4 Gallon Nano

[chizamp]

Ok, first off, this is my first attempt at an aquarium of any kind, so don't expect anything spectacular. I recently bought the 4 Gallon Finnex setup off ebay.

Tank: 4 Gallon Finnex glass tank (12" x 7.5" x 10" high)

Lighting: 13w PC fixture (silver aluminum hood, with polished reflector, acrylic lens)

Filter: HOB filter (31.5 gallon per hour flow, sponge and carbon cartridge filtration)

Heater: Visi-Therm Stealth 25watt heater

Substrate: ADA Aqua Soil Amazonia II Powder

Plants: Tropica Fern, Fissiden Fontanus, Peacock moss (Taxiphyllum sp.) Dwarf Sag (sagittaria subulata) Dwarf Hairgrass (Eleocharis parvula) HC 'cuba' (Hemianthus callitrichoides) Anubias Nana 'petite'

Inhabitants: Red Cherry Shrimp (Once tank is cycled)


Ok, now on to some pictures...


This picture was taken when I first set the tank up. I had bought that Tropica Fern from Petco. It is actually a pretty good looking plant considering it came from Petco. I believe this picture was taken on 05/02/08. I was waiting for my other plants to arrive from MrJG.



Once the plants arrived from MrJG (thanks again!) I went ahead and planted them. Here is a picture taken on 05/08/08.


And here is a shot of the tank from today, 05/09/08. As you can see I moved a few of the plants. I still am not sure if I like this setup or not. I might be moving some more stuff around. I ordered some excel and a nice pair of long tweezers so once those arrive I plan on draining the tank and breaking up the HC and spreading it out more in hopes of making a nice carpet with it.


And here is one more picture from today of the full tank shot.



Like I said, this is my first attempt at an aquarium of any kind, so I know it is nothing spectacular. But, any feedback or criticism is always welcome. If you have any comments or idea's then please share. Thanks for looking, and I will be updating this as the tank matures so be sure to lookout for updates.

[PinoyBoy]

one thing i learned is that the rhizomes of the ferns shouldnt be burried.
its also nice. make the substrate slope and uneven to not give a flat look.
nice driftwood. also seperate the hairgrass and plant them seperately.
this should prevent algea build up. and space the HC apar also if u want
a nice carpet. but dont make the spaces between them too big.

[chizamp]

Pinoyboy, thanks for the feedback. I will separate the dwarf hairgrass some more when i separate the HC. And to the rest of you, 114 views and only one comment? I know it's bad, but I didn't think it was THAT bad.

[waterfaller1]

Hi Chizamp..looking good! I love my 4 gal finnex, it is my only tank that has stayed algae free.

[@marko@]

good so far, but it needs some stems.

[chizamp]

waterfaller1, thanks. Do you have a journal for your tank?

@marko@, thanks for the advice. Any specific stems that you would recommend?

[rekles75]

Hey chizamp

Good to see you got your tank set up. It is off to a good start.

I am no expert but I do think you should stagger the substrate a little and add some back groud plants.

Maybe something that fills the back in real good if you are not going to use a back ground. Dont use any Vals though as excel will melt them, as I recently found out.

[waterfaller1]

Originally Posted by chizamp

waterfaller1, thanks. Do you have a journal for your tank?

No, sorry..I never started one for that tank. I have pics though.

[chizamp]

Originally Posted by waterfaller1

I have pics though.

I would love to see them.

[waterfaller1]

Originally Posted by chizamp

I would love to see them.

Ok..I will post a little thread in a bit.

[@marko@]

rotala rotundifolia, limnophila sessiliflora (asian ambulia), cabomba carolina, and weighted down hornwort are all good background fillers and should grow good in your tank.

[chizamp]

@marko@, thanks for the suggestions. I will search and get some more info on these plants.

[kiwik]

maybe an update? i wanna see how this turns out.

[HatchetHaven]

This looks like a cool tank... Deffinatly get that fern's rhizome out of the substrate, or it may go a little brown if you know what I mean. Ferns like to be attached to wood by the rhizome. Hygrophila corymbosa 'Siamensis' and H. Corymbosa 'Siamensis 53B' are both nice stems.

[Sticky230]

nice tank. these finnex ones are smooth... with small tank, you should slope the substrate if you can. lower in front then raised in the back. you could go as low with .5 inches in front without problem. it really makes a difference giving small aquariums depth. you can do it with a fork so you don't make a mess in the tank if you 'd like.