# Jake's DBP 10gal For Cories & Shrimp



## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

What? I suffer from a serious case of Multiple Tank Syndrome? Surely not!

Figured it was time to start a new tank. 

The goods:


10gal Deep Blue Professional tank

Eheim 2213 w/ DIY spraybar 

10w LED Flood Light (not yet installed)

Bits and pieces of manzanita from Tom Barr that I glued together and added some Christmas Moss to

Pool Filter Sand

A bunch of Crypts - most to be added later

Maybe some Anubias nana

Not going for beauty so much as I am viewing space for critters. Simple root feeders is all the tank will likely hold. 

A shot I teased yesterday:










Here's a messy shot about a minute after flooding:










That's several clumps of rough-looking Petsmart C. wendtii in the back (hopefully it fills out and grows up) and two little sprigs of C. parva in the front. Have a bunch of C. beckettii, C. petchii and C. parva coming from Gordon roughly mid-week. Still have a bunch of moss to add.

I'm hopeful the C. wendtii will survive and provide some nice shrimp hidey holes. Added a few clay fert balls beneath their area so they'll hopefully snap back soon.

The plan is to house about 15 Corydoras habrosus because they're active bottom dwellers and maybe some C. pygmaeus for the action with various snails and some shrimp. Depending upon the number of critters, I may consider some Boraras brigittae later on down the road. 

Haven't decided if the tank will be 100% tap, 100% RO or a mixture of the two. Guess I'll make the decision a few weeks from now when the initial 'cycle' is complete.

Can't wait to see how this new tank evolves. Once I take a break from making more Om Nom Nom shrimp food for you folks, I'll be starting yet another tank journal… for something a little different. Stay tuned for that.

Thanks for reading!

Jake


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## GMYukonon24s (May 3, 2009)

Nice start to the tank. I like the wood you glued together.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Added three red crypts marked at the LFS as wendtii 'red':










Figured I couldn't say no, as they're healthy and cost a total of $1. That's a decent deal, right?


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## acitydweller (Dec 28, 2011)

Nice. I see you too were bitten by the led flood lamp bug 

Glad to see aotherone pf your journals coming to life.


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## andrewss (Oct 17, 2012)

lookin good... like the contrast the red crypts give


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Yep, actually ordered another flood lamp from fleabay. Naturally, the guy sent me something different than pictured and offered for sale, so I have to return it/file a claim/yadda yadda. Gonna order another with three wires so I can use it with my power supply.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

andrewss: Thanks.

I've got several others coming in the mail this week and at that point, I think I'll have a better feel for where plants need to go. 

Am a big fan of darker-colored crypts, though, so I expect to have quite a few.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Or maybe I'll just go buy a different power supply so I don't have to go through the fleabay hassles...


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## Hilde (May 19, 2008)

Very interesting start.

How are you going to set up the flood light over the tank?


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Planning to use conduit or a bent piece of c-channel. Haven't yet decided. Need to go to the hardware store tomorrow to get a new power supply to get it rigged up.


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## Hilde (May 19, 2008)

somewhatshocked said:


> Need to go to the hardware store tomorrow to get a new power supply to get it rigged up.


I just used a 3 prong cord from a PC for mine. Splced it in , soilder the indivicual wires together and then put wire tape around it. You skip the soilering part and use wire tape. The trick is in wiring it together. 

This is the wiring that worked for me for my flood light (LED Wholesaler's 10W) -
Yellow/green to green
Brown to black
Blue to white

Also to need to cover it someone the light will flood the room.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

I appreciate your response. As mentioned above, however, the light I received only contains two wires... so I have to have it replaced or go buy a different power supply that has no ground wire.


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## Hilde (May 19, 2008)

somewhatshocked said:


> The light I received only contains two wires... so I have to have it replaced or go buy a different power supply that has no ground wire.


If it only has 2 wires then it seems you only need a cord with 2wires to splice it into. That is what I have done with other lamps.


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## Hilde (May 19, 2008)

acitydweller said:


> Nice. I see you too were bitten by the led flood lamp bug


Does that you used 1 too? If so got a link to it. I am struggling over how to cover mine.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Gonna wire my LED up sometime this evening.

I _really_ want a Finnex FugeRay 20" fixture. Not sure I can justify the $60 expense, though. At least not yet.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

The good news: I love the fixture and it provides perfect light. I have two of them and couldn't be more excited.

The bad news: My other half demands that I get rid of both of them because, in their words, the fixtures are ugly. I wholly disagree!

Some photos (water is filled with tannins):


























My apologies for the strange resizing. Seems new ownership altered photo width.

So that bit earlier where I was desirous of a Finnex fixture? Guess that's what I'll be going with in order to appease the ruler of the house and selling both of these cool LEDs. Dangit.

More crypts supposed to be here tomorrow. Excited.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Some new crypts came in today, a few looking a bit rough. Since they're crypts, though, they'll soon bounce back. beckettii, petchii, parva.

A peek:


































Excited for them to grow in because they're going to look terrific. The parva will flatten out and adjust pretty quickly. Usually only takes a couple weeks in my other tanks. Can't wait to see how the beckettii grows in. One my favorites.

Left space in the front center and front right for other goodies a bit further down the road.


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## Hilde (May 19, 2008)

somewhatshocked said:


> Some new crypts came in today, a few looking a bit rough. Since they're crypts, though, they'll soon bounce back. beckettii, petchii, parva.


I would dose with some Seachem excel for a week to help them bounce back.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Thanks for the tip.

They're already starting to bounce back. May be some melting but nothing that isn't manageable.


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## Hilde (May 19, 2008)

somewhatshocked said:


> A peek:


Oh, I should say you have a good start. The isle between the wood would be more appeasing in was more towards the right. Thus applying the 3rd ratio which photographers use.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Thanks.

Give it a few months. It's been partially planted for just a few days. Will take a few months to grow in and look as planned.

This will be a no-Excel, no CO2, no dosed ferts tank. Just clay root tabs.



Hilde said:


> Oh, I should say you have a good start. The isle between the wood would be more appeasing in was more towards the right. Thus applying the 3rd ratio which photographers use.


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## Hilde (May 19, 2008)

Sounds like you have thought this out. Can't wait to see the final outcome.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Me either! Now I have to find the patience to wait several months to see what it ends up looking like.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Tried to appease the other half with different lighting. Look how much spread there is with a 15w CFL:










That's with the work light dome about six inches above the top of the tank with a glass cover. Honestly think it should be raised 4-5 more inches. Or some fiberglass window screen needs to be put over the top of the tank.

Guess I can't complain about getting a Finnex fixture but it'll still be too much light for this tank and will have to be wrapped in window screen.

At least the tank will look really cool with a sleek LED fixture.


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## thebuddha (Jul 16, 2012)

how do you like the 2213 for that size tank?


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

It's sized perfectly for a 10gal tank. Was previously used on an 8gal Fluval Ebi. Wouldn't go any smaller for any reason.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Tank update: Nearing the end of the Nitrite spike and think it will be ready for livestock within a couple weeks, as planned.

May end up waiting even longer to add critters so I can let Crypts regenerate and grow in a bunch.

pH is holding at around 7. It's not exactly where I'd like it for Cories but I think they'll do well. Depending upon hardness of my tap water, I may end up filtering it with peat or mixing with RO.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

20" FugeRay arrived today.

First thoughts: unbelievably inconvenient and silly short power cord. Sure, it's a minor peeve. But three feet!? There is no practical way to use the fixture unless you run an extension. 

Cheaply made but pretty bright. It's probably not exactly worth its current price (this is solely my opinion and not an attack on any company or even the product) on Amazon for what you get. It will be in maybe six months or a year? Maybe that's just me having spent hundreds on LED fixtures the past few years, though, and expecting different quality. This isn't a complaint. Just a peeve.

Would be worth finding the originator and ordering several in bulk if you have a ton of tanks, though. When you factor in the warranty, that does make the price easier to swallow. I guess. Will be interesting to see how long these things last with everyday use.

In fairness, I think Marineland fixtures are bogus when it comes to price. They're sturdier but really can't be compared to this kind of output.

Have to say: I really like this fixture. Bright. Really white, no yellowing in that 7000k realm. Perfect for a 10gal low tech tank. Would be a bigger hit - beyond this forum - if it weren't over priced.

Some pictures...

Without blue using legs:










With blue using legs:










Resting on glass without blue:










Resting on glass with blue:










Using an iPhone to adjust for brightness:










While I probably won't be able to use this fixture on the tank, it could be perfect if you've got an outlet within a couple feet of your tank. 

Verdict: buy it if you've got money burning a hole in your pocket. You'll really enjoy it if you're a reefer at heart because it is crisp and white. 

Just have to figure out what to use it for if I can't make it work.

Can't wait to start buying and using these in my actual reef refugiums.

UPDATE - Victory! Woah! My better half has agreed to having an electrician install an outlet by the new tank about half way up the wall. Guess we'll get to use fixture after all!


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Okay. I caved.

Just ordered several smaller ones for my refugiums. 

Neglected to mention that when you factor in the size of these fixtures - they're tiny/slim - that makes up for the cost 100%. And that's why I decided to pick up more of them.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

It's so bright that I don't feel comfortable using it without a layer of window screen.

Just a tiny bit darker:










May actually add another layer of screen.

Discovered a young Ramshorn that I did not add:










Looks like the pre-filter needs a good rinse - dang.

Added 20 or so Malaysian Trumpet Snails last night:










They're making quick work of the algae on the crypts I got from the janky LFS. Guess I need to get in there to clean some of those leaves off myself.

You can kinda see remnants of it but the majority of this area was covered in diatoms yesterday:










Mostly gone today, as you can see.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Ended up adding a second layer of window screen and it's finally where I want it.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Seems the Pond Snails and MTS I added are making quick work of the bits of algae in the tank. Will likely have to spot treat one of the crypts with Peroxide or Excel tomorrow.

Some of the crypts appear to have introduced BGA and I've removed it with a pipette a couple times. Not a lot of it but enough for me to keep on it. 

Tank eats 1.5ml of 10% ammonia per day now. So it's definitely ready for livestock. Just gonna push it out a couple more weeks, I think, so it can be well-established.


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## notropis (Sep 16, 2005)

Thanks for sharing photos of that FugeRay. I really like the look!


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## Sd760 (Apr 25, 2011)

Awesome tank. Stoked to hear the review on the fixture and see your progress


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Thanks. Though, I can't say it's awesome yet. At least not until all the crypts grow out in four or five months and there are tons of critters moving about.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Getting closer and closer by the day:










Crypts are adapting. Can't wait to find some C. habrosus!

Now that the tank has 'cycled', I'll be removing the cheap heater and hiding the thermometer.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

I was (wait for it) somewhat shocked to discover a pH hovering at or below 6 today. 

Gotta be the manzanita Tom sent me.

Looking forward to seeing what my tap water does in the tank over an extended period of time. It usually hovers around 6.5 after it ages unless something has changed with our corrupt and horrendous water company, woo!


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Now the wait is on for the other half to decide whether 12 or 15 C. habrosus should be ordered.

You'd think it would be an easy decision.

In the meantime, I've removed the heater, added a bit more sand in a few areas and am considering removing a few of the crypts in the back to grow them in other tanks.

UPDATE: Wonder how much trouble I'll get in if I just order a dozen C. habrosus and six pygmies? Guess we'll find out...


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Stuff is growing in nicely:


















Even the itty bitty crypts are growing up:










Looks like some Pond Snails will also be growing up soon enough:










Many would have done more to prevent the coitus but I enjoy snails.

There's also a giant Ramshorn that I did not add hiding somewhere in the tank.

Still need to add more moss so it's shrimplet-friendly Maybe I'll get around to that tomorrow during water changes with the rest of the tanks.


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## StraightAddicted (May 20, 2012)

Tanks is coming along nicely, I love the driftwood branch out. Great job gluing together the pieces, and nice score from Tom. Can't wait to see it with a nice colony in there!


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Thanks! I'm excited for the crypts to grow out almost as much as I'm excited to move some shrimp over and to add some Cories.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Have been spot treating with about 3ml of Excel and it's doing a fine job:










I turn the filter off, treat, wait, then do a large water change.

Looks like it'll be cleared up soon.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

The addition of a new power outlet has made using the Finnex fixture possible. Really, shortest cord on earth.

That said - things appear to be going swell.

Now I need to find the time to order a few more Cories to go with the ones I've already got.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Yet another update: The algae covering the crypts has finally turned red and is going bye-bye.

It's always nice to breathe that sigh of relief.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Jake idk how I missed this thread. But as I seem to be a fanboy, I'll follow here too. Lol. 

Nice tank. I like the Manzy. The plant scheme here reminds me of my DBP 2.5 long. I really am starting to like crypts. 


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Thanks!

I'm not quite happy with it but the other half seems to think it's great. So I won't have to fiddle with it much.

Crypts have always been a favorite of mine because they're so low maintenance. I have too many fast-growing plants in my other tanks and figured Crypts would be the way to go for this one - along with mosses.

Think I'm going to have to remove some of the Wendtii in the very back, as I planted it too thickly.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

somewhatshocked said:


> Thanks!
> 
> I'm not quite happy with it but the other half seems to think it's great. So I won't have to fiddle with it much.
> 
> ...


It really will look better when stuff fills in. But if she likes it, then you're golden. It'll be nice always being able to see your inhabitants anyways. So many of our scapes have so many places to hide. 


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

It's rough cell phone picture update time.

Snails have cleaned off most of the dead crypt algae, only bits and pieces of it remaining on about three leaves:










The Christmas Moss is growing in nicely:










I'll soon add some fissidens and such at the base of the two wood sections so there's more play room for shrimp.

The baby crypts I received from Gordon are growing up super-fast:










C. parva is coming along, beginning to grow closer to the substrate:










The wendtii in the back is growing, too, and I still need to thin it out while it's young:










Can't remember what these crypts are but they seem to be coming along nicely:


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## xjasminex (Jul 26, 2011)

Why thin the crypts?


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Because there are waaaay too many. So many, in fact, that they'll still be crowded once I thin them and they grow up.



xjasminex said:


> Why thin the crypts?


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## xjasminex (Jul 26, 2011)

Ok, just curious, I love crypts and can't imagine getting rid of them =]


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Won't be getting rid of them. Just moving some to other tanks.



xjasminex said:


> Ok, just curious, I love crypts and can't imagine getting rid of them =]


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## thebuddha (Jul 16, 2012)

Could you share some info about your DIY spraybar?
Like, what kind of tubing is it? and what did you use to cap the end?
How many holes, and what size drill bit?


I am really interested in building my own


Edit: just read that it is made out of rigid tubing, is this something I can find at menards/lowes/homedepot? and do you know if it comes in any color other than clear?


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## LyzzaRyzz (Nov 6, 2012)

Probably a silly question, but can you make a spray bar with a HOB filter?


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## Sd760 (Apr 25, 2011)

Looks great.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

There may be more detail about the spray bar in my 12gal journal.

It's rigid tubing. Its OD is the same size as the ID of the tubing I'm using. You can buy rigid tubing from most fish shops/pet stores and online.

Just a plastic cap that fits over tubing. 

Holes are less than an inch apart, some going slightly up to agitate the surface, some going slightly down for water flow. The amount of holes, distance, size, etc really depends upon the filter you're using and how much flow you need. For me, I just did a trial and error thing with the filter.



thebuddha said:


> Could you share some info about your DIY spraybar?
> Like, what kind of tubing is it? and what did you use to cap the end?
> How many holes, and what size drill bit?
> 
> ...


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Not sure how that would work.

You'd need to have an output pipe or tube from a canister or powerhead in order to use a spraybar.



LyzzaRyzz said:


> Probably a silly question, but can you make a spray bar with a HOB filter?


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## thebuddha (Jul 16, 2012)

somewhatshocked said:


> There may be more detail about the spray bar in my 12gal journal.
> 
> It's rigid tubing. Its OD is the same size as the ID of the tubing I'm using. You can buy rigid tubing from most fish shops/pet stores and online.
> 
> ...


Okay, Ill take a look at your 12g journal.
I have an eheim 2213 as well, so i was gonna piggy back off of your findings


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## CAM6467 (Feb 11, 2009)

I love your tank. I have several of the same plants that you're growing, and it's encouraging to see how healthy they are in your setup! What is the make-up of your substrate? I'm too lazy to go back and find it!

Charlie


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

My rule of thumb is start small with the holes. Test things out. Need to change things up? Make the holes bigger. You could easily make the spray bar, cap it and test it a few times in under five minutes. 

Also buy 2-3 lengths of rigid tubing so you have some practice material. The stuff is thin and light weight so it's easy to work with.



thebuddha said:


> Okay, Ill take a look at your 12g journal.
> I have an eheim 2213 as well, so i was gonna piggy back off of your findings


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Thanks.

It's just cheap pool filter sand. Root tabs here and there for the crypts and that's it.



CAM6467 said:


> I love your tank. I have several of the same plants that you're growing, and it's encouraging to see how healthy they are in your setup! What is the make-up of your substrate? I'm too lazy to go back and find it!
> 
> Charlie


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## Green_Flash (Apr 15, 2012)

cool!


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

thebuddha: I'll be back in my office in the morning and will check for part numbers for the tubing and caps I used. You can get the caps (warning: ugly orange really stands out in a tank unless you paint it) at U.S. Plastic and the tubing from several different retailers online for cheap.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Looking better and better as the days go by:










All the specks on the glass are new baby Pond Snails.

New crypt leaves and growth, too:


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

The time has come!

Just ordered ten Corydoras habrosus to go with the others I've already got. Should be arriving via USPS Express on Tuesday or Wednesday.

Beginning to think ten of them may be enough. Will probably just leave the ten in the tank along with a bunch of shrimp for a few weeks. Then the plan is to move in six or seven C. pygmaeus and that'll be that. Cories and shrimp.

Guess it's time to make sure I have plenty of Repashy Soilent Green and Community made up for their arrival. Hopefully they'll take to it quickly like the others so I don't have to mess with frozen foods all the time.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Crypt update!

New growth:










Snails are making quick work of dead algae:










Crypts in the back are growing up and looking nice:










C. parva adapting well:


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Very nice new growth! I have one crypt which won't stay down :/ it keeps throwing roots out but it keeps popping up


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Thank you! I'm really enjoying all the new growth.

What kind of substrate are you using? Surely you can poke things back down into the sand/gravel/dirt.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

somewhatshocked said:


> Thank you! I'm really enjoying all the new growth.
> 
> What kind of substrate are you using? Surely you can poke things back down into the sand/gravel/dirt.


Hmm I'll take a shot for you. I have Fluval Shrimp Stratum. I love the color and shape. I wish it weighed a bit more is all. 

I'm thinking I planted it wrong when I first got it. The base is curled now, so I think It got planted a little upside down. 


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

FTS before the fish move in this week:


















Stuff is floating around the tank because I was tinkering with it.

The other half is attempting to convince me to spray paint the tubing in the tank (and the orange cap) black. Probably only going to do it if I can bargain for another shrimp tank.


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## Green_Flash (Apr 15, 2012)

hooray for fish!

Do you have any of your reef journals on any of the major reef forums?


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

I do have a couple of them. Will have to dig the links up this week.


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## Green_Flash (Apr 15, 2012)

Great.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Cories arrived!

This little one is slower and looking less than happy:










But the other nine are exploring the tank like crazy:


























Currently acclimating some Cherry Shrimp to move into the tank.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Nice! They look really neat. I'd love to get these some day. I've seen a few really nice scapes with these in them. 


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## Turboman (Nov 10, 2011)

somewhatshocked said:


> Cories arrived!
> 
> This little one is slower and looking less than happy:
> 
> ...


Oh habrosus, my favourate. where did you get them?


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Looks like the sickly little guy didn't make it. He's disappeared somewhere in the tank and I'm going to have to go on an expedition to find him.

The others have colored up and are loving their new home. Lots of schooling, eating, hanging out with the Cherries - which are bigger than the fish.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

somewhatshocked said:


> Looks like the sickly little guy didn't make it. He's disappeared somewhere in the tank and I'm going to have to go on an expedition to find him.
> 
> The others have colored up and are loving their new home. Lots of schooling, eating, hanging out with the Cherries - which are bigger than the fish.


Sorry to hear he didn't make it. 

Lol size comparison pics 


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Took a day but finally found the deceased. Guess that's the trouble with tiny fish - tough to find them when they kick the bucket.

I think we're definitely adding some Corydoras pygmaeus soon to add a bit of mid-column activity.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

These Cories don't seem interested in Repashy products at all but the Cherry Shrimp love everything I've offered:










They also love devouring this algae developing at the top of the tank:










This batch of Corydoras habrosus seem to love Hikari Micro Pellets, though:










As do the MTS in the tank:










They seem to be okay with frozen Daphnia, Cyclops and algae wafers. They go crazy for my veggie sticks. Gonna try frozen baby brine and frozen bloodworms with them today. 

All my other Cories seem to love all the frozen stuff so I'm hoping these guys take to it. Same for the Repashy products.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Bloodworm day:










Shrimp thief:










Ran quickly away from the fish and wouldn't share with the other shrimp.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Some interesting things happening with hardness in this tank.

Seems the manzanita is sucking KH & GH outta the water. From KH of 4-5, the tank is down to 2. And GH? Down from 10 to 6.


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## AVN (Oct 3, 2012)

Tannins will do that! That bloodworm thief is pretty cute.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Not fun: Explaining to the other half why it's not a good idea to add a Dario dario pair to the tank. I have no idea what's difficult to understand re: them eating shrimplets and occasionally terrorizing the Cories. The funny thing: I was almost convinced to do it.

Fun: Getting the Cories converted to eating Repashy products and my own foods. Yay, no more feeding hassle.


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## AVN (Oct 3, 2012)

Speaking of corys, how often do you think they eat baby shrimp? Have you witnessed it?

I have a several very old corys that have reached 3 inches, wouldn't be safe would it?


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

No predation in this tank yet (no babies yet) but I've seen C. pygmaeus and C. habrosus eat shrimplets in my other tanks. Not sure about the frequency, as I still see population growth. 

Cherries are prolific breeders but I expect to lose babies in this tank. Maybe not large numbers of them but am prepared for it. 

Definitely wouldn't keep shrimp with Cories that large unless it's in a huge community tank with all kinds of hidey holes.


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## Exceliber (Feb 1, 2012)

somewhatshocked said:


> No predation in this tank yet (no babies yet) but I've seen C. pygmaeus and C. habrosus eat shrimplets in my other tanks. Not sure about the frequency, as I still see population growth.
> 
> Cherries are prolific breeders but I expect to lose babies in this tank. Maybe not large numbers of them but am prepared for it.
> 
> Definitely wouldn't keep shrimp with Cories that large unless it's in a huge community tank with all kinds of hidey holes.


I had a tank that got infested with scuds a while back when it first started. I introduced some cories to the tank and within days all the scuds were gone. I'm quite certain that given the chance, they would gladly snack on some shrimplings. Never had a problem with them and the larger shrimp, though.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

These Cories wouldn't be good for scud control, unfortunately. Most of my adult shrimp are much larger than the fish.

Maybe young scuds, though.

On a semi-related note: My Endlers will attack and devour scuds but won't touch adult shrimp. Scuds always go into the Endler tank.


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## AVN (Oct 3, 2012)

If you want you can bottle-trap your scuds and send them to me, I would love to have a 2G full of them as they would make an interesting live food for my larger fish.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Guess all is well with the tank, as there are two new berried Cherries:


















Looks like they're both ready to pop.

And in other news: freeze dried black worms are a hit with the Cories (and the shrimp).


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Some shots of the Cories feeding: 


























Didn't notice until later but there's a Cherry Shrimp in the background of the first image that was beginning to molt. It jumped out of its shell about ten seconds later.

About the lighting: currently have two staggered layers of black fiberglass window screen and I don't think it's dimmed enough. Still may have to add another layer. Or maybe I just need to save up and add a few Amano Shrimp to help clean things up.


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## DeeJayA1 (Sep 23, 2011)

just curious... what gravel are you using in the tank???


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

It's cheap "high grade" quartz pool filter sand. $3 for 50lbs.



DeeJayA1 said:


> just curious... what gravel are you using in the tank???


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

Hey I like those cories.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Thank you!

Am in the process of planning a riparium with just these little guys. Either a standard 29gal or standard 55. 

These little guys seem to have more personality than my larger Cories and seem to rival Dwarf Puffers for interaction with each other.

This 10gal started out as a tank for my better half but has turned into the spot where I sit with the laptop every evening.



hydrophyte said:


> Hey I like those cories.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

A riparium would be neat. 

Jake, having kept them, what would you say is the smallest tank dimension they'd be comfortable with? The tank I see in person with them is a neat ten gallon tank cut in half. They seem to use most the tank.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

If it was *just* these guys? Probably 5-6gal if it's really spread out. Ideally, no smaller than 20" x 10" base for 10-15. 

Have a mix of them with C. pygmaeus in my 75 and they seem to spend most of their time in one small area of the tank. When I had them in a 20L, they explored about half the tank. In this one, they enjoy checking out the entire joint.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Haha 20" by 10" almost fits the dimensions of our DBP long tank. 

I'd have a custom tank built just for these guys and moss TBH. MY better half loves cories more than anything and is sad all the fish store cories are weak stock :/.


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## creekbottom (Apr 5, 2012)

I am doing this exact set up! So glad I ran into this thread. 

What did you do with the heater?

Do you plan to fully plant the tank? I haven't added fish yet, and I might not cause I put alot of plants in there and there isn't much open space left.

Thinking of getting a fugeray as well, so sleek and sexy! The 13W CFL I have on there now is not providing good spread and there are dark spots in the tank. I was just looking on ebay at pretty much the LED lights you had, how heavy was that floodlight? I like open top, so I'd need to mount it somehow.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Heater was only in the tank to help with the 'cycling' process. Warmer temps really helped amp up bacterial growth.

It's fully planted as it is. Tons upon tons of crypts and moss. They just need to grow in (the crypts). If you mean the entirety of the substrate? Not planning on filling the front couple inches of the tank with plants, as Cories need room to explore and play around in the sand. 

Fugeray is definitely a nice light fixture. Too much for a low-tech 10gal, though, without raising it or wrapping a bunch of window screen around it. 

Depending upon the plants you have, darker areas in the tank may work perfectly. Especially with Cories, as they enjoy darker areas to relax.

The LED flood weighs a couple pounds. Light weight enough to attach it to just about anything or even to rest on top of some glass if you don't go open-top.



creekbottom said:


> I am doing this exact set up! So glad I ran into this thread.
> 
> What did you do with the heater?
> 
> ...


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Tank is growing in pretty well.

Old growth on the crypts is finally melting and new leaves are emerging nearly every day:


























They should start gaining a bit of height in the back sometime soon.

Here's a blurred shot of the feeding frenzy going on at the time I took the photos:










(Yes, I'm purposefully culturing all of those snails.)


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## infamouz23 (Dec 28, 2008)

I really like these little cories and your enitre setup. How well do you think the C. habrosus and c. hastatus would do together in a nice size school in a 75 gallon?


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Thanks.

It really depends upon the other critters you plan to house with them. These little guys (and gals) are tiny, so it's easy to stress them out or to see them get eaten.


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## infamouz23 (Dec 28, 2008)

I'll likely pair them with a decent sized school of cardinal tetras.



somewhatshocked said:


> Thanks.
> 
> It really depends upon the other critters you plan to house with them. These little guys (and gals) are tiny, so it's easy to stress them out or to see them get eaten.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Made some black worm, brine and squash sticks for my bottom feeders this week and the Cories really seem to enjoy them:


















Initially dropped them into the tank as a shrimp snack but everyone jumped in.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Time for a moss trim!










Cories are hiding in the back of the tank because I just did a water change:










Rolled about 15 Cory eggs outta the tank and into my Cherry tank for hatching. Here's hoping!

Berried mamas everywhere:










Loving these crypts more and more every day:


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

For some reason, the berried Cherries love to perch in this spot just beneath the spraybar outflow:










This is the post-feeding time snail pile:










And that's why I like to keep a ton of snails in every tank. Magical cleanup. The sand in this tank couldn't be more spotless.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Young Cherries are everywhere:










Have a couple other berried females that are going to release babies any day now.

Was hoping the Corydoras would keep the shrimp population in check but it looks like I'll have to do that manually.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Front:










Right:










Left (ignore the mess):










Cories and Cherry juvies making a mess:










While in the fish room a few floors below, I noticed a super-pregnant Endler:


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## crazydaz (Mar 18, 2007)

Just curious: do you have enough snails? 

I'm liking this evolution somewhatshocked! These little "Natural" set ups can really look very cool, and I'm impressed! The driftwood looks wonderful, and as long as you continue to get nice crypt growth, this tank will look outstanding.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Thanks! I (and by "I"? I mean "we" - even though I do all the work) just decided simple was best. Have trimmed the moss a couple times and obviously need to work on it again this weekend. 

Looking forward to watching the Crypts grow and spread this year. 

Really enjoying all the open space for Cory observation. They're so much more fun in small tanks like this. The C. habrosus I've got in my 220 at work just seem to disappear into the abyss of moss.

You should see all the snails come out during feeding time. Probably 200 Pond Snails (I for real selectively breed them, much to the shock of most on here) and 100ish MTS of various sizes. Only a handful of Ramshorns in this tank, though.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Those mosses are filling in reallllllllly well. I like the placement and foresight to see what they'd become. 

As always, nice crypts.


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## fishboy199413 (Jan 20, 2010)

This tank truly does look great. It is very simple looking yet fulfilling. Keep up the good work. What happened with cory eggs?


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Thanks.

They actually hatched! There are 12 of them surviving. So far only one of them has croaked. Peacefully existing in my various shrimp tanks at the moment. Hoping to move a few back into the 10gal when they're older and my various other tanks.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Parameter update time!

The small amount of manzanita in this tank STILL has my pH at 6 (or just below), KH between 1 and 2 and GH around 7-8.

Tap that goes in at the moment/depending upon the day is pH 7.5-8, KH of 5-6, GH 12-14.

This is craziness.

May be insane for me to say it but I wish the buffering would hurry up and, you know, quit it. Ideal params would be 6.5-7ish pH, KH 2-3, GH 7-8. That's where things usually settle for me in most of my non-buffering tanks. Guess we'll what happens over the next several months.


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## Unikorn (Jun 14, 2012)

somewhatshocked said:


> Thanks! I (and by "I"? I mean "we" - even though I do all the work) just decided simple was best. Have trimmed the moss a couple times and obviously need to work on it again this weekend.
> 
> Looking forward to watching the Crypts grow and spread this year.
> 
> ...




I got some MTS from Msjinkdz and they bred and were fine for a while then died. Besides algae wafers and the like is there any special way I need to feed them if I get more MTS? I love MTS they are so cute!


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

MTS will eat just about anything. Literally - just about anything. Everything from algae to shrimp foods to decaying fish and shrimp - even other snails that have died. They eat it all.

What are your water parameters?


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## Unikorn (Jun 14, 2012)

PH 6.4-6.8 usually. Ammonia, nitrite and nitrate are at 0. My tank has lots of plants in it. I need to get one of those gh/kh test kits I forgot last time I was at the pet store :/


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Hardness aside, those parameters sound okay.

It's possible that you just don't have enough food to sustain them once they reach adulthood, however.


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## Unikorn (Jun 14, 2012)

Oh OK, so I would just have to feed them when I feed my fish.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Yep - sometimes it's necessary to supplement invertebrates like that.

Do you have algae wafers or something you can use to make sure they're getting enough food? (once you test for hardness, that is) Has to be done carefully, so you don't experience a population explosion.


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## Unikorn (Jun 14, 2012)

Thanks for the info  I will feed them more food than last time I guess. Hungry little buggers!


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## TheRiverRat (Feb 13, 2013)

Wicked looking hardscape!


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Thanks! It's the best I've done yet with a couple dollars worth of manzanita scrap.

It's working out really well for keeping shrimplets hidden from Cories, too, so it's a design idea I'm going to have to continue using in community tanks.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

You know how I work to selectively breed golden-colored Pond Snails?


















I think I'm finally there with this strain:










Amano going to town on some algae:










The "dirt" you see beneath the sand is from clay-based root tabs I make for my Crypts. Dang Malaysian Trumpet Snails dig through them and cause a mess. Thankfully, it remains beneath the substrate itself.


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## naturelady (Dec 14, 2009)

Hey, I loved reading through your tank journal!! Probably especially because it is so similar to what I want to do- a 10 gal tank, low light, planted, with shrimps and cory habrosus.

But, you said that the Finnex 20" is more than low light over a 10 gal tank. After reading the PAR data, I had wondered about that, and was contemplating buying a 16" and modifying the legs somehow to put it over my tank. Do you have any speculation if this would be adequate?

Also, if your light really is too high and you aren't supplementing CO2 - where is your algae? (I'm jealous. I would LOVE for my tank to be that clean. Is the secret the lots of snails? I've never really liked snails all that much)


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## Bananariot (Feb 28, 2012)

Snails.......bane of my existence....but such a good cleanup crew xD


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Bananariot said:


> Snails.......bane of my existence....but such a good cleanup crew xD


Aw I love snails lol.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Thanks!

If you take a look at my 45-F journal, you'll see that the 16" Fugeray is really only a 12" light in a 16" body. You'd want the 20" for a 10gal. I cut the light down with a couple layers of fiberglass window screen resting on the glass top of the tank.

Snails do clean up leftovers, usually devour any lost shrimp or young fish before I notice and keep the glass spotless. But the real secret to a clean tank is just keeping feeding in check. 



naturelady said:


> Hey, I loved reading through your tank journal!! Probably especially because it is so similar to what I want to do- a 10 gal tank, low light, planted, with shrimps and cory habrosus.
> 
> But, you said that the Finnex 20" is more than low light over a 10 gal tank. After reading the PAR data, I had wondered about that, and was contemplating buying a 16" and modifying the legs somehow to put it over my tank. Do you have any speculation if this would be adequate?
> 
> Also, if your light really is too high and you aren't supplementing CO2 - where is your algae? (I'm jealous. I would LOVE for my tank to be that clean. Is the secret the lots of snails? I've never really liked snails all that much)


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

I've trimmed this moss a zillion times and it's finally looking okay:










C. habrosus love hiding out with adult Neos:










That itty bitty Cory you see? It's one of the babies that's growing up. They're all crazy active and annoy the adults so much it's entertaining.


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## fishboy199413 (Jan 20, 2010)

How is this tank doing? Anymore fry?


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

It's growing in really well. No fry, really, as I remove the eggs as I see them and move them to a shrimp tank. 

Have only moved a few of the babies back into this tank and the rest have all gone into some larger tanks. 

Will try to snap some more pictures later this week.


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## Jeffkol (Feb 19, 2013)

Is that just normal christmas moss? Also how did you attach it?


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Yep, feel free to take a look through the journal for details.

It's regular Christmas Moss and it's attached with super glue gel.



Jeffkol said:


> Is that just normal christmas moss? Also how did you attach it?


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## Jeffkol (Feb 19, 2013)

If I say so myself, this is a beautiful tank you have going on here!


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Thanks!

I think this tank is proof that one doesn't have to have major skills or tons of cash to make something look nice.

Sure, the scape would look worlds better in a high-clarity rimless tank without all the green pipes and orange end caps. But I'm in this for cheap.

Cost breakdown:

Tank: $12
Glass cover: $8
LED Fixture: $60, I think? But not necessary
Pool filter sand: $3
Wood: $5
Moss: $8
Crypts: $30
Filter: Already had the Eheim 2213 and rigid tubing but it would only be about $100 total for everything new

So it's really affordable. Even factoring in the fancy filter, fancy lighting and such. Easier to hit the goal of having a decent tank when saving up to buy everything.

Side note: People often complain about not being able to afford something for their tank. That's my favorite part of the hobby: the anticipation of saving up to eventually get something. Makes you appreciate it more once you have it in your possession.


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## assasin6547 (Feb 6, 2013)

somewhatshocked said:


> Side note: People often complain about not being able to afford something for their tank. That's my favorite part of the hobby: the anticipation of saving up to eventually get something. Makes you appreciate it more once you have it in your possession.


Sooo true. Really nice aquarium on budget! 

Unfortunately, for those of use just beginning the hobby, we can't just take plants from other tanks or use old equipment, so everything comes with shipping cost.  Are those Amano Shrimp actually good at eating algae?


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

It's a hobby. That's why - even for people who have been at this a long time - getting exactly what you want is important. Means you have to understand it, desire it and save up for it. If everything was cheap or easy to obtain, it wouldn't be as fun.

Amanos do eat some algae. I mostly keep them in tanks that have fish because they're ravenous eaters and clean up whatever doesn't get eaten by other critters in the tank. And because they look cool.



assasin6547 said:


> Sooo true. Really nice aquarium on budget!
> 
> Unfortunately, for those of use just beginning the hobby, we can't just take plants from other tanks or use old equipment, so everything comes with shipping cost.  Are those Amano Shrimp actually good at eating algae?


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

During water change today, I moved some of the larger Crypts from beneath the moss nearer the front of the tank. Wanted them to get some more lighting. 

Guess I'll see in a few days how things turn out. May take photos tomorrow.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

A little cloudy last night when I took this:










That's after moving some Crypts around. Still need to do a heavy moss trim and remove some other Crypts.


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## David4039 (Mar 26, 2012)

Is the only reason you got rid of the 10W led flood light because it was ugly? I was also wondering if you dose anything? Is your substrate just pool filter sand... nothing underneath? This is exactly what I want to do with a spare 10 gallon that I have. I'm only interested in keeping small corys, easy shrimp, and some gold rabbit snails in it. Great looking tank... I love seeing the updates on it.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

If you're just now starting up a tank, I encourage you to read through this thread and others.

Yes, the flood light was unattractive.

As mentioned in the thread, I don't dose anything because I only have crypts and mosses. I use homemade root tabs, however.

It's just pool filter sand. Cories and shrimp are sensitive and both love to dig around, so they'd make a mess if it were anything but pool filter sand. Malaysian Trumpet Snails would also mix any soil beneath sand and it would look nasty.


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## David4039 (Mar 26, 2012)

Sorry, I've actually kept tanks my whole life. I've always kept plants too (java moss, java ferns, anubias, anacharis, foxtail, floating plants...etc.) I'm just finally converting one of my ten gallons over to a heavily planted tank. I modified the original light strip and put two 18W CFLs in it. I bought Eco-Complete, because I thought that's all I would need for substrate but have learned otherwise. I've decided now to use mineralized soil caped with either the Eco-Comp or sand. I'm also searching hard for a pressurized CO2 system. CFLs aren't the most efficient and I was interested in wether the 10W led would do better for me. I don't have any way to measure the PAR and I don't really understand led lighting yet. It just seems that moss, crypts, java ferns, anubias, and a couple other plants would be a fun tank to do. I have 10 gallons worth of java moss, but I would LOVE to get my hands on some of that X-mas moss. It sells for $15 for a 2x2 mesh piece at my lfs. Too much for me to justify spending lol. Anyway... keep up the great work. I really enjoy seeing this tank.


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## Turboman (Nov 10, 2011)

Good to see the update. Is the moss taking much area away from the cory? Seams like the sand part shrinked alot. Im planning to have a cory tank but still debating a planted tank or blakcwater tank.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

The moss is several inches above the sand, so it doesn't impact bottom dwellers like Corydoras habrosus.

A note about Blackwater... all the Cories I've ever kept really seem to thrive best in planted tanks.



Turboman said:


> Good to see the update. Is the moss taking much area away from the cory? Seams like the sand part shrinked alot. Im planning to have a cory tank but still debating a planted tank or blakcwater tank.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

A 10W flood light wouldn't be enough light to use with pressurized CO2. You'd want a more powerful fixture that's specifically created for planted tanks. Or use use daylight CFLs with good reflectors.

For Christmas Moss, check out the For Sale section here on the forum. Several members have it for sale.



David4039 said:


> Sorry, I've actually kept tanks my whole life. I've always kept plants too (java moss, java ferns, anubias, anacharis, foxtail, floating plants...etc.) I'm just finally converting one of my ten gallons over to a heavily planted tank. I modified the original light strip and put two 18W CFLs in it. I bought Eco-Complete, because I thought that's all I would need for substrate but have learned otherwise. I've decided now to use mineralized soil caped with either the Eco-Comp or sand. I'm also searching hard for a pressurized CO2 system. CFLs aren't the most efficient and I was interested in wether the 10W led would do better for me. I don't have any way to measure the PAR and I don't really understand led lighting yet. It just seems that moss, crypts, java ferns, anubias, and a couple other plants would be a fun tank to do. I have 10 gallons worth of java moss, but I would LOVE to get my hands on some of that X-mas moss. It sells for $15 for a 2x2 mesh piece at my lfs. Too much for me to justify spending lol. Anyway... keep up the great work. I really enjoy seeing this tank.


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## GreenBliss (Mar 7, 2012)

The moss looks amazing!  I wish mine did.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Thanks.

I find moss grows best in unheated tanks with decent flow. Other than those two things, it's pretty forgiving.



GreenBliss said:


> The moss looks amazing!  I wish mine did.


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## Neptoon'd (Apr 21, 2013)

I really like this set up. I just bought a 10g during Petco's $1/gal sale. It's currently empty in a closet. I bought it specifically to do a shrimp tank right, from the start. Anyway, this thread gives me lots of ideas and inspiration.  I really like the cories with shrimp. I like how nicely it progressed.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Earlier today, I moved something like 800 (we stopped counting at about 700) Pond Snails into a 40B from this tank. 

In this case, it was the result of purposeful overfeeding. Some great looking specimens! Will have some photos sometime in the next couple days.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Sweet! I'm interested to see them. I'm a snail fanatic, too.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Snail feeding time:


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Heads-up to anyone I gave Christmas Moss to last week: it could have Corydoras habrosus eggs in it!

My neighbor glued a bunch to some driftwood that was already in her Cherry Shrimp tank. Bam, five baby Cories hatched out.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Couldn't find anyone locally to take my remaining Lime Green Endlers off my hands so I moved 3 males and 3 females to this tank.

Here's hoping their population stays in check.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Removed another 500 or so Pond Snails the day I added Endlers:










The Cories seem to get along quite well with these Cherries and Amanos:










Note the giant Pond Snail on the glass moving toward the food at the bottom.


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## pianofish (Jan 31, 2010)

Do you think that if you didn't work at trying to remove them, that any of the Cory habrosus eggs would hatch in that tank given enough time?
I'm thinking about setting up my 10 gallon quarantine tank as a Cory only species tank similar to yours. Pool filter sand, cheap light and lots of crypts, but really want to know what is your secret to success with breeding them?
Tank looks wicked sick by the way! I love the intense amount of moss you have haha. 
Do you think a HOB filter would have been a bad decision for this tank if you didn't already have the eheim?

Hope all is well!
Joshua


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Some of them have definitely hatched in the tank. Just prefer to have more of the eggs make it, so I remove them. Those little buggers will eat just about anything and _love_ devouring their own eggs.

If I didn't have the Eheim on-hand, I probably would have gone with an AC50. Just really prefer using canister filters and spray bars when possible.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

That moment when you're preparing to reach into your tank to pull out a Cory egg... when a giant, fat mama Cory plows across all your crypts to eat the egg! That's the moment I was just in.

Dangit.

Was completely hilarious, though. And she was quick - I'll give her that.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Here's the 10gal right after I moved it over to the rack:










The moss was a little low, as that was before I moved it back up a bit.

The mess on the shelf by the cubes has since been cleaned up and testing kits put away.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

A blurry shot of a pregnant mama Endler:










Not happy about having babies. She will DEFINITELY be finding a new home once they're born.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

VICTORY! Just caught the adult Cories eating Endler fry. Best day ever. Now I won't have a population explosion.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Wow lol. Then they definitely eat shrimp fry.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

I think I'm going to start using Shrimp Mineral GH/KH+ with RO/DI water for this tank. I'm hoping the Cories will adjust well. Since I'll only be swapping 10% a couple times per week, it shouldn't be much of an impact on them. Aiming for a KH of 3-4 and a GH of 7-8.

So tired of this dang tap I've been using for the tank. Just unreliable.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Now loosely kicking myself for not realizing I could just mix a bit of baking soda with regular Bee Shrimp Mineral GH+ to bump up the hardness. HEAD - DESK.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

A little bit (okay, a lot) overgrown:


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## Sake (Mar 30, 2012)

Wow your moss growing skills make me want to steal your tanks <.< I think it looks great overgrown, then again I like the jungle look.


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## GreenBliss (Mar 7, 2012)

Damn, I wish my moss looked that great. I can't seem to grow it well. The moss in my 3.2g is starting to turn brown after months of green and it has a led light. It's driving me up the wall. I love moss, but it seems to hate me.

Also love the full look.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Moss needs good flow to flourish. 

What's your flow like? What kind of filtration?


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## GreenBliss (Mar 7, 2012)

All tanks have AquaClear filters. 18g has AC70. 3.2g and 7.5g have AC30s. The filters in the 18g and 7.5g are right near the moss.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Christmas Moss got way too thick so I removed 99% of it and re-glued some on to the hardscape:


























Here are the adult Corydoras habrosus remaining in the tank, all huddled in one area as the tank refilled:










Planning on re-scaping with a ton of Anubias nana 'petite' and maybe some Buces.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Woah! It's been a hot minute since I've updated.

Tank is coming along quite well and I've had to remove some Crypts due to excessive growth. Did a monstrous moss trim a month ago and the Christmass Moss is beginning to thicken back up. Will aim for photos during the next water change.

I've got a new rimless bowfront coming from AquaTop soon and I'm toying with using it to replace this tank, though I do still love it. Am just determining whether or not I want to deal with Cories and an open top.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

In the interim, here's one of the young Corydoras habrosus growing up:


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## Bserve (Nov 4, 2012)

Holy Uploading Batman!


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Ha! Figured it was easier to update most of my journals at the same time.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Woah, it's been a while since I've updated. Everything is going pretty swell with the tank but I'm thinking about making some changes. 

Am re-scaping the 12gal long and am toying with moving the Corydoras habrosus in this tank over to the 12. Not sure what that means for this tank but I feel another re-scaping shaping up. 

Maybe something with nice rocks or huge chunks of driftwood.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Ugh. Ended up losing this tank during the move. I am super-upset about it!

Now that I've arrived in my new city (need to update my location information), I'm going to pick up a new tank for the critters.


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## Minhha2006 (Oct 14, 2014)

Ive been catching up with this thread. Im thinking of getting a planted+ , but im worried about algae issues. My oto cats keep my walls clean but my rocks are no mans land. Any tips?


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

If you're talking about the Current fixture, you can adjust light levels with the remote control.


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## Omar EAZi (Aug 5, 2015)

Nice tanks, I've been going through all your journals, was sitting extra hours at work, everyone thought I was doing some important overtime work lol!! 
Do you use co2 in any of your tanks?!


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Haven't updated these threads in a looooong time (ugh, I need to!) but some of my tanks receive CO2 & ferts, some don't.

My shrimp tanks typically don't receive anything at all.


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## Discusluv (Dec 24, 2017)

somewhatshocked said:


> Getting closer and closer by the day:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 I love the look of this wood. So cool!
I think I will do something like this for the 10 gallon shrimp tank will be setting up because will give lots of area for moss.


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## Discusluv (Dec 24, 2017)

somewhatshocked said:


> A little bit (okay, a lot) overgrown:


Wow! beautiful moss!


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

My advice is to start with a darker substrate, minimal moss and some crypts or anubias. As you can see, a tiny bit of moss quickly becomes a ton.

Darker substrate will help the colors of your shrimp pop a bit. Neos tend to look their best on darker stuff. 

I love the pool filter sand I've got but for my next Neo tank, I'm definitely going darker. Not sure what yet but I'm searching. Definitely not Black Diamond blasting grit, as it's just not a look I enjoy. Considering darker sand options at the moment.


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## Discusluv (Dec 24, 2017)

somewhatshocked said:


> My advice is to start with a darker substrate, minimal moss and some crypts or anubias. As you can see, a tiny bit of moss quickly becomes a ton.
> 
> Darker substrate will help the colors of your shrimp pop a bit. Neos tend to look their best on darker stuff.
> 
> I love the pool filter sand I've got but for my next Neo tank, I'm definitely going darker. Not sure what yet but I'm searching. Definitely not Black Diamond blasting grit, as it's just not a look I enjoy. Considering darker sand options at the moment.


 I wouldn't put coal slag in any of my tanks. Also, I agree, not a look I enjoy either. 

What about some of the shrimp soils you have used in the past? Would that be good? They look really nice.

Edit: I want to do the Golden shrimp for the 10 gallon. Love them. And about 15 pygmy corydoras. 


The plant recommendations are perfect.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

All of the soil-based substrates I have are buffering and geared more toward Crystals and Bees. But I suppose I could go that route. 

I'm not sure Cories would do well in the super-soft parameters of Goldens. I've only ever kept them in water that's more hard than Caridina can tolerate. But I suppose it's possible.

If it were me, I'd do a tank just for Goldens and nothing else. Aqua Soil, Controsoil, Shrimp Sand or something like that for substrate. Salty Shrimp GH+ for remineralizing RO/DI water. Mosses and simple, no fuss plants that don't grow quickly. 10gal would be the perfect size for them. Easy to maintain water parameters, as well. A decent LED would be about $30 on Amazon. Aquaclear filter wouldn't be too much, either, if you don't already have one - or just use sponge filters. 



Discusluv said:


> I wouldn't put coal slag in any of my tanks. Also, I agree, not a look I enjoy either.
> 
> What about some of the shrimp soils you have used in the past? Would that be good? They look really nice.
> 
> ...


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## Discusluv (Dec 24, 2017)

somewhatshocked said:


> All of the soil-based substrates I have are buffering and geared more toward Crystals and Bees. But I suppose I could go that route.
> 
> I'm not sure Cories would do well in the super-soft parameters of Goldens. I've only ever kept them in water that's more hard than Caridina can tolerate. But I suppose it's possible.
> 
> If it were me, I'd do a tank just for Goldens and nothing else. Aqua Soil, Controsoil, Shrimp Sand or something like that for substrate. Salty Shrimp GH+ for remineralizing RO/DI water. Mosses and simple, no fuss plants that don't grow quickly. 10gal would be the perfect size for them. Easy to maintain water parameters, as well. A decent LED would be about $30 on Amazon. Aquaclear filter wouldn't be too much, either, if you don't already have one - or just use sponge filters.


 Oh, I would need R/O. Thats fine- I suppose its time I get a unit if I ever want to attempt breeding my Altums. What would you recommend? I would want one no fuss- easiest for the "non-technically inclined."


I can do just the shrimp. Scratch corydoras. 

Ill do shrimp soil.
I have a Finnex Stingray for the 10 gallon already- would that work? 

For filter- are the Dennerle corner filters a good filter? I like the look of them.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Those little internal filters are pretty terrible, honestly. Very little filter media. I'd use one in a tiny bowl or vase. 

A couple double sponge filters would be perfect for a 10gal. If you use a black background and have black sponges, they'll disappear once you add wood and moss. An equally cheap option is an Aquaclear loaded down with ceramic media and sponges. That's my preference because it's easy to do filter maintenance without having to stick your hands down into the tank to get a sponge or other filter out.

I have Eheim canisters on most of my 10gal tanks because that's what I had handy when setting them up. ACs make waaaay more sense and cost roughly (or less than) what it would cost to buy a couple sponges and an air pump.

You'd need 3-4 bags of Up Aqua Shrimp Sand for a 10gal and that's kind of spendy, so I'd lean more toward ADA Aqua Soil Amazonia or Controsoil because they'll be cheaper overall. A lot of people whine about the ammonia Amazonia initially releases but I think it's perfect for small tanks. Sure, you've gotta do water changes a lot the first few days but who cares when it's such a small volume? I save the water and dilute it with my other gray water for use outside and on plants. Those kind of substrates make fishless cycling easy.

They'll also buffer and help you out when it comes to parameter stability. 

As for RO/DI filters? Heck yes you should get one. Anyone sticking to the planted tank hobby for more than a year should absolutely own one. I got a cracker jack piece of crap off fleabay last year to have for house plants and vivariums at home - a six-stage setup - for under $150. It works really well and I haven't had to replace filters yet. When that happens, it'll cost maybe $35-$40. Have a couple fancy ones at my office and am not sure I'd purchase them again if given the option of the cheap stuff - cause it's all about the actual filter inserts you use.

RO is way less complicated than many people make it out to be. I keep mine sitting under the bathroom sink and attach the intake to a faucet adapter.

You'll find yourself using RO water for all kinds of stuff. Tanks, terrestrial plants (and even mosses and vivariums and all that), air plants, DIY air fresheners, oil diffusers, you name it. I use the heck out of it.




Discusluv said:


> Oh, I would need R/O. Thats fine- I suppose its time I get a unit if I ever want to attempt breeding my Altums. What would you recommend? I would want one no fuss- easiest for the "non-technically inclined."
> 
> 
> I can do just the shrimp. Scratch corydoras.
> ...


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## Discusluv (Dec 24, 2017)

Okay- sounds like I have some shopping to do.  Thanks for the tips!


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