The Planted Tank Forum banner

Philip's ADA Mini-M - Help me choose fish!

32K views 124 replies 43 participants last post by  daitran89 
#1 · (Edited)
Philip's ADA Mini-M

Hi all,
I got this setup as a Christmas gift from my family. I'm super excited to get it all set up! I've never had a nano tank before so i'm sure there will be a little bit of a learning curve. However, it should be a lot of fun and i hope that you guys will enjoy following this tank's progression.

I've been messing around with the scape for the past few days, and i think i've finally come up with something that i like. However, i'm trying to decide whether i should trim down the longest branch in the front or not. I'd appreciate your feedback.

For plants, i'm planning on a HC carpet with some sort of Rotala sp. in the background. The branches will be covered with moss (likely taiwan), though i haven't totally decided on which type yet. I'm hoping to make this an easy tank to maintain by keeping it simple.

For fauna, i'll likely go with some sort of micro rasbora as well as yellow shrimp.

I have all the necessary equipment to get this tank going except for the filter and lily pipes. My next pay check can't come soon enough!

Although it's likely not the most economical setup, i've been wanting to try GLA's new 95 gram CO2 disposable cartridge kit for a while now. I tested it out on my 60-P and it seems to work well. I hope the cartridges will each last for at least a month. From what i've heard, they should. It's a very sleek little kit and it goes well with the ADA look.

Let me know what you think!

Tank: ADA Mini-M (5.5G)
Light: ADA Solar Mini-M
Filter: Eheim 2211
CO2: GLA Atomic Nano CO2 Kit (95 gram cartridge)
Substrate: ADA New Amazonia (multi-type)
Hardscape: Ohko stone; ADA branch wood
Dosing: pFertz NPK+micros











 
See less See more
6
#35 ·
Here's an updated photo.
I've been getting some algae (diatoms, rhizoclonium, GSA, and BGA), which is strange because those are the exact types of algae that i got in my 60P when i was using the same buffered RO/DI water... but i've never had rhizoclonium nor BGA when using tap?! I don't get it.

Anyway, algae issues aside, the tank is doing pretty well. Right now i just have 2 otocinclus and 10 yellow shrimp in there. I hope to get a school of chili rasboras soon. I would also eventually like to get some Limnophila vietnam 'mini' to fill in the remaining gaps between the rocks and the background plants/driftwood.

 
#41 ·
Thanks Jenny! Yeah i decided to keep the wood bare. I think it looks best that way. Thanks for your feedback.
Yup, i got them last Friday. I posted some info/pics on my 90G Riparium journal. Let me know what you think!

These really are awesome fish; they were worth every penny. But man, i had to pay a small fortune to get them shipped from Montreal to Phoenix!
 
#49 ·
Nope, it's all Bacopa monnieri.

Hellllooooo... it is time for a photo update! Us nerds are anxious to see how things have changed the past two weeks. :)
picture update pleasee ^__^
Ahaha it looks so bad right now... just did a major trim. The HC is filling in nicely though. I'll take a picture soon.
 
#54 ·
Guys it looks SO bad... lol. It's really not worth showing. I'm considering a complete teardown and starting from scratch. There's algae everywhere and none of the plants are doing well. I think being super inconsistent with the ferts really screwed me over.
 
#64 ·
Well, this tank has had some major ups and downs ever since it's setup but here's a current FTS. I've been having some issues with rhizoclonium, hair algae, and cyano bacteria. I cut back on the light a lot and bumped up the CO2 quite a bit.

Also, with the help of Orlando, i converted the cartridge CO2 regulator into a paintball regulator. I'm very happy that i went this route because it's much more economical. It's a 24oz tank and it's still going strong after over a month of use, whereas the cartridges would last me 2 weeks if i was lucky.

I plan to get hairgrass for the back and HC for the carpet.

I have 14 diamond head neon tetras (i know, a little overload-- might give a few to my teacher for her mini-M) and 2 scarlet badis in this tank. I will be adding 12 yellow shrimp soon.

 
#66 ·
What are diamond headed neons?

Tank looks great, but 1.) Put some water in there! 2.) fix the light even/parallel with the tank! You bought an ADA tank and invested hundreds of dollars into it for a reason -- aesthetics. I find that when I focus more on keeping my tanks aesthetically pleasing from all directions, I produce my best scapes.

Also, close up of that driftwood? That looks sick! And is that R. Vietnam? And also, sorry for all those questions! :hihi:
 
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