# 1.5G: D-Simplicity the planted nano (Journal)



## FrostyNYC (Nov 5, 2007)

The plant looks like Ambulia to me.

A 1.5 gallon is too small for white clouds. They're very active fish and need a larger tank. They will suffer in a 1.5 gallon. 

Also, keep in mind you're definitely going to have to supplement the oto's diet with wafers or vegetables, since there won't be enough algae (or any algae) in that 1.5 gallon brand new tank.


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## iGabe (Nov 30, 2008)

Yeah, I already have these sinking vegetable/algae granules. I think they will suit nicely for the oto's. Instead of the white clouds, could I use some microrasbora (2-4x)? Yesterday I saw this really tiny fish (white with black dots) it looked like a microrasbora, does anyone know what I'm talking about? Well anyways I would prefer a small school rather than one show fish.
Thanks for the feedback.


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## iGabe (Nov 30, 2008)

FrostyNYC said:


> The plant looks like Ambulia to me.
> 
> A 1.5 gallon is too small for white clouds. They're very active fish and need a larger tank. They will suffer in a 1.5 gallon.
> 
> Also, keep in mind you're definitely going to have to supplement the oto's diet with wafers or vegetables, since there won't be enough algae (or any algae) in that 1.5 gallon brand new tank.


Yeah I think it's probably a Hydrotriche hottoniiflora


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## iGabe (Nov 30, 2008)

I have question about my java fern. I think it looks too big for the size of this tank. So looking at the crappy picture I drew on Paint, can I just cut the base of the fern in half? Or will this cause it to rot and die? Because I want to remove the big leaves and some of the base (the base/roots of this fern is weird, it's thin and long. and that makes it difficult to plant)


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## FrostyNYC (Nov 5, 2007)

You could have a couple microrasbora, but you really want to watch filtration in this tank and keep track of water quality. The other fish you're describing makes me think of the celestial pearl danio. Not sure if thats what you're talking about. They're tiny tiny tiny but shy and expensive.

And yes, rhizome division will work. The portion with the one small leaf will be slower to grow, but it shouldnt die.


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## iGabe (Nov 30, 2008)

Ok then I will give the rhizome division a try. No it's not the celestial pearl danio (black and red). Finally found a pic of it, here in São Paulo it's called xadrezinho (checkers)
















The one I saw was really tiny (1.5-2cm) and it was R$2,70 (US$1.03)
I know that it's commonly used in amazon biotopes

Does anyone have info on this fish (Dicrossus filamentosus)?


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## iGabe (Nov 30, 2008)

Ok nevermind, screw the checkboard cichlid idea. I've researched some more, and it says that they are VERY sensitive to changes in pH levels and water quality. And that they need well oxygenated water to thrive. Obviously this fish will be super hard to keep in a planted nano :confused1:.

1) pH levels are always changing with the Co2 (after lights out)
2) I'm not sure the tank will be oxygenated enough for this fish (will dose Co2)
3) Uhh, it's just not colorful enough for me (I don't really like dull-colored fish)

So I have plenty of time to choose some fauna for this tank (until it cycles)

Monday I'm going to get a lot of "toys" at my LFS (Flora & Fish)
* Co2 Tablets - R$2,50 each
* Substrate Fertilizer - R$1,80 each
* Micro Pump (6cm) - R$23,00
* A small amount of HC - R$15,00
* Substrate - R$2,00

- Am selling my Goldies to my LFS :icon_cry: (+R$5,00)
Don't want to, but I prefer to use my time with the planted nano


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## iGabe (Nov 30, 2008)

I have a few questions for the "masters" of panted nano

1) Would a dwarf cory go well with this tank?
2) Are fast currents beneficial in a planted nano?
3) In my conditions: 
Co2 tablet 1x/week, Substrate fertilizer in regular sand, 15w+ lighting, 
Liquid fertilizer daily, 25-35% water changes 1x/week
Will the HC grow medium-fast?


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## iGabe (Nov 30, 2008)

So I finally tried the "rhizome divsion" on my java fern. And so far it's doing pretty good.








On one of the rhizomes I noticed these "baby bumps" could they be plantlets?








And the tips of a few leaves beginning to get semi-tansparent, and they have a little curl to them, could anybody tell me what's going on?








I cut A LOT of rhizomes into pieces so I don't know if some are going to rot. Because it used to be one big long rhizome (LOL) and now it's a whole bunch of little rhizomes that I bunched up to get that round bush appeal to it. I also removed some large healthy leaves because I wanted to make the fern look smaller (so my tank doesn't look so tiny) will these leaves grow on their own? Yes, I know it's a stupid question.


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## iGabe (Nov 30, 2008)

For the very few that are reading my journal and experiencing the same challenges as I am, please follow along. Today I went to my LFS and bought a FEW things. I bought:
1) A rock  That will support my java fern
2) Substrate
3) Substrate fertilizer from azoo (Azoo condensed additional fertilizer)
4) Co2 tablet
5) A ghost shrimp (camarão fantasma) I really wanted an amano or a RCS but you
can't find them in São Paulo. Yes I know it's way too early to get livestock, but he
will stay in my other small cycled tank. For now, he's my only fauna. 

I didn't get the HC yet, cause it wasn't in stock, will probably get it on Weds. I wanted to try the emersed growth on the HC, but I don't think I can handle it after submersed.
Soo here are some crappy pics:


















This is the fert I'm using, the guy at my LFS said that I CAN'T break into smaller pieces
But I'm thinking, dude it's just a ball of nutrients and crap, why can't I break it into smaller pieces to spread out evenly on the substrate. So now the question is: Can I break this ball of fert into smaller pieces?


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## iGabe (Nov 30, 2008)

I went to another LFS and found some Brazilian Micro Sword, for R$ 5,40, so I bought it. It has what seems to be flowers. When I got it, it was emersed. So I don't know if there shall be problems, cause it is now submersed. And today I:
1) Washed and added the substrate
2) Added the azoo fert to the substrate
3) Added the java fern and micro sword
4) Put it the Co2 tablet

Here are some pics of my temporary layout:




































I'll add HC as soon as it gets here

But I have a question about the micro sword, how do you take it apart? Cause when I took it out of the pot, I found it impossible to spread the plantlets apart because the roots were so dense and attached to each other. And I spread it apart as much as I could. So how is it done?


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## mpodolan (Mar 27, 2007)

You can just pull the plantlets apart. Try to keep the roots as intact as possible, but some damage to them won't really matter. They're relatively hardy. As long as some of the root is still intact, they'll grow back just fine. The more you spread them out/plant them individually, the faster they'll form a nice carpet. I've done this lots of time in my 10g.


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## iGabe (Nov 30, 2008)

Thanks *mpodolan*, I'll do that as soon as my HC gets here (I'll have to take the tant apart to plant). As soon as this tank cycles I'll add my ghost shrimp first. Then maybe later some *tiny* tetra (Can't get micro rasbora).


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## Down_Shift (Sep 20, 2008)

Wow nice start


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## iGabe (Nov 30, 2008)

Thanks *Down_Shift*, anyways probably thinking of replacing the java fern with something a little smaller. And what I mean by that is something with smaller leaves (that doesn't make my tank look tiny) that gets *really* bushy, so it will hide my future pump. I was thinking somethin' like a anubias nana or a cool-looking crypt.

Yesterday I left the light on for a very long time because I had just added the Co2 tablet, and I wanted it to go to use. And would you believe it, my fern and micro sword were pearling like crazy! I was really worried about the micro sword, because it went through the process of being submersed for the first time yesterday. But don't worry, I will spread it out.

When I get the HC, I think just 1 pot will already give my tank a full carpet. Because the tank is so small, that I don't think there is too much substrate area to cover. HC here can range anywhere from R$ 5-15,00. But it's fairly easy to find in stores.


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## iGabe (Nov 30, 2008)

I went to my LFS today and I saw a whole bunch of adorable pygmy corydoras in a tank for only R$ 2,00 each! So the cories are now obviously on my fish wishlist. Planning on getting 1-2x as they're sooo tiny and don't really affect the bioload. I was researching on them, but it doesn't really say if in general they are easy fish to keep. My question is:
Are Pygmy Corydoras relatively easy to keep? Would they be fine in a subtropical tank?
(I've found a lot of sites that said that they can be kept in 23 C)

I think the HC will have to wait, because the only ones I've found are WAY too expensive for the portion they are giving you. R$15,00 for HC the size of a dime, talk about going cheap 

And I saw some glosso that was in stock, I really want to try it out. Put it in mid-ground with the HC foreground. Except the only problem was the glosso was growing vertically and had a LITTLE algae problem. It was only R$ 9,00 for a pot, should I get it?


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## iGabe (Nov 30, 2008)

Semi-Good news. I got my first pot of glosso! The only problem was that the glosso was growing vertically and had a LOT of dead leaves near the bottom. And trimming it was a pain in the ass. I did about half of it, still have a small amount to propagate tomorrow morning. I had a question, when I trimming it can I only cut plantlets with roots (LFS told me)? Because there weren't too many parts of the glosso that had roots, but I cut a few parts that didn't have roots.

I also spaced out the micro sword bush.


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## iGabe (Nov 30, 2008)

UPDATE!

Ok, so I finally planted SOME of the glosso. Damn, it's so difficult to plant a stupid little plantlet. But I didn't have much trouble with them staying down in the substrate. Unfortunately, I had to plant it with regular everyday tweezers lol . My aquarium tweezers haven't arrived yet. But what I think was the most stressful painstaking part of the whole process was cutting a pile of crappy glosso into tiny individual Michael Angelo looking plantlets! But after I was done with half of the glosso, I stood back and looked at my Sistine Chapel, my planted nano. I kept the rest of the plantlets on a frisbee with water (talk about being cheap again). And I still have the same question: 
*When I'm trimming it, can I only cut plantlets with roots (LFS told me)? Because there weren't too many parts of the glosso that had roots, but I cut a few parts that didn't have roots.* And here are some pics for you to further understand what I'm talking about:




























And here is a pic of my new Anubias Lanceolata that I traded for my Java Fern and Ghost Shrimp for. I also gathered all of the Micro Sword plantlets into a small bush. I think it looks much better that way. The water level is very low, but just high enough to cover the Glosso and Micro Sword. That's why I covered the tank, so it won't evaporate.









Will fill it up when I'll add the rest of the glosso (wow it's gonna be a thick carpet) and add the Co2 tablet. Umm, when do I start adding liquid fertilizer?


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## iGabe (Nov 30, 2008)

UPDATE: I had to take the tank apart and start all over again. I had to replant the glosso after all the hard work and hours spent on it, which was a pain in the neck. Half of the glosso survived, and I also spread out the micro sword. The micro sword looks great, no growth , but it pearls and it's looking rather healthy. The glosso is growing slightly upward, so I still can't declare officially that it won't send out runners and grow horizontally.

I also bought 2 pygmy corydoras, they are some of the coolest little fish I've ever had. And also got 3 platy fry as a bribe from the LFS 
One of them is in the tank to help cycle, I think they will be my tank cleaners until they outgrow it. Because they tend to pick off the dying hair algae on the glosso. They're my "pretend" ricefish haha.

I just made a DIY Co2 generator, but it's been almost 2 hours and still no bubbles 
I guess I'll be using the Co2 tablets after all. Will post pics soon.


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## Kayen (Oct 14, 2007)

It took my DIY CO2 generator 12 hours before bubbles started being produced, patience my friend.
Like the progress so far.

Also for adding liquid ferts, i say you can go ahead and add them now if you like.

Also for microsword make sure it's not too close together when taken out of the pot, as i heard it doesn't do well like that .


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

i think some C. wendtii would look better instead of the anubias. in nanos, a broad-leaved plant really throws off the scape. 

give the CO2 time. in the cold monthes it takes a while to start (it will put out bubbles in 2 hours, but just maybe 1 every half hour, so you dont catch it).


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## Homer_Simpson (May 10, 2007)

iGabe said:


> ...I just made a DIY Co2 generator, but it's been almost 2 hours and still no bubbles
> I guess I'll be using the Co2 tablets after all. Will post pics soon.


Here is one way that you can get around this problem and IME it works.

Place one teaspoon sugar in one glass of water and microwave for 12 seconds. Mix your yeast into the water after you microwave it. Now wait about 1/2 an hour. Measure the rest of the sugar as usual and place in the bottle with some luke warm water and baking soda, add the yeast water mixture(it should be foaming) into the bottle to bring it to 3/4 to the top. Now cap and insert the c02 tubing into your tank. Using a starter mix like this will get the c02 bubbles to form and disperse faster. I usually use two exact same bottles and the night before I need to add new c02 brew, I mix and prepare and leave 24 hours. Next day when I replace the pent up brew and bottle, I get instant c02 production with no interruption.


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## iGabe (Nov 30, 2008)

Viettxboii said:


> It took my DIY CO2 generator 12 hours before bubbles started being produced, patience my friend.
> Like the progress so far.
> 
> Also for adding liquid ferts, i say you can go ahead and add them now if you like.
> ...


Yeah it's been 2 days and still no bubbles :icon_sad:
After I made the generator, I just got curious as whether it was the yeast that was causing the problem. And it was! When I used to live in the US, yeast there was brown-colored and looked like little round pebbles. The yeast I used here almost looks like baking soda, and that's because it's mixed with a whole bunch of crap (Corn Starch and chemicals). So until then, I'll be on the lookout for real yeast :hihi:

Yeah will soon buy some fert after the stores open up.
And yes, as I mentioned before I did spread out the micro sword. And the pygmy cories LOVE to hang out there (they made a little nest there lol)

Thanks for the feedback, really appreciate it :icon_smil


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## iGabe (Nov 30, 2008)

@[email protected] said:


> i think some C. wendtii would look better instead of the anubias. in nanos, a broad-leaved plant really throws off the scape.
> 
> give the CO2 time. in the cold monthes it takes a while to start (it will put out bubbles in 2 hours, but just maybe 1 every half hour, so you dont catch it).


I forgot to mention that I took out the anubias and threw it in plant orphanage tank :hihi:
The anubias was supposed to be my centerpiece plant, but it's too big. I was thinking about using either a crypt or some HM (micranthoides i think that's how it's spelled) But I'm probably going to get the HM (if I can find some) because it gets that bushy appearance (that I want) to cover the future pump/filter that will be in the back corner. Maybe put some tiny downoi in front of the rock I have.


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## iGabe (Nov 30, 2008)

This is for the simpson dude too



iGabe said:


> Yeah it's been 2 days and still no bubbles :icon_sad:
> After I made the generator, I just got curious as whether it was the yeast that was causing the problem. And it was! When I used to live in the US, yeast there was brown-colored and looked like little round pebbles. The yeast I used here almost looks like baking soda, and that's because it's mixed with a whole bunch of crap (Corn Starch and chemicals). So until then, I'll be on the lookout for real yeast :hihi:
> 
> Yeah will soon buy some fert after the stores open up.
> ...


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## iGabe (Nov 30, 2008)

> Ok, so I finally planted SOME of the glosso. Damn, it's so difficult to plant a stupid little plantlet. But I didn't have much trouble with them staying down in the substrate. Unfortunately, I had to plant it with regular everyday tweezers lol . My aquarium tweezers haven't arrived yet. But what I think was the most stressful painstaking part of the whole process was cutting a pile of crappy glosso into tiny individual Michael Angelo looking plantlets! But after I was done with half of the glosso, I stood back and looked at my Sistine Chapel, my planted nano. I kept the rest of the plantlets on a frisbee with water (talk about being cheap again). And I still have the same question:
> *When I'm trimming it, can I only cut plantlets with roots (LFS told me)?* Because there weren't too many parts of the glosso that had roots, but I cut a few parts that didn't have roots. And here are some pics for you to further understand what I'm talking about:


Could anyone answer that for me? Still have the same issue. The glosso seems to be growing a LITTLE, just barely sprouting some "baby leaves".


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## Homer_Simpson (May 10, 2007)

This talks about best way to trim glosso. You might find it useful/interesting.
http://www.barrreport.com/general-plant-topics/3685-glosso-trimming.html

Also, with respect to c02 injection, if you continue to have problems, just use Seachem Excel for your tank. It will provide the carbon the plants need without the hassle. And because you would be using very little of it on such a small tank, it won't really be that expensive IME, I had a 2.5 tank where I used c02 injection and a 3 gallon tank where I used Excel daily. The plants in in the 3 gallon did much better and I did not have to worry about the hassle of mixing and changing the c02 yeast mixture. The only reason that I had to finally break the 3 gallon tank down was not because of any algae(there was none) or poor plant growth(plants did really well), or fish deaths(the Amano Shrimp and White Cloud Minnow did really well), it was because some stupid pond snails grew out of control.

Also, be really carefully when you upgrade your lighting from 15 watt. Even on a small tank, it does not take much to fuel an algae outbreak if you are not careful and once you get algae it is a real PITA to get rid of it.


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## iGabe (Nov 30, 2008)

Thanks Homer, I'm actually going to do a small downgrade. From 15w to 8-13w, depending on the bulb that comes with the fixture. Will definitely take a look on the excel, it's a little pricey here but I'll try to find some.


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## Homer_Simpson (May 10, 2007)

iGabe said:


> Thanks Homer, I'm actually going to do a small downgrade. From 15w to 8-13w, depending on the bulb that comes with the fixture. Will definitely take a look on the excel, it's a little pricey here but I'll try to find some.


You are welcome. With that 3 gallon tank I mentioned, I was only using one 10 watt corallife colormax compact fluorescent bulb and it seemed to work fine. It does give off a little bit of a pink hue which some do not like. I also had success using a 14 watt 6400 K compact fluorescent bulb over a 3 gallon tank. This is the one that I am currently testing with a 3 gallon, daily excel dosing, and ADA Aquasoil II. Although too early to say how well this setup will do, so far plant growth is better than I expected and there is no algae. For ground cover I used pygme chain sword(Echinodorus tenellus) and it has already sprouted a runner with two small rosettes.

The Excel will probably run you less than those c02 tablets plus on a small tank like that will last you a very long time.


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## iGabe (Nov 30, 2008)

> The Excel will probably run you less than those c02 tablets plus on a small tank like that will last you a very long time.


Yeah, makes sense. 1 tablet lasts 1-2 weeks which costs R$ 2,50. And in 6 months I'll probably spend around R$ 30 with Co2 tablets, the excel costs around R$ 40-50 and will probably last longer.

Today, I've noticed that the glosso is sprouting A LOT of fresh green baby leaves, and the old yellow leaves covered in algae seem to be recovering a bit.

And I'm a little worried that my cories may not be true pygmy cories. Because I googled pygmy corydora, and it just showed pics of tiny cories with STRIPES. And my cories are tiny too (2-2.5 cm), but they have DOTS/STRIPES with a DARK DORSAL FIN. So someone please help me out with this one.


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## iGabe (Nov 30, 2008)

Finally found what type of cry I have. It looks like this:








It's called Aspidoras pauciradiatus. Unfortunately it gets a little bit bigger than what I wanted 
Just a little pissed because the guy at the LFS said they were true pygmies


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## Homer_Simpson (May 10, 2007)

iGabe said:


> ...Just a little pissed because the guy at the LFS said they were true pygmies


Lol, I can relate and know exactly how you feel. Some of those fish store staff are FOS and I lost count of how many times they mislead me or gave me misinformation because they did not know what they were talking about and had no idea. Even now, when I go into the fish stores, the staff still give me a load of BS. The worst part is that the ignorant A-Holes will still debate the issue with you instead of admitting they don't really know. I just research on-line what I need to know and I no longer trust them. If I did not know what I know now, i would probably have a tank full of dead fish and plants if I followed their BS advice.


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## iGabe (Nov 30, 2008)

Yeah, the worst part is that I actually believed the LfS's crap (which sucks). Anyways I was gooogling the species and everywhere I went to, it gave me different information about the species, one site said they were difficult to maintain and grew to 4cm while the other said they are a hardy species and grow to 2.9cm. Sooooo:

1) What size does the Aspidoras Pauciradiatus grow to?

2) Are they fairly easy to keep? (I've had no problems so far, even kept them in the bag for 12 hours)

I hope they stay smaller than 3.5 cm! They're already 2.5cm


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## iGabe (Nov 30, 2008)

So here are some updates and pics. I finally got the DIY co2 to work, except I made it with a 600ml bottle to match my nano in size. It's ugly as hell, but it does the job. 

A shot of my lonely platy fry with the diy co2 tubing, as well as algae









My FAKE pygmy corydora, aka Aspidoras Pauciradiatus









Glosso that is growing both horizontally and vertically at the same time. (with algae)









Another shot of glosso sprouting some roots and leaves









FTS (BTW the micro sword is finally sending out runners!)









Just ONE problem now, I got f***** *brown algae* in my beautiful planted nano! It started on the micro sword, so I did a blackout and a water change. But now it's on my glosso, the sides and even on the surface! *What do I do to get rid of it? I've tried cleaning off the sides, blackouts and water changes. Should I try one of those algae killing chemicals?*


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## Phoenix-cry (Dec 25, 2008)

Normally this stuff is caused by too little light, too much oxygen, and too much nitrates. This is a common 'new tank' syndrome. 

Rub the stuff off the glass, increase light, and use some sort of nitrate pillow in the filter.

The low light is probably why the gloss is growing diagonally as well, just seeking out the best light and if the light is not straight down it will bend towards it.

Good luck! Brown algae is EVIL!!!!!


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## iGabe (Nov 30, 2008)

I should increase the light? I thought when algae blooms started in the tank, you're suppose to DECREASE the light. I don't think I have low light in my tank, it has 1.5 gallons with a 15w bulb over it. All I'm doing is daily water changes, I will try to find a better "nitrate pillow". For now, I just put in my anubias (floating) to absorb some of the extra nutrients and co2. And as embarrassing as it may sound, I don't have a real filter of any type in this small tank as I'm trying to find one that is small enough for it. It's just fish and plants.


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## Phoenix-cry (Dec 25, 2008)

Brown algae likes low light situations, what kind of bulb is that 15w and how old is it? Most bulbs stop producing workable light after 6 months to a year. I would halt the daily water changes, that's too much change and doesn't give the tank a chance to cycle properly. What kind of water are you using? Tap water can often harbor nasty stuff. RO water with a touch of RO Right (chemical used to rebalance RO). 

I had a 2 1/2 gallon with no filter just plants and fish and it did fine once it was cycled. I did water changes (very small ones) only once a month.

If you never give the water a chance to mature, it will never cycle.


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## iGabe (Nov 30, 2008)

It's a 15W 6500K Fluorescent Light Bulb (those screw-on compact bulbs) it's about 5 months old. I'm doing water changes with mineral water, I was doing it with filtered tap water but I've recently stopped. I'm probably going to buy some bacteria to help it cycle faster. I don't think I gave it enough time to cycle properly. Should I use my liquid fertilizer that I've recently bought?


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## Phoenix-cry (Dec 25, 2008)

I would get the cycle stuff, stop water changes for a while, and hold off on the fert as long as you have some proper substrate under that gravel. Sounds like the light shoud be okay for a while (the screw on compacts last longer).


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## iGabe (Nov 30, 2008)

Thanks *Phoenix-cry*, I'm going to get the bio bacteria asap. Yeah, I have an Azoo condensed substrate fertilizer ball that I cut into pieces and spread out evenly in the gravel. Since aquarium hoods here cost a lot, I'm going to get a decent-looking lamp with compact fluorescents. After I added my DIY Co2 generator today, all of my plant started bubbling long streams of O2 like crazy! Especially my anubias that I just threw in. And the fish really seem to like the plants' O2, that's because my cories and platy fry really colored up after I added the Co2.


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## Phoenix-cry (Dec 25, 2008)

No problem! Glad ya got some fert balls in there, gravel is not what plants want to grow in usually. 

Aquarium hoods cost a lot no matter where you are, it's insane. With the lamp just make sure that the lamp shines straight down to keep the plants from growing off the side. 

Have you tested for ammonia, nitrates, nitrites, and pH?


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## iGabe (Nov 30, 2008)

Aquarium lamps in São Paulo are freakishly expensive, more than the US lamps. R$ 50 for a 41cm incandescent lamp, fluorescent is double the price! Definitely getting a desk lamp. It sort of looks like this one, except in black and with an 8-13w bulb:










Unfortunately I have just remembered I gave away my complete test kit I had bought in Charlotte, NC. And test kits here cost about R$ 100. So when I do get my test kit, I'll probably get the separate pieces (pH first). But I'm guessing my pH is around 6, and nitrate is probably a little bit high. But obviously not too high because my fish are thriving.


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## Phoenix-cry (Dec 25, 2008)

Eeeek! Massive cost! Can you order online or is shipping just as bad with cost?

The fact that the fish have better colour now means they are happier, I asked about the levels cause you noted that they had changed colour. Pale colours on fish normally means there's a problem with water Q.


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## iGabe (Nov 30, 2008)

I know it's really pricey. Shipping costs are even worse.

The cories were always very healthy-looking, it was just the platy fry that was pale. So how long do you think I should keep my lights on for today, since I added Co2 today? (turned them on at 10:00 am)s


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## Phoenix-cry (Dec 25, 2008)

You'll want a day period of 8 to 10 hours.


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## iGabe (Nov 30, 2008)

Ok sooo first of all:

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!









Anyways continuing on about my planted nano, I turned on my lights today and saw all of my glosso had new shoots, except it WASN'T GROWING DIAGONALLY or growing just vertically. It sort of hard to explain but it was growing more vertically than horizontally. At least my glosso is literally growing like a weed, as for my micro sword (labeled slow grower) it pearls like there is no tomorrow and I can see several new runners. My anubias is growing at its own pace which is fine by me.

Today after I turned on the lights and added the diy co2 (took it out at night), 5 seconds later and the micro sword started pearling, it's sends out bubbles more than my air pump! I'm just a little worried about my glosso, it's definitely growing healthy but the old dying leaves, continue to well..... die. So half of the glosso is like dying, and the other half growing. *Should I just leave it alone? *

Now what about my brown algae problem? I was thinking about replacing the platy fry with an oto/ghost shrimp/snail to eat the algae, and of course Phoenix I will add some bio bacteria to help with the load. Should I do this? Because there doesn't seem to be any growth/dying of brown algae in my tank anymore, and I obviously can't scrape the algae off of every single tiny leaf! And that's my suggestion to kill the brown algae


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## iGabe (Nov 30, 2008)

Ok, this post is to talk about my future scape and algae problem I'm struggling with.

*Algae Problem:*
As you may know (if you've been following along), I've been having issues with brown algae. I started on my brazilian micro sword and it has spread to the entire tank. I also had what I thought was my cat's hair, it wasn't, is was f**king hair algae. And the worst part about it is that it seems to be getting worse (for me) because it's definitely growing because it's pearling. So what I'll do (taking Phoenix_cry's suggestion) is continue to leave the lights and co2 on, and get an oto/snail with some bio bacteria to "consume" the left-over nitrate from the fish poop. Hopefully the future oto/snail (which I'll probably get tomorrow) with eat all of the algae in less than a week. And BTW I'll take out the cories and platy fry.

*Future Scape:*
My tank is looking a little bit empty right now, so what I thought would look great is to add a splash of color and texture. It's mostly the left side of my tank that's empty, the right side will eventually fill in with the micro sword. I want to place to different types of fast growing stem plants to the left, and in the foreground I want to put in HC in front of the glosso (I'm hoping they will mix in). Anyways I was thinking about putting the following options:
1) Rotala Rotundifolia R$ 4,00
2) Rotala Vietnam R$ 4,00
3) Ludwigia Palustris R$ 3,00
4) Hygrophila Sunset R$ 4,00
5) Micranthemum Micranthemoides R$ 5,00
6) Blyxa Japonica R$ 5,00
I basically just want something that will grow fast and cover the background. Any suggestions shall be greatly appreciated


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## iGabe (Nov 30, 2008)

I have some Q's:

1) After I added the Co2 there has been a lot of bubbles on the surface, bubbles from the Co2 and bubbles from the plants. And it just looks like one big betta nest, is this normal? (I don't have any type of circulation)

2) I'm battling brown algae, and I want to throw something in that will eat it all in less than 3 days. What I wanted to do is get an oto/snail and some bio bacteria to help out with the load. Good idea?

3) I heard that glosso grows vertically when there's low light. But my tank has A LOT of light for its size (25w), and it continues to grow vertically, no runners yet. I heard a "myth" that glosso also grows vertically when there isn't any circulation in the tank. Is this true? If not then why is my glosso continuing to grow vertically? 

4) Read my previous post about my future scape.

Thanks,
iGabe


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## ZooTycoonMaster (Jan 2, 2008)

iGabe said:


> 2) I'm battling brown algae, and I want to throw something in that will eat it all in less than 3 days. What I wanted to do is get an oto/snail and some bio bacteria to help out with the load. Good idea?


Algae eaters aren't supposed to completely wipe out your algae. You're supposed to clean as much of it as you can, _then_ you bring them in to help _maintain_ it.


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## iGabe (Nov 30, 2008)

> Algae eaters aren't supposed to completely wipe out your algae. You're supposed to clean as much of it as you can, then you bring them in to help maintain it.


Yeah I was cleaning as much of it I could, but I obviously can't wipe out every tiny leaf from my micro sword and glosso and every little pebble from my substrate. Now that's where my algae eaters come in.


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## iGabe (Nov 30, 2008)

Good news, just bought a nano filter for my tank and some anti-algae medication. The only problem is that the medication does not say if it is appropriate for planted tanks. But I was sooo desperate that I bought it. And I just dosed half of the appropriate dosage for my tank. It says the components are:
Hydrogen Peroxide
Distilled Water
And some type of alcohol that I can't translate
Do you guys think it might be ok for my plants (I dosed half of it)?
Anyways, right after I plugged in my filter it automatically sucked up my hair algae.
And hopefully will suck up my brown algae, btw I took out the platy fry because I was afraid it would get sucked up by the filter.


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## iGabe (Nov 30, 2008)

Ok I ditched the algicide idea, I'm afraid it'll damage my plants because my pygmy cories acted a little strange after I put in the solution. So I'll be doing this the old fashioned way. I'll try to find an oto asap.

I'm thinking a little bit ahead, about my stock list (fauna).
What I put into consideration:

1) 2 sixray corydoras (already have), 3 ember tetras (R$ 39,50/3)
2) 2 sixray corydoras (already have), 3 micro cardinal tetras (R$ 2,00 each)
3) 2 sixray corydoras (already have), 3 glowlight tetras (R$ 17,90/3)
4) 2 sixray corydoras (already have), 5-6 neon chocolate tetras (R$ 15,20/10)

My favorite options are #3-4. Would it be too much bioload if I put in option 3 & 4 with a nerite snail. What about 1 tiny blue german ram (Adore them, such cool fish)?


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## iGabe (Nov 30, 2008)

Just got an oto, he's still adjusting to his tank (it's normal for otos, right?) and I hope he'll start picking on the algae soon. Will post pics of it and the tank soon. So far I'm doing daily water changes.


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## Phoenix-cry (Dec 25, 2008)

I've always felt that daily water changes are too much and cause too much flux.


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## iGabe (Nov 30, 2008)

What I meant to say on my previous post, was that I'm doing water changes every other day. Sure, it might be too much but there is no effect on the fish and plants. Will start dosing fertilizers after my algae gets defeated by my oto lol.


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## iGabe (Nov 30, 2008)

Updates!

My glosso is looking _much_ better now! The "vertical runners" are now sort of like grabbing themselves to the substrate with their roots, while the normal glosso is growing horizontal runners. The brown algae problem is gone!!! Finally, now my only problem is the hair/fuzz green-looking algae in my tank. Hopefully it'll just go away on its own, but I'm dosing a LITTLE bit of algicide along with my lonely oto. But it seems that the oto prefers to eat the brown algae off of the bottom instead of going to the top and eating the hair/fuzz algae. The cories and micro sword are great.

The only "real" problem is that my tank's light sure does attract a lot of bugs! It's pretty funny actually because I'll turn on the lights in the morning and there will be like a dozen little flies floating on the surface.

Now for some awful pics from a cell phone:

micro sword - in the beginning I thought it was dying because there was so much algae covering it. But now it's better  and sending out a lot of runners. (It's growing pretty tall and wide to be a foreground plant, in this tiny setup it'll be my background)










Glosso - you can see some old dying leaves from when I didn't take care of it. To the left, there is a huge piece of glosso that WAS growing straight up, but now it sort of trying to grab itself to the gravel (possibly because of my strong current)










Glosso 2 - on this side, the glosso seems to be more tame.










Glosso & Oto - you can see my new oto in the back, he's super skittish. On the left there is another big glosso that's also trying to grow horizontally.










FTS - the green thing in the back is my diy nano co2, ugly I know, and my nano filter. Will get a background in the future. The cories were hiding in the micro sword.










Mystery Algae - I know this pic isn't really clear (cell phone pic) but is this fuzz or hair algae? It's green, there are little strands (2cm) and they're sort of apart from one another. My oto doesn't touch it too much.










As for my glossostigma, I've noticed hourly growth. How long do you guys think it'll take for it to form a thick decent looking carpet?


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## iGabe (Nov 30, 2008)

I just love everything about this layout, even the fish. Are they like albino bleeding heart tetra? Anyways I would like to do something similar using my micro sword and what I have available. What's the name of the plant on the surface?


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## iGabe (Nov 30, 2008)

I have another problem now. The green hair/fuzz algae and BGA has taken over the sides of my tank, I'm so lucky it's not on the plants. Now that I'm no longer worried about my glosso growing vertically, does anyone think it will survive a 3-4 day blackout with algicide (plant safe)????


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## Ugly Genius (Sep 27, 2003)

How bad is the algae?

I ask this because a three to four day blackout may do more harm than good. For one, it'll make your Glosso start growing up again. Second, if the parameters that are allowing the algae to grow in the first place aren't adjusted, you'll be right back where you started from when the lights come on again.

And algaecide won't do anything against your BGA. I've found that a good filter with proper levels of nitrates make BGA go away of it's own accord. 

If the hair algae's just on the tank sides, I would just scrape it off and suck out the debris.

This tank is still new. I would just let it run it course and try fighting it by watching your water column's nutrient levels while balancing light and CO2 rather than algaecide and blackouts.


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## iGabe (Nov 30, 2008)

The BGA is pretty bad, but not to the point where it'll kill anything in my tank I guess. It's mostly on the sides, while the hair algae is on my rock and micro sword. Yes, I am scrubbing off as much as I can. But I think everyone knows how difficult it is to scrub off BGA. I'm trying to adjust my levels with water changes, will soon throw in some fast growers later. My oto doesn't seem to be helping me much with BGA and hair algae, but he sure did help with the diatom.


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## iGabe (Nov 30, 2008)

Update!

The algae finally died off since my light fixture broke 
So I put my tank (since it's so tiny & light) in the bathroom, where it gets 0.01% of sunlight so the plants could survive until I get a new fixture. It's been 4 days, and I still haven't gotten a fixture. But somehow, my glosso still continues to grow. And I had thought that my micro sword was dying, but it was actually just BGA that was dying.

So now that my tank is algae free, my tank will be going through a lot of changes.
1) Take out the oto, he just looks too big and is ruining my tiny amazon forest-look.
And he poops too much, kinda like having a goldfish.
2) Since this will be an amazon biotope, I want to "complete" my fish list by adding
exotic and rare fish. I already have 2 sixray cories (2cm each), and I want to add
4 micro vilma's tetra, in case nobody knows what they look like:








the micro version grows up to 1cm which is just perfect for my tank.
I also want to a Borelli Apistogramma, from a fish farm here that has a
"pygmy hybrid" of them. They grow to like 4cm, and this is what they look like:








3) I want to add some HM and Rotala Wallichii to the left corner in the back.


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## Craigthor (Sep 9, 2007)

can't see pics of the Micro Vilma Tetra


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## iGabe (Nov 30, 2008)

I can't find any pics of the micro version online, but they look exactly like the normal version except smaller and with bigger eyes. Really cool looking tetras.

Here is another pic of the normal vilma tetra:

















When I used to live in Charlotte, NC I had never seen these fish before. They have a similar appearance with the glowlight tetras, but the gold line is bolder and much more noticeable in person. And their eyes have a very nice red-blue hue to them. They're awesome fish and said to be very hardy.


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## iGabe (Nov 30, 2008)

I just bought a pH buffer that drops the pH by 1-2. The product doesn't mention if I have to take out the carbon from the filter, do I have to?


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## ZooTycoonMaster (Jan 2, 2008)

Even the smallest Apistos will be too big for this tank


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## iGabe (Nov 30, 2008)

Yeah, I guess you're right 
I only realized that til yesterday.


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