# Dropped's 32 Gallon



## EndlerGame (Oct 19, 2013)

Looks good, awesome rimless cube!

That new light is going to be doing a whole lot more for those plants. Just make sure to keep the photoperiod down to avoid algae problems.


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## Dropped (Oct 14, 2014)

Haha yea thats a good point, Its currently on from 10am till 9.30 pm, maybe ill go from 12.30 till 9.30 and see how that goes.

I really like the new light, it hits every part of the tank and the colour is way better! although i think i need some other colours to mix it up a bit.

Bump: As i have the new light i can finally plant my dwarf hair grass and try and get a carpet going




I have four of these guys, had them since they were under 1 CM and now they are about 3cm in size and growing, they are Red Whiptails


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## Dropped (Oct 14, 2014)

Pretty much destroyed my tank last night, found that some of my fish had white spot or Ich.

didnt want to use the treatment i had in this tank as it turns the silicone blue, so had to pull out my plants and driftwood to catch the infected fish...... gahh what a mess.

so will have a few hours tonight trying to put it back to how it was.


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## Dropped (Oct 14, 2014)

Just a bit of an update,

Fish: All fish recovered from white spot, i pulled the most infected fish out and put them in a quarantine tank and treated them with wunder tonic which seems to have worked pretty well. The main tank i turned the temp up to about 27.5-28 and no other fish managed to get sick.

New light: this light is great! some plants are doubling in size in just a few days im pretty much cutting them in half and just chucking half away, the java ferns all have new plants growing on the tips on their leaves and the anubias all have several new leafs and just in general everything is growing super fast! maybe even way to fast! haha.

Anyone got any tips to get rid of snails i have a bit of an our break!


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## Dropped (Oct 14, 2014)

a few pictures to show the amount of growth in the two weeks ive had the new light.

Im having to trim and replant the asian ambula every couple of days as its constantly hitting the water surface, even throwing some away.



Pretty sure my anubias have pretty much doubled in size


and the baby tears or what ever you want to call them are spreading like wild fire


New plants growing on old plants, the growth is just to good



Ive also decided to go down the HMF and the foam will be coming in the next few days, so that should hide pretty much all of the heaters and intakes for the filters.


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## AGUILAR3 (Jun 22, 2013)

WOW, tank is looking great. If only everybody had your problems lol


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## Dropped (Oct 14, 2014)

Thanks Aguilar3! 

i have other problems, you can see heaps of little snails which hitched a ride in on some plants! and my chainlink loaches all decided to jump out of the tank!

Also my filter is keeping the water clean but there is still little particulates in the water, which is why im going to go to a HMF.


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## AGUILAR3 (Jun 22, 2013)

I had a ton of hitch hiker snails in one of my tanks not to long ago. I was scooping out roughly 20+ snails per day. Fortunately for me, 2 of the hitch hikers turned out to be assassin snail babies. Once they grew to full size, they eliminated my snail problem.

As far as your particle issue. Add some quilt batting/filter floss/polyfil to your filter. It will polish up your water and make it crystal clear.


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## Hilde (May 19, 2008)

Dropped said:


> Anyone got any tips to get rid of snails i have a bit of an our break!


Here is a blog with some suggestions. 

After reading the blog I added a heater to my planted tank, put a few penny's in it, and put some slices of cucumbers in a plastic bag in the tank. Result was the snails stopped reproducing. I took those I found out.

What are you dosing your tank with to get such great growth? Injecting Co2?


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## Dropped (Oct 14, 2014)

No real tricks to get such good growth, just 10 mmls of API Leaf Zone at each water change (about once a week at the moment), and my Ebay LED light really.

This is the light i got
[Ebay Link Removed] .... gahh search NEW Version 4, 24" - 30" Aquarium 6500K LED Light Plant Fish Aquascaping on ebay and you will find it.

This is the fert, ive got no idea whats in it..... i just put it in haha
http://www.apifishcare.com/product.php?id=648#.VM54I2iUd8E 


Ive also installed a hamburg matten filter over the weekend, however its a bit large so im going to cut it down and make it smaller, photos may follow.


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## Dropped (Oct 14, 2014)

Not the best pic but this will show the growth over the last week, have also installed a HMF and moved the driftwood around to allow the filter to fit.... Will most likely make the HMF smaller soon.


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## Dropped (Oct 14, 2014)

Can any one let my know why my water is cloudy? I've tested the water and it's all ok. https://vimeo.com/118681228


Not sure what's going on?

Bump: have i F'ed up the cycle?


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## dru (Mar 9, 2013)

Sweet tank

What filter media are you using? If you aren't using Purigen I would give it a try


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## Dropped (Oct 14, 2014)

Well...

I was using a SUN SUN 1000L/ph canister filter with the standard ceramic media and filter pads,so you could cut that 1000L/Ph flow rate in half.

Then i installed the hamburg matten filter using the poret filter foam, it turns the tank over 2.5-3 times per hour, which im told is the recommended rate for the bacteria to grow in the hamburg matten filter.

I have also left my canister filter in place and running as it is cycled and the HMF has only just been installed.

With all of that aside, this tank is three months old and has never been clear that i remember...

I shall try this purigen you speak of..


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## Dropped (Oct 14, 2014)

After finding many dried fish on the floor, ive made this plexiglass top which cannot be seen easily from the front or side of the tank.










I have also trimmed my pearl weed and replanted it to continue on with the carpet im am trying to make, seems to be growing pretty fast.
When the pearl weed was first planted


Pearl weed today





















My partner decided she wanted some leopard danios, and as soon as we put them in they zoomed behind the HMF filter frame and the glass.. there was a 5mm gap which i was not able to close at the time of installing the filter, so we ended up pulling the HMF out of the tank and making a massive mess just to save this 2 dollar fish! But my misses is happy that the fish is alive so i guess that makes my life easier haha.


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## Dropped (Oct 14, 2014)

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## Dropped (Oct 14, 2014)

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## Dropped (Oct 14, 2014)

Pre trim after 1 week
































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Bump: Its time for a re-scape, im going to get rid off all the pearl weed and hair grass i think..... but not to sure which way it will end up going.. 


every thing is just kind of over grown at the moment


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## rick dale (Feb 26, 2014)

*tank*

Nice ! Love the wood.


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## Dropped (Oct 14, 2014)

Raised the drift wood up so i can see the phantoms. 


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## Dropped (Oct 14, 2014)

Ripped out all of the hair grass and the pearl weed


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## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)

Try tucking the wood like a cave in the substrate, then fill around the back with more substrate to make a sloping hill. Add pearlweed or DHG (any carpet plant, really) to top of hill: instant hobbit/fish hole. Awesomesauce. 

I'm jealous of your anubias and java ferns. Ironically, my hight tech tank just hates low maintenance plants. Or it's me. It's probably just me.

Great little tank, love the wood, but I _do_ think it would shine set in the substrate a bit. Would look more natural.


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## Dropped (Oct 14, 2014)

Built two of these stands, one for my planted tank in this thread and one for my new reef ill be starting soon. 

The tank in the picture is my new reef tank, ill be moving my planted tank onto this stand this weekend once i have a bit more time.


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## Dropped (Oct 14, 2014)

Re-scape time, setting up the new reef and installing the new corner filter in the planted tank. 













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## Dropped (Oct 14, 2014)

The planted tank is in the reef tank at the moment while i install the new corner filter supports. 


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## Dropped (Oct 14, 2014)

New stands all completed


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## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)

Wow, love the dual tank setup, especially that they're the same size. Most dual setups people have seem to be different sizes and I think it would bug the crap out of me to not have that symmetry. Gonna look sweet!


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## Dropped (Oct 14, 2014)

Thanks #Mitashade the second tank is going to be a reef tank, it will be my first so hopefully it will turn out ok.

And yip both tanks are the same, the FW just has a lid on it so its sits 8mm higher.


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## Dropped (Oct 14, 2014)

Forgot to mention that i have now installed my HMF corner filter again and properly this time with the bracing attached to the glass, so hopefully no more fish will get behind it.... 

Ive also pulled out all of the substrate in preparations of a full new scape coming soon. I quite like the no substrate look, but since pulling it out my rams have been very stressed.

Ive also added a new royal whip tail, pics to follow.


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## Dropped (Oct 14, 2014)




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## Dropped (Oct 14, 2014)

Over the last two weeks i have added some new whiptails and also made the tank bare bottom until my new substrates arrive. I noticed that all of the fish crap etc was staying on the bottom, i also read that my whip tails like flow. 

For these reasons i added a small power head to the bottom of the tank which has kept the whiptails happy and kept the fish crap off the bottom, and allowed it to be filtered. 

What i found was all of my algae ( stag horn and bba) is completely gone! 

It must not like the flow....


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## Dropped (Oct 14, 2014)




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## Dropped (Oct 14, 2014)

Super cloudy, the fish were stressing out not having any substrate. 

They are all getting full colours back now


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## Dropped (Oct 14, 2014)

All ready for my rescape this weekend, new substrate, driftwood and some new plants but still have to get a few more.


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## andrewss (Oct 17, 2012)

that planted DW piece is excellent!


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## Dropped (Oct 14, 2014)

andrewss said:


> that planted DW piece is excellent!


Yes, yes it was..... no plants on it now


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## Dropped (Oct 14, 2014)

New scape, still changing alot of things around


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## Dropped (Oct 14, 2014)

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## Dropped (Oct 14, 2014)

Scape still growing out, didn't put a lot of thought into where things went. 

This tank is super low maintenance now, water tests once a week and water top up if needed, water changes 3-4 weeks apart.


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## andrewss (Oct 17, 2012)

looks good!


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## Dropped (Oct 14, 2014)

Cheers mate,


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## Dropped (Oct 14, 2014)




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## Dropped (Oct 14, 2014)

Almost needs a trim


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## dru (Mar 9, 2013)

Looks very natural now but there is something about that bare bottom setup that just looks so cool! Too bad the fish didn't dig it


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## Freemananana (Jan 2, 2015)

The bare bottom look is different. It is cool for a little bit, but I don't dig it in the long run. I love the black sand look more. The tank looks good and you are getting some good growth, which means things are working! I like the choice of fish, they are different for sure!


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## Dropped (Oct 14, 2014)




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## AquaAurora (Jul 10, 2013)

Dropped said:


> Yes, yes it was..... no plants on it now


Sorry if I missed it but what did you do with the thicker arch/cave like driftwood piece you use to have?


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## Dropped (Oct 14, 2014)

I pulled it out, its sitting under my house, the problem was i never saw my fish, they used to hide behind it all the time.


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## How3y (Jun 11, 2015)

I loved the idea of burying the cave and growing ontop to make a little hobbit hole, still looking sweet now. Enjoying looking through people's builds to see how much imagination you guys have, some of the tanks iv came across are amazing, well done on your tank


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## Dropped (Oct 14, 2014)

Should i bring back the old scape??


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## How3y (Jun 11, 2015)

Nah man, your doing a good job the way it is now, I'm excited to see what comes next


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## AquaAurora (Jul 10, 2013)

I wish you lived closer, I want your old driftwood but not the shipping price it would take to get it here from over seas x.x


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## Dropped (Oct 14, 2014)

AquaAurora said:


> I wish you lived closer, I want your old driftwood but not the shipping price it would take to get it here from over seas x.x



Haha yea, i dont know what customs etc would say about that either.

So two months ago i sold my SAE as he was getting too big... i didn't think he did much but now i have a tone of BBA, more than i have ever had, so maybe he did his job...

Might be time for a tank tear down and rescape if i cannot get this BBA to bugger off.

Maybe ill go back to a full planted/dirt tank with a little bit of drift wood.


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## Dropped (Oct 14, 2014)

Also after building a reef tank i kind of want to put a sump on this tank as well, so much easier to look after.


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## Dropped (Oct 14, 2014)

Ok have now decided that im pulling this tank down.

Either going dirt or no plant cichlids setup..


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## Dropped (Oct 14, 2014)

Shot of both tanks









I picked up some new plants today ready for the new scape on the weekend, i pretty much planted them anywhere


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## andrewss (Oct 17, 2012)

very cool display with the planted and reef next to each other


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## Dropped (Oct 14, 2014)

Cheers @andrewss 

So turns out Excell melts my new crypts......


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## Dropped (Oct 14, 2014)

New scape, gone for something simple this time.


Once the crypts recover they will grow up the back corner and not look so strange.


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## Dropped (Oct 14, 2014)

its going to take a couple of weeks to recover i think..


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## Fishmonger859 (Jul 6, 2013)

Dropped said:


> So turns out Excell melts my new crypts......


I think it may be your new crypts melting your new crypts, every time I get some at least part of them melt back. 

Love the dual set-up, I was so inspired I saved a picture to help me dream up a twin set-up of my own. Your scapes have all been great too you could have run the driftwood cave next to the more branchy set up and it would have been equally impressive imo. 
keep us updated bud I wanna see more!


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## Dropped (Oct 14, 2014)

Forgot to mention, i went back to a dirt setup for this tank.


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## Dropped (Oct 14, 2014)

Glosso planted.


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## Dropped (Oct 14, 2014)

Update to the current plants in the tank

Cryptocoryne Balansae
Cryptocoryne Blassi
CRYPTOCORYNE UNDULATA
Glossostigima
Anubias Barteri
Anubias nana
Java Fern Narrow leaf


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## Dropped (Oct 14, 2014)

Fishmonger859 said:


> I think it may be your new crypts melting your new crypts, every time I get some at least part of them melt back.
> 
> Love the dual set-up, I was so inspired I saved a picture to help me dream up a twin set-up of my own. Your scapes have all been great too you could have run the driftwood cave next to the more branchy set up and it would have been equally impressive imo.
> keep us updated bud I wanna see more!


Yes it seems you are right, all my crypts melted.. and i was sad, but the are growing back quickly!

Thank you for the kind words, ive spent many, many hours working on these two tanks, my only regret was.... i didnt make them longer haha.


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## Dropped (Oct 14, 2014)

And the twins


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## Dropped (Oct 14, 2014)

Scored this today, hitech coming up!


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## Dropped (Oct 14, 2014)

Water is finally clearing up has taken a month since i put dirt back into the tank.

and to compare growth in the tank over the last few weeks


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## Dropped (Oct 14, 2014)




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## BoxxerBoyDrew (Oct 16, 2005)

AWESOME TANK!!!!

I LOVE Cube tanks, and you have had some awesome scapes in this one! Can't wait to see how this one grows out! You have some very cool fish too! Those Whiptails looked cool! Do Y'all get a lot of different species in your fish stores, or do you tell the owners what you are looking for and they order it from a shipping list? 

I'll be intrested in seeing the reef grow out too!!!

Take Care!
Drew


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## Dropped (Oct 14, 2014)




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## Dropped (Oct 14, 2014)

All fish sold, this tank is being pulled down.


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## Soxfandowd (Aug 1, 2014)

Dropped said:


> All fish sold, this tank is being pulled down.


You are so funny! I just read this entire thread and just when you got one done you tore it down and started again!! Maybe you should build tanks for others since you like it so much! lol


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## Dropped (Oct 14, 2014)

Yip and now its gone, trying to concentrate on marine


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