# Mini-L Updated 9/5



## cintamas (Feb 17, 2009)

Hello everyone! I have been what you'd call a "lurker" for some time now. I finally began a project worth documenting so I thought I'd come out of the shadows and introduce my tank.









_From above/Hardscape Planted_










_FTS day of planting_










_One more..._










_Side View + Mirror Image. What looks like snow is actually CO2 bubbles._

ADA Mini L
Archea CFL 36W on 8 hours/day
ADA Power Sand S (Layer 1)
ADA Amazonia AS II (Layer 2)
AZOO Plant Grower Bed Substrate (Layer 3)
ZooMed 501 Canister Filter
Pressurized CO2 (paintball w/ Red Sea Regulator & Needle Valve)

Plant List so far:
_Lilaeopsis macloviana
Taxiphyllum alternans_ Taiwan Moss
_Rotala colorata_

I've dosed with Green Bacter so far. I think I will begin using pfertz in a week or so. No idea what fish/shrimp I want to add yet, just hoping to see some growth. I appreciate any feedback/comments you may have. I love any excuse to get my hands wet and move things around!

I've been looking at some glassware and am thinking about ordering the Cal Aqua lily pipes. But that's a whole other topic, I'll trying looking for product reviews before making a decision.
​


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## 1slowtsx (Feb 22, 2009)

Great! Looking good.


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## cintamas (Feb 17, 2009)

Any ideas for the foreground? I don't want to go with glosso because it's a realy b---- to maintain. I'll try to get new pics posted tonight.


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## Ugly Genius (Sep 27, 2003)

A moss foreground would look really good with that 'scape. Could end up being just as much of a pain to maintain as a Glosso carpet, but it would look really, really nice.


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## cintamas (Feb 17, 2009)

Moss carpet it is! I love the look of a full moss carpet, plus it will create a perfect environment for future shrimplets. :icon_lol: The Taiwan Moss that's in there is all I have. Anyone know of a good source for this moss?


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## cintamas (Feb 17, 2009)

It's now the 4th day since planting and no real changes. I've started dosing with Brighty K and ECA. I am being real patient with this tank and trying not to move things around or change too much. Anyway, here are some shots of the tank that I just took:









_Rotala colorata-It's beginning to grow horizontally









FTS-The moss is starting to creep outward like I'd hoped. Slow & steady.

_I'm thinking of adding more plants to the background. Not sure yet what those will be. Any suggestions?​


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## Ugly Genius (Sep 27, 2003)

A Ludwigia of some sort would look nice. (With the thinner, longer leaves.) It'd match the cool rocks you have and contrast nicely with the red of your Rotala.

Also, if you were inclined, the 'scape could incorporate a small, thin piece of driftwood quite easily.


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## agutt (Oct 28, 2008)

Ugly Genius said:


> A Ludwigia of some sort would look nice. (With the thinner, longer leaves.) It'd match the cool rocks you have and contrast nicely with the red of your Rotala.
> 
> Also, if you were inclined, the 'scape could incorporate a small, thin piece of driftwood quite easily.


How bout L. Brevipes???


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## mizu-chan (May 13, 2008)

Tank is looking really nice! 
Can't wait to see this evolve.


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## juleeh (Sep 21, 2008)

Nice tank!:thumbsup:


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## cintamas (Feb 17, 2009)

*Mini - L Updated 8/16/2009*

Thanks for the encouragement *mizu-chan* and *juleeh*! I took *UG's* advise and added some dw. I had 2 small pieces in another tank that I was trying to get moss to attach to, so those went in last night. I will post some pictures later on. I also gave in and planted a few small runners of _glosso_ in the foreground. I don't like too much of the AQ being visable so I think that issue will be solved when it starts to spread.

The rotala is keeping it's nice red color so far and is starting to grow horizontally. It will make for an interesting look.


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## cintamas (Feb 17, 2009)

Here are some pics of the tank currently.









_Front shot









Rotala









Shot from above









FTS


_​


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## cintamas (Feb 17, 2009)

I've noticed some algae growth over the last couple of days. Some GSA has appeared on the glass oddly, where the light is minimal. My Taiwan moss has become victim of a brownish, stringy growth as well. I'll do a water change today and cut back on the hours of lighting. Just letting it run it's course is always the hardest part.

Does anyone think 36 watts of light for 8 hours/day is too much for a mini L?


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## CAM6467 (Feb 11, 2009)

Just a quick question... How well does that Zoo Med 501 canister filter work? I have an Eheim on my 10 gallon, and I'm planning on starting a micro-tank for my office. Is that thing pretty quiet?


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## cintamas (Feb 17, 2009)

It's quiet as long as there aren't a lot of air bubbles trapped in the canister. When setting it up, make sure all the media has been rinsed and that there is no air pocket before start up. It's a great fit for any tight space. My setup is on a t.v. stand (made for 20" television max). Another benefit of this filter is that there's enough space in the canister for extra media of your choice. I like to add a purigen bag to mine.


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## Ugly Genius (Sep 27, 2003)

A Mini-L's eight point eight gallons, right? If so, I don't think thirty-six watts is too much light. Just bump up the CO2 a bit until your tank has no algae what-so-ever. (A benefit of having no fauna initially is that you can find that sweet spot without fear of killing anything.) Get the diffuser right under the outflow so that the CO2 has another pass through the water column. That helps a lot. (I like to position my ZooMed spray bar so that the outflow holes are angled forty-five to sixty degrees downwards. I've noticed the best growth that way. [I consider flow to be second to light in a planted tank. CO2 and liquid or dry ferts (in the presence of Aqua Soil) come third and fourth, respectively].)

The driftwood looks great. It changes what you can do, too. Let your imagination fly and it'll be a tank to be proud of.

One thing I'd do is when the tank starts to grow out, give us bigger pictures. Nanos are all about details and it'd be nice to see it closer and larger.


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## cintamas (Feb 17, 2009)

Still some algae lingering. I believe that not having my light on a timer was causing some instability which eventually led to the algal bloom. I now have the light on for 6 hours along with the CO2 blasting! (exaggeration) I have done some pruning but nothing major. I will try to get some pics up so we can monitor the progress here. 

I've also added a new DASZ (sp?) pollen diffuser and some CAL AQUA lily pipes! Anyone know of tubing/connectors I could use to get the 10mm lily pipes onto my Zoo Med 501? I have a secondary mini-canister (TOM brand) running in addition because it actually fits the new pipes. The flow on this filter is really bad so it's really there so I can admire my new purchase.

o00oooo0o0O!! *UG * Scary avatar you've got there. Maybe it's because I'm writing this at 1:51am local time in absolute darkness.........


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## reynolds_brad (Oct 20, 2008)

Great tank, I love my ADA mini L its a good size if you ask me. 

How long is your light period, or how long do you shoot for? Definitely get a timer it will help with making adjustments. Just for a reference im running 24 watts (3 X 8 T5) on the same tank with pressurized CO2 and a 7.5 hour day lamp duration with a mid day blast. 

I was getting some green hair algae at one point but i think it may of had to so something with the cheep Chinese bulbs that came with my light setup. Once i switched out to better quality ones and did a 3 day black out i went back to the same light timing and i still haven't had any issues. 

Still i think you may be able to get away with the amount of watts you are running, you will just need to adjust how long they are and keep the CO levels up.


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## Ugly Genius (Sep 27, 2003)

Regarding your new pipes, you could try to attach a small section of half inch tubing to the Cal Aqua pipes and then stick the ZooMed tubes inside of that tubing. As long as you can get it so that there's no crimp in the tubes, it should work. I've seen the guys at AFA do that and it works for them.
I didn't go this route when I got my pipes as I wasn't made privy to this info until much later. I ended up buying an Ehiem 2232. That said, I love my 2232. Best mistake I ever made.


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## cintamas (Feb 17, 2009)

*Project V.2--Mini-L Rescaped*

I haven't updated in a while due to the fact that I had been toying around with doing a rescape. I knew the soil I was using wasn't really what I had wanted and that my hardscape was poorly planned. So...I gathered my thoughts and ideas over the last couple weeks and decided to do a rescape! I tore everything out; cleaned my glassware and scrubbed out the algae. I am somewhat satisfied with how it currently looks but definately am looking forward to it growing in. It's exciting ALL OVER AGAIN!

I will try to get more pictures taken tonight with something OTHER than my iphone. 

Thanks to all who have tossed me their two-cents thus far! I really appreciate it.


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## cintamas (Feb 17, 2009)

Okay, I know I said I would try to get some better quality photos.....But the iphone is all I have right now so here's what I captured.









_Day one after rescape.









Day four after rescape. Added some downoi front right, crypt sp? front left and a few stems in the back.









Closer view (front right).









Back left. Rotala green and __Ammannia sp. bonsai as well as Anubias nana var. petite on the driftwood.









Closeup of subwassertang in the foreground. There's also a anubias petite plantlet that is growing out of the Christmas moss rock.









Side view.









FTS!


_That's what I've been working on so far. I am running my light for 6 hours/day and because I have 2 otos, I don't pump the CO2 too high. Still using my 501 canister filter because I was able to convert my tubing to fit the lily pipes I bought. I'm looking forward to seeing what becomes of this layout, in the meantime....I love staring at it as much as my schedule allows. Any feedback would be great! ​


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## ch3fb0yrdee (Oct 2, 2008)

cintamas what kind of lily pipes are you using. Is it ADA?


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## cintamas (Feb 17, 2009)

*ch3fb0yrdee*- The lily pipes you see here are from Orlando @ GLA. See link here. At first I was having trouble retro-fitting them to my ZooMed 501 filter, but I took *UG's* advise and used a couple pieces of 1/2" tubing. I recommend them highly! I've also got the 13 mm set on my 18 gallon and I've had no trouble at all (connected to my eheim 2213). 









_18 gal rimless with cal aqua glassware_









_Even the fish love it!_​


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## Ugly Genius (Sep 27, 2003)

Dude! Two words for your eighteen gallon tank: Beau! Tiful! Spelling it as one word did not allow for enough exclamation points.
If you can get your hands on some Mini Pellia, it would look great (sparingly) on the rocks bordering the sand.
I realize that the post was about your pipes and I should say something about them, but they're ugly compared to the 'scape.


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## jinx© (Oct 17, 2007)

I have to agree with UG on your 18g, It's refreshingly different.


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## cintamas (Feb 17, 2009)

thanks guys! I have struggled with staghorn algae in my 18 gallon for a while now and because of that, I don't spend much time on it. I only recently planted the tall stalks of hygro. *UG,* know any good sources for mini pelia? I've only seen it in person at my LFS's DISPLAY TANK.


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## bsmith (Jan 8, 2007)

Your tank looks nice. I am a big fan of height segregating my for-mid-backgrounds personally. Also, I have never found a good place for susswasserstang in a scape, kinga like an erio they are just wierd.


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## kcirtappatrick (Mar 16, 2009)

Your ADA Mini-L tank looks great! I love the fullness to it and the moss gives it a nice touch. . I can't wait to see it when the plants start to fill in! Keep up the great work!


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## Jack Gilvey (Jun 16, 2008)

Wow...this is fantastic, one of the best I've seen posted. The scale of the scape is perfect for the tank. Not too busy, either. As with a good blues guitar solo, the spaces are as important as the notes.




cintamas said:


> _18 gal rimless with cal aqua glassware_
> 
> 
> _Even the fish love it!_​


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## Ugly Genius (Sep 27, 2003)

I don't know what restrictions there are for sending plants from the mainland to Hawaii, but if it's kosher with the USPS, I'll have some Mini Pellia soon_ish_ (a couple of weeks) that you're welcome to.


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## legomaniac89 (Mar 16, 2008)

Wow I really like the scape of this tank. The moss and subwassertang look great growing out in between the rocks and dw.

I need to get me an ADA Mini tank


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## cintamas (Feb 17, 2009)

Thanks *legomaniac*. I'm assuming you're talking about the mini-L? I guess I should start a thread about my 18 gallon, maybe it'll ignite some interest in me to fix it up. I have added an SAE to it in hopes of him chowing down on Stag horn algae.


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## quicktap (Apr 6, 2008)

Wow... beautiful. (Both tanks, not just the 18g)


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## cintamas (Feb 17, 2009)

Update! 

4/26/2009

















since the last update I removed all driftwood and added a few more rocks.


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## ClPat (Apr 30, 2009)

NIIIICE!
Will it get a foreground?


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## cintamas (Feb 17, 2009)

I have been thinking long and hard about a foreground solution here. I've been leaning toward either DHG or Elatine triandra. I'm in no rush at this point as I'm looking forward to seeing this scape grow in more (as is). Maybe I'll just let the e. tenellus take over the front?

I took some pictures earlier today. I've added a few stems of Proserpinaca palustris.


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## ClPat (Apr 30, 2009)

Like the new addition.
Maybe you could let the tenellus spread a little and them add some Elatine tiandra later, mixed carpets look awesome (too bad I don't have a carpet...but I will!)
I really like the way you scaped and planted the tank. Looks natural and dutch at the same time. But maybe you could add some dark green to the tank, to contrast a little with all those pastel colors? something like a. nana 'petite'
Btw I believe the SAE will grow too big for this tank, this will upset the fish and the sense of scale.


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## resowner92 (Jul 23, 2007)

Ugly Genius said:


> I don't know what restrictions there are for sending plants from the mainland to Hawaii, but if it's kosher with the USPS, I'll have some Mini Pellia soon_ish_ (a couple of weeks) that you're welcome to.


I have done it with no problems :thumbsup:


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## cintamas (Feb 17, 2009)

Interesting observation about the pastel colors. I never really noticed that myself. I think my poor photos may contribute a little to the pastel look. In person, the crypt spiralis located in the back right hand corner is actually a deeper shade of green and a nice contrast. I've thought about adding some anubias petite but couldn't quite find the right spot for placement. Any ideas on this? I may begin a more aggressive dosing regimine of ECA to get a better red out of the arcuata. 

I've had some trouble finding the right tools to clean out my lilly pipes. They're so small. Does anyone have a solution they'd be able to share? Would soaking them in a 1:10 bleach dilution be a possibility? Followed by a Prime soak, of course.


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## Outlawboss (Dec 30, 2008)

cintamas said:


> I've had some trouble finding the right tools to clean out my lilly pipes. They're so small. Does anyone have a solution they'd be able to share? Would soaking them in a 1:10 bleach dilution be a possibility? Followed by a Prime soak, of course.


That's what I do. Except I use a 1:1 bleach solution and then big overdose of prime. Beautiful tank. I like the pastel look in the pictures.


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## cintamas (Feb 17, 2009)

Thanks *Outlawboss*! I'll have to give those pipes a good cleaning very soon.


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## cintamas (Feb 17, 2009)

I've been making a few small adjustments to the plant selection in this tank lately. I've removed the ludwigia arcuata from the center and replaced them with some blyxa. I've also planted HC in the foreground. On top of plant shifting, I've switched to a DIY C02 source with a chopstick for a diffuser (this works WONDERFULLY btw). I have TONS of chopsticks around the house so I keep switching the pieces out to get the best bubbles. I only had time to snap a couple of pics, of those only 1 was decent. Here ya go:








The e. tenellus is getting a bit too tall for my taste, but hasn't been shooting out runners. I'll wait and see how they continue to grow before making a decision to remove. Thanks for looking!


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## ClPat (Apr 30, 2009)

I'd move the tenellus to the back somewhere. Micro-sword could be your solution for a foreground. Maybe with a bit of marsilea for dark green (you're right, I can't find a place for the anubias either. Once again, Your tanks looks awesome!


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## cintamas (Feb 17, 2009)

Thanks *CLPat*. You've offerred some great advise lately. 

As soon as I opened my mouth about the lack of runners from the e. tennellus, guess what grew? RUNNERS! I think I'll re-plant these guys in the background somewhere once I get rid of the rotala. This layout is headed in the iwagumi direction and fast! I just wish that I had enough HC to pull it off. Can't seem to find it anywhere locally ATM and everytime I've orderd from online retailers I end up with emersed-grown variaties leading to an eventual melt-down. _Can anyone recomend and HC solution?_


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## trigun808 (May 18, 2008)

update please haha


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## cintamas (Feb 17, 2009)

I am planning an update very soon. This scape has changed a lot since my 5/12 post. Just waiting on my livestock to arrive for it to feel "complete."


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## kcirtappatrick (Mar 16, 2009)

i can't wait to see the update! i'm sure the plants have grown a lot since the last post.


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## cintamas (Feb 17, 2009)

kcirtappatrick said:


> i can't wait to see the update! i'm sure the plants have grown a lot since the last post.


Well, the plants have been swapped out since the last post! I hate that I didn't commit to staying with my initial scape, but I gave up on maintaining all the different stem plants. This new scape was started on June14th. I am running a paintball CO2 system and dosing with the pfertz line. Water changes every couple of weeks and I only trim when the e. tennellus sends runners to the front of the tank. It's been fairly easy to maintain up to this point. No big algae issues. I have changed from the ZooMed canister filter to an eheim 2211. 









_Here's the tank immediately after planting (6/14/2009)._​
I used HC as the foreground with e. triandra as the mid-back ground transition. This ended up being a poor choice as the blyxa soon grew to tall and blocked a lot of light. This caused the e. triandra to turn yellow and slowly melt. 









_Here's the latest shot of this tank. The HC has come a long way without have a dry head-start._










_There's a lot more growing and eventual trimming before this starts to look the way I want it to._​


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## cintamas (Feb 17, 2009)

.....Sorry for the messy glassware. I just realized how awful that looks.


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## cintamas (Feb 17, 2009)

Here's a look at one of my newest projects.....

45-F
_
















The beginning.....................August 1, 2009_
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These photos were taken today...............August 16, 2009_


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## hyphination (Sep 25, 2008)

Your mini-l looks good! nice blyxa forest and nice CRS! Where'd you get you eheim from?

Really digging your 45-f. Cool stump scape! did you get that tank from aquascapes?


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## cintamas (Feb 17, 2009)

hyphination said:


> Your mini-l looks good! nice blyxa forest and nice CRS! Where'd you get you eheim from?


I got the eheim from Aquascapes. They had them for a really reasonable price. I'm sure shipping it here from any online retailer would have made it upwards of $150.00! I think it's perfect for this size tank.



hyphination said:


> Really digging your 45-f. Cool stump scape! did you get that tank from aquascapes?


Yes, this tank is also from Aquascapes. It seems that I am turning into some sort of rep for them! :flick: I am enjoying the shape of this tank and working with it's dimentions. I think I'll have lots of fun watching this one grow in & out!


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## hyphination (Sep 25, 2008)

Was also gonna try pick up a eheim for the mini-m. Didnt know aquascapes carried um. I'll probably check it out tomorrow. Its hard not spending a lot of money there. I feel like im in a candy store everytime I go.


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## kcirtappatrick (Mar 16, 2009)

mmm i feel your pain today i spent more than i should of...its all worth it in the end though!


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## trigun808 (May 18, 2008)

hahha all these hawaii guys huh? mililani ftw lol
That 45f is the exact tank i was gonna get! i was gonna do a stump idea too!


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## Craigthor (Sep 9, 2007)

I love the look of this 45F. The wood you got for it is perfect.

Waiting on livestock huh, how about we try doing this again.

Craig


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## ZooTycoonMaster (Jan 2, 2008)

Wow everyone that posted on this page is from Hawaii except Craig:hihi:

Beautiful tanks!


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## cintamas (Feb 17, 2009)

Craigthor said:


> I love the look of this 45F. The wood you got for it is perfect.
> 
> Waiting on livestock huh, how about we try doing this again.


Definately excited about stocking my mini-L! Had a false alarm last week, but I'm giving it one more shot. 

I haven't quite decided on any fish or shrimp for the 45-F. It is currently housing a pea puffer due to snail issues. I don't think he'll be a long term tennant. Any ideas? The soil level is really high in this tank due to the shape of the wood pieces I used. Using a thick layer of soil to burry certain branches was the only way I could get the desired look.


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## cintamas (Feb 17, 2009)

ZooTycoonMaster said:


> Wow everyone that posted on this page is from Hawaii except Craig:hihi:
> 
> Beautiful tanks!


 
Strange aint it? Craig's a Hawaiian at heart, I'm sure of it.

Thanks for the compliments ZTM! It means a lot to me.


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## Outlawboss (Dec 30, 2008)

Love how that little tank is coming along. Just beautiful!


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## kcirtappatrick (Mar 16, 2009)

I love the tree trunk look! The plants on the right side look awesome sticking out of the water like that. I also like the plant growing out of the middle of the tree trunk. Kinda looks like a dead tree with fresh plants growing all over it XD


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

That 45-F is RADDDD!


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## problemman (Aug 19, 2005)

oooooooooooooooooooooooooo i want the 45


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## cintamas (Feb 17, 2009)

Thanks for all the positive reinforcement guys! My goal with the 45-f was to experiment with plants growing emersed. I'm hoping that one of the varieties will flower.


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## kcirtappatrick (Mar 16, 2009)

I'm sure it will given time. So when are you going to start a journal for the 45 F? XD


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## cintamas (Feb 17, 2009)

kcirtappatrick said:


> I'm sure it will given time. So when are you going to start a journal for the 45 F? XD


I was thinking about it. Then I realized that I'm running it pretty low-tech, so the growth rate may not be quick enough to provide many talking points worthy of a journal. I'd rather continue providing random updates here on my mini-l thread.


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## cintamas (Feb 17, 2009)

Tank as of 08-23-2009









08-23-2009 FTS. A good example of the blyxa and e. tennellus 'entanglement.'

Spent the better part of my night splitting blyxa, untangling e. tennellus and scrubbing glass. After all of that effort, I feel like this tank is still heading in the right direction. I'm slightly intimidatedby the HC because this is the first time I've ever had a carpet of it. Not sure how exactly to carress it....if you know what I mean. :icon_wink I've removed all traces of e. tennellus as it was getting tangled in the back and really stopping the water flow. Also, the m. umbrosum has been removed and replaced on the left-side with a few trimmings of rotala sp. 'butterfly.' Thanks *trigun808*!

I've also added a new rock to this scape in hopes of creating a better focal point and really bringing attention to the hardscape. I've been feeling like the plants stole all of the attention up till now. 










09-05-2009 Just after trimming, re-planting, and water change.









09-05-2009 A look from above the HC foreground. Still a few spots that need covering.









09-05-2009 Attempting a silhouette shot, failing at that - I have no photography skills.


Enjoy!


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## hyphination (Sep 25, 2008)

looking good cint! loving the new upgrades. I've been thinking about getting a mini-L too even though I didnt even start on my mini-m yet lol. anyways how much did the light cost? and how much wattage is it pushing?


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## cintamas (Feb 17, 2009)

hyphination said:


> looking good cint! loving the new upgrades. I've been thinking about getting a mini-L too even though I didnt even start on my mini-m yet lol. anyways how much did the light cost? and how much wattage is it pushing?


It's an 18" 36W CF Archea fixture that I picked up at Aquascapes. It was somewhere around $100. 

Still no AS, huh? Here's what you do.....go get a mini-L and start prepping that layout along with your mini-M. Then when the AS comes in, you'll have both ready! Do it.....do it.....do it!


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## trigun808 (May 18, 2008)

haha very nice hc carpet and cant wait to see future updates


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## kcirtappatrick (Mar 16, 2009)

whoa! it feels like i haven't seen this tank in ages! looks good, looks good! look at those nice shrimp too! whoa..jealous..haha.


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## SearunSimpson (Jun 5, 2007)

To get the silhouette shot, place white/off white/orangy poster board on the ground behind the tank and position a floodlight/flashlight, lamp to reflect off the poster board. Turn all lights off in the room.


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## hyphination (Sep 25, 2008)

lol I would like to but I just threw down some serious dough on a apt.


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## cintamas (Feb 17, 2009)

hyphination said:


> lol I would like to but I just threw down some serious dough on a apt.


 Where you moving/moved to? 

I'm sure if you had a choice, you'd move to SF, right across the street from AFA. Am I right? :flick:


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## trigun808 (May 18, 2008)

im debating if i should pull up all my dhg and start up hc again haha
u think i should?


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## cintamas (Feb 17, 2009)

Dhg is a challenge that Ive yet to take on successfully. Don't dig it up!! I think you should keep the dhg until you get a new tank to try the HC in.


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## ADA (Dec 31, 2010)

Wow, you have some serious skills.. no updates on this tank? It's amazing!


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## ADA (Dec 31, 2010)

I've never really liked Blyxa until now. You made it look awesome.


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