# 2.5 Gallon Nano Rescape



## Damian (Jun 17, 2009)

So I've noticed that after a day or two I have realized that some of the substrate is orangish in color? I remember reading somewhere that it may be due to a bad batch? Regardless the bag was purchased months ago and I no longer have a receipt. Is there anything I can do with seeking some kind of retribution? haha. IDK.


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## AlexXx (Dec 1, 2009)

Looks like we are setting up nearly the same thing 

I have the same filter, tank, and light! waiting for plants now! 

yours is looking good!


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## RcScRs (Oct 22, 2009)

I love your rocks. You should spread your HC out more.


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## Damian (Jun 17, 2009)

AlexXx said:


> Looks like we are setting up nearly the same thing
> 
> I have the same filter, tank, and light! waiting for plants now!
> 
> yours is looking good!


haha awesome. I will have to stop by your journal when its up and running. Thanks!



RcScRs said:


> I love your rocks. You should spread your HC out more.


Thanks. And indeed I need to spread that HC. I got alittle impatient and shoved the rest of the pot in there. Still have an extra pot. I will do that later on today.


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## dacrax07 (Jan 10, 2009)

That small rock between the 3 big rocks seems one too many. Odd numbers of anything pleases the eyes (thats what I learned from art). I would take it out, but I'm just being extremely critical and it already looks great.


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## Damian (Jun 17, 2009)

dacrax07 said:


> That small rock between the 3 big rocks seems one too many. Odd numbers of anything pleases the eyes (thats what I learned from art). I would take it out, but I'm just being extremely critical and it already looks great.


I appreciate any and all criticism/advice. I agree with the rock layout. I was unsure of the setup but settled with whats shown. I am uncertain with the rock in the middle. Hmmm. I may pull it. Perhaps it might stay if I can find a nice small centerpiece stem to sit in front of it? IDK.


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## Damian (Jun 17, 2009)

Some progress today. I met up with Blue-Ram today at work and picked up some blyxa from him. Thanks Ram. He nailed it spot on when we met in the parking lot to exchange plant/money and stated that this straight up looks like a drug deal in the parking lot. Lots of weird looks from everyone around. Anyway onto the pics. Not sure if all the blyxa is gonna stay in here. Planted them in to get them acclimated and hopefully theyll bounce back soon. A stem or two didnt fit so they are in my 29 gallon. Also note that I'm messing with the settings on this Digital cam and hopefully the pics are getting better.


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## F22 (Sep 21, 2008)

looks good.. awesome photography


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## AlexXx (Dec 1, 2009)

love it, my plants havn't come yet 

hopefully they come 2marrow morning!


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## Damian (Jun 17, 2009)

F22 said:


> looks good.. awesome photography


Hey thanks. Not much change. These pictures are for my reference as far as size goes. Didnt realize the images ive uploaded were huge.


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## Damian (Jun 17, 2009)

AlexXx said:


> love it, my plants havn't come yet
> 
> hopefully they come 2marrow morning!


Looking forward to this! What kind of plants/layout are you going with?


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## Damian (Jun 17, 2009)

Update. My blyxa are starting to combat some green thread algae. As of right now I'm only dosing excel daily and flourish three times a week. the light i beleive is a 27watt? light from walmart. Its commonly used on nanos from others on this forum. Anyway is there any speculation that could be the problem. I'm having the lamp come on at noon and off at 10pm. Is it too much light? Perhaps I should raise it abit. Or could be be something with the cycle process? It has amazonia II with the ammonia levels reading I beleive 1ppm. I need to check that when I get home. For right now it only has blyxa and HC planted. I assume because these arent fast absorbers of nutrients that the cycle process is taking quite abit of time. Not sure. Any and all help appreciated. Pics when I get home.


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## wakesk8r (Nov 26, 2007)

HAHAHAH 
Looks good man!
Did you notice the old guy with the beard in the truck directly in front of your car? He definitely thought we were up to something.
If you dont end up liking the blyxa let me know and I can hook you up with some downoi.


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## Damian (Jun 17, 2009)

blue-ram said:


> HAHAHAH
> Looks good man!
> Did you notice the old guy with the beard in the truck directly in front of your car? He definitely thought we were up to something.
> If you dont end up liking the blyxa let me know and I can hook you up with some downoi.


No I didnt! Man I got some remarks from the parking lot attendant the next day stating "so uh....pretty up front about what you do eh?" I was laughing and had to explain to him exactly what had happened. I'll let you know about that downoi:thumbsup:. The blyxa is good. Just battling some thread algae atm. I believe it may be too much light.


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## TLE041 (Jan 16, 2010)

Have you thought about taking off the plastic edging and making your tank rimless? I've seen it done with pretty good results (assuming the glass is cut properly and has a finished edge).


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## Damian (Jun 17, 2009)

TLE041 said:


> Have you thought about taking off the plastic edging and making your tank rimless? I've seen it done with pretty good results (assuming the glass is cut properly and has a finished edge).


Ah yes. Ive seen others do this. I will if I cant get this HC to grow. I've broken two tanks trying to remove that rim. Got angry and gave up. haha. What is the proper way to plant hc? Mine is growing up instead of sideways?


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## AlexXx (Dec 1, 2009)

hey my tank is up finally! check it out!


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## blockclimber (Jan 11, 2010)

one day, my 2.5 will be pimp like yours, and one day ill have a post count high enough for me to put links and pictures up for you guys.....

i need to find a homedepot that sells those lights :icon_neut


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## AlexXx (Dec 1, 2009)

they are near the desk lamps  and are only like 20 bux now


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## Damian (Jun 17, 2009)

blockclimber said:


> one day, my 2.5 will be pimp like yours, and one day ill have a post count high enough for me to put links and pictures up for you guys.....
> 
> i need to find a homedepot that sells those lights :icon_neut


I actually bought mine from Wal Mart. It was 28 dollars I think. They stock them regularly. Im battling harsh green thread algae guys. Im dosing excel and flourish. Should I beef up the co2 with DIY to help combat it?


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## tak13 (Jan 12, 2010)

Your tank look very nice. I am also a beginner,so I hoping to learn more as your journal goes. Keep update!


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## Damian (Jun 17, 2009)

tak13 said:


> Your tank look very nice. I am also a beginner,so I hoping to learn more as your journal goes. Keep update!


Hey Thank you. I'm kinda a beginner when it comes to nano tanks with this being my first one. Won't know how you fare until you get your feet wet! Look forward to sharing ideas/criticism along the way. roud:


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## lookin_around (Dec 18, 2005)

Nice looking nano you've got there. Looks pretty similar to my setup. I've been through a lot of stuff that I'm sure you may face with your tank, so if you'd like, just check out my journal and I'm sure you'll get lots of info there. I've been fairly successful with my 2.5.

Happy planting!


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## Damian (Jun 17, 2009)

lookin_around said:


> Nice looking nano you've got there. Looks pretty similar to my setup. I've been through a lot of stuff that I'm sure you may face with your tank, so if you'd like, just check out my journal and I'm sure you'll get lots of info there. I've been fairly successful with my 2.5.
> 
> Happy planting!


I will run through your journal with a fine comb! Great tank btw. Thank you for the link back and i assure I will pester you when the time comes.:biggrin:


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## AlexXx (Dec 1, 2009)

*Dream2mkBlve*, its a good journal, i went through it all some time ago.


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## Damian (Jun 17, 2009)

So I will update with pics as soon as the wife returns with the camera but right now I need help with some fertilizing. I wanted to do liquid conversions of npk for the nano since it would make it alot easier to dose. I dose dry on my 29 gallon but for a 2.5 it seems rather difficult. I went skimming through lookin arounds journal and saw that he made a liquid conversion using the same plastic bottle dispensers I have but I dont recall seeing if he posted his "formula" as to how he did it. As of right now Im only dosing excel and flourish. My HC is rising off of the substrate and starting to yellow sadly. I have the ferts. Just need the right info for a tank of this size. Any help appreciated. Thank you.


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## Damian (Jun 17, 2009)

So I came across my thread again and decided to update this thing. Some changes to note. I pulled the HC. Gave up on it and will decide on if I will trek down that road again. I planted some UG awhile ago. Grew ok before I went pressurized. Running a Leland Nano NR24 regulator with a fabco needle valve. I will post pics when I remember to take some. The UG took off once set up. Scored a BioCube 14 stand from petco for $25. On to the pics. Moved the scape around. Thoughts? Started dosing ferts and thats when the blyxa started browning at the tips. Assuming too much phosphates? Stopped ferts as I'm assuming the aquasoil has enough of it for now. Also GDA was becoming an uphill battle before introducing co2. Disregard the floating UG. That will be RAOK soon.


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## Chrisinator (Jun 5, 2008)

Amazing tank!


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## Damian (Jun 17, 2009)

Chrisinator said:


> Amazing tank!


Thanks! It's been a learning experience. Here is also a quickshot of my 29 gallon aquarium that atm is pretty much on cruise control. May tear it down. Unsure yet. Might use it to house my female bettas. Should be a nice little upgrade from their 10 gallon.


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## dj2005 (Apr 23, 2009)

I think you've done a great job with the tank. Looks much bigger than a 2.5g, and the rocks go well with your plant selection.

As for the browning Blyxa, maybe it is due to the lighting? Blyxa usually turns reddish when it receives a decent amount of light.


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## Damian (Jun 17, 2009)

Hmm. That could be a possibility. Though they are brownish in color moreso than red. I believe it to be damage from the excel I was dosing this tank with before I started pressurized on it. Anyway thank you for the compliment. How has your 2.5 been coming along? Mine houses a halfmoon beta. His name is Furious Stylez or Furious for short. He loves it.


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## dj2005 (Apr 23, 2009)

Dream2MkBlve said:


> How has your 2.5 been coming along? Mine houses a halfmoon beta. His name is Furious Stylez or Furious for short. He loves it.


Since I started growing the HC emersed, half of it melted and the other half has adapted well. Growth was still slow so I decided to fill the tank, and it just finished filling a minute ago. I'm glad I gave the emersed HC enough time to form roots. 

Thanks to your journal, I am doing a similar Blyxa layout. I've been meaning to add Blyxa for months now but I never knew if it would look good or not.

And I was wondering what the blue bit was in a couple of your pictures. It's Furious!


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## WeedCali (Jun 21, 2010)

Never thought a 2.5 could look so nice


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## Damian (Jun 17, 2009)

*2.5 Gallon Nano(Update 7/12/10)*



WeedCali said:


> Never thought a 2.5 could look so nice


Ty. And for me personally the blyxa is kinda a pain to keep in the aquasoil. It's too light and not enough to weight the blyxa down. Took awhile for the root system to gain a hold of the tank.


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## ZooTycoonMaster (Jan 2, 2008)

Nice tank! I like the different hues of the UG and Blyxa right next to each other


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## Damian (Jun 17, 2009)

*2.5 Gallon Nano(Update 7/12/10)*

So as I was working today my loving and dear wife decided to dust my tanks and inadvertently(so she says) knocked over my pressurized unit(which I have clamped to the sidewall) and broke the parts highlighted in the pic. Sadly. So I'm gonna ask you guys if any of you have those parts lying around not in use I would be glad to purchase them from you. I would order from clippard if none are to be found but hoping to source them from you guys and avoid the expensive handling fees. I'll have those part numbers up soon. 

EDIT: Part #2CPF and 11999 PKG


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## Erin8D (Jul 24, 2010)

Wow, that looks incredible! Keep up the great work!!


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## Damian (Jun 17, 2009)

Erin8D said:


> Wow, that looks incredible! Keep up the great work!!


Thank you. Since my regulator is in shambles atm I am now looking at an algae factory. Cut back on the photoperiod and raised the light. It seems to be a combination of thread algae and blue green algae? I can rub some of it off and when I pull it out of the water its kinda soupy in texture. Green water algae? Not sure. Would like to dose excel for some spot treatments but in my experience the excel does some pretty harmful damage to my blyxa. Suggestions?


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## Damian (Jun 17, 2009)

Man has it been awhile. So after a battle with the algae farm and trying to get the tank under control somewhere amidst the struggle Furious became a casualty of war. I have no qualms and he lived a long 4 years. At that point I decided to tear the tank down and put it on hold for awhile. So here I am. I derimmed the tank and wanted to do a dry start with some HC and staurogyne. With little knowledge and skimming through all the dry start threads I jumped in with both feet. Tank was up about a month and I decided to fill it tonight because the HC slowed in growth and has started to yellow. Not much spreading as I had hoped but I will just purchase some more hc to fill in the bare areas. Anything in particular or I should pay attention to besides melt after the initial fill? Suggestions. Best practices. Feel free to comment/critique.


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## !shadow! (Jan 25, 2010)

looks good , I like the algae growing on rock. gives it a more natural feel imo.


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## Bree (Dec 17, 2010)

Very cool little tank! This style is my absolute favorite for smaller tanks, it always looks good and makes the tank look so much bigger!


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## Damian (Jun 17, 2009)

So I resurrected this tank after moving into our new house. The setup is the same minus the pressurized co2. Need a refill. I'm actually very pleased with the fluvall plant stratum. It plants well and no cloudiness. I did not need to rinse it. 
Pics were taken with iPhone. Will take better ones tomorrow.


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## Wicket_lfe (Aug 21, 2008)

Awesome, thats blyxa in the background right? I'm about to start a 2.5 as well, looking for some inspiration and your tank is def one of them.


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## Damian (Jun 17, 2009)

Wicket_lfe said:


> Awesome, thats blyxa in the background right? I'm about to start a 2.5 as well, looking for some inspiration and your tank is def one of them.


Correct that is blyxa in the background. Gonna try and carpet the foreground just to the right of the three rock set with ug. Thank you for the kind words. There's also an ei fert regimen for a 2.5 around here somewhere. Very helpful.


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## Wicket_lfe (Aug 21, 2008)

actually, im going to drill a bulkhead and connect it to my main tank, so it would just follow the CO2 and ferts I already add in the main tank.

Trying to decide on a foreground plant, but def want blyxa with a driftwood flame moss wall for the background.


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## Damian (Jun 17, 2009)

Sounds awesome. Any ideas on a foreground? Are you looking for a carpet or some kind of stem? I thought about doing staurogyne as a foreground carpet. I think it looks amazing.


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## Wicket_lfe (Aug 21, 2008)

looking for a carpet. I would go with Marsilea Minuta but it's hard to find a seller, and my existing plants are recovering soooo slowly. lol.


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## Damian (Jun 17, 2009)

So after three WHOLE days of setting up I came home to this. Needless to say I was disappointed but can't blame anyone but myself. Left the lid off and the cats clumsingly found their fountain of youth. Went to my lfs an purchased this rimless tank. It's a 3gallon rimless with the front edges rounded out. The clarity is great although the workmanship of the silicone could use some work. But at $20 I can't complain nor should be surprised.


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## radioman (Oct 29, 2007)

I have Blyxa japonica in my 2.5g and I love how the plants look so big in them.


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## i'm a ninja (Aug 2, 2009)

Thats a bummer, I was always afraid to de-rim a a tank for fear of an incident much like yours. I hope the kitties are ok, busted tank glass can be very sharp (just ask my hands). The new tank looks great, I like the curved corners.


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## Damian (Jun 17, 2009)

radioman said:


> I have Blyxa japonica in my 2.5g and I love how the plants look so big in them.


Much agreed.


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## Damian (Jun 17, 2009)

i'm a ninja said:


> Thats a bummer, I was always afraid to de-rim a a tank for fear of an incident much like yours. I hope the kitties are ok, busted tank glass can be very sharp (just ask my hands). The new tank looks great, I like the curved corners.


They are fine although very terrified. They've been hiding all day which makes me chuckle abit. Like children they hide when they know they've done something wrong.


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