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Hambone's House

15K views 107 replies 18 participants last post by  sacme 
#1 · (Edited)
I'm going to try to start a journal and keep it maintained. I do have a couple short ones floating around from a few that I've started but never been good at maintaining them. I just got back into the hobby this year and quickly my house has become over run with tanks and "projects" so this is going to be a thread that I want to cover everything going on in my house.

Tank Time Lines

1 gallon - betta bowl

3 gallon - dbp cherry shrimp tank

10 gallon - low tech

20 gallon - high tech

30 gallon - sitting in my basement waiting
 
#2 · (Edited)
My ten gallon is a low tech tank with MGOCPM with a play sand bottom. It's powered with one single cfl 16 watt spiral, AC 30, and a 50 watt heater. This tank is getting 6 hours of light a day and 1/3rd the amount of EI dosing per week. This started as a dwarf puffer tank but due to the feeding requirements I opted to exchange em for community fish.

Current Livestock List
8 endlers/guppies
4 juli Cory cats
4 ottos
4 nerite snails

Current Plant List
Dwarf sag
Vals
Crypt wenti (green gecko, bronze, Florida sunset)
Crypt lutea
Kleiner sword
Dwarf water lettuce
Hydrocoytle Japan


Here's the tanks progression for the first few months its been around

Just filled with water-
Green Organism Display device Light World


Just planted-
Organism Aquatic plant Aquarium decor Freshwater aquarium Pet supply


After a month-
Aquarium decor Aquatic plant Freshwater aquarium Pet supply Fish supply


Yesterday after a rescape-
Green Organism Aquarium decor Pet supply Freshwater aquarium


7-31-13
 
#3 ·
a few fish from the ten gallon

the endlers have been fun but are proving to be hard to photograph. some of you guys must have some serious patience or know how to adjust camera setting better cause about 1 in 100 of my shots came out while following these fish around the tank



here's one of my cory cats, ive always had trouble keeping them in the past but this time im really trying to make sure they get plenty of good food and good water conditions. as a side note, i had a problem keeping the bottom stirred before getting these guys but they are keeping things tidy!

 
#5 ·
It might be a day or so until I put the shrimp tank up but stay tuned. I've got the photos for the betta bowl to put up soon.

Dbp 3 gallons are good for a shrimp show tank and the price is good for its quality so don't hesitate. Have you seen the dbp club?

I'm struggling a bit with stems in that tank cause its height isn't great except for some moss, foreground, or clippings. It's real short...

I was thinking about maybe moving the betta to the 3 gallon after setting the 30 gallon in the basement for a cherry breeding tank. Time will tell.
 
#6 · (Edited)
This 2 dollar pet smart betta bought by my son with his own money was the catalyst for getting me back into planted tanks this time around. This bowl has been one of the most enjoyable things to make and its shape and size has been fun to work with.

its MGOCPM capped with flora-max substrate, no filter, and a tiny marina betta heater hid behind the driftwood. it was originally lit by a desk lamp and a cfl spiral bulb but the lamp was changed out to a deep blue professional solar flare lamp instead. This bowl is getting 6 hours of light. I'm considering a drop of excel every day.


Current Livestock list
1 Betta
a few ramshorn snails

Current Plant List
micro sword
hydrocotyle japan
bacopa
alternanthera reineckii (petco tissue culture)


filled


my first few plants


added some dwarf hair grass


time for everything to settle and adjust


the pinnacle of the dwarf hair grass


after a major rescape 7-14


over head shot 7-14
 
#8 ·
I wish you would put the Betta in a 10g. He could probably go in the tank with the shrimp. Try it first with a few shrimp. He looks like a mild tempered Betta so I think it would work.

The 10 G after its first scape followed the golden ration. Thus more appeasing. Rah hop shows how it is easily applied
 
#9 ·
I wish you would put the Betta in a 10g. He could probably go in the tank with the shrimp. Try it first with a few shrimp. He looks like a mild tempered Betta so I think it would work.
do you feel like the bowl is too small for him?

the 3 gallon has been a consideration but mixing him with the shrimp wont work due to the 50 babies im currently raising in there, unless i relocate the shrimp
 
#13 ·
A few new additions to our house in the last week

For the last 3 months we have been a foster home for 2 chocolate labs puppies. I'm happy to say that we placed them in some great homes. This weekend we picked up our newest foster, a border collie mix named bandit.

Dog breed Wood Dog Floor Carnivore


He's 5 months old and lived a truly rough life. Given up by his owners at a young age he lived most of his life in a cage and tied up to a water heater. He's really shy and smart and the few short days we've had him he's really starting to come around.

Finger Skin Vertebrate Adaptation Reptile


That's crusty the crested gecko and he's my wife's new pet. He's pretty chill and we like him a lot too.
 
#14 ·
Thanks dprais1 for the dwl it was good to meet you and trade a few plants. I got enough to throw a few good handfuls in the 10 and the 20 gallon.

Body of water Green Aquatic plant Leaf Pond


Aquatic plant Aquarium decor Freshwater aquarium Pet supply Fish supply


Fish planet was un-boxing their plants today when I walked in and was able to pick a crypt bunch before they even got them unpacked. I'll have a lot more green wendti for you next time.
 
#17 · (Edited)
This is a miracle grow bottom capped with Eco. Finnex ray 2 lights. Eheim 2213. GLA atomic paint ball regulator. 20oz tank. Ei dosing.

Current plant list

- stargrass
- ludwigia
- stargoyne repens
- hygro compacta
- blyxa

Current fish list

- 3 ottos
- 6 scarlet badis
- 8 Pygmy Cory cats

Planted
Aquarium decor Pet supply Freshwater aquarium Fish supply Rectangle


Two weeks
Glass Aquarium decor Pet supply Freshwater aquarium Fish supply


Three weeks
Shadow Door mat


Five weeks
Organism Vertebrate Pet supply Aquatic plant Aquarium decor


Seven weeks (flooded)
Green Aquatic plant Aquarium decor Pet supply Freshwater aquarium


10 weeks
Green Aquarium decor Aquatic plant Pet supply Freshwater aquarium


8-16-13


8-24-13


09-09-13
 
#19 ·
So I'm currently dosing 2 of my 4 tanks with dry ferts. My 10 gallon is low tech and I'm doing 1/3 the recommended EI dose. That means just adding macro and micro just once a week.

The 20 gallon high tech is getting the full blown EI.

The schedule looks something like this

Yellow Text Colorfulness Line Parallel


Yellow Text Colorfulness Line Parallel


I'm so new to all this so I don't exactly know what I'm adding and for what purpose. I'm just following the directions laid out by others. I will say the dry ferts with the combination of dirt has given me some plant growing confidence. I've failed terribly with plants the first go around so I'm feeling so much more confident this time around.

Big question here-

My dry fert package came with k2so4 and iron chelate. Neither one I've even touched. What is the potential benefit or risks of adding these into the tanks?
 
#20 ·
What trace are you using? Does it contain iron? If it does have adequate iron you can skip the iron chelate, if it doesn't you should mix iron chelate into your dosing.

You can use this calculator to figure out how much you're actually dosing:
http://calc.petalphile.com/

Your iron chelate will probably appear as either EDTA Fe or Fe Gluconate
 
#22 ·
I love your 20L the proportions are perfect, which means if I didn't know I would guess it was at least a 40.

I think that is the trick to a really good scape.

nice job
 
#24 ·
Glad i clicked on this from your raok!

Loving the tanks, im really digging all these 20Longs ive been seeing, making me scratch my neck and twitch a little
thanks guys, im still looking at it as a work in progress but for my first go around with high tech im glad i havent crashed this tank yet
 
#29 ·
3 gallon long cherry shrimp tank

A deep blue profession tank, azoo palm filter, petco black sand, single bright led

This tank has had some ups and some downs. It's been hit hard with planeria and hydra and was remedied with de-wormer. It's substrate was changed from Eco to black sand halfway through it life. It's also been a challenge with finding the right plants because it as tall as a pop can.

Current livestock-

5 painted fire red shrimp
40ish baby shrimp

Current plant list-

Marsilea minuta
Hydrocoytle Japan
Christmas moss

Just planted
Water Plant Light Green Rectangle


Shrimp feed time
Leaf Underwater Pet supply Fish supply Plant


8-4-13
Vertebrate Rectangle Plant Pet supply Organism
 
#33 ·
you have an empty tank sitting around? that wont last...

serious, its a great shrimp/fry/betta tank

yup, root tabs just under the marsilea

ham, love the 20 long. I'm setting one up myself and was thinking about going the dirt capped with eco complete route. Which type of eco complete did you use, and is it separated by mesh at all (I've seen that recommended)? What's the depth you used for each?

Has it given you any trouble? I've done the Miracle Gro Organic soil capped with PFS and it got messy at times. That's my main issue since I'm a pretty finicky planter and like to move things around. Just wondering if it's been a pain in terms of messiness, obviously it's doing very well in terms of growth which is why I'd like to see what you did to make it successful.
Lord knows im the same way with moving things around. Just when Im happy with the looks i switch it all around. Even the wife gets pissed "why cant you stop messing around and just let things grow. Thats my new goal is to just let the plants do their thing

i did about 1 to 1.5 inches of the miracle grow with 1.5 - 2 inches of plain old eco black packed in the water. soil/miracle grow will always take a bit of finesse but my plants all grow with it. I dont think ill ever not use dirt unless i throw down the $$$ for aqua soil.

ive had more issues with mess in my 10 gallon with play sand. its so compact that the air pockets build up and when those push through it can leave some dirt on top. the eco is a larger grain so it doesn't trap any nasty air pockets.

im not familiar with using mesh so just normal cap over the top of the MG

Ive been looking around for these 3g longs but havent found them anywhere except online... Which is good i dont need another tank lol
but they are so worth the 30$, come on :thumbsup:
 
#31 ·
ham, love the 20 long. I'm setting one up myself and was thinking about going the dirt capped with eco complete route. Which type of eco complete did you use, and is it separated by mesh at all (I've seen that recommended)? What's the depth you used for each?

Has it given you any trouble? I've done the Miracle Gro Organic soil capped with PFS and it got messy at times. That's my main issue since I'm a pretty finicky planter and like to move things around. Just wondering if it's been a pain in terms of messiness, obviously it's doing very well in terms of growth which is why I'd like to see what you did to make it successful.
 
#36 ·
this tank was started to grow the hc carpet, mission accomplished

im over it and about to rip it all out, the trimming on this stuff is out of control

millions of tiny little pieces floating all around my tank and netting it for hours

not fun...


im doing a heavy dose of ei and this week starting to add in k2so4 and iron chelate

id have to imagine its doing good for the plants, that and the dirt bottom

thanks for the compliment even though im starting to despise the hc

maybe in a nano cube

:icon_frow
 
#39 ·
i think glosso is next on my list, though i just bought some staurogyne repens, kinda expensive but that certainly is a plant ive never seen locally and wanna try to grow that out too. i also really want the stargrass to take over

Thanks for answering my questions! I'm thinking of ordering the eco complete on Drs F&S but they have a coarse and a fine grade for the black. I like the fine grade from a looks standpoint, but not sure if either would be a better cap than the other?
id go with the fine grade if i could find it locally, should be much easier to plant in
 
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