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My Planted Tanks - 10g and 2g

2K views 11 replies 5 participants last post by  sadchevy 
#1 ·
Just wanted to share some pics of my tanks.

The 10g is my first planted tank.

Tank: TopFin 10g starter kit - Only using tank and heater from the kit
Lighting: Aqueon T8 Strip Light with 10000k 15w bulb on Aqueon Versa Top
Filter: AquaClear 20 filter (no carbon) and Fluval pre-filter sponge
Substrate: Natural color gravel
Ferts: RootMedic capsules and dose 2.5ml Seachem Flourish Comprehensive weekly, DIY CO2 w/ Fluval 88g ceramic diffuser
Flora: Amazon swords, marimo mossballs, hornwort, bacopa caroliniana, frogbit, anubias
Fauna: Male Betta, 4 Corydoras, pond snails
 

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#2 ·
My second planted tank, first nano.

Tank: Fluval Spec 2g
Lighting: Stock - Ran 6hrs daily on a timer
Filter: Stock with sponge on output - replaced carbon with more biomedia
Substrate: Fluval Shrimp Stratum
Ferts: Occasionally a few drops of Seachem Flourish Comprehensive as needed
Flora: Java Moss, Frogbit, Hornwort
Fauna: 6 Red Cherry Shrimp, 1 Gold Mystery Snail
 

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#5 ·
Yep, the cherries are really gaining color now. They're very active and happy in their new home. The snail fights them for the veggie sticks, but they don't back down, and they enjoy hitching rides on its shell around the tank which is hilarious. They're fun to watch.

Thanks for the compliment rustbucket, he's a mischievous little guy and loves attention. I wish my camera would take better pics, but it's a bit old which doesn't help.
 
#8 · (Edited)
Wow, how do keep any plant material in a tank with an Apple Snail? (They're sometimes called mystery snails to dodge sales prohibitions in states that are worried about them wiping out rice crops)

Mine was an absolute plant eating green poop machine. It even tried the plastic plants...

I tried floaters and it hung upside down from the lid in the the filter output stream, made a funnel with its foot, and gobbled ever last bit of the plants within a week of introduction.
 
#10 ·
Haha, yeah, she's doing great so far. These little shrimp are fun to watch.

Only problem I'm having with the spec tank is the fuzzy white growth on my frogbit and tank walls above the water, maybe some kind of mold from the shrimp stratum or the lace rock? Any tips on getting rid of it? I've just let it be, but it is getting a bit out of hand. I'll try to snap some pics of it soon to help identify. The java moss in the spec is growing like crazy now, the shrimp love their little java moss jungle.

As for the snail, it's a love/hate. It started out quite small, but it has tripled in size in about a month time. Quickly becoming too large for the 2g, and my snail in the 10g was murdered by the betta or corydoras. In terms of eating the plants, At the rate of growth in this tank, it just helps keep my trimming maintenance down. I keep it fed decent and it doesn't disturb my plants too much. It does make a funnel with its foot but I think it's just eating the bio film from the surface of the water or something, occasionally I'll see it munching on a smaller portion of frogbit, but I figure it'd do the same in nature given a chance. The other day I saw it with a string of the java moss in its mouth like a strand of spaghetti. It was just munching away, lol. As long as I feed it well, it doesn't cause too much chaos.

Update on the 10g my otocinclus (2 of 2, the first died shortly after I got it), became very skinny overnight and passed away a day later. I think of just old age, it was doing quite well for the longest time and had actually for once become active and not so skiddish when viewing the tank. The corydoras are still breeding almost weekly, but either they or the betta eat the eggs before I can even get to them now. Aside from that, almost all my beautiful frogbit decided to melt away almost over night. No idea what changed, other than I had some pond snail eggs hitch-hike on the hornwort into my tank. I took them out, but seems the frogbit are still melting. I have read they prefer higher nitrates in the water, so I have went back to a bi-weekly water change. No idea what else could've caused it.
 
#11 ·
Frogbit will melt if not provided enough lighting or if there's too much surface agitation. You can prevent movement by sectioning floating plants off with fishing line, airline tubing or a feeding ring.

What sort of food are you using for your Otos? May be a good idea to invest in some Repashy products to supplement their diet.
 
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