# First pico attempt (pictures)



## figgy (Feb 27, 2005)

oooooooohhhhh! Where'd you get that cool cube??? I WANT one! Very nifty little tank.

My betta lives quite happily in her new 1 gal tank--I just posted a pic as "Purple Nano"

Fig roud:


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## Marc (Oct 13, 2004)

yeah more info on the cube!


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## Stu (Feb 16, 2004)

Blinky said:


> I'm going to try to coax the Bacopa to grow horizontally along the gravel into a carpet (some stems were already starting to grow this way when I purchased the bunch) over time.


If you plant the stems at a diagonal (i.e... 45° instead of 90° to the gravel), they should naturally send out more roots downwards, and shoots from the stem upwards. Once they have some roots, gently placing the stem just on the gravel should secure it in place for horizontal growth.

You can see this effect happening in my tank...








The blue circle shows Hygrophila polysperma, and the red; Rotala indica, both showing horizontal growth.









By the way, nice looking tank.


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## Osteomata (Jan 6, 2005)

That is a beautiful container. Looks like something from pottery barn or a specialty flower shop. Much more attractive than the little aquavases .75 gallon kits. nicely done.

I am running a VERY similar pico with a one gallon hexafun plastic tank including a 13watt PC light, Red Sea nano filter and flourish excel. (Sound familiar? hehe.)

Very challenging, constantly fighting for a balance. I just pulled out every plant in order to clip off all the BGA. I dont mind the green spot algea on the sides, but the BGA was destroying my H.C. How long has your tank been running?


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## Blinky (Feb 13, 2005)

Stu, thanks for the tip! Some of the stems were starting to grow horizontally when I took the plant out of its pot, and I've tried to encourage others to lay along the gravel or at an angle. I've started seeing roots on some of the stems, and when they're long enough I'll place them in the gravel. I figure it may take a little while, but eventually it should look really nice.
More about the cube, let's see...
It's a glass vase. I contemplated using a little plexi tank/container, but there's something about glass I find really appealing - it feels somehow warmer than plastic. I found a nice flower shop, went in and described what I was looking for, and they found it in a vase catalogue and special ordered it. I like the shape of the glass, the way it's bowed on the inside. It makes the cube more interesting to look at, but doesn't distort the view at all (after all, it's designed to show off the stems in flower arrangements). It wasn't cheap, but I'm very happy with it. The florist was really excited when he heard what I was going to do with it - maybe he'll have to start a pico of his own! 
[edit]Osteomata, your tank sounds just like mine! This one was just set up a week ago. I can imagine it's going to be hard to keep it balanced, especially since neither of the plants I'm using are fast-growing. In my other tanks, the key to balance always seems to be loads of nutrient hogs - my 14g is mostly Crypts, and I'm constantly fighting off hair algae even though the NO3O4 ratio and CO2 are at similar levels.[/edit]


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## Stu (Feb 16, 2004)

One thing I should mention.... You might need to hold the stems down against the gravel for a little while to allow the roots to take hold. This can be done with either small sections of weights of a few pebbles.


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## figgy (Feb 27, 2005)

Blinky,

I so agree with you on glass. Despite the light weight and convenience of plastic tanks, I don't like them as well-- they just never seem as pristine clear. Maybe the faint scratches in plastic that happen over time make for that difference...

Looking for Florists now...

Fig


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## TommyBoy (Jan 7, 2005)

*gr8 start!*

This looks a lot like one of mine. I agree, glass is so much nicer than plastic.

I bought the cube @ Wal-mart (I think it was) to hold narcissi bulbs. After they bloomed & faded, put about 1/2" of Seachem Flourite (Red), a small anubias nana sproutling/split-off & strip of millfoil. Later added java moss. Plants grew great (gr8) (or more accurately, too well) just from summer sunlight in that room. At one point I added 5 mini rasbora (mosquitos) till their intended nano "pond" finished cycling. They & the plants seemed to like it with about 40% weekly changes. I then tore it apart. I later built a similar (Wal-mart lilly bulb, anubias nana & java moss but as "carpet") temporary home in this cube for my 3 scarlet badis. I kept it going (even after after moving the badis) till about early Feb (2005). 

What I did not like about it...I was not able to find a way to heat it well other than via the room / ambient. So no fish in it during the Fall / Winter.

With your filter (& if you have good room heat), you may want to try keeping a few (3+) mosquito, or exclamation-point, or maybe dwarf-spotted, or ??? rasbora. Mine seem to like small (~1-2.5 gal) instead of 10+ gal tanks.

Best of luck & fun fiddling with it!


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## Miner Willy (Mar 24, 2005)

*What's that cube?*

I believe it's from Tropica and it's called the aquacube


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## compulsion (Mar 2, 2004)

i saw some of these for sale in sainsburys a while back i wish i baught one.. i had the idea strait away but didnt bother i wasent as into the picos as i am now.. maybe if they still sell them ill get one.
they was exactly like yours.

it looks wicked!


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## Blinky (Feb 13, 2005)

Miner Willy said:


> I believe it's from Tropica and it's called the aquacube


I may have missed something, but if you're curious what my cube is, it's just a square vase from a flower shop - it's not an Aquacube. 
TommyBoy, I didn't think there were fish that would live happily in a 1g cube - I'll look into those. It's nice to look at, but it would certainly be more interesting with living creatures to compliment the plants


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## mpa90 (Aug 16, 2004)

If anyone is interested in this type of vase a good place to look for them is a Costplus store. I just picked up a vase like this for $15.00 today. They had several different heights available. I'll post some measurments later on.


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## TommyBoy (Jan 7, 2005)

*mini-rasbora*

Blinky: do check them out. 

I just picked up some today, neon rabora (axelrods) at my LFS. And, added them to one of my 2.5 gal. They're about 1/2-3/4" right now. They look way cool in there & have already found some quiet spaces as well as shoal in its main big open space.

I hope they thrive like the mosquitos. I've been real happy with them, and they with their nano-tank.


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## Blinky (Feb 13, 2005)

Just in case anyone's interested, I did an online search to try and find my vase, I can't remember the name of the company the florist ordered from. I found a company called Secret Garden Flowers and Gifts, and from the pictures it looks like they sell the same type. I looked at less expensive vases at non specialty stores, but found the clarity of the glass was lacking - there were flaws, or the glass wasn't of uniform thickness or otherwise distorted the image. Here's a link to their catalogue page, showing the vase. Mine is the 'large' 6.3" size - I never measured it after getting it home, the florist said it was 6.5" x 6.5" x 6.5", it is in fact 6.3" x 6.3" x 6.3" so I'm fairly certain it's like the one pictured here.


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## figgy (Feb 27, 2005)

Blinky,

That link is much appreciated! Question: does a 6x6x6-ish cube hold a whole gallon?

Also: I emailed the folks who market aquacube [Claus Christiansen] and they said they wouldn't be for sale in the us anytime soon.

Thanks,
Figs


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## Blinky (Feb 13, 2005)

Unfortunately, I didn't think to measure the actual volume before I put in gravel, plants and decorations. 6.3*6.3*6.3 / 231 = ~1.1g, but the glass bows slightly inwards on all four sides and upwards at the bottom which probably reduces the volume by about 10%, which is why I estimate the volume (before decorating) to be ~1g. With gravel etc. in the tank, it's probably around 0.75g of actual water 
It's too bad the Aquacube isn't available, it's really nice. Good thing there are alternatives and we're creative! My husband is starting to think I have a sickness - I want to convert every clear container I see into a nano .


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## figgy (Feb 27, 2005)

Yep,

My BF says he's afraid to pick up his coffee mug sometimes--and always checks before he takes a sip in case it's been planted! 

Working on a brandy snifter for shrimp right now....

Fig


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## Blinky (Feb 13, 2005)

I'd love to see that, they're such a beautiful shape 
I'm starting to see a little brown algae (diatoms) in my pico now, there are a few spots on the Anubias leaves. Since there are no critters in the cube, I'm going to go after it by hand. If only there were miniature otos...


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## Aphyosemion (Oct 15, 2004)

Blinky said:


> There are no living critters in the tank so far. I believe 1g is too small for fish, but may add one or two small Amano shrimp if algae starts to grow.


I have kept 15 ghost shrimp in my 1 gallon tank at once. They were in there for several months with no problems whatsoever. I have also kept half a dozen ghost shrimp and 3 neons. My one gallon is fairly heavily planted though and since it's on my desk, I change about a cup of water a day, but sometimes only every other day. 
Here is a pic: 
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=625
As long as you know what you are doing, you can keep some small critters in your tank with no problems. I seriously wouldn't add anything bigger than a neon, white cloud, or a guppy though. Fish put a heavier load on a tank than shrimp.
By the way, I love your screen name and avatar. I wish I had thought of it first. 
-Aphyosemion


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## figgy (Feb 27, 2005)

Lovely little tank! What is that making up the "carpet"? Glosso? 

Fig


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## Blinky (Feb 13, 2005)

Aphyosemion said:


> As long as you know what you are doing, you can keep some small critters in your tank with no problems. I seriously wouldn't add anything bigger than a neon, white cloud, or a guppy though. Fish put a heavier load on a tank than shrimp.
> By the way, I love your screen name and avatar. I wish I had thought of it first.


Gorgeous little tank! I didn't think it was possible to keep fish happy in such a small environment, but a few people have said otherwise. I'm keeping my eye open for _Boraras maculatas _ or other fish that stay similarly tiny, and thinking of adding a shrimp or two. 
Thanks for the compliment on my name & avatar  I've been a member at Aquaria Central for some time and I was very glad to be able to keep the same 'face' and name here as well; I think it really suits me.


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## Stu (Feb 16, 2004)

figgy said:


> Lovely little tank! What is that making up the "carpet"? Glosso?


It looks like Riccia.


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## figgy (Feb 27, 2005)

Blinky!

I found a cube vase similar to yours and ordered it. I got this idea for a Japanese 'scape on a british forum and want to try it. This could be the start of a whole new branch of Nano: Aquatic Ikebana! [Ikebana = japanese flower arranging]

Pico Cubists Unite!!

Figz :icon_idea


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## Stu (Feb 16, 2004)

figgy said:


> I got this idea for a Japanese 'scape on a british forum and want to try it.


I was planning to set up a small shrimp/fish tank with *only* japanese flora and fauna in it, i.e possibly a caridinia japonica species tank.


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## Blinky (Feb 13, 2005)

figgy said:


> Pico Cubists Unite!!


*ROTFL* That is now my official motto! Congrats on yer new cube, can't wait for pics


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## gnome (Mar 9, 2004)

Blinky said:


> I'm starting to see a little brown algae (diatoms) in my pico now, there are a few spots on the Anubias leaves. Since there are no critters in the cube, I'm going to go after it by hand. If only there were miniature otos...


Most people hate snails and if you aren't keen on them, forget this... But those beautiful little Planorbarius ram's horn snails are great for eating diatoms. I gave up on otos for a while because it seemed like they would die if I looked at them wrong. So I remember with one of my small tanks, I added a couple of snails when I noticed the diatoms appearing. It took them a while because I only put six small ones in the 2.5-gallon tank - about a week, which isn't bad. Sure, an otocinclus would have sucked it up in a day easily, but it really ticked me off when they'd die right afterwards. Also, if you use small-enough snails, you can remove them when cleanup's done, and there's a chance that they won't have laid eggs. I actually have difficulty keeping a healthy population of them. I think the water is just too soft. 

If you want, you can actually get "red ram's horns" which are these same snails but bred exclusively for this recessive red color. I've seen them a number of times on Aquabid. I think my plain ol' brown ones are beautiful. 

-Naomi


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## ianl77 (Mar 24, 2005)

if you want some fish in your cube,that dont need a lot of heat,,you could try white cloud mountain minnows,,they would live happily in a gallon of water,,and might possibly breed too


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## figgy (Feb 27, 2005)

*The Blinky Vase*

Hmmmm,

What bum timing. My "Blinky Vase" [you know, that cool cube she has growing] arrived today and I'm going away on vacation and shouldn't set up yet another nano until I get back. Hey: wouldn't it be fun to have a "Blinky Cube Contest"?

I guess it'll give me something to meditate on on the long plane flight.

Would it be too obsessed to cancel my vacation?????????

 

Figgie


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## gnome (Mar 9, 2004)

figgy said:


> Would it be too obsessed to cancel my vacation?????????


You mean "this little Figgie stayed home?"

Haaa-ha-ha-ha-ha!!!!! :biggrin:

-Naomi


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## Blinky (Feb 13, 2005)

gnome said:


> Most people hate snails and if you aren't keen on them, forget this... But those beautiful little Planorbarius ram's horn snails are great for eating diatoms.


I like ramshorns. I don't know who these other people are, but they're really missing out  I've got quite a few in my 10g, and there are some here and there in the 65g, but they don't seem to last in the 14g - I suspect my cherry barbs harass them and then eat them. I picked a few large snails out of one of the tanks and they're doing a great job cleaning up the little spots of algae in the pico 
Figgy, you crack me up! I'm sorry you can't set up your vase yet and I understand the obsession, but I insist you go enjoy your vacation


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## gnome (Mar 9, 2004)

I don't know if this is the same vase, but it's slightly cheaper:
http://www.smithandhawken.com/jhtml...IZR&term=815118&src_cd=BIZR_815118&WT.mc_r=15

I agree with the whole glass vs. acrylic thing. I much prefer glass. I also don't really like bow-fronts too much. They kinda hurt my eyes. However, since Figgy reminded me, I have a large brandy glass that I bought years ago to keep fish in (before I thought about the somewhat-cruel nature of this), and I may try growing plants in it. 

-Naomi


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## gnome (Mar 9, 2004)

Blinky said:


> Figgy, you crack me up! I'm sorry you can't set up your vase yet and I understand the obsession, but I insist you go enjoy your vacation


Yes... Figgy, you must look at this as an opportunity to browse shops for yet more containers in which you can grow plants :biggrin: . And don't forget to check out all of the fish shops within a 10-mile radius  . 

-Naomi


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## bharada (Mar 5, 2004)

So after showing my wife Blinky's pico, she insisted that I set one up for her office at work. I got the vase in the picture at Cost Plus Imports. It's about 5"x5"x10"h and cost $14.99. It's imported from Poland and is not optically perfect (all the vases on the shelf had bubbles or other imperfections), but I bought the only one that had one clear side.

It's got some Manzanita twigs with Java Fern, Moss, H. micranthemoides and Anubias. Fauna consists of 2 Cherry Shrimp and a male Endler.

The light is an Azoo Palm light and I also put in a mini Hagen internal filter (has a small sponge block). Of course I bought all this locally so ended spending a few bucks more than if I'd have mail ordered it.

So all in all, Blinky, your darned pico set me back nearly $50! 

:icon_lol:


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## snowman (Mar 17, 2005)

Damn you guys have made me actually think about doing a nano...has anyone done DIY Co2 for a nano or would that be overkill? How large or small as it might be constitues being a nano?


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## Blinky (Feb 13, 2005)

gnome said:


> I don't know if this is the same vase, but it's slightly cheaper:
> http://www.smithandhawken.com/jhtml...IZR&term=815118&src_cd=BIZR_815118&WT.mc_r=15 I agree with the whole glass vs. acrylic thing. I much prefer glass.


It's not the same as my cube (not that there's anything wrong with that!), but it's a nice little cube all the same. The pic on the left seems to show the glass looking a little wavy, but it could just be the picture. I went with something that's designed to show the stems in fancy floral arrangements, so I'd get the clearest glass possible in this type of shape. 


bharada said:


> So all in all, Blinky, your darned pico set me back nearly $50!


*laff* sorry about that, they're pretty but they're not cheap  I got my vase at nearly cost and still paid $34. $12 for the filter, $15 for the plants, $5 for the substrate and $6 for the driftwood... so mine cost roughly $72CD - about the same as you 


snowman said:


> Damn you guys have made me actually think about doing a nano...has anyone done DIY Co2 for a nano or would that be overkill? How large or small as it might be constitues being a nano?


I feel DIY CO2 is a bit much for mine; it's so small I'd worry about a pH crash. I use Excel, and so far everything's going well. 
From what I've read, 'nano' seems to refer to a small tank, under 10g (it seems a bit larger for SW tanks, I've seen nano reefs as big as 24g). I read somewhere on a planted site (maybe this forum) that the dividing line between nano and pico is 2.5g - less than that and you're into the land of pico


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## alphacat (Apr 21, 2006)

Just an FYI - www.modernvaseandgift.com - they have a 6" cube for $9.88 apiece, but I can't tell if you have to buy in bulk or not. They do, however, have other interesting sizes and shapes as well (like an 8" cube for $21.25, for instance).

Also, here's a company selling 6 of these (6" cubes) for $81, working out to about $13.50 per cube.


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