# My Dumb Little Nano Tank



## jeffthefish (Apr 2, 2007)

I've always loved to look at nano tanks, but finding this website has pushed me over the edge and LITERALLY FORCED me to get one! So here goes.

Please be gentle, I dont' take criticism very well, and forums are pretty intimidating. You guys are a pretty nice, though.

My vision was to have a 2.5 gallon with a white sand substrate, and the sand would be in a really steep incline from front to back. I didn't have enough sand to make it as steep as I wanted, but that's ok. I also envisioned having a single Paradise Fish, but I decided against that after actually seeing the tank set up. It's just too small, and a PF would throw off the scale.

Here's the tank when first set up. I put a layer of Flourite beneath the sand.










This tank is on my desk at work, next to another tank that has a one-eyed Paradise Fish named Franklin.










Originally the idea was to have only Dwarf Hairgrass in a thick lawn covering the entire bottom of the tank:










but I was inspired to add some HC, which I bought from Wö£fëñxXx.










As you can see, I replaced that original rock with small piece of petrified wood. The way it looks right now kind of reminds me of a forest clearing.

I realize that most people on here seperate the HC into clumps and spread it around, but I didn't do this for two reasons. First, the patch that Wö£fëñxXx sent me looked pretty big in this small tank and covers most of the area I want it to cover. Second, my hands are really huge, and it's not easy at all for me to move around in there, least of all at the edges of the tank near the glass. I even tried chopsticks. So I settled for pressing it roots-side down into the sand and weighing it down with a few pebbles until it takes root.

I wanted to do a DIY CO2 for this tank, and after reading this article, I decided to try the bulkhead method of making an airtight seal in a bottle cap.










The bulkhead installed in a bottle cap: 










It didn't work. The nozzle of the bulkhead is too small to form a tight seal with airline tubing. I ended up using Rex Grigg's method: cutting the tubing at an angle and pulling it through a hole smaller than the tubing itself. It works perfectly.

I'm using a glass diffuser I got from eBay. Here is a video of it going.

It's going a lot faster than I'd imagined, but it's probably because there are lots of small bubbles instead of a few large bubbles. It makes me kind of nervous about the pH, but I forgot to bring my test from home. The plants are pearling a lot.

I dose Flourish and a modified version of Solstice's recipe on alternating days.

Here is a list of specs:

Filter: Red Sea nano filter

Light: 18W desk lamp from Home Depot w/ a 6400K CF bulb. It was $30, and they didn't have anything comparable for less money than that.

Substrate: white sand

Flora: DHG / HC

Fauna: There are currently 2 cherry shrimp (CRS? RCS? I get them confused) and I plan to slowly add more

Ferts: Flourish / KNO3 + KH2PO4 from Greg Watson, given on alternating days

This site has inspired me a lot, especially "Broken Bridge". I told you Solstice, you started a revolution!  

Comments, suggestions, etc. are welcome. Just remember that I bruise easily and I have large hands. :icon_redf


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## Martin Schellinck (Jun 17, 2006)

Looking nice. My concern would be the sand, you might encounter some problems getting the HC to root well in it. I'm sure other people have had success with it though.


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## jeffthefish (Apr 2, 2007)

Martin Schellinck said:


> Looking nice. My concern would be the sand, you might encounter some problems getting the HC to root well in it. I'm sure other people have had success with it though.


I didn't realize that. Well, if it doesn't work out, I can always start another nano with a proper HC-optimized substrate. Life is hard.


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## ianmoede (Oct 1, 2004)

Man this nano is dumb....


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## ianmoede (Oct 1, 2004)

Pause for dramatic effect..... Just playin  Looks good man


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## fredyk (Jan 2, 2004)

I just like the title. 
You should see what I'm doing with hair grass! I have all sorts of ideas. Currently have some growing in a specimen container, the kind they catch fish at the pet store, and it's on the windowsill doing very well. Other ideas are brandy glasses on the windowsill, which my mother is trying to give to me. grow hairgrass in there, and let it go to the emersed state. and have several going.
So what you're doing is really great-looking. Good potential. I have the same tank, but can't get a good idea for it?
You might also consider, taking a piece of HC, and putting it in the filter, removing the filter covering. It grows really nice on the filter, emersed, given a good light source.


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## Matthew Mahling (Sep 4, 2005)

This has got some potential.

You may find that if you trim that hairgrass way down to about 1-1 1/2, break it up into small plugs like 12-14 blades each it's going to spread quicker with less death and cover more space in the begining. Also may be add a few more stones.
When I experimented with big plugs like that for me it just rotted.


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## TAF CAF (Jan 12, 2006)

I acctually REALLY like the look of the pebbles mixed in with the HC... gives it the look that a little pond or under ground spring is there just waiting for a good rain...

Okay... maybe I am strange. But I like the looks. Great job and let us know how it goes.


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## jeffthefish (Apr 2, 2007)

Matthew:
Believe it or not, for me, these are small plugs  In the past in other tanks I've split the plot of HG from the store into two pieces and planted them that way, out of ignorance and inexperience. They didn't rot and did spread, but a lot slower than probably they should have.

It would be really difficult to break them into even smaller pieces in this tiny tank.

fredyk:
Show us pictures of what you're doing!! I'm interested in trying stuff like that with hairgrass myself. It would be awesome to grow it in a large shallow tub and sell it in patches.

TAF CAF:
If one of us is strange, most likely it's me.


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## cody6766 (Mar 15, 2007)

that tank has some great potential. I think a few carefully placed peices of petrified wood and a little different plant arangment would be awesome. Maybe use the hair grass towards the back and only on the back sides of the rocks and let your HC spread into a lawn around it all. I don't know how much sense that makes, but it looks cool in my head 

nice work, I bet it looks really good when it takes off. I'm still waiting for mine to do that.


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## jeffthefish (Apr 2, 2007)

I agree, it would look better w/ all the HG behind the wood.


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## Matthew Mahling (Sep 4, 2005)

What I was suggesting with the hair grass would require a pair of scissors, planting tool, and patience. I should have wrote snip & cip it up not break.
Sorry.


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## guitardude9187 (Aug 22, 2006)

get some tweezers and scissors, it'll make your planting life a lot easier.
you could find them at some hobby stores.

try the white sand for now but you might have problems in the future with algae , rooting problems, and air pockets. if the tank is new then it'll probably be your best interests to put some more fast growing plants in there before the algae start attacking.

good potential and nice rat pictures..


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## Martin Schellinck (Jun 17, 2006)

If the HC doesn't workout and you decide to stick with the substrate, I suggest getting some ricia and hairnetting it to flat rocks/slate. Moss will also work well if you decide to go this route.


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## dufus (Nov 13, 2006)

I have HC growing slowly in tahiti moon sand and silica beige sand, no special nutrients there.

looks good, wait till the green comes!


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## guitardude9187 (Aug 22, 2006)

it's not impossible, if you look at my 1 gal journal i had it growing in white sand too


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## jeffthefish (Apr 2, 2007)

guitardude9187 said:


> get some tweezers and scissors, it'll make your planting life a lot easier.
> you could find them at some hobby stores.
> 
> try the white sand for now but you might have problems in the future with algae , rooting problems, and air pockets. if the tank is new then it'll probably be your best interests to put some more fast growing plants in there before the algae start attacking.
> ...


Thanks! My avatar is Pi. She a rex dumbo and I love her.

I'll bring some hygro from home. 

Thanks all for the feedback!


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## FelixAvery (Jan 11, 2007)

really nice! i was suprised, its planted very naturally with the hairgrass!


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## fredyk (Jan 2, 2004)

here are pics, jeffthefish
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/showpost.php?p=293103&postcount=17


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## jeffthefish (Apr 2, 2007)

fredyk said:


> here are pics, jeffthefish
> http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/showpost.php?p=293103&postcount=17


That looks really cool!


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## cjyhc4 (Dec 18, 2006)

fredyk said:


> here are pics, jeffthefish
> http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/showpost.php?p=293103&postcount=17


I really like the 6.3L that your have there. I have several of those tanks and may have to do something similar. What kind of bulb do you have in it?


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## fredyk (Jan 2, 2004)

It's a screw-in flourescent, unsure wattage, on at 7am off at 10pm. Lots of frogbit on top to absorb light energy.


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## jeffthefish (Apr 2, 2007)

When I got to work this morning, there was algae on the gl*** and on the substrate, and a white jelly-like substance over the ceramic of the diffuser.

I surmise that when the CO2 started to peter out, the tank became unbalanced, and nutrients became available for algae, as there was none when I left on Friday.

This is my dosing schedule:

M - 1ml Solstice's recipe (linked in first post)
T - 1ml Flourish
Th - 1ml Solstice's recipe
Fr - 50% WC and Flourish

I've considered today switching from DIY CO2 to Excel, even though it's not advisable. I don't really want to do that, though. Do you guys think my dosing as it is would be enough to keep my tank balanced and prevent algae?

I'm just now beginning to wrap my head around the whole light / co2 / nutrients equation.


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