddtran46 (Jul 8, 2008)

Hmm my 60p will look awesome with one of those ramshorn in it:icon_mrgr


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## tom855 (Jan 31, 2006)

dj2005 said:


> By the time you set up your Mini M, Ramshorns will have become an extinct species.


Oh, that hurts.......

Might be true, but it hurts.

:icon_smil


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## dj2005 (Apr 23, 2009)

12-2-10:
Not sure why the pictures make the water look slightly clouded. The water is, and has been, completely clear. I guess my camera receives interference from the lighting.

Water level is a bit low as WC day is tomorrow. Well, it was suppose to be today but I do not have time to perform it.

My little snailies are growing up so fast.


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## flowmsp (Feb 6, 2010)

Lol that is a TON of snails!


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## tom855 (Jan 31, 2006)

Yee gads!!!!!


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## problemman (Aug 19, 2005)

Why the snails in such a beautiful tank?


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## tom855 (Jan 31, 2006)

Personal preference I'm sure. 

Makes me want to get some. Some that is. Some.


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## dj2005 (Apr 23, 2009)

I've been waiting for them to get big enough to easily scoop out of the tank. I plan to remove many of them during the WC today.

Let me know if you want me to mail out some of the snails to you, Tom.


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## dj2005 (Apr 23, 2009)

The Blyxa are fully rooted but some are now trying to float to the top of the tank. Is this an issue of not receiving enough light?

Also, here's a FTS from 12-3-10. One can easily notice the large Blyxa (on the right) trying to float away:


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## UDGags (Sep 13, 2009)

That is A LOT of snails.....wow.


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## dj2005 (Apr 23, 2009)

Today I wake up and see my large Blyxa floating. It's not going to be fun planting it.



UDGags said:


> That is A LOT of snails.....wow.


And to think, ~8 Ramshorns produced that many.


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## matthew.shelly (Dec 1, 2009)

dj2005 said:


> And to think, ~8 Ramshorns produced that many.


They look a lot better than the pond snails crawling around my tank. 

Great looking tank!


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## dj2005 (Apr 23, 2009)

matthew.shelly said:


> They look a lot better than the pond snails crawling around my tank.
> 
> Great looking tank!


Thanks Matt. Yeah, Ramshorns can be very pretty, and they are cute.

12-17-10:
I removed a lot of the snails (these pictures are from the 17th so more snails were removed since then).


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## dj2005 (Apr 23, 2009)

1-11-11:
All but one of the Blyxa decided to float, and the last one is soon to follow. I added a couple E. tenellus plantlets in their place. I still need to add in more.

Judging by the pictures, I need to remove some more snails.


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## dj2005 (Apr 23, 2009)

4-3-11:
I recently removed the stones I had in the tank as I was planning to use them in my Mini M. Turns out I didn't use them in the Mini M. Still, in their place I added some extra petrified rock I had laying around, which IMO, does not look as good. Maybe it is because I simply dropped them into the tank...

And yup, still no stand for the tank. Anyone have recommendations for a premade stand for this tank?


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## ddtran46 (Jul 8, 2008)

What is that bushy plant in the back?

Get the target stand


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## dj2005 (Apr 23, 2009)

ddtran46 said:


> What is that bushy plant in the back?
> 
> Get the target stand


Should be Echinodorus tenellus.

Target stand has a weight limit of ~50lbs.


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## Quentin (Mar 16, 2011)

Looks nice. Plants look healthy.


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## tom855 (Jan 31, 2006)

Your tank continues to look great! 

I bought the Oceanic Biocube stand for my 5.5g. It's a bit of overkill but I really wasn't able to find anything that I liked. Plus, the idea of having 5+ gallons of water all over the floor tends to make me want to overengineer something as opposed to using something that works but......

I have a 6g Eclipse on my daughter's dresser and the top has a nice warp to it now. The "sag" in the middle is a little disconcerting. Thus, the $100+ for a 5g stand. At least I know it's not going anywhere. 

Let's see, if you started selling those Ramshorns for $10/100, you'd be able to pay for a stand in no time flat LOL.

Tom


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## dj2005 (Apr 23, 2009)

Quentin said:


> Looks nice. Plants look healthy.


Thanks.



tom855 said:


> Your tank continues to look great!
> 
> I bought the Oceanic Biocube stand for my 5.5g. It's a bit of overkill but I really wasn't able to find anything that I liked. Plus, the idea of having 5+ gallons of water all over the floor tends to make me want to overengineer something as opposed to using something that works but......
> 
> ...


Which size Biocube stand did you buy? Size 14?

And did you receive my PM? I want to see an update on your Mini M!


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## tom855 (Jan 31, 2006)

Yes, I got the 14 and it looks just fine.

And yes, I got your PM, just trying to figure out when I have the time to fill you in on the saga. Actually, I will shoot you along an update. Could use some advice on landscaping. My real pain though is the bacteria bloom in my 58g. Driving me nuts!

Back to you before long....

Tom


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## dj2005 (Apr 23, 2009)

6-22-11:
I neglected this tank for too long so I had to tear the scape down; the filter was clogged, had some dead snails (and way too many live ones), quite a bit uneaten food, etc. After cleaning the tank out, I let it sit for a week or two as I wasn't sure what type of layout I wanted to create.

A few days ago I threw together a quick scape to grow some UG. I have my doubts if I am going to be able to keep the UG alive. If it perishes, then I think I'll use my favorite plant: Marsilea minuta! 

Everything in this tank was stuff I already had on hand going unused. As such, it leaves some (or a lot) to be desired but it looks quite serene in real life. Perhaps at a later time I will find a single large stone that I can base a scape around.

This picture was taken two days ago. I cleaned the glass today and adjusted one of the small front rocks.

*Lighting*:
18w PC 6700/10000K combo

*Filtration*:
Hagen Elite Mini
Possible Red Sea Nano in the future (mainly for Purigen to eliminate the tannin)

*Flora*:
UG (as mentioned)

*Hardscape*:
Petrified Wood

*Substrate*:
Aquasoil I with Aquasoil Powder topping it
Playsand


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## chris.rivera3 (Apr 15, 2008)

amazing growth with the mini micro sword...did you trim the micro sword??? it looks shorter than the other pictures...




dj2005 said:


> 4-3-11:
> I recently removed the stones I had in the tank as I was planning to use them in my Mini M. Turns out I didn't use them in the Mini M. Still, in their place I added some extra petrified rock I had laying around, which IMO, does not look as good. Maybe it is because I simply dropped them into the tank...
> 
> And yup, still no stand for the tank. Anyone have recommendations for a premade stand for this tank?


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## GitMoe (Aug 30, 2010)

Is that tank just sitting on the floor? My wife would kill me. lol.


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## dj2005 (Apr 23, 2009)

chris.rivera3 said:


> amazing growth with the mini micro sword...did you trim the micro sword??? it looks shorter than the other pictures...


Nope, I didn't trim it.



GitMoe said:


> Is that tank just sitting on the floor? My wife would kill me. lol.


Yes. I still haven't purchased a stand for it.


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## tom855 (Jan 31, 2006)

So is this all E. tennellus and MicroSword? I really like the looks of it but I'm surprised that the ET isn't sending runners all over the tank and taking over. 

I really like the looks of it!

Tom


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## sampster5000 (Oct 30, 2010)

The end of your previous scape was awesome! Great job with such a little space.


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## dj2005 (Apr 23, 2009)

tom855 said:


> So is this all E. tennellus and MicroSword? I really like the looks of it but I'm surprised that the ET isn't sending runners all over the tank and taking over.
> 
> I really like the looks of it!
> 
> Tom


It did send one runner along the side of the tank but I snipped it off.



sampster5000 said:


> The end of your previous scape was awesome! Great job with such a little space.


Thanks.

*8-5-11*:
I tore my 10G down and decided to stick my 7.5G cube in its place. This scape is about two days old. As seen in the pictures, the water is currently slightly hazy but that should pass in a week.

Under the steel mesh is Fissidens fontanus. If it doesn't grow in well then I'll likely just add Anubias nana petite as the carpet plant.

*Lighting*: the same 18w PC fixture.
*Filtration*: That JBJ 3G Picotope filter and a Hagen Elite Mini.
*Substrate*: 3-4 liters of ASII Powder.
*Flora*: Anubias nana petite, Fissidens fontanus, Frogbit, and Pennywort.
*Fauna*: RCS, Red Ramshorns, and soon CRS.


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## sewingalot (Oct 12, 2008)

I can't believe I am saying this, but I think I like this better! I'm looking forward to the progression.


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## shrimpnmoss (Apr 8, 2011)

I think it looks better too. It'll look really nice when your carpet grows out.


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## dj2005 (Apr 23, 2009)

sewingalot said:


> I can't believe I am saying this, but I think I like this better! I'm looking forward to the progression.





shrimpnmoss said:


> I think it looks better too. It'll look really nice when your carpet grows out.


Thanks! Truth be told, I am glad to be done with my 10G as, even though it wasn't much work when it came to maintenance, things just feel simpler.


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## ddtran46 (Jul 8, 2008)

This is going to look sweet when it grows out!!


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## dj2005 (Apr 23, 2009)

ddtran46 said:


> This is going to look sweet when it grows out!!




8-7-11:
Right after a 90% WC. Trying to get the ammonia from the AS out ASAP.


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## Lil' Swimz$ (Jul 24, 2010)

sewingalot said:


> I can't believe I am saying this, but I think I like this better! I'm looking forward to the progression.


I can't believe I'm saying it either, the blyxa and carpet stage was awesome, but that stone is awesome.


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## shoteh (Nov 13, 2007)

That is a lot of petite's. When you need to prune, keep me in mind  Also is that SSteel mesh? I've been looking for some with no avail.


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## dj2005 (Apr 23, 2009)

shoteh said:


> That is a lot of petite's. When you need to prune, keep me in mind  Also is that SSteel mesh? I've been looking for some with no avail.


Yes, it is SS mesh. I purchased a 24"x12" 70% open sheet from Amazon for $10 shipped. It is woven mesh but it still works very well with most applications (just don't expect to cut 1"x1" squares). I also suggest washing it off before adding any pieces to the tank as I am quite sure they apply a protective lubricant/oil to the SS.


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## demonr6 (Mar 14, 2011)

dj2005 said:


> 8-7-11:
> Right after a 90% WC. Trying to get the ammonia from the AS out ASAP.


 That stone looks like a skull..


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## sewingalot (Oct 12, 2008)

Oh, wow! It really does. I scrolled down too far and only saw "That stone looks like a skull." When I scrolled back up, I actually jumped a little.


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## Geniusdudekiran (Dec 6, 2010)

No, it looks like a gorilla face! Really!


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## jerilovesfrogs (Oct 22, 2010)

any updated pics? i really like that cube. very attractive.


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## dj2005 (Apr 23, 2009)

jerilovesfrogs said:


> any updated pics? i really like that cube. very attractive.


Thanks. No updated pictures as I don't have much time but the tank looks quite similar to how it did in the last photos... just a bit more lush.


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