# Freshly Planted 10g



## Zer (May 23, 2007)

Hello, 
A few months ago I inherited a 10g tank packed with like 30 guppies. Since then I have been working on transforming it into a small masterpiece. I gave most of the guppies to the LFS and started upgrading the hardware. I got an AC30 and a Fluval1Plus (i know its a lot for a 10g, but I run the AC at its lowest setting and the Fluval is a good backup). I purchased 2 screw in CF bulbs from wal mart. I know this isn't great, but its the best I can do for the time being. 

Today was the big day, I pulled the gravel and replaced it with ecocomplete. Pulled the plastic and replaced it with driftwood. 

As it stands now I have one anubias nana on driftwood and two small stalks of cabomba which were transplanted from another tank. I am going to see how this does for a few days and begin more heavily planting.

FTS:









I guess im just looking for overall suggestions at this point. I am thinking to put a bunch of anachranis in the back right corner for starters. I thought i would use groundcover, but those river stones came out of the old substrate (mostly quartz) and they look good to me, ill have to think on it. Also, I have a bottle of excell, should I start using it now or wait til I get more plants in the tank?

I am considering upgrading the lighting if its necessary, but would rather not spend the $$. If I did it would be a 36w kit from AHsupply. My current aquarium top is the kind with the hinged lid at the front and a glass window for the lights. Would I need to buy an all glass top instead if I upgraded lighting?

Thanks for looking,
Zer


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## mrbman7 (Mar 22, 2007)

Looks pretty good! I like the wood, it's got a lot of character. Once there's something back behind the wood it's going to look nice. The pebbles are a little weird for me. I'm trying to figure out what might look better (all in a pile around the wood?) but I'm not sure it would look any better.

Wait and see on the lighting. Its amazing what those CF's can do. I've got one running now and it grows things just fine.

Not sure on the excel. Someone else can guide you there. Probably, if any, little amounts to start.


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## rodney (Apr 10, 2007)

I dose 1ml of exel per day on my 10 g


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## starrystarstarr (Sep 6, 2006)

That wood is awsome..as for the river stones i'd try darker shades...black or dark grey. i think it'll look better.


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## Zer (May 23, 2007)

thanks for the replies and suggestions guys.

Let me promise you that the pebbles look much better in person, they are way over exposed in the shot (while i have the technology to fix that, I don't have the knowledge). They all look bleached out but they are actually quite colorful.

As for the tank, it has progressed some. I added a bronze wendtii _(cryptocoryne wendtii v. 'Tropica')_ to the back right corner. I also was trying to add some chain sword _(echinodorus tennellus)_ to fill in behind the log. Well that was a poor choice: A the chain sword is all but dead (it didn't look nearly so bad in the dim LFS light)  and B one of the pots was micro sword _(lilaeopsis brasiliensis)_ not chain sword! I really don't think I have enough light for micro sword or cabomba so im probably gonna hit up AHSupply for a 36w kit unless they prove me wrong within a few weeks. 

I planted the Micro Sword in the front left: lemonaid out of lemons i guess.

Still open for suggestions as to what to put in the back right behind the driftwood. I could go the anachranis route, but its really not THAT appealing to me. Any ideas?

As for flourish, After planting the crypt and grass I decided I definitely had enough plants for the excell so I started dosing 2 days ago.

*fingers crossed*
Zer

PS rodney, could you go into detail about your 10g? Same size and substrate so I was wondering what exactly qualifies as high tech...


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## cody6766 (Mar 15, 2007)

screw in c/f bulbs have been working well for my small tanks. I have them over my 10gal (20w x 2) and a 10w over my 2.5 gal (broke down now but pics are in the link in my sig) and they do the trick. Maybe set up a DIY co2 system with yeast and sugar. I did it in my 2.5 and it helped a ton. I think I spent $5 on the whole set up starting with absolutely nothing. 

I like your tank, just not a fan of the river stones. I think a few may look good if they were half burried and the like, but you have too much IMO. They're not bad, just not really natural looking. But who cares if you like them!


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## rodney (Apr 10, 2007)

Zer said:


> PS rodney, could you go into detail about your 10g? Same size and substrate so I was wondering what exactly qualifies as high tech...



Well, when I asked about high light for a ten gallon, a member asked me If i wanted hight tech, 0r low tech. I assume low tech is a diy or non-aquarium lighting fixture. So, because i do have an aquarium 59watt light over my 10 gallon I refer to it as high tech. But then again high-tech is just IMO a state of mind:hihi: 

I also dose flourish iron and flourish exel(1 ml a day), and plan on installing DIY co2 to soften my water. 

BTW: I know what you mean when the pics look really bad compared to what the aquarium looks like at home. But, If I were you i would slope the substrate higher in the back and lower in the front to creat some depth. And If you want to use the river rocks I would get a couple of boulders and scatter the river rocks around the boulders. Then I would get some easy to grow plants and put em behind the boulders so you don't run into too much algea.

The driftwood looks awsome, you just need to work with it a little more to bring out its character. Maybe add some moss or more anubias.


I love your aquarium! May I ask if you have any other stocking plans?


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## Zer (May 23, 2007)

cody, as iv added a few more plants I have noticed that the rocks are getting crowded. I might thin em out to a few choice pieces. i would like to put a val in the back corner, and definitely interested in CO2, though I didn't think I had enough light. Ill have to wait 'til i get a hardness and alkalinity tester, I cant find one in town so ill place an order.

As for ferts, I was thinking about maybe iron, but maybe just excell and comprehensive. Would I really need any Iron? As I understand it eco complete is high in it...

Sounds like an awesome tank rodney, and pics?
I had the substrate sloped, and it kindof, well, un-sloped :/


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## cah925 (May 18, 2007)

My 10 gallon tank only has a 15W fluorescent and it grows cabomba ok. Not as fast as my other tank with 40W, but it does pretty good. I think Vals would look good in the back corner or maybe B. Japonica. You may also consider some colorful Rotalas.


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## James From Cali (Dec 15, 2006)

Okay. I like but this is what I can say can be done with lowlight that would make it look nice.

1) Put anubias on the lower portion of the driftwood. This will create little bush's around the "stump".
2) Add moos to the upper portion. This will have the more woodsy feeling.
3) Move the Combomba behind the driftwood and have the Microsword fill that space and the foreground.
4)Use Dark grey to black stones. It will make it look nice. Spread them out and dont use so many.

Now the microsword may not last so I suggest if it dont try a Marselia(spl) species. They will look like a lawn of mushroms n the woods. I like the tank but there are many improvements that can be done to make it look simpley gorgeous.


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## Zer (May 23, 2007)

Interesting tips James, but if you could clarify a few things:

What do you mean by lower portion? You mean the one thats kindof in the middle of the tank.

I would love to have some moss but I am having trouble finding some ...

I read that Combomba dosn't like high flow, but I have a 50 gph filter behind the driftwood, so i thought maybe it should be in the middle between the filters... 

Ill have to keep playin' with it.


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## James From Cali (Dec 15, 2006)

I'll be glad to clarify 

Lower portion as in where the gravel and the driftwood meet. You can rubber band them or tie them to it. But if there is a part where you can tuck the anubias in then do it .

Well first off I would say get Taiwan or X-Mas Moss. Second try the Swap and Shop

I would place it where the flow is not so bad but I even had combomba near the outflow of my filter.(I would suggest opposite of the 50gph pump).


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## Zer (May 23, 2007)

i just ordered an alkalinity and general hardness tester, and some flourish comprehensive. Ill start up DIY CO2 once I have a bead on my kH and gH.

I must be dense tonight James, but humor me.









do you mean 1, 2, or 3? I do agree that the anubias is in an awkward position. The green is moss, and the arrow is for the cabomba. Opposite corner of the tank has an aquaclear 30 lol, so moving the cambomba in that direction would be even worse.


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## James From Cali (Dec 15, 2006)

Pretty much. And if the current is too much for the combomba then you can easily adjust the wood or filter.


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## Zer (May 23, 2007)

Okay, I am thinking that I know about what I want to be in the rest of the tank.

I am thinking that anubias bateri coffeefolia to go on the middle "stump" and java fern at the back of the driftwood. Also started to plant a stand of anachranis in the back right corner. I decided to go with that over a grass.

Still little luck finding moss, but the LFS told me they could order just about anything I wanted so i might check their catalog.

For CO2, im going to be using a 1.75l bottle and making a small bubble counter for extra security. Then I am going to run the hose into the foam pad of my Fluval internal filter which should dissolve and disperse the CO2 very effectively. This all starts in a week when my kH and gH test kits arrive (i couldn't find any liquid testers for this in town).


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## ThePBM (Aug 2, 2007)

give the cf lights some time. they're not their brightest right in the beginning.


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