# The Lonely Mountain- Fish added



## moosenart (Feb 18, 2012)

Nice tank! Any plans for fauna?


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

moosenart said:


> Nice tank! Any plans for fauna?


Thanks!! Yes I got this tank specifically for a Black Orchid crowntail betta from Marco (@[email protected]) im going to have it shipped next week sometime


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## the_intricacy (Jul 30, 2012)

very simple idea, and well executed! I'm curious... how many stones is this really? 

one of the challenges in upkeep will be preserving the slope, keep us updated!


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## Geniusdudekiran (Dec 6, 2010)

Nice, I like it. Only thing I wish you'd done was use ADA AS or Fluval SS. That substrate is a little distracting. Cool plants though!


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## philemon716 (Aug 14, 2011)

Those plants are the best. They grow nice and slowly but are so beautiful when finally all bunched together. 

They blossom with CO2...which you should consider since algae may sprout with so few plants. 

Beautiful tank!!


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

the_intricacy said:


> very simple idea, and well executed! I'm curious... how many stones is this really?
> 
> one of the challenges in upkeep will be preserving the slope, keep us updated!


thank you! there are seven stones. hopefully the slope wont be too bad, because some of the stones are larger and kind of makeup the slope, with the substrate just covering them. 



Geniusdudekiran said:


> Nice, I like it. Only thing I wish you'd done was use ADA AS or Fluval SS. That substrate is a little distracting. Cool plants though!


thanks kiran! i wish i has Aqua Soil!!!!! someone gave me eco-complete with is why i used it. when i did the dry test-run scaping, it wasnt distracting, but wet its much worse :\ This tank was and is a super low/no budget sort of thing. the stones were left over, the tank and plants i got good deals on, i had the substrate, and water comes from the tap.



philemon716 said:


> Those plants are the best. They grow nice and slowly but are so beautiful when finally all bunched together.
> 
> They blossom with CO2...which you should consider since algae may sprout with so few plants.
> 
> Beautiful tank!!



thank you!

with the light being as low as it is, i dont think algae will be a problem, even with the minimal plant load. especial since im not fertilizing for anything.


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

The Betta will be sent Monday. So it should be here Tuesday  can't wait!


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

Day 3 update. 

i did a water change yesterday (was planning on doing them everyday for the first week, but i wasnt home)

here are some pictures, theres not much growth, but the bubbles are gone and the water has cleared up.

messy dresser


DSC_0010.jpg by orchidman10, on Flickr


DSC_0005.jpg by orchidman10, on Flickr


DSC_0009.jpg by orchidman10, on Flickr


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

For anyone interested, here is a preview of my next aquascape. the seiyu stones scaped themselves, it took be about 5 minutes to put this together.


DSC_0003.jpg by orchidman10, on Flickr



DSC_0002.jpg by orchidman10, on Flickr


DSC_0001.jpg by orchidman10, on Flickr


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

The betta will be here tomorrow  im hoping he gets here safely!  im doing another waterchange tonight to prepare for him


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## Centromochlus (May 19, 2008)

If only those stones were slightly larger! I have a feeling that they'll just get covered up after you plant the tank... Looks good though. Perhaps you could add a few taller/larger rocks to add some contrast?


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

AzFishKid said:


> If only those stones were slightly larger! I have a feeling that they'll just get covered up after you plant the tank... Looks good though. Perhaps you could add a few taller/larger rocks to add some contrast?


i know! i wish they were larger although it looks much better in person. the photos make them look small. when i switch the soil over the aquasoil, ill add more slope. and the way i plan on planting it, they wont get too lost....hopefully. these are the largest rocks i have

i want to plant it like this...maybe with some vivipara in the back though


iwagumi fts by George Farmer, on Flickr


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

Very nice on both of those, Bob. I have been toying around with a stone based scape when I upgrade my 20high to a 28gal rimless. Not sure what type of substrate to use though. The plants in the 4gal are awesome, and I may have accidentally come across some of that same one, not sure though.

P.S. Do you still have the salty setup?


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

cableguy69846 said:


> Very nice on both of those, Bob. I have been toying around with a stone based scape when I upgrade my 20high to a 28gal rimless. Not sure what type of substrate to use though. The plants in the 4gal are awesome, and I may have accidentally come across some of that same one, not sure though.
> 
> P.S. Do you still have the salty setup?


thanks cable! you should do Aquasoil! thats what im planning for the iwagumi.

i bought the anubias micro here on the forum. its awesome and soo small!

no i tore that down a while ago. just wasnt working out. the iwagumi hardscape is in that same tank actually...

hows the fam?


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## AquaStudent (Jan 4, 2011)

Those are awesome looking scapes Bob. Are you working on another tank (hence the images, or is this ideas for a rescape further down the road)?

The rocks you have are amazing. You just can't go wrong with those!


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

orchidman said:


> thanks cable! you should do Aquasoil! thats what im planning for the iwagumi.
> 
> i bought the anubias micro here on the forum. its awesome and soo small!
> 
> ...


I finally got my salty setup. Nothing great and actually I am going to be upgrading big time.

The family is doing well. Keeping me busy though along with work. But I am slowly getting back into the swing of things. How about you?

Sent from my phone via my job's wifi, most likely.


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

AquaStudent said:


> Those are awesome looking scapes Bob. Are you working on another tank (hence the images, or is this ideas for a rescape further down the road)?
> 
> The rocks you have are amazing. You just can't go wrong with those!


i am working on another scape  although it im slowly peicing it together. it wont be setup for a while. some of you may remember that i was planning to do a nature aquarium in the 7.5 mr aqua (the same tank the iwagumi hardscape is in now) it was supposed to look like this


527748_332958720115337_1721926855_n by orchidman10, on Flickr

i already received the manzanita and seiryu stones i traded for, so i was committed to that look. but i was bored and threw that scape together. now i love it and have to at least set it up like that for a while. lol! 



cableguy69846 said:


> I finally got my salty setup. Nothing great and actually I am going to be upgrading big time.
> 
> The family is doing well. Keeping me busy though along with work. But I am slowly getting back into the swing of things. How about you?
> 
> Sent from my phone via my job's wifi, most likely.


nice! send me some pics! whats the setup?

thats good! do you still work at taco bell?




the betta is here! he is healthy albeit very stressed looking, he is drained of all color and has some pretty insane stress lines. buy he looks pretty healthy. i floated the bag and acclimated to temperature and then introduced him into the tank, as instructed from Rachel. his tail is awesome though! probably shouldve thought it out better though, because he is mostly black and so is the background..

ill take some pics once he colors up and once i finish school


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## AquaStudent (Jan 4, 2011)

A light blue background would look great with the scape and provide you with contrast with the Black Orchid. Something else that would be interesting, i don't know how practical it is, but have a red glow emminating from just left of the highest mountain rock, fade that into yellow and orange, and paint the rest of it light blue. That way it looks like a sunrise/sunset. That's just what the hardscape reminds me of for some reason...perhaps because I worked at the observatory here on campus (we're in the mountains) and was working from sunset to sunrise multiple times.


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

turns out he actually stands out pretty well. its not plausible to change the background color here because the background panel is made of black acrylic. so i cant just tape something to the back. if i could though, it would just be frosted glass!

here is a quick photo that i took with my iPod touch. it shows his colors pretty well. although you cant quite see how nice the individual rays of his tail are.



Untitled by orchidman10, on Flickr
he is eating like a beast already


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

orchidman said:


> nice! send me some pics! whats the setup?
> 
> thats good! do you still work at taco bell?


I have a 25ish gallon system consisting of 3 tanks now. There are some pics of that and the family in my thread, but I will try to post some more.










And I am a manager at taco bell now. Not as good as my last job, but it pays the bills and keeps the water boxes full.

Sent from my phone via my job's wifi, most likely.


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

now that is one handsome fish.
wonder where one could get a fish that good-looking. probably only from a particularly talented breeder with very high-quality stock...
lol


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

cableguy69846 said:


> I have a 25ish gallon system consisting of 3 tanks now. There are some pics of that and the family in my thread, but I will try to post some more.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


cool! aww! she is so cute.. although when i asked for pics, i actually meant pics of the SW setup.. :icon_redf:icon_redf



@[email protected] said:


> now that is one handsome fish.
> wonder where one could get a fish that good-looking. probably only from a particularly talented breeder with very high-quality stock...
> lol


petco :iamwithst


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

Lol. Salty set up? Here ya go.










Sent from my phone via my job's wifi, most likely.


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

wow thats a pretty nice setup! what are the inhabitants?

and for clarification, i got the beautiful betta from @[email protected] here on TPT, the best most awesome Betta breeder there is!


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

orchidman said:


> wow thats a pretty nice setup! what are the inhabitants?
> 
> and for clarification, i got the beautiful betta from @[email protected] here on TPT, the best most awesome Betta breeder there is!


A couple of hermits until I upgrade and get some more equipment.

Sent from my phone via my job's wifi, most likely.


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

Cool! If you follow the Flickr link from my photos, you can see the video of him that I just uploaded.


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

im starting to get some diatoms on the rocks and plants. it is getting a water change tonight which hopefully should help some. some of the plants have pulled out of the substrate and are now floating freely. ill plant them again when i do my WC. i think the betta uprooted them when he was trying to find a cozy place to sleep. 

does anyone have suggestions on what to do for the diatoms. there are tiny bits of what looks like hair algae too, but i cant tell. I asked frank what he though, he said add amano shrimp, but some of the plants have been pulled up and im not sure the plants ar rooted firmly enough for the amanos. so does anyone have suggestions?


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

Anyone?


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

yeah bettas arent too gentle on the plants. it doesnt help that your substrate is probably a bit too large in particle size for the roots to really penetrate well.

for the diatoms, there isnt much but manual removal from the glass, frequent water changes, and possibly algae eaters. amanos or otos (though i dont advise having a school of otos in a tank that small).


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

@[email protected] said:


> yeah bettas arent too gentle on the plants. it doesnt help that your substrate is probably a bit too large in particle size for the roots to really penetrate well.
> 
> for the diatoms, there isnt much but manual removal from the glass, frequent water changes, and possibly algae eaters. amanos or otos (though i dont advise having a school of otos in a tank that small).


Thanks for replying Marko! Yeah they definitely aren't, hah. But only a few plants have floated up the rest seem okay and he has finished the initial days of exploring the tank. So I don't think he will be trying to nestle in the plants as much anymore. Because he has already found a sleeping spot. 

I've decided to tie the Anubias that have floated to rocks and then if others float I can tie them down as well. 

Now that I don't have to worry about that, I can either add Amanos of Otos. I have other tanks I could rehome the Otos Into once the algae is mostly cleared. So I could do Otos. But I could also do Amanos. Anyone know which is better?


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

the otos will probably give you more bang for your buck, as an oto costs similarly to an amano shrimp, but shrimp require less food than similarly sized fish.


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

that makes sense, maybe ill get some otos then.

what do you think of addign some pygmy corys to the tank? they are so cute


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

im processing some really awesome photos right now! ill post them real soon


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## Geniusdudekiran (Dec 6, 2010)

@[email protected] said:


> now that is one handsome fish.
> wonder where one could get a fish that good-looking. probably only from a particularly talented breeder with very high-quality stock...
> lol


Bahahaha!


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

here are the pics guys!!! they came out awesome!!! here they are enjoy!


DSC_0011 by orchidman10, on Flickr


DSC_0007 by orchidman10, on Flickr


DSC_0038 by orchidman10, on Flickr

The stud himself!


DSC_0012 by orchidman10, on Flickr


DSC_0018 by orchidman10, on Flickr


DSC_0021 by orchidman10, on Flickr


DSC_0021-2 by orchidman10, on Flickr


DSC_0023-2 by orchidman10, on Flickr


DSC_0025 by orchidman10, on Flickr


DSC_0031 by orchidman10, on Flickr



DSC_0032 by orchidman10, on Flickr


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## Geniusdudekiran (Dec 6, 2010)

Good job man... excellent shots. Love that fourth one, with the reflection.


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

Geniusdudekiran said:


> Good job man... excellent shots. Love that fourth one, with the reflection.


thanks!!!! the fourth one is my favorite as well! its the 3rd photo i took :icon_roll i figured out an awesome lighting setup to get great photos!

in case anyone is wondering, NONE OF THESE PHOTOS HAVE THE COLORS ENHANCED!


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## Meganne (Sep 3, 2012)

wonderful pictures!


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

Meganne said:


> wonderful pictures!


thanks!!

i can explain the lighting setup if anyone really wants to know


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## AquaStudent (Jan 4, 2011)

Those are awesome shots! Absolutely explain your lighting. That's one of the biggest challenges in fish tank photography...the lighting is not always optimal.

I do like the photo with the reflection as well. I love that it shows the reflection off of both edges of the glass! HOORAY PHYSICS!


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

excellent shots. love #4, and the face close-up.


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

AquaStudent said:


> Those are awesome shots! Absolutely explain your lighting. That's one of the biggest challenges in fish tank photography...the lighting is not always optimal.
> 
> I do like the photo with the reflection as well. I love that it shows the reflection off of both edges of the glass! HOORAY PHYSICS!


thanks!!! 

sure! Here is a photo showing the setup... the background is a peice of white matte board, i didnt have the flash over top of the tank like i usually do, because side lighting shows off the colors better. and since i overexposed everything besides the fish is white

hah! its actually showing on the mirror.



@[email protected] said:


> excellent shots. love #4, and the face close-up.


thanks! I love the closeup! he looks like a killer!


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## Geniusdudekiran (Dec 6, 2010)

The mirror goes inside of the tank?


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

Geniusdudekiran said:


> The mirror goes inside of the tank?


no the mirror is right on the outside of the tank. its actually a big mirror that i have on my dresser, i just moved it for the photos


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

theres starting to be a pretty nasty surface film. any ideas how to get rid of it?

i cleaned the diatoms, but they are starting to come back. and i see some hair algae on some plants too. its not looking so hot


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

orchidman said:


> theres starting to be a pretty nasty surface film. any ideas how to get rid of it?
> 
> i cleaned the diatoms, but they are starting to come back. and i see some hair algae on some plants too. its not looking so hot


Surface agitation, filter carbon or an HOB filter would do it lol


From MABJ's iPhone
2G Fluval Spec ~ fauna and flora in the works!


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

MABJ said:


> Surface agitation, filter carbon or an HOB filter would do it lol
> 
> 
> From MABJ's iPhone
> 2G Fluval Spec ~ fauna and flora in the works!


i just added carbon the other day, so maybe that will help. although it hasnt yet...

there isnt space for a HOB filter and the flow needs to stay low because of the betta, so i wont be able to get anymore surface agitation..


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

You may need to live with a little surface agitation or a little film :/ I have a sump on my spec, and the surface of the water is almost never broken. I get a slight film too. 


From MABJ's iPhone
2G Fluval Spec ~ fauna and flora in the works!


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

i have the output so that the surface ripples, but the film is so thick that it just mived up and down, its not broken. its really nasty


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

orchidman said:


> i have the output so that the surface ripples, but the film is so thick that it just mived up and down, its not broken. its really nasty


Oh that's extremely odd..... I didn't know it was so bad.. I don't know what it might be. I've never had that happen.. It is cycled yeah?


From MABJ's iPhone
2G Fluval Spec ~ fauna and flora in the works!


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

yeah its definitely cycled. its like a normal surface film, but 2x as dense. its not like and measurable thickness, but it is enough to not break from the surface ripling


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

take a paper towel about as big as the tanks surface lay it on, and take it off. it will remove the majority of the film with it.


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

@[email protected] said:


> take a paper towel about as big as the tanks surface lay it on, and take it off. it will remove the majority of the film with it.


it just comes back eventually. but that does help! i will do that periodically if it gets bad! i forgot about that!!


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

do you have a surface skimmer? thats a permanent and 100% effective solution, though they arent too pretty.
also i had a bad experience with one and a juvinile betta (about 1" long) that tried to swim through it and got stuck and died. i doubt an adult would fit in at all though.


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

@[email protected] said:


> do you have a surface skimmer? thats a permanent and 100% effective solution, though they arent too pretty.
> also i had a bad experience with one and a juvinile betta (about 1" long) that tried to swim through it and got stuck and died. i doubt an adult would fit in at all though.


no i dont, haha. they are definitely bulky and ugly, so im not going that route, lol. i might try leaving the water level low when i do water changes so it get oxygenate the water. thats what Frank suggests in his journal


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

Small airstone?

Sent from my phone via my job's wifi, most likely.


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

oddly enough, i woke up this morning, and for the most part, its gone! haha! i think its because i intentionally let the water get a little low to that the outflow could break the surface more.

next problem to tackle are these diatomas and hair algae:\


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Light period, extra nutrients and feeding habits should fix you there. 


From MABJ's iPhone
2G Fluval Spec ~ fauna and flora in the works!


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

the light period is 8 hours i believe. ill have to double check. i dont have a fertilizer other then what nutrients are in the used eco-complete. and i only feed what he eats, if he misses one, i fish it out.


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## tomfromstlouis (Apr 2, 2012)

That is a very handsome fish and a very nice aquascape. However, every betta I have ever had really enjoyed floating plants or plants near the surface. Think a couple floaters would harm your growth?


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

thanks!! yeah a couple floaters wouldnt harm the growth. but it would really take away from the scape


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

honestly, my bettas all ignore the floaters they have.
but a bit of giant hairgrass or c. balansae against the very back could help add some vertical lines to the scape, and add more environment for the fish.


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

i was thinking about adding hairgrass, but though id let it grow in like this first. that way i only have to worry about 1 plant coming unplanted at once. and to see if i still think i need it or now. and i also dont have an yet, haha! if i add some, ill add it when i get the DHG in for my 7.5g iwagumi!

i wish the background was white!!!


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

So far so good. I was getting some diatoms so I treated with h2o2 and its cleared up. There is the teensiest bit of hair algae( like 3 strings) that's been there since day 1. It hasn't grown at all the it hasn't died either. It's really not noticeable though. 

The betta is health and nothing much is happening. It's just an easy LOWWWW Maintenance tank I'm totally loving it!!


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

You should pull the hair algae... I had an awful nightmare with that recently. 


From MABJ's iPhone
2G Fluval Spec ~ fauna and flora in the works!


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

really? maybe i should then. im just afraid of uprooting the anubias its hanging on to. the things are pains to get planted and if they get pulled up, they basically have to start ALL over again getting established with their roots. ill see what i can do though! thanks!


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

orchidman said:


> really? maybe i should then. im just afraid of uprooting the anubias its hanging on to. the things are pains to get planted and if they get pulled up, they basically have to start ALL over again getting established with their roots. ill see what i can do though! thanks!


No problem. If you have tweezers and scissors I'd just cut then pull. It's how I did a lot before I yanked everything. 


From MABJ's iPhone
2G Fluval Spec ~ fauna and flora in the works!


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

for some reason when i try to cut these anubias with my special scissors, the anubias pulls up


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

i added some DHG 'Belem' to the tank becaise i had extra from something. it looks really awesome! im loving this tank!


and i had enough extra DHG 'Belem' to do this...


DSC_0058 by orchidman10, on Flickr


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## 150EH (Dec 6, 2004)

Both of the tanks look nice, it's hard to go wrong with such nice looking stone, and I never thought I would pay someone for a rock but I might have to break down and do it.

The betta is cool and would make a great Tatoo.


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## 150EH (Dec 6, 2004)

We only have one member with 'Belem' but I would like to get my hands on some, for now I got lucky and my LFS had Lilaeopsis mauritiana potted for $5.98 and it looks very similar.


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

150EH said:


> Both of the tanks look nice, it's hard to go wrong with such nice looking stone, and I never thought I would pay someone for a rock but I might have to break down and do it.
> 
> The betta is cool and would make a great Tatoo.


thanks alot! i really love the seiryu stones! they are awesome! i wish i got more, i want some larger ones!!!

haha that would be a sick tattoo!!



150EH said:


> We only have one member with 'Belem' but I would like to get my hands on some, for now I got lucky and my LFS had Lilaeopsis mauritiana potted for $5.98 and it looks very similar.


i like it better then regular DHG! im hoping to be able to sell it in a little while!


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

here are some quick phone shots! i really love the way the DHG 'Belem' looks!! 


mms_picture.jpg 2 by orchidman10, on Flickr


mms_picture.jpg 2 by orchidman10, on Flickr'

side view


mms_picture.jpg by orchidman10, on Flickr


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

ive got some diatoms that wont go away, guess ill just have to wait it out

there are, on the walls, tiny white specs. when i changed the water saturday, i cleaned them all off. on monday i noticed tiny white "squiggles" on the glass that move, i have no idea what they are! any ideas? and now today i noticed that the white specs are back on the glass and so tiny worm squiggles are still there


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Squiggles like a capital S? If so, good for you. Those are a healthy microfauna called nematodes. 

Fish love them, bettas will gobble them up. 

Tiny white specs easily can be identified as either Copepods or Daphnea on close inspection. 

Things that can at some point also look like white specs: some hydra (not often) premature planaria, certain eggs. 

Chances are it falls into one of those two lists. 


MABJ's iDevice used for this message


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

they arent that squiggly. more like ) squiggly. althoguh they move. they are SUPER tiny, like literally as big as this bar _ and they are white

the white dots are not daphnea or copepods. the white dots are literally this big .


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

orchidman said:


> they arent that squiggly. more like ) squiggly. althoguh they move. they are SUPER tiny, like literally as big as this bar _ and they are white
> 
> the white dots are not daphnea or copepods. the white dots are literally this big .


Ok then, they're not nematodes. Those are planaria in my opinion. I obviously can't ID anything 100% without a picture, I'm just giving you my best guesses. 


MABJ's iDevice used for this message


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

they are TINY ill try to get a photo, but i doubt i will be able to get one thats clear even with my d90 and nice lens


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

orchidman said:


> they are TINY ill try to get a photo, but i doubt i will be able to get one thats clear even with my d90 and nice lens


I can get pics of Copepods and small hydra on my iPhone. It leads me to believe you will get something at least. 


MABJ's iDevice used for this message


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## crazydaz (Mar 18, 2007)

Whoa! Cool little set up you got there, Bob!! Are those Buces in there with the hair grass?


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

I don't have time to breakout the real camera. But this is the best up I can get on my iPod touch. You can't see the worm like things. But the specs you can see. 

Thanks crazydays! They are not Bucephalus. Buces would be much too large! What you see are Anubias barteri 'micro' each leaf is the size of a pencil eraser!


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## crazydaz (Mar 18, 2007)

Oh, I had forgot that Micro was out there now....I have a little bit of Petite, and that's small enough!! For my tank, at least! 

Nothing wrong with having sweet micro fauna, Bob!! Sign of a very healthy system!! Good job!


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

crazydaz said:


> Oh, I had forgot that Micro was out there now....I have a little bit of Petite, and that's small enough!! For my tank, at least!
> 
> Nothing wrong with having sweet micro fauna, Bob!! Sign of a very healthy system!! Good job!


yeah when i got it it was pretty new, im glad to have found someone who was willing to part with it, and for a good price to less! its really an awesome plant, it just has a habit of liking to pull free out of the substrate, but thats because the way i planted it wasnt very secure. i just buried the roots but kept the rhizome above the surface. they are finally starting to grow some roots and get a good hold. ill probably wait a while to clean the diatoms off again, long enough to i dont uproot all the anuias again and make them start all over with getting established...yeah, in your huge tank, these 'micro' would dissapear! i really love the anubias and hairgrass combo though!

thanks! im jsut hoping that they arent harmful thats all.


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

heres my latest hardscape...



DSC_0007.jpg by orchidman-10, on Flickr


DSC_0006.jpg by orchidman-10, on Flickr


DSC_0005.jpg by orchidman-10, on Flickr


DSC_0004.jpg by orchidman-10, on Flickr


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

probably aquatic nematodes or maybe annelids. i have those. 
dont worry, they were in your bettas tank from before he hatched, so they are harmless. when he was smaller they were food, now hes grown spoiled on bloodworms and brine shrimp no doubt. but if one gets peeled off of what its crawling on and squiggles past his face he will probably chomp down.
i had planaria too. also food. and cyclops, and these little bugs on the surface, and a different kind of tiny worm. just took some moss from my shrimp tank and left it in a jar on the window occasionally adding a bit of fish food. then when there were little things everywhere (right around the time of the spawn) i emptied the jar in the spawning tank to have microfauna for the betta fry to graze on between feedings.


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

@[email protected] said:


> probably aquatic nematodes or maybe annelids. i have those.
> dont worry, they were in your bettas tank from before he hatched, so they are harmless. when he was smaller they were food, now hes grown spoiled on bloodworms and brine shrimp no doubt. but if one gets peeled off of what its crawling on and squiggles past his face he will probably chomp down.
> i had planaria too. also food. and cyclops, and these little bugs on the surface, and a different kind of tiny worm. just took some moss from my shrimp tank and left it in a jar on the window occasionally adding a bit of fish food. then when there were little things everywhere (right around the time of the spawn) i emptied the jar in the spawning tank to have microfauna for the betta fry to graze on between feedings.


lol good to know! i saw him take a bite of one the other night.


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

just a heads up, dlast night my friend and I named the betta Paul..


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

does anyone know approximately how long ill have to cycle with amazonia before i can add fish?


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## AquaStudent (Jan 4, 2011)

orchidman said:


> just a heads up, dlast night my friend and I named the betta Paul..


I named my betta after a Paul too Paul Dirac  I bet it's the same Paul you were thinking of 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_dirac


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## jkan0228 (Feb 6, 2011)

orchidman said:


> does anyone know approximately how long ill have to cycle with amazonia before i can add fish?


Atleast a month. Which version do you have? 

You can speed up the cycle up increasing the temperature and attempt to keep the pH around neutral (although kinda hard with aquasoil)


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

AquaStudent said:


> I named my betta after a Paul too Paul Dirac  I bet it's the same Paul you were thinking of
> 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_dirac


Lol I'm not sure which Paul mine is named after. A friend named him

As for the Amazonia, it's the newest kind. I'll have filters from another tank running on it too, would that change the wait?


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## jkan0228 (Feb 6, 2011)

If a filter is seeded then yes it will speed up the process.


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

jkan0228 said:


> If a filter is seeded then yes it will speed up the process.


Any idea how much time it would be then? Guess I will just have to get my test kit out and monitor it.


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## jkan0228 (Feb 6, 2011)

orchidman said:


> Any idea how much time it would be then? Guess I will just have to get my test kit out and monitor it.


You answered your own question. Each setup is unique. pH and temperature play a vital role in cycling.


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## Rion (Dec 29, 2006)

If its the Lonely mountain why isn't the betta called Smaug?


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

Rion said:


> If its the Lonely mountain why isn't the betta called Smaug?


Haha excuse me for not being a buff on whichever movie or book with Smaug in it. Haha which movie would that be? I wasn't aware the lonely mountain was a fictional element. Hahahahbaha


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

here is a Bacopa monnieri wabi kusa. i have it in my emersed setup. i want to slowly grow a bunch of wabi kusa and then be able to plant with wabi kusa the way Amano did for the Sumida Aquarium


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

orchidman said:


> here is a Bacopa monnieri wabi kusa. i have it in my emersed setup. i want to slowly grow a bunch of wabi kusa and then be able to plant with wabi kusa the way Amano did for the Sumida Aquarium


No pic attached!


MABJ's iDevice used for this message


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## Kathyy (Feb 22, 2010)

http://moviebuzzers.com/2011/06/17/hobbit-casting-luke-evans-bard-benedict-cumberbatch-voice-smaug/
Tolkien's original illustration of Smaug is on this page from The Hobbit. I am anxiously awaiting Peter Jackson's version coming out in a couple weeks.

I see Smaug the betta as being a red and gold crown tail with an attitude.


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

MABJ said:


> No pic attached!
> 
> 
> MABJ's iDevice used for this message


sorry!!


DSC_0064.jpg by orchidman-10, on Flickr





Kathyy said:


> http://moviebuzzers.com/2011/06/17/hobbit-casting-luke-evans-bard-benedict-cumberbatch-voice-smaug/
> Tolkien's original illustration of Smaug is on this page from The Hobbit. I am anxiously awaiting Peter Jackson's version coming out in a couple weeks.
> 
> I see Smaug the betta as being a red and gold crown tail with an attitude.


HAHHAHHZHA! i didnt even know that, if i did i might have tried to make it look more like the mountain! im excited to see the hobbit though!!


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Man that Wabi is awesome!!! How'd you do it?


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

thanks mark!! 

I wrapped an aquarium-safe stone in high quality AAAAA New Zealand sphagnum moss and secured it with fishing line. then i wrapped it with a few stems of bacopa monnieri and let it grow. recently the stems were getting leggy so i took them and wound them back around the wabi kusa ball. 

funny story with this one, it used to have ludwigia repens, ludwigia paulustris 'red', and glosso on it, and it was kept in a a fishbowl with an inch of water being misted once a day ( you can see it here http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=188792 ) but i got lazy and didnt mist in FOREVER basically let them die. about a week ago, i looked and the bacopa monnieri was still alive!! so i pulled the dead plants off and threw it in my emersed tank thats covered and stays super humid 24/7. and it grea great, and so i took this photo yesterday.... i also cleaned off the other two wabi kusa balls and replanted with healthy plants. i did one with all DHG 'Belem', im super excited about this one!!! and one with glosso, bacopa monnieri, and fissidens. ill update those once they start growing!


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## Rion (Dec 29, 2006)

The Lonely Mountain is the location in which they journey to in The Hobbit by Tolkien. Smaug is the dragon that lives in the mountain after evicting dwarves from it with fire.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Wow. Thats so cool! I kinda like it with just the bacopa on it. How will you keep this?


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

Rion said:


> The Lonely Mountain is the location in which they journey to in The Hobbit by Tolkien. Smaug is the dragon that lives in the mountain after evicting dwarves from it with fire.


gotcha, thats awesome! if i did that in a tank i would get one of these and name is Smaug! 
http://www.bettaterritory.nl/Dragons-Reddragon(Smilebetta).jpg

the coloration makes this a Red Dragon Halmoon Betta! perfect huh? if only they were crowntail! ive never seen Red Dragon coloration on a crowntail..mine is a Black Orchid CT (whcih is awesome because im the orchid man!)



MABJ said:


> Wow. Thats so cool! I kinda like it with just the bacopa on it. How will you keep this?


thanks!! i like it alot too! its simple and allows us to appreciate the simple beauty and simplicity of a single plant. like i said before, i want to grow a bunch of these with just a single species on then and use them to plant an aquarium the way amano did for the Sumida aquarium!


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Well very, very nice. 

I'll still be following along!


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## Amandas tank (Oct 2, 2012)

Man that is a gorgeous hardscape! I would have a hard time planting around that worried it'd get swollowed up in time by plants! Excellent design


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

havent seen any new pics in a while of the actual lonely mountain with the betta. how is that one progressing?


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

MABJ said:


> Well very, very nice.
> 
> I'll still be following along!


thanks! ill certainly keep you posted!  



Amandas tank said:


> Man that is a gorgeous hardscape! I would have a hard time planting around that worried it'd get swollowed up in time by plants! Excellent design


thanks!! I originally wanted just to have the anubias 'micro' (which is a PAIN) but then i got sporatic and added the DHG 'Belem' and it looks great. i recently trimmed all teh DHG because i had a little diatoms left and i was told that trimming DHG is good for it so i trimmed it. but i forgot that this is low light so it will be awhile before it grows back. lol





@[email protected] said:


> havent seen any new pics in a while of the actual lonely mountain with the betta. how is that one progressing?



the diatoms are finally fading out!! woohooooo!!! but if you read above about trimming the DHG, you can guess it doesnt look amazing right now. but i still enjoy it. if only dang anubias 'micro's wouldnt keep flaoting up! and i keep getting a surface film...

the betta is doing well. he is still getting over some mild fin rot though.


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

you can tie a plant wieght around the roots of each of the anubias. that will keep them down. thats how i got the a. petite in my 30C to stay down originally. now its probably attached enough to the substrate and the rock its next to.

surface films are a common issue in betta tanks. cuz they like low flow, and low flow can result in surface film accumulation. 
paper towel trick.


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

Yeah I've been meaning to. But they are so tiny it hard to do without damaging them. I did It for one it two already. I just keep thinking that they will stay ( stupid me ) they just keep getting pulled up from random accident and things that hopefully won't repeat but putting them back and getting them to stay without ruining the Rest if the scape it difficult


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## marioman72 (Jan 22, 2010)

that drift wood hard scape is bad ass! and tanks coming along nicely


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

marioman72 said:


> that drift wood hard scape is bad ass! and tanks coming along nicely


Thanks!!! There is just one slight problem. It was a real pain to scale and get things to stay where they need to go. (That's not the problem, but it will be) when I did this scale I did it just as a test in a dirt broken old 20g long tank. So before I can actually use it, I need to transfer it to a new tank. I'm not sure how I'm going to do that :/


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## marioman72 (Jan 22, 2010)

well u could take a couple of pictures of it from different views then u can just rebuild it in the same fashion as u had it? might not be exactly the same but can get it pretty close


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

marioman72 said:


> well u could take a couple of pictures of it from different views then u can just rebuild it in the same fashion as u had it? might not be exactly the same but can get it pretty close


yeah i took some high quality photos ( i think i posted them) and did a closeup on each section and then from above. so thats how i guess ill do it.. it will just be a pain!


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## marioman72 (Jan 22, 2010)

yea lol a really big pain, looks like that took forever to get all thos pieces in the right spot, suppose it would be easier once u have substrate to hold everything in place


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

marioman72 said:


> yea lol a really big pain, looks like that took forever to get all thos pieces in the right spot, suppose it would be easier once u have substrate to hold everything in place


it definitely did! i dont know that aquasoil would do much in holding them up. it tooks hours of rock wedging and manipulating to get here...oh well!


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## marioman72 (Jan 22, 2010)

lmao, yea the aqua soil might hold the rocks in place haha idk


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

marioman72 said:


> lmao, yea the aqua soil might hold the rocks in place haha idk


the rocks were fine, its the wood staying, i wish i just bought some peices that were larger singular pecies, instead of a bunch of sticks


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## marioman72 (Jan 22, 2010)

yea that def would have helped make things easier lol can always screw them together?


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

i could, but the way they are arranged wouldnt really allow for that. i have a few rubberbanded together. so that should help a little...so before i scaped this, about 2 weeks ago, the wood had been soaking for a few months and was fully water logged and sunk very easily..do you guys think ill have trouble with them trying to float once i eventually fill? i hope they dont! im waiting for petco to have a $1 per gallon sale and then ill get the new tank and transfer the scape over. then ill put the tank on my orchid stand under my grow lights and do a dry start with the fissidens and ill add whatever plants i can as i buy them. then once it finally grows in, ill fill it and let it cycle. once its cycled ill add the fish over from the other tank. 

so for the 4g im really wishing i had used aquasoil! but its too late now, because i cant think of how to switch to aquasoil now because of the monomania leaching.

im thinking its time to get some superglue and glue these anubias 'micro' to some small rocks. because they are making me SOOO MAD because they keep flaoting up and ive had it with trying to deal with them! lol im also thinking it might be wise to find somewhere in the scape wherei could add a bushy plant that the betta could hide in ( any suggestions as to plants or placement?!) because the poot guy doesn have much space to hide...maybe i should just rescape and do something with denser coverage..idk


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

maybe add some blyxa in patches around the rocks?
honestly, if you want it just for the betta to feel more secure, add some floaters. bettas love surface cover.


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

@[email protected] said:


> maybe add some blyxa in patches around the rocks?
> honestly, if you want it just for the betta to feel more secure, add some floaters. bettas love surface cover.


do you think blyxa would be way too large and throw off the scale? 

hmmm do you think floaters would mess with the look of the tank? anyone got any spare flaoters?


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

So got tired of the Anubias floating, so I took all the ones that floated up and I dipped the roots and rhizome in super glue and then dipped them in a bowl of Eco complete. It worked and now they stay down and you can't tell thy have anything on them! I was stupid before to trim the dhg. So I yanked that all out an replanted with new dhg from an emerged tank. And I planted he dhg as thick as I could. I think it looks great! I don't have time to get photos. Sorry.


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

UPDATE TIME!!! 

I finally got tired of the Anubias floating up, so i took them all and dipped the roots in super glue and them dipped the roots in dry Eco-complete. it worked awesome and they are all stating put!! and i replanted a lot more DHG 'Belem' this is the best its ever looked!!   


DSC_0068.jpg by orchidman-10, on Flickr


DSC_0066.jpg by orchidman-10, on Flickr


DSC_0065.jpg by orchidman-10, on Flickr

Look how bowed the acrylic is :icon_eek::icon_eek::icon_eek:


DSC_0069.jpg by orchidman-10, on Flickr

And the king of the castle!


DSC_0070.jpg by orchidman-10, on Flickr

checkout the little spot of red in his tail..didnt see that before. guess its a little Red Devil instead of full Black Orchid  (any thoughts Marko?)


DSC_0075.jpg by orchidman-10, on Flickr


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Woah, what a stunning fish!

If only they didn't eat $100 shrimp...



orchidman said:


> DSC_0075.jpg by orchidman-10, on Flickr


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## marioman72 (Jan 22, 2010)

very nice! the belem looking really good and love that betta!


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

somewhatshocked said:


> Woah, what a stunning fish!
> 
> If only they didn't eat $100 shrimp...


thanks! this photo isnt as nice as the ones i posted before, but thanks!



marioman72 said:


> very nice! the belem looking really good and love that betta!



thanks!!!


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## ikuzo (Jul 11, 2006)

now the mountain is not so lonely
amazing betta

what brand of super glue did you use?


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

ikuzo said:


> now the mountain is not so lonely
> amazing betta
> 
> what brand of super glue did you use?


thanks!!! 

i think it was an off brand, probably from the dollar store. i asked my dad for some and this is what he already had. haha


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## crazydaz (Mar 18, 2007)

I love it Bob! What a pretty set up, and a gorgeous fish!! Just plain nice!!!!


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

crazydaz said:


> I love it Bob! What a pretty set up, and a gorgeous fish!! Just plain nice!!!!


thanks so much!!!!! i worked hard on it! :biggrin::biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

wonder where one could get a fish that pretty...
lol, couldnt resist.

the scape looks really good. great call on the super glue by the way.


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

@[email protected] said:


> wonder where one could get a fish that pretty...
> lol, couldnt resist.
> 
> the scape looks really good. great call on the super glue by the way.


petco roud: roud:

(couldnt resist, lol! you breeed great fish!)

would you call this black orchid or red devil? it has a tiny bit of red in the tail


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## jkan0228 (Feb 6, 2011)

Nice! Can't wait to see everything fill in and make your tank lush and green


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

jkan0228 said:


> Nice! Can't wait to see everything fill in and make your tank lush and green


thanks! and haha you'll be waiting a long time and so will i! haha! theres no co2 so it will take a while


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## AquaMD (Nov 29, 2012)

WTF is going on with that electrical panel in the back?



orchidman said:


> DSC_0034.jpg by orchidman10, on Flickr


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

Nothing that I know of. Are you commenting on the stickers?


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

the anubias are staying down!! WOOOOOHOOOOOO im glad the super glue worked


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

Here is an update on my Wabi Kusa.

This one has all Bacopa monnieri and somehow one stem of Ludwigia repens stuck on it too. After I photographed it, i trimmed the long stems and re-tied them on.


DSC_0143.jpg by orchidman-10, on Flickr

This one I planted pretty recently, maybe a week and a half ago. Its Glossostigma elatinoides and Bacopa monnieri, it also has a little fissidens on it, but im not sure if its still there, it grows super slow.


DSC_0147.jpg by orchidman-10, on Flickr

This one is all Eleocharis belem.


DSC_0148.jpg by orchidman-10, on Flickr



And it wouldn't be one of my journals if it didn't include some flowers, so here ya go!!


DSC_0160.jpg by orchidman-10, on Flickr


DSC_0156.jpg by orchidman-10, on Flickr


DSC_0170.jpg by orchidman-10, on Flickr


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## talontsiawd (Oct 19, 2008)

Love how it looks with the added hairgrass in the tank. The Wabi Kusa balls look awesome as well.


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

talontsiawd said:


> Love how it looks with the added hairgrass in the tank. The Wabi Kusa balls look awesome as well.


Thanks! I love it too!!  And thanks, I love them!


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

like the e. belem wk.


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

@[email protected] said:


> like the e. belem wk.


Thanks! It hasn't filled in yet. But it's cool!


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## mahko (Dec 10, 2011)

Looking nice! Thanks for linking me from my journal. Have you any pics of the wabi kusa placed in your house? I always enjoy 'room shots'.


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

Yep! And thanks for looking! I don't. I don't save anywhere nice to display them. Right now they are in one one my emersed setup a. It's not very pretty. Haha.


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

Nice lookin stuff man. That fish is a BEAST.


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

cableguy69846 said:


> Nice lookin stuff man. That fish is a BEAST.


Thanks Cable!!! 


Guess what guys!! ITS SNOWING! :angel::angel::angel::angel::angel::angel::angel::angel::angel::angel::angel::angel::angel::angel::angel::angel::angel::angel::angel::angel::angel::angel::angel::angel::angel::angel::angel::angel::angel::angel::angel::angel:

Merry Christmas Everyone!


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## AquaStudent (Jan 4, 2011)

Keep it up Bob. Things are looking good. Merry Christmas and enjoy the snow


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

AquaStudent said:


> Keep it up Bob. Things are looking good. Merry Christmas and enjoy the snow


thanks!!! i have 1 anubias thats trying to float, ugh  it wouldnt be a problem but when putting it back in, i always manage to uproot the rest of the tank.


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## AquaStudent (Jan 4, 2011)

Yep. There's a point where you can't add without messing up what's there


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

AquaStudent said:


> Yep. There's a point where you can't add without messing up what's there


Yeah...except for this isn't adding, its putting back... I'll take care of it later, ill just let it float for now. It seems this particular location doesn't like to keep plants..maybe I'll have to just replace it with DHG.


I setup a new emersed setup in an old 10 gallon. Here is the list of what i have in it:

Lymnophyla aromatica
HC
HM
UG
Lebelia cardinalis Sp. Dwarf (Picked it up when I saw it at That Fish Place)
Ludwigia paulustris 'Red'
Rotala Sp. Bangladesh
Rotala rotundifolia 'Colorata'
Roatala Sp. Magenta
Rotala macrandra
Alteranthera reineckii

Growing elsewhere I have:

Eleocharis belem
Bacopa monnieri
Bacopa lanigera
Anubias barteri 'Micro'
Persicaria 'Sao Paolo'
Nymphaea Spp. (Dwarf red lily)
Glossostigma elatinoides 
Fissidens fontanus


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

orchidman said:


> Lebelia cardinalis Sp. Dwarf (Picked it up when I saw it at That Fish Place)


Are you also a WNY'er?



MABJ's iDevice used for this message


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

MABJ said:


> Are you also a WNY'er?
> 
> 
> 
> MABJ's iDevice used for this message


WNY'er? Haha, I'm not altogether sure what that stands for.. Westnern New Yorker? I am a central PA'er. I live an hour away from Lancaster, but I have volleyball practice twice a week in Lancaster, so I stopped by before practice on day.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Oh hmm. Perhaps there is another shop with that name down there. 

I recently went to That Fish Place in Buffalo, and I loved it. 

I go to St. Bonaventure university, so I'm like 10 minutes from PA. 


MABJ's iDevice used for this message


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

MABJ said:


> Oh hmm. Perhaps there is another shop with that name down there.
> 
> I recently went to That Fish Place in Buffalo, and I loved it.
> 
> ...


Hmm thats odd. I've never heard of it. This one is in a big warehouse, has an awesome array of livestock and lots of equipment. I always ask them to match their online price though, because their website is invariably cheaper than their retail store.


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## AquaStudent (Jan 4, 2011)

How are you enjoying the snow? I'm snowed in at my grandmas 2 hours north of Albany. We're heading back to Virginia tomorrow (originally today) then back to school at Alfred University in WNY (in mid Jan).


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

AquaStudent said:


> How are you enjoying the snow? I'm snowed in at my grandmas 2 hours north of Albany. We're heading back to Virginia tomorrow (originally today) then back to school at Alfred University in WNY (in mid Jan).


Loving it, haha! I went outside and took photos of me wearing Sperry Topsiders in the snow..don't ask me why, haha!


DSC_0082 by orchidman10, on Flickr


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## marioman72 (Jan 22, 2010)

sperrys are always super fresh haha


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

marioman72 said:


> sperrys are always super fresh haha


Yep! Haha, I love them!


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

So I had some _Myriophyllum mattogrossense_ floating in this tank, just to give the betta a little more cover. Well last night at like 1:30am I was topping off the tank and I decided to get creative. So I too the top two inches of a few Myrio stems and planted them sort of behind the main stone. They look really cool! My plan is to keep them trimmed pretty low. I would've used another plant, maybe _Rotala rotundifolia_ 'Colorata' but I don't have any.. Someone sent me some stem plants to grow emersed, but a lot of them died, I think the cold from shipping and then transferring to emersed just got to be too stressful for them. So I have tow ait until it warms up to switch anything.


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## crazydaz (Mar 18, 2007)

Bob! Pics man! PICS!!! :lol:


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

Ask and you shall receive! Bad pics, but better than nothing!


Untitled by orchidman-10, on Flickr


Untitled by orchidman-10, on Flickr


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## shinycard255 (Sep 15, 2011)

I gotta say, this is a very pleasant tank to look at. I love the colors of the betta as well. I've got the same tank except mine has orange pumpkin shrimp in it


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

shinycard255 said:


> I gotta say, this is a very pleasant tank to look at. I love the colors of the betta as well.


Thank you very much! I considered tearing it down yesterday  .. I was fed up with the scape. But now I like it again


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

I got some Hydrocotyl sib. I'm thinking of adding a little to this tank. Might look kind of cool.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Been a while since an update! Pics!


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

MABJ said:


> Been a while since an update! Pics!


That's because it looks ugly! Haha! I just finished midterms yesterday, so I barely had time to look at it. Not to mention take care of it! There is some what looks like BGA on the glass and some of the plants. I have a clump of that Hydrocotyl floating in this tank, along with a clump of what I received labelled as E. tenellus but it honestly just looks like Valisneria, its huge. The Betta has been enjoying the added cover to hide in though. I think I want to get some floaters for him. I'm gonna have to wait until it warms up though, its freezing here! It's like 12*F outside today.  Brrr. 

Something else cool that I noticed, I have flowers on my Bacopa monnieri Wabi Kusa! I gotta photograph it, it looks awesome! 

On another other note, I think I have everything I need to setup this 20 long!! I have....

30" 2 bulb T5NO Coralife Aqualight
Eheim 2213 (I need to get some clear tubing though)
An appropraite sized heater
Manzanita
Seiryu stones
Aquasoil (Not a lot, but im planning on having it just in the corners, with cosmetic sand over most of it)

Things I need..

Cosmetic sand
plants
MONEY

I don't have many plants yet though, it's too cold to ship obviously, and I don't really have any money. I do have some fissidens I got for this project a while ago though. I'm thinking of setting it up and and growing the fissidens on it emersed and blasting it with tons of light. So the fissidens looks nice and natural. 

Another thing is I still have that Mr. Aqua 7.5 rimless bowfront. And I have lily pipes I could use for this tank. I'm with whether I should do it in that tank instead of the 20 long. 

Something else I have been wanting to try is doing a small tank with just Wabi Kusa. So I might, after re-do this evolve and plant it with like 5 wabi kusa and a little manzanita. 


I'll see if I can get pics!


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

On another note, allow me to celebrate! I ended the semester with a 3.75 GPA! Before midterms I had a 3.9 but I got a B in pre-calculus. :'( But hey, 3.75 isn't that bad!! And I still have the second semester to bring it up.


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## marioman72 (Jan 22, 2010)

orchidman said:


> I got some Hydrocotyl sib. I'm thinking of adding a little to this tank. Might look kind of cool.


def would look great in this tank. a small about here and there to spill over the hill


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

its not too cold to ship.
i shipped out e. belem a week ago, and got no complaints about it being frozen.
you just gotta use a good bit of insulation (newspaper) and thats it. the boxes spend most of their time next to people, which means the temp will be above freezing for the persons sake.


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

marioman72 said:


> def would look great in this tank. a small about here and there to spill over the hill


Thanks! That's exactly what I was thinking. Just a little bit to add to the mixed carpet look that it has now acquired.

And a note about my tank ideas from above, one of the things that would make me wanna do the scape in the 7.5g is because its rimless and I have lily pipes that would work on it


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

@[email protected] said:


> its not too cold to ship.
> i shipped out e. belem a week ago, and got no complaints about it being frozen.
> you just gotta use a good bit of insulation (newspaper) and thats it. the boxes spend most of their time next to people, which means the temp will be above freezing for the persons sake.


In that case, if anyone has a handful of floaters they are willing to part with, Hit me up! That's a good point about above freezing for the mail lady's sake!


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## AquaStudent (Jan 4, 2011)

Congrats on the GPA! If I had some floating plants I'd send 'em...but I sadly don't 

Would love to see pics of the flowering and even the (ugly) tank. I'm sure it's not as bad as you think.

I've taken a math course on chaos and fractals. Chaos can be beautiful (and cool)!


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

AquaStudent said:


> Congrats on the GPA! If I had some floating plants I'd send 'em...but I sadly don't
> 
> Would love to see pics of the flowering and even the (ugly) tank. I'm sure it's not as bad as you think.
> 
> I've taken a math course on chaos and fractals. Chaos can be beautiful (and cool)!


I'll see what I can do. No promises though! The flowers should hold for a day or two. 

Surprisingly, I got an A in physics and a B in pre-calc which is the opposite of what I expected.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Congrats! I pulled my usual 3.15 or whatever.  I'm no genius and I don't read required readings. I read this stuff instead!


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

MABJ said:


> Congrats! I pulled my usual 3.15 or whatever.  I'm no genius and I don't read required readings. I read this stuff instead!


Thanks! I'm pretty proud of myself! Me too! Hehe! I shouldn't even be here right now, physics is calling my name! My honors class helped pull my GPA up. I only got a B but it is an honors class so it counts as more.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Ohhhhhhh. I was always confused about how bio majors with straight B's had better GPAs than me. It makes sense now.


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

MABJ said:


> Ohhhhhhh. I was always confused about how bio majors with straight B's had better GPAs than me. It makes sense now.


At least that's how it is in my highschool. If I was taking all standards, my GPA would be something like 3.6.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Yeah it's that way at my university. 

I had a really high average in high school as well. Took lots of college courses. 

Now that I'm in college, I get stuck taking classes I don't give a rats behind about.


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

MABJ said:


> Yeah it's that way at my university.
> 
> I had a really high average in high school as well. Took lots of college courses.
> 
> Now that I'm in college, I get stuck taking classes I don't give a rats behind about.


Really? What are you studying? I thought that after you get past gen-eds in college most classes would be pretty interesting..or at least something you know you can apply in your career. What is your major? 

Next semester I will take all or most of my classes at a college so I can get credit for both highschool and college.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

I entered college with 30 credits from high school.

Anyways. At my school, the general requirement is called Clare College. It consisted of 12.. Yes 12 classes. In addition to other general education requirements. 

Assuredly, it takes one ages to fulfill all of them. 

The program is now reformed for all incoming freshman thanks to all of us who ceaselessly complain about it. 

I'd never recommend anybody to Bonaventure if they hadn't finally modified the system. 

I am a proud Journalism and Mass Communication major.


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

MABJ said:


> I entered college with 30 credits from high school.
> 
> Anyways. At my school, the general requirement is called Clare College. It consisted of 12.. Yes 12 classes. In addition to other general education requirements.
> 
> ...


 That's insane!!!


And no pics today, I had too much homework; Maybe Saturday.


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## AquaStudent (Jan 4, 2011)

We can be patient for pictures  Homework is pretty important anyway...just a little bit.

You'll appreciate the early college credit when you get to the undergraduate level. It'll save you time and lots of $. Most schools require some amount of general education classes. Mine's not as bad as St. Bonnies sounds like it used to be but it's still fairly intensive.

There's 6 categories, Literature, Social Science, Natural Science (x2), History, Art, and something else and you need 4 credits in each (and 8 from two of the three fields in natural science). Also, the second semester of a foreign language and a class with a global perspectives marking (a class is labeled with this if it meets certain criteria) are required.

The philosophy behind it is to provide a well rounded education but sometimes it just seems like checking boxes off a list.

You'll be able to figure it out for yourself soon enough.

Also, if you all get a chance I'd love to have your input on a couple photos I took. I'm going to enter into a photo competition and would like help finalizing an entry. Here's the link to the thread/poll
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=223490


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

AquaStudent said:


> We can be patient for pictures  Homework is pretty important anyway...just a little bit.
> 
> You'll appreciate the early college credit when you get to the undergraduate level. It'll save you time and lots of $. Most schools require some amount of general education classes. Mine's not as bad as St. Bonnies sounds like it used to be but it's still fairly intensive.
> 
> ...



DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE BEST PART OF CYBER SCHOOL IS?!??!?! That I'm in english class right now :angel::angel::angel::angel::angel:


Yeah well rounded is always good roud: I think I may pursue physical therapy, so I will be in school for 6+ years. Just the thought is daunting!

Sure thing! I'll look right now!


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

GUYS WE JUST BOUGHT A NEW LENS!!! ITS AMAZING!!!!!!!! Here are some pics! It's a NIKKOR AF-S VR 70-200mm f/2.8G IF-ED It's so heavy, you can feel the legitimacy of it!

These photos were shot with a 50mm prime.


DSC_0009.jpg by orchidman10, on Flickr


DSC_0010.jpg by orchidman10, on Flickr


DSC_0013.jpg by orchidman10, on Flickr


DSC_0014.jpg by orchidman10, on Flickr


DSC_0015.jpg by orchidman10, on Flickr


DSC_0016.jpg by orchidman10, on Flickr


DSC_0017.jpg by orchidman10, on Flickr


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## synaethetic (Oct 4, 2011)

That's an amazing lens! You can take some great wildlife shots with that.


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## marioman72 (Jan 22, 2010)

that thing must have been a pretty penny haha, could never afford one lol. it even comes with a golden plack !


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

marioman72 said:


> that thing must have been a pretty penny haha, could never afford one lol. it even comes with a golden plack !


No big deal, it's just dipped in gold and covered in diamonds roud:


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

Did maintenance for the first time in over a month. The tank has really taken a hit. That's what happens when you have mid-terms I'm not sure if I will ever get this tank to look nice! Especially after taking a hit like this, I'm not sure i fit will be able to recover. Honestly not sure how long I'll keep it up for; maybe I'll change the scape up some. Not sure what I would change, ideas?


Untitled by orchidman10, on Flickr


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

Did some sketches for possible layouts for my 7.5g Mr. Aqua tank! I'm going for something really simple and simplistic. It's going to be a wabi kusa layout. I'm probably over thinking it for it to follow the naturalistic ways that accompany wabi kusa, but here are the sketches I did. Any comments are welcome, things you like, hate, or you think are stupid roud:


Untitled by orchidman10, on Flickr


Untitled by orchidman10, on Flickr


Untitled by orchidman10, on Flickr


Untitled by orchidman10, on Flickr


Untitled by orchidman10, on Flickr


Untitled by orchidman10, on Flickr


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