# 12 year old's Low Tech Tank (TAKE 2)



## peguinpower (May 15, 2011)

This is my 12 yo daughter's gold fish tank. It low tech. 4 weeks old. 

Fauna - 2 goldfish won at the school fair

Flora - Java Moss and Anubias Nana 

Equipment 

-Marineland Hex 5g and stock overhead filter, a bit scratched up with foggy sides from being in storage for so long. 
-Scotchbrite pre-filter, cut up foam filter bio media, bio wheel removed and modded into a small shower filter that passes thru ceramic media
-FEIT Electric tubular CFL 7W 6500k - 10 hours a day 

Substrate - Eco-Complete

Dosing - Initially, we were using Nutrafin Plant Gro with no success, I made her some measured release pump bottles filled with dissolved Equilibrium and the another with a mix of K2PO4 and KNO3. The tank gets one pump from each every week or two. 

We havent done a water change, but we plan to do 25%-50% on the second month. We don't test. 

She'd won the goldfish at the school fair and I had to resurrect the Hex tank from garage limbo. While at OSH hardware, I found the tubular CFL and suddenly a bulb lit up (pun intended). Planted tank! 

I dumped leftover Eco-complete that I already had and bought the Java Moss from my LFS. The JM hasn't taken off. I suspect the GF are grazing on new shoots  We got the A. Nana from another LFS. She is getting surprisingly good growth from the A. Nana. We started with one small plant with about 15 leaves and now with have 4 individual plants and about 30 leaves in total. The more we cut, the faster new leaves come out  Each length of rhizome is sprouting about 3 leaves a week. 

The plan is to turn the tank into a A. Nana forest  Ive been looking for more low light plants around, but havent seen any that strikes our fancy. 

take 1








take 2








update 1


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## VeeSe (Apr 16, 2011)

tank is too small for goldfish but if your daughter won them at the school fair, nothing you can do I guess if you don't have a bigger tank.


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## Bree (Dec 17, 2010)

That tank isn't going to be enough for those goldfish for much longer, in a month they will more than likely outgrow it and a 29 gallon or bigger will be required...

The scape looks great though, nice job on that!!


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Agreed on the goldfish. If they're comets, they're going to need massive tanks, or ideally a pond- they'll grow to well over 12" long if housed properly.

Plus goldies are notorious plant munchers.

Tank looks nice, though!


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## peguinpower (May 15, 2011)

Its not fair that the school shoves 10 cent fish onto unsuspecting kids, and parents are stuck spending 50 bucks on aquarium stuff due to the kid's emotional attachment. We'll give them to the lfs when the time comes. Theyll probably end up as feeders  im thinking, the daughter might like shrimp keeping


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

peguinpower said:


> Its not fair that the school shoves 10 cent fish onto unsuspecting kids, and parents are stuck spending 50 bucks on aquarium stuff due to the kid's emotional attachment.


I couldn't agree with you more.

And IMO shrimp would be a fantastic choice once the goldies have found a new home. roud:


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## sampster5000 (Oct 30, 2010)

I hear this story several times a day. Why cant the schools offer tetras?!


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## PinoyBoy (Mar 14, 2008)

peguinpower said:


> We'll give them to the lfs when the time comes. Theyll probably end up as feeders im thinking, the daughter might like shrimp keeping


Great choice! Shrimps are the way to go, I imagine them in that tank happy already.



sampster5000 said:


> I hear this story several times a day. Why cant the schools offer tetras?!


10 cents feeder gold fishes > 1 dollar tetras, sometimes as high as 3 dollars each


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## peguinpower (May 15, 2011)

Take 2! 

We took out the goldfish coz the automatic feeder we bought for our vacation did not fit in the tank. The GF are now in my Fluval Flora for cycling. 

I bought some Staurogyn Tropica from a member and decided that the 7 watt on the Hex 5g may not be enough. I de-rimmed a 5 g regular that some kid wanted to throw away at my kid's school. I put in the Fluval internal filter and the Fluval 13 watt light that came with my Flora kit and had already upgraded. 

Here's what we got on day 1 of take 2 

Anubias N., Java M., and Staurogyn R.


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## vespers_ (May 6, 2011)

how did you manage to set up a fancy tank and then not realize that it's about 10x too small for goldfish?


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## peguinpower (May 15, 2011)

vespers_ said:


> how did you manage to set up a fancy tank and then not realize that it's about 10x too small for goldfish?


I'll take that as a compliment 

My daughter brought home a couple of goldfish that initially had to lived in a jar in her room. When I discovered this, I felt bad and I resurrected a hex 5g that I already had in the garage. Then I found a 7 watt tubular CFL at OSH, which started my planting the goldfish tank. While doing that, I bought myself a Fluval Flora, big mistake, and started upgrading it into a high tech set-up. Thats another story. 

Back to this tank. Since we are leaving for a 1 month vacation in June, I bought an automatic feeder. Lo and behold, the feeder doesnt fit on the hex tank. So I transferred the GF into my Fluval Flora tank which was already cycling for our return. 

THEN....my son brings home a Petco 5 gallon regular from school complete with hood and HOB filter that was headed from the trash bin. As I was already going to plant the hex, I derimmed the new 5g regular, transferred the substrate and planted that instead. I also put in all the take offs from my Fluval Flora. Thats the filter, light, substrate and that temperature thingy. The rocks are local. All in I have 45 bucks of plants in the tank, a bunch of takeoff parts and 3 new cherry red shrimp. 

The tanks actually a bit crappy. Its almost not worth the effort the I put into planting it. The edges and corners arent even. I'll upgrade to a better looking tank when I have the time. My LFS has a nice Doh Aqua 5g for 50 bucks 

Whew. Long story eh?


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## speedy02 (May 17, 2011)

Its just a goldfish. Most end up as feeders anyway! Nice looking tank!


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## ferretowner96 (Apr 20, 2010)

Man, everybody needs to lay off the poor guy about the goldfish. I agree with speedy02 that they were going to get ate anyway. Feeder fish are raised in awful conditions, and I personally think it is great that the daughter cared enough for the fish to want to put it in a filter tank. She is starting on the road to becoming a fish keeper, and we should be applauding that. 
Rick


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

I think the new setup looks great!

And I'm totally loving how a few goldfish have all of a sudden bloomed into... three tanks? LOL This is almost identical to how my own fish addiction was born... fair-won goldfish came home in a tiny bowl, got "upgraded" to a 5.5gal (uncycled of course), died in less than 24 hours, to be replaced by a betta and a handful of guppies that started doing what guppies do best... I think I had like 10 "tanks" within a few months! :bounce:


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## Justindew (Mar 19, 2011)

Hah, my first tank in a few years was this past March when my daughter received a 29 gallon for her birthday from my mother in law. Well a 4 year olds attention span is squat so she was quickly over the tank. Out went the cheezy decorations and in came the plants. My wife curses the day her mother bought my daughter this tank. It has only been a few months and I am up to 6 tanks with a 75 gallon soon to be in the works.


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## peguinpower (May 15, 2011)

Justindew said:


> Hah, my first tank in a few years was this past March when my daughter received a 29 gallon for her birthday from my mother in law. Well a 4 year olds attention span is squat so she was quickly over the tank. Out went the cheezy decorations and in came the plants. My wife curses the day her mother bought my daughter this tank. It has only been a few months and I am up to 6 tanks with a 75 gallon soon to be in the works.


Im going to sit down one day and try to figure out the monthly cost for heating and lighting a 50-100 gallon planted tank. Ive already got some ideas....think large schools of congo tetras being fed live crickets 

Btw, this is my last post on this thread for a month. Going on vacation. I have my fingers crossed on the tanks survival. Wait for the update


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

I'm pretty sure electric in CA is much higher than it is here in FL, but I think even running 3 big-ish tanks (25gal, 46gal, and 90gal) I'm only running maybe $10-15/mo more than without any.


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## peguinpower (May 15, 2011)

lauraleellbp said:


> I'm pretty sure electric in CA is much higher than it is here in FL, but I think even running 3 big-ish tanks (25gal, 46gal, and 90gal) I'm only running maybe $10-15/mo more than without any.


If it were just that, I'd be so on it in the next few months. 

For a family of 4, we pay about $ 350 in gas and power, and we hardly use gas. 

I suspect that a 100 gallon with about 400 to 500 watts of T5HO and another 500 watts of heating would cost between $ 50 to 100 bucks a month. Thats just an off the cuff calculation. California has tiered rates that go up exponentially over certain levels and I'm already in the "we're gonna screw you" category 

50, I'm a maybe. 100 bucks a months on utilities, I'm sticking with my nanos  Not to mention the risk that police choppers with infrared cameras might ID my home as a pot grow house. We all know what happens in those botched sWAt raids. BANG! BYE BYE BOWSER


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## peguinpower (May 15, 2011)

I couldnt resist one more post on the 5 gallon Tom Barr Non-Co2 Fert Dosed tank. 

2 days before I leave for a month. The tank is doing better than I expected. The Stauro has straightened out, leaves and stems facing the light source and look really great. I added a fast growing stem plant in the background just to take up any excess nutrients. The Java moss is looking good, the water is crystal clear and my one and only female RCS is berried


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## GDP (Mar 12, 2011)

lol I can just imagine what its going to look like when you get back. Looks pretty good though.


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## peguinpower (May 15, 2011)

GDP said:


> lol I can just imagine what its going to look like when you get back. Looks pretty good though.


I am arriving in LA tomorrow. I don't know what to expect


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## Bahugo (Apr 18, 2011)

peguinpower said:


> Its not fair that the school shoves 10 cent fish onto unsuspecting kids, and parents are stuck spending 50 bucks on aquarium stuff due to the kid's emotional attachment. We'll give them to the lfs when the time comes. Theyll probably end up as feeders  im thinking, the daughter might like shrimp keeping


I wouldn't be surprised if this is why your local petsmart and petco are "supporters" of educational programs. 

Step 1: Donate 100 10c feeder goldfish to be given out to kids. (which for them cost lest then a dollar realistically) 
Step 2: Kids run home "mommy I got a fish"
Step 3: Mommy goes to petsmart/petco
Step 4: Profit. 
Step 5: Goldfish gets too large for 5g/10g kit
Step 6: Mommy goes back.
Step 7: Profit. 
Step 8: fish gets to large for 15g.
Step 9: Dad kills fish.(sarcasm, but you get the cycle)


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## MissCoryCat (Jul 5, 2011)

ferretowner96 said:


> She is starting on the road to becoming a fish keeper, and we should be applauding that.


I whole-heartedly agree! My first fish was a feeder fish back in the second grade and my interest in fish-keeping has only grown from there.

Tank is looking good! It's great watching a child's enthusiasm for her underwater friends. :icon_smil


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## firefiend (Sep 3, 2009)

MissCoryCat said:


> I whole-heartedly agree! My first fish was a feeder fish back in the second grade and my interest in fish-keeping has only grown from there.
> 
> Tank is looking good! It's great watching a child's enthusiasm for her underwater friends. :icon_smil


lol, memories... My first fish was a black moor I won at a carnival ( I was 9 I think)... this was 20 something years ago when carnival prizes were worth something, lol... I named him Albert. A few weeks after I got him I went on vacation to visit my grandparents... mid week I called my mom to see how he was and he had died. The rest they say, is history!


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