# Aqueon Evolve 8 (Bolbitus Grove) Picture Intensive



## Pooky125 (Jul 30, 2002)

I ordered an Evolve 8 as a slightly belated christmas present to myself. It arrived today, and was promptly set up. Thus far, I've left everything stock, with the intention of running it the way it was intended, before I go about playing with it for my uses.

I always INTEND to take pictures of the unboxing, setup and final project. I never do. The camera is missing, my hands are wet, theres a 12 foot circle around the tank thats completely demolished, and it just never happens. Hopefully, slightly foggy tank pictures, of a first impression will be good enough.

With that said, my first impressions were good. I got it from petco for 79.99 with free shipping, and was here in three days. (I believe this sale is still going on, by the way.) Upon unboxing, I noticed a few small scuff marks, but they were towards the edges where it was unlikely anyone would ever notice. I'm fairly OCD and decided it wasn't worth fussing about, and got on with it. There were also a few VERY tiny scratches on the interior of the tank. I suspect this has to do with its packaging. Inside the aquarium itself, was a small bubble wrapped package with water conditioner and food, and a small cardboard box holding the adapter for the lighting. My suspicion is in shipping the cardboard box bounced around and left tiny scratches. They disappeared upon filling, so I'm pretty over it.

The tank comes supplied with 2 covers, a black one to go over the filter compartment, and a clear one to go over the tank itself. This sounds like a really superb idea. So far, it's sort of a pain. Neither fit terribly well, and with the cords coming from the over flow, it makes the cover sit in an awkward position. Add to that the clear cover is a little short for its opening, and I suspect it's going to get dunked quite a bit. I did it twice in 3 minutes just as I was fiddling with the lights. Annoying. If it weren't for the cats, I'd just toss them all together. We'll see how long they last.

The lighting comes with 30 white LED's and 5 blue ones. When it's turned on to the II position, both colors turn on, making the lighting in the tank pleasingly bright. With that said, it should be noted that I ONLY keep low light, easy care plants. If you're a light junkie, save yourself the trouble, buy a clip on Finnex or Archaea light. I suspect the LED's will suit my purposes just fine, but if you're looking for something beyond crypts and bolbitus, you'll want more lighting. I'm not entirely sure it will support plant life yet, as this is my first go with LED's, but I can say my retinas are thoroughly disapproving. In the I position, just the moonlights are on. They appear to make for very minimal amounts of lighting, though with the still slightly cloudy water it's hard to tell. Either way, there doesn't appear to be a way to set them on different timers without doing some major DIY work. Bummer. 

The filter is surprisingly efficient. As a general rule, I assume stock filters are going to be noisy, and underpowered. Thus far, I'm finding this to not be that case. It isn't silent, but it's not rattling either. I can hear a soft buzz, but between the air pumps, timers, and other animals in the room, it's not bothersome. This may also have something to do with its placement. It doesn't bother me, so I haven't tried fiddling around with it to see if theres a better position for it to be in. If you are a very light sleeper, however, you might want to stick the tank in a different room, just in case. The directional flow is short, but efficient, keeping it from stirring up my gravel but the water moving nicely. There's a soft way to the plants, but poor Mr Betta can still grab in a gulp of air. The overflow doesn't seem to have a terrible hard pull on it, making me think this could be a lovely shrimp tank, if you put a small sponge out of it to keep them from climbing on in there. I opted to stick with the filter cartridge that came with the tank for at least a few days, to see how effectively it cleared up my water. However I intend to replace it with a large sponge and some biological material. There are 2 overflow compartments. Both are quite large, and I suspect a good deal of media could be crammed into them. On the left is the filter media, the right the pump. I had plenty of room in the pump compartment to stick a small preset heater. I have no doubts that a larger, more accurate heater would fit in there instead.

I also seemed to have SERIOUSLY miscalculated the floor space in this tank. Only about half of the plants that were in the 5.5 this replaced fit in the tank. I suspect that's mostly due to me neglecting to trim it at any point in the last year, and it being horribly overgrown. At any rate, it's not a terribly large foot print, so, keep that in mind. (And for you Oregon locals, after I give my sister in law a chance at picking through what she wants, the rest will be up for sale to you!) 

Overall I'm quite pleased with it. As it's been in my hands an entire 3 hours, it's still a bit early to tell long term, but I think it should do me quite well.

Bonus points to anyone who actually READ all of that. Good lord!

And now, on to the actual JOURNAL part of this journal.

*Tank *
*Set up 12/30/2011
*Miracle Grow Organic Choice Potting soil, half inch thick, capped with between 1 and 2 inches of the finest eco complete particles I could get. I ran it through a strainer. There also appears to be a touch of laterite in the mix. So far, I like it.
*Stock filter
*Stock Lighting
*Preset 25 Watt submersible heater set to 78*

*Flora*
*Bolbitus
*Anubias barteri nana
*Crypt Willissi (I think? possibly lucens or lutea)

*Fauna*
*1 Male Betta









Full cloudy shot









Just the tank









Moon Light


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## acitydweller (Dec 28, 2011)

i also orderd an evolve, but the 4 gallon version. Did your kit come with an a/c adapter to power the led's or is that meant to be a separate accessory? more often than not, the stuff i buy from petco tends to have missing parts... might be just my luck.


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## Pooky125 (Jul 30, 2002)

Mine came with. I wasn't even aware you could buy the A/C adapter separately. I've had a few problems with items from petco missing bits, but that wasn't the case with this one. Let me know how you like the 4 gallon. I'm curious to see if it's the same lighting system on all of the tanks, or if they proportion them down. It's hard to tell from their pictures.


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## acitydweller (Dec 28, 2011)

I'm going to be home tomorrow and plan to set it up. I'll snap some pics and post them up.

btw, Happy New Year!


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## Pooky125 (Jul 30, 2002)

Happy new year to you too! Can't wait to see the pics!


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## Pooky125 (Jul 30, 2002)

Clearing up nicely


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## ekphoto (Jan 1, 2012)

Hi everyone, can anyone tell me how many watts the leds have on the 2,4 and 8 aqueon evolves?
Thanks


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## Pooky125 (Jul 30, 2002)

I really wish I could. Unfortunately, there's no mention of it on any of the packaging, and I'm not sure how to tell by looking at them. I know on the 8, there's 30 of the white LED's, but beyond that I have no idea.


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## Pooky125 (Jul 30, 2002)

Officially crystal clear! The plants are looking good so far. 3 yellow crypt leaves that will probably melt off in the next week or so. Not unexpected. I've also started to see some new growth. My anubias is putting up a new leaf, and my crypts have sent up a few as well. So far, I'm quite pleased. 









Full tank shot









Little bit closer.









New growth! (doesn't look that yellow in person, clearly my processing skills are a little rusty.)









Token shot of it's only residence









Moonlights


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## jemminnifener (Nov 23, 2011)

I read all of that post!  Is the lid still flimsy and annoying to work with now that you've had some time to play with the tank?


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## Pooky125 (Jul 30, 2002)

It's not so much flimsy, as it just doesn't fit very well. I've dropped it in once or twice, as has my sister in law, but we seem to have a method figured out now. It's certainly not cat proof, but I don't seem to be throwing it into the water as often.


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## Blackheart (Jul 5, 2011)

Is the filter really strong?


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## Pooky125 (Jul 30, 2002)

It's not like, reef tank strong, but it should be plenty satisfactory to do what you need it to do. If I move the outlet into the wrong place, it blows my sand all over the place. I think you can adjust the powerhead, though I haven't tried yet.


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## acitydweller (Dec 28, 2011)

ive adjusted the water pump in my 4gal to the lowest setting, then pointed the head in the tank towards my heater. It doesnt seem to trouble my betta at the least (at least for the past two days)


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## Pooky125 (Jul 30, 2002)

With the flow turned all the way down, do you still find it to sufficiently over turn the water in the tank?


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## dukesofhazzard (Jan 7, 2012)

I also purchased an evolve tank as a belated xmas gift to myself haha, I finally got it in the mail yesterday (of course petco started selling all sizes in the store the day after i ordered, argh) and I'm pretty happy with it. Its the 4 gallon model, and BTW there are fewer lights- mine has 20 white LEDs and 2 moonlight LEDs. The moonlights are super bright though, so it seems to be fine. The floor space is a bit less than I anticipated as well, and the lid on mine has a few scuffs too, but nothing major. I'm going to set it up as a semi-hardscape with white sand, rocks, driftwood, and one or two mossballs over the weekend. I'll try to remember to post a pic after I do! Thanks for the post!


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## dukesofhazzard (Jan 7, 2012)

Oh, and I was irritated by the fact that the box shows a picture of the light for the 8 gal model with a teeny tiny caption reading "evolve 8 shown, actual lights may vary" ;o


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## Pooky125 (Jul 30, 2002)

I can't wait to see pictures! I didn't even try going to the store to see if they had them. I just pulled the trigger and hoped for the best.


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## bastage (Dec 21, 2011)

So for those with the Evolve.. Can you tell me how the lids fit. I went & checked them out in petco & it appears to me that the lid will slide back & fall into the tank. Is this the case?


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## Pooky125 (Jul 30, 2002)

Yeah, they aren't a great fit. I'll be the first to say that, but you get used to it. I knock them in a lot less now then I did when I first had it, but it still sometimes gets a dunk. I'm half tempted to try the tank without the big lid, but it does seem to be persuading the cats to keep out of it.


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## Blackheart (Jul 5, 2011)

I just opened up my Evolve 4 for the first time out of the packaging. Is it really 4 gallons? because it really doesnt look like it, the space is really small. 

Wish I would have known that, or else I probably would have gotten the 8


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## Pooky125 (Jul 30, 2002)

According to the basic dimensions given on petco, it works up to be about 5.5 gallons. With that said, the 8 gallon worked up to be about 10, but after hardscape and substrate, I put in closer to 7. So, if I had to guess, yeah, it really probably is about 4 gallons. It's just a strange shape to work with. If you ordered it from petco, you can return it for the store, or exchange it and get the 8 instead...


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## Blackheart (Jul 5, 2011)

I got it from Petsmart


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## Pooky125 (Jul 30, 2002)

You still might be able to exchange it.


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## SemperFish (Mar 13, 2010)

Any updates on how the evolve is working out for you Pooky? I bought an aqueon 4 a couple of weeks ago. Still planning on how to scape it, substrate it, and what plants to rob from my 55 gallon to put in it.


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## Pooky125 (Jul 30, 2002)

As far as I know, it's going well. Unfortunately, the way my schedule has worked out right now, ensures that I've been away from it for the last week and a half. My sister in law has been dropping in food for the betta every few days, and she tells me the plants are doing all right, but I'm anxious to see it for myself. With any luck I'll be back in town this weekend and can snap a few pictures, and pack it up to move it back with me. When I left I was seeing some signs of new growth and a bit of crypt melt. 

Here are a few pictures I failed to post from 1-8-2012, which I believe was the day I left.


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## SemperFish (Mar 13, 2010)

Nice looking tank. Hopefully within a couple of weeks I will have mine up and running. I will post some pics when I do. I don't plan on using the aqueon filter and cut my on foam filter and add bio media. I'm thinking about using the miracle gro, peat, and laterite mix capped with black sand. I have several types of anubias that I plan to use along with java moss and a crypt wendtii. Hopefully I can find some marsilea minuta to use as a foreground but if not im just going to use crypt parva. I'm now trying to find a small branchy piece of driftwood to use so I can get started. Let us know how it looks when you get back home to it.


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## Montanalady (Jan 22, 2012)

I just set up my evolve 8 and I don't see any water movement. Have I done something wrong? I just plugged it in as it came and put the filter in the groove. I tried getting help from online assistance but wasn't able to get anywhere. Thanks up front!


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## SemperFish (Mar 13, 2010)

Montanalady said:


> I just set up my evolve 8 and I don't see any water movement. Have I done something wrong? I just plugged it in as it came and put the filter in the groove. I tried getting help from online assistance but wasn't able to get anywhere. Thanks up front!


The pump should make a little noise when its plugged in and running. You can disconnect the tube from the spray nozzle an pull up the pump, it does have a flow control on it. It's also possible that the pump may be bad.


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## Pooky125 (Jul 30, 2002)

I know a friend of mine picked up the 4 gallon version last week, and his pump wasn't connected to the spray nozzle. Was yours? I've heard a few other people say they'd gotten faulty pumps with this setup. I suspect theres some quality control issues going on. You could try contacting the manufacturer and getting a replacement.


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## Pooky125 (Jul 30, 2002)

nanoscaper said:


> Tranquility to me is key when it comes to my aquariums.. Loud buzzing from some poorly made submersible pump is just annoying. The Evolve8 concept is great but the quality, for me anyways, It's just not there, especially at the high price of $87. Essential, you're getting a cheapo plastic tank (with scratches in it from shipping more than likely) a loud pump, a not so great filter and insufficient lighting at a nice premium price. The Eco Pico, Ehiem, Finnex nano tanks etc are a better purchase in my opinion. No disrespect to Aqueon as some of their products are decent. I've used their plant food, heaters and fish food with no complaints. The only thing I liked about this tank was the size, the curved corners and the fact a heater could be hidden in the rear chamber for that stealth, minimal look.


I would LOVE to know where you found an Eheim 9 gallon aquastyle for 80 dollars shipped to my doorstep. Or an 8 gallon Finnex. No really, no sarcasm here. I scoured the internet looking for a reasonably priced Eheim and was disappointed when I couldn't find one. 

The Eco Pico is also closer to 90 or 100 after shipping, is only 5 gallons over the 8 of the Evolve, and from the reviews I've read, the lighting is fairly subpar for anything beyond plastic plants. 

And really, while these are all setups that come with everything, I don't really know that I'd consider any of them to be a true all in one system, like a Nano Cube, or Oceanic Biocube. At least in the, clean lines, no equipment in the tank, sense. 

Now granted, the Nano Cubes only come in 6, 12, and 24 gallon sizes, but even the 6 gallon tank is running for 120ish before shipping prices. And the 8 gallon Biocube is nearing 200. Not to mention both companies also usually have some pretty serious over heating issues. I've heard a lot of complaints on the noise issue with them to. I think the manufacturers are having a hard time finding a small, quiet submersible pump. 

Yes, the tank has it's flaws. It's price is not one of them, at least compared to what else is currently on the market. With any luck, in a few years, more companies will have worked this out and we can start seeing better quality for smaller price tags. 

As for me, I didn't need the powerful lighting. I don't do co2 injection, I don't use water column fertilization, and I'm not on a mission to try every new plant that comes into the hobby. I wanted a low maintenance, simple aquarium with a clean look. I got that. I'm happy. Especially since it fit into my budget, which none of the others did. 

Also, my pump is pretty quiet, and it's flow adjusters work. I'm wondering if you got a faulty one? Or if I got the unusually well functioning one? This has been a common complaint from people I've talked to so far. Aqueon must be having some quality control issues.


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## nanoscaper (Jan 19, 2012)

I saw a Finnex 4 gal online with light and hob filter for 50, looked pretty good. But, youre right not much out there in the complete system market for under a 100 that is 8 gallons. I returned my Evolver btw and purchased a 6 gal aquastyle. It was a few bucks more but i'm really liking the look of it and the filter setup. In retrospect the evolve tanks are pretty cool looking and yours btw looks real nice. Just that dang sub pump on mine was soo loud and the tank itself had some scratches in it, kinda bummed me out. 
Does your filter move the water around enough on the top? My evolve was pretty stag and hardly moved water around.
btw youre right about the biocubes. i also own a 14 gallon biocube and the fan is pretty loud and at times it goes into a frenzy even. The lighting is great, tanks beautiful, filter is meh.. picked it up brand new for 119 at petsmart last year, what a deal. Currently im not using it, but at somepoint hope to do a small reef setup of sort. Good luck with the Evolver, may it be problem free.


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## Pooky125 (Jul 30, 2002)

Yeah, it seems to move water just fine. If I position the outlet just right, I get the little cyclone like a lily pipe. I wonder if your impeller was sitting in your pump wrong? That could have accounted for the noise and the lack of movement.


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## nanoscaper (Jan 19, 2012)

Well, at this point I don't own the thing. It could have been what you described? I'd buy one again perhaps, but would wanna open the box and look it over of course, checking the pump out via plugging it in etc. The three they had at my Petsmart were jacked as hell (In terms of scratches, pumps etc.) Which was most of the reason for my return. An exchange wasn't to be had. 
On a sidenote, how are you plants doing in the Evolve 8?
Also, You're using Miracle Grow Organic Choice Potting soil? That's a first for me. Didn't know you could use that stuff in an aquarium? Does it harm fish? Create ph changes or anything? It looks really natural, i'm digging it. Is a bag of that cheaper than eco complete or aquarium plant substrate?

Cheers! ps. Sorry for all the q's.


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## Basil (Jul 11, 2011)

Yup. The MGOC is alot cheaper than those substrates. It won't harm your fish but it will have an ammonia spike and will mess with PH some. If you plan on going the Dirt route then plant very heavily (75% of the bottom) with stem/root feeding plants. That way the plants start taking up the nutrients and ammonia before it gets too high. But now that the plants have plenty of food, they'll want more light to fuel growth.


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## Pooky125 (Jul 30, 2002)

nanoscaper said:


> Well, at this point I don't own the thing. It could have been what you described? I'd buy one again perhaps, but would wanna open the box and look it over of course, checking the pump out via plugging it in etc. The three they had at my Petsmart were jacked as hell (In terms of scratches, pumps etc.) Which was most of the reason for my return. An exchange wasn't to be had.
> On a sidenote, how are you plants doing in the Evolve 8?
> Also, You're using Miracle Grow Organic Choice Potting soil? That's a first for me. Didn't know you could use that stuff in an aquarium? Does it harm fish? Create ph changes or anything? It looks really natural, i'm digging it. Is a bag of that cheaper than eco complete or aquarium plant substrate?
> 
> Cheers! ps. Sorry for all the q's.


I think pulling it out and looking it over would be a wise choice. Often they'll let you do that if you tell them your reservations about it. 

So, due to life taking a few unfortunate side roads, instead of going where I expected it, I haven't actually been home to see my aquarium, in almost 3 weeks now. My sister in law is dropping in food for mr betta, and doing water changes and top offs for me, and reports that all is well, but I'm anxious to see it for myself. As it stands, the next time I see it I'll be moving it, so, the sooner the better in my world. 

I've used MGOCPS in a few tanks before all with great success. Crypts in particular really seem to love it. A bag of it runs about 5 dollars, can be found even in the dead of winter, and can easily do several small aquariums. I bought a bag, and have soiled a 10 gallon, a 5.5 gallons, this 8 gallon, and have enough left for at least one more nano, if not 2 or 3. It doesn't take much, I put maybe 1/4-1/2" on the bottom of the tank, then cap it. In this case I capped it with only the finest particles of eco complete. Most people cap it with basic pea gravel, pool filter sand, or blasting sand. Eco just happens to be what I had on hand at the time. If you pick your capping material correctly, it can be much less expensive then plant specific substrate and, in my experience, the plants grow MUCH better. I've used flourite, laterite, and eco complete in the passed. Nothing has come even close to the level of growth I've experienced with soil these last few years.

Mr betta seems to appreciate the slightly softer water and faster growing plants I get from it, but I would be hesitant to use it with fish prone to digging. The kuhli loaches I had in the passed didn't bother it, but the dwarf cichlids did a number. They thought it was fabulous for laying eggs on though, so, I guess there's a plus to that... Pain to clean up though.

It's also not for someone who intends to rescape regularly. Pick where your plants are going once, and leave them there. Shuffling around pulls up a lot of the dirt from under the capping material and makes it all a mess. You don't want to go there. 

Don't apologize for asking questions. If it weren't for people asking questions, this forum would not exist!


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## xjasminex (Jul 26, 2011)

So I think I'm going to be buying this tank too, the 8 gallon. When you get home pictures would be very welcome! I plan on only putting anubias, java fern and moss in it. I have soil tanks too and for this one I think I'm planning on keeping it soil free so I can mess with it all I want!

Thanks for all your input about this tank and it's lighting it was very helpful!


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## Pooky125 (Jul 30, 2002)

xjasminex said:


> So I think I'm going to be buying this tank too, the 8 gallon. When you get home pictures would be very welcome! I plan on only putting anubias, java fern and moss in it. I have soil tanks too and for this one I think I'm planning on keeping it soil free so I can mess with it all I want!
> 
> Thanks for all your input about this tank and it's lighting it was very helpful!


I will most definitely be taking photos! 

Glad my rambling was useful to someone. Haha. Please, PLEASE post pictures when you get it up and running. Can't wait to see it!


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## xjasminex (Jul 26, 2011)

I will do, i just bought it today, it wasnt going to be on sale anymore after today, so after free shipping, the sale price and a five dollar coupon from my pals card the total was 80.99. 

Its for my female betta thats in a three gallon bowl. Im having an issue with clado algae with it, plus i think she needs a bigger tank now that she is well feed and has grown.


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## Pooky125 (Jul 30, 2002)

The good, the bad, and the ugly.

The Good:
I FINALLY managed to go and retrieve the aquarium today, after a solid 3 weeks since I'd last seen it. The plants had grown in well, the crypts had stopped melting, and it all was starting to look like it was settling in nicely. The verdict, this light is perfecly comfortable with low light plants. And, as an added bonus, the new tank brown algae had yet to appear, so the water was crystal clear, and the plants a lovely, luscious bright green. I was quite pleased with that aspect of it.

The Bad:
Mr. Betta passed last night. My sister in law fish sitter said he looked fine yesterday when she fed him, but by the time we had arrived there today, he was quite dead. I suspect it had been a fairly fresh death, as the snails hadn't gotten to him yet. Poor Mr. Betta. The aquarium will stay empty for another week or two while it adjusts itself to our local water here, and then I shall try restocking again. At this point, I'm thinking a small colony of a currently unknown shrimp, a couple of sparkling gouramis, and possibly a small school of chili rasboras, but I'm totally open to other peoples thoughts. 

The Ugly:
Needless to say, the dead Mr. Betta caught me a bit off guard when I got there, and I forgot to take pictures of it in its pre-teardown state. Now it's set back up, but as I was pouring in water, I sneezed, which led to a large splash, which lead to foggy water. Go me! Anyway, needless to say, the water is a bit mucky at the moment. The filter is on high and it's clearing up fairly rapidly, so I'm hoping to have an updated picture either later tonight or tomorrow evening. Ultimately though, it looks pretty much the same.


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## xjasminex (Jul 26, 2011)

Aww, im sorry about your Mr. betta....mine also just jumped ship, the one i bought this tank for actually, she had a two inch area to jump out of and she did...i bawled! 

When the water clears i would love to see the tank! I should get mine on Wednesday, im not going to rush into setting it up because i dont actually have a fish to put in it now, but im going to be on the hunt for some good drift wood and what not.


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## Pooky125 (Jul 30, 2002)

I'm starting to think maybe these tanks weren't meant for bettas. Also, are you going to use the filter cartridges that come supplied with the tank? Or are you going to swap them out for something else?

I opted for the switch method, and bought a set of foam filter inserts for a fluval 104/105 They fit across filter compartment perfectly, but were about an inch to short. So I pushed one all the way to the bottom, and pulled the other up to cover the intake, and stuffed the rest of the compartment with filter floss. So far, so good. At some point I might buy some of this to stuff down in there as well, for better biological filtration, but we'll see.


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## xjasminex (Jul 26, 2011)

Not sure yet, I need to see it in person before I start changing things. I do think I will be adding some kinda of bio media too. However I'm not a fan of carbon, it's great if you need to remove chemicals but other than that the filter is there to push water around, filter big particles and provide living area for beneficial bacteria. So in the end I will probably change it too. 

I am also planning on buying this piece of driftwood for it...

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/swap-n-shop/163164-fs-cool-piece-driftwood.html

I know I will have to trim it down to fit in the tank with the hood on but I really think its going to look great! I'm thinking some round rocks in front of the wood, with anubias attached to them with the roots between the wood and rocks, then some needle leaf java fern attached to the back of the driftwood with the leaves above the wood to create a nice background. Then I'll get some mini pelia, and rub it on the wood/ make it stay somehow to create a nice mossy looking forest look. Then I would really love some marselia minuta for a carpet. I think that would look fab! Now I only need to do it, aquascaping always sound easy and simple but it doesn't always turn out the way you envision it!


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## Pooky125 (Jul 30, 2002)

I saw that piece and admired it. I worry about it overpowering the aquascape though. That's a big piece of wood for a fairly small footprint.


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## xjasminex (Jul 26, 2011)

Very true, I plan on taking the dremmel to it as well, shortening it and what not, I saw a small tank with some similar wood and I loved it, if I find the journal I'll shoot you the link, I'm hoping to have enough contrast too, with the green plants and the rocks and substrate to not let it look dark and dreary.


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## xjasminex (Jul 26, 2011)

Heres the thread with the wood, they are not the same but I like the look!

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/planted-nano-tanks/117321-zeldars-mini-m-driftwood-mountain.html


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## xjasminex (Jul 26, 2011)

I got my tank today!
I had like five mins to unpack it and look at it before i had to put it back and leave!

Tonight i plan on testing it out to make sure that the pump works.

It looks really nice, i havent had time to really examine it but it looked like it has a nice build and i just love how thick the acrylic is!


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## Pooky125 (Jul 30, 2002)

Yeah, the acrylic is shockingly thick for such a small aquarium. I think it gives it a nice look though.

FINALLY took some pictures today. Moving is hectic and busy! It's not in it's final resting place, unfortunately. Just a holding spot for now until the dresser it lives on shows up on Saturday. I've taken off the cover as one of my cats is OBSESSED with the aquarium. He doesn't care no fish or shrimp are currently inhabiting it. It's a glass box, and that means he has to smash his face into it and pour water everywhere at least once a day. Come this weekend it will be behind closed doors from him, and then the cover will probably go back on.

I also thinner out the bolbitus a bit in back and removed one of the anubias. While it was lovely and lush looking, it didn't make for much space for the plants to grow. Hopefully this way, I can avoid having to thin it out again in 6 weeks when everything becomes a completely overgrown mess. The crypts are sending up lots of new leaves, though I lost a leaf or two from melt after last weeks move. Hopefully that will be the end of it, and we can get some good growth going on now. 


MyImage_2 by minnesotapooky, on Flickr


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## dukesofhazzard (Jan 7, 2012)

I didn't like the original setup I had for my 4gal so I've taken it apart and im going to set it up as a nano "iwagumi" type, I've got a cool rock and I ordered some dwarf hc, star moss, dwarf hairgrass, and some other types of moss. im also adding a co2 system. we'll see how it goes, its very cold here in Maine so I really hope my plants get here alive in the first place. I wish I could order the light from the 8gal tank to use on this one, its got so many more leds!


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## Pooky125 (Jul 30, 2002)

Have you tried contacting Aqueon? They might sell you just the light.


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## xjasminex (Jul 26, 2011)

That would be cool, i wonder what two of the 8 gallon lights on the 8 gallon would be like as far as the plants go...would it be overkill?


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## Pooky125 (Jul 30, 2002)

I highly doubt it. Two of the 8 gallon lights on an 8 gallon might give enough light for the majority of this forum to consider the tank as a viable option for growing more then just the most basic of plants. Although, given what it would probably cost to get another aqueon light figure, you mine as well order a archae fixture instead.


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## xjasminex (Jul 26, 2011)

Very true, im hoping this light will grow mm and vals too so when i get some i will find out!


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## skindy (Jan 30, 2012)

It's looking good! Seems like everyone's cat is obsessed with the tanks


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## Pooky125 (Jul 30, 2002)

Jasime - I would think this would be plenty of light for MM and vals. I've always had good luck growing vals under low light, but for some reason, MM has never taken off for me. Other people seem to get it to grow nicely, albeit slowly, in conditions similar to these.

Skindy - You know, it's weird. I'm actually in the process of moving, but I just moved out of a house with 5 cats, none of whom gave a hoot about my fish tank, or my chinchillas. They'd stop by for the occasional drink when the cover was off, but wouldn't press their luck with it. Moved someplace else with 2 cats, who, even though its empty, won't leave it alone! Constantly harassing Gary and his companions. It's so bizarre.


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## xjasminex (Jul 26, 2011)

My cats love empty boxes, whether it's a fish tank or cardboard or plastic, they want to be in it! I was thinking if I could get my hands on mm I would dry start it or use DIY co2 for the Val's, mm and mini pelia to jump start them, as soon as I know my substrate is on its way I will post a thread in the swap and shop and start looking for the mini pelia and mm.


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## dukesofhazzard (Jan 7, 2012)

So I'm now running the 8gal light on my 4gal tank, someone at work who has no interest in plants traded hers for mine because she thought hers was too bright and likes to leave the moonlight on at night, can't believe my luck lol. Its much brighter, now if I'm really lucky all the plants and moss will be at the po box and alive when i go check in a minute. I've already got my ista co2 setup, substrate, etc now I just need the plants!


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## Pooky125 (Jul 30, 2002)

Awesome! Lucky find. Curious to see how it works out for you! My light seems to be working out pretty well so far. It's hard to see much of a change in the day to day in a low tech tank.


MyImage_37 by minnesotapooky, on Flickr
Certainly doesn't stop me from taking regular pictures though, if only for myself. The bolbitus is still looking a little burnt on a few stems, but there's enough new growth that it's becoming less obvious without searching for it. 

I'm expecting an order of shrimp for it sometime next week. Thinking of putting an IAL or two in now, so they'll be good and mushy by the time the shrimp get here. Also have a few pieces of driftwood soaking in my bathtub. Hoping they'll water log at some point in the near future, so I can do a minor rescape for a slightly larger, more obvious piece of wood. Until then, this is working for me.


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## Pooky125 (Jul 30, 2002)

The shrimp are here and settled in, so I thought I'd take a few updated pictures. The leaf litter on the bottom is lovely, and I don't really mind looking at a tannin stained tank, but boy am I bad at taking pictures of it. The tank is due for a water change tomorrow, perhaps I'll try for more pictures later this week. Or do something REALLY crazy and pull out the dSLR. Not sure that won't make it all worse, but we shall see.









Anyway, onward. The tank now contains 15 (ish) tiger shrimp. Your standard, semi wild variety. They are by far and away the most active shrimp I've ever had before. Constantly all over the tank, swimming this way and that way. They've started to settle down a bit, but not as much as I would hope. None the less, I'm satisfied, and am hoping they'll start to breed soon. They came to me as quite large looking adults, and I think I see saddles, so maybe a nice water change will inspire some berries to appear.

























Clearly a shrimp photographer, I am not.

In other news, post move, I found some additional flat space, and have re-setup my old 5.5 gallon. 








I don't have many plans for it yet, and clearly need some plants for it. Not quite sure what direction I'm taking it yet though, so for now it's just going to hang out like this until I can get my hands on a working air pump, a small heater, and some flora. And probably a new bulb. This old t-8 has to be ATLEAST 3 years old and gives off quite a purple look. Not my favorite.


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## xjasminex (Jul 26, 2011)

I like it, it looks wild! And the tiger shrimp look great in it, they have a wild feel too because they arnt all pretty and perfect like crs. I want mine to eventually have a wild look too! 

Great job!


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## Pooky125 (Jul 30, 2002)

Thanks! It's growing on me. With todays water change though, the water is MUCH clearer. Took a few new pictures tonight, as yesterdays were terrible. Also pulled out the big guns for it. Now, mind, I haven't used this camera in well over a year, so cut me a little slack while I get back into the swing of manual focus again. But for now, these will do. 









I'll stop down the lens a little more next time. Haha. Wasn't even thinking about it when I shot this picture wide open. Fail.


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## xjasminex (Jul 26, 2011)

Love the shrimp! 
The pics look great, wish i had a nicer camera, my tanks look so much better in person a my pics don't do them justice!


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## Pooky125 (Jul 30, 2002)

Thanks! I actually have three cameras currently. I'm just usually to lazy to get out the SLR. evidently, I need to suck it up. The pictures improved remarkably considering I don't have an off camera flash at the moment. My best advice, more light! I stuck a 26 watt CF over the tank in addition to the LED lights. Made a HUGE difference.


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## Pooky125 (Jul 30, 2002)

First berried shrimp, and another looking like it's going to molt tonight. Not to bad for them being in the tank less then a week.


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## xjasminex (Jul 26, 2011)

Yay, I really like the looks of these tiger shrimp!


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## Overgrowth (Feb 19, 2012)

Nice tank! Are you going to put anything else in there? Otos?


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## Pooky125 (Jul 30, 2002)

After the shrimp colony gets well established, I'm going to try for either a pair or trio of sparkling gouramis. Curious to see if I can get them to breed under these circumstances. But, want to get enough Tigers going first, that way if they snack on one or two occasionally it won't be a huge hit to their population. This is a good first step.


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## jamesyu (Feb 13, 2012)

Love the Journal pooky125. I picked up one right before I read your review, I think the only thing I didn't like was the LED light.

I went and bought 3x fluval 13watt CFLs and will hang it on the back of this thing.

Your tank looks awesome keep it up!


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## CrucialCrew (Feb 23, 2012)

Great tank Pooky125! Your tank inspired me to go ahead and pick one up and sign up for this forum as I was doing some research before purchasing one. I just picked up the 4gal today and so far so good. Here are a few pictures of it as of now I'm letting it cycle for a few day before I add some inhabitants. I'm thinking a few snails and a small school (less than 5) of some neon tetras or something of the sort.


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## xjasminex (Jul 26, 2011)

Hey!
Check out my journal, i have a pic posted, i should be adding more soon!


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## Pooky125 (Jul 30, 2002)

James - Thanks! I'm really enjoying it. The lighting seems to be a sticking spot for a lot of people. I tend to opt to work with the lighting I'm given, rather then get new lighting to fit my vision. Though I also prefer low tech tanks. Far to lazy to deal with daily dosing or regular trimming. My last tank I never trimmed. The amount of plants that came out of it was incredible. 

CrucialCrew - Welcome to the forum! Your tank looks great! A nice solid start. As for fish, I'm not sure neons would be the best choice, particularly for such a young aquarium. They tend to be pretty finicky about water conditions, and would really prefer a larger school then what's realistically possible in a 4 gallon tank. 

With that said, I think a few micro rasboras would look stunning in there. Chilis or maculatas would be my first choices. I believe you can pick up chilis from one of our forum sponsors, Msjinkzd. I haven't personally ordered from her, but I've seen many pictures of her stock in several other peoples aquariums and they appear to be phenomenal.

You might also want to check out this thread if you haven't already. There are some really fabulous other ideas in there. Neons are pretty little fish, but there are lots of others that are really much more suited to a nano type aquarium. This link is also full of some excellent suggestions.


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## Pooky125 (Jul 30, 2002)




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## jersysman (Jan 7, 2007)

Subscribed!


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## Pooky125 (Jul 30, 2002)

Thanks!

It was water change day, so I opted to take a few new pictures while the water was clear and shrimp were active. Not a whole lot else going on in the tank. Berried mama is still berried. The bolbitus is looking a touch thinner today. I pulled out a few plants to trade with a local fish keeper in exchange for some plants to plant out my empty 5.5. I'll make another attempt at a full tank shot of that one later. It's still pretty rough around the edges, and the amazon sword in the middle of the tank isn't wowing me what so ever. Anyone wanna trade for a few dwarf sag?


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## OiZO (Feb 2, 2010)

Nice tank!

sparkling gouramis are fun to breed. They breed quite easily at least for me. They spawned in the roots of my floaters all the time and the fry would hide in the roots. The fry are fun to watch too as they look like mini versions of there parents pretty quick.


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## Pooky125 (Jul 30, 2002)

That's what I'm hoping for. What did you condition them with?


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## Pooky125 (Jul 30, 2002)

Found a second berried yesterday. The first should be getting ready to hatch out in the next week to 10 days or so.


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## xjasminex (Jul 26, 2011)

Oh!
Nice! 
Are tigers expensive shrimp, i know nothing about them and the cost but i really llike the look!


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## pedropete (Feb 27, 2012)

i love your tigers! i keep going back and forth about which type of shrimp to stock my Ebi with...and yesterday I had decided I was going to go for S/S+ CRS over tigers/super tigers....now i'm back thinking tigers after seeing yours! you are right...they do have a more "wild" look to them, which goes more with my tank. i am afraid, though, that they won't stand out as much as CRS or painted fire/sakuras (see, i'm even considering these!)... also what are you feeding your tigers?


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## Pooky125 (Jul 30, 2002)

They tigers are pretty nifty little shrimp. My boyfriend has cherries in his tank, and we both find my tigers to be MUCH more active. They're constantly surfing around the tank, checking things out. They don't stand out as well, but they're active enough to catch your eye, and encourage you to stop what you're doing and try and pick them out amongst the leaf litter and leaves. I spend a ridiculous amount of time sitting in front of that tank, trying to find them.

As for feeding them, I mostly feed Azoo Max Grow, with a side of Hikari shrimp pellets. I also add in a torn up Indian Almond Leaf to the tank every few weeks for them to pick at.


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## acitydweller (Dec 28, 2011)

Hey Pooky,
You are making great progress with your Evolve. I added cherry shrimp and had to add a fluval foam filter to the sump intake to prevent any accidental deaths. i do see 2 or 3 shrimplets so there had to have been a birth in the tank. The malaysian trumpet snails and pond snails also have kids around. The best thing i've added to the tank (for the shrimp) was java moss. they graze on it all day. will probably attach it to the driftwood one of these free weekends...


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## Pooky125 (Jul 30, 2002)

acitydweller said:


> Hey Pooky,
> You are making great progress with your Evolve. I added cherry shrimp and had to add a fluval foam filter to the sump intake to prevent any accidental deaths. i do see 2 or 3 shrimplets so there had to have been a birth in the tank. The malaysian trumpet snails and pond snails also have kids around. The best thing i've added to the tank (for the shrimp) was java moss. they graze on it all day. will probably attach it to the driftwood one of these free weekends...


Thanks! It's currently having some problems that I'm working out. I've lost a few shrimp. The first, I figured was because I got them as adults, and thus, didn't know how old it was. The second, I thought might be a bad molt, as it died next to a fresh one. Then I lost a couple more, and started to get worried. Now I'm doing large daily water changes and everything seems to be holding fine. It all started after my last water change, so I'm wondering if something contaminated my bottle of Prime. I switched water conditioners, so we'll see if this theory holds true. 

It's hard to tell in the pictures, but there actually is a bit of java moss attached to the larger of the pieces of driftwood. It came in as a hitch hiker and I haven't gotten around to doing anything about it. There's also a clump of what I think is willow moss floating around in the front left corner. Again, it's hard to see. They don't seem to spend much time on it though. They're much more fascinated by the bolbitus and the IAL leaves I drop in regularly.


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## acitydweller (Dec 28, 2011)

Hi Pook,

Just wanted to update you on my two evolve 4g's.

Both had bettas to begin with but both passed away oddly at the same day... Considering they were completely independant tanks, i wonder if there wasnt something in the water... anywho

fast forward today. Both of them are now shrimp tanks and heavily planted.

my first 5 cherrys that i ever bought are still in there and have since had 5 babies in the tank. My missing babies in the past were likely attributed to the sump intake being unprotected, hence my post earlier to you regarding the fluval sponge stuff'd in for protection.

my other tank, is stocked with higher grade sakura shrimp which have more of a full red body, and less transparency of the cherries. there was a lapse where i would lose a shrimp a day. On day 3, i did a major 80% water change and actually cleaned the gravel particularly where i used to concentrate all my feeding. It was very dirty there, and only there for obvious reasons.

Since then i also started adding mineral additives, namely Calcium Montmorillonite. Mosura and these other companies market it as Old sea mud but it adds the calcium and other stuff that the shrimp need in their environment. ive only added about a pinch or so a week for the past two weeks. I have 1 sakura that was berried and now nearly bursting to give birth in the tank so i am excited. i hope the eggs hatch and not drop.

Ive also upgraded the food from the fluval, hikari pellets and algae wafers to some of the borneo wild products. It has certainly increased the survival rate and my peace of mind that they are more comfortable. Anyway, i should start a journal for my evolves too but happy to keep up with your progress with equal enthusiasm!

All the best!


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## J.mccollum (Apr 29, 2012)

I was wondering if I can ask a few questions. I have the evolve 8 
I has dwarf hairgrass and HC in emersed right now. I plan on flooding it in the next few weeks and putting some moss in with it and eventually add some cherry shrimp. 

My main question is how do I set up the filter?
This is my first planked tank and I don't want to use the carbon filter it came with
I'm thinking ceramic bio in the bottom 
Followed by fine filter and on top a course filter. 
Is this right?
Do I need to block the intake with anything to stop shrimp from getting in?
Please help. 
Photos and more info on the rank are under my tank section


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## Pooky125 (Jul 30, 2002)

Little late getting back to this thread, not sure if it will be terribly helpful. As for me, I bought a pair of sponges for a Fluval canister filter, I think (it's written in this thread somewhere) and stuck them standing on the long end at the front casing of the filter, one on top of the other. That was pretty much high enough to cover all the intake holes, to keep shrimp from getting in. I never had a problem, but I've heard of others who did. I filled behind that with filter floss, and when I can get my hands on some bioballs, I'll probably put them at the bottom. So, my set up would be, medium sponges against the wall that divides the tank from the filter, bioballs on the bottom half, and filter floss on the top half.



J.mccollum said:


> I was wondering if I can ask a few questions. I have the evolve 8
> I has dwarf hairgrass and HC in emersed right now. I plan on flooding it in the next few weeks and putting some moss in with it and eventually add some cherry shrimp.
> 
> My main question is how do I set up the filter?
> ...


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## Pooky125 (Jul 30, 2002)

Little, pictureless update on this thread.

My lighting is going out. 6 LED's are officially fried, with another few on their way out. I emailed Aqueon, and they were really excellent about it. Got back to me quickly, I emailed them a copy of my receipt, and they put a new light fixture in the mail for me. I haven't received it yet, but this all happened within the last week. 

None the less, I'll try and get some updated pictures this week. I just ripped out about a quarter of my bolbitus for another project and you can hardly even tell. It needs a serious trimming soon, maybe next week I do more thinning.


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## Pooky125 (Jul 30, 2002)

UPS dropped off the light today. Took about a week transit time, but it's making a HUGE difference on the tank. I really will try and get updated pictures tonight, now that I have enough light to actually photograph the tank. I never realized how much of a difference 6 little LED's made.


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## Pooky125 (Jul 30, 2002)

FINALLY got an updated picture tonight. My light turns off at about 9:40, so it was hard getting one after the sunset, but before the lights clicked off, but, finally, I HAVE SUCCEEDED!


MyImage_13 by minnesotapooky, on Flickr

Right, in other news, the local petstore is doing an order of sparkling gouramis for me this week. They SHOULD be here on Friday, hopefully I can grab a few more pictures of them next week after they've settled in.

Also, the left back corner is looking slightly sparse, as that's where I ganked out a bunch of plants to go into my 25 gallon. I'm thinking in a month or two it should fill in nicely and you won't even notice. That, or I'll go through and pull out quite a bit from the rest of the tank, as it's gotten pretty thick back there. 

Anyway, it's a pretty easy going tank. Could probably use an oto at the moment, there's a very, VERY fine dusting of brown algae on the glass, but mostly it's algae free and happy.


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## Pooky125 (Jul 30, 2002)

Finally an update! I picked up 3 sparkling gourami's on the 27th of July. The largest one, the smallest one, and the darkest one, purely so I could tell which was which. They had just arrived from the distributor, hadn't even hit the store tanks yet. They settled in ok, but about a week after I brought them home, I moved the tank 18 inches to the left, and I haven't found the largest one since. The other two are growing up nicely. They're still VERY juvenile, so their coloration leaves a bit to the imagination. The large MIA one, however, was quite lovely. I'm hoping they take after him. 

The last week and a half I've been exclusively feeding live foods. I haven't quite worked out how many microworms are required to feed 2 itty bitty gouramis (not many!), so I have a bit of algae growing in the bolbitus that I pick out every week or so, when I do water changes. Otherwise, all is well.

With just the stock lighting on:









For picture taking purposes, I put a 27 watt PC bulb over it.


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## Pooky125 (Jul 30, 2002)

Updates!

So, 1 week after I posted my last update, my boyfriend got hit by a truck (pulling a trailer, carrying a racecar). Awesome times. Anywho, he spent 11 days in the hospital, and an addition 4 weeks at home, on morphine and ridiculous levels of anti-inflammatories. It was some pretty sock rocking good times, and serious aquarium neglect times. Plus side, my aquariums like neglect, I've discovered. My fish grew, my plants grew, everything continued to stay happy and healthy.

Well. Almost everything. In that 6ish weeks barely remembering to top off and drop some worms in the tank, my snails started melting. Well. Their shells started melting. Nothing else in the tank is affected, but my snail population is declining. I, actually have no problems with this, but have never had this happen before. If anyone has any input on it, I'd love to hear it!

In other news, over the last month or so, after every weekly water change, my sparkling gourami's have started croaking. According to my brief search on youtube for such things, it sounds as if at least one of them is female. I'm not sure if they both are, or if the smaller of the two is just to immature to be sexually active or not yet. Either way, someone's happy. I did a water change 8 hours ago, and I can still hear them clicking away when I'm in the room. Sounds a bit like breaking thick glass. If my tank weren't acrylic, I would be worried. As it stand, I have to assume I'm doing something right!

The crypts in the tank, are really, really getting overwhelmingly tall now. On the one hand, I want to rip them out and replace them with something shorter. On the other hand, I'm broke. Also, I'm not sure what I'd put there. And, it's a dirted tank, and they've started spreading. Getting them out MIGHT not be possible. I'm tossing around the idea of trying it anyway, and seeing if I can coerce some java moss to make a carpet around the front of the tank, like I've got going on in the 25 in places, or if I should just leave it, and let it mature and be happy. The bolbitus continues to thrive. When I was doing a water changed today, I looked. The back 5 inches are all thick, lush bolbitus, to the point that for the most part, you can't even see the back wall of the tank. On the one hand, gorgeous! On the other, it really MIGHT be time to thin it out now. I keep saying I'm going to, I keep not doing it. It's just so pretty! But, since I'm rethinking mild rescape, perhaps it's time. It's an idea I'll have to toss around for a bit more, I think, before I make any decisions. 

In the mean time, pictures!


MyImage_22 by minnesotapooky, on Flickr

MyImage_30 by minnesotapooky, on Flickr

MyImage_3 by minnesotapooky, on Flickr

MyImage_27 by minnesotapooky, on Flickr

MyImage_20 by minnesotapooky, on Flickr

MyImage_55 by minnesotapooky, on Flickr


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## golfer_d (Oct 3, 2012)

The tank looks great! And cool shots of the fish....a nice mature tank like that must be a lot of fun for the fish.

PS: I hope your b/f is on the full road to recovery if not 100% already!


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## Pooky125 (Jul 30, 2002)

Thanks! The fish sure seem to like it. I'm really hoping the younger of the two ends up being a male for me. Perhaps I'll get eggs. They've settled in really nicely in the last few months. Really active and curious. 

He's getting there. Probably 6 more months before everything internal is back to where it should be, and another 2 years for the scars to heal, but other then that, he's doing MUCH better. 



golfer_d said:


> The tank looks great! And cool shots of the fish....a nice mature tank like that must be a lot of fun for the fish.
> 
> PS: I hope your b/f is on the full road to recovery if not 100% already!


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## Pooky125 (Jul 30, 2002)

Just did a full rescape/trim job on the tank. New pictures coming in a few day once it clears up and the fish settle back in.


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## Antdim (Dec 21, 2012)

Hi I was just reading your post from start to finish. I hope your bf is doing OK. 
I may have a little insight into the snails issue. I recently purchased 3 sparkling gouramis and i swear I saw an almost immediate drop of snails in the tank. I think they eat the small ones. I can't prove it but i think that's what happend. I have some ghost shrimp there and they'll even go and bite those even though they were bigger than them. 
Well the bad news is that my large gourami (i had 3 sizes as well) bullied the other two and eventually they died after about 1 week or so. He ( i call him he) is still alive and thriving apparently. not shy at all. anyway... just my two cents.


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## saltdiscus (Aug 15, 2013)

i know this is old thread.after reading this why has all your betta died in this tank.i was planning to buy for my betta.


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