# Jareds New 2.5 Tank!



## Jdiesels (Mar 20, 2013)

13W CFL 
4 ember tetras
HOB air powered filter
10W heater

Windelov java fern 
Rotala indica
java moss
Hygro polysperma 
Dwarf water lettuce 









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## CPDzeke (Jan 4, 2013)

Nice tank!
I think it needs a little more sand for depth, a little more wood and a lot more plants then it will have reached its peak!


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## Soup12 (Nov 10, 2012)

cpdzeke said:


> nice tank!
> I think it needs a little more sand for depth, a little more wood and a lot more plants then it will have reached its peak!


+1 






.


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## A.D.D.i.c.t. (Dec 9, 2012)

Yeah, that substrate layer is WAAYYY too thin IMO. Then, either more plants or more hardscape, as it's looking quite bare at the moment. Congrats on the new tank.


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## Jdiesels (Mar 20, 2013)

Yeah I'm gonna actually set it up this time since I was kinda rushing last night when I set it up 


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## Jdiesels (Mar 20, 2013)

Here's a FTS^









All 4 ember tetras 









Added more Hygro Polysperma









Also added some Rotala indica 


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## Jdiesels (Mar 20, 2013)

Decided to do a DIY filter until the new one arrives,






not the best or the prettiest it's like the Kirsten Stewart of filters 


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## Jdiesels (Mar 20, 2013)

Update!








Using biomedia in the tank so when I get the new filter tomorrow I can put it in there. The embers are coloring up nicely and all the plants are slowly starting too grow again!









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## Jdiesels (Mar 20, 2013)

Here's the filter! Does 58 GPH and has pretty intense flow, I have the flow all the way down and the media is a small black insert sponge and 5 bio media rings


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## Jdiesels (Mar 20, 2013)

Here's a FTS as of 11/4/13 added some trimmings from the DBP Tank as well as the co2.









One of 4 embers died due to some ammonia in the water, hopefully I will be getting 4 more so that will make 7.
I also was planning on getting red cherry shrimp in the future when the tank is more mature 


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## AguaTropical (Apr 3, 2013)

Just curious, is that 10W heater keeping your temp stable? I've heard mixed reactions on keeping a stable temp in a 2.5G tank...


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## Jdiesels (Mar 20, 2013)

AguaTropical said:


> Just curious, is that 10W heater keeping your temp stable? I've heard mixed reactions on keeping a stable temp in a 2.5G tank...


The 10W heater had a crack in it so I traded it for a 25W heater and it keeps the temp at 75-77 degrees. 


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## Jdiesels (Mar 20, 2013)

Any criticism good or bad is helpful! 


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## Jdiesels (Mar 20, 2013)

Tons of new growth since I added the fluval co2 from the 3G DBP tank 


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## blue1delta (Jan 8, 2013)

cool tank!
my 2.5 is just starting too


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## harilp (Feb 23, 2013)

Not so aweome should add more plantzroud:


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Yikes this is too small for ember tetras. Nano fish doesn't = nano tank always. 

Embers need something around 6g+ to accommodate a nice school. 

I think you should return them and consult us on what would work best. 

How did you cycle the tank? There shouldn't be ammonia in a cycled tank.


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## Jdiesels (Mar 20, 2013)

MABJ said:


> Yikes this is too small for ember tetras. Nano fish doesn't = nano tank always.
> 
> Embers need something around 6g+ to accommodate a nice school.
> 
> ...


I took 2.5g of the water from the 8g along with some of its biomedia and driftwood and let it sit for 2-3 days while the embers were in a mini quarintine tank. Also, the reason why I really didnt ask is cause everybody would say shrimp or a betta, and I wanna wait for this tank to mature first before I add any inverts to this tank, and I don't think the betta would like the flow I have in the tank. 


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

I see. Well unless you tested it, your cycle could be nonexistant, and your environment could well be toxic. 

There's no point in not asking, because you'll never know what you get in input. 

If you want to wait for something to mature, it should really be left alone with snails/ect. to hold the cycle. Place holding fish is wrong IMO.


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## melanotaenia (Mar 26, 2013)

if you seed a tank with bio-media from an existing tank, but there is nothing for it to feed on (no NH4 or N02) as there is no bio-load, then the tank won't cycle. At least some type of ammonia source is needed. While the tetras were a poor choice given tank size, they at least ensure the cycle continues. I do agree that the tank may be a little small for the fish. 

Seeding a tank will still cause a cycle; the only difference is that it is going to be expedited with the introduction of seeded media.


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## Jdiesels (Mar 20, 2013)

Ammonia 0

Nitrite is higher than i thought in between 2.0-5.0 PPM 

Ph 6.8

Nitrate through the roof.









How are the fish and snails living with such high levels?

Guess my cycle wasnt full proof after all 


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

If there's two things I know about aquariums, it's cycles and stocking. 

To the person who also commented on the cycle, I agree. For a shrimp tank, a host of snails is a great option as they'll hold a cycle and create biofilm for your future shrimp tank.


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## Jdiesels (Mar 20, 2013)

So do you think I should catch the tetras and put them in the 8g evolve with the gouramis? 


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Jdiesels said:


> So do you think I should catch the tetras and put them in the 8g evolve with the gouramis?
> 
> 
> DBP Member 003


How many and what type of gourami?


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## Jdiesels (Mar 20, 2013)

MABJ said:


> How many and what type of gourami?


2 neon dwarf gouramis male and female who are fed 3-4 times a day 


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Jdiesels said:


> 2 neon dwarf gouramis male and female who are fed 3-4 times a day
> 
> 
> DBP Member 003


Interesting. I'd consider doing that. Watch for aggression, that's all.


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## Jdiesels (Mar 20, 2013)

Sigh, probably gonna rescape the tank when Im done catching them since they are probably gonna be so annoying too catch 


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## Jdiesels (Mar 20, 2013)

Here's the scape so far


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Wow, looks neat!


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## Jdiesels (Mar 20, 2013)

Just tweaking with what I have ATM 


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Even better.


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## Jdiesels (Mar 20, 2013)

Finished product









Added a rock for support because the driftwood decided it didn't wanna stay How I wanted it to


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## melanotaenia (Mar 26, 2013)

Very nice; I like this layout.

Good call on removing the tetras, and as stated, as long as you have something in there (snails, shrimp, etc.), then your tank will continue to cycle.

Your levels are not that high; I have seen them much higher in cycling tanks with fish showing no untoward affects. Since the Nitrate is the end product of the cycle it is going to remain high unless it is removed through water changes or plant utilization.


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## Jdiesels (Mar 20, 2013)

Just realized the dw looks like a rhinos head lol 


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## harilp (Feb 23, 2013)

Now OSM...... 

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## harilp (Feb 23, 2013)

Wat substrate is it

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## Jdiesels (Mar 20, 2013)

It's regular black sand from petco 5ib bag 


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## Jdiesels (Mar 20, 2013)

Added a small chunk of willow moss onto the driftwood which will hopefully get covered  


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## Jdiesels (Mar 20, 2013)

New betta  


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## Jdiesels (Mar 20, 2013)

Currently acclimating using an air powered acclimating kit




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## Jdiesels (Mar 20, 2013)

Shurbert is in the tank 


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## Jdiesels (Mar 20, 2013)

Here's a full shot of him, I think he might be a veil tail or a double tail? 




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## Jdiesels (Mar 20, 2013)

Here's a bad pic of him flaring


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## Jdiesels (Mar 20, 2013)

What would your guys opinions be if I added an amano shrimp to this tank? 


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Then your betta will eat them. Lol. That's my guess.


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## Jdiesels (Mar 20, 2013)

Amano and sherbet co existing 


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

For now.


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## Jdiesels (Mar 20, 2013)

Kind of a noob question, but what do i do if the betta wont eat the food i offer him?


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## melanotaenia (Mar 26, 2013)

Jdiesels said:


> Kind of a noob question, but what do i do if the betta wont eat the food i offer him?


Don't worry, he'll eat the shrimp soon enough.

Have you tried blood worms?


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## Jdiesels (Mar 20, 2013)

melanotaenia said:


> Don't worry, he'll eat the shrimp soon enough.
> 
> Have you tried blood worms?


i dont think he even can, the amano shrimp is about the size of his body (excluding fins). No, i havent tried blood worms yet. Gonna try and convince my dad to take me tomorrow after school and ill pick up some different foods then


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## Jdiesels (Mar 20, 2013)

Another crappy picture of him flaring









This is probably one of my most successful nanos yet!  


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## Jdiesels (Mar 20, 2013)

Just trimmed the tank









Amano shrimp is still alive!









As for shurbert, he is eating now, the filter was a little strong for him so I turned it off and he ate right away! 









He's still looking amazing 



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## Jdiesels (Mar 20, 2013)

FTS as of 26/4/2013









Willow moss is growing good! 









And the surface agitation on it is awesome! 









As for the fluval co2, it's lasting a long time, I haven't even opened the 3 pack I got 4 weeks ago!!



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## Jdiesels (Mar 20, 2013)

This scape has just about run its course, might be rescaping tomorrow depending on if I can find a cool driftwood piece for the tank 


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## Jdiesels (Mar 20, 2013)

Cold pizza and 16 oz of monster in my stomach is perfect rescapeing elements


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## Jdiesels (Mar 20, 2013)

Here's the hard scape so far, tweaking it slowly but surely!


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## Jdiesels (Mar 20, 2013)

The scape is called "tragedy" because I wanted to try and create a scape that resembles a forest after its nearly reached death but came back to life 









Focal point of the scape the "stump"



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## Jdiesels (Mar 20, 2013)

Had to re think my mood due to the main dw piece keep tilting over


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## Soup12 (Nov 10, 2012)

i like new wood


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## Jdiesels (Mar 20, 2013)

FTS 









Had to yet again re think my plan cause the manzanita was floating, so I just pulled most of it out, the focal dw piece is just a piece I hid with a sledgehammer a few times and boom new epic driftwood 









Anybody wanna ID this plant? I've called it ambulia for the longest time but I don't think it is 


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## Jdiesels (Mar 20, 2013)

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## Jdiesels (Mar 20, 2013)

Any tips or criticism will be accepted!


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

It'd be neat if the driftwood and stuff were on the opposite side, breaking view of the filter and co2 injection. 

But the scape is neat, just too bunched. The triangle should be a little more spread out, with less sand showing.


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## Master503 (Feb 8, 2012)

Hi.. looking great tank so far. May I ask about fluval co2, do you push the chamber all the way under the water or you just leave a little top above the water? If anyone else about this please share your thoughts. Thanks.


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## DoubleT (Apr 18, 2012)

Love the new look! Just curious, what CO2 diffuser is that?


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## Master503 (Feb 8, 2012)

@ DoubleT, he is using the Fluval CO2 system kit


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## Jdiesels (Mar 20, 2013)

MABJ said:


> It'd be neat if the driftwood and stuff were on the opposite side, breaking view of the filter and co2 injection.
> 
> But the scape is neat, just too bunched. The triangle should be a little more spread out, with less sand showing.


I was thinking of that, and I was gonna try and do a dual sided aquascape when I re do the tank again


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## Jdiesels (Mar 20, 2013)

Going to have a background of rotala najeshan (I think I spelled the right?) hopefully, lots of willow moss and no more co2 for now. I know I've been rescaping this tank alot I'm just trying to find a scape thats enjoyable for me and I like it, but of course none of the dw pieces I have can provide that 


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## LilGreenMan (Mar 11, 2013)

Master503 said:


> Hi.. looking great tank so far. May I ask about fluval co2, do you push the chamber all the way under the water or you just leave a little top above the water? If anyone else about this please share your thoughts. Thanks.


I have the Fluval CO2 kit that came with the Fluval Flora. You put the entire chamber underwater. When you're filling the chamber and the chamber is full, a bubble will escape out the top. Hope that helps!


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## Jdiesels (Mar 20, 2013)

Big Money Big Women Big changes is what i always say! Update surprise coming soon


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## Jdiesels (Mar 20, 2013)

scape is RCS ready 



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## Jdiesels (Mar 20, 2013)

FTS as of 14/5/13. I know there is alot of sand exposed, hopefully will be covering that soon with either pearlweed or some moss screens  As for Shurbert, he might be getting his very own 2.5 if i take down the DBP 3G. Thanks for tuning in!


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## Jdiesels (Mar 20, 2013)

Added 5 DWL pieces due to .5 ppm of ammonia, everything is growing awesome!









The Anubias nana is growing an 8th leaf which is awesome 









The Rotala Najeshan is growing good, not as fast as I'd like but it's growing good 


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

I would say it isn't cycled if you're getting ammonia spikes /:


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## seanski21 (Mar 4, 2012)

try some smaller leafed plants it will make your scape look a lot larger. You could also try something like dwarf sagg or marsilea minuta for your foreground.. both of those should work for you without CO2.


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## Jdiesels (Mar 20, 2013)

MABJ said:


> I would say it isn't cycled if you're getting ammonia spikes /:


I did a WC and tested a few hours later, the ammonia was at 0  i was also overfeeding and found a dead MTS in the back behind all the Hygro Polysperma


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

MTS friggin suck. They're neat snails while alive but I find my shrimp can't easily eat them.


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## Jdiesels (Mar 20, 2013)

Forgot to mention, i'm getting 14 (14 due to OCD) for $10 sometime next week


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## acitydweller (Dec 28, 2011)

be careful. i wouldnt add so many snails in at once. In a nano, the amount of bacteria converting the nitrogen cycle may not keep up with the sudden surge.


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## Jdiesels (Mar 20, 2013)

Any Criticism Good or Bad is helpful


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## snakeskin (Jul 28, 2005)

I think if you get a more mature Amano you should be fine. Amano Shrimp are quite a bit larger than most other dwarf shrimp and wouldn't be a likely meal.


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## Jdiesels (Mar 20, 2013)

Got a new nano stand 


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## Jdiesels (Mar 20, 2013)

14 FRS going in the 2.5 

(Sherbert will be in a different tank until another 2.5 is bought 


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## Jdiesels (Mar 20, 2013)

What kind of food do you shrimpers use? 









They seem to like the rotala najeshan alot 


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## Jdiesels (Mar 20, 2013)

Who needs TV when you have a shrimp tank? 

(Apologies for the crap pics iPad doesnt do them justice) 


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## Jdiesels (Mar 20, 2013)

Still love these guys, I hope they breed!


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## Basil (Jul 11, 2011)

Nice shots. What are you feeding the shrimp?


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## melanotaenia (Mar 26, 2013)

If you want to see a frenzy pick up some AZOO Max Growth or Max Breed; my shrimp (all varieties) can't get enough of it; they turn their nose up at most other prepared foods I give them (but they will eat fresh veggies).

The AZOO food is just easier to feed and does not cloud the water which is why I primarily prefer it to vegetables.

Great looking shrimp, and tank is looking good too.


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## Jdiesels (Mar 20, 2013)

Basil said:


> Nice shots. What are you feeding the shrimp?


Algae wafers for now until I get something better


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## Jdiesels (Mar 20, 2013)

I feel like this tank is missing something....


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## Jdiesels (Mar 20, 2013)

Think this one might be regnant 


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## Jdiesels (Mar 20, 2013)

How can I get rid of hydras? 


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## Jdiesels (Mar 20, 2013)

Pregnant 


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## Jdiesels (Mar 20, 2013)

New tank 
















The shrimp died due to my nephew pouring his apple juice in the tank..  shurbert seems happy hes back in his tank again 


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## Jdiesels (Mar 20, 2013)

Long time no update! 









Everything is growing amazing 









I took the heater out since the room the tank is in is always 76-80 









I also took out most of the dwarf water lettuce and have a high light tank with no co2 and barely any algae  









Shurbert is still spoiled as ever, being fed 5-10 omega one pellets once every other day, and bloodworms on Fridays! Thanks for tuning in and I will see you all soon!


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## sugarcube (Jun 28, 2013)

I have a 2.5 gallon for a betta too, I just started mine on live plants, before I was just using plastic. My doesn't look nearly as amazing though, hopefully it will look good like yours one day too. I love Shurbert coloration, such a nice orange!


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## Jdiesels (Mar 20, 2013)

Shurbert went in the spec downstairs, and this is what replaced him  a 99 cent betta from petsmart


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## Overgrowth (Feb 19, 2012)

Hey, you said that you don't have CO2 in the tank right now. Did you know that you can make an AWESOME CO2 reactor with the filter you have right now? It diffuses better than a lot of glass diffusers, and it's very small. Here's how you can make it: 





Your tank looks really cool!


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## Jdiesels (Mar 20, 2013)

Considering removing all floaters from this tank, there certainly are enough plants in the tank to use up all the light I'm giving anyway.. Any remarks?


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## Jdiesels (Mar 20, 2013)

FTS as of 13/7/13 









The newest member of the tank 









Probably gonna be re doing this tank soon 


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## Jdiesels (Mar 20, 2013)

I'm definitely gonna be re doing this tank soon.. Two main plants I'm gonna try are s repens and downoi since I still have an old fluval co2 kit laying around 


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## Jessicafish (Jul 13, 2013)

Can I have a list of plants you are using now? I really like the look of your tank!


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## Jdiesels (Mar 20, 2013)

Jungle Val, Hygro polysperma, red wendtii crypt, rotala najeshan, ludwigia broad leaf, willow moss, Anubias nana, dwarf sag, duckweed. Stargrass, 


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