# Finnex 4 Gallon



## Outlawboss

**Current Picture as of 1/18/11***










Well, thanks to everyone for the initial comments on my setup. I've ordered just about everything I will need for this fun little project, and I started thinking aquascape today so I thought I'd share. 

The first pic is what was available to start with. Just rocks from around the mountains where my parents live, a Manzanita burl, some petrified wood and a chunk of obsidian.









Here's a layout I'm thinking. The rock behind the taller piece of petrified wood is only there to hold it up.









Since I only have 13 watts over this I am thinking low/med light to start with. Chain Swords, Anubis Nana (petite), Taiwan Moss. Not sure what else, some ground cover would be nice. Maybe Dwarf Hair Grass?


----------



## merk1_99

Another Finnex 4 memeber!

I would wait to plan the hardscape when you get the tank. Trust me the size and scale you are thinking right now may change...

Upgrade the light or at least add the HD Hampton Bay 27watt light. Best decision I have made so far.


----------



## Outlawboss

I saw the light you're talking about at Home Depot so I will be able to pick it up any time, which is nice. 

I also saw another interesting light at the LFS today. ALMOST picked it up, since it was only $32. Has anyone seen this or used it before? 
Aquatic Nature - Solar Duo Boy (26 watt)


----------



## Ugly Genius

That's a nice looking light. The bulbs not as good as a normal CF, but twenty-six watts of that type of bulb on your four gallon would be just about perfect, I'd imagine.


----------



## Outlawboss

Maybe I'll get it and contribute a product review :thumbsup:


----------



## Outlawboss

Finally! Tank has arrived. I got my stand built, got all my Co2 injection ready to go, and started working on a scape. I was noticing how the glass looked a little green from the edge-on view.









Silicone was really well done from what I can tell. Very tight seams.


















Couple pictures of what I'm thinking for my scape. I really like that rock with the deep hole in it. Perfect for a small plant to fit snugly in.


















One plant I'm sure I want to have is some taiwan moss. I've been cultivating some in my 30 gallon tank for a couple weeks. Looking about ready to go into the new nano.









Some bonus pictures from my 30 gallon. Just learning to use this new camera so I'm trying to get some nice shrimp pictures. This is a baby RCS.









Another baby RCS. Can you find it in the jungle???









I have the taiwan moss and a small anubis nana "petite" that I will put in there. Otherwise I am pretty open to exploring new plants. I've never tried a rotala and I like the red color they have. I don't have any experience with higher light plants just yet so I'm still learning.

How about this:
Rotala (background/color) 
Anubis Nana 'petite' (Accent)
Taiwan Moss (shrimp haven, maybe a partial carpet?)

I need a nice foreground/carpet plant. I like HC but it scares me. I really like the look of Craigthor's pellia >here<. There's also hairgrass or micro swords but I'm really not sure what would look good.

As for the lighting, I am really liking the Aquatic-nature 26 watt. For $32, the price was right. The clip that it uses to hang on the side of the tank is a little flimsy, but the fixture is pretty lightweight so it shouldn't be a problem. I also really like the LED moonlighting, but you can't put it on a timer. You have to manually switch over to moonlight so I don't know how often that will actually happen. Overall though, I really like it. Puts out quite a lot of light. A definite improvement over the stock 13 watt that came with the Finnex.

Anyway! It's a start. Comments appreciated. :fish1:


----------



## thingamarob

Can't wait to see how this turns out. I think it'd be neat to see you do something with the obsidian. Where did you get your tank from? Also, what kind of filter do you have on it?


----------



## Outlawboss

thingamarob said:


> Can't wait to see how this turns out. I think it'd be neat to see you do something with the obsidian. Where did you get your tank from? Also, what kind of filter do you have on it?


It's a Finnex 4 gallon tank. I got it off ebay as a buy it now. The filter on the back is just the HOB that it came with. I will probably upgrade to a Tom's mini canister filter one of these days. I like the obsidian too. It's completely black. Really dark. Maybe I'll pop it in there tonight and see how it looks.


----------



## Outlawboss

Got some plants in there last night. Here's the list!

Dwarf Hairgrass
HC
Mayaca Fluviatilis
Ammania Gracilis

Soon to come:
Taiwan Moss
Nana 'petite'

As soon as it was in, I immediately knew that the A. Gracilis was not going to stay. The leaves are just too big in proportion to the tank's size. It's a beautiful plant, though. Hopefully it will grow in my 30g tank. Lighting is a little low in that one probably (1.7wpg of T5).

Anyway, the plan is to get the Mayaca trained to grow small and cover the back. Then take the HC and get it to cover the areas that aren't already alotted to hairgrass. Add some moss in there for nice color contrast, and then some RCS or CRS and a few micro-rasporas.

It was a learning experience actually planting such a small tank. The aesthetics are so interesting and challenging because of the teeny size. 

Pics of the tank in process.

Any comments are very welcome. Love it? Hate it? I'm learning as I go.

Just after planting...well sort of. It was 2am and I decided to wait and plant the HC later.










The morning after, water clearing up.


----------



## luckydud13

It looks great, now start planting that HC


----------



## Outlawboss

Update time!

Everything planted and looking pretty good. I think there might be too much going on and may simplify as things grow in. But for now I think it will work just fine.










Now I'm starting to think about things like ferts. I haven't done a medium-high light tank before, and I expect a nano to be especially challenging to keep parameters in check. I've read some about the EI dosing schedule. Maybe I can scale that down for the 4g and follow that.

Also my first time planting HC. It was challenging to say the least. I hope I did ok.

Whatcha think?


----------



## NO3

Why is that other people's Finnex 4 is always better looking than mine?:icon_smil



Outlawboss said:


> Also my first time planting HC. It was challenging to say the least. I hope I did ok.


 
Toally agree, I'm new at this also, planted my first tank with HC and Hairgrass. I was too cheap to buy tweezers so I just shoved the stems into the substrate. More than half of them died two days later. I rushed out and got some tweezers, replanted and got new growth the next day.


----------



## Outlawboss

Couple days later...still looking pretty good. Water has a slight green tint to it. I don't think it's GW, must be just part of the cycling process. It's pretty minor.

Ammonia is still high at 6ppm. It's only been a week, but I was hoping to see it go down by now. Doing 25% daily water changes and crossing my fingers that it goes down some by the weekend so I can add some fauna. Wonder what an average cycle time for these small tanks is?

Also. Growth! I checked the first pictures I took versus today and I can see some growth going on. Haven't even added any nutrients yet so I'm stoked.


----------



## Outlawboss

Time for an update. Things have been going well. Ammonia levels still hovering around 6ppm after 2 weeks up. Probably another week before I can add any fauna. 

I'm a little worried about the algae that has started to show up. Most of it is innocent enough and an otto would eat it, but I'm afraid to get one just yet because of the high ammonia.

I can't believe how much the HC has filled in! My first HC success and it feels oh so good.

Full tank shot now that I've moved it to the office.


















The HC is really filling in. If you look back and compare it against day one, it's pretty amazing to me to see. It's pearling really nicely every day too. roud:









M. Fluviatilis has started to take off also. Pearled for the first time today!









Taiwan moss is coming along also. Going to be a great shrimp nursery.










Could use some help on this one. This algae makes me a little nervous. Really started to show up after I dosed ferts for the first time. Would it be better to hold off on dosing ferts until the tank is cycled? Would like to hear your experiences!


----------



## BENOLUX

tank looks great mate, the anubias is probs growing algae coz it is a slow growing plant. im not sure how to stop it. maybe move it out of the light and into some shade in your tank. probs hard tho hey. 

looks great tho :thumbsup:


----------



## ZooTycoonMaster

Wow it looks great! Is the CO2 pressurized or DIY?


----------



## chase127

that algae will go away quick with amanos  but the tanks looking great keep up the good work. and Zoo, go to school...


----------



## merk1_99

Toss in more fast growing stemmies to get the tank over the top algae wise. When the tank has broken in you can get rid of the stemmies. 

Everyone else's Finnex always looks better than mine as well. I am in the GW phase and hope to soon emerge from it...


----------



## Outlawboss

ZooTycoonMaster said:


> Wow it looks great! Is the CO2 pressurized or DIY?


It's pressurized. I'm using a paintball style regulator hooked into a 9 oz paintball cylinder with a Red Sea needle valve. Nice and compact, and it should last several months between refills.



chris127 said:


> that algae will go away quick with amanos  but the tanks looking great keep up the good work. and Zoo, go to school...


Thanks! I'm not sure if I'll be able to get my hands on an amano. How about Red Cherries? They should help the algae as well right?



merk1_99 said:


> Toss in more fast growing stemmies to get the tank over the top algae wise.


Thanks for the suggestion. I never though about adding some sacrificial stem plants in there. Maybe they've got something cheap at the store right now.


----------



## chase127

eh cherries might eat some of it but theyre really detritus eaters/foragers. amanos are king for algae control. for the short time mine were alive, they cleaned up all the fuzz algae that looked just like yours.


----------



## merk1_99

I like you got the pressurized CO2 on it. So much easier than dosing excel if you got the $. My friends think I am crazy that I have pressurized on a 4 gal but the proof is in the pudding. If I could take pics of the plants through the gw you could see the plants are jumping out of the tank. What diffuser are you using. I like it it looks cool. How well is it working?


----------



## Outlawboss

*Chris127* - Alright that's great to know. I always thought an amano would be kinda big for this tank and that he might not be happy with my cherries in there. I'll give it a try though!

*merk1_99* - The diffuser I have is from Green Leaf Aquatics. It's the spiro one that acts as a bubble counter. I love watching the bubbles spiral through the glass. I started out with pressurized on my 30 gallon tank and I don't ever want to go back. It's too much fun and the benefits are worth the extra $ up front.


----------



## chase127

amanos wont be too big  since youre in CA they shuoldnt be too hard to find at an LFS


----------



## Outlawboss

chris127 said:


> amanos wont be too big  since youre in CA they shuoldnt be too hard to find at an LFS


You were right Chris! They're readily available at my LFS, which happens to be a really nice place.

I got 3 to start with. The tank is still cycling a little bit, but my nerves got the better of me when I started seeing what I considered to be too much algae and other detrius. They lived overnight so I went and got 4 more today. Of course one of them immediately decided to play with fire and romp around the filter inlet. He got dead, but the others are happily munching.

I sure hope these can start to help my algae problem out. I'm quite confused (as usual) as to what to do in order to stop the spread.

Thus far, I have been dosing very minimally. NPK once a week into the water column, and I have Seachem solid ferts stuck into the gravel in strategic places.

The aglae isn't anything quite as bad as BBA, hair or fuzz algae. The best way I can describe it is detrius algae. It's clumpy and dirty looking more than anything else. Weird!

Anyway, some updated pictures. Hopefully I can get some fauna pictures tomorrow.

See what I mean by how clumpy it looks? It's very soft stuff. Not attached to the plants very firmly. The amanos should hopefully take care of it soon.









My poor HC is showing signs of algae now as well. Crap!









Full tank shot. Despite algae problems it's come a long way and I've learned a lot. I'm already thinking of future, much more natural looking aquascapes. My wife will love me.









And another bonus picture from my 30g. I brought some amanos home for that one as well and I got a stowaway! I have no idea what the little guy is, but I hope I can keep him alive long enough to find out. My dwarf gourami has been hunting him for days to no avail. :icon_bigg


----------



## Outlawboss

Amanos in the house!!! 6 Amanos purchased last week, and they've all lived to tell the tale. They've also gone to work on my algae bigtime. Looking back at the last post, they've completely cleaned off parts of the tank. MAN they are hella fun to watch. I have coworkers getting in on the fun now. There's a few who now make a daily trip to see the progress and watch my little "bugs" for a few minutes. I'm really happy with the lessons I've learned on with this experiment. I originally thought I would tear it down and rescape once I felt comfortable with the Nano style...but now I dunno. I might leave it and see where it goes. Maybe a minor re-scape. That rock on the left seems to be detracting from things. I might remove it and use the taiwan moss as more of a carpet. It would make a really cool contrast to the HC.

Anyway, some pictures. I had a little time this afternoon so I went for some more dynamic shots. Hope you like em.

_Amano-tastic!_



























_Spreading hairgrass and HC. They're going to merge eventually. Cool!_









_Jungle shot._









_Ubiquitus FTS. I've been noticing a slight green tinge lately. Maybe a minor case of green water. Should take care of itself soon enough._








_
And, since I've been too lazy to start a journal for my 30g, a bonus and completely non-nano related shot._


----------



## Ugly Genius

Looking good. I don't think you need to rescape at all. It's got enough structure to give it character, yet is open enough to allow for minor tweaks to the plantscape as your mood dictates.
I don't know how you keep a tank at work. I would get nothing done. It's hard enough not going online to check out this forum, let alone having a tank on my desk that I have to keep my hands out of.


----------



## Outlawboss

Thanks UG! I'm lucky in that I get time to check the forums at work (SHH!) daily. It is totally hard to keep my hands out of the tank during normal work hours. Mostly I do maintenance at the end of the day when 95% of people have left. That way I get my kicks and nobody cares, or is there to make fun of me.


----------



## bsmith

Do you have a drop checker on the tank? If not just keep nudging up the co2 untill you see stress in the animals. Also what is your lighting schedule? From the looks of the algea you may be leaving the lights on too long.


----------



## Outlawboss

bsmith782 said:


> Do you have a drop checker on the tank? If not just keep nudging up the co2 untill you see stress in the animals. Also what is your lighting schedule? From the looks of the algea you may be leaving the lights on too long.


No drop checker yet. I do like the ones they have at GLA though. Surely I'll get an itch to get one before long.  Right now, I have C02 flowing at a rate that keeps the PH steady between 6.4 and 6.8. I know my GH/KH so I can get a ballpark number if I need.

My photo period is 8.5 hours right now. The tank is just now coming off it's cycle, so it could be something to do with the spike in nitrates in the water column. I'm doing daily (or every other daily) 20% water changes so I have faith that I will conquer it soon...unless I put soup into the water. Ugly Genius did!


----------



## bsmith

Nitrates wont directly cause algea issues. What kind of light are you running?


----------



## Outlawboss

Something called a Solar Duo Boy. 26 watt fixture but the bulb itself says 24 watt. Saw it at the LFS and thought it was perfect. Here's a link to their site. As far as I can tell, I'm the only one running one on the nano forums.

Aside from the green algae, I'm so far free from other nasties like hair, BBA etc.


----------



## bsmith

Nice light, I wish I could get one of those bulbs down here for my mini-m. It looks like that petiete is getting some BBA on it. I had issues with BBA in my nano with a slightly bigger tank with a little less light. Just keep co2 up and constant with a photoperiod of 8-9 hours and algea should never be an issue.


----------



## Outlawboss

You know, I bet they still have them at the LFS here. I could pick one up and get it to you if you like. So far I've been really happy with mine. And, it was only $32!

The nana was pretty sad when I put it in the tank. It already had some BBA (from another tank). Luckily the Amano's I put in there have been happily cleaning it off for me. I have a nice shiny new leaf even.


----------



## bsmith

I would be interested in just the bulb. Currently I have a 23w 6500w GE spiral fluorescent in it. If you open the Mini-M journal in my sig you can see the desk lamp im using.:thumbsup:



Outlawboss said:


> You know, I bet they still have them at the LFS here. I could pick one up and get it to you if you like. So far I've been really happy with mine. And, it was only $32!
> 
> The nana was pretty sad when I put it in the tank. It already had some BBA (from another tank). Luckily the Amano's I put in there have been happily cleaning it off for me. I have a nice shiny new leaf even.


----------



## Outlawboss

Gotcha. The bulb in this one is says its a Shin Mao ES-11D65. 24 watt 6500k. Not sure where I'd find that sucker if I needed a replacement!

Love your Mini-M by the way. I've been watching that thread for a long time now. The spray bar you have in there is pretty sweet.


----------



## Fishwood

This tank looks awesome, one of my favs.

Makes mine look like a turd.


----------



## bsmith

This will help you figure it out. :thumbsup:


----------



## Outlawboss

Fishwood said:


> This tank looks awesome, one of my favs.
> 
> Makes mine look like a turd.


:icon_eek: Wow thanks! 



bsmith782 said:


> This will help you figure it out. :thumbsup:


Absolutely!


----------



## Outlawboss

Added 2 CRS today. My first experience with them but so far, I love em. They look like little peppermints to me, but alive and cooler.

I know you've all seen a million shrimp pictures but I can't resist a couple more. 

On a side note, as I was looking at these I realized my HC is looking really healthy since the addition of the Amanos. They are doing their job in a big way.


----------



## btmarquis

I love those finnex tanks. Great job. How is the algae going? Ive got a newly setup 10 gallon, and I have some thread algae starting to show up. I have some amanos on the way, and I hope they are hungry little critters.


----------



## Outlawboss

btmarquis said:


> I love those finnex tanks. Great job. How is the algae going? Ive got a newly setup 10 gallon, and I have some thread algae starting to show up. I have some amanos on the way, and I hope they are hungry little critters.


Algae is under much better control. The Amano shrimp really helped with that, but I also attribute it to letting it run it's course. You'll love the Amanos though, really hard workers and fun to watch. I still have some GDA on the sides of the tank that I'm resisting the urge to scrape off. 

I refreshed my bag of purigen last night and when I came in this morning, crystal clear water. Love it.


----------



## Outlawboss

Wow! I totally scored today. I try to hit the LFS on Thursdays when they get their new batch of fish. The one I like here in San Diego (Aquatic Warehouse) is great at getting their hands on rare and weird fish. I was finishing off the fauna with some Endler's Livebearers and a few more CRS and Amanos when I came across these guys in a random tank. Never seen them before...ever. I think they were called Dwarf Bumblebee Otto's. I'll have to go back and check tomorrow, forgot my reciept! This is supposed to be about as big as he will get. He's got the characteristic otto shape, but looks like he's mixed with a pleco or something. Anyway, I thought he was one of the coolest looking otto's I've ever seen. Lets not mention $, he was worth it. :smile:

Total fauna should be finished now for a total of:

2 Endler's Livebearers (male)
1 Otto
4 CRS
6 Amanos
2-3 random hitch-hiker snails

Sorry for the GDA and GSA. I have been neglecting cleaning the sides of the tank because there are some Amano babies cruising around. I know they'll perish, but they're still fun to watch and probably nice food for the Endler's.













































My new brightly colored fishie friend.









Yep, they still look like peppermints to me. Love it!


















I always like this view of the tank for some reason.









FTS. I know, it's pretty dirty on the equipment and the sides of the tank. But there is surprisingly little algae in there. Amano's are doing their job, not that I want to rely on them entirely but they're busy little guys.


----------



## ZooTycoonMaster

Wow your tank is awesome!:eek5:


----------



## Outlawboss

Thanks, Zoo


----------



## Outlawboss

Just a weekly update. Things seem to be going well overall. I got a nice new nano diffuser that I will use to replace that monster spiro diffuser. I love the integrated bubble counter but it's pretty dang big for a nano tank.

I also noticed that the HC is yellowing some in spots. I wonder if that's just a normal progression or if perhaps I need to start dosing more. Nitrates have gone to almost zero in the water column, but that doesn't mean they're not there in the substrate. So I'm not sure about that one, so advice is welcome!

The weirdest thing started happening this week though, it seems that my CRS (I think) have been nibbling on my Mayaca Fluviatilis. I've not noticed up to now. So far I have not supplemented the shrimp diet with anything other than the small fish flakes I feed my endler's. Is that enough? What the heck would make them want to chew my greenery? Has anyone else had this?

Anyway, a couple pics. I promise to clean the rest of the GSA tomorrow night, after which I will post a nice FTS.

Can you see where they nibbled it? It's a fair amount of leaves that have been chewed!









Just another shot of my favorite little otto. He's was smiling I swear!


----------



## Outlawboss

I ended up getting some crustacean food (supposedly for crabs and lobsters) and dropping it in the tank. The shrimp went absolutely bonkers. I have to say that was the most fun I've had so far with this tank. They would come grab a grain of the food and take off to some private part of the tank. It was a shrimp frenzy! Now I sorta feel bad that they were so hungry that they had to resort to eating the plants. Geez what a bad shrimp owner! Anyway, I bet they'll stop with the plant nibbling now.

I think I lost my little otto too, sadly. I don't know what happened. Fine when I left work on Thursday, and by Friday when I went to leave I saw him looking pretty bad. I guess we'll see on Monday if he made it. No idea on him though, water/temp were fine. I know he had plenty of food. Oh well, try again I guess.


----------



## Wicket_lfe

What kind of otto is that? I've never seen one like it? Great tank. im jealous.


----------



## Phoenix-cry

everything is so green!


----------



## Outlawboss

Thanks Wicket and Phoenix! I think the otto was called a dwarf bubblebee otto. I had never seen one like it either so I had to get him. Too bad he didn't make it. If I ever see another, I'll grab it since they're so fun to watch. He was about 1/2 the size of a normal otto.


----------



## mgdmirage

Wicket_lfe said:


> What kind of otto is that? I've never seen one like it? Great tank. im jealous.


Same here, very cool looking.


----------



## bsmith

I believe they are called zebra otocinclus.

http://www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/species.php?species_id=353


----------



## djorijun

What diffuser are you using?


----------



## Outlawboss

bsmith782 said:


> I believe they are called zebra otocinclus.
> 
> http://www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/species.php?species_id=353


Yep, that was the closest thing I could find online about it. Only his markings were slightly different than they had in the photos so I was going by what the LFS had called them. I hope I see one again soon. It was really cool how small he was. 1/4" or so.



djorijun said:


> What diffuser are you using


I was using the medium size spiral one they offer at Green Leaf Aquariums until last Friday, but have since switched to the nano diffuser they have here.


Interesting little tidbit. After I fed the shrimp for the first time on Friday and they went nuts and had a little feeding frenzy, I came in this morning to find that almost all of them had shed that clear top layer of their exoskeleton. Before the feeding, I only saw maybe one a week. Now, suddenly, they all decided to do it. I wonder if it's related to the feeding.

FTS for the week. I finally did a deep cleaning.

I don't like those yellow spots in my HC. Not sure if it's just normal lifecycle or if I'm missing something. Nitrates still low.


















Starting to really like that Ludwiga. Thought I might take it out at first but now I am totally digging the bronze/red leaves. They look almost pink in the right light.


----------



## djorijun

Sweet thanks


----------



## Craigthor

Lush looking tank. Not a huge fan of the large leaved plants in Nano tanks but I'm a huge scale person when it comes to that.

Looks great though.

Craig


----------



## Outlawboss

Craigthor said:


> Lush looking tank. Not a huge fan of the large leaved plants in Nano tanks but I'm a huge scale person when it comes to that.
> 
> Looks great though.
> 
> Craig


That was my initial problem as well. I don't like the difference in scale but I do like the color. Any suggestions of a similarly colored plant with smaller leaves?


----------



## Craigthor

Outlawboss said:


> That was my initial problem as well. I don't like the difference in scale but I do like the color. Any suggestions of a similarly colored plant with smaller leaves?


None that I can think of off the top of my head.

Craig


----------



## NO3

I really like your tank. 

Makes me want to start another Finnex tank. Where did you get yours by the way? The ebay seller I got mine from is no longer listing them.


----------



## Outlawboss

I got mine off ebay as well. Just did a Finnex 4 gallon search and got lucky!


----------



## Homer_Simpson

Outlawboss said:


> ...I don't like those yellow spots in my HC. Not sure if it's just normal lifecycle or if I'm missing something. Nitrates still low.


I love your tank, it is truly inspirational. If by yellow spots you mean that some of the leaves are yellowing, it could be an iron deficiency according to this.
http://theaquariumwiki.com/HC

"...Dwarf Baby Tears requires iron if yellowing is to not occur."


----------



## Outlawboss

Homer_Simpson said:


> I love your tank, it is truly inspirational. If by yellow spots you mean that some of the leaves are yellowing, it could be an iron deficiency according to this.
> http://theaquariumwiki.com/HC
> 
> "...Dwarf Baby Tears requires iron if yellowing is to not occur."


Aha! Thanks for that tip and the compliment! Iron happens to be the only thing I'm not dosing. Maybe the Aquasoil was able to nourish it for some time but now it's all used up. Much appreciated.

Craigthor you've got me really thinking about aesthetics and those big leaves on the ludwiga. I put a sample stem in my other (somewhat lower light) tank and it seems to be doing ok. Maybe I'll move it and put something else of similar coloration in there with smaller leaves. Anything with reddish tint or accent will do. Maybe a rotala. Time to investigate.

Update picture. HC is visibly more yellow now.


----------



## waterfaller1

Fabulous finnex!!!:icon_smil


----------



## bsmith

Do you dose Seachem Flourish Comprehensive? After some research on the fertilator I found if dosing FC there really is no need for Flourish Iron.


----------



## Outlawboss

Well, I dose liquid NPK, and I was using substrate tabs for the comprehensive fertilization. Maybe that's my mistake. Originally I did it that way thinking I'd keep extra ferts out of the water column for reduced algae. 

I'm still learning about dosing regimens and how things are effected in the water column versus substrate. My original thought was that since all my flora were stem plants, I would load the substrate up with nutrients and that would be enough. However it seems like a balance between substrate and water column nutrients is more desirable.

To your point though, Bsmith, I do have regular Flourish. Maybe I'll bring some of that in and try it rather than iron only.


----------



## bsmith

I have seen huge amounts of Nitrate in my water column after putting root tabs in the substrate. These wew Aquagro+ from the medicineman. I have seen slight nitrate raise from Tropica root tabs too. Bother were after the substrate was disturbed also.


----------



## Outlawboss

Hmm! I'll give some different things a try then. I'll start this week by dosing flourish standard into the water column and see if there's any change after several weeks.


----------



## Outlawboss

Time for an update. Been dosing Iron into the water column for a week and the HC seems to have recovered some. In fact, it might be showing growth overall. 

The dwarf hairgrass and HC have started coming together in the middle to form a mixed carpet. I'm finding that hairgrass can be pretty invasive if you don't regularly tame it. I end up saying to myself, hey how did the hairgrass get THERE when I'm doing trims. 

Anyway, couple of pics. Nothing new or spectacular. I've got some Rotala sp 'mini' on the way, so I think I'll be doing minor rescape and replacing the ludwiga at that time. Should help with the aesthetics some.



















And, some bonus shots from my 30g bowfront which I just spent 4 hours re-scaping last night. I know, it's not a nano, but hopefully you enjoy it anyway.

Ugly Genius has me sold on the Bolbitis fern since I've seen it in those tanks. You can see my shiny new specimen off on the left. The ugly ass rock is holding down my driftwood, which likes to float away right now.









New driftwood. I think it's purty. Looks like roots from a tree that was somehow burned in a fire or otherwise weather worn.









Some clippings of the plants from my little 4 gallong have gone into this tank and they took off, much to my surprise since this tank is only 1.7 WPG of T5 light.


----------



## Ugly Genius

The driftwood is rad!
Good job on the Bolbitis. Beautiful plant, huh?
You know, I actually _like_ the rock. It makes the DW look like a mushroom.


----------



## Outlawboss

Thanks UG. The Bolbitis has been growing on me ever since I saw it in your tanks. I feel like I see it everywhere now that I have my eyes open. I finally saw it on the swap n shop and couldn't resist.


----------



## mithrius

the driftwood looks really nice! i boiled mine in a bit pot of water, and then weighed it down overnight.
its perfect now and sinks. 
alot of that tree 'tar' came out of it, so im glad i boiled it so that stuff didnt eventually seep into my tank.
it DOES look like a mushroom!! i think thats awsome...


----------



## Outlawboss

Haha, thanks mithrius. You know the mushroom idea is kinda funny. Maybe once I get the rock off there, I could get some moss up on top of that driftwood and grow it out so I can trim it like a mushroom, or a tree top or something.


----------



## ZooTycoonMaster

Wow it looks great! Are you using pressurized CO2?


----------



## Jack Gilvey

Wow, great tank! Love the rasbora pic, I think they're my favorite fish in the whole woyld.
Those and flounder.


----------



## Outlawboss

ZooTycoonMaster said:


> Wow it looks great! Are you using pressurized CO2?


Thanks Zoo, yes I am using pressurized. I have a paintball style setup with a Red Sea needle valve.

Thanks Jack! I love Rasboras too. I almost never see flounder but they're really cool. I love how small they are.


----------



## Outlawboss

Did a little re-scaping this past week. I took out all the hairgrass up front because I didn't like how much visibility it took away from the rest of the tank. Hopefully the HC will spread quickly and I'll have a nice little meadow up front. Adding iron to the water column dosing regimen really bumped up growth all around. Especially in the HC. It not only greened back up, but it started growing like crazy. Anyway, an update photo.

Added a few stems of rotala sp 'mini.' Hopefully I can get that to take off as I'd like to replace the ludiwga that's in there with something that has smaller leaves.


----------



## Homer_Simpson

Outlawboss said:


> Did a little re-scaping this past week. I took out all the hairgrass up front because I didn't like how much visibility it took away from the rest of the tank. Hopefully the HC will spread quickly and I'll have a nice little meadow up front. *Adding iron to the water column dosing regimen really bumped up growth all around. Especially in the HC*. It not only greened back up, but it started growing like crazy. Anyway, an update photo.
> 
> Added a few stems of rotala sp 'mini.' Hopefully I can get that to take off as I'd like to replace the ludiwga that's in there with something that has smaller leaves.


Aha! so the information I parroted was right. Dosing iron stopped yellowing of your HC. 

Anyway, this is one the best looking Nanos that I have ever seen. You have done an excellent job. I am so jealous.


----------



## Outlawboss

Homer_Simpson said:


> Aha! so the information I parroted was right. Dosing iron stopped yellowing of your HC.


Dude, not only did it stop the yellowing, it made the HC go absolutely nuts. It's growing way fast now. Thanks for that find!



> Anyway, this is one the best looking Nanos that I have ever seen. You have done an excellent job. I am so jealous.


Wow! Thanks. I always look at some of the other tanks you guys have here and think, I'll never have a tank that looks that rad.


----------



## Outlawboss

Just a quick update. Mostly posted in a self serving way so I can see the difference in growth since re-planting some new HC. Looks like it's starting to spread some. I am loving the Rotala sp 'mini.' Hopefully it will grow in. It seems to be a pretty slow grower.

On a sidenote, the ramshorns in my tank have decided that the adjective "multiplying like rabbits" is a challenge they want to exceed. I'm telling you I remove about 15-20 every other day and they just...keep...coming. I hope I can win out and get the population down to a level where every time someone looks into the tank I don't have to hear, "Hey did you know you have snails in here?" Hah, no I didn't...thanks for letting me know! :eek5:


----------



## Ugly Genius

For a second, I got pissed at you! I'm all, "Where's the friggin' cool driftwood, man?! That one that looks like a mushroom with the rock on top--?" Then I remembered that that was your thirty gallon tank.
With my anger gone, I was able to look at your Finnex with less -- shall we say -- fury. It looks awesome.


----------



## Outlawboss

Heh thanks for not raging on my tank UG. :hihi:

I still have the driftwood in my 30g. It finally settled down so all I have is a small-ish flat rock holding it down now. I'm totally taking the mushroom idea and running with it though. I am looking for a nice moss that I can put on top and prune to a mushroom shape. I dunno, maybe it will be more tree-like at that point, but I dig it. Maybe a mini-pellia mushroom! (got any??). Heh!


----------



## FrostyNYC

Really beautiful tank, and really healthy looking HC. Letting the HC grow in front of the petrified wood is a good idea. it was looking a little weird with a low flat empty area surrounded by tall grass. 

Also, is that Rotala Mini I see?


----------



## Outlawboss

FrostyNYC said:


> Also, is that Rotala Mini I see?


It sure is! Sure grows slow. I hope I can get it to spread since I'd like to make it more of a mainstay in this tank.


----------



## FrostyNYC

Outlawboss said:


> It sure is! Sure grows slow. I hope I can get it to spread since I'd like to make it more of a mainstay in this tank.


I always thought Rotala minis looked a little sickly with their curled leaves. 

I say swap out that tall pinkish plant with a pinkish plant with smaller leaves. Rotala colorata would really pop and it's relatively easy to grow. Rotala rotundifiola is even easier, though usually only pink near the surface. And Rotala wallichii is gorgeous but wouldnt grow in my 10 gallon under 40 watts and pressurized CO2. Maybe you'd have more luck. I think any of those would work a little better in regards to leaf size but would keep the nice red/pink that you indicated previously that you enjoy.


----------



## Outlawboss

Thanks for the suggestions. I'd been looking but didn't know what to look for. Now I know what to keep an eye out for in the S&S.


----------



## Outlawboss

It's been a week or so, time to update. I just got some Rotala Colorata delivered today from dewalltheway (thanks!). Cool lookin' stuff. The leaves are a little smaller than the ludwiga and more tightly packed. Perfect for the smaller confines of a nano tank. I'll plug some stems in tomorrow.

My Mayaca Fluvitalis is falling prey to the voracious shrimp in my tank. I don't know what the deal is but apparently no matter what I feed them, the M. Fluvitalis is still like candy. They're like hey thanks for the food, back to eating your once proud plant! Anyway, I'll trim it back even more tomorrow and hope it comes back.

Ok serious question though. Take a look at how thick my HC is getting. The carpet it's made is really dense, but it seems to be getting thicker and thicker. At what point should this stuff get trimmed. It looks so awesome now that I don't want to mess it up. Right now, it's my favorite carpet plant. It seems to really like my tank.

Coming soon to a Finnex near you...Rotala Colorata!









Seriously, in the last month since I've started dosing Iron on top of NPK the HC has doubled in thickness. Am I supposed to trim this soon or what? I know you shouldn't fix what isn't broken, but it screams "trim me" every time I look at it. It's getting hard to work I tell you.









Om nom nom nom.









Pearling was insane today. People were asking me if there was something wrong. I was like, nope, something is right!









My timer turned off the light as I was taking pictures. This one was cool and dark and ominous'ish.









...and last but not least, the bonus 30g shot. I need to work on my mushroom effect on top of that driftwood. I haven't forgotten UG. I'd like to try some mini pellia as a mushroom but it's hard to find so, time will tell.


----------



## Outlawboss

And today...by golly I noticed that one of my CRS is carrying babies! Wohoo! Fingers crossed that they make it all the way to adulthood.

Also, same question stands from the post above. At what point is it good to trim that HC? I'm not sure if I should let it keep going or try to thin out the carpet it's made.


----------



## CL

Wow! How did I miss this tank for so long? It really looks beautiful :thumbsup: well done. Vibrant greens. Beautiful


----------



## Outlawboss

Thanks CL! It's been a fun learning tank.

Well, the Rotala Colorata is in there finally. I like the scale much better than the Ludwiga that was in its place before. I also pulled out all of the Mayaca Fluvitalis and went back and replanted a few M. Fluvitalis stems that hadn't been butchered by my overly ravenous shrimp.

Unfortunately, it looks like I'm going to experience my first bout of staghorn algae I've ever seen. I'm not sure what caused it. Could have hitch-hiked on one of the plants I got from the S&S or maybe my disturbing the substrate so much released some stuff that made some already existing spores take hold. Either way, it seems like good C02 levels, frequent water changes and a bit of excel and trimming should take care of it. I hope!

My pregnant CRS seems to be hiding alot and not very active, but I'm hoping that means she's just protecting her brood. Fingers crossed for babies within the next few days!

Anyway, some pics.


Full tank shot, with all the new goodies in view. Algae on diffusers makes me sad. You can see the new growth on the Rotala Colorata already. The tips are a nice fresh pale green.









Staghorn Algae in my HC, yes?


----------



## mott

I found with HC that if you don't trim it when it gets that thick the lower part dies and will uproot itself. I used to trim HC like a lawnmower would cut your lawn. I found it to be very annoying getting the trimmings out plus the shrimp got freaked, I thought for sure I was going to decapitate a few hehe.
I soon got rid of the HC because of trimming issues, I later read how Tom Barr trims his HC, He cuts a section from the front of the HC an inch or so deep roots and all the length of the patch. Looks like it works for him, too bad I never got to try it , Ahh next time.

Your tank is looking great! are you planning to do the whole front of the foreground with HC?


----------



## Outlawboss

Thanks Mott. Yes I just recently put those HC stems on the right in there, so they're not as filled in. Hopefully they'll fnish carpeting soon.

I'm still trying to figure out the way you described the Tom Barr HC trimming method. So I would take about the inch closest to the front of the tank out, roots and all? But not trim the rest? Or would I do that and trip the tips off the rest? It's an interesting solution so I'd be willing to try it. It looks so good right now that I'm hesitant to touch it, but I know I'm going to have to do something before it gets too thick.


----------



## mott

Outlawboss said:


> Thanks Mott. Yes I just recently put those HC stems on the right in there, so they're not as filled in. Hopefully they'll fnish carpeting soon.
> 
> I'm still trying to figure out the way you described the Tom Barr HC trimming method. So I would take about the inch closest to the front of the tank out, roots and all? But not trim the rest? Or would I do that and trip the tips off the rest? It's an interesting solution so I'd be willing to try it. It looks so good right now that I'm hesitant to touch it, but I know I'm going to have to do something before it gets too thick.


Correct, at least that's the way I understood. Maybe someone or Tom himself will chime in here?


----------



## fishydaze

Time to experiment maybe: a little shave off the top here, a little strip taken out there, and see what happens with the HC? And, well, if its growing too fast you can reduce the Iron maybe if you really think that 'caused' the overgrowth...

I searched for 'hc trimming' and found several ideas online:
for example, an aquaria central guy: "What I did when I had mine was pull a patch about dollar coin size from various places...then pull bits form what's left and spread amongst the empty patches...this gives room for your HC to spread and grow fresh while leaving you with salable patches of HC." 

(money oriented, unlike yourself...but raoking trimmings might be good karma

and here is the link to Tom Barr's discussion of hc trimming http://www.barrreport.com/general-plant-topics/3758-pruning-lawn-how-hc-responds-after.html

at least two separate sites (one a thread on The Planted tank forums) mentioned the Wave scissors as making this task particularly easier...(not affiliated with Wave scissors, whatever they are...anyway, I hope you have success hunting similarly and please share your findings about what works...

and experiment carefully, the tank is looking gorgeous! but I think you are right the hc really needs a trim; you are toying with some pretty serious undergrowth die down pretty soon.


----------



## mott

Ok, seems I misread Tom's method, he cut's the front section for a sloping affect, he mows like the rest of us  That is still the main reason I don't do HC anymore...Hmm I wish there was an easier way.

Here is Tom's thread where I mis read the method: http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/tank-journals-photo-album/59705-toms-180-wood-scaping.html


----------



## Outlawboss

Thanks Fishy. Awesome finds there. Well I did in fact start some limited trimming. That stuff is a mess to trim. I see now why it's better to take out clumps instead. I didn't take out the entire first inch of HC, roots and all, but I did trim it down in the front. It's much lower to the substrate now. If I can figure out a good way to extract it and keep it in a nice clump, I will totally RAOK it.

I really like the idea of taking out smallish round clumps throughout and letting the rest grow in. That seems like a good way to start. That way if I totally screw up I can hide my mistake and maybe even make it look like I meant to do it! Hah!

Also! I have spotted baby shrimp! Yessss! Finally. I can only hope the little shrimplets are smart enough to stay hidden until they're a little bigger. Anyway some pictures!

Mom and baby, together on the same rock.









You can see some of the HC trim I did. Little yellow underneath but I wanted to experiment and see if it greens up now that it's exposed to the light and has more room to grow. If you look really close you can still see the teenie tiny shrimp on the rock too.


----------



## speedie408

Dude! Your tank has grown in so well. I like it alot! Thanks to your journal, I now know what kind of tank I have now. For a moment there, I couldn't figure out the manufacturer lol. I love how that grassy stuff looks man. Might have to get me some . Keep it up.


----------



## Ugly Genius

I have never, ever seen such a neatly trimmed HC lawn. In. My. Life.
Nice.


----------



## Outlawboss

Thanks Speedie and UG! I never thought I'd get a nice carpet on my first attempt at HC. Well, actually second...but first attempt in this tank.

Also, thanks Mott for finding that journal by Tom Barr. I ended up reading just about the entire thing. Now I have new dreams to aim for heh.

Anyway, one more baby pic. I came into work this morning to find that they're still kickin'. Not sure how many, but I have seen two so I assume there's more than that. Out of curiosity, does anyone have a good feeling for how many babies a CRS tends to have in one batch?


----------



## Outlawboss

I haven't been able to spot a baby shrimp in the last 2 days. I guess that doesn't mean they're necessarily gone, but it would be a bummer. 

On a completely separate inspirational note, I was walking in the front door yesterday and something hit me. I looked down and realized just how much the baby tears along my walkway look like the scapes I see around here. How could I have missed that? Walking past every day and not realizing how maybe there's a subliminal reason for why I'm so fascinated by HC as a carpet plant. Anyway, I snapped a couple pictures. Probably could have spent some more time moving leaves out of the way but you get the idea.



















I've been imagining a new scape lately too. I saw some pictures of some rock retaining walls in Ireland and it made me wonder if I could find a type of rock that could create a miniaturized version. Rolling hills into the forest kind of look.


----------



## vtkid

nice nano man, i have also seen baby tears like that and thought of planted tanks. haha


----------



## Outlawboss

Thanks vtkid :thumbsup:

Update time. Going through some sort of algae infestation. I think it's staghorn, but what do you guys think? Staghorn?










Got some MP (thanks Craigthor!) that I'm going to try and get growing in here. I'm thinking of ways to alter this scape to make more room. The moss is cool but it might have to go. It takes up so much real estate in there that I feel could be put to better use. anyway...FTS!

You can totally see where I trimmed (aka butchered) the HC. It should come back though. I was trying different methods...but my only choices seemed to be messy, or crazy messy.


----------



## hyphination

cool scape really digging the foreground and the moss on the DW


----------



## Outlawboss

Thanks hyphination. Funny you should mention the moss because that is exactly the thing I kept staring at this week.

I love moss. I love the effect it can give a scape. In fact, I love moss so much that I'm almost afraid to do a scape without it. I realized that this week, so I decided to face my fears and try removing it in favor of a different hardscape. I've enjoyed the petrified wood look, but I always find that I'm left wanting when looking in the tank. I can't put my finger on a reason though. Not enough plants? Weird scape? This was a learning tank, after all, so maybe I'm being hard on myself. I just feel....I dunno...incomplete. This is especially true with the staghorn algae staring back at me saying, "dude you're missing something."

So here's some pics of what I ended up with. What do you guys think?

_Here's the old rock that the taiwan moss was resting in. Cool little alcove, but just didn't seem to work right in this scape. I felt like it was taking too much space without offering enough impact in exchange._










_Something is apparently deficient. See how the leaves on my R. Colorata look kind of weak? The same thing with my R. sp 'mini.' I thought maybe nitrates, but they are testing at around 10. I guess that's still a tad low of a reading for just before a WC._










_I have bunches of these lava rocks at home. I took a page from Ugly Genius' book and considered the idea of one rock that had broken into two and how that would look after some time during which plants had the opportunity to grow from the cracks._









_Stepping back, I like this scape about a million times more now. Actually, to clarify, I like the LEFT side of the tank a million times more. The right side is next. The scale of those lava rocks is so awesome. If I was a shrimp, I'd want to be climbing up that cliff._​


----------



## Outlawboss

Got a shiny new 10k Archaea 27 watt light off the S&S. I like it way better because the cord can go down the back instead of the side. Plus, the spectrum of light this one puts out is just more pleasing to the eye for some reason. Maybe it's the 10k, but I like it a lot. The HC continues to fill in despite my ongoing staghorn algae battle.

This week, I started an EI dosing schedule and I'm hoping that will help take care of the algae. I know the CO2 levels are good, so it has to be related to some sort of deficiency. This is also evidenced by the leaves on my R. Colorata leaves becoming weak looking and growing in kind of deformed. I can't put my finger on what it is, but hopefully the EI dosing will level things out within a few weeks. Now that I've made the change the hard part is going to be keeping up with it. It feels counterintuitive to feed more ferts into a tank with algae, but I have faith it will work, so it must, right? Right?

_New light!_










_Just put some new R. Colorata stems in there from my 30 gallon. Can you believe I got them looking so nice and pink with only 1.7 wpg? I didn't think that was possible! Hopefully I can keep them that way._










_I just thought this picture looked cool. Like the scale of the rocks._










_Staghorn in the weeds...awesome (insert sarcasm here). It seems like every time I trim it down, the algae grabs hold right where the cut tips are. I am guessing that it's because at that point they are the weakest part of the plant. Suggestions welcomed with this nasty stuff!_


----------



## Outlawboss

Slow and steady, the rescape is continuing. I've now completely removed all of the petrified wood in favor of the volcanic rock, which I am totally loving right now. I also seem to be getting the upper hand on the algae...but I better not speak too soon. It's been pretty tough to get knocked down.

Unfortunately in my EI dosing pleasure I accidentally lost my CRS. After some further reading it looks like Nitrate was the culprit. They're very sensitive to it and upon testing it was on the high side. So, smaller doses. I guess it's part of the learning process, but still sad to come in one morning and see 2 little guys just laying there. :icon_neut

But, seeing the MP I got from Craigthor grow so well is encouraging...so I am doing something semi-right.

Anyway, more pictures of the evolving scape.


----------



## Outlawboss

Weekly update. New scape has settled in nicely. I like this way better and I think I'll keep it for awhile. Plants still showing some sort of deficiency. Leaves get all transparent and weak looking. Sort of like when you squash a flower petal between your fingers and it gets that...squashed by fingers look? I can't think of a better way to describe it. Anyway...updated FTS shot.

_HC has finished filling in. Just did a trim on it this past Friday. I like it._


----------



## hyphination

looks good man! And you have the same light as me. Are you using the stock light bulb?


----------



## Outlawboss

Yep! Just the standard 10k one. Though I'd like to get my hands on one of those 7k ones. I think AFA has them but I haven't checked.


----------



## legomaniac89

Wow, beautiful! How did I miss this thread? That HC looks incredible contrasting against the dark lava rocks.

What kind of Anubias is that in the front left? Is it variegated, or do the pics just make it look like that?


----------



## thief

Wow nice tank. I love the Lava rocks. Very nice detail to them!!!

Also the plants look very very healthy and I love the vibrant green that is shoned off of it! As for the stems I remember reading somewhere that it is cuase by a lack of nutrients. I am not sure which Fertilizer you can be lacking in though but I do think it can be that!


----------



## Outlawboss

Thanks for the compliments *legomaniac89*! The anubis up front is just your standard run of the mill petite 'nana.' I feel silly asking, but I'm not sure what variegated means. If you are referring to the veins being yellow vs the rest of the leaves, I believe it's due to the deficiency I'm trying to track down.

Thanks *thief*. I've been trying to track down the source of the deficiency. I know I've got plenty of Nitrate and Phosphate, and in the correct proportions. However I can't test for potassium. I'm adding micros and iron as well, so the only other thing I can think of is that the potassium is getting used up faster than other stuff and leaving the plants deficient in that regard.


----------



## Eileen

I like your small tank! I'm wondering if I should get the crystal shrimps now from the guy in Temecula. I PM you about you getting my yellow shrimps Tomorrow.:icon_mrgr


----------



## mgdmirage

gorgeous tank!


----------



## Outlawboss

Thanks *mgdmirage. roud:

Eileen* guess what! I actually did contact that guy in Temecula and got some CRS from him. Very good quality and nice guy. And you couldn't beat the price. If you get a chance, I would go for it. His ad is still on craigslist.


----------



## Outlawboss

Time for a quick update. I was able to track down my nutrient deficiency I think. As it turns out the KN03 I was dosing was probably not supplying enough Potassium. I started supplementing with K and things started improving. Plants are growing a little better, though not perfect. It's only been a week or two so I'm being patient and waiting to see what it looks like a month after the change. My Anubis is struggling a little. Leaves come in all new looking, then the veins turn yellow and over time the leaf follows suit...still working on that one. Also noticing some BBA showing up around some parts of the tank. I hope that a consistent fert schedule will take care of this on it's own now that I've finally nailed down a good dosing regime (finally!).

_Full tank shot. Loving the way the HC has filled in._









_Hey *Craigthor*, check it out, the MP you gave me is finally exploding. The snails like it too._









_Bonus shot from my 30g. It's a shrimp migration. Watch out little otto, they're gonna getcha._


----------



## Outlawboss

Been awhile since the last update. Time for some new pics. Not a whole lot new going on. Lost one of my endlers, but that just means I got to go shopping for new ones. :icon_lol:

Fighting a little BBA, but other than that things seem pretty stable. I just hate when I see it growing on my Anubis 'petite' since it means that leaf will have to go. The poor nana petite still looks kind of sickly. I'm not sure why. My rotala also seems to enjoy growing sideways. Any direction but up. What's that all about...

Anyway, picture time.


----------



## rrrrramos

Man, I went from kinda liking this tank when you first started it, to liking it when it started growing in. It's one of my favorite tanks on the site now. Good job man. Looks amazing.


----------



## Craigthor

The MP is starting to look bushy! How long from when you put it in the tank?

Craig


----------



## speedie408

Awesome growth!


----------



## hyphination

your HC carpet is awesomE!


----------



## Outlawboss

Thanks for the big compliments *rrrrramos, Speedie408 and hyphination*. 

*Craigthor* You were right aboout the MP. It took about 3-5 weeks before it really took off, but now it's become bushy enough that I can cut some off every week. I've started several new MP rocks and I hope to get a little MP colony going. Heck, maybe I'll be able to put some of my own on the S&S soon. Big thanks for helping me get started with that stuff. Your explanations were right on.


----------



## Craigthor

When I want to use it again I know who to go to


----------



## Outlawboss

Well it's been awhile. Time for an update. Things were pretty stable up until the last few weeks. 

Problem #1: BBA, out of nowhere it just started showing up. /sigh. I found some higher than normal phosphate, so I've reduced that and started spot dosing with excel in hopes that it will wither away. The really disturbing thing is that it's lodged itself in my HC. I love the plant but that trim is going to have to be drastic unless the problem goes away over time.

Problem#2: Someone mentioned the toupee effect with HC in an earlier post. Well I am experiencing it. It's where the HC is thick enough that the roots become weak and it ends up just kind of sitting on the substrate. It's an easy enough problem to fix, just tear out chunks and allow it to grow back into those bare areas. It will re-root itself that way.

Problem#3: 4 fish and one (that I could find) Amano have gone bat sh*t crazy and jumped out of the tank in the last couple weeks. WTF? All I can think of is that maybe spot treating with excel made them uncomfortable. But geez, it's like they all just said this is as good as it gets, and decided to end it there.

But oh well, things are still going well overall. I'd call this a very mature tank now at 7 months since I added fauna. It's holding up pretty well.

I did pick up some awesome cobra endlers at Aquatic Warehouse though. I love these endlers! Freaking awesome looking.

_Here you can see the BBA in places. My Anubis Nana and my rocks are showing it a lot._ You can also see the toupee effect of the HC in the lower (nearest the camera) left corner.









_BBA in the HC. /cry_









_BBA on one rock (along with those damn snails I can't get rid of) and a touch of it in the MP. The MP is holding up well with the spot treatments and you can see that the algae here is turning white/red and dying._
_









More BBA on the rocks. It's kind of cool looking, but it was infecting everything so it had to go._


----------



## Ugly Genius

The last picture is so enviable. The texture of the MP against the rock...the crispness of the stems and grass in the crystal clear water...man...

Tank's looking great. To me, it's very reminiscent of a Japanese garden. 

Four gallons never looked so good. 

Somewhere between page one and page nine of this journal you went from good to an entirely different level.

I really, really like this tank.


----------



## Down_Shift

new whole tank shots!! asap!!!

This tank looks GOOD


----------



## Outlawboss

Thanks *UG*. You know, I really have always been fascinated by Japanese gardens. I guess to hear you say that kinda makes sense, even though I didn't mean for it to turn out that way. I'm pretty satisfied with this tank. I feel like it was a great vehicle for learning the way of the nano tank. I made a lot of aesthetic and technical mistakes, but I've been learning from them. Mostly by watching how everyone on this forum does things.

And thank you as well *Down_Shift*. I meant to take a full tank shot...but they just didn't come out right. What can I say, I'm a little vain.  I'll do a FTS in the next day or so.

Since I don't have a FTS of the 4g, how about I show you what I've been working on (or should I say watching nothing happen with) for the last 2 months.

_This will be a shrimpery for some CRS at some point. I've been toying with the idea of using branches from the scrub brush around San Diego instead of actual driftwood in this tank. Those branches in there I just picked up along the creek bed on a hike. I think a few more of those, along with some rocks from the same place would make for a cool "local" tank._


----------



## Outlawboss

FTS that was missing from my last post.  Excuse the cloudy water, I just trimmed and replanted some of the...you know I don't know what that plant in the middle is called. But anyway here it is.


----------



## Bonefish

Stunning tank! Is the plant in the middle stargrass (_Heteranthera zosterifolia_), perchance? The whole thing is so lush and green.

The CRS shrimpery setup looks good so far, nice composition and attractive texture on the wood. How big is the tank? 2.5 gallons? I can't tell from the photo.


----------



## Outlawboss

Thanks *TsuRyuu*! I'm not sure if it's stargrass or not actually. It was a scrap that I got awhile ago from the S&S. A bonus plant. I have been lucky with it though because it grows like a weed, has just a touch of red at the tips and gets nice and thick. If someone else can verify that's what it is I'd appreciate it. There's another good picture of it a couple of posts up.

The CRS shrimpery is actually a 5.5 gallon. I was a little further away when I took that photo. Thanks for the compliments.


----------



## trigun808

im sure its not stargrass, man ill research it now


----------



## Randy Lau

Looking good! How long did it take to grow the MP?


----------



## hyphination

Loving your HC foreground and your mini pellia. How long did your mini pellia take to blow up like that? I've had mine for a while now but it still looks the same??


----------



## kcirtappatrick

awesome tank! 
i'm jealous of your MP...mine is just starting to grow after 2-3weeks?


----------



## SamH

bsmith said:


> Currently I have a 23w 6500w GE spiral fluorescent in it.


6500w?! That's one bright light! :icon_lol: :icon_wink

Very nice tank roud:


----------



## Outlawboss

*Randy Lau*, *hyphination* and *kcirtappatrick* thanks for the MP compliments. I got my tutorial from Craigthor and just as he predicted it does take about 2-3 weeks before it starts growing. after that you can really see a difference week over week. That one MP rock is now going to be the genesis of about 10 more rocks. They're all just now starting to grow, so hopefully soon I can pass it on to others. It's a very slow grower though.

*trigun808*, if you do find out what type it is I'd appreciate it. I've done some limited research but was unable to figure it out. It does have a similar form to stargrass but I can't be sure. I'll keep looking as well. Maybe post a more detailed picture.

*SamH*, thanks.


----------



## Outlawboss

Just having some fun with camera angles. Trying to make a small tank big and all...

_Look out, it's a giant man-eating Amano!_









_Even BBA can be pretty sometimes._









_I think this is my favorite view of the tank_


----------



## rasbora

If you could find a young flag fish, too small to eat your shrimp, it might clean up that bba. I've used them before (non shrimp tank) and they love that stuff. 

Looking good.


----------



## garuf

Excel via a pippette will eradicate the BBA. BBA is indicative of low or fluctuating co2 and sometimes hard warter seems to be more badly affected so once it's gone up the co2 and keep it more stable.


----------



## Outlawboss

*rasbora* - Thanks. It's an interesting idea. Though once that flag fish grows up, I'd have nowhere to keep it. I guess I could pass it on though.

*garuf*, That's what I do. Excel via pipette. Actually if you look at the bottom right of the middle picture, you can see some of the bba dying off. The problem is that I can never hit all of it at once. I always assumed that my Co2 was doing well enough because the plants pearled so readily. I know pearling doesn't equal ideal Co2 levels though, so maybe I will pop an indicator in there again for awhile and see if I need more. I'm not sure how to keep it more stable though. I have very little surface agitation, and it's a very consistent on/off cycle since it's on a time. But I will definitely look into it. Thank you!


----------



## Outlawboss

The tank was looking really good today and I was playing with the camera. I think I'm finally (after months of playing around) getting pretty good at taking proper tank pictures. Dropping the ISO was a huge help. The slower "film" speed really really adds to the clarity and sharpness of the photos. I had been sitting at ISO400 and dropped down to ISO80. The difference was stunning, particularly with the macro photos that the nano tank requires. Anyway, some pictures.

Oh, also, I'm starting to get a handle on the BBA. Much of it is either dying or receeding. I've been taking out the equipment and rocks individually and dripping Excel directly on them. Let it sit for a minute, rinse and poof, dead algae.

_I love this R. Colorata stem. No idea why this one stem decided to grow like normal while all the rest still look super small and stunted. Maybe I'm doing something right._








_
ISO 80__. So much more depth and clarity._









_Kinda dark, but I meant it to be that way. Even my Anubis Nana 'Petite" is looking better._


----------



## hyphination

great lookin tank outlawboss! loving the texture of your rocks.


----------



## Ugly Genius

Hear that? That was the sound of a hammer hitting a nail.

You've nailed this one.

I think you give the new ISO a bit too much credit, though. You've been taking good photos for a while now, I think. I mean, I can appreciate the difference and I don't want to take away from that, but you've had an eye for photography for a while now.


----------



## Outlawboss

Thanks *hyphination* and *UG* for the nice comments.

Admittedly in my line of work I have experimented with photography before. But the macro photography required by these nano tanks has been a whole new world for me. I felt really out of my element when I started and it has been challenging to get where I feel like I know what I'm doing.

If only I could set up 4 more tanks.


----------



## Outlawboss

Been a couple weeks, time for a few new pictures. Now that the tank has been stable for some time (except for the ongoing BBA battle), I have been getting a little more campy with my photography. Lately, I've been trying to see just how far I can take the idea of macro photos. There's a picture of a bubble here that I thought was really cool. It was so sharp that I was able to see the reflection of the rest of the tank in the tiny bubble. Anyway, enjoy.

_From left side_










_From right side_










_Bubbles!_










_I really love this plant. I just wish I could figure out what it is._










_Sweet picture of the underside of my Anubis Petite leaves_










_Up close and personal with Taiwan Moss_










_Favorite pic I've taken recently. Love how sharp I got it._










_Close-up of the bubble. It's freakin' sweet that you can see the reflection of the rest of the tank._


----------



## legomaniac89

That macro shot of the HC pearl is awesome!


----------



## april_tanks

I like the pic #1 of the endler moving xD


----------



## Gabriel

I love this tank and the selection of plants. also what co2 kit are you using


----------



## Outlawboss

Thanks Gabriel!

I'm using a 20oz paintball cylinder with the cheapest regulator I could find and a Red Sea needle valve.


----------



## btan

Your tank inspired me to get a Finnex nano myself!

Soooo awesome!


----------



## Dollface

Outlawboss said:


>


Warp speed, Mr. Sulu! :icon_lol:


----------



## EdTheEdge

Holy Cow! I accidentally clicked into this thread.... nothing personal  But sure am glad I did! This tank and the photography are wonderful! Off to view the rest of this thread..............................


----------



## EdTheEdge

roud:roud:roud:


----------



## oheresy

Gorgeous nano! I'm thinking I might start a nano soon.


----------



## Outlawboss

btan said:


> Your tank inspired me to get a Finnex nano myself!
> 
> Soooo awesome!


Fantastic! You won't regret it. When I started this thread I thought I would end up killing a tank while I learned how to do nano tanks. Instead, I fell in love and wish I could have more!

*EdTheEdge*, thanks for the compliments. This tank was a learning experience. Mostly thanks to the great folks in this forum I have been learning as I go.

*oheresy*, I highly encourage you to try it. Nano's are challenging, relatively cheap and constantly evolving.

Here's a recent pic of the eggs my Amanos keep leaving.

_Amano Shrimp keep trying to reproduce. Too bad the babies can't make it. The little Cobra Endler's gets a nice feast though.








_​


----------



## Reginald2

Amano-viar! Great tank. I am really jealous of your pictures.


----------



## Outlawboss

Thanks *Reginald2*! This little camera has turned out to do real good at macro photography.

It's been awhile since I've posted a full tank shot. Not a whole lot has changed. I added 6 RCS from my larger tank. Hopefully they'll grow up to be nice bright red.

Incidentally, it's a good thing I did move them because they avoided the accidental excel overdose I did the following day. I walked in the next morning to find about 200 shrimp dead on the bottom of the tank. Luckily, about 1/2 my colony survived, but needless to say it was not a happy sight to behold.

This Finnex is chugging right along. I have considered tearing it down and rescaping, but I'm also kind of interested to see what sort of longevity I can get out of this setup. I'm about 2.5 months from the 1 year mark.

_The snails are waving from their perch on the glass._


----------



## deleted_user_16

i dont know, but that mystery plant you asked a page back looks like ludwigia arcuata?


----------



## roybot73

Looking good! Actually -- Looking _great_!!! Really nice use of space. Bummer about your shrimp, I can kind of relate. They're "industrious" little buggers, and you'll be up to your eyeballs in them soon enough :hihi:



fishman9809 said:


> i dont know, but that mystery plant you asked a page back looks like ludwigia arcuata?


IMHO, that looks an awful lot like Didiplis diandra. L. arcuata grows a bit more spindly - not nearly as neat and orderly as this is growing. Didiplis also gets that nice amber color towards the tops as is gets closer to the light. Ludwigia turns more of a bright red. :thumbsup:


----------



## Outlawboss

*fishman9809* and *roybot73*, thanks! Yes, it turns out that it is D. Diandra. In fact, I've been selling it on the S&S with some pretty good success. Now I'm trying to get it a little more red in coloration by upping the iron in the tank. So far it seems to be working as the tips are getting more of that hue to them.


----------



## Outlawboss

So here's something new. I've had problems in the past with my fish (endlers mostly) jumping out of this tank, but this was something new. 

From time to time I'll hear the water coming out of the filter get disturbed. I don't usually pay much attention because I know that it's just one of the fish swimming into the current. So it barely registered today when I heard the sound. Later in the afternoon I turned around after having lunch for a quick look and started thinking about how my filter floss was looking kinda gross. I did a double take when I saw my one and only endlers chillin' in the filter. I have no idea how he got in there. He had to have jumped up over the filter's hump, but also over the floss which sticks out of the water a little. 

I pulled him out and he's just hanging out in the tank like nothing happened. Hah! Dear diary...


----------



## MoorishIdol

another Nemo attempt


----------



## twister23

I am also getting the finnex 4 gallon tank, and I wanted to know where I can get that light.


----------



## Outlawboss

You can get them at Aqua Forest Aquarium. They're in San Francisco. As far as I know that's the only place to get them. They call them Archaea lights.


----------



## twister23

so was that light $200? I know I have to at least change the bulb. do you have any bulb recommendations?


----------



## Outlawboss

So today I noticed that the taiwan moss I have in this tank is growing kinda cool. It seems to have a weeping willow effect on one of the rocks. I think it can be attributed to the filter being right over it so that the current runs at a downward angle. Anyway, I took some pictures. 

And since I don't really have a place to put the pictures from my 30 gallon yet, I'll add some bonus pics from that one too. Enjoy.


_Cool weeping effect!_









_Couple of interesting Mini Pellia photos_


















Pics from the 30 Gallon tank:


















_Shrimp mowing the fissidens lawn_









_Nice RCS_
















​


----------



## Outlawboss

Toying with the idea of adding a background today. Hmm, can't decide which I like, if any.

_Black?_









_Blue?_









_Green? (sort of)_









_OMG a shrimp!_


----------



## Outlawboss

twister23 said:


> so was that light $200? I know I have to at least change the bulb. do you have any bulb recommendations?


Sorry I missed this post. No the light is only $60 at AFA. I think the extra bulbs are $14 a piece. So not too bad.


----------



## MARIMOBALL

what a nice tank . Didplis is one o my favorite plants. I like the way you manage to keep an all green plant tank and yet each plants has its own shade o green. I have read your entire journal and was nice to see this tank evolution.


----------



## rrrrramos

If you go with a background, go with the black. It makes everything pop more than the other two. Do you find that the D. diandra grows pretty easy to manage or is it more of a fast stem? I had some at one point but it was only short trimming that died quickly. Beautiful plant though, and I've always been a huge fan of your tank!


----------



## Outlawboss

*MARIMOBALL*, thanks for the compliments. Hey do you go to the SCAPE meetings? I've been waiting for one in San Diego but it seems like that doesn't happen too often.
*
rrrrramos*, I think I agree. The black background was the best. The others kind of caught a reflection off the plants and it make the lighting look weird. D. Diandra is one of my favs also. I have it in both of my tanks. It's a fast grower, but not as fast as some of the others (like a quickly growing rotala). Trimming is easy, cut off the tops and either replant them, toss them or sell them on the S&S.


----------



## MARIMOBALL

Yes I attend most SCAPE meetings they are great and you meet new people that are in the hobby once you go you will be hooked. We had 3 San Diego meetings this year and there is always an SD carpool. This month one member volunteered to carpool and no one came with him.


----------



## Outlawboss

I'll have to keep my eyes open for the next San Diego get together!


----------



## VincentK

Wow, fantastic tank and pictures, love the shrimp, whatever happened to those amanos? Do those not reproduce well?


----------



## Outlawboss

Thanks VincentK. The amanos are still there. I've got 4 very large ones in there. They do get eggs and lay them in this tank, but the babies won't live in freshwater. They need brackish/saltier water, but I've never really read the full details. If I could figure out how to raise the babies though. I'd have about a zillion of them because my 2 females are constantly berried.


----------



## EdTheEdge

Drop dead gorgeous tanks these......


----------



## chumblaka

I don't know if this has been asked before but what kind of substrate are you using? This thread made me buy a finnex off eBay on impulse. Great tank and I can't wait till I get mines. Also I might go with DIY CO2 on mines, but what was the cost breakdown for doing the paintball CO2?


----------



## Ugly Genius

I love the look of the moss and the MP on the left-side rock in your thirty. I'd like to steal that look one day and do a rockscape with mosses and MP on tall, sharp, narrow, and jaggy rocks.

The four's looking really nice, Outlaw! Besides all the obvious stuff that's rad -- the 'scape, plant choices, photos, et cetera -- I'm impressed that you're able to keep all these fast and wild-growing plants in check. I think most of us in this hobby can recognize that this neatly-maintained tank is the consequence of lots and lots of effort. Good job!


----------



## Outlawboss

*chumblaka* - Wow this tank made you want the Finnex? That's....well that's awesome! Thanks very much. In answer to your question I'm using Amazonia substrate. It's what they happened to have at the LFS when I got it, and so far it's served me well.

DIY Co2 is definitely cheaper than paintball to start with, but as a personal preference I don't like mixing yeast solutions. I like the consistency of pressurized so I always recommend the paintball option. You can get into it for about $150 total. That's for a paintball cylinder, diffuser, tubing and a cheap regulator with built-in solenoid.

*UG*Thanks a lot dude. You're right about them growing fast. I have to trim and replant every week, but it's therapudic. These last two posts made me kind of laugh. Here you have one guy who says that my Finnex inspired him to get a tank. Then, the very next post, you have the guy (well one of them, between you and Craigthor) who inspired ME to get a tank. I just think that's hella cool that they were in that order. 

That moss/MP on the wood looks even better now that it's grown in. I'd love to see it on a jagged landscape like you described. Sounds awesome. :thumbsup:

More pictures since I had the camera with me yesterday. Oh, and I got some close-ups of a pregnant Amano for you *VincentK*, if you happen to read this. Nothing has really changed. Added some Fissidens but that's about it. It's fun experimenting with what type of shots I can get in such a small tank.


----------



## Gabriel

lovely picture on your tank but what are you planning on stocking next.


----------



## chumblaka

Hmmm, all the LFS around here suck, I've found one that has Eco-Complete for pretty expensive but that's about it for substrates. Also if that Amano gives birth I'll be happy to buy some of the little shrimps, they don't sell those around here either.


----------



## Outlawboss

Thanks *Gabriel* for the compliments. I'm not sure I understand the question? You mean what fish will I get? I have an endlers in there for now. I really like them for this tank. They're nice and active and they don't bother the baby shrimp too much.

*chumblaka*, I wish I could get those Amano babies to live. I'm just not equipped for it. I see them hatch, but they're gone within a day or two. They need a brackish/saltwater type setup to live in for awhile. Maybe I SHOULD set one up. Seems like a lot of people here would like Amanos.


----------



## strom

*Beautiful*

Got my Finnex 4 off of ebay for $50 delivered. Putting a few dollars together for soil, CO2, although I'll probaly go the diy route for the first time around. Mine came with a light like your original one with moonlight leds and a Finnex ES-26BW blue white bulb. Thinking a Hampton Bay might be better than the stock. Thoughts?

Did you ever consider painting the back black? I'm hemming and hawing on that one right now. Would you if you did a rebuild?

Your photography is the best I've seen. Thank you.


----------



## Outlawboss

Thanks *strom*! I never really liked the Finnex light. I knew it would be underpowered for what I wanted to do as soon as I got it. But it goes look cool. The Hampton Bay light is a good alternative, with it's 27 watt bulb. And you can't beat the price. There are also some nice clamp on options out there as well.

I thought about painting the back...but to be honest I have a thing with the permanance of that. What if I painted it and then decided I didn't want it like that? Actually, if you take a look at the most recent pictures I put up, you'll see that I did make the background black for now. Just get a nice sheet of black paper and cut it to size. You'd never know the difference, AND you can change it if you decide you want to.


----------



## VincentK

Great pictures, I especially like the one where it looks like the shrimp is looking straight at you.


----------



## chumblaka

Outlawboss said:


> *chumblaka*, I wish I could get those Amano babies to live. I'm just not equipped for it. I see them hatch, but they're gone within a day or two. They need a brackish/saltwater type setup to live in for awhile. Maybe I SHOULD set one up. Seems like a lot of people here would like Amanos.


I definitely would, I just got a bad case of brush algae in my ten gallon out of nowhere and my Betta has developed fin rot! I need Amanos to rescue my tank. It's sad that all the LFS in my area only sell ghost shrimp.


Question about your picture taking skills. I use my father's D60 to take pics, it came with the stock lens and I'm a newbie to taking pictures is there anything I could do when shooting macro to improve the shot?


----------



## strom

*Substrate*

What kind of substrate did you use and how much?

I just emailed Kim @ ahsupply to see if we could come up with a high wattage i.e. 24w fixture that would fit over the 4 gal Finnex. The standard is just a tad too long. The hood would free up so much deskspace as opposed to the Hampton Bay option.

Do you have a heater in there?


----------



## Outlawboss

*VincentK* - Thanks, I like that one too!

*chumblaka* - I have a Canon Digital Rebel XT which is similar to the Nikon D60, but I don't use it for my tank shots. The stock lens just won't get the close-up shots I like. Surprisingly, point and shoot cameras often have great macro ability, and that's what I have used for this tank. However, if the D60 is your only option one thing I would suggest is bringing your ISO as low as it will go. I think that's ISO100 on a D60. That will give you less noise in your pics, but require longer exposure times. Other than that, just play with the settings on the thing until you find something you like. Different white points, exposure times etc.

*strom* - I'm using Amazonia substrate. I think used most (if not all) of the smaller size bag. It's about 2.5 inches thick.

If you want a clip on light (or something less intrusive than the Hampton Bay one), try AFA in San Fransisco. They sell the 27 watt Archaea lights that you see lots of people around here using.

I do have a heater. It's the Hydor Mini heater. If you look close you can see the cord going down the left side of the tank in back.


----------



## chumblaka

Thanks Outlawboss. I will start taking pics as soon as I start my tank. 

My finnex just arrived today! All I need now is good substrate, gonna go to some LFS to see what they all have and grab the best stuff I can get.


----------



## chumblaka

http://cgi.ebay.com/Finnex-4-Gallon...emQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item2c52d6297b

I know we aren't supposed to put up eBay links but this guy has your tank on his eBay item description I wonder if he's a member here?


----------



## Reginald2

chumblaka said:


> http://cgi.ebay.com/Finnex-4-Gallon...emQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item2c52d6297b
> 
> I know we aren't supposed to put up eBay links but this guy has your tank on his eBay item description I wonder if he's a member here?



Behold the absolute sincerest form of flattery. One step past imitation.


----------



## Outlawboss

chumblaka, nice find haha. I'm not sure if I should be mad at the guy, or stoked that someone thought highly enough of the pictures to use them to sell their product. How's your Finnex going by the way? I haven't seen a thread for it yet. Got everything you needed?

Reginald2, you got that right. Hah. I wonder where all the other pictures came from. It seems like just doing a google search brings up pretty much the same ones. Funny though. 

Well, I guess now is as good a time as any to post the pics I took this week before a WC. More of the same. Just screwing around mostly.


_Snails n Moss, they're everywhere._

















_I like this picture of the Fissidens. It shows the leaf structure really well._


----------



## chumblaka

I got everything I need. I am just having trouble with cloudiness of the amazonia. It was crystal clear for a couple of hours and its a bit foggy/milky now and it has not gone away in about two days. I will start a thread probably tomorrow since I have to study for my calculus test tomorrow. (sequences and series!)

Also I just need to make a bubble counter for this setup but I am not worried just yet since their is no livestock in the tank. Other than that tank is ready to post!


----------



## Outlawboss

Awesome. You actually don't NEED a bubble counter. They're helpful, but once you get a feel for it, you'll be able to judge by eye and behavior of the animals if you have enough Co2 going.

Calculus, fantastic. The whole reason why I swapped from engineering to Art. Hah!


----------



## chumblaka

Haha, I love calculus and physics! After all the work this week calculus the musical came to my school, it was pretty cool and a great way to end my week!


----------



## Outlawboss

I thought this was cool. I've been watching my one remaining female red cherry shrimp in this tank very closely as she prepares to drop her eggs. The last two I have had in there disappeared just before/after they had the babies. I can't figure out why or how. Did they die naturally? Did the one fish in the tank (a cobra endler) go berserk and try to eat her? Maybe the water parameters are off (nope). Regardless, I'm hoping the third time is the charm.

I was looking at her today really close and I realized I could see eyes on the eggs. I have read about this happening just before they hatch, but never witnessed it. And so, after a slight swish of a pen to get her into a better position, I present to you:


----------



## chumblaka

Sweet! I'm guessing you'll have shrimplets sometime this week or next. I wish I had a macro lens. I get tons of shots with the regular lens but they aren't that great. =\

I put my nano on hold for a sec since I got sick but while in bed I have been looking at it and thinking of some layouts with rock. I have no clue what kind of rock to get and where to get it from. Last week though I found this cool LFS with tons of rocks! What kind of rock works well with plants?

Your tank still amazes me! I can't wait to have mines setup the way I want. BTW how do you control your water parameters? What dosing do you do?


----------



## Outlawboss

Thanks chumblaka!  I use the EI method for dosing. Since my tank is at work I'm lucky enough to use the RO drinking fountains here. The only thing in the water out of the tap is just a little phosphate, otherwise it's totally clean so I can control everything.


----------



## Outlawboss

Just plugged in a new 6,700k/10,000k bulb and wow, I really like this one. I figure it averages out at about 8,000k. The 10,000k was just too blue for my liking, but this is amazing. I couldn't help but take some pics. 

Plus the tank was looking really nice today. I love the way the plants in the center sort of fit right into the shape of the rocks and "bloom" out from it. Way cool.




























_MP is my new favorite plant._


----------



## Kilroy_1911

There are so many words, but all I can say is your tank really is very inspiring. Especially seeing it go through its stages from beginning to present. Fantastic!


----------



## becks17

That tank is awesome! Love how the shades of green work against the black.


----------



## Outlawboss

Thanks *Kilroy_1911* and *becks17*!  I think I'm going to leave the black background. It's grown on me.


----------



## Outlawboss

So awhile back I posted about my fish who likes to climb into the filter. Well now I have photographic documentation! I have noticed that endlers seem to like some current. Not a ton, but enough that they can swim against it. Well this one thinks he's a salmon, or Nemo, because he likes to climb up the incline in my HOB over the filter floss and into the compartment with the media. What a weirdo.


----------



## tak13

Updates? Photos?


----------



## Outlawboss

My suicidal Endlers Livebearer finally got his wish. RIP Nemo, obviously you were meant to jump toward the light. 

Not too much to update really. Things are staying pretty stable. This scape is now over one year old, and I'm pretty satisfied with the things it's taught me. I did get some HM, and I'm thinking of replacing the hairgrass with that. The hairgrass is cool, but now it just doesn't seem to fit. Everything else in the tank is so leafy, it sort of just sticks out, being so straight. Maybe I'll give it a try, keep things a little interesting.

I'll get some pics posted tomorrow.


----------



## Ugly Genius

As a person who likes to climb, my heartfelt condolences go out to Nemo's family. 
From personal experience, I want to tell them that his risk-taking behavior should in no way be inferred as a lack of attachment to this life and the people in it, but as a celebration of all life has to offer. 
Nemo did what he did -- climbed, jumped, and ultimately missed the back of the filter not because he wanted to die, but because he wanted to live.
Where ever Endler Livebearers go when they die, may you climb on, Nemo. Climb on, little guy. Climb in peace.

Outlaw, this is one of my favorite nanos. There's no one attribute that strikes me, but rather the sum of dozens of things done right that puts it over the top. Keep it up.


----------



## Outlawboss

Thanks UG! I learned from watching you guys.  Perhaps Nemo though to himself, "this is as good as it's going to get" and that's why he made the ultimate leap of faith. I guess we will never know.

I'd like to think that, in both of my forthcoming tanks I will be able to do more things right from the beginning rather than constantly taking corrective measures to fix mistakes. I'm talking about a plan! I think it can be done, but we'll see. One will be a 5.5 gallon CRS/Blue Tiger shrimpery with a MP carpet and San Diego native hardscape (meaning manzanita/granite). The other will be a 33 gallon rimless Mr. Aqua that will replace my old bowfront. I'm thinking volcanic rock caves and malaysian driftwood. I guess it's time to start another 2 journals.

But, I digress. Picture time! Maybe not the best quality, and yes there is some algae but I think it has an endearing quality. It compliments the plants without overpowering them. In a word, it appears to be in balance. Yay!










_This rock has quickly become grown-over with MP. I really like it, I just have no idea how it happened._


----------



## TLE041

I love your Finnex!

Are you using the HOB filter that comes with it? I'm considering if I should or not. If not, I'd probably get an Aquaclear and integrate CO2 and a Hydor heater into it. My concern is that the Finnex filter seems a little inadequate (30 gph flow rate).


----------



## Outlawboss

Actually, I have been using the Finnex's filter since day one. As long as it is kept clean, it's been sufficient (if a little on the low-flow side of things).

If I had to do it over again, I probably would get a small canister or aquaclear so that I could integrate the heater into that rather than having it directly sit in the tank.

You can't really see it since it's under the substrate, but the cord is there.


----------



## hyphination

your plants look really healthy. im jealous of your HC foreground, it looks so natural. and that MP rock is pretty sweet.


----------



## Outlawboss

Thanks hyphination! I love the way the MP rock turned out. It's one of those things that I don't even know how I did. It just kind of did itself. The best kind of happy mistake. 

Well this weekend while I was trimming and WC'ing, I decided the tank needed something so I tore into it. Most of the hairgrass came out (it was bugging me anyway) and in went some HM. I like the small size of the leaves and the color really sets off the other darker plants. Hopefully I can get it to form a nice hedge over on that side of the tank.

I've been tearing out parts of the HC carpet each week, trying to counteract the toupee effect whereby the plants seem to just sit on top of the substrate rather than rooting into it. Seems like HC is notorious for this behavior, especially if you let it get too thick which I did. This sectional removal seems to be working though. It gives it somewhere to fill in, and the new growth is much more robust than where there's already an existing carpet.

So anyway, some pictures. The tank is pretty haggard looking right now, and missing a few MP rocks but hey, that's what a journal is right?












































​


----------



## Ugly Genius

A good change. I really liked the HG, though; glad to see you left some of it. 
The Pearlweed's gonna explode and I think I can see what you have in mind and it will probably leave me saying, "Hairgrass who--?" when it does, because it should look awesome bunched in the corner.
I feel you on the HC lawn. I've got a similar situation with a UG carpet. I don't mind the mowing and the waiting. I hate the sweeping up of all the cut bits that float to the surface afterwards.


----------



## Outlawboss

Thanks UG. I hope I'm right to remove the HG. Though, like you pointed out, it's not all gone. I will just relegate it to a more supplemental role. 

The only bad part about HC is absolutely the lawn mowing. Luckily the tank is small, nets are fine mesh and my kung fu is strong!


----------



## TLE041

Outlawboss (or anyone), have you seen these Finnex 26W CF bulbs for sale anywhere?

I'm liking these bulbs a lot. The integrated actinic lamp gives it a really nice, bright white color. Even though mine is only about 2 weeks old, I want to stock up on a few in case they are discontinued.


----------



## Outlawboss

Actually, replacement bulbs for that lamp have been quite hard to find. After some searching in the past, I did find something very close here.

Also, if you do a search for a light called the Solar Duo Boy, you will find that they are the exact same thing. You could contact them for a replacement bulb, but they are in Europe so just heads up that it may take time to ship.

I'm not sure what you mean by the integrated actinic lamp though. Actinic light above a freshwater tank wouldn't do much good, it's more for saltwater (unless that's what you mean).


----------



## Outlawboss

Double post oops.


----------



## Outlawboss

Got a chance to spend some quality time with the tank the other day while I waited for some program updates to install. The BBA is acting up a little again. I've also noticed a resurgence of the snail population. I must be feeding the shrimp a little too much. The filter is also slightly underpowered, flow-wise. That probably doesn't help it much. But I've never had trouble beating it back before. I'll do it again.



One super cool thing I got to see for the first time was an RCS actually hatching from its egg. I even got a (blurry) shot of the little guy. You can see his egg on the right, and he's on the left.









I just thought this was a cool shot. BBA can be cool looking too you know  Look at all those snails. I feed my shrimp too much.









I love how the moss is reaching out in this one. It looks like the rock grew wings.









If shrimp could talk to eachother, I wonder what these two would be saying. "Great weather today."
"Dude, it's great weather in here EVERY day."









It's cool how Fissidens traps bubbles like that.









Just a pic documenting growth of the HM. I like this plant a lot. 









F.T.S. (Freakin' Totally Super)


----------



## Mjc20

i dont know if youve said this or not...but what did you use for your substrate (didnt see it on the first page and i dont feel like looking through another 13 pages to see if its mentioned  )

and ive gotta say...i really love the finnex tanks (SW or fresh)....they just look awesome


----------



## Outlawboss

Thanks Mjc20! I'm using Aquasoil amazonia in there.


----------



## AlexXx

amazing macro shots! wow. that fissiden shot is so cool!


----------



## Outlawboss

Thanks AlexXx! 

I've noticed the weirdest thing happening with my RCS in my larger tank recently. Some of them are starting to grow up to have a distintly blue color. I first noticed it when I was looking for nicer quality shrimp to see my Finnex with, so I've been starting to pick them out and add only the blue ones to the Finnex.

Has anyone else seen this happen to RCS? I've tried looking around on Google and so far have not found anything useful.


This is a good shot because you can see the comparison with a standard, if not a little orange, Red Cherry Shrimp. This picture hasn't been edited for colors at all.









A couple more of just Miss Blue





































This being a journal, I feel safe showing my struggles as much as my success. Here's a struggle for you. The BBA I seem to continually fight against in this tank has infected my favorite spot in the tank. I'm going to have to take care of it before it spreads to other parts. Dang!









Just a shot of how the HM is growing out. I thought I would be able to make a bush out of it, but it keeps wanting to grow horizontally like HC would. I'm not sure if it's because the light is too intense for vertical growth, but I am struggling to stay patient enough to wait it out. Maybe there's another stem plant I'd rather have in there, I just can't decide what.


----------



## ZooTycoonMaster

Maybe the RCS that you have carry a gene for blue color...


----------



## Outlawboss

Not sure, but I'm going to try and collect as many as I can in the one tank and see what happens!roud:


----------



## tuonor

Awesome RCS Outlawboss...looks like a Blue Pearl. I've never kept them but as they interbreed with RCS according to shrimp compatibility charts wonder if your original stock had some Snowball / Blue Pearl mixed in.

Either way, a pretty cool outcome.


----------



## TLE041

That HC carpet and those blue RCS look awesome.


----------



## Outlawboss

Thanks tuonor and TLE041. 

It's possible that my RCS had some snowball or blue pearl mixed in. They were low quality when I bought them and a year of breeding might have brought out some weird traits.

I was playing with my nicer SLR camera today and thought I would post some of the pics. My wife was kind enough to point out how annoying the power cord behind the tank was.  I was just playing though, so doesn't bother me right now.


----------



## ZooTycoonMaster

This is one of the best Finnex 4 gallons I've seen

Which paintball regulator are you using? I may end up going with paintball CO2 soon.


----------



## Outlawboss

Thanks Zoo! 

I'm using this one from Thatpetplace.com. It isn't the best quality ever, but it's cheap and dependable.


----------



## Outlawboss

Added another blue-RCS today. I'm slowly picking them out of my community tank and isolating them in my work tank. I've got three "blue" females in there now. The one I added today had a kind of blueberry color to it. Cool!


----------



## oneduduboy

I wanted to ask you a question about planting hc because Im starting my first planted tank. Did you seperate the hc plant by plant to plant them. I planted some hc a few days ago but I planted them in clusters. Tia


----------



## Outlawboss

oneduduboy - Yes I did separate them. The more you can separate HC when planting it the better. It was painstakingly slow, but it really pays off because when it does come in, it's nice and even and it carpets fast.


----------



## Outlawboss

I was inspired to take some measurements today for some reason. Pleasantly surprised to see that the EI method seems to have been working for all these months since I last tested.

Nitrate: 10 ppm
Phosphate: .25 - .5 ppm
PH: 6.4 (little low)
GH: 4 degrees
KH: 4 degrees
Iron: .25 ppm

Also starting to think about a rescape. I'm getting tired of constantly battling BBA. It's never taken over, but if I didn't stay on top of it, it would. I have some different vocanic rock that I'd like to combine into version 2.0.


----------



## CaffeinatedCake

How are those blue RCS doing ? Any berries or babies yet? I'm really interested to see where it goes.

How awesome would it be if you some freaky purple hybrid !


----------



## zoragen

Love the tank & the shrimp!

And your pics are amazing! I have a Canon Powershot & a Nikon Coolpix that I've been playing with trying to get good macro pics.

I'm a little better with flowers - still working on good tank pics.


----------



## Chaos_Being

I just read through this journal...incredible looking tank! I hope I can get something this good looking going eventually, once I have more experience with planted tanks :hihi:

The Taiwan Moss you have is just what I need to fill in a portion of the nano i just started. What was your source for it? (I see some on Ebay; not sure if that is the best way to go or not.)


----------



## Outlawboss

Thanks Chaos! I appreciate that. If it helps, this was truly my first attempt at a full on planted tank. I learned as I went and by now I'm pretty confident with them. I'm sure you'll experience the same thing.

I got my taiwan moss from my local fish store. It was one of the first plants I ever got, so I really didn't know what I was doing at the time. It just so happened to look really cool and so I still have it.  I might be able to send you some when I do a trim if you like.


----------



## Chaos_Being

Yeah, this seems to be a good way to get re-aquainted with aquariums in general, and as an introduction to planted ones. It's probably been at least 15 years since I've had an aquarium, and I have a lot to learn/re-learn. Eventually, I'd like to start a 30-40 gallon planted tank, probably low-tech to avoid messing with CO2, but for now a small tank is a good starting point 

Thanks for the offer- I may have to take you up on that!


----------



## Outlawboss

Sure just let me know. If you want I could send you a starter package hah.


----------



## Outlawboss

Things were looking pretty good last night. I thought it was time for a pictorial update. The only real change was the addition of some blyxa that I wanted to try out.


----------



## ZooTycoonMaster

I'm in love with your moss and mini pellia!!

(And the rest of the tank)


----------



## F22

tank looks awesome, also really cool mutant shrimp... you gonna try to developement on the strain?


----------



## Outlawboss

*ZooTycoonMaster* - Thanks! I really like that moss rock as well. Admittedly, I've spent more time grooming it than the rest of the tank. 

*F22* - I thought I would be able to and I have seen them reproduce once. Unfortunately, the "blue" cherries started to become more red as they aged. It seems like they might show that blue-ish color between sub adult and adult size. I'm sure some will stay a little blue, but it didn't appear to breed true either. But hey, it was worth a try!


----------



## chris.rivera3

tank looks nice Angelo!! really like the thick HC carpet and MP


----------



## Outlawboss

Thanks! Starting to finally think about a rescape. I feel like this might be as much as this one has to offer. It's hard to say goodbye to one's first scape though.


----------



## Outlawboss

Just a few update shots. This tank definitely has the patina of an aged scape nowadays. As long as I keep up with the dosing schedule and spot treat the BBA with a few milliliters of excel every water change, things move along "swimmingly."


----------



## Chrisinator

Amazin'!


----------



## Outlawboss

Dang. Went to put on a new 20 oz paintball cylinder and I can't get any of them to take. They keep releasing their gas through the burst disk on the cylinder. I have a feeling the Milwaukee regulator is causing this, rather than several Co2 cylinders going bad at the same time.

Might be time to upgrade to a GLA regulator, since I know I'll be keeping this aquarium a long time.

Also, general update on the condition of the tank. The HC has finally started to become a problem. The root system has become just too shallow and I'm not able to keep it planted down anymore. The shrimp continue to tear up all of my carefully re-planted roots no matter how I stuff them down in the substrate. 

It may be time to a) replant with some of my emmersed grown HC, or 2) find a new foreground plant. Anyone want to spare some UG??


----------



## tnemelk

no dont give up on the hc!


----------



## Outlawboss

Hah, I'm not going to give up (probably) just yet. I'll try replanting some of my emmersed grown HC with its long roots first. If that doesn't work, maybe I'll move to plan C: New scape!


----------



## Clare12345

Wow great. I can't wait to see what the new scape looks like!


----------



## Damian

Tank is looking great! If you need some UG I may have a nice starter portion if(and when ) you decide to rescape. Let me know.


----------



## Diegosaenz

I love your tank Outlaw, is really an inspiration for me! Keep it up!


----------



## Outlawboss

Thanks a lot guys. 

I'm thinking rather than rock scape I might move to manzanita scape for Finnex 4 Gallon 2.0.


----------



## Diegosaenz

Hey Outlaw how's that co2 regulator working for you? I started thinking in spending the less possible amount of money in my tank set up, and everytime I look at this thread im like... okay lets spend a little more because I want it to be that good lol, I just cant make my mind up, I've seen those Red Sea Paintball regulator but there's just something about its look I cant stand, then the one you have and I've read good and bad reviews, now I'm thinking... They said price = quality, not always but most of the time and the GLA is pretty nice, but almost 200 bucks ... geez, anyway let me know how's your doing!

Diego


----------



## Outlawboss

From my own experience, added to the feedback you have already read I would agree that when it comes to regulators you get what you pay for.

I was using the Milwauke regulator and it never really did very good. It worked, but the quality was low. The GLA ones are quite pricey, but they are great regulators. I feel like now that I know what I'm doing, I'm not afraid to spend a little more money on higher quality parts. I also am not planning to leave the hobby any time soon and I take that into account as well.

Actually, for the price the Red Sea regulators are nice too. 

Also don't forget a check valve!


----------



## Diegosaenz

I'm thinking just going to get a 5lb maybe 10lb co2 tank with a regulator, seems like less trouble and even cheaper in the long run. Which regulator are you using now?


----------



## Outlawboss

Hey, sorry it took so long to respond. I was out of town for a few days. Anyway, I'm currently using a Red Sea paintball style one on the Finnex. I had to cannibalize this from my OEBT shrimpery (which, on a side not I just realized I have never made a journal for) so I plan to get a Green Leaf style one soon. 

I have a GLA regulator on my 30 gallon and I really like it. It's solidly built and completely dependable, so I'm going with the name I trust.


----------



## Diegosaenz

Outlawboss said:


> Hey, sorry it took so long to respond. I was out of town for a few days. Anyway, I'm currently using a Red Sea paintball style one on the Finnex. I had to cannibalize this from my OEBT shrimpery (which, on a side not I just realized I have never made a journal for) so I plan to get a Green Leaf style one soon.
> 
> I have a GLA regulator on my 30 gallon and I really like it. It's solidly built and completely dependable, so I'm going with the name I trust.


Sounds good, once I get a job ill probably upgrade mine too, I got an Azoo and its good and what not, but I cant get lower than 1bps, I tried and I got 1bp5s and then it stops working and I have to turn the bps up again.

How many bps do you have on yours right now?


----------



## Outlawboss

I run about 1 bps, but my diffuser counts as my bubble counter so I may not be 100% accurate.


----------



## Diegosaenz

Keep us updated! Your tank is the whole reason why I got into the planted tank hobby! haha I have a 10 gallon with fake plants that holds 2 bettas and once I saw planted tanks and then nano tanks and then this finnex I was totally hooked and I thought what a crappy tank I have! haha


----------



## Outlawboss

Ok then, quick update! Basically things cruise along in this tank. I replace the Co2 when it's out, do the weekly WC and keep up with dosing and everything else just kinda runs itself.

One thing I have learned though, Blyxa in nano tanks needs lots of trimming. It looks nice though.

Also, the small RCS population that was in there is now starting to increase noticeably. Babies are living through to adulthood, and producing their own and so on. Pretty soon I'll have to thin them out!


----------



## qxz06090

Outlawboss said:


> Ok then, quick update! Basically things cruise along in this tank. I replace the Co2 when it's out, do the weekly WC and keep up with dosing and everything else just kinda runs itself.
> 
> One thing I have learned though, Blyxa in nano tanks needs lots of trimming. It looks nice though.
> 
> Also, the small RCS population that was in there is now starting to increase noticeably. Babies are living through to adulthood, and producing their own and so on. Pretty soon I'll have to thin them out!


I got question what is your water PH level when you using CO2? And how often you change your aquarium water and How much water you change each time?


----------



## Outlawboss

Last time I checked, my PH was about 6.7 after a day's worth of Co2. It's back up to 7 in the mornings. I change 50% of the water every week with the stuff that comes out of the purifier units here at the office. I tested the water out of them once and it was all pure except for a little phosphate. So I just don't dose phosphates and it balances out.


----------



## qxz06090

Is your shrimp OK with PH change? Before I use CO2 my water PH is 6.5, after I put CO2 my water PH is 6.0 or less. Is shrimps (cheery, amano) ok with water ph level 6.0 or little bit less?


----------



## Outlawboss

I don't think I've ever gone down to 6.0, it seems a little low. However, if any shrimp will be able to take it, Amanos and Cherries would be your best bet. They can live in just about anything.

You might try using an alkaline booster to up your ph/kh. It will also increase your water's buffering ability, making the PH swings less severe.


----------



## Outlawboss

This tank is still alive and doing well. I don't update the journal often anymore because there's not much changing.

BUT, something noteworthy happened yesterday. My boss was looking at the tank that afternoon and she got my attention to show me one of my cherry shrimps spelunking into the recently shed exoskeleton of one of the Amanos. I mean, it's creepy and cool at the same time right?! Photographic proof below.











FTS just because.


----------



## studentZ

That's looking really cool. What a great tank to have at the office!


----------



## Outlawboss

Thanks! Yes, it's pretty cool that they let me keep one at the office. I do my best to keep a low maintenance profile so I think that helps.


----------



## Cottagewitch

You have a gorgeous tank! What is the substrate material? I'm sure you've posted it but somewhere along the way I missed it.


----------



## Outlawboss

Thanks a lot. It's just standard ADA Amazonia II. Nothing else other than that.

We just went on vacation for a week and this tank didn't get its usual water change. Man! The GSA catches up on your quick when you're not there to do weekly maintenance. Anyway, 10 minutes a day of attention for the next few days and I'm sure I'll whip it into shape. We're pushing close to 2 years running now. Woot!


----------



## theDeanorama

Just finished a cover to cover reading, love seeing the highs and lows and how it's evolved over time. It'll actually be sad seeing it go if you decide to do the rescaping.

How do you find the ADA soil for planting in? I'm using eco complete currently and find it difficult to plant things once the tank has been filled. Using the tweezer method doesn't really cut it as the aggregate is so large that nothing is really backfilling as I remove the tweezers, thus allowing it to float away as I back off. I basically have to dive in and push/prod manually .. making a real mess of the water whilst doing it :angryfire


----------



## Outlawboss

Thanks alot theDeanorama! I think starting with a nano size tank was a good way to prepare for something bigger. They're a little more challenging with regard to stability so once you end up in a 30+ gallon tank your habits are much better.

I got lucky with the ADA soil and found it at my local LFS before they stopped selling it in favor of the zoomed stuff (which is for my purposes the same thing). The only way I know of to get it now is directly from an ADA vendor, or on Ebay.

Also, just a teeny bit of bragging, but this tank got on the manufacturer's page, here.


----------



## chris.rivera3

congrats buddy!!! too bad I never get to see this tank everytime I'm at your house since you keep it at work :icon_frow





Outlawboss said:


> Thanks alot theDeanorama! I think starting with a nano size tank was a good way to prepare for something bigger. They're a little more challenging with regard to stability so once you end up in a 30+ gallon tank your habits are much better.
> 
> I got lucky with the ADA soil and found it at my local LFS before they stopped selling it in favor of the zoomed stuff (which is for my purposes the same thing). The only way I know of to get it now is directly from an ADA vendor, or on Ebay.
> 
> Also, just a teeny bit of bragging, but this tank got on the manufacturer's page, here.


----------



## Outlawboss

Haha, only tank I have that no other planted tank enthusiast has actually seen. Mystery, intrigue!


----------



## vstone

hey, I cant seem to find the equipment for your setup. your tank inspired me to get it as well.


----------



## Outlawboss

Awesome! I'm glad you're going to get one!

Here's the equipment as I have it right now.

Tank: 4 Gallon Finnex
Light: 27 Watt Archaea Fixture (from AFA in San Francisco)
Ferts: EI Liquid dosing
Filter: Stock HOB that came with the tank's starter kit
CO2: Paintball style ~ 1 bubble per second
Substrate: ADA Amazonia II

That's about it.


----------



## Outlawboss

My OEBT tank never really took off the way I wanted it to. I'm going to try again, but in the meantime I thought it might be fun to try the ones I have left in my work tank. As much as I would like it to be the other way around, this tank gets the best attention of all of them because I'm right there, ever day, 5 days a week.

Here's a few survivors. Maybe, just maybe, they can have some babies. I know for sure that this tank is a shrimp haven. I'll start removing the RCS and keeping only OEBTs in here along with maybe one other TBD.


----------



## crf529

The evolution of this tank has been amazing! It's very inspiring and a beauty to look at.


----------



## mountaindew

The detail is nice, very clean and well cared for. 
So small but looks big in pics.
md


----------



## F22

thats a great 4g tank, im working on mine now and i see what can be done, awesome work dude


----------



## Outlawboss

Thanks guys!


----------



## Pyrefly

Stumbled onto this forum/journal looking for inspiration for a new tank setup. Fantastic job with this tank!

Just thought to post with some other info I read recently on colour-changing shrimpies, with regards to your lovely purple RCS a few pages back. May have been diet related?

http://www.planetinverts.com/natural_or_artificially_colored.html

Keep up the good work


----------



## Outlawboss

Hey, interesting thought Pyrefly! I never considered that it could be related to their diet. They do get different food at home than at work, so that is entirely possible.


----------



## !shadow!

you make me wanna get a finnex


----------



## gordonrichards

Just got two finnex tanks in the mail yesterday! Gotta make my own thread. Excellent tanks! +karma.

-Gordon


----------



## Lee92

nice looking tank you got there and with your mini pellia what is the growth rate like and how quickly did it spread? as i might be looking to purchase some just wanted some advice on it before hand
thanks


----------



## Outlawboss

Thanks guys! Lee92, mini pellia is a pretty slow grower. I "trim" it about once a month. By trim, I mean I pull it off the rock with my fingers. It's easy to remove once it grows out some. 

MP is an awesome aquatic plant. If you are thinking of getting some, I highly recommend it.


----------



## chris.rivera3

Outlawboss said:


> Thanks guys! Lee92, mini pellia is a pretty slow grower. I "trim" it about once a month. By trim, I mean I pull it off the rock with my fingers. It's easy to remove once it grows out some.
> 
> MP is an awesome aquatic plant. If you are thinking of getting some, I highly recommend it.



I agree - mini pellia is a SUPER SLOW but it is an AWESOME plant....thanks again buddy for the MP and subwassertang I bought from you before...i did exactly what you said with the loofa and now both are coming out of the little openings...its only taken about 2 months...lol...its taking time but definitely worth the wait...new growth is super green :smile:


----------



## Outlawboss

Last update on this one for awhile. Not much has been changing, and I just did a big trim after this picture.

At some point, I think I'm going to replace the RCS with OEBTs.


----------



## ddtran46

Nice tank! Everything looks super healthy:icon_smil


----------



## limz_777

really good nano journal, keep it up outlaw


----------



## justin182

Hi, what did you use to hold the moss down to the rocks? I've been using fishing line, but this seems very legit as well!!!

AND of course, I really like the way your tank ends up! Very cool! roud:



Outlawboss said:


>


----------



## Outlawboss

Hey Justin, I use loofah's. The ones you can get at Walmart are good (cheaper the better). They even have green ones, so it blends! I just stretch some of it around a rock and zip tie it on the back/bottom.


----------



## Outlawboss

Couple of quick pics. This is what I call a hot mess. BBA, loose HC in the substrate, bad reflection. Seriously thinking about rescaping it these days. I could keep it going for sure. But I think I might finally be ready for a change. Maybe some thing less stemmy and more hardscape-ish.


----------



## Newman

peroxide all of that BBA. the shrimp will probably eat it when it dies from peroxide too.
looks very nice, would be a shame if you got rid of the look. hardscaped tanks with medium amounts of plants are great too tho.

Also you should really put the updated FTS in your first post of this thread. would keep people reading IMO


----------



## RcScRs

Why rescape? Just get another tank!


----------



## AdriftQuasar

Wonderful tank! At some point did you switch lights from the Aquatic Nature Solar Duo Boy?


----------



## Outlawboss

Good idea Newman. I think I'll do that with the current picture. 

Justin, I think that's actually going to happen. Or I may actually replace this tank with one of the Ecoxotic 12x12x12 cubes and a custom stand.

AdriftQuasar, yes I did! I got a Solar Duo Boy at the same time I got the Finnex, used it for awhile, and then later replaced it with the Archaea one that's on there now. I never acctually ended up using the stock Finnex light that came with the tank. It wasn't strong enough for what I wanted to do.


----------



## AdriftQuasar

Why the ecoxotic? It's not quite a cube and I don't imagine you'll be using the leds. If all you want is a rimless 12" cube you have some other options.

http://www.adana-usa.com/index.php?main_page=afa_product_info&cPath=25_29&products_id=191
http://www.greenleafaquariums.com/glass-rimless-aquariums/rimless-aquarium-30-c.html
http://www.marinedepot.com/Mr._Aqua...rium_Tank_Cube-Mr._Aqua-AZ1133-FIAQRC-vi.html
http://www.marinedepot.com/Mr._Aqua...x_12_Inch_Cube-Mr._Aqua-AZ1151-FIAQRC-vi.html

Sorry to crowd your thread with this. Also, what wattage did you go with on that light?


----------



## Outlawboss

They don't have it on the website yet, but they'll have an all white LED one available in about a month. That's what they said while we were there at least. Plus when you order you can get extra strips (up to 3) so that you can adjust the lighting intensity to what you have planned. I don't mind it not being a cube. So I guess it's not ready for what I want yet, but I like the idea and if they come through on the all white LEDs I'm in.

That Archaea light that's on there is 27w. It's been ideal for growing just about everything, and I like that the actual bulb spreads out over most of the tank, so the light is nice and even.


----------



## Outlawboss

The Didiplis Diandra was looking pretty nice today so I couldn't help getting a few pictures. It's pretty well documented that I struggle to get my plants to turn red, or even reddish. When I saw the beginnings of color change on the tips of these stems, the camera immediately came out.


----------



## F22

@outlaw

i didnt read your whole thread, are you running pressurized?


----------



## ddtran46

F22 said:


> @outlaw
> 
> i didnt read your whole thread, are you running pressurized?


I looks like he is from the photo in post number 292.


----------



## Outlawboss

Yes. I'm running a paintball cylinder pressurized system.


----------



## Outlawboss

There's only one small male amano shrimp left in this tank. Apparently, he's not enough to keep the shrimplet population under control. check out Shrimp Rock.


----------



## ulysses

I haven't seen this question asked yet but; what steps (if any) did you take to get your employers to allow this at your workspace? If you are still using the finnex mini canister filter(or any filter perhaps), are you wary of any leaking issues involved with surrounding electronics? It seems you're happy with your setup. Could you recommend the 4g setup? I ask because I want this set-up at my work in the worst way. Any feedback to combat HR is worthy .


----------



## Outlawboss

Actually I don't think anyone's asked that before ulysses. Even though I work for a fairly large company, it's a casual environment. 

I made two points when I asked for permission. The first was that I'm putting an aquarium together either way. But I thought it would be nice to bring it into work since then everyone would have a chance to enjoy it.

My second point was that, all combined it took about the same wattage as one or two 60w incandescent bulbs to run. Considering how much electronic equipment we have there, that part was a non-issue really.

Oh and I assured them that I would keep it maintained and attractive looking and out of the way. Funny thing is that of everything, that was the most important thing. They were like, ok well if you have it here you need to keep it looking good. And that's what I do. I do the ferts and water changes before/after work.

No HR involved. Just my manager and the executive we report to. Both of whom, I would like to report, pretty regularly come by and comment on how many shrimp they can count, which plant isn't looking so good, etc.

As for the filter, the little HOB that it came with is what I still use and it's been solid for the 2+ years I've had the thing set up. I know a canister would be more attractive but I'm not bothered by it really, and neither is anyone else.


----------



## rekles75

Great looking tank.... It has inspired me to restart my Finnex. It has been sitting in the garage collecting dust for over a year now.


----------



## ulysses

Hey thanks for your reply. One of our GM's has a 90g reef in his office, so i'm going to ask him in a nonchalant way .


----------



## Rider

Love your tank and especially love the photos. This may have been asked before, but I didn't see it. What type of camera are you using and at what settings?


----------



## Outlawboss

Thanks guys.

Rider, I am just using a Cannon point and shoot with the settings in macro mode with a few manual tweaks on it for white balance and shutter speed. Nothing cool though.


----------



## speedie408

Super healthy looking tank man. Looks great!


----------



## sjuapseorn

Wow...

Nice Finnex 

I have one too!
But Mine is very new.. (less than a month)
Hopefully it will turn out as nice as this one eventually!

xD


----------



## Outlawboss

The goal with this aquarium was to learn. To build a nano aquarium and learn the in's and outs of going small. Over two years and many failures later and I feel comfortable saying it has served its purpose. Proof that you can set up, maintain and enjoy a relatively high tech nano size planted tank over a sustained period.

Now, its age is starting to show. Algae settles in easily. The substrate is depleted. And also, I have new ideas and plans. Soon I will either be re-scaping this one or, if I can get the lights I want, I will be moving to a 12" cube and retiring the Finnex to shrimp breeding duty for awhile. 

The shrimp sure do seem to like this thing though. I started with eight of them six months ago, and now I can count over a hundred which means there real population is closer to 120+.


----------



## roybot73

This is a great little tank which makes use of space in a great way.
It looks much, much bigger than 4 gallons.

Can't wait to see what you do next!


----------



## Outlawboss

Thanks! I'm excited to do something else also. In fact, I was unwillingly brainstorming this morning as I tried unsuccessfully to sleep in. Hah!


----------



## Quentin

Love your tank. I too am thinking about eventually upgarind to a 12" cube. But that will be some time from now.


----------



## Outlawboss

Moved my Taiwan Fire Reds to the Finnex while they wait for a new, less fuzz infected twelve-inch cube of a home. Meantime, here's a happy TFR at the homeless shelter. At least the food is good.


----------



## Sparky007

Beautiful and inspirational. About to set up my first tank. I hope it turns out even half as well as yours.


----------



## Outlawboss

Despite plants to break this tank down, it's still hanging in there. I've been neglecting the maintenance, but there's a line I'm not really allowed to cross since it's still at work and the rules are that it's got to look presentable.

Complicating matters, the Taiwan Fire Reds that I threw in there in an attempt to salvage what was left have started breeding. From a single hatching I think I have about 12-15 babies in there at least. Now I'm even more hesitant to break it down for another month or so. I'm stoked to see the babies though. I almost lost my TFR population. I'll still need to get some new ones. Starting with 5 is probably a bad idea for diversity.


----------



## gnod

just went through all 22 pages.. and loved it. 
still using the 27W light?


----------



## Outlawboss

Thanks! Yes the 27w light is on there. Unfortunately bulbs for that light are getting increasingly difficult to find now. When it's time for a new light, I'll probably go for LED.


----------



## Outlawboss

Man I sure feel like I can't catch a break with these shrimp. I guess it's another lesson learned. Yesterday I did a 50% water change. I was stoked because there were more babies than I could count. Today, I come in and many of them are dead along with one of the adults.

I think the mistake came in adding excel and ferts at the same time I changed the water. Too much change at once. Next time, the WC will be literally water out/water in.

But still, that sucks.


----------



## jayjigga

I've practically read the entire thread a while ago, and I hate to see something like that happen. Sorry for your loss...chin up Bro!


----------



## gnod

dang that's terrible.. sorry to hear that.

do u mind possibly sharing ur co2 setup? or what it was before you turned it off?


----------



## Outlawboss

After surveying the damage, it wasn't as bad as I had anticipated. The next day, while some babies were lost there were still plenty of others that were swimming around. I changed my water change ritual a little, so I think I can prevent that from now on.

I do still have CO2 running. Actually this aquarium has had CO2 since day one. I'm using a 20oz paintball cylinder with a red sea paintball style regulator and needle valve, a check valve and nano diffuser. It has worked so well that I haven't seen the need to change anything about it in the last two years. I'm very happy with that aspect of the setup.


----------



## windfire

gorgeous and very helpful as i am setting up a new tank which is always nerve wracking.


----------



## Outlawboss

Quick update and picture. I just worked back, and realized this tank has been set up and stable for nearly THREE years. Every time I think about tearing it down and starting over, something happens that makes me keep it longer. This time it was a small colony of Taiwan Fire Red shrimp that had dwindled to 4-5 individuals. Now I'm up to 30+ within two months.

When I started this (my first planted aquarium) I read a lot about how difficult nano setups were to maintain and keep stable. I decided to learn the more difficult parts up-front and never felt the need to go a whole lot bigger. Proof that anyone can do pretty well for themselves the first time out if they stick with it.

Anyway the blyxa was pearling in a cool way that made me think of the suckers on an octopus, so I snapped a picture. Enjoy.


----------



## GhostRider

What is the exact name of that plant? It looks really cool! Great placement in the tank btw. And all around amazing tank! Very inspiring!


----------



## airangel

Hi..found your thread while searching for info on the Solar Duo Boy light. I see you've switched out. Was there something you didn't like about it? I just got a Fluval Flora and am looking to either add a second (13w) or just go with a 26w fixture. Looked into the Finnex one as well as Tom and the Duo boy and trying to see which is the best for lighting, replacing bulbs and cost.


----------



## Outlawboss

Thanks guys. Ghostrider, the plant in that picture is Blyxa Japonica.

airangel, the Solar Duo Boy light was ok. I wanted something a little brighter, but the previous one provided enough light to grow whatever I wanted. I preferred something that was more centered over the tank instead of attaching on the side like that. That's the real reason.


----------



## adriano

Went through your entire journal and had to compliment you on a fantastic job. I'm quite inspired to order a Finnex myself now!


----------



## Outlawboss

Thanks adriano!


----------



## gnod

FTS? curious how this is doing


----------



## Outlawboss

I just took a few the other day. It's past it's prime, but still going strong. I had intended to tear it down and rescape, but the Taiwan Fire Reds are doing so well in there that I didn't want to disturb them while the build up a colony.


----------



## gnod

very nice! i hope my finnex turns out as nice as that. 
i love what i thinka re your mp's? in the right front corner? haha


----------



## Outlawboss

Thanks! Yeah, that stuff is MP in the front right corner. It used to be attached to a rock but now it just kind of hangs out there resting on the bottom.


----------



## GhostRider

That's awesome! Mines getting there but I dont think it will ever get that good. As dad as past the prime, I would have to disagree... I think it just looks mature and grown it! I like it def thumbs up!


----------



## Outlawboss

Thanks man! Yeah I never thought it would be up and running for this amount of time. Although now I can confirm, you can keep a nano aquarium running stable for 3+ years.


----------



## Outlawboss

It was a rainy, slow day at work. The aquarium was looking nice. I realized that I have never really posted any backed out full tank shots. This is the result of that realization.


----------



## philemon716

One of my favorite threads on this board. Thanks for the consistent updates!


----------



## gnod

nice! i love this tank
i just pulled out most of my hc cause i was getting so much algae while i was using DSM. 
i think im just going to do planted now.


----------



## gnod

btw i've been meaning to ask - how did you attach your mp to the rock here?


----------



## Outlawboss

MP is actually pretty sticky stuff. On the bigger rocks, it just volunteers eventually. I never intentionally put it there. Especially with something like volcanic rock that has lots of little crevices.

For smaller rocks or when I do want to put the MP somewhere on purpose, I use loofah mesh and zip ties. Put the MP on the surface of a rock, place the loofah mesh on top, twist and ziptie it underneath. Bam! MP rock.


----------



## mluk27

Ive always admired your tanks outlaw looking good


----------



## Red_Wall

Just read the whole thing! I searched the forum for Finnex tanks to see what I could be able to do with mine if I got it - I'm glad I found your thread!

Loved seeing the progression, and where it's ended up. Tank looks amazing, and you can bet I'll be taking some inspiration from your tank... and by that I mean expect to see a mirror image in a few months. Haha, kidding, but your tank is amazing.

Just a few questions:
How many Co2 exchanges do you think you've done since you've started the tank? I'm fairly sure that I'm going to do the paintball method due to the ease of exchange, but was wondering on the cost/exchange rate.

Is it still a pain to trim the HC? I really like the way HC looks, but when you wrote that you had problems with it, it made me reconsider. If you could go back, would you still use HC?

Thanks for the 2 hours worth of entertainment! roud:


----------



## pcgeek42

Loving the setup! Your plants are so green!


----------



## Outlawboss

Thanks guys!

Red_Wall, over the last three years I think I've swapped CO2 cylinders maybe 6...7 times. It's not that often at all. And they're only $3-5 to refill. Once you front the initial cost, they run extremely cheap.

I would do HC again, in fact I have it carpeting my big tank at home. It's still a pain to trim. I do it once every three weeks or so. Get a pair of curved scissors (big or small depending on the size of the tank) and mow the "lawn." Luckily, HC floats readily once it has been trimmed so you can net it out easy enough. Eventually, no matter how well you trim it, it will develop the toupée effect where it just kind of sits on top of the substrate and uproots easily as a mat. It takes about six months for that to happen to mine. At that point you're best option is to pull it out, sell or give away the extra and replant as if it were new. Then you get to watch it grow back out again! Here's a pic of the bigger tank with HC.










I hope that helps!


----------



## JackieP

Hello OLB, 

I've just taken your journey from page 1 to 24. What a beautiful tank. 

Did you use the finnex filter for the entire 3 years? What light did you switch to? 

What would you do differently if you were to go another 4g planted. 

I may have missed it but, is this heated? I see none. 

Thanks mate, and if she's still running keep on posting pictures. I never get enough.


----------



## Outlawboss

Thanks Jackie! I did use the finnex filter for the entire time. It has been a champ, equivalent to the Red Sea Nano HOB filter. The tank is heated–but only barely–by a little pad heater under the substrate.

Now that I feel comfortable with what I'm doing, if I were to do it again there are a few things I would change. I would probably go without a heater since it lives in a climate controlled environment 75% of the time. I would have also learned a little more about lighting/algae up front. I spent a TON of time on this forum reading everyone's posts until I felt like I had the best chance for success possible.


----------



## Outlawboss

I have two berried CRS females in this tank that are about to pop. They'll be my first set of CRS babies ever, so that's pretty exciting. I know the survival rate will be relatively low based on the environment (high light/co2/EI fertilization) but I expect at least enough to survive to increase the population in shrimp town.


----------



## Geniusdudekiran

Absolutely beautiful. Inspiring. That must be great to have at work.

How do you keep your HC so low? What ferts? You are seriously tempting me to get a Finnex...

Also congrats on the CRS! First time CRS babies are always fun.

Edit: Oh, and one last thing. What's the bushy plant in the back? All the colors in this tank are so great!


----------



## Outlawboss

Thanks, Geniusdudekiran! It is pretty cool to have at work as a nice escape when I need it. The HC gets 'mowed' every now and then so it stays pretty low, and I just use a modified EI dosing schedule.

That bushy plant in the back (actually now it's on either side, I should post updated pictures) is Didiplis Diandra, one of my favorites.


----------



## FisheriesOmen

I love this tank sooo much.
EDIT: (darn it doesn't keep it in all caps  )


----------



## @[email protected]

great tank. i really like the d. diandra. and the fact that its healthy, means that you got your light:CO2 down to a science. 
is that an azoo palm filter? im a huge fan of those, though i usually fill em with my own media.


----------



## Geniusdudekiran

Outlawboss said:


> Thanks, Geniusdudekiran! It is pretty cool to have at work as a nice escape when I need it. The HC gets 'mowed' every now and then so it stays pretty low, and I just use a modified EI dosing schedule.
> 
> That bushy plant in the back (actually now it's on either side, I should post updated pictures) is Didiplis Diandra, one of my favorites.


Nice, just PM'd you about buying some after having seen your FS thread roud:


----------



## @[email protected]

Geniusdudekiran said:


> Nice, just PM'd you about buying some after having seen your FS thread roud:


just some advice, plant it less compact than other stem plants. if you plant it too dense, and the lower portions get shaded they rot very easily.


----------



## Outlawboss

@[email protected], it's the stock HOB that came with the Finnex tanks about three years ago. I think they were Red Sea Nano filters. But basically the same thing. I just fill it with some purigen and a piece of cut-to-fit filter padding.

Also yes, it does help the D. Diandra to be planted a little further apart. I've noticed the bottoms rotting especially in a bigger tank where they are allowed to get taller. In ones this small you can get away with planting them in tighter bunches because they're not as deep, but it can sill happen.


----------



## Chizpa305

Why doesn't your D. Diandra gets a reder coloration? I thought that with a CO2 injection system and good light it would. You have both of those right? Write about your experience with it.


----------



## Outlawboss

I have been able to get it to turn a little orange before. Otherwise, I really haven't been able to figure out why it doesn't get a more red color. My ferts are nailed down, it has 27 watts of light over it for 7 hours a day and I change 40% of the water weekly. Should be getting red but it never does. Maybe if I added some iron it might.


----------



## Chizpa305

Interesting. I am asking because I also have this plant. I don't have any CO2 system and it is very green. I was hoping in the future to get the CO2 installed for the main purpose of improving on the contrast and coloration of the plants, but now I'm not sure if that will work. But maybe the limiting factor in your case is the Iron or some similar nutrient. Maybe you should try adding some and see if it changes. I think that in red color it would give a very nice appearance in your tank.



Outlawboss said:


> I have been able to get it to turn a little orange before. Otherwise, I really haven't been able to figure out why it doesn't get a more red color. My ferts are nailed down, it has 27 watts of light over it for 7 hours a day and I change 40% of the water weekly. Should be getting red but it never does. Maybe if I added some iron it might.


----------



## Linga

wow, i have read this thread almost throughout and i can say is simply amazing. you have crazy plant growing and photography skills there. both your tanks is nothing but pleasure to look at.


----------



## @[email protected]

Chizpa305 said:


> Interesting. I am asking because I also have this plant. I don't have any CO2 system and it is very green. I was hoping in the future to get the CO2 installed for the main purpose of improving on the contrast and coloration of the plants, but now I'm not sure if that will work. But maybe the limiting factor in your case is the Iron or some similar nutrient. Maybe you should try adding some and see if it changes. I think that in red color it would give a very nice appearance in your tank.


if it is a trace element deficiency then adding trace elements would help.
but i believe that light is the more likely factor. plants produce carotenoids (the red and yellow pigments) to protect themselves from photo-oxidation. the light, the more photo-oxidation, the more carotenoids are needed. some produce more to begin with (such as R. colorata), and some less (R. 'green'), but the more light they are given, the more they produce.


----------



## Outlawboss

Thanks Linga!

@[email protected], getting things to turn red is still one of those great planted tank mysteries to me. Sometimes, the d. diandra will go orange at the tops, supporting what you were saying. More light (by being closer in this case) and they change color. But other times, even when I avoid trimming them so they have longer exposure to light, they refuse to change. Likely a combination of light, frets and water condition at the time. Someday I'll get that dialed in.


----------



## LucentDoom

are these still available anywhere? 

i've read some posts that said that finnex has stopped making them and others that there's just a real short supply.

i tried ordering one off of ebay but the seller said that he was out and wouldn't have any more until the middle of summer.


----------



## toofazt

I really like this tank, good work!


----------



## LucentDoom

i emailed finnex and this was the response i got:



> The Finnex 4 Gal is back ordered. Those won't be available for another 2 to 3 months, sorry.
> Those tanks have been selling like hotcakes, we cant seem to keep those in stock recently.
> Thanks,
> John


:icon_cry::icon_cry::icon_cry:


----------



## Outlawboss

Yup, they have come in and out of stock over the years. They definitely make them but occasionally run out of stock. Worth it for the price though, once you get your hands on one.


----------



## LucentDoom

Outlawboss said:


> Yup, they have come in and out of stock over the years. They definitely make them but occasionally run out of stock. Worth it for the price though, once you get your hands on one.


it was your actually tank (and this thread) that convinced me to try to get one of these. 

great job by the way. definitely going to get one once they're readily available.


----------



## Outlawboss

Thanks!


----------



## Outlawboss

Question for all the shrimpers out there. One of the pregnant CRS I had in here was about to drop the eggs, a day or two away (I could see well defined eyes on the eggs) and she was dying this morning when I saw her. I waited it out to see if she would snap back but she died.

I know people have successfully taken eggs away and hatched them in smaller containers. Since the only inhabitants of this tank are CRS and RCS, I saved her eggs and tossed them back in, thinking that the current would continue to wash over them until they hatched.

Of course, an hour later I look back in the tank and the eggs are not where they were when I last looked. Is it possible that the other shrimp ate those eggs once they were unprotected, or would they leave them alone?


----------



## Outlawboss

Just a picture. Learned a few things about aquarium photography AFTER taking this. Next time, I'll do better.


----------



## Geniusdudekiran

I like how you keep your HC so nice and level. Nice SSS CRS too!

Also I love how the light behind the tank gives an amazingly realistic "sunset" feeling!


----------



## CryptKeeper54

Outlawboss said:


> Just a picture. Learned a few things about aquarium photography AFTER taking this. Next time, I'll do better.


Cool tank..gotta add this to my site. Where did you "learn" about aquarium photography? I'm trying to learn as well and can't seem to find much on the web.


----------



## Outlawboss

Just experience, I guess. I do a little photography at my day job as well. A really good place to learn is to check out entries in the yearly IAPLC contests. Those guys are great photographers when it comes to aquariums. http://acuariorosa.com/2011/08/02/the-international-aquatic-plants-layout-contest-2011/


----------



## eeng168

amazing looking tank!!!


----------



## Geniusdudekiran

Update?


----------



## Outlawboss

So it's been awhile, but I took some updated pictures of the tank. We're moving offices, so I had to move it to my house after 4 years at work. I'm not sure if I'll keep it running at home, but for the next few weeks at least. Enjoy.


----------



## sayurasem

Sweet!
Can't wait to see it in person on Feb. meet


----------



## Outlawboss

Yeah, I'm going to trim it so it should be grown out just perfect for the meeting.


----------



## RWaters

WOW that's beautiful.


----------



## amajoh

Gorgeous! I'm in the process of redoing a 4 gallon (first NPT) and I can only hope it turns out half as well as this.


----------



## Satria

Amazing tank..

Sent from my BlackBerry 9380 using Tapatalk


----------



## skindy

So pretty and lush! I love the pops of color from your shrimp.


----------



## Outlawboss

Thanks guys. For those of you in SoCal, come to the SCAPE meeting in February and see it in person.


----------



## laqu

what light do your have?


----------



## Outlawboss

It's an older model Archaea PC fixture. They've since come out with better LED ones.


----------



## Outlawboss

A sad day this past Sunday. This, my first ever planted tank, was torn down and stored for later. 

THE END.


----------



## assasin6547

I'm sorry. It was amazing.


----------



## Lowe

:icon_cry:


----------



## Outlawboss

It's cool, I'll set it up again later. I just don't have enough time to keep them all going right now. I'm very glad I kept a journal here though. Lessons learned!


----------

