# my new 5 gallon project



## Snowflake311 (Apr 20, 2011)

The wood is really cool. But it seems too thick and makes the tank look small. But with plants I am sure it will work.


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## gnod (Mar 24, 2011)

that's a nice looking dw... jealous.

btw what filter is that?


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## Bree (Dec 17, 2010)

Holly!! That looks so awesome, i am honestly jealous of that wood, fits the tank perfectly!!


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## Couesfanatic (Sep 28, 2009)

I really like the wood as well. I'd do some fissidens on the wood with a hairgrass carpet. good luck.


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

awesome wood! i would do some fissidens as well, on the wood. and either 1) a DHG carpet with e. vivipara in the back right corner around the wood. or 2) a HC carpet with DHG around and under the wood with e. vivipara in the right back corner around the wood. 

looks good! i like how the wood is protruding.


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## Ryan10517 (Jun 7, 2010)

thanks for the feedback everyone! i'm glad this tank doesnt look like total crap (yet). The wood was actually about 3 1/2 feet long to begin with, and i just cut it down to size with yard loppers.

Gnod, i don't really remember exactly what brand filter i have on there, but i do remember i got it from walmart for like 12 bucks. I just pulled it out of my pile of spare filters i keep in my closet  Its nothing special, but it gets the job done. I'm thinking about adding some peat pellets in the filter to lower my pH a bit and give the water a blackwater kind of tinge to it. Yes? No?


I like the fissidens idea, but unfortunately no store around here has em. basically, you can find crypts and swords here in central illinois haha. Does anybody have any fissidens and/or dwarf hairgrass they could part with for cheap? I'm not looking to spend a lot of money here. My total cost of this tank so far is $2 @ a garage sale for the crappy ten gallon i made it out of and $4 for a tube of silicone lol. Its so scratched up, i swear they cleaned their glass with sandpaper or something! haha. 

I'll get around to making a light for it sometime soon.


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## demonr6 (Mar 14, 2011)

I actually like the larger dw especially if you are not loading it with fish..


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## Ryan10517 (Jun 7, 2010)

^agreed. There will be no fish in the tank either. Only shrimp. Well.... i might get a couple feeder guppies to speed up the cycling process. I'm a horribly impatient person haha. on that thought, why i like plants, i have no idea hahahaha.


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## Ryan10517 (Jun 7, 2010)

well.... i've been workin on the light, and i'd say its about 80% done. Hopefully it will be completed tomorrow sometime. I will go more into detail on how its made, what it holds, etc.. etc... anyways, here is a sneak peak for you guys



















p.s. please ignore the terribly messy shop. i have too many projects going on at once 
Peace, 

Ryan


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## Couesfanatic (Sep 28, 2009)

If I had more belem I would send you some. I only have one little bit right now.


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## Ryan10517 (Jun 7, 2010)

no problem bro. thanks for the generosity though! i'm still open to plant suggestions too. I have one tiny little bit of e. acicularis slowly bouncing back in my 30 gallon right now. for some reason it just doesn't like that tank. Maybe when i get the light finished i will throw it over in this tank and hope for a miracle! haha


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## Aphyosemion (Oct 15, 2004)

You said you cut up a ten gallon, but the tank you ended up with looks more square than a standard ten. Did you need to add a couple of pieces of glass to it, or did you just shorten the sides a little?
Another thing that came to mind when I saw your driftwood setup is a couple of AGA finalist tanks. They had the driftwood like yours in the corner, but they had built up a hill underneath it using rocks and dirt and then made the whole tank look sort of like the base of an old tree. It was pretty amazing.


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

i agree, that would look good. with a steep slope underneath the wood would look awesome i think it would be the thing that makes this tank go from awesome to extraordinary.


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## Ryan10517 (Jun 7, 2010)

Aphyosemion said:


> You said you cut up a ten gallon, but the tank you ended up with looks more square than a standard ten. Did you need to add a couple of pieces of glass to it, or did you just shorten the sides a little?
> Another thing that came to mind when I saw your driftwood setup is a couple of AGA finalist tanks. They had the driftwood like yours in the corner, but they had built up a hill underneath it using rocks and dirt and then made the whole tank look sort of like the base of an old tree. It was pretty amazing.



hmmm let me try and remember how i did it.... i remember that i stepped on the bottom pane of glass and broke it lol, so i only used the 4 sides. The two end pieces were flipped so they were more long than high. These were used for the front and back of the tank. The two long sides were then cut ~9" long and flipped to make the two sides. I had a big enough piece from one of the original front/back to make the bottom. No other glass was used to make the tank. It makes sense in my head  

I like the substrate hill idea! I'll see if i have time tomorrow to mess around with that before work. Right now i just need to finish the light!


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## Ryan10517 (Jun 7, 2010)

And god said.... let there be light!








I'm calling it officially done! She's made of 1/8" 3 ply veneer, and basswood for the back. Doesn't look bad if i say so myself. 

The interior is painted flat white, and houses one 26 watt cfl. Simple yet effective









The golden rule of carpentry is: your project has to work, and look good doing it! Well it definitely works, but i'll let you guys decide if it looks good or not 

here are some more pictures

"seamless" corners 









back piece









back









on tank, light off









light on









inside tank










I will work on the substrate tomorrow cuz i'm off work. 
What do you guys think? don't hold back on the constructive criticism!


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## Aphyosemion (Oct 15, 2004)

I love the initial layout. I was going to post a pic of the corner tree stump layout that I have seen done a couple of different ways, but I can't seem to find it now that I want to. 
I also really like how you did the light. I am a novice woodworker so I like to make things like your little canopy, but I never have the patience to spend much time on tank canopies, so I always just end up with a square sit-on deal that takes as little time as possible. The groove that the glass goes through looks a little shallow to me. If it were me, I would be worried that I might bump the light while fiddling with things and have it drop into the water. I don't know though, if it is a snug fit then it is probably nothing to worry about.
I am a little curious as to how the CFL light will work for your tank. I was under the impression that you needed special aquarium lights or you get things like black algae problems, but to be honest I have never looked into it very deeply. I am really interested to see how it works out for you, since a couple of CFLs is probably much cheaper than aquarium specific lighting and could work for small tanks.


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## gnod (Mar 24, 2011)

damn... times like this i wish i knew wood work. 

looking good!


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## Ryan10517 (Jun 7, 2010)

Aphyosemion said:


> I love the initial layout. I was going to post a pic of the corner tree stump layout that I have seen done a couple of different ways, but I can't seem to find it now that I want to.
> I also really like how you did the light. I am a novice woodworker so I like to make things like your little canopy, but I never have the patience to spend much time on tank canopies, so I always just end up with a square sit-on deal that takes as little time as possible. The groove that the glass goes through looks a little shallow to me. If it were me, I would be worried that I might bump the light while fiddling with things and have it drop into the water. I don't know though, if it is a snug fit then it is probably nothing to worry about.
> I am a little curious as to how the CFL light will work for your tank. I was under the impression that you needed special aquarium lights or you get things like black algae problems, but to be honest I have never looked into it very deeply. I am really interested to see how it works out for you, since a couple of CFLs is probably much cheaper than aquarium specific lighting and could work for small tanks.


I was initially worried about the glass groove as well. I decided to make it shallow just because i do not want the bottom of the fixture sitting in the water and possibly soaking up water and ruining the fixture. I tried to make it as aquarium safe as possible with the use of waterproof wood glue (titebond III) and a few coats of gloss finish polyurethane. It sits very snug on the back, so as long as i am careful, i think it should be alright. Its relatively lightweight also. 

CFL's are great for growth if you get the right ones. In fact, most of the "plant bulbs" and "plant lights" are nothing more than marketing hype and honestly aren't that great for plants. This particular cfl has a light output of around 1600 lumens, and since it is a daylight bulb (6500K) it has enough output in the blue and red parts of the spectrum to support most plants. Every light fixture i have built either holds spiral, dual, or quad CFL's and i have great growth from all my plants. Terrestrials are doing awesome under 2x26 watts. I'm assuming the black algae you are referring to is black beard algae (BBA) and that is caused by fluctuating co2 levels, not improper light. Too much, too little, or not the right kind of light can cause algae problems however. 

@gnod- thanks man! Carpentry is a very rewarding hobby! Just practice, practice, and practice! A good craftsman still makes plenty of mistakes, he just knows how to hide them!

Now that i think about it, everything in this setup has been built by me. The stand, tank, substrate, light, and driftwood i have created to my liking lol. The filter and heater are the only things that i have bought


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## Ryan10517 (Jun 7, 2010)

little bit of an update. I went out collecting local aquatic plants at a small lake here in central illinois, and i found what looks very similar to stargrass (heteranthera zosterfolia). Problem is, stargrass is native to brazil, and i haven't seen it on any invasive/ alien plant species lists. Besides that and the normal eurasian water milfoil, hornwort, and vallisneria americana, i found some weird kind of myriophyllum species. The thing about it is that the spindly leaves grow in "spheres" on the main stem. The only way to describe how it looks is like a beaded necklace, but a plant. If anybody has any clue to what either of these plants are, please chime in!

here are some pictures


supposed H. zosterfilia
little bit of an update. I went out collecting local aquatic plants at a small lake here in central illinois, and i found what looks very similar to stargrass (heteranthera zosterfolia). Problem is, stargrass is native to brazil, and i haven't seen it on any invasive/ alien plant species lists. Besides that and the normal eurasian water milfoil, hornwort, and vallisneria americana, i found some weird kind of myriophyllum species. The thing about it is that the spindly leaves grow in "spheres" on the main stem. The only way to describe how it looks is like a beaded necklace, but a plant. If anybody has any clue to what either of these plants are, please chime in! 

here are some pictures 


supposed H. zosterfilia


[IMG]http://i1045.photobucket.com/albums/b455/ryan10517/0623012300.jpg


















Weird myriophyllum: thats the only section i have of it right now.










As far as the tank goes, its going alright. just a lil bit of green algae on the wood. Diy co2 is going strong. Here is my only inhabitant at the moment: juvenile trapdoor snail. 









And alas, my last sad lonely sprig of hairgrass. It has a healthy new runner, so i'm hoping under this high light, large amount of available nutrients and co2 that it will come back to life and spread. fingers are crossed. 









Well i'm outa here! later people

Ryan


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## Ryan10517 (Jun 7, 2010)

well getting closer to the id of the stargrass type plant. I'm positive it is of the genus Najas, but not sure of the species.


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## Snowflake311 (Apr 20, 2011)

That hood is amazing can you make me one


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## demosthenes (Aug 23, 2008)

the supposed stargrass is definitely a Najas sp. 

H. zosterifolia is much lighter green, and the leaves are wider and flatter.


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## Ryan10517 (Jun 7, 2010)

yup definitely. I honestly have not seen stargrass in person, so i just thought that it looks like that haha. Don't quote me on this, but i think it is najas guadalupensis. At least that is the species it looks most alike, but it is hard telling because there were at least two or three different species of it growing in the lake. Its going crazy in the 5 gallon too. Its more than doubled in size now and almost at the surface. 

I put an anubias nana in there on the wood too. It might get a little big, but if anything it will just grow out of the water and go emmersed which would be sweet. Hairgrass isn't dead yet, and has grown a new runner and two little sprigs of leaves. Whats the trick with this plant??? i can seem to get it to grow good for me! 

I will post pictures later.


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## Aphyosemion (Oct 15, 2004)

That najas sp. is very interesting to me. I have debated going on a plant collecting trip to the nearest lake or river many times, but the plants that I usually see are so covered in algae and gross crap that I am not sure if I would be adding free plants or just a bunch of free insect larvae and algae!
Did you do anything special to prep the plants before you added them to your tank or is your lake just very clean?
Oh, if you load that light fixture up with enough polyurethane you can put it all the way underwater and you shouldn't have any problems with it (as long as you don't plug it in first, lol). I made a handle for my shower poof when I got sick of the plastic ones constantly breaking and used 1 coat of shellac for color and 4 coats of polyurethane. I am thinking that puppy is waterproof down to 100 meters!


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## Ryan10517 (Jun 7, 2010)

isn't polyurethane great?!? haha for my 2x36 watt pc hood for my 30 gallon i put on about 4 or 5 coats with a light sanding in between them. Its as smooth as a baby's butt and totally waterproof. Thats a good thing too because i pour tons of water over it during water changes hahaha. 

Plant collecting is really fun in my opinion. You just have to know where to look. We have two lakes really close to where i live, heritage lake and brock lake. In heritage there isn't a lot of plant variety, and the ones that are there are covered in snail eggs and algae like you said. Brock lake however has a lot more plant variety and a lot healthier plants. note that these lakes are only 3 miles from each other, so climate is the same. I think this is due to heritage being a man made lake, and brock being natural and around for longer. Perhaps heritage has not even reached a state of maturity and equilibrium? I'm no biologist, so i really cant say. 

So far here are the plants that i have found at brock. keep in mind that i suck at identifying lol.

Echinodorus cordifolius (creeping burhead)
Vallisneria Americana 
Multiple myriophyllum species including the common Eurasian water milfoil
multiple najas species. They literally form carpets covering probably 2000 square feet and only 6 inches tall!
Potamogeton crispus (curly pondweed)
Potamogeton natans (floating pondweed)
ultricularia gibba? (floating bladderwort. not sure of this ID)
Eleocharis acicularis (i haven't seen this one in a while there ....)
Another larger type of dwarf spikerush or eleocharis species. it grows about 10-20" tall usually emergent in shallow water about 6 inches deep. 
Thats all i can think of now, but i'm sure i'm forgetting a few. 

I didn't do to much to prep the plants. Just a really good wash under hot water. You can do a 5% bleach solution dip too, but i chose not to.


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## Splendid Splendens (Dec 22, 2010)

Great job on the light!  You've inspired me!


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

Wow. You lucky to have an awesome source for some wild plants!


You can call me Bob


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## Ryan10517 (Jun 7, 2010)

Splendid Splendens said:


> Great job on the light!  You've inspired me!


Thanks! it was an easy project, so give it a try and i'm sure you will be pleased with the results!



orchidman said:


> Wow. You lucky to have an awesome source for some wild plants!
> 
> 
> You can call me Bob


That i do. I love free plants! mainly because i'm such a cheap person  I'm actually planning a 40 breeder paludarium incorporating the E. cordifolius, the bigger dwarf spikerush, and the P. natans and maybe some sagittaria latifolia as emergent plants. I'm building a few buttress root trees and fake rocks to hide the glass for the pond area too  if it looks like i see it in my head, it should be pretty sweet!


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## Ryan10517 (Jun 7, 2010)

here is somewhat of an update.








najas and myrio have grown a bunch, added an anubias, and hairgrass is barely starting to rebound.








"spherical" myriophyllum








Hairgrass










I'm not satisfied with the look of the najas grass. Does anybody have a cool rotala or ludwigia, or any neat small leaved stem plant that is easy to grow? I would be willing to pay for shipping and maybe a little more for your troubles  

Thanks, 

Ryan


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## Splendid Splendens (Dec 22, 2010)

Ryan10517 said:


> Thanks! it was an easy project, so give it a try and i'm sure you will be pleased with the results!


I just might have to give it a try, I'm not very handy though.


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## gnod (Mar 24, 2011)

dang im really liking that light. can u make me one? lol


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## Ryan10517 (Jun 7, 2010)

sorry all out of veneer


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## Splendid Splendens (Dec 22, 2010)

Hahaha how much did it cost?


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## Ryan10517 (Jun 7, 2010)

the veneer or the light? The veneer we had out in the shop for forever, but a new piece would probably be around 20 bucks. The light cost me nothing to make. I just used what i had on hand lol.


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## Ryan10517 (Jun 7, 2010)

well... i guess i'm trying a riccia stone foreground just because i stole it out of the display tank at the lfs lol. I used to work there so i can get away with it hahaha. I got a sprig of what seems to be microsword too so we'll see how that goes


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## Aphyosemion (Oct 15, 2004)

Here are a couple of links to some "tree" aquascapes. I find them very inspiring and since they are very close to what you could do with your tank, you may find them interesting as well.
http://showcase.aquatic-gardeners.org/2010.cgi?&op=showcase&category=0&vol=0&id=28
http://showcase.aquatic-gardeners.org/2010.cgi?&op=showcase&category=0&vol=0&id=140
http://showcase.aquatic-gardeners.org/2010.cgi?&op=showcase&category=0&vol=0&id=130
The one that I was specifically looking for was done by Takashi Amano and was more similar to yours but I didn't find it. He used rocks to built up under the driftwood and form a hill, which I found really strange until I saw the end results.
Oh, and for the record, I love the seamless joints on your light fixture. I try to stay away from complicated angles as much as possible because I waste too much wood trying to get it right.


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## Ryan10517 (Jun 7, 2010)

wow! thanks man. That second one is probably my favorite out of the bunch. the red plant on the left makes a really nice focal point. I need to a sweet stem like that to replace the najas. Oh and thanks for the compliment on the light! It really wasn't hard to make it seamless corners. I didn't worry about exact angels. I just sanded them to around a 45 degree angle on both sides and used toothpicks in the inside seams to add structural integrity. Pretty easy really.


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## vespers_ (May 6, 2011)

i really like this... it looks so natural... the wood looks like the wood i see when i go snorkeling/diving and not as "perfect" as it seems in some aquariums.


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## Ryan10517 (Jun 7, 2010)

^thanks! it looks alright, but it's definitely not perfect. not too bad for spending almost nothing. The tank is just now getting cycled, so it might be a little bit before i get any real inhabitants though. Hairgrass seems to like the conditions, najas and myrio are growing like weeds (oh yea i forgot they were weeds...) anubias seems to be doing alright, riccia is new, so not much different, and no apparent algae other than on the wood which makes it look aged so i don't really mind. Hopefully we get through this cycle without too many problems.


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## Halls (Jul 4, 2011)

That is quite an interesting piece of wood.


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## Ryan10517 (Jun 7, 2010)

Halls said:


> That is quite an interesting piece of wood.


that it is... but then again, i'm an interesting person so it works haha


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## Ryan10517 (Jun 7, 2010)

update:

I tore out all that stupid guppy grass and got some real plants to put in there (thanks bettatail!)

I now have real heteranthera zosterifolia which looks nothing like the guppy grass hahaha, and some rotala rotundifolia. My current plant list is as follows: 
heteranthera zosterifolia
rotala rotundifolia
eleocharis acicularis
anubias nana
riccia 
possibly a needle leaf java fern plantlet that came with the HZ and rotala


Here are some pictures. sorry about the piss poor quality. my phone sucks!

FTS








90% of the hairgrass melted and this is the new growth








riccia doing well








rotala








HZ











everything was just planted yesterday, but no ill signs yet. i'm hoping the rotala and hz like the conditions, and i'm contemplating buying some dry ferts to make my life a little easier. let me know what you guys think! later

Ryan


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## AirstoND (Jun 17, 2011)

*Locally obtained wood*

Is there a place in Illi were you can JUST find driftwood like this?

I've been planning on an above the water planted tank but have not been able to find the wood or mopani height


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## Ryan10517 (Jun 7, 2010)

AirstoND said:


> Is there a place in Illi were you can JUST find driftwood like this?
> 
> I've been planning on an above the water planted tank but have not been able to find the wood or mopani height


I found this piece in a small lake a few miles from my house about 3 foot underwater. Do you have any lakes around where you live? i find that the bodies of water with lots of trees around tend to have a lot of driftwood. River banks usually have a lot of smoother driftwood, but i think they have less character and look boring. Make sure you bring a swimming suit or something. I *think* this piece is cedar, but i'm not positive.


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## Ryan10517 (Jun 7, 2010)

acclimating 2 zebra nerites right now. you think they will be alright with the trapdoor snails? i need something that will help with the diatoms on the glass. i just hate scrubbing it off with a tooth brush


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## firefiend (Sep 3, 2009)

Awesome build... looks great and that stump in sweet.

the zerites should be just fine with the trapdoors. no worries.


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## Ryan10517 (Jun 7, 2010)

thanks man. i figured they would be fine. i mean... who has seen a snail fight??? not like they're fast haha. The tank should look better once grown in. 90% of all the plants have already rooted themselves and shown a little growth, so hopefully i can keep this tank lookin alright.


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## firefiend (Sep 3, 2009)

I don't know... I've seen them get all Thunderdome before... two snails enter! One snail leaves! It's a slow fight but vicious nonetheless.

lol, seriously though, I look forward to seeing your progress.


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## firefiend (Sep 3, 2009)

Okay, so you have me puzzling over your Najas sp.

It kinda, almost, sort of, resembles Lagarosiphon madagascariensis, it's not of the Najas Genus but it is in the same Hydrocharitaceae family. I can't imagine how it would have gotten to Il. though, haha.

It's hard to tell from the pics but do the stems have a translucence to them?


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## Ryan10517 (Jun 7, 2010)

yes the leaves were somewhat transparent. i ripped it all out, but there is an unlimited supply of it 3 miles down the road haha. There seemed to be at least two or three different species of it too. Some were shorter, more green, less green, more brittle, slight variations in leaf shape, etc etc.. 

I'm only 17 and haven't taken any botany classes or anything so i'm no good at IDing plants haha. I just call them what they look like lol.


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## Ryan10517 (Jun 7, 2010)

firefiend said:


> I don't know... I've seen them get all Thunderdome before... two snails enter! One snail leaves! It's a slow fight but vicious nonetheless.
> 
> lol, seriously though, I look forward to seeing your progress.


We need a video camera and some japanese narrators and we have a youtube series! hahaha

and thanks man


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## Aphyosemion (Oct 15, 2004)

This tank isn't by Takashi Amano, but it has the built up base like I was describing previously. Enjoy.
http://showcase.aquatic-gardeners.org/2009.cgi?&op=showcase&category=0&vol=1&id=104


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## Ryan10517 (Jun 7, 2010)

thats a cool tank. If i had more substrate i would build it up in the back, but i'm going to attempt to hide the negative space behind the wood with the rotala. hopefully it will work like i want it to. what do you guys think about replacing the hairgrass on the left side with more riccia? i think it would make a more complete foreground rather than two separate ones


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## Ryan10517 (Jun 7, 2010)

Taken today:


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## Ryan10517 (Jun 7, 2010)

new camera


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## firefiend (Sep 3, 2009)

Ryan10517 said:


> We need a video camera and some japanese narrators and we have a youtube series! hahaha



Awwwyeaah! Maybe Animal Planet will pick it up... or Fox, "When Zerites Attack!


Tank is looking sweet... filling in real nice.


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## Ryan10517 (Jun 7, 2010)

lol we would need some crazy time lapse though. Moving at an inch/ten minutes could get a little boring! And thanks man. You should see the tank now.... it needs a haircut sooooo bad! Perhaps fast growing stem plants were not the best choice for a nine inch tall tank with med/high light hahaha


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

your riccia looks great. i think i used mesh that is too small. its taking like forever for it to come through. but slowly its coming


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## firefiend (Sep 3, 2009)

Ryan10517 said:


> lol we would need some crazy time lapse though. Moving at an inch/ten minutes could get a little boring! And thanks man. You should see the tank now.... it needs a haircut sooooo bad! Perhaps fast growing stem plants were not the best choice for a nine inch tall tank with med/high light hahaha



"In this week's episode the snails turn and face each in vehement anger!" "Stay tuned in next week when they begin their approach."


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## Ryan10517 (Jun 7, 2010)

orchidman said:


> your riccia looks great. i think i used mesh that is too small. its taking like forever for it to come through. but slowly its coming


i just used fishing line haha. you couldn't see the line after less than a week. now it takes up like half the tank hahaha


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## shoteh (Nov 13, 2007)

Nice piece of wood you got there. The water looks very stagnant. Anything else gonna join the snails in the tank?


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## Ryan10517 (Jun 7, 2010)

shoteh said:


> Nice piece of wood you got there. The water looks very stagnant. Anything else gonna join the snails in the tank?


Ya unfortunately i am not getting the amount of flow that i want even with a 10-15 gallon filter on it. I need a small powerhead on the right side. 

As far as fauna goes, its just the snails for now. 
maybe once it cools down this fall i will get some cherry shrimp shipped to me.


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