# Go-Go Gadget Nano!



## SPL-311 (Aug 7, 2006)

I've had my ADA Mini-S set up for about a month now, and finally decided to take some photos to post up here. I always love to see how aquariums develop and grow in over time.

I used AS for the substrate, and I'm looking for more of a wild over-grown look so I used more different species of plants than I usually would have. I think I'll let it grow in really think and keep the triming to a minimum. At the momemnt 3 bumblebee shrimp and 5 rasboras make up the fauna load. Some stange bacterial thing is happening right now too; the water looks a bit cloudy but I'm hoping that will clear up in a couple days. 

Nuts and bolts: 28watt 10,000k light, little nano HOB filter, but no heater (it hangs at around 65 degrees or so but the low temp doesn't seem to bother anyone). I built the stand using 1/2" particle board and painted it with a brush. I dose Excel daily and 1/8 tsp KNO3 twice a week or so as needed to keep Nitrates at 10ppm. Overall, I'm pretty happy with how the tank is going, but I think it is missing a little something. Maybe another piece of driftwood to add some drama, or another plant in the centerr back of the tank. Maybe I just need to have a little patience and let it grow in some more - what do you guys think?

Here are a couple shots of the tank and stand in my living room:

















Full tank shot:









Rasboras and shrimp:


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## Ugly Genius (Sep 27, 2003)

I love it! Awesome stand.

Could you post a full tank shot from the front so as to allow us to see the overall hardscape? It'll be easier to tell if you need to add more kick or not. From what I see, it looks great.


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## roybot73 (Dec 15, 2007)

Pretty sweet little setup! It should fill in very nicely.

Whatever happened with your 'Stumptown' setup? I loved that tank!


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## deleted_user_16 (Jan 20, 2008)

like the set up! OMG YOU HAVE BORARAS UROPTHALMOIDES. my favorite boraras sp. i have 2 left, started with 7


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## SPL-311 (Aug 7, 2006)

Hey UG, thanks for the comment. Riven has been a real inspiration for tank, and I follow your updates pretty closely, though I don't think I've posted in your thread yet...Anyway, here's the straight on front shot, I donno, I just feel like maybe it needs something in the middle. 









I took these photos yesterday afternoon, and the water is already starting to clear quite a bit. Maybe I had the 24hour cloudy tank flu!


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## SPL-311 (Aug 7, 2006)

roybot73 said:


> Pretty sweet little setup! It should fill in very nicely.
> 
> Whatever happened with your 'Stumptown' setup? I loved that tank!


Hey you remember that huh! Cool. I've still got the aquarium set up, but she's no longer really 'Stumptown'. When I moved to Portland from San Francisco 6 months ago I obviously had to tear her down and start over, so I decided to use stone instead of wood. I've been fighting one thing after another with that tank for months, and I've been a bit discouraged with it. I got greenwater, then BGA, then hair algae, then BGA again, then greenwater again etc etc. I think i finally have it traced down to my fert dosing and have it evened out now, but I just can't get anything to grow in that tank right now. If things don't get better in a couple weeks I'm going to clean it out and start with a clean slate again.


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## Down_Shift (Sep 20, 2008)

Very nice stand.. Any close ups of the finish/paint?


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## roybot73 (Dec 15, 2007)

SPL-311 said:


> Hey you remember that huh! Cool. I've still got the aquarium set up, but she's no longer really 'Stumptown'. When I moved to Portland from San Francisco 6 months ago I obviously had to tear her down and start over, so I decided to use stone instead of wood. I've been fighting one thing after another with that tank for months, and I've been a bit discouraged with it. I got greenwater, then BGA, then hair algae, then BGA again, then greenwater again etc etc. I think i finally have it traced down to my fert dosing and have it evened out now, but I just can't get anything to grow in that tank right now. If things don't get better in a couple weeks I'm going to clean it out and start with a clean slate again.


Sorry to hear about your tank issues, but I'm glad to hear you still have it! Get some pics up once you get it straightened out:thumbsup:


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## SPL-311 (Aug 7, 2006)

Down_Shift said:


> Very nice stand.. Any close ups of the finish/paint?



Thanks! It was actually pretty easy to make, I only used a tablesaw & cordless drill, and a bunch of wood screws, glue, hinges and some paint. Oh, and I used bondo to smooth the edges a bit. For paint I used a coat of primer (Kills brand or something like that) and a couple coats of grey paint that sorta kinda matches the ADA color scheme. Total cost was about $60 and a weekend of my time. I also mounted one of those reptile tank heaters underneath the top of the stand thinking it might work as a sort of substrate heater, but I don't think it's really doing anything. The water temp is basically the same weather it's on or off. 

Here's the stand all closed up:









and a view of the inside (don't laugh at my jumble of cords I know it's horrifying!)









These hinges are sweet once they're in, but they can be a bit of a pain to get mounted right:









If I had to do it over agian, I'd spend some extra money for better quality wood, the particle board I used is pretty crappy.


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## SPL-311 (Aug 7, 2006)

roybot73 said:


> Sorry to hear about your tank issues, but I'm glad to hear you still have it! Get some pics up once you get it straightened out:thumbsup:


Well, embarrassing as it may be, here is a shot from about 2 months ago. Since this was taken the glosso has pretty much all died and everything else quit putting out any new growth. I put a bunch of stem plants in last week to try and get some good growing vibes happening, but without much success. not sure why these plants refuse to grow???


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## roybot73 (Dec 15, 2007)

I didn't mean to derail your nano thread with the mention of your 90-P:hihi:

Hmmm... Very odd that it all stopped growing. What are you dosing?


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## SPL-311 (Aug 7, 2006)

roybot73 said:


> I didn't mean to derail your nano thread with the mention of your 90-P:hihi:
> 
> Hmmm... Very odd that it all stopped growing. What are you dosing?


No worries, I actually enjoy when threads blaze their own trail. The 90 is getting standard EI dosing these days: KNO3, Kh2PO4, K2SO4 and CSM+B, but that's only been going on for a couple weeks. Before that I was only dosing KNO3 to about 5 ppm. I don't have a good reason why I was doing that, and I should have figured out something was wrong sooner given all the algae problems I was having. Now the algae seems to be behaving itself, but I haven't seen any new growth for about 10 days or so. any ideas? pH is 6.8, kH 5.0, Nitrates 20ppm, temp 76, 150w MH on 8 hours per day...


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## mott (Nov 23, 2006)

I love it! Great stand I need one for my mini-m bad... Do you have any pic's from the build of the stand?


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## roybot73 (Dec 15, 2007)

SPL-311 said:


> No worries, I actually enjoy when threads blaze their own trail. The 90 is getting standard EI dosing these days: KNO3, Kh2PO4, K2SO4 and CSM+B, but that's only been going on for a couple weeks. Before that I was only dosing KNO3 to about 5 ppm. I don't have a good reason why I was doing that, and I should have figured out something was wrong sooner given all the algae problems I was having. Now the algae seems to be behaving itself, but I haven't seen any new growth for about 10 days or so. any ideas? pH is 6.8, kH 5.0, Nitrates 20ppm, temp 76, 150w MH on 8 hours per day...


How old is the bulb in your MH? IIRC it's an Aqua Medic Ocean Light? Do you have good CO2 distribution? Those are the only 2 things I can think of right now...


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## MARIMOBALL (Mar 18, 2007)

very nice mini. Your stand looks really nice. It does need a background and the large crypt on the right is too big for the tank l and the wood looks oo symmetrical . Oh and where did you get the light it looks like a archea light from Aqua Forrest? do you mind Pm me the price.


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## SPL-311 (Aug 7, 2006)

Hey Mott - I didn't think to snap any photos while building the stand, but it's basically just a rectangle box with a door and a trim piece on the front. Pretty simple. Finishing it to make it look like a single piece is the hardest part.



roybot73 said:


> How old is the bulb in your MH? IIRC it's an Aqua Medic Ocean Light? Do you have good CO2 distribution? Those are the only 2 things I can think of right now...


Wow, you sure have a good memory! It is indeed an Aqua Medic light, and I put in an ADA 6800k bulb in February. I don't think the CO2 was being distributed all that well, so when I put in the stem plants last week I added a small powerhead to help push the CO2 around the tank. Do you think the MH bulb could be the source of my problems? I'm a little stumped with this one...


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## SPL-311 (Aug 7, 2006)

MARIMOBALL said:


> very nice mini. Your stand looks really nice. It does need a background and the large crypt on the right is too big for the tank l and the wood looks oo symmetrical . Oh and where did you get the light it looks like a archea light from Aqua Forrest? do you mind Pm me the price.


 Very good points Marimoball. I thought the same thing about the crypt on the right after I put it in, but as I'm looking for a good background plant I decided to leave it for now. I'm thinking I might pull the crypt and replace it with some more dwarf sag - I like how that plant is looking on the left of the tank. Perhaps another piece of driftwood will help as well - I have a problem making my tanks to symmetrical sometimes :icon_roll

As for the light, it is indeed the archea from Aqua Forest, I know there are a few people on this forum using it, and I'm pretty happy with it. The spread of light could be a bit better, but it's not too bad. I believe it was around $55 or $60 IIRC.


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## Ugly Genius (Sep 27, 2003)

I don't think it's too balanced. I think it could use a rock or two subtly placed and just off of center, but I think the details you've put into the scape so far reveal an artistic eye that affords you the ability to break the conventions of this hobby and strike a path of your own.
Meaning, you've probably got enough skill to break the rules and still have the 'scape come out looking great.


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## brohawk (May 19, 2008)

Tank shmank (which looks great btw). But show us some pics of the Datsun!


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## SPL-311 (Aug 7, 2006)

Ugly Genius said:


> I don't think it's too balanced. I think it could use a rock or two subtly placed and just off of center, but I think the details you've put into the scape so far reveal an artistic eye that affords you the ability to break the conventions of this hobby and strike a path of your own.
> Meaning, you've probably got enough skill to break the rules and still have the 'scape come out looking great.


Thanks a bunch UG, I'm needing a bit of encouragement right about now. My 90-P is doing awful. Nothing is growing and I'm having attack after attack of algae. Right now it's BGA and Clado. I'm about to tear that thing down and start over. Here's a crappy photo:









Sooooo, now that I've got that off my chest we can focus on the bright side: the nano is doing great. I took the advice of MarimoBall and removed the big crypt from the right side of the tank and replaced it with a couple dwarf sags. I think it looks a lot better. The cloudiness is mostly from stirring up the aquasoil. I hope.








My idea of a reptile tank heater in the stand wasn't cutting it as the temp had fallen below 70 today and the shrimp pretty much stopped moving around at all. I broke out the good old 7.5 watt mini-heater, so hopefully this will make the little guys feel a little better. While I was digging through my old aquarium supplies, I found out I still had a mini diffuser that I thought was long broken. 15 minutes with some airline and hot glue and now I've got some DIY CO2 going non this guy! Yea!








The HC seems to be diggin' the abundant CO2:








I'm still thinking I need to add another piece of DW to the middle part of the tank. I need some more drama!


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## SPL-311 (Aug 7, 2006)

brohawk said:


> Tank shmank (which looks great btw). But show us some pics of the Datsun!


Lol! The Datsun was a great car (SPL-311 is the model code for a Datsun Roadster for those that don't know) but I ended up selling it - the body was in pretty rough shape. But I've still got old cars - '65 MGB, '69 Porsche 912 and '65 Morris Minor. I know I know, selling a Datsun Roadster for an MGB is worse than changing a planted tank over to a reef! Couple nice pics of the Datsun since you asked:


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## brohawk (May 19, 2008)

Haha! Hey, at least you traded it in for a chrome bumpered B, right? Could be worse! You coulda got a Miata!

Don't get too discouraged w/ the 90-P. I'm dealing w/ at least 5 different algae infestations in my main tank at the moment myself.


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## Ugly Genius (Sep 27, 2003)

The 90-P is beautiful. Not right now, obviously, but it's a tank worth fighting for! It's got to be something major and simple. To affect all plants like it has must mean it's something basic and fundamental to plant growth.

The nano is going to look phenomenal filled in. Like a clearing between ancient trees in a primordial forest. It's the type of 'scape that forces the imagination to find a story to accompany it. Those are the best kinds of 'scapes: the kind you want to run around in.


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## SPL-311 (Aug 7, 2006)

Thanks guys, I'm def going to stick with the 90 until I get it cleared up. Not sure on the tear down and rebuild yet, but I am certainly close. I was looking back through my photobucket account and found a pic I took just before I moved the tank:









I can do that again!!! I think I might need to go with more fast-growing stem plants and get things poppin. Anyone know if aquasoil has a finite usable life? The AS in my 90 is about 2 and a half years old and pretty squished up.



> Like a clearing between ancient trees in a primordial forest.


That's exactly the look I was going for! I actually pulled those stump driftwood thingies from a swamp near my house - they are the bottom of some sort of bush or something. They really looked like little trees before any of the plants started growing in, but now I'm thinking they might just look like 2 sticks when their bases are covered with HC...Have to carefully consider this one...


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## Dollface (Sep 30, 2008)

If you're open to the idea, I think some kind of largeish floaters would look great in your nano, The roots hanging down would definately add to the feel of a primordial forest, as UG put it. It might also lend a neat lighting effect like sunlight filtering down through trees. 
Only after everything else has grown and settled in, though.


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## MARIMOBALL (Mar 18, 2007)

The new scape looks tons better. Now that you have CO2 the HC is going to take off. nice diffuser. BTW the used aquasoil should be good. Just let it dry out completely. You can add new powersand or the new Pfertz root tabs to the bottom and your good to go. I have used aquasoil many times. Don't give up on the 90P. Im also having algae probs on my 120P but I think its clearing up. Once you succeed with an ADA tank, It rivals or beats any reef setup with its clean uncluttered streamline look and lush green flora that brings a little piece of nature to your home:thumbsup:


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## brion0 (Sep 28, 2008)

It looks great,the stand is realy clean. Did you find the drift wood for this tank to? Ill be watching to see if you add something in the center,a rock might be nice.


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## SPL-311 (Aug 7, 2006)

Hey Dollface, now that you mention it some floaters would be pretty neat looking in this scape. I'll give it some serious thought when the HC is filled in - maybe it will help to slow the crazy growth that turned UG off HC in Riven.

Thanks for the advice about the scape and the Aquasoil Marimoball :thumbsup: That's exactly the type of information that keeps me coming back to this site. If I end up taking down the 90-p I'll probably put the AS through a sieve or something and get rid of all the mush.

I did collect the wood for this tank Brion. Actually I found it in Bybee lake (more of a swampy wetland actually) in Portland, OR. They are old stumps from a bush I think. I really like the look of older wood like this.


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## Karackle (Dec 11, 2007)

wow, REALLY nice little tank you have here! I agree with UG, it really looks like an ancient forest that i would love to go exploring in expecting to see mythical creatures of all kinds around each corner. I don't think the wood looks too symmetrical, it gives the feeling you are looking through two huge trees. I agree also that once it grows in some large floaters might really add to the effect. 

It's so funny, looking at the tank close up it looks so large, but then you see it with the box of baking soda and bottle of excel in the cabinet and up against the wall and realize it's actually this teeny little tank! Fantastic job with scale! More so now that you took the large crypt out too. I love it. What kind of moss is growing on the wood? or is that mini pellia?

I need to get my hands wet and redo my 5.5g....it's a mess, your tank along with one or two others on this forum have inspired me to dive in...probably tonight, thanks!


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## SPL-311 (Aug 7, 2006)

Thanks Krackle! The moss on the wood is actually Flame Moss, I think it's a pretty good one looking moss.

Last week I received 20 RCS from another member through the shop & Swap and added them to the tank. They really give a whole lot of new movement! Aside from that, everything is pretty much the same. HC is filling in really quickly but some leaves on my crypts melted off. I think it may have been from low nitrates for a day or so. 

Also, my cloudy water problem seems to be taking care of itself - check the pics:


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## Ugly Genius (Sep 27, 2003)

Love that second picture. This tank's beauty is in it's details, I think.

Keep it up and, more importantly, keep us updated!


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## fishboy87 (Feb 19, 2008)

So what do you do for co2? I see excel but I also see a diffuser. Do you run pressurized or DIY and of DIY, can you tell us what formula you use. Great tank and I am envious of your hc!


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## Karackle (Dec 11, 2007)

Wow, just keeps looking better! That second shot is wonderful, the algae on the wood looks like moss on a really old tree. Gorgeous! 

Flame moss! Yes, i love it, it's probably my favorite moss. I think I thought the pearling of the moss was part of the leaves for some reason :tongue: silly me! :hihi:

I agree, definitely keep us updated!


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## Craigthor (Sep 9, 2007)

Impressive I really like the way this is going....

Craig


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## Badcopnofishtank (Jan 20, 2004)

Wow...another 311 owner. *High-fives* Please tell me you still have the best garage candy you can possibly own. 

It looks like youve turned the corner on this layout and its starting to fill in nicely.


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

Awesome little nano. I love the DW


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## thief (Jan 12, 2008)

Wow really nice tank and stand. The carpet looks nice but the scape is not really attractive. I think you should try and play around with the wood to create a focal point! I curious about exactly what type of Rasboras do you have in the tank? I'm looking for some nice fish like that and I like how small they are.


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## SPL-311 (Aug 7, 2006)

Thanks for all the compliments guys, it really helps to keep me motivated!

Fishboy I was using Excel for a while, then I decided to go with DIY Co2. I just use the formula found in the articles section of this site: 2 cups sugar + 1/2 tablespoon yeast + 1.75 liters warm water = Co2!

Hey Thief, I wouldn't go so far as to call the scape unattractive, but I certainly think it is lacking a little something and could use some extra drama. Honestly, when I set up the tank I thought the scape was a little too simple, and I looked for an additional piece of driftwood at the local aquarium shop, but I couldn't find anything small enough. Perhaps I will make a trip back to the swamp when the snow melts around here. At the moment I'm not really wanting to move things around in there too much because the plants are growing so well, but I'm sure in a couple weeks I'll want a new look.

*Highfive Badcop!* I owned the Datsun for a few years but ended up selling it for *COUGH* an MGB *COUGH*.:redface: Don't hold it against me though, I'm planning to sell the MG for an Alfa Romeo Giulietta


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## SPL-311 (Aug 7, 2006)

thief said:


> I curious about exactly what type of Rasboras do you have in the tank? I'm looking for some nice fish like that and I like how small they are.


Those are Exclamation Point Rasboras (boraras urophthalmoides). Great little fish for a nano tank, they stay super small and eat practically nil. I only really feed the shrimp and don't do anything for the rasboras but they're doing great!


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## Karackle (Dec 11, 2007)

I'm gonna have to disagree with Thief, I don't think the scape is unattractive, I really like it a lot, however, I do agree with you that maybe it needs a little something....I'm thinking maybe something with some character between the two "trees"? Another piece of DW perhaps, maybe a cool stone (though that might ruin the look of an ancient forest if it's not exactly the right stone) or maybe a nice bright red plant? 

Perhaps even simply adding a black background would do the trick?


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## thief (Jan 12, 2008)

Thanks for letting me know I will go look around where I can get some. Also well as people seem disagree maybe my words were to strong. I think the tank just needed more frosting and pazaz to it! Anyways I think it would be a good idea to try and get some would that would maybe going the the middle of the tank.


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## x2h (Dec 23, 2008)

hey nice setup. i don't think you need to add anything in the middle, just remove the one on the left or the right. less is more. like you tank!


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## SPL-311 (Aug 7, 2006)

New update 1-11, and the HC and dwarf Sag have really filled in a lot. I got a batch of 20 RCS about a month ago, and I'd estimate there are only about a dozen left. I get the feeling they are getting sucked into the filter - think I should put a sponge on the intake, or is that likely to cut down the water flow too much?

So I'm liking the aquascape a lot more now that the plants are nicely filled in - what do you all think? Should I still consider adding another branch or something in the middle or just leave it be?


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

i love it. its impossible to tell its a mini s.


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## Phoenix-cry (Dec 25, 2008)

Stunning! However i would add an interesting bit of driftwood.


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## sgtiger (Jan 19, 2009)

Hey, nice looking tank!

I swung by the Wet Spot the other day and picked up an ADA Mini-S for about $58. I've been looking for a decently priced light, and see you're using an archea from Aqua Forest. Would you recommend it? I e-mailed, not sure if they still sell it.


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## Karackle (Dec 11, 2007)

Looking beautiful! 

I'd say definitely try putting a sponger or mesh prefilter on your intake to protect shrimpies, and check your filter, I found about 6 babies happily hanging out in my filter when I didn't realize my prefilter had fallen off! 
You may have to clean it quite frequently to keep the water flow up, but that's probably better than losing all of you shrimp right?


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