# shareing my 10 gallon planted



## armagedon48 (Jun 13, 2007)

filteration: zoomed canister filter
light: 4x15W flourecent in DIY hood
substrate: zeolite pond potting substrate.
plants: moneywort, pennywort, microsword, some stem plants, a crypt, dwarf hairgrass, and more.
fish: two bristle nose plecos, ottos, cardinal tetras and red minors have been removed and i introduced 100 +/- juvenile cherry shrimp, and 8 amano shrimp. oh yea, one jumbo mystery snail.

CO2 is done through a DIY device that is hooked up to the intake of the canister filter.

now for the fun part, the pictures.


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## armagedon48 (Jun 13, 2007)

the pins are holding pieces of java fern to the drift wood until they take root and attach to the wood themselves.


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## James From Cali (Dec 15, 2006)

Needs a little organization and then I think it will look nice. How is the pins affecting the water?Interesting idea for when I start my tank fully.


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## FrostyNYC (Nov 5, 2007)

Not too shabby. You have a lot of light in there. Are you dosing ferts?

I understand the pushpins, but did you try just tying the plants down with black string? Less conspicuous.

This should look really nice when the rotala (?) in the background fills out. That's a really nice looking crypt too, but it looks like the hairgrass is going to cover it up.


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## James From Cali (Dec 15, 2006)

Oh and a 10g, I dont believe, is enough room for 2 Bristlenose Plecos let alone 1.


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## NeonShrimp (Mar 9, 2006)

Looks very tank, the amano shrimp just looks at home in it


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## ZooTycoonMaster (Jan 2, 2008)

Nice tank! Those plants are peaarling like crazy:thumbsup:


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## garuf (May 30, 2007)

no wonder at 6wpg! I'd start saving for pressurised co2.


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## asimkhatri (Sep 17, 2007)

wat ??
is it 6wpg


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## garuf (May 30, 2007)

Yeah, 4x15 =60 60divided by 10 = 6 therefore its 6watts per gallon


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## Gerald the Mouse (Jun 19, 2006)

Can I see a picture of your lighting system? Because I want to know how you got 4 bulbs up there.


And I love the idea with the thumbtacks.


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## Sandman333 (Dec 8, 2007)

I found the older thread of lighting this tank, it's pretty awesome. Definitely something I am interested in replicating, but maybe 2 15W fluorescents and two CFL bulbs, for some variety. 

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/lighting/49506-home-made-4x15watt-t8-hood.html


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## Gerald the Mouse (Jun 19, 2006)

I would like to do that, but I'm afraid it'll start a fire.:hihi:


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## armagedon48 (Jun 13, 2007)

James From Cali said:


> Needs a little organization and then I think it will look nice. How is the pins affecting the water?Interesting idea for when I start my tank fully.


what could i do for organization? i sorta like the randomness, a bit more natural and less staged. the moneywort just kinda "happened" cause i started with just 1 stem that i stuck there to see how it would grow. the crypt was nearly dead when i planted it, so i didnt really plan anything when i planted it there. im moving all my rotala towards the back. the pennywort has kinda just taken residence where it has, i just keep it trimmed back. i originially wanted a carpet of hairgrass, but it didnt grow very fast for me so i added micro sword, and now both are growing fast... 
the pushpins dont seem to bother anything. minimal discolor to the metal, but all my shrimp appear to be in good health. i also do a 50% water change with well water every week, so this may be diluting any unknown problems. 




FrostyNYC said:


> Not too shabby. You have a lot of light in there. Are you dosing ferts?
> 
> I understand the pushpins, but did you try just tying the plants down with black string? Less conspicuous.
> 
> This should look really nice when the rotala (?) in the background fills out. That's a really nice looking crypt too, but it looks like the hairgrass is going to cover it up.


i don't dose ferts. i did try tying down the plants, but the push pins were much easier to work with. i keep the hairgrass trimmed away from the crypt when i have guest over, i cut some away after i took the pictures. 



James From Cali said:


> Oh and a 10g, I dont believe, is enough room for 2 Bristlenose Plecos let alone 1.


i know, i do have a 65 gallon that they can be moved into.



garuf said:


> no wonder at 6wpg! I'd start saving for pressurised co2.


i would fear the possibility of these plants growing any faster. hehe. if i ever have the money to buy a CO2 tank and parts, it would go into a calcium reactor for my reef tank. 



Gerald the Mouse said:


> I would like to do that, but I'm afraid it'll start a fire.:hihi:


yea, thats why i had to install the fan. the hood got WAY to hot within the first 6 hours i had it on. so i cut a hole and installed a computer fan. the fan adds noise (something i probably could fix if i needed to), but it keeps everything cooled.


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## ununknown (Mar 26, 2008)

hey this might be a nooby question but whats the name of that 'grassy' plant in the foreground? I want to get a "grass" plant but all the ones i find are all closely bunched together and real tiny.


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

I believe that's a mixture of microsword, dwarf hairgass, and pygmy chain sword? Many of these are sold bunched together in pots and you usually should separate them out and plant just a few stems together.


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## asimkhatri (Sep 17, 2007)

is there is any algae Problem ???


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## crimsontsavo (Feb 29, 2004)

Looking good man.


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## armagedon48 (Jun 13, 2007)

asimkhatri said:


> is there is any algae Problem ???


oh yea, if i didnt have my bristle nose pleco in there, this tank would be a mess. i also have green water problems, but 24 hours with a micron filter on the tank makes for crystal clear water by the next day. and usually the water remains clear until i recontaminate it from another tank. 

i have no algae growth on the leaves, assumed that the plecos are keeping the leaves clean. 

i beleive that i have what could be two male bn plecos so i will be moving the larger one into my 65 gal tank. lots of algae in there to eat.


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## armagedon48 (Jun 13, 2007)

here is an updated tank shot. tonight im going to mow that pennywort down, it grows so dang fast. most of the java ferns detached from the drift wood, but a few have taken hold and are growing nice now.


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## FrostyNYC (Nov 5, 2007)

Nice growth! 

One thing I'd do is move the moneywort behind the crypts to the rear of the tank. It's too tall and lanky-looking to be right in the front and its blocking the pretty pink rotala behind it. It looks like it's almost due for a trim anyhow.


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## Kolkri (Dec 9, 2006)

It looks great. I rarely do any kind of scaping I just throw stuff in and see how it turns out. lol 
Your looks very nice. Can't wait to see it when it fills in.


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## armagedon48 (Jun 13, 2007)

FrostyNYC said:


> Nice growth!
> 
> One thing I'd do is move the moneywort behind the crypts to the rear of the tank. It's too tall and lanky-looking to be right in the front and its blocking the pretty pink rotala behind it. It looks like it's almost due for a trim anyhow.


i do agree, but i am useing the rotala as a background. i do have a few stems of rotala towards the front. i trim the moneywort 2-3 stems at a time, so that there is always a few taller stems. i like it where it is, because the shrimp like to hang out on the leaves, making for an easy observation. several of those plants are due for a trimming, something ill do tomorrow. 

the greenwater is unreal, tank was clear this morning, tonight it has a cloudy look. tomorrow it will start getting a cloudy green look. ill have to run my hot magnum for a few days at a time next time and dose some excel during a water change while the water level is low. thats how i took care of it last time.


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## CobraGuppy (Sep 23, 2007)

what foreground plant do you have? It grows so fast.

Is it e. tennellus "narrow"?


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## armagedon48 (Jun 13, 2007)

CobraGuppy said:


> what foreground plant do you have? It grows so fast.
> 
> Is it e. tennellus "narrow"?


i have no idea actually. its a mixture of hair grass, micro sword, and another plant. the micro sword seems to be whats growing the fastest.


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## armagedon48 (Jun 13, 2007)

few updated pictures. 

i had my betta in the tank for awhile, but every day i would find dead shrimp. so i removed him and hope the deaths stop.


















her first batch of eggs, and first day.


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## aquaphish (Dec 20, 2002)

Nice looking aquarium!!!

Now the But's- You have several plants that will very quickly over take your 10 gal. The plant on the right front, forgot the name, is one. I think this plant is very nice, I had it in a 40 gal and once it really took hold I would need to trim too often. Also the crypt is very nice but will become very large and will look out of place where it is. The Java fern will also grow too large for the tank with in time.

Now the If's-If it was my scape, I would remove the plant on the right. Move the crypt in it's place. Place some low growing plant where the crypt is. I would use some Lobeliea Cardinalis. Also remove the Java Fern from the driftwood and find either a small rock or chunck of drift wood that is very low to the substrate and replant the jave fern on it. This will give it more verticle area to grow. Placement will be nice just in front of the right side of the driftwood. Then take some moss of your choice and place it on the drift wood. These are only my suggestion as to what I would do.

Last but very important!!! Get some ferts and start a dosing plan. When you do this your plants will be doing even better and they will start to consume the nutrients that the green water algae is thriving on. The ferts will give you a better balanced setup.

Your scape still looks nice.


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## A Hill (Jul 25, 2005)

Tank looks great!

And a comment about the "self made guru (it shows!)" The Greenwater is from too much light, and not enough co2 so the plants can't take in enough of the nutrients suspended in the Water Collumn, been there done that. Adding more ferts won't help him, adding co2 or cutting the Wattage down will...

That being said, I've never seen some plants grow better and fish as well in GW. Yeah its unsightly but good stuff!

-Andrew


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## armagedon48 (Jun 13, 2007)

aquaphish said:


> Nice looking aquarium!!!
> 
> Now the But's- You have several plants that will very quickly over take your 10 gal. The plant on the right front, forgot the name, is one. I think this plant is very nice, I had it in a 40 gal and once it really took hold I would need to trim too often. Also the crypt is very nice but will become very large and will look out of place where it is. The Java fern will also grow too large for the tank with in time.
> 
> ...


i know that plant as "pennywort". yes it does grow fast. after i trim it, it doesn't do much for a week, then suddenly over night it explodes. i will be removing it soon, i dont really like it. im not worried about the java fern, all i need to do is keep cutting the main stem (cant spell actual name) to keep the leaves smallish. so far this has worked. 
the same for the crypt, if it gets to big, ill mow it down and stunt the growth. it grows back fast enough. i think i would like to move it to the right side of the tank as you suggested. 

i wouldnt mind dosing ferts, but i would like to keep this tank simple. im not sure what i should use for test kits, without buying high dollar kits. 

as for moss, i had flame moss for awhile. hair algae took over and i had to toss it. i might try moss again in the future though. 

thanks for the advise, its given me lots to think about.


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