# 2 Foot Cube



## tharsis (Oct 9, 2009)

nice cabinet, looking forward to the tank, cubes are a lot of fun. 

Good idea with the canister as opposed to the sump, as they can be pretty noisy. Get a nice eheim and you won't even know that it is running. 

good luck!


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## AquaAurora (Jul 10, 2013)

+1 on Ehiem canister! have two under the desk I am at now, don't even remember they are there unless I bump one with my foot. They cost a little more than some brands but its worth every penny. By comparison I have a sunsun cansiter (cheap brand)... it hums more than you (or anyone) would tolerate at that close range.

Look forward to seeing the tank and scape you come up with! Any ideas on what flora or fauna you want in there yet?


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## Mides (Sep 15, 2013)

I will go an Eheim. I always have and I won't change in the foreseeable future.


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## OVT (Nov 29, 2011)

I got a 2075 running on my 2 foot cube, no complains.

With that footprint and depending on the fish and plant stocking, surface agitation is something to pay close attention too.

Looking forward to see what you do with yours - I am always looking for ideas to steal .

v3


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## Bercey (Jun 6, 2012)

I have a feeling this one is going to be epic! Will be following it closely; subscribed. 

Edit: I also second the Eheim suggestion. I've got one on my 12g here in my bedroom and I never hear it making any noise.


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## Mides (Sep 15, 2013)

Tank is in and waiting. It is a Komoda Sky Clear 2 Foot cube. The low iron glass looks awesome but it doesn't show up in the photos. The glass is 10mm thick.

My slowly growing Zippo collection got into the pictures too.


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## gnikwoc (Jan 9, 2014)

Nice tank, nice stand. Epic empty canvas right here.


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## mistuhmarc (Oct 1, 2013)

This tank looks fantastic. Definitely waiting to see how it goes .


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## 180g (May 20, 2014)

nice! I like the rimlessness.


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## Mides (Sep 15, 2013)

I transferred some stuff from the tank I am slowly taking apart. They are the dosing pump (Kamoer 4 channel pump), fertiliser containers, co2 regulator with solenoid and bottle (DiCi), and temperature controller (Keg King 16amp).

And the new shiny parts that I am very excited about- Radion Ecotech XR30w Pro and Cade light stand.



























































The temperature controller is a handy little device. It is the black box in the photos and is currently sitting sideways and unplugged. I am trying to work out how to fit all the equipment into the cabinet so it is neat and tidy. The device has two sockets at the back; one for heating and one for cooling (it is made for brewing beer). I will have the Hydor Inline 300w plugged in for heating and a fan for cooling (but it is Winter at the moment here, so there will be none for now). The device can be set for a desired temperature and turns the devices on or off to hold that specified temperature. You can also give it room to move. I set the temperature at 25 degrees Celsius (77 F) and allowed it to give 0.3 C (0.54 F) fluctuation before it heats or cools. This helps give the temperature a little bit more precise and stable.


The dosing pump has been around in my other tank for experimenting and waiting for this tank. This was done because I wanted to do as little daily care for the tank as possible and I love the reliability of the system.

I am currently dosing with the following:

Container 1, per litre:
Potassium Nitrate (KN03)- 65g
Monopotassium Phosphate (KH2P04)- 6g
Potassium Sulfate (K2S04)- 59g
Magnesium Sulfate (MgS04)- 41g
Dosing 6mL a day just as the lights turn on.

Container 2, per litre:
Micronutrient Mix from AquaGreen- 80g
Dosing 6mL a day just as the lights turn on.

Container 3, per litre:
Seachem Flourish Excel- 1 litre
Dosing 10mL a day just as the lights turn on.

I am planning on using the 4th pump for experimenting specific nutrients in the future and seeing how they effect plant growth.


The light is amazing. So many configurations and it is BRIGHT. Nice sunrise and sunset features. I am always changing these at the moment, so won't bother putting what I have at the moment. I also have to fix the hanging kit for the light as the Cade hanging kit had to be retrofitted and it it is quite ugly at the moment. I'll come up with something cleaner. The white box in the cabinet is for the light in case you were wondering.


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## talontsiawd (Oct 19, 2008)

Wow, wonderful build so far, especially since tanks in the bedroom are usually get the minimum. Looking forward to this, the build looks top notch so far.


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## jasa73 (Jun 3, 2007)

Wow sweet set up. I'm liking the dosing. Will be great to lay in bed and stare at the tank. I"d make the right side the front. LOL


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## PhilipS (Jan 9, 2014)

That's a very good looking tank.

It would make a sweet art piece standing alone somewhere with a pendant light hanging from the ceiling and the electrical hidden. 

360 views of rimless tanks are the best.

I have the 30G.


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## Chizpa305 (Feb 13, 2011)

I love how neat the inside of the cabinet looks with all the equipment it looks like a mini research lab. You should leave it open just because of how cool it looks... lol just kidding. I am subscribing to keep up with your progress.


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## someoldguy (Feb 26, 2014)

I'd seen a similar tank in a shop in NYC and thought it'd be great to have one , but...no room , so I'll be living vicariously through your build . Incidentally , keep the room locked , it seems your tank has grown legs


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## OVT (Nov 29, 2011)

That size looks even more impressive in person. My wife's first words on seeing the tank in our house "Oh, it's huge".

At 60g, it is.

v3


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## Mides (Sep 15, 2013)

Thanks for all the comments everyone. The tank does look quite big at first (it is the biggest tank I have had to date), but I am getting used to it and it makes me want something bigger! When does it stop?

I have a little bit more work to do on it this afternoon, and I will have pictures up tonight. 

Stay posted.


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## Mides (Sep 15, 2013)

Work is done. It was faster that I expected.... I guess I am getting good at this. I have a good feeling about this scape.










Filter is ready to go (Eheim 2076). It was from their electronic range- I got it because of the 12h function where you can have high flow for 12 hours, then low flow for the other 12 (low flow at night for when I want to sleep, as it can't be heard).










Cabinet open. I hate that Eheim green... I think Eheim keep making their pipes that colour as an ongoing joke. I was thinking about glass, but I think I will go stainless steel for the lower maintenance factor.










That is a big filter!










I will make this look cleaner and tidier soon.










Dosing pump tubes straight and even. I found a nice acrylic tube holder too. Very tidy look I think, but I would prefer clear thumb screws.










Some cable organisers I found at the hardware store to keep everything neat and tidy.










CO2 line.










CO2 Controller (Milwaukee Meters MC122). Hopefully help keep the CO2 levels stable. This is new to me and I wanted to try it out.










CO2 diffusor. I like this metallic look.










Brushed aluminium.










I did a terrible job here. I am thinking of using some thick fishing line to tidy it up. 










The light posts.


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## OVT (Nov 29, 2011)

The hardware is in place and is looking good.
Eheim 207x are shipping with Eheim dark grey inflow / outflow kits in US...
The defuser is looking sexy, I have not seen them here in US. You might want to position it under the filter's outflow.

Doing water changes next to bed can be fun, especially when you forget to turn the flow down.

v3


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## Mides (Sep 15, 2013)

OVT said:


> The hardware is in place and is looking good.
> Eheim 207x are shipping with Eheim dark grey inflow / outflow kits in US...
> The defuser is looking sexy, I have not seen them here in US. You might want to position it under the filter's outflow.
> 
> ...


Down here they are still coming with green.

I'm not sure what brand the diffusor is, but when I saw it I knew I wanted it!

I will be moving the inflow and outflow to the outer edges of the tank eventually. Probably will be getting new stainless steel pipes.

And yes, water changes have been a little bit more difficult. So long as I don't get a sopping wet mattress, I think you could call it a success.


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## h4n (Jan 4, 2006)

wow looks very nice! all nice and tidy/clean!

That looks like to be a VIV SS diffuser. I seen some in the for sale section for sale. you can swap out the diffuser cermanic right?

I cant wait to see it planted and fill in!!!

what subtrate are you going be using? (sorry if i missed that part)


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## talontsiawd (Oct 19, 2008)

Wow, looks great. I would definitely go with SS pipes in general, but especially in your situation to match the diffuser and light hanging hardware. Some of the ones from Hong Kong you can find online are much longer than other offerings which I think would look really nice on your tank if they fit correctly.


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## Mides (Sep 15, 2013)

h4n said:


> wow looks very nice! all nice and tidy/clean!
> 
> That looks like to be a VIV SS diffuser. I seen some in the for sale section for sale. you can swap out the diffuser cermanic right?
> 
> ...


Correct, you can unscrew it and change the ceramic.
I will be using CalAqua Black Earth.



talontsiawd said:


> Wow, looks great. I would definitely go with SS pipes in general, but especially in your situation to match the diffuser and light hanging hardware. Some of the ones from Hong Kong you can find online are much longer than other offerings which I think would look really nice on your tank if they fit correctly.


I believe this is the longest one made. But I could be incorrect.


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## Mides (Sep 15, 2013)

I got some driftwood and placed it in the tank. I filled it, but regretted the placement as it was missing something and was also very unstable. I knew it wasn't a long term solution and only a matter of time until the piece feel over and ruined the whole scape. 

I got another piece of wood and nailed a couple pieces together and screwed them onto a piece of Balsa wood which is what I have done in the past to help driftwood stay in place.

I am much happier with the second scape. The only plant in there at the moment is Eleocharis Belem. The yellow probe is the pH probe which I will get a probe holder for shortly.


The first scape.

























The second scape.


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## AGUILAR3 (Jun 22, 2013)

Tank looks amazing as it sits...aside from the green tubes that is. It's like putting hub caps on a Ferrari :hihi:


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## Chizpa305 (Feb 13, 2011)

AGUILAR3 said:


> Tank looks amazing as it sits...aside from the green tubes that is. It's like putting hub caps on a Ferrari :hihi:


Haha, I agree with that!


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## talontsiawd (Oct 19, 2008)

Mides said:


> I believe this is the longest one made. But I could be incorrect.


Sorry, I meant that some SS lily pipes from Hong Kong are much longer than ADA and the like, not the diffuser.


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## 180g (May 20, 2014)

Nice. is that plain dirt for substrate?


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## mistuhmarc (Oct 1, 2013)

That's a lot of tech. I'm expecting good things from this tank .


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## Mides (Sep 15, 2013)

180g said:


> Nice. is that plain dirt for substrate?


No, it is CalAqua Black Earth.


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## Mides (Sep 15, 2013)

It is finally planted. But the algae is coming in strong and I am quite worried about it as it is growing fast.

I am unsure of a few of the plant species, however the ones that I do know that are in there are: Eleocharis Belem, Amazon Sword, Ambulia, Rotala Wallichii, Pink Baby Tears, Hemianthus Micranthemoides, Pogo Helferi, Alternanthera "mini", Blyxa Aubertii, Rotala Macaranda 'variegated', Tonina Fluviatilis, Eriocaulon Parkeri and a couple more I am not sure of.


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## Mides (Sep 15, 2013)

Could someone ID these for me? The second plant is in poor health, but new regrowth in the tank is green.


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## Bonefish (Mar 14, 2009)

Second plant looks like Anacharis or one of its cousins (i.e. Egeria or Hydrilla). Not sure about the first one, though at a glance it reminds me of some kind of Rotala.

Incredible tank! How thick is the glass? It looks at least 1 cm or so, very solid construction.


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## OVT (Nov 29, 2011)

The first plant is Ludwigia repens ( x arcuata).

You seem to be following in the footsteps of many others who set up and plant the tank on day one as they want to see the tank on day 100. Instead of ramping up over time, slowly increasing the light while gradually thinning out the plants. Right now, all of your plants are at disadvantage: they are struggling to adjust to the new environment, not keeping up with the light and co2. Algae has no such problems, as you can see.

Why not turn down the light and dump a ton of floaters in?



v3


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## AquaAurora (Jul 10, 2013)

That's a lot'a algae for such a short amount of time. I agree with ovt (though I'm bad at following that advice myself) since my water params are NEVER anywhere near what new plants came from I often get a bit of melting and stagnated growth as they adapt... Got a lot of hygro recently.. 50%+ melt off but a bit of new adapted growth has started so in a several weeks _should _have roughly as much plant mass as I bought but fully adapted.


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## mistuhmarc (Oct 1, 2013)

I agree as well. While I am not sure if any of your plants are emersed, those that are will have to take some time to transition in a submerged state before they start to develop new growth. You might want to keep your co2 high to help your plants transition better.


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## tanksagain (Feb 24, 2014)

Just wanted to say your whole system looks amazing! Great job and I look forward to seeing your tank mature. Awesome!


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## Mides (Sep 15, 2013)

Bonefish said:


> Second plant looks like Anacharis or one of its cousins (i.e. Egeria or Hydrilla). Not sure about the first one, though at a glance it reminds me of some kind of Rotala.
> 
> Incredible tank! How thick is the glass? It looks at least 1 cm or so, very solid construction.


It appears to be Anacharis, thanks. The glass is 1cm thick.



OVT said:


> The first plant is Ludwigia repens ( x arcuata).
> 
> You seem to be following in the footsteps of many others who set up and plant the tank on day one as they want to see the tank on day 100. Instead of ramping up over time, slowly increasing the light while gradually thinning out the plants. Right now, all of your plants are at disadvantage: they are struggling to adjust to the new environment, not keeping up with the light and co2. Algae has no such problems, as you can see.
> 
> ...


I will turn the light down and I think this will solve the problem. I put my 2 Pepperment Bristenose in the tank and they have gone to work over the last couple of night and really cleared the glass up and wood up. I have developed green water, but I am not as worried about this (at the moment).



AquaAurora said:


> That's a lot'a algae for such a short amount of time. I agree with ovt (though I'm bad at following that advice myself) since my water params are NEVER anywhere near what new plants came from I often get a bit of melting and stagnated growth as they adapt... Got a lot of hygro recently.. 50%+ melt off but a bit of new adapted growth has started so in a several weeks _should _have roughly as much plant mass as I bought but fully adapted.


I too am bad at following my own advice.:icon_surp



mistuhmarc said:


> I agree as well. While I am not sure if any of your plants are emersed, those that are will have to take some time to transition in a submerged state before they start to develop new growth. You might want to keep your co2 high to help your plants transition better.


The growth from most of the plants has been very good, particularly from the Ambulia. But then again, it grows in any conditions.



tanksagain said:


> Just wanted to say your whole system looks amazing! Great job and I look forward to seeing your tank mature. Awesome!


Thanks very much. It is early days and having some algae issues, but nothing I cannot fix up over time and with some TLC.


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## Mides (Sep 15, 2013)

I added some fish from the old tank today. I will be getting more as the tank matures. The Pepperment Bristlenose Plecos smashed a lot of the algae. There is some diatom algae on the glass, and I am having a problem with green water. In the morning, the tank starts almost clear (still not that polished look), and then gets progressively worse as the day goes on. I know I need to turn the light down! I am still getting good growth from the plants though. This photo was taken at the end of the day.










Flora currently:
Eleocharis Belem, Amazon Sword, Ambulia, Rotala Wallichii, Pink Baby Tears, Hemianthus Micranthemoides, Pogo Helferi, Alternanthera "mini", Blyxa Aubertii, Rotala Macaranda 'variegated', Tonina Fluviatilis, Eriocaulon Parkeri, Ludwigia Repens, Anacharus

Fauna:
5x Pearl Gouramis
2x Harlequin Rasboras
2x Betta Splendens
2x Peppermint Bristlenose Plecos


Before the water turns into pea soup, I can see a lot of growth. This photo was taken as the Ambulia was growing what appeared to be emmersed leaves. I have since trimmed them, and those different shaped leaves have stopped growing.










I also installed a small fan. This is plugged into the temperature monitor to cool the aquarium when it gets too hot (>28 degrees C). I think it is a little small! It won't be needed as it is winter at the moment.










DiCi 17mm stainless steel pipes have been installed. These things look nice. However, since I installed them, they are not completely water tight at the joints. The intake will suck in air if the joint is above water, and the outtake pushes water out of the joint and risks spilling over the edge if the filter is turned onto full power. When I get the chance, I will fix them up. Still, better than Eheim green.










A photo with the pipe and a probe holder.










A photos with the fan, pipe, and dosing pipe holder.


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## AGUILAR3 (Jun 22, 2013)

OMG, that's a lot of Algae for such a short period of time. How long do you keep your lights on?


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## Mides (Sep 15, 2013)

AGUILAR3 said:


> OMG, that's a lot of Algae for such a short period of time. How long do you keep your lights on?


Lights were on for 8 hours. 

I have got a small UV sterilizer running 24/7 at the moment and I have turned the lights off and will keep them off for a few days. When I do turn them back on, they will be significantly dimmer and I will ramp it up from there. Fingers crossed this works.


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## Mides (Sep 15, 2013)

A couple of small updates.

I was worried about my co2 levels, KH, and pH.
My pH was sitting at 5.5 and KH was at 1 degree. I decided to get a 4 degree KH drop checker solution to get a good idea of the co2 levels and turns out they were far too high (the charts also said this, but I know they aren't as accurate). 

I have since adjusted the pH controller to keep the pH at 6, and the drop checker is a nice solid green.









The tank also has water in it now, not pea soup. Thanks to a small UV steriliser I had hidden away (9 watt Blue Planet UV Steriliser).

Plants are doing well, however I lost the Anacharis.

I also added 3 SAE today. They are cool little fish- almost hovering in the same spot in a group.


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## AquaAurora (Jul 10, 2013)

Aww no more pea soup for the fishy? You could have bought a [censor] ton of dalfina to eat the green water (algae), and the fish would eat the dalfina.. have a self sustained eco system.. until all the dalfina were eaten.


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## MedRed (May 20, 2008)

you should sump this sucker and get all of that equipment out of the tank. I love your driftwood.


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## thebuddha (Jul 16, 2012)

that wood looks beautiful covered in algae like that :icon_smil


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## Mides (Sep 15, 2013)

AquaAurora said:


> Aww no more pea soup for the fishy? You could have bought a [censor] ton of dalfina to eat the green water (algae), and the fish would eat the dalfina.. have a self sustained eco system.. until all the dalfina were eaten.


I have never heard of Dalfina. Something to look into when I get the green algae again. I do like a self sustained eco system.



MedRed said:


> you should sump this sucker and get all of that equipment out of the tank. I love your driftwood.


I am scared! Plus concerned over noise as it is next to the bed. When this tank is not in the bedroom (one day), it will have a sump. And thanks for liking the driftwood.



thebuddha said:


> that wood looks beautiful covered in algae like that :icon_smil


It does, doesn't it? I thought that too- the rare times that algae looks good. I recall some AGA judges commenting on an entry and how it was one of the few times that algae has looked good.


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## Mides (Sep 15, 2013)

Tank got a trim tonight.









I removed the Pink Baby Tears on the right hand side. I wasn't liking them but I have to find something to fill in that void.

Unfortunately I feel the tank is not going how I was hoping it will. Mostly because the tank doesn't have that polished look it to and the reds and greens aren't popping. I feel it is because of the cloudiness in the water. Perhaps some Purigen is on order....


















Female beta is full of eggs. But the male isn't showing any interest. I'm not surprised- community tank with high water flow and high lighting. He can't build a bubble nest.


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## AquaAurora (Jul 10, 2013)

Mides said:


> I have never heard of Dalfina. Something to look into when I get the green algae again. I do like a self sustained eco system.


Whoops i miss spelled that (do often sorry) its "daphnia".. don't ask how I brain fart it off course that much >.> Anyways they're a nice food culture many small predatory fish will eat them, and most fish fry. They can live on the algae in green water as well as a few other food sources but green water seems to be easiest/cheapest to produce/obtain.



Mides said:


> Female beta is full of eggs. But the male isn't showing any interest. I'm not surprised- community tank with high water flow and high lighting. He can't build a bubble nest.


Can you give the male a temp breeding tank with low flow (cycled filter) and some floaters and a bit of decor/cover for when the girl comes to visit?
I had a betta boy in a 20g long that even with reduced flow (foam on outtake of HOB) he never wanted to make a bubble nest. I have a different one in a 7g with a canister spray bar aimed at wall its adhered to (to also reduce flow) that has been building(small) bubble nests daily, wish I had a mustard gal and the space to grow out babies so he could get some bong-chicka-wow-wow..


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## Mides (Sep 15, 2013)

AquaAurora said:


> Can you give the male a temp breeding tank with low flow (cycled filter) and some floaters and a bit of decor/cover for when the girl comes to visit?
> I had a betta boy in a 20g long that even with reduced flow (foam on outtake of HOB) he never wanted to make a bubble nest. I have a different one in a 7g with a canister spray bar aimed at wall its adhered to (to also reduce flow) that has been building(small) bubble nests daily, wish I had a mustard gal and the space to grow out babies so he could get some bong-chicka-wow-wow..


I have a tank cycling right now for the boy. He does harass the girls a lot less now that they are in a bigger tank. They can hide from him easier.


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## MedRed (May 20, 2008)

Give that young lady some relief!


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## Mides (Sep 15, 2013)

It has been a while since I have posted. The tank looks fairly different now and everything has stabilised. Pics to come.

I am considering installing hardline plumbing instead of vinyl tubes for the filter. I also want to drill it up near the top corners. Reason is I think the look will be cleaner (if I use black or grey pipes) and the filter inlet and outlet won't constantly become unstuck. Sometimes I worry that they will become unstuck and somehow fall out of the tank.

I also removed the pH controller. I found it quite un-useful. I should have listened to most people and just used a drop checker.

Flora:
Rotala macranda 'variegated',Eleocharis Belem, Crypt Wendtii Green, Crypt Spiralis, Crypt Balansae, Red Tiger Lotus

Fauna:
4x Pearl Gouramis
2x Peppermint Bristlenose Plecos
2x Siamese Algae Eaters
15x Cardinal Tetras


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