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Confused journey of another nano

46K views 303 replies 43 participants last post by  MABJ 
#1 · (Edited)
Hey guys!

This will officially be my first journal here. You can skip the story and just look at pictures at the end if you like, but I'll be sure to keep a current picture, along with updating the confusing story as I go!

I've wanted another tank for a long while, but I didn't know exactly where to drop money. Well I saw the very first fish tank I ever bought dusty in my garage shortly before the semester began, and I decided it would be the perfect place to reinvest.

It is a vanilla looking 2.5 gallon tank, ripe with potential. Potential that is fermenting, as I can't come up with ideas for it! I already know its inhabitants. They will be 4 red cherry shrimp, two small CPO crayfish and possibly -- maybe -- someday a trio of H. Formosa (Least Killifish). I do have a few things I know I want for the tank. I want it to use its entire top and bottom area with a scape, but I don't want to delve into the high tech arena. I don't do CO2 yet, so high lighting is out.

-- More story time! --

So I was very unhappy with the way the tank looked, also that many of my things either weren't shipping, or shipped wrong. So I decided to change everything up. Admittedly, I borrowed from a few other people's ideas, but they all will get their credit!

-After getting sick of the standard 2.5, I fell in LOVE with Somewhatshocked's new nano: a 2.5ish gallon Deep Blue Professional tank that is a whopping 18" long, 6" deep and 7" high. It is an impressive footprint for anything I may put in this tank. I've got a lot of possible ideas, but I'll give my little CPO's their shot first :). Needless to say, I found a good deal online, and I got it for $32 shipped.
-I got screwed on a light purchase from Dr.Fosters&Smith, but they took a return, so after searching around, Somewhatshocked gets credit again. He helped me pick out a mounted 300 lumen LED unit, which puts my tank right on the low-mid light line. Just what I wanted. The light will cost $35 shipped, but with a RAOK won gift card from l8nite, it will cost me $10 shipped.
-When visiting a friend's apartment, I fell in love with the sandstone he had in his tank. Bananariot gets credit for pointing me in the direction of Bartohog who sold me the sandstone for $32 shipped. I got to pick and choose the stones, which they both guaranteed haven't, and wont, leech into my water. Fresh from a mountain in Arkansas, they needed cleaning. I fixed them up and plopped a few in. I've still got a TON of stone left, so this was definitely a great purchase. The amount of stone in this tank will get a price tag of $11, as I'll be using the other stone for a long time to come.
-I got screwed on aquabid, but in a futile attempt to save some of my plants, DogFish kindly shipped me a package of plants which currently are they makeup of my tank. They desperately need permanent homes for their roots and that light, so I hope it all works out soon. Final cost? ($7 shipped)
-I've added a black background to the tank, I think it looks awesome, but I'm open to changing the color. I've rescaped a few of the plants.

Everything is coming together, but it doesn't mean I don't still have goals!

Goals for this tank:
*Improve on aquascape
*Try my hand at keeping a lower PH around 7.0, keeping KH around 5
*Possibly breeding my cute little CPO rulers of the tank.
*Possibly attempt a moss wall
*Keep it low budget -- possibly under 100 for tank only use

As I want to keep it low budget, I'll mark where my money has gone this far.

Expenditures:
15 watt heater, which probably won't get used on the tank -- $8 shipped.
Azoo Palm HOB filter, which I will hopefully insta cycle with media from my up-and-running Spec -- $12 shipped.
300 Lumen light fixture -- $10 (Normal cost of $35) shipped
Half bag of Fuval Shrimp Stratum -- $6 shipped (I got a whole bag, but it was split between two tanks)
1/3 box of amazing sandstone -- $11 shipped (I'll use the other 2/3 on other tanks)
Plant package RAOK -- ($7 shipped)
Tank itself -- $32 shipped

Total budget: Roughly $100
Total spent on this tank to date: $86

--

I've recently bought things for my tank which truly aren't necessary, but I decided I wanted them anyways!

I purchased a second filter, a black background, Tom Barr driftwood and a shipment of H4n plants!

A quick thank you to Acitydweller, DogFish, l8nite, bananariot, bartohog, somewhatshocked, H4N and my friends from other forums who also registered here, along with many others who have taken time to help me out.

Current tank picture:
 

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#271 ·
I think your tank looks great and so does the shrimp! I got rid of my DWL in the 3g too because the roots got very long/big and made the tank look terrible. Got sick of trimming them. Now I just have Salvinia minima.
 
#272 ·
Just like me then! Haha. Thanks for the compliment. I take pride in the way this tank looks, but it has looked better since I kinda just let things fall where they may. What is the link to your three gal?
 
#273 ·
I like where it's headed MABJ. Happy you got rid of the DWL, they overpowered the overall look. The cholla looks good in the back corners, that's what I was going to suggest as I read through your thread. The one in the front, it might look ok now while it's new, but I'd move it, it looks too unnatural. Otherwise, awesome update! And I noticed the thicker substrate, as before I thought it looked a bit small for my taste. Your PFR's look GREAT! Super red already. Keep it coming my friend.
 
#274 ·
Thanks very much.

I'll work on a place to move it. I was GOING to lay it down flat in the very back, but my grass plant (no clue what it is LOL) sent off a shooter and it is very cute back there.

Kudos to Speedy, man! I really like them too ATM. There's one male I would cull now, but I don't want to start the culling chop before I have a base of shrimp to work with.

Keep me posted on when you start yours!!
 
#275 ·
I'm very frustrated at why my shrimp want in these darn HOBs...... I found one that must have been dead for over a day.

I caught others trying to get into the HoB to get rid of the ammonia source.

Grr. I added some increased protection, I think. We'll see how it works.

After I removed the carcass, they all started zipping around again thankfully.
 
#276 ·
It happened a week ago or so, and it was a different tank, but since this was her true happy home, I figured I'd post it here.

After two years and several months of life, the last of my first shrimp I ever bought passed away.

It was a peaceful death.

Brown Insect Wood Arthropod Pest


She got a good burial.

Handwriting Wood Rectangle Hardwood Wood stain
 
#277 ·
Sorry to hear of the passing of the original Shrimp!

Did you have red dwl? I thought I read that way back...?

I am working on my OEBT tank now but need better stock, than the ones I got recently, still little babies and young-uns still. Ended up getting sent all light and blonde and a couple eggs, I think!

The moss on your driftwood arch piece looks great. Still love the rocks too.
 
#278 ·
Hey that's ok :)

I have red root floaters, but no red dwarf water lettuce.

I tied the DW moss super tight and some of it is browning, but I hope it'll grow in much tighter because of it. We'll see!

Thanks :)
 
#281 ·
Thank you for the clarification on the dwl.

Also maybe trim the moss a little short to keep some good light.

Lately I have been toying with the light coming up from the bottom of the tank for better light at the substrate.

Using clearish bucket to store excess plants for almost 4 months giving them light from the top and also moving the aquarium light to the floor and shoot the light straight through the bottom. Have duckweed and Salvinia Minima on tops.

Maybe you could decoratively clamp and point a light from the lower area below the shelf it sits on directly UP into the moss or dim area to give it a little love?

Asked for some input from a few people on the submerge-able led lights maybe for below in the aquarium for hard to get to dark "covered" areas. No one seems to have done it. I have lots of Salvinia Minima and it blocks a lot of light! The moss doesn't need much light so even getting a little extra from a nearby light should help.
 
#282 ·
I do not believe it is for lack of light that it is browning. Some mosses hate being tied close together. Fissidens, christmas moss will brown for sure when crammed together.

It'll grow and adjust to the environment I've given it.

In this tank, I NEED floaters to block light, as algae readily forms in the shallow water.
 
#285 ·
This probably isn't the best thread for your question. Nonetheless, I think you have the right idea. You can buy some cheapo aluminum screen / mesh wire from the hardware store.

Alternatively, the transparent splash guard for the Finnex LED lights is just a thin piece of plastic. You could probably also buy tinted plastic with the same thickness/dimensions from Tap Plastics and replace the cover.
 
#286 ·
If you're looking for a super cheap method, you could always use plastic wrap and just loop it around quite a few times until it is to your liking.

But yes L8nite answered this aptly.
 
#290 ·
Thanks, max. Unfortunately the tank is a shell :(.

I cleaned it all out to simplify it.

It is a beamsworks 18" LED. the thread isn't closed, cause who knows when I'll start it back up!
 
#291 ·
This is still a dead tank, but I will just say its plants are living on well in other tanks of mine lol.

So are pieces of the scape. Can you find them in my Almost-Ada tank? ;D.
 
#294 ·
Is anybody ready for more confused journey?

I bought a shrimp rack! With more space means... I has to has more tanks!!!



I know it's nothing like the old hardscape but hat do you all think of this? Almost like a juniper bonsai.
 
#295 ·
Got the old light back up and running!

Tank is on my shrimp rack, hardscape meets my approval(looking for other comments on it still!)

And the light is suspended. You heard right! I had high light even WITH floaters galore.

So I decided to suspend it to decrease the light the tank receives. I don't want algae at all.

 
#296 ·
A shrimp rack...

Now, all this time I had it wrong, by putting it in my pantry, lol. This looks confused, but smart! Can't wait to see your progress.

Tank looks good though I would try to raise the end of the DW, a little bit, if it were me, and or place the right rock towards the back, and the end of the branch to the front of the rock, as the rock seems "heavy" in front of the branch.

Good to see you in the shrimp action again. Also interested to which tanks you add to the shrimp rack!
 
#298 ·
Now, all this time I had it wrong, by putting it in my pantry, lol. This looks confused, but smart! Can't wait to see your progress.

Tank looks good though I would try to raise the end of the DW, a little bit, if it were me, and or place the right rock towards the back, and the end of the branch to the front of the rock, as the rock seems "heavy" in front of the branch.

Good to see you in the shrimp action again. Also interested to which tanks you add to the shrimp rack!
Thanks! Great to see you still putting about here! I'm going to superglue the wood onto the rock actually. Then just bury it all. It'll look better that way.

I'll have roughly 6 tanks on the rack I think. But I'm going to take my time in setting them up. :) I have a new one being shipped to me today.


Little blobs of riccia tied to the branch to make it look more like a bonsai??
Hehe I haven't gotten to flora yet, but that's not a bad idea. I think I'm going to try to do this one as a grow out tank for mini Xmas moss and do mini fiss on the branch or spread a moss ball on the branch! Not sure yet.
 
#300 ·
Filled with water today. Filter tomorrow. I really want to use this mostly as a moss grow out tank. There will be a population of neo culls in here I think eventually. And snails to cycle and hold the cycle.
 
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