# Fluval Spec V Low Light Low Tech



## 46740 (Jul 10, 2011)

Great looking tank!


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## Patson (Mar 4, 2013)

I like the rustic look and feel


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## pink4miss (Aug 20, 2013)

nice tank, i noticed you have one of the cobalt neo thrum heaters. i didn't think they could be kept sideways. good to know they can be. i have one in my shrimp tank , great little heaters very accurate and they make keeping and eye on temperature super easy.


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## jrh (Sep 9, 2007)

Thanks for the comments, all.  There are bits of moss and subwassertang, and I'll don't know how those will play out yet. I expect the pygmy chain swords to expand.

As for the heater -- I really like it. I have two small glass heaters I expected to put into the filter, but liked this flat, plastic one better, so used it, even though it had to go into the mid tank.

It's unobtrustive, but my fish can use it as more hiding spots when they want, and as you said, setting and viewing the temperature are both super simple.


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## pink4miss (Aug 20, 2013)

have you heard the audible alarm yet on the heater? i have seen it blinking when the light heated the water above the temp it was set at on a hot day. but i wonder what it takes to set off the audible alarm. i want to get them for my 2 other tanks eventually


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## jrh (Sep 9, 2007)

I haven't heard the audible alarm. I didn't even know there was one. I'll have to look up what triggers it.


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## pink4miss (Aug 20, 2013)

jrh said:


> I haven't heard the audible alarm. I didn't even know there was one. I'll have to look up what triggers it.


i read there was one but I'm wondering what triggers it. how high does the temp go when it goes off?


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## jrh (Sep 9, 2007)

I just looked at the instructions online, and I don't see mention of an audible alarm. The heater definitely shows both current temperature and set point, though.


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## pink4miss (Aug 20, 2013)

i just looked at the manual i received with it. and didn't see that either , i believed it had one. http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=25144 this is where i bought mine and i also seen another site say the same thing.
it seems you have solved the mystery of why i couldn't find info on that alarm anywhere. lol

i honestly think the visual blinking when the temp is high or low is enough. i noticed the temp was raised on a hot day from the light when i walked by the tank and looked in i seen the light blinking showing a different set temp than what it should be. the blinking caught my eye


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## BillV (Aug 27, 2011)

James, your tank has a lot of interesting features, I really like the look. The fish are great looking, and I'm a fan of the orange shrimp. It looks much larger than a5 gallon, grat job!

Bill


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## PeterN1986 (Jun 15, 2011)

A nice, natural looking tank. I DSM'd my tank at work for 3 months and people kept asking me what I was going to put in there - from spiders to snakes to shrimp lol


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## jrh (Sep 9, 2007)

OMG Spiders???

Hey, I was just checking out your nano -- looks nice!


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## JasonBD77 (Feb 6, 2013)

I have been considering a spec V as a first planted tank. yours looks great! are you using the stock LED?


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## AquaAurora (Jul 10, 2013)

Very lovely tank, can you give a plant list? I am also curious if you are using the stock light.


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## jrh (Sep 9, 2007)

Thanks for the compliments.  I'm using the stock light, and I've added plant names under the photos.


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## PeterN1986 (Jun 15, 2011)

jrh said:


> OMG Spiders???
> 
> Hey, I was just checking out your nano -- looks nice!


Thanks! How is the behavior of the dwarf emerald rasboras? Do they school together alot? Or are there alphas chasing others around?


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## jrh (Sep 9, 2007)

They're not really schooling fish, but they do tend to follow each other around. Evidently, they lay a few eggs every day, so most of their time spent in the open is displaying and courting. Sometimes males will compete for a female, but it seems like they're trying more to impress her than fight over her, and I haven't seen any nipped fins.

They tend towards shyness and will hide at sudden movement outside the tank. However, if I'm just sitting at the computer working, or even staring at them, they'll come out into the open.

They're super easy to feed. They take readily to golden pearls -- I soak them for a min in tank water, then use a dropper to put them in slowly, so I can see that they're being eaten. Tomorrow I think I'll try some crushed NLS flake and see if they like that.

Originally, I was trying to find a nano schooling fish, but the tetras and true rasboras seemed to be soft water fish. A friend pointed me towards these, and I really like them. They're almost cichlid-like in their courting behavior, except I haven't seen fighting, and they don't care for their eggs or fry like cichlids would.

If I have other hard water, planted tanks in the future (and I think I'm going to try a dirted tank), I'll probably get some more of these fish. They're interesting to watch and have danio hardiness in a tiny, blue-striped package.

At least mine look blue to me, even though they're supposed to be emerald colored.


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## natiedean24 (Jul 11, 2013)

Goodness - very nice tank! I'm planning my first planted tank - a low tech. 

Question about the Pygmy chain sword - I see some web info list this as a medium light plant. How is it doing in your tank? How marginal (if at all) is it in low light? 

Thanks!


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