# 0.9gal "Emerald City" 6" rimless cube *update w/ pics 2/13*



## AwkwardShrimp (Jun 26, 2012)

very nice! i like it, what are the dimensions? .9g cant be big but the way you have scaped it makes it seem begger htan it it lol nice job.

has using the dsm to attach fissiden to substarte work in the past for you?
ive been trying to get fissiden to attach to some lava rock in my dsm tank, checked one rock after 2 weeks and the fissiden floated away in water :/...


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## ophiophagus (Mar 5, 2012)

AwkwardShrimp said:


> very nice! i like it, what are the dimensions? .9g cant be big but the way you have scaped it makes it seem begger htan it it lol nice job.:/...


Thanks for noticing that. It's a 6" cube so 6"x6"x6". And my idea for the scape was to make it look like a larger tank by scaling down the hardscape and plants.
I've only tried the dsm with the fissidens once before with a piece of driftwood and after a couple weeks some held and some didn't. This one is 2 weeks today and I just added the HC a few days ago. So I'm going to wait at least 2 more weeks to fill it. Then we'll see what happens.


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## andrewss (Oct 17, 2012)

great work! cant wait to see it flooded


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## amphirion (Nov 13, 2008)

the scape definitely has potential. looking forward to see everything growing out.


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## ophiophagus (Mar 5, 2012)

andrewss said:


> great work! cant wait to see it flooded





amphirion said:


> the scape definitely has potential. looking forward to see everything growing out.


Thank you both  I'm also really really looking forward to seeing it filled and grown in some


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## GMYukonon24s (May 3, 2009)

I like the rocks and wood.


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## golfer_d (Oct 3, 2012)

these always look so spacious and then I see one at the store and wonder how you got so much into it 

nice setup


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## bluestems (Feb 7, 2012)

This really looks amazing, especially for the size! Any update pics? Will you be flooding it soon?


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## ophiophagus (Mar 5, 2012)

So after 28 days of DSM I finally filled this tank! Also I added 2 very small Hygrophila pinnatifida for a little color and a small node of Ranunculus Inundatus because it's one my favorite plants. Everything looks great so far, and none of the fissidens floated!! I wish I had planted a little more HC just because I am impatient and, I expect there will be some melt on the crypt eventually. But I am really happy with how it turned out. I haven't put the filter on yet because I'm really nervous that the fissidens will pull off with the current. But I will start it in a day or two with my fingers crossed. Well enough of my rambling. Here are the pics. Let me know what you think


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## houseofcards (Mar 21, 2009)

That looks good. I've setup a few cubus and smaller tanks. Have you considered not even using the filter. You could probably get by fine with just changing the water twice weekly.


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## ophiophagus (Mar 5, 2012)

houseofcards said:


> That looks good. I've setup a few cubus and smaller tanks. Have you considered not even using the filter. You could probably get by fine with just changing the water twice weekly.


I might I just know that I'm lazy LOL


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Love it! I've got a .5g marina tank that I've uber slowly been working on. 


MABJ's iDevice used for this message


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## ophiophagus (Mar 5, 2012)

Here's a little update. The scape is doing well. It's hard to tell but the fissidens and HC are starting to stand up. But the crypts have pretty much completely melted. Which I expected. But because I'm so impatient I'm considering removing them and replacing them with some kind of rotala maybe. Rather than waiting for the to grow back. I would love to hear some opinions. I've also seen a little bit of pearling which is cool. But I also found a few tiny pieces of riccia in the fissidens. Which is not cool. IMO riccia is like the herpes of aquariums. Any way here's the update pics


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## ophiophagus (Mar 5, 2012)

This scape is doing really well. I made some small changes mostly the angle of the driftwood. Was going to post new pics but my camera batteries are dead. So I'll post some new pics soon


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## ophiophagus (Mar 5, 2012)

These pics are from a couple weeks ago. This little scape has come a looong way in a short time. And has really exceeded my expectations. The HC is filling in well and the microswords are spreading. I had just trimmed the rotala before these pics so they will grow back nice and bushy. I added a couple of sparkling licorice gouramis,2x microcrabs,and an orange neo shrimp. I removed the co2 diffuser for the pics because the tank is so small it blocks the view of some of the plants. Ignore the dirty glass. I'm going to take some new pics later tonight with clean glass and something to show scale.









this is a terrestrial moss i collect locally and wanted to see how it'd grow submerged. So far looks cool








Little gourami








HC pearling








and some bonus shots


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## zoragen (Nov 3, 2009)

Very nice!


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## jimmytruong87 (Oct 16, 2012)

why fissidens looks like yellow leaves?


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## ophiophagus (Mar 5, 2012)

zoragen said:


> Very nice!


Thank you very much I've put a lot of work into this one



jimmytruong87 said:


> why fissidens looks like yellow leaves?


I don't understand your question


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## jimmytruong87 (Oct 16, 2012)

ophiophagus said:


> Thank you very much I've put a lot of work into this one
> 
> 
> 
> I don't understand your question


i mean your fissidens does not look like healthy.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Oh he's got a good point. The fiss looks near dead..


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## crustybarnacal (Dec 28, 2012)

Not to be rude,the tank looks very nice,but,some of your plantings look off color.What light are you running?


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## ophiophagus (Mar 5, 2012)

Ahh I get it now. The fissidens grows like crazy. So it's probably a combination of two things. 1: I have a 5000k bulb on it right now which kinda bleaches color a little and 2: I'm color blind and probably over adjusted the pictures while editing.

But aside from the odd colors what do you think of the scape? I haven't done a cosmetic trim on it yet while the plants get well established. So it's still a little "raw"


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## sejoy (Jan 18, 2011)

I personally really love this one. Especially the first picture on this page, I like how the floaters look like a cloud!

I would maybe move the red bush-looking plant (sorry I've never seen one like it before, don't know what it's called) back a little bit since it's bigger than most other things in the front, but that's just me. 
I would also maybe replace the fissidens as it does look a bit yellow, but maybe it's just the lighting like you said. Maybe a few longer stems or grasses in the back to give it more depth since some of the slope you had at first seems to be lost a bit in the plant growth. 

But I really love the look of it as a whole. It's definitely one of my favorite scapes, I'm just offering my nit-picky art kid opinion lol. 

Also I would love ot know what that red plant is, it's gorgeous.


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## ophiophagus (Mar 5, 2012)

Here's are some shots from tonight under a different light let me know if it looks healthier

















crazy pearling


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## ophiophagus (Mar 5, 2012)

Thanks very much:thumbsup: I have definitely lost a little perspective/depth with the plant growth you're right. It's sort of hard to plan for such a small space(6"x6"x6") I may fill the back with more of the rotala I'm not sure. And I may be able to regain some slope once I trim the fissidens. The plant you're asking about is Hygro pinnatifida. I'm going to trim off the tallest leaves at some point and that will leave 2-3 miniature versions of it behind. 



sejoy said:


> I personally really love this one. Especially the first picture on this page, I like how the floaters look like a cloud!
> 
> I would maybe move the red bush-looking plant (sorry I've never seen one like it before, don't know what it's called) back a little bit since it's bigger than most other things in the front, but that's just me.
> I would also maybe replace the fissidens as it does look a bit yellow, but maybe it's just the lighting like you said. Maybe a few longer stems or grasses in the back to give it more depth since some of the slope you had at first seems to be lost a bit in the plant growth.
> ...


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## ophiophagus (Mar 5, 2012)

I forgot to ad this pic to show scale. It really illustrates how small this tank really is. I think I've achieved my goal of making this tiny scape look like a much larger one.


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## brinks (Dec 19, 2007)

Love this little tank, I may Tyrone some time.


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## ophiophagus (Mar 5, 2012)

Thank you. You should try one. It can be very challenging to scape tanks this size and/or smaller. But I really enjoy just about anything in miniature. I have another smaller scape in the beginning stages that will get a thread soon


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## TheNamelessPoet (May 17, 2012)

wholy crap!!! you really can see how small it it!!! you did an AMAZING job


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## sejoy (Jan 18, 2011)

ophiophagus said:


> Thanks very much:thumbsup: I have definitely lost a little perspective/depth with the plant growth you're right. It's sort of hard to plan for such a small space(6"x6"x6") I may fill the back with more of the rotala I'm not sure. And I may be able to regain some slope once I trim the fissidens. The plant you're asking about is Hygro pinnatifida. I'm going to trim off the tallest leaves at some point and that will leave 2-3 miniature versions of it behind.


That's a really nice plant, it adds the perfect pop of color. I love this little tank! So awesome. 'subbed :hihi:


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## ophiophagus (Mar 5, 2012)

TheNamelessPoet said:


> wholy crap!!! you really can see how small it it!!! you did an AMAZING job


Thank you so much! That's exactly the reaction I was hoping for when designing this scape



sejoy said:


> That's a really nice plant, it adds the perfect pop of color. I love this little tank! So awesome. 'subbed :hihi:


Thanks for subscribing(probably the first time anyone has subbed a thread of mine):icon_smil I also just added a few stem of rotala wallichii for another little splash of color


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## liam2317 (Dec 8, 2012)

Well you have a second subscriber now! This tank is awesome, I really love your choice of plants and hard-scape. It is clear that a lot of thought went into your layout. 

I am also setting up a 1.5g cube myself and was hoping you could fill in a few more details about your tank. You mentioned you ordered LEDs for this tank, do you have them on it yet? What LEDs did you order for a tank this small? I'm also curious about your CO2 setup, any details you can share would be helpful. 

Thanks, and again, great tank!


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## ophiophagus (Mar 5, 2012)

liam2317 said:


> Well you have a second subscriber now! This tank is awesome, I really love your choice of plants and hard-scape. It is clear that a lot of thought went into your layout.
> 
> I am also setting up a 1.5g cube myself and was hoping you could fill in a few more details about your tank. You mentioned you ordered LEDs for this tank, do you have them on it yet? What LEDs did you order for a tank this small? I'm also curious about your CO2 setup, any details you can share would be helpful.
> 
> Thanks, and again, great tank!


Thanks
I actually never got around to ordering the LEDs.(I'm using a 13watt pc right now) But I'm planning on trying 3x3watt 6500k with optics. Just some cheapo brand off ebay because it's sort of an experiment. When I get them I'll post. And right now I'm using an Ista 45g disposable cartridge co2 system with a better diffuser than the one it comes with. I actually hate it but it does the job for now until I feel like paying for a better one. Also I put 4-5 drops of an all-in-1 fertilizer and 3-4 drops of excel a couple times a week. I hope that answers your questions.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Could you post that eBay test light? I'm looking for lights for some of my tanks.


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## philemon716 (Aug 14, 2011)

MABJ said:


> Could you post that eBay test light? I'm looking for lights for some of my tanks.


I was about to ask the same. The tank is gorgeous and would love to see how it is setup. I have tried the same exact thing a few times on my own (8x8x8) with poor results. Thanks!


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## ophiophagus (Mar 5, 2012)

Here's a quick update. Everything is doing really well. Haven't had any issues really. Except that bush of riccia that was never meant to be in there.(I'm cutting it out now) And I did have some algae/fungus on the branches. But a whole bunch of ramshorn snails just hatched and took care of that. As you can see the branches are nice and clean now. These pics are pre-trim so everything is kind of shaggy. I'll post some post trim pics later.

Also I switched to a black background which I like. I would love some opinions on if I should stick with it or go with something more like a shadow box or blue sky type background.


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## ophiophagus (Mar 5, 2012)

MABJ said:


> Could you post that eBay test light? I'm looking for lights for some of my tanks.





philemon716 said:


> I was about to ask the same. The tank is gorgeous and would love to see how it is setup. I have tried the same exact thing a few times on my own (8x8x8) with poor results. Thanks!


The lights (when I get my ass in gear and order everything) will be a DIY project. I will most likely make a detailed post on the project once I do it


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## iRun (Apr 12, 2011)

I'm really digging what you're doing with this little cube.


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## ophiophagus (Mar 5, 2012)

iRun said:


> I'm really digging what you're doing with this little cube.


Thank you


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## ophiophagus (Mar 5, 2012)

Here are a some post trim pictures. I did a pretty conservative trim because trimming this tiny space is even more difficult than I expected. I'm definitely going to have to find a scissor or better suited for the job. 


































And here are a couple bonus pics of the inhabitants terrified and hiding after I was trimming
out of focus orange neo shrimp








one of the gouramis


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## bitFUUL (May 14, 2010)

Looking sweet bud! Yup, those tiny spaces are hard to trim. 
Keep the photos coming.


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## mosspearl (Jan 30, 2013)

Amazing tank. I keep measuring out six inches so I can wrap my head around how small it really is. Great job!


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## ophiophagus (Mar 5, 2012)

bitFUUL said:


> Looking sweet bud! Yup, those tiny spaces are hard to trim.
> Keep the photos coming.


Thanks man I will keep the photos coming


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## bluestems (Feb 7, 2012)

It just keeps getting better! loving the orange neo, and the peeking gouramis :smile:


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## Koi Kameon (Apr 25, 2010)

*The color issues mentioned may be the glass...*

I love the landscaping. 

I checked out this thread last week thinking the cube may be the same I had on order online. Is it the Hagen/Marina cube they advertise for bettas that comes with a light blue acrylic top and a very poor LED light? 

If so, the color issues mentioned above may be due to the actual glass. I put my wabi kusa in one last night and tried 3 different lights and could not figure out why my plant ball suddenly looked "sickly" to me, esp. the red plants. I eventually just left the light on that I had had over the original vase over it. 

Tonight I remembered your thread. I took off the blue top and that helped matters as even with the hole for the light I was getting some light seeping thru the lid onto the plants. 

Then I just put it all back in the original 5 dollar vase and voila! instant color makeover back to vibrant green, etc. Mine, at least, seemed to have some tint to the glass that was making the colors look funky to me. I will be sending it back. However, loved the size, the depth, and the price. Anyone know where I can find something similar??? sigh. Even nano setups can be such money pits .


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## ophiophagus (Mar 5, 2012)

bluestems said:


> It just keeps getting better! loving the orange neo, and the peeking gouramis :smile:


Thanks I added another shrimp but I'm not sure what type. It came from the same tank at my LFS where they had labels for orange neos and CRS but it doesn't look like either one. New photos very soon



Koi Kameon said:


> I love the landscaping.
> 
> I checked out this thread last week thinking the cube may be the same I had on order online. Is it the Hagen/Marina cube they advertise for bettas that comes with a light blue acrylic top and a very poor LED light?
> 
> ...


I hadn't considered that especially with my color blindness. That may be what it is. I love the size too and haven't found one the same size in better glass. There are some 6" acrylic cube on ebay but who knows if they'll hold water


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## Koi Kameon (Apr 25, 2010)

*ebay acrylic*

or have that cloudy look that some can have. hopefully someone will see this and know. The depth to it, plus your landscaping adding to that depth is amazing though.


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## ophiophagus (Mar 5, 2012)

Koi Kameon said:


> or have that cloudy look that some can have. hopefully someone will see this and know. The depth to it, plus your landscaping adding to that depth is amazing though.


Thanks very much! I'm really proud of this scape. I'm going to trim the stems and pull a few micro swords that are creeping everywhere tonight. And I finally ordered a proper light. So updates are coming soon


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## ophiophagus (Mar 5, 2012)

Here are some pre-trim pictures I took the other day. I'm going to post post trim pictures tomorrow. I thought I had one of the new shrimp in this batch but I was wrong. I'll be sure to get one tomorrow. and how enjoy










I haven't posted one that shows scale in awhile 
































Here's one with the diffuser still in I usually take it out for pics








And one of the gouramis I've grown rather fond of these little guys


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## ophiophagus (Mar 5, 2012)

Small post trim update. I trimmed all the Rotala and removed some microswords that were spreading out of their corner. I probably should have removed more since they spread so fast. I didn't want to trim the fissidens again yet until I get a scissor that will work better.

Also I got a new shrimp from my LFS the other day and I'm not sure what it is. It came from the same tank as the orange neo I got where they also had a label for crystal shrimp. But it doesn't look like either one. It looks to me like a snowball shrimp maybe, but I'm not sure. If anyone can ID it for me from the blurry picture below I'd appreciate it.

Post-trim FTS (ignore my filthy glass)









Here's the new shrimp. Please tell what kind it is. sorry for the blurry pic


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## jmeister (Sep 3, 2009)

Nice setup


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## houseofcards (Mar 21, 2009)

Looks like a snowball


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## ophiophagus (Mar 5, 2012)

houseofcards said:


> Looks like a snowball


Thanks that's what I thought but shrimp are not really my area of expertise so I wanted another opinion


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## Taythu (Aug 30, 2013)

I just finished this thread and have to say I absolutely love your 6" mini scape! i have a 1.5 gallon betta tank that i have been thinking of using and your tank has inspired me to go for it. I can't rmemeber, do you use filtration with this tank and if so what kind. thanks for sharing.


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