# Todd's first planted tank - 5g



## i love planted tanks (Apr 27, 2008)

welcome to the forums....i live in vegas to


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## Nue (Dec 27, 2009)

Very Nice! Just a heads up my Crypt Wentii Green out grew my 5 gallon.


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## toddg (Feb 3, 2010)

A few test pictures during test initial layout tests. Gotta bring in a better camera, the Iphone just doesn't work too great. The curved front of the mini-bow tank doesn't help either. 

The driftwood is really shadowed by the foreground plants, but it's the only way I can fit it into the tank (angled). Might change out the front plantings to a shorter ground cover.


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## toddg (Feb 3, 2010)

Found a new bulb today at the local Von's grocery store of all places!


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## Morainy (Feb 8, 2010)

Hey, Todd. I am really inspired by your tank. I have planted a 5 gallon corner Eclipse for my betta, but I basically just stuck in the plants that I had on hand, without much thought for artistic arrangement. Plants and betta are happy, but I'm trying to learn more about how to plant small aquariums more beautifully. Thank you for posting your photo.

I have 6 tanks right now, all small (5 to 30 gallons). 

This is my first post.


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## toddg (Feb 3, 2010)

Added a DIY Co2 generator to the tank this morning after reading about the over the weekend.


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## toddg (Feb 3, 2010)

The sag. subulata I have in the foreground are getting really brown and clear. This seems similar to what I've read about crypt melting. Being new to planted tanks I'm not sure if this is normal for these during an initial tank setup /planting. I really want to move everything around in the tank based on rethinking the plant layout based on plant sizes. Going to do the big weekly water change today and try cleaning up what's there a bit and will decide then what I'm going to do next.

Tank after one week:










sag:


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## toddg (Feb 3, 2010)

Found the first snail in the tank today. Only the size of a pinhead, no idea what type it is. Only noticed it because it was climbing up the tank front. This was the best I could get the camera to focus on it:


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## toddg (Feb 3, 2010)

Several more of these snails are crawling around the tank. They are quick little buggers for their size. Reading about them and it seems to be a mixed opinion of leaving them in or trying to get rid of 'em.


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## Damian (Jun 17, 2009)

toddg said:


> Several more of these snails are crawling around the tank. They are quick little buggers for their size. Reading about them and it seems to be a mixed opinion of leaving them in or trying to get rid of 'em.


It really depends on the hobbyist I suppose. I personally dont mind them as long as its a suitable number. But if they get out of control then theres a problem. Mostl likely they are pond snails. Hitchhikers that came in with your plants. Depending on the amount you have in there for a 5gallon tank it may prove to be too much. But then again most people assume theyll devour your plants but I have yet to experience this(knock on wood)


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## TLE041 (Jan 16, 2010)

These snails aren't harmful to plants IME, but they do have a tendency to get out of control population-wise. A small tankful of these things is pretty unsightly. Once that happens, it could be very hard to eliminate. In my own tank, I just pick them out whenever I see them.


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## toddg (Feb 3, 2010)

Tank photo update 02/26/2010:

Moved things around a bit and have a few extra pots waiting for transplant into a larger tank at home when it's ready. 

Still only the plants and few snails in the tank. Going to decide on the first fish next week.


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## arok3000 (Dec 27, 2009)

That new photo looks 300% better.
That's a nice little scape you have going on there now!

As far as the snails, I've found they're really only abundant when I overfeed or if I have an algae problem. Either way, it's when I'm doing something wrong that their numbers get out of control.

Keep it up!


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## shoteh (Nov 13, 2007)

Yes I like the newer layout. Dwarf sags are nice but in such a small tank as your they are mid level plants. What kind of filter are you using btw? I was curious because when I had an eclipse 5, surface scum was always a problem for me. I'm assuming the Aqueon uses a different filter system though.


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## toddg (Feb 3, 2010)

I'm currently using the stock filter that came with the tank. I do have an Aquaclear 20 on it that I was deciding between it and the stock one to run. I think it AQ puts out too much current even on a low setting for the small 5g tank so switched back to the little factory one instead. The downside is that is mounted inside the frame so it blocks a lot more of the light from the good. Will probably end up moving back again to the AQ 20. Sure not helping my cycling / setup to keep being undecided, but the plants and snails are doing okay. Been diligent about holding off on fish and shrimp, but a few starters are going in soon. Need to move the last of the sag to the middle/back, just not enough room with the temporary holding pots in there now.


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## toddg (Feb 3, 2010)

Dwarf hairgrass is growing well in the tank. The one in the stored pot awating transport is already reaching the top of the waterline which equates to almost 3" of upwards growth since I put it in. The planted stuff looks to be doing well also. I'm not sure if the HC is going to make it, I stuffed it into the substrate with some of the rockwool left as I couldn't get it to stay down any other way. 

Tested the water yesterday and here's what I came up with:

Ph 7.3
GH 25 (yeah, Vegas has hard water)
KH 8
Nitrate .1 ppm 

Ran a quick test of GH for the bottled water in our office and it shows a GH of 10 so maybe that would be a better choice for water changes? I need to do a sample from home as we have a water softner installed that I'm curious what difference that makes. 

Some morning pics of the snails doing their thing:


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## toddg (Feb 3, 2010)

Picked up 4 Zebra Danio's at the LFS today so the tank has it's first fish!


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## narhay (Feb 28, 2007)

Don't bother removing the snails. You'll never remove all of them, so they will just keep coming back. Save your sanity. And their numbers usually remain constant if you feed normally and keep other aspects under control.


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## toddg (Feb 3, 2010)

Yeah, I'm leaving the snails. Actually kinda like like the little guys and they were the original inhabitants. Other than the 5 or 6 that grew I haven't seen any more.


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## toddg (Feb 3, 2010)

Tank is doing good. Hairgrass got a trim yesterday, it had grown up over 3" since planting. 

Danio's are busy fish and very curious. They always seem interested in the pruning tools when I'm trying to clean up the tank. 

Really hard to photograph this tank between the bow front and light color gravel. I really want to redo it with black Eco-complete, but the plants and fish are happy currently. Might end up moving everything to either a 6g or 10g rectangular tank.


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## AlexXx (Dec 1, 2009)

wow the hair grass looks fantastic!


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## Huzzah (Jan 10, 2010)

toddg said:


> Picked up 4 Zebra Danio's at the LFS today so the tank has it's first fish!


I don't believe Zebra Danios are the best choice for that tank considering it's size (assuming it's standard 15x9x14 minibow) and how hyper they are. I personally would rather go with a few guppies or endlers (all male so there's no breeding), maybe White Cloud Minnows, or a betta and some shrimp or a larger snail. They'll probably be fine, assuming you keep up on water changes, but in my first 10 gallon I had zebra danio and even in there they were a little too zippy & active to really enjoy it.

That said, I'm always impressed by how nice some people can make nano tanks look, well done.


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## toddg (Feb 3, 2010)

Cherry shrimp arrived today. I think I'm going to take the Danio's out and put them in the 55g at home. The Danio's will have a bigger home and wont' be spooking the shrimp constantly.


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## toddg (Feb 3, 2010)

Got some video of one of the RCS checking out a snail in the tank.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClhIw8B4kUI

Just hanging out on the driftwood:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lM_QaCyYys


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## toddg (Feb 3, 2010)

Looks like one or more of the new shrimp was already ready for fry...Saw these little guys on Friday and came in today and there have to be 50+ swimming around.


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## tyler79durdan (Jan 23, 2010)

You should take those plants out of the pots, and take the rock wool off... PLANT them! Looks good though

EDIT: Wow not sure how I missed a whole page... looks like you did...


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## toddg (Feb 3, 2010)

tyler79durdan said:


> You should take those plants out of the pots, and take the rock wool off... PLANT them! Looks good though
> 
> EDIT: Wow not sure how I missed a whole page... looks like you did...


Yeah...three of the plants were only there for storage until the 55g was up and running. 

Want to move the large red crypt out to the 55 now and put in one of the smaller ones I received but the little RCS are all over it so gonna wait a bit.


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