# 1ft cube non-co2 tank



## valice (Apr 19, 2007)

Just set up this tank, which is about 4 days old.
Please critique and comment.

Proposed fauna will be a school of _Axelrodia riesei_.


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## cody6766 (Mar 15, 2007)

very nice!


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## mrbman7 (Mar 22, 2007)

lookin good! Looks bigger than it really is roud:

The Axelrodia riesei will really have a nice contrast to the green plants and white sand


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## Solstice (Jan 9, 2006)

Gorgeous tank!


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## eklikewhoa (Aug 29, 2006)

Very promising!!! should look great when all the plants fill in!


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## sandiegoryu (Feb 15, 2006)

Awesome looking tank! Axelrodi would be great! Great plant selection, but is that not a sword? Wouldn't that become too big?


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## valice (Apr 19, 2007)

If you are referring to the plants in front, they are crypts. _C.undulata_ 'Red'. Not exactly a perfect choice. :icon_frow But hopefully in a low-tech tank, they remain small and dainty. Might consider changing it to _C.pygmaea_ if this bunch grows overly big for the scape..

Also at the left corner is two pots of _Vallisneria nanas_ or _V.natans_ depending on how you define them.


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## aquamoon (Jul 26, 2004)

Very nice:smile: What kind of lights are you running?


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## valice (Apr 19, 2007)

Currently running on a 18W PL light. Is that too high for a non-CO2 tank?


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## RESGuy (Jan 15, 2007)

It looks really nice! Congrats


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## sandiegoryu (Feb 15, 2006)

If you start getting problems then it wouldn't hurt to dose Excel. But I think 18w is low enough for a 12inch cube. I have an 8inch cube with 18w and it needs CO2/Excel to do well.


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## trace_lynn (Apr 15, 2003)

Beautiful tank. What type of filtration are you running?

Thanks!


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## guitardude9187 (Aug 22, 2006)

Solstice said:


> Gorgeous tank!



roud: .


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## valice (Apr 19, 2007)

sandiegoryu said:


> If you start getting problems then it wouldn't hurt to dose Excel. But I think 18w is low enough for a 12inch cube. I have an 8inch cube with 18w and it needs CO2/Excel to do well.


In that case will dose Excel once a week together with other fertilisation that I intend to do.



trace_lynn said:


> Beautiful tank. What type of filtration are you running?
> 
> Thanks!


Thanks. I am currently running a mini canister filter known as Eden 501. Not sure if the same product is available in the US.


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## sandiegoryu (Feb 15, 2006)

I bet its a product we call Zoomed 501. Same 501 so I bet it might be the same.

And once a week won't work with Excel. You need an initial dose and you can dose every other day. It gives instructions on the label.

Keep us updated! I'm curious as to how this tank will turn out.


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## valleyvampiress (Apr 25, 2005)

Absolutely beautiful cube you have there! I am very curious to see how it looks when it grows out. What kind of wood is that and where did you get it from?


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## valice (Apr 19, 2007)

Thanks for the compliment guys.
The initial planting of MU did not work out. Massive meltdown. Subsequently switched to MM which are supposed to be better. Again, some of them started to melt at the bottom and slowly upwards. All other plants are thriving in the tank without CO2.

Decided to trim again the melting ones and increase the foothold of the Rotala green.

Here's an update of how the tank looks now. Doesn't look much of a difference really. Since it is non-CO2, the growth is pretty much slower than my other CO2 tank. But I did dose some Excel every 2-3 days and KNO3, KH2PO4, ADA Green Gain and ECA. Not alot, just a pinch and a couple of drops twice a week so far.










Sorry for the messy background.

Here are the current occupants.

Taenicara candidi "Santarem" - male









Taenicara candidi "Santarem" - female









_Axelrodia riesei_ (Ruby tetra)









_Otocinclus affinis_











valleyvampiress said:


> Absolutely beautiful cube you have there! I am very curious to see how it looks when it grows out. What kind of wood is that and where did you get it from?


The wood is supposed to be ADA wood sold by the ADA distributor in Singapore. Not sure if they are available from ADG in the States.


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## MrJG (Feb 21, 2007)

Awesome tank so far as well as photographs! What is the floating plant in there?


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## FelixAvery (Jan 11, 2007)

Limnobium laevigatum ^^

nice tank and stunning photos!


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## valice (Apr 19, 2007)

Yupz Felix. It is _Limnobium laevigatum_ indeed.


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## sherry (Mar 4, 2004)

gorgeous I have a 20 inch cube crammed full of plants and I am about to do a rescape and a vast reduction. This is lovely. I am inspired.


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## valice (Apr 19, 2007)

Did a massive rescape of the old scape.
Hit by a bad explosion of BBA on all the hardscape and filter in/outlets.

Scape is still not complete. Need to add in some low-growing plants. Probably glosso or japanese hairgrass.


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## valice (Apr 19, 2007)

Rescaped again.


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## hughitt1 (Jun 19, 2006)

Absolutely beautiful.

Do you know how many gallons the tank is? How are the dwarf cichlids doing? Also, what kind of camera settings are you using to take the pictures? The pictures are very nice as well


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## cvarcher (Nov 19, 2002)

Is there a common name to the cichlids? Who sells those? also what is the brand light fixture that you have?


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## valice (Apr 19, 2007)

hughitt1 said:


> Absolutely beautiful.
> 
> Do you know how many gallons the tank is? How are the dwarf cichlids doing? Also, what kind of camera settings are you using to take the pictures? The pictures are very nice as well


Hmmm... Not sure about the gallons. But it is a 1ftx1ftx1ft tank. So about 7gals?
They are doing okay. But the male getting old. So body starting to curve a little.

Shot the fishes using a 20D with 100mm. The rescaped tank shot was shot with a 40D with a 17-55mm lens.



cvarcher said:


> Is there a common name to the cichlids? Who sells those? also what is the brand light fixture that you have?


Not sure about the common name. You can check on Apistogramma.com to see which US shop sells them. I got them from Taiwan.
The light fixture has no brand. It is a 11W light set I got from a LFS.


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