# McNasty's 10" cube (update 7-30)



## emjhay27 (Sep 2, 2005)

for the filter try getting Tom Rapids Mini Canister Filter ... 
for the heater... i suggest not to get 1 since forsure you'll get enough heat from the light (considering your using a pc light)
if you do get a heater try getting a HYDOR 7W NANO HEATER and place it under the substrate (here's more info :http://aquaticconcepts.thekrib.com/Articles/PAM_Substrate.htm)


^^<


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## NeonShrimp (Mar 9, 2006)

Having a plan is nice and so is having some Aquasoil 

For the heater here is what I recommend (my post from another thread):



> I have several nano tanks that range from 1 to 6 gallons and I have heaters in each one of them. Most of them have either a 7 inch 25 or 50 W Hydor theo heater (from Petsmart) in them. I also use a Visi-Therm Deluxe 50 W that is 7.5 inches long. I am also using a Whisper mini heater (from Walmart) that's only 5 inches tall but it is preset to 78 F.
> 
> Here is a link to the Visi-Therm Deluxe page:
> http://www.petsmart.com/product/inde...ductId=2754054
> ...


Although there are plenty of choices for lighting I would recommend buying the Hampton desk lamp at Home Depot ($20). It has a sleek look and you can easily position the27W, 6500K CF light over the top of the tank.

What comes to mind when I think of mini canister is the Zoo Med 501 ($49.99 at petsmart.com):
http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2752617

I hope it works out for you and please keep us updated


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

thanks for the posts and i just built this tank to day


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

any other thoughts


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## deleted_user_16 (Jan 20, 2008)

I think you should add redmoor root driftwood to the tank, it has a very branchy appearance and a red look that is amazing, and it is also very small. I think the hardscape is too short for my liking, the rock should be higher, if you are going iwagumi, and if not, the wood should either come right below the surface, or breach it, as many tanks have.


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

it's not a rock it's wood and it looks alot bigger in person i'm trying not to put too much money in this tank


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

I think it will be really nice once you've got some substrate and plants in there...any ideas for what kind of plants you're wanting to keep? For some reason I keep picturing a big wad of moss in there...what about fish? 

About the placement of your driftwood: I think it will look more "normal" once you've got some substrate in there to sort of anchor the composition...it will raise the height some too. In my opinion using a larger piece of driftwood would crowd the tank; the way you have it now will allow you more room to create a sense of depth in this tiny little aquarium!! Nice job!


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

the sub straight will make a big difference a really want hc and some flame moss in it i don't want hairgrass don't really no what else will look good for longer looking plants


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

oh and i think it's just going to be shrimp and oto's never really had luck with shrimp so i'm trying to figure them out with this tank


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## NeonShrimp (Mar 9, 2006)

> oh and i think it's just going to be shrimp and oto's never really had luck with shrimp so i'm trying to figure them out with this tank


Great choice, IMHO as a shrimp keeper. You will have alot of help from myself and other shrimp keeping members for sure


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

thanks neon i'll try to buy some on here i think the only reason i wan't good with them last tim is cuz i didn' acclimate them right and the water quality was poor how do you do this??


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## NeonShrimp (Mar 9, 2006)

It will be easier when you have a new tank set up and are adding shrimp for the first time. You can place the new shrimp with the shipping water in a bowl/container and you just add some of the new tank's water in small amounts over an hour period. There should be at least double the starting water volume in the bowl. Now you can pour the shrimp and water from the bowl into the tank, fin


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

get a heater, light will heat enough during day if it is in a hood. open top, not so much. besides then the temp would drop at night and that is the worst thing.


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

yeah my mom likes it really cold at night i filed the tank up today and it leaked from the bottom so i dryed it out and resiliconed it


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

i just ordered 3L AS amazonia I and 2L special power sand :icon_mrgr i'm so pumped you have no idea!!! it's so much cheaper to do a nano high tech than my big 55


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## NeonShrimp (Mar 9, 2006)

Was the leak a small drip? If so the resiliconing should fix it


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

i did a bad job of siliconing the bottom so i tore it out and re did it should be fine now just a little bit mor notic able i found a cool rock so i smashed it and did a little more rough scapeing heres a pic









tell me what you think


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## Austinv (Jan 8, 2008)

looks good


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

thanks i try haha


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

any other thoughts on the rocks??


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

It's kind of hard to tell the proper placement of the hardscape without the substrate, in my opinion. Move them around and get an idea of what you like. Then, set them in place in conjunction with your substrate to create a natural looking aquascape. I like the rocks, by the way. Finding proper placement for all of them while not detracting from the impact of the driftwood will be challenging, but nevertheless very rewarding when you finish.


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

yeah i might not have all of it in there i just wanted more than wood in there i i just wondered if you liked the look of the rock not so much the placement can't wait to get my aqua soil i got a tom mini canister and whisper heater today


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## Austinv (Jan 8, 2008)

Theres no proper way to place stuff in a tank. Keep that layout there because it acutually looks decent, the mountain look is getting so old.


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

it will probably be simaler to what it is now just might be a little diffrent after i get the AS in


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## zebra freak (Mar 31, 2008)

Uff da! I totally have a thing for driftwood and rocks inside a glass cube


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

thank you zebra freak i respect every thing you say about my tanks haha


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## CincyReefer (May 14, 2008)

Sweet tank nate! I love the driftwood you got there


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

thanks it was just some extra i had laying around


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

just got my toms mini canister and i found someone on here the sells cherrys that doesn't live too far from me so i'm pretty pumped


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

so talk about a way to start a bad day i left my wood boiling last night now i have no more wood  i must have had a little bind fire last night when i was sleepin


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

so i'm goin to use some of my wood for my 55 gal still kinda pissed but i guess now i won't have such tainted water from the other wood


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

heh, that sucks. when i boiled one particular peice of wood it gor a few big crack, but didnt fall apart. some wood just cant take that amount of heat, especially for overnight (i usually do just 15 min).


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

it didn't a fall apart its ash now nothing but ash it must have started a fire i'm glad nothing bad happend


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

oh, i guess the water in there evaporated too much and the top of the wood was exposed to air and it burned. that sucks even more, how many dollars big was the wood?


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

free but it looked really good in the tank i got maniza if thats how you spell it


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## macclellan (Dec 22, 2006)

You left a pot boiling overnight while sleeping?!? 
Did you expect something different to happen than the water evaporate and wood burn?
At least no one got hurt (except Mr. Driftwood).


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

i was watching tv and the next thing i knew there was smoke i was trying to watch i would never try to leave water boiling over night i think i'm a little smarter than that hahaha


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## Green Leaf Aquariums (Feb 26, 2007)

Come on Nate! Boiling water while your sleeping? You must be working to hard To bad about your wood and good thing your still alive


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

i feel so dumb you have know idea. i was watching my son and when he finally went to sleep so did i. gosh i feel like an idiot haha oh well the wood was tainting the water really bad any way


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

Man...you're one lucky guy (I mean lucky your house didn't burn down)! Too bad about the driftwood, though. Sounds like you'll be better off without it anyway. Wow...house full of smoke and a pile of wood ash in a pot on the stove! How dramatic that must have been!


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

i live in the country (out side of the city) and i had the widows down and at first i thought who's burning wood at this time of day then it hit me and i was like holy crap my parents are going to kill me but the we're that mad


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## NeonShrimp (Mar 9, 2006)

Wow:icon_eek: , thanks for sharing the dangers. This is a warning to the rest of us!


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

no problem i'm good at being a guinea pig haha


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

just put this together in an hour tell me what you think 

i'm floating T moss and hornwart for nitrate's


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

I think the wood looks great! In particular, the two thickest pieces I think complement each other very well, with the taller one taking the abrupt turn to the right and then upward towards the surface - really good work. And alos, since the wood comes out "toward" the viewer, I think it lends a sense of depth to the tank. :thumbsup:


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

ColeMan said:


> I think the wood looks great! In particular, the two thickest pieces I think complement each other very well, with the taller one taking the abrupt turn to the right and then upward towards the surface - really good work. And alos, since the wood comes out "toward" the viewer, I think it lends a sense of depth to the tank. :thumbsup:


i agree!


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

i put it together i an hour so that means a lot i need to go to school so i'll be back on tonight and that was like 2 seconds after filling slowly i'll post more pics after school thanks guys


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

any suggestions are welcome


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## zebra freak (Mar 31, 2008)

I will tell you what I think. I think it is super! Super awesome to the max!


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

any other thoughts


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

i like the hardscape, but its really hard to critique a tank without plants. a tanks pleasing apearance comes from many things, one of the main ones in my opinion is how well the hardscape and plant layout compliment each other.


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

i got the plants in not very well but i want them to grow a bit before i do my finale scape


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## cah925 (May 18, 2007)

ColeMan said:


> I think the wood looks great! In particular, the two thickest pieces I think complement each other very well, with the taller one taking the abrupt turn to the right and then upward towards the surface - really good work. And alos, since the wood comes out "toward" the viewer, I think it lends a sense of depth to the tank. :thumbsup:


X3 - I like the thinner branches pointed toward the back, it certainly adds a sense of depth in a small tank. Good job, can't wait to see this grow out.


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

new pic not well planted but it's what i could do 
tell me what you think of the plants. got hc and flame moss coming this week


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

it cleared up abit here is a pic tell me what you think 
thanks


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

please give me some coments i'm getting scared that it looks really bad


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

your stems are in the front and middle. all the stems need to go in the back 1/3 of the tank in most cases. yours looks like one of them. you also need a midground plant. something like crypts, downoi, HM, etc. to fit inbetween the foreground and background stems so its not a vertical wall. right now, just take what you have an push it into the back 1/3.


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

i was gone the weekend when i got them so i asked my dad to put them in the tank when i was gone so the were floating for 2 days and in a box for three so i just wanted to get them planted but i have a new i dea for the tank. witch plants in the tank do you think i could go with out???


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

i did a total rescape but i cant see it cuz it's sooo cloudy haha i'll post pics when it clears up should get my flamemoss and HC tomorrow


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## bra_van_drakh (Feb 11, 2008)

put some anubias on the branches^^. . ..they always look gorgeous n are hardy. . .try for the petite variety, and HCs are always good for foregrounds. . .n if it's nano, try to have mostly the same coloured plants, IMO. . .they look greater


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

i don't really want broad leafed plants in this tank trying to keep it a narrow to needle leafed plants and i like the contrast of putting reds in my tanks


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

bad news i ordered some hc off of here and it was suppose to be shipped wendsday and i still haven't reseved it so is will be waiting in the box over the weekend so i'm really sad out of money and hc no fun


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

ugh, thats not too good. but the weather is good this time of year (72 near me) so it will probably survive. just get it in the tank as soon as you can.


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

it gets down to the 30s at night where i'm at so thats what i think is going to kill it


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## kana (Oct 23, 2007)

Nate,

Your tank is really starting to look good! You need to allow that Amazonian to sit for a couple months before you put shrimp in there. It took my 4gallon nano about 3 mths to read 0 ammonia.


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

i don't plan on putting shrimp in for a long time at least a month from now


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

got some new pics with hc in. it is still really cloudy

i put some frogbit in for the amoina spike


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

you should try and get rid of the cloudiness, its just blocking light and its been there for a while.


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

i'm trying and it wasn't that cloudy this morning it's just cuz i planted the hc it gets better and better every day


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

what do you think of the scape


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## BradH (May 15, 2008)

That looks awesome to me. I like the cloudy look, even though I know that's not a good thing. What is that floating at the top with the roots going down in the water?


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

thats the frog bit it's only there to help the amonia go down after it dose i'm going to sell it


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## Bk828 (Mar 11, 2008)

looking good nate, cant wait to see the tank get as clear as it was on page 4. I also agree that you need more bunched stem plants, so they give some volume to the back.


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

the stem plants are there they just need to grow in and when they do i think you'll like it and you can see them better when its not cloudy


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

i'll take another pic today when the light comes on


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

here are some


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## htn86 (Sep 30, 2007)

I'm glad you're enjoying the HC. I would not advice you to have any floating plants in that tank while the HC is growing. CO2 is highly recommended roud:


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

the floating plants aren't over the hc and i diy co2


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

any other thoughts


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

i just bought some NKP and flourish comprehensive (all seachem) and zoelite for my filter and it came out to be $30 shiped and the bottles where all 250ml. is that a good deal??


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

pic update 










tell me what you think please


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

tell me what you think. is it good (the new scape)????


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

i dont see much of a difference other then now you have a few stems (are rotala wallichi?) in front of the wood. i dont know why. unless you keep them very short and trimmed in a good orbed shape, it will look bad there.


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

well i took out alot of rocks out and pushed all the stems to the back corner and the stuff in front is Mayaca fluviatilis not rotala wallichi


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

and i added hc and took out one of the stem plants in the tank


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## waterfaller1 (Jul 5, 2006)

That tank would look great with a black background, get some flame moss growing all over the wood, and the hc as the groundcover. I would also turn the larger branches towards the back, and bring the smaller ones towards the front.


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

i just got all of the stems so i think i'll keep the scape till the plants settle in and i do have some flame moss in there it just needs to grow in


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

so i'm starting to get what looks like a thread or hair algae will doseing ferts take care of this??? please help


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

hey nate - quick question about your new algae friend...I noticed that one spot in my tank had an almost unnoticeable amount of white-ish, filamentous algae...I did some investigation and am, at this point, attributing it to a lack of available nutrients...remember I told you I hadn't started dosing until this week...that's my guess, so we'll see how it goes. I removed it and am watching for more...Look at this link and see if you can identify the culprit. 
http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/algae.htm

Also, how's the flow? Are your CO2 levels up high enough and *consistent*?


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

the flow is really high and the co2 didn't work for a day or too cuz of a leak i fixed i just saw that some of the plants are melting too  i'm so sad


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

it's the same stuff you were talking about i hope my ferts come in tomorrow


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

i just bought some oto cats for my nano i got 2 of them cuz i know there a schooling fish and now i remember why i love them so much so full of energy 

i got them a walmart i know it's not the best place to get them but it's the only place where i can get fish localy


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

they should be fine. now that they have good condtitions they are fine as long as they were in the store at least a few days.


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

wal mart gets there fish shipments in every thursday so i they were in for a week and if they can live in walmart tanks they can live in my tank haha


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

got some rcs today and some saluwie snails tomorrow


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

Hey nate - curious to know your water parameters, you lucky devil. Your tank cycled so quickly...were you doing super frequent water changes or what? how are your new inhabitants settling in?


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

my ph is a round 7.0 and amoina is at 0. no clue about the rest. i don't have the money for good testers so whats the point in getting them if its a guessing game? my plants started to die because the lack of NPK and comprehensive flourish but after i stared dosing there has been way better color and growth. i do once a week 50% water change


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

oh yeah the shrimp are doing great starting to show some color now and eating flake already!!


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## zebra freak (Mar 31, 2008)

I know nothing about those creatures you have in there besides the fact that they are awesome!


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

thank you it means alot


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

here are some more pics!!! i hope people look and tell me what they think


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

nice pics - you need more plants (you and me both actually)!! Any ideas about other plants for this tank?


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

haha i' want the things i have in it to grow in and i want some nice looking narrow and needly leafed plants for it. the hc that i have in there is just now starting to grow


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

any other thoughts on my tank


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## JRB77 (Apr 7, 2008)

Really like the harscape, but kinda miss some of the rocks you took out. Personally, I'm a fan of swords and think some along the back of your tank would help with the feeling of depth... (or put a black background on the tank so what you do have in there stands out a little better) But thats the beauty of doing your own tank, making it personal to please you!
Keep posting pics, would love to follow along as it fills in
James


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

yeah - what about the background? You should paint it black _and_ add some more plants...things seem to be growing pretty well though. how are the new shrimp/snails doing?


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

the shrimp are doing great. i've only seen one dead and as for the suwalies 2 died but i'm getting more for free`i'm not sure about painting it is there an easier way??


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## Green Leaf Aquariums (Feb 26, 2007)

Looks cool Nate! How are those snail doing?
As for the tank, maybe some more greens???


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

put some plants out there i don't know a lot of types. this would help me alot


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

here is what it would look like with a black back


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

any thoughts on new plants


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

they need to grow in. i know its noot what you are looking for though, sorry.

do you plan on having the back stems just randomly arrainged there? or will you group them by plant?


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

random for now


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

in that case just try to move the red ones toward the front right area (not now, let them grow. just when propagating, try putting them there). tanks often look better if set up with green more towards the center and red on the outer areas. but i have seen tanks that arent like that and they won contests.


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

ok thanks for the help i wish there were rep points right now haha


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## mattd390 (Jun 19, 2008)

nate_mcnasty said:


> the shrimp are doing great. i've only seen one dead and as for the suwalies 2 died but i'm getting more for free`i'm not sure about painting it is there an easier way??


I tried to paint my 2.5 gallon and it didn't turn out so great. Instead, I just tinted the back of it. It turned out pretty good. All you need is a piece of tint, a credit card, a spray bottle of water, a spray bottle with water and baby shampoo and perferably another piece of glass to place the tint onto after you take off the protective backing and before you place it on the surface to tint. If you are thinking about trying this I could post some picks I took. Your tank looks nice!

MattD


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

thanks matt but i already taped a black trash bag on it and i'm not quite sure if i like it i might just take it down


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

here are some pics for an update every thing is doing great


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

tell me what you think


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

Whoa - don't know how I missed your updates....I think things are progressing nicely - looks like you've done a bit of a rescape since the last set of shots, eh? I've got some stems on the way (H. polysperma and some didplis - I thought I'd wait and send you some really nice, fresh cut r. nanjenshan rather than the gnarly floaters), which will help fill things in a bit too.


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

i took out most of the meca f out, it was growing too fast in the tank. i also put in some A nana pettie and moved the log that was in front to the back and put some needle leaf java on it


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

so that's what those leaves were I couldn't quite identify in the last pic!! The last photo is good evidence that your plants are happy, and I think once things fill in and you get a big group of stems together (like the diandra I'm sending you - or when your other plants start to fill in more), it will help focus the tank, you know? Your eye won't wander quite as much...you know what I mean? Your snails are sweet (and happy I'm sure). How's your big tank coming?


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

i'm trying to start and group the plants but it is soooo hard in such a small tank. i've just been cutting the stems off then replanting the tops witch has been working really well for me. 

i'll take some pics of the fish i got soon. you can kind of see them in there. i think i had another amonia spike because alot of my srimp died off. now they are doing great and one has saddled os babies are on the way


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

i'm gettin GSA how can i get rid of it besides scraping it off?


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## ZooTycoonMaster (Jan 2, 2008)

Dose a little more phosphate, water changes, and try to get an Olive Nerite Snail if you can find it


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

i have a track and zebra Nerite in there right now


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

I got rid of my GSA by upping my KH2PO4 a bit...literally 1/16th tsp (3x/week, so almost 1 tsp/week) and it was gone and has yet to return.


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

sorry about this but what is kh2po4? i'll try uping my phosphate. but how much double?


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

so how much more should i dose?


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

what's you're dosing schedule look like now?


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

mon NP with comprehensive and iron 
tuse potassium and iron 
wed iron
thur NP with comprehensive and iron 
fri potassium and iron 
sat iron
sun water change


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## fish_fasinated (Mar 30, 2006)

just followed through your thread, looks pretty good. im planning out a 2.5g so ideas are nice. keep the udates comin. what are you using for lighting?


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

hampton bay 27wat desk lamp


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## fish_fasinated (Mar 30, 2006)

lol everyone talks about but i fail to find it everytime i look. got linked in my thread asking about my 2.5 but the link says product unavailable. im starting to think this lamp is truely mythical and doesnt actually exist.


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

you can find them at home depot


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

here are some pics of my fish and shrimp


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## Sticky230 (Mar 30, 2008)

nice pics man. seems that everyone is a fan of this 27 watt lamp. don't forget the coralife mini!


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

thanks


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

is your carpet getting anywhere, or is it just slowly dying?


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

it's just now starting to fill in i think i might buy another 27w light. the one i have stays over th stem plants . if i don't they start to stretch so i might get one to put over the other half of the tank the hc seems to be streching

before my co2 was low and ferts were out of wack


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

so how much more phosphate should i dose?


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

depends on how much you need. 
a phosphate test kit would be useful here.


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

I can't remember nate - are you using seachem ferts?


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

yep  got your plants today


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

Well, Nate: 

Flourish Phosphorus™ is a safe solution (4500 mg/L phosphate) of potassium phosphate that takes the guess work out of phosphate dosing. Unlike competing products that mix nitrate and phosphate in a fixed ratio, Flourish Phosphorus™ (being nitrate free) allows you to dose phosphorus according to the needs of your plants without the risk of overdosing nitrates. When used as directed Flourish Phosphorus™ will enhance and accelerate the growth of aquatic plants without enhancing algae growth. For maximum benefit use with Flourish Nitrogen™ and Flourish Potassium™

Use 2.5 mL (half a cap) for each 80 L (20 gallons*) once or twice a week or as needed in response to signs of phosphorus deficiency (e.g. stunted growth, plant dark green). EXPERT: The beginner dose raises phosphorus by 0.05 mg/L (0.15 mg/L phosphate). The ideal phosphate level will vary, but generally ranges from 0.15–1.0 mg/L. Use MultiTest: Phosphate™ to monitor phosphate levels. To target a specific phosphate increase, dose according to the following formula: 0.8vp=m, where v= volume of tank in gallons*, p=desired phosphate increase and m=volume of product to use in mL. For example to raise 20 gallons* to 0.1 mg/L phosphate you would use: 0.8*20*0.1=1.6 mL.

but that's just me guessing....no, not really, it's from the Seachem website (obviously). GSA might also be from some CO2 fluctuation - how are your CO2 levels? Pretty consistent I'd guess...


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

thanks for all the "trade marks" cole i was scared you might get copy right infringement  

i can read this on the bottle but what dose this mean then i can dose as much as want?


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

what I would do is use the above formulas and plug in your own numbers for what you're dosing right now; this should give you an estimate of your PO4 levels. Then, if they look low, up them according to the directions to the desired level....yeah?


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

new plant update


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

is that an erio?

plants look nice, but how come your water still isnt clear?


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

its the light sorry i'll take more 
and it is ero Taiwan


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

it looks pretty cool. i like erios with stiffer thicker leaves more, the others look too much like dwarf hairgrass IMO.


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

thats true, but i like the growth pattern on these more. there leaves are a bit more thicker than hairgrass


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## Bk828 (Mar 11, 2008)

nice updated. Cool boraras. How many you got in there?


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

i have 8 in there and there very happy


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

Looks great, nate. Cool erio!


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

thanks cole i couldn't fit al ot of you stuff in there but i do got both of each in there will see how they do


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

i just got more cherry shripm in the mail and there looking awesome one came berried


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

soon youll have shrimplets darting around the tank.


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

i already have a couple of them satled i hope the borara don't pick on them too much


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

new pics tell me what you think


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## fish_fasinated (Mar 30, 2006)

looking pretty good.


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

I like it, what kind of erio is that?


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

it's Thailand and i got china coming in the mail


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

nate_mcnasty said:


> i got china coming in the mail


wow, talk about shipping expenses:icon_roll:hihi: I know, I know....


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

i get every thing shipped haha i wish i had a fish store by me

oh i get it thats funny. i'm kinda slow sometimes and i'm not even blonde


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

how do you guys like it?


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

here are some better pics(i think)


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

how should i trim these plants? cut them really short?


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

your tank's coming along nicely, nate. As for the trimming, cut the stems above the leaf set, so that the leaves are the uppermost part of the plant, not the stem.


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## Bk828 (Mar 11, 2008)

very nice. Coming along great. 
Yee a trim would be good to get some volume out of the plants.


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

i just put in too more erio too i'll take a pic later today and post


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

do you think people would buy the trimings?


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

Your tank is growing nicely
As for selling, Depends on the plants for sale. Maybe offer it as a package for $6 or $7 plus shipping. Just a suggestion.


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## fish_fasinated (Mar 30, 2006)

looking really good. as for trimming im still learning myself, sorry i couldnt be more help


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## Bk828 (Mar 11, 2008)

for now i would replant the trimmings and perhaps on your next trim start selling


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## hooha (Mar 14, 2004)

Bk828 said:


> for now i would replant the trimmings and perhaps on your next trim start selling


I agree, it's coming along nicely but you can add a little more plant mass and groupings to the plants you already have. Trim and replant the Rotala macandra tops(?) in front of the current grouping, then you can either form it into a nice bush or a shaped 'hedge'. I would also suggest a mid-ground plant to hide the lower parts of the stems and the area where the drifwood goes into the substrate - maybe Anubias barteri 'nana' or 'petite?


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## FrostyNYC (Nov 5, 2007)

What are the pink/red plants here? Is it rotala macranda and rotala wallichi?


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

it would be for a package. i'm not sure what they are an id would be nice.


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

here are some of my new erio! tell me what you think. i really like it


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## Bk828 (Mar 11, 2008)

I like.. I see you also moved the branch that was going to the front of the tank. Good move on that as well, looks more open and directed to the beautiful erio


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

i like how everything is growing in, and the erios of course.
the hc seems to have taken off, congrats.

i think the wood look better with a little moss, though.


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

i would like to get some Xmas moss


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

thanks of all of the nice words


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

my first berried shrimp


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## fish_fasinated (Mar 30, 2006)

NICE lol always a good sign


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## deleted_user_16 (Jan 20, 2008)

no offense, but i thot ur tank wasnt so hot at the beginning :/

now i am super jealous of ur tank, the bright reds, berried RCS, and of course, your fantastic HC!!!

glad everythign coming in nicely now!!! love it!!!


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

yeah you're tank is looking good nate - you've made some good plant choices. Now you've just go to figure out how to shape everything...I'm trying to do the same thing - it's not that easy, I must say.


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## purplecity (Jul 28, 2008)

woww thats amazing from beginning to end

what kind of gravel is that where can i get some 
and where did u get the driftwood?

also how much maintainance does this take


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

i'm doing some thing to this tank every day with ferts and other stuff. thanks for the nice words. 

fishman: i hated my tank when i started but this is my second planted tank my first one was about 3 years ago but i had no idea what i was doing 

i did do a trim i'll take a pic latter today to show you guys it's not looking so good but i think it will look good when it grows out!

cole: your d. dineria is taking over haha but it looks good


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## purplecity (Jul 28, 2008)

what kind of gravel is that where can i get some 
and where did u get the driftwood?

also how much maintainance does this take


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

since nate hasn't answered your question , I will (hope you don't mind, nate). The substrate is Aquasoil, amazonia (type I, I believe). the driftwood is manzanita, purchased from the swap and shop (badcopnofish) I believe.


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

wow cole you know my tank better than me haha i forgot where i got the wood and it's alot of work to keep up


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

here's some pics for you ope you like them


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

tank is taking off really well. midground is starting to look good finally, as are the stems. and your microrasbora look more colorful then before.


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## JRB77 (Apr 7, 2008)

Keep up the good work!


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

thanks


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

i just had fish make me some clear tubes for my tank and i think i'm going to try and get an eheim 2213 for this tank is this too much flow? i would also like to get presurized co2 too paintball maybe?


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

A 2213 would be perfect. You just might want to increase the size of the holes in the spraybar. Run it at full blast


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

no spray bar is that bad?


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## deleted_user_16 (Jan 20, 2008)

any updates?


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

yeah nate...any updates?


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## fish_fasinated (Mar 30, 2006)

maybe if we bug enough

any updates nate?


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

well i had about 3 cups of the diy co2 go in the tank so i had a bacteria bloom. but everything is back in shape now


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