# Big Red update (6g low tech journal) (>56k images)



## fishydaze (May 1, 2009)

A nano planted caught my eye at the fish store when I was helping a friend set up their ten gallon....have been thinking about it since and thought I would finally have a go at it. 

Here are my inspirational rocks:









Craggy petrified wood, some little petrified chunks and a big piece of jasper. Had petrified wood in my last tank, love the look of that orangy red with live plants.

Here is my empty tank (eclipse six)
In it is this great piece of driftwood, but I don't think I will be using it with my first aquascape for this tank....just doesnt fit with the plan... 










Finally: here is the plan for this tank. The fish won't be until long after the tank is established.....but I like thinking about them. As you can see from my signature, this tank has been started and is about a month in...but I have been mostly gathering plants/wood to follow through on the plan. The wood as I am picturing it now would be coming into the tank from the front left and from the back right...All comments welcome: the beginner version is getting rescaped as soon as my wood is prepped (prob a couple weeks)


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## fishydaze (May 1, 2009)

Here is the trial with rocks/ and the addition of....gasp...water and yes, those are actual plants. My friends were amazed at my cheetah like action after 3 weeks of contemplation.




















just a holding tank for awhile...


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## Crystalview (Aug 10, 2007)

I like the colors with the rocks, not sure if I like seeing the wood panel behind it. It may be the picture but it makes it look orange. Maybe a back ground or is it just the pic? Good start! To design what you want in pics is cool. I have it in my head what it is to look like and it never looks the same.


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## fishydaze (May 1, 2009)

Crystalview said:


> I like the colors with the rocks, not sure if I like seeing the wood panel behind it. It may be the picture but it makes it look orange.


Thanks for the comment, Crystalview...Yeah, pretty much the wall and the rocks match bee-you-tee-full-lee :icon_eek:....pulls out a detracting tinge from the varnish, something I hadn't thought about when I so carefully chose the spot...trying a couple of different backgrounds at least until the plants fill in.



Crystalview said:


> To design what you want in pics is cool. I have it in my head what it is to look like and it never looks the same.


I enjoyed the planning  and drawing it out a lot: at least my drawing sometimes turns out how I picture it in my head, I have less control over the actual aquarium. But I think I am ready to see what actually creates itself with the 3D wood; will settle just fine for however it naturally works out, since there is no Manzanita farm local where I can handpick my branches.


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## Crystalview (Aug 10, 2007)

I think it's funny I have a ton of Manzanita everywhere on my property and it is a fire hazard in the mountains. Wish I had a way to share.


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## fishydaze (May 1, 2009)

As long as I was gathering plants, I thought they might as well be planted....at this time, still waiting on delivery of the manzanita and thinking about scale/number of plants needed....and the generosity of tpt members is fabulous but can derail a plan (the extra free stems thrown in for free really take up the corners of a 6 g:icon_smil)

So, Ive planted what I had, convinced it will be no problem to rearrange everything once other expected plants/scape are ready. Seems everybody rips into their tanks when inspired or the wind changes or just because: surely I can be that practical?









Full Tank Shot 2 weeks In: Nana Petite Anubias, Nana Anubias, Java Moss (not, but that's what they called it when I bought it), and Narrow Leaf Java Fern, and a tiny bit of Bacopa that got too damaged in transit (hiding in back left). Please ignore thermometer hanging down middle of tank.:icon_bigg









(Left hand front corner) Here is some alternanthera that is not happy in my lowlight, lower leaves dying off and leaving me with a few alternanthera trees.



















(Right hand front corner) 

Still waiting/wanting or contemplating:
more anubias petites
needle leaf java ferns
bolbitis fern
marsilea minuta
ammania bonsai
moss (prob java)

AND the manzanita....


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## fishydaze (May 1, 2009)

*2.5 months in...*

And, for my own entertainment, an update...

Here the tank is, as of two and half months in. Finally gathered together all the plants I wanted, and ready for a re-arrange. Definately need to adjust in order to maximize sense of depth perception and to reduce depth of the gravel.


















plants: 
Anubias petite
Anubias nana
Elocharis acicularis
Hygro sunset
Echinodorus mini
Echniodorus micro
Peacock Moss
Bolbitis huedeloti
Rotala rotundifolia
Marsilea minuta
Java Fern Philippines
Java Fern Narrow Leaf
E. Vesuvius

Manzanita branches (need to boil off the bark still)
four nerites and a single pond snail
and the petrified wood chunks

Eclipse 6 g (built in filter and light)
8 Watt T5
4 hour side blast of 18 W Coralife (in order to have some plants besides Java Ferns and Anubias)

Exel, Comp, Trace and dosing of the majors (potassium, phosphorus and nitrogen) (and occasional
Iron supplement: did great stuff to the Marsilea Minuta, made it super green)
using my way cool dropper bottles from U.S. Plastics; 50% water change weekly.


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## fishydaze (May 1, 2009)

*Replanted and a few trip photos*

And in August, I replanted...took out about half the gravel and tried to build up the right hand hill until it was about half the height of tank and pulled the right red rock about halfway in, more into the middle of the tank in terms of depth.





























I am much happier with it depth-perception-wise. The Elocharis and Vesuvius both seemed to be doing well before the revamp, but both melted down sulkily as did the most of the dwarf hairgrass. Fingers crossed, some single green leaves remain. Will need to think of something else small/narrow leaved and a bright green for back right corner if these don't grow back. I want it to be a thick bright dense mass in the corner. Like it was starting to be before the revamp as seen in this shot:













and, I took another trip back to Oregon (can't resist sharing a few pics)

camping in the Umpqua National Forest


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## neoh (Sep 2, 2009)

Looks good. I can see where you get your inspiration.


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## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

i like the oregon coast better

oh ya, nice tank too, lol.

(near the dunes...)


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## Down_Shift (Sep 20, 2008)

nice tank wow red is beautiful


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## fishydaze (May 1, 2009)

*One year*

My bolbitis grew and grew, and I suddenly realized I couldn’t see much in the tank. Pulled more than half out, then realize I should have taken some ‘before’ pictures. Ah, well..This is the tank one year in. 

Story of the year: no success with any stems, I kept trying to find something tall and light colored to go in the back left, but the Eclipse tank set up is so poor at lighting the back half. My sidelight of 13 watts (4 hours a day) kept them lingering for awhile, but not long enough. Limited success with e. tenellus: a few remaining small ones after more then six months.

The usual low tech suspects doing nicely: Bolbitis, java fern, needleaf java, anubias petite, anubias nana. Anubias petite has expanded nicely. I continue to try and wish marsilea minuta into doing well, with limited effect. Recently replenished the marsilea with a fresh green batch, which still looks a little frothy, not settled in yet.

3 nerites and one sneaker ramshorn snail: a fifth one lost out the back and not found until too late. 

I had to take my manzanita out, although I loved the look of it: the snails just chowed down like ravenous beasts on it...took me awhile to realize. So, i have pieces of expensive wood sitting around while my snails cont. to party down. 










The camera always finds the flaws, eh? The scratches showing across the middle are actually on the back of the tank. 
The back right and front left were filled with bolbitis, growing thick and out in all directions, so cut it back down for a new round. Wish I could find a low-light loving, small leaved, light green plant for contrast against the nice deep bolbitis green. Any suggestions?



















Trying for a flow down from the anubias petite through the marsilea minuta...and even have some mini marsilea, that doesn't seem to grow nearly as large at least in my conditions, growing out in a separate tank, that can go along the front.




























Thanks for looking!


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## mgdmirage (Mar 30, 2009)

Very nice little lowtech tank you have there


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## Down_Shift (Sep 20, 2008)

still kicking


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## zoragen (Nov 3, 2009)

Very nice!

I also have a 6 gal eclipse with a betta & 2 nerites.

Crypts spiralis & lutea seem to do pretty well.

I've wondered about trying some sort of "spot" light. My tank is in my basement - so not much ambient light.

I do turn on the table lamp next to it hoping that helps.

I also dose excel & seachem comp as well as fert tabs.

After seeing your tank - I need more plants!!


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## fishydaze (May 1, 2009)

Thanks for looking, MdgMirage; and
Hello DownShift,thanks for checking back in!

Hey Zoragen, thanks for taking a look and the plant suggestions
I do wish Marineland would improve the lighting in their nano tanks to be more appropriate for plants: I have enjoyed the ease of care and sleek design of the built in filter.

As you can see in the pic, for a blast of extra light, I use a coralife mini aqualight 18 watt compact flourescent set on its side on a decorative box, a couple of inches away from the side of the tank (its pretty hot to put too close). It makes the tank hugely brighter and its sort of nice, makes the tank look quite different, a whole other look during the middle of the day. I think it made an immediate difference in the tank growth/green.
and I had visitors lately who didn't even notice it when the light was on, until I pointed it out. So, its not as intrusive as I thought it was


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## zoragen (Nov 3, 2009)

I've read about people modifying the hood for a better light bulb. But that's way past my pay grade:biggrin:


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