# JG's 10G Hex



## MrJG (Feb 21, 2007)

This is my first ever planted tank... the one that got it started for me. Its gone through many trials and much learning on my part. I've kept a journal for it on another forum but its only been around these parts with a snapshot now and then so when I updated the journal today after many months of absence I figured I'd chuck a journal up here as well. 

I hardly ever do anything to this tank anymore other than scrape a little GSA off the glass once a month or so and hit a 50% WC every two weeks or so. Now that its grown in a bit I'm finally starting to be satisfied with how it looks, that and I don't think I can do any more with the footprint and my lack of aquascaping talent. heh. 

Hardware:
AC20 filter
Visitherm stealth heater
18W Current fixture (6.5k,10k dual daylight bulb)

Flora:
Lots of Java fern and narrow leaf fern
Fissiden Fontanus
Dwarf Sag
Anubias 'nana'
Anubias Nana 'petite'
Crypt 'petchii'
Crypt wendtii 'red'
Crypt wendtii 'green gecko'
Floater: Salvinia Natans

Fauna:
5 Rasbora espei
Lots of Red Cherry Shrimp
Lots of MTS

Pardon the bit of gsa on the lower glass.. its been a few weeks since I scraped it off and I didn't do it before the pics.  

Best snapshot I could get of the front:









One from the right:


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## gamexeater (Sep 20, 2008)

looks great! do you use any fertilizers?


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

That looks awesome, I really like it a lot!


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## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

nicely done hex!


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## BigPaul (Jul 16, 2007)

Best looking hex tank I've seen. Looks great. What are you growing out of your intake sponge?!


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## Angel AQ (Apr 19, 2006)

Very nice! I really like it.


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## MrJG (Feb 21, 2007)

Thanks for all the replies everyone! 



gamexeater said:


> looks great! do you use any fertilizers?


Only a little excel and flourish every once in a while. No Macros, no CO2. 

BigPaul: Its a little chunk of java fern that floated up there and got stuck. It's made it through several sponge cleanings so I just left it there.

This tank has taken quite a while to get to this point, it was really the tank that I cut my planted teeth with. If you look back at the journal in my sig you'll see that early on things were pretty sparse as I added plants, killed them, and added more plants. But by researching on this site and being patient while things grew brought it to the way it is now. It only took a little over 2 years haha! But I have to say this tank takes so much less work than the high light ones and its just as enjoyable to sit and watch. I can't grow any stems in this one so there is a trade-off but it fits in with my idea to have each tank in the house with a different look and sp. of plants.


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## ZooTycoonMaster (Jan 2, 2008)

Wow those are nice Crypts!:icon_eek:


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## Dollface (Sep 30, 2008)

That little java fern on the sponge filter is adorable. <3 

It's so nice to see such a well done hex tank. I really like hex's but nobody ever plants them.


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## wantsome (Sep 3, 2006)

Very nice!

Does the duckweed block alot of the light?


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## Saraja87 (Jul 18, 2007)

I love this tank, that leaf texture is perfect!


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## MrJG (Feb 21, 2007)

Thanks once again everyone. 

wantsome: Its salvinia natans which is about 5 times the size of duckweed so much less of a pest. It does block a good amount of light but everything in the tank is pretty much comfortable in low light. What it really does is keep GSA from forming on the glass as quickly as it might otherwise. It doesn't bug me at all to scrape really quick every 3 weeks or so.


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## sewingalot (Oct 12, 2008)

I am absolutely amazed by this tank, and excited. I am going to try growing a java fern and moss tank in my office and you have me adding crypts to the list. I love this tank. Just finished reading your whole post in your signature. Wish my first tank looked so good.


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## Tex Gal (Mar 28, 2008)

Very nice! A great tank to have at the office. Not much to do but great to look at!


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## EdTheEdge (Jan 25, 2007)

Very nice tank! Keep up the good work!


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## MrJG (Feb 21, 2007)

Thanks all! and whoever did it I appreciate the rating. :icon_redf 

sewingalot: Its taken almost 2 years for this tank to mature into how it looks now. If you read through that whole thread you can see how I changed, changed, and changed again with this tank. Once I finally made the decision to pull out all the stems I just left it alone. It taught me a lot about growing plants healthy and slowly without having to battle too much algae, dosing, and high light induced problems along the way. 

Tex Gal: Thanks. Its definitely one of the tanks that I get to sit and enjoy the most. There is one lone female CRS (low S grade) among all the cherries and its always cool to see her come out and add a splash of color to the tank. 

The coolest thing about this tank for me is that the crypts in the front are the only thing that is actually planted in the substrate. I had to pull everything out after these pics to remove a wily Golden Pristella Tetra that I couldn't catch otherwise. I think I got most everything back in there in the same position but I did move the larger fern on the left up a bit and pruned/rearranged the ferns on the back wall (rhizomes are tied to suction cups ). The "fern wall" is more solid now and the running equipment in the tank is virtually invisible. I'll try to snap a few pics of it this weekend if I get the chance.


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## sewingalot (Oct 12, 2008)

MrJG said:


> The coolest thing about this tank for me is that the crypts in the front are the only thing that is actually planted in the substrate. I had to pull everything out after these pics to remove a wily Golden Pristella Tetra that I couldn't catch otherwise. I think I got most everything back in there in the same position but I did move the larger fern on the left up a bit and pruned/rearranged the ferns on the back wall (rhizomes are tied to suction cups ). The "fern wall" is more solid now and the running equipment in the tank is virtually invisible. I'll try to snap a few pics of it this weekend if I get the chance.


A "fern wall?" Amazing. :eek5: I read through your journal and I must say this last scape is my favorite by far and definitely one of my favorite scapes on TPT. I actually brought in some java moss, driftwood and java ferns for my tank at work.


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## Mutant Fish (Dec 28, 2008)

Very nice tank, i don't see many hex tanks around especially planted. Great Work!


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## Neoman (Apr 4, 2005)

I've gotta agree with everyone else, amazing tank (especially for a hex,and low tech!)


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## taoyeah (Jan 9, 2008)

is it a DIY light?can you show me some pic of it.i have the same tank,but it came with a 13 watt light.cant grow any thing,even the java moss will die slowly.


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## MrJG (Feb 21, 2007)

Thanks peeps! :thumbsup:

Taoyea: Its a Current Satellite 1x18W fixture with a dual daylight bulb (6.5k, 10k). I did have to modify the hood that came with the tank by lopping the back of it off right behind the hinge (left a little 1/3 inch lip) and replacing the old piece with plexi-glass. It bends a bit between water changes so I just flip it when I do maintenance. Tried and failed 3 times trying to cut a glass piece to match. 








Fixture:
http://www.current-usa.com/satellite.html
http://www.petmountain.com/product/light-fixtures/503102/12-inch-1x18-watt-1001-.html


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## jeepn4x4 (Jan 27, 2008)

Tank looks awesome. Great job on your choices of plants. The texture on the leaves is very appealing. A+


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## blazeyreef (Mar 17, 2008)

looks very, very nice. I have always liked hex tanks, this just may inspire me to start one LOL


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## joy613 (Jun 19, 2007)

This tank is my favorite hex tank. I followed it on a different forum and it is amazing how you transformed it. I am always waiting on updates.


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## taoyeah (Jan 9, 2008)

is it the 12" one?
http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_AquariumPage~PageAlias~lighting_powercompact_compact-fluorescent_current-usa_satellite_sunpaq_fixtures.html


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## DarrylR (Oct 9, 2007)

Those are some huge marimo balls.


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## monkeyruler90 (Apr 13, 2008)

wow. that love this tank. that blue betta looks amazing!

and i love the current fixtures. im sure the night light must look great in this tall tank!


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## MrJG (Feb 21, 2007)

Thanks once again everyone for the kind words. 

Taoyeah: Yes its the 12" one. You'll have to buy a new bulb for it though as the one that comes with it is 50/50 actinic/10K. As we'll you'll definitely have to hack up the back of the stock hood and place something in the hole as that last pic shows. The fixture will not rest on top of the tank back there on its own. 

moneyruler: Thanks! Sadly the blue betta "franklin" passed away some time ago but he is the fish that got me started into tanks again as well as planted tanks in general so I have fond memories. The white LED night light is indeed the biz. I wish the light emitted from the LED wouldn't decrease with age. It still works ok but not nearly as good as it did when I first got the fixture. 

As I walked by to take pics of the 20 for an update I saw that "crystal" the female CRS was out (she lives alone among the RCS) so I snapped a few pics... not the greatest and there is still a little GDA on the glass since I haven't wiped since the last pics lol. 



















and one macro of one of the RCS legion cruising on the ferns:


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## sewingalot (Oct 12, 2008)

I am so in love with this tank every time I see it! I am wanting a hex now, too.


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## blazeyreef (Mar 17, 2008)

I just had to say one more time how much in love I am with this tank. Its all your fault that now im going to have to find a place to put a 10hex. This tank is just amazing!


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## MrJG (Feb 21, 2007)

I made a little video last weekend of this tank for a post in the "general discussion" section and figured I'd pop it over here before I forget. 

Not too much has changed with the tank. I've thinned out a number of things to sell, give away, or move to other tanks. I had just done a pretty good maintenance cycle on the tank the day before removing a lot of fern and moving the driftwood to try to expose some of it hidden back there.

10G hex video


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