# The Edge - 6G



## toofazt (Jun 18, 2005)

It's pretty much impossible to light this tank evenly due to the aesthetic design of the hood. I would like to add another compact fluorescent but they don't have the directional ability of the LED's...

I found this 13W CFL at Walmart for $10. I couldn't find it on their website but here it is on Northern Tool: http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200309807_200309807

It comes apart easily and includes a 6500K bulb. You can use the clear plastic tube to protect the bulb and it even comes with a cap you can flip around and use to seal the tube from accidental splashes. There's also a decent reflector in there. This is an economical option you can purchase locally!


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## Wolfgang (Jan 23, 2011)

Nice edge. It is really clean and neat. Look forward for updates.


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## senoufo (Nov 14, 2008)

check my sig for ideas on LED build.


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## toofazt (Jun 18, 2005)

senoufo said:


> check my sig for ideas on LED build.


Wow, that's an in-depth build. Looks very clean and well thought out. Any reason you went with LEDs over SMDs? What did the build end up costing?


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## senoufo (Nov 14, 2008)

i must be old or the coffee didn't take...what's SMD?

If SMD means the MR16s with embedded LEDs, it may give off a bit better light but the spread is still poor ( corners are dark, and the spectrum is not what i was looking for ), also they are very close to the water and i never trusted 2 pins to hold up this light for a very long time.

the build was $120 ish, and took about 48 hours from start to finish. It was fun as i wanted to keep it as stock as possible, and wanted the proper light spectrum for reefing, so 3 watt crees was considered due to lots of reefers using those and having success with different types of coral.

thanks btw


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## toofazt (Jun 18, 2005)

senoufo said:


> i must be old or the coffee didn't take...what's SMD?
> 
> If SMD means the MR16s with embedded LEDs, it may give off a bit better light but the spread is still poor ( corners are dark, and the spectrum is not what i was looking for ), also they are very close to the water and i never trusted 2 pins to hold up this light for a very long time.
> 
> ...


Surface mount device, it's those low profile square LEDs. I googled 3 watt crees and I think we might be talking about the same thing, lol. SMDs generally have a much wider view angle than LEDs.


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## senoufo (Nov 14, 2008)

gotcha!

the cree XRE's i used are 100 degrees, so no problem there, and i have no spotlighting or dark corners.

cool whites are 10k temp, royal blues are 450 to 465 nanometer wavelength.


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## tetraontheedge (Dec 7, 2010)

Would it be possible for you to show a picture of the lighting mod mounting (the Walmart 13w)? Specifically, I am having trouble imagining how much of the flashlight is mounted (the whole thing?)

I am in the process of upgrading the lighting in my edge. Thanks!


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## jeffvmd (Apr 16, 2010)

Here is the light mod in the official edge thread.
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/planted-nano-tanks/95967-official-edge-thread.html


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## tetraontheedge (Dec 7, 2010)

Thanks for that--yes, that is where I got the idea about the lighting mod to start with. :icon_smil

My question is about how the flashlight mod mentioned in this thread works--I don't understand whether the OP is taking part of the flashlight off or just mounting the whole thing.

I am very electrically inexperienced, so it may be a rather dumb question...:help:

ETA: To clarify my question, is the OP taking off the bottom flashlight part and just using the flashlight bulb, casing, and top cap thing on a conventional bulb socket/cord fixture?


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## jeffvmd (Apr 16, 2010)

Oops didn't read the question too well.:redface:
That's what being online and checking posts in the early morning does.:hihi:

That probably is the way to go with that light, taking the bottom part off.
But will it fit the front arm of the edge? The casing seems to be a bit big to be accomodated under the hood.

Maybe toofazt can post pics of how it looks like.:icon_smil


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## toofazt (Jun 18, 2005)

Right now I have the bulb just zip tied to the end of the stock light bar. I'm not using the light tube it came with because it's literally 1/8" too big and the hood will not close the last 1/4". If you were to get rid of the stock light bar you could easily fit a couple of these 13W lights with the clear tubes protecting them. I'll get some pictures up later...


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## jeffvmd (Apr 16, 2010)

2 CFL's was what I did with my edge before


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## toofazt (Jun 18, 2005)

jeffvmd said:


> 2 CFL's was what I did with my edge before


I don't like those type of bulbs because instead of one fluorescent loop there's two and the one on top is blocked by the one on the bottom. They're made to disperse light 360° to light up a room. The bulb I used only loops once and there's a reflector to help direct the light into the tank.


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## tetraontheedge (Dec 7, 2010)

Thanks jeffvmd and toofazt. Toofazt, if I am understanding correctly--you took the bottom flashlight casing off, but the bulb and its socket from inside the flashlight casing are zip-tie mounted on the stock bar as per the edge thread's double-tubed aquarium cfl?

If it's easier if I just wait to see the pic, I understand!


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## toofazt (Jun 18, 2005)

tetraontheedge said:


> Thanks jeffvmd and toofazt. Toofazt, if I am understanding correctly--you took the bottom flashlight casing off, but the bulb and its socket from inside the flashlight casing are zip-tie mounted on the stock bar as per the edge thread's double-tubed aquarium cfl?
> 
> If it's easier if I just wait to see the pic, I understand!


Here ya go


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## tetraontheedge (Dec 7, 2010)

Thanks, toofazt! That is much clearer for me to understand. But you cannot put the square screened top on over that, correct? The 1/8" too much?

Now I will ask you and jeffvmd another hapless electrical question. This is something I asked on the edge thread but it got lost in the beautiful tank pictures. 

If I do the original light mod shown there (with the 10 watt cfl), can I just use a prefab socket/cord to power it? If so, is there a special kind I would need? I ask because the op for that mod describes purchasing a socket and then wiring it with an extension cord. I wasn't sure if he did that to economize, or whether there was something special about that way of powering the bulb that was necessary.

Thanks again for all your guidance! I have ordered the led's and will do the fluorescent part upon the receipt of your advice...:bounce::icon_bigg


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## toofazt (Jun 18, 2005)

tetraontheedge said:


> Thanks, toofazt! That is much clearer for me to understand. But you cannot put the square screened top on over that, correct? The 1/8" too much?


You CAN put the top over my setup. If you were to add the clear protective tube from the work light then the top wont fit unless you modify the stock light bar. How it's setup now you just remove the top and flip the light bar up like normal to gain access to the tank as seen in the pics above.

Everything is pre-wired, even comes with a on-off switch. The only thing I modified was extending the wires about 6" so I could hide the transformer in the back cover.


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## tetraontheedge (Dec 7, 2010)

toofazt said:


> You CAN put the top over my setup. If you were to add the clear protective tube from the work light then the top wont fit unless you modify the stock light bar. How it's setup now you just remove the top and flip the light bar up like normal to gain access to the tank as seen in the pics above.
> 
> Everything is pre-wired, even comes with a on-off switch. The only thing I modified was extending the wires about 6" so I could hide the transformer in the back cover.


Ah, okay. Good to know.  Thanks again!


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## whizzle (May 12, 2010)

Looks good I think the rummys will like their new home


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## jeffvmd (Apr 16, 2010)

+1 on toofazt's advice.

You can also get the heavy duty socket from homedepot which is around 4bucks and a 6foot extension cord. You must solder the extension cord's wires to the bulb sockets wires.
Using shrink wraps will protect the soldered parts.

When you solder the ends of 2 wires, make sure that the wires are of uneven length (one long and short) to avoid shorting out In case the insulation wears off and prevent the 2 wires from touching.


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## toofazt (Jun 18, 2005)

*Here's the two week update, sorry for the horrible tank picture! I've added some more plants: Myrio Mattogrossense, Dwarf Sagittaria Subulata, Nymphoides Taiwan, Subwassertang, Needle Leaf Java Fern, Hygrophila Polysperma, and one of my melted Cryptocoryne Parva has sprouted two new leafes! Not sure how long I'm going to keep the stem plants, they grow too fast for such a small tank! I've also added my first lonely fish; a White Cloud (Tanichthys Albonubes). Got a couple good shots of him but unfortunately he wasn't flaring his fins all the way...

















*


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## toofazt (Jun 18, 2005)

*Added an S+ Tiger Tooth CRS yesterday and this morning he was laying on his side on the bottom of the tank. Guess the trace amount of ammonia is too high for him. I stuck him in a cup of RO water and after a couple hours he came to and is currently swimming around perfectly happy. So he's staying in the cup until the ammonia in the tank is absolutely zero; lesson learned. 

















*


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## fleshwound (Jan 26, 2011)

Wow your pictures are gorgeous! What kind of camera do you use to take shots like that? Are u manually focusing? Or is it just auto? All my photos are blurry I cant adjust shutter speed either


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## x2h (Dec 23, 2008)

i kind of like the uneven lighting of the tank. a tank with evenly illuminated bottom only reminds me of an operational table in the hospital.


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## toofazt (Jun 18, 2005)

fleshwound said:


> Wow your pictures are gorgeous! What kind of camera do you use to take shots like that? Are u manually focusing? Or is it just auto? All my photos are blurry I cant adjust shutter speed either


Thanks! I use a Nikon D40x and took the fish/shrimp shots with a Sigma 150mm lens and a flash mounted above the tank. I shoot in manual mode but keep the lens on auto-focus because the fish never stop moving. :bounce:


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## toofazt (Jun 18, 2005)

x2h said:


> i kind of like the uneven lighting of the tank. a tank with evenly illuminated bottom only reminds me of an operational table in the hospital.


Don't get me wrong, I definitely love how it looks with shadows and uneven lighting but it's not the best for plant growth!


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## toofazt (Jun 18, 2005)

*This one would of been awesome if it was in focus :icon_lol:








*


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## toofazt (Jun 18, 2005)

*My tank finished cycling so I put the CRS back in. Whizzle from this site gave me three Rummynose Tetras (thanks!) and they're doing well. My WC thinks he's a RM now and schools with them :hihi: 

I also gave the stem plants a trimming. I'll try to get some better pics of the RM soon...








*


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## toofazt (Jun 18, 2005)

*Here's one of the Rummynose...








*


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## whizzle (May 12, 2010)

Your welcome! Glad to see they have colored up a bit and you take really good pictures.


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## toofazt (Jun 18, 2005)

whizzle said:


> Your welcome! Glad to see they have colored up a bit and you take really good pictures.


Thanks!

I've added more S. Repens and re-arranged the scape a bit. I'll post pics later...


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## whizzle (May 12, 2010)

Hey when its time to trim that S. Repens I'll take some off your hands lol


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## toofazt (Jun 18, 2005)

whizzle said:


> Hey when its time to trim that S. Repens I'll take some off your hands lol


I'll let you know  If you don't want to wait, the person I bought it from still has some: http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/swap-n-shop/128825-fs-ug-staurogyne-repens.html


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## toofazt (Jun 18, 2005)

*I'm done with the stock lighting on the Fluval Edge! I got my 48 LED M16 bulbs to replace the factory halogen aaaaaand they suck. I'm going to modify it to fit two 13W CFL that swing out of the way like stock. I'll post step-by-step photos of my progress and try to explain it as I go. 

Bayco fluorescent work light. 6ft - 18/2 cord, 13 watt 6500K bulb with a decent reflector. Cost $10.22 from Walmart, UPC code 017398345910, model number BA-506-01.









Remove the five Phillips head screws on the yellow handle and pop out the two rivets on each side with your finger nails.









The yellow handle can now be separated in half and the clear plastic tube can be slid off the bulb. The bulb assembly, on/off rocker switch and transformer are easily removed from the handle. Slide the black hanger clip off the clear plastic tube. Pull the yellow rubber sleeve off the end of the clear tube, remove the white rubber collar and the clear cap.









Flip the white rubber sleeve around and slide it over the bulb. It will fit perfectly over the base to help protect if from water. Now slide the clear tube over the bulb making sure the reflector is centered.









Take the clear plastic cap and tape it to the end of the tube to help protect the bulb from water. The cap is recessed on one side and will seat itself on the tube. Make sure the tape covers the two holes from the rivets we removed earlier.









The handle, yellow protective sleeve, and hanging clip can thrown out or saved for future projects. 









I cut off the box that housed the stock MR11 bulbs to make room for the two CFL. There's two screws on each arm and two screws on each MR11 light socket you need to remove to be able to separate the lighting arm. Once you have the arm apart, remove the stock lighting and screw the fixture back together to give it some stability. Stick it in a vise and use a hacksaw to evenly cut off the arms. Now I drilled holes in the top and bottom of the arms near the tip so I could route a zip tie through to hold the first CFL. I also drilled a hole in the side to route the CFL wires. If you want to hide the transformers in the rear compartment like I did you're going to need to extend the wires by about 16 inches. It's easy, just snip and solder or crimp in some 18ga or 16ga wire. Make sure you use stranded wire (not solid) because it has better flexibility. I removed the on/off rocker switches because I have my lights on a timer and don't need them. You'll also want to snip off about 6" of the CFL power cord because it has a molded in swivel attachment that can get in the way later.

You can see where I drilled a hole on the side of the support arm to route the wires through and out the bottom. I wrapped the bare wires in wire loom to keep the rear compartment a little more organized. You can also see where I drilled a hole in the end of the support arm to mount the first CFL with a zip tie. Then I used another zip tie to attach the second CFL to the first. I attached the lights opposite each other since there will be a little more light emitted from the tip of the bulb than the base. 









Front view. The zip ties work perfectly and the light sits nice and even.









Side view. Again, nice and even.







*


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## toofazt (Jun 18, 2005)

Finished the new lights! I'm really happy with the way they turned out. I have the option of 13W or 26W of light and it all fits nicely inside the stock hood. Plus they swing up and out of the way for easy access to the tank. Let me know if you have any questions and I'll do my best to answer them!


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## Jenhunter (Nov 6, 2010)

I'm curious to see how your new lights work out. I have the same set up as your original light fixture, and have been really frustrated with the light distribution. Anything that isn't in the center just doesn't get much light.

The Egde is a very neat tank, but is soooo difficult to work with!


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## Jenhunter (Nov 6, 2010)

Are you running any co2 in this tank? I don't see any mention of it. If not, how are your plants (specifically the repens) doing?


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## toofazt (Jun 18, 2005)

Jenhunter said:


> I'm curious to see how your new lights work out. I have the same set up as your original light fixture, and have been really frustrated with the light distribution. Anything that isn't in the center just doesn't get much light.
> 
> The Egde is a very neat tank, but is soooo difficult to work with!
> 
> Are you running any co2 in this tank? I don't see any mention of it. If not, how are your plants (specifically the repens) doing?


When no one is around I leave the hood off for better light coverage. When we're watching TV or have company over I put the lid on. Once everything fills in I might leave the hood on 24/7, we'll see...

I'll take pictures of 13W & 26W of lighting with and without the hood.

I don't run CO2 but I dose Flourish Excel and ferts. The S. Repens is doing great. It may be growing a little slower than a CO2 injected tank but it looks nice & healthy.


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## toofazt (Jun 18, 2005)

*Hood off, both lights on.









Hood off, one light on.









Hood on, both lights on. 









Hood on, one light on.







*


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## toofazt (Jun 18, 2005)

*I lost one of my Rummynose Tetras a couple days ago due to dropsy and it looks like another one has it as well. I added an Otocinclus and he's doing a good job at keeping the tank nice and clean. I'd like to add some more CRS because I only see the one I have in there a couple times a day.








*


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## toofazt (Jun 18, 2005)

*My lonely shrimp decided to make an appearance while I was trying to get a picture of my Oto so I had to jump at the opportunity. From my limited experience I'm guessing it's female? She/he is definitely growing! 



















Elvis has left the building! 







*


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## toofazt (Jun 18, 2005)

*It's actually pretty hard to get a good picture of an Oto because they are on the side of the glass most of the time and move every couple seconds.

















*


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## mike_freegan (Oct 15, 2008)

That is a fantastic mod.

If anyone is interested, the mechanic lamps appear to be available in the UK, but branded differently. They're called SILVERLINE.

http://www.silverlinetools.com/products/d93/s810

Cheapest is on eBay.

I want to get one in my hood around my MR16 LEDs but not sure how I can.


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## mike_freegan (Oct 15, 2008)

Toozfat, what did you do with the transformer in the light? Where is it now housed?


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## toofazt (Jun 18, 2005)

mike_freegan said:


> That is a fantastic mod.
> 
> If anyone is interested, the mechanic lamps appear to be available in the UK, but branded differently. They're called SILVERLINE.
> 
> ...


Nice find. If you look at post #17 I have pictures using the stock lighting (which works with MR16 LEDs) and the 13W CFL. It fits under the hood you just can't use the clear protective tube.


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## toofazt (Jun 18, 2005)

mike_freegan said:


> Toozfat, what did you do with the transformer in the light? Where is it now housed?


The transformers are in sitting in the base of the rear compartment with all the other wires.


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## toofazt (Jun 18, 2005)

*Added a ghost shrimp  Since he's practically clear he camouflages great in the tank. He also has pretty cool white stripes on his back and red bands on his "wrist" and antennas. 

















*


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## mike_freegan (Oct 15, 2008)

I have an idea for a replacement tube. I have one of the lamps on the way so will see if it works.

Incidentally, my plants are growing great with just my MR16s. They're ridiculously bright, but a bit bigger than the ones in your photos. Hope I can fit the CFL around them!


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## toofazt (Jun 18, 2005)

mike_freegan said:


> I have an idea for a replacement tube. I have one of the lamps on the way so will see if it works.
> 
> Incidentally, my plants are growing great with just my MR16s. They're ridiculously bright, but a bit bigger than the ones in your photos. Hope I can fit the CFL around them!


You can always use the CFL without the protective tube as well. Let me know if you have any questions when you take it apart.


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## mike_freegan (Oct 15, 2008)

OK, it arrived. Slightly different to the American one.

Wired it all up. Looked great.

Went to work, came home - light was not on.

Replaced fuse in the plug. Turned lights on, circuit board blew up.

Basically, I think it must not have liked being on all day, overheated and shorted. CFL is ruined now too.

Back to the drawing board


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## toofazt (Jun 18, 2005)

Sorry to hear about your light. I have mine on 9hrs/day so I guess they must be different.


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## mike_freegan (Oct 15, 2008)

toofazt said:


> Sorry to hear about your light. I have mine on 9hrs/day so I guess they must be different.


Yea, my transformer was a lot different to yours, and the bracket inside was fixed to the case.

I guess maybe it's something to do with us running at 240v rather than 110v. Maybe that is why it runs hotter. It really exploded! Made me jump out of my skin! I've just wired a 15w e27 cfl in there now, but it doesn't look as sweet as it did with your mod.


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## toofazt (Jun 18, 2005)

*The water is finally crystal clear! It's like a whole new tank without the haze that's plagued my tank since the start. I dropped my White Cloud off at the local pet store because he started harassing the Rummynose. Other than that, everyone is doing well. I've also introduced five Assassin Snails just because I think they're cool.  I don't have any snails to feed them but they seem to enjoy blood worms and one of them ate a leaf that broke off and was floating at the top.

I've removed all the stem plants keeping just one H. Polysperma in case I have a change of heart. Trimming them every week was getting old fast!










Cool angled shots 


















Close-up on one of the Assassin Snails:









The S. Repens and B. Japonica seem to be doing well. Right side:









I added some Fissidens Fontanus to the lace rocks. Left side:









Not sure what I'm doing with the Subwassertang in the back but it seems to be acclimated and slowly growing now so I don't want to pull it out. Side view:









Finally got around to mixing up some Fertilizer solutions for quick & easy dosing:







*


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## urples (Nov 15, 2010)

where did you get the bottles you are using for your fertilizer?


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## toofazt (Jun 18, 2005)

urples said:


> where did you get the bottles you are using for your fertilizer?


I got 'em from [Ebay Link Removed]... I'll send you the link.


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## whizzle (May 12, 2010)

Hows the rummynose doin?


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## toofazt (Jun 18, 2005)

whizzle said:


> Hows the rummynose doin?


I've only got one survivor from the three you gave me. I picked up one more Rummynose from Petsmart so he wouldn't be lonely. I also added some Endlers last week and they all get along well.


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## toofazt (Jun 18, 2005)

*We've got babies! They're about 3/16" long and I've counted at least three so far... I'll post pics of the parents soon. 
*


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## toofazt (Jun 18, 2005)

*The parents are pure Black Bar Endlers from Laguna De Los Potos North & South Lake.*


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## toofazt (Jun 18, 2005)

I added some Fire Red Cherry Shrimp to my tank yesterday. My two Rummynose instantly started eating the smaller shrimp so I got them out (which isn't easy in a tank shaped like this). Gave them to a friend with a 30gal tank which is good because the RN were getting a little large for my little 6gal. 

I can only count 4 shrimp from the original 11 I received. So either the Endlers are slowly picking them off or the other 3-4 are hiding (hopefully!).


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## raven_wilde (Jul 12, 2006)

*Subcribed

Any updates on this great little tank?


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## toofazt (Jun 18, 2005)

Had to tear it down due to a move  I just set it back up a couple days ago though: http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/planted-nano-tanks/151309-5g-edge-moss-shrimp-tank.html


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