# JBJ 6g Nanocube - Journal (NEW PICS - 03/05/06)



## 99RedSi (Jul 31, 2005)

I just ordered by JBJ 6g Nanocube today from Aquariumplants.com. It should be here sometime late next week.

Also, I just completed an order from BigAlsOnline.com for the following items for my 6g:

1 bag of Onyx Sand (should be plenty for a 6g!)
Hydor Ekip 200 Thermopump (replaces the crappy stock pump and is a 50w heater as well) - rated at 90gph which is less than stock. I've read the stock one is too powerful (106gph) in general - not sure if it would be for a planted tank or not but I didn't want to risk it. Plus I get a 50w heater :icon_bigg.
Corallife Digital Thermometer - Never had one, thought I'd try it
Seachem Flourish - 500mL
Seachem Flourish Iron - 500mL
Seachem Excel - 500mL
Seachem Prime - 500mL
Seachem Phosphate Test Kit (not sure if this was needed. It's mainly a "just--in-case" item)
Hagen Battery-Operated Pump (for emergencies)


Macros will be purchased either tomorrow or over the weekend from Greg Watson.

Plant decisions will come over the next week or two as I research what I want to grow. I also need to buy some aquascaping scissors (not from BigAls - I don't like their selection).

Fish plans are 2 dwarf puffers (1 male, 1 female), 1 otto, and 1 cherry shrimp.

Water parameters will be tested out of the tap this weekend and I'll post those in this thread. My water is fairly alkaline which the puffers will appreciate.

Pictures of everything ordered (1 big pic) will be posted next week. I am not in a hurry at all to begin this tank. I really want to take my time - it's already 3-5 months in the making with all the research I've done, plus I've had a 29g & 45g planted tank in the past. My past results are not very good because I had intense PC lighting and little-to-no CO2 injection. Bad idea!

Thanks for reading this and for help/suggestions/advice in advance!


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## 99RedSi (Jul 31, 2005)

I just read that given my tank size and "medium" light, I won't need to dose macros. Is that correct?


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## Danyal (Sep 25, 2005)

not sure how long that cherry shimp will be around with two dwarf puffers roaming a tank that small


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## Tino (Jan 9, 2005)

99RedSi said:


> I just read that given my tank size and "medium" light, I won't need to dose macros. Is that correct?


 Most likely, yes. You should be fine with daily dosings of Excel and some regular Flourish once a week.


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## figgy (Feb 27, 2005)

Ditto on the cherry shrimp concern. My puffers would go for them in a nano-second! And, for the record, they also made a meal out of their oto...

Fig


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## 99RedSi (Jul 31, 2005)

Thanks for the replies everyone.

I did some further reading/searching on this forum and came to the same conclusion yesterday about the cherry shrimp .

I will try the oto, though, and see how he fares...

I need some type of algae "crew" for this thing!

So scratch the macros off the list. If absolutely needed, I can dose KNO3 for Nitrates since I still have a 5 year old bottle of "Green Light Stump" remover .

More to come...


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## Danyal (Sep 25, 2005)

if you need some algae control look into some large snails, basically anything larger than the species that comes in as hitchhikers on plants(mostly anachris) i aclimated a pair of algae snails to my brackish tank a couple of days ago and they are doing great in with my f8 puffer. you can also buy ghost shrimp cheap, while they don't do such a great job of algae eating they will eat debris in you substrate and provide the occasional tasty snack for the puffers. i usually pick up a couple when i stop by the lfs and aclimate them to my brackish tank and put them in at night while my f8 is sleeping and i'll see them in the rocks for a couple of days. malaysion trumpet snails supossedly are also great algae eaters and stir up substrate but are suppedly impossible to get rid of once they get established in your tank.


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## 99RedSi (Jul 31, 2005)

I received the aquarium on Monday afternoon and can finally update this thread and post a few pics!

Check out the box!





















Ahhh, she's beautiful!


Now the fun (mods) begin :icon_bigg. The only mods I plan on doing are replacing the stock pump with a Hydor Ekip 200 Thermopump (heater + pump) and replacing the stock 50mm fans with some that are a bit more quiet.

I'm going to replace the fans before actually starting the tank.

My order from BigAlsOnline.com will be here tomorrow, however! It'll be tough not to want to set it up.

It's probably going to be a few more weeks before it's actually up and running.

One question: put in a bunch of fast growing stem plants or not? I'm not sure how feasible it is with a nano-size aquarium.


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## figgy (Feb 27, 2005)

I've gotten to where I start my nanos with a big buncha hornwort. Prolly others can give you more suggestions, but I find that works very well for me and has saved me buying and starting with more expensive "plant packages". Also it depends on how techie you go. The first jbj nano I had I planted up with a "package", flipped on all the lights, fired up the Hagen co2 thingey, dosed the heck out of it with chems, and a jungle grew out of the tank and into my bedroom.

Now I like lower maintenance tanks and limit photoperiods and forgo the chems & co2 and just use eco-complete and hornwort. Then I look around for plants more to scale...

I must've had PsychoKillerPuffers because they would eat or attack every snail in sight. Danyal's puffer prolly had Sensitivity Training? :icon_wink 

Fig


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## 99RedSi (Jul 31, 2005)

figgy said:


> I've gotten to where I start my nanos with a big buncha hornwort. Prolly others can give you more suggestions, but I find that works very well for me and has saved me buying and starting with more expensive "plant packages". Also it depends on how techie you go. The first jbj nano I had I planted up with a "package", flipped on all the lights, fired up the Hagen co2 thingey, dosed the heck out of it with chems, and a jungle grew out of the tank and into my bedroom.
> 
> Now I like lower maintenance tanks and limit photoperiods and forgo the chems & co2 and just use eco-complete and hornwort. Then I look around for plants more to scale...
> 
> ...


Is your JBJ now a "low maint" tank? Because most people are telling me that I have "medium" light, which to me indicates that it's NOT a high maintenance/high growth tank.

I originally planned on getting plants that fit "to scale" for this size tank - small plants, in other words, that don't grow super tall super fast.

I was only planning on dosing Excel for any CO2 - no Hagen ladder or DIY CO2 for me. I don't want weedy growth.

Do you have any pics of your JBJ tanks?


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## figgy (Feb 27, 2005)

I had the 6 set up for 2 dwarf puffers: there's one of the little divils right in the center of this photo--









And the whole tank:









I eventually tore it down because of the too high flow and the racket of the noise of the fans, then it cracked when I moved to another house. It had ecocomplete, java fern, coffeefolia, moss balls, driftwood.


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## 99RedSi (Jul 31, 2005)

I'm not sure this is the best place to post this since I want alot of input (maybe a new thread in the "plant" section?) but I need some plant advice for my nano.

* I am not going to be replacing the fans in my Nanocube afterall, I just don't feel up to it. I've decided to put a small fan on top of the cube, should the need arise (summer).

Listed below is my current list of plants that I'm interested in for my nano, however I cannot have them all (obviously) and some may be too high maintanence, given the size of the tank.


Baby Tears

Banana plant
Nymphoides aquatica

Compact Hygro
Hygrophila corymbosa 'compact'

Moneywort
Bacopa monnieri

Orchid Lily
Barclaya longfoilia

Pearlweed (Pearl Grass)
Hemianthus micranthemoides

Asian Ambulia
Limnophila sessiliflora

Petite nana
Anubias barteri v. nana 'petite'

Cryptocoryne wendtii
Cryptocoryne wendtii

Java fern (either this or moss attached to rock)
Microsorum pteropus 

Alternanthera
Alternanthera reineckii v. "rosaefolia"

Tiger lotus
Nymphaea lotus



Possible:

Watersprite
Ceratopteris thalictroides

Cryptocoryne beckettii
Cryptocoryne beckettii

Hornwort
Ceratophyllum submersum

Dwarf hairgrass (does good in sand)
Eleocharis acicularis


Let me re-iterate - I'm NOT going to select all of these. I'm not even sure how many would be a good amount - this is really the first time I've planned a 'scape. The last time I had a planted tank (5 yrs ago) I just threw in plants and didn't care too much what I had. I also didn't know the extensive root systems of amazon swords too well.

Let me know how many and which you think would be ideal. The tank is about 11.5" H x 10.5" W x 9" D - advertised as 6g but the filter takes about 2-3 inches of depth in the back.


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## Urkevitz (Jan 12, 2004)

I keep Hemianthus micranthemoides in all of my nanos, it is an extremely hardy plant whichs does great without Co2.


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## 99RedSi (Jul 31, 2005)

After some snafus and final pieces to order, I finally have everything setup. I'm going to setup the tank this weekend with just the substrate and water. Plants will come after the Thanksgiving holiday since I'll be out of town during that weekend.

I need to run the tank for a few days to see if I can sleep with the slight noise, since it's in my bedroom.

Initial 'scape:

Fast growers galore: 4 bunches of a fast-growing stem plant (2 Wisteria, 2 Hygro). Or replace one for hornwort or something .. not 100% sure which fast-growers to go with but does it really matter since none of them will be in the tank long-term? And how long should I leave them in there? Someone told me 2-3 months!! That's a bit long, isn't it??

Is that too many for such a small tank? Advice?


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## bpm2000 (Feb 16, 2005)

If you're willing to spend a bit of money to find out, your puffers may coexist with the shrimp given that they are well-fed. But they could turn on them at any moment, just FYI (its been done, successfully, by some. )


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## snake (Jan 11, 2005)

Keep us informed on your progress.I have a 12 gal nano cube and am very pleased w/ it. So much so I am considering the 6 gal for my office.


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## 99RedSi (Jul 31, 2005)

Hey everyone!

I *FINALLY* setup my new JBJ 6g! I'm so excited!! The Indian Dwarf Puffers I bought are adorable. I knew I'd like them alot and as soon as I saw them at the petstore, it hit me that much more .

So far so good. I will post pictures and details later tonight.

Thanks for your continued interest!


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## turtlehead (May 31, 2005)

What are you going to feed the puffers?


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## 99RedSi (Jul 31, 2005)

turtlehead said:


> What are you going to feed the puffers?


Frozen Bloodworms as the main "course." Frozen brine shrimp and pond snails thrown in every now and again as snacks.


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## 99RedSi (Jul 31, 2005)

Ok, as promised, here is what has transpired:

I bought the following plants on Sunday:

2 Water Wisteria bunches
1 hygro bunch (I'm not sure which I actually bought - doesn't look like 'polysperma')
2 Baby Tear bunches

All fast growers to suck nutrients like crazy mad for awhile. I'm working on getting some slower, desirable plants now .

I rinsed the Onyx Sand in tap water. It took ALOT of effort but was worth the extra time to get all of the dust out.

I put down some spaghum peat moss as a bottom layer - I could still see the glass. I then added some mulm from the gravel/substrate of my 10g. This mulm/water combo caused the peat to float - no big suprise.

I then added the driftwood on a slate piece, the Onyx, and lastly the plants. Everything looked great!

That was Sunday night...

I went to the pet store last night and to my surprise and AMAZEMENT they still had 4-6 Indian Dwarf Puffers left in stock!! You have to understand that people buy these up FAST! Also, it was the Thanksgiving shopping weekend so I'm still in shock that they were still there!

Anyways, I couldn't sex them since they are too young but I picked up 2 active personalities and fell in love immediately! Also, I bought some bio-spira just in case.

I went home, threw in the Bio-Spira, waited 15-20 minutes and then threw in the puffers. Everything is great! But I'm concerned with their "play" - when I see fish chasing each other, one usually ends up dead . I suppose it isn't fast "chasing" but just light "chasing" .

Plants I'm trying to get (also located here: http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=23618):

Hornwort
Petite Anubias Nana
Hemianthus micranthemoides (Pearl Grass)
Cryptocoryne beckettii
Eleocharis acicularis (Dwarf Hairgrass)
Alternanthera reineckii v. "rosaefolia

That's all for now! I'll post as I change things around, pull the weedy plants, plant new ones, etc.

Again, thanks for the interest! I cannot recommend dwarf puffers enough! But I suppose time will ultimately tell 










The empty tank .. wouldn't stay empty for too much longer!










A layer of spaghum peat moss. I'm thinking I may have added too much.










The tank in its initial glory! Not too shabby looking but it won't stay this way for too long.



















My Canon S230 digital camera doesn't macro too well or I don't know how to use it properly, which is very possible. This is the best shot of one of the puffers that I could get!


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## bpm2000 (Feb 16, 2005)

watch out for the wisteria.. that stuff sends out the worst root system in such a short time! great puffers, makes me miss my old one. You should start a snail farm for them.


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## hir0 (Nov 3, 2005)

looks like you're off to a great start. try turning out the lights in the room when shooting the pictures so the lampshade and other lights won't be reflected off the glass


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## A Hill (Jul 25, 2005)

lookin good how much where the puffers? and what temperment are they?


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## chinchek787 (Aug 28, 2005)

Just a heads up. Many of my fellow nano-reefers have had JBJ cubes crack or even break after being set up for a good deal of time. Some have also broken right after adding water. Just something to think about. :thumbsup:


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## fuddmain (Sep 22, 2005)

Does your Hydor Thermopump rattle? The one I just purchased does and I'm trying find out if this is common or if I just got a lemon.

--------
~Brian


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## 99RedSi (Jul 31, 2005)

fuddmain said:


> Does your Hydor Thermopump rattle? The one I just purchased does and I'm trying find out if this is common or if I just got a lemon.
> 
> --------
> ~Brian


Hi Brian!

The thermopump rattled some when I first got it and set it up in the tank. Since this was before I added fish to the tank, I decided to place a towel underneath it. This actually fixed the problem! Mine Hydor had more of a humming sound than a rattle, though.

The puffers are pretty mild and HILARIOUS when I feed them worms. They love to be fed directly from the 5mL syringe I have - they are adorable fish with tons of personality!


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## figgy (Feb 27, 2005)

Great little tank!

I had the same set up until I moved. Loved my puffers and they loved their planted jbj! Your post makes me miss the little buggers...

Fig


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## 99RedSi (Jul 31, 2005)

*JBJ 6g Nanocube - Journal (NEW PICS - 01/03/06)*

Ok, update time!

The Hygro Difformis has filled in within the back. The hygro was moved a few times, with new stems planted in front. This was a GREAT idea, if I do say so myself, as it created slow-growing, low height plants in front!

I then purchase a petite anubias nana and tied it with fishing line to the driftwood in front (thanks Buon!).

Pictures from that time, about 2-3 weeks ago:










My adorable little puffer :












Just a few weeks ago, I re-scaped, thanks to bigstick! He sent me some Alternanthera reineckii v. "rosaefolia" and it's a STUNNING, pink plant that offers some good color and contrast. Unfortunately, I'm having problems with it melting and I just thought of a potential cause. The tank is running at 81.5F after the lights have been on for 5-9 hours. I guess the wooden shelf over the tank will need to be removed until I can adjust it at the next water change on Sunday. I'm gonna remove the wooden shelf in a few minutes. Hopefully the plant will revive!!

Also, my male puffer died . I got kinda choked up, since I seemed to bond with these amazing fish. I think the female killed it as I saw her darting at him quite a bit that last week of his life. So I went out and bought a new one and she is STILL showing that aggression towards the new, supposed male (I'm not 100% sure it's a male but about 75% sure). My friends at dwarfpuffers.com tell me she is just being territorial but I'm not so sure .










I'm thinking of adding the tank to the Photo album too .

I LOVE THIS TANK!! :thumbsup:


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## Marc (Oct 13, 2004)

Maybe getting a third puffer could help. That way the one male puffer isnt getting all the attention.


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## bigstick120 (May 23, 2005)

Hey those plant look great in there. Yes they are stunning red!!!! As far a melting it my be your temp. That is a little warm, the tank the those plants came from are about 72-74. 

You have a TON of plants in there, when the Alt. Rein. start to grow keep it trimmed or else it will lose its lower leaves and get stunted from shading.


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## figgy (Feb 27, 2005)

That is some happnin' hardscape! I love the rock and the wood! Great red sp. too!

Fig


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## 99RedSi (Jul 31, 2005)

bigstick120 said:


> Hey those plant look great in there. Yes they are stunning red!!!! As far a melting it my be your temp. That is a little warm, the tank the those plants came from are about 72-74.
> 
> You have a TON of plants in there, when the Alt. Rein. start to grow keep it trimmed or else it will lose its lower leaves and get stunted from shading.


72-74!? I didn't think tanks ran that cold! brrrrr... Anyways, my 6g was upwards of 82F tonight. It's now down to a healthy 78 which is where I'd like to keep it. I have to have it between 78F-80F for my dwarf puffers as they thrive in warmer waters.

I'll watch the temp more closely now .. i hope the Al. Rein turns around and begins to root .


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## scrimp (Oct 20, 2004)

Is there anyway to turn down the flow rate on these JBJ cube tanks? I just bought one myself and it looks like the waters moving way to fast for the fish.


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## 99RedSi (Jul 31, 2005)

scrimp said:


> Is there anyway to turn down the flow rate on these JBJ cube tanks? I just bought one myself and it looks like the waters moving way to fast for the fish.


I don't think so but I'm not 100% sure since I replaced the stock pump with a Hydor Ekip Thermopump. The Hydor is 10gph less than the stock pump, and adjustable too. You may want to pickup a mini-jet if you don't want to go the "all-in-one" route like I did with the Hydor. Though I recommend the Hydor because it is a high quality piece of equipment!


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## 99RedSi (Jul 31, 2005)

Ok, time for a few updated pics.

The hygro. polysperma is growing VERY, VERY well. It's literally in perfect-looking condition! The alt. rein. is also doing well, given the only carbon source is Seachem Excel.

The hygro. difformis is well... a weed, like expected .

The dwarf sag is sending out runners and the petite anubias nana is growing much more healthy, given its new hygro. difformis shade from the light .

Fish are also doing extremely well, along with the shrimp. Some of my ghost shrimp have developed beautiful coloring on their spine. Some aren't as transparent as their name sounds - they have spines with various gray shades.

I could always try some new plants but why fix what ain't broke?

The only algae I battle is green spot, which I've read means that I'm lacking in the phosphate department. However, the strange thing is that my phosphate level is measuring 1.0ppm which is the sweet spot, is it not? I put in literally a few crystals of potassium phosphate today during water change time.


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## Stealthy Ninja (Feb 16, 2006)

You make me want to get a nano now...my wife will not be pleased with you.


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## h20 plant (Dec 21, 2005)

what are your likes and dislikes about that tank?


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## fish man 101 (Feb 15, 2005)

Same here Stealthy hes made me want one two... mmmm mabye on my bed side table then i could watch the fishie before i went to sleep


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## 99RedSi (Jul 31, 2005)

h20 plant said:


> what are your likes and dislikes about that tank?


Hmm ..

I disliked the stock air pump so I bought an "all-in-one" Hydor Ekip Thermopump which is a heater and air pump together. It's really great but REQUIRES a full cleaning routine every 2-3 months. Alot of times pumps require cleaning when they stop pumping but the heater will actually go out on this when it's needing to be cleaned!

The stock light was Actinic but I had Aquarium Plants.com send me the freshwater bulb, since that's initially what I ordered (6,700K). Greens really shine with 6,700K .

The sponge can be difficult to get out but that's a minor concern - no big deal.

That's about it! It was a great investment into that feeling of "ahhhhhhhhhhhh, lovely" .


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## 99RedSi (Jul 31, 2005)

fish man 101 said:


> Same here Stealthy hes made me want one two... mmmm mabye on my bed side table then i could watch the fishie before i went to sleep


That's EXACTLY why I put mine next to my bed . But by then the light is off .


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## nanoguy (Mar 12, 2006)

hey 99redsi, 

I just joined the planted tank forum and I think your tank looks great. I have a 12 gal nano cube with the 48W lights and I am struggling with it right now. Did you use any CO2 in you tank? I am trying to do this on a budget and only have some driftwood with a java fern and some microsword, dwarf hair grass and some val. in the back (that is dying as I watch it). I wonder if the lighting is too much for a tank w/o CO2. I have the ECOcomplete substrate and iI do not fertilize. The algae is going bananas. I tried Oto cats but they keep dying. Long story short...ish I am open to suggestions remember folks I am always broke. Thanks for any help.


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## CODFISH (Mar 1, 2006)

thats alot of light for a small tank, try a 25-watt, and add ferts, that much light without Co2 doesnt allow the plants to photosynthesize, plants need a source of carbon, if you cant afford pressuriszed CO2, use DIY, or buy seachems " flourish excel" along with the other flourish line ferts

DIY CO2 costs about 5 bucks, all you need is a 2 liter bottle, airline tubing, water, and sugar, you can google DIY CO2 and you'll find instructions


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## dharris (Nov 23, 2005)

You are correct about one thing, the plants are growing really well. Don't you think that your tank is way over grown?


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## chinaboy1021 (May 30, 2003)

cool jungle you got going on. quick Q: where did you purchase that 6700k bulb??


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## 99RedSi (Jul 31, 2005)

dharris said:


> You are correct about one thing, the plants are growing really well. Don't you think that your tank is way over grown?


It's getting there fast . Because I keep dwarf puffers, the tank has to be heavily planted. So at the minimum, the hygro difformis in back will ALWAYS be a weed, as it is a native plant to the region where dwarf puffers are found/live, and to break their line of sight. They are already pretty agressive toward one another in my jungle!

However, I do agree that the front needs trimmed but for now I'm just allowing the foreground plants to grow to a good side before trimming them.


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## 99RedSi (Jul 31, 2005)

chinaboy1021 said:


> cool jungle you got going on. quick Q: where did you purchase that 6700k bulb??


When I ordered my JBJ Nanocube from AquariumPlants.com, I purchased the "Freshwater" edition that had the 6,700K bulb included. However, AquariumPlants.com accidently sent me the Saltwater version which included the actinic bulb. So I called them up, told them what happened, and they shipped me the 6,700K freshwater bulb for free .


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