# micr0's 12 Gallon Long



## micr0 (Aug 27, 2011)

Hi all - Inspired by some of the amazing tanks on display in this forum, I have finally started my first high-tech rimless aquarium. I love my Fluval Edge, but it has many limitations...my new tank has allowed me to pursue the type of scape I have always admired from afar.

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Video 10/17/12:





*Specs:*
Mr. Aqua 12 gallon long rimless aquarium
30 lbs 50/50 Black Flourite, Black Flourite Sand
Eheim 2215 canister filter
Koralia nano powerhead x2
2x Archea 36 watt compact fluorescent clamp on lights
GLA Primo 10lb CO2 system with 55mm atomic diffuser.
Dry dosing EI daily plus a little excel

*Current Flora:*
Cryptocoryne nurii
Cryptocoryne affinis
Cryptocoryne hudoroi
Pogostemon helferi
Fissidens fontanus
Hyptis Lorentziana
Persicaria "Sao Paulo"
Staurogyne repens
Ludwigia sp.

*Current Fauna:*
Otocinclus
Ember tetras
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Original Post:

*Specs:*
Mr. Aqua 12 gallon long rimless aquarium
30 lbs 50/50 Black Flourite, Black Flourite Sand
Locally collected stone, wood
Zoo Med 501 canister filter
Koralia nano powerhead
2x Archea 36 watt compact fluorescent clamp on lights
Fluval Edge 25 watt heater
Fluval 88g CO2 system- To be replaced in a week or so with a GLA Primo 10lb system with 55mm atomic diffuser.
$10 Drop checker- To be replaced with a Cal Aqua Clip-n
Currently dosing Pfertz every other day- will DIY with these bottles once I run out.

*Flora:*
Hemianthus callitrichoides
Fissidens fontanus
Hydrocotyle sp 
Staurogyne repens

*Fauna:*
2x Amano shrimp
Still considering my options

And now for the pics:

11-1-11









11-2-11









11-6-11
swapped out bulky heater.









11-11-11









11-15-11
Decided to nix the red ludwigia. Also my fluval diffuser busted so here you can see my chopstick + powerhead temporary solution.









11-18-11









11-29-11
removed the rest of the taller stems. I wasn't necessarily going for a textbook Iwagumi, but I do want to keep things low for now.



























As always I appreciate any comments or questions. Thanks for looking!


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## mscichlid (Jul 14, 2008)

Beautiful and serene! Loving this tank. I've had hopes of getting one of these tanks. You've done a splendid job.

A mass of Chili rasboras would be a nice finishing touch.


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## plecostomouse (Jun 9, 2011)

looks sweet!
i like hydrotoctyle on the hill.
i think that the wood you are using as a tree could be thicker.


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## talontsiawd (Oct 19, 2008)

That looks really "serene", I don't know how to say it, just very peaceful. 

I agree that the tree could be thicker but I love the way it "flows". You don't even need to replace what you have, just add a "trunk" and when the moss fills in, it shouldn't really matter that you added a piece.

I think it would be cool if you added some stems with fine leaves and trimmed a few "bushes". You could add some color then without messing up the scale. I really like the colors in the earlier pictures but your layout feels more "real" now.


I do think it would look nicer if you leveled the substrate on the front glass. Other than that, I really like this tank. It's a different take on a few different styles.


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## sc91006 (Nov 8, 2011)

Man your HC is really taking off. Mines can't compare to yours. Can you tell me how you are fertilizing, how much CO2 and what is your lighting period? 

Just curious, isn't it a bit too close to the window? The 1st pic shows direct sunlight into the tank. 

I also agree with the others, it is really ZEN like. Keep up the excellent work.


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## freph (Apr 4, 2011)

Ditto to the HC comment. I wish mine would spread that fast.


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## micr0 (Aug 27, 2011)

Thanks everyone for the comments and suggestions.roud:

I totally agree about the wood, especially for structural reasons...the fissidens is getting heavier haha. The stauro is placed at the base so that the roots grow around and secure the branches. Finding the perfect piece of manzanita or something similar is definitely "on the list".

As for additional plants, I plan on it...just not sure what yet. I saw an incredible competition tank online a while back that had the look of an overgrown meadow - in a good way. I was going to aim for this direction but I'm open to some mid ground plants. I had 2 crowns of downoi early on that didn't make it...but this might be due to them arriving earlier than expected and being stuck in the low light edge for almost a week. 

Bahugo hooked me up with the HC which was emersed grown. I didn't have the patience for a dry start so I just went for it and it transitioned to submersed life without issue. A little algae here and there but the growth outpaces any damage. 

Fert/light cycle: Pfertz npk + m (4 bottles) dosed per directions (1 pump of each every other day, 2 pumps after weekly WC). Oh, and I also have some pfertz root tabs in there.

Light cycle is usually around 9-10 hours per day. I start CO2 30 min before the lights come on and run it at 1.5-2 bps. I turn it off at night. 

The window faces SW and only gets an hour or so of direct light in the afternoon that is dappled through the trees out my window. It doesn't seem to effect the tank. I had my Edge in the same spot for months without problems...in fact plants would pearl like crazy during that hour.

Thanks again for the suggestions!


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## driftwoods (Feb 2, 2011)

Tank looks great filling in real nice for you.


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## freph (Apr 4, 2011)

Hmm. Must be some magic going on in this tank....I never see my HC pearl anymore. Ah well.


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## fusiongt (Nov 7, 2011)

Looks great! I'll definitely be following this. I actually preferred the 11-6-11 because it looked like a pretty Japanese garden. It's pretty now with it all grown out but I think some red looks really nice in there like you had it. I have one of those archea lights and it actually looks really awesome side by side like you have it... something I'll definitely consider if I get a long tank like that!


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## micr0 (Aug 27, 2011)

fusiongt said:


> Looks great! I'll definitely be following this. I actually preferred the 11-6-11 because it looked like a pretty Japanese garden. It's pretty now with it all grown out but I think some red looks really nice in there like you had it. I have one of those archea lights and it actually looks really awesome side by side like you have it... something I'll definitely consider if I get a long tank like that!


Thanks. I liked the color, but I ended up feeling like the ludwigia was competing with the tree...and the aerial roots it kept growing were driving me crazy!


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## aXio (May 29, 2011)

Very nice


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## fusiongt (Nov 7, 2011)

Have you thought about what kind of fish you'll be adding? I mentioned how I thought the red looked good - maybe some kind of small red fish? =)


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## GitMoe (Aug 30, 2010)

3 weeks from a bare tank to an almost full carpet. Very impressive. I've never been able to get HC to grow that fast. Gorgeous tank. Very well executed.


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## frenchymasters (Nov 28, 2011)

this should look really nice when filled out!


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## micr0 (Aug 27, 2011)

I think one of my advantages with this aquarium is that I work from home (I'm an artist), so the tank gets a lot of attention. It's right next to my painting table and I can address any problems very quickly.



fusiongt said:


> Have you thought about what kind of fish you'll be adding? I mentioned how I thought the red looked good - maybe some kind of small red fish? =)


I do love Chili rasboras as suggested...but I already have a school of 11 in my other tank.:hihi:  They are just stunning in person. 

Right now I'm still deciding whether to make this a shrimp only tank or not. Either way I plan on including OEBT or nice CRS/CBS.

If I do add fish, I'm thinking of either celestial pearls, gertrudae rainbows (not sure if this is enough space for them), or maybe even gardeneri killifish. I also love hastatus cories. Can never go wrong with cardinals either. Opinions?


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## thebettashop (Sep 24, 2011)

Beautiful setup! how do you like the Mr Aqua tank?


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## zoragen (Nov 3, 2009)

Beautiful tank!


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## trixella (Jan 24, 2011)

Looks awesome! I just got this tank and can't wait to set it up... need to build a stand for it but the weather has been bad here so I can't do all the sanding and staining I need to do yet. 

I'd advise against putting killifish in it, they're _very_ good jumpers. I had mine in a covered 10 gallon tank with a divider in it, my betta in one half and my killifish in the other half. I had the water level about 2 inches below the top of the divider and there was only about 3/4 to 1 inch of space between the divider and the top of the tank and the male managed to jump over into the side with my betta. Thankfully I caught them before they killed each other. :icon_neut


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## Kworker (Oct 28, 2011)

looks great!


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## zenche (Feb 9, 2011)

really nice looking tank and scape. while i love cpd's, i dont think they'll add enough color? cards would be nice...but maybe neons instead? some of my cards around around 1.75", which seems to me like they'd be a little too big proportionally? maybe also consider Hyphessobrycon amapaensis tetras?


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## tr1umph.r2 (Nov 30, 2011)

Awesome tank, hey what kind of lighting is that if you don't mind me asking. I'm slowly putting together a Mr.aqua 12 wide. Got the tank and a Eheim 2213 so far, I'm probably gonna run a second 2213 to even out the flow since the tank is so wide.


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## micr0 (Aug 27, 2011)

Thank you all for the feedback and suggestions! Right now I'm eagerly awaiting the delivery of my GLA Primo CO2 system, which I'm hoping will give me the upper hand while I battle some hair algae in this tank. It flared up this week after I ran out of Fluval 88g cartridges. I stubbornly refused to buy more when I've got the real deal on the way, so in the meantime I had two spare cylinders from the small fluval kit lying around that I'm feeding into the powerhead. Levels have definitely fluctuated a lot and I've been physically removing the algae as it grows.



thebettashop said:


> Beautiful setup! how do you like the Mr Aqua tank?


I love it. I really couldn't be happier. At $80 delivered from Marine Depot, it seemed like the perfect choice for me. And the 36" length makes the tank seem much bigger than it actually is. Lots of scaping options.



trixella said:


> Looks awesome! I just got this tank and can't wait to set it up... need to build a stand for it but the weather has been bad here so I can't do all the sanding and staining I need to do yet.
> 
> I'd advise against putting killifish in it, they're _very_ good jumpers. I had mine in a covered 10 gallon tank with a divider in it, my betta in one half and my killifish in the other half. I had the water level about 2 inches below the top of the divider and there was only about 3/4 to 1 inch of space between the divider and the top of the tank and the male managed to jump over into the side with my betta. Thankfully I caught them before they killed each other. :icon_neut


Word on the killies. I completely forgot they're jumpers. 



zenche said:


> really nice looking tank and scape. while i love cpd's, i dont think they'll add enough color? cards would be nice...but maybe neons instead? some of my cards around around 1.75", which seems to me like they'd be a little too big proportionally? maybe also consider Hyphessobrycon amapaensis tetras?


I wasn't familiar with Hyphessobrycon amapaensis. Looks really nice! 

I'm hesitant to add livestock right now mainly because it makes leaving town more complicated. I already feel bad enough asking my roommate (who knows zero about aquariums) to feed my other tank, add water, fertilize, etc. I'm leaving next week and won't be back until January 9. The lights and co2 will be automated, but I'm already mentally preparing myself for what my tank will look like without anyone on algae/WC duty. It's all good though I'll whip it back into condition.


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## micr0 (Aug 27, 2011)

tr1umph.r2 said:


> Awesome tank, hey what kind of lighting is that if you don't mind me asking. I'm slowly putting together a Mr.aqua 12 wide. Got the tank and a Eheim 2213 so far, I'm probably gonna run a second 2213 to even out the flow since the tank is so wide.


I'm using two of these fixtures:
http://www.adana-usa.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=72_74&products_id=452


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## trixella (Jan 24, 2011)

micr0 said:


> I'm using two of these fixtures:
> http://www.adana-usa.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=72_74&products_id=452


Maybe someone else (maybe ask Hoppy) can chime in here but I think that 72 watts over a 12 gallon tank and so close to he substrate could be setting you up for a loosing battle with algae. It may be possible if you really crank up the co2 but it seems like the amount of co2 you would have to use would make uninhabitable for fauna and wasteful of co2.


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## micr0 (Aug 27, 2011)

When I was choosing my lights a while back I was directed to the intensity chart on the lighting forum, and these fixtures seemed to add up to be fine. Algae was minimal before my co2 levels became inconsistent, and even now it's not that bad. I'm only worried about how it will look after being away for 3 weeks...

Here's the tank tonight. I haven't cleaned it today.


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## Chunks (Jul 12, 2011)

That's a gorgeous tank


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## zenche (Feb 9, 2011)

72 watts over 12G's does seem very high. i know watts/g is very outdated, but still...over 5 watts/g seems like a bad idea? maybe only run both for shorter period while keeping one on for the entire duration of your photo period?


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## smracer31 (Sep 8, 2011)

looks like your getting a pretty good current out of that power head. Ill be interested in what livestock you chose. I just added my fish to my 12 gallon long tank yesterday and had to change the flow quite a bit as i had a similar setup, but was to strong for my fish and looked to be stressing them out. They all sort of just piled up at one end of the tank.


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## micr0 (Aug 27, 2011)

smracer31 said:


> looks like your getting a pretty good current out of that power head. Ill be interested in what livestock you chose. I just added my fish to my 12 gallon long tank yesterday and had to change the flow quite a bit as i had a similar setup, but was to strong for my fish and looked to be stressing them out. They all sort of just piled up at one end of the tank.


Right now I'm leaning toward shrimp only, and I'm trying to decide between CRS, CBS and OEBT. Ideally I'd get black tigers like those currently on the SnS, but they're a bit outta my price range...for now.

The powerhead is a Koralia nano. It's actually pretty gentle. I was even thinking about moving one size up.


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## tr1umph.r2 (Nov 30, 2011)

Your tank looks awesome, thanks for the lighting info.


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## micr0 (Aug 27, 2011)

Well I think it's about time for an update - 

I just got back from my 3 week trip away, and this tank was needing some love to say the least. I cleaned it up nice, and there are many new upgrades and additions here and on the way.

First and foremost, I received my GLA Primo CO2 system and I couldn't be happier with it. 

I also swapped the Zoo Med 501 for an Eheim 2211, and the in tank drop checker for a Cal Aqua clip-n.

I ended up ditching the tree for now, at least until I can find the perfect bonsai-style piece that will fit this tank. I ordered a nice branch from PC1 that I think will look great in the meantime.

Stock-wise, I picked up 11 CPDs and threw in some Brazilian pennywort and a dwarf lily for fun, and am awaiting 10 OEBTs. Also have some cool plants coming from fellow MA resident h4n (Elatine triandra, Rotala mini butterfly, and more Stauro repens).

The HC is super thick now, and it's mingling with the Hydrocotyles nicely. Starting to get the lush meadow-effect I've been after. I just ordered a couple more pairs of scissors, including double bend, because I think if the HC gets much thicker the bottom-most stems may die off soon.

So that's the state of this tank as of today. I will update again when I get everything being shipped. Here's a couple shots from this morning, the fish are still a little shy:


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## typically (Dec 29, 2006)

slick tanks! hopefully my HC fills out as quick as yours did


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## Elliot (Oct 3, 2010)

Still as beautiful as ever! :thumbsup:


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## talontsiawd (Oct 19, 2008)

Very nice. Again, I love the "tranquility" of your layout. The slopes, subtle hardscape, and a few choice colored plants really make this interesting but very calming at the same time. Can't wait to see it with the new tree.


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## manualfocus (Jun 15, 2011)

Looks great! I need to add more height to my setup!


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## ucantimagine (Jan 8, 2012)

Wow this is a great lesson in scale. Very elegant.


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## micr0 (Aug 27, 2011)

The tank has undergone a number of changes over the past couple months. 

It was with some reluctance that I decided to move on from the HC and the tranquil meadow concept:



















And go for a new forest floor look:


















Instead of a select few species, I wanted a more diverse range of plants. 

I'll always love the look of HC, but I very much enjoy my new foreground of Elatine triandra. This plant arrived almost DOA but bounced back from just a few tiny tips of melted stems. Definitely a healthy grower and very beautiful, like neon green stars.

Among other new plants I have a few cool crypts including groups of nurii (two sources that look very different from each other), hudoroi, and affinis. It's probably good this is a small tank because I can see how people get hooked on crypt collecting.

I bought the group of threadfin rainbows sort of as testers before buying some more expensive pseudomugil sp., but they've grown on me. They spawn frequently but I don't have the facilities to try and raise any fry.

I also put together a little video of the tank that shows some more perspective: http://youtu.be/DRn5UoC-As0 

Thanks for looking!:biggrin:


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## sayurasem (Jun 17, 2011)

I wonder what happened to the HC? you can make big bucks out of that HC lol. Nice new scape!

After looking many many 12 gallon long tank, I think your genius idea of 2x Archea light is the way to go for my 12G! I'm loving the clean look of the light fixture.

edit: man after looking at the price of the fixture at aqua forest aquarium... multiply that by two, I can buy 2 more 12 Gallon tank lol ._.
plus I just realize each fixture is 18 1/2" each fixture, and you never take full tank shot straight in front of tank 
Man selecting the perfect light for this tank is amazingly hard.


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## micr0 (Aug 27, 2011)

sayurasem said:


> I wonder what happened to the HC? you can make big bucks out of that HC lol. Nice new scape!
> 
> After looking many many 12 gallon long tank, I think your genius idea of 2x Archea light is the way to go for my 12G! I'm loving the clean look of the light fixture.
> 
> ...


Thanks! The double archaea is definitely not the cheapest solution for this tank, but it is the most elegant, and since my tank placement doesn't allow for a hanging fixture, it was the best choice for me. 

As for not taking frontal shots...I thought I had. If I haven't, it's not got anything to do with the lights, more just trying to feature the most interesting angles :biggrin:. The lights extend a tiny bit beyond the tank on both sides but it's still symmetrical. See below.

Things have filled in. I removed the L. aromatica on the right. Hoping to eventually have a nice backdrop of the Hydrocotyle verticillata mingling with the Ranunculus inundatus, with the various colorful crypts throughout.


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## sayurasem (Jun 17, 2011)

Man it does really looks nice when you have some type of hanging light/ clamp like archea lights. Because of the high surface area of this tank, I think bird view is one of the best angle to look at the tank perspective!

One question, do you have any problem with the spread of the light at all? I notice because it's a PC light, the right side of the tank doesn't get same intensity?


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## talontsiawd (Oct 19, 2008)

I love HC myself but I get sick of it in my own tanks. It's kind of the "go to" for lack of a better word. I really like the changes, though I am on the fence about the driftwood. It is sized right and it does look "right" but I kind of liked the lack of hardscape personally. Either way, I am jealous. 

I also agree your light setup is perfect, given your constraints. Makes me want to sell some prized belongings and get a new tank lol.


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## micr0 (Aug 27, 2011)

sayurasem said:


> One question, do you have any problem with the spread of the light at all? I notice because it's a PC light, the right side of the tank doesn't get same intensity?


There's a small margin (maybe 2") on the right end of each fixture for the bulb socket. However, I don't really notice a difference in spread at the distance I keep the lights over the tank (near maximum extension). That leggy downoi on the far right side was actually grown on the left side in the shade of the wood until I recently moved it, and it's perking up now.



talontsiawd said:


> I love HC myself but I get sick of it in my own tanks. It's kind of the "go to" for lack of a better word. I really like the changes, though I am on the fence about the driftwood. It is sized right and it does look "right" but I kind of liked the lack of hardscape personally. Either way, I am jealous.


Thanks man. The wood definitely has a strong presence... it's larger than what I originally envisioned, but I'm sticking with it for now. Would like to try some mini pellia or weeping moss on it before I inevitably change up the look again.

Tomorrow I'm leaving town for another 3 week period. I trained my roommate how to dose my dry ferts and how to do water changes...hoping this may be the first time my tanks aren't in dire condition when I get back roud:. Wish me luck.


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## Gotcha38 (Apr 13, 2010)

Did you keep the CPD's? I like both versions. Very nice.

Also, how do you like the Zoomed canister? Why choose it over a Ehiem or Fluval?


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## dasob85 (Feb 4, 2012)

I love both your scapes! gl with the roommate :fish:


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## micr0 (Aug 27, 2011)

Gotcha38 said:


> Did you keep the CPD's? I like both versions. Very nice.
> 
> Also, how do you like the Zoomed canister? Why choose it over a Ehiem or Fluval?


I removed the CPD's after a few jumped out...although this was before I added the wood, which I think has made the tank's inhabitants feel more secure. Haven't had any jumpers since.

As for the canister, I found the Zoomed way underpowered and replaced it long ago with an eheim 2211, which I then upgraded to a 2215.


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## _FC (Apr 28, 2012)

Such a sexy tank! Just pulled the trigger on one of these puppies!


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## sumer (Feb 6, 2010)

This is such a resplendent beauty!
What a tank man!
Amazing.


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## micr0 (Aug 27, 2011)

Some shots from the past couple months:

5-27-12


















6-29-12









7-1-12




































Crypt hudoroi









For a while I was keeping two distinct kinds of nurii. Not sure if one is considered "pahang mutated" as they were both purchased as simply nurii. This type is low growing, vividly patterned pinks, oranges and greens...quite nice.









Immersed spathe (unfortunately wasn't in town to see if this opened or not)









And this other type grew taller, had less patterning, and blood red stems. 









In june/july I had to leave the tank unattended without ferts/co2 for three weeks. I lowered the light cycle and when I came back there was surprisingly minimal damage aside from plants greening up and some ranunculus melting. I decided it was time to rescape anyway and gifted the elatine, hydrocotyle, blyxa, and ranunculus to make room for new stuff.

Crypt nurii and affinis









My favorite 









Downoi









7-25-12
Added Persicaria "Sao Paulo" and Hyptis lorentziana I received from crazydaz. They arrived with a bonus Ludwigia hybrid as well. The stems were just planted in this pic and hadn't adjusted to the light yet.


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## larcat (Jul 27, 2011)

Really beautiful.


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## if_fishes_were_wishes (Jul 29, 2007)

I love those lights! Gorgeous tank!!


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## sayurasem (Jun 17, 2011)

micr0 said:


> My favorite


May I know what crypt is this?


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## mayphly (Jul 20, 2010)

Your tank is very inspiring to me. Very tranquil. I was thinking about going with the same lights. Could you please tell me what the total height on your set up is (to the top of the lights?)

Thanks


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## micr0 (Aug 27, 2011)

sayurasem said:


> May I know what crypt is this?


That's the affinis. My nurii usually attracts more attention, but there's a subtle beauty to the affinis that is hard to capture in pics. Up close, in person, each leaf is like a ribbon of bright colors.

mayphly - I'd estimate the height of the tank + lights to be around 20"...but the lights are on telescopic arms so the height is somewhat adjustable. I'll try to take some accurate measurements today and get back to you.


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## micr0 (Aug 27, 2011)

mayphly said:


> Could you please tell me what the total height on your set up is (to the top of the lights?)












In addition to being extendable, the lights tilt on top and bottom, so there may be another inch or so of wiggle room beyond my measurements. Hope that helps.


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## mayphly (Jul 20, 2010)

Micr0,

Thanks! That helps tremendously. I have 161/4" height clearance where I want to place my 12g tank. I'll be using the same Archaea lights. At what height do you have your lights set at?


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## micr0 (Aug 27, 2011)

no prob man:thumbsup:

I keep them around the maximum height. This allows for lots of space for working on the tank and it's still plenty bright.


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## _FC (Apr 28, 2012)

Sexy tank! This was my inspiration to pick one up! really digging it!


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## inthepacific (Oct 21, 2012)

awesome tank! i need to get me one of these 12 gal long tanks


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

This is fantastic with crypts. 

Any updates?


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