# Complete noob: starting a Nano tank



## Capncrunch7 (Aug 11, 2010)

It's worth noting that clean minimalist look is a LOT more work than the wild jungle look. Wild jungle look pretty much means you just let it grow, while a clean look involves frequent trimming and replanting. HC, for example, has to be trimmed occasionally or it will block the light from reaching the rooted portion, and it will float away.


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## outcast (Jul 4, 2007)

also worth noting that mixing foreground carpetting plants can lead to a headache if you don't keep them to their zones.

Start with a cherry shrimp variety imo, they are much more forgiving. Although not really documented, from those i know locally, having assassin snails and amano shrimps can reduce the amount your other shrimp breed. This is through observance not research though.

co2 is definately a no you do not need it. But i would recommend some sort of suppliment whether it be metricide or excel. I've personally dropped CO2 on all my tanks for metricide, haven't noticed anything different with the plants except they grow a bit slower compared to co2. Reds are still intense. Just dont use plants that melt from it 

remember that an inhabitant doesn't take care of the algae, you do through proper balancing, so its very important to not over due the lighting and have sufficient fertilization. That said, nothing wrong with having them in there, just dont think you are covered by having them.

cleaning a filter is a must, there is no set it and forget it filter, if you do not want to maintain filter media, then perhaps go with a sponge filter since they are better for a shrimp tank. That way all you do is take out the sponge each water change, and squeeze it a few times in the water you removed, then put it back. Very low maintnence and just as good filteration  With a bit of aquascaping you wont even see this sort of filter. With nano tanks you can get whisper air pumps that wont annoy you.

as for substrate. use what you like, stay away from Mineralized top soil, its not for beginners. If you use just a sand, then make sure you pick up some root tabs, they do wonders and can save you a ton of money vs expensive substrates. I use Jobe's plant food spikes in all my tanks, the 13-4-5 variety as its really close to what i EI dose.

Plant trimming depends on the plants, java ferns and anubias you cut the rhizome to remove large portions, or just cut at the base of the leaf stem to trim old leaves. Stems you have two choices, Cut off the tops and replant, or snip off above a node to have multiple stems grow from that point. Doing both can really fill out an area quickly. I personally prefer keeping my stem plant numbers low due to maintnence.

For tank stability, make sure the water you put in is the same hardness of the water you took out, the inhabitants wont get stressed in water changes. Crushed coral only works to increase hardness if you have an acidic water source or you dose co2, but it wont do much with metricide tanks, so you'll need something like Equillibrium and/or alkalinity buffer if you dont have much hardness from your tap water (mine is actually unreadible its so low so its a big deal here)


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## jmowbray (Dec 20, 2009)

I would like to know which size eheim filter you are running on your tank please and did you make any mods. to it to slow the flow down?


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## Taepo (Feb 3, 2011)

Thanks so much for the detailed explanation. So if I understand you correctly:

-I do not need CO2 for my needs
-I will need to maintain the filter if I go with the Ehaim canister
-I don't need frequent water changes, just try to equalize the water during changes.
-Sounds like I need to research rhizomes and stems (no idea what the difference is)

So a few more questions...

-How do I keep carpetting plants within their zones?
-How often do I need to clean a canister filter? Is cleaning a filter different than changing the filter cartridges?






outcast said:


> also worth noting that mixing foreground carpetting plants can lead to a headache if you don't keep them to their zones...
> 
> ...co2 is definately a no you do not need it...
> 
> ...


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## gBOYsc2 (Dec 4, 2010)

Hi Taepo. As you can see you are going to get different answers and different opinions from everyone. No one in particular is set in stone and different things work for different people, so keep this in mind. It sounds like you are on the right track so far though, having done all your research. I will try to answer your questions to best of my knowledge.

1. No, your setup will not give you everything but most everything. In my opinion CO2 is a must unless you are planning on using all low light, low requirement plants(anubais, java fern, java moss and many others). You also have to keep in mind fertilization.

2. I feel CO2 is a must and I have never had very good results from a non CO2 setup. Do you research on excel and glutareldahyde. From what I have read it is quite the toxic substance and I prefer to stay away from it.

A bubble counter is a small contraption filled with mineral oil that lets you count how many bubbles per second the CO2 is flowing out of the canister. This will allow you to fine tune the amount you are injecting into the tank. A drop checker will measure the amount of CO2 saturated in your water by parts per million. It will give you a general idea whether you have too much, too little or just the right amount.

3. You do not need to buy powersand in addition to aqua soil. You don't even 'NEED' aquasoil however it is reported to be one of the best aquarium plant substrates on the market.

4. The CO2 setup is completely up to you. I have purchased a very similar setup which is made by Fluval and the long term cost will be quite expensive over the course of a year or 2. The refill cartriges for tiny systems like that will run around 20 bucks each and not last very long(I expect no longer then 2 months). You may consider purchasing a regular CO2 setup with a 5lb or 2.5lb tank. This will initially cost a bit more but will be far far cheaper in the long run. I would check the Green Leaf Aquariums website for an idea of what a full setup will cost.

5. Unfortunately you are never going to be able to just forget about your filter. As for the carbon I am not 100% sure. Some people use a carbon insert for the initial setup of the aquarium to remove certain impurities in the water and remove it after about a month. It's really simple. Just turn the filter off and open her up, remove it and close it back up and start it up again. You will have to periodically maintain your filter. I do mine on my 20gallon tank about every 2 months. I simply rinse the sponges in water I have removed from the aquarium and plop em back in. Be sure not to ever put your filter media in tapwater that has not been dechlorinated as it will kill the benefitial bacteria cultures that thrive in your filter.

6. Yes. You can keep it in a box next to the tank if it is more suitable for you. I keep mine under my stand, if you are going to do a nano with a small stand and want that equipment hidden any kind of storage box will be fine.

7. Every plant is different. Some plants you can trim in the tank, some stem plants you have to cut the top off and replant and some you can simply mow away with some scissors. The HC can be trimmed in the tank but as stated above it will need somewhat regular pruning to ensure the bottom portions stay healthy and don't get completely blocked from light.

8. I would skip the Otto idea. They sure are cute but I find they are fairly sensitive fish that require to be in groups to be comfortable and also need lots of hiding places. A 5g tank is not really suited for them. I think cherry shrimp or amano shrimp would be your best bet for starters.

You will have to do weekly water changes if you are using lots of fertilizers. Fertilizing is a MUST IMO. Especially if you are using high light and CO2. Some setups can get away without fertilization but that would be a very specific setup. Make sure you read into fertilization so you know what basic plant life requires. There are many popular fertilizing regimens and EI(Estimative Index) would probably be one of the most popular, simple and cost efficient methods. I would read into this if I were you. 




Don't worry about asking too many questions. Even a genius asks questions.  It's best you ask questions and find the answers before you get in too deep. That's what the good folks of TPT are here for. I think a nano will take only about 1 hour 2 max per week as far as maintenance goes. You want to do about 5 mins a day to ensure all occupants are alive and eating well and all equipment is working properly. Other then that water changes don't take long at all especially on a small tank like that. After all is done you can sit back and enjoy and observe. 

I didn't notice you any mention of lighting. Are you planning on using the ADA light as well?

Anyways, hope this helps. Feel free to shoot me a PM if you have any questions. I am no guru and I am new to Nano aquariums but not new to planted tanks. Cheers!


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## outcast (Jul 4, 2007)

stems you plant they grow up, rhizomes grow across, then the plant leaves grow from it. Look at a java fern and you'll see kind of like a large green root going across, you can't bury that or the plant can rot, thats why most people attatch them to driftwood. So if it grows too big, you can cut the rhizome, pull the piece out, place it elsewhere, give away or chuck it. Anubias have it too, but theirs is really bulky.

to control carpetting plants, you need to gently work loose the roots, where you want to remove it, then snip the plant, then try to replant those you uprooted by mistake, a pain when you need to do it a lot, but fairly easy when its only a couple chains to get rid of.

Canister filters, the joys of it is you can use reusable media, i stuff mine with nylon pot scrubbers since they are easy to clean and have a decent surface area. You can keep it full of sponges, but they take longer to clean. Since you are going to be having shrimp you will need to use a sponge prefilter on your intake, and that can take care of the only mechanical filtration you need. So you can just fill your cannister with bio and some filter floss for microfilteration. You wont need chemical filtration as you have plants and they do that naturally  Prefilter you squeeze every water change to prevent it from collapsing in (looks deformed if that happens), once a month change half the filter floss. every 2 months or so, clean the bio filtration. Never all at once, or you could cause a cycle. use tank water only, which is why you only do this at water change. I always recommend weekly water changes of atleast 30%. small tanks is a breeze.

Make sure you have some source of carbon for the plants to feed off of, no this isn't activated carbon, its CO2 or metricide/excel dosing. otherwise your plants growth will be limited and algae can set in. Read the lighting section stickies if you dont want to use either, you'll have to aim for low light at substrate level or deal with the algae battle.


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## VaultBoy (Nov 11, 2010)

I would recommend that as a n00b you need to read and understand about the nitrogen cycle and specifically how it relates to planted tanks, fish, shrimp, snails etc. are the least important pets in your tank, you need to culture a colony of bacteria to deal with the animal wastes in the water. Search for how to "cycle" a tank/filter, people will have a lot of opinions how to do it and there are many ways to achieve the same end result.

IMHO this is the most important step when setting up a tank, planting and aquascaping is all secondary.

I would reccomend that for a beginner that you use a canister filter without Co2 and keep your lighting to a level that is not promoting algae growth. Then have fun experimenting with your plants and scape


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## outcast (Jul 4, 2007)

gBOYsc2 said:


> Do you research on excel and glutareldahyde. From what I have read it is quite the toxic substance and I prefer to stay away from it.


Treat it like bleach and you'll be fine, the studies were done based on the substances being left in open trays to cold sterilize equipment in the medical field, often in enclosed environments. Just like most things, proper handling is all thats needed. As for fish, it is toxic yes, but so is nitrate, so is other things in the air at home, or outside. Locally metricide, or excel overdosing is an accepted method, although it is never as good as pressurized co2, it can be a lot more convenient for many. We have many shrimp breeders here who can't give away shrimp fast enough before more are hatched in very heavily dosed metricide tanks. So treat it with respect and there's no harm. I rebottle it into a 250 ml bottle and use an airline tube + syringe to get the liquid out, no contact with my hands, not near my eyes and the bottle has very limited surface area so theres no risk of vapours unless you put your nose to the bottle. I find household cleaners to be more wary of than metricide, their fumes are far more powerful.

So go ahead and research it, but i recommend stay on these forums doing so, as its where its argued non stop in context with its use, not the medical field. If you choose to go elsewhere to look, remember that metricide is just 1.7 times stronger than excel, yet there is no one preaching excel is dangerous to us. The real danger comes with much higher concentrations of glutareldahyde, and that stuff i wont go near.

from personal experience, co2 on nano tanks is a real pain, i'd only recommend it if you have a tank already you can tap off of


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## Taepo (Feb 3, 2011)

Thanks for all the info and replies everyone.

I'll look into the fertilization for sure.

One more question...when i start my tank, should I include some Hornwort to prevent any algae growth, until my other plants grow fully? Or will a few rocks of Riccia be enough to prevent algae?


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