# Lil green aquavase (55.99k warn) Update 4/24/07



## dufus (Nov 13, 2006)

this is my red sea aquavase. inspired by another thread i am getting some dwarf hairgrass, HC, and cherry shrimp for it.

right now, it has white-plain gravel, 3 peices of lava rock.

plants small amazon sword, tiny bronze cryptlet, lil bit of anacharis(clipping)
several stems of rotala indica- this was in my 10gal, but after putting a clipping in here and seeing the elongated leaf shape and redish underside in the higher light, all my remaining rotala went to this little guy.

i want to try some kind of dwarf stem plant, and an anubias nana petite, but we'll see how the HC and hairgrass work. i want to make a moss wall on the back, but it may be very difficult to maintain in this small tank. i plan to keep the rotala in and trimm it about every week. anacharis will leave asap.

i lowered the light so more would go in the tank and less in my room,but i also have near it a 60w incandescent heat bulb, and the extra t5 light rays from my big tank.

i want to make a tiny diy co2 system, thinking a 20 oz coke bottle would do fine, with a tiny airstone in my filter for diffusion.

all i want to fert with is flourish basic, and a root/substrate tab.
25-50% water changes on weekends, or whenever i see a sign of evaporation.
the first pics are with the tank redone, as i had to emty it once due to Hair algea.

other pics are of the first setup.
















1st scape


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## Yzmxer99 (Aug 7, 2006)

That a boy dufus. You'll do fine with the plan you got there. I tried the DIY with the 20oz before. Switched it up to a liter because I was switching the bottles every 2 weeks. I just had problems with the Ph crashing, so I switched to excel.


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## dufus (Nov 13, 2006)

only thing i have against execl is you have to add it everyday. what happens if you forget, or go on vacation?


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## dufus (Nov 13, 2006)

does anyone know why i can't get rid of this stupid algea? it is like silt, only sticky. the excel is hard to find, and when i did find it the place wanted 104 a bottle :icon_eek:


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## dufus (Nov 13, 2006)

I think the algea is starting to recede it's anchors! it is looking like less is there every day. the diy co2 i did seems to be kicking it's butt!(knock on wood)

i think i want to build an enclosure stand, like some do with little vases. I was thinking about putting a 23w or lower spiral bulb as a DIY lighting on the stand, instead of the original light, because i don't like the way the light looks on it.

What makes good reflector material for a DIY spiral setup?


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## Yzmxer99 (Aug 7, 2006)

Great to hear that the algae is getting under control. It's always a good feeling when you begin to learn how to control these things. Becareful with that lighting, most of my problems were from the 20w spiral I had above mine. Now that I got the 13w everyting is balancing a lot easier. B.T.W you got that HC planted yet and how is it doing? Keep up with the updates and good luck with the algae


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## dufus (Nov 13, 2006)

the hc is doing alright, but i take it out every weekend to scrub the algea off, it is getting alot better, the algea doesn't cover it all anymore evry week

I think i want to switch the lights between my crab terrarium(desk lamp), and this tank.
will an older desk lamp take a spiral cf?


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## dufus (Nov 13, 2006)

*A battle lost*

{failure music plays in background}
After a 4 day black out..................the algae won.

nut, i saved ,most of the hc, and 2 tiny clumps/hairgrass.
the amazon sword was damaged incleaning, and is now..."compact"
i emtied the whole thing and cleaned everything, i was sick of my gravel, so i mixed 2 parts- beige sand from 10 gal, and 1 part tahiti black sand from 55 cichlud tank.
the end result is awesome. i alo took out rocks and inserted a peice of driftwood found at school. the hc is pearling already!
this time, i think i'll be prep'ed for the bga, with flourish on the way, Bring It On!!!


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## dufus (Nov 13, 2006)

Would a 15watt cf desklamp 6500k light be better than the 9watt 7200k stock lighting?
the desk lamp is about 3" above the tank, whereas the 9watt was like 1" above.


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## dufus (Nov 13, 2006)

I geuss i found the algea secret. Flourish excel, an oto, and 2 cherry shrimp. They wiped most of the algea out in a day!
I added an anubia of some kind, it may be a huge petite nana, or not, but will the lead fishing weight i used to tye it down with hurt anyone?
HC has a little slimy hair algea on it, but the cherries are running out of places to eat algea on, so they will hopefully find it soon.
Does HC need micro and macro ferts, or can it live with regular WC's and waste products of fish/shrimp?
I am trying to keep the tank rather simple, and the last of my christmas money is going to a used protein skimmer for my soon to be reef tank. 

The whole scape








A cherry on the driftwood








Good news-cherry shells!








[flash on]








[flash on]








Otto








Shrimp squad








close up


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## Yzmxer99 (Aug 7, 2006)

Good pic of your whole scape there. Glad to hear you finally got control of that algae. Now get that HC to grow. lol. Mines a mess right now, vacation and the bga took over.


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## dufus (Nov 13, 2006)

Yea, my hair algea stuff(still no id, it is slimy, but grows like hair algea) Is comin back. If it starts takin over again, I'll recruite another cherry and oto.

Yzmxer- What did you do to get the HC to spread like that, or is it just time?
When i get greg watson ferts for my 55, i'll order some of the basic mac's for this and my 10, and share the others.
I think the plants are starting to take hold in the new stuff(sand, nitrates, excell, Light without algea) because the new anubias is losing all the Beutiful algae on the leaves!

my sword id doing good, and the tiny crypt is getting.....longer, but the hc seems to just survive, and grow a few new leaves every once and a while.


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## Yzmxer99 (Aug 7, 2006)

patience, HC takes patience, especially in that nano. I just tried to keep the color right and it just kinda took care of itself. From what I see, your doing fine.


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## dufus (Nov 13, 2006)

Alright.
I got a red sea deluxe test kit for christmas, it came with "flora pure, flora vit, and flora FE" in little bottles, so i'm ussing it on this tank-1 drop each, 2x weekly.


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## dufus (Nov 13, 2006)

*finally, HC spreads.*

My HC is trying to finally spread.
Thanks to kotoelencat for the eleocharis parvulus in the back.
It had some small sag's or something in it. The 3rd pic shows the sags and a peice of melted blyxa from my 55. it is recouperating.
i also am trying to recuperate the lobelia cardinalis small form that didn't ship really well.
over all, i'm happy with this tank. no huge algae problems, other than the left patch of hc has all kinds of strange algae growing in it.
oh yea, i took out the not so small anymore sword and put it in my 10 gallon.

growing?









Eleocharis parvulus









Sag?









lobelia cardinalis small form rebounding









Full shot









scape close up









Petit? nana









good HC patch









not so great HC patch









yuck! algae









gotta love growing HC


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## chaznsc (May 1, 2006)

I have a couple of these aquavases, and I love them. Wish I could find another clip on light reasonable however.


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## dufus (Nov 13, 2006)

yea, they are neat. my mom has one with a betta that gets covereds in algae.

Oh yea, i picked up 2 male endlers and a female feeder guppy.(closest they had to female endlers.)
i will get a female endler eventually, but the guppy had a baby IN THE BAG!!!

so more pics will come after they chill a bit.


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## dufus (Nov 13, 2006)

Damn endlers are fast!









almost!









got the female

















and the fry!









but not the endlers!









what is that? the green slime









workin hard, or hardly workin?









i think the lobelia small form is rebounding!










So there it is for ya-enjoy!


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## dufus (Nov 13, 2006)

I'm horrible about updating huh?

Well, here's one any way.

I move one endler to my 10 because they were fighting. one shrimp dissapeared, and the other is huge. I got a little (lot) of GSA on the back walls. HC and anubias are very healthy, HC is spreading now. The hairgrass had a sligght dieoff, but is looking good now. 

I would like to give an example of what flourich excel can do for you. This peice of the driftwood was completely green. I spot 2xdosed it w/excel and now-










Here's the rest of the pics.
bit of a macro


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## Finch_man (Mar 21, 2006)

shoot! thats a lot of algae... If I was you Ill start all over.LOL:hihi:


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## dufus (Nov 13, 2006)

Nahh, it's not so bad, and it's easy to combat algae. i started over 3 times before this actually, i finally got rid of cyanobacteria. i just need to work on spot shooting excel, and get some nutrient balance goin on.


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## Finch_man (Mar 21, 2006)

That female guppy seem to big for that tank doesn't it?


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## dufus (Nov 13, 2006)

yea, i need to find a female endler.


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## dufus (Nov 13, 2006)

Man! i need to get better at these darn updates!

I will take pics soon, but here's the news.

The HC is really starting to spread! It's growing taller in some spots too.

The HG is short, and thinner now, but very bright green and starting to shoot runners now. 
Anubias has sent up 3 new leaves and i think is finally rooted!

the Lobelia small form is growing right now, so it looks better.

I added a little riccia from my 55- It exploded into a buch in a week! So i wrapped some mesh around it and tied it to a rock-result- a riccia buch. I added 2 more of these that are starting to grow out.

ONly major problems are clado and mulmy algae stuff on the sand, but both are easily removed mnually at WC's.

I also stepped up the ferts to excel, 1/2 dose of (Flora iron, flora vit, and flora trace) every day. The plants seem to like it. Oh and the guppy Was moved to my 10 after she had a plethora of fry and i got 2 more male endlers. there are now like 8 fish in there!
pics to come soon.


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## RESGuy (Jan 15, 2007)

The tank is looking good, and your pictures have improved tremendously since your first post  Can't wait for the next picture update roud:


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## dufus (Nov 13, 2006)

Yeah, Camera Phone to nikon is a big difference. as soon as my batteries are done, pics pics pics!!!!


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## RESGuy (Jan 15, 2007)

dufus said:


> Yeah, Camera Phone to nikon is a big difference. as soon as my batteries are done, pics pics pics!!!!


lol Indeed it is!:biggrin:


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## cjyhc4 (Dec 18, 2006)

dufus said:


> Yeah, Camera Phone to nikon is a big difference. as soon as my batteries are done, pics pics pics!!!!


Looking forward to them!


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## dufus (Nov 13, 2006)

Pics!
Photobucket takes 4ever!


























Java moss hitchikes!









Hair grass |)









Foreground









HC growth



























































Lobelia Cardinalis small forms

























Riccia

























Otto









More pics of the fish coming when PB uploads them!


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## RESGuy (Jan 15, 2007)

Great pictures, and nice tank! lol Nice HC growth man


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## dufus (Nov 13, 2006)

Lol, i'm so happy to see it spread! i thought it had turned plastic or something.


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## cjyhc4 (Dec 18, 2006)

I like the tank. You did great with the small space. 

If I were you, I would trim off the older Anubias leaves.


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## dufus (Nov 13, 2006)

Yep, gonna do that with the coming of it's next leaf.
The story behind the anubias:
I bought it in a cichlid shop floating. he thought it was petite, but doubted it too.
I put it in my grandma's 55, burried in the gravel(Stupid Dufus- it was in my rookie days) and the rhizome rotted away. i took it out when the leaves stasrted to grow algae and i putit in here.

The roots take forever to attach to wood. so any way, when it shoots another leaf up, the old ones are gonna go. Most of them anyway.

The fish pics never loaded to PB, and it takes like an hour to load 11 pics, i think i should size em down.


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## MARIMOBALL (Mar 18, 2007)

nice nano dufus its coming along. will look nicer when HC covers the foreground, and anubias get a trim. If the anubia has not held to the wood, may i sugest replacing the rubber band with a black twist tie from the supermarket or the black ones you get when you buy electronics. It will be less noticable and it will be easier to remove when the anubia grabs on to the wood.


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## dufus (Nov 13, 2006)

Thanks.
I think the Hc's growth is being slowed by the inert substrate, we'll see how long it takes. i just recently uped my ferts so in good time i hope.

The anubias, if not grown in in a few months, is soon to be subject to some ada woodtight or something, the Rubber band looks horibble, but it keeps it on for now.


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## dufus (Nov 13, 2006)

Update
"thinking outside the box"

I got an Air "fern" (Actually it's a dead colony of tiny sea creatures that they call a fern)from walmart.

It's on the left side of the tank, outside. it adds to the atmosphere, but i need to find a better looking mini pot.
















Cabomba like?


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## Storm_Rider (Sep 30, 2006)

those things are awesome, i thought it was just some kind of petrified fern when i first saw them at the lfs. your's is so pretty, the ones at the lfs are still in the bag and they're flat, was yours like that or it came puffy like this?


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## dufus (Nov 13, 2006)

it came puffy in a display box/card.
It's pretty neat, even if it's not a rela plant.


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