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:
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: