# The Black Lake (10g / high tech)



## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)

Tank up to date (MAY/7/2015):









Tank up to date (APR/5/2015): 









Tank videos:
Tank Update Video - 19/01/2015

Tank Update Video - 10/02/2015

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_[ORIGINAL POST]_

*Greetings aquarists!
*
I've very recently become absolutely taken by the aquascaping art/hobby. It greatly appeals to my design aesthetic and love of nature/animals.

This is my journey so far with 2 small tanks.

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So I started by buying a Fluval Edge 6g tank and installing it in my bedroom, without doing a ton of research. I bought EVERYTHING at once, including 3 bright male guppies. It's been about a month of constantly messing with that tank, and they're still fine, so at least I didn't kill them. :iamwithst

I started that tank with white sand bottom and a plastic hollow log and one large hornwort plant for decor. Only other non-stock equipment was a small tropical heater.

_Side note: Fish tanks make for GREAT cat TV (other cat owners agree?)_



















That lasted about a week, since I was still discovering more about planted aquascaping, I was no longer satisfied. I started by adding about 5 ghost shrimp. I found that they were always hiding in the log, and that was kinda boring. Then I added an enormous black mystery snail, and he was honestly the coolest thing to watch once he came out of his shell, so to speak.

I was about to discover how messy/involved it is to re-scape a tank. And just how many things I had yet to discover.

About 1 week or 2 after initial setup, I emptied out the aquarium and re-scaped it to this (kinda embarrassing). I also added 6 neon tetras.










Shortly after Christmas, I was still unhappy with it, and planning on doing something about the tank. 

Currently it's sitting with a black sand/soil bottom and a piece of real driftwood (and the hornwort is still going). It's lonely, and ugly, and I'll do something with it soon. But at least the guppies and snail still seem fine.

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Plants, ah yes. Unfortunately, I had absolutely no local aquatic plant dealers, and it's the middle of winter. So I took to the internet and discovered theplantguy.org. He would ship in winter, but not until early January.

I'm actually glad it took so long, since it allowed me more time to research everything I would need, and allowed me to consider my final setup.

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At this point, I bought a new Marineland 10g Half Moon tank and installed it on my desk. I also bought a a nice piece of riverwood. Immediately I did some basic escaping, but I knew I would change it up when I got my plants. I was also debating CO2, lighting upgrades, etc. I found some (very expensive) plants locally (mostly anubias), and here is the original setup.

BIG jump ahead, I know. I didn't take process/design pictures the first time.


















I knew right away the AWFUL light that came with this tank had to go, and I must have spent hours online looking for inexpensive upgrades. I found that most lights designed to sit on rimless glass aquariums won't fit a half-moon shape, so I ended up purchasing a clip lamp and chain from Home Depot, and installing a Philips 23W Daylight (6500K) bulb in it. 

I'm STILL looking for feedback on if this is enough for my tank, since the tank it pretty deep, even though it's volume is low.

The stock in the new tank are 4 neon tetras (from the other tank, still not sure where the other 2 went) and --initially-- 9 glowlight tetras (now down to 6) and the 4 ghost shrimps.

It seems that some people find this too much, but I'm very good with my water changes, and I'd like to think the aquarium should eventually be able to sustain that no problem.

Once my online order was placed for plants, I started gathering everything I'd need for the final scape (yes, I tore it down AGAIN and started over yesterday).

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The plants arrived yesterday, and it was also my day off, woot!

Aquascaping process























































So here it is, my first ever nature aquarium (actually, pretty much my first non-beta in a bowl aquarium), *DAY ONE*. The curved glass is SO much better in person, it's very hard to emulate in photographs. I tried.

It's still pretty cloudy, even as I'm posting this. I'm heading out to pick up some almond leaves at my local store in a bit.



















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My setup (oww my wallet): [UP TO DATE 29/01/2015]

- 10G Half Moon tall glass aquarium
- 2 xclip lamps hanging from ceiling with chain
- 2x Philips 23W 6500K daylight CFL
- Eheim 2213 (originally stock Whisper filter)
- Hydor 100w inline heater
- Glass lily pipes from eBay
- GLA Gro CO2 system w/ 5lb aluminium tank and 45mm Atomic diffuser
- Cal Aqua nano drop checker

- ADA Amazonia (powder type) substrate (OMG my wallet, for dirt)
- Flourish tabs under major plants/groupings
- dragonstone
- Riverwood (I cut it down with a table saw to better fit it in the tank)

(Think this is everything!)
- Rotala Indica/Rotundifolia
- Anubias (several sizes, including petite)
- Lilaeopsis mauritiana (Micro sword)
- Echinodorus tenellus (Mini amazon sword)
- Pygmy chain sword
- Isoetes lacustris (octopus plant, basically a freebie)
- Cryptocoryne wendtii
- Ocelot Sword
- Eleocharis Parvula (DHG)
- Eleocharis (regular sized hair grass)

- 1 half moon betta
- 3 Otocinclus
- 5 nerite snails

Current dosing (Please make suggestions!)

- Flourish Excel (1ml/day)
- Flourish (trace nutrients) (1ml 2/week)
- Flourish Potassium (1ml/day)
- Flourish Prime with new water
- at least a weekly 50% water change (too much/not enough?)

PLANNING TO ADD:
- 10 Amano shrimp (already on the way from theshrimpfarm.ca)
- almond leaves (thinking of lightly tinting water for slight blackwater effect)

[ORIGINAL POST CONT']

Really looking forward to getting rid of the crappy whisper filter. It takes up much needed space, leaks over the back of the tank occasionally and if just UGLY. I bugged my mom to get me an Eheim 2213 for my b-day next week, since my BF will kill me if I spend ANOTHER $150 on something for this tiny tank). Not only will the Eheim (with the clear glass lily pipes I ordered) look WAY better, they'll actually add effective water volume to the setup, yay! I've researched it pretty well, hoping the flow isn't ridiculous for my fauna.

I also don't plan on adding a CO2 system unless I come into some money sometime soon, so I'm sticking with Flourish Excel for now. I'd love to hear some tips for this.

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*SO, I'm looking for opinions, comments, suggestions and tips! Mostly regarding ferts, Excel, soon-to-arrive Amano shrimps, the addition of an Eheim 2213 filter (flow rate) and almond leaves in this setup.* :help:


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## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)

Will post more pictures (including up close shots) when the water has cleared up.


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## ROYWS3 (Feb 1, 2014)

Really nice evolution. Looks great


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## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)

I think you're on the right track with the 2213. If it were my tank I'd use a 2213. I have one on a 19L and it's not too much.


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## Neatfish (Jun 22, 2012)

That's a pretty cool looking tank wonder what it would look like if it was a nano reef.


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## goodbytes (Aug 18, 2014)

I really like that half moon aquarium; I've never seen one of those before. I despise those little Whisper filters too. I've had nothing but bad luck with those. Keep an eye on that compact Whisper HT heater as well because they have a tendency to explode and litter the tank with shards of glass. Cobalt makes a really nice all-plastic compact heater that would be easier to hide. Your hardscape looks awesome too; can't wait to see what it will look like in a few months when all the plants grow in.


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## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)

goodbytes said:


> I really like that half moon aquarium; I've never seen one of those before. I despise those little Whisper filters too. I've had nothing but bad luck with those. Keep an eye on that compact Whisper HT heater as well because they have a tendency to explode and litter the tank with shards of glass. Cobalt makes a really nice all-plastic compact heater that would be easier to hide. Your hardscape looks awesome too; can't wait to see what it will look like in a few months when all the plants grow in.


I ordered an Eheim 2213 and a Hydor inline heater. Should be here in a day or two.


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## Riceman (Nov 17, 2014)

The shape of the manzanita gives the small tank depth!


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## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)

*Moved things around, amped up the lights.*

So, you may or may not have seen my posts in other threads, but all my Glowlights died. I now believe that -- apart from my bad decision to cycle the tank with them -- the ADA Aquasoil was probably to blame. I didn't realize that it leaked ammonia so badly. Even with 2x/day 50% water changes, they all died. Amazingly, the 4 neons (my little troopers!) are fine! And I had since added 3 rummynose. Since then, one has gone missing. Can't find him in or out of the tank. I suspect he jumped and got eaten by my cat (yikes!).

SO! That's enough bad news. It's been a few days and the remaining (sigh) fish are doing fine. I do small daily water changes (still cycling, of course). No more panting, they are swimming nicely (although I'm going to buy another friend or two for the rummynose, they're not as active with only 2). 

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Today, I removed one amazon sword, and replanted the other in the centre of the back of the tank, where it'll get way more light (it was tucked under the crappy filter before). I removed the front rock that was holding down the driftwood: the driftwood is NOT super stable in there. I knock it around all the time when I'm doing maintenance.

I moved the tall anubias and removed all but one almond leaf, which I cut down into 3 small pieces and tucked among the branches. One piece is tucked into the soil in the corner where the tetras like to sleep. Figured they'd appreciate it.

My Eheim 2213 should arrive tomorrow or the day after, looking forward to that. The debris builds up in my tank because the flow is pathetic on the whisper. At the same time, I ordered a Hydor 100W inline heater to go with the Eheim.  No more tech in the tank!

As you can see, I added a second clip lamp hanging next to the first. They both have 23W Philips Daylight bulbs (6500K). I'm not sure if this is too much for no CO2. I just changed the timers to run only 8hrs per day, starting at noon (I work graveyards). I'm dosing a 50% increased dose of 1.5ml of Excel daily (the extra 0.5ml in the late afternoon after my small water change). Any opinions on this?

The java moss is actually showing sings of growth, I think. It's very bushy and green.
-----------------------------

As I'm speaking, the fish and shrimp are all out and active! The rescape really opened up the bottom of the tank, where they like to swim. I felt bad before because although it's a 10g tank, the effective swimming area for the tetras is a bit smaller, because the tank is so tall. SO it's much better now.


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## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)

Video of the tank coming in a few minutes.

Much better to look at than the photo. The curved glass is best viewed in person.


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## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)

Here is a video with a few different angles of the tank. Still hard to capture the depth you get in person. Watch in HD.

Watch it on Youtube.


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## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)

Nice video!


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## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)

*Filter came in!*

My Eheim filter and Hydor inline heater arrived today, with my 10ft of clear tubing (to replace the neon green Eheim stuff). It wasn't as hard to get going as some people have said. I didn't bother with the instructions. The only messy part was the one small suck on the intake tube to get it primed. 

I'm using the spray bar pointing against the back of the aquarium to baffle flow for now, until my glass lily pipes arrive in a week or two. With it pointed forward (even though I made the holes bigger) the flow kinda knocks the tetras around.

All in all, very happy with it so far. All the debris in the tank got knocked around and sucked up already, and the water is clearer than before, even though I just did a 50% water change. So happy.

I also bought a master test kit (I know, finally) and tested all the parameters. PH (6.0), nitrite and nitrates (0ppm) are good, ammonia is currently at 2ppm (down from 4ppm before water change), so yeah. Yikes. Now I know. My Seachem Ammonia Alert tag is still showing 'safe'.


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## kman (Dec 11, 2013)

Nice little tank! I liked your vid.  Ghost shrimp are hilarious, aren't they?

Definitely get a couple of friends for your rummynose tetras, as they're happiest with at least 3 if not more. (You can probably get away with 4, I think)

And I agree, see if you can lower the filter's output a smidge, as they do look like they're getting blown around a bit in there.

I've only played with those SeaChem alert tags twice. Utterly useless, for me, at least. They never budged even when I knew there were parameters off per the test kit. I'd trust the test kit over those tags, and not bother with them again.


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## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)

kman said:


> Nice little tank! I liked your vid.  Ghost shrimp are hilarious, aren't they?


Gonna go with 2 more rummynose, I think. Gonna wait until the cycle calms down a bit. And with the spray bar pointing backwards, it creates a nice calm flow in the front where they all like to hang out. Hoping the lily pipes work nice when they arrive, I find the spray bar draws too much attention right now. Also gonna remove the ammonia alert tag, can't see that it does anything. What a waste of nearly $30 (I have one in another tank, too).


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## dru (Mar 9, 2013)

cool tank

I bet that footprint is hard to scape and you did a good job

i can't wait until I have a tank big enough for rummynose tetras


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## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)

dru said:


> cool tank
> I bet that footprint is hard to scape and you did a good job
> i can't wait until I have a tank big enough for rummynose tetras


It was very hard to scape, yes. And I'm regretting not planting the driftwood in more firmly (don't want to risk crushing someone to do it now). Oh well, I'll just be careful when cleaning. One sudden movement and WHAM the wood could be floating.

And yeah, the rummynose tetras are pretty awesome. And adorable.


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## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)

New, narrated tank video (10mins). Watch here.
Video will be available in about 30 minutes (still uploading).


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## kman (Dec 11, 2013)

Video is tagged as Private.


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## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)

kman said:


> Video is tagged as Private.


Was finishing uploading, and then I went out for a bit and forgot to switch it! Sorry! It's up now, 1080p coming in a bit probably.


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## kman (Dec 11, 2013)

Nice video! And nice collection of tanks, there.  Next up, you should upgrade the 'scapes of your other two tanks so they're as nice as the new one.


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## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)

kman said:


> Nice video! And nice collection of tanks, there.  Next up, you should upgrade the 'scapes of your other two tanks so they're as nice as the new one.


Got my plant order in today, so the Edge is planted, and I added stuff to the main tank (pictures later). The little betta tank with LED bubble wall is a belated x-mas gift for my little brother and sister, so maximum ease of cleaning/care was important there. No plants other than one real anubias.


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## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)

Got the lilly pipes in. Unfortunately, I'm an idiot and got the 12/16mm ones, not thinking that of course those will be the same size as my tubing, duh. Gonna go get some larger tubing to join them later.

Also, instead of cycling sans fish, I decided to add a betta. He's gorgeous, although I couldn't get him to puff for photos today. When he puffs he looks like a little water dragon (see video above).

I got my plant order in (and planted my Edge, photos later), and added a ton of rotala indica and hair grass to the tank. Hair grass is spread around between tufts of sword grass. Rotala indica is lining the back of the scape. There's two clumps of regular (long) hair grass back there as well.

In the last 3 days, the pygmy chain sword has exploded and is about 4 inches long now. Seems to have happened overnight.

John from theplantguy.com sent me a second anubias nana petite to replace the last one that melted (he's awesome), and it's looking fantastic.





































Still thinking about what to add to the tank. Since my 10 Amano shrimp were DOA, and I haven't ordered replacements, I can't decide what to add. Local selection is terrible. If I'm lucky, I may be able to pick up some Oto cats at Petsmart, but I'm not holding my breath. MIGHT be able to nab some cherry shrimp from another small LFS, but they haven't had any in a while. I'd love nerite snails, but I can only get some online (with like $60 in shipping, yikes).

If I could choose, I'm thinking 3 otos with a bunch of amanos (cherries, if I can't get amanos).


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## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)

New residents! I actually found both Otos AND nerite snails today. I can barely believe it, actually.

SO, we've got 4 nerite snails and 3 oto cats.


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## kman (Dec 11, 2013)

Congrats on the otos and Nerite!

As for shrimp, I'd hold out for Amanos. They're larger, and clear, and bettas are far less likely to decide they're food, than tiny cherry shrimp (which are also conveniently colored so as to be easier to hunt).

It could work out... or it could not. But Amanos are still considered more useful, as a general rule.


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## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)

kman said:


> Congrats on the otos and Nerite!
> 
> As for shrimp, I'd hold out for Amanos. They're larger, and clear, and bettas are far less likely to decide they're food, than tiny cherry shrimp (which are also conveniently colored so as to be easier to hunt).
> 
> It could work out... or it could not. But Amanos are still considered more useful, as a general rule.


Thanks, and yeah I think you're right. May just have to wait until the next time I head down to Toronto. So far I'm having fun watching the otos go. It's been 3 hours, and I kid you not, the snails have cleaned an entire crypt.

OH and I also snagged some Monosolenium Tenerum (large pellia, I think?) at a LFS. Used it to replace the marimo balls covering the zip ties. Hopefully that grows in nice, although I'll probably need shrimp to keep it clean once it get big. Not sure if otos are as good with moss as amanos.


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## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)

Mitashade said:


> Unfortunately, I'm an idiot and got the 12/16mm ones, not thinking that of course those will be the same size as my tubing, duh. Gonna go get some larger tubing to join them later


Hi mate. I think you have the right lily pipes and tubing. 

You just have to get a cup of boiling water and dunk the ends of the tube in for 10 seconds or so. With super soft tubing you should be able to push it on to the lily pipes. It won't be easy, but nothing is. 

Too tight is a better problem than too lose.


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## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)

Dantrasy said:


> Hi mate. I think you have the right lily pipes and tubing.
> 
> You just have to get a cup of boiling water and dunk the ends of the tube in for 10 seconds or so. With super soft tubing you should be able to push it on to the lily pipes. It won't be easy, but nothing is.
> 
> Too tight is a better problem than too lose.


I'm worried though, because I'd have to remove the tubing to clean/move anything. My setup is very tight/compact, with little slack. Taking the tube off the CURRENT correctly sized vinyl tubing is already hard, I'd be worried about breaking the glass?


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## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)

My 2 nanos are set up the same way; light fits and very little slack in tube length. 

For the outtake, you rarely have to remove it. Just turn the filter off and shove a pipe cleaner down it. Have a small container ready to catch the filthy water that comes out when the filter is switched back on. 

As for cleaning the intake, I remove the lily pipe still connected to the tubing. I then run the hot water tap over the join until I can safely separate the tube and lily pipe.


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## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)

Dantrasy said:


> My 2 nanos are set up the same way; light fits and very little slack in tube length.
> 
> For the outtake, you rarely have to remove it. Just turn the filter off and shove a pipe cleaner down it. Have a small container ready to catch the filthy water that comes out when the filter is switched back on.
> 
> As for cleaning the intake, I remove the lily pipe still connected to the tubing. I then run the hot water tap over the join until I can safely separate the tube and lily pipe.


Great advice. I'll do most of that. Only hitch it my intake tubing isn't long enough to pull the intake tube over the tank edge. I HAVE to undo the tubing. Apart from that, Should be good.

Actually, I guess for the intake I could just unscrew the double valve. Yeah nvm. The outflow was the hard one, because I have a Hydor inline heater in it, and the whole setup is sneaked through the hole built into my desk for wires, so it's very tight. So tight, the Hydor wouldn't fit UNDER the desk because it kinked the tubing, so it connects almost directly to the outflow pipe. Very snug setup.


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## kman (Dec 11, 2013)

See if maybe you can scare up some quick disconnects like on the eheim canisters, perhaps that would solve the issue?


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## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)

Bit the bullet and ordered GLA's new Gro CO2 regulator (they literally just made it available today), a 45mm Atomic diffuser, some extra tubing and a CAL Glass nano drop checker. All in all, set me back $400, but I'm HOPING this thing will last forever and follow me to future, larger tanks. But seriously, wow my wallet. Again. Who new keeping plants could be so freaking expensive? Okay, so I don't NEED pressurized CO2, but for someone impatient like me, I want that lush growth NOW!

I've been messing around with the planting in the tank again. I removed all the original rotala and replanted only the new growth which I snipped off the old stems. I heard somewhere that stems that are grown in your own tank will be better mother stems for later, so why not? I chucked the leftovers since I don't have another tank to plant them in. 

I moved the ocelot sword to behind the tall branch near the intake where it'll get more light and have more room to grow tall, and moved the anubias nana over under the arching branch in the shade. The anubias nana petite got moved to under the wood, also in the shade. In the back left corner (where flow is highest), I planted a 'retaining wall' of hair grass (full sized stuff) and a small carpet of dwarf hair grass, since I noticed the betta LOVES to play in the flow there. I figured when the rotala and grass grow in, it'll be an area for him to chill in, with the hair grass bent into a cave shape by the flow. He really seems to like the flow in the tank: he's constantly playing in it, and prefers the higher flow left side most of the time.

I trimmed many leaves off the plants and dosed peroxide on the mosses (they were getting a bit swamped with algae, but nothing too bad), so the tank looks very clean, but very empty (relatively speaking).

The otos and nerites are still crunching away at the algae. The otos are getting really good at keeping (literally) JUST out of the bettas way. He swims too close and they shimmy over like an inch at a time. So funny to watch. They're not afraid of him though, and he only took a shot at one that dove at his head accidentally once, so they seem to be friendly enough tank mates. Keeping an eye on things there.

My driftwood was clear of the dense green algae that grows on the upper branches within like... 8 hours of throwing the otos/nerites in. Who would have thought nerites could navigate the canopy so well? I'm impressed anyway.

One thing: the bottom of the tank is not getting cleaned as much as I'd like. I REALLY need some Amanos. I removed the spray bar and angled the outflow toward the opposite side/front area, which GREATLY improved the flow in the tank. Pretty sure I have no more stagnant spots. But amanos would really finish off the cleanup crew, I think. I'll keep looking, but I may have to wait until warmer weather and order from BC (http://www.theshrimpfarm.ca) again (I'm in Ontario, pretty long way to ship). My last order was DOA and I did get a refund, but I'd rather not push it again. No sense in killing more shrimp and wasting time and money.

When the CO2 system arrives (and gets filled), I'll post another update. Pictures on the way tomorrow, tank lights are already off for the evening. 

Note: OH, forgot to mention my cycling seems to be moving along very nicely. Ammonia AND nitrite levels are nearing 0. Considering the tank is what, 2-3 weeks old, I'd say not bad. I've been using Seachem Stability, not sure if that helped or if maybe the tank isn't cycled at all, and something bad is going to happen. I'm paranoid.


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## kman (Dec 11, 2013)

Yeouch! Spendy regs. That's quite the setup for a little tank!

I prefer paintball setups for small tanks (GLA has some nice ones, but they've been OOS for a while), but I'm sure this one will do you fine for many years to come.

That whole winter thing sounds ... inconvenient. 

Looking forward to pics.


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## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)

kman said:


> Yeouch! Spendy regs. That's quite the setup for a little tank!


Oh yeah. I think if I try and add it all up (including small things), I'd.... well I'd rather not.



kman said:


> I prefer paintball setups for small tanks (GLA has some nice ones, but they've been OOS for a while), but I'm sure this one will do you fine for many years to come.


This kit is actually $10 cheaper than the paintball kit. I know I had to buy the cylinder too, but I actually think $79 isn't too bad a price to pay for quality and convenience, and I can still get it refilled around town (as far as I know). And yeah, longevity is key. If I ever do upgrade to a large tank, this is one expense out of the way. And I love my little 10g. 



kman said:


> That whole winter thing sounds ... inconvenient.


Yeah I've never considered it inconvenient this way before. Until I discovered a new passion and immediately wanted to get started in December. XD



kman said:


> Looking forward to pics.


Will post tomorrow probably.


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## kman (Dec 11, 2013)

Mitashade said:


> This kit is actually $10 cheaper than the paintball kit. I know I had to buy the cylinder too, but I actually think $79 isn't too bad a price to pay for quality and convenience, and I can still get it refilled around town (as far as I know). And yeah, longevity is key. If I ever do upgrade to a large tank, this is one expense out of the way. And I love my little 10g.


How is $205 plus $79 for a tank cheaper than the paintball kit?

GLA Atomic v2 reg is $135 (or would be if in stock), which is already $70 less, and a 20 oz paintball tank that will last 6-9 months before needing a refill (maybe more) is ~$20 on Amazon. I bought two since they're cheap so I can swap in a fresh one at the drop of a hat. Fills cost $3-5, depending on your local shops. Same rig on a bigger tank just means you'd need to swap in fresh tanks more often, but otherwise the paintball kit can still work perfectly well on a bigger tank... or be rotated to one of your smaller tanks (or kept on this until you get a bigger kit for the bigger tank!).

Not trying to nitpick, necessarily, just understand the rationale, and make sure you have all the info.


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## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)

kman said:


> How is $205 plus $79 for a tank cheaper than the paintball kit?


I wasn't looking at the Atomic models. I wanted the Grow series, especially the newly released (today) one, for it's higher quality materials and more intricate setup. It may not be necessary, but I do want to have this for a long time, and perhaps use on a large tank someday.

In the Grow series, the paintball regulator is $215, and the one I purchased (the Grow 1), was $205, hence $10 cheaper.

The extra cost of the tank is debatable, but I didn't think $79 was overpriced for an aluminium one, and I'll have the whole kit delivered in one go, and I was ordering a few things from them anyway, may as well get my shipping costs all in one place.

In the end, just what I chose to go with. I was attracted to their product and it's very good reviews, so I went for it.


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## kman (Dec 11, 2013)

Ah, ok, that makes sense. At any rate, you'll have an excellent setup, for sure.


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## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)

New photos. Like I said, tank is looking a bit empty, but if you look closely, everything is showing healthy signs of growth, and my cleanup crew have nearly managed most of the algae so far, and it's only been 3 days.





































In the last image, you can see the back left of the tank where I'm making the little 'betta cove' area. It has a line of tall hairgrass in a half circle, leaving the corner open with a carpet of DHG. Hoping that comes out how I'm picturing it.

CO2 will probably arrive next week, and I have to re-order new lily pipes... I bought the 16mm ones accidentally, and they will not fit my 12/16mm tubing. 

Gonna re-order the same set in 13mm. Since they're from eBay, they're not expensive, but shipping will take a while. Will have to put up with Eheim green a bit longer. (Unless someone has suggestions for a set of 13mm (nano sized if possible) lily pipes for under $75 with shipping. That's BOTH pipes, not each.


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## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)

Give it a month and this will be mint! Well done so far.


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## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)

Dantrasy said:


> Give it a month and this will be mint! Well do so far.


Hope so! Thanks! Yours is looking great too. I looked around for dragonstone of a similar texture to do something similar to your Fuji wave tank in my Edge, but all I could find was very sharp stone. The shapes just weren't right, so I did an Iwagumi style arrangement and planted rotala, and DHG behind the stones, with a patch of s. repens and a little anubias 'mangrove' style section in the back corner for the fish to hide/sleep in. The front is just white gravel/sand. So far, not bad, but the Edge light leaves something to be desired, for sure.


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## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)

*CO2 Woes.*

So my CO2 system should be here tomorrow. Actually it's already in town, but I need to pick it up and pay my duty fees.

Just a warning to fellow Canadians ordering CO2 systems from the U.S: I ordered $400 of equipment from GLA to be shipped via UPS, and the duty fees are $117 before I can claim my package. Like wtf.

Obviously this has nothing to do with GLA in particular, and everything to do with my import taxes for my province, but holy [censored][censored][censored][censored]. I think companies should post warnings for this kind of thing for unsuspecting buyers, if they know about it. I suppose I could have foreseen it, but I was expecting $40, max. 

I'm wondering what specifically made the fees so high. I suspect the canister, but maybe it's just the overall value of the package.

So yeah, beware.


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## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)

*Switching things up.*

So I orderd some Tropica 1-2 grow. Glosso and more DHG. I figured with my co2 system coming and the high light my tank gets, I can probably grow it successfully. 

So, this means I'll be removing all the micro sword from the tank and moving it to my 6g Edge, where I figure it will grow better than the DHG that's in there now. I'll be planting a glosso carpet in the highest light spots and DHG in the remaining uncovered areas.

I promise to update with pictures when this happens (probably next week since the plants haven't been shipped yet). 

In other news, the Otocinclus have been awesome (my hubby finds them boring, I think they're hilarious). My betta (newly named Icharus) loves to explore and swim in the current as usual, and now the Otos like to feint and flutter around him as he goes. It's so funny to watch. The Otos will be on the glass and Icharus will slowly swim up to one, and just stare it down (not even flaring up or anything). They get closer and closer until the Oto wiggles away a few centimetres or swims over his head to another spot. It's like they're playing chicken: I could watch them for hours. When they're not amusing themselves, they ignore each other. They even bump into each other all the time, zero aggression. Gotta say, I picked an awesome betta. I'll take a video if I catch the behaviour sometime.


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## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)

*Update - 10/01/2015*

Was working afternoons all week, so by the time I got home, the aquarium lights were off. Day off today, finally got photos.

Fairly big changes. I did some re-adjusting of the wood. I raised it up off the substrate and tilted it back to the right to make a shady cave area beneath it (but not so shady I can't grow anything in it).

I therefore ended up moving a few stones around to accentuate/support the wood better, and opening up the foreground for my newly added gloss carpet. 










I removed ALL the sword grasses and anubias from the tank, and they are now much more appropriately in my 6g Edge, where they can tolerate the lower light, unlike the DHG in there before (which is now in this tank). I also moved the s. repens from the Edge to this tank, where it's already growing magnificently.

Did another rotala trim: some stems are growing about an inch daily. 










OH, and my CO2 system is installed! I probably jumped the gun a bit, but I upped the light to 11 hours that first day (yeah... I know), but it's down to 9 again now, with about 1bps. I can get my tank filled at exactly ONE place in town (thank the gods), so I'm happy and officially high tech. 










Due to my zeal with the light (which coincided with a dosing time), I'm fighting a ton of algae in the tank, and particles in the water column, but I'm working on it, and it's a bit better today. I treated the java moss with peroxide and used a dropper to blast algae off all the plants, so the water's a bit cloudy for these photos.










Yesterday morning, my hubby found an Oto on the floor. No idea what happened. The lid was on, too. He must have jumped through one of the small openings. Go figure. I thought I'd lost 2, cause one went MIA for a few hours. He's back now, seems a bit sluggish but okay.










On a happy note, miracle of miracles! I went to a LFS today, and found AMANO SHRIMP! 7 of them, all of which I purchased. The lady who worked there said they have an employee in the hobby who spotted them and ordered them. So pumped! Now I only have to find 2 more otos to finish my stock. I also found an african water fern (bolbitis) at the LFS. Great day, I'd say.



















Oh and disregard that one piece of floating java moss. I'm planning on tying it over the white zip ties tomorrow, after the amanos settle in.










Video coming soon!


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## kman (Dec 11, 2013)

Looking good! (except the algae)

Good luck with the algae issue, though.  CO2 should help, though. And no more than 8 hours on the lights!


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## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)

*Video update!*

New tank update video here!


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## kman (Dec 11, 2013)

I am extremely impressed with how well your tank is coming together. Well done, it's beautiful!


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## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)

kman said:


> I am extremely impressed with how well your tank is coming together. Well done, it's beautiful!


Thank you.  

I'm hoping to get/borrow a better camera once the tank has matured a bit: still can't really capture it in photos, and my Nikon D60 is starting to show it's age. A macro lens would also be extremely helpful. Haven't been into my photography in a couple years.


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## kman (Dec 11, 2013)

A D60 is indeed getting a little long in the tooth. I'm sure you can still do good photos with one, just not super high resolution. I'd offer you a deal on the D90 I'm selling, but I think shipping to Ontario would probably kill the deal.

Macro lenses are amazing, but you can also get VERY good result with macro tubes on your kit lens, for incredibly cheap. Just a thought.


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## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)

kman said:


> A D60 is indeed getting a little long in the tooth. I'm sure you can still do good photos with one, just not super high resolution.
> 
> Macro lenses are amazing, but you can also get VERY good result with macro tubes on your kit lens, for incredibly cheap. Just a thought.


Yup, the D60 is from my original photography course in college when I was doing my graphic design degree. Never went into photography directly, so I never upgraded. If I get a big tax return this year, I may buy a new camera, we'll see. I think the camera on my iPad is nearly as good as the D60 now, actually.

And yeah the tubes can work, I've done bokeh effects that way, too.


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## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)

Picked up 5 cherries today, from the same LFS as the Amanos. One is already berried and ready to pop.


I figure if the population ends up becoming too much, I can just give/sell to a LFS.


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## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)

QUESTION!

This probably seems silly, but I find with my CO2 on, my tank water is FILLED with bubbles floating around, which doesn't obstruct the view, but it definitely makes the water look cloudier.

Is there anything to do to help this or am I just stuck with it? I currently have the outflow on one side pointed towards the upper back of the tank, which makes the water swirl around the tank counter-clockwise as well as top to bottom. The diffuser is on the opposite side near the bottom of the tank where the highest downward current is: this makes the CO2 and flow pass along my substrate/glosso carpet. Not sure if that makes a difference to how many bubbles are in the water. 

Would having the diffuser under the intake where the CO2 will get sucked into the filter work better?

---------------------------------------

Also, will update with photos soon. The gloss is exploding. I could probably watch it grow in front of me. And it's so far all runners, barely any vertical growth! Yay!

---------------------------------------

So I tried to clean my intake pipe and hose, but when I reattached it and started up the filter, it immediately began pumping out dark, dirty water. The tank was a cloud of mud in about 10 seconds. There was water everywhere as I yelled for my boyfriend to grab a bucket and help me, lol! I ended up cleaning the entire filter, even though it's only a month old. I did TWO 90% water changes added the carbon pad back in and reconnected the filter. Voila! Crystal clear water in about 10 minutes. Better than before, actually. I guess the initial setup and all the stuff I've been kicking up this month clogged it. The filter floss was NASTY, and the intake was clogged with gunk and java moss. No wonder the flow was down.

----------------------------------------

Added 2 more Amanos for a total of 6, and 7 more RCS for a total of... I think 13. Starting to supplement food for the nerite snails (just algae pellets). I'm looking to make ONE more plant order then I think I'll be done.

I've decided I want this thing PACKED with plants. Not jungle style, but close.

I'm thinking some Rotala Bonsai or Macrandra for the empty spots in the back. Also want to do either HC or Riccia on the 'trunk' of the wood (the large bare part right under the brightest spot), which could hang over the edges and make a cave area in the front: the wood is a bit unattractive in spots there, so this would cover that nicely. 

Also thinking of switching to PPS dosing from theplantguy.com. Currently my dosing schedule is (all Seachem line):

Sunday: Excel, Iron, Flourish
Monday: Excel, Iron
Tuesday: Excel, Iron, Potassium
Wednesday: Excel, Iron
Thursday: Excel, Iron, Potassium
Friday: Excel, Iron, Flourish
Saturday: WATER CHANGE, Excel, Iron, Prime, Equilibrium

Am I missing something important?

---------------------------------------

Been doing my usual skulking of the forums, reading all the tank journals. There's some nice stuff out there, I tell ya! Makes me wish I had enough cash to just order an entire ADA 200g kit or something! Seriously, though. I would love to do this as a job: it's incredibly creative, engaging, challenging, rewarding, and it requires a fair deal of expertise. 

Wish there was somewhere in my area I could work and learn more. I'm sure I'm not alone in feeling this way.


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## kman (Dec 11, 2013)

The 7up look is what you read people complaining about often. It's less of an issue in some tanks than others, depending on size, water flow, etc. It's something that you can only do so much about, when you're using a diffuser in a small tank... it's sort of the nature of the beast. Options are limited: A better diffuser will give smaller bubbles, but there's still limited dwell time in a small tank where it's only a few inches from the surface. You can try sucking the bubbles into the filter, but there are risks there, too: possible damage to the filter, extra noise from your filter due to trapped bubbles, etc.

Options include an inline diffuser, which might give more dwell time for the bubbles to dissolve before hitting the tank, or an inline reactor, which is really the main option to have zero bubbles make it to the tank and achieve 100% dissolution.

When you stop your filter, and especially if you clean your hoses, its often a good idea to backwash it, where the flow goes the opposite direction, and knocks out the gunk. You really need to capture this filthy water outside the tank, of course, in a bucket or something. Methods for this will obviously vary from filter to filter. And of course use treated water. I switched to a new canister filter last night, and did the same thing... by accident! Oops. Time for an immediate major water change, once again!

Are you still dosing daily Excel for algae reasons? It's not needed for carbon anymore, now that you have co2.

Just curious why you're looking at PPS instead of EI? Not that it really matters too much. Small tanks you're using small amounts anyway. I like EI because I just do one thing per day: Macros, alternated with Micros. (and water change, no ferts, on day 7) M-W-F Macros, Tu-Th-Sat Micros. EI will definitely cover all fert needs, that's the whole point. (except for root feeders, of course... for that, in a high tech environment, you need a soil-based substrate or root tabs, no exceptions)


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## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)

kman said:


> The 7up look is what you read people complaining about often. It's less of an issue in some tanks than others, depending on size, water flow, etc. It's something that you can only do so much about, when you're using a diffuser in a small tank... it's sort of the nature of the beast. Options are limited: A better diffuser will give smaller bubbles, but there's still limited dwell time in a small tank where it's only a few inches from the surface. You can try sucking the bubbles into the filter, but there are risks there, too: possible damage to the filter, extra noise from your filter due to trapped bubbles, etc.
> 
> Options include an inline diffuser, which might give more dwell time for the bubbles to dissolve before hitting the tank, or an inline reactor, which is really the main option to have zero bubbles make it to the tank and achieve 100% dissolution.


I have the GLA Atomic diffuser, so no issues on quality or bubble size. They're tiny, there's just a ton of them. I would have done inline, but I honestly didn't think I had room on the tubing to add it in: my Hydor is hogging all the tubing. I could probably manage it, but I already have this diffuser, so I'll stick with it. I moved the diffuser directly under the intake, see if that helps any tomorrow.



kman said:


> When you stop your filter, and especially if you clean your hoses, its often a good idea to backwash it, where the flow goes the opposite direction, and knocks out the gunk. You really need to capture this filthy water outside the tank, of course, in a bucket or something. Methods for this will obviously vary from filter to filter. And of course use treated water. I switched to a new canister filter last night, and did the same thing... by accident! Oops. Time for an immediate major water change, once again!


Lesson learned. 



kman said:


> Are you still dosing daily Excel for algae reasons? It's not needed for carbon anymore, now that you have co2.


I already had the Excel, and I've read it doesn't hurt to use it in addition to injected CO2. I figure it can't hurt. I've considered discontinuing it, since the tank is FULL of algae eaters anyway, but I'll do some more research first.



kman said:


> Just curious why you're looking at PPS instead of EI? Not that it really matters too much. Small tanks you're using small amounts anyway. I like EI because I just do one thing per day: Macros, alternated with Micros. (and water change, no ferts, on day 7) M-W-F Macros, Tu-Th-Sat Micros. EI will definitely cover all fert needs, that's the whole point. (except for root feeders, of course... for that, in a high tech environment, you need a soil-based substrate or root tabs, no exceptions)


Is EI easier than PPS? What are the main differences? I may be wrong, but I thought EI is weekly and PPS is daily. My knowledge is still rudimentary on ferts. More research needed.


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## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)

Quick vid of the tank. It's shot after lights out, so the grain is high. I really need to new camera. My iPad is great for most uses, but HD video in low lighting? Not so much.]

But check out that Glosso. It's been less than a week. Compare previous photos. It's like a weed, not that I'm complaining.


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## kman (Dec 11, 2013)

Mitashade said:


> Is EI easier than PPS? What are the main differences? I may be wrong, but I thought EI is weekly and PPS is daily. My knowledge is still rudimentary on ferts. More research needed.


EI can be weekly (dump in a week's worth) or it can be daily. Most people do it daily, I believe, although I've never seen any serious polling on the subject. It's easiest to do daily simply by mixing the various dry ferts into solution (with some distilled water), doing the math (very straightforward addition and division; I posted about my calcs in my tank journal), and just pour in x amount of liquid per dose, just like you're doing with the several SeaChem products now, only simpler because there's only two.

You have to separate macros and micros because there are ingredients in each that react with each other and then precipitate out, instead of having time to be properly absorbed into the tank. So with EI, where you're adding larger amounts of ferts, you just alternate days, so by the time you dose the next day there is no problem. With PPS Pro, as I understand it, the amounts are lower, so you can dose morning and night without causing conflicts and precipitating ferts out, but the theory is the same, otherwise. I like to only have to worry about one thing per day, so I feed and dose at the same time in the mornings, and then I'm done. With my chaotic schedule (work is steady, life is not.  that works well for me.

Bump:


Mitashade said:


> Quick vid of the tank. It's shot after lights out, so the grain is high. I really need to new camera. My iPad is great for most uses, but HD video in low lighting? Not so much.]
> 
> But check out that Glosso. It's been less than a week. Compare previous photos. It's like a weed, not that I'm complaining.


Nice! I envy your soil-based substrate. It's harder to get that kind of growth with inert substrates, even with root tabs.


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## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)

I REALLY need a better camera, and some time. The tank is coming along beautifully. (Pardon the cloudiness, playing with the filter makes a mess.)

I got my properly sized lily pipes in today. I installed them quickly during my 20 minute lunch break, result is slightly cloudy water, but it's settling down. The water has been crystal clear since I cleaned the filter. I really like the flow effect of the lily pipes. Moves the surface enough for decent gas exchange and the flow is similar to before, but much less directed at one spot, so the whole tank isn't a whirlpool anymore (round tank + directional flow = round and round we go). Also, the surface is calm enough to feed the betta all at once now, instead of one pellet at a time as he chases them around. Yay!

Gonna be doing my last plant order later tonight. I'm thinking riccia for on the ugly parts of the wood, and some rotala bonsai and a few crypts to fill the empty spaces left. The more the merrier, I say.

Seriously, though, the tank looks so good in person, and I've yet to snap a single photo that captures it. New camera is high on my wishlist right now.

I've also been using these two waterproof LED discs over the tank (resting on clear lid) in the evenings when I'm viewing the tank. Since I can move them around freely, and they both have a wide range of colours to choose from, I can get neat lighting effects. I tend to light the rotala in the back with warm colours, like a sunset, and the rest of the tank in green/blue/purple. Looks so great when the betta sims back and forth between lights, since his colouration really pops.

Here are a couple quick shots of the tank, just so you can see the glosso carpet. I was worried about vertical growth from all the stories, but not a single plantlet has grown up, only across. It's almost TOO perfect. I'm expecting disaster any day now, for some reason...

Day shot:









(Really bad) night shot:









------------------------------------
So yeah, new camera. Soon.


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## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)

Couple photos from my phone. Bit better than my iPad.














































Bump: I'm planning a bit of a re-scape next week. I ordered some more plants to finish everything off, fill some holes.

For the re-scape, I'm mostly planning to sink the wood in, lower the front substrate (by digging out from under the glosso, don't want to disturb it too much) and raise the back. Once I've dug a hole, I'll place the wood in firmly and cover with more dirt.

I'm not happy with the way the wood gets knocked around when I do anything in the tank, and I'd like a little more height to showcase the rotala, so I figure burying the wood deeper should accomplish all these things (I should have buried it better during initial setup, and I thought I had). It'll also force the shrimp to come out from under the wood, where they always seem to be. 

Hopefully it's the last re-scape for a while.


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## chocological (Nov 13, 2012)

The moss growth is great, keep it up!


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## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)

So I re-did the scape, and I'm so happy with it. I'll get some photos of it in the next few days, but I think I'm going to wait a few weeks to post them. By then the mosses will have filled in nicely.


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## dru (Mar 9, 2013)

A few weeks!?!

:hihi:


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## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)

dru said:


> A few weeks!?!
> 
> :hihi:


Not gonna lie, I'll probably cave. But I really want to get a hold of a better camera, so I can really capture it. It's worth the wait, I think.

_[...assuming my plants do well...]_


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## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)

Sneak peak! (Camera battery is charging...)


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## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)

*Update March 17/15 - Re-scape!*










As predicted, I caved. Managed to snag a few good photos. This is the tank after about 3 days of growth. I moved some more plants around this morning, and all the shrimp finally came out to play today. 

I have the CO2 set to turn on/off 2 hours before the lights. This seems to be working well, and it makes the last 2 hours of lit viewing hours (9pm-11pm) as bubble free. (That's how it is right now, for photos.)

Pumped to see this fill in. I threw in some almond leaves for the betta to make a bubble nest in, resting on the lily pipes.

Up-do-date tank info(let me know if you spot any plants I got wrong, not all the plants were labelled when I purchased them):

Carpet
Glossostigma elatinoides
Eleocharis parvula
Staurogyne s. repens

Midground
Riccia fluitans
Taxiphyllum barbieri
Anubias nana sp. petite
Cryptocoryne x willisii
Lindernia rotundifolia

Background
Hygrophila polysperma
Echinodorus 'Ozelot'
Rotala rotundifolia
Rotala bonsai
Pogostemon stellata
Ludwigia repens
Microsorum pteropus 'Windelov'

Stock List
1x male crown-tail betta
5x Otocinclus
5x nerite snails
?x Amano shrimp(<10)
?x RCS (<10)
?x misc snails (spotted at least 1 trumpet snail)

[email protected]/Dosing
CO2 - 1.5 bps, 2 hours before lights on/off
SUN - Excel, Iron, Flourish
MON - Excel, Iron, Trace
TUE - Excel, Iron, Potassium
WED - Excel, Iron, Trace
THU - Excel, Iron, Potassium
FRI - Excel, Iron, Flourish
SAT - WATER CHANGE, Excel, Iron, Stability


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## kman (Dec 11, 2013)

I like it, although your wood is not as visible and I thought it was an especially atractive part of the tank. Honestly, I think I liked it better before, but that opinion could always change as this new scape grows in and fills out.


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## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)

This is a real success story. Well done! 

Might be time to pick off the bba with eye tweezers


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## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)

Dantrasy said:


> This is a real success story. Well done!
> 
> Might be time to pick off the bba with eye tweezers


Thanks! I'm trying to be reasonable in my growth expectations, which is helping with my patience. No more boosting lights unnecessarily, lol. 

The BBA is only on the driftwood, and only because I let it grow there before. When it started spreading to a few leaves I did the rescape. Since the CO2 and nutrients have been on par, it hasn't grown. So I spot treat one bit every day with peroxide or Excel. Not too worried, since it's not harmful at all right now. All other types of algae are under control.

But yeah. I see Amanos occasionally taking a nibble, but they don't really eat it, so once it's dead I'll be plucking it off, probably. I'd rather not pluck when it's still alive, and spread it around.


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## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)

Only plant that does not want to grow for me is the S. repens. You can kind of see in the top down shot, it's tucked against the hard scape in the bottom carpet area. No matter how much I trim it or leave it alone, it just melts. It had a few new leaves before the re-scape, but it melted again after. I probably only have half of what I started with, which is 3 stems. /sigh

Not giving up on it yet!


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## dru (Mar 9, 2013)

Love the rescape!

How do you like the tank overall?

I was thinking about picking one up


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## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)

dru said:


> Love the rescape!
> 
> How do you like the tank overall?
> 
> I was thinking about picking one up


Thanks! The tank itself I really like. It's sitting right next to me on my desk, and the 180 degree viewing makes it look amazing from this perspective. My only warning would be that if you have lots of hardscape (tall driftwood), tank maintenance can be a pain, since it's pretty tall and you can really get your whole arm in there. It's not horrendous, but I bet my life would be easier if it were a 12g long or something. 

As a viewing tank, the lack of corners is hard to beat. OH, and the fact that the glass is a perfect half circle means the view is magnified. As you move around the tank, areas at the back come in and out of sharper focus and look much larger. Fun for observing shrimp and snails at the back.

I've heard other people say they had a similar tank (not sure if same one), and their leaked, but no issues here. This thing has a chunky black base (not the prettiest, but it all but disappears when there's something to look at in the tank). The base means you don't have to put anything under the tank, too. It seems to be pretty solid to me.

----------------

Just a few minutes ago I swapped the placement of my ozelot sword and rotala rotundifolia. So the ozelot sword is in front now, with the rotala behind. Since the rotala grows so tall, much better option. I think it looks much nicer too. That sword is so interesting looking, provides nice texture contrast between the beautiful ludwigia and spiny rotala wallichii.


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## andrewss (Oct 17, 2012)

your pictures are always nice  such a great little tank !


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## kep (Feb 3, 2015)

Love! There is so much going on with different plants, rocks and wood but it is all put together so nicely that it doesn't look too busy. Your photos are beautiful as well.


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## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)

*Video update!*

New video with shots of the tank.

I added the cave structure today, and a large Excel/peroxide treatment on all the BBA in the java moss. Huge water change later, all the accumulated gunk gets knocked into the water column and promptly removed with a net. Everything is covered in bubbles now. I mean, the plants were pearling before, but the peroxide is almost comical.

Everything chugging along fine, apart from my anubias nana petites (one sprouted a new leaf! yay!) and the s. repens (only starting to make a comeback again).

Anyway, no point delaying things. Here are a few pics and a new video. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9p_fXxzRdU&feature=youtu.be


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## kep (Feb 3, 2015)

Love the video! Your betta is beautiful. 

Question - which inline heater did you buy exactly? The lowest wattage Hydor I've seen is 200w which seems like a lot for such a small tank? I'm looking into getting one for my 9g. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)

kep said:


> Love the video! Your betta is beautiful.
> Question - which inline heater did you buy exactly? The lowest wattage Hydor I've seen is 200w which seems like a lot for such a small tank? I'm looking into getting one for my 9g.


Thanks a lot, and yeah he's a catch for sure. Great personality too, will swim up to my hand/fingers whenever I'm doing maintenance and let me stroke him. He's a bit of a dick to the shrimp, but it's mostly just funny, since he's only occasionally snapped at them when they took him by surprise. He spends most of his time exploring the tank, napping on plants and playing in the current. <3

So I may have just made an error about the heater. I was SURE it was 100W, and I got it from angelfins.ca, but it's not listed there anymore. So I checked my purchase history, and what I actually have is the 200W 12mm inline heater here: 

http://angelfins.ca/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=16&products_id=550

So far no issues with the heater itself, although I accidentally nudged the dial up to 86 degrees once without realizing (the heater is hidden from view behind a cabinet, so I couldn't see the temp reading), and only noticed the next day when the water was warm like a bath. Oops. No damage done though. 

It keeps the temperature very steady since it can handle a large volume of water easily. You CAN hear it come on and off (a loud-ish click for each), but I don't really notice it at all. I've heard some people complain about it, but it's honestly not a big deal at all. If it were stored inside a stand/cabinet, I doubt you'd hear it enough to really notice it. 

One thing to consider it that it's HUGE. Like the size of your forearm big. I can only just fit it into the tubing between the lily pipes and the filter by having it run horizontally for a bit under my desk then up to the tank, using extra tubing. If your stand isn't very tall, or your filter isn't far down from the tank, it may be tough to hide. Not a deal breaker, but good to consider.


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## ROYWS3 (Feb 1, 2014)

very impressive!


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## kep (Feb 3, 2015)

Mitashade said:


> Thanks a lot, and yeah he's a catch for sure. Great personality too, will swim up to my hand/fingers whenever I'm doing maintenance and let me stroke him. He's a bit of a dick to the shrimp, but it's mostly just funny, since he's only occasionally snapped at them when they took him by surprise. He spends most of his time exploring the tank, napping on plants and playing in the current. <3
> 
> 
> 
> ...



How cool is that! Pet fish 

Forearm size heater?!?! Holy hell. Well I ordered one anyways as well as stand which happens to be pretty tall so I think I'll be alright. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)

kep said:


> How cool is that! Pet fish
> Forearm size heater?!?! Holy hell. Well I ordered one anyways as well as stand which happens to be pretty tall so I think I'll be alright.


Tall stand should do it. Like I said, my tank sits below waist level on my desk, so not much room to go vertical. Good luck.


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## kep (Feb 3, 2015)

Mitashade said:


> Tall stand should do it. Like I said, my tank sits below waist level on my desk, so not much room to go vertical. Good luck.



Yup. You've inspired me to go for gold lol


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## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)

So, on Saturday I decided to manually remove a bunch of the BBA from the driftwood (also trimmed glosso in dense areas where a few leaves had a bit). I didn't drain the water past the wood, because I find the BBA is really hard to see without the buoyancy of the water to 'fluff it up', so to speak. I cut the filter while plucking to avoid spreading it too much, and cleared off the largest chunks that I could see. I didn't do it all, 'cause my back and arms were killing me (rough footprint for this kinda thing). Afterward I netted out the free-floating pieces. I'm sure I missed some.

Today I got home and noticed the [censored][censored][censored][censored][censored][censored][censored]ed stuff has spread to my java ferns. Nooooooooo! I freaking hate this bull[censored][censored][censored][censored] algae, guys. Seriously.

So my plan is to continue spot dosing H2O2 and Excel like I have been every day, and I'm going to set the CO2 to 1bps, raise the lights an inch and LEAVE them there. Consistency apparently helps with this particular monster, so we'll see.

I swear to god if this ruins my tank I'm gonna... cuss a lot. There will be no end to the creativity of my cussing.


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## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)

*More work, less complaining.*

Okay so I spent a good chunk of time and just CLEANED it a bunch more. And removed a ton of java moss (still bits left to regrow, no worries), since it was probably some kind of BBA mothership at this point. The moss situation is good.

Cleaned the filter gently, again. Twice actually. First time I didn't bother with the media (other than the carbon and floss), ended up pumping yummy silt into the tank. Again. When will I learn? Anyway, this was done because I felt the flow had decreased again. I _think_ it's better now. Cleaner, anyway. 

My little cave thing in front is looking cute. I finally found a good spot for the anubias:










And I moved the java ferns down from the wood, out of the high lighting conditions (once the sword fills in a bit). I think it looks great over the cave:










Half way through typing this, I did another little change to make the base of the trunk look interesting, and revealing more wood. I think it looks sweet. I'm probably going to cover the aged stump there with a large java moss 'bush'. It's like a real bonsai tree. That grows really fast. Hoy boy. 










And now many photos of my betta being awesome. When I point a camera at him, he loves to stop and pose, swim gracefully and flare (but not in my direction). Such a show off.


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## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)

I have officially reached the point where I have to prune my glosso carpet nearly weekly for optimal appearance. And I love it! It's filled out everywhere I want it to be. In fact, my DHG has yet to really get going, so I have to trim the glosso around it constantly lest it get elbowed out of the light. I love this freaking plant.

The fight with the BBA is going well. I see it pop up on older leaves occasionally, but it doesn't seem to be growing very quickly. I'm continuing to doe Excel to help out until I no longer see any in the tank. Actually tonight's glosso trim was urged on because I saw some BBA on glosso leaves nears my diffuser, and I wasn't going to have any of that. 

All other plants are doing well, exploding even. My s. repens is even starting to shape up, although still very slowly. My java fern is still dealing with BBA, though. If I can find a replacement at a lfs, I will remove it. For now I'm not giving up hope!

As I mentioned before, I tuned down the CO2 to just under 1 bps, and I dose ferts daily. I use the Seachem guide, but don't measure out exactly. I'm pretty sure I dose on the heavy side, especially with the Iron. But the fantastic growth, colour and pearling of the plants says it's definitely not a bad thing. My shrimps are all quite active too, and if they're doing well, I don't think I have anything to worry about.

Pictures coming!


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## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)




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## kman (Dec 11, 2013)

Looking great!


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## SR52012 (Nov 3, 2013)

Do you use a filter on ur cam when you take those pics? i just got a d3300 and am still trying to figure it out...


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## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)

SR52012 said:


> Do you use a filter on ur cam when you take those pics? i just got a d3300 and am still trying to figure it out...


Nope, I haven't used any extra equipment when taking shots. I'm too lazy to whip out my tripod and external flash. Also my camera is a D60, so it's getting pretty old and doesn't take top notch photos anymore. It also doesn't record video, much to my chagrin. I'm looking at getting a new camera or at least borrowing one to take a nice HD video of the tank. 

A D3300 should have no problems, even in auto mode. I haven't even bothered to do any post-production on my shots yet, so I'd imagine you wouldn't have to either. Just a steady arm and good lighting.


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## SR52012 (Nov 3, 2013)

Mitashade said:


> Nope, I haven't used any extra equipment when taking shots. I'm too lazy to whip out my tripod and external flash. Also my camera is a D60, so it's getting pretty old and doesn't take top notch photos anymore. It also doesn't record video, much to my chagrin. I'm looking at getting a new camera or at least borrowing one to take a nice HD video of the tank.
> 
> A D3300 should have no problems, even in auto mode. I haven't even bothered to do any post-production on my shots yet, so I'd imagine you wouldn't have to either. Just a steady arm and good lighting.


I got my d3300 on amazon for like $800 and it came with 3 lenses, filters, tripod, slave flash, and other goodies... But thanks for the info... I will have to mess with it more.


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## kep (Feb 3, 2015)

Beautiful photos! Just looks so relaxing to watch. 


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## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)

kep said:


> Beautiful photos! Just looks so relaxing to watch.
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Very much so. Hours of enjoyment, which I wasn't actually expecting when I started this, but I get a huge kick out of just sitting and watching it.

--------

I added 10 boraras maculatus (dwarf rasboras). I was picking up extra RCS at my lfs and there they were, all tiny and adorable.

Now I know what you're thinking, but I bought just a few the first day to see how the betta reacted to them. After one sorta snip at the first one he saw, he now mostly ignores them like everything else. He'll stare at them occasionally, but he didn't try to eat them (they're too fast for him anyway).

So I added more until I had 10. They're SO TINY IT'S FREAKING ADORABLE. They look like baby fish, and I'm pumped they're gonna stay so small. That's probably why the betta doesn't care about them. And after only a day, they're starting to show their colours.

Updated stock list now includes:

- 1x male betta
- 5x otocinclus
- 4x nerite snails (thinking of moving 1 or 2 to another tank)
- 10x boraras maculatus
- >5x red cherry shrimp
- >5x Amano shrimp

Plants are doing excellently, the wallichii (and nearly the ludwigia) have reached the surface, and look excellently coloured. Bright pinks and reds everywhere. Think I'll let it keep going a bit before trimming; might make some nice shade for the rasboras. I'm really waiting on my ozelot sword to fill in, since it's going to end up being the centrepiece plant, I think. I'm hoping it gets huge with a ton of leaves. So far I'm getting a new leaf every few days, so looks like I'm well on the way. It's right behind the cave, in front of all the stem plants, and it's already starting to look fantastic.

I ordered some Repashy Superfoods today. A 6oz jar of Community Plus and a 3oz jar of Morning Wood for the otos and nerites. All the different foods for everyone was starting to get a little much, so I like the idea of plopping a couple gel cubes in for everyone (I'm sure I'll still feed the betta separately, but my BF and roommate like to feed him too, so no hassle there).

Picked up some zucchini as well, finally. The otos are happily munching away.

--------

I'm considering saving for an LED fixture, since I don't think the regular daylight bulbs are showing off the plant and fish colours as well as they could be. I'm leaning towards the Radion XR15FW (with reef link), but I've heard some good things about the Tuna Sun (160?). Anyone have any input on comparing these two lights? Or any other suggestions? I'm looking for a single light that I would likely suspend instead of mount (I'm not sure the RMS arm is gonna work well with my tank for some reason, and I like the suspension look).

--------

I'll post more pics soon.


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## kman (Dec 11, 2013)

The Radion is a pretty crazy high end light. The threads I've reviewed, however, have had mixed conclusions. A few returned it, not because they didn't like the features, but because the light output didn't seem very well optimized for planted tanks (especially given the very high cost). It's a first attempt from a company specializing in reef tanks.

If yo want to try LED, I'd look at BML or Ecoxotic E-Series / Current Sat+ PRO. Probably 18" given your small tank size. (not sure if BML is made that small, but E-Series and Sat+ PRO both are)


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## Dantrasy (Sep 9, 2013)

Great pics!

I'd be more inclined to get 1 Tuna Sun for this tank.


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## kep (Feb 3, 2015)

I have two of the radions on my 120g now and are replacing them with BMLs, but I had considered using one on my 9g or the 20g I'm building. They are pretty big and bulky but would allow you to grow anything you wanted in this tank. I am leaning towards selling them though as I had originally intended and I would also consider the tuna sun. The tuna sun lights are powerful and small!


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## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)

kman said:


> The Radion is a pretty crazy high end light. The threads I've reviewed, however, have had mixed conclusions. A few returned it, not because they didn't like the features, but because the light output didn't seem very well optimized for planted tanks (especially given the very high cost). It's a first attempt from a company specializing in reef tanks.
> 
> If yo want to try LED, I'd look at BML or Ecoxotic E-Series / Current Sat+ PRO. Probably 18" given your small tank size. (not sure if BML is made that small, but E-Series and Sat+ PRO both are)


Yeah I've seen some people saying that the Radion has too much blue output, and I kinda agree, but I doubt it would actually impact function.

Nice recommendation with the BML, but my tank is curved, so I'm pretty sure I can't mount a regular light. I prefer the look of a pendant, too. If it were a rectangular tank, definitely.


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## reefcorgi (Mar 2, 2014)

Nice tank.


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## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)

kep said:


> I have two of the radions on my 120g now and are replacing them with BMLs, but I had considered using one on my 9g or the 20g I'm building. They are pretty big and bulky but would allow you to grow anything you wanted in this tank. I am leaning towards selling them though as I had originally intended and I would also consider the tuna sun. The tuna sun lights are powerful and small!
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I like the programming features. I will definitely want to have sunrise/sunset/moonlight periods, and from what I've seen the Radion is the only one with full control on that. (I haven't heard if the Tuna Sun can do moonlight.)

Looking to sell huh?


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## kep (Feb 3, 2015)

Mitashade said:


> I like the programming features. I will definitely want to have sunrise/sunset/moonlight periods, and from what I've seen the Radion is the only one with full control on that. (I haven't heard if the Tuna Sun can do moonlight.)
> 
> 
> 
> Looking to sell huh?



Yup! My BMLs are being delivered tomorrow. I'll PM you if you want. I only ended up using them for about two months. Just won't hit the bottom of my 24" tank with enough PAR for my wants, needs and desires lol

There are tons of settings. You really only need the reef link to skip the cable. Otherwise you just plug in a USB and can program away with the website. It wasn't worth $100 to me because how often do you really change the settings? It's totally optional. 


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## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)

kep said:


> Yup! My BMLs are being delivered tomorrow. I'll PM you if you want. I only ended up using them for about two months. Just won't hit the bottom of my 24" tank with enough PAR for my wants, needs and desires lol
> 
> There are tons of settings. You really only need the reef link to skip the cable. Otherwise you just plug in a USB and can program away with the website. It wasn't worth $100 to me because how often do you really change the settings? It's totally optional.
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Can you program it once and then unplug it? Or does it have to be continuously plugged in via USB? And yeah, I'd be interested in taking one off your hands. Then I'd only need to get the suspension kit.


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## kep (Feb 3, 2015)

Mitashade said:


> Can you program it once and then unplug it? Or does it have to be continuously plugged in via USB? And yeah, I'd be interested in taking one off your hands. Then I'd only need to get the suspension kit.



Yeah. Program while it's plugged in then unplug and it does what you told it to do until you change it again. 


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## kman (Dec 11, 2013)

Mitashade said:


> I like the programming features. I will definitely want to have sunrise/sunset/moonlight periods, and from what I've seen the Radion is the only one with full control on that. (I haven't heard if the Tuna Sun can do moonlight.)
> 
> Looking to sell huh?


The stock controller on the E-Series or Sat+ PRO does a "fade in/out" (over ~15 minutes) to daylight, and has a moonlight setting. Set it and done.

Or add a lego-like iAqua Lite controller (approx $50) and you get full 4 mode use on your schedule, with programmable cross-fading between light modes, Full sun, mid sun, low sun, and moonlight. Works brilliantly, and far cheaper than the other options.

A relatively short rectangular light wouldn't be an issue if you suspend it, and it'll give broader coverage than any single-point light source can (Radion or Tuna Sun). Plus it's neat. 

The BML can be made to do the same, but at a considerably higher cost.

I'm not selling them, I just enjoy them.


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## kep (Feb 3, 2015)

kman said:


> The stock controller on the E-Series or Sat+ PRO does a "fade in/out" (over ~15 minutes) to daylight, and has a moonlight setting. Set it and done.
> 
> Or add a lego-like iAqua Lite controller (approx $50) and you get full 4 mode use on your schedule, with programmable cross-fading between light modes, Full sun, mid sun, low sun, and moonlight. Works brilliantly, and far cheaper than the other options.
> 
> ...



Do you think the e-series and sat + pro would give high light on her tank? I have a similar size tank and was looking myself for another option. Don't want to do the Radion as its pretty bulky. I should cus I already own it but hey, no one ever said it had to make sense. 


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## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)

kep said:


> Do you think the e-series and sat + pro would give high light on her tank? I have a similar size tank and was looking myself for another option. Don't want to do the Radion as its pretty bulky. I should cus I already own it but hey, no one ever said it had to make sense.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I'm looking at the E-series, and I think you may be right about it. I totally could suspend it, although I can't find a suspension kit on the site, so I'm guessing DIY would be the way to go.

Oh. "Hanging Kit" right on the page I was on. Derp. Also sweet! Will definitely consider this one too. Thanks for the recommendation.


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## kman (Dec 11, 2013)

kep said:


> Do you think the e-series and sat + pro would give high light on her tank? I have a similar size tank and was looking myself for another option. Don't want to do the Radion as its pretty bulky. I should cus I already own it but hey, no one ever said it had to make sense.


The Marineland 10gal half moon is about 20" high. I'm thinking 16-18" to the substrate, at most?

Sat+ Pro and E-Series are nearly the same in terms of PAR output, so she'd get perhaps 65-75 PAR at the substrate (not sure the actual depth of substrate), which is certainly into the high light territory (high starts at ~50 PAR per Hoppy).

Question is, what light level is the current CFL solution delivering, in terms of PAR? Is more light desired, or less?


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## kep (Feb 3, 2015)

kman said:


> The Marineland 10gal half moon is about 20" high. I'm thinking 16-18" to the substrate, at most?
> 
> Sat+ Pro and E-Series are nearly the same in terms of PAR output, so she's get perhaps 75 PAR at the substrate, which is certainly into the high light territory (high starts at ~60 PAR).
> 
> Question is, what light level is the current CFL solution delivering, in terms of PAR? Is more light desired, or less?



Awesome. Thanks for the reply. I had sat + lights on my big tank and the remote that came with it was pretty rad for customizing. I had to buy a timer for it to get the sunrise/sunset feature. It wasn't the PRO version but I think those are solid lights. They can take a beating too. I won't get into details on that one lol


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## kman (Dec 11, 2013)

Actually, re-reading the tank specs, Mitashade, you currently have TWO Philips 23W 6500K daylight CFL's? Suspended roughly 4" off the tank? (a little hard to tell from the photo) So let's say 20" from the substrate?

If they're similar to the Home Depot 23w CFLs in Hoppy's post (also linked above), you currently have a boatload of light on this little tank:










Looks like about 75 PAR... _per light_? They don't overlap completely but looks like well over 100 PAR, I'd guess, between the two, with higher in the areas of most overlap.

Hard to be sure. But a single Sat+ PRO (or E-Series) is not going to give the same amount of light as those two CFLs (if my back of envelope calcs are right, here). Two would, but that twice the price, of course.

THAT SAID, I'd want actual PAR figures for those two lights to be sure. Every bulb is different, so the Philips bulbs don't necessarily translate to whatever the Home Depot bulbs were used in Hoppy's test. Could be closer to the GE bulbs, which would bring the PAR numbers _way_ down.


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## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)

kman said:


> If they're similar to the Home Depot 23w CFLs in Hoppy's post (also linked above), you currently have a boatload of light on this little tank.
> Looks like about 75 PAR... _per light_? They don't overlap completely but looks like well over 100 PAR, I'd guess, between the two, with higher in the areas of most overlap.


One thing I never did was measure PAR. If it matters, I did buy the bulbs at Home Depot. I pretty much installed the lights and adjusted everything else from there. Apart from the BBA I'm battling (I'm sure it came from a plant from my lfs), I don't have any problems. The hair algae on the glass gets mopped up by my otos and nerites.

Honestly I'm just no longer satisfied with the plain bulbs. They have no features, and I've been using my phone flashlight on the lid of the tank when I want to view at night. Pretty ghetto.  They're not the most sleek, either: even though I like the chains they're suspended from, the clip lamps are a bit big and bulky. And I'm probably imagining it, but I sometimes feel like the lights have already lost some brightness (i.e. I can actually look directly at them now).

If you're right about the amount of light I have going, I'm no longer surprised that the BBA is stubborn and that I can literally regrow a glosso carpet in two days. Thank god for pressurized CO2 and heavy ferts.

Between the Sat + and E-series, the E-series seems to have the best features, unless I'm not looking at the right models. I like the remote especially. If you guys think either would work, which would you choose? Another opinion is helpful for consideration, since I've never used any of the above-mentioned lights.

----------

On another note, did my monthly tear up of the stems to replant the healthy tops. Pretty sure some deep roots got left in the substrate. They were DEEP in there. And for all the high light/heavy ferts I've got going, my rotala rotundifolia won't go red. One or two leaves per plant turn SUPER dark red (at first I thought they were shrimp resting in the plants), the rest stay green with yellow-ish tops, like it's starting to go red, but it never does. The wallichii could be more red, too. My ludwigia, though, is beautiful, bright red. No idea what the heck is going on there. My rotala bonsai is growing as slow as ever, too. It pearls huge bubbles, but no sign of red yet.

----------

FYI, the substrate is about 1.5" deep at the shallowest part (front glosso carpet) and 3.5" deep in the back (where the crypts and stems are). Lights are 17" from substrate in front, about 16" in the back (this math seems weird, but I just measured it now).


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## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)

Oh and the Satellite Plus Pro seems to be minimum 18" long, and the E-series is 12". My tank is only 17" wide at the back (widest) edge. Seems like an obvious choice if the lights are evenly matched otherwise.


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## kman (Dec 11, 2013)

The Sat+ PRO and E-Series are essentially the exact same lights built into different packaging. Same features, nearly identical PAR... it's possible they actually use the same LEDs. The controllers and remotes appear to be identical, too, other than the name printed on them. They two companies, Current USA and Ecoxotic, are related in some way (same owner, I believe) and appear to share information between the two companies. (Sat+ came first, then Ecoxotic launched, then Sat+ Pro came out with nearly all the same upgrades of the Exoxotic lights but in the Sat+ body shell)

The biggest difference is the body of the light itself: The Sat+ body style (same for Sat+ and Sat+ PRO) is very thin (about 1/4"), but approx 4" wide. The E-Series is thicker, about 1/2", but only about 1.5-2" wide.

The regular Sat+ (non-PRO) uses completely different (much less strong) LEDs and doesn't have a built-in controller.

The Sat+ has two rows of small LEDs (much lower powered), and both E-Series and Sat+ PRO have a single row of very different larger LEDs which are significantly more powerful.

Current USA Sat+ PRO:









Ecoxotic E-Series:









Sat+ (not PRO, but they look identical from the top) on the left, E-Series on the right.









Sat+ website

Sat+ PRO website

E-Series website

I'd consider the 18" light rather than the 12" light, especially if you're going to suspend it. You'll get more coverage and more light out of it.


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## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)

Amazing answer, thanks for the info. Based off that, it comes down to price and availability.


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## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)

Did a re-scape of the original bedroom tank (the 6g Fluval Edge). It's now a simple sand bottom with a low, scrub-desert looking arrangement of dragon stone. Only plants are some crypt para and a mystery stem plant that is SUPER fragile as background filler. Loving it so far, pics later when the water clears up.

I moved the amazon sword that was in it before to the main tank, next to the ozelot sword. This tank is going to be a crazy jungle, and I think I'm going to love that. It's crazy high maintenance (I spend at least an hour a day fiddling), but hopefully it'll level out once I get the lights/CO2/ferts down and sort out the BBA issues (hopefully doing the former will solve the latter).

---------

Thanks for all the comments/suggestions for lights. I think I'll be purchasing a Satellite Plus Pro (18") later this month/next month. This should complete the tech of the setup, nothing left to buy. Yay! (I say that now...)


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## kman (Dec 11, 2013)

Your next step will be automating as much as possible... there is no end! LOL


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## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)

I'm impatient (as you may have noticed), so I went ahead and ordered the 18" Sat+ Pro. Should be here early-ish next week.


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## kep (Feb 3, 2015)

Mitashade said:


> I'm impatient (as you may have noticed), so I went ahead and ordered the 18" Sat+ Pro. Should be here early-ish next week.



Awesome! I'm considering that for my 20L I'm building. I'm curious to see how to works out for you. [emoji4]


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## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)

Got my light in and set up. So far so awesome, although my totally ghetto hanging job is pretty... hideous. Since they don't sell a hanging kit I can find anywhere, I'll look into a better DIY option later. At the moment it's all twist ties and black electrical tape. It's pretty much as bad as it sounds, and I'm not sure the light is hanging plumb at the moment.


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## kman (Dec 11, 2013)

Most people seem to use bent conduit pipe (cheap and strong), which looks decent when painted black, or a shelf or something similar above, to suspend their lights.

Popular hanging bits include picture wire, or steel wire, or even fishing line for that "invisible" look.

Two examples, from the E-Series thread (the second is from the Sat+ thread, but same idea applies):



















There's also a guy here who had some acrylic pieces cut which looked really cool. I don't know if he is still making them, but any plastic place should be able to copy the simple design. It just slid onto a bent conduit. It's mentioned in the E-Series thread... I'll see if I can find the specific post. EDIT: Found it!: See: http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showpost.php?p=6537890&postcount=165










I'm pretty sure Ecoxotic sells a hanging kit... I think I saw it mentioned on their site. EDIT: Found it, right on the product page:
http://www.ecoxotic.com/e-series-led.html









It's designed for two lights, obviously, but you can use it for only one, or DIY a new piece of slotted metal (very easy) and just use one of the two clamps. (you assemble it yourself, see the instructions on the website)


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## kman (Dec 11, 2013)

Oh, and when you're ready to seriously unlock the power of your light:

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=783426

(after you read the first couple of posts, be sure to go to the back of the thread, because there were some issues with Another Hobby's code which we've since fixed, so just paste in the corrected code instead of his and you're all set)


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## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)

Just charging my camera battery to take some pics.

Renamed the tank 'The Black Lake' (was previously Forbidden Forest). The tank is now distinctly aquatic looking. It now looks like a nice little slice of a magical lake bottom.

Had a pair of boraras jumpers, so I replaced them... with 6 more. They're just so darn cute, and the tank hasn't had any water issues with the increased load. The betta is even still happy. Risking it for now. Total of 12 of them now. That's a total of 18 small fish, the betta, 3 snails and a bunch of shrimp. And it doesn't even look crowded at all; there are so many places and nooks to hide and escape to. My frequent small water changes (every day or two) keep the water reading (and smelling) clean and balanced.

So yeah, the Black Lake it is. Pics to come.

Bump: And does anyone know if you can pull out the feet of the Sat+ Pro? I'm hanging it, so they're mostly just looking silly now.


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## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)

The Black Lake - Tank Update Video - April 22, 2015


I honestly have no idea how some people are embedding Youtube vids in threads. I've even straight up copied their code and nothing shows up. Help, anyone? It'd be convenient to have the videos play here.


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## kep (Feb 3, 2015)

*The Black Lake (10g / high tech) - New name, NEW VID!*

Lol! Video works for me. Absolutely love the soundtrack!!!! So Edward scissor hands just odd ball craziness. Love it! Tank is looking great! Lots of healthy activity in there [emoji106][emoji4]

I just bought the sat + pro for my 20L. Not sure what you mean by the feet? Im not so cool with what I got. It's the 24-36" light. My tank is 30" and the light is 22". Would love the Ray II but it's not dimmable... They make a 30" though. 

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## andrewss (Oct 17, 2012)

you did a great job with this tank! I think it is great


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## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)

kep said:


> Lol! Video works for me. Absolutely love the soundtrack!!!! So Edward scissor hands just odd ball craziness. Love it! Tank is looking great! Lots of healthy activity in there [emoji106][emoji4]
> 
> I just bought the sat + pro for my 20L. Not sure what you mean by the feet?
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Thanks, I love the song too. Found it at a royalty-free site, thought it was great. Suits the darting fish and my little acrobatic betta.

By 'feet' I mean the black metal supports on the ends of the light that sit on the tank. I tried pulling them all the way out, but they seem to reach an end, and I haven't been able to find anywhere that says if you can remove them completely. Since I suspend the light above the tank, they're just in the way, and they look out of place. They also smack my lily pipes when I try to move it.

Bump:


andrewss said:


> you did a great job with this tank! I think it is great


Thanks, I appreciate it. Sometimes I feel the tank is successful, other times like I'm going about it all wrong. And don't get me started on this blasted BBA. So thanks!


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## kman (Dec 11, 2013)

Mitashade said:


> The Black Lake - Tank Update Video - April 22, 2015
> 
> I honestly have no idea how some people are embedding Youtube vids in threads. I've even straight up copied their code and nothing shows up. Help, anyone? It'd be convenient to have the videos play here.


I prefer to click through to YouTube and watch them larger anyway, but it's simple to embed a YouTube video: Just paste the link and the board's server automatically sets it up.

There's one trick: It ONLY recognizes straight "http" links. YouTube usually defaults to "https" (secure http) these days, but it works fine without it. So just remove the "s" in the link address and it works perfectly. I usually delete the extra junk at the end, too, stripping it down to JUST the relevant parts. Here's yours: 






Tank is looking great! Very lush. And very nice video, as usual... even if it is vertical. 

For some reason I thought you were buying the E-Series, not the Sat+ Pro. Clearly I was wrong, looking at the video. Most of the same hanging techniques will work, of course, just not the E-Series OEM hanging kit, clearly. I'm not sure if the legs of the Sat+ line pull out. I know the E-series ones do, because it's specifically mentioned in the instructions for the OEM hanging kit. Maybe try to pull harder? It's not supposed to be easy, but my impression is they can come out.

Of course, if you're 100% sure you'll only ever hang the light, the legs should be quite easy to cut off.


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## Mr. Krabs (Mar 25, 2014)

Ahh! I can't wait to buy my 18" Sat+PRO, I've got access to a laser cutter, so I'm definitely going to draft up some acrylic hanging pieces like those pictured earlier!! So glad to watch this beautiful tank progress....time to change the Sig too Mita!


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## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)

*New pics!*



Mr. Krabs said:


> Ahh! I can't wait to buy my 18" Sat+PRO, I've got access to a laser cutter, so I'm definitely going to draft up some acrylic hanging pieces like those pictured earlier!! So glad to watch this beautiful tank progress....time to change the Sig too Mita!


Oh haha good point! I'll change my sig right away. 

I'd probably love that acrylic hanger mount, too. Unfortunately I'm not THAT handy. Not a girl thing either (I used to work construction), but I never had that magnetic attraction to all things crafty.

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Pics, for those who don't want to watch a video:

Full tank shot.



























Super healthy glosso carpet.













































Betta says hi.


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## kman (Dec 11, 2013)

Mitashade said:


> I'd probably love that acrylic hanger mount, too. Unfortunately I'm not THAT handy. Not a girl thing either (I used to work construction), but I never had that magnetic attraction to all things crafty.


I'll bet a local plastics shop could make one really easily, for pretty cheap.

Or maybe you can convince Mr. Krabs to make an extra set and sell it to you.


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## Mr. Krabs (Mar 25, 2014)

kman said:


> I'll bet a local plastics shop could make one really easily, for pretty cheap.
> 
> Or maybe you can convince Mr. Krabs to make an extra set and sell it to you.


Find me a spec sheet and/or take a picture of the profile with a ruler in it. Alternatively, I'm not going to be purchasing mine for another month, if you can wait that long for me to get my hands on it, then I can just make you some.

How badly did it sit on top of the tank by the way?


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## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)

Mr. Krabs said:


> Find me a spec sheet and/or take a picture of the profile with a ruler in it. Alternatively, I'm not going to be purchasing mine for another month, if you can wait that long for me to get my hands on it, then I can just make you some.
> 
> How badly did it sit on top of the tank by the way?



Remind me if/when you decide to got ahead, I'll see where my situation is then. And thanks for the offer. 

And i could only sit it on the tank by setting the light itself on it. The 'feet' do not work at all, since the edges are a perfect half circle.

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In other news, I did another mini re-arrangement after taking photos. I removed all the stones in the back-left area, added more substrate there and planted the crypts. They're in the shade of the ludwigia, and I think they'll look nice there (in 2 months, lol). I removed the wallichii completely, and put all the rotala bonsai where it used to be.

Gave the glosso carpet another good trim down to the roots where it was getting thick (double or triple layers). Hoping the light works out and regrows it lush and dense like before.

On a sad note, one of my ottos is injured. Not sure from what, but I suspect it may have been a falling stone. Poor guy, I feel terrible. He's not doing too well, but I'm going to leave him in there and see if he can recover.


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## jay973 (Feb 5, 2009)

Hi Mitashade,

So let me see if I can get this to work for you...


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## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)

jay973 said:


> Hi Mitashade,
> So let me see if I can get this to work for you...


Thanks.  I swear that's what I was typing.

Bump: The Black Lake - YouTube

Bump: See?? I'm copying it exactly except with a different url. So weird.


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## jay973 (Feb 5, 2009)

Mitashade said:


> Thanks.  I swear that's what I was typing.
> 
> Bump: The Black Lake - YouTube
> 
> Bump: See?? I'm copying it exactly except with a different url. So weird.


LOL... Awesome tank by the way.


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## kman (Dec 11, 2013)

Mitashade said:


> Thanks.  I swear that's what I was typing.
> 
> Bump: The Black Lake - YouTube
> 
> Bump: See?? I'm copying it exactly except with a different url. So weird.


Your link still has the "s" in httpS. Paste in the link again, and delete that "s" and it'll work fine.


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## kep (Feb 3, 2015)

*The Black Lake (10g / high tech) - New name, new vid, new pics!*



Mitashade said:


> Gave the glosso carpet another good trim down to the roots where it was getting thick (double or triple layers). Hoping the light works out and regrows it lush and dense like before.
> 
> 
> 
> On a sad note, one of my ottos is injured. Not sure from what, but I suspect it may have been a falling stone. Poor guy, I feel terrible. He's not doing too well, but I'm going to leave him in there and see if he can recover.



Sorry to hear about your Otto! Poor fella. Hope he makes it ok. I worry about my shrimp that way when I'm rearranging stuff. They aren't chickens either and wait until you get right on top of them to hop out of the way. 

My glosso is kicking butt in my tank now too. When you trimmed it, did you just take it right off the top? Mines getting tall and I was wondering. 



kman said:


> Your link still has the "s" in httpS. Paste in the link again, and delete that "s" and it'll work fine.



Something about this cat tells me he's pretty smart lol

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)

kep said:


> My glosso is kicking butt in my tank now too. When you trimmed it, did you just take it right off the top? Mines getting tall and I was wondering.
> 
> Something about this cat tells me he's pretty smart lol
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


When I trim it (usually once every 2 weeks), I just take my trimming scissors and cut it all out, right down to the roots. I don't do the whole thing at once (yet); since it grows faster on the outer edges, i usually start there and work my way in until I'm happy with it.

I'm just worried about the new light, not sure it has as much PAR as my last setup. I have yet to see pearling in the carpet like before, but it's only been 2 days, and I've been doing lots of work in the tank, so the nutrients are probably off. The water was cloudy and the light was removed from the tank for a couple hours, as well. We'll see.

Haven't spotted the otto yet this morning, but my lights aren't on until 2pm, then I'll take a look. Poor buddy.


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## kep (Feb 3, 2015)

Mitashade said:


> When I trim it (usually once every 2 weeks), I just take my trimming scissors and cut it all out, right down to the roots. I don't do the whole thing at once (yet); since it grows faster on the outer edges, i usually start there and work my way in until I'm happy with it.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



How's the Otto?

I'm kinda letting me glosso just grow up right now. I've swapped it out from a carpet to behind a rock so I'm gonna let it go and see what happens. 

Thanks for the reply about the glosso was curious cus thinking about doing a carpet on the big tank with it. Really like the Monte Carlo though and might roll with that instead. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## kimchilee (Mar 2, 2015)

i enjoy watching your videos, and i love your betta! awesome tank!


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## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)

kimchilee said:


> i enjoy watching your videos, and i love your betta! awesome tank!


Thanks, appreciate it. 

Bump:


kep said:


> How's the Otto?
> I'm kinda letting me glosso just grow up right now. I've swapped it out from a carpet to behind a rock so I'm gonna let it go and see what happens.
> Thanks for the reply about the glosso was curious cus thinking about doing a carpet on the big tank with it. Really like the Monte Carlo though and might roll with that instead.
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


The otto died. I put him in a hospital 'tank' (just a bucket with a filter) and some salt for the wound, but he was too far gone, and hadn't eaten in at least a day.

Even if you move it, it'll make it's way back to EVERYWHERE IN YOUR TANK. Mine has buried most of the smaller rocks I had in the substrate. Love it, looks overgrown, yet somehow not.

I've been considering some HC in the open areas, but I'm not sure if the light is strong enough for it. I get pearling again now, though, even in the glosso carpet, so I figure it just needed time to adjust to the new light. If I put through another plant order, it will probably be to replace the ludwigia (it's just so darn large, though beautiful) with maybe macrandra or something. I'll try out some HC too. I REALLY want coral moss, though. Great looking stuff. But I'm hesitant to try any new moss until all the BBA is gone, though, since what's left is all on the driftwood, and you can't remove it without trashing all the moss too.

Good luck with your monte carlo, looks great last time I saw.


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## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)

My nightly view. 
(Trimmed rotala 2 days ago, glosso last night.)


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## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)

New photos for your viewing pleasure. Added some of the prettiest almond leaves to the water, thought they looked nice. Going slightly blackwater for a bit, for the fish/inverts. Tannins will start showing soon.


















































































And of course:


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## kimchilee (Mar 2, 2015)

i used to have 3 betta tanks before i got into the planted tank hobby, mostly plakats and halfmoon plakat, i like the way they flare. but i have to say your betta is awesome! if you don't mind me asking, what do you feed your betta, bloodworms? did you ever try to breed your betta? it is so much fun to breed betta!


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## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)

kimchilee said:


> i used to have 3 betta tanks before i got into the planted tank hobby, mostly plakats and halfmoon plakat, i like the way they flare. but i have to say your betta is awesome! if you don't mind me asking, what do you feed your betta, bloodworms? did you ever try to breed your betta? it is so much fun to breed betta!


I feel I got lucky with him. I was at Petsmart looking at all the sad bettas-in-a-cup, and he was the only not dark blue one. As soon as I touched the cup, he was thrashing violently. I HAD to buy him home and make him a better home.

I feed him a mix of things. He has 1-2 betta pellets a day, then bits of whatever I feed the rasboras, which is Repashy Community+, New Life Spectrum (small fish) and frozen bloodworms/brine shrimp as treats.

He gets that colour all on his own. I particularly like that his scales are highlighted in an iridescent blue colour, which I guess makes him a half-moon dragon type?

I have not tried to breed him, only had him since I started this tank, and the stock is fairly high so I don't think I'll encourage it here. If he ever moves to another tank (I've though about it, for the sake of the rasboras and shrimp), I may give him a female (or two?).


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## kimchilee (Mar 2, 2015)

Mitashade said:


> I feel I got lucky with him. I was at Petsmart looking at all the sad bettas-in-a-cup, and he was the only not dark blue one. As soon as I touched the cup, he was thrashing violently. I HAD to buy him home and make him a better home.
> 
> I feed him a mix of things. He has 1-2 betta pellets a day, then bits of whatever I feed the rasboras, which is Repashy Community+, New Life Spectrum (small fish) and frozen bloodworms/brine shrimp as treats.
> 
> ...


both you and your betta are lucky. i can tell how happy he is in your tank, and how happy you are to have him. miss my bettas now.


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## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)

So Icharus (the betta) has killed 2 of my amanos. As I was watching. No idea what made him freak out on them all of a sudden. I'm isolating him in a plastic container which is floating in the tank for now. Going to decide what to do. Not sure if my recent trim/re-plant (which cleared out a lot of the cover) is the reason. He's been chasing the rasboras (unsuccessfully) for a couple days too.

So my options are to let the plant cover come back in and see if he improves, or purchase another tank for him. Bummer. On the plus side, if I remove him from the 10g, there'd be more room to add some rasboras and round off the school. I don't know yet, we'll see.

I don't feel that removing the shrimp is an option, they're too useful.

---------

Otherwise, I'm in a happy place with the tank right now, apart from the ongoing BBA battle. I removed the ludwigia: although it was beautiful, it didn't fit the footprint of this tank. Now the ozelot sword is the centrepiece, and everything else is growing in excellently. Trimmer the glosso to the substrate again, hoping it grows back even smaller (again).


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## kep (Feb 3, 2015)

Mitashade said:


> So Icharus (the betta) has killed 2 of my amanos. As I was watching. No idea what made him freak out on them all of a sudden. I'm isolating him in a plastic container which is floating in the tank for now. Going to decide what to do. Not sure if my recent trim/re-plant (which cleared out a lot of the cover) is the reason. He's been chasing the rasboras (unsuccessfully) for a couple days too.
> 
> So my options are to let the plant cover come back in and see if he improves, or purchase another tank for him. Bummer. On the plus side, if I remove him from the 10g, there'd be more room to add some rasboras and round off the school. I don't know yet, we'll see.
> 
> ...



Oh no! Maybe as he is getting older he is getting more grumpy. But your theory on thinning the plants out may very well be the case too. Hey, getting another tank isn't always a bad thing either  Pics?!


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## andrewss (Oct 17, 2012)

this tank is such a gem! 

hey how long did it take for your otos to take to the cucumber slices? or is it zucchini? I have tried spinach and zucchini but they only seem to go after algae wafers.


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## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)

andrewss said:


> this tank is such a gem!
> 
> hey how long did it take for your otos to take to the cucumber slices? or is it zucchini? I have tried spinach and zucchini but they only seem to go after algae wafers.


I stopped feeding the wafers completely first. I just cut and froze the zucchini, no cooking. When I feed, I peel the skin and put it in. Takes them a couple hours usually. They never took any spinach from me. 

I also feed them Repashy Comm+ and Morning Wood.


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## kman (Dec 11, 2013)

Sorry to hear about that! That's the issue with bettas... they're really unpredictable with other species. Some never have any problems with other fish/critters at all, some will kill anything that gets into their space, others fall somewhere in between... and as you've seen, sometimes they change up mid-stream.

If Amanos are relatively affordable and easy to get, you could try to let your betta go back to normal... perhaps he'll resume ignoring them again? Risky, perhaps, but again, if the shrimp are easy enough to replace, at worst, he had an expensive snack. (natural food and all that... always sucks for the "feeder" food, but it's all the circle of life)

But if he has decided that tearing into shrimp is now a source of food or fun, yeah, you're either going to have to move him or the shrimp to another tank.

Tales of this are quite common, unfortunately. Bettas successfully housed with shrimp and other critters for years, then they suddenly go on a rampage and wipe out an entire colony in a day or two. I personally only keep nerite snails in with my betta, which are compatible in 99% of cases since there is so little exposed that the betta can hurt, and they don't move like prey.


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## AquaAurora (Jul 10, 2013)

Mitashade said:


> If he ever moves to another tank (I've though about it, for the sake of the rasboras and shrimp), I may give him a female (or two?).


Breeding betta spledids (what you have and what 99.9% of lfs sell) is not as easy as schooling fish or gouramis. They've been bread specifically as fighting fish and are still very aggressive. You cannot keep 1 or more female in a male's tank permanently. Once the male breeds he will chase off or even kill the female to defend the nest. if you have 2 females they may either gang up and killl the male then go at each other or the dominant one kill the lesser one outright. Female betta splendids can only be kept together if kept in sororities but these are very volatile need some specific care and tank layout to even have a chance of working.
If you want to breed betta splendids females need their own tank, and both male and female conditioned for breeding (lot of meaty foods, get the female eggy and hopefully the male building a bubble nest) before putting them together. Keep a very close eye on them and be ready to rip the female out, they can destroy a male [example(click)-this is a week of healing so it was worse-he had a really mean female in with him who did not spawn with him].. or the male kill the female. If they do successfully spawn (sometimes only 1 time.. sometimes they can wrap and spawn several times over several hours) be ready to pull the female.

If you REALLY want to breed bettas look at breeding the wild types- they can be in pairs, some breeds in reverse harems even. Much more docile than the bettas we commonly know.



All that rambling aside lovely tank photos, any chance of an update shot?


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## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)

So I was battling the BBA for long enough to be very frustrated. Not quite losing hope, I decided to try 1-2-punch. I has hesitated before due to the work involved and the chance of death of shrimps and fish. I added a large dose of hydrogen peroxide to the tank after removing the filter media from the filter (and setting it in a bucket) and running the filter with another powerhead I had laying around for 15 minutes. While this was going on, I was picking out the animals I could snatch. They seemed to become agitated/slowed by the treatment. They were all safely in the bucket about 5 minutes into the treatment –except the ottos, no catching them– so no harm done. After 15 minutes, 80% water change and 5ml dose of Excel. 

It's been a week, and things are looking great. Most of the BBA is dead. Some in slower-flowing spots are still alive, so I may need to repeat the treatment once more in the future.

-------------------

The tank now has 4 CPDs, 3 dwarf rasboras, ~5 Amanos and 3 ottos. The CPDs from the store were EXPENSIVE and POOR quality: extremely bent spines from overbreeding. I picked the 4 most robust looking and hoped for the best. Happily, a good home and feeding have them looking healthy and colourful. 

Only 3 boraras maculatus remain, almost all due to jumps. I'm lax about the lid at night, they keep jumping.  Sad to see them go, but the CPDs are happier for it, I suppose.

Here are some update shots from my iPad, so only okay quality.


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## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)

This tank is going to be torn down: for now it is a holding tank for my CPDs and Amano shrimp until I get my NEW ADA-90-P set up! BBA got the best of me here, and I'm looking to cut down on my maintenance. So I'll be selling my Eheim 2215 filter and Sat+ Pro light.

See new tank here: http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/12-tank-journals/941658-mitas-ada-90-p-dream-tank-final-equipment-choices.html


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## Liplant (Oct 7, 2015)

Very nice well done.


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## kep (Feb 3, 2015)

Oh so exciting! Going to check out the new journal now


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