# Fishwood's 4.5 Gallon Office Garden Cube



## Fishwood (Feb 1, 2008)

Hey all, thought I'd start a little thread to chronicle my first true foray into a planted tank. 

My background--I've been kind of an "on again, off again" aquarium enthusiast for several years. I'm no expert, but I try to read a lot. The "off again" part has been largely due to moving around a lot and being a broke grad student. Now that I'm out of school, I'm trying to get more in to aquariums. Sadly, I'm still not settled in a particular city. However, I need to scratch the aquarium bug, so I decided a small office tank would be the way to go. 

So without further adieu, here's the tank:










I saw this little tank in a LFS here in Sacramento several months back in a faux oak finish, which I didn't care for. I stopped back on a whim after work one day, hoping to find the same tank in black, and I lucked out. 

The make is "Aqua Aquariums" (they really reached on that one), and the dimensions are 10 inches wide x 10 inches deep x 10.5 inches tall, for a total water volume of roughly 4.5 gallons. 

It came with a glass lid that covers 2/3 of the top, and a basic light fixture which will be the subject of my first issue/question.


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## Fishwood (Feb 1, 2008)

I've spent more time in the past couple of years playing with saltwater nanos than freshwater tanks, so I definitely consider myself a newbie. As such, I'm going to try to keep this tank as simple as possible. My tentative plans are as follows:

Equipment:

-Theo Hydor 50w heater. I have this from a previous setup, but I think I'm going to switch to the visitherm stealth because the black housing will be less visible against the soon-to-be black background

-To be determined HOB filter, probably an AC 10. They seem to be the gold standards for HOBs on salt tanks (though they're typically modded into fugues). I'm going to try to make a lunchtime run to Petco tomorrow to get one. 

-To be determined substrate, leaning toward either the aquasoil amazonia or this new black colored fluorite I saw recently. 

-CO2: I think I'm going to try a DIY setup, though there's a chance I'll go the Flourish Excel route depending on how the DIY effort goes. 

-Lighting: I've got two options, please check my next post to give me some suggestions on what route to go. 

Hardscape:

Undetermined yet, I like this iwagumi style people keep referencing, and might find inspiration in that. I'll see what kind of rocks I can dig up in my searching tomorrow. 

Plants:

All species TBD. I'd really like a ground cover in the foreground. Can anyone give me some tips on my options? I'm going to try to go with a heartier, taller plant in the rear corners to mask the heater, HOB intake, and the CO2 diffuser if I end up going that route. I'm big on hiding equipment. 

Fish:

If it's not too cramped, I think I'll go with 3 of the same species: neon tetras, rasboras, or the like? Just not a betta . 

I'm not a fan of freshwater shrimp. If they have some ecological value I haven't read about yet, I'm not opposed to adding them. But barring that, I'll just stick with a few fish. 

And now, on to the light issue, where I could really use some help.


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## Fishwood (Feb 1, 2008)

Okay, I would really appreciate some feedback on my lighting dilemma (and anything else you want to comment on). Basically, I've got two broad options:

OPTION 1 - A new CF fixture

My initial plan was to buy a separate CF fixture for this tank. I think a CF fixture with mounting legs on an otherwise open top would look good on a little cube like this. Surveying my options, there seem to be three:

1. The coralife mini-aqualight. This is the one with the two 9 watt bulbs. One 10k and one 6.7k, I would assume. Can be found online for $25. Advantage: cheap. Disadvantage: you can't mount legs on to it without modding it, which bugs me. 

2. The coralife 12 inch 2 x 18, 36 watt CF fixture. On sale can be had for $35. Advantage: better aesthetics, would be usable for SW if I ever wanted to make the switch. Disadvantage: doesn't come in a freshwater bulb configuration, and would the actinic bulb have any benefit in a freshwater tank?

OPTION 2 - Use a screw in CF bulb in the existing fixture. 

This is what I could really use some help with. I've got a 24 watt spiral screw in compact fluorescent bulb in there now. Is that too much/not enough light for this sized tank? And beyond that, the bulb says not to use it in recessed, fully enclosed fixtures--is it an electrical hazard to use the bulb in this way? It touches the glass cover underneath the bulb. But it would be nice to make use of the existing fixture if I could.

Has anyone else been in a similar situation with using a CF bulb on a stock fixture? How has it worked?


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## ddtran46 (Jul 8, 2008)

I'd go with option 1 with the lighting over your tank, and you can make a diy light bar for it. Look at my ADA Mini M journal for an example. I am using the coralife 2x9watt light fixture over it. The dimensions of your tank is awesome:icon_smil


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## Fishwood (Feb 1, 2008)

Hey, a local! I'm actually in Sacramento...need to update my profile. The tank is from Capitol Aquarium. 

Thanks for the tips, I'll check out your thread.


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## epicfish (Sep 11, 2006)

How much was the tank by the way?

Go with the 24W CFL for now. It's basically a "free" option. See if you really want to or need to upgrade to higher lighting. With such a short/small tank, you're going to find the need to trim quite often if you go with higher lighting.


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## Homer_Simpson (May 10, 2007)

I keep hearing everyone harping and parroting about how in small tanks you really need very high watts per gallon as watts per gallon rules do not apply. I would recommend the spiral compact fluorescent bulb as far as watts take this for what it's worth. In theory, my small 3 gallon tank should require even more light than your 4.5 gallon due to watts per gallon not applying. I think it really boils down to what kinds of plants you want to grow. Below is my tank. The substrate is ADA AS II(I could recommend original), Seachem Excel Dosing(2X daily) and "only" a 14 watt 6500K daylight compact spiral bulb. Do, I need more lighting than this with the results I have so far? You be the judge. Even the riccia tied to rcck and kept in one corner displayed good growth. And it is one that requires a lot of light and c02 injection to grow well if tied to rock. Whether you would need much higher lighting than this with DIY c02 is questionable. I would be more inclined to say yes, if you plan on going pressurized c02 and again go with plants that require higher light intensity to thrive. If you go that route, it is a whole different ball game and the balancing act to avoid problems becomes that more important. I cannot even imagine setting up a high needs tank in my office at work as I just would not have the time to tend to it to avoid issues. Your circumstances may be different. 

My tank when first set up in Jan 09









The same tank two months later(present)









You can read more about the above setup here if you are interested.
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/low-tech-forum/79587-3-gallon-low-tech-ada-aquasoil.html


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## Fishwood (Feb 1, 2008)

Thanks for the suggestions. 

So I shouldn't be worried about heat/safety using that CF bulb in an enclosed fixture like that? I guess I'm just worried because it will be put on a timer and be on alone with no one there on the weekends. 

I left it on for a couple of hours last night. It got very hot to the touch, but otherwise seemed fine. 

In answer to your question, this tank was $30. 

To you guys in Sacramento, do you know any good local shops for planted tank supplies. Does anyone stock a black substrate in store like aquasoil amazonia or black fluorite? I'd prefer not to order that online, but I haven't found any stores out here that carry it yet. 

More updates soon...


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## jinx© (Oct 17, 2007)

That's a cool little tank. roud: I may have to check out Capitol one of these days. 

I'd try it with the spiral for a bit and see how it works out for you before buying a new fixture. You could prop it up off the tank a bit if you feel it's a risk.

Sorry but I can't help on the LFS leads for substrates. I haven't really hit many of them since I've moved here.


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## epicfish (Sep 11, 2006)

Fishwood said:


> Thanks for the suggestions.
> 
> So I shouldn't be worried about heat/safety using that CF bulb in an enclosed fixture like that? I guess I'm just worried because it will be put on a timer and be on alone with no one there on the weekends.
> 
> ...


I wouldn't worry about the heat. It's not all that much.

Jojo's Aquarium sells ADA Aquasoil. Give them a call first, though. Heck, it might be cheaper to get a 3L bag shipped from AquaForest over in SF.


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## coolnick (Oct 28, 2006)

I agree with Homer and would first try a 14w CF twist bulb in there. If you feel the need to upgrade do so after you see the results from the 14w. That bulb is in a tightly wrapped reflector and looks like it is about 1/2" off the water, this is going to make it very efficient. Start small and you won't have to do CO2 immediately. If you do that bigger bulb you will likely have algae issues from day one.

I have 2x27w CF twists on my 10g suspended about 4-5" off the water and if I let my DIY CO2 drop off in production for one day I get an immediate algae battle. If I were you I would do DIY CO2 anyway, but don't force yourself into the position of making it a necessity.


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## ddtran46 (Jul 8, 2008)

Fishwood said:


> Thanks for the suggestions.
> 
> So I shouldn't be worried about heat/safety using that CF bulb in an enclosed fixture like that? I guess I'm just worried because it will be put on a timer and be on alone with no one there on the weekends.
> 
> ...


Jojos carries Flourite black for 20 bucks a bag?? They always have it in stock, I just bought one last week. If you want half a bag of flourite, just ask them. They always open up the bag and sell half of it to me. They charge 11 or 12 bucks for half the bag.


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## Fishwood (Feb 1, 2008)

Thanks DD, I just rang JoJo's and apparently they've got a gravel sized black fluorite and a sand sized. 

My inclination is to go with the gravel sized version so that it doesn't unsettle as easily??


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## ddtran46 (Jul 8, 2008)

I personally like the looks of the sand better. If you want a slope in your tank then get the regular flourite black.


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

That should make a nice tank. You could probably make it rimless if you wanted to, depending on the glass thickness.


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## epicfish (Sep 11, 2006)

Fishwood said:


> Thanks DD, I just rang JoJo's and apparently they've got a gravel sized black fluorite and a sand sized.
> 
> My inclination is to go with the gravel sized version so that it doesn't unsettle as easily??


I like the sand. But I like ADA AS even more.


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## Fishwood (Feb 1, 2008)

The glass is pretty thin, I actually prefer to leave the trim on. While I like the aesthetics of ADA tanks, I like the heavy trim on this one and don't want to tinker much with it.

It has the heavy, boxy appeal of an old Volvo wagon.


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## lookin_around (Dec 18, 2005)

Fishwood said:


> The glass is pretty thin, I actually prefer to leave the trim on. While I like the aesthetics of ADA tanks, I like the heavy trim on this one and don't want to tinker much with it.
> 
> It has the heavy, boxy appeal of an old Volvo wagon.


And, when removing the rim, you run the risk of breaking the glass. (Which I did to my AGA 2.5, doh!)


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## Fishwood (Feb 1, 2008)

Back from Jo Jo's. That may be my new favorite store--mainly because they carry a bunch of weird asian imports you can't find elsewhere. 

They don't have a lot of actual plants, but they've got a great selection of planted tank related items.

Picked up a half bag (8 lbs) of black fluorite and a couple of pieces of petrified wood. Was going to go with driftwood but they have a little display tank on the counter using petrified pieces that inspired me. 

More exhaustive update coming later tonight with pictures, including a possible hardscape. 

Thanks to all for staying tuned .


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## epicfish (Sep 11, 2006)

Fishwood said:


> Back from Jo Jo's. That may be my new favorite store--mainly because they carry a bunch of weird asian imports you can't find elsewhere.
> 
> They don't have a lot of actual plants, but they've got a great selection of planted tank related items.
> 
> ...


Does the display tank still have the illegal GloFish?


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## Fishwood (Feb 1, 2008)

Did Glofish become illegal? I didn't see any in there.

Are you talking about the bullnosed, silver trimmed tank that's right at the end of the row that has the freshwater livestock? If you mean that one, then I don't think they're there.


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## ddtran46 (Jul 8, 2008)

Fishwood said:


> Back from Jo Jo's. That may be my new favorite store--mainly because they carry a bunch of weird asian imports you can't find elsewhere.
> 
> They don't have a lot of actual plants, but they've got a great selection of planted tank related items.
> 
> ...


Nice:thumbsup:


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## Fishwood (Feb 1, 2008)

UPDATE: Decisions on lighting, substrate, and rock formations. 

So I came away with yesterday's shopping trip with fluorite black (8 lbs), two pieces of petrified wood, and a new compact fluorescent bulb. 

First the substrate. Like the way it looks, pretty fine:










Second, the petrified wood:










The bulbs that I went for are from Lowes. When at the store, I couldn't decide between the two shown here, so I bought both:










The blue cased bulb is a "Bright Effects" 13 watt spiral CF with an advertised kelvin rating of 6500, and goes for $4. The other bulb is an Ott-Lite 15 watt spiral CF that goes for $5. I wanted the extra couple of watts, but the Ott-Lite bulb doesn't advertise the kelvin rating and I didn't want it to be under that sweet spot of 6500-7200. So I picked up both, hoping I could figure out the kelvin rating of the Ott-Lite bulb online later. 

Low and behold, there is a reference to this bulb on a pet squirrel forum (seriously people, a forum for squirrels?????). And it says the kelvin rating is 6500, so we're good:

http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=13931

And while both are thinner than that 24 watt monster I tried at first, the Ott-Lite is the narrowest of the three, and should provide the most space between the light and the glass. I'll be over 3 WPG, but if it isn't putting out enough light I suppose I could play with building some sort of reflector in the housing. 

So as of now, I still haven't picked a filter. I am contemplating getting an AC and trimming the impeller down, or I might just pick up some odd brand of 5 gallon HOB. 

I'm going to play with a couple of hardscape ideas tonight, and will hopefully add some photos for feedback shortly.

Thanks all.


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## ddtran46 (Jul 8, 2008)

Cant wait for the hardscape!!


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## Etcetera (Mar 10, 2009)

As far as your fish go, I would not suggest as few as three tetras or rasboras. They're much more comfortable in groups of six and probably would hide a lot and be a lot less vibrant and healthy in such small quantities. Perhaps a couple of sparkling gourami? Two females or two females and a male would probably work out as long as there is suitable tank cover. Males can be territorial, but I hear it's a charming fish with a great personality. Like bettas, they are anabantids that build bubble nests and breathe air from the surface. Some people say they make noises, also. It's worth looking into.


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## Fishwood (Feb 1, 2008)

Okay, here's where we're at...oh how I wish I had a better camera.

I picked these two pieces of petrified wood because I thought they kind of fit together lock and key. I'm going to position them in the center of the cube the way saltwater cubes typically cluster the live rock in a pile in the middle. Here's a top down view:










I kind of wish I had a bit more fluorite to work with. The base is thick enough, but I was hoping I could almost terrace it and have enough to pile the back portion of the tank three or so inches higher than the front, close to the top of the larger rock. May have to revisit that at some point. 

Here's a poor quality full tank shot: 










And finally, a little better quality close up of the hardscape:










The only other thing I was thinking about doing is running some aragonite sand in the "canyon" between the two rocks that fans out as it approaches the front glass (basically like a thin isoceles triange with the top point as the chasm...if that makes sense. 

But I'm leaning against going that way in an effort to keep things simple (planning on just three plant species).

Tomorrow's plans: 

1) Find a filter, and possibly pick up a bottle of flourish excel

2) Spray the back black. I have a background taped up there right now but I had forgotten how obnoxious those things are.


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## epicfish (Sep 11, 2006)

Do you mind indulging me for a bit?

Take the left rock, and from the top-down view, turn it 90 degrees counter-clockwise. For the right rock, turn it 45 degrees counter-clock wise.

How's it look?


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## Fishwood (Feb 1, 2008)

Ok, here you go. Hope I read what you wanted correctly:


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## epicfish (Sep 11, 2006)

Ahhh, ya, your way is better. I thought the other sides looked differently.

Have you seen scapes where there's a small "river" of white sand passing between two rocks?


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## Fishwood (Feb 1, 2008)

No worries, thanks.


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## hilikus16 (Nov 6, 2008)

I actually like the way epicfish told u to scape the rocks but I think the entire scape should be rotated clockwise about 45 degrees so the smaller piece of wood is in the front right corner. Also, if u can bury the big piece of wood a little bit it should make ur tank appear larger. I'm rather new to this also but it's just a thought. 

Your definitely off to a great start so keep of up.


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## Fishwood (Feb 1, 2008)

Updates: 

Went with the old reliable choice, an AC20 (I thought they made a 10, apparently not) for filtration. Can you believe I had to visit three places before I went to a store that had them in stock?

Hopefully reducing the adjustable flow to the lowest level possible will be sufficient, I'd prefer not to trim the impeller. 

Do any of you have any experience with lobelia cardinalis? I was browsing shops today and was struch by the green/purple variegation. 

As far as fish, still undecided. I can't say I still won't opt for three neons or rasboras, but am considering dwarf coral platies (how do they do in planted tanks?)


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## Fishwood (Feb 1, 2008)

Scratch the request for info on the lobelia cardinalis, I just read the plant profile.


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## ddtran46 (Jul 8, 2008)

where did you go to buy your filter? Pet Club has one of the cheapest Hob filters. I bought my Aquaclear 30 for only 20 bucks there.


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## Homer_Simpson (May 10, 2007)

Hey Fishwood, your hardscape looks good and looks like your tank will look really good once you add the plants. A carpet if HM or HC(if you plan to inject c02 later) would look nice on a small tank. Starting emersed would be good to gettng the carpet established and avoiding and algae issues at startup. You may find this interesting.
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/g...ion/52332-new-method-start-up-algae-free.html


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## Fishwood (Feb 1, 2008)

Tran, you bastard! Just teasing. I actually ended up getting it at the local petsmart. I went to O Street Aquarium, and some other place, and they were out of 20s. It was 26, and I was thinking "this seems overpriced" but was tired of looking. 

Thanks for the link Homer, I'll be sure to read up on that. I definitely need all the help I can get when it comes to introducing the plants, because I'm quickly approaching that step and know very little about that part of the process. 

I suppose I need a freshwater test kit and need to figure out my dosing/supplementation plans.


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## ddtran46 (Jul 8, 2008)

Petclub is one of the cheapest places to get things. They also sell petrified wood there too, only 1.20 a pound.


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## Fishwood (Feb 1, 2008)

So I got the back painted last night and moved the tank in to the office this morning, but forgot the camera. I'll try to take some tomorrow that show it in its permanent spot. 

So what sort of water should I use to fill it? Plain tap? I don't have a TDS meter to test the water here in Davis where I work. Artesian? Distilled?


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## docsoldlady (Mar 9, 2009)

Looks nice, I like the contrast the black substrate has against that petf. wood. If I passed it over sorry, do you have any plants for fish or shrimp in that tank?


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## Fishwood (Feb 1, 2008)

Thanks, and to your question, no, I don't have specific stocking plans yet. About to start the cycle process.


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## ddtran46 (Jul 8, 2008)

You should rinse the flourite in a bucket before placing it in your tank. If you don't rinse it...its going to get really cloudy. When you add the water to the tank, do it slowly.


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## epicfish (Sep 11, 2006)

Fishwood said:


> So I got the back painted last night and moved the tank in to the office this morning, but forgot the camera. I'll try to take some tomorrow that show it in its permanent spot.
> 
> So what sort of water should I use to fill it? Plain tap? I don't have a TDS meter to test the water here in Davis where I work. Artesian? Distilled?


Dechlorinated tap water will be fine. Use Prime.



ddtran46 said:


> You should rinse the flourite in a bucket before placing it in your tank. If you don't rinse it...its going to get really cloudy. When you add the water to the tank, do it slowly.


Yes, just stick a small plate on top of your substrate and have the water run over that to disperse the flow and prevent clouding of the water.


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## Fishwood (Feb 1, 2008)

Dumb question, what's "prime"? Is that a dechlorination additive?

I just ordered a visitherm stealth 50w, a freshwater test kit, and the seachem "fundamentals" kit from Drs Foster Smith, so it's going to be a little while before I'll be adding plants or fish.

I did a quick substrate rinse prior to the hardscape, so I think I got some of the dust and sediment out, but not all because I wasn't thorough enough. But I'm going to be running the tank filter for several days before adding plants or fish so it should have ample time to decloud. For some reason now that the tank is sitting next to my computer monitor, I want it filled with water. 

I could still really use some help selecting a groundcover for the front. What would you guys suggest? HC seems to be the fav, but I'm worried my light and carbon setup (the 15w with Excel) won't be enough to sustain it. 

So what are all my options? Glosso? Something else?

And can you recommend a good place to buy some? All the shops that I have visited heretofore don't stock groundcovers. I assume I'll have to order it online?


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## epicfish (Sep 11, 2006)

Fishwood said:


> Dumb question, what's "prime"? Is that a dechlorination additive?
> 
> I just ordered a visitherm stealth 50w, a freshwater test kit, and the seachem "fundamentals" kit from Drs Foster Smith, so it's going to be a little while before I'll be adding plants or fish.
> 
> ...


Yes, Seachem Prime is a dechlorinator.

I recommend Marsilea quadrifolia or Marsilea minuta. It'll grow pretty well under those conditions. I believe there is some for sale right now in the Swap n Shop!


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## Fishwood (Feb 1, 2008)

Where/what's the swap n shop?

On an unrelated note, this AC20 is not going to work. Way too noisy, and I fear too much movement even set at low. These things are usually pretty quiet, wonder if I got a dud. 

I think I'm going to return it and go with a red sea nano filter. And if that's not enough, get two of them and drop the flow rate on each.


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## docsoldlady (Mar 9, 2009)

Swap & Shop is a sub forum here. It's towards the bottom of the list.


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## ddtran46 (Jul 8, 2008)

Make sure all of the air is out of the filter before you return it(this may be the reason the filter is loud). Jojo sells the zoomed canister filter, I think that would be perfect for your tank size.


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## epicfish (Sep 11, 2006)

Fishwood said:


> Where/what's the swap n shop?
> 
> On an unrelated note, this AC20 is not going to work. Way too noisy, and I fear too much movement even set at low. These things are usually pretty quiet, wonder if I got a dud.
> 
> I think I'm going to return it and go with a red sea nano filter. And if that's not enough, get two of them and drop the flow rate on each.


Something is wrong with the filter. They're very quiet filters. Check the impeller placement, and like ddtran46 said, check to see if there's any trapped air where the impeller is.

Once you stuff some filter floss and Purigen in there, the flow should be decent, especially if you're going to have some stems. They block quite a bit of flow.


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## Fishwood (Feb 1, 2008)

The noise that's bugging me seems to be coming from below the impeller--the motor itself. I do have an old AC20 from a salt system I could probably swap out the motor unit from, but then I'm still down one good functioning AC20. 

Argh, I hate it when new equipment doesn't function properly.


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## ddtran46 (Jul 8, 2008)

Fishwood said:


> The noise that's bugging me seems to be coming from below the impeller--the motor itself. I do have an old AC20 from a salt system I could probably swap out the motor unit from, but then I'm still down one good functioning AC20.
> 
> Argh, I hate it when new equipment doesn't function properly.


Lol. Return that filter, might as well get a new one.


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## Fishwood (Feb 1, 2008)

I forgot the darn camera again. 

I am here to update that there are no updates. Further bulletins as events warrant (Gen X reference?). 

Water's still a bit cloudy. The AC is quieter than it was yesterday. Maybe it just needed time to prime. On the other hand, if it's got a tempermental motor, and might start making noise again if moved, that simply will not do. So it's probably back to petsmart for this guy; but in the mean time, the soon-to-be returned substandard AC20 can continue to decloud the water.


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## coolnick (Oct 28, 2006)

Fishwood said:


> I forgot the darn camera again.
> 
> I am here to update that there are no updates. Further bulletins as events warrant (Gen X reference?).
> 
> Water's still a bit cloudy. The AC is quieter than it was yesterday. Maybe it just needed time to prime. On the other hand, if it's got a tempermental motor, and might start making noise again if moved, that simply will not do. So it's probably back to petsmart for this guy; but in the mean time, the soon-to-be returned substandard AC20 can continue to decloud the water.


The 'motor' is an electromagnet, there are no moving parts to make noise. There must have been air in there. You can pull the motor off the bottom (make sure it is empty lol) and pull out the impeller. If all appears well you can rest assured that it was just air. I would just forget it ever happened.


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## Fishwood (Feb 1, 2008)

But if the electromagnetic device isn't even and centered perfectly, can't it still cause the impeller to spin off axis, thereby creating the noiseof plastic on plastic? 

I already took the thing apart and inspected it, didn't see any visual explanation of the noise. I feel like I know what an AC is supposed to sound like, and this isn't quite it--and it doesn't sound like trapped air either. I used to use two of them side by side to filter live rock on a 20L salt setup and all I heard was a faint hum.


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## epicfish (Sep 11, 2006)

Fishwood said:


> But if the electromagnetic device isn't even and centered perfectly, can't it still cause the impeller to spin off axis, thereby creating the noiseof plastic on plastic?
> 
> I already took the thing apart and inspected it, didn't see any visual explanation of the noise. I feel like I know what an AC is supposed to sound like, and this isn't quite it--and it doesn't sound like trapped air either. I used to use two of them side by side to filter live rock on a 20L salt setup and all I heard was a faint hum.


Exchange it at PetSmart and be done.


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## TribalDragon911 (Mar 7, 2009)

I am dying to get a hold of a tank like yours. I tried the google search on the brand name you posted with no luck. Is there a company name on the box? 
Thank You


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## Fishwood (Feb 1, 2008)

"Aqua Aquariums" was definitely the name of the brand. Sadly, I threw away the sticker and don't have any other details. My guess is they're like AGA or MiniBow and do no direct selling to end users, only wholesale. 

I've seen the tank out here in Sacramento in at least a couple of other shops since I bought it. 

I'm sure epicfish would volunteer to ship one to you though :hihi:

Is it the tank dimensions that you like? One option would be to go to glasscages.com and get an acrylic cube from them. They've got several sizes, none exactly the same but some close:

http://www.glasscages.com/?sAction=ViewCat&lCatID=25

Fair warning, they have a reputation on RC for being jerks, but those complaints typically come from people who place custom orders for specific holes drilled. If you order something off the list, maybe they're easier to deal with.

You could also call some of the Sacramento shops and see if they'd ship one of theirs to you for an extra fee. 

Try googling these w/ Sacramento for phone #s: 

JoJo's Aquarium (he has it with a fancier wooden stand and hood for $60ish I think). 

Capitol Aquarium (I got the last black one when I was in there, maybe they have more now. They had it in fake oak). 

Aqua Workz (huge store here, they may have had it).

Exotic Aquarium (another big store, they may also have had it).


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## Fishwood (Feb 1, 2008)

You can all sleep easy once again, the new AC20 is quiet as a mouse. 

Total budget outlay so far:

4.5 gallon cube: $30
15W ott lite screw in CF bulb: $5
Petrified wood, approx 6 lbs: $10
Fluorite black, approx 8 lbs: $10
AquaClear 20: $26
Visi Therm Stealth 50W: $20
API Freshwater Master Test Kit: $20
Seachem Excel Fundamentals Kit: $15

TOTAL: $136

Yeesh, wouldn't have spent any more if I had set this up for salt. Thankfully $20-$30 for livestock should be sufficient. 

Pictures coming this evening.


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## Fishwood (Feb 1, 2008)

So to the locals, epic, tran, etc. When you guys buy plants from a LFS store, who do you typically buy from? I'm thinking about going back to JoJo's but their selection wasn't huge. O Street seemed to have decent stock too.


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## ddtran46 (Jul 8, 2008)

The only plants that I bought from jojos were hc, dhg, and some hm back then. There aren't that much varieties there. Sometimes Exotics have nice anubias, stems plants, and much more plants for sale. I think that the swap & shop is the best place to buy some plants.


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## MARIMOBALL (Mar 18, 2007)

TribalDragon911 said:


> I am dying to get a hold of a tank like yours. I tried the google search on the brand name you posted with no luck. Is there a company name on the box?
> Thank You


Its an Aqua Aquarium. I know because I have one but removed the rim looks way better. The Aqua Aquarium factory is 10 min away from my house in the city of Alhambra, CA wholesale only but a couple of stores sell them around here.


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## epicfish (Sep 11, 2006)

Fishwood said:


> So to the locals, epic, tran, etc. When you guys buy plants from a LFS store, who do you typically buy from? I'm thinking about going back to JoJo's but their selection wasn't huge. O Street seemed to have decent stock too.


Swap n Shop.


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## jinx© (Oct 17, 2007)

epicfish said:


> Swap n Shop.


x2...Better selection, better price and you help fund a fellow hobbyist in the process. roud:


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## Fishwood (Feb 1, 2008)

So here are some shots of the tank in its new home. 














































Not a lot of other information to report. The tank's filled. The filter's running. I suppose I should stick in some additive to get the cycle starting. I'm going to add the coralife digital thermometer tomorrow and pop in a heater, but right now I'm basically waiting for the fosters and smith order with the visi-therm and the test kit. 

I may grow restless and throw in a plant, but thus far patience is prevailing.


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## epicfish (Sep 11, 2006)

Nice!

Why not throw in plants now? Fishless planted cycling.


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## Fishwood (Feb 1, 2008)

I don't know enough about the microbiology of aquatic plants to understand what effect that would have, introducing them to a tank that isn't well fortified with beneficial bacteria yet. Nor do I know what kind of trace elements are in the water that I put in. 

What about putting plants in now and adding root tabs to supplement?


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## epicfish (Sep 11, 2006)

http://www.rexgrigg.com/cycle.htm


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## Fishwood (Feb 1, 2008)

I planted some background plants this afternoon: hygrophilia augustifolia. 

They came in bunches of 3-4 stems. Is it better to plant the stems in bunches or divide them up and bury individually? or does it even matter?


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## epicfish (Sep 11, 2006)

I do mine individually so they have room to grow in.


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## Fishwood (Feb 1, 2008)

I wonder if the ten or so individual stems I put in are going to end up being too crowded. Oh well, done fiddling for the day. Now I just need to address the foreground situation.


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## Fishwood (Feb 1, 2008)

Let there be green. Too bad I didn't time this to coincide with St. Patrick's Day.





































There is a slight haze to the water, but it's not as dramatic as the camera makes it out to be. It just dawned on me that I probably should have slipped a heater in yesterday. 

Doh.

I guess I'll have to rely on ambient room temperature until Monday. Hopefully that plus the modest heat from the light will keep it around 70.


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

It looks really nice. Don't worry about the heater at this point because there are no fish in there :tongue:


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## Fishwood (Feb 1, 2008)

Thanks man, assuming these plants do well, I'm thinking I'll need to thin them eventually to avoid light deprivation, but right now I'm just kind of in wait and see mode.

Still on the "to do" list:

1) Figure out a foreground plant. 

2) Decide if I want to put a mid ground plant on the sides of the petrified wood. 

3) Get a timer for the light (gotta do that today for the weekend)

4) Make a decision on fish.


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## brt_p (Nov 16, 2008)

IMO :
the plant was too big for your tank, if it was mine, i'll plant UG (or maybe hairgrass) for foreground..that's it..only one plant..
but, if you still thinking about background, you can use Hairgrass vivipara...


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## lookin_around (Dec 18, 2005)

I know nothing about that plant, but it looks cool. Hopefully it won't take over your tank. I'm not sure about the huge leaves in such a small tank though, but I'm anxious to watch it develop.


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## Fishwood (Feb 1, 2008)

The more I look at it, the more I think I'm going to change it. 

Right now I'm thinking I'm going to get some more substrate and really jack up the right rear corner so that it's alomst flush with the top of the petrified wood, nearly terraced--and plant a shorter plant up there--something bushier, that either grows about 4 inches high or will look decent pruned to that height. I may leave some of the hygro clustered on the left hand side of the rear, or move it to a tank at home and go with something with shades of red--perhaps ludwigia.


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## crimsonbull57 (Jan 7, 2009)

IMO i would put moss in the foreground, dwarf hairgrass between the petrified wood and let the FG plant cover the sides next to the petrified wood, but its just an idea


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