"Zen Sands" Picotope new pics 5/11

[Phoenix-cry]

So I have decided that the one thing my house is missing is a fish tank (I used to have a 75 gallon koi tank, but I sold it to get my parrot a new play gym).

Once this is complete I will have every Order of life living in my house: Mammalian (dogs and humans), Avian (Saba and Teak), Reptilian (African Housesnake), Amphibian (Dart Frog), Insectia (flies and crickets for frog), Fish (uh...the fish), Invertibrates (Shrimp), Plants (plants), Fungi (there is some of that in the frog tank, Bacteria (are everywhere).

Instead of just focusing on the tank I have set up a whole plant corner in my birdroom with an orchid that hopefully I can keep alive.

Here is the first step! The wood is African Root Wood, the bottom is a combination of Plant Gold and sand, there is one rock and one bit of petrified wood. I've painted the back black with good old fashion acrylic.

There is a 9w 50/50 on the little lamp and a 29W tropical grow light (that was turned off for this photo cause of camera glare), so there is more light than it seems in this photo and I will be getting all low light plants. I have also moved the pico light to the back up on a peice of glass.

The water is pure RO with RO Right added to give it a soft/medium hardness. The heat is provided by a reptile heat pad stuck to the back glass. CO2 will be provided by a slight overstock on small schooling fishes (hopefully Aussie Blue Eyes).

I'll be updating pics as I go!

Day One:

[Craigthor]

I don't think the fish will provide you any CO2. Nitrates they will though...

[ZooTycoonMaster]

Originally Posted by Craigthor

I don't think the fish will provide you any CO2. Nitrates they will though...

x2

Plus I'm not too entirely sure if the heat pad will work.

[Phoenix-cry]

The heat pad is working well, mostly since it is a bird room which is already kept at an air temp of 77, it's keeping the tank around 78. So it doesn't have to work very hard.

Fish go through respiration the same any any other animal does, so why wouldn't they provide CO2? I used to have a 2 1/2 gallon closed system with plants and fish and it lived happily and grew well for three years (until I upgraded to the 75).

[ZooTycoonMaster]

They produce some CO2, but not alot.

And why would you need CO2 if you don't have any plants?

And where is the filter...

[Phoenix-cry]

I will have plants I was just letting the water temp stablize. The filter is hidden behind the drift wood, if you look through the arch you can see the waterfall.

[ZooTycoonMaster]

Oh now I see the filter.

I think you should turn off the 50/50 light, since the actinic does nothing for the plants. Just leave the plant grow light on, and that'll be good enough.

[Phoenix-cry]

That filter is as silent as the grave, it's great, although it's little more than a way to get a little flow through the tank and give a place for bacteria to grow. It has a tiny sack of carbon and a tiny bit of a filter pad inside.

I have moved the 50/50 to the back of the tank and pointed it down back behind the driftwood just so that I can see back there and give the tank a little more 'depth'. I know the actinic does nothing for the plants, but I like the hue it gives to the back of the tank.

[Phoenix-cry]

I just planted this tank with:

Java moss (like everyone else in the world)
Petite Nana
Anubias
Crypt Beckettii
Crypt Wendtii (green)
Dwarf Red Lilly
And a bulb of some description.

I'll take a pic when the water declouds (I stirred up some of fertilizer under the sand which is like a kind of clay Plant Gold).

All plants are Low Light and Easy to Medium. It's a lot in a little tank and I don't expect everything to survive. We shall see how it goes!

[Phoenix-cry]

Okay, here's the pic...so murky right now. I mucked around in the sand/Plant Gold a bit too much.

[Ugly Genius]

Looks great!

But do one thing.
Change your signature. You officially have a planted tank. And a good one!

[Phoenix-cry]

Heehee! Thanks! I forgot about the sig! I'll go hunt that down. Hugs!

I've chosen all *easy* plants so hopefully they will be happy.

Off to change sig!

[Phoenix-cry]

I love these fish! They are Galaxy Danio (Danio margaritatus) sometimes known as Celestial Pearl Danio. I want some and I know just where to gets them. They look like tiny trout. Very small, inch or less.

Undiscovered until 2006.

[DarioDario]

From the looks of it your tank is too small to house a healthy school of CPDs. Also without a lid they are going to jump so I would suggest looking for something else.

[SearunSimpson]

Agreed about the CPD's.

The Celestial Pearl Danios are good schooler I find, and need to be in a group of at least seven or so, and will require a tank of at least 10gls. I tried them in a 5.5gl and that was still too small.
With a tank of that size, I would suggest some sort of shrimp, either RCS or CRS to start out with- they will also double as an algae crew.