# Silky's 55 Glosso/HC carpet Cat litter substrate



## Silky (Sep 21, 2011)

wanted to set up a tank with an actual carpet. I tried HC in the past and failed miserably. So far so good. Tank is a 55 gallon, 1 HoB filter and 4 T8 32 watt lights. DiY CO2. Dose with flourish and excel. Cat litter substrate capped with white sand. 

Tank has been set up for about 3 1/2 weeks now. glosso is growing amazingly fast. Still murky from new tank set up. only a few inhabitants, few zebra danio's and a few amano shrimp.


----------



## Overgrowth (Feb 19, 2012)

Wow, I love the slopes! You just inspired me to do something like that on my iwagumi! And nice glosso carpet!


----------



## 5BodyBlade (Feb 8, 2011)

What kind of litter did you use? I just had a horrible attempt at litter. Ended up using turface.


----------



## shrimp pliskin (Mar 16, 2012)

Looks great. Did you think about trying the dry start method to get the carpet going?


----------



## Silky (Sep 21, 2011)

Special kitty litter from walmart. It's unscented, non clumping, and is like $3.50 for a 25 lb bag or so. This is the 2nd time I've used litty litter for substrate, and honestly, if I weren't so lazy, I would redo all my other tanks with it. I've had the fastest best growth out of my kitty litter tanks, compared to all the other substrates I've used. And you can't be the price either. Also, if your going to use a white sand topping, its a similar color compared to some of the other things I've seen brown, black etc substrates.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Special-Kitty-Natural-Cat-Litter-25-lb/10293705


----------



## xxUnRaTeDxxRkOxx (Jul 12, 2011)

Silky said:


> Special kitty litter from walmart. It's unscented, non clumping, and is like $3.50 for a 25 lb bag or so. This is the 2nd time I've used litty litter for substrate, and honestly, if I weren't so lazy, I would redo all my other tanks with it. I've had the fastest best growth out of my kitty litter tanks, compared to all the other substrates I've used. And you can't be the price either. Also, if your going to use a white sand topping, its a similar color compared to some of the other things I've seen brown, black etc substrates.
> 
> http://www.walmart.com/ip/Special-Kitty-Natural-Cat-Litter-25-lb/10293705



I agree, I'm using the same kind of litter in each of my nano tanks!!!


----------



## Silky (Sep 21, 2011)

Nah, I never considered doing a dry start. And honestly its growing so quickly atm I dunno if there would even be any benefit to it?


----------



## Silky (Sep 21, 2011)

updated with new pic, very overgrown


----------



## synaethetic (Oct 4, 2011)

Looks GOOD!


----------



## kern (Mar 15, 2012)

Love the way those rocks are setup! The contrast between black rocks, white sand, and green glosso looks nice. Cant believe how quickly the glosso has grown. When are you gonna trim that stuff?!


----------



## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

Cool, I use Special Kitty too...

My suggestion would be to add a black background. Would help immensely to hide equipment, distracting things behind your tank, and highlight the beauty of your green Glosso.


----------



## GMYukonon24s (May 3, 2009)

I agree with Wasserpest to add the black background. It's amazing how much everything stands out when you do a black background.


----------



## Silky (Sep 21, 2011)

yeah, I had been thinking of putting one up, its next to the doorway, I kinda liked thwe fact you could see into the tank when you walked in, but its getting alot of extra light as well when I have the door open and screen door shut so I may end doing it.


----------



## elwray (Mar 9, 2012)

Lookin' good! What kind of maintenance do you do to the glosso to encourage carpet growth? I just planted some in groupings similar to your earlier pictures and want to make sure I do it right. Do you trim the taller growth, or replant taller pieces further into the substrate?


----------



## kuro (May 21, 2010)

Nice i can use this to make slope for my rescape of my ebi. Beautiful tank and fish btw.


----------



## Silky (Sep 21, 2011)

added some new plants, brazilian pennywort, ludwigia , java fern, some HC , rotala and some limnophila aromatica. Been constantly changing out the backrgoud plants trying to figure out what I want in here. I'm pretty happy with these atm. 

It's crazy what plants will do in different enviroments, the ludwigia and rotala have alot of red in them in this tank . I can barely keep any red in it in them inside my 90 gallon highlight tank, even with dosing iron. I'm guessing its from the cat litter. I read it's pretty high in iron. I don't add much to this tank besides flourish and diy c02.

Moved all my rainbows to this tank as well. They seem to like being in their own tank and not competing for food with the discus. Even though they would get most of the food anyways


----------



## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

This tank looks great. The black background really hid the unsightly equipment and made everything pop.


----------



## 2in10 (Feb 8, 2011)

Fantastic scape, looks very good with the current plants


----------



## Silky (Sep 21, 2011)

some updated pics, fighting green water, doing 2 big water changes a week. Plants are really taking off growing now. My HC in the center of my tank is finally established and growning in nicely, had to start pulling back some on the glosso to make room for the HC to fill in.


----------



## Silky (Sep 21, 2011)

Finally after months of green water... I think my tank is starting to settle. At least it's gone for more than 3 days without turning completely cloudy lol. Crossing fingers ..and yes my camera still sucks


----------



## aweeby (Oct 1, 2011)

wow, i saw this tank back in my lurking days when you first set it up. It's grown in awesomely! Are you ever planning to replace the glosso w/ HC now that you've had success?


----------



## Silky (Sep 21, 2011)

I actually was considering that. It's funny I only planned on buying Glosso for the tank but the little center strip kept clouding the tank because of the cat litter underneath and the thin layer of sand there , so i decided to grow something over it just to keep it down abit. I picked up 1 pot of HC on a whim not knowing if it would even grow ( I failed with it before ) but it seems to be growing out this time. Seems like you don't have to trim the HC as oftem too, which is also appealing


----------



## aweeby (Oct 1, 2011)

agh yes, i keep emersed glosso. it's even leapt the container a few times and I found random bits of glosso in other tanks. i guess you can't complain too much though- it sure carpets nicely in this tank.


----------



## Silky (Sep 21, 2011)

I swear I think it's the cat litter, this is the second tank I've used it as a substrate. I haven't had a problem growing anything with the cat litter lol.

Yeah if I skip a week of trimming it, I pay for it. haha


----------



## Capsaicin_MFK (Nov 15, 2009)

Wow, this tank is really nice. Do you dose any fertilizers in the tank or just root tabs?


----------



## izabella87 (Apr 21, 2012)

very beautiful.. VERY


----------



## Silky (Sep 21, 2011)

Ty for the compliments. I'm dosing 1 cap of flourish a week. And just DIY CO2. That's about it.


----------



## Silky (Sep 21, 2011)

HC is finally starting to fill in the riverbed. Java fern growing slow and steadily. Added one more rainbow to tank, banded rainbow.


----------



## Silky (Sep 21, 2011)

had to empty this tank and move it, Everything has changed in it, using it mainly for these angel babies that keep coming...., too lazy to scrub off that aglae


----------



## hisxlency (Jan 26, 2013)

sorry to hear about that. Shame you had to ditch the plants. next time give me a shout as im looking for plants to add to my 20L and im local

Do you plan on keeping it a nursery tank?


----------



## blazeyreef (Mar 17, 2008)

that aquascape was simply amazing. you have a gift for it for usre!


----------

