# Urkevitz's nanos update Oct. 15



## Dwarfpufferfish (May 29, 2004)

Almost looks bigger than a 2.5! Good work!


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## cich (Aug 5, 2003)

Yeah, you've done a good job of planting such a small tank! Nice work.

--cich


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## littlewormonabighook (Apr 27, 2004)

hello urkevitz,

in all honesty, i think you need to do something a little more with those rocks. they dont look good at all the way you have them sitting there. the middle stone has some character. but the other two look like they were just dropped in there. your choice of plant is a good one, but you could use something else there also. maybe some java moss? stand the rocks up like the middle one and place java moss around them, maybe they will look like mountains. you have a good number....3. i hope this doesnt offend, because it is not meant to.


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## Urkevitz (Jan 12, 2004)

I switched out the rock on the right side. I think looks better. I installed a Redsea nanofilter and had a new cover made from 1/4 inch arcrylic so I could fit the filter. The guy at the glass store made it free from a scrap piece. I also picked up some flourish excel.


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## Geo (May 30, 2003)

Yea I think I seriously need to redo my 2.5 

Just isn't turning out how I originally wanted it to. 

Love yours though, looks good


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## chrisl (May 6, 2004)

How do you like using the excel Urkevitz?


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## Rosko_22 (May 19, 2004)

> I installed a Redsea nanofilter and had a new cover made from 1/4 inch arcrylic so I could fit the filter. The guy at the glass store made it free from a scrap piece.


Lucky you. I paid $16 for my plexiglass, fits my 20 gal though.

Tank looks great. It really doesn't look like a 2.5 gal in the pics.

Any plans for adding other plants? Not that I think it needs others, (or doesn't), just curious.:icon_bigg


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## amanda huggenkiss (Mar 3, 2004)

This is such a great looking tank. I can't believe it's so small! You've done a great job aquascaping.


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## Urkevitz (Jan 12, 2004)

Thanks for the compliments. I might add to add ludwigia arcuata for some red, for now I want to see if the chainsword will fill the back of the tank in. I have only used the excel for 2 days now so I don't know how well it works, I might just end up trying diy Co2 if the plants don't grow.


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## secretagent (Mar 13, 2004)

*WOW! I have an Extra 2.5..*

I have an Extra 2.5g Laying Around that I might just try that out with. I was thinking of making it another reef tank but that looks cool too!  What do you have for Light?


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## Urkevitz (Jan 12, 2004)

the light is a mini aqualight with two 9 wattt cfs. One is 10,000k and the other is a 2700k, I will be replacint the 2700k with a 6700k soon.


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## meee (Jun 19, 2004)

that's awesome!! i also have a 2.5g lying around, i think im gonna put plants in also.
where did u get the light, is it made for a fishtank, or did u just buy it at a hardware store or something?


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## Urkevitz (Jan 12, 2004)

The light is a coralife mini aqualight. It cost me about $35, it sets on top of the cover.


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## nanoaddict (Feb 23, 2004)

Great looking tank! The coralife mini aqualight is just perfect.


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## Urkevitz (Jan 12, 2004)

I removed the pygmy chain swords, their was no leaf growth, only root growth. I replaced it with some java fern and added some rocks. I also put the fish in my 55 gallons and added cherry shrimp until they grow large enough to add ot my 55.


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## Urkevitz (Jan 12, 2004)

I didn't like the way the java fern looked so I decided to give the chain swords a try again. This time I used more robust plants. I took out a couple rocks and I really like the way the new scape is looking.


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## amanda huggenkiss (Mar 3, 2004)

Very nice, Urkevitz. roud: Definitely my favourite of the layouts so far. I don't think I could show such self-restraint in terms of planting -- if it were me, I'd have that thing jam-packed with plants!


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## Urkevitz (Jan 12, 2004)

amanda huggenkiss said:


> Very nice, Urkevitz. roud: Definitely my favourite of the layouts so far. I don't think I could show such self-restraint in terms of planting -- if it were me, I'd have that thing jam-packed with plants!



The substrate is just too hard to plant anything in, I wouldn't dream of putting any stem plants in this tank.


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## pufferfreak (Oct 19, 2003)

Maybe you should switch it out with something like Eco complete or Flourite.


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## Urkevitz (Jan 12, 2004)

I really like the way the substrate looks, hopefully the chainswords will spread throughout the tank this time. Last time I tried them the plants were in the middle of melting and they never recovered. If I do decide to go with some stems then I will probably go with a different substrate.


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## pufferfreak (Oct 19, 2003)

yea thats what I would do. Your tank is very nice for such a small tank!


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## Oqsy (Jul 3, 2004)

beautiful tank!  what is that substrate? it looks like chips of shale or slate. it's very striking. i'm still having a hard time finding a good looking top layer in my 29. if i could find something like that i'd be set.

Oqsy


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## pufferfreak (Oct 19, 2003)

Oqsy maybe try buying mica sheets and breaking it up? I know it would be sharp but....


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## Urkevitz (Jan 12, 2004)

The substrate is ground up shale. It is the substrate in the rivers where I live.


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## mad about fish (Nov 17, 2003)

i like the substrate look. if you can install diy co2 and try and get some glosso to grow round the front


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## pufferfreak (Oct 19, 2003)

Yea that would be cool. I would try that without any fish.


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## Urkevitz (Jan 12, 2004)

This tank is now my cherry shrimp grow out tank. I placed 4 ripe females from my 75 and 2 males in it. The eggs hatched and now there are 50+ babies along with the adult shrimp. I have been feeding them freeze dried daphnia, brine shrimp, blood worms, tubifex worms, and crab food to try and get them to grow as quickly as possible. I have also been doing 50% water changes twice a week to keep nitrates down. One female is already carrying eggs again so I guess the water quality can't be too bad. Hopefully in 2-3 weeks I will be able to transfer most of the shrimp to my 75 gallon. Here are a couple pictures of my nanotank and one of my wild colored cherry shrimp from my 75 gallon tank.


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## Geo (May 30, 2003)

Very awesome indeed! I have 2 spare 2.5 gallons sitting around, and I was considering turning the first into a crab tank, and the 2nd into a cherry shrimp growout tank. I don't think they would last too long in my 7 gallon, considering the hungry betta the patrols the area 

I should get to work on this, I have 3 pregnant females, time for me to order up some stuff!


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## pufferfreak (Oct 19, 2003)

I have my cherrys in my 12 gallon. No fish. I will let the little ones grow out there and then put them into my 55. Hopefully I have some females. Nice tank.


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## Urkevitz (Jan 12, 2004)

Just a little update, I removed the stems and a few rocks from the tank. The chain sword is starting to take off finally. The substrate is must finally be getting fertile from the daily cherry shrimp feedings. In the back right corner I planted some narrow leaf java and it too seems to be growing nicely. You can see my booming planaria population on the front glass. I have way too many shrimp in this tank, they are constantly reproducing, periodically I just run a net through the tank to collect them and then put them in my 75 to fend for themselves.


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## co2 (Sep 13, 2004)

Nice tank, a great 2.5g!


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## Urkevitz (Jan 12, 2004)

A few weeks ago I swapped the chainsword for the hairgrass from my 75.
Today I removed the shrimp and put them in my 75. The 2.5 had become too crowded and the shrimp looked stunted. If I ever decide to breed another species I will use a larger tank.

Now the only fauna left are some snails planaria and one cherry which I missed. I have started dosing excel, I am not sure about other nutrients though. The substrate is loaded with shrimp and snail waste from months of twice a day feedings, this should keep the hairgrass growing for a while.


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## Jdinh04 (Mar 15, 2004)

Looks nice, any pics of your 75g?


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## Urkevitz (Jan 12, 2004)

MrMup04 said:


> Looks nice, any pics of your 75g?


Thanks. I have a thread somewhere in the photo album section, but the tank has been changed sinc the last set I posted. I don't think my photography skills do my tanks any justice though.


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## Thanks (Oct 9, 2004)

looks really good, maybe adding some java moss to one of the rocks, or maybe one or two marimo moss balls would make the tank. what do you plan on as far as fish/shrimp? maybe some neons, endlers? roud:

also, you could add a black background. it makes the tank look much deeper, and really adds to the overall effect


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## Urkevitz (Jan 12, 2004)

Thanks, its hard to see in the pic, but there is some tawain moss growing on rock on the left. I already put a couple male cherries back into the tank. I have tried endlers in the tank before, but they seemed too active for such a small tank. I have a black background, I just took it off because it was making the algae on the glass too visible.


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## Urkevitz (Jan 12, 2004)

I did a total rescape. The hairgrass wasn't doing well and was infested with algae. 

I pulled all the plants out, rinsed the gravel out, got new rocks and added baby tears I bought from M. Lemay. 

I am also giving DIY CO2 a shot on this tank. I got a 20 oz soda bottle and added sugar up to the bottom of the label, added water to the top of the label, and a pinch of yeast. Today I am finally seeing some pearling. I have the tubing snaked up into the nanofilter under the filter floss.


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## New 2 fish (Dec 26, 2004)

roud: Looks great! Looks larger than a 2.5! Nice stones.


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## Jdinh04 (Mar 15, 2004)

Looks good!


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## Urkevitz (Jan 12, 2004)

The tank is doing well, I think the DIY CO2 is doing the trick. I added some R. Indica, and some narrow leaf Ludwigia. The plants are growing nice and slow, I also added 3 guppies.


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## figgy (Feb 27, 2005)

I love the way you chose those rocks to scale and I could never guess how small the tank is until I saw the photo of the guppy in it! Very nice!

Figgy


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## m3th0d (Jun 27, 2004)

Those are some nice rocks. 

I'm jealous.


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## amber2461 (Sep 26, 2004)

Very nice indeed, giving me ideas how to aquascape my 2.5 gallon. Thanks for sharing.


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## Urkevitz (Jan 12, 2004)

I am lucky, where I live those rocks are everywhere. I think the rocks are shale. The substrate in both of my tanks is shale gravel.


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## Urkevitz (Jan 12, 2004)

This is my Red Sea aquavase XL. Plants are hornwort, pearlweed, duckweed Taiwan moss. The substrate is Black Magic Coal Slag. A 20 watt halogen desk lamp provides the lighting. Inhabitants are 3 cherry shrimp. This is the best scape I could come up with for this tank.


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## Aphyosemion (Oct 15, 2004)

It looks nice, but I think the first thing that is gonna happen is your hornwort is gonna either get REALLY long and stringy or die off. That crap requires HIGH light to look good. You could always work with very small crypts and some mosses and still have low light, though.
-Aphyosemion


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## Urkevitz (Jan 12, 2004)

I removed most of the hornwort already, it was kinda growing out of control. The pearlweed is growing nicely and is starting to fill in the background.


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## Urkevitz (Jan 12, 2004)

I just rescaped my 2.5, found a nice piece of bogwood fishing. The hornwort in the back will probably come out soon. Took one of the bulbs out of the fixture, now it is running just one 9 watt 2800k bulb.


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## turtlehead (May 31, 2005)

I love both the nanos great work. Can you list some specs for both?


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## Urkevitz (Jan 12, 2004)

And here is an update of my aquavase XL. The 20 watt halogen broken ahwile ago, I have been using the 7 watt CF that came with the tank. The growth hasn't been bad, I am really surprised anything is even able to survive under 7 watts.


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## Urkevitz (Jan 12, 2004)

turtlehead said:


> I love both the nanos great work. Can you list some specs for both?


2.5 gallon, 9 watt coralife aqualight, red sea nanofilter with sponge.

Aquavase XL, I am not sure about the volume but it is about a 5.5 inch cube.
light is a 7 watt CF that came with the tank no filtration..

I don't fertilize either tank, just food for the shrimp in the 2.5 and food for the scuds in the aquavase. I usually do a water changes for both tanks every couple weeks.


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## Urkevitz (Jan 12, 2004)

Here is update of my 2.5. I took out the 2700k bulb and, now I have a 5500k and 10000k bullbs over the tank. I added some hairgrass, and L. sessiflora.


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## Urkevitz (Jan 12, 2004)

I just set up this tank, it is an aquatech 5 gallon from Walmart. 

I painted the back black and put a sponge over the intake of the filter. I wanted a nano for my desk to show off my cherry shrimp. 

The light is not bright at all, so I only planted taiwan moss. The rocks and gravel were collected from a local river.


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## SunkShip (Oct 29, 2004)

Wow! Your tank certaintly went through an aquascaping evolution. I really love the hardscape.

I should see if I have any rocks like that since I live next to a river


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## Navaros (Aug 19, 2005)

Great tank, I agree the rocks are awesome. Sunkship, you're lucky.... here in Central NJ there are literally no rocks. :icon_roll Trust me I've looked and have found nothing worthwhile in probably the past 12 years.


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## SnyperP (Dec 31, 2004)

I love the hardscape, but.... wheres my beer? =p


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## GraFFix (Feb 21, 2005)

I would actually pay for rocks like that...im jealous. I like the hardscape of the new 5g shrimp tank.


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## hooha (Mar 14, 2004)

wow, that's going to be a striking display for your cherry shrimp when the moss grows in. Nice hardscape!


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## Faust2001 (Jul 29, 2005)

Nice looking tank. What kind of paint did you use to cover the back of the aquarium?


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## Urkevitz (Jan 12, 2004)

I'm glad you guys like the tank, I'm lucky, these rocks are everywhere it only took me a few minutes find the ones I have in the tank. 

Faust2001, I used flat black acrylic paint on the back, 4 thin coats. I'm not sure if it will hold up though I have never painted a tank before. I figure that if I ever decide to take the paint off acrylic will be very east to remove.


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