# My El natural 5.5g.



## will5 (Sep 30, 2005)

This tank was running for over a year, but I had to break it down and start over due to algae issues because of direct sunlight, no co2, and ferts.

To see the tank as it stood before see here- http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/p...60-wills-5-5-gallon-low-light.html#post389817

Thank specs- 5.5 gal this tank gets lots of direct sunlight because it sit in front of a south facing window.

10 watt 6500k screw in pc bulb. 

It has sand capped by flourite. My wife thinks it looks good.

Hang on back filter filled with aquaclear sponges and the inlet is connected to a sponge filter.

The soil was given to me from friend who had some left over after he made his El natural.

Funa- 3 Aphyosemion striatum ( mother, father, and one off spring).

Floral- Rotala indica ( some of which is growing emersed out the back of the tank),Hygro ceylon,enough hornwort to just about fill a 10 gallon tank,eloda,6++ plants of crypt affins,unknown crypt,anubias nana,soft ball size clump of tiwan moss,xmass moss,subwarsstang (I think thats is how it's spelled)

I also have some dwarf sag , ECHINODORUS PARVIFLORUS 'TROPICA' , and amazon frogbit waiting to be put in after the change.

Pictures-


































So let me know what you think.

Thanks for looking.


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## will5 (Sep 30, 2005)

There was some confusion on another fourm so I will repeat this here as well. This is how the tank looks now after the change.


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## will5 (Sep 30, 2005)

No one has anything to say?


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## thief (Jan 12, 2008)

Hey there,

Looks like you want some attention. Not bad, but needs improvements. First off. Maybe push some of the gravel back so it slopes down and makes it feel like an illusion of depth. Also your last tank wasn't bad either. To bad you had to take it down. 10 watts seems a little low but since you say that there's alot of direct sunlight you should be good. But I really think you should get a DIY Co2 going. Just get a regular water bottle, some airline, and poke a hole in the top but make sure the line is pretty tight. 

After that just add sugur and some yeast, mix it up, add water and your good. 

I don't know much about plants but those first 2 plants in the forground on the left I think would look good together in a group. I think you should find another place for the stem plants though as it makes the tank feel small and tucked in. Other than that looks pretty good. Maybe go look at other tanks to get some inspiration of things you can do with your little tank.


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## Sticky230 (Mar 30, 2008)

You get major props for water movement.


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## will5 (Sep 30, 2005)

Sticky230 said:


> You get major props for water movement.


Thanks.

The tank now has nitrates around 10ppm, so we are on our way to a healthy and stable tank.


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## will5 (Sep 30, 2005)

*Update.*

Here is an update and I am sorry it's so late.

I changed the placement of a couple of plants and added an hydro growing emersed out of the filter. It's only been a couple of day but I hope I can get it to flower. The tank has had an issue with algae(clado) growing like mad on one side of the tank next to the window. So I both closed and pulled the blinds to try and slow/stop it.

Any idea on how to kill it??????? I would have tried to hit it with some excel but I think I read some where that excel can be harmful to an EL natural.

Anyway picture time.


















Rotala indica growing emersed.









Hygro and potho growing emersed out of the top of the filter. The hygro is still adjusting to growing emersed.








The hygro will be planted in soil once it grows enough to to get up and over the tank.

The tank is kind of dark because I added an Indian almond leave to the tank to get them in the mood for spawning again. I just did this yesterday.

As always thanks for looking.


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## Aquarist_Fist (Jul 22, 2008)

Love the emersed grow. roud: What's that fish in the picture? Looks like a killi...


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## will5 (Sep 30, 2005)

Aquarist_Fist said:


> Love the emersed grow. roud: What's that fish in the picture? Looks like a killi...


Yes they are killies Aphyosemion striatum Lambaréné. one adult pair and a female offspring.


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## mizu-chan (May 13, 2008)

Your anubias nana is looking really nice. Coming along well with good growth. :thumbsup:


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## will5 (Sep 30, 2005)

mizu-chan said:


> Your anubias nana is looking really nice. Coming along well with good growth. :thumbsup:


Thanks.

I have been watching your progress with your 20L slilently that is and I must say your doing great as well.


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## mizu-chan (May 13, 2008)

will5 said:


> Thanks.
> 
> I have been watching your progress with your 20L slilently that is and I must say your doing great as well.


Thank you very much


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## Walking_Target (Jul 16, 2008)

My suggestion for DIY CO2 is to use a two-bottle method and silicone...

Make your 'biological reactor' like any DYI CO2 project, But instead of running that directly into the tank, run it to another 3/4 filled bottle (in my case a 591ml soda bottle) so that the line running in from the bio reactor is almost to the bottom of the bottle. Then you run an output line from the top of the bottle to your tank. 

Voila! you have an airlock and bubble counter! This keeps yeast from getting into your tank as well, which is a very important!

It also acts as a back-flow check. So even in the event of a catastrophic failure where you have tank water siphoning back out and into your DIY reactor it will prevent water from getting all over the place and should still prevent yeast from entering your tank. 

This example uses a peanut butter jar (because it's easier to draw ) 

Please note the use of silicone around the input and output, it's important to have it on the inside, as pressure in the system forces it into any potential gaps rather than blowing it away as it would if you tried to seal it on the outside.


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## invert1 (Jun 25, 2008)

Walking_Target said:


> My suggestion for DIY CO2 is to use a two-bottle method and silicone...
> 
> Make your 'biological reactor' like any DYI CO2 project, But instead of running that directly into the tank, run it to another 3/4 filled bottle (in my case a 591ml soda bottle) so that the line running in from the bio reactor is almost to the bottom of the bottle. Then you run an output line from the top of the bottle to your tank.
> 
> ...


Very nice idea and diagram. I'll definitely have to do this if I ever decide to do CO2. I love high light planted tanks but the maintenance just seems so much higher than my nice low light crypts, barclaya, wisteria setup in my 30g right now. Maybe a nano, CO2 fed, shrimp tank...


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## will5 (Sep 30, 2005)

I am very familiar with diy Co2 as I have it on my other two tanks. Co2 on an El Natural can cause some major problems that is why most don't use it on El Naturals.

Thanks anyway though.


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

I think the only harm that Excel would do to an El Natural is kind of "fudge" a little on the principles, since you're "dosing" with a carbon source.

If that doesn't bother you, then I'd try it.

Or you could try H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide) on the clado, since that just breaks down into O2 and water...


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