# 100g & 10g



## Capsaicin_MFK (Nov 15, 2009)

*10g*

Coralife Power Compact (96watt) light - 8 hour photoperiod
Koralia nano (240 gph)
Pressurized co2 + glass diffuser
Aquasoil Amazonia I

*No background and no slope*


















*Sloped substrate + black background (Day 1)*


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## Capsaicin_MFK (Nov 15, 2009)

Updated.


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## mysticalnet (Dec 2, 2007)

wow.. just pure HC in the 10G? What about other plants? stones, wood?


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## Ben. (Mar 29, 2011)

That 10 is the beastlyest tank ever...


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## Capsaicin_MFK (Nov 15, 2009)

mysticalnet said:


> wow.. just pure HC in the 10G? What about other plants? stones, wood?


Yep, just HC. Trying to keep things simple.



Ben. said:


> That 10 is the beastlyest tank ever...


Thanks, but the beastly part is...


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## Capsaicin_MFK (Nov 15, 2009)

Now we are in business! Lucky me, bulk reef supply is only a 15 min drive away.


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## Capsaicin_MFK (Nov 15, 2009)

Sold the 55g setup to make room for my 100g rimless tank. Drew up a stand design that is basically Hydrophyte's design but no steel brackets and I added doors. Either going for a darker stain on the doors and black painted frame, or all black...I really like jcardona1's stand for his 190g tank, but with my uneven floors it is much easier to level something with 4 support legs.


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## sAroock (Oct 26, 2010)

Nice HC 10G. how long did it take for that to fill the a carpet?


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## Capsaicin_MFK (Nov 15, 2009)

sAroock said:


> Nice HC 10G. how long did it take for that to fill the a carpet?


Takes about 2 months. Weekly trims take about 15 minutes...I can't imagine having to do that on a large scale in an iwagumi setup.


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## Capsaicin_MFK (Nov 15, 2009)

Moved the 10g in preparation for the new 100g coming in. For some reason I get faster growth with the HC submersed...also, no heater in the tank either and the HC does just fine at 62°F










*5-5-11*


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## Deluxeman (Nov 15, 2010)

Why the 56k warning?
Im watching your post on my phone and everything showed up fast.
People are still using 56k modems?

Nice tanks!


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## Capsaicin_MFK (Nov 15, 2009)

Deluxeman said:


> Why the 56k warning?
> Im watching your post on my phone and everything showed up fast.
> People are still using 56k modems?
> 
> Nice tanks!


Yep, people still have dialup modems. I'd rather warn those who fall in the minority and boost the ego of those who download the pictures in milliseconds when they see the 56k warning as a challenge. :icon_mrgr


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## Deluxeman (Nov 15, 2010)

Capsaicin_MFK said:


> Yep, people still have dialup modems. I'd rather warn those who fall in the minority and boost the ego of those who download the pictures in milliseconds when they see the 56k warning as a challenge. :icon_mrgr


Lol, i was watching something on ted tv this afyernoon. I didnt made a coroletion but About 9 on 10 people on the planet dont even have a washing machine.
56k will be here for a little while i guess!


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## Capsaicin_MFK (Nov 15, 2009)

After giving away a bunch of HC to other planted tank people here in MN, I added some rocks to the 10g and decided to go back to an Iwagumi scape. Once it fills in I will have to decide whether to keep the black background or go with white...

Will add pics tomorrow.


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## Capsaicin_MFK (Nov 15, 2009)

Once the HC fills in it should look nice.


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## MikeP_123 (Aug 31, 2008)

oh cool your in MN too! Where abouts? I'm thinkin of putting up a 10 or 29 gal up in my dorm next year. If you have extra plants snippets then, I would feel obligated to take some off your hands!:hihi:

PS: The new rocks.... Rock!!!roud:


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## Capsaicin_MFK (Nov 15, 2009)

MikeP_123 said:


> oh cool your in MN too! Where abouts? I'm thinkin of putting up a 10 or 29 gal up in my dorm next year. If you have extra plants snippets then, I would feel obligated to take some off your hands!:hihi:
> 
> PS: The new rocks.... Rock!!!roud:


Mounds View. Probably won't have any "spare" HC for a few months. If you go bigger than a 10g get a 20 long. 29g tanks are too high. The rocks were purchased at a local landscaping supply.


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## F22 (Sep 21, 2008)

Sick carpet!

_-- Sent from my Palm Pre using Forums_


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## Capsaicin_MFK (Nov 15, 2009)

Sold the 55g to get new things for the 100g. The 10g is still emersed growing, but once I have the new tank setup it is getting filled. I won't be using the Eheim 2211, but instead a Koralia Nano (240 gph) for water movement/surface disturbance.

This is my new project :biggrin:


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## sayurasem (Jun 17, 2011)

whats the difference between emersed/submerged growing? is it faster? or just for the plants take better light?

can my java moss grow emersed with like 1 inch water?


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## lexbomb (May 23, 2011)

sayurasem said:


> whats the difference between emersed/submerged growing? is it faster? or just for the plants take better light?
> 
> can my java moss grow emersed with like 1 inch water?


Yes you could but I wouldn't bother with java moss just grow it completely submerged it's pretty hard to kill


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## Capsaicin_MFK (Nov 15, 2009)

7-2-11 update. Moved the 10g underneath the big tank, then filled it up and cranked the co2 to about 3 bps.


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## rickztahone (Jul 20, 2009)

What are your plans for the 100g? It looks great btw


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## Lil' Swimz$ (Jul 24, 2010)

Your tanks look great and your home looks very nice.


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## Capsaicin_MFK (Nov 15, 2009)

rickztahone said:


> What are your plans for the 100g? It looks great btw


Thanks. Not going to go with plants in the 100g for now, but once the wedding is paid off I can start saving for the Aquasoil and plants.



Lil' Swimz$ said:


> Your tanks look great and your home looks very nice.


Thank you!


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## Capsaicin_MFK (Nov 15, 2009)

Filled with water! Ordered the sand from SubstrateSource.com (NT104 was the stuff I got.)


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## Fuzz (Mar 13, 2011)

cool driftwood


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## Capsaicin_MFK (Nov 15, 2009)

Fuzz said:


> cool driftwood


Thanks! I pretty much had to buy it from PC1 since it was perfect for my tank.

On a side note, SubstrateSource no longer carries the Natural Tan sand that they sent me a sample of. Too bad, cause it is really nice stuff. 100 lbs of 3M Colorquartz (Light Beige) T-Grade will be just fine :hihi:

Got half of the sand, the driftwood/rocks and the fish in the tank. I will post pics when it clears up and I get the remaining 50 lbs of sand in the tank.


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## Capsaicin_MFK (Nov 15, 2009)




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## CamMTX (Jun 12, 2010)

What kind of lamps do you have hanging over top of that 10g?


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## Capsaicin_MFK (Nov 15, 2009)

CamMTX said:


> What kind of lamps do you have hanging over top of that 10g?


I originally had Hampton Bay desk lamps for the 10g, but then I switched to a Coralife Aqualight (96watt) fixture that I picked up for $30. Both lights I used are 6700k.


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## Capsaicin_MFK (Nov 15, 2009)

Lots of pictures incoming.


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## Capsaicin_MFK (Nov 15, 2009)




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## Capsaicin_MFK (Nov 15, 2009)

Update time! Pictures to come at about 3:30am when I get home from work.

*100g*: Flipped the manzanita upside-down to give the "tree root" look. After my wedding next week, I'll probably order about 20 riparium planters, drop the water level down 1/3 and really get down to business with the bog plants.

*10g*: Sold all the HC carpet...I love that plant, but I wanted to try Eleocharis belem instead. Dropped the Iwagumi scape down to 3 rocks instead of 5 and went more with the rule of thirds. Added Blyxa japonica for a background plant and speedie408 was kind enough to send me a stem of Tonina fluviatilis to try.


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## Capsaicin_MFK (Nov 15, 2009)

*8-20-2011*


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## Capsaicin_MFK (Nov 15, 2009)

Tore down the 10g because of some major algae issues associated with the bad AquaSoil. Put in new AS and replanted everything including some Tonina belem and Tonina manaus.

*October 1, 2011*


















*October 19, 2011*


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## Capsaicin_MFK (Nov 15, 2009)

*November 12, 2011*

100g: It looks really sad right now...no water, no sand, no fish. Still in the process of cleaning the 9 bags of Flourite Dark, but it will be planted soon. I also acquired riparium planters.

10g: Tonina fluviatilis is doing amazing! Started with 1 stem back in September and now I have 8 stems that are growing about 1" every week. T. manaus and T. belem are struggling and I will most likely end up discarding them. Even with 100% humidity and daily mists, their small thin leaves dry out. Oh well, it was an experiment anyways. Transferred the T. fluviatilis to a 2.5g with some Rotala macranda and Downoi.


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## green_valley (Sep 14, 2011)

WOW..................those are nice and huge pictures.


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## Capsaicin_MFK (Nov 15, 2009)

*12-28-2011*

*100g*: Tank had a major overhaul. Put in some AquaSoil then capped it with Flourite Dark (this stuff is awesome!). Got a bunch of Riparium stuff from Devin and I'm growing out some plants to give it a try. Aquatic section is lots and lots of Vallisneria americana "mini twister" that everyone should have.

*10g*: HC field on the way because I miss having it. Probably shrimp in the future.


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## tbarabash (May 18, 2011)

lol @ 96W PC lighting right above your topless 10g.

No wonder your HC grew so much faster than mine haha


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## Capsaicin_MFK (Nov 15, 2009)

tbarabash said:


> lol @ 96W PC lighting right above your topless 10g.
> 
> No wonder your HC grew so much faster than mine haha


Yeah, to keep up with the lighting I had to put as much co2 into the 10g as I did the 55g. Yeah, 9.6wpg is pretty high...makes me want to try some nice stem plants to see how compact they get.


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## Geniusdudekiran (Dec 6, 2010)

I think that's actually Tonina fluvialis.


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## green_valley (Sep 14, 2011)

You mentioned that you redid your nice HC carpet because of bad AS that caused algae? Hmmmmm.....I am curious what happened?


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## Capsaicin_MFK (Nov 15, 2009)

green_valley said:


> You mentioned that you redid your nice HC carpet because of bad AS that caused algae? Hmmmmm.....I am curious what happened?


The AS that I was using was breaking down quickly and was basically mud. HC carpet is in development right now.


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## Capsaicin_MFK (Nov 15, 2009)

Picked up some different light bulbs to test out my options. I got a TrueLumen Aqua Flora and an Aquatic Life 650nm Roseate. They both emit the same pinkish color and are rated at 6500k, but I definitely noticed the quality difference. The TrueLumen gives off a more intense light and is overall brighter. Just my observation...


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## Capsaicin_MFK (Nov 15, 2009)

The Vallisneria americana "mini twister" is really taking off and so are the swords. In order to catch all the roselines, I had to remove the plants and driftwood when I did my waterchange yesterday. This gave me time to re-scape the tank and it gave myself an idea of just how much I love vals.


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## Capsaicin_MFK (Nov 15, 2009)

Upgraded my light hanging system. Got the Sunlight Sunlift things and they are really nice. I was fortunate that my ceiling hooks were small enough to fit the "yo-yo" devices and my knowledge of tying secure knots allowed me to utilize the strings (thanks rock climbing!). These things are great for adjusting the height of the light fixture.


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## Capsaicin_MFK (Nov 15, 2009)

Tank looks sparse, but once it grows in and I get a foreground plant it will be solid.


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## Capsaicin_MFK (Nov 15, 2009)

6/15/2012...been a few months and a lot has changed. The 10g is now a bare-bottom tank with potted plants. Everything except the vals are growing in the 100g. I've added some new stuff (fish/plants) and started using FlorineAxis as an experiment.


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## Capsaicin_MFK (Nov 15, 2009)

August update: doesn't look too sparse anymore.


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## magnum (Jun 23, 2011)

Your swords are filling out nicely, still have plans for the riparium?


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## wetbizquit (Jul 9, 2006)

wow..........simply stunning, that driftwood makes the scape perfect.... any plans for carpet or forground soon?


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## sayurasem (Jun 17, 2011)

I love that man cave sign lol!


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## fishboy199413 (Jan 20, 2010)

Very nice tanks you have there. What fish do you have in the 100 gallon right now?


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## Capsaicin_MFK (Nov 15, 2009)

magnum said:


> Your swords are filling out nicely, still have plans for the riparium?


The riparium idea was nice for a while, but after trying it, my interest faded.



wetbizquit said:


> wow..........simply stunning, that driftwood makes the scape perfect.... any plans for carpet or forground soon?


 Thanks! I actually just attached a bunch of christmas moss to the driftwood today. The Echinodorus quadricostatus was meant to be the foreground, but it seems to be growing too tall in this tank.



sayurasem said:


> I love that man cave sign lol!


It really ties the room together. roud:



fishboy199413 said:


> Very nice tanks you have there. What fish do you have in the 100 gallon right now?


 Thank you. I currently have 4 small angelfish, 6 congo tetras, 16 cherry barbs, and 1 oto cat.


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## PinkRasbora (Jan 22, 2005)

So whats with the 10 gallon? growing plants to sell?


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## flowerfishs (May 6, 2009)

I just love the plant selection.


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## Capsaicin_MFK (Nov 15, 2009)

PinkRasbora said:


> So whats with the 10 gallon? growing plants to sell?


Growing plants to give away. It became a hassle to replant the stems in the pots, so I eventually laid down substrate and replanted everything. I am currently battling green water, but all the plants are healthy!



flowerfishs said:


> I just love the plant selection.


Thanks!


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## Capsaicin_MFK (Nov 15, 2009)

If anyone is interested, here is a current list of plants in both tanks. I never really see anyone with a scape with amazon swords because they are a pain to work around, but I am giving it a shot. Once I save up and get a nicer light fixture (i.e. something with more than 2 bulbs) I will probably try stem plants in the big tank.

*100g* 
Echinodorus bleheri
Echinodorus quadricostatus
Echinodorus sp. red flame
Aponogeton capuronii
Barclaya longifolia
Cryptocoryne wendtii "brown"
Cryptocoryne wendtii "green"
Cryptocoryne sp. tropica
Nymphaea zenkeri "red"
Christmas moss on driftwood

*10g*
Rotala macranda (original, kind of hard to find I guess)
Staurogyne repens
Vallisneria americana "mini twister"
Herteranthera zosterifolia
Christmas moss
Subwassertang


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## tylergvolk (Jun 17, 2012)

Hey what's up man? I'm from Minnesota as well and I was wondering where bouts do you shop for your equipment and materials?

I love what you did with that 10g HC carpet. I'm currently trying to do the same things in a biocube. Do you have any pointers for me?


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## BoxxerBoyDrew (Oct 16, 2005)

AWESOME TANKS!!!

I LOVE the way you have the driftwood turned in the tank now!!! I REALLY want to do the same in my 55g, but with little front to back depth it just doesn't look right! 

By the way what are the dimensions of the 100g? Very COOL looking tank!
Drew


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## Capsaicin_MFK (Nov 15, 2009)

tylergvolk said:


> Hey what's up man? I'm from Minnesota as well and I was wondering where bouts do you shop for your equipment and materials?
> 
> I love what you did with that 10g HC carpet. I'm currently trying to do the same things in a biocube. Do you have any pointers for me?


I shop where the prices suite me, which is usually an online source. If you need anything specific, it doesn't hurt to research before buying.



BoxxerBoyDrew said:


> AWESOME TANKS!!!
> 
> I LOVE the way you have the driftwood turned in the tank now!!! I REALLY want to do the same in my 55g, but with little front to back depth it just doesn't look right!
> 
> ...


 Thanks! The tank is 48"L x 24"W x 20"H


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## Capsaicin_MFK (Nov 15, 2009)

September update: 100g rescaped and nuked any BGA on driftwood with H2O2. The 10g is now in DSM with S. repens and HC.


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## Capsaicin_MFK (Nov 15, 2009)

October update: I killed 95% of my moss trying to treat BBA with Excel, but it is growing back. I also trimmed most of the sword leaves away to allow the E. tenellus to spread without being shaded. I got Giesemann bulbs for the light fixture and they put out way more intense light than what I was previously using (plants are pearling).

*Tank before major trim with old bulbs*









*Tank after trim with Giesemann bulbs*









*Photobombed side shot*









*E. tenellus in front*


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## Capsaicin_MFK (Nov 15, 2009)

I am preparing the 10g to be a field of Staurogyne repens just as I did with HC before.

*10g half HC/half S. repens*


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## Capsaicin_MFK (Nov 15, 2009)

I removed the driftwood to start the 100 gallon tank on the path of going Dutch.


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## Capsaicin_MFK (Nov 15, 2009)

The 10 gallon was used to create a writeup on how to properly do the dry start method.


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## Politikz_Amore (Sep 24, 2012)

Tanks are looking good man. Let me know If you need a few plants to fill in the dutch style. I've been letting my 75g overgrow some.

Can't wait to see your 10g at the tropical fish show this spring when it's really lush and beautiful.


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## tylergvolk (Jun 17, 2012)

Where is the write up?


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## Neatfish (Jun 22, 2012)

Pretty nice man cave.


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## Capsaicin_MFK (Nov 15, 2009)

Politikz_Amore said:


> Tanks are looking good man. Let me know If you need a few plants to fill in the dutch style. I've been letting my 75g overgrow some.
> 
> Can't wait to see your 10g at the tropical fish show this spring when it's really lush and beautiful.


Thanks, I will definitely be bugging you for plants once I have enough stems to trade.



tylergvolk said:


> Where is the write up?


MinnFish and Reddit.



Neatfish said:


> Pretty nice man cave.


Thanks! I should take a panoramic picture of the whole room.


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## Green_Flash (Apr 15, 2012)

i did like the grassy look, the carpet will be just as nice I am sure.


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## tylergvolk (Jun 17, 2012)

I like the write up. Simple to follow and easy to understand.


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## bbrackeen (Oct 22, 2012)

I like the idea of the sidecar 10G tank. I'm thinking of doing the same for a quarantine tank. When its not in use as a hospital or for holding, use it to grow out for the main display.


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## crazydaz (Mar 18, 2007)

Actually, I completely agree with the above comment. I wish I had the foresight to get a small grow out tank....I could use some Staurogyne repens right now!!

Coming along nicely, Cap MFK!! Love the wood!!


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## Capsaicin_MFK (Nov 15, 2009)

Green_Flash said:


> i did like the grassy look, the carpet will be just as nice I am sure.


For some reason, my E. tenellus won't grow any lower than about 9" which is bizzare. The guy who gave me the chain swords to begin with had them in a 4 ft. tall tank lit by a few MH bulbs and his were only 2" tall at most. The S. repens will be a nice carpet eventually.



bbrackeen said:


> I like the idea of the sidecar 10G tank. I'm thinking of doing the same for a quarantine tank. When its not in use as a hospital or for holding, use it to grow out for the main display.


I have a 20H as an emergency tank in my basement that I use for treating sick fish. Yes, having a growout tank has helped me quite a bit. I started with 4 stems of S. repens and now I have about 50.



crazydaz said:


> Actually, I completely agree with the above comment. I wish I had the foresight to get a small grow out tank....I could use some Staurogyne repens right now!!
> 
> Coming along nicely, Cap MFK!! Love the wood!!


Driftwood is currently sitting on my kitchen table. I sprayed it with bleach water, then soaked it in the bathtub and scrubbed off any BBA. I haven't decided, but I might sell it.


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