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micr0's 12 Gallon Long

45K views 59 replies 33 participants last post by  somewhatshocked 
#1 · (Edited)
Hi all - Inspired by some of the amazing tanks on display in this forum, I have finally started my first high-tech rimless aquarium. I love my Fluval Edge, but it has many limitations...my new tank has allowed me to pursue the type of scape I have always admired from afar.

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Video 10/17/12:


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

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

Current Fauna:
Otocinclus
Ember tetras
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Original Post:

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

Flora:
Hemianthus callitrichoides
Fissidens fontanus
Hydrocotyle sp
Staurogyne repens

Fauna:
2x Amano shrimp
Still considering my options

And now for the pics:

11-1-11


11-2-11


11-6-11
swapped out bulky heater.


11-11-11


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


11-18-11


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






As always I appreciate any comments or questions. Thanks for looking!
 
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#4 ·
That looks really "serene", I don't know how to say it, just very peaceful.

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

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


I do think it would look nicer if you leveled the substrate on the front glass. Other than that, I really like this tank. It's a different take on a few different styles.
 
#5 ·
Man your HC is really taking off. Mines can't compare to yours. Can you tell me how you are fertilizing, how much CO2 and what is your lighting period?

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

I also agree with the others, it is really ZEN like. Keep up the excellent work.
 
#7 ·
Thanks everyone for the comments and suggestions.:proud:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thanks again for the suggestions!
 
#10 ·
Looks great! I'll definitely be following this. I actually preferred the 11-6-11 because it looked like a pretty Japanese garden. It's pretty now with it all grown out but I think some red looks really nice in there like you had it. I have one of those archea lights and it actually looks really awesome side by side like you have it... something I'll definitely consider if I get a long tank like that!
 
#16 ·
I think one of my advantages with this aquarium is that I work from home (I'm an artist), so the tank gets a lot of attention. It's right next to my painting table and I can address any problems very quickly.



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

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

If I do add fish, I'm thinking of either celestial pearls, gertrudae rainbows (not sure if this is enough space for them), or maybe even gardeneri killifish. I also love hastatus cories. Can never go wrong with cardinals either. Opinions?
 
#23 ·
Thank you all for the feedback and suggestions! Right now I'm eagerly awaiting the delivery of my GLA Primo CO2 system, which I'm hoping will give me the upper hand while I battle some hair algae in this tank. It flared up this week after I ran out of Fluval 88g cartridges. I stubbornly refused to buy more when I've got the real deal on the way, so in the meantime I had two spare cylinders from the small fluval kit lying around that I'm feeding into the powerhead. Levels have definitely fluctuated a lot and I've been physically removing the algae as it grows.



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

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

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

really nice looking tank and scape. while i love cpd's, i dont think they'll add enough color? cards would be nice...but maybe neons instead? some of my cards around around 1.75", which seems to me like they'd be a little too big proportionally? maybe also consider Hyphessobrycon amapaensis tetras?
I wasn't familiar with Hyphessobrycon amapaensis. Looks really nice!

I'm hesitant to add livestock right now mainly because it makes leaving town more complicated. I already feel bad enough asking my roommate (who knows zero about aquariums) to feed my other tank, add water, fertilize, etc. I'm leaving next week and won't be back until January 9. The lights and co2 will be automated, but I'm already mentally preparing myself for what my tank will look like without anyone on algae/WC duty. It's all good though I'll whip it back into condition.
 
#19 ·
Looks awesome! I just got this tank and can't wait to set it up... need to build a stand for it but the weather has been bad here so I can't do all the sanding and staining I need to do yet.

I'd advise against putting killifish in it, they're very good jumpers. I had mine in a covered 10 gallon tank with a divider in it, my betta in one half and my killifish in the other half. I had the water level about 2 inches below the top of the divider and there was only about 3/4 to 1 inch of space between the divider and the top of the tank and the male managed to jump over into the side with my betta. Thankfully I caught them before they killed each other. :icon_neut
 
#26 ·
When I was choosing my lights a while back I was directed to the intensity chart on the lighting forum, and these fixtures seemed to add up to be fine. Algae was minimal before my co2 levels became inconsistent, and even now it's not that bad. I'm only worried about how it will look after being away for 3 weeks...

Here's the tank tonight. I haven't cleaned it today.
 
#29 ·
looks like your getting a pretty good current out of that power head. Ill be interested in what livestock you chose. I just added my fish to my 12 gallon long tank yesterday and had to change the flow quite a bit as i had a similar setup, but was to strong for my fish and looked to be stressing them out. They all sort of just piled up at one end of the tank.
 
#30 ·
Right now I'm leaning toward shrimp only, and I'm trying to decide between CRS, CBS and OEBT. Ideally I'd get black tigers like those currently on the SnS, but they're a bit outta my price range...for now.

The powerhead is a Koralia nano. It's actually pretty gentle. I was even thinking about moving one size up.
 
#32 · (Edited)
Well I think it's about time for an update -

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



 
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