# Mini S: Paths



## Hail (Mar 6, 2009)

I threw down the money and couldn't be happier with my decision. Purchased from Aqua Forest Aquarium in SF is my very first nano!
The specs of this Micro S:

*Lighting*
I chose to use two 13W Normande Office Mate Jrs. that I came across at Fry's. No doubt there are much prettier options out there, but I found these for cheap. They actually look much better than i thought they would after bringing them home and setting em' up. This has to be due to the placement in their natural habitat, a desk. I can't see them looking nearly as good if placed else where.

*Filtration*
Zoo Med 501 bought with a discount.

*CO2
*I will be mixin' up some DIY later today. It will be diffused through a tiny Do aqua that looks really neat.

*Substrate
*Covering the bottom will be Aqua Soil Amazonia, in powder form! I absolutly love the feel of this stuff. Its like little warm hail balls.

*Fertilizers
*Natural Aquarium Goods Brighty K and a tiny bit of Green Brighty Step1. After I feel more comfortable with this tank I will be dosing a little more.

*Rocks
*The rocks are from AFA, with the three main ones fresh out of a tank they are redoing.

*Plants
*Im planin' on using _Hemianthus Callitrichoides _for a fun ground cover. If i get tired of these little guys ill use some Glossostigma from my ol' 10 gallon. I also have some really thin short grassy stuff. I don't remember what it's called. Their green if that helps.

Here's what i have so far:




























This seems like the perfect place to reiterate how new i am to aquascaping. I could really use all the help I can get. Suggestions, criticisms, and even insults. I would like to hear it all.

Oh. And hello. I'm Hail.


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## Ugly Genius (Sep 27, 2003)

Congratulations!

So far your post is hilarious. Keep that part up no matter what happens.

I seem to recall those rocks from the 'scape they tore down, but I can't remember how they had them placed. It was the 'scape in which they used Mini Microsword and Dwarf Hairgrass exclusively. In it's prime, it was my secret favorite. (It didn't have all the flash of their bigger tanks, but it was a beauty. I think she liked me, too.)

Anyway, so far you're off to a great start. Go slow, make mistakes, ask questions, make more mistakes, learn from the mistakes the second time around, and you'll do just fine. (Even better if you learn after the first mistake. But I've yet to see that happen.)


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## timme278 (Jan 1, 2009)

i agree... its funny... dont lose that

subscribed  I WANT MOREEEE......


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## PUNISHER VETTE (Jan 26, 2009)

looks like it'll be a good looking tank


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## Hail (Mar 6, 2009)

Ugly Genius, Being entertaioning is the least I can do. It just seems wrong to come here demanding help while offering nothing in return. You give some pretty good advice, however, you didn't say anything about mistakes made a third, or fourth time.

timme278- Thank you and more to come! 

Thank you Punisher Vette. I really hope it will turn out nicely. 










This was taken while planting.









What I have planted so far.

Whats new is the Aquasoil now has a better gradient, there is water on top of it, and some plants inside it.
Also, my filter is in.

When I filled her (my tank) up with water I found far too much entertainment out of watching little clusters of Aquasoil pellets group together around air bubbles. Some would float to the top and others would just roll on the ground. It was a bit creepy.

People might want to know that my schedule is erratic. If you really don't care and just want to look at pretty pictures, skip this part. In fact you might want to skip this whole thread- I really have no idea what I'm doing when using a camera.
Anyways my schedule is erratic. Lots and lots of work and studying. Some days I become so swamped with things to do that I consider it a total waste of time to walk down then back up my stairs to get some food. I usually try to take one trip carrying more than is safe or reasonable. Days like this working on my nano is mostly out of the picture. Other days are completely different. It is these days that I have time to plant, mess around/mess up, or just enjoy every single sprig of my plants. 
In other words, I doubt I will be able to religiously post, but I will do my best to try.


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## ZooTycoonMaster (Jan 2, 2008)

Wow I think it'll look good when it fills in!


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## Hail (Mar 6, 2009)

That's what I'm hoping for zoo!





















3/7/09

Whats new here is more plants!
I had a bit of time and I believe it turned out quite nicely, but what do I know.










3/8/09

The tank seems to be doing well so far. My plants are still alive if that counts for something. Although, it is only a couple of days in. A little too soon to start singin' praises of my green-thumbliness.

I fave a few more things to plant here and there in some hard to reach places, other than that, this tank is how I pictured it. 
I might add another species somewhere, but I still have no idea of what type.


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

It looks good so far. That hair grass will take over, but it will look great in doing so


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## Hail (Mar 6, 2009)

clwatkins10- I take it hairgrass is a very fast grower. Thanks for the heads up. I guess I will let it fully fill in, then just start trimming it all the time. If it becomes too mush of a hastle ill rip their skinny feet out of the ground and switch to something else.

Ive been looking at my little bubbles.
Not much of my CO2 is being absorbed. Even with it positioned so that the water flow is catching some bubbles and churnin' em' up, most are just floating themselves to the top. How bad would it be for me to scooch my diffuser over to my zoo med filter intake? Would this corrode and eventually destroy my filter?


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## ZooTycoonMaster (Jan 2, 2008)

Hail said:


> How bad would it be for me to scooch my diffuser over to my zoo med filter intake? Would this corrode and eventually destroy my filter?


It won't do any harm to the filter, the CO2 bubbles aren't big enough to do damage. It'll just get even more diffused through the filter media then go into your tank.


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

you took the sticker off your ADA :icon_eek:


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## ZooTycoonMaster (Jan 2, 2008)

chris127 said:


> you took the sticker off your ADA :icon_eek:


Or maybe he accidentally made the back of the tank the front


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## Hail (Mar 6, 2009)

Are you saying that positioning would be a good idea zoo?

Chris and Zoo and everyone else wondering:

The tank has a scratch on the front. When I went in to return it to AFA they were extremely helpful. Unfortunitely, the rest of their stock has the same problem. They gave me a couple options, I could either return my tank and wait for a new shipment, or I can accept a discount for the tank I originally had, which has the smallest scratch. I hate waiting so I went with the discount.
Now I'm left with a tank with a scratch on the front. I then decide to use the back for a couple reasons. Due to my OCD, having a scratch on the front would be unacceptable. Everytime I looked at my tank, which, for me is suppost to be a calming retreat, I would find the scratch and get a bit upset. However, that very same disorder would drive me insane with the lack of the ADA sticker, unless I rationalized it to myself.
That is when a couple scenarios came to mind. 
It would be nice if someone says to me, "That's an awesome ADA you have!" 
To me, it would be so much better if someone instead says, "Your tank has amazing craftsmanship!"
What I'm sayin' is that my nano should be judged, not on the brand, but on the quality of the tank itself.
Writing this out was more to get my thoughts on paper, so to speak, than anything else.

On second thought, is it possible to get the actual sticker?


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

Hail said:


> Are you saying that positioning would be a good idea zoo?
> 
> Chris and Zoo and everyone else wondering:
> 
> ...


Your reasoning is completely understandable. These tanks (the ADA ones with the clearer/ thicker glass) scratch easier because the clearer glass is softer than the greener glass. I don't think that you can buy an ADA sticker though :hihi:


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## epicfish (Sep 11, 2006)

Hail said:


> Are you saying that positioning would be a good idea zoo?
> 
> Chris and Zoo and everyone else wondering:
> 
> ...


Your tank should be judged on your selection of flora, fauna, hardscape, and aquascape.


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## imeridian (Jan 19, 2007)

epicfish said:


> Your tank should be judged on your selection of flora, fauna, hardscape, and aquascape.


Indeed!


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

dude i wasnt trying to offend you i was just trying to crack a joke....


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## Ugly Genius (Sep 27, 2003)

Hail, My Mini-S has a scratch and Mini-M has a chip. (Both my fault.) Initially, these things bugged the crap out of me. I could not stop seeing either the scratch or the chip. It was an itch I could not scratch.
Now, though, I don't notice it. (I know what you're thinking. _If you were able to get over it, Ugly, you're not as OCD as I._ Not true. I'm totally OCD.)
Truth be told, right now, your tank is new and everything is pristine so the scratch is much more conspicuous. Given time, the usual planted tank problems will completely shatter any hope you have for a "perfect tank" and you'll find you have much more complicated things to worry about.


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

i do agree a beautiful scape makes the tank, but its good to be proud of your ADA swagger :icon_mrgr you'd be lying if you said the ADA didnt matter cause why would you blow the money on the tank to begin with, right? 

its like, be proud of your Porsche, you earned it with 12 years of grad school  

(take that in a light hearted tone, my voice doesnt carry across my ethernet too well )


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## Hail (Mar 6, 2009)

*clwatkins10* It seems that everything has its own goods and bads. It's too bad that I can't purchase the sticker, but at least I dont have anything covering up my aqua soil!

I completely agree with you *epicfish* and *imeridian*. An amazing selection can almost always make a tank.

There was no offense taken at all *chris127* and I love jokes. I was actually meaning to mention the placement of the sticker in the first post I made. I can be very absentminded at times. In fact, if it wasn't for my girlfriend, I would never remember where I put all my stuff. Even with her, I usually end up with more than 15 nearly full water bottles set down all around my house.

That actually helps a lot *Ugly Genius*, but it's a little worrying at the same time. Though, I guess the complications are as much a part of this hobby as random people oggling over a tank you spent many hours working on.

*Chris127* agreed. I still like the sturdy construction and the extremely clear glass, but I put ADA in the thread name mainly for the reason you mentioned.

And now for a tank update.









3-9-09









3-9-09









3-10-09









3-10-09

Things that have changed (besides the water a few times): nothing.
I notice no growth. That doesn't mean its not growing. It might just mean that I'm not a very observant person. Even with looking at this tank more than is healthy, I probs' wouldn't even notice if my substrate turned pink.


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

Hail said:


> There was no offense taken at all *chris127* and I love jokes. I was actually meaning to mention the placement of the sticker in the first post I made. I can be very absentminded at times. In fact, if it wasn't for my girlfriend, I would never remember where I put all my stuff. Even with her, I usually end up with more than 15 nearly full water bottles set down all around my house.
> 
> *Chris127* agreed. I still like the sturdy construction and the extremely clear glass, but I put ADA in the thread name mainly for the reason you mentioned.


haha you and i alike... i think ive got 3 open right now. but whatever, its good top off water when i find a bottle a day later  ADA's got some top notch tanks. 

but anyway, the tank is off to a great start. i'd like to see something pink like rotala colorata spilling out of the two main rocks


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## Hail (Mar 6, 2009)

That's a great idea *chris127*. I think that pink could really do a lot. The only problem is the time it takes to fight my way into San Francisco. 

aaand more pictures!
I never thought it could be so entertaining to take stills of my nano. The girl's still pretty new and there might not be that much going on. There are no fun little fish or cute little shrimp. 
But it's still crazy relaxing to take pictures.
Herearetoday's:





















Any and every form of advice is always appreciated!


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

if youre too lazy to go to town hit up the SnS


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## ZooTycoonMaster (Jan 2, 2008)

Lol your posts are starting to sound like Ugly Genius

Even the way you bold people's names:hihi: (you can call me Zoo)


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## 1slowtsx (Feb 22, 2009)

ooh! This is gonna be an amazing looking tank. Cant wait for it to grow out.


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## Hail (Mar 6, 2009)

That sounds like a good idea *chris127*, only problem is I'm not quite sure what a sns is, and how exactly to hit it up. Regardless of what it is, I'm sure it'd be much easier than driving through frisco'.

Well *zoo*, I guess that can be taken as a compliment, seeing how many views his threads have. Although now I feel like I'm rollin' out on someones territory.

*1slowtsx* I'm really hoping it will turn out alright!


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

haha go to check it out like 15 subforums down... http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/swap-n-shop/


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## ZooTycoonMaster (Jan 2, 2008)

Oh hey you're a local Did you get _all_ the stuff from AFA?


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## Hail (Mar 6, 2009)

Thank's for the link *chris127*! Buying plants doesn't get much more convenient than that. I'm all for supporting this forum, but i cant bring myself to paying for shipping when I have good store so "close." It's still good to know about, 'specially for when my lazyness finally wins in the epic battle against my college monetary lifestyle (aka poor poor).

Yup I'm local *zoo*! Besides my lights and filter, all my stuffs home grown from afa. Actually my prime and excel are from abf in Pleasant Hill, but those are relatively old.


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## Hail (Mar 6, 2009)

Just an update.
Had to take a break from studying.
This is a good way to take it.
By getting pictures.









With so much studying lately it's nice to be able to look up and see this.









This is what I see when I look up from studying and lean in a little closer.










and when I lean in really close.
The grass is chillin' with its reflection.
but they dont know that, they think its just more grass.

Back to work.


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## Ugly Genius (Sep 27, 2003)

Looking good! It's going to be a beaut when it grows up.
A week ago, I bought a bit of the Mini Microsword and Hairgrass from the tank to which your rocks once belonged. Some of it I gave to Craig, the rest I put in Quasi.
What I'm trying to say is that your, Craig's, and my tank could never marry as they're, like, cousins or something.


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## Hail (Mar 6, 2009)

I hope my tank doesn't take that too hard *Ugly Genius*. I guess ill have to keep reminding her that there's plenty other fish out there.

Updates:
Growth is very slow
Not much has changed


















_What my aquasoil sees every day._









_helicopter shot_

A few plants are lookin' a little unhappy. I just keep telling myself that they need more time to acclimate.


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## Hail (Mar 6, 2009)

This little tank is making me a little more than a little frustrated.
and here's why:










I'm not sure at all what type of algae this is. It's very small. I had no idea what it looked like until I took a close up picture. I would say about 15% of my hc has been infected. There's something about this algae that is giving my tank a completely different feeling, an ugly feeling. Even looking at old pictures, for some reason, gives me the same feeling. It's as if the whole thing is ruined.

The algae is most likely the result of a combination of things that I'm trying to tell myself I didn't know any better when really I did. And now I will put the mistakes in the order of worst to not so bad, meaning mostly random order that makes some sense to me.

dosing too much step1 too soon
not enough water changes
Light being on too long
Inconsistency of diy co2

For now I will fight it.


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## ZooTycoonMaster (Jan 2, 2008)

Sorry to hear about the algae Have you tried spot dosing with Excel?


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## Ugly Genius (Sep 27, 2003)

I've had that happen before with HC in a two point five gallon tank. The algae as it were, was the result of the HC decomposing. In the end, some HC died and the rest did fine. I'd wager that your HC will do the same: some will die and the rest will be fine.

The rules for bringing this tank back are no different than any other planted tank. Find the light/CO2 balance and keep up with your water changes.

You should also keep in mind that sometimes plants don't take too well to a new tank and die simply by that fact alone. Meaning, there is a chance you did nothing wrong at all.

So don't get discouraged. Or, more precisely, it's unreasonable to expect that you, or anyone, have a tank in which stuff like this will not happen. Try to take Winston Churchills advice and go from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm.

It'll get better. It always does.

P.S. Despite all this cheerleading I've just done, this does not mean that I can't relate to everything you said. I feel almost exactly the same every now and again. It's why I have three tanks. When one fails me, hopefully one other will make me feel better.


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## Hail (Mar 6, 2009)

I havn't tried doing that yet *Zoo*. I will start immediately and thank you for the advice. Even if in the end the spot dosing accomplishes absolutly nothing, it will still be totally worth it simply do to me feeling as if I have a little bit of control over what is going on in my tank.

*Ugly Genius*, I'm glad to hear that I'm not the only one who is able to decompose hc. As for the chance that I did nothing wrong at all, well, there is and always will be more I can do. I could have spent more time watching for signs of death in hope of catching it early and possibly doing something, anything. More time researching the perfect balance for my equipment. I know that not everything with my tank was done perfectly. I need to take the blame for killing all those poor little guys, it would feel wrong just passing it off to fate.
The upside is at least my hc gave their lives for a cause, they died sending me a message. I'm not sure what it could be, possibly, 5 years from now, I'll wake up in the middle of the night knowing just what it was, but not now, not today.

Update on whats happenin' to my tank:
I let go of my old lights. The shape of them just seemed all wrong
I bought some ott-lites! These guys seem as if they were made with the mini s in mind.
I also upped my CO2 to three bottles. The diffuser is really spittin' bubbles out now. It is by far the most entertaining part of my tank to watch. I keep wanting to take pictures of it, but I also keep having to tell myself that they are only bubbles and nobody but me would find them remotely entertaining.


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## Jack Gilvey (Jun 16, 2008)

Hail said:


> I also upped my CO2 to three bottles. The diffuser is really spittin' bubbles out now. It is by far the most entertaining part of my tank to watch. I keep wanting to take pictures of it, but I also keep having to tell myself that they are only bubbles and nobody but me would find them remotely entertaining.


 Have you forgotten what site this is? If pearling is worth whole threads, some nice CO2 diffusion will certainly garner fervent interest. Love the tank. :thumbsup:


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## Francis Xavier (Oct 8, 2008)

Yeah man, we're total dorks. and PROBABLY one of the few groups of people who have garnered entertainment from watching grass grow.


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## Choco (Dec 8, 2007)

The rocks you have look awesome, i'd prefer it without the grey pieces tho

I had the white fuzzy stuffs on my HC too..they disappeared by itself after 3 weeks..shrimp tends to feed on them too


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## Hail (Mar 6, 2009)

True dat' *jgilvey*, and thanks' for the compliment. I'm pretty sure I put much more time into my tank and end up with far less pimpin' results than most people. It's good to hear when people approve of my creation.

*Xavier*, you mean it might actually be possible that there are some people out there that _don't_ love watching grass grow?

I completly agree with you *Choco* and I've been thinking about it a lot. My thoughts always seem to end up in derivations of the same loop:

_The colors deviate too much from the rest of my scape'._
_ But they are all the same type of rock.
It's distracting.
I really like where they're placed. It would ruin everything to take them out.

_I've decided that these little miscolored rocks will be covered with moss whenever I am able to get some. Now I have the decision of which type to use. Suggestions for this would be greatly appreciated.

My tank is slowly movin' along. I had hoped that by now I would have a full carpet. I have to keep reminding myself that I can't rush these things. 
One aspect of my girl that's moving along at a constant rate and with no end in sight is how much she's teaching me. I am just now beginning to figure out the limits of my tank and her special happiness range.

I think I finally have a name all figured out. _Paths_. I repeatedly get reminded of the _paths of the dead_ from the lord of the rings movies. There's by no means an exact resemblance, but I like it. Am I a nerd for naming her that? yes.









A fun path through the rocks!









Diamonds in the sky. There's a counter-clockwise current on the surface making the bubbles swirl into enticing patterns.









Full tank shot. It even has a photobucket reflection in the glass.


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