# Fluval flex 9 gallon Father's Day tank!



## travellife (Sep 11, 2013)

Do those semi-circular guards come off? My Flex didn't come with them, I filled the back area with sponge to keep the Chile rasboras put of there

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## travellife (Sep 11, 2013)

travellife said:


> Do those semi-circular guards come off? My Flex didn't come with them, I filled the back area with sponge to keep the Chile rasboras put of there
> 
> Sent from my LG-K425 using Tapatalk


*out of there. The pump's flow rate is too high on my Flex plus it isn't adjustable like it was on the Spec models. Did Fluval add an adjustable lever on your model's pump. Looks like your tank is the second generation of the model I have.

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## forrestcook (Jan 25, 2008)

travellife said:


> Do those semi-circular guards come off? My Flex didn't come with them, I filled the back area with sponge to keep the Chile rasboras put of there
> 
> Sent from my LG-K425 using Tapatalk




Yes, they're a snap on accessory, I may still have to do the sponge trick, I've seen it on YouTube and it's pretty straightforward. 










Closer view of my feature rock. 


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## travellife (Sep 11, 2013)

Fluval recommends using 2 Aquaclear #30 sponges, that's what I'm using for now. They fit just right in the space.

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## travellife (Sep 11, 2013)

Tank is going to look great. Is that Quartzite rock?

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## forrestcook (Jan 25, 2008)

travellife said:


> Fluval recommends using 2 Aquaclear #30 sponges, that's what I'm using for now. They fit just right in the space.
> 
> Sent from my LG-K425 using Tapatalk




Even better, thanks!

Edit: no adjustable lever. 


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## forrestcook (Jan 25, 2008)

travellife said:


> Tank is going to look great. Is that Quartzite rock?
> 
> Sent from my LG-K425 using Tapatalk




I got it from the rip rap pile at my local rock and sand dealer. It looks like a mix of granite and quartz. The rest of what I got for the 120 looks more basalt-like. I'm hoping the red streaks don't overdose the tank on iron. I'm not a geologist so who knows if my assumptions are good. Didn't do the acid test, will wait to see if algae covers this thing. 


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## travellife (Sep 11, 2013)

That's the same thing I did for hardscaping my tank, rock yards are a great resource. I was also very worried about any leeching from the rock but they've turned out to be just fine. 

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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

Looks like a good start!! Do you have anymore rocks? A traditional iwagumi should have an odd number, if that is what you are going for. 

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## forrestcook (Jan 25, 2008)

ange062 said:


> Looks like a good start!! Do you have anymore rocks? A traditional iwagumi should have an odd number, if that is what you are going for.
> 
> Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk




I've got more rocks, I may add one down the road. As far as style, I'm just going for what looks good to me. I like wilder more overgrown tanks so this has a looong way to go. Dosing excel, trying to figure this whole planted tank thing out again. 


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## forrestcook (Jan 25, 2008)

Got some plants in from Reddit aquaswap today. Too many for this tank but I have a coworker who is starting a flex as well that I'll be spreading the wealth to. 

I was worried when I saw the package on my doorstep, found out via tracking info that it was delivered an hour prior in our breezy cool Arizona summer. No knock from the mailman, I was sitting in the next room the whole time!










Had some styrofoam, nothing else. Plants were pretty warm but not melted. 










I had ordered a few crypts and anubias, got a bunch of bonus stems and some java moss as well. I'll likely pass on most of my stems and moss next week. 










The messy, cluttered tank as is. I have a line on some blueberry shrimp and possibly endlers next week when I'm hoping to be cycled. My test kit hasn't come yet so I don't even know where I am in the process yet. 


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## forrestcook (Jan 25, 2008)

Just a quick update to a specific plant I love in here... growth update for hygrophila pinnatifida. 










Day one, folded up with two small leaf buds on top. 










Day five, opened up and the buds are noticeably larger. 










Day six










Day eight, the former buds are now basically full leaves and there are two new buds sprouting. 

The tank is using the stock lighting, soil is Ada Amazonia light and dosing is excel once per day... I know it's not a super high light plant but I love this species and I've very happy it grows well here! When it's a little taller I'll start trimming and planting to increase the growth. 




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## forrestcook (Jan 25, 2008)

First tank I've tried to cycle in a loooong time. I will need to do the standard ph test since the high range doesn't apply (thanks aquasoil). My ammonia looks to be a spot on match for 0.25, my nitrite looks like zero and my nitrate looks to be 10-20. 

I have two theories. My tank is cycled and the aquasoil is still leeching ammonia OR my tank is not nearly cycled and my treated tap water just came with nitrates. 

Anyone have some input? If option one is true, how long does Amazonia light continue to dump ammonia?


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## forrestcook (Jan 25, 2008)

Wrong thread!


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## forrestcook (Jan 25, 2008)

Ammonia is up to 0.5ppm, nitrates and nitrites are the same. I really wanted to put fish in today but I'm just not sure about my cycle being complete. I have a GH/KH test and the associated seachem boosters in case the Amazonia ate all my GH and is preventing the BB from growing. 










Gave away some plants today and tidied up a bit. I have some translucent looking algae or bacterial something growing on many of the plants. Comes off very easily. Also some stringy hair algae on a few plants. 


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## forrestcook (Jan 25, 2008)

Got my API GH/KH test kit today. I'm just as confused, this measurement means nothing to me yet. 

KH took one drop to be yellow, GH took five or six, I don't remember which. Instructions say there's a conversion chart to translate that but it isn't helping me understand... I guess I have some reading to do. I also have seachem equilibrium but that bottle says it only addresses GH (which appears to be fine?). The KH appears to need an alkalinity buffer, which may be my bacteria problem. 

I also ordered seachem stability but I think I'm supposed to have fish to make that work. 


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## clownplanted (Mar 3, 2017)

forrestcook said:


> Got my API GH/KH test kit today. I'm just as confused, this measurement means nothing to me yet.
> 
> KH took one drop to be yellow, GH took five or six, I don't remember which. Instructions say there's a conversion chart to translate that but it isn't helping me understand... I guess I have some reading to do. I also have seachem equilibrium but that bottle says it only addresses GH (which appears to be fine?). The KH appears to need an alkalinity buffer, which may be my bacteria problem.
> 
> ...




Don't need to translate anything. 1 drop = 1dGH for GH and 1 drop = 1dKH for KH. If it took just one drop for kh to then yellow instead of doing 5ml test do a 20ml test. So 4 drops would equal 1dKH. This way you can tell if you are .25, .50, .75, or 1. This is what I do and how I know my tap is 3.5kh. 

I'm guessing you have a buffering substrate if your kh may be 0? Would make sense. In that case no need to test kh. 

Wanted to add I read you have Amazonia and makes sense so it's purpose is to buffer your ph and it will make your kh 0. This is why it took one drop to be yellow. It's doing its job. Question I have is what is the kh of the water you are adding to the tank? Reason I ask is the higher the kh of the water you add the more work and faster the buffering capability will get depleted. 


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## forrestcook (Jan 25, 2008)

Alright, just finished testing tap vs tank.

TAP:
KH 7
GH 7
PH 7.8
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 5ppm

TANK:
KH 1 (possibly lower)
GH 5
PH 6.6
Ammonia 0.5ppm
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 15ppm

Makes me wonder if I should return the Amazonia in favor of Eco Complete for the 120 I'm building. I've never had to dose anything for GH/KH in the past and I've never used a buffering substrate before. I'm reading that PH is easily moved with a low KH, which seems dangerous for the fish and shrimp... and if my substrate is going to keep eating the KH, what do I do?


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## clownplanted (Mar 3, 2017)

forrestcook said:


> Alright, just finished testing tap vs tank.
> 
> 
> 
> ...




That is the purpose of the Amazonia is to eat the kh and in turn keeps the ph stable. But with that high kh you have everytime you do a water change and add more kh it's going to again have to eat the kh down to 0. Having to get the kh down to 0 from that high is going to burn the buffering capability very fast. It's mostly meant for builds that you use RO water and remineralize the gh not adding any kh. This way with 0 kh it prevents ph swings which could normally happen with 0 kh. So it's highly recommended with that substrate to use RO and use gh booster and not add any kh to get the gh where you want and in turn the buffering capability will remain for a very long time. Otherwise not long at all at the rate it's going. 


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## forrestcook (Jan 25, 2008)

Here are some pics of the algae/bacteria I'm finding. Any ideas? I'm convinced it's water chemistry related...





























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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

Looks like diatoms to me, the tank will settle down just let it do its cycling. AquaVitro Seed is the best "quick cycle" product I've used, may want to give that a try. 

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## forrestcook (Jan 25, 2008)

FTS update 










Brought in a molly and four amanos a few weeks ago to control a bit of thread algae. I have a small chunk of BGA in the bottom left, it has shrunken off of the substrate and the last bit is hanging onto a dwarf chain sword. 

The crypts are basically done melting and are starting to put out new leaves. 

The hygro pinnatifida is doing great, I've clipped and planted it twice now, keeps on trucking along!

The ludwigia is also growing well and to my surprise is staying a nice red color. Still just dosing excel daily. 


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## forrestcook (Jan 25, 2008)

Tank is doing well, plants are no longer transitioning and are showing growth. The molly has been moved into the QT and five endlers (2 male 3 female) have moved in. 

The long term plan for endler babies is that females will live 90% of the time in QT and the males will live in the 9 gallon or the 120 if I get overloaded. I'll probably also take some to our local fish meetings to keep populations down. 

BGA is still there, trying to find a turkey baster to get it out of there. I plan on getting some neo shrimp in there in the next few weeks. 


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## The Dude1 (Jun 17, 2016)

When you trim the H Pinnetifida are you leaving some portion of the stem with leaves? As mine gets larger it drops the lower leaves so if I clip the tips there would just be a stem.


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## forrestcook (Jan 25, 2008)

The Dude1 said:


> When you trim the H Pinnetifida are you leaving some portion of the stem with leaves? As mine gets larger it drops the lower leaves so if I clip the tips there would just be a stem.




I do. My initial stem has shed the lower leaves as well, it's probably just a leaf age thing. Next time I trim I'll just leave a bare stem and see if it continues to sprout. 


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## forrestcook (Jan 25, 2008)

I have some snakeskin endlers in the tank now, two males and three females. The females are already pregnant, go figure! Tank is doing well, will take some legit photos with my actual camera maybe tonight.


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## forrestcook (Jan 25, 2008)

The tank shortly after the snakeskin endlers went in, you can still see the stubborn BGA in the bottom left. 










The new blue neocardinas! Forgot to count how many went in, ten or twelve or something like that. Nice deep blue color. 

The BGA is gone now, either the levels evened out well enough or the amanos got hungry and ate the nasty stuff. Plants are growing slowly but are largely algae free. Overall very happy with the tank! The hygro pinnatifida is the star of the tank for sure, growing great. 


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## forrestcook (Jan 25, 2008)

Blue neocaridinas I picked up. Doing great!










One of my two endler varieties, these suckers are hard to photograph!










The other type of endler with one of the future baby mamas

I caught the amanos and moved them to the 120, it's a pretty calm tank now. 


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## travellife (Sep 11, 2013)

Did you ever fill the 1st back chamber with sponges? I suggested that back on Jun18th when you were first starting the tank, using 2 Aquaclear #30 sponges per Fluval's advice. Thought everything was fine on mine until I noticed 4 of my shrimp are in the 1st back chamber. I have no idea how they are getting thru since the sponge is firmly pressed against the back wall & the glass. Pretty frustrating, maybe they crawl over the wall. I hope the same doesn't happen to you. I'd have to pretty much tear down the tank to be able to move it to get them out. 

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## forrestcook (Jan 25, 2008)

travellife said:


> Did you ever fill the 1st back chamber with sponges? I suggested that back on Jun18th when you were first starting the tank, using 2 Aquaclear #30 sponges per Fluval's advice. Thought everything was fine on mine until I noticed 4 of my shrimp are in the 1st back chamber. I have no idea how they are getting thru since the sponge is firmly pressed against the back wall & the glass. Pretty frustrating, maybe they crawl over the wall. I hope the same doesn't happen to you. I'd have to pretty much tear down the tank to be able to move it to get them out.
> 
> Sent from my LG-K425 using Tapatalk




I did put the aquaclear #30 sponges in as you suggested, perfect fit. The thing I notice about them is that the pores are rather large, large enough for baby shrimp to navigate I would think. My tank is set up in such a way that I have very limited access to the top (it's in a built-in shelf on the wall). I have no idea if any of them are back there and I likely won't ever know until I break the tank down to move it somewhere. The sponge will at least keep most everything up front. I can't do anything for the ones who make it back there and get stuck. 


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## travellife (Sep 11, 2013)

I think you're right about the sponge being porous enough for them to maneuver through. I have the same situation with very limited access to the back. It's a bit nervewracking to see them back there but they appear to be feeding off the sponge biofilm so maybe they'll be all right. 

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## forrestcook (Jan 25, 2008)

My blue shrimp are doing well, I have one heavily berried female that I'm hoping starts hatching soon! Bought some shrimp pellets that look locally produced to help feed them directly and boost color. As far as what I have specifically, I was told blue dream, though some look like rili and some have black torso and tail like blue carbon rili. I am just excited that they are blue, this wasn't really a thing last time I had a tank. 

My female endlers are still pregnant! I see some of them hovering motionless in the corners from time to time, I'm sure they're uncomfortable and begging for it to be over and I'm excited to have baby endlers! I even bought tiny pellet food just for them. 

My local fish group was selling cultures of micro worms last time, would that be a good purchase for baby fish?


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## forrestcook (Jan 25, 2008)

Well I had to pull the endlers out a week or so ago. The moms had their babies and then I saw the numbers dwindle. I caught one of the dads eating a baby so I moved the moms (one of whom appeared to still be pregnant) and the babies to my QT which has a bunch of guppy grass inside. Well, the numbers continued to nosedive and it became apparent that endler babies are very tasty, even to their own mothers. 

I had also noticed a lack of baby shrimp despite noting several berried moms. I made to obvious connection and removed the adult endlers from the 9 gallon entirely. I put the two remaining (!) babies from the three broods into the 9 gallon until they're too big to be eaten at which point they'll go to the QT as well to await their new home. 

The 9 gallon is already displaying several generations of tiny blue shrimp now that there are no fish harassing them. I'll probably put some micro rasboras in there down the road... I would LOVE a koi plakat betta but I don't think the shrimp would be safe long term. 










FTS - did some water changes and switched to PPS pro usin. GLA ferts and had a bit of crypt melt, hopefully things come back quickly. 










Three baby shrimp, center, 9 o'clock and 5 o'clock 




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## travellife (Sep 11, 2013)

I recommend java moss for the babies to hide in. My Flex has 5 Chile Rasboras and a group of juvenile yellow Neocaridinas. They coexist well together. Didn't know endlers eat their young, that is too bad. Congratulations on your blue neo babies. You should end up with a large population of them. I have a population explosion of orange neos going on in my 4 gallon tank, all different size babies.

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## forrestcook (Jan 25, 2008)

I have a couple bushes of subwassertang (sp?) in between the two big rocks that should offer plenty of hiding places. I don't like the look of java moss and I've been trying to pull the last strings out for as long as I've had the tank... the stuff is like duckweed! 
@travellife - I was super close to buying yellows, the blues were available through a local hobbyist though, so I went in that direction. I'll have plenty in short order by thhe look of it!

Bump:


travellife said:


> My Flex


Tank journal?


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## forrestcook (Jan 25, 2008)

I picked up two scarlet badis for this tank yesterday, they are beautiful and interesting little fish! No good pictures yet, my biggest criticism for the fluval flex is that the curved front panel prevents my camera from focusing well. If anyone has a suggestion for how to combat this please chime in!

I'm aware that badis badis are little hunters and are almost exclusively live food feeders... right now I expect some baby shrimp to be eaten but long term I'd like to source some black worms or similar to populate the substrate and provide a long term culture of food for them. 

I also noticed that I have some freshwater hydra attached to some of my crypts, based on size I'm sure they could kill some baby shrimp also. I've heard pond snails will eat them, I'm hoping the few I have will attend to that problem. 


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## johnson18 (Apr 29, 2011)

I love the Badis Badis! They are one of those small fish that are definitely in my list of things I want to keep! I picked up brine shrimp eggs from ANA & have now hatched a couple batches. They are easy to hatch & relatively quick to set up and harvest. The eggs from Ben were the same price as on amazon. If you go that route it might reduce the number of baby shrimp that get eaten. 

Not 100% sure, but it is possible that the Badis may eat your hydra too. 


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## forrestcook (Jan 25, 2008)

The iPhone takes much clearer photos through the curved front glass than my DSLR and fancy macro lens. I'm sure there's a reason for that, I just don't know what it is. 


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## forrestcook (Jan 25, 2008)

I put some live black worms into the tank today, the badis tag teamed a big worm "lady and the tramp" style... They're definitely into the live food. They have little pot bellies while the rest of the worms dig down into the substrate. My hope is that they will provide a sustainable source of live food for the badis.


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## forrestcook (Jan 25, 2008)

I’ve been through a bunch of changes with this tank, I’ve not had a very clear direction yet. I removed the badis and returned them to the LFS, my wife prefers a fish you see, apparently. They hid all the time and killed off my baby shrimp. 

I’ve relocated the remaining blue shrimp to the former 10 gallon QT turned sandy bottom shrimp tank in an effort to grow their numbers. 

I’m torn with this tank. I may put a koi plakat betta in there and keep it otherwise the same or I may change gears yet again and start over with something completely different. I’ve been contemplating shell dwellers for a while now, I have to do some research as I’ve never kept a non planted freshwater tank before. Who knows, I clearly haven’t been committed one way or another with this tank yet. 


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## clownplanted (Mar 3, 2017)

forrestcook said:


> I’ve been through a bunch of changes with this tank, I’ve not had a very clear direction yet. I removed the badis and returned them to the LFS, my wife prefers a fish you see, apparently. They hid all the time and killed off my baby shrimp.
> 
> I’ve relocated the remaining blue shrimp to the former 10 gallon QT turned sandy bottom shrimp tank in an effort to grow their numbers.
> 
> ...


How about making it a shrimp only Caridina species tank  Maybe some PRL or some blue bolts. Tons of mosses and easy low demand growing plants. I tell you I really enjoy my shrimp tanks. Honestly more so than my high tech 60 gallon tank. Just have a look here at all the amazing colored shrimp. https://www.discobee.com/blogs/news/17030569-dwarf-shrimp-water-parameters


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## travellife (Sep 11, 2013)

I saw some very pretty Endler Guppies at the LFS this weekend and was thinking of buying them for my cycled Imagitarium 3.7 tank, something caused me to not purchase them. Then I remembered your saga, not in the mood to watch adult fish eat their young. Did you decide what to do with your Flex? So far so good with mine, I have a wolfpack of 5 Chile Rasboras, man they are so pretty, along with 1 small Horned Nerite, 1 Amano and a group of Yellow Neocaridinas. I sighted new baby Neos in the Java Moss a couple of days ago. 

https://photos.app.goo.gl/cP80Ia8fToFdRCBJ3

https://goo.gl/photos/Uj6tiTHS5gmhcxLZ7


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## forrestcook (Jan 25, 2008)

I picked up 20-30 assorted wild type neocaridinas from select aquatics when I ordered my goodeids for the big tank. I have since put five bumblebee gobies in there and enjoy watching them perch and swim around. I’m fine if/when they eat the shrimp since they were only .50 each and I’m still feeding worms periodically. I may put a fancy plakat betta in there down the road. 


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## travellife (Sep 11, 2013)

Bumblebee gobies are way too cute. You could end up with some very cool looking shrimp, good luck with your latest assortment of livestock.


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## forrestcook (Jan 25, 2008)

The gobies are doing well, after the first few weeks I have four of the five remaining. They definitely hunt the shrimp from time to time but I feed frozen foods roughly every two days which seems to keep their bellies fat. 

I may take a few of them to my LFS in favor of a fun betta down the road but I’m pretty happy with them right now. 

I’ve been a bit stumped on growth for this tank lately, not much plant growth at all, really. 


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## travellife (Sep 11, 2013)

Not sure if you've covered this in a previous post but did you have to add anything to the outflow nozzles in order to stifle the flow? I grew tired of turning off the pump every time I fed the Chile Rasboras so I've added 2 of the cylindrical Hagen pre-filter sponges over them. They've almost reduced the flow too much, I don't even see the plants moving now. But, the inhabitants love it, they are much more active and out and about, especially the Chiles. Will have to see what affect this has, the reduced flow, on the tank.


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## forrestcook (Jan 25, 2008)

I have one pointed at the opposite corner of the tank across the top and the other oriented vertically splitting the surface towards the front glass, the plants don’t move much but there are still some spots with current. 


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