# Shrimpaholic's 2g Fluval Spec



## Shrimpaholic (Jul 7, 2012)

So I was shopping around today looking for a Nano tank and decided to get the Fluval Spec. I was seriously considering the Aqueon Evolve 4 but I think the biggest turn off for me was that it was made of plastic wheras the Spec is made of glass. This seems like a solid little tank. I especially like the design of the filer/filter medium. I have room to add a heater in the back and a little sack of Purigen as well.

I plan on taking clippings from my plants in my 20g for my Spec. I also have a nice piece of multi branched wood that I found along a dry river bed near my house. As of right now I may just use some left over black sand I have for substrate but still undecided.

After the cycling is complete I'm leaning towards some Yellow Neo's and maybe some Emerald Green Shrimp

The best part about getting this tank was I only paid $12 for it! I sold a reptile filter that I never used and was given to me a few months back.

A few pics of the tank with just water as I wanted to see how the flow from the filter was, and how bright the light was. Can't wait to get home to get this puppy started!

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## Shrimpaholic (Jul 7, 2012)

I put some black sand in my Spec and a little clipping of wysteria and I'm not sure what the other plant is and a few little rocks I had laying around. I'm gonna add more clippings and some branches when I have a chance to get all the bark off them and boil them. I want to add some Baby Tears towards the front and tie some java moss on my rock. Maybe a moss wall on the back. I haven't really figured out how exactly this will be scape yet.

Here's what it looks like at the moment. I'm thinking of putting a couple juvie cherry shrimp culls in there to help my cycle going but I dunno...


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## SpecGrrl (Jul 26, 2012)

I am so impressed that you only paid $12!

Gah I would totally buy another one for $12!


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

The other plant is called cabomba. In my experience it doesn't do well in specs. 

But I'm happy you got a spec. This is possibly the best nano around at the moment, I only wish it had a larger footprint. 

Keep me posted, I'll be interested to see what you do!


From MABJ's iPhone
2G Fluval Spec ~ fauna and flora in the works!


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## The Big Buddha (Jul 30, 2012)

MABJ said:


> The other plant is called cabomba. In my experience it doesn't do well in specs.
> 
> But I'm happy you got a spec. This is possibly the best nano around at the moment, I only wish it had a larger footprint.
> 
> ...


It does have a larger footprint- The Spec 5 Gallon.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

I know! I'm going to get one eventually  

Not sure when yet. 


From MABJ's iPhone
2G Fluval Spec ~ fauna and flora in the works!


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## Shrimpaholic (Jul 7, 2012)

MABJ said:


> The other plant is called cabomba. In my experience it doesn't do well in specs.
> 
> But I'm happy you got a spec. This is possibly the best nano around at the moment, I only wish it had a larger footprint.
> 
> ...


Ahh ok now I know the name  I just took these clippings out of my 20g but I could easily put them back in. They do grow very fast so maybe that's why they don't do well in Nanos?

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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Shrimpaholic said:


> Ahh ok now I know the name  I just took these clippings out of my 20g but I could easily put them back in. They do grow very fast so maybe that's why they don't do well in Nanos?
> 
> Sent from my Samsung Galaxy using Tapatalk 2


Yep. They're like 20" tall plants. So that doesn't exactly fit. 

If you like them keep them! I just personally had a hard time with them. 




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2G Fluval Spec ~ fauna and flora in the works!


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## Shrimpaholic (Jul 7, 2012)

So I just checked the params (some of them) and my pH was 7.6 which is fine because I plan on keeping Neo's in it. The thing that I can't figure out is why my pH is so high. I used 100% RO and added Fluval Shrimp Mineral to get my GH to 5, a little Amquel, Jungle Start Zyme, and some Aqueon Plant food.

All I have is black sand as substrate, one rock and no fish or shrimp. Without Amonia my cycle hasn't started, I realize that I just haven't had time to work with my Spec yet.

The Obvious culprit is the rock but is there anything else that would cause my pH to be 7.6? My RO water tests at 6.2.

75F
GH 5
KH 3
TDS 186
Haven't tested Amonia, Nitrites or Nitrates yet.

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## triscene (Apr 7, 2012)

try to age your RO water with airing..to see whether pH will rise, i think it will.
did u do winegar test of the rock?


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## Shrimpaholic (Jul 7, 2012)

I'm sure you are right about the RO water. However, in my 20g I use 100% RO and my pH stays around 6.6. And as I mentioned in the previous post my RO has a pH of 6.2. 

No, I haven't done the vinegar test on my rock which by the way, is the same rocks that I gathered from a river. These are both things I should and will do when I get back home tomorrow...or today? Traveling for business = sleep deprivation = insanity! 

Thanks for the advice

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## Shrimpaholic (Jul 7, 2012)

I stopped by a lfs and picked up some Dwarf Baby Tears for my forground in my tank. After reading on it, it seems this plant needs co2 which I wasn't planning on using. Well $5...I'm gonna plant them stem by stem and see how it goes.

I couldn't find a small enough piece of driftwood or any manzanita so I am gonna be using the branches I found after I prep them. Keeping the branches submerged is gonna be a challenge as they like to float.

And I'm doing it the old school way with a couple feeder guppies to get my cycle started. It's always worked for me in the past so I'm stickin with it. 

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## Shrimpaholic (Jul 7, 2012)

So going on day 2 with no sleep I finally made it back home and planted the HC and threw in a couple guppies to get my cycle started. Now I have to figure out how to keep my HC alive...is it possible with the light that came with my Fluval Spec?

Anyways, here's some pics. Still gotta figure out how to get my driftwood twigs in there...
















So basically I'm still playing around with what goes where. More than likely all of the plants in the back will be replaced. I'm open to suggestions, ideas on what you think I should do, shouldn't do etc.

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## Shrimpaholic (Jul 7, 2012)

Here's some updated pics with the driftwood I cut and debarked, that I found on the side of a river bed. At the moment I'm gonna let it be for now. Besides changing some of the background plants, and adding some Java Moss and some Java Fern to the driftwood, this is the scape.

When it finishes cyclying Yellow Neo's and Emerald Green Shrimps. Comments, suggestions appreciated!






























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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

The HC is a crapshoot man. The odds aren't on your side that it'll come out how you want. If it does survive, it will grow tall. But I wish you every bit of luck. 

The light is a lot stronger than people think. But I wouldn't put it anywhere higher than medium light. 




From MABJ's iPhone
2G Fluval Spec ~ fauna and flora in the works!


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## Shrimpaholic (Jul 7, 2012)

Yeah, I realized that the HC might not make it. How much do you think c02 would help? I did read that HC can grow in medium light and like you mentioned...the light is pretty bright although surely night "high light". Got any suggestions on other plant's I could use to carpet the foreground?

This is my first Nano and I'm lovin it so far. Easy to set up, maintain and changing out the HC wouldn't be much of a hassle at all.

The rocks, driftwood I found, the sand I had, and the plants all clippings from my 20g besides the HC.

Total cost on the setup of this tank so far $12 for the Spec, $5 for the HC, a few cents for the guppies. So not bad for less than $20! 
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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

I will say I'm not digging how the sticks are right now.. They have potential for the tank, I'm not sure what I'd do though. I can't attest to Co2 helping at all. If your parameters are all in check, The most it does is speed up what is going on already. If everything is in check, you'll see slower growth but things will still be healthy. 

I'm not saying you do, but a lot of people think of co2 as a plant bandaid, which it really isn't. 

Most people have something out of whack, so they dose things to correct it. 

Generic answer and I'm sorry for that. But it really depends on what you see in your plants! 


From MABJ's iPhone
2G Fluval Spec ~ fauna and flora in the works!


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## Shrimpaholic (Jul 7, 2012)

Hey I appreciate the feedback. I got more branches, bigger, smaller...if you finally can think of an idea let me know. 

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## Shrimpaholic (Jul 7, 2012)

I had one of my two guppies die most likely due to the amonia levels. The guppies should have been able to handle the level of ammonia but they are weak feeder guppies.

I still haven't put moss on my branches because I'm to tired to do much more than stare at my tanks and do water tests 

Some updated pics.































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## Zap brannigan (Sep 14, 2012)

I keep hc in my 15 with no c02 and also in a bowl with a small ikea light over it so medium ish light and no c02 and it thrives in both, the 15 gets excell and the bowl gets nothing.


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## Shrimpaholic (Jul 7, 2012)

Zap brannigan said:


> I keep hc in my 15 with no c02 and also in a bowl with a small ikea light over it so medium ish light and no c02 and it thrives in both, the 15 gets excell and the bowl gets nothing.


That's good to know. I love the HC! I can see that it is already growing. The Fluval Spec light looks brighter than my Single Bright Marineland LED.

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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Shrimpaholic said:


> That's good to know. I love the HC! I can see that it is already growing. The Fluval Spec light looks brighter than my Single Bright Marineland LED.
> 
> Sent from my Samsung Galaxy using Tapatalk 2


If you successfully grow it, I want some for my foreground lol. 


From MABJ's iPhone
2G Fluval Spec ~ fauna and flora in the works!


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## Knotyoureality (Aug 3, 2012)

I've got dwarf baby tears in my 37g tall--medium light, no c02. It'll be months of persistent pruning and replanting of clipping to get a carpet, but it will work. 

Only note: in high light set ups it can establish well with individually set plantlets. In lower light, I found it responds better if it's not divided up so much--around dime size patches work best. Once there's a length of at least 1.5-2", I either clip and replant or bend it over and bury the last cm or two in the substrate to root.


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## Shrimpaholic (Jul 7, 2012)

Maybe I should have kept mine in tighter clumps. I could probably just buy one more pot and I'd have a carpet since the area is small...


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