# 10 Gallon Betta Tank



## Econde (Oct 13, 2015)

Just started this tank almost 2 weeks ago. I apologize for the pictures, they're not the best quality. It's still a work in progress and I currently have my excess plants inside til I trade them in.


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## K1963158 (Aug 15, 2016)

I like the rocks. Your Betta will be very happy. What kind of filter do you have?


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## Econde (Oct 13, 2015)

K1963158 said:


> I like the rocks. Your Betta will be very happy. What kind of filter do you have?


I swapped out the filter that came with that tank with the tetra whisper 10 I had in my 20 gallon tank. It's still in the middle of cycling. The rocks are Dragon stone aka Ohko stones. A member of the forums gave me a great deal on them. Ended up buying like 12 lbs of it with the driftwood.

Yea I really want a betta.


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## K1963158 (Aug 15, 2016)

10 - 15 gallons is the perfect size for a Betta home and gives enough room to grow some nice plants for him. 

I just did a quick set up of a 15 gallon I had laying around and purchased a fluval c2 to filter it. I keep it at the lowest setting and it is great for my Betta, half the tank has still water so the filter does not overpower with flow.

Looking forward to watching your progress.


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## Tessa (Dec 8, 2015)

Lovely tank for a betta


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## Econde (Oct 13, 2015)

I've hit a bit of a wall on the cycling. Nitrites have been stuck at 0.25-0.50 PPM. It only lowers when I do partial water changes. It will raise when I dose some ammonia, so I know ammonia is being used up. I haven't tested for Nitrates yet. The tank has miracle grow potting soil capped with menards brand blasting sand. Any suggestions? According to the Walstad method, I can add fish since the soil already has the beneficial bacteria and as long as I dose Prime with partial water changes til the water parameters are ideal.


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## ArchimedesTheDog (Apr 9, 2012)

What are your other water parameters? If you have a low pH it could be slowing the development of bacteria.


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## Econde (Oct 13, 2015)

ArchimedesTheDog said:


> What are your other water parameters? If you have a low pH it could be slowing the development of bacteria.


My PH is 7.8, Ammonia 0, Nitrites 0.25-0.50, GH 10 KH 8, 78 Degrees Fahrenheit. I will do more tests when I get home.


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## irishspy (Oct 22, 2007)

That's a beautiful start. Great home for a betta.


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## Econde (Oct 13, 2015)

irishspy said:


> That's a beautiful start. Great home for a betta.


Thank you! I'm getting a bit antsy with the cycling. I didn't have to wait this long on my 20 gallon tank. But then again I used eco complete for that one and not miracle grow potting soil. I really want to get a betta asap. It's a waiting game right now.


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## ArchimedesTheDog (Apr 9, 2012)

Econde said:


> Thank you! I'm getting a bit antsy with the cycling. I didn't have to wait this long on my 20 gallon tank. But then again I used eco complete for that one and not miracle grow potting soil. I really want to get a betta asap. It's a waiting game right now.


LFS had a betta the other day I *really* wanted. My tank is cycled enough for a single betta for sure (maybe not enough bacteria for full bioload but enough to process a small load end to end), but I really want to wait for the plants to all get established. 

I'm not patient enough to be a good fishkeeper, haha.

As far as your cycle, might be worth grabbing the small bottle of Tetra SafeStart from a Petco. It's only $6-7 and for me it has worked on two tanks, now, establishing the bacteria quickly.


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## Econde (Oct 13, 2015)

ArchimedesTheDog said:


> LFS had a betta the other day I *really* wanted. My tank is cycled enough for a single betta for sure (maybe not enough bacteria for full bioload but enough to process a small load end to end), but I really want to wait for the plants to all get established.
> 
> I'm not patient enough to be a good fishkeeper, haha.
> 
> As far as your cycle, might be worth grabbing the small bottle of Tetra SafeStart from a Petco. It's only $6-7 and for me it has worked on two tanks, now, establishing the bacteria quickly.


I hear ya. My gf found this gorgeous Dragon scale betta at our LFS. Felt like a spoiled little kid who didn't get their way inside haha. I'm sure my LFS will have some equally beautiful bettas. I try my best not to mess with my fish inside my other tank. I have 7 juvenile female guppies(all male guppies jumped out :/) , 12 juvenile neon tetras, 3 SAE's about 2 inches each and a ton of snails. Every so often I will find a neon tetra just floating around :/ . 

Just waiting it out til my tank can handle a small surge of ammonia and nitrites in 24 hours. Not there yet with the Nitrites though.


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## Econde (Oct 13, 2015)

I've started doing larger water changes lately. After dosing ammonia to about 4PPM, I wait til the ammonia is zero then change out the water to bring the nitrites down. This is taking a lot longer than I had anticipated. I think I was not proactive enough earlier on. I'm changing that and will be doing daily water changes til i get the parameters right. I will keep dosing ammonia to at least 2PPM, wait 24 hours til it zeros out, test for nitrites and change the water out to keep nitrite levels under 5PPM. Hopefully being more diligent will pay off sooner.


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## Econde (Oct 13, 2015)

Say what! Its finally cycled. So worth it. Still won't be getting my betta til this weekend though haha. Time to double check and dose more ammonia.










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## kinzo (Apr 18, 2013)

Maybe next time try this:
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B000YQ2K9O/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


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## Econde (Oct 13, 2015)

kinzo said:


> Maybe next time try this:
> https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B000YQ2K9O/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


I actually had a bottle of aquavitro seed that I started dosing about a week ago. But I'll keep that product you mentioned in mind. Have you had good experience with that product?

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## mageikman32 (Nov 20, 2016)

Looking good love the scape where did you get drag stone from did you order online 

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## Altheora (Aug 10, 2016)

Don't forget that if you plan on adding other fish, add those before the betta. That should help him transition into viewing them as "part of the decor" rather than invaders into his territory.

Great set-up so far!


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## Econde (Oct 13, 2015)

mageikman32 said:


> Looking good love the scape where did you get drag stone from did you order online
> 
> Sent from my SM-N910P using Tapatalk


Someone from the forums was selling them for cheap. Met up with them in Chicago. It was like 2 dollars per pound. Even sold me that driftwood. 

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## Econde (Oct 13, 2015)

Altheora said:


> Don't forget that if you plan on adding other fish, add those before the betta. That should help him transition into viewing them as "part of the decor" rather than invaders into his territory.
> 
> Great set-up so far!


I was thinking sparkling gouramis. What do you think? And will do I've also hear that they will stake their territory if they were introduced first.

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## Altheora (Aug 10, 2016)

Econde said:


> I was thinking sparkling gouramis. What do you think? And will do I've also hear that they will stake their territory if they were introduced first.
> 
> Sent from my A0001 using Tapatalk


I would not suggest putting gouramis with bettas unless you have a much larger (30g+) tank which is heavily planted, and the ability to separate them if needed. They are not known as being good tank mates.

Some of the more common fish that bettas do well with (read: bettas don't attack them, they don't attack bettas) are Harlequin Rasboras, Corydora sp., and Otos. Do some research before picking a fish, as bettas definitely don't do well with many species.


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## Econde (Oct 13, 2015)

Altheora said:


> I would not suggest putting gouramis with bettas unless you have a much larger (30g+) tank which is heavily planted, and the ability to separate them if needed. They are not known as being good tank mates.
> 
> Some of the more common fish that bettas do well with (read: bettas don't attack them, they don't attack bettas) are Harlequin Rasboras, Corydora sp., and Otos. Do some research before picking a fish, as bettas definitely don't do well with many species.


Aren't sparkling gouramis way smaller and peaceful? That's what I've read up. But I have no experience with them. I do like harlequin rasboras and Otto's would be nice.

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## Altheora (Aug 10, 2016)

I personally don't have any experience with sparkling gouramis, though I'd still be concerned about the brighter coloration. You could try asking on bettafish if anyone there has had luck with them.


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## Econde (Oct 13, 2015)

Altheora said:


> I personally don't have any experience with sparkling gouramis, though I'd still be concerned about the brighter coloration. You could try asking on bettafish if anyone there has had luck with them.


Yea you're right. I will probably look into getting some Otto's. Do you have any recommendations?

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## Altheora (Aug 10, 2016)

I had fabulous luck with my otos. They have a pretty high mortality rate, but I added them into a fully cycled, two-month old tank in the middle of an algae bloom, and all three survived and are flourishing. I think adding them after the algae bloom hit was what really helped them--they eat constantly, and that gave them a chance to eat all they wanted as they became acclimated to the tank. I just got my otos from Petsmart--nowhere fancy. I read somewhere to try to get them after they'd been at the store for at least 2 weeks, to help weed out the weaklings.

I no longer have an algae problem (they nipped it in the bud basically overnight), and they're still doing well almost two months later.


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## Econde (Oct 13, 2015)

Altheora said:


> I had fabulous luck with my otos. They have a pretty high mortality rate, but I added them into a fully cycled, two-month old tank in the middle of an algae bloom, and all three survived and are flourishing. I think adding them after the algae bloom hit was what really helped them--they eat constantly, and that gave them a chance to eat all they wanted as they became acclimated to the tank. I just got my otos from Petsmart--nowhere fancy. I read somewhere to try to get them after they'd been at the store for at least 2 weeks, to help weed out the weaklings.
> 
> I no longer have an algae problem (they nipped it in the bud basically overnight), and they're still doing well almost two months later.


Well I will go check some otos out tomorrow. I will have to change like 99% of my water first though. Would it be bad to buy both otos and the betta at the same time? Just put the Otis first?

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## Altheora (Aug 10, 2016)

Why are you changing 99% of your water, if I might ask?

I'd suggest buying the otos first to give your cycle a chance to catch up to them. Bettas have a pretty low bioload, though, so either should be fine. Give the otos an hour or two to find some hiding spots before adding the betta to the tank, and leave the lights low the first few hours they're in together to provide the otos more opportunities to hide.


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## Econde (Oct 13, 2015)

Altheora said:


> Why are you changing 99% of your water, if I might ask?
> 
> I'd suggest buying the otos first to give your cycle a chance to catch up to them. Bettas have a pretty low bioload, though, so either should be fine. Give the otos an hour or two to find some hiding spots before adding the betta to the tank, and leave the lights low the first few hours they're in together to provide the otos more opportunities to hide.


My tank is already cycled, I have to change the water to get rid of all the excess nitrates before I add any fish. Just finished the cycle not too long ago, I've been dosing the tank with ammonia still to keep the bb fed.

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## Econde (Oct 13, 2015)

Well my son and I are headed to our LFS. Going to go check out some bettas and otos. Hoping they have something similar to what my gf saw last last time

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## Econde (Oct 13, 2015)

So after I acclimated my otos for about 45 minutes, I dump them in my net and slowly add them into my 10 falling before the betta. One of the otos gets stuck in the net on its front barbs? I cut a price of the net off. 

One thing I noticed, my assassin snail tried to climb onto one of the otos. Should I be concerned? I separated the two as fast as I could. 

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## Econde (Oct 13, 2015)

I'm not good at taking pictures, but here it goes. 

























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## Econde (Oct 13, 2015)

Took my daughter to her girlscouts meeting. Came back after a couple hours. One oto down 

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## Econde (Oct 13, 2015)

I was able to get a replacement oto for my betta tank. Ended up getting 3 otos for my 20 calling tank. I'm also testing the waters with some ghost shrimp. 

Finally got some decent photos of my betta and other tank mates. Still low quality pics though.



































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## ArchimedesTheDog (Apr 9, 2012)

Congrats on the new fish!


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## trapperwolves (Nov 26, 2011)

Nice looking tank and fish.


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## Econde (Oct 13, 2015)

trapperwolves said:


> Nice looking tank and fish.


Thank you sir.


ArchimedesTheDog said:


> Congrats on the new fish!


Thanks, its been a long time coming. I'm just glad that he's pretty docile. I have 3 otos 6 ghost shrimp and that betta in there. My daughter wants to name him dragonite.

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## Econde (Oct 13, 2015)

Full tank shot. I know there's algae, but I don't mind it. Food for the snails and my otos. I still have some plants that I left floating. My betta seems to like it so its staying for now.

Everything is filling in. I've noticed some growth on my Nana petites. Staurogyne repens are starting to spread. Java moss has grown quite a bit on the driftwood I glued it to. I wish it would wrap around it some, but maybe I'll have tie it around with fishing line. Overall I'm satisfied with the new growth. 








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## Econde (Oct 13, 2015)

So I noticed that while I was gazing at my tank, I can feel the warmth of the lights. Or so I thought were the lights. I checked my thermometer and noticed that it was 90 degrees! Jesus! I quickly unplugged the heater, took the SOB out. Took some water out and replaced it with cooler water. Didn't want to lower the temperature drastically. Its currently sitting at about 86 and slowly going down. I will continue to replace some of the water with cooler water to bring the temps down some more. I'm hoping none of my fish are hurt by this.


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## sdwindansea (Oct 28, 2016)

I hope all is OK, have my fingers crossed for you. I highly recommend something like this to avoid the potential for a stuck heater in the future - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01ANCB24W/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1


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## Econde (Oct 13, 2015)

sdwindansea said:


> I hope all is OK, have my fingers crossed for you. I highly recommend something like this to avoid the potential for a stuck heater in the future - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01ANCB24W/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1


Man I was contemplating on whether or not I should get one. The. I was looking all over for another aqueon pro heater. Since I've had such great luck with my 100 watt in my 20 gallon. Its hard to come by now at a decent price that is. But yea. I will be looking into getting a couple of heater controllers in the near future. 

So far so good with the inhabitants. Even the shrimp seem to be fine. Well I'll check back on them in the morning.

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## sdwindansea (Oct 28, 2016)

Good to hear, it is sounding like you caught it in time. I was told the heater controller was good insurance. Of course I'll never have a problem now that I have one.


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## Econde (Oct 13, 2015)

Everything appears to be fine without the heater. My home stays at about 68-72 degrees and the fluorescent lighting for the tank is keeping it a bit warmer at about 72-74. Looks like I can wait a little before I get a new heater and controller.


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## Econde (Oct 13, 2015)

So after the Heater debacle, I go to feed my fish. So I unplug all the filters so that the food isn't lost in the flow. Fed all my fish, plugged in filters in my 20 gallon. Little cluttering sound but turns on just fine. Plug in my filter for my 10 gallon....and nothing. Seriously? I start to get worried since I'm still getting ready for work. Contemplated on whether or not I move the other filter from my 20 gallon onto my 10 gallon, maybe just leave it alone and have an airstone running til i get back? I have 2 filters on my 20 gallon btw. 

So in a rush and slight panic, I carefully remove the filter from my 10 gallon, take it to the bathroom and start cleaning the hell out of it. Checked the impeller and plugged it back in. Still nothing. Took a toothbrush to it, cleaned off most of the gunk and whew it finally starts back up. I reinstall everything, keep checking inbetween while I'm getting ready. So far so good. This is what i get for getting second hand stuff hehe.

I seriously hope nothing else happens. But I wouldn't be surprised if my lights went out next. haha. Anyway Merry Christmas and happy holidays to everyone.


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## amcoffeegirl (May 26, 2009)

Yeah whenever my power goes out or I unplug the filter it has to be taken apart and cleaned.
It still keeps kicking though
Nice tank btw


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## Econde (Oct 13, 2015)

amcoffeegirl said:


> Yeah whenever my power goes out or I unplug the filter it has to be taken apart and cleaned.
> It still keeps kicking though
> Nice tank btw


It usually never stopped on me, but I guess it was a good indicator that it needed some cleaning. And thanks! Here's an updated tank shot and some of Dragonite.






























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## Maclyri (Mar 6, 2016)

Those pictures aren't bad! Handsome guy!


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## Econde (Oct 13, 2015)

Maclyri said:


> Those pictures aren't bad! Handsome guy!
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Why thank you. My old camera app wasn't so good. My new one should be better. Hopefully[emoji16] 

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## Econde (Oct 13, 2015)

Well just wanted to post an update with some pictures. Finally got another heater. Ended up not getting the heater controller yet. 

Everything appears to be filling in. I see some new growth on my Anubias Nana petite, wisteria is taking over the corners of the tank, S.Repens are carpeting nicely in the front, java moss is firmly attached to the driftwood and thriving. I've added some ludwigias from my community tank. I'm glad I went with dirt.

Dragonite seems content with his living area, always wants attention. Otos are being otos. Ghost shrimp surprisingly have been thriving. I see their molt every now and then.



























































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## wakka987 (Nov 3, 2016)

Econde said:


> Well just wanted to post an update with some pictures. Finally got another heater. Ended up not getting the heater controller yet.
> 
> Everything appears to be filling in. I see some new growth on my Anubias Nana petite, wisteria is taking over the corners of the tank, S.Repens are carpeting nicely in the front, java moss is firmly attached to the driftwood and thriving. I've added some ludwigias from my community tank. I'm glad I went with dirt.
> 
> ...


Looking very good! What heater did you get?


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## Econde (Oct 13, 2015)

wakka987 said:


> Looking very good! What heater did you get?


I ended up getting theMarina 50 watt. @mrfiock uses one in his tank. So far so good. Took a few hours to fine tune it.


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## sdwindansea (Oct 28, 2016)

Nice pictures and good to see everything doing so well.


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## mrfiock (Nov 15, 2015)

Gorgeous betta! [emoji7] the tank is looking great! Glad to hear heater's working out for you.


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## Econde (Oct 13, 2015)

sdwindansea said:


> Nice pictures and good to see everything doing so well.


Thank you kindly. I wish I had a better camera. These pictures really do no justice to seeing it in person.



mrfiock said:


> Gorgeous betta! [emoji7] the tank is looking great! Glad to hear heater's working out for you.


Thank you! The heater is a bit touchy, I ended up having the thermostat at less than half. It stays around 76 degrees.


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## mrfiock (Nov 15, 2015)

Econde said:


> Thank you! The heater is a bit touchy, I ended up having the thermostat at less than half. It stays around 76 degrees.



Yeah, this is mostly the reason I use the 25W in my 10er from my thread. There are many expensive shrimp in there, so it's gotta stay cooler. Although I agree the temp control is a little touchy, once it's dialed in it stays very consistent.


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## sarge115 (Jan 2, 2017)

i love your hardscape!


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## Econde (Oct 13, 2015)

sarge115 said:


> i love your hardscape!


Thank you kindly! 

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## Econde (Oct 13, 2015)

Was testing out gf's new phone. Makes me wish I has a better camera haha. Anyway here's an updated full tank shot









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## sdwindansea (Oct 28, 2016)

Great picture! Tank, plants and betta all look very happy.


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## irishspy (Oct 22, 2007)

sdwindansea said:


> Great picture! Tank, plants and betta all look very happy.


Agreed. That is a very happy betta. :smile:


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## Econde (Oct 13, 2015)

sdwindansea said:


> Great picture! Tank, plants and betta all look very happy.





irishspy said:


> Agreed. That is a very happy betta. :smile:


Thank you both. He seems pretty content. I did lower the flow of my filter a bit. I was afraid he might be getting stressed out because of it. Sadly I believe I have caught MTS. I ended up purchasing a used 1 and 3 gallon acrylic tanks :laugh2: . Ordered a nano hob filter. Thinking of a cliff side motif with dwarf hairgrass at the bottom, moss and anubias nana petites in the rock face. Once it is all said and done, I will finally have my shrimp tank that I've always wanted.


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## Maclyri (Mar 6, 2016)

Econde said:


> Thank you both. He seems pretty content. I did lower the flow of my filter a bit. I was afraid he might be getting stressed out because of it. Sadly I believe I have caught MTS. I ended up purchasing a used 1 and 3 gallon acrylic tanks :laugh2: . Ordered a nano hob filter. Thinking of a cliff side motif with dwarf hairgrass at the bottom, moss and anubias nana petites in the rock face. Once it is all said and done, I will finally have my shrimp tank that I've always wanted.




Yay!! I would have another tank in a heart beat if I could!!


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## irishspy (Oct 22, 2007)

Econde said:


> Sadly I believe I have caught MTS. I ended up purchasing a used 1 and 3 gallon acrylic tanks :laugh2: .


Welcome, Brother. >


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## Econde (Oct 13, 2015)

irishspy said:


> Welcome, Brother. >


I couldn't resist! Craigslist and varagesale ftw.  Plus I have leftover rocks from my previous builds. 

Gf was telling me she hopes I find space.  

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## sdwindansea (Oct 28, 2016)

I can see how easy it would be to fall into MTS. I'm sure you will have a great time with the new tank and looking forward to reading about it.


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## Bananableps (Nov 6, 2013)

Another lovely tank! Your happy looking staurogyne repens are a testament to the power of dirt to redefine the term "high tech plant".


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## Econde (Oct 13, 2015)

Bananableps said:


> Another lovely tank! Your happy looking staurogyne repens are a testament to the power of dirt to redefine the term "high tech plant".


Thank you kindly! Dirt is my goto now. Planning on setting a 7 gallon bowl up soon. Dirt with Blasting sand cap.


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## bbroush (Sep 13, 2012)

Econde said:


> Thank you kindly! Dirt is my goto now. Planning on setting a 7 gallon bowl up soon. Dirt with Blasting sand cap.




7 gallons???? JEALOUS


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## Econde (Oct 13, 2015)

bbroush said:


> 7 gallons???? JEALOUS


It was from my friend @wakka987 . It is very similar to his 10-13 gallon bowl from his thread here. I still have to leak test it, make sure it holds water for at least several days and then try it out with a heater and water for several days.


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