# dekstr's 2.5g



## dekstr (Oct 23, 2007)

Hello,

First post.

I just started fish keeping a few months ago. I cleaned out my quarantine tank (12 x 8 1/4 x 6 inches and the specifications are exactly like this tank) a few weeks ago and it's been collecting dust ever since.


I've been considering converting the quarantine tank into a nano-planted tank because 1) I've spent so much of my limited money on it already(I'm a university (OR college equivalent for US) student living at home) , 2) nano-planted tanks look awesome (at least in Takashi Amano's setups--*edit:and of course the ones I've seen on this forum!* :icon_cool), and 3) it seems quite budget-friendly. If my fish ever got sick I could always just use a plastic container to quarantine them in.










Filter: red sea deco art nano filter (up to 3 gallons / 12 litres) that I bought with the quarantine tank. 
Lighting: either buying a new 27W Home Depot desk lamp or current desk lamp (looks exactly like this and website says 20W).

My tap water is treated through ion-exchange resin filtration (sodium based).

Tap water specifications (approximate):
pH: 7.5
Carbonate Hardness: 4-7 dGH (70-125 ppm)
General Hardness: 4-7 dGH (70-125 ppm)
Nitrate: below 10 mg/L

I want to do things right the first time, so I want to ask a few things from you friendly forum friends!

* 1. Heating: *Any recommendations for a nice, reliable cheap heater? And I emphasize cheap.
* 2. Test kits:* I already have pH, kH, gH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate test kits, don't want to spend any more.
*3. Substrate: Aquasoil* appears to be hard to find in Toronto and mail order is too expensive. I'm thinking of *EcoComplete* because I've seen it around before, but do they sell it in quantities that are just enough for this 2 gallon tank?
*4. CO2:* I'm thinking of *DIY Yeast-based C02* in a plastic bottle with a regular airstone. I use this set-up for my regular lightly planted (contains Hygrophila polysperma, java fern, Cabomba caroliniana) 20 US gallon tank just to see what it does. It seems to lower the pH to about 7.0 when combined with peat filtration, decaying fish food/plant matter, driftwood tannins.
*5. Plant fertilizers: *I don't know much about this. I've thought about getting bulk dry ferts but it seems like overkill getting many pounds of chemicals (family members might suspect I'm doing a THC grow-op or making a bomb or something) for a 2 gallon tank. And if I'm getting liquid ferts, I don't know much about dosage. Since I won't really test the tank water conditions, I read about the EI method so I might do that.
*6. Plant stocking: *I'm thinking of some combination of:
- java moss, anubias and java fern attached to a small piece of driftwood
- *Background:* Cryptocoryne balansae or Vallisneria
- *Midground:* Echinodorus tennellus (pygmy chain sword) and/or Rotala wallichii
- *Foreground: *Lileaopsis or Glossostigma (yes I know hard to care for but challenges are fun)
By the way, I don't know these species' names/spellings from the top of my head.

* 7. Fish/invertebrate stocking:* I read the nanofish list but haven't thought about what to stock it with yet. I'm thinking of getting the plants settled down and water cycled a bit before adding fish/invertebrates.

I'm willing to dole out big bucks for the substrate, but everything else would be on the cheap side if possible. Thanks for reading all this! Hope it wasn't too long. Any suggestions would be helpful and greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
Dexter


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## SearunSimpson (Jun 5, 2007)

Where abouts in Canada do you live? If you live somewhat near me, which is highly unlikely, im taking down some of my 10gls and have some plants/wood to get rid of.


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## dekstr (Oct 23, 2007)

SearunSimpson said:


> Where abouts in Canada do you live? If you live somewhat near me, which is highly unlikely, im taking down some of my 10gls and have some plants/wood to get rid of.


I live in the suburbs near Toronto.


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## Huntereastin (Oct 18, 2007)

Have you considered marsilea for the foreground? I hear its easier to grow than glosso, especially if you end up keeping the 20 watt light (which is a cool lamp, anyways - especially for the price). 

Can't wait to see it grow out.


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## dekstr (Oct 23, 2007)

Huntereastin said:


> Have you considered marsilea for the foreground? I hear its easier to grow than glosso, especially if you end up keeping the 20 watt light (which is a cool lamp, anyways - especially for the price).
> 
> Can't wait to see it grow out.


Oh wow marsilea sounds good! Definitely gonna look into that.


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## trfjason (Aug 10, 2006)

You can try HC, I think they are easier than Glosso. Is there a Big Al's in your area? The Coralife Mini Freshwater Aqualight is only $34.99, not too expensive. I use that for my 2.5G.


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## dekstr (Oct 23, 2007)

*Update: October 28, 2007*

*Okay, really quick update:*
Today I bought an 11x14 inch 2mm thick piece of non-glare acrylic sheet from Home Depot. FYI: Manufacturer is Plaskolite, Inc. Total came to under $5 CDN. 

1. Measure the hood dimensions of the tank, account for some leeway so it's not a super tight fit (29cm x 14cm). Note: The hood dimension is not the same as the tank dimension because of the top framing. Measure the area that the filter and other components take up at the surface leaving little space for gases (C02) to escape the tank.
2. Draw out dimensions on acrylic sheet with.
3. Score the sheet along the lines with a scoring knife against a metal ruler, going slowly the first few scores to make sure the line is straight.
4. Snap off the pieces.
5. Check for fit.
6. Adjust if neccessary.
7. Peel plastic film of off acrylic sheet.
8. Wash acrylic sheet with soap and water, dry.
9. Done!

Pictures: 

Finished acrylic hood.

Comparison: Non-glare side versus normal side of acrylic sheet.



After this coming Thursday's class, I'm getting flourite substrate, plants and heater. Then I'll find the spare thermo-meter somewhere in the house.


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## dekstr (Oct 23, 2007)

I'm so excited I finally got the fluorite today from Big Al's!!! Cost me a small fortune of $30 + tax. Plus got 4 Red Cherry Shrimp for my other tank.

Less words more pictures!

A bit of peat for bottom layer:

Flourite Black!!!!!


Note how cloudy the water is. Not sure if you can see it, but I placed the hood cover on top of the flourite to not stir up dust once water was added. Didn't really work, but at least the flourite wasn't moved around at all. Lesson: Wash flourite before use! As well, I think either the house is not level or the book shelf isn't.


Decided to move tank from desk to book shelf. Barely fits but looks a lot cooler, plus I think the light will reflect a little better. Look how bright it is! Also, you can see the DIY C02 bottle on the bottom shelf.


Haven't bought any plants yet. Probably a bad idea as algae will get a head start. Any ideas on how to scape the tank? I don't feel like adding any hardscape, my plan is to just add a lot of glosso and hairgrass. And still haven't decided the fertilizing method. Maybe regular dosing of flourish and excel? Probably won't buy dry ferts because 2.5G is hard to dose and I'll be left with infinite amount of chemicals where I sleep.

More to come!


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## JenThePlantGeek (Mar 27, 2006)

Great start - can't wait to see what you do with it!

You're right, it does look pretty cool on that bookshelf. I can't tell, but if it's particle board (looks like one I used to have...) then be careful of splashing. Particle board likes to swell up and look nasty, even if you get just a tiny drop on it. It might be worth your time to put down a waterproof mat or piece of plastic under the tank. Luckily it's only a 2.5, so it isn't too tough to move!


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## bsmith (Jan 8, 2007)

i see that your water is treated with a sodium based softening system, i think that those arent the best for planted tanks, or maybe there just not good for softining water. im sure someone more versed on the subject will interject if its no bueno.

btw i really like your light!


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## dekstr (Oct 23, 2007)

Hey JenThePlantGeek,




JenThePlantGeek said:


> I can't tell, but if it's particle board (looks like one I used to have...) then be careful of splashing. Particle board likes to swell up and look nasty, even if you get just a tiny drop on it. It might be worth your time to put down a waterproof mat or piece of plastic under the tank. Luckily it's only a 2.5, so it isn't too tough to move!


Great advice! I actually overtopped the tank at first and spilled a bit of water. So I took out the tank, dried it up.

And you know the plastic wrapping that comes with the cases of waterbottles? I quickly made a DIY waterproof mat with that material. It's quite thick and tear-proof (have you ever tried getting a water bottle from the case?). I basically siliconed all the edges and roughly cut out a sheet to size and glued it with silicon. 


Also, the light is from Home Depot for 19.99 CDN + tax. Found a 27W spiral CF bulb in the basement and that's what I'm using. Decided not to use the original halogen light after some researching. Halogen light is essentially a terrible plant light, kind of like incandescent lighting. Lots of heat but little light.

bsmith782, I'm not sure whether the sodium-based ion exchanger adversely affects the water to affect plant growth. Definitely gonna look into it though. 

edit: From my understanding, sodium chloride (normal salt) exchanges its sodium part for magnesium and calcium parts. So with less magnesium/calcium, the water hardness decreases. But there's a lot of sodium in the water. Not good for the plants as it might damage their tissue. Another better ion-exchanger resin is potassium chloride, as potassium is good for plants. But it's more expensive.

I doubt my parents would prefer to switch to more expensive salts just for my fish tanks though. :fish: Hmm...


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## trfjason (Aug 10, 2006)

dekstr, Big Al's got a shipment of new Tropica plants, you might want to go check it out. If you are interested in Glosso, Big Al's Oakville have them.


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## bsmith (Jan 8, 2007)

do you have a faucet that doesnt have treated water going through it?


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## JenThePlantGeek (Mar 27, 2006)

bsmith782 said:


> do you have a faucet that doesnt have treated water going through it?


Try an outside spigot - most people don't spend money to water their lawns with softened water! Generally these are just straight up tap.


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## ringram (Jan 19, 2005)

I have a similar Home Depot $19.99 desk light on my 2.5g. Although mine is a 27w PC tube. I have the same filter as you, but I'll be doing Excel for Co2.
If you're going to try HC, you should get some Excel to spot dose the HC, in the event that Clado pops up.
Eco should be fine. I had some aquasoil left over from another tank, so that's what I'm using. 
As for the heater, don't bother unless your house has widely fluctuating temps. Shrimps and most tropical fish do fine in the low/mid 70s, provided it doesn't change too much over a short period of time. In fact, most folks who breed shrimp will say that they generally like slightly cooler water anyway.
If you're worried about the hardness, you can mix a little epsom salt in with your water changes (probably ~1/2 tsp or so), which will increase the GH. Add a little baking soda as well, if you want to increase the KH.

-Ryan


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## dekstr (Oct 23, 2007)

Hey ringram, haven't thought about HC yet... I'm leaning more towards Glosso. But for my main 20 gallon high I'll probably look for HC since it's low light. I probably need the heater because my room is right on top of the garage, and it gets quite cold during winter season (about 17-18 degrees celcius, so like under 70 degrees fahrenheit??) when I don't turn on the portable room heater. So I'd rather keep the temp steady instead of fluctuating. My KH and GH are both at about 4 degrees, so I might add the epsom salt/baking soda (don't really want to mess around with too many parameters though).

trfjason, Oakville is kind of far for me (about 40 minute each way), maybe when I have a free day I'll visit (the gas will cost more than the glosso).

JenThePlantGeek, I think there's a bypass valve in the basement that switches the indoor plumbing to normal tap water.

BTW, update! I basically took my tallest hygrophila polysperma stem from the main tank and cut it into four pieces, then randomly jabbed them into the gravel. Also some floating plants. And finally, broke one of my spare driftwood pieces into smaller pieces, and tied java moss to one of the pieces with cotton string. This is not the final scape, it's more like having some plants in there to compete with algae. Since the last update, I found the thermometer, reduced the size of the C02 bell, and added more flourite after noticing there wasn't enough.



Can anyone identify what floating plants I have? I haven't really seen the same thing on any online profiles. The small floating ones looks like duckweed but it's not, (grows a lot slower and has red colouring). The big floating one, the guy at a LFS sold me for $1 each, said they were very rare and normally sold for $8-9 retail. He basically sold them to me for really cheap cause he said it wouldn't last in the store w/ low lighting, and needed to clear it out.


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## JenThePlantGeek (Mar 27, 2006)

The ruffled plant looks like _Salvinia cucullata._ It should grow like a weed, much like others in this genus. DO NOT let this one out of your tank! Other Salvinia sp. have become invasive. Not sure if it would survive in Canada, but don't risk it. Same goes for your _Spirodela polyrhiza_, which is the reddish giant duckweed you have, AND your hygro!

Your tank is gonna grow like a weed


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## dekstr (Oct 23, 2007)

Oh wow! Thanks for identification!

Don't worry no nearby water areas except for my neighbour's massive koi pond behind the fence...
Maybe I'll give him a nice present


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## dekstr (Oct 23, 2007)

MASSIVE UPDATE TODAY!!!!!

I went down to Menagerie and got a whole bunch of plants.

1 bunch of Elocharis acicularis--Java Fern
1 bunch of Hygrophila polysperma (Large-leafed)
1 2x2 mat of Elocharis acicularis--Dwarf Hairgrass
1 bunch of Glossostigma elatinoides

There was also HC that just came with the shipment Thursday, but it was $15 for like a 2x2 mat. The hairgrass also cost $15. The glosso cost $5. I needed the hairgrass, and it came down to HC versus glosso. Obviously I got glosso cause it cost less.

I was all geared up to get myself 3-4 Corydoras habrosus (Salt and Pepper Cory) because the new shipment had just arrived Thursday and they're usually rare in Toronto. But turns out the cardinals which were housed in the same tank developed ich--so not for sale until the ich clears up. :icon_cry: I got to put 3 cories on hold though. :icon_cool 

There were also some Rasbora maculata that came with the shipment. They would've been perfect for the nano except my tank's not cycled yet. No worries though since they said there were like 400 of them left.  

Also got some frozen brine shrimp for the first time; I put about the same amount as they would normally finish flakes in one minute. My fish went crazy and obliterated the shrimp in about 10 seconds. So I fed them again five minutes later... and then again five minutes later. I think I overfed.

The java fern and hygro went to my main 20 gal high low tech.
The glosso and hairgrass went to my nano!!!


 The plants in the bag.

 Plants on a plate + drained most water from tank.

 The moment I realized that there was way too much hairgrass to plant. I ended up having a lot leftover. Didn't want to throw it out so I planted them in my low light 20 gal...lol

 Back view: As you can see, there is a massive slope from front to back to create a massive depth illusion.

 Very messy room after finishing planting.

 Close up view: There is no hardscape, just lots of glosso and hairgrass cause I was too lazy to scape.

 I got free algae-eating snails with the plants!

Summary:
If you think planting glosso is a PITA, hairgrass is PITA 10x. For glosso, all you do is trim down the roots, then for each plantlet there is one root. So all you do is plant one root deep down the substrate. The hairgrass, on the other hand, comes in a massive tangle of roots that is really hard to separate. After painfully separating the roots for planting, you get a mess of grass that takes forever to plant. When I finished planting, little clumps of hairgrass started floating to the surface.

As well, tweezers are probably the most important tool you need. Fingers are too big to have good planting control. I actually planted with water in the tank. I find it easier because it easily tells you if you didn't plant firmly enough. The plants simply float to the top.

I nearly forgot about the 2 pygmy cories while I was planting the nano. I left them to acclimate via drip method in a bucket, and nearly forgot about them. As well, I nearly dried out the filler plants from the nano and the large-leafed hygro when I took them out. Good thing I remembered.

Also, I'm going EI method with dry ferts pre-mixed in water solution. It's a lot cheaper than going for the SeaChem line. It lasts a lot longer, you have more control over dosage. The only problem I had was finding places that sold dry chemicals. I found that the hydroponic industry has a lot in common with planted tanks. Afterall, they specialize in growing plants for food. They have lots of the PMDD chemicals, cheaper large-scale, powerful lighting fixtures, cheaper C02 systems, test probes, and everything else you can think of. I definitely recommend going to a hydroponic store to see what you can pick up.


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## matt s (Jun 6, 2007)

I would not get the cories they really do need more floor room. You should do either 3 otos or 1 or 2 SAE. With 2.5G you are really limited to some fish If I were you I would just do like 8 neon tetras and 6 Red crystal shrimp.


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## dekstr (Oct 23, 2007)

matt s said:


> I would not get the cories they really do need more floor room. You should do either 3 otos or 1 or 2 SAE. With 2.5G you are really limited to some fish If I were you I would just do like 8 neon tetras and 6 Red crystal shrimp.


Yeah not gunning for those cories anymore. I put them on hold at a LFS, until I set up my 55g. I've decided not to add any fish except for the rasbora brigittae. As for shrimp, maybe cherries. I might do red crystal shrimp if it's not too expensive though. Neons are a good idea too, but they are far too common, want something more unique.

Anyways, new photos just taken:
Changes: Removed CO2 bell, directly feed CO2 tube to filter intake, so impeller does the diffusing. Removed heater, room temp 20 degrees celcius, and dropping.


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## trfjason (Aug 10, 2006)

Looks good so far!

Have you consider changing the light? The Glosso is growing tall, maybe stronger light will keep it low.


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## dekstr (Oct 23, 2007)

I'm not sure how... I purposely bought a desk lamp, it's running on 27w spiral CF. I keep hearing about the re-strike in spirals, but it looks so bright it hurts to stare at the tank for too long. I even polished the inside of the dish with toothpaste for 1/2 an hour. 

What do you lighting do you suggest?   

Edit: I think I might have planted incorrectly!

"When one first receives it, Glossostigma is usually in its emersed form. Plant the stems in groups of three to four and allow two weeks for new submersed growth. Pull out the bunches and snip off the submersed growth with a pair of scissors. Take a stem with a pair of tweezers and run it horizontally under the substrate until it is completely buried. Clear away some substrate until a couple green leaves are visible. The plant should begin to grow horizontally and cover the foreground in a matter of weeks if well lit, provided with ample CO2, and nutrients."

I just trimmed the roots and planted straight down. Do you think that might be it? It's only been less than 2 weeks. So maybe I should plant them horizontally now.


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## dekstr (Oct 23, 2007)

Replanted glosso with tall stems horizontally--starting to carpet now.
Also took out CO2 from my 20g and put it here.
Dwarf hairgrass is growing really fast.
(This is literally watching grass grow).


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## trfjason (Aug 10, 2006)

You can try Coralife Freshwater Mini-Aqualight. I use that for my 2.5G. http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/photo-album/52352-trfs-2-5-gallon-nano-updated-2.html

I got it at Big Al's for $35. It might be cheaper now. However, you need something to support it.


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## dekstr (Oct 23, 2007)

Hey! Update!

Lesson learned: hardscape first before planting.

Putting the rocks into the newly settled dwarf hairgrass is a bad idea. I ended up having to uproot a lot of hairgrass, which meant tons of painstaking replanting afterwards.

Another thing was "sloping" the substrate very steeply. BAD IDEA! The rocks pushed all the flourite from the back to the front, causing a mini-avalanche, nearly covering all the glosso in the front. I ended up having to pull up the glosso a bit at the end.

Also, I was surprised by how little area there was to work with--pulled out about 1/3 of the hairgrass after I was done. Ended up planting the extra into the 20g.


















Umm.. don't mind the coffee anubias in the first picture lol... it's just a temporary nursery because I ran out of space in the main tank. Speaking of which.. I forgot to put it back in the water after the picture! BRB!


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## dekstr (Oct 23, 2007)

*Algae growth*

December 7, 2007

It seems I've left the light on too much. Cut it down to 5 hours a day now.
I neglected the tank for a week--haven't followed the EI. And since then algae has sprung up.

Oh well--at least the plant growth is good. However, I suspect the substrate is too thin at the front. I've noticed that I use too little substrate for all my tanks.


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## dekstr (Oct 23, 2007)

Other than destroying bank accounts, credit cards are also good for scraping off glass algae.

Handy credit card made quick work of the algae.

Slowly removing hairgrass, glosso slowly creeping up the hill with a bit of replanting help.


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## Matthew_Machine (Oct 12, 2003)

looks good! what kind of lamp is over it now?


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## dekstr (Oct 23, 2007)

Matthew_Machine said:


> looks good! what kind of lamp is over it now?


Thanks. I'm still using the Home Depot desk lamp with 27w spiral CF screw-in bulb. The glosso wasn't growing horizontally at first cause I planted them like stems. Now they're growing tons of runners.


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## dekstr (Oct 23, 2007)

Haven't updated in a while with all the partying and going out. Plus my parents went on a trip so had no camera with me to take pictures of plants.

So with all this non-planted activity, I neglected most of my tanks except for the 55g. Needless to say, my nano tank fell apart the fastest.

I stopped the EI dosing and WCs, but decided to mow the lawn of dwarf hairgrass and glosso. Let's just say that wasn't a good idea when you don't do any water changes to remove the loose plant clippings. There was so much green algae and debris covering the filter parts and surface that it clogged the filter and reduced the lighting! The glosso started to grow up again and green algae started covering the leaves. It was running dry until I got around to maintain the tank yesterday.

Removed most of the loose clippings, cleaned out the filter and moved all the snails to a new tank. So how to combat the green algae the lazy way? 

Drain the water to substrate level and run the tank emersed.


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## bsmith (Jan 8, 2007)

nvm............


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## dekstr (Oct 23, 2007)

bsmith782 said:


> nvm............


Ok. What was it? Never mind. lol


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## trfjason (Aug 10, 2006)

It takes time for the plants to adapt to a emersed setup. The leaves might have a different shape. When you fill the tank with water again, it requires time for the plants to adapt to submerged environment. Your tank looks great, you should fill it with water again and use Excel to fight off the algae.


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## dekstr (Oct 23, 2007)

Thanks trfjason,

Should I fill it up now? Or should I just wait for about 2 months, then fill it up with water? I don't have excel handy--should've bought it during boxing day when it was on sale.


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## bsmith (Jan 8, 2007)

dekstr said:


> Thanks trfjason,
> 
> Should I fill it up now? Or should I just wait for about 2 months, then fill it up with water? I don't have excel handy--should've bought it during boxing day when it was on sale.


sorry that was what the nvm was, i was going to tell you to fill it up. i couldnt have a tank like that and not have water in it!


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## trfjason (Aug 10, 2006)

dekstr said:


> Thanks trfjason,
> 
> Should I fill it up now? Or should I just wait for about 2 months, then fill it up with water? I don't have excel handy--should've bought it during boxing day when it was on sale.



Fill it up now, don't wait for 2 months :thumbsup: 

If the algae tries to overtake your tank, then you need Excel for sure!

I was going to buy a 2L bottle of Excel at Big Al's boxing day too but I ran out of cash since I bought a Eheim 2213 and Coralife Freshwater Aqualight  

If you are going to buy Excel now, I suggest you to buy the 2L bottle, you will use more then you think of!


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## dekstr (Oct 23, 2007)

Ahh I'd like to get excel but I'm on a diet..a money diet. No more spending on plant and fish / supplies after seeing the December credit card bill. It's a good idea though, 2l bottle of Excel.

I'm going to focus more on breeding and aquascaping (which doesn't cost money). Other than that, winter semester is starting soon, so no more time for 7 tanks. Going to go with a main tank, and a nursery tank, and leave everything else emersed or low light, low-tech.

I think my algae problem was due to maintenance neglect more than anything. The tank was doing well until I stopped doing water changes and dosing consistently.


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## dekstr (Oct 23, 2007)

Okay update:

1. I tried to take off top brace, ended up cracking glass, as you can see lol. However, I filled it up with water and everything works fine, except for lower water level now.

2. Refilled it with water because emersed couldn't keep it high humidity. Next time I will try saran wrap.

3. As you can see, my glosso has regressed quite a bit. Back to square one.

4. All my pond snails are gone, either mechanically removed or died during emersed state.  I am going to put about 20 pond snails from my other tank in there.

5. Suffering from green water and a lot of debris. Cranked up CO2, did about five 90% water changes in a row.

6. Watching grass grow again...













































Hopefully the growth I want to see eventually.


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## dekstr (Oct 23, 2007)

The new driftwood I orderd from badcopnofishtank came in today! However, had to pay a $40 brokerage fee when it came. askdjfhladsjkhfjkdsahfldsjafh

Let's just say I'm not particularly thrilled right now. Nevertheless, it's NOT the fault of badcopnofishtank--just stupid customs + UPS.

So update:
1. Decided to change my lame hardscape from zebra stone to driftwood
2. However, one glitch, the piece of wood couldn't fit inside my book shelf
3. So I decided to move the whole tank to the top of the shelf
4. That was pretty easy.
5. Now the whole thing is a lot neater, so all the wires run behind the book shelf instead of on the ground.

What do you think?


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## dekstr (Oct 23, 2007)

Edit: I just noticed that most of my pictures look the same. :icon_cool


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## mugirl08 (Nov 15, 2005)

I really like that new piece of wood. It has a really good shape to it. If I were you, I would probably cut off a little bit a the top, maybe half of what is sticking out? Once it re-fills in, it will look really neat I think. Good luck!
Rachel


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## dekstr (Oct 23, 2007)

mugirl08 said:


> I really like that new piece of wood. It has a really good shape to it. If I were you, I would probably cut off a little bit a the top, maybe half of what is sticking out? Once it re-fills in, it will look really neat I think. Good luck!
> Rachel


Thanks for the suggestion mugirl08. I think I will cut off the top in a little while. Right now, the driftwood floats when submerged. The only thing weighing it down submerged is the top portion of the wood.


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## Kayen (Oct 14, 2007)

Should get some moss, and make a moss tree out of that,
Something like Entry #10 in that Top 27 Aquariums thing by ADA.
Perhaps try segregating a path.


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## dekstr (Oct 23, 2007)

Viettxboii said:


> Should get some moss, and make a moss tree out of that,
> Something like Entry #10 in that Top 27 Aquariums thing by ADA.
> Perhaps try segregating a path.


Maybe. I've seen entries by ADA. I'd rather not try to copy some other tank--nothing creative in that. But I'll tie moss later on.


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## garuf (May 30, 2007)

Looks great, a creeping plant on that branch would be the icing on the provebial cake for me. 
Shame the way behind is covered in scribblings they detract from the beauty of this tank. 
Once its grown in you'll have a thing of beauty on your hands. 
Have you thought about fitting a bracket to the wall and suspending your light from it rather than the desk lamp?


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## dekstr (Oct 23, 2007)

garuf said:


> Looks great, a creeping plant on that branch would be the icing on the provebial cake for me.
> Shame the way behind is covered in scribblings they detract from the beauty of this tank.
> Once its grown in you'll have a thing of beauty on your hands.
> Have you thought about fitting a bracket to the wall and suspending your light from it rather than the desk lamp?



Thanks, I will attach something to the wood soon!

I started scribbling on the wall last year. Then whenever my friends came over, they would add to it. 

I actually haven't thought of fitting a bracket for the lights. I have too many previous holes in the wall from a variety of other projects, so a few more wouldn't hurt. I'll keep this idea on my potential to-do list.


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## dekstr (Oct 23, 2007)

My tank is in the ICU at the moment.

I am fighting green water and green slime algae w/ CO2, wcs, following EI closely this time.

I just added 10 pond snails taken from my other tanks. I find them pretty much indestructible to any water conditions, so they're my frontline algae soldiers lol. I have a lot of them so I might add more snails later.

I added my other desk lamp to increase lighting.

Driftwood has clear slime coming out of it. IME, it doesn't do much harm and goes away in a few weeks. Added some carbon to take up the tannins.


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## Homer_Simpson (May 10, 2007)

dekstr, check your Private Messages and get back to me if you are interested in my offer.


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## dekstr (Oct 23, 2007)

WOW HOMER_SIMPSON, thanks so much for your offer.

Came out of nowhere.

I really appreciate it.


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## Homer_Simpson (May 10, 2007)

dekstr said:


> WOW HOMER_SIMPSON, thanks so much for your offer.
> 
> Came out of nowhere.
> 
> I really appreciate it.



You're welcome. I will have the package all ready and will take it to the postal outlet tomorrow for shipping.


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## dekstr (Oct 23, 2007)

I glued many little strips of mylar sheeting into the inside of the bulb reflector.
I can already see a great difference in lighting intensity!


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## dekstr (Oct 23, 2007)

There is not a lot of change in terms of the plants, but I built a new custom stand from scrap pieces in the basement, then painted it matte black. 

It's beside my main 55 gallon tank now, and I think this will be the final position. Looks really cool. It will now have direct sunlight as it faces west, getting afternoon sun until the sun is low enough to be covered by houses across the street. Hopefully more light will help glosso carpet.

What do you think of the new position?


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## bsmith (Jan 8, 2007)

Looks like there was already either too much light or no/not enough co2 with all the gsa/gda.


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## dekstr (Oct 23, 2007)

bsmith782 said:


> Looks like there was already either too much light or no/not enough co2 with all the gsa/gda.


I think it was due to a combination of things.

First, when I did a major trimming, I left almost all of the trimmed clippings in the tank.

This in turned clogged my filter to the point it stopped working a few days, running dry.

The clippings also shaded out a lot of light for the remaining plants, so they couldn't photosynthesize as well.

Since CO2 went through the filter, CO2 injection suddenly stopped.

The light still kept going really strong, and since I did not do water change w/ high nutrient levels remaining, the plants could not take in nutrients fast enough because of CO2 limitation. As well, the dead clippings soon started decaying, fouling the water, adding excessive nutrients. That really threw off the balance of the tank.

As we know, light drives CO2 demand, and w/ high light but no co2, algae happens.

So green slime algae started growing like crazy w/ high light.

I decided to drain the tank, which only delayed the problem, as algae can survive in moist conditions.

I have been trying to resurrect this tank, and it is working really great.

Today the water is finally clear, no green water. Still green slime, but it is decreasing really fast.

But I am surprised how good water flow, high CO2, rigorous cleaning and large water changes has helped. The tank is rebounding and glosso is growing at a rapid rate again. 

I also think the snails helped a great deal in cleaning work.


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## dekstr (Oct 23, 2007)

Bacterial bloom right now. Plants are growing well. Glosso not enough light intensity.


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## dekstr (Oct 23, 2007)

Sorry double post!!!


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## dekstr (Oct 23, 2007)

Edit: Here is the latest picture.

I have given up on the glosso growing very low to the substrate. I will just leave it as is. The few hours of sunlight are working wonders though. At its lighting peak, the dwarf hairgrass and glosso are pearling so much it looks like a can of soda/pop!

The bacterial bloom has cleared up for a few weeks now. No algae present except for some really nice looking thread algae. It is no problem though as it can be pulled it out easily. I actually kind of like it as it creates a thin mat underneath the dwarf hairgrass. Makes everything green and traps any excessive snail poop.


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