# Matthew_Machine's 5.5 Planted Nano Journal (4/28/08)



## Matthew_Machine (Oct 12, 2003)

Hi folks! After a 3 year hiatus I'm back to the world of planted tanks. This one is a 5.5 Gallon tank which is still in the early stages of life. I've got my filters starting a cycle on an empty 10 gallon while I work on the layout/stocking choices for this one. 

What I know for sure:

-Will be lightly stocked: Couple small fish (Scarlet Badis, FW gobies or Killifish) and some shrimp.
-Substrate will be ADA Amazonia II powder
-Filter is an AC Mini, currently with just a sponge, ceramic biomedia is in the mail
-Currently it's got a 10w screw-in CF bulb, but I'm looking at options. Likely will be changed to a 2x13w AHS Kit. 
-Would like to avoid CO2 but open for sug.
-Just going for a nice bedroom tank. No contests will be entered.

Where I need some opinions is with the following:

-Layout choices for hardscape
-Plant choices based off the above
-Anything else: I trust PTF for always giving me good help.



Here are some quick snaps for possible arrangements:
1.









2.









3.










If I go with this last one (#3), I'd like to sculpt the substrate so it makes a little hill for some nice flow left to right. 

Doing #1 or #2 i'd like to have some grassy plants sticking up between the smaller stones. 

Thinking dwarf Sag for the midground and HC for the front? 

Any good BG plants for a 5.5g?

I saw this thread regarding Nano plants, but without thumbnails it's hard to look them all up. Any/all suggestions are appreciated!


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## turbosaurus (Nov 19, 2005)

I don't like number one. I like number 2, but I think the rock on the left needs to come more center, then it would be perfect. Right now they are too far apart. 

Don't do dwarf sag, it will overrun everything. Dwarf hairgass is nice and easy, and Blyxa might work. I don't know if HC is gonna work without the planned lighting upgrade.


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## trfjason (Aug 10, 2006)

Get taller rocks. Otherwise, I like like the last one! Good luck!


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## sandiegoryu (Feb 15, 2006)

I like number 3 the most but I also think that generally you should hardscape WITH substrate and with a little more rocks or bigger ones. You want them to make a bold statement especially if you're going to go iwagumi style.


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## Matthew_Machine (Oct 12, 2003)

Thanks for the input so far!

Turbosaurus: TY for the heads up on Dwarf Sag. I like the look of Dwarf Hairgrass, I just need to get the AHS Kit in there ASAP. It's 99% sure that I'll be getting it. 

TRFJason: I've got a lot of substrate that might bump things up a bit. 

Sandiegoryu: I'm gonna plop the substrate in there and see how deep it is. Rocks are cheap and I can always get bigger ones. I guess I'm going for Iwagumi... I suppose it would help to nail down plants if I just chose that "style." But like I said, I won't be entering any contests, just making something to view in the bedroom.


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## sandiegoryu (Feb 15, 2006)

But wouldn't you want contest quality in your bedroom? :-D. I always do!


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## Matthew_Machine (Oct 12, 2003)

Update with substrate:

#2










#3a









#3b









So far I only put one bag of the soil in. How much does it compress? I've still got another bag sealed up just in case.


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## trfjason (Aug 10, 2006)

You want a bit more substrate in there as the front is a bit too shallow.


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## pet-teez (Aug 17, 2007)

I like #3, I appreciate the sharp rock towards the front. Depending on what kind of plants you will want more substrate in there. 2" towards the front and about 4" towards the back I think?


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## Matthew_Machine (Oct 12, 2003)

Updates:

-More substrate. It's deep! 
-Started sketching some layouts

Layout 2 with more substrate









Layout 3b with more substrate









Layout 2 - possibilities









Layout 3b - possibilities









Thinking Dwarf Hairgrass for all the grassy stuff in the middle. I think the rock arrangement in 3b would look very nice with hairgrass popping up between it, so I'm leaning toward that. 

Maybe a moss carpet instead of HC in the front like on 2? I'm also just debating planting a bunch of hairgrass and letting it run amuck. That could be fun!

Placed the heater in to see how big it looks in there. Big! Realized I can steal my 28w coralife hood temporarily for this tank until the AHS one arrives/gets built. That was relieving.


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## CmLaracy (Jan 7, 2007)

I like the layout 3b with the hairgrass and how its done, then fill the rest of the open space with HC. I think it'd look great, and I'd 100% go with that, cause in my opinion it'd look 10x nicer than the others, and be pretty manageable. It's going to be a top quality Iwagumi scape I can tell, nice work with the rocks and digital editing BTW. It's gonna look great no matter which path you take.

thats my .02  

Chris

EDIT: I'd also advise going for a small amount of CO2 if you want to have success with the plants your choosing. Either way, it's a small tank, so DIY or Excel would most likely provide all the CO2 you need, but going pressurized is always the right decision regardless. A couple people on these forum's, including Yoshi's 8in cube are using that micro pressurized CO2 systems that ADA sells. It's your money, so go with what you think. Regardless of what method you choose, CO2 will help. Have fun! :thumbsup:


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## Matthew_Machine (Oct 12, 2003)

Thanks, Chris! Encouragment is the best recipe for success I think. I plan on dosing this with Excel. I'm looking at pressurized CO2 for a 10 gallon that I'll be starting on as soon as this 5.5 is up and running. I did the DIY CO2 thing a few years back and it wasn't successful. Now I've got the money to invest into my 2 tanks and pressurized seems way low maintenance. If anyone knows of a "AIO" package for pressurized that's under $205 (cost of ADA setup) I'm all ears!

AH supply 2x13w kit is in the mail. Woohoo!


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## mugirl08 (Nov 15, 2005)

I agree that the rocks should be bigger, but I do also like 3b. Looking forward to seeing how this progresses 
Rachel


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## CmLaracy (Jan 7, 2007)

Here is a link to a couple AIO CO2 systems that run at about $100 USD, some work with regular CO2 cylinders, or paintball CO2 cylinders which might be a better choice for you due to the size of the tanks... a 20oz paintball cylinder will only cost you about $15 and will hold a TON of CO2, and make sure it doesnt have an on-off valve.

You could even just buy one system, a 2.5lb cylinder, and route it to both tanks if they're close enough! talk about low maintenance :wink:


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## Matthew_Machine (Oct 12, 2003)

I'm glad I'm not the only person excited for this tank to progress. I'm trying to get my gf as into it as I've been. :icon_roll Someday maybe. 

Thanks again, Chris. That's what I was looking for. I knew they had to exist without the "ADA premium." In a few weeks/months when I'm ready to "gas" I'll look at them again.


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## CmLaracy (Jan 7, 2007)

sounds good, can't wait to see how it turns out!


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## Matthew_Machine (Oct 12, 2003)

holy cow! I ordered my AHS kit on monday night and got it already! I love AHS and I haven't even opened up the packages yet. Hood plans start tonight. 

I've had 2 filters cycling on my empty 10 gallon for a few days now. I couldn't figure out how the ammonia reading could be 0 after several days with rotting food in it. Turns out tests kits don't last 4 years! Bunk deal. So $35 later for a new test kit. At least I know it's working. Still haven't seen any Nitrites appear yet though. 

I got a heap of Marselia from a fellow PTFer which have been planted in pots and will hopefully help the filters seed. The Jave Fern is bobbing around and way too large for my 10 gallon... so I'll likely have to trade/sell it. Oh well. I should have asked how big it was. 

Thanks for all the help/comments so far! Can't wait to get home and start configuring a hood.


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## Matthew_Machine (Oct 12, 2003)

BOOM!









2x13 watt AHS Kit all installed in a hood that I made at work. Simple wood box with reinforcement and wood standoffs for the ballasts and the reflectors. I didn't need to put the ballasts outside the box because the whole box is going to sit on a piece of glass or plastic cut to size. Sweet!


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## jinx© (Oct 17, 2007)

Nice work on the canopy, and welcome back to the aquaticworld


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## Matthew_Machine (Oct 12, 2003)

Thanks, Jinx!

Canopy on the 5.5:








It fits perfectly! Easy when you've got the right tools. 

Let there be light!








AH Supply brings it nicely. Ignore that layout, I just haven't moved things back around.

Should be getting some HC in from a fellow PTFer in the next day or two. I plan on growing it emersed for awhile, at least until the filters are done cycing. 

Current Stats:

Ammonia:1ppm
Nitrite:0ppm
Nitrate:0ppm.

Which begs the question: What the heck? I'm going on day 10 of cycling with the heat cranked and no Nitrites yet? 2 nights ago ammonia was at 2ppm and now it's at 1 with no sign of nitrites. I've got plants, are they botching the cycle?

edit: after some more reading - yes. they could be "botching" the cycle. oh well.


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## Matthew_Machine (Oct 12, 2003)

Finally got plants in there!

Just after planting some HC. I tried to get it as spread out as possible. Going to attempt emersed growth for a couple weeks to see if that helps spread it at all.


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## CmLaracy (Jan 7, 2007)

looks great!! I'm more anxious than ever now to start my 75P AHAHAHAH

Looks great, you'll get good growth with what you're doing without having to have suffer from the algae that accompanies such a low bio-mass when water is present. Way to go!


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## Madfish (Sep 9, 2007)

Hey thats looking great there... Im looking forward to watching this one grow out.


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## Justintoxicated (Oct 18, 2006)

I like #1 with the soil added minus the flat rock...


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## dekstr (Oct 23, 2007)

looking good! time to watch grass, or should i say HC, grow


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## CmLaracy (Jan 7, 2007)

any updates on the HC?


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## Matthew_Machine (Oct 12, 2003)

thanks for the encouragement guys. 

CMLaracy: I dunno man... It's looking pretty sad right now. I'm hoping it snaps out of it soon.


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## Pastamancer (Dec 10, 2007)

Don't give up! Your pics make it look so nice!


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## dekstr (Oct 23, 2007)

matthew_machine, I just noticed my rock arrangement is almost exactly like yours. I didn't even notice til I looked at pictures of your nano again.

It could be a subconcious thing--look at pictures of other people's nanos, think about rock arrangements, subconciously think about your rock arrangement while hardscaping mine.:hihi: 

I guess I'll change up my rock formation to add some more uniqueness to it.


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## Matthew_Machine (Oct 12, 2003)

After a closer inspection there appears to be some _tiny_ little green buds forming. So hopefully in a few more days I'll see more. Relief!

Pastamancer: thanks! I'm nothing if not patient. 

dekstr: I looked and didn't see the similarity, and even if I did I'd still say not to change a thing. Originality is inevitable in the world of planted tanks. No two are ever the same. Your 2.5 gallon is looking healthy and looks totally different from others I've seen. I looked at plenty of tanks for inspiration.


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## CmLaracy (Jan 7, 2007)

I'm anxious for an an update!!


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## Matthew_Machine (Oct 12, 2003)

Well after a week there's been some die off, however a lot of new green growth is starting to show up. I would have posted some pictures already, but my PC is giving me some guff. I'll try and get some pictures up by the middle of next week. 

I'm glad people are as excited as I am about this tank!


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## Matthew_Machine (Oct 12, 2003)

Well, I lied. I do have an update. Stopped by the awesome Aqua Forest Aquarium today to get some Excel for another tank and also picked up some Dwarf Hairgrass. 









Spent a couple hours planting and boom!








A whole lotta hairgrass! Hopefully things get moving. I'll see if I can get a snap of the new HC growth. It's tiny and you can't really see it in that photo above.


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## m0azc (Oct 17, 2006)

Looking good.


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## CmLaracy (Jan 7, 2007)

looks good, keep up with the prompt updates. This is going to be a nice little Iwagumi!


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## Green Leaf Aquariums (Feb 26, 2007)

Looking nice....


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## skabooya (Apr 15, 2005)

3b is awsome


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## skabooya (Apr 15, 2005)

oops sorry got over anxious and only read the first page LOL. You chose the nice one anyway so YAY!


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## BiscuitSlayer (Apr 1, 2005)

Matthew_Machine said:


> Thanks, Jinx!
> 
> Canopy on the 5.5:
> 
> ...



I'm just curious... How warm does your canopy run? I would think it would be somewhat hot since there doesn't appear to be any ventilation. I like the way it looks though. Are you going to stain it?


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## Matthew_Machine (Oct 12, 2003)

BiscuitSlayer: That was my biggest concern, the heat. The hood only gets mildly warm and inside isn't too bad. It's also like 60-65 in my apartment and currently there's no warm water in it and most of the heat is warming the air inside the tank. I am planning on staining or painting it soon as well. If things start to cook after everything is in the tank, there's room to cut a few vents in it.


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## BiscuitSlayer (Apr 1, 2005)

Matthew_Machine said:


> BiscuitSlayer: That was my biggest concern, the heat. The hood only gets mildly warm and inside isn't too bad. It's also like 60-65 in my apartment and currently there's no warm water in it and most of the heat is warming the air inside the tank. I am planning on staining or painting it soon as well. If things start to cook after everything is in the tank, there's room to cut a few vents in it.


I wouldn't nessecarily be too concerned about the water temp from the light as much as the air inside the canopy, but since the entire canopy is enclosed I could see it potentially affecting the water at some point. You probably wouldn't see anything during the winter and early spring months but I could see it spiking as it starts to get warmer outside and your appartment heats up.

The main reason I asked was because of my concern for the ballasts. If they heat up signifigantly it will probably shorten their life. If heat does become an issue for you with respect to the canopy, let me know. I have a simple mod with some DC fans and a DC adapter that I would hook you up with for the cost of the shipping. I have switches on it as well, so if you didn't need to use the fans, you can just switch them off. Keep posting! I like the way your setup is coming out.


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## BiscuitSlayer (Apr 1, 2005)

One thing I forgot to mention is that I have basically the same type of setup as you on a 29 gallon. The only difference is that my canopy is open in the back so a lot of the heat is vented out that way. Originally, that is why I built the fan mod, but I wound up not using it because the heat IS being vented and the water temps are unaffected. It has been running like this for me for about 4 years now.


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## Matthew_Machine (Oct 12, 2003)

Yep, that's true. I just checked 'em and they're ok, but I'll def keep an eye out towards the spring. Thanks for the heads up.

Thanks for the kind words so far, all.


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## Matthew_Machine (Oct 12, 2003)

Even leaving my two unstocked tanks unattended for 6 days was nerve wracking, I can't yet imagine what the rest of you had to do if you took off. Luckily I came back and saw some crazy growth! 










It may not look like much, but it really is! It's bright and green and was a huge relief after watching most of it die off after planting it 3 weeks ago. The hairgrass has only been in the tank about 2 weeks and it's already shooting out runners like crazy. This is exciting!










I suppose I'm back on track with my estimated date for filling it up. I was expecting to not have it filled before mid-Feb. 

I still don't know what fish I'd like to put in it. I think Killifish are out. Maybe a Scarlet Badis or two. I'm for sure putting some shrimp in there so that pretty much rules out puffers. I don't really want to put Tetras/Rasboras in there. Maybe Sparkling Gouramis?


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## CmLaracy (Jan 7, 2007)

hey, I'm in need of a nice photo-update por favor?


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## Matthew_Machine (Oct 12, 2003)

There should be 2 photos posted there. Are those not nice enough?:icon_wink


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## moogoo (Dec 7, 2007)

very exciting. i'm in the process of setting/planning out my 30 gal tank. one question for you... i'm such a newb at this planted tank stuff. how did you separate your hairgrass and hc to plant like that? i have hairgrass. inside the pot was the spongy paperlike material. i had to tear it apart but couldn't get it in nice little pieces like you seem to have. how did you do that? there must be a method that i'm not aware of. 

i really like your design and layout and look forward to seeing the finished product. how is growing the emersed style going for you? do you like it better than the old way? just curious.. i might try it on my 30 gal.


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## Matthew_Machine (Oct 12, 2003)

thanks, MooGoo. I saw your thread and am anxious to see some pics. 

My hairgrass came in the same sponge material as yours (I think it's called rockwool). I just slowly broke apart the foam and seperated the runners. Each runner had a few stems so i just bunched/rolled them up and planted them all apart. I don't know if that's totally clear, but I tried. Patience!

Emersed was a little sketchy at first but has really taken off in the last week or so. I'll continue to update.


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## CmLaracy (Jan 7, 2007)

looolllolo sry I didnt see the pics. Thanks, and great work


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## ZooTycoonMaster (Jan 2, 2008)

Awesome tank so far! Any new pics for you to show us now?

And did you use 3 or 9 liters of the ADA Amazonia II Powder?


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## Matthew_Machine (Oct 12, 2003)

Hi, thanks! No new pictures yet, not a ton of growth in the last 3 days. Maybe around the 5th or 6th i'll post an update worthy of showing. 

I used a full 3L bag, and about 1/3-1/2 of a second one or so. So 4.5L total. As it got wet and compressed I tossed some more on top to fill in gaps.


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## Matthew_Machine (Oct 12, 2003)

New Pictarz!

Just over a month planting the HC and things are kickin' in. 









There's tiny little buds popping up everywhere now. I can't believe they all survived the die-off. Amazing! I can't wait for these to all grow in. 








Just to give some scale as to how tiny these are: that's Amazonia II POWDER.

Overview:


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## dekstr (Oct 23, 2007)

Nice HC growth.

Crap... you have to actually plant the HC roots when emersed? I just scattered the HC on top of flourite in my tanks.


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## ZooTycoonMaster (Jan 2, 2008)

Wow....that HC is tiiiiny:thumbsup:


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## Matthew_Machine (Oct 12, 2003)

dekstr, i saw your update. You might be ok. I only planted them because the way the HC came to me, I needed to pull out good stems separately. There was some algae on it and I wanted to get rid of it.


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## CmLaracy (Jan 7, 2007)

this looks extremely promising, good work


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## Matthew_Machine (Oct 12, 2003)

*Photo update*

Almost ready for water and fish!

The FTS









HC Growth








Ignore the crazy swirls on this pic. The water on the glass was doing trippy things :icon_eek:

Comparison:








Today









1/7/08

I'm still hung up on what fish to put it. I think Scarlet Badis or some sort of Micro rasbora.


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## fish-aholic (Dec 23, 2007)

Nice growth!


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## CmLaracy (Jan 7, 2007)

yeah the HC is really taking off now, nice job!!!


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## FelixAvery (Jan 11, 2007)

looks nice


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## Matthew_Machine (Oct 12, 2003)

Thanks folks! 

As of last night there's water in the tank. Fish have been narrowed down to: "scarlet badis", "celestial pearl danio" or some micro-rasbora. Or none of them. haha.

Edit: 

Took some chemical readings. I'm not all that great at reading test kits, so i'm hoping these are accurate.

ph: 6.6
NH3: 4.0
NO2: .5
NO3: 5

That's a lot of ammonia leeching out of the aquasoil. Dang. I'll measure it again day after tomorrow maybe.


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## JustOneMore21 (May 23, 2006)

I'd skip the Celestial Danios. They are pretty active for small fish and really need atleast a 10g. I just moved mine from a 10g to a 20g long for extra space.  They like to chase each other and stuff and are hyper like the other danios.


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## Matthew_Machine (Oct 12, 2003)

Yeah, there's not a LOT of info out there on them. I read on http://www.celestialpearldanio.com/ that people were keeping a few in 5.5's. They seem fairly small, but I'll consider your advice.


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## dekstr (Oct 23, 2007)

I think on the whole small tanks aren't ideal for even small fish. 

I really like CPD and may look into getting a breeding tank for them when I get work placement in the summer.

Maybe for temporarily putting fish in a nano-tank so you can take pictures, or using it as a glorified quarantine tank lol. In the long-term, only a few fish thrive in a small tank. But just my $0.02. 

It's just that I like it when small fish get to swim in a very large aquarium. It makes the tank look even bigger. Placing a small fish in a small aquarium makes the aquarium look small.


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## Matthew_Machine (Oct 12, 2003)

totally. This tank was always meant to only house a few fish. If I had the space I would have a giant tank with tiny little fish in it. I'm certainly not out to try and push any limits. At this point I'm just looking for small fish compatible with shrimp. 

I'm also looking for a paintball CO2 system for this tank. SFBAAPS pointed me in the right direction, but i'm still looking for one with a solenoid at the regulator.


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## dekstr (Oct 23, 2007)

Sounds good.

May I ask why paintball CO2 system instead of regular CO2 system? Space limitations? Aesthetics?


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## epicfish (Sep 11, 2006)

Scarlet badis or celestial pearl danios...badis get my vote.


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## Matthew_Machine (Oct 12, 2003)

dekstr said:


> Sounds good.
> 
> May I ask why paintball CO2 system instead of regular CO2 system? Space limitations? Aesthetics?


Both space and look. And possibly convenience as well. My 10 gallon will get a regular 5lb tank. This tank is resting on a dresser in my bedroom and there's really no where to put a 5lb tank. My local place swaps 5lb tanks, so I can't get a 2.5 really either.


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## Matthew_Machine (Oct 12, 2003)

It's filling in nicely!









Today's stats:
Ph-6.4
NH4-0
NO2-1.0
NO3-10

Seems like the ammonia is finally done leeching out. I'd been doing 30-40% wc's almost everyday though too. I had some algae growth that stopped when I cut the photo period to 7 hrs, double dosed Excel, and started doing big wcs. 

However, it appears I have planaria, and I def have snails. Poo. 2 months with almost no water in the tank.These things can survive anything.


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## CmLaracy (Jan 7, 2007)

looks GREAT! your patience paid off, the emerged growth looks awesome. Nice job, a great example for everyone on how to create a great scape through the emersed method. Nice!


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## Matthew_Machine (Oct 12, 2003)

Thanks, Chris!


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## efish (Apr 23, 2006)

crap, your snails survived two months without water! I've to ramshorn snails in my 20G and i carried over some DHG from there. Hopefully i didn't get any hitchhikers that survived my Poly-Ox bath.


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## Matthew_Machine (Oct 12, 2003)

Yeah, man. The planaria too. I guess there was just enough in the soil to keep them alive. 

Added a 20oz paintball tank, Red Sea CO2 with solenoid, ADA bubble counter, and a nano diffuser last night. Setup was a little wacky, but after some tweaks I'm sure it'll look ok. It works though! Pictures to come soon enough.


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## Matthew_Machine (Oct 12, 2003)

*Now with Fauna!*

Picked up some Micro Rasbora and Shrimp from AFA yesterday. Everything is still alive, so that's good!

Worker bees... err, shrimp









Minifishes.











The obligatory FTS


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## CmLaracy (Jan 7, 2007)

looking great! Very nice example of a simple yet elegant iwagumi! Great growth, but the HC seems to be wanting a bit more light as it is growing upwards. Try giving the HC a little cut like a lawn mower to get it to spread horizontally more. The Dwarf Hairgrass looks great, and I'm sure you'll see everything speed up a bit in terms of growth now that you've got that heck of a nice CO2 system going. Everything has filled in wonderfully! :icon_smil 

May I recommend this to accompany you're beautiful ADA bubble counter...

You know what also might look very cool? Putting some Eleocharis a. or vivpara (both taller than the parvula you have in there) right behind the rock structure to add some height to the scape. 

I have one group of Eleocharis Vivipara I could send you, just pay shipping. Just let me know if you want to try it out in that spot and I'll send it out. You'd have to keep it pretty low though as to make sure it doesnt stand out too much. Nothing a weekly trimming can't do!

PS nice minifishes!


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## Matthew_Machine (Oct 12, 2003)

Thanks, Chris. 

As for adding more light for the HC, it's a 2x13w AHS kit, and I can't really cram anymore over it right now. I don't think a 36w kit will fit over it in that hood. It's not actually growing _that_ tall, it's still spreading. My biggest concern right now is the weird brown patches of Dwarf hairgrass forming. 

I saved myself $30 by not getting the ADA diffuser, but this one isn't doing all that great of a job either. In a few weeks I'll pickup a drop checker and maybe a proper diffuser. 

As for the taller stuff, I'm ok for now thanks. I'm just letting it do it's thing for now. The hairgrass/HC are mixing, i tried to fight it at first, but it's too hard. I'll do a big trim in awhile.


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## CmLaracy (Jan 7, 2007)

Hey, any updates on my fav mini tank?!?! lol


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## jimsuy (Jan 25, 2008)

updates?


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## Matthew_Machine (Oct 12, 2003)

woops, sorry guys. Missed these posts. 

I'll try to get some photos up soon. No major growth, just a bunch of Cherry babies. I think I need to get some more light over the tank, which is a bit of a bummer...


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## deleted_user_16 (Jan 20, 2008)

are you gonna update tonight?


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## Matthew_Machine (Oct 12, 2003)

UPDATE!










Not even the greatest shot, borrowing a nice lens starting next week, hoping I get some sharper images... in this case it was just me being lazy. Not much has changed really. There's like 5 more shrimp in the tank because of babies, and the plants have filled in a bit. Ran out of CO2 last month and haven't been back to get it filled. Have had a little algae growth and should probably get on fixing that.


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

holy cow that hc is HOT, what do you do about your hairgrass sending runners into your hc?


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## Matthew_Machine (Oct 12, 2003)

clwatkins10 said:


> what do you do about your hairgrass sending runners into your hc?


I ignore it. Srsly. I tried to fight it at first, and was losing, after I gave up, most of the HC chokes it out. Nothing super major.


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## Green Leaf Aquariums (Feb 26, 2007)

Awesome mini!


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## CmLaracy (Jan 7, 2007)

looks great, love it. You're HC is extremely healthy despite it's vertical growth. That means you really took good enough care for it, that you didn't need to barrage it with light, that you got all of it's other requirements in check. It has everything it needs but a whole lot of light, so it's just growing in the direction of the light. This is a hard thing to achieve, be proud of it!


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## natdc2 (Mar 3, 2008)

I just set up a 10 gallon with similiar plants as you and your tank is truely an inspiration. I actually love how the hairgrass get tangle up with the HC, because it much more natural and if you let it be...there be less maintance. I don't know why some other people doesn't like that heh.


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## Matthew_Machine (Oct 12, 2003)

Thanks, all! I love that people love this tank as I was inspired by so many others. Though once I planted things, I didn't do much. It's done this by itself.


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