# Fluval Spec V Aquascape



## MissCris (Mar 7, 2016)

That's a nice manzanita piece you got. Love the branchy look.


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## touch of sky (Nov 1, 2011)

I love what you have done so far. It looks like you are planning to use co2. What is the lighting on the tank?


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## cdaJiv (Aug 18, 2017)

Looks good looks good, I slipped mine a little more I think you could too, slope the rear left corner up to nearly 3/5 the way to the top and the other rear corner just a little lower and have the back slope down to the front of course imo. 











Photographs never do justice, this pic was after trimming mosses and vacuum, I later pushed the substrate up towards the back corners and slightly upward in the center of the tank. 


CDA Enterprises


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## jmontee (Mar 20, 2009)

cdaJiv said:


> Looks good looks good, I slipped mine a little more I think you could too, slope the rear left corner up to nearly 3/5 the way to the top and the other rear corner just a little lower and have the back slope down to the front of course imo.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


It is somewhat hard to tell in the pic but that is about what I did. Unfortunately I think I went a little short on the amount of substrate for this tank so going too high in the back will leave me too little in the front. Here is a pic of the tank after planting. I am hoping that everything grows in nicely but with the plants that I have it will be a while I think.


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## cdaJiv (Aug 18, 2017)

It looks good [emoji846]

When setting up a narrow tank that needs depth added by sloping, it usually looks pretty awkward at first when laying out the substrate. IMO the way to do it is only put 2-3 cm of substrate in the front of the tank and nearly 4-5" in the rear, like I said it looks awkward at first but after the correct slope is created I try to establish the hard scape in three different areas... Forgroinr, forgroinr, and background. Normally people only use this idea for plants but with a highly sloped narrow tank created for depth it really stretches out the view and makes it look a lot wider than it is. 


CDA Enterprises


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## jmontee (Mar 20, 2009)

So I am now a little over two weeks after planting the tank. Things are going very well. Some slight algae issues and the wood fungus is really starting to bother me. It should go away over time but it is still there now. I added a couple of amanos and they were both doing well other than a minor set back, I think one crawled out of the tank. I have only seen one for the last couple of days. One very cool thing is that I have never run a tank without fish for this amount of time so I am seeing all of the little critters that inhabit a planted tank. Some tiny litle white worms that I think are either detritus worms or some other from of nematode. Lots of little copepods (i think). Definitely no planaria so I think these will make good food for my fish once I get them. 

I am currently using the stock light at about 6 1/2 hours, CO2 injection timed around lights, Easy Green liquid ferts twice a week at half dose, Easy Iron at a couple of drops a a couple of times a week. I have been doing water changes a couple of times a week but will be backing off to once a week as parameters get really stable (which is happening now). All tests at 0 including phosphates (nitrates may be above 0 but only slightly).

So far the crypt parva has melted and I lost a few rosettes but the ones that have survived are putting out new growth. The buces are all putting out new leaves every couple of days. I have attached pics of the whole tank showing nice progression of the MC in the right front. Also the Buce Brownie Blue and MC pearling and a cool shot of the remaining Amano.


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## jmontee (Mar 20, 2009)

*Update*

Wow, I can't believe it has been 3 months since my last update. Things are going very well right now after a bit of a hiccup. I decided that I really wanted to see what the 24/7 Planted Plus CC could do so I got one. It fits the tank really well and really does upgrade from the stock light. The bad thing is I thought I could figure out the balance with the 24/7 set up and get good growth our of it. 

Wellllll, that didn't happen. I did love seeing the change in lighting during the day and I messed with intensities and timing for several weeks but just could not get good growth without algae. I stuck with it for a while but I am now finally winning the fight against staghorn and BBA (BBA is almost completely gone) after changing to about 6.5 hour photoperiod at intensities of 70% white LED's, 80% red, 20% green and 60% blue. I really like the colors that I am getting from flora and fauna and things seem to be doing much better.

I have added some stems to the mix because I want to get the illusion of that corner being higher than the opposite corner. The tank is really maturing well and I am trimming about every 2 weeks for the mini Christmas moss and the stems. Otherwise the Buces and the C. Lutea and C. Lutea hobbit only get trimmed in areas that are succumbing to algae. I am very happy with how all the plants and animals are doing. Crepidomanes sp Calicut is really growing well to and has spread about half an inch to an inch in the last month.


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## jmontee (Mar 20, 2009)

Another 5 months down the road and this little tank is groing in nicely. I have had to trim MC and Myriophylum sp Guinea multiple times and all the buces and crypts are growing quickly too. I recently had to trim back several buces that were completely taking over the areas that they were in. The mini christmas moss has begun to establish in several places that I didn't put it but it is a really cool moss, especially when kept in check and trimmed. Tiger shrimp have been doing really well and breeding like crazy. I will have to figure out how to sell and ship these before I get overrun!
View attachment 871449


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## irishspy (Oct 22, 2007)

That really is a superb aquascape.


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## jmontee (Mar 20, 2009)

irishspy said:


> That really is a superb aquascape.


Thank you very much! This is definitely the first seascape I am really proud of!


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## Powerclown (Aug 17, 2014)

Great job on the scape,looks awesome 👏 
Greetings from West Palm Beach


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## jmontee (Mar 20, 2009)

Powerclown said:


> Great job on the scape,looks awesome 👏
> Greetings from West Palm Beach


Thank you very much!! So I am in North Miami Beach, any LFS you recommend in you back of the woods?


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## Powerclown (Aug 17, 2014)

Yep,great selection of fish and sometimes rocks and driftwood for scaping is Marks arc in west palm.
Cheers


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## Devin187 (Nov 4, 2018)

Great job in such a small tank! Makes me miss my old Fluval Spec V


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## jmontee (Mar 20, 2009)

Almost a year after setting up this little tank and it has really come into balance. Fish are doing great, shrimp are breeding and the plants are doing awesome. Did a big trim today along with 50% water change and full maintenance on glass and filtration. 

The Crypt lutea "Hobbit" is spreading nicely and I am hoping to use take some for a future TiTai Bee tank I am planning. Monte Carlo had to be taken down by like an inch and a half as it was threatening take over the Crypts. Next step will be to reduce some of the Buce as they are going crazy in here. I removed some this time and my LFS is going to be getting a Christmas gift, over a golf ball portion of Monte Carlo and Mini Christmas moss and several portions of two different types of Buce.


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## Kriskm (Nov 16, 2018)

Wow, you've done a great job with this little tank! Looks like a miniature jungle, and those tiger shrimp are perfect inhabitants.


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## sick1166 (May 8, 2017)

a real beauty


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## irishspy (Oct 22, 2007)

That's amazing how you've filled that Spec V, and yet it still looks great.


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## jmontee (Mar 20, 2009)

*20 Months Down the Road*

This tank is still going very well. I have made some changes but mostly has stayed pretty consistent over the last year. Plants are doing really well and algae is at a minimum with just a little BBA and GDA here and there. I have been using @nilocg Thrive for the last 7 or 8 months and things have been going great. The UNS single stage regulator with solenoid has also been super solid after an initial hiccup. Buceplant.com replaced it once and it has been running great since.

There currently 15 species of plants and moss along with the Super Tigers and Chili Rasboras. Shrimp are breeding well and fish seem to be very happy in this tank.


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