# 10 gallon redo!!!



## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

anyone?


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## Elliot (Oct 3, 2010)

What do you want your tank to look like? Iwagumi or jungle like? I went with a jungle like setup with my 10 gal, but I had to use small plants, decor and fish to make it look good. I would take out those rocks and replace them with ones about 1/2 to 1/4 the size and get some nice driftwood. Posting some pics once your done with the changes will help us give you better advice. I hope you like your hand wet, because we can be undeceive at times


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## Elliot (Oct 3, 2010)

Keep your killifish. They can be beautiful in a planted tank! If anything get more of them.


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

the males been nipping the female, and if i wanted to keep them id need to seperate them or get serious and really breed them with spawning mops and such. i really need to draw it out to be able to show how i plan on having it. i plan on a forest of rotala on the left where the sponge filter is, and then a backwards L shape of river rocks with lots of pygmy chan sword in between the rocks.


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

Glad I found your thread.roud:

Ok. The lights. I use both of those light bulbs and love them both. They work great. I use the first type in a dual incandescent hood on two of my 10 gallon tanks and they have grown jungles very well. The second I use in these with good results. I have been using one of the second bulbs in a clamp light meant for reptiles on my 2 gallon for a while now. The dome reflector will give you high light for sure though. So the real question is do you want low, medium, or high light. If you want low or medium, go with the first, if you want high, go with the second in a dome lamp. As for a filter, I recommend an AquaClear 20 or 30. I run 2 AC20s on my 10 gallon with nothing but the sponges and ceramic rings, and they are awesome. If you have any more questions, feel free to ask me.

Subscribed.


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

ive decided to go walstad style with this tank. hopefully i can get the mircacle grow organic potting mix soon. ive bought the wrong kind twice and have a bage i dont know what to do with haha. could i do high light with just the dirt planted and dosing liquid Co2 booster, macros and micros, and maybe DIY Co2? also what if the lights (for the second option) fell into the tank? i actually have the second bulbs and the first bulbs and i was going to put them in my incandescent hood but they didnt fit. oh and the stock will be as follows;
fish-
3-everglades pygmy sunfish(might be gilberti)
3-endlers
RCS
1-CPO or 3-dwarf crays(forget the name)

plants-
silver cabomba(did well at first and then when i trimmed they seemed to stop growing bc they had to grow the little "bristles back)
rotala r(doing really well)
rotala macranda japanese red(not doing very well, hopefully it will do better once i fix the algae problem and get the dirt down)
pygmy chain sword(doing pretty good)
maybe rotala indica but it really only does good in my 5 gallon
java moss(maybe i javent figured out a way to incorporate it into my tank, i was thinking of floating it)
najas


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

oh and maybe 2 nerite snails if my LFS has them


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

allaboutfish said:


> ive decided to go walstad style with this tank. hopefully i can get the mircacle grow organic potting mix soon. ive bought the wrong kind twice and have a bage i dont know what to do with haha. could i do high light with just the dirt planted and dosing liquid Co2 booster, macros and micros, and maybe DIY Co2? also what if the lights (for the second option) fell into the tank? i actually have the second bulbs and the first bulbs and i was going to put them in my incandescent hood but they didnt fit. oh and the stock will be as follows;
> fish-
> 3-everglades pygmy sunfish(might be gilberti)
> 3-endlers
> ...


To keep the lamps from ending up in the tank, just use glass tops. Keeps humidity in the tank and unwanted things out, in my case, fuzzy little paws. Lol. If you go dirt, be ready for a month long cycle if you use Miracle Gro Organic Garden Soil (green bag) and maybe a little less if you use Miracle Gro Organic Potting Mix (brown/orange bag). You can easily run high light and DIY CO2 with either of these. 2 of my tanks have the Miracle Gro Organic Garden Soil in pots, one with medium light (Shrimptopia) and one with high light (20 gallon farm tank) and they grow plants like crazy. I have an algae issue in the 20 gallon, but have not added the yeast CO2 reactor yet, and that is the issue. I dose both tanks with Macros and Micros, and they are working great. Java moss does better tied to something. It helps keep it contained. It will grow floating, but it will spread out and grow all over, not stay in a nice little clump. You can always do a moss wall for it using plastic canvas, fishing line, and some suction cups (see my thread in my sig) and it will grow like that too.

What soil mix did you get?


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

allaboutfish said:


> oh and maybe 2 nerite snails if my LFS has them


If you are going with soil, look into some Malaysian Trumpet Snails. They will burrow and oxygenate the dirt so you don't get any anaerobic areas which could build up toxic gas and nuke your tank if released. For a good example of a high light and CO2 dirt tank, look at this thread. This is a good example of "Hi tech meets dirt" and an amazing tank too. A long read, but well worth it. Hope all this helps.

One more thing. Wkndracer is a member on here and he is the Dirt Guru. He can answer most any question when it comes to "getting dirty." Good luck, and don't hesitate to ask more questions.


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

i hate MTS in all of my tanks  since i dont like gravel. if the tank already has a cycled filter would the miracle grow effect my cycle bc i was going to buy the sunfish tomorrow. i have miracle grow organic choice plant food.


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

this will be my dirt tank
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/tank-journals-photo-album/151366-10-gallon-redo.html


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

allaboutfish said:


> i hate MTS in all of my tanks  since i dont like gravel. if the tank already has a cycled filter would the miracle grow effect my cycle bc i was going to buy the sunfish tomorrow. i have miracle grow organic choice plant food.


Yah. Don't use the plant food one. Possible to nuke the tank. Get the orange/brown bag. And sift it to get all the bigger chunks out. If you have a mature filter, than the cycle induced by the dirt should not be a big problem, but it will spike. No way around it. And good on the MTS then.


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

ok cool. hopefully ill get the dirt tomorrow, and then set it up tomorrow, and start testing atleast 2 times a day. the sunfish will have to stay in another tank until everythings stable.


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

allaboutfish said:


> ok cool. hopefully ill get the dirt tomorrow, and then set it up tomorrow, and start testing atleast 2 times a day. the sunfish will have to stay in another tank until everythings stable.


You won't need to test twice a day, but every day for a while is a must. At least the first week. Then you can taper off and test a little less as time goes on.


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

oh ok haha.


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

allaboutfish said:


> oh ok haha.


roud:


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

does the lamp need to have the reflecter type things on it? like would 2 of these work? bc i already have one of these
http://www.petco.com/product/9469/Flukers-Clamp-Lamps.aspx?CoreCat=MM_ReptileSupplies_Lighting


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

allaboutfish said:


> does the lamp need to have the reflecter type things on it? like would 2 of these work? bc i already have one of these
> http://www.petco.com/product/9469/Flukers-Clamp-Lamps.aspx?CoreCat=MM_ReptileSupplies_Lighting


That lamp will work great. The white paint on the inside acts as a reflector and works very well. I have a smaller version of that over my 2 gal hex and had to back it off a little bit due to how much light it put out. I am not going to lie though, you can get cheaper ones at a home improvement store. I have these over my 20 gallon tank and 10 gallon tanks, and they work just as well as the ones you are talking about.roud:


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

how much are those? id only have to buy one of the black ones but two of the silver ones


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

allaboutfish said:


> how much are those? id only have to buy one of the black ones but two of the silver ones


I think I paid 9 bucks for mine. And they have them in the 10 inch size too. I chose to use two for more even coverage on the tank. You would need 2 either way.


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

then ill just get the black ones


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

allaboutfish said:


> then ill just get the black ones


Those are great lamps. What type of bulbs are you going to use?


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

2 20 watt daylight CFL's.


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

allaboutfish said:


> 2 20 watt daylight CFL's.


Careful with those, you may be looking at too much light with them.


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

update


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

no one has any comments?


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

allaboutfish said:


> no one has any comments?


I have comments.:icon_smil

The tank looks good. Any ideas on other plants for it yet?


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

pygmy chain sword is in between the rocks(hoping this will look good once it fills in, if not ill get dwarf hairgrass or sagitaria) rotala r is to the left and silver cabomba to the right. im hoping all of this will fill in fast. i might add a very pretty and lush java fern from my LFS to the right of the big rock.


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

oh when should i add the fish? the sand is seeded and so is the filter, but most of the fish going in here are pretty sensitive except the endlers.


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## DerekFF (May 24, 2011)

40w for a 10g tank is a lot of light. Fish will need sunglasses ;-)

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

allaboutfish said:


> pygmy chain sword is in between the rocks(hoping this will look good once it fills in, if not ill get dwarf hairgrass or sagitaria) rotala r is to the left and silver cabomba to the right. im hoping all of this will fill in fast. i might add a very pretty and lush java fern from my LFS to the right of the big rock.


That is going to look sharp.:thumbsup:



allaboutfish said:


> oh when should i add the fish? the sand is seeded and so is the filter, but most of the fish going in here are pretty sensitive except the endlers.


You can start adding fish when all the parameters stabilize. And only add a little bit at a time so you don't get spikes again.


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

is it too much? i know someone on another forum with 120 watts of CFL's low tech and minimal algae


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

cableguy69846 said:


> That is going to look sharp.:thumbsup:
> 
> 
> 
> You can start adding fish when all the parameters stabilize. And only add a little bit at a time so you don't get spikes again.


should i put my filter back on? ill add slowly in this order(i dont know if i posted this yet on this forum)
pygmy sunfish and least killifish
pygmy corys
endler
RCS and nerite snail
there will be a week in between each one.


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

allaboutfish said:


> should i put my filter back on? ill add slowly in this order(i dont know if i posted this yet on this forum)
> pygmy sunfish and least killifish
> pygmy corys
> endler
> ...


You can run your filter if you want. And that looks like a good order to me.roud:


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

cableguy69846 said:


> You can run your filter if you want. And that looks like a good order to me.roud:


i cant wait to try and get the fish out of their holding tank...... haha there's alot of plants in there too.


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

allaboutfish said:


> i cant wait to try and get the fish out of their holding tank...... haha there's alot of plants in there too.


What plants do you have in holding? Do you have all the fish in holding tanks, or some of them?


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

i have java moss, hornwort, and anachris.
i have them all in a 10 gallon holding tank, bc i was changing their 10, and didnt wanna have to deal with taking them out and everything


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

allaboutfish said:


> i have java moss, hornwort, and anachris.
> i have them all in a 10 gallon holding tank, bc i was changing their 10, and didnt wanna have to deal with taking them out and everything


Got ya. Any plans for more stems at all?


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

maybe ludwigia repens, but i might do red root floaters instead to add some red. i think it looks better with large ammounts but one a couple different species.


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

allaboutfish said:


> maybe ludwigia repens, but i might do red root floaters instead to add some red. i think it looks better with large ammounts but one a couple different species.


I agree with you on that one. I like large groups of plants. But you wouldn't know that looking at my jungles, I mean...... tanks.:hihi:

Let me know what you decide on. I think I have some L. repens that I could let go of.roud:


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

do you have a pic of it? i might could put it in my 55 depending on how tall it is


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

allaboutfish said:


> do you have a pic of it? i might could put it in my 55 depending on how tall it is


I will have to see about locating it. It is growing wild in my 20 gallon right now, and I have not trimmed that tank since I planted it. I will see what I can do in the next day or so. And if you are looking for plants, I have a ton that I need to start selling. They are growing like crazy. If you are interested, PM me, and I will do my best to get a plant list together.


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

i will when i get the cash. (im 15)


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

allaboutfish said:


> i will when i get the cash. (im 15)


No problem.roud: I will try to give you the best deal I can too.:icon_bigg Not going to charge an arm and a leg for it all.


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

ok thanks so much 
pics!
pygmy sunfish
















endler(gotta get two more but im trying to find some kind of lyretail endler)








holding tank(this will be for my gardneri killifish)








killifish dad(i sold him bc ironically i thought they werent laying eggs, plus the male was nipping the female and then i moved the java moss to another tank and bam two fry)


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

Those are some good looking fish.:icon_smil


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

thanks


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

is 40 watts of CFL's wayyyy too much??


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

allaboutfish said:


> is 40 watts of CFL's wayyyy too much??


Are you running CO2 or ferts at all?


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

i have aqueon plant food(macros and micros), API Co2 booster, and probably DIY Co2


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

allaboutfish said:


> i have aqueon plant food(macros and micros), API Co2 booster, and probably DIY Co2


You should be ok with that light. If it is a little high, add a floating plant to help with shade or back the lights up a bit.


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

i have najas now, but it seems like it doesnt want to float


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

allaboutfish said:


> i have najas now, but it seems like it doesnt want to float


If you want a good floater, go with regular anacharis, Egaria densa, or some Cabomba. I have some cabomba I can get you cheap, if you want it. Or you can do any of the normal floaters too, frogbit, red root floater, duckweed. All that stuff.


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

anachris sinks whenever i try to float it. im thinking red root floaters or water lettuce.


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

anybody know what kind of endler that is? or if its just a hybrid??


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

allaboutfish said:


> anachris sinks whenever i try to float it. im thinking red root floaters or water lettuce.


That may be your best bet. When I had anacharis, it would sink a little bit, but never all the way.


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

you can see it in the holding tank, its in the middle on the bottom.


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

allaboutfish said:


> you can see it in the holding tank, its in the middle on the bottom.


It could be because of the filter you are using, not sure though.


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

its a sponge filter


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

allaboutfish said:


> its a sponge filter


I am thinking cuz of the current from it, maybe it is forcing it down in the tank? Not sure though.


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

it hasnt floated in any of my tanks, kinda weird


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

oh i just realized your in chicago!! i was supposed to go up there with my aunt yesterday but wasnt able to.. small world


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

allaboutfish said:


> it hasnt floated in any of my tanks, kinda weird


That is strange. Not sure what is up with that.



allaboutfish said:


> oh i just realized your in chicago!! i was supposed to go up there with my aunt yesterday but wasnt able to.. small world


Lol. It is a small world. If you make it up her one day, stop by the Shedd Aquarium, it is well worth it. There is also a lot of great places for food too. I live 2 blocks from the best cheeseburger joint in the world. And I am not exaggerating.roud:


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

i went up there last year before i was into aquariums, kinda hard to go with a bearded dragon to take care of, and kinda hard to transport him in his huge custom made cage. anyways do i need to acclimate if im transfering fish from a 10 gallon thats also not heated to this one? since there both the same temp i wouldnt think so, but one is near a window so maybe it would be a good idea to.


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

allaboutfish said:


> i went up there last year before i was into aquariums, kinda hard to go with a bearded dragon to take care of, and kinda hard to transport him in his huge custom made cage. anyways do i need to acclimate if im transfering fish from a 10 gallon thats also not heated to this one? since there both the same temp i wouldnt think so, but one is near a window so maybe it would be a good idea to.


I don't think you should have to acclimate them. As long as the parameters are the same, you should be fine. Just make sure the temps are close to the same.


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

ok oh and will pygmy corys and salt and pepper cory school? i was going to return the pygmy for a salt and pepper but they wont have anymore for 2 weeks.


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

allaboutfish said:


> ok oh and will pygmy corys and salt and pepper cory school? i was going to return the pygmy for a salt and pepper but they wont have anymore for 2 weeks.


Not really sure on the corys schooling. Maybe post a thread in the fish section to get some more experienced people to give some feedback. Let us know though, I am curious about that one too.roud:


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

apparently they should be ok. maybe ill sell the pygmy and get some more salt and peppers. i dont have any heat packs though so thats probably not gonna be a good idea. anyway i moved the stem plants up and when i trim ill put the trimmings behind them. im probably getting either a cool java fern for this tank, or an amazon sword for my 55.


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

allaboutfish said:


> apparently they should be ok. maybe ill sell the pygmy and get some more salt and peppers. i dont have any heat packs though so thats probably not gonna be a good idea. anyway i moved the stem plants up and when i trim ill put the trimmings behind them. im probably getting either a cool java fern for this tank, or an amazon sword for my 55.


Nice. I love Java Fern and think I am up to 5 different kinds now. Maybe 6, not sure. One of my all time favorite plants. I think an amazon sword would outgrow a 55 gallon fairly quickly. Get the Java Fern instead.roud:


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

well the java fern is for the 10(My LFS has some really lush looking ones). hmmm, then what tall bushier plant(like an amazon sword) could i put in my 55?


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## green_valley (Sep 14, 2011)

you sold your killifish?????? ugghhhhhh, I want them......hahahaa


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

allaboutfish said:


> well the java fern is for the 10(My LFS has some really lush looking ones). hmmm, then what tall bushier plant(like an amazon sword) could i put in my 55?


Maybe look into some of the crypts for the 55 gallon. That may be better than the sword.


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

green_valley said:


> you sold your killifish?????? ugghhhhhh, I want them......hahahaa


i have 2 of their fry  i only want a male so your can have the other one


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

cableguy69846 said:


> Maybe look into some of the crypts for the 55 gallon. That may be better than the sword.


i have crypt wendetti, it just hasnt grown very tall in any of my tanks. hopefully root tabs will make it grow faster. i have a couple of them so i could use them.


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

well i think its crypt wendetti


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

allaboutfish said:


> i have crypt wendetti, it just hasnt grown very tall in any of my tanks. hopefully root tabs will make it grow faster. i have a couple of them so i could use them.


I have some C. wendtii 'Red' in my ten gallon, and as soon as I added root tabs, it took off. It is half the height of the tank right now and getting taller. That may be a good plant in place of a sword. roud:


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

cool. i might add the pygmy corys in 2 days. im going to test today and see where my params are.


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

allaboutfish said:


> cool. i might add the pygmy corys in 2 days. im going to test today and see where my params are.


Lemme know how the corys do. I am looking at getting some panda corys in the near future myself.roud:


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

what do you mean how they do?? ive had corys before, peppered and julii.


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

allaboutfish said:


> what do you mean how they do?? ive had corys before, peppered and julii.


How were they, and how big did those get? I know almost nothing about corys.:biggrin: Tell me what you know. Lol.roud:


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

cableguy69846 said:


> How were they, and how big did those get? I know almost nothing about corys.:biggrin: Tell me what you know. Lol.roud:


pm'd


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

pics
















































FTS


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

Very nice.:biggrin:


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

thanks!!


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

allaboutfish said:


> thanks!!


roud:


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

i cant wait till my sunfish get their breeding colors(seen in my avatar)


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

allaboutfish said:


> i cant wait till my sunfish get their breeding colors(seen in my avatar)


That is a pretty awesome fish man.


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

yea. theyre awesome for nano tanks, but need a heavily planted tank. they only get around an inch.


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

allaboutfish said:


> yea. theyre awesome for nano tanks, but need a heavily planted tank. they only get around an inch.


Nice. What kind are they? Common name or scientific name?


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## diwu13 (Sep 20, 2011)

Those look very cute. Seems to me if you get a heavily planted tank you won't be able to find those little guys/gals P:


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

diwu13 said:


> Those look very cute. Seems to me if you get a heavily planted tank you won't be able to find those little guys/gals P:


i think they come out in the open more when they have a heavily planted tank, but i definently get what you mean. they're tiny!


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

cableguy69846 said:


> Nice. What kind are they? Common name or scientific name?


theyre either everglades pygmy sunfish or gilberti pygmy sunfish. the one in my avatar is gilberti. the dude sold them as everglades but the people on the NANFA forum think its gilberti bc everglades dont have the blue on the fins. i guess we'll see


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

allaboutfish said:


> theyre either everglades pygmy sunfish or gilberti pygmy sunfish. the one in my avatar is gilberti. the dude sold them as everglades but the people on the NANFA forum think its gilberti bc everglades dont have the blue on the fins. i guess we'll see


I need to see if I can find some of those.roud:


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

try aquabid. there arent any gilberti but there are everglades which just have nlue speckles instead of blue speckles and fins.
http://www.aquabid.com/cgi-bin/auction/auction.cgi?fwusnative&1322252857


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

allaboutfish said:


> try aquabid. there arent any gilberti but there are everglades which just have nlue speckles instead of blue speckles and fins.
> http://www.aquabid.com/cgi-bin/auction/auction.cgi?fwusnative&1322252857


Thanks man. I am going to have to check that out. I may start looking for some CPD's as well. I want them for my other 10 gallon.


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

yea im probably going to get some CPD's for the fluval chi that we're probably going to get for the kitchen.


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

allaboutfish said:


> yea im probably going to get some CPD's for the fluval chi that we're probably going to get for the kitchen.


CPD's are awesome looking fish. Either that, or some neons. Not sure yet.


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

id do CPD's. less popular and probably less sensitive


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

allaboutfish said:


> id do CPD's. less popular and probably less sensitive


That is what I have heard as well. I have to go by availability though.


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

yea.


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

so im taking this tank in a new direction. it will be a mostly native species tank. im thinking this as stocking
3-gilberti pygmy sunfish
3-okefenokee pygmy sunfish
1-2-dario darios(2 if i can find a female)
3-least killis
3-pygmy killifish(maybe)
RCS
CPO


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

Then ill have my other 10 as a planted community.


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

sooo i must be doing something right  i have two berried RCS(that i know of), and one of my pygmy sunfish looks like he's getting his breeding colors, and my rotala is turning red. im getting more silver cabomba friday, and i added java fern and a black background.


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

allaboutfish said:


> sooo i must be doing something right  i have two berried RCS(that i know of), and one of my pygmy sunfish looks like he's getting his breeding colors, and my rotala is turning red. im getting more silver cabomba friday, and i added java fern and a black background.


Looks good man.:biggrin:


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

thanks, and i realized that stock up there is a little overstocked IMO so ill be doing
3-gilberti(hopefully i can breed bc alot of people have shown interest)
3-least killis
3-pygmy killis
RCS


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

allaboutfish said:


> thanks, and i realized that stock up there is a little overstocked IMO so ill be doing
> 3-gilberti(hopefully i can breed bc alot of people have shown interest)
> 3-least killis
> 3-pygmy killis
> RCS


Very nice. I am going to have to google all of those except for the RCS. Do you have a good source for RCS?


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

yea i have some really red females. im thinking about culling and only keeping the most red girls so i can have higher quality RCS. i actually got them just from trading some plants.


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

allaboutfish said:


> yea i have some really red females. im thinking about culling and only keeping the most red girls so i can have higher quality RCS. i actually got them just from trading some plants.


Not bad. If you are going to breed for quality though, you may want to think about a shrimp only tank. May make it easier.


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

yea, i might be getting 2 racks, and then doing breeding tanks, but for now i dont have the space.


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

allaboutfish said:


> yea, i might be getting 2 racks, and then doing breeding tanks, but for now i dont have the space.


I feel ya on the space. I am working on the basement now, so I can set some stuff up down there.


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

yea.


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

allaboutfish said:


> yea.


Check my thread man. There is something there for ya.roud:


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

i did


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

what kind of driftwood would look good in this tank? id like a piece i could put some star, flame, christmas, or weeping moss on.


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

allaboutfish said:


> what kind of driftwood would look good in this tank? id like a piece i could put some star, flame, christmas, or weeping moss on.


Something a little branchy. I find that DW that is too branchy and thin does not display the moss to it's full potential.roud:


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

example? haha i was thinking about some manzanitta, but i wouldnt want a piee that takes up too much room.


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

allaboutfish said:


> example? haha i was thinking about some manzanitta, but i wouldnt want a piee that takes up too much room.


As long as you get a piece with larger diameter branches that would work well. I will see if I can find an example, but it will be later. My brain is fried at the moment, and I am not looking forward to getting up early to start cooking.roud:


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

haha we have the turkey in the oven now  im going to see what i can find online.


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

allaboutfish said:


> haha we have the turkey in the oven now  im going to see what i can find online.


I wanted to do that, but the mother-in-law-to-be and fiancee were not thrilled with the oven going all night. For Christmas, I am doing turkey and stuffing the way my Grandma used to. Cook that mess all night long.roud:


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

hahaha. i pray the house doesnt catch on fire.


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

allaboutfish said:


> hahaha. i pray the house doesnt catch on fire.


Lol. I am more worried with the reptile tanks doing that then I would the oven. Then again, I have 6 heated reptile enclosures in one room. So...... lol.


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

haha i just have one.  wish i could have more though


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

allaboutfish said:


> haha i just have one.  wish i could have more though


I like the reptiles, but cleaning them is a pain. That and I really need to build some new enclosures for them. I am sick of looking at ugly tanks.roud:


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

so my final list of plants
pygmy chain sword
rotala rotundifolia
silver cabomba 
flame moss
peacock moss
frogbit
Hygrophila pinnatifida (hasnt grown much since i got it so we'll see how it does)
java fern
planing on DIY Co2. cableguy69846, what method would you use for diffusion? i saw you put it up the filter intake, how'd that work? they only problem with me doing that is id have to take the shrimp baby protector thing off.


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

cableguy69846 said:


> I like the reptiles, but cleaning them is a pain. That and I really need to build some new enclosures for them. I am sick of looking at ugly tanks.roud:


haha i love my beardies cage. it's beautiful, my grandpa made it. i dont like not using repticarpet though. liked it much better than the tiles, way easier to clean.


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

allaboutfish said:


> so my final list of plants
> pygmy chain sword
> rotala rotundifolia
> silver cabomba
> ...


Up the filter intake works great for me. What kind of protector thing do you have?


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

allaboutfish said:


> haha i love my beardies cage. it's beautiful, my grandpa made it. i dont like not using repticarpet though. liked it much better than the tiles, way easier to clean.


I am planning on some wooden enclosures with a sand/dirt mix for the floor. It will end up being a pita, but look really nice. I may also do some real plants. They have desert plants at the pet store all the time.


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

cableguy69846 said:


> Up the filter intake works great for me. What kind of protector thing do you have?


a filter pad from a tetra internal filter that had carbon in it, i just took off the cloth part and used a rubber band to put it on.


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

cableguy69846 said:


> I am planning on some wooden enclosures with a sand/dirt mix for the floor. It will end up being a pita, but look really nice. I may also do some real plants. They have desert plants at the pet store all the time.


yea id like to do real plants too but ive heard mixed things about keeping them with beardies. i kept a pothos vine with her though, but its pretty beat up from lack of light. id like to do sand eventually but id like her to be atleast a year old before i do it.


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

allaboutfish said:


> a filter pad from a tetra internal filter that had carbon in it, i just took off the cloth part and used a rubber band to put it on.


You could just cut a small hole big enough for the line to pass through and you wont have to take it off. Just run the line through the cloth and up the intake and put the filter pad back in place.


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

thatll work! now how do i make sure i dont gas my shriimp?


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

allaboutfish said:


> thatll work! now how do i make sure i dont gas my shriimp?


A drop checker. You can get one pretty cheap on line. I just don't know where. I always keep an air pump close by too, just in case.


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

i have an air pump on now bc of the surface film.
like this?
http://www.amazon.com/Drop-Checker-...4ZCA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1322123284&sr=8-1


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

allaboutfish said:


> i have an air pump on now bc of the surface film.
> like this?
> http://www.amazon.com/Drop-Checker-...4ZCA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1322123284&sr=8-1


Yep, that would be it.roud:


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

do you have to fill it with anything? how does it work?


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

allaboutfish said:


> do you have to fill it with anything? how does it work?


Not exactly sure on all that. I know there is 4DKH solution involved somewhere, but I don't know the specifics of it. There might be something in the equipment part of the forum though, and I am sure it comes with instructions.roud:


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

yea im going to post a how to thread


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

so im thinking about doing a peacock moss carpet instead of the pygmy chain sword. would that look good and how would i do it?


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

allaboutfish said:


> so im thinking about doing a peacock moss carpet instead of the pygmy chain sword. would that look good and how would i do it?


I would imagine just starting it on a flat rock and letting it spread over the substrate. I would advise against it though, you will find that moss is a dirt magnet (nothing really to do about that) and it will trap too much debris if it is carpeted like that. How come you want to use that as a carpet? It would look pretty cool.:icon_bigg


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

bc i saw a picture of it. it wouldnt work if i had mts or something to dig into it?


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

allaboutfish said:


> bc i saw a picture of it. it wouldnt work if i had mts or something to dig into it?


It might work. You would just have to watch it closely. And MTS would probably help.


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

im thinking about rescaping the tan.oh and i get my cabomba and root tabs tomorrow  and no the root tabs arent for this tank.


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

allaboutfish said:


> im thinking about rescaping the tan.oh and i get my cabomba and root tabs tomorrow  and no the root tabs arent for this tank.


Rescape? You have my attention.roud:

What kind of root tabs?


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

yea, it wont be an immediate rescape. i want to buy a piece of wood and then do a rescape, maybe. and oscmote root tabs i think.


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

allaboutfish said:


> yea, it wont be an immediate rescape. i want to buy a piece of wood and then do a rescape, maybe. and oscmote root tabs i think.


Nice.:icon_bigg


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

yea the root tabs are for my 55 and 5.


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

i think i want to try and recreate this


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

yea i changed my mind on trying to recreate that. im so glad the sites back!!!


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

allaboutfish said:


> yea i changed my mind on trying to recreate that. im so glad the sites back!!!


I didn't know what to do with myself today. Lol.:hihi:


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

hhaha. and this tank will be rescaped wednesday  thats when ill have all of my plants except the mosses.


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

allaboutfish said:


> hhaha. and this tank will be rescaped wednesday  thats when ill have all of my plants except the mosses.


Nice. Looking forward to it.:icon_smil


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

still dont know what im going to do and need some ideas. anyway to get some more people posting!?


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

allaboutfish said:


> still dont know what im going to do and need some ideas. anyway to get some more people posting!?


Pictures always draws the crowds.:icon_smil


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## diwu13 (Sep 20, 2011)

^ What he said. Maybe update the first post with updated pictures so people don't have to dig through all the posts?


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

well id post pics but nothings really changed except everythings pearling and the java fern has developed brown leaves. at first i thought it was a bunch of air comming from the substrate but i can see the bubbles on the leaves of the plants. im kind of worried about how much light i have bc ive heard if you have alot of light the plants use a lot of nutrience which uses up all of the nutrients in the dirt. im considering going down to 30 watts would that be better or is the 40 fine?


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

allaboutfish said:


> well id post pics but nothings really changed except everythings pearling and the java fern has developed brown leaves. at first i thought it was a bunch of air comming from the substrate but i can see the bubbles on the leaves of the plants. im kind of worried about how much light i have bc ive heard if you have alot of light the plants use a lot of nutrience which uses up all of the nutrients in the dirt. im considering going down to 30 watts would that be better or is the 40 fine?


Trim up the Java Fern. It will stimulate new growth. Just leave the best looking leaves on it and it should rebound nicely. It will take a long time to use up the nutrients in the soil. You may want to think about dosing the water column and adding some CO2 though. The fern and mosses will appreciate the nutrients in the water column.


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

would DIY Co2 and flourish comprehensive do the trick?


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

allaboutfish said:


> would DIY Co2 and flourish comprehensive do the trick?


DIY CO2 will work great. Not sure about the Flourish Comprehensive. I use a Macro fert solution and Nutrafin PlantGro for Micros.


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## demonr6 (Mar 14, 2011)

Pygmy Chain Sword.. word of caution, it sends out runners and when it gets to spreading it is like algae.. hard as hell to control. I would snip down to the base of the plant and before I realized it, it had grown back.


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

what about aqueon plant food? i have that and it says macros and micros.


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

demonr6 said:


> Pygmy Chain Sword.. word of caution, it sends out runners and when it gets to spreading it is like algae.. hard as hell to control. I would snip down to the base of the plant and before I realized it, it had grown back.


i think im going to move it to my 55 gallon, since ill have a peacock moss carpet.


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

allaboutfish said:


> what about aqueon plant food? i have that and it says macros and micros.


You can try that, but none will come close to getting dry ferts and mixing it yourself.


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

can someone help me on my DIY Co2 thread?


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

pygmy sunfish starting to really color up!


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

Nice.:icon_smil


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

yea, are there any sites that you can draw on and then save the image and put it on here?


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

allaboutfish said:


> yea, are there any sites that you can draw on and then save the image and put it on here?


I am pretty sure you can do that on MS paint, but if you want something more in depth, check out Google SketchUp. It is a free program.


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

hows this look?


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

allaboutfish said:


> hows this look?


That looks good. Should work out great when the plants get grown in a little.


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

ok  thats how it will be then.


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

rescape, pics, and water change tomorrow. i really like frogbit  will it flower?


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

*last picture update until surprise!!!*

so i have a little surprise in store and would like to leave this as my last pictures until the tank has filled in. ill update on progress and still ask questions, but its a surprise ending and i think yall will like how it turns out. so here are your last pics enjoy


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## Elliot (Oct 3, 2010)

Nice plants! I would seriously think about getting some smaller and unique looking rocks. The ones that you have are to much alike in shape. Also, when you pick new rocks out make sure you get ones that are the same color. Having to many colors will distract the eye.
Btw, what fish is in your profile picture?


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

dont worry the rocks wont be seen(you'll see what i meant once its all grown in)
the fish is a gilberti pgmy sunfish


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## Elliot (Oct 3, 2010)

Ah ok, you had me worried :wink:
Cool, it sure is pretty.


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

cant wait till i have all of my plants. how fast should riccia and peacock moss grow?


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## Elliot (Oct 3, 2010)

I'm not sure. I've never grown them. I can tell you how quickly your Cabomba will grow: FAST! Well... if you have good co2


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

i dont know if ill add Co2 or not. ive heard different things about using it on a walstad tank


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## diwu13 (Sep 20, 2011)

Peacock moss grows pretty darn fast if you spread it out so all it's strands get plenty of light. They seem to do better in current but that could just be my misconception.

So I used to have sand capping my tank... and I found I could never stop from sucking up a good amount everytime I vac'd the bottom. Do you vac your sand?


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

yes i do. ill suck up a little aand but not too much. i usually wave the gravel vac above the sibstrate to kick up the gunk and then suck it up.


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## diwu13 (Sep 20, 2011)

It was a battle between sucking up poop and not sucking up baby shrimp. Sadly I lost that battle, and haven't used sand since :X


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

yea i wont be gravel vacuming much in this tank. ive already sucked up a shrimp and it made me paranoid


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

update
got my hygro whatever, and rotala mini butterfly wednesday. plants look awesome!!! added rccia, and removed frogbit and replaced with watersprite. will probably replace that with najas if it ever floats! rotala r is really getting red now, but mostly looks like a golden color.


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

so setting up DIY Co2 soon. im hoping i can find a way to remember to change it every 4 weeks. if you have any ideas on how i should remember that plz tell me. although maybe the drop checker would be a good indicator haha. still need to figure out how to introduce the Co2 to the tank without gassing my shrimp. hopefully my riccia, hygro, rotalas, and cabomba will really grow once Co2 is added and then once ferts are added.


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

allaboutfish said:


> so setting up DIY Co2 soon. im hoping i can find a way to remember to change it every 4 weeks. if you have any ideas on how i should remember that plz tell me. although maybe the drop checker would be a good indicator haha. still need to figure out how to introduce the Co2 to the tank without gassing my shrimp. hopefully my riccia, hygro, rotalas, and cabomba will really grow once Co2 is added and then once ferts are added.


Once every four weeks? I have my DIY CO2 going in through the intake on an AC20. Works great.


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

yup once every four weeks. its a kind of weird recipe that involves jello, haha. yea im going to put mine up the intake too. the airstone just didnt cut it last time.


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?245215-DIY-CO2-made-easy


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

allaboutfish said:


> yup once every four weeks. its a kind of weird recipe that involves jello, haha. yea im going to put mine up the intake too. the airstone just didnt cut it last time.


Got ya. I didn't know you were going to use jello. I may have to give that one a try.


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

yea itd be a bit of a chore for me to replace it weekly.


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

allaboutfish said:


> yea itd be a bit of a chore for me to replace it weekly.


I end up replacing 4 to 5 bottles weekly. I am for sure going to look into the jello method.


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

yea itll save me much needed time


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

allaboutfish said:


> yea itll save me much needed time


And probably be cheaper in the long run. I think I am going to switch the 10 gallon over to jello tomorrow if I have any.


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

so im replacing the Hydrocotyle sibthorpioides with baby tears. going to do the DIY Co2 today or tomorrow


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