# Resun 3.6g nano



## hyphination (Sep 25, 2008)

This setup has been going for only 5 days now. I havent been able to check the pH and all that other good stuff because i forgot to get a kit. woops:icon_roll.This is my first real planted tank so I hope all goes well.:thumbsup:

*Tank*: 12x9x7 (3.6 gal)
*Filtration*: Zoomed 501 Canister filter
*Substrate*: Aqua Soil Amazonia 2
*Light*: Archea mini aqua light (27W) on for 6hrs a day as well as the co2
*Plants*: Java Moss, Elocharis Parvulus, Anubias, and Glossostigma 
*Rocks*:Ryuoh Stone


*CO2 setup*:I just recently added a CO2 system for the first time

Red Sea Regulator w/need valve
My bubble counter is starting at 1 BPS
dazs reactor
20oz paintball CO2 tank
now for the *questions*:
-Is a bubble counter going to take up too much space in such a small tank,
if not which ones do u recommend?

-Some of my plants are a little brown (i dont think its algae) what can i do to make them healthier? ( i didnt have the co2 system setup when they started to turn that color so idk if low co2 was the issue)



And now for the pics: 













































I think i might rescape this weekend to see if i can get better placement of the rocks.

Thanks for looking and any advice or critiques is greatly appreciated!!


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## confuted (Jan 31, 2007)

Are you fertilizing?


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## ddtran46 (Jul 8, 2008)

i want those lights!!! i think they are around 60 bucks at my lfs


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## hyphination (Sep 25, 2008)

confuted said:


> Are you fertilizing?


no, my tanks been only running for 5 days. I thought your not suppose to start fertilizing until one month after setup?


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## fish_fasinated (Mar 30, 2006)

the plant in the middle looks like an anubias nana. not petite though just a reulagr nana.

the tank looks quite nice, is this a first tank?


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## Down_Shift (Sep 20, 2008)

Whoaaa nice tank. Is that an hanging light?!?! for a small tank? that's awesome!!

And where did you get that tank? It looks really good. What brand is it? I'm trying to find a nice looking 2nd nano!!


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## Down_Shift (Sep 20, 2008)

Oh and is the zoomed filter the one they list as a "turtle filter"?


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## hyphination (Sep 25, 2008)

yeah this is my first tank

the tank i got a year ago from my lfs for a christmas present for my dad he never hooked it up so now im using it lol
not sure what brand it is but it came with a 7W resun light

and yeah its the turtle filter

Should the lettering on the dazs reactor be peeling is this common??


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## Ugly Genius (Sep 27, 2003)

This is a great first tank! You've got great instincts.


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## hyphination (Sep 25, 2008)

thanks I saw a tv show showcasing this new lfs called "aquascapes". As soon as I saw those beautiful planted ADA tanks i knew i had to have one. So im starting on this small one to get my plant keeping skills down before i go for my ultimate ada tank.


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

I like it


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## hyphination (Sep 25, 2008)

Rescaped my tank yesterday
i decided to make it a shrimp tank so i wanted to make a grassy field for them to frolic dont be afraid to give me your opinion


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## Ugly Genius (Sep 27, 2003)

This is even better. Very nice!

I'd pick up some Glosso as a carpet. It'll spread much quicker than Java Moss and it'll look awesome with your hardscape and plant choices. The Java Moss probably won't carpet the way you want. It's very slow growing and tends to do what it wants rather than what you want. Meaning, it might not carpet tight and flat across the substrate; you'd need flat rocks and/or mesh to have it do that.


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## hyphination (Sep 25, 2008)

thanks for the advice i really like the look of glosso so maybe ill change it out 
will glosso float to the top of the tank if not trimmed?

and What should i do with the java moss??


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## hyphination (Sep 25, 2008)

oh and I finally picked up a test kit so here are my parameters:
(test are done with the Teratest test kit)

pH-7.0
GH & KH- 4 degrees or 71ppm i think this might be too soft? I will do a test tomorrow to see if i get the same results
CO2- so i guess my co2 is at 12ppm
NO2- <0.3 mg/l
Ammonia- 1.5 mg/l (i think this was because when i did my rescape i stired up all the AS which made the water cloudy for a day) did a water change last night so ill measure it again today

does my parameters sound right other than the ones i stated?

do you guys think that a drop checker will take up too much room?

Some of the stems of the Elocharis Parvulus are turning yellow and some dying can someone tell me whats wrong?the tips though are really green and growing super fast!!


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## Karackle (Dec 11, 2007)

Wow, this is a really really great first tank! You truly do have fantastic instincts! 

I really like that little tank too! Very cool


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## ZooTycoonMaster (Jan 2, 2008)

I accidentally posted on your other journal, so I'll just copy and paste my answer here:hihi:

Looks great so farroud:

Start off with ~10 or so shrimp, that way you'll have an even mix of males and females. The basic rule of stocking shrimp is 10 per gallon, but you can go a little but more than that if you have good filtration (which it looks like you do).

Nope, the readings sound perfectly ok. Cycle the tank for a couple more weeks until you have 0 ammonia and 0 nitrate and less than 20 nitrate (10 or less would be better), since CRS are very sensitive to them). Your water isn't too soft, CRS appreciate soft water. Don't bother messing with it.

Get a drop checker - the CO2 charts with pH and hardness aren't accurate all the time. A drop checker will accurately measure if you have too much, too little, or just enough CO2 in your tank (blue is too much, yellow is too little, and green is perfect). You can buy some from Orlando here.

You can't place the bubble counter outside the tank? I'd to that if I were you, to save space inside. I don't imagine it would take up too much space inside.

That mystery plant in the middle looks like some kind of Anubias. I'm not sure which one (maybe Nana or Baterei?), but you can figure it out







.

The Hairgrass problem sound like a Potassium deficiency. Here's a list of plant deficiencies: http://fishlesscycling.com/forum/index.php?topic=2055.0 (scroll down for Potassium).

The brown parts on the moss, IME, is that its not getting enough light, but it appears that it is. I think it may be that the moss may not be doing well, which is strange since moss is the hardiest of all plants:hihi: Although the moss seems to be a but thicker than Java Moss

YES!!!! 1000th post, wanted to make it my most informative


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## Ugly Genius (Sep 27, 2003)

hyphination said:


> thanks for the advice i really like the look of glosso so maybe ill change it out
> will glosso float to the top of the tank if not trimmed?
> 
> and What should i do with the java moss??


HC's the one that floats to the top if left untrimmed. The lower portions, lacking light, die and send the tops floating to the surface.
Glosso, however, tends to stay tight to the substrate and grows up in layers. It still needs trimming lest the bottoms die, but it's not nearly as bad as HC.

I'm not even going to give you advice as to what to do with the moss. Seriously, you have a very good eye for this and I'd like to see what you come up with on your own.
I will say this: moss grows better, prettier, and faster when tied to a rock, wood, or something hard.


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## hyphination (Sep 25, 2008)

thanks for the comments peeps :icon_smil

I took out the carbon bag because i found out it leaches some nutirents out of the water so maybe thats why my ammonia is a little high.I put the bag back in for now. Im thinking about purchasing Seachems Purigen to replace the carbon media. I know seachem sells "The Bag" to put the filter media in but i think this might be too large for my small filter is their any one who sells smaller bags?

and for the drop checker should i get the cal aqua dual or the one with the single bulb?I heard the dual is smaller than the single?

i think the moss is brown because they werent getting enough light due to the fact that my light height was extended to the fullest 

beside adding some glosso i think i might add some Rotala Goias i really like the red hue
ohh and do you think its too late to add some HC?


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## hyphination (Sep 25, 2008)

looks like the light height was the problem, today most of the moss turned back to a full green color. i also think that they werent getting enough light because my elocharis is hanging over them

oh and after i came home from work today I noticed tiny bubbles in my java moss, i think i got some pearling going on wooohooo!!

well im planning on pick up some rocks for the left side of the tank tomorrow
we'll see what i can find, im so excited!!!! lol :bounce:


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## ashepler (Sep 19, 2008)

> A drop checker will accurately measure if you have too much, too little, or just enough CO2 in your tank (blue is too much, yellow is too little, and green is perfect).


just a minor correction to avoid confusion, blue=too little, green=just right, yellow=too much

btw, great first tank!!


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## hyphination (Sep 25, 2008)

picked up some rotala indica, glosso and another piece of ryuoh stone but not really feeling the new rock though too pointy

















will start planting my glosso when i get my tools from GLA should be here any day now








ohh and i picked up some ghost shrimp to take care of my hair algae


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

Those stone sure are beautiful. Though, I dont think ghost shrimp eat algae


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## Ugly Genius (Sep 27, 2003)

They might not be Ghost Shrimp. One (upper) looks a bit like a Green Shrimp, and the other (lower) looks a tad like a Tiger.
When you get a chance, try taking another picture so we can say for certain.

If you get impatient, it is possible to plant Glosso without tools. I use chopsticks. It's not that hard once you get used to it.


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## midnightk (Sep 24, 2008)

where can u find glosso in hi? lmk! im liking the rescape =) looks much more homey for occupants and yea the ghost shrimp might be others =) i got a pregnant bamboo out of a recent pickup of 20 ghost for feed.


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## hyphination (Sep 25, 2008)

maybe they might not be ghost shrimp, they were a little blue when i first got them...:icon_roll ill try to take pictures later, itll prob come out fuzzy bcuz my dc kinda sucks 

ive planted my other plants using chopsticks but i think itll be too hard for me since the glosso is soo tiny

i got my glosso from aquascapes


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## hyphination (Sep 25, 2008)

just finish doing *another* rescape of my tank. ill think ill keep this one thou
ill get some pics up tomorrow gotta charge the dc 

the rocks got a little muddy during the rescape can i brush it with a new toothbrush. is that safe?


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## waterfaller1 (Jul 5, 2006)

This is going to be a very nice tank! What kind of shrimp will you be keeping, any besides these?


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## hyphination (Sep 25, 2008)

im really digging the look of CRS and RCS and ill probably sell or give away the ones i have now once i get all my plant growing skills down

also Ive been thinking about adding some fertilizers? not sure whether to go with dry, flourish or pfertz etc? i do like the simplicity of pfertz bottles, it does seem a little pricey though.kind of a noob with these things so if anyone can help me out that would be great. also if i could get some advice on how to dose for nano tank


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## trigun808 (May 18, 2008)

lol atm im using excel and dry fertz for my 4g nano, and im shooting pressurized co2 in it as well at like 4bps, i might be willing to part with some of my fertz. lmk on forumshawaii or this one. i got the same sn


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## hyphination (Sep 25, 2008)

Rescaped my tank on tuesday i think i might keep this layout :icon_roll
i trimmed the giant hairgrass and the java moss 
oh and I finally planted the glosso after i got my tools
the bottom and middle of the bunched glosso pretty much melted from being in the shade of the higher leaves but i still managed to get a couple of strands and their doing pretty well. I hope it carpets nicely and doesnt just grow straight up. ohh and i also replaced the carbon media with purigen in my canister filter the water looks super clear now.








new GLA DC and side tank shot








and new aquascaping tools from GLA


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## Ugly Genius (Sep 27, 2003)

Looks good!

The rocks might get lost in the Glosso carpet as they're a tad short, but the slope should help keep the right rock visible. (With 28W, your Glosso will carpet. No worries there.)

I really liked your last layout. This one's great, don't get me wrong, but that other one from page one was perfect.

In any event, keep it up. You're doing great.


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## hyphination (Sep 25, 2008)

Thanks UG!!

Yeah Im having layout issues, im still trying to get the whole art form down.
The bigger rock I wasnt really feeling so I smashed it into smaller pieces and took the best looking ones and put them inside, but what i didnt do was think about how the glosso would grow in!! (big mistake :eek5: )
maybe a whole lotta rescapes and more planted tanks will lead me to the light


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## midnightk (Sep 24, 2008)

nice your styles changing hehe. itll looks even better once everything fills in . give it time! by the way hyph wheres aquascapes? heard its a new shop near aiea . they carry all ada equip ???


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## hyphination (Sep 25, 2008)

thanks midnightk we'll see how it goes
even with CO2 im kind of impatient. Every time I walk by the tank I want to do something to improve it lol 

Aquascapes is in Aiea Town Center.Do you know where Youngs Kalbi is?? Its right in that shopping center. And they do carry ADA stuff!!! The owner's ada display tanks and other tanks on the net is what got me into this hobby. I definitely recommend that you stop by and check it out! oh and they have really great service too!


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## coldfusionpower (Dec 24, 2007)

cool ! i like the new scape ..


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## hyphination (Sep 25, 2008)

thanks coldfusion, im sad to hear that your tearing down ur tank i was really digging your rock arrangement


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## hyphination (Sep 25, 2008)

my glosso its going up, up and awayyyyy
i have my 27W light on for 6 hrs a day but im not dosing any ferts could this be the problem?
I cut it into individual plantlets and shoved it into the substrate until only the leaves were showing. so maybe its just the lack of nutirents?
should i cut the bottom and replant the tops?


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## ktsgolfer (Jul 1, 2008)

mines are doing that too! lol i am experimenting to see if shoving them deeper into the substrate will help. its too early for me to tell. my current setup is a 5.5g with 4x13w pc with pressurized co2, no ferts. Ill let you know how that works out for me lol.


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## thief (Jan 12, 2008)

Hmm thats weird the glosso in my Mini M is doing fine staying nice and flat. Perhaps you there not enough light and it's causing the glosso to grow closer to your light. 

Also the lighting hours do seem a little short. But since I'm still a noob I wouldn't take my advice for granted.


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## Ugly Genius (Sep 27, 2003)

I agree with thief. It's probably the lights. I think you've probably got the fixture too far extended above the surface of the water and your duration's too short. Basically, get the bulb to as close to the water's surface as you can.

It's not the lack of ferts. Aqua Soil's got you covered there.


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## hyphination (Sep 25, 2008)

alright ill try to adjust my light closer to my tank as far as the lighting hours how long should I leave it on since 6 hrs is too short?


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## roybot73 (Dec 15, 2007)

hyphination said:


> alright ill try to adjust my light closer to my tank as far as the lighting hours how long should I leave it on since 6 hrs is too short?


8 hours should do the trick. More CO2 would probably help too.


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## hyphination (Sep 25, 2008)

alright i have my lights set to go on for 8 hrs 
my CO2 is on 24/7 since i dont have a solenoid yet but i think its better, tiny bubbles are flying everywhere within the tank but when i turn it off, the water leaks into the diffuser and when i turn it back on only bigger bubbles are produced


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## hyphination (Sep 25, 2008)

Well i rescaped my tank again on Tuesday, wasnt really feeling the last layout after a couple of days. . .
this one should hold me down and i promise ill let this one grow out
i picked up more tools from GLA and some ada ferts 








FTS








not too sure where to put the java moss. might just get rid of of it altogether:icon_roll
only a single horizontal runner the rest are growing on top of each other, weird :confused1: maybe ill try to increase lighting to 9hrs








indica pearling








my anubias and rock pearling lol








berried ghost shrimp


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## hyphination (Sep 25, 2008)

Alright guys this monday i was bored so i went down to my LFS and bought more plants. i couldnt resist!! i got some crypts and i traded out my big size anubias for some petite nana. i think it looks alot better. it looked so empty before. anyways GOOD NEWS!! my glosso is finally starting to carpet!! the vertical growth was probably due to my short 6 hr photoperiod and possibly because of the lack of fertz. 

ive noticed a couple of problems i having with my new plants. 
some of the leaves on my petite nana have a burnt look to them? is this because of a nutirent deficieny? 








also a couple of the leaves on my crypts have developed tiny holes in them? is this also a nutirent deficieny?









and now for the rest of the pics:

Left Side









Right Side









Angle Shot









Front shot









I hope you guys like what i did to my tank!! lmk what you think

my eleocharis doesnt look like its doing to good. i might swap it out for something else maybe some blyxa.
oh and I came home the other day and was gazing at my tank for a while and saw two tiny bubbles in my shrimp. is this bad for them and how do i get them out?


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## waterfaller1 (Jul 5, 2006)

It looks great! Are you sure the 'bubbles' in your shrimp are not saddles?


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## Ugly Genius (Sep 27, 2003)

Hyphination, not that I'm in any way qualified to say this, but I see tremendous potential in you. It's scary. The placement of your new plants is right on. For this being your first tank -- man, incredible.

The burnt leaves and holes are probably a nutrient deficiency (K, Fe, or a buried rhizome), but I would not worry about it. They got that deficiency not from your tank, but the store's and/or grower's. A week's not enough time for that to happen, I don't think. Just give them time to settle and they should be fine. The Aqua Soil you have should be more than enough nutrient-wise for all of the plants you have in there.
I go about three weeks in a new tank before I dose anything but K. Then, if I have Aqua Soil, I only dose micros after about three weeks.

Keep up the good work!


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## Karackle (Dec 11, 2007)

wow, your tank is looking incredible! I love the dense planting of the crypts and anubias! Looks great. I'm not sure about the Anubias, but a lot of times Crypts will melt off many of their leaves while acclimating to a new tank and then they will shoot out new leaves in no time. So it could be that or a nutrient deficiency like UG said. Just make sure the crypts' rhizome isn't very far under the substrate and you should be all set, like he said, if it is nutrient deficiency it most likely didn't come from your tank and they should come around with the TLC it's clear you are giving your tank! 

good work, can't wait to see how this tank progresses! :thumbsup:


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## hyphination (Sep 25, 2008)

thanks *waterfaller1,* im pretty positive that they are bubbles and not saddles. ill try to take some pictures later tonight. my camera isnt that good though but ill try!!

thanks *UG*, i really get inspired by tanks like yours. it motivates me to want to try to imitate such a natural and lush looking environment. and im learning by soaking up info from the awsome journals on this forum

thanks *Karackle *, those crypts caught my eye and i just had to have them. i think they made a pretty good mid-ground plant :thumbsup: .
the petite nana looked so compact and cool i couldnt pass it up. plus i thought it would look better and fit better in my nano rather than the bigger anubias i had earlier.

i hope the crypts dont melt on me that would cause a big mess. could the burnt looking leaves on my petite nana be caused by too much expose to light? because it isnt being overshadowed by anything . i am dosing brighty k and green brighty step 1, half pump each before the lights come on daily. should i be add anything else to the water column?


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

I like it!  The crypts and anubias look great


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## hyphination (Sep 25, 2008)

thanks *clwatkins* i hope i can grow such healthy looking anubias like yours!!


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## ohyeahcrx (Mar 21, 2008)

ahhhh longer photoperiod. Good thinking. That could be why my glosso is growing up. its worth a try. Ha. Tank is looking really good. I like how its symmetrical on both sides


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## hyphination (Sep 25, 2008)

thanks *ohyeahcrx* i think the length of the photoperiod was the main reason. i hope this can also fix your problem!! Good Luck!


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## hyphination (Sep 25, 2008)

its time for a one month update. the glosso has been filling in pretty good. it kinda looks a little messy but itll fill in better as time passes by. the crypts havent fully melted on me, i lost a couple of leaves though. it looks like its doing pretty good now, its sending off side shoots and pearling non stop. i did a major trim on the indica; i hope i can get that really bushy look. im still not sure ill keep the eleocharis. thinking about switching it out for something else? any suggestions?


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## Karackle (Dec 11, 2007)

wow looking great! it filled in really well! can't wait to see it in another month!


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## brt_p (Nov 16, 2008)

the HG looks fine to me..
overall, awesome..


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## hyphination (Sep 25, 2008)

thanks *karackle *and *brt p*, i guess ill keep the HG, i was just getting fustrated with some of the strands turning brown and dying. its been looking very unappealing lately.

i think the 501filter pipes are kind of hard on the eyes so ive been thinking about getting those nano lily pipes from int'l fish street. and mayble ill switch out the diffuser too for something smaller and less conspicuous:icon_roll


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## hyphination (Sep 25, 2008)

I kind of lost interest in planted tanks for a while and just let my tank grow out of control. After a while I wanted to do a rescape but never had any time with school and my busy work schedule. One day while I was taking care of the gf who was trying to sleep off her hangover, I decided to do some cleaning which eventually led to me to my overgrown tank. 








​
went to my lfs and picked up some narrow leaf java fern










I know it looks a little barren. My glosso is acting up again and I'm going to have to replant it soon. I was hoping on getting some criticism on the overall layout and some suggestions to make this scape look more dense and lively. 








​


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## ZooTycoonMaster (Jan 2, 2008)

:eek5:what'd you do with all of the Glosso?


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## Francis Xavier (Oct 8, 2008)

I like this improvement over the previous aquascape - the other one was a little too centered. 

By the way - plant that glosso deeper! So that it looks like it's barely poking through the soil. You won't regret it, I promise.


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## hyphination (Sep 25, 2008)

*ZooTycoonMaster* while my tank was growing out of control the glosso looked like it was infected by this stick looking algae, so I just threw it out and took the uninfected ones.

*Francis Xavier* thanks for the tip. I didnt have very much to work with after I threw out the infected glosso. So ill try that and see if it works.


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## hyphination (Sep 25, 2008)

Just did a water change and the usual maintenance. I pulled the glosso down deeper into the AS and spread out the java fern a little for now until I find more background plants.


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## hyphination (Sep 25, 2008)

Did a test today to find the status of my water parameters.
pH - 7.0
GH - will do tomorrow.
NO2 - 0 mg/l
Ammonia - 0 mg/l

Also went to the lfs and bought more plants for my tank. I got some blyxa japonica for the back right corner and a patch of riccia to mix in with my glosso foreground.









Hopefully the glosso will hold down the riccia and blend nicely









My attempt at some macro pics of a couple ghosties :flick:

















this one is kinda blurry. sorry.

fts


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## Ugly Genius (Sep 27, 2003)

A good (re)start.
To me, the most intriguing part of your rockscape is the two left-most rocks. They convey the image of a cliff that should be accented in some way. A low border of Mini Pellia between them and the Glosso would do the trick, I'd think.
I found the best way to mix Glosso and Riccia is to let the Glosso carpet and then just let a few sprigs fall into it. Eventually they will tangle and stay there for good. Ends up looking really good, too. And trimming is easy as there's no anchoring system to worry about.

Keep it up.
And stay in the game, man! You have talent.


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## hyphination (Sep 25, 2008)

Thanks *UG*, I was bored one day and decided to take a look at this forum, which I haven't visited in a while. I was just browsing the nano tanks and I saw all your tanks and how much progress you made and it inspired me to start up my tank again. Ohh and thanks for the tip. I've never thought about the scape like that until now. Ill try to find some mini pellia. 

OK well I got some good news and some bad news. . .

The good news: After work I came home to my mini patch of riccia and blyxa, pearling. woohoo  









Now for the bad news. . .After I changed into more comfortable clothes, I took a seat next to my tank to do a little gazing. . . and discovered some kind of algae taking over my plants :icon_eek:

























 This was the algae taking over my plants, when I neglected it for a few months. And I guess its back from the dead to reek havoc :angryfire. When I rescaped this tank I trimmed off the infected parts of the plants but I guess I didnt get everything. . .I did a little researching and I've come to the conclusion that its staghorn algae. Correct me if im wrong. Also I have to admit I've been fulling around with my CO2, length of my photo period, and I stirred up the substrate a little to plant the blyxa. Should I go with Hydrogen Peroxide treatment or should I use Seachem's Flourish Excel? Its all over the anubias and theres some on the crypts. This is my first time using this method to kill off algae so I'm kinda in the dark here. Couple questions. . .How much and how often do I use it if I decide to spot treat it? And how much and how often do I use it if I choose to overdose the tank?


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## hyphination (Sep 25, 2008)

Got some better pics of the staghorn thats plaguing my tank right now. And I just finished trimming off a lot of the infected leaves. Planning to pick up some flourish excel tomorrow just to finish the job off.



















Did a little cleaning too while I was arguing with my gf. 









wasnt such a good idea...so now im rockin the ghetto chop stick diffuser. oh well I was planning replacing that one with music glass diffuser anyway. 








FTS. Also my blyxa doesnt want to stay planted in the substrate. Only a few roots are preventing it from floating away. Hope it pulls itself down.


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

the algae looks a little grey for staghorn. are you sure its not BBA?


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## hyphination (Sep 25, 2008)

im pretty sure. its not really thick and bushy like BBA its more skinny and its branching off. But it stays short and doesnt grow long?? hmm?


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## hyphination (Sep 25, 2008)

Today is the third day of treatment for the staghorn or BBA or whatever it is. And I'm pleased to say that its dying and turning a deep red color. woohoo.roud:








I think I'm going have to stop dosing though, because today I've noticed that my riccia mat isn't responding well to the excel treatment. It actually looks like its melting :frown:


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## Down_Shift (Sep 20, 2008)

Wow nice nano..

What's a music co2 diffuser?


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## Phoenix-cry (Dec 25, 2008)

Riccia melts soooo easily under those types of treatments. I like the riccia/glosso mix idea, I kept having my riccia grow to a point where it would just rip itself free of any anchor.


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## hyphination (Sep 25, 2008)

Thanks *Down_Shift,* its a type of ceramic diffuser made by Do! Aqua.

The reason why I wanted to mix the riccia in is because I want a fuller foreground and because riccia pearls like crazy and who doesn't love pearling. Hope it bounces back. :thumbsup:


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## hyphination (Sep 25, 2008)

Should have done my research before taking the easy way out and dosing excel.








Only the tips survived. In time it should grow back:thumbsup: At least the algae is gone.

Also bought a 1inX1in patch of HC yesterday. Some of the leaves are turning yellow probably because its stressed due to initial planting.


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## hyphination (Sep 25, 2008)

Just broke my double drop checker while rinsing it out. :angryfire 
Total Casualties:
(1) GLA drop checker
(1) Cal Aqua Labs double checker
(1) Ceramic Diffuser
Damn I gotta be more gentle with all my glassware.

Well the bottom dead part of riccia totally melted and I guess all of it got sucked into the filter. There's one small healthy sprig still tangled in the center of the mat so I just have to wait till it grows back. Also while looking at the bare metal mat I found something growing!!:icon_roll can anyone identify this for me?









HC is spreading nicely:biggrin:









Crypts finally establishing itself and sending out runners. sorry about the algae.









​


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## cintamas (Feb 17, 2009)

I hate when glassware breaks! There are definitely no replacement parts to get you by. 

Looks like the growth rate is really good. Can't wait for the HC carpet.


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## hyphination (Sep 25, 2008)

Thanks *cintamas*, ever since the algae attack, I've bumped up my CO2 and now the plants are starting to take off.

Decided to take *Ugly Genius's* advice. Will let the glosso carpet and throw the riccia sprigs in after. Until then, I'll let the riccia grow in the sky! 










Held by two suction cups used for CO2 piping. 








​
The mystery plant that was growing in the riccia mat was eleocharis sp.belem. I always wanted hair grass ever since I started in this hobby. But my dream was to have an all hair grass foreground so I'll let it grow until I get another tank. 








I uprooted some of the glosso and moved it toward the back. Dont really know what I'm trying to go for here. I guess I'm trying to let the carpet plants do there own thing and once they meet, they can battle for space. It'll be a battle royale. I think the HC has the advantage, its spreading super fast. The glosso will have riccia as a teammate and the dwarf HG will probably take a while to get going so IDK, we'll see how things go. 








And if you havent noticed, I got rid of all the ghost shrimp and replaced them with 8 CRS. They seem to be doing pretty well. They were kind of shy at first, just hanging in the back by the glosso. But after a few hours, most of them were exploring the tank.

Here's one.









Another, giving me the cold shoulder.









About month ago









Today







​Not much improvement. I dont know what the f*ck is going on with the glosso probably doesnt like me. After a lot of contemplating I realized, why is the back right corner so empty? blyxa wasnt such a good idea huh. Now I'm looking for something taller but dont know If I should go with a more bushy or skinny look?


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## trigun808 (May 18, 2008)

uPDATE PLEASE


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## FSM (Jan 13, 2009)

Rotala rotundifolia in the back corner would look nice, or something with a bit more red.


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## pufferboy (Dec 28, 2008)

how long does that paintball co2 canister last?


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## hyphination (Sep 25, 2008)

*FSM*, thanks for the advice. thats a great suggestion! i dont know why i thought blyxa would do good back there.
*pufferboy*, as for the paintball co2 tank I'm pretty sure it last around a month and a half to 2 months. 









a lot of my RCS are berried and there are babies running all over the place.









i currently have two berried CRS, so i hope some of them are CRS babies.









bought some mini pellia during the anniversary sale at aquascapes.









riccia finally grew back and looks pretty healthy.









I replaced the chopstick diffuser with the do! aqua music glass, looks much better now! The DHG is finally starting to send out runners, man this plant is a slow grower. I finally gave up on the glosso after continuous replanting and waiting for it to carpet for 2 months.  im not really sure what im going to do with the riccia now as i planned to mix it in with the glosso. And as of now, im thinking about moving the HC to the back left corner as its over powering all the other FG plants. i'll probably be moving the belem to the front center.








I have a surprise. . .

















My first ADA Mini-M!!!!!!!!!!!!wooohooooo :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce:. I've been waiting for this a long time. Will start a thread for this tank later tonight!




​


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## kcirtappatrick (Mar 16, 2009)

nice mini m! can't wait till you set it up! keep us posted!


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## cintamas (Feb 17, 2009)

I love packages made up of glass & wood!

I'm really liking this 3gal, it's coming along really well. I've had similar problems with glosso in some of my tanks too. It's always been beyond me and my realm of "investigative-ness" just why some carpet plants don't carpet for me. Been a real hit and miss. I have high hopes for your HC though! Nice shrimp.

Looking forward to that mini-m.


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## hyphination (Sep 25, 2008)

thanks *pat*, i'd like to see you update your thread! Any luck with CRS babies yet?



cintamas said:


> I love packages made up of glass & wood!
> 
> I'm really liking this 3gal, it's coming along really well. I've had similar problems with glosso in some of my tanks too. It's always been beyond me and my realm of "investigative-ness" just why some carpet plants don't carpet for me. Been a real hit and miss. I have high hopes for your HC though! Nice shrimp.
> 
> Looking forward to that mini-m.


True. I had the same glosso in a previous scape in the same tank. And it didnt wanna work with me even though it carpeted before. I've heard it could be because the reflector in the Archea light sucks so maybe it wasnt getting enough light in the back left. The HC took off a little while after I planted it, maybe because there was some leftover excel in the tank from the staghorn treatment. After the first trimming it seemed to grow kinda slow though probably because there was no excel left in the tank. So I dont know how it will transition if I move it to the glosso's previous location. My shrimp are okay but your shrimp are nice! where'd you get such high grade CRS here in HI?


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## kcirtappatrick (Mar 16, 2009)

Haha. i just got some manzanita wood for my mini L..its taking a while to get saturated though. we'll see in a few days. the RCS are doing great though! a bunch of them are berried!


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## hyphination (Sep 25, 2008)

kcirtappatrick said:


> Haha. i just got some manzanita wood for my mini L..its taking a while to get saturated though. we'll see in a few days. the RCS are doing great though! a bunch of them are berried!


Post some new pics man! your tanks are nice! and did you mean CRS?


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## cintamas (Feb 17, 2009)

hyphination said:


> I've heard it could be because the reflector in the Archea light sucks so maybe it wasnt getting enough light in the back left. The HC took off a little while after I planted it, maybe because there was some leftover excel in the tank from the staghorn treatment. After the first trimming it seemed to grow kinda slow though probably because there was no excel left in the tank. So I dont know how it will transition if I move it to the glosso's previous location.


I haven't heard about the Archea lights having bad reflectors! I thought they were on the "better" side. Well, mine is doing okay.....for now. I think that the HC will eventually make it over to the left side of your tank. But it wouldn't hurt to pop in a few trimmings here-an-there to get some quicker results. BTW, I've always been afraid to dose excel in tanks with HC, for fear of over-kill. I'd be careful if you decide to start dosing your tank, definately stick to the instructions on that one.


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## hyphination (Sep 25, 2008)

cintamas said:


> I haven't heard about the Archea lights having bad reflectors! I thought they were on the "better" side. Well, mine is doing okay.....for now. I think that the HC will eventually make it over to the left side of your tank. But it wouldn't hurt to pop in a few trimmings here-an-there to get some quicker results. BTW, I've always been afraid to dose excel in tanks with HC, for fear of over-kill. I'd be careful if you decide to start dosing your tank, definately stick to the instructions on that one.


Thanks for the advice. I was kinda thinking about just uprooting it and replanting it though. The belem doesnt really make a thick carpet so I think the HC will overpower it. Thats why I want to move it. As for excel, I think I cant dose anymore I learned the hard way. My riccia mat melted on me and i've heard mini pellia doesnt like excel either. I OD'd the tank though for the algae attack. Do you think they can handle just the regular dosing amount?


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## kcirtappatrick (Mar 16, 2009)

hyphination said:


> did you mean CRS?


i got kinda bored with my CRS so i tossed them all in a 10g tank with my albino blue japan guppies. my mini L has RCS though. i got bummed out when my fish started to commit suicide. haha


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## hyphination (Sep 25, 2008)

kcirtappatrick said:


> i got kinda bored with my CRS so i tossed them all in a 10g tank with my albino blue japan guppies. my mini L has RCS though. i got bummed out when my fish started to commit suicide. haha


I know! I bought some chili rasboras a couple months ago. And every time I came home from work I would find one dried up on the carpet or next to the tank. they were expensive! :icon_cry:


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## kcirtappatrick (Mar 16, 2009)

true that. so hows that mini m coming? i think i'm gonna pull a late night and start on that mini L lol


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## trigun808 (May 18, 2008)

ilol id better update my 60p thread once more... i want another tank though.. maybe a 30c


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## hyphination (Sep 25, 2008)

kcirtappatrick said:


> true that. so hows that mini m coming? i think i'm gonna pull a late night and start on that mini L lol


lol yeah dude I just finished the thread now. I was suppose to eat dinner 2hrs ago. Man, this hobby is addicting like crack cocaine or something. Havent tried it but if I was on it I think i'd would wanna smoke my tank. :hihi:



trigun808 said:


> ilol id better update my 60p thread once more... i want another tank though.. maybe a 30c


lol, I think we all have MTS.


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## trigun808 (May 18, 2008)

mm... maybe plant trading ? lol


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## hyphination (Sep 25, 2008)

trigun808 said:


> mm... maybe plant trading ? lol


I'm down but I dont have large portions cuz I only have this nano tank.


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## trigun808 (May 18, 2008)

mmm....what ya got up for trades? i might have some rotala butterfly, downoi (little bit later), MM


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## hyphination (Sep 25, 2008)

trigun808 said:


> mmm....what ya got up for trades? i might have some rotala butterfly, downoi (little bit later), MM


blyxa, HC, needle leaf java fern, and whatever crypt thats in my tank and maybe some petite nana


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## hyphination (Sep 25, 2008)

Alright so found out my LFS wont get any AS till the end of the month so I decided to put the do!aqua lily pipes on this tank. I just discovered that they dont include any suction cups?? so how are you suppose to fit these nicely onto your tank?


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## cintamas (Feb 17, 2009)

hahaha.....now you need to buy a clear parts set which includes suction cups. It's a marketing thing, I suppose. Where did you look for AS at? I've seen it at a couple of places locally.


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## hyphination (Sep 25, 2008)

cintamas said:


> hahaha.....now you need to buy a clear parts set which includes suction cups. It's a marketing thing, I suppose. Where did you look for AS at? I've seen it at a couple of places locally.


Do you know where they would sell suction cups for these pipes. How closed minded of me I only thought aquascapes carried that type of soil. I'll call around tomorrow and get started!


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## kcirtappatrick (Mar 16, 2009)

I think aquascapes sells the clear part set. Well, I'm pretty sure they do haha. Hmm, I know that Kalihi pet store sells AS. You might wanna try giving them a call.


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## trigun808 (May 18, 2008)

yep kalihi sells it too


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## trigun808 (May 18, 2008)

why are u guys so rich? i cant afford lily pipes!


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## hyphination (Sep 25, 2008)

*trigun808 *, I work a lot so I think I deserve them, lol.

Anyways, I rescaped my FG today. HC is in the back left now with the dwarf hair grass 'belem' in the front. I cut up the DHG runners and spread them more evenly so It carpets faster. (cant really see them in this pic though). I still dont know what to do with the mini pellia and riccia. Anyone have any ideas? I'm in need of some serious inspiration. Any magazines, books or websites you recommend? besides this one :wink: 







_Yeah, I know the filter tubing looks weird. _









_Anyone know where to get these corner joint pieces?_​


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## cintamas (Feb 17, 2009)

I've seen those joints in a magazine once.....not too sure, but I would imagine they're pricey. You might want to browse through the plumbing section of lowes/home depot for more economic solutions.

As far as the mini pelia, I could see it working if you added some to the rocks. Or even if you added some DW, you could attach it there. Riccia has always been a P.I.T.A. for me, it grew beautifully....but needed so much attention and maintenance to stay in line. I've found that the only way to enjoy riccia fluitans is in a tank that it can float freely in, or some type of amphibious setup.


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## kcirtappatrick (Mar 16, 2009)

I like cints idea of adding some DW and attaching the mini pelia there. 

Hm, I might go to Costco tomorrow. I'll keep an eye out for some Ott-Lites.


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## hyphination (Sep 25, 2008)

Thanks for the idea *cint *and *pat*. I just shoved some mini pellia into some of the rock crevices. We'll see how that turns out. Adding DW is a good idea! I'd think it'll look cool if i found a DW piece that curled over both the anubias and rocks like a evil witch hand or something. Which lfs would you recommend me going to, to get these branches?

I was really looking forward to mixing riccia and glosso, but the glosso just didnt want to work with me. Maybe I'll just sell the mat. . .:icon_frow


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## kcirtappatrick (Mar 16, 2009)

Hmm, I guess I would go to aquascapes. I know they have small or medium sized Manzanita wood. I'm not too sure who else would sell it.


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## hyphination (Sep 25, 2008)

Any luck on the ott-lites at costco, *pat*?


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## trev (Mar 2, 2008)

lookin good! love the "over-tech" nano tanks. haha.


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## kcirtappatrick (Mar 16, 2009)

Haven't had a chance to go yet. I have a day off tomorrow so maybe I'll be able to go down.


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## hyphination (Sep 25, 2008)

Got my shipping quote from Ott-lite.com They said should cost 70$ with shipping for the two lights. Ridiculous! Hopefully my friend in SF can find a pair for me a ship it to me for less.











_Plant growth has been pretty slow. I'm thinking its about time to switch out that bulb._


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## trigun808 (May 18, 2008)

hahha i just bought the music glass too!
the super small one haha works awesome!


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## trigun808 (May 18, 2008)

btw what rank are those CRS? they loooook likee.......C+ - A?


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## hyphination (Sep 25, 2008)

Right on! I like the music diffuser, looks more sleek than the DAZS diffuser and this one spits out micro bubbles like crazy.


Been contemplating about this tank for a while. And to me theres something thats just not right. So I was thinking about just making this tank into a blyxa/HC tank. I think the anubias and java fern will look more natural with the SE asian DW in the mini-m anyway.


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## hyphination (Sep 25, 2008)

I was bored so I decided to take a couple shots.


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## trigun808 (May 18, 2008)

hmmmm i think u should use anubias petite instead so it wont block the rocks too much.
the rocks are really nice and u know u gotta show them off haha, also its missing ground cover, but u got that going already and maybe a eriocaulon in between the rocks by the riccia


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## hyphination (Sep 25, 2008)

Thanks for the advice trigun808, yeah the foreground looks really bare right now. Its taking forever for the HC to carpet. An erio sounds like a good idea but idk if my water condition is good enough for it though.


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## trigun808 (May 18, 2008)

hey my erio is actually splitting right now and i can see how much i can get from it , looks to be like 3-5 i think but idk til i do it haha


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## kcirtappatrick (Mar 16, 2009)

just rip the HC apart and replant it .


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## hyphination (Sep 25, 2008)

trigun808, lmk then when you do your cuttings for your erio. might be interested.

Yeah I would but at the moment im holding the mini microsword and belem in the front for the M. I've been thinking about just getting a cheap separate holding tank. Maybe like a 10G or something. We'll see. . .


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## kcirtappatrick (Mar 16, 2009)

mm I have a a AGA 10g from walmart that i derimmed. i originally wanted to breed these japan blue guppies. but, i eventually tossed some low grade CRS and random mosses and plants.


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## hyphination (Sep 25, 2008)

kcirtappatrick said:


> mm I have a a AGA 10g from walmart that i derimmed. i originally wanted to breed these japan blue guppies. but, i eventually tossed some low grade CRS and random mosses and plants.


Whats equipment are you using on that tank? (_ex.substrate, lighting, filter, etc_)


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## trigun808 (May 18, 2008)

i split the erio, and planted them, ill make sure they are growing before i have thenm available haha


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## kcirtappatrick (Mar 16, 2009)

hyphination said:


> Whats equipment are you using on that tank? (_ex.substrate, lighting, filter, etc_)


i'm using extra AS that i never used. lights..i'm using a 9w light and a 27w desklamp. and i'm using a zoomed 501 filter i believe. nothing special but it keeps the plants alive. haha


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## hyphination (Sep 25, 2008)

Yeah I just wanted something simple like that, just to hold plants and stuff. are you running any co2?


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## kcirtappatrick (Mar 16, 2009)

nah no co2. once a week or so i put a little bit of excel (depending on plants) or i just let it go. plant growth isn't great but theseplants have been alive for a few months in here haha. makes a good breeding tank i guess?


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## problemman (Aug 19, 2005)

any updated pics?


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## hyphination (Sep 25, 2008)

I have mixed feelings with this tank now. I feel as If im not happy with it anymore. It's kinda like a old toy now and in need of a new scape. I havent really given a chance for any of the scapes in this tank to full grow out though. So I feel an obligated to this scape to give it a chance to shine. Anyways enough BS, this is where my tank is now. 








I thought it looked cool in that place in the beginning but when I had to do the usual maintenance it was kinda hard since the desk hutch is kinda low. I'm trying to find another place to put it but I don't have anymore counter room. Maybe I might buy another target stand.

I'll post some close ups probably sometime Sunday, on my day off. peace


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## kcirtappatrick (Mar 16, 2009)

nothing wrong with rescaping a tank! haha. this scape is pretty awesome though. you should let it grow a bit more. you never know you might end up liking it again.


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## hyphination (Sep 25, 2008)

Thanks pat and true that man. I've been thinking about redoing this one for a long time. I think after this one grows out I'll rescape it or sell it and buy a mini-s. lol.


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## kcirtappatrick (Mar 16, 2009)

sell it?! just keep it and buy another one. become a tank junkie. haha. you should get another mini M i think they're the perfect sized nano tank.


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## Randy Lau (Mar 29, 2008)

Great looking tank. If I placed something like that next to my computer desk I would rarely get any work done- yes I am that easily distracted.


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## hyphination (Sep 25, 2008)

lol I wouldnt mind having a room full of tanks. Only thing is my room isnt that big. how many tanks do you have now *pat*?

Thanks *Randy*, Its hard when I'm writing papers for my classes. I always get sidetracked and end up staring at the tank and losing my train of thought.


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## kcirtappatrick (Mar 16, 2009)

hyphination said:


> lol I wouldnt mind having a room full of tanks. Only thing is my room isnt that big. how many tanks do you have now *pat*?


i have 4 tanks up and running right now. mini M, mini L, 24g nano cube, and a 10g AGA. i'm planning on replacing the 10g with a 20g long tank. who knows when that will be though.


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## hyphination (Sep 25, 2008)

Been kind of neglecting this one. . .but I had some free time today, so I decided to clean the tank and do little a trim.


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