# 10 gallon DIY 15x15x10"



## AlexXx (Dec 1, 2009)

nice! cant wait to see pics!


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## mgdmirage (Mar 30, 2009)

Some early pics, i need some feedback on further scape i'm thinking about adding some stones as well along the front right and maybe left front.


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## hybridtheoryd16 (Mar 20, 2009)

I think that could shape into a really nice tank. 

You may want to just run 1 bulb for now until you get everything dialed in and pressurized co2 pumping. As 36watts of t5ho is a hole lot of light and will quickly turn your master peice into a algae farm if everything is not perfectly balanced.

Good luck


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## mgdmirage (Mar 30, 2009)

hybridtheoryd16 said:


> I think that could shape into a really nice tank.
> 
> You may want to just run 1 bulb for now until you get everything dialed in and pressurized co2 pumping. As 36watts of t5ho is a hole lot of light and will quickly turn your master peice into a algae farm if everything is not perfectly balanced.
> 
> Good luck


Yeah i thought so too but one of the 2 bulbs is actinic so i'm not sure how much it contributes so i'm basically counting just one bulb. I'll have to see how it pans out, and if it's too much i'll have to figure something out.


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## AlexXx (Dec 1, 2009)

wow i love that drift wood! very unique! gunna look good!


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## mgdmirage (Mar 30, 2009)

AlexXx said:


> wow i love that drift wood! very unique! gunna look good!


Thanks! i'm gonna pick up some stones today and try and finish the scape, then i can start deciding on plants.


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## mgdmirage (Mar 30, 2009)

Some updates.



















And this fella i had to rescue.


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## AlexXx (Dec 1, 2009)

looks great!


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## fhqwhgads (Jan 18, 2005)

looks cool, needs some background plants though. maybe needle leaf java?


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## mgdmirage (Mar 30, 2009)

I have some sunset hygro do you think that would look decent as a background filler? Also the betta won't be in here long as my cherry shrimp will eventually move over to this tank along with my otos and pygmy cories.

Future fish plans are some Dario Dario if i can get a hold of a mixed group of males and females. Haven't quite decided on the upper area of tank as far as a schooling fish yet originally was thinking CPDs. 

I also plan to had about 3 amanos and i would like to get some CRS.


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## mgdmirage (Mar 30, 2009)

Also i have some HC on the way that will replace the HM for the forground carpet.


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## matthew.shelly (Dec 1, 2009)

had to rescue as in saved him from a friend or saw him in the store and just HAD to rescue him?


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## mgdmirage (Mar 30, 2009)

Store rescue, i was bored and walking through petco and saw two bettas next to him both dead in their micro sized containers. I really hate how they treat these amazing fish. He is having a blast exploring the 10 gallon, i'll set up a nice 5.5 for him soon that he can have all to himself.

I'd love to leave him in here but i fear he would make snacks of my cherries.


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## VincentK (Dec 16, 2009)

Sunset Hygro would look nice in the back, but you could also use your HM too, if you get it to grow straight up (which it will do readily), probably more of a midground plant though.


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## mgdmirage (Mar 30, 2009)

Well the HC didn't pan out the person on aquabid that i was trying to get it from kept getting the giant baby tears from his supplier(very honerably refunded money).

So i'm stuck with the HM that i have while i order some more HC from some other place.

I had to remove the betta as i added 3 pygmy cories today he was trying to murder them through the bag. The betta now has his own 5.5 gallon that i filled up with plants from my 6.6 so he is nice and cozy.

Also i had put two cherry shrimp in here from my 6.6 gallon two days ago and the betta was trying to hunt them down every chance he got, they really have such random temperments. Both shrimp are alive and well btw since i moved betta today and the shrimp are very quick!










Now for a couple questions: Should i remove the stone on the right back and go for a carpet that takes on a backwards L shape around the driftwood? Also i'm fairly new to planted tanks, should i trim the HM already and plant it in the open areas to try and thicken it out?

It has started to grow like crazy, even the moss on the driftwood.

I also added a surface skimmer so my surface water is crystal clear finally.

Mirage......


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## mgdmirage (Mar 30, 2009)

Transfered the rest of my fish over from the 6.6 gallon. So here are some Oto pics and an amano shrimp.


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## Chaos_Being (May 18, 2010)

I love the moss on the driftwood. Noob question, but what exactly is it?


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## mgdmirage (Mar 30, 2009)

Thanks, it is just common Java moss as far as i know Vesicularia dubayana. My local petstore gave me a handfull free about 6 months back and it's grown like crazy my 6.6 gallon was totally loaded with it.


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## mief (Nov 27, 2007)

Chaos_Being said:


> I love the moss on the driftwood. Noob question, but what exactly is it?


You read my mind, I was thinking the SAME thing. I'm in the midst of setting up my own 10 gallon planted tank, and if that moss is readily available I just might go with that. I for one like the emphasis placed on the moss, you don't see a whole lot of tanks that have more moss than other plants, it makes it pretty unique.

Could it be flame moss? Not sure, complete guess there. Whatever it is, it contrasts very nicely with the other colors in the tank. That piece of driftwood is golden, I wish I could find something with a similar shape to that.

Beautiful tank.

On second thought it doesn't really resemble flame moss.


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## mgdmirage (Mar 30, 2009)

Thanks! the moss has already grown a lot more since that pic (4 days ago). I'm having fun watching my shrimp walk through and over it now.


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## mgdmirage (Mar 30, 2009)

Just added 4 Nannostomus marginatus Dwarf pencilfish, will get some pics up once they are fully settled in and colored up.


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## mgdmirage (Mar 30, 2009)

Pictures as promised, Pencils, Corys, Otos and Amano:


































































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Pictures of pencils were taken about 20 mins after they were introduces into the tank, they were eating like pigs 5 mins after being put in. Their behavior is very fascinating, they are like aquatic hummingbirds the way they hover and rapidly move their pectoral fins while they are inspecting something. I think i may go back to LFS and get three more today or tomorrow.


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## tuffgong (Apr 13, 2010)

nice setup. now I want some pygmy corys.


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## mgdmirage (Mar 30, 2009)

They are pretty fun, they school with other fish too which is pretty funny to watch. They were schooling around with my pencilfish lastnight, and they follow my Otos around too.


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## stingraysrule (Apr 4, 2010)

I like your pencil fish. I have never seen them at the LFS store.


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## stingraysrule (Apr 4, 2010)

OH! And your tank is awesome too.


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## D'cecilia (Jun 12, 2009)

Wow, those pencilfish are sooooo nice ;D


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## mgdmirage (Mar 30, 2009)

Thanks!

I had never saw them before either, they were an impulse buy. I went home and researched and found them to be dwarf which was an even better bonus, now i want a few more. It's funny their recommended tank mates when i was searching was dwarf corys and freshwater shrimp.


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## mgdmirage (Mar 30, 2009)

Latest FTS


















Loved the Pencilfish so much that i added 3 more for a total of 7.

Also put a couple wisteria to float and make the pencilfish less shy.

My dwarf sag has grown up and over my driftwood like i had hoped it would. The one leaf when stretched out can about touch the front of the glass.

Also I added a drop checker.


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## mgdmirage (Mar 30, 2009)

New FTS tonight too much glare during the day.

Also have some HC ordered that should be here tomorrow or the next day so look for a new tank build soon.


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## zoragen (Nov 3, 2009)

Such a beautiful tank!!

I love your pics. I am struggling to get 1 decent pic of my betta!!


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