The Planted Tank Forum banner

The journey begins 2.5g planted

2K views 9 replies 6 participants last post by  Rcalhoun 
#1 ·
Well I kicked the idea around for ages now of what to do, what size tank, what this what that... finally my Girlfriend was so fed up with it she said if I didn't do something by the first of the year...well, lets just say it wasn't going to be good.

So, I did what any person in my situation would of done. I used what equipment I had laying around and threw something together. So far, I'm pleased with the way it has turned out. Whether or not it will last is another matter.

A little about what I was trying to achieve. Well, I wanted something low maintenance and easy to take care of. I do aquarium maintenance as my job...not something I want to do when I get home too. So I had a spare 2.5 gallon Aqueon tank sitting in the closet. I think it had a snake in it at one time...hard telling with my house. I decided I was going to use it for my little planted window to the watery world. After picking the tank I was thinking I'd need a filter...I would of loved to have gone with an external canister filter with glass lily pipes and the sort - but time was against me. So I happened to be at Petsmart and say a little whisper i3 filter. Runs off an air pump, was very small, I thought that this would do the trick. Gives just enough flow for the water to move around and the plants to sway slightly. I also picked up a piece of wood that was in a pretty neat shape as well as a few plants. The problem I am having with the plants is...I am not 100% sure what they are! I'm pretty sure I have dwarf hair grass as one...but if anyone can ID the other two that would be much appreciated. I'll have pictures after my long winded letter here...

Last thing I needed was substrate and a light. Well, I had some clay substrate left over from a clients build - just enough to give me about a 1" layer on the bottom of the tank. I capped this off with another 1" layer of fine sugar sand from one of my old reef systems. The light I had sitting in the closet, its a little desk goose-neck halogen light. I think its around 20w? I have it pretty far off the top of the water, I don't want it to super heat it up.

So I threw everything together about 2 weeks ago. So far, I've had the ammonia spike, than a very small spike in nitrates. I've been reading 0 on both those parameters for 3 days now. So tonight, while I'm at petsmart picking up food for the dozen other animals my house holds...I say a Julli Cory Catfish... nice little small one, maybe 3/4" long. so I picked her up and she's now the sole resident of my tank. I was thinking of adding another fish - possibly a Betta but plan on waiting at least a few months for things to grow out and the tank to mature a bit more.

So, now that you've read my ridiculously long post... here are the pictures I know everyone is dying to see :icon_surp

Mandatory full tank shot.



Dwarf hair grass?


Bacopa? this is one I could use some help with.


another one I need help with, I think its Crypto something or other.


And finally, Juli...the Cory Cat


I apologize for the pictures - my Iphone is not the best camera and I was getting a lot of reflection from all the other aquariums in the room.


 
See less See more
6
#6 ·
Yes I do. That filter is usually included in Tetra combos. I bought a halfmoon plastic acuarium ( back when I didnt know better) and it was inluded in it. Its very good at collecting deitrus and getting cloged, its more of a gimmik than a real filter. Theres is no biological filtering, which makes me believe your tank is not fully cycled. Get you hands on a Aquaclear 20, or a Zoomed 501.
 
#7 ·
Yeah I agree it does collect detritus easily. I've changed the cartridge once a week so far. I started the cycle with turbo start I had for work, which should do the trick for biological. I just tested the water again and got .001 UIA, 0 nitrates and .01 TaNF. Ill be keeping a close eye on it things go south I always have my sons planted tank to transfer into.

As for a new filter, I have several aquaclear models but all of them have been modified for saltwater... Never heard of the other brand, ill look it up. Thanks for the info.
 
#9 ·
No biological filtration? Bacteria will hop on any space there is.

I mean it may clog, but every filter has some bio filtration, even if it is just a sponge filter.



OP, do you have readings for ammonia and nitrites? I saw a nitrate reading of zero..

That usually means the tank is uncycled.


MABJ's iDevice used for this message :p
 
#10 ·
Thanks Yukon!

Mjab, yeah NO3 was 0 but my total ammonia was .01. I'm using a hach computer for my testing, plan on running another test later today.

Did do a 1/2 gallon water change today, and fed the juli 1 shrimp pellet. She ate it up after a few minutes. Ill up her feed. Tomorrow if she takes the first pellet quickly. Being so small of a tank I don't want to over feed.


And I did look at the zoo med 501 filter, didn't realize it was for turtle tanks that's probably why I didn't think about it. I have a friend who has one he's not using so I may switch it out with the I3, unfortunately I'm receiving my saltwater fish order tomorrow so I won't have time...23 boxes from Bali is going to keep me pretty busy.

Ill post an update as soon as I can!
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top