# goodbye to my first 20h(56k!)



## ryan_p (Mar 18, 2009)

*20h journal*

20high tank 
part eco-complete/ part fine gravel substrate
aqualight 65W lighting 
aquaclear 30 HOB filter 
Hagen CO2 natural plant system

Plants
hygrophila difformis
ludwigia repens
rotala indica 
dwarf hairgrass
HM
corkscrew vallisneria
cardamine lyrata
hygrophila corymbosa stricta

Fish
10 harlequin rasbora
5 zebra danio









Im very new to co2 and fertilizing stuff, so well see how my tank will go. Comments and suggestions are welcome. Updates will come soon.


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## trigun808 (May 18, 2008)

i like the tank! :thumbsup: 
when it grows in man, it'll be nice! 
i will watch this thread


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## ryan_p (Mar 18, 2009)

*20h journal (pics added*)*

thx trigun, i cant wait for the plants to grow and look nice. OTOH, heres some additional pic.

i tied the driftwood with some plastic tie (dunno what its called) onto rock coz it keeps floating. its kinda ugly now, but hoping once the plants grow, it will cover it up.

So far plants my plants are growing, but starting to have some GSA sticking on the glass. Updates will be soon.


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## ryan_p (Mar 18, 2009)

heres an update finally (ive been busy). I had a major bba and hair algae outbreak on my tank, and i did everything to save my tank and finally its back to normal again, some plants didnt make it, some survived and growing well. I also removed my driftwood (covered with algae), might put it back later on once i treat and disinfect it or just find a better one. heres more pics (sry about the crappy pic, took it from my cell, my camera broke last month .)









rotalas is growing well, so as the the HM and hyrgophila stricta. Ludwigia survived and starts growing again

















More updates later.


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## ryan_p (Mar 18, 2009)

Just cleaned my tank last night and decided to take some pics. 









I also introduced 5 amano shrimp in my tank earlier this week, this is my first try to handle tiny invertebrates in a glass tank, hope i do well. So far, theyre ok, they always hide under the hygrophila stricta as if its their home.


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## ryan_p (Mar 18, 2009)

*20h journal (update with pic)*

Just cleaned my tank earlier and decided to take some pics after. So far so good, plants are growing very well and might start cutting em soon, im planning to get decor to add to the tank (stones/driftwood/branch) any suggestions? I also preparing to get a small tank soon, a small shrimp tank, just researching for now .


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## sewingalot (Oct 12, 2008)

That betta is stunning! I wish I had more room for bettas.  I like the layout. Very nice. Your plants look happy and healthy.


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## ryan_p (Mar 18, 2009)

Hey thanks sewingalot. The betta i have is really peaceful, and never bother my other fish and shrimp in the tank . All the plants were happy except for the microsword that i just bought a week ago. Its yellowing from the tip and not growing :confused1:, while other plants is shooting up crazy. Ill see in a few weeks if theres any changes with it. OTOH heres a night time pic of my tank. Danios seems to be attracted to the light, they always play around inside the spotlight. I put it just on top of the water flow of the HOB filter to create that shimmering effect underwater.


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## ryan_p (Mar 18, 2009)

i pruned my rotala last week (its reaching the top already), and spreading more pearl weed from cuttings. I added cabomba caroliniana yesterday just to see how it will fit in the tank. red ludwigia is growing well, 2 of my ottos died  and microsword not changing much :/. More update later.


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## Kayen (Oct 14, 2007)

That's nice progress on your part.
This hobby is a do and learn process, we learn from experience, mistakes, and all the good times.
Ultimately if the fish and plants are happy, you'll enjoy the scape much, much more. (;
Keep it up.


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## ryan_p (Mar 18, 2009)

Hey thanks Kayen. This hobby is great and enjoyable ( and highly addictive though ) i never imagine myself being so much into this hobby. There was a time I almost quit and let it go when i had all these weird algae issues (GSA, BBA, hair algae) when i started dosing co2 and adding fertilizer when i first attempted doing it. It covered most of my plants and constantly trimming and removing all the affected plants and doing a lot of water changes was tiresome :icon_mad:, so as scraping all these hard green spots, and brown stuff on the glass. Despite that, when you see the plants fighting back, growing and starts to look nice again, it makes you want to maintain your tank more and make it look better. 

I am planning to add some decor (stones, driftwood, branch), i had an old one but it got covered by bba algae, and decided to find another. suggestions anyone?


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## ryan_p (Mar 18, 2009)

just took a pic this morning. microsword never grew and got covered with algae so i removed it. Ludwigia starts to have sideshoots and already reached the top.


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## ryan_p (Mar 18, 2009)

I finally added the driftwood to the tank after 2-3 week treatment. Im not sure how I am going to work with it, just see how well it will come out. I might change it, but for now i like the way it looks.









I also want to introduce youko kurama for my next lil tank im going to start very soon. got the name from my favorite anime character. Currently hes inside the hospital tank.


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## ryan_p (Mar 18, 2009)

Working with close-up pic. 












































Peek a boo


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## sewingalot (Oct 12, 2008)

ryan_p said:


> Working with close-up pic.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Awwwwwww.  Your other betta is fantastic. I love your avatar picture.


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## ryan_p (Mar 18, 2009)

Hey thank you sewingalot. The avatar pic is Youko my new betta. Still looking for a nice small glass tank for me to plant and to be his new home. I prefer something around 3-5 gallons and made of glass, but all i see were acrylic tanks in fish stores which i don't really like. ADA tanks were pretty pricey but its something that i prefer (square and trimless). Another one im considering is the picotope 3 gal tank, but its has curved on its sides. Hmmm decision decision :confused1:....


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## sewingalot (Oct 12, 2008)

I know what you mean about small tanks. I finally gave up and used a critter keeper for years. I almost built my own, but finally found a source for smaller aquariums around here. By the way, I like the new foreground a lot better than the microsword. I had the exact same problem with microsword. I finally gave up. :hihi: Youko does look just like the anime character. At first, I thought you drew that of your fish.


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## ryan_p (Mar 18, 2009)

yea, i like the HM starts to spread nicely, until the vals starts to take over and block the light, HM getting weaker and some are already dying :icon_cry:. I found an LFS carrying some ADA tanks around here, but still considering if i should get it soon, im on a tight budget right now :icon_redf so maybe ill wait hehe.

OTOH Update. Did some major work. I replaced the stock 50/50 bulb with 10000k light bulb. I removed the vallisneria in the tank its taking over the tank and blocking so much light that my HM starts to turn yellow. I ditched the hagen ladder (danios keep getting stuck in there)and trying a different way to diffuse co2 in the tank. I got 2 new plants and will start to rescape it a bit. I also added some substrate its too low that i can hardly put plants on it. Pics coming soon.


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## ryan_p (Mar 18, 2009)

Update pics.

Major changes. I added more substrate mixed it with the old one and did some rescape. I got an eheim ecco 2232 canister filter as a bday present , the new 10000k bulb was great, the rotala is starting to show its colors. Added glosso and some moss in the tank and another plant (i forgot what it was called).

















left







right

I dunno why but i like the look of the sides of the tank than how it is now in the front.


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## sewingalot (Oct 12, 2008)

Your full tank shot is amazing. That is one great transformation. It looks so......natural. I can't even tell you how much I love this look. Fantastic.


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## ryan_p (Mar 18, 2009)

thanks for the compliment, i guess I am getting better at this, and still a lot more to learn. All i need now is for plants to grow again and the glosso to spread, after the rescape. I might add more plants to fill in the right side of the tank. My HM was down to almost nothing after not getting much light to it, and most of it were yellowing and dead. I kept the healthy stem and will wait for it to grow again. Again here's the pic of my first tank from the start to what i have so far.


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## ex225 (Oct 26, 2008)

Hey ryan_p,

Just wanna say, what an AWESOME transformation. Your tank is really coming around very nicely. I love your bettas, they look stunning. Any news on acquiring a mini tank?

Also I was wondering what are the plants you have at dead center and off to the left? I really like the look of it. It's nice and leafy and creates a great bush, without overtaking the entire scape.

I also love to look at my tanks from the side. It has so much more depth. Sometime I hope to sell off most or all of my current tanks and invest in a custom cube tank, maybe 3'x3' so I can enjoy looking at it from every angle! hahaha


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## ryan_p (Mar 18, 2009)

Thanks ex225 for the compliment, and yes the bettas were great and my favorite as well. Im still searching the perfect mini tank for my new betta. I just found a LFS carrying those very nice ADA tanks around here (first time ive seen and touch those things :tongue and still deciding if i should get it or go for something cheaper, but ADA is hard to resist coz theyre so nice and very well built :hihi:; but for now the betta is in the hospital acrylic tank w/c is ok for now. Cube tank will be great, because i also like more depth in the tank as well and more space for the fish to swim around.

The plant in the middle is hygrophila corymbosa (stricta or compacta), very nice and undemanding plant. i started with one plant and separate it into three and yes it never overtake the tank, it just get bushy and leafy where you planted it .


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## ryan_p (Mar 18, 2009)

its been almost a week and just wanted to give an update on some of the changes ive made. 

Old 20H tank.
Equipment: Coralife 65W 10000K light (replaced 50/50) , Eheim Ecco 2232 Canister filter (replaced HOB filter), 2x DIY CO2 (removed Hagen ladder)
Substrate: Eco-complete, added ActivFlora Aquarium substrate (removed fine gravel)
Fertilizing: Seachem liquid fertilizing products, seachem root tabs (3-4months)
Inhabitants: 9 harlequin rasboras, 3 zebra danios, 1 flying fox, 1 oto, 4 shrimps, 1 betta (Suuichi)

new scape:









right side pic









plants were showing good growth and im still working on the right side. I really like the new light, red on the rotala and ludwigia starts to show more.


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## sewingalot (Oct 12, 2008)

That is amazing growth in just one week. I still can't get over this transformation. You have really taken a leap into planted tanks. You have a natural flair for it. The first shots are sad comparisons to the last few.


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## ryan_p (Mar 18, 2009)

thank you sewingalot, im really inspired when i see a lot of nicely scaped tanks in TPT forum that i just want to learn and create one of my own, and im still in a learning process. When i get into pro ill definitely go very high tech tank project , and of course when i get some extra cash. Those pics do tell their story, from being a newbie to getting experience and yea the first few pics were kinda sad to look at its embarrassing to share it here but a journal is a journal and i have to show how i started hehe.

OTOH update: cleaned my tank today. i finally got some wooden diffuser to replace the akwardly looking chopstick on my DIY co2 (thx DIY forum). it made significant difference and creates very tiny bubbles. I trimmed the rotala and ludwigia a bit and replanted in the tank. I added 5 red cherry shrimps today so far theyre ok, theyre hiding most of the time and need to get used to the new environment. New updates later on.


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## sewingalot (Oct 12, 2008)

You shouldn't be embarrassed about your original pictures. They aren't really half bad. A lot of people will be able to look at your progress and feel inspired. That is how I got started, looking at amazing transformations like yours. And remember, at least you didn't buy dead moss like I did!

How does the wood diffuser work in comparison to the chopstick? I am wanting to upgrade from my chopstick in my 10 gallon, but I didn't know if the diffuser was worth it. Great shot of the tank, by the way.


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## skinz180189 (Jun 26, 2009)

Gosh your tank has come a long way. I'm going to have to stop looking in here at people's tanks, or I'll end up spending money and planting mine out!


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

Nice tank! The water is crystal clear and the plants are vibrant! Can't ask for much more!


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## ryan_p (Mar 18, 2009)

thank you guys for the comment, it makes me want to keep it up and make this tank the best as possible.

clwatkins10: after my HOB filter was replaced by canister filter the water was noticeably much more crystal clear and it will save me on clean up because i dont have to do anything with the filter for a couple of months. 

sewingalot: the wood diffuser works better because it makes a very fine co2 bubbles (almost like a mist) and better diffusion compared to a chopstick that produces bigger bubbles and less diffusion because bubbles reach the top fast. i let the outflow from canister to blow the fine mist down so i gets dissolve even more and so far im getting pretty good results, more pearling now (which is good), than i had with my old hagen ladder. I cannot you give any water parameters like ph, kh, gh and so forth because i never test my water at all, just observing how my fish and plant doing and if there were algae present in the tank. its good to get a test kits but i dont think i really need it the tank is doing well without it .


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## ryan_p (Mar 18, 2009)

Update: A lil problem. I saw my betta chasing my new lil cherry shrimps. It must be the small size and its vibrant red color that made the Suiichi a bit aggressive and looking for a nice live meal. I created a temporary intank refugium as a temporary place for him to stay while making a decision on what i should do next (some help and suggestions are welcome). I could have done the other way around where the shrimp lives in the refugium but its very hard to find and catch them down the tank; they were very tiny.


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## ryan_p (Mar 18, 2009)

After a couple of days, RCS starting to come out of hiding. I really like this new little crustacean guys, too bad i cant mix them with my betta :icon_cry:.









OTOH, i finally got a new tank for him to stay








I still have to search for the ideal equipment (light/filter) that will match well with this tank, and plan on what to do next. It might take a while Im pretty busy with couple of other things right now.


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## ryan_p (Mar 18, 2009)

update:
Just cleaned the tank today, plants grows pretty fast and did some trimming today. I got a new mini glass diffuser for my diy co2. Im not happy with the glosso's growth, some grows horizontally and some grows upwards. (Im new to this plant and not sure if its the light or my substrate or the way i planted it causes it from growing like that). i might go back to HM as my foreground if this will not work out. and keep a few to grow on my next tank. I noticed today that one of the amanos got a lot of eggs.


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## fastfreddie (Sep 10, 2008)

Great tank! It has really matured nicely. The driftwood looks great and I like how everything is filling in thick. The overhead view is great.

Congrats on the cube garden too. Which model is that? (Jealous!)


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## ryan_p (Mar 18, 2009)

the new tank is an ADA cube garden 45-P and i got it as a birthday present . Ill set it up once i got all the ideal equipment, im saving up for a good light for this one; any suggestion on which light is good for this tank? I want a high light set up. 

Update: I remove the temporary refugium coz its getting covered by algae, I switched my two bettas in their tanks, Suiichi (used to be in this tank) goes to the hospital tank, hes so aggressive now for some reason and attacking everyone in his path. Youko on the other hand was moved in this tank, so far hes ok and not attacking anything. Ill check in a couple of days on how they will do.


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## fastfreddie (Sep 10, 2008)

Happy Birthday! That's a great gift. I would initially focus on a good Co2 system before you even figure the lights out. Light is the easy part. Here is a sweet 45-P compliments of Chris127:
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/tank-journals-photo-album/78033-chris127-ada-45-p.html

CLWatkins, Craigthor, and Ugly Genius also have some sweet ADA eye candy if you search their names.


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## ryan_p (Mar 18, 2009)

Thanks fastfreddie, i know the gift was great and more than what i really asked for, and thanks for the link, this will help me get some ideas on what to do with the 45-P. You were right about finding the good co2 system first and then getting the light after, I never had a pressurize co2 before so Im currently reading more about that, while practicing and focusing on this tank for now (though i cant wait to get started with the new tank :hihi. I rather get everything right than to rush it and set it up right away and have a couple of problems later. I'll create another journal once i got all the equipment and plans.


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## ryan_p (Mar 18, 2009)

took some betta pics before water change today. Hes ok now










Youko and schooling harlequin rasboras at the bottom.


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## ryan_p (Mar 18, 2009)

After some minor trimming and water change


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## fastfreddie (Sep 10, 2008)

This is really starting to look nice. I love the overhead shot. 

The rasboras look great too. They are nice fish. I have two that are over 6 years old. 

Is that HM in the pot? You should plant it! It also might seem a little more natural if you move the Eheim intake and the diffusers to the rear of the tank if possible. It really looks good though!!!!


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## ryan_p (Mar 18, 2009)

yea the plant in the pot is HM, thats is the only cuttings i saved when i had algae problem back when i started the rest were covered by algae and some were turning brown. It grows very fast now, i even stick some of the cuttings from it on the driftwood and will wait till it spreads. I might also replace the glosso with HM as foreground, im not liking how the glosso growing upwards at all. I also left the intake and the diffuser in front because its easier to maintain, while im waiting for the plants to grow even more. Im trying to get more rotala branch so i can add some on the mid right side. On next water change i will try to do that and see how will it look like.

LA is too hot today (crazy summer), my tank goes up to 83-84 degrees today, i put my powerhead on to help create more flow in the tank.


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## ryan_p (Mar 18, 2009)

Update: Not much changes just letting the plants cover and do some big trimming and make some changes later. I see a couple of baby cherry shrimps swimming around the rotala branches.


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

Wow, that looks great! I love the moss. You glosso seems to be growing in the wrong direction 
If you could replace the plant in the middle with something that has smaller leaves, I think that the scale would look much better. IMO


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## ryan_p (Mar 18, 2009)

Thanks for your suggestions clwatkins10, ill give em a try. I never had experience with glosso and still i dont understand why it keeps shooting up instead of spreading horizontally, it must be the light or my substrate i guess .I just keep it so i can save a few cuttings for a better set-up 45-P later. After adding fertilizer sticks under those hygros it starts to grow pretty fast and starts to grow huge leaves. Im going back to HM foreground later, glosso's growing almost half of the tank high.


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## ryan_p (Mar 18, 2009)

Ok, i havent done water change for 2 weeks (too busy but inhabitants were ok) but i will do water change eventually maybe tomorrow or this weekend. i keep adding water every other day too much water evaporation because its very hot here at LA right now. i removed the glosso in the front and place it in the pot temporarily (its reaching more than tank high) and place a few HM on the right side. I also added fertilizer sticks 2 weeks ago, and my hygros grew crazily fast with big fat leaves. I havent done pruning for a while and rotala is covering most of the left side. Um not happy with the right side, gotta do some changes there. Some pics of the tank below.


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## ryan_p (Mar 18, 2009)

Clean the tank today and start cutting replanting rotala on the right side of the tank. I removed glosso and reduced the hygros by cutting old leaves. pics later


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## Kayen (Oct 14, 2007)

Ooh wow, i like your jungle.

Looking forward to pics.


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## ryan_p (Mar 18, 2009)

thanks Kayen, i like the jungle look as well, I trimmed and add some to the empty spot at the right side. I replaced yeast/sugar water in my diy co2, clean tank walls, added a few substrate (got some left in the bag), and add some more fertilizer sticks under those plants.


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## ryan_p (Mar 18, 2009)

After trimming and cleaning.


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## Kayen (Oct 14, 2007)

Looks alot tidier and neat .
It's more of a tamed forest now.


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## ryan_p (Mar 18, 2009)

yea it is tamed forest hehe. I cant wait for another 2 weeks to see a much thicker jungle after those cuttings starts to grow again.


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## ryan_p (Mar 18, 2009)

Almost 2 weeks since the trimming and no water change. plants are getting even more bushy, HM's are growing rapidly, cherry shrimps are multiplying; baby shrimps all over the tank, fish are happy. pics later.


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## sewingalot (Oct 12, 2008)

This is such a nice scape. I love the depth you have now created. It looks like a 40 breeder, not a 20 h!


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## fastfreddie (Sep 10, 2008)

ryan_p said:


> After trimming and cleaning.


Oh Wow! Now you've got yourself a sweet looking tank. Great job! 

How is the planning coming on the 45p? You are smart for taking your time.


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## ryan_p (Mar 18, 2009)

Thank you for comments. I'm really happy with this tank and its not so hard to maintain now that it had matured. Im barely getting few algae now, mostly GSA that can easily be removed, water quality is always crystal clear, and no more fish deaths, unlike my first try (i got fish death very often . ) 45-P is taking a while coz im trying to find some sort of rock that i can put together to create a terrace kinda thing. I am also debating whether i should get it pressurized co2 for it, bcoz 45P is smaller than my current tank, maybe excel and usual DIY is enough.


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## ryan_p (Mar 18, 2009)

Still no water change maybe later, just added some H2O to fill the tank. Some pics below.


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## hyphination (Sep 25, 2008)

loving the DW covered in moss. keep up the good work!


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## ryan_p (Mar 18, 2009)

Thanks hyphination. I did some cleaning today as said. replaced old yeast/sugar DIY. did a some minor trimming, removed old leaves and pour the rest of my extra substrate. I also moved DW covered moss in a different area in the tank and it looked so much better now. Updated pics later.


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## ryan_p (Mar 18, 2009)

I just got a couple of new things for the tank, still need to sanitize and add em later. Might also add some neon tetras.


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## funkyfish (Mar 16, 2009)

Love your tank! Awesome transformation  
And your betta is beautiful. 
What plants do you have in there? And what kind of moss is attached to the wood? 

And IMHO you should get cardinals instead of neons


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## ryan_p (Mar 18, 2009)

Thanks funkyfish. I havent really seen a cardinals before they are bigger than neon tetras right? ill see if my LFS has them. I prefer a fish no bigger than H.rasboras coz i only got a small tank my betta is an exception he's the center piece . And the flying fox just grew big and since he's very peaceful and lived happily with the others i left him there, and i like neon tetras red and blue color. I am also considering galaxy rasboras but kinda pricey, what do you think? 

Plants i have:
Hygrophila corymbosa stricta
Rotala rotundifolia
Mayaca fluviatilis 
Anacharis
Hornwort
HM

The moss i have is java moss. I wrapped around the wood with nylon fishline.


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## funkyfish (Mar 16, 2009)

ryan_p said:


> Thanks funkyfish. I havent really seen a cardinals before they are bigger than neon tetras right? ill see if my LFS has them. I prefer a fish no bigger than H.rasboras coz i only got a small tank my betta is an exception he's the center piece . And the flying fox just grew big and since he's very peaceful and lived happily with the others i left him there, and i like neon tetras red and blue color. I am also considering galaxy rasboras but kinda pricey, what do you think?
> 
> Plants i have:
> Hygrophila corymbosa stricta
> ...


Cardinals are basically the same as neons the only difference is their red line extends to the full lenghth of the body. From my research and by suggestions of other experienced fish hobbyist cardinals are better than neons simply because neons that are around are all interbred so they don't live long and might have problems. Actually I heard some people call them feeder fish. And if I am not mistaken they grow up to 1.25 inches so they are small. If I am mistaken I hope someone will correct me  
But here is a picture of cardinal  











And I love Galaxy Rasboras! Oh and they actually called Celestial Pearl Danios now (CPD), but my LFS has them as Galaxy Rasbora also. Personally I prefer Galaxy Rasboras, it's just sound cool  They are pricey but you can order them online for way cheaper but shipping probably will bring them to the same cost as in LFS, maybe I am wrong. 
http://www.invertzfactory.com/stocklist.htm has them for good price, not sure what shipping like. I don't think their price will go down only because they are endangered in their natural habitat and were discovered in 2006. 
I have a small school, only 6, I had more but I had a freak accident with my powerhead a while back :icon_frow But if you check out my thread in fish section I actually have some fry from them at the moment that I found this weekend, it was very exciting day for me because I thought my experiment didn't work out  I am hoping they will survive and I will have a bigger school of them *keeping fingers crossed* *knock on wood* :hihi: 
They are easy to breed apparently and very fun and pretty, probably my favorite fish at the moment. So IMHO they are totally worth it, but again it's up to you, from what I observed they do need more than 3 fish to be less shy and happy, so it can get pricey. 
If you really like small fish like rasboras there is quiet a few out there that are very nice, I also like emerald dwarf rasbora that I might get as well. Check out the link I posted they have very nice selection of rasboras. 

And you got nice selection of plants I really like how they all look together. And I seriously didn't think that it was java moss, looked like flame moss to me  
Can't wait to see more picture and see what fish you'll get.


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## ryan_p (Mar 18, 2009)

Thanks for the info about cardinals and CPD's. The cardinals does look strikingly similar to neons. Cant decide theyre both look nice :hihi:.

O and i forgot about another plant ludwigia repens, its behind the hygros in the middle. I wish i have flame moss i think its a really cool moss. It looks like flame moss bcoz i dont let it grow too long.

Again goodluck with the fry's hope theyll make it :icon_smil.


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## funkyfish (Mar 16, 2009)

ryan_p said:


> Thanks for the info about cardinals and CPD's. The cardinals does look strikingly similar to neons. Cant decide theyre both look nice :hihi:.
> 
> O and i forgot about another plant ludwigia repens, its behind the hygros in the middle. I wish i have flame moss i think its a really cool moss. It looks like flame moss bcoz i dont let it grow too long.
> 
> Again goodluck with the fry's hope theyll make it :icon_smil.


Decisions are hardIt took me a while to figure out what I want in my tank. 
I have ludwigia too, thinking of getting some hydro. 
And flame moss is very nice I have some in my fry tank, I got it not too long ago so it's still growing in. 

And thanks, I need all the luck in the world :hihi:


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## ryan_p (Mar 18, 2009)

funkyfish said:


> Decisions are hardIt took me a while to figure out what I want in my tank.
> I have ludwigia too, thinking of getting some hydro.
> And flame moss is very nice I have some in my fry tank, I got it not too long ago so it's still growing in.
> 
> And thanks, I need all the luck in the world :hihi:


yea decision is pretty hard eh. Im ready to set up my new 45P soon i already have most of the equipment (still debating whether to go pressurize co2), but im putting it on hold coz i just love working with this tank, its starting to look really good. I still got a couple of things to do on this before i work on the next tank, this is more like a practice tank for me and decided to hold the other tank coz i want a much better set up later, in other words a different level than what i have right now .


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## funkyfish (Mar 16, 2009)

ryan_p said:


> yea decision is pretty hard eh. Im ready to set up my new 45P soon i already have most of the equipment (still debating whether to go pressurize co2), but im putting it on hold coz i just love working with this tank, its starting to look really good. I still got a couple of things to do on this before i work on the next tank, this is more like a practice tank for me and decided to hold the other tank coz i want a much better set up later, in other words a different level than what i have right now .


I am very indecisive person so it is really hard for me  
If you have a choice to go with pressurized I say do it. I am planing to go pressurized but can't afford it at the moment. What I really want is to hook up my 10g and 14g to pressurized. I also have a 55g that needs to be set up but I'm in no rush I'm still experimenting with my 10g and 14g for now to see what works for me  
I really want to see what you will do with your new tank :icon_mrgr


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## ryan_p (Mar 18, 2009)

funkyfish said:


> I am very indecisive person so it is really hard for me
> If you have a choice to go with pressurized I say do it. I am planing to go pressurized but can't afford it at the moment. What I really want is to hook up my 10g and 14g to pressurized. I also have a 55g that needs to be set up but I'm in no rush I'm still experimenting with my 10g and 14g for now to see what works for me
> I really want to see what you will do with your new tank :icon_mrgr


Yea im heading to that direction. its a one time purchase and will save me a lot of time and work. I never had one and im still reading about it before i purchase anything, while im saving more extra cash .

Seriously i cant wait to get started hehe, but i will let you know in advance once i get everything including the co2, but for now im just like you experimenting on our current tanks :thumbsup:.

BTW, i got the cardinals today, they're awesome and looks great in my tank. It took me hours just to acclimate them and now theyre doing fine. thanks for recommending these lil guys. Ill post pics later on.


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## speedie408 (Jan 15, 2009)

Very nice progression on your tank. It looks great! Did you just start in March? If so, you're doing it right. Keep it up!


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## ryan_p (Mar 18, 2009)

thanks nick. yes i started march, so far a lot of changes happened (as shown in pics) and so far its getting better and better.


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## ryan_p (Mar 18, 2009)

Update: not much changes really, just move the driftwood down so fish can have some swimming space on top, plants are getting really thick and im running out of room.

full front view









left side 









right side

















I really like the left side, the right side is a bit cluttered and needs more work because of HM growth. Ill fix the right side next time, in the meantime i really like how it looks.









I like this pic theyre all facing the camera , too bad my betta miss the fun lol.
The cardinals were great it brings some more color to the tank again thanks for recommending it to me funkyfish.


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

Beautiful tank! Everything looks fantastic!


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## legomaniac89 (Mar 16, 2008)

Nice! I like your fish selection


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## funkyfish (Mar 16, 2009)

ryan_p said:


> Yea im heading to that direction. its a one time purchase and will save me a lot of time and work. I never had one and im still reading about it before i purchase anything, while im saving more extra cash .
> 
> Seriously i cant wait to get started hehe, but i will let you know in advance once i get everything including the co2, but for now im just like you experimenting on our current tanks .
> 
> BTW, i got the cardinals today, they're awesome and looks great in my tank. It took me hours just to acclimate them and now theyre doing fine. thanks for recommending these lil guys. Ill post pics later on.


I can not wait to start mine but I guess it's good not too rush and get everything done the right way from the start 
I'm already set my mind on pressurized CO2 the only thing holding me back is lack of $$$ 

Tank look beautiful, you have nice luscious growth going on there. And the fish selection is awesome  Glad you like Cardinals they definitely add that extra special something to your tank  Glad I could help


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## ryan_p (Mar 18, 2009)

thank you guys for the comments and suggestions you gave me, it really helps a lot :icon_smil. I did water changed today and did big trimming of all the plants so it can save me a couple of weeks of doing nothing to the tank but watch lol. I also move a couple of things here and there and there's a couple of things I'm going to add soon but its currently at disinfecting stage. Update will begin when its ready.


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## ryan_p (Mar 18, 2009)

I forgot to post my current tank details.








Equipment
20Gallon high (24x12x16)
Coralife 65W 10000k 
Eheim Ecco 2232 Canister Filter 
Marineland Visitherm 100W heater
Aquaclear Powerhead 30 (for more flow)
mini glass diffuser (DIY Co2)

Substrate: Eco-complete and ActivFlora aquarium substrate mix together.
Fertilizing: Followed Seachem dosing chart. Added Nutrafin fertilizing sticks to the substrate.

Fauna
1 Crowntail Betta
1 Flying fox
1 Otocinclus
9 Harlequin Rasbora
7 Cardinal Tetra
2 Zebra Danio
Amano Shrimps
Red Cherry Shrimps 

Flora
Rotala rotundifolia
Mayaca fluviatilis
Hemianthus micranthemoides
Hygrophilia corymbosa stricta
Ludwigia repens
Anacharis
Java Moss
Hornwort


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

Fantastic! Very well done.


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## dj2005 (Apr 23, 2009)

Your tank has so much dimension/depth to it. Lovely, just lovely.


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## ScrubberOTanky (Sep 5, 2009)

Sick! hopefully my weak looking 10g will look this good someday!

Kudos to you sir!


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## problemman (Aug 19, 2005)

i want your tank


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## ryan_p (Mar 18, 2009)

Thank you clwatkins10, dj2005, ScrubberOTanky, problemman for your positive feedbacks . I still have a few things to work on this before moving on to my future tanks. 

"Sick! hopefully my weak looking 10g will look this good someday!", ScrubberOTanky, i know youll have a really good tank too, just put some time and dedication. My tank started very weak; I am a noob in keeping an aquarium and also with planted tanks (as you can see in older pics, lot of fish loss and very weak looking plants), and I can't believe how much it transformed since I restarted up to now and I am very happy with this tank.

Update: Not very much, the massive trimming last week gave me a time not to do anything but water change and canister filter cleanup, the stems are still short right now but im getting pretty good growth especially the rotala. I think I lost some amano shrimps due to very hot weather last week (i only see 2 now .) Will replace my DIY yeasts/sugar later this week. The other stuff I am going to add is still in disinfecting stage, that should be ready hopefully by next week.


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## iat814 (Sep 3, 2009)

Looks awesome.


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## Hilde (May 19, 2008)

Amazing!!

I am contemplating downsize from 29 gallon to 20L due to moving to another state next year. I was sad about it until I saw your tank.
I see something there that I could do, the moss. What is it tied onto?


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## ryan_p (Mar 18, 2009)

Hilde said:


> Amazing!!
> 
> I am contemplating downsize from 29 gallon to 20L due to moving to another state next year. I was sad about it until I saw your tank.
> I see something there that I could do, the moss. What is it tied onto?


Thanks Hilde. I just tied it on a wooden stick with nylon fishline thats it. I found this site and I gave it a try http://www.aquamoss.net/Articles/MossLog.htm . I used the old dry manzanita perches from my parakeets, they got a new one now :hihi:. Just make sure the wood is sanitized before sticking the moss to avoid any problems (algae or bacteria getting in your tank). Hope that helps.

Ryan


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## problemman (Aug 19, 2005)

i used a hair net lol it was so easy


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## ryan_p (Mar 18, 2009)

hair net lol thats a good one :icon_lol:.


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## Coltonorr (Mar 12, 2008)

Very nice! 
Love the splash of green from the corymbosa!


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## ryan_p (Mar 18, 2009)

Coltonorr said:


> Very nice!
> Love the splash of green from the corymbosa!


Thank you Coltonorr. Its one of those plants that i like the most, good thing it is coming out pretty well in my small tank.

Update: Not very much. I've been very sick for a couple of days and havent done water change and trimming that i should have done this weekend. It's all jungle now, all the stems are covering the top and HM's are much thicker now. Moss is still pretty much the same, i might add more later this week. 
I'll post new pics soon.


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## ryan_p (Mar 18, 2009)

Finally after having a terrible week im back again. I finally did water change and massive trimming after 3 weeks of not being able to do it. Fish are ok, rasboras were happy after i made a major trimming they have a good swimming space now (its been a thick jungle for a while). Plants were doing fine except the hygros. Its not getting enough light, while the other stem plants were standing tall and taking all the light. It loses a lot of leaves, it looks so thin now. I will post pics later on.


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## Randy Lau (Mar 29, 2008)

Hey glad you're feeling better. Tank looks amazing and healthy. I love how everything is schooling (maybe the betta _is_ keeping them in line.) 

And that's fantastic the betta isn't a bother for the shrimp- I would have guessed otherwise.

Good job!

Randy


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## ryan_p (Mar 18, 2009)

Randy Lau said:


> Hey glad you're feeling better. Tank looks amazing and healthy. I love how everything is schooling (maybe the betta _is_ keeping them in line.)
> 
> And that's fantastic the betta isn't a bother for the shrimp- I would have guessed otherwise.
> 
> ...


Thank you Randy. The rasboras love to school, but they're always on top of the tank. The cardinals likes to hang out in the middle but they dont really school as much. The betta does not care about anyone unless something is bothering him but yes, he isn't a bother for the shrimp.


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## ryan_p (Mar 18, 2009)

Finally took some pics after 4 weeks. I didnt get to capture some when it was a huge jungle, I cut and trim right away and realized that i forgot to take some pics . Plants are much thicker than ever, I also need add more fertilizer, some plants are having some deficiency in them, at least there are no signs of algae, except a few GSA on glass. I still need to add the other stuff just need to find some time. :smile:


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## ryan_p (Mar 18, 2009)

I just did weekly water change today, removed some old dead leaves, added some fertilizer sticks undergravel, replenish diy co2, and cleand the canister filter. I also added more moss tied on wooden branches. Updated pics later.


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## justin182 (Aug 19, 2009)

beautiful!!!


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## funkyfish (Mar 16, 2009)

The tank looks beautiful


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## ryan_p (Mar 18, 2009)

Thank you for compliments guys. Sorry for delayed update pics but i will post em when ready, just a lil bit busy with other things at this moment. Bad news, my betta died (RIP), for whatever reason i dont really know :frown:. The rest of the fish are happy and healthy, so as the shrimp. I put back my other betta, and hes ok now and never bothers anything and he seems more happy here than the small tank. Plants are still doing good, I am kinda getting bored with the set up, but i am keeping it for sake of the fish and shrimp, and i want to see the moss and HM to thicken up more, the shrimps likes it, i have so many of them now, and the set up is not so hard to maintain, as long as i keep trimming it right and cleaning the tank regularly.


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## ryan_p (Mar 18, 2009)

Updates: 

3 albino corys added
major trimming
lots and lots of cherry shrimps

early november

















Moss and HM's pretty much took over when i trimmed the stems in the back. Did minor trimmings mid Nov.

late november/on the way to december

















more pics coming later.


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## ryan_p (Mar 18, 2009)

Update: new pics but nothing new still keeping it clean, simple and same set-up. I am planning some minor rescaping for next new year, including the beginning of ADA 10g which I never get to do this year still in the garage. More shrimps than ever probably 50+ now and still multiplying.


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## fastfreddie (Sep 10, 2008)

Wow I know the fish are happy in that jungle!


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## KShoes (Sep 29, 2009)

WOW! You have an amazing tank. I also have a 20h that looks nothing like yours. I'd be happy if it grew out to be half as great as your tank.


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## chaosmaximus (Sep 29, 2009)

Hey, great tank. I love seeing tanks like this which make me feel optamistic about what can be acomplished in a 20 gallon tank. 

Also, I kind of laughed when I saw your post count still calls you an algae grower - maybe with the consent of your peers we should be able to promote people out of that status. 

Anyway, things look great, good luck with that ADA if you can get it up and runnign this year


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## Paulus (Feb 7, 2009)

great tank and very nice looking plants


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## ryan_p (Mar 18, 2009)

Thank you guys and happy new year to all. I didnt do any trimming during the holidays and will soon, its total jungle now. As much as i want to keep it this way i cant because plants at the bottom suffers from inadequate light. Still planning the minor rescape before trimming the plants.










side


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## Ashok (Dec 11, 2006)

That's a fantastic jungle! It's my kind of tank.


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## sewingalot (Oct 12, 2008)

Now that is a jungle! Fantastic growth. I am amazed at how fast your plants can grow. I am looking forward to the updates.


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## ryan_p (Mar 18, 2009)

yup the plants grew crazily fast. how I wish I have a much bigger tank . Ill post an update before and after trimming. the rotala were covering the top already and needs to be cut down soon.


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## problemman (Aug 19, 2005)

what an awesome tank...when its trimmed lol i love it


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## problemman (Aug 19, 2005)

question how did u get the HM to grow on that tree part?


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## ryan_p (Mar 18, 2009)

problemman said:


> question how did u get the HM to grow on that tree part?


I have a driftwood that looks like a small tree stump (pyramidal in shape). I put a small bunch of HM on top around the worn out areas and spaces and let it grow, and there it became a giant tree in my tank. The roots of HM makes it look like a really old tree (sorta like the giant tree from avatar movie lol)which i really like . Pics at page 1 shows the progress of that tree. I might move it all the way to the back once i trimmed the plants that way i got more room for foreground plants and more spaces for my fish in the front of the tank.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

Wow this is a fantastic tank. You are obviously an expert at growing plants. I like the ways that you switched it up.


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## ryan_p (Mar 18, 2009)

Thanks hydrophyte, switching things around keeps me away from getting tired with this tank. I want to see something fresh all the time. We'll see how i will do on my 45-P. Looks like its going to be challenging, its pretty small, but i want it to look big. I got hemianthus callitrichoides ready for it, and might use some of the existing HM and rotala for it. Still looking for other small plants that may work with the setup.


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## Jonno (Dec 2, 2008)

Your Tank Is Very Inspiring!


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## sewingalot (Oct 12, 2008)

ryan_p said:


> yup the plants grew crazily fast. how I wish I have a much bigger tank . Ill post an update before and after trimming. the rotala were covering the top already and needs to be cut down soon.


Cough *any pictures yet?* Cough


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## ryan_p (Mar 18, 2009)

Sorry sewingalot, I will capture some pics tomorrow. I am excited getting started the other tank that i didnt get to capture some pics. Im trying to grow the plants again so that i can get a much healthier cuttings for the new tank. This is so exciting :bounce:.


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## sewingalot (Oct 12, 2008)

That is a nice tank you have started. I actually started HC emersed in my 2.5 and it was worth the wait. No algae and very little uprooted.


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## ryan_p (Mar 18, 2009)

K heres a pic, nothing new, I did a major deforestation and letting it grow again so i can grab some cuttings for my new tank. my hygros went bad due to lack of light, now is growing back again finally. As with the HC, its already planted emersed and will keep that at around 4-5weeks, i cant wait:bounce:


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## sewingalot (Oct 12, 2008)

Holy haircut, batman! You took out so much that I forgot you had that you had equipment on the back wall until now. I am just amazed you have been able to fit that many plants in a 20h. Looks great.


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## problemman (Aug 19, 2005)

this tank looks so much bigger then alot of the tank on here. it honestly looks like 40 gallons then just a 20.


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## ryan_p (Mar 18, 2009)

sewingalot said:


> Holy haircut, batman! You took out so much that I forgot you had that you had equipment on the back wall until now. I am just amazed you have been able to fit that many plants in a 20h. Looks great.


I had to cut a lot if i want some of the plants at the bottom to survive, the lack of light really affected some of the plants down there and now they are back to getting healthy again. I am so happy I dont have much algae problems, and the tank matured well. Also, I dont want to trim every week, the plants grow crazily fast; these guys should be strong and lush once the new tank is ready.

@problemman: I wish I have 40gal :icon_lol:. I used smaller plants to have that effect. Imagine having amazon sword in my tank, it will not have enough space, and the tank will look even smaller. Well see how will my 10gal would look like soon, i wish it would look like 30 if not bigger lol.


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## sewingalot (Oct 12, 2008)

Yeah, I hate when the bottoms suffer like that. If they didn't I'd let my tank stay grown out, too. I am glad you don't have algae problems either. Are you still doing diy co2 on this tank? I missed the diy method so much that I actually setup a new tank for that purpose.


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## ryan_p (Mar 18, 2009)

yea i still do diy co2. but when there are times that i need to replace the diy, thats is when excel comes in. i want to go pressurize for the new one but I really dont want to spend a lot of money, (economy sucks big time),i think diy and excel combo should be fine because its a small tank, much smaller than this tank. If i have a large tank then i will probably go pressurized.


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## ryan_p (Mar 18, 2009)

*I love this tank so much but it has to go and needs to be tear down. I love this tank to the fact that it didnt gave that much problems after a year of learning of keeping and maintaining a nice planted tank. 
Expect a much better set up once i make another 20g in the future

* *Feb 2008* (old set up)








fake plants was bad :frown: and decided to get some real plants. 

low light, just fine gravel substrate, no co2, and never add fertilizer. Newbie I was that time I always thought fish waste is a fertilizer for plants :/. 
*Dec 2008* (10 months after)
plants were in not so good condition, but they still grow.










*Feb 2009* (1 year later, plants were weak, melting and having holes)








i had a terrible snail infestation and plants started to get weak (leaves started to get very thin and pale). i decided to reset my tank early march 
did some readings, and found plantedtank.net and several other websites which help me get started.

*March 2009* (my new set up)








*April 2009 *( a couple of major algae outbreak and camera broke >.<)









*May 2009* (So far, so good. Getting better) 









*June 2009* (decor added. not satisfied with the scape) 










*Mid June 2009* (transformation begins) 









*July 2009*(let it grow. glosso carpet failed)









* August 2009*(minor changes/more plans)









* September 2009*(minor rescape making a tree and moving things around to look better)









* October 2009*(let it grow)









* November 2009*(big trim)









* December 2009*(jungle)









* January 2010*(virgin forest)


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## funkyfish (Mar 16, 2009)

LOVE the jungle  Amazing growth. 
What's the stem plant in the right corner?


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## fastfreddie (Sep 10, 2008)

Sure did enjoy the river of progress Ryan. You have come a long way. Why do you have to tear the tank down? It's up and running. I would keep the ball rolling and just change it up if you are unhappy with it. 

The bush of HM on the left is awesome with those roots hanging!


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## rhstranger (Mar 4, 2010)

A great tank journey/journal. Can't wait to see what you do next. Don't stop.


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## !shadow! (Jan 25, 2010)

fastfreddie said:


> sure did enjoy the river of progress ryan. You have come a long way. Why do you have to tear the tank down? It's up and running. I would keep the ball rolling and just change it up if you are unhappy with it.
> 
> The bush of hm on the left is awesome with those roots hanging!


^^+1


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## ryan_p (Mar 18, 2009)

thanks to all who share their time criticizing, suggesting and admiring my first tank, i enjoyed and learned so much from this site and some of its helpful members like you guys.



fastfreddie said:


> Sure did enjoy the river of progress Ryan. You have come a long way. Why do you have to tear the tank down? It's up and running. I would keep the ball rolling and just change it up if you are unhappy with it.
> 
> The bush of HM on the left is awesome with those roots hanging!


Thanks freddie, i tear it down due to financial reason, ive been hard hit by this economy and don't have work at the moment . I barely started my 10g earlier this year and i found that i can't keep 2 tanks so i decided to tear this one down and focus on the new little 10g tank by using the some of the equipment i had instead of buying for the equipment for the new tank.

BTW, everyone likes the HM bush on the left side. When someone come over my house they always reminds them of avatar movie i dunno y lol. they said it looks like a giant tree in there.


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## funkyfish (Mar 16, 2009)

Awwww that sucks  Sorry to hear that you had to tear it down. 
But I am sure your 10g will look just as nice.


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## problemman (Aug 19, 2005)

dude forget the 10 u got this one up running and looking great. you should do weekly trimmings and sell the stems to fund the tank. please dont tear this down! if u sell the stems i will buy some just so u can fund it! i will even over pay lol whos in with me?


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## problemman (Aug 19, 2005)

in fact could i purchase some hm off you so i can make a tree like that? where can i fine a piece to stick them in like u have?


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## funkyfish (Mar 16, 2009)

problemman said:


> dude forget the 10 u got this one up running and looking great. you should do weekly trimmings and sell the stems to fund the tank. please dont tear this down! if u sell the stems i will buy some just so u can fund it! i will even over pay lol whos in with me?


I'm with you! I will need some plants soon for my 55g


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## problemman (Aug 19, 2005)

lets not sound selfish now funky lol even though i PM'd him already. i sound so bad


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## funkyfish (Mar 16, 2009)

problemman said:


> lets not sound selfish now funky lol even though i PM'd him already. i sound so bad


LOL I'm not selfish. My 55 is not even ready to be planted, I was just supporting your idea


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## problemman (Aug 19, 2005)

hahaha well im keeping quiet till i find something out!


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## ryan_p (Mar 18, 2009)

Again sorry guys a bit late, i already tear the tank down a couple of weeks ago, i already gave and traded my old plants to my local friends here in LA, but saved a couple on my new tank. Will take sometime before i start giving out some trimmings again :icon_smil, ill let you guys know; well you see it anyway when i got the jungle look again hehe. I finally got these lovely galaxy rasboras from my new tank thanks to my old plants and RCS i wont have to buy them for 7 bucks each hehe.


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## sewingalot (Oct 12, 2008)

ryan_p said:


> Thanks freddie, i tear it down due to financial reason, ive been hard hit by this economy and don't have work at the moment . I barely started my 10g earlier this year and i found that i can't keep 2 tanks so i decided to tear this one down and focus on the new little 10g tank by using the some of the equipment i had instead of buying for the equipment for the new tank.


I completely understand what you are saying. A lot of us (including myself) are in a financial crunch and have to put our hobbies on hold. I am glad you are keeping one tank. It was hard for me as well to put aside some of my favorite tanks. You'll be back in no time! Good luck with the work situation.


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