# 1.5 nano cube (photo journal) Updt: 9-27-08 *added brigs!*



## kagebunshin (Jun 30, 2008)

Hey guys, its my first post! Great Site guys! :biggrin: 

Before I begin, just want to I am not new to freshwater fish, but I am somewhat new to planted/nano tanks. I am a biology major (human biology to be exact) at UCSD, and I have been in the freshwater scene for about 6 years now. In the past I ran a Discus/south american tank, and was an avid betta enthusiast/amateur breeder. Currently I running a 72 gallon bowfront with 4 fancy goldfish (with fake plants... for simplicity :tongue: ), and a 100 gallon Koi/goldfish pond in the backyard. 

I started constructing my nano planted tank on friday, heres some pix I snapped while in the process of constructing the tank. 


















































































Equipment:
~1.6 gallon cube
-Desk lamp, with a 26 watt bulb
-red sea deco art filter

Flora (low light/tech plants):
-Cryptocoryne (left side)
-Anubias Nana (right side)
-Coming soon: Java moss/fern

Fauna:
-TBA (NEED SUGGESTIONS!)

Here are some possibilities of fauna that I am thinking, please critque my choices (I want to avoid overstocking as much as possible):

Combo #1:
-2-3 boraras brigittae
-3-4 rcs

Combo #2:
-1-2 male guppies (P. reticulata or P. wingei)
-4-6 rcs

Combo #3 (not likely because of questionable neon tetra hardiness): 
-3-4 neon tetras
-3-4 rcs

Some concerns I have are is if the boraras brigittae in combo #1 will leave my cube overstocked? How heavy is the bio load of b. brigittae? Combo #2 seems like the most reasonable choice, but how are male guppies by themselves? I know they're social fish, so being by themselves, or with another male... will that pose any problems? Finally combo #3, I kept neon tetras before, but they seem very water quality demanding, so... I'm not a big fan of dead fish. Any opinions, or experience with these fish would be super helpful! Thanks in advance for your time!

-Kage


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## Bk828 (Mar 11, 2008)

Great start, tank looks very very nice
For a tank that size i would stick with combo #1. But you can throw in more shrimps. I have the boraras and their bioload is very small.

Combo2-3 need bigger tanks


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## MedRed (May 20, 2008)

nice tank! where did you get it from?


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## kagebunshin (Jun 30, 2008)

Bk828 said:


> Great start, tank looks very very nice
> For a tank that size i would stick with combo #1. But you can throw in more shrimps. I have the boraras and their bioload is very small.
> 
> Combo2-3 need bigger tanks


Thanks for the feedback!

I'm a low maintenance kind of guy, and is pretty overstock-phobia (learned from past mistakes/triumphs). I mean, I do have a 72 gallon bowfront for 4 "lowly" goldfish :icon_wink. I will take your suggestions into serious consideration. 

Medred, the tank was purchased at Petsmart (believe it or not). Its one of those once-in-a-lifetime items found lost on the shelf, waiting for the nano/betta enthusiast to snatch like there's no tomorrow! Never seen another cube like this on the shelf since. 

Here is an updated pic, after running for 24 hours. Also, I have been using water from my 72 gallon goldfish tank to kick start the filter with some good bacteria. Enjoy!


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## MedRed (May 20, 2008)

i'm going to look for this tank tomorrow... lol. did the tank have a brand?


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## kagebunshin (Jun 30, 2008)

Its an Ocean Free tank, by Qian Hu. It was purchased at PETCO not Petsmart, sorry about that (it was a year back). Also, I believe its been discontinued.

Here is another member with the same tank, but with rounded corners. http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/planted-nano-tanks/25629-my-ocean-free-nano.html


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## JBN (Oct 31, 2005)

Looks great so far :thumbsup:


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## MedRed (May 20, 2008)

i'm so jealous of this little tank. I want one badly!


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## kagebunshin (Jun 30, 2008)

*Added Shrimp!*

Great news guys. I bought 7 rcs (for 5 bucks) at a local breeder today, and plopped them in! They are so neat!! Before I was really contemplating on the B. briggite because I wanted some movement and action for my cube... But now I think I am going exclusively shrimp for this tank. They have a lot of personality. I also added some duckweed, it it looks awesome!

I would post some pictures, but since it is summer... I decided to do something better... a video!

Enjoy guys.

Video Via Youtube

PS
Java moss/fern are arriving tomorrow... cant wait to scape it up!


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## trace_lynn (Apr 15, 2003)

Your nano looks nice and the music in your video fit really well. At 00:59, loved the matchup with the head-dive and music. Haha nice work!


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## kagebunshin (Jun 30, 2008)

Thanks for all your comments!

Funny story. So I was at the local Petsmart, and I saw a large amazon sword that sent out 4 runners. The runners were the perfect size for my nano. So I asked the guy, could I buy just one of the runners? The guy was a new guy, so I broke me off 2 nice pieces, and I asked how much would this be. He was looking at the price tags and saw two categories: "potted" for $4.19 (which what these were)" and "bunched" for $2.19. He said these are potted plants, so they're $4.19. Then I began to reason. "surely, these aren't in a pot... and they're tiny!" So I continued to haggle. Long story short, I got the guy to sell me two runners for the price of the bunched! One of them I gave to my friend, who's also planted a nano. So here is a pic of my tank now with the new mini-amazon. 










Other changes: I trimmed the crypt, and planted the anubias a little deeper into the gravel to hide the roots. Water a little cloudy because I was moving the water quite a bit.

Java moss/ferns were supposed to come today... but probably coming tomorrow.


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

your amazon will look good for a while, then it will get HUGE. The tank would like like a pot for the thing if it was full size


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## kagebunshin (Jun 30, 2008)

yah, thats what I thought also. I will replant it in my 72 gallon when it gets a little bigger, and use it's runners in the nano.


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## DBL TAP (Apr 27, 2008)

Great tank! Do you have something covering your filter intake? Within no time your shrimp will be breeding and you probably won't want for any shrimplets (what do they call shrimp fry?!) getting caught in your filter.

Are you using any ferts?

Really nice set-up!

Good luck


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## MedRed (May 20, 2008)

kagebunshin i just want to punch you out and take your tank tell you how awesome your little cube is!


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## kagebunshin (Jun 30, 2008)

DBL TAP said:


> Great tank! Do you have something covering your filter intake? Within no time your shrimp will be breeding and you probably won't want for any shrimplets (what do they call shrimp fry?!) getting caught in your filter.
> 
> Are you using any ferts?
> 
> ...


Hey, I actually made "shrimp condom" out of some panty hose that I jacked from my mom... he he he :hihi: Here are some pix:





















Also, currently I am not planning to use any ferts, because I hear it is bad for the shrimp. Does anybody have any experience with using a fert with shrimps? If so, what kind, and what dose? Your help would really be helpful. Thanks!

Redmed, 

hahah, yah its versatile and compact.. But I like the picotopes much better. 

Anyways, heres a breakdown of my costs so far:

Price so far:

Tank: $12.99
Gravel: (free) from Jason
Anubias Nana: (free) from Jason
Cryptocoryne: $4.99
Driftwood: $4.99
Deco Art filter: $15.99
Rock: (free) from backyard
Spray Paint: $.99
Shrimp (7): $5
Duckweed: (free) from cousin's pond
Amazon Sword: $1.50
Msc tools: $3
Java Moss/Ferns (arriving soon in mail): (free) Gift from friend

Total (so far): $49.50

I think I added it right. hahah


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## Church (Sep 14, 2004)

MedRed said:


> kagebunshin i just want to punch you out and take your tank tell you how awesome your little cube is!


I'm assuming you tried to use the "strike" command there, and obviously it didn't work, but maybe we SHOULD have that ability. Hey Kyle, are you listening? :biggrin:

I always thought the vBulletin tag was actually [strike], is it not?

[strike]just testing[/strike]

Apparently not.


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## DBL TAP (Apr 27, 2008)

The topic of ferts with shrimp is touchy; for some reason it starts a war. From my own experience, I use Flourish and Excel every other day with no side effects.


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## Karackle (Dec 11, 2007)

Just wanted to say that your little cube is awesome! Can't wait to see how it grows in!


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## kagebunshin (Jun 30, 2008)

Thanks to everyone for their kind words, and advice.

Update!

The java ferns and moss came in the mail today! Also I picked up a bundle of valisneria! Also, after reading up a lot, I bought a bottle of Excel! I did a semi-overhaul on the scape, because I had to make way for java moss carpet.

I will take pictures of the new scape tomorrow, and most them! So check back tomorrow. The water is a little bit agitated... and so are the shrimp--therefore I will wait till tomorrow to snap some pix! Just for a teaser, the Vals really add a top dimension to the tank... Just the effect I was looking for!

Kage


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## kagebunshin (Jun 30, 2008)

*Finally done scaping!*

After much wait for me to pic the right plants, I am finally done (for the most part) with my scape. 
































































So I decided NOT to use the plastic canvas for the java carpet, instead I made mini java moss balls and pushed them superficially into the substrate. Also, I made it a point not to use a bunch of java moss to start out with, because they will grow really really quick. I got a small group of vallis to drape over the top, which creates one of my favorite effects. Also I made a small indent in the gravel, which goes under the driftwood cave, and to the back. To each side i have raised mounds which have small patches of java moss bushes on each side. I added some lightly colored rock to add a different color to the cube. I add four drops of Excel every 2-3 days now (underdose) and the shrimp are doing fine. Hope you guys like it! Critiques welcomed!


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## Church (Sep 14, 2004)

All your plants look like little red x's!! :biggrin:


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## kagebunshin (Jun 30, 2008)

Church said:


> All your plants look like little red x's!! :biggrin:



care to explain?


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## Church (Sep 14, 2004)

Well, maybe it's just my computer, but none of the pictures are showing. Like they are dead links. Let me clear my cookies and see if that changes....

Oh I see them now. It's just because I have facebook blocked. Nevermind, carry on.... :icon_redf


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## Karackle (Dec 11, 2007)

Continues to look great!  I'm going to try my hand at Pico tanks soon i think, i have 2 little tanks I want to use at work (my officemate is excited about this idea as well ) and I have one on the way with all the supplies i need. I'll be using this for inspiration/ideas! Thanks!


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## Bk828 (Mar 11, 2008)

awesome job. Though you should find something else other than pantyhose to cover the intake of the filter. The pantyhose will get clogged really fast and give you almost 0 flow in the tank. 
Whats the plant right under the driftwood??


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## Tex Gal (Mar 28, 2008)

Nice tank. I'm afraid your Val will consume all the space at the top of your tank. They grow 3 feet long!

I have cherry shrimp. I do EI dosing in that tank. I use excell once in a while in there at the maintenance dose - not the initial dose. I do however, go light on the KNO3. I have had RCS in there for 3 weeks and still doseing EI. They are find. I have baby cherries all over the place. I change water at least 2 xs a week, about 30%. I have it heavily planted.


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## kagebunshin (Jun 30, 2008)

Church: 
yah I upload it to facebook for my photo album there, so i conveniently used it as a host also. 

Bk828:
I noticed that happens too. I think i will try putting more slack with the panty-hose. As in, not wrapping it taut like a condom ... rather it will be loose like a sac. Sorry if you pick up penile connotations from this... :hihi: 

Also that plant under the driftwood is a anubias nana, that has been trimmed at the rhizome.

Texgal:
I will trim the vallis accordingly. I'm aware of their monstrous length potentials, but its nothing a handy pair of scissors cant handle . I'm aware that the edges will turn brown, and its fine with me. I will look into EI, however I want to keep this tank low tech (and ferts) as possible.

Thanks everyone for their comments! It means a lot.


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## kagebunshin (Jun 30, 2008)

*Added Bumble Bee Shrimp!*

Hey guys, update since a month ago:

The valisneria died after a minor trimming, So i replaced it was cabomba. The shrimp love it! I added 4 Bumble bee shrimp to the tank. The water is a little bit yellow from an indian almond leaf I left in the water a few weeks back. Its gotten better after 50% water change. Here is some pix!

































































Thanks for looking!


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## MedRed (May 20, 2008)

very beautiful!


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## Karackle (Dec 11, 2007)

looking great! the bumblebee shrimp are awesome!


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## c_sking (Aug 4, 2008)

I really like your cube. I do not remember for sure but isn't duck weed a no no in the great state Kalifornia (Heal click optional). Not that it matters more of a question. Yes you have a beautiful nano and I can't wait to see "shrimplets"


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## kagebunshin (Jun 30, 2008)

*Updated!!*

So since the last update, I have moved to San Diego.

In that time, I have set up another tank, a pictotope. However, for the picotope, I bought a hampton bay light for that. Then I took the pictotope light and used it for this cube. One thing that I dont like is that the picotope light has an actinic bulb 50/50 with a fluorescent. This causes a bluish tint, so the pictures will turn out bluey. Since then the first generation of bumblebees died after a heat wave here in SoCal. The Good news is, I got some bumblebee babies to carry on the torch :hihi:. I've also added 3 Briggitaes to the cube. So enjoy the pix!


























the light sits to the left because the of the filter lol.









cherries with baby Bumble Bee





























Thanks for looking!


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## kagebunshin (Jun 30, 2008)

oh, just for comparison's sake. Here was the cube back in July:










LOL


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

I like it. The blue tint actually looks very pretty to me


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## fish_fasinated (Mar 30, 2006)

same here, i kinda like it. the tank looks awsome! and glad you were able to get some babies to repopulate this tank!


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## connordude27 (Jun 14, 2008)

cool tank you make it look so big!


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## Karackle (Dec 11, 2007)

Wow, you've got an amazing eye for scale! That looks fantastic! 

How did you get the moss to carpet like that? (and how do you keep it out of the center?) 

This tnak continues to look awesome, it's come a long way!!!


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## kagebunshin (Jun 30, 2008)

Karackle said:


> Wow, you've got an amazing eye for scale! That looks fantastic!
> 
> How did you get the moss to carpet like that? (and how do you keep it out of the center?)
> 
> This tnak continues to look awesome, it's come a long way!!!


Karackle,

To make the moss carpet like that, i took mini balls of balls and pushed it into the gravel. I was going to do the "mesh" technique, but that was too much of a hassle for me. Here is some pix of when i first planted the moss.


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## kagebunshin (Jun 30, 2008)

Oh I use long tweezers to trim the moss. As you can see it grew pretty well.


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## Karackle (Dec 11, 2007)

very cool, it's definitely growing very well, is it Java moss or something else? it looks brighter green than Java....but maybe it's just my Java that's dark  

Also, I meant to say before that I like the look of the blue light too, it gives it a very surreal look


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